Disclaimer - I own nothing.
I've tried to make it clear which Dean is which at by identifying which Dean it is at the beginning of each start of dialogue at the mo. If it is confusing with the Deans at any point please let me know and I'll try to make it clearer.
"So you want us to just sit down here essentially doing nothing except holding our dicks in our hands, while he's probably calling the cops?" Dean Winchester asked his brother who was looking out the window at the run down block.
"Dean, will you just give the guy five minutes?" Sam retorted.
"I said I would get you new underpants if that is the problem, okay?"
Sam sighed, "Fine, I'll just go and….
"No bro, we are not going up there. I don't care if he got shot, we didn't do it, so we don't have to feel guilty about it. Sounds like gang related shit anyways. And I'm not the only one saying it he said no to you helping him up to his place. He's freaked out enough and you trying to be you ain't going to work. Best for all of us if we just put it behind us. "
"I'm not saying it isn't," Sam replied.
"Then what?"
"I don't know, bad feeling I suppose."
"Look finding some guy with your face, I know it is out there, especially for us considering he seems to be just a normal guy but can we just chalk it up to one of those things?" Dean asked.
"And the fact he has your name?"
"What Forester?" Dean asked. "Last time I checked that wasn't on my birth certificate."
"You know what I mean."
"What do you mean?" Dean asked. "This is all just a big freaky coincidence!"
Sam sighed as Dean Forester came down out of the apartment building, before handing over a bag through the car window.
"Thanks." Sam said to which his tall doppelganger gave him a quick nod before he started to try and limp away.
"Hey," Dean Winchester said as both he and his brother got out of the car. "Look, we appreciate that you said you wouldn't call the cops until we left and can understand that you don't want us to know where you live."
"Dean!" Sam said firmly.
"Come on Sam, it isn't like he's not trying to hide where he lives. He came out a different block than he went into and you know fine well that he doesn't live in that one either, probably picked that one 'cause he couldn't walk much further."
"I'm sorry about my brother," Sam apologized.
"I was just going to say that Forester here…the dude here has shown us that he's got cojones considering most people in this situation wouldn't have thought of trying to throw us off his trail like that, let alone come back with your pants so let us just get him back to the hospital and then we hit the interstate," Dean argued.
"It's fine, really," Sam's very pale double said before turning around to very slowly limp away. "I get it, all a stupid mix up on your part. I'll be fine."
"Hey, at least let us make sure you get a cab?" Sam said as he flagged one down.
He winced in pain, before he nodded as Sam held up the car door open.
He took a moment before slowly limping over to the cab and getting in. Sam gave him a reassuring smile before handing the cab driver some money.
"Happy now you got your stuff back?" Dean asked as Sam watched the cab drive off.
"Shut up Dean!" Sam said as his brother locked the car. "What are you doing?"
"What does it look like I'm doing?" Dean said as he took a few steps down the street as Sam just stared at him.
"Come on, you were the one that got his address last time he passed out so lets check the place out."
"Thought you wanted to hit the interstate."
"Well, you were the one that was curious, weren't you? So lets get this over with, so someone doesn't turn into Mr. Pensive and Broody before we hit the city limits, and before the cops that he swore he didn't call do their usual bang up job and respond – I'd say that gives us about an thirty minutes minimum," Dean said as he walked down the street.
"What the fuck happened?" Frank yelled as he and Ortiz walked through the trauma room door.
"I'm fine Frank, honestly. I'm a little groggy and yeah I'm in pain, but really I'm fine," Dean Forester replied as the nurse tended to him.
"Fine? You look like someone has taken a bat to you and you definitely didn't look like that the last time I saw you," Ortiz said.
"Well you were the one that left me unconscious and on my own," Dean retorted. "But that doesn't matter, I'm okay. Really I'm fine."
"Sure you are sir," said the policeman who was standing there and had been taking notes prior to being interrupted by Dean's friends.
Dean sighed. "Look they let me go even though they must have known I'd be calling you guys the second I could. They said they were heading to the Interstate. That is all I can tell you okay."
