A/N: Hi all! Hope you are well! And hope you have had a great Thanksgiving (with nowadays' limitations :( ) Today's chapter isn't very long... but I decided to post it separately; before the next chapter. Consider it as a little filler chapter.
Enjoy!

The Doctor held his breath as he hid behind a corner, his bare back against the cold wall. Clara was in his arms, too knocked out to be bothered by what was happening. His hearts beat faster as he heard the torturer's voice. "Give them some more time; they would die for us before we're done. Especially the girl. She's a strong human, but definitely weaker than him." After some silence, the Leader continued. "We'll continue with him if he decides to not whine about his companion."

"If the Doctor does not comply, Sir?" A weaker voice said.

"He has to. The time lord has learnt that the more he pleads, the more we torture her instead of him." The torturer sighed. "In that case, no more than one. Maybe two. But it depends on how she responds. We have to be careful. We shouldn't kill her." A small chuckle. "Yet."

Warm tears made their way down the Doctor's cheeks, whilst biting his lower lip, choking on a sob. They would have killed her eventually. They were trapped in fire with barely any chance of escape. The Doctor was already risking enough listening to them, but they were the only thing separating the pair from the TARDIS. He had to let the corridor clear.

"We'll kill her; only when the time is right. That would be the final blow. The Doctor would be emotionally weak, and we'll have him under our control. Then he'll know how it feels to lose the people you've ever loved." By the end, the Leader's voice was trembling with emotion, but he was doing his utmost to not break down, especially as being seen a Leader. "But for now she is still of great use to us. We certainly did not expect the Doctor to bring his plus one but it made it much easier for us to hurt him than originally planned. She's a valuable pawn to our cause." He turned back to his helper. "Prepare the 1000, but we'll give them some more time to recover. They'll need all the health they can get."

"Yes, sir." The Doctor heard footsteps get weaker and weaker till they disappeared.

But the time lord refused to move from the spot he was in, no matter how heavy Clara was feeling or the creeping pain from his stopped heart. He still heard the Leader's heavy breaths. "Mother and sister, I hope your souls will rest by the end of this. I will bring justice upon your deaths. The Doctor will pay for what he brought upon our family. Pain for pain, and a life for a life."

The Doctor let out a shaking sigh when the Leader's footsteps were heard getting further. He shot a look at Clara. He couldn't see much since the corridor barely had enough light, but he felt that she was still unconscious; her mind desperately making up for the exhaustion the torturers forced on her. I won't let them take you again, Clara. He ground his teeth together. On my dead body.

He looked behind the corner; no one was there.

Move slow. But fast enough to get to safety. Fast enough to get Clara to medbay as soon as possible.

And so he crept out of the shadows in search of his TARDIS.

A/N: Hope you have enjoyed this chapter! Feedback is a great part of my motivation; I would appreciate any comments (constructive criticism accepted... no hate though please :) )

Till next time; stay safe xxxxx

God bless :)