So I know that I've entered dangerous territory here, but I really don't care. This is my story, and I'm writing this!

For Christmas, I want Santa to bring me the rights to Doctor Who.

CHAPTER 35

Team Twelve may have considered themselves to be on a wild goose chase, but at least they couldn't knock the view. The night was crystal clear and beautiful, the light of billions of stars were the only visible lights. Clara relished in the evening breeze as it blew in through the open TARDIS door. There was something about it that sent a feeling of excitement coursing through her body. Anticipation, she supposed. Though what she was anticipating, she wasn't sure. She guessed that she was just nervous. While on the one hand, in her rational mind, she could never believe the legends surrounding this night were true. On the other hand, she wanted to believe it. It was a story of hope and comfort. It was a story that her grandparents faithfully believed in until the day they died. Clara suddenly realized that she wanted the legends to be true, because if they weren't, it meant that everything that her grandparents had stood for was a lie.

Danny sensed her apprehension and wrapped his arms around her waist. He was apprehensive for another reason. He loved Clara, he truly did, but there was one area that they had a major disagreement about. Danny was a believer. He wasn't just a "I go to church on Sundays, therefore I am a Christian" believer, either. He had true faith in God and the wonderful baby in the manger. Clara supported his need to go to church on Sundays, but she saw no reason why she could should go with him. It was one of the reasons he couldn't ask Clara to marry him. She had faith in science, logic, and the Doctor. There was no room for any other God. It broke his heart. But tonight could change everything. Tonight, Clara would see and believe. He did acknowledge that there was a possibility that he could be proven wrong, but he knew in the deepest part of his being that he would be proven right.

Rose was excited. There was a possibility that the sky would become as bright as day tonight, and they would have a front row seat to the show. She didn't know what that would mean for whatever was happening on the ground but she didn't really care. Legend are at least partially based on facts. Seeing bright lights in the sky would certainly be something!

The Doctor, however, was filled with a sense of dread. All of his lives, he had been told that the Time Lords were the supreme beings of the universe (though, he thought darkly, the daleks, Cybermen, and the like had been taught the same things about their races). Now he was the last of his kind. That should make him the supreme being of the universe! That should make him God. Yet, he wasn't. As much as he tried to be, he wasn't in control of the universe. Something or someone else was. Many times he had tried to ignore the idea. But then things would happen that would shake his atheism. He met the devil on Krop-Tor. People who should not be able to read time lines seem to be connected enough to a higher power that they knew that the Tenth Doctor's song was ending before he did. There were people that had faith that the minotaur didn't attack in that hotel. The list goes on. This night would offer the undeniable proof. For centuries, he'd carried the weight of the universe on his shoulders. Is it possible that this was a weight that he wasn't meant to carry? Could there really be Someone out there who could take it away? The Doctor wasn't sure if that was a good thing or not. Surrendering and admitting that someone else was more important than he is not something that he was accustomed to doing.

Then he saw it. Jupiter and Saturn appeared closer to each other in the sky than he had ever seen them before. If that wasn't enough, a comet was heading straight for the conjunction. Soon, the three objects would appear to be in the same exact spot in the sky. Throw in a couple of nearby stars from what would later be called the Pieces constellation, and he could see how these objects could be construed as one very bright star. Where was the best spot on the ground to see this sight? Bethlehem, of course! It could just be a coincidence. But in his gut, he knew that it wasn't. He pointed out his discovery to the others.

"I give you the Bethlehem Star!" The Doctor proclaimed.

Team Eleven was not having much luck. There truly was no room in the inn. Hunting for Mary and Joseph was proving to be harder than finding a needle in a haystack. Inquiring after a young couple who had journeyed a great distance was of no help because the town was overrun with visitors thanks to the census. Even mentioning that the girl was likely great with child was of no help. It appeared that Mary was far from the only pregnant girl in town. So the team decided to split up. The innkeeper had told them that some of the locals were earning some extra money by taking in boarders. So they decided to knock on doors of people's homes in search of their "cousins". The Doctor and Rose started with the homes on the north side of town while the Ponds started in the south. The would meet in the center and share their findings. It was tedious work.

Amy was disgusted with her husband. "Stop acting like an ass!" she scolded. (A nearby donkey suddenly let out a loud "hee-haw!" at that exact moment as if he was insulted that she would compare her husband to him!)

"What?" Rory asked, innocently.

"You know what! Are you even going to pretend like you're interested?" So far, they had knocked on no fewer than ten homes and Rory had never said or done anything except stand around looking bored.

"Oh come on Amy! You can't possibly believe that we're going to find anything! I mean, it's a fairy tale! A children's story!"

"And how are you so sure that we won't find them? Legends are based at least partially on fact."

She had him there. "Well, I don't. But you certainly cannot expect me to believe that a kid is going to be born tonight and then the sky will be lit up with angels and stuff, can you? Didn't that hotel with the minotaur teach you anything?"

"And what was it that I was supposed to have learned there, hmm?"

"That believing in something that you have no proof of can be deadly!"

"Which is why, stupid face, we are searching for the proof!" With that she slapped him and dragged him to the next house. He wisely chose not to antagonize his wife any further and actually did all of the talking this time.

When the Ponds arrived at the center of town, they found that Rose and the Doctor were already there. The Doctor was bouncing around joyously, unable to contain his excitement.

"We found them!" he squealed before leading them running back to the north side of town.