The Doctor pulled open the front door, his already dark expression only getting impossibly darker as his eyes fell the man on the doorstep. The Doctor's jaw set as he glared at the other man, Teresa peering cautiously over the Doctor's shoulder while Clara paused further behind. Simeon didn't seem perturbed by the Doctor's anger, meeting the Doctor's gaze squarely as more snowmen grew out of the ground in the courtyard outside.
"Release her to us." Simeon hissed. "You have five minutes."
Simeon turned, walking away as the Doctor's hand curled into an angry fist before he slammed the front door shut once more. The Doctor turned back into the house, muttering as he walked back into the house: "We need to get her out of here but keep her away from them."
"How?" Clara asked and he answered snappily: "Without your help."
"Doctor." Teresa chided as she pulled him to a stop right before the study door. Latimer had stepped out, and the pair were right before him but neither even looked at him as they held a battle of wills.
The Doctor glared at Teresa, but she glared right back as she argued: "You're being unreasonable. At least give her a chance."
He pursed his lips thoughtfully, his eyes boring into hers.
"Fine." He said at last.
Turning back around, he grabbed an umbrella holding it up before Clara as he stated to the short girl: "We'll be doing it with this."
Clara glanced at the umbrella and then at the Doctor, when Latimer finally asked, unable to hold back any more: "Those creatures outside, what are they?"
"No danger to you," the Doctor replied without taking his eyes off Clara, "as long as I get that thing out of here."
He finally looked at Latimer as he added: "You, in there," he pointed to the study, "now. "
He then grabbed Teresa's hand, tugging her along with him as he ran up the stairs. Teresa grabbed the umbrella from him so he could grab his sonic, and he pointed it at the forcefield around the Ice Governess as Clara chased after the pair.
"What are you doing?" Clara asked curiously, and the Doctor answered easily: "Between you and me, only my angel knows."
The forcefield disappeared around the Ice Governess and the Doctor added: "But, I can't wait to find out."
He then pointed his sonic around them, grinning when the forcefield reappeared to now shield them instead of keeping the Ice Governess locked in place.
"Right," the Doctor called back to Clara, "if you look after everyone here, then I can-" He glanced back to see Clara right behind him and Teresa.
"Clara!" He said in exasperation, and Clara replied: "Doctor."
"Duck." Teresa told them as she ducked, and they quickly followed, barely avoiding as the Ice Governess swiped at them angrily. The Doctor pulled Teresa with him passed the Ice Governess, and Teresa grabbed Clara's hand to pull the woman with them.
"That was stupid." The Doctor scolded, and Clara retorted: "You were stupid, too."
"I'm allowed." The Doctor countered as they raced up the stairs. "I'm good at stupid."
"That sounded better in his head." Teresa told Clara, making the Doctor sigh, while the Ice Governess called as she chased them: "That's the way to do it!"
"Why does she keep saying that?" Clara asked, and the Doctor explained: "Mirroring."
He stopped running, turning to face the approaching Ice Governess as he continued: "Random mirroring."
He lifted the umbrella threateningly as he called: "We need to get on the roof."
"This way!" Clara shouted as she turned and ran, leading the way up.
Teresa grabbed the Doctor's hand, dragging him with her as Clara dragged her, and the Doctor whined at both of them: "No, I do the hand grabbing. That's my job. That's always me, unless it's Terry!"
"Well, tough, now it's her!" Teresa answered as they raced up to the topmost point of the house. "And what do you mean unless it's me?"
"Because you grab hands and run, in your future anyway. And why do you always side with them?" The Doctor complained, and Teresa answered cheekily: "Because it's fun to see you wrong."
"Oh," the Doctor wagged a finger at her as they reached the window leading out onto the roof, "now you're in for it."
"Is this the time?" Clara demanded, and the other two said quickly: "Sorry."
"Right, come on!" The Doctor ordered as he opened the window and climbed out. "Quickly!"
