There was a knock on the door. Looking up, Amy saw a flash of red hair and knew that Donna Tyler had come to see Melody, who was sick and had to miss the first day of school.

"Come in," she called, test tasting her cake batter. "You know you don't have to knock," she admonished, looking for the vanilla. "We've reached that point. Mels is upstairs. Go in quietly in case she's napping."

"Actually, I came to talk to you," Donna said breathlessly.

She sounded nervous. Amy turned around sharply. Donna was a little shaky but looked ecstatic, like she'd recovered some good news and couldn't believe it. Amy set the bowl down and leaned on the counter intensely.

"Alright, what happened. You know you can tell me anything."

Donna nodded. "That's why I'm here." She took a deep breath. "You know that guy I had a crush on all last year?"

"Yeah. Landon, wasn't it?"

"Landon Woods. Well...he ran up to me during lunch and told me he couldn't stop thinking about me all summer long. He asked me out."

Amy shrieked, then quickly covered her mouth as she remembers Melody was asleep. "No way, really?" she whispered.

"Yes," Donna said. But she didn't seem very excited.

"I'm sensing there's more?" Amy prompted, turning serious.

"He wanted to take me to the movies, and I told him tonight I was free."

"Are you not?"

"No, I'm free. But dad doesn't know."

"Oh? Oh!" Amy suddenly realized. "Don't worry about that. I'll help you out. Give me five minutes."

The house was mostly silent when they returned. Pete and Jackie were on a world tour, and of course, Tony was still at the university. The twins had gone to the movies and Rose was homeschooling Gwen somewhere upstairs.

"Are you sure the Doctor's even in?" Amy asked. "It seems pretty quiet for…" There was a muffled explosion and the house shuddered. Amy bit her lip. "Ok, never mind. I stand corrected. He's down in the lab."

"He's always in the lab," Donna said wearily.

She led the way through the complicated secret doors, dismantling all of the booby-traps and security measures almost casually. Since the Tardis had activated, the Doctor had been collecting all sorts of alien substances from every planet Donna could think of. Naturally, this meant that security to the lab had to be increased to maximum. Entry was only granted to the Doctor and Rose. Donna had learned to break in herself, learning each trap or code at a time. Each time she had infiltrated a little deeper, and then slipped out unnoticed.

Finally, they reached the lab. It was much bigger than it had been originally, and it often took a moment of looking around to locate the Doctor. This time, the little ball of fire was a pretty good give away. The Doctor was running around frantically, trying to put out the fire.

"So close, so close!" he muttered.

Donna waited until the flames had been extinguished. "Hi, dad."

"Not now, Donna, I'm busy. I almost replicated the Shineglator's atmosphere in a jar, but I think I added too much methane and not enough chlorine."

"I broke into your lab," she said a little louder.

"Of course you did. It's too easy for a girl like you. I couldn't make it too hard, otherwise your mother wouldn't be able to get in. Now, give me a minute. I need to concentrate. Last time I added too much nitrogen dioxide…"

"Dad, I have to tell you something."

"I don't want to poison you."

"Then put the nitrogen dioxide down," Donna said firmly.

He didn't. Donna pursed her lips and waited until the procedure was completed. Amy put a hand on her shoulder and gave her an encouraging smile.

"Now?" she asked.

"No, not yet. Could you come back in a few hours?"

"Dad, this is important!"

"Yes but the Shines are losing their air supply and…"

"Daddy, I have a date tonight!" Donna yelled.

She shut her eyes and automatically flinched. A single tear escaped and rolled down her cheek. The Doctor dropped a glass vial in shock.

"What? Since when? Who? Where are you going? Why wasn't I told?" He stopped as he realized she was crying. "Oh, no. What's wrong? You don't like him? Have you changed your mind? Do you think he's an alien? Is…"

"Doctor!" Amy marched over and slapped him.

"Oww! What was that for?" He looked at her with his wounded puppy eyes.

"Well, I couldn't tell if you were in Donna mode or Doctor mode, and I don't think Rose or Rory would appreciate it if I kissed you."

"Neither would I!"

"Look, can't you see that's she's upset?" She lowered her voice.

"Yes, I'm trying to find out why."

"She's afraid of how you would react, you moron," she said, shoving him lightly. "She was really excited until she realized she would have to tell you about it."

The Doctor swallowed and looked hurt. Taking a deep breath, he went over and gently hugged Donna.

"I'm sorry," he whispered, kissing her on the head. "Is it…oh, what was his name?

"Landon Woods," Donna reminded him.

"That's right. Well, good for you! You still like him, don't you?"

"Yes," she whispered.

"Where are you going?"

"The movies. And after that, we're getting some ice cream."

"That sounds lovely. Do you have something nice to wear?"

Donna drew back in alarm. "No! I don't even know if it's going to be fancy, or casual, or somewhere in between!"

