The Doctor was thinking. He wasn't sure how he felt about sitting in the chairs that surrounding the top of the console room to perform this task, but he had yet to find a more suitable place to do his thinking so it would have to do for now.
Down below the console ticked over, a background hum that made sure he didn't sit in silence. He'd definitely missed the noise of the TARDIS during those centuries when he and Danielle had been stuck without her on Trenzalore, so now it was a constant buzz the surrounded everything. He'd turned the monitor around so if he glanced to the left he could see his wife sleeping soundly in their bed.
He scoffed at himself. His wife. Yes, technically, but he wasn't sure how long that would last. She'd headed to bed with barely a word, just ensuring that he'd dropped Clara back off at her home for Christmas and didn't abandon her in Glasgow – not that he was going to, but he had forgotten he'd need to drop her back. She'd tried to get Danni to come back in and finish the lunch, but Danni had politely turned her down.
He'd thought he'd done a good job. He'd tried to keep her safe, from both the dangers that had come to light since he'd regenerated and from himself – she had no idea how good she looked in that purple dress. The memories of her it brought back to mind, the way it hugged…
He glanced down at the image of her sleeping in their bed, no longer crying as she had been when she'd headed there. None of it had been any good. She'd still gone through the conversation like he remembered. She didn't think he even liked her anymore, let alone loved her. He closed his eyes and leant back in his armchair. How had it gone so terribly wrong? He'd been over everything, since the moment he'd regenerated to the moment she'd gone to bed. It was baffling, he couldn't pinpoint a single thing that he had done to hurt her.
He had to wonder if it was purely regenerating. She had apologised to him on the phone about it, about how she'd bargained with the Time Lords. He'd not even had a chance to ask her what she had meant with those ominous words, but he assumed it had something to do with the brand new regenerations that now ran through his veins. Did she think he didn't want it? That he'd wanted to die?
He had been ready to die, that was true. He'd come to terms with it, he'd achieved his last wish – for his last vision of her to be her laughing and smiling at him – but he hadn't wanted to die. He wanted to be with her always and he still did. He wasted so much time on that little town and he didn't regret it, but it wasn't happening again. It was him and his Danielle against the universe and no one was going to get in the middle of that, not again.
If she would let him. She hadn't even asked him to come to bed with her, would she want him by her side for the rest of their lives?
Of course she would. He rolled his eyes at his own sentimentality. She wouldn't have been so upset if she didn't want him. She was just in mourning over her husband, but he was still here. Her hearts had always been so big and as such they always broke so easily. He'd seen her first body in the moments before he had changed and it still hurt the same as it had when she had laid dying in his arms. It was going to take time for her to get over his death. She'd not had to deal with the previous ones she'd jumped around because she always saw them again, and then it was too late for her to even think about it. This wasn't just the death of Eleven, it was Nine and Ten as well.
His thoughts were a mess but they all centred around the sleeping woman who held both of his hearts. He had considered going to see her as she slept, but if she woke up with him there, would she appreciate it? It felt like it had been so long since he'd had to make a decision involving her – for the last three hundred years all he had were memories, where they were all made and he knew what had happened next. He knew how she'd reacted, had replayed each and every moment he'd spent with her over and over like some bittersweet television show. Now, though, it was all new and that was wonderful, if he knew what to do next.
He stood up off the chair, heading back down to the console, to where the image of her was still on display. She was no longer wearing his jacket, but it was lying in the bed next to her like a security blanket. He wasn't sure if he should feel jealous of the young man she was missing enough to sleep with his clothes, or smug because as much as they were different men, it was still him that she wanted.
He went for a mixture of both as he watched her for one more long, torturous moment before turning the monitor off. He had always been happy to watch her while she slept, but it was starting to feel slightly creepy. Plus, he had stuff to do. He had to make this right. He just didn't know how.
