Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

2146. The day the world went to shit as bombs fell turning cities into rubble and open grass fields into barren radioactive wastelands. Special pods called looms were installed in areas that had the best chances, and bunkers, for walled cities to be born. Loom born were grown till eight years of age before being born, sadly still needing guidance like newborns on how to talk, eat and survive from those who didn't parish. Sadly those “parents” all started to succumb to various cancers or illnesses brought on by the radiation and passed on.

The wastelands were hardly crossed for long distances which called for traders and bounty hunters to do the deed keeping supplies, wasteland news and credits flowing in a society that was working to bring itself back from near extinction. Stories and legends of horrific monsters, people falling over dead as they unknowingly walk through high radiation zones or even of people that has lived past the 50 year mark.

70 years later --- 2216:

The Doctor dusted off what he could from the oversized, heavily worn maroon coat, shifted his messenger bag, and tried to tame the mess of silver curls adorning his head before walking into the directors office of the Glasgow Wall. He quickly eyed a woman sitting in front of the directors desk before looking towards the usual corner of the office for his bounty. He didn't see anything that looked to be a transport box or bag that was usually given to him and looked towards the director, who was very clearly waiting for the question that was soon being spoken. “Where's the package?”

The brown haired mustached man raised his hand pointing it towards the small brown haired woman that was in the seat, “This is her. Mrs. -”

He furrowed his brow as he interrupted, “No, no, no.” He glanced down seeing the young woman as her face started to frown, “You know my rules. I don't deal with escorting people, females especially. So where's the package?”

“Well sadly you're going to have to especially since her and the package are together.”

The Doctor sighed and turned to finally look to her to see what he was really dealing with. The woman's round face was looking back at him with sad eyes as her hands slowly rubbing at the rounded bulge of her midsection of the calf length black smock dress she was wearing. He scoffed and looked back to the director as he went to press his hand on what he was expecting was a fake belly, “Yeah well making her look pregnant isn't going to fool anyone. I do admit it's pretty good for loom borns who hadn't seen a pregnant woman before.” It wasn't the woman's yelp that took him by surprise but the movement that occurred beneath his hand. He pulled his hand away and looked at her in complete shock, “oh, oh my lord.”

The director looked at him with a stoic face, “That's why it's not on the public boards.”

He stared at her for a few moments as thoughts passed through his mind. A pregnant loom born. After the first loom born desperately tried it was deemed impossible for them to produce new generations through natural means but this one had. He looked back to the director with worry as he knew that he had probably asked other hunters to do the task, “How many other hunters know about this?”

“I had sent just a price to a team who I thought would be interested as they usually don't care what it is. They replied back that it should be lower to not indicate it a suicide mission. So they don't know.”

“Why wasn't she taken sooner?”

The woman softly spoke up just before the director started to answer, “We – we tried to. Got lost on the first attack and then a storm made us have to take shelter then, um,” she sighed, “then something jumped Danny and I had to make my way on my own.”

The director added in, “plus it's been difficult to find hunters we could trust.”

The Doctor sighed shaking his head before looking to the director, “I can't do it, that's a month hike with her like she is. We're due for a rad storm in that time and I'm not going to get caught in that. Let alone everything else that can kill you.”

The director shifted a few papers in front of himself as he spoke,“You know well enough that London Wall is the best for her. They have the medical facilities to handle her and to figure out how this happened.”

The Doctor leaned towards the director lowering his voice almost to a whisper, “Little hint: they had sex.”

“You know what I mean.” He gave a small smirk, “Plus you already confirmed to take it on. You know the rule if you want to cease a contract.”

The Doctor stood back up grabbing the lapels of his coat and pursed his lips in thought. To break the contract which paid out 5000 credits, at 20% would be 1000 credits. 999 credits he didn't have. He exhaled through his nose and held out his hand to the director, “Credit chip.”

The director gave a smug grin as he pulled out a small stack of finger length rectangular blocks, almost looking like old time USB drives without the plastic casing, “Need the money I see.”

The Doctor scoffed as he pulled out a small device scanning the chips to see if they were indeed holding the credits, “I need to raid your medical supplies as well.”

“As always,” he held up his hand refusing the chip the Doctor was offering, “no that was figured in.”

“You know me too well.”

“Saying you raid them every time you're here. I expect it.”

“Place to stay? It's a little late to start on this suicide mission.”

“In the bunkhouse with the others.”

He rolled his eyes as he put the chips and reader into his coat pocket. He was never fond of bunkhouses as thieves and a lot of unnecessary testosterone wars happened. “Ugh..”

The woman spoke up again, “He can stay with me it has two beds.”

The director made a face towards her, “Mrs Pink I don't think-”

The Doctor scoffed, “I'm five times her age plus she's a package. I don't tamper with the packages.” He started to walk towards the door, “come on. Rather not be in here any longer.”

The woman tried her best to keep her pace with the Doctor after leaving the office, “You said you were five times my age.”

He nodded, “Aye.”

“Was that sarcasm or the truth?”

“Truth was 30 when shit hit the fan.” He motioned for her to lead the way once they got to the living areas that.

She lowered her voice as to not interrupt anyone that was currently in their rooms, “So how come there's so few of you?”

“Not everyone had access or could get to miles deep bunkers like in London. Even then the bombs came as a complete surprise.”

“Are you really a doctor?”

“Yes.”

“Know anything about babies?”

He did a quick laugh, “You just asked me if I was a doctor. Pretty certain that I do.”

“Well different doctors know different things.” She got to a door near the end of the hallway unlocking it, “here we are.”

“Clever.” He nodded as he followed her in and closed the door locking it. “Yes I do. Well, maybe. 70 years is a long time to not do anything relating to babies. Though I just remembered I should make sure you're even alright for the trip.”

“Will it hurt?”

He shook his head, “No.”

After a few questions and uncomfortable prods, luckily sitting on a somewhat comfortable bed, she watched the Doctor move the stethoscope around her belly curious what he was doing. “What are you listening for?”

The Doctor, who had his face turned away from her sight, sighed and softly spoke, “Heartbeat.”

She smirked, “My heartbeat is a little higher.”

“The baby's heartbeat.”

“You can hear that?”

He spoke back irritated, “I can when you're not talking.”

She shifted embarrassed and a little teary eyed as her hormones started to kick in at the worst time, “S-sorry.”

After a few moments the Doctor softly sighed pulling the stethoscope from his ears and hands it to her keeping the other part to her belly, “if it doesn't move you can hear. Might have to focus on hearing it.”

She lifted the ear pieces placing them into her ears and closed her eyes. She didn't know what she was hearing at first til she realized it was a very fast heartbeat, something she wasn't expecting, “Is the heartbeat always that fast?”

“Yes don't worry it's normal. Excuse me for a moment need to wash my hands.” He stood up moving into the bathroom, running the water for a few moments longer than just washing hands before coming back clearly having washed his face as well. “Anyway you're just a little malnourished, I don't blame you the food is shit.”

She pulled the ear pieces out and wiped her eyes of the tears she had as she listened to the heart beat, “But we're both okay?”

“Yes.”

“Thank you.”

He took the stethoscope from her and stuffed them back into his bag then promptly sat in a chair near by the beds, “Save it for when we get to London.”

“You never got my name.”

“No I did as Alistair mentioned it, Mrs. Pink.”

“Clara.” She looked at him as he sat in the chair, arms crossed and looking at the rooms interior, “I take it Doctor isn't your real name?”

“No, it is.”

“I don't believe you.”

“I did have one yes but I forgot.”

“Still don't believe you.”

He furrowed his brow and finally glanced over to her, “You be amazed what you can forget in 70 years.”

Chapter Text

Clara stirred awake by the typical many nightly needs to pee. As she started to come to she started to hear the Doctor talk softly. She couldn't make it out till she heard her name being spoken which caused her to turn to him, “Are you talking to me?”

The light of the almost dead table lamp barely lit the area but she could see him still sitting in the chair, having not taken anything off and rubbing behind his left ear, “No.”

She sighed and rubbed her eyes before she started the arduous task of getting up, “Oh I thought I heard you talking.”

“Neighbors. Why are you getting up?”

With a small grunt Clara was finally sitting up. She was already a month into hating having to pee almost every 3 hours and now with having immense trouble trying to sit up she started to silently vow she will never be pregnant again. “I need to pee.”

The Doctor rested his head in his hand propping his arm against the chair arm, “Go ahead, I won't stop you.”

Clara huffed as it was clear he wasn't going to help her up, “do you sleep?”

“Yes but you need it more than I do.”

“Glad you know what I need. Wish you would have helped me get up instead of watching me flail around.”

“You didn't ask. Plus you weren't flailing you were just trying to get up like you weren't pregnant. You can't do that.”

She glared towards him as she finally stood up, “I'll remember that for next time.”

After using the bathroom and then the long agonizing time of finding a comfortable position when back in bed Clara laid there trying to not fall asleep. She wanted to hear what the Doctor was saying as she knew she had interrupted him. As she started to drift to sleep finally assuming that he wasn't going to speak again she heard him softly sigh and speak to himself, “Not even the first day and I don't know if I should just break the contract. I don't want to become attached then have something happen. Something always happens.”

Clara groaned as the morning sunlight blinded her as they walked through the gate that led into the wastelands. She put on a pair of goggles to help with the blinding sun and rampant dust and looked to the Doctor as he walked in front of her wearing a pair of pre-war sun glasses that were very well taken care of. He clasped his hands together pursing his lips only for a moment before speaking, “Rules: You follow as close to me as you can. If I say to hide you hide, you don't peek out. Handles will find you.”

“Handles?” Clara's eyes widened as she heard metallic stomping behind her. She slowly turned to find that she was staring towards a very rusted chest plate of what looked like a metal suit of armor. Looking up the extra foot of rusted metal that was towering over her she saw what was the head containing two rounded spots where eyes normally would go and a rectangular slot for where the mouth would be. She tried to spy through the eye holes to see who was wearing the armor but all she could see was darkness, “Who's in that?”

“No one. It's not a suit he's a robot, last working one in fact. Every piece of armor that's worn around here now is made from the military ones that don't work.”

Handles stared at Clara back before the robotic voice crackled to life, “Greetings.”

“H-hi.”

“Add Clara to the guard program.” He gently tapped her arm to get her attention and to also start walking, “We will be walking for a while. Try to go as long as you can but don't push yourself. If you need a break tell me.”

Clara watched him start to walk away noticing something he wasn't carrying with him. “Okay. Where's your gun?”

“Hate weapons.”

She waddled quickly to catch up with him curious as to why he wouldn't carry a gun especially out in the wastes. “So how are we going to defend ourselves if there's trouble? I can't exactly run.”

The Doctor smirked and pointed back to robot following them with a loud stomping that could wake the dead. “Handles does a very good job. Plus I take different paths versus the other hunters.”

After what seemed like almost two hours the constant droning of loud robotic footsteps were beginning to nag at Clara as she was hoping the Doctor would be the one start up a conversation rather than her. She had so many questions about his life, the one before the bombs fell especially. “So what was it like?”

The Doctor turned his head slightly, “What was what like?”

“The world before the bombs fell?”

“Don't remember.”

She pursed her lips as felt that she was going to get that answer repeatedly if she asked about the past, “You know how old you are but don't remember any of it?”

“No.”

“I really don't believe you. I just want know who you are especially if we're going to be at this for a month. Not going to have a magical relationship to someone just because you got to know them.”

“I guess I should have waited a few more minutes then.” The Doctor stopped and huffed, turning around to glare towards her, “You want to really know why I don't escort people? People are stupid when scared, especially soldiers. They all do stupid things and end up dead. Rather not watch someone get themselves killed just because they want to travel this shit hole.”

“You know we aren't doing this to 'travel this shit hole' you speak of.” Tears started to roll down her face as her hormones once again took over, “And Danny did everything he could!”

He smirked and shook his head, “Yeah not everything.”

“Don't you fucking dare talk about him like that!”

“Like what? A stupid bunker soldier that got himself killed?” He was surprised as her fist came into his peripheral vision and landed onto his jaw making him cry out, “Fuck!” He quickly looked back up to see Handles clearly confused what to do as the one of the people he was to guard just attacked another and Clara furiously waddling off back towards Glasgow, “Where do you think you're going?!”

“Home! I won't travel with someone who thinks so little of people!”

The Doctor growled in anger, “We don't have time for this! Handles get her, carry her if you have to. Do not harm her nor put pressure on her stomach.”

Clara screamed out as she heard the robotic footsteps rush to her, “NO!”

The Doctor moved his jaw around and rubbed it some more watching Clara struggle against the robots grip, “I really wouldn't resist. You could fall and seriously hurt yourself and the baby.” He walked closer to the two as he didn't want to yell anymore as there was enough noise going around and he didn't want to risk bringing unnecessary attention, “Though nice punch.”

“Why do you even care?!”

He chuckled, “It means you can at least defend yourself.”

Clara stood for a moment before she flailed her free arm in the air, “I meant me and this baby you idiot!”

“I care because this is impossible.” He raised both hands pointing at her body, “You're impossible. Thousands of you loom born have had sex before you and only you became pregnant. What is so different with you?”

“What makes you think I'm the first? My parents said they weren't expecting to have to have an actual baby.”

“What?”

“Yeah, I was a baby.”

He started to laugh and shake his head, “No if your mother was pregnant, I or another group of hunters would have done the same walk we're doing now. We would have heard about it.”

Clara shrugged, “I remember being really short against all the others that were my age.”

“You're short. So it's safe to assume you were just shorter than the rest of the children.”

Clara sighed and wiped the tears from her eyes, “could I be let go? I need to pee. Take a break?”

He nodded slowly then smirked as a thought popped into his head, “You're not going to try to walk back to Glasgow are you?”

Clara gently laughed, “Maybe after I pee.”

“Danny was your husband wasn't he?”

She nodded, “Yes.”

“Handles let her go. It's fine.” He watched her waddled to a nearby pile of rubble to do what was needed and then return after after a few minutes assuming it was to compose herself. Once she came back he looked to her, “To answer your question, think about how happy you were before Danny died.”

Clara looked to him oddly, “How does that answer my question?”

“How do you feel now after he's gone?”

“Like part of my life got ripped from me.”

“You have your answer.” He turned back around and started walking once more, “Come on we need to get going if we're going to make camp before dark.”

“It's still morning.”

“Yes but with all the breaks you'll need it'll probably be dark by then.”

Chapter Text

Clara had almost decided to go ahead and walk back to Glasgow but there was a few things that stayed with her. No one really knew what to do if she had problems during labor. While he seemed like the worst person to be escorted by, the Doctor was the best person to be traveling with or she at least hoped so. At every rest break she could tell he was thinking over what they had talked about, her being an actual baby not the typical eight-year old sized new born just out of a loom. She could also tell he was getting frustrated over the many pee breaks or general rest breaks they were needing to do. But this time she was needing to stop for the night as her body was crying out for sleep. “Are we there yet? I-I need to stop again.”

The Doctor stopped, groaning in frustration, “We just stopped thirty minutes ago.”

“I'm tired. I really don't think I can keep going. I-I wanted to hope that last break would help but -,” she sniffled as she really didn't want to fight once again, “I'm sorry.”

He sighed turning around looking to Clara seeing how tired she was and nodded, “Handles can carry you. It's about another hour out and we need to get to Poosh camp before nightfall.”

“Why is nightfall bad?”

He motioned to Handles to come closer, “Because ghouls are worse at night.”

“Ghouls?”

“It's what killed your husband. They don't roam too much during the day but at night they hunt anything that isn't safely behind doors or walls. Element of surprise.”

Clara bit her lip as she thought about what had jumped on Danny that day. She wasn't too sure on what they looked like but what had jumped on him didn't look like a normal person, “I thought that it was a really ugly person just wanting to get our stuff.”

“You're close, they were human but not wanting items. Now they're just disfigured, slightly radioactive, some type of intelligence and extremely feral wanting flesh. Now you understand why we need to make to a camp?”

Clara nodded, “I'm sorry.”

He shook his head, “I was pushing you a little too much and I shouldn't.”

“No you're right we do need to get to London as quick as we can.”

“Thank you.” He looked to Handles, “Clara needs to be carried. Carefully do such.”

Handles did a quick nod and spouted another one word in reply, “Understood.”

The Doctor watched as it picked Clara up slowly and somewhat shakily, “Fair warning; it's not the smoothest of rides I would try to hang onto something if I were you.”

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The Doctor was finally glad to see the lights of the gate to Poosh especially as it was starting to get dangerously dark out. He glanced behind to him looking to Clara her eyes closed and possibly sleeping through Handles robotic marching. He luckily had only to sit at the closed gate for a few minutes as he waited for the camp leader to come by. The elder brown haired woman smiled as the gate revealed who was waiting on the other side, “Well lookie what the cat dragged in.”

The Doctor smiled in return, “Hello Sarah.”

Sarah glanced over noticing Handles carrying Clara who had reactively covered up her face from the lights, “What's Handles carrying?”

“A girl. She's not used to walking this much.”

