Entanglement, or the Ghost Field - Part Twelve: Cosmological Constant

[dracox_serdriel]

Title: Cosmological Constant, Part Twelve of Entanglement
Author: dracox-serdriel
Acknowledgement: A special thanks to my awesome beta reader, rince1wind
Status: Completed as part of horrorbigbang 2013


Dean and Sam handed out iron to everyone: bars, chains, anything. Molls, Vincent, and Castle checked their packs and discarded anything they didn't need. Slade and Sage kept watch at both doors.

"We don't have any more salt," Sam said apologetically. "But ghosts can't handle iron, either."

Dean held out a chain to Castle.

"Sorry," she said, "but Jeet was right about my leg. I shouldn't have moved so much on it. I don't think I'll be able to handle more than my bag and this." She held up a large branch she'd taken as a staff.

"You need something," Sam insisted.

"I'm going with you two, aren't I?" she said. "I'll just keep on you like white on rice."

Jeet had rigged up some camp stove equipment into a makeshift spray bottle. Sam doused the pyre they built in the lobby with the last of their accelerant.

"This room still needs to be coated all along the walls," Sam said to Jeet. "How much of that do you have?"

"Might be able to cover two walls. Start along the pyre so it'll catch from there," Jeet said.

"That won't be enough to torch the building," Dean said. "We need to make sure everyone's bones are burned."

"I don't have anything else," Jeet said. "I didn't think I'd need to burn down a building."

"Fair point," Sam commented.

"Can't we just rig up an electrical fire?" Vincent suggested.

"That might not work," Sage said. "Time doesn't work right here, and somehow the electricity always works. I don't think you could start a fire with it."

"We need something foolproof. People are counting on it," Sam insisted.

As if to answer his plea, Rose's voice came over the com. "Right boys, we've got fire. Get ready, 'cause here we come."

"Let me get those two walls," Jeet said.

"But the fire," Sage pointed out. "Won't the fire - "

"No, I smothered it out," Molls said. "It won't burn till we ignite something."

"Can I help?" Sage offered. "I want to help."

"You can carry Castle's bag," Dean said. "And you'll need something to shoot with - my shotgun, I guess. You're job is to make sure she gets upstairs, even if Sammy and I get held back or something."

"Upstairs?" Sage asked.

"You're from our universe," Sam said simply. "Rose just told us that they've got a plan. All people from our universe go upstairs to the door with the giraffe on it. So that's your job."

"I'll take it gladly," he said. "I will." He turned to Castle, who had propped herself up on her staff. She was leaning over it heavily, as if she were in pain.

"Castle?" Sage said to her. "I'm going to help you upstairs. Which is your bag?"

She lifted her head slowly to meet his eyes. "You cannot leave," she said.

"What do you mean?" Sage asked. "They just said we could."

"You will not leave," Castle repeated. "You will not leave."

"Castle, it's okay," Slade spoke up, ready to go to her. "We're getting out of here. We can leave."

She didn't turn to look at Slade or anyone else. Her eyes burrowed into Sage's, and he reeled back in confusion as she repeated, "You cannot leave!"

Before Sam or Dean had time to respond, a roaring sound plummeted towards them, and all the windows burst into the lobby, throwing glass and chaos into the mix. The floor cracked and the wind seared into the room, billowing like an ocean storm.

"What the hell is that?" Molls yelled, backing into Vincent in the process.

Dean and Sam followed her line of sight. Outside the window, figures were approaching. "Rose, she said something was coming," Sam pointed out. "Something not alive, but moving."

"What the hell?" Dean asked. "You think... were there bodies out there?"

"Dean, this place is like one giant tomb," Sam replied. "Definitely could be bodies out there."

Dean didn't want to consider the possibility that hundreds of ghosts could be possessing hundreds of bodies. "Okay, we need those chains, Sam. And the iron bars - "

Jeet raced over to the windows to gather the iron chains and bars there. As soon as she did, she chanced a glance out into the howling storm.

"Oh my God," she said in horror.

Castle's eyes remained fixed on Sage, as if her stare alone could keep him prisoner. It occurred to Slade that she didn't seem to consider anyone else in the room. Maybe she meant that Sage couldn't leave. His eyes met Dean's, who seemed to be thinking the same thing.

"Jeet, the sofa!" Dean yelled as he grabbed the iron from across the room. "Grab any iron nearby and get to the sofa."

Slade scooped up as much salt as he could and stumbled to Castle, doing his best against the hail, rain, wind, and shaking earth. He wrapped one arm around her waist and shoved his other hand over her mouth, filling it with salt.

She choked on it and her body trembled. Something inside of her screamed as it blew out of her, echoing, "You cannot leave!" one last time. The wind dropped out and the hail and rain ceased entirely, leaving everyone wet and covered with glass.

Vincent and Molls made it over to Slade and Castle and pulled them both down behind the couch. Jeet joined them next, followed by Sam and Dean.

"Slade, stand up," Dean said. "Can you stand?"

"Yes, of course," he replied.

Dean handed him an iron bar. Molls and Vincent shot up along side him, so Sam gave them both iron chains.

"Listen," Sam said. "We circle up, like we're musk ox."

"We're like what?" Molls asked.

