The dome shook causing them all to grab on tightly. "What's happening?" Lily asked.

"No idea." The Doctor shrugged as the Stone took Lily and Cyril's hands. "Do what I do. Hold tight and pretend it's a plan." The Doctor and Jenny grabbed onto the wall of the dome while the Stone, Cyril and Lily grabbed onto the throne Madge was sat on. The Doctor blinked as the Time Vortex suddenly appeared in the window.

"This is amazing." The Doctor stared out the window.

"Where are we?" Cyril asked.

"Technically, we're not anywhere." The Doctor shrugged.

"But if you really want to know a location we've flown into the Time Vortex." The Stone cut in. "You have what you wanted." The Stone looked at the King and Queen. "You've escaped the acid rain, they can burn your old home and you'll be safe out here but these people helped you, and they're in mine and the Doctors protection. Now help them. How do we get home?"

The Queen reached and placed a hand on Madge's shoulder, talking through her. "Think."

"Sorry?" The Doctor frowned. "What?"

"She must only think."

Stone blinked. "That's why they said I wasn't ready."

"What do you mean?" Jenny frowned.

"Madge you have to think."

"Think what?" She asked.

"Think of home." She looked at the woman before turning to the Doctor who nodded in understanding. "Just picture it, feel it! You have to really feel it. Can you do that? Your mind is controlling this vessel. You can fly us all back for Christmas."

"My head is full of trees, Stone. Can't you fly us home?"

"That's the thing." The Stone shook her head. "I don't have a home, not really, just an old box but that's never in the same place twice. My home's always moving and changing but you." She laughed. "You have a house. And not that I'd ever mention it ever again, I'm older than I look, I can't feel the way you do, maybe a couple hundred years ago but not any more."

The Doctor gently took the Stones's hand and looked at Madge. "You need to feel it, Madge. Everything about home that you miss until you can't bear it. Until you almost burst."

"Till it hurts." She replied. "Is that what you mean, Caretaker? Till it hurts."

"Yes. Yes."

Madge swallowed and took the telegram out of her coat pocket. "Well then, home in time for Christmas!"

The dome shook and the five stumbled before making their way over to the window. "What's happening?" Lily asked. "Where are we going?"

"Show them!" The Doctor told Madge "Show them!"

"Oh my." The Stone laughed in disbelief. "The Time Vortex. Your mother is flying a forest through the Time Vortex."

"Be a little impressed." The Doctor added. "What are you going home for? What's pulling you there? Please, try. Please, think."

They all looked at the window as what the Time Lords could only assume to be Madge's late husband.

"Reg!" Madge whimpered.

"Daddy!" Cyril cheered.

"My Reg!"

"That's it, focus on Reg." The Doctor looked at Madge. "Be careful, but focus on him."

"Oh, I don't know."

"How did you meet?" The Stone asked. "Tell me how you met Reg."

"He followed me home." Madge cried. "I worked in the dairy. He always used to follow me home."

"Look at Father." Lily smiled. "He looks so young."

"He said he'd keep on following me till I married him. Didn't like to make a scene."

"Just stay focused." The Doctor told her. "Think of home. This thing, it works psychically. It'll find a signal and lock on."

The Stones eyes widened as Jenny swallowed hard with Lily and Cyril who stared at a plane as the image on the window changed. "No. No, please. Don't show me that. Please don't show me that!" Madge cried.

"Is that Daddy's plane?" Cyril asked.

"Please, I don't want to see that! Please!"

"No, no, no, no, no, Madge." The Doctor spoke quickly as he looked back and forth from Madge to the screen. "Don't break the signal now. We can't break it now. I'm sorry, Madge."

"Not the night he died." She begged. "I don't want to see him die!"

"What do you mean, the night he died?" Lily asked, tears filling her eyes, the Doctor and the Stone shared a worried look with each other and Jenny.

"Oh please don't make me watch him die!"

"Mummy? Is Daddy dead?" Cyril quietly asked.

The Time Lords, Madge and the children watched the window as the image changed to Reg, sat in his plane, another man walked into view and spoke to Reg before he disappeared. A moment later Reg lightly touched a photograph of Madge before the screen disappeared and the group was thrown about with a crash.

---

The Stone groaned and blinked before lifting her head off the cold, wooden floor. She quickly scanned the area in front of her before she sighed and spotted Jenny lying across from her. "Stone!" A voice she couldn't mistake being anyone else's other than the Doctor called before he quickly appeared in her view, crouching down next to her. "Are you alright."

"When the ringing in my head stops." She grumbled before allowing the Doctor to help her to stand. "Jenny?"

"I'm okay." She muttered sitting up. "Lily, Cyril?"

