Fic: Spn/DrWho/TW crossover - Enter the Doctor - (3/?)
Title: Enter the Doctor - Part 3
Author: ravengrimm
Pairing/Characters: Dean/Castiel, Ten, Sam, Captain Jack
Genre: Crossover - Supernatural/Doctor Who/Torchwood, Pre-slash, a little crack, and minor angst
Rating: PG
Word Count: 3391
Warning: None
Spoilers: Spn - S4, DrWho - up to 4.16
Summary: The TARDIS seems to know something that the boys don't and so it takes matters into its own hands... so to speak.
Note: This takes place between S4 and S5 - Supernatural, before 'The End of Time' - Doctor Who, and at the end of 'Children of Earth' - Torchwood
Previous Chapters: Part 1 Part 2
Dean doesn’t know how much more of this he can take, this whole alien thing. Him and Sam have been through so much in the past few years, it’s like the whole world is out to get them, well Hell is at least, and maybe half of Heaven as well, and now they have aliens to deal with! Freakin’ aliens!
The day had started out pretty good as well. No demons, no grisly murders, just him and Cas, and snow. Plus he’d finally plucked up the nerve to have a little, uh… chat with Cas, when that thing had appeared and twisted the world on its head.
And suddenly the right time had gone, he had waited ages for that right time, and now it’s just gone.
And so here Dean is, his weirdometre spiking into the red because he’s inside the TARDIS! Frickin’ in the blue box!
He had flat out refused at first saying, “You’re kidding right? I’m not getting in that!” in response to the Doctor’s invitation. Sam had just rolled his eyes at Dean, shaking his head, and strolled right past him making Dean look like an idiot, and Dean wasn’t having that.
So he’s inside now, and still just as uneasy, shifting about, folding and unfolding and refolding his arms, keeping an eye on the open doors just in case.
Dean’s trying his hardest to ignore the fact that the ship is much larger on the inside, as it makes his head ache to think about it, but Sam just had to go and ask didn’t he. So according to the Doctor, most of the TARDIS exists in another dimension, and yeah, Dean pretty much broke at that, his brain shutting down, because he’s in it, in the TARDIS and thusly, in another dimension! That’s when Dean had stopped listening to them, because he really can’t take much more of this.
The room he is in is basically spherical with weird, bone like columns curling and stretching up to the ceiling. And in the centre of the room is a glass cylinder atop what Dean assumes is the ships computer, which appears to be lit up from the inside.
The Doctor is on his back, his head down to his waist shoved up into a panel he’d removed in the side of the ship. And remembering the Doctor had said the TARDIS is alive makes the whole scene look a little grisly, like the Doctor is operating on the ship, or disembowelling it, fiddling around with it’s innards, with wires spilling out like intestines.
The Doctor is mumbling things that Dean can’t quite make out through the layers of metal or whatever, and quite frankly he’s relieved. Sam is getting his geek on, crouched at the Doctor’s side, passing things into the hole that Dean vaguely hears the Doctor describe as ‘The blue thingy, the one with the swirly bit’ or ‘The shinny thing with the… thing’ or ‘It’s got sparkles and macaroni’ or whatever the hell he’s talking about, and occasionally Sam manages to get a word in edgeways.
Cas isn’t here though, of course he’s not, he freakin’ up and left before Dean could even open his mouth to ask him what the hell was wrong with him, and damn that’s annoying. The look he’d given the Doctor had sent shivers up Dean’s spine, and left him wondering what new kind of Hell is waiting around the corner for them.
The Doctor pops his head out of the hole, with something that looks like a pen wedged between his teeth, and a weird shaped, and flashing object in either hand. He mumbles something at Sam who remarkably understands him, asking “Where?” and the Doctor responds with a nod toward the object in his right hand.
Whatever they’re doing it doesn’t sound good, if the metallic clinking noises are anything to go by. And the buzzing doesn’t sound too healthy either. Dean edges a little closer to the doors, silently plotting his escape should anything choose to explode.
There’s a short, bright flash of light that abruptly fizzles out and something across the room catches on fire, a thin trail of smoke curling up from a grate in the floor to signify something’s untimely death.
“Oops,” the Doctor says and disappears between the wires again only to reappear seconds later with a shiny grey globe in his hands. He wriggles completely out of the hole, mumbling something at Sam around the pen-thing still held between his teeth and crosses the room. Sam follows him like a lost sheep, arms piled high with things that could possibly be classed as tools by human standards, but definitely don’t look human-made.
