Chapter Two

Clara looked up from the marking on her desk when she heard snickering in the classroom. She looked up suspiciously at the pupils who were supposed to be doing their work silently, she hadn't really been paying attention as she marked their mock exams from that morning but she half expected to see someone on their phone or someone throwing something else at another student. What she didn't expect to look up and see was a bunch of student immediately look back down at their work and do their best to try hide their smiles.

"I feel a B+ was rather generous, I'd have given a C maybe B-…"

Clara yelped and jumped up when the Doctor spoke from right behind her. He grunted a bit when Clara's chair was suddenly pushed back into him but otherwise stayed exactly where he was standing.

She shouldn't have been surprised, Clara thought as she sat back down not even bothering to tell the kids off now they were muttering and giggling at them with amusement. It had been like this for the past week – ever since she was attacked and called the Doctor for help. Not that Clara regretted that decision, though she'd had a lot of explaining to do when she finally answered her phone to Danny's call on Monday. The man was hurt that she had called the Doctor when she was hurt rather than Danny.

Anyway since then the Doctor seemed to be obsessed with making sure she was safe – especially while her arm was still in a sling. He was there before she went to work – they often had fights over whether or not she would walk to the school or he would take her in the TARDIS, the only time he ever won those fights was on Wednesday during a thunderstorm. He always arrived at the school at exactly 3:15PM to walk her home from the school too. it was odd to say the least, but despite his still gruff and grumpy attitude, Clara knew this was him showing her he cared an awful lot and she appreciated his over protectiveness while she was still feeling a bit unsure on her feet.

The Doctor asked her questions after she was at work on Monday. It had been everything in her power to stop him marching up to the two other teachers she had gone out with that night – Tina was the Religious Educations teacher and Ann was the office manager – to demand answers to why they left Clara alone and slightly intoxicated with a near complete stranger. No amount of Clara insisting it was partially her fault too was getting him to understand either so she'd relented and said he was allowed to walk her two and from the school if it made him feel any better. He still glared and growled at Ann when he saw her and he was practically livid when Clara told him sadly that Tina had decided Clara was the one at fault not her attacker.

Clara admitted she was a bit more than annoyed about Tina's reaction too and the pair hadn't spoken a word to each other since. Tension in the staff room was running high these days – Clara was waiting to see which of them was asked to take some time off – which was why she refused to take time off while her shoulder healed. Much to the Doctors chagrin.

Now watching him look over her shoulder at the tests she was marking she said with a raised eyebrow (it still hurt to raise it thanks to the eleven stitches in her head but that didn't stop her) "I think a B is rather reasonable considering they have read the book and you have not."

"I did so read the book!" the Doctor looked offended.

"Doctor I asked if you had read Jane Eyre and you said no, I asked if you were going to read Jane Eyre and you said no and I asked if you would leave me alone while I read Jane Eyre and you said no…" Clara was aware that a few of the students had stopped their work to giggle at their interactions, however it was very close to the end of school so she wasn't too concerned with them.

"I read it today. Your flat is very boring – it made even Jane Eyre seem exciting." The Doctor sniffed. "I have no idea what Bronte was thinking. If I ever meet her I'll have to ask why she insisted upon a book that tortured the poor minds of English students for years."

Someone whooped at the back of class.

Clara turned to the class "You can all pack away now, you've got five minutes until we leave." She turned back to the Doctor and hissed "No 'I'm secretly a time traveller' slip ups in front of the kids please Doctor, they're more likely to believe you than the usual adult crowed."

"I know" he smirked "But kids are also more likely to forget or assume it was something they dreamed about as they get older. I've said it before – remarkable perception filter you humans have."

"I'd still they rather didn't even get a hint about…" Clara took a deep sigh, was there any point even arguing?

The bell rang and Clara's class waited for her approving nod before they scarpered away already excited and shouting as if they were out of the school already. Clara stayed quite calmly behind her desk stacking the exams and making sure she'd marked them all. The Doctor watched her patiently – he'd gotten used to her after bell routine – his eyes where tracking her movements, the way the fingers twitched on her arm that was bound in the cast, the way her skin was slowly knitting back together under the stiches of her cut and the way the skin around the gash was slowly turning back to normal.

