A/N: hello! hpe you're all well!

Back with another chapter! This, I think, is the fluffiest, softest and angsty chapter I have written (yes... all combined)

Oh, and do you remember the broken arm Clara had after it got stepped on by the Leader? Yeah... Clara still has no idea how it got better... maybe we'll know in this chapter? Who knows xD

So hold tight, hope you'll enjoy!

The time lord entered medbay. He looked down at his Clara, his arms still tightly wrapped around his neck. "We're here, Clara." He breathed into her hair. She pulled her face away from his shoulder, looking around. The time lord walked to the nearest bed, laying her down. "Make yourself comfortable, I'll be back soon."

She grabbed his hand, her short fingernails almost digging into his skin through the shirt. "Don't leave." Clara croaked.

He sat at the edge of the bed, facing her. "It's alright, I won't leave medbay. I'm just going to grab some things from the medicine cabinet."

"Doctor?"

"Yes, Clara?"

"Will I ever be able to be the same again?"

His comment broke his hearts. "Of course. I swear on my hearts, it'll be alright." He pressed a soft kiss to her hair. The time lord felt his fingers tighten around his shirt.

"Thank you." She breathed. His lips curled into a light yet uneasy smile. Clara had nothing to thank him for; quite on the contrary. "I know that smile, Doctor." He looked at her, his eyes glistening slightly with guilt as a thin film of tears occluded some of his vision. "It's not your fault. Stop thinking it is." She breathed. "I don't want you to get upset because of what happened. I overreacted because I should have guessed that I was weak and-"

"You didn't overreact. You had every right to get upset. I understand." He croaked.

Her hand cupped his cheek, feeling the rough stubble that had started to grow. "I'll be alright. I promise, I'll do everything in my strength to have another adventure as soon as possible. Alright?"

He sandwiched her hand between his palms before kissing her knuckles and placing the hand back on the bed wothout letting go. "I don't care about having the next adventure as soon as possible, Clara. I just want you to get better."

Her face wore a wide smile. "I will, don't worry about it, daft old man."

Brave... Always brave.

His companion broke the silence. "How does everything seem?"

He nodded, letting go of her hand. "I'm going to need to get some supplies."

Clara nodded, her gaze following him as he took out anything he needed; from shear scissors, saline, gauzes, anesthetic gels... Anything he could possibly need. The Doctor soon returned to Clara's bedside, laying all on the bedside table. "Feeling well?"

She nodded, trying her best to ignore how anxious she felt. Why was she feeling so anxious? It was no big deal... Just taking off bandages... That's all.

But it was the official start of her recovery journey.

That made her nauseous.

.

The time lord offered his hand, to which Clara hesitantly placed her bandaged hand in his palm. The Doctor noticed how worried she was, even if he couldn't understand why. Nonetheless, he pressed a tender kiss to the back of her hand. He looked at her yet again, smiling as soon as he noticed that Clara's lips curled a little. The Doctor took the medical shears and cut off the top layer of bandage from the index finger, before unravelling the rest of the bandage. The time lord was able to reveal the skin underneath; still ever so slightly reddish, but healed for the most part. His lips turned into a smile, glacing at his worried companion. "It's healing very well, Clara." She let out a sigh, sinking back into the bed.

He repeated the same process to the rest of her fingers and wrist. The latter was as good as it had been prior to the ordeal.

The Doctor proceeded to delicately remove the bandage from around her neck. He could feel Clara holding her breathe as he cut the tape on the bandage and removed layer by layer. He did his best to hide his emotions from her. The time lord examined it. "Much better." He breathed. "Some more ointment after showering and it'll heal in a few more days."

She sighed. "Thanks, Doctor." He smiled as he proceeded to clear out the bandages. The companion shuffled to the edge of the bed, her feet dangling out.

"You still have a promise you haven't kept." She said, jokingly.

The Doctor froze. "I-I... Do?" He stuttered.

"You had told me that you would show me the thing you used to heal my hand once in medbay And I don't intend to leave until you show me." She laughed.

