Allons-y Impossible Girl

Disclaimer: I don't own Doctor Who

Chapter 10

"Can we go dancing?"

Clara's question surprised the Doctor. He had expected her to request a day in bed considering they had just had a pretty eventful trip to the 2012 Olympics. She didn't really look tired, so of course he agreed.

He took her to the towers of Derillium. They always had fantastic dances there and he wanted the best for her. He piloted the TARDIS, did a triple scan for anything dangerous and changed into his tux. This all took a good half hour, but Clara still hadn't returned from the wardrobe. He waited another ten minutes, then another fifteen and after a further twenty he was about to go find her when she entered the console room.

It had been worth the wait. She wasn't one for dressing up much, although she did enjoy it briefly on trips to the past, so her dress was simple, but she still looked beautiful. The dress was black and strapless, tight around the chest and waist before flaring slightly. It was quite short for a formal dance, but she wouldn't have listened if he'd told her to go find something longer. Her heals were strappy and very high, also black and she'd curled her hair for the occasion. Then she'd pinned a single red rose in her hair to add some colour.

"Well?" she asked, eyes sparkling as she spun around.

The Doctor swallowed. "You look fantastic. Like my suit?"

"Yeah. I like the bow tie."

Bow ties are cool! Clara pushed the pounding thoughts away. Nothing was going to ruin her night.

They stepped out of the TARDIS arm in arm, to the sound of the most beautiful singing in the universe. A few feet away was an enormous dance floor lit by the stars and soft glowing lanterns, filled with people from all over the universe.

"Do you want to dance?" he asked her, almost shy. She took his hand and he led her to the floor, pulling her close and stepping slowly to the music. It was a classic waltz, and although Clara could never remember learning it, she was rather good at it.

"You're a good dancer" Clara commented after a few silent minutes "Where did you learn?"

"My home planet" the Doctor grinned, spinning her around. "Gallifrey."

"Planet of the time-lords" Clara smiled. "Do you go there a lot? Do you miss it?"

The Doctor's face fell slightly. "I can't ever go back. It's gone. And yes, I miss it" he looked so sad; Clara's heart broke at the sight.

"Where'd it go?" she asked lightly, hoping she wouldn't upset him further.

"It burned." The Doctor said emotionlessly.

"How?" she asked, eyes wide. He looked at them briefly. Wide, honest and brown. Then he glanced away, because she believed in him, and he didn't want her to think badly of him. "Tell me" she said gently.

"I can't." He whispered "This me, this man you see. I try and save everyone. I try and be a hero. But I'm not really"

"That doesn't matter" she said fiercely. She reached a hand up and gently brushed his cheek. "I don't care what you may have done. I have seen you do so many incredible things to save people. You could have killed the flesh in New New York, but you save them. You could have joined the Krillatain and saved people you love, but you saw what was right and didn't. You are an interesting man by no means, but I have seen what you do, who you try to be and that matters to me."

The Doctor listened to her little speech. She sounded like she meant it, and he trusted her, which was really not easy when it came to him. So he took a deep breath. "There was a war. Between my people and the Daleks, nasty things. It was the greatest war the universe had ever seen, and would have destroyed everything. Every galaxy. So I had to stop it. In the end there was nothing else to do. I burned the planet to stop the Daleks. My own people. I'm the last one left."

"Could you have done anything else?" Clara asked softly. He shook his head to answer her question and escape the memories of the time war. "Then there you go. A man left with an impossible decision. I don't blame you."

"How can you not. Billions of people dead because of me!"

"To save even more. I will never doubt you!" Clara hissed. The Doctor saw the truth in her eyes. "I want to know you. I want to know there is more to you then a mad man with a blue box running away. No matter what, at least I know where you came from and that you have a past to run away from."

Then he smirked at her. "What about you?"

"You know my past. Besides, I'm human. What is interesting about me?" Clara said dismissively, looking at her shoes. He lifted her chin and rolled his eyes.

"What's your favourite colour?" he asked with a smile. Clara laughed.

"Why would you want to know that?"

"I want to know everything about you" he said simply "Your likes and habits and all the things that make you so beautifully human."

"It's red"

"So why do you always wear black?" he asked with a frown. Clara laughed.

"I'm a barmaid. I wear black to work, and it sort of stuck" she explained. "What's yours then?"

"Blue" he said as though it were the most obvious thing in the world. Clara rolled her eyes at him.

Clara had never danced the way the two of them danced that night. She stepped and spun, held tightly in his arms and answering his pointless questions the whole time. It was an exhilarating feeling, looking into his eyes and really seeing his age, the things he had done, seen, gained and lost. There was sadness in his eyes, but that night she saw it drowned in the joy of dancing with her.

It would be easy, she realised. So easy to fall in love. With the way he smiled at her, the way he tried to save everyone. With his wonderful hair and those glasses he whipped on and off. With how he spoke at a hundred miles per hour and believed his screwdriver could fix everything. With all the things he showed her, and the wonderful way he said her name. Too easy.

Would he love her back? She would give her life for him, but would he do the same. He kept her safe, but would that always be enough? She would grow old, he would regenerate. She was a human, he was a freaking alien!

All these things should have stopped her.

But they didn't.

Clara Oswald fell in love. So when he asked her how long she'd stay, she promised him forever.

Please Review!