Still Earth-bound while she healed, the Doctor had taken to spending more time with Yaz in the flat. Tea at Yaz's was her new favourite thing. Yaz's dad didn't seem to mind, liking the fact he had someone else to talk to, and Sonya was so absorbed in her phone she didn't seem to notice the Doctor's presence. Najia, on the other hand, was a little wary at first. Yaz still hadn't fully explained who the Doctor was, but after a couple of days of the Doctor being around, Najia was warming to the woman. It was hard not to.

She watched her daughter and the Doctor interact with each other, and her motherly instincts told her there was something definitely there. To be fair to Yaz, Najia had caught her by surprise when all the spider business was going down, so no wonder she had denied that there was anything going on. At that time, maybe there hadn't been anything more to their friendship. But now, as the Doctor talked with Hakim animatedly, Najia saw her daughter watching the Doctor affectionately, smiling at her with gentle eyes and a warm expression. Najia knew that expression because it was exactly the same as her husband's; when he looked at her.

Yaz and the Doctor were sitting close at the dinner table, chairs drawn together, arms brushing against one another, whilst Hakim sat round the other side, leant forward to listen to his guest. Platonic friends did not need to sit that close, Najia knew.

Najia was absolutely fine with the whole sexuality thing. Not that Yaz had ever come out to her or anything, and the whole Danny Biswas situation showed that Yaz had some interest in boys, but Najia could clearly see that Yaz liked girls too. She knew her daughter too well, even if Yaz denied it. She hoped Yaz knew she could come to her about anything like this, if she ever needed to.

Question is, what were the Doctor's feelings towards her daughter? Yaz was an open book, but the Doctor… Najia felt like she could trust her, (she had saved their lives after all), but she didn't know how she fitted into Yaz's life. She clearly wasn't from the force, but where else would Yaz have met her? Perhaps out on a job? That seemed like the most likely scenario.

She watched her family as she did the drying up, and wondered if the Doctor would become a full-time member of it. She decided she wanted to check in with her daughter. It had been ages since they had one of their heart-to-hearts.

'Yaz, sweetheart, can I have a word?' She asked, interrupting the animated discussion. Yaz's brows furrowed in confusion, but she acknowledged her mother's request. She stood up, pushed her chair back in, and moved round the table towards her mum. Najia couldn't help noticing the gentle hand Yaz lay on the Doctor's shoulder as she passed. The Doctor looked up at her as she passed, smiling gently as she left.

Najia ushered Yaz into her bedroom, wanting the chat to be private. She closed the door behind her, turning to face her daughter.

'What's up, Mum?' Yaz asked, not sure where this conversation was going to lead. Najia took a deep breath.

'Firstly, I just want you to know you can come to me about anything. Anything at all. You know I will always love you, right?' Yaz's face fell in response.

'Of course, Mum! What's going on?' Yaz asked again, more anxiously this time.

'Okay sweetheart, I'm just going to ask outright. Are you and the Doctor seeing each other?' Najia could feel the indignation roll off her daughter before she even spoke.

'What? Mum, you've already asked me this, and I told you then that no, we're not!' She whispered hurriedly, clearly not wanting this conversation to be overheard.

'But do you want to be seeing her?' The question caught Yaz by surprise.

'Why are you asking that?' Yaz deflected. Yaz's hands were stuck firmly in her pockets, shoulders rising with tension and stress. Najia wanted the conversation to be over too, but she had to get it out there.

'You're a lot closer to her these days, you're practically inseparable. I've seen the way you look at her, and…'

'Nope, nope, we are not having this conversation!' Yaz clamped her hands over her ears, drowning out her mother's concerns over her relationship.

'… and if you wanted someone to talk about it with, I just wanted to let you know I'm here for you.' Yaz stopped for a moment, before slowly bringing her hands back down to her sides.

'What?'

'I know I go on about your dating life a lot, but I just want to see you happy sweetheart. I don't care if that's with a man or woman, I just want to make sure you're alright.'

