The Trick To Not Falling In Love

Chapter 3

"The trick is...don't fall in love. I did that trick quite a lot, sometimes twice a day."

The story of how Clara Oswald had to use that trick to stop herself falling in love with the Doctor...and how it didn't quite go to plan.

I'd skipped out of the TARDIS like I usually do when the Doctor drops me back after an adventure and called to him "Goodbye!" before walking into the Maitland's foyer.

I looked into the big mirror on the wall and tossed around my hair a bit. "The boss. Yup, that's me."

We'd just had a rather tiring day out in Victorian Yorkshire, where a woman called Mrs Gillyflower had frozen us in a place called Sweetville whilst trying to wipe out the human race. This had meant I'd spent a lot of time that day in a very uncomfortable Victorian dress, unconscious. And when I was conscious, I'd met the Doctor's slightly unusual friends. After what I'd seen so far, it couldn't exactly get much weirder, could it? One of them was a lizard woman called Vastra, another was her human wife Jenny and the other was a little butler guy that looked like a potato called Strax. From what I gathered he was pretty obsessed with destroying things.

We'd decided to sign up for Sweetville so we could investigate after a man had told us that crimson-coloured people were turning up dead in the lake. Of course, we didn't think that we'd get caught as fast as we did.

"Clara, we're going to have to be married." The Doctor had said as we waited in queue to get signed up.

My heart skipped a beat. "I beg your pardon?"

"Well, she's not going to let in two singletons is she? No no, Mrs Gillyflower wants perfect families, so we'll need to pretend that we're married. Is that okay?"

I swallowed. "Why wouldn't that be okay? We're not going to be actually, properly married, right?"

"Right, yes. Come along then, Mrs Smith." He'd chimed, taking my arm. "The queues moving forwards."

And for the rest of the morning, we'd acted like that. Arm in arm, grinning at each other like an in-love young couple. And you know what? I'd be lying if I said that I hadn't enjoyed it. Because I did. But not a lot. Just a teeny-tiny bit. I was definitely not falling for him. It was just…nice.

After a long, tiring day of saving the world I was finally home, so I walked into the kitchen to see if Angie and Artie were about but they didn't seem to be around. Artie had left one of his toy transformers on the work surface and as I was alone I started playing with it.

"I am the boss." I said in a comical voice, making it move. The Doctor will never live that down, telling me I'm the boss. Big mistake, chin boy.

It was then something on Angie's laptop which was sitting on the dining table caught my eye. I straightened up and stared at it before walking over to the table and sitting down in front of the computer. Pictures of The Doctor and I filled the screen. On the soviet submarine, in the haunted house and many others. I started to panic. Uh-oh, this can only mean that…

"It's you, isn't it?" I heard the sound of Angie's voice come from behind me. "It's from the seventies, but it's definitely you." She came and stood beside me with her arms crossed looking at the picture taken in the haunted house. Artie then appeared on the other side of me joining his sister.

All I could do now was try and lie myself out of this one. "Course it's not."

"And that's you too." Artie said, clicking on the Soviet submarine photo. "1983, I found it at school."

He found it at school? Does this mean children are studying photos of me for their history projects?! The Doctor is in big trouble. I thought.

"No, that's just someone who looks like me." I knew I sounded incredibly unconvincing.

"That's someone who looks like your boyfriend." Angie said, pointing to the screen.

Ever since the Doctor met the kids once when he popped round to pick me up, Angie had automatically presumed he was my boyfriend. Stupidly, I hadn't denied it. I thought it was an easier way of explaining why a weird man was constantly coming round the house and taking me on dates. Wait, were they dates? No, definitely not dates. Outings. And if it was different circumstances I would not have let the kids believe that he was my boyfriend. I don't like the Doctor in that way, Remember? I'm not falling in love with him.

"Is he an alien?" Artie asked. I put a finger to my lip nervously, trying to think up a good excuse for these photos.

"Why would he be an alien?" Angie queried.

"Chin." He replied.

I'd grinned. Ha, chin boy.

"And the time travel?" Angie asked, clicking on an unfamiliar looking picture of me.

