[Author's Note: How is everyone doing? Good? Good. Here's your chapter! This isn't originally how I planned this chapter to go, but I like this idea alot better. This is one of those cute, fluffy, pointless chapters. Enjoy!]

~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~

Chapter 12:

Cat (noun)- A small, furry mammal that you are required to love

~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~

Clara sighed, spinning in circles on her chair and watching the console room whirl around her in a blur. She stopped herself with her foot and checked her watch for what felt like the thousandth time.

2 hours. It had been two hours since the Doctor had blundered out the TARDIS doors with an armload of equipment, rambling frantically at 90 miles an hour. From what she could gather, he had run off to deal with some, "immediate and extremely pressing matters," which were "far too dangerous, absolutely out of the question," for her to come. He had then very loudly ordered her to stay and tumbled out the door so fast he almost shut it on himself.

She hadn't expected him to be this long, though, and she was caught between being annoyed at him and worried for his safety. She glanced at the door, expecting at any moment to see the Doctor come barreling in, but no such luck. She drummed her fingers against the TARDIS railing absentmindedly and began to spin on her chair again.

She almost jumped out of her skin at the sound of scratching at the door. She scrambled off the chair and stood frozen, listening carefully. She heard nothing but silence and began to think perhaps she had just imagined it when it began again. Skritch-Scratch-Skritch-Scratch, like claws against the wooden door.

Clara grabbed a bit of loose metal off the console and, gripping it like a weapon in one hand, began to slide forward quietly towards the door. The scratching continued, getting more and more frantic. Taking a deep breath and raising the bit of scrap metal over her head like a club, Clara flung the door open.

A gust of wind whirled violently in through the open door, pelting her with an onslaught of raindrops. Shaking her head, she cupped a hand around her eyes and peered out into the downpour.

She could see nothing but a rain-soaked street outside. Completely empty. Frowning, she peeked her head out, looking left and right, but still seeing nobody. With a small, "Hmm," of confusion, she pulled her head back in and was reaching to close the door when it finally occurred to her to look down.

"Oh!" She gasped as she glanced down at the wet street. Instantly the arm holding her make-shift weapon relaxed, and she set it down next to her before stooping down to get a better look at the culprit of the scratching noise.

It was a cat (A kitten, more like). Jet-black with white on it's chest and belly, and a small star on it's forehead. It peered glittering green eyes up at her and meowed piteously. Soaked to the bone by rain.

"How did you get out here?" She asked, reaching out a hand and stroking the top of it's head. It leaned into the touch, eyes closed in delight. "Poor baby."

In the back of her mind, Clara figured the Doctor would have a panic attack when he came back if he found out she'd brought a cat into his beloved TARDIS, but that didn't mean she was going to leave the tiny creature out in the rain. Cupping her hands under it's soaking body, she scooped it up off the street and in through the doorway, closing the door after to shut out the cold rain.

The cat squinted it's eyes at the sudden light of the console room, tilting it's head around as it examined the place. Clara gently held the critter to her chest, stroking it's dripping fur. Ir purred in contentment and butted its head against her neck.

"Alright, little guy. You can stay here until the Doctor gets back. And God knows when that will be." She explained to the kitten, who watched her with a rapt expression, as though he could actually understand her words.

Without warning, the cat suddenly scrambled out of her grip, kicking off her chest and sailing through the air, landing with a thump on the console. With a delighted meow of triumph, it began pouncing on the buttons and levers, knocking things about with its small paws and splattering rain water everywhere.

"No! No! No!" Clara shouted, making a grab for it and catching it by the back of it's neck. It squeaked in protest as she hauled it off the controls, churning the air with its tiny legs and giving her what she could only describe as a death-glare. "That's not a toy. I don't need you hurtling us off into the time vortex. I don't think the Doctor would approve."

The kitten mewed loudly, obviously disagreeing, but finally quit struggling and went limp in her hands.

"Good boy." She said, kissing the soft top of its head. It purred softly and closed its eyes contentedly.

~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~

Clara wished to retract her earlier statement. This kitten was not being good in any way, shape, or form.

She's tried to give him a bowl of milk, but he wouldn't drink it and instead tried to climb into the refrigerator in a search for better food, and almost got himself locked in. Then, while she had her back turned to put the milk away, he wandered off and she found him trying to climb into the pocket of the Doctor's coat, which he had left hanging over the TARDIS railing.

