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The Snowmen – Part One

Charlotte put her arm around Laura as her friend cried, wiping a few tears from her own eyes as well. "Don't cry…Laura, please don't cry" she pleaded, hugging Laura as tight as she could. Laura gulped and pulled a tissue out of her pocket; the two of them had abandoned their gowns and were sitting on the edge of Madame Vastra's guest bed. They had come back from an unsuccessful attempt to join the Doctor aboard the TARDIS, and Laura was despairing.

"I…I'm sorry" she sniffled, "I just…I'm scared".

"I know, so am I…but we're gonna be okay. You know that, right?"

"A-are you sure…?" Laura asked hesitantly. Charlotte sighed, and gave her a weak smile. "Of course I'm sure" she lied, "If you're right about the date, and you usually are, we'll only have to wait a few weeks before the Doctor goes in search of Clara – the modern Clara, I mean – and when we're travelling with him, we'll have a better chance of finding a way home…and what brought us into this universe in the first place".

"I guess…b-but what about our families, and friends?"

"…Laura, there's nothing we can do. We will get home, I know we will, but life back home won't stop because we're not there. I hate to see it, but if we're away for a while, they're going to move on…I think the only thing we can do is…is do the same" Charlotte admitted. It hurt to admit that if enough time passed, their families would probably believe them to be dead, mourn them and move on…but she knew if they focused too much on home, on the past, they would get nowhere.

Laura swallowed hard and nodded. The pair sat quietly for a few moments, just absorbing everything that had happened. Charlotte cleared her throat and commented, "Um, we should probably help Jenny with chores and stuff…to earn our keep, y'know. Maybe…we could do a bit of exercise as well, get in shape for the outrageous amount of running we're gonna be doing" she suggested, playfully poking Laura in the stomach.

A smile quirked Laura's lips upwards. "Yeah…good idea; maybe Madame Vastra and Jenny could help train us" she suggested. Charlotte blinked as she considered this, and then winced. "I think we better hold off asking the women who wield swords like chopsticks to train us…I'm not sure we'd be able to keep up. Know thy limits, and all that".

"Hmm, that's a good point" Laura admitted…her expression grew thoughtful, and she slowly asked, "Hey, Charlotte? I think….I think we should talk to the Doctor".

Brow furrowed, Charlotte gave her best friend a questioning stare. "We just did try talking to him…it didn't really work" she pointed out with a huff of disappointment.

"I know, but…what if we're the ones who help him open up again? Help him get over the loss of Amy and Rory, like a therapist?"

"I wouldn't call it 'therapy'…but I guess, if he got to know us, he might decide to take us with him when he goes in search of the original Clara…"

"Yeah, exactly!"

"We'd have to be careful about what we talked about…but I bet you he's curious about the whole 'Doctor Who TV show' thing. Yeah….yeah, this could actually work. Nice one" Charlotte grinned, giving Laura a high five. Laura's grin faltered as she brought up another suggestion. "I err…I think we ought to spend a bit of time with Clara, as well".

Charlotte frowned…she didn't like where this was going. "Well, we are going to be spending time with her, when she travels with the Doctor".

"I mean this one, the Victorian version of Clara. I want to get to know her better".

"Laura, you know why we can't! We know what happens to Clara this Christmas. She…she dies, I'm sorry, but we know it's true. Imagine how hard it would be to befriend someone we know is doomed…especially when we can't save her? We don't know how much of the timeline we can change, we're probably changing enough just by being here at all".

"I know, but…" Laura struggled to put her thoughts into words. "I just think...she deserves more. She's an echo of the modern day Clara, but she has her own life here…she sort of saved our lives in a way, I feel like…the least we could do is…is appreciate her" she explained at last. Charlotte looked at her friends saddened visage and groaned, burying her head in her hands. "Why is it so hard to say no to you? Okay…we'll get to know this Clara, but we have to make a pact, that we won't try to save her. I know it'll hurt, but we have to maintain the timelines as much as possible" she insisted.

