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I hope you all enjoy this chapter. Thanks for reading, and please, please do review!

Chapter 9: Affection.

Clara couldn't remember the last time she had slept this well.

It had only been a week since she moved in with Matt, and already she was starting to feel better. Or, that's what she told herself anyway. Clara knew that no matter how much she wished it would be, moving in with Matt was not going to solve everything. There was still the fact that she had no family that would accept her now, no home to go back to should this arrangement fallout from beneath her.

That thought scared her a little.

Clara was trying desperately not to dwell on the negatives; she was here now, and that was all that mattered. She was confident Matt wasn't going to kick her out into the cold, wasn't she? Wasn't she?

Yes. It was crazy, she knew, but even though she hadn't really known Matt all that long, she felt as though she could trust him. Not completely, not yet, but enough for now. Enough that she had allowed him to take legal action and become her caretaker.

That's what scared her more than anything, really: not the fact that he was now her primary caretaker, but the fact that she had put her faith in him. Clara had learned not to trust easily, not to fall for the trap of false security and give too much of herself too quickly. It had been a hard lesson, one full of heartbreak, but she had learned.

So what the hell was she doing now?

The flat was strangely quiet as she stood and stretched. Usually she would hear Matt banging around the house by now, going about his routine to get ready for the day and blaring whatever song happened to be in the stereo. Today, however, there was only silence.

This worried Clara.

She cautiously pulled on her robe and tip-toed down the stairs to the lounge. She could see him sitting on the couch with his back facing her. His head was in his hands and his shoulders were slumped.

Clara's brow furrowed with concern, she had never seen him look so tired. So lost.

She cautiously made her way around the couch to sit down beside him, barely catching the hand that was reaching out to touch his shoulder.

Clara bit her lip, pulled it back, and waited.

Matt sniffed, and pulled his hands down to his mouth. "Thank God it's Saturday." While muffled, Clara didn't miss the slight crack in his voice. It was clear that he was hurting over something, she could see it in every muscle in his body. Matt was a live wire, as if at any moment he was prepared to run away from something, but what?

He coughed, and started to laugh. "Sorry, sorry. You should go."

Clara blinked, that hadn't been quite what she was expecting.

"Do you really want me to?" Her voice was barely a whisper.

He turned to look at her, offering a small smile. "No, no, I-I'm sorry; I'm sorry Clara, I don't mean...I just…" Matt let out a shaky sigh and clenched his fists. "Today is not a good day."

"Why?" She murmured, finally allowing herself to reach out for him.

He let her squeeze his arm, and bit his lip. "Because…" He trailed off, letting his hands fall together. Matt sucked in a sharp breath of air and looked away from her. "My mum died today. When I was only fourteen, she…" He pulled in a shaky breath. "She jumped off a building."

They both sat still for a moment, each waiting for the other to speak.

Clara cut through the tension with a soft sigh. She reached around to pull him into her side, giving his shoulder a good squeeze. "I'm sorry."

Matt sniffed, but said nothing. Clara pulled her fingers through his hair, giving him as much silent comfort as she could. She didn't know what to say, didn't know if there was anything she could say that would make this particular ache feel any better.

There was nothing to say, that was the truth of it. No words could possibly help in this situation. And although she could empathize with him, Clara knew she would never truly be able to understand what he was feeling. She may have lost her mum, yes, but everyone experienced grief differently. And, even more importantly, her mum hadn't taken her own life. She didn't choose to leave Clara behind—she was taken from her.

Clara wondered what it would be like to have someone you loved commit suicide. Someone close to you, someone for whom you deeply cared. She couldn't imagine it, couldn't understand how anyone would ever be able to do that. She couldn't understand how Matt's mum could choose to leave him.

She pressed her forehead to his cheek. Maybe she could understand, in some small way. Maybe she could understand what it felt like to have your parent choose to leave you. After all, isn't that what her dad had done to her?

