Vincent set up his easel and canvas in front of the church window.

"And you'll be sure to tell me if you see any, you know, monsters?" the Doctor asked him.

"Yes. While I may be mad, I'm not stupid."

"No. Quite. And, to be honest, I'm not sure about mad either. It seems to me depression is a very complex..."

Vincent quietly shushed him. "I'm working".

"Well, yes. Paint. Do painting!" He stepped back from Vincent and knelt down next to Elise. "Look what I brought you?" The Doctor pulled out a sketchbook and a pack of colored pencils.

Elise smiled and took them from him, sitting down next to Vincent.

"My little Ellie, learning at the foot of the master!" the Doctor commented. Maybe after this, he'd take her visit some other artists. She would be great one day. He knew because he'd seen it.

After many hours of listening to the Doctor talk and complain, night fell. He was now lying on the ground. "Is this how time normally passes? Really slowly. In the right order." The Doctor jumped to his feet. "If there's one thing I can't stand, it's an unpunctual alien attack."

"Are you okay?" Amy asked him, "You seem a bit, if I didn't know you better, I'd say nervous."

"Yes, there's something not right and I can't quite put my finger on it."

"There. He's at the window", Vincent told them.

"Where?" the Doctor asked.

"There, on the right."

"As I thought. Come on. I'm going in."

"Well I'm coming too."

"No! You're Vincent Van Gogh. No."

"But you're not armed."

"I am."

"What with?"

The Doctor picked up the case for his gadget. "Overconfidence, this, and a small screwdriver. I'm absolutely sorted. Just have to find the right crosactic setting and stun him with it. Sonic never fails. Anyway, Amy, Elise, only one thought, one simple instruction. Don't follow me under any circumstances."

Amy nodded. "I won't."

The Doctor entered the church.

"Will you follow him?" Vincent asked her.

"Of course."

Vincent looked down at Elise who nodded. He looked back at Amy. "I love you."

Amy just smirked. After a few minutes, Amy began to worry. "Has he moved?"

"No. Just shifted to the next window. But, wait! He's turning now."

There was a sound of breaking glass.

Elise started running for the church.

"Elise!" Amy yelled, running after her.

Vincent grabbed his art supplies. "Amy!"

Amy and Elise found him in the sanctuary.

"Doctor!"

"Argh! I thought I told you...Never mind. We'll talk about it later. Quick, in here."

They got into a confessional booth, Elise clinging to Amy's legs.

"Absolutely quiet", the Doctor whispered.

Amy was breathing hard in fear.

"Can you breathe a little quieter, please?" he asked her.

"No. He's gone past."

The Krafayis knocked into Amy and Elise's side, causing the two girls to scream.

"I think he heard us", the Doctor said. It knocked into the Doctor's side next. "That is impressive hearing he's got. What's less impressive are our chances of survival."

"Hey! Are you looking for me, sonny?" Vincent's voice asked.

Amy opened the door to the confessional to see Vincent brandishing a chair.

"Come on, over here. Because I'm right here waiting for you."

They climbed out of the booth.

"Come on. Quickly. Get behind me."

The Doctor pulled out his sonic screwdriver and pointed it at the creature. "Doing anything?" he asked.

"Uh uh," Vincent told him.

They ran out into a courtyard.

"Where is he?" the Doctor asked.

"Where do you think he is, you idiot? Use your head."

The Doctor tried his screwdriver again. "Anything?" he asked.

"Nothing. In fact, he seemed to rather enjoy it. Duck!"

The Doctor ducked.

"Left."

The Doctor jumped the wrong way and got thrown against a wall.

"Right, sorry. Your right, my left," Vincent apologized.

"This is no good at all. Run like crazy and regroup," the Doctor said.

"Oh, come on, in here," Amy said, spotting a door.

They ran inside the crypt and tried to shut the door, but the Krafayis stopped the door from closing.

Vincent stomped on its foot and the door finally shut.

"Right. Okay. Here's the plan. Elise, Amy, Rory", the Doctor said.

"Who?" Amy asked.

"Sorry. Er, Vincent."

"What is the plan?"

"I don't know, actually. My only definite plan is that in future I'm definitely just using this screwdriver for screwing in screws."

"Give me a second. I'll be back," Vincent said and ran off.

"I suppose we could try talking to him," the Doctor said.

"Talking to him?" Amy asked.

"Well, yes. Might be interesting to know his side of the story. Yes, though maybe he's not really in the mood for conversation right at this precise moment."

The Krafayis pounded on the door.

