It would be several years until Clara saw the Doctor again. Dani was born the next summer, a beautiful, happy, chubby baby she was. She looked so much like her father. Clara found love again, at least for a short while. Clara and Dani were happy with Thomas, an exceptionally ordinary man who worked in construction. After a while they had Ellie, she was born in the winter, and seemed to be tougher for it. The relationship between Clara and Thomas didn't last however, and they split on amicable terms. Clara got sole custody, but Thomas would now and again take his daughter and step daughter out for a treat. These trips would, however, become rarer as time went on.

Clara was happy, and so were the girls. For Ellie's 6th birthday, Clara got her a locket she'd found in an antique shop. She'd just walked by it one day, and there it was. It almost didn't have a scratch on it, which let Clara know that her youngest would probably wear that locket every day, because the very first time she'd seen it, it had had scratches all over it. Clara had gotten Dani a similar locket for her 6th birthday as well, three years earlier. Ellie was so excited when she opened her present, as she had been eying her sister's locket for years.

They lived a happy, carefree life. Clara enjoyed teaching, and both girls were very clever, and thrived at school. To be honest, Clara hadn't thought of the Doctor in a very long while, when she heard a familiar sound late one night. The girls were asleep, and Clara was up doing some marking for her English class and suddenly, there she was again. The TARDIS. Over nine years it had been, for Clara at least. Who knows, maybe there would be a brand new Doctor to emerge from his box. Clara stood up, and felt oddly nervous. She wasn't sure why, but the last few times when the Doctor had come to visit, it had turned her life upside down. The TARDIS doors opened, and Clara stepped inside.

There he was. Didn't look as though he'd aged a day, really. Same grey hair, same button-up shirt and black coat.

"Hello Clara", he said with a smile. "I imagine it's been quite a while since you saw me last."

Clara couldn't help but smile. "Yeah. Nine years it's been, Doctor. I've got my girls now. Both strong, beautiful little girls."

"I'm glad", the Doctor said, still smiling. "Of course, for me it hasn't really been long at all. It's only been a few months since I last saw you, you know. Have you put on a few pounds?"

"Oy!" Clara exclaimed, slapping the Doctor on the hand with a bit more force than necessary. "I've had two children you know. Not to mention that I've gotten nine years older. Let's not forget that you aged 30 years in a sneeze."

"Yes yes, let's not lose focus now", the Doctor said, starting to push buttons.

"Whoa, wait what are you doing?" Clara asked. "I can't go anywhere, the girls are asleep upstairs!" The Doctor looked confused. "I'll have you back in five minutes. Literally!"

Clara gave him her best 'Oh, really' look.

"Doctor. You don't really have the best track record when it comes to arriving on time. I once asked you to come, and you arrived two weeks later!"

"Ah, yes, but that wasn't my fault, you see, River asked me to visit a planet where the ground is covered in sink holes – don't ask. Anyway, I got stuck in a hole, so did River by the way, and it took us a while to get out, and when we did the local life forms started worshipping us as gods. River rather liked that of course, but it turns out that they sacrifice their gods to higher gods, so naturally that also took us a while to get out of."

Clara had to smile at that, the Doctor was still the Doctor, going on adventures with his wife (wasn't she dead?) and getting himself into trouble.

"Doctor, seriously, I can't come with you. It's my turn to say no this time. I have to stay with the girls." Clara stood with her arms crossed, looking the Doctor straight in the eye.

"Well, can't they come with?" The Doctor asked, as if it was the most natural thing in the world to take two girls of 6 and 9 in a flying time-space machine.

"What?" Clara asked. "What will I tell them? Anyways they're sleeping."

"Just wake them up then. Tell them it's a dream, a strange, wonderful dream."

"Are you serious?"

"Well, yes", the Doctor replied. Clara considered it for a moment. She had missed travelling with the Doctor, however much she enjoyed being a mum and teacher. And she so wanted her girls to see the universe.

"Alright", Clara said. "But nothing dangerous, no dodgy disappearances or murders, no crime to be solved. Just something wonderful, and then straight back home."

"Deal", the Doctor said. Clara jumped a little and squealed, and then ran out of the TARDIS to get her girls. She ran into their room, and gently stroked Dani's cheek.

"Wakey, wakey pretty girl. We're going on an adventure!" Dani stretched contently and yawned.

"Mum, what time is it? It's still dark out!"

"It doesn't matter, let's go!" Dani smiled at her mother and started to pull on her socks. Clara reached up to the top bunk where little Ellie was sleeping, although when Clara looked at her daughter's face she could tell that she was definitely not sleeping.

"Ellie Angela Oswald, are you still awake?" The little girl opened one eye and looked at her mother.

"Well, I wasn't, but then I heard a noise, and it woke me up! It was the strangest noise mummy, it was like this", and the girl tried to imitate what was obviously supposed to be the TARDIS noise. Clara grinned at her clever daughter and planted a big kiss on her cheek.

"Never mind little turtle, we're going on an adventure! Put on some shoes and a coat", Clara said as she lifted Ellie from her bed and placed her on the floor.