"He means like we're Spartans," Dean replied, shaking his head. "Damn Animal Planet."

"We keep the circle tight and anything coming at us, we hit it with iron. As soon as the bodies drop, we grab what we can and get the hell out of here," Sam said. "Understood?"

"Where's Sage?" Vincent asked.

No one had bothered to check for him, but he had staggered over to the pyre and curled up beside it.

"Sage!" Sam yelled. "Get over here!"

But he didn't move. Dean started for him, but Jeet pulled him back.

Two full skeletons burst through the broken windows. Partial skeletons followed, climbing over the broken glass. Words filled the room as the storm had done before, repeating over and over again, "You cannot leave."

Everyone circled around Castle, who was still spitting up salt.

"How many are there?" Vincent asked.

"So far, I count ten," Sam replied. "Well, technically seven and a half, but ten separate entities."

"Great, just what we need," Dean sniped. "Nerd math precision."

"Sage!" Sam yelled. "Get your ass over here! Now!"

Most of the skeletons were cumbersome and slow, but two of them were quick and stealthy. They went straight for Sage, their bony fingers reaching out.

"Castle, get up," Molls said.

Still shaking, Castle got to her feet and leaned against Vincent.

"Listen," Molls instructed. "We've got to get over to him, so we're going as a group."

"Like moving the entire huddle?" Sam asked.

"Yes!"

Without another word, the entire group moved in Sage's direction, attracting the attention of the two assailants closing in on him.

As soon as Castle yanked Sage to his feet, Dean yelled, "Close the circle!"

The attack came in waves. As it turned out, skeletal bodies weren't very heavy. Most of them had been left to the elements, making them soft. Once hit with an iron chain or bar, the spirits were ripped away, shrieking as they were torn from the room.

Molls and Vincent held their own well enough, but after the first ten, even more joined. The sound of sickening cracks and snaps filled the room as the skeletons piled up around them.

"We might not have to fight after a while," Vincent joked, panic-stricken. "We'll have a fort of bone to hide behind!"

"It's not funny!" Jeet yelled.

Rose raced into the room with The Doctor, both carrying packs with extended spray handles.

"What? What? What?" The Doctor said. He paged the com, "Gwen, can you ask December to seal off the main building? Please? Now. Please!"

Gwen replied, "She says give her a second."

"We've got skeletons attacking!" The Doctor replied.

"Hold on," Rose said. "Look, they're not attacking us."

It was true. The assailants ignored The Doctor and Rose entirely; they went straight for the main group. A rush of soft sounds filled the room, like a toy air gun going off a hundred times.

"Sealed the windows," Gwen replied. "She can't do that for the doors, though, all she can do is catch them. But people could break them down."

"Let's not give them enough time to figure that out," The Doctor replied. "Thank you, Gwen and December."

The last four skeletons dropped, enclosing the group inside a circle of some forty bodies. Rose and The Doctor traded wary glances, but before they could make a move, Dean and Sam thrust through the shortest pile, clearing a path for all of them.

"You're alive," Castle said with relief to The Doctor as she and Sage staggered out.

"Not dying is my main thing," he replied. "We only have these three spray packs, but all we need is to coat the corners as much as possible. The fire will trigger our escape, and our escape will unleash a massive amount of energy that will reduce this place to ash."

"Then why do we need to coat the building?" Sage asked dimly.

"Oi, who are you?" Rose asked.

"Sage, I was the boy who got put here because - " Sage began.

"Hello Sage, nice to meet you but we don't have time just now, because that pile there is just the tip of the iceberg. December has sealed off the windows and latched the doors - "

"Who the hell is December?" Sam asked.

"She's the one who's going to save your lives," Rose replied. "She has a capsule that can travel from here to your universe. Gwen is working with her upstairs right now so you can go home."

"Introductions later," The Doctor insisted.

"What happened to hiking out at sunrise?" Vincent asked.

"That was before we knew this place is sealed off," Rose explained.

"Before, you said cauterized," Sam said tentatively. "Dean, those bodies we found when we first came into the Trine - "

"Were all burned," Dean completed. "There were signs of hardcore hoodoo being used. We thought it was to ward things off. Maybe it's to keep things in? That's what you think, right? Something's stitching this place up? The roaches get in, but they don't get out?"

"Actually, nothing should be able to get in," Rose said quickly. "Something failed. And we're going to recreate that failure to get out."

The Doctor held out his second spray pack. "This chemical is stable until it is ignited. That being said, a big enough spark could set it off. So you need to be careful if you have flints or lighters or matches. Actually, best leave them here."

Rose handed her pack to Sam. The Doctor handed off another to Dean. Jeet joined them, "I'll take that last one."

"But, we need to coat the bottom floor," Rose said.

"I'm going with you. Me and Slade," she said. "You said we're getting to a capsule, like an escape pod?"

"Well, yes," The Doctor said. "Well, no. It's... complicated. Look, the important thing is that we do this now."

"How much time do you need to get it ready once we're inside?" Slade asked.

"Five, ten minutes," he replied.

"What's on the door?" Jeet asked.

"A kangaroo," Rose replied.

