Sorry if this took longer than usual. I'm starting my last quarter of high school, and I have to worry about that, as well as getting ready for college. There's a lot to do, as you'd imagine. Thank you for your patience, and enjoy the next chapter! Please review! I love your feedback!
They all went back to their rooms, so that Dean and the Doctor could be more comfortable. It was important that they fell asleep within an hour of taking the dosage.
"It's important that you you drink this as soon as you switch back," Dakota explained. "So I'll wait with Dean, and Michael will wait with the Doctor."
"What? I can't fall asleep with you staring over my shoulder," Dean complained.
"We don't know what you'll be like when you wake up. You may not be able to come and get me,"
"I'll do it." Sam offered. "Give me the bottle, and I'll give it to him when he wakes up."
Dean huffed. "You're not much better..."
"Don't be such a baby."
Dean laid beneath the covers, trying to pretend that he was alone. He could hear Sam's feet dragging across the carpeted floor as he sat in a chair across the room. He could hear his brother's breathing.
He curled his fingers tighter around the blanket and tried to focus on something else. He was going to run out of time to sleep, and he'd have to down another dose of that awful liquid.
Sam watched his brother with impatience. He twisted the bottle around and around in his hand, moving his feet on the ground as a nervous habit. One part of him couldn't wait for Dean to wake up so they could see if he was okay. Yet simultaneously, another part of him could wait forever. Like Schroeder's cat, he wasn't dying until he woke up. But he wasn't alive, either.
And then there was another, much smaller part, that wondered if this was all worth it. Dean had so little time left, and he had made it more than clear that he accepted that. Maybe it was time that Sam did too. His brother was dying, and he was going to be alone.
He thought briefly about their dad, and wondered what he would do. He'd keep fighting, until the very end.
In fact, John had already saved Dean, once. He wouldn't let Dean die, now.
Eventually, Dean felt himself drifting off to sleep, and he welcomed it. He hoped the Doctor had already fallen asleep, and that they could finally get this show on the road.
Sam jumped as Dean awoke, gasping for air. Sam ran over to him, prepared with Project Delta. Dean, however, shook his head and sat up.
"Dean?"
He shook his head. "No, it worked."
"Doctor! You're in your right body, good!" Sam smiled relieved. "You sure you're okay?"
"Yes, it was Dean I was worried about. We should go check on him."
"Of course,"
The Doctor followed Sam to the room he had fallen asleep in, where Donna, Michael, and Dakota were waiting outside. They all looked up as the two men approached, and the Doctor did not like the look on their faces.
"Is Dean still in there?" Sam inquired, worriedly. "Is he okay?"
"We're... not sure, Sam," Donna answered, glancing between him and the Doctor.
"I was in there with him when he woke up," Michael explained. "He basically just jumped up, and was breathing heavily. At first I thought he was okay, but... then the seizure started."
"Seizure?"
"Griffon's the one with medical experience, so she's in there now."
"I have to go see him," Sam tried to get to the door, but Michael stepped in front of him. "What the hell?"
"It's for the best that you don't..." Michael looked apologetic, but he wasn't going to move.
Sam clenched his jaw, and felt equal parts anger and panic growing within him. "You guys did this to him in the first place. You don't get to tell me what to do."
He felt a hand on his shoulder. It was Donna. "Sam, please calm down. They're helping him, but your presence in there will only make things harder." She didn't say it, but she knew that Dean wouldn't want him in there, either.
"You don't get to tell me what to do, either! You two brought us here! Don't you ever go anyplace safe? Or do you just seek out trouble?" Sam knew that this time, it was on him, too. He had wanted to come with the Doctor and Donna. He thought it would help. Of course it was stupid, and of course Dean got hurt. But he wasn't ready to let his brother go, yet. They still had time...
Suddenly, the door opened, and Griffon appeared. "I gave him Project Theta. He didn't react well at first, but he's okay, now."
Everyone smiled in relief, except Sam, who asked, "Let me see him."
Griffon shook her head. "Give him a minute. He's coming out."
As Griffon promised, Dean came out a but later, grinning. He had dark circles under his eyes, and his face was place, but otherwise he seemed okay. "That was the worst nap I've ever had."
"Dean," Sam wrapped his arms around his brother, and finally allowed himself to smile. "You okay?"
Dean rolled his eyes, secretly appreciating the gesture before shrugging him off. "Yeah, totally. I told you it would work. The green chick really knows what she's doing."
"I'm just glad we could... mend our mistake." Griffon offered, quietly. Dakota and Michael nodded. It reminded Doctor of the other problem at hand.
"Where's Allison?"
"I can take you to her. She's secure, I promise."
"Good, we need to talk to her."
