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𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐅𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐭𝐞𝐞𝐧

𝘴𝘩𝘦𝘥𝘥𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘮𝘺 𝘴𝘬𝘪𝘯

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Delaney tried not to gag as she followed Sam and Dean through the sewers. Sam was in the middle of the two and shined his light across the path in search of where the Shapeshifter could have gone.

"I bet this runs right by Zach's house, too," Sam stated as he continued to take in the sewer around the three siblings. "The Shapeshifter could be using the sewer system to get around."

Dean stopped in his tracks, causing the younger two to bump into his back. "I think you're right."

Delaney glanced down to where Dean was looking and almost gagged at the sight that laid at her feet. A pile of skin and goo with blood pooled under it laid on the ground. "Is this, like, from his victims?"

"You know, I just had a sick thought," Dean said, glancing up from where he was squatted with Sam by the pile of skin. "When the Shapeshifter changes shape, maybe it sheds."

"Like a snake?" Delaney laughed in disbelief.

"Exactly."

"That is sick," Sam agreed as he stood back to his full height.

After realizing they needed to be armed, Dean lead the way back to the Impala where he threw open the trunk. He rummaged around a bit and handed the keys to Sam. "Well, one thing I learned from dad - no matter what kind of Shapeshifter it is, there's one sure way to kill it." He held silver bullets in his hand, a gun laying right next to him in the trunk.

"Silver bullet?" Delaney tilted her head with a raised eyebrow. "Like how you would kill a werewolf right?"

Dean beamed at Delaney and playfully gave her shoulder a light shove. "Aw, Sammy, our little girl is growing up."

Delaney scoffed and jokingly shoved his hand back. "Shut up. I learn things quick, thank you very much." The sound of her phone going off cut her play time short. Noticing it was Rebecca, she quickly picked up and walked around the side of the Impala to give herself a little privacy. "Beck?"

"Where are you?" Rebecca questioned, a suspicious lilt to her tone.

Delaney glanced back at the boys who were trying to make it look like they weren't listening to the call by messing around with the bullets and gun. "We're near Zach's house. Just checking some things out."

"Just stop, because I really don't need your help anymore," Rebecca snapped.

"Beck, what are you talking about?" Delaney asked, not knowing why Rebecca was being so hostile towards her.

"I told the lawyers that we went to the crime scene."

Delaney groaned and threw her head back. Why did Rebecca find it a good idea to do that? They didn't need to get involve in this. "Why would you do that?"

"I told them we were with two police officers - detectives, sorry. They checked it out, and they told me there is no detective Dean or Sam Winchester."

Delaney sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose, feeling a migraine coming on. How did she dig herself out of this? "Beck -"

"I don't understand why you would lie to me about something like that."

"We were just trying to help, Beck. I know Zach is innocent and -" Delaney was cut off, yet again, by Rebecca's ranting.

"Oh, trying to help? Do you realize that that was a sealed crime scene? This could have just ruined Zach's case," Rebecca snapped, clearly unhappy with Delaney's lie.

Delaney leaned against the car, suddenly extremely exhausted. Is this what Dean meant when he said she couldn't be close to anyone because this kind of stuff would happen? "Beck, I'm so sorry, but -"

"No, good-bye, Lane," Rebecca then hung up without another word.

Dean shut the trunk and circled the car to walk over to his baby sister who looked like she was about to burst into tears. "Della, I hate to say it, but this is exactly what I was talking about earlier. You lie to your friends because if they knew the real you they'd be freaked out. It's just - it would be easier if -"

"If I were like you and Sam, I know," Delaney cut Dean off, waving her hand dismissively.

"Hey, kiddo, like it or not, our family is not like other people. I'll tell you one thing - this whole gig..." Dean trailed off as he held up the gun with the silver bullets in it. "Comes with perks." He held out a gun for Delaney to take.

"Dean, I've never even fired a gun before," Delaney stated as she stared at the shiny object being held out to her.

Dean shoved the gun into the back of Delaney's waistband and hid it with her leather jacket. "It's not that hard - aim and shoot. I feel more comfortable if you also have one. Though, please let Sam and I shoot first and if all fails you can shoot."

