I know, I know - it's been a while since I've last updated, but today, after going through a bunch of everyday ish, I decided to get this done. XD Enjoy!

Five. And Then There's the Parent

"This is my dad's house," Clara said, shaking her head as the Doctor walked into the room. She was setting the table, trying to ignore the way the Doctor followed her every step. "So it is," he said, and Clara could feel him looking around the dining room. There was an obvious frown in his voice when he said, "Only, doesn't seem to be your style here…" Clara set down a fork and turned around to look at the Time Lord. With a sigh, she asked, "What are you doing here? And what exactly do you want?" Walking around the corner of the table, she added, "Because I only have a bit of time before my father and my grandmother and Linda come." She gestured at the Doctor with a spoon, continuing, "And it might take a while for me to explain to them what you're doing in their house. I can't exactly use any excuse."

The Doctor shook his head. Still, he circled around the table and said, "Remind me again what the point behind this get-together is, Clara." Clara pursed her lips and responded, "My relationship with Linda is still extremely rocky and my dad, being the kind of dad he is, wanted to have a dinner together so we could…bond." The Doctor grimaced. "Is this the first time your father has tried this sort of –"

Clara shook her head vigorously. "He's tried multiple times," she muttered indignantly. "Only still, it seems that he doesn't understand that both Linda and I have no interest in doing anything together whatsoever." The Doctor frowned. "Sounds awfully torturous. And dull," the Doctor stated. Clara nodded glumly in agreement, plucking at the tablecloth. "I could use some good luck for this," she murmured to herself. "Especially since it's Linda. I might just…slap her."

To Clara's surprise, the Doctor replied, "I can provide that luck."

Her head snapped up and at the Doctor's small smile, she let out a soft, "No." She walked up to the Doctor and resting her hands on his shoulders, she whispered, "Imagine if my dad walked in. Or my gran. Or even worse, Linda. She wouldn't shut up about it for weeks and weeks. She'd go on about something about insecurity issues or problems developing in lack of proper parental guidance or…" She wrung her hands. "No, Doctor; it's too risky."

"Risk? Is that your only excuse?"

Clara flicked a glance at the door. Hastily letting her hands drop, she hissed, "One minute. Because I swear to God, if it takes longer, you're going to be facing a very, very, very annoyed –"

"One minute, didn't you say?" the Doctor interrupted, leaning close to Clara. Sucking in a breath through her lips, Clara rolled her eyes. Without another word, she latched her arms around the Doctor's neck and pulled him towards herself. Her lips crashed into his and she frantically slipped her hands around his shoulders – down his back – and stumbled back against the table as he pressed forward.

"Doctor," she breathed, closing her eyes. "One minute. One minute." The Doctor didn't respond. Instead, his hands locked onto Clara's waist; the only things that could be heard were their breaths and the occasional sigh. And then, of course –

"Clara?!" three voices shrieked at once. Clara flinched, instantly letting her hands fall away from the Doctor. Both she and he whirled around to see Clara's father, gran, and Linda standing in the doorway, eyes all bulging and mouths wide open. There was a brief silence before Linda said, "Dave, I told you that something like this –"

"Clara, would you like to explain…?" Clara's father asked instead, gesturing to the Doctor. Clara braced herself. She glanced up at the Doctor for a second – for help, but he looked as equally stunned. (And that was certainly a first.) Clearing her throat, Clara folded her hands in front of herself and said, "Er…this is my gentleman friend."

Clara could feel the atmosphere of the room tense – not only was it from her family members, but it seemed to tighten around the Doctor as well – more confusion. Good. Clara couldn't help but to feel her lips twinge into a smile, even despite the fact that they were still stuck in a very undesirable situation. Clara watched as her father pressed his lips together. "Clara, would you like to explain this to me…somewhere else? Maybe outside?"

Clara shot a glance at the Doctor, who looked completely and utterly bewildered. "I'll be right back," she said to him, and feeling an unusual flash of rebellion (especially since Linda was right there), Clara stood up on the tips of her toes and pressed a quick kiss to his cheek before bounding out of the room, her father close on her heels.

"Please tell me you were joking when you said he was your – tell me this is some sort of new-fangled trend among young people. Or if this is a prank. If so, you got me, Clara," Clara heard her father say once they were in the privacy of the space outside of Clara's door. The brunette shrugged her shoulders. "It's not a prank," she replied. "I'm telling the truth." And there really wasn't any point in keeping it all a lie – especially since her father and Linda had just seen her kissing the Doctor, after all.

Clara's father's face fell. "But – he's – how old is he?" he asked. Clara folded her arms across her chest. "Well, he's…" her voice drifted. That, she did not know how to explain. ("Well, Dad, y'see – he's over two thousand years old. Yes, Dad, I understand that I'm still in my twenties. One hell of an age gap, yeah? But that's all okay.") She shrugged her shoulders again.

"Clara? This man isn't forcing you to –"

"Oh, God, Dad, no. It's nothing like that," Clara replied, shaking her head frantically. She hesitated and then, with a smile, she added, "To be honest, it's more like the other way around." As her father's frown deepened, Clara flushed. "Not in that way – no, Dad. He's completely harmless. To be quite honest, I think I'm the one he's a little afraid of once in a while. And not in a weird way, either."

"Clara…"

Clara quickly opened the door. "Aren't you hungry, Dad? Do come in – I've prepared a lunch and everything!"

A/N - And I also may or may not be watching Spirited Away. (My childhood - come back to meeee!)

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