Gallifray stands

Summary: After being lost for so long Gallifray stands once more and Clara Oswald is instrumental in its salvation. My slightly alternate ending to TDOTD

AN: Here is chapter two as promised, enjoy.

Disclaimer: I always forget to put this on the first chapter for some reason but anything you recognise does not belong to me

Warning: I have listed this story under friendship/romance because that is where I feel it belongs but please beware there are some slightly sad bits, particularly in this chapter

Chapter 2

The Eleventh Doctor could have sworn his hearts froze for a second as Clara slumped into his arms. "Don't do this to me Clara, not again, please" he mummer into her soft hair. He couldn't bear to lose his impossible girl; he didn't think he would survive it if he had to watch her die again.

"What's wrong with her?" his tenth incarnation asked obviously concerned. It seemed that his worry for Clara had blinded him to the projection around them, just like the current Doctor. "I said what's wrong with her?" He repeated moving closer clearly intending to help but the Doctor could not allow that, he trusted no one else with Clara's safety not even a past version of himself.

Thankfully the other Doctor understood that his interference no matter how well intentioned was not wanted and stopped his approach. The older Doctor managed to scan Clara with his sonic screwdriver while never having to release his hold on her. "I don't know what happened" he admitted "All of her vital signs are strong but there is no brain activity, it's like her mind has just gone somewhere else".

"Gone where?" the Tenth Doctor wondered aloud.

"I think I may have found it" the War Doctor spoke up for the first time since Clara's collapse. The two Doctors turned to see the younger man pointing at a cluster of people in the centre of the projection, all but one of them were fleeing for shelter but a small brunet was running towards the battle. No, not the battle, the boy. She was risking her life in an attempt to reach the terrified child.

"Clara" the Eleventh Doctor gasped recognising his companion in an instant.

"That's not possible" the Tenth Doctor whispered.

"Meet the impossible girl" the eleventh replied almost flippantly "we have to get her back" he said slipping back into his more serious tone.

"I agree" the younger man stated "any idea how we do that".

"Not a one" Clara's Doctor admitted regretfully as he pulled the small woman closer to his chest.

While his older selves were desperately searching for a way to help Clara the War Doctor found he could take his eyes off her image in the projection. She hopped over fires, avoided falling rubble and dodged laser beams just to reach a frightened little boy, she really was something.

"Stop this" he said looking away from the impossible girl and turning to the bad wolf, who had been acting as his guide.

"It can't be stopped" she told him softly "not until you have seen all you need to see, but I can promise she will be returned unharmed" she said offering him a small smile.

"Be quiet both of you" the youngest of the Doctors ordered the older two "it seems to me that Clara has something she needs to show us" he explained turning his attention back to the girl in question just as she reached the boys side.

"Miss Clara" the boy, Jacken gasped clearly terrified but trying to hide it.

"Hello Jacken" Clara greeted him with a bright smile despite their desperate situation "not the best night to take a stroll, if you ask me" she said trying to be light as she glanced over her shoulder check if the cost was clear.

The Eleventh Doctor didn't want to smile, he really didn't, not with Clara in danger but he just couldn't help himself. It didn't matter were Clara was she would always find herself a child to protect. She had to know how dangerous it was for her and Jacken to be out in the open right now but she was doing everything in her power to shield the boy from the grim reality around them.

"We need to make for the tunnels" Clara told the child "your mother and sister are already there and very worried about you" she added, the disapproval in her tone implied that the boy should be safely tucked away in the tunnels too.

The Doctor looked from his Clara who still lay in his arms to the woman he was sure was one of her many echo's and was surprised by just how much of a difference he could see between them. The Clara Echo was only slightly older than his Clara but physically she was very different. His Clara was warmth and comfort personified, the echo was not. While her interactions with Jacken proved that comfort and protection were still part of who she was, her body and her movements told him that she spent more of this life fighting than comforting. The echo was a highly trained and well honed weapon of war; the three men shared a quick look as if checking that they all saw the same deadly potential in the girl that looked so like Clara. Something about seeing what Clara could have been actually scared all of the Doctors more than any of them wanted to admit.

Clara's urgent voice called their full intention back to the projection in front of them. "Jacken we are not far from the tunnel entrance" she whispered quickly as she pointed to a small hole in the ground across the way from them. Unfortunately the open area that they had to cross would soon be filled with Daleks.

"We have to move, now" Clara told the boy but he seemed reluctant the leave the cover he had found.

"What's the point" he asked sadly "we are as good as dead anyway, this war will kill us all" hearing the child's words broke all three of Doctors hearts, for someone so young to lose hope like that was terrible but to know you are the person who will prove that are right to do so is even worse.

"Don't say that Jacken" Clara scolded him softly "there is always hope".

"No there's not" the boy insisted in that stubborn way that only a child can really pull off.

"Yes there is" Clara shot back with a brilliant smile "do you know why?" she asked.

"No why" the disillusioned boy wondered.

"Because I heard something tonight, I heard Daleks screeching in terror, you know what that means, don't you?" she said sounding more excited than anyone in her position should "there is only one man in the universe that Daleks are afraid of and he is here, on this planet".

"The Doctor's here?" Jacken gasped.

"Yes" Clara confirmed "and he will do everything in his power to save us but we have to do something for him in return".

"What?"

"We have to survive Jacken, we have to live, we have to fight to be here for him to save, we just need to hang on a little bit longer. Do you think you can do that?" she asked breathlessly "can you Jacken?" she pressed when the boy tried to avoid her eyes.

