Sitting on his comfortable chair, enjoying his day off, Theodore looked over the things he collected during his misadventures with Lila.
Namely, the coin from the disavowed professor and the medical journal from Abbey.
The intrigue from them too strong for Theodore that he needed to set aside time out of his few day-offs to ponder about them as his fur friends take their naps in his bedrooms after gorging on their lunch.
Cogs in his head turning as he's looking through the medical journal, Al hadn't found anything conclusive, Paul's shorthand and slang's difficult pinpointing, since they don't have anything else written by Paul to further get an idea.
Whatever he learnt, it dealt with a process that certainly wasn't possible for the time. Nobody could've known this, it'd be science fiction to anyone who read the original, surely.
It's difficult, but the fact that a man resurrected a woman with only implanting her heart into another's the part that's boggling Theodore's poor mind as he's trying to read through the pages.
Scientifically improbable for such a thing to happen, it's ludicrous, and something you'd find in a science fiction movie.
Another thing boggling his poor mind's the fact that Abbey lived for over a thousand years and didn't look like a mummy for her trouble.
This whole thing's driving his poor brain into overdrive and he checked every corner for anything that would've helped him solving the bizarre case.
Everything he learnt from Abbey didn't help much, but it's expected, she couldn't know everything about the man.
The university's checked out, none of the professors could've taught him anything like this, and if Paul was learning this, he learnt it on the side, considering his desires, no doubt he didn't share this with anyone, as Abbey theorized.
Whoever Paul went to for tutoring, tutored him under the table, Al found scraps of banking transactions where Paul wired money to someone regularly.
Not someone in the family, not someone in the hospital, all the medical equipment he bought came from him physically withdrawing money.
The identity of the person receiving the money, still remained a mystery, as Al thinks it's someone who didn't want their identity exposed.
Back-alley tutoring, he thinks, which due to the radical teaching given.
Nothing conclusive, unfortunately.
The thought of going back in the past and finding out came to mind numerous times, but Al talked him out of it, considering the dangers of going someplace he isn't "needed."
So, that remains a bust.
The coin side of things, still wracking his brain on it.
It's not a coin from any period of history, too unique that the coin and the set given to Professor Stanford was made to order.
Just doesn't make sense nor where the trustee who gave them to Professor Stanford went.
His identity remained unknown, too, nobody jumped out with the unique last name "al Jinn."
Al tried numerous times over the course of their adventures, but came into roadblocks.
Whoever the trustee was, he's careful about his public appearances, didn't let his name get out so easily, and pictures of him, well, that's another story.
Only picture's the one in the newspaper, flash and all, he didn't like photography it'd seem.
Going through names, Al couldn't find anyone with the last name, not even an accurate appearance, it's making Theodore think the man never existed.
Oh, the troubles of being the Doctor, getting into detective work, the troubles, indeed.
Nobody knew anything about the coins, nobody knew or had a clear picture of the trustee, nobody knew who Paul tutored from, and it's making his brain hurt trying to put the pieces together.
Maybe the other Doctors would've left these alone and moved on, that's acceptable to their ideologies, but for Theodore, he's having a hard time letting these pieces go, something about them intrigued him.
Professor Stanford, a man who wasn't an alien, somehow became a type of telepath under the knife, that's impossible, especially at the time of the adventure.
He claimed that the trustee did it and it's impossible for Theodore finding evidence supporting it, he couldn't even find an address for the elusive man.
All the money he poured into the university and nothing short of a home address, sounded illegal, and something strange.
Rubbing the side of his lobe, Theodore got up from his chair, stretching his long legs, popping his back, before shuffling to the kitchen where he made himself clementine tea, since the season of peppermint tea passed them.
With the tea brewing, Theodore stretched his back once again, stopping when he heard a knock on the door, and went over to see who's there.
Opening the door, he sees his beloved uncle standing there.
"Uncle, I didn't know you were coming here," Theodore thoughtfully said as he let his uncle through the doorway.
If he'd known, Theodore would've made more tea, some scones, for his uncle, but Uncle told him that it wasn't necessary, he wanted to swing by before he headed off somewhere.
