"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 IX…

November 1866, Earth time…

Surface of Jupiter's ice-crusted watery moon, Europa…A solitary figure in red space suit carefully regarding an instrument panel. About a hundred meters away, a blue police box, its top light bright.

Hmmn…No doubt about it…River pressed several buttons, the instrument panel going black.

The Martians were conducting biological experiments here…And that damned water-borne virus that caused the destruction of the First Expedition was engineered here. They must have been trying to re-engineer themselves for their deteriorating climate and an experiment went very wrong.

Well, comfort I suppose to know humans weren't the only intelligent life form in this solar system to do serious ecological harm. Though they manage to mutate the virus to a harmless form here before it could destroy all life in the ocean below the crust here…Must have been the UV and other radiation on Mars' surface that caused a sample or two to go wild again.

That should merit a publication in Terran Galactic Archaeology…

She felt a vibration…Ah, I'm being paged at last…

"All right, sweetie…" she told her suit microphone. "I'm on my…"

The TARDIS suddenly appeared before her…

"Well, fine…Much appreciated, girl…But lets not panic…I have to go in after he leaves, you know."

She hurried to the door, stood a moment. "Decontaminate, please…I don't want to bring anything nasty in."

A variety of UV and microwave radiation as well as heat playing over the suit a moment…She entered as it stopped.

"Well?" she removed helmet, moving to the main console.

Rather nice being in the hubby's own suit…A bit like wearing one of his shirts…

"Right, temporal distortion…Earth's surface…England…London…That should be it." She sighed.

"Took you long enough, sweetie." She frowned.

Slight dimming of panel lights. "Don't be like that, girl. You know I've enjoyed the last year with you…But you must admit except for a little chance to study Europa, it's been a bit draggy."

"All right then…" she nodded at the resumption of normal light. "Lets see…Presuming that's your signature and you ought to know, eh? He's finally come to set things in motion Clara Oswin…Oswaldwise. What?" she eyed the screen. "What do you mean, it's not you? Not your temporal signature? Full analysis, now! And be ready to jump out of here…!"

Earth, 1924, Niagara Falls, Canadian side…

Post backjump timeline…

"What do you mean, you know me better than I do myself?" Clara frowned.

"Well…I do." The Doctor shrugged.

"No…" she blinked, eyes bulging… "Tell me I didn't…A married…Whatever you really are…"

"Gallifreyan humanoid…And no, of course not…What do you take me for?"

Slight concealed smile on his part…

Rather nice to think the possibility occurred to her…But of course…

"Sorry…It's just…I'm trying to think of all the worst things I might have done and that rather tops the list…"

"It does? Seriously? The worst?"

"Personal matters matter too, Doctor…I'm sure your wife would agree with me." Frown.

Men…Even Gallifreyan humanoid men…

"I'm sure she would…" he nodded.

"So what did you mean?"

"I've told you I met versions of you before…"

"Who were not me…At least as far as I can…Whoa…" she stopped.

"I remembered, didn't I? Finally…?" wide-eyed stare…

"Well, Clara…" diplomatically…

"I remembered them…My other lives…What, was I evil in one of them? Did you not tell me that?"

"No, not at all…You're remarkably good in all your lives…Well…Those I know of…"

"Then what the devil did I do, Doctor? I can't help you without more to go on, you know."

"Exactly…" he eyed her.

"What?"

1866…Europan surface, inside the TARDIS…

"All right, he or whoever this is…Used a vortex manipulator…But it's distinctively his temporal signature, even if not your big footprint, love…And don't pout. I have rather big feet myself, in both my current forms." River, tapping console. "All right, I'm going to go now…Oh, now don't do that…" she frowned at the rapidly blinking screens and sudden alarms… "We discussed this all year. You can't come with me, you'd stick out like a sore thumb. We wouldn't have parked here if we didn't need Jupiter's gravitational/temporal distortions to mask you a bit. Now, listen, you just wait here like a good TARDIS, keep a channel open to monitor my vitals as best you can and if I seem to be in trouble come running…And if he or anyone else comes looking for you, run back to 1924. I've left a message for my current doctor and my other current self and they'll know what to do, but I'm sure I'll be right back. Ok?"

Silence…Screens blank, then white.

"Ok. He won't blame you if anything happens, don't worry. I've made it clear I did this all on my lonesome." She set her vortex manipulator, vanishing a second later…

"Yowzah…" she grinned, reappearing almost instantaneously. "I think we've got the trail, girl…Took two weeks in London but I found her family. She was left, if you can believe it, in a basket, with note." She pulled out the note. "'deer frends…some mates of mine tole me you lost your little girl the last month in the cholera and seein…' Lord, Doctor…A bit obvious on the misspelling… 'as I kant keep this one, Im beggin yew to take the leetle thing off me hands and not see her ded. Thanks to you, Lord bless. Clara Oswin is her first names, thanks.' So…I wasn't born in London, probably not on Earth and probably not in 1866. He brought me...Her. What?" she eyed the flickering screen.

"How do you know that it was him?" a hologram of Clara appeared.

"Tell me when you're going to use the interface, please…" River frowned… "I know you're dying of curiosity but it's a bit unnerving to see myself in that form all on a sudden, knowing she's likely capable of as much as I am."

"Awaiting…" TARDIS Clara, sternly.

"Look closely, girl…" River waved the note… "Whose handwriting?"

"99.9999999999% match. A 0.000000001% margin for falsification. Acceptable conclusion given data available."

"Thanks. It was him. He brought me here, left me…Her…With Clara's adoptive family…Knowing she had to be here, live that life…And die, so that he could start the events that would lead to her survival as Clara Oswald."

"Logical, but not confirmed. Additional data is required."

"Here's some…" River pulled out a cube. "It's genetic data from the hospital on Earth where Oswin Oswald will be born. Along with a blood sample from little 1866 me…Some cord blood I scooped before the family returned and found the basket and DNA from Clara that I kept when we touched in 1924. It's a perfect three-way match. It's the same person, and the Doctor brought her here…And I think now, I know from where…" she eyed the hologram who passed a hand through the cube extended to her.

"Confirmed…Genetic match of all three." Nod.

"And if you'll examine the temporal trace I took from the baby Clara's aural recording…I think we'll have the key piece...Oh, God, Doctor…My love…Stupid, stupid sot." she shook her head.

"What have you done…?"