Chapter 7: Welcome Home

Clara wasn't sure how she made it out of the grocery store after her encounter with River Song, but she found herself shutting the car door after getting into her seat.

Gwen hadn't commented on Clara's clearly forlorn expression when she had helped her load the groceries into the boot. Instead, she waited until they were safely tucked into the cab. "Okay," she finally said. "I think you'd better tell me what happened before we get back."

"It was River Song," Clara said numbly. Her mind was still reeling from the information bomb that River had just left her with. Matt and she had a history? They knew each other? More than knew each other, it seemed—they were together? The thought of it left her a tad nauseous, and she longed to be able to ask him directly.

"What?" Gwen squawked and began scanning the car park. "Is she gone? Did you see where she went?"

Clara shook her head. "No. She…she told me that she and Matt are a couple—that they have a history. She said that if I stayed away from him, she wouldn't tell Simeon where she found me."

Gwen let out a frustrated sound and started up the car's engine. "Shit. We need to get you back to the house now. Call Owen and tell him what you told me—tell him to have everything packed up by the time we get there."

She began to pull out her phone before glancing at her friend. "Gwen? Drive faster, would you?"

The engine roared as Gwen silently pressed her foot down.

"River Song? The woman who took you to the warehouse?"

Clara nodded and shifted in her seat. She was at the dining table of her latest safehouse. This one was a small flat just outside of London. It was only just big enough to accommodate her and Ellie—Gwen and Owen stayed in the flat across the hall.

Her therapist, Vastra, whom she'd been working with for just shy of five months, sat back into her chair with a huff.

It had taken a while for Clara to open up to her—as burned as she had been in the past by other providers in the mental health space—but the longer she'd spent with the woman, the more she'd grown to like and even trust her.

"My, my, how did that feel? Seeing her?"

Clara let out a shaky breath. "Terrifying," she answered truthfully. "Though, I was surprised. I had thought seeing her would send me into a tailspin. Perhaps a year or so ago, it would have—but I've been okay. A little paranoid, maybe, but no flashbacks."

"What about nightmares? Or voices?" Vastra asked.

She shook her head. "No to both. And I can't say I've noticed any symptoms of psychosis since I've been in protective custody."

"That's good." Vastra gave her a smile as she leaned forward to place her elbows on the table. "I know that's something you were concerned about. What do you think prompted that change?"

Clara sucked in her lower lip as she considered her therapist's question. "I can't say, really. Maybe being a mother? Maybe these sessions or a change in medication? Or maybe Dr. Jones lies went deeper than I ever knew." She shrugged. At one time it would have felt paranoid for her to suggest such a thing, but after everything Clara had been through, she could no longer discount any possibility.

Vastra considered her for a moment. "How do you feel about what River told you?"

"Jack explained about their history," she said. "He told me about their most recent—ah—encounter." She shrugged. "It hurt, obviously, but I can't fault Matt. He thinks that I'm…that I'm dead." What she didn't say was that it still stung to think that Matt would ever be with someone like River Song—someone who was so much the opposite of her. She just couldn't picture her Matthew with someone like River.

"What do you make of her threat?"

Clara felt her shoulders droop as the weight of her sadness surrounding her separation from Matt fully came forward. "I don't know that it matters. It's not like I could see Matt right now even if I wanted to. Not safely, anyway. Her threat changes nothing."

"It did force you to have to uproot your life again, though, I'm sure that's something."

She shrugged again. "I'd say I'm getting used to that."

"Being resilient doesn't mean we don't feel upset when we have to make unexpected changes, Clara," Vastra prompted. It was a saying she was fond of during their sessions. "As you yourself just said; it hurt to hear that Matt entertained another woman."

Her jaw ticked, but she kept herself from flinching away as the thought of Matt and River as a couple brought forth more images she didn't want to consider. "It did, but Jack told me that they were over a while ago. River lied when she implied that they were currently a couple."

Vastra nodded and glanced up at the clock on the wall. "We're nearing our time. I want you to consider what I said about resiliency between now and the next time I see you."

Clara nodded and stood to walk her out. "I will," she promised.

Clara hadn't been able to keep herself from crying when Jack showed up on her doorstep weeks later with a rucksack and a sad look in his eyes. She'd known why he was there before he said anything—they'd prepared for this as a possibility.

