I'm sorry, I'm so so sorry that it's taken me forever to update but I've started university and I've been very busy. Anyway, this story will slowly be coming to an end I think and well, I really should have updated sooner so that's why the chapter is so much longer than normal. Anyway, please review because I love hearing from you and I will update sooner than I did before depending on the response and whether you're still interested.
Walking through the TARDIS in silence, River crossed her arms around her chest as she listened out to her husband. She'd left him to finish talking with Clara over two and half hours ago and now she was worried, especially since that he hadn't come to their bedroom to talk to her after his conversation with their daughter. Entering the library in silence, River felt herself tense at the sound of sobbing before she slowly moved towards the armchair to find Clara curled up with tears running down her cheeks.
"Clara?" River asked, surprising the young woman who began to furiously wipe away her tears with the sleeves of her jumper. "What's wrong? Where's the Doctor?" she questioned as she knelt down beside the chair and found herself reaching out for the young woman's hand, a nervous smile covering Clara's face as she accepted River's hand and squeezed it tightly, not wanting to let go. Her mother was going to die, but she'd already known! Clara had known that River was dead; when she'd first been introduced to the woman she was dead, but now that she knew that the woman who was clinging onto her hand was her mother she couldn't get over the shock. She was going to lose another person who was important to her before she even got the chance to get to know her properly. "What's wrong Clara?" River questioned as Clara shook her head slowly, knowing that she couldn't tell River anything that the Doctor had just told her.
"Nothing, I'm just tired," Clara lied as she glanced down at the hand which was holding tightly onto hers. "The Doctor has gone for a walk. He said there was something he needed to think about," she stated as she attempted to calm down while River remained kneeling by the chair with a nervous smile on her face. Here she was with her daughter, the baby she'd sacrificed who was now a beautiful young woman. "The Doctor told me that I saved you," Clara blurted out as River shut her eyes before sitting down properly on the floor, her hands running through her hair as Clara remained silent, watching every move that River made.
"It was the first time I'd left you Clara and I was injured, I was dying actually. I could never resist an adventure, it just seems to be a family trait," River admitted, remembering how close she'd been to death as she'd begged to hold her baby for the last time. "You gave up your regenerations for me Clara, you gave up your chance to live for years to save me and that's when I realised I couldn't keep you," she explained as Clara continued to stare at her, not knowing what to say to her. "I had to keep you safe and here you are Clara, perfectly fine and as beautiful as you were when you were the tiny baby that I was holding in my arms," River smiled as she gently ran her thumb across her daughter's hand as Clara continued to stare up at her.
"Can we go somewhere River?" Clara blurted out, suddenly desperate to spend more time with her biological mother. She knew that River couldn't use the Doctor as an excuse because he'd already disappeared to calm down after learning about where River was going soon. "I want to get to know you, I don't want to just hear about you from the Doctor and I think part of you isn't going to tell me things because you're worried he's going to walk in and find something out that he shouldn't," Clara blurted out, her eyes shutting in embarrassment before she felt River squeeze her hand and stand up. Pressing the co-ordinates into her vortex manipulator, River smiled at her daughter before they left the TARDIS and appeared outside River's home. "Where are we?"
"This is where I live, when I'm not with the Doctor," River smiled as she walked towards the door and unlocked it before stepping inside, Clara following in silence before the door was shut behind her. "Would you like a drink or something?" she asked as Clara shook her head and walked through the narrow corridor before entering the small living room. "I know it's not much, I'm never here so there's not much point decorating it perfectly," River explained nervously as she sat down on the small sofa and watched as Clara approached the full bookcase.
"I love it," Clara smiled, looking at one of the images that decorated River's bookcase. It was of River and the Doctor with two other people who Clara guessed to be her grandparents. "Are they your parents?" she asked as River nodded, looking at the image of her and the Doctor with her parents at a Christmas dinner they'd all managed to successfully attend. "They look happy," Clara commented as River nodded.
"They were always happy when they were together," River explained as she stood up and moved to stand beside her daughter while staring at the image. "He waited two thousand years for her, he was this plastic Roman, it's hard to explain but she was injured and he protected her. He sat outside the box for two thousand years keeping her safe," she stated as Clara smiled, trying to picture it as she stared at the couple. "And she waited for him; she waited for him to save her. They were always waiting," River laughed as tears appeared in her eyes. "She waited twelve years for the Doctor, twelve years of being told she was crazy and that he was imaginary."
