Disclaimer- don't own Doctor Who... What a shame...
A/N Sorry I haven't uploaded in a while- i had lots of coursework to do and I've been moving... Anyway... I would love reviews? Xxx :)
ARGUMENTS
Map was sitting in what was basically the 'attic' of the TARDIS, strumming her guitar and trying not to hear whatever argument the Doctor and Clara were having downstairs. Normally she would be interested but today she just didn't want to know. She knew that if was about her, and that was enough already.
"Doctor she's a"
The Doctor interrupted.
"She's a"
He kept going.
"Doctor"
And going.
"She's a"
And going.
"Doctor! Map is a"
So did she.
"TIME LORD"
He didn't.
"No."
"No?"
The discussion became heated and all Map could hear after that was singular words.
Clara: "Can't"
Doctor: "How"
Clara: "Please."
Doctor: "No."
Clara: "Listen"
Doctor: "Impossible."
Clara :"TARDIS."
Doctor: "River."
Clara: "No."
Doctor: "Come."
Clara: "No."
Doctor: "Please."
Clara: "Where."
Doctor: "River."
Clara: "No."
Doctor: "Clara."
Clara: "Yes."
Doctor: "Please."
Clara: "No."
Doctor: "Where."
Clara: "Home."
Doctor: "Please."
Clara: "No"
Doctor: "Clara."
Doctor: "Clara."
Doctor: "Please."
Doctor : "Clara."
Clara: "Doctor."
Clara: "Stubborn."
Doctor: "Please."
Clara: "Goodbye."
Map threw down her guitar and ran to the console room as fast as she could. The scene she walked in on was the TARDIS door about to be slammed on the Doctor. She couldn't let her leave. There was nothing she could do. She hadn't enough breath to yell out but in her mind she was screaming one word:
"STOP!" Clara and The Doctor stopped moving. She used the moment to catch her breath. Bent double, arm around her stomach (she had a stitch) she began to plead. Every few words having to stop to take a deep breath.
"Clara... You can't... Go... Please he... He needs you." She righted herself, looking up to see... No change at all. Clara stood half way through the door, tears about to spill, lips pouted in anger, forehead furrowed in sorrow, head turned resolutely away from her Doctor. Her Doctor, who stood, face passive, trying not to show his emotion, eyes filled with betrayal, mouth forcing itself to restrain from the quiver of grief. A single light on the TARDIS console paused mid-flash and a gust of wind keeping a few strands of Clara's hair stuck in mid air. Map's eyes went wide. They were frozen. Time was literally frozen. For a second she had thought they were surprised by her entrance and standing very still, perhaps in shock. No. They were frozen. They probably hadn't even noticed her run in. Map walked up to Clara and pulled the strands of hair back to her head. Then she looked outside. Two kids were having a water fight with hoses, droplets of water suspended in the air and hands permanently raised in defence. An old man was bent over telling off his dog. Map could see one hand behind his back, tightly gripping the handle of a lead, the other had one finger extended towards the cowering animal. It was everyone. Despite herself, Map laughed. Then she realised that it was her that had done it, and she laughed even more. All she needed to do was think, that was power even the Doctor didn't have. She grabbed Clara and picked her up, carrying her inside ever so slightly and closing the door to the TARDIS, she then placed herself between Clara and the exit. All she needed to do was think.
"Start." Clara jumped in shock and squealed. The Doctor stared.
"I was there. I was leaving. Doctor was that you?" The Doctor was struggling for words.
"I. No. I didn't do that! It's like you teleported!" Map laughed and they stared at her. She tried to restrain herself.
"Sorry it's just. Your faces! It's like she teleported? Have you never seen Star Trek? No it's not! It's like someone paused time and moved her! Which would make sense since someone did. Hi." They both just looked at her.
