Chapter Text
Authors Note: Yeah this is my first attempt at trying a crossover story so bear with me.
It was a typical evening for Dean and Sam Winchester, they’d run themselves out trying to do in a wendigo this time. Both required stitches and Sam required some treatment for burns as he had the Molotov cocktail blow up his hands at which point he grabbed the wendigo off Dean and hurled him into the fire. Then Dean was busy with Sam stripping his shirt off and tossing the burning rag to the side. They got back to the hotel and showered first then first aid.
The soap had stung like hell as they washed their wounds as well but they gritted their teeth as they got through the shower together.
“You think you could sort of hurry up with stitching this leg wound?” Sam asked as Dean plunged the needle in again and gave him the next to last closing stitch.
“Didn’t know the fucker would be prepared with a machete.” Dean grumbled. He finished and tied off the last knot and cut the gut. His own cuts were minor and only one really required stitching but though Sam had tried to get him to let him stitch first, Dean was going to have none of it. He was going to stitch Sam first and that was it. Sam sterilized the needle and threaded it with a length of gut then started on the wound in Dean’s shoulder. It took him about ten minutes of agonizing work but he finally got the wound stitched.
“We are always the walking wounded.” Sam exclaimed tiredly.
“Part of the job.” Dean told him. “Part of the job.” He repeated. Then he carefully lay down on the bed on his side as Sam put away the surgical supplies and turned his attention to Dean. He laid down behind Dean not so close as to irritate the injury he’d stitched and wrapped in gauze but close enough to give Dean the sense of his presence.
“You know we’re backwards.” Dean said sleepily.
“You can sleep away from the door for one night.” Sam replied yawning.
“Bitch.” Dean griped.
“Jerk.” Sam said kissing his shoulder above the wound. “Go to sleep. Love you.”
“Me too but where’d that come from?” Dean asked with a smile.
“Just feeling shmoopy this evening.” Sam said with a grin.
“It was a close one.” Dean said.
“Too close.” Sam replied.
Sleep came to them pretty much in unison as they drifted and finally drifted off.
Sam woke the next morning with Dean cuddled up against him closer, a feeling which had Sam feeling slight mortified as he was sporting the usual morning wood. He attempted to disentangle himself when Dean pulled him closer. He tried again and got a muffled “Stop it” for his trouble.
“Dean, I really need to get up right now.” Sam said softly.
“What you need to do is quit squirming, I felt your morning wood before.” Dean said causing Sam to blush furiously.
“That’s all well and good, but unless you’re into water sports you better let go of me.” Sam said with a laugh.
Dean grunted and relinquished his hold but not before extracting a promise from Sam that he would come right back.
“Okay, all, now I’m serious, I’m about to hose you down.” Dean let go with a wicked laugh and grinned as Sam sprinted to the bathroom. There was the morning sounds of urination going on which prompted Dean to throw back the covers and get up grumbling as he made his way to the bathroom.
“Hey this is a one holer.” Sam said as he continued to pee.
“So scoot over, there’s always room for two at the pot.” Dean insisted as he shouldered in next to Sam and unveiled his half hard cock, sighing, then letting go with full force. Sam finished and was cleaning up when there was a sudden stillness in the air. A watchfulness was the only thing Sam could think to put a name to it later. Pulling on his pants then his tee-shirt and walked to the door. He eased it open slightly peeking out.
“What’s wrong?” He heard Dean say as he stepped out of the bathroom, noticing his brother was suddenly going watchdog. Sam held up his hand to ward off Dean. Then he pulled back in and shut the door. “Okay you’ve really got my paranoia ramped up. What’s going on?” Dean asked again.
“I don’t know but for a minute it felt like…well you’re gonna think I’m crazy but…” Sam started.
“I’m gonna rip your tongue out if you don’t start making some sense.” Dean said getting a scowl from Sam who smirked.
“You wouldn’t do that you have better uses for my tongue.” Sam popped back which caused Dean to blush furiously.
“All that being equal, WHAT!” Dean finally said.
“It felt like time was being displaced for a moment.” Sam said finally.
“Come again? In words I can understand before I’ve had some coffee.” Dean grumbled.
