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As they all watched Doctor pace around the small room, checking himself out in the mirror and, figuring everything out, Danni could feel both hearts pounding in her chest, something that would still catch her off guard, despite having them for over a year. He was in his element, asking questions, rambling out his thought process and having the time of his life. He was made to be this man, the one who may not always fix things, but the man who always tried. With that look, in that outfit, giving out that energy, he was just so sexy. She tried to hide it, tried to look anywhere but at her husband.
Clara noticed. She'd spent enough time in pubs over her small years to see someone completely enraptured by someone else. She wasn't sure what had happened that made the woman next to her hesitant to show affection to the man she'd married, but it seemed such a shame for this rift to be in between the two. Danni had been so kind to Clara, making sure she'd felt safe and tried to help her get away with her memories in tack despite her husband's obvious need for them to be left alone. When this was over, she was determined to get to the bottom of it.
"Why's she so important?" Jenny asked about the Ice Lady currently still trying to break her way down the stairs to attack them.
"Because she's a perfect duplication of human DNA in ice crystal form." The Doctor replied, picking up a discarded glass of whiskey and heading to Latimer, giving him it as he really seemed to need it, "The ultimate fusion of snow and humanity." He paused in front of a mirror, checking his teeth as he spoke, pausing slightly to check his breath because he was going to do it. Just a quick kiss, break the habit they'd fallen into, "To live here, the snow needs to evolve - and she's the blueprint. She's what they need to become."
"So they want to become more human?" Danni asked quietly, "Become half human? Like a hybrid? To be used as a weapon?" He paced over, his eyebrows furrowing at her scared tone as he looked her over. Like a hybrid? Like her.
"No." He promised, "Not more human, just more like humans." He snapped his fingers and pointed at Clara, "When the snow melted last night, did the pond?
"No." Clara replied instantly. Just what he'd thought. Danni didn't look reassured over this, which just wouldn't do at all. He reached over, running his hand through her hair to cup her cheek. The slight grimace on her face told him she wasn't entirely comfortable with the public show of affection, but she didn't pull away.
"Have you been worrying about this all year?" He asked her quietly and she shrugged. He hadn't known, she'd not mentioned it at all through all the attempts to get him out of the TARDIS. Neither of them had talked about anything, that was their problem. Their time together had always been so short, they'd never bogged it down with anything bad, but now they were never going to move forward unless one of them did something about it.
"River." Was what she offered as an explanation. A human with Time Lord DNA, who had been turned into a weapon against him. The only other human Time Lord mix she'd heard of, why wouldn't she be worried?
"If they get a hold of this Ice Woman, what does that mean?" Madame Vastra asked, happy that they seemed to be getting back on track, but also very aware of the impending danger the pair always seemed to forget about.
"Living ice that will never melt." The Doctor replied, letting Danni go and turning, walking between all the other occupants of the room, wringing his hands, "If the snow gets hold of that creature on the stairs, it will learn to make more of them. It will build an army of ice. And it will be the last day of humanity on this planet." He leant on the back of a chair, shoulders heavy under the weight of the threat that had become their problem despite how much he had tried to keep them away from all of this.
The doorbell rung and his face hardened in anger. That was going to be Dr Simeon, wasn't it? Probably wanting to make some sort of deal for the Ice Woman. If it wasn't for that stupid man, with his stupid snow then none of this would have happened. It was all his fault.
The Doctor cracked his neck, pushing off the chair and storming towards the door, "Stay here." Danni started to follow him and shot his arm out to the side, stopping her in his tracks, "You too."
"What?" She exclaimed, "Why?"
"Because I said so. Do as I say." He replied childishly, "Stay here." And with that he left the room, leaving a very stunned Danni in his wake. She looked at Clara, her mouth opened slightly. Since when did he demand she did as he said? Who did he think he was?
"Well, that won't do at all." Danni snapped, "Come on Clara." She reached out, grabbing the other woman by the arm and dragging her out of the room. The Doctor, who had been looking at the Ice Woman at the top of the stairs, spun around as his wife stormed into the hallway with Clara in tow.
"I told you to stay in there." He told her and she narrowed her eyes.
"Not going to happen." She snapped, "You're not doing this alone, we're here to help, right Clara?" Clara nodded, straightening and standing next to Danni, a duo, a team who were not about to back down because of some man.
