Watching the Doctor

by RedRobyn2

The Doctor is stranded in prison, dealing with the revelations of the Timeless Child and the memories of her time travelling, all alone. Until the Tardis decides enough is enough and gathers her and some of her more recent companions to help her deal with her past and make some amends by watching her adventures. Characters watch the show, set after Timeless Child/Pre-Resolution.

12. Hell Bent

Hello everyone!

Here's the next chapter - I hope you enjoy (this took ages to write - a very long episode)

Also I will try my best to maintain my goal of uploading each weekend but I am now juggling university and a job as well so ... (but I'm sure it will be fine)

Thanks again for all your support and comments. And your suggestions, keep them coming in!

As always, I hope you enjoy and thank you for reading. Please let me know what you think!

Robyn

---

The words 'Hell Bent' appeared on the screen before anyone could contest the Doctor's decision. The room was apprehensive about what they would see, especially with the way Clara and the Doctor kept exchanging glances. The companions couldn't deny they were slightly excited to see Gallifrey undestroyed and the possibility of seeing more Time Lords but the Doctor's talk of her return wasn't suggesting anything pleasant about what was coming. They weren't given any more time to debate what was coming before the video started.

Nevada USA. A pickup truck drives along a lonely dirt road and pulls up at a snacks and gas stop at Jackson - no matter where you go, there you are. The Doctor gets out of the passenger's side, wearing his sunglasses and with his guitar and a pack slung over his shoulder. (Sartorial note - the burgundy frock coat has been replaced by a double-breasted black jacket.) He enters the

"What?" Bill asked, blinking at the sudden change in location and atmosphere. The group was so distracted by her question (and their own similar thoughts) that they didn't notice the Doctor's eyes widen in realisation before she sunk further into the sofa. She'd forgotten about the diner, that she'd been talking to Clara without recognising her – this was going to be painful in so many different ways.

The Doctor was brought back from her spiralling thoughts by River nudging her slightly in the side, apparently her wife had noticed her drifting attention and was concerned based on the look she was being given. Offering a small smile of reassurance, she turned to Bill who was watching her expectantly waiting for an answer.

"What's wrong?" The Doctor asked, hiding a teasing smile. She knew exactly what the group was confused but she was allowed a bit of fun. Especially with how hard this video was going to be.

Bill gave her a mildly disgruntled look that said she knew exactly what the Doctor was doing but asked anyway. "How are you suddenly in America? What have we missed?"

The Doctor smiled a bit, an odd mix between fond (of Bill) and sad (about what was coming). "I think there's been a bit of a time jump and we will go back to where we were soon." She shot a warning/apologetic/sad look towards Clara, whose eyes were reflecting the same idea.

Her answer appeared to satisfy the room as they turned back to the screen expectantly.

[Diner]

(Welcome to Eddie's Diner, Mermaid Quay, looking pretty much as it did in The Impossible Astronaut.

Amy was scrunching her eyes up, leaning forward in her seat as if trying to get a better view of the diner. "Is that the diner from our whole American trip? Before the mess in 1969? When you -." She waved her hand to try and encompass the whole fake death mess. Her words caused her husband to blink and lean forward to try and see what his wife was talking about.

"You know what, it does look like it." Rory agreed.

The Doctor blinked; she was sure she'd mentioned something about that during her time there but then again most American diners looked the same to her. "It's not the same one, but you're right it looks pretty similar." She knew for a fact that it wasn't the same one seeing as this one was a Tardis. Unless so had the last one – no that was silly, she would have known. Plus, Clara hadn't been there (or Ashildir who she was pretty sure had been travelling with Clara – she couldn't see Clara leaving her alone at the end of the universe).

The sole employee has her back to us but we know who she is, in that royal blue mini-dress uniform. The music system is playing Foxes' jazz cover of that Queen classic, as performed in Mummy on the Orient Express.)
FOXES: Don't stop me now, I'm having such a good time, I'm having a ball
CLARA: Hi. What can I get you?

"Wait, no. What?" Rose gawped. If the room had been confused beforehand then they were utterly bewildered now. The Doctor pushed down the urge to let lose a manic laugh, instead focussing on the group and doing her best not to look at Clara. She wasn't sure she could handle seeing how Clara was reacting to this.

The Doctor sighed but tried to answer without giving too much away. They'd just have to watch for the full story. "Like I said time jump. I think we mentioned that I forgot Clara – these are the events leading up to that." Several people looked like they wanted to ask more questions but they weren't given the chance.

"Just watch please." Clara asked quietly. The group settled at that, hearing the underlying tension in Clara's tone – this was going to be painful enough, she didn't want to drag it out.

DOCTOR: I don't have any money. But I play.

"You never have any money." Martha snorted with a pointed look at the Doctor. She was never going to forget her time as a shop girl when they'd been sent back in time by the Angels. Clara just gave her a sheepish smile.

CLARA: Okay.
(The Doctor sits on a stool at the counter.)
CLARA: Don't you need to plug that thing in?
DOCTOR: Yeah.
He takes off his sunglasses and places them by the transistor radio, then activates them.)

"Of course, you use the sonic device for your guitar. If it wasn't Clara, you'd utterly confuse any poor humans nearby." River sighed, shaking her head in fond exasperation.

"Nah, they'd come up with some sort of rational explanation like they normally do. Rarely phased that lot." The Doctor brushed off the comment. It was very true and River knew it. The human race seemed to collectively forget they got invaded by aliens every time it happened. Plus, she'd gotten up to some antics during her time at St Luke's University – Bill had shown her an online site (What was it? Maybe Rabbit – no that was a cuddly human pet. Or was it Red Bat? – no maybe that was one of those comic book characters Bill liked. Ribbit? No that was what frogs said according to human toddlers. She was sure it was Red something, oh well) that some of her students has started, documenting said antics.

The humans of the group (aka the majority of the room) seemed stuck between being proud of their species' collective ability to forget/deny aliens and offense about her faith in said ability.

DOCTOR: You're English.
CLARA: You're not.
DOCTOR: How did you get out here?
CLARA: Magic. Or maybe I went to an airport and caught a plane.

"You did not do that." The Doctor pointed out, finally looking at Clara for the first time since the start of the video. It was weird seeing this conversation, knowing that it was Clara and what Clara knew.

"Technically I didn't actually say I did, I just implied it." Clara argued, smiling slightly. She seemed to know exactly what the Doctor was thinking, offering a small smile of reassurance. They both knew this video was going to be bad, they really needed to stop trying to apologise to each other for the minute otherwise they'd never get anywhere.

DOCTOR: Ah.
CLARA: You?
DOCTOR: Magic.

"You came in a truck." Donna snorted. "That's not exactly magic, Martian." She was a nit unsettled by the whole idea of this episode – seeing the Doctor in so much pain in the last video was horrible. She'd only ever seen him/her/them like that after the fiasco on Midnight – and that still haunted her (when she had memories of it anyway). But the confession dial was infinitely worst and this whole thing with Clara forgetting him? It hit far too many triggers – she honestly was stuck between wanting to understand and see what happened and not wanting to know at all.

The Doctor offered a small smile, far too aware of where Donna's thoughts were drifting. "How do you think I ended up in America in the first place." She pointed out, not willing to admit she didn't quite know. She was pretty sure Clara had dropped her off and the truck had picked him up and taken him to the diner. Then when Clara had left, he'd found the Tardis and not thought twice about what he was missing. Or rather she'd thought about it a lot but (obviously) couldn't remember.

(He strums his guitar and the sound comes through the transistor radio, then crackles into the diner's sound system.
CLARA: I believe you. You been travelling?
DOCTOR: Yeah, from time to time.

"When do you do anything but travel?" Amy snorted.

"And find trouble." Rory added.

"And cause trouble when you can't find it." River concluded. The parent/daughter combo seemed very proud of themselves, wearing matching grins. Their delight (and words) entertained the rest of the group as well based on the chuckles and laughs that broke out.

(He plays a slightly melancholy tune on his guitar.)
CLARA: Is it a sad song?
DOCTOR: Nothing's sad till it's over. Then everything is.

"But nothing can start until something ends. And a beginning brings new happiness that makes the sadness just that bit more bearable." The Doctor muttered quietly to herself. Jack and River were the only ones to hear her, both giving her such sad looks that she couldn't meet their eyes, turning back to the screen instead.

CLARA: What's it called?
DOCTOR: I think that it's called Clara.

The atmosphere in the room turned that bit sadder. The group was curious to find out what had led the pair to this point, especially with how the last video had ended. Bill swallowed her words; she knew the song was familiar – sometimes when the Doctor fought no one was listening he would play it in his office. She'd never asked about it, getting the feeling the Doctor wouldn't answer any questions she asked and it seemed far too personal.

CLARA: Tell me about her.

(On Gallifrey, the Doctor - with the black jacket slung over his shoulder - walks away from the city and towards an old barn. The wind whistles across the barren landscape.)

"Good, we're back on Gallifrey." Martha announced.

"I don't think that's necessarily a good thing in this case." Mickey suggested, drawing an annoyed look from his wife.

"You know what I mean."

"That's the barn from the first video – when there was three of you. Why do you keep going back there?" Bill gestured to the screen. She hadn't been the only one to recognise the barn but she was the first to ask.

The Doctor shifted uncomfortable in her seat, unsure what to tell them. She noticed out of the corner of her eye the weird look Clara was giving her, come to think of it she'd mentioned something about the barn during the first video too, hadn't she? "I grew up around there." Was all she said.

Her answer raised a few eyebrows and several people looked ready to start asking more questions but were cut off by the video resuming.

[Council Chamber]

(In the city, the Lord President is in full regalia and holding his staff, as bells toll deep within the Citadel.)

"Now that's an outfit." Rose grinned. The rest of the room were barely hiding (or not even trying to hide) their snickers.

"Please tell me you've worn that?" Amy asked, grinning manically at the Doctor. "It's even better than some of your outfits, which is saying something."

"We all had to wear robes as a kid and unfortunately I have worn similar things since then. So has the Master." The Doctor grimaced, thinking back on those bad fashion choices. She gestured vaguely to the Master who looked far too smug for her liking. Then the second part of Amy's words caught up to her. "Hey! What do you mean? My fashion sense is brilliant." Now the room was outright laughing. The Doctor was absolutely not pouting no matter what anyone told you otherwise.

"What's with all the collars?" Bill questioned. It was certainly an interesting style choice.

For some reason Bill's question made the Doctor blush. "Erm, well eh ..." She managed to stutter out while the Master watched from his corner amused. River was outright laughing at her wife's misfortune.

"What my wife is failing to explain is the neck is a very sensitive area on a Time Lord." River purred, giving the Doctor a specific look, which made her blush even more furiously.

"River!" The Doctor protested, face practically alight with how red it was.

GENERAL: Lord President?
RASSILON: Are all the bells ringing? The whole cloister?
(The General uses his wrist communicator.)
GENERAL: What's going on down there?

"I'm guessing the bells mean something. Based on how bothered they all look and the Master's expression." Rory asked. The Master, upon hearing the Cloister's all ringing, had raised his eyebrows and given the Doctor an almost impressed look, as if he was surprised she'd managed to accomplish that much trouble in so little time (which was ridiculous – he should be used to that not impressed, it wasn't anywhere near her record).

"They're essentially a warning bell." The Doctor explained, gaining nods of understanding from the group.

"Ah, so they know you're in town." Donna grinned. The Doctor was stuck between grinning in agreement and protesting that they weren't ringing because of her (which wouldn't be particularly true) but wasn't given a chance to decide before the video continued.

[Cloister entrance]
GASTRON: On my way down to the Matrix now, sir.
GENERAL [OC]: Keep the perimeter. It's okay to be afraid down there, soldier.

"Why should he be scared?" Martha asked confused. The last time they'd seen the Matrix hadn't exactly been pleasant but tat was more due to the Master's presence and the things he had shown the Doctor. The place itself hadn't seen dangerous or scary.

The Doctor and the Master shared a glance (as the only ones who had grown up on Gallifrey) but Clara did shiver slightly in memory of the place, the soldiers definitely had the right to be scared.

Finishing their silent exchange, the Doctor turned bac to the rest of the group to answer. "Last time we saw the Matrix it was through the Matrix Chamber which is the purpose of the room. This is the Cloisters, which actually houses the Matrix instead of just providing access to it. Because of that, it's well guarded." She refused to explain anymore, leaving the rest of the room to linger on the slightly ominous statement.

GASTRON: Sliders are everywhere, sir. Loads of the things.
(The shadow of a Time Lord glides past.)
GENERAL [OC]: Language, please. I'm with the President.
GASTRON: Sorry, sir. The Cloister Wraiths are active.

"Okay that's kinda creepy." Bill announced, leaning back in her seat.

"More than a little." Clara muttered more to herself than anyone else, she hadn't forgotten her time in the Cloisters for multiple reasons.

[Council Chamber]

GENERAL: Do not approach them. Don't even enter the cloister. Just tell me

[Cloister entrance]

GENERAL [OC]: Are all the bells ringing?
GASTRON: Yes, sir.

"Lots of trouble then." Nardole said, going mostly ignored despite the rest of the group appearing to agree based on their expressions.

[Council Chamber]

RASSILON: Then we are facing great danger.
GENERAL: The Cloister Wraiths seem to think so.
RASSILON: So, where is he? Where has the Doctor gone?

"So, they think you're responsible too." Rose smiled but it swiftly shifted into a frown when the Doctor spoke.

"They always do."

