Charley was on her bed, her hand clutching her stomach. The maid and another woman sat with her. Charley opened her eyes and saw the Doctor.

"Doctor!" she cried out, looking at him with fear in her eyes. "Where have you been?"

"Away. I can explain everything to you later, but right now, let me help," he moved towards her.

"No!" she yelled. "You disappear the day after Lizzie's birthday and you're gone for nearly four months. Not a word of good bye. No note that explained anything! I thought," she stopped her yelling and clutched her stomach again, taking in deep breaths. When the contraction had ended, she continued her rant at him, "I thought you had run off, abandoned us. The children have been so sad. Peter acts out constantly and Lizzie cried for weeks. I had to close your practice and try to explain to everyone why the office was closed. It was absolute humiliation trying to come up with a story that protected us from scandal, but the longer you were gone, the more rumors spread and now we are the least respectable family in the village. How dare you disappear like that and then, have the nerve to come back and come into my bedroom when I'm in labour! Ahh!" She panted through another contraction.

"Charley," he said when the pain had ended, "I can't tell you how sorry I am. I never meant to leave and I promise you I came back as soon as I could."

"That makes no sense Dr. Smith!" she yelled.

"I know. Let me help you through this and then," he started but she shouted no again and ordered him to get out. "At least let me hold your hands. You are welcome to squeeze all your hurt and anger into my hands."

"Get over here, then," Charley said. The Doctor moved to sit on the bed and faced her, just as his true self was sitting next to the real Charley in the non-dream world. She took his hands in hers and when the next pain hit, she squeezed them as she yelled through the pain.

"What will we call this one?" he asked as he took a wet flannel from the bed stand and patted it at her sweaty face.

"I get to pick the names," Charley glared.

"Of course," he nodded.

"If it's a girl, I want Mariah," she panted.

"It's a lovely name. And if it's a boy?"

"James. Or maybe Stephen."

The Doctor smiled. Two of his past companion had been a Jamie and a Stephen. "Those are fine names."

Charley let out a grunt and a throaty yell. "Uh, I don't remember this hurting so much last time."

"Do you remember a last time?" he asked.

"What are you talking about? Of course I do. I've got two other children. And yet," she paused and closed her eyes. "I don't. It's like I've never done this before, but I know that I have. I have Peter and Lizzie."

"Does it feel like a dream?" he asked her.

She nodded, her eyes were wide. "Doctor!" she suddenly yelled. "I remember you!"

"Yes, that's good. What do you remember?"

"Hampshire. The R101. Flames. The TARDIS. A cottage in a field, tea and biscuits."

"Good, Charley!"

"This is all a dream, isn't it? We fell asleep and were holding hands. Sometimes, when I'm all alone, I can feel your hand in mine." She let out another yell and doubled over in pain. She squeezed his hands and panted.

"Deep breaths, Charley, deep breaths," he spoke in his most soothing voice.

She was crying now. "No. Oh no. This is a dream and when I wake up, I'll be Charley Pollard again and Peter and Lizzie and this little one will be as if they never existed. But I'm going through labour! How can it hurt so much if it isn't real?"

"Because right now, in your dream, it is real," he said.

He noticed the maid and midwife were gone. As Charley became more aware of her situation, the dream started to fall apart. The room was fuzzy around the edges, but the bed and everything that Charley was touching was still solid.

"It hurts," she cried and the Doctor knew it wasn't just the physical pain of birth, but a mental pain as well.

"Give birth, Charley. Give birth to our child."

"But it's not real! We don't have children Doctor," she sobbed.

"The child is the product of a dream we both shared. We both wanted this. Give birth and let us see our dream come true," he whispered.

Charley gave a heaving push and suddenly, it was over. The Doctor was holding a baby in his arms, cleaned and wrapped neatly in a blanket.

"What is it?" she asked, leaning towards the Doctor to peak at the face in the blankets.

He handed the baby to her and she gently unwrapped it and took a peek. "It's a girl," she grinned.

"Little Mariah Smith," he cooed.

Charley smiled and held the baby close to her chest. Then quite suddenly, she let out a sob. "She isn't real. Soon, I must give her up to the waking world."

The Doctor smiled sadly. "Yes, but for now, enjoy your daughter. We'll let the waking come slowly."

He kept a constant contact with her body, keeping his knee touching hers or one hand resting on her arm. He would slowly help her leave that state of dream. What a terrible time to wake up, but there was no choice. He couldn't stay with her in her dream forever and to leave her again would be cruel.

Charley told him about what Peter and Lizzie had been doing these months he had been missing. She knew she would never see them again and it broke her heart.

"At least," she smiled through her tears, "our last night together was a good one. Peter is learning to read and he read one of his books to Lizzie and me. Then I told them a story and we drank warm milk together. I kissed them goodnight and left the nightlights on to watch over them. Like Mrs. Darling in Peter Pan."

"You Charley, are a beautiful and perfect mother. These children, dream or otherwise, have been so lucky to have you," he said quietly.

In his contact with her mind, he could feel her pulling away from the dream. She quietly told him more about the last day the children shared with her and she stoked the head of the baby in her arms.

"Do you know what?" she asked after a while, looking into his eyes with her red, puffy ones. "It was a lovely dream. I'm so glad to have had it. I have been a mother now. I have given birth. I've known the joys and the sorrows of marriage and family. And I'm glad to have shared it with you."

"I'm glad, too," he smiled.

