AN: Set directly after Chapter 722, "Imagine Me & You". I've also added the date to the top and will be doing that going forward because it's hard to find the publishing dates retroactively. I'm saying this again, but I'm currently re-uploading 3D9C to AO3 so that I have a better archive of it (there were actually no surviving copies of the first 937 chapters, so if FFN went down, it would be gone - not the case anymore).

In fact, the reason I've written this at all is because I want to put it into the AO3 version when I get to it. And also, this is Clarenny's first kiss, something that was previously never written; there weren't even drafts of it, I wrote the whole thing last night.

7th January 2024

MISTAKES

The TARDIS, Day 97

(Beta) Clara didn't know what she was doing. She paced up and down in her bedroom, having accepted an invitation from Jenny that had disaster written all over it. The Doctor's daughter – her best friend's daughter. Could she really do this?

Fine, Jenny was compelling. She was toned to within an inch of her life and Clara had seen her make use of that phenomenal core strength by walking around the TARDIS on her hands half the time – but it was a betrayal, no doubt about it.

Every time she told herself she'd stop lying to the Doctor, she found herself tangled up in an even bigger web, her life sailing completely off course since…

No.

She couldn't do it. She'd only lost Danny two months ago.

Her other flings were nothing, completely meaningless; she'd been so drunk she couldn't remember their names and going by the lack of calls and texts her phone got, they were paying her the same courtesy. But today? Clara was stone-cold sober. What was her excuse? That Jenny was gorgeous? Yes, she was. But that wasn't a good enough reason – and nor was Jenny's hair. She didn't believe for a moment that Jack would make her shave her head if she lost this bet.

There was a knock on the bedroom door. Clara's heart was in her mouth, and she bit her tongue. Usually, she was so confident when it came to sins of the flesh, but her resolve was thoroughly weakened without alcohol in her system.

She had to answer, though. She had to answer and tell Jenny no, that nothing could happen between them – Clara was her stepmother in another universe, for god's sake. The whole situation was ludicrous.

Steeling herself, Clara marched over, rehearsing her lines in her head. But when she opened the door, she found herself on the receiving end of another of Jenny's winning smiles. Jenny was wearing a green, raglan t-shirt for a baseball team - the New Orleans Clovers [1] - and Clara could see her arms. Her very strong, toned arms.

"Hello," said Jenny easily.

"I don't know if this is a good idea," said Clara, even though she was already stepping aside to let Jenny in, and even though the lights were already perfect, with only one of the dim, bedside lamps switched on. "In fact, I can say wholeheartedly, it's a bad idea."

"Yeah," Jenny bit her lip, "I think you might be right."

"Well, I'm glad we agree."

Jenny nodded, then crossed her arms. "It'll be fun, though."

Heat shot through Clara. She knew her cheeks must be flushed.

"I know this isn't about me," said Clara. "I know you're just trying to… that it's all because I look like her. I'm a trophy."

"You're all very beautiful women, it's not any deeper than that," said Jenny.

Clara gave her a look. "Really. It's not any deeper than the fact that you've clearly got some unresolved issues with your father, whose wife I am in a parallel universe?"

"Yeah, alright," Jenny admitted. "I've got a lot of terrible reasons for wanting to have a little sleepover. But – so what?" She approached Clara. "Those reasons are all out there. We're in here, and it's just us. Won't you enjoy yourself? Even if it's just for a while?" She was murmuring, leaning towards Clara, inches away, and Clara couldn't handle it.

Half an hour ago, she'd been eating a dinner of cereal. But now, she couldn't do anything other than close the gap between them, meeting Jenny's lips with her own. And Jenny was so warm and inviting. Clara had never found the smell of industrial-strength, chemical deodorant so appealing, but it told her that Jenny had been working out earlier that day, and thinking about that tore her apart. Jenny kissed her with more verve and energy than she'd ever expected, her mouth ever-so-slightly open as she waited for Clara to deepen their embrace with her tongue, her hands finding Clara's waist.

Clara was going to implode.

"No – no," she made herself stop even though Jenny was pressed against her, and she already had a hand thoroughly tangled in Jenny's soft, blonde hair. "We absolutely shouldn't do this."

"Clara," Jenny smiled a little, bumping their noses together, "I'm the Doctor's daughter."

Clara frowned. "No, you're not."

"Excuse me?" She drew back slightly.

"I mean – you are. But you're not just that. You're Jenny." Silence. Jenny's expression was unreadable; for a moment, she was miles away. "What do you want? Do you really want this? Because it might… even if you and him aren't on good terms, this can only make things worse, can't it? And Jack, it… is this all for your bet, or do you genuinely want to?" She lowered her voice, "I can't fuck you if you don't really want me to." Clara heard Jenny's breathing get quicker when she said the word 'fuck'. "You know, I could just tell them that we did."

"You'd lie for me?"

"I lie all the time. We don't have to do anything if it's not what you want, and I'll back you up so that you can win your bet."

"…I made the bet," said Jenny quietly, but she was serious now. She hadn't been serious all day. Clara could feel her breath when she talked. Warm again, tingling on Clara's face. "I made it because I wanted the excuse." She tried to kiss Clara again, but Clara turned away and she stopped. "Do you not want to?"

"I…" But she did. God, she did. She wanted nothing more. She managed a smile. "I should tell you. I haven't done this with anyone sober in a while." Not since Danny.

"I can probably find something to drink around here if you want a bit of Dutch courage?" Jenny suggested.

"That's alright," Clara shook her head. "I'm just warning you. I'm not used to it not being numb."

"Why would you want it to be numb?" Jenny asked softly. Was that a real question, or was Jenny just saying what she needed to so that Clara would relax?

When Clara couldn't produce an answer, Jenny didn't force her. She moved on, instead.

"I only do this sober; you're in good hands," said Jenny.

"But…"

"Hey. If you start to fall, I'll catch you," she whispered. Why did Clara believe her? "I won't tell anyone about this if that's what you want."

"I think it's already too late for that, since Jack knows," said Clara. It was impossible to keep a secret on that TARDIS, but she appreciated the gesture.

"Then – it's just for an evening." She leaned in again. "We can have fun together for a while, you and me. That's all it has to be." Clara had no more words. There was a pause. Jenny took that as consent, which it was. She kissed Clara again slowly, and Clara kissed her back, drinking her in. There was no way she had the willpower to stop Jenny in her tracks for a second time; the longing between her legs was unbearable.

But why did she get the feeling that Jenny had been wearing a mask and that, just for a second, it had slipped away in front of Clara's eyes?

Soon, though, all thoughts were gone from her head. Mask or no mask, Clara unravelled underneath Jenny's touch and was dragged over to the bed for some of the most spectacular sex she'd ever had.

[1] I'm interested in writing more about the Irish mob here in Scattered Thoughts, and I want to give Jenny a love of baseball, hence this reference, which is to a newly-created fictional baseball team that would be sponsored by O'Hara Outfitters, their core, legitimate business.