As soon as she ran out of the lecture room, Clara had one objective in mind: to return home and just lie down in bed watching a mindless drama. Her mind was going haywire. She felt as if she was slowly descending into madness after what transpired earlier in the day.

As she drove her motorcycle into the driveway, she froze when she caught sight of a familiar figure sitting on the steps of her house.

The man smiled warmly at her and rose to his feet, a bouquet of flowers in his hand.

"Danny," she said, wondering what the hell her boyfriend was doing here. He should be in London and not standing in front of her.

"Hey," he greeted and approached her. "I wanted to surprise you… I felt bad about our previous talk and thought I'd come down here and spend some time with you," he explained. "Only got a few hours, though, before I have to catch my train."

The last thing she wanted to do right now was spending time with her boyfriend, or anyone for that matter. She needed to relax and think clearly. Hell, there's even more scripts that needed to be marked. More importantly, Clara wasn't sure how to look at Danny in the eyes. She had just kissed another man a few hours ago and liked it.

She forced a smile, accepting the flowers. "This is… quite the surprise."

He frowned, noticing right through her. "You're not happy that I'm here."

"Of course, I am, don't be ridiculous," she laughed. Was it that obvious?

Danny still wasn't entirely convinced that his girlfriend was all that pleased. She seemed annoyed and distracted, he observed as he trailed behind her into the house.

Regardless, as soon as they were inside, he bent down and gave her a quick peck on the lips.

Just as Clara thought, there was no spark. She really wanted to prove herself wrong but got a different conclusion instead. One she wasn't entirely pleased about.

Mr Darcy raced down the steps and greeted his owner by rubbing against her leg. The feline completely ignored the school teacher.

"He still doesn't like me," the former soldier commented as he followed her into the living room.

"He's always like that with everyone except me," Clara lied, in an effort to prevent her boyfriend's feeling from getting hurt. "So, what brings you here anyway?" she asked, searching for an empty vase in one of the drawers.

Danny furrowed his brows in confusion. "I wanted to surprise you."

"Oh, right, yeah," she answered automatically.

"Is everything alright, Clara?"

"Yes," she answered immediately. "Just had a bit of a crazy day at work," she explained, unsure of why she had trouble mentioning about the kiss. It was an accident and just a small matter.

"You want to talk about it?" he asked gently, grabbing her hand and caressing the back of it with his thumb.

She sighed and pulled her hand away. Where should she begin? "It's the Doctor, he-"

Danny's comforting smile immediately dropped, and Clara was the one now looking confused.

"Why are you staring at me like that?" she inquired.

"I don't understand why you have to mention him every time we talk," Danny complained. "Maybe you should just quit-"

"You were one asking me to talk about my problems," she snapped. "And what do you think will happen once I quit?"

"It's not like another job is going to fall from the sky," she added angrily.

Their relationship had been strained since Clara moved away and it wasn't about to get any better from the looks of it.

"I can't do this anymore," he sighed, shocking her. "It's as if you don't care about our relationship."

"What?" she stated. "I do-"

"I just can't believe anything you say anymore – you rarely answer my calls and texts, and just can't stop mentioning this 'Doctor'."

First the Doctor and now Danny. She sunk down on the sofa. "I'm sorry, but I just lost track of time, the research the lectures, the bet," she said by accident.

Danny tilted his head slightly as he stared at his girlfriend. "What bet?"

"Oh, that, well, there's this bet... that I made… with the Doctor-"

He raised both his arms in resignation. "That's it, I don't think I want to find," he announced and massaged his forehead. "Maybe we should just take a break."

Clara couldn't believe her ears. No doubt it will lead to a break-up. "Danny…"

"No," he said, shaking her hand off his arm. "Maybe it will give you enough time to think whether I'm your boyfriend or if the Doctor is," he said gently with a sad tone. "It certainly feels like the latter."

"Danny, wait," she said, following to the door.

"I'll call you… whenever that is," he stated before stepping outside.

When she could no longer see him, she angrily slammed the door shut, causing Mr Darcy to flinch and hide underneath the sofa.

Clara silently wiped her watery eyes. Fine. They might as well break-up. She knew it was coming but ignored the signs and assured herself she was just overthinking. Here she is now, shedding tears.

She sniffed and hugged herself, leaning against the door for support.

Her pet meowed before running up to her and purred, rubbing his head against her ankle.

Clara laughed at her cat's attempt to cheer her up. "Come on, Mr Darcy," she said. "Let's get a tub of ice-cream, put on my pyjamas and stay in bed all day long."

The Doctor pulled his vehicle into the driveway and as soon as the car came to a halt, he killed the engine but didn't immediately leave. Instead, he quietly observed the massive bike parked next to his home.

He wondered if she truly felt something more than hate for him, especially after what Jack had mentioned.

John exited the vehicle and entered his home quickly since it was getting colder by the second.

Idris merely stared at her master from her bed as he took off his jacket and scarf, too sleepy and lazy to greet him.

"Have you been sleeping all day long?" he inquired, getting on one knee and softly rubbing her head.

She purred.

After an early dinner, the Doctor decided to retreat into the study and pick up his guitar. The musical instrument kept him company whenever his mind wasn't at ease.

His fingers strummed the strings, playing random tunes.

