Epilogue
ONE MONTH LATER
(TARDIS-time)
"Now then!" the Doctor said brightly, closing the doors behind him with his foot. "Hello again, old girl."
The TARDIS purred wordlessly in reply.
The Doctor hopped up to the console of the TARDIS, shrugging off his trench coat and tossing it over a branch of coral in one smooth move.
"Unfriendly things, Zorrins," he said aloud, frowning as he rubbed his left shoulder. "Very sort of – pokey. They like their swords a bit too much, I think."
The Doctor found he was talking to himself a lot these days. The TARDIS didn't talk as much as he did, leaving it up to him to fill the empty space.
"So where to now, ey?" He idly flipped a switch and spun a dial with his thumb. "Where you do want to go?"
As usual, the TARDIS didn't respond.
Giving a deep sigh, the Doctor began switching levers and setting coordinates. The center column dutifully began pumping up and down.
The monitor gave a cheerful beep.
Curious, the Doctor grabbed the screen and pulled it around to face him. The TARDIS only gave him suggestions of suspicious happenings when it thought he needed it.
As he read the text that came up on the screen, he raised an eyebrow.
Adipose Industries. The words were thin and silver, gleaming within a pill-shaped enclosure. Reading the slogan, the Doctor touched his tongue to the roof of his mouth in interest and read quietly aloud, "'And the fat just walks away.'"
He sniffed once.
Slowly, a large grin spread across his face. This was definitely better than helping to settle peace treaties. His visit to Saturn 12 could wait.
"Allons-y!" he said brightly, flipping a switch. Immediately the TARDIS changed course, its center column seemingly pumping up and down with more fervor.
The TARDIS settled with a bump as they landed. The Doctor strode over to the doors and scooped up his coat, sliding it onto his shoulders. The material hadn't even had a chance to cool off from his body heat yet.
The wooden door of the TARDIS clattered shut behind him as he stepped out, off on another adventure.
On the inside of the right-hand door, soldered to the center of the telephone box, was a small metal symbol, looking like an inverted L.
Γ.
Gamma.
It glittered there every minute of every hour of every day, as a reminder.
You are not alone.
A/N: I CANNOT BELIEVE IT'S FINALLY DONE. :D A million thank-yous to all the readers, followers, favoriters, and reviewers of this story. You all kept me going, encouraged me along the way without even knowing it, and altogether made this whole experience truly, truly fun. :D
I will not be writing a sequel to this story.
Review answers:
MossStories: Let me tell you, your review absolutely made my day. Given the daunting number of DW fanfictions on this site, that is a huge compliment! Thank you so much!
moglefrog: Thank you, thank you, thank you! I'm really happy to hear that! I knew I had a lot of silent readers out there, and I love knowing that they were still enjoying the story as it was being posted. :)