Teresa hopped out next, turning to help Clara as the Doctor raced on ahead.
"What are you doing?" The Doctor demanded when he saw the girls weren't following him, and Teresa explained as she tugged on Clara's hand: "Her bustle is stuck."
"Her bustle?" The Doctor repeated incredulously as Teresa gave an almighty heave and pulled Clara through. The two girls went crashing to the ground, the snow thankfully softening the impact but unfortunately for Teresa she was underneath Clara as they fell. She 'oomphed' as all the air was knocked out of her, groaning.
"Oh, hell." Clara gasped anxiously: "Are you al-?"
She was suddenly pulled up and off, and Teresa blinked, startled, when suddenly the Doctor was before her. He grabbed her shoulders, pulling her up and checking her quickly as he demanded frantically: "Are you alright? Are you hurt?"
"Doctor-" Teresa began, but he continued: "Anything broken? Does it hurt anywhere it shouldn't? Or actually, does it hurt anywhere?"
"Doctor." Teresa said, annoyed, but the Doctor went on over her as he turned to glare at Clara: "If she's hurt, Clara, I swear-"
"Doctor!" Teresa shouted, grabbing his chin and turning him to face her.
He blinked as she glared right in his face, snapping: "I'm fine!"
"Oh…" He said slowly. "Okay."
She huffed, letting go of his face as she turned to Clara.
"Clara, are you alright?" She asked in concern, and the short brunette stared at her and then the Doctor.
"What is wrong with you two?" Clara asked flatly.
"What?" Teresa asked in surprise, and Clara rephrased: "What is your relationship to each other?"
"Oh, the Doctor's…" Teresa began before she stopped. She blinked as she realized she had no idea. It had never occurred to her before.
"… My friend?" She tried, making Clara raise a brow and the Doctor wince.
"Thanks." He sighed. "I'm not even a friend yet?"
"No, it's just… I never really thought about it." Teresa said apologetically. "You're just… so much more that I feel like 'friend' is somewhat demeaning on you. 'Hero' sounds better, but it feels weird to say you're my hero."
He sighed, nodding as he saw her point, while Clara raised both brows. Teresa paused.
"Am I your friend?" She asked the Doctor, catching him off guard.
"What?" He asked blankly, before he realized what she meant.
His face softened, and he sighed as he answered: "More than that- you're the person I trust most in the world."
Teresa's brows furrowed and she pointed out: "Besides your wife."
"Yeah, besides my wife." The Doctor muttered, adding under his breath: "Sometimes I hate myself."
Teresa didn't hear as she turned to Clara, remembering the situation they were in and saying urgently: "Right, we're wasting time, so Clara, what're we doing?"
"I don't know," the woman answered, bewildered, "what's the plan?"
"I don't know, Doctor?" Teresa asked, and he answered with a raised brow: "Who said I've got a plan?"
"Course you've got a plan." Clara scoffed. "You took that."
She pointed at the umbrella Teresa had dropped, and Teresa raised a brow while the Doctor countered as he grabbed the umbrella: "Maybe I'm an idiot."
Clara's eyes narrowed, and she said sharply: "You're not. You're clever. Really clever."
The Doctor paused, a smile appearing on his face as he glanced at Teresa. Her grey eyes were shining and the smile widened on his face as he turned to Clara.
"Are you?" He challenged as he tossed the umbrella to the woman.
She caught it, staring at it and then him, stunned, as he asked: "If I've got a plan, what is it? You tell me."
"That's the way to do it!" The Ice Governess called as she suddenly appeared at the window, having caught up at last.
None of them gave her a second glance as Clara kept her eyes on the Doctor while Teresa and the Doctor kept their eyes trained on her.
"Is this a test?" Clara asked, and the Doctor answered bluntly: "Yes."
"What will it do to us?" Clara demanded, and the Doctor answered swiftly: "Kill us."