"Don't worry, I've got just the thing!"

The Doctor stepped back and whipped out his sonic screwdriver. A moment later, the Tardis materialized around him, but before Donna could join him, he was off. She sighed.

"He never tells me things."

"He's probably taking a sneak peek at what he's wearing. He's just trying to help."

"Yeah, I know."

"Come on," Amy said, taking her arm. "Let's go tell your mum."

"DONNAAAA!" The Doctor ran through the hallways and banged on Donna's bedroom door. "Donna, are you in there?"

"She's having a bath," Sarah Jane called. "Rose and I are helping her get ready."

"Well, it's going to be more formal than she expects. Also, Landon is going to arrive an hour earlier than planned."

"What?!" Donna shrieked.

"Don't worry, Donna," Rose said. "You still have two hours."

"Where's Amy?" the Doctor asked abruptly. "Wasn't she here earlier?"

"Melody is still sick," Sarah Jane explained. "She had to leave but will be back tomorrow morning so she can hear how it went."

"Ah, right," the Doctor nodded. "Well, then. I guess I'll go watch the door."

He mostly paced from the parlor to the hall and back again for the next few hours, trying to calm himself down but to no avail.

"Dad, you're acting like it's her wedding day or something," Alonso said when he and Narnia returned from the theater.

The Doctor paled. "Don't talk about that yet."

"I'm just happy they finally stopped denying their feelings," Narnia said quietly. "I wouldn't have the courage to do that."

The Doctor started to say something, then stopped. The door to the mansion opened and Clara ran in, quite breathless and looking panicked. Automatically, the Tyler's whipped out their sonic screwdrivers.

"Doctor!" Clara gasped. "I'm in trouble. I'm in big, big trouble."

The Doctor glanced at the clock. "I have ten minutes before Donna's date comes. Can I solve it by then?"

"Probably not, but it's really important."

"More important than my daughter?"

"Danny Pink just proposed to me."

He raised his eyebrows. "Ok, I wasn't expecting that. This is quite the day for romance, isn't it? Anyone else got any exciting news?" He looked around the room expectantly.

"Why are you looking at me?" Narnia scoffed, pulling her light sweater closer to her.

"No reason," he said, turning back to Clara. "What's the problem? I did a background check, and he's perfectly fine. Did you turn him down? Is he mad?"

"No, I accepted, and then I turned him down and told him to wait. That's the problem."

"Why?" he asked slowly.

"Because I haven't told him about the Tardis or that I'm a time traveler, or anything weird."

"You've told him about me," the Doctor pointed out.

"Yes, but he thinks you're…normal. Or at the most you have Dissociative Identity Disorder."

"That…that is offensive. That's what that is."

"That's just the impression that you give off sometimes, and that's the conclusion he came to. I didn't say anything about it."

"No, I'm just talking about the normal part." He winced. Just then, the doorbell ran. "Oh, talk about timing," he sighed. "I'll sort you out tomorrow."

"Actually, it might be Danny!" Clara said quickly.

It was. He looked every bit as upset and confused as she was.

"You didn't tell me he was coming over!" the Doctor exclaimed, turning to Clara.

"I was trying, but you kept talking," she said, exasperated. "I'm sorry, I didn't know Donna had a date tonight."

"Is this a bad time?" Danny asked.

"Yes, but wait about ten or fifteen minutes and then we can talk. Come on in and sit down."

"Hi, Clara," Danny said miserably as he sat down.

"Hi, Danny."

Everyone waited for a few tense minutes before the doorbell finally rang. The Doctor, who had sat down for the billionth time, sprang up immediately and went to answer it. A young boy, who looked extremely nervous, stood on the steps. He was wearing a suit with a jacket a little too big for him and was holding a bright, colorful bouquet of flowers.

"You must be Landon," the Doctor said. At the last second, he remembered to smile, though it was a little tight.

"Yes, sir," Landon said, nodding feverishly.

"Come in. Sorry, we have some unexpected guests, family friends. This is Clara, Donna's old nanny, and her…friend Danny. And you know the twins, Alonso and Narnia?"

"I've only heard about them and seen them from a distance," Landon said. "I know I'm early, sorry. I couldn't wait any longer. I don't suppose Donna's ready yet?"

"Not quite. Narnia, would you mind running upstairs and checking?"

"Sure," Narnia said.

She lay down her magazine and stood, adjusting her sweater as she walked slowly up the stairs. Landon sat down in the vacant chair and twirled the flowers nervously. He was tall, nearly the Doctor's height, with lanky blonde hair that tonight had been thoroughly wetted and combed neatly. He was, in a way, handsome; his nose seemed a little long and pointed at the end, his eyebrows were sharply arched and higher than most, and he had very finely cut cheekbones. His bright blue eyes sparkled in the light whenever he looked up at the stairs, which happened frequently.

