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Travelling through the wormhole wasn't a barrel of laughs; Danni felt like she was being crushed from all sides as they fell through the white light, the Doctor barely was able to hold onto the rope as they zoomed down. It felt a bit like when her manipulator used to set off and send her flying through the vortex, except this time it seemed to go on a lot longer than she had become used to.
They both crashed to the ground, the added extra weight of Danni ruining what was going to be his graceful landing. She groaned as she sat up, rubbing her side where she'd landed on some stone; one day she'll learn how to perfect a landing. She looked around as she evaluated her injury, surprised at the setting. They appeared to be in a forest, with dying trees surrounding them, most of their leaves long gone. A faint mist seemed to be settling around the place, giving it a lovely, creepy grey feel.
"What do you think you're doing?" The Doctor raged at her as he stood up, helping her off the ground afterwards, "You could have gotten yourself killed, there could have-" She cut him off, grabbing the front of his shirt to pull him down to meet her lips. His arms flailed slightly at the unexpected kiss, but before he could react, she was already pulling away. Not wanting it to end, he tried to pull her into another kiss of his own, but she was looking around and he could tell she was already out of the moment. Tonight just wasn't his night.
He should have been angry at her reckless stunt, but he was just so happy that she was by his side he held his hand out to her. She quickly slipped hers into his grasp and he pulled her along behind him, through the trees. He managed to direct them both without incident until he skidded to a stop at the edge of what looked like a cliff. Out in front of them was a blanket of stars, a flashing whiteness blowing around and around the edge like it was circling the entire forest.
"Is that the edge of the planet?" She asked him, having a vague flashback to a planet Ten had taken her to for her birthday.
"It's the edge of the universe." He replied as they watched a piece fall off into the void below them, "It's already collapsing, we should head back to the middle." He turned, heading back the way they came. The fog in the forest was already thickening, which meant that on more than one occasion, Danni caught her foot on roots and stones on the floor she could barely see.
"Where is she?" She panted, "She'll be around here somewhere, right? Because of Emma?"
"Emma should have opened the wormhole somewhere close to Hila." The Doctor agreed, "Hila!" He startled her slightly as he suddenly started calling for the other time traveller. Danni started to struggle to keep up with him and focus on the uneven ground below, until eventually she tripped over something. She went down with a little scream, pulling the Doctor with her. They rolled down a small incline into a small clearing, coming to a stop with Danni underneath the Doctor. His 1200 years didn't seem to have affected his reflexes as he managed to stop himself completely crushing her by holding himself up with his arms straight. She panted heavily, her hearts pounded heavily in her chest. His green eyes bore down into her brown ones, and she wished more than anything that he'd just kiss her.
A whooshing noise from her left had them both looking towards it. The fog swirled around them, blocking off most of everything in the area from view. Something creaked, like someone was stepping on some twigs.
"What's that?" She whispered and he shook his head, jumping up. He held a finger to his lips as he looked around, trying to keep a watch out as he helped her up. He held her hand tightly, ready to run if necessary. Something moved, they both heard it in the trees and she jumped closer to him, holding his arm tightly with both hands, "Theta."
"Sh." He said firmly. His hearts pounded, racing in the fear of the unknown. There could be anything in these woods, and not knowing what he was up against was one of the scariest things he could think of. Especially when he had something as precious as Danni to protect. He pulled her up closer, ready to chuck her behind him when he turned around, "One, two," He whispered, closing his eyes, "Three." He spun them around, but nothing was there.
"Help me!" A voice rang through the air and Danni jumped, "Help!"
"Is that her?" Danni whispered.
"This way." Was his quite reply, pulling her the way they were running. Out of the fog, a woman in a bright white spacesuit came barrelling towards them and Danni screamed slightly as the Doctor jumped in fright at her sudden appearance.
"Ah! Hila Tacorian, I presume." With his free hand, he grabbed hers and tried to pull her after him and his wife. However, she refused to follow, pulling her hand away as she panted.
