Disclaimer; I don't own supernatural... surprise, surprise!

Skin; Part One
__________

"I don't believe in pessimism. If something doesn't come up the way you want, forge ahead. If you think it's going to rain, it will." -Clint Eastwood

EMERY WAS IN THE BACKSEAT, SINGING along to the rock song playing from the cassette tape. It was cut off, however, when Dean stopped the Impala and turned it off. She sent a glare over the back seat, watching as Dean opened the front door.

"C'mon, Dean, that was the middle of the song!" Emery complained, hearing Sam laugh. She giggled along with him.

"Oh, suck it up, Em! I'll play it again!" Dean stated, grabbing the gas nozzle to fill up the car.

They sat in silence for a second, before Dean stated his plan for driving. "All right. I'm thinking we hit Tucumcari by lunch, then head south, hit Brisbee by midnight." Dean glanced at Sam, who was doing something on his phone. "Sam wears Emery's underwear."

"Dean, that's so gross!" Emery protested, smacking him on the forehead since he was leaning through the window on Sam's side.

"I've been listening. I'm just busy," Sam responded, clicking something on his PalmPilot.

"Busy doing what?" Dean asked.

Emery peered over Sam's shoulder, smirking, "reading e-mails."

"E-mails from who?"

"My friends from Stanford."

"You're kidding me? You still keep in touch with your college buddies?"

"Why not?"

"Well, what exactly do you tell them? You know, about where've you been, what you've been doing?"

"He tells them that he's hanging out with a beautiful model and his geek brother," Emery interjected sarcastically.

"I tell them I'm on a road trip with my big brother and his girlfriend," Sam's eyes glanced at Emery through the rearview mirror, the girl pink. "I tell them I needed some time off after Jess."

"Oh, so you lie to them."

"No, I just don't tell them," there was a pause, "everything."

"Yeah, that's called lying," Dean stated. "I mean, hey, man, I get it, telling the truth is far worse."

"Just ask Cassie or whoever," Emery mumbled bitterly. Dean sent her a glare. "Still touchy, I see!"

"So, what am I supposed to do, just cut everybody out of my life?" Dean shrugged at Sam's words. "You're serious?"

"Look, it sucks, but a job like this, you can't get close to people. Period," Dean stated, and Sam's eyes met Emery's again in the mirror. The girl blushed again. She didn't even know why.

"Sam," Emery put her hand on his shoulder. "Dean's just antisocial."

"Yeah, whatever," Dean said, and from his position leaning against the Impala went to get the gas nozzle.

Emery watched as he checked it, before taking his spot leaning up against the car. She rolled her eyes, and idea popping into her head.

"God," Sam exclaimed, Dean leaning down to look through the window again.

Snickering, Emery tuned out of their conversation and leaned out the window, smacking Dean's ass. Dean whipped around, startled, and Emery burst into a fit of laughter.

"Really, Emery? Really?"

"Sorry," Emery tried to subside her laughter. "It just looked so..." The girl paused, trying to collect her words. "Slap-able." Emery burst into laughter once again.

Sam chuckled a little as Dean sent the girl a glare. He shook his head, before discussing whatever he was with Dean again. Emery was to busy laughing her ass off to tune into the conversation.

They seem to have a tiny spat as Emery calmed down, and then Dean went and got the gas nozzle, going to pay for the gas. He was in the Impala a second later and they were speeding down the highway, trying to get to St. Louis.

400 miles behind them.

☪✡

After meeting Rebecca, who was a very nice girl, Sam lying about Dean being a detective (in Arizona), the four decided to go to the crime scene. Of course, Rebecca had explained what had happened to her brother, Zack, and how he was supposedly 'two places at once.'

It was probably their kind of problem.

They pulled up, Rebecca, Sam, Emery, and Dean climbing out of the Impala and walking toward the crime scene. There was a dog, who started barking at Emery, and it scared the shit out of her. When she jumped, Dean and Sam both chuckled at the girl.

"Shut up," She mumbled, sending the two a death glare.

When they got into the apartment, Emery cringed at all the blood. Sure, she dealt with monsters for a living, but she wasn't ready for that. The house was a wreck, blood splatters scattered here and there. Emery realized that this guy must have been a psychopath and actually tortured the girl before ending it.