(The leader of the Sisterhood of Karn enters with two bodyguards.)
OHILA: Back to the beginning, I should think.
RASSILON: The Sisterhood of Karn has no business in this chamber, or on this planet.
OHILA: I heard the Doctor had come home. One so loves fireworks.
RASSILON: Bah.
(And turns his back on her.)

"Ah, she's there for the drama." Amy grinned. "How long have you known her? She's clearly known you long enough to anticipate drama the moment you turn up. Not that it takes anyone long to learn that but she knew you back in the first video when you regenerated before the war."

The Doctor bit back the urge to sigh at Amy's antics but decided to answer anyway, it would be less painful that way. "A long time. She doesn't really like Rassilon-."

"Who does?" The Master interrupted casually.

"She doesn't like Rassilon." The Doctor continued ignoring the Master's interruption. "But she is sort of a friend, or a good acquaintance maybe? She was there for the drama, to annoy Rassilon and maybe help me if it would annoy Rassilon."

"My kind of gal." Amy grinned. Clara just managed to stop herself from commenting, Ohila had been around for the mess that was going to come and even if she hadn't been directly involved in the confession dial, she'd been complicit.

[Barn]

(The Cloister Bells can be heard way out here. The Doctor climbs the short ladder to the bed that Clara had hidden under in Listen. An old woman enters, fussing.)
WOMAN: Why are they ringing all the bells? Never heard so many. What's gone wrong this time? All the fuss they're always making.
(She notices the Doctor.)
WOMAN: You, up there! You're not supposed to be there! I've just put all that back. It's for the boys, if any of them ever want to come

"The boys?" Martha asked curiously. The companions had all been watching eager to find out more about Gallifrey and the Doctor.

The Doctor hesitated not really wanting to explain but wavered under the expectant looks from the whole group and the curious-questioning look from the Master. "I spent part of my childhood there. It was a sort of safe space, I guess. A few others thought the same." She finally answered being purposely vague. She was ignoring the knowing sad look Clara was giving her, she clearly knew something else that she wasn't telling her.

"But it's in the middle of nowhere." Rose pointed out, blinking at the new knowledge about the Doctor's childhood.

"It's in the drylands, away from the Capital but still in sight." The Doctor shrugged, not willing to explain more. She was not ready for the group to see what was coming next.

(Then she sees his face, and realises who it is. He nods.)
WOMAN: They'll kill you.

"She knows you." Bill realised, turning to watch the Doctor, eager for an explanation. "How does she know you?"

The Doctor sighed. Clearly, she wouldn't be getting away with limited information. "She was there when I was a child." She glanced at the Master quickly before continuing. "The Master and I aren't actually very old for Time Lords you know. We just travel a lot more than they normally do."

The room immediately broke out into chatter and shouts all demanding more information, it was Amy's Scottish drawl that broke through the noise finally. "Explain Doctor." Her tone left no room for arguments but the Doctor was still tempted to try and wriggle out of answering the question. Aware of her mentality both Jack and River boxed her in further to make her aware there was no escape from the questions.

"Barring my time in my confession dial and whatever is happening with the Timeless Child thing." She waved away, faking a more blasé attitude to the horrible life experiences she'd gone through and bulldozing to the actual explanation, ignoring the winces from several people across the room. "A Time Lord can live for a thousand or so years in a regeneration, there hasn't actually been any studies done on life expectancy and the War messed some things up. But think, a thousand odd years with 12 regenerations, that's at least 12,000 years. The Master and I are only about 3000 years give or take several centuries which is only a quarter of that vague lifespan. Compare that to humans, who live to about 70 on average in your time and we would barely be adults by your standards."

The Master interrupted, face blank. "Don't be getting any ideas. That's only comparing life spans, we have been adults since before your Christ was born." He snapped, not willing for the humans to get any ideas based on the Doctor's bad wording. She narrowly avoided rolling his eyes at him.

"Anyway, my point is we live a long time usually. The Time War killed a lot of people and there has been other troublesome things over our years but there are still people – still were people on Gallifrey that knew us as Time Tots and plenty are far older than us. Because we travel the universe, we've gone through our regenerations far more rapidly than normal. If we were still on Gallifrey with no wars we would only be in about our third or fourth incarnations, but I'm on my fourteenth ish and who knows what one the Master is on." She finished the explanation. It was a good point, which regeneration was the Master on? He'd run out before the Time War but had been re-loomed for the war. There'd been his war incarnation, the blond, crazy one - Saxon, Missy and his current face. So maybe his fourth incarnation of his second official cycle, and he could be in the twenties for all she knew if she was counting all his faces.

The room was oddly quiet, all taking in that new information. Most of them were used to thinking that the Doctor was ancient and old, which she was, but to know she wasn't even very old for her species was, frankly, weird. Maybe it explained why most of the people that travelled with her were young adults – they were at about the same stage in their life span in a vague way.

The thoughtful quiet was interrupted by Amy chuckling to herself, she looked up upon feeling the weight of the room's eyes. "Sorry, it's just - Time Tot?" She started chuckling again. The rest of the humans started chuckling as well while both Time Lords looked at the group confused (but thankful for the distraction).

[Outside the barn]

(The Doctor sits at the top end of a table, and the woman places a bowl of tomato soup in front of him. All the villagers are gathered, in their homespun frontier style clothes. A stark contrast to the highly advanced Citadel dwellers.

"Everyone has come out to see you." Mickey raised an eyebrow at the sight of the group gathered around the Doctor who was just eating soup.

It was the Master that spoke, lounging in his seat, far too smug, pretending as if the last exchange hadn't just occurred. "She is quite famous on Gallifrey." He turned lazily to the Doctor whose hackles raise din apprehension. "What is it, dearest? Enemy number 1? Or is that me at the moment?" The Master practically purred. The voice went well with the way his body was draped across the chair, he'd always been cat like (especially when under the Cheetah Virus and then after – the Doctor wasn't quite sure that he'd ever fully gotten rid of it) and she couldn't help but picture him with cat ears and a tail lazily flicking away.

She tried to bite her lip, but a few chuckles and a wide grin managed to escape gaining bewildered looks from the rest of the room and the Master at her unexpected good mood. His bewildered look made the picture all the better and she wasn't even trying to stifle her chuckles anymore. The room seemed to silently agree to leave her alone as she had clearly finally gone completely mad.

The Doctor raises his spoon in salute. The ground shakes as a massive craft casts its shadow over them, forward gun turrets pointed at the Doctor.)

"Why are they pointing a gun at you?!" Donna exclaimed. She appeared as if she wanted to jump into the screen and hit the soldiers over the head with their own guns. She wasn't the only one.

"They were worried about why I was there – it was usually nothing good when I was around." The Doctor took a deep breath, hesitating slightly before continuing. "And the last time I was home I almost destroyed it to end the Time War." She finished quietly. That took the wind out of the sails from most in the room.

GASTRON [OC]: Attention! Will all non-military personnel step away from the Doctor.
(Nobody moves.)

[Gunship]

GASTRON: I repeat. All non-military personnel, please, step away from the Doctor.

[Outside the barn]

GASTRON: At least move the children away! Doctor

"Like he could control them." Rose snorted. The group were getting worried about the soldiers and the Doctor's word about her return but were glad to see that some people on Gallifrey were still protecting him/her in some way.

[Gunship]

GASTRON: You will lay down any weapons on your person and accompany us to the capital.

"When does the Doctor use actual weapons and not their stupid screwdriver?" Amy asked, raising her eyebrows high. Clara purposely didn't look at the Doctor, having not forgotten what he did later in the episode.

The Doctor just muttered about her sonic not being stupid but didn't say anything else, the room was getting far too tense and the worst was still to come.

[Outside the barn]

(The Doctor drops his spoon onto the table and gets up. The villagers part to let him through, and Gastron backs up his gunship to keep the Doctor in his sights.)
GASTRON [OC]: Doctor, you will accompany us to the Capitol.
(The Doctor digs his heel into the sand and draws a line.)
GASTRON [OC]: Doctor?

"You're very quiet." Martha's forehead was furrowed in thought. "What do you want?"

"Why do you think I wanted something?" The Doctor asked, more curious than anything about Martha's reasoning, it wasn't like she was wrong.

"Like I said you're quiet and you've drawn a line in the sand." Martha argued. The Doctor just smiled cryptically, not going to actually answer to Martha 9and the rest of the room's) frustrations.

[Gunship]

(The Doctor returns to his meal.)
GASTRON: Come back. You will come back immediately.

"He will not." Bill muttered with limited humour.

[Outside the barn]

(The villagers applaud the Doctor.)
GASTRON [OC]: That is an order and this is a military vehicle.

"When does the Doctor ever follow orders?" Jack snorted.

[Council chamber]

(They are watching on a holo-screen here, too.)
RASSILON: What's his plan?
OHILA: I think he's finishing his soup.
GENERAL: Suggestion, sir.

"She is absolutely there for the drama." Yaz grinned, enjoying seeing Ohila spread seeds of chaos amongst the Time Lord officials.

[Barn]

(The Doctor is lying on his childhood bed, staring at nothing and twiddling his thumbs.)
GENERAL [OC]: We could talk to him.
RASSILON [OC]: Words are his weapons.

"Oh, so they have learnt something about the Doctor after all these years." River announced sarcastically, she'd heard enough about the Time Lords, and Rassilon in particular, to dislike them. The Doctor squeezed her hand as a reminder they were both here safe.

GENERAL [OC]: When did they stop being ours?
(There is a knock on the door. The woman comes to see if he will answer it.)

[Outside the barn]

(The Doctor opens the door and steps out. The General is there with Gastron and nine armed troopers.)
GENERAL: Welcome home, sir. As commander of the armed forces of Gallifrey, I bring you the greetings of the High Council.
(But the Doctor has already turned and gone back inside. The General activates his wrist communicator.)

"Why did they think you would want to be greeted by soldiers? You hate soldiers." Martha shook her head. It was however, helping her theory that he wanted something. The Doctor just shrugged; face schooled carefully blank.

RASSILON [hologram]:Who the hell does he think he is?'
GENERAL: The man who won the Time War, sir.

The Doctor flinched at the reminder. She'd only just managed to save it and it wasn't like it had done them any good when the Master had razed them to the ground.

(The Doctor puts on his black jacket as there is more knocking at the door. This time it is six Time Lords in full regalia who bow to him. The door slams shut again.)

"Who are the official looking dudes?" Ryan asked the Doctor. Everyone's eyes were on her, all wondering the same (bar the Master who had raised an eyebrow to see them all there with so little fuss).

The Doctor glanced quickly at the Master, apparently aware of what he was thinking and dreading how he was going to react to the rest of this video before turning to Ryan. "Those 'official looking dudes' as you call them are … were Gallifrey's High council." They were the High Council before she'd kicked them off Gallifrey and before they'd all been killed. Even if they had been off planet at the time of the Master's rampage, she was sure they were dead, the Master wasn't likely just to forget them.

"So … important people." Ryan continued.

"Yes, important people." The Doctor clarified with a smile.

[Council chamber]

RASSILON: What is he doing? What does he want? Revenge?
OHILA: The Doctor does not blame Gallifrey for the horrors of the Time War.
RASSILON: I should hope not.
OHILA: He just blames you.

"As he should." The Master nodded. "The Time War was only one of Rassilon's crimes." Unconsciously he was tapping away a familiar beat – the beat of four drums. The Doctor gave him a concerned/berating look before turning to watch Martha as she visibly connected the dots.

"He's what you want." Martha finally decided, getting a small nod from the Doctor in conformation.

"Eh. Who is he?" Graham asked a bit awkwardly.

The Doctor and Master shared an unreadable look for a second before the Doctor finally answered. "The president of Gallifrey. Like the Master he was brought back to help win the Time War, a bad decision as he is mad. He was one of the founders of Gallifrey supposedly."

"Went mad with power, then?" Rory contributed.

Again, the Doctor and Master shared a long look before answering, in sync this time. "Something like that." Which was not reassuring in any way.

[Outside the barn]

(The Doctor is sitting on his bed holding his confession dial when the woman knocks and comes in again. The Doctor goes outside. This time Lord President Rassilon is there in full regalia, with the General, Gastron and the nine troopers. The Doctor walks up to the line he drew in the sand and ignores Rassilon's proffered hand. Instead, he throws his confession dial into the line.)
DOCTOR: Get off my planet.

The room blinked in shock at seeing the Doctor so bluntly make the demand. They hadn't quite been expecting that, although they weren't quite sure what they had been expecting. A smug grin crawled its way onto the Master's face before he cackled at seeing Rassilon's face. Ge had wondered why the old man hadn't been on planet when he had destroyed Gallifrey (he'd had great fun tracking him down and killing him repeatedly until he stayed dead).

"I knew you had it in you, dear. I'm not surprised that he was what made you snap."

The Doctor considered the Master carefully for a minute, all too aware of the rest of the room watching them. Finally, her curiosity won out. "I heard a rumour about you and Rassilon." The Master raised an eyebrow, but his wide grin suggested he knew what she was about to ask. "Something about you shoving white point stars down his throat until he regenerated? Would you be willing to share some more details later?" His cackle was well worth the shocked expressions on her companion's faces.

RASSILON: We needed to know. You have information about the Hybrid. A danger to all of us. If you'd told us what you knew, you could have walked out of there.

"You could have left at any time?!" Donna turned on the Doctor, furious and confused about why she had let herself been tortured for so long. Clara's expression turned unbearably sad, all too well aware about why the Doctor had stayed.

"The information was dangerous and I needed to get to Gallifrey." The Doctor explained, eyes filled with the same steely determination that they were on screen. She didn't regret her decision, even with Clara having left her. She may have gone too far but Gallifrey couldn't have been made aware of what she knew and she had needed Clara back.

