The Doctor and the Stone stood with Vastra, Jenny and Dorium at the large computer system. "You've hacked into their software, then?" The Doctor asked patting Dorium's shoulder.

"I believe I sold it to them."

"Ooo." The Doctor grinned. "So what have we learned?"

"That anger is always the shortest distance to a mistake," Vastra said giving both Time Lords a pointed look.

"I'm sorry?" The Doctor blinked.

"The words of two old friends who once found me in the London Underground, attempting to avenge my sisters on perfectly innocent tunnel diggers."

"Well, you were very cross at the time." The Stone reminded.

"As you and the Doctor were today, my old friends."

"Point taken." The Doctor nodded

"Now, I have a question." She looked between them. "A simple one. Is Melody human?"

"Sorry, what?" The Stone looked at her confused. "Human?"

"Of course she is." The Doctor nodded. "Completely human. What are you talking about?"

"They've been scanning her since she was born, and I think they found what they were looking for," Dorium informed.

"Human DNA." Both Time Lords looked at the screen seeing what was clearly human DNA.

"Look closer," Vastra informed them. "Human plus. Specifically, human plus Time Lord."

"But that's impossible." The Stone laughed out of how impossible and unrealistic Vastra sounded.

"But she's human." The Doctor backed his wife up. "She's Amy and Rory's daughter."

"You've told me about your people," Vastra said to them. "You both told me how they became what they did through prolonged exposure to the time vortex. The Untempered Schism."

"Over billions of years." The Stone protested.

"It didn't just happen."

"So how close is she?" Vastra asked. "Could she even regenerate?"

"No, no." The Doctor shook his head. "I don't think so."

"You don't sound so sure."

"That is because we don't understand how this happened." The Stone sighed. "It has never happened before."

"Which leads me to ask when did it happen?"

"Dear Rassilon." The Stone muttered under her breath. Her shoes becoming very interesting all of a sudden while the Doctor frowned not understanding.

"When?"

"Your wife seems to understand." Vastra nodded to the Time Lady who pitched the bridge of her nose. "I am trying to be delicate. I know how you can blush worse than she. When did this baby begin?"

"Oh, you mean-" his eyes widened.

"Quite." She nodded.

"Well, how would we know?" He started to wave his arms about seeming to become uncomfortable in the situation while the Stone remained quiet. "That's all human-y, private stuff. It just sort of goes on. They don't put up a balloon, or anything."

"But could the child have begun on the TARDIS in flight, in the vortex."

"No!" The Doctor shouted. "No! Impossible! It's all running about, very unsexy fish vampires." He looked at the Stone. "And blowing up stuff. And Rory wasn't even there at the beginning. Then he was dead, then he didn't exist, then he was plastic. Then we had to reboot the whole universe." He pointed at the Time Lady. "Long story. So, technically the first time they were on the TARDIS together in this version of reality, was on their w-" he stopped realising what had happened.

"On their what?"

"On their wedding night."

"Oh dear..." the Stone muttered.

"It doesn't make sense." The Doctor frowned. "You can't just cook yourself a Time Lord."

"Of course not. But you two gave them one hell of a start, and they've been working very hard ever since." The Stone shivered slightly at her words.

"And yet they gave in so easily." Dorium frowned. "Does this not that bother anyone else?"

"Amy." The Stone suddenly realised making them all turn to her. "She worried the baby would have a time head. She said that- I should have realised what was wrong straight away- then again I was slightly worried about myself- well not myself at the Time." She winced slightly.

The Doctor sighed wrapping an arm around his wife. "If it makes you feel any better I wouldn't have noticed unless it was explained." The Doctor sighed.

"Only you would ignore the instincts of a mother," Vastra commented looking at the Doctor.

"Or the instincts of a coward. This is too easy. There's something wrong."

"Why even do it?" The Doctor frowned. "Even if you could get your hands on a brand new Time Lord, what for?"

"A weapon?"

"Why would a Time Lord be a weapon?"

"Well, they've seen the two of you."

"Us?" The Stone frowned looking at the Doctor who looked back at her.

"Mister Maldovar, you're right." Vastra looked at Dorium. "This was too easy. We should get back to the others."

"Us?" The Doctor whispered before his eyes widened remembering what River said in the warehouse. "'I'd say she's human, going by the life-support software'." He muttered. "'She climbed out of the suit like she forced her way out. She must be incredibly strong.' That's what River said."

"I see you accessed our files." Korvarian appeared on the screen, eyepatch and all. "Do you understand yet? Oh, don't worry, I'm a long way away. But I like to keep tabs on you. The child, then. What do you think?"

"What is she?"

"Hope. Hope in this endless, bitter war."

"What war?" The Stone narrowed her eyes. "Against who?"

"Against you and the Doctor."

The Stone growled wanting to just launch at her right then and there. The Doctor pulled her back and held her tightly in his arms. He remembered when she ran to him at the start of the Time War. When she told him that the council wanted her children to fight. They were still young in the eyes of the Time Lords. They were definitely not ready. "A child is not a weapon!" The Stone cried, the whole matter affecting her much more than anyone else in the room.

