Chapter 1
Sam and Dean were sitting in a crappy motel room, with Sam researching lore, and Dean munching on some chips In the corner.
"Dean, do you really have to do that?" Dean smacked his lips and looked up.
"Do what?"
"You know what! Those chips are loud, and it's distracting." Dean scooped a giant handful of chips out of the bag and stuffed them into his mouth, but most of them just crumbled onto the bed.. Sam rolled his eyes."Could you at least not eat those on my bed?" Dean smirked, liked his fingers clean, then wiped his fingers on the bedspread. Sam rolled his eyes.
"Do you have anything yet?" Inquired Dean, and Sam took a moment before answering.
"I don't know. There's not a ton of lore, but I think I may have found something." Dean got up among looked over Sam's shoulder at the computer screen. "It looks like there's some buried records about a man in a blue phone booth like the one that lady saw, but people are speculating if it's true. I mean, if this thing is real, it would have to be at least 5,000 years old."
"Or a time-traveler," Dean quipped, and Sam gave him a dirty look.
"How about we focus on the real stuff here, and not science fiction. What do we know that can live for 5,000 years?"
"Demi-gods?" Guessed Dean, reaching back for his abandoned bag of chips. Sam smacked his hand.
"No more of those! And what else besides demi-gods? I've never heard of one that travels by phone booth."
"Police box, actually." Sam and Dean whipped around to see the man who had spoken. He looked to be in his 40's, with a leather jacket and dark pants, and rather large ears. He was leaning against the wall by the door, which was now ajar. Both the boys pointed their guns at him, but he looked perfectly at ease.
"Who are you? How'd you get in here?" Barked Sam, and the man pushed himself off the wall slowly.
"I'm called the Doctor. I got here to America by my police box, which is actually called a TARDIS, and I got into your room using this," he pulled a glowing device slightly out of his pocket slowly, the boys' guns still pointed at his chest. "It's a sonic screwdriver. Works on most materials. Except wood, or course. But while your door looks like wood, it's actually a blend of different cheap plastics and metals. 21st century Americans, they'll do anything to save a penny. Actually, you're always like that. It's strange, as much as they other countries on Earth like their money, no country has ever been so obsessed with it as America."
"Cut the crap, James Bond. What are you?" Dean glared at the man, and he waved his hands annoyedly.
"Look, just put those things down, would you? Another trait held predominantly by Americans, they're all so trigger-happy. Can't we just talk about this like civilized humans?"
"Oh yeah, why don't you sit down and we'll have tea and scones and talk about the Britain's Got Talent results. Not a chance." Dean glanced over at Sam, whose face wavered. Sam then lowered his gun slowly.
"Dean, maybe we should talk. We don't know anything about this... guy. Maybe bullets don't even work on him."
"Only one way to find out." Dean cocked his gun, but with another look from his little brother, uncocked it and put it in its holster."
"Alright, sit down. Slowly. Let's talk." They all slowly treaded over to the sitting area, and the Doctor sat down on a chair while the boys sat down on the couch across from it. It took Dean a moment to get comfortable, since the couch was a strange leather shape and made more for decoration than comfort.
"You alright there?" Asked the Doctor, his face set in a friendly expression. Dean didn't like it.
"Shut up. Just tell us who you are and what you're doing here." The Doctor leaned back, putting his feet up on the table. It was as though he was trying to convey just how comfortable and unthreatened he was by them.
"They call me the Doctor," Dean didn't like that.
"Doctor who?" The Doctor grinned.
"No who, just The Doctor. That's my name, and I'm sticking to it. Can I continue?" Dean gestured for him to keep talking. "Anyway, my name's the Doctor, and I'm a Time Lord. I'm from the planet Gallifrey, and I'm…"
"Sorry, you're a WHAT from WHERE?" Dean interrupted once again. Sam smacked his arm, and he threw his arms up in an exasperated fashion. "What? You expect me to be okay with the fact that now we're supposedly dealing with a freakin' ALIEN? Aliens are a load of crap!"
"Just let him finish, Dean!" ordered Sam. Dean huffed, crossed his arms, and bit his lip. The Doctor waited for him to get comfortable, then continued once again.
"I'm a Time Lord, the last of my kind. I'm from the planet Gallifrey, which doesn't exist anymore. I'm here in my TARDIS, which stands for Time And Relative Dimension In Space, and I need your help." Sam leaned forward.