"Who are you?" She demanded.
"Collapsing universe. You and me, dead, two minutes. No time, complete sentences - abandon planet!" He rambled, trying to run off again.
"Wait!" Hila cried and he fell to a stop again, "There's something in the mist."
"Then run!" He exclaimed, not waiting around any longer. He began to pull Danni, calling another "Run!" over his shoulder. Hila managed to keep up with the pair, only running slightly behind them as the Doctor lead the both to the clearing where he and Danni had come through.
"Who are you?" Hila demanded again.
"Doctor," Danni panted, motioning to her husband before pointing to herself, "Danni. Time travellers."
"Doctor, Danni! Come home. Doctor, come home!" Emma's voice called to the pair, echoing eerily through the forest. Sounds of something following them, standing on fallen twigs and rustling through the undergrowth, seemed to keep up with them as they dashed through the darkness.
"What is that?" Hila asked, "That voice, I keep hearing it."
"That's Emma." The Doctor replied, sounding a lot less out of breath than the two women. Damn full Time Lords, "She's calling to us through the exit. If we just follow her voice..." They burst through another bunch of trees to end up on the edge of the universe, like he and Danni had just been at previously. The Doctor skidded to a stop, catching Danni before she went tumbling off the edge.
"Not that way." He muttered, looking around as he tried to find his bearings. It was hard, though, to know where you were in a universe that wasn't your own and was rapidly collapsing, "Which means... probably..." He decided that it was perhaps better to just run inwards, after all the edge was only going to kill them as it encroached on the rest of the land. He tugged Danni's hand and they began back into the forest.
"Doctor, where are we going?" Danni asked, "Where's the exit?"
"I seem to have misplaced it." He replied, jumping over a fallen log before helping her over, "I'll find it, don't worry. Everything is under control." The sound that had been following them suddenly seemed so much closer. They came to a stop, all of them panting as they looked around, trying to spot the thing that was following them, whatever it was. Something scampered past, a blur of blackness that barely stood out as the light continued to fade and Danni backed away and into Hila. They both jumped in fright, turning to face each other and Danni shot her an apologetic smile.
The Doctor motioned with his hands for the two to stay where they were, slowly stepping forward as he tried to see what it was. He was sure they were on the right track, he just didn't know where exactly to go from there.
"Doctor!" Emma cried again, and he homed in on it, hand out behind him. Danni rushed forward, taking it.
"This way!" He told them, slowing down just slightly to help Danni keep up with him, "Don't let go." He told her.
"Like I was planning to, Spaceman!" She replied and he glanced back to see her grinning at him. She was enjoying herself, she wasn't terrified like he thought she would be. She'd said she didn't want to be scared anymore, maybe that force of will had actually changed her mind?
"DOCTOR... come home!" Emma cried again, her voice straining through the air. In the distance, through the trees, an image began flickering into existence.
"Is that... the mansion?" Danni asked and he nodded, skidding to another sudden stop.
"The mansion?" Hila asked.
"An echo house, in an echo universe." The Doctor explained, nodding in approval, "Clever psychic, that is just top-notch."
~0~0~0~
It seemed to take forever to get to into the house, and when the trio were in the door slammed shut behind them. They had been followed, none of them had mentioned it but the scuttling behind them had been louder than Emma calling them. The Doctor pulled out a bike lock out of his pocket, using it to lock the door. He leant his head on the heavy wood, trying to hear the creature on the other side.
"Where did you get a bike lock from?" Danni hissed and he waved at her, telling her to be quiet. Her lips pursed and he noticed, his hands stopping their flapping in the air.
"It's looking for a way in." He told the pair just as the creature rammed into the door. He jumped back, turning and taking her hand again, taking them both to the music room, where the cold spot had been.
"The heart of the house." Danni cried in realisation as they rushed in, the wormhole causing a powerful wind to blow through the room. The Doctor used the sonic on the door, trying locking it.
