*Guess who's back? Back again? The Potter Doctor is back. Tell a friend. Yes, hello one and all and welcome to Healing, the sequel to Damaged. So a lot has happened for our characters in the time that I've been away and they're all in very different places. I really hope that you guys enjoy this chapter, in which we'll see new perspectives, the Doctor doing something he did in the Christmas Special and a character getting punched in the face. It's going to be a rollercoaster alright. The deal is the same as Damaged, should be one chapter every day, I've finished 8 chapters so I have a decent headstart. As ever, thank you so much for reading and please please review and let me know what you think. It's good to be back. TPD*

P.S I don't own Doctor Who, any of the characters except Henry, Annabelle and Mandy, or any of the books, plays or whatever that are mentioned in this story.

Henry Bloom had English first lesson of the morning on Tuesdays. Tuesday was Henry's least favourite day, as he had double history after lunch with Mr Dickhead. But, luckily, English was Henry's favourite class. Henry loved books, always had and the ability to study them at length was all he'd ever wanted. So when he'd gotten an A* at GCSE and told he could continue at A-level, he'd been thrilled. His English teacher at GCSE had been amazing. Mr Kemp had been fantastic, he knew all there was to know about books and his enthusiasm was unrivalled. So Henry had been gutted when he'd been told that he was getting the new English teacher for A-level. But, unbelievably, he ended up liking his new teacher even better than Mr Kemp.

His initial impression had been sceptical. She was new and young, only 24 or 25 by the looks of her. She had chocolate brown eyes and was very short. Her flowing brown hair just tickled her shoulders and was just tinged with honey and ginger, remnants of dying her hair blonde and red at university she informed him when he asked. When she leaned in, she smelled of strawberries and Henry hated strawberries. So he wasn't looking forward to it. She was nervous and shy and none of this filled him with courage. But once she started talking, Henry let his scepticism melt away. She knew books. She knew books better than she knew herself, Henry sensed. The passion in her voice filled him with joy and belief and he found himself locked on her every word. Miss Oswald knew her shit.

It was two weeks before they started talking properly. The class was only eight of them, so Miss Oswald knew everyone's names, but it took her a couple of weeks to clock that Henry was almost as into books as she was. When he had asked her for a recommendation, she had supplied it and it became a tradition for him to hang back after class and discuss his thoughts on the books. Occasionally, he'd come in at break time and they'd sit and discuss a book. She'd make him tea and they'd chat. He got to know her a bit better. She had become a teacher, he'd learned, quite by chance. She had had no idea what to do with her English degree until a friend of hers had told her that she'd make a great teacher. Then, Henry learned, that friend had died and Miss Oswald had decided that becoming a teacher was the best way to honour his memory.

He first saw the Doctor around Christmas time. They were discussing a book over lunchtime and he was nibbling on his sandwiches when there was a knock on her classroom door. The man was strange, Henry had decided, with a green tweed coat and suspenders, with a bright red bow tie and crazy hair. But Miss Oswald had lit up the second he had entered, throwing herself into his arms with a passionate kiss before remembering exactly where she was and calming down. She had apparently told her boyfriend about Henry, because he recognised the name. Henry blushed when the Doctor said that Henry was Clara's favourite student and Henry had replied that Miss Oswald was his favourite teacher.

One day early in June, Miss Oswald was even more cheerful than ever and Henry was intrigued by it. He'd never seen her eyes shine so brightly or her smile so wide. He had a free period after their lesson, as he always did, so he approached Miss Oswald, who smiled at him when she realised he was making for her and kicked the chair opposite her desk for him to sit into.

"Hello Henry," she greeted. "How're you getting on with Mockingjay?"

"I've nearly finished it Miss Oswald," he replied with a smile. "It's a great book."

"For the millionth time," she laughed. "Call me Clara. You're only 8 years younger than me. You're almost an adult for crying out loud."

Calling teachers by their first names was too weird for Henry. It was then that he spied it and his eyes bulged. She must've realised that he'd noticed it because she allowed herself a shy smile. She twisted her ring nervously and put a finger to her lips.

"Nobody else has spotted it yet," she said conspiratorially. "None of the teachers or any pupils. You're very observant Henry."

