This is a 10th doctor story, after Rose and before Martha. I know it's not perfect grammatically but I'm doing my best to improve it so I do appreciate all types of reviews about the story, the grammar and anything else you want to criticize=) oh and unfortunately, I do not own Doctor Who and I do not do this for money.

So please go read and review! Thank you!=)

*****THE MISTRESS*****

"So what do you think?" The young woman stepped in the middle of the room dressed in a dark green gown which revealed her shapely body, her corset emphasizing each curve down till her hips. The ginger locks surrounding her head was curled perfectly and gathered at the back with a couple of ivory combs. She turned around herself. "And be honest."

"Ann…" the woman whom was sitting in front of a dressing table observed the reflection in the mirror and then turned back. "You look marvelous. You'll have the whole court wrapped around your little finger by no time."

"Not while you are around, Rose, no." Ann chuckled at her blond friend.

"Well maybe not the whole court but definitely Lord Edmund."

"Don't say that! I have no such intentions." Ann exclaimed, blushing slightly.

"But you blushed!" Rose exulted triumphantly.

"It's just a bit hot tonight that's all." Ann averted her eyes while fanning herself.

Rose let out a small laughter which sounded like chiming bells in the silent room. "Then let us go and break some hearts!"

Ann smiled at the childish enthusiasm at her friend. "All right then. But I should say that shade of pink suits you perfectly."

"Does it?" Rose fluttered her eyebrows. "Oh thank you my dear Lady Ann."

Ann couldn't help laughing this time. "But we will be late!" Rose said while walking to the door and opening it. "Shall we?"

*/*/*/ DW \*\*\*

"Lady Ann, your very presence in this room made my might brighter." The man said with a sincere smile on his handsome features.

Ann curtseyed gracefully and hoped the inadequate lighting of the hall would conceal her blushed cheeks. "Thank you Lord Edmund."

Rose touched slightly to her elbow, which made Ann to turn slightly to the back to take a look at her friend to see what she would tell her. That was when she saw him. Standing in the doorway… Dressed in a peculiar fashion… Scanning the whole room with careful eyes… Then his eyes met hers. Just for a second, his gaze was fixed on her and she was unable to do anything but to look in those deep brown eyes. All the laughter and chatter faded, everyone disappeared in her reality, leaving her alone with the stranger.

"Go with him."Rose whispered in her ear softly and smiled to her and Edmund. He smiled back. His smile made Ann dizzy. It had always done. She took his stretched hand and he touched her elbow, gently guiding her to the balcony where they could be alone. Alone with his charming Lord Edmund. But… She turned her head slightly to see the mysterious man standing all alone, the man who she had never seen before, yet the man who feels perfectly familiar. He was not there. Must have been my imagination. She thought.

"Don't you think?" The words and the warm hand of Lord Edmund brought her back to her senses. He was asking her something. What was it? What did he just ask her?

"I...I'm sorry." She blushed.

"You seem pensive tonight my dear lady. May I ask what troubles your mind?"

"Oh nothing, nothing really." She blushed even more. "It must be the warm summer breeze that makes me all dreamy."He smiled at her offhand explanation. "It indeed is a wonderful night tonight." He inhaled the night air filled with the scent of flowers. "It is a pity spending the night indoors though my dearest lady. Pray take a walk in the gardens with me." He smiled again. Each smile eroded her common sense a bit more. She hardly knew him. She knew she can't trust a man. Yet she felt herself nodding and taking the arm he offered. She felt walking down the stairs to the gardens with him. No words she heard, he was silent. And smiling. Always smiling. So charming and dazzling. She walked with him through the walkways, to the darker depths of the gardens filling her lungs with the warm, sweet smelling night air. When he abruptly stopped she gave him a puzzled look. He pulled her closer, closer to his perfect body so that she could feel the heat radiating from it. He leaned in slowly, and kissed her. Ann felt her world spinning out of control; she was so dizzy that she could not prevent his lips wandering off to her exposed neck, placing soft kisses before she felt his teeth sinking in her smooth flesh. She made a little noise, not feeling strong enough to shout or even struggle. Her world faded slowly as she felt her blood drained from her body yet the pain was so distant that it was like she was just watching it- not being a part of it.

