WhoNautral - 10th Doctor/Supernatural

16

Shorter upload before Christmas. Apologies for the longer wait xxx Happy Holidays!

Inside, if it were possible, looked even more woebegone and dishevelled than the outside. The rotten wooden floorboards beneath their feet threatened to crumple under even soft and careful steps. Trickles of water from the recent downpour ran down the walls, only further eroding the structure of the barn. Three flashlights clicked on as Sam, Dean and The Doctor ventured further inside. The atmosphere was tense and heavy, almost tangible. Dark, shadowy doorways became visible, their gaping mouths swallowing the light whole. Sam shuffled over to his older brother.

"I can't shake the feeling that there is something way bigger going on here." He breathed softly. Dean turned, a troubled expression upon his face.

"Me too," he answered. "Something's not right about all this. It's not often we have a case turn up twice. Must mean we're good at our job." Dean couldn't resist adding in a quip to the end of his speculations, making Sam huff slightly in annoyance. Before either could take another step, a sharp inhalation and the sound of breaking glass made them both jump and whip round.

"Sorry..." The Doctor stood looking shaken with his back to the wall, facing a tall shelf in an open room off to the side of the main one. A large glass jar lay smashed at his feet, splattering the floor with a thick substance, dark red in colour. Sam passed his flashlight across the room to stop on the shelf, which was filled with jars of the same kind.

"Blood." Dean crouched down to get a closer look.

"Yeah, I think I got that bit." The Doctor let out a nervous chuckle, looking squeamish. Dean finished his surveillance of the area and turned to face his companions.

"Vampires back in business, then?" Sam scratched his head thoughtfully.

"You think maybe a branch of the original nest came back to rebuild?"

"Maybe..." Dean trailed off, rubbing his chin. Once again, a noise pulled them out of their deliberations. Only this time, it was the soft familiar whirring of the sonic screwdriver. They turned to see The Doctor pointing his trusty device towards the mess on the floor, leaning forward though trying to keep as far away as possible.

"I think this might change things..." he murmured, perking up slightly as he looked at his findings.

"What is it?" Sam and Dean said in unison.

"The blood isn't human." The Doctor's conclusion made the brothers blink in surprise. "It's deer blood." Sam and Dean exchanged glances.

"Vamps had a lifestyle re-evaluation, huh?" Sam wondered aloud.

"You think they had a change of heart after we iced their pals?" Dean offered.

"Hang on-" The Doctor stepped forward, clearly wanting more of an explanation. "That's a thing? Vegetarian vampires?"

"Not common, but yeah, it's a thing." Sam confirmed. "They can feed on animal and human blood, thought the latter is much more enticing." The Doctor nodded, looking rather pale.

"Let's...uh, push on, shall we? I think it's safe to say that we found the kitchen." The Doctor suggested, seeming very eager to leave.

****

The thick layer of trees surrounding the clearing did little to stop the chill that had begun to cut through the air. Castiel shrugged his coat closer around him, not because he felt the cold, but to attempt to settle the prickling of the hairs on the back of his neck, and the gnawing pit in his stomach. He sighed. Why was he feeling like this? He was used to keeping watch while Sam and Dean did the hard-yards, he had no problem with simply offering his support and expertise when they needed him. As time went by, he felt more and more like that was his true purpose, and he was content with it. Yet here he stood, feeling strange emotions in the dark. Before he could sink any deeper into his thoughts, a distant twig snapping caused Castiel to raise his head swiftly, like a dog that had caught a scent. It's probably nothing, he thought, yet every other part of him was on edge, as though his very nerves were standing on-end. Almost as if on their own, his feet took a step forward against his better judgement. He needed to stay here and keep watch over the building, but his legs dragged on, the need to investigate growing with every step. Castiel walked, following where he thought he had heard the noise coming from until he reached the edge of the clearing, looking up at the first row of trees blocking this place off from the road. Something rustled through he bushes, Castiel cocking his head quickly toward the source of the disturbance.

"Hello...?" His voice sounded louder than he expected, almost startling himself. As he pushed through the undergrowth, he was also surprised to feel his heart pounding in his ears. Before he could take another step, the silence was shattered violently as something large burst from the thick spread of leaves. Castiel let out a yelp and raised his arms to his face. He opened his eyes just in time to see a deer cantering away, weaving skilfully between the trees. He let out a half-sigh, half-nervous chuckle, his breath misting in front of him. Why was it so cold? This wouldn't have been a problem, until Castiel noticed a thin layer of ice begin to creep its way across the ground, crystalizing in jagged patterns as it went. The wind worsened considerably, his coat flapping at his legs. Something was very wrong. Instinctively, Castiel began to run back the way he had come, stumbling over his feet in his haste to return to his companions he had left too quickly. Stupid, stupid, stupid. He scolded himself as he ran, the barn looming ever closer. He quickly approached the door with the intention of warning the others, but was forced to skid to a halt as it closed with a soft thud and a rattle of chains.

"No," Castiel whispered urgently to himself as he tried in vain to force the door. It wouldn't budge. He closed his eyes, focusing with all his might in a desperate attempt to contact his friends.

"Sam, Dean, please-" Before he could think another word, his head was filled with a high-pitched whine, so loud it made him clutch at his head in pain. Castiel dropped to his knees, trying to cry out but not being able to hear his own voice. Just when he thought his head might explode, the noise and the pain subsided, giving him time to gasp in relief. It was short lived, however, as a voice called out that was not Sam, Dean or The Doctor. It was one that even hearing was enough to cause his mostly unfeeling heart to skip a beat. It was calm, lilting, almost teasing, accompanied by a second pair of feet crunching into the gravel.

"Simple hunting knowledge, Castiel, you've gone soft." The voice sneered. "Surely you should be aware that predators guide the weaker prey away from their herd, making them surprisingly easier to kill." Castiel raised his head to see a blonde-haired man wearing a leather jacket standing lazily over him. He would have almost passed for a human, apart from the fact that his eyes were blood-red.

"You." Castiel growled, getting painfully to his feet. The man chuckled.

"You humble me, Castiel. A little common courtesy would go a long way, though, don't you think?" He smirked, and Castiel found the name pulling itself out of his mouth against his will.

"Lucifer."

"That's better. Not so hard, now was it?" Lucifer smiled nastily as he began to close the gap between them. "Now. You and I are going to have a nice, civil little chat."