“It felt like time stood still. I mean we can hear traffick noises outside, and there’s that tree nearby so you could hear birds chattering. But for a moment it was as if all sound ceased.”
Dean walked over and peered out the window. The only thing he noticed was the traffick passing by and the rain finally ceasing.
“There’s nothing there. Let’s get some breakfast.” He grumbled.
“Thinking with your stomach again?” Sam asked.
“No, but I think better after I got some caffeine in my system and food in my stomach. My back is killing me and I want to scarf some pain meds. Other than that, we’re going to spend a quiet day here.” Dean announced. “Plus we’ll keep a watchful eye out.” Dean said finally.
“All right, get dressed already.” Sam grumbled back at him. “I hope that diner has more for breakfast than grease and more grease.”
“Yum, cardiac food.” Dean said with a grin. Sam scowled but went along with him. Together they left the motel room and walked to the diner attached to the hotel.
As it turned out the diner in question was a bit more health conscious than most, offering an omelet made with egg substitute and turkey sausage instead of pork as an option. They ordered with Sam still looking around. He also kept an eye out for people entering the diner. Then he felt the shift again, this time it was more noticeable catching the attention of not only himself but the patrons. Dean looked up at him and with slight widened eyes asked.
“Was that what you felt?”
“Something like.” Sam confirmed. “Okay we eat then we check this area out, there’s gotta be a logical explanation for this.”
“Does your logic include for science fiction?” Dean asked.
“It could.” Sam answered as a nervous waitress brought their meal, serving them and getting ready to leave she paused when Dean looked at her with a smile.
“Does that happen often around here?” He asked.
“Oh that uh…yeah it happens now and then but not too often.” She answered.
“The locals know of it?” Sam asked.
“They should, it happens all over town.” She said as she nervously looked at their cups. “More coffee hon?” She asked.
“Sure, sounds good.” Dean said with a smile that eased her nerves about the shift but got her flustered with the intentional flirt that Dean projected. He looked and caught Sam’s disapproving stare. After she left Dean looked at Sam again. “Oh, get the burr out of your butt. I was just being nice.” Dean said.
Dean signaled to their waitress who came back over shakily.
“Hey, does that happen often around here?” He asked politely.
“It happens often enough to scare the regulars into pushing to not notice it.” She whispered.
“Town secret, eh, you new in town?” Sam asked.
“About a month on. There’s been three of them events since I’ve been here.” She said quietly.
“Tell you what just so your boss don’t give you a hard time how about bringing me a piece of pie to go with the meal?” Dean asked.
“Sure. We got apple, blueberry and cherry.”
“Cherry, big slice.” Dean said with a wink.
She blushed and hurried off.
“Okay so much for wrapping up that wendigo case in Hinton and moving on, looks like we got something strange going on right here.” Sam said looking at his plate a moment.
They finished their meal and broke out the EMF meter scanning around the motel, their looking was somewhat fruitless as there the electromagnetic readings were off the chart everywhere they pointed.
They got back to their hotel room and went to the office. Dean approached the counter and the motherly looking manager came out.
“What can I do for you?” She asked.
“We’d like to book that room for the week, will that be a problem?” He asked.
“Maid service every day?” She asked.
“Nah, just fresh towels and we’ll be good to go.” Dean said with a kind smile. She smiled in return.
“Guess you wanna see more of weird Hinton.” She said with a grin. “Oh I saw you out the parking lot, I ain’t blind and I know electronic gadgets when I see em. You kinda like ghost hunters?” She asked conspiratorially.
“Sorta.” Sam admitted.
“Well, for a week that’ll be $160.00 normally, find out what’s making my clocks stop and I’ll knock off $60.” She said with a grin.
“Thanks.” Dean said peeling off the bills from his pocket stash. The first thing they wanted to do was find where the frequency disturbance was greatest and work around that. So they picked the center of the little town and started scanning, Sam even broke out some of the equipment he’d used when he was running with Sam Campbell and family for that year. His scanner was different, a newer model but effective. They were approaching one of the edges of town when their meters suddenly went off the chart. There was a sound a well in the near distance. A wheezing, grinding, grating noise, coupled with something that sounded otherworldly. They walked into the wood following the track and came upon the oddest sight they could have every thought to see in America. Sam recognized it immediately and started shaking his head.