DOCTOR: Get off my planet.
RASSILON: You have nothing, Doctor. Nothing! Do you know what I have, out here in the Dry Lands, where there's nobody who matters? (sotto) No witnesses.
DOCTOR: (sotto) Me too.

The group watched the exchange, a mmix of eager and nervous about what it was all building up too. The Doctor was far too calm to not have a plan but Rassilon was dangerous and there were lots of soldiers surrounding them. The Doctor herself was watching the screen with a carefully schooled expression, knowing what was about to come.

RASSILON: Take aim! Aim at the Doctor. Fire on my command.

"What?!" Was the general consensus across the room. River had turned to the Doctor, eyes alight in concern and anger at seeing her wife in danger yet again. The Doctor offered a small reassuring smile, everything would be okay as she was here with her.

"So, they torture you for billions of years and then just decide to kill you after all?" Jack asked, seeking clarification from the Doctor.

"I was no longer in a controllable environment and was not going to answer anything. The danger outweighed the opportunity for answers." The Doctor shrugged, far too blasé about her own life and torture.

(The General and his troopers are reluctant to obey.)
GENERAL: Sir?

"Good. They're not outright stupid." Amy crossed her arms, expression furious.

RASSILON: Step forward and take aim! What's the matter with you?
GENERAL: Lord President, he's a war hero. Some of these men served with him.
RASSILON: These men serve me! All of you! On my command.

"They can't actually." Bill declared unsure. "Can they?"

(The troopers raise their weapons, Gastron last of all. The Doctor closes his eyes. Rassilon turns his back.)
RASSILON: Fire!
(A fusillade of energy bolts rings out.)

The room was on the edge of their seats, expressions all shocked and worried, throwing confused and concerned looks at the Doctor who hadn't looked away from the screen. Suddenly most of the group were understanding why Clara had declared her hatred of the Time Lords. They had expected the Doctor to speak his way out of the situation as normal, not just stand there while he was fired upon.

In his seat in the corner, the Master was clawing at the arms of his chair. Eyes and expression dark as he debated whether Rassilon had dies painfully enough to make up for this (the answer was unfortunately no).

Clara had been watching the screen worried and sad. She knew the basics of what had happened as the Doctor had provided a human simplified version to her in the diner but it was an entirely different thing to see it like this.

DOCTOR [OC]: Could I have a lemonade?

The room whipped around to the Doctor who was purposely avoiding their eyes, expression wide with innocence. It wasn't her fault how the video was cut.

[Diner]

CLARA: Oh, you like a cliffhanger, don't you? So you went back to your home town

The room blinked at the sudden change in locations and dramatic decrease in tension. They'd forgotten all about the diner after getting to see what was going on in Gallifrey.

DOCTOR: Something like that. (She pours them both a drink from a large pitcher.)
CLARA: Glasgow?

"Glasgow?" The Doctor asked Clara, knowing now that it was her 9and therefore, that she knew everything) she was confused on why she'd suggested Glasgow.

Clara shrugged with a grin. "You sound like you're from Glasgow and it's where we ended up after you regenerated and the whole dinosaur in Victorian London affair." She waved her hand to encompass that whole mess (and the ensuing mess of being abandoned in Glasgow after going to fetch coffees).

The Doctor nodded her surrender to the sound argument, turning back to the screen. She caught Bill mouthing 'dinosaur in Victorian London' to herself in disbelief out of the corner of her eye.

DOCTOR: Er, well, sort of Glasgow. Space Glasgow.
CLARA: And there was this gang boss and he wanted to kill you.
DOCTOR: Wanted to, yeah.

"I'm going to guess then Sweetie, that he wasn't successful." River raised an eyebrow at her wife who grinned with a shrug. River already knew that she hadn't been so she didn't feel the need for any explanations – especially as the video was likely about to show it.

[Outside the barn]

(When the General and Rassilon can bring themselves to look, the Doctor is still standing, and the barn door has scorch marks on it.)

Despite knowing the Doctor was okay and with them, the room let out a sigh of relief at seeing the Doctor on screen completely unharmed.

RASSILON: You missed. All of you. Every single one of you! How is that possible? What is it? Is the firing squad afraid of the unarmed man?
(Rassilon grabs Gastron by the scuff of the neck.)
RASSILON: You, explain.
GASTRON: There was a saying, sir, in the Time War.
RASSILON: A saying?
GASTRON: The first thing you will notice about the Doctor of War is he's unarmed. For many, it's also the last.

It was a startling reminder for most of the room of the Doctor's part in the war as a solider. They'd seen him at the end of the war but it was a completely different thing to hear about him when he was an active soldier in the middle of the war, and it was hard to picture frankly. The companions couldn't deny the words were chilling.

(Gastron walks forward, drops his rifle, then crosses the line and stands by the Doctor.)
GASTRON: I was at Skull Moon, sir.

The Doctor closed her eyes and took a deep breath to try and fight back the onslaught of memories the words induced. It hadn't been her plan, to get them to all choose her side, not exactly anyway. She'd just wanted Rassilon gone and out of the way and the chance to get Clara back.

[Diner]

CLARA: Is this a story or did this really happen?
DOCTOR: Every story ever told really happened. Stories are where memories go when they're forgotten.

Amy smiled softly at the words which tugged at her heart strings as they were so close to what her Doctor had said to her on several occasions.

[Outside the barn]

(Four more troopers drop their rifles and join the Doctor's side.)

The group started grinning as they saw the soldiers drop their guns and choose the Doctor over the president. It was always good to see the Doctor get the recognition he/she deserved, usually all they found was pain and accusations.

RASSILON: Not one more of you moves! That is an order!
(Two more troopers move forward to cross the line.)
RASSILON: A direct order of your President! You leave me no choice.
(Rassilon activates his gauntlet.)

Yaz turned to Ryan, both sharing a grin. "The infinity gauntlet." Yaz's words drew a mix of reactions – those who were around on Earth in the right time all grinned (having had a similar thought) while those not in the right time or on Earth just looked very confused.

Graham rolled his eyes at the pair while the Doctor watched the exchange bewildered, she hadn't been expecting that reaction upon seeing Rassilon gauntlet.

RASSILON: How many regenerations did we grant you? I've got all night.

The Doctor flinched sharply, hunching down in her seat. Several people in the room drew in a sharp breath, other glared at the screen. Rassilon wasn't likeable in anyway but gloating about that had crossed the line.

The Doctor was stuck in her thoughts. Had Rassilon known? He must have as one of the founders which meant he had been gloating without her even knowing. Acting like he had gifted her regenerations when in fact she had (unwillingly) given him and all the other Time Lords theirs. How many times would he have to kill her until she stayed dead? Was there a limit?

The Master was almost growling in his seat having reached the same conclusions as the Doctor. He was decisively ignoring how similar Rassilon's words were to his on the Mondasian ship. River and Jack both scowled darkly, knowing if they ever came in contact with him 9due to wibbly wobbly timey wimey) they were going to punch his smug face hard.

(Four gunships arrive.)

The room grew a bit nervous at seeing the ships arrive, it was one thing for the Doctor to have gotten the foot soldiers on his side but those ships outnumbered them and had rather large guns. The group were all glancing at the Doctor who appeared perfectly calm – which wasn't quite as reassuring as it should have been (the Doctor tended to be calm in the face of some of the worst dangers, especially when it was only them in danger).

RASSILON: Excellent, General. You sent for reinforcements.
DOCTOR: No, he didn't.
(He puts on his sonic sunglasses.)
DOCTOR: I did.

"So smug." River sighed, but her tone gave away her fond exasperation and pride. "You always do love causing revolutions."

The Doctor smiled softly at her, unable to deny her accusations although it hadn't quite been her priority at the time.

(The final troopers join the Doctor as the gunships train their weapons on Rassilon.)
RASSILON: What? I am Rassilon the redeemer! Rassilon, the resurrected! Gallifrey is mine!

Both the Doctor and the Master scowled darkly at that. No one was willing to mention how similar they looked in that moment.

(The General moves between Rassilon's gauntlet and the Doctor.)
GENERAL: Lord President, with respect, get off his planet.
(The General throws down his sidearm and stand by the Doctor. There are now six gunships aiming their weaponry at Rassilon.)

The room was grinning alternatively at the Doctor and the screen, glad to see that (in their typical fashion) the Doctor had turned a deadly situation into a victory.

"You don't do things in half, do you Doctor?" Rose shook her head fondly. The Doctor just grinned sheepishly with a small shrug.

[Council chamber]

(Later, a small craft leaves the Citadel and flies off through the forcefield. The Doctor, the General and Gastron watch it go.)

"Good riddance." The Master muttered darkly.

GENERAL: Gallifrey is currently positioned at the extreme end of the time continuum, for its own protection. We're at the end of the universe, give or take a star system.

"Like Utopia?" Martha asked, head shooting to face the Doctor. She glanced quickly at Jack whose own expression looked troubled, all three were ignoring the Master.

"Even further than Utopia." The Doctor answered calmly, none of them liked the reminder of that mess as it led to the Year.

DOCTOR: I know. I came the long way round.
GENERAL: The President may not find anywhere to go.

"Good."

DOCTOR: He's not the President any more.
GENERAL: He was a good man once. Isn't this going a little far?
DOCTOR: Oh, I've barely started. Tell the High Council they're on the next shuttle.

The group glanced apprehensively at the Doctor; he was starting to edge towards a darker version of himself. The one they saw only in more extreme or emotionally involved situations. Clara gave her a worried look while the Doctor scowled at the floor – she'd gone too far but the High Council and Rassilon had had it coming for a long time.

[Cloisters]

(The Doctor steps out of the lift that Gastron had cowered in earlier. The cloisters have a bit of mist on the floor, lots of stone columns and various cabling dangling around. The lighting is low, casting long shadows. There is the occasional shriek, and silhouettes of Time Lords glide around at intervals. In short, a haunted undercroft.)

"Of course, you're going to go into the creepy place that no one goes into." Bill groaned while the Doctor just smiled cryptically.

OHILA: I thought I'd find you down here. Old times.
DOCTOR: You're a long way from Karn.
OHILA: At the end of everything, one must expect the company of immortals.

"We're not immortals." The Doctor argued pointlessly to Ohila on screen.

"Eh, Doctor. You're talking to the screen." Rory pointed out. The Doctor ignored him while Amy nudged him.

"You're about as close as one can get to immortal, Doctor." Jack said, tone serious and old in a way he rarely showed. The Doctor fixed him with an unreadable look.

DOCTOR: Do you know what they did to me? A confession dial is a ritual act of purification. It allows a dying Time Lord to face his demons and make his peace, before his mind is uploaded to the Matrix. It was never intended as a torture chamber for the living.

The atmosphere in the room darkened in the reminder that the Doctor had just been tortured for billions of years. Despite how casual he was being about it on screen, there was no way it wasn't affecting him. They had seen how it had affected the Doctor in the room with them and she'd had time to deal (or ignore as the Doctor tended to do) with the trauma unlike the Doctor on screen.

OHILA: Rassilon grew concerned about the coming of the Hybrid.
DOCTOR: Afraid!
OHILA: You were entrapped and imprisoned at his command.
DOCTOR: And look at him now.
OHILA: Why did you banish him? Was it punishment, or for your own protection? Or are you just being cruel? Or just being cowardly?
DOCTOR: Let's see, shall we?

"That's ridiculous." Clara finally snapped, she'd been coiling in tighter on herself since the firing squad and now the anger had nowhere to go but out.

The group had turned to look at her, the Doctor looked ready to argue (in Ohila's favourite) but Clara fixed her with a glare that silence her.

"No Doctor. From what we've seen he locked you up for billions of years in a torture chamber because he wanted information. His desperation for answers led to the situation that killed me and he expects you not to fight back. And from what we've heard and the looks you've shared with the Master - those are the least of his crimes. You're allowed to be scared and furious. But you're not being cruel and you're not being cowardly. Rassilon was cowardly for locking you up like that, you are protecting others like you always do." Clara ranted, hands waving to emphasise her point.

"But-." The Doctor tried to argue, she knew she had gone too far.

"No. No arguments. Yes, you did stupid stuff later but not now. You are allowed to be scared Doctor." Clara finished with a glare that dared her to argue.

[Council chamber]

(The Doctor is seated at the head of the table, on an ornately carved high-backed chair. Ohila sits at the opposite end, watching carefully.)

"Wait, did you become President?" Yaz asked startled. Like many un the room they hadn't connected the dots between kicking the former president off the planet and then becoming president himself.

"Yep." The Doctor shrugged.

"Again?" The Master snorted. "I'm guessing it didn't last much longer than the other times. You're far too predictable dear."

"It isn't the first time you've been president?" Rose asked, stuck between shocked and exasperated.

"It is the third time technically." The Doctor admitted reluctantly. Apparently, she was predictable in the way that she always stole a Tardis and ran away.

"We really shouldn't be surprised by that." Martha grinned.

"How did Icicle take it that you became president again?" The Master asked smirking.

The Doctor's scowl reminded him suddenly of the fact he had destroyed Gallifrey which meant everyone they knew. "I didn't kill him." The Master said quietly, the Doctor only raised an eyebrow in disbelief. "I didn't see him. Or Romana and your other friends." The Doctor's expression softened minutely; it was a weight of her heart to know he hadn't killed them but it didn't necessarily mean any of them were alive.

The group had watched the exchange confused but quiet. In typical Amy fashion she decided she wanted answers despite the off-putting atmosphere. "Icicle?"

The Doctor's head snapped to face her instead of the Master. "Braxiatel." She answered softly. "My brother."

