Chapter Seven

Clara and the other companions were beginning to fill a little dizzy. Hunger and dehydration starting to get the best of them, and Clara was starting to get a little bit panicky again having not heard from her Doctor since before she fell asleep whenever that was. Time was hard to track without a watch.

She was dozing when she felt him again in her mind.

'CLARA!' she winced at the mental yelling.

"Clara, are you alright?" Eleven had noticed her wince and didn't look convinced when she gave him a shaky thumbs up.

"Peachy keen!" she replied with a smile, a smile that got bigger in fond memory when he fiddled nervously with his bow tie. She closed her eyes again and concentrated.

'You don't have to yell' she thought, and for a few moments there was nothing so she assumed that the Doctor hadn't gotten her message.

'Yes I did. I've been trying to reach you for a while, your mind is very fuzzy. Apparently you're so taken with my younger faces I was unable to get through' he sounded sour.

'I would imagine the fuzziness has more to do with a lack of food and water' Clara replied hopefully conveying her annoyance at his insinuation.

He paused. 'You've been there almost two days and they haven't given you nourishment? That's not a good sign Clara.'

'Already know that, just had your ninth, tenth and eleventh selves discussing how they do not expect us to live until Donna threw her shoe at ten.' Clara was sure he knew she rolled her eyes. Then a thought struck her. 'How did you know your other selves where here anyway?'

'You couldn't hear me, but I could hear your thoughts. You're not skilled at hiding them very well from me yet when I have this link open so far.'

There was a pause, Clara tried to remember if she thought of anything embarrassing since he'd begun speaking in her head. He obviously knew that's what she was doing because he suddenly said 'Do I really smell like cinnamon and spice?'

'Shut up.' Clara blushed 'Was there anything particular you wanted or did you just pop in for a chat while I slowly starve to death?'

'Yes. I need you to scramble their surveillance. Sonic screwdriver was in the pocket of my jacket, setting two. Tell my other selves the same setting. And then hold on Clara, it's going to get bumpy.' He was gone by the time Clara had dug the sonic screwdriver from his pocket.

It took her a moment to fiddle the little instrument onto setting two but when she did it did the buzzing it usually emitted was lower than usual and everyone looked up suddenly – even the Doctors themselves. "Setting two" she told them pointedly "Scramble their surveillance. Oh and hold on."

Eleven did not ask questions, he just took out his screwdriver, almost identical to hers, and copied her. Ten did so with some hesitance, nine just frowned – he'd taken the screwdriver out, but much like her Doctor now he asked a question first. "How do you know what to do?" he frowned deeply giving her a look.

Clara couldn't help it, she looked at River and stole her word "Spoilers." Eleven and River grinned, though it was almost more of a sad grin then anything.

The ship gave a groan all of a sudden, somewhere distantly an alarm sounded and Clara grinned knowing exactly who was behind all the chaos that was no doubt happening. The others looked confused, though there was more of a suspicious glint in Elevens eye. She had to remind herself that as far as he was aware he was going to die in Trenzalore.

The speakers came back on and to her delight a gruff voice sounded "Well done, Impossible girl!" it was gone just as soon as it had come but it was enough to make Clara stand and grin.

She wasn't standing for long however. The ship lurched violently to one side as Nine yelled something about the left engine breaking down. In slammed Clara and several others including the various Doctors into the side of their cages – Clara yelped and hissed where the burning bars connected with her flesh which immediately burned and blistered her hands and up her arms and cheek.

There were a couple more tremors and violent shakes from the ship – eventually causing their cell bars to retract and sending everyone tumbling into the same wall. Clara and Rose fell together on the same space – in the path of a crate. They were grabbed out of the way by the Doctors, Rose falling swiftly into Tens arms as he yanked her away and Clara was pulled flush against Eleven and they stayed that way everyone holding on to each other, until the ship stabilized engines no longer running as it drifted softly and quietly in space.

The doors to the room slid open and this time when the Doctor entered he did so eloquently. His hands tucked into his pockets as usual, feeling a little naked without his coat however, his ice blue eyes scanning the scene in front of him. Rory always the shy solider, was protecting both River and Amy. His tenth self looked frozen as he held onto Rose who held on just as tight. Donna was gripping hold of Jack and grinning like a fool while Martha and nine where exchanging awkward looks as they stepped away from each others embrace. Mickey was the only one who managed to stay standing and look unafraid. What really caught his eye was Clara in the embrace of the foppish bow tie wearing man he had been before, the one he was sure she had fallen in love with.