I'd leaned forward and examined it. What? That can't be me. I've never posed for that photo or been there. "That's not right."

"You're in Victorian London." Angie commented.

"No, I was in Victorian Yorkshire!" I blurted out before I could register what I was saying. Damn damn damn. I could feel the smirks emerging on the faces of the children behind me. I'd just admitted it. Nice one Clara.

"How come you didn't tell us?" Angie said.

"Time Travel! That's so cool!" Artie exclaimed.

"Can we have a go!?" Angie begged.

"Can we have a what?" I turned towards her helplessly.

Artie turned me towards him. "We want a shot at the time machine!"

I turned back to Angie. "No no no no! Listen-"

"Okay…" Angie interrupted. I could tell she was about to blackmail me. "Or, we'll have to tell Dad that our nanny's a time traveller."

I looked between them. Oh no, if George found out, god knows what trouble that could cause.

"Fine." I sighed, giving in. "But I'll have to check with the Doctor first…I can't promise anything."

"Yes!" They both hissed together before sharing a high five.

I got up from the table to head to my room. "But you'll have to finish all your homework before hand. Otherwise there'll be no time travelling for anybody!"

With that they ran into the living room to find there school books and I walked up the stairs. I'd really not been expecting to come home to that. I needed a lie down.

-x-

"Pick up, pick up, pick up!" I muttered into my phone as I paced up and down my bedroom later that evening.

The phone was ringing but The Doctor was being slow picking up the call.

Suddenly I heard a voice from the other end. "Clara! Clara, what's wrong? Is everything okay?"

He sounded incredibly out of breath. "Are you okay Doctor? You sound like you're dying over there."

"Well actually, I just ran to the console to pick up the phone from the top floor of the library, so yes, I am a little out of breath. What is it? What's wrong?"

"I'll tell you what's wrong mister! There are pictures of us all over the internet!"

"What?"

"Photos of us…with Alec and Emma…and in that Soviet Submarine. Angie and Artie found them and now they know that we're time travellers!"

"Oh."

"Oh!? Doctor! You've got to make sure none of these photos get leaked again! Otherwise I'm going to start turning up in the kid's history textbooks! Imagine them explaining that to all of their friends!"

"Ah…I see. Sorry Clara, I'll make sure it never happens again."

"And there's something else."

"What?" The Doctor asked, his breaths were now returning to a steadier pace.

"Can you come over tomorrow? I kind of promised Angie and Artie that we would take them on a trip."

"What?! No no no Clara! No little'uns on board. Definitely not!"

"Doctor! This is all your fault in the first place. They told me if I don't take them for a ride in the TARDIS they would tell their Dad that we're time travellers! You don't realise what sort of trouble that could cause!"

I sighed and fell down onto my bed. "Please Doctor?"

I heard him sigh from the other end of the line. "Oh alright. Fine, but no funny business. One trip only. Oh…actually...I've just thought of the most brilliant place to take them! I know a great theme park called Hedgewick's World of Wonders…the kids will love it!"

I grinned to myself. "Sounds great. Thanks for this."

"No problem. See you first thing tomorrow!"

"Night Doctor."

"Sleep well, Clara."

I ended the call and lay on my bed, thoughts of the Doctor whirling round my mind. I'd found that as time went on the more I couldn't stop thinking about him. Everything I did I thought of the Doctor. Previous conversations, things we'd done, or just him. The way he always tries his hardest to make me happy or to make sure I'm okay. The way he teases me and gives a flash of his amazing smile using that big chin. The way he makes me laugh so hard and brightens me up at the hardest of times. The way he never stops amazing me every single day.

I started off as his world but now he's become mine. I tried really really hard, but I knew what was happening. I was falling head over heels in love. And it hurt, because I knew that no matter how protective he was, this time he wouldn't be there to break my fall.


*A/N: I spent all evening writing this as I know I haven't updated for over a week due to how busy I've been lately! I've decided I'm going to try and get another chapter on for tomorrow/tuesday to say sorry for the long wait! probably 2 or 3 more chapters to go on this fic as I don't want it to get too long and boring!

Tell me what you like and don't like about this fic in the review!

thanks for reading x*