“It can’t be…it just can’t be.” He said flustered.
“What can’t be? What’s a big blue…Police Call Box…I guess that’s what it is from the sign on the roof, what the hell is it doing here.”
There was a sound of a lock being thrown and the door opened on the opposite side of the box.
“I’m telling you Sarah, I’ve never been, well not in several years, to North America.” A male voice said.
“But Doctor, that reading we got…” A young female voice started. Dean and Sam advanced slowly around the box and came out seeing a tall man in a Edwardian suit with a frilled shirt pulling a down shut with a click. He looked up when Sam stepped on a branch.
“Oh my.” The Doctor said. “I’d hoped to be slightly more inconspicuous.” He said Then smiling he stepped forward and stuck out a friendly hand. “Hello, I’m the Doctor, this is my friend Sarah Jane Smith.”
“Pleased to meet you Doctor, Sarah. Usually there is a name the goes along with the title.” Dean started.
“Dean don’t.” Sam started in shock.
“What’s going on?” Dean asked shaking his head.
“It’s a long story but, he and she…and this…” Sam said pointing to the box, and the two new people. “They’re not supposed to exist. They’re fictional.”
“Sam according to Chuck Shurley’s writings, we’re fictional.” Dean said tiredly. Sam stepped forward shaking hands.
“You know who we are? Then you have a distinct advantage.” The Doctor said warily.
“Sorry Doc, just getting ahead of myself. Dean, this man is an alien of sorts. By the way, I’m Sam, this is my brother Dean Winchester.”
“Oh my, I understand some of the confusion.” The Doctor said. “You see I’ve read some of Shurley’s material, I crave to know a little bit of everywhere, habit you know. Then you know where I’m from as well and what I am.”
Dean started getting a guarded anxious look, when the young block lady stepped forward. She came up to Dean’s shoulder plus a little bit with dark hair and a pleasantly, friendly face.
“Dean, you remember that show that used to run you outside to work on the Impala. Doctor Who.” Sam said.
“Yeah buggy assed science fiction crap.” Dean admitted. “Wait a minute, you’re telling me you’re that Doctor?”
The Doctor smiled wryly and nodded, pleasantly as he shook slightly in a bit of laughter. He was tall, at least Dean’s height easily, he had a head of wavy white hair that was pushed back from his forehead, he wasn’t lanky, but he wasn’t exactly stocky either. Sarah Jane was pleasantly good looking to look at from Dean’s perspective.
“I’m afraid I am dear chap. I’m a time lord.” He said smiling still.
“A time lord, this is going to take lot of time and a bottle of whiskey.”
“I’d prefer a good wine if you have one available. In fact, it’s about time we had a civilized meal.” He told Sarah Jane.
“Okay this isn’t getting moved ahead with what all this is.” Dean waved his hand at the police box. The Doctor rested his hand against it with a caress almost.
“This is called a Tardis, it’s an acronym actually, it means time and relative dimensions in space, t.a.r.d.i.s.”
“This is just dandy Doctor, all this chummy talk, but it’s not advancing our case.” Sarah Jane spoke up at last.
“Speaking of which, could this be the cause of the disturbances in time around here?” Dean asked.
“Not necessarily. I was coming back to earth; I had just returned from Proamnon, it’s a planet outside this solar system. We were returning when the Tardis picked up a strange phenomenon. A rift in time, someone is manipulative the time vortex and it’s up to me to put a stop to that.” The Doctor said levelly.
“You can join us.” Sam offered surprising Dean to no end.
“Thank you, that is most kind and will be most helpful if you are half as good as the fictional writers claim.”
Sam blushed slightly and nodded his thanks. “This way.” He waved back towards where they had the Impala parked. Sam looked at him a moment and then shrugged looking at Dean who stopped walking and pulled him to the side whispering quickly with him.
“You actually think I’m gonna hook up with a space alien?” Dean started.
“He’s probably the most helpful space alien to have come along.” Sam replied.
“But he doesn’t look like an alien. He looks like us, well a British talking us, but still.” Dean argued.
“Gentlemen if it would speed things up, yes I’m an alien, I am not malicious, and Sarah Jane is a reporter for a London Newspaper.”
“But now she’s your companion.” Sam said.