"That's the way to do it!" The Ice Governess called as she began to change into snow to get out of the window and after them on the roof.
"But you wouldn't let it." Clara said shrewdly.
"Says who?" The Doctor asked, and Clara declared: "Says you!"
She pointed the umbrella as she said confidently: "You wouldn't let her die!"
Teresa blinked, staring at the umbrella pointed at her, while the Doctor countered: "Yes, but this isn't my test, it's yours. So, plan. Do I have one?"
Clara's eyes narrowed and she smirked as she answered: "Oh, I know what your plan is. I knew straight away."
"No, you didn't." The Doctor scoffed, but Teresa grinned as Clara retorted: "Course I did."
"Show me." The Doctor countered, and Clara demanded with narrowed eyes: "Why should I?"
"Because Terry thinks you can do it." The Doctor replied, making both girls look at him in surprise.
"Do I have a plan?" He repeated his challenge, just as the Ice Governess began to reappear behind them.
Clara glanced at Teresa, who was blinking in surprise. But seeing Clara's look, Teresa gave the other girl a confident smile.
Clara grinned and she turned back to the Doctor as she said firmly: "If we'd been escaping, we'd be climbing down the building. If we'd been hiding, we'd be on the other side of the roof. But no," she moved to just passed where the Doctor was standing beside Teresa, "we're standing," she lifted the umbrella, "right here."
"So?" The Doctor asked.
"So!" Clara answered as she hooked the umbrella up and onto the Doctor's cloud-staircase ladder. She pulled it down before them, and the Doctor finally allowed the smile to spread across his face. He glanced at Teresa to see she was giving him the 'I told you' face, before he looked back at Clara proudly.
"After you." Clara said smugly, and the Doctor chuckled: "After you."
"After you!" Clara countered. "Terry and I are wearing a dresses, eyes in front, soldier!"
"My eyes are always front!" The Doctor answered lightly, though he conceded as he began to climb first.
"Unless Terry's involved." Clara suddenly teased in a sing-song voice. The Doctor froze while Teresa frowned.
"What?" Teresa asked, while the Doctor glanced down in horror.
"Well…." Clara said, dragging the sound out as she gave the Doctor a smirk. She'd caught the way he'd been distracted by Teresa's back, or rather the part below her back, when she'd been pulling on Clara after the brunette had gotten her bustle stuck in the window. It was the reason he hadn't gotten there in time to catch them before they fell on the ground.
"Stop it!" The Doctor ordered, mortified, and Clara replied with a laugh: "No!"
"What?" Teresa demanded, and Clara ordered: "Climb!"
Teresa frowned, but followed the Doctor quickly as Clara turned to the Ice Governess just as the woman finished materializing. Clara grabbed onto the ladder, clearing her throat as she said to the Ice Governess in her posh accent: "I understand you're the previous governess. I regret to inform you the position is taken."
She tapped the ladder with the umbrella, stepping onto the lowest rung just as it lifted back up, and she said to the Ice Governess in a smug tone: "Goodnight."
The Ice Governess snarled as she glared after them, while the Doctor and Teresa helped Clara up onto the bottom of the spiral part of the cloud staircase.
"So you can move your cloud?" Clara asked curiously. "You can control it?"
"No." The Doctor scoffed while Teresa suppressed a smile. "No one can control clouds, that would be silly. The wind," he added with a cheeky glance back at Clara, "a little bit."
Clara raised a brow and then looked a Teresa expectantly. She caught the look and nodded, answering: "Yes, he's always been a show-off."
"Oi." The Doctor said good-naturedly, but the friendly moment was ruined as they heard a clang below.
They all glanced over the side of the railings to see the Ice Governess beginning to make her way up the stairs, and Clara said worriedly: "She's following us."
"That's the idea." The Doctor replied as he dashed off up the stairs. "Keep her away from the snow."
Teresa tugged on Clara, and the girls quickly followed the Doctor up the stairs.
