Obligatory Tangential Disclaimer, by means of prologue: Much as I'd love to, I don't own Heroes.

26: Still Worth Saving?

"Wrong." A quick page-flip, skim of contents, disgusted sigh. "Wrong again." The magazine was snapped shut and tossed aside and another opened in its place to be subjected to the same scrutiny. "Still wrong, but getting closer..." Pause, then, "Right on the money! Of course everyone's going to think you're crazy for the next fifty years..."

"But with the advances in anti-aging technology, they might very well be alive and lucid enough to accept an award at that point." A faint creak as the elderly plastic of the one empty chair at the table protested under new weight, and a rustle as the newcomer slid a basket of freshly-fried chips across the tabletop. "It's generally considered ill manners to criticize the science of a developing race, especially if you're a guest on their planet. You should know this by now, Doctor."

"I've stopped using red ink, if that makes you feel any better," the Doctor replied absently, turning another page with one hand while reaching for the chip basket with the other. He then looked up at the stranger, frowning slightly when he realized that their face and voice – delicate doll-like features which completely jarred with the stranger's rusty whiskey baritone – failed to register in his memories. "Who are you, by the way, and how'd you know to order the chips?"

"The empty basket by your elbow, for one, and the fact that Lilith mentioned that you like them. It was a footnote in one of her reports that I found amusing and not a little bit telling." When this also failed to register, the newcomer sighed. "I'm Lilith's aunt Avery, Professor of Morphic Medicine and Deputy Chief of Staff of the Xenobiology Department."

This last provoked a disbelieving eyebrow raise and a muttered, "Aunt? One of us is kind of confused, then."

Blink, then, "Oh, right. Aunt... I just recently changed forms, so you'll have to excuse me if I slip up every now and then. I took on the male form as part of an experiment..." Avery noticed that the look of disbelief had only intensified during this explanation and he sighed again, switching subjects. "That's immaterial. The point of the matter is that I need you to come with me right now – two lives are in danger, and your word can save them."

"Ohhhh - !" The Doctor threw his magazine down and ran his hands frustratedly through his hair, the gelled spikes mirroring his disquieted mental state. "This always happens when I'm on vacation! I spent a year as an old man and a day as a geriatric midget, and then I harnessed the brainpower of a planet full of humans – no small feat, mind you – to fix the flow of time and save them from a hell partially of their own devising, so you'd think I'd earn a day off!" A pause to gather breath, then, "And if this is so important, why isn't Lilith here to tell me about it? She's usually the official bringer of bad news, so where is she?"

Avery frowned, looked down at the tabletop for a moment, then muttered, "In prison, probably close to dead. She's one of the people that needs your help."

"Absolutely not."

The professor's green eyes narrowed in an intense glare that the Doctor began to suspect was a family trait common to Lilith's kin, if not a Sidra racial ability. "That sounds mighty funny coming from a man who might very well still be a geriatric midget without the help of the woman he despises so much. I read the reports on what you did, Doctor, and while it is amazing, it doesn't fit the standard genetic profile for your people. That aside, even with the combined brainpower of billions of people, there still wasn't enough strength in the Archangel network for it to bring you back. Like it or not, you owe her a big favor, and there's no better time than now to cash in on it."

"So you want me to free a convicted murderer and psychopathic fiend from a death sentence out of the goodness of my heart?"

Avery shrugged. "The whole shared DNA thing figures in as well, but essentially yes."

"I stand by my earlier decision – absolutely not."

"Then would it change your mind to hear that one of her colleagues – a charming young man by the name of Marius, who just happens to be the Caretaker of the Rift on Earth – happens to be in grave danger also? It would also be safe to say that if he dies then the lives of some good, albeit slightly deranged, individuals led by one Jack Harkness would be jeopardized as well." A faint flicker of interest, hastily concealed, in response to this. "I know that you and the folks at Torchwood have a long-standing no-touchie policy, but at least they stick around to try and clean up the mess." Avery realized at this point that his attempts at polite coercion had no traction whatsoever. He leaned back in his seat and considered the Doctor carefully, bringing hands together as he did so and carefully popping each knuckle. "You know what, Doctor? Anzed Paktu, my esteemed instructor in the Rektaan Seven school of Marat-fe combat, often advocated peaceful discussion before resorting to violence. He also told me that if diplomacy fails there is nothing wrong with beating your opponent senseless with your chair. I have no desire to cause undue distress to this establishment or its clientèle, so perhaps it would simply be best if you came with me?"

