Epilogue

It was a beautiful day, the sun was shinning, the sky was blue and those clouds floating above the Millenium Centre looked like sun-bathing Yeti. Not that Yetis actually sunbathed all that much, given their propensity for cold, dark caves and snowy climates, but clouds weren't exactly known for forming in logical shapes. If they had been, they'll likely all resemble birds or perhaps some variety of flying blimp or airplane.

In any case, the beautiful summer's day seemed to have put a spring into everyone's steps, including the Doctor's, who was strolling around the Cardiff Bay with a bright smile on his face, his light beige jacket slung casually over his shoulder. He tipped his hat to a passing couple who nodded back briefly as they studied his outfit – it was a look he was used to as his outfit tended to rather look out-of-place just about everywhere but a cricket field. Then again, the fashion in the 2050s was decidedly odder than the usual Earth fare (he sincerely hoped he never regenerated into someone who liked bright-coloured pom poms).

Looking up to the sky, he noted the position of the sun and sighed. It was time to head back.

Still, rushing would be a waste of the lovely weather and so he turned, meandering his way back towards Porth Teigr where he'd left the TARDIS. It wasn't like he expected Tegan to be early from her shopping excursion, after all.

However, as all things must eventually come to an end, the Doctor finally rounded the corner from where he could see the TARDIS – with a highly annoyed-looking Tegan standing in front surrounded by shopping bags. Turlough stood next to her, hands in the pockets of his black school uniform pants, looking bored.

The Doctor winced. Apparently he'd taken a bit longer than he'd intended on his return trip. Ah well, they'd forgive him in due time.

He could tell the moment they'd noticed him, because Turlough perked up and Tegan put her hands on her hips and glared in his direction. The Doctor's smile widened.

The sparks coming out of Tegan's eyes were almost visible when suddenly a man stepped in front of him.

"Excuse me, Doctor?" he said, his accent sounding jarringly American.

The Doctor stopped, blinking at the man in surprise. It wasn't often that he was recognized by complete strangers on the street.

He smiled brightly at the man. "Hello," he said, observing him carefully. "I'm afraid I can't quite place you. Have we met somewhere before?"

The man continued to look entirely unfamiliar to him. He appeared to be in his late forties, possibly early fifties, with dark blond hair and a pointy face which made him look a bit like a modern elf. He smiled at the Doctor with a twinkle of mischief in his eyes.

"My name is Tim," he said softly. "But I'm afraid I can't quite tell you how I know you, though we have met. Or, rather, I have met you and you will meet me at some point."

The Doctor raised an eyebrow. "Fascinating. I don't often meet people from my own future. However, if you're aware that you can't tell me anything about my future, then why are you here?"

Tim shrugged. "For years I and my siblings have been coming here to Cardiff in the hopes that one of us would eventually bump into you," he said. "My sister works for UNIT, you see, and our parents were involved with it pretty much up until their respective deaths, so we've all seen pictures of your various regenerations."

The Doctor raised an eyebrow. "That implies that it'll be a future regeneration of me that will eventually meet you."

The grin that spread across the man's face made him instantly look ten years younger and much more elvish. "Oh, quite a few regenerations into your future, actually. In fact, it's so far into your future, I'm pretty sure you won't even remember meeting me anymore. At least, when I met you, you didn't seem to recognize me, or make the connection from today. Or maybe you're just that good of an actor."

"Any one of those are possible, of course. Even the memory of a Time Lord isn't limitless. My mind may contain all the memories of previous regenerations, however it requires concentration and, above all, an impetus for me to recall some specific details."

Tim nodded. "Yes, I've always figured as much. In my personal research I've always posited that the brain of a Time Lord must have an extra lobe not present in the human brain, as well as a drastically different chemical synapse structure which allows for more efficient neurotransmission." He paused. "Ah, I apologize, I seem to have digressed."

Amused, the Doctor waved off his apology. "You're a neuroscientist, I take it?"

"My fields are neuroscience and robotics."

"An interesting combination."

"I met some interesting people when I was quite young and that helped shaped my interests in ways that I think no one who knew me as a child quite expected. I certainly remember dreaming of becoming an adventurer, not a scientist."

"I trust I'm included in that group of interesting people?" the Doctor couldn't help but ask.

Tim laughed. "Oh, of course you are, Doctor. And not just meeting you in person, but through my parents' stories as well. Which brings me to my purpose in seeking you out."

He reached into his jacket's inner pocket and pulled out a paper envelope. It was curious, given that paper envelopes hadn't been used in well over two decades if his memory was correct.

"Could you please pass this on to River Song?" he asked.

The Doctor frowned. "I'm afraid I don't know anyone by that name."

The mischievous twinkle reappeared in Tim's eyes. "One day you will, Doctor," he said. "She's a rather memorable individual."

"Is she now?"

Perhaps she was a future companion of his, the Doctor mused. He was tempted to ask more, but managed to refrain. Knowing too much of one's personal future was dangerous, after all. For all he knew, this River Song would be an enemy. But then why would this man and his siblings have gone to all this effort to attempt to contact her?

