Greetings Fabulous Followers!

Look I'm not super late with this update and it's even longer than usual. XD

I always love reviews!

Enjoy :D

~One Night, This Night~

The days until the wedding pass quicker and quicker as though someone has sped up the sun. What had been weeks has become days. Each hour that ticks by mocks Clara's hope and chips away at her. It's a countdown until the end and nothing she does seems able to stop it.

They've tried to catch Lavender in a lie, they've tried to find the spell book and they simply can't. Amy and Jenny searched her room top to bottom and Martha and Clara have tracked her every movement. Nothing. The only conclusion she can make is that Lavender is keeping the book with her at all times. She must have found some way to disguise it or make it smaller. And Clara can't exactly just attack her and go through her pockets. Not that she isn't tempted to.

Clara stands in the doorway to her little stone balcony with a quilt wrapped around her shoulders. It snowed last night, another reminder of the passage of time. The thin layer of white covering the courtyard is blinding compared to the muted tones of everything around it. Her eyes trace the trails of footfalls across the smooth surface.

Clara wonders if one day she'll wake up unable to remember what the colors used to look like. Maybe one day she'll wake up and forget everything before Shades. Her life will just have been a dream that faded in the morning light.

She shivers turning away from the cold. Stoking the small fire she tries to think of some new plan of attack. There are only two days left until the 'wedding of the century'. The whole country is in a fervor of excitement. Everyday more and more gifts from dignitaries and Politicians arrive at the palace which has all but shut down in preparation for the event. There is now an entire room that has been set aside for all the arriving bouquets of flowers. If she ever smells a rose again it will be too soon. Clara does her best to ignore all of it.

Only there is the one part she can't get out of. The dress fitting tomorrow. Thankfully Vastra is her seamstress so Clara doesn't have to pretend to be happy or anything. Feigning a smile through that would be too much. How she's got through all the preparations so far is to pretend she's walking down the aisle to meet someone else. In her mind it's John standing under the arch wearing a suit and that smile he saves just for her.

It's beautiful even if it's only a dream.

The rustling of the doorknob shakes Clara from her revere. Amy bustles in carrying the morning tea and wearing a slightly forced smile. Her friends have been doing their best to stay positive for her sake. Amy's worry is beginning to crack through her cheerful façade but, as often as Clara tells her she doesn't have too; Amy still tries to keep it up.

"It's bloody freezing downstairs!" Amy says by way for greeting setting the tray on the counter of the vanity. "I think someone forgot to turn on the heating. There are actual icicles forming in the cellar! People would think we've run out of money or something!"

"Considering how much they're spending on decorations maybe we have."

At first Clara found it strange that the palace seemed to have all the same amenities as her world only instead of running on electricity they ran on magic. Heating, lighting, plumbing, the only tragic exception was the internet. There were no computers to be found here which pretty much made all of Clara's particular skill sets obsolete. And though she missed tampering with them the lack of computers was surprisingly easy to adjust to. Only she really does need a new hobby.

Amy makes an irritated noise at the back of her throat as if the wedding budget personally insulted her. It must be really cold down stairs if it's ruining her normally cheerful demeanor. She moves her hand too fast when reaching for the tea cup and knocks it over. The amber liquid spills out over the ceramic tray and onto the wooden vanity.

"Oh for Pete's sake!" Amy cries reaching for the towel on her belt.

Clara moves forward grabbing her hand before she can touch the liquid. "Look."

Both girls watching in horrified amazement as the drink begins to eat through the wood, burning and sizzling. Acrid smoke rises from the growing blackened patch of the counter making them step backwards. Whatever it is doesn't hurt the tea set, the remnants still in the cup look just like innocent tea.

"Poison." Amy breaths, her voice barely above a whisper. "Someone poisoned the cup."

Clara nods absently trying hard not to imagine what would have happened if she drank it. Someone tried to kill her. She almost died. Her mind is having trouble getting past that particular thought. Holy crap, someone actually tried to poison her.

"I don't think I was supposed to make it to the wedding." Clara mutters feeling faintly sick.

