Five Times, a doctor who fanfic

A/N: I don't actually ship this pairing but my friend does and she asked for a fic. This is my attempt. Hope you enjoy.

Clara had been working in the animal shelter for a couple of months when she first saw her. She had just finished cleaning out the cage for the jack russel terrier they had rescued the week before when she stepped into the cats room and stopped.

And blinked.

A girl she had never seen before was sitting on the floor looking dejected but patting one of the shelter's favourite cats, Fergus, who was curled up on her lap. Clara blinked again. Nope, the sad redhead was still there.

Clara knew she would probably ask her to politely put the cat away if she wasn't interested in taking him home, but something in the girl's expression had her backing out of the room and deciding waiting another ten minutes to refill the food bowls wouldn't hurt.

When Clara returned half an hour later after helping a young boy inquiring about what puppy's they currently has, Fergus was back in his cage and she was gone.

The next time she saw the girl was two weeks later and Clara had almost forgotten about it entirely, (Okay, that was lie, according to her co-worker, Donna, the girl was Amy Pond and she came a couple times a month to pet the cats).

Clara had been in the middle of trying to coax one of the more skittish cats out of the cage, her head and hands reaching for the small ball of fluff near the back corner when the familiar head of red hair slipped in the door. Clara jerked her head up, realising too late where she was as her head collided with the top of the cage.

The cat skittered to the back of the cage at the aborted movement and Clara internally cursed, wrenching her gaze back at the task at hand and trying to ignore the gorgeous girl to her left.

She hadn't seen Amy properly last time, curled up in the corner as she was. Now, the bright lights of the animal shelter lit up her fiery hair and made her face appear to glow, even if her eyes were dimmed with sadness. She looked like she had just come from a job interview.

"O-oh. I'm sorry." Amy stammered, "I didn't realise anyone was in here, they said it was fine to just head right in."

Clara gingerly retracted her body from the cage, to survey the kitten. "Its fine, I just wasn't expecting anyone to come in here."

"I didn't interrupt anything did I?" Amy questioned hesitantly.

Clara stared at the kitten. It hissed. "Nothing I couldn't do later." She said after a moment, mentally categorizing everything else she had to do today.

Amy stepped further into the room, unconsciously gravitating to Fergus' cage. The black cat rubbed itself along the bars in anticipation. "If you're sure, I can leave…" Amy said, still looking unsure. Her eyes were big and glassy and occasionally she sniffled.

"No, it can wait." Clara said decisively, trying to sound reassuring but not patronizing. How could she possibly kick out anyone who looked like that?

"Thanks." Amy said, a tiny smile pulling at her lips.

Clara felt her breath catch in her throat. If a tiny smile made her look like that, Clara couldn't imagine how much a full grin would transform her face.

The third time she saw Amy, she was hovering at the empty front desk looking unsure. She was wearing a baggy hoody and her hair was pulled up in a messy bun. Today had been absolutely hectic, with an influx of new animals that her co-workers with dealing with, that apparently left no one manning the front. The only reason Clara was out there herself is that she needed the spare towels they kept in a cupboard near the front.

Clara had a feeling that Amy would leave if it looked like she was being an inconvenience, and right now there was probably people moving in and out of the cats room. Clara should just tell her to come again another day, Fergus would still be there tomorrow.

"I'm sorry but the shelter's really busy right now." She said with a wince.

Amy jumped, blinking over from where she had been studying the pamphlets on the front desk half-heartedly. "Oh, right. Of course, I'll just be-"

"You can come into the backroom with me. There's something I want you to see." Clara blurted out before Amy could escape.

Amy looked at her with wide, surprised eyes. Clara felt a blush creeping up her cheeks so she clutched the towels closer and turned to start down the hallway. "This way." She called back without looking to see if she would follow. If her shoulders relaxed a little when she heard soft footfalls in step behind her no one would know.

Clara walked into the room at the end of the hall where a mother cat had recently birthed five kittens. Amy gasped at the little balls of fluff wiggling around on the ground and Clara grinned.

"This is Tabitha," Clara explained as she crouched down, keeping her voice soft and even. She wasn't sure if she was doing as to not startle the at or Amy. "She is now the proud mother of five wirehair kittens."

"Can I..?" Amy trailed off.

"You can hold them, gently of course, as long as momma here doesn't mind," Clara gently scooped up a tiny white and grey kitten and held it out. "Come sit here and hold her while I make sure Tabitha is comfortable."

Amy's face was open and filled with awe as she cradled the kitten to her chest. "You can tell it's a her?"

"I can't actually tell just yet," Clara admitted. "But I have a good feeling."

The two of them spent the rest of the afternoon in the room, speaking a little but mostly basking in joy the kittens provided.

It was almost three weeks until Amy came back to the shelter, not that Clara had been keeping track and asking everyone she worked with to be informed immediately if Amy came in. So, almost three weeks later she was certainly not pining as she refilled the last of the dogs containers when Donna walked in, gently wrapping on the door.

"She's here." Donna said simply.

