Author's Note: This is set after the events of Hell Bent, assuming Clara has been travelling with Ashildr for a few months. WARNING for very brief non-consensual touching. Nothing graphic at all, just wanna be safe.

So here I go, I'm still scratching around in the same old hole
My body feels young but my mind is very old
So what do you say?
You can't give me the dreams that are mine anyway
Half the world away, half the world away

- "Half The World Away", Oasis

Her problem was that she couldn't break old habits.

Common sense? Fine. Level headed? Great. And lord knows she had perspective down to an art. You couldn't lose as many people as she had and not have perspective. But learning from her mistakes?

Clara winced as a blaster shot narrowly missed her head, crashing into the wall in front of her.

If she was capable of that, she'd be in a cafe somewhere enjoying a good book.

Scratch that, she thought. If she had learned from her mistakes she'd be dead. Well, deader than she already was.

Putting on some speed, she ducked around the corner and hauled ass down the alley. The guards behind her were awful shots, and thankfully a bit heavier than the petite 29 year old. She still wouldn't put it past them to get a lucky hit. Towards the end of the alley she spotted a crevice holding two large dumpsters. She quickly skid in between the two and crouched down, praying she wouldn't be seen as the two guards behind her turned the corner. She could hear the pig-like men swearing in their rough tongue, then clunk past her. She exhaled.

All of this had been a huge mistake. She had just wanted to see a nice planet, partially to shut Ashildr up about the constant danger they seemed to be in, but mostly because she was, in truth, exhausted. It was odd to think that her heart that couldn't beat, her lungs that didn't need to breathe, her muscles that didn't fatigue, could be tired. But she felt like she hadn't slept in a million years, like she could shut her eyes and never open them and be okay with it.

She shook her head. She couldn't think like that. She could never be okay with it. She had made a promise that she would one day return to that place where she was to die. She had a duty, a duty to Ashildr, to the Universe, and to...him.

She didn't like thinking about him. She scrunched her eyebrows. She really didn't like thinking about him. But just like her heart and lungs, her brain was beyond her control. All too often she found herself lost in once happy memories now tinged with the sadness that she would never see that stupid face again. And he would never remember hers. That was perhaps the most bittersweet thing of all. He would never have to feel the sadness she had to muscle through every day. Yet in turn, she would never feel the solace of knowing she was missed.

A crackle from her wrist communicator startled her out of her melancholy.

"Clara," Ashildr's panicked voice hissed from the device. "Where are you?"

"Oh you know," Clara whispered back, "ran into a bit of trouble with the pig guards. Hiding in a dumpster. You might not want to speak too loud. How about you?"

"In the gift shop," her friend replied, noticeably quieter. "You know, keeping a low profile, like we said we were going to do."

They really had just been on Elixia for a nice trip. The small planet was the third biggest zoo in the universe and was known for housing rare creatures. And then Clara had noticed something odd. She remembered her hesitant question to Ashildr.

"I know I haven't been to many alien zoos, but isn't it a bit odd that every single animal we've seen has been staring at us?"

No one else. The exhibits were huge, the animals had no reason to take any notice of the people watching them. And yet, every time she and Ashildr approached, the creature would look up and gaze directly at them, head turning to track their movements. Clara tolerated it up to the point that a 784 pound snake had reared up and stared her down, two inches from the other side of the glass.

"Either someone made us smell like lunch, or someone is controlling the animals," Ashildr had nervously stated. They had decided to split up and stake out the different areas of the zoo where someone would have broadcasting access, the first line of reasoning being that someone was sending out a telepathic field. There had been two main options- the welcome center, which housed the gift shop, and the officer command center. At the command center, Clara had quite simply chosen the wrong door to lock pick.

"These guards have been chasing me for a while. They're stupid but they're persistent."

"That's Elexians for you. Do you know if you've lost them?"

Out of habit, Clara held her breath and slowly peeked around the corner of the dumpster. The alley was empty as far as she could see. She would have guessed she was probably out back of some off-limits medical center.

"I think they've gone. I'm gonna see if I can find my way out of here. I'm really far at the back of the zoo."

"Be careful."

"Always am."

If Clara hadn't known better, she would have thought she heard a sigh from the other end.

Slowly clambering out from her hiding place, Clara listened intently for any sign of someone else's presence. All was quiet. The place looked deserted. Keeping towards the sides of the buildings, the time traveler quickly moved through the restricted area until she spotted the electromagnetic barrier blocking the place from public access. Allowing herself a small smile, she approached the gate slowly.

The keypad that appeared to control it was composed of several symbols she didn't recognize, arranged in four rows.

Well, she thought, could always hope they're as dull as they look and press the first four. Reaching her hand towards the alien module, she suddenly heard a small noise behind her. She whipped around, but it was too late.

One of the fat guards pressed a small yellow device to her shoulder and she felt her entire body go slack. She tried in vain to move her limbs, her toes, anything, but to no avail. She could put up no struggle as the guard picked her up and threw her over his shoulder like a sack of rice.

The other guard gave him orders. "Take her to the center. The Garagacian Toothed Astral will be happy to see her." Both men laughed as if sharing a private joke.

The guard carrying her began to walk off, away from the gate. His heavy boots made soft thuds on the dusty ground, and his heavy breathing was the only other sound she could hear."You sure were clever, weren't you girl?" the guard rasped. Clara felt her body helplessly sway with his gait, left, right, left, right.

"But we got you in the end. We always catch 'em. It's a shame, too. I'd hate to see that Astral eat up such a pretty face as yours. Most trespassers don't look quite as...appetizing... as you." At that she felt him run a finger across her calf. She would have felt nauseated if her timelocked body could manage it. The man chuckled. "But, we gotta keep the illegal ones fed somehow."

Clara began to panic, just a little. Maybe a lot. She needed to get out, but couldn't make the slightest move to protest. If she had been able to regain control, the man would have already been on the ground clutching his nether regions. Just as the man made to continue his gloating, a voice called out from behind them.

"You, sir, are out of your depth."

The guard stopped walking and Clara's head thunked solidly into his back.

Her captor swung around. "S'cuse me?" he huffed. "Who's there?"

"I said," the voice almost patronizingly repeated,"you're out of your depth."

Clara's entire brain stopped processing. That voice. Cross. Scottish. Well, she supposed that was repeating herself.

The guard snorted. "How's that then?"

"I've had a very long day. I was talked down to by a sentient sock. I saved the tooth fairy from the dangers of an existential crisis. And I nearly had to wait in line at a DMV, but only nearly because the universe is still in tact. I try very hard to keep the universe in tact. I have a duty or something like that. Don't know who thought of that, sounds exhausting. But I do try at least. To be decent, to care. To be a good man. To be merciful. But you know what?"

"What?" the guard said, struggling to keep up.

"Sometimes I have bad days."

A boom and a flash of light later, the guard toppled to the ground in a crumbling heap.

Thank-you for reading thus far. Reviews are appreciated.