Doctor Who belongs to the BBC, not me. If it did Rose would be there forever.
THUD!
All three passengers were thrown to the floor as the TARDIS crash landed on the surface of the planet. Sparks still flew out of the control panels as systems started shutting down. Smoke filled the air, making it hard for them to breath. The blonde haired woman was the first to her feet and she headed straight for her younger female companion.
"Clara, are you alright?" she asked.
Clara coughed as she allowed Rose to help her to her feet. "Yea, I'm okay I think."
"Doctor?"
"Oh sure, go to her first why don't you," the Time Lord mumbled as he shook his head to clear his senses. "You both okay?"
"We're fine. What about the TARDIS?" Clara asked. She dusted herself off as Rose rounded the central control panel to join her husband.
"She's okay. She's not happy with you," the elder woman stated simply. She placed a hand on the cylinder shaped glass container in the center of the room.
"Old girl will be just fine. Shall we?"
Rose rolled her eyes and followed him to the door, Clara on her heels. The Doctor stuck his head out and muttered something under his breath before stepping onto the solid ground. He took Rose's hand as they looked around. They were in the middle of a graveyard. Headstones lined the ground as far as they could see. In the sky there were dark clouds, and thunder was heard rumbling somewhere not too far from their current position.
"What happened?" Rose whispered, her eyes wide with horror. She had never been so surrounded by death. Even the graveyard where they had lost Amy and Rory was tiny compared to this. Her heart felt heavy with the thought of so many lives lost, and she squeezed the hand she held for comfort.
The Doctor glanced at his wife before pulling her forward. "Be careful," he said in a soft voice. "My grave could be very dangerous. I am the last of the Time Lords after all. There's no telling who would have come here to see what they could gain from my remains."
"Well that's… pleasant," Clara said from Rose's other side.
They walked in silence. Rose couldn't help but glance down at the headstones. Most of the names were too faded for her to read, or the headstones were broken in half. Here and there she could see family names, like Butcher, Hanforth and Iszlor. Death always affected her more than the others and she could feel tears in her eyes. She rapidly rubbed them so she could see clearly again.
Clara gasped as the trio spotted the large blue box in the distance. It was massive, covering up at least fifty square miles. Light still shone through the windows and black birds circled the light at the very top. It looked so run down, like it had been there for thousands of years. Lightning struck the ground all around it.
"No way," Rose said quietly. "Is that…?"
"Oh yes," the Time Lord responded with a nod of his head. "It's the TARDIS. Poor girl. She must have died whenever I did. She couldn't control her dimension dampers anymore and she grew. She's literally the same size on the outside as she always was on the inside."
"And that's where you're buried?" Clara asked.
"Of course. What else would they bury me in?"
Clara watched sadly as he started down the path, Rose right behind him. She felt pain twist in her heart for him. He looked so sad and poor Rose looked terrified as she stared up at the large blue grave. She started after them, but a noise to her left caused her to stop and turn.
Rose, meanwhile, had stopped the alien from going any further. "Hey," she said gently, placing her free hand on his cheek. She peered into his eyes. "It'll be okay, really. You know I won't let anything happen to you."
The Doctor smiled and gently kissed her. He needed the comfort, but he could see that she was just as scared as he was. He wondered vaguely if she was buried in the TARDIS with him or if she had died before he did. There was no telling how long her life span was, and if the time machine was dead then it was entirely possible Bad Wolf had gone with it.
As if reading his mind Rose said, "Do you think I'm out there somewhere?"
A beat of silence passed between them, but before he could answer they heard Clara calling them. He looked up to see her pointing behind them. As he turned he heard the sinister whispers filling the air. His gaze fell on the group of suit wearing men with no eyes. He quickly pulled Rose up the path to where Clara stood.
"What do we do?" Clara asked.
"I don't know!" the Doctor said. He pointed his sonic screwdriver at the descending group but it flickered and died. He kept trying, shaking it repeatedly.
Rose turned to Clara to tell her to back up, but her eyes instead fell on the gravestone closest to the brunette woman. She read the name twice, sure her eyes were playing tricks on her. It felt so wrong; that name didn't belong in this place. She walked past a confused Clara and gently touched the letters.
"Doctor," she called softly. When he didn't respond she whipped her head around to face him. "Doctor!"