"Well, no harm trying." The Doctor turned to face the door. "Listen. Listen! I know you can understand me, even though I know you won't understand why you can understand me. I also know that no one's talked to you for a pretty long stretch, but please, listen. I also don't belong on this planet. I also am alone."

Elise's head snapped up to look at him as he said that. What was he talking about? He wasn't alone. He would never be alone again if she had her way.

"If you trust me, I'm sure we can come to some kind of, you know, understanding. And then, and then, who knows?"

The window across from them shattered, the Krafayis entering the crypt.

"Over here, mate!" Vincent yelled.

Amy, Elise, and the Doctor ran over to Vincent and hid behind a pillar.

Vincent now held his easel as a weapon.

"What's it up to now?" the Doctor asked.

"It's moving round the room. Feeling its way around", Vincent told him.

"What?"

"It's like it's trapped. It's moving round the edges of the room."

"I can't see a thing," Amy said.

"I am really stupid," the Doctor said, realizing what was going on.

"Oh, get a grip! This is not a moment to re-evaluate your self-esteem."

"No, I am really stupid, and I'm growing old. Why does it attack but never eat its victims? And why was it abandoned by its pack and left here to die? And why is it feeling its way helplessly around the walls of the room? It can't see. It's blind. Yes, and that explains why it has such perfect hearing!" The Doctor yelled the last two words in frustration.

"Which unfortunately also explains why it is now turning around and heading straight for us," Vincent said.

"Vincent. Vincent, what's happening?"

"It's charging now. Get back. Get back!"

"NO!"

Time seemed to slow as the Krafayis rammed into the easel, lifting Vincent into the air.

The Krafayis hit the floor and Elise ran forward. She reached out and touched the creature.

The Doctor knelt down next to his daughter, who now had her face pressed into the invisible creature as tears ran down her face. She could feel its pain, just like the Star Whale.

"He wasn't without mercy at all. He was without sight. I didn't mean that to happen. I only meant to wound it, I never meant to..." Vincent said.

"He's trying to say something," the Doctor said.

"What is it?"

"I'm having trouble making it out, but I think he's saying, I'm afraid. I'm afraid...and...you are very kind."

The Doctor placed a hand on the invisible creature. "There, there. Shush, shush. It's okay, it's okay. You'll be fine. Shush."

The creature stopped breathing and Elise let out a high pitched wail.

The Doctor picked her up, despite her trying to fight him, and cradled her to his chest as she cried.

"He was frightened, and he lashed out," Vincent said, "Like humans who lash out when they're frightened. Like the villagers who scream at me. Like the children who throw stones at me."

"Sometimes winning...winning is no fun at all," the Doctor said.

"Hang on", Amy said, "Before...someone screamed. It wasn't me and I know it wasn't you or Vincent".

The three adults looked at the small Timelord and the Doctor allowed himself a small smile.

Elise had spoken and most likely not even realized.

They went outside to the churchyard and laid down in the grass.

Vincent, on one side of the Doctor and Elise on the other with Amy beside her, creating a circle.

They stared up at the night sky.

"Hold my hand, Doctor", Vincent said.

They all joined hands.

"Try to see what I see. We are so lucky we are still alive to see this beautiful world. Look at the sky. It's not dark and black and without character. The black is in fact deep blue. And over there, lighter blue. And blowing through the blueness and the blackness, the wind swirling through the air and then, shining, burning, bursting through, the stars. Can you see how they roar their light? Everywhere we look, the complex magic of nature blazes before our eyes."

Elise could see Starry Night appearing in the sky.

"I've seen many things, my friend. But you're right. Nothing quite as wonderful as the things you see," the Doctor told him.

"I will miss you terribly."

"I only wish I had something of real value to give you," Vincent said as the Doctor held his self-portrait in his hands.

Amy giggled with excitement.

"Oh, no, no, no. I could never accept such an extraordinary gift," the Doctor told him. He handed the painting back to Vincent.

"Very well. You're not the first to decline the offer. Amy, the blessed, the wonderful."

They kissed each other on the cheek and hugged.

"Be good to yourself, and be kind to yourself," she told him. "I'll try my best."

"And maybe give the beard a little trim before you next kiss someone."

"I will, I will. And if you tire of this Doctor of yours, return, and we will have children by the dozen."

"Eek."

"The little one."

Vincent knelt down in front of Elise. "Keep working on your art. See the beauty in the world."

Elise nodded.

"Doctor, my friend. We have fought monsters together and we have won. On my own, I fear I may not do as well."

They hugged and then Elise, the Doctor, and Amy left.

