Disclaimer: I do not own the characters as they belong to Steven Moffat and the BBC but I do get to play with them.

Notes: The idea for this is not mine. I was roaming around tumblr and found this suggestion and it wouldn't let me go. The premise, however is mine. So the mystery of Clara Oswin Oswald and her ability to exist in more than one time and place. Perhaps this is the answer to that mystery. Chapter 1

Clara Oswald dusted herself down to remove the vestiges of earth from her dress. Usually she came back to life before they managed to bury her but falling from that height meant that she hadn't been able to put herself back together before burial. Still, this time she had found him; she'd finally found the Doctor in the flesh, the man who would be able to help her find her father. When she'd first died and come back to life her mother had told her about her background, and her father. She'd been brought up on the holiday planet, Barcelona. Her mother was a hostess in one of the many bars there. She'd been 26 when she discovered that she couldn't die.

'I don't understand. How did this happen? I should be dead. No-one could survive falling that far.' She pulled herself up and sat on the edge of her bed facing her mother. It was then that she realised something that had been staring her in the face for the last 26 years – her mother had never aged. She looked the same now as she had done since Clara was small. Her face had no lines and her skin and hair were perfect.

'Clara, when I was exactly your age I drowned in an accident. I woke up to find my whole family sitting around me. They were waiting to see if I would come back from death. No one knows why but every so often one of our family simply can't die. I inherited that ability and you are the same.'

'So I'll never die,' Clara said. 'Will I stay like this forever?'

'I don't know, Clara. Usually we're unable to have children once we leave the home planet. You should not have been possible but I think that your existence has something to do with your father.' Her mother told her about the man who she said had sired her. He'd been tall, dark and very, very handsome with amazing teeth which afforded him the most perfect smile she'd ever seen. He'd worn a long coat and had a line in chat that could have persuaded any man, woman or creature in that bar, or any bar, to spend some time with him. Bella Oswald had been astonished that he'd chosen her that night, their only night, for in the morning the man had gone and she hadn't even discovered his name. The stories about his exploits, and there were many, simply called him the 'Captain'. Bella had thought that this would be enough but it wasn't.

Clara had grown up amongst friends of her mother in the bar. She'd learnt many things, the first of which that she was clever, very clever, in fact she was a genius. She'd also learnt how to use her more obvious charms to get what she wanted from anyone, male or female and had left several broken hearts in her wake since she'd first kissed Nina.

'One day you're going to get caught,' her mother had often told her. 'Someone will realise that you aren't what you pretend to be.' Clara had never understood what she'd meant until now.

'This is amazing, mother,' she said as she spun around and around. 'I can be whoever I want to be. There's a whole universe out there. And on some planet, in some time, my father lives so I intend to find him and show him what he's missed but first I intend to have adventures.'

A few days later a man walked into the bar; he was tall and thin with great hair and a long coat. He called himself the Doctor. With him was a woman he called Donna.

'I told you I'd bring you here someday so here we are. We'll have a nice rest before we go off again.' Clara had served them but he hadn't really noticed her. She had the ability to fade into the background when she wanted to listen. What she heard excited her. This man was obviously a time traveller. He was also quite good looking and not involved with the woman in that way.

'Your drinks, Sir, Madam; can I get you anything else?' The Doctor waved her away but she hovered and listened.

'Don't you think it's about time that I met this Captain of yours?' Donna asked.

'No, definitely not; I know what he's like. Anyway, he's stuck on Earth again now. I made sure that his vortex manipulator was out of action so he can't travel anymore. There are already far too many of him in various timelines for my liking.'

'What's a vortex manipulator?' Donna asked.

'It's how time agents travel in time. It's a leather strap worn on his wrist. It still does everything else now except move him in time.'

'Are there many of these time agents about?' Donna asked.

'It depends on what time you're in,' he replied. 'You know that time can be a bit wibbly wobbly so it's not always easy to say exactly. One could easily turn up here and be from any time in the future or the past. They are particularly fond of this planet as the people here are so welcoming.'

