𝙏𝙝𝙚 𝘾𝙤𝙣𝙨𝙚𝙦𝙪𝙚𝙣𝙘𝙚𝙨 𝙊𝙛 𝙏𝙞𝙢𝙚 ✧ 𝘽𝙤𝙤𝙠 Ⅲ [✓]

Listen Pt. 5

Something sounds from outside "we are safe? Nothing can get in here, right?" Orson asks.

"Probably" Clara replies, a hissing sound, like air escaping can be heard and the Cloister Bell tolls. {Y/N} goes to the console pulling Clara over.

"Have you got a plan?"

"Telepathic circuits. I left a trace in them before" Clara says.

"So?"

"So apparently, that can do a thing" {Y/N} sticks Clara's fingers into the telepathic circuits.

"What, that's your plan?"

"It's not a plan, it's a thing" {Y/N} looks at the time rotor which starts to stutter "ok. Come on, come on, you can do it!"

"Remember, Clara, focus" {Y/N} whispers, the Doctor wheezes.

"Come on! Sorry" the time rotor gets up to speed "here we go! Come on. Come on!" the TARDIS lands with a thump. The Cloister Bell has stopped.

"Is that it?" Orson asks.

"I don't know. I think so"

"The scanner isn't much help" {Y/N} says.

"Where are we?" Orson asks.

"Somewhere else. I hope" Clara walks towards the TARDIS doors Orson follows "no, no, no, you stay and look after the Doctor."

"You can't go out there by yourself."

"Thing is, my timeline, it keeps on. Orson, you don't want to meet yourself. It's really embarrassing."

"Don't worry, she'll be fine" {Y/N} says, the TARDIS door creaks slightly as Clara closes it. On a raised platform is a simple bed, and a child is lying curled up under a blanket, sobbing as the moonlight streams down through the roof. Clara climbs the ladder to the platform.

"Rupert?" she walks to the bed "Orson?" the barn door opens. The woman wears a long skirt with an apron over the top.

"Why does he have to sleep out here?"

"He doesn't want the others to hear him crying."

"Why does he have to cry all the time?" Clara hides under the bed.

"You know why."

"There'll be no crying in the army."

"Hush."

"Don't pretend you're not awake. We're not idiots."

"Come and sleep in the house. You don't have to be alone. If you can hear me, you're very welcome in the house, with the other boys. I'll leave the door on the latch. Come in any time."

"He can't just run away crying all the time if he wants to join the army."

"He doesn't want to join the army. I keep telling you."

"Well, he's not going to the Academy, is he, that boy? He'll never make a Time Lord" the Doctor wakes suddenly, {Y/N} smiles.

"Sontarans! Perverting the course of human history!"

"Doctor?" Orson asks.

"You're confusing me. What? Shut up, shut up. Where's Clara?" {Y/N} and Orson look at each other "Clara! Clara!"

"Hello? Who's there? Hello?" the boy sits on the edge of his bed, and Clara grabs his ankle as if by reflex.

"It's ok. This is just a dream. Just lie back again. Just lie back on the bed. It will all be ok if you just lie down and go to sleep. Just do that for me. Just sleep" she releases his ankle and the boy gets back into bed. Clara sits on the edge of the bed and puts her hand on his head, stroking his hair gently as he sobs to himself. She whispers into his ear.

"Listen..."

*Time skip*"What happened? What did you see? What's out there?" Orson asks as Clara walks back into the TARDIS.

"What if there was nothing? What if there never was anything? Nothing under the bed, nothing at the door. What if the big bad Time Lord doesn't want to admit he's just afraid of the dark."

"Where are we? Have we moved? Where have we landed?" the Doctor asks.

"Don't look where we are. Take off, and both promise me you will never look where we've been."

"Why?" {Y/N} asks.

"Just take off. Don't ask questions."

"We don't take orders, Clara," the Doctor says.

"Do as you're told" the TARDIS dematerialises. The boy sits up in his bed.

"Listen..." a while later, Orson is being returned home and gives Clara a hug "this is just a dream. But very clever people can hear dreams. So, please, just listen. I know you're afraid, but being afraid is all right. Because didn't anybody ever tell you? Fear is a superpower. Fear can make you faster and cleverer and stronger. And one day, you and a girl are going to come back to this barn. And on that day, you're both going to be very afraid indeed" The War Doctor and War {Y/N} stand in the wilderness looking at the lonely barn "but that's ok. Because if you're both very wise and very strong, fear doesn't have to make you cruel or cowardly fear can make you kind" Clara grabs the Doctor from behind for a hug.

"No, no. Not the hugging. No, no, no. I'm against the hugging. Please" the Doctor says, {Y/N} laughs.

*Time skip*

The Doctor and {Y/N} drop Clara off and leave. Danny's doorbell rings, so he goes and answers it.

"I am so..." Danny starts but is cut off by Clara.

"I know."

"It doesn't matter if there's nothing under the bed or in the dark, so long as you both know it's ok to be afraid of it."

"And I just get nervous," Danny says.

"Me too" Clara replies.

"I don't even know what I'm nervous of."

In the TARDIS, the Doctor is underlining the word Listen on his blackboard, {Y/N} stands at the console, he looks at her and she smiles.

"I'll show you. So, listen. If you listen to nothing else, listen to this. You're both always going to be afraid, even if you learn to hide it. Fear is like a companion. A constant companion, always there. But that's ok, because fear can bring us together" Clara kisses Danny "fear can bring you home" the Doctor walks over to {Y/N} and hugs her, she hugs him back "I'm going to leave you something, just so you'll always remember, fear makes companions of us all" Clara leaves Dan the soldier man to stand guard and walks back to the TARDIS.

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