A/N: Hello! This thought came to me when I finally gathered up the courage to rewatch Face the Raven. (Oh, the tears.) Very little angst for this kind of fic. Also, italics equal flashbacks.

The Doctor looked fondly at the short, round-faced human. "Clara Oswald, how long are you going to stay with me?"

Clara winked. "After this break at Coal Hill School? Forever."

The Doctor felt a lump rise in his throat as he was overwhelmed with memories.

"Where are we?" Rose questioned.

"France, sometime between the 21st century and the 31st!" Sandshoes, or his tenth form, exclaimed. "It's marvellous. The Eiffel Tower, a party, I think, and they make these beautiful crossiants..."

"So, just France then, but with all these modern gadgets?" Rose interrupted.

"Yeah!" Sandshoes nodded enthusiastically. "Tell you what, let's go to one of the Christmas parties. Eh? The French do know how to party!" At first, his thoughts flickered to Reinette, the intelligent French girl he promised to travel with, but never did. Focus, he told himself. Focus on Rose.

"Just hang on, I need to get changed," Rose said, heading for the closet. Later, she stood in front of him, in a beautiful violet gown with jewels glittering on her neck.

"Like it?" she asked anxiously.

"You look...beautiful," Sandshoes answered honestly, forgetting all about Madame de Pompadour.

"Rose, how long are you going to stay with me?" Sandshoes asked after a second.

"Forever," replied his pink and yellow companion with her special tongue-touched smile. Sandshoes grabbed Rose's hand and stepped out of the TARDIS.

"Spaceman, you are unbelievable!" Donna Noble barked at him.

"It wasn't my fault! I didn't know!" Sandshoes protested.

"When's dinner? Really?" Donna continued. "We were on a planet with cannibals, we were tied up, they were going on and on about sacrificing, and you asked when's dinner?"

"I'm sorry!" the Time Lord scampered to the other side of the console to avoid the rage of Donna Noble.

Donna sighed. "It's alright, Spaceman. But don't forget: I'm stayin' with ya' forever, so if you ever do that again, you know what's comin' for you!"

"Doctor!" a familiar Scottish voice exclaimed. A red head burst into the TARDIS.

"Ah! Pond," his chinny form said. "How long has it been?"

"Ten months," another voice answered as Rory followed Amy.

"Really?" The Doctor said. "I was aiming for ten weeks!"

"Nice to know that you were planning to come for us in less than three months," Amy sassed.

"Alright, I'm sorry," Chinny said.

"It's just," Amy fiddled with her bright red hair, "sometimes, it's like you've forgotten about us. I'm - " she gestured to Rory, "we're worried you'll never come back."

Bowtie Man dropped his screwdriver and hurried to Amy. "Oh, Pond," he said softly. "I'll never leave you."

"And we'll keep waiting for you," Amy answered bravely. "We're the boy and girl who waited, and we'll never stop waiting. Right, Rory?"

Rory nodded. "We'll keep waiting."

"Forever," whispered Amy as she wrapped her arms around the lonely Time Lord.

"Doctor?" Clara's voice pulled him out of his reverie.

"Yes?" The Doctor said.

"I'll see you soon, OK?" Clara said, on her way to the door.

The Doctor nodded. "Soon."

"And Doctor?" Clara said, pausing. "I know what's passing through your mind right now. You're thinking about everyone you lost. You always do it, that's how I know. Your eyes change."

"Your point?" The Doctor asked, avoiding looking at Clara.

"My point is," Clara's hands flew to her hips, "don't think that. Because it's not your fault. And for your information, I'll stay with you my whole life just to see if you're doing everything stupidly."

"Yes, ma'am," The Doctor replied. And although it sounded as if he rolled his eyes, he was grinning like an idiot.

Little did they know that Clara would spend years travelling with an immortal girl, instead of the Time Lord, just a second before her death.