Characters: From SPN 'verse: Dean, Sam, Bobby, Castiel, Chuck. From DW 'verse: 11th Doctor, Amy, Rory, OC (Chuck)

Warnings:Spoiler alert for Supernatural 6.22 and for Doctor Who 6.08. Offensive language. Blasphemy? I think that's about it.

Summary: The Doctor, along with the Ponds, comes to the aid of the Winchesters in their final battle to save the world. Will they save Castiel, too? And will Dean ever accept how he feels about the former angel? A few mysteries are revealed, including the whereabouts of the original God, and just how the world really did come to be.

A/N:Yet another apology about the lack of updates. I'm actually now moving country – going to be studying in England (as opposed to Australia) for the next six months so haven't really had as much spare time as I'd have liked to continue writing, but I'm sure once I'm there as I won't really know anyone straightaway and will be ridiculously poor once I factor in the currency exchange rate I'll have all the time in the world to sit at home and avoid studying via writing fanfiction. So don't give up on me just yet! I really want to finish this story! :)

As always, your comments and opinions are appreciated!

Chapter 5

When Sam and Dean Winchester finally came back inside, they found the three time-travellers in Bobby's library. "Ah, there you are! This friend of yours, Bobby Singer, interesting fellow, but that's to be expected I suppose. We know a Song who's just as interesting, if maybe a little less grizzly. Something about the name, I'd say," he said with a smirk at his companions. "Then again, it could just be her parents."

Rory Williams – not Pond, as much as the Doctor tried to push that – rolled his eyes at the Doctor before the Time Lord continued his rant, "You seem to have a large variety of blood in your fridge, I've noticed. Hope you don't ever mistake it for jam; that could be... unpleasant."

At this, Rory almost laughed at the expressions the two Winchester brothers gave the Doctor. He was pretty much used to the endless tirades from the Time Lord so it was always amusing to see what he was like from an outsider's perspective. To get another glimpse at the magic of the crazy man his wife had fallen for all those years ago, a magic Rory was slowly but inexorably becoming immune to...

Sam squared his broad shoulders, a determined look upon his face. "Dean says you can help," he said, and was there an edge to his words, a challenge, maybe? Rory turned his attention to the Doctor who hadn't taken his eyes from Sam. The pair shared an epic stare down. Amy looked back and forth between the two of them before catching Rory's eye. He shrugged. He had no idea what was going on.

After a moment, Dean cleared his throat awkwardly and everyone shifted their focus to the eldest Winchester. "Should we get this show on the road?" he asked, clamping a reassuring hand on his brother's arm.

With a nod, the Doctor took a seat at Bobby's desk and motioned for Sam to come forward. Dean dragged a spare chair behind him, its legs scraping against the hardwood floor and Sam accepted it with a small tilt of his head before sitting down across from the Time Lord. He looked hesitant, Rory noted, while the Doctor looked simply alert. Dean hovered over the pair of them like an anxious parent, making Rory remarkably more nervous. He wondered how Sam could stand it.

A hand slipped into his, and he looked into the eyes of his wife. They shared a whole conversation in just that one look, their concern and confusion for what was about to happen apparent in their gaze. Rory had never seen the Doctor read someone's mind. He knew he could do it, but he had never been all that inclined to let the Time Lord try it out on him. To be perfectly honest, he understood Sam's reluctance completely. Who would want someone sifting through their thoughts and memories? They're meant to be private. Sam really must love his brother if he was willing go through with this on Dean's say-so.

"So do we hold hands?" said Sam in a flat tone.

The Doctor didn't respond; he just tilted his head curiously, a faint smile upon his lips. Rory noticed how the two Winchesters stiffened at his reaction. He frowned, unsure what to make of it. Sam's back was ramrod straight in the chair he was sitting on, as though someone had shoved a stick right up his arse, and Dean... Rory could practically see the tension rolling off him in waves; his jaw was clenched so tight it could have been wired shut.