"Help with what?"
"Well, it just so happens that you and I are on the same case, just investigating different angles of it. I think we'd both be over and done with this so much more quickly and efficiently if we worked together." Dean bit his lip harder to keep from speaking, but Sam asked the question he wanted to ask.
"How do you know what we're investigating?" The Doctor just gave a little grin.
"Well, actually, you're investigating me, but in finding me, you're now investigating what brought me here, and how you can get rid of me. I saw you questioning little Mrs. Lanihann. She's a sweet lady, but her biscuits are a bit too sweet for my taste. Now, why don't you tell me what brought you here in the first place, and I'll tell you what you're missing." Dean and Sam exchanged glances, and Sam got up to retrieve his computer, then sat back on the couch, wiggling slightly to get comfortable.
"We found this article saying that some people were going missing, and some eyewitnesses said that they saw the people being sucked into some sort of vortex. We figured it was a ghost, but when we researched online, we couldn't find any local deaths in the past 50 years that could lead to paranormal activity. We interviewed some of the witnesses, who said that they saw a man in a blue phone booth that disappeared and appeared into and out of thin air at the site of some of the disappearances. One guy found us, and told us about the urban legend of the Man in the Blue Box. We thought he was a conspiracy theorist, but he showed us some evidence of this man popping in and out all over the world's history. So, we came home and started investigating for ourselves. We figured he must be the source of these vortexes, but we couldn't think of a monster that could do all this." The Doctor clapped his hands, clearly excited.
"Oh, good men! 'Course, you're completely wrong about most of the stuff you just said, but you got a few things right! People are disappearing into vortexes, there were some eyewitnesses, and they did spot me at the scene. Now, as for the things you got wrong, there's simply not enough time. In a nutshell, I'm involved with, but not behind, the vortexes, it's not paranormal activity, it's alien, and, most importantly…" he leaned in closer, as did the boys, "it's a POLICE BOX, not some phone booth. Granted, it has a phone, but it's in a compartment on the side, and no one has the number."
"Well that's all just dandy," interjected Dean, "But then who IS behind the vortexes? What are you doing here?" The Doctor jumped up and clapped his hands once.
"I can't really explain it to you here, it's better if I show you." He gestured excitedly toward the door. Sam slowly stood up, but Dean grabbed his arm.
"What are you doing? We can't just go off with strangers, especially CRAZY ones who claim to be aliens! Did you learn nothing from spending our whole childhood in shady motel rooms?" Sam yanked his arm away.
"Well, first of all, if he tried to attack us, I'm pretty sure we could take him. Second, he might not be crazy, he MAY actually be telling us the truth. And if that's the case, I think it's best that we work with him. So come on!" Dean scooted out of his seat and grabbed both their coats before following his little brother and the crazy alien out the door.
They ran after the Doctor, who was quite fast for someone so old, and about a block away,they came across a blue police box in an alleyway. The Doctor turned and waited for the boys to catch up. When the turned the corner, the Doctor patted the box lovingly.
"This is my TARDIS. She can travel anywhere in time and space, but she can be a bit moody at times. Any questions?" They both had plenty, but shook their heads. "Good! Now, shall we?" As the Doctor put his key in the lock of the door, Dean interjected.
"Hold on just a second, you expect all of us to fit in a rinky-dink phone box like that? Not a chance."
"Suit yourself. But it's a police box, and it'll hold us just fine." He unlocked it and slipped inside, After a prompt from Sam, Dean stepped forward and opened the door all the way and stepped inside. He saw a futuristic room, with a weird-looking control panel in the took Dean a moment to realize. Then he yelped 'WHOA!' and ran back out to take a look at the outside of the TARDIS. He ran his hands all over the sides, looking for hidden panels or mirrors. A moment later, he reappeared in the doorway, looking pale. The Doctor was just sitting there, grinning.
"It's… It's…"
"Bigger on the inside. Or smaller on the outside, if you prefer. Time Lord technology. Quite convenient, but we never got to apply it to ladies' handbags, despite the complaints we kept getting. Show's how the manufacturing system works, even on alien planets." Sam and Dean both didn't respond. Then, the Doctor snapped his fingers and his eyes lit up.