“So, Doc, how long is this gonna take?” Dean asks, wondering just how long he’s going to have to wait around while Sam learns the ins and outs of how to fix a space ship, and Dean still can’t believe he can think that and still be sane. He watches the Doctor suspiciously as he puts on a pair of glasses and fiddles with the sphere in his hands, examining it closely.
“Not long,” the Doctor says, after taking the thing out of his mouth. He points it at the sphere, pressing a button on its side, and it buzzes, a blue light shinning out of one end. Dean frowns, realising it’s definitely not a pen, and Sam obviously notices the way Dean is looking at the thing as he says, “It’s called a sonic screwdriver.”
Dean nods saying, “A screwdriver. Gotcha.”
“A sonic one,” the Doctor adds, removing his glasses and stuffing them back into his pocket. So, yeah, that clears that up, it’s sonic, make so much sense. Dean doesn’t ask; he really doesn’t want to know.
The Doctor crouches to lift up the grate in the floor and reaches inside, and after a few pokes and prods the ship stops smoking. He replaces the grate and turns his attention to the central computer to fiddle with that instead, and Dean doesn’t even want to ask what he’s doing now.
There’s a subtle whoosh of air and the space beside Dean is suddenly no longer vacant. Dean doesn’t turn, doesn’t acknowledge the angel at first, as he’s still a little pissed at him for just disappearing like he did, like he always does. Dean should really be used to it by now but he isn’t, it never fails to annoy the hell out of him.
They stand in silence a moment, Dean watching Castiel out of the corner of his eye, wondering where he’d been and why he had to disappear in the first place.
And it’s Castiel who brakes the silence saying, “We need to talk, Dean. Alone.” it sends shivers down Dean’s spine because it is an echo of the first time Dean had met the angel, though this time Cas doesn’t appear to be knocking anyone out thankfully. Still that doesn’t stop the portent of doom grow roots in Dean’s gut. The first time Cas had said those words, Dean discovered God and angels existed, and that he had been enlisted into Heaven’s army whether he likes it or not, and with the things Dean’s been discovering today, it doesn’t look promising. Either way he’ll need to hear what Cas has to say, so he might as well get it over and done with.
“Back in a bit,” he tells Sam, and heads for the doors. But before Dean can reach them, they slam shut and there’s an unwelcome click that sounds distinctly like a lock sliding into place.
“Dude, what the hell?” Dean snaps, turning to the Doctor, just as the light within the pillar at the centre of the room starts sliding up and down, and making a weird whirring sound.
The Doctor frowns at it, his mouth hanging open. “Oh,” he says, and for some reason he braces himself against the consol.
“What, ‘oh?’ What?!” Dean exclaims, staring at the Doctor as another bad feeling rears its ugly head.
“Well, um… the TARDIS… is urm…” The Doctor pauses, apparently rethinking his response. A slim smile creeps onto his lips as he says, “On the up side, the TARDIS has got some power reserved.”
Dean narrows his eyes at the Doctor. “Yeah, then what’s the down side?”
The Doctor sucks in his bottom lip before saying, “You’re all coming with me.”
“What?!” both Sam and Dean exclaim, just as the room, the ship, starts to shudder. Dean doesn’t fall though as Castiel’s arm is suddenly across his chest, his hand gripping at his bicep, steadying him. Dean grabs hold of the column next to him and catches sight of Sam doing the same in time to stop himself from being flung to the floor. Dean stares at Castiel who seems to be essentially unaffected by the ships turbulence, and Dean wonders just when he’s going to stop being surprised by the angel.
“What’s happening?” Sam asks from across the room, his voice shaking with the vibrations of the ship.
“We’re um… dematerialising,” the Doctor explains vaguely, and Sam and Dean trade uneasy looks. “Don’t worry, we’ll rematerialize in a minute,” the Doctor says, and after a pause he adds, “Hopefully.”
Dean glares at the Doctor and gets an apologetic smile for his efforts.
“I did say the TARDIS has a mind of its own,” the Doctor says, “And well, apparently it wants you all to come with me.”
After a moment the whirring sound fades out as the light in the column slows and stops and the ship jerks to a halt. The Doctor straightens up and takes a deep breath before saying, “I guess we’re here.”