"What is it?" he responded. He knew that tone of voice.
"It's River's grave!"
The Time Lord froze. His hearts pounded in his ears as he hurried to her side. He gazed down at the words on the tomb. River Song. That wasn't possible. She had died in the library, her body burned to dust. They couldn't even bury her back then. But he had managed to get her to the computer. She wasn't alive, but she was saved. And he knew she was happy there.
"What do you mean it's her grave? I met her!" Clara cried in surprise.
"What is this doing here?" he whispered, more to himself then to his companions.
"Maybe it's a fake!" Clara exclaimed. "Maybe it's a secret entrance to the tomb!"
"Of course!" Rose exclaimed, flashing a smile to her friend. "Doctor, it'll let us in!"
"I heard, I'm on it!" the Doctor responded. He pointed the sonic at it and after a moment the ground gave way. The women shrieked as they plummeted underground. They were just in time too; the whispers were just above them, indicating the suited men had arrived at their location.
"Ow," Rose mumbled as the trapdoor closed above them.
"Rose? Are you alright?" The Doctor reached for her in the darkness. He felt relief when she took his hand a moment later.
"Yea, just a bit sore. Clara?"
A light filled the room and they looked up. The younger woman smiled, a torch in her hand. "I'm fine. Found this and decided to light it. Shall we?"
The Doctor grinned. He loved having Clara around. She was spunky and very adventurous. It hadn't taken much to convince Rose to allow her to join them on their journey, especially not when they made the connection between her and people in their past. They stood and the Doctor paused to kiss her lightly on the head before heading down the tunnel. As they passed another torch Clara lit it so they could have light in front of them as well.
"Are you alright?" Rose asked as they walked.
"I'm afraid honey," the Doctor answered. He had learned a long time ago that hiding things from her was never a good idea. They shared everything. "I don't know what we're going to see up there. And I'm worried for the two of you."
Rose smiled as he glanced back. "That's my Doctor. Worried about everyone but himself."
The alien man smiled a bit in response. They had been together for so long now. Hundreds of years, and it felt like sometimes they could read each other's minds. Since her return at Amy's wedding they had gone to so many places and seen so many things. Running into River was quite a shock, but she soon wormed her way into both their hearts. Rose had felt a small bit of jealousy at the realization that the female time traveler was in love with the Doctor, but it passed. They had been best friends in the end.
Speaking of friends, Clara's footsteps had stopped. Rose turned to see her facing the other way. As she tilted her head in question she saw the younger girl jump in surprise. Beyond her Rose saw their avengers coming down the tunnel toward them. The Doctor spotted them at the same time.
"Clara, come on! Run!" he called. Rose took the torch and run ahead of them, allowing the Doctor to take Clara's hand. They ran down the tunnel and into a small room. The Doctor stopped long enough to close the door, buying them time against their pursuers. As Rose glanced around she saw Clara lean against the wall for support. She was worried, but the Doctor was already making his way over to their friend.
The blonde woman stepped forward and into the next tunnel. She scouted ahead a bit, careful not to get too far ahead. Her husband did worry so when she was out of his sight. Both still had a small amount of fear that she could disappear at any time. Rose wasn't complaining; she treasured every moment she had with her Doctor. They had many wonderful years together. She wondered, not for the first time, if she should breach the subject of children with him.
A draft through the tunnels caused the flame on her torch to flicker. "Doctor, I've found the way out!" she called back to them.
The Time Lord appeared behind her, Clara still holding on to his shoulder for support. Concern flashed in Rose's eyes, but the look her husband gave her kept her questions at bay. She traded the torch for Clara, helping her along as they walked. The tunnels were dank and dark. They could smell something moldy in the air. Whispers soon filled the air and without words they all picked up the pace.
After a few minutes they found themselves in a large room. It was dim but lit by torches. Clara glanced up to see the windows from the TARDIS on the wall. It was obvious they were now inside the Doctor's grave. Directly ahead of them was the group of friends they had come to save. They were surrounded by the suited men. A voice was coming from just out of sight. The Doctor straightened his bowtie and started forward with Rose and Clara following close behind.
"The doors require a key," a man said, standing in front of a large stone doorway. "The key is a word. That word is the Doctor's." He turned the face the group behind him.
