Clara and the Doctor ran into the TARDIS and immediately slammed the door shut behind them, bracing themselves against it. They were panting and the could hear something running up to break through. It hit with a mighty thump, but the doors did not budge. Three more times it tried before they hear some sort of angry groaning sound and the creature lumbered away. Still panting, they both relaxed and gave gave looks of relief.

It wasn't long before the Doctor's panting turned into laughter. Clara gave the bow tie wearing man an odd look. "What's...so funny?" Clara asked, annoyed and exasperated, "You...nearly got us...KILLED!"

"Sorry," the Doctor said finished with his laughing fit, breathing now under control, "Really I am. I'm just really glad neither of us WERE killed." He then moved over to her to check her for scrapes and bruises. "You alright?" he said, voice now full of concern.

"Yeah," Clara said standing up right, "I'm fine. Don't worry." "What was that thing anyways?" She asked, "It looked like some kind of weird manticore."

"It was a Riggavirauos," he said as he moved over to the TARDIS controls to get them back into the time vortex, "brilliant creatures, but very territorial." He began pressing buttons and and pulling levers. "So when do you want to be home at?" he asked.

Clara pulled a face. He had picked her up late that evening, and she had an early staff meeting at the school where she worked the next morning. Her feet felt like lead and she was more tired than she had ever been in her life. "Mind if I stay on the TARDIS tonight? I'm going to need a bit more sleep than my schedule will allow even if you get me home a minute after we left," she asked.

"Sure! the Doctor said. He then pressed a few more buttons, twisted a few knobs, and pulled a screen over to him. "Your new temporary room should be up the stairs and six doors down," he said before turning to her and smiling.

"Thanks Doctor," she said with a yawn, "Good night." She then turned to go find her room.

"Good night Clara," he called with the same fond smile.

Clara found her room, but it wasn't six doors down, it was seven. It could have been a simple mistake on the Doctor's part but she still thought the TARDIS might not entirely like her yet. She shook her head at that thought. The TARDIS had been much nicer to her after the incident with the Doctor's time stream and the Great Intelligence. Why would she suddenly start acting up now?

Clara went to grab the door handle but jerked back in pain as a jolt of electricity passed through her hand. Ok, maybe the TARDIS was still mad at her...Jeez this box could hold a grudge! She carefully grabbed the door handle again before walking inside the lavender room. There was a maroon bed in the center of the room. Without even taking her shoes off, Clara flopped onto the bed, and fell fast asleep.

(Meanwhile)

"And they all lived happily ever after. The end!" Clara said closing the book of fairy tales. She was sitting on a bunk bed with rocket patterned sheets and comforter.

"Yay!" the little boy named Matt cried, flinging his arms in the air. The little four year old with floppy brown hair was tucked into the bed on the lower bunk. Clara smiled at him and then at the other four year old sitting next to her, Peter.

He had almost grey dirty blond curls and large eyebrows that made him look like he was always upset, but Clara knew he had enjoyed the story as much as his step brother...well almost as much. When it came to enthusiasm, there was no competing with Matt. When she tried to get up, Peter said,"Don't go!" and gripped her skit.

"What's wrong?" she asked him.

"I want to hear another one," he said, "You read the one Matt wanted to hear, now I want to choose one!"

"Yeah!" Matt eagerly agreed,"Read us another one! Pretty please?" Matt was gripping his favorite stuffed giraffe while giving her his biggest puppy dog eyes, making it very hard for Clara to tell him no.

Some how though, she still managed to do so. "I'm sorry boys, but not tonight," she said. Both of them gave disappointed moans.

"But that's not fair! I didn't get to choose a story yesterday either!" Peter said, crossing his arms angrily.

"It is totally fair because I was the one choosing the story yesterday. You'll get to choose one tomorrow," she said. Peter continued to pout as she picked him up off the bed. She gripped the ladder leading to his bunk when he suddenly interjected.

"I can climb it myself!" he said, trying to get out of her arms. Clara grinned before setting him down and letting him climb up the ladder. When he reached the top, she tucked him in.

"Good night," she said before kissing his forehead. Peter scrunched up his face for a second in disgust as she kissed him before she moved down to do the same for Matt, who didn't act quite so offended by it.

As she reached the door, both boys called out saying, "Good night Clara!"

"Sweet dreams you two," she said before closing the door behind her. She walked downstairs to go gather her book and get back to studying. Clara had been a nanny to the two boys for over a year while she was studying to become a teacher. She was on her spring break now, but for the little boys that wasn't so. Their parents needed her to take care of them for the week and get them to and from preschool because they were out of town for business(Peter's father was in Hong Kong for a sales negotiation and Matt's mother was busy at a fossil dig site in Germany). She would be complaining about having to spend her spring break away from her family and friends, but she adored the two children too much to be that upset. Plus, their parents were more than willing to pay her extra for her troubles so that made it better as well.

She had everything she needed to stay over for the week including clothes, shampoo, and also a toothbrush. She also figured as long as she was here, she might as well read ahead a bit so she didn't have to do the work later and brought her school books along too. When she sat down to get started, she realized she had left the hallway light on. Those boys had enough trouble falling asleep as is. They didn't need light seeping through the crack in their door keeping them up.

She got up a walked over to the switch to turn it off, but when she touched it, a sharp shock pulsed through her fingers, causing her to flinch. She tentatively touched it again, but this time nothing happened. 'I'll have to tell them to get the wiring checked next time they call,' she said as she turned off the lights.

She walked back downstairs and sat back down on the sofa. She read though a few paragraphs of her history book before her eyes began to droop. Finally they shut close as she fell asleep.

Xxxxxxxxxxxx

To be continued...

hey guys! I hope you like this story. I have two other stories about the Toddler Who AU if you'd like to check them out. Thanks for reading and please tell me what you think!