"That diamond is huge!" he hissed. "How did nobody notice? Is that the Doctor? Are you two…"

"Yep!" Miss Oswald beamed and leapt out of her chair, swirling to face the board. She was wearing a swirly dress and it whipped around her. "He proposed on Saturday. We're getting married Henry! I'm going to get married!" she was squealing, tears streaming down her face and Henry got the impression that she hadn't told anyone yet. "Nobody knows, except his best friend Amy. She helped him pick out the ring. And of course, her husband Rory knew already when I called him to gush. But oh my goodness, I'm so excited. I've been waiting months, even longer for him to ask."

"Congratulations Miss!" Henry laughed and she turned back to face him, tears running down her face. He hadn't even felt his heart break, but there it was. "You two must really be in love." He'd known that from the moment he'd seen the Doctor. He hated the man in that moment.

"Oh we are," Miss Oswald grinned. "We really are."

Clara couldn't wait to tell Annabelle. Of all of their close friends, Annabelle had known both Clara and the Doctor the longest and she had stuck through hell with them. Clara was meeting her for lunch the next day to tell her. But first, they had to tell her father. That evening, they were off to a family dinner to celebrate her dad's five year anniversary of his wedding to Mandy. The Maitlands and lots of other close family friends would be there, so it was the perfect time to announce it to that aspect of their lives. The Doctor had suggested that they might be ruining a big day. Clara had pointed out that her father had announced his engagement on her birthday and this was adequate payback.

They were also having a few friends over at the weekend, and that was when they'd announce it properly. Jack, Strax, Annabelle, Amy and Rory of course, (although they already knew) Vastra and Jenny and then finally, Ten with his fiancée Martha. Jack Harkness was American and had met the Doctor on a trip to America five years earlier. He was a complete flirt and completely shameless but Clara found him brilliantly charming from the moment that they met. Vastra and Jenny and Strax had all worked with the Doctor when he was working at the company and had become his own private team when he had moved in with Clara to work. It frightened Clara sometimes that her boyfriend (now fiancé) ran a multi-billion pound business out of their apartment, with just three people to help him and Jack to provide American Intel. She had learned that Vastra and Jenny were married and had been for a long time, they'd just done well to hide it in case company higher-ups didn't approve. The Doctor couldn't have cared less.

Annabelle had been friends with Clara since university and she lived alone not far from them, although in a slightly run-down part of town. She was an aspiring author who was struggling a bit, despite the fact that her first book had hit the bestsellers lists. Ten was the Doctor's cousin and they had gotten a lot closer over the last five years, since Ten had come to work for the Doctor at his company, head of the now astronomical Sonic Screwdriver Project. Martha Jones was a medical student, was just finishing her training and they had met back at uni. Ten had proposed the previous year and Clara couldn't wait for the wedding, which was in September.

Amy and Rory, affectionately known as the Ponds, had married almost straight out of university. Rory was a nurse and Amy a model and it was a match made in heaven. Clara had met Amy back in Amy's first year, Clara's second year. They hadn't really hit it off too much but when Amy met the Doctor, it was as if they became best friends overnight. Clara found herself getting on very well with Rory, Amy's now husband. They had a lot in common and often ended up going for coffee (or tea in Clara's case). Rory was a great guy and it was interesting for Clara to see how the Doctor explained things Amy had told him compared to how Rory saw things. Naturally, they tended to see things differently.

Clara hated letting the Doctor drive. She much preferred when she was behind the wheel as he tended to be either way too violent or way too slow. Clara usually ended up having to encourage him to speed up, followed a few minutes later by screaming the word: 'Brakes!' over and over again, causing him to shoot her an annoyed look and mutter irritatedly about making up her bloody mind. Clara wanted to hit him when he was driving. Yet, if he drove, then she could have the extra glass of wine that her dress and her engagement ring warranted. And Clara did want that extra glass of wine. Her ring was utterly gorgeous. The Doctor claimed it was a 32 carat diamond and Clara had been blown away by how big the rock inside it was. It was fairly simple, not flashy but Clara was mesmerised by its beauty. It fitted perfectly and she wanted to cry every single time that she looked at it. It sat next to her mum's old ring, both of which she played with nervously as they raced up the M6. Clara squealed at the Doctor's swerving and she swore loudly at him, which earned her an incredulous look. Obviously, he thought his own driving was better than it was. Every time she called him up on it, she was promptly told that he had never crashed. Clara replied every time that the way he drove, it would only take one crash.