"Here I am," the Doctor said as he stepped into the light. Rose and Clara quickly joined their friends. Rose smiled in joy when she noticed Jenny on her feet and held protectively by Madam Vastra. She had been terrified to hear the young woman was killed during the dream conference. The Time Lord looked back and softly smiled at Jenny as well, expressing his own relief.
"Open the door Doctor," the man said.
Rose's eyes narrowed in anger. She recognized him, but he was dead. The Doctor had told them as much.
"No," the Doctor responded. "I will not open my own tomb."
"Do it Doctor," Dr. Simeon said in his grating voice. "Answer the question."
The male alien stepped forward until he was face to face with his adversary. "I will not open the door to my tomb!"
The man who really wasn't a man reached forward and took the Doctor's face in his hand, cupping his chin between his fingers. Anger flashed in Rose's eyes and she moved to defend her life partner, but Clara quickly reached out to grasp her arm. There was no telling what would happen if she tried to interfere. She didn't have to worry long; the Doctor quickly threw the hand off of his person.
"The Doctor's friends," Dr. Simeon said as he side stepped the alien in front of him. His gaze rested on them for a moment before he turned his back. "Stop their hearts!"
The Time Lord's eyes flew open in shock as the white faced monsters stepped forward with arms outstretched. Clara clung to Rose as the group backed up. Strax was already mumbling away about battle tactics and formations. Vastra flung herself in front of her young bride, already scared for them both.
"Stop this!" the Doctor cried, panic in his voice.
"Answer the question! What is your name?"
"You better not!" Rose cried even as she pressed Clara against one of the columns that filled the room. She groaned in pain as she felt a hand enter her chest and fingers tickle her heart. It hurt so badly. She took a deep breath and kept her stance in front of her friend, her eyes filled with rage. She had survived the Bad Wolf; she would survive this.
Strax attempted to attack but could do no damage. He was on the ground in a matter of moments, a hand in his chest as well. Vastra and Jenny were mere inches away from being grabbed. Behind them the Doctor pleaded for him to stop the attack. Rose wondered for a moment if she should tap into the hidden power in his mind. The Doctor would disapprove, of course; it could possibly destroy her. But she would die before she watched all these people be killed.
Before she could do anything else they heard a rumble as the doors opened. The Doctor turned around in surprise and gazed into the bright light that was now escaping the tomb. Behind him Dr. Simeon raised his hand to stop the assault. Rose took a deep breath as she felt the hand retreat. She sagged to the ground, Clara with her.
"What the hell did you do that for?" Rose called out between gasps.
"I didn't," the Doctor answered. "I didn't say my name. Is everyone alright?" He was immediately in the middle of the group, checking on everyone. After seeing that Strax, Vastra and Jenny were okay he hurried to Rose's side. She nodded to him to let her know she was okay and he helped her to her feet.
"I didn't say your name either," the blonde woman said. "Does that mean-"
"I don't know," he said gently, interrupting her before she could say anything else.
"Doctor."
The Time Lord swallowed, worry still in his eyes, before leaving them to walk into the tomb. Clara helped to stead her friend as they followed. "Thank you," she whispered. Rose simply smiled a bit before turning her eyes forward.
The first thing they noticed was the loud banging noise that filled the room. It looked exactly like the current control room layout, except there was debris everywhere. Vines had started to choke the interior, winding their way around the stairs and control panel. As they slowly climbed the stairs all eyes were focused on the swirling white light in the center. The Doctor stared at it sadly as he stopped a few feet away. Rose quickly joined him despite the look he gave her.
"What is that?" Clara asked.
"Should I destroy it?" Strax asked, looking to Vastra for permission.
"Shut up Strax!" the lizard woman hissed.
"That is the tracks of my tears," the Time Lord said in a small voice.
"Less poetry Doctor! Just tell them what it is."
The Doctor winced at his grating voice. "Time travel is damage. It's like a tear in the fabric of reality. That is the scar tissue of my journey through the universe." He started to pace as he spoke, leaving Rose standing on her own. "It's my path through time and space. From Galifrey to Trezalore." He pulled out his sonic with a sigh and aimed it at the beam. Voices filled the air; echoes of his past. Rose smiled just a bit as she heard the voice of her very first Doctor. She still sometimes missed those big ears. "My own personal time tunnel. All the days, even the ones that- I, uh… Even the ones I haven't lived yet-"
His wife watched with concern as he collapsed to the ground. She and Clara both raced to his side. "Doctor!" Rose cried out. She grabbed the sleeve of his coat and scoured his body with her eyes.
