*Hey guys, Chapter 9 is here. I'll try and update earlier tomorrow, I keep forgetting. I'm nearly finished and I have about half an ending plan, I'm working on it. Anyway, in this chapter, the Doctor and Clara prepare to introduce him to her friends. I hope you enjoy reading as much as I'm enjoying writing and as ever, thank you to everyone who has read, reviewed, followed and favourited. TPD*

For a few days after the Dalek incident, the Doctor wouldn't let Clara out of his sight. They had the week off of school and they spent the entire time in Clara's apartment. The Doctor refused to leave Clara alone for more than a minute. They hadn't spoken about her being exterminated, but it hung over them, a grotesque elephant in the room at all times. The Doctor was tiptoeing around her and she knew it, but there was nothing to be done about it. As the time came for them to go back to school, Clara found he was just as bad. Every couple of hours, he'd pop into her classroom to make sure she hadn't been abducted. When they finished work, they would go back to the apartment rather than the TARDIS. The old girl hadn't been on a run out since the Daleks and Clara sensed she wasn't going to any time soon either. Jack popped round every now and then to check that they were both doing alright and he was shooting Clara sympathetic looks. It was driving her insane. Two weeks after the Dalek incident, she finally decided to corner the Doctor after he asked if she wanted him to join her when she went to go and buy some food from the local supermarket.

"Doctor," she snapped, losing her temper as he asked for what seemed like the fourth time. "I'm a grown adult, I'm perfectly capable of picking up some food and seeing as all you really want is fish fingers and custard and Jammy Dodgers and are otherwise completely fine with whatever I buy as long as it isn't apples, I really don't see any need for you to come." She softened. "Doctor, I'm fine, really. I know you're worried I'll get hit by a bus or something on the way but honestly, I don't need you to look after me."

"But I have to," he told her weakly. "Clara, I should have lost you on that Dalek ship. And it would have ripped me apart. I can't risk losing you again, however it happens. And if that means I have to spend every waking second guarding you from muggers and cars and Daleks, then that is what I will do."

"Doctor," Clara smiled at his dedication, as irritating as it was. "You're suffocating me." She'd meant it to come out better than that and the look on his face said it all. "I love you Chin-Boy but I can't spend every second being guarded. I need time alone, to go shopping or to teach or just to go out and see friends. And I don't want to keep you trapped here."

"I'm not trapped here," he lied. "I just want to spend more time in your life, without disrupting it."

"That's a lie," Clara pointed out with a chuckle. "You want nothing more than to jump into that TARDIS and fly me away to God knows where. It's killing you not to be able to. But you're terrified that we'll land in a war zone or get attacked or poisoned by crazy aliens. You want to show me the stars. But you're scared of what the stars will do to me."

He hung his head in resignation. "The stars mean nothing without you beside me to see them," he informed her. "But you're right, I have been overly protective. But in my defence, you were shot by a Dalek. Nobody survives that. Except you, my impossible girl. My Clara."

He hugged her tightly and she kissed him as the hug broke. She giggled as he turned his attention to her jumper, wrestling it off her back and Clara glanced at her watch and swore.

"As much as I would love nothing more Doctor," she giggled as he nibbled at her neck. "I have to get to the shop before it closes in an hour and we have no food. And don't even suggest what I think you're about to suggest. We can't just hop in the TARDIS every time an everyday problem arises. We'll get intolerably lazy. I'll be back soon, I promise."

The Doctor grunted his approval and she kissed him again passionately as she slipped out of his arms. The shop was only a short walk away and she liked the mid-November air, so she didn't bother with the bike that the Doctor had given her as a present when they'd escaped his time stream. She personally thought it was an apology but she paid it no mind, the Doctor was always bringing her lavish gifts from far away planets that were romantic and alien in equal measure. Clara was so lost in her thoughts, that she didn't see Jenna until the two girls were almost level and Jenna squealed, pulling Clara into a huge hug. Clara grinned and responded. Jenna was an old friend, but since the Doctor had pitched himself into Clara's life, she'd not spent much time with Jenna. Clara clocked the engagement ring on her finger and her eyes bulged.

"Look at the size of that rock!" Clara gasped, as Jenna let her go. "Did Simon finally pluck up the courage to make an honest woman of you?"

"Yes I know!" Jenna was beaming. "It's incredible isn't it? I was going to save the announcement until your birthday do on Saturday, when all the girls are together. Who else is coming?"