"Oh, give us time." She smirked. "She can be. She will be."

"Except you've already lost her," the Doctor replied, "and I swear I will never let you anywhere near her again."

"Even if we do lose her there is always another-." She seemed to pause and looked at the Time Lady. It was now the Doctors turn to growl his arm protectively coming around the Stone. They had no way to actually make a full Time Lord without the Doctor; even the threat made him boil with anger. "But," Korvain smirked. "That won't be necessary. Fooling you both once was a joy, but fooling you twice the same way? It's a privilege."

"Amy." Their eyes widened. "Amy!" They both raced out the room feeling as if Kovarian was smirking as she watched them disappear. They speed through the corridors, their hearts pounding and aching realising what they had missed. What Amy didn't yet realise and what they all had lost.

"Amy, she's not real!" The Doctor shouted just as the Stone managed to get the door open. The Doctor sprinted through first his wife following close behind him. "Melody, she's a Flesh avatar. Amy!"

Suddenly they both came to a halt. Their eyes soaking up what happened while they were gone. Rory was holding Amy tightly, her head hidden in his neck while robes of the headless monks lay on the floor hiding the bodies. Strax was leaning against a wall, looking painfully weak from a wound he had taken in the fight.

"Yeah-" Rory looked between both the Time Lords who was still taking in what they had learned. "We know."

"It's strange." Strax weakly whispered to them as they slowly made their way over thinking it would be best to give the couple some space. "I have often dreamed of dying in combat. I'm not enjoying it as much as I'd hoped."

"Come on, Strax," Rory said after moving away from Amy. "Don't give up."

"It's all right." He reassured. "I've had a good life. I'm nearly twelve."

"Listen to me. You'll be back on your feet in no time. You're a warrior."

"Rory, I'm a nurse." He said making the Roman stare at him.

The Stone slowly pulled the Doctor away and towards Amy who was with Jenny.

"So they took her anyway." Amy coldly stated. "All this was for nothing."

"We are so... sorry." The Doctor said as the Stone squeezed his hand letting him know that she was right there with him. Amy stared at them both heartbroken and moved away when they went to comfort her.

"Amy, it's not their fault." Jenny told her feeling sorry for them.

"I know." She slowly nodded swallowing back her cries. "I know."

"Doctor, Stone." Vastra spoke up. "There's someone who wants to speak to the two of you." They followed her to where a young woman was lying. "Her name is Lorna. She came to warn us."

"Hey." The Doctor smiled down at her while the Stone scanned her with her sonic before swallowing hard. The Doctor lost his smile for a moment and rubbed his hand with his free hand. The other tightly holding onto the Time Lady, afraid he might even lose her if he let go for even a minute. "Hello." He smiled at Lorna who weakly looked up at the Time Lords, smiling at them both.

"Doctor, Stone."

"You helped our friends." The Doctor smiled.

"Thank you, Lorna." The Stone nodded at her. Not wanting her to die. She didn't deserve this, she tried to help Amy and Rory.

"I met you both once, in the Gamma Forests." She then blinked her face slightly falling. "You don't remember me."

"Hey, of course, we remember." The Doctor lied. "We remember everyone, isn't that right dear?"

"Every single person we meet."

"Hey, we ran, you and us." He faintly smiled hoping she would hand on. "Didn't we run, Lorna?"

Slowly she closed her eyes and quietly died. The Stone swallowed hard shifting herself so she could curl into the Doctor, she felt exhausted and deeply hurt for what had happened today.

The Doctor tightly held his wife as close as possible while looking up at Vastra. "Who was she?"

"I don't know, but she was very brave."

"They're always brave." The Stone murmured into the Doctors chest. "They're always brave."

"So, what now?" Vastra asked wanting to get off the subject, feeling as if the Time Lady was about to grow angry. "They'd almost certainly have taken her to Earth. Raise her in the correct environment."

"Yes, they did." The Stone wiped her eyes before standing up. The Doctor right beside her. "And it's already too late."

"You're giving up?" Vastra blinked at them. More shocked to see it coming from the Time Lady after hearing stories she had told. "You two never do that, especially not you Stone.

"Yeah," the Doctor dryly replied. "And don't you sometimes wish we did?"

There was then a flash of lightning and the Stone froze knowing who exactly had decided to show up. "Well then, soldier." They heard the voice as clear as day: River Song. "How goes the day?"

The Stone not even caring anymore spun around and marched right up to the curly haired blonde, her eyes cold and blood boiling while River stared at her with no expression. "Where the hell have you been?" The Time Lady growled. "Every single time you've asked, I have been there and dragged the Doctor along with me, even when he said not to do it I stayed by your side and helped no matter what. Where the hell were you today?"

"I couldn't have prevented this." River stood her ground looking at the Time Lady.

"You could have tried!" She snapped.

