"Philippi…"

Summary: The Doctor, seeking an answer to the mystery of Clara, has decided to turn to the one person who always has the answer…Even if she never tells him straight out. And gets a message from an old acquaintance…

Disclaimer: Who me? No commercial interest or infringement intended whatsoever…

Part VII…

Ehh…Clara giggling slightly as she and the Doctor stepped out of the TARDIS into the afternoon sunshine…River having agreed to be TARDIS-sitter for a bit.

"That's the temporal shift as you readjust…Give it a mo…"

"Like something tickling me in the ribs…And a bit like a glass of champagne."

"Nice way to describe it." He smiled. "Of course it can be more like a 1000 ton ship ramming into your sides…While being boiled alive in very spoilt and stinking cooking oil."

"Thanks for telling me…" she stared.

"I'd not had to adjust anywhere near that much…River's got a fine touch at these things." he beamed.

"And River…She caused the temporal shift?" Clara eyed him.

"She'd had to do a little backjumping…Temporal physics doesn't like that…It has to throw things out of synch in certain localized centers of time to rebalance…"

"Rebalance…What?"

"Everything…" he nodded, touching finger to nose in sage expression.

Uh-huh…"But why did she have to 'backjump'?…I'm guessing there's a lot more to it than it sounds."

"Yes…But no serious harm done…And things will sort out soon enough…It's a big Universe, plenty of time to hide things away in."

Hmmn…He paused.

"What?" Clara, beaming slightly as she stared. "You've an idea, haven't you? About your LP, the one I saw, Rasywhatever?"

"Rasillon…And maybe…Maybe…It might just…Yes…" nod… "He could have….Just possibly, he could have done it… Hid himself away, in time folds."

"What?"

"Corners of obscure time…The moments no one uses…No one watches…Never fixed, not even stable…He knew enough to prepare the Master centuries ago, why wouldn't he have prepared a fall-back in all that time?"

"So he is the one calling in…?" shrewd look.

"Maybe…And it may be a lure…Whoever is behind Rasillon's little calling card knows…"

"Doctor?...Knows what?"

"Hmmn…" sigh, dismissive wave… "Lets leave the Lord President for a moment stuck in his folds and just enjoy a wonder of Earthly nature, eh?" he pointed out to the raging Falls. She frowned but shrugged…Well…

"It's nice." She beamed. "I always wanted to see them, the Falls. They're in my book."

"Well, now you have…"

"Not quite those rings…" she grinned. Pausing, hesitant… "Did River like them, these I mean?"

"Oh, yes…Of course she's really Terran at heart so this is a home thing…"

"Born off-Earth but Terran at heart?"

"Daughter of my companion, just before you…Amelia Pond Williams, Amy…Amy Pond…The girl who waited." He smiled wanly.

"Waited? I can relate. "

I suppose you can…Relatively relate, Melody…He thought, eyeing her.

"River's…Mum? How old was she?"

"Yes, Mum and you should know it's impolite to ask. She was conceived in the TARDIS, which gave her Time Lord qualities."

"Really…" blink… "So…If I should…?"

"Clara?!"

"Doctor…It happens…It obviously happened with your friend…Hey, I might meet a handsome Martian Ice Warrior…Or a nice Russian submariner…And the next you know…" arch look…

"Please…" he put up a hand. "I prefer not to think about such things."

"Well…" she gave a sly sidelong glance… "What about you and River?…I see sparks fly…And I don't mean due to a temporal maladjustment."

"Clara…Personal matters…"

"Not so personal on a spaceship, even as big inside as the TARDIS…I'm just curious about alien mating habits, Doctor."

"'Alien mating habits'?! Must you, really?"

"Well, you are…And she nearly is…"

"You know, none of my other companions…"

"This Amelia obviously did…" shrewd look.

"I don't inquire into my companions' private affairs…And you know I meant talked about such things…"

"So it wasn't you…River's…I mean…"

"Clara?!..."