"Surely, you're aware that there's the possibility than when I finally meet this person, that I might forget to pass on your letter?" he told Tim.

Tim just grinned. "Oh, I have the utmost confidence that River Song will get it." He looked towards the TARDIS and the Doctor's waiting companions. "However, I see I shouldn't detain you any longer. I wish you safe travels, Doctor. Or at least successful ones."

"Yes, I do seem to have a distressing lack of safe travels, don't I?" the Doctor agreed with a sunny smile as he shook Tim's hand.

He watched the mysterious man walk away for a few moments before continuing on thoughtfully towards the TARDIS. Tegan and Turlough now looked curious rather than irritated and bored.

"What was that about?" Tegan asked him.

The Doctor looked down at the envelope in his hands. It was clean, though slightly creased and torn at one edge, as though it had been taken good care of but still couldn't avoid the wear and tear of years of being carried around from place to place. On the front, the name River Song was written in a feminine hand with big, bold letters.

"Something to do with my future," the Doctor finally answered her. "Nevermind that, though, I think it's about time for us to go."

Tegan's eyes narrowed at him. "We've been waiting here for you!" she said.

"Ah. Well, I'm here now, so let's get going, shall we?"

"Why exactly were we here in the first place?" Turlough asked as the Doctor unlocked the TARDIS door.

"Refueling," the Doctor answered. "There's a rift in time and space in Cardiff, whose energy the TARDIS can absorb."

"And we couldn't just go back to Gallifrey because...?"

The Doctor made a face as he walked into the TARDIS, the other two trailing after him, Tegan somehow managing to carry her entire load of shopping bags.

"Because they'd have made me fill out paperwork and then stay for my inauguration," he replied slowly, glaring at the cheeky twinkle in the young man's eyes.

Tegan huffed. "Well I, for one, am more than happy to avoid Gallifrey for a while," she declared. "With our luck, we'd just end up right back in the Death Zone again."

"Thankfully, I'm fairly certain that's impossible," said the Doctor as he closed and locked the TARDIS door.

She glared at him. "That's what you said when you realized we were in the Death Zone."

"Yes, well, no one's perfect."

He set their course and initiated the dematerialization process before Tegan had a chance to retort back.

River Song wandered into the TARDIS library and breathed in the smell of wood, paper, and binding glue. Between the dark wooden furniture, the plush red carpeting and the various potted plants (which remained in perfect health despite her never having seen the Doctor actually water them), everything in the room seemed determined to make a person forget they were in one of the most advanced spacecrafts in the known universe. Even the desk lamps were either oil or electric. She sometimes wondered just who had put it together.

The Doctor was in one of his tinkering moods and she'd left him to it, not in the mood for watching him re-route the same circuit a dozen times before deciding it had been best in its original state.

As she meandered through the stacks, she marveled at the eclectic nature of the Doctor's collection. There were books here from all four corners of the galaxy, everything from children's fables to scientific treatises. His Earth science fiction section was especially colourful. Next to first editions of pulp fiction novels from the 1940s, was "I, Robot" in its original Russian release, "War of the Worlds", "Day of the Triffids", and...

"The New Jedi Order?" River read out loud incredulously. "Why the hell do you have this, Doctor?"

She picked it up off the shelf, as though somehow touching the book itself would give her answers. However, when she opened the book, something fell out. Blinking, she stared down at the plain while envelope laying at her feet. Her name was written across the front in familiar handwriting.

Inside, there was a letter.

Melody,

We hope this letter will eventually make its way to you, though we don't know how long it will take. Years have passed since we last saw you and we've come to terms with the painful truth that we likely won't ever again. However, we didn't want to depart from this world without one last attempt to tell you that we love you. It's true that what should've been our life with you was viciously torn from us and for that we will never forgive those responsible. This does not mean that we aren't proud of the remarkable woman you became anyway. We are, very much so.

We have one, last request to make of you. Sometime after the two of us get stuck in 1930s New York City, we will find a way back to our present – I trust we don't have to explain why you cannot tell the Doctor about this. At that time, we will need your help to escape danger. Please, before you go to The Library, come help us, it might very well be our last opportunity to see one another. You'll know when the time is right for you, because the Doctor will give you a gift. A very precious, and entirely unexpected personal gift.

No matter what happens, always remember that we love you very much.

Your parents

After the signature, there was a date, time, and place. River stared at it, ignoring the tears in her eyes, determined never to forget the details. She wondered how long the Doctor had had this letter. By its tone, it had to have been written when Amy and Rory – her parents – had traveled with the Doctor. She hadn't seen them in years now, like the Doctor, being unable to travel back to seen them for fear of doing damage to the timeline. But now it looked like she'd get one, last chance to see them again.

She smiled even as she wondered what sort of precious, unexpected personal gift the Doctor could possibly give her that he hadn't already.

Thanks so much for reading this story! I hope you enjoyed it. :) It was fun to write (even if a bit frustrating in how it just kept getting longer). And for those of you wondering, yes, that was the fifth Doctor there in the epilogue. Drop me a line if you enjoyed this, but please no spoilers for the second half of Doctor Who season ten for at least a couple of weeks because I haven't seen it yet.