"Of course, Uncle," Theodore watched his uncle come through the den, his dark eyes gleaming under the soft light.
He offered a seat for his uncle and he took it on the couch, overlooking the den table, as Theodore fetched the medical journal and coin that laid on it.
"How's your adventures, so far?" Theodore's uncle inquired how his great nephew faired in the adventures since he took up the title as the Doctor.
Exhaling sharply as he joined his uncle on the chair across from the couch, Theodore tells him that he doesn't know how his father managed.
Nodding, his short brown hair stiffly bobbing, his uncle said that his father managed because it was all he could do, once he met Sarah, he learnt something unique to him, balance.
"Trust me, nephew, it will balance," his uncle assured him that he'll find the balance needed.
Reaching for his cup of tea, Theodore noted that it's not coming any time soon.
Giving him his Cheshire grin, his uncle assured him that it'll come sooner than later, Theodore needed patience.
Something his father didn't have, much.
His uncle continued, asking questions about how he's doing with the new job as the Doctor, and Theodore couldn't muster any strength lying to him.
If not for his healing, Theodore would've needed crutches a long time ago, just because of the amount of twisting and turning he needed running away from whatever danger he's dealing with that day.
"And Lila, how's she fairing?" Theodore's uncle asks about her handling her career as the Doctor's companion and Theodore told him that she's stubborn as can be, not wanting to take a break, fearing reprimand from Hammond if anything happens to Theodore.
He's tried numerous times, but Lila wouldn't hear of it, she claimed that she's handling the struggles of becoming his companion.
Even telling her that he won't let Hammond get on her case didn't do any good, she's stubborn.
"Sounds like someone I know, hm?" Theodore's uncle raised a knowing brow at him.
Frowning, Theodore motioned with his large hand that he knows Lila feels compelled being his companion, but she didn't have the same capacity healing like he does.
She risks hurting herself perpetually or worse.
"She means well, nephew," his uncle tells him as he settled in his chair.
While Theodore agreed, he worried nonetheless, he feared being responsible if she gotten hurt on his account.
Slowly nodding his head, his uncle tells him that it's the nature of it all.
Frowning, Theodore wished that Hammond didn't push Lila into becoming his companion.
His uncle reminded him that Hammond had good intentions for doing that.
Hammond meant well, after losing their parents, he didn't want to lose Theodore, too.
In his own way, having Lila tag along with Theodore's his way of ensuring that Theodore comes home every adventure.
Maybe Lila should've taken breaks from being Theodore's companion, but Hammond can't step away from work as easily as he made it for Theodore.
"Remember this nephew, you're the Doctor, but even the Doctor has his limits, remember that," his uncle reminded him of the limits being the Doctor. "And I'm responsible for her as he is, as I'm the one who pushed both of you into the TARDIS."
They continue talking until his uncle asked for something to drink, his mouth dry, and Theodore obliged.
He went and fetched more tea, when he came back, he handed over the cup of tea to his beloved uncle who thanked him for the tea, before drinking it.
Resuming their conversation, they talked until the teapots emptied, and Theodore's uncle saw the time, deciding he spent enough, wanting to get out of Theodore's hair for the time being.
Theodore walked him out of his flat, saw him off, before turning to his flat, where he resumed looking through the medical journal and the…
Hold on…
Where is it?
Theodore knows he put it in the medical journal for safekeeping.
Where did it go?
On his knees, Theodore searched everywhere, but it's gone, the coin's gone!
"It was right here!" Theodore murmured as he searched for the coin he'd taken from Professor Stanford, unfortunately, it's missing from the flat.
Turning over his pockets, looking under the furniture, rugs, nothing.
Elsewhere…
Walking down the calm sidewalks of the city, Hamon walked with one hand in his trousers, and another on his umbrella, he's deep in thought, passing by people as he did, until he stopped short of a small cafe.
Pulling it out, Hamon stared at it, the coin, turning it over, he sees the marred back, but he recognized the etchings.
A frown appears on his normally joyful face, as he shoved the coin back in his trousers, continuing his walk.
THE END