Thank you to everyone who has read, reviewed, followed and favorited so far.
A special thank you to my friend Aragorn II Elessar for his help with this chapter.
Jane led the others into what seemed to be a dining room. Most of them were surprised to see an assortment of foods around the table.
"Oh yeah, the TARDIS can make food. You didn't know that?" Jane asked in surprise.
"The Doctor always loved to cook," Martha explained.
"You mean he loved to show off. Oh that is so him," Jane said with a laugh.
"How did you make these recordings?" Wilf asked what they were all wondering as they all sat down.
"I didn't, the TARDIS did," Jane revealed, to their shock. "The TARDIS can see Dad's past, present and future, although they sometimes get a little mixed up. Dad thought having his past put together as a sort of documentary series might come in handy one day if he ever needed to research one of his past adventures, so he and the TARDIS put these together. Although he never expected to have to use it like this."
"You mean he never expected to die," Martha noted and Jane gave a sad nod.
"What exactly happened?" Jack inquired.
"It's complicated. There were…a lot of things that led up to it. Mistakes were made, things were lost," Jane said with a faraway look in her. "I'll tell you a bit more later on, but for now, I need you to trust me and keep watching. For everyone's sakes."
"As long as we can save Boss and stop whatever is happening, I'm in," Mickey said almost immediately.
Jack looked around the table and, seeing no seemed to disagree with Mickey's statement, turned back to Jane.
"Looks like we're all in agreement then," Jack said.
"Good. Now, something I was curious about was that you all seemed to recognize Dad in his Eleventh form," Jane mentioned.
"If all our encounters were the same, I don't think any of us knew it was him," Martha said, looking over at everyone and seeing they nodded to confirm this. "But for me, well, it was a few years ago. I was at the hospital because I'd been feeling a little off, which was how I found out I was pregnant."
"You have a kid? Congratulations," Donna said with a smile, which Martha returned.
"Thanks. I'll show you a picture later," Martha said before getting back on task. "It was…a lot to process. So, rather than going home right away, I just sat in the waiting room, taking it in for a while."
Martha was sitting in a chair in the waiting room, everything around her passing in a blur. She was pregnant. So many thoughts and feelings were going through her head at that moment she honestly didn't know what she was thinking or feeling at the moment.
"Penny for your thoughts?"
Martha was startled out of her thoughts by the unexpected voice, looking up to see a dark haired man with hazel eyes smiling down at her.
"Or is it pound for your thoughts. I can never quite keep up with these idioms," the man mused.
"Uh, I'm sorry?" Martha asked, perplexed by this strange man.
"You seemed like you could use someone to talk to. May I sit down?" The man asked, gesturing to the seat beside her.
"Uh, sure," Martha said and the man sat down next to her.
"Are you alright? You seem like you're upset about something," the man inquired.
"I'm fine. I just…I got some news I wasn't expecting. And I'm not sure how my husband is going to react," Martha admitted.
"And is this bad news?" the man inquired.
"No, not bad. Just...big. Life changing," Martha said and the man stared into her eyes, seeming to understand.
"Ah. That kind of news then. Permission to offer advice?" the man inquired and Martha's lip twitched.
"Granted," she said amused.
"Life's about growth, about change. You can't stop changing any more than you can choose the color of your eyes or skin. And that's good, you have to keep moving, you have to keep going. It's the cycle of life, we all keep going. And as long as we remember everything that came before, the people who came before, that's okay. Am I making sense?" the man asked as Martha stared at him.
"Yeah, I think you are," Martha said, unconsciously placing a hand over her still flat stomach. "I can't stop the change, I can only embrace it."
"Exactly. And I'm sure your husband will be overjoyed," the man said with a smile. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm late to meet a friend. Good luck Martha Jones."
The man then stood up and walked out of the waiting room. It would only be later that Martha realized she'd never told him her name.
"I'd always suspected he was The Doctor, but I was never certain until today," Martha finished her story.
"That sounds just like Boss," Mickey chuckled.