"I shouldn't be here," he gasped out, still writhing. "Paradoxes will start forming soon if I don't leave."
Dr. Simeon stepped forward toward the light. "The Doctor's life is an open wound, and an open wound can be entered."
"Don't you dare!" Rose shouted, her eyes narrowing in anger as she glared at him.
"I do dare!" the man who wasn't really a man responded. "It might kill me, but it will destroy you Doctor! I can rewrite your entire history. Shatter every good deed you've done and make you lose everyone you ever cared about."
"You'll never be able to come out," the Time Lord said in a whisper. "You'll burn up."
"Then so be it. Look around you and enjoy the sight one last time. Goodbye Doctor."
"NO!" the Doctor cried out as the figure stepped back into his timeline. The fading figure's screams of pain filled the air. The suited creatures vanished as light burst from the center of the room. They had to turn away and shield their eyes to prevent blindness.
The male alien on the ground started to scream in agony as he felt his past being ripped to shreds. His hearts burned and he tossed from side to side. Clara looked to the others for help, but they appeared just as lost as she was. She turned to Rose next, but the blonde was in no condition to speak. She was sobbing, tears dripping down her face as she watched her husband writhe in pain. Every scream was like a knife to her heart. She took his hand in both of hers to try to give him some sort of comfort.
"What's happening?" Clara shouted. A tear was making its way down her cheek as she looked up at the others.
"He's being rewritten! Simeon is killing him at every point in his history! He's dying a thousand different times in a thousand different ways! In the Dalek Asylum!"
Clara's breath caught at Vastra's words. "Did you say the Dalek Asylum?"
"Now he's dying in London, with us!" Vastra continued speaking as if she hadn't heard the younger woman.
"It is done."
The haunting voice filled the chamber. The reptilian woman looked terrified. "Oh dear goddess," she muttered softly. "The universe without the Doctor. There will be consequences. Jenny, with me!" She turned to leave, both her wife and Strax following in her footsteps.
"You said I was in both of those places," Clara said to the Doctor. "How? How could I have been in both of those places if I'm here right now?"
"No," the Doctor said as he looked up at her. "Please, stop. My whole life is burning."
"Please," Rose whispered as she leaned down to press her forehead against his. "Please tell me what to do. You can't leave me." Her sobs filled the air.
After a moment Clara looked up. "I have to go in there," she said.
"Oh no you don't!" Rose cried, raising her head. "Don't you dare! I can't lose someone else, I can't-"
At the sudden silence Clara looked at her questioningly. The space at her side was empty. "Rose?" she called. Her eyes searched the room. "Rose!"
"She's gone," the Doctor said. Tears were falling from his eyes as he looked up at his friend. "She never came with me. I never met her. Oh Rose."
"I have to go in there!" Clara said, jumping to her feet.
"Clara, no. You can't."
"But you said it yourself! You've already seen me in the past! That means I've already done this! If I step in there, what happens?" A moment of silence passed before she took a step forward. "But the echoes could save the Doctor, right? I mean, they'll be real enough to stop Simeon? To set things right? It's like my mom said. The soufflé isn't the soufflé, it's the recipe. It's the only way to save him. The only way to save Rose." Another moment of silence before she turned to her left sharply. "I have to! I have to give her back to him! I have to save everyone!"
"The stars are going out," Vastra said, suddenly appearing in at the top of the stars. "And Jenny and Strax are dead. There must be something we can do." Her voice broke a little when she said Jenny's name.
"D'you see now?" Clara asked with a sad smile. "That's two more people, right here that can be saved. That's not counting the millions or billions of people out there in the universe."
"No," the Doctor said weakly from the ground. He tried to reach his hand out to grab her but didn't have the strength. "Please Clara, no."
"If this works get out of here as fast as you can. And spare me a thought now and again? In fact, you know what?" Clara whipped her head around and gave them both a smile. "Run. Run you clever boy, and remember me." Without any further hesitation she flung herself into the light.
The Doctor felt his heart heaving in his chest and he shut his eyes against the pain. After a few moments of silence he felt fingers gently comb through his hair. He slowly opened his eyes to stare up into the face of his wife. She smiled at him gently as she took his hand in hers.