No, Clara knew it was wrong of her to compare her situation with her father to Matt's with his mum. The two events were completely different, and what led to them was incomparable. Clara instantly felt guilty for even trying to equate her experiences with Matt's. This was his grief, she shouldn't try to take it from him by comparing it to something not even remotely similar.

Matt pulled away slightly and, without thinking, Clara kissed his forehead.

He smiled at her, and pulled her against him as they settled into the couch. She allowed him to hold her tightly, drinking in his comforting scent as the minutes ticked by in a peaceful stillness. Clara could hear his heart beating just underneath her ear, and she reached out to take his hand. Matt gave her fingers a quick squeeze, and let out a deep breath.

"Thank you," he muttered.

Clara smiled warmly. "You're welcome."

The next few days in the flat passed quietly. Matt spent most of the time at home shut up in his room, and Clara made sure to stay out of his way. She knew he needed space to recover, space to grieve. She was the same way when her mum's anniversary came around.

Clara shook her head, reminding herself not to compare.

It was a quiet Thursday afternoon. She was alone in the flat and Matt was off at work. Jack had told her a few days ago that their boss was considering giving Matt a promotion, which would allow him to write the pieces he had been dreaming of for so long now. Clara wanted to tell him so badly, if only to cheer him up, but Jack had sworn her to secrecy. She had, reluctantly, agreed.

It was on this dull Thursday afternoon that someone rang the buzzer.

"Yes?" Clara asked through the speaker.

"Clara, hi, is Matt home?" the rough Scottish voice greeted her.

"No, is there something I can do?"

"Well," Amy grunted, "I brought something over I thought might cheer him up. Would you mind letting me in?"

"Sure!" Clara granted Amy access to the apartment, going for the door to let her in.

Amy smiled as she walked up the stairs. She had a large bowl of yellow custard balanced precariously on her hip and two packages of frozen fish fingers in her other hand.

Clara had given her a confused look. "What's this?"

Amy gave her a small smile as she stopped in front of the door. "It's his favorite. His mum used to make it for him when they still lived with Paul… I always bring him some when the anniversary rolls around, makes him smile a bit."

Clara took the snack from her. "Would you like to come in?"

She shook her head. "Oh no, he'll get grumpy when he finds out I've been here. I think I'll leave you to deal with him this time."

Clara snorted. "Gee, thanks."

Amy laughed. "Don't worry; he'll be fine in a day or so. His birthday is coming up on the twenty-third. That usually cheers him up some."

Clara raised her eyebrows. "He told me this Saturday was David's birthday."

"Well, he would. They share a birthday."

Clara laughed, "Oh, poor Doctor. That must be rough; I would hate to share my birthday with someone."

Amy raised her eyebrows. "What did you just call him?"

Clara blinked. "Uh, Doctor. Sorry, it's a nickname I gave him…don't tell him you know about it. He's embarrassed enough when I use it."

The tall redhead only gave her a mischievous smile. "Good to know."

Clara's eyes widened as Amy spun on her heel and half ran down the stairs. "No, wait! Amy! Amelia!"

Amy only laughed and waved her hand. "Bye, Clara!"

Clara watched her slam the door and run towards her car. She let out an irritated groan, and allowed the back of her head to bounce against the wall. Matt was never going to forgive her if he found out she'd accidently told Amy about the nickname.

She huffed and went to put Amy's gift into the fridge.

Clara put one of Matt's many CD's into the player and went back into the kitchen to make herself a cup of tea. She sang along to The Beatles song that was crackling through the speakers, moving around the kitchen as she gathered ingredients for dinner. She wanted to make something special for Matt to cheer him up.

Clara had just pulled the roast out of the oven when the front door opened.

"I'm home!" Matt cried, and she heard something thump to the floor. "And something smells delicious. Clara?"

Clara smiled to herself as she finished setting the table. "I'm in the kitchen!"

Matt stopped at the doorway, and folded his arms. "What's all of this?"

Her smile faltered a little. "Well…I know you've been feeling down and I thought I'd cook you something to cheer you up…Amy brought your favorite over for dessert, although I don't really understand how anyone could find fish fingers and custard as anything other than, well, gross, but hey—"

Matt stopped her babbling with a bear hug that knocked all of the air out of her. "Thank you," he murmured into her hair.