“Your auto?” The Doctor said with a raised eyebrow.
“Right.” Dean said leading them back to the Impala.
The first thing Dean did was go into the first package store he passed and bought a fifth of Wild Turkey while Sarah Jane picked out an appropriate wine while the Doctor looked amused. Their next stop was back at the diner where the Doctor and Sarah Jane enjoyed a simple meal while Dean and Sam joined them with some coffee. Finally they ended up back in the motel room.
“Okay, I’ll take your word for who you are, hell I’ve seen too much weird shit to think otherwise. We’d been over the town and the EMF readings are off the chart. There’s no central point of origin, it seems as if there is an effect of some kind covering the whole town.” Dean told him.
The Doctor nodded and looked to Sarah Jane, “We really need some equipment from the Tardis. But for now we’ll operate on the theory that the entire town is a field generator. That has got to be a logical center of action.”
“Before we go center of anywhere, I’d like some more information about you two. Sarah Jane I get, she looks human, acts human, etcetra.” Dean said. “But, you, Doc, I’m still trying to figure out. You’re supposed to be an alien, but your benevolent, you what look for knowledge for knowledge sake?” Dean asked.
“My goodness no. It’s quite simple, I am a native of Gallifrey, a planet in a system many thousands of light years from your own. When I was quite young, young for my species, I did something naughty. I ran away from home. You see my brother and sister Time Lords take themselves much too seriously. And study for the sake of more knowledge was encouraged. But we were never to interact with another species directly. I not only broke that rule, I shattered it irrevocably for myself.”
“But Doctor, you’re in your third regeneration here and now, in the fiction cycle you’re in your eleventh regeneration.” Sam said shaking his head puzzled.
“Really! Am I now! I do hope I look better, something had to have been done with this nose, it may be noble but it’s always leading me into trouble.” He said amused.
“Wait now you got me confused again, regeneration?” Dean asked.
“It’s a Time Lords way of cheating death, they reach a point where they can either truly die or cause their body to regenerate.” The doctor explained. “I don’t expect you to believe me and I’m not going to put my life or Sarah Jane life in such danger that I do regenerate, at least I hope I don’t.”
“It’s almost like you are magic or something.” Dean said softly.
“No lad, pure science, purely science.” The Doctor told him.
“You’ll find that’s one of his most annoying habits. To explain away the fluff and awesomeness of a magical experience with science.” Sarah Jane said laughing as she sipped delicately at her wine.
“So how did you end up on this trip?” Dean asked.
“She’s a reporter and she wormed her way into UNIT, the United Nations Intelligence Taskforce. That was where the Doctor was staying.” Sam explained.
Sarah looked at him gaping. “That’s true, I just wonder how much of fiction correlates with our actual lives.”
“Have you been to Metabelis Three yet?” Sam asked the Doctor.
“No, I’ve planned on going but keep getting sidetracked. Why?” The Doctor asked.
“I can’t tell you. It’s a fixed point in time.” Sam said stubbornly.
“Aw come on Sam, just a whisper.” Sarah Jane said with a reporter’s inquisitiveness.
“No, Sarah Jane, Sam is correct in refusing to tell. A fixed point in time that is revealed means that action must take place, will take place. It may not be an action I would prefer to have.” The Doctor said warily as he eyed Sam curiously. Then he shrugged. “As well, it may just be a fictitious event but I would prefer the mystery of finding my way there.” He smiled warmly then and the mood seemed to lighten.
“Doctor, there’s gotta be a reason between these time distortions and your arrival. The Master’s not here is he?” Sam asked suddenly afraid.
“Master?” Dean said sneering. “I thought I was your only master.” Dean whispered.
“This is not something to joke about. The Master is a deadly enemy.” The Doctor said. “He was one of my people. But something drove him to the edge of madness, he is evil incarnate. And he has a Time Lord’s knowledge, that makes him doubly dangerous.” The Doctor said sternly.
“Whoa, serious much, I was making …” Dean started.
“I realize that Dean, truly I do, but I do not joke about the Master…much.” He said with a wry smile.
“It wasn’t that long ago he was instrumental in the destruction of Atlantis.” Sam said vacantly.
