Some more happiness, some more revelations. . . you ask, I deliver :D Thank you for the sweet reviews, guys!

Chapter 36

When the Doctor stepped out of the car, he was glad to find that the cabin looked just like it had in his memory. It was all there, right in front of him. The small, wooden cabin, the little lake that was currently frozen over, the other cabins a little further down the hill and the city in the distance. Sixteen years. The Doctor hadn't been back here in sixteen years.

Somehow, he had always imagined that it would make him sad to see the house again, to be in that place that held so many memories, but the only thing he truly felt was the relief to have come back and kept his promise. Sixteen years later, the Doctor had fulfilled his late wife's dying wish at last.

"It's beautiful," Clara said and when the Doctor turned to look at her, he noticed that she had her eyes set on the city below them. Then she turned her head and frowned at him. "Why haven't you been back here in a while? It's gorgeous. If I had a house like this, I'd be here every weekend."

"It's a long story," he explained and then raised his hands that were packed with two large shopping bags. The Doctor wasn't entirely sure how well Donna had stocked the house up on basic groceries, so they had stopped at a supermarket and bought enough to feed them for a few days just in case. "Let's get these inside, shall we?"

Clara beamed at him in response and skipped ahead. The Doctor followed her a little more slowly and he couldn't help but marvel at the influence their little trip already had on her. Two days ago, when he had taken her home from the party, the Doctor had been truly worried and probably rightly so, but something had changed since then and a smile spread across his face when he considered the possibility that maybe he had brought about that change. It had taken him quite some time to see it, but Clara was a marvellous woman and she more than deserved to be here. He was sure of that.

"Oh God, it's freezing in here," she complained as soon as they had stepped inside the cabin and Clara had made an attempt to take her coat off. She had soon buttoned it back up.

"Sorry," he muttered when he switched the light on. "There are some blankets on the sofa. I'll put the food away, make us a cup of tea and join you, okay?"

"Good plan," Clara agreed and the Doctor thought he could hear her teeth clatter as he made his way towards the kitchen.

He was surprised to find the house exactly the way he had left it sixteen years ago and he made a mental note to thank Donna for taking such good care of it in his absence. And yet, something about returning here after so many years felt a little strange. The Doctor had imagined it to be different, he had imagined that it would be a big deal to once again step through these doors, that he would be flooded with memories of his late wife, but that wasn't it. The only thing he felt was the excitement to open a new chapter in his life and the relief of finally putting the past behind him.

"Tea and hot water bottle," the Doctor announced and Clara instantly outstretched her arms when he dropped the hot water bottle into her lap and handed her the steaming mug.

"Oh, thank you," she replied instantly as she wrapped her hands around the warm beverage.

"I switched the heating on," he explained. "Should be warm and cosy in a bit."

Clara nodded softly, but then she turned her head and looked at him through inquisitive eyes. "Why are you avoiding my question?"

In response, the Doctor frowned at her. "Question? What question?"

"Why haven't you come here in a while?"

The Doctor sighed and as if by instinct, he tightened his grip on the mug, ignoring the burning sensation the hot tea was causing. "Are you sure you wanna hear that story? It's kinda maudlin."

"Out with it," Clara demanded and granted him a soft smile before she blew on her tea to cool it down. "After all, I told you my story. I mean, it's only fair."

Knowing that he was defeated, the Doctor set his mug aside, deciding that the tea would still be too hot to drink for several more minutes. He might as well use the moment to tell Clara why they were here even though he wasn't quite sure she would appreciate the gesture. The Doctor inhaled deeply before he spoke.

"I was married once," he admitted.

Clara cocked her eyebrows in response. "Are you gonna tell me that you're still in love with her and the house is bringing back all those happy memories?" she asked, huffing softly.

"My wife died sixteen years ago," the Doctor explained and he watched as the amused expression vanished from Clara's face in an instant as her eyes widened.

"Oh, I'm sorry. I. . . I didn't mean it like-" she spluttered in reply.

"It's alright. Sixteen years is a long time," he said. "She died of cancer and it was a long process. We had time to say goodbye, time to make peace with it."

"I can't imagine that it would make it much easier even if you know what's coming," Clara remarked.

The Doctor could only shrug. "Well, it does make it a little easier, I guess. Not much. But at least you get to say goodbye, you get to say all those things you want the other person to know. I was grieving for a long time, but I moved on."

"What about the cabin though?" Clara wanted to know and the Doctor smiled in response. If he focused hard enough, he could still hear River's determined voice.

"River, my late wife, she knew how much I loved it out here. It wasn't so much our place as it was my place and before she died, she asked me to make a promise."

Clara sipped her tea, eyeing him expectantly.

"She told me not to come back here unless-" the Doctor broke off, unsure whether he should really repeat River's words in front of Clara. If he finished the sentence, it would make it all real and he wasn't sure if Clara was ready for the truth about his feelings.

"Unless?" she enquired.

The Doctor took a deep breath. "Unless it was with a woman I've been seeing for a while, a woman I care about."

It took her a moment to reply and the Doctor watched as Clara's eyes grew wider when the realisation of what he had just said was beginning to dawn on her. "Oh," she uttered.

"I mean, I've had girlfriends," he spluttered in response. "But, uhm, but not anything serious enough to. . . to-"

"To grant your wife's dying wish?"

"Exactly," he confirmed and blew the air out of his lungs. "I just thought you'd. . . well. . . you'd appreciate the change of scenery after. . . you know."

"I get it," Clara replied and finally, a smile spread across her face. That was all the Doctor ever needed to know that the sentiment was appreciated. It wasn't as if he had expected her to say anything back, no, it was far too early for her to be doing that. The loss of Danny was still too fresh.

"I thought about selling it about a million times," the Doctor said, laughing. "I could've really used the money, but I could never bring myself to do it. So I asked a friend to take care of the cabin until I was ready to come back."

"I'm glad you haven't sold it," she replied earnestly.

The Doctor was surprised when Clara suddenly reached for the collar of his shirt and pulled him down to her level until their lips met for a deep, soft kiss.

"Thank you," she whispered when they eventually pulled apart. "For bringing me here."

"Uhm," the Doctor paused. "You're welcome."

Chuckling, Clara sank back in her seat, but as her gaze wandered across the room, the smile faded from her face and was replaced by a frown. "Hang on, where's your telly?"

"I don't have one here," he replied. "This cabin is about getting away, about relaxing, not fretting over the news."

The Doctor was taken by surprise when Clara rose from her seat, a determined expression on her face. "Well, you're lucky I brought my laptop and I have some really good movies on there. Get us some snacks, will you?"

Smiling to himself, the Doctor got up and made his way towards the kitchen. Yes, Clara's spirits had lifted and he was positive that this trip had been an excellent idea for them both.