Delaney nodded before following her brothers back down into the sewers where they were yet again searching for the Shapeshifter's lair. They had to step over multiple mini pools of water on the ground and go down long tunnels. The further into the sewers they went, the more pipes began to show on the walls surrounding them which made everywhere look the exact same. Delaney was just glad her brothers seemed to know where they were going.

"I think we're close to the liar," Dean noted.

"Why do you say that?" Delaney questioned, turning to look at Dean behind her.

"Cause there's another puke-inducing pile next to your face," Dean replied, shining the light at the bloody flesh right next to Delaney's face on the pipe.

Delaney turned to her right and instantly regretted it. She squeaked and jumped back a bit so she could distance herself from the disgusting pile of flesh.

Dean shined his flashlight ahead of them and stopped when he saw a pile of clothes and flesh in the corner. "Well, it looks like it's lived here for awhile."

"Who knows how many murders he's gotten away with?" Sam whispered as he stared at the pile of clothes. He turned to shine his light down the other way and jumped when he saw the Shapeshifter looming behind Dean. He was disguised as the man that got arrested just a few hours prior.

"Dean, Delaney!" Sam warned and they both whirled around to face the man behind them.

The Shapeshifter raised his hand and backhanded Dean across the face, which sent him flying into one of the pipes. Immediately after, the Shapeshifter took off running in the opposite direction.

Sam fumbled for his gun and began to shoot at the Shapeshifter once he had it properly in his hand. He then bent down to Dean to help him stand up with a grunt.

"You guys go get the son of a bitch!" Dean ordered, holding his left shoulder in pain.

Sam and Delaney rushed off without having to be told twice. They finally had the Shapeshifter in their presence. They can catch him and end this whole thing once and for all. The Shapeshifter was unfortunately too fast for the siblings and he was already off in the distance by the time Sam and Delaney climbed out of the sewers, Dean slowly trailing behind.

"Let's split up," Sam suggested.

"All right. I'll meet you guys around the other side," Dean agreed before splitting up from his younger siblings.

Sam and Delaney ran up and down the surrounding blocks looking for the Shapeshifter. They hid their guns under their jackets, though Delaney wasn't sure she'd be using hers. The only time she would move to use it is if Sam wasn't able to use his gun at all. They had to catch this thing and since she never used a gun before, it was smarter to have Sam be the main shooter.

After running around for about five minutes, Sam and Delaney decided to call it quits because it was obvious they weren't going to be finding the Shapeshifter. Hopefully Dean would wind up finding him and they could be on their way.

"Hey!" Dean called to Sam and Delaney, rushing to meet them on the corner they stood on. "Anything?"

"No. He's gone," Delaney sighed, stuffing her hands into her pockets.

"All right. Let's get back to the car then," Dean stated. 

Delaney and Sam lead the way over to the car. They discussed theories with each other about why they had lost the Shapeshifter the way they did. It was like the thing vanished into thin air. No way that these things could run that fast, right?

"Do you think he found another way underground?" Sam inquired.

Dean slapped his hands to his sides. "Probably. Either one of you got the keys?"

Delaney went to fumble in her pockets for the keys but Sam held her wrist to stop her from doing so. She looked up at him with a confused expression.

"Hey, didn't we face that one Shapeshifter in San Antonio?"

"That was Austin," Dean corrected. "And it turned out not to be a Shapeshifter. It was a thought-form - a psychic projection. Remember?"

"Oh... right," Sam chuckled and shook his head.

"Now, Laney, pass me the keys would ya?"

Delaney furrowed her eyebrows at Dean. He never called her "Laney". It was Della since the day she was born and that was the only thing he would call her. Unless he was mad and call her by her full name. She exchanged a glance with Sam, him being just as confused as her. It was like a religion to Dean to call Delaney "Della" because  it was something he came up with on his own at the age of six. It was his own special nickname for her.

Dean sighed in frustration and gestured for Delaney to toss him the keys. 