He knew he stood a chance because he'd heard her scream from him. On instinct he'd shut down their telepathic link when he had regenerated; the last thing any Time Lord needed when they were trying to find themselves in a whole new mess of thoughts and feelings was someone else knocking around. It was common practice and so, until he'd managed to calm himself down, they'd been disconnected. He was sure she'd understand that and if not she'd have asked about it anyway.
However he'd only just thrown it open again when he was following the half face man up into the restaurant in an attempt to stop him. He was starting to feel like himself again, but more than that he'd wanted to feel her again, to make sure she'd be okay. That brief time apart had been the only time during the entire adventure that he'd not been sure of her safety. He'd been contemplating what to do with the half man half droid when her scream of terror had run out in his head. She'd genuinely thought she was going to die, he could feel it despite their distance and it had made his decision very easy from that point on.
She'd called out for him, but it hadn't been the floppy haired man she was currently cuddling the jacket of. It hadn't even been the man in the rather fetching jacket with red lining he was now. She'd just wanted him, any him and how was he supposed to deny her anything? She was right; he never could say no to her.
He closed his eyes, taking a deep breath to calm himself down as he leant against the console. Even now he burnt with the fury that had filled him at how terrified she'd felt. She'd not hidden a part of it from him. She was absolutely petrified and there had only been one way he could have saved her in time…
But then she'd disappeared for his view. Well, from his head. She closed herself off from him in a way she only ever did when she'd been grieving the hardest back in Christmas. She'd never wanted him to see her hurting so much, but as always it just showed him that she was. He could have forced into her if he wanted, but that wasn't going to help either of them. He should have been used to not having her there, but that little glimpse back into her head had taunted him with all that was her. He could feel her absence as much as she probably felt his. But, again, he wouldn't push her. He just hoped she'd come back to him. He missed her so much.
His head shot up, eyes opening in confusion as the console started beeping at him, a steady yet fast noise that was designed to get his attention. He grabbed the monitor, turning it on. "What's that for?" he asked as the image of Danni sleeping appeared again. He stared at her for a moment longer, memorising her before switching channels. "What's with all the noise?"
On his screen came a bunch of numbers and symbols very few people in the universe would have been able to understand. However, he was insanely clever and he knew exactly what that noise was and where it was coming from with just a quick glance over them all. It was a distress call. Someone was in danger and the TARDIS had homed in on it. She wanted to help. That may be a good way of getting back on track. It was only a small ship, some poor person had been shot down, but if he saved them then maybe Danielle would warm to him just a little bit more.
He briefly thought on how it was all down to her, to the blonde who was obliviously sleeping in their bedroom. He used to save people because he was the good guy and that's what they did, they saved the little people, flew in on their horses and saved the day. Now, though, his first thought wasn't that it was the right thing to do, it was the fact that he knew it would make Danielle happy to do so. The universe had taken from them both in spades so why would he help it out now?
He didn't dwell on it long, though. With a flew flicks of switches a young woman in a fighter's uniform appeared on the console room floor, her helmet rolling off before she hit the ground. He did wonder if he should move her, but that seemed like an awful lot of effort when a quick scan showed him that apart from the shock of being suddenly transported that had knocked her unconscious. She was absolutely fine. In fact, she'd probably wake up before he could get her anywhere comfortable.
She began to stir on the floor, proving his point all the more. He glanced at the two coffee cups that Clara and Danni had left on the side. Neither had ended up drinking them, they were a bit of a waste of time in his opinion but the smile Danni had shot him when he handed them to her had made it worth it. It wasn't her normal happy smile, the one he could recognise in an instant, but it was getting there. Perhaps he should fetch her stuff more.
There he went again. His younger self had the distinct problem of getting terribly distracted at the mere thought of her. She was his universe, he'd be the first to admit that, but he really needed to stay on track.
He picked up the cups in the cardboard carrier. They still felt rather warm, and hot drinks were supposed to be inviting, weren't they?
The woman looked around slowly as she sat up, trying to work out where she was. Her last memory would have been of being in danger in her own ship, he didn't blame her for being disorientated. She turned around and spotted him watching her, backing away like a wounded animal.