"Leave her now!" It was a man's voice, shouting. Someone in the gardens at night was impossible. She knew she was only dreaming. She was dreaming of her rescue. Then he appeared. The very same man in the hall… That weird clothing and serious deep brown eyes… He came to rescue her. Now she was certain she was dreaming. He was not real. He couldn't be real.

"Leave her ALONE!" He exclaimed again. Ann felt his arms leaving her body, along with his teeth. She felt the cold hard soil beneath her while her body slipped slowly and met the earth. She heard footsteps, a pair rushing away and another coming closer. Someone took her in his arms. "Stay with me" he said softly. Brown eyes… Deep brown eyes, concerned, why were they so sad? She was feeling good, dizzy, and cold but good. Her eyes were closing slowly, she couldn't help it. She wanted to keep them open, she wanted to look in those deep eyes but she was too tired. She needed sleep. Why were her eyelids so heavy? She closed them slowly feeling his fingers on her neck, pressing her smooth skin to find her pulse. She drifted off to sleep somehow knowing she's safe.

*/*/*/ DW \*\*\*

"Oh god, is she all right?" Ann heard Rose's voice, almost screaming, coming from the doorway. She was on her bed, in her night gown, and feeling absolutely weak.

"She is fine, fine I said, she needs some rest, that's all." That was the voice! The voice that saved her… Her heart skipped a beat, she was certain, it was not a dream.

"Why can't I see her?" Rose exclaimed her voice rising dangerously.

"I said she needs rest!"

"Who are you anyway?"

"I'm the Doctor- exactly what your friend needs now. Now out you go."The door was shut loudly, leaving a very frustrated Rose outside and the man inside judging by the footsteps coming closer.

"Well hello there, you seem to be awake at last!" He grinned at her, standing at the entrance of her bedroom, staring carefully at her form, in her nightgown. In a nightgown, in her bedroom with a stranger... She pulled the covers upper and gathered them under her chin.

When she managed gather her composure she asked in a voice she hoped was authoritative enough. "I demand to know who you are and what you're doing in my bed chambers!"

"This doesn't sound even a bit bossy, you know Annie, I can call you Annie can't I? Especially to the man who just saved you from a messy death. Mind you, you wouldn't look that charming in the coffin when all your blood was sucked out." He stopped to breathe.

"But who are you?" Ann asked again her voice trembling. "Why would I die? What are you talking about, vampires? They're just myths, nothing more. And what happened to Ed…" she stopped abruptly.

The stranger raised an eyebrow. "So you remember."

"Oh god!" Ann buried her face in her palms. "It was him and you were there, I heard you and you did something to him, and and…"She began sobbing.

"There, there…" He walked in, sat on her bed and gathered her in his arms, caressing her hair slowly. "I did nothing; he ran away, he's out there somewhere. And no he's not a vampire, just a plasmavore."

"A what?" Ann raised her head slightly looking him in the eye. Those deep brown eyes, filled with sadness and childish joy at the same time, shining old and wisely yet extremely young and full of life.

"A plasmavore. That's what they're called. But that's not your concern now. Just stay away from that Edmund of yours and you'll be fine."

He stood up energetically. "And now you're awake and seem good, I'll be going." He leaned back and forth, his hands in his pockets, grinning like a 7-year old with a mischievous plan.

"You didn't tell me your name." Ann reminded, now feeling a little calmer and definitely a lot merrier. His actions made her feel like she's about to burst with laughter.

"Didn't I? Oh, it's the Doctor. And very pleased to meet you Annie. Now if you'll excuse me, I have lots to do, a plasmavore to find and some very important and boring people to save." He turned back sharply on his heels and headed towards the door. This time Ann couldn't stop her laughter. She got out of her bed, ignoring her nakedness and followed the strange man. "The Doctor? But you sure have a name, I mean a proper name, don't you?"

"No it's just the Doctor, and what's wrong with it anyway?" He paced through the door.

"Wait!"She called out breathlessly. "Will I ever see you again?"

"You may very well see me again, all right. But why you want to do that?" He turned back to face her, running a hand through his hair making it even messier.

