Clara noticed The Doctor's clothes were scattered on the floor, she glanced at a nearly empty bowl of fish fingers and custard resting on the console. She heard creaking leather and spurs on the stairs, Clara turned in the direction of the sound. The bow-tied young Doctor smiled at her, Clara let out a sigh of relief.
"Doctor!" she exclaimed, clearly overjoyed to see him again, she let a smile cross her face.
"Hello." The Doctor greeted his companion, who did not see the pain in his eyes.
"You're young again. You're okay. You didn't even change your face." she stated, still happy to see him, and even more to know that he'll stay the same.
"It's started. I can't stop it now. This is just the reset." by now the smile on Clara's face was replaced with a look of worry. "A whole new regeneration cycle. Ooo," The Doctor said, as he reached for the bowl of custard.
He then took a gulp, finishing the custard, this made Clara smile and let out a small giggle.
"Taking a bit longer," The Doctor continued. "Just breaking it in." he then limped over to the TARDIS controls, letting out grunts and groans from the pain, and started the TARDIS.
"It all just disappears, doesn't it?" He asked. "Everything you are, gone in a moment, like breath on a mirror." he grins once more. "Any moment now, he's a-coming."
"Who's coming?" Clara asked, confusion on her face.
"The Doctor." the Timelord responded, the grin falling from his face.
"But you, you are the Doctor." she said, clearly more confused than before.
"Yep," he uttered. "And I always will be." the strain on his voice was too much for Clara, looking for all as if she was going to break down.
"But times change," his hands starting to glow. "And so must I." The Doctor explained,.
The Doctor hears giggling, and looks over to see a young Amy Pond run up the stairs, the wall covered in childish drawings of him and the TARDIS.
"Amelia?" he asks the vision in front of him.
"Who's Amelia?" Clara asked, not seeing the vision.
"The first face this face saw," The Doctor was smiling now. "We all change, when you think about it. We're all different people all through our lives. And that's okay, that's good, you've got to keep moving, so long as you remember all the people that you used to be. I will not forget one line of this. Not one day. I swear. I will always remember when the Doctor was me." at that last declaration, he gave his trademark grin.
he turns back to the stairs to see a vision of a red-haired woman with black painted fingernails walk down to him.
"Raggedy man," Amy smiles and touches The Doctor's cheek, he does the same. "Good night."
But Clara still does not see her, The Doctor removed his bow tie and drops it on the floor. Pain flashed across his face. Clara stepped forwards, concerned.
"No, no!" she cried out.
"Hey," The Doctor said, sympathy all too clear on his face.
"Please don't change." Clara begged, clearly holding back tears.
The Doctor then started emitting a bright yellow light from his arms and head, completely encompassing him until his features changed, and the light left as quickly as it came.
The man before Clara was now older than the previous, taller, a more menacing air around him, a finely trimmed goatee with light grey stripes, and his hair no longer the dark brown Clara had known him for, but a raven black.
He looked at Clara, and she saw the playfulness in his eyes, if at all possible, it was more intense than before, she continued to stare, almost like she was frozen, until the new Doctors voice broke the spell.
"Excuse me, are you alright?" The new Doctor asked, his voice sounding more normal, if a bit deeper, than expected.
"Um, who are you?" Clara asked, not knowing who the man who stood before her was.
"Sorry," the man replied, and answered her question. "I believe I'm called the Doctor, Clara Oswald I presume?"
"Yes," she confirmed. "But, your not the Doctor, not my Doctor…" Clara trailed off.
"Yes well, I might not be your Doctor, but I am THE Doctor," He said, grinning, he then looked down at his cloths. "And I wouldn't be caught dead dressed like this!" and with that said, he rushed of to a dresser that somehow appeared out of nowhere, not noticing that the TARDIS was out of control.
He then started rummaging through the draws, muttering to himself, and a small pile of clothing started taking form next to the dresser, consisting of a cream sweater vest, a multicoloured scarf, a fez, a stetson, and a leather jacket.
"No. no. no. Aha!" the Doctor cried out, finding his quarry, a black dress jacket, a stalk of celery, a bow tie, and goggles. "I'll be back in a moment." he promised.
"What the…" Clara began, but the Doctor walked out of sight with a resounding swoosh.
A few moments later, the Doctor returned, now wearing the clothing he gathered, and strangely, the celery stalk was on his lapel. He now wore a black cloth mask around his throat, black gloves on his hands, and a brass whistle on a necklace. His new black trousers were held up by red suspenders and a belt.
"What is this, I don't even…" Clara trailed off, planting her face in her hand. It's going to be a long day. She thought as the Doctor pulled a lever on the TARDIS.