Somebody That I Used To Know

Chapter 9

Somebody That I Used To Know- Chapter Nine

       Standing up, John placed himself between Alex and Clara, protecting her from his wrath. "Just calm down, Alex. You're on some very strong medications and you aren't thinking clearly. Just let me call a nurse for you and everything will be alright."

       "Everything will be alright?" Alex yelled, moving closer to Clara and John. "That's your excuse? You were just snogging my girlfriend! How the hell does that make everything alright?! And what, Clara, do you not love me anymore or something? We've been together for two years! TWO YEARS! How long have you been cheating on me, huh? For all I know, you could have been with him this whole damn time! Why did I ever think that we would be together forever?

Married, kids, oh I don't know, a life with each other! I'm just some stupid jock, right. I don't 'deserve' you. Figures. I should have known that I wasn't good enough for you from the day we got back together. You always had your eyes fixed on that...John...guy." He said as he slowed his speech, finally realizing who his doctor was. "It's you. BUT YOU'RE SUPPOSED TO BE DEAD!"

       John, still standing in Alex's way, reached down to his pager and hit the 'Emergency' button, setting off the alarm, distracting Alex for a couple of seconds. That was all the time he needed. He took the needle containing a sedative from his coat pocket and plunged it into Alex's neck.

       "John!" Clara yelled, running over to Alex, who was now in a heap on the ground.

       "Look, Clara, he's delusional. It's from all of the morphine we've been pumping into his system. He was getting violent and had to be stopped. As for what he said, he didn't mean any of it. Clara, as much as I hate to admit it, he does love you." John stated with a pain in his heart. "We have to get him back to his room. He should be all better in a couple of hours."

       A few attendants came in to bring Alex back. When they were done, John directed them out and soon, he and Clara were alone again. There was something wrong. Clara was...crying.

       "Clara, I told you he didn't mean any of it."

       "I know. It's not that." She started. "You said he loved me, but the truth is...I don't love him. I feel awful, but it's true. I've been leading him on. There's never been anyone else that I've ever loved...except you. Nothing could have ever kept me from loving you. I gave up hope, but I never gave up my love for you, and I promise that I never will."

       Both on the verge of tears, they finally looked into each other's eyes and hugged. They held each other tightly, never wanting to let go. Clara rested her head on John's chest and stayed there, listening to the sound of his heartbeat in her ears. Standing there by the fireplace is where she wanted to stay for the rest of her life. With him, she could be herself, not someone she had to pretend to be. If she wanted this to work again, they couldn't have any secrets. 

       "John, we have to promise to be honest with each other. With everything. I want our life together to be perfect."

       "Of course! I..." he started.

       "Then...oh I'm sorry! Go ahead." She apologized.

       "No, Clara, say what you were going to say. Mine can wait."

       Sitting down and taking off her jacket, she turned her palms to face the ceiling. "My secret." She whispered.

       John knelt down and stared at those faint lines in pain, realizing that he had done this. He had driven her to this by not being there for her. He reached his hand out and placed his fingers along her wrist, tracing the outlines of each line. He looked up at Clara's face, eyes closed and tears of shame rolling down her face.

       "Hey, hey." He reached his hand up to cup her cheek.

       "I'm so sorry, John." She said, leaning into his touch. "I didn't know what I was..."

       "Shh." He interrupted. "I know. It's okay. This is my fault. If I had just..." John lowered his head and began to cry, resting his forehead on her knee. What could he do now? The damage was already done.

       John did the only thing he could think of.

       He lifted his head and placed his lips on her wrist, placing a kiss on each and every scar that was there. He was letting her know that they were both at fault, but they had both accepted it. It was a new start for them. The healing would begin right here, in this very spot.

       "Clara, I love you, no matter what happened in the past. This is a new beginning for us. I promise to love you as you were, as you are, and all you will be. You are, and forever will be, my Impossible Girl. I could never love anyone as much as I love you. And, I swear to the end of the universe and back that I will never, ever leave you again. I couldn't bear it if I was ever away from you like that again." John promised, looking deep into Clara's tear-filled brown eyes.

       He picked her up out of their chair and held her in his arms, pressing his forehead to hers, and asked the one most important question at the time.

       "Clara Oswald, will you ever forgive me?"