Amy, an Angel, and Averting the Apocalypse part two

[hezio2]

Amy's eyes became saucers. "The TARDIS! You! You made that gun with Colt?"

This was more than 2014Dean could take. "Enough! Everybody inside my cabin until I figure this out." He waved the gun to direct them indoors. There was no need for the entire camp to witness this mess.

#*#*#*#

Looking far calmer than he was feeling, 2014Dean kept the Colt in his hand as he poured himself and his other self a drink. Castiel looked expectantly at him, but 2014Dean shook his head. "You've had enough." The angel rolled his eyes but didn't argue. 2014Dean looked at Chuck. "I may need you sober for this, so yours is going to wait." He took a satisfyingly large sip, before he spoke again. "Amy, it's Amy, isn't it?" The sole female in the room nodded. "And you're a friend of Chuck's, right?"

Both Chuck and Amy said, "No."

"I've read all the books," Amy added quietly.

2014Dean gave her a tight smile. "Right, the books. Amy, could you go stand by Chuck? Just for a second?"

Amy glanced at the Doctor, who gave her a reassuring nod, so Amy reluctantly did as 2014Dean asked.

2014Dean once again aimed the Colt at the Doctor. "I have been looking for this gun for more than five years. The day I find it, the day I get it back in my hands, you show up and tell me you were there when Colt made it. I don't know what you are, but only a demon could have told you I'd get the gun today, and nothing human could still be around from Colt's time." 2014Dean's eyes narrowed and again he cocked the gun.

"Dean, don't," Cas said stepping forward.

The Doctor didn't look concerned. "Oh, that can't kill me," he said with a practiced nonchalance. "And it won't kill Lucifer, either. That is what you're planning, isn't it? Killing him with the Colt? Won't work. He's an angel, an archangel to be precise. To kill him, you need an archangel's sword."

"What?" the Deans said in unison (making fan-girl Amy smile.)

Ticking them off on his finger, the Doctor repeated, "Lucifer, archangel, archangel's sword. The Colt is useless against him."

The Deans exchanged hopeless looks. "Dammit."

"That's just fan-fuckin'tastic. Where am I going to get an archangel's sword?" 2014Dean demanded.

"Don't need one. You have me," Doctor said.

"What is that supposed to mean?" Dean asked.

"It means this isn't the only possible time line. History can be rewritten."

Dean's mouth fell open in awe. "Are you saying you can go back in time and stop all of this? You can stop the Apocalypse from happening?"

"We've tried that. It didn't work." 2014Dean asked, "And why am I supposed to trust you to set all this straight?"

"Because I'm the Doctor."

"That means nothing to me." 2014Dean's eyes narrowed as he trained the Colt on the Doctor.

Amy went to stand between them, but Cas and Dean held her back.

The Doctor stepped closer to 2014Dean. "And you mean nothing to me. You might be nothing more than a figment of a delusional angel's mind. You might only exist because he is using you to force this Dean, the real Dean Winchester, to do his bidding." He leaned closer and spoke so only this Dean could hear, "You know I'm right."

2014Dean set the Colt down and let defeat wash over him. For five years that gun was his one hope. He had lost so much of himself to obtain it, and all of it was for nothing.

The Doctor breathed a sigh of relief when the Colt was no longer aimed at him. Keeping up his brave front, he rubbed his hands together. "All right, then. Before we get this mess sorted, tell me, why are there two of you? And what does that have to do with angels?"

The Deans looked at each other. 2014Dean shook his head and gave the floor to 2009 Dean. "Well, it's like this. I started the apocalypse -"

"Dean," Cas quietly reprimanded, though he was dismissed with a look.

"While I was in hell, I broke the first seal on Lucifer's cage. Eventually, Sammy broke the last seal when he killed Lilith." Guilt caused him to pause a moment. "At first, the angels were trying to stop the seals from being broken. Later, they changed their minds; they decided they wanted the end to come. They realized I was the tool they needed to defeat Luci. I was Michael's meat suit and -"

"Meat suit?" Amy asked, interrupting him.

Cas understood her confusion. "Like demons, angels need to 'possess' a human in order to interact on this plane. But, we need to be invited or allowed in; we can't forcibly take control of a person."

"Okay, so you're possessing someone right now?" Amy asked him

"No. This vessel's soul has been gone for a long time."

The Doctor looked at Dean for clarification. "And you're Michael's, the archangel Michael's, vessel?"

Dean sighed, "Yeah."

"Why won't you say 'yes'?" Amy asked.

Both Deans looked stricken by her question. Why didn't they say 'yes'? It would save so much...