He was careful however and continued to walk slowly into the room keeping his eyes on her as they all looked up at his footsteps. Clara's head snapped up, deep brown eyes wide and hopeful. She got a bright smile when she saw him, faltering a little when he did not smile back, however this did not stop Cara pulling out of Elevens arms to run across the room and throw her arms around her Doctor.

"What took you so long, Eyebrows!" she laughed, feeling suddenly euphoric when her Doctor for the first time since he regenerated put his arms back around her and span her around once though there was barely a smile and not even one laugh it was enough to let her know how he felt.

"Well I apologise for being cautious." Her Doctor rolled his eyes as he put her down, his hand immediately went to her face and he held her jaw softly, trailing a thumb over her burnt cheek. "Clara, my Clara… you have such a knack for getting injured." He watched her flinch in pain at his touch before he pulled her to him and kissed her forehead softly – just as his previous self would have done.

He looked up at the re-organising group then, each Doctor finding his own companions who like little humans seemed to want to stop and compare Doctor with each other. The Doctors where looking up at him so he nodded his head "Hello there Doctors. I'm the Doctor."

Eleven frowned and stepped forward just a bit. "But that's not possible." He mumbled low enough that the others could hear him.

"Should you two really be talking about this?" Clara asked before her Doctor could open his mouth.

"It's okay Clara, soon as we leave here the Paradox shall heal itself and my previous selves won't remember. Otherwise I wouldn't have let you out of my sight in that Market." Her Doctor said looking down at her. He hadn't released his grip on her at all – in fact his hand on her waist had gotten tighter, more possessive. "Anyway, Clara thank you for interrupting, Trenzalore is not what you think." Her Doctor looked down, eyes just as sad as they had always been but now there was a glint of happiness. "Not anymore."

Eleven was giving Clara an odd curious look now. The Doctor couldn't help it, he cleared his throat and pulled Clara away from him just a fraction. She knew exactly what he'd done as well because she glared at him, though the smile was still on her face.

"Well then Doctor" Eleven eventually bounced back to his fun self. "I suppose we should thank you, and then run before this ship gets caught up – I assume it was a part of a fleet considering it was 'the law' and all."

"Of course." her Doctor said curtly watching his younger self begin running off down a corridor.

"Come along ponds!" he called back behind him.

"We should get going too." Her Doctor said looking down. "I want to get you looked at, but also four TARDIS's on one ship is a good way to make her mad."

"How mad, are we talking run away again mad or explode mad?"

"Possibly implode, anything is possible."

"You sure know how to charm a girl."

"Don't I just?" he looked at her as he pointed her down a corridor "Should have seen how I had to charm her into landing with three TARDIS's already down here. Just go down there, I want to say something to myself."

She hesitated and he saw. "I'll be just a second, promise."

Clara bit her lip but replied "Rule one, the Doctor lies."

He looked taken aback for a second. "I will be there Clara, I swear."

"I know. Just making sure." She let go of his hand and carried on down the weirdly silent corridor alone, only breaking into a run when she saw the TARDIS waiting for her – old blue even opened her door as if to welcome Clara.

Inside Clara felt nothing but relief, she walked around the entire console room brushing her hand across every surface feeling the TARDIS hum underneath her. Until she caught sight of herself in a mirror that had miraculously appeared on one of the walls between the bookshelves. One side of her face and body was red and blistered, skin peeling from the burn. Very unattractive and now that she saw it very, very painful.

And yet as Clara leaned closer and pressed her fingers to the burn, it began to glow gold. At first Clara gasped and panicked trying to wave the mist away, and then she realised the warmth on her cheek, arm and hand was not hurting… she leaned closer to the mirror staring, open mouthed ad the skin began to heal. By the time the Doctor had walked into the TARDIS the glow was gone and she was healed.

The Doctor threw a lever on the TARDIS, allowing the ship to fall into the time vortex which she'd been trying to do since landing. "Well Clara, as much as catching up with the past was interesting I think we'd better take a trip to see the cat nuns. Those burns looked pretty bad."

"Doctor?" Clara was poking her cheek making sure what just happened was not an illusion. "I don't think I need cat nuns…"

"What but Clara, I –" he stopped talking to look at her face when she turned around. "How did you do that?"

