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Clara had stormed into the TARDIS first, walking over to when Danni had put her cup of tea and picking it up, not stopping until she'd gulped the lukewarm liquid down, not taking a breath until she'd slammed it back onto the TARDIS console.
In fairness, she felt she had the right to be completely freaked out by what had happened. This strange man in a monks outfit had appeared at her door, with a wife, only to decide to change up into some better clothes and stand guard outside her house. Next thing she knows he's dragged her into a completely impossible box and then they're on a plane! Not just a plane, a crashing plane and she and his wife have to watch while he attempts to stop it killing them all!
This was not a typical day for her. Never mind the rush of adrenaline she got from the near-death experience, she deserved to know what the hell he was thinking!
"OK." She declared, turning to the pair, looking up at the Doctor firmly, "When are you going to explain what the hell is going on?" He stared at her for a moment before grinning.
"Breakfast." He replied, throwing a switch on the console. Clara yelped in surprise as the TARDIS lurched, the Doctor keeping a firm grip on Danni until it stopped and he rushed to the door. Clara dashed around the other side, trying to keep up.
"What? I ain't waiting till breakfast." She exclaimed.
"It's a time machine." He pointed out with a gesture of his hands, "You never have to wait for breakfast." With that he opened the door and headed out into the sunlight. Clara hesitated before turning to Danni, who had pulled the monitor to her.
"What did he mean?" She asked.
"He meant that she is a time machine." Danni retorted, sounding slightly annoyed, "If he calls her an 'it' one more time we're going to have a serious talk. It's demeaning." Clara could hear the Doctor thanking someone outside and the faint sound of people clapping, "Are you not going to follow him?" Danni asked as the screen came to life and showed the Doctor bowing to the small crowd that had gathered outside. Clara glanced out the door. It couldn't really be morning out there, could it?
"Are you?" She asked Danni.
"Nah." Danni dismissed, "I'm not a fan of breakfast. It's lunch or nothing for me." Clara hesitated for a moment longer before following the Doctor, amazed because it actually was morning, and people were actually giving him money, putting into a fez she knew for a fact he hadn't been wearing when he'd left the giant box.
They'd actually moved from her front garden, to a plane and then to, what appeared, to be the side of the Thames. And it was morning, it was actually bright blue skies and people were giving him money like it was some sort of act.
"Ah." He shoved the fez at Clara, noticing instantly Danni hadn't followed either of them, "Keep collecting, we need enough for breakfast. Won't be a moment." Leaving her to fund their food, he rushed past all the praising people and back into the TARDIS, quickly shutting the door behind him.
"Hey!" He called over to Danni happily, "You can't hide in here all day. We'll get pancakes!" He skipped down to her side, "I know a lovely little place. I say little, I mean it's on top of a building that looks across the city, but it's still lovely."
"I'm sure it is." She agreed as he pulled her into his arms, smiling in that way he always did before he dipped her head to kiss her, "But someone has to stay and look after the TARDIS."
"You're not coming?" He asked quietly, sounding quite sad at the idea, "They'll have pancakes!"
"I don't really fancy pancakes." She broke to him with a soft smile, "Go, have fun with Clara. I'll be here when you get back." He looked behind him, torn over what to do. He needed to explain to Clara what had happened, he owed it to her considering how, at some point, she'd save Danni's life. He also needed to get to the bottom of this Wi-Fi business, people had probably already died from it and they couldn't let it continue. But he didn't want to leave Danni behind, and she'd been doing so well. She'd even come out of the TARDIS and she'd been worried about this 'new' Clara despite herself. He'd wanted to keep that going.
Danni smirked, leaning up slightly like she was about to tell him a secret, "And, without me there, you know what you can take?" His brows furrowed until it came to him, something he'd not done since Rose. She smiled at how happy he looked and he couldn't have been more in love with her if he'd tried. He pulled her in for a kiss before spinning on the spot, grabbing the monitor and typing into the keyboard he'd pulled it to.
"This is this address of the cafe." He told her, pressing the last key with a flourish, "Press this button," He pointed to a small, square blue one, "and the TARDIS will bring you straight to me. Are you sure you'll be okay?" She rolled her eyes, pushing him towards the hallway.
"I'm a big girl, I'm sure I'll find something to read." He grinned, dashing out into the hallway and turning left, "Wrong way!" She called and he nodded as he walked past the doorway.
