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He did show up on Wednesday. That Wednesday was the day they went to Trenzalore. That Wednesday, the mystery of Clara Oswald was solved. But it wasn't without consequences. The memories. They clouded her mind. They never seemed to go away. They were never complete memories. Just bits and pieces of her different lives. They gave her headaches, migraines. They gave her nightmares. The nightmares were the worst thing about the memories.
The Doctor was lying with Clara in her bed at the Maitland's house. She couldn't go home. She couldn't face her father yet.
The Doctor held her close as he saw the tears begin to appear. It always started with the tears. He was prepared to wake her up when the crying worsened. He knew it wouldn't work now. This was becoming a usual thing. Once he heard her quiet whimpering he shook her gently. It didn't work. He shook her slightly harder, but there was still no response. The whimpering was turning into sobbing now. He called her name quietly, but there was still no response.
He hated seeing her like this, but she wouldn't wake up. She soon become to scream and he didn't know what to do. He heard a soft knock on the door as Martin and the kids walked in. "Again?" Martin asked, concerned. The Doctor silently nodded. Martin could tell that the Doctor was having a hard time with this.
"Go back to bed kids." Martin told them.
Artie frowned and said, "Why does Clara keep having nightmares?"
The Doctor looked down at Clara, and he let a single tear drop down his face. He was the one to cause this. It was his fault his Clara was in pain. He could never tell Artie that though. He could never tell anyone that. It was hard enough telling himself.
Martin closed the door behind him as the kids went back to their rooms. He put a hand on the Doctor's back and said, "You haven't been able to wake her up?"
The Doctor shook his head. He moved the hair out of Clara's face and softly said, "Come on now Clara. Wake up!"
He tried shaking her again. He was getting angry at himself. He didn't want Clara to have to suffer through this. He didn't want Clara to cry. He didn't want to have to see her be like this! He did something that even he hadn't suspected. He slapped her. Both Martin and the Doctor stared at the latter's hand in disbelief. She awoke with a gasp, and a hand went immediately to her cheek. It had a red palm mark on it.
The Doctor jumped off of the bed and started pacing the room. "Clara, I am so sorry! I didn't mean to! You just wouldn't wake up, and I… I am so sorry. If you want me to go I'll go. I'll leave right now. I am so, so sorry. I can't… Why did I... Oh my god Clara, what have I done?"
Clara slowly sat up and wiped her tears. Martin realized that there was nothing he could do there, and he swiftly left. She returned her gaze to the Doctor, who was now sitting in the chair by her computer with his face in his hands. "Doctor…" She started.
He didn't look up as he said, "I don't want to be like him." It was slightly muffled because of his hands.
Clara frowned in confusion. "Be like who?"
He looked up and there were tears streaming down his face. "Like that bastard Tommy! I should've never laid a hand on you! I need to go. I am so sorry, Clara. I…" He didn't say anything else as he grabbed his jacket and left.
Clara stared at her door in shock. She wasn't even sure what had just happened. First she was dreaming about being a dalek. She was screaming out for help. Then all of a sudden she awoke to a very painful sting on her cheek. She grasped it, seeing the Doctor and Mr. Maitland kneeling over her. They were looking at the Doctor's hand in shock. She reasoned that the Doctor must've slapped her, but she wasn't mad at him. She was thankful that he ended that horrible dream… no, memory. She still wasn't used to calling them that.
When she saw the Doctor he looked… horrified. He looked horrified at what he had just done, and he looked… broken. She didn't want him to feel like he had done something wrong. She was slightly shocked that he had slapped her, but she would never think of him as the same as Tommy. Never.
Clara wiped away the remaining tears and stood up. She started searching around the house, but as she got to the living room she heard the familiar sound that usually made her stomach giddy with anticipation. This time the sound made her sad. The Doctor was leaving, and there was no telling when he would be coming back.
ooooOOOoooo
The next Wednesday arrived, but there was still no Doctor. Clara sat in the kitchen, looking out the window with a blank stare on her face. She had a feeling he wouldn't come. She could still see how broken and horrified he looked. Artie could see something was wrong, and he walked up to her slowly. Angie quickly saw what he was going to attempt to do, and she stopped him.
She pulled him away and said, "If she wants to talk about it she will. She obviously doesn't, so don't try."
Artie looked at her and then back to Clara. "But, she looks so… sad. When mum died we were always quiet like that, but we always wanted to talk about it. Clara knew that, and so she talked about it with us. We should talk to her about her boyfriend."
Angie looked at Clara, and she felt the soft side of her opening up. She sighed and said, "Fine, but I'll talk to her. You go play with your toys or something. This is a girl matter." He nodded and walked away. Angie tentatively walked toward Clara. "Um, hey Clara." She said quietly. Clara didn't respond. Angie took a seat next to her and asked, "Are you okay?"
Clara blinked, as if she was coming out of a trance, and said, "Yeah, I'm fine. Just… what do you need?" She tried to act cheery, but it wasn't really working.
Angie looked into Clara's eyes, which were now becoming watery. "Clara, I know this is about the Doctor. Are you worried about him?"
Angie's voice was soft. It was the voice she only used when she talked about her mum. Clara smiled weakly and a few tears rolled down her cheeks. She pulled Angie into a hug and said, "Oh, I'm fine sweetie. Thank you."
When Clara let go Angie asked, "For what?"
Clara smiled a little more and said, "For caring. And yes, I am worried."
Angie nodded and looked down at her hands. "Is… is he ever coming back?"
"I honestly don't know. That's what I'm worried about." Clara said, another tear escaping. She didn't know what she would do if he never came back.
Angie put a hand on Clara's and said, "That night, when Dad went to help the Doctor wake you. That was the night he left. What happened?"
Clara sighed and wiped her cheeks. "I..." She closed her eyes for a second. She opened them, more tears falling, and said, "He slapped me." Angie's eyes widened in shock. "It was only to wake me up. He said… He said he didn't want to be like Tommy. He was crying, and he left."
Angie didn't know how Clara could still not be outright sobbing. This seemed so sad. Angie squeezed Clara's hand as she said, "He'll come back."
Clara's eyes narrowed. "How do you know? He might never come back, ever. He might just abandon me here! He might forget about me and move on!" The tears were coming down even faster, and they didn't seem likely to stop. "How would you know that he'll come back?! You're just a stupid child! You couldn't possibly know that he'll come back!"
Angie had let go of Clara's hand, and tears threatened to escape her eyes. She swallowed and said in a shaky voice, "I know he will come back, because it's you." One tear escaped as she turned and walked away.
Clara stood up and said, "Wait, Angie. I'm sorry! I didn't mean it!" Angie didn't stop, and Clara sat back down. She looked back at the window, and she cried. She wasn't even trying to stop it now. Angie had tried to be nice to her, and she got mad at her. She shouldn't have yelled.
Clara slowly went up the stairs and into her room. There were too many things going through her mind. She was getting a migraine again. She suddenly remembered being in Gallifrey. She heard someone singing a Gallifreyan work song, and as she entered the house she realized it was the Doctor's mother. He had just left. Clara asked where, but his mother didn't know.
"Probably off causing mischief." His mother said.
Then she was gone. Clara was no longer in Gallifrey. She was in Victorian London. The Doctor was there, and he was telling her to imagine the snowmen melting. She did, and they were hit by freezing cold water.
Her eyes snapped open as she was snapped back into reality. She had sworn she had heard the sound of the TARDIS materializing, but it was just a shower. She sighed as she closed her eyes again, hoping the Doctor would soon make his return.
I hope you enjoyed, and please review to tell me what you think!