"You'll probably feel a bit sick," he declared as she scrambled for her gun, standing up and pointing it at him ungratefully. "Please, don't be," he added on the end. He really didn't want to clean up after her, especially if she was going to hold him at gunpoint. That hardly seemed fair.
"Where's my brother?" she demanded. He tried to keep his patience, walking around the console towards her, one hand in his pocket as the other still held onto the coffee.
"Hello, I'm the Doctor," he greeted as he was supposed to do. That's what manners were for, right? Perhaps she didn't know. She was a solider, after all, she probably wasn't all the clever.
"He was right beside me," she murmured to herself, obviously not getting the message he was trying to give her. She turned back to him like he was the enemy. "Where's Kai?" she asked before taking another look around their magnificent ship. "How did I get here?" She spotted the stairs down to the lower level of the room. She ran down the stairs, her gun pointing out in front of her like she had any chance to fight off her perceived attackers.
"I materialised a time capsule exactly round you," the Doctor called, walking over to the railings so he could keep an eye on her. "And saved your life one second before your ship exploded, but do please keep crying." He took a deep breath, calming himself down. He was shouting now. Shouting wouldn't do. Not only might he wake up Danielle before she was ready and she was always grumpy in the mornings, but when he told the story back to her he couldn't have the fact that he was getting frustrated as part of the prose. He was trying to impress her, not prove her point.
The woman pointed her gun up at him from the lower floor. "My brother's just died," she reminded him, trying to sound firm through her tears.
"His sister didn't," he countered, becoming more and more irate with the irrational human. "You're very welcome. Put the gun down."
"Or what?" she retorted.
"Or you might shoot me," he told her. "Then where will you be?"
She smirked, starting back up the stairs on the other side of the console. "In charge of your vessel."
"You'd starve to death trying to find the light switch," he replied like it was fact, which it was. There was no way anyone but Danielle and himself could control the TARDIS in any way. He'd made sure of that. He walked over to the console, putting the coffee back down. "Who are you?"
"I'm Lieutenant Journey Blue of the Combined Galactic Resistance," the woman declared loudly and his head snapped back to the monitor. With a quick tap his Danielle came back up, but she didn't seem to stir. "I demand you take me back to my command ship, the Aristotle, which is currently located…"
"Please stop shouting," he interrupted firmly but quietly. "My wife is asleep, and I do not appreciate you trying to wake up."
"You will take me back to my command ship," Journey repeated slowly, still shouting as she placed another hand on her gun, stepping towards him. "Which is currently positioned…"
"No, no," the Doctor interrupted again, getting to the end of his tether. How was he supposed to rescue anyone who was this ungrateful? He pointed at her. "Stop shouting or I will drop you back where I found you," he warned before clicking his fingers. "Come on. Not like that. Not like that. Get it right."
Journey frowned, but lowered her gun. She wanted to go home, she wanted her brother, but neither of them were possible at the moment. "Will you take me back to my ship?" she asked, this time in a quieter voice. The man in front of her, the Doctor, shot her a look and she stared back in bewilderment. "Please?" she tacked on the end.
That was more like it. The Doctor gave her one nod then turned to the console, flicking a couple of switches. "The Aristotle's the big fella parked in the asteroid belt, yeah?"
Yes, it was, but, "It's shielded," Journey warned.
"More or less," the Doctor drawled in reply. The engines groaned like they always did and Journey looked around in confusion as he flew them down into the large command ship. The moment they landed he motioned to the front door, indicating that she should go first.
She shot him a suspicious look, but slowly walked over to the doors, pulling one open. On the other side was her command ship, they appeared to be in a hanger. How was that even possible? What was going on.
"Dry your eyes, Journey Blue," the Doctor called over and she turned to look at him, dumbstruck. He smirked to himself. "Crying's for civilians," he continued as he walked over, taking a last look at his Danielle. He needed to make sure that this was worth waking her for before he did. She needed her rest, she needed to be at her best so she could start to forgive him and move on.