Clara hugged him back. "Yeah, of course."

She felt his grin widen into a full on smile as he pulled away. "Let's eat!"

The flat was filled with laughter as the two of them ate their dinner. Matt was blasting a song she couldn't name, and using his hands to tell her stories about Amy and Jack from their days at university.

He leaned in, his eyes widening as he got to the climax of a particularly racy story about Jack and a former classmate. "So then Gwen's boyfriend, Rhys walks in—"

"No!" Clara's hand flew up to her mouth. "And they were…?"

"Both still handcuffed to each other, yes. You should've seen his face! Jack tried to explain, and I think we all thought Rhys was going to murder him right there!" Matt collapsed into a fit of laughter, and Clara joined him. They were both sitting over a bowl of custard with fish fingers in hand. Matt had somehow convinced her to try the snack, and Clara had to admit, it wasn't half bad.

She took another bite as their laughter died down. "I'd like to say I feel sorry for Jack, but I really don't. I'm surprised he hasn't been murdered by jealous boyfriends...or girlfriends...or, anyone, really."

Matt chuckled. "Jack was lucky Amy still had the key."

Clara laughed again. "I don't know if I could imagine Jack Harkness ever looking scared of anyone."

"Oh, I think he was more scared of what Gwen would do to him than anything Rhys could do." Matt grinned. "She could be…scary, if she wanted to."

Clara giggled. "I'm sure."

They were quiet for a moment, each staring off into space. Matt finished off his fried treat and picked up the bowl of pudding. "May I?"

She snorted and waved a hand. "Go ahead."

He licked his lips happily and drank the rest of the custard straight from the bowl. Clara raised her eyebrows, watching him with amusement. It was these moments with Matt that she loved the most, the ones where he was more of a gangly five-year-old than an adult. It was this innocent side of Matt that could make her forget all of her troubles with a simple joke or a smile. It was these kinds of moments, where he viewed her as nothing but Clara, that she knew she had made the right choice to trust him. He didn't see her as a problem to be taken care of or a child who couldn't handle herself. To him, she was an equal, she knew.

Clara smiled to herself, it was this childlike side of Matt that made her feel whole again.

She laughed when he put the bowl down.

"What?" he demanded.

She waved a hand around her mouth. "You've got a little…"

Matt brought a hand up to feel the gooey mustache that had lodged itself around his upper lip. He chuckled a bit and licked it clean. "Better?"

Clara smiled, and nodded. "I think you got it."

They sat smiling at each other until Matt reached out to take her hand. "Thank you, seriously."

She squeezed his hand. "Well, don't thank me for the dessert. That was all Amy."

Matt gave her a lopsided grin. "I'm just glad you're a better cook than she is."

Clara rolled her eyes. "I'm sure she isn't that bad, Matt." He had gone on and on to her about Amy's lack of cooking skills, making her laugh at stories about the redhead's adventures in the kitchen. She was almost sure he had fictionalized the one about the peanut butter in the air vents.

He laughed, "No, seriously! Don't ever let her anywhere near a kitchen. She'll burn your house down before she makes anything even remotely edible."

They sat quietly for a moment or two before Clara jumped up from the table. "Wait here, I have something for you."

Matt raised an eyebrow, but stayed put. "Should I be worried?"

Clara rolled her eyes and thwacked the back of his head on her way back into the lounge, "Oi! Be nice or I won't give it to you at all."

She heard Matt laughing as she snatched his present—hastily wrapped in plain brown paper and tied together with twine—and ran back to the kitchen.

She plopped the box down in front of him with a wide grin. "Happy early Birthday, Matt."

He blinked. "How do you know my birthday is coming up?"

Clara shrugged. "Amy may have mentioned the fact that you share a birthday with your dad while she was here. Open it."

He gave her a wary look before tearing into the paper. She watched eagerly as he pulled the box free and opened the lid.