"Your instructor was obviously not a people person," said the Doctor, rising from his chair and gathering his coat and the magazines. "You're telling me that Lilith, who is currently facing a rightfully-deserved execution, is the only person that can save this Marius?"

"No, he wasn't, now that I think about it," Avery replied, likewise standing up. "And yes, that's pretty much what I'm saying. To paraphrase current popular television, 'Save the psychopath, save the world.'"

"That doesn't sound very encouraging."

"Damn you, let me out!" A struggling cough of effort from the prisoner, then a weak whisper: "Please. If you have a shred of mercy..."

The Enforcer pressed the mute button on the sound system, turned slightly in his seat to view a monitor displaying the vital signs of the cell's occupant. Every part of it showed decreased vitality: significantly slowed heart and respiration rates, severe physical and mental fatigue, and one last meter on its lowest bar of measure that indicated the core spirit at its final ebb. "Oh, how the mighty have fallen," he murmured. "And in the end, gods and renegades show their fickle, mortal spirit."

"Is this how you treat all of them?"

The new, unfamiliar voice gave the Enforcer cause to turn further in his chair and eye the visitor critically. "You are not authorized to be present. Remove yourself immediately."

"He's here by permission of the Exarch, as am I." A second individual stepped forward, flashing a badge that identified him as a member of the Commission's medical staff. "Professor Avery of Xenobiology, and this gentleman is the Doctor. No questions, just the Doctor. We don't have much time, do we?"

"No, as a matter of fact we don't. I'd give her another five minutes before she gives up completely." The Enforcer eyed both men with an even gaze and murmured, "So what interest have you in Death Sentence number 54?"

"He's her husband, and I'm her aunt – er, uncle – damn, I've really got to figure that out soon..." Avery glanced at the monitor and his face grew stern. "We're here, as I mentioned, on the orders of the Exarch. Lilith is to go free immediately." Almost as if anticipating resistance, Avery removed a thin slip of paper with an official seal and held it out for the jailer's inspection. "It has been deemed that her survival and continued existence will be of greater benefit than a sudden, ill-considered extermination."

This choice of wording brought an inadvertent wince from the Doctor, but the Enforcer did not see this as he carefully read over the paper. "And you, Doctor, must be a master of words. The Exarch does not change her mind lightly."

"She might be a monster, but there is still a part of her worth saving." The Doctor seemed uncertain as he said this, and Avery risked a comforting pat on his shoulder which he ignored as he looked at the video feed from the single occupied cell. "And this is just – barbaric! Mental institutions on Earth in the 18th Century were kinder to their patients than you are to your prisoners."

"How strange you should say that." The Enforcer returned to his control panel and began to flip switches and turn dials. "We gained some of our best ideas from the Earth Humans."

"Well, this certainly wasn't one of them." Avery's comforting touch now turned to one of restraint, and the Doctor bit back further tart commentary in this vein. "All right, I've done my work. Get her out of there so she can do hers."

"The motto of the Enforcers is to show no mercy to those who would do the same." A pause, then,"Good, she's coming around. Thank you for cooperating, by the way – I would have hated to resort to extreme measures to get a transfusion out of you."

"I'd hate to be the person that sues you for malpractice," was the mirthless response. "I've read a little about Marat-fe..."

Lilith's body still ached from the myriad punishments that it had endured and, unsure of what she would find upon doing so, opened her eyes cautiously and squinted upward into the brilliant light overhead. One face she recognized with a sinking sensation in the pit of her stomach, but as for the other – "Just what I expected upon awakening in heaven," she rasped in a raw throat, swallowing what reserves of saliva she could just to speak comfortably, "angels and self-righteous assholes."

"Hey!" said the unfamiliar male, seraphic beauty decreasing slightly as he frowned in muted reproof. "This self-righteous asshole just saved your life, both with paperwork and a blood transfusion. Show a little bit of gratitude."

"Hello to you too," the Doctor added, shaking his head disapprovingly at Lilith. "I guess this makes us even."