Emery wanted to find this guy, human or not, and kill him herself. No one should ever treat anyone like that.

"Bec, you wanna wait outside?" Sam gently asked as the three hunters wandered into the apartment. Rebecca shook her head, tears in her eyes. Emery almost wanted to hug her.

"No, I wanna help," Rebecca ducked under the crime scene taped, her face set in a grimace.

Emery walked over to Dean, who was looking at stuff on the table. There was a picture of the victim along with 'Zack,' a newspaper covered in blood, along with fruits that were probably dumped. "Don't touch anything, we don't want our fingerprints here," Emery whispered in his ear.

"Tell us what else the police said," Sam stated.

Rebecca, with her eyes full of tears, tried to recite what they said, "Well, there's no sign of a break in. They say Emily let her attacker in and the lawyer's are already talking about a plea bargain." She looked around, at the blood smeared on the walls and furniture. "Oh, God..."

"Honey, he's not here," Emery told the girl darkly. Both Sam and Dean sent her a glare.

"Look, Bec, if Zack didn't do this, it means someone else did. Any idea who?" Sam asked gently.

Becky shook her head, before she seemed to have suddenly thought of something. "Uh, there is something. About a week before, someone broke in here, stole some clothes. Zack's clothes. And the police, they don't think it's anything. I mean, we're not that far from downtown, sometimes people get robbed."

Dean suddenly seemed interested in the dog that was barking before. Emery went to explore through the other parts of the house, before she and Sam looked at each other. They simultaneously have each other a curt nod.

This was definitely their kind of problem.

Emery looked at some of the papers sitting around, not touching anything. There was nothing interesting on them. Suddenly, an arm wrapped around her shoulder, making the girl jumped.

The girl turned to the man, a scowl on her face. She smacked Dean's chest glaring, the man letting out a beautiful laugh. "Sorry," he apologized. "But, this is probably not our kind of case."

"So, we gonna look at the security tape?" Emery mumbled, raising her eyebrow. "Just in case?"

"Yeah," Dean led the girl back to the little group. Then Emery realized, Sam had told his friends that Dean and her were dating. They needed to keep up the act.

"Dean," the girl whispered. "Put your arm around my waist." Emery snuggles closer to Dean as he did as told, giving her a confused look. She stood on her toes, her breath fanning his ear. "We're technically dating, Hot Shot."

She then planted a kiss on his cheek.

"So, the tape," Dean thought out loud, probably because of Rebecca. "The security footage, you think maybe the lawyers could get their hands on it, 'cause I just don't have that kind of jurisdiction."

Rebecca made a guilty face. "I've already got it. I didn't wanna say something in front of the cop." Dean laughed. "I stole it off the lawyer's desk. I just had to see it for myself."

"All right," Dean mumbled, following Rebecca out of the house, Emery connected to his hip.

☪✡

They were back at the house later that night. The three hunters and Rebecca were in the living room, watching the tape. Emery was sitting on the couch arm, her hand linked with Dean's to keep up the act, though a small smile was on her face. Sam was standing beside them and Rebecca was sitting on the couch beside Dean.

"Here he comes," Rebecca stated, the three of them watching as Zack walked into the footage.

"22:04, that's just after ten, right?" Emery questioned, eyebrows furrowed.

"You said time of death was about 10:30," Dean said.

"The lawyers said they hired some kind of a video expert. He said the tapes authentic. It wasn't tampered with," Rebecca stated, and Emery put a reassuring hand on her shoulder.

They watched for a couple more minutes, before Sam breathed in heavily. "Hey, Bec, can we get those beers now?"

"Oh," Rebecca said, standing up, Emery's hand falling limp on her lap. "Sure."

"And, maybe some sandwiches too?"

"What do you think this is? Hooters?"

With that, the girl walked to the kitchen, smiling.

"What is it?" Dean asked, letting go of Emery's hand. Emery suddenly felt cold, but shook the feeling.

This was not the time for her love of Dean Winchester.

