Disclaimer: I do not own either Supernatural or Doctor Who, they all belong to other people.
A/N: A first of hopefully many SuperWho one-shots. Please enjoy and please review! Lots of love 3
After a few heart-racing, bone-rattling moments, the TARDIS landed with a final thud that threw her six occupants to the floor. The Doctor immediately bounded to his feet and pulled the giggling Rose up. Castiel rose, as unshaken as ever, and held out a hand to the closest Winchester brother. Dean, who was still swearing, took it gratefully, while Sam was helped up by a grinning Jack.
"Still not used to this damn thing," Dean muttered, giving the console a wary look.
"Oi! My ship is not a 'thing'," the Doctor protested, rubbing the controls affectionately as he gave Dean a stern look. "She is a beautiful, sexy ship that can travel in both space and time, not to mention toss you into a collapsing star if you're not nice to her."
"Speaking of traveling in space and time, where are we exactly?" Sam asked, hoping to head off another argument.
"Bit of a pit stop," Rose replied, having walked over and peeked out the door (just to be sure the Doctor actually managed to get them where they were supposed to be going). "You boys ever been to London?"
"London? As in, London, England, Earth?" Dean asked incredulously as he followed Rose out the door. "Why the hell are we here? I mean, no offense, but is there a job here or something? 'Cause if not, I'm sure there are some wonderful alien beaches out there."
"Something much more important than a job," Rose replied, barely resisting the urge to stick her tongue out at the American hunter. Dean opened his mouth to ask what could possibly more important than either killing things or aliens in bikinis, but he was interrupted by frantic shouts of "Rose! Rose!"
"Mum!" Rose shouted reply, grinning from ear to ear as she let Jackie Tyler wrap her up in a big hug.
"Mum?" Dean repeated, perplexed, looking back at the TARDIS. The Doctor, who was leaning against his faithful ship, flanked by Sam, Jack, and Castiel, nodded, trying not to smile at Dean's half-horrified, half-curious expression.
"Oh, sweetheart, you've been gone so long!" Jackie gushed, pulling back so that she could smooth her daughter's hair away from her face, anxiously looking for any signs of damage or despair.
"Mum, it's only been a few months," Rose said, smiling gently at her mother. She paused, then turned back to look at the Doctor sternly. "That is, if someone got their traveling figures right."
"Hey, don't look at me, we have landed exactly three months after you last left," the Doctor replied, holding up his hands in defense.
"Yes, he's right, I'm just being silly…" Jackie said, trailing off as she caught a glimpse of the group gathered behind her daughter. "Rose, who are they?"
"Captain Jack Harkness, ma'am," Jack said, stepping forward and lifting Jackie's hand so he could kiss it. "And may I say, I can see where Rose got her beauty from. The apple truly doesn't fall far from the tree."
"Oi, no flirting with my mum," Rose reprimanded, trying to hide her grin as Jack winked at her.
"Now Rose, I really don't mind," Jackie said, smiling flirtatiously at the handsome captain as he stepped back.
"This is Dean Winchester, and his brother Sam," Rose said, gesturing to each Winchester in turn. Sam nodded and smiled while Dean gave an awkward little wave. "The one in the trench coat is their friend Castiel. And you know the Doctor, of course."
"Oh yes, that's one man I'll never forget," Jackie said, her tone significantly sourer as she looked at the Doctor, then looped her arm in Rose's and turned away. "Let's go back to the flat for a cuppa, sweetie, I'm sure your friends would like the rest."
"That'd be lovely, Mum, thanks," Rose said, looking over her shoulder, brown eyes steely with command. Dean, who had opened his mouth to graciously decline, swallowed his words and, with a pleading look at the Doctor, followed along behind the Tyler women, Sam at his side, shoulders shaking with silent laughter. Jack walked along behind the Winchesters, speeding up so that he could throw an arm around Sam's shoulders, though he did have to stretch a bit to accomplish it. The Doctor just shook his head and, nodding for Castiel to come along, followed the trio of Americans up towards the Powell Estate.
"They're a handsome bunch, that's for sure," Jackie said in a mock whisper that Rose was sure carried out of the kitchen and into the sitting room where their guests were sitting, if Jack's smirk was anything to go by. "I don't know about that one in the leather jacket, though, he looks kind of shifty."
"Dean's harmless, Mum," Rose replied, rolling her eyes as she turned to take the kettle off the stove. "Get some cups, would you?"
"I'm just saying, honey, he's got this twitchy look to him, like at any moment he's going to have to jump into battle," Jackie said, opening the cabinet and pulling out eight mismatched mugs and some tea bags. "It's unnerving, it is. His brother looks like the nicer sort, though blimey he's tall!"
