Author's Notes- This takes place after my story 'In the Autumn of Terror' so I highly recommend reading that first. For those who did, welcome back! :)

I'm going to try to update this by Friday every week. I always love reviews! Enjoy! :D

~Begin Again~

Clara didn't want to open her eyes. She'd had the most amazing dream. That's when she felt a finger trailing down her spine, causing memory to return. She was in the Doctor's bed. Clara grinned into her pillow realizing it hadn't been a dream after all. Rolling over she met his smiling gaze.

"Morning." the Doctor said.

"Morning." she replied blissfully.

Clara traced the planes of his chest with her fingertips, loving the way he shivered at her touch. They kissed lightly, savoring the moment. Clara never imagined she could feel like this. The Doctor made her feel like she was on fire. He made her feel safe, and warm, and loved. All at the same time.

"Any where you want to go today? Your first trip?" the Doctor asked. His eyes ran over her body. "Of course we could just stay here."

Clara had to admit the second option sounded promising. It was hard to think of where to go, knowing of nothing beyond the Solar System. "I want to see the stars. Somewhere different." she said.

A wide grin split the Doctor's face. When he smiled Clara couldn't imagine any man could be more handsome. She loved him more than anything, and it astounded her that this timeless, god-like being loved her too. How could anyone be so lucky?

He kissed her again before getting out of bed. Clara stole his shirt off the floor before he could grab it. It hung like a dress on her small frame. Her nightgown was still in her room somewhere on the other side of the ship. Clara began inspecting the Doctor's bedroom for the first time. She'd been, well, distracted before.

It wasn't very large. A bed, a desk, and a collection of bookcases. It looked messy and chaotic, but Clara suspected everything was actually perfectly organized in a manner that only made sense to him. Along with books the shelves also held little objects that the Doctor had collected on his travels. A recorder sat next to a glowing crystal, and a fob watch was propped against a tin box baring the legend 'London Underground'. Clara picked up a well worn book off the desk; it had clearly been read dozens of times.

The Doctor noticed what she was looking at, "Ah Harry Potter. Best books to ever come off your planet."

"May I read it?" Clara asked.

He laughed, "Of course. You have a whole library to choose from."

"A library?" Her eyes lit up. She loved reading, it was one of the reasons Clara was such a good governess.

"Yep, it's in the swimming pool."

Clara raised an eyebrow.

"Don't ask me." the Doctor said, "I didn't put it there. It used to be next to the squash courts."

"Just how big is this place?" she wondered.

"Honestly I have no idea. I tried to find out once, but after several hours walking I got hungry and gave up."

"You're ridiculous."

Clara leaned against the railing, watching the Doctor working at the console. She needed him to teach her how it operated one day. In his enthusiasm the Doctor reminded her of a child, as he ran around flipping switches. His energy was manic and so different from the darkness he displayed just days ago. Clara glowed knowing her part in it; she was bringing him back to life.

The Doctor's wardrobe had also changed this morning. Instead of the frayed Victorian suit she was used to, he wore a long purple tweed jacket and a bow tie. He also left off the top hat. Now the Doctor actually looked like he was from a different time than her.

Clara also forgave her traditional clothing for the sake of practicality. She felt her modest day dresses didn't suit anymore. Having shared a bed with a man before marriage, modesty was out the window. Not that she was complaining. Clara wore a dark blue, polka-dot dress she found hanging in the Doctor's wardrobe. He said that the TARDIS always knew what was needed, plus the ship liked her. He too seemed quite fond of how much leg the dress showed off.

The Doctor hit one last button with a melodramatic flourish before turning to Clara. "I suggest you open the doors."

Clara ran to them wondering where in the universe they could be. The sight that greeted her took her breath away. It was a sea of stars. Gaseous clouds of green, gold, and red floated among the glittering black of space. Twisting together they formed pillars and mountains out of dust. It was more than a human mind could comprehend.

The Doctor wrapped his arms around Clara's waist. Her body molded to his perfectly. Silently they glazed out over the abyss.

"It's called the Μανία Nebula." he told her. "Someday all of this will become a new galaxy, with new planets and new stars. And it all comes from this cloud of dust."

"It's beautiful." Clara whispered.

"Yes it is." the Doctor said kissing her bare shoulder.

"See that there." He pointed to a ball of red light in a dense section of the cloud. "One day that will be the sun of the ͗Απάτη System. That's where we are going."

"What's there?"

"A little planet I think you'll find interesting."

Clara could hardly contain her excitement. She was going to a different planet! She was going to meet and talk to people from another world. That made her think of something.

"Are you going to have to translate everything for me? I assume they won't be speaking English or any other language I know."