Yaz stared at her mother in wonder, totally aghast at how this conversation was going. How well it was going.

'Really? You mean that?' Najia nodded in the affirmative. She drew closer to her daughter, bringing her hands to rest on her forearms.

'Of course Yaz. I would never judge you for something like this.' Yaz beamed up at her mother, totally in awe of the woman who had raised her.

'Thank you. Thank you so much for saying that. It means everything to me.' Yaz pulled her mum into an embrace, feeling a sudden wave of love for her. Najia immediately responded. She tucked her arms around her eldest daughter, and sighed in relief.

'So, you and the Doctor?' She tried again, feeling more confident she may get an answer. Yaz sighed in resignation, dropping her arms from around her mother and stepping back. Najia also stepped back, looking at Yaz fully. Yaz took a deep breath in, then out, then in again.

'It's complicated,' Yaz admitted, finally confessing to her feelings out loud. She couldn't believe she was doing this with her mum, of all people.

'In what way?' Najia questioned.

'Well, the Doctor is…' Could Yaz do it? Tell her mum the whole truth? About the travel and everything. She wasn't sure she was ready for that. One secret at a time. 'The Doctor is someone very special to me. She's an incredible person.'

'And?'

'And… I think I might be into her.'

'Think?'

'Okay, I'm really into her. But that's all it is mum. A crush. We're not together.'

'Well, you certainly look like you're together. The way you're all touchy-feely with each other.' Yaz's mouth opened in horror.

'Oh god, am I that obvious?' She squeaked, anxiety suddenly flooding her veins. Najia reached out an arm to reassure her.

'I'm your mum, Yaz, I just sense these things. I don't think your father has cottoned on. But you do wear your heart on your sleeve.' Yaz sat down on the edge of her parents' bed, feeling deflated.

'What do I do?' Yaz asked, as her mum sat down beside her.

'Telling her would be the next step, Yaz.' She received an alarmed look from her daughter.

'Are you kidding? That's, like, the last thing I should be doing.'

'Why? Don't you want something to happen?'

'Well, yeah, but…'

'So telling her will make something happen.'

'It's not that simple mum!'

'Of course it is!'

'No it's not!'

'I know it's scary, Yaz, but you need to take that leap if you want to get anywhere with her.'

'What if she doesn't feel the same way?' Najia looked at her daughter with sympathy.

'I know I don't know her like you do, but after what I've seen over the past couple of days, I think there is a highly likely chance that she feels the same way you do.'

'Really?' Yaz asked quietly, hopefully. Najia nodded.

'I honestly thought you were together. I wouldn't have asked you to chat if I thought otherwise.' Yaz smiled in relief. Before she could respond to her mother, there was a knock at the door. Yaz and Najia looked at each other, before Najia called out.

'Come in!' The wooden door swung open, and the Doctor popped her head around the door.

'Sorry to interrupt, but Yaz, your phone was ringing. I wouldn't have answered, but it was Ryan, so I figured it was okay.' The Doctor sheepishly stepped into the room, and walked over to hand Yaz her phone. As she placed it into her hand, their fingers brushed against one another's. Yaz restrained herself from reacting, especially in front of her mother and the Doctor. She raised the mobile to her ear, waiting to hear her friend's voice.

'Hey Ryan, what's up?'

'Yaz, listen, there's this acoustic place that's just opened up, and one of my mates and his band are playing there tonight. I promised I'd go see him and support him. Wanna come with?' Ryan's excited voice echoed down the line.

'Er, yeah, that sounds like fun! What about…'

'The Doctor has already said yes. She wants to go, if that makes you want to go too?'

Yaz laughed.

'Well in that case, looks like I don't have a choice!' She looked at the Doctor, who was watching her with interest. Her head cocked to the side, like a puppy, trying to understand what Yaz was referring to. Yaz gave her a quick smile.