Laura nodded emphatically in agreement; Charlotte took a deep calming breath, and held out her right hand. Laura placed her right hand on top of it, and one by one they declared, "I promise to not change the timelines".

Pact made, they prepared for bed…whatever happened, they'd get through this predicament, and they'd get through it together.

/

The Doctor strode through the snowy streets of London, one arm tucked around Charlotte's and the other around Laura's. "Isn't it odd that you look identical to Matt Smith?" Charlotte questioned out of the blue. She and Laura had told him all about the fictional programme that depicted some of his adventures, and about the actors who had played his various incarnations. He frowned at the non-sequitur and inquired, "What do you mean?"

"Well, Matt Smith is a human in one universe, and you're a Time Lord in a parallel universe. It just seems statistically improbable that you would look identical…I suppose I thought there'd be a few differences between you and him".

"I think the fact that we're different species is a rather large difference. It isn't actually statistically improbable for a human to exist in your universe who exactly resembles me…random chance doesn't cause every single iteration of something to be completely unique, and besides, if the same person exists in two parallel universes, they're unlikely to exist in the same form in both" the Doctor explained as simply as he could. "Understand?"

Charlotte nodded. She did understand…mostly. "I suppose that makes sense. Thanks for explaining it" she smiled at him, and he sighed.

"You're welcome" he replied. He'd been reluctant when they had first approached him, but really, they hadn't been asking for much, only conversation. He didn't want to admit it, but it was…rather nice to have company, who didn't try to engage him in the affairs of other people, but just wanted to ask him questions and spend time with him.

They took a shortcut through an alleyway to return to where Strax was waiting for them with the carriage. Charlotte and Laura had to hide grins when they recognised where they were. "Did you make this snowman?" Clara asked as they walked past her.

"No" the Doctor replied bluntly, walking on – only to pull up short when Clara added, "Well, who did? Because it wasn't there a second ago. It just appeared, from nowhere".

Curiosity piqued, the Doctor turned and walked up to the creepy looking snowman to examine it. Clara recognised the girls, and greeted them with a cheerful, "Laura, Charlotte! How 'ave you been?"

"Very well, thank you" Laura beamed at her. She was glad she'd gotten to know Clara…the young woman was much like her original, but different circumstances made her a slightly different person. For instance, this Clara had been raised as a Christian, and as far as they knew the modern Clara had no religious faith. As a Catholic herself, Laura really got along well with Victorian Clara; something that worried the ever practical Charlotte, who wondered how well Laura would cope with her new friend's inevitable death.

The Doctor looked up from examining the Snowman. "You know each other?"

Laura nodded and explained, "Clara here helped us when we…when we got lost in London a few weeks ago" she caught herself from the slip, remembering the 'official story' about their presence in this universe. "Clara, this is our friend, the Doctor".

"The Doctor? What sort of a name is that?"

"Oi!" the Doctor frowned, disgruntled. He shot a glare at Charlotte when she sniggered, but she ignored him and nodded at the Snowman. "So how'd you explain that?"

"Maybe it's snow that fell before. Maybe it remembers how to make snowmen".

"What, snow that can remember? That's silly" scoffed Clara.

"What's wrong with silly?"

"Nothing; still talking to you, ain't I?"

The Doctor eyed the Snowman suspiciously. "…You've got nothing to worry about" he declared at last, "It'll melt. Clara, was it?"

"Yes"

"Nice name, you should definitely keep it. Goodbye" he said bluntly, walking away to the carriage. Charlotte, Laura and Clara followed after him, the latter protesting, "Oi! Where are you going? I thought we was just getting acquainted".

"Those were the days" the Doctor said wistfully, before adding to Laura and Charlotte, "Come on, it's late. I'm taking you home".

They climbed into the brougham carriage with him. Vastra's voice emerged from a telephonic device attached to the inside roof…she sounded smug. "How refreshing to see you taking an interest again; Miss Seamer tells me your new acquaintance is rather nice".