Dean lets go of the column, but sticks close to it just in case as he asks, “We’re where?” And so help him God, if the Doctor says they’re on another planet, Dean is just gonna go ahead and set fire to himself or something, because he’s had enough.
“Wales,” the Doctor says, looking at something on the computer in front of him.
“Wales?”
“Yep.”
“So, what exactly am I gonna find when I open those doors?” Dean asks, edgily, practically praying the Doctor doesn’t say ‘aliens’ because if he does, there’s going to be one Dean Winchester, extra crispy for the Doctor to clean up.
“Well, if these readouts are correct then it should be snowing out there, and-” The Doctor presses a switch on the consol in front of him before continuing. “And - oh…” he pauses, staring down at whatever it is that’s caught his attention. “And apparently one Captain Jack Harkness,” he concludes, his eyes wide. “I really shouldn’t be surprised.
“One what?” Dean asks, frowning at the Doctor.
“I’ve been trying to figure that one out for a long time now,” the Doctor remarks, shrugging. “You might as well let him in,” he adds, patting his pockets, and Dean assumes he’s looking for the key.
Dean doesn’t get the chance to however, as the doors swing open just as he turns toward them. A man stares at him, a key in his hand, his smile frozen in place.
“Doctor?” the man asks, his head cocked to one side.
And if Dean ignores the fact that there’s no longer a park outside, he can almost believe he hasn’t left America, seeing how the first man he meets here has an American accent.
“Not quite,” Dean tells the man, stepping to the side, and he doesn’t much like the way the man’s eyes light up when he sees Castiel.
“Doctor?” the man asks again, his grin wide and animated, as he looks Castiel up and down.
“Guess again,” Dean says, feeling a little irritated by the way the man continues to stare at Castiel.
Dean wonders why the man doesn’t seem to know what the Doctor looks like, seeing as he apparently came here looking for him, but with everything else today being as weird as it is, why should this guy be any different.
“It’s good to be back,” the man comments as he steps into the ship and drops his backpack on the grating by the door. “Doctor?” he asks again but to the ship in general this time as he shrugs out of his long military style coat.
“Over here,” the Doctor replies distractedly from behind the computer and pillar.
The man smiles at the sound of the Doctor’s voice but turns his attention back to Castiel and says, “Nice to meet you, I’m Captain Jack Harkness.” And offers him his hand.
“Jack,” Dean hears the Doctor scold from behind the central consol.
“What? I was only saying hello,” Jack says his head tilted in the Doctor’s direction but his eyes still fixed on Castiel.
“It’s never just hello with you, Jack,” the Doctor comments, finally emerging from behind the computer and walking over to them.
Castiel frowns at Jack, a thoughtful look in his eyes, and after a moment he takes Jack’s outstretched hand, saying, “Jack Harkness, the man who never dies.” He looks down at their clasping hands adding, “Or at least not for long.”
Dean groans internally, trying his hardest to forget he heard that, trying to forget that Cas has just heaped another load of crazy onto the insane that seems to be Dean’s life right now.
Jack looks startled, but a smile creeps back onto his lips as he turns to the Doctor. “Been telling your friends about me, Doctor?” he asks cockily.
The Doctor shakes his head, looking just as surprised. “It wasn’t me.”
“Then how?” Jack asks, looking back at Castiel, but Cas says nothing. His eyes are turned toward the floor, and it’s clear he’s not going to explain himself so the Doctor changes the subject by introducing Jack to Sam who looks just as confused as Dean feels.
Sam takes Jack’s offered hand saying, “Hey.” And Jack smiles broadly at him.
“A pleasure to meet you,” he says.
“Jack,” the Doctor scolds again and Jack just chuckles, winking at Sam.
“And this is Dean and Castiel,” the Doctor continues, gesturing at them in turn. And Dean notes the smile Jack gives Castiel this time is wary, but still just as wide and flirtatious as the first one.
The Doctor shakes his head saying, “I give up, jack, you’re hopeless.”
Jack laughs. “Well, I wouldn’t be me if I wasn’t-“
“Trying to hit on anything with a pulse?” the Doctor suggests, folding his arms.
“Actually I was going to say, dashing, energetic and great fun at a party.”
The Doctor sighs. “Well it’s certainly not dull with you around,” he says, resting his back against the ships computer. “So how come you’re here?” he asks. “The last thing I heard, you’d gone hitchhiking.”