"Because Michael and Lucifer would destroy the planet while they attempted to destroy each other," the Doctor answered for them. "It was mere luck Michael won the last time. Then Lucifer was strong, but he still had a sliver of self-doubt in him. Now, he's had eons to brood and stew in his self-righteous anger, and it's Michael who has the doubt."

The Doctor turned his attention to 2014Dean. "You say you went back in time to try to stop the apocalypse?"

"Yeah. Didn't work, obviously."

"No, no it didn't. What point in time did you travel to?"

2014Dean looked at Castiel. "Back when Cas was full on angel, he sent me back to 1973, to when my mom made the deal with the yellow eyed demon."

"No! No, that doesn't make any sense!" The Doctor addressed Castiel, next. "Why would you send him back to a fixed point in time? He wouldn't have been able to change anything! Mary Campbell's deal couldn't have been prevented. What was the point?"

The Doctor's anger surprised everyone. Castiel nearly cowered, but Dean spoke up to defend his angel. "Cas was following orders. I was supposed to see what Azazel did to my family, and maybe figure out why."

2014Dean looked at his younger self a moment while he tried to remember details from five years ago. "There's another time we, Sam and I, go back to see our parents." He turned to the Doctor. "In 1978, an angel was sent to kill them."

Dean looked at Castiel in horror and confusion, but 2014Dean continued. "We even tried to convince Mom to leave Dad so we'd never be born."

The Doctor began to interrupt, "But, that wouldn't -"

"Yeah, she was already pregnant. We couldn't change a thing."

Amy saw the effect of 2014Dean's admission on the younger Dean and gave his arm a comforting squeeze. "Doctor, there is a way to stop this, right?" She looked at her friend with such hope, the others in the room wanted to believe her.

The Doctor tried to look reassuring. "Of course Amy, we just need the right moment in time."

"Dean," Chuck said quietly making both Deans turn to him. "Uh, that Dean," he said pointing to 2014Dean, "Dean, it's dusk. We have to get camp ready for the night."

"Right. Gotta protect us right now if we're going to try to save the world later." 2014Dean nodded then addressed the others. "You guys should stay here. Try to figure out the time deal. Cas, Chuck and I will help the others secure the camp. We'll be back here in a bit."

#*#*#*#*

Once they left, Dean scoured the cabin for food and water. Pulling open a small cooler, he asked, "Thirsty? He's got water." The Doctor waved him off, but Amy nodded. Handing her the bottle, Dean gave Amy with a sad, fond smile. "Sorry for all this"

"For all what?" she asked, looking truly confused at his apology.

He suddenly found the label of his water bottle very interesting as he couldn't bring himself to look at her. Exhaling, he said, "You know, for letting the world end like this. For disappointing you. I'm sure you were expecting a lot more from the Dean of Chuck's books but you got stuck with me, instead."

Amy smoothed a hand over his forearm to reassure him. "Shut up. I'm not the least bit disappointed. And this isn't real, remember? Some arse of an angel is doing this."

"Still, my fault it gets as bad as..."

"None of that. I hate to break it to you, but the world doesn't end this way. This whole apocalypse is averted somehow."

Dean smirked, amused by her reply. "Really? You have any idea how we manage to do that?"

Amy smiled and leaned into his side. "No. But, I've been to 2010 and 2020, and none of this has happened."

Dean considered that for a moment. "So we figure it out?"

She squeezed his arm. "Of course you do. You and Sam are heroes."

The Doctor hadn't really been listening to them, but at the mention of Sam, he spoke up. "Where is Sam?"

Dean shook his head. "I don't know. The me from now said he was in a big showdown in Detroit and didn't make it."

Amy gasped.

The Doctor nodded. "Right. Where is he in your time? At the moment you left, where was he?"

"I don't know. We kinda split up. He wanted out of the job. Said he couldn't trust himself anymore."

The Doctor brightened. "That explains a lot. The angel Zachariah was able to construct this time line, because if you and your brother continue on the same path you're on in '09, this is where you'll end up!"

He smiled so gleefully, Amy thought he had found the answer. "So, what are you saying Doctor? We send Dean back, he and Sam work together again and this is all prevented?"

"No, not at all, Amy. Lucifer will still be running around loose. We must change an event that occurs from before he is released from hell."

Dean gave Amy a look that said obviously and she gave him a small laugh in return. "Well, Doc, you have any idea which event that would be?" Dean asked trying not to sound ungrateful.

"Not a clue. But, it shouldn't be too difficult once we rule out all the dates in your life that were predetermined by destiny."