"And what about you?" Martha asked as she turned towards her husband. "You weren't there, but you obviously recognize him."
"Yeah, it was about eight months later. You'd just gone back to work after maternity leave was up…"
In the park, Mickey was pushing Matthew's stroller, a baby bag slung over his shoulder. It was his first day alone with Matthew and it was harder than he thought. The first hour he wouldn't stop crying, then work had called and needed Mickey to come in to deal with something, so he'd had to take Matthew with him, managing to calm him down finally. Now, they were taking a stroll through the park. Mickey was wondering if he was out of his depth when he felt the bag fall off his shoulder. Before it could hit the ground, a hand reached out and caught it.
"I think you misplaced this mate," a man with brown hair and eyes said with a smile, handing it Mickey.
"Thanks," Mickey said gratefully, looking in the stroller to make sure Matthew was still asleep.
"First time parent?" the man asked like he already knew the answer.
"That obvious?" Mickey asked dryly.
"Only to someone who knows the feeling," the man said with a short laugh.
"So you're a parent then?" Mickey asked and the man's smile dimmed.
"Once, a long time ago," the man said lowly and there's' a brief pause. "So, who's our little friend here?"
"This is Matthew," Mickey said, looking in on his son, seeing he was starting to come around. "And I'm Mickey."
"Very nice to meet you Mickey," the man said smiled again before leaning over the stroller. "And hello Matthew."
Matthew stared up at the stranger for a moment before gurgling something at him.
"Yes, it is a bowtie. Thank you," the man said as he put a hand to his bowtie.
Mickey stared at the strange man, beginning to doubt his sanity when the man turned to him.
"You know, everyone doubts themselves at first Mickey. It's part of being a new parent. But you are better than anyone else thinks," the man said, staring at Mickey intently. "Believe in yourself more. You're a good man Mickey Smith."
"How do you know my name?" Mickey asked startled.
"It's on the bag," The man said, pointing to the baby bag when 'Smith' was stitched into it. "Good luck Mickey."
The man then turned and walked off. Mickey stared after him, wondering why he felt so familiar.
"I probably should have expected that it was Boss, but I just never thought he'd think of me enough that he'd pop in for a visit," Mickey admitted.
"Dad thought more of you than you think. He was right though, you should have more faith in yourself," Jane told him and Mickey smiled weakly.
"They're both right," Martha said as she leaned over, kissing him on the cheek before taking his hand.
"So, who else wants to share?" Mickey joked.
"Guess I'm next," Jack said as he leaned back in his chair. "Started a few weeks after the Miracle. I had just gotten back to Cardiff, and so I went out for a drink…"
At his local Cardiff pub, Jack was sitting alone, having a drink. It had been a few weeks since the end of the Miracle, since Esther. Another life lost because of her association with Jack Harkness. Jack was tired of having names added to the ever growing list.
"Drinking alone tonight?"
Jack looked up, seeing a dark haired man wearing a bowtie of all things standing next to him with a smile.
"I don't have to," Jack said flirtatiously and the man laughed.
"Oh stop it. My heart belongs to someone else, as they say," the man said, smiling at Jack as thought they were sharing a private joke. "You just seem like you could use a friend or at a friendly ear tonight. If you want."
Jack stared at the man for a long moment before shrugging, gesturing to the seat next to him. The man sat down; although Jack noticed he made no move to order any liquor.
"Nice bowtie," Jack mentioned.
"Bowties are cool," the man said defensively and Jack smiled.
"If you say so," Jack said before taking a drink. "So what brings you to Cardiff?"
"I'm in town to see an old friend. What about you?" the man inquired.
"Drowning my sorrows. I lost a friend a few weeks back," Jack said before drowning a shot.
"Sorry to hear that," the man said sympathetic.
"It's become a pattern recently," Jack said as he thought of Suzie, Owen, Tosh, Ianto and Steven. "The people I love keep dying on me."
"I know what you mean," the man said wistfully and Jack looked over at him. "My entire family is gone."