Jack takes a breath, gazing at the floor, a slim smile touching his lips but not his eyes. “Had to come back sooner or later,” he says and Dean catches the look in Jacks eyes, the look Dean has seen so many times staring back at him in the mirror.
Dean wonders just what kind of Hell Jack has had to live through to feel the way he does, to feel so lost and lonely like Dean is almost certain he does. Dean’s sure the Doctor notices it too, as he looks pointedly at Jack’s backpack saying, “Planning on staying a while I take it.” And Jack chuckles, a warm smile gracing his face again as he turns to the Doctor. “Thought you might like some company. I didn’t realise you already had some,” he says with a suggestive gleam in his eyes as he looks at Dean, Sam and Castiel, and the Doctor laughs.
“Will you ever stop?” the Doctor asks.
“Probably not,” Jack admits with a smile. “You know it’s funny, I’ve only been back on Earth three days, and here you are,” he says.
“Yeah, you seem to be quite good at that, at finding me.”
“Aw, Doctor, you almost sound like you’re not pleased to see me,” Jack remarks and the Doctor rolls his eyes.
“How long are you planning on staying?” the Doctor asks as he turns to the computer behind him.
“Not sure, I guess until you kick me out,” Jack chuckles.
“If you’re not careful, that may be sooner than you think, Captain,” the Doctor warns, glancing over his shoulder at Jack, and giving him a stern look to emphasize his words.
“I’ll be on my best behaviour, scouts honour,” Jack says, saluting playfully as the Doctor turns back to the computer.
“So you’re a Captain?” Sam asks and Jack salutes again, professionally this time and says, “Captain Jack Harkness, time agent of the 51st century, at you service.”
Dean really wants to pretend he didn’t hear that, but he knows Sam will ask, because Sam just can’t seem to get enough of the crazy, he just keeps coming back for more.
“Your uh… Time agent? From the 51st century?” Sam asks as predicted and Dean laughs a little as he walks out of the ship.
He hears Sam call his name, but he just keeps walking until railing blocks his path, and he stops and wraps his hands around it. Castiel is there a moment later, snowflakes settling in his hair.
They stand there a while, neither one saying a word, Dean just soaking up the comfort of having Cas at his side, able to, for at least a moment, forget about aliens. Dean has no idea what time it is, just that it’s dark now, which doesn’t mean much, after all the Doctor is a time traveller. And there he goes again, thinking about aliens.
The foreign skyline glows with building lights and the air is chilling. The covering of snow here is very light compared to the hefty blanket of the stuff back in the park, and there is no one around, except Castiel. Dean can’t describe how calming it is having Cas with him, just standing there, waiting for Dean to speak, and not telling him to chill out and stop acting so weird like he’s sure Sam would be.
And Dean doesn’t know when he started feeling about Cas the way he does. Maybe it was when Cas had told Dean how to save Sam from Lilith even though he was basically disobeying God by doing it. Or perhaps it was when the angel had laughed his suppressed little laugh for the first time, surprising the Hell out of Dean because up until then Dean didn’t think angels had a sense of humour. Or maybe he has felt like this from the first moment he saw Cas, the angel’s eyes so unbelievably intense, the barn shaking all around them as Cas walked confidently towards Dean, light bulbs smashing in the wake of his power. Which ever it is it doesn’t matter, Dean’s just grateful that Cas is here right now.
Dean turns and rests his back against the rail. He props his elbows on it, and stares down at the single set of footprints in the snow, following their short trail up to the TARDIS, it’s doors still open. Dean can vaguely see Sam and Jack hunched over the computer together, the Doctor walking back and forth, stopping here and there to poke at things. It feels strangely like Dean is looking in on a family home on Christmas night, the snow he’s standing in making it blatantly obvious it’s winter. The scene is just missing a tree and carols and Dean feels lonely for it, not that he wants to go back in there, because he doesn’t.
“Cas, can you just take me home? Do that angel thing you do, and just get me the hell out of here, please?” he asks, hoping his voice doesn’t sound as broken as he feels.
Castiel sighs sullenly and shakes his head. “I’m sorry Dean, I can’t. I’m afraid you need to be here.”
“What? Why?” Dean wasn’t exactly expecting him to say okay, but he certainly wasn’t expecting that either.
“I can’t really say more than that, Dean. I really am sorry. I would take you back if I could,” Castiel says, a solemn look in his eyes as he holds out his hand to catch the falling snow. “I really wish I could take you back.”
