THE CALM BEFORE THE STORM
I do not own Doctor Who and I am making no profit off of this.
Author's Note: This story is a one shot set in my War of the Guardians universe. It's been two years since I posted the first chapter of War of the Guardians and this is my special anniversary story to celebrate that. It's just a little fluffy scene that popped into my head that will hopefully put a warm feeling in your heart (s) that will help you get through even the darkest of the cataclysmic events that are still to come. Yes, that's right. Dark times are coming to Guardian Who, and no one will be safe especially not Rose. So . . . enjoy this while you still can as I go laugh evilly in the corner.
Rose had just come back to the TARDIS after visiting her mother on Pete's World only to stumble upon a scene that instantly made her break out into one of her patented face wide grins. The Doctor was sitting underneath the console where he had apparently been repairing wires judging by the amount of exposed wires that were lying around him from an open panel. Clara meanwhile was sitting next to him on his left side with her head resting on his shoulder. She was sound asleep and softly snoring while the Doctor looked up at Rose with such a helpless expression on his face that it made Rose just want to kiss him right then and there because it was so adorable to her.
How in the world did you get in this situation, and can I take a picture of it for my mums to see? Rose said to him telepathically through their mental link.
She had instantly decided not to speak out loud because she didn't have the heart to wake Clara up. Clara looked so peaceful lying there against the Doctor, and Rose knew that she rarely got any moments of real peace in her life traveling alongside the two of them.
Don't you dare! The Doctor replied back with such a furious expression on his face that it caused Rose to have to bite her tongue in order to restrain herself from laughing out loud.
Care if I join you? So how did this happen? Rose responded as she sat down on the Doctor's right side and rested her head on his remaining shoulder.
I was fixing the wiring and doing regular maintenance to the Old Girl just like I usually do when Clara sat next to me. She looked very tired and I commented about the dark circles under her eyes. She didn't seem to like that too much for some reason. The Doctor replied as he started the story.
I can't imagine why. You know you really should stop saying things about her appearance. Sometimes she doesn't understand that you really don't mean anything by it. Rose admonished him.
So you're saying that she may have been offended by that then? The Doctor asked.
I really think that she probably was, yeah? From now on stop making comments about every little thing that happens to be in front of you, Doctor. It's rude. Rose replied with a frown as she rolled her eyes at him.
That's why I need you here with me all of the time, Arkytior. You have to be here to stop me from needlessly upsetting my favorite humans since you understand them so much better than I do. The Doctor replied.
Are you sure that's the only reason that you want me around all the time, Doctor? Rose responded as she smiled at him seductively.
The Doctor briefly smiled back at her but said nothing. That one short simple smile said volumes though especially coming from him.
So what happened after you insulted Clara? Rose finally responded after a moment of silence where they just stared into each other's eyes without speaking either out loud or telepathically.
I already said that I didn't realize that I was insulting her. Can you please stop bringing that up? I knew that something seemed to be bothering her though so maybe that was part of it. She looked troubled so I asked her if she was alright or not. That was when she said that she hadn't slept in days and that she was exhausted. She put her head on my shoulder despite my protests, and then she was fast asleep before I even realized it. The Doctor answered.
That's strange. Rose replied.
Why? I thought that humans needed several hours of sleep a night. They're not able to go for days without it like we are. The Doctor responded as he looked at her curiously.
Clara has Vortex powers now like I do that's why. Her body runs on Vortex energy so she shouldn't need to eat, drink, or sleep anymore if she doesn't want to. She really shouldn't be getting tired. Rose answered in a concerned tone.
Then why I have seen you sleeping on several occasions since you became the Bad Wolf again? The Doctor asked in confusion.
Just because I don't need to sleep anymore doesn't mean that I don't still like to, Doctor. It still helps to relieve all of the tension and stress that I get in my life, and sometimes I just like to use it as an excuse to get out of having to do anything. Rose admitted with a grin.
I think it's much simpler than that. You still sleep in order to help you stay human. The Doctor noted.
That too. Rose admitted.
I'll never understand why you want to stay human, Ari, but I've learned to respect it. Maybe Clara's doing the same thing. Maybe she sleeps in order to stay human too. The Doctor reasoned.
Maybe. I just need to be sure though. Rose replied as her eyes glowed while she softly touched the sides of Clara's face so as not to wake her.
The Doctor watched in silence as Rose used the power of the Bad Wolf to briefly peer into Clara's mind without reading her thoughts and then to look deeply into her cellular structure. He still couldn't get used to her having the ability to do things like that even after all of this time and couldn't even imagine having to deal with that much power on a daily basis. Perhaps that was part of the reason why Arkytior wanted to stay human so badly he pondered so that she never gave into the desire to become a god that he knew even someone as gentle and kind as her must still have somewhere deep down in her psyche.
Being human helped keep her on the side of the angels. It also helped to keep her with him.
Maybe her wanting to stay human wasn't such a bad thing after all taken in that context.
Is anything wrong with her? The Doctor asked after several moments of silence.
There's nothing that I can find at least not physically anyway. Maybe it's just how she deals with having lived for so long. After all of the things that she saw with you on Trenzalore maybe she needs a little bit of a release from it all sometimes. It could also be that Clara still sleeps because she's just too stubborn not to stay as human as she possibly can. Rose answered.
She reminds me of you that way. The Doctor responded with a slight smirk.
Don't even get started with me, Mister, or I might have to remind you exactly how one of my mother's slaps feels. Rose responded with a barely contained smile.
No! I still remember exactly how that feels and I have no desire to get a refresher course on the subject. The Doctor replied immediately with a panicked look on his face.
Just remember that whenever you feel the need to make a cheap comment like that about me from now on, Doctor. Rose responded with a mischievous twinkle in her eyes.
