Head Notes: Sorry, this Chapter is a bit shorter. Hopefully not too much. Enjoy!

Chapter Fourteen

The TARDIS landed with a thud and the Doctor looked around at his passengers. Backup mirrored the Doctor's expression. Root flashed the same coy smile she always had as she caught his gaze. Harold had a look of quiet confidence in his gaze. Claire returned the Doctor's gaze with a look of determination. Backup had restocked his ammunition supply and Root was also armed with two handguns. Harold had staunchly refused the handgun Backup had offered him.

"Show time," he commented.

One by one, they all exited the TARDIS, Claire closing the door behind her. She set up her laptop on the floor beside one of the servers.

"I can control the cameras from here," she said, typing on the laptop.

"I think it would be best if I did that," Harold insisted.

Claire looked back up at him to see him glaring angrily at her.

"Yes," the Doctor agreed. "In fact, it might be better to have both of you here. Two eyes are better than one."

"That's not what I meant," Harold complained.

"Look, as wonderful as it is to stand around chattering," the Doctor complained. "We can't afford to wait for you two to be comfortable with each other. I told you to get over it, and now seems as good a time as any. We'll go on and find Clara while you two direct us and alert us to anything that happens."

"We'll cover your tracks, too," Claire agreed.

Harold glared between Claire and the Doctor before finally nodding in consent.

"Good," the Doctor stated. "Backup, Root you're coming with me."

"Hold on, we have to take care of the camera outside," Claire reminded him.

She tapped on the keyboard for a few moments and then gave the Doctor a thumbs-up.

"You should be good to the end of the hall," she said. "Let us know when you get there. We'll direct you from there."

The Doctor flashed her a warm smile and soniced the door. John and Root followed after him. John stopped at the door to give Harold a reassuring grin. The door slid closed and the Doctor and the others moved slowly and quietly down the hall.

XxXxXxX

Claire worked beside Harold, quietly tapping on the keys. They had two laptops between them. One they used to monitor the actual video feed in case of any obstacles while the other they used to blind the cameras by installing a video loop.

She never thought she would ever get another chance to work beside him. Even when she had believed in Samaritan, she had admired the ease with which Harold could manipulate computer systems. Yet that did nothing to quell the awful tension she felt building up in the room.

She risked a look at his face. Harold was making an obvious effort to ignore her, focusing on his own computer. The lines in his face were filled with a calm fury that was trying to force its way out.

The silence was getting unbearable. She didn't know what was worse: getting chewed out by the Doctor or facing the furious silence dominating Harold's features.

She doubted anything she said would make any difference to what Harold thought of her. But part of her wanted to believe that Clara was right. That maybe there was the slightest chance that she could be friends with Harold. It was a fruitless hope but it didn't stop her from wanting it. She bit her lip.

"Harold," she whispered softly.

He didn't react other than a minute narrowing of his eyes at the audacity she had to use his name.

"I know it doesn't make any difference," she admitted. "But I just wanted to say that I…. I screwed up in the worst way. And-"

"Please stop," he murmured firmly, his eyes still focused on his computer. "Your act may have fooled the Doctor, Ms. Mahoney. But it certainly hasn't fooled me. I know better."

Claire opened her mouth to respond only to close it again. Harold's rejection hurt, but wasn't unreasonable. She knew it wasn't. As much as she'd hope to gain his trust it would not happen immediately. Trust was something that was built over time. When that trust was betrayed, it took twice as long to build it again. Turning back to the computer, she turned her attention back to the video feeds.

"I.T.," the Doctor called from the radio. "We reached the end of the hall. Where do we go next?"

"Hold on," she answered.

She tapped on the keyboard, installing the video loop for the next hall.

"Okay, take the right hall. You'll pass six rooms on your left. Tell me when you get that far," She instructed.

She risked a look back at Harold only to have her eyes drawn to his computer screen. Something moved.

"Did you see that?" she asked.

"See what?" Harold asked.

She watched the video feed on Harold's computer. She was certain she had seen something. Wait. The area the Doctor was heading to, had a blind spot. Big enough to hide a group large enough to stop the Doctor and the others.

"Let me see something," she insisted, pulling the computer towards her.

She zoomed in on the corner just ahead of the Doctor. She saw a coat flap.

"Doctor, stop!" she commanded. "Go back! It's an ambush!"

She watched on the screen as the Doctor stopped in his tracks. He frantically signaled to the others to go back, but it was too late. Both video feeds came alive with dozens of armed men attacking the small group.

"What have you done?" Harold demanded furiously.

Claire turned to face Harold and opened her mouth to protest, but neither of them had any time to react before the door slid open and a dozen armed men burst into the room. Harold and Claire instinctively jumped back, but not quickly enough. The men surrounded them on all sides, cutting off their escape.

Claire fought desperately as two of the men seized her arms in unrelenting grips. She heard Harold gasp in pain as he was accosted in the same manner. She froze as the click of a safety resounded behind her ear. The muzzle of a gun tickling the hair on her neck. She took a quivering breath as she noted the dozen other guns targeting her and Harold.

XxXxXxX

John shoved the Doctor behind him and fired several rounds into the advancing hoard. Root stood beside him firing from two guns at once. It was like a repeat of the ambush at the stock exchange. Both sides firing at each other from behind a corner with the Machine's army drastically outnumbered. There was still a chance they could save Clara if he could fight past these guys.

"Stop shooting," one of the men said as two people were pushed in front of them.

Both John and Root lowered their guns as they recognized Harold and Claire being forced into the line of fire. Both prisoners had multiple guns to their heads, greatly reducing his chances for a favorable resolution.

"Drop your weapons and put your hands where we can see them," he ordered, making a display of the gun resting against Harold's skull.

John slowly and deliberately threw both of his weapons on the floor and slid them across the floor before raising his hands above his shoulders. He watched as Root did the same.

"Now, now," Greer placated the two sides. His usual affable smile crinkling his cheek as his eyes landed on each of the prisoners. "Let's all calm down and discuss the reason you all came here."

XxXxXxXxX

End Notes: Cliffhangers. You love 'em. You hate 'em. Anyway, tell me what you think.