Disclaimer: Believe it or not, borrowing characters from the BBC and Starz doesn't mean that I own them.

Epilogue

Some time after the year five billion…

The Face of Boe was dying. Soon it would be time to tell the Doctor that the Master would live and meet him once again. That was so many years ago. Chronologically, it was almost five billion years ago but for him, it was more like seven billion years ago. Between being buried alive repeatedly, time travel and time loops, he'd lived millions of years over again.

His mind, at last, drifted back to Rex Matheson. Jack had outlived him. It had happened as both of them stared to evolve into the large floating head shape, a shape Jack found completely unattractive. There had come a time when they had felt the change in their ancient genetics. He and Rex had immediately realized that this metamorphosis was effectively ending their immortality. They had the option to die.

At long last.

Rex had taken it, letting go of the pure torture that had been life. Like Jack, he enjoyed and hated his life. Toward the end, he began to fall back on memories, wishing he could end this existance, once and for all. There had only been a few good years...and a lot of bad centuries. Finally, Rex was able to opt out and Jack could only think that he was a lucky bastard to be able to escape. He had to wait to impart his words on the Doctor.

He had intended to tell his once best friend about the Master in the hospital, but something told him to wait, that there was one last thing he could do.

And now he'd done it, he'd saved the people of New New York. Now he could let go. He could die and hope that the darkness he saw every time he died was only a pitstop, that there was something else.

Because, if there was, he could see everyone he'd ever known. He could find Gwen and Tosh and Owen. He could talk to Angelo and Rex and Steven.

And Ianto. Boe's eyes glazed over as he thought of the one lover he'd cared for above all the rest. That had been the strongest temptation for him when he'd felt the change in his blood. He could let go and see Ianto again, hear his voice, touch his skin, smell his cologne and freshly pressed suits, taste his lips…

But he had to wait and talk to the Doctor one last time.

The Doctor crouched beside him now with Novice Hame and Martha. Novice Hame repeated the words of legend, that the Face of Boe would impart his final words to a traveler, despite the Doctor's protests. Then, at last, he said aloud, "Know this, Timelord. You. Are. Not. Alone."

It occurred to him that he hadn't been alone either…at least, not for the majority of his life. He could always find Rex if he really needed to and, thanks to time travel, he could go back and talk to Rex if things got too hard. Rex had changed over the years, become more understanding of the way Jack lived.

Then he was free.

There was nothing. Everything was black, just like it looked all the other times he'd died. He reached out with arms he hadn't had for a billion years.

And then his hand was gripped by another. By a very familiar hand. "Ianto," he whispered into the dark. And then he was pulled out of it.

Into Ianto's arms.

The End

Please review. And yes, I know that that is quite possibly the sappiest ending of any story I've ever written but I don't care. I hope you all enjoyed the story and thanks so much for reading all the way to the end.

~CheyanneChika