Clara trembled in her sleep, sounds making their way up her throat and out into the night air. "No..n..no DOCTOR!" She screamed and jumped up out of her bed. The floor felt cold on her bare feet, sending more trembles through her body. Somethings wrong, she thought, marching over to the door of her room inside the Tardis. She flung it open and raced down the path she knew so well. Many nights she had walked down these dark corridors, shaking with shortness of breath in her panic.

It was those dreams she had...ever since the Doctor had rescued her from his timeline. He was constantly filling her thoughts, worrying her to no end. She knew he was safe, of course, but the dreams always brought back the worst times in his life that she wasn't there for him. All she could do was watch, as her Doctor experienced unimaginable pain.

The thoughts had Clara running even faster as she approached the door to his room. Stopping directly in front of it, she placed both hands on the ancient wood. Listening, she closed her eyes and slowed her breathing. Every night for the last few weeks, she went through this routine. Just listening to him breathing in his sleep calmed her down...

But, tonight, something was off. She couldn't hear anything. She strained, heartbeat quickening, and closed her eyes tighter. Nothing. Shaking, she placed her hand around the cold metal handle of the door. It creaked in age as she pushed it open and peered in.

The room was dark except for a single beam of moonlight coming in through a window next to his bed. It shown on his pillow, and the empty bed with pulled back sheets. Clara gasped and ran over to the bed, missing the Doctor. "Doctor?" she whispered. A snore coming from behind her made her jump in fright. Glancing behind her to the corner of the room, she spotted him fast asleep in his blue armchair. Smiling and shaking her head, she quietly walked over to his peaceful figure.

A book lay open on his lap, one her favorites, she noticed as she got closer. Her breath catching, she noticed how beautiful this scene was. This ancient soul, that had seen so much terror and death, war, evil, looked like an innocent child having wonderful dreams, safe and warm in his home.

Something wet hit Clara's lip and she reached her hand up to touch it. Tears, this Timelord had made her cry yet again. "Clara?" The deep baritone voice made her close her eyes in fear of being caught. "Clara, what's wrong? What are you doing here?" His hand reached out and grabbed her wrist, thumb rubbing the back of her hand in a soothing motion. "Are you hurt?" She kept her eyes closed and slowly shook her head, the tears building up behind them. He had gone through so much, why should he care about the stupid problems she was having? "Clara, are...are you crying?" She couldn't take it any longer. She fell into his lap and threw her hands around his neck, buried her face in his shoulder. The tears fell hard, soaking the fabric of his shirt in seconds. "Oh, Clara, my Clara...tell me what's wrong?" he said, shifting her into a more comfortable position in his lap.

She couldn't speak, sobs stealing her voice every time she tried. The Doctor seemed to understand and rubbed her back in comfort. Suddenly, he started singing. She was instantly quiet, and in awe of the man holding her. Never before had she heard him sing, and in Gallifreyen too. She guessed the language, never hearing it before. He held her closer realizing she had stopped.

When he was finished, she pulled back from his should to look at him. "That was beautiful. Gallifreyen?" she asked, placing a hand on his cheek. He placed his hand on top of hers, holding it there. "Yes, a lullaby to be exact. I remember my mother singing it to me when I had bad dreams at night." He smiled a knowing smile. "How did you..." He interrupted her, "I always know, Clara. Seeing my timeline wasn't easy for me, let alone someone who didn't live it. I'm fine Clara, and so are you."

Clara smirked and placed her other hand on the opposite cheek. "Now that I have you, I will always be fine." he finished, looking directly into her soul. She always felt he could see into her soul when he did that. Eyes so dark but filled with so many memories and so much emotion. Unconsciously, she found herself leaning in, bringing her lips much closer to his. She heard his breath catch and she paused before they touched. "Doctor?" she whispered, worried of what would happen next. The last time she had kissed him, he had pushed her away. "Clara," he whispered back.

And then, his lips were crashing into hers. The fire that ignited in her stomach at that moment consumed her. Her fingers wound into his hair and pulled him as close as they could. He reached up to her hair, pulled back into a messy bun, and took out the band, letting it tumble around her shoulders. Pulling away, he scanned her appearance with reverence. "You're so beautiful...my Clara." He picked her up and carried her over to his bed. Laying her down, he slid in next to her and pulled the blankets over them both. The moonlight lit up his face as she stared at him. "Clara, I love you. I always will and I will always keep you safe." Clara smiled and snuggled up to his side. Leaning up, she met his lips again with hers. He pulled her in closer and wrapped his arms around her. This time, Clara broke away. "I love you too. And I will always be here for you, to keep you safe." She emphasized the last part, placing her face into his chest and breathing in his scent. Instantly, the calm hit her like a wave and her eyelids began closing.

"Oh, my Clara..." He mumbled into her hair, placing a kiss on the top of her head. "Oh, my Doctor..." she whispered out, sleep and bliss overtaking her in seconds.