"Well, it's an obvious question…"

"Her husband…Rory." Frown.

"Honeymooning, eh? Quite the 'love boat' we run here, eh, Captain?" impish grin.

"I'm beginning to think I ought to start censoring behavior on the 'love boat'." Frown.

"Oh…Don't do that…You might want to indulge sometime…You are married, after all." grin.

"Can we get back to discussing a possible threat to our lives and the Universe rather than such ridiculous…?"

"Look at you blush…" she chuckled.

"Right, enjoy yourself…" sigh.

"Oh…" mock pout… "Don't be like that. I'm curious about the fellow I've hooked up with for a travelling companion, what's the surprise in that? And you did spring a wifey on me out of the blue, you know?"

"Bit of a surprise to me, too, to be honest…" he grinned after a moment. "She came into my existence rather suddenly…And in a rather strange way…"

"It's nice to hear you have someone special…Seriously. I felt a little sad, thinking you were always having to be alone in the end, dropping us off at the end…But doesn't she mind, all the companions, I mean?…Whom I take it are not generally male? Actually, judging by the way she treated me on arrival, she clearly does mind." Reflective nod.

"We can't always be together…It's complicated."

"Eleanor and Franklin, eh? What did you do? Men…" frown. Shaking head.

"No…" he stared. "That's not it…Well…Not to say she doesn't care about that…I suppose she does mind it a bit…Not that I've ever given cause…"

"Well, then…What is it? She's obviously crazy about you…Can't Time Lords cohabit without some kind of big timey kabang?"

"Certainly we can…I had a Time Lady companion for quite a while, not to mention my granddaughter…And she's not a Time Lord…Lady…And she gave up her regenerative abilities to save me a long time ago…"

"She did? You mean she's not able to regenerate like you? So she'll age and die, one day?"

"I prefer not to discuss that." He said, abruptly. "Her life's quite extended in any case."

"Sorry…" careful smile. "I guess it must be very hard for you…An immortal Time guy with a mortal wife…Rough, from your perpective, I guess." Thoughtful nod.

"I'm not immortal…I just regenerate and one day that will end. Clara, could we? I really hate endings or even discussing them."

"Sorry…" wan smile….Stare. "I believe I spy a good husband in there, all things considered. Do you two spend much time together?"

"We hook up a good deal…Our timelines seem to run counter parallel…Which is a bit of a problem but it's always fun when we do find each other." Smile.

"Eleanor and Franklin…" she beamed… "Without the affair thing, I guess…"

"Without the affair thing…Yes." Frown.

"Well…You know FDR told his son Eleanor was the one girl in the world, whatever people made of the lovelys hanging about him…" smile.

"I have companions, not 'lovelys'…Inspiration, stimulation by youthful eagerness…Abject need on their parts and often their worlds…And I've asked her to travel with me." Sigh.

"I'm only teasing…I'm sure you're a model hubby…" grin.

"Could we?" sigh.

She put her hands up…"Sorry, again…Just tryin' to get the lowdown…And she uses?…What did she call it? For traveling?"

"Vortex manipulator…Time and space travel on the cheap, I say but she rather likes it. It does allow her to slip into places the TARDIS is too big and bulky to manage in the temporal streams."

"Nice…I'll have to try it."

"It's fine if prefer public transit to a luxury cruise…" he sniffed a bit.

"Don't be a snob, Time Lord." She mock frowned. "Doctor…?" Serious look… "What's it all about?"

Beam…Ah…

"Well, Clara…That could take decades…" eager air.

Sigh…"I don't mean the answer to 'Life, the Universe, and Everything'…Every Douglas Adams' fan knows that's '42'."

"Dangerous knowledge…I've always wondered how'd he got hold of that?" smile.

"Say? He wasn't…One of you?..."

"Nope, not even a Companion that I know of…Just a very gifted writer with a great twinkle…And a very clear view of the Universe as it really is."

"Oh?"