"I don't believe in destiny. If I did, I would have said 'yes' to Michael and we wouldn't be having this conversation."

The Doctor clapped his hands together. "That's the spirit, Dean! Today is exactly the kind of day I'm looking for. It was certainly not predetermined that Zachariah would send you here. Or that Amy would want to meet Chuck and bring us to this exact moment."

"Doctor," Amy spoke up. "Didn't you say Chuck was in two time lines and in two places? How is that possible?"

"It's a big ball of wibbly, wobbly, timey, wimey stuff." The Doctor looked around for something to help him explain their predicament. Seeing one of the many containers of salt, he grabbed one and began to draw a salt line on the table.

"This is Dean's time line. This Dean, the one from 2009," he said pointing to the straight line. Then he drew a line that angled off that line. "This is the time line of the Dean of 2014. The angel is trying to have you, Dean, learn that an event you control here," he pointed to where the angled line began, "affects the course of history here," he said pointing to the other line.

Though the Doctor was quite pleased with his explanation, Dean and Amy looked equally confused. "How am I supposed to know which event? I tried to stop my mom from making her deal. Hell, I even warned her to stay in bed November 2, 1983. None of it changed anything."

"Yes, again, set points in time." The Doctor paused his pacing. "Dean, I'm sorry, your mother had to die. It certainly isn't the most desirable outcome, but if it didn't happen, you and your brother wouldn't have become hunters and you wouldn't have saved all those people."

"I've got it!" Amy said excitedly. "We go to Cold Oak and stop the Yellow-eyed demon before anything happens to Sam."

Hating to crush her hope, Dean turned to the Doctor. "No. Azazel had the Colt and couldn't get to Cold Oak until Sam was dead."

"Think think think." The doctor repeatedly hit his head with the heel of his palm. "When Sam died, you made a deal and brought him back." The doctor dragged his fingers through the salt. "Then you go to hell, break a seal, get out of hell, demons break seals, brother kills Lilith breaking the final seal, and Lucifer is set free." Suddenly, he was transfixed by what he has drawn in the salt.

Amy gave Dean an apologetic look, but felt she had to ask, "What if we stop Dean from making the deal?"

Dean looked at her in shock, but the Doctor answered harshly, "No. Then Sam dies. If Dean breaks the deal Sam dies. I'm not going to let anyone else die!"

Dean studied the Doctor and recognized the guilt that wove through his harsh reply.

Amy was a bit shocked at his tone, but stood her ground. "Well, we've got to think of something."

The slight row was ended by the return of the others. Castiel went straight to the bottle of alcohol and poured himself a generous glass, drank it, and poured another. "What's with him?" Dean asked Chuck.

2014Dean smirked. "The girls had the orgy without him."

"Sorry, man," Dean offered, though he had trouble not smiling.

Cas returned his glass to the table. "Wouldn't be so bad, but with them here," he jerked his head at the Doctor, "that might have been the last one."

"Sorry," Amy said with absolutely no trace of regret.

2014Dean saw the salt all over the table. "What's this?"

"He was explaining how Zack Biff'd the time line," Dean answered. 2014Dean nodded, but everyone else looked confused. "Back to the Future II. Biff goes back in time and changes things in his life so that he becomes rich and powerful. Marty McFly then has to go back again and fix everything."

Chuck nodded. "So, we're the time line with the mom marrying Biff."

"Yes," the Deans said in unison.

Seeing the confusion on the faces of Amy and the Doctor, Cas stepped forward. "Yeah, I never got his pop culture references, either. You get used to it."

"Yes, well, whatever this Biff did, it was able to be undone," the Doctor began. "We are looking for the moment in your time line we can undo."

"Can't be stopping Mom that night and can't be her deal," Dean told his older self.

2014Dean nodded in acceptance. "Yeah, I figured that would be the case. So, I thought about it. What if we don't make the deal?"

"What? And let Sam die? No, not an option," Dean growled and for a moment the others in the room thought they were going to have to tear the two Deans apart.

"This whole crap train started because of what we do in hell. We don't make the deal and the whole thing derails."

"Without the deal, Sam dies!" Dean shouted back at himself. "How is that acceptable, man?"

"Saving the planet or saving our brother? Doesn't even compare."

Dean took a step forward, but Amy stepped between them. "Stop. Both of you, stop." She turned to 2014Dean. "How would it be any easier to lose Sam this time around? You couldn't do it before. It's not this version of you that's going back there, this version hasn't happened yet."

Seeing another fault in the plan, Dean asked the Doctor, "What'll happen to Cas?"

"Well, like all of this," the Doctor replied with a wave of his hand, "he'll disappear."

