Hello my dear readers!
First of all: Thank you and welcome to all my new followers/faves ! Thank you to the ones who posted reviews, keep them coming, it really helps me writing :)
Then, I apologize for the time it takes me to update. I know I already warned you but I feel like I need to apologize ^_^ Again, didn't have much time this week so I publish Chapter 32 but it's short (very short) I'm sorry it's so short but I thought that maybe you'd like a short chappie to make you wait until the week-end. I hope you'll find it short but very good!
Turtle: Thank you very much for your comments, it helps an awful lot as you know it ^_^ On my two proof readers' behalf, I thank you :) And I'm glad you love how I portray Clara, she's one of my faves and The Snowmen is one of my top faves episodes, I even feel so ashamed to rewrite it. Speaking of which, it's hard to rewrite this one and change the plot because it's damn perfect!
Oh and no, the one calling me his "little Melo" now also calls me his "cuddle-girl" or "Snow White". (He's my best friend. This is actually so cute of him ahah.) Anyway the guy I was talking about is another one ;).
And you never talk to much! I actually wish we could communicate outside of the author's note! ;)
Enough rambling now, I let you get on with the chapter.
Enjoy!
Melody - x.
Chapter 32
"Do not attempt to escape or you will be obliterated! May I take your coat?" said Strax as soon as Clara in her governess outfit entered the beautiful Victorian house, led by Jenny.
She followed her to a greenhouse filled with exotic plants, Madam Vastra sitting in the middle of them, sipping into her glass some red beverage.
"Sit." said Jenny.
Clara politely smiled to Vastra and sat down, doing as she was told.
"There are two refreshments in your world the colour of red wine. This is not red wine." Vastra said.
"Madame Vastra will ask you questions." explained Jenny. "You will confine yourself to single word responses. One word only, do you understand?"
"Why?"
"Truth is singular. Lies are words, words, words. You met the Doctor, didn't you?" asked Vastra.
"Yes."
"And now you've come looking for him again. Why?"
"Danger."
"About?"
"Snow."
"And curiosity about him?"
Clara looked down for a second with a smile before answering:
"Yes."
"What do you want from him?"
"Help."
"Why would he help you?"
"Kindness."
"The Doctor is not kind."
"Yes." Clara answered, her voice suddenly becoming tainted with defiance.
"No he isn't. The Doctor doesn't help people. Not anyone, not ever. He stands above this world and doesn't interfere in the affairs of its inhabitants. He is not your salvation, nor your protector. Do you understand what I am saying to you?" the Silurian woman said.
"Words."
Behind her, Jenny smiled, amused while Vastra's eyes sparkled with a hint of surprise.
"He was different once, a long time ago." she started. "Kind, yes. A hero, even. A saver of worlds. But he suffered losses which hurt him. Now he prefers isolation to the possibility of pain's return. Kindly choose a word to indicate your understanding of this.
"Timelord."
As the word escaped Clara's lips, Vastra and Jenny looked at each other with wide eyes. How did she know?
After a moment of hesitation, Vastra went on with her explanations:
"We are the Doctor's friends. We assist him in his isolation but that does not mean we approve of it. So, a test for you." she said, a smirk coming across her reptilian lips. "Give me a message for the Doctor. Tell him all about the snow and what fresh danger you believe it presents, and above all, explain why he should help you. But do it in one word. You're thinking it is impossible that such a word exists, or that you could even find it. Let's see if the gods are with you."
Vastra thought the young woman would never be able to find this word. Who could anyway? This test was almost impossible to pass.
Clara, who kept her face neutral until now, leant in and with a smirk echoing Vastra's coming across her own lips, she answered, absolutely sure of herself:
"Pond."
Inside the Tardis, the time machine was humming soothingly to the Doctor while he was reading a book about quantum physics. Suddenly the peaceful calm of his fortress of solitude was broken by the ringing of a telephone.
With an annoyed sigh, he picked an old-fashioned phone.
"Yes? What? 'Trying to read."
"Miss Clara and her concern about the snow. I gave her the one word test." spoke up Madam Vastra's voice on the other end of the line.
"That's always pointless. What did she say?" he asked, a part of him still curious. As she took a few moments to answer, he pressed her: "Well? Well?"
"Pond."
At this word, all annoyance disappeared from his face, his eyes getting lost in the vague, getting lost in his memories.
Pond.
That word was the origin of so much pain, so much suffering. The answer to the reason of why his hearts were wrenched, bleeding, pierced from one side to another, torn apart... Broken.
He was broken.
And despite the solitude, despite avoiding meeting new people, he just could not suffer less.
With a trembling hand, he took off the round glasses from his nose and looked at them with eyes full of pain.
Pond.
Pond…
I do hope you liked it despite the lenght (well, more like shortness.) Tell me what you think, and do not hesitate to share your theories about the path the story is taking with me!:)