'Awesome, I'll text you the address.'

'What about Graham?'

'Nah, he's meeting up with his old bus driver mates. I reckon that'll be good for him.'

'Yeah, I'm sure it will.'

'And Yaz, we might go out afterwards, if you're up for it?'

'Cool, I'll see how I feel.'

'The Doctor is gonna go out afterwards too.' Yaz sighed. Ryan knew her too well.

'Okay, I'll go out too!'

'Yes Yaz, it's gonna be great! Catch you later.'

Yaz hung up the phone, looking up at the Doctor.

'Looks like we've got plans tonight, Doctor.' The Doctor looked ecstatic.

'Brilliant, so you're coming?' The Doctor asked her eagerly. Yaz nodded, smiling happily.

The Doctor was about to say something else when Najia coughed, very pointedly, reminding them of her presence. The Doctor suddenly became like a little kid, being reminded of their manners. She took the hint.

'Oh sorry, I interrupted didn't I? My bad, I'll just…' She smiled sheepishly at Yaz, then darted out the bedroom, closing the door behind her. Yaz waited a few seconds, listening to the Doctor's footsteps move away from the door, before she rounded on her mother.

'Mum!'

'What?' Najia responded indignantly. 'We hadn't finished our chat!' Yaz moved off the bed, standing upright.

'We've finished for now, Mum, I've got to get ready!'

'Alright sweetheart.' Yaz turned to go, before thinking better of it, and grabbing her mum into another hug.

….

Yaz was ready to go. She hadn't put this much effort into an outfit for a while, but she felt happy in what she'd picked. She had forsaken her beloved leather jacket and jeans for a yellow summer dress, denim jacket and white summer converse. The weather was becoming more and more glorious, with the evenings rolling in golden hues over the city, so it made sense to dress for the weather. She was quite proud of her choice. Even her sister had complimented her on it, which almost never happened. She wore her hair down, letting it cascade over her shoulders.

The Doctor had gone off to the TARDIS to change into her 'going out gear,' (whatever that meant). Yaz wondered if she was making too much effort, but she felt good. Why couldn't she dress up a bit? It wasn't for the Doctor, that's for sure! Or maybe Yaz was just lying to herself.

A knock at the door broke her out of her thoughts, butterflies suddenly flying around her stomach in formation. Najia answered the door to Ryan and the Doctor. Ryan gave her a big grin.

'Hi Yaz's mum, is Yaz ready?' Najia sighed.

'Not you too! Call me Najia, please!' Ryan smiled sheepishly.

'Sorry… Najia,' he replied, looking to the Doctor for support. Najia didn't see their interchange, instead calling back for Yaz.

'Yaz, your friends are here!'

Yaz rushed to the doorway, grabbing her small, leather shoulder bag before greeting her friends. She gave them a small wave as she approached them. Ryan and the Doctor lit up as she came to the doorway. Yaz caught the Doctor's eye very briefly, smiling a little shyly, suddenly feeling a little exposed. The Doctor's mouth had dropped open, staring at Yaz, before recovering and smiling in response. Ryan let out a small whistle.

'Damn Yaz, you scrub up well!' Yaz shoved at him playfully, aware of the Doctor's eyes still on her.

'Enough of that Ryan!' She exclaimed.

'All I'm saying Yaz, is that my mates are going to love you! Y'know, my mate Dean and you would get on so well!' She shoved him away again jokingly.

'I'm serious Ryan, none of that tonight!' Yaz chanced a look at the Doctor, who had stopped smiling. She finally took in what the Doctor was wearing – pretty much her usual outfit. She was about to comment on her attire, when she realised the Doctor's hands had balled into fists under the sleeves of her coat. She was looking at the ground, as if she were trying to compose herself. Yaz shared a look with her mum, who had been watching the three of them in the doorway. Najia looked very concerned. Even Ryan stopped smiling, sensing something was off.