"I'm sorry," Jack said, able to relate and the man smiled tightly.
"It was my fault. I'm responsible for what happened," the man said as he stared ahead, not seeming to see anything.
"How did you deal with it? How did you deal with the guilt of it?" Jack asked lowly and the man looked back at him.
"I try to go on; try to live up to what they stood for. I try to honor them. It's the only thing I can do," the man said lowly before looking back at Jack. "It's what they would want us to do."
Jack turned away, frowning. When he looked back up, the man was gone.
"Almost thought I'd imagined the whole thing. But I can't get that drunk," Jack said with a shrug before looking over at Wilf. "What about you Wilf?"
"Well, for me, it started a year after Donna's wedding," Wilf said as he thought back. "I was out behind the house, looking up at the stars…"
Wilf was looking up at the stars through his telescope. He wasn't looking for anything in particular, but he remembered a promised he'd made some years back, to look up at the sky and think of a certain alien with a box.
"Hello!"
Startled, Wilf looked over his shoulder to see a dark haired man walking up the hill, holding a telescope.
"Might some company? It's just this is the best spot in town for stargazing you see?" the man asked with a bright smile.
"Yes, it's quite alright," Wilf said, staring at the man's telescope. "Is that the latest model?"
"Why yes it is," the man said as he walked over, beginning to set up a space a few feet away from Wilf. "A friend of mine gave it to me; he works at the company you see."
"Wish I had friends like that," Wilf said as he went back to looking up at the stars. "You have a name?"
"Just call me Smith," the man said as he took began looking up at the stares through his telescope. "And you?"
"Everyone calls me Wilf. So what brings you here? Been using this spot for years, never seen you before," Wilf pointed out.
"Oh, I'm checking things off my bucket list as you would say. You know what they say, live each day like your last and all that," Smith said, still staring up at the sky. "And you? You must be very familiar with the stars by now. Looking for anything in particular?"
"No, no not really. I suppose I'm just keeping a promise to an old friend," Wilf said as he continued looking up at the stars.
"And I'm sure whoever your friend is, he appreciates it," Smith said with an odd note in his voice that made Wilf frown. "Wish I had friends like that."
"I'm sure you do," Wilf assured him and Smith flashed a tight smile.
"Perhaps," Smith said and a beat passed between them. "So, an old soldier like you, you must have family. Grandchildren maybe."
"Oh yes, I do. My daughter is back at the house, waiting for me. And my granddaughter Donna is expecting her first child," Wilf said and a smile crossed Smith's face.
"That's wonderful. And your granddaughter, she's okay then?" Smith asked, as though he was trying very hard to sound casual.
"As okay as the rest of us, what with everything that's happened the last few years," Wilf said, thinking of his Donna and the look he'd still see on her face sometimes. "But she's happy."
"Well, I suppose that's the best we can all hope for, yeah?" Smith said with a soft smile. "It was nice to meet you Wilf."
"Nice to meet you to Smith," Wilf said with a laugh.
"Yes. Well, I do need to get going," Smith said as he seemed to check his watch.
"You just got here," Wilf said in surprise.
"Well, things to do, places to see. Still have so much to check off my bucket list. Wilfred," Smith saluted him. "Never stop looking up at those stars. There are many wonderful things out there."
As Smith began to walk off, Wilf realized something.
"Hey, your telescope!" Wilf called out.
"Keep it! It's much nicer than that rusty old relic you use!" Smith shouted back as he climbed down the hill.
"And that was the last I ever saw of him. He just seemed like a nice, if odd, fellow. But now that I know it's him, his questions about Donna make a lot more sense," Wilf said as he glanced at his granddaughter, who had remained silent throughout his story.
"Sounds like Dad alright," Jane said, beginning to understand. "He wanted to know about Donna, but couldn't bring himself to visit her personally."
"Why? I wouldn't remember him?" Donna asked confused.
