Tuesday, 18 September 1888
"I have something I want to give you." said the Doctor.
They were still in the kitchen. Clara was curled in the Doctor's lap resting her head against his chest. She was listening to the strange four beat rhythm of his hearts, while he stroked her hair. Reaching into his pocket the Doctor produced a small silver key. He pressed it into her hand, gently curling her fingers over it with his.
"What is it?" she whispered.
"Me." he said quietly. Clara leaned back to look at him questioningly. "It's the key to the TARDIS."
"You're giving me it?"
The Doctor flashed the ridiculous smile she loved. "Will you come away with me?"
"Yes!" Clara flung her arms around his neck. She'd never felt so happy in her entire life. The Doctor was going to show her the stars and no matter what she would be by his side. He laughed hugging her tightly.
The shrill ringing of a telephone sounded through the TARDIS. Clara jumped at the sudden noise. Of course, she'd heard of telephones for years, she just didn't know anyone who owned one. They were an expensive and not very useful luxury. That must change in the future. Sighing in annoyance the Doctor got up setting Clara on her feet.
"It only rings if it's a friend, a royal, the end of the world, or occasionally a very confused telemarketer." He jogged out of the kitchen towards the control room, Clara right behind him. He lifted the phone off the console, "Hello? Oh Vastra good…"
The Doctor wanted her to stay in the TARDIS, but after everything that happened between them that morning Clara knew she wasn't going to leave his side. He needed her.
"I'm coming with you." she said firmly, "We're in this together."
Before he could argue Clara grabbed his lapels and pulled his mouth down to hers. She smiled at him mischievously, "Now I think I'm going to have to borrow some of your clothes. I'm not running across the city in a corset and bustle."
The Doctor laughed softly gazing at her as if she were the most astounding thing in the universe. "Alright. You have to promise to do as I say though. If I say run, you run no matter what."
Clara nodded serious. She knew how worried he was. The Doctor was terrified he would lose her; Clara had seen that in his mind. She would make sure that fear was unfounded.
"As for clothes just check the wardrobe in your room, anything you need will be in the drawers."
She rushed back down the hall. It was silly how just the way the Doctor called it her room made Clara's heart flutter. He'd given her a permanent place in his life, she thought while twirling the little key between her fingers. Inside the wardrobe she found a whole array of clothing just her size.
"Are you sure you're not magic?" Clara asked. The air ruffled her hair affectionately, as she inspected the strange garments. She pulled on a pair of trousers, a blouse, and a jacket. Was this really what women wore in the future? It felt odd with so few layers of fabric, but Clara could certainly move easier.
Clara detoured through the kitchen before returning to the control room. She took a knife and slipped it inside her jacket. There was no way she was going out unarmed. It was her job to protect the Doctor. Back in the control room Clara found him dressed and waiting. His eyes widened adorably taking in her new form-fitting outfit.
"Jeans suit you."
"Is that what they're called? How far into the future do people wear these?"
"Men not long. Women not till around the 1970's." the Doctor said. He switched to the situation at hand, "Vastra thinks we should start in Whitechapel and there I'll do a scan for alien technology. He may not have any with him; if that's the case then we do this the old-fashioned way. Pounding the pavement."
"This is just like one of Poe's novels."
"Excellent." he said kissing her. "I'll be Sherlock and you be Watson."
"Who?" Clara said.
"Wait a few years then you'll never hear the end of them."
The Doctor was different today. He had an energy, an excitement Clara had never seen before. It was his old self returning she was sure of it. It wasn't complete, far from, but it showed the spark she'd brought back to the Doctor's life.
Taking Clara's hand he led them out of the TARDIS and down the invisible staircase. It felt strange to return to the world, like waking from a dream. A world where she could get in trouble for walking un-chaperoned in the company of a man, let alone everything else she'd been up to lately, Clara thought with a blush. She really was setting the worst example as a governess ever.
"What does Mr. Hartsfield think happened to me?"