With a shrug, Delaney tossed him the keys which he caught with his left arm. This also made Delaney freeze as Sam walked around her to the passenger side door. Didn't Dean hurt his left arm? She grabbed onto Sam and pulled him back to her.

"Delly, what?" Sam asked, taking in Delaney's worried and skeptical expression. "What's wrong?"

Delaney pulled on Sam's sleeve so he could lower down to her height. "That's not Dean," she whispered to Sam, gesturing behind her at Not-Dean who fumbled in the trunk. "No way. He called me Laney and he caught the keys with his hurt arm."

Sam glanced over Delaney's head at Not-Dean and raised an eyebrow.

Delaney rolled her eyes and grabbed the gun from her inside jacket pocket and walked over to Not-Dean. She cocked the gun and held it to Not-Dean. Sam immediately rushed over to her. "You're not my brother. Where is he?"

"Delaney..." Sam trailed off, not wanting her to do anything stupid. The girl had never even fired a gun before so if this thing really wasn't Dean, then it was dangerous for her to try and take a shot at him. She could miss or accidentally hit herself with the stray bullet.

Not-Dean slowly stood to his full height, hands held up in defense. "Kiddo, chill. It's me, all right?"

Delaney laughed humorlessly. "No, I don't think so. Now where's my big brother?"

"You're about to shoot him. Delaney, calm down," Not-Dean gestured to the gun.

"You called me Laney. Dean never calls me that because he hates it and made up his own nickname for me the day I was born. You also caught those keys with your left hand. Your shoulder was hurt," Delaney growled as she took a step closer to Not-Dean.

Not-Dean shrugged and gave her an odd look. "Okay, yeah, and it's better now. What do you want me to do, cry?"

"No, I want you to tell me where the hell Dean is!" Delaney barked at him.

Not-Dean took a threatening step closer to the gun, it almost coming into contact where his heart should be. "Why don't you pull that trigger then, kiddo? What better way to fire your first bullet than to put it through your big bro's chest, huh?"

Delaney gripped the gun tighter but didn't shoot. Why wasn't she shooting?

"Because you're not sure," Not-Dean stated, as if he were answering her silent question. "You know me!"

"Don't," Delaney warned.

Not-Dean stared at the two younger Winchesters for a second before he grabbed the crowbar by him and swung it at them both to knock them out. 

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Delaney groaned as she slowly opened her eyes. There was a throbbing pain in her temple where the Shapeshifter had hit her over the head. She tried to move but there was a rope tired around both her throat and her torso. Her hands were tied around the pipe she was sat against. As she looked around her, she realized she must be in the Shapeshifter's lair. That was proven when she saw him walk around the line of pipes to her right, a rope held in his hand and still being disguised as Dean.

"Where are my brothers?" Delaney demanded as the Shapeshifter walked past her.

The Shapeshifter grabbed the dufflebag just outside of the room and walked back inside. "I wouldn't worry about them. I'd worry about you, princess."

"Where are they?"

The shapeshifter smirked at Delaney. "You don't really want to know." He chuckled at Delaney's rage filled face and walked over to the table a few feet away. "I swear, the more I learn about you and your family... I thought I came from a bad background."

"What do you mean, learn?" Delaney questioned, trying to fight against her ropes a bit.

The shapeshifter picked up various weapons, inspecting them before he placed them into the dufflebag. Before he could answer Delaney's question, he gripped his head in pain for a few moments as if he were getting a migraine. After a minute or so, he slowly removed his hands from his head and slowly turned to Delaney, a smirk reappearing on his face. "He's sure got issues with you."

Delaney scrunched her face up in confusion. Dean having problems with her? This guy had to be on something.

"You got to go to college. He had to stay home," the Shapeshifter froze, tossing the dufflebag onto the ground next to him. "I mean I had to stay home - with Sam and Dad. You don't think I had dreams of my own? Dreams to be a normal kid like you? But Dad needed me. Where were you? Living your innocent life where you were completely unaware to this whole hunting gig. You got to be the lucky one and not get involved in this whole situation. Until now of course."

"Where. Are. My. Brothers?" Delaney grit out, feeling herself grow more and more irritated by the second.