"He thought it hurt too much. Hurt him," Jane clarified as she saw Donna open her mouth to argue. "But at some point, Dad obviously got up the courage to pay you a visit."
"Yeah," Donna said, thinking back to her last meeting with The Doctor.
Donna was in a park, a baby carrier next to her as she rocked the baby to sleep. Some people passed by, giving her polite greetings but she barely noticed, as she was focused on trying to calm her son down.
"You might want to try picking him up."
Startled, Donna looked up to see a dark haired man wearing a bowtie had stopped in front of her.
"What?" Donna asked perplexed.
"Sometimes children just want to be held," the man clarified.
"I've been holding him," Donna snapped annoyed at the audacity of this man.
"I don't doubt it, but children can sense the feelings of their parents. If you're upset, he'll be upset. Calm down and hold him," the man advised.
Donna glanced from the man to her fussing son before deciding it couldn't hurt. And she'd barely had any sleep the last couple nights anyway. So, Donna took a deep, calming breath before reaching inside and taking her son out of her carrier. She began rocking him, trying her best to stay calm despite her lack of sleep. To her amazement, he began to calm down.
"Babies can sense anxiety from their parents. If you're not calm, he won't be calm," the man said as he sat down on the bench next to Donna.
"So you're a parent then?" Donna asked and a sad smile flashed across the man's face.
"Oh, once, a very long time ago," the man said and Donna felt horrible for broaching what was obviously such a painful subject. "So, may I know the name of the mother and child?"
"I'm Donna, Donna Noble. And this little guy is Will," Donna said as she looked down at her son, relieved to see he was finally going to sleep.
"Will, good name. Is it short for William then?" the man inquired and Donna laughed quietly, trying not to wake Will.
"You're not the first person to make that mistake. He's actually named after my grandfather, Wilfred. His full name is Wilfred Lee Temple-Noble," Donna said and an unexplained look crossed the man's face.
"Lee is his middle name?" the man asked with a strange tone.
"Yes. It was my husband's father's name. Why?" Donna asked as she looked at him oddly and the man relaxed.
"No reason. No reason at all. It's a good name," the man said, smiling down at Will before looking back at Donna. "And you're…happy then?"
"Some days are harder than others, not sure I've got this parenting thing down. But yeah, I'm happy," Donna told him and the man smiled.
"Good. Let me tell you something, because it may change your life," the man, staring at Donna intently as she began to feel nervous. "Every parent feels that way at first. We're all learning, we all have no idea what we're doing. We do the best we can Donna. You're not any better or any worse than any other first time parent."
Donna stared at him for a long moment, the words triggering something in her. Like she knew someone once who would say something similar. But that was absurd, because Donna had never met anyone who talked like this strange bloke.
"Well, if you'll excuse me, I must be off," the man said as he got to his feet. "On my way to go see my friend Craig you see. On a tight schedule, have to get going."
"Okay then. It was nice to meet you," Donna said with an amused smile.
"It was very nice to you to Donna Noble," the man said, staring at her for a long moment, as though burning her face into his memory. "And you as well Will. Take care."
As the man turned to leave, Donna realized something.
"Oi, wait just a minute!" Donna said and the man froze. "You never told me your name."
"No, no I didn't," the man said with a mysterious smile.
No more words were spoken as the man turned and walked off, Donna staring after him in complete bewilderment.
"Well, I suspected at first, but Dad mentioning Craig confirms it," Jane said once Donna had finished her story. "Dad paid each of you a visit on what he called his 'Farwell tour'."
"Farwell tour?" Martha repeated as they all stared at Jane in confusion.
"Long story, you'll end up seeing most of it," Jane said dismissively. "But we came here to eat, so let's eat, then we can get back to watching."
The five former companions exchanged odd looks but, finding they couldn't exactly disagree, they started picking up the plates of food, finally starting to eat.
Nothing can convince me that, in 200 years, The Doctor didn't visit each of his former companions to say goodbye in his own way while he was on his Farwell Tour.
And we'll resume watching next chapter.