Title: A Day and Life on the TARDIS
Author: Flydye8/Heintz571
Pairings: Clara/12th Doctor
Rating: T
Summary: This is a collection of stories about the times in-between Clara's and the Doctor's adventures. The ones we never see; because we all know once you starting living with someone, life always gets more interesting. The stories are primarily fluffiness, domestication, family life, romance and a loving friendship taking place after "Last Christmas".
Author's Note: Sorry for the last cliff hanger, nah not sorry. It took a bit longer to get this chapter out, it didn't seem to flow well enough at first but I think it is okay now. So let me know what you think.
Many thanks to my beta reader, Marie Anne Louise especially for putting up with all the revisions to this chapter.
Clara ran out of the TARDIS with tears clouding her vision. Hearing Sexy state that the Doctor would die unless she terminated her pregnancy caused her heart to ache and anger to permeate her soul. She took slow deep breaths in the hopes to calm herself, knowing such strong emotions could cause her children distress. After a few breaths she started to feel a bit better. Her mind was almost clear until she saw Susan start to sit up from the grass she fell on.
As Clara watched the fallen woman struggle to get to her knees she felt the full force of her emotions once again. Fear, frustration, and anger coursed through her veins. Reacting to those feelings Clara ran toward Susan grabbed her arms and shook her hard. "Why are you doing this to me?"
Still not quite mentally alert, Susan questioned in confusion, "Why am I doing what to you?"
Rage blazed in Clara's eyes, "Don't you dare be coy with me Susan, and just tell me why!"
"Why what Clara? I don't understand," Susan countered trying desperately to shake off the fog that clouded her mind.
"Why must I choose between the Doctor and our children?" Clara yelled, her voice echoing in the night air.
"Choose? Why would you have to choose? Grandfather and I would never ask such a sacrifice from you."
Clara released her grip on Susan's arms and stated quietly, "Sexy said that I would have to terminate the pregnancy to save the Doctor."
Susan looked at Clara and smiled now understanding the reason behind Clara's emotional outburst. Shaking her head she stood and brushed off her trousers before grabbing Clara's hands to help her to her feet, "We really need to update the TARDIS's language data banks. You don't have to terminate the pregnancy. You have to transfer the pregnancy."
Still feeling unsettled, Clara asked, "Transfer the pregnancy?
"Yes, Clara, a transfer."
"I still don't understand. You better start from the beginning."
Susan led her into the TARDIS as she spoke, "It is a bit of a story and we don't have much time."
As they entered, the TARDIS lights were still dimmed and Sexy was standing sheepishly in the center of the console room. Approaching the duo she spoke sadly, "I believe that I have made a mistake."
Clara glared and hissed irritably, "Yes, I think you have."
"I am sorry Clara Oswald, but words sometimes get a bit difficult for me. Homo-sapiens languages have so many synonyms, and I still get them confused."
Susan smiled sympathetically at the corporal image of the sentient ship, "Don't worry, we will upgrade your language data banks once the Doctor is safe again."
With Susan's mention of the Doctor, Clara's frustration gave way to worry, "What has happened?"
Leading her down the passageway toward the medical bay, with Sexy following closely behind, Susan began, "We arrived at Wenley Moor and found that the Silurians were using local inhabitants to dig tunnels deep underground. It seems there was a trans-continental shift in the tectonic plates under Wenley Moor resulting in the awakening of that group of Silurians. Unfortunately, many of them died or were trapped under several metric tons of earth and rock. Because the Silurians didn't know how to ask for help from the humans, they decided to hypnotize some of them and use them to assist in the rescue of their fellow comrades."
Reaching the medical bay Susan guided Clara to one of the examination tables before she continued her story, "There was a huge communication barrier but Madame Vastra helped with that problem very quickly. Once we found out what was going on, Kate called in UNIT to help with the rescue. We were near the epicenter of the tectonic shift when another quake took place. I got separated from grandfather when there was another cave in. After I dug my way out, I found my way to the TARDIS and that is when the emergency protocols went into effect, bringing me back here."
Sexy finished the story, "I received a repeating message from the Doctor's sonic screwdriver instructing that I needed to bring Susan here and retrieve you."
"Why would he do that Sexy?" Clara asked not sure if she wanted to know the answer.
Sexy bowed her head, "The only reason I can surmise for such a message is because my Thief was badly damaged and he is close to regeneration."
Bringing her fist to her mouth Clara gasped, "No, I would know. I am sure of it."
"Your connection with my Thief is strong but I do not believe it is that strong," Sexy stated factually.
Determined not to give up hope, Clara decided to focus on something else. Turning toward Susan she asked, "My children; where will I need to transfer them so I can save my husband? And how is that going to work? Is there some futuristic place where we can keep them in some sort of stasis?"
"Yes, there are places like that Clara, but we cannot risk travelling in the TARDIS. Remember what happened last time," Susan stated.
"Okay then is there some place on the TARDIS where my children can stay?"
Sexy spoke up, "Not someplace, but someone."
Clara looked between the two women and stated, "What are you saying?"
Susan wrung her hands in nervousness, a gesture that was very reminiscent of her grandfather. "We can transfer your children to me… temporally of course… so you can use your connection with the Doctor to find him."
"However," Sexy interrupted, "this has never been done before so there is a chance…"
"Yes, go on," Clara prompted after hearing Sexy hesitation to finish her statement.
Susan finished, "There is a chance that it won't be successful and we will lose them."