She walked over uncovering Clara's hand from her face getting a good look to see if anything was amiss, “She's not sick is she?”

He shook his head, “No but I do need a room with two beds.”

She sighed, “Sadly you're going to have to deal with a one bed spot.”

The Doctor raised an eyebrow as the camp was more of a quick rest stop than a nightly stay but due to how they were traveling he needed to stop here, “That's highly unusual for you.”

“Ghouls have been a little crazy on some of the more western sites. Camp is getting full by caravans trying to find a new home.”

Shit. If he had to make it to his bunker due to the rad storm the trip was going to be interesting if the ghouls were rampaging around the area as well. He gave a soft sigh and nodded pointing to Handles in the process, “Mind if Handles comes in just to drop her off? He'll help guard as usual.”

“Of course.” She gave a quick smirk before she walked them into the camp, “You're welcome to stop by my room after you're settled.”

“Can't need to take care of the girl.”

Sarah raised an eyebrow to the comment, “I thought you said she wasn't sick?”

“She's not, honest. I just have to make sure her she's alright.”

“Alright but you owe me a chat.”

The Doctor gave a soft smile, he did enjoy chats with Sarah and all the other small camp leaders he had become friends with all this time. He practically watched all of them grow up. “I will after this is done. Promise.”

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Clara jumped awake as she heard the ripping of velcro coming from her arm only to see the Doctor taking off the blood pressure cuff and removing the stethoscope from his ears. She rubbed her eyes and looked around to the small room finally eyeing a clock saying 3:24 on the face. “Is it morning?”

He nodded, “I'm amazed you slept through Handles walking, a very loud gate opening and me squeezing the shit out of your arm.”

Clara blushed, “I'm sometimes a heavy sleeper, especially now.”

“Which is why we're going to stay here for a day. I want to double check I wasn't a total idiot and pushed you too hard.”

“Can I ask a question?”

“You just did.”

She frowned then smirked as she was unsure if he was being an asshole once more or trying to be funny to lighten the mood, “Ha ha funny. Why are looms around if you could have children?”

He pulled over a simple wooden chair that was nearby and sat down unbuttoning his coat, “They weren't being used yet as they were just in the testing phase. Luckily they weren't destroyed in the blast.”

Clara wiggled a little bit remembering what he had said about getting up like she wasn't pregnant but she successfully sat up in the bed looking at him, “What were they being made for?”

“I assume they were for people who couldn't have children.”

“Seems a little odd they aren't babies.”

He gave a small shrug, “I couldn't say on that. But at least it was a saving grace, even if females are infertile and you only live to 50.”

“50 is better than nothing.”

He raised an eyebrow in curiosity, “You think so?”

“Yeah.” She looked at him and bit her lip in thought before asking, “How old will you get?”

“Well before the bombs I could have told you around 200, 250 if I was lucky. Now it's a good question of when the ghouls or a bad case of radiation poisoning will get me.”

“And you're 100?”

He gently nodded, “Go back to sleep. I'm going to get some breakfast or whatever is called breakfast in the morning.”

Chapter Text

The Doctor sat in front of Clara watching her sleep peacefully thinking over what had happened yesterday. He felt ashamed that they had fought and even more ashamed of what he had said to her. Did he really think so little of people after all these years? He leaned back into the chair resting his head in his hand as his mind repeatedly went over the question. He was quite distracted with his thought till Clara's voice poked through, “Everything alright?”

He nodded with a quick reply of, “yes,” before sitting up looking to Clara who had rolled over and sleepily rubbed at her eyes, “I want to apologize for what I said yesterday.”

Clara smoothed over her bed tousled hair as she worked on waking up, “Sorry I punched you.”

He smirked for a quick moment, “No I deserved it. Very, very much deserved it.”

“You had a wife didn't you?”

The Doctor frowned before getting up, “Before you ask any other questions of that sort, save them for another time.”

Clara frowned propping herself up, “Sorry.”

“It's alright. Just not wanting to answer those questions.” He sighed, “not yet or possibly ever.” He jumped slightly as there was a knock on the door and a females voice was heard behind it. “Ah breakfast.” Going over he cracked open the door slightly seeing Sarah behind it holding two bowls of soup, “Thank you Sarah.”

Sarah tried to peek through the door as she handed the bowls of mystery breakfast, “You sure she's not sick? I have too many unarmed people in here if she changes in a ghoul.”

He nodded taking the bowls of soup from her and trying very hard to close the door, “Very sure Sarah, she requested that she doesn't want to be disturbed and just wants to pass through.”

Sarah sighed, “Alright.”

Clara finally managed to sit up in bed without too much struggle and curiously looked at the Doctor as he closed the door, “Why are you trying to hide me?”

“I don't want to get peoples hopes up if this is just a fluke.” He handed her a bowl and then sat back into the chair staring at what looked like vegetable soup, at least he hoped it was vegetable soup.

“Why would it be a fluke?”

“The looms always work the same way; they take DNA from two hosts to start making a baby. The accelerant is then activated at six months and another 3 months you have an eight year old newborn on your hands.” He placed the bowl of food on the nightstand as a thought, a bit of a crazy thought, had popped into his mind, “Did they give you your loom tags?”

She nodded after she had taken a big gulp of soup then quickly made a face as she wasn't expecting the taste, “Yes why?”

“Give them to me.” He smirked at her as she still had the disgusted look on her face, “it's the pills in the water to kill the radiation. Sadly ruins anything it touches but it's safe.”

She pulled the chain that was hidden beneath her dress and pulled it over her head handing them to him, “I don't know how you would get anything out of them London has the equipment to read them. That's what I was told.”

“I don't need equipment to read the coding number.”

“What does the number tell you?”

He carefully looked at the two small pieces of metal carefully containing its data inside and Clara's name, blood-type and coding number on the outside the tag, “First 5 numbers are irrelevant but the last 8 is your birth-,” he looked at the numbers stating she was born November 29^th, 2186 almost 30 years ago. “You're 30?”

Clara shrugged, “29 but you could have asked.”

The Doctor got up grabbing the messenger bag he had taken off during the night slinging it back over his body, “Change of plans we're going to my bunker, not London and we're leaving now. So finish the soup and get ready.”

Clara shook her head, “No we're going to London. They have the equipment-”

“I have equipment too and food and all of that.”

“But -”

He sat down on the bed looking at her with a furrowed brow, “I'm not taking a risk doing a months walk when we can get to my bunker in a week, sooner if you let handles carry you.”

She leaned back against the headboard a bit scared at him looking at her in such a way, “So what if I don't look like every 30 year old around here?”

“Like with the looms everyone starts aging very quickly once they get around 30. You still look young. I need to know why and I need to know now.” He sat back his features lightening as he realized that he might have been scaring her, “Please believe me you'll be safe and I have the equipment.”

Clara took a moment in thought staring at the soup bowl in her hands before looking up to him and nodding, “okay but tell me how do you know all this about the looms?”

“Because I helped make them.”

The Doctor waited almost impatiently for Clara to try to hurriedly drink the soup, clean up and whatever else she needed to do they were finally out of the camp. He wanted Handles to carry her but she refused to which he gave into letting her walk but hoped she would change her mind as they really needed to get to his bunker in a hurry. Clara waddled faster to catch up to the Doctor who was in front of her, “Wait you told me you didn't know what they were going to be used for.”

The Doctor huffed slightly as he wished she didn't ask all these damn questions. “I'll answer all those questions later because trust me you'll have a lot more when we get there.”

Clara frowned as he had once again dodged her questioning, “is that why you're a bounty hunter? Lets you check up on the looms?”

“Somewhat.”

“No you want to make sure loom born are safe. Is that it?”

“Yes impossible girl it is.”

She smirked, “impossible girl?”

He gave a quick smirk to her question, “Haven't you heard of nick names?”

“Yes I have but -,” she quickly stopped talking mid-sentence as she realized he had called her impossible during their fight, “I get it now. But I can't be impossible anymore once you figure out why I'm pregnant or still young at 29.”

“Quite. Please let Handles carry you I really don't want to have another tired argument.”

“Alright.”

“Thank you.”

Chapter Text

The Doctor and Clara made a compromise to how much Handles would be carrying her during the trip. While it was nice to get off her feet and even take a nap her stomach would disagree with the trip after they rested for food. They had been traveling for two days now with her currently walking in between the Doctor and Handles going through an interesting section of wasteland she never thought had existed. It was as if it hadn't been destroyed by any type of bomb. The sparse trees that were still standing were dead possibly from the fallout long ago but in their slowly crumbling states the new was sprouting through underneath. Suddenly a clicking sound came from Handles who was turning his head back and forth in a constant manner before speaking loudly, “Warning: radiation surge.”

The Doctor turned and looked at to the robot still moving its head. Usually if there was just a concentrated source, such as passing too close to a small irradiated area, Handles would constantly stare till they were out of range. Sadly this wasn't the case which meant one of two things; a lot of ghouls or rad storm. “Shit.”

Clara like every other loom born whether they lived in a bunker or in a camp in the middle of wastes knew that radiation was bad but how the Doctor reacted it wasn't a good sign. She looked at Handles currently invested in its current action then looked to the Doctor, “What's wrong?”

“Handles is getting a radiation spike and it's a pretty big radius. It either means that we're too close to something very radioactive, the storm that I was worried about is going to start soon or there are ghouls. I'm not taking any chances and we need to get to the bunker and Handles needs to carry you.”

“Okay.”

The Doctor waited till Handles had Clara before looking to the robot and sternly speaking, “Your priority is Clara and to get to the bunker with her unharmed. Don't worry about me.”

She looked to him with concern, “W-why are you saying that?”

“He's very logical in commands. If ghouls are out here and I didn't say anything he would try to protect me as well which could get you hurt. I'd rather be hurt than you.”

“We're still a ways out aren't we?”

He nodded with a slight frown on his face, “Yes and it's going to be a close call if we're going to make it before nightfall.”

Some time had passed with the Doctor and Handles moving at a faster pace than normal as they traversed the area. Even with the more bumpier ride Clara started to doze off till Handles stopped and sounded off with another alert, “Warning Dangerous levels ahead.”

The Doctor turned to see Handles head was pointing to the direction that causing the concern but heard the gears slowly tick in his neck. Whatever it was it was moving, “Damn it.”

Clara looked around slightly startled, “What's going on?”

He walked up closer to Clara and gently put his hand onto her arm gently squeezing it, “Clara you're going to have to hold onto Handles anyway you can. He needs to run.”

“It's bad isn't it?”

The Doctor gave a soft smile, “Hopefully not.” He looked to Handles for a moment as if almost he was regretting the decision before forcing himself to speak, “Get to the station as quick as you can without injuring Clara and secure her. Go.”

Her breath was almost taken from her as Handles started to bolt after the Doctor moved out the way. Clara tried to reach out to the Doctor but Handles was too fast to let her to do so as she needed both hands to hold on, “Doctor!”

The Doctor shouted back to hopefully reassure her, “I'll be fine!” He sighed and looked in the direction Handles had been looking at before digging into his messenger bag pulling out what looked to be binoculars. Looking through them he pushed a button which gave him the ability to see the radioactivity Handles had seen. The mass was cloud shaped but it wasn't in the sky like he had hoped making him stuff the binoculars quickly into his bag and precede towards his bunker like a penguin with its ass on fire.

----------------------------------------------------

The Doctor stopped at a pile of rubble that was used as a maker to state how much further it was to the bunker. Sometimes it would get shifted by scavengers but as it was just a lone pile in the desert of nothing it did its job. Luckily the bunker was not too far but that depended on the horde traversing nearby. He leaned against the pile pulling the binoculars out once more looking to the mass that was closer but now more north than both Clara and Handles were. But they were more closer to him, dangerously close. He rubbed behind his left ear turning on the recording implant that was given to him before the bombs fell. “I haven't been able to make a log in a while due to her possibly listening in. We had an argument to which she questioned my thoughts on people. In all this time do I really think so little of our future?” He softly sighed looking around the wasteland and gently fiddled with the binoculars, “Maybe all those questions that had been asked just got to me. I just pushed people away so I wouldn't have to answer them. Or to remember how much it hurt to realize you're gone.”

He stood up putting the binoculars into his bag then started a brisk walk while continuing his recording, “Found out that she's 30 and isn't showing signs of decay like every other loom born has. Either she has something in her DNA that is immune to the aging accelerant affects or something that I'm theorizing happened. She really was a baby when she came out of the loom. Which could be conclusive to a possible loom malfunction or the first theory could result in the same. Or even both.”

He heard growling behind him which is what he feared would happen; a couple ghouls broke from the pack. He didn't want to run as that would cause them to chase after him but running was his best chance to hopefully out run them. “Sarah told me the western camps have been getting over run by ghouls and I was hoping in our rush to get to the bunker we wouldn't encounter any but Handles had a radiation spike. Handles has her and luckily they're out of danger but for me. That's why I'm running.”

The Doctor broke out in his best run that he could muster while desperately finishing his train of thought for the log which was a stupid idea but it had to be done. “I really do hope this isn't my last log I'm recording because she's scared and doesn't know what to do. Just like you were River when I started that fucking project. So worried that I would be busy in the labs when the time came that you couldn't get in touch. I'm going to do right and make sure this impossible girl isn't alone.” He gasped as a snarl happened right behind him, “at least I fucking hope I can. I wished it was the storm instead.”

Chapter Text

“Destination reached.” Handles spoke as he slowly lowered Clara to the ground. Her hands and fingers hurting from holding onto the slightly rusted metal as she was jostled around during the trip. She stood wobbly with her eyes closed trying to get her bearings from the ride. She almost lost her balance as Handles loudly spoke his voice echoing startling her, “Inside.”

“It sounds like we're already inside.” She took a deep breath and slowly opened her eyes seeing that they were indeed inside the ruins of a building. The grey walls were something she had never seen from any other buildings she had been in and as she turned she saw Handles standing next to what looked like an large open closet that was brightly illuminated with white walls. She rubbed her hands as she carefully walked into it seeing that it was just that, a closet. “Handles there's no stairs.” Handles followed her in placing his hand to a side wall which suddenly lit up with text and lines to the surprise of Clara.

As Handles removed his hand as the words 'ACCESS GRANTED' appeared briefly before they faded away. The lines then formed a moving picture of numbers increasing in value moving up past a box which took Clara a few moments to understand, “Wait this is an elevator?”

“Correct.”

She smiled as she had wondered what being on an elevator would feel like as the elevator in the Blackpool bunker never worked and the other places they had gone to only had stairs as well. It really wasn't that exciting as there wasn't any sign that they were moving below ground only by the image on the wall. The realization then hit her, they're going underground without the Doctor. She looked to Handles who was standing upright, not moving and staring towards the doors, “Shouldn't we have waited for the Doctor?”

Without moving Handles replied with, “Priority orders to guard Clara.”

“Yes, which we're here in the bunker. Well in the elevator. I'm amazed this even works.” She paused for a few moments as she was unsure if the robot was going to stay with her once they reached the bunker or she needed to tell him to go back for the Doctor. If she even could tell him to. “Once I'm secure in the bunker you've done your orders. I'm sure nothing can get in the bunker. So can you go after him then?”

“Once Clara is safely in bunker unit Handles will search for Commander.”

“Commander?”

“Designation.”

Clara was slightly confused by what Handles had meant till the doors opened a few moments later. She watched as the lights slowly flickered on revealing what looked like a resting area of couches, chairs and tables with a large hallway continuing on past it. She walked out of the elevator turning around to see the doors closing. At least Handles was going to go back to the Doctor and she was safe, the robot wouldn't have left her in an unsafe area.

-------------------------------

It had seemed like hours since Handles had left but there was a lot of unexplored territory for Clara to waste the time with. As she looked at all the doors she tried to push on them, force them to slide open till she started to look around the door frame itself. She looked closer halfway up the wall and noticed a light softly pulsing in the form of a button to which she gently touched causing it to light up and the door to open.

Fortunately the first find was a lavatory area which she needed upon the baby swiftly kicking her bladder at the same time as the door opening, which also led into an area with private showering areas. Laboratory areas, office spaces, a library with books that didn't have bindings torn nor have water damage to them. There was what looked like more hallways and stairways leading to areas of unimaginable size beyond as well. She had to ask how big the bunker really was as the floor she was on was immense. Clara decided to grab a book and return to the front area to read and wait for the Doctors return.

She must had fallen asleep as she started to come about to a hand gently squeezing her shoulder. She opened her eyes to the Doctor, his hair and face were covered in dust and dirt. “Doctor.” Her eyes looked down to make sure he was alright till she saw his coat was shredded and the white shirt underneath stained with blood, “Doctor your hurt!”

He gave her a soft smile and squeezed at her arm again, “I'm fine just a ghoul or two thought it smart to take a swipe at me before Handles pummeled them into the ground.”

She wiggled herself into a sitting position as she had slouched in the chair while snoozing looking at him with a concerned look on her face, “You're bleeding we need to get you help.”

He nodded slowly standing up in noticeable pain, “quite right. I will need your help as Handles is a horrible nurse.”