"So." He called. "Barmaid or governess, which is it?"
"That thing is after us," Clara said in disbelief, "and you want a chat?"
"Well," the Doctor reasoned, "we can't chat after we've been horribly killed, can we?"
He hurried on, almost at the top of the stairs, and Teresa snorted as Clara asked curiously: "How did we get up so high so quick?"
"Clever staircase." The Doctor answered. "It's taller on the inside."
"Why is everything you own cleverer than you?" Teresa asked cheekily as they arrived on top of the cloud, and he replied as he pulled out his sonic: "Oi! Watch it you!"
Teresa grinned, and the Doctor answered it with a mischievous twinkle in his eye before he turned and soniced the part of the cloud covering the staircase.
"What am I standing on?" Clara interjected as she looked around. "What's this made of?"
"Super dense water vapour." The Doctor explained as he finished. "Should keep her trapped for the moment."
Clara looked at him and then Teresa in surprise, and the Doctor gave the girl a smug grin before he turned and waltzed his way back to the Tardis.
"Do you actually live up here on a cloud, in a box?" Clara asked somewhat skeptically and the Doctor answered snappishly, turning on her: "I have done for a long time now."
"Blimey," Clara muttered, "you really know how to sulk, don't you? How do you cope with him?" She asked the amused blonde beside the annoyed man.
"I'm not sulking." The Doctor argued.
"Sure you aren't." Teresa muttered, while Clara pointed out: "You live in a box!"
"That's no more a box than you are a governess." The Doctor answered flatly.
He turned swiftly around, grabbing Teresa and hauling her with him. She could see him fighting a smile and she chewed her lip to keep from ruining his moment as Clara snarled: "Oh, spoken like a man."
The pair 'ignored' her as they strode toward the Tardis, Clara following angrily as she spat after the Doctor: "You know, you're the same as all the rest. Sweet little Clara, works at the 'Rose And Crown', ideas above her station."
The Doctor unlocked the Tardis and stepped inside, Teresa with him as Clara followed them, snapping furiously: "Well, for your information, I'm not sweet on the inside, and I'm certainly not-"
She was cut off as the Doctor flipped on the lights, revealing the entire console room in all its futuristic glory. The Doctor and Teresa turned back to face Clara, the Time Lord with a wide, smug smile while the blonde beamed with shining grey eyes.
Clara's eyes were wide and her mouth had fallen open, and she finished her sentence in a whisper: "-Little."
"It's called the Tardis." The Doctor told her dramatically as Clara stared open-mouthed by the doorway. "It can travel anywhere in time and space."
He grinned as he wrapped his arm around Teresa's waist, murmuring: "And it's ours."
"But," Clara gasped, "it's… Look at it, it's-"
"Go on, say it." The Doctor said with a careless shrug. "Most people do."
Teresa hid a smile at that, waiting. Clara whirled around, running outside to do the traditional run around the outside of the Tardis, and the Doctor chuckled.
"You're so sure and smug." Teresa teased, and he shrugged: "I've seen it all."
"No, you haven't." Teresa said slyly, making him raise a brow, when Clara came dashing back in.
The Doctor smiled, waiting, when Clara declared in disbelief: "It's smaller on the outside."
Teresa laughed as the Doctor's brows lifted in surprise and the smile dropped off his face.
"Okay," he muttered as he glanced at Teresa, "that is a first."
He turned back to the console as Teresa chuckled, and he murmured: "Oh, shut up."
"No." She teased and he grinned back at her while Clara asked in awe as she slowly stepped further inside: "Is it magic? Is it a machine?"
"It's a ship." The Doctor answered as he bent over the console, and Clara repeated as she ran about giggling like a little girl: "A ship?"
"Best ship in the universe." The Doctor added, giving Teresa a wink and making her smile. They both loved the Tardis very much.
Clara came running back, asking curiously: "Is there a kitchen?"
"Okay." The Doctor muttered. "Another first, no-one's asked that so quickly."