Clara could feel her excitement growing. All she needed to do was wait until one of these agents turned up. If she could just get hold of one of those wrist straps that let you travel in time, or perhaps she could persuade one of them to show her how it worked. She knew she could use her charms to achieve either plan. Now all she had to do was wait.

She spent her time wisely while she waited. She researched the Time Agency and found out how they had started and what they did. There were however, no pictures; it was like someone had gone through time and erased every one. She wondered why. She also tried to find out more about the Doctor but there was nothing. He really didn't exist except that he did. There were hints and stories throughout time but nothing solid. It was like trying to grab hold of a cloud; you knew that it was there but when you got near enough to touch your hand went right through it. She had more success finding out about Earth and its history. It appeared to be the third planet in a solar system that revolved around a star called the Sun. Its people were both humane and violent. It would appear that when she'd been born it was the Earth date 23rd November, 2013. Perhaps her father was still stuck there if he didn't have any means to leave but he must have been able to at some point in time or he wouldn't have been on Barcelona. It was all so puzzling.

Clara saw the leather wrist strap on her arm as soon as she walked into the bar. For a few days she watched the Agent. The woman certainly knew how to enjoy herself and took her pleasures seriously. As soon as Clara stepped out from the shadows with drinks for the Agent and her latest companion she knew that the woman had seen her.

'Thank you and you are?'

'Clara, ma'am.'

'I haven't seen you before and I'm sure I would have noticed someone as handsome as you before. My name is Endira.' She held out her hand and Clara leant in to kiss it, making sure to hold the woman's gaze as she did. Her companion visibly bristled with jealousy.

Pulling away Clara said, 'I'll be certain to make sure that you get my personal attention from now on.' When she returned the man who'd been with Endira had disappeared.

'Sit, join me in a drink. I've arranged for you to be off duty from now on,' she informed Clara.

'Yes Ma'am, entertaining the customers is part of my job and I love to listen to the stories people tell. You look like the sort of person who might have had many adventures.' Endira smiled at her and she knew that flattery would get her anywhere. By the end of the evening Clara had discovered all that she needed to know about Time Agents and their means of travel. It hadn't taken much, just a lot of flirting and a little kissing here and there. The Agent was rather striking. She was practically dressed in a one piece grey outfit that clung to every curve; her hair was the colour of saffron, her eyes scarlet and her skin the colour of a picory flower, the palest of blues. Clara was used to meeting all sorts of people and she was curious to know what the sex would be like but she knew that pleasures of the flesh might have to wait. Before going to the Agent's room she took a pill from a small box at the bar. Now she knew how the wrist strap worked she would programme it to Earth. All she needed to do was put the pill in the drink and then get the agent to swallow it.

She gasped when she got to the room and opened the door. 'I thought I'd start without you,' Endira said smiling. She lay back on the bed wearing only that smile. Clara put the drinks to one side. Well, it would have been churlish of her to turn down an offer so enticing after all. She slowly removed her own clothing and joined the Agent on the bed.

'My, my Clara, we are going to have some fun together.' And they did. Later they'd drunk to each other. Clara watched as Endira fell asleep and then removed the wrist strap carefully. She got dressed and quickly returned to the bar to see her mother.

'I have to find him mother, and this is going to let me,' Clara explained.

'It's just like his,' Bella observed, 'but a little narrower. I know you have to do this but please, even though you can't die, be careful out there. I hope you find what you're looking for, my darling.'

Clara put her arms around her mother and hugged her tightly. 'You will be alright won't you?' she asked.

'I'll be fine you just look after yourself.'

Clara pressed a few buttons and waited. She had no idea how this time travel business worked. The next thing she knew was that she was falling forward onto a grassy bank. She picked herself up and looked around in the darkness. First she had to find out exactly when and where she was. She'd aimed for the beginning of the twenty first century and it looked about right. She needed clothes, money and a place to stay. Fortunately, she could pick any lock and it didn't take her long to obtain all of those things. All she had to do now was have some adventures and find the Doctor.

