Eyes of Time: The Final Line ✓

Chapter 10: Mickey's Night In

[With Mickey]

Mickey has been traveling with them for a day now. He and Rose have just gone to their separate rooms for the night after staying up to watch The Fifth Element —an amusing choice given that they've just come from a spaceship. The Time Lords organize a movie night every week, and the Alchemist seems especially fond of the opera scene. She hummed along with it, and Mickey even caught her smiling.

Now, though, sleep is evading him. He's been tossing and turning for over an hour, and the persistent hum of the TARDIS isn't helping. Finally, he gives up, deciding a cup of tea might settle him. He heads to "Kitchen One," where he finds the warm kettle. He shrugs it off, too tired to think much of it, and prepares his tea—chamomile, just like his grandmother used to make on restless nights.

As he walks back through the corridor, he pauses. A soft, ethereal melody comes from the room to his left—the same song from The Fifth Element . Intrigued, Mickey approaches quietly and opens the door slightly. The music stops abruptly, and he finds the Alchemist sitting on a TARDIS blue velvet sofa, her expression one of surprise.

[TARDIS Library]

It was her singing, not a recording, he realizes.

"Mickey, what are you doing up?" she asks, concerned.

He steps into the library, closing the door behind him. He's been meaning to talk to her for a while now—might as well take the chance.

"I couldn't sleep, and then the TARDIS started humming, so I made some tea," he mumbles.

She winces slightly, then gestures to the sofa, offering him a seat. He joins her, setting his untouched cup of chamomile tea on a trivet. He notices her own cup nearby, an elegant teacup in contrast to his blue mug.

"Sorry about that," she sighs, "The humming is probably my fault. The TARDIS hums when I sing sometimes. I didn't realize it was loud enough to bother you."

"Yeah, it was pretty loud," Mickey says, leaning back, "I've heard it hum before, but it's fine. I was already awake."

There's a brief silence before she rolls her eyes, "Seems like the TARDIS doesn't want me to be alone right now. Guess she decided to bug you instead of the Doctor, who's holed up in his workshop."

"Are you alright?" he asks gently.

She hesitates, then offers a small, reluctant smile, "Honestly, I'm never really great, but tonight's been harder than I expected."

Mickey offers gently, "You don't have to talk about it, but I'll listen if you want to."

She smiles at that, "Yeah, might as well. I have to tell him later anyway; tonight's going to be rough, I'm sure," she pauses, then continues, "It's kind of... an anniversary for me. You know how I can always tell the exact time and day?"

Mickey nods, listening intently.

"I can do that anywhere, even across history. Today's the anniversary of meeting my best friend on Gallifrey. Not the exact time yet, but the date. The Gallifreyan clock rolled over just before movie night. That's why I chose The Fifth Element . It was his favorite," she explains, her voice softening with the memory.

Mickey frowns sympathetically, "He's gone, and you miss him a lot. So you're trying to remember him in your own way."

The Alchemist sighs, nodding, "Yeah. He was... brilliant. More brilliant than me, honestly. He was really into comics and sci-fi from all over the universe, obsessed with superheroes. He used to call me his 'Captain Alchemist,' saying I'd be like Captain Marvel one day with my Vortex abilities. Guess he wasn't that far off in the end."