Notes: This was tricky to put into words, but I wanted it to be described. I briefly considered having him go a bit mad, but it would make the rest of the story quite difficult. I hope you are all enjoying the story and thank you to everyone who has favourited and followed! Sorry this one is a bit short.

Chapter Ten – Gazing into Eternity

Jamie and the Doctor sat comfortably in the library. The Doctor was in his usual brown, leather chair. His hands were folded together casually and his legs were stretched out in front of him, crossed at the ankles. He'd had that chair for a long time now, several regenerations at least. Jamie sat in the chair across from it, where his mother usually sat when they were in here together. It was a soft, burgundy fabric that his mother said was far cozier than leather.

"On Gallifrey, when we were eight years old, all children were taken to the Untempered Schism. It was a gap in the fabric of reality, where we could see into the Time Vortex. The TARDIS has created, for you, a room where we can see into the Vortex while we fly through it. Just opening the doors wouldn't be safe while we are in the Vortex, but my Old Girl knows exactly what you need and how to do it safely," the Doctor told his son in soft, deliberate tones.

"When you look into the Vortex, it will hurt. But it will open up your time senses even more than they already are. It will also unlock your ability to regenerate. It'll probably be a little harder to be around your Uncle Jack until you get used to it. What your mother did to him makes him grate against our senses, but you've grown up with him around, so it won't be as bad for you as it was for me," he explained further.

"Do I have to do it?" Jamie asked, frightened by his father saying it would hurt. He knew his father could withstand a lot of pain easily and if this was enough to warrant a warning, it would be pretty bad.

"Right now, when you concentrate, you can see the important timelines around you. Once your senses are opened, the big, important ones will stand out to you all the time. You'll only need to concentrate to see the smaller, more flexible ones. The other thing to keep in mind is that you are currently aging similarly to humans. My first incarnation died of old age when I was just over four hundred years old, but with each successive regeneration, my aging gets slower and slower. I could easily go close to a thousand years before regenerating of old age now," the Doctor told him, hoping he would understand the importance of continuing this legacy. There would never be enough Time Lords from this one little family to repopulate the whole species, but the Doctor wanted someone to be the guardian over the universe when he couldn't anymore.

"Ok. Anything else I need to know?" Jamie asked, accepting that his father felt this was important.

"Only that what you see could be inspiring or terrifying. Either one is ok and whatever you need afterward, your mother and I are here to help," he replied, standing and offering Jamie his hand.

Jamie took his father's hand and allowed himself to be led to a new room. The double doors were tall and ornate. There was Gallifreyan writing all over the surface. Not one particular phrase, just random words about time, eternity, legacy, and responsibility. Jamie gulped down the lump in his throat as his father opened the doors.

"I'll have to wait for you here, Jamie. This is something you need to do yourself, but I'll be right here," the Doctor said and nudged Jamie into the room.

He walked nervously toward the portal that was glowing and seemed to call out to him somehow. Taking a deep, centring breath, Jamie squared his shoulders and moved to stand before the portal.

There was a swirling light in the clouds of gas that was mesmerizing. He felt a shift in his mind that was both painful and terrifying, but he could not look away. His own timeline, that had always been hidden from him, was suddenly revealed with stunning clarity. Centuries stretched before him. Centuries of struggles and pain and terrifying fear, but also of love and success and unbridled joy. It was too much. As the shift in his senses finally released its hold on him, Jamie turned and ran.

He sprinted down the hallway, past his father, who understood this reaction all too well. Jamie ran blindly through halls he had never seen before. The TARDIS was ancient and enormous. The Doctor himself had probably never seen all the rooms and corridors, and some he just hadn't seen for centuries.

When Jamie felt he couldn't run anymore, he leaned against the wall, panting harshly. His head was still aching and he shut his eyes tightly as he focused on slowing his breathing and his racing hearts. He had no idea how far he had run or where he was, but the TARDIS would help him find his way back when he was ready. For now, he decided to explore.

The first door he came across seemed to be an art gallery, containing many famous pieces that he was sure had been historically recorded as lost or destroyed forever. His father must have rescued them. There was also a large statue of his mother, dressed as the goddess Fortuna. He had heard some of the story from his parents and knew that his father had carved it. It was worn now, as they had to leave it in Ancient Rome until it ended up in the collection of the museum where they had first found it. His father probably stole it from the museum collection shortly after that, feeling that it belonged to him and there wouldn't be a risk of a paradox anymore after the exhibit where Uncle Mickey had discovered it.

The next room Jamie entered was an overgrown garden. There was a garden room in the main areas that they frequented regularly, but considering the size of the TARDIS, there could easily be whole jungles hidden in her depths. He didn't bother to explore the garden, but continued down the hall.

He passed a garage, containing a blue scooter, an old yellow car and a big, black motorcycle. There were a few storage rooms containing various electronics parts and old clothes.

Finally, he came to an ornately carved door. The design was floral and Jamie thought it might be another garden, but opened the door to check. Inside, there were fields filled with flowers. There was a simulated sky that depicted a sunny day, with white, fluffy clouds in a bright blue sky. What drew him into the room however was that everywhere he looked there were hundreds of brightly coloured butterflies.

The first real smile since he had looked into the Vortex spread across his face and with a happy shout, Jamie spun around, falling into the soft grass. He laid there, gazing into the sky for hours. Content to just watch the simulated clouds float by overhead as his mind cleared and the pain eased. He could no longer remember the details he had seen in his timeline, but he knew that was the way it should be. The timelines of yourself and the people close to you were always hidden. He knew that his role was important in the universe, just as his father's and mother's were.

His time senses told him that it had been three hours since he had run from the portal that opened into the Vortex when he noticed his father plopping onto the grass next to him. Neither of them said anything for a long time. They both just laid in the grass and wild flowers, watching the butterflies and clouds floating by.

"Feeling better?" The Doctor asked softly.

"Yeah. I think I just need some time to sort it all out," Jamie replied with a sigh.

"Yeah," his dad acknowledged. After a few minutes had passed, he spoke again, "Your mother made some supper. I thought you might want to come have something to eat and then maybe get a few hours of sleep to let your mind settle a bit."

"That sounds like a good idea. Can we move this room closer to mine? I'd like to come back here without getting lost on the way," Jamie requested as he took another deep breath of the fragrant flowery field.

"Absolutely. Your mother would like it I think. I haven't been in here since before the War," the Doctor told him and they both reluctantly got up from the ground.

After brushing the grass off of each other, the two Time Lords made their way back to the kitchen to join Rose and Amy for supper.