'Doctor?' Yaz asked, worried about her friend. She reached out for her arm, which broke the Doctor's reverie. She blinked back up at Yaz, shaking herself out of her funny turn. Her smile returned.

'Sorry about that, spaced out for a second!' Her hands un-balled themselves, but there was still a tension in the Doctor's muscles that she hadn't released. Yaz rubbed her hand up the Doctor's arm.

'You okay?' She murmured softly. The Doctor nodded, catching Yaz's gaze.

'Yeah, m'fine. Don't worry about me.' Yaz squeezed her arm, before reluctantly letting it go. Ryan coughed emphatically.

'Guys, we should probably get going?' The Doctor and Yaz shared one more look, before nodding at him.

'Alright, let's go.'

…

The Doctor seemed to have perked up by the time they made it to the venue, but Yaz was still worried. Everyone spaced out every now and then, but what had happened to the Doctor wasn't spacing out. She looked like she was trying to hide something, some unpleasant emotion. But Yaz was too scared to press further. Besides, she was out with two of her best friends! She didn't want anything to spoil that.

Inside was a bar stocked with all sorts of beverages, with chairs and tables facing towards a small stage area. Fairly lights adorned the dimly lit venue, giving it an intimate but edgy vibe. Fairy lights were definitely a trend in most drinking places these days, but Yaz liked them. Ryan glanced around at the tables, looking for this other friends. He was lucky he still had a solid group after leaving school, and Yaz was envious of that. He had always had a gift for making friends wherever he went, whereas Yaz had very few friends left. It wasn't that she couldn't make friends; she guessed it was down to the nature of her job, which she took very seriously. Policing didn't leave much room for socialising.

Ryan scanned the room once more, but still couldn't find them.

'Alright, I'm gonna go look for my mates and grab a table.'

'Cool, we'll get some drinks,' Yaz said, gesturing to the bar. Ryan grinned at her.

'Thanks Yaz, see you in a bit!' A small crowd had started to file in around the bar, and Ryan disappeared into it. The Doctor turned to Yaz.

'Guess it's just you and me?' Yaz nodded and smiled.

'Yep, just you and me.' She pulled the Doctor's arm through hers and gently tugged her towards the bar. The Doctor followed her companion happily. They joined the short queue, still arm in arm.

'What do you fancy, Yaz?' The Doctor asked inquisitively, looking up at the drinks menu that was chalked up above the bar.

'I'll have wine. What about you?'

'What are apple sourz?'

'Nope.'

'What?' The Doctor asked indignantly. She pulled her gaze away from the board, turning back to Yaz. Her companion grinned cheekily.

'You are not having sourz.'

'Why not? They sound fun!'

'Oh they are fun! But they are perhaps… too fun for right now.'

'What are they?'

'Doctor, they're shots. Full of sugar. You'll be bouncing off the walls!'

'I'm always bouncing off the walls!'

'My point exactly!' The women cracked a grin at each other. Their arms were still linked, but neither of them seemed to notice. They stopped laughing, the merriment coming to a natural end. The Doctor's gaze softened, as she scanned Yaz's body up and down, taking in her outfit again, fully appreciating it. Yaz's smile weakened slightly, replaced with a slightly worried look. Had she got something down herself?

The Doctor brought her scrutiny to an end, glancing back up at Yaz's face. She smiled affectionately, before whispering.

'You look lovely Yaz. Proper lovely.' Once again, Yaz couldn't help the blush that blossomed on her cheeks.

'Thank… thanks Doctor!' She stuttered out, at a loss for words. The Doctor gently nudged forward, closer into Yaz's personal space. Her blonde hair tickled Yaz's cheek, and she had to stop herself from inhaling that dizzying scent. Honestly, did the Doctor know what she did to her?

'I'd say,' the Doctor began whispering again. 'I'd say, that you were the prettiest girl in here.' What on earth was the Doctor playing at? Was she… flirting? Yaz had no idea. The Doctor usually threw out compliments to her, but they'd never been this… personal. Having no idea what to say, Yaz said the first thing that came out of her mouth.

