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Chapter III
[But if you will brave the weird and haunted shores at world's end, then you will need a captain who knows those waters. -Tia Dalma, Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End]
Amy grimaced as she turned, her hair whipping Rory in the face. Standing behind them was a middle-aged woman with blonde hair walking hand in hand with a young boy. Her eyes flicked between the four of them, lingering on Rory for several seconds longer. "Don't you dare come near her," the woman said, pointing a finger in their direction. "I swear, if you hurt her again, I-"
Clara raised her hands in a motion of peace. "We're not here to hurt anyone. I'm sorry if we offended you in some way."
"Oi," the woman said, jumping in right at the end of Clara's sentence. To the young boy still standing with her, she said, "Tony, go play over there, where I can see you." After he had run off with a whoop of glee, the woman returned her attention to them. "Alright, which one of you is 'im?"
Rory looked around before saying, "I'm sorry, but I don't know-"
Hands on her hips, the woman interrupted, "Don't bloody mess with me. I'm not stupid. I can see the bleedin' TARDIS right behind you. So which one of you is 'im? Where's the Doctor?"
Surprised, River made a move to speak, but Clara beat her to it. "He's not here," she said calmly, taking a step towards the older woman. "He's in trouble and we have to save him, but we need help. Your help."
The woman scoffed. "Please, you don't need me. 'e never did like me. But I won't let you hurt 'er, not again."
"What are you talking about?" asked Amy, feeling very defensive of her Doctor. This woman was being incredibly rude, especially for having known someone as kind as the Doctor. "Who are you talking about?"
The woman frowned. "Don't play stupid with me. I grew up on an estate, I can see right through you. I know you're 'ere for Rose, and I won't let you take 'er. He's already hurt her enough."
"How?" asked Rory before he could stop himself.
"I'm surprised you didn't end up in bloody Norway," she said crossly. "And since the Doctor obviously didn't tell you how he hurt my Rose, I'll tell you. He left 'er. Twice. I was the only one who was able to pick up the pieces, along with Pete and Mickey, the first time. I'm Jackie Tyler, Rose's mother, so don't you think you can get away with takin' her away from here again, jus' to bring her back when you're done with 'er."
If she really thought about it, Clara thought that maybe she remembered this woman from a fragment of time that she was splintered in. But now was not the time to dwell on what happened in the past. They were here to find the two people who the Doctor trusted the most. Reaching into her bag, Clara pulled out the blue envelope labeled with the number one.
Passing it to Jackie Tyler, Clara said, "The Doctor left one of these for all of us, numbered. This one was meant for the person her trusted most, for Rose and the clone."
"God, he hates that," Jackie said, staring at the envelope. Finally taking it into her hands, she took a quick glance up at the boy, Tony. "Why should I take this to Rose, only for her to get hurt again?"
"For the Doctor," Amy said, folding her arms across her chest. "He needs us, and apparently we can't do this without her and that other bloke."
"Oi, he's not just some other bloke," Jackie argued, straightening up but still being short compared to Amy's height. "'e's family. Was family," she corrected.
"Where is he?" asked River.
A strange look, akin to anger or sadness, passed across Jackie Tyler's face. "Gone."
"Can we speak with Rose? Please?" Clara added as an afterthought. "We wouldn't ask if it weren't important."
"Who are you all anyway?" asked Jackie, eyes narrowing as she crossed her arms and shifted her weight.
Twiddling her thumbs, Clara said, "I'm Clara Oswald, then this is Dr. River Song, and Rory and Amy Williams. We're all friends of the Doctor."
"River Song?" Jackie asked. After a nod from River, Jackie frowned. "I know that name. Heard 'im tellin' Rose and Tony stories, stories about adventures they never had. Adventures in a library with a professor named River Song, a woman who was from the Doctor's future. Thought it might upset Rose that he knew this woman had a future with 'im, but she was content with the man she was given." After a slight pause where she looked River over thoroughly, Jackie demanded, "Give me one reason why I should help you."