Clara, with the help of Handles, stood up from the seat and walked down the hall watching the Doctor leaning against it with his arm, “Why aren't there more people here?”

“Because this is near the edge of ghoul territory, which is now starting to become the heart of it since the ghouls are migrating to where the food is.”

She frowned, “So we're trapped?”

“Yes and no. As I said before there is food here, we can live here comfortably. Not that I want to.” He nodded to a door on the left as they were nearing it, “Left door here medical bay.”

She surprised the Doctor by hitting the area on the wall next to the door to cause it to open. Helping him to a bed she wanted at least a few answers, one which was obvious, “Why does this bunker look so different to the others?”

“Because the ones everyone live in now were built so long ago during a time everyone was so afraid of bombs going off. This was made so we could do the research in secret.” He slowly got up onto the bed seated and sighed before adding another remark of what the bunker really was, “and eventually be a military base.”

“So that's why Handles called you commander?”

He slowly shook his head no, “Logically I'm his commander in his eyes but really I am just a scientist. I changed his coding so he can see me as his only commanding officer and have some logical thought.” He started to slowly work on taking off his coat which Clara was helping him with as he was struggling to.

Her eyes noticed the back of the coat was shredded as well and it wasn't till it was off she saw the deep claw wounds bleeding on his back, “Oh god Doctor.”

He sighed and worked on getting his shirt unbuttoned, “I was hoping it wasn't that bad.”

She helped slowly peel the blood soaked shirt off noticing a few more scars covering his back looking like he had been attacked by ghouls before. “They're pretty deep.”

“If you turn around to the far wall there are suture kits, some cleaning solutions in the middle drawers and there's a large white syringe in a clear cabinet on the far right. It'll have some red liquid in it bring that as well.”

After grabbing a few kits, gauze and solution putting them on a tray so she could carry it all, Clara went over to the clear cabinet and opened it feeling a cool breeze waft towards her. It was more of a refrigerator and all it held was long white tube like items which had windows to red liquid but they did not look like syringes that she was familiar with. She came back with everything and held the tube to him, “this the syringe?”

“Yes,” he took it and unscrewed the bottom cap off showing the small needle then unscrewed the top part to a small plunger, “this is going to knock me out. I need you to clean out the wounds and sew them up the best you can.” He waited as she walked around before sighing as he placed the needle against his chest at an area between his ribs where his heart would be, “I need you to start cleaning out the wound.”

Clara smirked not knowing what he was doing, “I know basic first aid I know what to do.”

“I know but it's for this syringe I need a distraction.” He could feel her try to look over his shoulder to see why, “Don't look.”

She frowned and took the first bottle and opened it readying herself to dump all it's contents onto his back to do the first wave of cleaning, “I'm just going to-”

“Don't tell me and just do it! Please.”

Clara winced as she thought about slowly pouring it onto him but he did say he needed a distraction. She proceeded to dump the bottle on his back making him arch away from the pain as he yelled then gasped right after an audible click happened. She tried to once again look to see what he had just done, “Doctor?”

He slowly pulled out the now longer needle that had automatically thrust itself into his heart delivering the liquid after he hit the plunger at the top, “Thank you.”

She looked to the syringe that now properly looked like a syringe and the long thin needle that was attached, “Oh god. H-how many times have you had to do that?”

“Just this once.” He placed the syringe on the tray, “But I had someone do it to me before and it hurt like fuck as well.”

“What did you just give yourself?”

He started to lay down on his side on the bed as he was starting to drift asleep, “A-ask... ask me later.”

Chapter Text

The Doctor was completely unconscious by whatever he had injected himself with as Clara cleaned out the deep claw wounds the best she could before sewing them shut. After bandaging the area she shifted everything away onto a counter grabbing a nearby cloth and wetting it so she could at least clean the dust and dirt off of him. Luckily the beds were just low enough that she could sit on the edge of the bed to wipe the dust away from his face, looking to all the lines and wrinkles that his years had given him. It seemed unreal that he was three times older than her, even more so that he was alive past any other elder she had known. As she smoothed some of his dusted silver hair back the Doctor softly made a noise, like a content hum, before sleepily muttering, “why are you babying me?”

Clara pulled her hand back quickly waiting for him to open his eyes. Yet his eyes stayed closed and made Clara curious if he was talking in his sleep. She dared take the plunge into seeing if he was indeed sleep talking and wondered what would happen, “Because you're hurt.”

It took a moment before he once again replied, “I'm not hurt.”

She smirked as it was something one always said while trying to keep up the 'tough guy' act, “Yes you are.”

“Missy surprised me... with a stupid syringe... to the chest.”

She looked to him surprised as it was what he had done to himself. She finished cleaning most of the dirt she could see before throwing the cloth onto counter, which fell a bit short and landed on the floor. She frowned at her poor aim but wanted to continue the conversation as she was curious if it would continue to reveal anything, “Why did she do that?”

“She needed to test her formula.” He softly groaned as he shifted on the bed before muttering, “fucking bitch.”

“What does it do?”

“I can't tell you River.”

River? Who was that? She smoothed his hair back that was starting to dry and springing back into the curly mess it had been, “Maybe some day.”

“You should get some rest.” Clara watched him a few moments after he spoke those words before he surprised her with his hand gently placing it on her stomach, “you'll be taking care of someone other than my clumsy ass soon.”

Clara softly gasped as she realized he was dreaming about his wife. His pregnant wife. She gently placed her hand onto his running her thumb on his fingers before she gently moved his hand away. Clara wanted to keep his hand there as she didn't know if it would be a comfort to him as he slept but decided against it as she was unsure how he would react when he woke up.

As she shifted to move to the bed next to him she heard the Doctor speak softly, “I knew that dream was too good to be true. Was I talking in my sleep?”

Clara moved over to the other bed and nodded towards the Doctor seeing him with a slight frown to his face. “I'm sorry. I didn't know that you would dream of your wife.”

“You didn't know. It's,” he sighed as he rolled completely onto his back with a small wince on his face, “it's alright.”

“No it's not. You're not the only one that's lost someone. I'm amazed I haven't woke up crying this whole week.”

He looked back to Clara as she started to lay down in the bed, “I hopefully didn't do anything inappropriate?”

“Well you called Missy a bitch and then put your hand on my stomach.”

“I'm sorry.”

“No don't be. I thought about letting you keep it there but I didn't know how you would react when you woke up.” She laughed softly with slight tears in her eyes, “I was getting tired so I needed to lay down.”

“It's okay. There are living areas on the floor above us if you want something more comfortable than these beds.”

“I think I can live on another uncomfortable bed for one more night longer.”

The Doctor smiled as Clara closed her eyes before he looked back towards the ceiling to close his once again, “Same.”

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Clara woke to dimmed lights and the Doctor once again talking to himself as he sat over at another counter in the med bay looking to a computer terminal. “The bigger question is who caused it to malfunction?”

She raised herself up on her arm watching him run his fingers through his bed ridden curls making the mess even messier, “Who are you talking to?”

The Doctor turned his head slightly to see her out the corner of his eye, “I have an implant. A voice recorder.” He completely turned around, “Did you need help up? It's about 10 in the morning.”

She nodded, “Please and what malfunctioned?

“Your loom.” He walked over gently helping her sit up and looking her over to make sure she was alright.

“Looms never malfunction.”

The Doctor nodded, “Quite but you can force it to stop the process and make the system think it was.” He smirked, “Also a quick and dirty biology lesson, females are born with all the eggs ready to be primed and ready once you hit puberty. A male on the other hand doesn't produce sperm till they hit puberty. I think the end process that ramps up growth from baby till child is damaging female reproductive systems. And I think 30 years ago someone came up with that hypothesis and decided to cause a loom to stop before the accelerant was started.”

“Why didn't they do it to all the girls or even all the looms?”

“To test their theory. Also to not cause concern, one loom out of ten isn't going to get much but a look and a fix.”

Clara yawned and stretched rubbing at her back as the medical bed really wasn't the most comfortable in the world, “well it worked.”

“Who was the doctor in your bunker colony?”

“Melissa Saxton.”

The Doctor raised an eyebrow,“Melissa?” He waved his hands around to help describe her features to Clara, “Scottish looked like an evil villianess with crazy hair?”

“Y-yeah. You know her?”

He chuckled for a moment, “That's Missy.”

Her eyes went wide in surprise that the woman that she had thought was just another loom born was another person like the Doctor. “That's Missy?” She shook her head as it couldn't have been, “She died on our way out. She was old but was stubborn insisting she came along and passed after the first ambush.”

The Doctor smirked, “She didn't die.”

“How would you know?”

“She's always been good at faking deaths. She just wanted to make sure I got to you for whatever fucking reason.” He walked back to the computer terminal pulling Clara's tags that he had held onto since Poosh camp.

“Why?”

“To either taunt me that she's always been smarter than me,” he holds them out to for her to take, “or to take care of you. Or both because that's Missy for you.”

Clara took her tags back putting them back around her neck, “So what was that stuff you injected yourself with? And why couldn't you tell your wife?”

“It's the formula that was going to be used on non-loom born soldiers. Allows them to heal faster when critically wounded just like what loom born could do as we added that to their genetic code.” He sighed, “Why I couldn't tell River is that she wasn't apart of the project, she never was in this lab. It was all top secret. Missy wanted to prove to the generals that it worked so we could get more funding.”

She smirked as it was slightly unbelievable that just stabbing someone in the chest with a syringe would have convinced anyone, “So she stabbed you in the chest with it? Doesn't seem like it would prove anything.”

“No she stabbed me in the stomach with a knife and then stabbed me in the chest with the formula.”

“She could have killed you!”

“Yes quite but it gave us more funding.” He huffed, “even though we thought we were helping the world. Not building soldiers.”

“But you just said it was for soldiers.”

He nodded slowly, “This is because I know now. I honestly thought we were making looms and formulas for society. The military was still around but helped with funding science research.”

“Is that why you hate them? They killed your wife?”

“No the council killed my wife. What I said about soldiers has been a true statement with me, they've all done stupid things because it's their duty. Their DNA is coded to fight till the end.”

Clara scoffed getting off the bed to stand up finally and frowned towards the Doctor, “So is mine.”

“Yes but I think something else is giving you a reason to be a little more reasonable in that fight. You didn't stop to save your husband you ran, ran to save your life and your child's life.”

“Danny told me to run too.”

The Doctor lowered his head as he wrung his hands together, “I'm sorry that I spoke out of turn about him. I shouldn't have.”

Clara smirked as she walked towards him lifting his chin up so he could see her face, “I'll forgive you. Once I pee.”

Doctor smirked as he watched her quickly waddle out of the med bay towards the lavatory area. He quickly turned around to look to the computer terminal and rubbed behind his left ear to restart the recording, “I have figured out it was Missy that caused Clara's loom to quote/un-quote malfunction. She might not always have the best methods to go about proving her point but it has always worked. I still hope a ghoul eats her one of these days.”

Chapter Text

The few days that followed their arrival were quiet as Clara mostly slept in the most comfortable bed she had ever laid in. The soft generator hum was oddly comforting but a nice retreat from her home bunker and the other camps they had past through where the generators were loud and/or clunky. The Doctor had mainly left her alone apart from bringing her breakfast, lunch and dinner. She was curious on why he never really stayed to chat but she never tried to strike up a conversation. She hoped this wasn't going to be the way of things and she was going to make sure of it when he came by the next time. Luckily Clara didn't have to wait too long as her stomach was starting its grumbling as the Doctor hit the door chime. “Come in.”

The Doctor came in wearing the same silly black hoodie and plaid trousers he had changed into after they had settled into the bunker and holding the tray that had the meal of the day. He placed it down on the nightstand the smell wafting over to her almost made it distracting for Clara to strike a conversation up. Once again luck was on her side with the Doctor starting to speak but unfortunately about something neither of them wanted to hear, “The rad storm decided to start today and it's a big one. Explains why the ghouls were moving they enjoy a good rad storm.”

Clara reached over taking a chip biting into it enjoying the freshness of its fried splendor then looked up, “How long is the storm going to be?”

He made a slight silent motion for her permission to sit on the edge of the bed to which Clara nodded allowing him to sit, “About a month.”

“But we can still make it to London after that?”

The Doctor shrugged, “Depends on how long the storm lasts and how quickly the residual radiation dissipates but in all honesty I think we should stay here. It's much nicer here than London.”

To Clara it seemed like he had not wanted to go to London at all as he wasn't thrilled with it when they started the journey, “Why don't you want to go to London?”

“It's not that I don't. I've been back there plenty of times.” He sighed and turned his head to the pile of books next to her on the bed that she had been clearly reading when the cover of 'What to Expect When You're Expecting' had popped out to him. He carefully reached over taking it out of the pile and looked at it, “I didn't realize I had this book in the library.”

Clara knew he was trying to dodge the question, which he successfully had done now due to the book, and she decided to amuse him with it. “Missy had it. I just now bothered to read it.”

“Ah.” He nodded and placed the book back briefly looking up to her like he wanted to say something.

She sighed softly and rubbed at her stomach, “Is it okay to be scared?”

He looked up and raised an eyebrow at her question, “About what?”

“When it's that time.” She looked to the book as she spoke, “What it was saying in there about labor and everything that can go wrong. I'm a bit scared.”

“I think it's okay to be scared. I somewhat hate to admit to be scared about all this as well.”

“Why?”

“Like you said what the book told you there are complications. Luckily the database in the bunker wasn't damaged and has everything on delivery and what to do. It's why I haven't stayed and chatted,” he smirked, “I've been having to work on my homework for this baby.”

Her eyes widened slightly in a bit of surprise, “I thought you said you knew about babies?”

“Oh I do. It's just the first half of everything; development of the fetus, what amniotic fluid is made of, how food and oxygen get to the baby and how warm to keep everything at. All the knowledge for a loom to grow a child. I just didn't know how to deliver them.” He did a quick laugh and looked to his lap in slight embarrassment, “Well I did already know, I just needed to go over the part of what to do if complications arrived.”

She nodded, “I just hope it doesn't come to that.”

He gave a reassuring smile, “I think everything will be fine, you're a strong woman.”

She smirked, “Only because it's all in my DNA.”

“It takes more than DNA to make a person.”

Clara's smirk turned to a soft smile, “I'm the impossible girl.”

“Not so much impossible now as we figured out what happened.”

“I kind of like it though. The Impossible Girl and the Doctor.” She giggled, “be a good story.”

The Doctor smiled as he stood up, “Well I'll leave you to your lunch. Hopefully it didn't get too cold during our talk.”

“With how hungry I've been and how good this food is I don't really mind. How is all this done?”

“I have a few looms down here and modified them to grow plants and meat products. Though for just the two of us it's just a lot fresher.”

“Meat products?”

“In the beginning test phase we grew a cow to test if the loom actually worked. After the bombs I was stuck down here and grew another as we still had the assets. Usually one would slaughter it to eat it but I couldn't do it.”

“What did you do with it?”

“Well I kept it, took some samples so I could modify one of the looms to just make the meat itself.” He made a face as he relieved the memory, “the smell though.” He then shrugged, “I was found about a year or so later by those still alive and well they then had steak that night.”

Clara frowned and her eyes widened slightly in sadness, “Awwww. That poor cow.”

“Such is life.” He smiled, “but it gave everyone food. MREs are horrible.” He cocked his head slightly as he watched her giggle, “what are you giggling about?”

“Growing up all the kids always joked that we we're eating rat.”

The Doctor smiled, “some of the camps joke about it being ghoul. Though it turns out one time a few had to resort to that as a caravan was ambushed by a pack.”

She made a face of disgust, “Ewww I would like to eat please.”

The Doctor chuckled as he started to leave through the sliding door before turning around and waving as the door closed, “enjoy the ghoul!”

“Ugh! Doctor!” Clara smirked and threw a chip at the door.

-------------------------------------------------

The Doctor yawned as he reached the top of the stairs to the living areas. He was doing some much needed maintenance and other items in the labs before heading to bed at such a late night. Before he reached his own room he could hear Clara sobbing from hers and quickly went to the room making the door open without needing to chime in, “Clara?”

Clara quickly looked up in shocked, tears still running down her face that she quickly was trying to wipe away, “I-I'm fine. Bad dream.”

He frowned, he thought back to the nights River would cry over random items but never waking up over a bad dream. He closed the door behind him and walked up grabbing a few more tissues, “Would you like something? Like chocolate or a shoulder to cry on?”

She took the tissues to help dry her eyes better than her hands would, “Could I get both?”

The Doctor smiled and pulled a small package from one of the pockets of his hoodie handing them to her, “Luckily I carry cookies in my pocket.”

She giggled through the tears, “Why do you have cookies in your pocket?”

“Because I know better than to make a pregnant woman wait.” He smirked and went over moving the pile of books off the part of the bed he was going to sit down on, “Though if you want more you're going to have to wait. I had them in my pocket for a snack.”

Clara smiled as she pulled a small cookie from the package, “I think I'm alright with this.”

The Doctor climbed into the bed, on top of the covers, and sat beside her with a little bit of distance still between them, “feeling better?”