"He just turned up on my doorstep dressed as a monk," Clara responded as River rolled her eyes before they both laughed and moved to sit down on the sofa together. "I thought he was crazy," she stated as River stared at her. "I still think he's crazy," Clara added before River nodded and watched her daughter in amazement. "When I first met him he was this crazy man with a snog box."
"Snog box? You called the TARDIS a snog box?" River laughed as Clara nodded, unable to remove the smile from her face as River continued to laugh at the nickname. "She is kind of a snog box but I can imagine she found that offensive," the professor contemplated as Clara relaxed back into the corner of the sofa and stared at her mother in amazement. "So what do you want to know?" River asked as Clara shrugged, wanting to know everything about her mother.
"Everything, anything River," Clara muttered as River smiled and tried to think about what to tell the young woman.
"The first time I really met the Doctor I looked completely different to this. I was young, I was best friends with my parents who didn't know who I was and I was shot by Hitler," River explained as shock covered Clara's face. "I regenerated and that's when I changed and started looking like this," she added quickly while her daughter remained completely silent, listening to the story in amazement. "I tried to kill the Doctor. I'd been brought up by this woman who wanted me to kill the Doctor, and when he was dying I realised that it was wrong. I did what you did, I gave up my lives so he could survive," River said quietly, ashamed of her actions as Clara reached across and found River's hand again.
"I guess we're quite alike then," Clara smiled as River nodded.
"I guess we are," River whispered before sighing. "I went and studied archaeology after I recovered, he hates that! He hates archaeologists," she laughed, unable to stop herself from watching Clara smile at her comment. "And from there, I've killed the Doctor again, been put into prison for killing him, I've married him in an aborted timeline and I've pretended to be Cleopatra in Roman England," she explained as Clara's eyebrows rose. "I've not had a boring life," she shrugged.
"Cleopatra?" Clara questioned as River smiled. "You pretended to be Cleopatra," she smiled, unable to stop herself from beaming. "That's awesome," Clara smirked.
"It was until the Roman's learnt that Cleopatra was dead," River explained, unable to stop herself from laughing when Clara shook her head in amazement. "What about you? What have you done so far?" she asked as Clara bit into her lip, not knowing what to say. "You can talk about them; they're your parents Clara."
"But you…" she began before shaking her head, suddenly confused.
"Clara Amelia S… Oswald," River stated as she squeezed her daughter's hand. "They brought you up, they made you into the wonderful and beautiful person that you are today, and they're your parents. They raised you and I can't say that it doesn't hurt that someone else brought you up but I can cope with the fact that they did because you've turned out so wonderful," River explained as Clara felt tears run down her cheek.
"My mum made me want to travel the world," Clara explained as she remained perfectly still, not knowing what else to say to her. "She died when I was sixteen, it was very sudden," Clara stated before shaking her head. "She met my dad when she saved his life, he was almost hit by a car but she saved him," Clara laughed before shaking her head, remembering how they used to tell the story. "I was going to go travelling but then Artie and Angie, these kids I look after, lost their mum too and I decided to stay and look after them and that was what I was doing when the Doctor turned up at the door," Clara explained as River stared at her before squeezing her hand tightly. "He saved me," Clara said quietly as River watched her in silence.
"How do you mean?" she questioned as Clara shut her eyes, not knowing what to say to her. "Clara, talk to me," River begged, noticing the tears that were running down Clara's face.
"Don't get me wrong, I adore Artie and Angie but all I ever did was look after them. I gave up my dreams to look after them. I'd always wanted to travel the world and then this strange man turned up on my doorstep and started to take me to different planets and times and I wasn't just a nanny anymore. I was travelling the world, I was fighting cybermen and tried alien food," Clara explained before shaking her head and standing up. "I don't know who I am," Clara blurted out as River stared at her for a moment. "I used to be Clara Amelia Oswald. I was a nanny and I travelled with the Doctor. My parents were Ellie and Dave, I was completely human. Now I'm apparently Clara Amelia Song and I'm part alien," Clara stated before turning to face her mother. "I'm part alien," the brunette said in shock. "I'm an alien," she whispered as River stood up and moved towards her, brushing her fingers across her daughter's face as Clara continued to cry.
