"If I go back to Gallifrey, they can put me back, right? On Trap Street, the moment they took me out?" Clara stares, gazing into the time rotor slowly moving up and down.
Ashildr nods, "Of course."
"Mind you, seeing as I'm not actually ageing, there's still a tiny little bit of wiggle room, isn't there?" She looks at Ashildr.
Ashildr walks around the six-sided classic console, "Wiggle room?"
"Wiggle room, yeah, you know, wiggle room. We could, er, you know, stop off on the way."
"Where are we going?"
"Gallifrey. Like I said, Gallifrey. The long way 'round." Clara states, pulling a yellow knobbed lever on the white console, the room shakes, the time rotor moving up and down in the centre of the TARDIS.
Space, a dark empty box, full of stars, galaxies, planets, suns and moons, all within the universe, all orbiting around each other. For a moment, a special, confused moment, you might see a blue telephone box hurtling through our sky, in that box is a man, an impossible man who saves the world while we finish our coffee. And sometimes, rarely you might see something else in the sky, something your mind denies to process; an American diner. Inside that diner there are two women, both impossible in their unique way. Clara Oswald and Me.
"Clara, the book says to pull the red lever not that one!"
Clara reaches for the red lever on the console, a thud ripples through the TARDIS.
"You said red lever, that's the red lever! Why are there so many levers?! Ashildr switch the scanner on, quick."
"How do I do that?" Ashildr flicks through the TARDIS instruction manual for a keyword; scanner.
"Hurry!"
"I can't find it Clara!"
"Is there an index? Check the index!"
Ashildr hurries to the back of the book, finally, the index. She searches through the column S.
"Steering, Stasis Switch, Secondary Control Room, Sump Flush? Scanner! Page 34." Ashildr shuffles through the pages letting off a breeze in her face.
"To the right, the second yellow lever to the right!"
Clara switches the lever, they both look in the direction of the scanner, and it activates showing a projection of Earth rapidly increasing in size.
"Ashildr quick, handbrake! Ashildr the handbrake!"
"I won't find it in time Clara!" Ashildr explains, panicking.
Clara searches the six sides on the console, it seems like there are thousands of levers, buttons and other Gallifreyan controls dotted in an organized mess. She scrambles her brain, she's seen The Doctor do this before, the big one with the handle. She compares the image in her head with the ones on the console. She spots a larger one, larger than the rest, it doesn't look like a lever but Ashildr is standing right next to it.
"Ashildr, pull that lever, right next to you, the dull looking one!"
Ashildr questions her, staring into her eyes, but she has every faith, she pulls it. The TARDIS stops hurtling, they both fall to the floor. Their vision blanks out, but they're safe.
They awake moments later, they both look at each other, making sure they're both ok. They stare into each other's eyes, only for a moment but felt like forever. There's a sudden noise, like static electricity coming from the scanner, Clara gets up and looks, Ashildr still on the floor. Clara turns to the console and pulls the lever for the scanner which eventually tunes in. There's a vision which comes to focus, unusual but quaint. Green mountains, blue skies and an American diner, nothing out of the ordinary.
Ashildr gets up, looking at Clara, "Well?"
"Well?"
"Aren't we going outside?"
Clara looks at Ashildr, puzzled.
"What's wrong?"
"Ashildr you're immortal, you've lived on Earth for more than anyone can imagine. Meaning wherever we are on Earth right now you've seen that sky. It'll create a paradox, two Ashildr's, I can barely handle one."
The stare reverses, Ashildr looks at Clara, puzzled.
"Does it matter? What are the chances we'll bump into me? And that's not fair, you've been scattered through time and space, on your travels with The Doctor what were the chances you'd bump into you?"
Fair point, they both gaze at each other still.
"Ok, it's clear we can't stay here anyway, UNIT will hunt us down so how about a fresh start? Out of the solar system, out of the Milky Way. We have a full universe at our feet, who's been given that chance?"
Clara looks at Ashildr, awaiting her response.
"Pick a lever, one opens those doors, another releases the handbrake. Your choice Ashildr."
She walks up to the console, she puts her hand on a lever, gripping it tight, this is her choice. She pulls it as the time rotor begins to move up and down again, the TARDIS sways slightly to the left as Clara walks up to the console, gripping it tight for support. She looks at Ashildr looking at the rotor. Their eyes meet.
A new beginning.