This one does get a little dark...

Monday evening wasn't far away. Danny came into Clara's room at the end of the day to find her typing away, she was trying to get as much done before her meeting with Grace. He walked up to her and started to massage her shoulders gently. Clara gave in, sitting back and letting him continue, "you're distracting meee," she complained.

"The school day ended 20 minutes ago," he pointed out, stopping what he was doing to sit down against her desk, between her and the computer.

"And I have a meeting in 10 minutes," she counter argued, " marking to do, lesson plans to sign off and a classroom to tidy."

"Well, one of those I can help with," he smiled, "try and relax. This meeting will be absolutely fine," he kissed her head gently before standing up. "I'll tidy, you finish whatever you were doing."

As he said he would, Danny tidied up the classroom while Clara finished typing up the work she was sorting. The 10 minutes soon passed and there was a knock at her door as Grace arrived. Clara didn't look up from her laptop but gestured at the door for her to come in and so she did.

Danny looked round, acknowledging her but really not saying much. He was still angry, Clara could see it in how his posture tightened whenever Grace was within sight. He was angrier than her, at least outwardly, and maybe he was right to be, but he didn't have to work with her - not really anyway. "Hi, sorry am I interrupting?"

"No it's fine, Mr Pink was just helping tidy up," Clara still didn't look up. "He'll be going now," she added. She pulled up the messaging app on her computer and quickly found his contact.

Thank you. You'd better make something special for dinner. See you later x

Danny felt his phone go and pulled it out, reading the message. He made his way back out, replying as he went.

I can stay close if you want x

Clara smiled a little, barely noticeable, at his concern.

She might be a liar, but she's no murderer. Go home! I'm gonna be starving by the time I'm done here x

At that, she shut the laptop screen and looked up to see Grace awkwardly standing near the door. "I didn't put a chair there for fun you know?" she gestured at the chair near her. "Can we just get the awkwardness over and done, if this is going to work we need to be professional."

"Right, got it," Grace walked over and sat down. "I'm sorry, I just don't want to upset you and-"

"Bit late for that so let's move on eh?" Clara shrugged the comment off. "We have a department to run."

Clara went off explaining her plans and everything they needed to do to get it back in shape. The reality was that when she had taken over it seemed there was more work to do than expected. The whole department needed bringing back into line, but thankfully she had a plan even if it was going to mean a lot of work for her.

"Wow, talk about shaking it up," Grace commented at the end of their discussion. "Exactly what it needs, sounds excellent."

"Thanks, I was sort of thinking about it the whole time I've been acting but couldn't do much about it then. So… any questions?" she asked.

"No you pretty much covered it. I'll look into those bits I noted down, can I do anything else?" Grace asked.

There were many answers to that question that ran through Clara's mind at that point, but she resisted them all. "No, we're good for now. I'd better get going anyway, plenty to do," she sighed and patted the pile of workbooks on her desk. "Thanks for coming."

"No problem," Grace stood up, putting the chair away. "I'll um, see you tomorrow I guess?"

Clara nodded and watched as she went. She hadn't realised just how tense she was until the door shut and she sat back, but that could have gone much worse.

#-#-#-#

Arriving back at Danny's, Clara could honestly have gone to bed there and then, but the smell coming from the kitchen was rather enticing and she knew there was still more work to be done before she could relax.

"Hey, how'd it go?" Danny came out into the hall and took her bags. "Clara?" he asked again. Clara jumped a little out of her daydream. "You look shattered, did you really sleep okay last night?"

"It was alright I guess, I think it'll work. What you cooking?" she avoided the second question and made her way into the lounge, taking her laptop bag back from Danny. "I might have to work and eat, I really need to get these lesson plans signed off for Henry," she told him.

"Really made you a busy bee this job hasn't it?" he followed her, "can I do anything?"

"Retrain?" she replied and Danny rolled his eyes. "It'll be alright once I get into the swing of it and catch up on what's slipped back. To be fair Grace is going to be a big help too, she's taken some stuff off my hands already," Clara explained.

"As long as you look after yourself," he quickly caught her with his arm around her waist and kissed her head gently.

"I think you got that bit covered," she smiled. "Speaking of which, how long before we eat?"

"10 minutes, but I can hold it if needed," Danny replied.

Clara nodded, "okay, I'm going to jump in the shower but I won't be long," she smiled and put the bag down, jogging off upstairs. Danny nodded, leaving her be and going back to the kitchen.

