New Girl In The Box (Ep1)

Chapter 5: Ladies' Business

She looked around the TARDIS again, slower this time, taking it all in. She shifted position so that she was sitting more balanced, her legs stretched out in front of her, leaning on one hand while the other rested on her stomach.

"Okay. Alright then. Clara, right?" Clara nodded. "Um, so ...where am I again?"

"It's called the TARDIS. It's a ... a big blue telephone box that can travel through time and space." Clara felt there was no point in trying to find an excuse to explain the whole time-machine thing, since she was already in the TARDIS.

The girl raised an eyebrow and looked up at the ceiling.

"It's pretty big for a phone-box."

Clara had to smile.

"Well, it's smaller on the outside. I say 'it', but really I should say 'she'. The TARDIS pretty much has a mind of her own. Which means she can move my bedroom around whenever she wants." Clara finished with a slight edge to her voice. That particular issue occurred far too often, in her opinion.

Clara shook her head, banishing the memories, and looked back at the girl.

"So, what's your name?"

The girl hesitated, then visibly relaxed, losing some of her tenseness, and replied "Clair. Clair Watson."

Clara grinned. "That's quite a nice name. Better than Clara Oswald."

"Thank you. And you know, I think Clara's a very pretty name," Clair replied with a slight smile. Clara laughed and Clair's smile grew wider.

Clair gasped a little and cringed suddenly, her shoulders hunching. Her hand resting on the floor beside her curled into a fist, the other pressed into her stomach slightly. Clara watched her with a mixture of concern and suspicion.

"Are you alright?"

Clair nodded, though her eyes were brightening with pain. She seemed to try and shrug it off, but as she tried to sit up straight and relax her shoulders she hissed and doubled over, folding her arms tightly over her lower stomach and squeezing her eyes shut. Clara remembered seeing her do the same thing back in the alley.

Warily Clara moved closer. Uncertainty and concern were fighting in her chest. She had no idea what was going on, and she'd been on too many adventures with the Doctor not to be wary. But concern won. This girl needed help, and Clara had always been one to help people in need, where she could. Hopefully this one isn't an alien. Well, not a harmful alien anyway.

"Clair," she asked quietly. "Tell me what's wrong."

Clair shook her head. "Nothing."

Clara cocked her head and raised her eyebrows, an expression completely lost on Clair, who had her eyes tightly closed.

"It doesn't look like nothing."

Clair didn't say anything. Clara pressed on.

"Is it something one of the men did to you? Are you hurt?"

Clair didn't answer. She just curled up tighter, drawing her knees up and resting her head on them as she breathed in strangled breaths. Clara rubbed her back gently, at a loss for what to do without knowing what was wrong. Clair flinched at her touch, but didn't recoil as she'd done before.

"Clair, please, tell me. Whatever it is, I'll do my best to help. I promise."

Clair didn't say anything for a bit. She didn't want to tell Clara, but at the same time, she needed help. She knew she did. And Clara seemed genuinely concerned. Maybe she can help, Clair thought to herself. Maybe there's something she can do.