"Grab the rope, give it three tugs!" He called to Hila, holding up three fingers just to clarify "Quick as you like!" He smacked the screwdriver on his hand, but it just flickered and didn't work. Must be the proximity of the wormhole.
"What about you two?" Hila called as she put the harness on. The Doctor took off his bowtie, wrapping it around the door handle.
"We'll be next." He called and she nodded to herself. Three tugs on the rope, and she was pulled through the wormhole. The Doctor used his bowtie to keep the door closed behind them, "That should keep him out." He told Danni, grinning at her as she smiled back, "Look at you, with all the running." He praised over the rushing wind.
"Being scared and running; it's a brilliant combination!" She shouted back. He pulled her in for a hug, just so overjoyed that she really seemed to be coming back to him that he lifted her up. She squealed, demanding to be put down and he did, but not before spinning around once.
"You're brilliant!" He cried, "Amazing! My Danni-Girl!" There was a loud thudding on the door, four beats in slow succession just like what echoed through the real house, "Ah! Oh, that's what that noise was! Lovely." She giggled and he took her hand tightly, pulling her towards the swirling portal. Then, suddenly it was gone and room was silent.
"Theta, where did it go?" Danni whimpered and the Doctor stared down at her, eyes wide in devastation.
"The signal's been cut." He told her, "We're on our own."
~0~0~0~
With a pain filled gasp, Emma fell from her chair in the middle of the room onto her knees. The portal flickered and closed and Alec ran to her side, holding her close.
"No!" Clara screamed, rushing towards where the hole between the universes had been, but there was nothing but a doorway to the next room. No, no they couldn't be stuck there! What would she do without them? They were her only ride home, but more importantly they were her friends! Her chest her as she froze, her brain not kicking back into gear for a while as she circled around the thought of them never coming back. The Doctor and his Danni-Girl, trapped in a dying universe, all alone. From outside, the TARDIS tolled its cloister bell, and she turned around slowly. It sounded like it was crying, calling out for its friends.
She could see Alec cradling an unconscious Emma in his arms, rocking her slightly. Clara couldn't even see Hila, who looked bewildered at everything that had happened to her, all she could focus on was the psychic, "Wake up." She whispered before rushing over, "Wake up!" She shouted, kneeling down in front of her, "Open the thing!" She begged.
"I'm sorry." Emma sobbed into Alec's chest.
"Don't be sorry." Alex replied, "Don't be. What you did..." He stroked her hair. The woman in his arms was magnificent, and he couldn't put that into words.
"Wasn't enough, she needs to do it again." Clara replied and he narrowed his eyes at her.
"She can't. Look at her." He snapped.
"She HAS to!" She screamed, looking at them, but neither of them moved, "We can't leave them." She cried, frustrated by their inaction. There had to be something she could do, she had to save them! She rushed out of the room, and quickly out of the house towards her last resort. She tugged on the handles of the doors to the TARDIS, desperately trying to get them to open but they wouldn't budge.
"Oh, come ON!" She cried, shaking the doors angrily, "Let me in, you grumpy old cow!" There was the sound of electric buzzing behind her and she spun around, a gasp of surprise escaping her lips. There was a man stood behind her, in a pinstriped suit and an overcoat on. He had dark brown spikey hair, and striking eyes.
"Whoa!" She breathed, "Who are you?" She asked and the image flickered like there was a bad connection.
"The TARDIS Voice Visual Interface." The man drawled in a southern British accent that sounded like it was coming from a telephone, "I'm programmed to select the image of a person you'll listen to. Of several billion such images in my databanks, this one best meets the criterion." He looked serious at her, but all she could think about what how it'd chosen some man she'd never seen before. Why would it... hang on, 'Listen to'?!
"Oh, you are a cow. I knew it!" Clara retorted, offended before shaking her head, "Whatever. You have to help the Doctor and Danni!"