He headed towards the door. "It's how we communicate with you lot," he added onto the end, giving her uniform a once over as he headed out of the TARDIS.
Journey followed, double taking at the blue box they seemed to be stepping out of. "It's smaller on the outside," she breathed.
"I know. It's a bit more exciting when you go the other way," he told her, clicking his fingers. The doors closed and locked behind him – he couldn't be too careful.
~0~0~0~
He'd been right to lock the door behind him. He rushed into the TARDIS, quickly flying away to give himself a moment to think. A Dalek. That wasn't ever good, or ever a place he wanted to be. It didn't matter what came out of its voice box, what it 'claimed' to want to do. A Dalek was a Dalek, and he'd seen too many over his lifetime to trust it any further than he could push it on its tiny wheels. Which, really, wasn't very far at all.
He grabbed the monitor, pulling it over so he could watch over his wife again. She'd not stirred, he could tell. She'd rolled over and grabbed the jacket, but she'd not woken up. That was good, that gave him time to think.
He didn't know what to think. He didn't know what to do. He knew she was scared of some type of robot. He'd been sure it was the Cybermen, but she'd been devastated when Handles had finally died. So maybe it was Daleks. And even if it wasn't, even they didn't hold the place for 'thing to be most scared of' in her head, she'd be scared regardless. She had grown, she could fight her own battles, but that didn't make her any less scared. If he really was going to investigate what was wrong with the Dalek, she'd be scared again.
But he'd look after her, he'd keep her safe. She knew that, she must know that. He tilted his head slightly as he looked at her. She might be slightly confused in her grief, but she would know that he'd protect her against anything.
Ultimately, if she wanted to come, he'd not say no to her. It was her choice, her life. He needed further input, though, before he could decide on what he was going to do. He didn't want to wake her, but he was going to have to. He'd go pick up Clara, give her a chance to get up and dressed, and whatever she chose to do next, he would accept. Maybe even hold her hand, if it didn't put them in too much danger.
"Danielle, there's a good Dalek," he called as he headed to the door, knowing Clara would be outside in just a moment. "I'll get Clara. Get dressed." He opened the door, letting his voice echo in the empty console room. On the monitor Danni slept on, completely oblivious to everything.
~0~0~0~
Clara couldn't help but smile as she headed to the supply closet. Not just because she had managed to snag a date with the new Maths teacher – no, that was just icing on the cake – but because she hadn't heard from the Doctor and Danni for almost three weeks now and she was anxious to see them both again.
Well, anxious to see Danni, but the Doctor was her friend too and she was always happy to see him. She'd used the time apart well, like she had done when she'd first realised she had his thoughts and feelings in her head with her own. She'd decided to be pro-active in her own feelings over this new Doctor. She'd heard the phone call, seen the look on his face when Danni had run out of the TARDIS. He can't have changed that much, he was still the Doctor, she just had to get to know him again. She could totally do that.
She hadn't been expecting him to be stood just behind the door when she opened it, though, so she stopped with a start. He was looking at her with virtually no expression, and without any Danni in sight, she shot him a slightly annoyed look in return.
"Where the hell have you been?" she asked in a snap.
"In the TARDIS," he replied like it was completely obvious. "Why, where have you been?"
"It's been three weeks," she told him, expecting more of a reaction than she got. She expected a sheepish look, but that would have been his old self. All she got from the new Doctor in front of her was a bit of a frown.
"Three weeks, that's a long time," he admitted and she nodded.
"That's dead in a ditch," she retorted.
"It's not my fault, I got distracted," he explained.
Clara crossed her arms, trying to hide the fact that his vague words immediately intrigued her. "By what?"
"You can always find something," he offered before turning and heading towards the TARDIS. "Come on." He pushed the door open, his eyes doing a quick sweep of the room, but there was no sign of his wife. He tried to ignore the stab of disappointment as he realised she wasn't going to be joining them on this particular occasion – he hoped it wasn't because he wasn't his younger self, but the evidence pointed strongly towards that being the issue.