Matt looked up at her with a beaming smile on his face. "I love it."

She grinned, "Thought you might."

He pulled the purple bowtie out of the box and held it up. "Really, it's perfect. How did you even find it?"

Clara shrugged. "It's not that hard to find a bowtie, Matt."

He stood, and yanked her up into another hug. "Shall I put it on?"

She grinned and took it out of his hands. "Allow me."

Matt stood still as she removed the tie he already had on and wrapped the new one around his neck. He watched her as she concentrated on tying it, her tongue poking out from between her lips as she made sure not to pull it too tightly.

Matt grinned, and stepped back to twirl a bit. "So? What do yah think?"

Clara laughed and clapped her hands. "It's perfect, so you."

Matt grinned and reached up to fiddle with it proudly. "It is, isn't it? Bowties are cool."

Clara rolled her eyes, and moved to clear the table. "Whatever you say, Chin Boy."

He gave her an astonished look. "They are!"

She laughed. "Just help me clean up, yeah?"

They cleaned up the kitchen quickly. Well, they would have cleaned it quickly, if Matt hadn't decided to flick Clara with dishwater. That led to a whole water fight between them, and by the time they were finished washing up the mess, both Clara and Matt were dripping wet.

He smiled at her as they stopped at the bottom of the stairs, swiping away a water droplet that had lodged itself underneath her eye. "I have to stay up for a bit to catch up on some work."

She gave him an affectionate pat on the cheek. "Alright, don't be up too late."

Matt rolled his eyes. "Yes, mum."

Clara laughed, and gave him a quick hug. "Sleep well, Doctor."

His smile softened. "You too, my impossible girl."

She blushed over the use of his nickname for her, and gave him one last smile before heading up the stairs.

She was halfway to her room when she heard something behind her thump. "Oh, Clara!"

She stopped, and looked at him. Matt stood for a moment with his mouth open, before closing it into his trademark smirk. "Sleep well."

She smiled back at him, and ran the rest of the way to her room.

"But what if they don't like me?" Clara whined.

Matt rolled his eyes and drove them out onto the motorway. "They'll love you, Clara, trust me."

She fiddled with the hem of her dress and bit her lip. "Still feel like I'm intruding though. I mean, it is your dad's birthday after all. Should I even be there?"

Matt huffed. "Yes, because it's my birthday too, and I want you there. Besides, they already know you're coming. I've told them all about you."

Clara's eyes shot to him. "What?" she squeaked.

"Oh, relax. They're all excited to meet you, especially Rose. She hates seeing me alone. She was beyond excited when I mentioned that I was bringing along a girl this year." He glanced at her, and reached over to rub her shoulder soothingly. "You'll be fine."

"But—"

"Clara Oswald, stop worrying. You're lovely, and I'm sure they'll all see that. Besides, they know you're important to me. They'll be on their best behavior, I promise." He gave her a reassuring smile. "Don't you trust me?"

She huffed, and crossed her arms. "That's just not fair, Matt."

"Don't you?"

She glared at him for a long moment before giving in with a heavy sigh. "Yes."

He gave her a brilliant smile. "Well then, I guess that's all settled. Just be yourself, it'll all turn out fine."

She huffed. "As long as "being myself" doesn't include Nina today, then yeah, should go swimmingly."

Matt's brow furrowed. "Have you been taking your meds?"

Clara sighed wearily. "Yes, Matt, of course I have."

He glanced at her. "Clara."

"Matt," she whined back. "Don't you trust me?"

He pulled his lips into a thin line, keeping his eyes straight on the road. "I do, and I would like to, but Dr. Jones warned me—" He broke off.

She crossed her arms. "Warned you about what?"

He shook his head. "Never mind."

"No," Clara stated firmly. "I want to know, she warned you about what?"

Matt glanced at her, and sighed heavily. "You're impossible."

She rolled her eyes. "And you're being a child. Warned you about what?"

His jaw ticked, but he gave in with a huff. "That you might try to lie about taking your medication."