They reached the hotel with plenty of time to spare and the Doctor chastised Clara on her back street driving and she held back the urge to punch him. He smiled at her as they walked in hand in hand and she glared at him.

"What?" he asked, forlorn.

"I told you to stop smiling at me," she replied. "It just accentuates the fact that your ears look like fucking rocket fins with that ridiculous buzz cut."

A few weeks previously, Clara had returned home from work to find her boyfriend sat on their bed, his head completely shaved bald. She screamed. A lot. She'd nearly had a heart attack. He'd told her that he'd got bored and offered to shave hers so they matched, holding an electric razor and some shaving cream ominously. Clara had offered to bash his skull in if he came within five feet of her. She refused to sleep with him unless he wore a hat. Once some of his hair had grown back, Clara had to admit that he looked hot with short hair, but the shaved head had made her want to vomit and she still hadn't entirely forgiven him for it and told him that the next time he got bored, she'd send him a picture from her reserve.

They entered the building and sat in the hotel bar, stocking up on wine in Clara's case and lemonade in the Doctor's. Clara was halfway through her second drink when her dad arrived and she pulled him into a huge hug. She reluctantly hugged Mandy who was smiling cheerfully. The Doctor gave Dave a firm handshake and Mandy pulled him into a huge hug. Clara was wearing a set of gloves, so that nobody would see her ring before she had a chance to announce it. Her dad looked different, his facial expression was all wrong and she couldn't quite pin it down.

"It's good to see you Clara," her father said cheerfully. "It's been way too long. You look positively majestic; I've never seen you so happy."

There was an obvious reason for that. Clara had never been happy. She had amazing friends, a great job and the best fiancé that the world could ask for.

"Thanks Dad," she beamed. "I have some big news; I was going to announce it over dinner."

"Actually sweetie," there was an odd tone in her father's voice. "Me too. Tell me later Sweetpea, I've got to go and talk to the other guests. We sit down in twenty."

Clara and the Doctor mingled for a while, weaving in and out, looking for people that Clara knew well and chatting with them. She found the Maitlands and could barely contain herself from babbling, having to resist the urge to play with her rings. It wouldn't look suspicious, they both knew of her tendency to do it and her mother's ring was on the same finger as her mum's engagement ring. Even so, Clara was on edge and Angie spent a good ten minutes mocking the Doctor's ears and hair. Even Artie threw in a jibe or two. Clara hated the fact that they were so old, they were still kids in her view. But no, Angie was 19 and Artie 16 and it was all a bit too weird for Clara. George Maitland had aged visibly in the last five years, the loss of his wife was still evidently taking a huge toll on his life. Clara felt bad for him. She knew what losing family was like and to be here, to celebrate a close friend who had been in a similar position having moved on must've hurt him. Clara wished her gran was still alive to see it, but she had passed on a few years ago. Clara had known it was coming and it had been peaceful, so it wasn't a violent shock, but she still missed her.

They eventually sat down for dinner and conversation rattled on before Dave stood up to make an announcement. He cleared his throat and Clara could feel excitement rushing through her. As soon as her dad was finished, she could tell the world that she was going to marry the most perfect man ever.

"Thank you all for being here," Dave said with a smile and received a chinking of glasses in response. "I'm glad to see a good set of familiar faces. Mandy and I have been together for five years and they've been good to us. But alas, no more." Well Clara hadn't been expecting that. She shot the Doctor a wide-eyed look and he shrugged in response. Murmurs had kicked up around the table. "Mandy and I are breaking up. We're getting a divorce." The Doctor yelped in pain as Clara's hand had tightened, crushing his arm underneath it. "I know this may come as a shock to a lot of you, but whilst Mandy and I have been good to each other, we both know it was a marriage that couldn't last forever. We helped each other through some rough times, but we are fundamentally different people." Clara was kicking the Doctor repeatedly under the table now and it was taking everything he had not to yell as she supressed her happiness. She bit her lip and tried to pull a sad face, but failed miserably. "We thank you all for supporting us throughout and we wanted you all to know that there are no hard feelings between us."