"Because you saved my life and I don't have enough time to thank you properly." Ann lied. She just wanted to see him, just wanted to look in those eyes, just wanted to lose herself in those eyes.

Then he saw it, the old pocket watch on her dressing table. He stormed there grabbing the broken watch and in the next moment he was standing right in front of her, a bit too close to her taste, holding the watch before her eyes. When he spoke, his words were heavy and his voice was threatening "Where did you find this?"

"It's an old broken watch which belonged to my father. Nothing more than a relic actually." She smiled sweetly. "I'm very fond of the figures on the lid though. But you seem rather interested in it and I'd be happy if you keep it, as a gift for saving my life." For a moment their eyes locked again, this time his eyes were as hard as agates. Then he smiled. And thanked her. He got out of her room with the watch in his hand, mumbling to himself.

*/*/*/ DW \*\*\*

"I don't like the way that doctor looked. He is weird." Rose continued her complaint about not being allowed to see her after she had fainted in the garden while forcing Ann into a corset. "And what were you doing all alone in the garden at night anyway?"

"I was waiting for Edmund." Was the best lie Ann could come up with at that moment.

"Oh you silly girl, alone with a man in such a place, what were you thinking?" Rose pulled the strings and tied them tightly.

Ann gasped for air for a moment and remained silent. Rose hugged her firmly. "I was afraid of losing you Ann, don't do such a thing again."

"I won't." whispered Ann. "But please loosen your grip Rose, I can't breathe."

"Oh, sorry." She let her go. "Let me look at you. Oh my you look fantastic!"

Ann giggled weakly. Rose took her arm and led her to the door. "Come on, you need some company and some fun."

They entered the hall quietly, and wandered among the guests greeting them. Then Rose begun breaking some hearts, especially of the young nobles, leaving Ann alone in the crowd until she felt a hand tapping lightly on her right arm. She turned slightly to her right, her eyes grew wide when he saw him, this time dressed properly and smiling at her. "Doctor!" she whispered. "What are you doing here?"

He placed one of his fingers on his lips signing her to be silent and pointed someone in the crowd with another. Her eyes followed his finger and then they grew wider. "That's Edmund!" her voice rose to a scream and lowered to a whisper in the same sentence. When she finished saying his name, Edmund turned to her meeting her gaze and then suddenly he fled from the hall. With the doctor following him. And Ann following the doctor.

The chase continued while the doctor ran after Edmund and Edmund ran through the relatively empty corridors and Ann tried to catch up with both of them. Turning a corner Ann almost bumped into the Doctor who had stopped facing Edmund. It was apparently a dead end. Edmund was holding a sword which was removed from its place where it was used as decoration. And he was grinning madly. On the contrary the Doctor seemed to be serious. His eyes were dark and his expression was stern. Edmund raised the sword, its tip was pointing at the doctor's heart. Time stopped at that point for Ann. She could clearly see the events, but a lot slower. She immediately realized what Edmund would do and the danger the Doctor was in. She moved, passing the Doctor, standing right in front of him, shielding his body with hers so that Edmund's thrust pierced her body instead of his.

The time returned with the pain in her chest. She saw Edmund grinning maniacally while removing the sword from her chest, the Doctor trying to hold her hopelessly and lowering her body to the floor. And taking the other sword off the wall ready to attack Edmund. She heard the clanking of cold steel, the clashing of the swords as they attacked, parried and dodged each other's blows. She felt the last of her life being drained from her body as her blood leaked through the wound in her chest. Then she thought she had heard Edmund screaming in pain. It must be Edmund who had lost. It couldn't be the Doctor. She couldn't have sacrificed herself for nothing.

Her fears ceased when she saw his face. His eyes concerned, he held her in his arms as she slowly passed away. "You killed him?" her voice was a soft whimper. He nodded. And then slipped something round and made of cold metal into her hand. "Open it." He whispered. There were apparently tears in his eyes. "Open it or you'll die."

She smiled weakly. "I'll gladly die if it saves you."

"Open it now!" his voice was desperate while he clutched to her body, holding it close to himself. Funny thing, I can swear I hear two heartbeats. She thought smiling to herself as she slowly find the button to open the lid and with his help she pressed it before her mind went completely black.