Then the spell was broken when the Doctor shifted, giving his head a small shake. "You keep your cards close to your chest, Sam Winchester."

"Wait, what? You were doing it then?" asked Sam, his tone incredulous.

"Trying to," replied the Doctor. "You being psychic, I thought I'd be able to find a connection pretty easily... but you don't seem very open to this."

Sam snorted. "You don't say."

"Perhaps I'll have to use physical stimulation after all," mused the Doctor softly.

"Physical what?" asked Sam quickly, his eyes narrowing as he watched the Doctor's hand reach for him across the table. Rory could see the battle within Sam to stay still written across his features as the Doctor's fingers brushed against his temple. He watched as Sam's eyes scrunched shut and the Doctor's fell closed.

It only took half a minute. Half a minute of calm as Rory, Amy and Dean watched Sam and the Doctor in an awkward silence. Thirty seconds and then all Hell broke loose. Their eyes snapped open in unison and there was a brief moment of unseeing terror between them before Sam stood up in a rush, overturning his chair and the desk in one terrifying flash of movement. The Doctor fell backwards in his chair, the desk atop him, his eyes wide and unseeing.

For what was only a few moments but really felt like an age, Rory stood completely dumbfounded as the scene before him unfurled. Dean had reacted instantly, his instincts' sharp and propelling him to his brother in a rush, Sam's name on his lips in a panicked shout. The scuffle between them was lightning fast; Rory had never seen anything like it. Saving the world with the Doctor included a lot less precision fighting and a lot more improvised running. He gaped as Dean blocked attack after attack from Sam while trying to get closer to him to calm him down. Over and over, he shouted his brother's name over Sam's howls, "Sammy! Sam! It's me. It's your brother! Sam!"

Amy started forward and Rory wasn't sure if she intended to help Dean or check on the Doctor, but it was enough to break him from his stupor. He grabbed hold of her arm, pulling her back towards him. "Wait," he said gently and she scowled at him.

Dean couldn't calm Sam down, that much was plain. He had his brother pinned to the floor, but he was screaming and struggling so much that Dean was having a hard time keeping him there.

"Please! No more! Please! Dean! Dean!" Sam continued to shout.

"I'm right here, Sammy! I'm here! You're safe," replied Dean in a soothing voice, leaning as close as he could to his brother's face without risking a head butt as his body thrashed beneath him. All trace of softness left his voice, however, as he spared a glance at Amy and Rory and growled, "Wake that bloody Doctor up and find out what the hell he's done!"

Amy broke free of Rory's grasp at Dean's words, rushing to the Doctor's side. Rory followed her and they quickly lifted the table off his chest before kneeling on either side of him. "Doctor?" murmured Amy softly, placing a gentle hand on his shoulder. Rory's medical training kicked into gear and he checked the Doctor's vitals, although part of him wondered whether they really were his vitals, considering they were a different species. He tried his best, though, and when Amy looked at him expectantly, he offered, "He's got two steady heartbeats pounding away. I think he's just in some kind of... psychic shock."

His wife's brow furrowed at that. "Psychic shock?" she repeated dully, before she turned her attention back to the Time Lord and slapped him across the face. "How's that for a shock?" she muttered, her Scottish accent ringing thick. "Doctor! Get up!"

Rory stared at her in surprise, as she slapped him again. The only sign from the Doctor was a pink handprint upon his cheek. He didn't move an inch. Not until Amy leaned down close to his ear and whispered softly, "Please Doctor. We need you."

Then the Time Lord was stirring awake, sitting up in a rush, his head almost colliding with Amy's. Rory jumped a little before he placed a hand gently on the Doctor's chest. "Slow down there. Don't get up too soon."

"Where's Sam?" the Doctor croaked weakly. He brought a hand to his face, rubbing his assaulted cheek before running a hand through his unruly hair.

