The scene before Clara started racing by. River stood up, dropping knife to the ground, while the security guard ran and grabbed her to stop her from fleeing, although she wasn't making any attempt to run, staring down at James in disbelief.

"James!" Clara screamed and rushed over to him, immediately followed by the Doctor.

She looked down and saw blood pouring out of his abdomen. She quickly tore off her cardigan and pressed it on to the wound while the Doctor called 999.

"Hang on. John's called the emergency."

"Clara, River, she's…" he struggled to speak.

"Shhh, save your strength. The security guard has her and she's not going to hurt anyone."

"James! I'm so sorry," River cried. "I never meant to hurt you!"

"Will you get her out of here!" The Doctor yelled as he dropped down to the floor next to his brother.

The guard said he would take her down to the lobby while he waited for the police and the paramedics.

"I'm so… sorry… Clara."

"It's okay," she said as she wiped her hand across his forehead. "It's not your fault, just please save your strength James."

James' eyes started to slowly shut.

"Don't you dare do that," the Doctor said as he took his brother's hand. "You stay here, you hear me."

James opened his eyes again and looked at his twin. All he could do was slowly nod.

"Good, because you just came back to me, and we still need to go for that pint."

Before anything else could be said the paramedics and police hurried in, and Clara and the Doctor immediately got out of their way while they worked on James.

"We spoke to the guard downstairs," the officer said. "He explained what happened, but we're going to need statements from the two of you as well. However, that can wait."

"Of course," the Doctor replied.

All Clara could do was nod as she stared at James being lifted on to a stretcher. She'd never witnessed anything like this and felt like she was living a horrible nightmare that she wasn't waking up from.

"Where are you taking him?" The Doctor asked.

"The Royal London," one medic answered.

"I'll take you and the young lady there," the officer answered.

"Can I ride with him?" Clara spoke for the first time since emergency services arrived.

"Come on," the medic answered as they got on the lift.

She stepped on and reached for James' hand, trying her best to reassure him that everything would be okay. There wasn't enough room for everyone to get on, so the Doctor and the police officer took the stairs down and made their way to his car, just as the ambulance was pulling away with the siren blasting. The Doctor stared out the window as he was driven through the streets of London as quickly as the officer could go. A thousand different scenarios were running through his head, all of which he prayed his brother would be okay.

Once he got to the hospital, he found Clara, just as they were rushing James away. A nurse took the two of them to a waiting area where neither of them really knew what to do. The Doctor could see the concern on Clara's face and then noticed that she was covered in blood and was only wearing a t-shirt. He looked down at himself and saw that he too had blood on him, but not as much as Clara as she had been the one holding James' wound. As he tended to wear a lot of layers, he took off his hoody and offered it to her, who took it from him and slipped it on, whispering a quiet thank you.

The Doctor began pacing, wondering what was happening and needing to hear some sort of news. Finally after what seemed like hours, but was in actuality minutes a nurse came out and told them they were taking James to surgery. She took them to another waiting room, where there were fewer people and said they would give them updates when they could.

"Why don't you sit?" Clara asked, as she spoke to the Doctor for the first time that night.

She had sat in a chair away from another young couple, trying to find a more isolated spot to wait. The Doctor was still pacing around and it was making her even more nervous watching him. He looked at her and saw the worry plastered over her face and decided she was right, so took a seat next to her.

"He's going to be okay, Clara," the Doctor said, trying to reassure himself just as much as her.

"I hope so."

"He has to be. I just got him back."

Clara looked at the Doctor. She had been so worried about James that she hadn't really noticed how this was affecting him. This had to be torture for him, watching his twin go through this, the last remaining family member he had. She went to reach for his hand, and noticed the blood that was drying on hers.

"There's a washroom down the hall, I think," the Doctor said as he noticed her actions.

"Thanks. I'm just going to go clean up."

Clara got up and walked down the hall. The Doctor took the opportunity to call Rose.