"And you say that the man who abducted told you he wasn't involved in the shooting you were originally admitted for?" the policeman asked.
"Yeah and what are you doing about that?" Ortiz asked. "Or the guys who talked to me, when Dean first disappeared who you say you have never heard?"
"That is being looked into, but can we talk about these brothers?"
"What brothers?" Ortiz asked as Dean rubbed his head.
"The people that grabbed me and they said it was a mistake."
"A mistake? Look at you man, you look like they put you through a blender!" Frank said.
"I fell out the car." Dean admitted all the while the policeman was continuing to write things down.
"Fell out of the car?" the policeman said as he raised a quizzical eyebrow.
"Yeah, I was so out of it, I fell out the car." Dean said slowly as the policeman began to usher Dean's friends out of the room.
"What is going on?" Dean asked as the policeman came back into the room, with a serious look on his face. "I'm kinda the victim here, you know?"
"Look Mr. Forester, your story…"
"I know it sounds out there, but I don't know why I got shot. I'm not into anything that I know of that would cause anything like this to happen. You can check, I'll answer any question you want. Anyway, I gave you the names of the guys who let me go or the names they gave me."
"Yeah, I know," the policeman said seriously. "Sam and Dean Winchester."
"And?" Dean said.
"Dean, you've been through a really rough deal today and sometimes the little details get mixed up while you try and process the rest of the crap."
"I remember their names or the names they used and yeah the details maybe a bit sketchy but I do remember that," Dean said firmly. "Did you even bother to pass them on?"
"Sam and Dean Winchester? You sure that was their names?"
"Yes," Dean said slowly. "That was their names, one looked exactly like me and the other one was shorter stockier, short hair. If you get one of those sketch artists in here I can discribe him."
"Sam and Dean Winchester were criminals wanted by the FBI."
"So you do believe they're real?" Dean asked. "And they are wanted? So what now, do I have to give another statement to the FBI?"
The cop took a breath, "No you don't Dean. The Winchester brothers were killed in an explosion in a police station in Colorado."
"But how?"
"The medication you were given could have affected how you remember things, the details."
"You saying that the medication I was given made me remember two guys who I never met who died in an explosion in a state I've never been to?"
"You could have seen that report on the news a couple of nights ago," the policeman said. "One of those 'Why do we pay taxes to the federal government for law enforcement because look at all the FBI fuck ups' deals."
"What?"
"As you said, you do have a resemblance to Sam Winchester, the drugs you were on could have….I've seen it before Dean, your mind splits to protect yourself, disassociates I think the term is."
"What?"
"You see this guy on a news report, don't realize that you've probably seen it; but then you're going through hell so next thing it's not happening to you. It's happening to some guy that looks like you that really deserves it while you're standing there watching, then when it's over, it's all a mistake. But that doesn't change the fact that you remember everything that happened to you, even if you don't want to admit to yourself yet."
"I don't understand."
"Dean, you wouldn't be the first guy to go through this, you have nothing to be ashamed of."
"Ashamed of?" Dean was confused. "I got grabbed by an idiot, who you say is dead, who thought I was his brother. Then I fell out of his car."
"Sure that is all that happened," the policeman said trying to sound sympathetic as the nurse hesitated in the background for a moment. "Dean, unless you can tell me different, that there was another reason for you being carried out of this ER then I'm sorry to say that you seeing the Winchester brothers could possibly mean something that you might not want to face yet."
"Me telling you that you're wrong about them being dead?" Dean said hopefully.
The policeman sighed, "I understand that right now you might not want to think about it. But Sam Winchester and his brother being responsible for what happened to you after you were taken from here, is only in your head now. We can get you a counselor who is specially trained to help men who have gone through things like this."
"What? Help me through what I can only be described as the worse day ever, considering my work unit got broken into, I got shot, kidnapped by dead guys, fell out a car and then was stupid enough knock myself out by tripping over a power cord?" Dean asked confused as he winced a little in pain.
The policeman sighed, "Mr. Forester, Dean, you were abducted while you where unable to defend yourself and then 'just let go' a couple of hours later after obviously going through physical trauma."
