Star laughed as she sat in the TARDIS, the Doctor walking in wearing spacesuit, the helmet on backwards.

"Why is your helmet on backwards?" She asked him, "No…why are you even wearing it?"

"Just something I threw on." He waved her off.

"Sneaking out without me," she crossed her arms even though he couldn't see her.

"Um…"

She removed his helmet and he took a large gulp of air, "I bet you had fun, didn't you?" she pouted.

"No!" he defended, "absolutely not! It was no fun at all! Got a distress call went to check it out, you were sleeping. Got in a bit of trouble."

"Do you need a hug?" she didn't wait for an answer as she pulled him into a hug.

~.~

"Dad!" Star shouted through the halls of a large lovely manor, "Get the door!"

"I think it's the Arwells!" he called from another room.

"Mr Cardew!" a woman knocked on the door.

Star watched from the top of the stairs as he tried to open the door.

"Father!" two children called from outside.

"Sorry! It's the door," he grunted trying to open it, "it's developed a fault."

"Hello?" he recognised the voice as Marge Arwell, the woman who helped him when his helmet got stuck on backwards, "Mr Cardew?"

She let out a laugh as the door fell inwards and it echoed around the house.

"There we go," the Doctor grinned at the family, "Well, come in, in you come." he stepped aside to let the family in and they slowly walking into the front hall. "Mind your step. Now, don't worry, the back door is still, broadly speaking, operational." He pushed the door back into place, hoping that Star hadn't heard it, "right then, may I take your cases?"

"Thank you," Madge smiled and she and her children set the cases on the floor.

"Lovely. Would you mind carrying them for me? I need to show you around. But not until Star arrives."

"Right here." She called, walking down the stairs, "Hello." She waved.

"No, wait!" Madge called "who are you?"

"Im the caretaker." He turned to them, "And this is my daughter." he wrapped his arms around her as she beamed.

"But you're not Mr Cardew."

"I agree."

"But I don't understand. Are you the new caretaker?"

The Doctor walked back down the stairs with Star, "Usually called the Doctor. Or the Caretaker. Or Get Off This Planet."

"But that's one isn't really a name," Star pointed out, "They more just say it to you."

"Right. Yes. Hello Madge Arwell." he shook her hand.

"Hello." she smiled politely.

"And Cyril Arwell. And Lily Arwell." he shook their hands, "Now, come on, come on, lots to see. Whistle-stop tour. Take notes, there will be questions."

The Doctor pushed open a set of flourished double doors, "Smaller sitting room. Just chairs. Bit pointless without a television."

"So I made some repairs," Star flicked a switch on the wall and the chair began moving on their own, she turned around to see the children looking on in amazement, "I know!"

~.~

"Kitchen! The Doctor announced as they entered the room, "That's a cooker, probably." he pointed at it, "And these are taps. Hot, cold...lemonade."

"Lemonade?" Cyril asked.

"I know!" he winked at Star. She had requested it and he just couldn't say no, and it was a good idea.

The Doctor put a foot on the staircase in the front hall, stumbling a bit as he expected it to move, "Staircase," he mumbled, "we'll have to walk up".

"Or we could run up!" Star called, running up, past him.

He laughed and ran up after her, leaving the humans to walk up after them.

On the second floor landing the Doctor pointed up to an open doorway with steps leading up in the corner of the hall. "We sleep up there. Stay away. Beware of

Panthers."

"Panthers?" Madge gasped, unsure if he was being truthful or not, but given what he had shown them downstairs, she wouldn't put it past him, and the girl was about as bad as him.

"They're terrifying. Have to ever seen panthers?"

"Cyril!" Star called as they walked off, the boy trying to peek up to see if there were any Panthers.

The Doctor open the door of a lovely room, decorated with blues and gold and brown. A fireplace in the far wall. "Mums room! Grown up." he pouted, "Your basic boring..." he closed the door as walked off.

