Epilogue:

Stars.

Have you ever really looked at them? No..not just looked, observed.

I'm not talking about looking up and saying "Hello bright shining things in the sky! Aren't you lovely! Can't stop though, late for tea!"

No I mean sitting and really watching.

They're not so different than us really, when you think about it.

They're born and it's this amazing, beautiful thing! The whole universe lights up and everything just says: "Wow! Something great just happened!"

A star's life is relatively short, but does it shine! Oh it shines so bright it can be seen for miles around.

People are guided by them, galaxies formed by them…it's just amazing!

But stars die too…just like us. They last longer of course but eventually they die. Nothing lasts forever it's just how it is…and that's ok! Endings can be beautiful too.

When a star dies it's like when it's born only stronger. It goes more and more inward and grows dimmer and dimmer until finally it just explodes and everything that's been inside of it all along, everything that makes it what it is just bursts free. What's inside one star can fill an entire solar system it's just amazing!

Death can be a beautiful thing, just like birth. They say every end makes a new beginning. After a star dies new stars are born and they make up new solar systems. That's how the universe expands you see.

So in all this living and dying and exploding and expanding we live our lives never even knowing it's happening.

Then one day it happens to us. We lose someone we love, we hold a new born baby in our arms…maybe we even come close to death ourselves and then we realize just how amazing life is.

It changes us. Either for better or for worse, it's our choice you see.

Do we want to just fade out, turn dark and cold and lifeless.

Or do we want to be a star. To go out like we come in, to take universes into us and let them strengthen us until we burst with it . Do we want to fade away or leave something behind.

Keep that in mind. Because perhaps the best thing stars do is they give us something to wish on.

The sounds of the newest rock band filled the TARDIS. It must have been popular because Amy was singing along. Or had she stubbed her toe? It was difficult to tell. It might as well have been cats in heat on the roof of the TARDIS ( If that was even remotely possible.) to The Doctor's ears.

"Amy!" he called, "Could you turn the music down, please?"

More sounds of blissful agony were his only answer.

"AMELIA! COULD YOU TURN THE MUSIC DOWN,PLEASE?!"

"WHAT?! DOCTOR I CAN'T HEAR YOU!"

" Can't imagine why." He muttered to himself. He took a deep breath.

"OI! POND ! TURN OFF THAT NOISE BEFORE THAT STEREO GOES INTO ORBIT!"

" ALL YOU HAD TO DO WAS ASK! GOD!"

There was a click followed by a huff then sweet silence.

The Doctor leaned back in his seat and propped his feet on the console as a smile spread over his face. Peace at last.

Then one of the lights on the console began to blink and a slight beeping noise began.

"The Doctor's not hear right now. Please leave a message saying where and when you are and I'll be happy to…"

The beeping grew louder and more insistant.

"Hello," said The Doctor, "What are you fussing about?"

He peered closer at the beacon and the corners of his mouth turned down .

"Well, now that can't be good."

Amelia came in at this point and walked over to look over his shoulder.

"You look worried. What's wrong?"

The Doctor was busy pressing buttons and watching monitors.

"A distress signal, I'm trying to pin point where it's coming from."

Amelia stared at the flashing lights and monitors blankly. She often wished she could understand the TARDIS like The Doctor did. Hear it's song. It must be so beautiful. So peaceful.

"You blasted tin can! Work for once!"

Then again, even lovers quarreled.

The Doctor gave a sharp rap on the console and something seemed to kick in.

" Bingo! There you are!"

The Doctor's face lit up in a grin. Then his expression became somber again as he began programming coordinates. Then without looking up he spoke.

"Amelia, we're going. Hold on to something."

Amelia dropped into a stool as The Doctor pulled the main switch sending the TARDIS spinning to space.

"Where are we going?" asked Amelia. The Doctor shook his head.

"I have no idea."

The landing was rough to put it mildly. "Christ!" Amelia muttered as she picked herself up off the floor of the TARDIS. "Are we still in one peace?"

The Doctor seemed to be checking to see. Murmuring to himself as he patted various areas of his suit.

"Sorry! Sorry about that. The atmosphere is thicker here and it messed with some of the mechanics. Where are you?"

He was bent over now his head under the console like a ridiculous ostrich as he continued to mutter to himself. Amelia approached.

"Doctor, what are you looking for?"

"Screw driver." Came the somewhat muffled response.

"Again? You need a chain for that."

" I always…" There was a muffled curse as The Doctor hit his head on the console. " I always find it!"

He straightened up then and grabbed something off the instrument panel in front of him.

" See?!"

" That's not what I've heard. What's wrong?"

