A/N: Okay, here is my first songfic to the song Terrible Things by Mayday Parade.
Disclaimer: I do not own Doctor Who or the song Terrible Things.
The Doctor hated hearing Clara cry. She never let him see her cry, but he could hear her. Every so often, after she went to bed, the Doctor would hear quiet sobs coming from Clara's room. He would use the cameras in the TARDIS to see her, and she would always look the same. She would be curled into a tight foetal position, with the covers over her head and a pillow covering her face, to try and muffle the sounds of her cries.
And he would never mention it to her, either. The way he saw it, was that if she wanted him to know, then she would come to him.
But one day he had to throw that theory out of the window, when she didn't stop crying.
Normally, she would tire herself out after half an hour or so, but, this time, she had been going for three hours, and showed no sign of stopping any time soon.
So the Doctor knocked on her door, waited for her to invite him in, and slowly opened the door, as he saw her desperately trying to wipe any trace of upset from her face.
The Doctor just walked over, sat on her bed, and pulled her close.
"Can I tell you a story?" Clara asked, as she settled herself against his body, pressing in as close as she could.
The Doctor nodded, and Clara began telling the story that her father had told her many times, the first time after her mother's funeral.
By the time I was your age I've give anything
To fall in love truly was all I could think
That's when I met your Mother, the girl of my dreams
The most beautiful woman that I'd ever seen
She said, "Boy can I tell you a wonderful thing?
I can't help but notice you staring at me
I know I shouldn't say this
But I really believe that I can tell by your eyes that you're in love with me"
Now son, I'm only telling you this because
Life, can do terrible things
Clara was sat on her bed, holding her mum's book close to her chest. She took the black ribbon out of her hair and dropped it next to her, letting the piece of fabric drift as the tears began to run. Her father walked in, sat down on her bed, and enveloped her in his arms.
"You know," he said quietly, "Lots of people say that they found love at first sight, but we honestly did. When she pulled me out of the road and spun me round, one look in her eyes told me that we would go the distance. I couldn't stop looking. She noticed, of course. You know what your mum was like; she noticed everything. And she brought me up on it, straight away. She said that she could see in my eyes what I was thinking, and wanted to know if I was going to ask her out on a date, or if she was going to have to hang around all day. So, of course, I asked her out."
Now most of the time we'd have too much to drink
We'd laugh at the stars and we'd share everything
Too young to notice and too dumb to care
Love was a story that couldn't compare
"I never stopped laughing. Even when things were bad. Just a touch of her hand, and that gentle, reassuring look that she was so good at, and everything seemed better. And I think that's what made everything so honest. We were completely truthful with each other; sharing everything. Because if we didn't share everything, then what was the point in sharing anything?"
I said, "Girl can I tell you a wonderful thing
I made you a present with paper and string
Open with care, now I'm asking you please
You know that I love you, will you marry me?"
Now son, I'm only telling you this because
Life, can do terrible things
You'll learn one day, I hope and I pray
That God, shows you differently
"I asked her to marry me the day that she told me that she was pregnant with you. I'd had the ring in my pocket for months, wrapped up in the most important leaf in human history. It felt right to incorporate it into the next chapter of our lives. She said yes straight away, and we got married two months later, in the little church down the road. She wore a simple white dress, and I borrowed my dad's tuxedo. We didn't want a big service. We didn't need it. We knew we loved each other, and we didn't need a hundred people witnessing our marriage to tell us that."
She said, "Boy can I tell you a terrible thing?
It seems that I'm sick and I've only got weeks
Please don't be sad now, I really believe
You were the greatest thing that ever happened to me."
Slow, so slow, I fell to the ground on my knees
"It killed me, that day. The day that she sat me down, telling me that she had terminal cancer. And that they'd caught it too late. Weeks. That was all that we had left together. I tried to be strong, but I could feel that I was going to be sick. But when I tried to stand up, my legs just gave out from under me. Ellie just sat on the floor, rocking me. We had been there for two hours when you came in. You obviously realised something was wrong, even though at that point all the tears had dried up and we were just sitting there; numb. But, then again, you're just like your mum in that respect. You notice everything. That was the worst conversation that we ever had with you."
So don't fall in love, there's just too much to lose
If given the choice then I beg you to choose
To walk away, walk away
Don't let her get you
I can't bare to see the same thing happen to you
Now son, I'm only telling you this because
Life, can do terrible things.
"I know you think that if you hold on tight then no-one will leave you, but that isn't true Clara. Please be careful. Everyone leaves eventually. I love your mother, and I am so glad I met her, but if I hadn't? I wouldn't have to go through this pain, and you wouldn't have been burdened with it either. Please, Clara, my baby girl, please be careful."
The Doctor sat in silence as Clara's entire body shook with intense sobs. He knew the basics of what had happened, of course, but he sometimes forgot that other people felt the same pain as him.
Clara lifted her head to look at him, and said,
"I'm sorry Doctor, I don't want to be this emotional. But today would have been her birthday, and I just really miss her. Today more than most days."
The Doctor said nothing, instead lying down completely on her bed so that Clara could press herself as close to him as possible, to try and find some comfort.
"You never have to apologise, sweetheart," he muttered, pressing a kiss into her hair, "Never apologise for feeling. Next time, please don't cry alone. I'm always here."
Clara looked up at him, giving a very small smile as she placed a kiss on his cheek, before settling back down on his chest.
As Clara drifted off into an uneasy sleep, the Doctor pondered what her father had told her.
"I know you think that if you hold on tight then no-one will leave you, but that isn't true... Everyone leaves eventually."
The Doctor pulled Clara closer, as she unconsciously moulded herself closer into his body, head buried into his chest.
How much longer did they have, until one of them would be forced to leave?
And how would either of them be able to bear it?