A/N: This chapter is short but it ends well.
Thank you for the reviews.
Hugs and such.
00000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000
Micah was the first to notice the Doctor's shock and he was out of the chair and before the Time Lord faster than one could blink.
"Doctor, what happened?" Micah asked, Joshua hording the others out of the room. Joshua had a feeling he knew what this was about but he wasn't about to assume. He did, however, know this was to be private and so he made sure the two were given their privacy.
"I swear I didn't know. If I'd known...If only I'd known..." The Doctor said, rambling in his hysterics.
"Whatever you did, I'm sure you will be forgiven." Micah said, wrapping his arms around the Doctor and holding him close. This man was in pain and Micah would not stand for it. Something about the Doctor drew his attention and he wouldn't allow this man to suffer for something that was probably not even his doing.
"Doctor?" Came a voice and the Doctor turned tear filled eyes to the door to see Jack standing there, shock and sorrow evident on his face.
"Jack?" The Doctor sounded small and scared. "I killed him..."
"Who?" Jack and Micah asked, simultaneously.
The Doctor didn't answer, just wiped the tears from his face as more took their place. Jack's heart broke as he watched the time lord weep uncontrollably and for the life of him he had no idea what to do to make it alright. He didn't know what had caused it and if he did he hadn't a clue if he could even begin to remedy it.
The Doctor finally calmed enough to stand and walk over to Saben, looking down at the sleeping child and smiling despite his tears.
"I've always adored children." The Doctor started. Maybe if he told the story Micah would be willing remember a past so long ago.
"I know." Jack said, walking towards his son with a happy smile.
"I had children before Jack...three of them." Micah looked up at that and walked towards the Doctor. That was an eerily familiar number of children to have...considering that he hadn't a clue the Doctor was anything more than a hermit.
"What were their names?" Micah asked and the Doctor sighed. He wasn't sure he wanted to answer that question, in case it triggered memories Micah may not be ready to deal with.
"They picked out their own spoken name." The Doctor smiled fondly at the memory. "My first son called himself The Architect, so I'd nicknamed him Archie...he wasn't happy about this...my second son had chosen the name The Medic because, as he put it, you're the Doctor and I wanna be just like you when I'm all big...and my youngest son, well...that's another story all together..."
"Archie...why does that name sound so familiar?" Micah asked, brows furrowed in concentration.
"It should." The Doctor said, being vague as always. Mica reached into his pocket for the watch and held it tightly in hand. Something about that watch kept him calm, like it held a piece of him.
"Not everyone can read between the lines like I can Doctor." Jack said a radiant smile plastered on his face.
"Jack...do you know something?" Micah asked and Jack nodded, deciding to explain what the Doctor meant.
"You knew his children, is what I'm gathering." Jack said and he was proven correct when the Doctor nodded.
"Yes, you knew them...you knew them well...better than I did half the time."
"Papa, Medic punched me."
"Medic, how many times do I have to tell you, violence solves nothing. You must always be kind, do you understand?" The Magician said grabbing his young son's hands and directing his attention.
"But Papa, Archie was being mean to me." Medic said, tears of frustration gathering at his eyes.
"And what did Architect do, exactly?"
"He took my favorite toy. I was 'upposed to take it to mama and have him fix it...but now it's gone and Archie took it." Medic said, tears falling down his face.
"Oh Medic, Architect just wanted to fix it for you. He knows how busy mama is and he wanted to help."
"Are you sure?" Medic asked, wiping at his swollen eyes.
"I am fixing it. You never asked." Archie answered, angry at his younger brother.
"Thank you." Medic said and the kids dispersed leaving behind a very amused Magician.
"How do you do that Magi?" (Pronounced Ma-j-eye)
"It's a gift." Magi said, smirk in place as he turned and kissed the Doctor.
"A gift I will never acquire it seems." The Doctor said, pouting.
"You are a lovely mother to these children."
"Not lovely enough." And they both laughed.
"Doctor?" Jack asked and the Doctor shook his head to clear his thoughts. It was a lifetime ago, that life, and he missed it. The TARDIS wasn't just a ship, for a time it had been a home. Their home.
"Oh, right. You were their father." The Doctor said, getting back on topic.
"Why...why don't I remember this?" Micah asked, annoyed.
"It's that watch. It's a chameleon watch. It changes who you are, implants whatever memories you want to have into your new self. It cloaks you from others who would do you harm, like the other time lords."