"You and JD here need to prep that capsule," Slade said. "Jeet and I can take this bottom floor. I'll take on of those shotgun things - "

"Oh, you will?" Dean asked.

"Yes, I will!" Slade replied. "So if anything tries to attack us, we'll be covered."

"You can't fire a gun anywhere near this stuff!" The Doctor protested.

"Well, then I won't if she's sprayed it," Slade said. "I'll use this otherwise." He held up a chain.

"Fine, that settles it. Dean and I take the top floor," Sam said. "Sage, your job is the same, you get Castle there safely."

Sage looked up at him weakly and nodded. "Yes, I can do that."

Dean hazarded a doubtful glance at Sam. "You need to be standing up to do that," he said to Sage.

Sage stood up, regaining his composure in an instant. The Doctor cast a sideways glance at the mystery man, and Sam couldn't help his skeptical expression.

"What are we? Chopped suey?" Vincent asked, indicating Molls.

"You two lead the way," Sam said.

Molls and Vincent traded glances and nodded to one another. They started toward their bags.

"JD," Slade said. "Some of us have seen things that might be from the future."

"Really, we're going to do this now?" The Doctor asked.

"Now is all we have!" Slade protested. "My question is, if we've seen something, does that mean it will definitely happen?"

"Time can be rewritten," The Doctor replied. "I've done it before. So whatever you've seen, if you think it's your future, there's no reason for it to be, you understand?"

"We're ready, let's blow this popsicle stand," Dean said.

"Popsicle stand? Really?" Sam commented.

As they moved towards the door, Castle spotted something over the large awning. The broken glass and hail and wet obscured most of her vision, but she saw it clear as day: a large bell.

"Time can be rewritten," Castle echoed.

She grabbed her staff and scrambled towards Vincent and Molls, who had turned back at the sound of Castle's approach.

"Move!" Castle shouted as she crashed headlong into them, throwing both of them off their feet and down to the ground just as the sound of a bell began.

"Castle!" Slade yelled.

"Stop," The Doctor said, pulling him back. "It's too late."

From the angle, he could see Castle's vacant eyes. Her entire midsection had been worn down, as if from her chest to her pelvis had been pulverized. The Doctor held up his detector. "Time decay," he said. "A trapped instant of time that causes rapid deterioration and aging. I'm sorry. I'm so sorry."

"She saved us," Vincent said. "We saw, earlier... we saw us under this bell. Our bodies became corpses, frozen in place. Oh, God, is that what happened to her?"

"Only part of her," Rose said. "She saved your lives, don't let it be in vain."

Both Molls and Vincent moved towards Castle.

"Don't touch her," The Doctor said. "That decay can still affect you."

"I just want to close her eyes," Molls said.

Dean grabbed Molls and pulled her away. "They're right. We can't help her, and there's no time. You two are suppose to lead the way upstairs. Door with giraffe. Now, go!"

Vincent took Molls's hand; they raised their iron bars and ran for it. Sage raced out after them.

"We'll cover this room," Sam said to Jeet. "You guys still have to do those two long halls on either side. We'll get the main hall and the rest of this room."

"Don't do any rooms around the door with the kangaroo," Rose reminded them. "Do that bit last, okay?"

With one solid nod of agreement, Rose and The Doctor ran back towards the ship.

"Can I have a knife?" Slade asked Dean. "Nothing fancy, just something to sharpen a stick or something."

Dean produced a rough old hunting blade. "This thing looks craggy, but it's not. I'm assuming you won't be getting it back to me."

"Probably not," Slade said as he stowed it. He and Jeet ran out next, leaving Sam and Dean to coat the lobby.

"You get a bad feeling?" Dean asked Sam. "About Sage, I mean."

"This whole place seems intent on keeping him here," Sam said. "And he knows it."

"You ever heard of anything like this? A kid being trapped, growing to adulthood, but not growing old?" Dean asked.

"Seems like something an immortal might do," Sam replied. "You think he's not human?"

"I think this getup is a bit extreme, even for a Trickster prank," Dean replied. "And maybe it's not his fault. Maybe this was a trick on his dick father."

"You don't think he's human," Sam said.

"Something's off about him," Dean replied.

"Yeah, sure," Sam said. "He's been trapped in this hell for centuries. We'd be messed up too."

"Well, I'm glad he's coming back with us. Means we can keep an eye on him," Dean said.

"Calling everyone out there who is not undead," a woman's voice came over the com. "This is December. Are we ready?"

The Doctor replied, "We're still calibrating, but everyone's doing something!"

"Well, if that's the case, let me help you out. All the blue lights are for movement. Anywhere marked red is where you need to coat thoroughly for optimal explosion. And the bright green lights are your destinations," December said.

"You are fucking awesome," Dean replied over the com.

"I know," she said simply.

Jeet and Slade made it down to the end of the first long hall, and she started coating the walls marked red.

"Why did you ask for a knife?" she asked him.

"Oh, it's just a thing," Slade said. "Not important. But just in case."

"You asked him about time," Jeet said. "And then Castle magically understands she can save her friends. Who are you?"

"I'm just a writer," he replied glumly. "And I don't want you to worry. Because I saw something too."

"What?" Jeet said as she finished up the edge. "Slade, what did you see?"