"Karen, Billie, Catherine," Clara ticked them off in her head. "Alex, my friend Tom from work and…" she paused at this and Jenna's head shifted. "My boyfriend," Clara conceded eventually. She hadn't said anything to the Doctor but it seemed stupid not to invite him. "He's a teacher like me, but that's not how we met," Clara gushed as Jenna smirked. "He's the most amazing man I've ever met, I can't wait for you to meet him."

"I'm excited," Jenna replied. "How come none of us have heard of this boyfriend? Where have you been hiding him? How long have the two of you been together?"

"Well I've known him a while now," Clara answered as honestly as she could without including the time travel bits. "But it's only been a month or two since we started dating. I've been so wrapped up in school and him that it never seemed like the right time to bring it up. But everyone's going to meet him this weekend, so it'll be great."

Clara realised what she'd just said and went pale. Jenna didn't miss a trick. Her friend smirked knowingly and put an arm on Clara's shoulder.

"Nervous?" she teased. "It's okay, most blokes are rubbish at doing the girly meet and greet, I'm sure he won't embarrass himself too much."

That wasn't what Clara was worried about as such. It was more that the Doctor would slip up or pull some extravagant stunt that would make a mess of things. She trusted him more than anything, but she wasn't entirely sure she could trust him to meet her friends. Still, there was nothing to be done now.

"He's just a little different," Clara conceded. "Brilliant mind, absolute genius. But he says odd things and does odd things. I mean he treats me like a princess and he understands me better than anyone. And I understand him, for the most part. But he's not the sort of guy you want to meet your friends," she chuckled.

"Well I'm sure you'll whip him into shape before Saturday," Jenna giggled. "Anyway Clara, it's been amazing to catch up, but I'm guessing you've got to get to the shop before it closes and Simon is cooking tonight, so I'd better be getting back. We're at the Frog and Potters on Saturday at 8pm right?"

"Yep, that's the one," Clara informed her, nerves suddenly wracking her like never before. "I'll see you there!"

Jenna nodded appreciatively and waved as she and Clara headed in their opposite directions. Clara felt a tiny bit ill as she walked but reminded herself that the Doctor loved her more than anything and would do whatever he needed to in order to make her birthday special. And, if she was being honest with herself, that was exactly what she was worried about…

"Clara?" the Doctor called as she stumbled in the door, shopping in hand. "I thought I'd make you something to apologise for being so overprotective recently!" he ran up, pink apron on and took the majority of the food off her. She smiled wearily, appreciative of his efforts. He grinned like a maniac as she slumped down on the sofa, and he brought her a blanket for her to wrap around herself. It reminded Clara why she loved the Doctor, all he thought about was her. They could be staring down a million Cybermen and his first thought would be to whether she was okay, nothing else. She could see how much the domestic life had been driving him insane in recent weeks, but he had put himself through it in case there was even the slightest chance of her being hurt.

"Tada," the Doctor grinned and Clara looked up to see a perfect soufflé on a tray. He placed it in front of her and tentatively Clara bit into it. Her mouth watered and she could feel tears welling up inside her at the taste of it. It was the soufflé. The soufflé she'd been trying to make as long as she could remember. This was it. Her mum's soufflé. Down to last detail. She looked up at him, a teary smile stretching across her face. She leapt up and kissed him and he kissed her back, the flail no longer his instant flex. She hadn't noticed that change. She almost missed the flail, but the more confident edge the Doctor had brought to their passion was somewhat exciting to deal with in the bedroom. After a moment, he broke off from her and smiled, his eyes full of care. "I didn't make that for nothing," he teased. "Eat up."

Clara flopped back onto the sofa and indicated for him to join her. He slipped in alongside her and threw his arm around her almost lazily. She dug her spoon and offered him some. He politely refused and she narrowed her eyes at him, so he opened his mouth obediently and she slipped in the soufflé. He enjoyed it almost as much as her, she could tell, but he wanted her to have the soufflé for herself. He didn't understand that in some cases, you don't want to have the most beautiful things all to yourself. Then, Clara realised who she was talking about and looked at him. This was the Doctor. He shared beautiful things for a living. As Clara finished the soufflé, she knew she had to broach the subject of the weekend.

"Doctor," she started cautiously. "I've kind of made arrangements for Saturday, seeing as it's…you know?"

