Clara's hand soared across the chalkboard, erasing all trace of wording. Class was out for the day, and she had no immediate plans with the Doctor. At least, far as she knew; he did love to surprise her. Clara was debating what to bake for dinner, when she heard her PA Leonel clear his throat. "Yes?" Clara prompted without looking back.
"You have a visitor ma'am." Leonel replied, causing Clara to glance over her shoulder. Leonel was outlined in the doorway, his eyes tight in anxiety. Clara's eyes darted to a sharply-dressed stranger strolling into the room. His suit was tailor-made, a gray blazer and slacks with a white dress shirt. His dark eyes seemed to absorb Clara like a sponge, before shifting his gaze onto Leonel, who had begun to introduce him.
"I prefer to introduce myself Leonel." the stranger interrupted, his tone stuffy with a ring of politeness. "Run along now." His voice rose, making him sound adolescent. Leonel glanced at Clara who had turned away from the chalkboard. She nodded and shrugged, curiosity beginning to eat at her. "Close the door behind you." the stranger ordered, stepping forward to approach Clara.
Watching as the stranger took long deliberate strides in her direction, Clara became fascinated by the light reflecting off his slick dark brown hair. "I know you don't I?" Clara asked, racking her memory. His face was very familiar, as was the smile twisting on his lips. It was not flirty or friendly, nor ominous, it was just a smile, fashioned onto his mouth as if it had come with the suit.
"You've seen my face in the papers." the stranger summarized, sounding bored as he came to a stop a foot away from her. "I'm James Moriarty."
"The criminal mastermind?" Clara blurted. Her remark transformed Moriarty's smile into a prideful grin. "You tried turning Sherlock Holmes into a fraud.." she remembered. Moriarty's smile faded altogether. "Thought you were dead." she finished, her heartbeat accelerating.
"Mm read that on Sherlock's blog? I know you follow it...awfully, ordinary of you, Ms. Oswald." Moriarty responded, with the makings of a frown outlining his lips. Clara crossed her arms. "You're not ordinary, are you? No, you shouldn't pretend you are. I understand of course, it's far easier to blend in with the sheep than to declare yourself a wolf. "
"That what you are then? A wolf?" Clara asked.
"Would you like me to hooowwlllll?" Moriarty retorted, drawing the word out, his voice turning wispy. "Howl as your aid does for your affection? Clearly he was alarmed I'm a suitor. Were I one, it wouldn't have mattered, you've never even given him a passing thought."
"So if you're not here to woo me, why are you here?" Clara pressed, with a furrowed brow.
Moriarty smirked a bit. "Disappointed?" he questioned, allowing an awkward spout of silence to form between them. "You would be, if you heart didn't belong to another. Unconditionally, but even so." Moriarty mused, strolling over to her desk.
"You keep acting like you know me." Clara noted, observing as Moriarty ran his fingertips along the edge of her desk, surveying how flawless the wood was.
"I do know you, you're me. You and I could rule the world together." Moriarty replied
"...You are coming onto me, aren't you?" Clara wondered, bemusement shining in her dark eyes.
Moving around her desk, Moriarty cast a sideways glance at her, intrigue lining his irises. "I'm propositioning you for business, not pleasure." he announced, sinking into her chair as if he owned it.
"Oh? What business would that be?" Clara asked, leaning against the blackboard.
A bitter smile sprang to his lips."You ask, but you've already made up your mind. You're on the side of the angels, Ms. Oswald, just as I feared." Moriarty responded thoughtfully.
Clara opened her mouth to reply, but was startled by the door bursting open and an all-too familiar voice shouting. "STOP!" Clara flung her head back, her gaze immediately locking with the Doctor's. The Doctor was swiftly advancing towards her. "Hello! Rude of me charging in like this, I know. Very important I do however."
"Is it?" Moriarty mumbled. The Doctor's teal eyes shifted to his companion's visitor.
"Jim Moriarty, an impressionable name for an impressionable individual. I knew someone like you once, called himself the Master, brilliant but narcissistic - sound familiar? By the way, I'm the Doctor."
"Doctor who?"
"Nevermind, not important. Come on Clara, time to go." the Doctor said, clasping his hand onto Clara's wrist and tugging her towards the door.
Moriarty rose from Clara's desk. "Sherlock put you up to this?" he called, with a tart grin.
"What's happening?" Clara asked softly, allowing herself to be led away.
"I'm preventing something from not happening." The Doctor answered quietly, keeping his gaze straightforward as they breezed out into the hall where the TARDIS awaited them.
"Doctor!" Clara protested. "No invisibility?"
"Invisibility, for what? School's out. Just you and your lovesick PA to account for, and right now he's in his car, sulking about the prospect of Moriarty being your suitor." the Doctor rambled earnestly, pushing through the TARDIS entrance.