Sam rewinded the tape, so the fourth of the screen that was meant for Camera 1 had the time stamp of 22:04:14:12. Emery got up from her spot, Dean and her now standing beside Sam. Sam played the video slowly, before he paused at Zack with his face towards the camera.

His eyes were white.

"Maybe it's a camera flare?" Dean offered.

"That's not any camera flare I've seen," Emery stated, glancing at the two boys.

"You know, a lot of cultures believe that a photograph can catch a glimpse of the soul," Sam explained, backing Emery up. Emery gave him a grateful smile.

"Right," Dean said.

"Remember that dog that was freakin out? Maybe he saw this thing. Maybe this is some kind of dark double of Zack's, something that looks like him but isn't him," Sam continued, staring at the paused video.

"Aye, a Doppelgänger then," Emery said, trying to do an Irish accent and failing.

The boys ignored her failed attempt as Sam and Dean agreed with her. "Yeah. It'd sure explained how he was two places at once.

Rebecca came back into the room a couple minutes later, holding four beers and three sandwiches on a platter. Emery took hers with a muttered 'thank you,' digging in right away. Man, she was hungry.

After the three were finished eating, they talked about the crime a bit more, before all of them settled in for the night. Dean and Emery had to share a room, since Rebecca thought they were dating and Emery had to awkwardly change in front of Dean.

In the motels, it wasn't a problem since she could go to the bathroom to change but this was sorta awkward. None-the-less, the two ended up cuddling that night, even if their sleeping body's pulled them together.

At five a.m, Sam burst into the room, awakening Dean. The man swore under his breath, shoving his face deeper into Emery's hair. Sam smirked at the two of them, Dean the big spoon, Emery's always cold body looking warm with her back pressed against his chest.

"It's time to get up! I've had an epiphany!" Dean groaned, but shoved the blankets off of Emery. The girl awoke at the absence of them, shivering.

"Tonight, we are checking into a motel!" Emery's voice was husky from not using it. "So we don't wake up Rebecca!"

"Probably a good idea," Sam stated, before he left the two to freshen themselves up.

☪✡

Arriving at the crime scene a while later, a coffee gripped in Dean and Emery's hands, the hunters made their way to investigate. Dean complaining on how it was five thirty in the morning.

"I realized something. The videotape shows the killer going into the house, but not coming out," Sam stated, Emery sipping on the caffeine. At the moment, it was her lifeline.

"So, he came out the back door?" Dean offered, leaning against the hood of the Impala. Emery took the spot next to him.

"Right, so there should be a trail to follow. A trail the police would never pursue," Sam continued.

"'Cause they think the killer never left," Emery stated, watching as Sam investigated the area. Her eyes quickly skimmed over the area too, finding no physical evidence of anything there. "And they caught Zack inside."

"I still don't know what we're doing here at five thirty in the morning," Dean mumbled, before taking a drink out of his coffee.

Emery took a sip of hers as well, letting the drink warm (and wake) her up. She was to invested in her coffee that she didn't notice Dean had faced Sam, who had found something.

"Blood," at the mention, Emery turned to Sam, who was standing by a power post. There was a smear of blood, and Emery almost face palmed herself. She really was tired. "Somebody came this way."

"Yeah, but the trail ends, I don't see anything over here," Dean said, and Emery nodded, feeling stupid.

Sirens sounded from behind them, and the three hunters watched as an ambulance went by. Getting the same idea, they hopped into the Impala, and followed the ambulance. Upon arriving on the crime scene, Dean parked the car and they got out. Dean walked up to a pretty, darker skin woman who was dressed for jogging to ask what happened.

"He tried to kill his wife," the woman stated. "Tied her up and beat her."

"Really?" Sam seemed shocked.

"I used to see him going to work every morning. He'd wave, say hello. Just seemed like such a nice guy," the woman continued.

Emery watched as an Asian man was escorted out of the building and into a police cruiser. The three hunters then exchanged looks, before wandering down to the back alley behind the apartment complex.

Sam and Emery wandered down it, while Dean asked the locals about what happened. Sam looked in garbage bins and recycle bins, before they both pointed out the blood spot. They were coming up the side of the building when Dean shouted at them.

"Hey! Remember when I said this wasn't our kind of problem?"

"Yeah," Sam mumbled.

