The wind was blowing wildly along the cliffs of Broadchurch as the air seemed to vibrate, bringing with it a low wheezing, groaning sound. A stray seagull flying above the scene was the only one who spied a blue box materialize there out of thin air, and it very quickly decided it had somewhere else to be.

Within the box, however, its passengers were anxious to depart. Jack had donned his overcoat again, and Ellie was practically vibrating with the need to see her boys as they all met in the console room. The Doctor was leaning against one of the pillars, fingers twined together as he watched them. "Have everything?" he asked. "Don't want you to have forgotten something important, who knows whether I'll be able to get it back to you."

"I don't think we had anything in the first place," Ellie said, but then second guessed herself and hastily checked her pockets. Her license and her badge she had had on her since the beginning but those were the only things that had been on her when the Weeping Angel had first sent her back in time.

"I think that's a matter of perspective, Miller." Also shrugging on his overcoat, Alec walked into view from the back hallway with Jenny following in his wake. It was clear that whatever the Doctor had done in fixing his heart had given him a levity that had been sorely lacking; he wasn't quite so pale, and there was more of a spring to his step that hadn't been there before. He grinned at his sister before heading over to Ellie and Jack.

Ellie rolled her eyes. "Are you ever going to stop calling me that?"

He frowned. "Why?"

She sighed. "You're hopeless, Hardy. I think I'll call you Alec as long as you call me Miller."

"Yeah, I wanted to ask you about that," the Doctor remarked with a raised brow. "Alec? Really? Don't you think you were being a teensy bit obvious with that name?"

He groaned. "That wasn't my idea," he protested. "It was Gwen's. Jack's teammate," he explained to the Doctor's confusion.

"What's the joke?" Ellie asked blankly.

"It's Gaelic," the Doctor explained. "An abbreviation of the name Alexander. It means 'defender of humanity'."

"Oh." She couldn't help but grin. "Yeah, bit obvious, isn't it? A bit self-centered too, if you ask me."

"I was humoring her," Alec snapped, glaring at her. "Have you ever tried to say no to Gwen Cooper?"

"Not possible," Jack said from the side, looking rather intimidated by the very thought. "Actually, Ellie, I think the two of you would get along quite well." He frowned, thinking about a potential meeting. "Which, now that I think about it, I will have to make sure never happens." He looked to the Doctor then, preparing to leave. Straightening, he stood at attention and saluted. "Sir. Until the next time, I'm sure." He grinned at Jenny. "See you around, kid."

The door closed behind him, leaving the remaining four in the soft light and silence. Jenny broke first by shifting closer to the Doctor and looking up at him beseechingly. "Ask him, Dad," she pleaded.

For a long moment the Doctor did nothing; but then with a small sigh he pushed off of the pillar and looked at Alec. "It seems," he said softly, "that Jenny has grown quite attached to her younger brother. And I've grown used to you being here, I think. Please, stay with us awhile. Just a couple of trips."

If anything could shock Alec, it was that. Floored, he stared first at the Doctor, then looked at Jenny, who was smiling hopefully. Behind him, Ellie tried to hide her suddenly-sinking heart and her fear of what his answer might be.

Then he shook his head. "No."

Jenny's face fell. "Alec-"

"No," he repeated, stopping her protest before it could begin. He met her gaze apologetically for a moment before turning back to the Doctor. "I'm sorry. But I can't."

Ellie took a deep breath.

Jenny tried to hide her confusion and disappointment. "Why not?"

"I'm not part of your world anymore," he said gently in answer. He moved so that he was level with her, quiet and soft like he only ever was with the families of lost ones. "And it's not much, but being away from it made me realize that I do have a life on Earth. I'm human, Jenny. It's about time I started accepting that."

"But... but you admitted it yourself that you missed this!" she protested. "The running, the saving worlds, the solving problems- I heard you myself!"

"That's true," he admitted. "And I do. I miss the utter mad rush of it all. I'm mad enough to even miss the danger. But I'm not leaving Ellie." Here he stepped back, away from the two people who were his family, and stopped by Ellie's side. "You thought that leaving me with Rose would make me a better person," he said to the Doctor, pleading for understanding. "But she didn't."

For a long, still moment none of them moved. The Doctor was slowly looking Alec up and down, eyes deep and unfathomable. Finally, then, he nodded. "I understand," he said quietly. His expression softened. "It's funny- I was half-hoping you would say yes."

"Don't be so daft," Alec said without bite. "We'd kill each other before the week was out."

"We'll come visit," Jenny said hopefully, looking for any silver lining she could find.

But again he shook his head. "No, you won't." But he wasn't looking at Jenny as he said it. His attention was on the Doctor. Ellie noticed the Time Lord did nothing to correct him. But then he was turning to Ellie and heading towards the doors. "Come on, Miller," he said quietly. "Time to go."

"Wait," the Doctor interrupted, stopping them before they could leave. "I would like a word with you," he told Alec. "Alone."