Charley kissed the baby's head once more. She stood up from the bed and walked over to where the bassinet was. She was dressed once again in the clothes they had been wearing when they fell asleep and her body looked like it had never known pregnancy. With the gentle arms of a mother, she laid the baby down into the bassinet.

"Good bye, my darling Mariah. Mamma will love you forever." She stepped back, never taking her eyes off the baby, even though it became fuzzy as the dream disappeared. "I'm ready, Doctor. Wake me up and take me home."

The Doctor's eyes hadn't left the baby's face either. It was time to say goodbye. He gently disconnected his contact with Charley's mind. When he opened his eyes, he was back in the room in Sleepy Cottage. Charley's eyes were still closed and her face was wet with tears. He felt his own face and wiped at the tears that were streaming down. Soon after, Charley's eyes opened.

"Oh, Doctor," she sat up and pulled him into a hug. She cried again into his shoulder. He pulled a handkerchief from a pocket and handed it to her. She wiped at her face and blew her nose. "Why are our hand tied together?"

He gave a sad smile. "To ensure we stayed together in our dream."

"I could feel you. After you pointed it out to me, I could always feel your hand in mind and even though you were gone, I could feel it and it gave me comfort."

He kissed her forehead. "I don't guess we need to keep the connection any longer." With a heavy heart, he untied the knot. Mimi didn't burst in this time to tell him otherwise. "Come on, it's time to go."

He led Charley out of the room and back into the parlor. Mimi stood there waiting at the front door. Red eyes and tear streaks showed that she had been mindful of their final time in the dream world together.

"Is there anything I can do to help you? Shorten your sentence?" he asked the Dreamkeeper.

She shook her head. "No. I only have 548 years to go. I will be well."

"Thank you for taking good care of us," the Doctor said.

"It has been my pleasure. Goodbye, Miss Pollard," Mimi smiled.

Charley didn't smile in return or give any farewell to their hostess. He knew it would be a long time before Charley would smile again. But smile she would. She was resilient and soon enough, this would be a distant memory.

Mimi opened the door. "Your ship remains where you left it. I wish you all the best."

The Doctor touched Charley's arm and she walked out. Their walk back to the TARDIS was in silence. He opened the door and allowed Charley in first. It was good to be home. For a moment, Charley stood still, just over the threshold. She looked around, as if seeing the TARDIS for the first time. She gave a great sigh.

"It's good to be back," she said. "Would you mind if I had some time alone?"

"Of course not. Take all the time you need."

She walked away and he suspected he knew where she was going. While time didn't exist in the vortex, after several hours in his body's life, he went looking for his companion. The TARDIS led him to the room he knew he would find Charley. The butterfly room was as cheerful as ever, except for the figure who stood a ways away from the door. He quietly walked to where Charley stood. Three small stacks of stones stood side-by-side.

"To remember them by," she simply said.

He nodded. It was a loving gesture by a grieving mother.

"I can still feel the little kicks of a baby in my stomach. Funny, isn't it?" she gave a mirthless chuckle. "I will always cherish those moments."

"If you wish," the Doctor said, "I can give you a tonic that will give you a deep, natural sleep, but it will be dreamless."

Charley nodded. "Is there anything that can make me forget? To remember them is so painful."

"Would you really want to forget?" he asked.

She was quiet for a moment. "No. I don't."

"They were a dream," the Doctor sighed, "and as all dreams do, it will fade over time. We never completely forget our favorite dreams, but the emotion that goes with them will soon be gone."

She nodded. "Already, it begins to fade." They stood together for several long moments, staring at the little memorials she had created for their children. "Yes, I think I would like that tonic. I'm exhausted, even though I have recently slept for a long time. But I need to sleep and to sleep without dreams is a very pleasant notion."

"When you are ready, I'll have it waiting for you in your room."

"I'm ready now." She turned and slipped her hand into the crook of his elbow. They stopped in the lab for the tonic and then went to Charley's room. He waited while she changed into a night dress. He pulled down the covers and she slide inside of them, then he handed her the tonic. She drank it in one large gulp and returned the glass bottle to him. She lay down and he remembered in the dream when she laid on their bed like this and asked him to confirm her pregnancy. His heart ached. How could he miss children that had never truly been? But then, they had been. He had known them and their little personalities. If he thought about it, he could still hear their voices and their laughter. Maybe he should drink some of the tonic as well. He needed a break from his guilt and emotions, too.

"Will you sit with me, at least until I fall asleep?" she asked.

He did. He sat on the edge of the bed and held her hand. The tonic was quick and effective and soon, she was in the depths of a natural sleep. He placed her hand on her chest, stood up and walked out.

The lights in the TARDIS had dimmed, as if she was encouraging him to sleep as well. He checked the console. They were peacefully flying through the vortex. They would be safe, for a while. He went back to his room. His own bed had not been slept in in several weeks. A bottle of the tonic already awaited him. He thanked the TARDIS for her consideration of him. He removed his shoes and coat, then slipped into the covers. The tonic was drunk and he slumped back onto his pillow.

Before sleep could take him, he thought about the dream he had shared with Charley. His subconscious had created that dream and it was the same as hers. They had both wanted to live a normal family life and for a little while, they had. He had been a husband and a father. That was pretty special. And those children had been so perfect and beautiful. It had been a good dream. Bittersweet, but good. The dream would fade, just like he had told Charley, but the memory of a life with Charley would always stay with him and that made him smile. Quickly, his body gave in to the tonic and he slipped into a deep sleep, a smile still sitting on his lips.