"Clara I was –"Danny Pink walked into the classroom and faltered at the sight on the Doctor standing behind Clara's chair. She'd jumped at the sound of his voice, causing a chain reaction for the Doctors spine to straighten and he tensed visibly as if expecting danger. Only his eyes calmed when they saw it was only Danny. "Oh. Doctor." Danny sounded put out already.

"Afternoon Danny." Clara's tone sounded rather clipped.

Her tone was enough to make the Doctor look down in surprise and Danny hesitate.

"Clara I was… uhm… look I'm sorry about earlier." Danny finished lamely, conscious that the Doctors eyes where tracking him and he was probably puzzling out whatever had happened between Clara and himself in his absence.

Clara paused her one handed paper shuffling and glanced at him. "Which part are you sorry about?"

Danny looked flustered "All of it of course… I was just… it's just been an emotional time and I guess we're both just…"

Clara sighed, knowing that while her emotional and physical pain where hers she'd be a fool to think it didn't have repercussions on those in her life. Which is why she'd of yet refused to tell her rather what had happened. "I know Danny but I was serious, can you please just give me a bit of space?"

Danny opened and shut his mouth, glaring from Clara to the Doctor clearly wanting to say something but he must have thought better of it because he left the room again without question.

"What happened with P.E?" the Doctor asked as soon as he stopped hearing his footsteps in the hall.

"Bit of a disagreement, let's leave it at that."

"Sure you don't want to talk?"

"Since when have you wanted to talk about my relationship with Danny – or anyone else for that matter?"

"Since you both started having a cryptic conversation right in front of me."

"Ah I forgot the great Doctor doesn't enjoy not knowing something does he?" there was a light tease to her voice.

He smirked "If I plead guilty will you tell me what was going on?"

She still hesitated, though she admitted it was more than a triumph for the Doctor to admit he had a tiny flaw of any kind. "We just had a bit of an argument. He touched me and… I didn't like it. I guess I yelled at him because Tina came into the staff room and well one argument went to another and Danny ended up leaving with Tina so…"

The Doctors jaw tightened and pule flickered in his cheek. "Remember when I said I don't really like P.E?"

Clara gave a slight smile as she turned to him in the corridor, he was holding her coat out so she could get her good arm in without using the other arm and she was locking up the classroom door. "It's okay I'm not exactly fond of him right now either."

They started walking back to her flat together, one of the streets Clara turned her head a fraction and said to the Doctor "It is Wednesday you know."

"I know, but I am not fond of the idea of you going on any kind of adventure with your arm in that sling and head all stitched up and bruised."

"We could go somewhere relaxing?"

"Don't know if you noticed but no matter where I go there is some kind of danger." He hooked an eyebrow as he looked down at her.

"That's what makes it fun!"

"You are impossible!" he rolled his eyes.

"I thought you already knew that when you called me your impossible girl?" Clara rolled her eyes right back at him.

They walked in silence for a little while before the Doctor finally sighed and looked down at her again. "If you're up for it we can take a short – and I mean short – trip to Victorian London. I'm not going to lie, the other day the psychic paper picked up an interesting message from Vastra. Something about a vanishing train."

"Sounds interesting." She looked excited "How would we hide my sling though? Or will I have to transfer my nice comfy one for a dirty fabric one?"

"I'm afraid you're going dirty fabric doll."

Clara paused for just a moment "Did you just call me Doll?"

"Would you prefer ghrá?" the word rolled off his tongue in a Scottish brogue – she assumed it was something he picked up while reading all the Scottish books the TARDIS had suddenly acquired when he became obsessed with his new accent.

"I have no idea what it means, but I prefer it to doll" Clara relented.

The vanishing train mystery was over by the time the Doctor landed – Clara was half sure he timed it exactly so there would be little to no adventure. Not that Strax was a disappointment in storytelling. After they'd asked exactly why Clara turned up so bashed and bruised – accusing looks where given to the Doctor when they asked – but Clara brushed aside the story and insisted they tell her about this vanishing train.