#-#-#-#

It had been 25 minutes now, and that was a long time for Clara to shower. Danny had put the dinner in the oven to keep warm and decided to go and investigate. When he got upstairs the bedroom was empty so he went further in and checked out the bathroom. The door was open and the shower was running and Clara… "I knew it, I knew something wasn't right," he sighed. She was asleep, resting against the wall on the floor. It didn't look like she'd fallen, maybe fainted, but not injured so he wasn't too concerned. Danny picked her up and took her to the bed, lying her down. Just as he did her eyes flickered open.

"What… huh?" she looked around, "what happened?"

"Good question," Danny sat on the edge of the bed beside her. "Found you on the bathroom floor."

"Oh… yeah. No I just sat down because I felt a bit off, must've fallen asleep, been a long day. I'll get to bed early," she went to sit up but Danny stopped her.

"No, you're going nowhere. I'll go and get dinner and bring it up," he told her.

"And my laptop," she added, Danny gave her a look, "just the lesson plans, then I promise I'll stop."

"Just the lesson plans," he repeated to make a point and disappeared.

Clara lay back, trying to work out exactly what had happened when she started to feel the same feeling she had before. Suddenly the memory came flooding back as the intense pain in her stomach returned. She instinctively curled herself up, wincing with the pain and trying to work out what was going on.

Danny walked in and saw what was happening, immediately putting the tray down on the side and rushing over, "what is it? What's happening?" he asked. Clara couldn't get the words out to explain, pointing to her stomach quickly before another wave of pain took over. "Is this what happened before?" she nodded.

"Worse," she managed to get out quickly. Danny rubbed her hair back, trying to get a good view of her face to establish how bad this was.

"I'm not happy, this isn't good," he looked her over. "It's not going away is it?" Clara shook her head, tears forming in her eyes uncontrollably.

Danny took a moment to consider his options before pulling out his phone and calling for an ambulance. Clara couldn't even argue, she needed help now. Danny had considered taking her in but the idea of moving her without any pain relief was unbearable. The controller asked a lot of questions and he went through them as best he could, but it made him realise just how much he'd missed out on over the last few years.

The paramedics arrived about 10 minutes later and came into the room. Clara was still curled up in pain, beginning to tire with it. Danny explained everything that had happened as they started to take a look at her. "Has anything like this happened before today?" one of the paramedics who had introduced herself as Natalie asked.

"No," Clara replied quietly and a little strained.

"Alright, and have you ever suffered from bad period pains?" she asked. Clara shook her head. "When was your last one?" Clara thought back. She kept thinking. Natalie obviously noticed this and went for a different question. "Clara is there any chance you could be pregnant?"

Clara and Danny made eye contact for just a second as they both had a sudden realisation. "Yes," she almost whispered, brought back to reality by another wave of pain.

"Alright, we will get you straight in. We've got painkillers for you," she nodded to her colleague who dealt with that while Natalie disappeared to get the stretcher for her. It was only when they moved her that the blood was evident and it only increased the pace to get her down and into the ambulance.

When they arrived Clara was taken in for treatment and Danny had to wait outside for a moment. Clara had finally begun to relax a touch with the impact of the painkillers, especially once the hospital had got the morphine on. They managed to get her to lie flat for the ultrasound and Clara immediately felt scared of what was about to happen. The look on the face of the doctor looking at the screen confirmed her worst fear. He took the probe back and put it away, wiping the gel off her stomach and nodding at the rest of the team before approaching Clara. "I think you've grasped by now what we've been looking for. I'm really sorry but you have miscarried. I understand you weren't aware of the pregnancy?" he spoke to her. Clara shook her head, a little stunned.

"How far gone?" she asked, needing a pretty important question answering.

"13 weeks," the doctor told her. "Is the father with you?"

"No, no he's… I just split up with the father. I um... can Danny come in? I need him here," whatever pain was left seemed irrelevant right now. Clara didn't know how to feel, her whole body felt numb. The doctor turned to one of the nurses and instructed them to fetch Danny. "Obviously the blood you've lost is a little concerning so we are getting obstetrics down. We will have to discuss the next step at some point but we will take this one moment at a time and I know this is a lot for you to come to terms with. I'll give you a few minutes," he stood up and walked away when Danny came over with the nurse.

"Would you like me to explain Miss Oswald?" the nurse asked, but Clara shook her head. "Alright, we won't be far away."

Danny stood beside the bed and Clara reached for his hand, taking it and pulling him as close as he could be, "what's happened?" he asked, using his spare hand to wipe the escaping tears from her face. "What they said before, at the house, are you…"

"13 weeks, I had no idea," she spoke quietly, "summer holidays, it has to be James'," Clara added.

