"So please just listen."
Clara's soft voice rang through the barn as she stroked the child's head. She was trying desperately to calm him down, to convince him that she had never been there.
A few meters away, a Time Lady hid behind the doorframe of the barn, watching as this strange woman comforted her son.
"Fear can make you faster, and cleverer, and stronger."
She knew that her son had long since struggled with fear. He was bullied, and desperately wanted to go to the Academy, instead of training for the army, and only had one friend, the troublesome child Koschei.
One might have thought she would be upset that a strange woman was talking to her son, but oddly enough, she felt at peace. She had a feeling that this strange human would one day be of importance to her son.
"... And one day, you're going to come back to this barn." Clara whispered as the image of the War Doctor flashed through her mind. "And you're going to be very afraid, but that's okay."
The Time Lady pressed her back against the rickety old wall of the barn. This woman was from her son's future! She had not failed to notice the strange blue box that sat nearby. The mechanical warbling that echoed from it had all the makings of a type 40 TARDIS. She was almost tempted to step inside, to see who was in there, but she knew better.
"Clara!" A mans voice rang from inside the box. The Time Lady jumped as she heard the noise, but Clara continued speaking.
"I'm going to leave you with this."
The Time Lady listened as her footsteps receded and a squeaky door opened and closed. Then, a mechanical whirring sound started up, and the blue box faded away.
The boy sat up. "Who's there?"
The Time Lady hurried forward from the shadows. "It's only me."
"Mummy..." The boy stared down at the little army man figurine in confusion. "Did you leave this here for me?"
She decided not to tell the truth. "Yes, I did."
He clutched at the figurine resolutely. "Mummy, I've decided I don't want to be an army man. I want to be the best doctor there ever was!"
"Is that so?" She questioned as she watched her son clamber down the loft ladder to join her at her side. She felt a surge of joy as she saw that her son had gained confidence, thanks to the mysterious woman.
"Yeah!" He hopped excitedly. "And one day, I'm gonna save you!"
"Perhaps..." She said absentmindedly, though, deep down in her hearts, she had a feeling he was right.

Hundreds of years later, the Doctor stood faced with an impossible choice: kill the Time Lords or kill the only friend he ever had, the Master.
Behind Rassilon, the Time Lady slowly drew her hands down from her face, staring at the Doctor.
The Doctor turned and faced the Time Lords, catching her eye. They exchanged a meaningful look, and then she heard it, almost as clear as day:
"Listen, I'm going to save you, I promised I would, but today is not that day."
A single tear trickled down her cheek as she urged him forwards.
The Doctor turned around, cocking the gun. "Move out of the way."