As you all know, I wasn't going to continue on this. But after reading it though it seems silly to just leave it as this. Plus lots of reviewers were keen for me to carry on this. Also thank you for the reviews, follows and favourites! Also one reviewer gave the idea of The Doctors point of view instead of Clara's so I thought it'd be good to include this as well, thanks for the suggestion!
So here it is guys, the next chapter, I hope it lives up to what you had hoped, please leave your thoughts!
Clara rushed inside. The front door created a huge slam which she immediately regretted. She ran up the flight of stairs as quick as she could, hoping none of the Maitland family would see her. Reaching the top of the staircase a stern looking Angie revealed herself from around the corner, making Clara jump.
Arms crossed tight to her chest Angie spoke, "Clara, where were you? You said you'd be 10 minutes, it's been more than 3 hours."
"S-sorry," Was all that Clara could blurt out. She walked past her and towards her bedroom before Arty called her from his bedroom before walking out to greet her.
"Clara! Today I've been competing in an online chess tournament set up by my school against other schools and I'm winning so far! The final round starts in three minutes exactly!" he smiled greatly checking the time on his watch.
"Th-that's lovely, Arty." she walked past him. Arty pulled a face and stared at her, something was up.
"Clara, wait, what's wrong?" he then noticed her dress and hair, "Why are your clothes and hair soaked?"
Clara panicked; her mind racing of what to answer. "I-er, went swimming." she blurted out, her face instantly screwing up in embarrassment to the awful response.
Arty looked at her, confused. "What, in your dress?"
"er- yeah." she stumbled, then passed him and walked up a further small flight of stairs and into her bedroom.
She slammed the door and collapsed, exhausted, onto her bed. She lay as a single tear leaked from her eye, she didn't understand what had just happened, yet alone try to come to terms with it. A part of her wanted answers but another part of her didn't. She just wanted to forget all about it, but she had a feeling she will not, at least for a long time yet. The more she tried to stop thinking about it, the more she found herself doing so. This made her head hurt, causing a thudding headache. Attempting to sit up, she placed a hand on her head as she winced. Thinking back at all the pictures she saw, triggered something in her mind, like she actually did recognise the photos like they actually did happen. They all became fuzzy in her mind as she tried to make sense of them. Something pulling in her mind, trying to draw itself into view but failing. She didn't recognise the pictures as a memory but of something else that she found very uncomfortably puzzling. As her headache worsened, she lay back onto the bed and closed her eyes. Closing her eyes only made the pictures she saw clearer, so she couldn't get them out of her mind.
The Doctor paced the TARDIS console room. He wasn't sure to be mad at himself or the TARDIS, probably both. He angrily pulled leavers and punched buttons on the console. Which was for no reason, he wasn't going anywhere. He slumped onto the TARDIS chair, his face burying in his hands. There was no way he was mad at Clara, in fact now he was ashamed. He couldn't believe his outrage to her, he should have kept calm then maybe she would have been able to understand.
Thinking back he discovered how creepy that would have looked. Seeing pictures of you pasted over a wall would creep anyone out. He couldn't imagine how she is feeling, how betrayed she felt, how horrible.
The Doctor ran his fingers though his hair as thoughts ran through his head. He liked Clara. He went looking for her because of her mystery. He met her once, she died. He met her again, she died. Who wouldn't want to find out her mystery? But he brought her aboard the TARDIS because he liked her, he cared about her. She was someone fresh, keeping him on his feet, keeping him looking forward and not back at all the losses and awful things he has been though. She cared about him. She helped him while he was upset over the Ponds and isolating himself on a cloud. She never gives up on him, and is always there for when he needs to talk. Her charming smile always cheering him up, he can't live with knowing how she feeling now. He has to go and talk to her, even though she doesn't want to see him.
He doesn't know how he will explain things. He could try and explain her mystery, but it'll confuse her even more. He could tell her how caring she was towards him on his cloud and helped him get up when he was at his lowest point. But she won't understand him.
Just have to go and visit and hope for the best.
Ding dong. The doorbell rang. Clara gasped. It was the Doctor, and she did not want to see him.
She ignored it.
It rang again.
She ignored it.
"Clara!" she heard Angie call from her bedroom, "Clara, answer the door!"