The three of them went into the living room, and the girls gasped at the sight of the big blue box. Clara couldn't stop grinning at the looks on the girls' faces. She held them each in one hand, and led them into the TARDIS.

"Oh my gosh", Dani said. "It's much bigger on the inside, did you notice?" The older girl asked her little sister. Ellie seemed to consider this statement for a while.

"I thought it was just smaller on the outside", Ellie replied.

"See I told you, spitting image of her mother that little one", the Doctor said. He stood by the control panel, smiling widely at Clara and the girls.

"Girls, I'd like you to meet a friend of mine", Clara said. "This is the Doctor. And this is his space ship."

"It's nice to meet you!" The girls said almost simultaneously. Ellie even threw in a little curtsey.

"Well, it's very nice to meet you too", The Doctor said as he was leaning down a little to be at their eye level. "You know, I've known your mother for a long time. And by the way it isn't just a space ship. This ship can go anywhere in time and space."

"Anywhere?" Ellie asked excitedly. The Doctor nodded, and proceeded to press buttons and pull levers.

"Remember, Doctor, nowhere dangerous, yeah?" Clara reminded him, her hands on her daughters' shoulders.

"Don't worry, my Clara", the Doctor pulled the screen towards her. "I found a perfect place."

The Doctor had actually found a place where there was colour changing flowers. The girls were delighted, and ran around in the field for hours. The Doctor and Clara watched them, both with smiles on their faces.

"Clara..." the Doctor started. Clara waited for him to continue, but he seemed to be at a loss for words.

"Doctor, what is it?" she said with a little laugh. She was so happy right now, watching her girls having such a good time, picking flowers and squealing with joy when they picked one and it changed colour right there in their hands. Clara had a whole bouquet beside her with flowers that the girls had come running over to give to her. And she was with the Doctor again. It really felt like she had been travelling with him forever.

"Clara I... There is something that I have to tell you. Or rather, it is something that I feel I should tell you."

"Go on", Clara said, although she had a sinking feeling in her stomach.

"All those years ago, when Ellie gave you the locket and when she said that she missed you. There is something to it. Something huge."

Clara felt the colour drain from her face, and she glanced over at the girls to make sure that they weren't listening.

"What is it, Doctor? Am I going to die?"

"We're all dying, Clara. Especially you humans, your lives are exceptionally short you know."

"Please, Doctor", Clara said closing her eyes and taking a deep breath. "Tell me."

"I don't know if you die. But I do know that circumstances make it so that you will not be with them for a while. I don't know for how long, I don't even know if it's a fixed thing that can't be changed. All I know is what I have learned from your daughters in the future and certain connections I have."

Clara cried silently beside the Doctor. The pain in her heart was almost unbearable. Leaving her girls? Not being with them for a long time?

"Why?" she asked the Doctor. "Why do I have to leave them?" Then a more pressing question came to Clara's mind, a question that was almost too painful to ask.

"When?" She said quietly, looking down at the colour changing bouquet she now held in her hands. The flowers were gently transitioning from blue to a fiery orange.

"Ellie has told me... That it will happen just before her 7th birthday", the Doctor said softly and without looking at Clara.

Clara let out a sob. Ellie's 7th birthday? That was only a few months away! No, no, this was definitely not happening.

"Change it", Clara told the Doctor. He looked up at her with an apologetic look.

"I'm not sure I can, Clara. I'll try of course, but..."

"No, you won't try, you will do!" Clara was getting upset now, and cross. She was hurting so bad, she felt as though her heart would break if she looked up at her girls.

"Change it! Please help me, Doctor! Please help me, help my girls, what will they do when I'm gone? Oh god, you know don't you", she said suddenly, looking up at the Doctor. "What will happen to them?" The Doctor sighed, and finally looked Clara in the eye.

"They will be okay. I promise."

Tears were running down Clara's cheeks. She couldn't believe what she was hearing.

"Well, I'm not planning on going anywhere. So, whatever you've heard... I can change it. I'm not leaving them!" She forced herself to look up at Dani and Ellie, and she covered her mouth to quiet the sob that she couldn't stop from coming out.

"Can you take us home, please?" she asked the Doctor as she got up and called the girls to her.

"Of course. Clara, I'm sorry..."

"Don't!" Clara held a finger up in front of her. "Just take us home, okay?"

Clara put the girls to bed, and they fell asleep almost instantly, they were so tired from the running and laughing and flower picking. They each had a handful of colour changing flowers beside them in their beds.

The TARDIS was still in the living room when Clara came back out. She quietly opened the door, and went inside. The Doctor was sitting in a chair, head in his hands.

"So, where are you off to now?" she asked, her voice shaking, The Doctor looked up, gave her a little smile, and said: "Oh, you know. Places to see. Species to save." Clara nodded.

"I will change it you know", she said. "I'm not going to leave them." The Doctor smiled a sad smile.

"Of course, Clara", he said as he got up and kissed the top of her head.

"You don't believe me, do you", she said silently, with sadness in her voice. "You don't think it's possible." He looked at her intently, as if studying her.

"You're my impossible girl, Clara. If anyone can do it, you can. I'll see you later."

Clara still had tears in her eyes and a catch in her throat, so she just nodded again, and turned around and walked out of the TARDIS.