Well this ended up being the last chapter! Thanks so much to the people who have read and reviewed and faved this fic! I was not expecting so much interest as I got, since this was kind of a trial story I wrote for my own amusement that I wasn't really even planning on posting :) I'm glad someone liked it anyway! Hope you enjoy the ending too.

Chapter Five

Sam shot at him, but in his horror, he missed and the shifter just ducked to one side and before Sam could reload, he leapt forward and grabbed the gun Sam held, using it to shove him backward against the wall, pinning him effortlessly.

"Get away from my brother!" Dean shouted and tried to tackle the shifter away from Sam, but the creature only elbowed him in the stomach and kicked him onto the ground. Dean's wound protested the treatment and he cried out in pain, curling around himself. Sam watched hopelessly, wanting to go to his brother, but unable to move though he struggled violently. The shifter smiled at him.

"Come quietly, Sammy, and I will give you a quick death when Daddy gets here."

"No!" Sam grunted. He still had a grip on the gun, but it was pressed against his chest, crushing his ribs and he could hardly budge. He thought maybe if he could kick the shifter in the crotch, he could buy himself a minute to get free.

Dean got there first, somehow getting to his feet again and wrapping his arm around the shifter's neck, giving Sam the strange impression of Dean strangling himself. It bought him a second, but he was only able to move away from the wall, before the shifter smashed his head back into Dean's face and Dean was forced to let go and fell back onto the bed. Sam was forced to let go of the gun, as the shifter's grip was too tight and simply slid down the wall and as far away from the shifter as he could. The creature only chuckled, stepping forward until he had backed Sam into a corner and leveled the gun at him. Sam tried to keep a defiant look in his eyes, but he was really just a frightened kid inside, and he wanted his big brother.

"You're too much trouble, Sammy," the shifter said, shaking his head. "Like I said before, I really only need one of you alive. Maybe I'll give your daddy your head instead."

"No! Sammy!" Dean gasped out, trying to rise again. Sam looked over the shifter's shoulder at him, afraid that the creature might turn around and shoot Dean instead.

But the shifter just cocked the gun and lowered it to rest against Sam's forehead. "Say goodbye to your brother, Sammy."

"No!" Dean's cry was drowned out by a gun shot, and Sam, for the second time that day, closed his eyes, waiting for the pain that never came. He opened them and saw the shifter clutching his chest and slumping to the ground. Sam choked out a breath and turned to the doorway where John stood with a rifle, his face a turmoil of emotions as he looked down at the dead shifter, still wearing Dean's face.

"Dad," Dean whispered, a relieved smile on his face, even as he slid to the ground, his hand held limply against his wound.

Sam finally found his feet and ran to Dean, grabbing his shoulders and fluttering his hands over him, knowing he had to do something, but unsure what. "Dean, are you all right?" he asked breathlessly and finally realized there were tears falling down his face.

"Sammy, Dean," John breathed, finally coming out of his trance and dropped the gun as he collapsed next to his sons, grabbing Sam up in a strong embrace and leaning against the bed so he could gather Dean up as well. The two boys rested against his chest, silent for a long time, just trying to get over the scare they had all had. Finally, Dean raised his head and looked up at John, a small smile on his face.

"Is that really you, Dad?" he asked. "You're not usually so touchy-feely."

"So I'm not allowed to hug my sons when I feared they might be dead?" John asked, trying to keep a scowl on his face, but failing as he rested his cheek on Dean's head, letting out a long sigh of relief, and then did the same to Sam, using his thumb to wipe the tears from the younger boy's cheeks. "Thank God you boys are all right."

"More or less," Dean said, before he finally passed out.

Sam watched as John patched Dean up. His hands were still shaking too much to help, but he held Dean's hand tightly as their dad dug the bullet out and sewed the wound closed. Dean winced, having only passed out for a minute or two, and clutched Sam's hand tighter, looking up at his little brother with a grimace of a smile.

"You saved me, little brother," he said. "I'm never gonna hear the end of this, am I?"

Sam chuckled, shaking his head. "Nope."

As John worked, he related what had happened on his hunt. "I didn't realize at first that there were two shifters, so when I made my way into their lair, I got jumped. I managed to kill one before the other hit me from behind. When I woke up I was tied and the shifter was nowhere to be seen. When I realized the shifter I killed was the other's son, I was afraid he would come after you two. I'm glad I got here when I did. That reminds me, I'm going to have to ditch that car, because I kind of had to borrow it to get here."

"It was my fault, Dad, I wasn't thinking straight," Dean said. "I might have realized something was off sooner if I hadn't been so sick. Plus I left the gun in the kitchen like an idiot."

"Well, now you've learned your lesson," John told him firmly as he finished off the bandage and patted Dean's knee. "I doubt you'll let it happen again now."

"Oh, trust me, I won't," Dean told him with a wry smile. "Though I think I'm also gonna have to put you through several tests now every time you get back from a hunt."

John swatted him on the back of the head. "We'll see about that. Now come on, let's get you to bed. I don't want to hang around here for too much longer with this mess."

Dean was too tired to protest and went gladly, falling asleep almost instantly. When John left the room, Sam was standing there and looking a little lost and shaken up. John set a strong hand on his shoulder, giving him a bit of a shake. "You did good, Sammy," he said.

Sam smiled. "Thanks, Dad."

That night, Dean lay in a restless sleep, his fever that had come back now after his bullet wound, causing nightmares he would rather not experience. He wanted to roll onto his side, but it hurt too much so he just flopped back down with a sigh, throwing an arm over his eyes. He felt so hot and exhausted, but there didn't seem to be much relief. He was pretty much just resigned to the fact that he wouldn't get any sleep. Maybe he would just go out to the living room and watch some TV. That is, if it had survived the fight earlier that day.

Then he heard a rustling in the room, accompanied by a soft "Dean?"

He turned his head and saw Sam slipping out of his bed to stand by Dean's. "Are you okay?"

Dean shrugged. "Just having trouble sleeping. This damn fever."

Sam left the room silently and brought back a wet washcloth and a glass of cold water. He helped Dean sit up to drink and Dean was glad of the cold that slid down his throat. Then Sam washed the sweat from his face and chest and that felt even better. He couldn't help a smirk.

"You don't have too bad of a bedside manner, Sammy," he said.

Sam pinched him in response. "Shut up, Jerk."

"Bitch," Dean said automatically then yawned. He was silent as Sam continued to cool him off and felt himself drifting off to sleep, much more comfortable now.

He was vaguely aware of Sam placing the cloth over his forehead and tugging at the covers before Sam himself curled up against his side without a word. Dean cracked his eyes open and looked down at the shaggy head resting against his shoulder and couldn't stop the smile on his lips.

"Okay, Sammy, but just this once, all right?" he muttered, then wrapped his arm around his brother's shoulders and let Sam's breathing lull him to a finally peaceful sleep.

Thanks again so much to everyone who took the time to read this story. I have more planned for the Supernatural fandom, so if you're interested, keep an eye out. I've got ideas for fluffy one shots and also a super angsty story, so it all depends on when I get time to write them. In the meantime, if you're also a Tolkien fan, I have lots of Hobbit fanfics too :)