After getting out of the elevator Clara and the man walked thru the disheveled store for several minutes, she had no clue where they were going but he seem to. Clara studied him trying to figure out why she knew him. She had never seen him before, but he seem so familiar. The man then noticed her staring at him and cleared his throat.
"Like to stare at strangers, I see?" He remarked making Clara blush a little.
"Sorry," She apologized. "Just wondering where we're going." Clara replied.
He slowly grinned.
"You'll see.' He told her.
Clara rolled her eyes.
"Loving how you divulge so much info." She sighed.
He scowled.
"Now, where is the fun of revealing everything," He commented. "Besides you'll love this!" He gushed rubbing his hands.
Clara looked at him secretly hoping she hadn't just agreed to go off with some weirdo.
Suddenly they stopped and the man just beamed.
"There she is!" He declared proudly.
Clara just stood there for minute before following his gaze. Her heart then jumped and her eyes widen!
It was the TARDIS! It was actually the TARDIS! She couldn't believe it! The beautiful blue box she thought she never see again! It was here and just as blue and bright as ever! A combination of disbelief and awe overcame her. It felt like a dream, she slowly crept closer gently touching the aged wood. It was surreal, all this time she had lived life without its presence and here it was! But how? She looked at the man, suspicious.
"How did you get this?" She asked.
He looked at her slightly surprised.
"Well, not the typical response, I'm used to, but this is my ship," He said. "It's called the TARDIS…" The man started to explain.
But Clara couldn't hear, her breath caught in her throat as her mouth dropped staring at this man more stunned and confused than ever. There was no way, she thought completely shocked. It wasn't possible!
"No," she whispered her voice stuttered out in a whisper. "It can't be…" Clara muttered.
But before she could make sense of anything going on the TARDIS doors creaked open. The man then smiled gesturing for her to go in first.
Clara slowly walked in still slightly dazed. The minute she walked in, it hit her, she was really in the TARDIS!
She looked around stunned. Everything looked different, it was dark but a bit brighter kind of orange, but it was the TARDIS, her footsteps echoed on the metal grating like a familiar hello. The console was grungy, but the lights blinked the same colors. She could feel the TARDIS warmth around her, inviting her in like she was new here which felt a bit off to her. In fact, it all felt different like she was stranger but why?
"Well?" He asked interrupting her thoughts.
Clara's gaze then traveled to the man, and it slowly dawned on her why he was familiar, and why she trusted him so quickly. It finally struck her.
Her eyes brightened seeing her old friend, again! He had changed but it was actually him!
The Doctor just looked at her, strangely wondering why she was staring at him like that.
"Well," He finally spoke gesturing with his hands. "Are we going to comment that 'it's bigger on the inside' or what?" The Doctor asked.
Clara just slightly smiled feeling slightly overwhelmed shaking her head. It still felt like a dream.
"It's you." Clara finally let out.
The Doctor frowned.
"Sorry?" He replied confused.
"I mean you look good, it'll take some getting used to," She quickly added. "But I'm so glad you came back!" Clara admitted hugging him.
The Doctor just stood there completely surprised.
"Uh, bit touchy, feely, aren't we?" He replied slightly taken aback.
Clara scoffed slowly releasing him.
"Right, still not a hugger," She replied. Clara then sighed. "I'm just glad you're okay and that thing that happened before, let's forget it and just start over, yeah?" She rambled.
The Doctor was really confused, now! He peered over her, folding his arms, scowling.
"Um, what are you on about?" He said getting suspicious.
Clara just frowned confused.
"What do you mean," She asked. "We had a fight, and I left and now you're back" Clara replied shrugging.
The Doctor scoffed.
"First, off we have never met," The Doctor replied pointing at her and himself. "And also, what do you mean getting 'use to,' He frowned. "You act like you've already seen me regenerate. Who are you?" He questioned.