"Are they dead?" Madge asked, carefully standing up.

"No," The Stone replied as she helped Jenny to stand up, "they're just wood now. They've been emptied."

"The forest has gone from your head too, hasn't it."

Madge nodded. "But where is it now?"

"The life force of the whole forest has transmuted itself into a sub-etheric waveband of light, which-"

"Doctor." The Stone chuckled seeing the look Madge was giving the Time Lord. "The souls of the trees are out among the stars, and they're shining, very happy." He smiled. "And you got them there. Well done, Madge."

"And where are we?"

"Home!" The Doctor cheered.

"Christmas morning." The Stone smiled wiping some dust off the window.

"We've taken a bit of a short cut." Jenny giggled.

"Exactly!" The Doctor pointed at his daughter with excitement. "Haven't you always wanted to do that?"

Lily stood up and stared at her mother with Cyril who stepped closer to his sister. "Mother?"

"Oh, look at you." Madge smiled. "You've been so brave, you." She stepped towards them. "Look, we're home again, see?"

Lily slowly shook her head and stepped away from her mother with Cyril. "What did you mean, watch him die?" She asked. "Where's Father?" The Doctor gently took the Stones hand before he took Jenny's as well, the girl lowering her head as Lily questioned Madge. "Where is he? Where's Daddy?"

Madge took a breath and unravelled the telegram in her hands. "Why are you holding a telegram?" She asked. "Well, what does it say?"

Madge only lowered her eyes. "Please, just tell us," Cyril begged.

"Tell us!" Lily shouted.

The Doctor looked up and quietly spoke: "I imagine you'd prefer to be alone."

Madge looked around at the three and shook her head. "I don't believe anyone would prefer that. Stay close, Caretaker, Stone."

The Stone nodded with a weak smile. "We'll be right outside if you need us." She replied as they walked out.

The Doctor went to walk out the gap in the door only to blink at the sight in front of him. "Am I going mad?"

"Sweetheart you are mad but no, for once you're sane."

"I see it too." Jenny stared at the crashed plane.

The Doctor smiled and ran back up the stairs, the Stone following, hearing Madge quietly tell her children what happened to their father. "Er, sorry to interrupt." The Doctor cut into the explanation. "You might want to pop out here for a moment."

"Caretaker, I'm talking to my children."

"Trust me, Madge, if it wasn't important I wouldn't let him interrupt you." The Stone cut in. "You'll be glad we did when you see what we've found."

Madge blinked and followed the two downstairs where Jenny had moved the door to allow them to safely exit the dome. "No stars to light the way, Madge?" The Doctor remarked as they stepped onto the large playing field in front of the house. "There was one. There was you."

"Madge Arwell," the Stone laughed, "who flew a whole forest through the Time Vortex, plus one husband."

"He did it again, Madge." The Doctor grinned as he watched a very confused Reg exit in the plane. "He followed you home. Look what you can do, Mother Christmas."

"Madge, what am I doing here?"

"It's Christmas Day, my love!" She exclaimed. "Where else would you be?"

"Christmas Day?" He frowned. "How?"

"We took a short cut."

The Doctor chuckled as Madge, Lily and Cyril all ran to Reg. "I like a reunion." Jenny smiled at her father who nodded and wrapped an arm around his daughter's shoulders before wrapping the other around the Stone's waist.

"Me too Jenny." The Stone rested her head on the Doctors arm.

"Happy crying." The Time Lord added. "Humany wumany."

---

After the adventure they had the Time Lords snuck off into the house while the Arwells weren't looking. Jenny glanced around the attic to check that they had taken everything they needed with them. The Doctor grumbled inside the TARDIS as the Stone poked fun at an idea for their next adventure. Jenny looked up from the final items she was packing after hearing the creaking of floorboards only to see Madge walk in the attic.

The woman stared at the blue box for a moment before looking at Madge. "I'll go grab my parents..."

The young Time Lady poked her head inside the TARDIS and called the two other Time Lords. A moment later the Doctor stepped out.

"Of course." Madge chuckled finally putting all the pieces together. "I didn't notice it at first. I recognised you though." She nodded at the Doctor and then the Stone who stepped out after the Doctor. "It's you, isn't it? My spaceman angel, with his head on backwards."

"How do I look the right way round?" The Doctor asked, giving a small twirl.

"Funnier."

"Okay." The Doctor nodded.

"So you came back."

"Well, you were there for me when I had a bad day and the Stone decided to leave me on my own." He gave his wife a playful glare. "Always like to return a favour. Got a bit glitchy in the middle there," he quietly muttered before smiling, "but it sort of worked out in the end. Story of my life."

"Mine's quite similar." The Stone laughed.