"The Doctor and Danni are together." The projection replied, "Where they should be."
"They're trapped in a pocket universe!" Clara exclaimed, amazed that the box was suggesting anything but their rescue, "Do you want them to stay there?"
"Do you want them back?" The TARDIS replied, "Or just the Doctor?" Clara blinked at her image, unable to comprehend why she was asking that for a few moments.
"Do you think I'd leave Danni there?!" She snapped back.
"I think I've seen our Danni-Girl crying because of you." The man retorted and Clara frowned. She'd never made Danni cry, had she?
"What?" She asked
"It's either both of them or neither of them." The TARDIS exclaimed, "Together or not at all." She stared, positively bewildered over why they were arguing about this.
"You're talking but all I hear is, 'Meh, meh, meh.'" Clara mocked, "Danni and the Doctor are in danger! Come on, let's go!" The projection flickered out of existence and she sighed in frustration again, turning to pound on the door, "Hey, hey, hey!" She cried, "I want to save both of them! Let me in!" She grabbed the handles, shaking the doors again, "Oh, come ON!" She shook them again, letting go of the handles as one of the doors creaked open. She took a step back out of reflex, then looked up at the box, smiling before dashing in.
~0~0~0~
"What do you mean we're on our own?" Danni demanded. The Doctor didn't know what to say, all he could see was his wife fading out of existence, slowly turning to nothing in front of him. The universe was quickly and steadily collapsing, and it was going to take both of them with it. He pulled her closer, and they were outside. She jolted in surprise, looking around at the sudden change in scenery, "Why are we outside?"
He swallowed, "No psychic link, no psychic house." He replied quietly. She looked up at him, eyes searching him for an answer to her first question. He didn't know what to say to her, how could he make this better? He looked away, down at the floor where his bow tie now sat. He reached down slowly, keeping her hand in his as he picked it up. Slowly, he took the hand he held in his and wrapped one end of the tie around her hand.
"Theta?" She asked questioningly, understandably so as he did the same to himself.
"I'm going to whisper something in your ear." He replied gently, "Something you actually already know." She didn't move as he leant in, whispering his name into her ear. Her breath caught, it always did as he murmured the word softly. He pulled away, smiling softly. Something moved in the distance, and her head turned, eyes wide as she looked at it, "We don't have much time." He told her, turning her head back, "I love you. More than anything. I'm so happy you jumped into my life." She smiled softly, touched by his words but still looking vaguely confused.
"Theta, I don't understand..."
"Tell me." He almost begged, "Tell me you still love me."
"Of course I do." She replied instantly, "Of course I still love you." He looked so relieved and the noise was closer. He watched her look to her side nervously and he gently turned her head so she was looking at him again. He wanted her to know how sorry he was, for everything that went wrong between them.
"I should have done this the first time." He told her, "I'm sorry I ever thought marrying River was the solution." She smiled softly.
"I'm sorry that I never let you kiss me before we came here." She replied and he brushed her blonde hair off her forehead, placing a kiss right in the centre. He let her hair fall through his fingers, its stark contrast to her old deep red hair reminding him of what he'd done.
"I'm sorry that I hurt you." He offered in return.
"I'm sorry that I let the Valiant happen." He opened his mouth to tell her she didn't 'let' anything happen, when a flash of black appeared at their side, there only for a moment and then it was gone again. He used the tie to take hold of her hand properly, linking their fingers together.
"Run!" He exclaimed and the pair headed deeper into the forest.
~0~0~0~
Danni shook her head, chest aching and she shook her head, pulling them to the stop. She couldn't run anymore, everything hurt and they weren't getting any further away from the creature, it always seemed to be just behind them.
"I can't." She wheezed, "I can't."
"Danni, please." He begged, tugging at her hand, "Just a little longer. Emma will be back, but we can't stay still."
