A/N: Thanks to all my reviewers. I'm happy to be updating because of you. This chapter basically wrote itself as well and I hope you enjoy it.
If there are any questions about any part of this story that you think needs further explanation PM me and I will explain it in my next author's notes.
Hugs and such. :D
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Micah had brought an exhausted Jack back to the hub. If he didn't know any better he'd assume he hadn't slept in months. He looked dead on his feet and Micah was amazed he'd been able to hold it together as long as he had. Looking around the hub he noticed Ianto, who was dragging his feet and yawning loudly, eyes squinted against the light and limbs feeling heavy and dragged down. Coffee would do them no good at this stage of exhaustion. They needed sleep and by god Micah was going to make damn sure they got their sleep even if he had to use a cast iron skillet.
"Ianto, Jack, go to bed." Micah demanded only to get two identical glares and he sighed. This was going to be a fight and a half.
"Saben needs us." Ianto said, stifling a yawn and stretching, hoping to get some energy into his absolutely exhausted limbs.
"Not as much as you two need sleep. I promise I'll wake you if anything comes up, but please...you need the sleep, both of you will keel over dead if you're not careful, and what good are you to Saben then?" Micah said and Ianto caved, grabbing Jack's hand and leading him to the bunker. Jack, for his part, didn't put up much of a fight, which was an indication of how exhausted he actually was.
"Could you read him a night story?" Ianto asked, turning to look at his friend who smiled and nodded.
"If I can't, Jazz will. Now go!" Micah prompted and was happy to see the couple vanish into Jack's office. He didn't care where they fell asleep, as long as they fell asleep. He would need to let the others know to keep it down, but for now he had only one thing on his mind.
"Jazz?" He called and was happy to see her sitting on the couch reading a book. Leave it to Jazz to always have a book on hand.
"Yes Micah?" She asked politely, turning the page in her book as though she hadn't been interrupted.
"I need you to size someone up for me." Micah said and Jazz closed her book and looked up, intrigued.
"And who do I need to size up for you?" She asked, putting the book on the table and standing to meet Micah's gaze.
"Her name is Gwen. I heard she's in the cells. I need a test subject and I want to make sure she's right for the job. You know me, always conscientious."
"Yeah, whatever. Where are these cells?" Micah shrugged.
"Don't ask me. You're the one who got the grand tour." And indeed she had. Tosh and Owen had made sure to give them all the grand tour of the place, it just so happened to coincide with Micah's lack of interest.
"I wasn't paying that much attention...both of us are kind of pathetic."
"I know where they are!" Kayla said, walking over to the duo, smile on her face at their situation.
"Lead the way then." Jazz said, smile of her own in place. She wasn't easily embarrassed.
"Cool! JULIE, we get to meet the psycho." Kayla said, running over to grab her sister and drag her away from Tosh, who was in the process of training her on the computer systems.
"Sorry Tosh." Julie called as she was dragged away with a smile on her face. Tosh just shook her head. They acted their age, which was a good thing. It wouldn't do if they'd been forced to grow up fast. They needed carefree people about to help brighten up the hub, and two 19 year old girls would do just that.
"This way." Kayla boasted, dragging Julie and leading Jazz down towards the cells. Micah was going to go and see the baby. He'd caught a brief glimpse earlier, but it hadn't been near enough for him. He loved kids and kids adored him. He was kind, and children loved those who were kind. He was very impatient when it came to discipline, but all in all he absolutely loved them. Children were innocent and knew no wrong. They didn't even know the meaning of certain harmful words, and Micah made it a point to never say certain words with children about. He wanted every child to be raised happy and know the difference between curiosity and cruelty.
With a smile he made his way towards the TARDIS. He knew he'd eventually find his way towards the medical bey and so he wondered this way and that, opening door after door to get to the medical bey and finally, after about half hour or so of looking, he came to the proper doors and he walked in.
"Are you kidding me? You fought the devil?" Joshua said, not noticing Micah enter the room.
"Oh my, yes. I've done quite a bit with my long life. Things I'm not quite proud of and things I'm happy I've done." The Doctor said, a resigned smile on his face. He was old and tired. There were times he'd give up on life and the universe, and then he would look over at the children and remember what he fought for and he would fight just that much harder...just for the children...and now he had a child that depended solely on him not going anywhere, which was by far the hardest thing he'd had to do. He was a busy body, he enjoyed running about and accomplishing something, but he couldn't...not with Saben's life hanging in the balance.