"Right." He called and she laughed. She actually didn't know which way the garage was, but she'd guessed he hadn't gone the right way.
~0~0~0~
Danni walked around the console, trying to convince herself she wasn't bored. She'd gone to the library, but none of the books really grabbed her fancy. So she'd headed to the bedroom to sort through the clothes she'd stored in there for easy access; the TARDIS wardrobe was brilliant but infinite clothes made finding anything specific rather difficult. Plus, she'd never been one for separate bedrooms and dressing rooms. All her stuff was in the bedroom, why would she want her clothes to be somewhere else?
She hadn't realised how bright she had been. Everything was blue or red or purple. Nothing was classy and calm. Why had anyone let her out of the TARDIS looking like a Christmas tree? There was nothing wrong with a bit of monochrome smartness, it was sophisticated in her opinion. Well, it was now, anyway.
She'd managed to almost completely empty out her wardrobe apart from her wedding dress and a few calmer pieces of clothing. She needed to go through the TARDIS wardrobe for some more items, some much more suitable tops and trousers. She'd taken the giant pile with her, but the task suddenly seemed incredibly boring.
Everything was boring when she was on her own. That's what she'd learnt down in the crypt, but she hadn't wanted to go with Clara. She still didn't trust the girl, even if her confused act seemed genuine. The Doctor thought this was Clara before her Clara, but she still didn't like it. She needed a break, a breather to get her head around it. It was one of the reasons she'd suggested the motorbike. She, personally, hated it so he never really had a chance to go out on it. If Clara could handle the anti-grav bike, then that was a point in her favour.
She felt bad for the Doctor, she really did. She dragged her hand across the smooth metal of the console with a sigh. He just wanted her to 'back to normal', but she wasn't even sure what that was anymore. Before she'd regenerated, if they'd been on a crashing plane she would have loved it, but she'd not even appreciated the ridiculousness of it, she'd just been terrified. Everything seemed to scare her on some level. Maybe this was her now, but she hoped to anyone who was listening that it wasn't. The Doctor needed someone to run with, and if she wasn't it she was worried he'd just find someone who would.
She glanced at the doorway. She had the address, maybe she could go meet them. Just for breakfast, then come back again. Clara had to be confused beyond anything by now, he wasn't exactly renowned for his ability to explain what his life was all about. He tended to leave it to her because she didn't talk with large words.
She'd tried on her wedding dress in the bedroom, smiling to herself at the wonderful memory of both her weddings. The dress had still fit, mostly. The chest and hips were a bit baggy, but she'd lost some of her curves and seemed a lot more... straight down this time around. The Doctor didn't seem to mind, but she'd not actually let him see her new body, well, not without clothes on yet. The angry burn on her arm was enough to put her off that for the time being. He'd loved her old body so much, she was afraid he'd miss it.
She'd changed into some actual clothing, though, when she'd managed to take it off. No more running around in her pyjamas unless she wanted to. She kind of wanted to, but it seemed a bit too silly. She read the address of the cafe a couple of times before heading out, making sure to lock the door behind her. As if the TARDIS needed looking after, she could take care of herself and everyone else without breaking a metaphorical sweat.
She pulled out her phone, heading down the street as she jumped onto the internet, then onto Google Maps. Great, he was on the other side of the river! Nothing was ever close, was it?!
~0~0~0~
The Doctor shook his head as he headed into the cafe. Had he really just done that? Danced like an idiot? Really? Not even in his signature move, but just some sort of little dad dance. And 27 brains, where had that even come from? Why was he trying to impress her? It wasn't like was attracted to her, he could say that honestly. However, he still had this need to make sure she was impressed by him. Danni obviously wasn't going to take to her straight away, maybe this time he needed to get her onto the TARDIS himself, help Danni warm to her that way. At least then he could keep an eye on her, see where the whole 'Victorian nanny' came from.
He picked up a large chocolate cake displayed on a pedestal. He took a deep sniff of it, taking a moment to wonder if Danni would like a slice before heading to the old man behind the counter.
"Two more cappuccinos over there, please." He ordered and the man put the glass jar he'd been polishing down and headed to the coffee machine.
"One moment, sir." He told him, sounding slightly tired but the Doctor didn't mind. He was too busy trying to decide which cake to take Danni to let her know he'd not forgotten about her the entire breakfast. He was a fan of scones, he thought so anyway, maybe she was too. He should try one just in case, though. He didn't want to take her something disgusting like carrot cake. Who thought putting vegetables into a cake was a good idea?