*
Part 4
Author: ravengrimm
Pairing/Characters: Dean/Castiel, Ten, Sam, Captain Jack
Genre: Crossover - Supernatural/Doctor Who/Torchwood, Pre-slash, a little crack, and minor angst
Rating: PG
Word Count: 3391
Warning: None
Spoilers: Spn - S4, DrWho - up to 4.16
Summary: The TARDIS seems to know something that the boys don't and so it takes matters into its own hands... so to speak.
Note: This takes place between S4 and S5 - Supernatural, before 'The End of Time' - Doctor Who, and at the end of 'Children of Earth' - Torchwood
Previous Chapters: Part 1 Part 2
Dean doesn’t know how much more of this he can take, this whole alien thing. Him and Sam have been through so much in the past few years, it’s like the whole world is out to get them, well Hell is at least, and maybe half of Heaven as well, and now they have aliens to deal with! Freakin’ aliens!
The day had started out pretty good as well. No demons, no grisly murders, just him and Cas, and snow. Plus he’d finally plucked up the nerve to have a little, uh… chat with Cas, when that thing had appeared and twisted the world on its head.
And suddenly the right time had gone, he had waited ages for that right time, and now it’s just gone.
And so here Dean is, his weirdometre spiking into the red because he’s inside the TARDIS! Frickin’ in the blue box!
He had flat out refused at first saying, “You’re kidding right? I’m not getting in that!” in response to the Doctor’s invitation. Sam had just rolled his eyes at Dean, shaking his head, and strolled right past him making Dean look like an idiot, and Dean wasn’t having that.
So he’s inside now, and still just as uneasy, shifting about, folding and unfolding and refolding his arms, keeping an eye on the open doors just in case.
Dean’s trying his hardest to ignore the fact that the ship is much larger on the inside, as it makes his head ache to think about it, but Sam just had to go and ask didn’t he. So according to the Doctor, most of the TARDIS exists in another dimension, and yeah, Dean pretty much broke at that, his brain shutting down, because he’s in it, in the TARDIS and thusly, in another dimension! That’s when Dean had stopped listening to them, because he really can’t take much more of this.
The room he is in is basically spherical with weird, bone like columns curling and stretching up to the ceiling. And in the centre of the room is a glass cylinder atop what Dean assumes is the ships computer, which appears to be lit up from the inside.
The Doctor is on his back, his head down to his waist shoved up into a panel he’d removed in the side of the ship. And remembering the Doctor had said the TARDIS is alive makes the whole scene look a little grisly, like the Doctor is operating on the ship, or disembowelling it, fiddling around with it’s innards, with wires spilling out like intestines.
The Doctor is mumbling things that Dean can’t quite make out through the layers of metal or whatever, and quite frankly he’s relieved. Sam is getting his geek on, crouched at the Doctor’s side, passing things into the hole that Dean vaguely hears the Doctor describe as ‘The blue thingy, the one with the swirly bit’ or ‘The shinny thing with the… thing’ or ‘It’s got sparkles and macaroni’ or whatever the hell he’s talking about, and occasionally Sam manages to get a word in edgeways.
Cas isn’t here though, of course he’s not, he freakin’ up and left before Dean could even open his mouth to ask him what the hell was wrong with him, and damn that’s annoying. The look he’d given the Doctor had sent shivers up Dean’s spine, and left him wondering what new kind of Hell is waiting around the corner for them.
The Doctor pops his head out of the hole, with something that looks like a pen wedged between his teeth, and a weird shaped, and flashing object in either hand. He mumbles something at Sam who remarkably understands him, asking “Where?” and the Doctor responds with a nod toward the object in his right hand.
Whatever they’re doing it doesn’t sound good, if the metallic clinking noises are anything to go by. And the buzzing doesn’t sound too healthy either. Dean edges a little closer to the doors, silently plotting his escape should anything choose to explode.
There’s a short, bright flash of light that abruptly fizzles out and something across the room catches on fire, a thin trail of smoke curling up from a grate in the floor to signify something’s untimely death.
“Oops,” the Doctor says and disappears between the wires again only to reappear seconds later with a shiny grey globe in his hands. He wriggles completely out of the hole, mumbling something at Sam around the pen-thing still held between his teeth and crosses the room. Sam follows him like a lost sheep, arms piled high with things that could possibly be classed as tools by human standards, but definitely don’t look human-made.
