Chapter 10
As the Tardis landed, the Doctor looked at Clara and saw apprehension in her eyes.
"Don't worry," he said to her, "I know how much he means to you. And him too, the other Doctor - I've seen through his eyes. Nothing will go wrong."
And for just a moment, he thought he saw a trace of fear in the eyes of the usually bold and fearless Clara.
"I hope you're right," she said quietly.
"Love is enough to make us all terrified in the end," he replied as they headed for the door, "Even me. It's the fear of loss. We have something wonderful and there's this other side to it - the cold hopelessness of what loss would do to us if that wonderful thing was snatched away."
"I know that feeling too well," she replied.
"Don't despair," he said to her, "Let's get on and fulfil the prophecy..."
As they walked across the rough terrain as the snow fell, Clara looked to the Doctor. His gaze was set on the Ood city over the bridge of stone and he kept his gaze on it as she began to speak.
"I did miss you."
"I missed you too," he said
"But Kate is lovely," she reminded him.
He glanced at her and smiled.
"So is Ishkara," he said warmly.
Then they crossed the bridge,where the Ood began to notice their presence and gather, waiting for their leader. When he arrived, Ood Sigma's eyes shone with a greeting that would have been a kindly smile if not for the tentacles that obscured his mouth.
"I am aware that Ood Del has died," the Doctor said to him, "I am another Doctor, and I bring this," he showed him the chip in the sealed container, "I am here to bring about the prophecy that his song shall never end."
The Ood turned towards buildings nearby and led the way, and as he walked along, the Doctor and Clara walked with him.
"You told the other Doctor about the prophecy," the Doctor said.
"Yes indeed," the Ood replied, "But he was too distraught by grief to fully understand the meaning of the words."
"Good thing I understood for him, then," he replied, and then they entered a building, the door set into stone slid back and they were led inside, down a tunnel towards a room where soft singing echoed outwards.
"They are singing his song until he is revived," said the leader.
The Doctor smiled.
"You always knew I'd come here."
"Of course Doctor, you are a part of his prophecy."
And another door opened, and the leader signalled the others out as the singing stopped, they left quietly, and then he gestured to the Doctor and Clara to go inside.
"Are you sure you're ready for this?" the Doctor said to Clara as he noticed the look in her eyes, "Right now he's dead. He died in your arms a few short hours ago before you left in the Tardis with the other Doctor. You can wait outside if you want to."
"No," she told him, "I want to be there when he wakes."
"You're sure?"
Clara nodded.
The Doctor went inside,and she followed him in.
The Ood Leader stood back by the open doorway, but at a distance, giving them space as the Doctor and Clara stood either side of the silken cover that Del had been laid out on.
The dim lighting above shone down on his face, and the Doctor paused to look at him in fascination:
He really did look half human and not a single scar showed on his face from his long list of cosmetic procedures.
Clara ran her hand down the lapel of his suit, and then she adjusted a diamond pin fixed to his silk tie.
Pain filled her heart as she paused to touch his cheek.
"He feels so cold, he went cold very quickly," she said quietly.
"And soon that will just be a memory," the Doctor replied as he took the chip from the case, "By the way...you might want to tell him later on that this chip will constantly repair him. So that means his heart will be just fine...although any more work he decides to have done after the Mire chip goes in will be a waste of time - the chip will see any further surgeries as injuries and heal them rapidly, most likely preventing further alteration."
Clara looked at him doubtfully.
"The chip heals the body. I'd be more inclined to say the chip would speed the healing process, leaving him certain of success with every alteration he chooses. Which means you just lied, am I right?"
The Doctor shrugged.
"Of course you are. I was just trying to think of a way to stop him having any more procedures...he doesn't need them."
"I hate all that as much as the Doctor does," she replied, "But Del has the right to do as he pleases and if he wants to do it, no one has the right to try and stop him – not once that chips inside him."
"You're right," the Doctor agreed, "And I do believe those words were spoken out of true love."
He looked at her.
She met his gaze.
"Yes they were, I just want him to be happy."
The Doctor said no more, and placed the chip on the forehead of the heavily modified Ood.
It sunk beneath his skin and vanished, and then they waited...
The moments that followed were silent and painfully long.
"It didn't take this long with Ashildr," Clara said in a hushed voice as she looked down at the body of her alien husband.
"That's because she had been dead for a very short time...he's been dead several hours, plus it's cold in here, everything is taking a little bit longer. What about you?"
She looked at him.
"What about me?"
"There's no easy way to say it, Clara...I was thinking about your family, the future Doctor is a Time Lord, he will live on...Del will also live on thanks to the chip. Your kid is a mix of both men and the Time Lord part should ensure she as a few regenerations at least. And you're human."
He saw no flicker of alarm at his remark, Clara had already thought hard about that matter.
"When I faced the Raven, I thought that was the end," she said to him, "But it wasn't, and I'm still here and I want to live this life and enjoy every moment - and I do enjoy it, I love both my husbands and my child. I am going to love every moment of every day I still have."
"And what about the part where you get old and die?"
She smiled.
"Del was looking into cellular rejuvenation before he fell ill for the last time... he was pretty sure that I could live maybe five hundred, maybe a thousand years if I had the treatment. It's painless and harmless and it's been proven to vastly extend human life in the very distant future."
The Doctor laughed softly.
"I might have known it...he's got you into too!"
"One of the men I love is dedicated to changing his appearance in the extreme and I support his dream," she replied, "Of course I've learned a lot from it, because it's not just his journey. Me and the Doctor will stand by what ever choices he makes, even if we don't want him to do it, we still love him."