He sighed.

"I'm waiting!" She said, her legs dangling from the edge of the bed. "Come on! Show me the stuff you used."

His lips flashed into an uneasy smile. "Another time."

But Clara wasn't having it. "You know... The more you do that, the more I think that you did something illegal in Space Constitution."

"Clara," He sighed. "for the umpteenth time..." but he was stopped midway.

"You can't just put 'Space' in front of a word." She giggled. "I know, daft old man." She sighed. "When are you going to show me?"

.

Silence filled medbay (except from the TARDIS' humming). The Doctor decided it would be best to give her the truth.

"I can't show it to you." He said, arranging medbay (anything to keep his eyes off Clara's gaze).

"Come on! You're just teasing me now!" She giggled. But the time lord did not laugh.

"There is no machine, Clara." He muttered.

Her smile faded.

Silence.

"I- I don't understand." She stared at the point where the Leader had crushed her arm under his heel. The cogs and gears turned through her head. It was Gallifreyan. The TARDIS is from Gallifrey.

The Doctor wouldn't say anything so it's either she already knew the answer or he was scared to tell her. Or both.

Only God knows if it would have ever been fixed otherwise.

...

Her eyes widened in horror as soon as she understood what he had done. "How..." She breathed, soon looking up. The Doctor was reconfiguring the monitor, but his mind was everywhere but reconfiguring it. He had seen this coming from a light year away. He knew that you couldn't hide anything from Ms Oswald. "How can you be so bloody stupid?!" She barked. Her eyes were filling with tears. "Why would you waste God knows how how many days of your life just to heal a bone!"

No matter how much he wanted, the Doctor dared not speak.

"You behave like such an idiot sometimes!" As much as she wanted to get down from the bed and slap the Doctor, she didn't feel strong enough to do so on her own. "You know what, screw you and your bloody regeneration energy. You think you know what's good for me. Damn, just like that you'd waste a whole lifetime... Hundreds of years just to extend my life by mere seconds." She stared at him, staring at the table in front of him. "Are listening to me?!"

"Yes. Yes, I am." He muttered.

"Then don't just stand there!" She hiccuped. "Yell, scream... Anything, just talk to me!"

The time lord straightened up, turned to look at her. His face showed no emotion as he examined hers. Clara's eyes were unbelievably large and puffy, her lower lip trembling with anger and disbelief... She was a downright mess he could barely understand. A confusing hormonal... beautiful human mess.

"Everything you said is true. But nothing you said will make me regret what I did. I didn't waste the energy I-"

"Waste, Doctor."

"I have a duty of-"

"This is out of your duty of care."

He shook his head. "I beg to differ."

"Doctor..."

He walked hastily to her. "Your safety is my priority."

"But-"

"I don't care... I don't care that your life might not be as long as mine, as this face even. But I want to protect you. You have saved me thousands of times, Clara. I can't even begin to comprehend how many sacrifices you went through just to keep me alive. This is my way of thanking you and your echoes. So please, just let me protect you."

"Doctor... My echoes don't need repaying. We did it out of care and respect and-" she stopped, looking away. She wasn't going to go that far. She wasn't going to let herself confess... To tell him...

The Doctor's hand on her shoulder pulled her out of her thoughts. "It's alright. I understand." He smiled, placing his forehead against hers. Me too. She heard his thought.

Clara pulled away ever so slightly. "Doctor..." She breathed. The companion could hardly believe it.

"I know." He purred. "Do you understand why I did it now?" The girl swallowed thickly as her palms cupped his cheeks, letting her thumb stroke his cheekbone. Their eyes closed as Clara placed her forehead against his, brushing their noses together. Her dry cracked lips brushed lightly against his before she went in for it. It was slow and gentle... Felt different than how she had always imagined kissing him. It was either because of the split lip or because of throbbing in her head from after the fight. No... It was easing. Because of him.

She could feel his breathe against her upper lip, his fingers curling around her shoulders. His soul wrapped itself around her, to feel the otherwise unexplainable warmth and admiration and... Love.