"Rose," he whispered with relief.
"My Doctor," she responded before bending down to give him a kiss. After she broke the contact she pulled him to his feet. Her arms were around his neck before he had steady footing, but he refused to push her away.
"It was an unprovoked attack!" Strax said from a short distance away. They turned to see that the group was back together again.
"Rose," the Time Lord whispered, turning back to her. "I have to-"
"I know," the blonde woman responded with tears in her eyes.
"I love you," he whispered before pulled her into a deep kiss. They enjoyed the moment, drowning in their love. The background noise faded out as they focused on only each other. This was a kiss that meant everything and nothing at all.
"I love you too," Rose responded when they separated. She walked over to stand next to the others. Jenny gently touched her shoulder in support.
"You can't go in there. It's your own time stream for goodness sake!"
"I have to get her back," the Doctor said. Jenny, Strax and Vastra looked stricken at his words.
"Of course. But not like this."
"But how?" Jenny asked.
"How can she still be alive? It killed Dr. Simeon!" Vastra stated.
"Clara's got one advantage over the Great Intelligence," the male alien responded.
"Which is?" she asked.
"Him," Rose whispered. Tears were streaming down her cheeks as she watched her husband proudly.
"Doctor, please listen to me. At least hear me!"
"Now if I don't come back- and I might not- go back to the TARDIS. The fast return protocol should be on. She'll take you home then shut herself down," he explained with a sad look on his face.
"There has to be another way. Use the TARDIS, use something. Save her yes, but for goodness sake be sensible-"
The group watched as the Doctor turned and seemed to catch something invisible. Rose smiled sadly as she stared at her old friend. It was apparent River thought none of them could see her any longer.
"How are you even doing that? I'm not really here."
"You are always here to us," he responded sadly. "And we always listen."
"We?"
"Yes River," Rose said softly, causing the hologram to turn her way. "We can always see you."
"Then why didn't you speak to me, either of you?"
"We were afraid it would hurt too much."
"I believe I could have coped."
"No," the Doctor said, stepping closer to her. "We thought it would hurt us. And we were right." He glanced up at his wife, who nodded sadly. The Doctor turned back to River and cupped her face in his hands before kissing her gently. Rose felt no envy or anger; she knew how much River loved the Doctor. This was going to be their final goodbye and something had to be given to the woman who helped them so much. She brushed away the tears that were still slowly making their way down her cheeks.
River smiled gently at the Doctor as he pulled back. "Since nobody else besides Rose can see you in this room god knows how that looked."
Rose gave a startled and sad little laugh before turning to her companions. They did indeed look very shocked.
"There is a time to live and a time to sleep River," the Doctor said as he peered down at her. "You are an echo. Like Clara, like all of us. In the end, my fault. I know. But you should have faded by now."
"It's hard to leave when you haven't said goodbye."
"Then tell me, because I don't know… How do I say it?"
"There's only one way I would accept. If you ever cared about me, say it like you're going to come back."
The Doctor heaved a smile and stepped back, trying to put a smile on his face. "Well then," he said softly. "See you around Professor River Song."
"Until the next time Doctor." River turned to face Rose. "Thank you Rose."
"Goodbye River," the blonde woman said. "You'll be in our hearts always."
"Oh there's just one more thing."
The Time Lord chuckled softly. "Isn't there always?"
"I was mentally linked with Clara. If she's really dead then how can I still be here?"
"Okay," he responded, opening his hands in question. "How?"
River smiled sadly as she started to fade. "Spoilers. Goodbye my sweeties."
The Doctor stared at the spot where she stood for a moment before turning around. His eyes brushed over Vastra, Jenny and Strax before coming to rest on Rose. They smiled sadly at each other.
"Come back to me if you can," Rose said, tears evident in her voice.
He nodded before stepping forward. "Geronimo."
Clara felt pain rip through her body as she fell through the timeline. She felt as each part of her life was scattered throughout the past of her best friend. She watched as each version of herself helped the Doctor in one way or another. Something small or something big, but she did whatever she could do to save him. She marveled at the different versions of him that appeared in her mind.