"Oh," she said, and let him walk in so he could put down his rucksack and take Ellie from her.

"Yeah." He nodded. "That detective Smith was better than I gave her credit for. She was so bound and determined. I wasn't going to get away unless I gave her something. This was the only way to protect the two of you." He looked down at her daughter's face then with a sad smile.

"So where are they sending you?" she asked and had to swallow down the lump in her throat as she watched him trade silly faces with Ellie. Her daughter had grown attached to her uncle Jack. It was going to be difficult for them both without him.

"They want me to track down River Song," he answered. "They suspect that'll be the best way to end all this if Simeon gets taken out."

Clara nodded, and quickly took the two steps between them to pull him into a one-armed hug. "We'll miss you," she said as tears pricked in her eyes.

"Hey now, none of that." Jack kissed her temple and swiped one of her tears with his thumb as she pulled away from him. "It's not forever, Clair-bear."

She granted him a smile, though her lips trembled. "I hate it when you call me that."

He laughed and handed Ellie back to her. "No, you don't," he said with a wink. He picked up his rucksack then and headed back for the door. "I don't think it'll be long now. We've got them on the run. Just hold on tight, yeah?"

"I promise," she answered as she caught the door for him. "See you soon?"

He gave her another wink. "Sooner than you think."

Clara was surprised when she heard Gwen's coded knock on her front door late into the evening. By this point, Clara was capable enough of protecting herself that Gwen and Owen had started to trade shifts every six months. Clara hadn't expected her to return for another three months or so.

"What is it?" she asked as she let Gwen inside.

Her friend gave her a sad look and took her hand to pull her over to the couch. "First off, before you ask, Matt is okay." She let out a slow breath. "There was an incident. From the report I received, it seems as though Jenny snapped. Rose and David got caught in a house fire recently—they're okay." Gwen was quick to reassure Clara when her eyes widened. "It was suspected the Silence had something to do with the fire. Anyway, Jenny revealed herself to Matt—told him that she'd killed you. And then she seemingly called River to the same warehouse that she took you. We're not entirely sure how, but according to the report, Simeon and others from the Silence showed up, and in the gun fight that followed…"

Clara felt her heart twisting and tears pricked at her eyes. She didn't like the sound of Gwen's voice. "What happened, Gwen?"

Her friend reached out to take Clara's hand again. "The rest of your family was taken into custody by Torchwood as soon as Matt called a Detective Smith that we've been monitoring, but…Jenny died, Clara. She was shot by the Silence before we could get to her."

Clara brought her free hand up to her mouth as shock and sadness ripped through her body. In her mind, she could see pictures of Jenny as she had known her flash by. A bit of Jenny's smile, her hair, the way her eyes would light up when she ran in to hug Clara. She had felt so grateful to finally have a sister when she'd married Matt, and so accepted by Jenny. She had wanted so badly to tell her that her efforts had not been in vain. That she had saved Clara's life. Now, she would never get that chance. It was just one more thing in the long list that the Silence had stolen from her.

She felt anger, then, and although tears had threatened to fall just moments before, they were now replaced by a stony expression that crept across her features.

Before she could fully think through what she was about to say, the words were out of her mouth. "I want to join Torchwood," she said.

Gwen blinked as she tried to catch up with Clara's train of thought. "But Ellie—"

"You said everyone else is in protective custody, yeah?" Clara asked, though it wasn't really a question. "I'll go to Rose and David. When I'm working, Ellie can stay with them just like your daughter stays with your in-laws." She stood, then, and walked over to her small closet to pull out her duffel bag. "It would be better for Ellie to know her grandparents, anyway. They're the only ones she has."

"Clara, I understand that you're angry, but Jack—"

"Gwen!" She regretted shouting the moment she heard Ellie's cry come over the baby monitor. She let out a slow breath, and tried to tamper down the hot anger that was coiling into her stomach. "I need to do this, Gwen. I can't sit idly by while they take everything in my life that was good. It's my fault that the Silence has been able to cause so much pain for Matt and his family. If I hadn't just told someone what was happening before River took me into that warehouse, none of this would have happened. Jenny would still be…" Her lips quivered, but she shook her head as she paused in her packing to walk toward Ellie's bedroom, not sparing Gwen a glance as she passed by. "I'm doing this. You can either help me, or I can get Owen to do it."

