No & Never

"Get up, girl," the minion spat, hauling Clara upwards. "You come vith me!"

Before Clara could protest, he was dragging her away, his fingers digging into her flesh, Clara digging her heels in, only to no avail.

"L-l-let her go," Flynn whispered, but nobody heeded him. As Clara was shoved through a far off tent flap, the minion following her, he closed his eyes, trying to work up his non-existent nerve. "I said let her go!" he squeaked, setting off after them, his fists clenching feebly by his sides. But as he moved, somebody slammed a rifle butt into his stomach, knocking him to his knees. "Ow," he groaned, clutching his middle, the tears springing to his eyes. Several minions surrounded him, raising their rifles in the direction of his head, faces made uniform by their sneers.

"Get away from him!" Clara screamed, appearing out of nowhere, brandishing a handgun, forcing the minions to back off. In the tent, her own minion had got a little fresh after cutting her bonds, Clara letting him, just enough to get close so she could head-butt him in the face, a technique Eve had taught her so long ago. Head reeling, she'd snatched the handgun out of his belt, the minion clutching his gushing nose, the satisfying click of it breaking still ringing through the air.

"You fink you can vin fis?" the minion snickered, circling her, still clutching his nose.

Clara glanced round at the guns surrounding her and Flynn, knowing she was hopelessly outnumbered, but refusing to accept the odds. But as she did, a minion suddenly flew overhead, landing in a dazed pile nearby, another minion then whizzing past her nose, slamming into several minions, knocking them down like ninepins. "What in the name of Long John's long johns" - Clara began, only to duck as yet another minion sailed through the air, colliding with her own personal minion, sending him sprawling.

"It's the Scarlet Pimpernel!" Flynn screamed, completely losing his head as a thickset figure dashed past them, double punching two minions in the face, his own face concealed by a red cloth wound round his head. But Clara would know those bright blue eyes from anywhere, and suddenly the world was making sense again, returning her to life. Dragging Flynn to his feet, she grabbed his rather sweaty hand, hauling him along as she chased Jacob through the trees, leaving the camp behind, almost hunting him down.

"Jake!" she hissed, but he just signalled her to follow him, ducking and diving between the branches. After several almost lung-exploding moments of more running, Jacob finally slowed to a stop, Clara stumbling to a halt in front of him, Flynn falling to his knees, clutching his chest.

"You okay, big guy?" Jacob asked, carefully unwinding the red cloth from his face.

"Inhaler," Flynn wheezed, his face bright red, eyes bulging. "I-need-my-inhaler!"

"But you're not asthmatic," Clara said, brow furrowing.

Jacob patted his pockets down before pulling out a blue inhaler. "Here you go," he said, hastily handing it over to Flynn.

"But you're not asthmatic either!" Clara repeated, bewildered now.

"You know him?" Jacob said, frowning.

"Don't you?" Clara retorted, the world starting to seem like nonsense again.

"Never seen him before in my life," Jacob said, looking at her like she was mad.

"You saved us," Flynn breathed, looking at Jacob like he was God.

"I did indeed," Jacob said, stowing the red bandana away in his pocket.

"But who are you?" Flynn asked, eyes alight with wonder.

"Would you stop saying that!?" Clara snapped.

"I'm the Librarian," Jacob said, staring moodily into the distance.

"Alright, this isn't a perfume advert, pal," Clara snapped, snapping her fingers in front of Jacob's face.

"What's with you, Hartley?" Jacob snapped back, not appreciating having his parade rained upon. "First you nearly blow our cover" -

- "Hold up," Clara said, beyond bewildered now. "What cover? And how do you know me, and not Flynn" -

Jacob just shook his head, before suddenly sliding his hand up the back of her neck, his lips crushing hers, stunning her into silence. For several long moments, there was just a dull roar in Clara's ears, Jacob unlocking the secret door, and then she was shoving him away from her, just before the key made its final turn in the lock. "No," she whispered, backing away from him, "and never, Jake. You know that!" she suddenly screamed, startling him, Flynn throwing his arms over his head, cowering from Clara.

"Clara!" Jacob protested, but she took off amongst the trees, blinded by tears, not knowing where she was going, except that she had to get away from what her world had become.

It's not easy for me to talk about
A half-life in lost dreams
And it's not simple, it's trigonometry
It's hard to express
I can't explain...