As she fell Clara felt something tingling in the back of her mind. She closed her eyes and focused on it. It felt familiar yet completely alien, and that was saying something after her travels with the Doctor and Rose. A gasp escaped as she envisioned a bright yellow light surrounding her. It felt warm and gentle as enveloped her. In her mind she saw it shift to take the shape of a woman. Blonde hair and golden eyes were the first recognizable features she was able to discern from the glow.
"Rose?" she asked, awe in her voice.
The figure shook her head, a small smile on her lips. "No, I am not Rose Tyler," she responded. Her voice echoed in their surroundings. "I am the Bad Wolf, and I am a creation of hers. I share her mind along with the TARDIS. We have come to say thank you for your sacrifice."
Clara shook her head earnestly. "The Doctor will live if I do this. So will the others. It's worth it."
Bad Wolf nodded approvingly. "You are indeed the impossible girl. But we make a separate request of you. I'm sure you're aware that there are infinite possibilities within a timeline? Every choice we make creates a different possible future." Clara nodded her understanding, prompting the entity to continue. "The TARDIS and I want to show you something. Will you allow us to show the possible future we dread the most?"
"Of course," the brunette woman responded.
"Then keep your eyes closed and open your mind. Do not respond to what you see, else we will be repelled from you."
Clara nodded again and took a deep breath before opening her mind. Images assaulted her and she had to force herself to remain calm. Rose and the Doctor she had never met standing on a beach together, Rose crying as he faded away. The image shifted to show the two of them hugging in the TARDIS after being reunited. Love flowed from the scene in her mind and she smiled. It changed again to show the beach as Rose hugged her mother goodbye and joined the Doctor in the TARDIS. Clara felt a great sadness as it faded only to be replaced by an image of the Doctor carrying Rose's lifeless body from a burning building. Tears gathered behind her lens and fell as she saw her friend's rage build and build before it exploded.
The next scene was the new Doctor, crash landed in the yard of a young redhead. Flashes of their adventures floated through her mind. They were soon joined by a sandy-haired man and every once in a while River would show up. She frowned as she watched her Doctor marry River Song in an impromptu wedding after time started to collapse. She felt the heartbreak of her friend as each new adventure unfolded. The death of Amy and Rory had an especially painful effect on him. He withdrew from the world for a long time before meeting Clara in London.
The images faded from her mind, replaced by the golden figure. "Are you okay?" she asked in her hollow voice.
Clara cleared her throat. "Yea, I'm okay. That was horrible. He was so lonely and there was so much pain." A humming in the back of her mind startled her, but she soon realized it was the time machine agreeing with her.
"We need you to prevent this. Rose Tyler cannot join the Doctor before a certain time or she will die. Even I cannot save her from this fate. This is our request to you: You must help to keep Rose away until the day of Amy and Rory's wedding."
"But what can I do?" Clara asked in a small voice.
"The TARDIS will close the door before Rose Tyler can join the Doctor and Donna. He must go through that journey alone. We need you to allow a part of yourself to travel out of his timeline and into hers. Or more accurately, ours. You can protect Rose Tyler across the void from the lonely life she will have to lead. When the time is right you have to make sure she is thinking of the Doctor. The connection must be made between the two of them for her to come back. The echo of yourself that is still alive in that time period will also think of her. She will not have met Rose Tyler, but I will plant myself in her dreams. A simple way to strengthen the bond," Bad Wolf explained simply.
"How will I know when it's the right time?" Clara asked.
"I will place dreams in your mind in the alternate universe as well. I will also make sure you have access to the family so that you may bond with Rose Tyler."
"Sounds doable," the brunette responded thoughtfully. "But wait a second. Rose didn't recognize me when she met me with the Doctor."
"I will suppress those memories until the right time. Will you do this for us?"
"If this has already happened then don't I have to say yes?"
Bad Wolf shook her head. "Everything is a choice. It will just mean that his timeline will adjust to your decision. But what you saw happen will happen without your assistance. He will turn into the man you saw in that possible future. We do not want that. What do you say?"
"Yes, of course. I can't let that happen to him."
The light grew brighter as the figure smiled joyfully. "We cannot express our gratitude to you. It will be painful, and for that I am sorry. I must extract that part of you now. Are you ready?"
Clara nodded. A moment later she felt as if someone was pulling a piece of skin off of her arm. She stifled a cry of pain and grimaced. After a few seconds the pain faded, and the golden light started to go with it.
