Chapter summary: With Clara virtually unconscious after being tormented by multiple shocks and the Doctor chained to the wall watching her suffer, the latter had to find a plan to get her safe,

But it's only just beginning.

*Heavy on Doctor introspection & whouffaldi*

A/N: Hey all! Truly sorry for taking so long to update! I tried my best to write a bit every day and it might not be my best work; hopefully you'll still enjoy it!

This chapter is a lil longer than what was originally planned.
The *story* is proving itself to be a lil longer than what was originally planned; hope no one minds it :p

Enjoy!

She didn't know how long it had been since she had lost consciousness. The last thing she remembered was the shock they had given her. She heard some shouting and cries which could have only come from the Doctor. Anger and fury which may have come from the Leader. Or the Doctor. Or both.

As she pulled herself into consiousness even more, she could hear the faint clanking of chains. Then muttering.

"I should have regenerated with thinner wrists."

It was her Doctor's voice, all right.

She wanted to joke that if he were to come any thinner, he would have regenerated into a broomstick instead of an grumpy wrinkled Scottish stick insect.

But all her voice could let out was a exsperated groan.

The clanging stopped. "Clara? Are you awake?"

It took a while before she could reply, only by slightly moving the chain. She dared not move much, though. Breathing was already painful enough.

"Hold on, Clara. I think I've figured out how we will get out." He breathed.

She heard some clanging, some groaning.

Then a crack followed by a muffled whimper. A little more clanging, a few more muffled yelps, then a sigh.

Yet another crack before the same process was repeated.

What the hell was the Doctor doing?

It was a while before the Doctor rushed next to her. " 'm here, Clara. 'm here." He brushed away the short strands of hair in front of her face, revealing a trail left from a nosebleed caused by the shock.

"We're going to get out of here. I'll just go get my sonic." He ran to the mound a few steps behind her before getting back to her in a blink of an eye, holding the sonic. "Can you get up?"

She groaned, trying her best to move. Lifting her head up... It felt like she was heaving a ton of bricks wrapped around her temples. Clara closed her eyes as she felt a wave of nausea creep up. Thin yet welcoming arms wrapped around her, trying to help her sit up. She heard his soft voice... Consoling her, trying his best to let her forget the pain just for a moment. Clara slumped against his frame, cupping her mouth after feeling a burning sensation going up her food pipe. "It's going to be alright, Clara. Hold on, ok?" The hand slipped off her mouth, leaning more against the Doctor. "I'm going to heave you up. I will be as gentle as possible." She sent a thought of gratitude, hoping the Doctor had his telepathic guards down. He brought her body as close as possible and lifted her up in the most gentle manner, so much so that Clara only felt a little nauseous. The time lord moved slowly, yet cautioisly to the door with sonic in his left hand, whose arm was wrapped under his companion's knees.

He had only taken the first few steps; Doctor, I don't feel very well. He heard her think.

"Just hold on a lil longer, Clara." He breathed gently. "We're still not safe here."

She let out a small groan.

The Doctor had only walked a few more steps to the door when he heard the keys turn in the key hole.

"No no no, this can't be happening." He took a few steps away from the door, thinking as fast as he could.

Looking to his left; no escape route... Only a chain. Could he use the chain to stop them? To somehow get through the walls? Not enough time.

Opposite walls. Nothing.

Damn it. Nothing.

Nothing but his ability, sonic, and...

Usually he'd add Clara to the list. She was a wonder when it came to escaping.

Another click from the key turn brought him our of his thoughts.

Think idiot Doctor. THINK!

His thinking didn't stop the leader and his helpers from pushing the door open.

He was scared. Scared for Clara.

They entered the cell, the time lord clutching his companion closer to his chest whilst taking a few steps back. The torturers stopped after a step, gazing at the pair.

"I believe we may have interrupted something." The leader smirked.

"I was going to take Clara away." He said truthfully. "She doesn't deserve the torture. I do. Let me take her to somewhere safe and I'm all yours." HIs lower lip trembled. "I promise."

The Leader's expression changed from a sneaky smile to meacing eyes. "LIES!" He shouted, before he composed himself. "You promised so many things to my people, one of which were kept. Why should I believe you now?"

"I beg you. You can torture me all you want. Anything and everything. Just please..." The Doctor felt a lump in his throat inhibiting from saying anything else.

"Please, don't hurt him." The Doctor heard Clara's sore voice; the first time he'd heard her after the shocks.

Shhhhhh, Clara. Don't worry about me. I'll be fine. His thoughts wrapped around her mind, trying to calm her as much as possible.

"No... Please... Don't." She breathed.

"Your companion is one stubborn human." The Leader laughed.

The Doctor would've wanted to reply; that there was nothing to laugh about. He could feel his blood boil. He wanted to choke the bastard. But he still had Clara's safety on the line. She held priority over everything. Even his raging temper.

Clara was becoming heavy. And besides, she was caught in their crossfire. The time lord turned to lay his companion down sideways. The torturers were going to seize him but the Leader stopped them before they could proceed to the 2nd step.

The Doctor released the breath he was holding. Looking at her face; God knew in what pain she was in.