Several people in the room audibly chocked, all of their expressions revealing that they had expected anything but that. The Doctor bulldozed forward, ignoring their reactions. "He was an art collector and politician. Always wanted to be President, I don't know if he ever managed it. I haven't seen him since the end of the Time War." She finished quietly; eyes focused on the floor. The more time they spent here, watching these videos, the more information she was giving away. Things she had never told her companions before.

"I'm sorry Doctor." Jack said softly, she looked up to meet his eyes only to find sad understanding. She remembered then that he had mentioned a brother of his own, lost a long time ago a few times during their travels, during rare moments of quiet reminiscence of things lost. She nodded at him before turning back to the screen, not wanting to discuss the matter anymore. She hated the Master slightly for brining Brax up, yet she was glad to finally have an answer to a question that had been haunting her since learning of Gallifrey's destruction at his hands, he hadn't killed her friends or family. He'd destroyed everyone else but he hadn't killed her family with his own hands – small silver linings, it was a lot more than she usually got from him.

DOCTOR: If you wanted to know about the Hybrid, why didn't you just ask me?
GENERAL: If the Hybrid is a threat to the people of this world, why don't you just tell us?

"Why didn't you?" Bill asked seriously.

"Because they didn't ask." The Doctor answered, equally seriously. "And because the information was dangerous."

DOCTOR: What do you know already?
(The General sits.)
GENERAL: The Hybrid is a legendary
DOCTOR: No.
GENERAL: The Hybrid is a creature thought to be crossbred from two warrior races.
DOCTOR: Which races?
GENERAL: The Daleks and the Time Lords, it is supposed.
DOCTOR: Oh, must be well hard, then.

"You're being purposely difficult." River sighed exasperated.

"I'm allowed to be after what they did." The Doctor protested.

GENERAL: Unstoppable. According to the stories.
DOCTOR: If they're just stories, why are you so worried?
GENERAL: Some Matrix prophecies suggest
DOCTOR: No.
GENERAL: Many prophesies suggest
DOCTOR: No.
GENERAL: All Matrix prophecies concur that this creature will one day stand in the ruins of Gallifrey. It will unravel the Web of Time and destroy a billion billion hearts to heal its own.

"You know, I can understand why they feel a bit threatened by that prophecy." Yaz announced, drawing a few nods from some of the group.

DOCTOR: What colour is it?

"Doctor!" Donna exclaimed; voice full of exasperation.

"What?!"

GENERAL: I don't know.
DOCTOR: Prophecies, they never tell you anything useful, do they?
OHILA: This is no time to play the fool.
DOCTOR: It's the end of the universe. It's the only time I've got. And you want me to keep you all safe.

"They must be desperate." The Master smirked from his corner.

The Doctor glared at him, unable to forget that he had destroyed Gallifrey. "Almost as desperate as they were during the war, as they resurrected you and Rassilon."

GENERAL: Can you?
DOCTOR: I'll need help, obviously.
GENERAL: Gallifrey is at your command.
DOCTOR: Oh, not from you lot. No, you'd cramp my style. Look at your hats. I'm going to need the use of an extraction chamber, to talk to an old friend.

"That's what you're actually after." Jack realised, feeling a bit stupid for not putting it together sooner. "Clara."

Clara glanced at the Doctor worried for what was to come. The Doctor glanced ta her for a second before nodding to Jack to confirm his theory. She was also worried about their reactions.

[Trap Street]

(Heart thumping, the raven caws and launches itself at Clara.)
CLARA: Let me be brave.

"Oh Clara." The Doctor mumbled; eyes glazed over slightly as if she thought she was somewhere else. "They're always brave

Clara glanced at her worried about the almost vacant expression on the Doctor's face. She'd purposely left so that the Doctor hadn't had to watch her death and yet she never seemed to be able to escape it.

The rest of the room watched the screen, eyes wide at seeing more of Clara's 'death'. River and Jack, however, were more focussed on the Doctor. The pair were mumbling quietly to her and squeezing her hand to try and bring her back to the present. It took a few minutes before the Doctor blinked rapidly for several seconds and her eyes finally met River's relieved eyes.

(She throws her arms wide then Time stops with a crack! After a moment, Clara exhales and relaxes. A door opens, flooding white light into the street.)
DOCTOR: This way. I can save you.
(Clara looks at the frozen raven, and the Doctor watching from behind her, then follows the Doctor through the door.)

"Time Lords have some serious tech." Bill whistled.

"Very Spock." Rose giggled, entertaining and distracting both Jack and the Doctor who had been watching worriedly. The trio chuckled at the reminder of their first meeting while the rest of the room watched confused.

[Extraction chamber]

(An all-white room, with operatives dressed in white too. The only colour are their faces, the General, the Doctor, and Clara, and some blue computer panels.)
CLARA: Doctor?
DOCTOR: Yeah.
CLARA: Where am I? Is this the Tardis?
DOCTOR: No. This is a planet.

"You can never just explain everything can you?" Martha sighed exasperated.

"There isn't usually time." The Doctor argued but Martha just rolled her eyes at that answer.

CLARA: What planet?
DOCTOR: Basically, my place.
CLARA: I was about to die. I should be dead.

"Very observant." The Master sneered from his corner, going mostly ignored by the rest of the room.

DOCTOR: Forget about that. It doesn't matter.

"Dying does tend to matter, Doctor." Amy argued.

CLARA: Hang on, your place?
DOCTOR: Yeah.
CLARA: What do you mean, your place?
DOCTOR: My place.
CLARA: You don't mean?
DOCTOR: Yeah.
CLARA: Gallifrey?
DOCTOR: Gallifrey.

Clara shook here head. "I still can't believe you finally found it." She frowned at the reminder of both the first time the Doctor had thought they'd found Gallifrey and their resultant temporary split (due to them lying to each other) and what had already happened in the video. "In some ways I wish you hadn't."

The Doctor watched her with a troubled look, thinking about similar memories. She honestly couldn't say if she was glad she had found Gallifrey again or not.

CLARA: Okay. Er, hang on, wait. What? What? Did I miss something?

"Oh, not much, just you being tortured for billions of years." Clara said, voice full of sarcasm and anger. If the Doctor had had his way, she would have never found out about the Confession dial. The Doctor glanced at her again, eyes apologetic which only made Clara angrier.

DOCTOR: Well, we're several billion years in the future and the universe is pretty much over, so, yeah, quite a lot.
GENERAL: Young lady, Miss Oswald, I'm afraid we only have a very few minutes with you.

"I'm guessing that didn't go to plan." Rory raised an eyebrow getting a sheepish look from both the Doctor and Clara. It honestly depended on whose plan you were thinking about. The General's – no, the Doctor's – vaguely.

CLARA: Who's he?
GENERAL: According to the Doctor, you can tell us something about the creature known as the Hybrid.
CLARA: Oh. Oh, that's weird. What's wrong with my ears?

"Your ears?" Rose asked confused. Neither the Doctor or Clara answered. Clara did, however, reach down to try and find her pulse in an almost unconscious movement when no one else was watching.

DOCTOR: Nothing.
CLARA: Oh, it's weird. Everything sounds wrong.
DOCTOR: It's a side effect.
CLARA: I can hear you. I can hear you fine. It's like, I don't know, it's like, er. It's like something's missing.
GENERAL: Doctor, we have to tell her. We always tell them.

"Tell them what? What are you trying to hide Spaceman?" Donna asked, eyes narrowed at the Doctor who was looking anywhere but her eyes. Instead of an answer she just waved at the screen.

CLARA: Tell me what? What's he talking about? Doctor? Doctor, what's going on?
DOCTOR: Clara, there's a sound you've been living with every day of your life, but you've learned not to hear.
CLARA: What sound? What's wrong? Just tell me. Doctor, what sound?
DOCTOR: Your heartbeat. Your physical processes have been time looped. Frozen between one heartbeat and the next. Even your breathing is just a habit. You don't need it.

"That's freaky." Bill declared before realising what she'd said and glancing to Clara. "Eh, sorry?"

"It's fine. Don't worry." Clara waved her off. It was definitely freaky to start with and she still tried to find it every so often but she'd kind of grown used to it during her travels with Me.

CLARA: If I'm frozen, how can I, how can I be walking about?
DOCTOR: Because the Time Lords are very clever. It doesn't matter.
CLARA: Yes, it matters to me!
GENERAL: Doctor, we have to explain.
CLARA: Doctor, what is going on?
GENERAL: Although you are currently conscious and aware, in fact, you died billions of years ago.
CLARA: Doctor?
GENERAL: We have extracted you at the very end of your time stream to request your help. Once we're finished here, you will be returned to your final moments. Your death is an established historical event and cannot be altered. I'm sorry.

The Doctor was watching the screen with darkening eyes, she knew the trouble was about to start properly. She bit her lip unsure whether to warn the group or to apologise to Clara or what to say in general.

The group had been watching the screen with growing tension, suddenly aware that things were about to heat up again. Clara kept glancing between the screen and the Doctor, equally unsure what to say. She'd been desperate for an explanation at the time and the Doctor hadn't been wanting to provide one which had only worried her more.

CLARA: Doctor, will you just talk to me!
DOCTOR: I'll try not to break your jaw.
CLARA: My jaw?
DOCTOR: I wasn't talking to you.
(The Doctor punches the General and snatches his sidearm, aiming it at the man.)

"Doctor!" Several gaps and exclamations came from the group, having been completely blindsided by the extreme actions the Doctor was suddenly taking on screen. From what they'd heard from conversations in the room, they knew things had gotten bad and the Doctor had done some stupid things but this was more than they had expected.

"I know, I know. Please just watch." The Doctor tried to appease with a wince at her onscreen actions. She didn't exactly regret saving Clara but she had gone too far and the General hadn't deserved what she'd done to them. She was purposely ignoring the smirk the Master was giving her.

GENERAL: Doctor, you can't do this. You know you can't.
DOCTOR: No, General, I don't know that. Everybody, stay exactly where you are! No moving about. On pain of death, no-one take a selfie!

There were a few startled snorts at the bad joke but the room was too tense to really appreciate the Doctor's attempts of humour.

GENERAL: These people are unarmed.
DOCTOR: So are you.
GENERAL: Doctor, I will not let you leave here. That's the sidearm of the President's personal security. There isn't a stun setting.

The room was practically on the edge of their seats at that declaration, glancing between the Doctor (who refused to look away from the screen, expression blank) and the screen itself, not liking where this was going.

DOCTOR: I will not let Clara die.
GENERAL: She's been dead for half the lifetime of the universe. If you tried to change that, you could fracture Time itself. Doctor, Lord President, are you really going to take that risk?
CLARA: Doctor. Please, I don't want this. Put it down, please.

"I'm sorry Clara." The Doctor said quietly but sincerely.

Clara narrowed her eyes at the Doctor, crossing her arms. "What are you sorry for?"

The Doctor winced at the harsh tone but met Clara's eyes as she answered. "For ignoring your wishes. You didn't want that and I ignored you and did what I wanted anyway." She bit her lip but decided complete honesty was best. "I'm not sorry for saving you, I'm sorry, but I can't be. But I am sorry for going against your wishes."

Clara watched her for a moment, analysing her for something unknown before nodding her acquiescence. "I guess that's as good as I'm going to get. Thank you for the apology but you're still an idiot."

The Doctor smiled softly, relieved. "Everyone knows that."

DOCTOR: Regeneration?
GENERAL: Tenth.
DOCTOR: Good luck.
GENERAL: You too, sir.

"At least one of you are polite." Donna announced, giving the Doctor a look from the corner of her eyes to make her aware she was not the polite one in this situation.

(The Doctor shoots the General in the chest while holding Clara's hand.)
DOCTOR: I want a neural block. Human compatible. Quickly! Come on!

"A neural block and stealing someone form the time stream? Naughty, naughty Doctor." The Master smirked, all teeth. Far too happy to see the Doctor causing chaos on Gallifrey and breaking the rules. The Doctor purposely ignored him to his frustration.

(A technician hands a device to the Doctor. Design note - it is three linked circles.)
DOCTOR: Come on, quick!
(The Doctor drags Clara out.)

[Diner]

The room blinked at the sudden change of scene, having gotten so caught up on Gallifrey again they'd largely forgotten the Doctor was telling this story to Clara.

(The Doctor is strumming his guitar.)
CLARA: This Clara person, you must really like her.
DOCTOR: Why do you say that?
CLARA: You killed a man. You don't seem the type.

The Doctor scowled darkly, she had very few limits when it came to her friends and family. Especially when Gallifrey came into the picture, she'd lost too many companions to Gallifrey. Both Zoe and Jamie had lost their memories of their adventures when her second face had been forced to regenerate and exiled to Earth.

The rest of the room watched the screen quietly, mostly caught up in their own thoughts. All couldn't help but wonder if the Doctor would have done the same for them.

[Citadel]

(Running.)
CLARA: You killed that man! You shot him! He's dead!
DOCTOR: It was him or you.
CLARA: I don't care!
DOCTOR: Yeah? Well, the difference is, when you die, you stay dead.
CLARA: So does he!

A few people opened their mouths as if to make a comment but Clara scowled at them all. "Don't. Just don't." Everything had happened so quickly she hadn't really connected what being on Gallifrey meant and she didn't need everyone pointing it out to her now.

(They get into a lift.)
DOCTOR: We're on Gallifrey. Death is Time Lord for man flu.

"That doesn't mean you just get to kill him!" Clara protested, there really hadn't been time for this argument at that point and she felt the need to point it out now.

The Doctor sighed. "No, it doesn't. I shouldn't have but I couldn't let you stay dead. I'm not asking you to forgive me but I am asking you to understand why I did. I'm not saying that makes it right, I just want you to understand."

