The Doctor sat on the floor of the Console Room. His head hung low while his torso was supported by his arms resting on his thighs. His slim legs were stretched out before him. His mind was stuck on his most recent failure.
Morvin. Foon. Bannakaffalatta. Astrid. His hearts ached in his chest. The residual happiness from letting Mr. Copper loose on earth and saving the Queen of England had withered away many hours, maybe even days ago. He felt he deserved this solitude. Why would Angel, Martha or Jack want to be around him? With all the trouble he caused and all the lives he lost. Angel's baby who never will exist because of him. Martha's year on the run, because of him. Jack's year of torture, because of him. Rose had long since been lost from this universe. And to top it all off the Master prefered death over spending the rest of his life with him.
The TARDIS attempted to coax his mind in a better direction. She psychically flashed good memories to try and distract the time lord withering in self-loathing. But nothing took hold. He brushed her off with every attempt. Eventually, she took matters into her own hands. The Doctor didn't even bother righting himself when the ship took off on her own accord. He just laid there in a crumpled heap.
Angel sat in her comfy seat by the fire at home. She took comfort in preparing the same kind of tea that Martha used to prepare. Jack was out most of the time these days. She barely ever laid eyes on her father since he reunited with his Torchwood team. Living on earth was a bit of a slower pace than she was expecting. Living with the Doctor filled her time with suspense and delight. She already missed him, but she wanted to give being human a proper chance.
At first she thought she imagined hearing the whooshing and wheezing of her mother-ship. But it persisted longer than a fading memory. She reached out with her psychic senses and found the TARDIS had in fact paid her a visit!
She gently set the teacup on her side table before jumping out of her seat and running to the backdoor. Her feet hurt from the ice cold patio, as she hurried to the TARDIS barefoot and in her nightgown. She felt the familiar psychic connection with her mother-ship. In the split-second exchange before opening the door, Angel learned that the TARDIS needed her help.
The Torchwood sensors picked up the presence of the TARDIS nearby. Jack rushed to see the location on the GPS map. His brows scrunched when it was pinpointed to his house. His mind quickly jumped to Angel, and he headed home immediately.
She ran into the Console Room. The Doctor's body laid awkwardly on the floor. His big brown eyes bored holes into the wall. She ran to him to check for injuries. She shoved one side of his body over to get him flat on his back.
His eyes shot up to her face at her touch. Why was she here? He didn't deserve her. "Why not?" She uttered, shocked at his self-hating thoughts. "What happened?" She got flashes of his recent escapade on the cruise ship Titanic from the planet Sto. The face of a pretty blonde woman falling to her death, turned into a glowing blue form and then into flying blue dust. A couple dressed in purple falling to their deaths. A red-skinned cyborg giving his life to help them escape. It was then that she realized just how lonely the Doctor was, seeing him crumpled on the floor all alone in the grandeur of a life filled with time and space. Her chest and throat tightened, but she held back the tears.
It was clear he needed her to get him out of this pity party. "First things first, let's get you into the bathtub." She looked up to see the TARDIS had materialized a white clawfoot tub filled with warm water five feet away. She smirked at the silly ship and played along. Don't let Jack in. "Doctor, either you undress yourself and I look away, or I will have to do it for you." The smirk fell from her face when he continued to make no movement, calling her bluff.
Jack rushed in to find the TARDIS parked in the back garden. He ran to hurry inside, but when he pushed on the door it refused to open. He jiggled it by the handle, but it wouldn't budge. He slammed his shoulder in it, still nothing. He rubbed his face and neck in frustration. "So this is how it is, is it?"
She rolled up her sleeves and got to work pulling his heavy arms from his brown jacket. She loosened his tie and pulled it over his faraway stare. Then, she focused on the buttons of his waist coat and shirt. She had to wrestle with his dead weight to get his arms loose. Now for the lower half. She untied his converse, pulling them off and throwing them to the side next to the pile of dirty clothes. "Doctor, this is your last chance at retaining your modesty."
His eyes met hers. He didn't care anymore. He felt her hands work his slacks off. Her eyes looked away when she pulled off his pants. Clearly, she didn't want to take advantage of his pathetic state. It was oddly disappointing.
"I can drag you into the tub or you can do it yourself. What'll it be?" She struggled to pull him up. Once she got him halfway off the floor, he took over and stumbled into the tub. The water splashed out, getting her nightgown wet. She closed her eyes, to calm her frustration, then pulled the damned thing off. The Doctor was blissfully unaware, having his eyes shut since his skin submerged under the soothing warmth.