~.~

He opened another bedroom door, "Lily and Cyril's room!" he cheered, "I'm going to be honest...masterpiece." they stepped inside for a better look. The room was filled with toys and games suitable for both children. Although there was no beds, "The ultimate bedroom. A sciencey-wiencey workbench. A jungle! A maze! A window disguised as a mirror. A mirror disguised as a window! Torches for midnight feasts and secret reading. Zen garden, mysterious cupboard, zone of tranquillity, runner wall, dream tank, exact model of the rest of the house...not QUITE to scale, apologies...dolls with comical expressions, the Magna Carta, a foot spa, Cleudo, a yellow fort. And I never could have done it without my amazing girl, could I?" he put his arm over her shoulders.

It was the father/daughter project in the house. With their childlike nature they really had made a truly outstanding room suitable for the children. All the other rooms, they work separately on, the rooms were a surprise to each other unless they requested something, like the lemonade tap. While the Doctor had been trying to turn the stairs into escalators, Star had been designing Madge's room. She had cheated a little, having no clue what kind of room the woman would like, for having never met her before, so she'd got into the TARDIS and peeked into the room the old girl had set up for River was it ever needed. She just changed the colours a bit.

"Where are the beds?" Cyril asked.

"We couldn't fit everything in. There had to be sacrifices. Anyway, who needs bed when you've got…" he nodded at Star who pulled a lever on the wall near the door, "Hammocks!" two hammocks fell from the ceiling, "I know!" he whispered.

Cyril tried, and failed to get on the first hammock, he was too short to be able to get on, "But how do you get on?"

"Watch and learn, kid." He winked, ushering him out of the way. Cyril moved to the side and the Doctor ran and leapt, aiming for the first hammock but landed with a thump on the ground between the two.

"For god sake!" Madge cried, exasperate.

The Doctor popped up, "this hammock has developed a fault!"

"No it hasn't." Star shook her head, before running, he ducked as she jumped over him and landed on the back hammock.

"Show off."

"Its genetic."

"Can you please stop talking?" Madge snapped, "can you please just stop?"

Star got off the hammock, "Sorry."

She took a breath, "Children, go downstairs."

"Why?" Lily frowned, "are we leaving?"

"Yes! No! I don't know. Just, please go downstairs!"
"You don't need to shout." She muttered as she and her brother left the room.

"Why are you doing all this?" Madge looked at the Time Lords as the Doctor helped Star get off the hammock and pulled her close.

"We're just…trying to take care of things." The Doctor said, quietly.

"That's not what caretakers do."

"Then why are they called caretakers?"

Madge sighed, "Their father's dead."

The Doctor swallowed hard, feeling Star snuggle closer to him, "im sorry."

"Lily and Cyril's father…my husband…is dead, and they don't know yet. Because if I tell them now, then Christmas will always be what took their father away from them, and no one should have to live like that. Of course, when the Christmas period is over, I shall…I don't know why I keep shouting at them."

"Because every time you see them happy, you remember how sad they're going to be, and it breaks your heart." The Doctor understood.

"Mother, come and see!" Lily called from downstairs.

"Mother, you've got to see this." Cyril shouted, "Come on!"

"Because what's the point in them being happy now if they're going to be sad later?" the Doctor continued.

"Mother!" Lily yelled.

"Mother? Are you coming?" Cyril asked.

"The answer is, of course…because they are going to be sad later." The Doctor finished, "Now, we'd better get downstairs. I think they may have found the main sitting room."

"Mother!"

"We repaired it." Star whispered.

Madge eyed them a moment longer before walking out of the room. The Time Lords following, Star giving the Doctors hand a squeeze as he closed the door behind them. They walked down the stairs and into the main sitting room where there was a large tree in the centre with model trains and planes circling it. Ribbons draped from the ceiling. The children looked back as they entered, pulling their gaze away from the large blue present.

"I know!" the Doctor smiled at them.

"Look at that present!" Cyril ran over to it, looking at the tag, "it's for me!"

Lily read the tag, "It says it for all of us."

"Im the youngest, I get to open it first!"

"Doesn't say who it's from," Lily mused.