"I forgot! I should introduce you to my companion!" He called out, "ROSE," he called out, "Rose, are you still here?" The boys heard running footsteps, and a girl appeared in a hallway that they hadn't noticed before. This thing had HALLWAYS? She was pretty, with straight, blonde hair, big, brown eyes, and a large smile that seemed contagious. Her eyes sparkled, and she immediately stepped to the Doctor's side.
"So? How'd it go?" The Doctor gestured to the boys, who were gaining their composure now.
"Boys, this is Rose Tyler. Rose, these are…" Before the Doctor could finish the sentence, Dean stepped forward and stuck out his hand and smiled.
"Dean Winchester, nice to meet you, and this is my brother Sam." Rose shook his hand enthusiastically, then Sam's.
"Pleasure to meet you two, really." She turned back to the Doctor. "You said they would be blazing guns and shouting profanities, they seem so nice!" The Doctor shrugged, and Dean smiled charmingly again.
"Sweetheart, I only shoot what I gotta shoot. Trust me, he's not a threat enough for my bullets."
"Then you clearly haven't known him for too long." She skipped back the the Doctor, and Sam nudged his arm.
"What?" asked Dean defensively.
"I wouldn't recommend flirting with the crazy alien's girl, just a thought." Pointed out Sam.
"Oh, so NOW he's the crazy alien man!" The Doctor grabbed Rose's hand and smiled down at her.
"What do you say we take them for a tour, eh?" Rose giggled and then her face turned to disappointment.
"Oh, I've missed their reaction to the TARDIS! They already ran out and around?"
"Dean did, I think he's still processing it. Sam simply hasn't spoken a word since we arrived. Now, where should we go first? You decide." Rose touched her chin thoughtfully, then whispered something into the Doctor's ear. The Doctor's face lit up.
"Excellent choice, it's perfect for them! They're hunters, after all!" He and Rose both grabbed parts of the control panel, and the TARDIS started making some weird noises, and Dean grabbed onto the railing and onto Sam. Dean hated planes, but apparently he hated any form of travel that didn't involve wheels. He took a breath to calm himself down, and Sam nudged him again.
"You gotta stop doing that, man." Said Dean, trying to look tough, even though his face was pale and clammy.
"Dean, we're here." Sam gestured up to the Doctor and Rose, who were at the door of the TARDIS. Sam and Dean shuffled over, and the Doctor opened up the doors. As they stepped out, their feet landed on cobblestone. The sounds of shouting people and disgruntled horses sounded all around them, as well as about a thousand other sounds and smells. Dean put his hands on his knees in an effort to not throw up.
"What do you think, boys?" asked the Doctor, putting his hands out to display the surroundings. "It's a sight, eh?"
"Where are we, Doctor?" Asked Sam, patting his brother's back.
"Hold on, I'll tell you in a minute. Let's go inside here." He and Rose started toward the fancy building in front of them. They certainly weren't in the 21st century, they were maybe in the 17th or 18th century. People were milling all around in colonial-style clothes and riding in buggies being pulled by horses. The smells were much more vivid than either of the boys could have ever pictured.
"Hey Sammy, remember that time Dad was on a hunt in Virginia and I took you to Colonial Williamsburg and you couldn't' stop complaining about the smell of the horse crap?"
"Yeah, I remember."
"Bet you wish you were back in Colonial Williamsburg now." Sam didn't respond, just helped his still-pale brother into the building. As they stepped inside, Sam immediately recognized the surroundings as a colonial courtroom. The Doctor and Rose were already sitting in one of the benches watching a trial take place. The room was crowded, but Sam and Dean sat down next to their companions and looked up at the bench. The judge looked down at the woman who was clearly being prosecuted.
"Now, young lady, have you any defense?"
"Yes she does, your honor!" A voice came from behind the boys, and they turned around to see a man enter the room in a hurry. He looked like he had hastily dressed, and his hair was a mess. He looked to be in his mid-20's, with black hair and mischievous eyes. Despite the somber setting, he had a half-smile on his face. However, the thing that stood out most was his accent. It almost sounded like a 21st-century accent. He stumbled up to the front, and bowed to the woman, who looked shocked to see anyone speaking out for her.
"Hi, I'm Captain Jack Harkness. Pleased to meet you, I'll be your attorney." He opened the briefcase he was holding, which seemed to be ahead of the times. After a moment, the judge frowned down at him.
"Young man, this woman is being tried for witchcraft. Have you some solid proof that she is innocent? Or shall we skip this unpleasantness and just go to the sentencing?"
