We resume with Eleven and Clara stuck in the Tunnel of Love, and Ten unconscious and in danger...

This chapter has some angst and peril, but I found space to include a little bit more meanness to Eleven :-)

Temporarily stuck in the Tunnel of Love, Eleven finally opened up to Clara.

"I'm forever haunted by the events of Trenzalore. Seeing you, my Clara, my Impossible girl jumping into my timestream. I'd already lost you twice, and lying there I couldn't bear the thought of losing you again. And that I wasn't able to stop you."

"But Doctor" Clara replied, "You were dying, the Great Intelligence had jumped into your timestream and was destroying you, over and over again. I had to do it, it was the only way to save you. I would willingly do it again to save you, my Doctor."

"Clara, I should never have let you do it. I am racked with torture that I didn't stop you, and have been trying to find a way of say it and make it up to you."

"Doctor, you did the impossible, you risked everything to save me, by following me into your Timestream, I think that shows your feelings better than any mere words can."

"Clara, how have you coped? I know you've had nightmares, at night I've heard your screams while you're sleeping. I've gone into your room, I'm sorry I had to, I couldn't bear to hear you screaming like that, and watched you writhing around in agony. And yet, and yet, it never seems to be the right time to say something to you, to ask you how it's been. Clara, what do you dream about?"

"I dream about saving you, and about dying. Sometimes it seems vivid, so very vivid. Other times, it's like I'm watching someone else's life. Why would I bother you with this, it would only make you feel worse than you already do. The dreams aren't as bad as they were, maybe my brain is coping better now."

"Oh Clara, you must never hide your pain from me, it was my fault, and I'll do anything to make you better. I was so worried I'd lost you forever, and now I've got you're back I'm never ever going to lose you again. I will always be here for you."

And with that they hugged, tears pouring down their cheeks, tears for the pain they'd gone through together, and for the emotions that since Trenzalore had been bottled up, and which now flowed out.

"Oh Clara, I, I…"

"Doctor?" Clara gazed at the Doctor, anticipating, hoping that he was about to say…

"I, I think I lo…We need to get out of here."

Clara came crashing back down to earth.

Ten slowly came round, and saw he was in room he didn't recognise, with his arms and legs tied up. A man in a tall hat came over.

"Doctor, I don't think you recognise me. I am the Great Intelligence. You have defeated me throughout your life, but not anymore."

"What happened?"

"I have spies all over time and space keeping track of your movements, I pick my locations carefully, and figured that at some point you wouldn't be able to resist Space Blackpool, after all a planet modelled on a popular English resort would bound to be off interest to one of your Companions at some point, seeing that most of them are British. So when I was told that the Doctor had used his psychic paper here, well naturally I jumped at the opportunity to investigate."

"Ah yes, the theme park passes."

"What I didn't expect, was to find Two Doctors, you must tell me how you did that, as I'd be fascinated to find out. If you have time before your death, that is."

"Oh I'm sure you'll want to delay my death to find out, you'd be devastated if you missed out on that" replied Ten with a slight hint of sarcasm.

"The key was separating you from the other Doctor. Once I spotted your later version going off in the Tunnel of Love with the girl, it all became easy. They're currently stuck in the middle of the tunnel, as I've shut the power off. I haven't decided what to do with them yet."

"Are they ok?"

"Oh they're fine, they've no idea what's going on, and are totally oblivious to your fate. Besides, what could be more romantic, the boy and the beautiful girl, stuck together in the Tunnel of Love."

"Hmm, you clearly don't know him very well. He's probably talking to her about his voltmeter collection."

"With you separated from them, and suspecting nothing, capturing you was easy, chloroform to the face did the trick. I didn't kill you straight away, as originally I intended to use you as bait for the other Doctor. Then it suddenly occurred to me. You're not in your regular timestream. If I kill you and you regenerate, all the events that happened to you between now and where your future self is now will vanish, all your successes, all the people you saved, all this will never have happened. Hundreds of years of your work gone, just like that."

"You don't know what you're playing with, nobody knows what will happen if I regenerate now, this could cause fatal damage to Time itself!"

"That's a risk I'm prepared to take. I have nothing to lose Doctor, you've defeated me so many times, that I'm happy to go down with you. We can both die together. Along with everyone else, for all I care."

Back in the tunnel, Eleven continued.

"Nobody has come to rescue us; there's been no sign of action, not a sound. I'm starting to suspect that this isn't a breakdown."

"You mean that someone has deliberately stranded us here?" replied Clara, switching quickly back to the reality of travelling with The Doctor.

"Yes, it's the perfect place really, stuck in the middle of this tunnel, out of sight, all very convenient. But for what? We need to get out, there must be an exit somewhere, there will be access points for maintenance, and for emergency evacuations."

Eleven reached into his pocket and pulled out a torch. [flashlight]

"Hmm, is that a torch in your pocket, or are you just happy to see me!" smirked Clara.

"This is serious Clara."

Clara put on her 'this is serious' face.

"Sorry, not that serious", Eleven smiled. "You can search the tunnel with the torch, I'll use my sonic."

After a couple of minutes of searching, and with an exclamation of "Gotcha" Eleven found an exit door.

"There it is, just over there Clara. The handle is disguised as a stalactite, very clever, hats off to the designer of this tunnel. I do like a stalactite. Now if I lean over from the end of this boat, I should be able to reach it. Here we go, it's a bit of a stretch…almost there… just a bit more…aaaarrggghhhh"

SPLASH!

"Eurgh, I'm all wet" moaned Eleven.

"The water isn't very deep, so at least your bow tie stayed dry" giggled Clara, despite her best efforts not to laugh. "Sorry, shouldn't laugh, does the handle work?"

"Yes! There's a passageway behind the door, which should lead us out. I suppose I'd better carry you across Clara."

And with that Eleven carried Clara across from the boat to the exit door, pretending to drop her just the once, and was rewarded with an exaggerated exclamation of "my hero" and a kiss on the cheek, which cheered him up somewhat.

Eleven and Clara followed the passageway, Eleven leaving a trail of water behind. Eventually, they found themselves outside again.

"I wonder where Junior went to. He was going to get us some space cola, let's head towards the café, perhaps he's waiting inside."

"Doctor, I'm so looking forward to deleting hundreds of years of your history" continued the Great Intelligence to Ten "so many triumphs in your future that will now never happen. When I give the command, you will be shot down, a fitting punishment for a blood soaked tyrant."

Suddenly there was a crash from behind, as a door burst open. A familiar sounding voice cried out.

"Doctor! The door behind you is open, I'm just cutting the ropes. No time to explain, just run. I'll cover you."

"Clara!" replied Ten recognising the voice. "Clara?"

"I've cut the ropes. Run!"

"Shoot him, he's escaping!"

One more chapter to go, in which all will be revealed...