Clara's expression became one of horror. "Why the hell would I do such a thing? If anything, I'm more worried about taking them than you are!"

Matt reached out for her arm, but she snatched it away angrily. They were quiet for a moment. Clara knew that her frustration was irrational, it was a valid concern on both of their parts. She should be grateful that he was looking out for her, but all she could feel was this illogical sense that he was treating her like a child, like her aunt used to. It wasn't true, she knew that, but she couldn't help crossing her arms even tighter together and jutting her lip out in a full pout.

He let out a deep breath. "You're right, you're right, I'm sorry. I'm just looking out for you, it's part of my job, yeah? I trust you."

Clara swallowed, and immediately felt guilty for her childish moment. Hesitantly, she reached out for his hand. He gave her fingers a quick squeeze, and she sighed. "I know. I'm sorry, it's just...my aunt, she used to treat me like such a kid, as you know, and...I don't know, when people say things like that I just...I..."

Matt sighed, and gave her fingers another squeeze. "I know, it's alright."

The car was silent for the rest of the drive. The tension between the two of them seemed to reach its peak as Matt pulled them up his parent's driveway and parked the car by their lawn.

Clara broke the silence by letting out a soft breath. "Wow."

Matt smiled. "I know."

She looked at him with wide-eyed curiosity, and all remaining tension diffused. "It's beautiful, Matt; this is your parent's?"

Matt laughed, and nodded. "Every square inch."

Clara opened the door and climbed out of the car, grabbing the present she had brought for David on her way out. As soon as the fresh air hit her nose she was confronted with a variety of scents. The smell of wet dirt from the mist earlier that morning, the scent of something warm cooking inside, the soft breeze that carried the smell of seawater and pine. It all smelled wonderful, the scent was clean and comforting and made Clara feel free somehow. As though she would be free to be herself here, as though she needn't ever worry about people casting their judgments on her or whispering about her when they thought she couldn't hear. Here, she could just be Clara.

She smiled, and closed her eyes, taking in a deep breath.

Matt shut his door and came around, offering her a hand. "Shall we?"

Clara grinned, and giggled as she took his hand. "Lead on, monsieur."

They walked towards the house, hand in hand, only to have the front door fly open before either of them reached the porch. Clara stepped back as a flurry of blond hair and green clothing sprinted from the front door, tackling into Matt hard enough that the two of them almost toppled over.

Matt let out a grunt. "Ah, hello to you too, Jenny."

Clara smiled, and dropped his hand so he could hug his sister properly. She felt a flutter of nerves in her heart as she watched them spin around. This was it, this was the moment she had prepared for. What if they didn't like her? Or, worse yet, what if they found out about her…her diagnosis, and couldn't accept it? What if they thought she was dangerous? A freak, something to be worried over—like glass that would break with the slightest touch.

A problem.

Well, you are, a little voice hissed in her ear, but she waved it off. She wasn't dangerous, not anymore, not fragile or problematic. She had herself under control, and she was going to prove that to Matt's family. And herself.

Her smile widened when Matt finally broke away from Jenny. "Jen, there's someone I'd like you to meet. This is that friend I've been telling you about. Jenny, meet Clara Oswald. Clara, this is my baby sister Jenny."

"Oi, I'm not your baby anything, Johnny boy. Watch yourself," Jenny growled.

Matt only laughed. "Just say hello, Jen."

Jenny finally turned, and glanced over Clara with curious eyes.

Clara's smile faltered, and she shifted under the critical eyes of Matt's sister. "Um, hello."

Jenny crossed her arms, shifting on her feet to get a better look at Clara. The three of them stood still for a moment, before Jenny's beaming smile returned and she yanked Clara into a warm hug.

"Welcome, Clara, I've heard so much about you. We all have, really. You're going to love mum and dad, and I think they'll like you too. Oh, we're all so glad Matt here has someone to keep an eye on him." She pulled back, her hands on Clara's shoulders. "You are keeping an eye on him, aren't you?"

Clara blinked, trying to catch up with the energetic woman. "Best I can, yeah."