"Right." She agreed. The Doctor clenched his hands, stepping closer to Danni, ignoring Clara completely.
"You're safer in there." He hissed.
"No, I'm safer with you." She countered quickly.
"No you're not." He replied and her she looked over him suspiciously. What happened to 'Hold my hand and don't let go'? He'd always been like that, wanting her by his side so he knew she was okay.
"Since when?"
"Since I killed you." He snarled, "Now get back in there and take your companion with you. I don't want you here." She watched him head for the door, effectively ending the small argument. Her hearts twinged, she felt her chest tighten as she remembered him after Manhattan, telling her she disgusted him. She'd felt safe again, and he still didn't want her.
"Oi, Spaceman!" Clara suddenly snapped, startling them both with the nickname Danni and Donna had both used. The Doctor turned around, looking as surprised as he felt as Clara grabbed Danni by the front of her dress, pulled her down the inch she needed to slam her lips onto hers. Danni froze, eyes wide as the Doctor's mouth fell open.
Once he realised what had happened, he stormed over and tore Clara off her, looking murderous, "Get off my wife."
"Why?" Clara challenged, "You don't want 'er."
"Yes I do." He snapped back, fuming.
"Then don't tell her you don't!" Clara wasn't sure why it had made her so angry, but the need to make him apologise to Danni almost overwhelmed her. But she also knew he loved his wife more than anything, so a nudge in the right direction was all he needed.
"Of course I want…" He turned to Danni, whose fingers were hovering just in front of her lips, the distressed look on her face had him forcing her to look at him, "I do want you." He promised, "I don't want you here because I want you safe, okay?" She locked eyes with him and he was surprised to see them shining with tears.
"She kissed me." She whispered forlornly. He smiled softly, moving her hand from her mouth.
"Never again." He promised, tapping her on the lips with his own finger, "Those are mine, Danni-Girl." She smiled, giggling slightly and he straightened, fixing his bowtie happily. He loved making her giggle, it was such an adorable noise. He held his hand out to her, wiggling his fingers that had her mind flashing back to his Tenth self and she took it, letting him walk her to the door. He opened it to reveal a rather stern looking man in a top hat, who Danni guessed was the Dr Simeon the Doctor had visited before. The reminder of what was happening had the Doctor's face fall into a firm expression of his own and he stepped out of the house, letting go of Danni's hand to walk up to the man, trying to intimidate him. Dr Simeon, however, looked distinctly unimpressed.
"Release her to us. You have five minutes." He said through clenched teeth, the snowmen behind him growing to support the threat. He turned and walked away, the Doctor glaring after him before turning and running into the house, slamming the large wooden door shut.
"We need to get her out of here - but keep her away from them." He told the two women, heading towards the stairs.
"How?" Clara asked, following him and Danni.
"With this." He reached into an umbrella stand by the foot of the stairs, showing her it with a flourish as he topped by Captain Latimer, who had come out to see what was happening, "Do I always have to state the obvious?"
"Those creatures outside, what are they?" Latimer asked him.
"No danger to you, as long as I get that thing out of here!" The Doctor promised, knowing that the man was worried about his children. The Doctor pointed at him, then at the door behind him, "You, in there - now." He then took Danni's hand back in his again, dragging her partway up the stairs. He pulled out his screwdriver, pointing it at the force field holding the Ice Woman in place and setting it off with a continuous squeal.
"What are we doing?" Danni asked him, standing a couple of steps behind him due to lack of space.
"Between you and me, I can't wait to find out." He told her with a smile, "Hold tight, Danni-Girl." She beamed but reached behind her, grabbing Clara's hand, tugging her up as the Doctor pointed the screwdriver over his shoulder, moving the force field behind them, "Right, if you look after everyone here, then we can..." He turned as he spoke to Clara, seeing she was with them and not on the other side of the field as he'd expected, "Clara!"
"She grabbed me!" Clara exclaimed, pointing at Danni to relieve some of her own guilt before spotting the Ice Woman about to attack them, "Behind you!" The Ice Woman lunged at them, taking a swing at them as she did but the trio ducked in unison, pushing past her to run up the stairs. The Doctor kept a firm hold on Danni's hand, whereas Danni made sure she kept a grip on Clara.