"I just want it to be over, I'm scared" Jacken admitted.

"I know you are, we all are but sometime scared is good, scared tells you your alive".

"Well then" Jacken said grimly "I am very, very alive".

"Me too Jacken, Me too" Clara assured him "now we need to get to the tunnels quickly" she told him hazarding a glance in the direction the Daleks had been coming from. They weren't too close, just far away enough for her and Jacken to stand a chance.

"On the count of three we go, OK?" Clara asked hoping that this time Jacken was ready.

"OK" he confirmed.

"I'll be right behind you" Clara reassured him as they got to their feet ready to race across the now deserted square "don't waste time or energy looking back just run" she ordered "run and run until you are safe in your mother's arms" she told him.

"I will" Jacken promised trying to ignore the bad feeling that had suddenly settled over him.

"1,2,3" Clara counted aloud and the two of them took off running for the tunnels but only one of them made it.

The Dalek laser beam came out of nowhere and barely grazed Clara but that was all it took. She had so nearly made it to the tunnels and safety but the gods were not with her that night.

She found herself lying on her back, looking up at the stars as she felt her life slowly ebbing away; it was an almost peaceful death. Clara's last thoughts were of the Doctor, what she had told Jacken was true. She really did believe that the onetime renegade would save them all, she was sure that even now he was racing towards his goal of ending the time war.

"Run" she murmured to the starlit sky "run you clever boy and remember" those were her final words as the last of her life left her body.

As soon as the Clara echo took her last breath, the projection faded away and the real Clara's eye snapped open so fast that it almost made the Doctors jump.

"Clara" the Eleventh Doctor gasped pulling the girl even closer to him and peppering kisses across her forehead. The other Doctors had the decency to avert their gaze until he had regained some of his composure. Clara however was not so kind, she pulled away from him as soon as she knew her legs would hold her. She had had no memory of that life before her flashback but now she did remember she was more determined than ever to help the Doctors correct their mistake.

"Are you alright?" the Tenth Doctor asked reaching a hand out to steady her

"I have been better" the girl admitted crossly as she neatly side stepped the arm he offered despite her still slightly wobbly legs. She paused for a moment to take in the look on each of the Doctors faces. Her Doctor had clearly been crying while both the Tenth and War Doctors were sporting glassy eyes.

"Look at you" she whispered tying to control her emotions "the three of you are crying over a human girl who's not even really dead, yet still prepared to burn a whole planet for the greater good" she spat looking from one Doctor to the next. She could see matching looks of pain in all three sets of eyes and as much as she hated to see them hurt the truth was it gave her hope. Hope that perhaps there was a chance Gallifray could be saved and by extension the Doctor himself.

"Seriously look at yourselves" she went on in a gentler more forgiving tone "the warrior, the hero and you" she paused as her Doctor approached her looking hurt, tormented and a little bit heartbroken.

"And what am I?" he asked her.

"Have you really forgotten?" Clara countered.

"Yes" her Doctor shot back "maybe yes".

"We've got enough warriors. Any old idiot can be a hero" she told him, she wanted to send apologetic looks in the direction of his younger incarnations but she daren't take her eyes off the Doctor in front of her.

"Then what do I do?" her Doctor questioned her and the sad thing was he genuinely didn't seem to know.

Clara gave a mirthless chuckle, how could he not know "What you've always done" she told him softly "be a Doctor".

While it was clear her words were affecting her Doctor the other two seemed to stand by their decision and Clara wasn't sure what it would take to get though to them.

"Their chosen name" came a voice from beside her "ask about the name they chose, why the Doctor?"

Clara's eyes flew to the girl beside her, a blond girl with wild hair and a mischievous smile, a girl whom Clara was sure had not been there a second ago.

Before Clara could say anything the other girl quickly raised her finger to her lips silencing any questions she may have asked "I am the Moment" the blond said solemnly "and as I am a moment I can give you one" she added with a cheeky grin. Clara was confused until she realised none of the Doctors had moved an inch since the blond arrived.

"Did you freeze them?" she asked concerned.

"Very briefly they'll be fine, don't worry" the Moment reassured.

"Wait you're the Moment?" Clara asked, the blond just nodded "You mean you're that thing?" Clara pointed to the huge box that still stood behind the Doctors, complete with its big red button.

"That's me" the girl sadly admitted "the galaxy eater, the destroyer of worlds, your Doctor may believe that he ended the time war and slaughtered his own people but all he did was push the button. I'm the one that burnt them all, I'm the one that ended every life on Gallifray and I can't bear to do it again. So this time I'm going to stop him and you're going to help me".

"It might have escaped your notice but I am trying, it's just not working" Clara moaned.

"But it is working Clara you are so nearly there, that's why I have come to you, to help you complete your task. You are so close to saving him once again impossible girl, don't give up now" the Moment implored her "you know what you need to do. Ask him about his promise" she whispered before fading away.

Clara's Doctor suddenly blinked proving to her that time had returned to normal and it was time to ask the question she hoped would save all of them so much pain in the long run.

"You told me the name you chose was a promise, what was that promise?" she asked looking passed her Doctor to the two younger men.

"Never cruel or cowardly" the Tenth Doctor said with fresh tears in his eyes.

"Never give up, never give in" the War Doctor added just as solemnly.

In that moment the Doctors shared a look of cautious understanding and Clara felt a rush of relief. Gallifray wasn't safe yet but at least the three of them were prepared to try and think of another option, and having seen what one Doctor could do Clara had no doubt that three of them would find a solution.

Thanks for reading, let me know what you think

Millie xXx