"You realise you haven't the slightest chance of saving your little friend?" The Doctor looked up from the scone he was about to take a bit out of, confused by the question the barista had asked him.
"Sorry, what?" The flash of blue surprised him and he had to stop himself looking around for a time-jumping redhead.
"I said one moment, sir." The barista replied, his accent back in place. Another spark of blue light and he was stood up straight, chucking his hand towel over his arm like a waiter, "I said, there is not the slightest chance you can save your little friend." The Doctor leant in closer, eyes squinting as he tried to work out what exactly the old man was implying, "And don't annoy the old man, he isn't, in fact, speaking." A flash blue had the old man go back to his work, confusing the Doctor even more. If he wasn't speaking, who was using the man as a microphone?
"I'm speaking." He turned to see a waitress stood behind him, round black tray in hand. She had the straightened posture the barista held just moments earlier, almost too straight to be someone's natural way of standing, "Just using whatever's to hand. Oh, she's rather pretty, isn't she? Do you like her?" The Doctor walked closer, trying to see what exactly was happening to the poor woman. There didn't seem to be any alien technology on her, visibly anyway, "No, wait, I am sorry." She continued, "You seem to have a fancy for blondes, don't you?" His eyes narrowed angrily at the comment.
"You stay away from her." He snarled, missing the flash of blue. The waitress when back to what she was doing, suddenly noticing the angry man towering over her.
"You all right, sir?" She asked nervously and he quickly backed off, unnerved by the sudden change. She had no idea that any time had passed at all, the movement to check her bills on the tray had been entirely too fluid to be anything but where she'd been interrupted.
"Um, yes. Yes, fine." He rambled, passing her the scone before turning and darting out to see Clara. Whoever it was hijacking the people in the cafe had to have been watching them since the day before. That's how they knew Danni had blonde hair, they must have cameras everywhere. That would make sense, if they were infecting people through the Wi-Fi, uploading them to their mysterious hideout then they were probably watching the world as they did so.
Clara was sat at the table still, her chocolate milkshake abandoned to the side of the blue notebook as she continued typing, concentrating so hard she didn't see him come stumbling out of the cafe.
"You OK?" He asked breathlessly.
"Sure," She dismissed, only glancing over at him briefly, "setting up stuff, need a user name."
He smiled despite himself, "Learning fast." He commented, reaching into the pocket. Stupid, deep pockets, where was his phone?!
"Clara Oswald for the win!" She retorted before gasping, holding up a finger, "Oswin!" He double took at the exclamation, remembering the Dalek Asylum girl, 'Oswin'. Was this where the name was from?
He shook his head, chucking his phone at her. She caught it as he turned back to head into the cafe.
"While you're doing that, call Danni. Don't stop until she answers and tell her to not leave the TARDIS!" Clara nodded vaguely, putting the phone down next to the laptop. She'd do it in a minute, she was almost in.
~0~0~0~
Clara smirked to herself as she put the newly acquired pictures into Face Match, a program she'd had no idea existed until she'd been uploaded, or whatever the Doctor had called it, and these people had put the knowledge into her head. She still wasn't completely sure if she was okay with that, but it was working to her advantage at the moment so she'd keep quiet about it until something bad happened.
As Face Match continued to bring up information about the people working at, apparently, The Strand, she picked up the Doctor's phone and flipped through the contacts to Danni, smiling at the little heart emoji trailing her name. God that was so sweet it was almost sickly. He'd talked a lot about his wife while they'd been eating, like he was constantly needed to remind her that he was married. Maybe he just liked to talk about her, whatever it was, it was adorable.
The phone didn't ring, it just went straight to voicemail so she tried again. Nope, still no answer. Maybe she should tell the Doctor. She glanced towards the cafe door to see Danni heading towards her and she smiled in relief.
"I've just tried to ring you, I think your signal must be out." She told the blonde.
"Signal must be out." Danni replied, standing right next to the table.
"I hacked into their system, and I found them." Clara explained, almost breathless in her excitement, "The Doctor didn't think I could do it, but I did! I really did!"
"You really did." Danni replied.
"The Shard. They're in the Shard. Floor 65." She explained.
"Floor 65." Clara froze, hands poised just about the keyboard as she realised that Danni was repeating her, just like the little girl had done on her stairwell.
