The Water
Ch 11
"I've got it!" Dean said, snapping his phone shut. He sounded just pleased enough with himself that whatever "it" was, it was most likely important. Or the number of a particularly attractive hooker. Either way, Sam felt obligated to ask.
"What?"
"A lead on that Blue Box Bastard," Dean looked, well, not quite happy, but as close to happy as he had been in a while. And why wouldn't he be? They'd been hunting the slippery guy for months after all, somehow only managing to catch him after he and his equally mysterious partner had already left, "There are some rumors about the thing being parked outside Dearborn. One of Bobby's friends picked it up and sent it over."
"Dearborn? Dean, we're in Dearborn." Dean smiled, and it almost reached his eyes.
"I know. That's the best part."
"Sounds too good to be true."
"Maybe, but it's the only lead we've gotten."
"It could be a trap."
"Well we'll just have to be prepared then," Dean very deliberately put the phone down on the bedside table, signaling the end of the conversation, "Let's go." Sam sighed and picked up his jacket. By the time he had it on, Dean was already out the door.
"Cas?" The Doctor asked, both relieved that the angel was back and confused about the new presence in the room.
"No sweetie, sorry to disappoint." River smiled. He had missed that smile.
"When did you-"
"Approximately five minutes ago." The scruffy looking man said flatly, his eyes boring into the Doctor with an intensity the Timelord had only encountered in a select few people. Only one of whom was capable of teleportation and still alive.
"Cas?" Cas nodded, adjusting the worn black hoodie he was wearing. He looked uncomfortable in his own skin, which he probably was, considering he had gotten this new body five minutes ago. The Doctor could sympathize with that feeling. River, on the other hand, did not look empathetic in the least. Instead, she was looking at the angel with an expression of fond amusement. Then, she looked down at herself and frowned in mock distaste.
"Oh Castiel. I'm glad you helped me out, but honey, your fashion sense." With that, she walked off, practically skipping in the direction of the wardrobes. The Doctor grinned. It was good to have River back.
"Is that why you ran out? You found someone who could work as a vessel?" The angel nodded, looking thoughtful.
"It was an…interesting experience. Taking a new vessel has given me memories of my last long term form," Cas paused for a moment, "I remember where I last was, in that body."
"You do? That's great! We can use that to find your friends, can't we?"
"No. They will have moved on by now." The Doctor opened his mouth to say something, but he was interrupted by the sudden clunk of the TARDIS landing.
"Hmm, I didn't tell it to do that." Cas walked over to the door of the TARDIS and peered out of it. Then, he peeked back in and tilted his head to the side.
"We are in Michigan."
"Well."
"I will retrieve River, you prepare yourself. There could be Leviathans here." Cas disappeared, leaving the Doctor alone in the control room.
"Umm. Alright then. What exactly am I supposed to do?" The TARDIS whirred slightly.
"Yes, that was very helpful. I'll keep that in mind." The Doctor said sarcastically. She whirred again, in a lower, less amused tone.
"I'm sorry. You know I don't mean it."
"Are we going or do you want to keep being socially awkward? Because Cas and I can leave you to it if you really want." The Doctor glared. River laughed. Cas let out a rush of breath that was similar to a sigh, but much subtler. The three went outside, River carrying a gun on her thigh holster and a small box of borax in her pocket, Cas with an angel blade and the Doctor with his sonic. He had invented a new setting. He liked to call it "sudsy".
"Where are we supposed to find a crazy British guy and his crazy British sidekick in Michigan?"
"Dean, stop whining." Well, Sam didn't actually care if Dean whined, but it would be nice if he whined slightly more quietly. They were sitting in the local diner, and the waitress was looking at them funny. Of course, she could just be trying to figure out whether to write her phone number on the check or not. Sam could never tell.
"I'm not whining," Dean whined, "I'm stumped."
"It can't be that hard. I mean, we have a picture of the guy." Sam waved his cell phone, a not-quite in focus picture of a long-face man with floppy brown hair on the screen. One of the various Hunters they had talked to in the past few weeks had caught it. They, like most of the people who worked with the man, hadn't been quite sure whether he was a threat or one of the good guys. To be frank, Sam wasn't completely sure either. He seemed to be helping, but Bristoll had been very adamant about him being a monster. Either way, it couldn't hurt to talk to him. The door opened, and three people walked in. The first looked like he needed a bath, the second looked like she needed a hair straightener and the third…
"Hey Dean."
"What, Sam?"
"I don't think finding him is going to be hard."
"Why?" Sam pointed. Dean looked. Dean barely restrained himself from flipping a shit. The man looked around, clapped his hands cheerily, and sat at a booth without waiting for a member of the wait staff to assist him. The other two followed, the woman smiling fondly and the scruffy looking man with a blank expression. They began talking, and Sam strained to hear their discussion.
"I fail to see how a diner will help us ascertain the reason for our arrival." The scruffy man said with a level voice and an American accent.
"Well, maybe there are Leviathans in this very diner," The man in the blue box stated very seriously. The disheveled man stared. The man in the blue box broke, "Alright, I'll admit it. I was hungry."
"Sounds like a good enough reason for me." The woman said. The American seemed to accept this answer and continued looking at his menu. The waitress came. The man in the blue box ordered eggs. The woman ordered pancakes. The American ordered a burger, despite the fact that it was eight in the morning. The three people sat in silence for a few minutes, then the woman looked straight at Sam.
"It looks like we're being spied on, boys." The American turned around, blinked, opened and closed his mouth a few times, then abruptly stood and walked toward the bathroom. The other two stared at each other for a moment before the man in the blue box stood and followed him.
"What the hell?" Dean muttered. The woman stood and walked over to them, smiling as she slid into their booth as though they were old friends.
"Hello Dean. Sam." Sam blinked. The day had just gotten a whole lot weirder.
In the men's bathroom, the Doctor found Cas leaning against the wall, staring fixedly at the cracked sink. He hadn't bothered to lock the door, so the Timelord had taken that as a signal that he didn't really want to be alone. Or that he was too absorbed by whatever was bothering him to remember. Either way, the Doctor considered it a responsibility to help the Angel.
"Cas, what's wrong?"
"It's them." Cas said. His voice was calm, but the Doctor could see a slight strain around his eyes. He didn't have to ask who Cas meant by 'them.' The Doctor nodded contemplatively and leaned against the wall next to Cas.
"You're going to have to talk to them." Cas nodded, but didn't say anything. The Timelord decided he would wait until the Angel was ready. Then, he would drag him out to meet the Winchester.
After all, that's what friends are for, right? Helping people do what they can't.
A/n: Not completely sure, but unless a wild muse appears I think that there will only be one more chapter of this fic.