Jenny grinned. "Great!" She kissed Clara's cheek and ran back towards the house. "I'll tell them you're here!"

Clara froze; her eyes wide and her heart in her throat. She turned to Matt and he laughed at her expression.

He took her hand and gave it a comforting squeeze. "She can be a bit of a firecracker."

She let out a breathy laugh. "Is she always like that?"

Matt shrugged. "You get used to it, eventually, c'mon."

Clara allowed him to drag her into the house. He shut the door while she got a look around. It was…homey. The place was friendly, warm and inviting. Everything was everywhere, as if a tornado had run through the place, but Clara liked it. It reminded her of Matt, in a way. The books that were scattered in piles around the walls, the papers half scribbled on that were tacked onto every available surface, the music records that crowded every free nook and cranny. All of it was Matt, right down to the carpet that was so worn Clara could feel the cold cement through her shoes.

She gave Matt a timid smile, and he took her hand. "Ready?"

Clara sucked in a deep breath, but nodded. "Yes."

He grinned, and pulled her through the house towards the kitchen. Clara could smell the warm aroma of spices and baked goods wafting out of the small room. She bit her lip, and followed Matt through the doorway.

"There's my boy!" a male voice cried.

Clara stepped back as a man dressed in a brown suit and beige sneakers came to pull Matt into a friendly embrace. Beyond them, Clara could see a woman with blond hair and a kind face stirring a pot. She smiled at Clara and gave her a friendly wink.

The two men clapped each other on the back before pulling apart. "Nice to see you again, my boy," David grinned, his dark eyes sparkling and his smile wide. "Is that for me?"

Matt smiled, and handed him a carefully wrapped present. "I'm sorry it's been so long." He reached back and pulled Clara forward gently. "I'd like you and Rose to meet someone special: Clara Oswald."

Clara smiled timidly, blushing slightly over Matt's emphasis of the word special. "Hello."

David's manic smile softened as she came into view. "Clara, we've heard a lot about you." He opened his arms and greeted her with a gentle hug. "It's nice to finally meet you."

Clara grinned. "You too, Matt's told me all about the three of you."

"All good things, I hope." Rose gave Matt a playful glare before holding her hand out to Clara. "Hi, name's Rose. It's nice to meet you. Matt doesn't bring girls home often, we were starting to worry he was going to end up alone."

Clara let out a nervous laugh as she took Rose's hand, and she saw Matt blush.

"Oi, I'm sure Clara doesn't need to hear any of that." He gave Rose a warning glance.

His mum immediately quieted and went back to the stove, giving Matt a slight glare on her way there.

Clara's eyes narrowed over the exchange, but she said nothing.

Jenny popped into the kitchen then with her arms full of what appeared to be rosemary. "This enough, mum?"

Rose glanced at her. "More than plenty, come help me chop it up?"

Clara bit her lip nervously. "Could I help?"

Rose gave her a beaming smile. "Sure! Grab a knife; they're in that drawer to your left."

David moved to kiss Rose on the cheek. "Well, I think we'll leave you girls to chat while Matt and I catch up. Call us if you need anything?"

Rose swatted his side. "No you don't. I'll not have you two sitting on your backsides while we women—including your lovely guest, Matt—work in the hot kitchen. You two go fetch me some eggs from the henhouse, yeah?"

David pushed his lip out in a pout. "But it's our birthday, Rose, couldn't Jenny do that?"

Rose turned to glare at him darkly, placing her hands on her hips. "If you don't behave, I'm not going to make the special chocolate cake I had planned. With bananas in the center, may I add."

Both David and Matt let out a melodramatic groan before shuffling their way out of the kitchen. Jenny and Clara glanced at each other before bursting into a fit of giggles. Rose grinned and joined in, bringing a hand to her mouth in an attempt to stay quiet enough that the boys wouldn't hear them laughing.

Jenny reached out to squeeze Clara's hand as soon as the three of them heard the front door slam shut. "Welcome to the family, Clara."