"I guess so," said Lilith, gladly returning her focus to the stranger. "And who might you be?"

"God, she's even more punch-drunk than I thought she'd be," the stranger grumbled, rolling his eyes. "It's me, Lilith. Auntie Avery."

Lilith blinked a few times, squinted at certain aspects of the unfamiliar male, and then felt slightly nauseous as she realized her mistake. "I'm – I'm sorry, Aunt – er, Uncle – hell. If we weren't related, I'd think you were gorgeous."

Avery grinned. "That's all right. Half the female population of London apparently thought so too."

"Wolf-whistles and catcalls everywhere," the Doctor added with an amused smile. "Made me feel like wallpaper, and that takes some doing."

"Stop it, both of you." Lilith closed her eyes and laid an arm across her face to block the too-bright illumination of the operating lights. "Thanks. I don't deserve this."

"Come on, Lilith, enough already! You're one vinyl trenchcoat away from the Matrix set, and is there any reason for the leather pants?"

Avery raised both eyebrows at the Doctor's assessment and muttered, "No complaints here."

This merited baffled looks from both Lilith and the Doctor, but Lilith shrugged it off and resumed the donning of her field gear. "No reason," she said, cinching the strap on the leg-sheath for her knife and then moving slightly to test its tension and play, "other than the simple reason that they make my ass look good."

"One less thing to worry about when fighting Ultimate Evil," the Doctor grumbled, then turned his attention back to Avery. "So remind me what my role in this is again?"

"Support and stability, mainly," Avery replied, ticking items off on an inventory list. "When Lilith goes apeshit, and there is no doubt in my mind that she will, she'll need someone familiar to call her back. Much as the idea might make you cringe, that's you."

"How sickeningly sweet." Satisfied that all was in place, Lilith pulled her jacket on once more and glanced over the pile of equipment that Avery had seen fit to bring along. "No disrespect, Auntie, but what is all this crap? And where's my gun? I've got the ass-pants, but I can't take on Ultimate Evil without heavy artillery."

"All in good time, love, all in good time." Avery ruffled Lilith's hair teasingly, causing the young woman to scowl. "Now go and lie down for a while, why don't you? You'll be needing all the energy you have for this, and you still aren't quite back to full speed yet."

"Yes, sahib." Lilith mock-bowed to Avery and stalked out of the storage area, leaving her aunt alone with the Doctor.

Silence reigned for a moment as Avery checked off the last of the list. "And last but not least, a spare body for Lilith..." Pause, then, "You know, Doctor, one would think that in your relatively advanced years you'd have moved past sulking. It's unbecoming."

"You've forced me to break someone out of jail who I think should have stayed there, and now are twisting my arm even further to help her save someone that I don't even know deserves it." Sigh. "Pardon me for seeming selfish, but I also can't help the feeling that I'm being used."

"If you don't like being used, then stop getting into everyone's business with that stupid excuse that you're helping to fix things. We Sidra are used to being used, so maybe you should watch and learn." Avery returned his communicator to one of many pockets and turned to face the Doctor, arms folded in a display of forced restraint. "In all of my time working with emotional beings, I've noticed that love makes them do some of the strangest things. It's turned my niece into a self-destructive fruitcake, but you... I'm still trying to figure out if love's turned you into an insensitive ass, or if that comes naturally. Where's that capacity for forgiveness, Doctor? Did it die on the Valiant?"

"Now hold on a minute - "

"I'm not asking you to go all Harlequin-romantic-sap, idiot. I'm just asking you to realize what effect you have on people, especially her, and be patient." Avery gave the Doctor a head-to-toe lookover in an attitude of frank assessment that made the Time Lord feel slightly uneasy, then said, "I'm not sure how you do it, either, because I'm not attracted to you in the slightest."

A small smile from the Doctor, then, "Thank you. It's nice to have someone who doesn't feel the need to cling to me like a dryer sheet."

Avery shook his head but couldn't help a mirroring grin. "See what I mean?"

"Marius! My god – my head, get out of my head!"

Avery hastily popped the latches on one of the crates, fished out a basic hypodermic kit and a vial of sedatives. "And this is where the fun starts. Come on, Doctor..."