"Thank you." Madge nodded at them.

"Oh, you did it all yourself, Madge Arwell." The Doctor shrugged. "But thanks for thanking me."

"Now, the last time I saw you, I went back the next day, but the police box had gone."

"Yeah. You want to see how it's done?"

"No. I want you to stay for Christmas, please."

"Ah, well, you see, things to do, people to see." The Doctor quickly replied.

Jenny carefully watched her parents while Madge nodded.

"Of course. Yes. Family of your own."

"Well, no, not really." He shrugged. "I mean we have Jenny." He looked at the blonde who smiled. "But other than that it's just me and the Stone."

"But there must be people who love you." Madge looked at them. "Friends."

"No. Well, yes, but. It's a long story. But they all think we're dead."

"Never mind that though." The Stone quickly cut in.

"Anyway, watch our box do its thing." The Doctor grinned. "It's really cool. You'll love it."

"No. No one should be alone at Christmas."

"We're fine. We don't mind."

"I'm not talking about you three, I'm talking about your friends. You can't let them think that you're dead. Not at Christmas."

"It's complicated." Jenny cut in. "It would be weird to just appear."

"You must tell them. At once." She shot them all a stern look. "Off you go."

"Yes, Mum." The Doctor grumbled. "I'll think about it."

"Watch it." The Stone lightly slapped the Doctor on the back of the head.

"Ow!" The Doctor yelped and pointed at Madge. "Did you!"

"I'm not her mother." Madge laughed at the Time Lord who huffed before he smiled and kissed Madge on the cheek. "Now, eyes on the box." He headed towards the TARDIS with Jenny and the Stone.

"Oh, Caretaker?" Madge spoke up as Jenny walked into the box. "What if I require you again?"

"Make a wish." He smiled before walking in with the Stone.

---

The Doctor and the Stone found themselves in front of the TARDIS blue door they had said goodbye to years ago. The Doctor glanced at the Stone and watched her nod and smile slightly before he knocked at the door.

"Argh!" They heard the Scottish woman exclaim on the other side of the door. "If that is more carol singers, I have a water pistol!" Jenny chuckled while the Doctor fondly smiled. "You don't want to be all wet on a night like this." The door suddenly opened and the two Time Ladies winced as Amy squirted water at the Doctors face.

"We're not 100% sure how long..." the Stone quietly muttered.

"Two years," Amy replied now squirting her in the face with the water. "Guess you didn't drive?"

"Yeah..." the Doctor added. "We let Jenny."

Amy raised a brow and looked at the blonde who looked slightly nervous with the water pistol facing her. She then looked back at the Time Lords. "So, you're not dead."

"And a happy New Year!" The Doctor smiled. The Stone lightly elbowed him in the ribs, making him wince.

"River told us."

The Stone rolled her eyes. "Of course."

"She's a good girl." Amy protested before she sniffed. "Well? I'm not going to hug first."

"Nor am I."

"You two are ridiculous." The Stone rolled her eyes. "Rory!"

"Is that-" They heard Rory's voice, as said man walked to the front door.

"Guess who's coming for dinner?" Amy turned around raising a brow at her husband.

The man looked at both Time Lords. "Not dead, then."

"We've done that," Amy added.

"Oh."

"We're about to have Christmas dinner. Joining us?"

The Doctor looked at his wife and daughter, the two nodded. "If it's no trouble."

"There's a place set for you two," Rory replied. "We'll have enough for one more as well." He looked at Jenny and smiled.

The blonde smiled in return while the Doctor frowned.

"But you didn't know we were coming. Why would you set us a place?"

"Oh, because we always do." Amy rolled her eyes. "It's Christmas, you moron."

"Come on." She rolled her eyes.

The Doctor stopped for a moment. The Stone glanced at her husband and smiled slightly. "You go ahead, Jenny." She told the blonde. "I need a word with your father."

"Alright." She smiled kissing both their cheeks.

The Time Lady watched Jenny go before she turned to the Doctor. "You okay, sweetheart?" She murmured.

"Yeah." He slowly nodded as she gently reached up to his eye and wiped away a single tear. He smiled at her gesture and bent down to capture her lips in a short kiss. "I love you and Jenny so much, what I saw today made me realise how grateful I am for you both."

The Stone smiled and stroked his cheek with her thumb. "I love you too, Doctor."

The Doctor then took his wife's hand and they both headed into the Ponds house where Jenny, Amy, Rory and even River could be heard laughing. They were both very grateful for their friends and what was now family.

-----

One more chapter to go before it's time to head back to A Crack In Time with Eleven, Hollie and Amy. A wonder where they're going for their first adventure in time and space? Maybe a starship in the 29th century?