Chapter Text
"In times like these, we have no words. We have only each other." the priest read as the Father of Clara Oswald took hold of himself rather than Clara's Step-Mother. Her Father was shaking as silent tears dripped down his face.
"Today we come together to mourn the passing of Clara Oswald. A loving daughter of David Oswald and Ellie Oswald. Devoted partner to John Foreman."
There wasn't a crowd at Clara's burial. Everyone was dressed in black, and it was raining as well. A tent was placed above Clara's coffin, and the family was holding black umbrellas. The priest remained under the coffin tent as well. Clara's Gran was weeping as she held her own umbrella. A young man by the name of John Foreman was also at the funeral with a black umbrella of his own. He was sporting floppy hair and a black bowtie. John looked down at the coffin, grief in his eyes.
"Scripture tells us, 'Sorrow not, for we do not walk alone'." The priest continued until family and friends began putting items with her coffin. Little did anyone realize or notice at all, was a man standing in the back. Unnoticeable by the family aside from John. John eyed the man in suspicion before bowing his head down at his dead girlfriend's coffin.
The man standing at the back was named Basil Smith. Dr. Basil Smith who normally went by the name of "the Doctor". He was in his late fifties soon to be in his sixties. He wasn't using an umbrella, he remained soaked in the rain with his coat buttoned up and his hands in his pocket. With soaked black and grey hair and lines on his face, he stepped forward being the last person to place an item on Clara's box.
Very carefully, he placed a red rose from inside his pocket on top of the coffin. Before placing down the rose, he gave himself and his dead friend a word. Carefully hugging the rose close to his heart.
"No matter what... I'm going to stay by your side," he whispered to himself before talking to her in his head so no one else would hear. 'I'm going to come here every day and talk with you. You may be gone to others, but to me, you're still here.'
He placed the rose gently onto her coffin, looked at it one final time before turning away and going back to his previous spot getting soaked.
The coffin lowered into the ground and was beginning to be covered up with dirt.
When the burial finished, David Oswald and his fiance Linda went into their car. Friends and colleagues all went their separate ways. The only people that were left were John, Basil, and Clara's Gran. Basil stood still while John began to leave, before stopping in front of Basil himself.
"I don't know who you are, or why you are here. Clara never told me anything about you, but don't you dare come near her grave." John gave the old man an icy look before bumping into his shoulder and walk away.
Before going any further, Basil spoke, "I was a friend of Clara's. I'm sorry if I looked misleading."
John looked back at Basil feeling a bit more relaxed, " apologies, sir. I'm just overprotective. Get out of there before you catch a cold."
With that, John left and it was only Basil by the plot and Clara's Gran behind him. She went up to the soaked doctor and placed a hand on his shoulder. Flinched a bit before realizing it was just Clara's Grandmother.
"I know about you and Clara's relationship. She loved you very much, you know?"
He nodded in response.
Clara's Grandmother began leaving Basil alone with his thoughts before hearing him say, "I loved her very much too."
She smiled before making her way to the car where the family and John were waiting. When they all settled in, they left the cemetery.
It left Basil alone with her.
With Clara.
Little did he know, his eyes began to burn and water. Not knowing what fell from his face, whether it was tears or rain. It didn't matter to him. His hand began trembling out of his pockets and he had to place them on his face to wipe away the water.
The rain stopped, but there were still streams on his face.
"I had a duty of care..." his voice trembled. "I can't believe that I broke my promise..."
He remained quiet, his knees becoming to a point of weakness.
He remained on his spot for another 15 minutes holding himself.
Just as the Doctor was about to leave, he heard a voice.
"You didn't break your promise Doctor."
The Doctor's eyes widen at the voice and quickly turned his head back at the plot where Clara was buried. She wasn't there. Maybe it was all in his head. Frowning, he turned his back against the plot and said, "I thought you were there... I can't believe my imagination is playing with me."
"I may not be there, but I'm still with you," she said.
Almost overwhelmed, the Doctor quickly walked away before hearing her voice once more but it was faint as if it was in the distance.
"Don't leave..."
Turning back to face the plot of land. He gulped with a stray tear coming down his face before putting on a small sad, faltering smile. "I'll be back tomorrow, Clara Oswald."
He began walking towards his car wringing out his wet hair and chucking his wet coat into the back seat, taking a seat at the driver's seat turning on the engine of the car.
Before he left his spot, he mumbled to himself.
"I promise, my Impossible girl."