“So, Doc, how long is this gonna take?” Dean asks, wondering just how long he’s going to have to wait around while Sam learns the ins and outs of how to fix a space ship, and Dean still can’t believe he can think that and still be sane. He watches the Doctor suspiciously as he puts on a pair of glasses and fiddles with the sphere in his hands, examining it closely.
“Not long,” the Doctor says, after taking the thing out of his mouth. He points it at the sphere, pressing a button on its side, and it buzzes, a blue light shinning out of one end. Dean frowns, realising it’s definitely not a pen, and Sam obviously notices the way Dean is looking at the thing as he says, “It’s called a sonic screwdriver.”
Dean nods saying, “A screwdriver. Gotcha.”
“A sonic one,” the Doctor adds, removing his glasses and stuffing them back into his pocket. So, yeah, that clears that up, it’s sonic, make so much sense. Dean doesn’t ask; he really doesn’t want to know.
The Doctor crouches to lift up the grate in the floor and reaches inside, and after a few pokes and prods the ship stops smoking. He replaces the grate and turns his attention to the central computer to fiddle with that instead, and Dean doesn’t even want to ask what he’s doing now.
There’s a subtle whoosh of air and the space beside Dean is suddenly no longer vacant. Dean doesn’t turn, doesn’t acknowledge the angel at first, as he’s still a little pissed at him for just disappearing like he did, like he always does. Dean should really be used to it by now but he isn’t, it never fails to annoy the hell out of him.
They stand in silence a moment, Dean watching Castiel out of the corner of his eye, wondering where he’d been and why he had to disappear in the first place.
And it’s Castiel who brakes the silence saying, “We need to talk, Dean. Alone.” it sends shivers down Dean’s spine because it is an echo of the first time Dean had met the angel, though this time Cas doesn’t appear to be knocking anyone out thankfully. Still that doesn’t stop the portent of doom grow roots in Dean’s gut. The first time Cas had said those words, Dean discovered God and angels existed, and that he had been enlisted into Heaven’s army whether he likes it or not, and with the things Dean’s been discovering today, it doesn’t look promising. Either way he’ll need to hear what Cas has to say, so he might as well get it over and done with.
“Back in a bit,” he tells Sam, and heads for the doors. But before Dean can reach them, they slam shut and there’s an unwelcome click that sounds distinctly like a lock sliding into place.
“Dude, what the hell?” Dean snaps, turning to the Doctor, just as the light within the pillar at the centre of the room starts sliding up and down, and making a weird whirring sound.
The Doctor frowns at it, his mouth hanging open. “Oh,” he says, and for some reason he braces himself against the consol.
“What, ‘oh?’ What?!” Dean exclaims, staring at the Doctor as another bad feeling rears its ugly head.
“Well, um… the TARDIS… is urm…” The Doctor pauses, apparently rethinking his response. A slim smile creeps onto his lips as he says, “On the up side, the TARDIS has got some power reserved.”
Dean narrows his eyes at the Doctor. “Yeah, then what’s the down side?”
The Doctor sucks in his bottom lip before saying, “You’re all coming with me.”
“What?!” both Sam and Dean exclaim, just as the room, the ship, starts to shudder. Dean doesn’t fall though as Castiel’s arm is suddenly across his chest, his hand gripping at his bicep, steadying him. Dean grabs hold of the column next to him and catches sight of Sam doing the same in time to stop himself from being flung to the floor. Dean stares at Castiel who seems to be essentially unaffected by the ships turbulence, and Dean wonders just when he’s going to stop being surprised by the angel.
“What’s happening?” Sam asks from across the room, his voice shaking with the vibrations of the ship.
“We’re um… dematerialising,” the Doctor explains vaguely, and Sam and Dean trade uneasy looks. “Don’t worry, we’ll rematerialize in a minute,” the Doctor says, and after a pause he adds, “Hopefully.”
Dean glares at the Doctor and gets an apologetic smile for his efforts.
“I did say the TARDIS has a mind of its own,” the Doctor says, “And well, apparently it wants you all to come with me.”
After a moment the whirring sound fades out as the light in the column slows and stops and the ship jerks to a halt. The Doctor straightens up and takes a deep breath before saying, “I guess we’re here.”
Dean lets go of the column, but sticks close to it just in case as he asks, “We’re where?” And so help him God, if the Doctor says they’re on another planet, Dean is just gonna go ahead and set fire to himself or something, because he’s had enough.
