Fob Watch

Clara was in the wardrobe, leafing through various outfits. After their time in 1950, Clara had wanted to go farther back in time, so the Doctor had promised to take her to Elizabethan England. She was looking for an appropriate outfit.

Her mind wasn't really in it, though. She was thinking about how she had told the Doctor that she loved him and he hadn't said it back. Thinking about it now, she still felt hurt. Why didn't he say it? She had been so sure that he loved her, so why didn't he say it back?

"Clara, you ready?" The Doctor asked, climbing the stairs to the wardrobe.

"Huh?" Clara shook her head, grabbing the closest dress. "Yea. I just need to change." The Doctor nodded, leaving the wardrobe so she could switch outfits. She quickly changed, slipping on the silky red dress, and tied the corset tight. She didn't feel like hunting down other shoes, so her slip on flats would have to do.

Slowly, thoughts bouncing around her head, she descended the stairs. She made her way back to the console room, hand trailing on the rail. She hadn't bother to do anything to her hair, so it laid on her shoulders.

"Oh, you look amazing!" The Doctor exclaimed, staring at her as she entered. Any other day, she would have blushed and been pleased. She would have said "thank you", complimented him, and they would have been off. Instead, she decided to speak what was on her mind.

"Why didn't you say it back?" She asked softly, looking up at him with sad eyes. His eyebrows met in the middle, trying to figure out what she was talking about.

"Say what back?"

Clara's stomach felt like lead. Her heart thumped loudly in her chest and she felt heat at the base of her neck. She suddenly didn't want to know the answer. But, it was too late now. He wouldn't let it go now.

"I told you that I love you," she mumbled, embarrassed. "And you didn't say anything." The Doctor sighed.

"Oh, Clara," he whispered, sounding pained. He took her hand gently and led her to the captain's chair. Clara was suddenly reminded of how their first kiss was in that very spot. "I'm sorry. I'm so, so sorry. I wish you hadn't said anything."

Clara's heart sunk and tears sprung into her eyes. This hurt even worse that being ripped into a million different pieces in the future Doctor's timeline. "Oh."

The Doctor's eyes widened. "No, I didn't mean it like that. I swear. It's just..." He ran a hand through his hair, tugging on it. "My life... my life is so long. So much longer than a human's. And, I've already lost so many people." Clara noticed how old his eyes looked. For the first time, she wondered exactly how old he really was.

He rubbed his thumb over the back of her hand. "I care about you, Clara. I really do. But, I have lost so many important people in my life. It's already going to be hard enough when you eventually leave me. I can't let it hurt any more."

Clara refused to cry. She felt horrible, but at the same time, she felt wonderful. He had all but said those three words- he just didn't want to admit it, in an attempt to lessen the pain when she left. That elated her. But, still, she felt terrible. Again, she wanted to promise that she would never leave him, but she couldn't. She didn't know how she would leave him this time; would she be forced to walk away, so that he could meet her for her first time? Would she die? She didn't know, but it hurt that she couldn't comfort him. Lies wouldn't be a comfort.

"Okay." Clara patted the Doctor's hand that held hers, holding his hand with both of hers. "Well, let's go to Elizabethan England, then!" The Doctor took a second to regain a smile, but he did. He popped up out of the chair, bounding towards the console. He began pointing at buttons Clara needed to push, at levers she needed to pull down, and switches she needed to flip.

For whatever reason, the TARDIS bounced around the Time Vortex very hard. So hard, in fact, that Clara was thrown on her butt, the contents of her small purse spilling onto the ground. Rubbing her bottom, she rolled over so she was on her knees as she collected her things.

"That was harder than it should have been," the Doctor told her, kneeling to help her. He picked the broken fob watch off the ground, staring at it with wide eyes. "Where did you get this?"

Clara gave him a funny look. "It was on the spaceship, where we met Reinette. I found it in the rubble. Why?" The Doctor appeared to be holding his breath, eyeing the watch carefully. Clara wondered if he thought the watch would explode.

"Have you ever opened it?" He asked seriously. Clara shook her head.

"No. It doesn't open."

"Open it." Clara gave him another weird look.

"I just said that it doesn't open."

"Open it!" He demanded, holding it out to her. She took it gingerly. She pressed the button and it didn't open.

"See." She pressed it again, harder. "It's stuck." The Doctor looked very distressed.

"Clara, that's a Gallifreyan fob watch! It could hold a Time Lord's entire essence in there." He paused. "Are you sure you found it on that spaceship?"

"Yes! I'm positive." Clara insisted. "If this is a Gallifreyan watch, then it's a coincidence. It doesn't open, and I didn't have it before the day I met you." The Doctor looked into her eyes intensely.

"Because you would make a hell of a lot more sense if this was yours." He said. "Open it!

"What the hell is that supposed to mean?!" Clara shouted. "And I've tried! It's stuck!"

"The TARDIS perception filter didn't work on you! You never question anything like a normal person would. Sometimes, it's like you know more about the universe than I do!" He listed furiously. "Just open the damn locket!"

"STOP YELLING AT ME!" Clara exploded. In her fury, she threw the locket to the floor, where it popped open. Clara and the Doctor watched it, breath held.

Nothing happened.

"I told you." With that, Clara stomped off to her bedroom. She didn't feel like going anywhere anymore.

The TARDIS hummed angrily. Clara kicked the wall before plopping onto her bed.

"Oh, hush, you."

A/N: Did you enjoy this chapter? Let me know in a review! To me, that last bit is the TARDIS's reason for not liking Clara. Not only did she upset the Doctor, but she wasn't very nice to the TARDIS, either.

Until next time, sugars!