And so concludes this little story. Thanks to all who read, reviewed, followed, and favorited. :)
Epilogue – December 7, 2015
Jenny took a moment to steady herself as she landed. She pulled in a slow breath once the world settled back into focus, and quickly crossed the street to get to her destination. She wasn't looking forward to this, but she knew that it had to be done. She could feel something stirring in the darkness—that place that was just beyond where her time senses could go. And if her intuition was right—and it usually was—then this would be her only chance to tell her dearest friends goodbye.
Her family had always been terrible with goodbyes. It had started with her father, and soon spread to her mum, and then to Mara and herself. It was what she referred to as the curse of the Tylers, and it was a cycle she was determined to break.
She smiled brightly at Ianto as she entered the Torchwood base. "Long time no see."
He laughed and came around the counter to hug her. "We were starting to think you were never coming back."
"Is everyone in today?" she asked.
He nodded and led her deeper into the hub. "Hey team, look who's here!"
Owen was the first to spot her. "Well it's about bloody time!" he exclaimed with a laugh.
"I couldn't stay away for long," Jenny said as Jack bounded down from his office to swoop her up into a hug. She clung to him tightly. "I missed you, too," she murmured in his ear as he set her down.
The others were quick to grab her attention then, and soon she was surrounded by her old Torchwood team. They all had a million questions for her—where had she gone? Why did she leave? Why did she take so long to come back? Was she staying?
She swallowed at that question, and looked to Jack. "I wish I could."
His face fell as his eyes met hers. "You came to say goodbye."
"But why?" Gwen asked. "We just got you back. Where could you be off to in such a hurry?"
She half smiled, and took the Welsh woman's hand. She gave it a squeeze. "There's just so much of the universe to see, Gwen, and I've spent so much time on Earth. I want to go explore." She didn't have it in her to admit that recent events with her parents had made her afraid of what working for a place like Torchwood would turn her into. She couldn't tell them that she was terrified that that was what she was sensing coming for her. She couldn't break her friend's heart that way.
"Will you ever come back?" Tosh asked then.
Jenny bit her lip, and shook her head. "No."
"So that's it, then," Owen said, and she could hear that anger in his voice. "You're just going to run away."
"Owen—"
The young doctor spun away on his heel and marched towards the conference room. Tosh sighed heavily, and turned to quickly kiss Jenny on the cheek. "I'll take care of him."
Jenny nodded, and pulled the other woman in for a hug before she could run away. "I'm going to miss you, Sweetheart."
Her friend chuckled. "I'll miss you, too," she said before she turned to run after Owen.
Ianto held his hand out to her. "It's been a pleasure, Jenny."
She laughed. "Oh just hug me, you silly thing." She pulled him in by his extended hand, and turned to speak into his ear. "Take care of yourself, Ianto," she said, and pointed to Jack after they parted. "And keep an eye on that one for me, yeah?"
Ianto smiled, and nodded before he turned back towards his duties.
Jenny turned to Gwen then. Her friend refused to look her in the eyes, and Jenny sighed. "Oh, Gwen."
Finally, Gwen reached out to hug her. Jenny held her close, and kissed her temple. "Take care of that family of yours. And keep Jack in line, yeah? He needs someone like you to keep him on the straight and narrow. Or to tell him when he's being an idiot."
Gwen laughed through her tears, and nodded. "Promise." She held up a finger. "But only if you promise to take care of yourself. You may be a Time Lord, but you're still mortal."
Jenny smiled. "I think I can handle that."
Gwen nodded, and quickly spun away.
Jenny pulled in a slow breath, and turned to face Jack. He shifted from foot to foot. "So, where do you think you'll go?"
She shrugged. "I hadn't really thought about it."
"I hear that Felspoon is lovely this time of year."
She chuckled. "Maybe I'll go take a look. They don't really like Tylers on Felspoon, though. Last time we visited, Mum accidently managed to insult their Governor and Dad collapsed one of their sacred mountains."