Clara bowed her head in apprehension; if they did the transfer she could lose hers and the Doctor's children but if they didn't she could lose her husband. There had to be another option which would not cause any possible harm to her unborn children. "What if I take a plane to Wenley Moor? Then I could save the Doctor without any risk to the children. Pregnant people fly all the time, so that could work."
"Yes, that would work if the timeline was liner," Susan stated.
"How long were you gone before you returned?" Clara asked.
"Six months," Susan replied.
"Six months," Clara repeated in disbelief.
"Yes, and the timeline must remain intact, otherwise many lives will be lost," Sexy explained solemnly.
Taking a deep breath Clara nodded her head feelings of worry, sadness and trepidation replacing the emotions she was feeling earlier. Sighing she desperately wanted to get off the proverbial roller coaster of emotions she was feeling. She needed to detach from her feelings but unfortunately found she was unable to do so.
Pacing in the medical bay, Clara tried desperately to find another way to keep everyone safe and with another audible sigh she concluded that there was none.
As she wondered what to do she suddenly remembered something that the Doctor had told her not so long ago on a beach after their adventure on the Orient Express. She closed her eyes and heard his voice perfectly within the echo of her memories, 'Sometimes the only choices you have are bad ones. But you still have to choose.'
Gathering strength from that memory she opened her eyes, "Let's do this."
"Are you sure?" Susan asked.
"Yes, now come on before I change my mind." Then she looked at Sexy and pointed at her, "Make sure you take all the necessary precautions."
"I will do that Clara. Don't worry. Everything they will need to survive, including the placenta and umbilical cords, will be removed and placed inside Susan," Sexy replied as she gestured toward the other bed in the medical bay, "Now, Susan please lay down there."
Once the two women were lying on the beds a bluish light surrounded their bodies putting them in a trance-like state similar to anesthesia.
Sexy closed her eyes powering up the machinery that would assist in the transfer of the children to their surrogate, Susan. Creating a status chamber of vortex energy within the palm of her hands she hovered over Clara's abdomen, and with a violent contraction of the muscles two small embryos emerged and were immediately surrounded by the life sustaining energy shell.
Sexy, sensing the children's distress, reassured them in a soft voice, "Shh little ones, you are going to be fine."
Moving the few steps necessary to where Susan lay prone on the other medical bed, Sexy gently placed the embryos over the woman's abdomen and soon the energy surrounding the embryos permeated the outer skin disappearing into the depths of Susan's body.
Once the transfer was complete, Sexy turned toward the monitors to make sure that her Thief's and his wife's children were safe. As she observed the readings on the computer screen she noted that Susan's body was adapting well as the newcomers made themselves comfortable inside her.
Smiling she was pleased to see everything was okay: the placentas had attached to the womb and the children were already getting the nutrients they needed from Susan's body via the umbilical cords. Deciding to keep Susan under for a bit longer until the embryos were peacefully settled, she awoke Clara first.
Immediately after Clara opened her eyes she asked quickly, "Are our children okay?"
"Take a look Clara," Sexy said as she pointed to the monitor showing four little heartbeats within the image of Susan's body. "Everything is just fine. The children have adapted perfectly and Susan's body is accommodating their needs."
With tears in her eyes, Clara watched the hearts of the children move rapidly. Bringing her hands to her abdomen she felt so empty, "I miss them already."
"Don't worry; once you return we will reverse the procedure, but be warned you must return before it is time for their next energy release."
"Okay I will remember but what if the Doctor regenerates? What will we do when the children are two months old?" Clara expressed her worries to the sentient being of the TARDIS.
Looking at her kindly Sexy asked, "Do you think it will make any difference if my Thief has a new face?"
"No. Okay, maybe. I don't know. Possibly?" Clara stated hesitantly.
"Will you love him any less?" Sexy probed gently.
"No, I will love him just the same but what if he doesn't love me as much?"
"Clara Oswald, I promise you that he will love you just the same. He will always be the Doctor but just in a different casing. Once you have a Time Lord's hearts, his love will never change no matter how many regenerations he or she may undergo."
Smiling, Clara's took solace in Sexy's words and then asked, "How did you become so smart in the matters of the heart?"
Sexy replied with a soft smile, "I have always known about feelings, but I am just now beginning to understand them better. I have had a good teacher; but enough sentimentality, you have work to do Clara Oswald."
"Yes, I do. Can Susan be safely awaken now?" Seeing Sexy nod her head she continued, "Then please wake her because I want to make sure she is safe in the cottage before we leave."
Removing the blue field of light, Susan's eyes opened then widened as she placed her hand over her abdomen, "Now, that is something I never thought I would feel again."
Clara helped her to a sitting position, "Are you okay?"
"Yeah, I am."
"Good. Let me help you get to the cottage," Clara said as she guided Susan out of the med bay to the Control Room.
Reaching the TARDIS doors Susan stopped, "I can manage from here. You need to go. Grandfather needs you." Seeing Clara's hesitation to let her leave on her own, she reassured, "I will keep your children safe, I promise. Now go!"
'Okay, we will be back as soon as we can," Clara stated embracing Susan in a tight hug before opening the doors allowing her to exit. Closing the doors, Clara hurried toward the main console as the TARDIS lights brightened.
Turning on the monitor, she read the last known coordinates. Typing in the numbers in she pulled the activation switch and as the sound of the TARDIS filled the room she placed her hand on her abdomen.
Closing her eyes she said a quick prayer, "To any of you higher powers out there, don't you dare let me down."
Author's note: See everything will be okay. Please review it will be greatly appreciated.
Flydye8/Heintz571