"Thank you, Clara Oswald. The impossible girl. You are truly a wonderful companion."
Clara saw new scenes playing out in her mind. She watched as another version of herself met Rose Tyler in the alternate universe. She became the tutor for Tony, Rose's little brother. The girls bonded over his well-being and quickly became friends. Rose often confided in her the heavy loneliness she felt without the Doctor. Clara lent her support and helped to keep her mind off the Doctor when she could. Except for the day after she had the strange dream. Suddenly she wanted to know all about Rose's lost love. She had even watched as Rose disappeared from the universe.
I'm the impossible girl, Clara thought to herself. And my story is done.
She landed on the ground with a quiet thud. She quickly sat up and looked around. The ground was covered with a thick mist that conformed around her movements. She could swear she was in the middle of a cave. Her eyes searched for any signs of life. "Doctor?" she called. "Rose? Doctor?"
There was no response and Clara hunched forward. She buried her face in her arms as she started to cry. "Please," she begged the empty air. "I don't know where I am."
After a moment there was a response. "Clara."
The brunette sat up, shocked. "Doctor?"
"You can hear me. I know you can. You can't see me, but I'm everywhere. You're inside my time stream. Everything around you is me."
A figure ran past her. She could barely glimpse him before he was gone, but she would recognize those clothes anywhere. "I can see you," she whispered with a small smile. Another figure passed by her on the other side and she spun around to catch a glimpse. More and more she saw him running past her. She saw the leather jacket and the impossibly long scarf. She smiled a bit wider. "Your different faces, they're here."
"Those are my ghosts. My past. Every good day, every bad day."
A sudden scream shocked her. She saw lightning strike the ground near her, causing it to shake. She fell on her side. "What's wrong, what's happening?" she asked quickly.
"I'm inside my own time stream, it's collapsing in on itself."
"Well then get out!"
"Not until I've got you." His voice was stern and unyielding.
"I don't even know who I am," Clara whispered, letting her head fall.
"You're my impossible girl. Mine and Rose's. I'm sending you something to help. It's from your past, not mine. Look up Clara." She raised her gaze and her eyes locked on the single orange leaf that floated in the air. "This is you. Everything you were and ever will be. Now take it."
Clara reached out and grasped the leaf. It crunched under her fingers but it didn't break. Memories assaulted her mind; her mother, her father, and all of her dreams.
"You blew into the world on this leaf. Now hold tight. It will take you home. I promise."
Clara nodded and stumbled forward a few steps, her fingers still grasping the leaf tightly. She felt unsure and weak but she pressed on. If the Doctor made a promise he kept it.
"Clara!"
She stopped and rocked on her heels for a moment. That voice sounded different. That voice sounded real. She turned around to stare behind her. Her vision started to clear as she focused on a figure. It was her Doctor.
"Come on Clara, come to me. I know you can do it," he called with one arm outstretched.
She stumbled forward and finally collapsed in his arms. He held her tight and kissed the top of her head. Now that he had her he had to find a way out. He had to get back to Rose and the others.
"We need to leave Rose," Jenny said gently. It had been nearly an hour since the Doctor had disappeared.
Rose just shook her head. "I'm not leaving him. You, Vastra and Strax go ahead. You can leave if you feel the need. This is where I belong."
"We can't do that," Vastra said. "The Doctor would be furious with us for leaving you here, stranded."
"Please," the young maid said tenderly.
"Thank you, all of you. But I'm going to wait. He would wait for me."
"Then we shall wait with you," Strax said. The group looked at him in shock but made no comment. It was very rare that the Sontaran would ever say anything so kind.
Rose smiled before returning her gaze to the time scar in front of them. She was terrified for her husband, but she believed in him. Subconsciously her fingers rubbed the wedding band on her finger. They had been married for about two hundred and sixty years now, but it felt like a lot less. Time flew by for them, especially in the time vortex. But it wasn't enough. Her entire lifetime would never be enough for her. She wanted forever with the Doctor. They had deserved it; they fought hard enough for it. She silently prayed to whatever deities existed to bring her husband back to her.
The light flashed and the group shielded their eyes again. After it dimmed down they turned their gazes back to the center of the room. There, standing in front of the time stream, was the Doctor. An unconscious Clara lay in his arms. He smiled at them, really glad they had stayed behind to welcome him back.