It was the same sort of look her foster parents had given her when they found weed in her room. Well no. It was the look they gave her after she explained that it had always been possible for communications through time and space in dreams and a trance-like state, and that she needed to talk to Madam Vastra, Jenny and Strax- the Victorian lizard woman from the dawn of time, her wife and their alien friend who could breast feed and looked like a potato (friends of her mother's- the time traveling archaeologist who studied on the moon.) That was when they had first put her into an institution. She had hated every second of it. They talked to her as is she was inept. The place was a breeding ground for insanity, it took only three months to break her. She lived in a constant state of terror, every noise muffled and every light blinding. By the time she thought she could take no more, word had reached the ears of a time agent who came to see her. When he left he took with him a message containing a date and a time and leaving behind a glimmer of hope. Luckily (and partially down to her penchant for biting) they gave her enough medication to serve the same purpose as a trance. First came Vastra and Jenny. Apparently Strax was busy on that day. At the time she was 11, but she could still remember it well.
"Greetings child, would you like some tea?" Vastra held out a delicate china cup containing a transparent liquid. It looked like jasmine.
"Thank you." She took the cup, hoping the warmth would soothe the insects that were crawling under her skin. However, her hand was shaking so much that most of the tea spilt into the saucer. Jenny looked at her with concern and Map realised that she was still wearing her white hospital gown. She tried to lift the cup to her lips but couldn't even to that. The frustration and embarrassment caused a sudden eruption of tears and her hands fell to the table, tea cup and all. After a moment she felt strong arms around her, bushy hair against her neck and heard words promising safety. Then the arms were gone and Jenny was grasping her hands and speaking softly.
She awoke to gunfire and bolted upright. Peering through the glass in her cell door she saw her mother shoot the kneecaps of 20 guards with astounding accuracy. They fell to their knees and one held out a quivering hand. In it were the keys to her cell. Map smiled.
Pulling herself from her memory she saw that her current guardians were still staring. My god they needed better reaction time.
"Clara. Just don't leave him. He's stubborn. But he's still amazing so it's worth it." She nodded slightly and swallowed. The Doctor moved towards her slowly, pinging one of the bushy strands of her hair and poking her.
"You are not possible." He turned her round and stared into her eyes. He commenced a thorough inspection, coming up with nothing. She rolled her eyes.
"How." Map opened her mouth, about to explain herself, then realised she had no explanation. She tried to smile charismatically. Clara asked her if she was feeling alright. She stopped smiling. Luckily for her, River Song took that moment to stumble through the TARDIS doors, providing a perfect distraction. All eyes turned to the professor and in her mind Map thought about everything stopping. Everything stopped. She moved into the shadows, not knowing when in her timeline this version of her mother was from. Then she thought about everything starting. Everything started.
"Oh hello Clara!" How are you both doing? Sorry I left so abruptly. Bad mood." She smiled as though nothing had ever happened and strolled over to The Doctor, pushing them both onto the console, leaning into him for a kiss then stopping.
"What is it? What's wrong?" He swallowed and she moved back a little, letting him stand upright.
"Nothing. Nothing's wrong." He glanced around, looking for Map and saw her hiding. River, of course noticed and followed his eyes. She bolted away from him like he was poisonous. The look of terror and confusion on her face was one Map would never forget. Then it moved to anger and she lunged forward, dragging Map to the centre of the room. The Doctor, not yet understanding, moved to stop her but Clara, having understood, stopped him.
"MAIYA WHAT ARE YOU DOING WITH HIM?" She looked like she might cry, or shoot something. In her mind she was screaming.
All she had ever wanted was to keep Maiya safe, away from The Doctor. Away from a life of death and danger and loosing everyone you love. Away from a life where you aren't even safe to fall in love. She had tried so hard, for nothing.
"Mother, please!" The Doctor stopped struggling in Clara's arms and River turned to him. His eyes filled with betrayal and in the corner of his eye he saw Map disappear. She put a hand on his arm and he looked down.
"Take her home, now. Maiya is the only thing in my life you haven't destroyed, Doctor." He took three steps forward and she took three back. After a quick moment, River turned and ran. Without meeting anyone's eyes, The Doctor stormed out of the console room.
When she could no longer hear his footsteps, Clara enveloped the teenage girl in her arms. For a moment, she continued to stand, staring, in a state of shock. Then her body began to shake and she let the sobs wrack her form, Clara swaying her and telling her it would all be okay.
