Chapter 6

Going around in circles

They'd been running for a while when The Doctor spoke up from the middle of the group, his hand tightly locked in Clara's. "Have we passed the pool twice now, lass?"

"Aye, I expect so, Doctor. Alright Tardis, somewhere safe if you please and pronto!" Annabeth called when she saw glimpses of the control room and the figures of cyber men, clockwork men, the daleks and Annabeth's personal dislike- the autons filling it's cavernous space. Up ahead a door appeared and Annabeth flung herself at it and watched in amazement as they all filed into...

"Why the study? How is this place safer than the control room? Or the corridors?" The Doctor complained as he pulled up a chair for Clara to sit in, offering the other two to Jenny and Vastra. Strax stood guard by the door and the Tardis lit a fire in the grate of the antique fireplace in front of the armchairs. The doctor then leant against the top of Clara's chair, Jack slumped against the Doctor's bookshelves and Annabeth stood away from them all, at the Doctor's desk.

"At least here no one can get in from the outside," Annabeth muttered and sank into the doctor's antique desk chair with a light thud. "I feel like I'm running in circles."

"Why, Annabeth, dear?" Vastra asked breathlessly.

"My whole life has involved running. Running to keep up, running to save and now running to stay alive. To be honest I've grown tired of running." Annabeth said sadly.

"Why not give yourself up then?" The doctor complained.

"Because if I do that, you will never meet me. Nor Jack. I and all I care for will be wiped from history and the universe. My race and family will cease to have existed at all. And I do not want that to happen." Annabeth said with finality.

"Who are you to me?" Jack asked from behind her. "Tell me who you are!"

"It would be easier to show you... But then I risk telling you the truth and you will know how our story ends, Jack and I won't have that, not yet." Annabeth refused. The doctor stared at her. "Spoilers." She said to him as she met his eye. Then he went mad.

He stormed across the room and placed both hands on the armrests of his chair and forced himself close to Annabeth's face. "Only one woman has ever used that phrase to me... One woman I loved very much. And I lost her. Why do you use such a phrase?" He demanded. .

"Because of who I am to you, Doctor. Who I will be. Know this, I am not her... But similar to her." Annabeth said placing her hands over his hearts.

"Tell me." He demanded in a slow way. Annabeth laughed.

"I am telling you." With that the doctor's eyes closed as did Annabeth's and they stayed like that for many moments, a lifetime or two perhaps before the doctor reeled backwards and punched the wall behind his head, above his desk. "You didn't think she's leave you alone, did you, doctor?"

"No. But you are her biggest spoiler, lass."

"I know and I am sorry for what I am, what I have been and what I will become. Truly I am. If there were another way..."

"You'd take it..."

"Time can be rewritten..." The doctor countered and Annabeth glared at him.

"Not one line, don't you dare. She'd hate you for it and so would I. If you did that, It would be as if I never had met you or been born at all. Don't you dare." Annabeth growled and the doctor met her eye. There was a long pause before he signed and said something which made everyone confused... All except Annabeth.

"Hello..."

"Hello." Annabeth replied. The doctor smiled with a light chuckle before he expanded on what he had originally said.

"Hello, sweetie." This time Annabeth smiled and laughed.

"God you sound like mum." Then she took a deep, shaky breath and burst into tears. Then the doctor did something Clara never thought he'd do... He hugged Annabeth.

"We'll go around in circles together, you and me... Time and space." The doctor whispered and Annabeht laughed before crying harder and wrapping her arms around the doctor's neck- one enigma was solved... To the doctor and Annabeth anyway.