"I'm your brother," the Shapeshifter stated, leaning on the side of the pipe Delaney was tied to so their faces were inches apart. It took everything in Delaney not to spit in the guy's face. "See, deep down... I'm just jealous of you, baby sis. You got friends. A boyfriend. You could easily have a life. Me, I know I'm a freak. And sooner or later, everybody's gonna leave me."

Delaney felt her heart race as the Shapeshifter pushed away and walked back to the table. Did Dean really feel that way? No. He would have said something... right? Dean and her were usually never ones to hide things from each other, except of course the one time he hid the hunting life from her. However, that wasn't just him. It was also Sam and their dad as well so she didn't really count that one.

"What are you talking about?" Delaney finally managed to ask.

"You left," the Shapeshifter elaborated. "You went off to college like it was no big deal leaving me and Sam behind. Hell, I did everything Dad asked me to, and he ditched me. No explanation. Nothing. Just - poof. Left me with Sam and to watch over your sorry, defenseless ass."

The shapeshifter shook his head before grabbing the green tarp next to him and standing up. He walked over to Delaney as he opened it up. "But still, this life, it's not without its perks." He paused and opened his arms wide, grin spreading across his face. "I meet the nicest people. Like little Becky. You know Dean - I mean I - would totally bang her if I had the chance."

Delaney put all her hatred into the glare currently being sent towards the shapeshifter. If her hands weren't tied behind her, she would have reached across and kicked his sorry ass already.

"Let's see what happens," the shapeshifter smirked before tossing the tarp over Delaney, enveloping her in darkness. She heard him grab the dufflebag and rush off out of the sewer. 

Delaney wiggled back and forth, finally freeing her head from the large tarp wrapped around her. She continued to arch her back and move as much as she could but nothing was loosening the ropes. She groaned and deflated against the pipe. This was the life her brothers lived this whole time? She'd rather be stuck in her three hour law lecture than this. "Shit!"

A sudden cough behind her made Delaney turn her head as much to the side as she could. Shuffling was heard, before the clearing of a throat was heard after. "Della, you better watch that mouth or I'll scrub it with so much soap that's all you will taste for a month."

"Dean?!" Delaney exclaimed, sighing in relief. "Please tell me Sammy is over there."

"I'm here," Sam groaned as he finally removed the tarp from his head as well.

"He went to Becky's, looking like Dean," Delaney informed the two as she tried yet again to free herself. 

Dean chuckled softly and shrugged. "Well, he's not stupid. He picked the handsome one."

The sound of a shoe hitting an ankle and Dean yelping afterwards was heard. "Ow, you dick!"

Delaney leaned her head against the pipe behind her. "I think I liked it better when I wasn't sure you guys were breathing and alive. I hate you both."

Dean sighed as the ropes finally fell away from him. "Love you too, kiddo," he remarked as he freed Sam. The two then rushed over to Delaney and stood in front of her. "Well, looks like you're a bit tied up there, Della."

Delaney glared daggers at Dean. "I will castrate you right here if you don't cut me free right this second, Dean No-Middle-Name Winchester."

Sam slapped a hand to his mouth to block the obnoxious laugh that was about to escape his lips. He watched as Dean grumbled and untied their sister from her binds. "So the dude was talking and acting like Dean?"

"Yeah, it was weird," Delaney replied as she stood up and faced her brothers. "Or it was more like the Shapeshifter was becoming Dean."

"What do you mean?" Dean questioned, crossing his arms.

Delaney ran a hand through her hair with a sigh. "I don't know. It was like he was... downloading your thoughts and memories."

"You mean like a vulcan mind-meld?" Dean asked.

"It sounds like it," Sam agreed. "Maybe that's why he didn't kill any of us."

"You mean like he needs our physical bodies for a connection or something? Like a source to download from?" Delaney questioned.

Sam simply nodded and shrugged. "It makes sense."

"Let's go then. He's probably at Becky's already."

The three siblings rushed around the sewers and found a side exit from a building. They burst through the grating and stood in a dark alleyway. "Come on. We got to find a phone, call the police."

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa. You're gonna put an APB out on me, Della?"

