A/N - The ending of this has me all soft.

Elise and the Doctor looked out the window.

"Oh my god," Elise breathed, "It's beautiful."

"It is. It's amazing," the Doctor said, putting his hands on Elise's shoulders.

"Where are we?" Cyril asked.

"Technically, we're not anywhere. We've flown into the Time Vortex. You've 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're in my protection. Now help them. How do we get home?"

The Queen placed her hand on Madge's shoulder. "Think."

"Sorry? What?"

"She must only think." The Queen stepped back.

"Madge, did you hear that? You said it, but did you hear it?" the Doctor asked, kneeling in front of her, "You've got to think."

"Think what?"

"Think of home. Just picture it, feel it! You have to really feel it. Can you do that?" The Doctor ran back over to the window, "Your mind is controlling this vessel. You can fly us all back for Christmas."

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

The Doctor knelt in front of her again. "I don't have a home to think of. And between you and me, I'm older than I look and I can't feel the way you do. Not anymore. And you really need to feel it, Madge. Everything about home that you miss until you can't bear it. Until you almost burst."

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

"Yes. Yes."

Madge took a piece of paper out of her coat pocket. "Well then, home in time for Christmas!"

The dome swayed and shook as they flew through the vortex.

Elise smiled and laughed. "She drives like you!"

"Oi!" the Doctor snapped, making Elise laugh even more.

"What's happening? Where are we going?" Lily asked.

"Show them! Show them!" the Doctor said.

The window expanded so everyone could see the vortex corridor.

"Ha! The Time Vortex. Your mother is flying a forest through the Time Vortex. Be a little impressed. What are you going home for? What's pulling you there? Please, try. Please, think."

There was an image of a man holding a baby. It morphed into the man in uniform waving goodbye.

"Reg!" Madge said.

"Daddy?" Cyril asked.

"My Reg!"

Flashes of memories appeared on the screen.

"That's it, focus on Reg. Be careful, but focus on him," the Doctor told her.

"Oh, I don't know."

"How did you meet? You and Reg. Tell me how you met."

"He followed me home. I worked in the dairy. He always used to follow me home." The memory appeared on the screen.

"Look at Father. He looks so young," Lily said.

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

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

A fighter jet appeared on the screen.

"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!" Smoke poured from the jet as it went down.

"No, no, no, no, no, Madge. Don't break the signal now. We can't break it now. I'm sorry, Madge!" the Doctor said.

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

"What do you mean, the night he died?" Lily asked.

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

"Mummy? Is Daddy dead? Mummy!" Cyril cried.

"Goodbye, my love. Goodbye!"

The dome landed roughly, throwing everyone to floor. Now that was familiar.

The Doctor stood up and rushed over to Elise to help her up. "Are you okay?" he asked.

Elise nodded. "Check on them," she said, gesturing to the others.

The Doctor walked over to them, waving the smoke away. "Cyril, Lily, are you all right?"

"Yeah," Lily said.

The Doctor soniced the wooden King and Queen.

"Are they dead?" Madge asked.

"No, they're just wood now. They've been emptied," the Doctor told her, "The forest has gone from your head too, hasn't it?"

"But where is it now?"

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

Madge gave the Doctor a look.

"The souls of the trees are out among the stars, and they're shining, very happy. And you got them there. Well done, Madge."

"And where are we?"

"Home! Christmas morning." The Doctor jumped up and ran over to the window. "We've taken a bit of a short cut. Haven't you always wanted to do that?"

"Mother?" Lily asked.

"Oh, look at you. You've been so brave, you." Madge started to walk forward to embrace her children, but they backed away from her. "Look, we're home again, see?"

"What did you mean, watch him die? Where's Father? Where is he? Where's Daddy?" Lily asked.

Madge unfolded the piece of paper in her hand.

"Why are you holding a telegram? Well, what does it say?"

"Please, just tell us," Cyril begged.

"Tell us!" Lily yelled.

"I imagine you'd prefer to be alone," the Doctor said, remembering how it felt to tell your child the hardest thing they'd ever hear.

"I don't believe anyone would prefer that. Stay close, Caretaker," Madge said.

"We'll be right outside." The Doctor placed a hand on Elise's back and they left the dome.

"Dad?" Elise asked when they were outside.

"Yes Ellie?"

"Earlier...when they said I wasn't ready...does that mean...?" Elise's hand came up to rest on her stomach and the Doctor smiled.