Jack laughed loudly, and she was relieved to see the sparkle back in his eyes. "That sounds like the Doctor and Rose I know."
Jenny stepped forward to give him another tight embrace. "Jack…"
"I know," he said, and pulled her even closer.
"Well I'm going to say it anyway. Even if just to break the Tyler curse of awful timing." He let out a low snicker, and she pulled back to look him in the eyes. "I love you, Uncle Jack."
Jack swallowed, and kissed her forehead. "I love you too, Jenny Tyler."
She smiled at him softly, and left a lingering kiss on his cheek before she pulled herself away from him.
"Oh, Tyler, one more thing."
She turned around slowly, and gave him a wry smile. "When isn't there?"
He winked. "Give your mum a kiss for me. And your dad."
Jenny rolled her eyes, and turned back around. "Will do, Harkness."
After she left Torchwood, she used her Vortex Manipulator to transport her to the house she used to share with Mara. When her family had finally reunited and prepared to leave Earth, they had packed up most of it, but they'd left a couple of things. There was one thing she wanted to retrieve.
Jenny fit her key into the lock and turned it slowly. The house was still technically in her name, and she knew Mara had returned to it often enough during her travels that no one had ever suspected that they no longer lived here.
The house was quiet as she made her way back to her old bedroom. She pulled out her chest from under the bed, and pawed through the items inside until she came across what she wanted. It was a picture of the four of them—back when her dad still wore brown pinstriped suits and converse—laughing in front of the TARDIS.
She smiled, and tucked the photo into her pocket before she left.
Once she was out of the house, she looked up and down the street. She wasn't quite ready to leave, but didn't know where she wanted to go.
With a shrug, she picked a direction and started walking.
She had only made it a block or so away when she, quite literally, ran into him.
"Oh, I'm—Jenny?"
She let out a breathy laugh of surprise. "Shayne."
He smiled at her. "Wow, how long has it been?"
She could tell him exactly how long it had been, thanks to her internal clock. For her, it had almost been four centuries. For him, it had been 11 years, 9 months, 3 weeks, 2 hours, 12 minutes, and 27 seconds.
"A while," she answered, and nodded to the flash of gold she caught on his left hand. "I see that you've been busy."
He glanced down at his ring, and chuckled. "Yeah, her name is Rosanne. We've been married almost ten years now."
Jenny smiled at him brightly. "That's lovely."
Shayne nodded, and pulled his wallet out from his pocket. He rummaged around until he found the picture he was looking for. "That's us with our kids, Stewart and Leanne."
"They're gorgeous," she said. "How old?"
"Stewart's eight and Leanne is six."
She handed back the picture. "That's wonderful, I'm happy for you."
He grinned as he tucked the picture back into his wallet carefully. "So how's your sister?"
It was only then that Jenny began to feel the awkwardness of this situation. "Good," she said after a beat too long. "We finally reunited with our parents, which has had a good influence on her."
"That's wonderful news!" Shayne exclaimed before his expression returned to a more somber state. "And the, uh...traveling? I assume you went back to...wherever it is you go when you're not on Earth, now that the four of you are together."
She gave him a sympathetic smile. She appreciated the fact that he was trying. "The traveling is good, yeah."
He nodded, and shoved his hands into his pockets. The two of them shifted on their feet for a moment before Jenny went to move past him. "Well...it's been nice seeing you again, Shayne."
He nodded as they moved to past each other. "You as well."
Jenny only glanced back once she was just about to turn the corner. She smiled to herself as she watched Shayne walk away. She was happy for him, but she couldn't shake the tightness that had found its way to her chest. He was living the life she never could—having the one adventure she could never have.
"Quite right, too," she said quietly. "Live a fantastic life, Shayne Gray."
She turned back around to face front once he was out of sight. Despite her lingering feelings, she knew everything had turned out just as it should be.
Jenny wandered the streets aimlessly until she found herself sitting in the park she used to take Mara to when her sister was small. And that's when she felt it. Something in the universe had just shifted. The threat she could feel hovering in the darkness was starting to take form.
There was a storm coming.