"And you've lost it?" Danny asked, realising she didn't want to say it. Clara nodded. "Oh sweetheart I'm so sorry," he sat down on the edge of the bed so he could hug her. Clara let him hold her, breathing in his scent and trying to help it calm her down. "We should call him," he finally admitted. Clara knew he was right, this was James' baby and he needed to know. "I'll do it," he told her.

"You should do it now, I don't know how quick things are going to happen and he might want to be here," she sighed. Danny nodded, kissing her head gently. "Please don't be long. I'm…" she didn't want to admit it, but it needed saying, "I'm terrified Danny."

"I'll be back before you know it," he told her and disappeared off to make the call. One of the nurses came back over as soon as he had gone. She started doing some obs and asked Clara a few questions about how she was feeling which were answered bluntly. It was highly likely James would soon be here and she couldn't stand the idea of seeing him right now, whatever the circumstances.

Danny returned, explaining what he'd told James. Clara just listened and nodded, allowing him to put an arm around her and she leant against him as he stood by the bed.

When the door opened and James walked in Clara had to look down, unable to look at him. It was Danny that caused her to look up again, "what on earth gives you the right to be here?" he spoke and she looked to see Grace following James behind.

"I had to drive James," Grace replied - of course he still wasn't allowed to drive. "I was worried too," she added.

"Tough, go and worry outside, you have no right," Clara could feel Danny holding her just slightly tighter, protectively, and for once she really didn't mind.

Grace didn't say anymore and left the room, leaving James standing at the end of the bed. "Clara I don't know what to say," he sounded nervous.

"You're not the only one," she replied. "I don't even know how I'm meant to feel. Should I be angry? I mean after all turns out I got pregnant while you were screwing my best friend. Should I be upset? I am losing a baby after all. Maybe I should be relieved that I don't have to raise a child whose father was sleeping with another woman at the time of conception. I don't know how I'm meant to feel but there was a life inside me for 3 months and I had no idea, I didn't look after it and now here we are. Is this my fault? Is it yours? We will probably never know, but we both have to live with knowing what happened." Clara was speaking exactly what she was thinking, ignoring the tears pouring down her cheeks. James walked round to her but she was quick to react and try to push him away. Danny stepped in to avoid anything too bad happening and James took a couple of paces back again. "You don't have to be here for the rest of this."

"I want to, I'm part of this and I want to support you Clara," he told her.

"I don't want you supporting me! Everytime I look at you I just see the lies you've been feeding me for months! I'm just about holding it together with Grace but I can't handle dealing with you right now! I only agreed to let Danny call you because you have a right to know," she was angry and the painkillers were starting to wear off a bit, which wasn't helping anything. "Just go!" She shouted, clutching at her stomach. James instinctively moved forward but Danny stood up, getting out of the way and taking James with him as the doctor and nurse returned to her side to sort out the pain.

"If you want to stay, go and wait in the relatives room. She doesn't want you here, but you do have a right to know," Danny told him.

"Why are you being so nice about it?" James asked, he'd expected Danny to push him straight out.

"Because that was your baby too. Whatever has happened, I know how I'd feel. I know how I feel now and it's not even mine. So go, wait, I know Grace will still be out there. I'll let you know if anything changes," he told him. James nodded and left before he could change his mind and Danny sighed, returning back to the bed. Clara leant into him again, "how's the pain?"

"Settling again. Has he gone?" she asked.

"He's waiting, but he won't come in here," Danny told her, that was enough for now. "Don't blame yourself for this Clara, please don't."

The doctor looked up from where he was writing in the notes, "he is right. This is not your fault, it's easy to think it is but you should never blame yourself. There are people we will put you in touch with to talk about it and-" he was interrupted by the arrival of the obstetrics team.

Clara tensed up at their arrival, it made it all the more real. Danny rubbed her arm gently and kissed her head, "it's all going to be okay. I'm right here."

The doctor introduced herself as Paula and explained what the next steps were. She was sensitive about it, Clara had to admit that the woman did made her feel better about what she was about to go through, but it was still going to be awful. "Whatever happens, there's a whole team here for you," she told Clara. "One step at a time, your pace."

There was a long night ahead of her.

#-#-#-#

When Clara woke up the next morning she felt empty. It was gone. How could she be mourning something she didn't even know existed until 12 hours ago? It didn't make sense. Everything had been over so fast, they'd had to in the end because she was bleeding too much. Physically she was fine, but mentally her mood was questionable. Danny had to leave overnight so she was alone right now and for some reason she was terrified. The room was empty, just her, a silent TV and a window allowing the winter sunlight to begin to feed in as it rose. It was Tuesday, she should be at work today, she needed to be at work today. That was the only way forward, getting back to normal.