"Why were you smiling?" he asked to distract himself from the absence of his wife. His everything.
"Was I?" Clara asked, surprised that she had been. She placed her hand over her mouth as if to hide it. She could feel the tug of her cheeks, she was smiling. "No, I wasn't."
"You were smiling at nothing," the Doctor corrected as he made his way to the console. "I'd almost say you were in love, which we both know you are."
"Excuse me?" Clara interrupted, confused but he waved her off. He headed to the monitor, changing it off his wife before Clara could sneak a peek.
"We all know you are after my wife," he replied. "But, let's be honest…"
"Honest?" Clara interrupted again, wondering what he was on about. Yes, she still felt the Doctor's craving for her, but she wasn't in love with his wife. That was just ridiculous.
"You're not a young woman anymore," he told her. "You'd never turn her head like you used to."
"Yes, I am," she insisted. "And speaking of your wife, where is she? And why isn't she stopping you talking?"
"Danielle has decided not to join us this trip," he told her like it didn't bother him at all. "Apparently sleeping is more important than spending time with us, but no matter."
"No matter?" Clara repeated slowly and he nodded, almost skipping over to the stairs. "Since when did it not matter to you?"
"Clara," he called over as he took the first step down. Clara watched as his shoulders sagged, his step slowed and he made his way down to the next level to where a blackboard stood. "Clara, Clara, Clara. Clara, Clara. Clara, Clara." She frowned as he came to a stop, worried at his sudden change in demeanour. He turned to look at her, a serious look on his face. "I need something from you. I need the truth."
"Okay," she replied instantly, she could do that. However, her answer didn't seem to make him feel any better as he hovered at bottom of the stairs. She realised he wanted her to join him, so she walked over and the pair sat down on the console steps together. "Right, what is it? What's…" she trailed off as she looked at him. His hands were clasped in front of him, his arms balanced on his knees and his eyes were looking everywhere but at her. This wasn't a sheepish look, or a guilty look. "You're scared," she realised, letting it out in a quiet voice. "Is it Danni? Is something wrong?"
The Doctor almost chuckled cynically. Oh, how right on the mark she was. His thoughts drifted back to his wife, who was sleeping in bed rather than spend any time with him. He couldn't even tempt her out with Clara, he'd well and truly driven a wedge between them and he had no idea what he had done. He didn't want to think that he hadn't done anything, that she was just no attracted to him anymore, so it had to be something he had done. It had to be. Because if it wasn't…
"I'm terrified," he admitted freely.
"Of what?" Clara asked gently. If he was admitting his fear, it had to be bad, didn't it?
"The answer to my next question," he replied, looking at his hands, which he was worrying much like Danni would at a time like this. Had he picked that up from her, or was it just a coincidence? He didn't have time to work it out. He looked at Clara. "Which must be honest and cold and considered, without kindness or restraint. Clara, be my pal and tell me," he leant back slightly in his seat, "am I a good man?"
Of all the questions he could have asked her, Clara had to admit that she hadn't been expecting that particular one. Her eyes widened slightly as she sat in silence, looking him over. The Doctor before… she would have said 'yes' without hesitation. He'd made some rather bad decisions in his life, but overall his hearts were always in the right place. But she didn't know the man in front of her. She honestly couldn't say if he was good now or not, she just didn't know.
"I don't know," she told him apologetically, the realisation worrying her more than anything. She was travelling with a man who she couldn't honestly say was a good man or not. Her best friend, her Danni, was living with a man she couldn't vouch for.
It was obviously not what he wanted to here. He'd wanted Clara to reassure him, but if she couldn't even offer him fake words of comfort, maybe that's what Danni could see. She'd always been so kind, so accepting, except when she was faced with bad people. Maybe she'd seen that in him. "Neither do I," he retorted, standing up and walking over to the console, like he was going to fly them away.