"Definitely our kind of problem," Dean exclaimed.

"What did you hear?" Emery questioned.

"I just talked to the patrolman, who was first on the scene, he heard this guy, Alex's story. Apparently, this dude was driving home from a business trip when his wife was attacked."

"So, he was two places at once," Sam and Emery said in unison.

"Exactly," Dean said, putting emphasis by nodding his head with the word. "Then, he sees himself in the house, police think he's a nut job."

"Two dark double, attacking loved ones in exactly the same way," Sam started, walking around Dean.

"Could be the same monster doing it," Emery pointed out, Dean turning towards Sam as she stepped beside the older Winchester.

"Shapeshifter?" Dean shrugged, along with Emery. "Something that could make itself into anyone."

"Every culture in the world has a shapeshifter lore," Dean stated. "Legends of creatures who can, uh, transform themselves into animals or other men."

"Right, skinwalkers, werewolves," Sam listed.

"We've got two attacks within blocks of each other. I'm guessing we have a shapeshifter prowling the neighbourhood," Dean stated.

Emery scrunched up her face, "You are making it seem like a hooker, Winchester."

Dean let out a laugh, along with Sam. They calmed down after a moment, both sending a smile to Emery. "In the most serious of conversations, you still manage to crack a joke," Sam said, smiling. "Anyway, let me ask you this, in this shapeshifter lore, can any of them fly?"

"Not that I know of," Dean stated, and Emery and Dean turned to Sam, who had walked around them.

"I picked up a trail here. Someone ran out of the back of this building, headed off this way," Sam stated.

"Just like your friends house."

"Yeah. And, just like at Zack's house, the trail suddenly ends. I mean, whatever it is, it just disappears."

The three looked around, Emery not going far before she spotted it, smirking. "You realize, there is another way to go," Emery said, gaining the two boys attention. She pointed to the manhole. "Down."

☪✡

"Did I really have to come down here? I'm gonna wreck my shoes," Emery complained.

The three hunters had climbed into the manhole, Emery obviously complaining.

"Stop complaining! You signed up for this by hunting with us," Dean said, as he checked if the coast was clear.

"I bet this runs right by Zack's house, too," Sam stated, looking down the sewer's hallway. "The shapeshifter could be using the sewer system to get around."

"I think you're right," Dean said, who was a little in front of Sam and Emery. "Look at this."

"What is that?" Emery exclaimed, taking two steps back. Dean got out his pocketknife, opening it up, and using it to pick up some of the substance.

"Is this from his victims?" Sam questioned and Emery threw up a little in her mouth.

"You know, I just had a sick thought," Dean said. "When the shapeshifter changes, it sheds."

"I did not want that mental picture, Dean!" Emery exclaimed, glaring at the man.

"That is sick," Sam stated, Emery watching as Dean shook his pocketknife, getting the substance off of his blade.

The three then decided to go up to the Impala and get weapons. Dean opened up the trunk, before opening the secret compartment under the flooring.

"Well, the one thing I learned from Dad is that no matter what shapeshifter it is, there's one sure way to kill it," Dean said.

"Silver bullet to the heart," Sam said as Emery bit her lip, the guilt invading her mind again. Bloody Mary came back to her mind, but she quickly shook her head, dispelling the thoughts. She was not gonna let herself be unfocused.

Especially when they were hunting something that could turn into her.

"That's right," Dean and Sam share a smirk, before Sam's phone rang. He answered it, Emery peering at him curiously, the guilt at the back of her mind now.

"This is Sam," Sam said into the speaker, walking away. Emery turned her attention back to Dean, helping him pick out weapons. By the time Dean shut the trunk, Sam was finished with his phone call. The latter was now leaning up against the side of the Impala. Dean walked toward Sam, Emery awkwardly following after.

"I hate to say it, but that's exactly what I'm talking about," Dean stated. Emery cringed. "You lie to your friend because if they knew the real you, they'd be freaked. It's just, it'd be easier if-"

"-If I was like you," Sam finished.

"Hey, man, like it or not, we are not like other people," Dean said, "but, I'll tell you one thing. This whole gig," Dean pulled out a gun, hand in it to Sam. "It ain't without perks."