At this, Rory realised that Sam was no longer screaming. He glanced over to see Dean standing up, a hand covering his jaw. He looked miserable and guilt-ridden. Bobby had appeared in the room at some point. He was kneeling next to Sam's unconscious form, looking up at Dean. Rory assumed one of the hunters had knocked the youngest Winchester out. For the best, he supposed, although he wondered how many bumps to the head these guys had taken over the years.

The Doctor rose unsteadily to his feet, gripping Rory's forearm with surprising strength. Rory braced himself and helped the Time Lord to stand upright; Amy clutched at his other side in an attempt to help.

Dean turned his hard gaze on the three of them, his eyes flashing with barely concealed helplessness and fury. "What did you do to him?" he growled. "You were supposed to help him, you son of a bitch!"

The Doctor shook his head softly. "I'm sorry, Dean," he told the eldest Winchester. Dean stepped forward, possibly to throw a punch at the Time Lord but Bobby stopped him with a hand on his shoulder, the old man's knees creaking in his haste to get to his feet. Dean shot him a glare before returning his hard gaze back to the Doctor.

Rory could see the concern in the Doctor's face but also the utter horror. Whatever he had witnessed inside Sam's head had been bad. It made Rory ache a little in sympathy for the Winchesters, and all the more grateful for the life he had back in Leadworth with Amy.

What the hell were they doing seeking out this kind of danger?

Rory pushed those thoughts aside to contemplate at another time as the Doctor continued, "The... extent of Sam's suffering took me by surprise." Dean visibly flinched at the Doctor's words. "I lost control. I'm sorry, Dean. Really."

Dean let out a bitter laugh. "Yeah, you're sorry. Well that's not gonna fix Sam, is it?" Fear and anger warred on the man's features before he closed his eyes, stilling his entire body. When he opened them again, it was like a shutter had been closed. Rory wasn't looking at Sam Winchester's brother anymore. He was looking at a soldier. At a hunter.

The Doctor took a step forward, shrugging out of Rory's grip with ease. Amy clung onto him for a moment longer; wanting to make sure he was steady. The Doctor offered her a small smile, before she finally let go of him, taking a step back to stand alongside Rory, her hand slipping into his once more. Rory looked down at their clasped hands and entwined their fingers before lifting his head back to the confrontation before them.

"Dean," began the Doctor steadily. "I can help Sam. It will just take longer than I originally anticipated. I'm sorry I didn't consider the extent of his suffering before attempting this."

Nothing remotely resembling fear or concern showed on Dean's face anymore. He was as impassive as stone. Rory wondered whether Dean would let the Doctor try again. At this point, he looked ready to throw them out, or kill them. He half expected the hunter to train a gun on the three of them at any moment. He wondered whether Bobby would defend them or encourage Dean, and realised with a sick feeling to his stomach that he didn't know. He had no idea what these men were capable of.

He had no idea.

But the Doctor did. The Doctor said he knew the Winchesters' story. He said they were good people... Could the Doctor's word be enough? He glanced down at his and Amy's clasped hands once more. Could his wife's faith in her Raggedy Doctor be enough for Rory?

It had to be.

Rory looked up as Dean sighed. His stance seemed a little more relaxed, and Rory wondered what he had missed. Bobby was staring at Dean with a sort of half-smile half-grimace, so perhaps the two had shared another telling look similar to the one in the living room earlier...

Finally, Dean said, "How long will it take?"

The Doctor sprang into action at Dean's resignation. "A night, possibly two," he supplied. "Now, is there somewhere we can go where we will be secure? We're going to very vulnerable to attack during this exchange unfortunately. Out like a light and screaming psychic waves in all directions... I suppose we could go into the TARDIS if need be..."

Dean shook his head. "We've got somewhere," he answered. "It's the safest place in all of South Dakota."

"All of South Dakota?" chimed in Amy, with a hint of amusement in her tone. "My, my, where is this special place?"

Dean offered her a crooked smile. "Beneath your feet, Red," he answered. "Bobby Singer's basement is home to our own little panic room."