"Cyril!" The Doctor exclaimed and dived into the box just as the boy's hand disappeared.

"What's happening?" Lily asked shaking her head as the Time Lord disappeared inside. "I don't-"

"Jenny you go next." The Stone instructed letting her daughter go inside. On the other side, the Doctor helped Jenny stand up in the forest covered in a blanket of snow. "Wow." She laughed lightly jumping on the ground.

The Doctor smiled and scooped a small amount of the half liquid half solid ground. "This Jenny, is snow.""It's so pretty."

"It is, isn't it?" He let it go and watched as the snow fell back to the ground. Meanwhile, the Stone climbed through the box and held a hand out to Lily who stood by the box with wide eyes and a face almost as white as the snow now beneath her boots.

"What is that?" Lily asked stepping back.

"A box, now quickly Lily, please!" Lily did as the Time Lady instructed and climbed through.

The Doctor lifted her down. "That's it." He smiled. "In you come. Brr, bit cold." He shivered slightly. "Never mind. Cyril!" He then called. "Cyril! "

"Cyril!" The Stone shouted. Jenny frowned as her eyes locked onto what looked like a hatched egg, or rather what looked like a hatched egg but was really a hatched bauble in reality.

Lily frowned as she looked around the forest under the blanket of snow. "Where are we?"

"In a forest, in a box, in a sitting room." The Doctor said as he pointed at the girl. "Pay atten- ow!" The Time Lord yelped and spun around only to see a scolding look on the ginger Time Ladies face. "It's true!"

"You know what else is true?" She asked him. The Doctor opened his mouth only to snap it shut when the Stone flicked his nose before pointing a finger at him. "You're rude and not ginger."

The Doctor huffed. "Well, we know that you don't need to point that out, dear." He crossed his arms in a strop.

The Stone shook her head and tilted her head slightly. "He's about twenty minutes ahead."

"But we just saw him." Lily protested.

Jenny nodded in agreement. "She's right mum, he was just here."

"So where is he?" The Time Lady asked.

Jenny blinked at her mother while the Doctor laughed and clapped his hands together. "Jen, you're mum's secretly Sherlock."

"That's Sherlock Holmes to you mister," she warned him.

The Doctor laughed. "But in all seriousness, which is rare for me and the Stone, time moves differently across the dimensional planes." He turned to Lily and frowned. "What do they teach you in schools these days?"

"Doctor." The Stone warned.

"Sorry dear." He apologised.

"But I don't understand where we are." Lily frowned.

"We've gone through a dimensional portal thingy."

Jenny laughed at her father. "Thingy?"

"Shut up." He grumbled at his daughter as Lily looked at the three aliens.

"Well, what's that supposed to be? Where did it come from?"

The Stone sighed. "It was a present and it really wasn't supposed to be opened until Christmas Day. Do people really do that?"

"Do what?"

"Opens their Christmas presents early? I thought it was just a thing the Doctor did."

Lily stared at the Time Lady. "Are you serious?"

The Doctor laughed and lightly patted Lily's shoulder. "Sadly I think she is, come on we better find your brother."

The Doctor headed off after taking the Stones's hand, Lily stared at the back of them for a moment until she watched Jenny walk past her, the young brunette quickly caught up to the three. "I don't understand." She stated turning towards them. "Is this place real, or is it fairyland?"

"Fairyland?" The Doctor repeated, stopping mid-step in the snow.

"Oh dear..." The Stone sighed pinching the bridge of her nose with the hand not currently holding the Doctors. "Oh, grow up, Lily. Fairyland looks completely different." He huffed only to shoot his wife a slightly worried look knowing that she probably was going to tell him off as per usual. "Sorry."

The Time Lady chuckled and fondly shook her head at him.

"Dad, these must be Cyril's footprints right?" Jenny crouched down to a set of childlike footprints in the snow.

"Yeah." The Doctor nodded.

"Then what are these ones..." she turned towards much larger prints. Footprints that were getting much larger.

"Notice anything?" The Stone asked.

Lily swallowed and looked at the Time Lords. "The other footprints are getting bigger."

"Yes." The Doctor nodded. "Whatever your brother's following, it's growing."

