Summary: A ghostly attack on Dean forces John to use a resurrection spell with dire consequences. Unable to bring Dean back, they are forced to deal with the stranger who came back instead. Will they be able to try the spell again after they get to know and care for the stranger now living in Dean's body? And why is the stranger the only one who can communicate with Dean's ghost? Not a permanent death fic…only a temporary one, I promise.

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Chapter 2: Adjusting.

Pulling up in front of their motel, they were both happy to see there was no one else around. No one around to witness them carrying the stranger into the brother's motel room. Sam still had a multitude of questions but John stayed quiet. They laid him out on the bed and John began to check to make sure the most recent wounds were still healing. Satisfied that they were he sat down on a nearby chair as Sam sat on the bed next to his brother.

"This is Dean, right Dad? I'm mean, he's just a little disorientated?" Sam looked over at is father for verification. "Because if what he said was true, if what he said when he saw that guy's body…..that would mean….." Sam stopped. He knew what it meant. It meant his brother was dead, and someone else was now inside his body. How could that be?

"Dad, Oh my god." Sam's head sunk into his hands as he waited for his father to answer. John got up and moved over to the bed. He touched the unconscious man's hair. It looked like Dean, felt like Dean, but he knew in his heart something had horribly gone wrong. Sam was right. Dean's body was alive but it wasn't Dean who now inhabited it. Somehow he had brought someone else back instead of his son.

"What have I done?" He said as he continued to touch Dean's hair. He looked over at Sammy with tears welling up in his eyes. Sam looked back his eyes doing the same.

"Dean's dead right Dad?" he waited for this father to confirm his worst fear.

"I don't know son." John answered back. It was the truth. The spell should have worked. John mulled about what could have possibly gone wrong. He had never used that particular spell before, knowing what kind of power it represented. Bringing someone back from the dead was nothing to trifle with, and John had used it without hesitation totally ignoring the warning the voodoo priestess had given him when she shared the spell with him. But what choice did John have? Seeing his son laying there covered in blood forced him to do the unthinkable and he would do it again if necessary. Anything to protect his sons…anything.

"Dad where's Dean?" he heard Sam fearfully whisper.

"I don't know……" John said without looking at his son. Sam got up, moved to the doorway, and looked out.

"What are we going to do now Dad?" he said looking back at his brother on the bed.

"I don't know….." There it was, the only answer John Winchester possessed. That answer was little comfort to Sam as he continued to look at the stranger inhabiting his brother's body.

It was middle of the night, when the stranger woke up in the unfamiliar motel room. At first he thought it was all a dream, one where he would open his eyes and turn to find his wife laying next to him. Instead he found two strangers sprawled out, one in a kitchen chair, and the other on the bed next to his own. He got up slowly and made his way to the bathroom, his body feeling strange and unnatural as he walked. As he turned on the light it became immediately clear why he felt that way. The face reflected in the mirror was a face he had never seen before.

Feeling his legs get weak he grabbed the sink to keep from hitting the floor. He looked down at his hands and then down the rest of his body, a strangers body, before returning to his reflection in the mirror. He closed his eyes at the sight of the strange face but quickly reopened them as he was overwhelmed by the memory of his bloodied body lying on the floor back at the museum. He needed some answers and realized they rested with the two men out in the bedroom. The older one he hadn't a clue who he was but the younger man he recognized as the one who had comforted him as he was dying.

Dying…….

"I died." He said to himself as he stood in the bathrooms doorway and looked back into the bedroom. John started to stir and slowly opened his eyes.

"Sammy…" he called out to his youngest son as he looked up to see crystal blue eyes starring back at him. Sam slowly came around to his father's voice. Looking over at the empty bed next to him he whipped up and saw the same thing his father did.

"Dean are you okay?" he asked immediately forgetting it was no longer his brother. He watched his brothers face wince at the sound of the strange name. The person so familiar to them moved hesitantly into the room and sat at the table across from John.