Clara looked between the others, knowing that what she said next could influence what Jackie Tyler chose, whether they would be able to help the Doctor or not. So after much consideration, she cleared her throat and said, "Love."
That struck a chord in Jackie Tyler, revealed upon her face. Tucking the envelope in the bag hanging over her shoulder, Jackie set her face and gave a firm nod. "I'll take this with me, and leave it for Rose to get tonight. Today is Rose's birthday. If I let you into the party, you better not make me regret it, got it?" After several nods and murmurs of assent from the group, Jackie turned to where tony was playing and yelled, "Tony! Come on!"
"Thank you," Clara said with a small smile. Once Jackie and her son (or so they presumed, he could have been her grandson for all they knew) had walked away, Clara breathed a sigh of relief. "Why do I feel like that was the hardest part?"
Unlocking the TARDIS and swinging one of the blue doors open, River disagreed, "I don't think it was. Actually convincing Rose to go with us will be more difficult."
"Why do you say that?" asked Amy. In her opinion, traveling with the Doctor was the one thing she would drop everything for (hell, she did). How could anyone turn that down? Even Rory would agree with her. They made a hobby out of searching for signs of the Doctor throughout history.
Stepping up to the console, River started flipping switches for no apparent reason other than to distract herself from her husband's ex-girlfriend joining them (even though she was never his girlfriend; Rose Tyler was so much more than that). "She has a life here. A proper, settled life, something that the real Doctor could never give her."
Having flopped down onto the jump seat, Amy kicked up her feet and said, "I still don't see how that could be a problem."
River shook her head and merely suggested, "Why don't we start getting ready for that party?"
They had several hours, but they could all tell that River wanted to be left alone for a while. Accepting her wishes, Amy and Rory retired to their room, and Clara made her way to the kitchen for a cup of tea.
Feeling weak, River closed her eyes and silently counted to ten. She hated this damn emotion, jealousy. It shouldn't have bothered her, but it did. She would never be good enough, could never be as good for the Doctor as Rose Tyler. Born to kill the Doctor; what would the Silence give to see her now? Hopelessly drowning in love, only to get her heart broken by the one person who should have never been a threat.
Ultimately, she wanted the Doctor to be happy, so if that meant reuniting him with Rose Tyler, River would do it. For him, she could do anything.
The party was one of those awful work functions that doubled as a birthday celebration. Clara knew that if this were her party, she would be miserably hanging out around the primary table of snacks. So of course, that's where she sought Rose Tyler out first. They decided to divide and conquer, giving them all an opportunity to speak with Rose if they saw her first.
Picking up the hem of her dress as she walked, Clara approached the table. Everyone here at Vitex was posh; she certainly didn't fit in with her modest background. Honestly, she was surprised at how much of a Londoner Jackie Tyler had sounded earlier. A large stack of presents rested next to the incredibly large cake, the blue envelope lying on top of the pile. Pulling it down, Clara put it back into her handbag. She wanted to give it to Rose herself.
But the birthday girl was nowhere to be seen. Really, Clara wouldn't want to be here either, if it were her birthday. She would rather be at home having a cup of tea with the Maitland children, or on some alien planet. Picking up a chocolate covered strawberry, Clara surveyed the room. Most everyone looked old enough to be her parent, not really her friend.
"Bloody horrid, innit?" asked someone beside Clara. "I'd much rather be gettin' smashed right now, forgettin' the hellish month I've had."
Clara looked to the girl beside her, eyes widening as she recognized Rose Tyler. How had she slipped around her watchful gaze to be right next to her? "You're Rose," Clara stated. After a confirming nod, Clara said, "I'm Clara. I've been looking for you."
"Really?" asked Rose. "Did Pete pay you to come talk t' me? I swear, 'm not suicidal."
Clara was shocked. "Why would you be?"
Rose gave a bitter sort of laugh, taking a quick drink of her champagne. She looked beautiful in her long dress of gold sequins, almost ethereal. "Thank God someone doesn't read the tabloids. Engagement in shambles, bad photographs, harassment of the paparazzi, take your pick."
