Chapter 13: Eric's Farewell
Gwen, Mickey, and Prince Eric sat in the destroyed hub. Between a Minotaur attack and two earthquakes, the Torchwood hub was a huge mess. All of them were worried about Jack, Martha, and Ianto. They left hours ago and have yet to return. Gwen and Mickey had to stay in the hub in case something went wrong. They couldn't risk going out into the city to look for the others. If something happened with the rift after a day like this and they weren't there to immediately stop it, the results could be calamitous. So, they waited patiently and hoped for the return of their colleagues.
Prince Eric was very upset. Regina killed all of his men and then abandoned him here on another world. He thought of all the terrible consequences of his absence back in his kingdom. If he did not return to his kingdom as scheduled, then the kingdom would slowly fall apart. He had no family who could take the throne. He had no children who could rule the kingdom. He didn't even have a wife. There would be a power struggle for the thrown. Powerful families would drag the kingdom into a civil war for power.
The only thought that made Eric more upset than this was the thought of never seeing Ariel again. He hadn't thought about her for the entire time he was at Torchwood, but now he had to. Just the thought of Ariel made him feel better. He longed to see her again. She left him that night at the ball and he never understood why. Even if he never saw her again, he at least wanted to know that she was alright. Now, he would never be able to have this knowledge. He was trapped at Torchwood with no hope of returning. He thought about the dimension jumper that Torchwood confiscated from Regina, but when he asked Gwen about it, she said that they drained the power from it to make sure that Regina could never use it. Eric and Ariel would be forever separated. Worst of all, was that Ariel was on another world with Regina. The Evil Queen could kill her as revenge against Eric, and he would never even know. He started to cry.
Suddenly, there was a strange wind that blew around the hub. Papers and loose objects were flying all around the hub. Then, Gwen, Eric, and Mickey heard a strange, but familiar sound. It was that old wheezing type noise. It was the TARDIS. It was the Doctor. Gwen and Mickey smiled as they watched the box materialize in the hub. Eric was confused. He didn't know what this was or what to expect when the box finally finished forming. However, Gwen and Mickey were smiling, so he thought that this must be a good sign.
The TARDIS had finally landed. When the doors opened, Jack, Martha, and Ianto stepped out smiling. Just from their happy faces, Gwen and Mickey knew that they had saved the city. From the smiles on Gwen and Mickey's faces, Jack, Martha, and Ianto knew that they had closed the rift and Regina was not a threat. The Torchwood team then engaged in multiple hugs and shouts of joy. This night could've ended much worse. They were all alive. They saved the city.
Next, the Doctor and Clara exited the TARDIS. The Doctor then stared at Mickey. When, Mickey caught the Doctor's gaze, he stared back.
"It's you." Mickey said. "You've changed again."
"That's right Mickey." The Doctor replied smiling.
"I'll never understand you." Gwen remarked to the Doctor.
The Doctor only replied with his signature smile. As he looked around, he noticed that he knew everyone in the room, except for Prince Eric.
"Who are you?" The Doctor asked the Prince.
"My name is Eric." He replied.
"Why are you crying Eric? Cardiff is safe." The Doctor said.
"Yes, but I am lost." Eric replied. "I came here with Regina. She threatened me. She said I had to help her or she would kill the woman that I love. Now, she's left me here."
"Where did she go?" The Doctor asked.
"Back to her world." Mickey replied. "And she took my heart."
The Doctor, Clara, Jack, Martha, and Ianto stared at him curiously. Before they could ask Gwen brought them over to the computer so that they could watch the security footage for themselves. They were all horrified at the sight of Regina reaching inside Mickey's chest and pulling out his heart. They also heard Regina's threat. The words echoed throughout the hub.
"Heed my warning Torchwood. I'm coming back to this land and when I do, you're not going to interfere. If you do, I will crush Mickey's heart and he will die."
"Why would she come back here? What else does she want?" Martha asked.
"Regina's a determined woman." Clara said. "She could do anything."
"Come Eric." The Doctor said to the Prince. "I'll take you home.
"Really? You can take me back to my world?" Eric questioned.
"Of course." The Doctor said. "I've been to the Enchanted Forest a few times. Got into some trouble with Snow White and the Sontarans. Rumplestiltskin is probably out to get me I think. I lose track. So many people are. Well people and aliens and robots, but that's besides the point. You wanna go home? I'll take you home."
"What about Regina?" Ianto interjected.
"Don't you worry about Regina." The Doctor replied.
"What about my heart?" Mickey asked.
"Don't worry about it." The Doctor said.
"But Regina said she's coming back here. Whatever she's going to do, she wants us to stay out of it." Gwen said.
"I know. Don't worry about it." The Doctor repeated yet again.
"Well what are you going to do?" Jack asked the Doctor.
"I'm getting Mickey's heart back." The Doctor said.
And with that, the Doctor, Clara, and Eric said one last farewell before entering the TARDIS. Then, the big blue box disappeared. The Torchwood team was left in the hub to ponder. What was the Doctor going to do?