"Trust me, if you'd lived the life Sam and Dean had to, you'd be twitchy too," Rose said, pouring the hot water into the cups and adding tea bags.
"Well what about their friend there, the one with the funny name?" Jackie asked, grabbing Rose's arm to stop her from calling out to their guests to tell them the tea was ready. "He's just sitting there, all stiff and rigid. I don't think I've seen him even blink. He's not another alien, is he?"
"No, Castiel is not an alien," Rose replied, not really feeling bad about not telling her mother the whole truth. Sometimes what Jackie didn't know wouldn't hurt her. "Now, if you're quite done with the inquisition, I'd like to drink my tea before it gets cold." Before her mother could reply, Rose raised her voice and said, "Oi, freeloaders! I don't have three pairs of arms, these cups aren't going to carry themselves."
"Mmm, this smells delicious, Mrs. Tyler," Jack said, lifting a cup and inhaling deeply before shooting Jackie another one of his trademark smiles.
"Oh please, just Jackie," Jackie corrected, her cheeks coloring as Jack winked at her, blowing on his tea (only that man could make such a mundane action seem seductive).
"Thanks, Jackie," the Doctor said, smiling and nodding to the elder Tyler woman as he slipped past Jack to grab two cups, handing one to Rose as he slipped over to stand by her. The young blonde favored him with a shining smile, which he automatically returned.
"Budge up there, Captain Tightpants," Dean grumbled, edging Jack out of the way so he could gingerly pick up one of the hot mugs and give it a tentative sniff.
"Something besides beer won't kill you, Dean, don't be a wuss," Sam muttered as he moved past his brother. "This looks great, Jackie, thank you."
"Oh, it's nothing," Jackie replied, smiling up at the younger Winchester, her face going from flirtatious to almost maternal.
"Bitch," Dean muttered, walking over to stand by the sink.
"Jerk," Same replied, smiling into his tea has he stood beside his brother.
"I do not require sustenance, but the gesture of hospitality is much appreciated," Castiel said, picking up the last remaining mug and looking at the amber liquid before taking a large gulp, apparently unaffected by the scalding temperature of the liquid. Jackie raised her eyebrow at his formal tone and strange actions.
"Alright, let's move into the living room, I'm starting to feel like I'm standing in a damn redwood forest," Rose said quickly, hoping to distract her mother from Castiel's bizarre actions. She didn't think her mother would be able to wrap her head around the concept of an Angel of the Lord when Rose herself was still having problems believing sometimes.
On command everyone shuffled out of the small kitchen and into the slightly larger adjoining sitting room. Jackie sat down in her favorite chair, Rose settled in the chair opposite her mother with the Doctor standing behind her, and Dean leaned against the wall next to the sofa that Sam, Jack, and Cas had chosen to occupy. There was a slightly awkward silence as everyone sipped their tea, no one quite sure what to say.
"So," Jackie said, breaking the silence, her voice almost falsely bright and cheery. "Where did you all meet my Rose?"
"Well, I bumped into her during WWII," Jack said when it became clear no one else was going to speak. "Caught her, actually, when she fell off a barrage balloon. Floating around during the London Blitz with a Union jack on her chest, that's our Rose. Ran into the Doctor shortly after, of course, those two are never far apart. And I've been traveling with them ever since!"
"Barrage balloon?!"
"Anyways," Rose said quickly, cutting her mother off before Jackie could travel too far down that track. "A little while later we landed in Utah following a distress call and ran into those three troublemakers. They helped us deal with a certain crazy collector and the Doctor invited them on board. We've all been traveling together ever since."
"Well that's nice," Jackie said, giving the Doctor a look that made him shift nervously from foot to foot. She was clearly going to have a very strong talk with him the moment Rose left him unprotected. Wearing a smile worthy of a shark, Jackie turned to the Americans on the couch. "So, tell me, Dean, do you enjoy traveling with my daughter?"
"Huh?" Dean asked, almost choking on his tea as she addressed him. "Oh, um, yeah, I mean, it's great, traveling with the Doc and everything. Get to see a bunch of places, meet a bunch of crazy aliens, prevent disasters we actually didn't have a hand in creating, it's awesome."
"Yes, but what about the company you keep? Do you find it… enjoyable?" Jackie persisted, shifting so she could stare her target down. Rose saw Jack turning red from the laughter he was trying to hold in before she hid her face in her hand. She felt the Doctor's hand rest on her shoulder comfortingly, rubbing her tense muscles with his thumb in a soothing rhythm.
"Uh, sure, everyone's great," Dean replied, still looking completely confused by the entire situation. "And the box-y thing sure beats crappy hotel rooms."