“Wales,” the Doctor says, looking at something on the computer in front of him.
“Wales?”
“Yep.”
“So, what exactly am I gonna find when I open those doors?” Dean asks, edgily, practically praying the Doctor doesn’t say ‘aliens’ because if he does, there’s going to be one Dean Winchester, extra crispy for the Doctor to clean up.
“Well, if these readouts are correct then it should be snowing out there, and-” The Doctor presses a switch on the consol in front of him before continuing. “And - oh…” he pauses, staring down at whatever it is that’s caught his attention. “And apparently one Captain Jack Harkness,” he concludes, his eyes wide. “I really shouldn’t be surprised.
“One what?” Dean asks, frowning at the Doctor.
“I’ve been trying to figure that one out for a long time now,” the Doctor remarks, shrugging. “You might as well let him in,” he adds, patting his pockets, and Dean assumes he’s looking for the key.
Dean doesn’t get the chance to however, as the doors swing open just as he turns toward them. A man stares at him, a key in his hand, his smile frozen in place.
“Doctor?” the man asks, his head cocked to one side.
And if Dean ignores the fact that there’s no longer a park outside, he can almost believe he hasn’t left America, seeing how the first man he meets here has an American accent.
“Not quite,” Dean tells the man, stepping to the side, and he doesn’t much like the way the man’s eyes light up when he sees Castiel.
“Doctor?” the man asks again, his grin wide and animated, as he looks Castiel up and down.
“Guess again,” Dean says, feeling a little irritated by the way the man continues to stare at Castiel.
Dean wonders why the man doesn’t seem to know what the Doctor looks like, seeing as he apparently came here looking for him, but with everything else today being as weird as it is, why should this guy be any different.
“It’s good to be back,” the man comments as he steps into the ship and drops his backpack on the grating by the door. “Doctor?” he asks again but to the ship in general this time as he shrugs out of his long military style coat.
“Over here,” the Doctor replies distractedly from behind the computer and pillar.
The man smiles at the sound of the Doctor’s voice but turns his attention back to Castiel and says, “Nice to meet you, I’m Captain Jack Harkness.” And offers him his hand.
“Jack,” Dean hears the Doctor scold from behind the central consol.
“What? I was only saying hello,” Jack says his head tilted in the Doctor’s direction but his eyes still fixed on Castiel.
“It’s never just hello with you, Jack,” the Doctor comments, finally emerging from behind the computer and walking over to them.
Castiel frowns at Jack, a thoughtful look in his eyes, and after a moment he takes Jack’s outstretched hand, saying, “Jack Harkness, the man who never dies.” He looks down at their clasping hands adding, “Or at least not for long.”
Dean groans internally, trying his hardest to forget he heard that, trying to forget that Cas has just heaped another load of crazy onto the insane that seems to be Dean’s life right now.
Jack looks startled, but a smile creeps back onto his lips as he turns to the Doctor. “Been telling your friends about me, Doctor?” he asks cockily.
The Doctor shakes his head, looking just as surprised. “It wasn’t me.”
“Then how?” Jack asks, looking back at Castiel, but Cas says nothing. His eyes are turned toward the floor, and it’s clear he’s not going to explain himself so the Doctor changes the subject by introducing Jack to Sam who looks just as confused as Dean feels.
Sam takes Jack’s offered hand saying, “Hey.” And Jack smiles broadly at him.
“A pleasure to meet you,” he says.
“Jack,” the Doctor scolds again and Jack just chuckles, winking at Sam.
“And this is Dean and Castiel,” the Doctor continues, gesturing at them in turn. And Dean notes the smile Jack gives Castiel this time is wary, but still just as wide and flirtatious as the first one.
The Doctor shakes his head saying, “I give up, jack, you’re hopeless.”
Jack laughs. “Well, I wouldn’t be me if I wasn’t-“
“Trying to hit on anything with a pulse?” the Doctor suggests, folding his arms.
“Actually I was going to say, dashing, energetic and great fun at a party.”
The Doctor sighs. “Well it’s certainly not dull with you around,” he says, resting his back against the ships computer. “So how come you’re here?” he asks. “The last thing I heard, you’d gone hitchhiking.”
