We return to Christmas Dinner at Clara's flat, which could be tricky...
"Right so you know what to say then?" asked Clara later on as they prepared to return to Christmas dinner.
"Of course."
"I don't want to tell them about my conversion and our marriage yet, we need to soften them up a bit, let them get to know you a bit better before dropping the bombshell. Don't forget, you're just a normal guy."
The Doctor and Clara set off for modern day London again, the Doctor being careful to land the TARDIS after Tasha and Clara had previously departed. Clara was once more wearing her bow tie cardigan, and hoped her hair was in a similar style to before!
The two of them re-entered her flat, to meet her astonished family again.
"Where have you been Clara, it's been half an hour?" asked Dave Oswald. "We've been worried sick."
"Sorry about that" replied Clara, "I had to go and rescue my boyfriend."
"I'm glad he's got clothes on now. What's going on?"
"Hello everyone" spoke the Doctor, "There's a very simple explanation for my lack of clothes earlier. I was brainwashed."
"Brainwashed?"
"Yes, and Clara came to rescue me. They brainwashed both of us to believe that I was wearing clothes, I then remembered that some people had stolen my clothes and ran after them."
"You ran after them without any clothes on?" asked Linda, Clara's stepmother.
"I didn't know I was naked."
"But these people had stolen your clothes? You must have known by then you were naked?"
"Er, I thought I was wearing different clothes."
"But shouldn't you tell the police?"
"Oh no need, I have er a top secret job."
"What like MI5 or the CIA?"
"Something like that."
"That sounds very dangerous" continued Dave with a concerned look on his face. "I don't want Clara getting into trouble."
"Oh she'll be fine, especially now that she can regenerate."
"Regenerate?"
Clara glared at him.
"Er, that she is able to regenerate her pupils in their morals and spirituality, and can er use the same process on adults as well. Your daughter is a remarkable woman Mr Oswald."
"So, are you like James Bond then?" slurred Clara's gran.
"I'm afraid not" smiled the Doctor.
"I was studying your body, and I had thought that secret agents would be more muscular, though I did notice you have a very nice…"
"Thank you mother" interrupted Dave. "So Clara and you were brainwashed into thinking you had clothes on, so they could steal your clothes? But why?"
"One thing I've learned in this job is that enemies are very unpredictable, they always do the last thing you'd expect."
"But Clara was really upset over dinner, as if you had dumped her and left her forever."
"Mr Oswald, I wasn't allowed to tell your daughter the truth. That I had to run off after the people who stole my clothes. And thanks to the brainwashing, Clara didn't know about my true identity."
"So Clara why did you then run off?"
"The brainwashing suddenly wore off, I remembered that he had no clothes on, and had to run off after the clothes snatchers."
"I always though the secret services would get involved in more complex activities than that. Why would someone go to that trouble to steal his clothes?"
"Well I was wearing a particularly cool bow tie" the Doctor replied smugly.
"And Clara, how did you find him?"
"A lucky guess, I saw this blue box and he was in there."
"A blue box?"
"Yes, I was surprised to see it as well."
"Can we go and see this blue box?"
"Probably best not to, I'm sure it'll need to be checked out first."
"Sounds completely bizarre to me, but you're both safe and sound. There's plenty of turkey left. Clara did a good job with it, I've never tasted one so good before."
The Doctor and Clara went to the kitchen where the Doctor fixed himself some food, while Clara opened another bottle of wine.
"So Doctor" continued Dave once the two had sat down again, "How did you first meet Clara?"
"We were in this asylum, being attacked by…."
Clara glared at the Doctor.
"No, sorry that was someone else, er we first met outside a pub, we were talking about a giant snowman that had just appeared."
Clara kicked the Doctor under the table.
"I don't remember much snow last winter?"
"Er, it was a false snowman. I think she then asked me for help with her Wi-Fi."
"Clara, you asked a complete stranger for help with your Wi-Fi? You could have phoned me."
"It er came up in conversation" replied Clara nervously. "You know how it is, one minute you're talking about snowmen, the next you're being sucked into the Wi-Fi."
"Sucked into the Wi-Fi?"