Admitting that he fancies Clara made him feel a bit better, though he hopes that Jack would keep that a secret. There's no telling when it comes to that lunatic.

The Doctor smiled in amusement as he wondered how his sister would react to the rumour. She's probably figured out what truly happened in the lift.

He leaned back against the office chair and glanced out the window. It was pitch black outside, but he could still recognise a neighbour's car, Clara's bike, and something that caught his attention immediately. There were two individuals on a scooter just in front of her house.

John slanted forward to get a better look at the two men who dismounted. They wore all black with helmets covering their faces. One of them approached the front door while the other was on guard.

He set the guitar against the wall and pulled out his phone, calling the police.

After the brief call, he debated whether to stop the thieves. He doubted he could do much, but he didn't want anything untoward to happen to Clara, so he raced downstairs and ran out.

Never in his life had he encountered a thief before, and he wasn't entirely sure what to say or do when he stood in front of her house. The door was ajar and lock completely broken. Silently, he stepped inside and immediately spotted one of the robbers.

The man had his back facing him as he was busy rummaging through the drawers.

"Hey!" the Doctor growled, startling him at first before he faced him.

While John was distracted, the other man, who was halfway through upstairs, quietly descended down the steps, and produced a knife, sneaking up on him.

"I've always wondered why there's a correlation between pudding brains and petty theft."

As the man with the knife finally planted both feet on the ground, ready to attack the Doctor, the weapon was kicked from his grasp, sending it flying into the living room.

John turned around and saw Clara swinging her helmet at the man. He even heard a cat hissing.

The other thief took the opportunity to charge towards him, but he easily flipped the man and pushed him down to the ground, knocking the wind out of him.

With his partner knocked out, the other thief dashed for the door and ran to the scooter.

"Are you alright?" the Doctor asked, stepping over the unconscious man.

Clara merely nodded, despite her whole body shaking. "Yeah," she said. "Where did you learn to do that?" she asked in amazement.

He shrugged. "Spent a year in Japan some time ago and learned aikido."

"Used to teach taekwondo to a group of Year 7s."

"Nobody asked," John retorted, in an effort to calm her nerves. "I mean, it's good you did."

They heard sirens in the background.

When John took a good look at Clara, he noticed that her eyes were puffy and red and that her hands were still shaking. He furrowed his brows. "Are you sure you're fine – you look like you've-"

"Don't," she warned, eyes filled with anger.

"Um, I think you should drink some water – would you like some?" he asked. It was the least he could do after she saved him from getting stabbed and possibly murdered.

"Yes," she whispered, leaning against the railing of the staircase for support while John rushed to the kitchen.

The police finally arrived when he came back with a glass of water.

The thief was arrested and hauled into a police vehicle while Clara and the Doctor gave their statements. A small crowd eventually gathered around, consisting of concerned and nosy neighbours.

"We've actually been after these two for a month now," said the officer. "You actually knocked one of them out cold."

"He was about to attack me," John stated.

"Thanks to you, we have a suspect and I'm certain we'll apprehend his partner soon," continued the police officer before he turned to Clara. "Would you like to have a police vehicle parked outside your home?"

She shook her head. "No, I doubt he'll come back."

"Yes, but it's not advisable for you to be alone since the lock is completely broken," argued the officer gently. "Maybe you could stay with a friend or relative," he finished before walking away.

The Doctor and Clara were finally left alone, while Mr Darcy lingered in the kitchen, drinking some water from the bowl on the floor.

John cleared his throat and hid his hands in the pockets of his trousers. "If you don't have anywhere to go, you can always have my sofa," he offered.

His colleague stared at him as if he had declared his love for her. "Just this morning, we were throwing insults at one another and now you're helping me?"

"You… um… saved my life, remember?"

Suddenly, Clara smiled smugly. "I guess I did, didn't I?" she said. "You owe me."

"Yes," he growled. "Why do you think I'm offering shelter to a now practically homeless woman and her pet cat?"

The smug look never vanished from her face. "I'll go get some of my belongings."

At least she has something to distract her mind.

He crossed his arms and stood tall in the hallway. "Be quick about it before I decide to lock you out."

"Need I remind you that you owe me?" she stated, going upstairs.

After ten minutes of waiting and impatiently pacing around the living room, he finally saw her emerging from the staircase, Mr Darcy following his owner. "Were you looking for things or making them from scratch?"

"I just needed to get some important stuff, alright?" she retorted, lifting the black backpack.

"Fine," he sighed. "Ready?"

"No, not really," she replied, causing John to roll his eyes. "If you lived in Japan for a year, does that mean you can speak Japanese?"

"Yes."

"Prove it."

"Look, let's just go," he grumbled, walking out of the house. He spotted Mrs Taylor staring at them. "Can I help you?" he half-shouted from across the street and she scurried away.

Clara crossed her arms. "No need to be rude to her and just say something, come on – I've never met anyone who spoke Japanese before."

"Watashi wa anata ga suki desu."

She was impressed at how he spoke fluently. "What does that mean?" she asked, shutting the door after Mr Darcy stepped out.

"You're an elf."

Clara pursed her lips, thinking he was insulting her yet again. "Are we seriously getting into another argument, Dr Pouty Face?"

The Doctor could only glare at her as they now stood in front of his home. Damn his inability to lie.