"Your birthday?" he replied casually. "Yes I noticed. Your friend Tom informed me there was a shindig of sorts. I thought I'd take you out during the day and drop you off in time to spend time with your friends. I can't be entirely selfish on your birthday after all. Will Dave be making an appearance? If so, I know a great little planet where I can hide out until it's safe to reappear. Or I can just stay in the TARDIS if you prefer, I don't want to mess up the time lines. I've been very careful to leave the temporal engines off." He smiled warmly, and Clara got the sense he was desperate to please her.

"No Doctor," she sighed and took a deep breath. "I was kind of hoping you'd meet my friends. Like properly meet them. My dad won't be around, but I was really hoping you'd meet him to. At some point. Soon. Maybe. I want them all to meet my boyfriend."

"Oh." The Doctor had gone pale and had started fidgeting with his bow tie. "I mean I'd love to, Clara. But aren't you worried about what they'll think of me?"

"Just be yourself," Clara smiled. "Not the you that spouts alien garbage but be interested. Show them you care about me. If they see how much we mean to each other then nothing you do is going to put them off. And besides, I love you. That's what matters."

"I love you too," the Doctor replied. "I just don't know what I'd say. How I'd act. I really don't want to screw this up for you Clara. I mean, they're your friends and I'm desperate not to be all…me."

Clara wrapped her arms around the Doctor and pulled him in close to her. She rested her head on his shoulder and kissed his neck gently, causing him to blush.

"Doctor," she said softly, almost whispering in his ear. "You are the most important person in my life. And you are amazing. I mean you're insane and alien and all that, but you have to understand that I find that endearing and loveable. I'd rather you were yourself and screwed it up than felt like you couldn't be comfortable around me. Because I love you for you. Bow tie, warts and all."

"Warts?" the Doctor looked confused and leapt to his feet. "I have warts? Clara why didn't you say something earlier? I need to take a trip to Amalgomase V and get myself some anti-wart cream before…"

The Doctor turned and realised Clara had exploded with laughter on the sofa. She lay there, shaking, desperately trying to stop laughing. He didn't understand the joke until he caught sight of his reflection. He was, in fact, not covered in warts. He pulled a face. It was probably another stupid earth saying. Last week, he had spent a good few hours trying to establish whether or not there was a chip on the shoulder of one of the children in his class until Clara had pointed out it was just a saying. He glared as imposingly as he could at Clara, who was still in fits of laughter and unable to sit up. The Doctor straightened his bow tie and leant over her, tickling her relentlessly. Clara squealed in between laughs and cried for mercy.

"Please…stop…I can't…breathe!" she laughed, until the Doctor finally relented and she managed to regain her breath. He was still sat on top of her, her face only a few inches from his. "Hi," she whispered.

"Hello Clara," he replied, his voice sending a shiver down her spine. She wanted nothing more than to take him there on the sofa. The soufflé was done, what was stopping her? Clara never found out what was stopping her as it became abundantly clear that nothing was stopping him. His lips met hers, softly at first, barely a tickle. Then again, still softly but longer. Then, they crashed together, her leaning up to meet him, a ferocity to the kiss now as he bit her lip hard and she gasped in pain, but loving every second. She responded by yanking his hair and his own hands went to work down her top. She grinned breathlessly as their kiss intensified and she rolled him so she was on top, pulling her top over her head and starting on his belt. His own hands had found her waist and were moving south.

"Down boy," she teased, barely able to control herself as he moved in for the kill. "I said no," she snapped playfully, slapping his hands away. She pinned him now, her own hands keeping the Doctor's pinned by his side, as they kissed furiously and she rubbed herself against him in a grinding fashion. He gasped as she removed his trousers and now that his hands were free, he pulled hers away. Clara giggled but playfully swatted him away. Then, there was a knock at the door. Clara slipped and fell, tumbling off the Doctor and the sofa. She scrambled to her feet, desperately throwing her top back on and praying that she didn't look too disgruntled. She smoothed down her hair as much as she could. The Doctor flounced for his trousers as Clara went to the door, not expecting it to be anyone she couldn't shoo away.

"Oh!" she exclaimed, shock in her voice and the Doctor could practically hear her blush. He hopped into his trousers as he stumbled after Clara, pulling them up as he entered the corridor. When he saw who was at the door, the Doctor's face went as red as Clara's. "Hi dad."

"Hello Clara," Dave Oswald had an eyebrow raised. "I was in London for a meeting, thought I'd come to wish you a happy birthday. I know it's not for a few days but I was hoping to stay the night so we could catch up. But it seems, you have…company?"