Clara's expression softened slightly. "I do, I just hate what you did for me and what they did to you." The Doctor nodded her own understanding, turning back to the screen instead of meeting anyone's accusing eyes.

[Extraction chamber]

(A golden light is dazzling everyone.)
GASTRON: Med team to sector fifty two, extraction chamber seven. Regeneration in progress.
(The regeneration ends, and where a white man had fallen, a black woman gets up.)

"It seems so easy there." Amy frowned, thinking about the time they'd witnessed River regenerate as well. Then comparing both to the Doctor's regeneration, they both seemed easier and less painful than the Doctor's.

The Doctor grimaced. "Yes, I'm sure you're thinking about River as well." She squeezed her wife's hand. "I've always struggled with regeneration. It's always been more painful than others seem to experience. I've always been more confused afterwards and always had less control over it." She admitted with a shrug, trying to come across as blasé about the whole matter.

"You think that's because of the … ya know … Timeless Child thing, Doc?" Graham asked, eyes crinkled in concern.

"Maybe." The Doctor answered unconvincingly. It was a possibility, not that there was any real way to test it, especially now.

GASTRON: Are you all right, sir? Oh, er, sorry, ma'am.
GENERAL: Oh, back to normal, am I? The only time I've been a man, that last body. Dear Lord, how do you cope with all that ego?

The woman all laughed at that while the men shuffled in their seats uncomfortable with the woman's enjoyment. The tension was leaking out of the room slowly, while the Doctor was definitely acting more 'alien' than normal, he hadn't actually permanently killed the General. Not that shooting him was good but it could have been much worse.

(Ohila and her attendants enter.)
GASTRON: Ma'am, where's the Doctor?
OHILA: The Cloisters. Where else would he run, except into the greatest danger on Gallifrey.

"That does sound you." Rose smiled. The Doctor just made an innocent look that fooled absolutely no one.

"Out of the frying pan and into the fire, or so they say." Mickey added, earning a smile from Rose and the Doctor.

[Cloisters]

OHILA [OC]: The hell of the Time Lords.
(The Doctor and Clara leave the lift and head into the Cloisters.)
CLARA: I thought you said Gallifrey was frozen in another dimension?
DOCTOR: Well, they must have unfrozen it and come back.
CLARA: How?
DOCTOR: I didn't ask. It would make them feel clever.

"And you would hate that." River rolled her eyes at her wife who just smiled unrepentant (in that matter at least). There really hadn't been much time and she could only focus on getting Clara back.

(He throws away the General's sidearm. It ends up at the feet of a small statue of a weeping angel cherub, entwined in cables.)

Those that had met the weeping angels eyed the statue warily.

DOCTOR: Happy?
CLARA: No. Tell me what a neural block is.
DOCTOR: Never mind. This way.
CLARA: What did you mean, human compatible?

"You're avoiding the answer which means it is nothing good." Martha decided, eyes narrowed at the Doctor who kept her face schooled blank.

[Diner]

CLARA: So what was it, the thing you took?
DOCTOR: There was only one way to keep Clara safe. I had to wipe some of her memory.
CLARA: Of what?
DOCTOR: Of me.

Donna flinched while the rest of the room turned to face the Doctor expectantly. They'd had some idea about a memory wipe based on what the pair had mentioned before but they hadn't quite been expecting it like this. None of them were sure what to say and the Doctor kept her gaze fixed on the floor, expression troubled. Clara's expression was equally troubled, it wasn't any easier hearing about it the second (or was it third?) time.

[Cloisters]

(Screeches and other unnerving noises.)
DOCTOR: The Cloister Wraiths. Sliders, we used to call them. They guard the Matrix. We're safe in here.

"I'm pretty sure going into the dangerous place that everyone is too scared to enter is the opposite of safe." Bill pointed out. "Although it is a very you plan." The Doctor just grinned in answer in answer waving towards the screen while Clara rolled her eyes.

CLARA: Why?
DOCTOR: They only attack if you make any attempt to leave.
CLARA: How long are we planning to stay?

"Doctor, that plan will only work as long as you want to stay and seeing as everyone is after you, I don't think you want to stay long." Jack raised an eyebrow at the obvious flaw in the Doctor's plan which only made the Doctor grin more.

DOCTOR: Or, actually, if you try to stay.

"Brilliant. Why is it safe there again?" Amy asked sarcastically.

CLARA: You realise how well that conversation went, right?
DOCTOR: Starting to, yeah, a bit.

"At least you admit it." Clara sighed. The Doctor shrugged unapologetic; she'd had a plan. One of her only good plans in that whole mess. She could feel the weight of the Master's eyes on her but she was purposely ignoring him for the moment.

(A Wraith glides past, howling in terror, its face flickering.)

"Definitely not safe." Yaz muttered, grimacing at the creepy sight of the Slider.

[Extraction chamber]

(They are monitoring the Doctor and Clara's movements on a holo-display.)
GENERAL: We need to block every exit from the Cloisters. Every available man. I need that place surrounded.
GASTRON: No-one's ever made it back out of the Cloisters.

"You're going to be the first then." Rose grinned.

The Doctor looked conflicted for a minute. "Not quite." Several people gave her confused looks but she had already turned back to the screen.

OHILA: Not quite no-one.

"Someone else escaped? Why don't they know about it?" Ryan asked the Doctor.

"Just watch." The Doctor answered, eyes never leaving the screen.

"I hate that answer." Jack muttered.

[Cloisters]

DOCTOR: This way, I'm fairly sure. According to the stories, there's a secret way out. If you find it, the Sliders let you go.
DALEK: Exterminate!

Several of the group had jumped when they heard the Dalek, glancing worriedly at the Doctor and Clara. They really didn't need to be dealing with the daleks as well as everything else.

(Liquid is running down its eyestalk. Dalek voice provided as usual by Nicholas Briggs, co-executive producer of Big Finish Productions, makers of real Who audio stories.)
DOCTOR: It's okay. It's okay, look at it.

"How is a dalek okay?" Martha asked sharply, the Doctor just gave her an apologetic look but waved to the screen for an explanation.

DALEK: Exterminate me.
CLARA: Is it trapped?
DOCTOR: Don't worry, it's been neutralised. Those aren't vines. In your terms, they're fibre-optic cables, they're alive and growing. We're inside the biggest database in history. Sometimes, people are stupid enough to break in.
CLARA: And?
DOCTOR: It's a database. They get filed.

Several people in the group shivered, that sounded like a horrible fate. Unnoticed to most, but not the Doctor, River flinched. The Doctor immediately whipped around to face her wife, face open and sad at the reminder of River's fate and her decision to trap her in the Library Database. River offered a small smile as she schooled her face back to hide her hurt, squeezing her wife's hand to offer comfort when the Doctor didn't look convinced. The Doctor still didn't look reassured but let it go for the moment.

DALEK: (slowly) Exterminate me.
DOCTOR: Probably a leftover from the Cloister Wars. There's nothing we can do. Come on.
DALEK: (pleading) Exterminate me. Exterminate me.
(Further along Clara sees a Weeping Angel entangled in cables. She walks past and it vanishes, then reappears in front of her. And another.)
DALEK [OC]: Exterminate me!
(She slips past, only have an arm grabbed by one of a pair of Cybus Cybermen. The Doctor pulls her free.)

The group watched nervously, decidedly unhappy to see so many dangerous aliens, ones they had fought during their travels with the Doctor, in the same room as Clara and the Doctor. It didn't matter what the Doctor said about them, they could never be comfortable being in a creepy crypt like that with enemies on all sides.

DOCTOR: Keep away from them! The Matrix can use them as a defence. It means the secret exit must be close.
CLARA: What's to defend in a crypt?
DOCTOR: It's not just a crypt. More like a stone circuit board. This is the Matrix database.
(They arrive at an area with a glowing interlocking circles pattern on the floor without actually noticing. Clara stands in the middle of it.)
CLARA: Database? What do you mean, database?
(The Doctor realises where she's standing.)

"You found it." Amy grinned. It was rare for things to go so well and it never lasted very long, so it was always best to enjoy it while they could.

DOCTOR: Oh.
CLARA: Oh?
DOCTOR: Oh.
CLARA: Oh?
(She looks down.)
CLARA: Oh.

The group chuckled at seeing the interaction between the Doctor and Clara on screen, glad for a break in the tension. The Doctor and Clara, however, shared an apprehensive glance, both far too aware of what was still to come. The Doctor especially was nervous, most of the group were still under the impression she had spent two billion years in the confession dial, not four and a half. She really didn't want them to know the truth, but she also knew she didn't have much of a choice.

(The Doctor starts clearing the dirt of eons with his foot.)
DOCTOR: Looks like the primary service hatch. Just have to work out the key.
DOCTOR: Oh.
DOCTOR: When Time Lords die, their minds are uploaded to a thing called the Matrix. This structure, it's like a living computer. It can predict the future, generate prophecies out of algorithms, ring the Cloister bells in the event of impending catastrophe. The Sliders, they're just like the guard dogs, the firewall. Projections from inside the Matrix itself. The dead, manning the battlements.

"Er, Doc?" Graham asked awkwardly, rubbing the back of his neck. "You mind explaining that in bit more simple terms?" The Doctor just smiled and waved towards the screen in answer.

CLARA: Was I supposed to understand any of that?

Graham smiled at Clara; glad he wasn't the only one. Several other sin the room smiled too.

DOCTOR: The Time Lords have got a big computer made of ghosts, in a crypt, guarded by more ghosts.
CLARA: Didn't hurt, did it?
DOCTOR: Tiny bit.

The group laughed again, happy for a break in the danger that seemed ever present in this episode. It was also nice to hear the Doctor actually explain themselves for once.

(He gets down on his hands and knees, running his fingers around the curved grooves..)
CLARA: Why would a computer need to protect itself from the people who made it?
DOCTOR: All computers do that in the end. You wait until the internet starts. Oh, that was a war!

"You're joking right?" Bill asked nervously, expression revealing how unsure she was. "Doctor, right?" The cryptic grin the Doctor gave her did nothing to reassure her or any of the others.

[Extraction chamber]

GASTRON: They don't seem to be moving.
GENERAL: And they're by lift shaft seven. Keep monitoring.
(Ohila follows the now-lady General out.)

"They won't come in, will they?" Rory asked nervously. The Doctor smiled at the concern, simply shaking her head in answer. The pair were too sensible and knew the dangers the Cloisters presented, they would never enter.

[Cloisters]

DOCTOR: A long time ago, there was a student at the Academy. He got in here, disappeared for four days. Showed up in a completely different part of the city. Said the Sliders talked to him, they showed him the secret passage out. And we just need the code.

The Doctor refused to look away from the screen despite being all too aware of the weight of the Master's gaze upon her. She didn't want to see his expression. They'd still been friends, close friends, when she had disappeared into the cloisters as part of a dare. When she'd finally emerged he'd berated her for ages out of concern (not that he would ever admit that). She felt his familiar presence requesting entry to her mind, once he realised she wasn't going to verbally answer him.

"Am I finally going to find out what happened to you in there?" The Master asked, his mental voice drenched in curiosity.

"As I told you back then, it didn't feel like four days. But yes, you'll find out what happened. Happy?" She shot back with false frustration.

"Endlessly, dearest."

(The Doctor gets out his notebook.)
CLARA: What, and the kid told you the secret?
DOCTOR: Ah, no, he didn't tell anyone anything. He went completely mad. Never right in the head again, so they say.

"That's not encouraging in anyway. You do realise that Doctor?" Rose asked, sounding like she was already resigned to the answer. The Doctor, as if to prove her point, just grinned. Clara just rolled her eyes in the background.

CLARA: Okay, that's encouraging.
DOCTOR: The last I heard, he stole the moon and the President's wife.
CLARA: Was she, er, Was she nice, the President's wife?
DOCTOR: Ah, well, that was a lie put about by the Shabogans. It was the President's daughter. I didn't steal the moon, I lost it.

"You were the little kid that escaped the Cloisters?" Martha asked. "I shouldn't even be surprised at this point." She rubbed her forehead, as if warding off a headache. The Doctor just grinned, shrugging.

"Why did you steal the moon and the President's daughter?" Yaz asked full of curiosity.

The Doctor shrugged again. "First of all, like I just said, I didn't steal the moon, I lost it. Which was an accident and I'm still not quite sure how I did it. As for the President's daughter, well she wanted to come. I gave her back eventually." The room just shook their heads in fond exasperation at the Doctor, all mentally filing away this new information about the Doctor's childhood.

CLARA: I'd know you anywhere.
DOCTOR: I was a completely different person in those days. Eccentric, a bit mad, rude to people.

"So you've never changed then." Amy chuckled, starting several others off as well. The Doctor just pouted, but couldn't resist smiling too.

CLARA: Look at me again.
DOCTOR: Sorry, what?
CLARA: In the eye. Look at me. Just do it.
DOCTOR: What? What is it?

CLARA: How long has it been for you since you last saw me?

The mood in the room suddenly spiralled downwards at the stark reminder of the Doctor's years of torture. The room couldn't deny they were interested to see how Clara reacted to learning what happened to the Doctor onscreen. Clara, however, was just watching the Doctor with sad eyes as she tried to ignore everyone around her.

DOCTOR: Oh, ffr, I'm not sure.
CLARA: How long?
DOCTOR: I was stuck on a place. They
CLARA: They what? Who? Who are we talking about?
DOCTOR: They wanted something from me. Information. It really doesn't matter.
CLARA: What happened to your coat? The velvety coat. I liked that one, it was it was very Doctor-y.

