A/N - Second to last chapter! Here we go.

They made their way to the TARDIS.

Barnable was hiding behind it.

"Hmm. Are you guarding my TARDIS, Barnable?" the Doctor asked.

"Are you coming back?"

"Oh, come on. You know me."

"I'll wait."

Elise patted the small boy on the head before entering the TARDIS, who made happy beeping noises. "I've missed you too, sexy," Elise told her.

Soon, they were walking through the Papal Mainframe again.

The Doctor, Elise, and Clara walked towards Tasha.

The Doctor leaned on Elise for support, as well as his cane.

"She hasn't aged much," Clara said.

"No, she's against ageing," the Doctor told her.

"Approach," Tasha said.

They walked by a Silence. "Confess."

"What are those things?" Clara asked, even though she'd seen one before.

"Confess."

"Confessional priests. Very popular. Genetically engineered so you forget everything you told them," the Doctor explained.

Clara looked away from the Silence and back at the Doctor. "Told who?"

"There you go."

Elise laughed quietly and the Doctor smiled. He rarely heard her laugh nowadays.

They went with Tasha to her chapel, where she placed a box in front of the Doctor and opened it.

The Doctor sniffed the treats inside.

"Satisfactory?" Tasha asked.

"Where are the pink ones?" the Doctor countered.

"E numbers. You're hyper enough as it is."

"So, this is sweet," Clara said, "Middle of a siege and you two have little chats?"

"Believe me when I say, I do not approve," Elise assured her.

"They're right. This situation cannot continue," Tasha said.

"It can't end, either," the Doctor reminded her. He closed the box.

"Why did you ever come to Trenzalore?"

"Well, I did come to Trenzalore, and nothing can change that now. Didn't stop you trying though, did it?"

"Not me. The Kovarian Chapter broke away. They traveled back along your timeline and tried to prevent you ever reaching Trenzalore."

"So that's who blew up my TARDIS."

Tasha nodded.

Elise would rather forget that day. Being locked in the Pandorica, losing the Doctor...

"I thought I'd left the bath running."

"They blew up your time capsule, created the very cracks in the universe through which the Time Lords are now calling."

"The destiny trap. You can't change history if you're part of it."

"They engineered a psychopath to kill you."

"Totally married her. I'd never have made it here alive without River Song."

"I'm not interested in changing history, Doctor. I want to change the future. The Daleks send for reinforcements daily. They are massing for war. Three days ago, they attacked the Mainframe itself."

"They attacked here?"

"How did you stop them?" Clara asked.

"Stop them? It was slaughter," Tasha said.

"Why didn't you call me? I could have helped," the Doctor told her.

"I tried. I died in this room, screaming your name."

"No."

"Oh. I died. It's funny the things that slip your mind."

"No!"

The Doctor, Elise, and Clara watched as a Dalek eyestalk came out of her forehead. This was the Dalek Asylum all over again.

"No, no, no. Tasha, no, please, not Tasha. No. Fight it. Tash, fight it!"

A Dalek rolled into the room. "Step away from the Dalek unit, Doctor."

"You shouldn't even know who I am," the Doctor said.

"Information concerning the Doctor was harvested from the cadaver of Tasha Lem."

"Bet she never told you how to break through the Trenzalore forcefield, though. She'd have died first."

"Several times."

"Well, you'd better kill me, then. Go on. But before you do..." He pulled out his sonic screwdriver and the message could be heard.

"Doctor who? Doctor who? Doctor who?"

"I'm a tough old bird. I'll be ages dying. Way enough time to answer a question. And, oh dear, what happens then, boys?" the Doctor asked.

"You will die in silence, Doctor."

Tasha grabbed Elise.

"Or your offspring will die."

She was quiet, but the Doctor could see the fire and rage in Elise's eyes.

"Fine, go on, kill her. Kill her! See if I care," the Doctor said, "But tell me, what you are going to do next?"

"See how the Time Lord betrays."

A maniacal grin spread across Elise's lips. "When I get my hands on you, there is no place in the universe you'll be able to hide from me. I'm not afraid. I was when I was a child, but no more. So, go ahead. See what happens."

