Clara always figured her soulmate would be a pilot of some type...and perhaps a mental patient, or someone just out of surgery still under the effects of anaesthesia. She almost became a doctor because of it, and even one reckless day, joined the RAF. But she didn't - the Maitlands had needed her, her dad needed her, and whoever out there that was destined to be her soulmate needed her, just like she needed them.

When the Doctor first met her, she'd been wary, then confused as his entire demeanour changed to one of sorrow. It was then she discovered he had her words. But she didn't have his. Feeling perhaps a tiny - see: giant - bit guilty for not being his One, she allowed him to 'guard' her, letting him into her life. Which could be seen as a mistake in some circumstances, as he was an alien from Outerspace as it turned out, and a time traveller to boot. They became friends, and only the promise of her soulmate - who was waiting for her, somewhere - stopped her from giving in to falling in love. She had to trick herself into not falling - twice a day. The Doctor was amazing and selfless and kind, and he would extinguish suns for her.

If he'd been her soulmate, Clara would have had one of the greatest partners in all of time and space. As it was, she was his companion, and that was fine.

A surprise later came in the form of his life - falling into a man's time-stream did something to a girl - revealing to Clara that she wasn't his only soulmate. He had at least two for each of all the bodies he'd had - she was the second of this body, after his wife River Song, but she knew that before falling into the time-stream. Blue-suited, Converse Doctor had been soul-mates to Rose Tyler, Martha Jones and Donna Noble, the latter two platonic despite Martha's want to change that. Big-ears and leather jacket Doctor had Rose Tyler as well, or rather he had her, and blue-suited, Converse Doctor had Rose as well. His second in big-ears and leather jacket had been Jack Harkness, who never let his regeneration into blue-suited Converse stop himself from loving him.

All his other forms had soulmates, all multiple except Eight, who adored Grace Holloway with all his heart and soul - his third, or technically fourth ever romantic soulmate. His first had been Sarah-Jane, who, like Rose, was soulmate for multiple regerations, and his second - and technically third - was Romana, each of the two bodies he knew claiming him as hers and her as his. The Doctor that Clara knew now had never had a soulmate who didn't return his words, so she was his Impossible Girl.

(That title annoyed her so much, until she discovered the real truth - and then she jumped in his time-stream and it didn't matter because right before she exited his time-stream, her words tingled and she knew it was nearly time.)

Seeing her Doctor as an aged man later terrified her, but not as much as it upset her to see him take off that stupid bowtie and drop it to the ground. And then he was regenerating, and golden light took over him for a single second, his head ducking down before he jumped back up, his features once again old - but now unrecognisable as her fez-loving, gangly-limbed, green eyed Doctor. Then he spoke, and her eyes blew wide.

"Kidneys! I've got new kidneys! I don't like the colour… We're probably crashing! Ohh! Stay calm. Just one question: Do you happen to know how to fly this thing?"

He probably didn't realise what he'd said before he started piloting the TARDIS haphazardly, Clara simply trying to remain upright as she tried to- as she tried to understand. The Doctor was her soulmate after all, and the words on her lower back tingled almost painfully. She refrained from speaking until the TARDIS sparked and started to rumble, shaking ominously.

"What did you do?"

"We've got a passenger!" He didn't even react, and for some reason, her heart shattered to pieces.

It was a long time before she spoke of it. Eight minutes and counting, until she had to face the raven. Her hand on his face, she felt tears falling before her head pressed against his sternum.

"I never told you, did I?" Her voice was choked, because she was about to die, and her life was flashing before her eyes.

"Told me what, Clara?"

She wiped at her eyes, stepping back and forcing a smile, "It's nothing. It'll only make it hurt more."

His hand went to the one on his face, keeping it there. "What will make it hurt more?"

Clara shook her head. "Do you have words on this body?"

"Yes. Ashildr was the first I discovered," his voice was terse, obviously not understanding what about that made her want to break down all over again, just like she had in Victorian London before Vastra had interrogated her, just reinforcing those walls she was building up around her heart. I'm never going to tell him, she'd sworn. "Why Clara?"

A glance at Ashildr, or Mayor Me as she called herself, saw that it was news to her - about the Doctor having her words, about being part of her soul. Another glance at the girl and her mother - the alien family who could see through time - saw their two sets of forward-facing eyes closed before they spoke in tandem.

"You said her words."

The Doctor's eyes widened. "What? Why- why didn't you tell me? When did I say your words?"

"Kidneys," she echoed numbly, for a single moment hating the family of two so much because the Doctor was going to suffer. He didn't need any more added guilt. "I didn't speak for a bit, until the TARDIS started to shake. I asked you, what did you do?"

"What did you do..." his eyes, somehow, grew wider, "Clara, those are my words. I can stop the countdown." Rapidly, he spun her around, pressing his fingers to the elaborate 001. It pulled into him, and that was when Ashildr started to panic.

"Doctor, I can't stop it!"

"Don't worry," he was grinning now as he spun her back around, "The Quantum Shade was created by Time-Lord's. I'm not going to die any time soon." His eyes were bright, full of stars. "Clara Oswald, you have my words and I have yours."

Clara stared.

The Doctor stepped forward, invading her personal space - and then he swooped down, pressing a kiss to her lips, and everything felt complete.