It wasn't as though he intended to let go the way he did, but he started to cry when she was replying to him, so open, so much with the loving him back, like it was just so easy and he couldn't even stand it. How could people grow up with this and take it for granted? Chase, who had never had one constant source of parental love, couldn't understand it.

He sniffled, a long and deep breath in to try and mask it as an inhalation. "God, Gwen," he exhaled. "I'm petrified. I couldn't sleep. The Doctor asked me to, he...he said for him, but I couldn't."