Epilogue
It was a beautiful, snowy, peaceful January morning. Rose and Jon had taken family leave so they could be home and bond with their baby. Although she was similar in size and shape as a human child, her motor skills and intellect were well beyond that of a newborn human. Only a little over 3 weeks old, she was already crawling, sitting up, babbling, and smiling. She didn't sleep as much as most babies, but she ate twice as much.
"All in all, a normal Time Lord baby!" Jon pronounced, quite often, and delightedly. Still, Rose sometimes worried a bit, she knew him better than anyone else in the universe, and she felt he regretted not being Arianna's true father. It was an odd feeling she got when she saw them gazing into each other's eyes, that there was something missing somehow, though it was obvious they loved each other.
Jon's Torchwood cellphone rang, and he frowned a bit as he picked it up.
"Pete," he acknowledged, then his eyes went wide as he listened. "Describe it to me." He listened carefully. "No, it's harmless." He listened some more. "Alright, we'll be expecting you – bring Jackie, too," he added. He snapped the phone shut and looked at Rose. "Something landed last night at Bad Wolf Bay that we should take a look at. Pete's bringing it here."
"You know what it is?" Rose asked.
"Yes, it sounds like a transdimensional delivery box. It has a message recorded, asking the finder to bring it to us."
"From the Doctor." Rose stated it factually, as who else could it be from? Jon nodded.
"How could he get it here?" Rose asked, "I thought travel between dimesnsions was impossible?"
"As the universe expands, little cracks develop here and there. Something very small could make the trip." Jon answered.
They quickly dressed and waited for the item's arrival. They hadn't long to wait, and soon Pete, Jackie, and Jake Simmonds were at the door with the box. Jon welcomed them, but looked askance at Jake's presence. Jake was head of Torchwood security now.
"Just in case." Pete explained.
They put Arianna in her crib in the nursery, then took the box inside the laboratory. Jon pressed the button on the outside and listened to the recording directing the finder to contact Dr Jonathan Noble-Storm and Rose Tyler, care of Vitex, or their family. The voice didn't sound familiar to anyone but Jon.
"That's not the Doctor's voice." Pete volunteered.
"Yes, it is, actually. I've regenerated." Jon answered. Everyone in the room stared at him. He shrugged. "We Time Lords can always recognize each other." He slid his fingers down each side of the box, finding indentations, pressed them simultaneously, and stepped back.
A hologram appeared in the space Jon had been standing. The image was that of a tall, slim, young man, with an unruly shock of dark brown hair, kind, timeless blue/grey eyes, and wearing the brown trenchcoat.
"Hello Jon and Rose." He paused. "As you can see, I've regenerated. I didn't want to, but now that I have, I understand why it had to happen. A lot has come to pass since we last saw each other. I won't go into it now, but before I regenerated, I copied my personality into a fob watch, which is in the box, along with a few other items I should have left with you before.
"Suffice it to say, I got stupid after I left you. I did things I regret now, reckless things. I did good things, too, but I clearly was losing my perspective.
"You see, I was alone. I thought it would be better that way, but it wasn't. As Donna would say, I need someone to tell me when to stop. I won't make that mistake again.
"So Rose, don't worry about me being alone. I won't be anymore. I'll make sure of it.
"And Jon, it's up to you whether you want to use the watch or not. I only copied my personality, along with the associated memories, into it, not my Time Lord essence. I thought you should have it, though, since you're him, it's my hope that it helps you to see and experience what I went through, I know you're worried about the darkness within you. Don't be. You have the strength within you to overcome it. Besides, you'll want to see Donna's wedding," he said with a wink.
"I'm going to move on now, and leave my previous lives and companions behind as much as I possibly can. You've all done enough for the universes, you deserve to lead your own lives without my interference. Tell our daughter I love her, and have a fantastic life."
The projection disappeared and the box opened. It was bigger on the inside. On top lay the fob watch, and a sonic screwdriver. There was also something carefully wrapped in paper. Jon took it out with shaking hands, not daring to hope...
... In the parcel was a piece of coral and a small vial. Carefully Jon closed the parcel back up and placed it inside the lab refrigerator and locked it. His eyes met Rose's and she understood he didn't want to discuss the items in front of the others. He placed the fob watch and the sonic screwdriver on the table and took out the next item. It was his brown trenchcoat. He lifted it to his face and inhaled deeply. It smelled of home. He handed it to Rose and she hugged it to herself. He took out the final item. It was his blue pinstriped suit. He placed it on the table and picked up the fob watch and looked at it thoughtfully. He met Rose's eyes.
"Well, what do you think?" he asked softly.
"Will you still be you?" she asked. "Because if not, I'd rather you didn't."
He nodded. "I'll still be me," he smiled, "just more so."
"I mean," Rose put a hand on his arm and searched his eyes, "what about the Donna in you? I love you just the way you are. I don't want you to change."
Jon cupped her face with his palm. "I promise I won't. I am who I am, Rose. I'll always be your Jon. But he's always been part of me, too, and now he can finally have that adventure he never thought he would. May I give that to him? As long as I promise to always be here?"
The tears spilled out of Rose's eyes. "How can I say no to that?" She hugged Jon tightly. "just remember your promise," she said through her tears.
"I will. Don't be afraid, Rose, this will be a good thing. I promise." He looked around at everyone in the room. "I'm retiring to the bedroom. I hope you don't mind, but I'd like to be alone for this." He gathered up the blue pinstriped suit, and left.
"What was in the paper, Rose?" Pete asked.
She smiled, wiping her face. "A little piece of home, I think," she replied. It was true enough.
"Let's go to the livingroom," Jackie suggested. "Rose, why don't you and I get some refreshments for everyone?" She knew it would be best to keep her daughter occupied.
Jon placed the suit on the bed, then sat down next to it and gazed at the fob watch for a few moments. "Alright," he said to himself, "here we go." He opened the watch. He gasped as the force of the personality hit him. Every memory, every emotion, every action rolled over him, in him, through him. They permeated his being, overwhelming him at first, as he relived everything that happened to his brother as if it had happened to him. Indeed it had, as he absorbed his brother and became him.
The Doctor opened his eyes and took in his surroundings. He recognized this room. It was Jon's - no, his bedroom. The bedroom he shared with his beloved Rose. I just want to see her one time before we finish assimilating, he thought. Then, No, it will be too hard. We need to share from the beginning. Yes.
He laid back on the bed and allowed the process to complete.
The family was gathered in the livingroom as he quietly stood in the doorway and drank the scene in with new, yet the same, eyes. His one heart almost felt like it would burst as he lovingly watched his family. Arianna was the first to notice him.
"Da-Da." She smiled and pointed as she sat on the floor with her mother. Everyone froze and stared as he walked over and scooped her up, holding her close.
"Hello," he said to his daughter through the joyful tears that streamed down his face. Rose slowly stood up, giving them a moment, then touched his cheek. He turned and wrapped an arm around his wife, holding her close. He could barely believe it, this was his life, too, now.
"This is it," he told Rose, "I am complete now. This is our fantastic life. This is our reward."
In the other universe, the Doctor stood in front of the doorway of the UCM room. "Well old girl, how about sealing off this room so no one else can see it or get into it. I won't destroy it, but I won't ever use it either, not unless the fate of the universes depends upon it." The TARDIS dutifully hid the room and locked it.
"Now what do you say we get on with our lives, old girl? There are repairs to make and adventures to be had." She agreed.