"Is that what you are calling it?" Dean said jokingly.
"You were out of it and if this guy took advantage of that fact..."
"Excuse me? Are you suggesting that…are you saying what I think you are saying?"
"I'm sorry to say it happens sir, even to active and fit guys like yourself, though not usually in similar circumstances," the policeman said. "
"Give me a break," Dean exclaimed as he tried to hop off the treatment table he had been sitting on.
"Mr. Forester, you have nothing to blame yourself for," the policeman said as he moved to steady Dean. "There is no reflection on you, if anything happened and if don't want to talk about it now then fine we'll be here when you do."
"But nothing happened, not in the way you are saying," Dean protested.
"This guy must of thought you were an easy target but obviously you weren't as from the looks of it you put up one hell of a fight when you 'fell' out of that car."
"I understand how this all sounds but I wasn't, I didn't…nothing like what you say what happened, happened okay."
The police officer nodded before sighing. "Okay sir if you say so. But that doesn't change the fact that when you're ready that counselor will be there if you want it."
Dean ran a tired hand over his bruised face as his shoulders fell. "Worse day ever!"
"This guy couldn't be anymore vanilla if he tried," Dean Winchester said as he looked through the Dean Forester's things in the living room.
"You wouldn't know normal if it came up and bit you on the ass," Sam replied.
"If I actually cared I would be insulted," Dean retorted. "Though I do know normal and it is scary."
"Just because the only aspects of normal suburban life you've really experienced lately is was in that girl's bedroom after a hook up doesn't mean it is scary."
"Hey, I told you I never want to think about that again."
Sam smirked, "Sure Dean. I'm not the one who suddenly developed a phobia of 'Barbie'. "
"I didn't develop a phobia and it wasn't Barbie."
"Okay."
"Look no woman over 18 should have a collection of little pink and blue toy horses," Dean retorted.
"My little pony?" Sam said holding back his amusement. "You got freaked out by 'My little Pony'"
"Hey you would too!" Dean protested as Sam started to laugh. "Coming face to face with Baby Tiddley Winks and the rest of the Calvary was not in any version of the reverse cowgirl that I wanted to enjoy that night."
"Dean," Sam said trying to reign it in. "Way too much information!"
"You say that Sammy but I sometimes get the feeling that you protest too much," Dean said as his brother continued to laugh at him. He picked up a family picture featuring a nice all American Family standing outside a mom and pop store. He looked at it for a moment before noting his surroundings of the modest neat apartment in not the best part of town, whose single occupant was still pretty much an enigma to him. He looked back at the picture before he thought, "Wonder how the hell you ended up here dude?"
"Okay," Dean said. "If this guy got shot because he is secretly the biggest drug lord in the whole of Michigan then he ain't dealing out of here."
"Well then it does look like he was a victim of a random drive by, unless he pissed someone off the sketching he's done."
"They're designs for wood carvings," Dean said as he noted his brother's confused face.
"Wood?"
"Yeah probably why he's got those tech manuals," Dean said as he took a piece of paper out of his brother's hands, "If anything I'd say this on was a design for an onlay?"
"How do you know?" Sam asked.
"Well hold the phone for a second," Dean said with a smirk. "Don't tell me that there is something that College boy don't know?"
"What is that supposed to mean?"
"Sammy, I know this is a shock for you but some people didn't make the honor roll at every school they went to," Dean said sarcastically. "We mortals, instead of doing AP classes like those destined for the Ivy League, had this wonderful mystical place to go to called 'Shop'. And you know what some of us then go on to use what we learned there? They go on to do those things you don't really think too much about but expect to be there, like work construction or become mechanics and draw little twirly things that people think look good on tables and chairs."
Sam rolled his eyes as his brother mocked him. "Okay smart ass, if they are wood designs where is he doing them because this place isn't exactly set up for that, because I didn't find any tools."
"I'm guessing that would be the work unit he's renting?" Dean said.
"What workspace?"
"The one for the rental agreement he has."
"Where did you find that?"
"Does that matter?"
"No," Sam answered.
