He Needs You

The TARDIS materialised on the quiet street outside of Clara's house, where Clara and this brand new Doctor stepped out and looked around. Clara was happy to see some familiar settings around her, especially as she didn't recognise the man now before her. He wasn't her Doctor. Her Doctor, with his happy personality, bow ties and fezzes, was gone. He vanished from right in front of her.

After he regenerated, the TARDIS crashed on a random planet and they had to calm a civil war. They eventually did so, despite the tension between the Doctor and Clara, and the day was saved. Clara then asked to be brought home, unsure if she wants to continue travelling through time with a stranger.

"I'm just going to look around and familiarise myself with the place." The Doctor said and wandered off in his brand new costume. Clara watched him go, still filled with confusion. She felt tears form in her eyes as she thought of her Doctor.

"Come back." She whispered to herself as she dreamed of the madman with a box she first met.

At that moment, a loud ringing of a phone echoed throughout the street. Clara knew instantly it was coming from the TARDIS. She opened up the flap in the door and brought the phone to her ear. She sniffed to try and sound as if she wasn't upset or close to sobbing.

"...Hello?"

"Clara. It's me, the Doctor."

Clara recognised the voice instantly and her heart lifted at the sound of her Doctor's voice. The Doctor she'd seen eat fish fingers and custard and disappear in a flash into the stranger who had just wandered off.

"Doctor! I can't believe it's you!" Clara said, but the voice of her Doctor didn't acknowledge her.

"I'm sorry, but you can't speak to me directly. This is a message I've recorded and programmed to send as a phone call at an appropriate time, and it will only play if it recognises your voice as the one answering it. I hope everything's going okay. My regeneration's just started, and you're helping the town clean up while I've come back to the TARDIS for the end. I imagine you'll be here soon so I'll be quick."

Clara didn't know what to think as she listened to this long gone man speak to her. While she was helping the people of Christmas clean up the rubble his regeneration created, he was recording this for her.

"So, right now I bet you're confused about what's happening. There's this new, brilliant man running about and he used to be me. I know this is difficult to deal with, but I'm begging you now, stay with him. Support him. Travel with him. Do everything we never got to do together, because you deserve to see the universe and you belong in the TARDIS with the Doctor. And he IS the Doctor, you know. It might take a while for it to sink in, but you'll get there. Hang in there, Impossible Girl. He'll be worth it. I'll miss you so much, but everything ends."

Clara felt tears flow down her cheeks stronger than ever as she broke down listening to her Doctor say goodbye.

"I'll miss you too." Clara sobbed.

"Look, I know you're scared. But he is too. And he needs you. So please, Clara Oswald, help him. Show him the way. Make him a better man than he could ever be without you there. Start a new, brilliant story. Good luck, Impossible Girl. I'll always be with you. Goodbye. Run you clever girl, and remember."

The call ended and Clara broke down even more as she put the phone back.

"Goodbye..." She whispered, wiping away tears from her reddened face. The Doctor then returned to her.

"Yes, it's all familiar...are you alright?" He asked. Clara stared at him and finally saw the fear deep behind his eyes. Her Doctor was right; he needed her as much as she needed him. It was time for him to become her Doctor too. Still sobbing but now with a smile, she ran into the Doctor's arms and hugged him.

"I'm here, Doctor, I'm here." She whispered.

The Doctor stood there as Clara hugged him and eventually wrapped his arms around her, reflecting his companion's smile.