Clara couldn't remember the last time she had laughed so much. The four of them kept her giggling for so long that her pasta was cold long before she was able to touch it. Clara didn't mind, she wasn't here for the food anyway.

She had always wondered how Matt's life had not turned him into a bitter man. She knew—after hearing only a small part of his life story—that Matt could have easily grown up to be angry and hard, but he hadn't. And now Clara understood why. How could he have ever become anything other than what he was with such wonderful friends and family?

"So, Clara, do you work?" David asked as they finally got started on eating.

Clara swallowed, and nodded. "Yeah, at a little bookshop not too far from Matt's place."

"That must be lovely." Rose grinned, and nudged her husband. "I know one person here who would never get anything productive done in a place like that."

David rolled his eyes and waved her off. "Oh, hush, you're just as bad as me."

Rose stuck out her tongue. "Not likely."

Clara glanced away, and both Jenny and Matt rolled their eyes when David gave Rose a soft peck on the lips.

"Can you two not? We have company." Jenny huffed, and stood to take her plate back to the kitchen. "I'm sure Clara doesn't want to see any of that."

Rose smiled at Clara. "Sorry, couldn't help myself."

Clara gave her a smile back, and shrugged. "No, no, it's fine. Don't worry about me."

David swirled his wine around. "So, Matt, have you asked the lovely lady here out on a proper date yet?"

Matt spluttered, and Clara's cheeks burst into flame. "Dad!"

"What?" he demanded. "It's a fair question; you are living together after all."

"Yes, but, no! I mean, Clara's my friend, she's…" Matt waved his hands about to try to ward off David's question. "Forget it. I'm just…here." He took both his and Clara's plates and scampered away to the kitchen.

Clara blinked, and opened her mouth. "Uh…"

Rose smacked David in the shoulder. "You idiot!"

"What? It's a fair question!" David exclaimed.

Rose huffed. "Yes, but…" She gave him a pointed look. "Do you really think Matt wants to answer something like that? In front of his beautiful companion?"

Understanding dawned on his face and he stood, grabbing his plate. "Ah, yes, well, I'll just go apologize, shall I? Wouldn't want anything uncomfortable to ruin this night, would we?"

Rose glared at him until he was out of sight, and gave Clara a sympathetic smile. "Sorry about all of that."

Clara found that she was having a hard time keeping track of where the conversation was going. "Don't be, I don't quite understand what just happened anyways."

Her hostess sighed heavily. "We're all just anxious for Matt. As I said earlier, he hasn't brought a girl over for a long time. The last time he did…let's just say it didn't turn out well."

Clara wanted to press Rose for more information, but was stopped by Matt rushing back in with Jenny hot on his heels.

"Come on, Johnny boy, couldn't you stay for just one night?" She whined.

Clara raised her eyebrows, mouthing 'Johnny boy' to Matt with a playful light in her eyes.

He scowled. "No, Jenny. Clara and I have to get back."

"But Matt—"

"Present time!" David cried, coming back into the dining room with two sets of wrapped gifts. "These are for you." He handed two of the shiny packages to Matt.

Clara watched Matt's whole face light up, making him look more like a four year old than usual.

"Go on, youngster, it's your year." David urged Matt on while shaking one of his presents by his ear. Rose smacked his hand, raising her eyebrows and mouthing the word rude.

Clara gave Jenny a curious look.

She laughed. "Since they have a birthday on the same day, the two of them switch off on who gets what first, whose favorite foods get made, stuff like that. It was dad's turn for cake this year, so Matt gets to open his presents first."

Matt let out a short laugh. "It's perfect!" He pulled the fez out of its box and neatly placed it on his head. "Thanks Jen!"

She grinned, and giggled. "No problem."

He looked over at Clara, fixing the bowtie she'd given him and waving his hands. "Well? What do yah think, ay?"

She raised her eyebrows. "Do you really want me to answer that on your birthday?"

Matt's childlike face melted into a pout. "Well, thanks." He grabbed the other present in front of him, sticking his tongue out at her.

She rolled her eyes. "Thanks Matt, real mature there."