"Just leave it." replied Clara.
"Do I have to do everything around here?" Angie moaned and headed down the stairs to the door.
"Angie. I said leave it!" Clara yelled, wincing as shouting made her headache worsen. It was of no use; Angie stormed to the door and opened it.
"Dad!" Angie yelled with surprise. "You do know you have a key?"
"I left them at home, see," George Maitland pointed to the table just near the door. "Anyway, that doesn't matter. As I've been allowed home from work early, I thought we could go out somewhere, how does bowling sound? I haven't been out with you guys for ages! Clara can come too."
"I don't know about Clara. She's acting all weird."
"What do you mean?" he asked, confused.
"I don't know, Artie said she could be upset. I think it's about her boyfriend."
"I'll go and talk to her. Where is Artie?"
"School online chess match." Angie said while rolling her eyes. George walked into the house, placed his work case down and made his way up the stairs.
George knocked on Clara's bedroom door. Clara froze; she had no idea who was at the front door because she couldn't hear anything over her thudding headache. But who else can it be other than the Doctor? And now Angie has let him in, great.
"Clara? Can I come in?" sounded a familiar voice, but not The Doctors. It was Mr Maitland. "Clara?"
She did not want to talk to anyone at the moment, but the children have probably told him something and he'll want to know what's wrong.
She sighed. "Yeah."
George walked in slowly, he saw Clara sitting on her bed, her hair now almost dry, but her dress still damp. She had her hand against her head.
He sat beside her on her bed.
"Clara, are you oka-"
Before he could finish Clara interrupted him. "I'm fine. Just a headache, that's all."
"Artie told me that you looked upset and said you've been swimming…in your clothes." He said. Clara looked up in embarrassment.
"I- I don't want to talk about it."
"Just tell what's wrong?"
"The Doctor and I, we had a fight that's all." She explained.
"Then why are your clothes damp?" Clara looked down, unsure on what to say. "Has he hurt you?"
Clara replied instantly. "No, no, no, no. I promise he hasn't."
"It's okay, I do believe you." He told her, "Well, I'm going to take the kids out for a bit. It'll give you time to get your head around things."
"Thanks." Clara tried to smile. George then got up and walked towards her door to leave. "Oh, George?"
"Yes, Clara?"
"I really did go swimming." She truthfully informed. George smiled whilst shaking his head, half with confusion, and then left the room.
After a few minutes of Clara hearing Artie's celebration of winning the school chess match, she heard the door close as the family left for bowling.
It is over twenty minutes before The Doctor finally gains the courage to leave the TARDIS and head to the Maitland house.
He stepped out to meet Mr Maitland, Angie and Artie leaving the house. When they noticed his presence, they weren't too happy to see him.
"You know, Clara is very mad at you." Angie sternly told him.
"She seemed upset when she walked in." Artie said to him, a lot more sympathetic than Angie's response.
"You're not a very good boyfriend." Angie took the opportunity to announce. The Doctor just stood there, a guilty look on his face as he took the telling to. Mr Maitland turned around from locking the door.
"Clara is not feeling too great. She has an awful headache and needs to rest. I don't know what happened between you two but I think you need to give her some space, okay?" Mr Maitland told The Doctor. The Doctor couldn't exactly not listen to that. Clara must be feeling awful so he can understand that she needs some space.
"Yes, I understand." was all he could say before turning on his heel to walk away.
He took a stroll though the street.
He couldn't help but think of what Mr Maitland said.
Clara is not feeling too great.
Understandable.
She has an awful headache.
Why? He knows all of this would have been a lot to intake but she shouldn't have a headache? Perhaps she remembers things, her past lives and everything she has done? But that means she knew what he was talking about when he confronted her about her mystery, which she didn't. Well, there is only one way to find out...
Clara's hand trembled as she held tight on the staircase rail as she tried to make her way down the staircase. Very rapidly, her headache became unbearable and her vision often cutting out to random images she did not recognise. Her legs she felt shake as she took each step of the staircase like a huge leap between a gap in two buildings.
The doorbell rang and a familiar voice she did not want to hear called though the glass sympathetically.
