Thank you so much for the reviews :) I'm glad you're enjoying my story. You know, I could just add a bit explaining what is going on in the Doctor's mind – but nah. It's more fun if you guys don't know. We'll get there eventually.

Chapter 8

Clara opened her eyes slowly, glancing at the alarm clock next to her bed. Damn! She had overslept! She jumped out of bed, ignoring the dizziness from getting up too fast and ran to Isabel's room. She had to wake her, make breakfast and make sure she got to school on time. Clara knocked on the door, but there was no answer.

"Come on, Isabel. Time for school!"

"Good morning," the Doctor's voice greeted her from the other end of the corridor. He seemed calm, which didn't fit Clara's current mood at all, "Don't worry. I already dropped Isabel off. Breakfast is also ready."

"Okay," she eyed him suspiciously as she walked past him and down the stairs.

Clara couldn't help but marvel at the Doctor's change in demeanour. At first he had been very adamant to leave at once, refusing to help Vastra and Jenny. Now he was best pals with Isabel, even getting along better with her than Clara did. She would have never admitted it in front of him, but the Doctor was rather skilled at babysitting a wayward teenager. But what confused her most of all was his behaviour towards her. Sure, she had expressed her feelings for him before they had arrived here, she had told him she wanted him to be nice to her, show her that he liked her, too. Yet the Doctor acted in such an odd way that Clara couldn't be sure whether he really meant it. The unexpected kiss, last night's question. The last thing she wanted was bringing it back up. She wasn't keen on explaining to the Doctor why it had completely baffled her and by no means did she want to answer it. But she had to know. . .

"Doctor," she said as they were about to start breakfast, "What's your agenda?"

He looked up from his croissant. "I beg your pardon?"

"Why are you being so nice?"

"I thought it was what you wanted of me, being nice. Also living like a human being is kind of boring, I need a hobby."

Clara regretted asking immediately. How did she even expect any good to come of it? He was the Doctor. He was this odd, alien being who viewed this as a nice diversion and nothing more. She could have slapped herself for even thinking for a second it had something to do with her. As much as she wanted him to be like John Smith again, it was about time to realize that that man was gone and the Doctor would never change.

"You know, I've been thinking about you and Isabel," he continued, "I think you should try to bond on a more casual level."

"Mh-mh," she uttered and took a bite off the croissant.

"You should pick her up after school and take her for a coffee, maybe even shopping. You women love to do that, right?"

Clara laughed. "I don't think I brought enough money to take her shopping."

"It'll be my treat. You two go crazy," he threw his sonic screwdriver at her, which Clara caught at the last instant, "Just sonic an ATM."

"That's technically stealing," Clara countered.

"Tell that to Isabel. She'll love it," the Doctor winked at her.

OOO

The school ground was filled with parents, ready to pick up their children, when Clara arrived. Her school hadn't changed much since the 70s and it was odd coming here and not go inside to teach. The bell hadn't rung yet and Clara figured it would still be a couple of minutes before Isabel would come out.

"You're new," a man of Clara's age had suddenly joined her in front of the school ground and smiled at her.

"You're right," Clara's eyes examined the man who had approached her and decided she could just as well kill the time with small talk, "How did you know?"

"Well, I've been picking up my daughter every day for the past few years. You get to know the faces. I take it your child goes to school here now?"

"Not exactly. I'm babysitting for a friend who's gone out of town for business, although babysitting is not quite the right word. Isabel is 15. I'm gonna take her shopping today," Clara answered.

"Uh, 15. I'm actually dreading that age. Anna, that's her name, is 10 now. Quite the sweet kid, but she can be feisty when the mood strikes. I'm Randall by the way," he offered his hand, which Clara shook immediately.

"Clara," she replied. She was about to add "Smith" to her first name, since it was her cover identity after all, but decided to not mention it at all.

"And your husband, is he around, too? I'd like to meet him," Clara watched Randall's gaze wander around, but she had seen this behaviour so often, it was obvious he was not really looking for her husband, or boyfriend, but wanted her to tell him she was available.

"I'm not married. How about your wife?" Clara decided to jump into the game, even if it was just for fun.

"Ah, the wife-question. She left when Anna was four. I don't miss her, to be honest, but the older Anna gets, the more complicated it is for me to play both mother and father. There are some questions ahead of us and I'm not keen on giving the answers."

Randall smiled sheepishly. Clara heard the school bell ring from a distance.

"Listen," he said as Clara wanted to move ahead to pick up Isabel, "Do you want to get coffee some time?"

Clara turned around and saw Isabel in a group of girls. She really wanted to leave now. Randall was cute and obviously a very nice guy, but how was she supposed to tell him that in 1975 she hadn't even been born?

"Randall, I'm sorry. I think you're nice and I'm sure there is a woman out there who would love to be your girlfriend and Anna's stepmother, but I'm not this woman. I won't be staying here for very long, weeks, maybe a month or two. Also I'm kind of seeing someone," Clara explained nervously. She looked over to the group of girls, but couldn't spot Isabel any more.

Randall laughed. "Calm down, Clara. I wasn't asking to marry you on the spot. I just want to take you for a coffee, that's all. No strings attached. And if the man you're kind of seeing is against a simple coffee with a man who could really use some female insight on how to raise his daughter, maybe you shouldn't be seeing him."

Clara frowned at him, a slight smile forming in the corner of her mouth. Maybe it wasn't such a bad idea after all. He was nice, he seemed as if he could really use some female advice and she would get a free coffee.

"You know what, why not?"

Randall suggested to meet at noon the following day, in a small diner close to the school and Clara agreed that she would be there. After they had said goodbye, Clara turned around to look for Isabel, but she was nowhere to be seen.