"I suppose you want some answers." John said unable to stop looking at the strange blue eyes instead of the hazel ones he was used to.

"That would be helpful. Right now I would be happy with lies if it meant I wasn't losing my mind." He looked back at John and then over to Sam.

"You're in my son's body." John explained coolly trying to control his emotions.

"I can see that. The question I have now is how the hell did that happen?" His brow furrowed as his eyes demanded further explanation.

"This is going to sound a little weird…" John wasn't sure how this Dean would take the news of what he had done to him.

"Weirder than 'you're in my sons body?' he asked slightly amused. "I think we're considerably past the weird part. I'm an open minded man, just start at the beginning."

John looked over at Sam. He still wasn't sure if he could trust the stranger with the real reason without having to delve into their family history. Sure the guy needed answers, but John wasn't ready to have to explain how he even knew about the spell or what it was back at the museum that attacked him. Sam saw his father's hesitation and gave him the okay.

"I used a resurrection spell." John nodded back to Sam before he began. He looked back at the stranger, who's blue eyes continued to stare back at him, waiting for further information.

"A resurrection spell? You mean you brought me back from the dead?" the stranger asked slowly trying to understand exactly what John was alluding to.

"Yes." John answered never taking his eyes off the stranger. The stranger looked down at the table as he digested John's answer then he looked back with another question.

"We were both attacked by some…... god I'm not sure what the hell it was, it happened so fast. I saw it go after him right after it got me. That was your son?" the stranger's body gave a shudder as he remembered the horror of the creature rushing him.

"Yes, my son, Dean." John nodded. The stranger looked over at him with sympathy in his eyes. He realized how desperate John must have been to go to such lengths to save his son.

"I guess I'm not what you were expecting?" He asked already knowing the answer.

"No you're not."

"I assume you know how to fix this?" As the stranger asked the question he looked John square in the eye.

"Not a clue." John answered meeting his gaze.

"I see, so what do we do now? A resurrection spell, I didn't even know there was such a thing. How the hell did you find out about it?"

"Voodoo priestess in Louisiana." John continued, keeping his answers short.

"That would explain it then." The stranger laughed to himself. "Stop me if I get this wrong. First I'm attacked by some creature that slashes me and your son to death, you bring me back to life with a spell you got from a voodoo priestess from Louisiana, and now I'm standing here talking to you from inside your dead son's body."

"In a nut shell." John started to chuckle nervously as he realized how absurd it all sounded, even to him.

"Do you have anything to drink around here, I think I'm gonna need something strong." The stranger said looking dazed as he leaned back in the chair.

"I think we're all gonna need a drink or two tonight, but I'm sorry Dean, the bar is dry tonight." He said sweeping his hand around the room. He saw Dean wince again and realized his mistake immediately.

"Sorry."

"It's ok, I mean I look just like your son and I'm sure I must sound like him as well. I'm not sure what to do next. God this is so weird…I guess I should introduce myself, my name is Chris Eddings. Please don't take this the wrong way, but I hope you don't expect me to answer to your son's name from now on." Chris smiled, wanting to get the point across without hurting their feelings. Seeing John's silent reaction, he ran his hands through his hair and sat back cursing himself for saying the wrong thing.

Chris glanced over at Sam, and was comforted with a sympathetic look from him. Sam himself was struggling with the circumstances and he had been around the supernatural all his life. He could only imagine what it was like for this civilian to wake up inside his brother's body. He credited the guy for taking it so well because he was quite sure if it had happened to him he would have been freaking out.

Sitting there, Sam watched the stranger, caught between a weird fascination and an overwhelming sadness. His heart race furiously as he checked the guy out. Only his blue eyes and mannerisms set him apart from his brother, everything else was the same. This man was his brother but yet not his brother. Sammy decided he needed find out who this stranger was.