Which lead Strax, Jenny and her to be sitting in the kitchen. Clara was helping Jenny cook while Strax gave his own ludicrous version of the vanishing train – Jenny was quietly correcting him under her breath.

Vastra and the Doctor had retired to Vastra's wicker decorated green room – hardly able to see each other amongst the potted foliage, the Doctor wrinkled his nose in distaste at the smell Vastra's glass of thick red liquid – it was defiantly not wine. Vastra seemed amused at his obvious distaste.

"So what exactly happened to poor Clara's arm and head?"

The Doctor clenched both his fists, ground his teeth and replied once his sudden anger past. "She was attacked. Stupid humans, absolute pudding brains with no respect…"

Vastra looked amused "Why Doctor I would have thought you would know that the humans can be perfectly good predators."

He gave a disgusted snort. "I think I prefer a predator like yourself Vastra. You hunt for food. However Clara's attacked was of a sexual nature…"

Vastra's eyes widened, her own rage flickered, but she kept calm and collected. "Well. In that case I agree with you that humans can make inexcusable predators." She paused her sip, taking in the Doctors appearance. "I fear the real problem here is how you are taking the attempt on your companion? You are quite used to them getting into danger with you – but in danger without you, in a situation you cannot control and are unfamiliar with… how are you handling it Doctor? Because Clara appears healthy enough."

The Doctor snorted but deflected her questions easily. "Healthy enough, ha! She had a fight with her… her boyfriend because he touched her. I'm not exactly sure how he touched her but she disliked it enough to cause quite a fight. I would not call such physiological damage healthy."

"Such damage would be expected Doctor." Vastra nodded understandingly.

"I know that." He growled with a fierce frown and an eye roll. "Apparently her boyfriend did not."

"You don't like that word 'boyfriend' do you?" Vastra gave a sly smile "Not jealous are you Doctor?"

He stood abruptly and turned to start pacing the room with a flare of his jacket, the red lining flashing. "Pah! Me, jealous?" he growled "What do I have to be jealous of?"

"Well assuming her lover is in fact human also… you might be jealous that Miss Clara has found someone normal to love, to share a normal life with. Perhaps you are worried that Clara's mate will convince her to leave you and let you travel alone again Doctor before you are prepared to leave her behind?" Vastra sounded smug as she hid her mouth with the glass she drank from.

The Doctor stopped pacing long enough to glare at her. "It was my decision that Clara forgot about perusing anything with me."

"But did you really believe she would stop and find someone else?"

He threw a glare her way again. "Of course I did. My stupid other self was the one who hoped. I am not so blind."

"So what do you see now Doctor?" Vastra was watching him calmly, knowing that with well-placed questions she had always been able to coerce the Doctor into revealing his deeper plans, feelings even. His previous self had fallen for it ever time – but she hadn't dealt with this Doctor before, this new man with the accent and angry face and cold attitude. This man knew when to shut up and glare.

Or when to deflect with an insult. "I see a very nosy lizard woman."

Strax knocked on the door at that moment, thankfully interrupting the conversation. "Madame, this is a coach outside requesting to speak with you. Should I allow them in or shall I eradicate the intruders?"

"Allow them in Strax – it is a new case. Will you and Miss Clara be staying?" Vastra asked the Doctor as Jenny and Clara came in, Jenny putting down a tray of tea and Clara carrying a tray of scones in her good hand.

The Doctor was going to say no, he was going to take Clara back to twenty-first century London, take her to the physiotherapy class for her shoulder and get her to bed. But when he looked at her he caught her eye, her face. Her cheeks redden a little, her eyes glinted with excitement. Usually this was an expression that only appeared on her face as they grinned at each other over the console of the TARDIS on their way to a new planet and a new adventure. He loved the expression, he hadn't seen in since before her attack, and he gave in to it without much argument. "Alright, let's take a look. I hope its interesting."