Epilogue


Rose couldn't explain how she knew, but she was sure of it.

She ran up to him and gave him a big hug. "Welcome back, Doctor. So, how was Project Quantum Leap?"

"Fantastic!" he said, with a big grin. "Amazing place, and some of the best minds of their time. You'd've loved it," he said to Jack, who was walking over to greet the Doctor.

"I'm sure I would have," Jack said, "and this is so strange. I can feel history rearranging itself in my head. You changed it."

"Yep, I did," the Doctor said. "Stupid ape, playing with things he doesn't understand, but I put it right."

Jack looked over at Rose. "Sam Beckett is acknowledged to be one of the most brilliant human beings ever," he said, his voice wry. "Only the Doctor would call him a stupid ape."

The Doctor's smile turned a little crooked. "The chip that enabled he and Calavicchi to communicate with one another? Among other things, it was an intentionality circuit. He was Leaping himself all along."

"I was taught that those are always unstable," Jack said, his eyes going wide. "But he Leaped for years. How'd they keep it stable."

Rose raised her hand. "Wait a minute. Intentionality circuit? What's that? And can we get Sam home?"

"Should have done," the Doctor said, answering her last question first. "An intentionality circuit -- The programming had Beckett Leaping randomly through time and space in his own lifetime. The plan, what was supposed to happen, was that he'd make a Leap, collect information, and come home. The intentionality circuit that Beckett added to the programming subconsciously included an additional provision: he could only come home when everything was put right." The Doctor shook his head. "Impossible to do, of course, but it fits with what's known about the man. And the people who worked with him." The Doctor grinned. "Centuries too early, but what a team!"

"He's home safe?" Rose asked again. She'd liked Sam; he'd taken on what seemed like an impossible job and he'd stayed nice while he did it.

"No one really knows," Jack said. "After the project, he stayed out of the public eye. But there's stories about him as an old man, still researching and theorizing about time." Jack grinned. "And space. He was supposed to have become fascinated by the idea of dimensional transcendence."

The Doctor put his hand on Rose's shoulder and smiled at her. "I think I got him home. I hope so." Then he turned back to the console. "So, should we try for the Summer of Love again, or go on random?"

Rose and Jack exchanged a look. "Random!"

*


Al sighed. Here we go again.

The Visitor looked around the Waiting Room wide-eyed. He looked down at himself, then at the room again, and then at Al. Then, he fainted.

This happened often enough that there was a standard protocol. He keyed into the intercom, "Dr. Beeks, please report to the Waiting Room. We have a new Visitor."

As he passed Beeks, she stopped. "Fainted?" she asked. Al nodded and she said, "There's some people, big-time VIPs that have made it to the control room."

"What?" Al asked. "They don't have the clearance! I approve all clearances into the secure areas of the project and I haven't cleared anyone new lately!" He stormed into the control room and glared, snapping, "Who the hell are you?"

Standing before him were three people. A young woman with long dark hair and a gap between her teeth, dressed in jeans and a leather jacket, smiled at him. The young man beside her, tall, dark-haired and wearing a perfectly tailored suit, nodded at him with a Mona Lisa smile. It wasn't either of them Al was staring at. For the moment, the third member of the group had his back to Al. He was also tall and dark-haired, wearing an RAF greatcoat. When he heard Al, he turned around. Al gaped as the familiar voice said, "We're Torchwood; we have clearance for everything."

It was rare that Al got to see the people Sam had helped, but not unknown. He gave Harkness a big smile and was stepping forward to shake his hand when he heard another familiar voice behind him. "Al, I'm home. I made it home."

Al whirled and stared. Then he shouted at Gooshie. "Check it out!"

"Er, I think he's convinced Dr. Elisi."

Al turned around. Donna was in Sam's arms, just holding each other. Donna was crying and Sam didn't look much better. They were exactly where they belonged. He couldn't wait to tell Beth the fantastic news.

Grinning, Al told Gooshie, "Then get, well, everyone who should be here." As he heard Jack Harkness laughing delightedly behind him, he hugged his best friend for the first time in nearly fifteen years. "Welcome home, Sam. Welcome home.

fin

12/6/09
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