"Well, we have to get after him," Lily stated, suddenly running forward in the direction of the footprints, she gasped and jumped away from a tree branch as she knocked into it, causing the snow settled on it to fall to the floor. Her eyes widened as a large bauble grew on the branch.

"It's okay," the Doctor reassured, holding a hand out, "you're fine. Don't worry."

"Is that tree alive?"

The Time Lady smiled and walked towards the brunette, bending down to study the bauble. "It's a tree, giving us oxygen and removing all the carbon dioxide, living and breathing just like any other tree."

"But is it dangerous?" She asked.

"Every rose has its thorns." The Doctor hummed.

Jenny smiled and stared at the bauble. "They're like Earth Christmas tree decorations."

"That's because they are." The Doctor laughed. "Naturally occurring Christmas trees. How cool is that?"

"Really cool." The blonde replied.

"I don't understand?"

"It's a big universe." The Doctor shrugged. "Everything happens somewhere. Call it a coincidence. Call it an idea echoing among the stars." He added waving his hands about in excitement. "Personally, I call it a brilliant idea for a Christmas trip."

"You mean it was a brilliant idea that hasn't actually gone to plan," Jenny added.

"Well, it is us." The Stone shrugged. "What more do you expect?"

"True." Jenny giggled.

The Doctor frowned and held a hand up, hearing quiet whispers in the air. "Do you know the difference between wind and trees talking to each other?"

"What?" Lily questioned.

"No wind." He muttered. "The Stone and I have been here many times, but I've never heard the trees so active, dear?"

The Stone slowly nodded and walked towards the young brunette. "Something's very wrong."

The Doctor nodded and took Jenny's hand as he crouched down next to his daughter, the two of them looking at their reflexions in the bauble. "What are you doing?" He asked as Jenny's eyes bulged, she quickly stood up forcing the Time Lord to stand and pull his gaze off the bauble showing a wooden man instead of a reflection.

"I'm sorry, Lily," the Doctor swallowed slightly and looked at the brunette, "I really am, but there is something very wrong in this forest and your brother's right in the middle of it."

Lily shook her head and began walking again, following the footprints with the Time Lords who quickly caught up with her. "Why would you bring us to this place?"

"It was supposed to be a treat. This is one of the safest planets we know." The Doctor reassured. "There's never anything dangerous here if there was we wouldn't have come or brought Jenny, it's harmless.

The Stone snapped her eyes up to her husband as the ground suddenly shook, Jenny quickly grabbed Lily who gasped, waving her arms out to balance herself.

"There are sentences I should just keep away from." The Doctor remarked.

"I agree..." The Time Lady muttered.

"What was that?" Lily asked.

"Seemed like an earthquake." Jenny frowned.

"It was... sort of?" The Stone muttered as she brought her sonic out of her pocket and pointed it at the ground, scanning the ground.

"How is the 'safest planet' you know having an earthquake?"

"No idea, probably a bad one."

"Probably?" Lily frowned. "My brother is out there! It's just irresponsible." She huffed.

"It was meant to be a supervised trip." The Doctor protested.

"The Doctors idea, I didn't agree at first but I was convinced." The Stone added.

"To the future?" Lily asked.

"Future, yes." Jenny smiled. "With snow!"

"On a different planet?"

"A very different planet." The Stone smiled.

"Where Christmas trees happen?" Lily frowned, not believing it.

"Well, sort of Christmas trees. They're not really Christmas trees." He shrugged frowning at the footprints that were now staying the same size.

"Dad-"

"I know." The Doctor interrupted Jenny a moment before he stepped out from a large group of trees and into an open space where a wooden cylinder building had grown or was built.

"Oh, look at that!" The Doctor looked up, his eyes wide and bright as he grinned, stepping towards the building.

"What," Lily stared at him, "are we going in?"

"Cyril did," Jenny answered, nodding at the boy's footprints.

"Which means we're going in." The Stone added, looking at Lily. "Your brother needs you."

The Doctor nodded at the Time Lady and opened the door, stepping inside the large building. "Interesting." He hummed instantly spotting the wooden creature sat in the large chair.

"What's that?" Lily asked, stepping to the side to see what the three were looking at. "Is that a statue? What is it? It's like a King."