Clara squealed and stamped so hard on the Doctor's foot that he yelled this time. Everyone looked at him and he smiled awkwardly as a slightly tipsy Clara stared into his eyes, trying to transmit all her happiness to him. He had felt her happiness perfectly well in his foot. Uproar had kicked off up and down the table as people rushed to interrogate Dave and Mandy. Stuart, who was by Dave's side, was quiet and Clara sensed he'd known about this for a while. Clara was close to her father and she stood up to talk to him as he flitted through the crowd towards her and the Doctor, who was limping slightly.

"Sorry I didn't tell you sooner Clara," he apologised, hugging her. "I just couldn't bring myself. Are you okay with it?"

"Yep," Clara said, trying to pull a sad face and sound forlorn but failing miserably and snorting with laughter. "I'm sure I'll pull through somehow."

Dave failed to pick up on her joy and even the Doctor didn't quite realise how any human could be that oblivious. Maybe he was ignoring it. Dave was smiling at Clara now.

"What's your news then sweetheart?" he asked and Clara stumbled. She couldn't tell him now. Not like this. She twisted her new ring and bit her lip but, annoyingly, the Doctor stepped in before she had a chance to cut him down.

"We're engaged!" he said loudly and cheerfully and everyone stopped talking to stare at them. And then Dave dropped his wine glass and punched the Doctor in the face.

"Well, all in all," the Doctor said cheerfully as they settled into bed in the hotel. "I don't think it was a bad night."

Clara winced and pressed the ice pack to his black eye. It was horrible and ugly to look at and she was livid with her father. It had taken Dave a few seconds to realise what he'd done and apologise profusely over and over again, picking the Doctor up off the floor and guiding him to a chair. Clara had screamed herself hoarse at her father about how she was an adult in a long term committed relationship who'd been waiting for him to pop the question for months and after a few minutes of having his daughter publically humiliate and scold him, Dave had paid for a room for them for the evening, insisting that the Doctor was in no state to drive them home. Clara had raved a little more to anyone who would listen and then she had Angie throw herself at her and gush about how happy she was for them. The Doctor had received apologies, thanks and words of warning from Clara's friends and family and it had all been a very surreal experience. There was a knock on the hotel door and Clara answered it, glaring at her father and slamming it in his face. He stopped the door with his foot and looked pleadingly at her.

"Clara, can I just talk to the Doctor?" Dave asked.

"It's okay Clara," the Doctor said, slightly quieter than usual but still cheerful. "I don't mind at all."

Clara watched nervously as the Doctor followed Dave out of the room. The Doctor was fairly sure that she was listening at the door but it didn't matter because Dave was taking him away from the room, to ensure Clara didn't hear. It turned out that he knew his daughter almost as well as the Doctor did.

"First of all, I wanted to apologise for the eye again," Dave winced. "You have to understand. Clara is the only person in the world that I love and the only person I have left. My gut reaction is to protect her to my last breath. I keep forgetting that she's 25 and that she's been with you for over five years and that it's about time you started a family. And I trust you Doctor, I really do. And Clara loves you more than anything, certainly more than she loves me." The Doctor winced at this. "Listen to me Doctor," Dave pleaded. "I love Clara so much and I cannot stand to see her hurt. So if you hurt her, I will kill you. But I know you won't. Because you love her and I won't be around forever. So Doctor, protect my daughter. Love my daughter. And there's something I want you to know. I know tonight I might have seemed heartless, but the truth is, I don't want Clara to know…"

"Know what?" the Doctor asked, confused.

"I don't want her to know that I'm still in love with her mother and that's part of the reason that Mandy and I broke up. Another part is Clara. I've been stupid not to see it but Clara has never liked Mandy and I can't keep watching my daughter hate who I'm becoming just because I've found someone new. Clara should come first and it took me too long wallowing in my grief to realise that. I'm sorry Doctor. I've been a bad father."

"No you haven't," the Doctor replied instantly but Dave shook his head.

"I'm ashamed of myself Doctor. She suffered until she met you and I missed it. She was drinking, sneaking out and I just let it happen. Because I was so lost, I didn't care. I could have lost Clara forever Doctor. I won't let that happen again."