She turned, but he wasn't there. Jeet didn't hear a door open or shut, so where was he?

"Slade!" she shouted. "Damn it, Slade, where are you?" She tried the coms. "Slade, come in. Slade?"

"You lost Slade?" Sam asked.

"He disappeared," Jeet said defensively over the com. "Oh, no, wait, found him."

If was as if he had dropped back into the room. She wondered if that was how Castle saw the bell appear. Then she shook herself, hard. They didn't have time for this.

"Slade, come on!" Jeet demanded.

"We stopped him," Slade said quietly. His voice rasped.

Jeet got closer and saw that Slade was covered with scars from a very bad burning. "What - what happened? Slade?" she dropped her bag, but pretty much everything she had was depleted. She saw him tremor, so she grabbed the only thing she had: a medical sheet. "Here, take it."

He wrapped it around himself. "We stopped him," he repeated.

"Stopped who?"

Slade replied, "That monster was trapped here forever. But we stopped him, Jeet. We did."

"We still have to do the other corridor," Jeet said. "Whatever happens, I promise I'll get you the best medical care possible. You understand me?"

"Go, Jeet."

"I'm not leaving you! You're not dead."

But he disappeared again. She screwed up what little resolve she had left and followed the lights. Bitter tears splashed down her face. She might not have saved anyone else, but she would get JD and Rose the hell out of this place.

Dean stopped at the bottom of the stairs.

"What?" Sam asked, halfway up the first flight.

"You go ahead," Dean replied. "Someone's gotta do the stairs, and Jeet's lost Slade."

"Dean, we - "

"It'll only take a minute," Dean cut him off.

Sam rolled his eyes and continued up the stairs. Luckily, the top floor only had one hall, so he immediately saw the others. Molls, Vincent, and Sage had made it to the giraffe door, but none of them had managed to get it open. Sage kept trying while Molls and Vincent kept guard on either side.

"I'll get the stairs, get over to them and get that door," Dean said.

Sam nearly slid into Molls as he joined them.

"Hello?" Jeet said over the com, her message crackling. "Slade... he's gone. He told me... is behind this. You hear me? We can't... he's..."

The com shuttered harshly. Sam paged back, "Jeet? We didn't get all that. Say again."

But nothing came over the wire.

Sage stepped away from the door. "Let me take the last of the rooms," he said.

"No way," Sam replied.

"You are stronger than me. Maybe you can get this door to open. I know this place better than anyone. I can get the rest of the rooms."

Sam took off his pack. "Listen, you take this and go as fast as you can. Okay?"

"I'll go with him," Vincent offered.

"No," Sage replied, "enough people have died on my behalf. Please, just, stay alive."

Sage raced down to the far end of the hall, popping into the last room

"We're not doing rooms!" Sam yelled after him.

Sam turned his attention to the stubborn door. He used his shoulder first, but the door wouldn't budge. He tried kicking it in with the same result.

"December! Gwen! The com's are down, and this door is stuck!" he yelled.

His fourth kick hit air, and he nearly collapsed into the antechamber.

"Sorry about that," Gwen said. "This is all new to me."

Vincent and Molls ran in, and both of them started at the sight of Gwen.

"You all right?" she asked.

"We're alive," Molls replied.

"Good, December said your best bet would be to strap in here," Gwen pulled out seats that were like a Murphy bed, folded up into the wall. "There are only three, but there's more room on the command deck."

"Go on," Sam said to Molls and Vincent. "I need to make sure Sage and Dean finish up."

Molls and Vincent strapped in, both looking terrified. Molls took his hand. "We're going home," she said to him. "We're going home."

The Doctor always had a habit of working frantically at the controls, but he was doing one better now. Rose calibrated the data on the pocket while he moved at lightning speed, assessing and processing and checking.

"What about - no, no, no. Okay, then it has to be - no, of course not. What cauterizes an area?" he said.

"Those time things," Rose replied. "When I tried to save my Dad. They came in at a wound in time."

"You're right! Oh, brilliant! The only reason that this place is cauterized that it's a big, gapping wound! In three universes no less. Oh, did I tell you today that you're absolutely brilliant?"

December opened up the monitor connection.

"Hello? Can you hear me?" she asked.

"December? What's going on?" Rose asked.

"The coms are down. Listen, I've got the flight programming down, but the energy signature doesn't make sense to me."

The Doctor popped his head into the screen. "A wound in time!" he said. "Across three universes! So big it's been burned off at the edges!"

"Do we know what caused it?"

"Not yet, but we don't need to, we just need to neutralize that energy. The cauterizing agent will break down," The Doctor replied. "I'm working on that bit. Have you separated the ships?"

"When I do, you'll know," December said.

"Hold on, then how - " Rose began.

"Trust me," December replied. "Hit me back once you've got something." The monitor turned off.

Sage knew this would happen. Someone would figure it out, but he assumed it would be the two FBI agents. They seemed to know too much to begin with.

Still, it was better this way. Jeet and Slade were far easier prey, and neither of them were traveling with him. So all he had to do was neutralize them. Then he could return upstairs, complete his task, and fly out of this infernal prison forever.

All he had was a large machete, but it would more than do the trick. He blipped himself downstairs into one of the rooms in Jeet's general vicinity. Humans were so predictable.