As they were walking through the courtyard of Vincent's home, the Doctor said, "Are you thinking what I'm thinking?"

"I was thinking I may need some food or something before we leave. I'm sure Elise is hungry too".

Elise nodded. "Well, no, you're not thinking exactly what I'm thinking."

The Doctor turned back to the house. "Vincent!"

Vincent popped out of the window shirtless and with a toothbrush in his mouth.

"I've got something I'd like to show you. Maybe just tidy yourself up a bit first," the Doctor told him.

Soon they were in the alleyway where they left the TARDIS, which was covered in posters.

"Now, you know we've had quite a few chats about the possibility there might be more to life than normal people imagine?" the Doctor asked.

"Yes."

"Well, brace yourself, Vinny."

Vincent entered the TARDIS first, then ran outside again to look at the small blue box, and then enter the TARDIS again. "How come I'm the crazy one, and you two have stayed sane?" he asked.

"Where are we?" Vincent asked as they exited the TARDIS.

"Paris, 2010 AD. And this is the mighty Musée d'Orsay, home to many of the greatest paintings in history," the Doctor told him.

"Oh, that's wonderful."

Two men walked by with a portable radio.

"Ignore that. I've got something more important to show you," the Doctor said.

They entered the museum and made their way to the Van Gogh exhibit like they had a few days ago.

The Doctor walked up to Doctor Black. "Doctor Black, we met a few days ago. I asked you about the church at Auvers."

"Oh, yes. Glad to be of help. You were nice about my tie."

"Yes. And today is another cracker if I may say so. But I just wondered, between you and me, in a hundred words, where do you think Van Gogh rates in the history of art?"

"Well, big question, but to me, Van Gogh is the finest painter of them all. Certainly, the most popular great painter of all time. The most beloved. His command of color, the most magnificent. He transformed the pain of his tormented life into ecstatic beauty. Pain is easy to portray, but to use your passion and pain to portray the ecstasy and joy and magnificence of our world. No one had ever done it before. Perhaps no one ever will again. To my mind, that strange, wild man who roamed the fields of Provence was not only the world's greatest artist, but also one of the greatest men who ever lived."

Vincent, who was standing off to the side started crying.

The Doctor noticed and put a hand on his shoulder. "Vincent. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. Is it too much?"

"No. They are tears of joy."

Vincent approached Doctor Black, kissed him on both cheeks, and then hugged him. "Thank you, sir. Thank you."

"You're welcome. You're welcome."

"Sorry about the beard."

They landed in a field.

"This changes everything," Vincent said as they stepped out of the TARDIS, "I'll step out tomorrow with my easel on my back a different man. I still can't believe that one of the haystacks was in the museum. How embarrassing."

"It's been a great adventure and a great honor," the Doctor told him.

The two of them embraced.

"You've turned out to be the first doctor ever actually to make a difference to my life."

"I'm delighted. I won't ever forget you."

Vincent turned to Amy. "And you are sure marriage is out of the question?"

"This time." Amy hugged him. "I'm not really the marrying kind." She kissed his cheek and stepped back from him. "Come on! Let's go back to the gallery right now."

They touched back down at the Musée d'Orsay and Amy rushed out of the TARDIS.

"Time can be re-written. I know it can. Come on! Oh, the long life of Vincent Van Gogh. There'll be hundreds of new paintings."

"I'm not sure there will."

"Come on!"

They entered the Van Gogh exhibit and Amy was disappointed to see all the same paintings. "So you were right. No new paintings. We didn't make a difference at all."

"I wouldn't say that. The way I see it, every life is a pile of good things and bad things."

The Doctor wrapped his arms around her. "Hey. The good things don't always soften the bad things, but vice versa, the bad things don't necessarily spoil the good things or make them unimportant. And we definitely added to his pile of good things. And, if you look carefully, maybe we did indeed make a couple of little changes." He pulled her over to the painting of the church.

"No Krafayis," Amy said.

"No Krafayis," the Doctor echoed.

Amy walked over to the painting of the sunflowers.

At the very bottom of the vase, it said, "For Amy".

"If we had got married, our kids would have had very, very red hair," she said.

"The ultimate ginger."

"The ultimate ginge."

The Doctor and Amy laughed.

"Brighter than sunflowers."

As they were leaving the exhibit, Elise overheard something Doctor Black said. "It is said that had Vincent lived, he was planning on taking on an apprentice..."

"Who was it? Another painter?" someone asked.

"No one knows. But what is known is that it was reportedly a young girl. She was never named, but he called her the "little star".