THE REUNION
Author disclaimer - I see Clara & Twelve as only friends (yes, I am one of those rare specimens). This is my alternate take as to how Clara could've reacted to Twelve's request to rejoin him.
I am definitely NOT Steven Moffat.
Considering that Clara had been deemed a control-freak in Series 8, it seemed surprising for me to see her readily agreeing to the Doctor's request, no questions asked.
I reiterate. This is an alternate take.
Obvious spoilers from Last Christmas (and various references to Series 7B and Series 8).
All rights go to the BBC.
He woke up from his dream, and saw the Dream Crab turn itself into dust. "Clara…" he said.
How long had it been since he last saw her? 62 years? No. That was just a dream. He even pinched himself for good effect. Oh yes, just a dream. As he rushed inside the TARDIS and started off for Clara's home, he began replaying the images of the dream in his mind –
Meeting Clara 62 years too late, learning that she had travelled and taught, and yes, actually learnt to fly a plane. And only one man (other than PE) had been good enough for her.
'He was impossible'.
Of course, she was the impossible girl, after all.
He couldn't believe that he had actually missed out on all those wonderful moments in her life. He instantly recalled his previous incarnation's words to her, "I CAN'T FLY A PLANE!"
Oh yes, that was the first adventure they experienced together after he had spent years and years and years looking for her. She had saved his life twice before he actually met her in the present timeline – first, when she had been turned into a Dalek herself, and second, in Victorian London. What a cheeky little thing she was! And, she even saved him in Trenzalore by splintering herself.
And, this is how he pays her back – by arriving 62 years too late?
'No, Clara…I'm coming for you', he mused, as he landed outside her home. He was determined not to turn this dream into reality.
He tiptoed into her bedroom slowly. She was fast asleep.
'If only', he cynically remarked.
Having infiltrated into a layered dream of hers at the base, he was well aware of the damage that the Dream Crabs were potentially capable of causing. He quickly took out his sonic screwdriver and zapped her neurons back into place. While doing so, he pinched himself once more to ensure that this wasn't another dream. Having convinced himself, he took off the Dream Crab from her face, and saw her waking up with a start, gasping.
She looked at him, seeming a bit surprised to see him turn up in her bedroom. Maybe she thought that she had grown old after all. She immediately asked, 'Doctor…am I young?'
'Oh yes…same Clara…my Clara' he reflected, as he recalled her words in the dream –
'Do you really see no difference in me?'
He looked at her in her younger form, and instantly replied, 'No idea'.
He always believed that humans were a funny lot. They never look the same throughout their lives; their bodies undergo changes as they age. Yet, they keep worrying about 'looking young'. Maybe humans should learn to take different forms too.
Of course, all of this didn't matter one bit at the present moment. He knew exactly why she wanted to know if she was still young.
He quickly bounded across her room, and grabbed a hand-held mirror. He blew on the glass and handed it to her. "Any good?" he asked.
After all, he desperately wanted to know if he had truly missed out on her life.
She checked out her reflection, while stating, "oh…that's good", and subsequently heaved a huge sigh of relief. So did he. Maybe he wasn't 62 years too late after all.
While looking into the mirror, she simultaneously did a double-take, as if asking "Doctor, what is it?"
After sharing a dream with her, didn't she really know why he had come back?
Maybe she had indeed moved on, he feared. But, he had come with a specific purpose, so he decided to just go for it. Consequences be damned.
'This is it then…', as he braced himself for what he thought to be the most difficult task – asking Clara Oswald to rejoin him once more.
He stepped back nervously, away from her bed. He didn't recall being so nervous in all his lifetimes. He clasped his hands together, and in a voice as calm as he could muster, he said, "The TARDIS is outside".
He waited for her reaction. Was she going to be angry, upset, or simply reject him?
She simply answered, "So?", as if wanting him to elaborate.
Was he simply telling her that he arrived at her place using his TARDIS, or was it an indication of something more?
She clearly shared that dream with him. So, she definitely knew how truly regretful he was. Surely she did, he wondered.
