Chaucer and Wilson: A Conversation (backdated to 3/25/06)

[geoff_chaucer]

Once he'd left Shane at her house, Geoff had taken the train back to Dover but he wasn't ready to go home. What she'd told him about her kidnapping, and the fact that others had been involved -- including Dr. Wilson -- was weighing heavy on Geoff's mind. The perpetrators had to be found, obviously, and revenge taken. But how? He hadn't wanted to

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[dr_jwilsonmd]

Wilson parked the M3, chattering brightly with Phale. It was a bit of nervous chatter, the lights from the Triangle still flashing in his mind but it was on one of their favorite topics and so it was a fun conversation as well.

Closing up the garage, the two men were curled arm in arm as they headed for the back gate to their home, heads bent together, talking softly.

[geoff_chaucer]

Taking a deep breath, Geoff stood and headed toward the two men. He hated disturbing them, but...he had to know what was going on.

"Hail! Dr. Wilson!" he called, walking quickly across the street, his discomfort showing clearly on his face.

[dr_jwilsonmd]

For a split second, the angel's body language was openly protective as he shifted in between Wilson and the approaching Chaucer but in the blink of that second, Phale relaxed, recognizing the young bard's voice.

Wilson turned also with a quiet sort of smile. It wasn't that he was unhappy to see Chaucer but rather that he had been looking forward into getting into the house, turning off all the lights and leaving just the candles and fire to brighten their home. Still, even as he thought about that, he realized that Chaucer must be here for some reason and his mind immediately went to ...

House?

"Good evening, Mr. Chaucer." As Geoff came closer, Wilson could see the discomfort in the young man's face and with a quick glance towards Phale, he reached for the door in the wall around the garden.

"Come on through, will you? Would you like some tea?"

[geoff_chaucer]

Honestly, the people in this time and their tea. The offer elicited a wry, private smile from Geoff, and a polite shake of his head. "No thank you, Dr. Wilson. I just...I won't take up very much of your time, I promise. I just have a couple of questions I need to ask someone, and you were the best person I could think of to answer them."

Looking back and forth between the two men, Geoff realized he was probably interrupting something, and almost backed off. This was for Shane, though, and he'd promised to always take care of her, as best he could anyway. And as best he could didn't mean sheering off because he was being a nuisance. So he gave Aziraphale an apologetic smile and stepped toward Wilson to follow him through the gate.

[dr_jwilsonmd]

Wilson looked a little confused but sent Phale on into the house, leading Geoff towards the small stone bench that sat in the middle of the garden. The night was nice enough that sitting outside wouldn't hurt them and somehow, Wilson had a feeling he could use the fresh air.

As they settled down, Wilson turned to shift his coat and as he turned back, he held a mug of tea in his hands.

"Okay, um...what can I do for you, Mr. Chaucer?"

[geoff_chaucer]

The sudden appearance of the mug didn't go unnoticed, and not having been around magic -- except in the subtle form it took to bring him to Tropolis -- for over half a year, Geoff felt a little more caught by surprise than he expected. Blinking and then turning his gaze away for a moment, toward the first green growth poking up out of the garden, he gave himself time to forget the cup hadn't always been there. Rationalization could be a great friend to a man at times, and Geoff had found it incredibly useful during his time away from home.

"I spent this afternoon with Shane McCutcheon. I'm sure you know her." Now at least. "But I don't know if you were aware that we're pretty close -- she's almost a sister to me, has been since I lived in Fandom. And she told me what happened to her...to all of you

[dr_jwilsonmd]

"Ah." Wilson said softly, looking down into his tea.

He knew from talking with Tara that Shane was having a particularly hard time with the events and he crooked a corner of his mouth at a private thought before taking a sip of tea and looking across the small area towards where some crocouses were poking their noses up through the leaf litter.

I need to clean that bed...maybe tomorrow.

"What do you want to know?" He asked quietly.

[geoff_chaucer]

"Shane told me she was kidnapped, and held against her will with several others, including you. It's...I can tell there's more to it than that, she's obviously traumatized, but I didn't want to upset her even more by making her talk about it."

He smiled ruefully at Wilson. "So here I am, asking you to talk about it instead. Unkind of me, I know. But...I don't know who else to go to. And if I'm going to exact some measure of retribution for Shane, I have to know where to start." He raised his hands in a helpless gesture. "Right now I have nothing. I didn't even know it had happened until Shane called me today."