Teresa chuckled, before her face softened as Clara admitted: "I don't know why I asked that. It's just, I like making soufflés."
The Doctor paused at that, frowning. He looked at Teresa, and she shook her head while Clara dashed off towards the door again, bouncing with excitement.
"Soufflés?" The Doctor repeated as he quickly followed Clara, his mind racing as he tried to place something in his mind that told him he'd heard the word and the voice before.
Teresa's face saddened. She had no idea why, or what the mystery around Clara meant. But she did know tonight wasn't the night they would find out. She eyed Clara's position by the door sadly, for once feeling helpless even though she knew she could save Clara. But she wouldn't. Because, just this once, she had no absolutely idea how severe the consequences would be if she did.
Clara meanwhile whirled around at the doorway, her face equally puzzled as she stared at the Doctor.
"Why are you showing me all this?" She asked.
"You followed us, remember?" The Doctor pointed out. "I certainly didn't invite you."
"You're nearly a foot taller than I am." Clara countered. "You could've reached the ladder without this."
She held up the umbrella. "You took it for me, as a test."
She threw the umbrella at the Doctor and he caught it with a soft smile as she demanded: "Why?"
The Doctor stared at Clara and then at Teresa. The blonde girl's face was filled with a mysterious sadness but she nodded at the Doctor. He turned back to Clara as he admitted: "I never know why. I only know who."
He held up a Tardis key, smiling as he placed it into Clara's hand.
"What's this?" Clara asked slowly.
"Me." The Doctor answered as he glanced at Teresa. "Giving in."
Clara looked between the pair, tears starting to spill down her cheeks.
"I don't know why I'm crying." She admitted, and the Doctor answered: "I do."
Teresa's face became conflicted, wondering if she should, but knowing she really shouldn't.
"Remember this." The Doctor said to Clara enthusiastically. "This right now, remember all of it. Because this is the day. This is the day."
He turned back to the console as he called happily: "This is the day everything begins."
He made to start working on the console, wanting to take them on an adventure, and Teresa couldn't hold back any more.
"Clara!" She cried in warning, but it was too late.
The Ice Governess appeared, stepping into the console and grabbing Clara before the girl could even blink or turn her head to look at Teresa in confusion.
Clara shrieked, dropping the Tardis key as the Ice Governess began to drag her out and Teresa screamed: "Clara!"
"Clara!" The Doctor called in alarm as he and Teresa ran out after the Ice Governess and Clara.
"Get off of me!" Clara yelled as she struggled against the Ice Governess's tight grasp and Teresa yelled: "Clara!"
"Water vapour doesn't stop ice." The Doctor muttered as he edged after Clara and the Ice Governess. "I should've realised."
"Get off!" Clara yelled, and the Doctor pointed his sonic at the Ice Governess as he ordered: "Let her go."
"Clara!" Teresa cried in panic as the Ice Governess got closer and closer to the edge of the cloud.
"Let her go now!" The Doctor shouted. "Now!"
"Get off of me!" Clara yelled, while Teresa screamed: "Doctor, Clara!"
He saw what she'd known all along and his eyes widened as the Ice Governess reached the edge of the cloud.
"No." He gasped. "Clara!"
"Clara!" Teresa screamed and before she could think she launched after the other girl, grabbing Clara's hand just as the Ice Governess dragged Clara backwards off the cloud.
"Terry!" The Doctor yelled, his hand stretching out as Teresa tethered on the edge before toppling off the cloud with Clara.
"NO!" The Doctor screamed as he rushed to the cloud edge, falling to his knees as he watched Clara and Teresa fall towards the Earth. Clara's eyes were wide as Teresa clung onto the girl's hand, but then she felt something that chilled her bones even more than the adrenaline that the free fall had caused.
"No!" Teresa gasped as a blue light wrapped around her, and she screamed again as she felt the familiar pull: "No! Clara-!"