The Doctor’s gaze was ripped from Dean to Sam in an instant. “No one else knows of that, how can you?” Then he nodded. “Fiction again paralleling my life. I’m not so sure I’m comfortable with that notion.”
“There is so much that has happened and that will happen, I wish I could tell you to warn you…but that would create an uh…” Sam struggled.
“It would create a temporal distortion of the sort that could split me off into a parallel universe where everything you tell me comes to pass. No lad, as much as it would be a kindness to know the future, I’m better off living in the past, present, and future.”
Dean stared disbelieving. Sarah Jane laughed delightedly. “That’s exactly the same way I felt when he told me about his adventuring.”
“I’ll stick to the present however for the moment and let us unravel this Gordian knot that is forming over this town.” The Doctor told them. The Doctor then actually blushed a bit and scratched the back of his neck. “I take it from your earlier statement about mastering, that you and Sam have more than a familial relationship going on?” Then he held up his hands. “Forgive me. I was a bit forward there.”
“No your right, Sam and I are definitely closer than brothers.” Dean admitted blushing as well. “Is that going to be a problem?”
“Goodness me, no, you’ve got to remember I’ve had quite a past with my travels some of which was to ancient Rome. Your relationship is nothing new, and is decidedly more civilized.” The Doctor told him.
“You mean, Sam and Dean, are…oh my.” Sarah Jane said blushing now as well.
The Doctor stood and fumbled in his pockets a moment in the building hush as he seemed to be looking for something and let out an ‘Aha!’ when his hands brushed a flat round metal object that he pulled from his pocket. He pressed the button on the winding stem of what appeared to be a common pocket watch. It flipped open and revealed miniaturized computer readout.
“That’s why it’s always good to wear a jacket with deep pockets.” He said happily. The he displayed the readout, there were several sets of numbers in various windows. “I grabbed this up this morning when I read the output coming from this area. This is a temporal distortion feedback register. All we have to do is wait for another of the distortions to occur and then we can track it.” He announced happily.
“It’s just the waiting.” Dean said, “Well one thing is for certain, we’re going to have to have a means to talk when we’re apart and I got a feeling we’re going to be apart a good deal of the time.” Turning to his duffel bag he dug for a moment and then pulled out a cell phone and charger. “You got a standard 110 volt hookup in that thing of yours?”
“If not I can make one.” The Doctor said affably, “Why?” He asked.
“Because this is the way we talk to one another in this year. It’s called a cell phone. Operates on basic microwave transmissions.” Dean told him.
“What is the distance this can cover?” The Doctor asked.
“You could be back in London, now, and call us and we’d get the call.” Sam said.
“Finally, mankind has crawled out of the muck a bit further.” The Doctor said with a grin.
“Excuse me!” Dean exclaimed.
“Sorry Dean, just a habit of mine. Overlook it. I often speak without giving much thought.” The Doctor explained.
“Mankind has progressed quite a bit from the 1970’s which is Sarah Jane’s when.” Sam said. “We’ve been to space and back numerous times. This is a computer that is probably stronger than the one your accustomed to using at UNIT in your when.” Sam said indicating his laptop. “But at the same time there are a lot of anachronisms. We still have tea and coffee. Sugar is still the main sweetener, and tobacco is used pretty much everywhere, although they are cracking down hard on that. We’re in the middle of a conflict with Afghanistan and some fighting in Pakistan and the Middle East. So yeah Doctor, war is still a common mode of mind.”
“Unfortunately.” The Doctor observed.
“Doctor, what about the device you built to sniff out the Master’s Tardis that time? Could that help?” Sarah Jane asked.
“Possibly. Let’s go in small steps first.” He advised. Then he looked at her. “You’re a reporter for the London Times, on special assignment in America covering local disturbances that are out of the ordinary. So get out there and get some interviews.” The Doctor advised chummily.
“First thing I’m going to have to do is secure some transportation.” She said critically.
Dean grinned and stepped over to her. “I think it’s time I introduced you to Wal-Mart.”
“Dean!” Sam said quickly.
“She needs transport we go and boost a car and problem taken care of.” Dean said.
“You mean to steal someone’s vehicle. Dean…think more creatively. We’re not poor by any means if this world uses credit cards still.” The Doctor said with a grin. “Take us to a used auto lot.” He said firmly.