"Did you find her?" She asked when she answered his call.

"Yes, but I need another favour. Can you or Amy, go to Clara's and get her a change of clothes?"

"Why, what's going on?" Rose asked concerned.

"I don't want to go into details, but James has been hurt and we're at the hospital. Clara's clothes have been ruined and I think she would appreciate some

clean ones. Can you guys do that?"

"Oh my god! Is he okay?"

"We don't know yet. He's in surgery."

"Okay, I'm sure Amy has a key to her flat, if not I'll bring Clara something of mine."

"Thank you."

The Doctor hung up, just as Clara returned.

"Who was that?" She asked.

"Rose. I'm getting her to bring you a change of clothes. I know you're not going to want to leave, but I also thought you might want to get out of those."

"Thank you."

More time past with neither of them saying much to each other. Eventually Rose came by, but couldn't get into the area they were so the Doctor went out to meet her and got Clara's clothes. After Clara changed, she looked at her bloodied shirt and trousers and was grateful that the Doctor had called to get her a clean outfit. She took a moment to splash some water on her face and to gather her thoughts before she went back out. She didn't want to lose James, not like this. It wouldn't be fair and it wouldn't be right. He was finally being honest and wanting to make changes and he deserved to live the life he wanted. Even though that life wasn't going to be with her. She had decided before all of this that it was the Doctor she wanted and it was really him that she wanted all along. She had just let herself become blinded by her anger and broken heart that she hadn't seen that she had never really stopped loving him. That once she forgave him, they had been building something that would have been a solid foundation for a great relationship. Their photo walks, record shopping, coffee talks all of it was what they should have done in the beginning, but didn't because they were both blinded by their lust for each other. But she couldn't see any of that because she was blinded by James, convinced herself that he wasn't a substitution for what she really wanted. She grabbed a paper towel and dried her face, knowing that now was not the time to be thinking about all of that. Now she had to focus on James and making sure he was okay to live his new life.

"Feel better?" The Doctor asked as she sat down.

"Yeah, thanks so much."

"You're welcome."

"So any news?"

"Nothing yet." The Doctor looked at his watch. "God it's been two hours. Shouldn't he be out by now?"

Just then a doctor appeared in the waiting room and called his name.

"Hello," the surgeon said as the Doctor stood and pulled him and Clara aside. "James is out of surgery and is in recovery right now. There was a lot of

bleeding and he lost a lot of blood. We've repaired what we could see of the damage, but he isn't out of the woods yet. The next twenty-four hours are going to be very critical."

"Thank you," the Doctor gave a tiny sigh of relief. "Can I see him?"

"In about a half hour. We'll move him to a private room and you can go in then, but only one of you at a time and immediate family only." The surgeon glanced at Clara.

"She's his fiancé," the Doctor lied, but wanted to be sure that Clara would be able to see James.

"Okay, he'll likely be in and out of consciousness, but it would be nice if someone sat with him."

"Thank you," Clara said.

The surgeon left, telling them that a nurse would come by to show them where James' room was. Both of them took a seat again, feeling a little better knowing that James was alive and out of surgery.

"Thank you," Clara said to the Doctor.

"Well I knew they likely wouldn't let you see him if you weren't at least listed as more than a girlfriend."

True to the surgeon's word, a nurse came to take them to another floor. He explained to them that James would be out of it for the most part, but that talking to him would help, he had seen it many times with a lot of patients who seemed to need that will to fight. Once they got to the room, Clara insisted that the Doctor go in first and she would wait. She took a seat in some chairs that were just outside James' door and started thinking about what she would say to him. She needed him to fight, and perhaps he might do that if he knew he was fighting to come back to her. She didn't want to lead him on, but at the same time she knew it would definitely give him something to come back for.

The Doctor stepped into the room and was taken aback to see James hooked up to so many wires, lying completely lifeless in bed. He took a seat next to him and picked up his hand, taking a couple of deep breaths before he started speaking.