The Time Lord snuck off, leaving the small family alone. They had a panther to deal with…

~.~

The Time Lord sat at a small desk in the attic working on some wiring. Star sat opposite, whining about having to take the panther home, she wanted to keep them but wasn't allowed.

They looked up as the door creaked and Lily entered, "you were lying about the panthers."

"We had to take them home," Star pouted.

"Why have you got a phone box in your room?"

"It's not a phone box," the Doctor said quickly, "it's our…wardrobe. It's just painted to look like a phone box."

"What are you doing?"

"Rewiring."

"Why would you rewire a wardrobe?"

"Have you seen the way we dress?" Star joked.

"Who are you?" Lily eyed them, "REALLY, who are you?"

A light blinked, concerning both Time Lords, "where's your brother?"

"Sleeping," Lily shrugged.

"Come on." Star stood, "let's got check."

She and Lily headed back to their bedroom and peered in to see a lump on Cyril's hammock under the blanket. Star laughed to herself, the oldest trick in the book. He was good.

Star nodded, "Ok. You go back upstairs. I just need to get myself a glass of lemonade." She watched Lily go back up to the attic as she hurried downstairs to the main sitting room to see the present had been open and Cyril jumping back out of the box. She rushed over to him before he could go back in, "Cyril!"

He gasped at being caught out, "Star! You frightened me."

"Well, you shouldn't be opening presents early."

"I was…I just…"

Star just laughed as he tried to cover himself up, "Come on, lets go back in." she ushered him in first and followed him. On the ground was a bauble from one of the trees cracked open.

"Ooh." Star crouched down to it, "Did you do this?" she looked up at Cyril.

"I touched one of the baubles," he admitted, "And it started to grow. I dropped it and ran away…"

"And now whatever it is it's walking into the forest." She nodded at the footprints.

"Where are we?" He looked around.

"Well it's not Narnia." She stated.

"Narnia?"

"Ignore me."

"So where exactly are we?"

"A forest." She said simply, "A forest in a box. A forest in a box in a sitting room. A forest in a box in a sitting room in a manor house. A forest in a box in a sitting room in a manor house on Earth. A forest in a box in a sitting room in a manor house on Earth in the solar system," She blinked, "Im rambling aren't I?" he gave a small nod, "Well come on," she took the boys hand, "Lets follow it."

"Wait!" he let go off her hand, "we need a torch." He dashed off to get it, and took her hand again.

~.~

Star frowned as the footprints they followed gradually got bigger. She glanced at Cyril to see the boy chatting about the different trees he could recognise through the snow that covered them. So this was the gift the Doctor had given the family, a trip through a wonderland. In all honestly, he should have know someone would open the present early, she always did.

The boy was enjoying himself too much not to notice the footprints, and it seemed he didn't even feel the cold surrounding them. She was a Time Lady so naturally the cold never bothered her anyway. She had stopped to build a snowman with her bare hands after all. She wasn't going to miss this chance to build an Olaf.

She stopped as they came across a large stone tower in the middle of the forest.

"Do we go in?" Cyril asked, excitement in his voice

Star tilted her head at the tower. She could be the mature, responsible person people expect of her, and turn back and go back to the manor OR she could be the adventurous, looking for trouble girl daddy's girl she has always had been. Daddy's girl wins. "Yes!"

And they walked to the tower, though more cautiously than they had been. She gently pushed the door open. Cyril shone the torch around and gasped as he spotted a wooden statue of a man sitting on a wooden throne, a wooden crown on his head.

"Is that the king?" Cyril wondered, stepping back towards Star.

"King of the forest," She shrugged, "Maybe."
"What's up there?" Cyril looked up the winding staircase leading to the top.

"Lets find out." She grinned and they walked up the stairs.

~.~

They reached the top, but Star began frowning, this tower, it wasn't made of stone, it was made of wood, the stairs looked like they had been grown out of the walls. Looking around the room, in the centre was another statue, but this one was a female, the queen, standing behind another throne, a circle tin her hands, like it was waiting to place it on the head of who ever sat on the throne.

