Dean sat at the little table in their hotel room, scrolling through a lore website on the laptop and trying to ignore the growling in his stomach. His cellphone rang and he flipped it open.
"Yeah?"
"Dean, it's Bobby."
"Hey, Bobby. What took you so long?"
"If you haven't noticed, my mobility's been limited lately. Don't test me, boy."
"Right, sorry. So, whatya got?" Dean got up from the chair and pulled a beer out of the mini-fridge, flicking the cap off and taking a swig while Bobby gave him the latest news.
"Nothing much. Normal amount of signs scattered all across the map. A freak storm here, cattle mutilations there, nothing concentrated enough that'll tell us where Lucifer might be popping up. Have you tried Cas?"
Dean scrubbed his face, his eyes red-rimmed from exhaustion. "Yeah, dude's got nothing either." He sighed. "I don't know, Bobby, I'm feeling way outta my league on this one. And with Sam…I'm not sure how I'm gonna pull through."
"Yeah, well, join the club, sunshine."
Dean grunted. "Call me back if you get anything."
"Same goes for you. And Dean? Don't get yourself killed."
"I'm working on it." He hung up and chucked his phone on the bed, jumping a little when Sam unlocked the door and came in with several grocery bags. Dean laughed and rubbed his hands together in anticipation. "Finally! What took you so long? Where's the pie?"
Sam shot him a disapproving glare, setting the sacks down in the kitchenette and digging through one before tossing Dean a small box. Dean licked his lips and went to open it but stopped as he read the label. His eyes flicked between Sam and the box, a wounded expression on his face.
"What?" Sam asked, unpacking the other groceries.
"This is cobbler."
"So? What's the difference?"
"I asked for pie."
"But you like cobbler, right?"
"That's not the point. When I ask for pie, I want pie. If I wanted a freaking cobbler I would have told you to get cobbler. It's all about the mood, Sam. I'm in a pie mood, I can't eat this." His cellphone rang again and he threw the box on the counter and went to answer it.
"Hello?"
"Dean."
"Cas! It's about time you showed up. We got jack squat. Please tell me you've found something." He grabbed his beer and sat back down at the computer.
"Where are you?"
"Uh…" Dean scrambled to find their room key. "Room 3, Eastgate Motel in Chattanooga, Tennessee…" He trailed off as the ruffle of wings indicated Cas's arrival in the middle of the room. Dean snapped his phone shut and stood up to greet the angel.
"So? Did it work?" he said, holding his hands out and waiting for an answer. Sam finished with the groceries and went over to join them, crossing his arms as he leaned against the wall.
"No. The amulet has led me nowhere. There's something else, however. I don't know what it is for sure, but the angels keep talking about it. Someone has been manipulating time. They're gathering forces together but the angels don't know what for. Whoever or whatever it is, the angels are afraid."
"So…this…time traveler? He's on Lucifer's side?" Dean asked.
"They don't know. For all they can tell, he could be on no one's side."
"Well, this could work for us, right?" Sam said, pushing off from the wall to start pacing. "I mean, if this guy is powerful enough to control time, maybe he could help us find Lucifer."
"Yeah, Sam, and he could just as easily throw us back to be eaten by dinosaurs if he decides he doesn't like us."
"The point is," Castiel interrupted, "we don't know what his motive is and he could show up anywhere at any time so we need to be careful."
Outside the window, a flashing blue light illuminated the room, accompanied by a whining screech that punctuated the night air.
"Someone needs to get their brakes checked," Dean said before being shushed by his brother. Sam tiptoed toward the window, pulling the curtains back an inch and peering out.
"What the f—" He was cut off by a knock on the door. The three exchanged looks and went for their weapons. Dean slipped his gun out from under his pillow, Castiel slid his Angel Sword out of his sleeve, and Sam pulled Ruby's knife from his backpack. They waited, not daring to breathe, all primed for attack. There was mumbling outside of the door, whoever it was seemed to be arguing amongst themselves.
With a crack, the door splintered open and a man in a long coat tumbled through, swearing. He was followed by a second man in an even longer coat and a girl with blonde hair.