"I just spoke to her".

"And made your usual impact, no doubt" Vastra commented. Charlotte couldn't resist quipping, "Yes, he did".

"No, I didn't" he insisted, "No impact, none at all. Those days are over".

"You can't help yourself. It's the same story every time. And it always begins with the same two words".

The Doctor huffed in frustration. "Why would she be interested? She should just forget about me. It's bad enough she knows about these two, and my name, Doctor. What two words?"

Before Vastra could answer, there was a thud on the roof and Clara stuck her head through a hatch. "The Doctor, did you say?" she asked, as the Time Lord stared at her in bewilderment, "Doctor Who?"

/

Strax observed the mysterious GI Institute from a distance, whilst the Doctor examined the snow. Clara was locked inside the carriage, and he'd forbidden her friends from opening it…by threatening to wipe all their memories. They hadn't looked too pleased with him for that.

"They've taken samples from snowmen all over London. What do you suppose they're doing in there?" Strax wondered. The Doctor scooped up a handful of snow and let it trickle through his fingers. "This snow is new. Possibly alien. When you find something brand new in the world, something you've never seen before, what's the next thing you look for?" he asked no-one in particular.

"A grenade!" Strax declared immediately…the Doctor stared at him.

"A profit" Charlotte answered, "Or a camera, but I'm not sure they've been invented yet".

"Profit" the Doctor nodded, "That's Victorian values for you".

"I suggest a full frontal assault with automated laser monkeys, scalpel mines and acid".

"…Why?"

"Couldn't we at least investigate?"

"It's none of our business".

"Sir, permission to express my opposition to your current apathy?"

"Permission granted"

"Sir, I am opposed to your current apathy".

The two Whovians snickered, and the Doctor rolled his eyes. "Let me out!" Clara shouted from inside the carriage, but he ignored her to say sarcastically, "Thank you, Strax. And if ever I'm in need of advice from a psychotic potato dwarf, you'll certainly be the first to know".

"But if the snow is new and alien, shouldn't we be making some attempt to destroy it? Be reasonable".

"Let me out!"

"It is not our problem" the Doctor insisted sourly, "Over a thousand years of saving the universe, Strax, you know the one thing I learned? The universe doesn't care".

Charlotte rolled her eyes at that. "Yes, you're right" she remarked, "The universe doesn't care about you, or me, or anyone else because in case you haven't noticed, it doesn't have a consciousness to care with. Doctor, think about it; if someone raised money for cancer research every year, and then someone they loved died of cancer, do you really think they'd just say 'Well, the universe doesn't care about me, my life sucks, might as well give up helping anyone ever again'? Of course they wouldn't!"

"Yeah, and besides, you didn't save the universe for the universe's sake. You saved it for the sake of ordinary people like us" Laura pointed out, putting an arm around Charlotte's shoulders. The Doctor pursed his lips; he could tell what the pair were trying to do, after centuries spent around humans he could read them like open books…but he remained stubborn as ever. "We're not discussing this now" he said firmly, "I've got my own problem to deal with".

Clara banged on the door of the carriage again. "-In this carriage!" she was shouting, "Oi, Doctor! Laura, Charlotte! Let me out!"

The Doctor unlocked the door, and Clara stumbled out. "Don't worry. No one's going to hurt you" he reassured her, but Clara was too busy staring at Strax. "What is that thing?"

"Silence, boy!"

"That's Strax. And as you can see, he's easily confused".

"Silence, girl" the Sontaron corrected his mistake, before adding, "Sorry, lad".

"Sontaran. Clone warrior race. Factory produced, whole legions at a time. Two genders is a bit further than he can count".

"Sir, do not discuss my reproductive cycle in front of enemy girls. It's embarrassing".

"Typical middle child of six million" the Doctor quipped idly.