"I can't!" She exclaimed, "I need to stop, it hurts!" He wanted to protest, but he could see the way she was struggling to breathe, and the last thing he wanted was for her to pass out while they trying to get away from whatever they were running from.
"Okay." He agreed, pulling her up against his side, "Stay close." She nodded, as if she had any intention of not being anywhere but by his side. She doubled over slightly as she tried to breathe steadily again. She didn't want to stop for long either, but she needed a rest.
"Doctor, we're here. Come home!" Danni looked up, searching the sky for the voice.
"Emma?" She asked, confused and he nodded, all his thoughts singing in thanks for the voice, "Theta, look." She nodded to their side, where the echo house was materialising once again.
"Ready to run again?" He asked her and she nodded, just as a snarling sound rang out. Something flashed in the corner of her eye, and her breath hitched as she tried to spot it. They both spun around nervously, hands intertwined as they tried to spot the creature.
"What do you want?" The Doctor asked it lowly, addressing the creature to buy time. He needed Danni able to run, hopefully he could keep it focused on him until she was ready to run again, "To frighten us, I suppose, eh? Because that's what you do. You hide..." A whooshing noise ran past their ears and they both spun around, staring at each other. Danni could see her fright echoed in his eyes, and in an awfully twisted way it reassured her. Most of her fear came from nowhere these days, to see him teetering on the edge as well made it seem less irrational.
"You're the bogeyman under the bed. Seeking whom you may devour." He glanced to the side as another flash of shadow ran past, "Ah!" He yelled out, spinning them around. He turned Danni around, keeping her back pressed firmly against his stomach, "Ah. You want me to be afraid? Then well done." There was crunching noise of something moving, something behind them but neither of them looked, neither of them dared to, "I am the Doctor..." He declared, "and I am afraid!" Danni reached down, blinding grabbing one of his hands, pressing her palm to his and linking their fingers. It had given her so much comfort when they'd been on Akhaten, feeling his hand pressed against her own and she didn't know what else to do apart from offer it back to him.
"Doctor, hurry!" Emma's voice cried out and something breathed on the back of his neck. He jumped, spinning again but there was nothing. There was never anything there, it was always just out of sight, just around the corner but never actually there. Another gust of wind blew through the air and it sounded eerily like laughter.
"So why am we still here, huh? Why not just... eat us? Huh?" The Doctor asked, becoming slightly braver this time as he realise that they both really should have been dead by now. If they weren't it meant the creature needed them alive, "Come on. Because you still need us!" He continued, smiling slightly, "Yeah, you need us to piggyback you across." He chuckled, he couldn't believe his luck. He could get them to safety, "To which I say... come on then, big boy... chase us!" Danni spun to look at him, surprised but he just grabbed her hand, "Run!" He wasn't sure where he was heading, the house was in the other direction but he had to lead it away. He saw the edge of the universe flickering the in the distance, and that was his new destination. He could trick the creature into tumbling over the edge, then they'd head towards the house on the increasingly shrinking little bit of ground.
He didn't expect the creature to pounce, but it slammed into his back, knocking him to the ground with a yell. Danni screamed next to him as he rolled slightly before coming to a stop with the creature about him. It had large, thick limbs, with bones sticking out and a face that looked like it had been melted. It grabbed his legs as it crawled up him, snarling.
"Doctor!" Danni cried, seeing the thing above him as she steadied herself on the ground. She quickly felt about, grabbing the first stone she came across and threw it at its head. It bounced off its shoulder, which wasn't too bad and it roared in surprise, turning to look at her, "Over here, big boy!" It turned, climbing off him as it decided to head towards her instead.
"No!" The Doctor cried before hearing it. A whooshing noise in the air, not the sound of something running, but something flying. Out of nowhere, the TARDIS appeared, flying erratically and he laughed in relief as she knocked the creature away. He scrambled up, running over to Danni and the pair headed off after the blue box before the creature came after them.