"I don't know." Clara was walking down the steps towards him very slowly, cautiously with the way the Doctor was now looking at her like he was a startled animal that might bolt or attack. "There was a gold light and…" Clara suddenly fixed him with her stare no longer looked confuse. "It looked like the regeneration energy."

He looked stunned. "But that's impossible. Any energy should have left you after the TARDIS healed you."

Clara couldn't think of anything to say, so she just waved her arms the same way his previous self would have when she had no explanation. It had become a habit of hers when they had first started travelling.

Frowning and worried the Doctor whirled away from her and towards the console screen. She barely had a second before he had the TARDIS scan her. Whatever the results where they were not what he had expected – his face when slack with shock and Clara had a feeling that nothing short of a slap would bring him out of that stupor. Worrying her lip not at all sure she wanted to know what was on that screen she edged forwards to look over his shoulder.

The TARDIS had taken a full body scan of her, showing on the screen the outline of a human female. At the centre of this diagram sat a golden haze right inside her chest where Clara had no doubt her heart was. To the right of the diagram writing clear as day. 55% Human. 45% Timelord.

Clara felt her face go as slack as the Doctors.

OoO

"So…" Clara said into the eerie silence of the TARDIS console room. She had sat heavily in one of the Doctors arm chairs. He was still staring at the console screen. The TARDIS herself was making no noise at all. "I guess that answers the question to what happens when a TARDIS uses regeneration energy to save a human…"

"But… but…" the Doctor spluttered. "She didn't just save you. She changed you!"

Clara frowned. "My face isn't going to change is it?"

He looked up at her now, frowning. "What?" he asked like it was the last thing she should be worrying about.

"My face? It's not going to change like yours does is it?" she couldn't help but ask. She felt she might need some kind of mental preparation if it was going to happen.

The Doctor waved a hand as if dismissing her questions "No of course not. But as you have seen you have regeneration energy inside you, with seemingly unlimited access to it unlike me after I regenerate. Enough to heal your body when it is damaged."

"Okay…"

"Clara" he said it so softly this time she was startled into looking at him. He was staring at her, his eyes big and sad. "Are you not at all upset or angry about this?"

Oh.

He expected her to freak out, didn't he? Clara could understand it, maybe a couple of weeks ago she would had freaked out at his sentient ship changing her. And yet now she couldn't bring herself to be angry, not really. The ship had done it to save her life – even if it was for the Doctors sake and not hers.

"No" Clara said remembering to voice her thoughts this time. "She did this to save my life – though I bet she chose to fill me with whatever timelord DNA for your sake rather than mine after I shared some of my humanity with that girl. I can't find it to be angry at her for looking out for you and saving my life now can I, and I was hardly in a condition for either of you to ask permission?"

"But-"

Clara jumped up from her chair as the Doctor approached to place her finger on his lips and silence him. "I know what you're thinking Doctor. This makes me, what, as close to a timelord or lady as you're going to get until you find Gallifrey?"

He blinked under her hand, his expression a poker face that hid any thoughts of his.

"I know you're just a bit overjoyed about this. There's no need to feel bad about that." Clara shrugged, then gave a small smile "Maybe this means you'll stop worrying so much about me being just a fragile human?"

He pushed her hand from his face and stepped even closer to her "I doubt that Clara, you're still more human than alien."

And suddenly he hand embraced her, an actual hug compared to the other embraces he'd given her previously. This time she was pulled flush against his chest, able to feel his two beating hearts underneath her own, she could feel them pounding as he gripped her tightly in his arms. "I just - My Clara, my impossible girl…" his voice was thick with emotion but Clara knew that when she saw his face it would not have tears, this Doctor did not cry.

She smiled against his shoulder though. "My Doctor." She countered.

He pulled away suddenly, she thought maybe she'd done something wrong, until his lips came crashing down on hers swallowing a squeak of surprise from her. It took her just a few seconds to melt into his demanding fiery kiss, his lips surprisingly soft, he nipped at her lower lip to beg for entrance which she gave at the same time her hands found their way into his curly silver hair.

When they finally parted for air – though she was sure he didn't need it – they were both panting and flush from their actions.

"I'm sorry" the Doctor practically gasped suddenly, running his hand through his hair – and action she'd seen his tenth self do often – "That shouldn't have happened, forget it. I'm sorry…" he practically ran out of the room before Clara had even registered his words.

She held a finger to her lips, watching the door he'd just exited out of with a growing smirk.