One Last Chance |6| The Ascension

Chapter Thirty-Five: Flatline

As Clara came up the steps into the console room a few weeks later, bustling her things into a bag, the Doctor was watching. He raised his eyebrows, his chin resting on his hand. "You could leave all that stuff here, you know. We do have literally acres of room."

"Oh, no," Clara said, waving her hand. "It's alright."

"Okay," he said simply.

"Here we go," McKenzie said, sounding a little uncertain as the TARDIS engines stopped with a thump. "Er, same time you left, same place... ish."

Wanda hesitated. "An ish? From you? You never pilot with an ish."

"Well, these readings are very, you know, ishy," she explained defensively, shrugging.

"Er, guys?" Clara called. She alone, of all of them, was facing the TARDIS doors... the newly shrunken TARDIS doors.

"Oh," Wanda said, blinking. She looked over to the Doctor and McKenzie, both of whom were just staring, stunned. "I'm guessing that isn't supposed to happen?"

Without a word, they headed over to the doors, stooping so as not to bang their heads on the way out. Well, the Doctor did—the others had the advantage of being just short enough it wasn't warranted. Outside, they appeared to have landed in the car park at a railway station.

"Well," the Doctor said finally. "Well, I wonder what caused this? I don't think we're bigger, are we?" He pulled out his sonic, scanning McKenzie.

She rolled her eyes. "I'll tell you what it is. Karma."

The Doctor scoffed, making Wanda raise her eyebrows. "Karma? What for?"

"He has been gloating over the extra six inches he has on me since day one," McKenzie told her, shaking her head. "Which for us is, you know, millennia. This is cosmic payback. You like being tall so much, well, enjoy stooping for the rest of your life, bitch!"

"That is ridiculous," the Doctor told her.

"Yeah," Clara agreed. "It is a bit unlikely."

"And, more importantly, if the TARDIS was going to get petty all of a sudden—alright, pettier—she'd be siding with me," the Doctor continued, making Wanda and Clara roll their eyes. "She's had me longer."

"Yeah, but I'm her favourite," McKenzie pointed out.

He snorted. "Preposterous."

"Oh, please," she said, raising her eyebrows. "I'm the one who services her engines, keeps her from getting all icky. You drive her to her limits, then pop her in a dinosaur's mouth and tell it to swallow!"

"One time! That was one time!"

"'Oh, Rose, Kez, the TARDIS feels off, like she's got indigestion'—well, fuck me, I'm not surprised the way you look after her!"

"Oh, like you're so perfect! Ninety per cent of the time someone's sicking up in there, it's you! Courtney Woods was probably a welcome change of scenery!"

"Well, ninety per cent of the time I'm 'sicking up in there', as you so eloquently put it, it's because somebody put all his yucky regeneration allergens in my face! Honestly, you're so—!"

Just then, Clara saw the sign on the railings nearby. "Bristol?!" She turned back to them, incredulous. "Angel, we're in Bristol!"

McKenzie hesitated. Then she said, "... oops?"

Beside her, the Doctor raised his eyebrows. "A hundred and twenty miles from where we should be. Impressive." He put out a hand, and she high fived him without looking.