"Is this some sort of a joke Doctor? Because I am definitely not laughing."
"What? Clara! No! I would never… The TARDIS… She…"
"Oh right, I get it" Clara had been up until this moment calm but she stormed to the console and stared at it menacingly.
"You little… Not enough for you was it? You had to go and rub it my bloody face didn't you?" She hissed, trying not to let the Doctor hear her from where he stood, still staring out at the London scene.
She could have sworn the TARDIS laughed but before she could hit it with the nearest object the Doctor swooped back in.
"Ok Clara, we should not be here. Paradox." His gaze flitted to Clara who was glaring at the TARDIS console. "Possible double paradox" he continued under his breath.
"Lets go." He pulled down on a lever and rocked back on his heels.
The TARDIS wheezed for a second, then they were greeted with a deafening silence as darkness enveloped them.
"Clara" He began and she picked up the hesistation in his voice straight away.
"Doctor what is it?" She wheeled around to face him and he was momentarily lost as he swam in the chocolate pools of her eyes. He blinked. Focus Doctor.
"Clara, I am so sorry but, well, we're stuck here."
"What do you mean stuck?" She narrowed her eyes uncertainly and he swallowed roughly.
"Well, long story short the TARDIS is being a massive baby and has shut herself off." He emphasised the point by thrusting a finger at the console his lips curling upwards in a pout. "And so until I can get her going, we're stuck in Victorian London."
"Doctor?" Clara's voice was suddenly deathly calm and suddenly he was quite afraid of the tiny woman.
"Clara?" He gulped.
"How long are we stuck for Doctor?" She emphasised this with a sickly sweet smile which ended up as a grimace."
"Maybe an hour..." She raised an eyebrow
"And a day" Her right hand went to her hip.
"And maybe a week…"
"A week?" Suddenly the calm was gone and she stepped forward so that they were barely half a metre apart and even in their situation the close proximity of their bodies made the Doctor flush as he shifted uncomfortably.
"Clara I'm sorry!"
"So you've said Doctor, so you've said."
With that she slowly made her way to the TARDIS doors and shivered at the chill of the air outside.
"I need some time alone Doctor, come find me when you've fixed the TARDIS."
With that she was gone, into the cold London air. What Clara didn't know is that Timelords have very sensitive hearing and although she could have never have known he didn't miss the words she muttered as she stepped out into the blistering wind.
"Go find your girlfriend."
After about 5 minutes of walking Clara realised she had absolutely no idea where she was going and her headstrong decision to walk out on the Doctor was seeming more and more childish as she got colder and colder. She was about to turn back to the TARDIS and admit defeat when she heard her name being called through the wind.
She turned sharply, looking for source but couldn't spot whoever had called her. Perplexed she continued walking but suddenly a hand grabbed at her arm and she turned to see a man she had never met before yet. He was smiling at her as if he knew and reflexively she smiled back. His nose and cheeks were tinged pink with the cold and she couldn't help but think it was cute. For a moment she almost scoffed at his fancy attire and then she remembered she was in Victorian London and bit back her chuckle, it was clear though that this man was from a wealthy background.
"Sorry can I help you?" She smiled politely, but her smile dropped at the frown that marked his face. He said nothing and she felt obliged to continue. "Is there something wrong?"
He recovered from his trance-like state to shake his head confusedly at her.
"Clara?" His voice pitched slightly.
"Yes?" She began to feel uneasy in the stranger's presence.
"Why are you talking all funny, and well…" He took a step back to scan his eyes over her tartan skirt and cropped jacket. "What are you wearing?!"
She remembered in a fluster that she was wearing 2013 clothes and her lilted Lancashire accent obviously didn't bode well with the upper-class London one of the man in front of her.
"Are you Clara?" He asked, seeming a little wary of her and his slight wariness strangely put her at ease, as if they were both on equal terms.
"Well yes, but not your Clara"
He looked as confused as she felt.
"She's my cousin" She lied and watched as realisation, suspicion and finally acceptance flitted across his face.
"Your cousin?"
"Yes, I just arrived from the North, explains the clothes you see." She gestured to her attire, hoping very much that this man had never been to the North.
"And the accent?" She softly breathed a sigh of relief at his acceptance of her patchy story.
"Yep, so I've really go to go, I'm sorry." She motioned to leave, she wanted to speak to the Doctor about this Clara girl who must be running around looking similar to her, she didn't like the coincidence. As she turned he grabbed her arm again.
"Wait… have you eaten yet?"
Her brows furrowed. "No."
"Then let me take you to dinner, we can talk and then you can go and meet your cousin. Where are you staying tonight?"
"Oh in a pub" The lie was easy.
"A pub?" He looked incredulous and she realised quickly that the notion of staying in a pub overnight was disgusting to this man. She decided to play along with it, hoping her acting skills would pull her through.
"Yes." She wrinkled her nose, and did her best disgusted face. "Only for one night though."
"Nonsense" He waved his hand dismissively. "You will stay with us and your cousin."
"Oh gosh no I couldn't" She panicked.
"I insist, please."
"I'm really not sure. My cousin and I aren't really on good terms at the moment." She lied again.
"Oh.." He looked a little deflated and she suddenly felt a bit bad.
"Still, dinner?"
She was about to politely decline and then she remembered the Doctor and how he was probably off with his girlfriend by now.
She looked at the man and decided he was safe enough.
"Ok sure."
He smiled.
"But first, what's your name?"
Latimer. Captain Latimer.