Since it's Jenna Coleman's 28th birthday, I decided to update this story a day early. I'll still update tomorrow, but I decided to celebrate Jenna's birthday with this update today too. So, happy birthday Jenna Coleman and I hope you guys enjoy this chapter. I'll see ya'll tomorrow.
They all pulled themselves up as the TARDIS spun out of control. The Doctor and Clara, who had been the furthest away, staggered to the console where John and Rose tried to stay on their feet.
"What's happening?!" Clara asked, yelling over the noise of the TARDIS.
The Doctor clung to the console as he reached to pull the scanner toward him. Clara and the Doctor watched as Circular Gallifreyan script scrolled across the screen. Both of them blanched.
"What's happening?!" Rose yelled, reiterating what Clara has asked earlier. Another violent jolt sent everybody roughly into the console.
"The TARDIS is being forcefully taken somewhere she doesn't want to be," Clara gasped, clutching her stomach. The Doctor grabbed her hand as another jolt threatened to send her catapulting across the room.
"By who? Where?" John asked.
Clara spun the scanner around so it was between her and John. With her free hand she reached up and pointed at the screen. She grabbed it before it could spin away from her as the TARDIS landed with a bang and a whir.
"One hundred and fifty kilometers up," Clara said, tapping one of the circles on the screen.
"We're on the Dalek ship?" Rose asked.
"You can read Gallifreyan?" John asked, incredulously.
"Yes, we're on the Dalek ship. Hopefully they think it's empty so we'll be able to go for a surprise attack," the Doctor said, answering Rose's question.
"We really need to stop doing this," Rose said, exasperatedly as the Doctor turned toward John.
"Yes, she can read Gallifreyan, but that's really not the point just now. We need to figure out how to..." the Doctor trailed off.
He spun around to look at Clara who stood, swaying, looking a little bit dazed. The Doctor rushed toward Clara as she started to lean forward and clutch her head. He grabbed her and carried her over to the chair sitting in the corner. He knelt in front of her and looked up at her, concern etched into every line of his face.
"Remember, don't fight the memories. Let them in. They should balance out. Okay, so you can read Gallifreyan now. What else do you remember?" the Doctor said.
He spoke quietly, but urgently. He cradled her face in his hands. His thumbs ran along her cheeks as he tried to wipe away the steady flow of tears running down her face.
"Not much, just flashes. A burnt orange sky. And more flashes from when I was a Dalek. A ladder. The intensive care unit," Clara gasped, trying to control her tears.
The Doctor quickly glanced over at Rose, who looked confused, and John, who looked like he was about to pass out. He looked back to Clara who hadn't missed his glance. She looked over at them too, frowning at their expressions.
'What's wrong?" Clara asked, looking back at the Doctor's wonder filled expressions.
"Clara. Oh, my Clara. My impossible girl," he whispered. He kissed her forehead and hugged her to his chest. "You just spoke Gallifreyan," he said into her hair.
Clara stiffened in surprise. She pulled back and looked at the Doctor, then over at Rose.
"Say something in Gallifreyan," Clar requested.
"Clara. My Clara. You really are impossible. Beautifully impossible."
Clara's eyes widened as the beautiful language of the Time Lords washed over her. She smiled and hugged him as tightly as she had in his time stream. She quickly pulled back and walked toward the console, frowning in concentration. She pulled the scanner towards herself and looked it over.
"Okay, we have more pressing matters than resurfacing memories. We need to figure out where we are on this ship," Clara stated simply.
The Doctor quickly got up to stand next to Clara and looked at the scanner. They both studied the map of the Dalek ship.
"Okay. Do you have a plan?" the Doctor asked Clara.
Clara quickly looked at the Doctor in surprise.
"You don't have a plan?" Clara asked incredulously.
"Does he ever?" Rose mumbled quietly.
"Yes," John whispered to her, offended.
"No. I thought you would have one," the Doctor retorted defensively.
"Okay then," Clara said, turning back to the scanner. "How many Daleks are out there right now?"
"How should I know?" the Doctor asked irritably, throwing his arms up and turning away. "You're the one next to the scanner."
Clara quickly glanced down and threw a few switches and pressed a few buttons. Suddenly, a video of what was happening outside the TARDIS appeared on the screen. The Doctor walked over to Clara curiously and looked over her shoulder as she brought the other scanner toward her and pulled up the map of the ship again.
"So you can pilot the TARDIS now?"
"Definitely not pilot, but I can do other things," Clara said, not looking up from the scanners. She brought her finger up and started to rub it against her bottom lip like she usually did when she was thinking. "How do you think the navigation system became knackered in the first place?"
The Doctor grinned widely and looked down at Clara excitedly.
"Clara Oswald. I could kiss you."
Clara looked at the Doctor and gave him a sly smile.
"Maybe later," she teased suggestively, bumping the Doctor with her hip.
John cleared his throat a bit. Both the Doctor and Clara jumped and looked at Rose and John as if they had just remembered they were there.
"Okay," the Doctor exclaimed, clapping his hands together and trying to cover up what had just happened. "Let's go out there and say hi to some Daleks."
Rose, John and Clara watched him in shock as he started to walk to the door.
"Without a plan?" Rose asked. "Won't they just shoot and kill us?"
"No," the Doctor said as she reached the door. "Remember the first time we met the Daleks. The TARDIS force field stretched to protect us and it'll do the same now. Perfectly safe. Trust me."
He smiled at Rose reassuringly. She studied him for a moment before smiling and skipping over to him. He laughed a bit before opening the door and he and Rose walked out.
John and Clara looked at each other in surprise. John turned and started to follow the Doctor and Rose, but Clara stayed rooted to the spot as something on the scanner caught her eye and idea struck her.
"John. Wait."
John turned toward Clara with a frown. She grinned excitedly.
"I have a plan."