Clara spoke while she had a cookie in her mouth, “somewhat.”

He smirked, “Anything you want to talk about?”

“Could,” she swallowed the cookie and looked up to him her eyes still watering a bit, “could I have a hug?”

“I, um,” he swallowed in nervousness, “not the hugging type anymore.”

“We can work on it.” She leaned over putting her arms around him, managing to keep both arms free and not trapping him.

The Doctor went wide eyed and raised his arms at the foreign feeling, “Clara.”

“Relax. You can't keep yourself closed off from the world.”

He brought down his arms slowly putting the one around her and his other hand into his lap. He still felt nervous about the whole moment, “You should tell the council that. They are the masters of keeping themselves closed off from the world.”

“That's why you don't want to go to London isn't it?”

“I'm breaking a rule Clara, that they put in place. Non-interference, what happens to the loom born whether for the betters of humankind or for the Earth is to happen.” He sighed and absent-mindedly rubbed her arm, “the looms aren't going to be able to keep going forever. They knew it.”

Clara shifted as she finished with the hug and leaned against his shoulder, “But you've been to London before --”

“Only the outskirts and I had someone from inside the wall complete the trade. I haven't stepped foot in that place for a long time.”

“What about Missy?”

“She was the one inside, up till 30 years ago helped me.” He furrowed his brow in thought and looked down to Clara as the light bulb went off, “well if you're going to break laws do it elegantly.”

“What?”

“Something she told me when we found what the project really was for. As it was against law to be making weapons for war. Which a very good lawyer could argue that was what we were doing.” He grinned and kissed her forehead out of excitement then went wide eyed as he realized what he done. “I'm sorry.”

Clara giggled, “I'm just happy to see you happy. I think. What are you happy about?”

“Y-you.” He stammered a bit, “well Missy getting kicked out and deciding to tell the council to fuck off with their rules.”

Clara smiled leaning up to kiss him on the cheek, “okay.”

The Doctor blushed before clearing his throat clearly uncomfortable with the situation now, “d-did you need anything else?”

“Could you stay with me? At least till I fall asleep?”

He exhaled and looked at her softly smiling face his instincts wanted him to run but something made him nod and stay put in the bed, “Okay.”

“Good night.”

Chapter Text

The Doctor slowly opened his eyes as an odd sensation was against his body and something else poking at his hand that was feeling a bit more elevated than normal. As his eyes started to come into focus he realized he wasn't in his room but still in Clara's room spooned up behind her and his arms holding her. He gasped out of surprise at the realization that his hand was gently rubbing against her stomach absent mindedly. He tried to slowly pull away as this was something he never wanted at all with Clara, till her hand grasped onto his and she softly spoke, “stay.”

The Doctor gently tugged once hoping to free his hand, “Clara I didn't mean for this to happen.”

Clara sighed, “I thought about waking you when I saw you in bed and I even expected you to have woken up after I left to use the toilet but you seemed comfortable. Even more comfortable when I climbed back in.”

He furrowed his brow as he was upset to find out that she hadn't woken him up to let him go to his room, “You should have woke me. I'm not your husband. I'm just an asshole that has – well had, a duty to escort you to London. I don't have a duty to – ”

She squeezed his hand as tears started to well up in her eyes and her voice trembled while she spoke, “I'm not looking to replace him. I'm sorry.”

“Clara I –“

She lets go of his hand and sniffled, wiping away the tears, “yes, sorry. I won't do this again.”

“I don't know what you were thinking I was going to say but that probably wasn't it.” He gently put his hand onto her arm, “I was going to say that I'm triple your age. I can't even begin to understand why you would be wanting the comfort of an old man like me. Even if we're the only two people here.”

“If you think about it we're just both middle aged people.”

“If you were aging like a loom born I would agree with you but you're not. I couldn't even think to know how long you'd live for.”

Clara tried to turn to turn her head to look at him but she wasn't wanting to lay on her back to do it, “Why not?”

“Well there are a two factors that come to mind; one being if the radiation could that make you age faster and could the DNA manipulation for the fast healing cause slower aging?”

Clara nodded and then started to get up as the typical morning need to pee had once again finally hit. Once standing she turned around to look to the Doctor who was now sitting on the edge of the bed looking to her, “Really I just wanted arms around me. Hard to go to sleep alone when you've had someone else with you for a few years. We're also both adults thought you would at least understand all that.”

The Doctor sat on the edge of the bed looking to the floor as he realized he was just being a daft old man. A daft old man that had pushed everything away because it was painful to revisit the feeling of what it was like to being in a warm bed with someone. Something Clara wanted so she could be comfortable.

--------------------------------------------

Clara came back seeing the Doctor pacing a little around her room looking like he was chewing on the edge of his thumb, “Thought you'd go to your room now that you're awake.”

The Doctor nodded slightly before pulling his hand away from his face, “I just want to apologize. I do understand. In fact it was the best sleep I had in 70 years.”

Clara bit her lip trying to suppress a smile, “Really?”

“Yes.”

“Thought you would have had plenty of chances of 'the best sleep' from going between all those camps.”

The Doctor smirked as he knew what she was implying and shook his head, “trust me I, um, tried. Between losing River, pissed off at the council and everything else. I couldn't properly 'sleep' so to speak, so I never bothered.”

She frowned, “sorry.”

“Don't apologize. You were just trying to get back at me.” He clasped his hands in front of him and cleared his throat after a moment of strange silence, “But you're right we're adults in the end. You're also pregnant and I should be more caring about your needs. Not all of them but you should be comfortable.”

Clara smiled and gently ran her hand over her stomach, “Speaking of needs, someone would like breakfast.”

He smiled, “of course.”

---------------------------------------

The Doctor stood in front of Clara's door staring at the area where the panel would light up upon touching it. After that morning the day had continued as it usually did but the Doctor wanted to change that. He had tried so hard to move on in the beginning but the loss, anger and pain that he had endure suddenly was just so much that he kept it close to him. It helped him focus to help keep the world, at least England itself, turning, growing and healing. But he did have to admit now that he had shut himself away and never healed himself.

As his hand finally started to reach for the panel he saw the shadow of Clara's own hand behind the frosted glass touching the panel and opening the door. Clara went wide eyed as she saw him standing there as the door slid open, “Oh! Doctor, everything alright?”

He pulled his hand back quickly as he was startled just as much as she was, “Yes! Sorry for scaring you. I take it you have to use the lavatory?”

She giggled, “Like usual.”

“Did you need anything before you went to bed? Anything at all.”

Clara raised an eyebrow and slowly stepped closer so she could get by, “I'll let you know when I come back as I really have to pee.”

“Yes sorry for holding you up.” He stepped out of the way and smiled to himself as he watched her waddle hurriedly down the hall. The Doctor leaned up against the wall while he waited and smirked to himself. He had an odd feeling about him almost like a teenager waiting for his date. He didn't know where the thought came from but it was a feeling he was happy to feel once again. He quickly straightened back up when he heard Clara giggling as he had been staring at his feet lost in thought while she had been gone.

Clara smiled, “For someone who said they were three times my age didn't look it just then.”

“Depends on how you see someone then.”

“How do you see me?”

“I've already told you.” He softly smiled towards her, “you're a strong woman.”

“Stay with me tonight?”

The Doctor slowly nodded, “of course.”

Chapter Text

Clara smiled as she laid on her right side looking to a sleeping Doctor. She knew he wouldn't admit that he was becoming more comfortable with her but the white undershirt and plaid pajama pants he now wore to bed the past few days spoke for themselves. She was unsure if those were even pajama pants as she had noticed him wearing them a lot around the bunker. She brought up her hand to gently taking hold of his hand feeling the texture and roughness of his hand and fingers. She became entranced with gently running her fingers over his that she didn't realize she had woken him up, watching her before softly speaking, “You shouldn't be laying on that side for too much longer.”

Clara smirked, “good morning to you as well.”

The Doctor made a small sleepy laugh, “sorry.”

She smiled moving her hand to his cheek softly rubbing her thumb against his skin, “trust me this baby doesn't let me stay in a comfortable spot for too long.”

His hand gently took took her hand back into his then shifted so he was propped up resting his head in his other hand while looking towards her, “I know you were rolling around a lot last night.”

“Speaking of rolling,” Clara winced taking her hand back and putting it onto her stomach. “The loom babies always looked so peaceful. This isn't peaceful, this is painful.”

“They're also in a tank twice the size of an eight year old.” He covered her hand with his feeling the very active baby underneath, “I hate to say it but the baby is probably making sure it's in the right position for the big day.”

She groaned and frowned while looking to her stomach, “why couldn't you have been in the right position.” Clara looked up to the Doctor as he started to chuckle with a wide grin on his face, “what's funny?”

“I bet when you were first able to feel all those movements it was the best feeling in the world and you were always excited to feel them. Especially when Danny couldn't.” His hand went underneath hers to feel what felt like a foot push against her stomach and the resulting wiggling that one could only guess was a little more turning inside. “Then you were so happy to share every moment with him.”

Clara just rested her hand on top of his as he gently rubbed his fingers against her covered stomach. His face was now stoic and focused on his hand but one could easily see the sadness in his eyes of whatever memories he was recalling. Clara softly spoke in a tone that didn't sound like she was talking about Danny even though he had been the same, “And he was always excited to feel it as well.”

The Doctor slowly pulled his hand away and looked up to her his sad eyes now very clearly sadder, “I should make breakfast.”

“I'm sorry I shouldn't have said it that way.”

He sat up sitting onto the edge of the bed hiding his face from her, “I'm fine.”

Clara shook her head towards him, “No you're not. I'm going to take a guess you were excited when River was pregnant?”

“Yes.” The Doctor sighed, “its hard to come to terms that what you've thought you had forgotten was really shoved into a corner and covered up so you wouldn't have to think about it anymore.”

“If you want a shoulder to cry on you can lean on me.” She then smirked to herself, “I don't have cookies though as I ate them.”

He made a small laugh, “quite.” He turned around to look back to her, “did you want help up? That is if you're getting out of bed.”

“Yes please.”

----------------------------------------

The both of them were in the kitchen area as Clara was very hungry and really couldn't wait for the Doctor to bring it to her. She also wanted to make some small talk to get to know the Doctor some more. Clara picked up a third piece of green pepper from the cooking area to which the Doctor smirked as he finished cutting up a small yellow block of an unknown substance and put it into the pan. “Whenever we went to store and River would grab a vegetable for a meal I would always get double. It was her vegetable of the day snack.” He took the pile of cut up vegetables and placed them into the cooking pan, “not that it's a problem but I learned quickly the first time after she had eaten all the cucumber before I could even make a salad.”

Clara blushed a little, “sorry.”

“Don't be, you're hungry and I'm not making this fast enough.” The Doctor smiled hoping that Clara would get that he was making a joke towards her.

She giggled as she picked up the last piece of green pepper that the Doctor had left for her before sitting down at a table near by, “did your wife have any weird cravings?”

“The usual cravings though the out of the blue ones were more worrisome.” He paused a moment as he stirred the food a bit more then smirked, “She once called me while I was down here one night because she was craving fish and cherries. Kept calling till I made it to the door.”

“I've never had either of those so I wouldn't have an idea of the taste.”

“I think there might be a small stock pile of cherries around here. Not sure how they have held up but always hopeful. As for fish it's been so long I probably wouldn't be describing it properly.” He poured the items onto a plate and placed it in front of her before joining her at the table, “and breakfast.”

“I've been meaning to ask what's this yellow stuff? I've never seen it but I've been enjoying it.”

“Well since chickens died out and we never tried to make a chicken in a loom it's hard to have eggs or even chickens so I have to resort to some crazy recipes. It's tofu seasoned to resemble what I remembered eggs tasting like. And colored it to look like egg as well so you're eating tofu eggs.”

“It's tofu?” She started to laugh and took a bite trying hard to now taste the tofu flavor, “why does no one know how to season tofu like this?”

“It's a certain type of salt and it's quite limited. Figured since it had been just me I could indulge myself.” He smirked towards her as she focused more on eating now, “and of course you.”

“Don't you have any breakfast?”

“Sometimes but not always.”

Clara put her fork down after she took the last bite of food and smiled to the Doctor speaking as soon as her mouth wasn't full. “As always thank you. You've calmed him down.” She smirked as she rubbed her stomach, “I don't even know the gender and I keep thinking it's a boy.”

The Doctor smirked, “It's a 50/50 chance. Though a mother always knows.”

She softly smiled, “was there a way to tell what the gender was before the bombs?”

He nodded, “yes but I don't have one of those. Well I did, a portable ultra sound, but with my travels it was damaged and I couldn't repair it.”

“I know I'm probably walking into a hurtful part of memory lane again but what was River having?”

The Doctor nodded as Clara was right it did sting but it wasn't hurting as much as the other questions had. Whether it was just because he was talking about it or that he was talking to someone he was enjoying being in his company, “We didn't know. We wanted it a surprise.” He smirked, “she was thinking it was a boy as well. I had my hopes for a girl.”

Clara raised an eye brow in curiosity, “why didn't you want to know?”

“It was by complete surprise River got pregnant in the first place honestly. She was told she couldn't have children early on.” He looked to her and waved a hand a bit as he explained, “that happens by the way even if you're perfectly healthy.”

“So that's why you were willing to make the looms.”

He nodded, “there were other ways to have children such as adopting another persons child, implantation and other means. But there were couples out there that couldn't have children and didn't want to adopt, they wanted to continue their legacy.”

“Same sex couples, right?”

“Right.” He shrugged, “it was something for everyone but as I told you a while ago it wasn't what I thought it was.”

Clara stood up slowly, standing but for a moment as she made sure she was balanced, before taking a couple steps and kissing the top of his head, “at least they did what you wanted them to. Even if it wasn't exactly what you were expecting.”

Chapter Text

The Doctor startled awake causing him to sit up and looking around the room slightly disoriented due to the dream he had. A dream he didn't remember which was curious as he could always remember what he dreamed about to his dismay. His mind had curiously wondered where Clara had went in his still disoriented state till the room door slid open with her slowly walking in with a small plate of cut vegetables with her nibbling on a carrot. He smiled softly to her as the worry of why his stream caused him to wake vanished as he watched her, “I see you found my veggie stash.”

Clara's eyes went wide as she looked to the plate as she bit down on a bit carrot before looking at the Doctor in surprise, “Oh! I didn't know these were yours.”

He smiled with a small laugh as he rubbed his eyes, “no they're yours. I took a guess you might need a middle of the night snack.”

She placed the plate on the nightstand before carefully getting into bed sitting against the head board looking towards the Doctor as he sat up next to her, “Everything okay? First time I've seen you up during the night.”

“Woke up from a dream. I don't even remember what it was about.” He softly smiled as he looked to her, gently taking hold of her hand, “Nothing to worry about.”

“Are you sure?”

The Doctor nodded, “How are you feeling?”

Clara sighed and rolled her eyes, “sore, tired and hungry.”

“So feeling pregnant.”

“No. Sore, tired and hungry.”

He smirked to her, “Well you're fixing being hungry. Sore I can hopefully relieve even if temporarily which will hopefully alleviate being tired as well?”

Clara sighed in relief, “Oh please my back has been killing me for days. I didn't know if I should have asked.”

“I think it's safe to say I'm willing to offer my,” he brought both of his hands up and wiggled his fingers, “magical hands. So get comfortable and hopefully I can make you feel better.”

After the both of them moved around so Clara was sitting front of the Doctor on the bed she closed her eyes as he started to rub at her shoulders, “So when do you think the storm is going to finish?”

“I'm not sure, it could be done already or it could still be going. I need to make Handles run outside to get some readings. It's practically a whole day process as I have to scrub him down so he doesn't irradiate the whole bunker afterwards. I don't want to really leave you alone.”

“I'll be fine.” She softly hummed as hands were easing away the pain in her shoulders, “lower? Please?”

He lowered his hands trying to remember the places River had requested he take care of hoping that those were same placed Clara was having issue with, “Here?”

A soft moan escaped her lips as his hands tended to her lower back to which it took her a moment to realize what had happened. Clara couldn't contain a small embarrassed giggle, “sorry.”

The Doctor softly spoke as his hands softly ran over her back, “you don't have to apologize for what your body does in response. Plus it lets me know I'm doing a good job.”

“Yes but I didn't mean to moan.” She giggled again slowly leaning back against him as her back was feeling much better and finally relaxed, “But yes magical hands they are.”

“Better?”

“Much thank you.” Clara sighed softly before a thought passed, “So you never tried to have a relationship again?”

“I thought that part was pretty obvious when you met me.”

“I know but I was just curious. 70 years is a long time to be lonely.”

“I've gained plenty of friendships along the way but of course due to a loom borns life span I don't have many of those anymore.” His brought his arms up and loosely around her chest in a gentle hug, “it hurts to know you'll keep living while all those around you pass away. That's why I stopped bothering and became a story.”

Clara turned her head as much as she could so she could see his face which in the corner of her eye could tell he was sad, “I'd love to know more about your story Doctor.”

“There really isn't much more to tell you. An idiotic council, discovery of ghouls and survivors.”