"Dude, we've had a look around. Not much I can see apart from this guy having real bad luck to run into me because you bugged me to go get a shot," Dean said.
"So you actually stayed around to get it?" Sam asked
"Like that is important right now, Dude?" Dean replied as he started out of the apartment.
"Fine dude, hope you arm falls off," Sam retorted while he followed his brother's lead into the hallway.
"We've done what we can, made sure he's headed towards the hospital, and that is all we can do for the guy." Dean said as Sam carefully locked the apartment door behind them.
"I know," Sam said.
Dean though didn't seem to be paying attention at that point; instead he took a few steps noting a small dust pile beside the apartment next door.
"What is it?" Sam asked as Dean took a second before checking the lentil. He rolled something in between his fingers before proceeding to check the other doorways on the landing.
"What are you up to?" Sam asked.
Dean placed a pinch of what he had found and placed it into his brother's hands.
Sam took a second, "What am I looking at?"
"If I'm not mistaken Sasquatch that's goofer dust," Dean said. "And from the looks of it, it's on every doorway on this floor except…"
"Okay I get it," Sam replied. "Question is why?"
"Well, I'm guessing we both know who the best person is to ask," Dean said hoping his brother would come up with a better answer.
Sam sighed, "Great."
"Yeah, so much for hitting the interstate."
"Look, I'm fine guys. I appreciate the meal, but you don't need to put me up," Dean Forester argued as Frank's wife served dinner.
"Sweetie, if you and that lug head of a husband of mine think that I'm going to simply let you go back to your place, all by yourself, after all you've been through today then think again."
"Angie, I'm okay."
"Did he call his family?" she asked her husband. "Please tell me that he at least called his folks, Frank."
Frank shrugged as he mouthed the words 'Sorry' to his friend.
"Dean, why the hell haven't you called your folks?"
"It's not like they're nearby Angie," Dean said. "All I need is a couple of days to rest, so what is the point in bothering them."
"Because your mother would want to know if her baby is okay," Angie said causing Dean to make a face.
"Oh Jesus, Ang," Frank said. "He's over 21 and he's a little too tall for diapers."
"Thanks Frank." Dean replied.
Angie scowled. "Just because he's grown up enough to look big bird in the eye, don't mean that the woman won't care to know that her little boy got hurt."
"Big bird?" Dean asked, as he turned to Frank. "How long has it been since your daughter and her kids came by?"
"Too long," Frank said as his wife continued to fuss. "Trust me kid, way too long."
"You know getting information from the desk clerk isn't as much fun when you just walk up and say. 'Do you know where my ride went?" Dean Winchester said as he and his brother sat outside the house of Dean Forester's crew boss.
"Saved a hell of a lot of time didn't it," Sam replied as he watched his double having a meal with the older couple.
"I suppose, but I kinda feel like we cheated."
Sam turned to his brother. "How exactly do you think that?"
"No skill used, you didn't even have to use your brain, you just played on your looks dude and someday that isn't going to work for you," Dean said with a smile on his face.
"Sure dude," Sam said before turning back to watch the scene before them. "But this is out there weird right? A guy named Dean looking like me?"
"Yes it is weird, we're in Rod Serling land and we're one person, but he works construction in Detroit and from what according to the DMV he drives a pick up," Dean said mockingly. "I'm disappointed in him, really a pick up?"
"You know what I mean," Sam said. "What with the goofer dust?"
"On everybody's door but not his," Dean pointed out. "We don't know when someone laid that stuff down, Sam. For all we know his door doesn't have any because in this 'universe' he's got your OCD and he dust busted his lintel."
"Excuse me?"
"Okay sorry that was harsh, you don't have OCD, you're just anally retentive about keeping your stuff clean," Dean retorted.
"Don't say this isn't bothering you too," Sam said.
"What? You being anally retentive?"
"We're heading for the Interstate, but you think I want to check this guy's place out? You finding the goofer dust, but it is my fault that we are sitting here for longer than we have to?" Sam said.
"So? We checked guy's alive and it looks like he got some pie, which made me real hungry, dude," Dean replied.
