Cosmo || Doctor Who

28 : Ill Equipped

"You're a prick."

"You're going to miss me."

Ty hummed momentarily, before nodding. "Yeah, suppose I will. Only a little, though."

He stood, and pulled EJ up with him before they embraced properly. "Take care of them for me, please."

"We all will." The boy promised. "We all will."

Taylor didn't say much when he held EJ tightly, but he appreciated it all the same. Soren was similar in the fact that he stayed fairly quiet. But when he stepped back, the single Norwegian phrase warmed his heart. Yes, he was a little bit rusty, but it was better than most.

"Ikke risiker livet ditt for noen. Det er så mange mennesker her for deg. De har så lite."

EJ shook his head, and he looked to his friend, almost with disdain. "That's exactly why I would."

Before he left, Soren kissed his cheek, and he walked away, complete and utter sadness pressed onto his face. "Jeg elsker deg."

It was in moments like these he was glad that Taylor didn't speak the language. "Jeg elsker deg også."

Elliott hugged him, promised to look after Josh and Zoë, promised he would keep an eye on Angel no matter what. Sometimes, they didn't need a whole long explanation, or conversation. Sometimes, a promise was good enough.

Finally, it was Angel's turn, and EJ felt uneasy. Last time, he left without saying goodbye. Doing that was so much simpler. He didn't have the guilt of looking at them all, at all of the wonderful things he had, and turning them away. It was his selfish moment; there had never been many in his life until now.

"You're an idiot, you know." Angel laughed, softly, running a hand through EJ's dark hair. "You can barely change the covers on your bed."

"Lucky the Tardis does it for me, huh." He laughed, hugging his red headed friend as hard as he was able. "Be careful."

"I should be saying that to you."

  "You should be trying to stop me." EJ countered with a raised eyebrow, but it did nothing to deter him.

  "Nothing would stop you, E, not even me." Angel replied. He wasn't sure how true it was, but he did appreciate the honesty. "So have fun, and look after that Doctor of yours."

  "I will." He promised. "I will."

     Angel kissed his cheek too, before hugging him one last time. It felt like a funeral, of sorts, like he was going off to war, or like he was going to die. It was the opposite. EJ was leaving so that he could live. And God, he was going to live like never before.

     He turned his back on them, too frightened to look back. His hands gripped his bags, and suddenly, as he walked, he felt a weight on his shoulder. Jackie waltzed into his view as Rose said her goodbyes to Mickey.

     "Have you got everything, love?"

  EJ smiled at her, sincerely. "I do, thank you."

  Before he knew it, she had wrapped him in a hug; this was more affection in one day than he'd received in an entire lifetime. "You look after my Rose."

  "I will."

  She looked at him sincerely. "And you look after yourself."

     With a nod, EJ moved on. He ran into the Tardis at full speed, the memory of his friends and family all looking at him fully engraved into his mind. They looked peaceful, perhaps a little unnerved by it all.