The girl blinked once slowly, before her eyes widened in shock and fear as the blonde girl disappeared. And Clara was left to fall on her own, landing heavily in the courtyard right outside the Darkover house.
Teresa reappeared, cursing herself silently as sobs began to wrack her body.
"Stupid, stupid, stupid!" She scolded as she curled into a tight ball, sobbing uncontrollably. "Stupid, stupid, stupid!"
"Terry?"
Her head shot up, and she rubbed her eyes, trying to clear the tears. She blinked a few more out of the way, the tears sliding down her cheeks, to find Ten staring at her with concerned brown eyes.
"Terry?" He asked again, laying a hand on her shoulder and she wailed.
"Terry, are you hurt?" He demanded, his hand squeezing her shoulder as he tried to get her to tell him what was wrong.
"Terry? Terry, please." He begged, and she finally shook her head.
"I'm, I'm fine." She promised and he relaxed minutely, though the worry was still etched all over his face.
"Terry, what is it?" He asked, when suddenly another voice called: "Oi, Spaceman!"
Teresa blinked as the Doctor glanced over his shoulder and Donna appeared in one of the doorways, calling: "I thought you were going to take us off-"
She broke off as she saw the Doctor crouched beside a crying Teresa.
"Oh, Lord!" Donna gasped as she dashed over. "Terry, my angel? What is it? Was it him? It was him, wasn't it? Why you!" She smacked the Doctor, hard. "Why can't you take care of her properly, Spaceman!"
"Ow!" He complained as he rubbed his head.
"It wasn't me! Was it?" He added as he turned to Teresa worriedly. "Was it me? Did I do something? Or did you just come from past me? I swear, Terry, I didn't mean any of the things I said back then-"
"No, no, it's okay." Teresa said quickly. "It wasn't you. Don't tell me any more, it's spoilers."
He shut up quickly, while Donna asked kindly: "What was it, sweetheart?"
Teresa smiled, but shook her head.
"Spoilers." She said softly. Both faces fell at that, but Teresa reached out to hug Donna.
"It's okay." She murmured. "Really."
"Oh, angel." Donna sighed as she hugged Teresa tightly.
The blonde clung to the older woman, asking in a small voice: "It's okay, but… can I just stay like this? Just for a little while?"
"Oh, honey," Donna answered warmly, "you can stay like this forever if you want to."
That made Teresa choke on another sob, and Donna hugged her closer. The Doctor watched silently, his eyes filled with sorrow as Teresa buried her head in Donna's shoulder and cried. There was another goodbye yet to come, and Teresa's heart cracked a little as she was reminded of that fact.
Amy and Rory, Clara, Donna… and then Rose, Mickey, Martha… Not to mention, she realized with a sinking heart, the goodbyes with the Doctors themselves. Sure, it was still him, but it wasn't in so many ways as well. The man inside was the same but a lot of the personality and outside characteristics were lost forever. The Doctor and his companions were the only friends and family she had now, and losing them…
Donna and the Doctor were whispering something as Teresa sank into gloomy thought, becoming more and more depressed, when suddenly she felt Donna shift and the arms around her change. Teresa blinked, startled when she found herself leaning against the Doctor, his arms wrapped around her and her cheek against his chest.
"It's alright, my angel." He murmured as he kissed the top of her head repeatedly. "It's alright. I'll always be here for you, even if everything else changes that will never change."
Her breath hitched before she buried her face in his chest. It had been exactly what she needed to hear, and it made her tears flow once more. He hugged her tightly, tucking her under his chin as he murmured comforting words. The Doctor wasn't sure what had happened, but he guessed from her reaction that someone important had been lost. And he had more than enough experience to know that it was hard to overcome that kind of sorrow.
But as Terry herself would teach him time and time again, life went on. Sometimes, they just needed to remember that. So he sat there with his arms around his angel as he reminded her of that as she let her emotions run free and let her tears wash the pain away.