"I told you to kick it, Jack. You're not supposed to use your shoulder." The man, Jack apparently, regained his balance and sneered at the other man, rubbing his shoulder.
"Right, well, terribly sorry about that!" the second man said, turning his attention to Sam, Dean, and Castiel, "we would have waited but we're on a tight schedule. You must be the Winchesters!"
Dean clicked the safety off his gun and aimed it at the man. "Cas, I thought you said angels couldn't find us."
"He's not an angel. He's the time traveler," Castiel replied, relaxing slightly.
"That's true, not an angel. But thank you for the compliment." He smiled and stuck his hands in his pockets. Jack elbowed in front of the man and went up to Castiel with a flirty smile.
"He may not be an angel, but you?" He paused to give Castiel an appreciative once-over, "Did it hurt when you fell from heaven?" Jack laughed at his own joke.
"Yes. It was excruciating. I was ripped to pieces by an archangel and my body was strewn all over the walls. I've been told they found my molar in a prophet's hair."
Dean suppressed a smile. Jack blinked, trying to decide if Castiel was joking or not. He took a few steps back and returned to his spot behind the other man, who had closed his eyes in exasperation and was obviously resisting the urge to put his hand over his face at his companion's antics.
Sam lowered his knife, gazing critically at the strangers. A fleeting thought, that now Castiel's trenchcoat wouldn't be lonely, flew through his mind before he asked a far more important question: "If you're not an angel, who and what are you? And how can you travel through time?"
"Oh, right! Introductions. I am the Doctor, this is Rose Tyler, and he is Jack Harkness." The man in the longest coat pointed to each person as he named them.
"CAPTAIN Jack Harkness," Jack amended.
Dean frowned, his gun still raised and ready to fire at a moment's notice. "'The Doctor'? That's a title. Don't you have a name?"
The Doctor frowned a bit. "Yes, but a Time Lord does not give away the knowledge of his name freely. Names have power, after all."
"Time Lord?"
"Yes. From the planet Gallifrey."
Sam's eyes bugged out a bit. "You're from another planet?"
"Oh that's just great," Dean bitched, waving his gun around slightly to accentuate his point, but never taking it off their visitors, "as if we don't have enough on our plates right now! Angels, the Apocalypse, apple cobbler, and now ALIENS?!"
"Alien. In the singular," the blonde woman, Rose, retorted. "I'm human. Jack is too."
Sam opened his mouth to ask more questions, but Dean got to the point: "Why are you here? What the hell do you want with us?"
"Right!" The Doctor looked at the two hunters and the angel. "There is an Apocalypse coming-"
"We know," they said blandly.
The Doctor pouted. "You didn't let me finish. As I was saying, someone wants to bring the world to an end-"
"His name is Lucifer," Sam butted in, raising an eyebrow at the Doctor.
"AGAIN with the interrupting!" The Doctor pinched the bridge of his nose and let out an aggravated sigh. "I'm compiling a team of the best defenders the Earth currently has to defeat those who would end her. And I would like you to be on it."
Dean was about to respond but Sam grabbed his arm and spoke to the Doctor. "Can we talk about this is private for a few minutes?"
"Yeah, of course, we can wait. Not too long, obviously, but..." He casually looked around, as if waiting. Sam stared at him.
"...Could you please leave so we can talk?"
The Doctor looked confused for a moment, then it changed to an expression of sudden understanding. He mouthed "oh riiiight" as he did an exaggerated nod. "Right, right, sorry, we'll just, um-"
Rose was pushing him through the door. "We'll be outside when you're ready to talk to us again."
The three filed out and Dean pulled Sam aside.
"Are you crazy? We can't go with them. We have no idea who these people are!"
"I'm not saying we should just jump into this, Dean, but they could help us get to Lucifer faster."
"Well, the last time we trusted your judgment, we got into this mess in the first place so forgive me if I'm a little hesitant."
Sam looked down at his shoes.
"If I may interject," Castiel said, "Some of my power may be cut off from Heaven but I can tell enough that I believe their intentions are noble. Although Jack makes me...uncomfortable."
"Yeah, you and me both," Dean said.