"A King, possibly, but not a statue." The Doctor corrected.

Jenny frowned and pointed her torch to the floor, crouching down to get a closer look. "It's what your brother was following." She looked up at Lily. "This is the growing thing."

"Hatched from a bauble on a tree. Grew to this size in less than an hour, I'd say." The Doctor cut in, checking his watch before whistling. "Impressive."

"Not as impressive as the building." The Stone looked up at the large number of layers upon layers of staircases spiralling upwards on the inside walls of the building.

The Doctor shrugged, not sure if he believed his wife as he walked to one of the walls and flashed his sonic at it before checking the readings. "It's grown," he tossed his sonic to his wife, "see."

The Stone showed Jenny as she looked over her mother's shoulder before she watched the ginger throw the sonic back to her husband. "This building, it isn't a building. It's a group of trees grown in the shape of a building. Disguised as a building. Ooo, clever. I love clever, clever old forest."

"But why would a forest grow a building?" Jenny frowned. "It doesn't make sense."

"No." The Doctor agreed, slowly backing towards Lily and reaching out for the young girl's hand. "Why do you think it would do that, Lily?"

"I don't know." The girl replied.

"Why is there honey in a honey trap?" He countered.

"Because it's a trap?" She nervously replied, taking his hand.

"Exactly. Thing about people, we can never resist a door."

"So this is a trap." Lily swallowed as she stared at the Doctor. "What, we've just walked straight into a trap?"

"A people trap. Question is, why does a forest need people?"

"We should go." She shook her head. "We have to get out of here."

"Except?" The Stone raised a brow.

"Except Cyril was here," Lily muttered.

The Stone nodded and took Jenny's hand and smiled. "So let's find Cyril."

The Doctor nodded and led the way up the spiral stairs with Lily behind him. "I don't like the look of that 'statue'." Jenny muttered to her mother.

"It's not a statue." The Time Lady reminded. "It's whatever was inside that bauble, grown from the trees here. Something's not right."

"Why is this such a good place?" Jenny suddenly asked her mother who tilted her head slightly in thought. 

"I guess it's a good place to relax after being chanced around by things wanting to kill you."

Jenny snorted at the thought. "Yeah, it sounds it."

The Doctor glanced back at the two who were now giggling as they pulled themselves up the stairs. "What are they finding so funny?" Lily asked the Doctor.

"No idea. Could be anything knowing them." Lily frowned at what he meant by that but didn't bother pressing on as they reached the last set of stairs before coming to a door at the top of the building. "Cyril?" The Doctor said aloud, walking towards the door. "Cyril, can you hear me?" He pulled his sonic out of his pocket and pointed it at the door, attempting to open it.

The Stone heard a quiet gasp as she stepped forward to help the Doctor. "Cyril?" She banged on the door. "Cyril, can you hear me?"

"Oh, of course." The Doctor grumbled realising what he had missed. "It's wood. It's rubbish at wood."

Lily frowned. "It doesn't look like wood."
"It's disguised wood." He replied. "Have you been listening?"

"Doctor." The Stone warned.

"How can trees grow into a building?" Lily questioned.

"Never underestimate a tree, Lily." The Doctor pointed at her. "I met the Forest of Cheem once. She fancied me."

The Stone stopped what she was doing and stared at the Doctor. "Really?"

"Really." He nodded. "But she didn't stand a chance, even if I thought you were dead."

"As charming as ever." The Stone rolled her eyes.

The Doctors eyes snapped up to his wife's, suddenly realising what he had said.

"I'm joking." She reassured him, allowing the Doctor to relax and focus on opening the door. "I do want to hear this story though."

"Me too." Jenny laughed.

"One day." The Doctor answered with a smile.

The Stone pulled her sonic out of her pocket to help boost the signal. "Come on." She muttered pointing it at the door while the Doctor huffed and waved his sonic back and forth to try and fix it.

"Look at that," Lily whispered looking out of the window near the door.

"Busy, actually." The Doctor gritted as he hit his sonic with his hand. "Yes, I know, it's wood." He grumbled to his device. "Get over it."

Jenny frowned and moved over to Lily, her eyes widening at the sight of the glistening stars, moving out of the trees and hovering above them in the sky. "But Dad it's the stars."

