A/N: Another day, another update... Part 6/10, here we go!
And a Happy Passover to anybody celebrating it!
The Doctor sat on a chair in Hankel's kitchen, his head cradled in his hands. It had been over 36 hours since Spencer was taken and about twelve hours since the TARDIS landed. They weren't any closer to finding Spencer than they were before, and two more people were dead.
He knew that with every minute that had passed, their chances of finding Spencer alive were rapidly decreasing, and he couldn't help but hope that Spencer, the man who knew every statistic fact by heart, would just this once prove it to be wrong.
"Coffee?"
He looked up to see Gideon standing next to him, two paper cup in his hands.
He knew what was in the man's future. He knew about everything he will go through, and about how he would leave one day. The Doctor helped Spencer deal with his mentor's abrupt departure – the younger Time Lord was so distressed he couldn't even bring himself to read the letter Gideon left for him.
Spencer, in turn, helped the Doctor deal with losing Rose and with Martha's departure. When the time arrived, he helped him understand that what happened to Donna wasn't his fault.
At the end of the day, both Spencer and the Doctor were very much alike. They didn't like endings, and were never quite sure what to do when facing one.
If they wouldn't save Spencer on time, none of these things would happen. Even ignoring how he would have to cope on his own when losing his companions, the Doctor wasn't sure he'll be able to move on if he lost his oldest friend.
But that was neither here nor there, and it certainly wasn't what the Doctor needed to focus on at the moment. Silently, he nodded and grabbed the cup, ignoring the fact that, in less than a year's time, the man in front of him would hurt Spencer beyond what any of the humans in the house could begin to imagine.
"I heard what you told Reid," Gideon said after a couple of moments of silence. "Some of it, at least." He hesitated for less than a moment before adding, "I heard you called him 'Statum'."
The Doctor sighed. He had hoped that Gideon and Hotch, who were standing not far behind him when he sat in front of the camera, didn't hear what he told Spencer. If he'd known they had, he wouldn't have used that nickname from centuries ago.
"I know you want an explanation," he said. "But I'm afraid I can't give you one."
"If it's something about Reid –"
"It is," the Doctor cut him off. "And I know that you think this information will be helpful for the case, but it won't be. I won't lie to you, there are a lot of things you don't know about Spencer, but it's up to him when – and if – to tell you. It's his decision," he repeated. "Not mine. Not yours."
"Then explain what you can," Gideon said. "Look, I know your type. When all of this is over and Spencer is back, you'll just gallivant away. We're the ones who'll have to help him move on once you go away."
The Doctor stood up, taking a step closer to the human in front of him. "Don't dare to assume you know anything about me, about Spencer, or about our friendship. This is infinitely more complicated than you can even begin to comprehend."
"So you're a genius, like Reid," Gideon concluded, only making the Doctor's anger to flare even more than before.
"No," he said. "You will not try to profile me. You won't do it because you can't do it without profiling Spencer – and, yes, I know about your no-profiling rule."
"I, unlike you, know to put the line between professional and personal."
"Really? Which one is this?" The Doctor stared the profiler down, noting with respect and slight annoyance that he didn't back down. "Here's what I'll tell you. I've known Spencer for since we were both very young. We had nicknames. His was Statum. Anything beyond that, you'll have to ask him."
"How do you know him?" Gideon inquired. "How did you meet?"
"I told you," the Doctor said through gritted teeth. "You want to know anything else, you'll have to ask him!"
"Who are you to him?" Gideon went on, ignoring him. "Who is he to you? Did you have more friends with nicknames like that? What was yours? What was the meaning of his?"
"If you're seriously keep asking after what I told you, you're either an idiot or a bad friend," the Doctor sneered. "This isn't my story to tell – though, frankly, I wouldn't tell you even if it was. This is Spencer's, and this is about Spencer. Respect that. Respect his privacy. Or, if you don't," he added when Gideon opened his mouth to retort, "At least pretend you do."
He turned around, walking out of the room to find Hotch sanding by the door, having obviously heard every word.
"What was that all about?" the profiler asked.
"I thought you had a code against profiling your coworkers," the Doctor said as reply.
"You're not our coworker," Hotch noted.
"But Spencer is. He is not the Unsub here, he's the victim, and while I understand you're upset he didn't tell you about Amy, Rory or me, that gives you no right to dig into his life."
"Doctor!" Rory's voice suddenly called out in distress. "Doctor, come here, now!"
The Doctor didn't hesitate, running back into the computer's room just in time to see Hankel moving to stand right in front of Spencer, partially blocking his view from the camera's sight.
"This ends now," Hankel's voice said. "Confess your sins." Spencer didn't say anything, making Hankel punch him right in the jaw. "Confess!"
"I haven't done anything," Spencer cried, and Hankel punched him again. "Tobias, help me."
"He can't help you," Hankel said. "He's weak."
"Tobias," Spencer let out just before another blow arrived.
As Hankel moved to step next to Spencer, holding him by the hair to keep his head up, the Doctor felt his hearts clench. Next to him he could hear Garcia's shaky intakes of breath as she tried to hold back tears and feel stress rolling off Gideon in waves. Rory seemed to want to run away, stop seeing this, but his eyes were fixed to the screen as he was unable to look away.
"Confess your sins," Hankel said, but Spencer didn't reply.
When Hankel pushed Spencer back with one swift movement, the Doctor jumped forwards.
"No!" he called out, as if his words could make a difference – as if Hankel could hear them.
"Oh, my god," he heard Garcia say next to him. "He's killing him."
"Doctor?" Rory asked carefully. "Doctor, shouldn't he…? He… how can he…?"
The Doctor didn't say anything, staring at the screen and waiting for the signature golden energy of regeneration. Even long after Spencer stopped convulsing on the floor, and Hankel said something beyond his understanding, he kept waiting, staring at the screen unblinking.
He felt, rather than saw, Gideon leave the room. He was vaguely aware of Rory running out, probably to find Amy. He knew Garcia was still there by his side, wanting to ask something but too scared to bring it to words.
He kept waiting for a golden light that never came.