"Clara? Clara, are you there? I'm sorry, I'm really sorry and please let me in so we can we just talk?" The Doctor said with his hand against the door glass. Her heart started to race, a horrible feeling shot through her body.
"N-no. Doctor, leave me al-alone." Clara said through gritted teeth, the pain in her head she was feeling conveyed clearly in her voice.
The Doctor instantly recognised something was up. "Clara, what's wrong?"
"No, D-Doctor, leave me alone." she repeated. This time letting out an unwanted small cry as she couldn't bear her headache.
"Clara? Something's wrong. Let me in," The Doctor said, concerned. Clara took the last few steps of the staircase and reached the bottom step. She let out another whimper. "Clara?"
"My h-head." she cried out. "I feel-"
"Clara!" The Doctor because increasingly worried. He received no reply. Clara was struggling to stay on her feet. All he could see was a shadow through the stain glass. He saw the shadow swaying, weak, almost to fall over. At this point he knew he had to intervene and enter the house, against her wishes.
The pointed his sonic screwdriver to the door and buzzed it. The door instantly unlocked and he quickly pushed it open.
Clara's legs gave in, she let out a gasp as her body forced her to fall. She felt two arms wrap around her.
"Whoa!" The Doctor said, catching her in his arms. "Mr Maitland was right, you do need to rest."
He helped her back to her feet and then carefully guided her to the living room to rest.
After a few minutes and about three glasses of water, Clara fully came to her senses. She shook her head and looked up to the man sitting next to her. She made a face full of disgust.
"Doctor, no one said you can be in here. Get out! Get out!" she yelled at him, standing up and pointing to the exit of the room. The Doctor stood up too.
"Clara, please, I've come to say sorry." The Doctor replied, his hands making all sorts of movements as he tried his best to calm Clara down.
"And now you've said it, so leave, now. Go!"
"Look, I know you don't want to see me and you've got all the rights in the world to hate my guts but right now you need to tell me what just happened because it could happen again and I might not be here the next time." He said shakily, his eyes wide. Clara sighed.
"I don't know," Clara revealed, slumping back into the chair. "Those pictures I saw," Clara paused and looked up at him, the Doctor gave her a guilty look, "the more I tried to stop thinking about them, the more they appeared in my mind. Like these images almost became memories. but I- I didn't know what they were, I- I don't recognise them. It made my head hurt and then...that happened."
"You seriously have no idea." he asked.
"No, I have no idea. I don't recognise them at all so don't start questioning me." she replied through gritted teeth, not really wanting to talk to him.
"Okay...but, don't you want to know why the room was full of pictures."
Clara sighed, "Of course I do, but I'm scared-"
"Scared?" he questioned, thinking it was the right moment to sit down next to her without her minding much.
"I've known you for a while now-"
"A very long while." The Doctor told her, resulting in a short but inquisitive look from Clara.
"You've been such a great friend to me, we've seen so much stuff, it's quite magical. But this has just destroyed it, broken my trust," Clara stopped, shaking her head in disbelief that she's revealing this to the Doctor, a man who she is extremely mad at, "I- I am angry at you, really angry...but I'm scared that when I know what that room was...I won't be able to forgive you."
"Clara, after hearing the reason...I do think you will be able to forgive me." he replied, glancing down at his own hands grasped together and resting on his lap.
"I don't think I will." revealed Clara, looking the opposite direction to the Doctor. She felt a cold tear slowly creep from her eye.
They sat there in silence till it became awkward. They both didn't know what to say. The Doctor did not want to loose Clara, but he was so afraid that, that might just happen. He had no choice but to tell her, otherwise she'd never want to see him again and if they ever did meet they would find it equally awkward. But he had to tell her in a way that she would forgive him and in a way that she would understand.
"Clara..." The Doctor started, taking a long deep breath. "I have said this before, but you quickly passed it off like it was nothing...I've met you before. I was travelling, with two very good friends, called Amy and Rory. Met you and you were ship wrecked at a place called Starship Alaska. You were so great, and funny and charming. You saved me and my friends, but we couldn't save you and you died." The Doctor stopped, and glanced at Clara. She faced away from him whilst her fingers fidgeted together in her lap.
