SEVERAL MONTHS LATER

It had been months since Jess's death, and the trio had fought many monsters over those days. Dean had been getting more and more protective of Shaun; it seemed as if the jobs got more and more dangerous each time. Dean was worried. Shan had so far sported 3 sprained ankles, over 50 new cuts and bruises, and a sprained wrist, as well as plenty of near death falls over the past few months; had Dean not been there, it could've been much worse.

Then John showed up. After months of searching, they caught him on a case after one of his mentors was murdered. Of course, the joy of being together again didn't last very long. The arguing began and the yellow-eyed demon was back. They'd killed Meg, a demon Sam ran into a while back, and her brother, and they now stood in an abandoned house, awaiting the final battle.

The lights had flickered and Sam had gone to check the salt lines on the windows and doors. Dean stood by John as he asked for the Colt. Shaun stood on the table nearby, watching John carefully. He had said he was proud of Dean for wasting a bullet on Meg's brother. But John Winchester wouldn't have been proud. He would've been infuriated. Lost in her thoughts, Shaun didn't realize that Dean, knowing John the best, had figured it out as well.

"You're not my dad."

Shaun looked up at Dean, who was now pointing the Colt at John. She stood still, watching with baited breath. Dean's lower lip trembled.

"Dean, it's me-" John insisted.

"I know my dad better than anyone, and you're not him."

"What the hell's gotten into you?"

"I could ask you the same thing," Dean retorted. Sam walked in, back from checking the salt lines, and Shaun caught his eye. He looked between Dean and John, startled by the gun aimed at his father.

"Dean? What the hell's going on?"

"You're brother's lost his mind," John said.

"It's not your dad," Shaun finally threw in.

"What?"

"I think he's possessed," Dean clarified, "I think he's been possessed since we rescued him."

"Don't listen to him, Sammy," 'John' denied quickly.

"Dean, Shaun, how do you know?" Sam asked.

"He's-He's different," Dean struggled to explain.

"We don't have time for this," John interrupted, "Sam, if you want to kill this demon, you've gotta trust me."

Sam thought for a minute, glancing between his brother and 'father.'

"Sam," John pleaded.

Sam looked fearfully between them, finally glancing at Shaun, who shook her head.

"No," he walked back, behind Dean. John shook his head, smiling remorsefully, jaw trembling.

"Fine," he breathed out, "If you're all so sure, go ahead...kill me."

Shaun looked at Dean, his entire face reading pain, anger, and sadness. He couldn't do it. John hung his head. Shaun's lip quivered and she glanced around.

"I thought so," John lifted his head, voice suddenly steady. Only it wasn't John. His irises were a deep, golden-yellow and orange marble and his pupil was barely a dot. Suddenly, Sam slammed into the wall beside Shaun, and Dean into the wall on the far end of the room. The Colt fell to the the floor. Shaun slid up the wall beside Sam traveling to the ceiling. She groaned, breathing heavily, and Dean watched in horror, face contorted with pain. The demon picked up the Colt.

"What a pain in the ass this thing's been," he said with a sigh, looking to Sam.

"It's you isn't it?" Sam asked hoarsely. Dean stared up at Shaun. She hated heights, he knew that, and hanging from the ceiling facing the ground wasn't helping.

"We've been looking for you a long time," Sam continued with a humorless smile.

"Well, you found me."

"But, the holy water-"

"You think something like that works on something like me?"

Sam grunted in anger, seething, "I'm gonna kill you!"

"Oh, that would be a neat trick," the demon teased, "In fact; here." He set the gun on the table below Sam.

"Make the gun float to you there, psychic boy."

Sam did nothing. The demon chuckled and went to the window, looking up at the ceiling and the fairy on it. "You know, this is fun; I could've killed you a hundred times today, but this-" Shaun cried out as she could feel an invisible knife cutting into her abdomen, the blood soaking her shirt. Dean growled furiously at the demon possessing his father as it continued.

"This was worth the wait. Your dad, he's in here with me. Trapped inside his own meat suit. He says "Hi," by the way. He's gonna tear you apart. He's gonna taste the iron in your blood," he taunted.

