Missy was not only cross when her men reported back to her. She was furious. There were only two men who had returned from London. The remaining three were, as they said, were in 'bad shape'. Two had broken jaws and another had his right leg broken. Immobilized men meant more money and resources were needed and she hated wasting both.
If this continued on, she would have to face the Doctor and get the job done herself.
It would seem she and Professor Rassilon had greatly underestimated the Doctor.
"And what exactly happened?" the professor asked as the same waiter came back with a pot of tea. "Would you like to order anything?"
"No," Missy stated simply as she drummed her fingers on the table, waiting for the waiter to leave. Once he did, she began explaining what happened. "I sent three of my men with an additional two to be sure it went smoothly and the report that I got back was that two had their jaws broken while one, his leg."
Rassilon raised the cup of tea to his lips. "But they did deliver the message didn't they. I would say it's a job well done."
Missy frowned. "It may be all about the message for you but for me, it means more money and resources going to waste. I have other clients too."
"If this is about money, then I shall double the payment. However, that will take sometime. Obtaining funds from the university is no easy feat."
Professor Rassilon wasn't only power hungry, he was also a greedy. The man had been embezzling funds from the university ever since he was appointed as one of the board of governors two years ago. It made him richer than he could ever imagined but that also meant he needed to be careful as he was sure that Scotland Yard was onto him since two months ago.
He was no fool. He knew he was being watched, hence the reason why he had chosen an expensive restaurant to conduct his business, knowing full well that the police wouldn't have the budget to constantly monitor him in a place frequented by the upper class.
"It's not just about the money, professor. This whole operation is also time consuming. Like I said, wasted resources."
Rassilon sighed. "Yes, well, I didn't expect him to put up such a fight either. We have both underestimated him."
"Also," she added. "My boys said there was somebody else involved in the fight."
He gave her a puzzled look. "Who?"
"A woman and no, we don't have anything on her, yet."
A waiter stopped by at the table, serving the professor his breakfast.
"I shall summon you when I require your services again. The remaining payment will be sent to you in a few days," he concluded.
Missy rose from her seat and without a word, left.
Rassilon took a bite of his meal and wondered who this so called female companion was. The Doctor's lover, maybe? Or just an innocent bystander who was caught in the crossfire? It would be interesting to know once Missy is able to obtain the relevant information.
Speaking of the Doctor, he was still lodging at Coal Hill Pub as Clara insisted that his ribs still needed to be treated as he had refused to go to the hospital.
"Clara, I told you before, I am fine. My ribs do not hurt that bad anymore," he told her while unbuttoning his shirt yet again. She had insisted on checking them.
"That still doesn't mean it can't be better. Shirt. Off. Now," she ordered, setting the bowl of hot water and cloth on the nightstand. "I find it ironic that you call yourself the Doctor and hate hospitals."
"Who likes hospitals? It is boring and dull and you have to wait for hours before being treated," he explained, finally taking shirt off.
The purple bruise had turned into a greenish shade. Clara saw this as a promising thing. If he was able to heal this quickly, then the Doctor would be fully healed in less than three weeks. Ever so gently, she pressed the warm damp cloth against the bruise, causing him to wince a bit. "Sorry," she murmured.
"No big deal."
The Doctor let out a sigh as his muscles began to relax.
"How does that feel?" she questioned him.
"Fine," he replied unsure how to start a conversation with her.
Silence fell and John decided to say something – or whatever popped up in his mind.
"Have you ever been to Cambridge before?"
"No, I have never been there before. Is it a beautiful place?"
The Doctor smiled at her question. "Absolutely. Which is why the university is there I suppose. The surrounding area is very relaxing and calming – a suitable place to study."
"What about Scotland? Which part of Scotland are you from?"
"I am from Glasgow. Went to school there too."
"So how did you end up in all the way in Cambridge, Professor Smith?" Clara asked him cheekily.
She noticed he began to look uncomfortable and immediately apologised.
"No, it's fine. I… Sometimes, it's really difficult to not think about the painful memories," he said and told her the story of how he was kicked out of the house by his father shortly after getting his doctorate for not wanting to take over the family business, how he met River Song and how she ended up breaking his heart which subsequently landed him a job at Cambridge.
After he had finished his life story, Clara wanted to do nothing more than to hug him but she didn't since he was still lying on her bed with the cloth still pressed against his ribs.
"Are your parents still alive? You must miss them, surely."
John shook his head. "My mother passed away ten years ago and my father, three."
"I'm sorry."
"That's just how life works," he reasoned.
"How are your ribs now?" she asked, tossing the cloth aside.
The Doctor shifted his body on the bed. "It's… ok. Thank you once again, Clara."
"The pleasure is mine, Doctor," she replied and placed a hand on his cheek, caressing his face with her thumb. Clara felt her body moving on its own as she leaned in.
The Doctor adjusted his position, knowing full well on what was going to happen. Their faces were inches apart, eyes half closed when the magical moment was shattered by a knock on the door.
"Clara, I'm terribly sorry for bothering but John says he needs you to bake more soufflé," Rose said from the other side of the door.
Clara was disappointed by the interruption but did not complain and so she pulled away a bit, giving her and the Doctor some space. "I will be down in a minute," she replied.
The Doctor was just as crestfallen, coughing as looked down at the floor.
"I… will be back soon," she said and leaned in, kissing his cheek quickly before heading for the door. "Be a good patient, now."
He chuckled. "Yes, boss."
There was no doubt about it any longer. The Doctor would move heaven and earth if Clara had asked him to. As a matter of fact, he would be willing to go to hell even if she had told him to. He would do anything for her. The Doctor was in love again after locking his heart away for so long.
