Notes: The second chapter is up. Hope you enjoy. Betad by Leah.
Genre: Human AU. Clara as a primary school teacher, Eleven as a single father.
Summary: At Little Heath Primary School, the last thing Clara expects is to be drawn to the moody and slightly eccentric father of her favourite pupil. She swore she was never going to let her work interfere with her life, but as they get closer, how long is that promise going to hold?
Rated: T (for now)

Chapter Two
Clara leant on the counter of the cramped staff room kitchen, watching as Rory flung open cupboards pulled down two chipped mugs and stuck a teabag in each. He turned to face her once he flicked the kettle on, his eyebrows raised.

"So he just walked out?"

Clara's fingers drummed on the worktop. "Yeah. It was the strangest thing."

"Maybe he needed to get home?" Rory suggested, shrugging.

"Well he did, he said so, but like it wasn't him leaving, it was the way he did it, you know, all sudden like."

She pursed her lips and Rory pulled a confused looking face, turning to tend to the tea. Clara sighed in frustration. Alexis' father had certainly made an impact on her, that was for certain. She'd gone home the night before, intent on watching some TV and then planning a couple of lessons before retiring to bed. She'd made it half way through an episode of Law and Order before her concentration wavered, sending her right back to thinking about the handsome man and his odd mood swing. And she didn't have the faintest idea why it was bothering her so much. Maybe it was because, as a person, she knew she was fairly good at figuring people out- what they wanted, what made them smile, how she could best talk to them and help them out. It was why she was so good at making friends. Maybe she was guilty of placing people in boxes, because this man had thrown her a curveball that she just wasn't expecting.

Rory tipped in some milk to the mugs and rolled his eyes at her worrying. "I don't know Clara. Bad days, they happen to everyone you know. Except Clara, the girl wonder, of course."

Clara groaned at his teasing (he had once professed she was annoyingly good at everything, except maybe making souffles, but named her the girl wonder anyway) and accepted the giant mug of hot tea he slid in her direction gratefully, cradling it to her chest.

"Oi, yesterday was awful- you weren't there to help me clear up the art stuff!"

Rory grimaced. "Good job. I obviously have impeccable timing."

She hit him gently on the arm, unable to stop her smile spreading, but almost as quickly as it had occurred, it slipped a little.

"…You know maybe it was me. Maybe he didn't like the look of me or something."

Rory put his cup of tea down very firmly to emphasise his point. "Seriously Clara? Just forget it. And everyone likes you. You have this weird mind persuasion thing I swear, it's impossible not to."

She struggled to keep in her laughter at Rory's attempt to reassure her. "So you're saying I brainwash my friends, are you?" She pretended to be angry and for a split second she could see the panic in Rory's eyes, terrified that he offended her; but he realised she was having him on and shook his head, smiling.

"Cheers, though, Rory."

"Anytime." He glanced down at his shoes for a second before looking back up. "What are you doing with the kids today?"

Clara sighed deeply. "Geography and Maths, God help me."

"And how's your long division, Clara?" he teased.

She narrowed her eyes at him. "Oh, shh, I'm fine. And if not a calculator is a thing, you know."

"Want me to be there to help?"

"…Yes please."

/

The maths class had been a success, actually, if Clara did say so herself. Rory had stepped in when she was truly floundering, and she only had to hide her calculator under her desk twice. Something of a record.

The kids had understood it, mostly, resorting to flinging crayons across the classroom when they didn't, which was only to be expected. Alexis, however, had sat in the corner of the classroom, her arms crossed firmly on her chest, looking every inch completely and utterly bored. It was only when Clara went over to gently remind that she needed to complete the worksheet that she found that she'd done it all- and not a number crossed out.

"It's so easy that even my gerbil could do it, Miss," she drawled, beginning to doodle on the edge of her paper.

And that, Clara supposed, was her told.

Now Alexis was completing a year five maths booklet, happily scrawling away, pausing every now and again to bite the end of her pencil thoughtfully, as Clara watched her over the screen of her laptop. Clara was at a bit of a loss as to what do with the kid. She was obviously beyond intelligent and if her sassy answer was anything to go by, she wasn't going to like being stuck in year three level maths lessons for much longer.

Clara had given her the maths papers while they waited for her father. She sighed, pausing in typing out an email to the head of year. She was going to have to talk to her father about the possibility of extended lessons, or moving Alexis' up a class, and that meant speaking to the man and risking any further mood swings.

This time, when the knock on the door sounded and Alexis went flying to the door, Clara remained at her desk, swinging to face the doorway with a polite smile on her face. He wasn't watching, however, bending down to hug his daughter and gather up her school things, laughing as she whispered things in his ear, and then ran up the corridor.

Today, he'd adopted a coat to add to his unusual attire. It was purple, fine looking tweed and very long, reaching to his knees and billowing outwards. The eccentricity made Clara forget what she was going to say, her smile freezing in place as she groped for the words that slipped her mind. Yet again, like the bow tie, something that just shouldn't work…did. It made him look stately and gentlemanly, and Clara really shouldn't be thinking that when she needs to talk seriously about his daughter's education.

She snapped out of it, forcing herself out of the chair before he could chase after his daughter.