"I'm sorry," Clara empathized.
"Don't be," Rose said sadly. "'s not your fault. Some things jus' don' work out."
Clara hesitated before speaking, unsure of whether bringing the Doctor up yet was a good idea. "You'll meet someone else. There are plenty of fish in the sea."
Rose shook her head. "There's no one else. He was everything to me."
"I knew someone like that," Clara said.
"Yeah?"
Clara nodded. "He's brilliant, and he's funny, and mad, and best of all, he really needed me. The trick is, don't fall in love. I do that trick a lot, sometimes twice a day. You don't know where he's going in life, you don't know where you're going, so it's really up to destiny."
"It's not like that," Rose argued. "He was everything I could have ever hoped for."
Knowing that 'he' was a clone of the Doctor, Clara understood, having felt in a much less severe way. "Maybe you'll get another chance with him."
"No," Rose said, her eyes drifting across the room. Couples everywhere, including Rory and Amy, were slow dancing in the middle of the floor. "He's gone, an' he's never comin' back. I wasn't good enough for 'im."
"Look," Clara said, knowing she needed to make Rose feel better quickly. That was what she was good at: making people feel better. "I haven't been completely honest with you. I'm Clara Oswald, and I know a lot about you."
Suddenly concerned, Rose took a step away. "What d'you mean?"
"I know you're not from here," Clara said, reaching out for Rose's hand. It was cold and shaky, but she didn't pull away. "I'm not from here either. I'm from a place where there aren't any zeppelins in the sky, where there's a mad man in a blue box running around the universe. I'm here for the Doctor. He's in trouble, and he needs your help."
Rose's eyes, wide and still, searched Clara's for some meaning of truth. No one in this universe, save Jackie, Pete, Jake, and the Doctor, knew the truth about Rose and her family.
Pulling out the envelope, Clara said, "This is from him. He gave this to me, told me that he needed you and the clone because you were the people he trusted the most. Not me, not his best friends, not his family, you. My friends and I spoke with your mother earlier, it was a chance meeting, really. She wasn't keen on us finding you, she didn't want you to get hurt, but the Doctor needs you, Rose. He needs your help."
Rose studied the blue envelope as Clara spoke, running her fingers against the flap on the back. She was afraid to open it, terrified. The Doctor had left her before; he would leave her again. She couldn't be left on that godforsaken beach in Norway once more. Not after last time.
She didn't realize she was crying until a tear fell onto the envelope. Without a word to Clara, Rose turned and walked away, out of the ballroom and down the hall, into the loo. Rose walked into the last stall, lowered the lid, locked the door, and sat down, staring at the card stock in her hands.
This was real. She could feel it. Her Doctor was gone, but this one wanted her, needed her. The human Doctor had been amazing, up until he left her, but this was what she always wanted. No matter how many times she told him, he never believed that she could go the rest of her human life without settling down, without having children.
A long time passed before Rose opened the envelope. She took one look at the words on the page, nothing personal even, just coordinates and a very general quick message. Her mind was made up. She had spent her whole life with her family, it was time for her to run.
And run she did.
Springing out of the bathroom stall, Rose nearly bowled over Clara as she sprinted from the loo. "Let's go now," she said hurriedly. "I want to see him. Take me to the Doctor."
"It's not that simple," Clara said, trying to steady Rose, who was bouncing on the balls of her feet. "It's going to take time and planning and-"
"I don't care!" Rose exclaimed, suddenly frantic. "I need him, I need him right now. Please, please, let's just go."
Amy walked up behind Rose and Clara, interjecting herself into the conversation. "What's going on?"
Clara looked to Amy, prepared for support. "Rose," Clara said gently, "this is Amy. She's a friend of the Doctor, too, with her husband. They're going to help us find the Doctor."
"Find him?" asked Rose. This was supposed to be simple, he was supposed to just be there, waiting for her. She always came back, he should have just known. "What do you mean find him? Where is he?"