"That isn't the point you are avoiding."
"No, I'm not," Dean replied.
"Yes you are!" Sam retorted. "You know exactly the point you are avoiding."
"And what point is that Sam?" Dean asked. "We are checking up on a guy who looks like you, who works a couple of blocks away from where we were staying. Whose neighbors seem to be set up for warding off evil coming into their homes, though his wasn't. Who was shot the day after we dealt with a case that any hunter with five minutes worth of experience would have picked up, if he bothered to read the Detroit Free Press missing pet page. We are sitting here even when my gut is telling me that we should be doing, what in the long run is better for both him and us is us getting out of dodge."
"So what are we doing here?" Sam asked. "Why haven't you put the car in drive yet?"
Dean sighed. "Because part of me, a small pissy little part of me is saying if the stuff that happened to Forester is connected to us in any way, then I really want to deal with guy that started this now, instead of later. 'Cause I know I'll have to do it at some point. I also know that it or you, because for some reason when it really wants to piss me off, it decides the best way to do is to start talking like you, won't shut the hell up until I can say I'm pretty sure that I've done all I can here. So please Sam, tell me what point am I avoiding?"
"There is a voice in your head that talks like me? And it makes you do stuff?" Sam asked tentatively causing his brother to turn and glower at him.
Sam hesitated. "You know what I'm talking about bro."
"We are not getting into this now," Dean said as he turned back to watch the house. "Man, I want pie; that looks like really good pie."
"She's serious about not letting me go home tonight isn't she?" Dean Forester said as Frank handed him a beer.
"Kid, I've gave up fighting the woman years ago."
"So that is the secret to a happy marriage?" Dean asked.
"See that is where you went wrong," Frank said with a smile on his face.
"Really, it wasn't the whole being in really being in love with my ex girlfriend thing?" Dean replied.
Frank shrugged. "I'm guessing that didn't help. But that doesn't mean that you are getting to go home tonight because I'll make damn sure I'm not the only one who'll be losing my testicles when she finds out you're gone."
"Fostering Frank," Dean said before taking a slug of his beer. "Let your wife deal with that empty nest syndrome she's got by letting her take care of some kids than need mothering rather than adopting the guys you work with."
"And miss out on watching you guys squirm when she comes on site to see how you guys are," Frank replied. "Anyways, this way I don't have to sit up and panic about what some kid is getting up to while staying under my roof and I still get the occasional piece of cake when she decides to prove to you guys that Ortiz' mom wouldn't know the end of a wooden spoon from the other."
Dean smiled. "And you are saying that I think too small."
"Dean, I got a wife that puts up with me, a girl who I got through college, 2 goofy looking grandkids and a roof over my head that the bank ain't going to try take off of me. I got what I need and I wouldn't change it. You, on the other hand."
"Yeah, yeah, yeah I know!" Dean replied.
"So you may think you are going to get a pass over the next couple of days, but I will be back on your case," Frank said firmly.
"Leave the boy alone Frank, he needs his rest right now," Angie said as she came into the room.
"He needs a kick up the keyster that is what he needs. What happens today doesn't change that." Frank said causing Dean to squirm a little.
"He'll figure out what he wants or how to get there when he's ready," Angie replied as she took the beer bottle out of her husband's hand. "You shouldn't be drinking this."
"Christ Ang, I can have one goddamn beer in my own house!"
"You had one with dinner," Angie replied. "Think of your blood pressure."
"I am, I had a bad day and I'm trying to relax. Plus, I'm not going to let the kid drink by himself," Frank said. Angie turned to look at Dean, who swallowed his mouthful before handing over the bottle to the woman in front of him.
"Sorry," Dean said as she took the bottle out of his hand.
"Thank you," she said. "He shouldn't have given it to you anyway, not with the medication you were given."
"I didn't want to be impolite," Dean said causing Frank to throw him a dirty look.
"Kid, don't think that you buttering her up is going to make me kick you out of this house tonight."
Dean chuckled, "You sure of that Frank?"