Angel was done with the warnings. She decided to just do everything herself. His eyes flew open when her arms began scrubbing down his arms and chest. He looked up at her, saw her bare shoulders and snapped his face forward. His cheeks grew hot, realizing that her breasts were also probably bare. He relaxed again when her hands massaged shampoo through his hair. She used a cup and a bucket to rinse the suds out of his hair before moving to the side of the tub.
His jaw drops when he sees her bare-chested once again. She leaned over the edge of the tub to scrub his leg. Her breasts were right there, in front of his face. He moved his hands to cover his erection and closed his eyes. Curiosity got the better of him and he peaked at her, hoping to keep the look of having his eyes shut.
She just barely hid a smirk when he tried to hide his gaze from her. She scrubbed his right foot and smirked fully when he let out a giggle. Done with the right side, she stood and walked around the tub to his left side to start again on his left leg. She scrubbed again, thigh to foot. "I'm going to the wardrobe. I'll be right back."
The Doctor spent his time alone trying not to think about her naked body, but he was failing miserably. She just scrubbed him clean, in the nude. The intimacy of the act didn't hit him until she left the room. His heart warmed at the thought of her taking control and caring for him, but he knew she deserved better than a stunted life with him. His erection was stubborn, but so was his heart.
Angel returned once the Doctor put on a fresh set of clothing and dragged him off to the Theatre Room. She started a random movie, fully intending to ignore it. She had to get the Doctor to talk.
He stared at her while she was busy, soaking in the image of her. She came back to him. Her long red-gold curls, her silky pajamas, and her willingness to fuss over him. He didn't deserve it, but she didn't know all the wrongs he had committed. She didn't know about his failures….
She took a seat beside him, pulling his chin to face her. "What's got you so down, Doctor?" She knew he was lonely, but thought it would be better to get him talking. He still didn't say anything. "Lonely?" She thought maybe some cuddles might bring some relief, so she threw her legs over his lap and leaned into his left arm. "I've missed you. I'm trying to get used to the human pace of life. It's more boring than I anticipated."
His silence remained. He couldn't bring himself to voice all the reasons she should leave him. He soaked up her cuddles and stared at the figures moving across the screen, intently listening to this amazing woman who cared so much for him.
"I'm lonely too, to be honest. Ever since Jack revealed himself to his team, I hardly see him. And Martha is in London, so we just phone now and then." She paused for a moment to think. "Jack offered me a job at Torchwood." The Doctor gave her a pointed look. "I declined." His eyes brows relaxed. "Sifting through the minds of hostile aliens just doesn't seem healthy to me. Too much action."
"The team is nice enough. Gwen got me set up with my new earth identity!" He couldn't stop the curl of his lip at her excitement. "Want to know my new name?" He raised a brow and waited. "Angela Harkness." He smiled at her.
She felt the need to continue to keep the mood up.
"Jack set me up with access to Jack's bank account. He didn't want me to attract negative attention for stealing." She chuckled lightly. "The first thing I did was ask Gwen to show me her favorite shops around Cardiff. She thought I was a cousin or sister of Jack's. Quite the shocker for her to hear that I'm his daughter." The two of them exchanged smiles. She decided that his mood was lifted enough for now and settled in. She watched the movie briefly before falling asleep.
Images of the Doctor surrounded by fire and ruin plagued her dreams. When she woke, she decided it was for the best not to ask what his mind has been dwelling on. She coaxed him to the Café. Afterall, the Doctor couldn't resist stimulating conversation. They each had some caffeinated beverages and she began her theory on the biomechanics of her psychic abilities. This lead to her theories on her mother's existence as part of future humanity.
The Doctor quickly jumped in with theories of his own, but more questions tumbled out than anything. With so much unknown, they had nothing to make any inferences.
Jack was unnerved when the TARDIS still hadn't moved the next night. He was a little worried, it was strange to see the Doctor staying in one place for so long. Gwen and the rest of the team were curious, but they kept it to themselves.
Angel awoke the next morning lounging with the Doctor in the Library. They had spent the rest of the day reading up on psychic abilities in species and different times. His darkness continued to invade her dreams. She felt the need to try some other method of comfort.
She sat up, reached for his hand and gazed into his deep brown eyes. "Doctor." He stopped reading and gazed back into her deep blue ones. "You are my savior and one of my dearest friends. I don't hold you responsible for what happened. Please don't bear the burden of guilt over what the Master did to me." His face seemed to lighten up. "I'm going to spend more time on Earth, but I definitely want to see you again. Don't hesitate if you ever get lost in yourself again. I will always be happy to push you out of it. It's the least I could do." She left him in the Library with a peck on the cheek and a hug.