He opened the door noiselessly. Her back was turned to him. He readied the machete -

An odd squelching sound hit him with the unpleasant sensation of splintering pain emanating from his chest. Blood, or the closest thing he had to blood, bubbled out of his mouth as he looked down to see a large wooden stake poking out of him.

"Sage?" Jeet said as she spun around.

Dean thrust the stake in a little more. Sage collapsed to the floor dramatically, revealing Sage.

"What have you done?" Jeet asked Dean.

"Trickster," Dean said, unperturbed by Sage's grisly remains.

"How did you know?" Slade asked.

"I didn't," Dean replied. "Not until he busted out of this room. Three seconds ago this dude was upstairs, and he didn't come down past me."

Dean was satisfied Sage was dead, so he started back for the stairs.

"That man just staked someone through the back because he knew a secret passageway?" Jeet asked Slade.

"He was going to cut off your head," Slade replied, indicating the machete.

Jeet's mind reeled. "You were burned. When I saw you last," she said to Slade. A clicking sound prompted her to ask, "What are you doing?"

Slade didn't bother hiding the flint in his hand.

"You can't light the fire yet," Jeet protested. "This hall isn't done yet!"

"That will give you time," he said as he got the stake to burn.

Slade grabbed the machete from the ground and stepped away as Sage began to flounder. His mouth opened, and his scream was like the wailing sound of a wounded animal.

"RUN!" Slade yelled as he took her spray. "He will burn, then this hall, then the fire will spread."

"What about you?" Jeet asked.

"This is me, finishing the story," Slade said.

Jeet went to grab the pack, but he aimed the spray nozzle at her. "If I have to, I will."

"You wouldn't."

Sage writhed in pain, slashing at the air and nearly knocking into them.

"Take this," Slade said, handing off the machete, "just in case, now RUN!"

She ran. She paged the com, "Listen to me, you need to get out! The fire has started, and it's getting bigger. You understand? You need to get out!"

"Jeet, you can't light the fire yet, we're not ready," Sam replied.

"Too late for that now," she replied. "And I didn't light it. It was Slade. He did it to stop Sage. So get your asses out!"

"I ganked Sage," Dean replied over the com. "Stake through the middle takes a Trickster out."

"He started moving," Jeet said.

"So Slade decided lighting him on fire would kill him?" Dean demanded.

"What's going on?" The Doctor asked. "December said the coms were down."

Jeet could feel the heat as the fire spread everywhere. Before she ducked into the last hall, she turned to see the farthest walls blanketed with flame and smoke billowing towards her.

She stumbled, coughing hard, into the door with the kangaroo. It fell open, and she dropped inside.

"Oi, Jeet," Rose said, coming to her side. "Where's Slade?"

"He's... a writer finishing his story," Jeet said.

Rose started coughing; the smoke was coming in. Jeet tried to get up, but she collapsed, unconscious. Rose dragged her through one more doorway.

"Probably for the best," The Doctor said. "There's an oxygen mask under that bin there," he said to Rose. "And maybe give her a sedative just in case."

"Right, then what?" Rose asked. "Not going to be a smooth flight is it?" She got the mask over Jeet's face.

"No, but, this TARDIS has strap-in seats, look!" He waved at the wall. "And these."

Around the central control unit, six chairs erupted on a runner.

"Pilot chairs with full mobility!" he said. "Isn't that brilliant!"

Rose shook her head at him, but she smiled. He hadn't looked this much like himself in months. Rose got Jeet situated in the safety chairs, then joined The Doctor by the console.

"Slade?" he asked.

She shook her head.

"No, I mean, Slade!" The Doctor pointed.

Rose turned and saw him outside the door, wrapped in a sheet. He was covered in scars, but a smile was on his face.

"Get in!" The Doctor yelled.

Slade didn't reply. He grabbed the handle and wrenched the door shut, sealing it off and stopping the smoke.

"How did he do that?" The Doctor asked. "He just sealed us off from the building. But he can't, it's not - "

"Doctor, the energy signature!" Rose interrupted.

"Right. December!" he shouted at the screen, and sure enough, the monitor came up.

"Please tell me you have something," she said.

"No, but... the energy signal, it's fading."

"What do you mean, fading?" she asked.

"Sage," Sam said. "If he was a trapped Trickster, then the hoodoo or curse that locked him in would dissipate - "

"Oi, what?" Rose interrupted.

"Tricksters are powerful," December said. "If one of them was trapped here for a breech in time, the only thing that would break this place open would be - "

"His death," Sam completed.

Rose asked, "So, if the signature is fading... does that mean he's dying?"

"But he's not dead," The Doctor said. "December, you have to separate the ships."

"I know," she said sadly. "Good luck, JD and Rose."

"And to you, December."

December winked. "Hold on to your hats." Then the monitor turned off.

"Rose, grab a seat. You're a pilot now, hey?" he said with a weak smile. "And get ready."

"It's going to be that bad?" Rose asked.

"Oh, I'm not talking about the shaking or anything, I'm taking about all the spinning!" he said.

They both scrambled for seats as a green light flipped on. "We've got about... three minutes?" The Doctor said. Then the light turned mauve. "Make that two."

