Sam was not happy to hear that his brother might be dead again. Of course, if he was being honest with himself, he didn't think it was very likely that his brother had died. Well, not permanently.

Still, the news was enough to make him anxious, even after Emersani left the room promising to 'make some inquiries' and 'keep them updated'. It was primarily because of all the experience Sam had in life and death situations, in which Dean may or may not have died, that Clara's reaction to their current problem was so surprising. Sure, she'd looked as concerned as Sam had when Emersani announced the likelihood of the Doctor's death, but since then? She'd been behaving much more calmly than Sam felt. It got Sam thinking about her relatively nonchalant behavior ever since the TARDIS started crashing, and about the life she must lead normally with the Doctor as a friend. Either Clara was just extremely good at keeping a cool head, or her life was just as dangerous…well, as dangerous as a Winchester's.

"You're staring," Clara's said, cutting across his thoughts.

Sam blinked, then looked away in embarrassment. "Sorry, must have zoned out for a second."

Clara laughed. "That's alright. It's just…Well, it seems like we could be waiting here for a while. We could try talking to each other. Might be more fun than sitting here."

Sam took a better look at her. "Oh. You really are scared then."

"Sorry?" Clara said, her eyes narrowing.

"No, I mean…Listen, I've been through some pretty tough things, but hearing Dean might be dead? That still scares me," Sam said. "Meanwhile, this whole thing doesn't seem to phase you."

"So why do you think it does?" asked Clara.

"Because you want to talk," Sam answered.

Clara bit her lip. "It's just…On one hand, if a trip goes by and I don't worry the Doctor might die, it's because I'm too busy almost dying myself. Happens all the time, so I shouldn't worry, really. But on the other hand, if anything were to happen to him…"

"You'd be stranded halfway across the universe with no way back home?" Sam guessed.

Clara shook her head. "That's not what I was going to say."

Sam shrugged. "So, what do you want to talk about?"

Clara grimaced. "Suppose I should start with an apology. I mean, I know it's not my fault exactly, but life with the Doctor can be unpredictable. I should've warned you this could happen."

Sam shrugged. "Like you said, wasn't your fault. Besides, I'd have wanted to stay with you guys anyway. But if you had said something, Dean would never agree to spending the night."

Clara leaned forward. "So it really is just you and your brother? I mean, you two travel around the country fighting monsters? All on your own?"

"Sometimes we have friends who help us out. But yeah, I guess. Ever since Dean came back into my life and dragged me back into fighting all things supernatural, it's really just been the two of us."

Clara laughed. "That sounds a little familiar."

Sam raised an eyebrow at her, so Clara sighed and continued.

"I was just a nanny, living this…completely ordinary life. Don't get me wrong, I loved it, but—Out of the blue this complete madman drops into my life saying he knew me. And then everything just went bonkers, and suddenly I was thrown into this world of aliens, and monsters, and time travel. And at the center of it all was just this man who really just…needed me. I mean, he never said it, just said he wanted some company. But it's more than that. I don't think he can handle fighting everything off all on his own."

Sam sank back into his seat, taking in what Clara had to say. He smirked. "Yeah, that reminds me of Dean, alright. Totally at home in a world most people don't know exist, just as long as there's someone around to hear his bad jokes."

Clara laughed, and Sam let himself join in.

Clara opened her mouth as if to say something when the door opened. Expecting Emersani, the two of them looked around to see a Cyberman walking through the door.

For the first time since Sam had met her, Clara looked scared. Terrified, even. He immediately jumped up, ready to fight the thing in any way he could, when Emersani calmly entered the room just behind the metal man.

He took a quick look at Clara's expression. "Ah, I'm assuming you've met Cybermen before, then?"

Sam looked back and forth between Clara and Emersani. "Well, I haven't. Either of you want to tell me what's going on?"

"Cybermen are dangerous. Evil. Just one could wipe out the entire city," Clara said. "Emersani, what are you doing with that thing?"

"Incorrect."

Sam was surprised to hear the machine itself talk.

"Incorrect?" Clara repeated.

"Cybermen are not a danger to this city," the Cyberman clarified.

"Perhaps I should explain?" Emersani suggested.

"Yeah, I think you probably should," Clara said, not taking her eyes off the Cyberman.

Emersani looked to Sam. "Cybermen are usually very dangerous to human populations. Their primary function is to either kill us, or make us…like them."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Sam asked.

"That thing in front of you, it used to be a human being," said Clara. "Does it look human to you now?"

"But these Cybermen are not dangerous to us," Emersani continued.

Clara paled. "There's more than one?"

Emersani sighed. "A Cyber ship crashed down here just a few days before we noticed the unnatural barrier over our city. They're stranded here with us, just as much as we're stranded with them."

"Then why aren't they attacking you?" Sam asked.

"Cybermen must focus all resources on possible means of escape," the Cyberman answered.

"So you see, we've had to come to a sort of understanding with our metal friends here," Emersani added. "It's not ideal, but needs must."

Clara nodded slowly, but didn't look terribly convinced.

"Shall we continue our meeting?" the Cyberman asked.

"Ah, yes," said Emersani. "Sam, Clara? I'm afraid I'm going to have to ask you to leave. My office, that is. It's probably best you stay inside the building. We still have to wait for news on your friends, after all."

Sam nodded. "Well, thanks for your time, sir. Come on, Clara"

Sam left the room, dragging Clara out with him.

"Oh, this is not good," Clara said once the two of them were a fair distance from the office. "Whatever the Cybermen are up to here, it's bound to be bad, and I mean very bad, and if the Doctor's still missing, and the lot of them try something, then—"

"Clara!" Sam said. "Calm down, it's fine."

"Oi! Don't tell me to calm down, you clearly don't know the Cybermen! We don't even know what they're talking about in there! And you just want to, what? Ignore the Cybermen, hope that everything turns out just fine?"

"Not exactly." Sam looked up and down the corridors. He waited until one last person rounded a corner, leaving them alone in their own stretch of corridor "Alright, looks like the coast is clear," he said, giving Clara a sly smile. "I keep watch, you listen through the keyhole?"

Clara smirked. "You know what? You're alright for a mammoth."

"Mammoth?" Sam said.

"Oh c'mon, huge? Loads of brown hair? Don't tell me you've never got that before."

"Huh. Usually I get moose."

"Moose!" Clara laughed. "You know, that is better. Suits you."

Sam frowned, nodding towards Emersani's door.

"Alright, alright. Not a fan of the animal nicknames, I can take a hint."