Clara strolled around the console, running her fingers along its edge, with a bored pout on her face. She sighed, leaning back against the cyclical structure and tapping her fingers. The Doctor had decided he "really ought" to show her… well, something or other… and had run off down a corridor. She had tried to follow him for a while, but quickly gave up when she could no longer make out his monologue (and, if she was honest, she didn't much care for the idea of being trapped in another TARDIS maze).

She'd somehow managed to make her way back to the console room, and had been in there alone for several hours now. It wasn't unusual for the Doctor to disappear like this, and if they hadn't been floating in space she probably would have gone out on her own. But they were, and she was stuck. Clara sighed for the second time, and looked up at the seemingly never-ending ship.

"Did he do this to the others?" she asked. There was a soft hum that she decided to take as a confirmation. "Figures," she said. She paused for a moment, before walking over to the railing and pulling herself onto it, swinging her tight-clad legs. She was pleased with this outfit, black tights and her favourite blue dress (little flowers and a cute collar) with her flat shoes.

"Bored, bored, bored," she muttered, and then looked up at the ship again. "Give me something to do?" Clara asked. "Something to read or… something."

This time there was no hum.

"Oh, come on!" she said. "I thought you were starting to like me! I like you, you know! Most of the time…" The memory of the time the TARDIS had hidden her bedroom sprung to mind (and then forced her to share it with a future version of herself – how that worked she still had no idea).

Silence again.

"I bet you've never liked any of us," she said, raising her eyebrows, as if trying to coax out a reaction from the ship. It didn't work.

"You've probably done the bedroom trick on all of them, haven't you?" This question gave rise to a low hum, and Clara smirked with a little pride. This might work. Or, at least, occupy her enough until the Doctor returned. Whenever that might be.

"Go on then," she said, turning one of the screens to face her, "show me one companion you've liked. Bet you can't."

There was a whirring sound that reminded her of her laptop, and then an image of the Doctor came onto the screen. Clara raised an eyebrow. "Very funny," she said. "One of the Doctor's companions. You know what I meant."

The whirring sound repeated, and a new image came onto the screen. It was of a woman (no surprise there) a little younger than she was.

"That was quicker than I expected," Clara muttered, then began to look properly at the girl in the photo. She had bleached blonde hair, big brown mascara-coated eyes and a large, toothy smile with her tongue poked out at the corner. Clara smiled involuntarily. She was cute. The sort of person who makes you want to hold their hand and give them a kiss on the cheek. The sort of person she probably would have had a crush on in school. Nice dimples.

But she still had a game to play. Feigning disinterest she pulled a face, scrunching up her nose, and looked up at the rotor.

"What's so special about her then?"

Galifreyan letters clicked onto the screen in front of the image, apparently explaining what is was about this girl the TARDIS was so fond of. Clara frowned, genuinely this time. "Translate?" she ventured. The ship complied, and the words switched into English.

'BAD WOLF.'

She stared at the screen, not understanding what the message was supposed to be. Between the TARDIS & the Doctor Clara thought that she was expected to instantly understand a little too much. "What's bad wo - "

There was a loud clamour – like the sound of a fry pan hitting tiles – and a small yell from the Doctor. Clara rolled her eyes, instantly amused, but looked up to see if her best friend was all right. The time lord walked into the console room with a grumpy look on his face, holding a small metal contraption.

The TARDIS gave a quicker whirring noise, and a soft beep, and the screen went blank. Clara suddenly had the distinct impression she had found something she wasn't supposed to.

To be continued...