"Word of warning," Danni panted as they headed up the staircase, "there's a lot of running."
"Why are you warning her?" The Doctor asked.
"Everyone should know, it can be quite a shock!"
"That's the way to do it!" The Ice Woman exclaimed again as she tried her best to keep up with them.
"Why does she keep saying that?" Clara asked in her panic as they fell to a stop at the top of the stairs.
"Mirroring, random mirroring." The Doctor replied, "The We need to get on the roof." He took a swing at the Ice Woman with the umbrella, but Clara wasn't having any of his theatrics. She tightened her grip on Danni's hand, pulling the other woman away from the old Governess. Danni really liked this idea, so she helped by dragging the Doctor along with her, the momentum of the two women causing him to stumble but follow them.
"This way!" Clara cried.
"I do the dragging!" The Doctor protested, "I do the hand grabbing, that's my job, that's always me!"
~0~0~0~
The Doctor finally gained control of the dragging, meaning that when they reached the window onto the roof, he was the first one through. Danni let Clara go next, after all it was kind of her fault that she was being dragged around by two Time Lords. Clara had needed a quick shove through, her bustle getting stuck slightly in the frame but a push from Danni had her scrambling to move out of the way. Danni pushed herself up, perfectly capable of getting through on her own, but the Doctor had other plans. He grabbed her arm and pulled, hard, causing her to lose her footing and she shouted in surprise as she fell onto him.
The Doctor wrapped his arms around her, making sure he took the brunt of the fall as they tumbled onto the snow-covered roof together.
"You," He started quietly, his eyes drifting down her face and he became very distracted by how close she was, "You should be more careful."
"That's what you get for pulling me." Danni replied, blushing at how it sounded once it came out of her mouth, "I mean…"
"Oh Lord." Clara sighed, walking over, "What's the plan?" Danni slowly climbed off the Doctor, brushing herself down as the Doctor tried his hardest not to be angry with Clara. She was right, they had to focus, but despite how inquisitive and brave she was, he just wanted a little bit longer with Danni.
"Who said I've got a plan?" He retorted.
"Course you've got a plan." Clara retorted, picking up the discarded umbrella off the floor, "You took that."
"Maybe I'm an idiot." The Doctor pointed out as the Ice Woman cried out her repeated phrase from that little bit closer to them.
"You're not, you're clever. Really clever." The Doctor smirked, his ego loving the declaration. Yes, he was smart, wasn't he?
"I am, aren't I?" He replied, "But it's not my plan." He chucked the umbrella to Danni, who caught it with one hand. She looked at it, surprised with herself, "Show her." He told his wife happily. Danni turned to Clara, who was staring expectantly back at her and Danni nodded, holding the umbrella aloft.
"Watch this." She told her with a grin before hooking it onto the bottom of the ladders that were hidden from view. A hard tug had them coming down and Clara looked stunned.
"Where did they come from?" She exclaimed and Danni shrugged, spinning the umbrella around and holding it out to Clara.
"Why don't you take a look?"
"That's the way to do it!" The Governess appeared in the window, turning into snow as she started to make her way through it.
"Why were we running up?" The Doctor challenged, "How could being here save us?"
"If we'd been escaping, we'd be climbing down the building." Clara reasoned, letting her mind work through what she thought was their train of thought, "If we'd been hiding, we'd be on the other side of the roof. But we're standing right here."
"So?" The Doctor asked leadingly.
"So, there's something up there you need." Clara reasoned and Danni nodded.
"The most wondrous thing is hiding up there." She explained as the Doctor motioned to it.
"You first." He told Clara, who shook her head.
"After you." She countered, "We're both wearing dresses, eyes front, soldier!"
"My eyes are always front!" He defended, looking to Danni for help. She just raised her eyebrow, knowing that wasn't true and he grumbled as he headed up the ladder first.
"Mine aren't." Danni told him, following her husband up the ladders. He looked over his shoulder to see her watching him appreciatively.
"Stop it!" He replied cheekily and she shook her head.
"Never." She promised.
~0~0~0~
Clara had been full of questions as they headed away from the ground and towards the TARDIS. It was a trait the Doctor loved in his potential companions, so Danni could see why Clara would end up travelling with him. She wouldn't mind her being there, actually. She'd really enjoyed meeting Clara when she'd jumped forward that last time, and although a lot of it still wasn't making too much sense, Danni would explain it all away.