Delaney made a face, forgetting for a second that Dean would be the one they were looking for. "Sorry."

"This way," Dean said before rushing off down the alleyway. The two younger Winchesters running after him to keep up.

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"An anonymous tip lead police to a home in the Central West End, where a S.W.A.T. team discovered a local woman bound and gagged. Her attacker, a white male approximately twenty-four to thirty years of age, was discovered hiding in the home," the news reporter on a small TV in a store window reported.

Dean groaned at the sketch drawn of him that was displayed on the screen next to the reporter's head. "Man, it's not even a good picture."

"That's what you're worried about?" Delaney laughed. "You're literally a wanted criminal and you're worried about how the sketch artist drew you?"

"Man," Dean whispered before rushing off down the street with Delaney and Sam. They turned a corner to walk behind the buildings and stay out of sight. 

Delaney had to practically run in order to keep up with her brothers who had longer legs than her as they made their way up a darkened alley. "Hey, they said attempted murder, right? At least we know -"

"I didn't kill her," Dean finished for Delaney.

"I'll call Becky in the morning," Delaney announced. "To see if she's okay."

"First I want to find that handsome devil and kick the holy crap out of him," Dean ranted.

Sam balked for a second. "What? We have no weapons. No silver bullets."

"Sam, the guy is walking around with my face! It's a little personal. I want to find him."

Sam nodded as he realized where Dean was coming from. "Okay. Where do we look?"

"We could start with the sewers," Dean offered.

"You mean the place we just came from?" Delaney retorted, crossing her arms.

"Plus, we have no weapons. He stole all three of our guns. We need more," Sam added. "The car?"

Dean's head snapped up to look at Sam. They seemed to have the same thought. "I'm betting he drove over to Rebecca's."

"The news said he fled on foot. I bet it's still parked there," Delaney said with a grin.

Dean's hand suddenly clenched in a fist. "God, the thought of him driving my car."

"Oh, shut up you big baby," Delaney pushed Dean so he could start moving towards Rebecca's. They didn't have to run far as they saw the car parked in another alley near Rebecca's place.

Dean's face lit up as his eyes landed on the Impala, looking as it did when they were at it a few hours ago. "Ah, there she is." He placed his hands on his knees and sighed in relief. "Thankfully, something went right tonight."

As if the gods were testing them, sirens began to wail nearby and a cop car showed up at the end of the back alley of Rebecca's house. Dean grabbed Sam and Delaney and began pushing them in the opposite direction to start running, but another cop car showed up at the other end. They were boxed in. At that point, more and more cops began to show up.

"You guys go!" Delaney yelled.

"Wait, what?" Dean questioned, freezing in front of a wooden fence. "I'm not leaving you."

"No, go! They can't hold me. You and Sam go on, okay? I'll meet you guys at the house!" Delaney ordered. "Stay out of the sewers alone!"

Sam and Dean stared at Delaney for a second before both deciding to just listen and they hopped the fence together.

Delaney held her hands up and let the cops rush around her. They forced her against a cop car and heavily questioned her, but she easily dodged all of them and got set free after about a half hour of interrogating. 

Once the cops were gone, Delaney rushed over to Rebecca's house and banged on the door. Rebecca swung the door open and let the girl in. "Hey, are the boys here?"

"No, why would they be?" Rebecca questioned, following Delaney into the living room.

Delaney dropped down onto the couch and let out a deep sigh. "They were supposed to meet me here, but I guess they stopped to do something. I heard you know."

"Yeah, Dean explained it before I was attacked," Rebecca replied, grabbing an empty beer bottle from nearby and walking behind the couch. It must have been left over from when the Shapeshifter had been here. "So say this shapeshifter is real - which you're crazy by the way - but, um, say it is real. How do you stop it?"

Delaney fiddled her fingers, trying not to let the fact that the boys weren't here get to her. "Apparently, it's a silver bullet to the heart."

Rebecca scoffed. "You are crazy," she said before she whacked Delaney over the head with the empty beer bottle, knocking the brunette out.

