Then Came You
Rating: T
Word Count: 1,901
Notes: This is full of angst and I'm sorry. I'm planning for this to be 6 chapters long (Yes I've actually planned something out!) so look out for updates!
Thanks for giving it a read, hope you enjoy!
The past year had been the happiest of Clara's life. Moving out of the Maitland's house and into her own apartment was a huge change, but she loved the quaint little one-bedroom place she occupied. She started teaching high school English over at Coal Hill, and there was nothing more rewarding than watching her students learn and share her passion for literature.
In that year a lot had changed. So many good things had happened to her, but none as good as Daniel.
He was a year older than her, handsome, educated, and smart. It seemed like everyone Dan met loved him for different reasons. He was her best friend, and the man she had quickly fallen in love with.
It was almost fate that Clara would get stuck in the elevator with him. She was moving her stuff into her apartment that day, carrying a heavy box when he held the elevator for her, and followed her in. She found out that he lived the floor below her. He seemed like a friendly person, and she was going to ask him if he wanted to join her for coffee, but the elevator stalled, leaving them stuck in between two floors.
The next hour would have been stressful for Clara, she hated small spaces, but Daniel made it all better. He was sweet and funny, telling her about some of the mishaps he'd encountered while living there. She felt at ease with him, and once the elevator had been up and running once more, he had asked her on a date.
Clara and Daniel fell quickly and deeply in love. Their relationship moved faster than any of the ones she had been through before, but it didn't scare her. She was excited to see him, loved having him spend the night just to wake up next to him.
It had been months since their first anniversary. Clara had been out with the Doctor when Daniel called to tell her he was taking her to dinner that Saturday night.
As she played the message back, she realized his voice had wavered over the phone, and she was worried. Was he planning on breaking up with me? Did I do something wrong? So many bad thoughts ran through her mind, but the Doctor cheered her up.
"Clara he's in love with you. He wouldn't be breaking up with you with no warning."
"Yes, but what if—"
"Enough with the what if's! Now come on, let's go get you ready for tonight."
Clara put on the new dress she had bought for the occasion after fixing her makeup and hair into place. She waited nervously on her couch for Dan to knock on her door, but the knock never came.
She'd been sitting there for an hour shaking with nerves when her phone rang.
"Hello?"
"C-Clara dear, hi honey." She easily recognized the voice of Dan's mother. She was so sweet, and acted like a mother towards Clara.
"Hi Laura, is everything okay?" She sounded upset.
"Um… no, not really sweetheart. You need to get to the hospital. Dan's been in an accident." Clara's heart dropped into her stomach and tears came to her eyes.
"O-oh my god, is he okay? I'll be down as quick as I can." Clara hung up the phone and paced the room in shock. She changed out of the dress, anticipating a long night, and called the Doctor. She didn't trust herself to get down to the hospital in one piece in her state.
The Doctor got her down to the hospital where she met with Dan's family. It didn't look too good. Dan had been rushed to the operating room for an emergency surgery to try and stop some of the internal bleeding he had.
She sat with them for what felt like hours. The tears stopped only when she felt she had none left to cry. Clara kept telling herself it was going to be okay, but there was a sinking feeling in her gut telling her that it wouldn't.
It was just after midnight when the doctors came out of the operating room. As soon as they stepped into the waiting room, Clara knew. She felt emptiness in her heart, and broke down again before they could even tell the family he had passed.
That night, Clara was inconsolable. Her once cozy apartment was filled with memories of him, and she couldn't do it. She elected to stay on the TARDIS with the Doctor at least until after the funeral.
When Clara had woken the morning after Dan's death, she felt sick. The night before had been just a blur, and she was finally taking it all in. The Doctor sat with her that morning as she cried. He wanted to be as helpful as he could for his impossible girl.
Clara was grateful that the Doctor was there to help her through this. She wasn't sure she could do it alone.
"Would you like me to make you something?" The Doctor offered.
"No."
"Are you sure? Clara, you need to eat something."
"I'm fine."
"Okay, just let me know."
She nodded, but soon was jumping up and out of bed, rushing for the toilet. The Doctor followed her, only to find her throwing up. He held back her hair and lightly rubbed her back as she let go the contents of her stomach.
"Are you alright?" He asked her, even though it felt like a silly thing to ask.
