Chapter 10

Clara thought she was going to faint right now. She was waiting for someone to pinch her, as she thought she was dreaming. She was standing face to face with John. She walked slowly towards him, John doing the same with a limp. They were close to each other now, Clara marveling over how John aged so well. His floppy hair was gone, only to be replaced with a dark buzz cut with some tiny strands of gray, his face with smile wrinkles on the sides of his eyes and mouth, and stubble, all black and gray. All that stayed the same was his green eyes, that hadn't lost its spark. John didn't look childish anymore, but Clara didn't mind it at all. Clara's lips trembled as she choked out.

"Hey, John."

"Hey, Clara," John replied. Clara shuddered at John's voice as he had a deeper timbre to it.

"It's been a while, like seven years?"

"Yeah, long time, isn't it?" John commented.

Tears welled in Clara's eyes as she asked,

"Is it really you, John?"

"Yes, Clara, it's me," John whispered, taking Clara's hands, pulling her close.

Clara looked down at his hands and saw that he still had his wedding ring. Clara looked back up at his face, and gave in to crying, throwing her arms around John into a hug, John doing the same. She melted into the hug, at the thought that she was holding John, in which she never did in seven years. Rose and Rory looked on, Rory fighting back tears, and Rose looking a hot mess. John and Clara let go of each other, Clara seeing John's face and eyes all red and wet with tears.

"Oh, John, you're alive, you've kept your promise," Clara said through tears.

"I missed you so much, Clara," John whispered.

"But how..." Clara started, while John kissed both of Clara's hands. "How are you alive? I heard you die while I was running away, I saw you die! They gave me your ashes, I thought you were dead!" she sobbed.

"Clara, dear, I'll explain everything," John said, wiping away his tears and holding her tighter, and kissing her in the top of her head. "But not around here, and not around you two."

John turned to Rose and Rory and gave them a look. Rose wiped her tears away and nodded as she went back to her usual work.

"I have no life, so... I'll just go to a club or something," Rory said.

Rory left, leaving John and Clara alone with each other.

"Come on," John said, gesturing to his hospital room.

Clara wrapped an arm around John's waist and helped him back into the room. Clara helped John get back into the bed, and laid him down.

"Thanks, babe, you're so good to me," John acknowledged.

Clara smiled a little as she joined him in bed, laying her head on his chest.

"So, why'd you run away from me for so long?" Clara asked.

"It's quite a long story, Clara," John replied.

"I'm all ears, John," Clara urged John to go on.

John breathed heavily as he went on with the explanation.

"Well, they kidnapped me at the morgue, I knew how to slow my heartbeat. And then they took me to sound underground place. They roughed me up a bit. A week later, they told me that they hired someone to pose as the person that gives families a dead person's ashes," John started.

"So that explains everything," Clara whispered, her eyes widened. Those ashes Clara had locked in the safe were fake.

"And Sting, that was his name, went on a rant about how it was all my fault that his wife's dead and how I'm going to suffer the same pain he felt, which was a bunch of bullshit... sorry about that, Clara, I know you don't like swearing," John said.

"That's OK, John, continue," Clara replied, her words rushed. She was dying for John to finish what happened.

"So, one of his henchmen gave me a shovel, and Sting said he's taking me on a field trip to my grave. And then they took me to some place in the woods," John started.

"They were going to bury you alive?" Clara whispered.

"No, they made me dig my own grave, and once I was finished, he was about to shoot me in the head, so I decided that I was too young to die, and I defended myself by shielding myself with the shovel. The bullet went flying everywhere and it hit one of the henchmen in the head... he died instantly. Sting had no more bullets, so the other henchman went to fire at me, and I did the same thing, the bullet went through his neck and he was spitting out blood everywhere, and he died," John explained.

"You killed them singlehandedly," Clara said, stunned.

"And it doesn't end there, he tried to tackle me, and I swung the shovel at his head, blood was pouring out of his head. I threw the shovel in the bushes and I ran for my life."

"So then you should have just came back home, John. We could have called the cops and..." Clara started.

