Clara saw the Tardis land on her street as she was walking out the door. She tilted her head and frowned.
She approached the door, which was slightly open. She put her ear to it and heard gasping.
"Doctor...?" She tapped open the door and widened her eyes.
Twelve was on the floor. He was grunting in pain, trying to get to the main controls.
"Clara..? Is that you..." He was breathing heavily and he turned over onto his stomach.
She ran over to him and kneeled next to him, putting her hands on his shoulders to try and help him up. Together they got him up and she guided him to the rails. He grabbed the rails and leaned over, heaving with breath, eyes squeezed shut.
"Doctor, what happened, are you okay, doctor?" Clara searched his face desperately. She put her hands on his shoulders which made him look up at her with his eyes.
"Clara, I--" He stared down at his hands. Golden mist was floating off of them.
Clara gasped, eyes watering.
"No." She went to hold his hands.
"Stay away!" He pulled back away from her, hands in the air.
He was shaking.
"Doctor..." She cried, tears welling up in her eyes. One fell and she inhaled shakily.
"Clara, I..." He stopped to get his bearings. His eyes were watering.
"I'm sorry I couldn't be the man you wanted me to be..." He stood straighter and looked down at his hands sadly. Clara stared at him. She didn't want him to change.
"I was never the man you wanted... And that's okay," He was shaking and he looked her right in the eyes.
"You are the man I want..."
He just sadly gazed at her, a tear falling off his jaw.
She stuttered, crying, not knowing what to do.
"Doctor, I... I love you," She hugged herself and sobbed into her hands while still trying to look at him.
He looked down at her sadly.
"Quite right, too."
She looked up at him and shook her head. "Don't leave... Please, please, don't leave me... I don't want you to go," She sobbed, shaking her head. She reached a hand out and he stumbled away.
"No, Clara... Don't." He cried.
"I just found you, I just found you, please don't leave me when I know you now," She squeezed her eyes shut and whispered, fists clenched. "I love you. Please don't leave me."
"I love you too, Clara. I really do, and maybe I never properly said it when we had time, but now is my only chance to." He looked her right in the eyes.
Her voice cracked as she cried, shaking.
"I do love you," He assured her, trying to lock eyes. "I searched and searched for you, my Impossible Girl. And I found you, and you found me. And you saved me more than just one time, and I promise I will repay the favor," He grunted and hunched over, the pain in his veins growing.
Clara gasped for breath, and looked up at him.
"I don't want you to go," She whispered, wanting to pull him into a hug.
"Me neither," He whispered right back.
He locked eyes with her.
"Clara Oswald. My Impossible Girl," He smiled softly at her. She smiled sadly right back.
His face suddenly got full of shock.
"I love you--!" Golden light violently burst from his hands and neck and filled the room with a glow that Clara would never forget.