"Who are you?" asked Clara; he wasn't like any man she'd ever met before. Also…he was rather handsome…

"It doesn't matter because you're about to forget that you and I ever met" the Doctor told her solemnly, before turning to Strax and ordering, "We'll need the Worm".

"Sir" Strax saluted. Clara's eyes widened in alarm. "You'll need the what? The worm? What worm?"

"Don't worry, it won't hurt, but one touch on your bare skin and you lose the last hour of your memory" the Doctor explained. Clara frowned at him, and then at her friends when she realised they were trying to hold back laughter. "What're you-?"

"You'll see" Laura managed to get out, before covering her mouth with a hand. Both Clara and the Doctor eyed the pair oddly…then Strax returned, sans Worm. "Where is it?" the Doctor asked him.

"Where's what, sir?"

"I sent you to get the memory worm".

"Did you? When?" Strax asked blankly, before spotting Clara, who was starting to snicker herself. "Who's he? What are we doing here? Look, it's been snowing!"

"You didn't use the gauntlets, did you?"

"Why would I need the gauntlets?" inquired Strax…before asking conspiratorially, "Do you want me to get the memory worm?"

"You…!" the Doctor made a gesture as if to strangle the Sontaron, sounding incredibly frustrated. The three women burst out laughing.

/

A short time later, Strax was underneath the carriage, trying to find the escaped Memory Worm. "Well, can you see it?" the Doctor asked impatiently. The sooner they caught the Worm, the sooner he could wipe Clara's memory and send her back to her safe, boring human life.

"I think I can hear it!" the Sontaron declared. The Doctor heard a snigger behind him and pointed a warning finger at Clara. "Oi, don't try to run. Stay where you are".

"Why would I run? I know what's going to happen next and it's funny".

"That's the spirit" Charlotte grinned, "Learn as much as you can, then leg it. Reminds me of someone, not sure who…" she said mock-thoughtfully, catching the Doctor's eye. He looked away and asked Clara, "What's funny?"

"Well, your little pal, for a start" she replied, nodding at Strax's legs sticking out from under the carriage, "He's an ugly little fella, isn't he?"

"Maybe; he gave his life for a friend of mine once".

"Then how come he's alive?"

"Cos he didn't actually die" Laura remarked before the Doctor could answer, "The wound wasn't really fatal, he just fainted". At least, that was the explanation given by the little mini-sode 'Demons Run – Two Days Later'.

"How'd you know that?" Clara asked, confused. Laura hesitated, not sure how to reply…but luckily, Strax chose this moment to announce, "I can see it!"

"Ooh, can you reach it?" the Doctor asked eagerly, "Have you got it?"

There was a short, silent pause, and then… "Got what, sir?"

Smirking, Clara held up a pair of thick black gloves that had been left on the seat in the carriage. "Because these are the gauntlets, aren't they?"

"Sir, emergency! I think I've been run over by a cab!"

/

The Doctor donned the gauntlets himself and managed to get hold of the wriggling Worm, like a giant white grub. "There you go. One touch and you lose about an hour of your memory. Let it bite you and you could lose decades" he explained, getting it into a jar that Charlotte was holding out, her own hands protected by the gloves she was wearing. "Thanks" he nodded to her, making her smile.

"And you're still not trying to run" he commented, but Clara simply replied, "I don't understand how the snowman built itself. I'll run once you've explained".

"Clara who?"

"Doctor who?"

"Oh, dangerous question"

"What's wrong with dangerous?" Clara challenged playfully – but her smile soon faded when she spotted a Snowman forming by itself behind the Doctor. Laura and Charlotte spotted it as well, watching it warily. The Doctor remained oblivious, and began to explain, "The snow emits a low level telepathic field".

"My snowman…"

"It seems to reflect people's thoughts and memories and because it's unusual, somehow it carries a previous shape and"-

"No, Doctor. My snowman" Clara pointed behind him at the Snowman that had appeared out of nowhere, complete with jagged grin.