"Er, hey, no offence, but I've got plans," Clara told him, almost outraged that he thought he could just pick her up and take her away. She'd just secured a date with a very sexy ex-solider. In love with Danni? Yeah right…
So what if his name was Danny Pink. That meant nothing, it was just a coincidence.
The Doctor turned to look at her, looking at her almost pleadingly. He needed her here, to watch him work, to decide for him. If he was a good man, she could tell Danni. If he wasn't, then she could save Danni from him. "I need you."
Clara sighed but stood up, always unable to resist his sad eyes. "Right," she walked over to him. "Where are we going?"
The Doctor, showing her he'd lost none of his dramatic-ness, pulled on of the larger switches downwards. The engines started groaning and he stared intently at the monitor. "Into darkness."
~0~0~0~
Danni woke up long before she felt she was ready. The bed was really the softest thing she had ever slept in, five hundred years away from it really just highlighted that. How had she even managed to sleep on Trenzalore without this mattress?
She opened her eyes slowly, allowing herself plenty of time to come back to life after what must have been a full day of sleep. She rolled over, smiling softly at her phone, on her bedside table, in what really was her bedroom. She'd missed the TARDIS more than anything – she was both of theirs best friend, really, although Clara might not appreciate that. She picked it up and frowned at the time. It had only been, what, seven hours? Eight hours? It was too early to do that level of complex maths.
She put the phone back and rolled over again. Normally she would have jumped out of bed to go find her husband, but this time she was dithering, wondering if she should try and get back to sleep for a little longer.
It wasn't that she didn't want to see him, she just wasn't entirely sure that he wanted to see her. The phone call had reassured her that her Theta still existed, but so far she really was struggling to see him through the new persona. She'd not expected him to be the same as he had been. Maybe he didn't like large declarations of love, or maybe he wasn't much into public displays of affection, she could handle that. It was after they dropped off Clara that it had really hit her just how much he had changed.
He had stared at her for a moment, arms crossed, those imposing eyes staring down at her like he was analysing her. It had felt like an eternity before he'd turned to the console, asking her where she wanted to go next. No asking if she was okay, no asking if he was okay, not even a check to see if she'd been hurt by the robots. He didn't mention the phone call, or apologise for leaving her behind so many times in the space of only a couple of days. She never expected him to fuss over her, and sometimes he worried too much about her, but to go from over fussing to no fussing at all? To just not caring if she was okay? It was… well, it was a change she'd just not expected. And it was a change she hadn't expected to hurt so much.
She grabbed the jacket which was lying next to her and pulled it towards her, closing her eyes as she held the collar up to her nose. The smell of Eleven was fading fast from the piece of clothing, although considering Twelve hadn't joined her in bed yet, the sheets still very much had his scent on them. It was so bittersweet, it was comforting and yet stabbed her in the chest at the same time. She wished he was back, but was already accepting he was gone. She just needed to understand the new man her husband was. Like Vastra had said – he'd let himself show his age because of her, because he felt safe to do so. It was a pretty big statement, and even bigger that she knew it was true. She had to give him a chance, she just had to learn him again.
And the way to start that was to stop clinging to Eleven. She still had their memories together. She still had the knowledge that for the thousand years the floppy-haired regeneration had lived, he had loved her. He'd adored her, and she'd adored him and the good outweighed the bad.
Had he felt like he was losing her too?
She swallowed, surprised by how quickly her tears started, but they didn't stop once they came. He'd died knowing that she was going to be left with some new man, who may have still been the Doctor but wasn't him. That the man who would be holding him would be the Doctor, but that it wouldn't be in the same way that he held her. That he'd never hold her hand again, or brush her hair out of her face. Everything he ever did with her she was going to do again, but with the Doctor, and not with him.
She should have kissed him again. She should have held his hand one more time. None of it seemed enough now. He deserved better than what she'd given him.
She shook her head, letting go of his jacket and sitting up in the bed. No, their time together was what it was. There's no going back, and whilst she might have tweaked certain things – like the last three hundred years of his life – she couldn't spend her time wishing for what might have been. She had to get on with it. She was allowed to grieve, but she had to do so with the knowledge that her husband was alive and well and waiting for her in the console room.