"Time lords don't exist. It's children's story I'm working on...you know...a book. That's not real. I just made them up...I did." Micah said, eyes frantically moving from Jack to the Doctor and back.
"I'm a time lord, honest." The Doctor said, turning and smiling at Micah. "So are you. I'd bet a regeneration on that."
"Why would I want to forget?"
"You didn't want to forget. You kept most of your memories intact, and if you didn't they're bleeding through anyway. You wanted to hide." The Doctor explained and Micah gripped the watch so tight his knuckles turned white.
"From who?" Micah asked.
"Not who, what. You were hiding from the Time war. It devastated our people."
"So all I have to do is open this watch?" Micah asked and the Doctor nodded. It really was that simple.
"Will it change who I am?"
"Yes." The Doctor said, knowing how hard it was to consider something like this. After all, he'd had to do the same when he'd traveled with Martha...he'd never want to willingly put someone through that and if Micah chose to stay Micah, he would support his choice.
"Do you want me to open it?" Micah asked and the Doctor was shocked to be asked this.
"I would love nothing more, but this is your choice. I won't force it on you." The Doctor said, turning back to Saben. "Whatever you decide, I'm staying here. I won't leave you again."
Jack gawked at the Doctor who never sat put for too long, but here he was about to live in the 21st century because of Micah, who must have been very important to him.
Micah's heart shattered as he looked at the hurt on the Doctor's face. He wanted nothing more than to make that pain go away, but he had so much to accomplish as Micah that he couldn't allow himself the opportunity to become someone else, to forget about his goals in life. He would find a way to mend a broken mind and then he would open the watch.
"I have so much left to accomplish..." Micah said and The Doctor nodded.
"Then accomplish them." The Doctor said, wiping a stray tear off his face.
"And what if I choose a human life, and die an old man, here and now?" Micah asked and the Doctor tensed.
"Then I would die with you."
"I'm happy with you." Magi said, looking down at the Doctor's protruding stomach.
"I'd hope so." The Doctor said, smirking at Magi.
"I worry, though."
"About what?" The Doctor asked, a knowing smile on his lips.
"What If I'm not a good father."
"You will be a fantastic father." The Doctor smiled.
"How do you know? How can you be sure I love you enough for all this?" The Doctor arched a brow and smiled.
"If I were to never regenerate again, and choose to die an old man, what would you do?"
"I would age and die with you." Magi answered without hesitation.
"That's how I know."
"And what if I should marry and have a family...what if I don't choose you?" Micah persisted. He needed someone to make this choice for him...he wanted to finish what he'd started out to do, but he also wanted to know who he was and he was conflicted as hell. He couldn't choose and it hurt him to know he could only have one life. Be Micah and learn the mysteries of the human mind, or be a time lord and live with the Doctor.
"Then I would offer my assistance and hope to be in your life, however you have me."
"My father called." The Doctor said, frustration evident in his voice.
"And?"
"You know what he wants." The Doctor said, frowning and throwing the phone across the room in frustration.
"Then do it." Magi said, smiling sadly at the Doctor.
"I don't want to."
"He won't let up." Magi reminded and the Doctor sighed.
"And if I did? If I wed who my father wants, and I were to have children with them then what would you do?" The Doctor asked, sorrow filling his words.
"Then I would love you, and offer assistance where I could so that I may still see you daily."
"I love you too."
"Tell me what to do." Micah begged, tears brimming his eyes.
"It's not my place." The Doctor said walking towards Micah. "This is for you to decide."
"Why can't I have both lives? I want to be Micah and learn so much more about the human mind and find a way to repair it and yet I want to be who I was...I want to remember..."
"It's not that simple." The Doctor said, smile on his face as he placed a comforting hand on Micah's shoulder.
"Nothing worth having ever is." Micah said and he sunk to the floor.
Jack took this opportunity to tell Saben how much they all loved him, before leaving the room. Micah and the Doctor needed time to themselves and Jack wouldn't intrude.
Walking out of the TARDIS he almost ran into a cup of coffee that was mere inches from his face.
"Good morning." Ianto said, smiling brightly.
Jack checked his time and laughed at his fiance before answering.
"It's midnight."
"Still, technically, morning." Ianto said and Jack smiled, taking the offered coffee and drinking a bit, sighing happily. It'd been too long since he'd had this wonderful, heavenly concoction.
"Miss it?" Ianto asked, drinking his own coffee and smirking at Jack.
"God yes."
"Good. I love you." Ianto said, looking up at Jack.
"I love you too." Jack said, leaning in.
And they kissed.