[dr_jwilsonmd]

"So...ask." Wilson said again a little sharply, setting his teeth immediately afterwards and straightening, uncomfortably.

"I mean...I'm sorry but you need to ask..what is it you want to know."

Reaching up to grab the back of his neck, Wilson winced inwardly. He and Geoff had finally found equalibrium and here they both were risking it again. Shane must be very important to Geoff for Chaucer to risk tanking the tentative peace he and Wilson had found but he could understand the desire to know.

[geoff_chaucer]

If it had been for himself, Geoff would have stood, apologized, and left Wilson to the little bit of peace he had at the moment. But it wasn't for him, it was for someone who was as close to family as he had at the moment. So he nodded and bowed his head back toward the ground again.

"Is there anything you can tell me about who took you, where you were held, and why they might have done it? I- I know why is a tall order, but anything at all would help, even just a theory."

He rubbed his hand through his hair, waiting for the doctor to give him hell for asking, or simply to stand and walk off. He knew he deserved both.

[dr_jwilsonmd]

Wilson bit down hard on his lip in an attempt to keep from laughing hysterically.

Geoff wasn't unreasonable in his questions and they were questions Wilson had clung, sobbing to Phale and asked himself.

"No." He said softly.

"We were never able to come up with any theory as to why the six of us were choosen. We were pretty sure it was intentional, because they... they had to know how to keep our loved ones from getting to us. But beyond that. Nothing. There was never any direct contact once we were inside."

[geoff_chaucer]

Geoff visibly slumped a little. This was the scenario he'd been both dreading and expecting. Giving a small nod, his lips pressed into a thin line, he looked over at Wilson.

"Shane said she was grabbed. She- she lost her skateboard. Did you...see the people who took you? Would you be able to describe them?"

Anything. Give me anything at all, and I'll be grateful for it.

[dr_jwilsonmd]

"I was taken from my bed, while I was asleep."

He took a breath but then glanced at Geoff, remembering how the man seemed to have trouble believing in the idea of magic and power.

"I didn't see anyone. I didn't even notice anyone watching me."

Though they must have, to have known what Phale was...to have know when to grab me.

"They must have known us...or at least...they were damn good studies of human psychology. They were testing us, mentally."

[geoff_chaucer]

Another nod, this time an acknowledgement that, while he had difficutly with being that close to it, Geoff was willing to admit that magic had its place. And he knew what Wilson's partner was -- if Aziraphale hadn't know what was going on, there had to be something more than simple mundane means at work.

He took a deep breath, knowing that this was going to be the hardest answer for Wilson to give. "Did they do you harm while you there?"

Sweet Jesus, please say no.

[dr_jwilsonmd]

Finally, Wilson looked up at Geoff.

"Defined harm, Mr. Chaucer." He spoke in a tight, strained voice.

"If you mean did they rape us? Force us to submit to physical humiliations of our bodies? No."

Licking his lips, he continued to study Geoff with a hard gaze. "If you mean did they strip us of our humanity, turn us into uniform blobs of meat to be toyed with like some disposable lab rats. If you mean did they play with our hopes and prove to us over and over again our worthless to anything other than their twisted study. If you mean did they make us afraid to let a bottle of water out of our sight, or afraid of the light...then yes."

Wilson gave a chuff of completely humorless laughter.

"No, Mr. Chaucer, they didn't rape our bodies. They raped our souls."

[geoff_chaucer]

"Jesus." Geoff rested his face in his hands, wishing like hell he could have taken Shane's place in that, or even Wilson's. He didn't figure he'd have fared any better than they did, probably worse in fact. But these were decent people, and decent people shouldn't be put through that sort of experience.

"I'm sorry, Dr. Wilson. I'm sorry you had to go through that, and I'm sorry I made you tell me about it." Rubbing at his face, he added, "And I'm sorry that I don't think there's a damn thing I can do to make any of it better."

He rose, and stood looking at the young doctor for a moment. "You didn't deserve to have something like that done to you. None of you did. I'm...I'm sorry." Shaking his head, Geoff stuffed his hands into his pockets and then turned to head out the gate.