Thank you so much for the lovely reviews :) Unfortunately my holidays are over now, so I can't do daily updates from now on. Forgive me for that. . . and the cliffhanger.

Chapter 9

If the Doctor had looked scared before, he seemed utterly terrified now that she was approaching him. How dare he follow her even here? How dare he make it so obvious?

"I told you to stay away from me!" Clara yelled once she had reached him, putting her arms akimbo in front of him to make herself taller and broader yet when she looked at him Clara realized one thing before he had even said a single word: The Doctor wasn't here to harm her. That thought was ridiculous because if he wanted that there would have been other, better opportunities. She had let him into her home when she had been most vulnerable, she had been to his practice. No, the Doctor wasn't a danger to Clara, but he was still following her around and she wouldn't tolerate that. Not anymore.

"I'm sorry," the Doctor mumbled and when he looked at her she almost believed him, "I don't mean you any harm."

"No, you're just a creep. A nice one, maybe, but a creep nonetheless," Clara spat, "How do you know my name? The truth!"

The Doctor looked at her for a long moment and at first didn't say anything at all. Then he took a deep breath before he spoke.

"I noticed you," he admitted, "I know, I should've said something before, but then I noticed something else as well. The man that followed you."

Clara frowned at him and now crossed her arms in front of her chest, listening intently. He had noticed her? Noticed how?

"At first I thought it was a coincidence and then I realized he was following you wherever you went. I wanted to say something, but didn't know how. He's a police man. It could have been part of an investigation or something, I didn't want to get in the middle of that."

The Doctor looked a little uncomfortable and then Clara thought of one more thing he hadn't explained yet.

"You wore a police uniform, too, when we met. Care to explain?" she asked harshly.

"I, uhm," the Doctor awkwardly cleared his throat, "I kind of borrowed that. Thought it might make an impression on him in case he. . . he wasn't following you for the purpose of an investigation."

"Which it did," Clara admitted, her voice low. "It also made an impression on Karl. He's been a model pupil ever since."

A smile crossed over the Doctor's face when she mentioned it, but Clara didn't want to see that right now. She was close to forgiving the Doctor already and the last thing she needed was him being sweet. He was a stalker and a creep.

"I appreciate you saving me from him," she said instead, trying to keep her voice free of any emotion, "I really do. And also the thing with Karl. But still you weren't honest with me and the fact that you followed me around for God knows how long is really, really strange."

"I know and I'm sorry," the Doctor said hastily, "But I don't think the man that attacked you has given up and I don't want anything to happen to you."

"That is not your concern, Doctor!" Clara raised her voice, "You don't know me and I don't know you! And I can take care of myself!"

"Clara-"

"No," she shook her head even though she knew the Doctor had meant well, even though a part of her wanted to forgive him and ask him once more whether he would like to have a drink with her. Clara needed to remind herself that no matter how honourable his intentions she shouldn't forgive him for that. "I need you to leave, Doctor."

He frowned at her. "This is a public place."

Clara groaned. "Fine, then stay. But stay away from me!"

Clara raised her index finger in a warning gesture before she turned around and left him standing right there by the door. She found Amy and Rory again soon enough, chatted and had a drink with them, pretending her conversation with the Doctor hadn't happened at all. He could go to hell. Except that he didn't. Clara spotted him a short while later at a table in a corner, smoking a cigarette and letting his gaze wander across the room and a part of her hated that he was still there, distracting her with his presence.

"Would you like to dance?" a male voice tore her out of her thoughts and when Clara turned around she was facing a young man who gave her a sincere smile. He looked nice, Clara could tell that much. Tall. Lean. Neat suit.

Clara smiled at him in return. "I'd love to."

The man led her onto the dance floor and laid his arm around her waist when the next song started and Clara decided to ignore the Doctor from now on. If he was so eager to watch her, he could just as well watch her have some fun.

"What's your name?" Clara asked him curiously.

