From her place in the cage, she could see the entire warehouse and Clara didn't like what she saw. She certainly didn't like the face that suddenly appeared on a large screen, scruffy eyebrows knotted together, piercing eyes wide in anger, upper lip trembling slightly as he commanded, "This is the Doctor, just returning your call – kindly hand over Clara Oswald or I'll be coming in for her."

There was the hint of a smile at the end of the sentence, but Clara's mouth remained frozen in a frown because she'd seen his rage. Somehow it never truly surfaced before, as the Eleventh, at least not in her presence. She'd seen him mad and she'd seen him confused and she'd seen him angry… but enraged. This seemed new and unusually frightening.

And it was because of her.

The Cyberman nearest to the screen took a step forward, a hissing chink that made her flinch, and he replied mechanically, "The companion will be converted as Cyber King."

There was no response, no witty retort, no flash of a grin, just the small downward thrust of those grey eyebrows and then the screen flickered to grey static and Clara took several short breaths, feeling her heart pounding in her chest. She wasn't sure if she was more afraid of them trying to extract her brain to put it into a metal casing, or of what the man they'd just challenged was about to do and no sooner had she thought of ten scenarios that ended in explosions and cyber parts scattered about, the vworp vworp of the Tardis sounded.

Turning quickly, she gripped the bars and gasped as the doors burst open and he stepped out, some odd contraption strapped to his shoulders, a glowing blue light pulsing out in every direction. "Doctor!" She shouted and when he glanced up, an electric current sparked the bars, giving her a jolt that shot her back against the other side and then to the ground, eyes still on his, vaguely aware now of what was happening.

With a grimace, the Doctor turned and tilted his head slightly, growling, "Now that… that was not necessary."

"The Doctor's greatest weakness is his compassion for his…" the Cyberman started, but the Doctor pressed a button held tightly in his hands and the blue pulse flickered out from the mechanics on his shoulders, stopping a room full of Cybermen in their tracks.

Clara raised herself slightly and looked out at them, shaking on the spot and then, slowly, their heads began to burst. It radiated out from the Doctor's spot until it reached the row of Cybermen who'd been guarding her and Clara shouted, lifting her hands to shield her face against the remnants that splattered on her.

Pointing his Sonic at her, he gave it a buzz and Clara grasped the metal floor, trying to gain some semblance of balance to lift herself as it reached the ground and she watched him rush towards her, giving the door another blast of his Sonic and then quickly tugging her out and against him. Clara gripped him tightly, face inches from the odd device as he brought her into the Tardis and sat her gently in a chair, kneeling in front of her to remove the invention and let it clatter away as he looked her over.

"I'm fine," she assured.

He shook his head, "You can't be sure of that. Cybermats, insect sized mites, could have been tossed on you at any time – I'll have to run a scan."

Standing, he moved to the console, giving the doors a snap of his fingers to close them before typing rapidly, giving the controls a fierce look as she stood and told him again, "I'm fine, Doctor."

"Stand still!" He shouted.

Clara jumped and he winced, letting his head hang slightly before raising it again to her, this time with softened eyes as he approached her, bringing his hands to her elbows. "You scare me when you're like this," she admitted.

"I just want to make sure you're safe, Clara," he told her quietly, "That's all I want – you safe."

Nodding, she smiled up at him, "I'm safe, Doctor."

He closed his eyes and turned away, fingers kneading at the flesh of her arms.

"Doctor, I promise you," she laughed lightly, "I'm safe."

"It keeps happening, over and over, and one day," he looked to the console, "One day I won't be there."

"Hey," she sighed, waiting for him to meet her eyes, waiting for that small bit of terror to drift out of his eyes so she could find the old sadness there – the Doctor she recognized, hiding behind all of the ferocity this version of him carried. "Let's not think about one day; let's focus on today – today I am safe, because of you."

He released her, and then pulled her into a tight hug, a hold she hadn't felt from him in a very long time and Clara sighed into it, letting her arms circle him as he pecked a kiss to the top of her head. "Sometimes I'm afraid of the things I'd do for you." He laughed, pained, and admitted, "I'd watch a world burn if it meant your safety."

Nodding slowly, Clara knew it was the truth. And some part of her understood he did it out of the guilt and the love he'd inherited from his predecessor for her, but there was a part of her more frightened of him than she ever imagined she'd be. She let him rock her slightly as they drifted into the time vortex and she cried quietly because she feared one day he'd go too far and she'd have to be the one to stop him.