The Doctor was pacing to and fro with the sonic screw driver as though trying to find a signal. His face was serious.

"Strange…I don't like this. Not at all. Amy, stay here."

He started toward the door. Amelia followed him.

"I'm going with you."

The Doctor waved his hand impatiently. " I'll be right outside. I'm not leaving you behind, I know better."

"Then why can't I go with you? What are you afraid I might see? Doctor, what's wrong?"

The Doctor leaned against the door of the TARDIS.

" There are no signs of life according to the screw driver. I'm afraid we might be too late."

Amelia closed her eyes and bowed her head.

"We won't know until we open that door."

"Schroedinger's cat."

" Whose cat?"

The Doctor was staring at the door.

"It was an experiment done by a scientist. You see, there's a cat in a box and the box is closed. Attached to the lid of the box is a vial of poison which may or may not have broken. So the point is the cat is both alive and dead until you open the box."

Amelia put a hand on his shoulder.

"No, Doctor. If the cat's dead it's dead whether you open the box or not. You're just torturing yourself waiting."

The Doctor let out a sigh and fixing his gaze on her he held out his hand. She took it and he let out a shuddering breath.

"Come on, Amy." He said, " It's time to open the box."

The sky was coal black. Everything that wasn't on fire was covered with a thick layer of black ash. Ash stuck in your throat as you breathed and ground grittily under foot.

The Doctor pulled the collar of his shirt over his face and handed his handkerchief to Amelia. Together they studied the murky darkness.

"What happened here?" asked Amelia, " It looks like a fire or a storm.."

"A Hollocaust."

Amelia followed The Doctor's vacant gaze and gasped. Through the ash filled air she could just barely discern piles of bodies lying scattered across the scorched earth.

"Oh my god."

The Doctor activated his screw driver the green light glowing eerily in the blackness. "Nothing." He said defeatedly. "They're all gone."

Then suddenly the steady pulse of the screw driver increased in frequency and The Doctor's eyes widened.

"Not quite."

Suddenly a baby's cry shattered the silence. Thin and sickly but unmistakably alive.

The Doctor didn't have to tell Amelia to run. She was ahead of him before he even started.

When they arrived at the place the crying was coming from they paused and The Doctor once more took out his screw driver and began moving it back and forth searching.

"Where are you?"

Suddenly the signal died and at the same moment the baby fell silent.

" No,no,no,no…don't do that!"

The Doctor began searching frantically among the rubble. Then he heard Amelia's shout.

"DOCTOR!"

When he arrived at her side his heart sank. There sat Amelia, looking soot stained and dejected . In her arms lay a small blanket wrapped bundle.

"She's dead." Said Amelia, miserably.

The Doctor knelt beside her and gently moved the blanket. The little face was still, she seemed asleep. He ran a hand over his face and then with one finger he slowly traced the perfect little features.

"I'm so sorry this happened to you." He whispered, " You deserved so much.." he paused, " Better." He finished but his expression had changed.

"She's still warm. She should be cooler."

He took out his sonic screw driver.

"What are you doing?" asked Amelia.

The Doctor did not reply as the green light passed over the little body slowly. Then all at once it clicked off and The Doctor was holding out his arms to Amelia. Tripping over his own words trying to communicate.

"Amelia, give her to me. Quickly!"

" Doctor she's.."

"Give her to me!"

Amelia handed the baby to The Doctor and he took her carefully. Holding the baby on one arm he began flicking the bottoms of the baby's feet and blowing in her face. " Come on now." He whispered, " Stop scaring us."

" Doctor…" Amelia began

"SHUSH!" The Doctor's tone was fierce, " Let me work!"

Now he was rubbing the baby's tiny chest. "Come on now…sing for us…tell us all about it. You can't die, you've only just begun."

"Doctor stop!"

Suddenly, the baby gave a gasp and set up such a loud, wailing cry Amelia jumped.

The Doctor's grin was luminous.

"There you go! That's the way!"

He brought the baby closer and looked down at her. The wailing stopped and the baby stared up at him seriously.

"Hello there, you beautiful creature."

Amelia stood open mouthed beside him.

"What was that? What did you just do?"

"Roaries a nurse. He must have told you how to resuscitate people. Here take her will you?"

Amelia took the baby from his arms as she fussed quietly.

"No." she said, " This was different. You KNEW she was going to wake up. "

"Love to stay and discuss my magic powers, but we should really be getting back to the TARDIS I forgot to set the alarm."

The Doctor started off and immediately the baby started crying again.

"Doctor!" Amelia shouted walking after him. The baby increased the volume of its fussing by several decibles and she held her closer.