"I think Sam is right. While we may not be able to trust them yet, it would be to our benefit to work with them for the time being."
Dean's mouth formed a thin line and he rubbed his jaw, rocking back and forth on his heels. "Alright, fine. But first sign of anything skeevy and we're back on the road, got it?"
Sam nodded curtly and the three of them packed up their things and went outside.
Jack, Rose, and the Doctor stood in a little circle by the door of the TARDIS, talking in low voices as the second trio approached. The Doctor looked up as they came out, gently pushing Jack and Rose aside to greet them.
"So? Come to a decision, have we? A good one, if the bags are anything to go by. Am I right?"
Dean ground his teeth and looked around with an angry pout before tersely agreeing. "We'll go. I still don't like this, but it'll help us find Lucifer."
"Excellent!" The Doctor exclaimed, clapping his hands. "Grab your gear, we'll go in my TARDIS! Off to Avengers Tower!"
"...that thing flies, doesn't it?" The question from Dean was unexpected. Sam looked confused then slapped a hand to his forehead.
"Dean..." the younger Winchester groaned. Dean just tightened his lips and backed away to lean against the Impala.
"No. No. You will not get me in that thing. You cannot. I won't. Give me the address, I'll drive."
The Doctor raised his eyebrows while also looking confused and concerned. "The TARDIS will be a lot faster..."
"I don't give a flying rat's ass, I am DRIVING there."
Jack raised his hand with great enthusiasm. "I'll ride with him!"
Castiel narrowed a glare at the captain and took a not-very-subtle step so he was between Dean and Jack. "I don't think that's a good idea."
Jack's eyes darted between Castiel and Dean, his eyebrows climbing higher on his forehead. He met Castiel's gaze again and held up his hands, bowing his head a touch. "Alright, I understand. Wouldn't want to interfere with your bonding time." He gave a suggestive eyebrow wiggle. "Though I-"
"JACK!" The annoyed and disapproving voice of the Doctor cut off whatever he was about to say. Jack winked at the angel and hunter and turned around to enter the TARDIS. The Doctor rolled his eyes as Jack passed him in the doorway, brushing a little closer than was necessary. Meanwhile, Sam leant down to talk to Dean through the open driver's window after Dean climbed in.
"Did he say Avengers? Like the Avengers?"
Dean was looking at a huge map of the area they were in, plotting his route to New York. "You better friggin' hope so. If I'm getting dragged all over the country in pursuit of a time travelling phone box, the least they can do is put me in the same room as Black Widow."
Sam rolled his eyes and chuckled. "I'm going to ride in the TARDIS."
Dean glanced away from his map to smirk at Sam. "I'll bet your little nerdy heart is just singing praises right now. A spaceship, a time machine, AND superheroes? You must be so ecstatic."
Sam shifted his weight on his feet, fighting back a huge grin. "It is pretty cool. You gonna be alright without any company on the road?"
"Yeah, I'll be fine, I've done more solo hunts than, well... I'm more worried about you in there with that...guy. You stay away from him, ya hear?"
Sam laughed,supporting himself with his hands on the roof of the car. "Don't worry, he's not my type. I'll be cautious around him, though I don't think he'll try anything. I think he just likes flirting."
"Yeah, well, still. It should take me half a day to get to New York, though I'll probably spend the other half in traffic."
Sam gave a last pat to the top of the Impala and grabbed his bag off the ground. "I'll see you in New York."
Castiel listened to the brothers talk and gave a nod as Sam took his exit before taking his place by the Impala's window. "I'm going to continue the search with the amulet. I will meet you in New York when time allows."
"Yeah, okay. Don't forget to drop in if you find anything."
"Of course."
"Are you ready to go, Sam, Dean, Castiel?" The Doctor called out. Sam politely slipped by him. Dean revved his engine, grinning at her purr. The Doctor gave a call of "Allons-y!" and shut the door to his TARDIS. The light on the top flashed and it slowly faded from existence. Dean stared at where it used to be, then turned to say goodbye to Cas; he was already gone.
"Well, this is gonna get real annoying real fast," he grumbled, putting the Impala into drive and zooming out of Chattanooga.