She chucked the covers off the bed, dangling her legs over the side. After all, how many people could say that when the love of their life died, they actually still lived on? She was incredibly lucky to still have a husband to worry these things over. He was alive and well. The Doctor was alive and well. Theta was alive and well.
She climbed out of bed, making sure her Moo, her teddy bear, was tucked up ready and waiting for her to come back that night. She smiled softly at him. There was her Eleven, in his tweed and bow tie. He had given her the bear so long ago now so she could have a part of him whenever she was in his time line. That didn't change, did it? She still had him. And, maybe, she might find him a purple outfit.
Her Theta was still alive. She grasped that thought with both of her metaphorical hands, heading out into the hallway and towards the console room. That was something to get used to as well, the new desktop, but one thing at a time.
She frowned at the lack of people there. She had been certain she would find him in there, but maybe he was elsewhere in the TARDIS. She walked over to the console and to the monitor, where what appeared to be a screensaver stared back at her.
"Err…" she trailed off to herself. She had known some basic commands on the old console, but only because she remembered the placement of the buttons that he'd pressed, not that actual controls themselves. Now everything had moved around, how was she supposed to find out where he was?
"Sweetie?" she called up to the console. "Do you think you…"
She trailed off as the front door opened, the Doctor and Clara stepping in. Both looked rather solemn but Clara shot her a smile when she spotted the blonde in her pyjamas at the console. "Hey, decided to join us?" she teased, trying to pull them both out of the mood that the trip had put them in.
Danni frowned, looking between the two. "Join you?" she asked. "Where have you been?"
"Apparently you really can't have a good Dalek," Clara commented, stepping into the room. "You probably made a good decision sitting it out."
"Sitting…what…" she turned to the Doctor, who had already made his way to the console to fly them away. "What's going on? What did I sit out?"
The Doctor didn't reply to her question, or to the slightly hurt gaze she was shooting his way, like she didn't know what either of them were talking about. She was the one who'd decided to stay asleep when he called to her, what was he supposed to do? Just wake her up and ask? She hated being woke up.
Or was that the red-head one? It had been so long, was he just getting them mixed up? Who was the one who'd complained when he'd woken her up for her birthday? How was he supposed to keep track of her when he could barely find himself?
"I asked you if you wanted to come, but you didn't reply," he explained and she shook her head.
"No, no you didn't ask me anything," she replied. "You didn't even come into the bedroom, otherwise you would have woken me up."
Clara stepped towards her, seeing Danni progressively getting more and more upset. The Doctor didn't look too pleased that, when she wrapped an arm around the blonde, she leant into the grasp. "He said he'd asked you," Clara replied, shooting him a pointed look in return.
"I did ask!" he protested, frustrated that neither of them seemed to believe him. He did ask, just before he picked up Clara. He told her exactly what he was doing, and what was happening in a clear and concise manner. It was not his fault she didn't wake up to listen!
"I've been asleep for eight hours," she told him, voice shaking slightly. "You didn't ask me a thing."
"I asked, you didn't come," he replied and she shook her head.
"You didn't ask me a thing!" she corrected firmly, almost angrily before it fell away to hurt once again. "Did you just not want me there?"
He turned to her, about to snap at her. Of course he wanted her there. He always wanted her there. But the Dalek had looked inside of him and saw hatred. Clara couldn't even lie to him and tell him that he was a good man. What would have happened if she'd seen all that? He was trying to convince her to stay, not drive her away. No, he'd wanted her there, but it was a good thing she wasn't. "I'm glad you weren't," he told her, turning back to the console and missing the way she took his words like a blow he'd never intended them to be. "But, as you're both taking it so hard, why don't you choose where to go next?"
