A.N:

Well, I'm super sorry for being out of the picture for so long but I got a block because of some family drama…

Anyway, I'm not sure how often I will be able to actually update but I will try my best.

Also I would like to thank Sparxxs32, SimplyG, knoll dragon eye, librarykate, Mel2121, .skittles, Katie Lupin, chloerog93, LissyHoneyBee, TheSasukeFan, Thomatshu for following the story, SMARTGIRL1021, hazman11, bgeiner, chloerog93, Sci5Vax, ultimate-fandom, CrimsonLaurana, Sci5Vax, ultimate-fandom, CrimsonLaurana, Moosetache24, green-as-elphaba for adding to favourite and Argetaie, dbngrocks, Syfygirl18 and Guest for reviews. Any way of letting me know you read is love.

Also super impressed nod to LorenQ and idea I am still a bit shocked you figured it out but awesome knowing that my story consumed you so much you wondered that deep about it.

Anyway Enjoy

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'So does this mean that we will be getting free beer whenever we want?' asked Clara as she and John were walking down the street with Tommy leading them from one shop to another looking for some special story book which their teacher insisted them on buying.

He gave her a serious look which caused her smile to fall realizing what she had just said, 'Sorry, inappropriate former alcoholic's joke.'

Nodding they walked in silence until he slightly hit her with his shoulder causing her to look up at him.

'How about free coke?'

'In a pub, please,' she grinned and his smile quickly followed. After he got pass the 'no contact' zone it was unsurprisingly easy to be near them and do things with them.

'Well, with a snob attitude like that I don't think you even should come see me tomorrow.'

'Are you kidding me? Tommy will never let me hear the end of it if we don't come.'

'Mummy, here's another one!' called Tommy already pulling the door to another bookshop.

Clara sighed, 'What do they say about the sixth one?'

'Hopefully, the last one,' he replied as they followed the boy inside.

It was quite a momentary decision to take the job. After he drove Clara for her checkup he realized that this would mean he wouldn't be her ride anymore and it started bothering him. After he drove Clara and Tommy home he apologized and instead of having dinner with them and went to the pub who's owner's father he had helped out a while ago.

He was surprised that the spot wasn't taken yet but after one day he realized that it wasn't that surprising. The place a pub in the real meaning of the word.

He wasn't so sure if taking a child to a place like that was on the to do list of 'the future mother of the year' but seeing how Tommy was excited about him actually having a job and wanting to see him as he would be working he really understood why she gave him. The boy was quite a blackmailer with that cute face of his.

'Oh, Clara Oswald?' asked suddenly a female voice. All three turned around to see a tall blond with a baby stroller near them.

'Ashley? Hi,' said Clara with a bit tension in her voice which immediately caught him focus and he looked at her seeing that the smile she put on as she walked to the another woman was also a bit odd.

'How long has it been? Half a year?' she asked giving Clara a quick hug.

He slowly walked to Tommy who was caught with the inside of one of the books but stay with all his senses on Clara and Ashley wondering what made Clara so nervous.

'Yeah, that's about right. I mean you left for maternity a month before labor. So this is Suzie then?'

'Yes,' she rolled her eyes, 'I still can't believe I actually named her after Peter's mother.'

Clara chuckled.

'But how have you been? I heard about you and Sam breaking up and you leaving.'

'Well, you know not always things work out. Things happen… and so now I'm here.'

'Uh-huh, and I see that with a new guy as well. God, Peter also decided to grow a bear a few months ago. I just can't believe I'm actually agreeing on things like that..'

'Oh, no, that's John. We're just friends.'

'You sure? Cause he is just your type.'

He froze. He didn't like the way this conversation was heading and wondered if he should continue listening.

'Shut up,' he heard Clara snapped lowering her voice.

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'We're just friends and no he is not.'

'Yes, he is.'

'Ashley!'

'Clara, you always date men completely opposite to him but trust me tall, brown hair with warm eyes and a mystery sense flowing around him? That's your type.'

Clara raised her brows, 'How can you even know that? You barely saw him and he's like several steps away.'

Ashley copied her look, 'Oh, so it is your kind of type?'

Clara rolled her eyes.

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'That's Ashley. She used to work with my mummy before she got a baby. It was a little while before we moved away from Sam and found our own place again.'

He blinked and looked at Tommy, 'So you moved out a lot?'

The boy shrugged, 'I can't remember. I remember just the flat we had before mummy started dating Sam. That was still when g-granny used to live with us. Then mummy got a job. I went to kindergarten and g-granny couldn't be left alone so we took her to that House for old people. Then mummy started dating Sam and we moved with him… she started talking about marrying him…,' he shrugged his shoulders.

'If you don't want to tell me you don't have to.' He realized that he said the same thing to Clara a little while back when she told him about her drinking problem.