He cradled the back of her head and kissed her forehead. "Yeah."

Elise threw her arms around him as her eyes filled with tears.

After a moment, they turned around to see a fighter jet on the front lawn.

The Doctor ran back inside and came out with Madge and her children. They stared in disbelief.

"Madge Arwell, who flew a whole forest though the Time Vortex, plus one husband," the Doctor told her, "He did it again, Madge. He followed you home. Look what you can do, Mother Christmas."

"Madge, what am I doing here?" Reg asked.

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

"Christmas Day? How?"

"We took a short cut." The little family was reunited.

A tear slipped down Elise's face.

The Doctor wrapped an arm around her waist and kissed her temple. "Happy crying. Humany wumany."

The Doctor and Elise stepped out of the TARDIS to find Madge in the attic.

"Of course. It's you, isn't it? My spaceman angel, with his head on backwards!"

The Doctor spun around in a circle. "How do I look the right way round?"

"Funnier."

Elise hid a laugh behind her hand.

"Okay..."

"So you came back."

"Well, you were there for me when I had a bad day. Always like to return a favor. Got a bit glitchy in the middle there, but it sort of worked out in the end. Story of my life."

"Story of our life, you mean," Elise said, joining him at his side, "I never got to thank you for getting him home safely."

"You're welcome. And thank you," Madge said, hugging them.

"Oh, you did it all yourself, Madge Arwell. But thanks for thanking us," the Doctor told her.

"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?" The Doctor started to walk back to the TARDIS, but Madge stopped him.

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

"Ah, well, you see, things to do, people to see."

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

"Well, no, actually."

"Oh. Yes, yes, you said no family. But there must be people who love you. Friends."

Elise smiled softly. She missed Amy, Rory, and River. The only family she'd ever really known.

"No. Well, yes, but. It's a long story. But they all think I'm dead. Never mind. Anyway, watch my box do its thing. It's really cool. You'll love it." The Doctor started to walk back to the TARDIS, but Madge stopped him again.

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

"I'm fine. We're fine. We don't mind. We're really very good at being..."

"I'm not talking about you, I'm talking about your friends. You can't let them think that you're dead. Not at Christmas. And what about Elise? Surely your daughter would want to spend Christmas with her mother."

"It's complicated. Very complicated. It's far too complicated to explain right now."

"You must tell them. At once. Off you go."

The Doctor playfully rolled his eyes and muttered, "Yes, Mum. I'll think about it." He kissed her on the cheek and Elise hugged her again. "Now, eyes on the box," the Doctor said.

Elise and the Doctor headed for the TARDIS.

"Oh, Caretaker? What if I require you again?" Madge asked.

"Make a wish."

They went inside and took off.

The Doctor nervously knocked on the blue door in front of them.

"Argh! If that is more carol singers, I have a water pistol!" a familiar Scottish voice yelled, "You don't want to be all wet on a night like this."

The door swung open and Amy stood there. Her mouth dropped open in shock.

"Not absolutely sure how long..." the Doctor said.

"Two years," Amy told him. She squirted him a few times.

"Okay. Fair point."

"So, you're not dead."

"And a happy New Year!"

Amy leaned in close to him and said, "River told us."

The Doctor scoffed. "Well, of course she did."

"She's a good girl. Well? I'm not going to hug first."

"Nor am I."

"Oh, out of the way. I've done nothing wrong," Elise said. She threw her arms around Amy.

Amy laughed. "I swear you get prettier by the day!"

Elise blushed as she pulled away.

The Doctor and Amy spent about a minute trying to ignore each other, before laughing and hugging.

"Mister Pond!" Amy called, "Guess who's coming for dinner?"

Rory entered the foyer. "Whoa! Not dead, then."

"We've done that," Amy told him.

"Oh."

"We're about to have Christmas dinner. Joining us?" Amy asked the Doctor.

"If it's no trouble."

"There's a place set for you and Elise," Rory said.

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

"Oh, because we always do. It's Christmas, you moron!" Amy snapped. "Come on," Rory told them.

Elise followed after Amy and Rory, leaving the Doctor outside.

"So, how old are you now?" Rory asked Elise.

Elise shrugged.

"210? I think. In human years you'd call that a teenager."

"Oh dear."

Elise rolled her eyes and playfully slapped Rory on the arm before hugging him. "I've missed you Uncle Rory."

"We've missed you too, Elise."