Clara was frozen, and listening to every word the Doctor was saying very clearly. Starship Alaska. There it is again. It brought back pictures connected with that word that she saw in that creepy room in the TARDIS. Her mind grew tighter at trying to process all the confusing information. But as confusing as it sounds, a part of her let her know that he was telling the truth.
He thought it was right to continue. "Victorian London. I had lost Amy and Rory, I was alone and sad and living on a cloud. I met this girl, a governess. I didn't want to talk to anyone. That's funny because my old friend told me to never be alone. But this girl...she never gave up on me. She gave me the kick I needed, to get back on my feet after loosing two wonderful people who I was distraught over. She saved me. But then, I lost her again. That girl was you, Clara, you. The same face, appearing through my time travels. So when I saw you again, how could I resist? A girl who saved me twice which resulted in me loosing her twice. A girl who got me back to my 'madman in a box' way." with one hand, he reached and grabbed hers that were innocently resting in her lap. He saw her tilt her head to look down at them. With her watery eyes she trailed The Doctor, from his hands, to his arms, right to his eyes. They gazed dumbly in each others eyes, slightly with awe for a moment before the Doctor noticed her tears.
"Hey," he said almost with a sigh. He gently moved one of his hands to caress her delicate face. She almost smiled at his soft touch. "don't cry, Clara."
"I- I still don't understand." she replied in a almost whisper.
"Neither do I! I thought, maybe you knew why we have met three times now, but obviously you don't, but that is okay. I hope in the future we can both make sense out of it. But please remember this: your mystery is all intriguing. But I met you both times, you helped me, you saved me. You were so great to me all the other times, that when I met you for the third, I had to take you on board the TARDIS. A tiny bit of the reason was because of your mystery. But the rest...as a great friend who I didn't want to let go of."
"The TARDIS, why does she hate me?" Clara breathed.
"She doesn't hate you. She wants to know who you are. When I was interested, the TARDIS jumped at the chance to create a whole room for me to work in. She even gave me all those images. I hadn't even had that room for long but I can only apologise, I'm sorry Clara."
"Doctor, please, no more secrets."
"No more, if we make sense of your mystery that's great, but we will forget it for now, I promise. You for you. No mystery, no secrets, just you and me travelling in the TARDIS." he smiled deeply. Clara's heart almost flustered, the feeling that she was wanted as a friend and loved for herself made her give a gleaming smile back. "So Clara, will you forgive me? Because...I-I can't loose you."
What happened next surprised the Doctor. He expected Clara to lie and yes, then make him leave, and maybe not see each other for a few weeks or forever even. But instead with one swift move, she moved his hand from cupping her face and roughly pulled him in for a tight hug. For a moment, he was surprised and did absolutely nothing as he felt his impossible girl wrapped around his toned waist. But then he embraced the moment by holding her in his arms.
"Yes." she said confidently, though her voice sounded muffled and her head was buried into his purple tweed.
Securely in each other arms, they enjoyed each others presence. Clara felt relieved. She was still confused on her apparent mystery, but she knew as much as The Doctor did. She was reassured that they were back to their old ways, that they can put all this behind them and move on. The Doctor felt relaxed, happy that he was forgiven, relaxed he had his Clara back.
"Clara, my Clara." he breathed, almost in her neck, in which she sighed gracefully back at him.
They sat in silence for a good quarter of an hour, snuggled together and just listening to each others soft breathing before the Doctor jumped up suddenly.
"So then, Clara. A huge TARDIS wardrobe is awaiting, so you to find a new dress. I bet you are itching to get out of those clothes." he inquired. Clara raised an eyebrow and gave a teasing smile as if he was hinting at something. The Doctor quickly picked up on it.
He gasped. "No, no, Clara, I didn't mean, I-" he stumbled upon words. Clara couldn't help but laugh at his struggle.
She giggled and looked up at him with big sparkling eyes. "I know!"
The Doctor held out a firm hand for Clara. She took it and rose to her feet.
"My Clara!" he told her, before placing a quick kiss on her forehead.
Both happy and back to their old excitable ways, they took a slow stroll back to the TARDIS to continue their amazing adventures in all of time and space.
Thanks for reading! I do quite like the ending. Thank you for sticking with me and waiting for this! Please leave your thoughts, I will be very grateful!
Till next time.
CB!