'Mummy, wouldn't like me talking about it.'

'Okay,' he put his hand on his shoulder, 'but what ever happened between Sam and mummy wasn't your fault, okay?'

'Why did you say that?'

'Because children often think that when something is happening with their parents it's their fault. It's not.'

Tommy smiled and nodded, 'What do you think of this one?'

'I don't know is it the one your teacher wanted?'

'No, but it looks really good.'

He chuckled, 'Well, aren't you a rebel, little one. I like it.'

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'So you haven't seen your friend in a while, have you?'

'Tommy told you everything?'

'Just the basics. She was your friend before she had a child and then you didn't see each other in a while.'

She looked at away. They were sitting on a bench while Tommy was playing with other kids on the playground in front of their flats. They decided to buy both. The book that the teacher required and Tommy wanted.

Clara was surprised seeing her old friend. It was for the first time ever since she left Sam and moved that she met anyone from her previous life and was tense about how would Tommy deal with it. Also as much as she refused to admit a part of her was tempted with the idea of how John would react to the meeting of someone from her past. One thing was to tell stories, other was to actually witness the true that was held behind them.

'Did he tell you about Sam?' she asked her lips firmly pressed against each other after she asked.

He took his eyes from Tommy and looked at her immediately worried about the way she was visibly shaking all of the sudden.

'Clara?' he asked and without a second thought took her elbow to turn her a bit so he could see her face.

She blinked realizing what was going on and smiled shaking her head, 'Sorry, it's nothing really,' she said a bit too quickly for it to be true.

He frowned a bit at her making her quite uncomfortable with such a stare. Again as if he could see right through her, through the mask witness the pain held back inside.

She looked away, 'Will you let go? Someone might assume something.'

He immediately let go. She knew what worked on him. Whenever she would make a comment about that something seemed more then friendship or inappropriate it was as if she burnt him or had lepra and he was a mile away.

'Clara… What is the story with your ex-boyfriend?'

She turned back to where Tommy was playing, 'Who cares?!' she asked bitterly.

He frowned and snapped, 'I do.'

'Yeah? Well… too bad besides why am I the one who always has to confess sins? What about you?!'

They both looked at each other Clara immediately regretting her words. It was mean and unfair since she was the one always assuring him that he can open up when he will be ready.

Stupid Clara.

She sighed and looked away brushing her forehead, 'Sorry, that was super mean.'

He nodded but didn't respond to the apology.

After that they were quiet for the rest of the time until Tommy came back that he was hungry.

They said their curtly goodbyes and walked to their flats.

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'Mummy, we are going to visit John, right?' asked Tommy who surely noticed the tension.

Clara sighed. This was why being in any sort of relationship with other people was hard. For her it could get extremely painful if it turned out to be a bad thing and she would have to cut all contact but with Tommy it was unbearable. As much of a clever boy as he was how could she possibly expect him to understand the dynamic of the relationships between adults? He couldn't and she had a feeling that with John he wouldn't just because it was well… John.

She rubbed her forehead feeling a slight headache coming up.

'Tommy…'

'We're going to visit John, right?' he asked again panic raising up in his voice.

How could anyone decline this sweet boy anything? Well, she didn't have a choice.

As she opened her mouth she heard the knock on the door. She knew it would be him… well didn't knew knew but she really hoped it was him so they could solve this out and get it over with.

'Hi!' she half shouted before she even opened the door.

'Uhm,' she was sure she must be blushing with the amount of embarrassment she felt at the moment.

He blinked a bit caught off guard by the sudden and eager greeting.

'I-'

'I'm sorry,' she cut in before she had time to think or he had time to say want he wanted.

'Uhm,' he smiled a bit amused and she surely blushed even more.

This was ridiculous. She was a grown woman and it was his fault! No, that's a lie. It was her fault really but… she was a grown woman…for most of the time. And…and grown woman shouldn't act as some scholar girl. Gosh, why was she like this. It's not as if John was her only friend or something. She had g-granny and Tommy who yes were also her family but they were her friends as well. Well, yes it was sort of strange that her real friends apart from John were only her son and grandmother but that was not sad.

It wasn't sad!

'Clara,' he chuckled.

He couldn't help it. She looked really cute all worried and embarrassed like that. He was terrible for laughing at her behavior but he couldn't help it. His old self had for a moment kicked in and he was actually close to just take a step and hug her. Just like that just spread his arms and pull this wonderful pink human with such an astonishing mind into his embrace until she would stop blushing and giggle like he knew she could.

Of course he didn't do it how could he? He wasn't his old self he was a broken man.

'Please John,' Tommy suddenly came and took his wrist, 'I know mummy messed up-'

'Tommy!'

Now she was going to die from embarrassment.

'But please?'

How could he ever be angry at that almost scholar girl blush and those boyish dimples?

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To be…