"I told you Dean, you are not going back to that apartment to stay there by yourself, not after today," Angie said firmly. "Actually I'm surprised the police didn't offer to give you a guard or protection."
"It was a drive by, Angie. It wasn't any major conspiracy. The cops think me getting shot was possibly a gang initiation," Dean said. "It wasn't linked to the guy who picked me up from the hospital."
"Was that what that cop said to you back in that trauma room?" Frank asked causing Dean to look away.
Dean coughed. "Kind of."
"Really?"
"Just wanted to shove some psycho babble crap down my throat about details coming back later and dissociation that was all, stuff about counseling," Dean said weakly. "Probably makes him look better on the paper work that he mentioned all that crap to me. But he did say that he didn't think the two things were connected apart from the fact that I have the worse luck ever."
"Sure you do."
Dean smiled. "There is no one waiting in an alley somewhere waiting to gun me down."
"You say that like it makes it alright that you were shot and that all those people got scared out of their minds?" Angie asked. "You should have made them give you a guard."
"They don't have the man power," Dean said. "They said they'd send a car by the house to make me feel better but I wasn't singled out Angie, and before you say anything else that happened to me today. Other work units had been broken into and as for the guy who took me from the hospital, he was whacked."
"Thought the cop said the guys you id'd were dead."
"I don't know about that," Dean replied. "All I know is drugs or not, that guy thought I was his brother and then when his brother did turn up, they let me go."
"And he says he hasn't been singled out for anything?" Angie said to her husband, before turning back to Dean. "Dean, what sort of man doesn't want his brother to get medical treatment when he has been shot? What could he possibly be trying to hide if he is willing to drag his own flesh and blood out of a hospital? You tell me that?"
Dean and Frank looked at each other, before Dean shrugged. "I don't know."
"Don't give me that you don't know," Angie said firmly. "I know you had a bang to the head when you fell out that car, but you know damn well it isn't going to be good."
"Angie, I just want to put it behind me," Dean said.
"I understand that son, but she has a point," Frank said. "You say this guy took one look at you and thought you where his brother. Who's to say that someone else didn't think the same thing?"
Dean's face fell.
"Oh great Frank, scare the boy even more why don't you," Angie said
"You started it," Frank replied.
She turned to the forlorn figure in the corner, "Look honey, don't worry about any of that, you just focus on getting some rest. And if you insist on not calling your family, so they can come and take care of you, you are staying here as long as you need to."
"So Dean let him go?" the first hunter said as he sat in a car at the back of the house.
"Looks like it," the second hunter said. "So what now?"
"Sam won't be far away and you know it," the first hunter said.
"That means his attack dog brother is going to be with him."
"So, doesn't change things," the first man said.
The second hunter exhaled loudly. "Cops will make their presence known tonight; I'd say tomorrow is our best bet. As for the Winchester's, if they are around I'd say they'll be somewhere close by around until tomorrow at least."
"So we wait to tomorrow and the second that Mr. Forester there seems like he's alone, we go in."
The second hunter nodded. "And Sam and Dean should come running the second we make enough noise."
The sun was coming down, and the twilight was coming in the window.
"Dean, I can't decide if I want to read Crime and Punishment or the brothers Karamazov?" she said as he walked into her college dorm to find her examining her shelves.
"You know I don't like Russian authors, Rory," he said as he brought in another set of shelves for her.
"You can't say that Anna Karenina put you off all Russian literature," Rory replied.
"I just didn't like it," Dean said.
"You just don't like that she threw herself under a train."
"That isn't just it; I didn't get into the style that's all."
"Yeah, but that was Tolstoy, bag boy. She's asking you about Dostoevsky," Jess said as he lay on her bed skimming as he skimmed through a magazine.
"I haven't read any of his books, so how can I give her an opinion?" Dean asked.
"Maybe, I should reread The Idiot?" Rory said. "Though I thought I'd got rid of my copy."
"Yeah Dean, she should get rid of 'The Idiot'?" Jess said as he morphed into his double from the motel before shooting him in the stomach.
"It's just a dream, it's just a dream!" Dean said panting as he woke up in a cold sweat.