"Let him go, or I swear to God-"

"What? What are you and God gonna do? You see, as far as I'm concerned, this is justice. You know that little exorcism of yours? That was my daughter. And the one in the alley? That was my boy. You understand?"

Dean rolled his eyes, "You've gotta be kidding me."

"What? You're the only one that can have a family? You destroyed my children. How would you feel if I killed your family?" There was a pause, and Shaun, Dean, and Sam all gave the yellow-eyed demon looks that could kill.

"Oh, that's right. I forgot, I did." He turned and looked up at Shaun.

"And I killed your entire village, didn't I? Oh, they all died screaming," he taunted.

Shaun seethed with anger and pain, "Shut up, you asshole."

The demon gave a cruel smile and turned back to Dean. "But still, two wrongs don't make a right," he said.

"You son of a bitch," Dean growled.

"I wanna know why. Why did you do it?" Sam asked roughly.

"You mean why'd I kill Mommy and pretty, little Jess?"

"Yeah."

"You know, I never told you this, but Sam was gonna ask her to marry him," the demon told Dean, "been shopping for rings and everything." He turned and walked to Sam.

"You wanna know why? Because they got in the way."

"In the way of what?"

"My plans for you, Sammy," he explained, "you and all the children like you." He looked up at Shaun, and so did Dean and Sam. Shaun looked directly into the demon's harsh, yellow eyes and glared daggers.

"Listen, can you just get this over already? Alright, 'cause I can't stand the monologuing-"

"Funny, but that's all part of your M.O., isn't it? Mask all that nasty pain, mask the truth."

"Oh yeah? What's that?"

"You know, you fight and you fight for this family, but the truth is, they don't need you. Not like you need them," he taunted. Dean's eyes were full of tears and his lower lip shook. SHaun tried to catch his eye, but he was too busy glaring at the demon.

"Sam; he's clearly John's favorite. Even when they fight, it's more concern than he's ever shown you."

"Dean, don't-ergh-listen-" Shaun struggled to speak through the pain.

"I bet you're real proud of your kids, too, huh?" Dean retorted, looking the demon straight in the eye, "Oh, wait, I forgot...I wasted 'em."

There was silence. Dean and Shaun both cried out in agony. Dean's shoulder was bleeding excessively and Shaun's stomach continued to be cut. "Dean! Shaun! No!"

"Dad! Dad, don't you let it kill me and Shaun!" Dean shouted at the demon, hoping his father would hear him. The blood flowed down his shirt in trickles, and he was panting.

"Dean!" Sam and Shaun cried out.

Blood leaked out of Dean's mouth as he begged, "Dad, please." And then his head slumped to the side.

"Dean! No!"

"Stop it," John whispered, taking control. Sam was released, and so was Shaun. Shaun fell from the ceiling and Sam rushed to catch her, grabbing the Colt and stumbling on his way.

"You kill me, you kill Daddy," the demon taunted.

"I know." Sam shot the demon in the leg, and he fell to the ground, as did Dean. Dean gasped as his bad shoulder collided with the dusty wooden floor.

"Dean? Dean? Hey. Oh god, you lost a lot of blood," Sam worried.

"Where's Dad? And Shaun?"

"He's right here, and so is Shaun, Dean. They're right here."

"Go check on them," Dean demanded breathlessly.

"Sammy," Shaun groaned, "leave me with Dean, I'll be okay." Sam obliged, giving her a grateful glance as he went to check on his father. Shaun's arm wrapped around her abdomen as she stumbled over to Dean's face.

"Dean," she cried out softly.

"Shaunie, it's alright. I'm okay, what about you?"

"Dean, you are not freaking okay, don't you lie to me! I am done with your bullshit, okay? The demon was right, you try to mask the pain with-with your sarcasm and hunting, and you know what? Maybe your family doesn't need you," Shaun argued softly. Dean stared at her, hurt etched across his features as she continued, voice crescendoing.

"But you know what, Dean Winchester?" she yelled, voice cracking.

"I need you."

The duo were completely oblivious to John's yelling until they saw the gun aimed at his chest, Sam behind the trigger. "Sammy, don't you do it!"

John screamed as the demon left his body. All Shaun could think was, Shit...we're in for it now.