The Doctor stalked over to Tasha. "You see, Tasha, that's what I'm talking about. That is a woman! I always knew you were a bit spineless, you and your pointless church. Why did I ever rely on you? Never trust a nun to do a Doctor's work."

Tasha let go of Elise and turned to the Doctor, slapping him.

Clara rushed towards Elise, holding her up.

The Daleks in the room went up in flames.

"And she's back!" the Doctor yelled. He grabbed Tasha and kissed her.

The eyestalk went back into her forehead.

"You never could resist a row."

"Kiss me when I ask."

"Well, you'd better ask nicely."

"In your dreams."

"Is this really important flirting?" Elise asked.

"Right, get us back to the TARDIS. Can you do that?" the Doctor asked Tasha.

"Yeah, but quickly, the Dalek inside me is waking."

They walked over to the transporter.

"Fight it."

"I can't."

"Listen to me. You have been fighting the psychopath inside you all your life. Shut up and win. That is an order, Tasha Lem."

They stepped inside the transporter.

"The forcefield will hold for a while, but it will decay, and there are breaches already."

"Then this isn't a siege any more, it's a war. It's all up to you now. Fight the Daleks, inside and out. You can do it, I know you can."

"Oh, I see. You've got your TARDIS back, haven't you? Time to fly away."

"Tasha, please. Please. Thank you."

"None of this was for you, you fatuous egotist. It was for the peace. Fly away, Doctor!"

They were transported back to the TARDIS and they went back to Trenzalore.

"It's done," the Doctor said, as a bell went off.

"What is?" Clara asked.

"Your turkey. Either that or it's woken up."

Clara laughed. "Do you want some?"

"Go on, then."

"Got any plates?"

"Do you know, I've even got Christmas crackers."

Clara turned to the two Timelords and walked over to them. "One thing. Give me those big sad eyes, look at me so I know you're not lying, and tell me you will never send me away ever again."

"Clara Oswald, I will never send you away again."

Clara kissed his cheek and went down to grab the turkey.

The Doctor looked at Elise, who nodded. She understood what the Doctor was going to do.

"Turkey smells good!"

"Yeah, smells great."

The scanner showed little Barnable waiting for them to come out.

"Perfect." The Doctor slipped the device into the sonic charger and they left the TARDIS.

"If you're not leaving, why did you bring it back?" Barnable asked as the TARDIS reappeared.

Clara was now safe at home again.

"It's a reminder. Besides, I might leave tomorrow. Or the next day. Or the day after that."

But they didn't leave. They stayed like they promised, even though the Doctor would encourage Elise to go and live her life. And every time she'd tell him the same thing. "There is no life without you."

The Doctor continued to age, while Elise stayed the same. It broke her hearts to see him deteriorate. She stepped into a caregiver role, taking care of him as best she could.

More and more lives were lost. Friends to both the Doctor and Elise. She watched her friends age and die.

Now she understood why the Doctor never looked back on old companions. It hurt too much.

Elise became more aware of her near-immortality. She was only one her second body. She had thousands and thousands of years to go.

Elise thought more and more about Clara and the mysterious Rose, the human a younger version of her father had fallen in love with. How could he love humans when he knew they'd wither and die? It wasn't worth it. Elise became determined that she'd never love another human like she'd loved...

The Doctor watched as Elise retreated into herself, becoming more and more like her first body. She hardly talked anymore, so he was left alone with his thoughts.

Elise lost track of the years, but Elise could tell that the Doctor was getting ready to die. She'd known it for quite a while now, so she was resigned to this fact. She sat on the floor next to his chair as he carved a little wooden dog.

They heard footsteps enter the room.

"Barnable?" the Doctor asked.

"Clara," a voice said.

The Doctor dropped the wooden dog and turned around in his chair.

"Hello, Doctor."

"Were you always so young?" he asked.

"Nah, that was you."

She walked over to the two Timelords and the Doctor kissed her hand. The Doctor smiled.

Their little family of three was back together again.