Dean raised his brow at the Doctor, who shook his head, slightly. No, he wasn't sure what he was going to do with her yet. That's what this talk was for.
…
"Are you finally here to kill me?" Allison asked, smugly, as the group entered her room. Dakota and Michael hung back, not wanting to see what happened if things went badly. But the Doctor had high hopes. He realized it was naïve of him, but he really thought they could get her to cooperate.
Dean did not. He was 100% ready to slit her throat at a moments notice. He was giving her a chance, but he didn't have any faith in her. She was bad news, all around.
"We're here to talk." The Doctor promised. He held his hands up, showing himself unarmed.
Allison's eyes flickered from him to Dean, who had one hand clasped around a blade. "Are you sure you're friend here is just here for talk?"
"Yes," The Doctor replied firmly, glaring at Dean. "Dean and I are both here, peacefully, and so is everyone else. We just want to help."
"Dean, huh?" Allison smiled. "Looks like you guys switched back. Good for you. I guess the antidote worked, then."
"Just listen to them, Allison. They can help." Griffon spoke, pushing her way to the front of the group. "Please, you can come with us "
Allison's smile was gone, and was replaced with a grimace. "You're pathetic, you know that? You're just like the others, the ones back home. They were dumb and trusting, and now they're dead. And good riddance! They deserved it! But we could've done better for ourselves! It would've been a scientific feat to change ourselves like that! But now you've gone and ruined it!"
"Honey, there are creatures dumber than you that can shapeshifter, trust me." Dean scoffed. Allison glared at him.
"It's over, Allison. You have to move on," The Doctor sighed, fearing they weren't getting anywhere. "Are you willing to at least listen?"
Allison frowned. "You can talk as long as you'd like, but this will never work. I don't trust you, and you obviously don't trust me, given that you've tied me up like a hostage. Shouldn't you be calling my family for ransom, right now?"
The Doctor sighed. "Look, act of trust, okay? Let us untie you, and we can discuss this, civilly."
Allison rolled her eyes. "Fine."
"Doc, what are you doing?" Dean muttered.
"Building trust," The Doctor replied. "Go ahead, cut her out."
Dean hesitated, but ultimately decided to do as he said. "Alright, hold still." He turned her around and quickly cut through her binds with the blade. Her hands shot apart, and she rubbed at the marks on her wrists. "There, you happy now, Princ-"
As Dean was making his remark, Allison kicked his shin, causing him to falter. She kicked again in his crotch, and when he bent over she snatched the knife.
She swiped the knife in his direction, but jumped back in time to successfully dodge the attack. Before anyone could do anything, she turned the knife around, and shoved it into her chest.
Griffon gasped, but stood still. Donna took a step forward, but stopped when she realized it was too late. The Doctor just stared in shock as her fingers uncurled from the knife, and she slowly fell to the ground. She wasn't smiling or grimacing anymore; her face was devoid of all emotion as she lay there, motionless.
…
The Doctor brought Griffon, Michael, and Dakota to a nearby solar system, Irrumabo. He promised them that the people here were much more accepting than the others in their own.
"Thank you, Doctor. Thank you, all of you." Dakota smiled, though she seemed to be on the verge of tears. The Doctor knew it was probably from a mixture of gratitude and guilt. "We won't cause any problems, we promise." Griffon and Michael agreed.
Once they were back in the TARDIS, everyone went quiet again.
"I'm sorry, Dean," The Doctor apologized. "This was much more dangerous than I wanted it to be. I had no idea-"
Dean cut him off with a wave of his hand. "Please, Doc, you gotta stop apologizing when things go wrong. It ain't anybody's fault. It's just the way it is."
"What are you going to do now?" Donna asked.
Dean glanced at Sam, and shrugged. "I guess we got work to do, don't we, Sammy?" Sam didn't respond. He turned back to the two of them. "Thanks, guys, for trying. I... I really appreciate it."
"Anytime, Dean."
The Doctor flew them back home, which to them meant the Impala. Not that he could blame them, his home was mobile as well. Life was a lot more exciting that way.
"You better call the moment you get out of your deal," Donna made Dean promise. "Because I know you will."
"You'll be the first one to know," Dean smiled, giving her a departing hug.
"I'll be seeing you soon, Dean." The Doctor nodded in his direction. Dean nodded back, but before he turned to leave, he went back for a hug as well. It was longer than usual, something that normally would make the younger man uncomfortable. The Doctor knew Dean had no hope in seeing him or Donna again. This was, in his mind, his final goodbye.
A few months later for them, just a few days later for the Doctor, Sam called and gave him the news about Dean. He didn't want them to come, he didn't want their comfort. But at least he bothered to let them know. Dean, Sam knew, had very few friends. He figured the least he could do was call them.