After all, she did die after the Ponds, technically, so Clara hadn't been lying. And she also could have introduced this younger Clara to all her favourite bands and television shows. It'd be nice to start from the beginning of a companion and make her way through their lives in the right order, seeing them be allowed to shine as the Doctor always allowed them to. She wouldn't be the new companion one minute, and the last one the next. Danni would be there for everything.
Including them seeing the TARDIS for the first time, something she only managed to do with Martha. Clara had not taken to being told that the TARDIS was more than a box, thinking the pair were making fun of them.
"That's no more a box than you are a governess." The Doctor told her as he held the front door open for Danni, letting her walk under his arm as he leant in closer, "Your first companion is about to see inside the TARDIS for the first time."
"My companion?" She whispered and he nodded.
"If you want." She stared at him, totally amazed as Clara stormed in after them, "Ready?"
"For your information, I'm not sweet on the inside, and I'm certainly not," The Doctor turned around, flipping the switches on the TARDIS console and illuminating them all in the bright light. She paused, staring at the room in disbelief, "little." The Doctor nudged Danni, who smiled and stepped forward.
"She's called the TARDIS." Danni started quietly, feeling slightly disconnected from the experience. She'd never even considered having to give this speech, "It stands for Time and Relative Dimension in Space and she is the most glorious thing to have ever exist. And she's…"
"And she's ours." The Doctor finished, feeling a great sense of joy at what he'd set in motion. Danni had obviously taken a shine to Clara, and maybe this was the start of seeing herself in the same light he did.
"But it's... Look at it, it's..." Clara stuttered, looking around as she tried to work out what was happening around her.
"It's okay." Danni reassured her, "She's supposed to be like that." Clara shook her head once then dashed outside to do the classic 'check the exterior for cheap tricks', Danni turned to the Doctor, eyes wide, "Why are you doing this?" He cupped her face, stroking her cheek with him thumb.
"You are not a weapon." He promised, "You're not like River, but you are part Time Lord. This is the only way I know how to do that."
"You're trying to show me how to be a Time Lord?" She asked quietly and he pulled out a new TARDIS key from his pocket, one he'd always carried around just in case and placed it in her palm.
"When you're ready." He told her and Clara rushed back in, almost stumbling over her feet and ending their moment.
"It's smaller on the outside!" She exclaimed and the Doctor stared, stunned as Danni bit out a laugh.
"Actually, she's a she, not an 'it'." Danni corrected as the Doctor shook his head and looked down at his wife.
"That is a first." He commented and she nodded in agreement.
"The whole thing is." She pointed out. Clara walked over, staring at all of the controls in wonder.
"Is she magic? Is she a machine?" She rambled out, dashing around to try and see it all at once.
"She's a spaceship." Danni replied, "The best spaceship in all the universe."
"A spaceship?" She walked up a set of stairs, stopping halfway to get a better look across the room. She was amazing, she made no sense, what was happening?
"She's our home." Danni explained as Clara walked back down and joined them.
"Is there a kitchen?" Clara asked and the Doctor shook his head.
"Another first." The Doctor said and Danni nodded.
"There is." Danni told her, "But it can be quite hard to find." Clara shrugged, looking at the monitor and not understanding anything it was showing.
"I don't know why I asked that, it's just... I like making soufflés." She explained offhandedly.
"Soufflés?!" The Doctor asked, the word reminding him of the Dalek Asylum, of the girl who had fought being turned into a Dalek and had won. Poor Oswin. He glanced down at Danni, he didn't want this moment to be destroyed by memories of Soufflé girl. She deserved this new start and, he'd realised as he saw her reaction at being dismissed, she needed more stability. As long as he'd know her, her life had not made any sense, but at least she'd had her past. Now that had been ripped out from underneath her as well, because of him. He was going to make sure that until they figured it out, she felt secure, and having a companion to focus on would help that like it'd helped him.
"Why are you showing me all this?" Clara asked them and Danni shrugged.
"Because you're nice." She replied, "But you're determined. You're clever and you can't stay still." She held her hand out, the TARDIS key in-between her fingers, holding it proudly, "And all you want to do is sore." Clara reached out and took the key, tears forming in her eyes.
"I don't know why I'm crying..." She stated and Danni beamed, closing her hand over the key.