.

He loved her. In the same way she loved him. But it felt different. Love across galaxies, across Universes... It was not only gentle, but a fierce and burning fire within his hearts. Her every cry, laugh, scream brought him a wave of emotions she could not comprehend. The lonely time lord, the Protector of the Universe, and the Impossible Girl, who was always watching over him.

How could he not love her?

The Universe would cease to exist.

Because of her.

Her lips pulled away from his, but the Doctor pulled her closer to him so he could rest his forehead against hers yet again. He might not be a fan of physical hugs but he refused to break any psychological contact. The warmth and the peace Clara brought to his mind was unthinkable.

Don't let go. She heard as his fingers passed through her hair and stopped to massage her scalp.

I won't, Doctor. For as long as you wish...

How are you feeling? He said.A sudden pulse of warmth made its way around her aura.

Peaceful. She simply replied. You?

It's been a long time since the voices in my head were so quiet. Panic surged from Clara's mind when she heard it because she understood how distressed he usually felt. It's alright, Clara. His fingers combed through her hair. There's nothing to panic about. I'm feeling much better here with you.

Her heart beat immediately started slowing down. Me too, Doctor. She sighed.

They spent a while so, savouring each other's presence, before the Doctor saw fit to pull away.

.

Her doe eyes glistened as they inspected the Doctor's face. He looked so calm and collected, gazing at her with such love and care... She thought he would freak out after such a show of intimacy.

But no. How could he be, now that he knew that Clara cared for him the same way he cared for her? Nonetheless, he wanted Clara to see that she was no mere human. She had changed lives, especially his. And he was eternally grateful for that.

"Doctor..." She couldn't say anything more. Not after what happened. There was nothing to be said. There was nothing to explain, or comment about. She had to process all that happened, everything that the Doctor did or mentioned... "You know I don't deserve all of-"

He shushed her gently, his fingers stroking her cheek. "You do. And I want to protect you. Just as you have protected me so many times before."

"But you're the Doctor."

"And you're my Clara Oswald." He said. "I don't care about the Universe. I save the Universe, but my first priority is you. The Universe, wouldn't have existed without you. I deserve to be happy... as you do. And this... This is what makes me happy. Let me take care of you, show you how much I care for you." (He couldn't get himself to say it... Not after that show of affection. He knew Clara understood how hard it must be for him to express his feelings.)

"I do too; very much. But I'd rather be sad and alone than watching the Universe burn." Clara replied. He bit his lower lip, looking away. This felt like a punch in the gut for him. "Doctor..." Her fingers grazed along his cheek. "I care for you... But I'm not ready to be the cause of so many deaths. And I'm not ready to watch you burn your work - Our work - just for me. We save planets, not destroy them." She sighed. "Just promise me you won't hurt anyone... destroy anything when I'm gone. Move on... Save more."

"How would I be able to move on, Clara?" He choked.

"Just like you always do. One step after another." The time lord opened his mouth to rebuke, but Clara continued. "But I'm still here, aren't I?"

"Clara..."

"I'm still here. We're here." Her eyes glimmered like the stars he used to see from Gallifrey. "So let's just make the most of it, alright?" She smiled."Let's make our time together worthwhile." The time lord moved closer against her palm, her fingers caressing his cheek. His eyes met hers. Stars... how could he not be mesmerised by her beauty and wisdom? She was his ever-present light... all through his life. His tense muscles relaxed slightly as he looked into those eyes, offering him care and understanding. "I know it's easier said than done. But we live day by day, okay?" Clara's lips curled into a comforting smile, to which the Doctor's did also. It was going to be a hard thing to do. But there was nothing the pair couldn't do... Together.

A/N: Pages have turned reaaaaaaaly quickly! It was a wild ride writing this, hope it was the same for you! I truly enjoyed writing this chapter! Would really appreciate your feedback, as always!

P.S. this is not the end! there will be a few more chapters and I'm thinking, a sequel! Would really love your thoughts and opinions!
Lots of love and take care xxxx