The Doctor walked around the console room quietly. Pacing, that's what Clara would've called it and that's what she did.
"Why are you pacing Doctor?"she asked when she walked in. His head snapped up.
"I'm not pacing. Okay maybe I am." he replied, all the while pacing.
"What are you brooding about." She raised and eyebrow. He ignored the comment and continued pacing.
"Doctor?" Her voice had lost the cheerfulness it normally held.
"I found a letter, that's all Clara." She cheekily raised an eyebrow.
"A letter huh. Who from ?" He sighed before replying. "
An old friend." "
How old?" She was enjoying all of these questions.
"Old enough to be your ancestor Clara." She looked at him then, actually looked at him, and noticed the bags under his eyes that's she'd only seen when he was worried, the way he was wringing his hands and then she noticed his eyes. They weren't filled with humor, no that layer had vanished, instead she saw endless pits of sadness.
"Doctor what's wrong?" He didn't seem to notice. He muttered something under his breath.
"What did you say"
"Its more what I didn't say Clara." A sad smile tugged at the suddenly aged face.
"Okay what didn't you say." He stopped his pacing and looked at her then.
"I didn't say goodbye." His shoulders sank at the admission. Clara walked up to him cautiously as if he where a hurt animal that might bolt if she startled it.
"We have a time machine why don't we say goodbye.?" There was genuine concern for him in her voice.
"You don't have to worry about me Clara. Although that's a good idea. How did I not think of that? I'm an idiot." He got up from where he'd been leaning against the console and slapped his forehead. He started pulling levers and other such like and without further ado the TARDIS was moving.
"Where are we going?" Clara asked clinging to anything she could hold onto. The Doctor didn't answer and instead went into a room to the side of the console room.
"Doctor, where are you going?" Clara half yelled half questioned. In answer the Doctor returned wearing French revolution clothing.
"What are you wearing?" She said in disbelief of her eyes. A smile tugged at his lips as the TARDIS came to a sudden stop.
"Stay here Clara."
"Doctor you cant possibly..." Her words died in her throat when he turned to look at her. He looked as if he'd suddenly aged thousands of years, his eyes suddenly looked like they should, his sadness no longer veiled by his humour. And all of this just made Clara want to hug him and never let him out of her sight, for fear that the world would somehow hurt him.
"Please Clara I need to do this alone." "
What exactly?"
"I need to say goodbye. Just … stay here." His voice was tinged with an age old sadness. Clara nodded and the Doctor flung open the doors of the TARDIS. He took a step out and was instantly hit with the scent of revolution France.
He knew exactly where he had to go and that he had to do this alone. Although Clara was fun and smart he just had to do this alone. Like some things have to be done alone. He took a deep, needed breath , to calm himself. Technically what he was going to do was probably going against at least 5 space time laws. But he was the Doctor and he had to say goodbye. He walked like he knew where he was going, which he did, and within no time he was at the palace gates.
"Who are you sir?" One of the guards to the palace asked. At this the Doctor produced his physic paper and waved it at the guard.
"Go ahead Sir." The guard waved him in to the palace. He strode with a purpose and only stopped at the door to her room. Taking a breath he knocked gently on the door and heard a startled intake of breath. The door opened within a couple of seconds of the Doctor hearing the breath and a pair of intelligent brown eyes looked him up and down, taking in his state of dress.
"And who are you?" The man who he presumed to be the doctor that was checking on her if he'd got the year right asked.
"I'm the Doctor." The man's eyebrows moved towards his hairline. There was a sharp intake of breath that distracted the man long enough for the Doctor to duck in. He was suddenly glad that he'd left Clara in the TARDIS, he still wasn't sure how she'd react to something like this. Reinette lay in her bed, her brow covered in sweat from the illness that had its sights on claiming her life. That was one thing the Doctor couldn't change, She was to die at the hands of tuberculosis. The doctor sighed and took a seat next to her bedside.
"Did you know her?" The doctor asked.
"I wouldn't be here if I didn't would I?" He asked in response.
"No. How did you know her?" The man was definitely curios.
"Childhood friends." Was all he said on the subject. He clasped a pale hand and held it to his lips. "I'm sorry Reinette. This is goodbye." Was all he said as he gently kissed her pale skin.
"Doctor?" A frail voice said. The Doctor was startled for a second .
"How?" He asked lifting his head from her hand.
"It is you. My you have changed." She took a wheezing breath and both doctors winced.
"How did you know?" a small, frail smile grew on the lady's face.
"Where a door is open one may walk through in both directions." Another wheezing breath then her eyes flickered close. The Doctor knew she wouldn't die today, no she still had a month. Another month of pain and illness, slowly getting worse.
"Your crying sir." The Doctor looked up startled to see the other doctor, the actual doctor, looking at him concerned. Everyone seemed concerned about him today. The Doctor reached a hand up and ,finding that he was crying, wiped away the tears.
"I must leave. I cant stay. Things to do. " He said as he made his way to the door. Stopping he turned on his heel and looked at the other man.
"Tell her I'm sorry that I couldn't have stayed." The man simply nodded as the Doctor left.
He didn't pay much attention to where he was going. He didn't need to. The roads here hadn't changed much at all. In next to no time he was at the doors of the TARDIS. He pulled the key out of his pocket just as Clara opened the door from the other side. She took one look at him before letting him in.
"Your crying." She noted.
"No I'm not." was the Doctors lousy response.
"You were." She pointed out. He didn't dispute that. He had and he knew that Clara could tell. She always could.
"You okay Doctor?" her voice had lost all trace of humor.
"Yeah. I'm fine. Just fine." He said as he left the room to get changed back into his normal clothes. When he came back Clara was leaning against the console.
"Did you say goodbye?" The curiosity was obvious. "
Yes." Was his reply.
"Good. Where to next then." And her infectious grin was back. So infectious that he caught it as he walked up to her and started flicking switches on again. Soon the TARDIS was going to whatever planet or time period the Doctor chose.