[Author's Note: Well, I'm currently dying of anticipation for tomorrow's episode, and in order to resist the BURNING temptation to look up clips and teasers online, I've decided to write my fingers off instead. I am very pleased with this prompt. Honestly, this chapter was mostly for my own pleasure, because I feel like I am betraying my favorite character by writing Clara/11 stuff. You'll figure it out. :3]
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Chapter 7:
Prison (noun)- a building for the confinement of persons held while awaiting trial, persons sentenced after conviction, etc.
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"Doctor, why are we here?" Clara asked, her voice bouncing eerily off the concrete walls of the empty corridor. The Doctor walked ahead of her, a bounce in his step, the ends of his coat swishing behind him. "This place is creepy."
"Oh, it's not that bad." The Doctor said, his cheerful voice ricocheting off the walls and down the hallway. He turned back to look at her. "What are you doing way back there? Come along!"
Clara sighed and scampered after him, the sounds of her feet on the floor echoing loudly around them. She was honestly surprised no one had come after them yet, given the noise they were making, but the Doctor seemed blissfully unconcerned, so she just assumed he had landed on a day when not many people were there.
Clara yelped as something cold tapped against the back of her neck. She whirled around, heart pounding, but found nothing except the shadowy hall behind her. She slapped a hand to the back of her neck and felt her fingers brush against something wet. She looked up in time to see another drop of water fall from a pipe hooked to the ceiling.
Frowning deeply, she yanked the hood of her jacket up over her head and clipped along after the Doctor. They came upon where the hallway split, and he walked down the left way without blinking, as if he had come this way a thousand times before.
At this point Clara was just becoming irritated. "Doctor, why are we here?" She asked for what felt like the tenth time since they arrived.
The Doctor turned back to give her a small smile. "We're visiting a good friend of mine."
She noticed that was a well-used explanation of his. The Doctor seemed to have alot of 'good friends'. Half of them never actually turned out to be friends. Less turned out to actually be 'good'. "Wait a second." She said. "You have a friend in prison?"
"One or two." He replied, grinning bigger and bigger as they moved along through the halls, so Clara assumed they must be getting close to this 'friend'.
"Who are they?" Clara asked. "Are they...you know, nice?"
"Well, actually, they're-" He paused, looking confused. "Um...well... let's see..." He scratched the back of his neck, and, finally giving up on trying to find an appropriate adjective, simply whirled back around and continued along. "You'll find out when we meet them!"
"Is he-slash-she friendly?" Clara asked, following him after a moment of hesitation.
"She, by the way." The Doctor clarified. "And yes, I'm sure you'll get along just fine-" He stopped for a moment, cupping a hand around his face as he thought. "Ah, well, I'm assuming you'll get along, anyway. I don't see why you wouldn't. Well, actually, I can think of quite a few reasons..." He trailed off, eyebrows scrunched up in thought. He flicked his gaze back to Clara and grinned sheepishly. "Nah, I'm sure you'll be fine." He gave her a thumbs-up and trotted on.
Clara felt the twinge of urge to flee that she had had when they first appeared in a prison to begin with. But the Doctor continued on, so Clara, after a moment of reluctant hesitation, stepped along after him so as not to be left along in the dark hallway.
"Is this friend, special by any chance?" Clara asked as they walked along.
She could see the creases on the Doctor's face as he smiled. "Very." He responded simply. "Now come along, Clara."
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[Author's Note: Ahhhh, I really needed to write that. A nice little tribute chapter, I think. Don't worry, don't worry, I'll get back on track next chapter. This was more of a chapter for my own pleasure, but I hope one or two of you enjoys it. Anyway, it's about 11:00 at night where I live, and I'm half asleep at my keyboard, so sorry for any spelling/grammar errors. Imma go to bed now, and you can expect another chapter tomorrow while I wait in agony for 8:00. Please review! :3]