And then Del took in a deep, slow breath and opened his eyes.
"Am I still here?" he said in surprise.
Then as he made a move to sit up, Clara sat down at his beside and helped him, as he sat upright she clung to him, tears of joy shining in her eyes.
"The Doctor used Ashildr's chip to bring you back," she said as emotion choked her voice, and for a moment as they embraced, the Doctor looked away, allowing them that moment to share their reunion in private.
Then Del let go of her and his eyes shaded with concern.
"Is it safe?"
Clara laughed and wiped a tear from her face as she looked to the Doctor.
"I'm going to tell him!" she said.
"I knew you would," the Doctor replied, and then Clara looked intently at Del.
"The Mire chip will constantly repair you, forever. That also means any more surgeries you choose to have will heal rapidly with no chance of infection. It leave you free to safely modify your features for as long as you want to, with no more risk."
"And I intend to do so!" he exclaimed, getting up from the silken bed with ease, "I have been thinking for a while now...I would like ears. Proper, humanoid ears."
Clara started to laugh.
"Come here, Del!" she said, and the two of them embraced again,as the Doctor looked on, and as he saw her joy at the return of her husband, something in his heart that he had feared broken forever instantly mended:
He couldn't ever feel sad when thinking of Clara again, because it was clear she was so very happy - with both her husbands, who loved her as much as she loved them...
A short while later, the three of them made their way back to the Tardis.
The Ood leader accompanied them, and so did a crowd of other Ood, singing sweetly to the universe and telling the story of the Ood who would live forever, as the prophecy had foretold.
As they stood by the open door of the Tardis, Ood Sigma grasped Del's hand and looked into his eyes.
"You shall always be part of the Ood, " he promised, "And always welcome to return. Now go, live your unusual life away from the rest and show the universe what an Ood is capable of. We wish you well."
Del smiled and nodded and quietly thanked the leader, and then he followed the Doctor and Clara into the Tardis, the door closed and the ship took off, heading back to Earth.
On returning, as the Tardis materialised in the garden, the Doctor opened the door and stepped out to a very emotional welcome that he had not expected, it was one that involved much hugging from the other Doctor as he tearfully thanked him,and when he let go it was a relief, because that man hugged very tightly indeed...
"Ashildr told me after you left," said the Doctor who wore the face of Jackson Lake, "She said you were going back to give Del the Mire chip...I can't thank you enough..." And he blinked, gave up on holding back his tears and as they fell, he wiped them away quickly.
Then Clara and Del stepped out of the Tardis, and his eyes lit up with absolute joy.
"Del!" he said,and he ran to him, flung his arms around him and for a moment, Time Lord and Ood just stood there embracing, as Clara looked to the Doctor and they exchanged a smile.
"Thank you," she said to him, "You'll never know how much this means to us."
"I saw enough of your memories to know exactly what it means," he promised her.
Then Ishkara ran out of the house, and she stopped and stared as her Time Lord Father let go of her other father and the two men wiped away tears of joy.
"Da?" she said, staring at him.
Del looked to his daughter and smiled, then he held his arms out to her.
Then the child ran to him and he embraced her as she gave up on her not quite ready vocal chords and spoke telepathically, telling him of her joy, saying it was like a dream come true to have both her fathers with her, to have back her lost daddy...
And the Doctor looked on smiling.
"It's for her too," he said to Clara, "No child should have to cry for their daddy when there's a spare Mire chip in my Tardis that can put the situation right."
As Ashildr joined them, she looked to Clara.
"You should stay for a while," she offered.
Clara glanced to her two husbands, the Doctor was standing beside Del, who was leaning down speaking excitedly to Ishkara.
"Can we?" Clara asked
"Can we what?" the other Doctor said.
"Stay for a while?"
The future Doctor exchanged a glance with Del, and then he left him with Ishkara and walked over to join them.
"I'd love to," he said sincerely, looking to the Doctor and then Ashildr, before casting an apologetic glance to Clara, "But it's tricky because our daughter is part alien. We have to keep her inside a lot when we visit Earth. And after what happened with Del, we just want to head off to some planet with no trouble, just sandy beaches and good weather and have a second honeymoon...But, how about Christmas time? We could come and stay for a few days, the kids could get to know each other properly, it's a perfect time of year to be stuck in the house, it's going to be very snowy this year, by the way. Ishkara loves the snow. She could play in the garden."
Clara looked to the Doctor and Ashildr.
"I like the sound of that."
The Doctor exchanged a glance with his wife and smiled.
"So do we. See you at Christmas, then."
They shook hands, and then Clara paused to hug Ashildr.
"Safe journey," Ashildr said.
"See you soon," Clara promised, and she smiled at the Doctor, and then she led the alien child back into the Tardis, and as the future Doctor reached the door at the same time as Del, he surprised him with a kiss on the cheek, and Del looked at him and laughed, and then they went inside, the doors closed and the Tardis took flight, fading out and then disappearing.
The Doctor and Ashildr both looked to the empty spot where the other Tardis had stood, and then he took hold of her hand and she turned and looked into his eyes.
"I know what you're going to say," she told him, "And the answer is no - I don't regret giving the chip away. I'm glad to have one lifetime, because this time, it's a happy one. Maybe I was always meant to have one life - with you."
And the Doctor smiled as his hearts filled with love, and he leant closer and kissed her.
"I think you're absolutely right, Ashildr," he said softly, and then they went back into the house together and closed the door behind them.
End.