"You're very dressed up," Clara commented.

"First date. Has to be extra special."

"So," the Doctor said. "This was all very sudden."

"Yes, sir," Landon said. "I decided I would take more risks this year. Get out of my comfort zone."

"Good. That's a good philosophy to have."

He jumped up nervously. Shyly, Donna came around the corner and slowly glided down the steps, taking care not to trip on her shimmering blue dress. Landon smiled nervously.

"Dad!" she exclaimed. "Don't cry!"

"Sorry," he said, blinking rapidly. "You just look so grown up!"

She smiled shyly.

"I brought you flowers," Landon blurted, handing them to her.

Donna gasped. "They're lovely! Thank you."

"So, what's the plan for this evening?" the Doctor asked, clapping his hands together and smiling broadly.

"Well, I thought since I'm so early we might go and have dinner before the movie starts at 7," Landon suggested. "Do you like Leon?"

"I love it!" the Doctor said enthusiastically. "Come on, let's get going!"

He started to walk toward the door.

"Wait, what?" Donna said, confused.

"Um, Doctor," Rose said, catching his arm and turning him back around. "Not sure that's the best…"

"Well, you need a chaperone," the Doctor said, looking pointedly at the young couple.

"But…dad…" Donna began.

"Yes, dad," the Doctor said. "Who else?"

"We've got guests," Rose reminded him, nodding at Danny.

"I've got a daughter going on a date."

"If it's a bad time, I can come back tomorrow," Danny said, rising.

"It's not a problem," Rose insisted.

"Trust me; I can tell when…"

"Sit down, Danny," Clara said. "I'm not going to leave this hanging over us all night."

"What if I go?" Sarah Jane suggested. "I can drive you all around, get a separate table at Leon and a different seat in the theatre."

Rose looked out the window. "You'll have to take the flying car because of all the traffic. Are you sure? Last time didn't end very well."

"I've been taking private lessons," Sarah Jane said. "I can handle a trip to London."

"Then it's settled," Donna said. She took Landon's arm and began leading him away.

"What time are you coming back?" the Doctor demanded. "I need you home by 8!"

"The movie starts at 7," Sarah Jane said. "I'll have them home by 10."

"But…"

"Dad." Donna stood on tiptoe and kissed him on the cheek. "I love you, but stop. I'll see you in the morning."

"You'll see me tonight. I'm waiting up."

"Have a wonderful time!" Rose said cheerfully, ushering them out the door. "Leave while you still can," she added in a whisper.

The Doctor watched from the window until they were out of sight. Finally, he turned to Danny, clicking his heels as he stood up straight.

"Danny! What was your last name?"

"Pink, sir," Danny said, also standing to attention. "Danny Pink."

"Danny Pink. Let me tell you something about Clara. She's been with us for a very long time, took care of our children, and helped us out of a lot of hard situations, more than she realizes. The point is that Clara is very, very dear to this family and we're going to take care of her. Now I have two extremely important questions for you, and I need you to take your time and think hard before answering because your replies are going to change your life forever. Do you love Clara Oswald?"

"Yes," Danny said instantly, firmly looking the Doctor straight in the eye.

"Ok, good. Next question: Are you willing to continue loving her no matter what happens?"

"Why else would I have asked her to marry me?"

"Through the pain, the danger, the secrets, and the lies that fill our everyday lives?"

"Yes," Danny said passionately. His gaze never wavered.

Impressed, the Doctor stepped back and winked at Clara. "I like him. Let's keep him, shall we?"

Clara smiled. "I'd love that."

"Good! Now, Danny, it's time to do some explaining. Clara has become involved in a lifestyle that requires absolute secrecy for security reasons. And I don't just mean for the safety of this family, or hers, or the whole of London or all of England. I mean for the entire world. We have something that could change the course of human history if leaked. Everyone would be after us. CIA, FBI, Secret Service, KGB, UNIT, even Jack Harkness would time travel to get it."

"Not even my family knew," Clara added quietly. "And besides, they wouldn't believe me if I told them."

"But me?" Danny asked.

"Well, as her future husband, you have to know." The Doctor whipped out his sonic screwdriver. "Seeing is believing! So, this is my sonic screwdriver and this…" He activated it, and the wheezing Tardis sounds filled the room. "Is my Tardis!"

The Doctor snapped, and the doors flew open as Danny's mouth dropped in amazement.

Author's Note:

WARNING: THE NEXT CHAPTER IS THE REASON THIS STORY IS RATED T. IT FEATURES SOME MINOR SELF-HARM AND MAY BE A TRIGGER FOR SOME PEOPLE. IF THIS IS YOU, PLEASE SKIP THE NEXT CHAPTER, "SILENCE." DO NOT PUT YOURSELF AT RISK ON MY ACCOUNT. I will give a brief, light summary in the chapter following "Silence."