Title: Flawless 9
Author: Falcon-Rider
Fandom: Supernatural/Dark Angel
Word Count: 1,112
Characters: Dean|Alec 494, John, Sam, mentions of Ben 493, OMC(495)
Summary: John tells Dean truths and Dean keeps his secrets.
Disclaimer: 495 is mine- the rest belongs to their respective studios/networks/creators. I'm just a poor college student.

*****

Dean was fourteen and tasting his first beer when John told him. It was late in the evening; Sam was already tucked in bed at the back of the house they were renting for the month. He could remember the stars bright in the night sky and the racket of cicadas in the distance. Just an average day, a week after Dean's birthday- John had missed it for the third year in a row. That was probably why Dean held a beer in one hand and a new knife in the other.

"You know," John murmured eyes closed, head titled back against the side of the house. "You would have had a brother."

Dean had slanted his eyes and glanced at his father from the side of his eyes. Crystal green eyes with vision like that of a hawk. "Sammy's my brother."

"He is," John nodded and sat up. His eyes had a serious glean in them, observing his eldest son. "He's your little brother, but he's not the brother I'm talking about."

Dean didn't say anything just took a sip of bitter amber liquid and watched his father. John didn't talk about the past much. Since Mary had died he hadn't been able to focus on anything other than the demon and vengeance. There had been precious little time left for family moments outside of training or the hunt. Birthdays and holidays were more often than not celebrations between Sam and Dean, if not foregone in favor of money for groceries or rent.

"You would have had a twin brother. Identical near as they could tell," John tightened his grip crumpling the aluminum can slightly. "We were so happy when they told us it worked and Mary was pregnant. All she wanted was a family. When you were born… there were complications. It was too early and your brother… he was born brain dead. Either it was something to do with the in vitro… or complications during pregnancy… they couldn't tell us."

John lifted his eyes and met Dean's. There was a sadness, emotion, there heavier than any the fourteen year old had ever witnessed.

"We named him Matthew after my father."

John paused and Dean shifted in his seat. He sat the beer down on the rough wood of the deck.

"You've never mentioned this before," his eyes held a question. Dean would never out right ask what he was thinking, that did not stop him from wanting to. His statement implored but didn't force the issue. His father could answer the unspoken question or leave it be.

"We planned to, once you and Sammy were old enough," John ran a hand across his face and settled it in his hair. His fingers flexed through dark hair, a few flecks of gray were peppered here and there. "With what happened… I didn't know how to bring it up. Didn't want to cause more pain."

Dean nodded and settled his hands on his jeans. His knuckles flexed slightly, kneading the worn fabric of his jeans.

"Don't tell Sammy," his voice was rough and barely a whisper. "He doesn't need to know."

John nodded. There was a lot that Sammy didn't need to know, much of which was unspoken. Each family member had their own secrets. John had the hunt, Sam had his ambitions, and Dean had his life. Not even John knew everything that went on with his eldest son.

They were silent for a long time. John started another beer, Dean polished off his first.

The thing metal of the beer can crumpled with ease between Dean's fingers as he stood. Sharp edge jutted out into his palm. "Gonna check on Sammy."

"Dean," John's voice stopped him as he reached the door. "Memorial Park Cemetery."

Dean paused, he couldn't even feel the bite of the metal into his palm.
"There's a headstone. It isn't near your mothers… her uncle didn't know where the marker was."

Dean slipped through the door without replying. As he passed the kitchen an easy toss had the bloodied can settled into the garbage can. Dean past through the house quietly, not even a floorboard creaked.

Sam had the back bedroom, the one across from the only bathroom. The door was easy to open and quietly slip through. Dean had made sure to fix every hinge in the house. Just in case.

His brother was curled on his side, facing the open window. A line of salt was spread around any possible point of entry in the room- even the hall door. Dean let his eyes trace each white line for any disturbance before letting his gaze rest on Sam.

Sam was his priority, his brother and his family. He had his dad and Sam- no one else. Mary was the memory of a mother, a woman that he adored and loved, but she wasn't here now. Sam and Dad were important.

He had at one time had another brother: Matthew. Dean had a name to put with a fact.

Dean already knew about his brother. He was aware that he was no longer among the living. John was right about that at least.

What John didn't know, what Dean wasn't about to mention, was that he had already known about his twin. He had known about him for three years. Dean knew about X5-495, his brother that had died at the hands of Manticore. He hadn't died when he was a baby, though, he had died at the age of eleven because his mind couldn't handle the trials Manticore forced on him.

Dean also knew that he wasn't a twin. He was a triplet and his second brother, X5-493 or Ben as his unit had called him, had escaped. Leaning back against the wall next to the window Dean watched his youngest brother's chest rise and fall.

He had thought about enlightening his father to his sibling's plight. The idea had been a focus during many of his sleepless nights for that first year after the summer he spent in Psyops. Dean couldn't do it. He knew the outside and the inside. If he had been stuck in Manticore like everyone else… he would have fled as well.

It was too risky. If he told John, his father would do everything in his power to find the missing brother. Dean knew he would from the look in his eyes tonight. If John found 493 it would only bring Manticore down on them. The life that Dean had would never be the same.

It wouldn't be safe for Sam.

*****