"Oh hush!" she whispered, " He makes me frustrated too!"

Back on the TARDIS things fell into confusion. The wailing of the baby, Amelia's incessant questions and the humming of engines coming to life formed the perfect sound track to chaos. The Doctor however seemed oblivious to the hysteria he'd created. He stood at the control panel with a huge smile on his face like a drunk while the world burned around him.

Finally the baby gave a particularly loud cackling cry and The Doctor seemed to snap out of his stupor.

" Yes, Sorry! Sorry about that!" he said as he hurried to Amelia's side. "Got a bit distracted by all the excitement."

"It's all right, just…"

"Amy, hush! I'm not talking to you!"

Amelia looked at him curiously. Then she realized he was addressing the baby.

"Yes, yes, I know you're very upset! I would be too. But you have to understand, I can't understand you if you're hysterical!"

The crying seemed to change somehow. The Doctor listened seriously.

"Ah, yes…how can I explain it to you so you understand…Yes! Yes! I hear you!" he looked to Amelia, " Oh she has a nasty temper!

Amelia looked at him with a raised eyebrow. "You speak baby?"

" Yes…but the accent on this little one is very tricky." Amelia just nodded.

" Now, you listen to me." He said a bit sternly to the still obviously upset baby, " There's no need to be upset with us, it's not our fault!" He closed his eyes for a moment, " Ok..let's see..how can I make you understand? You're safe here. We're friends…ummm no bad things. Good, gentle things."

The crying stopped though the baby still squirmed and fussed.

"What's she saying?" asked Amelia.

"In three words? Mad As hell."

Amelia smiled, "Understandable."

" And afraid, very afraid."

The baby began to cry again but this time you could see tiny baby tears running down the plump cheeks.

The Doctor's face went blank as he translated again.

"Mother…Mother hold me…"

"Mother?" asked Amelia.

The Doctor's eyes were sad. "Babies have very limited language. They use words for multiple meanings. 'Mother' means protector, care giver. Literally ' life giver'.

The translation continued.

" Mother protect me! I am afraid! Dark…Cold…Fire in the sky."

Amelia held her close. "She won't stop crying. I'm doing what she wants aren't I?"

The Doctor put a finger to his lips. " Let her talk." He spoke again to the baby:

"It's allright. You're safe here. Mothers will protect you."

The Baby calmed to a whimper and reached out her little arms toward The Doctor. Amelia looked to him.

"She wants you! She's asking for you!"

The Doctor shook his head. "No..she's far to young to show preference."

"Take her."

Amy held out the baby but The Doctor backed away.

"No. Sorry, not a good idea! I don't know a thing about babies I'll probably drop her or…AMELIA POND! Don't you dare put that baby in my…arms."

The Doctor looked down as Amelia slid the baby into his arms. He stared at the baby and the bright little eyes stared back at him.

"Oh…Hello…You're not so scary now are you?"

The baby gave a sigh of relief and nuzzled into his chest. Then she smiled and the next instant she was sound asleep.

"Amelia, come quick! I think I've broken her!"

Amelia laughed. " She likes you that's all. Didn't they have babies on Galifrey?"

The Doctor's eyes never left the baby. "Of course we did. But I don't remember any of them. I haven't held a baby in quite a while."

"Now's as good a time as any. Now, don't think I've forgotten what happened out there. You still owe me an explanation."

The Doctor moved his hand over the baby's tiny back as though searching for something, then he began.

"It's simple really. Sometimes in babies and small children the binary circulatory system hasn't quite got the hang of things yet."

"Binary what?"

"Stay with me, Amy. When something happens to one system the other is supposed to take over for it. If one heart is damaged or stops the other takes over until it's healed. In little one's sometimes it needs a little reminder. So I gave it one."

"The other heart? She has two hearts?"

"Yes, weren't you listening? That's the only reason she's alive right now. Her other heart is…"

Amelia held up her hand, "Hold on! Back up! How can she have two hearts?"

"I have two hearts."

"Yes, but you're a Time Lord!"

The Doctor smiled.

Amelia stared at him wide eyed.

" No..you mean…you can't mean what I think you mean."

The Doctor's smile became a grin.

"Yes, Amelia..This baby is a Time Lord."

NOTE: I'm a new new Who fan. ( Say that when your drunk.) and so my "Voices" for the various Doctors might get jumbled. Personalities too. I felt my eleven here ( Matt Smith) sounded a bit like ten ( Tenett) in places. Hope it will be ok.

Of course I don't own Doctor Who, if I did I would be too busy to write fan fiction. Cheers all! Hope you enjoy it.