Chapter 2

"Please"

"No!" the Doctor replied as he walked round the console, trying to remain impervious to his companion's pleading. Clara followed quickly behind him, practically chasing him down as she fought to have her way. "No I can't have my companion traipsing around New York, on there own, with strange men, soldiers, this can not end well!" The Doctor's words were just as expressive as his his actions as he continued to stamp in a circle around the console, waving his arms wildly in the air, occasionally tweaking a lever, button or dial violently on his way round. Clara stopped her wild goose chase of the Doctor, finding it increasingly difficult to run after him in the impractical set of heels she had chosen to wear that morning. Stopping with her back to the TARDIS door the Doctor stopped just shy of the opposite end of the console so that she was still visible to him around the TARDIS's centre matrix, both of them leaning towards the other, each pair of hands firmly set on the edge of the console. "I'd have thought you'd have loved the idea" Clara pondered, her voice dripping with a persuasive edge "Technology from a parallel universe, equipment unseen in any other universe..."

Staring hard at each other the pair reached a stale mate, neither one willing to move in case the other thought they had won, but Clara wasn't backing down, after all it's not every day a girl gets asked on a date by a 1940's military man now is it? Neither one of the pair knew how long they were stood there, staring the other down. In sudden movement the Doctor finally threw his hands up in defeat. "Fine!" he exclaimed "But I'm coming too!" his second statement came with an index finder pointed straight at Clara, in an attempt to make his point clearer. Pulling out his psychic paper from his inside jacket pocket, he tapped it rigorously against his other hand while turning on the spot, trying to convince himself he'd made the right decision.

"And I suppose you'll want a change of clothes for the occasion too?" The Doctor asked as he once again turned back to face Clara, stopping his frantic on-the-spot movements. The latter straightening up at the offered proposition, a gleeful grin spreading across her face, sighing in defeat the Doctor pointed towards one of the doors tucked into a crevice on the TARDIS's lower deck. "Through there. 5th door on the right, 3rd door on the left" turning away from door Clara was running to, aware of the monster he had just created before shouting after her "and don't mess it all up! It's all in time order" His voice trailed off with his second statement, knowing it was a lost cause.

The Doctor took his time following Clara to the TARDIS wardrobe, peering through a few of the doors he passed on the way, they had a tendency to change on him. Knocking firmly on the door the Doctor pushed it open slowly, preparing himself for what might be on the other side of the door.

"You better not have made a mess in there... The clothes don't order themselves you know" Edging round the door the Doctor expected to see clothes strewn everywhere, discarded in a hunt. Instead the rails were still neatly arrange with only a few garments missing, currently draped over the top of the changing screen. Emerging from behind the silver screen which was decorated in a similar style to the TARDIS control room deco Clara appeared, wearing a simple flower patterned dress with a large, full skirt. Giving a gentle twirl Clara gave a delicate curtsy to the Doctor.

"Well what do you think?" she asked. Frowning slightly the Doctor gave a gentle shake of his head roughly "No no no no no. Too 50's" the Doctor replied moving closer to a rack of clothes that displayed a series of plainer dresses. Crossing her arms in annoyance Clara moved to stand behind the Doctor, watching what he was doing with an unconvinced expression. "And what do you know about fashion? Have you seen yourself lately? And besides what does it really matter? I've walked around medieval times in a leather jacket before, is a dress just a decade too late really that bad?"

The Doctor ignored her question, choosing instead to nearly bury himself in clothes, wading through dresses as if he were wading through quicksand. Edging gradually back down the shelves, deeper in the rails of clothing, where the clothes actually had some colour Clara eyed the shelves, waiting for something to catch her eye. Reaching us as far as she could Clara pulled a simple, sleeveless white blouse from one of the top rails before moving further along and pulling out a skirt to go with it before showing the both of them to the Doctor with glee.

"What about these?" She inquired, hoping this time for the Doctor approval. In one hand Clara held the white blouse she'd pulled half of her muscles to reach and in the other she held a voluminous pale pink skirt. Turning to face her the Doctor,with dress of a similar colour to the skirt in his hand, froze at the sight of Clara's chosen garment. Marching over to her, discarding the outfit he'd been holding the Doctor pulled the skirt roughly out of Clara's grasp placing back on a rail next to a denim leather jacket. Stroking the cotton between his fingers. "No" the Doctor whispered, his words barely audible to Clara, "not this" Clara knew from the tone of his voice there was no room for discussion on this. Walking carefully past the Doctor, moving slowly so as to not to disturb him from his reminiscing, Clara bent to pick up the discarded dress. The colour was paler than the skirt she'd picked out but the cut of the dress was elegant and quite beautiful. Moving behind the screen Clara change out of the dress she'd originally chosen and into the Doctor's offered one. Coming silently out from around the side of the screen, her stockinged feet not making a sound against the metal floor. Picking up the hem of the new dress Clara turned to give another gentle twirl in front of the full length mirror she'd found buried behind a full clothes rail. Clara loved the way the softly coloured material floated down as she let go of the hem, falling just below her knee.

"You do actually have nice taste" Clara said under her breath letting her eyes fall upon the Doctor, hoping he hadn't heard her, she'd never live it down if he did. Swaying once more, just to admire how well the dress moved something in her reflection caught her attention. Pivoting round Clara plucked a cardigan from the top of the pile draped over the screen she'd changed behind. Slipping it on to see whether the embroidery pattern decorating the neckline of the cardigan would work as an outfit, satisfied with the result Clara finally turned back to race the Doctor, ready to pull him out of his pensive state.

"Well. I'm ready"


A/N: So. This is chapter 2. I'm really enjoying writing this so I hope you're enjoying reading it. Reviews would be wonderful so please click the button it you're feeling generous. Fingers crossed for chapter 3 being up soon.