Clara accepted his hand. "Sure."
The Master looked far better than he had earlier. He was still wearing the same shirt, tie and pants as he had earlier, but they were actually straight now. His hair was combed now, and he had put on a grey overcoat.
"Take care of her!" The Doctor called after them. "And I don't mean the TARDIS!" He sighed as he watched the box disappear.
"You seem nervous too." River commented.
"Well, it's hard to give up your best friend to another sort-of friend who's still a bit mad." He rubbed his forehead. "I just hope he treats her right. You weren't there the last time he…" He fell silent for a moment. "He killed her."
"I think he's changed." The Woman said, taking a seat in an armchair on the other side of the room. "He really does care about her. And he's not as hostile towards you as he used to be, either. Probably because of Clara."
"I guess I should learn to trust your judgment." The Time Lord murmured. "I still feel like something's going to go wrong."
"You always think that."
"After all," River smirked. "It's always the big, scary men who fall in love with the tiny women, and they bring them to their knees."
The Doctor looked at her, mischief glinting in his eyes. "But you're not tiny."
She smacked him. "That's not funny."
The Master had taken Clara to some far off planet. They had landed on a beach that dazzled like diamonds, with a million little pinpoints of light. The water was turquoise, tinted with orange as the sun set beyond the water. The sky was hued many shades of pink, purple and orange in the sunset, adding to the beauty.
Now, they walked along the beach in silence. The Master appeared to be deep in thought, while Clara was openmouthed in awe at the wonderful sights before them
She was glad that River had the knowledge of the future and didn't allow her to wear heels. Despite that sand looking like a million little diamonds, it still retained the texture of that on earth, so walking would have been extremely difficult for her.
She looked over at the Master, and caught him staring at her. "What?"
"Nothing." He said. "You just look pretty, as always."
She smiled. "Thank you."
The Master stopped walking and turned to face her, taking her hands in his. "Clara, I don't know if you know this, but you saved me from the drums."
Clara's heart fluttered with nervousness and anticipation.
He closed his eyes. "And, I know when I first met you, I kidnapped you and put you through some of the most horrible things. You know as well as I do that I can be mean, and a jerk, and scary, and… insane." He sighed shakily. "But you made my life better, and I can't imagine a day without you."
A tear slid down Clara's cheek.
He opened his eyes, looking her straight in the eye. "Basically, what I'm saying is, would you let me take care of you for the rest of your life, however dangerous it may be?"
Clara nodded, throwing her arms about his neck. "Yes!"
The Master laughed, picking her up and spinning her around, kissing her.
When they pulled apart, he cocked his head. "You're crying."
"Yeah." She sniffed, wiping away a tear. "Girls cry when they're really happy."
"That's stupid." Even though he said that, he was smiling like a child who didn't have a care in the world. "I love you."
"I love you too." She said through her tears.
"Oh, and there were these." He pulled a tiny black box out of his pocket, opening it to reveal two golden rings.
"I forgot about that!" Clara laughed.
Everybody had fallen asleep except for River. She eagerly awaited the return of the couple. The Doctor lay on the couch next to her, long arms and legs splayed out in many different directions as he dozed. The Woman had fallen asleep in the armchair, resting comfortably.
The room was dark, except for the small lamp that River had turned on so she could read. She looked up, smiling as the grinding noise filled the room.
The Doctor leapt to his feet in a daze. "Wha…?"
Clara stepped out of the TARDIS, grinning at River. "You are the worst."
She stood up. "Aren't I just?" They embraced.
The Woman stood up stiffly. "I am to assume it went well?"
"Yes! Look!" She held out her hand for the Time Lady to see. "He was so nervous, he choked." The three women laughed.
"Choked, eh?" The Doctor came up beside the Master.
"That might be an overstatement." He muttered.
He clapped him on the back. "Well, I'm happy for you. At least you get to be engaged. I was only engaged for ten seconds."
"I'm not even going to ask."
Clara looked at the clock. "Eleven? No wonder I'm so tired."
"Well I guess we're staying the night here then." River said. "If you don't mind, that is."
She shook her head, and then looked at the Master. "I have an extra bedroom if you-."
"No, I'm not tired. I'll stay in the TARDIS." He grinned. "Good night, my soon to be wife."
"Good night to you too."
The Master sat on a bench in a park not far from Clara's apartment complex. He had snuck out after he had made sure everyone was asleep, needing some time to be alone.
He stared down at the golden band on his finger, which was faintly illuminated by the moonlight. He wasn't sure what he had just done. He had pledged his life to protecting that one little human girl. It was dangerous, but he loved her too much not to.
Somebody tapped him on the shoulder. He looked up, and found himself looking at… himself.
"I'm going to need that ring."
The next morning, Clara, River, and the Woman went out to a little café nearby to discuss wedding plans. The Doctor had gone to the TARDIS, and the Master was nowhere to be seen. Clara figured he would turn up eventually. He always did.
"So," She said, setting down her cup of tea. "I assume you two can tell me what it's like to be married to a Time Lord?"
"Well," The Woman said. "There will be some days where you just want to throw them into a supernova."
Clara frowned. "That's not good."
River smiled fondly. "But then there will be some days, where you have had the worst day ever, and you come home to find him in your kitchen, failing miserably at cooking for you, but it means the world to you anyway, and he will make you feel like the only person in the world."
Clara giggled. "That sounds about right." She rested her chin in the palm of hand. "But what if I'm not good enough? I'm just a small human, and he's a thousand year old alien. What could be so important to him about me?"
"Humans are fascinating to us." The Woman said. "He finds something particularly interesting about you, and he loves you."
She sighed. "But what if I'm not ready?"
River shook her head. "Everyone thinks that, even him, no doubt. But not to worry, you're ready."
At that moment, a pair of hands came down on her shoulders.
"Hello ladies."