Clara just looked at him, puzzled. It was obvious he didn't remember her or that day. But how, it didn't make sense! Then it dawned on her, how could she be so stupid? This was a new regeneration, she realized. Of course, he didn't know her!
Her heart then dropped, he didn't remember her. Clara hated going through this again, but she had no choice but then she realized this could also be a good thing, a chance for them to start over.
She realized he was still glaring at her waiting for an explanation. Clara had to think fast! She couldn't risk losing his trust or scaring him away!
The Doctor then came closer.
"Are you a fan or something?" He asked studying her.
Clara's eyes brightened! This was her save!
She simply nodded.
"Yeah," She replied. "Huge fan," Clara smiled. "Always been an admire." She quickly added.
The Doctor studied her for her a moment before relaxing a bit. He sighed heavily.
"Great, just what I needed another fan," He muttered walking to the console. "Well, as long as you promise not to cause any trouble you can stay." The Doctor told her.
Clara just nodded smiling politely. The Doctor then returned his attention to the plastic arm, examining it closely.
"So, let's figure you out, yeah?" He muttered.
Clara just stood by trying not to get in his way, but she was curious about this new Doctor, that she had to get used to him. She couldn't help but wonder how many times he had regenerated since they last saw each other.
As he studied the plastic arm, Clara noticed some similarities between him and her old Doctor, they were both grumpy, quiet, and just as sarcastic but she was intrigued how different he looked, he was a bit younger, taller and his eyes were now a piercing blue color, and his hair had gone from grey to pitch black. His voice had also changed dramatically, gone was the Scottish accent and replaced with a thick Northern tone, it felt strange. It seemed odd seeing this new person standing in the same spot where her last two doctors had once stood. Part of her wondered how much it hurt to go through such a change like that, it was something she had never considered, she realized.
He noticed her staring and sighed.
"Blimey, you like to stare, a lot!" He scoffed.
Clara could feel her cheeks turn pink and she simply shrugged.
"I wasn't staring," She remarked. "I was just wondering why you don't like fans?" Clara questioned.
The Doctor paused and gave her a look.
"Look, I don't mind fans," He replied. "It's just you lot get a little weird sometimes." The Doctor noted moving his hand sideways. He seem to like to do that a lot, she noted. "Some of you are nice and some of you have a tendency to act kind of crazy… you know typical human." He commented.
She refrained from rolling her eyes as she listened to his lecture about humans, apparently some things hadn't changed.
Just then she noticed a strange smell like something burning almost chemical.
"You smell that?" She muttered.
He just shrugged.
"It's just the heating element device," He replied brushing it off. "It's fine." The Doctor said.
Clara smirked realizing the dummy arm was rotating around inside a microwave type machine on the console. It was so ridiculous!
"You have a microwave," She remarked. "Yeah, that's advance, alien technology!" Clara snorted.
He scoffed.
"Look this 'microwave' is necessary to find the source of this thing and it makes a great banana nut muffin!" The Doctor defended.
Clara smirked but then she noticed something off, the plastic mannequin arm was slightly shifting. At first, she thought her eyes were playing tricks on her, but as she watched, the smooth features of the arm began to bubble and ripple, the plastic was beginning to look wet and droopy.
Clara realized it was melting!
"Uh, Doctor!" She pointed nervously.
But he didn't seem to hear and kept on talking about the examination process as the plastic kept dripping away.
She scowled.
"Doctor!" She repeated louder.
Finally, he stopped.
"What?" He frowned.
"It's melting!" Clara yelled.
The Doctor turned panicking!
"No, no, no!" He yelled as smoke filled the room! Clara winced and started coughing at the excess smoke rose out of the device.
The Doctor quickly moved around the console, flipping switches and turning dials trying to stop the machine but it was too late.
When the smoke cleared there was nothing left but a candle wax puddle.
The Doctor sighed defeated.
"Well, so much for that," the Doctor grumbled.
"At least I know why you never microwave plastic." Clara sighed standing beside him, staring at was their only key piece of evidence now just a pile of melted plastic.