By the time she had swept Ellie up into her arms and come back out to resume packing, Gwen was already completing the task.

She looked up at Clara with resolve in her eyes. "C'mon then," she said. "We have a lot to do."

It had taken surprisingly little convincing to get Torchwood to instate her as an agent. Clara supposed that shouldn't be such a shock, she'd been aware through Owen and Gwen that they were low on agents and desperate to recruit people since they'd begun enforcing a policy that prevented them from recruiting teenagers. A tactic that the Silence had not given up.

Soon enough, Clara was issued her own badge and a firearm that Gwen promised to train her how to use. She had felt nervous at the thought of holding, let alone shooting, a gun but it didn't cause her to waver in her resolve to be an agent. She would get used to it as she had gotten used to all of the other things she'd never thought she would have to do while on the run.

And now, here she was on the doorstep of the remote cottage that was being used as Rose and David's safehouse. She hesitated once before knocking, and looked down at Ellie as she did so. Her daughter giggled when she caught her eyes.

Clara couldn't help but smile back down at her. "Well, I'm glad one of us isn't nervous."

It was Rose who answered the door. Clara wasn't sure what reaction she was expecting, and she'd envisioned a whole spectrum of them. But in none of her visions did she imagine that Rose would immediately rush forward to gather her up in a tight hug before even saying hello. She supposed it was silly that she hadn't seen that one coming.

"Clara, how is this possible?" Rose stepped back to look into Clara's face with tears in her eyes. "We thought you were dead!"

"Rose?" David's voice echoed as he walked up behind her. "Who's that—oh." He paused before a wide, bright smile spread across his face and he, too, lifted Clara up into the air in a fierce hug. "Clara Oswald! Alive after all. Suppose I shouldn't be surprised, I always knew you had a fighter's spirit in you!"

She felt a lump come up into her throat as David sat her down. She nodded, and glanced down at Ellie, who was still in her carrier. "Alive and with someone for you to meet." She looked up into their surprised faces, then. "I know you both must have a million questions," she said. "And I'll answer every one of them, but…can we stay with you?"

Without missing a beat, Rose nodded, and helped Clara pick up Ellie. "Of course you can. Come in and we'll make some tea."

Soon enough, the four of them were settled in the Tylers' lounge with hot mugs in their hands. There was something innately comforting about being in Rose and David's presence, and though Clara had much to explain, she felt herself become more relaxed than she'd been in months.

Rose cooed as she held Ellie in her arms. "Oh, Clara, she's gorgeous. Is she yours?"

Clara nodded and swallowed down another bundle of nerves. "Mine…and Matt's."

To her utter relief, this information didn't seem to faze either of the Tylers. "Oh, of course she is, look at those eyes," David said as he offered Ellie one of his fingers.

"Did he know?" Rose asked.

Clara shook her head. "I didn't even know until I woke up in hospital after they pulled me out of the warehouse." She chuckled. "She was certainly a surprise."

"What's her name?"

"Ellie May," Clara said.

"Ellie May." Rose smiled down at Ellie. "How spoiled you'll be while you're here, little Ellie." She stood when a timer went off in the kitchen and handed Ellie back to Clara before rushing off.

"So," David said. "If you're here and not with Matt, I assume it's for a good reason." He cocked an eyebrow. "Care to share what that is?"

Clara bit down on her lower lip. "I got a visit from River Song not so long ago. She warned me to stay away from Matt. I want to go to him, I do, but it's just not safe yet. I have a plan, though. I've signed on with Torchwood to help track down the members of the Silence. I couldn't just sit by without doing anything to help, I would've gone mad."

She half expected David to protest her decision, but he only nodded. "Which is why you've brought Ellie to us."

She nodded. "Well, that and I wanted her to be around her only remaining grandparents." She rocked Ellie as her little girl began to drift off. "If she can't be with all of her family yet, I want her to be with some of them."

They both turned as Rose called them into the kitchen.

"Right then," David said as he helped her to her feet. "Best tell us everything that's happened since we last saw you. And Clara." He gave her a grin that caused his eyes to crinkle at the corners. "Welcome home."