"No, NO, I was er talking about how my Wi-Fi sucked, how I had problems connecting."
"You never were very good with IT were you Clara."
"I'm really good now; I've been upgraded."
"I'm sorry?"
"Er I mean my skills were upgraded, I um, er, I went on a course."
"Oh that's nice Clara" spoke Linda. "Who was it with?"
"A training company, um, The Great Intelligence." Clara grimaced.
"Never heard of them. Are they are good, as my friend Sarah wants to go on a course?"
"I'm not sure they're in business any more. Or changed their name or something" Clara tailed off.
"So, Doctor, where do you live?" continued Dave.
"I live in this area, well sometimes, though do tend to travel around quite a lot."
"Have you gone anywhere with Clara? Clara always wanted to go travelling, until that sad business at the Maitlands."
"Oh yes, he's taken me to some amazing places" added Clara smiling at the Doctor.
"So where have you been?"
"Ah, er, um" stammered Clara desperately trying to think of somewhere she could admit to.
"I took Clara and the Maitland children to this great theme park, Hedgewick's World!" exclaimed the Doctor.
"Never heard of that one, is it in Florida?"
"Um, near there."
"Clara spent much of her youth at the Pleasure Beach in Blackpool. How did the rides compare, were they scary?"
"Hedgewick's World was definitely scary!" nodded Clara. "I don't think we'll be going back there again."
"Actually, I've been away with work a lot recently" continued the Doctor, "So haven't had much opportunity for fun travel."
"Where were you?"
"Trenzalore."
Clara glared at him again.
"Never heard of that place. How long were you there for?"
"Ages, hundreds of years I think."
"Hundreds of years?"
"What the Doctor means" interrupted Clara, giving the Doctor another kick under the table, "Is that it seemed like hundreds of years. You know those dull places where time stands still, like er Carlisle?"
"I know what you mean" replied Dave. "Will you have to go back to this, er Trenzalore place Doctor?"
"Thankfully no. I'll be able to spend more time with Clara now."
He put his arm around her.
"Thinking back Doctor, have I spoken to you before? I phoned Clara up one day and this stranger answered her phone. Was this you?"
"Oh yes" replied the Doctor, "I remember that call. It was a somewhat lengthy conversation I recall, quite a few things you didn't like."
Clara's gran chuckled at this.
"Oh yes, David does go on and on doesn't he. Did he complain about the government?"
"I may have said one or two things mother."
"Typical, you could moan for England! And stop grilling these two, it's Christmas! Besides, Downton Abbey is on in five minutes."
"Is it Gran!" exclaimed Clara, desperate for a break from the awkward questions. "Oh goody!"
The five of them then sat in front of the TV watching Downton Abbey. Once it was over, Dave stood up.
"I think it's time we made a move, I've got a long drive back. It's Linda's birthday next month, you must both come up for that, it'll be good for us to get to know your boyfriend better."
"That will be great" Clara replied with an attempted smile.
"I think he's lovely" added Clara's gran. "About time you found someone nice, a pretty girl like you."
"Thank you gran!" exclaimed Clara giving her a hug.
After the three had left, Clara and the Doctor slumped back onto the sofa.
"Phew, we just about survived that" exclaimed Clara. "We can't keep up this pretence much longer, I think we'll have to tell them next time we see them."
"So what next then?" replied the Doctor.
"A Christmas kiss perhaps! But in terms of my life here on earth, I need to tell Angie and Artie the news. That'll be easy, they know you're an alien anyway, though Mr Maitland might be more concerned."
"And school?"
"Once term starts again, I'll have to give notice. I imagine I'll have to work until half term. Plenty of time to sort things out. In the meantime, I think it's time for my Christmas kiss. No mistletoe I'm afraid, so we'll just have to pretend!"
Thanks for the reviews. This chapter was tricky to write, but then the 'real' Clara herself would struggle to explain why she brought a naked boyfriend to Christmas dinner, who then vanished completely, only to come back again fully clothed after she rushed out from the meal :-)
A couple of chapters before we finally reach the wedding. I'm busy sending out the invites at the moment!