Sam took it, putting it in the waistband of his jeans. Emery caught up with the two hunters, before they walked away...

... And right back into that manhole.

As they walked, Emery cringed. It stunk down there and grime was getting all over her shoes. And these were her favourite shoes too.

They kept walking, flashlights in hand, trying to pick up the shapeshifter's trail. It deemed harder than Emery had thought. The brunette had thought since it shed, it would be a piece of cake to find the thing.

They stopped in a narrow tunnel a little way from a four way water way. Sam was in front, Dean second, Emery bringing up the behind. Dean stopped, Emery growling before walking around him scowling.

"I think we're close to it's liar," Dean stated, Emery and Sam stopping.

"Why do you say that?" Sam asked.

"'Cause there is another puke inducing pile next to Emery's face," Emery turned at Dean's words, jumping away, letting out a shriek.

She landed in a puddle, mad, disgusted, and now, wet. "That's disgusting."

The two boys pointed their flashlights around, landing on a pile of clothes, with the thing's skin next to it.

"Well, it looks like it's lived here awhile," Dean stated.

"Who knows how many murders he's gotten away with?" Sam said, turning to Dean and Emery. His flashlight landed on a figure- the Asian man.

"Dean," he exclaimed, before the shapeshifter hit Dean, sending him into the wall. Emery cringed, thinking about how his left shoulder was probably hurting now.

Sam shot at the thing as it ran, him missing every time. The two non-injured hunters helped Dean, who pushed Sam off.

"Get the son of a bitch!"

The three then ran after him. They chased him to another man hole, all of them crawling out.

When they all climbed out, standing on the ground above it, they looked around. Emery was hoping to spot the monster, but none of them were successful at doing so.

"Alright, let's split up," Sam stated. Emery nodded in agreement.

"All right, I'll meet you guys around the other side," Dean stated.

"All right," Sam and Emery agreed, before they all took off in different directions.

Emery was alone, making sure her hand was by her gun incase she needed it, since she tucked it in her waistband. There were lots of people around as she ran, trying to find the damned thing. She tried to recognize his face, hoping that it hadn't already shed and turned into someone else.

After about ten minutes of searching, she made her way back to the Impala. Dean was there, shutting the Impala's trunk.

"Where's Sam?" She voiced. Dean turned to her, smiling.

"He, um, said that he was heading to Rebecca's, going to apologize or something," Dean said, Emery nodding as she walked over to him. He gave her a smirk.

She stood, her back now to the Impala as Dean was walking to the backseat. He threw something into the Impala, before walking in front of Emery, facing her. Then, he advanced.

"I haven't been able to stop thinking about those lips since the airport," Dean admitted, smirking. Every step Dean took forward, Emery took one back. She was confused about what he meant. The only thing that happened at the airport was when she helped him through his panic attack. Though, Dean kept on advancing, Emery kept on backing up.

Until the back of her thigh was stopped by the Impala.

"W-what?" Emery stuttered and now Dean and her chests were pressed together. And the girl couldn't think straight.

Suddenly, Dean picked Emery up by the thighs, putting her on Baby's trunk, before making himself comfortable between them. Their breath mingled together for a second, before Dean closed the inch that was separating their lips. With his hands squeezing her hips, Emery tugged on Dean's hair as they kissed.

When Dean licked her bottom lip for entry, she knew something was wrong.

When they were younger, Dean always bragged to his teenage friends that girls went wild whenever he bit their bottom lips.

With his hair, Emery tugged Dean's mouth away from hers. He looked at her weirdly, before she looked into those beautiful green eyes the monster had stolen.

"You're not Dean."

____________

edited.

shit, that took a while.

and that ending though :3

thanks everyone for reading, and the support.

and maybe you guys could check out my other books?

Something Wicked is a Sam fic.

Forest Fire is a Cas one.

if you're into marvel, and Thor, Broken Memories is a Thor fic :D

and please vote, comment, and follow maybe?

and holy crap, thanks again for all those reads. you guys are honestly the bomb.com

p.s. shit went down holy poop (even though poop is not holy.)

p.p.s. dedicating this chapter to teamfreewill- because I love her story destination unknown, and dezia needs to get together asap