Jack motioned for somebody to collect the Doctor's sleeping body. The recent incident with the children of Earth had tightened the protocol for dealing with aliens, especially when children were involved.

Mirth

The Doctor's head felt groggy and the world was dark again. He groaned and brought his grazed hand to his head. He opened his eyes and light flooded into his mind. He blinked and the room focused, he was in the Torchwood holding cells.

"Oh," he said as his memories filtered back, and he looked down to discover he was still just a child. But children are powerful, he mused, he'd seen that.

He stood up slowly and walked towards the glass wall of the cell. He leaned his forehead on it to cool himself.

"Jack," he shouted warily eyeing the camera opposite that flashed with a red light.

"Captain Jack Harkness, let me out of this cell! It's me, you idiot! And since when do you shoot first and ask questions later," the Doctor leaned back with his hands against the door and his head bowed, "although I suppose you were always abit…but you changed," he looked at the camera, remembering Jack's eyes and the emotions he felt pulsating from Jack, "and changed again," he finished sadly.

There was a clunking from somewhere near by as a door opened. Jack appeared in front of him, followed by Gwen.

"Who and what are you," Jack asked, his American accent echoing around the cells. "You're not human."

The boy stepped forward.

"I'm the Doctor."

Jack's eyes widened and he looked at Gwen who appeared equally as shocked.

"Prove it," said Jack.

"Err, you used to be called the Face of Boe. Oh, and I met you in London during the Blitz; you almost destroyed the world."

Gwen looked at Jack in shock, but he just shrugged guiltily at the last part.

Jack hesitated a moment.

"Doctor! You're a child!"

"I know," said the Doctor with more weariness than an eight year old could ever express. "It went wrong, and there was nobody…"

Jack just stood there. He didn't know how to respond, he didn't know who he was anymore. He could let the Doctor out and carry on as normal, or he could leave him in there and blame him for the 4-5-6. He could've saved them…Ianto, Stephan.

No, how could he even think that.

Jack looked at the Doctor who was absently scratching his head, clearly waiting for him to let him out. And Jack did what it took some people, who felt loss and responsibility as keenly as he did, a lifetime to remember - he laughed.

"Oi, it's not funny! I've got to wait at least a decade before I'm taken seriously on ANY of my favourite planets."

This just made Jack laugh even more, it was a hearty, infectious laugh and Gwen couldn't help but join in.

"I suppose it is a little funny…" said the Doctor as Jack tried to open the door between fits of laughter. The Doctor smiled a little bit, and he actually looked completely 8 years old for the first time.

Jack found this even funnier and the door swung open.

"I'm sorry, Doc, Torchwood has you down as hostile, and things have changed around here recently, after…but all the children are safe, all the children…"

The Doctor was still angry, but he sensed something had changed in Jack; the Doctor changed his face, and Jack changed in slight ways too. Nothing can be constant forever.

Jack didn't finish his sentence, it was his choice, his responsibility as much as the Doctor's.

"And did you get dressed in the dark?" Jack asked, smiling again.

The Doctor smirked looking down at his multicoloured outfit and back up to Jack.

As bright as he was he felt consumed by darkness; just a child before the Time Vortex in the moments before your atoms learn to run. And the child flees.

"Yeah," he nodded, "But it's light now, and I like the clothes, they add detail."

"You're going to have to go through puberty again! Hah!"

The Doctor's face dropped.

"Legally, of course, I'll have to send you to school, Doctor. And we're not finding your TARDIS until I've called Sarah Jane and Martha round to laugh at this."

The boy smirked. Gwen held her growing bump as she laughed, she'd always imagined the Doctor as a heroic old man, she was surprised enough when she first saw him, but this was priceless. A hero never turns out exactly as you imagined, it's in the details.

And the Doctor laughed too, his childish giggles echoing around the bright room.

The End.

Thanks for reading this randomness! Hope you enjoyed :) The little Doctor flies off and grows into Matt Smith!