"Ah! Interesting. Well, were you thinking about it?"

"Yes" Clara replied; her eyes widened when another Snowman appeared, and then another, and another. They were being surrounded!

"Well, stop. Clara, stop thinking about the snowmen!" the Doctor warned, pulling her down as the nearest snowman breathed icy snowflakes at them. Charlotte wondered if they could just be kicked apart, but she didn't want to risk it; for all she knew, they'd freeze her foot or something.

"Get down! Clara, listen to me. The snow's feeding off your thoughts".

"I don't understand".

"You're caught in their telepathic field. They're mirroring you. The more you think about the snowmen, the more they appear. Imagine them melting, all of you. Picture it. Picture them melted!"

All four of them closed their eyes and visualised the Snowmen turning to water…moments later, the women gasped in shock as icy water splashed them, soaking their clothes. "Fff- freezing!" Charlotte gasped; she had been about to say something completely different, but it was Victorian times, she had to maintain some semblance of propriety. She suddenly remembered something and walked over to Strax, who had been standing guard beside the carriage.

"Strax, listen. I need you to double back around and pick us up from the park the TARDIS is stationed over. Laura and I have some…stealth training to do" she explained. It was the most believable lie she could think of, and the military minded Sontaron would probably buy it.

"My orders are to listen to the Doctor, not to you, boy".

She didn't bother correcting him on her gender, already used to it. "I'll get you one of Jenny's sherbet fancies".

"…Stealth mission. Understood" Strax nodded once. Charlotte gave him a thumbs up, and walked over to Laura, hugging her as an excuse to whisper in her ear. The Doctor ushered them all into the carriage and told Strax to take them home...then he walked away, apparently oblivious to the fact that all three women had climbed out of the carriage from the other door.

They followed him to the park, which wasn't as far as they'd thought. Clara watched in amazement as he pulled a ladder down out of thin air, and climbed up it. Charlotte and Laura were slightly less impressed, having seen it on television…but yes, it was pretty cool seeing it in person. Clara jumped up to try and grab the ladder, but ended up falling down in the snow. The other two helped her up, and she took a running jump, managing to grab the bottom rung this time.

"Come on" she grinned at Laura and Charlotte, before climbing up the ladder. They followed her up onto a platform that seemed to be suspended in mid-air…perhaps with anti-grav clamps attached, Charlotte mused. Clara tried waving at a few passers-by, but nobody noticed them. "Hello? Invisible" she realised, "An invisible staircase".

They climbed up the spiral staircase, Clara first, then Laura and Charlotte. "Psst, Laura; let's not go in the TARDIS. The Doctor doesn't know we've followed him, and I want to keep it that way. He might stop trusting us if he found out".

"Okay" Laura nodded in agreement. The three of them reached the cloud - if it was a cloud – that the TARDIS sat upon. Clara hesitated, before stepping up onto it, surprised that she could stand on it. The others followed, and Laura grinned to herself. I'm standing on a cloud she thought gleefully, Just like a pegasus.

Charlotte moved past Clara and walked up to the TARDIS, moving to the side and carefully resting her hand against the wood. Whenever someone claimed in the show that the TARDIS was 'alive' after touching it; that always confused her because surely they'd touched humming machinery before? When she touched it now though…she got what they meant. It made her hand tingle, and it was warm to the touch, not cold like she'd expected.

Clara knocked on the TARDIS doors, but quickly ducked out of sight when the Doctor opened the door. After a brief revolution around the TARDIS, the three of them managed to sneak back down the ladder…but Clara had to lose her shawl behind, and Charlotte only realised that the Doctor would have found it when they had met up with Strax and were being escorted home. She just hoped he wouldn't figure out that she and Laura had trailed after him too…she didn't want him to lose trust in them and shut them out, not when they were this close.