"And so, my sister, could you." River countered sounding calm. She then looked over at Amy. "I know you're not all right. But hold tight, Amy, because you're going to be."

"You think we wanted this?" The Doctor stomped over, now his turn to be angry at the blonde. "We didn't do this. This, this wasn't us!"

"This was exactly you." She flatly replied looking at the Doctor before turning to the Stone. "The both of you. You make them so afraid. When you both began, all those years ago, sailing off to see the universe, did you ever think you'd become this? The man and woman who can turn an army around at the mention of their names." River made them stare at her as she paused, the Time Lords too shocked to put a word in as River gave the Doctor her full attention. "Doctor. The word for healer and wise man throughout the universe." She then looked at the Stone. "And Stone. A word that once meant, cold rock that had no heart became the word for a beautiful ruby. We get them words from the two of you, you know." She looked at them both with almost sadness in her eyes. "But if you carry on the way you are, what might those words come to mean?"

She began to circle them, stopping right behind the Time Lords making them turn around. "To the people of the Gamma Forests, the word Stone means a cold heartless rock with no heart and the word Doctor means mighty warrior. How far you've both come. And now they've taken a child, the child of your best friends, and they're going to turn her into a weapon just to bring you both down. And all this, my sister in fear of you and your husband."

The doctor shook his head and began to walk away before he stopped and turned back around, slowly walking towards River. "Who are you?"

River stood still for a moment before a smile grew on her face as she bounced towards the old cot. "Oh look, your cot." She grinned at the Doctor. "Haven't seen that in a very long while."

"No." The Stone cut in standing beside the Doctor who had followed River. "You tell us. Tell us who you are."

River took the Stone's hand and placed it on the cot on top of the Doctors who slightly frowned. "I am telling you." She said lightly squeezing. "Can't either of you read?"

The Stone not understanding what she meant glanced down at the cot, she looked back up at River for a moment before looking at the pray leaf and then finally looked at River as the Doctor did the same. Their eyes were slightly wide in shock before they both softly smiled. The Doctor feeling slightly guilty for all the times he had told the Stone to ignore when the woman asked for their help.

"Hello." The Time Lords both whispered.

"Hello."

"Wait." The Stone frowned pointing at River. "But-" she paused for a moment quickly glancing at the Ponds. "But that means-"

River nodded. "I'm afraid it does."

"Ooo." The Doctor grinned before frowning thinking an apology was best. "Sorry." He winced.

River smiled at him. "It's okay, Doctor you didn't understand."

"But now I do." He nodded squeezing the Stones' hand. "The both of us do."

"Exactly."

The Doctor took the opportunity to straighten his bowtie. "How do we look?"

River lightly chuckled at him while the Stone shook her head. "Amazing."

"We'd better be."

"Doctor." The Stone warned knowing that staying and having a catch up with River wouldn't help anyone.

"Yes right." He nodded. "Vastra and Jenny, till the next time." He spun the Stone around before they both headed back to the TARDIS. "Rory and Amy, we know where to find your daughter, and on my life, she will be safe,

"And that's a promise that because the Doctor would never risk my life." The Stone reassured with a wink.

"River, get them all home."

"Please." The Time Lady scolded hitting the back of her husbands head before taking off the forcefield around the TARDIS.

"Stone!" Rory shouted at the Time Lady.

"No!" Amy cried running after them both. The Time Lords then stepped into the TARDIS not hearing Amy. "Where are you going?" The TARDIS then began to dematerialise as Amy spun around to look at River.

"Where are they going and what did you tell him?" She narrowed her eyes. "I know the Doctor was never your best friend and now he suddenly is."

"Amy, you have to stay calm." Ignoring this Amy picked up a gun.

"Tell me what you told them."

"Amy, no," Rory shouted. "Stop it!"

"It's okay, Rory." River reassured. "She's fine. She's good. It's the TARDIS translation matrix. It takes a while to kick in with the written word. You have to concentrate."

Amy looked down at the cot trying to understand the symbols but it didn't work and she aimed the gun at the curly haired blonde again. "I still can't read it."

Rory took the opportunity to place his hands on the gun and lower it as River took the prayer leaf out of the cot. "It's because it's Gallifreyan and doesn't translate. But this will." She placed it on top of Amy's hand. "It's your daughter's name in the language of the Forest."

Amy shook her head unable to take in what River was suggesting. "I know my daughter's name."

"Except they don't have a word for Pond, because the only water in the forest is the River. The Doctor and the Stone will find your daughter, and they will care for her whatever it takes. And I know that." Amy slowly opened her hand reading the single word on the prayer leaf. "It's me." She softly smiled at her parents who looked quiet shocked to see their daughter now older. "I'm Melody. I'm your daughter."

-----

Hello!

So I know I debated whether to finish this book and then go to Sherlock but I have changed my mind again (what a surprise!) so there shall be a two-week rotation for my Sherlock fic and my Doctor Who fic starting from today! I have already uploaded the first chapter of Life's Miscalculation so if you like Sherlock I think you should check it out ;)