Chapter two: Interventions

"Psst." A gentle nudge with the toe of a brown boot. "Psst. Cosette." Another nudge from the boot and whisper: "She's not dead, Clara!"

"Well, I coulda told ya that!" She kneeled down beside the sleeping Cosette, who was clutching her doll firmly to her chest. She had fallen asleep whilst sweeping the parlor of the Thenardiers' Inn. "Wake up, love. We're going to a castle on a cloud!" She gently shook the sleeping girl. "Wake up, Cosette!"

She started to stir, stretching out her legs and arms; almost hitting the Doctor in the shins. "Oi!" he said, as he jumped backward. "Be careful!"

"Oh, hush Doctor." Clara snapped. "We don't want to scare her!" She smiled in the direction of Cosette, who was now sitting up and clutching her doll again with a curious look on her face.

"Erm…excuse me, miss…who are you?"

Clara laughed and said, "My name is Clara, and this is the Doctor." She tugged on the Doctor's pant leg, and he crouched down. "We're here because we want to take you to our castle on a cloud."

Cosette's eyes widened and asked, "You mean it's real? I just made that song up; I didn't know it was actually real!"

The Doctor smiled. "Of course it's real! Everything's real until proven otherwise!" He grabbed Cosette's hand and pulled her up. "Are you ready?"

She hesitated. "I don't know, Doctor. I'm scared." She scooted closer to him, grabbing onto his long purple coat firmly.

Clara crouched down to her level again. "It's okay." She stood up. "I learned from a very clever, and slightly mad-"

"Oi!"

"Man, that whenever you're scared, you should always have a hand to hold." She smiles and holds out her hand to Cosette. "Are you ready now?"

She holds Clara's hand with her left hand and grabs the Doctor's with her right. "Ready, miss Clara." She nods.

"Right then!" The Doctor said. "We're off! GERONIMO!" The three took off at a run through alleyways and the streets; laughing all the way.