"Well, I've not done such thing, 'just the Doctor'. I've been busy, but I've stayed on earth and I am happy with that, to a point anyway."
"Joshua, shut up. You know full well you've done plenty for others. I mean you examined Jack, and that couldn't have been easy." Micah joked and Joshua sighed while the Doctor smiled widely. He liked this man.
"Mr. Farefellow, what can I do for you?" The Doctor asked and Micah arched an eyebrow at the Doctor. He wasn't all that partial to his last name.
"You can call me Micah." Micah said and the Doctor nodded. There was something about Micah that made him immediately happy and the Doctor wasn't partial to these things. If someone gave him a happy feeling, he usually wanted to know why.
"You have some interesting hair." The Doctor said and Micah let out a full belly laugh.
"I've never been fond of short hair. There was as time, long ago, when I was known to have "emo" hair. It was long enough to get in my eyes. Since then I continued to grow it long, and now if I'm bothered by it I can put it in a pony tail and be done with it." Micah said, walking over to the incubator and looking in.
"He looks healthier than I thought he would." Micah admitted, placing a hand on the warm glass.
"The TARDIS loves him...sees him as her responsibility until he can breath on his own." The Doctor said, standing next to Micah and feeling an immediate sense of calm. There was only one time in his relatively long life where he had felt so calm and at ease, but that was so long ago...it was a dark time for him, the time where his people had died.
"My Doctor, I will love you more if you choose to live."
"You can't mean that. I would die without you." The Doctor said, tears falling as he looked at his broken home.
"No you won't. You can't bring yourself to die...no one can." The Doctor watched the Magician twirl a stop watch in his hands and tears fell down his face.
"But I would...without you...there would be nothing for me. The vast universe would hold no beauty for me. If I lost you...I would lose myself"
The Doctor wasn't going to even pretend differently. He'd lost himself the day the Magician had died. For years he'd been so lost and alone. He'd used up five regenerations and every single one of his deaths hurt less than the day his Magician was taken from him.
He's stopped eating and sleeping and even the TARDIS was at her wits end with him. It had been a dark time for him and this sense of calm he got from Micah made him want to weep all anew. This calm didn't belong to him...couldn't belong to him. He'd betrayed his world...ran and hid to stay alive and he'd lost so many people for it.
"He's beautiful." Micah said and the Doctor nodded, placing a hand next to Micah's on the incubator and his hearts beat wildly. The Doctor was both intrigued and frightened by Micah's presence. He wanted to learn all about him and at the same time he wanted to run.
"He is quite gorgeous." The Doctor admitted and removed his hand with a resignation that shocked even him. He hadn't wanted to distance himself, but he had to. He wouldn't betray his Magician who had loved him so.
"Would you use it?" The Doctor asked, looking at the stopwatch.
"And where would I go?" The Magician closed his eyes.
"Away from this place."
"To where?"
"Wherever you want to go. I will come for you...I will find you."
"No! It's best I die here..."
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"And here we are." Kayla said, finally letting go of Julie's arm. Julie rubbed at her sore arm and glared at Kayla. She was always rash and annoying. If only she'd calm and realize that technology was better than running about in the dirt and mud and the like. She hated fighting but her sister LIVED for it. How could they even be related?
"Thank you." Jazz said, looking at the disgruntled look on Julie's face and smiling.
"So why d'you have to size her up?" Kayla asked and Julie rolled her eyes. She hated her sister's direct approach.
"I don't have to, I'm just good at reading people is all." Jazz answered
Walking down the line they found Gwen in the fourth cell and the moment they came into view Gwen glared at them. Who were they and what the hell were they doing in her hub?
"Hello. I'm Jazz, this is Kayla, and Julie. We're here to talk to you." Jazz said and Gwen looked confused. She'd been here for three days and no one had even bothered to remember she was alive.
"So?" Gwen asked, sitting on the concrete floor and looking directly at them. "Talk."
"We were hired today. Learned a lot about this place. Loving it...that Pterodactyl scared the hell out of me to begin with but she's a sweetie...isn't she?" Jazz asked, trying to feign fear and it seemed to work because Gwen shook her head and smiled at her.
