THE SISTERHOOD OF KARN

Chapter Ten

After Ortha and Mira were put inside the Doctor's old cell, Rose and Clara went to a bathroom to get the makeup off their faces. Rose let Clara take off her makeup while she went back to the cupboard and retrieved her clothes.

"Here you are, good as new," Rose said, laying them on the bathroom counter beside the sink while Clara used a flannel to take off her makeup.

"Thanks," Clara said, glancing at them when the flannel was down past her eyes. "This makeup is a nightmare."

"Here," Rose said as she opened a drawer under the counter and pulled out a small ceramic tub with a lid on it. "Put this on the makeup and then try wiping it off."

Clara took the lid off. There was some white cream inside it similar to cold cream. Clara thanked Rose, dipped her fingers into it and began spreading it onto her face. Clara finished spreading the cream over his face and then used the flannel and was delighted when the makeup came off easily.

"I suppose this is it then," Rose said sadly.

Clara looked at her. Rose was spreading the cream on her face. She had a sad expression and Clara's heart ached for her.

"I have to go back to where I'm s'posed to be," Rose said to her as she applied the cream. "And I can see I'm not with you and the Doctor so apparently my plan to stay with him doesn't work."

"I'm sorry," Clara said as she wet the flannel and used more of the cream. "He never spoke of you."

"Doesn't surprise me. He didn't tell me about Sarah Jane either. A friend he traveled with before me," she added when she saw Clara's questioning look. "I really do have to find him….well, my Doctor. The stars are going out but I was hoping…it just isn't meant to be between us, I s'pose," she said, shaking her head. "I told him once that nothing would ever come between us but it seems like God or the universe or somebody gets a sick thrill out of proving me wrong."

"Well, the Doctor before him was a lot nicer than he is now. This one is a bit crabby and likes to say mean things at times and he has a bit of a temper."

"Sounds like my first Doctor," Rose said. "The one before this one…was his hair sticking up and was he wearing pinstripes suits and trainers and ties."

"No, his hair was floppy and he wore bow ties and a Victorian outfit."

"Don't know that one," Rose said.

Clara put her flannel down and reached into the pocket of her jeans and took out a small wallet. She opened it up, found a photo of her and the Eleventh Doctor and took it out of the plastic sleeve. She handed it to Rose.

"Wow, he was well fit," Rose said. "Bit of a chin though."

"Tell me about it," Clara said.

"Where the hell are his eyebrows?" Rose said, holding the photo closer to her face.

Clara chuckled.

"He has him. They're very light. He called them delicate."

"Well, he certainly has them now," Rose said, handing the photo back to her. "Wish I could show you my Doctor. But the bastards took my clothes and the one photo I had of him and burned them."

"I've seen him actually. It's a long story but I met him when I traveling with Chin Doctor," Clara said. "He's also well fit."

"This Doctor. Grumpy Doctor. He looks after you well enough?" Rose said as she began to wipe the makeup off her face.

"He does but…he's hard to get along with at times and I was closer to Chin Doctor than I was with him. I used to hug Chin Doctor a lot but that stopped with him. He wants no hugging. He's not the touchy feely sort."

"Oh, I did touch him a bit when he was restrained and I kissed him," Rose said sheepishly. "He didn't object but then he couldn't get away. My first Doctor was a bit like that but I kept working with him and he became a nicer person. God, I make him sound like a dog I trained," Rose said while Clara chuckled.

"He said you were an ex," Clara said, deciding not to tell her about River in case it would hurt her feelings.

She winced at the anguished look on Rose's face but Rose quickly retained her composure and nodded.

"Like I said, I'm not with you now so I suppose by now I am an "Ex"," she said. "Are you and he…well, were you and he…"

"I didn't consider myself to be but when he said he wasn't my boyfriend and I told him I never thought he was, he said that wasn't my mistake so maybe in his mind…"

"I think he needs people," Rose said. "Grumpy Doctor might say he's hands off and no kissing and hugging and all that but I'm willing to bet he still needs you there. He's a mystery, that one. Just when you think you know him…"

Clara nodded at the unfinished part of her sentence.

"But I would stay with him, Clara. He does need someone there to help him and guide him at times."

Clara nodded.

"Chin Doctor called me from the past after he regenerated and told me basically the same thing. Asked me to stay with him because I really did feel like leaving him. I'm used to him now but he's very different from the man he was."

"So was my Doctor and it took awhile to get used to him and then I loved him even more deeply than before. Perhaps this Doctor will be less grumpy in future and want your hugs again. Just give him time."

"And is that part of my training then?" Clara teased.

Rose giggled.

"Yes, this is coming from the High Priestess, all this talk about staying with him. That's an order."

Clara bowed and then did the crossed wrist pose while Rose laughed.

"Seriously, what does this mean, this here…" Clara said, waggling her fingers as she kept her wrists crossed.

"They say it symbolizes the Eternal Flame and by imitating it in ritual, we invoke the power of its…flammability or something daft like that."

Clara and Rose giggled at that and finished taking off their makeup while they chatted amiably.

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