It became apparent very quickly that the TARDIS was not about to land, "Hold on!" The Doctor shouted at her and Danni frowned.
"Onto what?" She yelled back and he held her hand tightly before reaching up, grabbing the frame of the TARDIS as she swung back around in their direction. Danni screamed in terror as they were dragged along, grabbing the other edge of the TARDIS just in time to be pulled through the wormhole. The Doctor looked over at her, seeing her wide eyes and look of complete and utter surprise and laughed, cheering. She stared incredulously at him for just a moment before beaming.
"Wahoo!" She cheered, looking up at the box, "You sexy thing!"
~0~0~0~
The trip back seemed almost longer than the trip there, but the appearance of the TARDIS startled the three humans waiting in the music room. Emma was on her knees panting as the other two struggled to pull her up, her mind unable to keep the connection open any longer. The box metalized quickly, bringing with her a relieved and slightly dishevelled Danni and Doctor, who were both leaning against her for support. Danni pushed off, stumbling around the Doctor and the corner as Clara stepped out, looking just as bewildered as she felt. She smiled at the blonde, overjoyed the two were okay but then was startled once more as Danni chucked her arms around her, hugging the girl close. Even the Doctor stared for a moment, before he stumbled over to Emma to make sure she was okay.
"Thank you." Danni mumbled into her shoulder, "Thank you, thank you." Clara nodded slowly, not replying as she gently patting the other woman's back.
~0~0~0~
The Doctor grinned a silly grin as Danni pulled away, looking up at him with a silly grin of her own. He shook his head, pulling her back up against him, lowering his lips back onto hers. He'd never get enough of feeling her respond so instantly to his kisses, feeling her push up onto her tiptoes so she could reach him that little bit better. His hands rested leisurely on her hips as their lips moved in harmony.
The night had ended, the day had come and the sun had come out. The house seemed a lot less creepy in the light of day, and Danni could actually see the appeal of such a beautiful building. She preferred the blue box the Doctor was leaning against though, it was her home and she'd never be away from her.
"I could kiss you all day." He told her, not caring how corny it sounded, because it was true. Danni faked a look of slight confusion.
"Really?" She asked, "I was thinking that after we dropped Clara off, we could, you know," she trailed off shyly, "have an early night?" He stared at her for a moment, wondering if there was a point where she wouldn't be tired after an adventure when the meaning behind her words suddenly hit him.
"Really?" He squeaked and she nodded.
"If, you know, you want to." She whispered. He started for a moment longer before grabbing her hand, pulling her from around the back of the TARDIS and towards Emma, Alec, Hila and Clara who were all talking amicably.
"Clara! Hila, we're leaving!" He called and Danni laughed at his sudden enthusiasm.
"Finally come up for air, have you?" Clara teased them.
"Not for long." The Doctor dismissed and Danni jumped over to Clara's side. Clara wasn't quite used to her being so friendly, it was almost a bit disconcerting but she didn't mind. She liked the blonde, and everyone always liked her in the end. She was just that great.
"Where will you go?" Emma asked Hila gently.
"He can't take me home. History says I went missing." Hila explained and Emma looked up at the Doctor, confused.
"But he can change history." She pointed out and the Doctor shook his head.
"No, no, no, I can't, actually." He told her, "There are fixed points in time you see..."
"Sweetie?" Danni interrupted and he turned back to him, "There's no need to explain."
"But..." She shook her head, noticing Hila and Emma staring at each other, as if they had vague memories of each other that they couldn't place.
"That's enough, Doctor." Clara added and Danni nodded, nudging her. With Emma reassuring them that Clara really was just a normal, everyday girl along with her saving their lives, she's really started to let herself like the other woman. Of course, that had always been there, how could it not have been considering how much like her Clara she was? They'd work that out, though. Until then, she was determined to make up for her sulking by being nicer to Clara.
"Have we..." Hila trailed off, because it was absurd.
