I hadn't actually been counting the days, so I was a little surprised when it dawned on me. Now I was on my third night staying at Magnus' place. So far I'd cleaned all the remaining rooms aside from the spare, so I was running out of things to do if Magnus were to leave me to my own devices again. More importantly my next rent cheque would be due soon and I desperately needed to find myself a job.

"Magnus…" I said softly, eyes half lidded with sleep while he held me against his body. "I need to go home…"

"What, now?" Magnus asked, incredulously. He immediately set about kissing my neck, slowly, as if to give me an incentive to stay. It was working.

"No…" I told him, smiling and running my hands over his bare arms. "But when you go to work tomorrow, I won't be able to lock the door behind me."

"Oh. I see…" Magnus chuckled. "Have I been holding you captive, Darling?"

"I've been pretty lazy in planning my breakout." I laughed back.

It's normal, I think, when you love somebody, to want to spend every moment close to them. But in the real world you have to get up and do something with your day. At least, that's the ethic I was raised with.

Magnus pushed my hair out of my face. It was getting a little long.

"I'd give you a spare key if I had one." He thought aloud.

"Just make sure I leave with you in the Morning." I said, after I kissed him.

It felt so natural being so close to Magnus. Being with him. As if we fit so perfectly together. And when we were done 'being together', it felt equally right to fall asleep to the sound of his heartbeat.

When I got home, I could have changed into my own clothes. I could have used my own shower and smelled like my own soap. I just didn't want to.

My little room without windows looked dark and especially boring now. A printout of one of Dr Zachariah's papers was on the nightstand where I left it. Depressing as it was, I felt compelled to pick it up and finish reading it. I even added the notes I would have done if I still worked with the Doctor and thought about turning it in.

It seemed like a good idea. There probably wasn't any way I could make peace with my old Boss but I could at least leave the Museum without any unfinished business. I grabbed the finished paper and my coat and headed out.

In the corridor I bumped into Kyle, who was on his way home. I should have stopped to explain my financial situation to the guy I shared rent with, but I'd see him again soon and I wanted to drop the paper off before the Museum staff finished their breaks.

"Hey, you're not dead!" Kyle greeted.

"Not just yet!" I called back over my shoulder from my place on the stairwell. I heard Kyle laugh before he was out of earshot.

The nearer I got to the Museum the more I was regretting my decision to show up in Magnus' clothes baring a paper I didn't need to give back. I had to keep reminding myself that it was only right to apologise to the Doctor and that I'd been putting it off by staying at Magnus' apartment for the last couple of days.

When I entered the building Imasu looked like he'd seen a ghost and very nearly dropped the phone he was holding.

"Shit, Alec." He said when he'd hung up, much to the offence of an elderly woman to our right. "Didn't think I'd see you again so soon."

"Has he gone to Lunch yet?" I asked. Imasu knew who I meant.

"I'm not so sure you should talk to him." The desk clerk replied shortly.

I rolled my eyes at him.

"Don't get all superior with me." I said. He was the last person I felt the need to explain myself to. "If you thought it was so bad why didn't you tell Zach about Magnus?"

People in glass houses should never throw stones. No, I wasn't blaming Imasu; I knew with too much clarity that everything that had happened had been my own fault. I was the one who asked Imasu not to say anything in the first place. However, if lies of omission were so against his moral code, he would have refused to keep any secrets and said something. So he couldn't very well get on my case.

"I'm not here to argue, but I'm willing to bet that you still haven't told Zach you knew I had a boyfriend all along." I added.

"Zach will probably be out of the office soon." Imasu glowered. He swivelled his chair away from me in a huff and that was just fine as far as I was concerned.

I took the time to have a look around for any new exhibits. I thought about going up where the photography would be but I didn't want to miss the Doctor. Sure enough, he appeared soon after I considered relocating to a different level

"I hope you aren't here as an applicant." He said dryly. "I just finished interviews."

Robotically, I held out the paper to him. He looked slightly taken aback before he cautiously took it from my hands.

"It's really good." I told him.

"Well, thank you." Dr Zachariah smiled a strained smile and looked at me expectantly.

We both knew I didn't come in just to hand him some papers he'd probably throw out. I look a look around; the Museum was fairly empty. It was midday, midweek after all. We were far enough from the front desk that Imasu wouldn't be eavesdropping. It was then or never.

"I could try to justify myself and tell you a bunch of excuses..." I said. Angels, had I come up with excuses. The thing was that no matter what role others played, I personally hadn't behaved well or made the right choices. "But if I'm honest with myself then I know I owe you an apology. I'm incredibly sorry, and I mean that."

The Doctor nodded after some consideration. "You're very mature to do this, Alec."

"And the reason I need to is because I'm not mature at all." I almost laughed, but it wasn't a time for laughter. There was some kind of solemn feeling encompassing the two of us.

"You aren't the only one who has some growing up to do." Dr Zachariah admitted. "I'm not proud of the way I spoke to you."

"It's okay. I understand." I assured him. The last thing he needed to do was apologise to me during my own apology.

Dr Zachariah extended his hand in my direction. I took it and we shook firmly for what would be the final time.

"To parting well?" Zach suggested.

"To parting well." I agreed.

I was still mad at myself for the way I'd acted, but I left the Museum feeling like I'd at least mended something.

When I got home Kyle was already out. Probably visiting Maia. The two of them were always together. They made a nice couple. Unfortunately thinking about couples made me feel all the more lonely lying in my room by myself.

Jace sent me a text to find out when we were going to run next, which made me feel a little better. It sometimes felt like with everything going on - in all of our lives - I rarely saw my friends anymore. I picked one of the days we'd usually go out together, so I knew Jace wouldn't have classes in the way, but let him know I was job-hunting so my schedule could change.

What happened to the museum?

My tolerance for text-speak had really decreased since leaving school, which I think had something to do with the older company I'd been keeping. Thankfully Jace's syntax didn't make me cringe like my little sister's did. Jace probably wouldn't strike you as a full-sentence kind of guy, however he also wouldn't strike you as the kind of guy who relentlessly cleaned and had an organisational system for his clothes.

Jace was my best friend and everything, but Angels help the poor people who had to cohabitate with him.

I quit. It's a long story, I'll tell you later. Is what I sent as a reply.

I'd have to tell Izzy what had happened too. So far we had been in contact, but mainly so she could tell me how great Pandemonium was and what had been going on at home. Apparently Simon was at odds with his Mother, which was a pity to hear. When Izzy had asked how I was I'd just said fine; I'd rather let my family know what happened after I was employed again so that they didn't have to worry about me.

It started to get late and I just couldn't sleep. I took out my laptop to look for jobs online. I didn't go looking for anything academic; just the manual things anybody might do. Anywhere that would chase Dr Zachariah for a reference was not going to hear good things about me, regardless of our apparent truce.

I sent out a few CVs by email but eventually I just got frustrated. There was no stability in my situation anymore and it was all my own fault. My insomnia felt compounded by the fact I missed Magnus, too. Not that my boyfriend was a database of available jobs or anything, but I could have at least vented to him, or told him about my visit to the museum.

Or listened to his heartbeat while I fell asleep again.

Thank you for reading, I hope that you all liked the chapter. Next up should be 'Rent Worries'.