CHARLOTTE ::: DW¹

xlviii. the renaissance

"No," he immediately answers. "Yes," corrected the Doctor. "Why?"

Charlotte looks around and, while everyone couldn't care less about her and the Doctor's conversation during this moment, she felt as if a thousand eyes were watching. "Nothing."

A second later, they had to move on because of the Snowmen, but Charlotte knew how close she was to admit how much she cares for him. Since the last time checking her timer, she tried to not think about what it displayed to her: 24 hours.

Walking into the Parlor room with him, Charlotte knew that before the day finished she had to let go of the lies she created to hide every truth (including those she had hidden before learning of her death).

"The snow is highly localized," says Vastra when entering the parlor, "and on this occasion not naturally occurring."

Charlotte glances out of the window. "It's coming out of that cab..." she pauses, a sudden wave of heat coming over her. "The one parked by the gates."

Before anyone had a second longer to think of her pause, Strax says: "Sir, one pulver grenade would blow these snowmen to smithereens."

"They're made of snow, Strax-" the Doctor pulls on his ear. "-they're already smithereens." He walks into the front hall followed by the rest. "See, Clara- our friends again."

Latimer furrows his eyebrows. "Clara? Who's Clara?"

"Gosh, your out of the loop," commented Charlotte. "Your current governess is really a former barmaid called Clara."

The previous governess, who walks and talks but is completely made of ice, shuffles down to the stair landing. "That's the way to do it," she said.

The Doctor's eyes widened. "Meanwhile, your previous governess is now a living ice sculpture impersonating Mr. Punch. Jenny, what have you got?"

From her pocket, Jenny quickly readies and throws a grenade up the stairway, thus, creating a force field around the ex-governess. "Should hold it."

"Brilliant!" exclaimed Charlotte.

From the study, Strax steps into the hall. "Sir, this room: one observational window on the line of attack and one defendable entrance."

Nodding, the Doctor urges them into the room. Charlotte, noticing Latimer struggling to carry Alice's unconscious body, grabs her ankles and helps her into the room behind Clara. Vastra, unlike them, stays behind to speak with the Doctor for a moment.

As Charlotte helps Latimer sit Alice in a chair, Strax gives a rundown. "They're not going to attack. They made no attempt to conceal their arrival. An attack force would never abandon surprise so easily- and they're clearly in defence formation."

Hearing this as he enters the room, the Doctor mock-boxes Strax. "Well down, Straxie! Still got it!" He gives him a noogie before kissing the top of his head.

Irritated, Strax says, "Sir, please do not noogie me during combat prep."

"So, there's something here they want," said Charlotte, based on Strax's noticings.

Clara stands up from her chair. "The Ice Woman."

"Exactly," replied the Doctor.

"Why's she so important?" asked Jenny.

"Because she's a perfect duplication of human DNA in ice crystal form." The Doctor moves over to a shelf of alcohol, beginning to pour Latimer some whisky. "The ultimate fusion of snow and humanity." He hands the whisky to the stressed Latimer. "To live here, the snow needs to evolve- and she's the blueprint. She's what they need to become." The Doctor snaps and points to Clara. "When the snow melted last night, did the pond?"