"No, not this Cas, my Cas, from 2009. What happens to him?"

The Doctor pouted in thought. "I'm not sure..."

"Dean," Cas said softly, "I'll still be there."

"No. You didn't come to me until I was in hell. If I don't go to hell, Cas doesn't drag me out of hell, and I don't know him," Dean replied with a bit of exasperation coloring his tone.

The room was silent for a moment, and then 2014Dean spoke up. "You, we, don't go to hell, you don't meet Cas. And, yeah, that sucks. But, if you don't go to hell, then Ruby doesn't get her hooks into Sam and I don't want Sam to die any more than you do, but we need to stop Ruby."

"There's got to be a way to stop Ruby without Sam dying," Dean agreed. He looked at Cas and shook his head. "But, man, I don't know. Giving you up isn't going to be easy. Me and Sam have really come to rely on you."

Cas gave him a fond smile for the compliment. "Dean, if we can stop you from going to hell, all those times you called on me for help won't happen. You won't need me."

Dean grimaced bitterly. "Right. I guess."

The Doctor saw the shadow over Dean's features. Just as his companions meant more to him than he could explain, this angel was more than just a resource for the hunter.

Amy suddenly spoke up, "Chuck can fix that. Chuck write that Cas, the good angel, helps save Sam and Dean."

"It doesn't work that way," Dean said with a sad smile.

"What do you mean it doesn't work that way? Hell-o, none of this is supposed to work 'that way'," Amy argued. "We have a time lord, a prophet, one fallen angel, a girl from Scotland and two of you! And we're all here because some angel is angry that you won't play his game. What about 'this' is working the right way?"

The men in the room stare silently at her. "All right then," she said with a curt nod. "Dean wants Cas from 2009 to be around, we'll make sure Cas is around."

"You gonna make sure Sam doesn't die, too?" Dean asked trying not to sound too sarcastic.

"Yes," Amy replied, full of self-assurance.

"How are we going to do that?" the Doctor asked not bothering to hide his amusement.

"I don't know. I'm sure you'll think of something. You always do, it's your thing," Amy said, showing her complete confidence in the Doctor.

"Right. Respect the thing," the Doctor smirked making Amy grin. She knew he'll find a solution.

#*#*#*#*

In the next minute he did.

"In 2009, you have a cell phone, yeah?"

Dean nodded, "Yeah, of course."

"Has Sam called you on that phone?"

"Yeah, so has Cas."

"Perfect. That is how we will locate them." Turning to the writer, the Doctor asked, "Chuck, how does this prophet thing of yours work, exactly? Do the Winchesters do their thing and then you write it or do you write it and then they do it?"

"Well, I, normally, I would get a bad headache, drink a lot, pass out, and then write. So, first I write, and then Sam and Dean do what I wrote."

Okay, got it. I can work with that." The Doctor rubbed his hands together and grinned with promise. "Amy, how do you feel about being a muse?"

Amy tossed her hair, pursed her lips, a cocked her hip into a provocative pose. "Yeah, I can do that."

Dean couldn't help but appreciate her seductive stance. "She could muse the hell of out me," he muttered under his breath but not quietly enough, for the entire room looked at him. Slightly embarrassed, he changed the subject. "Well, what do we do next, Doctor?"

The Doctor fixed Dean with a look to let him know he didn't like the muttering. "Right, well, we need to determine a point in time that can put you on a new course. So, now, Chuck, I need you to think. At what moment is everything set in motion, all the players are there, but there is still a chance to stop it moving forward?"

Chuck nervously ran a hand over his hair. Oh how he wished he hadn't drank so much. Did it really have to come down to him to save everybody? How was he supposed to remember everything he wrote?

The disheveled prophet paced the room, trying to remember a time that would help the Doctor. "Well, there's Jus in Bello. Sam, Dean, and Lilith are in that one."

"Justin who?" Dean asked.

"Jus in Bello," Amy answered, "it's one of the books. Henricksen has arrested you and Sam and Lilith sends a whole town of demons after you."

The Deans nodded, but Amy was shaking her head. "That won't work, Chuck. Lilith isn't there at the same time. Sam and Dean are with Ruby."

"Did Lilith have my contract for that long?" 2014Dean asked.

"Yeah, you're right. I don't know," Chuck answered. The group fell silent as they dismissed that scenario.

"Well, I know one point in time when everyone is in one spot," Dean said drawing the attention of everyone in the room.

"When's that?" the Doctor asked excitedly.

"When the hell-hounds drag me to hell."

"Hell-hounds? Actual hell-hounds?" the Doctor repeated, looking from Dean to Amy who nodded. "Oh dear."