Sage could feel his insides melting around the stake. His magic was dripping out of him, slowly, and the fire prevented him from healing. But they couldn't get away, not so long as he lived.

He couldn't see, but this place had been his prison for eons, and he knew its every facet. He was in the center hall. There was less accelerant around him, but as soon as this area ignited, their escape pod would be destroyed.

He yelled, "You'll all burn! Taking you with me with fire!" His voice echoed throughout the entire pocket, shaking the building like a hailstorm.

Liquid began to evaporate from his body as it came apart. He didn't have any more blood, so now his skin and hair and everything else was peeling away around the stake. Just one more minute of crawling... one more.

After he coated the stairs, Dean raced to the end of the top floor's hall and began spraying frantically.

"Dean, we've got to go!" Sam yelled.

"We haven't finished!" Dean replied.

Dean kept spraying, so Sam ran out after him, tackling him and throwing off his pack.

"We don't have time, now move!" Sam shouted, dragging his brother back to the door.

Gwen slammed it shut behind them. "Not enough time to strap in, so get to the flight deck, go!"

Sam and Dean pushed through and stopped inside the door.

"What?" Sam said, looking up at the cavernous inside.

Gwen pushed them both, hard. "Seats, now!"

December had already strapped in to one of the pilot's chairs. "She's right, let's go! Oh, very, very, very bad!" December said as the three humans strapped in.

"What? What's bad?" Dean asked.

"The doors have been breeched," she said.

"By what? More skeletons?" Sam asked.

"Something is breaking in right now," she said. "I have to separate the ships, so get ready. Oh, and there are vomit bags under your seats. Don't puke on my console."

"Vomit bags?" Dean asked just as the chairs whirled viciously around the controls.

Just as Sage rounded the corner, mere feet from the door, something seized his legs. What were left of his eyes saw that two skeletons had crawled in under the smoke, and both of them were holding him back.

"Let go!" he screamed. "LET GO!"

Then a tremendous splash cascaded around him. He turned and saw the scarred visage of one Slade Kilgore, who had just doused him with the remaining accelerant.

Slade smiled and closed his eyes, as if ready to fly.

Sage began to scream, but the sound never left his throat. The fire caught him, and the amount of accelerant around him was so great that he exploded. The walls that had not burned ignited and shattered, thrusting the flame out across the whole of the pocket universe, burning everything in its wake.

The ash of Slade Kilgore rushed out into the Trine of his own universe, along with those of Candice York, Toben Harwell, Remy Greenberg, Molly Sanderson, and Vincent 'Vince' Pierce. Their last voyage had brought them home.

River spotted an enormous spike. The Doctor jumped to and was out the door before she could stop him.

They arrived just in time to see a rush of dust surge into the empty area.

"Ash," River said. "It's all ash."

"The pocket, it's gone," The Doctor said.

"So that means they're out?" River asked.

"Yes, but alive?" The Doctor said. "That I don't know."

December had no issue with rotation, but Dean hated it with a fiery passion. The ships separated, allowing for an enormous energy release on top of the explosion that occurred almost simultaneously.

"Here we go!" December shouted as she engaged transfer home.

Usually the TARDIS shook around because of bad settings, but in this case, it was crashing into the edges of the universe.

Molls and Vincent both closed their eyes as the antechamber shivered violently.

"We're going home," Vincent asserted.

"Home," Molls echoed. "Straight through the storm!"

Vincent laughed so loudly that Molls caught it, the contagion of joy filling her up.

"They're laughing?" Sam said, hearing them from the flight deck. "They're laughing?"

Gwen joined them, and soon Sam did, too, leaving December and Dean the only conscious passengers remaining quiet.

The Doctor and Rose felt the TARDIS jerk upwards, as if fired out of a canon.

"We're split," he said as the mauve light went out. "And we're going!" he shouted, frantically and gleefully grabbing at the controls.

"Doctor, what's going on?" Rose asked.

"We're headed for home!" he said. "Allons-y!"

Everything stopped. The antechamber stopped shaking, the command center became still, and even the laughter died out.

"We made it," December said. "We are... Earth. Zolfo Springs, Florida. Right outside the Trine. Same day and time as your watch," she said to Sam.

"That's when we went into the Trine," Sam protested. "Are you saying no time at all has passed?"

"Not on earth," she replied. "Obviously it has for us. Come on you lot, this is your stop."

Dean turned to Gwen as he unstrapped himself. "What will you do?" he asked. "Will you take over Castle's life here?"

Gwen shook her head. "December said I could come with her. So I will. Someone's got to look after Remy, after all."

"Remy?" Sam said.

"He's in the stasis chamber till I can stabilize him," December added. "It would be unwise for either of them to return to Earth."

"So, what, you're going to live on the moon or something?" Sam asked.

"Don't be daft," December replied. "My outpost is on Venus."

"Seriously?" Dean asked.

December smiled. "Think of me as a guardian angel."

Sam laughed, hard. "Sorry, we already have one of those. He's currently in an insane asylum, but that job is still taken."

"Have it your way," December said, leaving them to the door. "Go on, off you pop."

Dean opened it and found that they were at their motel where they parked the Impala.

"What happened to the antechamber?" Dean asked.

