Clara's eyes felt as if they were glued together and coated with sand when she tried to open them the next morning.
"Ohhh, that was a mistake..." she moaned as she wiggled her body into a sitting position. Clara held her head in her hands until the throbbing died down. Once she could think straight again, Clara raked her dirty, knotted hair back into a very haphazard ponytail and attempted to get out of bed.
"Alright, there you go, Clara." she murmured to herself once standing. Catching sight of herself in the mirror, Clara frowned. She looked like a fright.
Her dress was wrinkled beyond belief and, she leaned closer to the mirror, were those food stains? Oh, dear. Her eyeliner was smudged halfway down her cheeks and there were quite a few pillow impressions on her face.
"What did you do last night?" Clara spoke to her reflection, hoping some shred of the details from the night before would return. She stared at her face for several minutes, but when nothing clicked Clara gave up.
She could hear the typical TARDIS noises as well as the sounds of several small explosions. Clara was, unfortunately, used to these explosions by now. The Doctor had taken to tinkering down in a room that was, as far as Clara could tell, somewhere under her own.
Oh! The Doctor! Now Clara groaned slightly. He must've seen her last night. She was sure she had been in quite a state. She could only imagine what he must think of her now. But why hadn't he bothered her yet this morning? He hadn't come barging into her room with a new planet to show her.
Clara would have pondered this question longer, but her headache was beginning to come back and she desperately needed to change clothes and brush her teeth. She traipsed into the bathroom and found a large glass of water and two aspirin on the counter.
Clara smiled as she took the pills. This was most likely not The Doctor's doing, so Clara spoke to the TARDIS.
"Thanks, old girl. I really appreciate it." Clara smiled as the TARDIS hummed happily. Ever since the events that The Doctor and Clara tried not to talk about, the TARDIS had grown fond of Clara. The Doctor, for one, was entirely grateful that the TARDIS had stopped locking Clara out.
The aspirin finally kicking in, Clara brushed her teeth and changed into a pair of shorts and a t-shirt. She was also trying desperately to remember what had happened last night and if there was any reason for The Doctor to be avoiding her. Because that's what Clara had concluded. The Doctor was avoiding her. That was the only possible reason for his complete lack of presence thus far.
Clara chewed on her lip while she debated whether or not to go find her Doctor. Eventually, the small explosions stopped and the engine noises of the TARDIS got louder. Clara figured they were on the move to a new planet or galaxy or century. She played with the hem of her oversized shirt as she tiptoed out into the control room.
The Doctor was moving around even more maniacally than usual. His arms were moving at what seemed to be an impossible speed. He hadn't noticed Clara, but that was the way she wanted it for now. She stood in the doorway, her arms crossed, a small smile playing on her lips. This was The Doctor in his element. This was The Doctor at his most comfortable.
Suddenly, he turned, letting out a gasp of shock that matched Clara's.
Regaining his composure (or at least as much composure as The Doctor is capable of) he said, "Oh, hullo Clara. Feeling better then? I was going to check on you, but you know," he waved a hand vaguely in the air, "Things to do, flips to switch, buttons to be pressed, things to be poked, space ship to steer."
He would have continued on in this vein had Clara not stopped him.
"I know, Doctor. I...I'm afraid I'm rather embarrassed. I don't usually behave like I did last night." Clara sighed, still not moving away from the doorframe.
The Doctor twisted around in a full circle, making Clara laugh despite herself. "Never be embarrassed, Clara Oswald. Unless of course you find yourself on the wrong side of a Baraxatonian Chimp. Then of course you can be embarrassed."
Clara's brow wrinkled, she wasn't even going to ask about Baraxatonian Chimps. She did, however, have a different question on her mind.
"Doctor?" she took tentative steps up onto the console platform.
The Doctor spun around to face his companion. "Yes, Clara Oswald."
"This may sound odd-"
"Odd? Nothing can sound odd to me, Clara!"
"Yes, yes. I know. Time Lord travelling in a snog box." Clara said hurriedly.
"She is NOT a snog box!" The Doctor was indignant.
Clara sighed, a slip of the tongue. "I'm sorry. I didn't-"
"I know you didn't. Now stop wasting time, what were you going to ask me?" The Doctor absently flicked a switch on the console without looking away from Clara.
"I...wasting time? Oh, never mind. Anyway, what I was going to ask was if you happened to remember what happened last night. I don't remember anything."
The Doctor's eyes widened. "Really? You don't remember a thing? Not actions or ... feelings?"
Clara shook her head, "The last thing I remember is leaving the pub and heading back to my flat since I knew you'd be here. After that it's a complete blank."
The Doctor smiled, but then pulled his lips back, trying not to show his happiness, "Well that's absolutely terrible. But I can assure you nothing out of the ordinary happened here. Well of course you were a bit unsteady, but nothing else. No vomiting, no injuries, no declarations, nothing!"
Clara raised an eyebrow at The Doctor's odd rambling, but decided to ignore it for the moment. "Well that's good. If it's all the same to you, I'd like to stay in and relax today. Maybe swim a bit. My head's still fairly cloudy."
"Oh, yes of course! We'll head off to Luxorithan later then!" The Doctor exclaimed, a spring in his step.
"Luxorithan?" Clara trailed her fingers over several buttons on the console, recalling what each one did as she touched them. Some of her echo memories were more vivid than the others. Her first, as a Time Lady in Gallifrey, was particularly vivid, something she was grateful for as it helped her get along with the TARDIS.
"It's quite a lovely planet. The ground's covered in diamonds and the sky's all rainbow because of it. You'll love it."
"If you say so." Clara offered The Doctor a smile and turned to head down to the pool.
The Doctor couldn't help but watch her as she left.
A/N: Here's part 2. I'd love your feedback. Part 3 will be up in a couple of days. =)