Cyril looked out of one of the windows, "it's amazing," he breathed.

Star smiled and walked over to him, looking out also, "isn't it? This is Androzana Major, their forests."

They looked over hearing the Doctor shouting from the stairs. But both gasped seeing the statue behind them, holding out the circlet.

"Dad!" Star yelled, pulling Cyril behind her.

But the queen, seemed to want Cyril, sending her to the wall, knocking her unconscious. The last thing she heard was the Doctor calling for her and Cyril before her world went black…

~.~

"Star!" Star winced as she heard the Doctor shout "Star, wake up!" and then he shook her, "Nova, wake up!"

She let out a small groan, not wanting to wake up, knowing that if she did wake up, she's get a headache, she always did, it was normal with her mind. But hearing the fear and worry in the Doctor voice, she woke up.

She blinked to see the Doctor scanning her with the sonic, staring wide eyed in fear. She swiped the sonic away with her hand, "I'm ok..." she breathed.

He let out a breath of relief, seeing her awake. She'd given him a hearts attack! He and Lily and followed her and Cyril into the forest and burst into the room hearing her screaming for him...to find her on the ground unconscious, Cyril on the throne, also unconscious. He checked on the boy of course, but he was more worried about her, she was his daughter! Of course he'd be more worried about her. But she didn't wake up at first, if it hadn't been for her breathing he thought she had died.

"Are you ok?" he asked her, deeply concerned.

She nodded slowly, "Fine."

"Come on. Up you get..." he helped her stand up, only for her to stumble into him.

"Cyril." she stiffened, and looked over to see him unconscious, Lily kneeling in front of him.

The king statue entered the room and walked over to join the queen at the throne.

"What are they doing?" Lily gasped, "Stop him!"

The Doctor lifted the sonic, but Star lowered it, "It doesn't do wood," she reminded him, eying the statues as they just...stood there, at the throne, "I think they want to talk."

The statues looked at Cyril and the circlet on his head lit up, "They're scared," Cyril said quietly as he woke, "Can't you hear me? The trees are screaming. Can't you hear?"

"No." the Doctor scanners the circlet, "But you can. You're connected to them."

"Why have the stars left the trees?" Lily wondered.

"I think they're..." Cyril began, trying to find the right word, "Evacuating. They're evacuating."

"Why are they evacuating?" Star asked.

"They're...frightened of the rain. The rain that burns."

"Caretaker, please explain." Lily turned to them, "I'm frightened."

"Those stars," the Doctor looked out the window, "they're pure life force. Souls, if you like. And they're trying to escape because they think their home is going to burn."

"Why can't they just float up into the sky?"

"They need to travel inside a living thing, inside Cyril. You see, this…" he scanned the circlet, "It's not a crown, it's a relay. They're turning your brother into a lifeboat!" he put the sonic away, "that's what this place is for, then. It's an escape plan, is that it?" the queen leaned forwards and wrapped her hand gently around Cyril's neck, "Don't you harm him. Do not touch that child!"

"Your coming was foretold." Cyril's voice deepened as the statue spoke through him.

"My god," Lily breathed, "what is that? Why does he sound like that?"

"Ooh. Lip-synching. Are we doing that now?" Star eyed the queen.

"We had faith." The queen spoke through Cyril, "Your coming was foretold."

"There's no such things as foretelling." She scoffed.

"Trust us, we're time travellers." The Doctor nodded.

"We waited and you came." It stated.

"So, you've got an escape plan. Why aren't you escaping?"
"The child is weak."

"You mean he's a child."

"No, he is weak. The forest cannot live in him. But there are others."

"There certainly are," the Doctor agreed, "And the good thing is, I look great in a hat. So, let's get this thing off, eh?" he reached fro the circlet.

"You are also weak."

"Im really not. Let's save a forest, Cyril"

"You are not the one. You are weak."

"Im really not." The Doctor insisted, grabbing the circlet of Cyril's head, it shone brightly in his hands and struggled against it, screaming and gasping in agony.