David and Rose sat smiling at them, and Clara didn't miss the pointed look that passed between them. She bit her lip, and tried to hide her blush.

"You're mum picked this one out, but it's from both of us." David said. "A little family heirloom I had lying around."

Rose nudged David. "Don't listen to him; he had more to do with it than I."

Matt lifted the lid of the box, and his eyes widened. He looked up at his parents with surprise in his eyes. "Oh, no, I couldn't take this from you."

David waved a hand. "Shut up, yes you can. You're family, Matt. I'd rather it go to you than your aunt Donna. She'd lose it in a heartbeat."

"What is it, Matt?" Clara asked.

He held up the box for her to see. Inside, nestled in a bed of soft velvet, sat a shining watch. The cover was artfully crafted in a series of circles and designs, the main body of it a shining silver and the swirling designs outlined in spidery webs of gold.

She sucked in a sharp breath; it was one of the most gorgeous things Clara had ever seen.

"Oh," she breathed. "Matt, it's beautiful."

"And it doesn't work." Jenny said softly. "Hasn't for centuries, or something like that."

"David's family has a whole family legend behind it." Rose grinned, her tongue in her teeth. "Go on, tell them."

David rolled his eyes, but eagerly leaned forward. "As the story goes, our family line can be traced back to Lord William of Gallifrey, which is said to be an island off of the Eastern shore that was lost long ago. William, supposedly, had this watch made for his wife as a wedding gift. Unfortunately, when the island went down he the only survivor. She made it off with him, but died in his arms."

"What was her name?" Clara whispered.

David shrugged. "No one knows. It's said that after her death he would not speak her name, and denounced his own. He assumed the title of Lord William and moved onto the main island." He nodded towards the watch. "He took this with him, the watch being the only thing he had left of his love and his home. It is said that his heart died with her, and he vowed never to love again. According to legend, it stopped working the same time that her heart stopped beating."

"Wow," Clara whispered, breaking the blanket of silence that had settled over the room.

"Exactly what I said," Rose laughed.

David grinned, and leaned back as the atmosphere in the room lightened. "Now, whether or not you believe the story is up to you, but the sentiment behind the gift is all the same. It's yours, Matt."

He smiled softly. "Thanks, Dad." He stood, and gave David an affectionate hug, kissing Rose on the cheek. "Thanks, Mum."

They both smiled. "'Course, sweetheart." Rose squeezed his hand. "Happy Birthday."

Matt grinned, and jostled David's shoulder. "Well, go on then, it's your turn."

The rest of their evening at the Tyler's was even more boisterous than the first half, the sounds of their laughter getting louder and louder as they all shouted over each other. And while Clara had hung back for most of the evening, she now joined in the teasing wholeheartedly. She felt relieved that Matt's family had been so accepting of her presence, and was on her way to becoming fast friends with all three of them.

It was well past midnight when Matt had finally decided to drive them home. The two of them chattered happily during the drive, Clara waving her hands excitedly to describe everything she was talking about.

It wasn't until they were back in the flat that they quieted.

Clara stopped at the foot of the stairs, covering her mouth to hide her yawn. "I think I'll turn in."

Matt smiled, and gave her a warm hug. "Thank you for tonight. You were amazing."

She hugged him back, her small arms just barely making it around his neck, "I don't know about amazing, but you're welcome. Happy Birthday, Matt."

"I told you they would all love you, didn't I?" He laughed as they parted. "You had nothing to worry about."

Clara grinned. "I like them all, too, especially Jenny."

Matt rolled his eyes. "I figured you would, you being you."

She raised her eyebrows. "And what is that supposed to mean?"

He laughed, and shook his head. "Don't worry about it. Sleep well, Clara."

She smiled, and leaned up on her tiptoes to kiss his cheek. "Sweet dreams, Matt."

Matt only stared as she ran all the way up the stairs, and Clara could've sworn she saw him reach up with one hand to caress his cheek.

She smiled, and closed her door softly. Maybe her life was coming together after all.