Dean snorted, "Tell me about it."

"What's that exact date?"

"Midnight, May second 2008," the entire room responded.

The response made the Doctor pause. "Okay. Well, there's our date, then. We go to that moment and stop Lilith and her dogs from taking you to hell. If you don't go to hell, you don't break the seal and none of this apocalypse business happens."

"That's a pretty tight window," 2014Dean said. "I mean it's one minute that we know Lilith is in that body and the hell-hounds attack. Are you really that accurate with your time travel?"

"Yes, of course," the Doctor answered confidently.

Amy said nothing but raised a doubtful eyebrow.

The Doctor noticed her doubting brow. "What?"

"Nothing, Doctor, just -" she shrugged not wanting to mention her doubts in front of the others.

The Doctor wasn't put off. "Amy, what is it?"

"Rio, Cwmtaff. Wasn't going to mention it," she answered in a hushed voice.

"But you did," he said quietly.

"You asked," she whispered.

"Care to share with the class?" 2014Dean asked.

"No," both Amy and the Doctor replied.

But, the Doctor relented and explained, "Amy is worried we'll miss our target time. I assure you, we won't. However, now that we have the exact moment, we're going to need a weapon that can kill the Lilith."

"No problem. We've got the Colt," Amy reminded him, picking up the Colt and carelessly waving it at him.

"Yes, problem, Amy!" the Doctor's voice rose nervously and he grabbed the gun from her hands. "Loaded gun, remember? Guns kill people," he said in a quieter voice.

"Not you," Amy said smugly though she felt reprimanded.

"Yes, me."

"But you said -" Dean began.

"I lied," the Doctor interrupted. "Sorry, but future you was pointing the gun at me at the time. Wasn't in the mood for getting shot, all right?"

"Yeah, man, I get it." Dean chuckled a bit then asked, "If the Colt can kill you, can it kill Lucifer?"

"No, sorry. Unfortunately, that part was true," the Doctor replied and handed the treasured gun to Dean. "Besides, that's not the real Colt. That's the Colt from this reality. We need the Colt from your reality."

"Damn. If I had the Colt in my time, we wouldn't be in this mess," Dean sighed.

"If you had the Colt when Lilith sent the hell hounds after you and you went to hell, none of us would be here," Amy reminded him.

Then Cas asked, "Why didn't you have the Colt? When did you lose it?"

"I didn't lose the Colt. Bela stole it -"

"Okay!" the Doctor clapped his hands again and sounded hopeful, "do we know when Bela stole it or what she did with it?"

The Deans shrugged and looked to Amy and Chuck. Chuck's brows furrowed as he thought, and even Amy looked hopeless. The Doctor looked at Castiel for an answer but the angel shook his head. "Don't look at me. I haven't the foggiest idea."

The Doctor stared at Cas for a moment longer. Finally he muttered, "Right then, no Colt to use."

"There's a bigger problem," Dean reminded them. "If I don't go through with the deal, Sam dies."

"Not necessarily," Cas replied. "There is a moment, albeit brief, in which Lilith can be destroyed and both you and Sam live."

The Doctor studied the remains of his salt drawing for a minute, and then suddenly announced, "All right everyone, we should get some rest. Big day tomorrow."

"Big day? Why, what's tomorrow? Are we hunting down Lucifer?" Dean asked.

"No, Dean, tomorrow we stop the apocalypse and save the world."

Surprised and confused looks crossed the room.

"And how the hell are we going to do that, Doctor?" 2014Dean asked.

"Oh, well, simple really. We go back to May 2nd, 2008. Kill the hounds, smite the demon and rescue Dean before he goes to hell."

Dean took a deep breath. "Don't get me wrong, I'm all for stopping me from becoming a hell-hound's chew toy and going to the rack, but how exactly are we going to do that?"

"Minor details Mr. Winchester," the Doctor said with smooth authority.

"Dean's death isn't a set point in time, then?" Amy asked.

Cas snorted and answered before the Doctor could. "Have you forgotten how many times Dean has died?"

"Everyone's death is a set point in time. However, May 2nd is not supposed to be the day Dean dies. It is a date that can be changed, if we do it carefully," the Doctor explained. He looked at the others in the room. "There are fixed points through time where things must always stay the way they are. May 2nd is not one of them. This is an opportunity, a tipping point. Whatever happens that day will change future events. Create its own time line, its own reality."

Amy studied the Doctor and caught his wry expression. She smirked playfully. "You have a plan."

The Doctor's mouth curled into a smile. "No... It's a Thing; like a plan, but more spectacular."

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