"You're Clara Amelia," River smiled as Clara stared at her. "You're named after the girl who waited, the woman who sacrificed everything to be with the man she loved. It doesn't matter whether you're a Song or an Oswald Clara, you're you! You're the kind, considerate woman who gave up her chance to travel the world to look after two grieving children and are now travelling space and time, you're who you want to be," she explained before pressing a kiss to Clara's forehead, surprised when Clara stepped away in silence and removed the chain from beneath her jumper to reveal Amy's engagement ring. "You actually have it."
"I only just learnt that it was hers," Clara explained as River smiled, watching as her daughter played nervously with the ring. "They were always going to tell me about you River," Clara said quietly as the older woman stared at her. "They told me that the ring belonged to a relative and when I was older they would tell me more about her but mum died and I think it would have been too much for dad to admit that I wasn't their daughter," she stated as River nodded slowly, understanding that it had been too difficult for her father to admit that his little girl wasn't even his after he'd lost his wife. "I'm sorry," Clara blurted out as River shook her head and wrapped her arms around her daughter.
"None of this is your fault, you have nothing to be sorry for," River explained before pressing a kiss into her daughter's hair and smiling. "I never thought I'd see you again Clara but here we are," she whispered as Clara smiled weakly. "When I said goodbye to you and left the TARDIS, I thought that was it. I thought I'd lost my little girl forever and it killed me but you're here and perfect," she stated as Clara nodded before the sound of the TARDIS filled the room. "And he's probably just realised that we're missing," River whispered, smiling to herself when the sound of someone running rang through the house before the Doctor crashed into the living room.
"You could have told me that you were going to disappear," he stated as Clara and River smiled at each other. "I've been looking everywhere for you, I've been to the shops and to various planets, I've even gone to Brian's looking for you River Song," he exclaimed as he walked towards his wife and daughter.
"Brian?" Clara asked.
"He's your great grandfather, he's my dad's father," River stated as shock covered Clara's face. She had a great grandfather who was alive? "You'll have to meet him, he'd love to meet you. He lives not far from London," River stated before walking towards her husband and wrapping her arms around his body before pressing a gentle kiss to his lips. "We're fine sweetie, you didn't need to worry," she explained as he glanced across at Clara who was watching her parents in amazement.
"We just wanted to talk Doctor, without the risk of any spoilers. I just wanted to get to know her," Clara said quietly as he nodded, glad that River and Clara had had that opportunity. "I'm sorry we scared you Doctor," she stated as he shook his head, knowing that they hadn't meant to worry him with their disappearance.
"Sweetie I need to start getting ready for the Library," River said quickly as the Doctor nodded, forcing a smile onto his face as he wrapped his arms around her body before kissing her gently, Clara staring at them in amazement. How did he do this? Know that she was dying and yet act like they had a future together? "I'll see you soon?" she asked quietly against his lips as he nodded and stepped away from her before Clara walked over and hugged her.
"Thank you," Clara whispered as River smiled at her. "Thank you for today."
"We'll have to do it again, maybe get a coffee or something stronger," River smiled as Clara nodded and stepped away before she joined the Doctor and walked out of the house.
"I can't do this, I can't act like she's not going to her death Doctor," Clara said quietly as she entered the TARDIS and sat down on the floor while the Doctor stared at her before moving to sit beside her, his arm sneaking round her to hold her close to him as she began to cry silently. "I realised for the first time that I'm part alien Doctor," Clara admitted, trying to change the subject as the Doctor laughed quietly.
"You are definitely part Time Lord Clara. You're more than just part Time Lord because River was part Time Lord too," the Doctor smiled before pressing a kiss into her hair and shutting his eyes as they remained still. "Do you want me to drop you anywhere?" the Doctor asked after a few moments of silence, Clara's eyes opening as she moved and looked at him.
"Where are you going?" she asked quietly.
"I need to get a new suit and a haircut."
And the chapter is finished.
What do you think? Please review, I love hearing from you. I'm not particularly happy with bits of this chapter but oh well, I can deal with it. Anyway, review and depending on the response I will try and update again either tomorrow or Sunday now that my writer's block has ended.