"I looked like a magician." The Doctor raised an eyebrow.

"I'm glad you finally admit it but stop trying to change the subject." Clara glared the Doctor into submission.

DOCTOR: I changed it.
CLARA: Why?
DOCTOR: Well, I can't be the Doctor all the time.

That startled the group, and not in a good way. It was never good when the Doctor stopped trying to be the Doctor, point in case - the Time War. River and Jack shared a concerned look over the Doctor's head, the Doctor had her eyes focused on the screen unable to gather enough strength to deal with the room's reactions and trying t brace herself for what was coming.

(The grooves make clicking noises as he presses on parts of them.)
DOCTOR: I think I've almost got it. I think this is it.
CLARA: Tell me what they did to you. Tell me what happened to the Doctor?

"Oh Doctor." Clara muttered sadly. She hadn't felt any better for knowing, even worse now that she knew the details but she couldn't help but feel like she needed to know, needed to know what the Doctor had gone through to get her back.

[Lift]

GENERAL: We're here.

[Extraction chamber]

GASTRON: It's pretty quiet.

"That's never a good sign with the Doctor." Nardole muttered.

[Lift]

GASTRON [OC]: He seems to be talking to her, like he's telling her a story. You might want to have a look.
(There are two guards with the General and Ohila.)
GENERAL: Open up, we're going in. We'll stick to the perimeter, no more than three paces from the lift. Do

not enter the Cloisters.

"Good." Rose announced, arms crossed. At least that was one less imminent danger. None of them would actually enter the Cloisters but they could still be dangerous, the room was just choosing to ignore that, to focused on what was being said.

[Cloisters]

DOCTOR: Twenty feet of pure diamond. Harder than diamond.
(The lift door opens.)
DOCTOR: But you break through anything, given time.

Clara and the Doctor both flinched, bracing themselves for the truth about to be revealed. The rest of the group hadn't noticed their reaction, far too focused on their own thoughts, which was that two billion years was a long time. Little did they know.

CLARA: How much time?
GENERAL: Miss Oswald.
CLARA: Stay back.
GENERAL: I'm sorry, but we have to find a way to extract you
CLARA: I said, stay back!
(The General and Ohila lower their eyes and take one step back.)

The room let out a breath they didn't know they were holding, glad to see that they weren't going to be a danger in that way and could be reasoned with. They were eager to see what the Gallifreyan's would tell Clara and how the pair would escape with so many eyes on them.

CLARA: The Hybrid, what is it? What's so important you would fight so long?
DOCTOR: It doesn't matter what the Hybrid is. It only matters that I convinced them that I knew. Otherwise they'd have kicked me out, I'd have had nothing left to bargain with.
CLARA: What were you bargaining for?
DOCTOR: What do you think? You. I had to find a way to save

you. I knew it had to be the Time Lords. They cost you your life on Trap Street, Clara, and I was going to make them bring you back. I just had to hang on in there for a bit.

"It wasn't worth it." Clara announced quietly but with a steely tone, eyes locked on the Doctor.

The Doctor met her gaze, expression equally determined. "That's not your decision to make."

CLARA: How long?
DOCTOR: It was fine.

"You're never fine, Sweetie." River muttered, pulling her wife close. She had a horrible feeling building in the pit of her gut about how long the Doctor had been in the confession dial, something was tugging at her memories to let her know something was wrong and she really didn't like it.

(Clara stands and turns around.)
CLARA: One question. And you will answer. How long was the Doctor trapped inside the confession dial?
OHILA: We think four and a half billion years.

The room descended into shocked silence. All gaping at the Doctor, whose eyes were locked on the floor. Clara just watched, eyes wide and sad. Two billion years was bad enough, but double that? It was unthinkable.

"Four and a half-." River broke off, staring at her wife who refused to meet her eyes. "Why didn't you tell me on Darillium?"

"I did." The Doctor mumbled into her wife's arm where she was hiding her face.

"No, you mentioned you'd spent some time stuck in one place. You never mentioned how long." River shot back, anger building, born out of frustration and concern.

"I didn't want to talk about it." The Doctor argued defensively. "Besides how is four and a half any worse than two billion years?" The Doctor was back to acting blasé to try and mask her trauma (like normal).

"It's over double the length for one thing, Doctor. And two billion years was horrifying enough. You're not okay." Jack butted in to the argument.

"I'm always okay." The Doctor finally emerged from River' side, eyes immediately turning to the screen to try and avoid meeting anyone's gaze.

"You're never okay." River argued.

"I have to be." The Doctor finished quietly, leaving no room for arguments. "I have to be."

GENERAL: He could have left any time he wanted. He just had to say what he knew. The dial would have released him.
(Clara turns back to the Doctor.)
CLARA: Four and a half billion years?
DOCTOR: If she says so.

The room all shot concerned and worried looks at the Doctor who ignored them all, not able to meet their eyes. they hated when the Doctor got like this - evasive around important things that affected her because she was uncomfortable discussing them

(Clara drops to her knees.)
CLARA: No. Why would you even do that? I was dead! I was dead and gone. Why? Why would you even do that to yourself?

Clara was nodding along with herself on screen, she knew full well why he had done it, but it didn't mean she agreed with it or was happy with his decision.

DOCTOR: I had a duty of care. Listen, I'm nearly through here. (burble, clang) If I'm right, there should be a service duct under here. We'll be able to get to the old workshops. They'll have Tardises there.

"You're favourite thing to do on Gallifrey." The Master nodded. Fury clear on his expression, for once not directed at the Doctor, but instead at Gallifrey (again). In some ways the Doctor was glad Gallifrey was already destroyed before the Master had learnt about the Confession dial.

"Her favourite thing?" Yaz asked confused, glancing between the Master and Doctor who seemed to be having a silent conversation. No one answered her.

CLARA: Okay, listen. I have something I need to say.
DOCTOR: We do not have time.
CLARA: No, my time, my time is up. Doctor, between one heartbeat and the last is all the time I have. People like me and you, we should say things to one another. And I'm going to say them now.
(A brief interlude of showing off the CGI Capitol so we don't get to hear what she says, then Clara stands and walks over to the General and Ohila.)

The room shifted uncomfortable in their seats. They all wanted to know the pair planned to escape and none could deny that they were curious to know what Clara had said. The Doctor and Clara shared a glance.

CLARA: You're monsters. Here you are, hiding away at the end of Time. Do you even know why? Because you are hated. You are hated by everybody. But by nobody more than me.

"Cheers to that." The Master muttered with a glare at the screen. The rest of the room agreed with him but none were willing to voice it and earn his attention or ire. It was one thing to hate Gallifrey for their (admittedly long) list of crimes (and that was just against the Doctor) but it was entirely another to destroy the planet. The companions that had asked the Doctor to visit Gallifrey had the odd sense of thankfulness that they hadn't, having seen what they'd seen, it likely wouldn't have gone well.

OHILA: What did you say to him?
CLARA: Oh, nothing I'm going to tell you, or anybody else. Except maybe this one part. I said (metal moves in the background) Don't worry, Doctor. They'll all be looking at me.

"That's your plan." Amy grinned. The rest of the room shared her thoughts, all eager to see them escape from Gallifrey's clutches once and for all.

(Light streams up from the open trap door.)
GENERAL: You need to tell us what the Doctor is going to do now.

"Why would she do that?" Donna snorted.

CLARA: You really are thick, aren't you? The Doctor is back on Gallifrey. Took him four and half billion years to get here. What do you think he's going to do now?
(The sound of time engines wheezing.)
CLARA: Why, he's stealing a Tardis and running away. Bye!

"Ah, your favourite thing." Yaz nodded finally understanding.

"How many times have you run away from Gallifrey at this point, my dear?" The Master asked, tone blasé and knowing.

The Doctor rolled her eyes at his dramatics but answered anyway. "At least four or five times at this point. Every time they put me in a position of power at least."

(A bland columnar steel capsule materialises around Clara. The interior is classic first Doctor, right down to the console and time rotor. Wonderful!)

"Very white and clinical." Bill mused, analysing the Tardis on screen.

The Doctor smiled. "It takes them a while to pick up any sort of personality. Most Time Lords don't have one so they never bother." that entertained a few people in the room based on the snickers.

[Tardis]

CLARA: You were quick.
DOCTOR: Time machine. I backed up a bit.

The room was grinning wildly at seeing the Doctor back in his element, and escape imminent.

OHILA [OC]: Doctor! Doctor, face me!

[Cloisters]

OHILA: Doctor, can you hear me?

[Tardis]

OHILA [on scanner]: Get out of that Tardis and face me, boy!
CLARA: Boy?
(The Doctor opens the doors and pokes his head out.)

"I still want an answer to that, Boy?" Clara declared.

The Doctor looked at her with a 'really?' look, but sighed and answered anyway. "Like I said, she's known me a long time and she'd older than me." Clara nodded, accepting that with a small mischievous smile.

[Cloisters]

OHILA: You have gone too far. You have broken every code you ever lived by.
DOCTOR: After all this time, after everything I've done, don't you think the universe owes me this?
OHILA: Owes you what? All you're doing is giving her hope.
DOCTOR: Since when is hope a bad thing?
OHILA: Hope is a terrible thing on the scaffold.

The group watched the exchange silently, unsure what to actually say. The Doctor just scowled at the screen, hope was rarely a bad thing. Yes, she'd gone too far and yes the universe owed no one. But she was still glad she had stolen Clara.

(The Doctor pulls his head back in, closes the door and the Tardis dematerialises. Ohila shakes her head.)
GENERAL: Where can he run?
OHILA: Where he always runs. Away. Just away.

The Doctor grinned at that, it was true. She rarely had a place in mind when she ran (usually Earth during her later escapes) and her Tardis' (admittedly) erratic piloting had definitely helped her escape Gallifrey and the CIA on countless occasions.

[Tardis]

DOCTOR: What do you think of the new wheels?
CLARA: Basic.
DOCTOR: Classic! Look at the colour scheme.
CLARA: It's all white.

"Exactly, does bring back some memories." The Doctor smiled, reminiscing about the old days. while she would never trade her Tardis's current look for anything else, she couldn't deny she had plenty fond memories in it's original style.

DOCTOR: Genius! (jolt) Check your heartbeat again. I think that you'll find you have one.
CLARA: Yeah?
DOCTOR: It should have restarted when we broke free of Gallifrey's time zone. You're alive! Now we just have to shake off the Time Lords. There's only one place we can do that. What do you say to lunch, followed by breakfast? Because we're time travellers and that's how we roll. Then cocktails with Moses. Then I'm going to invent a flying submarine. Why? Because no one ever has and it's annoying. And maybe we should use this Tardis to find my proper one. I need to change my shirt.

The group watched the screen apprehensive, things were rarely that easy and they knew the pair hadn't ended up happy together based on their interactions here in the room and the scenes in the diner, and the room was nervous about what else could go wrong.

CLARA: Doctor, I still don't have a pulse.
DOCTOR: Oh, you just haven't found it yet. Try again.
CLARA: I know how to take my pulse. Look, I know how to do it. See, no pulse, right?

The Doctor and Clara shared a glance. The Doctor's eyes dipped towards Clara's wrist in question, to which Clara shook her head. She still didn't have a pulse and doubted she ever would again.

(The Doctor puts on his sunglasses and checks the back of her neck. Three zeros are still showing on the skin. He takes the glasses off and tosses them on the console)
CLARA: Is it still there? Don't lie to me.
DOCTOR: Er, maybe we just have to fly a little bit further, give it a bit more welly.
CLARA: They said, your lot, that if you saved me, Time would fracture. What does that mean?

"Is that anything like the crack?" Amy asked, suddenly very apprehensive. Rory and River seemed to have come to the same idea, all watching the Doctor for an answer.

The Doctor smiled reassuringly. "Very different, don't worry." The trio nodded, relieved.

"Crack?" Martha asked nervously, unsure she actually wanted to know.

The Doctor, Amy, Rory and River exchanged a glance before grinning in (frightening) unison. "Spoilers."

DOCTOR: Oh, they're exaggerating. They exaggerate all the time. History will be fine. Time will heal. It always does.
CLARA: Always?

"You have a lot of experience with that?" Donna raised an eyebrow pointedly.

The Doctor shrugged a bit sheepish. "More than most." She admitted.

DOCTOR: Yeah. It'll sort itself out. It'll be all right. You'll have a heartbeat. Or don't you trust me any more?
CLARA: No, not when you're shouting. Where are we going?
DOCTOR: Nowhere in space, forward in time. We're going to the last hours of the universe. We're going long past where the Time Lords were hiding. Literally, to the end. They won't be able to track us there. We'll just be there for a minute. I just need to. I need to make an adjustment.

The room watched the screen, getting more and more nervous about the way the Doctor was acting. His behaviour paired with the still mysterious neural blocker and the pair's behaviour in the room was not painting a happy picture.

CLARA: To what?
DOCTOR: It's nothing, really. It's this.
CLARA: The neural block. Human compatible, that's what you said.

River, Jack and the Master were the only ones with any idea what the blocker did and they kept giving Clara and the Doctor pointed glances. They'd put together some of the dots and figured out what was likely to happen. The rets fo the room was still largely in the dark.

(The time rotor stops.)
DOCTOR: We don't have to stay here long. Er check your heartbeat again. Your timeline must have started by now. A pulse, yeah? You have a pulse, yes? Pulse? Let me do it.
CLARA: I am checking it properly!
DOCTOR: This should work. This has got to work.
CLARA: What if one last heartbeat is all I've got? What if Time isn't healing? What if the universe needs me to die?
DOCTOR: The universe is over! It doesn't have a say any more! We're standing on the last ember, the last fragment of everything that ever was. As of this moment, I'm answerable to no-one!