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Delaney sat leaned up against the couch, tied yet again. She had come to after only a few minutes of being out, but her head still throbbed. "You know, you could have just told me you had a tying up kink, dude. I would have gladly played along if it got you off."

The shapeshifter, now disguised as Dean again, rolled his eyes. "You really are just like Dean."

Delaney decided to ignore his comment and tried to pull free from the ropes. "What are you gonna do to me?"

"I'm not gonna do anything," the Shapeshifter replied by the table to Delaney's right. "Your brother is, though."

"They'll never catch him," Delaney stated as she listened to the shapeshifter shuffle in the drawers around the living room.

"Oh, doesn't matter," the shapeshifter brushed off. "Murder in the first of his own baby sister. He'll be tormented the rest of his life."

The shapeshifter grabbed Delaney and threw her over his shoulder, moving into the den across from the living room. He laid her down on the floor next to the pool table.

"I must say.. I will be sorry to lose his skin," the shapeshifter admitted, walking over to the pool table where the dufflebag was placed. "Your big brother's got a lot of good qualities. You should appreciate him more than you do."

The shapeshifter grabbed the big kitchen knife from the dufflebag and held it up for Delaney to see. He smirked as he saw Delaney's face morph into fear as he stuck the knife into the pool table.

Delaney had to get out of this somehow. She remembered Dean saying there was almost always a way out of these kinds of things. The question was, what was the way out? She looked around her but didn't see anything that could help her, until her eyes landed on the knife. If she could just sit up and saw off her binds, she'd be free. But how? She glanced up at the shapeshifter who was distracted and kicked her legs out, flying him across the room.

Delaney quickly shot up and sawed off her ropes with the knife still stuck in the table. She gripped the knife and pulled it out, hopping to her feet. She wouldn't be able to untie her ankles but she could hop around the best she could. 

The shapeshifter shot up from the floor and Delaney swung the knife at him, but each time he dodged it. He grabbed Delaney's arm and flipped her onto her back.

This seemed to loosen the rope around her ankles and Delaney shook the rope off before standing back up. The shapeshifter growled and charged at her, but she dodged it and caught him by the arm, pulling it painfully behind the shapeshifter's back.

"Not bad, baby sister," the shapeshifter laughed as if this was a game.

The two continued to fight around the room, Delaney and the shapeshifter became bloody from the hits to the walls and bookshelves around them. They each took turns having the upper hand, but the shapeshifter ultimately got it when he tackled Delaney into the coffee table, who groaned in response.

The shapeshifter straddled Delaney's stomach and gripped her neck as tight as he could. Delaney's eyes widened and she grabbed the shapeshifter's wrists, trying to pry his hands off her. However, he was too strong and she could see the black spots beginning to appear in her vision.

"Hey!" A booming voice called, which made the shapeshifter loosen his grip just a bit. They both turned to see Dean slowly making his way into the room with  his gun raised. The shapeshifter scrambled off Delaney, who gratefully took in a gasp of air. Her lungs burning painfully from the lack of air.

Two gun shots went off before two pairs of feet were heard rushing into the room.

"Delly!" Sam yelled before rushing over to her and cradling her into his lap. "Are you okay?"

Delaney just gripped onto Sam, burying her face into his chest. She heard Rebecca rushing out of the room as she yelled about grabbing a wet towel for Delaney's bleeding forehead. Blood she was probably getting all over Sam's shirt, but she didn't even care at the moment. She doubted he even cared. 

"It's okay. I'm here, Delly. I'm here," Sam cooed, hugging her closer to him and kissed the top of her head. "He's dead. He can't hurt you, okay?"

Delaney peeked out from Sam's chest and glanced over to where Dean was squatted by his dead double. He looked over to Delaney with an expression full of guilt. He seemed to soften a bit when he saw she was breathing and okay. However, Dean still looked like he was in pain just seeing what the shapeshifter did to her.

⊶⊶⊶⊶⊶✞⊷⊷⊷⊷⊷

The next morning, Delaney stood on Rebecca's porch as Sam and Dean looked over the map. They were had to figure out a fast route to get back on their way towards their father. 

"So this is what you do? You and your brothers, you hunt down these things?"