Maybe, maybe, she was giving him an opportunity to act on his regret after all. Now, it seemed like she was his Santa. Or, was it her way of taking control of the situation by making him verbalize his request?
Wouldn't surprise him at all – 'Trying to control a control-freak', he reflected upon his own words about her in Victorian London.
Looks like the onus was truly on him to make the first move. And she ensured it.
He continued, "All of time and all of space…in that big blue box outside…" Yes, he was definitely asking her to come back.
He was fully aware of her questioning tendencies and he knew she wouldn't agree readily (after all, his previous incarnation had to reassure her about his new form). So, he implored her, "Please…don't even argue…"
Please. That one word which is known to have a magical effect on humans.
Please, Clara, please…I would never ever abandon you. I have got a second chance and I am acting on it. Please say yes…please let me show you how truly regretful I am.
She smiled widely at him. Was that a yes? Please say so.
He didn't want to get his hopes up. So, he did something that he thought he would never do, at least in this form.
He offered his hand to Clara Oswald, in the hope that she would take it, and they would run off like teenagers, enter the big blue box, and see the stars…please, Clara. Please say yes.
But, her reaction took him completely by surprise. She didn't say yes. And she didn't take his hand. So, what did she do?
She simply said, "Come back tomorrow…ask me again".
Her words hit him like a bolt of lightning. What?
"Come back tomorrow…ask me again".
Why Clara why? Why can't we see the stars right now?
In a clearly defeated tone, he said, "Alright…I won't ask why. But I'm truly sorry for everything. I just want us to be friends again".
She decided to take control of the situation by firmly telling him, "We may have shared a dream together, Doctor. You may be regretful for your actions. But it doesn't mean I can run off with you in your box simply because you want it to be so".
She continued, "Do you seriously think I have forgotten how your actions have hurt me ever since you regenerated? You abandoned me in Victorian London, you put me solely in charge when it came to deciding the fate of the creature in the moon, you have lied to me over and over again. I have changed as well as a person, and it has not been for the better. And I won't shy away from stating that your bad habits rubbed off on me. You never bothered to get along with Danny. Lying to him, I have never been able to forgive myself for it. How am I to understand if you are truly being regretful?"
She clearly wasn't in the mood for happy beginnings…or was it 'happy endings'?
He heard every single word she spoke, and he knew she was absolutely right.
This wasn't a fairy tale wherein the prince and princess would just elope with one another. This was real life. He and Clara had real issues. He knew that he wasn't the easiest to deal with ever since the regeneration.
Oh Clara, didn't you realize why I sent you away last Christmas when I was on Trenzalore?
Taking a deep breath, he replied in the most sincere manner possible –
"Clara, you and I, we go back a long time. You have saved me numerous times. And I can only imagine how difficult life must've been for you ever since you lost Danny. And I am truly sorry, I really am. Clara, you once told me you were addicted to travelling. This is why I am offering you this chance to see the stars once again. I will respect your decision. I will not pressurize you to join me. But, no matter what, keep in mind that I will always look out for you. I have come back for you, and even if you don't want to travel anymore, I will always have your best interests in mind. The decision is yours. I'll be waiting".
She pondered upon the Doctor's words carefully. Was it true? Did he really come back for her?
"I am offering you this chance to see the stars once again".
Seeing the stars? How much she had missed it.
She recalled her own words to Danny Pink – "Because I see wonders".
Could she really see the stars once more? Could she really experience the wonders ever again?
She observed that the Doctor still had not left her room despite having been told to "come back tomorrow". Perhaps he knew how much she was struggling with herself. Perhaps he was being truthful after all. For once.
After a long pause, she spoke –
"I have heard whatever you've had to say. And I'll repeat it once more – Come back tomorrow…ask me again. And I know you're speaking the truth this time. So, come back tomorrow. Not because I'm unsure, but because I'll be waiting for you. For sure. And I'll let you know about my decision tomorrow. Good night, Doctor".
She immediately fell into sleep.
Fair enough, he mused. She had to wait for six whole months for him to come back, so it was only fair that he was asked to wait for one more day.
