somethingveryamy-blog

[somethingveryamy-blog]

Never Let Me Go

Summary: Clara Oswald is a successful physician with a heavy past. She spends most of her time buried in work as a distraction, from her pain. This changes when she meets John Smith, a popular photographer, on her operating table who begins to shed rays of sunshine through her dark days. But, what happens when past monsters re-emerge and threaten to destroy her second chance at happiness?

Doctor WHO AU

Warnings: None

Genre: Romance/ Drama

Pairing: John Smith (Twelfth Doctor) x Clara Oswald

Chapter 1

It was another late afternoon at the studio, finishing up post production of the newest photographs for ‘Vogue UK’ magazine’s latest issue. Every month, the models got skinnier, John noticed. If they wanted to advertise all these new make-up products and clothing lines, why not have a healthy, non-skinny model do the job… not someone who looked like you plastered skin over her bones and left to sun dry for a few weeks. Normal women would never look the way the models in his photos did in their attire. No. They weren’t living broomsticks.

Not that he could say much for himself. He was a model back in his younger days, and quite a bony stick insect as well. But it never mattered for men like it did for women, right? “Society these days…” he grumbled while he trimmed a third of an inch off the already bone dry thigh of his subject on the current photo on his laptop screen. Sometimes he re-edited his work more than three times because they never met the ‘perfect’ standard of how the advertising department and sole product company viewed the ‘look’ and because the models simply appeared ‘fat’.

“Ridiculous…” he mumbled this time, thinking of how absurd the entire industry and society was on the feminine image. The sound of his cell phone broke him from his thoughts. His ringtone ‘Barbie Girl’ was proudly selected by his young niece, Melody and was threatened that if it were removed, she would never speak to him again. Pretty harsh words coming from a six year old!

“John Smith”, he answered.

“Johnnnnyyyyyyy. Listen, I can’t pick up Melody after ballet classes tonight. Can you help me out?”  came the voice on the other end.

“Boss got you working overtime again?”

“Yeah, stupid new worker was a no show again today. I think she’s doing it to spite me after I pulled her up on flirting with fellow employees”.

“Yikes. No worries. I’ll take care of it,” he concluded, wishing his sister well before hanging up.

 Two hours later, John pulled into his sister’s driveway. He quietly opened the door to the backseat and lifted a sleeping Melody out of the car, followed by her pink My Little Pony backpack over his shoulder. He unlocked the front door and put her straight to bed.

“Night munchkin,” he whispered, planting a kiss on the child’s forehead. It was unfortunate how his sister became a single parent. Donna was happily married to Jack for five years, before he took on leukemia. He barely lasted two years afterwards.

The opening of the front door jostled him from a memory of his sister’s distraught, grief stricken face, cradling a twelve-month-old babe in her arms while staring down at her husband’s lifeless face at his funeral.

“Hey…” greeted Donna as she spotted her older brother coming down the stairs.

She gave him a quick hug.

“How are you?” he asked, studying her face.

Bags under the eyes, wrinkles that not even all the concealer in the world could hide, cracked lips… she looked like hell.

“Could be better, honestly.”

John patted her shoulder, “You need a break Don. This job is killing you”.

“You know it’s not as easy as it sounds. I’m not the most qualified or brilliant person out there,” she countered, biting into her fingernails.

“No, but I just want you to have something better paying and less… stressful.”

Donna tilted her head to the side and stared at him blankly.

“Something will work out eventually Johnny. I have hope.”

He knew that stare all too well. She did it unconsciously anytime she felt stressed and it was no use bantering with her then. It only made her agitated and late night sass was something he was not up for right now.

“Well, Melody’s asleep. You need anything else before I go?” he asked after a moment of silence.

“No. I’m fine. Thanks for everything.”

“Anytime. I’m always here if you need help or want some time to yourself. I have no problem babysitting Melody an-”

“I know, I know’, she cut him off mid sentence. John stifled a yawn and raked his hand through his hair. “You look exhausted. Better get home.” He simply nodded, gave his sibling a peck on the cheek and left.

He drove slowly on the very wet road, as he headed east along the main street. Turning onto a secondary road, his mobile went off.

Attempting to pull it out of his jacket breast pocket, it fell onto the floor. Taking his eye off the road for a split second, he bent down to grab the device, when he heard a blaring horn. He instantly shot up in his seat, with only seconds to realize he had drifted partly onto the neighboring lane. He instantly jerked the steering wheel to put himself back on the correct side.

He pulled over on the shoulder, keeping the car in idle and retrieved his phone.

One missed call.

As the call log screen popped up, he saw that it was from Donna. Did he forget something at the house? Was she and Melody okay? Worry came over him, and he hit the dial button. No answer. He quickly pulled back onto the road and dialed again. Phone in hand and steering wheel in the other, he frowned as the call went to again went unanswered. For a second he took his eyes of the road to glance at his phone screen and then back up, only to notice too late the crossing pedestrian. Instinctively, he swerved the car away for the individual, picking up a skid and then colliding head on with two vehicles from incoming traffic on the opposing lane.

The last thing John remembered was a warm, wet feeling over his face and a shot of pain through his legs and stomach, before all went black.

@confessionsofacookie