Progression

"What exactly did you see?"

Clara shrugs. "Well, I've seen a lot of things; I've seen WiFi take over people and snowmen come to life and this one time I got proposed to by the Emperor of the Universe."

Sherlock rolls his eyes. "I meant about the murder."

"Oh.", she realises. "Sorry 'bout that.", she says and pauses. Her brows furrow as she tries to remember. The memories are jumbled inside her head and it makes it difficult for her to sort out what is from one of her past lives and which memories are from the life she is living right now.

The Doctor promised to help her with that.

"You okay?", John Watson asks her when she doesn't reply in a while.

She shakes her head, clearing her thoughts. "Yeah, just a bit out of it, I guess. Just came back from holiday."

"Where did you go?", John asks her, trying to relax her a bit.

"Trenzalore."she replies quickly. "Nasty place. Wouldn't recommend."

Sherlock snorts. "Trenzalore isn't an actual place."

"Oh, and you're Mr. Know-It-All, aren't you?", she replies. "Anyway, the guy was about" - she gestures with her hand - "this high and was all weird looking.", she pauses. "Actually, when I think about it, I'm not really sure he was human."

Sherlock shakes his head in disbelief. "You're not taking this seriously, are you?"

"Sherlock, play nice.", John warns him, although even he didn't really believe Clara.

"A person just died - I am taking this very seriously.", she outs a hand on her hip. "Anything else, Mr. Holmes?"

"Nothing more, Ms. Oswald.", he replies in the same manner. "You have been of no help."

Clara rolls her eyes as he leaves. "You're welcome."

"Don't mind him.", John says. "He still doesn't know that Earth revolves around the sun.", he continues and Clara raises an eyebrow. John just shrugs. "I know."

"You didn't have to be that harsh."

"She irked me.", Sherlock replies and John chuckles.

"People usually don't get to you, Sherlock."

Sherlock's quick to answer. "Idiots do."

"You", John emphasises, "like her."

Sherlock pauses. "I'm sorry, what?"

"You heard me.", John says, a smug smile on his face when he realises he's managed to confuse the world's only consulting detective - if only for a moment - and he goes to grab a cab.

"I don't-"

"You do."

For the first time in a long time, Sherlock Holmes is left speechless.

"You again."

Clara smiles. "Yup, me again. Glad you're so excited to see me."

Sherlock looks at her closely. "Interrupting any other crime scenes, Ms. Oswald?"

"Clara.", she corrects. "And, no, I've ben taking a break from that. Murders aren't really my cup of tea; I leave that to Madame Vastra."

"And she is?"

"A friend.", Clara replies. "You wouldn't know her."

Sherlock nods. He was trying to read her, but kept getting mixed deductions. "You play an instrument?", he asks, noticing her slim fingers. She must have played an instrument or two; piano was his first choice.

Clara shakes her head. "No, I'm a nanny.", she replies. "But I might've played an instrument or two. Can't remember."

"How can't you remember?", Sherlock asks, puzzled. Clara Oswald was young - probably in her early to mid twenties - and it wouldn't have been so long ago since she's played an instrument. Plus, it wasn't logical to him that she would forget something like that.

Clara shrugs. "A lot of lives, I lose track sometimes.", she says. "Once I was a Time Lady on Gallifrey. Great times.", she chuckles.

Sherlock narrows his eyes. "I don't understand you.", he says, admitting his confusion.

Oh, how glad he was that John wasn't there.

Clara laughs. "Ask what you want explained.", she says, sipping at her coffee. They were sitting at a small café near Scotland Yard. She was waiting until the Doctor did some snooping around. She honestly didn't expect to see Sherlock Holmes although, when she thought about it, it didn't really come as a surprise. He probably spent his days at he Yard.

"You talk as if you've lived a thousand lives."

Clara looks at him. "That's a statement.", she says. "But, I have. In a thousand different places. Although, Cardiff seems to be a thing pretty often."

Sherlock shakes his head. "How?"

Clara laughs again. "You look so cute when you're confused.", she says and spots the Doctor standing outside the café window, waving to her and pointing to the TARDIS.

What did he do now?

"Gotta run, that's my ride.", she says, putting the coffee mug on the table and getting up. She pecks him on the cheek. "Another time, Mr. Holmes?"

"Sherlock.", he says, not knowing why himself.

She smiles. "Sherlock.", she repeats, letting the name roll off her tongue with ease. "I'll take that as a 'yes'."

He watches her as she leaves, meeting up with a man didn't really know and get inside a blue police box that then disappeared.

Sherlock blinks.

It disappeared?

Next time he sees her, she literally runs into him.

"Oh. Sherlock.", she smiles. "Gotta run.", she says as if she's apologising.

"Again?", he asks as he steadies her so she doesn't fall; one hand on her hip, the other in her own.

"Always.", she replies and then she runs away again, holding on to his hand until she has to let go.

They meet again, they talk again. For hours. About nothing and everything and all in between. He tells her about the cases he has solved and she tells him about some of the lives she has lived. She then tells him how her head gets all messy and memories scramble and fold over each other and that she forgets things she shouldn't and can't seem to work out what has happened and what is happening.

He helps her create a mind palace.

"It's-"

"Bigger on the inside, I know. Now, help me with this.", she stops searching and gets ups. She looks up at him as he towers over her, still looking as confused as he was the first second he walked into the TARDIS.

She kept meeting him. Somehow, he was always there and she'd always bump into him and they talked sometimes, when they had the time, and Sherlock Holmes became her friend.

A pretty useless friend at the moment.

"She tries to get his attention, but Sherlock is still lost in his mind trying to understand all of what was happening.

So, she kisses him - trying to bring him out of his haze - and it works.

"Sherlock. Help. Now. Please.", she talks in simple words. He nods. "Thank you.", she replies and turns back to search for the item Doctor needed that was in the pile of rubbish somewhere around the TARDIS.

It takes Sherlock Holmes a while to realise he has been kissed. Then, he kisses her with the excuse that he needs more data. She laughs but kisses him once more, anyway.

She's playing with his fingers.

"I'm not really good with feelings, Clara.", he says, hesitating a bit.

She shrugs. "Just.. Just tell me you love me, yeah?", she says. "And that you'll be here when I come back."

he nods. "I love you.", he says it like a fact - something that is true and real - and her heart swells in her chest and she smiles.

"I love you, too."

A.N.: For missyTARDIS. I hope you liked this, sweetie. I tried doing something a bit more light-hearted and I hope I succeeded. If any of you have a prompt or an idea you want written or something - from any fandom - PM me or contact me on twitter or tumblr (links in my profile). Christmas is coming up and consider this as me wanting to give you really cool gifts.