And she definitely had some adventures along the way. She was careful about which time and place because the Time Agency would undoubtedly be looking for her. She did however, manage to meet the Doctor, sort of. Somehow, in a careless moment, she managed to get herself caught by the Daleks. Realising she was different they'd used her, converted her body, but never managed to control her mind. When three people had turned up in the Asylum she'd immediately recognised a fellow genius. Everything about the Doctor had intrigued her. Luckily, when the Daleks had destroyed the asylum, her body had died and then restored itself to its factory setting. The tracker she'd set up found where the Vortex Manipulator was stored on the ship and she'd managed to get out. Now she had a new face for the Doctor. The little that she'd learned before had told her that this might happen. The Dalek records had given her so much information and then she had wiped it all to make them forget. She'd discovered the story of Demon's Run among the data and with that she found out about the Doctor's friends. She figured that Madame Vastra might be the easiest to find in Victorian London so she programmed the wrist- strap, got herself a few jobs and a life, and then suddenly, in an alley in the snow, she'd found him, followed him, kissed him and then died – again.

So here she was, fresh out of the grave, with him long gone and she still hadn't found out who her father was. There was only one thing to do. Well, actually there were two things. Firstly, she had to get back into the Latimer house and reclaim her belongings and then she had to revisit Madame Vastra and see if she knew where the Doctor had gone this time for she intended to follow him.

Getting back into the Latimer house wasn't difficult. However, she hadn't planned for Digby to find her on the landing.

'Are you a ghost?' he asked.

'No Digby, you're just dreaming. Now go back to bed.' She guided him back to his room and then went into her own and found her bag and a clean dress. Inside was what she was really looking for, her vortex manipulator. Once back outside she saw Digby at the window and waved before she turned the corner and headed back to the pub she'd worked at before. She needed to sleep and then go to see Madame Vastra in the morning.

At ten precisely she presented herself at the front door of the Great Detective. If it was possible to shock a Sontaran she achieved it.

'But you are dead, boy. How can this be? I saw you die didn't I? You fell from the sky. They buried you.'

'What is it, Strax?' Clara heard Jenny's voice come from the hall and pushed past the shocked Sontaran. Jenny stood totally transfixed when she saw her.

'It can't be,' she began.

'Well,' said Clara rather irritably, 'it obviously is. Now, I would like to see your wife if I may. And then, if you both stay around, which I'm sure you will, I'll explain. I would rather only do that once.'

Strangely Madame Vastra took her re-appearance in her stride. 'How good to see you again, my dear. Jenny, would you be so kind and prepare a good strong cup of tea for yourself and our visitor. I think we may all need to be fortified whilst we listen to how Miss Oswald managed to achieve this miracle.'

Clara told them something of her story. 'So you see I thought the Doctor would be able to help me to find my father. I know that he travels in time and my mother gave me that description. He also wears something like this.' She held out her arm and saw her companions look at each other.

Madame Vastra spoke. 'My dear Clara, that is a vortex manipulator and I have only seen another once before in my life. You say that this man who your mother described wore a long coat and was called 'the Captain.'

'Yes, that's all I know but my mother also said that there must be something special about him or I would not be immortal beyond the confines of my own planet.'

'Oh there's something special about him alright!' Jenny said sharply. 'He'll flirt with anything that breathes.' She placed her hand on Vastra's shoulder.

'My dear, there's no need. You know that I only have eyes for you however attractive the good Captain might be.'

'So you know him?' Clara asked. 'You've met him.'

'Yes Clara, we met him briefly after the Battle of Demon's Run.'

'Wasn't the immortal human scum supposed to be at that battle?' Strax asked.

'Yes, but he wasn't in a good place at that time. It was after he'd lost his lover and he'd gone exploring the universe. Then there was the Miracle.'

'Excuse me but could we go back a bit,' Clara demanded. 'You know him and he's immortal. You said that he was immortal human scum. Please who is he?'

'Yes my dear, your father is immortal and how he came to be is a bit of a story in itself but as for who he is the answer is simple. When you were born he was the head of Torchwood and his name is Captain Jack Harkness.'