Danni turned to look at Clara, silently begging her over what to do. She'd intended to run into this, ready and waiting to fix whatever had happened between her and her husband. She'd felt so positive when she'd left the bedroom, but it had very quickly faded away with his dismissal of her. He didn't want her there. He was glad she hadn't been there.
"Well, I actually have plans," Clara reminded. "So drop me off first and then you two can…" she trailed off. Do what exactly? Fight? Go somewhere amazing? Never speak to each other again?
Danni nodded, although she clung to Clara tightly. "Definitely," she agreed softly. "Did he pick you up from work?"
Clara nodded. "I'm just heading home," she replied, keeping Danny Pink from them for the time being. After all nothing might come from it, she hadn't actually gone for the drink with him just yet. "Actually, I'm still a bit grubby from being in that Dalek, I'm going to go change." She gave Danni a quick squeeze on the arm before heading to the wardrobe.
Danni and the Doctor stood there in silence, the Doctor still staring at her like he was studying her, but he didn't say anything. She shifted uncomfortably under the gaze – they were incredibly intense eyes, like they were staring into her sole and yet she couldn't tell what he was thinking behind them.
"I'm just gonna…" she started in a mumble, motioning behind her to tell him she was going to follow Clara.
"You're upset," he declared, like he was just stating a fact. He didn't sound annoyed or worried about it at all. He just sounded sure.
Danni found herself nodding. "You didn't ask me," she replied. "You couldn't even be bothered to wake me up. You left me behind."
"I did tell you," he insisted, leaving out the part about his telling her from the console room and having been pretty sure she wouldn't even hear him.
"No, you didn't," she replied quietly. "And I don't know why."
There was another awkward, long pause as Danni refused to look up for fear of crying and the Doctor desperately tried to work out what was making her upset. Clara had just told her they had been inside a Dalek, surely she could see that was somewhere he wouldn't want her to be?
Her eyes were shining behind her glasses again; a sure sign she was about to cry. Maybe she couldn't see it. He glanced up at the doorway, but Clara didn't seem to be coming back any time soon.
"I didn't want you there," he started. "Because it was dangerous." Her brows furrowed as she looked up at him.
"You were worried about me?" she asked slowly, like she was surprised. He took a step towards her, his long legs very quickly closing the gap. Danni's breath caught in her chest at the very distinct look in his eyes. Like he couldn't see anything else, it was just her.
"Why would you ever think otherwise?" he asked her in a purr, dipping his head down like he was surrounding her, just like he used to. She swallowed, suppressing the shiver that was brought on by his voice. She hadn't realised how much she liked his voice, but she did. She really did.
She reached out to press a hand against his chest, to close the gap completely and kiss him, when his eyes snapped upwards. Clara was already heading back, not wanting to leave them alone for too long, and he couldn't kiss her in front of anyone. It was private, between them and them alone. No one but him was allowed to see her pleasure, even if it came just from a kiss.
Danni's hand hovered in the air as he stepped away from her. She had thought he wanted her, but his very quick rejection of her had her questioning it once again. Was this Doctor just a bit of a flirt but when it came down to it, he just wasn't that interested?
"Did you decide on where you wanted to go, Danielle?" he asked as Clara joined her where she stood, looking slightly bewildered at Danni's pose. "I know we have a time machine, but we really haven't got all day."
She blinked, turning to look at Clara, who was giving her a concerned look. Her mind was racing, rejected by her husband once again.
And yet, he'd been worried about her. The Doctor had still been worried about her. She couldn't help but grab onto that thought with both hands. Maybe, just maybe, that was a good sign. Maybe he needed time. Maybe they both did.
She did think about suggesting staying at Clara's for a bit. She hadn't been there since Christmas, after all and…
"Oh!" she exclaimed, before turning to him, wondering why she felt so apprehensive. "Jack… He was going to the black archive to get his vortex manipulator back. We should go let him know I don't need it anymore."
"Captain Flash?" he asked in reply, like even his name annoyed him, which felt very Doctor-ish. He rolled his eyes. "Fine, but not for long. There's only so much testosterone I can take."