Hello everyone! Here comes a new chapter. I hope you will like it! I recommend you to read it while listening to "A Good Man?" (aka Twelve's theme) as I wrote this while listening to it. Shall give more power to the Doctor's reactions.
Thank you for the review, thank you Turtle for your support :) And thenk you to Freya Astrid Nova for your support too :)
Well, enjoy!
Melody - x.
Chapter 35
The Tardis materialized in Captain Latimer's office, making the little family run into the room to see what the noise was.
When they faced the big blue box, they all looked at each other, confused on how this blue box entered the house.
Vastra, Jenny and Strax stepped out.
"Remain calm!" exclaimed Strax. "This dwelling will certainly be under attack soon."
Vastra stepped forward and held out her hand to the Captain.
"Captain Latimer, I am Madam Vastra, this is my wife, Jenny and our friend, Strax. Sorry for not presenting ourselves earlier. You have nothing to fear from us, we are here to help and protect you, your children and the rest of the world."
The father, quite stunned by everything going on, weird-looking people and a magic blue box, shook the Silurian's hand slowly.
At this moment, the Doctor came out of the Tardis, carrying Clara. After Jenny removed everything from Latimer's desk, he laid her on it, carefully avoiding to touch the ice spike still piercing her heart.
"Clara…" softly called the Doctor, trying to wake her up, but she seemed to have fallen unconsciousness to avoid the pain.
"Clara? Who's Clara?" asked Captain Latimer. "What happened to her? Can someone explain what the hell is going on?!"
"Your governess, who is actually also a barmaid." said the Doctor. "She has been kidnapped by your former governess in ice form and Doctor Simeon struck her with this ice spike to try to make the ultimate fusion of snow and humanity."
"Dear Lord…" he said, his children not being able to take their eyes off the spike piercing the heart of their beloved governess.
"Sir, this office has one defendable entrance and one point of observation on the garden." said Strax as he came back from searching the safest place to be in the house.
"Good job Strax, still got it buddy!" he said, not leaving his eyes from Clara though. "Jenny, Vastra, take Alice on that chair, she should wake up soon."
"Doctor they're coming." informed Vastra.
They all looked outside by the window at the machine throwing snow in the Darkover garden, an army of snowmen growing from the ground, gnashing their icy and pointy teeth.
"Right. Snowmen aren't that scary, they're foot soldiers, we can melt them quite easily. Though… considering the amount of snow, they'd be reforming quickly." he thought aloud. Rubbing his eyes, he then said: "Nevermind the snowmen, the priority is Clara. She has an ice spike in her heart, trying to convert her into a terrible weapon." he said. He stroked her forehead as he did previously. "She's cold, it has begun."
"Then take the ice spike out of her!" suggested Vastra.
"Can't. If I do, it will create an hemorrhage. But if I don't she will be transformed."
"Then what do we do?"
He closed his eyes for a moment and turned his face away from the lifeless body of Clara, his jaw clenching.
"Doctor?"
"I DON'T KNOW!" he yelled, the thunder in his voice, the storm raging in his eyes as he was stuck. Stuck between two choices: leave the ice spike in her body and take the risk that she gets transformed before he can do anything to prevent it, with no way back and be forced to kill her. Or take out the ice spike, making her bleed out which would kill her in few minutes.
"I have to leave the spike. It'll give us more time… I suppose." he said, calming down. Or at least containing his feeling of guilt. He leant in, and kissed her forehead.
Suddenly she opened her eyes.
They met eyes, the Doctor's.
Green to green, two emerald gazes looking at the soul of the other.
She suddenly rose her hands, put them on each side of his face, and kissed him, making him open his eyes wide in surprise and flap his hands around in his usual awkwardness.
What the…
She fell back on the desk, unconscious again.
He blinked a few times. Those eyes…
Straightening his bow tie to try and regain some cool attitude, he turned around, rubbing his hands.
"Strax, use your equipment to try to stabilize her as much as you can."
"Sir."
"Right! Stay here." he said, taking a biscuit tin box with the map of the London underground printed on it, which seemed to contain the broken ice bits from the ice lady.
He walked out of the office as Alice was slowly waking up, followed by Vastra.
"Oi! I told you to stay in there!"
"Doctor, this equipment will not be able to resist the mutation very long."
"She has to survive. It was my fault, I am responsible for this. She was in my care." the Doctor said, pain making his voice tremble.
"What's the point in blaming yourself?" asked Vastra.
"None." he said. "Because she's going to live." He walked up to the front door and opened it, facing Doctor Simeon and his snowmen. "I have in my hand a piece of the ice lady. Everything you need to know about how to make ice people, without Clara of course, hope you won't mind if I keep her and let yourself search for someone else to do your little experiments! Is that what you want?"
Simeon stepped forward, holding out his hand.
"See you at the office!" the Doctor exclaimed before going back inside and slamming the door behind him.
He rushed to the Tardis, typing the coordinates for Simeon's office.
"So then, Doctor, saving the world again?" said Vastra, following him. Might I ask why? Are you making a bargain with the universe? You'll save the world to let her live?"
"Yes." he answered. "And don't you think, after all this time and everything I've ever done, that I am owed this one?"
"I don't think the universe makes bargains."
"It was my fault."
"Well then. Better save the universe." said Vastra, smiling.
He grabbed the handbrake lever and pushed it, looking at the rotor going round above his head as the time machine was taking off and landing to her destination. He then pulled it to put back on the brakes and stormed out of his box, sat at Simeon's desk, putting his feet on it with absolutely no respect for the evil old men.
They waited.
Let me know what you think :)