MY FIRST DOCTOR WHO FIC! :D I warn you, this has spoilers for Name of The Doctor. Read at your own risk. It also has a bit of Whoufflé. Don't like? Too bad. My fic, my rules. ;D
Disclaimer: I DON'T OWN DOCTOR WHO.
The Doctor watched Clara. She was still unconscious. The time winds had a bad effect on her. Her mind was still trying to ground itself to reality. But she would be fine.
There was another problem. She had seen him. The Doctor's greatest secret.
"Who's that?" Clara asked, referring to the old man who had his back turned to them. Clara had jumped into The Doctor's time stream, to save his life.
"Never mind," he said. "Let's get back." His voice came out in a whisper.
"But who is he?" Clara asked again.
"He's me," The Doctor said. "There's only me here. That's the point. Now let's get back."
"But I never saw that one," Clara said. "I saw all of you! Eleven faces! All of them you! You're the Eleventh Doctor!"
"I said he was me," The Doctor replied, his voice filled with pain. "I never said he was The Doctor!"
"I don't understand," Clara said. She was starting to get dizzy. Disoriented.
"My name," he answered. "My real name. That is not the point! The name I chose is The Doctor. The name you choose, it's like…it's like a promise you make." He looked at the old man. "He's the one who broke the promise!" Clara's eyes rolled back into her head, and she collapsed. "Clara?" The Doctor said, struggling to catch her. "Clara!" He held her in his arms. "He is my secret," he said solemnly.
"What I did, I did without choice," the old man said.
"I know," The Doctor conceded.
"In the name of peace, and sanity," insisted the old man.
"But not in the name of The Doctor," The Doctor retorted.
The Doctor closed his eyes. He had replayed the scene in his head, over and over. He opened his eyes as Clara began to stir.
"Hey," he said, smiling softly. "How are you feeling?"
"Confused," Clara said weakly. She slowly sat up. The Doctor frowned.
"How much do you remember?" he asked.
"All of it," Clara said. "I think I understand what you meant…when you said he wasn't you." The Doctor hung his head. "Hey…" she said gently. "We all have regrets." The Doctor looked at her. He had been lying when he said that she wasn't pretty. Her perfect hair, perfect face…he snapped himself out of it.
"So!" he exclaimed. "Where do you want to go next, eh?" Clara smiled.
"We never did get to Vegas," she said.
"Vegas it is!" The Doctor said, activating the TARDIS.
"I'm going to get dressed," Clara said, walking toward the wardrobe. She gave The Doctor a peck on the cheek. He blushed. Thankfully, she didn't see it.
Regrets, he thought. He did have regrets. But with Clara around, they weren't as hard to bear.
There you have it! Remember, reviewers bring readers!