Thank you all so much for reading and reviewing this story :) I had so much fun writing it, as always. Next week I will go on holiday in London and Cardiff, but when I return I will start a new Whouffaldi AU fic. I don't have a title for it yet, but keep your eyes open for it :)

Chapter 20

Clara rose from the sofa as soon as Malcolm entered the living room and she instantly realized that he looked more than exhausted. Whatever had happened today it had been hard on him and it made her nervous. Whatever had happened, it concerned her, too. It concerned them both.

"How did it go?" she asked but instead of replying Malcolm stepped forward and pressed his lips on hers in a long, soft kiss. Clara felt her tension melt away under his touch, knowing that at least he wasn't mad at her.

"I'm sorry, Clara," Malcolm apologized and suddenly she felt a little afraid again. What had he done? What was going to happen now?

"What did you do?" she asked him, her voice wavering, "What's going to happen?"

He gave her a soft smile. "I made a little announcement and I sincerely hope you're not too mad at me."

Clara couldn't help but frown at him as he took her hand and led her to sit on the sofa next to him. Oh dear, they were in for a long conversation, she could tell already. But would she like the outcome?

"You're firing me, right?" she bit down on her lip, "We were caught. I can't be your intern any longer."

"No," he shook his head, "No, no, no. You will finish this internship as planned. Quitting is out of the question now."

"The what is it? What have you told them?"

Malcolm inhaled sharply, hesitating for a moment. "I've told them that we're dating."

"You what?"

He reached out to take her hand again, but it didn't aid to making Clara feel any better. What he said made no sense to her at all right now.

"Right now," Malcolm said calmly, "The media is treating this as a scandal. We can't undo what has already happened – as much as I wish we could. The cat is out of the bag and I had to react somehow. Denying it won't help, they have pictures," he argued, shrugging, "So I decided to say that we are. . . an item."

Clara could do nothing but stare at him as she took in what he was telling her.

"The media will continue to talk about it, so I decided, instead of keeping quiet, we should go public. If you want to, of course."

"Public? What does that mean?"

Malcolm rolled his eyes. "It means that I will take you to dinner, you will be my plus one at every event we attend, I will give you a kiss on the cheek while the press is lurking behind a bush with their cameras. All the things couples do," he explained impatiently.

She frowned at him in disbelief, still not sure whether she was understanding him correctly. "And you want that?"

"I want us to continue. I don't necessarily want it public, but right now our choices are quite limited. It's better to be a couple in public than to be a scandal in the newspapers," he paused, eyeing her with caution, "The question is, do you want that?"

Being in an official relationship with Malcolm and keeping her internship?

"Yes," Clara replied, smiling broadly at him. "Yes, of course."

Clara couldn't hold back any longer. She bent forward and pressed a long kiss to his lips that Malcolm broke off way too soon.

"It won't be easy though, I'm afraid. The press will be all over us and they will keep asking you and they will say you only got your job because of me. We have to get through that somehow."

"Job?" Clara raised her eyebrows once more.

"Well, once you've got your degree you will come back to London to work for the government of course. I've spoken to the Prime Minister before America and he agreed to find you a suitable position that fits your talents. Maybe even as his own personal secretary. I've asked him again after today and he wasn't happy about that but he will keep his promise. If that is what you want."

Clara beamed at him, for a moment not knowing what to say. She had no idea how Malcolm had done it but right now she couldn't be more thankful that he had. Maybe she could have everything after all.

7 Months Later

Clara stepped out of the train station and looked around. She didn't need very long until she spotted him, standing by the car with a large bouquet of flowers, smiling in her direction.

Clara crossed the distance between the two of them and flung her arms around Malcolm in a tight embrace. "I've missed you so much," she whispered, "Who knew six months could be that long."

"They were longer for me," he replied before he pecked her on the lips and handed her the flowers, "Congratulations! A+ - better than what it says on my degree."

Clara nudged him gently. "That's because I'm smarter than you," she grinned at him, "Smart enough to be the Prime Minister's personal assistant."

He snorted. "Only because that cunt's too lazy to write his own speeches. I will never know how he could get re-elected."

"Be glad he did cause otherwise we wouldn't be here."

"Speaking of which," Malcolm said, placing his arm around her waist and leading her back to the car, "I know of a much better place to be than in front of the train station."

"Oh?" Clara cocked an eyebrow at him, "And where would that be? Nice restaurant? The London Eye? The office?"

Malcolm bent down to whisper into her ear. "Bedroom."

Clara giggled in response and suddenly she was very grateful to have arrived on a Friday. The would have the entire weekend before they both had to go back to work on Monday morning.

When Malcolm had loaded her suitcase into the boot he slid into the driver's seat and looked at her once more, this time not smiling. "The newspapers will be full of articles about us next week. It's died down a bit but as soon as you begin your job they will start talking about how you got it because you're sleeping with me," he said gravely.

"Isn't that really how I got it?"

He frowned. "Is that what you think?"

Clara only shrugged, not having thought about it very much.

"I put in a word for you because you are the best," Malcolm said earnestly, "And the media will come to see that, too. Eventually. Hopefully."

Clara smiled at him. "I can handle it," she told him calmly, "And now shut up about work and drive me home."

"Excuse me?" Malcolm raised his eyebrows at her.

"You're no longer my boss, Malcolm. Now you're my boyfriend," she giggled right before he bent down to kiss her.

The End