Soufflés, Skype and Sherlock Holmes

Space Shenanigans

"Friends. Well, people who aren't trying to kill us, so I don't need punching again!"

Clara gave him a glare and went to lean on the rail next to Sherlock. "I'm so sorry," She told him.

"What's a time lord?" Sherlock asked.

"An idiot in a bowtie."

Sherlock turned round so his back was to The Doctor; who was busy arguing with the two strangers. "Why...what are you to him?"

Clara sighed. "His companion; NOT like that though!"

Sherlock sniffed reproachfully. "So what do you even do with him? Gallivanting around in a spaceship?"

Clara frowned thoughtfully. "Um...Aliens, monsters...a lot of running. There's always running."

"Aliens. Right." Sherlock seemed to be trying to wrap his head around the fact.

Clara gripped is arm. "Please don't freak out." She was scared his eyes would suddenly roll back in his head or he'd go into shock. Maybe even vomit.

"Nope, not freaking out - just..." His eyes blinked back into focus. "We're not dead yet, are we?"

"Don't get your hopes up, Cheekbones," Clara quipped.

She turned back to The Doctor who seemed to be explaining that no - the TARDIS was not about to blow up, the countdown was false. But... "It appears the engine is damaged. We're in trouble, Clara. Proper trouble. It needs fixing or we're toast," The Doctor said before sprinting to the lower level of the consul room. The screen flashing ENGINE OVERLOAD sort of set their heart rates climbing. Clara raced after him, Sherlock in tow.

"So now would be a good time to use that big friendly button, right?" Clara squeaked.

"Yeah, sorry, should have had one built in." The Doctor sonic-ed one of the hexagonal panels.

"Where are we going?" Sherlock demanded.

The panel fell inwards with a wheeze. "Detour." The Doctor kneeled down in front of the black hole. "The centre of the TARDIS."

.

Sherlock thought it was brilliant when Clara punched The Doctor. Twice. It had felt so good when she hugged him, they both smelt like burnt plastic and covered in cinders, so he hugged her back. Thank God, John wasn't there to comment.

Most of the things Sherlock had seen were impossible - a mechanical tree with bright orbs that held 'everything' and when The Doctor had somehow reached into an echo of the consul room and wrenched Clara from the monster. Lord. There were monsters.

Now they were in a dimly lit corridor and had lost Clara. Again. There was one of the said monsters, Sherlock didn't even get a glimpse, and then they were running. Clara was right, there was a lot of running. And Clara wasn't behind him anymore.

Sherlock's mind was ready to explode when The Doctor led them through another squat corridor and there was Clara - thank goodness - but there was another Clara, and another Doctor. Sherlock's brain screamed 'not possible!'.

"Clara stop," The Doctor warned, pointing at his doppelganger. "Don't touch it. There's a rupture in time somewhere onboard this ship. A small tear in the fabric of the continuum. It must have happened when the TARDIS was pulled in by the salvage vessel. The TARDIS is leaking."

Sherlock reached forward and tugged at Clara's hand. She stepped back, trembling. "Leaking what," Clara asked.

"The past. You and me. Everything we've done, everything we've said. Recent history. It's not real, it's a memory."