"Doctor." Jack said surprisingly gently.

"I know, I know. Don't say anything please." The Doctor interrupted, head in her hands.

(Four knocks on the door.)

The group turned in unison to face the Master who held his hand sup in surrender, an innocent and curious look on his face, directed mostly at the Doctor. For once the famous four beats hadn't come from him.

CLARA: How can there be anybody there?
(Four knocks again.)
DOCTOR: Four knocks. It's always four knocks.

The Doctor glared at the floor. Four knocks was never a good thing, the sound of her own heartbeat and it was never a good thing.

(Clara goes towards the door.)
DOCTOR: No. This one I do alone.
CLARA: What's out there?
DOCTOR: Me.
(He opens the doors and leaves.)

"What?" Rose blinked confused. the rest of the room seemed to share her confusion, turning to look at the Doctor and Clara who were staring at each other.

"Not what you're thinking. Just watch." The Doctor waved to the screen pointedly.

[Cloisters]

(The Tardis door closes behind him. There is natural light here now because the rest of the Citadel is crumbling to dust.)
DOCTOR: I told you once, so long ago, that the universe would become a very small place when I'm angry with you. Small enough for you yet?
(Ashildr is sitting on one of two tall leather armchairs, by a small table with a chess set on it.)

"Who is that?" Amy asked with a raised eyebrow, clearly the Doctor and likely Clara, were acquainted with this strange woman.

Clara and the Doctor shared a glance before the Doctor answered. "Clara's girlfriend. Ashildir, or Me as she goes by now. We saved her a long time ago and it went wrong. She's effectively immortal. Kind of like you Jack but not because of the same thing. She's also the reason Clara's dead." The group was a mic of reactions at that revelation.

"She didn't kill me." Clara protested.

"First, I notice you didn't protest the girlfriend bit, so congrats." Clara rolled her eyes at that. "Second, it was her that planned the trap and carried out the plan, she is at last partially guilty."

"I'm the reason I died, not Me."

"Yes and no, she's guilty and I'm guilty. There's plenty of guilt to go around Clara, it's not a finite thing." The Doctor argued back. Clara threw her hands up in the air in exasperation while the rest of the room watched on arguably more confused then they were to start with.

DOCTOR: Hello, me.
ASHILDR: You don't seem surprised to see me.
DOCTOR: At the end of everything, we should expect the company of immortals, so I've been told.

"You argued against that." River couldn't help but tease her wife.

"I'm a time traveller, it's different." The Doctor argued.

"Some would say it isn't." River raised an eyebrow.

"Well I say it is." the Doctor declared, arms crossed childishly.

ASHILDR: Even the other immortals are gone. It's just me.

"Wait, I'm not there?" Jack turned to the Doctor, excited. "Am I dead? Doctor, please tell me, do I finally stay dead?"

The Doctor glanced quickly at Martha, which didn't go unnoticed by Jack who raised an eyebrow in question. His hand gripping the Doctor's arm to prevent nay attempts to (physically or verbally) wiggle out of answering his question. "Yes Jack, you stay dead eventually. I think Martha and I were even there at your death, not that we knew it was you at the time. No I won't say any more."

Jack smiled, nodding to himself, undeniably relieved. Not dying was a good thing on some occasions but he was glad he wouldn't live forever. He'd long since given up on staying dead and he was glad to be proven wrong.

DOCTOR: The one and only me. Finally, you earn the title, sitting here in a reality bubble at the end of Time itself. How are you sustaining it, by the way?
ASHILDR: Brilliantly. I've been watching the stars die. It was beautiful.

"She's as good at you at not answering questions." Mickey snorted. The Doctor made an ugly face, uncomfortable with being compared to Me.

DOCTOR: No. It was sad.
ASHILDR: No, it was both. But that's not something you would understand, is it? You don't like endings. She died, Doctor. Clara died billions of years ago.

"Not something I understand." The Doctor snorted. "I've seen so many endings which is why I hate them." She scowled at the screen, she understood in a way Me didn't. Ashildir forgot all those she had lost (which was it's own kind of torture) but the Doctor was cursed with remembering in great detail all those she had lost and those she had failed. She understood ending far too well. Yes, they could be beautiful, but it was hard to appreciate beauty in the moment, the sadness cloaked it for a long time.

DOCTOR: You killed her.
ASHILDR: No.
DOCTOR: You let it happen.
ASHILDR: No, I didn't. Neither did you. She did. She died for who she was and who she loved. She fell where she stood. It was sad, and it was beautiful. And it is over. We have no right to change who she was.

Clara nodded along with Ashildir on screen. It was the same things he'd been trying to convince the Doctor of all video, that her death had been her own choice, but she couldn't quite agree with Ashildir's dismissal of the Doctor's knowledge of endings. The Doctor knew she could just be blinded by her grief.

DOCTOR: Ashildr
ASHILDR: Me.
DOCTOR: Me, go to hell. By my calculations, you've got about five minutes.

The room watched the interaction mostly in confusion. They only knew the basics of Clara's death and Ashildir seemed deeply involved which explained the Doctor's anger but the whole situation was frankly absurd, worrying and sad. The Doctor had just escaped torture for billions of years, something she had gone through to save a friend only to be told it was essentially all for nothing. It didn't matter if the Doctor had been right or wrong (well, it did a little), they were traumatised and grieving and needed a hug more than they needed mental arguments and accusations.

ASHILDR: You know why we run, Doctor?
DOCTOR: Because it's fun.
ASHILDR: Because we know summer can't last forever.

The Doctor flinched at that. there were so many reasons for running, so many reasons she had run away every time. She wasn't stupid, she knew she hadn't run because it was fun (well not the important times) but Ashildir didn't need to be rude ad point it out.

DOCTOR: Of course it can. Of course it can. You just have to steal a time machine.
ASHILDR: The Hybrid. Five minutes to hell. I think it's time to tell the truth.

"That would be nice but the Doctor rarely does that." Amy declared. The Doctor glanced at her quickly before looking away again, it was true. One of the first things Amy had learnt was rule 1 - the Doctor lies.

[Tardis]

(Clara finally spots the scanner screen, and puts the sunglasses on.)
CLARA: Screen on.

"Clever." Martha nodded approvingly. The rest of the group were in agreement, nodding at Clara. Sometimes the only way to get the truth was to force the Doctor's hand or use stealth.

ASHILDR [on scanner]: You were barely more than a child. You broke in here and the Wraiths spoke to you about the Hybrid. Why did that story make you so scared?
DOCTOR [on scanner]: I don't know. I don't remember it.

"Still lying." The Master muttered, earning him a glare from the Doctor to which he only raised an eyebrow, asking for the Doctor to argue. That made her relent, turning back tot the screen.

[Cloisters]

ASHILDR: Sometimes you do. It's always the way with things we'd rather forget. You remember now, though, don't you? Tell me, Doctor, who is the Hybrid? Who threatens all of Time and Space?
DOCTOR: Oh, but that's easy. That's very, very easy. The Hybrid is you.

"It is?" Bill asked unconvinced, the conversation at the end of the last video suddenly making more sense.

The Doctor grimaced but answered. "No one actually knows who it is and likely never will. It doesn't matter now anyway."

[Tardis]

ASHILDR [on scanner]: I'm human, with a little bit of Mire inside me. The Hybrid is supposed to be half Time Lord, half Dalek.

"Mire? How did that happen?" Jack asked the Doctor, a mix between confused and reluctantly impressed.

"That's where the immortality thing came into play. It's a long story Jack." She could see him go to argue so she continued. "I'm sure if it is important, we will be shown it." He stared her down for another minute before nodding his surrender for the moment.

DOCTOR [on scanner]: No, it isn't.

[Cloisters]

DOCTOR: The actual prophecy specifies only two warrior races. The Daleks and the Time Lords have made assumptions, of course. And they would. Humans and the Mire, both warrior races. It fits perfectly.

"No it doesn't" The Doctor sighed reluctantly. She hadn't really fully believed it was Ashildir but it had given her something else to be angry about, another reason to hunt her down. He'd wanted it to fit because he was too scared of the other possibilities.

ASHILDR: It's an interesting theory.
DOCTOR: Do you have a better one?
ASHILDR: By your own reasoning, why couldn't the Hybrid be half Time Lord, half human? Tell me, Doctor, I've always wondered. You're a Time Lord, you're a high-born Gallifreyan. Why is it you spend so much time on Earth?
(Because in the Movie, the Master worked out that the Doctor's really half-human - on his mother's side.)
DOCTOR: That's your best theory? I'm the Hybrid? I ran away from Gallifrey because I was afraid of myself? That doesn't make any sense.

"Is she suggesting you're half human?" River's eyebrows almost disappeared into her hair.

"There was a rumour for a while." The Doctor purposely left out she had encouraged that rumour for a while. "Besides you are half human, half Time Lord.

"Because of a unique phenomena that no one else replicated and I have never been to Gallifrey so I could hardly be the Hybrid." River argued.

"I know, I wasn't suggesting that. Just that it was possible." The Doctor backed up, hands up in surrender.

She was rescued (some could say) from River's wrath by a seemingly innocent question from Yaz.

"Why do you like Earth so much?"

Now the whole room was watching the Doctor, eager for an actual answer. It wasn't the first time the question had been asked, the Doctor just never gave a real answer. She was biting her lip, trying to decide if she could avoid answering the question again but the weight of the room's eyes told her she couldn't. Taking a deep breath she opted for honesty but not the full story. "I read about it as a kid and was fascinated." She shrugged nonchalantly. The room continued to stare her down no one believing that was the full story for a second. The Doctor let lose a small sigh. "Susan was fascinated. When we ran away she was eager to come here so we did. It reminds me of her."

The room was quiet, absorbing what she had said. Bill broke it with more questions, in an unusually soft tone. "Your granddaughter? The girl in the picture on your desk?" The Doctor simply nodded, eyes unbearably ancient and filled with unspeakable grief.

ASHILDR: It makes perfect sense, and you know it. Am I right? Is it true?
DOCTOR: Does it matter?
ASHILDR: No. Because I have a better theory.

"Of course she does." Someone muttered, the Doctor wasn't sure who. Her eyes were locked to the screen, eager to finally finish the video.

DOCTOR: Really?
ASHILDR: What if the Hybrid wasn't one person, but two?
DOCTOR: Two?
ASHILDR: A dangerous combination of a passionate and powerful Time Lord and a young woman so very similar to him.

The room turned to the Doctor expectantly, waiting for her opinion on that theory. "It fits about as much as any other theory, but again I doubt we will ever actually know." The room nodded their acceptance of that turning back to the screen to see what unfolded next.

[Tardis]

ASHILDR [on scanner]: Companions who are willing to push each other to extremes.
DOCTOR [on scanner]: She's my friend. She's just my friend.
ASHILDR [on scanner]: How did you meet her?
CLARA: Missy!

The room turned to the Master who was lounging in his chair, pride radiating off of him. "Guilty." The group glowered at him while the Doctor just rolled her eyes.

[Cloisters]

DOCTOR: Missy.
ASHILDR: Missy. The Master. The lover of chaos, who wants you to love it, too. She's quite the matchmaker.
DOCTOR: Clara's my friend.
ASHILDR: I know. And you're willing to risk all of Time and Space because you miss her. One wonders what the pair of you will get up to next.

The room shifted uncomfortable with Ashildir's words. The Doctor scowled at the screen, she knew she'd gone too far, but who wouldn't go to the end of the earth (or time/space) for someone they loved? Friends, family, significant others, did it matter? If you loved them you would do anything to protect them.

DOCTOR: Nothing. Nothing at all. I know I went too far. I get it. That's why I'm doing what I'm doing.
ASHILDR: And what would that be?
DOCTOR: I'm taking her back to Earth. Somewhere safe, somewhere out of the way. I'm going to wipe her memory of every last detail of me.

Donna flinched again at the reminder. The Doctor may have apologised and she may understand the necessity of the mind wipe but I didn't mean she could just forget (hah) that it had happened. Clara's eyes were sad and weighted down with the knowledge of what was to come. Bill's brow was furrowed, she was starting to connect some dots.

[Tardis]

DOCTOR [OC]: It'll be like our friendship never happened.
ASHILDR [OC]: That may not be what she wants.
DOCTOR [OC]: 'I've done it before. Usually, I do it telepathically, but this time, I've got something better.
(Clara picks up the neural block.)

"The neural blocker." Rose mumbled.

Donna was stuck on the word 'usually', it suggested she hadn't been the first to have her mind wiped but she couldn't bear to ask. She wasn't sure she wanted to know the answer.

[Cloisters]

DOCTOR: It's quite painless.
ASHILDR: Will you tell her what you're going to do?
DOCTOR: Of course.
ASHILDR: When?
DOCTOR: Now.

"You knew?" Martha asked the Doctor quietly.

The Doctor shrugged. "Clara's not stupid. None of you are. And I left the sunglasses there on purpose." Clara gave her an unreadable look, unsure whether to be happy for the compliment or angry about how the Doctor wasn't going to tell her to her face.

[Tardis]

(Clara activates the glasses again.)
CLARA: Screen off.
(Ashildr gestures you first to the Doctor, and they both go inside.)
DOCTOR: You okay?
CLARA: Yeah. Yeah, yeah. Just, you know, my pulse.

Clara sighed, she really wasn't sure who she was kidding. All three of them had known that she'd been listening in.

DOCTOR: Yeah, we'll fix that somehow. I promise. You remember Ashildr, of course.
CLARA: Yeah, sure.
DOCTOR: I thought you'd be more surprised to see her.
CLARA: I was watching. On the monitor.