"Doctor?" She cried in panic, hoping he'd be able to save her again as Danni straightened up, her head slowly turning around unnaturally to reveal a large dish. Numbers began counting up, an orange bar showing how much had already been uploaded. Clara knew she should run, but she was frozen in her chair, terrified as a blue beam shot out of it, hitting her on the face.
~0~0~0~
The Doctor rushed back outside to Clara, knowing exactly why humans were being uploaded from their own bodies just upped the urgency of the situation. Hopefully Clara would have managed to find out their location by now, she'd had more than the five minutes she'd bragged about.
"Clara! Clara!" He called, coming to a stop as he saw Danni's head slowly spin back to face the correct way, showing the dish that sat where her hair would be. His hands clenched by his side, a wave of horror washing over him at the sight of the robot using his wife's image. He knew that it was a robot, that it wasn't the real Danni, who was safe and sound in the TARDIS. The safest place in the universe, and she was waiting for him, oblivious to the anger that appeared at them using her to take Clara. Clara, who was slumped across the table, her face displayed in the dish.
"Doctor? Doctor, help me. I don't know where I am." She pleaded, sounding terrified, "I don't understand. I don't know where I am! Please help me. I don't know where I am! I don't know where I am. Doctor, please, please, help me. I don't know where I am." He reached into the inside pocket of his jacket, pulling out his screwdriver and pointing it at the dish, fully intent on getting the exact transmission of the broadcast.
"Doctor?" The image flickered and he almost dropped the screwdriver in shock as Clara flickered away, replaced by a video of Danni looking vaguely confused as she looked around, "Doctor? Are you... I don't know where I am. Doctor? I don't know where I am."
~0~0~0~
Down below the cafe, the public below carried on their daily lives, nothing out of the ordinary as they headed to their jobs or their homes. Until, that was, a large mechanical device fell from the top of the building, crashing to the ground with a smash, circuit boards and wires scattering around as it barely missed a young professional who had been on the phone, trying to explain to his boss why he was late for work.
A group of them exclaimed, rushing over to the man to make sure he was okay. He was fine, apart from being a bit shaken but he had to get to work and could someone just talk to his boss for a moment? He was ushered into the building which the machine had fallen from, to be looked after and eventually taken to the hospital where was told the shivering was just shock and a couple of days off work would just do the trick.
Nobody noticed the blonde woman tucked away inside the alley by the recycling bins, not even the people who had headed there to do their bit for the environment. But then again, the Wi-Fi was everywhere and they weren't meant to see her anyway.
~0~0~0~
The Doctor moved away from the edge of the building, panting slightly at the effort it had taken to chuck the robot off the side. His arms ached, the robot had been extremely heavy, but he'd just been so angry. They'd gotten to Clara, they'd gotten to Danni, which meant that she was slumped over somewhere like Clara. Unlike Clara, though, he had absolutely no idea where she was. There was no way they'd gotten to her in the TARDIS, he hadn't told her but when he'd entered the coordinates for the cafe he'd blocked all outside Wi-Fi just in case. There was no way she could have even connected to their network, so she had to have left the TARDIS. She was more than likely somewhere on the route to the cafe, but he didn't know that. They might have let her drop where she stood like they had with Clara, but they could have taken her. She was trapped in the Wi-Fi, he had to get her out!
He ran a hand through his hair, brain working a mile a minute, trying to come up with a plan. He couldn't fail this time, he'd already let her get hurt, even when he had been assured of her safety, something always got her. It was like the Wire all over again. Maybe she'd been trying to save someone else, that was the kind of person she was.
He shook his head, there was no time to think about that. He needed to find out where they were, and fast. He grabbed Clara's laptop, seeing the mass of Facebook pages open and frowned for a moment. She was supposed to be finding the location of the Wi-Fi, yet she was on social media?
They all worked at the Strand. He smiled, brushing his hand across Clara's hair for a moment in thanks. Humans, thinking in such a human way he wouldn't have even thought of. Danni would have loved to see that. He frowned, he still needed a plan. How to get them to re-download his wife and friend, hopefully along with anyone else who may have been uploaded and still accessible. He didn't know if they were stored or eaten, the person who had taken over the cafe seemed to imply there was a 'stock' of uploaded human minds. Even if they couldn't get back to their bodies, they all deserved to be free and not trapped, scared and not knowing where they were.
