Thirteenth X Clara - Alternative

Chapter 18: Gotcha

Victoria awoke from her slumber with a surprising air of relief and excitement. Just the prior day, she had seen wonders she thought were unbelievable. Monstrous and scaly creatures called Echors, a wonderfully impossible place called the Tardis, and she was properly introduced to the two most remarkable women she had ever seen in Clara and the Doctor. If what happened yesterday was the life they lived, then hiding their identities was a smart measure.

But it was a bit much for her. Once they had gotten back to the Palace, she had merely rested her eyes for a few seconds but she woke up just now in her bed alone. There was a small bit of confusion and worry before she heard laughter, including a raucous laugh from an unexpected source. It was Albert. She had obviously seen him and heard him laugh, but never in such an unabashed manner in a long time. She got out of her bed and followed the laughter to whatever room it was coming from.

She listened at the door to see who was making him laugh so hard hoping he wasn't going mad, and heard two other voices and laughs that she had become very familiar with. She opened the door with a smile and entered to greet her husband and her newfound friends.

"Well, looks like the party has started without me." Victoria said with a smile as she took in the joy filled faces of Albert, Clara and the Doctor.

"Ah mein Gutes Fräuchen, how was your sleep?" Albert asked as he beckoned Victoria to come.

"Restful," she said as she came and kissed him as she took a seat next to him and leaned on his shoulder as he caressed her hair. "It would seem, though, that I have missed all the fun."

"Not at all." the Doctor said, taking a sip of her tea.

"We were just telling Albert about some of our adventures in our time traveling."

"With specific emphasis on time traveling." Clara added.

"Yes Victoria. They once encountered actual Vikings and fought off some all conquering army called the Mire, was it?"

A nod from Clara showed he was right.

"They made them scared of some puppet in the end and they ran away. It was quite something. Oh, I haven't laughed so hard in ages."

"Yeah, it was one of our more fun times together, if I'm honest." Clara said with fond memories of it continuing to fill her brain.

"I must ask though. Whatever happened to Ashildr? Based on what you told me, she should still be around, even in our time." Albert asked, curious.

Clara and the Doctor stiffened at the memory of what became of Ashildr. The already interlocked hands of the duo tightened as ways of comforting each other.

"She's ok.... yeah. She's alright. She's off on her own somewhere, traveling too." Clara managed to eek out.

"So, how's it been officially being in love now?" Victoria said teasingly as she noted the interlocked hands of the two/

"Oh." the Doctor said as her cheeks flushed red. "I will say that it was such a relief to finally get it off my chest. I had been holding that in for so long."

"You maybe could have picked a better time and place for it though." Clara said with a laugh at the slightly... inappropriate timing of her declaration of love.

"Hey, it was then, or possibly never to be honest. It was so spur of the moment. Adrenaline carried me through."

"I'm obviously glad it happened though." Clara said with a loving look into the Doctor's eyes.

"Me too." the Doctor said as she respond with her own loving look.

"So what happened with the Echors?" Victoria asked, breaking their staring contest with each other.