"No, no, no, baby, I had to go. Sting was a force not to be reckoned with. Who knows how many acquaintances he had. If I stayed in England, he would find me for sure, and you know the rest. And he might go off the deep end and kill you too. I swore to myself, if anything would happen to you, I'll never forgive myself. I left to keep you and Oswin safe," John said.

"What made you come back?" Clara asked.

"Well, the woman that helped to hide me, Amy, that was her name, she saw Sting come into the café, and it was obvious that he was looking for me."

"Wait, you worked as a busboy?" Clara asked, with a smirk.

"Yep, all with a Scottish accent," John replied.

Clara stifled a laugh. "Now, I'd love to hear that."

"Look, it wasn't easy, lass. For seven years, I've been cleanin' dishes after those dirty people, 'cause they don't have no food in their house. I've been through so much in me life, ya know," John replied in his Scottish accent. Clara was instantly doubled over in laughter. John bit back a smile, as he missed hearing Clara's laugh.

"Did you date?" he asked, in his normal voice.

"No," said Clara, as shook her head. "Oswin was the love of my life, and I didn't have time for dating. You?"

"I did, with some old blonde haired cougar. Not long before I told her off," John replied.

"Oh, great," Clara smiled.

"So, what kept you busy while I was 'dead'? John asked.

"Well, since the country almost went into a recession and the bills were piling high, I went on to become a doctor," Clara replied.

John stared at Clara in disbelief. "You're a doctor, Clara?"

"Yep, and I was a junior mentor, too," Clara replied.

John's lips went from side to side, signaling that he was very upset about something. "Now who's the Dr. Smythe in here?" he asked, forcing a small smile.

Clara knew he wanted to scowl, but she chuckled, soldiering on with the conversation. "Both of us, technically." she replied.

"Did you fall in love with one of the interns?," John asked.

"No, you'd be angry with me, and besides, they're half my age," Clara replied, with a narrowed look.

"Well, that's a fact," John commented with a nod.

Clara sighed and shook her head. "It's just not fair, John. This should have never happened to you, to us. A person like you, shouldn't experience all this evil in the world," she said.

"My dear Clara, that's life. Everybody has to go through troubles. It gives us experience. If you're not experiencing hardship, you're not living," John replied solemnly.

"Yeah," Clara whispered. "Guess you're right."

"Hey, Clara, think you'll be my doctor one of these days?" John asked with a smirk.

"Don't push it, John," Clara replied, poking him at every single syllable, smiling.

John and Clara then stared at each other, not long before he leaned over to kiss Clara on her lips. Clara reacted like it was their first time, her hands trembling, heart pounding. It has been awhile since she has been kissed like this. While they were kissing, Clara heard a woman's voice call out,

"Uh, Dr. Smythe?"

John and Clara's lips detached as they saw Jenny standing by the door with a sheepish smile.

"Which one?" John asked jokingly.

"Oh, Jenny, didn't see you there," Clara apologized, sitting up from the bed. "John, that's Jenny, I was her junior mentor," she introduced.

"Nice to meet you, Jenny. Was she a good mentor?" John asked.

"Oh, yes, very effective, if it weren't for her, I wouldn't have this career," Jenny replied wholeheartedly.

"It was from your influence," Clara added.

John smiled and kissed her on the top of her head.

"Well, we're going to keep you here for the night for tests and you'll be free to come home tomorrow," Jenny said.

"Ooh, look at you, sounding all professional," Clara said, nudging John.

John only smiled. Just then, it dawned on Clara that behind John's smiles, he was furious, and he completely changed, from a happy-go-lucky guy, to an angry, cursing bloke. Clara was in for the hard time of her life, dealing with John.

A/N: Well, there you have it, John and Clara are reunited for real this time. And you can already see the angst in John for missing so many important things throughout the years. Clara needs all the strength she could get to mend John's broken spirit. Anyway, John gets to meet Oswin for the first time. I think I'll need tissues while writing it, I might be a hot mess, and we'll see how the story fits in the long run. So stay tuned for the next chapter, and please review!