He looked over at the edge again, his frown turning thoughtful as he absentmindedly flicked his screwdriver a few times to change the settings. He needed to get in, but he also needed to stay nearby, because if Danni had been heading this way, he needed to find her quickly. She'd be disorientated and scared and it was his job to take those feelings away.
An idea in mind, he dashed back into the cafe, jacket flaring behind him like a cape. Not all of those people would have been actual humans, there had to be another robot somewhere in this building.
~0~0~0~
In a dark office at the top of the Strand, Miss Kizlet watched over the shoulder of one of her employees as they followed the Doctor through the streets of London, heading towards them at great speed on a motorbike of all things. Sending him the transmission of his wife had been a bit naughty, if she said so herself, but her Client had been very insistent on getting the Doctor to their base as soon as possible, and that his wife had been the best way to do that.
She hadn't expected him to destroy the robot, that had been a wonderful surprise on her part. Her Client had told her many things about the man with the blue box, she was looking forward to meeting him.
He came to a stop just at the foot of the building, next to a large man, eating some chips who spent too much time on the Wi-Fi for his own good. A quick flick on her tablet had him under her control and she used him to turn to the Doctor.
"Really," She sighed and on the screen his head snapped to look at the man, "Doctor, a motorbike? It hardly seems like you."
"I rode this in the Anti-Grav Olympics, 2074." He replied calmly, looking down at the motorbike, "I came last. Danni wasn't impressed, she never did like going upside down."
"The building is in lock-down." She pointed out smugly, "I'm afraid you're not coming in."
"Did you even hear the word anti-grav?" He retorted and even she was taken slightly by surprise as he slammed his hand down on the fuel tank and the bike sparked into life. He twisted the throttle and was off like a shot. She followed him with a tilt of the man's head as his bike went vertical and he started to drive up the side of the building.
"Seriously?" Her little minion, Alexei, asked, gesturing to the screen in disbelief, "He can do that? He can really, actually do that?"
"Oh dear Lord." She muttered, a tiny ounce of trepidation in the pit of her stomach as they all watched him, stunned. Until there was a loud smash of glass, something obviously shattering.
"I think that was your office." Her right hand man, Mahlet, pointed out. She straightened up, fastening the buttons on her jacket.
"Excuse me," She told them, "I believe it's someone to see me." She walked towards her office, head held high, ready to meet this man her Client had been so adamant she kept an eye out for. He was quite clever, she gave him that, but she couldn't see what the big deal was. Well, it wasn't her place to question it, as long as she did as she was told she was taken care of.
She opened the door to see a motorcycle parked in the centre of the room and the man of the hour behind her desk, legs crossed and resting on the surface, still wearing that ridiculous helmet. Really, how did he manage to land a wife in the first place?
"Do come in." She told him. He was tapping against his own thigh when he looked up, features hard, obviously not a very happy man.
"Download her." He demanded.
"Sorry about the draft." She continued, motioning to the windows with a wave of her hand. He pulled his feet off her desk, leaning forward in the chair.
"Download my wife back into her body, right now." He snarled.
"Your friend won't be happy to know you've overlooked her." She replied pointedly.
"Clara comes next." The Doctor dismissed, "Everyone comes next. Put Danni back now."
"I can't." She told him and he shook his head.
"Yes, you will." He retorted angrily.
"She's a fully integrated part of the data cloud now." She explained with a shake of her head, stepping further into the room, "She can't be separated."
"Then download the entire cloud." He commanded, "Everyone you've trapped in there."
"You realise what would happen?" She asked curiously, walking towards the window.
"Yes, those still with bodies to go home to would be free." He replied, standing up to walk around the desk and join her.
"A tiny number. Most would simply die." She pointed out. He shrugged.
"Then they die." He said coldly, "I don't know what your 'Client' has told you about me, but playing to my conscience will not work when it comes to my wife." He smirked evilly, bopping her on the nose, "Give the order."
"And why would I do that?" She asked, confused.
"Because I'm going to motivate you." He told her in a singsong voice, leaning right over her, trying to intimidate her. It wouldn't work, her Client had made her practically fearless. He walked around her and she followed, now facing out of the window, "Any second now."
"You ridiculous man!" She mocked, "Why did you even come here? Whatever for?"
"I didn't." He told her.
"What?" She asked, because he was there, stood right in front of her.
"I'm still in the cafe." He explained, "I'm finishing my coffee. Lovely spot."