/

Laura and Charlotte went out with Jenny the next morning, to do some errands…and also to keep away from Strax. Charlotte had sneaked him a sweet from Jenny, thinking he couldn't be that bad with just one…she'd been mistaken. Their path just happened to take them past the park that the Doctor had made his home – That makes him sound like a hobo Charlotte realised, amusing herself. She had such an odd sense of humour sometimes.

"Doctor! Doctor!" A familiar voice drew their attention, and they pushed their way through the small crowd that was gathering. Clara was trying to grab the ladder again, in broad daylight...no wonder people were staring. This was the same woman who managed to trail after a man (who admittedly could be a bit oblivious) without detection, no less.

"Now then, that's enough noise. We don't want to attract attention, do we?" Jenny admonished her. Clara turned around, and looked relieved at the sight of her friends. "Laura, Charlotte, you'll never guess – we need the Doctor. Do you know where he is? Wait, does she know who he is?" she asked, gesturing to Jenny. The young maid tilted her head curiously and smirked. "Doctor who?"

The four of them returned to Madame Vastra's house. She had apparently managed to calm Strax down, because he gave Clara his customary greeting. "Do not attempt to escape or you will be obliterated! May I take your coat?"

Clara shook her head, eyeing him warily. Jenny led them into the conservatory, where Madame Vastra waited sitting in her peacock chair. Laura was puzzled as to how she knew to be waiting, and then remembered that they seemed to have a psychic connection.

"Sit" Jenny directed Clara, who obeyed; the two Whovians stood to one side of her chair. "There are two refreshments in your world the colour of red wine. This is not red wine" Madame Vastra said pointedly. The message was clear; tread carefully, and do as she was told.

"Madame Vastra will ask you questions. You will confine yourself to single word responses. One word only, do you understand?"

"Why?"

"Truth is singular. Lies are words, words, words. You met the Doctor, didn't you?"

"Yes"

"And now you've come looking for him again. Why?"

Clara hesitated, frowning slightly. "Take your time" said Jenny, "One word only". Charlotte and Laura remained silent, feeling as if they oughtn't interrupt. After a few moments, Clara replied, "Curiosity".

"About?"

"Snow"

"And about him?"

"Yes"

"What do you want from him?"

"Help"

"Why?"

"Danger?"

"Why would he help you?"

"Kindness"

"The Doctor is not kind"

"No?"

"No. The Doctor doesn't help people. Not anyone, not ever. He stands above this world and doesn't interfere in the affairs of its inhabitants. He is not your salvation, nor your protector. Do you understand what I am saying to you?"

A small smile formed on Clara's lips. "Words" she answered simply.

Madame Vastra sighed. "He was different once, a long time ago" she admitted, "Kind, yes. A hero, even. A saver of worlds. But he suffered losses which hurt him. Now he prefers isolation to the possibility of pain's return. Kindly choose a word to indicate your understanding of this".

"Man".

"We are the Doctor's friends. We assist him in his isolation but that does not mean we approve of it. So, a test for you. Give me a message for the Doctor. Tell him all about the snow and what fresh danger you believe it presents, and above all, explain why he should help you. But do it in one word" Madame Vastra challenged Clara, who stared at her disbelief. "You're thinking it is impossible that such a word exists, or that you could even find it. Let's see if the gods are with you".

/

The console phone rang; the Doctor rolled his eyes and set his book down, picking it up. "Yes, what? I'm trying to read" he said rather snappishly. He wasn't in the best mood – what Charlotte and Laura had said last night, it…it had got to him a bit. Then he'd found Clara's shawl and realised she'd followed him…which meant Laura and Charlotte might have done the same, despite promising to respect his privacy and to do as they were told…the Doctor focused back on the call.

"Miss Clara and her concerns about the snow" Vastra was explaining, "I gave her the one word test".

"That's always pointless. What did she say? Well? Well?"

"Pond"

The Doctor pulled off Amy's glasses, and looked at them wistfully. He could almost hear her, "Come along, raggedy man!"…his hearts ached.

"Strax has already suggested where to start investigating".