"So, the ship is spacious is it?" Jackie asked, getting up and moving into the kitchen under the premise of putting her empty cup in the sink.
"Yeah, the whole bigger on the inside thing really threw me the first time, let me tell you," Dean said, smiling, thinking he had finally gotten a handle on this conversation.
"So, you have your own room, then?" Jackie queried, walking out of the kitchen and standing in front of Dean with her hands on her hips.
"Uh, yeah, it's right next to Sammy's," Dean replied, looking completely lost again as he took in the blonde woman in front of him. Sam just leaned back and watched his brother float farther and farther down a river he didn't even realize he was on yet, a look of pure amusement on his face.
"So, has my daughter ever visited your room?" Jackie asked, her eyes, almost exact replicas of her daughter's, filled with fire.
"Yeah, I think so," Dean said, looking at Rose in confusion. His head, however, was snapped back when Jackie slapped him with all her might.
"Ow, what the hell, woman?!"
"You stay away from my daughter, you pervert!"
"What?! No, no, not like that, Rose –"
"I don't care if you're the Doctor's friend, I'll feed you to the crows if you so much as –"
"No, I swear, nothing happened, ever! We're just –"
"What, bed-buddies? You keep your hands off her, you sleazy Yank!"
"No, I swear –"
"Alright, enough!" Rose yelled, getting to her feet, face crimson with embarrassment and anger. "Mum, sit down! There is nothing, nor has there ever been, anything going on between Dean and I. He's my friend, that's it."
"Are you sure?" Jackie demanded, still not looking away from the American hunter who was currently backed up against the wall with a red handprint on his cheek and the strong desire to flee written across his face. Dean Winchester would rather take monsters over a pissed off mother any day.
"Yes, I'm bloody sure!" Rose snapped, walking over and physically moving her mother back over to her seat. "Now, if you're quite done traumatizing my friends, I think it's time for us to go." Immediately Dean bolted out the door, followed by a confused looking Castiel and a sniggering Jack and Sam, who nodded to Jackie politely. The Doctor paused just inside of the door, looking at Rose in question. She tipped her head towards her mum, who had deflated at the prospect of having to say good-bye again, and then looked at the door, smiling at the Doctor as he nodded and stepped out of the flat, closing the door behind him.
"Do you really have to leave so soon, sweetheart?" Jackie asked, looking at her daughter pleadingly. "Can't you stay, just for a week or two? The Doctor has others to look out for him now, surely you can be away for just a little while?"
"If I left those five alone for more than a few hours the TARDIS would probably implode. Too much testosterone in one place, you know how it goes," Rose replied, smiling gently at her mother. "Besides, I'd probably go crazy just sitting around here for days on end. I'm used to being on the move, Mum, you know that."
"Oh, I know," Jackie said morosely, pulling Rose into a tight hug. "You've got worlds to visit and people to save. Don't worry about your old mum, she's just being silly. I just want you to be happy, Rose. And you are, traveling with him. Or, well, 'them' I suppose now."
"I am happy, Mum," Rose replied, wrapping her arms around her mother and holding her tight. "They're great, they really are. You just have to give them a chance. Sam and Dean never really had a family, Cas' family tried to kill him, and Jack's and the Doctor's families are both long dead. All of them, they only have each other. And me. They need me, Mum, just as much as I need them. You understand that, right?"
"Of course, sweetheart," Jackie whispered, pulling back so she could cup Rose's face in her hand, her eyes full of love and pride. "Oh Rose, you are so beautiful and strong and amazing. You go to those boys and you share the Tyler family love with them, you hear? They sound like they need it."
"I will, Mum, I promise," Rose murmured, giving her mother another hug and squeezing her tight.
"Now, off you go," Jackie said, her voice falsely cheerful as she pulled back, quickly brushing away a stray tear. "Don't want them to leave without you, not like that Doctor ever would."
"Love you, Mum," Rose said, leaning forward and giving her mother one last kiss on the cheek.
"And I love you, sweetheart, so much," Jackie replied fiercely, hugging her daughter tight one last time before pushing her towards the door. "Now off you get, I've got dishes to do now thanks to that ragtag crew of yours!"
With a final goodbye hug, Rose slipped out of the flat, melancholy mixed with joy. Leaning against the wall at the end of the hall was the Doctor. He looked up at her and grinned, holding out his hand. Returning the smile, Rose took the offered hand, feeling his fingers interlace effortlessly with hers. A sense of peace edged with excitement fell over her as Rose pressed close to her Doctor as they made their way back to the TARDIS and the dysfunctional family waiting for them.