"A man broke into the house and the Veiled Detective took you to a safe location. Jenny has the police watching the place, though I doubt he would go back. The Haneish knows I would have taken you." the Doctor explained.
They didn't speak for a few minutes as they passed through the empty early morning streets. The closer they got to Whitechapel district the more people they came across. The poorest of London inhabited Whitechapel, vagrants, immigrants, and prostitutes. Clara, who'd never been to East London, was horrified by the living conditions. Her heart went out to the emaciated girls standing outside the many brothels. She'd never felt so thankful for her station in life.
Vastra and Jenny were waiting for them at a street corner. They both looked surprised but pleased to see Clara with the Doctor.
"Hello again, Miss Oswald." Vastra said.
"Clara is fine, Madame Vastra." Clara replied, "Yesterday I was not able to thank you both properly for helping safe my life."
"It was nothing dear." Jenny smiled. She inspected Clara's outfit. "After all it seems you're part of our temporally dysfunctional family now."
"That's great scare her off." the Doctor muttered, while Clara laughed.
He pulled out the strange glowing instrument he called a 'sonic screwdriver'. Clara didn't have faintest idea how if functioned. It didn't look like any tool she'd ever seen. The Doctor started waving it around, and then stared at it as if reading something only he could see.
"Mostly what I'm picking up is your perception filter Vastra, but I think I've got something else. It's faint, no more power than a battery. Might be simple interference, but it's coming from that direction."
They took off down the street following the readings from the sonic. "It's unquestionably something," the Doctor said, "A power cell or a communication device."
"If it's a communication device does that mean he is working with someone?" Clara questioned.
The Doctor squeezed her hand, "You catch on quickly."
"We haven't seen anything to indicate a second party." Vastra said, "I would much rather he be a lone mad man."
A scream pierced the cold morning air. They ran through an open gate and found themselves in a narrow alleyway. The Ripper crouched over a woman's body. She was splayed out on the ground, blood spilling from her slashed throat. Clara gasped in horror, the girl was clearly dead.
The Ripper spun around as Jenny began firing. He stumbled back as the rounds impacted his chest. Infuriated he charged. Vastra attacked swinging her katana. The Haneish parried her blows with his talons, making up what he lacked in skill with speed and strength. The Doctor and Jenny flung themselves forward to help Vastra.
Clara was frozen, her eyes barely able to follow the fight. Jenny wielded a dagger while the Doctor aimed his sonic screwdriver at the creature. It seemed to mess with his focus, slowing him down. Still the Ripper's strength was overpowering them. Suddenly the Haneish darted forward slashing the Doctor across the abdomen. For a second he didn't seem to notice then the Doctor's knees buckled sending him to the ground.
Suddenly Clara's fear was gone. Drawing her stolen knife she ran forward. The Haneish focused on the other two women didn't see Clara move. With a scream she jabbed the knife into the Ripper's back. The wound was hardly enough to even hurt him, but the blow Vastra landed during his momentary distraction was. Her blade ran clean through the Ripper's neck. With a sickening thud the head hit the ground followed a second later by the rest of his body. Jack the Ripper was dead.
"Doctor!" Clara cried dropping to his side. His eyes were closed and his breathing shallow. The blue poison burned away his shirt exposing the wound. It wasn't deep, but it was enough for the poison to do its work. Clara brushed the hair out of his eyes with a shaking hand. Her vision obscured by tears.
"Please, please wake up." Clara whispered, pressing her forehead against his. "Please Doctor, don't leave me. You have to wake up. I love you."
A/N - Only one chapter left, but it's not the end of the Doctor and Clara! I guess its time for me to reveal that this is actually the Prequel to a much larger Clara/Doctor story -Living Again- . It will chronicle their adventures (and romance) together leading up to my version of the 50th Anniversary episode. Expect lots of craziness!
I can't thank you guys enough for the fantastic response this story has gotten! I send you all virtual hugs and cupcakes :D