Molls and Vincent wandered onto the flight deck from a smaller door across the way.

"It moves to a more secure position during flight," December explained.

"The room moves?" Dean asked.

December nodded. "Well, go on, you four," she said. "You're home."

Gwen and December waved them all off. Dean and Sam both stared at the outside of the ship, which looked like the average port-a-potty.

"Don't ask," December said as she shut the door.

The ship disappeared.

"Uh, agents?" Molls asked. "You think you could give us a lift?" she asked.

"And a story that makes sense," Vincent added. "Something that... well, really anything we can actually tell other people."

"You got it," Dean replied.

Jeet opened her eyes.

"Agent Bindiya," a voice said. "Can you hear me?"

It was an EMT responder. She was already being moved into the ambulance.

"Where's Rose and JD?" she asked.

"They're fine, we're - " the EMT began.

"No, I need to talk to them - "

A brief struggle ensued.

"Oi, let her be," Rose said. "Jeet, you okay?"

"Yeah, are we - are we - "

"We made it," The Doctor replied. "Neutralized the problem and got out safely."

"What about the pod? I don't remember it," she replied.

"It got us here," Rose said, "but it was badly damaged when we escaped. We managed to get out right at landing before it burned."

"It burned?" she said sadly.

"The energy was too much for it," The Doctor replied.

"So we've got no evidence of what happened?" Jeet asked.

"Well," The Doctor said. "We do have these."

He held up two identical digital cameras. "I've got some neat tech I can use to clean up the images."

"What are those?"

"This one was made by Dawn Redding," Rose said. "It's sort of a documentary."

"This other one? We found it before we left. I think Slade Kilgore made it."

"But... he... how could he have? He died," Jeet whispered.

"When did he die?" The Doctor asked. "In that pocket, he could've had years. I think this baby is gonna tell us everything we need to know."

"Yeah, but will you tell me?" she asked.

"Full report," Rose said. "We promise."

"Really?"

"Least we can do," The Doctor said. "You saved us, after all."

"Not all of us," she said, dropping back to the bed, defeated.

The Doctor waved for the EMT to come back.

Rose said, "Get better, Jeet."

The EMT rolled his eyes. "Finally, this woman needs medical care," he said as his partner came around and helped him with the bed.

The Doctor and Rose waved Jeet off in the ambulance. As it disappeared down the road, Rose took his hand.

"Dad already sent a jet," Rose said.

"Did it pick us up yet?" The Doctor asked.

"In about ten minutes the plane will be leaving with us on it, yeah," Rose replied, stowing her phone with a wicked smile.

"Well, then, we'd better get on with it."

They both walked over to the SUV they arrived in. "Swanky," Rose said, nodding to the design. "Very... sleek."

"She's a beaut," The Doctor replied.

Rose took the back door, and The Doctor took the front. They both stepped inside.

The new TARDIS had a similar console to the other one. "Newer model," he said. "Fully functioning chameleon circuit, with a nuanced perception filter tuned for you and me."

"Meaning, it won't affect us?" she asked.

"Oh yes!" he said, bolting to the flight deck. "This is - Rose, this is - "

"Fantastic?" Rose suggested.

December released Remy, who now resembled something like an anthropomorphic wolf, but his features were still so very human.

"Remy?" she said. "Are you all right?"

He blinked. "You know my name?"

"Yes, how do you feel?"

"I'm... not in pain anymore."

"I stabilized you," December said. "I... did everything I could, but I can't make you human again. Not physically."

"Castle?" he said, spotting the other passenger.

"Actually, it's Gwen. I'm not your Gwen, or Castle. She... she's not here. I'm from the other universe."

"I could put you back on Earth," December said, "but it's not a great idea."

"Then what?" he asked.

"You can come with me," December replied. "With us," she indicated Gwen. "I travel around a lot. You could come with me."

"Looking like I am?" Remy asked.

"You look smashing!" December said. "You just don't think so because you've never been to another planet before. You'd be the take on any planet in the Chien Chain or the Delta Galaxy."

"I guess that'd be okay," Remy said. "But we're not in that place anymore?"

"No, we're free," Gwen replied.

"Then where are we now?" he said, exploring the room. "A hospital?"

"No, you're on my space ship. Her name is December."

Gwen gave a look of confusion. "Sorry, I thought your name was December?"

"Oh, that's because of that label there by the stasis chamber," she dismissed. "Common mistake, but I don't mind."

"Wait, then what is your name?" Gwen asked.

"I'm The Doctor," she replied with a smile. "Welcome aboard!"

"Doctor, isn't that what Rose called JD?" Gwen asked.

"Yes, he was my duplicate," she replied casually.

"But... you're completely different," Gwen replied.

"In looks alone," she replied. "Now, we can go anywhere and to any time, but before we do anything else, small errand."

Remy asked, "What's that? A space errand?"

"I've got one very important message to deliver to my people," she said, moving to the flight deck with Remy and Gwen in her wake.

"So, shall we say - for good measure - Geronimo and Allons-y!"

"We should really check in with your mum and dad before we go anywhere," The Doctor said to Rose.

"'Fraid she might slap you again, huh?"

"Worse than that," The Doctor replied.