“I would still like to hear it.”

“Alright.”

------------------------------------

Clara smiled to herself as she put her book down in the afternoon and thought of that morning. The Doctor had woke her to tell her that he was going to be busy with Handles the whole day. It wasn't him making sure she knew where he would be that made her smile. It was the soft gentle kiss he surprised her with. She remembered her eyes widening in curiosity at why he had kissed her.

“What was that for?”

“To see if I want to try being with someone again.”

“So what's the verdict?”

“I'll tell you when I get back.”

The smile on his face when spoke those words told her that he had already made his mind up but something in the words made her think that maybe he had to make sure it was something he had wanted.

Clara had tried to stay up hoping to be awake when the Doctor returned but she knew it was a fruitless attempt as she was sleeping a bit more than what she had been. Which was one of the things the book had mentioned was something that was going to happen as she neared the end of her pregnancy. But it didn't matter as she was woken up by a soft and gentle hand rubbing at her arm. She rubbed her eyes as she turned to look to the Doctor in his usual pajama clothes with his hair slicked back by the shower he had evidently just taken, “hey.”

He smiled, “I'm sorry to have woken you again. I would have been done sooner but I had to repair Handles. The storm is still going on which has the area completely surrounded by ghouls who weren't too keen on him being there.”

She frowned, “that's pretty long for a storm.”

“Indeed but it has happened before where it's lasted almost two months.” He leaned over and kissed at her temple, “go back to sleep.”

“Only if you answer my question from this morning.”

The Doctor smiled, “The verdict is yes. Shocked myself three times when fixing Handles because I kept thinking of you.”

Clara smiled as she rolled back luckily still comfortable, “too bad we can't celebrate.”

“I'm in no rush.” He gently kissed the back of her head, “sleep.”

Chapter Text

A dull throbbing pain in her lower back stirred Clara from her slumber. It wasn't the first time in the last two weeks she had been woken up like this but it was more painful this time. She looked towards the clock sighing as it read almost five in the morning. The both of them knew she was due any day now but Clara was hoping that the labor pains weren't going to be in her back as whatever she was experiencing now was painful on their own. She felt the Doctor slowly shift nuzzling against the nape of her neck while softly speaking in between soft warm kisses, “Back again?”

Clara sighed and nodded as she slowly started to sit up, “again.”

The Doctor rubbed his eyes as he worked himself out of bed to help her up, “Would you like to walk around? It'd help take your mind off the pain.”

Clara glared at him, “easy for you to say.”

“I'm going to be with you like each and every time before.” He softly smiled at her as he got her up and started to walk out of the room, “maybe today –“

“No don't speak that sentence. You've said that each time I've woken up like this and it stops. Then you poke and prod me afterwards and it's not fun.”

“Alright.” He frowned as he watched her leaned against the wall wincing once again, “breathe.”

“I am!” Clara took a deep breath in as she had been holding her breath due to the wave of pain that rolled through not her back but her stomach this time. She looked up to the Doctor as his frown turned into a soft smile. “Maybe I should have let you say it.”

“Why?”

“Because I don't think I want to do this.”

Once Clara went into the lavatory the Doctor had quickly rushed to grab his bag from his room before coming back to the lavatories to make sure Clara was alright. He questioned if today was really the day that she was going into labor with her snapping at him and the look she had given him he was sure today was the day. He furrowed his brow in worry as he heard her pained moans and opened the door slightly. “Clara I think you should come out now. From the sound of it those are pretty close together.”

He watched through the crack in the door to her nod, “I-I think so.” She gripped onto the sink counter as another wave was starting, “Oh god why does it hurt so much?”

“Remember all the loom borns were made for war. Your body ignores pain till you can't keep fighting. I think it also has been causing your labor to stop. Which I believe is what has been going on but now I think your body realizes you're not injured and this is nature at work.”

“Nature fucking sucks!”

He jumped back from the door at the startling outburst before opened the door wider seeing her becoming red in the face, “don't hold your breath.”

Clara growled, “I've heard you the other hundreds of times.” She took a long deep breath in while slowly standing up before leaving the lavatory, “we should go to the medical bay.”

“Only if you want to. If this is the real thing I'm letting you labor where ever you want.”

“You sure?”

He nodded and lifted his bag, “I had this prepared since we left Glasgow as I didn't know what was going to happen. So you find a place that you're comfortable with and we'll do this together.”

Clara smiled for only a brief moment before another wave made her lean against the Doctor gripping his arms tightly. She tried to finally not hold her breath through the pain whimpering through it, “Please say you have something for this pain.”

“I wish I could but I don't have anything that's safe nor know what would happen if I used it.” He frowned as Clara buried her head against his chest. He managed to get free of her arms which wrapped around his torso, “bed, library or medical bay? Or even the entrance way? There's a big chair that I think you fell asleep in when we first got here.”

“Can..can we stay here for a bit?”

“In the hallway?”

Her hands rubbed at his back as the contraction ended, “y-yeah. I don't want to move.”

He gave her a gentle hug and pressed his lips against her hair, “we're going to have to move soon sweet heart. I'm sure you don't want to have the baby in the hallway.”

“I know but I like this.”

The Doctor softly smiled, “how about this,” he started to very slowly and gently rock side to side in place, “we just rock and move back towards your room at your pace. How about that?”

Clara nodded her face still buried against his chest, “d-did you do this with River?”

“Never got there.”

“I'm sorry that was,” she softly spoke before she suddenly took a breath in that the Doctor could only guess signaled another contraction, “stupid question.”

“Breathe.” He breathed in and out loud enough for her to hear him doing it before joining him in the slow pace, “there we go.” They rocked in place as she hugged him tightly before finally easing up, “let's walk back to the room slowly.”

“Okay.”

As they started to shuffle back towards her room the Doctor softly spoke, “As for the question it wasn't stupid. I'm the closest in relation to what to do. Granted all theory. I just hope it's working.”

“I'm sorry for yelling at you.”

He kissed the top of her head again, “don't have to apologize. You're dealing with pain that you've never experienced before and all the hormones too.”

Clara finally looked up with a weak smile. Between little sleep and the hour of contractions she endured she was tired. “Thank you. I think Danny would have been frustrated over all this.”

“You might not had to worry because you would have been at London.”

“Possibly.” She closed her eyes and gripped at his arms once again whimpering for a few moments before she let out a cry out.

“You're doing great. We can do this together.” He smiled as she opened her eyes once again as the pain passed, “we're also back to your room.”

“G-good because I think I-I have to push.”

“Then let's get you in bed quickly.”

Chapter Text

“I believed the pain suppression modifier that we put in loom born DNA caused labor to cease after it attempted to start. This happened almost every day for two weeks. Luckily Missy's notes were still in the lab computers allowing me to come up with a chemical to stop the suppression to which I gave to Clara the night before. She went properly into labor the next morning and surprisingly delivered a very healthy 3.5 kilo baby boy in, um, two hours I believe.” The Doctor sighed as he spoke to his log recorder. It had been 3 hours after Clara had just given birth and he needed to record all his notes about the event for the council to prove that the human race could continue again. Even though he knew it was a fruitless venture he needed to do it as someone was going to listen to it. “Unknown if the speed of progression was due to her being 4 to 5 centimeters dilated already or due to the enhanced gene sequencing we had done or fucking luck I don't know.”

The Doctor sighed as he reached his breaking point of needing sleep as he had stayed up far too much over the past two weeks, “I know you fucks aren't going to give a damn about my notes or my recommendations. I've practically kept humanity alive this whole fucking time and I'll be damned if I'm going to let some pompous military cunts ruin it. Why even have a non-interference rule?! You fucking did this and you're just gonna sit and hide?! You fucking killed my wife!” He heard his name being called during his fit of rage to which he blindly turned and yelled towards the door, “WHAT?!”

His eyes grew wide as he realized what he had done looking at Clara's large sad eyes. “Oh, oh god. Clara. I'm- I'm sorry.” He turned off the recorder and stood up going to her, “you should be resting. I'm sorry I was becoming loud.”

She gently put her hand on his chest and clearly looking tired but still gave a smile, “Come to bed.”

He shook his head before rubbing his face out of tiredness again and sat back down at his desk facing away from her, “can't I need to record this. Especially for the formula I had to give you.”

Clara cocked her head to the side, “Formula?”

The Doctor sighed, “It wasn't that your body finally gave in and went into labor completely, it's that I gave you something that suppressed the pain suppressant in your DNA. I wasn't sure if it was always just false labor or the real thing and I was concerned it was stressing the baby.”

“Why didn't you tell me?”

“I would rather be concerned about it than possibly cause another false start because you were worried.” He turned back and smiled tiredly to her, “please go back to bed you'll need your rest.”

Clara nodded, “only if you come to bed with me.”

The Doctor frowned as he looked to her and the paper work on his desk, “I really need to record this though.”

Clara smirked in response before walking over to the bed and sat down on the edge, “Then I stay up with you.”

“Clara no. The baby -”

“Danny.”

He gave a confused look as she interrupted him, “What?”

“I decided to name him Danny. I-I can do that right? Name him after Danny?”

The Doctor smiled, “yes of course but as I was going to say Danny might be waking up soon.”

She nodded and smiled, “I know and I'll get him.”

He sighed in defeat that Clara was going to be staying in his room regardless of him recording for another possible hour. “Alright.”

The Doctor groaned and rubbed his eyes as he spoke the final words into the recorder before turning it off. Turning around he saw Clara sleeping in his bed like he had guessed would happen. He smiled as he watched her sleep for a few moments before he slowly stood up stretching and walking over to her room to check on the baby. He looked to the small wrapped bundle soundly sleeping in the small cot he had brought from the small make shift storage area he had made all those years ago. He didn't want to admit it was the cot he had made in surprise for River all those years ago but he had a feeling Clara had an idea that it wasn't a random handmade cot he had found.

He sat on the edge of the bed with his hands and head resting on the edge of the cot looking inside. “River look at him,” his whispered voice trembled as tears started to well up in his eyes, “t-this could have been us.”

“It could still be. At least for you.”

He made a small laugh before turning around to see Clara standing at the door way, “I don't think so and I thought you were sleeping.”

“You hit the bed on your way out.” She walked over to the cot as Danny started to wake and fuss, “though I think it was good timing.”

The Doctor was quick to react to Clara picking the baby up even though she was very careful with the baby, “Gently...”

Clara smirked as she cradled the baby in her arms, “Doctor I know. I read the books also helped with with new loom born.”

“Yes but this isn't a loom born. This is a small, fragile and amazing.... being.”

“Well this small fragile being just pooped something incredibly stinky.” Clara scrunched up her nose against the offensive odor, “this is going to get some used to.”

The Doctor smirked, “I'll get a new nappy.”

Just as the Doctor walked out of the room a sound of throat clearing came from down the hall which startled him. As he looked he saw the familiar ragged dress in a dark purple, dark hair pulled back and the ever so familiar steely gaze looking towards him, “Missy?”

Missy gave a smirk, “Don't be so surprised brother. I thought you'd need an extra hand with the baby that's all.”

Chapter Text

The Doctor stared at Missy for a few moments more before realizing she was of course waiting for him to start speaking. The words of what he wanted to say to her about proving her genius against him stirred around his head. Not because she did something that he never had thought about but that she had inadvertently killed people and almost killed the only proof they had that humanity could be saved. It was all stirring about till a question finally came out, “How did you --”

Missy let out a sly smirk as she of course interrupted him rather quickly, “Radiation suit and the ghouls weren't around the back entrance.”

The Doctor started to frown at Missy's usual arrogant interruption but his face turned to confusion, “back entrance?”

Clara peered out of the door way holding Danny who was still fussing, “Doctor why do I hear --”

“Oh good!” Missy grinned finally moving from where she stood towards the three of them. She tried to get a good look at Danny after Clara had gasped and clutched him reflexively, “I was right. A few weeks ago?”

The Doctor slid in between the two glaring towards Missy, “Few hours ago. There's a back entrance?” He furrowed his brow realizing that Handles was near by but had not alarmed the complex to her being there, “what did you do with Handles?”

“A few hours ago? I had theorized that a loom born body knew when to start labor. What is that smell by the way?” Missy sighed and waved her hand nonchalantly, “Your bodyguard is alright I just shut him off. You need a better place for the switch.”

“Didn't take into consideration the pain suppressant. I had to give Clara something to temporarily counter-act it. Now why are you here?”

“Oh.”

“Yes, oh.”

“Excuse me. I need to change Danny.” Clara spoke up as the small babe in her arms started to wail at his uncomfortable situation.

Missy scrunched her nose, “Now I know why that smell was familiar.”

He moved out of Clara's way waiting for her to enter the lavatory before turning back to Missy glaring at her once again, “Really a back fucking entrance? What are you doing here?!”

Missy sighed rolling her eyes towards him for the outburst, “Yes there is a back entrance and I'm here because you hadn't made it to London yet.”

“I don't exactly have the luxury of a radiation suit let alone two or three nor does anyone else really. Unless you get lucky of course.” He crossed his arms waiting for the gory answer that she was going to give, “By the way how did you get one?”

She smiled, “London.”

He uncrossed his arms in surprise, “But you were ousted.”

“Were is the word brother.” Missy smiled then rolled her eyes as she watched him still looking at her in disbelief, “Stop giving me that face. Our lovely 'lord president' has passed onto the 9^th level of hell just recently and I was gracefully welcomed back. Luckily they are afraid of death so they all came around.”

“You didn't kill him did you?”

“No as much as both of us would have liked to. Never got the chance.” She leaned to get a look down the hall as Clara came back out of the lavatory which prompted her to speak louder, “In any case it also means that you're welcomed back too. Just need to bring the baby.”

Clara looked confused as she walked back with the baby blanket was over her shoulder covering her and Danny, “Why do you need Danny?”

“Proof darling. Can't keep humanity going without proof.” She lifted the blanket to look at Danny before putting it down as she realized Clara was nursing, “Don't worry you can come along too.”

The Doctor pursed his lips as he gently took hold of Clara's shoulder and motioned her back into her room, “She needs her rest.”

Missy scoffed, “Look she's up and about like any good soldier would – “

He quickly turned around as Clara was almost back into her room with a furrowed brow at Missy, “She's not a soldier!”

Missy raised an eyebrow towards his outburst then started to laugh as she watched him shuffle Clara further into her room and lock the door, “Well she's not River either.”

“That I have come to terms with long ago. I need to turn Handles back on.” The Doctor bumped into Missy as he started walking to go down stairs.

Missy frown and followed him down the stairs, “Have you now? At any rate with Clara even though she's not a soldier she was bred to be one.”

“She needs to rest. She is going to rest.” He stopped with a sigh and turned to look to her, “Why didn't you show up two weeks ago anyway if you knew when Clara was supposed to go into labor?”

“Because I was just welcomed back a week ago.”

“How did you get here in a week?”

“Actually two days. They finally put a vehicle together that works off the radiation. Saves petrol.”

The Doctor frown and turned back to resume going back downstairs to Handles, “Not the time for jokes.”

“Alright mister serious but I do need to return soon with them.”

“A week. Lets me make sure that the both of them are doing fine.”

“Fine. I assume you haven't locked me out of my room?”

“Your dungeon of horrors is still how it was left.” He sighed as Missy waved to him and went back up to the rooms. Finally walking down the stairs and through the door he saw Handles slumped over in the middle of the hall way looking towards the elevator. He gave him a look over to make sure Missy only did just flick a switch. After looking seeing nothing out of place he turned Handles back on.

Handles stood up straight with a slight ticking as his computer ran through its startup process with the robot finally exclaiming, “System online.”

“Quick diagnostic any damage?”

After a few moments the robot replied, “Negative. There is another human in the building.”

“Yes and she turned you off before you could warn me. Temporarily add her as a friend.”

“Friend added commander.”

The Doctor sighed as he patted the robots arm, “I still need to figure out how to get you to call me Doctor. Continue normal patrols.”

“Understood.”

“Oh if you find a vehicle don't destroy it please.”

Chapter Text

“I see your driving is still horrid as ever.” The Doctor groaned and shut his eyes as he mentally prayed to whatever deity was left alive that he wouldn't hurl in his radiation suit as he sat in the back seat with Clara. He had forgotten all this time that he did not enjoy long car rides, even more so with Missy as he was prone to being car sick.

“And I can still hear you trying not to be car sick.” Missy sighed and continued to swerve back and forth as she tried not to hit the various rubble, rocks, ghoul bodies or other items that littered the wasteland as they drove to London in the middle of the night, “I'm just trying to miss the speed bumps that just suddenly appear.”

“Please hit them so I can knock myself out from hitting my head on the ceiling.”

“Such a drama queen.”

The Doctor slowly leaned forward to glare at the rear view mirror hoping Missy would be looking at it, “This is the only part of the fucking apocalypse I have enjoyed. Not having to deal with your driving.”

