A/N: Hey guys! Sorry this took so long to post. I knew how I wanted this chapter to go, but I wasn't really sure how to approach it... let's hope that doesn't happen with the next one!

Disclaimer: I don't own Doctor Who or The Thick of It.

Chapter 2: Online

Two months later. April.

To: Malcolm Tucker

From: Clara Oswald

Date: April 2, 2015 – 9: 27 PM

I saw the press conference that Nicola held this afternoon. I could have sworn I saw your scowling face in the background. She went quite a bit off the script I helped you with on the phone last weekend, didn't she? I know that you're probably really mad right now. I can just picture you getting all red faced and yelling like when that guy spilled coffee all over me in Italy. You just need to take a few deep breaths, grab a stiff drink, and take a break away from everyone for a little bit.

I handed my last assignment of university this morning! It is sort of a relief to finally be just sitting here in my bedroom and not have textbooks all over the place and highlighter ink all over my hands. I keep feeling like I should be studying or something right now, but there isn't really anything I can do at this point. Just three more weeks and my final grade will be in, and I can hopefully graduate. It almost seems like these past few years have gone by too quickly. They asked me to give a speech at the ceremony. I might need your help with that…

Take care of yourself! Eat, sleep, and try not to murder anybody. I'd like you in one piece when I move to London!

To: Clara Oswald

From: Malcolm Tucker

Date: April 3, 2015 – 2:24 AM

If I had a bloody fucking nickel for every time Nicola Fucking Murray followed her script, I'd be living in the park down the street—sleeping on one of those fucking wooden benches. I swear, that woman doesn't have two bloody brain cells she could rub together if she fucking tried. I could draw her a fucking map to the goddamn point and she'd probably go on her own little detour and jump off a fucking moving train thinking it was a shortcut.

Anyway, enough of that.

When are you expecting to hear back about your final marks? I'm sure you'll do brilliantly on that, just like you do with everything else I've seen so far. Soon you'll be done with school and at the front of the classroom; teaching pudding brains all about things you haven't thought of in years. Graduation can't come soon enough I imagine. Have you heard from your father about the ceremony yet? I know you were telling me the other night that you weren't sure if he was going to be able to make it with work and everything. If he can't make it, you can be sure that I'll be there for you. I'll pull whatever strings I have available to so you have someone there on your big day.

I'm eating. I can't sleep. No promises on the not murdering idiots.

To: Clara Oswald

From: Linda Oswald

Date: April 10, 2015 – 11:42 AM

Your father and I won't be making it to your graduation in a few weeks. I'm not really feeling the best and would rather not make the flight over and worsen my condition. Your father is staying to help me out with things while I'm out of commission.

I'm sure you understand.

"Tucker!"

Clara has already learned by this point to not be surprised by the angry tone Malcolm's voice held when he answered his phone. This was the tone she had realised was normally reserved for Minister's, but one always ran the risk of encountering it when he's too distracted to look at the caller ID. Clara guess that the middle of the day probably wasn't the best time to be bothering him in the first place, but she needed to talk to someone.

"He's not coming." She said sadly. When Malcolm said nothing in reply, she decided to keep talking shakily. "The step monster sent me an email today to tell me that she wasn't feeling the best and that my father would be staying to help her out at home. They apparently won't be making it, despite the fact that the ceremony isn't for another few weeks! The email wasn't even that long. Only four lines to tell me that my father wouldn't be there on one of the most important days of my life."

"Just give me a minute to get somewhere a bit more fucking quiet," there was barely any sound for a couple moments while Malcolm left whatever room he was in, and went somewhere else. Clara heard a door shut and the muffled sound of something in the background before Malcolm spoke again. "Did you actually talk to your father about the email yet? Does he even know she sent it to you?"

"I haven't gotten the chance to yet," Clara shook her head and hovered her mouse over the send button for a strongly worded email addressed to reply to her stepmother's message. "It isn't like he has no idea that she emailed me today. The invitation to the ceremony was addressed only to him in the first place. Then I was speaking with him on the phone just two days ago and he sounded really excited about coming to visit."

"You need to call him and talk to him again about all of this. You need to at least hear his side of everything before you fly off the handle."

"I'm not going to fly off the handle!" Clara's voice echoed through her empty flat as she yelled. "Okay, maybe I'm freaking out a little bit. I just want my father to be at my university graduation. I don't think that's too much to ask. I'd be just as mad if he had told me himself, but he didn't. He was too scared to call and tell me."

"You're right. It is a fucking shit thing to do, and especially to not have the decency to tell you himself, but you need to talk to him, Clara."

"Ugh," Clara fell back on her bed and groaned. "Why do you always have to be right about stuff?"

They talked for a couple more minutes before saying their goodbyes and hanging up.

To: Clara Oswald

From: Malcolm Tucker

Date: April 10, 2015 – 1:03 PM

I'll be at your graduation. I know it isn't much of a consolation, but I'll be there.

A/N: Thanks for reading! Please review :)