"Wait! Mr…."

Again, damn that man.

"Sir!"

He wheeled around, his coat flapping around his waist as he did so.

"Me?"

She nearly scowled, but changed her mind at the last minute. His eyes were green. She had always been a sucker for green eyes. So instead she just gestured an arm to the empty space around them and raised an amused eyebrow. "Now who else am I talking to?"

His eyes darted around and then came to settle back on her face, smiling slightly. "Point well made. I'm sorry, I've got to go after Alexis, she's run off on me, and-"

This time she did frown. "It's a small school, she'll be fine. And I need to talk to you about Alexis."

His smile plunged, falling quickly off his face. "Oh dear, what's she done? God knows she can be cheeky, but I didn't really think it was a problem, but I don't know maybe teachers are tight on that short of thing, or maybe got in a fight with another kid? She's got a lot of energy, likes to stand up for herself, maybe get a bit of a punch in…' His arm flailed awkwardly in the air for a moment and Clara reflexively took a step back. He noticed and sighed, dropping his arm back down to his side 'She's a good kid really, I promise."

She crossed her arms, stunned at his bizarrely rapid rambling to finish. "Actually no, Alexis is fine, but I'll take all that into consideration for the future."

He let out a sigh of relief, the tension in his shoulders visibly dropping. "Really? Then what's this about, hey?"

Clara jabbed a thumb back to the classroom. "Do you have five minutes? Maybe we can get past introductions and I'll tell you about Alexis?"

His eyebrows furrowed and he looked back up the corridor hesitantly.

"I should-"

"She'll be fine."

"I don't-"

"Five minutes."

"What about-"

"I'm not letting this go."

Finally, his face broke out into a reluctant smile and he nodded, to which Clara returned with a triumphant smile.

"After you, then," he said, holding open the door. She didn't even have to duck under his arm to walk through.

She perched on top one of the tables, not wanting this to be all formal, ignoring the fact that her feet didn't even touch the floor. She motioned to the table opposite her and he leant against it obligingly.

"So, umm, maybe we got off on the wrong foot yesterday, or something. I'm Miss Oswald, like I said, but seriously, just call me Clara."

There was hint of a crooked smile in return, his arms coming to cross over his chest, like he was making himself comfortable.

"So umm, that's me. What about you? What can I call you?"

His arms tightened instantly, and his feet shuffled backwards, making him lose his relaxed position. There was beat of silence when Clara was afraid she done it again, that he'd just up and walk out, when he spoke through tight lips.

"Doctor. You call me The Doctor."

She blinked. "Sorry, what? The Doctor? Excuse me if I'm being rude, but don't you have a name?"

His face hardened even more, and he refused to look her in the eyes, staring resolutely at the carpet. "No, I have a name, I just choose not to use it. It reminds me of…things, people…that I don't want to be reminded of. I'm The Doctor and nothing else."

Clara swallowed, physically forcing her many questions back down her throat. Another thing to add to the mystery, another thing to think about at night- this strange man with such a bright daughter.

"Okay, then, Doctor. I want to talk to you about Alexis."

His head snapped up, his eyes narrowed still, as if trying to calculate her. "You do? Still?"

She nodded tightly. "Alexis is far too clever for my teaching, basically. She's finding the year three stuff far too easy, and I'd ask her to be moved up a year, but the powers that be say that would be too disruptive, so I'm asking your permission to give Alexis extra homework and content in class to compensate. Is that okay?"

"She's clever is she?"

"Extraordinarily so."

Once again a slow smile started pulling at the corners of his lips. "Oh, yes, she would be, mother like hers."

His eyes no longer seemed like they were seeing her, instead they were infected by a nostalgic glint, as The Doctor remembered, his smile tinged with the hint of sadness of time in the past.

Clara felt her heart clench at the far-away look in his eyes, and thought about Alexis waiting everyday for her daddy to come and collect her, with never a mother in sight, when all her other classmates were being swept into soft awaiting arms, and happy female smiles.

"I'm so sorry."

His eyes snapped back to hers, and he frowned, the lines in his forehead deepening.

"What do you mean?"

Clara hesitated, her tongue tripping over the words, wondering if she was prying, but being unable to bite down.

"Alexis' mother, I'm sorry you lost her. Losing someone that close to you should never be allowed- it's too painful."

If she saw the tears stinging in the corner of his eyes, she wasn't going to mention them. Instead, he scowled at her.

"And you would know, would you?"

She repelled at the anger and sadness in his face, the vehemence with which he shot her the question. Her answer was short and firm, and she looked him straight in the eyes, her own burning.

"Yes."

His eyebrows contracted in surprise, and he breathed in sharply, Clara could hear the air echoing down his windpipe.

"Well then, I'm sorry too." His answer was curt, and Clara blinked in surprise at his short tone.

He turned to leave, his coat swishing, but she called out just as he was striding out the door.

"Loneliness might be preferable, but it isn't advisable, Doctor."

She had no idea if he listened at all.

An: I hope I'm keeping them in character, obviously Eleven is in his dark stage and we're beginning to find out why. Enjoying it? Please leave me some of your thoughts!