The Doctor and Clara save the life of a young girl with special powers, but in order to protect her from her captors, the Doctor needs to become human. Again. The next day John Smith, a successful journalist, wakes up in London 1966 with a young daughter from his first marriage and his new wife Clara, who doesn't seem happy with their marital life at all.

Family Ties

Chapter 1

It had all started out so nicely. They were visiting a wellness space station, the Doctor had officially introduced himself and Clara at the reception and they were about to seek out a massage therapist. And then they ran into Isabel, a scared young girl who was running away from something. Of course the Doctor had told Clara not to get involved and of course she had ignored him. As it turned out Isabel had been brought here by her guardian to be sold to a man who wanted her for her special powers. Though what these special powers might be, Isabel didn't know. The Doctor, however, seemed to have a vague idea. Isabel was supposed to stay in the TARDIS while the Doctor and Clara took care of her captors.

Their plan didn't work out. Before they realized what was happening the three of them were being shot at with what looked like laser guns to Clara. They barely made it to the TARDIS when a shot found its way through the door and hit the TARDIS console, apparently damaging something important.

"They will follow us," the Doctor said, "And they know who I am."

"Doesn't it scare them?" Clara asked, still thinking the whole universe must bow before the Doctor in either awe or fear.

"Apparently not," he said and started tearing at his grey hair.

The TARDIS was shaking and electric sparks were erupting from the console unit. They would be crashing soon, Clara could feel it. And the Doctor did nothing about it. All he did was walk around the TARDIS, desperately searching for a way out.

"Doctor," Clara screamed, holding the scared little girl in her arms, "Doctor, what do we do?"

"I must. . . no, there must be another way," he screamed angrily.

"Doctor, what are you talking about?" Clara demanded to know.

"There is a possibility. But it's a bit tricky," the Doctor explained, still running around like a madman, "Last time I did it it almost went horribly wrong. Clara, I need to know. Can I trust you, absolutely trust you to make the right decision when the time comes?"
"Of course, Doctor. You always can," Clara promised.

"No, Clara. You have no idea what you'll be getting into. You need to be 100% sure. We will depend on you, and you only."

"Explain it to me then."

"There is this thing, the chameleon arch. It will make me human. No one will be able to detect me as a Time Lord anymore. The machine will alter my physiology and my memories. Wherever we will land, it will create a story, like, last time I did it I landed in the early 20th century. I was a teacher at a private school with no recollection of time travel or Gallifrey. Back then it didn't work on my companion but I worked on the arch in the past few hundred years and it can now do the same for you and Isabel. But Clara, only you will keep your memories. Only you will know who we really are and when you think that enough time has passed and Isabel's captors, who will absolutely follow us to wherever we go, have given up the search, when you are absolutely sure that they are gone, you will open this watch."

The Doctor pulled an old pocket watch from his coat and showed it to her.

"A watch?" she asked in disbelief.

"Yes. The chameleon arch will store my memory inside this watch. Do not under any circumstances lose it. Got that?"

"We'll land somewhere and have a perfect story laid out for us. Only I will know you're a Time Lord and everyone is safe. Wait until captors are gone. Open watch. Is that it?"

"And hide the TARDIS," he looked at one of the screens, "Oh, won't be necessary. We're heading for 1966. TARDIS will fit right in. Now, we should get started."

"Yeeha, the 60s," Clara said unimpressed, "Just one more thing. What kind of role will Isabel and I be playing here?"

"Oh, I don't know. The TARDIS will think of something. My last companion was my maid. That seems like a safe bet."

"Great," Clara said, "Okay, let's do this."

The Doctor pulled something from the TARDIS console that looked too much like something hairdressers used, only with a lot more cables hooked to it. The Doctor used his sonic screwdriver on the device before putting his head inside.

"Okay, Isabel's coming with me and Clara keeps her memory. Should be working fine now. Never tried it after my modifications, to be honest. Now, both of you, take my hand."

Clara didn't think the Doctor's words sounded reassuring. He was a madman but she trusted him. After all, how bad could it be? She'd be serving his tea for a week or two, then open the bloody watch and everything was going to be fine. And she would get to visit the 60s.

She knew the alteration had started when she heard the Doctor scream out in pain. He grabbed her hand much tighter and she was determined not to let go. She felt no pain and apparently neither did Isabel. The girl looked frightened, but okay. Clara closed her eyes and waited for the procedure to be over.

Clara felt tired when she woke up. Her bed was so warm and soft and something close to her smelled really amazing, but she didn't want to open her eyes yet to find out what it was.

"Good morning, my love," someone whispered and kissed her on the forehead. She jumped up immediately, almost knocking over a plate with food and coffee. She now saw the Doctor standing in front of her, wearing only pyjama pants.

And suddenly it hit her. The chameleon arch. It had worked. She had kept her memory but it had also planted something else inside her mind. The perfect story to fit in. She was Clara. She was in London 1966. And she was also the Doctor's wife.