Clara froze briefly, then finished filling the last bowl. "I think I should probably go feed the cats." She said, avoiding Donna's knowing gaze.

"Okay," She shrugged, then winked. "Say 'Hi' to Amy for me."

Clara flushed.

Entering the room Clara had almost forgotten the fact the Amy only came here when she was obviously upset, but it still a shock to see her wiping her eyes with her sleeve while she petted the two tabby cats that purred loudly at the attention.

Clara hesitated for a moment, feeling like she was intruding before entering anyway. If she was coming here all the time, maybe she didn't have anyone else to go to, and still needed the comfort of contact. She took a deep breath, walked over and settled on the ground beside Amy, close other that their sides brushed against each other. Amy didn't look up, but she did lean into the Clara's side ever so slightly.

"My name's Clara Oswald, in case you were wondering." She said eventually.

"I'm Amy Pond." She said quietly.

I know. Clara thought, but just nodded instead. They didn't speak again that day, they just sat there leaning into each other's warmth. Clara's heart ached and she wished she could stop whatever was making Amy sad all the time. She wished she could be at her apartment and Amy would come there when she was sad, and Clara would wrap her up in her arms and they would watch silly movies until Amy felt okay again.

She did nothing.

This was going to be it, Clara decided. Her pining was getting truly ridiculous and next time she saw Amy Pond she was going to ask her to go get coffee on her break. She would do that, she thought firmly when she watched Amy wander in a week later. Time to (wo)man up and ask her out. Unfortunately, the shelter was unusually busy and she had not been able to break away and find her until Amy was on her way out for the day.

"Amy!" She called, side-stepping a pet pack as she approached, smiling shyly.

Amy stopped, and turned to face her while giving her a tiny smile. "Hey."

"Hey." Clara replied breathlessly.

There was an awkward moment of silence.

"Umm, did you want to say something?" Amy guessed, brow furrowing in confusion.

"Right! Yes, there is… I was wondering, if you weren't busy or anything, you wanted to get coffee with me on my lunch break? Maybe." She stammered.

Amy blinked in surprise. "Oh… I-"

"Clara! I need your help back here!" One of her co-workers shouted from the back.

Clara hesitated, torn. A moment later she was called for again and she sighed. "I'm so sorry, I have to go."

"Right. I'll… see you later then." Amy said, and Clara hoped she wasn't imagining the disappointment in her voice.

"Right." Clara replied. They stared at each other for a moment.

"Clara!"

Clara ran off into the back rooms with a curse.

Amy didn't come in the next day. Or the one after that. When a week passed and there was no word from Amy, Clara decided that there was a chance she wasn't coming back, it wasn't like Amy came to see her anyway, she came for the cats. Clara tried not to feel too disappointed and failed terribly.

Therefore, she found herself curled up on the floor in the same spot Amy liked to, listening to Fergus' contents purrs. She almost didn't hear the door opening but when she looked up, her heart stopped. Amy stood sheepishly in the doorway, hovering in the threshold like she wasn't sure she was allowed in.

"Hey Clara." She greeted her, and Clara was suddenly well aware of the fact that was the first time she had heard Amy say her name. She liked how it sounded coming from her mouth, and she felt the sudden desire to hear it again.

Of course, this reminded her of the week spent in waiting. "Hello," She said, much more subdued than she had been all of the times before.

Amy must have noticed the change in enthusiasm because she winced. "I know it probably seems like I've been avoiding you but I promise I haven't."

"Are you sure? Because not coming here because you didn't want to see me sort of counts as avoiding." The words poured out before she could stop them, coming off as more honest than she had wanted.

Amy winced again, "Can I sit down?"

Clara eyed her. "Why?"

Amy visibly steeled herself before speaking in a rush, "because I wanted to accept you're offer of coffee last week but then I freaked out so now I've come back to try and fix things."

Clara blinked, "Okay." She said, mind whirring. Amy wanted to go to coffee?

"Okay." Amy agreed before settling across from her. "Where do I start?"

"Why you didn't come back sooner."

"I can do that," Amy said, taking a deep breath. "Okay, so after you asked me for coffee I went home and thought about it and I was totally planning on coming back here the next day."

"So what happened?" Clara wondered.

"I freaked out." Amy said bluntly. "I haven't been in a serious relationship since my engagement to Rory went South and I know I definitely don't just want some brief fling with you. I want it all. I mean," Amy amended, "if that's what you want."

"I want." Clara said, a grin stretching across her face for what felt like the first time all week. "But first, let's start with coffee?"

Amy grinned back, it was just as bright and beautiful as Clara had imagined it to be. Standing up, Clara put Fergus back into his cage and held out her hand. "Ready to go?"

Amy took her hand then leaned forward and pecked her cheek quickly. "For you? Always."

When Valentines day passed appeared six months later, Clara woke to Fergus jumping on onto the bed and curling up against her back. Smiling, she wiggled deeper into Amy's arms and pressed her face into curve of her throat. "Good morning, love."

She couldn't wait to see her reaction the card she'd picked out.