"He is not lovesick..." Clara argued begrudgingly, scurrying inside as the Doctor released her. Clara's jaw jutted open, at the sight of Sherlock Holmes standing beside the control panel which the Doctor hurriedly toyed with.
"I'm afraid you're wrong, he's quite infatuated." Sherlock retorted. "Sherlock Holmes, pleasure to meet you Ms. Oswald."
"Clara, just Clara..." Clara murmured, slightly starstruck.
Sherlock gauged her expression. "Hm...she still reads my blog." he assessed, as the TARDIS lunged into transit. Clara couldn't help noticing Sherlock didn't sway, as his eyes remained glued to hers. He'd been on the TARDIS before, perhaps more than once.
"I told you, why do you never listen to me?" the Doctor haughtily replied.
"Do you really want an answer to that?" Sherlock rebutted, shooting him a shrewd glare.
"You know it was a rhetorical question." the Doctor said shortly with a leer of his own.
"Hard to be sure, half of the time you spout questions you desire an input for, the other half of the time you answer your own question." Sherlock replied.
"You do that too."
"On the contrary, I always know the answer."
"How long have you two been traveling together?" Clara asked, feeling stifled by the animosity emitting from them.
"Not long." the Doctor replied simultaneously as Sherlock who said. "Too long."
"Can you please tell me what's going on?" Clara pressed, her gaze darting back and forth from the Doctor to Sherlock.
Sherlock took the initiative. "It's not complicated, had the Doctor not interrupted you at the precise moment you would've mentioned weeping angels which Moriarty knows nothing about and though you wouldn't have gone into details then, you would've sparked his interest. This would've led Moriarty on a long varied path to breaching a crack in time, which would've had dire circumstances for Earth. The most dire of which being the Master unleashed, free to wreck havoc at Moriarty's side in an effort for world domination, which they would've been all too successful with - soon after turning their attention to the universe at large."
The Doctor clapped his hands, startling Clara and successfully causing Sherlock to pause and gawk. "But!" the Doctor began. "Everything's fine now – no Holmes, we are not telling her, not a word, don't you dare." he sternly warned, pointing a finger at him as the TARDIS whirled to a stop. Contempt shadowed Sherlock's face. Doctor left his perch at the TARDIS controls. "Here we are, 221B Baker Street. Off you pop Holmes." he dismissed.
A stare-off ensued between Sherlock and the Doctor. "As you wish." Sherlock stoically replied, heading for the exit. "Best of luck Clara. I daresay you'll need it." he added dryly, swinging through the door.
"Doctor..what aren't you telling me?" Clara said. The Doctor's face remained as immobile as marble. "It's about the Master isn't it? He's back...?"
"...Yes. There was always a chance, having saved Galiffery...but now I know for certain. The important thing is, he must never, NEVER cross paths with Moriarty." the Doctor said.
Clara nodded, then frowned. "You're leaving something out...what is it?" she pressed. The Doctor merely shook his head. "Doctor..Why did Moriarty come to see me?"
"It's not important." the Doctor said crisply, turning away from her to refigure the TARDIS. "Nothing to concern yourself with. Trust me."
Four taps in a quick session. Pause. Repeat.
Moriarty shrugged out of his blazer, draping it over his arm, as he sank into his comfort chair. He'd heard the drumming from the first time he shook the Master's hand, and even now, even after Sherlock and the Doctor had undone their plans, Moriarty could still hear it. His dark eyes combed over the living room, before settling onto the Master seated on the coach. "They snatched Clara away." Moriarty announced, his features searing into a pout. The Master mirrored Moriarty's expression, then the duo smirked.
"Figures." The Master said simply, his fingertips drumming against the arm of the couch. "New face, same sentiments. Though Clara's different, he breached his own timeline for her. A special bond...that we can exploit, again and again and again..." he mused with a dark chuckle. "Isn't that right Oswin?" he called.
From the kitchen stepped forth Oswin, her long brown hair tied back in an arched ponytail, her delicate hands holding a tray of tea set for three. She was an exact replica of Clara, though her memories only extended as far as the Doctor's previous generation, when he had ran about in a blue pinstriped suit with converse sneakers. Oswin had been sucked into a timelock with the Master for an eon, and had fallen madly in love, or as close to it, as was possible for her.
"Mm-hmm.." Oswin hummed, in response to the Master's question. Setting the tray down on the coffee-table, she began pouring the tea. "Though to be honest, I'm looking forward to messing about Sherlock..."
"You and I both honey-dear." Moriarty simpered.
A giggle bubbled on Oswin's lips. "It'll be far more interesting than murdering Clara and assuming her spot. Don't think I'd take much joy in that." she said, handing the Master his tea first.
The Master shook his head in disagreement. "On some level. Oswin, I know you did...even if you can't remember it." he told her.
Oswin remained mute, her dark eyes meshing with Moriarty's as he sipped his tea. The drums thundered through their skulls. Dumh-Dumh-Dumh-Dumh.