"What are you talking about?" She asked quickly, that feeling of dread reappearing. There was only one way she knew for a person to be two places at once, and she was becoming increasingly worried about what him being there actually meant.
"You hack people." He replied, slowing taking his helmet on, "Me? I'm old-fashioned. I hack technology. Here's your motivation! Oh," He leant in closer, "don't forget to tell them, I'm always coming for her."
"Tell who?" She asked quietly.
"Everyone." He whispered. Her eyes widened in horror as his neck straightened, his head slowly spinning around to reveal a dish. She quickly backed away, crouching down in front of her desk, shaking in fear of what she knew was about to happen.
"No. No. No! Not me! Not me!" She begged, but it was too late as a blue beam shot out, engulfing her completely.
~0~0~0~
The Doctor sipped at his coffee slowly, keeping a close eye on Clara, making sure that the data cloud was downloaded. The moment Clara started stirring he was up out of his chair, he darted off, running down the stairs and out of the building. It was times like this he was glad of all the running he'd done over his lifetimes, all those moments had built up his stamina and he managed to get over the bridge and to the TARDIS in what really had been no time at all, but had felt like incredibly too long. He fumbled with his key, throwing the door open.
"Danni!" He cried, slamming the door shut behind him. He couldn't see her, she wasn't anywhere. He ran up to the console, searching the TARDIS for her but she wasn't there. He'd been so sure she'd have beaten him back, but what if she didn't know where she was? He picked up the TARDIS handset, holding it to his ear but it went straight to voicemail and he slammed it down.
He had no way of tracking her down. He'd just have to go outside, start asking people if they'd seen her. Did he have a photo of her? He was sure he had one on his phone, but in his haste to get back to her he'd left it with Clara. As if sensing his thoughts the TARDIS pulled up a picture of her on its monitor, but he'd broken the printer when he'd tried to fix the heating.
She was all alone out there, and he'd promised she'd never feel alone again. What if he never found her again? What if they were separated for the rest of time? He needed her, he couldn't be alone again?
"Theta?" He spun, surprised as the door opened and Danni stepped in, looking dirty and dishevelled, her eyes squinting as she tried to focus, "Doctor? Are you here?" He nodded, dashing from around the console to her side, almost crying in relief.
"Are you okay?" He asked, "Where did you go? Do you remember anything?"
"I remember not knowing where I was." She explained slowly, "I woke up on the floor by the cafe, but I thought it might be best for me to come back here." Her brows furrowed as she looked around, "Where's Clara?"
"I left her at the cafe." He replied sheepishly, stroking her cheek with the back of his hand, "I knew you were hurt, you know I can't stand back and leave you on your own."
"I'm fine." She promised, "I just feel a bit disorientated." He nodded, taking her hand and threading it through his arm as he tried to support her.
"I'm sure you're fine." He promised, "But I'll do a few tests, just to check. I don't want to overlook anything when it comes to you, Danni-Girl."
"Oh, don't fuss." She scolded lightly, "I'll be fine-"
"Please." He interupted, "Let me do this, okay?" She looked up at him, he was looking down at her with pleading eyes. He obviously needed to make sure she hadn't been hurt, it actually had nothing to do with the fact she might have been, it was for himself.
"Okay." She sighed, trying to make it sound like she wasn't happy to give in, "I have one condition."
"What?" He asked and she pulled a cheeky grin.
"Tell me you love me." She challenged and he stopped in his tracks, spinning on his heels so that he could face her. One hand snuck around to the small of her back, the other threaded itself in her hair, his palm on her cheek.
"I've told you, I adore you." He told her, stepping even closer to her, "You're incredibly sexy." He brushed his lips against her, "Clumsy." She gasped in offense but he just brushed his lips against her again, "Your driving skills are, quite frankly, atrocious."
"Now wait a minute, Spaceman!" She exclaimed, just to be cut off by another kiss.
"You make me want to be better." He continued, "You make me better." He kissed her again, "My hearts belong to you, no one else." No kiss this time, but she flushed pink, her breath catching slightly as she stared at him, "I love you, Danielle Fielding. And I'm always, always coming back for you." She reached up, grabbing the front of his jacket and pulling him in for kiss, one he gladly let her deepen as he held her tightly.
~0~0~0~
A couple of days later found Clara back in the Maitland household, carrying on like nothing had happened but it was all she could think about. She carried on with her self-appointed duties, cleaning up after the children, making sure their house was tidy so they had one less thing to worry about. Then, out of the corner of her eye, she spotted the TARDIS parked back outside.