If he was surprised or suspicious, the latter didn't show it. Silently he looked down at Ellie, who nodded after a moment and started down the ramp to the doors. Jenny followed soon after, looking upset, and then the doors shut leaving the two men gazing at each other from across the dimly-lit console.

"I didn't expect to ever see you again," the Doctor admitted quietly.

Alec snorted, unimpressed. "No surprise there."

"But I think I'm glad that I did," the Time Lord finished slowly. He swallowed nervously. "You're right. I expected you and Rose to work out together. I... I was too blinded by how I saw her, I didn't realize how much she had changed as well. So seeing you now... I'm sorry. I'm sorry for what I did."

Leaning against the console, Alec didn't say anything for a long moment, but his expression was lively enough. Even two days ago he would replied scathingly, remarked how bloody useful it was that the Doctor realized just how arrogantly and selfishly he had acted- but his anger and resentment had cooled to practically nothing. Instead he found himself falling into his familiar tactic of the Stare, waiting for the Doctor to continue.

"I know I wasn't entirely, ah, impressed that you work as a copper. But seeing you work with Ellie... you're still doing all of that running and case-solving and danger that we've always done." He grinned. "With Ellie."

Now it was Alec's turn to grin. "With Ellie," he agreed quietly, nervously rubbing the back of his neck.

"Don't let go of her, whatever you do."

"I don't plan to."

Uncomfortable silence descended on both of them. Then finally the Doctor spoke up again. "Gallifrey is still out there. We could go and explore it together. And I would never mind having Ellie on board the Tardis."

Alec raised an eyebrow. "Are you that desperate for company?" He shook his head. "No. I'm glad that Gallifrey is still out there. But it's not my home. I was exiled on Earth to live my life, and like I said before, it's not much but it's mine. Besides..." he shook his head, a mite ruefully, "what would all of those Time Lords of Gallifrey do with a part-Time Lord part-human Metacrisis? You'll have a hard enough time getting Jenny accepted."

The Doctor deflated just a bit, but he knew as well as Alec did just how true that was. The Time Lords were a proud, almost xenophobic bunch, with high standards and no patience for beings they considered inferior. And Alec would be an abomination to them, the lowest of the low.

"Just do one thing for me, Doctor."

"Anything."

"Don't come back." Alec swallowed hard. "Don't let Jenny convince you to come back and visit with either me or Ellie. Distract her, make excuses, do whatever you have to- just don't let her come back to us. She doesn't quite understand human aging."

"But both of you should have a few years left, shouldn't you? I know you're not the youngest, anymore, but-"

"Yeah, but you wouldn't come back until we're eighty, or dead. Don't make her see that. Please."

His pleading finally broke the Doctor's resolve. He sighed. "All right," he said. "All right, yes, I'll make sure she doesn't come back here until both of you are long gone if that's what you want."

"It is."

The Doctor stood in silence for another long moment, nodding to himself. "And finally... this husband of Ellie Miller's. Who is he?"

Alec's expression darkened. "Joe. A coward, that's what he is, Doctor. And I know you saw it in my mind earlier, what he did." He bared his teeth in a mirthless grin. "You'll want more than the psychic paper if you plan on visiting him. I know you're a bit ahead in the timelines. What just happened before you met up with Ellie in Cardiff?"

"River is on her way to the Library."

Alec's eyes widened. "River Song? So who was she, Doctor? Was she who we thought she was?"

The Doctor nodded. "That, and much much more," he said with a soft sad smile. "It's a long story." He moved around the console. "I have several hundred years of my personal history you aren't familiar with, and the psychic connection between us isn't enough to catch more than the occasional glimpse." He lifted his hands. "Would you like to know everything that's happened since the Crucible? I think you will truly love Amelia Pond."

~/~/~/~/~

"Home," Ellie said fondly, smelling the air laden with the smell of the sea. The sun was shining brightly as if in welcome and she was more than pleased to say hello. The sea was a deep blue sparkling carpet extending out farther than the eye could see.

The Tardis doors swung open and Alec walked into view, followed closely by the Doctor. Ellie couldn't help her sense of relief seeing the former and she approached him, wanting nothing more than to head down the cliff and into the town. "Jack," Alec called to the captain, who was farther down the way, "call Gwen and find out how Miller's boys are doing." He turned to the Doctor. "Are you sure you've got the right year? The right decade?"

"Oi, that was Pinstripe's problem," the Doctor retorted. "Not mine."

Jack ambled back towards them, dialing a number in his phone and waiting for it to click. Just as he was reaching their small huddle the call connected and a woman's relieved yell nearly blasted them all. "Where the bloody hell are you?!"

Jack grimaced, holding the phone away from his ear. He mouthed, "Gwen," and then responded loud enough for the caller to hear. "Broadchurch. Or very near it, anyway, we're looking at the ocean right now. Ellie wants her children back before she goes home."

"How are they?" Ellie asked worriedly.

"Fine," came Gwen's response. She had a distinctive Welsh accent with no small amount of attitude to match it. "Well behaved. Curious. Tom wanted to try out one of my guns so that was fun-"

"What?"

