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Chapter 7

Clara was more than desperate for a cup of tea after her class had finished. It hadn't been as bad as the day before, but still Clara got the impression that her students didn't actually take her seriously. There had to be something she could do about that.

The staff kitchen was already occupied by Amy, who was bent over the sink and washing her mugs, and Clara didn't hesitate.

"Do you wan some help with that?" she asked, already rolling up her sleeves when she joined Amy at the sink.

The other teacher granted her a friendly smile, handing her the first cup to dry. "So, who was that hunky man I saw leaving your office this morning?" Amy asked curiously, a smirk on her face.

"That was Danny, my boyfriend," Clara replied and swiftly felt the need to correct herself, "Fiancé. Sorry. That part is still kinda new."

To her surprise Amy chuckled in response. "Don't worry about it. My husband constantly had to remind me of that, too, after we got engaged. I was afraid he would leave me before the wedding if I kept that up."

Suddenly Clara's attention was caught and she looked up at her colleague. "How long did it take you to get used to it?" she enquired cautiously.

Amy handed her another mug to dry and shrugged. "I don't think I've ever really gotten used to it. We've been married for two years now and it still feels strange to call Rory my husband. I was a terrible girlfriend and fiancé to him. I kept postponing the wedding because I didn't feel ready."

"I am a terrible fiancé, too. I don't even wanna wear the ring. It's annoying the hell out of me," she admitted sheepishly, "How did you know when you were ready to actually get married?"

Again Amy shrugged. "I can't really say. But I kept thinking about something I had read in a book and it said 'Don't get married unless you cannot live happily without that person'. I guess at some point I realized that I couldn't possibly imagine myself happy without Rory, so I did it. And I haven't regretted it. . . much," she laughed and pulled the plug from the sink, not even waiting for the water to get properly drained before she made her way towards the exit, "See you tomorrow?"

"Yeah," Clara breathed absent-mindedly, her thoughts again with Danny. She loved him. But she also knew that she would probably find happiness without him in her life.

Clara quickly brushed the thought aside. They weren't married yet and maybe one day she would realize that she really couldn't be happy without him. But before that happened she would hopefully get a different engagement ring.

With the tea in her hand she made her way into her office, determined to prepare for tomorrow's classes as best as she could. Before Clara settled behind her desk she glanced into the Doctor's office, but it was empty. She figured that he was probably still teaching and would show up before she left her office.

However the Doctor didn't return before she had finished her preparations, even though Clara had hoped she could thank him for lending her his jumper once more, but there was no sigh of him anywhere. So Clara simply took off the jumper and folded it neatly before placing it on the sofa where he could find it. Maybe she could bring some biscuits to work tomorrow to say thank you. She would think of a nice thing to do for him in return.


The Doctor didn't feel like going back to his office, even though he had left some of his papers in there that he would need to prepare for his classes, but he didn't want to run into Clara right now. He would just go to work early the next day. Anything except looking at Clara.

Meeting Danny was something the Doctor should have known might happen one day, but he hadn't expected it quite yet. And it had made his situation all too plain to him. Clara was engaged. Danny was, and the Doctor hated to admit that, not bad looking and above all he was her own age. He would never stand a chance and that thought tugged at his heart. Everything had been so nice and then Danny had showed up.

The Doctor let himself into the house with a sigh and found Missy at her laptop, obviously still working.

"I've got a few properties that might interest you. Nice flat in Soho, little house in Shepherd's Bush," his friend said without looking up from her laptop. The Doctor had been right. She was still working.

"I'm fine right here, living with my best friend," the Doctor said dryly when he sank into the cushions.

"I'd be fine if my best friend did the dishes from time to time," Missy replied, still busy typing something into her laptop.

With a growl the Doctor rose back to his feet. He had had a bad day already, washing the dishes could hardly make it any worse after his disappointment with Clara.

When he sank his hands into the warm soap water, the Doctor blocked Danny Pink from his mind and instead revoked the memory of Clara and himself dancing, of how she had laughed, how his skin had tingled when she had touched his hand. He was doomed. So doomed.


A lovely smell of home made food hung in the air when Clara entered Danny's flat, the table was already set and a couple of candles were burning here and there. Clara smiled at the sight of it, although her guilty conscience kicked in almost immediately. Even after she had acted so terribly, even after forgetting her engagement ring again, which was now back on her finger where it belonged, itching like crazy, Danny was still the sweetest man she could possibly wish for. Clara didn't even know what she had done to deserve him.

"Hello beautiful," Danny said and kissed her lips briefly before he smiled at her, "Did you have a nice, second day?"

"Yeah," Clara lied once again. Why couldn't she just tell him that her students were rude and disrespectful and she felt like she was failing at her job? "What about you?"

"Courtney Woods," Danny replied simply.

Clara rolled her eyes. "Say no more," she said. Courtney Woods was the one student she would certainly not miss.

Then Danny reached for her hand and Clara had almost pulled away at the contact. Her finger was still itching under that ring and his touch felt close to painful. She needed to tell him. She needed to tell Danny that she hated the ring.

"Clara, what happened to your hand?" he suddenly asked, raising her hand to have a look at it.

She hadn't even been aware of anything other than the annoying, burning itch, but now that Danny had drawn her attention back to her ring finger, Clara saw that it was bright red and covered in hives.

"Is that from the ring?" he asked, pulling it off immediately to have a closer look at her skin. The moment the ring was gone Clara felt relieved, even though her finger and the area around it still looked horrible.

"Oh no," she uttered, staring at the sore spots, "I think so. I thought it was just my imagination. It kept itching, but I thought I just needed to get used to it."

Danny gently caressed the hives with his fingertips, taking another good, long look at her hand before he sighed audibly. "We'll get you a different ring. You're probably allergic to it for some reason. Are you sensitive when it comes to silver?"

Clara frowned at him in reply. "Not that I know of," she said, but failed to be sad about the recent development. In fact, the rash couldn't have come at a better time. She wouldn't have to wear the damn ring ever again.

Again Danny bent forward and pecked her on the cheek. "I'm so sorry, darling. I'm sorry I made you wear it. I promise we'll get you a new one as soon as the rash is gone."

Clara granted him a soft smile in response. If it was up to her, the rash could take its time.