Clara frowned as she watched him lean back and curl up, “Maybe we should have waited till the radiation cleared? You're not the only one uncomfortable. Danny isn't enjoying this either.” She looked down at the tiny babe squirming inside the makeshift suit the Doctor had made for him. While it was safe to take off the suits in the car Missy was still unsure if radiation being kicked up from the ground by the tires was going to enter the vehicle in some way. Luckily Clara was able to nurse and manage to change him when necessary.

Missy scoffed as she decided to run over a ghoul with the vehicle, “fine but I don't know why the both of you are complaining now. We're almost there.”

The Doctor was quick to retort, “Maybe because we used up every resource available to keep ourselves distracted.”

“You could always keep arguing with me. We still have to finish our argument about Harold.”

“You seriously want to complain about him still? He's been dead 60 years.”

“Yes because I am very much capable of love and I loved him.”

“For his political position of constantly fucking people in the ass.”

“Only mine brother.”

Clara's eyes went wide as she did not expect the conversation to take the turn it had, “We're not going to have those sorts of discussions. Around me. Ever.”

Missy laughed, “Good because we're here.”

Clara leaned over to see around Missy's seat seeing the unnatural sunrise come over the horizon glowing brighter and brighter till its illusion broke as the dozen spotlights showed themselves high in the air on top of the massive wall with the remnants of destroyed buildings softly lit beyond. The vehicle slowed to a stop as Missy pulled out a small device that looked like similar gadgets that she had seen in at the Doctors base. Missy traced her finger around the screen, shifting her body to keep the screen from Clara's view. “What are you doing?”

“Telling them it's me and not some wasteland scavver.” She pocketed the pocketed the device and waved her hand, “and open sesame.”

Clara gasped as the first of many locks to the main gate boomed loudly over and over till the door itself loudly creaked open just enough for the car to start driving in. A short slow drive later they were in a wide open space that held two other cars clearly still in the progress of being put together or being used as spare parts.

As soon as the car stopped the Doctor opened the door quickly getting out, “finally!”

“The decon area is just past the other car.” Missy pointed as she got out soon after turning the vehicle off.

“Good I'm sure everyone would be happy getting out of the damn suits,” he walked to the other side and helped Clara get out by taking hold of a now very upset Danny as it was very apparent he had enough of being in the suit.

Missy and Clara were the first to take of the radiation suit with Danny soon after with Clara quickly cradling him to soothe him. She looked up noticing hurried movement of people passing by the window. It was only then when a soldier in full combat gear stopped in front of the window she realized what was happening. “Why are there soldiers?”

The Doctor growled as he threw down his suit furrowing his brow as he looked towards the window, “Of course.”

Clara looked looked towards him, “What's wrong?”

Missy spoke up as she started to slowly walk towards the door, “Did you know you would never had made it to London? Even if there wasn't an impending storm or ghouls.”

Clara looked confused as she looked to Missy who was smirking, “I wouldn't say never. I know the Doctor couldn't have taken me inside.”

“Do you know why?”

“Non-interference rules. He was cast out and couldn't go back.”

Missy glares at the Doctor, “You seriously told her that stupid excuse?”

The Doctors went up to Missy equally glaring towards her, “Missy don't. She doesn't need to know.”

Missy took hold of the door handle and looked back to Clara, “Because he killed someone.”

Clara stopped rocking Danny and looked towards the Doctor in shock, “what?”

He looked to Clara with sad eyes before turning away staring at the soldier at the other side of the window, “I didn't kill anyone.”

Missy scoffed and turned the handle opening the door letting a small group of soldiers pile in, “Of course you didn't the ghouls did. But it doesn't matter because you were with her and the president blames you. We both know how he is.”

The first soldier that entered looked towards everyone before setting his eyes on the Doctor, “Doctor Basil Smith you are under arrest. Please come with us willingly.”

The Doctor inhaled deeply trying to keep the tears and anger back before slowly turning around looking to Clara, “h-haven't heard that name in a long time.”

Clara wiped the tears that were already rolling down her cheeks, “it's a good name.”

His voice cracked as seeing the tears run down her face and he cracked a smile, “No it's worse than Pink.”

Clara laughed and sniffled, “I hope I can see you again.”

He took a few steps towards with the soldiers shifting in unease of his movements. He stopped and glared towards them, “One minute and you'll have me in your cuffs.” He walked over close to her placing his hands on her arms softly rubbing his fingers in comfort and gently placing his lips onto the top of her head, “Me too. Be a good mum to Danny.”

She softly spoke, “I already don't like it here.”

“Makes two of us.” He took a few steps back smiling towards her before turning to the soldiers and held out his hands, “All yours.”

Chapter Text

The Doctor stared at the floor as he was escorted to the lower floors where the holding cells were located. He heard the squeak of the door open and was promptly pushed in with the door slamming shut after he stumbled forward past it. He turned around to complain that his hands were still handcuffed behind his back till he stared at someone very recognizable even if the years weren't so kind to him. Charles Rassilon the so called Lord President of the new wasteland stood proudly in a very worn business suit with a small smirk on his face, “I finally have you.”

The Doctor sighed and sat down on the bench that was against the wall on the other side of the room and stared back to the man, “Of course you would still be alive.”

Rassilon glared towards him, “You're forgetting something important.”

“I will never call you 'Lord President' or whatever new egotistical name you came up for yourself after all these years Charles.”

“And I will never call you Doctor.”

The Doctor chuckled and slouched to lean against the wall trying to be as comfortable as one could be while being handcuffed, “and that will never bother me unlike it does you. So let's just get to what really has been burning your ass all these years. I didn't kill Catherine.”

“You gave her test results and had the audacity to take her out when it wasn't safe!”

The Doctor stood up quickly and walked over glaring towards the short bald man behind the bars, “Everyone that wasn't in a shelter when the bombs fell was affected. It was amazing she lived through the bomb blast in the first place unlike some people!”

Rassilons expression soured, “Don't you dare accuse me of killing your wife.”

The Doctor roared back with the echo of his voice from the small room hurting his ears, “Because you did! All of you!” He stepped back as he heard and saw the guards lifting their weapons towards him. He sighed and shook his head at the soldiers reaction to an unarmed, handcuffed man behind bars. “Catherine already had an idea she had the cancer. Evidently someone refused to let any of the other doctors do the tests and I was the only one that was willing to be the kind one.”

He scoffed, “Kind? You call being kind a stroll with the ghouls?

“Can I get these cuffs off? You've got me locked up already. I'm not a threat.”

“Not until I'm done with you.”

The Doctor sighed and walked back to the bench to sit down. “She wanted to go outside. She was tired of seeing the bunker walls and I don't blame her. I didn't expect ghouls to be traveling or for her to run towards them.” He shifted on the bench and winced clearly uncomfortable, “By the time you would have realized she was sick we wouldn't have been able to treat it. She would be begging you to end her life.”

Rassilon sighed and straighten up, “She would have been made comfortable.”

“She would have died eventually and even if we figured out how to cure her she would have been so weak. That's not a way to live.”

He grabbed the cell bars and shook them in anger, “My daughter would still have been alive!”

“She and billions would still be alive if you didn't trick us to secretly make soldiers!”

Rassilon turned to a nearby soldier clearly frustrated at the conversation, “I'm done here. He confessed to knowingly disobeying an order which led to my daughters death. Leave him in the cuffs.”

The soldier looked at him slightly wide-eyed before nodding and watched Rassilon leave before turning back to the Doctor holding up his hand with the one side of the handcuffs still attached. “Now you're going to get Dr. Saxton as I've dislocated my thumb to get out of these damn cuffs.”

------------------------------------------

Clara sat on the small sofa in the private room she was given cradling Danny in her arms watching him peacefully sleep after a much needed bath, change and feed. The mix of loose pants and thigh length tops that she found in the dresser were slightly worn but she felt more comfortable in than the giant flappy dress she had worn for the last five months. Her dislike of London was growing more and more as her expectations of it being different were crushed as it looked just like the other bunkers with a few updated items like the digital door locks that the Doctors base had.

Clara was startled out of her thoughts as a sharp loud knocking came from the door with it being opened right after with a thin elder woman wearing the same style of clothes she was wearing and a soldier carrying what looked to be a cot entered.

The woman smiled before speaking with a similar accent to the Doctors, “Don't get up. I had to see for myself and to chase down a cot for the baby.” She pointed nearby the sofa on the floor for the soldier to place the cot.

Clara watched the soldier placed cot down on the floor and exited the room closing the door behind him.“Thank you.”

She smiled, “Do you might if I took a look at him? I'm Amelia by the way.”

“I don't think Danny would mind as long as you don't interrupt his nap.”

Amy sat down on the sofa next to Clara and gently rocked the cot, “I'm actually surprised that the Doctor came with you but with how Rassilon had been acting for a while I had my suspicions something was up.”

Clara looked to her oddly, “Rassilon?”

“He's the head of the council or 'Lord President' that he demands everyone to call him.”

“Missy said he was dead.”

She sighed, “No he's very much alive but that doesn't seem like the Doctor to just believe what Missy says. How did she convince him?”

Clara thought for a moment, “I think I have an idea. Was she kicked out for helping him?”

“No. She was jailed for a while. Then helped us get a working vehicle going to which she used it a lot for weeks at a time.”

“Doctor thought she was ousted from London. How bad is Rassilon exactly?”

Amy's expression turned sour, “To say that that the Doctor wasn't hunted down when he ran was a surprise. Even bigger surprise that Rassilon himself wasn't there to pull the trigger when you arrived.”

“How old are you?”

Amy smiled to Clara, “I was waiting for you to ask but to answer you, I wasn't born in a loom.”

Clara straightened up realizing she was talking to a council member, “You're on the council.”

She shook her head and went back to looking at the content babe in the cot, “No. Just one of the few that was lucky to be alive.”

“You think the Doctor knew that Missy was playing him?”

“That or he was very desperate to come back.”

“Think he might have been more desperate to show the council that human life could continue without looms.”

“That doesn't matter to Rassilon.”

“No but it matters to the Doctor.”

Amy looked to Clara as Danny started to fuss, “Could I hold him?” She smiled as Clara agreed and eagerly and carefully picked him out of the cot, “oh it's okay you're so tiny.”

Clara laughed, “Didn't feel tiny a week ago.”

“A week? Wow.” Amy laughed softly as she remembered, “I was getting as much sleep as I could with Melody. I still feel tired from that one.”

“The Doctor was forcing me back to bed the whole week.” She sighed as she thought about what was going to happen to him, “there's nothing we can do to save him is there?”

“Only hope that Rassilon doesn't kill him in his sleep. Then we have a chance.”

Chapter Text

The Doctor glared at Missy as she checked over his hand making sure he hadn't done anymore damage than just a dislocated thumb. He sat looking between Missy and the soldier standing inside the cell for a few moments amazed that he hadn't screamed at her and even more so when he calmly asked her a question. “Were you even kicked out?”

Missy sighed and sat down on the bench next to him, “He was going to kill me and I bargained for my life. Ended up being jailed for almost a year.”

He scoffed and rubbed at the joint of his thumb still stinging from dislocation, “Bargained yours for mine. You never cared what you could do for the world only how much fame, fortune or now arse saving it could get you.”

“Isn't that why we did it brother?”

“No.” He growled and furrowed his brow at her, “I do it so the world can be a better place. So all we just have to worry about is old age instead of what the new disease is of the century was going to be.”

She shook her head and flicked her hand in a dismissive wave, “I have never understood your 'duty of care' mantra.”

“We fucked up Melissa. We had to fix it.”

“We didn't fuck it up. We didn't know.”

“We still had to fix it!”

Missy sighed, “Yes and in the process of helping you fix it I got caught.”

“No you helping me be a doctor to all these people with an asshole dictator got you caught. You fixed the bigger problem.”

“Only because I was trying to find you and get you.” Missy paused for a few moments before she started to giggle for a moment, “I almost didn't think I was right by the way. Oh I was so pissed off as they all fuck like rabbits and yet here she was not pregnant. Then found out she was exploring the same gender for a while. ”

The Doctor smirked, “You know that didn't cross my mind about her age. Still living in the past where it was acceptable to be 50 before you even bothered having kids.”

“Amazed living in the past and not talking to anyone has gotten you this far.”

“Not a way to live though.”

“I can tell, you look like shite.”

The Doctor let out a small laugh, “thanks for telling me.”

The soldier watching the both of them cleared his throat to get their attention, “I'm going to have to ask you to leave if you're finished Dr. Saxton. The Lord President doesn't want him to have visitors.”

The Doctor sighed leaning back against the wall looking up to the ceiling, “great. Take Clara back to the base she doesn't need to be here.”

Missy stood up and started to pack her things, “Ah you don't want her to see your execution.”

“Please Missy just do it.”

“No because that would allow you to give into your fate. I saw how you were with her.”

He rolled his eyes, “I was just doing my duty. She literally just had the baby.”

Missy walked towards the soldier who then let her out of the cell. She turned around as she exited looking through the bars back to the Doctor, “That was way more than 'doing my duty'. Especially when you snapped at me for telling me she wasn't a soldier.”

The Doctor closed his eyes after Missy left and his cell door once again closed. As always Missy was right about how he felt about Clara and not letting her watch his death. The only thing was not having her there wouldn't let him give into his fate of death. He had a handle on that long ago. It was what he might say in his final moments that he was scared of doing. To break her heart again for letting her know how much she meant to him. He was already blaming himself for kissing her lips only that one time.

-------------------------

Clara was happily relaxing on the couch after Amy had helped move the cot and Danny to the bedroom before she had left. She had constantly got up every ten minutes to check on him for reasons that baffled her. She had finally settled for the past hour reading a book she had taken with her till she heard door suddenly opened. She stood up in anger now looking at Missy standing in the door, “You bitch!”

Missy did a quick side step showing whom was behind her while speaking in a sing song manner, “I wouldn't.”

Clara pursed her lips as she saw the soldier prepared to raise his weapon towards her. Sighing she sat back down glaring towards her, “so what was point of all this?”

Missy smirked and closed the door, “What do you think?”

“That I was just fucked with this whole time to get to the Doctor.”

Missy nodded and sat down in a near by chair, “And you would be right.”

She stood up and walked up to Missy on the edge between anger and crying, “my life is not a play toy!”

Missy watched her to see if she was only going to just yell at her, “Technically you are a play toy. A little toy soldier to have been sent off to battle because a few greedy cunts wanted more money. And oil and gold and power.”

Clara's mouth dropped at her response and started to think about how long it would take the soldier to open the door to stop her from punching Missy, “how do you not care?!”

“Oh that's not true I gave you a book to help you understand pregnancy.”

“You got my husband killed.”

“You now have something in common with Basil. Someone to blame for their spouses death.”

“How the fuck do you even call yourself a doctor?”

“Easy, a degree. Well in my case multiple doctorate degrees from about 15 years of university.” She smirked, “It's called professional detachment dear, something that Basil never mastered.”

Clara shook her head and started to pace trying not to punch her, “No he did.”

“Only after he alienated himself from people, that isn't mastering it that's just removing yourself from the equation.” Missy stood up quickly grabbing Clara by the shoulders to stop her pacing and stared into her eyes as she spoke, “Now if you're done being angry. You're going to listen to me.”

Chapter Text

It had been a force of habit to know what the date was, something to let people know how long it had been since the bombs fell. It was easy when he was outside as the Earth rotated on its axis to make day became night and then a new day. Inside a bunker on the other hand it was easy at first as the guards changed every 12 hours. Then he started to sleep a lot more than normal as there was nothing to do. Then he stopped caring.

The sadness and rage he had felt towards Rassilon and the council during his time alone right after the bombs fell had come back. The Doctors gut kept telling him it had been about three maybe even four months since he had been thrown into the cell. He was done with trying to fight. The years had worn him down. He couldn't do another battle again.

The soldier currently on guard duty frowned as he looked the small pile of rations on the bench. His eyes went to the dark corner of the cell where the Doctor was sat on the floor leaning his head against the wall. “Doctor Smith you need to eat it's been a week.”

The Doctor weakly scoffed not bothering to move to look to his guard, “I'm going to say this again. I'm dead anyway. The only freedom I have in here is the choice if I eat or sleep.”

The soldier sighed, “I know that sir but Clara asked Sam and I to make sure you're not doing anything stupid. This counts as something stupid.”

His eyes went wide as he heard her name and a multitude of thoughts went through his head. One was that Clara was still in the base and the second was that the guard knew her. He sat up and looked to the guard, “how do you know about her?”

The soldier shifted for a moment as if he was uncertain about something before he walked up to the cell bars, “Because she found out about who guards your cell and asks about you almost every day after our shifts end. I helped her get into doing guard duty around the base.”

“You shouldn't have done that she's not a soldier.”

“She might have not come from a military base but she's a loom born like the rest of us, Doctor. You should know that.”

Using the nearby bench to aid him the Doctor slowly and wobbly started to stand up clearly showing that he hadn't moved for a while and the toll of not eating was having an effect on him, “she's-she's not a soldier! She needs to be safe!”

“She wanted to be in a position to actually see you.”

“She doesn't need to see me.” He struggled to walk closer to the cell door only taking a few steps before he sat down hard on the bench. “She has someone else to take care of.”