Delaney laughed and scratched the back of her neck. "Yeah, I guess so."

"I can't believe it. I mean, I saw it with my own eyes, and... I mean, does everybody at school - nobody knows you do this?" Rebecca stammered, trying to find the right words.

Delaney shook her head. "Nope, just you."

"Did Will know?" Rebecca asked, stuffing her hands into her jeans pockets.

"I actually didn't know about any of this until Will's death. It's how I found out about this whole secret side to my family," Delaney explained with a sigh. The mention of Will's death hitting her like a Mac Truck. "It's kind of weird finally being in it. What can I do though? It's my family."

"I can't blame you," Rebecca agreed with a soft smile. "Just know we all miss you at school."

Delaney wrapped her arms tightly around Rebecca. "Yeah, me too. I hate that I had to leave you guys."

Rebecca slowly pulled away, but held onto Delaney's hands. "Lane, will you call sometimes? So I know you're not dead?"

"I might not be able to for a while, but I promise to as much as I can," Delaney assured, squeezing her best friend's hands. "Give Zach a hug for me when he gets home tomorrow okay?"

"I promise, Laney. Love you," Rebecca gave the brunette's hand one last squeeze before she walked into the house.

Delaney walked over to her brothers with a sad smile on her face. She hated that she had to leave behind her friends, but she knew she had to help out her brothers and her father. Plus, Delaney wanted to find whatever killed Will and give it a taste of its own medicine. 

"So what about your friend Zach?" Dean asked as Delaney stopped in front of the two boys.

"The cops are blaming this Dean Winchester guy for Emily's murder," Delaney mused as she stopped in front of the passenger door. Sam had actually agreed to let her sit in the front seat so he could nap a bit more. "Found the weapon in the guy's lair, Zach's clothes stained with her blood. Now they're thinking maybe the surveillance tape was tampered with."

Sam couldn't help but laugh at Delaney's obvious teasing of their big brother. "Yeah, I heard they are releasing Zach tonight. This Dean guy really deserves it."

Dean rolled his eyes, grumbling for the two to get in the car. They both obliged and Dean sped off down the road. In no more than five minutes, Sam was passed out in the back, which gave Dean the perfect opportunity to talk to Delaney. 

"I'm sorry, kiddo," Dean stated.

"About what? You're not the one who attacked me, Dean. I told you this all night. Please don't feel bad." Delaney had black and blues all over from the fight she had with the shapeshifter and a cut on her forehead, but she wasn't dead. Dean didn't quite understand that part though. He had apologized all night and wouldn't fall asleep unless Delaney had laid next to him in Rebecca's guest room, where she let the three siblings stay for the night. 

Dean sighed as his eyes focused on the road ahead. "I wish things could have gone the way Dad wanted, you know? He wanted you to be kept far away from this hunting business. You were supposed to be the one normal Winchester, and that got ruined. You wouldn't have gotten hurt if it weren't for this life."

"It's okay, Dean. Seriously. Truth is, as scared shitless as I was, I actually enjoy this whole hunting thing, you know? I get to see America, be with my two favorite brothers twenty-four-seven, and I get to show how badass I actually am. Plus, it gets me away from where Will died. I don't think I would have been able to go back in my dorm room... ever."

"Well, just know your favorite big brothers are with you always, okay?" Dean stated, rubbing his sister's knee softly.

Delaney smiled softly at her brother. "I know. I love you both, even though your overprotectiveness is annoying. I still love you."

"I'm sorry I'm gonna miss it," Dean admitted after a moment of silence.

"Miss what?"

"How many times am I gonna get to be at my own funeral?"

Delaney rolled her eyes at Dean and leaned her head on the window. She was suddenly tempted to recall her love for Dean.

AUTHORS NOTE

hey all! god am i the only one who loves sam, dean and delaney's relationship? serious ot3 goals right there, just sayin.

hope you enjoy this chapter. let me know what you think of this by voting and commenting. love to see what you guys think! until next time peeps 

ORIGINALLY POSTED: MARCH 30TH, 2018

EDITED ON: SEPTEMBER 12TH, 2019