Hello Universe! Sorry I haven't updated recently! The hollidays got in the way of things. Anyway, here is the next chapter for Shadowed Time. Thank you, thank you, thank you to those of you who have left reviews, favorited, or followed this story. There are not enough words to properly express my gratitude. Thanks so much! Now, without further ado, the next chapter!

~Spn~

Dean awoke to the prickly feeling of someone watching him. He was a hunter and thus was very well aquainted with the feeling. He remembered the Daevas attacking them after Meg died, and it made him uneasy that he was waking up in what was presumably enemy territory. This was why, as soon as he was awake enough to recognize that he was not tied down and someone, most likely an enemy, was steadily watching him, he lept to his feet and into a battle stance so quickly that just about anyone would be startled.

Sam Winchester was not just anyone. The older man had been patiently waiting on the younger version of his brother to wake up when Dean attacked. He hadn't meant to be watching his brother so intently, but he just couldn't help it. This Dean looked so, well not innocent (for Dean had never been innocent), but untainted. Yes, untainted was the word. This Dean had yet to become twisted with the inevitable darkness that encompanies Hell. This fascinated Sam, and so it was no wonder that he was looking at his brother with such an intense look.

Dean shot up and punched blindly, only vaguely recognizing that his enemy was very tall. Sam dodged and tried to disarm his brother, not wanting to hurt him. He attempted to punch again, but Sam was faster. He grabbed Dean's arm and twisted, pinning it to his lower back.

Dean gritted his teeth. "What the hell do you want?" He said agressively.

"Besides you listening for a minute? Not much," a familiar voice replied, but Dean couldn't place it.

"If you've hurt my brother, I'll kick your ass," the man chuckled, and Dean was surprised to find that it didn't sound malicious.

"I think hurting him might be just a little bit detrimental to my health," said Sam, highly amused that Dean was threatening him for possibly hurting himself.

"Hell yeah, it would be," Dean muttered, taking Sam's reply the wrong way.

Sam shook his head, exasperated. "Okay, look, I'm gonna let go of you now, but if you try to hurt me again I'll have to restrain you, okay?"

Dean thought about it for a minute, pondering his options. On the one hand, he could attack him right off the bat and try to escape. Mentally, Dean shook his head. No, he didn't know where he was or how to get out. Better to at least talk to the man and try to get information. Besides, he didn't know about his brother and Dad. After a moment, Dean nodded in agreement.

"Okay," Sam lightly released Dean and steeled himself for Dean's reaction.

Dean turned around, and what he saw nearly made him fall backward onto the bed. Standing before him was a man that looked very, very much like his brother. It couldn't be, could it? "If you're some kind of shape-shifter, then I gotta tell you, you got some things wrong," Dean said. If not for the fact that he didn't know where his real brother and Dad were, he would have ganked this monster impersonating his brother so fast, it'd make your head spin. But, he didn't know how his family fared, so he restrained himself. Barely.

Sam laughed lightly, amused by Dean's earlier comment. "I'm not a monster, Dean, and I am your brother. Well, the future version, anyway," said Sam. He took a deep breath, then gave his brother and intense look of all seriousness, all amusement gone from his voice. "You're in the future, Dean."

In the future? Really? That's what the damn shapeshifter decided to go with? "Uh-huh. Sure we are," Dean replied sarcastically. And then Sam gave him The Look. He tilted his head a little, pursed his lips, and wholeheartedly glared at Dean in a slightly scary way that only Sam was able to accomplish. He had The Look perfected by the time be was two; his tiny arms crossed, baby lips thinned, and huge eyes containing more heat than the burning flames of Hell. The Look only got more intense as he got older, experience adding to the raw skill in the art of irritation that Sam seemed to possess at birth. The man standing before him was wearing an expression that Dean had seen-and had often been the reciever of-many, many times. No one could replicate it, and so unless the fundemental rules of the universe had changed, this man was Sam.

Sam could tell the moment Dean had begun to believe him. Sam had been irritated at the younger version of his brother and so he glared at him, an action that he had done millions of times in the past. Suddenly Dean's green eyes widened, staring at Sam with shock.

"Here, I'll even-" said Sam, bringing out a silve knife and holy water, all the while making sure Dean knew what he was doing. He took the silver knife, abd dragged it actoss his arm, making a short, shallow cut. Then, using the holy water, he poured a little on his hand.

Dean swallowed, an uncomfortably large lump lodged in his throat. "So you're really my brother from the future, huh?"

Sam nodded. "What do you think," he asked, referring to himself.

For the first time, Dean really looked at the man in front of him. He was tall, which in of itself was not surprising because so was his Sam, but where the Sam of the past was lanky with long arms and narrow shoulders, this Sam seemed to have grown into his height. His shoulders were broader, his arms, once long snd skinny, were thuck with muscle. He also seemed to stand a bit differently than his Sam. The Sam that Dean knew almost always stood with his shoulders bent inward, hunched over, like he was trying to make himself as small as possible. This new future Sam, however, kept his back straight, with an almost confident air about him. No, not confidence, experience. He looked as though nothing could surprise him. Dean had seen this look before on one person-Dad. Sam looked so much like Dad it scared him. He said none lf this, though. "Dude, you need to fricken cut your hair," he said instead.

Sam laughed. "So you've said. Or will say, At least."

Dean looked at his brother, amused. "Our lives man... so, so weird."

Ssm smiled and began to explain where they were and their current situation. As he listened, Dean noticed that Sam carefully avoided certain details of their past, such as who this mysterious new hunter was and anything revolving the last few months. He set aside his thoughts, intending to ask about them later.

An hour passed, and Sam and the younger Dean were still talking. Both were trying to memorize each other, make sense of the person in front of them. It was strange, for if felt to Sam as if he and his brother were pieces of different puzzles that just happened to fit together. Dean didn't know this Sam, but he was still Sam, and that was enough for Dean. For now at least.