"Ah yes. Company. Pull your trousers up!" she hissed to the Doctor, who hadn't had to deal with Clara's daddy moods before. She normally was so calm about anything, but the presence of her father had completely thrown her. He'd rarely seen her so flustered. "Daddy," Clara started, in a syrupy sweet voice. Oh boy, this was going to be brutal. "This is the Doctor. He's my…uh…"

"Kissing partner!" The Doctor intervened with a grin. Clara shot him a look. "No sorry, gentleman friend?" Clara looked like she'd rather he had let the Dalek kill her. "Companion?" Slightly better. "Boyfriend?" the Doctor tried finally. "Yes, that's the one?" Clara at least now looked less murderous. Dave on the other hand…his eyebrows had hit the ceiling. "Ohh that's where Clara gets the eyebrow thing from!" the Doctor grinned, shaking Dave's hand despite the other man's reluctance. Clara had gone white as a sheet.

"Can I get you a cup of tea dad?" she asked in a very high, un-Clara like voice. "Doctor? Kitchen? NOW."

The way she said now made the Doctor think that obeying Clara was probably the wisest course of action, so he shot Dave a warm and goofy smile as Clara guided her father onto a sofa and dragged the Doctor into the kitchen. Clara thumbed the kettle on and then paced, biting her lip furiously. The Doctor put a hand on her cheek which earned him a look but she didn't throw him off. He kissed her forehead as she sighed deeply.

"Look Doctor, I know I said all that crap about being yourself, and it doesn't matter if my friends like you. But this is my dad. And he's going to hate you. So you'd better brace yourself and prepare for damage limitation. Seriously," she said with a deadly look on her face that wiped the smile off the Doctor's. "I mean it. He's caught us in a compromising position, there's no going back from that. I remember once, when I was 17, he caught me in bed with Ryan Bernstein and called the boy's parents. Ryan was so embarrassed he never came over again."

"Well," the Doctor chuckled. "It's a good thing he can't call my parents isn't it?"

Clara giggled despite herself and as the kettle finished, she finished making her dad his tea, while the Doctor busied himself making a plate of Jammy Dodgers. Clara smiled at that. They re-entered the lounge. Clara's dad had taken off his coat and settled down his travel bag.

"Dave," the Doctor asked him. "May I offer you a Jammy Dodger?"

"That's Mr Oswald to you."

"Dad!" Clara hissed, desperate to keep the peace between them. Clara sat next to her father, with the Doctor in the chair opposite. He had tried to sit on Clara's other side, but the alarmed look on her face and the warning look on Dave's told him it was safer to retreat to a safe distance. "Be nice! He's no Ryan Bernstein."

"No," the Doctor chipped in. "I don't have parents to call!"

"Doctor," Clara was using her irrationally high voice again. "Shut up. Please. Sweetie?"

The pleading tone to her voice shut the Doctor up. He sat in silence, nibbling on a Jammy Dodger like a naughty child waiting for his parents to punish him. Clara was desperate to try and find a way to resolve this without it turning ugly.

"Why don't you head on home, Doctor was it?" Dave snapped. "I'd like to talk to my daughter, if that's alright?"

"I'll just nip back to the TARD-apartment," the Doctor jumped to his feet and hurriedly corrected himself as Clara shot him a life-threatening look and shook her head.

"He's going nowhere," she said forcefully, wilting under a look from her father. "I mean, he's my boyfriend and he basically lives here anyway, so he's staying. I love him dad. Really."

The Doctor tried to look sheepish, as Dave's face softened at the sight of his daughter's own sincere face. He shot the Doctor a look and nodded as if to say the Doctor could sit down. He did as instructed and Dave smiled at Clara, a true fatherly smile.

"So you love him then?" Dave sounded resigned. "I suppose it has been a while since you've been close to anyone. And you are nearly 25; I can't protect you from the world forever. That responsibility lies with you now Doctor."

"Dad," Clara whined as the Doctor saluted. "I don't need the Doctor to protect me!" He coughed something that sounded vaguely like Dalek at this point and she shot him a venomous look. "If anything it's the other way around," she teased. The Doctor spluttered for words before hanging his head in resignation. "We've been together for a while now, a couple of months almost. And he really does treat me like I'm the only person in the world who matters!"

"That's because you are," the Doctor interjected, looking puzzled. Dave smiled at this. "I mean, you're the only person in my world anyway."

Clara breathed a sigh of relief as Dave seemed to relax. It looked as if she was going to get away with this without anyone needing to tissue a bloody nose. And it wouldn't be the Doctor punching her father…