"The TARDIS takes care of that. She'll translate everything you hear or read." the Doctor said.

"Incredible. Is there anything she can't do?" Clara asked.

The engines hummed obviously pleased with the compliment.

"I'm pleading the 5th on that one." said the Doctor. "I don't want to get electrocuted."

Clara laughed. The Doctor pulled her back to the console and started typing in coordinates. She clung onto him as the TARDIS rocked like a ship in a storm. With an echoing thud the TARDIS landed and stopped shaking.

The Doctor took her hand and lead Clara outside. The first thing that registered was the heat. It was like a blast from a furnace. Dry air, filled with the scents of a thousand new things, ruffled the fabric of Clara's dress. She shaded her eyes trying to see past the brilliant sunlight. They were in a city build out of cut sandstone. It reminded her of renderings she'd seen in archeology books of the Near East. Uruk and Babylon must have looked just like this, Clara thought. There was even a monumental ziggurat rising in the distance.

"It looks like Earth." Clara said in amazement.

"Most planets and civilizations are far more alike than people often care to admit." the Doctor said.

"What planet is this?"

"Vesania and this is the great city of Amentiae." he said. "There is a bazaar in the main square here which people all over the planet flock to. I bet we can find something good for breakfast there."

They wandered through the compacted dirt streets. Clara tried to see everything at once. The people were similar to humans. Though they were slightly taller and their faces were patterned with little black dots over nut brown skin. Each house she passed was made unique by some decoration of the owners, weather with flowers or ropes of colored stones hung over the doorways.

The closer they got to the market the thicker the crowd grew. Clara had never seen so many people, she held onto the Doctor's hand tight lest they get separated. The bazaar was a city on its own. Merchant stalls selling everything imaginable stretched as far as the eye could see. The Doctor kept pointing out little things and explaining what they were.

Finally they reached to food sellers and Clara suddenly realized how hungry she was. They had skipped over dinner the night before. She didn't know what any of it was, but everything smelled amazing.

"None of this is going to poison me is it?" Clara asked looking at a strange purple meat roasting on a stick.

"Don't worry." the Doctor said. "You'll be fine." He bought them each a plate with a couple of little gold coins.

Clara curiously took a bite. "This meat tastes like cabbage! How bizarre."

The Doctor laughed. He was obviously having fun watching her reactions to things. It must be strange, Clara thought, to show the universe to someone as isolated as her. Until now she'd never been farther than Kent, while he had been everywhere.

They meandered up and down the aisles inspecting the wares for sell. There were things Clara understood, such as colored soaps and perfumes, and things she couldn't fathom the use for. Little mechanical instruments that hummed or a table full of what appeared to be unbreakable bubbles. Clara was so distracted that she didn't realize the Doctor had disappeared until she turned around. She spun in circles searching for him in the crowd. All she saw were unfamiliar faces. He couldn't have been gone more than a few minutes. What if he got lost, then what should she do?

Clara was just starting to worry when the Doctor appeared at her side. "I thought I was going to have to send a search party after you." she joked in relief.

"Sorry." he said. He looked a little embarrassed. "I just wanted to… ummm…. Here." The Doctor handed her a small box.

She opened it carefully. Nestled inside was a necklace crafted in round, citrus colored stones and gold metal. It was simple, elegant, and absolutely perfect. Clara lifted it out and let the Doctor clasped around her throat. She smiled shyly, unused to receiving gifts.

"Thank you." Clara whispered kissing him softly.

He smiled looking awkward. "I just wanted to get you something. It's traditional in Time Lord culture as well as Human relationships. It reminded me of you and, well, I'm not very good at this sort of thing." The Doctor straightened his bow tie flustered.

"I think you're doing fine." she teased.

A loud commotion broke up their moment. Clara and the Doctor ran over to see what was going on. A man was yelling and brandishing a knife at one of the stall owners. Everyone was staring in shock.

"Cheat!" the man screamed. "Scammer! The ingredients you sold me were no good!"

The plump shop owner looked just as bewildered as everyone else. "Mal, what are you talking about? You've bought my supplies for years."

Snarling in rage the man attempted to jump the stall, slashing the knife at the other man's face. He didn't make it. Many of the onlookers surged forward grabbing the man and dragging him to the ground. They held him there as the local police force shoved their way through the packed crowd. The enraged man was quickly detained and drug off.

"That's the third one this week." said a bystander to her friend, "I told you something was going on."

The Doctor stepped forward, "What do you mean?" he asked the woman.

She looked surprised, "You haven't heard?"

Clara and the Doctor both shook their heads.

The woman glanced around nervously then continued in a hushed voice, "People are going mad."