"Will. And yours?"

"I'm Clara," she said. Well, at least he didn't know her name already. It was a start. "What do you do for a living, Will?"

He smiled. "You're a curious one, aren't you? I used to be in the military. It was tough after the war, finding something, but eventually I ended up with the police. Not really a dream job, but pays the bills."

"There are worse jobs," she shrugged before Will twirled her around.

"How about you? No, wait, let me guess," he seemed to be considering something, "You must surely be a professional dancer. You're too good to be an amateur. What do you do? Ballet?"

Clara chuckled. "No. Not a dancer."

"But you're so elegant," Will complimented her, "Fashion design?"

Clara shook her head, still smiling as they moved over the dance floor. Oh, she had missed the flattery of a nice man. "I'm a teacher."

"Really?" Will gasped, "I wouldn't have guessed. I really hope your students appreciate what a beautiful teacher they have."

"I really hope they don't," she laughed in response, "I don't want a bunch of ten-year-olds to have a crush on me."

"How about one 30-year-old?" he asked, still smiling when the song ended. Clara didn't know what to reply to his bluntness, even though she didn't mind it at all. "Hey, let me buy you a drink, okay?"

Clara nodded and let Will lead her to the bar. While Clara tried to find a comfortable position to sit on the high bar stool he ordered for both of them, claiming that she would love the drink he had chosen. When the waiter was busy preparing their drinks Clara let her gaze wander around the room, but the spot the Doctor had previously occupied was empty now. A tiny part of her was a little disappointed, but Clara quickly told herself that it was for the better, that she wanted him to stay away. Then Will handed her a large glass and raised his own.

"To the most beautiful woman in this room," he smiled and took a gulp.

Clara was sure that by now she was blushing because of his rather obvious flirting, but it stroked her ego a little to well to tell him to stop now. She sipped her drink, but she wasn't quite sure she was ready to say that she loved it. Whatever the was, the idea of it had surely been nice, but it left a bitter taste in her mouth that ruined the entire cocktail. What was that? Grapefruit? But Clara knew that Will had meant well and so she decided to drink it without complaining. She would simply choose the next one.

"So, Clara, what do you teach?"

Clara looked up from her drink. She hadn't even noticed how long she had been staring at the contents of her glass, trying to determine whether there was actually grapefruit in there or not. She blinked at Will who had obviously asked a question, but she hadn't heard it.

"Sorry?"

He gave her a kind smile. "I asked what it is that you're teaching."

"English," she replied, "I teach English."

"You don't like the drink I chose, do you?" Will bit down on his lip.

"Oh, no, it's good," Clara quickly took another sip to show that it was fine, but it tasted even stranger now. And it seemed quite strong, too. Her head was beginning to feel fuzzy already. She should probably stick to only one.

"I can order something else if you want," Will suggested.

Clara forced a smile. "No, really, it's fine," she said and drank.

She was only vaguely aware that Will continued to talk. Had someone turned up the music? It seemed that that was all she could hear. Too loud, too confusing.

Clara had another sip of the cocktail when suddenly her stomach began to revolt at the taste of it. She took a deep breath and clasped her arm around her belly.

"Clara? Are you okay?"

When she looked up at him Clara thought she would faint any moment now. The room around her was spinning wildly. Where were Amy and Rory? She had to find them now and go home, but the entire world was turning around her. Panic started to rise up inside her when Clara realized she couldn't even focus on Will's face.

"I can take you home if you're unwell," Will offered somewhere in the distance. The music was still too loud to hear him properly and the vertigo was getting worse and worse.

"That won't be necessary, I think." Was that the Doctor? No, she was imagining things now. And the nausea was growing stronger, Clara could feel it. What the hell was happening to her?

Clara made an effort to rise from her chair. She had to leave immediately or she would be sick. Yet when she tried to put her feet on the ground she felt as if there was nothing there at all and her legs simply gave way under her. Clara tumbled towards the floor.