"I do." She replied, "Happy crying, it's all the rage."
"Does everyone cry?" Clara asked and Danni shrugged.
"Probably." She admitted, "I'm not the one who normally does this, though. That's his job." She nodded towards the Doctor, "He's the expert."
"More of an ancient amateur." The Doctor downplayed.
"But you wanted to be left alone." Clara protested, "You didn't even want me near your wife."
"It's not my choice, it's hers." The Doctor replied, a small, loving smile on his face as he watched her rush to the doors to look out. She didn't like sitting in her spot anymore, the universe outside scared her now, he'd ruined that for her. But she still loved having a peak at the Earth below them. He could feel it, hear all of the plans she was running through, where to take Clara, comparing herself to him. He turned back to Clara, "You never know why, you only know who."
"And I'm who?" The Doctor shrugged.
"I'm as surprised as you are." He said and she smacked his arm.
"Oi, you don't get to say that Spaceman." She scolded. He opened his mouth to ask where she'd got that nickname from when it happened, the shriek that made his hearts go cold.
"DOCTOR!" Danni screamed and they both spun to see Danni in the arms of the Governess.
"No!" The Doctor screamed as she was dragged out of the door backwards, struggling hard to get away.
"Let me go!" Danni screamed, "Please, don't!"
"Let her go!" The Doctor shouted, aiming his screwdriver at the Ice Woman as he chased after her, "Let go of her!"
"Theta, Theta please!" Danni screamed, not caring Clara was there, "I'm scared, don't let me go!" He froze, arm outstretched as he remembered her begging him the same thing as he held her out of the TARDIS. The Governess had her at the end of the cloud, he wasn't going to be able to save her.
"Get off!" Clara shouted, running as hard as she could to tackle the Ice Woman. Something inside her snapped, she could see Danni about to die and every fibre of her being had to save her. Every inch away was an inch too far, nothing else mattered apart from getting the Time Lady free.
The Governess roared in anger, letting go of Danni in her rage at being attacked and grabbed Clara. The pair tumbled over the edge, Clara smiling in a serene sense of satisfaction as she disappeared over the edge of the cloud.
"CLARA!" Danni screamed, horrified and terrified as she dropped the platform under the cloud, seeing that she was already out of reach, "No, Clara!" The Doctor dropped by her side, staring in a horror of his own. Danni looked at him and he could see it in her eyes, the heartbreak as she went over it again and again in her own head. Her first companion, her friend and Clara had died to save her.
"Danni…" He started but she shot up, shaking her head.
"No, no, no, no!" She screamed, turning and running away from him, down that stairs, panting and crying as she did her best to get to the ground as quickly as possible. Why did she do it? Danni might've survived, the Doctor regenerated once from falling of a pylon, wouldn't have this been the same? She slid down the ladder and back into the house, she knew Clara survived, she had to survive. She travelled with the Doctor, she kept him from being totally alone. Clara couldn't die because of her! He couldn't be on his own again because of her!
She ran down the stairs, holding her skirt aloft so she didn't trip over it as she headed for the front door. She made it to the bottom floor as Madame Vastra came flying out, seeing the woman having no eyes but for the front door.
"Danielle!" She cried, hoping to stop the woman in her tracks but Danni shook her head, her face shining and her cheeks red.
"I have to get to Clara." She panted but Madame Vastra grabbed her, stopping her going outside.
"It's not safe out there." Vastra told her but Danni still struggled.
"I have to get to Clara." She repeated, "It's all my fault, I have to save her."
"The Doctor's brought her in." Vastra told her, "It's too late." She felt Danni collapse in her arms, shaking as she sobbed.
"No, she can't…" She stuttered, "I killed her, it's all my fault!"
"You don't know that." Vastra tried to reassure her, although she did. She saw the barmaid fall from the sky, the Ice Woman smashing into pieces around her. Her scans told her the woman had died, but she needed to get Danni into the room.
"I should have told her to run." She sobbed, "I should have made her stay. I did this!" Madame Vastra pulled her into the room where everyone was waiting for the front doors to the TARDIS to open, all hoping but knowing that when the Doctor came out, carrying Clara, that the woman was dead. He looked up to see his wife break in the arms of their friend, screaming Clara's name again as he held her dead body tightly.