Jack takes a breath, gazing at the floor, a slim smile touching his lips but not his eyes. “Had to come back sooner or later,” he says and Dean catches the look in Jacks eyes, the look Dean has seen so many times staring back at him in the mirror.
Dean wonders just what kind of Hell Jack has had to live through to feel the way he does, to feel so lost and lonely like Dean is almost certain he does. Dean’s sure the Doctor notices it too, as he looks pointedly at Jack’s backpack saying, “Planning on staying a while I take it.” And Jack chuckles, a warm smile gracing his face again as he turns to the Doctor. “Thought you might like some company. I didn’t realise you already had some,” he says with a suggestive gleam in his eyes as he looks at Dean, Sam and Castiel, and the Doctor laughs.
“Will you ever stop?” the Doctor asks.
“Probably not,” Jack admits with a smile. “You know it’s funny, I’ve only been back on Earth three days, and here you are,” he says.
“Yeah, you seem to be quite good at that, at finding me.”
“Aw, Doctor, you almost sound like you’re not pleased to see me,” Jack remarks and the Doctor rolls his eyes.
“How long are you planning on staying?” the Doctor asks as he turns to the computer behind him.
“Not sure, I guess until you kick me out,” Jack chuckles.
“If you’re not careful, that may be sooner than you think, Captain,” the Doctor warns, glancing over his shoulder at Jack, and giving him a stern look to emphasize his words.
“I’ll be on my best behaviour, scouts honour,” Jack says, saluting playfully as the Doctor turns back to the computer.
“So you’re a Captain?” Sam asks and Jack salutes again, professionally this time and says, “Captain Jack Harkness, time agent of the 51st century, at you service.”
Dean really wants to pretend he didn’t hear that, but he knows Sam will ask, because Sam just can’t seem to get enough of the crazy, he just keeps coming back for more.
“Your uh… Time agent? From the 51st century?” Sam asks as predicted and Dean laughs a little as he walks out of the ship.
He hears Sam call his name, but he just keeps walking until railing blocks his path, and he stops and wraps his hands around it. Castiel is there a moment later, snowflakes settling in his hair.
They stand there a while, neither one saying a word, Dean just soaking up the comfort of having Cas at his side, able to, for at least a moment, forget about aliens. Dean has no idea what time it is, just that it’s dark now, which doesn’t mean much, after all the Doctor is a time traveller. And there he goes again, thinking about aliens.
The foreign skyline glows with building lights and the air is chilling. The covering of snow here is very light compared to the hefty blanket of the stuff back in the park, and there is no one around, except Castiel. Dean can’t describe how calming it is having Cas with him, just standing there, waiting for Dean to speak, and not telling him to chill out and stop acting so weird like he’s sure Sam would be.
And Dean doesn’t know when he started feeling about Cas the way he does. Maybe it was when Cas had told Dean how to save Sam from Lilith even though he was basically disobeying God by doing it. Or perhaps it was when the angel had laughed his suppressed little laugh for the first time, surprising the Hell out of Dean because up until then Dean didn’t think angels had a sense of humour. Or maybe he has felt like this from the first moment he saw Cas, the angel’s eyes so unbelievably intense, the barn shaking all around them as Cas walked confidently towards Dean, light bulbs smashing in the wake of his power. Which ever it is it doesn’t matter, Dean’s just grateful that Cas is here right now.
Dean turns and rests his back against the rail. He props his elbows on it, and stares down at the single set of footprints in the snow, following their short trail up to the TARDIS, it’s doors still open. Dean can vaguely see Sam and Jack hunched over the computer together, the Doctor walking back and forth, stopping here and there to poke at things. It feels strangely like Dean is looking in on a family home on Christmas night, the snow he’s standing in making it blatantly obvious it’s winter. The scene is just missing a tree and carols and Dean feels lonely for it, not that he wants to go back in there, because he doesn’t.
“Cas, can you just take me home? Do that angel thing you do, and just get me the hell out of here, please?” he asks, hoping his voice doesn’t sound as broken as he feels.
Castiel sighs sullenly and shakes his head. “I’m sorry Dean, I can’t. I’m afraid you need to be here.”
“What? Why?” Dean wasn’t exactly expecting him to say okay, but he certainly wasn’t expecting that either.
“I can’t really say more than that, Dean. I really am sorry. I would take you back if I could,” Castiel says, a solemn look in his eyes as he holds out his hand to catch the falling snow. “I really wish I could take you back.”
*
Part 4