When the news of her near poisoning reaches the Queen the palace goes into lockdown. Troops are stationed at every entrance and Clara is given a full detail to protect her at all times. This means five heavily armed men including the Violet Knight 'Ten' watch her every move. She can't follow Lavender, she can't meet with John, she can't do anything. So she mostly sits in her room slowly going crazy with inactivity while they stand outside her door.

The only good comes the next morning when a selection of Hunters arrive as a backup guard. Clara's jaw drops when she sees Jack closely followed by Alonso step into the entrance hall. They both look exactly how she remembers and she can tell by the way their eyes dart around they're looking for her too.

"Jack! Alonso! Over here!" Clara shouts running down the grand staircase to meet them. At this point she couldn't care less what anyone thinks of her or her manners. Screw all of them, these men saved her life.

Both men's eyes light up in recognition as Clara throws herself on them in a hug. It's so good to know nothing happened to them after she was taken away. She was afraid they would be punished even if they didn't do anything. But they're both fine and they're here.

"Well this is a new look for you." Jack says eyeing her lilac gown and hair braided with tiny pearls.

She rolls her eyes. "Tell me about it."

Alonso's brow furrows in concern. "I take it they still think you're the Princess, which means this is your wedding?"

Clara glances around the hall to make sure no one's listening. "If you have nowhere you need to be you can join me for lunch and I'll explain everything."

"Lead the way m'lady" Jack nods with his usual flirtatious air to which his husband only shakes his head in amused exasperation.

Clara only finishes telling them the whole bizarre story when Vastra arrives to drag her back to her room for the dress fitting. Jack and Alonso tell her not to give up and promise to make sure to 'patrol' past her room later. She hugs them both again and lets Vastra lead her away.

When they reach her bedroom Vastra has Clara wait while she has the dress brought in. Three maids she doesn't know come in carrying what has to be a solid ton of fabric. Clara hasn't seen the dress until now and she can't deny she's curious. Despite the situation she knows Vastra is a genius so the gown has to be fantastic.

The other maids leave and Clara slips out of her clothes. Goosebumps raise on her skin in the cool air, the fireplace is doing little to battle the November -or whatever month it is here- chill. Vastra has her step inside the circle of the dress so she can begin pinning it up. Cream silk and chiffon and gold lace get wrapped around her curves like a second skin. Clara can't get the full effect without a mirror but what she can see is truly gorgeous.

Vastra checks the measurements in a few places, running her over with a critical eye. She nods to herself then finishes off the dress with a cream flowered waist band and a sheer shrug-like contraption. Clara is afraid to move lest she trip over the thing and land on her face.

"Perfect." Vastra's serene face breaks into one of her rare smiles. Yet, it's tarnished somewhat by the reality of the situation. She moves Clara in front of the full length mirror so she can finally see the dress.

It really is perfect and Clara feels sick. The cream skirt is full and wide while the gold lace bodice hugs her small frame. The sheer cream train falls out in waves behind her, pooling on the floor in chiffon clouds. Its connection to the skirt is covered by a thick silk sash which rests at an angle across her hips bound with a bunch of cream roses. The ethereal look is completed with a shoulder covering which matches the train and is pinned with two golden roses over her heart. It takes her breath away and she wants to cry.

"It's amazing." She manages for Vastra's sake and of course it's the truth. Clara would have chosen this dress out of a hundred others if she was planning her wedding. Somehow that makes things worse.

Vastra just inclines her head seeming to understand exactly what she's thinking. Reaching into her apron pocket Vastra pulls out a small black glass bottle with a round stopper. She presses it into Clara's palm. "Martha wanted you to have this."

Clara holds the bottle up to the light. It's full of a fine grayish colored powder. "What is it?"

"A sleeping draught. Simply put some in your husband's drink and he will be out within minutes. We realize it's not a perfect solution, but until we have something better… It will at least keep him from touching you." Vastra frowns obviously trying to think of something to say to make this better. "I'm sorry Clara."

Clara glances at her reflection in the mirror again. Tomorrow she gets married and they've run out of time. "Yeah, me too."

Night falls along with the last of her hope of a way out of this mess. Clara sits alone in her room watching the fire. No matter how long she sat there she can't get warm as if despair has leeched all the heat from her body.