"Be honest. Do you wanna go back to traveling?" she asked.

"Hmmm," The Doctor said. "I dunno. We both have jobs now. Can't just flit off. Well, not all the time. Well, not till we set up a system so we can get home on time. Well - "

Rose pulled him into a kiss.

"That settles it," he said.

The monitor turned on.

"Oi, a message," Rose said. "You think this is from December?"

"Could of done, yeah," The Doctor said as he opened it.

December's face appeared. "Ah, JD, or The Doctor, and Rose. So that whole prophecy thing - that you thought was a bit moot - well, you were right. Small lie. Well, not really a lie. More of a half-truth. I owe you everything. Who knew something so horrific would be the key to the survival of the Time Lords?"

"What?" Rose asked.

The message played on. "It wasn't a prophecy, but a memory. From a Time Lord in another universe. About how our people faced calamity and became as monstrous as the things they wanted to defeat. And about how one of us stopped them anyway. Along with the memory of another race, not so different from us, who spread out to every star in the universe, marrying into the other races, evolving and making new species. Those people became the glue of the universe, the great survivors that stayed even till its end, fighting to survive into the next."

"Doctor, what is she talking about?" Rose asked.

"I can't believe it," he whispered.

"Also, on that pocket universe," she said. "You were quantum linked to that other version of yourself. But my universe? It didn't get there by accident. Your quantum connection, plus the energy of that place, plus a smidge of DNA... well, not technically a quantum link since our atoms never touched, but the general dynamic is there. Figured you'd go mad trying to figure out it. Because I would." She winked. "Safe travels to you both." The message ended.

The Doctor's eyes were wide. Rose couldn't tell if it was fear or joy or both.

Sam and Dean took stock.

"So that's two shotguns, an ass load of iron, two stakes, oh, and both our suits," Dean said, ticking off everything they'd lost or left behind.

"Not to mention Vince, Castle, Molly - " Sam began.

"You don't think I know that?" Dean cut him off.

"Sage is gone," Sam said. "One less dick Trickster on our hands."

"I guess."

"What's wrong with you?" Sam asked.

"I dunno, Sammy," Dean said. "Maybe I just told Dawn Redding that most of her friends died horrible, bloody deaths. Maybe I just figured out that we've lost some of our most valuable stuff with Dick Roman so far up our asses that he needs a flashlight! Maybe I'm tired of being screwed left, right, and center, only to find out that other people are sitting on the freaking sidelines, doing nothing."

"You mean December?" Sam asked.

"Aliens aren't real," Dean replied. "I don't care about parallel universes or any of that crap. Aliens. Aren't. Real. Which means she's been around, with that technology, while the Apocalypse - "

"You don't know that," Sam interrupted. "And maybe it was for a reason. Maybe she can't get involved unless she's asked."

"You mean, she can see shit's happening, but can't do anything until someone asks her? Oh, but we can't! Because conveniently no one knows she's there? You mean like that?"

Sam smiled.

"What?" Dean demanded.

"I, uh, got Gwen to keep one of my phones," Sam said.

"Meaning, what?"

"Meaning, we can call her," Sam replied. "And she's with December on that ship thing, whatever it was."

"You sly bastard."

"I just figured, with Cas in the hospital, we might need some backup."

Dean shook his head. "You think she'll help?"

"Can't hurt to try," Sam replied.

"Doctor?" Rose said, putting her hand on his. He hadn't said anything for several minutes.

"She must be related to me," he said. "Over there."

"Is that bad?"

"No, but... it means that we caused it."

"Oi, no we didn't," Rose said. "That... Sage. Whoever or whatever he was. Something stuffed him in there."

"But we opened it to others," The Doctor said quietly. "That's why they're all dead. She went there with her ship. We went in there. Even old me showed up and caused complete devastation on Earth, killing who knows how many." His voice broke.

"Maybe," Rose said. "But all that, it led to saving the Time Lords in another universe. That's not nothing," she replied. "And it's not like you planned to do any of it. It just... happened."

"My memories of the last Great Time War, and my memories of you," he said. "Guess they'll do more now than haunt me."

Rose thwapped him hard on the back.

"What was that for?" he said loudly.

"Oh, snap out of it, will you?" she said. "We just finished our first Torchwood mauve alert. Got a new ship. Saved some people, stopped a Trickster thing from escaping and doing untold damage across the planet, fixed two universes, and your memories just made a third one a better place. Now I say, that's a good day, and I won't have you say otherwise. You got that?"

"Yes, sir!" he said, a smile forming on his face.

He kissed her again, leaning his forehead into hers.

"Now, first we'll stop home, we need a change of clothing," she said. "Then, we're taking a holiday."

"Allons-y!" he said, grabbing the controls.

After a few seconds, he said, "I hope she sent a message to old me and River."

"Can't we?" Rose asked.

"The walls have closed," he said.

"You mean, for now," Rose replied.

"Yeah, the walls have closed for now."

Navigation
Entanglement, or the Ghost Field <<< Previous Part:
Part Eleven: Borrowed Time Primary Post

AUTHOR'S NOTES
Cosmological Constant (Theory of Relativity)
      n. an arbitrary constant originally conceived as the quantified vacuum energy density