Stay strong. We'll get out of this. I promise. That is a promise I will always keep. He sneakily pulled out the sonic and made sure to hide it well enough before planting a kiss on her knuckles, making the chains around her wrists clank. In case they take me away and you feel strong enough to escape, don't wait for me. The sonic is in your jean pocket. Don't wait for me. The Doctor walked away from his companion, giving himself in. Two men seized him and pushed him to the floor. The time lord felt his head throb whilst a warm feeling trickled down his forehead. He looked upward. Clara... He had to make sure she was safe at all times; as promised. The Doctor tried to make out her silhuette... But his blurred vision let him down. He sighed and laid his head on the cold concrete.

"Do you really think we would let you go that easily?"

The Leader must have commanded his helpers; they each grabbed his shoulder and forced him in a kneeling position. The Leader forced the Doctor to look up by pulilng his head up from the time lord's chin, and for the first time the latter could easily see their torturer. His eyes were a piercing blue, his skin seemed to have recovered from past severe burns and had a scar running from his eyebrow to his chin. "Do you remember them, Doctor?"

The time lord licked his dry lips. He hissed as he felt the wounds and cracks.

"Answer!" The Leader shouted.

The Doctor's breathe hitched as he felt tears stinging his eyes. "I remember all of them."

The torturer removed his fingers from under the Doctor's chin, which enabled the time lord to look at Clara yet again. She could still see her unmoving silhouette. He prayed that she wasn't feeling any pain.

"I can rememeber them too, Doctor. My mother and my sister. I try to remember the happy times we had before the Great War. But all I can remember is their screams as they burned in those pits. I couldn't do anything. All I could do was watch and cry." The Leader roughly grabbed the Doctor's hair and pulled it back just enough for the latter to look up at the pained torturer; a look for drowsiness, yet with a hint of fury he had for them hurting his Clara. "You don't get to choose who lived or who dies, Doctor. Because of the choice you took, I had to hear my mother and sister cry out in pain." The Leader pushed the Doctor, the latter falling back onto his face yet again. "You will too."

The Doctor felt his hearts stop as Clara's scream filled the cell yet again. No no... Not the shocks again. He fought to reach her, but the helpers held his legs under their feet.

"She's in pain." He pleaded. "You promised you wouldn't hurt her!"

"Make it stop!" She cried. It brought tears to his eyes... It was his fault. Always his fault.

Thank goodness it all stopped after a few moments. Clara's chains clanked after a few seconds; she was still alive. He breathe his thanks to the Universe.

"Promises don't count when it comes to murderers like you." The Leader spat.

Yes, she was still alive. But the Doctor didn't want to know Clara's breaking point. He had to find a way out it. And fast.

The Doctor tried to wiggle to Clara yet again, but he soon let out a hiss as the hold on his calves got tighter.

He heard the torturers' laugh as they saw the Doctor so distressed. A foot rested on his head, the time lord feeling a shooting pain on his forehead. "Resist, and we'll only make it worse for her. And you wouldn't want that, would you?" He decided that it was best not to reply, hoping that it might some way ease Clara's future torture.

The weight was relieved off his head. The clanging of the Leader's boots. Moving away from him... The Doctor couldn't stay put. "No... No please." The time lord breathed as he looked from the torturer, to Clara back to him.

"Oh, Doctor. Will you stop pleading?" The Leader was still away from Clara. The Doctor could still save her. He opened his eyes, even if it did feel painful. He could figure out Clara's dark shadow, just a few steps away from the Leader. The time lord tried to crawl to his companion

but the guard left behind him was still holding the Doctor's leg with the former's foot. And no matter how much the Gallifreyan fought, he couldn't move any further.

The Leader inspected Clara's virtually unmoving body from above. "I can't see why you're ready to sacrifice your life... The Universe's existance, for one mortal."

Clara's eyes opened a slither. She could see a blurred figure of the Doctor trying to get to her. Her arms were reaching towards him; being in the same position they had been ever since he had laid her there. He's right, Doctor. She thought, hoping he would understand her telepathically. I shouldn't be worth that much to you. Go. I'll be alright. Please, just leave. A single tear made its way down to the concrete floor as her eyes squeezed shut. She was scared, yet all too tired to care. "How would you devote your life to protect something as fragile as one single human being?" The Leader moved a bit closer to Clara, to which the Doctor tried to fight further against the guard, to which the efforts were futile. "How can you, being considered as a god, protect something as fragile as a butterfly?" The Leader chuckled. "Or even more so when comparing such a human being to an ant, something so insignificant which can be squashed under a shoe?" He placed his boot heel just lower to Clara's elbow. She could feel his shoe's weight but didn't have the energy to move. It was as if those shocks had sucked all her energy, practically paralysing her. The time lord's eyes opened wider as soon as he noticed that he was touching Clara.

"Don't touch her! Don't-" His words were cut with a short yelp as they kicked all the air out of his lungs. Yet, his eyes never left Clara.

The Leader noticed how desperate the time lord was to protect his companion. "The fun is only just beginning, Doctor." He grinned.

A/N: Small fact: the thought behind this chapter in a nutshell; originally I was going to let the Doctor and Clara escape and take them to safety but I thought 'nah why not torture them a bit more especially since my readers wanted more chapters?' *evil laugh*

Hopefully I'll be able to upload the 3rd chapter soon (again, I apologize for the month-long wait)

Hope you enjoyed it! Kudos and feedback/ comments greatly appreciated as always xxxxx stay safe