"It's a long story," Clara said. "Let's go back to the TARDIS. I'll make tea and we can talk there." She turned to Amy, lightly grabbing her arm just above the elbow. "Amy, go find your husband and River, we need to get out of here."
Amy nodded and set off into the rest of the throngs of people. Rose began heading towards the doors before stopping in her tracks. Clara looked at her in curiosity, obviously wondering why she'd stopped. Rose threw a glance into the crowd, fervently searching for her family. "I've got to say goodbye to my mum and brother," she explained. "If I go with you, I'm not comin' back. Not again. I don't belong here."
Clara stared at her for several seconds before nodding and saying, "I'll meet you by the doors. Try to hurry, please." Rose nodded and set off through the masses. Clara looked around herself, then creeped along the edges of the room so no one would try and talk to her.
Feeling a cool breeze on her neck, Clara spun around, fully prepared to tell off the person behind her. There was no one there. Chocking it up to a coincidence, or possibly just her imagination, she returned to the task at hand. When it happened again, Clara grew still. What was going on?
It was almost like someone was whispering in her ear from behind.
She shivered and looked around once more. No one was there, but she was immediately reminded of Trenzalore. Do you hear the Whisper Men? The Whisper Men are near. If you hear the Whisper Men, then turn away your ear. Clara set off a little more quickly. The TARDIS was the only safe place now. Was it possible for the Great Intelligence to have followed them into this universe? The odds were slim, but not impossible. She thought they were trapped in the Doctor's time stream, but if she had managed to escape...
No, it was impossible.
"I'm the Impossible Girl," Clara softly reminded herself. "And I was born to save the Doctor." Reaching down into her purse, Clara slid her fingers between the pages of her book, feeling the leaf: the most important leaf in human history.
Do not hear the Whisper Men, whatever else you do. For once you hear the Whisper Men, they'll stop and look at you.
Whether that was a real top hat on the other side of the room or a ghoulish alien, Clara bolted as best she could without actually running. She blew into this world on a leaf, and she sure as hell would blow out of it with the Doctor. If she ignored the whispers in the back of her mind, surely she would be safe. It was all in her head.
Clara made her way to the front door, only having to wait for the Ponds and River for less than a minute. They seemed jovial, but Clara couldn't help but disagree with them. None of them had met the Great Intelligence, at least not yet. Time was so confusing at moments like these.
The three made small talk without her for several minutes, waiting for Rose to arrive. When she did, there were tears in her brown eyes and red marks on her arms from where her nails had dug into her skin. They didn't ask questions, having each had to say goodbye to something precious before.
Nothing was said as they left the party, walking down the large marble steps in front of the building. Clara put a comforting hand on Rose's back; that was what she was best at, comforting. A light mist was falling in the darkness, glistening in the light of the street lamps.
Without any warning, Amy stopped and turned to look over her shoulder. "Did you hear that?"
"No," Rory said, gripping his wife's hand.
Amy looked around them, but quickly shrugged it off. "Must've been my imagination."
Warning bells (or was it the cloister bell?) went off in Clara's head. Feeling the whispering start at the edges of her consciousness, she took in a sharp breath. The Whisper Men would be here soon. "Run," she commanded quietly, walking so quickly that she was nearly at a brisk jog. The others took a few seconds to catch on, but did soon.
When the blue police box came in sight, Clara shifted into a full on sprint. As they approached, River snapped her fingers and (to everyone's surprise) the doors swung open. Everyone shuffled into the TARDIS, with Clara waiting to close the doors. Just before she finally shut the wooden door, she looked out and saw a ghostly figure coming towards them slowly.
The creature raised an arm out slowly, its white face grotesquely tilting in a silent screech. Whispers hissed in Clara's head; she felt faint, like she did when reading Madame Vastra's letter. The Great Intelligence was supposed to be trapped in the Doctor's time stream, in Trenzalore.
What was Dr. Simeon doing here?
Clara slammed the door.
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