"We can't have." Emma agreed, because she knew this was the first time she'd met the woman in front of her. She was from the future, it didn't make any sense, "You haven't even been born yet."
"No, you can't have met but she can be your great- great-great-great-great-granddaughter." The Doctor interrupted, Emma staring at Hila in shock as the Doctor smiled at Alec, "Yours too, of course!" Emma turned to look at Alec, who had paled slightly as he stared at the Doctor's new revelation, "But you'd guessed that already, hadn't you?" The trio just stared at him as Danni shook her head. He really needed to work on his tact, "Oh... apparently not."
"The paradoxes..." Alec started.
"Resolve themselves, by and large." The Doctor quickly interrupted, grinning again, "That's why the psychic link was so powerful - blood calling to blood. Out of time. Not everything ends, eh?" He patted Alec on the arm as he pulled Danni back towards the TARDIS, "Not love. Not always."
"Doctor," Alec followed them, his call of the other man's name pulling the couple to a halt, "what about, what about... us? Emma and me?"
"What about you?" He asked.
"Well, what's supposed to happen? I mean, what do we do now?" Alec imported, because he had no idea what do. He wasn't very experienced in relationships, and he'd spent the entire night watching the Doctor love Danni like there was nothing else in his universe. He wanted to do that, he wanted to be that for Emma.
The question surprised the Doctor, no one had ever asked his relationship advice before. He looked down at Danni, wondering what the answer was because he still wasn't sure why she still stood by his side. He pulled her hand up to his mouth, placing a kiss on her palm, "Hold hands..." He decided, because that seemed to be the only thing holding them together, "that's what you're meant to do. Keep doing that and don't let go. That's the secret."
He turned back to the TARDIS before the memory of Clara in the music room, holding the candelabrum and telling him she wasn't happy came to him. The memory of something holding Clara's hand. The fact that the creature in the pocket universe only started to chase them closely after watching him tell Danni just what she meant to him. How it only came into view when he said that they were alive to piggy back it across. It made so much sense!
"Doctor?" Danni asked, wondering why they'd stopped again.
He smacked himself on the forehead, "I'm so... slow!" He exclaimed, startling her, "I am slow, I'm notorious for it, that's always been my problem, but I get there in the end. Oh, yes." The rest of the group gathered around them.
"What is it?" Danni asked.
"How do sharks make babies?" He asked them all.
"Carefully?" Clara offered and he laughed joyfully.
"No, no, no - happily!" He corrected.
"Sharks don't actually smile." Clara pointed out, "They're just... Well, they've got lots and lots of teeth - they're quite eaty."
"Exactly! But birds do it, bees do it - even educated FLEAS do it." He told them as he headed off towards the house once again, "Every lonely monster needs a companion." He came to a stop underneath one of the old, ruined arches they'd seen on their way in the night before, "Every Doctor needs a Danni-Girl."
"There's two of them?!" Clara exclaimed as they fell to a stop outside the house.
"It's the oldest story in the universe - this one, or any other." The Doctor replied, "Boy and girl fall in love, get separated by events - war, politics, accidents in time." He grabbed Danni's arm, spinning her underneath it, "She's thrown out of the HEX, or he's thrown into it. Since then they've been yearning for each other across time and space - across dimensions - this isn't a ghost story, it's a... love story!" He cupped her face, "Our love story. You and me, Danni-Girl!" She nodded, turning around and running off towards Emma.
"Emma!" She cried, "Emma, we need you again!"
~0~0~0~
They brought the creatures back together again. They dropped Hila off in a new time, ready to start a long and happy life. They gave her a name, Lynda with a 'y' and was instructed to tell her the Doctor and Danni sent her to them. Clara was next, but she barely got a goodbye, but then again she hadn't expected one. The moment they were safely in the Vortex once more, the Doctor grabbed Danni, pulling her against him as he wove his hands in her hair as he kissed her, soundly and desperately.