"She is a sweetie. She loves chocolate. Give her some and she'll love you forever." Gwen said and Jazz smiled to herself. Figuring out Gwen was going to be easier than she thought.
"How did you guys get your hands on a Pterodactyl?" Julie asked and Jazz smiled at her. She was shy, hardly did any talking but when she did it immediately made Jazz smile.
"Ianto found her." Gwen said with malice. Obviously Ianto was a sore spot they could use against her.
"Don't get me started on him and his baby. It's unnatural to have kids with a man. Whoever thinks that's natural is just wrong." Kayla said, scrunching her face in distaste and looking away from Gwen to hide her smirk.
"Right? I know it's wrong but try to tell that to Ianto. The bastard won't listen. I've been trying to get them to see how wrong this is, but a fat lot of good that did me. I've been here for so long. They've been torturing me. Barely feeding me and the like. I tried to get rid of that stupid spawn but that backfired. Fucking Doctor to the rescue."
"I'll get you some food and a drink and see what they say about letting you out. I'll fix this for you Gwen. I promise." Jazz said with a sweet smile as she turned to leave.
"Coming?" She said, turning to the twins who nodded and followed.
Grabbing her phone Jazz dialed Micah's number and waited for him to answer.
"Jazz, good news?" Micah said and Jazz frowned.
"No. She had a mental breakdown a while ago it seems. Something made her mind break and it's beyond repair. She thinks everyone is out to get her. She's suffering from a sever case of depression and anti-social behavior disorder. She's beyond medication or therapy. If she'd been seen earlier than it may have helped but she's too far gone." Jazz said, a little saddened for the woman. She had needed help and none had been given to her.
"Alright. That's all I needed. I'll ask Jack for an office and do what I can with her." Micah said hanging up. He may have specialized in Infectious Diseases but he had a side project and Gwen seemed perfect for his tests.
When Micah was a bit younger, about three or four years ago, he had taken psychology and he'd loved how fascinating the human mind could be and he lived for fixing people and with his mind set, he had worked day and night on fixing a broken mind. If therapy wasn't enough, and drugs didn't work, he would mend the brain scientifically. He would do it and Gwen was the key to this.
"Doctor?" Micah asked, turning to the Doctor and fiddling with something in his pocket.
"Yes?" The Doctor answered, looking at the man who intrigued and worried him simultaneously.
"What would make you stay?" Micah asked and the Doctor looked shocked. No one had asked him this.
"I've only ever stayed for one man...and he's gone...dead." The Doctor said and Micah nodded, pulling out the item from his pocked and rubbing his thumb over the engravings.
"It's a sad life you live."
"It's not sad. It's full of adventure." The Doctor lied.
"Adventure will not help the brokenhearted."
"Am I brokenhearted?" The Doctor asked, smiling sadly.
Micah looked down, a beautifully engraved pocket watch in his hand. He'd had it for as long as he could remember but he never had been able to bring himself to open it. He always assumed it was sealed shut and that opening it would be a moot point.
"I am." Micah said and the Doctor looked down at the watch and his eyes widened.
"How long have you had that?" The Doctor asked, frantic panic in his voice.
"Oh this?" Micah asked, raising the watch to show the Doctor.
"Yes."
"I don't know...a while."
"Have you opened it?" The Doctor prompted.
"I think it's sealed shut. I've never tried."
"It's not sealed shut. It's easy to open, if that's what you want to do." The Doctor said, turning away from Micah.
"I'll get to it one day I suppose." Micah said, pocketing his watch and smiling at the Doctor.
"Yes...of course."
"You seem disappointed." Micah noticed.
"No disappointment here." The Doctor lied, fake smile plastered on his face.
"I see. I'm going to go make preparations for dinner. Will you be eating?" Micah asked, watching the Doctor closely.
"No, I'm fine." The Doctor said, voice breaking.
"I'm here to talk, if that's what you want." Micah said before leaving the TARDIS.
The Doctor stood watching the sleeping infant as tears streaked down his face. With a frustrated growl he wiped his face as Joshua made his way towards the Doctor.
"Are you alright?" Joshua asked and the Doctor shook his head before dissolving into a fit of tears.