A Night at the Wedding

Chapter One: "Just You & I"

   Clara had just gotten out of the shower when she heard the TARDIS materialize in what seemed to be her bedroom. She let out a sigh and wrapped her favorite blue towel around her body. She stepped out of her bathtub and squeezed the excess water out of her hair in the sink.
"Clara!" She heard the Doctor yell out her name, and she let out a second sigh.

   Clara walked out of the bathroom and went straight down the hallway, with a tight grip on her towel. She didn't know how to tell the doctor that there wouldn't be a trip today. Or tomorrow, or the next day. She entered her room quietly, and found the doctor sitting in front of her vanity, staring at his own reflection.

   "When are you going to get rid of two of these mirrors?" The doctor frowned, still looking straight ahead to himself.
"Ahem. Doctor, would you mind leaving my room for a bit? I need to get ready." Clara muttered.
The doctor turned his body & stared at Clara. He looked at Clara from her wet hair slowly down to her cold feet, making Clara's face warm and flush red.
"What is that?" The doctor pointed at Clara's towel, his angry eyebrows raised sky high.
"Well, this is a towel. Humans use these after they take a bath. We dry ourselves using these. I dunno if Time Lords know about these." Clara said sarcastically.
The doctor looked up Clara's damp hair and replied, "Have you taken a wash?"
"Why yes, I have. Thank you for noticing." Clara murmured 
"Good, I've been meaning to bring it up." The Doctor raised his eyebrows and stood up. He walked past Clara, and turned to her, as he stood by the doorway.

  "I suppose you want me to wait outside." He said, looking at her. Clara saw his eyes flicker down to her towel, and he quick looked away. Clara stood there wondering what exactly would happen if she told him he could stay. She snapped back to reality before her mind would start drifting into other scenarios.
"Yes, wait outside. Oh, and don't start touching stuff!" Clara called out, as the doctor had already stepped out of her room as soon as she told him to wait outside. Clara closed the door and walked over to her closet, rummaging through all her clothing. She found a pair of brown pants, and a white blouse that brought out the tan on her face she had recently acquired on a hiking school trip with her students. As she slipped on her clothing, her mind kept racing with ways she could tell the doctor about her trip. She didn't want him to be alone, and she felt guilty for some reason. After she was dressed, she tied her hair in a knot & opened the door, preparing herself. Let the explaining begin, she thought.

  "Doctor! You can come in now!" She called out, her head poking out, looking down her hallway. She waiting for a few seconds when the doctor appeared again, walking down the hallway with an exasperated look on the face.
"Why'd you take so long? You took about an hour" The Doctor scoffed.
"I took about 7 minutes"
"Right. What is that?" The doctor entered her room, pushing Clara aside and nodding towards her suitcase.
Clara turned to look at the black suitcase on her bedroom floor and panicked.
She walked towards the suitcase then turned to the doctor.
"It's a suitcase, my suitcase. With some clothes in it."
She stared at the doctor in confusion as a grand smile begin to appear on his face.
"I always knew this place was not enough for you. Don't worry, I'll get your bedroom on the TARDIS ready, it'll be even bigger than before." The doctor smiled, waving a hand over the room.
"No doctor, I'm not actually moving in to the TARDIS permanently. This suitcase is because I'm going on a trip!" Clara smiled nervously.

   "A trip? I've never taken you to a place where you need so many changes of clothing? You have clothes in the TARDIS already."
"Doctor this trip...it isn't with you. I'm going to a wedding! An old friend from college, she lives in the United States, and she's getting married. So I'm heading out to America, and actually my plane leaves very soon, so I must get going actually. I'll be back in a week, though." Clara took a deep breath and was proud at how she stated her plans directly. The Doctor stared down at her with confusion. "A plane? Why would you take a plane when you have the TARDIS?"
"I didn't want to bother you."
"Since when is giving you a lift a bother to me?"
Clara looked up at The Doctor and hesitated. "Well you see, I've been so caught up in time and space that I've forgotten that I'm human, so I've decided to take the domestic approach, a different experience!" She smiled warily.
"I have shown you wonders in the universe and sitting next to a fat, snoring man is an experience you desire?" The Doctor frowned.
Clara didn't know what to say at this point, and she knew The Doctor would not let leave her alone. She turned her head to look at the clock on her vanity and realized she was late to the airport. Wonderful.
  
   At this point, an idea popped into Clara's head. It was absurd, and exciting, and she knew it wouldn't work out, but she felt the need to try anyway.
Clara walked towards her bed and picked up the silver envelope that was laying on her covers, and lifted it up high enough for The Doctor to see it.
She smiled and said excitingly, "This is my invitation. It counts for two guests. I don't have a guest, not yet. I'll let you take me Doctor, under what condition. You can be my guest, come with me to the wedding!"
"Get your suitcase, I'll drop you off at the airport at least." The doctor turned and walked out the room.
I knew it, Clara grudgingly thought.

   Clara grabbed her suitcase and began to walk out her room, closing the door behind her. She walked down the hallway to find the TARDIS parked in her living room. She walked over to her door, made sure it was locked and that her windows were closed, and she entered the TARDIS, dragging her suitcase along, invitation still in her hand.
"Why not? Why won't you come with me?" Clara scoffed at The Doctor, who was leaning against the console.
"I am not the party type, especially the wedding type."
"You got married though, did you not?"
"That was under specific circumstances, it wasn't what you're imagining." The doctor walked up to Clara and grabbed her suitcase. Clara didn't let go however, and looked up at The Doctor. Her eyes set deep into his eyes, and she began to notice how blue they were, how beautiful.
"Doctor come with me. It'll be fun, yes? For me, I'll be alone if I don't bring a guest. No danger, no running, just you and I." It came out almost as a whisper, and she stared at the man looking down at her, with a hint of curiosity in his eyes. She let go of the suitcase, and he took the invitation from her other hand.
"I suppose the time, address, and date is on here?" The doctor turned & walked back to the console.
"Yes. It's all on there." Clara said happily, walking towards the console.
"Well then, Clara Oswald. I suppose, we have a wedding to attend. However, a bit boring without the running." The Doctor looked at Clara with a smile hinting at his mouth, and Clara gave him her biggest smile.