She figured maybe playing with him would tire him out, although she'd never had much experience with what cats liked to play with before. She found a ribbon in a bin full of odds and ends and tried to get him to chase it, but he just managed to get it wrapped around his neck and nearly strangled himself.

Finally, exasperated, she set him in a box lined with a blanket and settled him down in a quiet corner of the control room, hoping maybe he'd just sleep. But she came back five minutes later to find him once again playing with the buttons and levers on the console.

"You are a piece of work, buddy." She said, holding the kitten by the back of its neck. "No wonder I wasn't allowed to have a cat when I was little."

The baby cat mewed and stared at her with what could only be a pouty expression. She huffed and kissed the top of its head. "Yes, I know, you're sweet."

When two more hours of tripping over the exuberant little fuzzball passed, and there was still no sign of the Doctor, Clara just became flat out bored. Plucking the kit off the console once again, she cradled him in her arms as she walked down the hallway. "He's late, as usual, so I suppose you're staying the night, because I'm going to bed." The kitten purred happily, obviously pleased with this statement.

Clara opened one of her dresser drawers and set the kitten down on a pile of socks. She stroked his furry little head, watching as he yawned hugely, exposing a little pink tongue and a dozen tiny teeth. "Can you sleep here tonight?" She asked. "I'll leave the drawer open, but you have to stay in here, because I can't trust you out in the TARDIS, apparently."

She almost swore the cat shrugged at her before settling down on the socks and closing its eyes. She gave him one last pat on the head and slipped off to her own bed.

Less than ten minutes later, she heard a thump across the room, and sat up to see the kitten on the floor, wandering over to the door of her room. "What are you doing?" She hissed, seriously beginning to consider putting it back where she found it.

It turned round green eyes on her and backed away from the door almost shamefully. It disappeared into the shadows for a moment before suddenly popping up again, which she realised when she felt him thump down onto her feet. Staring at her all the while, it turned in a circle a few times before flopping down at the foot of her bed, curled up into a ball.

"Okay." She sighed, too exhausted to care anymore. "You can sleep there. Goodnight."

"Meow." It responded sleepily.

~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~

Clara woke up slowly, blinking at the light in her eyes. To accommodate for the lack of actual time in it, the TARDIS changed the lights in the rooms depending on what time of day it should be. And it was currently blind-you-with-the-sun 9:00 in the morning.

Sighing heavily, she rolled over and propped herself up on her elbows, rubbing the sleep out of her eyes. The Doctor had better be back by now. She thought, not looking forward to the idea of spending another day waiting for that ridiculous man. Maybe she should let her new-found kitten friend fly the TARDIS off after all.

Kitten... She started suddenly, remembering the little stray she had taken in the other day. Immediately, she became aware of the still-present weight at her feet. Good, he's still there, she thought, taking her hands away from her eyes and looking down.

She was expecting to see the little ball of black-and-white fur tucked up comfortably at the foot of her bed, sleeping.

She was not, in any way, expecting to instead see the Doctor sprawled out across the end of her bed, his arms tucked under his head and his knees curled up to his stomach. His hair was scattered in front of his face and he was missing his coat and his bowtie. He was dead asleep, a peaceful expression on his face.

After taking in this serene sight, Clara grabbed her pillow from behind her and hurled it at his head.

It hit him dead-on in the face, causing his eyes to spring open in surprise. He tried to scramble up, but, apparently forgetting his position, rolled off the bed instead, hitting the floor with a loud thump and a flailing of limbs. "Ow!"

"What are you doing?" Clara cried out breathlessly.

His head popped up from the floor, and he offered her a huge grin. "Clara!" He shouted. "Good to be able to talk to you again." He scrambled to his feet and looked down in admiration at his legs. "Ah, perfect. Two legs now."

Clara stared at him, mouth hanging open, eyes huge.

He stared back at her, still grinning hugely. "I'll explain later." He chirped simply, then darted out of her room with her still staring blanky after him.

~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~

[Author's Note: Alright, hands up, who saw that coming? Lol, whatever. That is what happens when I pick weird prompts out of the prompt hat. Which reminds me, in response to a Guest review: I will gladly take prompts from you guys, no promises that I'll fill them, but I'll try my best. However, sorry, Guest, but I will not fill the prompt 'sucubus', because I looked up what it means and I'm afraid this isn't that kind of fic. However, if you want to give me a different prompt, I'd be glad to write it. :3]