Clara realised that the Doctor had asked about Ashildir purely to get the conformation she'd heard.

(She picks up the glasses and moves away from the console. The Doctor picks up the neural block.)
CLARA: No. Doctor, whatever you're about to do, don't do it.
DOCTOR: It won't hurt, it'll be nothing. You'll just pass out for a moment.
CLARA: And then?
DOCTOR: When you wake, you'll be fine.

The room shifted uncomfortable in their seats, unsure they had the right to be watching this, as it seemed very personal. They knew it hadn't gone as planned based on the pair's interactions in the room and couldn't deny their curiosity to see how it had actually gone.

CLARA: But
DOCTOR: Clara, just listen to me.
CLARA: Just say it. Say it. Come on. Tell me.
DOCTOR: When you wake up, you will have forgotten me. You'll have forgotten we ever even met.
CLARA: And why would I want that?
DOCTOR: Because it's the only way. That stuff in your head, the image of me, they could use it to find you.

Clara and the Doctor kept glancing at each other as the video continued, not meeting anyone else's eyes. Clara knew why the Doctor had tried to do what he had but it didn't mean she liked it or had to accept it. She was however glad the Doctor finally had her memories of her back.

(Clara holds out the sunglasses.)
CLARA: I, er I used these.
DOCTOR: On what?
CLARA: That.
DOCTOR: What did you do?
CLARA: What do you think? Ashildr's right, you see? We're too alike.
DOCTOR: Tell me what you did.
CLARA: What else? What else do you think I did? I reversed the polarity. Push that button, Doctor, it will go off in your own face.

The room was leaning forward, eyes never leaving the screen as the video progressed, unsure what to say. The Master scowled in his corner, of course the Doctor had taught the humans her nonsense about revering the polarity, There was a reason the Doctor hadn't done well at the Acadmey.

DOCTOR: You were trying to trick me?
CLARA: What were you doing to me?
DOCTOR: I'm trying to keep you safe.
CLARA: Why? Nobody's ever safe. I've never asked you for that, ever. These have been the best years of my life, and they are mine. Tomorrow is promised to no one, Doctor, but I insist upon my past. I am entitled to that. It's mine.

Clara watched herself on screen, standing fast in her beliefs. She couldn't disagree with herself but she also didn't like that the Doctor had lost his memories instead. In an ideal world, none of them would have lost their memories, in the ideal world Gallifrey wouldn't have meddled. But the universe wasn't ideal, despite the Doctor regaining her memories.

The rest of the room watched on in silence, almost in awe of Clara's determination.

DOCTOR: Oh, Clara Oswald. What am I doing? You're right. You're always, always right.

The Doctor's almost easy acceptance was shocking, this whole situation really had shaken him. The Doctor hadn't gotten a break in a long time and it was starting to really show.

CLARA: So what happens now? Hey? Me and you, what do we do now?
DOCTOR: I'm not sure you managed to reverse the polarity. I'm not even sure that you can. It'll do something to one of us. Better than flipping a coin.
CLARA: Doctor?
DOCTOR: You and me together. Look how far I went, for fear of losing you. This has to stop. One of us has to go.
(Clara gives him back his sunglasses, which he puts in his inside pocket.)
CLARA: You really don't know which?
DOCTOR: Let's find out. Let's do it like we've done everything else. Together.
(They both hold the neural block.)

The group watched the video silently, all knowing now what was coming but unable to look away.

CLARA: How about we just don't? Why don't we just fly away somewhere?
DOCTOR: Oh, that'd be great, wouldn't it?
CLARA: God, yeah.
DOCTOR: Good luck, Clara.
CLARA: Good luck, Doctor.
(They press the button together, and it whirrs for a few seconds.)

"Very undramatic." Amy mumbled in almost disappointment. For such a large life decision it was very unassuming and underwhelming.

CLARA: So, what happens now?
DOCTOR: I suppose, we just, er, we just wait a minute, I suppose.
CLARA: And one of us, One of us will. I don't think I could ever forget you.
DOCTOR: Clara, I don't think you're ever going to have to.
(The Doctor drops the neural block and sways. He leans against the console.)
CLARA: No.
DOCTOR: Run like hell.
CLARA: What?
(The Doctor slumps to the floor.)

The group watched in an almost silent grief or respect at seeing the Doctor slump down, as he lost his memories of a friend he'd gone to the end of time for. He had been tortured for billions of years and he was going to forget all about the person he had survived it for. Clara's eyes were unbearably sad at seeing this again, it had been bad enough the first time.

DOCTOR: Run like hell, because you always need to. Laugh at everything, because it's always funny.
CLARA: No. Stop it. You're saying goodbye. Don't say goodbye!
DOCTOR: Never be cruel and never be cowardly. And if you ever are, always make amends.
CLARA: Stop it! Stop this. Stop it!
DOCTOR: Never eat pears. They're too squishy and they always make your chin wet. That one's quite important. Write it down.

It hit Clara suddenly that these words of goodbye were also his own words of goodbye before he regenerated. Which only made her so much sadder and guiltier. It had been almost physically painful to hear the Doctor say good bye like that but it was so much worse knowing all that she knew now. The Doctor's own eyes were just old and filled with their own sadness, more for the loss of her memories then her actual fate on screen.

The rest of the group watched with their own sadness, it was horrible to see the Doctor saying goodbye to Clara like this.

CLARA: I didn't mean to do this. I'm sorry.
DOCTOR: It's okay. It's okay. I went too far. I broke all my own rules. I became the Hybrid. This is right. I accept it.
CLARA: I can't. There has to be something I can do.
DOCTOR: Smile for me. Go on, Clara Oswald, one last time.

That didn't help anyone in the room. The Doctor had spent four and a half billion year being tortured, been almost killed on her return home and then lost a friend she'd given so much for and all they wanted was a smile. River pulled the Doctor closer to her side to try and comfort them both, she was watching through watery eyes at the Doctor on screen. She knew she saw him shortly after this and that put a whole new meaning on their reunion.

(Clara has tears streaming down her face.)
CLARA: How could I smile?
DOCTOR: It's okay. Don't you worry. I'll remember it.
(The Doctor passes out.)

[Nevada]

"Back to Nevada." Bill muttered, eyes teary at seeing the Doctor pass out. She'd finally made the connection between the Doctor's hesitation to remove her memories after the pilot mess. She'd said something about what the Doctor would have felt like if it ha happened to them and she realised now (with some guilt) that it had, and that was why the Doctor had stopped.

PLUMP MAN: Sir? Are you all right?
(The Doctor is lying on the ground with a rock for a pillow. An American in a blue baseball cap is looking down at him.)
DOCTOR: Where am I?
(He leaps up.)
DOCTOR: How did I get here?
PLUMP MAN: Clara asked me to look after you. She said you might be a bit upset.
DOCTOR: Clara?
PLUMP MAN: Yeah. She was just here.
(We now see that the plump man drives a bronze coloured sedan.)
PLUMP MAN: I don't know where she went.
DOCTOR: Clara? Clara who?

Clara flinched at the reminder of the Doctor's memory loss. It had been painful to talk to the Doctor in the diner and see no recognition in his eyes. She spotted the Doctor looking at her out of the corner of her eyes an turned to face her. The Doctor's eyes were old and full of sadness, she mouthed an apology to Clara for she knew all too well what it was like to be unrecognised by those you loved. Clara managed to pull together a weak smile.

[Diner]

DOCTOR: When something goes missing, you can always recreate it by the hole it left. I know her name was Clara. I know we travelled together. I know that there was an Ice Warrior on a submarine and a mummy on the Orient Express. I know we sat together in the Cloisters and she told me something very important, but I have no idea what she said. Or what she looked like. Or how she talked. Or laughed. There's nothing there. Just nothing.

Several people across the room raised eyebrows at the mention of some of the pair's adventures but no one asked any questions, unsure whether they would actually get any real answers.

CLARA: Are you looking for her?
DOCTOR: I'm trying.

Both Clara and the Doctor looked infinitely sad at that. The rest of the room glancing at them in concern but unsure if there was anything they could say to make it better.

CLARA: She could be anyone, right? You don't know who you're looking for. I mean, she could be me, for all you know.
DOCTOR: There's one thing I know about her. Just one thing. If I met her again, I would absolutely know.

Both the Doctor and Clara flinched at that. the Doctor had forgotten she'd said that and was regretting it deeply now. She turned to Clara. "I'm sorry."

Clara just smiled sadly. "So am I."

I think that we were here, you know? I think that we were here together once. I'm sure I'll remember. Over here.
(The tables by the wall.)
DOCTOR: Stupid Doctor. Amy and Rory. It was Amy and Rory.

The pair nodded but stayed silent. They had already discussed the similarity of this diner to the one back before the Doctor had 'died' and the mess with the moon landing.

CLARA: What about your Tardis, hey? Have you found that yet?
DOCTOR: No. Somebody's moved it from London. I'm still looking. But this diner. It wasn't always here, was it? It used to be on the other side of the hill.
CLARA: Well, maybe someone will find your Tardis for you.
(Clara comes out from behind the counter and heads for the door with Elvis painted on it - Rest room, Guys Dolls. The Doctor starts playing his guitar tune again, and she pauses.)
CLARA: What Clara told you in the Cloisters
DOCTOR: I don't remember a single thing about it.
CLARA: You said memories become stories when we forget them. Maybe some of them become songs.
(He turns away and continues playing.)

The room remembered then what the Doctor had said about the song near the beginning, how it was titled 'Clara'. For Bill it gave a whole new meaning to the Doctor's sad days where he would sit in his office or the Tardis, playing the guitar and looking at the photos on his desk. She was glad she'd never questioned it.

DOCTOR: That would be nice.
CLARA: Yeah, it would be, wouldn't it?
(She opens the door to reveal a Tardis console room, and goes inside. It dematerialises, leaving the Doctor standing alone in the Nevada desert. Alone except for the blue Police Telephone Box with artwork by Rigsy.)

"The art." The Doctor asked. "Was it Rigsy?"

Clara nodded. "Yes. Found it in London and figured you'd like it back." The Doctor smiled softly nodding mostly to herself.

[Tardis]

(Ashildr is studying a Gallifreyan instruction manual.)
ASHILDR: I don't think I've got the Chameleon circuit working. The outer shell might be stuck as an American Diner.
CLARA: Awesome.

"Do these Chameleon circuits ever work? I mean, the Doctor's is broken, the Master's is broken and now yours?" Yaz asked, looking at all three she'd mentioned.

"They're very finickity." The Doctor shrugged, it wasn't like she'd tried very hard to fix it. After all both the Tardis and she liked it the way it was.

The Master however protested (as he tended to do when his dignity was at stake). "I spent centuries with a working circuit, it only recently broke." The group ignored his protests, it was safer for everyone.

ASHILDR: Still no pulse?
CLARA: Time isn't healing. I am still frozen.
ASHILDR: You know what that means?
CLARA: It means my death is a fixed event. The universe depends on it happening.
ASHILDR: I'm sorry.
CLARA: Why? Why does everybody think I am so scared? We all face the raven in the end. That is the deal. If I go back to Gallifrey, they can put me back, right? On Trap Street, the moment they took me out?
ASHILDR: Of course.
CLARA: Mind you, seeing as I'm not actually ageing, there's a tiny little bit of wiggle room, isn't there?
ASHILDR: Wiggle room?
CLARA: Wiggle room. Yeah, you know, wiggle room. We could, er, you know, stop off on the way.
(Clara sets coordinates.)
ASHILDR: Where are we going?
CLARA: Gallifrey. Like I said, Gallifrey. The long way round.

(The American Diner whizzes through the Vortex.)

"You can tell you've spent a lot of time with the Doctor." Rose grinned. It was easy to tell when anyone had spent a substantial amount of time travelling with the Doctor sometimes.

"Maybe we'll run into each other again." Clara smiled at the Doctor who nodded eagerly. Then another thought occurred to Clara. "Wait, how do I go back if the Master had destroyed it?"

The Doctor answered reluctantly. She hated the thought of Clara's death no matter how much she knew it had to happen. "You should go back to a time before he destroyed it. You have a bit more wiggle room by not being a Time Lord and having not seen it's destroyed state in person." Clara nodded her understanding, offering an understanding of the Doctor's reluctance to answer.

(Meanwhile, back in Nevada, the Doctor is gazing at his old Tardis. Finally, he puts his hands on the doors and they open for him. The interior is empty, but once he enters it starts to power up. He puts down his guitar and goes up to the gallery, where a blackboard has Run, you clever boy, and be a Doctor written on it. He exchanges his black jacket for the lovely burgundy one. A sonic screwdriver materialises in its power socket, then flies across to where he catches it, Star Wars light sabre style, and tests it. Then he snaps his fingers and the doors close. The Doctor goes down the steps and sets the Tardis flying. As it dematerialises, all the paint is left behind, and the two Tardises cross paths in the Vortex.)

The group watched the last part of the video in silent respect, unsure what to actually say. Clara smiled happy to see the Doctor back to normal and getting changed back into his normal outfit - he was back to being the Doctor. Bill couldn't help but grin at seeing the Doctor's familiar outfit and the conic screwdriver. She wasn't sure how long it was before the Doctor met her in his timeline - she knew he'd been teaching at the university at least seventy years before she'd started but who knows how long he'd been travelling before that.

The Doctor took a deep breath, closing her eyes for a moment to calm the wave of memories the video had induced. Having calmed herself she finally turned to the rest of the group. "Why don't we watch one more video before we have another break?" The group nodded their agreements as the screen turned black. They all looked to see what was going to come next.