"Too bad about your timing," Dean said, his hands in his pockets as he walked with River, Sam, and the Doctor. After their quick stop at the hospital, Sam and Dean wanted to get out of there, but River had asked them to walk with them back to the TARDIS, at the very least. And Dean had never been good at telling River "no"; she was too much fun.

"I don't know what you're talking about. My timing is perfect," River said, pinching the Doctor's side with a crooked grin.

"Right, obviously," Dean said, shaking his head. It was kind of wild seeing the Doctor actually participating in the flirting. He had believed River when she said that she loved the Doctor, and he had believed her when she talked about their relationship, but it was still something else watching them interact. Especially since he'd met Rose before, and that relationship was so different from the one he had with River.

It was complicated, the way everything was complicated with the Doctor. But then, it wasn't like he could talk.

"So, are you two headed off together, then?" Sam asked.

"I do feel like I missed out on an adventure," River said. "Any ideas, sweetie?"

"I might have a few."

"Yeah, yeah, get a room, you two," Dean said and didn't miss the fact that River grinned his way for it.

"And what about you boys? Want to come with us?" River asked.

"Not interested," Sam said dryly.

River laughed. "Your loss," she said and didn't address which implication she was talking about.

"Could be fun to take the TARDIS for a joyride again," Dean said, just for the look on Sam's face as he turned his whole body toward Dean.

"We have other things to do."

"Might be a faster way to get me back home," Dean pointed out.

"Might be a fast way to get you home ten years from now, too."

"Not if River drives."

"Hey," the Doctor said as River hung onto his shoulders and laughed.

"Oh, you act like he's wrong," she said and kissed the Doctor's cheek again.

"I'm starting to see why you keep popping over here when you need space to run," the Doctor said, though he had turned neatly so that he and River were nearly nose to nose.

They got to the spot where the TARDIS was parked, and the Doctor snapped his fingers to get the doors to open, strolling inside with River, already talking in a scientific, futuristic lingo only they understood. Neither Sam nor Dean had seen him do that before, but when Dean looked toward Sam, he didn't see the surprised look he had expected. Instead, Sam raised one eyebrow and didn't make a comment.

Dean shook his head and walked past Sam into the TARDIS, stroking the wall as he passed her. He opened his mouth to say hello, but before he could do that, the doors snapped shut behind him, and he heard the telltale whine of the TARDIS engine.

"Doc, what's going on?" he shouted, spinning to look at the door. Sam wasn't there with them. "What's the big idea?"

"Ah," was all the Doctor said, frantically working at the controls. "Calm down, you old thing," he told the TARDIS, shaking his head. "You know better than this."

"What's he talking about?" Dean asked River, but River ignored him in favor of diving in to help the Doctor, muttering to him a few times before, with a thud, the TARDIS landed, and both of them looked up at Dean.

"So," River said after a moment, brushing her hair out of her face, "apparently, whatever's going on with Sam, the TARDIS doesn't like it at all."

"Are you kidding?" Dean gestured at the TARDIS console. "Take me back. Right now."

"Hold on, hold on," the Doctor said, holding both hands up. "Now, wait a minute. I can absolutely take you back to exactly where you were-"

"So do that."

"And not know where we've been?"

Dean narrowed his eyes, his arms crossed. Normally, he would have been tempted. Normally, he would have loved the chance to go out into time and space. It would have been a great distraction, a great adventure. But… "You said whatever's wrong with him freaked out the TARDIS. I didn't even know that was possible."

"Actually, it's happened before," the Doctor said, wincing one shoulder up. "I think you met Jack Harkness before, right?"

Dean's eyebrows rose along with his chin. "Yeah, noticed he couldn't die last time I spent time with him. Are you saying it's something like that?"

"Apparently." The Doctor rubbed the console a few more times, as if he were trying to calm down a spooked horse. "It's alright."

River shook her head and stepped back to stand beside Dean, crossing her arms alongside him. "Can't hurt to peek outside, can it?" she asked.

"The TARDIS is freaked out by my brother. Let's go back now."

"Give her time to calm down," the Doctor said, already heading for the door, so Dean knew arguing was pointless.

Dean rolled his eyes but, knowing he couldn't fly the TARDIS alone when the Doctor was right there—he needed the TARDIS's cooperation to pull off something like that, and he was pretty sure he was only able to do it in a short jump anyway—he followed the Doctor out the doors.

The first thing that hit him was sunlight, and he raised his hand to block it out so he could see better.

And despite everything, despite how worried he was for Sam, despite how much he knew this was the Doctor's attempt to distract him or cheer him up or something… he broke into a smile.

They were unmistakably on an alien planet. The sky was an almost electric blue, and the air around them was charged in a way that had the hairs on Dean's arms standing up.

Or, no, wait, something else was charging, and Dean didn't realize it until he heard the sound of some kind of futuristic gun firing, and he heard a recognizable: "Exterminate!"