Clara shook her head. "I just want to go back to bed, please." She said tearfully. He helped her up so she could brush her teeth, and then brought her back to her bed.
She stayed in bed for the remainder of the day as well as the next.
Clara felt a bit better during the next few days. She had gone to visit with his parents and helped plan the funeral, but it was hard for her. She had been so tired, and achy all over. She really didn't feel like she was helping much, but it distracted her from being alone with her own thoughts.
The funeral service was beautiful. Friends and family shared their memories of him and paid their condolences to her and his family. It was an upbeat service, yet Clara still felt sick to her stomach with grief. Half way through the visitation, she excused herself to empty the contents of her stomach again.
Clara felt like she hadn't been dealing with her grief very well: overeating and gaining weight, waking up and feeing nauseas from all the overeating, crying all the time.
She had Dan's family; Clara wanted to stay close to them, she loved them as much as she loved her own family, and of course she had the Doctor.
Shortly after the funeral, she had joined his family to help clean out his apartment. It hadn't been touched since the accident, and she began to cry from just looking at everything the way he left it. His bed still unmade, his book and reading glasses on the nightstand next to a still glass of water and a small box.
Small box? She thought. It was sitting on top of a lined piece of paper, covered in his messy scrawl. She picked up the paper and read it through.
Clara's speech… the speech for Clara… the night I change it all.
Clara Oswald Clara, I love you more than words can express. Okay, I know, that sounds really dumb and kind of cliché, but I can't find the words or actions to express how much I love you. And yes… that probably sounded like a cliché too, but it's the truth! The way I feel about you, my love for you, it's bigger than you or I, in fact it's bigger than this vast, wide universe. I can't explain it, and I almost don't want to explain it, but something brought us together that day. I looked at you, and just knew. And looking at you right now, I know that you're the woman I want to spend the rest of my life with.
(Open the ring box. See look on her face, hopefully smiling and crying happy tears,)
Clara Oswald, will you marry me?
(She says yes, everyone cheers... I become the happiest and luckiest man in the world as the rest of my life begins.)
Clara put the note down, and picked up the ring box with shaking hands. She opened it and saw the beautiful diamond ring perched among the velvet. She choked out a sob, catching the attention of his mother and father.
"Clara honey, what's wrong?"
Clara put the ring box and the letter on top of the bed. "H-he was going to propose the night that it happened. I thought he was going to break it off with me, but he was—"
Dan's mother held her tight, but she felt sick to her stomach again. She dashed away from the crying family and threw up again. Once she felt better, she cleaned herself up and returned to his family.
"I'm sorry, I don't know what's come over me. I feel like this is happening all the time."
"All the time? Clara, are you sick sweetheart?"
"No, no. I think it's just the grief getting to me." She said simply.
"Are you sure? Is there any way you could be… pregnant?"
Laura's mention of pregnancy made Clara stop in her tracks. She and Dan had always been very careful about protection, but of course, in the heat of passion, there had been some mistakes. She couldn't be pregnant; she had just gotten her period after the funeral.
"No, I can't be." She shook her head. "I think I'm going to go lay down for a little." Clara told them as she went back upstairs to her own apartment. She immediately called the Doctor and told him she wanted him to pick something up for her.
Moments later, he was knocking on her door with a bag in his hand. "Is this the right thing?"
She looked in the bag frantically and nodded, disappearing into the bathroom.
When she returned, she was teary eyed, and held three sticks in her hands.
"What's this all about now, Clara?" The Doctor asked her politely, taking a seat behind her.
"Dan's mum mentioned something to me, and I think it might be true."
"Is that going to help you find out?"
She nodded and looked down at the sticks. "I'll know in three minutes." Her hands were shaking as she placed the three pink sticks on her coffee table. The Doctor saw this, paired with the pain in her eyes, and took her hands in his own.
"Clara, whatever happens, it's going to be okay." He said bringing her close.
"Not without him." Clara said, the sadness evident in the tone of her voice.
The timer on her phone beeped, signaling that it was time to look at the tests. She jumped at the sound, heart pounding as she looked to the Doctor for reassurance.
"Would you like me to look?" He asked.
"No, no it's okay, I can do it." She broke away from him and picked up the tests. Once she had the results, she closed her eyes and hung her head low.
The Doctor rubbed her back gently. "Well…"
"I—I'm pregnant."