"Doctor!" Rose exclaimed with joy.
"Hello," the Time Lord responded. "Now Strax, if you would be so kind, please do a full scan of Clara for me. I need to make sure she didn't sustain any injuries." He gently laid her on the ground before stepping back to let the nurse approach. He barely had time to do that before he found his arms full of his pink and yellow life partner. "I'm sorry Rose. I didn't mean to scare you. Are you alright?"
"We're fine," Rose said with a grin. "No damage done. I'm so glad you're okay."
They stood together in a tight embrace while Clara received her checkup. Both had the other on their minds, relief flowing through them. They only separated when they heard Clara cough from the ground.
Rose quickly knelt next to her friend. "Hey sweety," she said softly, her hand on the side of Clara's head. "How are you feeling?"
The brunette's eyes slowly opened and she smiled up at the group. "I'm okay," she responded. Her voice sounded a bit dry. "Glad to be out of there."
Rose laughed with relief as she helped the girl to her feet. "Well we're glad to have you back. It would have been lonely without you in the TARDIS."
At the mention of the time machine Clara's visions of the Bad Wolf flooded back. "Oh Rose!" she squealed before launching herself into the blonde's arms. "I am so sorry for all the pain you had to go through!"
Rose felt a bit off balance. She glanced up at the Doctor, but he was just as confused as she was. "Um, thanks?"
"And I'm sorry that you got stuck in that alternate world for so long. They wanted you to come back, but things got complicated."
"What are you talking about Clara?" the Doctor asked gently. "Who did?"
"The TARDIS and the Bad Wolf."
Both the Time Lord and Rose reeled back in surprise. "What do you mean?" Rose asked as she released Clara. "How do you know that name?"
"I saw her, in the time stream. The Bad Wolf. She asked me for my help and I gave it to her."
"I'm so lost," Rose muttered. She opened her mouth to ask another question but a sudden pain in her head caused her to close it again. She hissed in pain and grasped her head with both hands. Her husband was at her side in a moment, concern written on his face.
"What is it, what's happening?" he asked anxiously.
"She's going to be fine," Clara said. "Bad Wolf said she would get back her memories at the right time."
"What memories?" the Doctor demanded.
Rose stopped shaking and managed to open her eyes. She raised them to Clara and after a moment a grin split her face. "Oh Clara," she whispered as she pulled the younger woman into a hug. "Thank you so much. You didn't have to do all of that."
"Can someone let me in on the big secret here?" the Doctor asked loudly.
"Come on love," Rose said, releasing Clara and taking his hand. "We'll explain as we head back to the TARDIS."
They walked out of the tomb and back through the tunnels. Along the way Clara and Rose explained to him about being friends in Pete's World. Clara also filled them in on why exactly the door had closed and how Rose had been brought back when the universe was reset. By the time they finished talking they had arrived back at their TARDIS.
The Doctor swept her up into a hug as the others filed into the time machine. "Thank you Clara," he whispered in her ear. "I know you had a choice, and I am so grateful to you for choosing this one."
"Of course I chose this!" Clara said with surprise in her voice. "I couldn't let you be that other Doctor I saw. And I happen to like Rose a lot. I'm glad she's with you. How could I erase her from your life?"
The Time Lord dropped a kiss on her forehead before following her into the TARDIS. He flashed a smile at his passengers before starting up the machine. It hummed loudly as he set the destination: London, so his friends could return home. As the journey started he moved to sit on the stairs behind the control panel. Rose gently touched the glass cylinder to send her thanks to the wonderful ship before joining her husband. She intertwined her arm through his and rested her head on his shoulder.
"You know what this means don't you?" she asked as she watched the others.
"Hmm?"
"I'm not going to randomly disappear. I'm here forever. The Bad Wolf and the TARDIS would never let that happen. You've got me until the end of our lives."
The Doctor gently rested his cheek on the top of her head. "Being stuck with you? That's not so bad."
"Yea?"
"Yes."
There we go! I really hope that clears up any confusion about what happened. I really enjoyed writing this chapter. I tried to go into as much detail as I could. Sadly my beta is not online so I apologize for spelling errors! Also in this version River never married the Doctor. I'm gonna write a companion piece to this about when time collapsed to show exactly what happened. And it's not word for word with the episode, so please don't make a comparison.