She quickly made an excuse, dashing outside and up to the box, pausing to calm herself down. She knocked casually, like she wasn't too bothered whether there was an answer or not.
"Come in." She smiled, pushing the door open and stepping inside. She took a moment, leaning against the door, to appreciate the interior. Bigger on the inside, there was no way that would ever get boring.
"So... They comes back, do they?" She called over to the Doctor, who was sat on one of the staircases, pair of glasses perched on his nose as he read a book. Danni sat next to him, his free arm wrapped around her waist.
"Not always." Danni told her, "Only for the special ones."
"I'm special then, am I?" Clara replied, pleasantly surprised. Danni jumped up, placing a kiss on top of the Doctor's head.
"You intrigue him." She explained, the Doctor watching her over the top of the round lenses of his glasses as she headed down the stairs, "I'm not so sure, yet." She smiled almost saucily, surprising the Doctor into a grin of his own, "You've got a lot of competition, Clara Oswald." She walked out of the console room, letting the smile drop as she glanced back over the shoulder. She knew what was going to happen next, the Doctor had done everything in his power to make sure that she was okay with it. She'd promised she was, if he wanted Clara there then that was up to him, but she also hoped Clara wouldn't say yes.
He was always drawn to mysteries, the unknown and the new, that's why he'd fallen for her in the first place. He could deny it as much as he liked, but it wasn't her personality that had first caught his attention, it had been the manipulator. And now here was another girl with a much better mystery than her own. She just hoped the Doctor wouldn't be too drawn in by her.
~0~0~0~
"You didn't answer my question." The Doctor told Clara as he placed the book down by his side. He'd only been reading so Danni could read with him, alone it seemed a bit boring.
"What question?" She asked.
"You don't seem like a nanny." He replied and she squeezed her lips together, wondering if she should tell him the truth. She walked down the gangway to the centre of the room.
"I was going to travel. I came to stay for a week before I left and during that week..." She trailed off and he smiled sadly.
"She died," She didn't confirm it, but the look on his face said everything, "so you're returning the favour. But 101 places to see, and you haven't been to any of them, have you? That's why you keep the book."
"I keep the book cos I'm still going." She corrected, skipping to the console. She spun one of the dials on the top, wondering what it did. How could this strange box travel across all of time and space?
"But you don't run out on the people you care about." He took his glasses off, putting them in his jacket pocket, "Wish I was more like that."
"You left me to find Danni." Clara pointed out, "I'd say that was more like that." He smiled softly, nodding.
"I'll always go back for her." He replied quietly before standing up, "You know, the thing about a time machine," he put both hands on the railings, swinging down and landing on the floor, "you can run away all you like and still be home in time for tea," He joined her at the console, "so what do you say? Anywhere. All of time and space, right outside those doors." She stared for a moment before she started laughing, startling him slightly as she began to walk away from him backwards.
"Does this work? Eh? Is this actually what you do? Do you just crook your finger and people just jump in your snog box and fly away?" She walked around him, making him turn as she leant on another part of the console.
"It is not a snog box!" He exclaimed.
"Does your wife know that?" She countered and his mouth opened and closed for a moment before he pointed at her.
"I told you, not for you." He warned, "Keep your lips off my wife."
"Shouldn't she get to decide that?" Clara pointed out, crossing her arms like she always did when she knew she'd won an argument, "I think I should judge whether this is a snog box or not."
"Starting when?" He shot at her and she thought about it. She wanted to go with him, she'd wanted to travel for as long as she could remember, but she also couldn't just come running because he asked her to. It had to be on her terms.
"Come back tomorrow, ask me again." She finally suggested and was completely satisfied by the look of bewilderment on his face.
"Why?" he asked.
"Cos tomorrow Danni might be here and I might say yes." She walked back around him, heading for the door, "Sometime after 7.00 OK for you?"
"It's a time machine, any time's OK." He grumbled to himself.
"See you then." She called.
"Clara?" The Doctor calling her name had her stopping in her tracks, hand ready to unlock the door.
"Uh-huh?"
"In your book there was a leaf, why?" He asked her and she looked at him, a secret smile on her face.
"That wasn't a leaf, that was page one." With that she left, counting down the minutes until tomorrow. The Doctor watched her go for a moment before running to the hallway, flipping a switch on his way past as he went to tell Danni this strange turn of events.