"Jenny you saw a star outside the TARDIS the other day, some stars in the sky aren't that special."

"I didn't see them come out of trees though." She frowned at her dad.

The Doctor blinked and the Stone moved over to her daughter, standing next to her as the Doctor stepped up behind them.

"What is that?" Lily questioned.

"It's life force." The Stone answered.

"Pure life force," the Doctor cut in, "just singing."

"It's Beautiful," Jenny whispered, "isn't it?"

"Yeah." The Stone smiled putting an arm around her daughter. "It is."

Lily smiled and slowly nodded. "Doesn't it make you want to cry?"

"Crying when you're happy." The Doctor smiled and kissed the Stones cheek before he kissed Jenny's forehead. "Good for you, Lily. That's so human."

The Stones eyes widened as a loud wooshing noise came from behind the door as a bright light shone through the small gap beneath it.

The two Time Lords raced back to the door, pulled their sonics back out and tried to get the door to open. "Cyril!" The Stone shouted while Jenny hit on the door as Lily stood behind the three, completely helpless. "Cyril can you hear me!"

"What's that?" Lily asked, looking at both the Time Lords. "What is it? Tell me what?"

"Cyril, can you hear me?" The Doctor spoke through the door.

The Stone froze as Jenny slowly turned around at the sound of very, very loud footsteps.

"Dad...?" Jenny whispered, stepping back, pulling Lily with her by the hand. "What's that noise?"

"Oh my god." Lily gasped, "oh my god."

"You know that statue that isn't actually a statue I told you about earlier?" The Doctor muttered. "I think it's woken up..."

"Sweetheart we need to get in NOW." The Stone nervously told him.

The Doctor firmly nodded and turned to the door. "Jenny I need you to keep an eye on the stairs", the Stone looked at Jenny who nodded at her mother before she ran to the beginning of the stairway and looked down.

"It's coming!" She shouted spotting it a few spirals below them.

"Caretaker!" Lily shouted, at the Doctor, "it's coming. Open it!"

"I'm trying!" The Doctor snapped.

"Open it!" Lily screamed.

"We're trying!" The Stone argued.

The door screeched with metal, scraping again metal. The Doctor stared at it before blinking and looking at the Stone. "That wasn't me."

"It doesn't matter," Lily argued and pushed past both the Time Lords before pushing the door open and running into the room.

The Stone shrugged and Jenny ran over to them as the Doctor held the door open, letting them both in before running in himself.

The Time Lords found themselves in the top of the building, a throne identical to the one at the bottom of the building, except instead of a wooden king, Cyril sat on the throne, a small metal crown on his head.

"What's wrong with him, Caretaker?" Lily ran over to the boy and knelt down, lightly cupping his cheek. "Is he dead?"

"No." The Stone replied, quickly scanning him with her sonic. "It's okay, he's fine, just unconscious."

"So what are you?" The Doctor spotted a wooden creature almost identical to the one currently walking up the stairs. "Not a King, a Queen!" He pointed at it. "The Queen Bee of the forest."

"Mum..." Jenny walked to the window and watched as the life forces of the trees slowly moved towards the building. "Look at this."

"It's like-" the Doctor began, only to stop himself a second before Lily looked at him.

"Like what?"

"Like the life force is leaving the forest." The Stone replied.

The Doctor nodded before turning as a loud thud echoed in the room. They all watched as the wooden king entered and walked towards Cyril with the Queen.

"What are they doing?" Lily cried out, helplessly watching the two aliens walk towards her brother. The Stone pulled her sonic out as the Doctor did the same. The two of them trying to stop the wood before groaning.

"Annoying aliens made of wood!" The Doctor grumbled.

"It was always going to happen to us, sweetheart." The Stone remarked, putting her sonic away as the aliens stopped. "But it's okay." She cautiously stepped forward "I think they just want to talk to us."

-----

Two chapters in ONE WEEK whaaat???? What happened to a chapter every three months??? Something clearly isn't right or I just have a writing mood on at the moment (probably the second answer) I hope you enjoyed what is the longest chapter of the four-parter, two more chapters to go and then it is off to see Hollie, Amy and Eleven in 'the Beast Below'.