He wasn't sure how long he had been crouched in the sand clinging to her lifeless frame. He didn't know when he had run out of tears. All he knew was that his Emmy was gone. His magnificent girl was gone. He would never hear her laugh again. He would never look up from the control panel of the TARDIS to she her with her hands on her hips and her brow furrowed. That was it. She had died for him. She had willingly sacrificed her existence because she thought she was less important than him. He simply couldn't bare it.
He looked back down at the limp figure in his arms. her face was wet with his tears. He ran his thumb over her cheek and then held her face. He sighed. "Emily. I'm so sorry." He ran his fingers through her hair. He gazed at her a moment before he gently lifted her, stood up, and carried her to the TARDIS for the last time.
He kicked the TARDIS door shut behind him before carrying her to the platform by the controls and carefully laying her down. He sat on the step just below her and leaned over her, an arm on either side of her. He reached up and smoothed down her hair. "One last trip for you my dear."
The tears that had subsided were threatening to return. He leaned down and kissed her forehead and then rested his cheek on her hair. "I think a return trip to Bellizia is in order. A fitting resting place." The tears began again. "Beautiful and not for the faint of heart. Just like you."
His cheek was still pressed to her hair when he noticed something strange. An all too familiar golden glow was beginning to swirl around her. He sat up again and took in the sight before him. His hearts stopped. He was too afraid to believe what was happening. He didn't think he could survive hoping and this not being true. The light around her began to intensify and became progressively brighter. He stood up and took two steps back. Emily's every extremity was now radiating powerful beams of light so bright he could barely look upon her. It looked as though she had burst into flames. As quickly as it started, the light subsided and the Doctor cautiously approached the figure before him.
A brand new woman lay where his Emily once was. He crouched down, cautiously, next to her. She was now a taller, much more ginger Emily. He delicately placed a hand on her arm, not daring to believe what he had just witnessed. She had regenerated.
He waited. When she slowly opened her eyes he realized he had been holding his breath. She turned her head and looked at him. "Doctor?"
He smiled and nodded in response.
"What happened?" She asked, trying to get her bearings.
He grabbed her and crushed her to his chest. He was shaking, gasping through sobs.
"Doctor." She mumbled into his chest, but he held fast.
"Doctor! I can't breathe."
He finally pulled back and got a proper look at her.
"What happened?" She was patting herself down as though she didn't quite believe she was there.
"Well, it looks like you...regenerated. " Tears streaked his face. He was grinning. She had never seen him like this. It was a bit unsettling to see him with so little control over his own emotions. He crushed her to him again. "You regenerated Emily!"
"Come again?" She sat straighter and untangled herself from his grasp. She was surrounded by a mass of ginger curls that looked more like a lion's mane than a head of hair. She tugged at it. "And what the heck is this mess?!"
He cocked his head to one side. "New hair. New everything really."
"But how? Did this happen the night of the supernova? I thought you said you stopped the process."
"I thought I had. I guess the TARDIS had other plans."
"Other plans? You mean it just kept right on with the process, after you thought you had stopped it?"
He thought for a moment and smiled. "Sometimes the TARDIS has a mind of its own. It doesn't always do what I tell it to do, but it has a funny knack for doing what I need it to do."
"What did you need it to do?" She asked softly.
He sat there looking at her, thoughtful for a moment, then he made a sort of half smile and softly laughed to himself. "I guess I didn't know. The TARDIS clearly thought I needed..." He paused. "Emily, the night I left you I had every intention of saying goodbye. The honest truth is, though, that I didn't have the courage to. I took the cowards way out. I'm so sorry Emmy. I hope that you can forgive me someday. I almost lost you that night. I realized that if I had, it would have ended me. I did the only thing I knew to do. I brought you home. As much as it hurt, at least I knew you were alive. I didn't give you a choice in the matter, because I know you would have stayed."
"That was my choice Doctor, not yours."
He nodded sadly. " I know that. I knew it the moment I left you. It's why I couldn't look you in the eyes. The truth is I felt you mattered too much to let you choose a road I knew you might not survive. I also knew if I stayed to speak with you, I wouldn't have been able to tell you no, because I never could."
She stared at him for a moment and then she finally whispered, "I waited three years for you. I was never angry, but I hurt more than I can even begin to articulate. I hurt so much for three years. That's a very long time to a human."
"I know."
"Please tell me the truth Doctor. If you hadn't noted the weapon discharge, you wouldn't have returned would you?"
His face contorted in pain. "Honestly, no. Not if I thought you were safe, and me staying away would continue to keep you that way. I had been monitoring this area ever since I left. Until today, I never saw a reason to risk coming back. Coming back always meant I ran the risk of seeing you. I knew if I saw you, I wouldn't ever be able to walk away again. It hurt so much the first time, I wouldn't be able to leave your side again. Your life meant more to me than that."
"That's the point, though, Doctor. My only life was with you. If I'm not with you, I just don't see the point." She looked into his eyes, and then she did the last thing he was expecting. She grabbed him by those awful red suspenders and kissed him. Their lips pressed to one another's with a force that was nearly magnetic. It was like they had both been starving all of this time and had at last found sustenance.
When she pulled away, his hands were tangled in her new head of fiery hair. Her hands on his chest and her forehead was pressed to his. She exhaled, trying to gather just the right words, but all she could come up with was, " You broke my heart..."
"Emmy..."
She looked back up into his eyes. "I understand though. I will never be able to look back on those years and not hurt, but I do understand. I'd do anything to keep you safe." She grabbed at the tumbleweed of hair that hung around her shoulders and held it up to him. "I have, and I would again."
"I was just trying to keep you safe, Emmy. I'm so sorry." He looked up at her, eyes pleading with her to forgive him, but he was to afraid to ask.
She smiled. "Well, Doctor, it looks like you're stuck with me now. If you ever pull something like that again, so help me, I will help every Maquillian, Dalek and Cyberman in this quadrant find you and have their way with you!"
He grinned, really and truly grinned. "I'd have it coming." He placed his hands on either side of her face.
"So where you taking me?" Her hands were around his neck.
His face grew more serious. "Is this really what you want? You have to know, at this point, that this won't be easy."
"I know. There is nothing easy about you. Your'e the most difficult man I know."
"I can't give you a normal life."
"If that's what I wanted, I'd have never left with you to begin with."
"I'm old enough to be your great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-grandfather."
"And yet you still need a keeper."
"I..."
"Shut up Doctor. You're it for me and that's that."
His eyes bore into her's. She had seen so many looks cross that face and those eyes since she met him. She'd seen rage, joy, fear, but for the first time in all of her days with him she saw uncertainty. "What is it Doctor?"
"I don't deserve this. I don't deserve you."
"Yeah well, the TARDIS thought otherwise, and" she paused and held her hand over her heart and then moved her hand slowly to the right and grinned, "it looks like you're stuck with me." She grabbed his hand and held it to her chest. "Two hearts. I guess I never noticed because it never occurred to me to check."
He gazed at her. His treasure. He was crying again, but for a whole other reason. For the first time in a very long time, he was not alone. He stood up and dusted off his slacks. He held his hand out to her, the same way he always had. "Ready my dear Emmy?"
She took his hand in hers and stood up. "Of course." He walked her to the controls. One arm around her waist and one hand on the panel, he pulled the lever. The TARDIS jumped and they were off. Together. Home.