"Oh don't worry, he's fine and he's definitely learned to not play with strange weapons."

Ellie stared wide-eyed at the phone. "Is that supposed to make me feel better?"

Alec shrugged. "She seems to think so."

"Oh, is that Alec?" Gwen asked, her tone immediately shifting into more friendly territory. "Good to hear from you, mate. I was hoping you'd make it back from the early twentieth century."

"We had a wee bit of help. Alright, Gwen, we should be over to pick up the boys in an hour or so. We'll see you then." They heard her sign off and then Jack cut off the call with a grin.

"Well, that's one thing taken care of. I called Gwen over to Broadchurch to watch Tom and Fred after I read the letter Alec left me, so they've been well looked after."

Silence fell as the five of them stood in indecision. Goodbyes seemed harder to fulfill than any of them had first imagined. It was Jenny who broke the stillness first. Unable to help herself she rushed forward and fairly tackled Alec in another embrace, one final massive bear hug. Jenny giggled as she was lifted off her feet, and then she was swinging around and pulling Ellie into a hug as well. "I'm so glad I got to meet you, Ellie," she said with a wide smile, and then she was pulling away to look back at Alec. "Alec, I-"

"We'll be fine, Jenny," he said quietly. "Just... go out and help the Doctor save a planet, yeah? For us."

The idea struck her. "I will."

Alec turned now to the Doctor. "Thank you."

The Doctor smirked. "You know me." Moving forward, he held out a hand and offered it to his Metacrisis. "Here."

Ellie saw it was a little piece of coral, pale and rutted, but faintly glowing with power. She looked up at the Doctor curiously. "What is it?"

The Doctor smiled and it lessened the years on his face. "The Old Girl wanted you to have this," he told Alec. "I don't know if it'll grow but she seemed certain about it. You may be human," he continued quietly, "but I think you deserve the option of seeing the stars up close. Take it.

"Right then!" he exclaimed, after Alec had done so. "Time we moved on. Come on, Jenny- all of time and space to explore, can't waste a moment."

The doors of the Tardis swung shut for the final time and adding to the wind it faded out of sight once again as if it had never been. Ellie stared after it for a long moment, feeling suddenly very surreal. She wanted to pinch herself to see if perhaps she was merely dreaming, but she ultimately decided that if she delved into the superstitious now she would never stop.

Instead, she turned to Alec, who was still looking down at the piece of coral in his fingers like it was the most priceless treasure. "Is that a piece of the Tardis?"

Jack was moving off, heading for the town. Alec nodded wordlessly, taking a very long moment to respond. "A baby Tardis," he said softly, turning it over in his hands fondly. "The Old Girl must know something we don't. Well, she would."

"You know, you didn't have to turn down the Doctor's offer," Ellie told him. "Why did you?"

He looked over at her. The openness of his expression almost took her aback. "I have a reason to stay," he answered just as quietly. "If you'll have me."

He had told the Doctor that Rose hadn't made him better. Thinking about it, Ellie had to wonder about the irony of life. In the space of three weeks and yet in barely any time at all her entire world had been turned upside down, inside out, and given a good shake. She'd been introduced to all of time and space and aliens she'd never even imagined existed. And she'd finally learned about Alec Hardy himself, created between an ancient Time Lord and an ordinary human woman in the oddest of ways- choosing to remain earthbound for the rest of his life. For her. Ellie Miller.

"In what way?" she asked carefully.

"In any way you want."

She wasn't ready yet to move on from Joe. She had managed to put a lot of grief and anger behind her but she hadn't healed yet from the wounds he had ripped into her by his murdering Danny. She wasn't ready for anyone else in her life yet. But she would be, she thought to herself. Someday.

"You'll still be helping Torchwood when you need to?"

He nodded. "Every so often. The odd weekend. Or day."

"Then count me as part of the team. We'll solve cases and keep our eyes open for alien activity out here."

"It'll be dangerous," he warned her. His Scottish brogue roughened for a moment with his words, worried for her safety. "And Tom and Fred-"

"Will have nothing to worry about," she said firmly. "Besides, if this has taught me anything it's that everything can be dangerous with you." She raised an eyebrow. "Heart going to give out soon?"

He grinned. "Since the Doctor stabilized it, it's sustaining itself normally. The only thing now is that I'm going to have a few extra years to live than the average human, part Time Lord DNA and all that."

"How many extra?"

He shrugged. "Fifty? Sixty? Somewhere around there, I think."

"Oh." She realized with a start that she would be dead for those extra fifty years, but she decided to worry about that at a later date. She looped a hand around his elbow. "If I have you, eh? As a friend," she told him quietly. "For now." She smiled teasingly. "Think you can wait for more, Detective Inspector?"

He smiled, eyes bright. "For you, Ellie Miller," he replied fondly, "I have all the time in the world."

And arm in arm they made their way through the waving grass, back towards the town spread far below them.