He instantly recalled her words to his previous incarnation –
"Come back tomorrow; ask me again…because tomorrow, I might say yes".
And, to her credit, she did say yes on that occasion.
But that was the past, when he had been a lot friendlier and cheerful. A lot had changed since then. Was he still her Doctor?
So, he knew that he would have to wait. For her.
But, no matter what, they would be fine, he mused. Or would they?
Night turned into day.
Both had had fitful sleeps, each being unknown to the other's inner torment.
He promptly turned up at her doorstep, and was anticipating the worst. Maybe she did discover other passions, he thought. And she should. Clara deserves much better…
She, on the other hand, was battling her own thoughts. Will he turn up like I asked him to? What if he mistook my words for a rebuff? I didn't want to come across as rude but I couldn't just go away with him, just like that.
The doorbell rang. Okay, here goes nothing…
He stood there, hands in his pockets, giving an impression of complete nonchalance.
"Good morning" he casually greeted her. "Same to you as well" she calmly replied.
And, she welcomed him inside with a hug which he awkwardly returned. Yes, things still seemed the same between the two of them.
"Haven't changed at all, I see…" she chuckled. "Likewise" he replied.
But were both of them truly calm? What was Clara's decision going to be?
"So…ummm…" he began awkwardly, trying extremely hard to avoid eye-contact with her. Just say it… "You asked me to come back, and here I am…and no, that wasn't a dream. I really did pay you a visit last night".
She immediately nodded. "Yes, you did. And before I let you know my decision, I'd just like to say thank you for coming back last night. Now, enough of talk…show me the stars!"
What? Did he mishear her? Did she actually ask him to show her the stars? Did she really want to see the wonders once again?
"Hellooo…Earth to Doctor. I have been calling out to you for the past five minutes. I told you to show me the stars. Or, have you simply come to pay me a visit? If so, then please leave…" she forcefully stated.
She immediately caught his attention. He straightened up, and asked her -
"Clara, are you absolutely sure about this? Do you really want to travel once again?"
She smiled and jumped into his arms which took him completely by surprise. Almost knocked the wind out of him…
"Doctor, I mean every word of what I said. I want to see the stars once again. I want to experience the wonders once more…"
He realized that she had gained back her zeal and adventurous spirit once more. He wasted no more time.
"Well, what are you waiting for? Come on, you. I've missed having you on board!"
The two of them immediately sped towards the TARDIS. Upon entering, Clara couldn't help but shed a few tears.
"Hey, what is this? Alright…what's wrong now? I thought you'd be happy being back", he said, trying to grasp the finer nuances of human emotions, but failing miserably.
"Of course, I'm happy to be back, that's why I'm crying. These are happy tears", she sniffed.
"Happy tears? Now you're really malfunctioning. What is with you humans? You smile when you're sad, you cry when you're happy. Is there some kind of a troubleshooting manual where I can learn more about your malfunctioning feelings?", he cried out in an exasperated manner.
She had to hide a laugh. Her Doctor was definitely back.
"Now, listen. And, I seriously mean it. We're back together now. So, no more lying and we're going to be completely honest with each other. Is that a deal?" He held out his hand, as if wanting her to shake it, and seal a deal.
She took his hand, but instead of shaking it, she squealed in surprise. The Doctor had suddenly pulled her over for a hug – an action that she had never really anticipated in her entire lifetime, especially with this incarnation.
"Isn't this what you humans precisely do to comfort someone when they're crying? Now that you're back on board, I don't want to see any more tears – be it happy or sad. Are we clear on that?" he asked firmly. "Yes sir", she answered with a salute.
"And now you're simply winding me up, aren't you?", he asked, with a shake of his head.
"Maybe", she replied with a twinkle in her eye.
"Alright then, where do we go, boss?"
And, so a new set of adventures began. Clara & the Doctor were definitely in a much better place than they were before.
P.S. - Clara's rant to the Doctor makes it seem like it was ALL his fault. IMHO being the control-freak that she is, that is exactly how she would look at the situation, even if she herself may have lied to both the Doctor & Danny.
This is my first-ever fanfic. So, please leave your feedback. I know it was rubbish.