"Totally fracked up and sometimes a bit tragic, but generally a hell of awful fun to kick around in…"

Smile returned, then…

"Clara? What's wrong?" he looked back to where she was staring, into the midst of the falls…

"It's him…" she pointed… "Rasillon…" she blinked at the figure, now rather pleasant expression as it/he floated about the raging, churning waters.

Understandable given his rather casual attire of flowered shirt and slacks, with Hawaiian style leis draped about his neck as he played a rather jaunty piece on bongos. Waving with broad smile to the staring Clara…

"Bongos? Doctor, are those…Bongos?"

"Bongos? You see bongos? I thought you saw Rasillon?"

"Well, ole girl…" River eyed the TARDIS console… "Thanks, if it was ordered. I know it hurt, but if he did gave the order, I know he truly appreciates it. And if he didn't, I'll see to whom- or what- ever. I won't press you there in the tender spot, but could I have a look-see at the happy couple?"

The display showed the Doctor and Clara, strolling by the Falls, looking across.

"It's a pretty form, no question…I'm rather blessed in that one line." she eyed Clara with slight smile.

"Yes, irrationally jealous as all get out…" she nodded… "And don't you go denying you aren't the very same…"

"It's a hard thing to lose the heart and soul of your life, even to yourself…And there is a bit of you in me, thanks to Mum and Dad's propensity to shag under the most terrifying conditions. Poor Mum…Do you miss her too? I suppose you do…She is happy, I can tell you that…And I'm…Thanks to her kindness…Finally free of that one thing that ever shamed me in our relationship…It's a dreadful thing to be so jealous of your own mother, ole girl. Almost wishing, sometimes…" wincing shrug… "But, till the very end…That awful day when I lost and found my mother in one moment, she hadn't seemed like my mother…Just a great girlfriend who made me feel like the alternate choice when she was around. But when she took my hand and tole me to be a good girl…" tears running… "Oh, Mum…Oh, Daddy…I'm trying…I swear."

"Well…Enough…You know I'm younger than I may look…At times…" grin…

She pulled the console display close. "Clara/Oswin Oswald, all records…And I swear, if this is wrong…If he's done wrong for me…I'll put it right, whatever that means. Even if he forgets me and I lose him forever." She eyed the faces before her.

"Yeah…We definitely got the form nice…" grin.

The previous, pre-River-backjump time line…

Hmmphf…Clara, staring…Sitting up suddenly…Accusing expression at the suddenly rather sheepish Doctor.

"Here." River, kindly… Offering a wet cloth.

"Why did you drug me, Doctor? And what was all that about memories…?" Clara taking cloth…Thanks…And applying to forehead.

"You know it really shouldn't have left any…" he began to River who eyed him sternly.

Forging a bond here, love, hush up…

"We…River and I…Needed to compare notes and you'd been acting a bit…"

"I didn't damage the TARDIS before…" she sat upright, annoyed. "You'd no reason…Did she tell you…?" glare at River…

"No, this is nothing to do with that…Clara, you had a sudden lapse…When you and River came into direct contact, buried memories in you were released, a lot of them. At once…And as I told you, you tried to take the TARDIS somewhere very dangerous."

"I see…I think…I don't remember…"

"Natural…The buried memories were intended to stay buried…"

"So you drugged me to keep me from doing that again?"

"Only while we were out…Just in case…See, I'm telling you. Not keeping anything back…"

"But she is…" Clara regarded River… Frowning.

"And so are you, actually…" she eyed the Doctor, annoyed… "What's going on, Doctor? What, can't a stranger be let in on the great secret?"

"Clara…"

"No, she's right Doctor…She deserves to know the truth…" River, carefully.

"Yes, she does…" Clara, firmly. "So this has something to do with those memories…Which I don't remember and how can I have a raft of buried memories? Unless…" she gave a hard stare at the Doctor… "Did you do something?"

"I think you've put the finger on it, sweetie." River, nodding.