"Maybe we need to start at the beginning. Maybe you could tell us something about yourself, like, umm, how old you are, where you're from?" Sam suddenly spoke up feeling like an idiot but curious none the less. Chris turned and gave Sam a warm smile. He took a deep breath and started to speak, not sure how much they would really want to learn about him.

"I was born in Buffalo, NY. I'm 34. I just had a birthday in May…the 25th." Chris answered, remembering the surprise birthday party his wife had thrown him. Lots of cake, lots of friends, lots of Marybeth afterwards.

"Dean's 27," Sam answered back sadly. "was 27."

"Sammy…" John warned him.

"Sammy, that's your name?" Chris asked looking over at Sam, hoping to draw the younger man into the conversation further. Sam's eyes clouded and he turned away.

"Sam, only my family calls me Sammy." Sam answered inconsolably not wanting the stranger to start calling him by his brother's nickname for him.

"Sammy…" John warned again. Chris smiled as he caught the hint.

"It's okay, I completely understand." He looked over at John uneasily.

"I'm John Winchester." John felt weird to be introducing himself to the man who looked exactly like his son.

"Nice to meet you John, you too Sam." Chris reached across the table and offered his hand to John. John shook the hand hesitantly, then pulled away quicker than he intended. Sam saw his father's reaction and turned away again not wanting to see the hurt in his father's eyes. Chris saw John's reaction to the handshake and regretted the offer immediately.

"Sorry…it's just…habit. I can't imagine what it's like for you two. Here I am looking exactly like Dean and not a clue how to be him." Chris said, once again cursing himself for doing the wrong thing.

"No one is expecting you to act like Dean." Sam instantly felt bad for being rude to the stranger.

"Really now, then why is it the two of you can't look me in the eye?" Chris's eyes searched theirs for a reaction and got none. "God this is just so weird. I'm sorry I don't know how to handle this. I don't know how to make this right for you two."

"No one is expecting you to make this right for us Chris. We're all going to need some time to make the adjustment, right Dad. Sam said looking over at his father. John got up suddenly and headed to the door.

"Listen it's the middle of the night. How about we continue this conversation in the morning after we get some sleep." He said at he looked back at Sam sitting on his bed. Chris, knowing he was getting the brush off, nodded dryly.

"I'm not going anywhere." He said as he sat back on the bed he had been sleeping on before. John motioned for Sam to follow him outside leaving Chris a little stunned at the sudden turn of the conversation.

"Keep an eye on him, and don't let him go anywhere." John said before turning to head over to his room next door.

"I will don't worry." Sam said shaking his head at the obviousness of his fathers command. Heading back inside he saw Chris laying on top the covers, hands folded behind his head.

"Ever had one of those days." Chris said staring at the ceiling before closing his eyes in a vain attempt to fall asleep.

"Everyday for 23 years." Sam answered back. His heart jumped when he saw Chris laying there on the bed just like Dean would have. "You don't mind if I stay up and try to do some research on my laptop? I'll put it away if it's gonna keep you up."

"Knock yourself out Sam. I probably won't be able to sleep anyway." Chris replied trying to get comfortable on the bed.

"Chris I know you don't know us, but I think I can answer for my Dad as well as myself. I'm sorry this happened this way. My Dad….we're all he has left. He had to try something…." Sam started to apologized but Chris cut him off.

"It's okay, your fathers' right. It's the middle of the night and we can discuss this again in the morning." He said before rolling over on his side and facing the wall. Despite thinking he wouldn't be able to sleep, Chris was soon snoring softly within a few minutes. Sam watched as the man fell asleep trying to reconcile what was happening to his family. After spending the next few hours doing research, Sam began yawning and decided he needed to get some sleep as well. Falling on the bed next to his brother he was dead to the world in a matter of moments.

Unaware they were not alone in the room, both men remained sound asleep until the next morning.

Tbc

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Authors note: Thanks for reading folks. I've already written the next chapter but I think I'm gonna wait a few days to post it. I know I'm a cruel bitch, but what can I say. Hit the purple button please and let me know what you think and thanks again.