The decision night

The Doctor had thrown them all out of the TARDIS and while Sherlock and Mycroft were having an heated argument about aliens and impossible things which were not supposed to happen, Clara was busy asking the Doctor about the Skovox Blitzer. John decided to listen to the schoolteacher for he was hoping to understand at least a little bit about what was going on. „So, you said it's gone", Clara said, her heart still racing and her breath faltering. „For now, yes", the Doctor answered. „But thanks to our detective diva over there it'll return within the next 72 hours." He made a rude gesture towards Sherlock who was still arguing with Mycroft. „And then you'll be able to send it back completely?", John cut in. „Shut up!", the Doctor explained without giving John a second glance and turned back to Clara. „I'll be needing you tomorrow to finish this and make sure not to bring any of your foolish friends this time".

„Oi!", John said but the Doctor disappeared back inside the TARDIS immediately. Clara turned to John. „Listen, please take both of them away from here", she said with a glance towards the still fighting brothers. „I need to talk to the Doctor in private". John frowned. „Are you sure he's going to make it? He seems a bit...chaotic". She sighed. „Trust me, we'll work this out." The army doctor did not seem convinced but he nodded. „I do trust you, Clara", he said. „Thing is I don't trust Sherlock not to come back here and get himself into a kind of trouble he's never faced before". She wanted to groan in annoyance. She couldn't watch out for everyone of them. And yet she felt like their mother already. Definitely too much testosterone at once! „Then stay with him!", she hissed. „There's a dangerous alien coming back here within the next three days, sorry but I've got other priorities than looking out for grown men which behave like children!". John looked shocked while Sherlock broke from his fight with his older brother to exclaim: „I can hear you!".

After the Doctor had explained his plan to her, she stood inside the TARDIS and looked up at the ceiling. She found herself standing on a cross-way. The Doctor was back and now he'd finally let her in again. In the end there would be two possibilites and right now she was actually considering to go back to time travel. It was familiar, it was fun. It was amazing and she got to see what nobody else would see. Wonders. „So", the Doctor stood on the opposite side of the console. She couldn't see him properly behind the glass pillar, his face seemed scattered behind it. It was when she realised that she'd lost it. She couldn't see him anymore, not really. And being honest with herself she found that she didn't care. „You and the king, eh?", he asked. Clara frowned briefly before she understood whom he was talking about. She let her head drop but remained silent. „Never thought you'd go with a king", the Doctor stated and Clara felt her stomach drop. „Shut up", she answered quietly. „I'm not with him, not anymore. Actually...", she hesitated. „I'm not sure if I ever was". The Doctor was playing with the latches. „According to the looks the two of you keep throwing at each other like a hot potato you were and you still are". She sighed. There was nothing he didn't notice. Was she really that obvious around Mycroft? „It seems that you and the king have unfinished buisness", the Doctor continued. „It's complicated", she finally said. The Doctor stepped down the base: „You keep saying that. Why do human beings keep saying that? Seems you don't know what you want".

Unfinished buisness, as if the situation between Mycroft and her was anything but. It had seemed that he'd wanted to be left alone again. He'd been repellent to her, almost vile, treating her like an idiot. And then he'd said that one sentence that had shaken her to the bones.

„I imagined myself to be in love". Had he been trying to tell her that he was in love with her? On the other hand he'd said that he was fine with being on his own, that he would always be this way. She got a feeling that he was fading away from her and she couldn't let that happen. He would be alone, again. Mycroft Holmes, the most dangerous and most powerful man in England alone in his far too large house with nobody to look after him. That thought made her so sad, it physically hurt. She had to go after him, she had to be there for him. He needed a friend, even though he would never admit it. But here she was, standing in the TARDIS on the doorstep to her old routine. Could she even imagine to go back to this? With this Doctor? Did he even want her around? „Doctor?", she asked and stepped towards the ceiling, looking for him."Where are you going after this?". She heard a loud rapple and a pang! before the Doctor answered: „Where, where would I go? Home, of course!"

„Home?", she was confused.

The Doctor's face appeared under her feet. „Oh, right! You don't know that! But I've found Gallifrey!" She was so surprised that she didn't know what to say. „You, you mean..."

„Yes! Got the coordinates from an old friend of mine".

„A friend?", she asked.

„Never mind that", he climbed up the steps back to the console. „I've got to go back home. Sorry to disappoint. No more travels". She looked up at him and even though a part of her was sad, another one was glad for him. „That's fine. I'll be...here I mean, I've got...things".

„I'll finish the Skovox Blitzer off", he said and stepped closer. „After that I'll go home and you should clear things with the king. It's not too late, you know".

„How would you know?", she asked. He crooked his head and smiled. „He likes you, Clara. But you must be sure what it is you want". She swallowed. „I do know what I want but he's...".

„Oh, that's not like you, impossible girl", the Doctor stated. „You never give up. You do not walk away, right?". Clara nodded, she knew what he was talking about. „Sometimes the only choices you've to make are bad ones", he added. „But you still have to choose". His voice had gone very silent but she didn't notice. Someone else was occupying her mind completely in that moment.

„I'll see you tomorrow", she said and was out the door. The Doctor peeked after her and swallowed hard. „To the last hurrah", he murmered to himself.

After the fight with Sherlock, Mycroft had declined three calls of his mother already and found himself back at home, his mind restless. He was running through a thousand possibilities of Clara's departure into the universe. Probably she was on the moon right now, dancing around the Doctor while fighting some aliens. They were worlds apart. And she would still not be safe. At least she would be away from him and Magnussen would not be able to touch her. He'd pushed her away today, he'd followed his plan, it had worked out. He'd made himself clear that he didn't want her around anymore. Just like it was supposed to be. But how could it be right if it made him feel this...miserable? He sighed deeply and sat behind the desk in his private liberary when his phone buzzed. Clara Oswald calling

Oh, for God's sake! He declined it and chose not to think about it anymore when it buzzed again. Suppressing an annoyed groan he picked up this time.

„Clara", he stated.

„Okay, listen. I know you don't want to talk to me but I've found that we've got unfinished buisness and I need to clear it."

He hesitated. There was only one way how to end this. „I do not have any interest in such a conversation", he answered coldly but she cut in: „I don't care. Listen, I'll be fighting the alien with the Doctor tomorrow but I won't join him again after that. I have a life here. And there are wonders here, on Earth. I'm staying. Tomorrow will be my last adventure with him ever. I just...I wanted you to know that and...when all this is over I need to talk to you once more."

She was trying to tell him something. Something she could not tell him over the phone. She felt a strong need to see him again, even though she'd already accepted his decision as it seemed. She wanted a break, a cut. Final, ultimate.

„I think we had no proper goodbye", she went on. „So, there's good times for a goodbye". He didn't know what to say. He hadn't expected this from her. And now his mind seemed to let him down. He couldn't think. All he could do in that moment was to feel a pain that burned deep. It took his breath away. „Mycroft?", she asked gently. „Are you still there?". He cleared his throat.

„Yes. I agree. I will see you at your place if you don't mind."

„Sunday evening, 9 pm?", she suggested.

„I'll be there".

„Goodnight, Mycroft".

He didn't answer and ended the call. Whatever she was hoping to gain through this he was sure it would be another test for his camouflage. And it was going to be very hard.