Then she noticed just how uncomfortable that the Doctor was starting to look as he slowly shifted most of his body without moving the shoulder that Clara was lying against. She could tell just from the expression on his face that his arm had gone to sleep from her lying on it.
How long have you been lying there like that? Rose asked.
I've been here for at least an hour possibly longer. The Doctor replied.
Some Time Lord you are. You can't even tell time properly. Then again I've know that for a long time now ever since . . . Rose started to reply as she teased him.
No, not that story again! Are you ever going to let me off the hook for that? The Doctor interrupted with a sigh.
No. You brought me back home a year late and scared the life out of both my Mum and Mickey. I'm never going to let you forget it either. Rose replied with a mental chuckle.
Then the Doctor shifted uncomfortably yet again.
Why didn't you just wake her up? Rose asked as she looked at him sympathetically.
I couldn't bear to wake her. She rarely looks as at peace as she does now. The Doctor admitted.
Well, well. It looks like the heartless old man still has a few soft spots left after all and one of them is a stupid ape. Rose teased.
Clara is not and never has been a stupid ape! The Doctor replied indignantly.
"Aw, that's the sweetest thing that this version of you has ever said to me, Old Man," Clara said out loud with a pleased look on her face.
"Just how long have you been awake?" Rose asked with a frown.
"The more important question to me is how long could I have had the use of that arm?" The Doctor asked in an angry voice.
"Oh, there's Mr. Grumpy. I was wondering where he went off to. I should have known that he was still around somewhere. I've only been awake for a minute. I woke up just in time to hear you talking about me telepathically. I can read both of your thoughts now ever since I joined Rose's Wolf Pack, remember? It's a wonder that you didn't wake me up sooner with all of the mental chattering that you must have been doing. Or were you too busy snogging to talk much like usual?" Clara asked with an evil look on her face.
"I was too busy worrying about you actually. Why do you look so tired, Clara?" Rose asked.
Clara smiled as she said, "Well, 'Mum', I'm tired because I haven't slept in a week. At least I haven't since the Doctor kindly lent me his shoulder anyway. Thanks for that by the way, Mr. Stick. I hope your arm gets the feeling back in it again soon."
"Clara, you and I don't get tired. What's the real reason that you look so worn out?" Rose pried.
Clara sighed and then finally said, "I . . . I've started having visions of the future. I think it's the future anyway. I keep having them off and on whether I want to or not, and they're really weighing heavily on my mind."
"What kind of visions?" The Doctor asked in an alert voice.
"Bad ones, Doctor. I mean end of the universe kind of bad, and they all have to do with some woman that I've never seen before who seems to have powers just like Rose's. I can't see anything specific but what I have seen isn't good. It's really been bothering me especially lately because the visions just keep getting worse. The latest ones . . . I die in them, Rose," Clara admitted making the Doctor look at Rose in alarm.
What did Rose know about this? Surely it couldn't be true could it? He didn't know if he could live without his best friend. He wasn't sure if he wanted to.
"Don't worry about it, Clara. It's going to be okay," Rose said as she put her arms around her even while she gave the Doctor a warm smile to reassure him.
"Is it? We both know who she's talking about," The Doctor asked.
"Yes, and it's going to be okay. I'll make sure of it," Rose said.
"Are you lying to me just to make me feel better? I'd expect that of him but never of you. You've never lied to me before, Bad Wolf Girl, and I really hope that you're not starting to now even if it's some misguided attempt to help me. You've always told it to me straight in the past, and that's what I want you to do now. Are you being completely honest with me?" Clara asked.
"Yeah, Clara, I am. I am going to make sure that everything's alright. I'll make sure that nothing happens to you, ok?" Rose said as she lightly stroked her hair like a mother would to a frightened child.
"You don't have to do that. I'm not a kid, Rose," Clara said.
"No, but you're still a part of my family. Don't worry, Clara. I already know all about what you're seeing, and I'm already coming up with a plan to take care of it. So there's no reason to be worried anymore, yeah? I'll sort it out just like I always do. I've never failed before have I?" Rose said with a smile.
Clara couldn't help but return her smile, and the two women embraced as Clara started to feel better right away. Somehow Rose always seemed to have that effect on her. No matter how upset that she was Rose always seemed to have a way of making her feel better again.
The Doctor seemed to look almost relieved as well Rose noticed with satisfaction. She was glad of that because she knew that he was extremely worried about Clara even if he wasn't showing it on the outside.
Rose could already feel Clara's body beginning to relax while she held her which caused her to inwardly smile. She had meant what she had said to her. It wasn't a lie. She would make sure that everything was alright and that Clara and the rest of her family were safe.
No matter what the cost to herself might be.
In the weeks to come, Clara would have to think back to this moment of pure peace that she was currently experiencing many times. Sometimes it was the only thing that kept her going in the dark times that still lay ahead for her.
THE END? NO, IT'S ONLY THE BEGINNING!
That's the prelude to what I hope will be a very shocking turn of events in my stories in the coming weeks. It won't just involve Guardian Who either. I'm also going to have this involve every universe that I've created in one way or another. No universe will get out of this completely unscathed from what's to come because Nightshade is coming for all of them, and she's not taking any prisoners. Anyway I hope that you'll continue to like what's still to come and that you liked this story. I hope that it's been a worthy second anniversary celebration because I've really loved creating the world of Guardian Who, and I wanted to do something truly special in order to celebrate it. I couldn't think of anything more appropriate to the spirit of this universe than to show the very special relationship between the Doctor, Rose, and Clara that goes far beyond friendship. The Doctor's friends are Rose's family and she really would do anything for them. Even lose everything that she's fought so long and hard for.
Thank you all so much for all of your support over the last two years. I truly appreciate all of it and you so very much!