'Nah, Doctor that's you. You're always the prettiest person in the room.' Okay, where had that come from? Yaz mentally face-palmed herself. She hadn't even touched alcohol yet, and here she was just throwing away her inhibitions. She glanced hesitantly at the Doctor, and was surprised to find that the Doctor looked pleased.

'Well, I'm going to have to disagree with that.' The Doctor looked at her pointedly, and Yaz didn't know where to look. With her free hand, the Doctor reached up and started fiddling with a strand of Yaz's hair. She curled it around her fingers, playing with it gently. Why had it got so hot again, Yaz tried to fathom.

Before Yaz could reply, she was relieved to see Ryan coming towards them. She waved at him, but her smile faltered when she realised he looked anxious. Her brows knitted together in concern. The Doctor caught her expression and turned to see where Yaz was looking. Ryan caught up with them, a little winded.

'Yaz, heads up, Danny's here.' Yaz froze on the spot.

'What?' She asked, face paling at the thought.

'He's here, I'm so sorry, I didn't know he was going to be here tonight. We can leave if you want?' The Doctor looked between her companions in confusion.

'What's going on?' She asked, tone worried and alert. Yaz was in shock, so Ryan answered for her.

'Yaz's ex is here.' The Doctor didn't know the whole story, but she immediately felt her shoulders square up in defence. Ryan's loaded statement spoke volumes, and she could tell it hadn't ended well between Yaz and Danny. The Doctor unlinked her arm from Yaz's, and held both her arms tightly, facing her to look at her.

'Ryan's right, we can leave right now. Have a fun night somewhere else. I won't have you upset.'

Yaz's expression shifted from shock to defiance in a heartbeat. She looked at her two friends, who were looking at her with concern. She shook her head.

'Nope, we're not leaving. We came here to see Ryan's mates play in a band. We came to have a good time. I'm not gonna let anything stop me.' She saw the Doctor's expression soften, and Yaz's heart leapt at the thought of the Doctor's concern over her happiness. Yaz was truly blessed to have her in her life.

They were interrupted by an awkward cough. The trio turned to see who was there, and Yaz's face fell. It was Danny Biswas, her unfortunate ex.

'Hey Ryan, Yaz. Long-time no see!' He tried to greet them in a jovial way, but it fell flat. Yaz tried to say something but she couldn't find the words. It had been so long since she'd seen him, she'd almost forgotten what he'd looked like. Tall, dark and brooding. Ryan scratched the back of his neck awkwardly.

'Hey, alright mate?' He tried to respond politely. Danny looked at him gratefully.

'Yeah, back from uni for a bit. How have you been?' The question had been directed at Ryan, but he was looking directly at Yaz. She glanced up at him, but as soon as she did she redirected her eyes back to the floor. She couldn't bear to look at him anymore. She just wanted the floor to swallow her up.

'Yeah, yeah, I'm alright.' Ryan replied awkwardly. He looked at the Doctor, mouthing the word 'help.' The Doctor looked between the three youngsters, assessing the next course of action. She glanced at Yaz, wanting nothing more than to bundle her up and get her far away from here.

'Danny, this is the Doctor.' The Doctor nodded in his direction, acknowledging his presence, but glancing back at Yaz with worry.

'Oh, and how do you know these guys?' Danny asked politely, totally aware that the Doctor was probably not going to warm to him. He was trying anyway. Before she could do anything, Ryan made a colossal mistake.

'Oh er, Yaz and the Doctor are going out!' Ryan blurted out, the first excuse coming to his mind. Yaz's eyes swivelled to him, practically bulging. The Doctor's response was the same, staring at Ryan as if he had grown three heads.

'What?' Yaz sputtered out. Ryan looked to the Doctor for help, realising his huge mistake. The Doctor was still looking at him, stunned, but she recovered quicker than Yaz. Danny was watching them all with confusion.