"Daddy!" Star cried, rushing over and taking it from him, expecting pain, "Oh. It tickles," she giggled.

Lily cautiously touched it, "it's tingly." She smiled taking it from Star.

"Tingly?!" the Doctor stared at her, panting.

The queen reached out and spoke through Lily, "she is strong, but she is young."

Lily pulled away with a gasp and dropped the circlet.

"She's strong. Im weak. Interesting." The Doctor mused.

"Mummy?" Cyril called, coming out of his haze.

Lily went over to her brother, "Cyril, it's all right. It's me. Mummy isn't here, but we're going home to her right now. Aren't we, Caretaker?"

"No." Star said, looking out the window at the rain, "I don't think we are."

"The rain that burns." The Doctor went to her side, "Acid rain."

"We need to get out of here fast. The tower won't protect us for long."

"Where's mummy?" Cyril asked.

"She's coming," Lily assured him. "You know she's coming because…because she always comes, doesn't she?"

"Cyril," the Doctor knelt before him, "the way we came here, that door won't stay open for ever. Now, im not even sure if we can get us through the forest safely, but if we're going to have any chance at all, we have to go now."

Cyril crossed his arms, "No. we wait for mummy. Mummy always comes."

"Not this time, Cyril," Stat shook her head sadly, "im sorry, but not this time." It was hard to admit, because…because mummy always comes, but hers didn't, and know theirs wouldn't either.

There was a loud thudding and the ground shook. Through the window they saw a large machine with three mechanical legs appear above the treetop, heading their way.

"What that?" Lily frowned.

"That's a…Androzani Harvester!" Stars eye widened. "How…?"

"More to the point," the Doctor started to laugh, "I think I recognise the driving! Madge has entered the forest! Come on, Madge, you can do it! You go, girl!"

"Shut up, you ridiculous oaf!" Madge called over the speaker.

"Come on. This way…you can do it, you can do it! Excellent driving! Hello!"
"Caretaker?"

"Yes!" the Doctor grinned.

"You're fired!"

"Oh…" he grin fell as did the harvester.

"Don't worry, she's fine." Star assured the children.

"Stay here." The Doctor instructed, "Star look after them." He ran down the stairs to greet Madge.

~.~

Marge ran up the stairs and straight to her children and hugged them tightly. "Lily! What are you doing? How dare you leave the house? Cyril, what have I told you about opening your presents early?"

"Sorry, mummy." He hung his head.

"Something like this was bound to happen."

With a gasp, Lily pulled Cyril away as the queen approached Madge from behind.

"What are those?" Madge eyed them.

"Stay away from it." Lily warned, "You have to stay back."

But Madge was mesmerized by the glow of the circlet, "That's beautiful, isn't it?"

"Mummy?" Cyril cried as the queen moved to place the circlet on the woman's head.

"She how it shines…" Madge breathed as the queen placed it on her head and she sat on the throne.

The Doctor arrived as the stars were absorbed into Madge's head.

"The stars are going inside her head." Lily said as she and Cyril moved besides Star, "She's taking the whole forest!"

"Oh, this is marvellous." Madge smiled, "Oh, this is really quite wonderful."

"Madge?" Star eyed her as she absorbed all the stars, "are you ok? Can you hear me?"

"Yes, I can hear you. Im perfectly fine, thank you."

"Fine?" the Doctor gaped, "you've got a whole world inside your head!"

"I know. Its funny, isn't it? One can't imagine being a forest, then suddenly one can. How remarkable!"

"You're ok? She's ok?"

The queen placed a hand on Madge's should, "she is strong."

Madge gasped as the queen let go, "that wasn't me. This is all rather clever, isn't it?"

"She's strong? She's strong?" his eyes widened as she realised, "stupid me! Stupid old Doctor! Do you get it, Cyril?"

"No." the boy shook his head.

"Lily, you do, don't you?"

"No." she mimicked her brother.

"Star, you do, don't you?"

She frowned a moment, thinking it over, and then she realised, "Oh! The MOTHER ship!"

