Clara woke up wrapped in a blanket.

The sky around them was pink as the Doctor tried to teach Elise Gallifreyan math.

Clara sat up.

"Oh hello, again. Sleep well?" the Doctor asked.

"Weren't we just on a train?"

"Oh, that was ages ago."

"And?"

"And what? Oh, and we got off the train. Oh, well, the teleporter worked eventually. Beamed everyone into the TARDIS. No casualties, just a bevy of sleeping beauties. I tried hacking Gus from the TARDIS, find out who set this all up. He really didn't like that. Set off some fail-safe thing. Blew up the train."

"Blew up the train?"

"Blew up the train. But we got away. Then I dropped everyone off at the nearest civilized planet, which happened to be here. You seemed happy asleep so I just left you."

"So you saved everyone."

"No, I just saved you and I let everyone else suffocate." The Doctor let out a very unconvincing laugh. "Yeah, this is just my cover story."

"So, when you lied to Maisie...when you made me lie to Maisie..."

"I couldn't risk Gus finding out my plan and stopping me."

"So you were pretending to be heartless."

"Would you like to think that about me? Would that make it easier? I didn't know if I could save her. I couldn't save Quell, I couldn't save Moorhouse. There was a good chance that she'd die too." The Doctor sat down next to Clara. "At which point, I would have just moved onto the next, and the next, until I beat it. Sometimes the only choices you have are bad ones. But you still have to choose."

In the TARDIS, the ship's engineer Perkins was examining her time rotor. "It's quite a vehicle you have here, Doctor. I won't pretend to understand half of it. Having said that, I did notice you've got a couple of drive stacks need replacing."

"Oh, you did, did you?" the Doctor asked.

"Yeah. You should get someone in. And a job like that takes forever."

"Really? Well, I suppose, whoever I did get in, it might just be easier to have them stay on board for a while. I don't suppose you'd know of anyone?"

"No. Sorry, Doctor, but I don't think I do. That job could er, change a man."

"Yes, it does. Frequently. Well, I won't keep you. Goodbye, Perkins. Good to meet you."

"You too, Doctor. And er, good luck."

They shook hands and Perkins left the TARDIS.

"Do you love it?" Clara asked.

"Love what?" the Doctor asked.

"I know it's scary and difficult, but do you love being the man making the impossible choice?"

"Why would I?"

"Because it's what you do, all day, every day."

"It's my life. Mine and Elise's life."

"Doesn't have to be. Is it like..."

"Like what?"

"An addiction?"

"You can't really tell if something's an addiction till you try and give it up."

"And you never have."

But he had. When he came to stay with Amy and Rory during the invasion of the cubes.

"Let me know how it goes."

Clara's phone rang. She went up to the galley to answer it. "Hey, Danny. How are you? Yep. Mission accomplished. Listen, I can't talk now but I'll see you soon and...um...I love you." Clara was staring right at the Doctor when she said it, confirming Elise's suspicions all along. 

Clara came down the stairs.

"Was that Danny? What did he want?" the Doctor asked.

Clara took a deep breath and said, "He's fine with it."

"Sorry, I..."

"Danny. He's fine with the idea of me and you knocking about. It was his idea that we stop but, he's decided he doesn't mind and neither do I. Oh, to hell with the last hurrah. Let's keep going."

"That's a big change of heart."

"Yeah, they happen."

The Doctor's face broke out in a huge grin. "Seriously?"

"Look, as long as you get me home safe and on time, everything is great. I am so sorry. I've had a wobble. It's a big wobble, but it's fine. Forget about it. Now, shut up and give me some planets."

Elise had a feeling Clara was lying, but said nothing.

"Well, I'm glad that you said that, because you know that one that's made entirely of shrubs. Are you sure about this?"

"Are you? Have you ever been sure?"

"No."

"Then what are you waiting for? Let's go."

The two grabbed onto the levers and pulled together, setting the TARDIS in flight. All was how it should be.

Clara, the Doctor, and Elise traveling together in the TARDIS.