“The baby yeah.”

He leaned back against the cool stone wall and closed his eyes as he was feeling lightheaded from standing up, “Danny.”

“Sounded like he's a handful. More than my son when he came out of the loom.”

“Babies are very different from loom born. They need to be cared for and taught a lot longer.”

“Sounds like you had experience.”

“N-never had the chance....” The Doctor gripped the bench edge with his hands knowing he was going to black out which meant he would end up in medical or Rassilon would finally end him or even both.

“I don't know about that, Clara seemed like she is lost without you. Though she did mention something about Amy helping her out right now.” He watched the Doctor smile very weakly speaking something before he slumped over. “Doctor!”

------------------------------

Clara sat on a stool next to his bed look over his pale and sunken features as he slept. Tyler, the guard that was on watch, had told her before that he had not been eating. Of all things Missy was right in predicting that the Doctor would end up doing something that would land him in medical. Rassilon was furious that the guard had even called for help before realizing that he never ordered them to not interfere.

Clara leaned over taking his hand into hers and softly spoke in his ear with tears started to gather in her eyes, “I just want to repay you for everything you've done. I want you to just experience being a father to someone even if it's not your own.” She squeezed his hand tighter and sniffled, “Don't know why I'm blathering like you're dying...”

Missy did a small laugh as she came over to check the Doctors vitals, “Well you could make him a father to his own child. We just don't have one kid and be done with it. Though with his age and who knows what various amounts of radiation he's gone through it might take a bit.”

Clara sat up and wiped the tears for her eyes, “I-I know that but I don't know if he would even want to.”

“He's a man he'll want to.” A small grin appeared on her face, “plus I can help if he has issues.”

“I'm glad you're willing to help with my issues because I don't have any,” the Doctor groaned as he started to wake and worked to open his eyes which were currently being blinded by the light over head.

“We'll you're going to need my help because this lot can last a while.” She pushed against his shoulder as he tried to sit up, “and you stay in bed.”

He huffed before trying to sit up again his body telling him once again that it was a bad idea. “Think I'll agree with you on this one.” He sighed before finally looking to Clara and realizing she had hold of his hand, “hello.”

“Hello.” Clara smiled.

“You should have left.”

“You shouldn't be alone.”

He sighed, “Always been alone. Makes it easier.”

“I think I started to change your mind on that.”

The Doctor looked away then to Missy, who had moved herself to the other corner of the large medical area, who was clearly looking back at him from the corner of her eye. He nodded looking back to Clara, “you did. Then I got stuffed into a cell.”

Missy cleared her throat and turned around, “Only so I could get back here and to also get my status back. So I could throw the switch to all the looms.”

“You did?”

She nodded then grinned, “It was the only way because Rassilon doesn't know how to work a computer like the uptight asshole he is. The only thing now for you to do is play dead once we get some food in you.”

Chapter Text

The Doctor stared at his reflection in the mirror after a much needed shower after 3 days of laying in bed. He couldn't tell if he looked better but he definitely felt better than before deciding to give it all up. The scruff he had before on his face had now turned into a beard with the grey overtaking the once brown hair color of his earlier years. The curly locks that were drying into the silver they had become had grown out even more as well making it look like look he had a large wild tribble from the old sci-fi television show Star Trek upon his head. He started to smile and let out a small chuckle before hearing the door crack open with Clara asking,“how are you feeling?”

He gripped the towel that was wrapped around himself as he turned to look to Clara peeking inside smirking to him. He granted her a small smile, “physically I feel alright. Though whatever Missy has planned has me nervous.”

“Good thing she told me to do anything to keep you calm.”

“Oh you're listening to her now.” He frowned turning back around to the mirror and rubbed the beard on his face, “how do you know if she isn't really going to kill me?”

“Because she knows I would break every bone in her body plus she seems generally concerned about keeping you alive.” She opened the door more as walking in behind him and surprising him with wrapping her arms around him, “Keep it.”

“Keep what?”

“The beard.” Clara leaned to the side a bit looking into the mirror, “though we should do something about your hair.”

He smiled softly as his hand moved up from the towel placing it on her arm, “well we'd have to keep the hair till after all of this is over but I agree I'm not going with a giant monstrosity of hair again.”

“Again?”

“Yes.” He takes her hands moving them as he starts to turn around to look at her, “and that will be the last time you hear about it.”

Clara playfully frowned with a smile hidden behind it, “aww.”

The Doctor had almost forgotten what the feeling of a heart skipping a few beats felt like until he saw the smile on her face. No one had managed to bring warmth back to his heart like Clara had done. No one had because he shut himself away from everyone and didn't let them in. He cupped her face with his hand running a thumb against her cheek, “I'm sorry for trying to push you away.”

“You can make it up to me.”

He smiled, “I would love to make it up to you.”

“Missy is expecting us to.”

He looked up to look past the open door into the living room area that was Missy's office, “Ah that's why she let me use her room.” He looked back down into her eyes with worry in his, “I just hope that this really isn't our last time together. I don't know if Rassilon wouldn't try to make sure I was dead.”

“Maybe we should treat it like it's our last time together then.”

“I couldn't do that to you.”

“The least I could give you is one last happy memory.”

The Doctor smirked, “oh yes sex in the bathroom.”

Clara giggled, “well sex yes but not in the bathroom. Come on.” Her hand took hold of his hand that was on her cheek and slowly walked backwards leading them out into the living area.

“Clara I don't know if, uh,” the Doctor stammered as he wanted to tell Clara that he was unsure if his body was able to do the deed or to even satisfy her in the way she was expecting. As he started to think a little more he was unsure if he wanted to do it at all in Missy's office of all things.

Clara smiled as she sat him down onto the sofa and straddled his lap wrapping her arms around his neck, “I know Missy's office isn't the best place but we couldn't exactly sneak you out to my room. Especially when Amy is taking care of Danny.”

The Doctor placed his hands on her waist and smirked in amusement, “That's not what I was going to say.”

“Well whatever it was I wouldn't worry.” She leaned forward gently placing a soft kiss on his cheek.

“Well now I have something else to worry about.”

“What is that?”

“Why a beautiful woman straddling my barely covered lap would just kiss me on the cheek?”

Smirking she coyly replied, “have to warm you up.”

“You don't have to start off that slow,” he promptly removed her top with her help and threw it off to the side with her leaning back against him, her warm skin against his. His hands slowly rubbed against her back as he moved up to gently press his lips against hers. Clara smiled for a moment as their lips finally met with her parting her lips soon after inviting him in. He pulled back smiling at her, “though don't need to rush it either.”

She giggled, “sorry.”

He leaned back in and start to kiss at her jaw line with small soft kisses as he whispered, “I don't blame you for being eager.” He closed his eyes and let out a moan as he felt her hand go between them taking hold of his member that was slowly growing hard. “Though I think it's helping.”

Opening his eyes he watched her slide off his lap and remove the rest of her clothing then undoing the front of his towel that had kept him covered. A wave of warmth flushed through him as he looked upon her naked form making his member finally twitching to its full hardness.

It almost seemed like a blur as Clara straddled his lap once again slowly lowering herself onto him as his brain couldn't completely comprehend the sensation of being inside someone again. He swallowed as he became nervous hoping that everything that was going to happen would be perfect for the both of them.

“Okay?” Clara softly spoke as she shifted slightly to allow herself to adjust to his size.

The Doctor nodded and barely whispered an answer, “more than okay.” He moved his hips to move gently inside of her, “this alright?”

She laid against him resting her head against his shoulder while softly humming, “yes.”

He wrapped his arms back around her as they slowly moved together. Her soft hums were pleasing that he still knew what to do. He slowly started to move the both of them so Clara was laying on the couch and him on top as he started to move inside at a different angle and speed.

Clara moaned wrapping her legs around his waist craving for him to go harder and faster inside of her. She gripped at the sofa desperately as she was on the edge and wanted, no needed, to desperately cum. They managed to roll themselves over with Clara on top moaning as he ran his thumb against her clit knowing she was there.

He held onto her waist with his other hand as she cried out from her orgasm still plunging into her as he was still not quite there but on edge himself. They were now both frantic in pleasure and fell off the couch as the Doctor wanted to be on top once more. A breathless moment of laughter between the two of them before they clashed their lips together as he thrusted hard into her. Clara arched up as another orgasm ripped through her forcefully with the Doctor desperately trying to bury himself deeper as he released moments after her with a loud deep groan.

The Doctor rolled onto his back on the floor next to Clara as they both panted. “Theta Sigma Adjunct,” he panted in between the words and numbers as he spoke, “014041958. If Rassilon attempts to do anything against you. It'll stop them because -”

“Soldiers can't hurt council members or spouses of.” Clara turned her head in surprise at the revelation. “That's why he hadn't killed you yet.”

“It wouldn't have mattered if he ordered the guard to ignore my medical distress either.” His breathing started to slow, “he can't order you around Clara the coding doesn't happen till after the nine months. You really aren't a soldier.”

She rolled over cupping his cheek as she knew Missy's formula was starting to work it's magic causing him to go into a coma like sleep. “That's why you were so afraid. It wasn't because of Danny but it's because of me.”

Chapter Text

The remainder of the drugs that Missy had injected into the Doctor and a slight tweaking to the monitors made him, to any non-medical professional, as good as dead. Luckily for Missy there was no other medical professionals around that were knowledgeable of what she had just done. Even with the reassurances it didn't stop Clara from being nervous as she stood nearby against the wall watching from the corner of her eye as Rassilon looked at the Doctor laying in the bed they had moved him to.

Rassilon looked over to Missy who was standing nearby the monitor that was emitting the long continuous monotone beep. “Alright you've proven that he's dead but what you've failed to do is to tell me how. You said he was on the mend.”

Missy spoke softly like she was on the verge of tears as she turned off the monitor finally silencing the tone it was emitting. “He was on the mend, yes. But he's had various injuries over the years and who knows what might have filtered in. The radiation changed everything. It might even changed him so the machines didn't know what was wrong.”

Rassilon narrowed his eyes slightly as if he was attempting to guess if it was a show so the Doctor would be a free man. He sighed pursing his lips together as he made his choice, “Alright Dr. Saxton I will honor your death certificate as being valid.”

She nodded and lowered her gaze towards the floor, “thank you Lord President.”

“I wasn't finished.”

Missy looked back up as her eyes slowly widened like she knew what he was about to say, “I-I didn't mean to interrupt you.”

“Oh you were just hoping.” He smirked a grin towards her as he walked around to her side, “you were hoping that I wasn't going to say anything else like I am going to confiscate the body to mount on my wall.”

She clenched her hands in front of her as she calmly yet, clearly upset spoke to him, “The deceased is handed to the next of kin which – ”

“Which the Lord President doesn't give a shit about. I have every right to do whatever I want. He's dead. I can finally touch him. But if it will make you feel better you can pick the box to frame him in.”

Clara gripped the weapon grip tightly as Rassilon passed by her laughing on his way out of the medical bay. While the rifle she held was unloaded she knew she could do a lot of damage to him as a makeshift baseball bat. Luckily Missy had told her to behave otherwise it would have ended badly regardless of her spouting the key the Doctor had given her.

“Fuck.” Missy hit the equipment next to her in anger after a few moments making sure Rassilon had indeed left.

Clara quickly walked over looking to Missy with worry, “What the hell are we going to do?!”

“You're going to continue to play soldier and I'm going to hope Rassilon will enjoy keeping Basil on ice.”

“You're keeping him like this?!”

“It's not like I have any choice.” Missy turned to Clara with a serious look on her face, “he's really fucked in the head or he's testing us.”

“But if he's testing us wouldn't putting him 'on ice' give us away.”

Missy nodded, “but it can be a right thing to do if he was really dead. Bodies decompose but a cryo pod stops it. He would see it as me doing him a favor against the horrible stench that would come around.”

Clara bit on her lip and sighed, “how long can we do this?”

“Depends on how long you can keep being a soldier.”

----------------------------------

It had been three long months since they fooled Rassilon into thinking the Doctor was dead. Three months of the Doctors body being in a barely working cryo tube that sat as a giant trophy in his office that hardly anyone except the Lord President saw. Clara looked to her sleeping seven month old in the cot Amy had brought her that first day of arriving in London. She was amazed that after all this time how such a small thing had grown so big after such a short time.

Clara became startled and quickly turned around as Amy knocked against the metal door frame of the side room, “oh I didn't hear you knock.”

Amy smiled and walked into the room, “it's alright I did that a lot with Melody. Countless hours staring at her seeing how big she got or worried if she was going to wake up if I walked away.”

She smiled briefly before walked into the living area where her guard gear was as it was soon to be time for her shift playing soldier, “I worry more that he'll be found out. We'll both be found out.”

“I told you you have nothing to worry about. Everyone just thinks that a tube malfunctioned that's all.”

“I'm more worried if I get pregnant again,” Clara sighed as she sat down on the sofa, “or if I already am.”

Amy walked back out with a smirk as she joked, “as long as you don't have sex you're fine.”

“That's the problem. I had with the Doctor.” Tears started to gather up in her eyes, “and all that stuff that happened before I was told I was pregnant with Danny is happening now.”

Amy's expression changed to concern as she sat down on the chair near by, “Oh that's a problem. Have you talked to Missy about it? It could just be stress.”

Clara laughed, “stress? You do realize who you're talking to.”

“Yes but loom born were meant to handle the stress of combat not actually living a life worried about a baby and a boyfriend who's been frozen.”

A small smile formed on Clara's lips as soon as Amy had mentioned the word boyfriend. Then the smile along with the rest of her face saddened as she suddenly thought back to all the moments she had with Daniel. She had been a mess with his death barely composing herself after the two months spent at Glasgow before she met the Doctor. Even with the ups and downs they had at the beginning the Doctor had helped her in more ways than one.

Tears fell down her cheeks as the pain of loss hit her once more and she stumbled through her words, “I don't want him to go. I-I don't know what to do if he's gone. I don't want to be alone again.”

Amy moved over to Clara to embrace her as she cried, “Hey it's okay. You've got me and everyone else here.”

Clara shook her head, “And Rassilon. He's going to find out.”

A sudden loud knock on the front door startled the both of them with a soldier quickly shouting from beyond it, “you're late for your shift!”

“Oh shit.” Clara stared at Amy before quickly getting up trying to put her guard gear on as quickly as possible.

Amy rushed over to the door opening it to the angered soldier, “Sorry that was my fault.”

The soldier narrowed his eyes, “why are you holding her up from her duties?”

Amy started to speak to give a plausible excuse when Clara suddenly rushed into the bathroom where she very audibly retched into the toilet. “I was trying to get her to go to the medical bay. She's sick.”

The soldier continued to glare, “Soldiers don't get sick. Many have tried this trick to get out of duty, doesn't work.”

Amy glared back mentally worried that Clara was right all along about being pregnant while also scrambling for another excuse, “they do if it's radiation poisoning. She's been out there for a long time before coming here, she might really be sick.”

The soldiers features lightened and nodded, “take her to medical. But she knows if she isn't truly sick she will be on wall duty.”

Chapter Text

Clara laid in bed in the medical bay attempting to watch Missy as she tried to dissuade the soldier from watching and learning of what was causing Clara to be sick. Attempted was the key word as her stomach was churning to a foul smell in the medical bay that she hadn't smelled before. She knew what she was going through as Missy and the pregnancy book had called 'morning sickness' but it had only been slight nausea before as loom born only were sick when it was a serious issue. Maybe the excuse Amy had given to the guard was true.

Missy walked back while the guard stood at the door with his arms crossed. She leaned in to whisper to Clara while she took a blood sample, “I was hoping your little romp wasn't going to be fruitful.”

Clara frowned at Missy's comment sharply whispering back, “then why even suggest that I do it with him?!”

“Because I wanted to be nice to him instead of just drugging him into a coma. Plus I might have been a little curious if you would become pregnant again.” She smirked before taking the sample to a nearby machine to do its tests, “but I didn't expect Rassilon to do what he was going to do.”

“Why are you still using me like a guinea pig?” Clara took a deep breath to calm down realizing the guard was hearing her but then regretted the act as she became sick in the nearby waste bin that sat next to the bed. After sitting back up she looked with concerned to a surprised Missy who had rushed over, “is this normal? There's this weird smell making me sick. I was dizzy the first time.”

“I'm not intentionally using you as a guinea pig, ” Missy eyed over to the door seeing that the soldier had disappeared, “but loom born have never been pregnant. I hate to say it we had really not thought about how their - well your - bodies would work. I don't know if I should say you're pregnant or be worried that it is something else.”

Clara shook her head slowly as to not dizzy herself, “no if it was something else I wouldn't be feeling the same way when I was pregnant with Danny. I know it.”

“Well you aren't feeling the same way. You're dizzy and vomiting.” Missy then huffed as a thought crossed her mind, “but you're also smelling the chemistry project I have going in the other room. I can barely smell that.”

“That book you gave me said every pregnancy could be different, including morning sickness.”

Missy nodded before going back over to the machine as it started to beep to which she silenced it and looked at the results to a pleased smile, “to which this one very is. You're fine, morning sick but fine and pregnant.”