"I have something worth seeing, your honor, I promise. Just a moment!" He pulled out a bracelet-like thing that the boys couldn't really see, and started to put it on the girl's wrist. The Doctor leaned over to the boys.
"Get ready to run."
"What?" They both said, but before the Doctor could explain, the girl vanished into thin air!
"Now!" yelled the Doctor, following the young lawyer, who was already halfway out the door. The boys jumped up and started following him, and after a moment, caught up to him. The Doctor and Rose ran beside him, and the Doctor smacked his arm.
"Captain, you just interfered with a Salem witch trial! You just saved the life of a girl who was supposed to die!" The captain just smiled as he ran.
"You don't know that, Doctor!" Sam and Dean just looked at each other, utterly confused. The Doctor led them all back to the TARDIS, where they ducked inside and slammed the door behind them.
"Jack, did you really just save someone who was supposed to die? I thought we couldn't do that." inquired Rose.
"Yes, Rose, that's correct. I saved a very attractive lady from a terrible death. Oh, that reminds me!" Captain Jack looked down at his own wrist, where he wore one of the bracelet things he had given to the girl. He punched something into the screen, and the girl appeared to him!
"Hey, I'm Captain Jack Harkness." She looked utterly terrified.
"I… I don't understand. What has happened?" The Doctor took her hand gently and led her away from the Captain, giving him a look over his shoulder.
"What's you name?"
"A-Abigail, sir." He put his hand on her cheek gently.
"Well, Abigail, that man right there just saved your life. However, you are supposed to die, so it's imperative that you remain dead to everyone you know. The Court will tell everyone that you had a private execution, they won't admit what really happened. Jack's going to take you to…"
"India, I think. It's remote, she won't have any risk at all of running into anyone there that she knows or knows a mutual friend. She'll acclimate soon enough." The girl nodded, hugging herself nervously. Rose went over to her and took her hand.
"It'll be alright, these men aren't going to hurt you. Jack here will drop you off and make sure you get settled in nicely, and he'll check up on you to make sure you're doing alright, won't you, Jack?" She turned to Captain Jack and gave him a stern look.
"Yeah, I sure will! Don't worry, you'll be perfectly fine." She nodded again, and Jack took her hand. "You ready?" He asked, and before she could answer, they disappeared. Sam and Dean had absolutely no idea what had just happened.
"Does someone want to fill in the non-aliens on what just happened?" The Doctor spun around as though he had forgotten about the boys.
"Oh, right! Well, the TARDIS took us to Salem, where the witch trials are going on, the trial we crashed was also crashed by my associate, who teleported the girl away from Salem in order to save her life, then he ran with us into the TARDIS, where the brought the girl to explain to her what happened, and now he's getting her all settled in India, where she'll be nicely looked after by whatever family Jack manages to charm. Anyway, she'll be fine. Now, shall we get started on this mission, then?" Just then, Captain Jack reappeared to them.
"How is she?" Inquired Rose.
"Oh, she's great. Yeah, she's now married to a wealthy merchant who specializes in fancy clothes, so she's well dressed. She's got a kid on the way, sure hope it's the husband's."
"Jack!" reprimanded Rose, and he laughed.
"I'm kidding! But who are these guys you've got shaking in the corner here?" He turned his attentions to the Winchesters, and stuck out his hand to Sam. "Hi. I'm Captain Jack Harkness." Sam shook his hand firmly.
"Sam Winchester." Jack gave him a big smile and a wink, then turned to Dean.
"Hey, Captain Jack Harkness, pleased to meet you." Dean shook his hand, looking warily at him. Jack gave him a big smile, and the Doctor snapped his fingers.
"Jack, no!" Jack looked back at the Doctor, then let go of Dean's hand, backing away slightly, but still smiling at them.
"You're the ones who think that this who rift is something to do with dead people! I've heard so much about you! So glad to see you boys in person." He winked at Sam, who did a double-take.
"Jack!" Rose called out, and he backed away again, hands in the air.
"Just having some fun, Rose." He walked back to the blonde girl, patting her shoulder. "What, are you getting jealous?" She smirked up at him, and the Doctor put his hand out in front of Jack.
"Alright, I think we've had enough fun for one day, we're all acquainted, yes? Now, let's close ourselves a time rift!" The Doctor and Jack started piloting the TARDIS toward their mission with the Doctor, Rose, and Jack all excited, and the Winchesters thoroughly confused.