Chapter 13

Clara had never felt so powerless as she did at this moment. They had dragged the Doctor into a van, driving off before she had even had the chance to react. It had all happened so fast and now she could only memorize the number plate of the car before it turned around the corner, leaving her alone and helpless and feeling utterly lost.

Missy's men had taken the Doctor, even though it was her that they probably wanted and that was when it dawned on her: it was all her fault. She had insisted on going outside once more, she had dawdled so she wouldn't have to get on the plane sooner than necessary even though the Doctor had urged her, and above all she had the key they were after.

Clara took a deep breath and vowed to herself that she was going to get him back. Somehow. I didn't really matter. There was no way she would let them win. The Doctor had saved her life more than once, now she had to do the same thing in return. But when Clara turned around and headed back to her suitcase there was one simple question forming in her mind that suddenly made her determination crumble: How?

Call the police? The Doctor had warned her that Missy might have spies there and maybe that was exactly what Missy wanted. She could be walking straight into a trap. Under normal circumstances, when faced with a problem she couldn't possibly solve on her own, Clara usually spoke with her dad or her grandmother, depending on the problem's nature – but this time even that was out of the question. So the next logical step was to turn to someone her father had trusted.

Kate Lethbridge-Stewart. The Doctor had told her that she could be trusted, but he had also warned that the key in her possession was a temptation even Kate might not be able to resist. What would the Doctor do now?

Clara inhaled sharply as she reached into the suitcase and retrieved the Doctor's phone. She knew what he would do. He would do anything in his power to help her and so Clara was going to do the exact same thing. She searched for the name in his contact list an dialled.

"Lethbridge-Stewart?"

Clara hesitated. If she did this there was no way back, she would be at this woman's mercy. But on her own she would never get the Doctor back. "This is Clara Oswald," she replied after a moment.

The woman on the other end of the line went silent for a long while before she finally replied. "I'm glad to hear you're okay," Kate Stewart said and to Clara she sounded sincere, "I was worried that you would be in trouble after what has happened to your father. We were friends for a long time so if there's anything I can do for you-"

"I am in trouble," Clara interrupted her breathlessly, "They've taken the Doctor."

She looked around nervously but she couldn't spot anyone else around who might overhear their conversation. It seemed safe to talk freely.

"Who did?" Kate demanded to know.

"Missy," Clara replied, "I recognized one of her men. It was the same one that tried to attack us once before. I need your help. We need to get him back."

The woman on the phone paused for a moment. "Where are you right now?"

"I'm at the airport. Heathrow," she explained.

"You need to get away from there right away. If that's where they took the Doctor they might be coming after you next. Do you know where the Thames House is?" Kate asked urgently.

Clara swallowed. Of course she knew where the MI5 headquarters were, she just had never expected to be invited there. "Yes," she replied.

"Do you have a car or do you want someone to pick you up?"

"No, I have a car. I can drive there," she answered. At least that way she still had time to reconsider her options before handing herself over.

"Good," Kate Stewart said, "I'll get you a security clearing. Ask for Kate Stewart once you arrive."

"I will," Clara confirmed even though she wasn't so sure of that yet before the line went dead.

Clara grabbed her suitcase and headed back towards the exit. Kate Lethbridge-Stewart had seemed nice enough and above all sincere. But maybe that was a trap, too? Maybe once she arrived at the MI5 headquarters they would take the key away from her and decide to do nothing whatsoever about the Doctor. But there was only one way to find out and she couldn't think of a single person that would or could help her get the Doctor back. He was the only person she trusted now. She had to try.

After a little detour Clara parked her car as instructed and a security employee of the headquarters escorted her along the corridors of the large building until he pointed at an office door. Once inside Clara spotted only one other person: a tall woman with blonde hair, dressed in an impeccable suit. Without doubt she knew that she was standing in front of Kate Stewart and from the suit and the office alone Clara could tell that she was an important person within the MI5.

"Hello Clara," Kate greeted her with a warm smile and approached her immediately. Her handshake was firm. "How are you doing?"

"Up until two hours ago quite well under the circumstances," she replied coldly.

"I'm sorry about your father," her voice was sincere yet again. Maybe Clara really had made the right decision to come here. "We've known each other for a long time, worked together. I'm sure that by now you know what he did. The Doctor will have told you. And I must say that his death is a loss not only on a personal level but also for this country. He was a good man."

Kate paused, her gaze shifting to her feet for a brief second before she looked straight at Clara again. "I've recently lost my own father, so I can relate to what you're going through. If you ever need to talk-"

"I'm not here to talk," Clara interrupted her brusquely, "I'm here because I want to get the Doctor back. Missy took him and it was my fault, so I have to do something."

Suddenly Kate's eyes wandered away from her face and got caught on the key that Clara hadn't even noticed was showing from under her blouse. She quickly moved to tuck it away.

"We will," Kate promised her after a moment, "We'll do everything in our power to do that."

"Good," Clara said, straightening her shoulders after she had caught Kate looking for the key once more, "When do we start?"

Suddenly the smile was back on Kate's face, but it had changed. Now it seemed sad, almost regretful. "First you have to talk about what you can do for me in return."

Clara swallowed hard. She knew exactly what Kate was going to ask of her and it would be the only thing Clara wasn't willing to give.