"Translated from the base code of nature itself."

Suddenly the room shook and the small dome they were in disengaged from the tower and they were flown into the sky.

"What's happening?" Lily cried.

"No idea," the Doctor grabbed Stars waist as she stumbled, "Do what I do, hold right and pretend it's a plan." he moved to the window with Star as Lily and Cyril held onto the throne.

"This is...amazing!" Star giggled.

"Where are we?" Cyril asked.

"Technically, we're not anywhere," the Doctor explained, "We've flown into the time vortex," he looked at the queen, "You've got what you wanted...those idiots down there can burn your old home and you'll be safe out here. But these people helped you and they are in our protection. Now help them. How do we get them home."

"Think." the queen stated.

"Sorry, what?"

"She must think."

"Think," Star blinked, "Madge, did you hear that? You have to think. Think of home. Just picture home."

"Feel it!" the Doctor added, "You have to really feel it. Can you do that? You mind of controlling this vessel. You can fly us all back for Christmas!"

"My head if full of trees, Caretaker," Madge said, "Cant you fly us home? Or Star?"

"Our home is different to your home," Star told her.

"And you really need to feel it, Madge," the Doctor remarked, "Everything about home you miss, till you can't beat it, till you almost burst."

"Till it hurts?" Madge asked, "Is that what you mean, Caretaker? Till it hurts?"

"Yes," Star nodded sadly, "Exactly that."

Madge reached into her pocket and pulled out the telegram, and gripped it tightly, "Well, then...home in time for Christmas!" she moaned as she flew them through the vortex.

"What's happening?" Lily shouted, "Where are we going?"

"Show them!" the Doctor demanded of the statues, "Show them!" the queen raised her hand and they could see clearly outside the windows, "Ha! The time vortex. Your mother is flying a forest through the time forest. Be a little impressed!"

"Madge!" Star called, "Focus! Focus on home. What are you going home for? What's pulling you there? What's pulling you there? Think. Please, focus."

A memory of Mr Arwell appeared before holding one of the children as a baby. They could tell it was him even if the children didn't cry out for him.

"That's it," the Doctor nodded, encouragingly, "Focus on Reg. Be careful, but focus on him."

"Tell us how you met," Star said.

"He followed me home," Madge smiled and the image changed to the memory, "I worked in the dairy, he always used to follow me home. He said he'd keep following me till I married him! Didn't like to make a scene!"

"Focus. Think of home."

"This thing," the Doctor pulled out the sonic, "it works psychically...it's find a signal and lock on." he soniced and the image changed to Reg on his plane in dark clouds, "No!" she cried, tearful, "No, please, don't show me that! Please, don't show me that!"

"We are so sorry!" Star whispered to the woman.

"Not the night he died! I don't want to see go die!" she closed her eyes tightly hearing her children cry out, asking what she was talking about, when the image she was steady played out, his plane began to fall, "Goodbye, my love.," Madge sobbed, "Goodbye!"

Star clutched the Doctor tightly, for support and in sadness of what that had made happen, when a bright light filled the room...

~.~

Star jumped up from where she laid on the floor, the Doctor doing the same, both checking on the Arwells.

"Cyril! Lily!" Star called, rushing over, "Are you ok?"

"Yeah," Lily slowly sat up.

The Doctor scanned the queen as she lied on the floor.

"Are they dead?" Madge asked as she sat up.

"No." he answered, "They're just wood now. They've been. Emptied. The forest has gone from your head too, hasn't it?"

"But, where is it now?"

"In simple terms," Star began, "the souls of the trees are out among the stars, and they're shining and very happy. All thanks to you. Well done!"

"And where are we?"
"Home!" she cheered, "Christmas morning!"

The Doctor wiped the window showing the house, "we've taken a bit of a short cut. Haven't you always wanted to do that?"

"Mother?" Lily called.

Madge looked at her children and opened her arms, "Look at you. You've been so brave." The children backed away from her, "You…look we're home again, see?"