Dean shrugged. “Okay, but you’d be better off boosting someone’s ride.” He said. They stepped out of the motel room and piled into the Impala. “First thing Sarah, driver’s side of the car and the road are backwards to the way it is in Britain.” Dean told her. “Start out slow and work until you get some confidence built up.” He advised.
“Oh goody, I get to drive in America, not on my top ten list of things to do.” She said distastefully.
“We’re not that bad.” Sam said comfortingly.
“No, it’s just everything is backwards here and America is so much different. I was over here in 1971 to do a story for the Times on Vietnam Veterans that were returning. I was driven a bit then I got to drive. Racked up three tickets my first day.”
“Okay first thing, you got a passport?” Dean asked.
“On the Tardis but yes.” She said.
“You’re going to need it to drive until you can get a temporary permit in this country.” Dean advised.
“But we’re not going to be here that long…are we Doctor?” She asked, her companion looked puzzled and shook his head.
“There’s no way of knowing that. We’ll drop by the Tardis first and pick up some essentials. Then we’ll venture forth.” He said. Dean nodded.
“Now you’re thinking!” Dean told him.
“My dear chap, I’m always thinking.” The Doctor said primly. He sighed then suddenly weary. “I understand if you don’t believe a word I’m saying. I get that a lot, and it’s understandable. After all a stranger traveling in a blue box, it doesn’t sound like a picture postcard story does it?”
“Admit you go me there Doc. Okay, we’re nearly there. Is there anyway you can move that thing closer to the motel we’re staying in, for your safety and ours?” Dean asked.
“My boy, that is the least troublesome problem in this journey.” The doctor disappeared into the woods with Sarah Jane on his heels. Sam and Dean waited a minute and heard that wheezing sound again. Getting back into the car they made a near mad dash back to the motel. The Tardis was parked now in a small area behind the motel.
In the motel room the Doctor spread out a small collection of apparatus’ on the bed. He picked up one and switched it on; it was oblong, almost triangular in shape with a pistol grip handle underneath. He checked the readings and nodded.
“Well, at least no impending temporal disturbances.” He said then looked at Sam and Dean. He started gathering up the devices putting them into a large Gladstone bag and turned to Sarah Jane. “Let’s go back to the Tardis and give these young men some room. Just give me a call on this…cell phone. And we’ll go from there.” The Doctor said with a disarming smile. Then they left the room, Dean turned to look at Sam who was still processing it all. Sam held up his hands in defence.
“Hey, I didn’t expect this either.”
“Okay, so we got baggage on this hunt. No big deal, the old man at least knows what he’s doing I guess. I just hope that Sarah Jane can keep herself safe.” Dean said.
“She’s better equipped for that than you give her credit for being.” Sam told him. “This is a bitch though. I mean, we’ve tracked and hunted a lot of things in our time, but something that can cause a disturbance in time, that’s a new one.”
“We’ll just have to be extra careful.” Dean said. “Look, I’m going to take a walk through town and see what I can pick up, get with the Doctor and keep an eye out for any disturbance.”
“We might at least want to notify the Doctor.” Sam suggested.
“No, the last thing I want is an unknown factor on this hunt.” Dean said.
“Let’s at least give him a chance.” Sam said.
Dean sighed and threw his hands in the air in defeat. He waved to Sam to follow him and they walked around to the back of the motel where they saw the blue police box parked. They walked up as one of the doors swung open. Dean was surprised to be waved in by the Doctor. He stepped into what according to the little science he knew couldn’t exist. The room was spacious at least fourteen feet each direction with walls that were white with a circular motif in the material. In the center of the room was a mushroom shaped console that was hexagonally sided. In the center of this console was a column that was stationary at the moment but Sam knew, he know too well what they’d just stepped into. Dean looked around.
“This is …”
“Welcome to the Tardis.” Sarah Jane said brightly. “And my personal first order of business is to interview as many people in this town as possible. Cross-reference their stories and correlate that to the time distortions.”
“You sound like this is old hat to you.” Dean commented dryly.
“Actually after hanging out with the Doctor for a while, it is.” She said grinning. She then looked over at the Doctor, who was fiddling with some part of the console.
“I won’t be long.” She said calling to him.
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