She stared into her reflection in the puddle of water at her feet, hot tears of anger and frustration mixing with the freezing rain falling over London. Her once straight hair had gone curly, and hung limply around her shoulders. She felt water slosh in her boots as she fidgeted on the park bench. Annoyingly, her knees began to tremble and her teeth began to chatter.
Off to the side, lying in a similar puddle, lay a broken mass of metal and red nylon: her umbrella.
Her earlier argument with the Doctor still rang in her ears, stuck on repeat like a broken record. Every time it started over again, her fury grew.
The TARDIS noise begun to sound behind her, and she jumped to her feet. How had he found her?
"Clara!"
She ran, not knowing where she was running to, only who she was running away from. She sprinted past befuddled pedestrians, and crossed the street without looking both ways.
The screeching of rubber, violent honking, and muffled shouts startled her, but she just kept running.
For once, she was running away from him.
"Clara! Please!"
Her heart pounded inside her chest, clenching painfully as she turned another corner. It was his hand wrapping around the sole heart, digging its fingernails in, making her see red as she crossed yet another street without bothering to look both ways.
She made it through alive, but the sound of honking behind her only meant he was still determined to catch her.
Turning her head, she saw him, his purple coat flapping out behind him, his hair plastered back onto his skull, her name on his lips.
"I died, Doctor. One thousand times," she whispered, "For you."
"I didn't ask you to do that," he'd protested, and at her enraged look hastily corrected himself,"Though I'm grateful that you did! Clara, why are you so mad at me?"
"Because its been six months for me!" she'd shouted, "Six months of absolute hell, and you haven't been here for me! You left me just like they all did!"
His befuddlement quickly turned into anger, "And do you think its easy for me to know that I have caused you so much pain? Do you think I… like it? I don't, so quit being stupid because I've suffered too. But that doesn't mean I stop going."
"Stupid?!" Clara spluttered, "If I'm so stupid then I really shouldn't travel with you anymore. Maybe you should find some less stupid girl and take her away in your stupid box instead!"
"Clara.."
"GET OUT!"
"No wait! Clara, please!"
After that, she had slammed the door in his face, gotten her umbrella, and ran to the park using the house's back door as a means of escape.
Only when she opened her umbrella did she remember that it was the one the TARDIS had "accidentally" torn a hole into more than six months earlier.
Clara turned into an alley, breathing heavily, her clothes more wet than ever.
She found a decent hiding place behind some old crates, rested her back against a brick wall and let out a choked cry. Her hands quickly stifled the animal like sounds escaping from the back of her throat.
Why couldn't he just leave her alone? Let her live out her life like she'd begun to after the second month, when it became clear he wasn't going to come back.
His silhouette appeared in the entrance to the alleyway, and her heart broke when she saw the tears streaming down his face. His entire body shook with sorrow filled sobs until he was bent over like an old man with his hands over his eyes.
Suddenly, he lashed out at the brick wall with his fist. It came away bloodied, and she heard him curse in Gallifreyan.
She inhaled sharply, and he turned to where she was hiding.
A flicker of something old and incredibly tired came over his eyes, and it looked like he was going to make for the crates.
He knew she was there.
"I'm sorry," he said, "For everything that I have done to make your life a living hell. I'm so, so sorry."
He choked, "I was silly… leaving you here all on your own… I was wrong. I just wanted you to be safe. I still do. I've done a rubbish job of it, I know. Angie told me you've been screaming in your sleep."
Clara wept into her hands, listening to his voice come closer.
"You don't have to do this alone, Clara, let me help you. Let me back in, please."
She shook her head.
"Clara, my hearts are shattered because of what I have done to you. Please. Please. Don't leave me alone. I've already lost so many of the people I love, please don't make me lose you too."
She turned her bloodshot eyes on him, "I've lost mothers, fathers, husbands, wives, friends, and children." She took in another shaky breath, "All I had was you, and you left me. So tell me Doctor, how am I supposed to trust you ever again?"
She could see several answers coming together in that brilliant mind of his, but none seemed to meet his criteria, for he didn't speak again for several seconds.
"Let me show you," he said quietly, "Give me one day to show you that you're the only thing that matters to me right now. That I-"
He gulped, and outstretched his hand to her, "Just one more Wednesday, Clara. After that, if you still want to, you can leave me. And I promise-No, I swear, that our paths will never cross again if that's what you want."
Ever so timidly, her small hand fell into his, and he pulled her up.
Not meeting his eyes, she tucked a rogue curl behind her ear, "Fine."
For the first time in six months, she saw him smile.