Clara leaned back against the pillow relieved that there was not a major problem but looked back up towards the door as she heard multiple footsteps coming towards it, “so what are we going to tell the angry guard?”

“Nothing because he told me that Doctor Saxton here was being dodgy about his rightful request to see the examination and test results of why a soldier is sick.” Rassilon revealed himself and walked in with the head guard and two extra guards along with him. “So when were you going to tell me that loom born could be pregnant? Before going behind my back or after?”

“C-charles,” Missy stammered in surprise, “w-what do you mean?”

He smirked, “We've all had time to learn new things and I know you put out a protocol under my name to do something with the looms. I assume she is the reason.”

Missy started to walk over to him before he raised his hand to stop her, “you knew they couldn't run forever. We told you that after finding out they couldn't reproduce. Life would end completely.”

“Yes quite and I do regret my decision to initiate my non-interference order,” Rassilon walked up to Clara putting his fingers under her chin to move her face around so he could examine her features, “especially with what the looms have created. Though I think if I had rescinded it I wouldn't have a new lovely piece on my wall.” He removed his hand and looked up to Missy who was still surprised that he had changed his mind about the non-interference rule, “make sure she has something for the morning sickness as she will report to my office with these two guards.”

“I need to do a few more tests on her Charles. Her morning sickness is worse this time around.”

He walked over to Missy glaring towards her, “If you continue to not call me Lord President you will be doing medical tests on ghouls. Do you understand me?”

Missy nodded, “Y-yes Lord President.”

“Good,” he turned and started towards the door, “I still want her so make it quick.”

-------------------------------------------

While Clara's stomach was no longer nauseated after Missy gave her something to calm it down the butterflies that she was accumulating while being escorted to Rassilon's office was almost negating the medication. Questions ran through her head as to what Rassilon knew and to why was she going to his office? By the way he was acting towards her it was likely not going to be pleasant for her especially with the Doctor in the cryo pod in the room. Once they arrived at his office the guard nearest to the intercom pressed the button announcing their arrival.

“Only she enters, you guard the door,” Rassilon's voice resonated from the speaker which made Clara's stomach tumble even more.

The other guard looked to Clara and spoke, “I don't know how he knew I would be here but if you have something to tell us do it now.”

Clara looked back as it was a familiar voice seeing it was one of the guards that had been with the Doctor when he had collapsed in his cell, “Ryan?”

“Clara when I was with the the Doctor waiting for medical he mumbled an order to me that if this happened you would have something to say in a 30 second window.” He looked over to the other guard who was confused as to why he was stalling sending her inside, “do it now before it's too late.”

Clara took a deep breath and nodded, “Theta Sigma Adjunct 014041958. Do as what the Lord President ordered please. Quietly.”

Ryan smiled before standing at attention with the other guard, “of course Mrs Smith.”

Chapter Text

Clara was glad that all the overseer offices had a standard layout that placed the desk straight ahead of the door as she was unsure how she would handle having to see the Doctor's cyro pod right away. As she entered the office her eyes quickly gazed around seeing picture frames of old photos and paper articles that rested on top of the worn wooden paneled walls. She held back her surprise that the office was much bigger than the sparse few she had been in but was glad it was as the Doctor's cryo pod sat against the right side wall taking up a good amount of space that other offices would have not had. Stopping the few steps away from Rassilon's desk she stood at attention watching him eye her.

Rassilon stood up while undoing the buttons of his jacket and loosening his tie as he spoke, “nothing that we will speak or do is to leave this room understood?”

Clara swallowed nervously as those words concerned her deeply. Soldiers had to obey till someone had the right authority to override the order. But there was no one else, only the Lord President who stood in front of Clara with a curious look growing on his face as she stood there not replying. She swallowed again as she calmed her nerves, “yes Lord President.”

He walked around the desk to stand in front of her eyeing her with curiosity, “What took you so long to reply?”

Clara shifted and decided to at least give Rassilon most of the truth as her stomach continued to do flips, “The meds Dr. Saxton gave me aren't working very well Lord President. The other soldiers were pressuring her so she did not have much time to give me a proper dosage. So I'm still feeling nauseous.”

“When my wife was pregnant with Catherine she had horrible morning sickness,” he stepped back to lean against his desk crossing his arms, “ not a lot you can give a pregnant woman because it could harm the baby. Loom born being pregnant I assume Dr. Saxton is having a field day with the puzzle of what you can have.”

“Of course Lord President.”

“I would assume she would have to be even more careful if the father wasn't a loom born.” He smirked and gave a false laugh, “because who knows what all is involved in that.”

Clara felt like her stomach was going to heave one more time but she gathered her strength to keep herself together, “I don't understand Lord President.”

Rassilon quickly stood back up getting directly in front of her glaring at her, “He ordered you didn't he?”

“Who ordered me Lord President?”

With a grunt Rassilon grabbed Clara's arm and the back of her neck in surprise shoving her over to the cryo pod shoving her face into the cold frosted glass. He roared into her ear as he yelled,“ him! The 'Doctor' as he wants to be called!” His hand shifted and found a new grip onto her neck as he continued to yell into her ear, “After I was there to examine his body I found out you were off duty and not assigned to the area anyway! He probably begged her to have some time to fuck you so he could have the final word before she actually followed my order to kill him!”

Clara knew she couldn't fight back as this was practically an order. A very angry and harsh order as she was starting to question what all he did know instead of if he knew. She couldn't stop the whimper as she spoke as she started to fear for her life wondering why the guards weren't coming in, “h-he didn't order me to do anything, L-lord President.”

“Then explain why you were there!”

“She requested my presence after my shift was done Lord President. I-I went there without changing.” Clara yelped as soon as she had finished her answer as Rassilon shoved her back against the chair that was nearby.

Rassilon stared at her as she scrambled to stand up once again, “He's the only person who has higher authority than me! To make you lie to me!” He pointed furiously behind him towards the cryo pod, “but he's dead! I have all the authority! You obey me!”

She was unsure what had happened next if Rassilon had flinched just enough to make it seem like he was going to do something to her again as she yelled out in reflex, “No!”

His eyes went wide and he stood up trying to comprehend what she had just said, “Did you just tell me no?”

“N-no Lord President.”

“I knew that bitch didn't fucking kill him!” He quickly walked around throwing open a desk drawer grabbing the handgun and pointed it towards the Doctor's cryo pod.

Clara shouted knowing it would bring more doubt about her but it didn't matter she couldn't let Rassilon do anything to harm the Doctor. “Lord President he's dead it would be a waste of ammo!”

He glared at her still having his weapon pointing towards the Doctor, “why do you care?” He then scoffed as an idea rolled into his head as he walked over to Clara and held out the handgun for her to take, “If he really is dead then I order you to shoot him soldier.”

“What will happen if I don't?”

Rassilon huffed as he pushed the intercom button to call the guards whom entered clearly oblivious to what had happened due to a sound proof door,“this soldier is disobeying an order to fire at the cryo tube make her.”

Ryan, being the higher ranking soldier of the two, spoke up, “This isn't a soldier Lord President.”

Rassilon stood there for a few moments as he tried to process what had just been said, “Say again soldier?”

“Mrs. Smith is not a soldier Lord President.”

Rassilon started to laugh in disbelief as he properly gripped the weapon and started to wave it around and pointing it towards Clara, “I-I can't believe this! He gave you his spousal code?!”

Both soldiers brought their weapons up and pointed it to Rassilon, “Lord President please put the weapon down for everyone's safety.”

“You're in on this as well?!” He glared towards to soldiers before he held up the gun and pointed it to the cryo pod, “it won't matter when he's truly dead then I can order everyone all I like!”

Clara looked to the soldiers quickly, “Don't let him fire! The Doctor's alive!” As soon as she spoke those words the soldiers shoved her away yelling towards Rassilon to not fire. What happened next seemed like a blur to Clara as Rassilon roared in rage taking the first shots with the soldiers firing in return with the cyro pod alarm blaring soon after.

Chapter Text

The Doctor slowly opened his eyes to an annoying beeping going on next to his head. He looked around and took a moment to gather that he had fallen asleep at his desk at the base. He sat up finding that the beeping was his phone going off and he picked it up looking to the screen that showed a picture of River. He smiled as he swiped the screen to answer the phone and placed it up to his ear hearing her voice say, “Hello sweetie.”

He stood up and patted at his white lab coat making sure he had his keys and wallet as he knew the call was going to be yet another food request, “so what is it this time?”

River laughed, “what makes you think I want anything other than to call my dear husband?”

Walking over to the door he pushed at the panel to see that time which chimed in at 00:50 before he pushed the door open button so he could leave. “Because it's one in the morning to which you call to wake me up and bring you something that you're craving.”

“Maybe I just want my husband back home into bed and to also bring home some fish and cherries.”

The Doctor laughed as he walked down to the elevator and hit the call button, “fish and cherries again?”

“What do you mean again? This is the first time I asked for this.”

He paused as he knew she had asked for this combination before and brought his phone down so he could look at the screen for some unknown reason only to find that the screen was now severely cracked over her photo. The elevator dinged opening it's doors causing him to look away for a moment as he stepped inside and hit the ground floor button. Looking back to his phone he found it wasn't cracked anymore but it brought a sense of unease as he felt like he had done this all before. He brought it back up to his ear and laughed thinking of a logical explanation, “I'm sorry with everything you've asked for I thought you asked me that before.”

“It would be nice if I did. Wouldn't it?”

He chuckled, “yes it would. Some of these cravings are hard to find late at night.” He shivered as elevator doors closed with the elevator heading to it's destination. “I hope you're keeping the bed warm though this lab is cold freezing tonight.”

“Food first then we can warm each other up.”

The Doctor gasped and dropped his phone as a another female voice suddenly shouted his name. The voice hadn't come from the phone and he started to look around the elevator till he looked at the doors seeing that frost patterns were forming on them. “What the hell?” He lifted his hand up to touch the frost when a sudden flash happened across his vision as he watched as young brown haired woman yell his name from the other side of the frosted glass that appeared before him. He looked at her with the feeling that he knew her but couldn't place the face.

The Doctor pulled his hand away as the doors returned back to normal but the temperature was slowly growing colder. He looked down to the phone that he had dropped seeing that the screen was cracked on it once again but he ignored it as he picked it back up and brought it up to his ear, “River?”

“Everything alright?”

“Yeah phone slipped out of my hand.” He rubbed his face as he tried to wake himself up thinking that he was just over tired and just starting to hallucinate, “These long days are getting to me.”

“Maybe you should stop trying to do long days.”

“You should know as well as anyone that when work gives you surprises you follow them through and I've been getting a lot of surprises this week.” He looked back to the elevator doors as they had turned back into the frosted glass with same young woman pounding on it before he blinked turning them back into elevator doors again.

River suddenly gasped on the other end of the phone,“What the hell?”

“River what's wrong?” A sudden familiar fear washed over him right before the base alarm system started going off with a radiation warning and the elevator quickly reversing its direction. A loud crash sounded over the phone before the line went dead. “River!” He placed his hand against the wall attempting to override the security feature blinking once again seeing the woman again with Missy now struggling at something just below the frosted glass.

“No, no, no!” The Doctor shouted at the once again elevator panel as he was failing to stop it from returning to the safety of the lab. He pounded on the cold walls till the realization was he knew knew that woman. He knew why everything felt so familiar and why it was freezing. He was reliving the day the world went to shit courtesy of a cryo pod.

------------------------------------

Clara looked up seeing that the Doctor was starting to bang on the cryo pod glass and looked to Missy who had the panel off trying to force the door to unlock. “Missy you have to get him out!”

“If shit for brains here didn't shoot the damn panel I would be getting him out!” Missy loudly exclaimed as she played with the mess of wires trying to to find the right combination to undo the locks.

“If you had followed orders and not played me for a fool we would not be in this situation.” Rassilon yelled as soldiers were holding him still as he tried to free himself from their grasp.

Clara stood up glaring towards him, “I wish that it wasn't just the gun that was shot out of your hand.”

The sound of hissing started to happen as Missy stood up, “got it I need help with this door!”

The Doctor gasped for fresh warm air and promptly fell out of the pod as soon as the two women opened the pod door. He looked up staring at a furious Rassilon and took a few deep breaths before speaking, “Theta Sigma 014041958 Override Commander. Mental instability and abuse of power.”

“Fuck you.” Rassilon spat and tried even more to get out of the soldiers tightening grip.

The Doctor started to shakily stand up with Missy and Clara coming back over to help and to also cover him with a blanket to help start warming him up, “Get the fuck out of my base Charles.” He turned to Missy, “and you -”

Missy looked at him with concern that he was going to say the same thing, “Basil..”

“Missy was trying to do the right thing Doctor.” Clara spoke up unsure what he was going to do.

“The right thing?!” He glared at Clara, “I just relived my last moments with River thanks to that damn contraption.” He looked to Missy who was in shock, “I had finally come to terms with it all Melissa and you fucking brought it all back.”

Missy stammered, “I-It was malfunctioning I know I shouldn't have used it but I had no other choice. I had hoped it would have picked up on your last moment with Clara.”

“No it fucking brought me hell.” He looked to the guards, “after you deal with him bring me my clothes. I'm leaving.”

Chapter Text

Clara attempted to stay while to find the right moment to get the Doctor into a private area so she could talk to him to understand why he wanted to leave. Her stomach decided to have other ideas as the medication wore off forcing her into a near by bathroom worrying another soldier that had happened to be inside. She rushed back finding out that the soldiers were all too efficient on getting his things and he was on his way to the garage. Running through the bunker in hopes to catch him before he could even get into the final hallway she couldn't find him realizing he knew more shortcuts than she did.

”Doctor!” She breathlessly shouted in the hallway that led to the garage to hope he would stop before he got to the doors.

An audible sigh was heard as he stopped and turned around, ”Don't try to talk me out of leaving Clara.”

“Why are you leaving?”

“Because I don't need to be here anymore. The big baddie has been defeated and the world is saved.” The features of his face saddened as he seemed torn at his choice to leave, “And now it's time to ride into the sunset. Too much of a reminder of what happened.”

Clara frowned slowly closing the distance between them, “I want you to stay.”

He shrugged and backed up a few steps knowing she was trying to try everything she could to make him stay, “You seem fine without me.”

“Yes but I was also pretending to be a soldier, taking care of Danny and worrying about you.” Her eyes started to tear up as she wanted to rush over to him for comfort but was afraid that she would make him run off. “Even with Amy's help, I'm a wreck.”

“Welcome to the joys of parenting.”

“Which I want you to experience with Danny.” She stepped forward, “you were excited to do it.”

He exhaled stepping back a few more steps seeming more eager to leave now, “well that ship has sailed. It's been a while since he's seen me. Probably would be confused why 'daddy' is now showing up.”

Clara sniffled and let out a small laugh, “probably will be more confused on why he isn't receiving all the attention in 6 months.”

The Doctor looked towards her in confusion, “I don't know why he would be more confused. You're being a soldier and Amy is taking care of him.”

Her mouth gaped open slightly as she couldn't believe that he didn't understand what she was implying. She shook her head as she was getting frustrated now as the roller coaster of emotions started to wash over her, “you are an idiot.”

“Thanks I know,” he glared at her and turned around to finally start walking down the hall once more, “now that you've taken up my time I'm leaving.”

“I'm pregnant.”

He slowed in his step but it was clear he was somehow upset of the news she had just given him, “I don't know why you're telling me unless you're looking for my blessing then I'm happy for you. I hope the other soldier is as well.”

Trying to hold back her anger as her voice wavered as she tried not to shout at him, “I've only been with you. Why would I even think of trying to be with someone else?!”

The Doctor turned back around clearly trying to process what she had spoke to him, “m-mine?”

She let out a laugh as the look on his face was priceless and reminded her the look on her husband Danny's face when he learned of the news. Then she remembered what the Doctor had said to the overseer when they first met hoping that it would at least brighten the mood, “I would like to point out we did have sex.”

A small smirk formed as it was clear he remembered the same moment, “Yes quite.”

“You said the pod made you spend the last few moments with River. Tell me.”

“I heard the building collapse while on the phone with her. While stuck in an elevator that refused my commands to go back up. Even though it was to save me.” He rubbed his hands together as was still agitated over the situation, “The cryo pod brought back all that anger I had held when I was stuck in the base I-I was just so -”

Clara saw the opportunity to finally walk up to him and wrap her arms around him while finish his sentence from what she had seen, “upset enough to kick a certain former lord presidents ass.”

The Doctor let out a laugh and sniffled as he tried to hold back the tears, “I didn't kick his ass. I just took his authority and gave him what he deserved.”

“Don't go.”

He loosely wrapped his arms around her and shook his head, “I can't. I don't want to be a commander. I just want to be me.”

Clara laughed pulling herself away so she could look at him, “You can always step down. We're pretty good at handling ourselves.”

“Yes and I really do hate this place. I like my place better.”

Clara smirked, “so you're staying?”

The Doctor nodded, “well staying at the other base.”

“Sounds good to me.”