"What did you mean, watch him die? Where's father? Where is he? Where's daddy? Why are you holding a telegram? Well, what does it say?"

"Please, just tell us?" Cyril pleaded.

"Tell us!"

"I imagine you'd prefer to be alone."

Madge looked at them both, seeing them standing so close to each other, "I don't believe anyone would prefer that. Stay close."

"We'll be right outside." Star promised as they went outside.

They stopped short and Star quickly ran back inside "Madge!" she yelled, barging into the room, "Madge! You need to come outside." She grinned, "NOW!"

"Im talking to my children!" Madge looked up at her.

"I know but really. Outside. Now!" she fidgeted with excitement and ran back outside. This time Madge, Lily and Cyril following.

Both Time Lords straightened their bowties, "No stars to light the way, Madge?" the Doctor smiled, "There was one."

"There was you!" Star grinned.

"Madge Arwell, who flew a whole forest through the time vortex…plus one husband!"

On the field in front of them was Reg's plane, a puzzled Reg standing in front of it.

"He did it again, Madge. He followed you home. Look what you can do! Mother Christmas!"

"Madge!" Reg spotted them, "What am I doing here?"

"It's Christmas day, my love!" Madge laughed, "Where else would you be?"

"Christmas day? How?"

"We took a short cut."

"Daddy!" the children cried as the family ran to each other and hugged.

"Happy crying." The Doctor remarked.

"Humany-wumany." Star finished as she leaned into his chest.

~.~

Star looked up as she heard the Doctor enter the console room, he'd just nipped out to find Madge and tell her they were going, that they wished them a Merry Christmas, that was too quick, "That was quick."

"She was already in the attic," he shrugged, "and I think she threatened us to go and see the Ponds and let them know we're ok. But…first." He pulled out a small TARDIS blue box with a yellow bow on top, "you're present."

She blinked, "But…but I didn't get you anything!" she was a horrible daughter, why didn't she think about this! It was Christmas! Yes, it'd been 200 years since they had actually celebrated the holiday, but still, he spent the time to get her a gift and she got him…nothing.

"Nova," he cupped her face in his hands and locked into her eyes, "you are the best gift ever."

"So, you don't want any presents in the future?" she grinned cheekily.

"Open your present."

She grinned and teared the paper off, peeking inside to see a yellow bowtie inside. Upon closer inspection she found that it was a hair bow. She excitedly put it in her hair, leaving half pinned up and the rest flowing loose.

"Beautiful." He kissed her forehead.

~.~

The Doctor knocked on the TARDIS blue door of the Pond's house.

"If that's more carol singers," the heard Amy groan on the other side, "I have a water pistol!" he knocked again, "you don't want to be all wet," she opened the door holding a water pistol, "…on a night like this."

"Not absolutely sure…how long…" the Doctor eyed her expression.

"Two years." She squirted him in the face.

He wiped his face, "Ok. Fair point."

"So…you're not dead."

"And a Happy New Year!" Star threw her arms out, trying to lighten the mood.

"River told us."
"Well, of course she did." The Doctor huffed. Of course she would have told her parents that they were ok.

"She's a good girl. Well? Im not going to hug first." She looked away from him.

"Nor am I." he looked away.

"I will!" Star grinned and hugged Amy who laughed and hugged her back before she hugged the Doctor.

"Mr Pond!" Amy called back into the house, "Guess who's coming for dinner!"

Rory appeared at the doorway, "Whoa! Not dead, then."

"We've done that," she told her husband before turning back to the Time Lords, "We're about to have Christmas diner. Joining us?"

"If it's no trouble." The Doctor said.

"There's a place set for you both."

"How did you know we were coming?" Star tilted her head.

"Because we always do," Amy rolled her eyes, "it's Christmas, you morons." She headed into the house.

Rory nodded, "come on." He followed Amy.

Star smiled softly seeing a single tear that had fallen from the Doctor's eye, "Happy crying." She wiped it away, "Come on, then." She pulled him into the house laughed and closed the door behind them.

To be continued next in 'Written in the stars.'