Clara sat up, going to swing her legs out but as she did one of the nurses walked in. "No you don't, come on back in bed you're not well enough to be getting up and about yet."

"I'm fine," she grumbled, but did as told.

"You lost a lot of blood yesterday. Your blood pressure is still lower than we'd like and you're looking pretty pale there," she checked over the fluids that Clara suddenly realised she was attached to. "My name is Nurse Butler, but you can call me Louisa because I really hate being called that."

"Then I guess you can call me Clara because Miss Oswald makes me feel like I'm at work, which apparently I'm not allowed to be," she sighed and looked up at the ceiling.

"You're awake earlier than I expected," Louisa commented. "You had a late one I was told."

"Body clock, always wakes me up for work," she shrugged. "So what am I meant to do here then? Cry over what's happened?"

Louisa looked a bit stunned at the question but was saved by the door opening and one of the more senior nurses asking for a word. She disappeared for about a minute before going back in. "There's someone here to see you, your friend?" Grace. Why was she here? Clara sighed, she didn't want drama and she did need to talk to her about work. She shrugged and nodded. "Alright, I'll go get her."

Louisa disappeared and Clara tried to work out what she was going to say. When Grace walked in she still hadn't come to a conclusion so this was going to be totally unplanned, but to be honest she was too tired to care.

"Hey," Grace said, obviously a little nervous. "I'm sorry, I probably shouldn't have come but I couldn't sleep and I just needed to make sure you were okay, Danny wouldn't reply to my messages."

"Didn't James tell you everything?" Clara asked without looking up.

"No. I went home, he got a taxi back, haven't heard from him since," she explained.

"Wow, not joined at the hip then I'm impressed," she couldn't even be bothered to be nice right now. "Well I'm fine, as you can see. You'll have to cover everything at work I guess, I don't know how long they're gonna make me stay in here but I'll be back soon. There's a folder in my desk with the important information in and I'll have my phone if you need me."

"Clara you need time to relax, this isn't an easy thing to go through and-"

"How the hell would you know?!" she snapped, "you've got no idea. NO idea. Just go Grace, I can't cope with you being here!"

"Clara I just wanted to say sorry and-"

"Sorry?! For what? You know if it hadn't been for you then James and I might have gone through this together. Instead we are going through it apart and that doesn't make it any easier. Before you say it yes, I do love Danny more and James and I were never going to work anyway but that's not the damn point right now! That was our child! It had nothing to do with you or Danny, it was ours! It came from a time when we were both actually happy in each other's presence, maybe the last time that ever happened, but that memory is tainted now because I know that you and him were going at it the moment we got home! That's right too isn't it? Because when we got home I went shopping and when I came back you were there. I didn't think anything of it, but I'm right aren't I, you and him. We'd been back 2 hours!" Clara went to stand up again, getting her legs out over the side. She reached for the drip in her arm and was about to pull at it when Danny appears as if from nowhere and grabbed her.

"Clara no, no stop," he pulled her hand away from the line. He looked up at Grace, "I think you should go, don't you? Your boyfriend is outside. Take him with you." Danny turned his attention back to Clara who was now sobbing in front of him. He wrapped his arm tightly around her and held her, whispering reassurances that he would never leave and she was safe now. He would deal with Grace later.

It was a good hour before she settled. Louisa came in and out to check but Danny would just tell her they were fine. Clara finally sat up from where she'd been leaning against him and shook her head. "You should go."

"I'm not leaving you, you're not going through this alone," he told her.

"But who am I meant to go through this with? I can't see James or Grace, my Dad barely speaks to me anymore and you… this isn't your fight Danny," she told him, looking down at the floor.

Danny took her chin and lifted it up, "oh Clara have you really forgotten? Your fights are my fights too. I'm with you all the way on this, I'm going nowhere," he told her. Clara had no choice but to look at him and his eyes told her everything he said was true.

"How did I ever deserve you?" she asked.

"Oh you don't, but I'll put up with you anyway," he joked, smiling. He managed to coax a small smile out of her too, "that's better. Come on, lie back you're supposed to be resting and if I don't get you back down soon it'll be that nurse of yours throwing me out." Clara nodded and Danny moved so she could lie back down.

He pulled up a bag he'd bought with him containing clothes, books and various other things for Clara to 'keep occupied' with, but she wasn't really listening as he went through them. All she could think about was what had happened, it was taking over her head. She just prayed she would be out of the hospital soon because these thoughts were going to drive her crazy.