"I'm not ready to say goodbye to you, so you better not even think of leaving me again. I know we have had many differences, but we have a lot of lost time to make up for."

The Doctor stared down at James who didn't move. He had never been very good at opening up and sharing his emotions, but he knew there were things he needed to say and now was likely the time to do it.

"I want you to know that I'm sorry. I'm sorry I didn't fight harder for us, that I didn't try and find you when I got out of prison, that I was angry for so long. You were my best friend, my other half and I let my anger get the better of me and it's time to let all that go. So no matter what happens with Clara, I'll be happy for you because I'll know how lucky you are and you deserve that in your life. River is out of the picture, James, and you can finally have that life you want with the woman you love."

James blinked a few times before he half opened his eyes.

"John," he whispered.

"Hey," the Doctor smiled, relived to see him awake.

"I'm… sorry… too," James answered, struggling to speak. John tried to get him to stop, but James refused. "I love.. you.. never stopped."

"I know and I've never stopped loving you either. You're my other half and you always will be."

James coughed a little and the Doctor gave him a small sip of water.

"You need to save your energy," the Doctor said as he put the glass down.

"Clara?" James asked.

"She's outside. I'll go get her, but you need to rest."

James nodded, "thanks."

The Doctor went to the door, and saw Clara waiting just next to it.

"He's awake."

"Oh thank God," she gave a sigh of relief. "Can I see him?"

"Of course, but he looks really tired."

"Okay, I just want to be with him."

"Yeah, go on in. I'll be right here."

Clara stepped through the door, as the Doctor took her seat. He hated seeing her so sad and distraught, and all he wanted to do was pull her into his arms and tell her it would be okay. But that wasn't for him to do. He needed to learn how to have her in his life and not be in love with her. She was with James and very likely once he gets out of here, they'll be planning their happy life together.

It looked like James had fallen asleep again, when Clara walked in. She suddenly had flashes to when her mum had been in the hospital and she did her best to squeeze those thoughts away. She sat down next to the bed and took James' hand in between hers, bringing her lips down to kiss it. She needed to give him hope, something to fight for.

"I know that we hadn't left things on the best terms, but I want you to know, James, that I forgive you. I know you lied because you had no choice and I know that you're not a bad man. You're just a man who got caught up in the wrong life. And I think you tried your best to make sure other young men didn't end up the way you did and that is an admirable thing."

This was all true. She had forgiven him and she needed him to know that. She had thought that she didn't know who the real James was, but as she thought back to when they first met and the way he presented himself to her, she saw it. She saw how he had changed, how he had opened up to her. She couldn't fault him for the mistake he had made that lead him to the life he desperately wanted out of.

"I feel so honoured that I'm the woman who has made you want more out of life, the woman that helped you to learn what love feels like. Because it is the best feeling in the world and everyone should know what it's like. You've been a big part in making me feel things I haven't felt in a very long time."

"Clara," she heard his quiet voice and sat up to see him smiling at her.

"Hey," she smiled in return.

"Thank you," he said.

"For what?"

"For forgiving... me." He coughed and Clara reached for his glass of water, but he stopped her. "I am... so grateful you... came into my life. And you're right, being in love with you... has been... the best feeling."

"I'm very happy to have made you feel that, James. But you should really rest. We need to get you better and home again."

James reached for Clara's hand and she held it again. He brought it up to his lips and placed a very tender kiss on her knuckles. He felt so tired. He didn't know if Clara really loved him or not, but it didn't matter. He knew that she cared for him very much, and really that's all a man like him could ask for. She had been a big part of bringing him back to his brother and that's what was most important. That was the relationship that mattered more than anything. He could feel his tiredness growing and he knew that he wasn't likely going to wake up from this. And that was okay. He came to terms with everything and most of all he had his brother back. This was how it should be. He just needed to say the words one more time to the woman that changed his life.

"I love you Clara."

Clara watched James' eyes slowly close and then heard a long continuous beep from the machine beside her.