~Time Passes: Part 5~

Clara; Day 47

"You may as well just tell me." Clara said.

She watched Hekate move around the room lighting candles, imaging strangling her. Only there was sadly no way for Clara to reach. She was currently sitting in the inner sanctum of the temple of the Mysteries of Aion while chained to the wall. The heavy iron manacles rubbed her wrists raw as Clara tried to work herself out of them. Every part of her hurt, from her body to her heart.

Hekate turned to face her, "Tell you what?"

"Who I am. What you did to me."

"You're nobody. Just some girl stupid enough to spawn a half-human child, which is what I needed. That's what I paid for and that's what was delivered. As for your sorry little life, I don't know any more than you do." Hekate said with distain.

"Was the temple really so desperate for money?"

The head priestess looked confused at Clara's lack of understanding. "People of this nation are losing faith. I would have restored it and saved the Mysteries. People would worship in the name of Aion once again."

"So you kidnap a pregnant woman."

"It was for the greater good."

Clara rolled her eyes, "Lots of people say that."

"I don't need to explain myself to you." snapped Hekate.

Ignoring the outburst Clara continued, "You didn't answer one of my questions. How did you wipe my memories?"

"They're not gone, just suppressed." She explained with a smug grin. "You see, I'm a very skilled herbalist. I know how to blend a form of nepthene so potent it not only makes you forget your troubles, but everything else as well. One drop and you forget a day. A goblet full and…well, you already know don't you?"

Nepthene? Clara was sure she'd heard of it before, except she thought it was a myth. It was in a book she'd read a long time ago, when she was young, about a man lost at sea. A man trying to find his way home. She had a sudden flash of a memory. Hekate was forcing a goblet of liquid down her throat.

She forced herself to focus and follow the memory back. Before the goblet there were two men dressed in black. They were in a room with furniture unlike any Clara had seen here. It was all so disjointed and vague. The man was there. He tried to help her but then his chest was hit with lighting. He lay unmoving on the ground.

Clara snapped back to the present. What did that mean? Was the man dead? The baby kicked as if in protest. She winced, rubbing her bruised skin. The child was very strong and her body was already pushed to the limit by the accelerated growth. There was no time for her muscles to adjust to the changes. Not for the first time Clara wondered just what the man from her dreams was. He appeared to be like any other human, though that clearly wasn't the case. How could they have ended up together and what did that mean for their baby?

With a sigh Clara leaned back against the wall. Tears she could no longer suppress leaked from the corners of her eyes. Everything had gone to hell. Sarra, her best friend, was dead and now Hekate would take her child. There was nothing worse than the thought of losing her baby. That didn't mean she was giving up though. Clara would fight tooth and nail, until her very last breath to protect her child. It was just getting harder. Though Clara knew she was going to need a contingency plan in case she didn't find a way out of this.

The hours passed slowly. Clara tried to track the passage of time by the movement of the light from the high windows, but it only frustrated her more. Food was brought around midday, because at least they couldn't afford to have her starve to death. Clara had to be kept relatively healthy since she was carrying their precious investment. Though now after Hekate's little confession, she didn't want to eat or drink anything they gave her. There was no way she was going to allow herself to forget again. The only problem was Clara needed to eat eventually.

The light in the stone room was growing dimmer when Clara first heard the sounds coming from outside. People were yelling and shouting. There were the sounds of weapons firing, weapons which didn't exist here. Clara pulled herself to her feet and took a step forward. The chains prevented her from going any farther. The shouting was getting closer; she could almost make out voices now. Holding her breath Clara stared, unblinking at the large wooden door which walled off the inner sanctum.

With a tremendous boom the door flew open. Clara screamed throwing herself back against the wall. A group of people rushed in aiming blasters as they scanned the room for threats. But none of that mattered because Clara recognized the tall, thin man leading them. It was him. It was the man she'd been dreaming about. He was gaunter and looked like he hadn't slept in a long time, but Clara would know his face anywhere.

The man froze, his mouth falling open slightly when he saw her. Time slowed as he walked towards her as if in a trance, never taking his eyes off her face. Clara forgot how to breathe.

"You're alive." he whispered voice hoarse, unused.

She let out a laugh that was almost a sob and nodded. Then his mouth was on hers, arms pulling her closer desperately. The rush of overwhelming sensation at that moment broke the barriers in Clara's mind. It all came surging back. Her life in London, meeting the Doctor on the street, running away with him, when he proposed on the island, their adventures, and their wedding. It all came back.

"Doctor, you're my Doctor." she murmured.

Clara tried to reach up to touch his face, but was stopped by the chains. It was only then that the Doctor realized she was in manacles. His face lost all emotion as he carefully removed them with the sonic screwdriver. He stared at the bruised and bleeding skin on her wrists with dawning horror. Obviously the Doctor hadn't noticed the bigger picture yet.

Clara forced him to look at her. She smiled in pure joy knowing what this would mean to him. "There is something I have to tell you."

Before the Doctor could say anything she took his hand and placed it on her rounded belly. His eyes went wide as a tiny foot kicked out against him.

"That's a… you're…" The Doctor's look of genuine amazement made her heart flutter.

"We're having a baby."

His smile was brighter than the sun. "We're having a baby." he repeated.

The Doctor pulled Clara into a kiss that lifted her off her feet. "I love you." they whispered over and over. They didn't need to say anything else.

Eventually the rest of the group broke up their moment insisting that they needed to leave. For the first time Clara realized who else was with them. The Doctor had scrounged up his own little army to rescue her. Captain Jack, Martha, and Mickey were all there, along with several people Clara didn't know.

"Lovely to see you again Clara," Jack said with a wink, "Though I'm afraid the rest of the pleasantries will have to wait. The tranquilizers we used on your charming friends here will be wearing off soon and I doubt we want to be around when they wake up."

The Doctor nodded then scooped Clara into his arms. Everyone could see she was too weak to do any running at the moment. She rested her head against his chest listening to the sound of his double heart beat, a sound she thought she'd never hear again. She was safe now.

She was home.

Yeah they're back together! :)

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