Ted woke up with a start, bolting upright in bed. Ace wasn't there. She must've gone out for a run or a walk or to beat up on unsuspecting bad guys that were wandering around the city. He felt on edge. Having Ace there when he woke up always made him calmer, especially after one of the dreams he'd been having lately.

Ever since Chuck had disappeared in a puff of Chaos, things had been strange. Ted felt strange. Ace had noticed, of course. And Reinette, a little. He'd been less mischievous, and it made him feel all itchy and funny. Like he was wearing the wrong set of clothes.

He sighed and wandered downstairs and to the back yard (naked, naturally) to feed the goat its breakfast. The dream still lingered in his memory. Ted as a fetus, then being born, living a life and dying at the end of it. Only to go through it all over again. Different lives, different Teds. He missed Ace in his dreams, but she was never there with him. He didn't like this dreaming thing, and decided to do it less and to watch Ace sleep more, like he used to.

“'Ello, goat,” he greeted, scratching the animal behind the ears. He leaned down and made the grass grow extra long in some spots, so the goat would have more to chew on. Then he flopped on his back and stared up at the sky.

Hello, Ted.

“'Ello again, goat. Y'don't talk, y'know.”

Ted. I'm not the goat.

“Oh. Righ'. Sorry.”

It's alright. Happens a lot. Chuck's gone, Ted.

“I know.” Ted frowned. “I miss 'im.”

I know you do. The universes merged and balance had to be upheld. Do you understand?

The goat baaed a little and moved to a different patch of grass. “No. S'not my job t'understand'. S'my job t'make mischief n'be Mr. McShane.”

Not anymore.

Ted sat up. “M'not leavin' Ace! Y'can do wha' y'want t'me, Mr. Voice, bu' m'not leavin' 'er.”

No, Ted. I meant no more mischief. Honestly, sometimes I wonder how you made it this far.

“Chuck says t'was m'bollocks. Th' size f'small moons.”

Right.

Ted grinned, but then what the voice (no relation to the goat) said hit him. “F'm'not makin' mischief, what'm I doin'?”

Making life.

“Huh?” Ted blinked and scratched his head.

This universe has a different set of Guardians. It's time to adapt, Ted, or you'll have to go home. It just so happens there's a spot open for a Gold Guardian; the Guardian of Life. Do you want it?

“M'not leavin' Ace. M'not leavin' this universe. Not withou' 'er.”

I'll take that as a yes. Happy birthday.

And then the voice was gone, even though it had never really been there. Ted looked down at himself. He felt the same. Same hair, same tattoos, same man bits. Same ring on his finger, and the goat eyed him in the same lazy/bored way it always did.

He stood up and scratched himself. Yup, that was still the same, too.

Nothing felt different, other than that he felt like taking a bath. That wasn't usual. Usually only baths happened when Ace was around, and then there was really more splashing than bathing.

“Huh.” He wandered back into the house and towards the nearest mirror. “Still th' same,” he announced, when he'd stepped in front of the mirror and seen his reflection. His voice even sounded the same.

“Nothin' much t'bein' th' Gold Guardian,” Ted decided aloud, and smirked, and wandered to the kitchen to make Ace some breakfast. She'd be hungry when she got home.