'Yeah, what?' He asked, perplexed.

'The Doctor and Yaz are going out, that's how we know her.' Ryan decided to run with the lie, starting to get over his shock at his own stupidity. Danny was looking at Yaz in surprise.

'I didn't know you liked girls, Yaz,' he spoke to her directly for the first time since the awkward conversation had started. Yaz looked like a deer in the headlights, paralysed in the moment. Luckily, the Doctor stepped in to save her the embarrassment of being unresponsive.

The Doctor put her arm around Yaz's waist, holding her closer to her side. She dropped a quick kiss to Yaz's cheek, and turned back to the ex.

'Well, I'm glad she does, because I am one lucky woman. Couldn't ask for a better partner in crime.' She encouraged Yaz to look at her. Yaz was completely mortified. It was one thing to bump into her ex. It was another to have to act like she was in a relationship with her crush, in front of her ex, because her best friend had panic-lied and none of them could back out at this point. Thanks Ryan!

Taking a deep breath, she looked up at the Doctor, searching for support in this horrible situation. Once their eyes met, the Doctor gave Yaz's hip a gentle squeeze where her hand lay. We're in this together, she said without words. Yaz managed a small smile, and brought her arm to rest around the Doctor's waist. They were now sandwiched together; a unit. Yaz mustered up all her courage, and faced down her ex, suddenly braver now the Doctor was at her side. She grinned at him.

'Yeah, she is a lucky woman. But I'm luckier.' At her words, the Doctor pressed another kiss to her cheek, letting her nose linger against her cheek for a few seconds before withdrawing. Yaz felt shivers round down her spine. Well, at least she looked convincing!

Danny looked so uncomfortable that Yaz felt like she could finally laugh. She felt a stab of smugness at seeing the tables turned, and seeing him be the one to feel awkward.

'Right, well, good for you Yaz! Glad to see you're happy.'

'Thanks Danny. I am happy.' And in that moment, she truly was. The Doctor pulled her closer to her side, and Yaz could feel the Doctor's protectiveness wash over her in waves. She grinned to herself.

With that, Danny Biswas turned away awkwardly from them and disappeared into the crowd that had grown larger since this strange conversation had begun. Once he was out of earshot, Ryan turned to them, apologies rolling off his tongue.

'Oh my days, I am sorry. I don't know why I said that, I just panicked…'

'You panicked? He's not your ex!' Yaz exclaimed. She should be angry, but with the Doctor's hand now tracing small circles at her hip, she just couldn't bring herself to care.

'I know, I know, but you're my mate Yaz, and I know what went down with you guys, and just couldn't watch you looking so hurt!' The Doctor's eyebrows raised, clearly curious about what had happened. However, she didn't press the matter. Yaz would tell her in her own time. If she ever wanted to.

'Oh well, he's gone now, no harm done!' The Doctor tried to emphasise, but was cut off by Yaz.

'Ryan, you just outed me to my ex! And I'm not…' She had been about to say gay, but she retracted her statement, just letting the words fall into the silence. She didn't even know what her answer was. She felt the Doctor freeze at her side, suddenly holding her breath. 'Y'know, it doesn't matter what I am, the point is you can't just go around telling people that we're dating.'

'I'm sorry Yaz, I really am! But if it helps, it looks like he believed it! And he looked gutted too, like he was jealous.' That piqued Yaz's interest – and her ego.

'Really?'

'Yeah, you guys are dead convincing as a couple.'

The Doctor and Yaz looked at each other.

'We are?' They said in unison. Yaz looked into the Doctor's eyes, like she always did, but there was something different in them this time. The Doctor's usually hazel eyes had turned almost black, as dark as the night sky. She was watching Yaz with something Yaz couldn't decipher. In that moment, she wondered what her own face looked like, as she looked into the face of the woman she loved.

Loved? Ah shit, there it is.