A/N: Okay, is it just me, or does everybody else totally want to see a lot more of Clara's dad in series 8, and want to learn how her mum died? I don't really honestly CARE about the Maitlands, give us more of Clara's family, Moffat!

-REMEMBER ME-

CHAPTER TEN

Feel Better, My Clara

I hear bird song.

I'm wrapped in a fluffy cloud. No, bed sheets. I'm warm and comfy and in my bed. I don't remember a thing past when I regenerated. But here, now, I'm comfy and safe and warm.

The first thing that my new nose smells is the light scent of flowers, mingled with the scent of home. There's a faint scent of something else in the air, fading away even now. It smells like time and space. It smells like you.

I open my eyes. The first thing my new eyes see are the flowers on my bedside. Not Gallifreyan flowers, but flowers from Earth. White and green and purple and blue and red and beautiful.

There's a note, scribbled in your messy handwriting, in beautiful circular Gallifreyan.

Feel better, my Clara.

-The Doctor.

I take a deep breath, smiling, filling my new lungs with the scent of your flowers. I sit up. The suns are shining through my window. In the distance, I can see the reconstruction of the Citadel already underway. I swing my legs over my bed, get up. I feel fresh and new.

I'm dressed in a white night gown, and I'm clean. I feel as though I've been reborn, and, really, I have been reborn.

I head to my dresser, and pick up the mirror which sits there.

My new face is very close to my first face, round and soft and funny nose and sweet eyes. I'm a bit darker in color, and the freckles from my last regeneration are gone. My hair is a soft honey blonde, with large soft curls framing my face, climbing up to the darker roots near my scalp. I'm shorter now, again. My curves are back, and I'm happy for that. I was getting sick of being a rail and nothing fitting me.

Speaking of which, I need new clothes.

My closet is full of clothes, but nothing holds my taste anymore. I liked that, really? Ugh.

I throw on some clothes as a temporary measure, and head downstairs, intending to get in my TARDIS's wardrobe, which is much more extensive.

My dad is waiting for me in the living room.

"Clara!" He says, looking overjoyed to see me. He takes me in his arms and hugs me tight. "You're awake!"

"'m fine, dad, don't make a fuss," I say.

"I was worried about you," he says.

"I just regenerated, nothing to worry about."

There's something in his eyes, something he's not telling me, I can tell. He's worried, but hiding it for my sake.

"Was the Doctor here?" I ask him. He nods. He says nothing more, however. "And? Where is he?"

My dad looks slightly nervous. Now I know he's definitely hiding something. I prod him with a look. He sighs in resignation.

"He left once he knew you were going to be alright."

I try to hide my disappointment.

"Where did he go?" I ask.

My dad looks even more nervous and he shifts uncomfortably.

"He left Gallifrey."

It's hard to hide how hurt I am.

You left? Why did you leave? Why would you do that? I thought…

Well, I don't know what I thought. I don't know why I thought you might stick around.

No matter. I'll go after you.

"Did he say where he was going?"

"No."

Well, a challenge then. I like a challenge. That's new. That's alright. I like a challenge now. Challenges are cool.

Without another word to my father, I leave the house and go to my TARDIS. He follows me, looking pained and worried.

I ignore him, and I head to the wardrobe first, changing into some more suitable clothes. Short skirts and a denim jacket and frilly shirt. Lots of beaded necklaces and some red Chuck Taylors…but not just any Chuck Taylors. Chuck Taylors that give me a bit more height. Back to wearing high-heeled everything. It's annoying, being short.

Feeling much better and much more like myself, I head back to my console room, and my father is standing there, with that expression still on his face.

"You alright?" I ask him. "You look like you just swallowed a lemon."

He doesn't answer.

"I'm going to go find the Doctor," I tell him. He looks like he has no intention of leaving, so I shrug. I wouldn't mind him on board, if only to keep the inevitable loneliness at bay. He might cramp my style a bit, but that's alright. He's still my dad. "Coming with me, then?" I say, already plugging in the coordinates.

He avoids my eyes, examining the white floor instead.

"Hm. I don't like that white floor anymore. I might need to change the desktop theme. Something more colorful," I say aloud. "Purple. Yes. I want something purple. I think I'll change the Time Rotor's color." My dad says nothing. "You're oddly quiet," I comment. He stays silent. I shrug. "Well, whatever. Off we go!"

I pull the lever to take us off, but instead of the TARDIS's familiar grating sound, there's the sound of powering down, like she's sick, and the lights flicker off. My father and I are lit only by the white Time Rotor.

"Oh, no! No, what's wrong, girl?" I frantically start pushing buttons and pulling levers and tearing things apart looking for the problem. Sparks fly as I dash around the console attempting to identify the problem.

And then, there it is. I find it. The Timey-Wimey disintegrator is fried and the wiggly-cable is plugged in the wrong place. The Artron energy is frying up everything in it's path. She's being destroyed from the inside out. She's eating herself. The Eye of Harmony has been poisoned by its own power. Bad. Bad. Very bad.

Panic fills me.

"No," I whisper.

She's had her wings clipped.

She'll never fly again.

Run you clever boy, and remember me.

A/N: Please, don't hate me for what happens in the next few chapters. It was necessary for the plot and character/relationship development, and, though it may seem out of character at first glance, I really don't think it's that out of character at all, because...well, you'll see. Spoilers.

Also, you must forgive me for my absolutely abysmal techno-babble. It's terrible. It's my first attempt at techno-babble, so it really just sort of...sucks. I tried. I really did try. I sincerely hope it's one of those things that gets better with practice, or my career as a science fiction writer is over before it started.

Please don't forget to leave a review!