Briefly Clara wonders if the fall from the balcony would be enough to kill her. No she isn't going to take the cowards way out. She is going to keep her head held high and do her best for the people of Shades. She is going to get through this even if that means a life of drugging her husband every night and loving another man. She will survive.

A commotion outside the door interrupts her dark thoughts. Clara can hear her guards arguing with someone. Sneaking across the room she tries to make out what they're saying.

"The Oracle sent me, ok?" Jack's voice stands out among the others. "Do you really want to argue with her? I just have to tell the Princess something and then I will be outta your hair."

"Fine, but five minutes is all you get." Says a different voice and there comes a rap at the door.

Clara hesitates not wanting them to know she was listening. After a breath she pulls open the door to meet Jack's smiling face. He has a burlap sack slung over one shoulder.

"Good evening, You're Highness. I have a message for you from the Oracle."

"Come in." She steps aside playing along with his routine unsure if he really has a message from Rose or not. Closing the door behind him Clara faces him with raised eyebrows. "Is this the 'patrol' you promised earlier?"

"Even better." Jack smiles setting down his sack and opening the drawstring. From it he withdraws what is obviously a rolled up rope and step ladder.

"What is that for?" Clara asks bewildered trailing after Jack as he heads straight for the balcony.

"Our wedding present." Is all he will say while he ties off the end to the railing and throws the ladder over.

Clara leans over the edge wondering what Jack is up to. Then she sees who has the other end of the ladder. John and Alonso are standing in the courtyard below her window. Alonso waves to her cheerfully while John begins climbing up. Clara doesn't know weightier to laugh or yell at them for risking themselves like this. She settles for grinning foolishly when John clambers over the side of railing.

"Umm hi." He smiles back at her straitening up. There's a deep blush creeping down his neck that makes her strangely nervous.

"Hi."

Jack chuckles pulling the ladder back up and setting it off to the side. "Well I'll see you two tomorrow then." He slips back out before Clara can say much more than thank you.

"I really like your friends." John says, he gaze falls to her lips which distracts her from whatever she was going to say next.

Clara bites her lip nervously and looks down at her hands. Her stomach is suddenly full of butterflies as it dawns on her they are alone in her bedroom. They are almost always alone together but this feels different. She's afraid to think about why.

John touches her chin tilting her face up towards his gently, insecurity clear in his eyes. "Is it ok I'm here?"

Clara covers his hand with hers, feeling her face flush with a returning smile. "Of course it is. I'm just surprised, doesn't this cross one of your boundaries of honor?"

"I have been thinking about what you said about the way things are done in your world." John says carefully making her heart speed up.

Is he saying what she thinks he's saying? "And?" she breaths voice barely above a whisper.

"And I came to a decision." His hand sides down to slip the neckline of her nightdress off her shoulder. Clara shivers as fingers ghost over her collar bone. John's gaze keeps locked with her, serious and honest. "I would gladly give up eternity for one night with you."

Happiness and desire overcome any hesitations she might have. John wants her and she wants him, and it is as simple as that. Leaning up Clara wraps her arms around his neck, letting her kiss be answer enough. He grins against her lips hands resting on her hips. Together they move in the direction of the bed.

Clara undoes the belt at John's waist letting it fall to the floor. He pulls off his tunic between kisses. Her hands run over the skin of his chest hardly able to believe this is actually happening. She gasps when John sides the neck of her nightgown down to press his lips to the tops of her breasts. Her fingers tighten on his shoulders.

They quickly remove the rest of their clothing. John's eye widen when he finally sees all of her and Clara has never felt more loved or beautiful. She wants this forever.

"It won't just be one night." She promises pulling him down onto the bed with her. Tomorrow and the rest of the world disappears. John's lips and tongue map her body finding all the places which make her breath quicken. His touch washes away everything else.

He hangs above her resting on his knees, his adoring gaze tinged with concern. "I have never done this before, I'm afraid I could hurt you." He admits running a thumb over her lower lip.

"Do you trust me?"

"Of course. I-"

Clara hooks her leg over his hip pressing up into him. "Then let me show you."