A/N: Hey everyone! Thanks to all of the Reviewers and likes and favorite I got! I'm busy with finals this week, so I may not be able to get another chapter out until the weekend. If you have any questions, my tumblr is the same as my pen name, so inbox me there. I post updates for fics there first. Thanks, and enjoy the Chapter 2!
Disclaimer: I do not own Doctor Who or any of the related characters.
The Monorail ride to the Magic Kingdom was only a few short minutes, but to Rose it felt like ages. She held the Doctor's hand tightly during the whole ride, flashing him a bright smile every few minutes.
"Ladies and gentlemen, we are approaching our station at the entrance to Main Street, USA - gateway to the seven themed lands of the Magic Kingdom," announced the Monorail narrator. "Smoking is not permitted at the Magic Kingdom except in designated areas. Please consult your guide map or ask a Cast Member…"
Rose tuned out the announcement and look out the window at the fast-approaching park entrance. She could see hundreds of people heading through the gates, and she couldn't help but smile at the little children brimming with excitement.
When they pulled into the station, Rose picked up her belongings to exit. "Please stand clear of the doors. Por favor mantengase alejado de las puertas." The doors opened and she and the Doctor stepped out of the train.
"Did you know they have that on a shirt? Por favor mantengase alejado de las puertas," the Doctor repeated, doing his best impression of the narrator. "It does have a nice ring to it, doesn't it?" They made their way from the station to the gate hand in hand.
"Doctor, what're all these names on the pavement?" Rose questioned, looking at the various hexagonal bricks on the walkway.
"It's called the 'Walk Around the World'," the Doctor replied, "Started years ago. People would buy a paver to have it placed around Seven Seas Lagoon. Don't sell them anymore, sadly. Still, nice for those who got to become a piece of Disney World history."
They bypassed the bag check, both of them carrying no bags, and walked right up to the gate. The Doctor handed Rose her Key to the World, which she enthusiastically placed on the scanner. She placed her thumb on the thumbprint analyzer when prompted and was let right through.
However, when it was the Doctor's turn to place his thumb on the scanner, the automated gate wouldn't let him through. He tried it a few more times before the attendant had to come over.
"Sorry about this sir. Do you have an ID?"
The Doctor grumbled, reaching in to his pocket and pulling out the psychic paper. "Here."
"Alright, thank you!" The attendant overrode the machine and let him through.
Rose giggled as the Doctor turned red. "Stupid human machine doesn't recognize my thumb print. I guess Time Lord thumb prints are to advanced for your primitive technology."
Rose gave him a playful shove. "Oh, come on. No being grumpy. We're in the happiest place on earth!"
The Doctor couldn't help but smile when he noticed the excitement on Rose's face. He took her hand. "You're absolutely right, Rose Tyler. Now, shall we proceed to Main Street?"
"Let's go!"
"Did you know that Main Street was based off of Walt Disney's real-life home town?" the Doctor babbled as they made their way through the crowd. "Every building is named after someone who worked on building the park. Imagineers, they're called. Engineers who imagine. Brilliant, you humans, having a word that combines imagine and engineer. Maybe when I retire from the travelling I could become an Imagineer. 'Course, you and I would have to move here." When they reached the road up Main Street to Cinderella Castle, the Doctor noticed Rose stop. He looked down at her and noticed tears forming in her eyes. "What's wrong? Is it not as good as you imagined? We could always go somewhere else. I'm sorry if-" He was cut off with the feeling of Rose's lips on his. When she pulled away, a dazed smile formed on his mouth.
"I love it, you daft old man. I just can't believe I'm standing in front of Cinderella's Castle with the man I love. It's like a dream come true."
"Well, it is rather romantic, isn't it?" The Doctor wrapped an arm around her, continuing their stroll down the street. "Of course, this is nothing compared to my plans for lunch. You're gonna love it."
"Where are we eating?"
"Wait and see!" The Doctor nudged her playfully before sniffing deeply. "Oh, I know that smell. That's the famous Main Street Bakery. Remind me to get a Mickey Waffle later. But first, let's go to Tomorrowland! We can get FastPassses for Space Mountain!"
The Doctor led the way down Main Street, making a right when they reached the main hub. They walked under the archway signifying the entrance to Tomorrowland, Rose couldn't help but giggle a bit.
"What's so funny?" the Doctor asked, his face looking slightly offended.
"Nothing, s'just, it looks a bit cheesy. Not exactly an accurate representation of the future, yeah?"
The Doctor looked scandalized. "Tomorrowland is in no way cheesy! It's one of the best parts of the park. And I'll have you know that this is almost a perfect representation of 34th Century Earth. Huge retro-revival!"
"I guess I'm just used to you showing me much more impressive versions of the future."
The Doctor looked a bit smug. "Well, that's me, Mr. Impressive," the Doctor smirked. "Now, let's see about those FastPasses for Space Mountain."
By the time noon rolled around, the Doctor and Rose had ridden Space Mountain, the Carousel of Progress ("That was unbelievably cheesy, Doctor" "Excuse me Rose, but 'There's a Great Big Beautiful Tomorrow' is a cultural icon. Plus, it's amazing to see all the progress you humans made in one hundred years! You ought to be proud of that ride"), the Many Adventure's of Winnie the Pooh, Snow White's Scary Adventure, and Peter Pan's Flight twice.
"Let's go on 'It's a Small World'!" Rose exclaimed, eyes adjusting to the Floridian sunlight after exiting the dark ride. "I know it's got a reputation for being annoying, but I gotta try it at least once while I'm here!"
"We can do that in a bit. But right now, you and I have a lunch reservation to get to. Follow me, Dame Rose."
"And where would that be?"
"You'll see. Come on, the reservation is for 12:15."
He took hold of her hand and lead her past the carousel toward Cinderella Castle. They approached a podium located under the archways of the castle. Rose's jaw just about hit the floor when she realized where they would be dining.
"Hello! Welcome to Cinderella's Royal Table, how may I help you?" asked the cheerful-looking young woman at the kiosk.
"Hi! I had a reservation for two, under the name John Tyler."
The woman looked down at the computer screen in front of her, scanning the names. "Alright! Any food allergies or special dietary requests?"
"Nope!"
"Okey-doke, if you folks would just follow me!" The woman guided them through the doors leading into the castle, into a waiting area, which looked to be straight out of a fairytale. There were tapestries on the walls and a suit of armor standing by a gorgeous grandfather clock. Against the wall closest to the entrance sat Cinderella herself, seated in a throne, greeting guests and taking pictures with them. "You'll be seated in a few minutes. Feel free to say hi to Cinderella while you wait, she loves greeting all of her guests. Hand this," she said, handing them a small receipt with a barcode on it, "to the photographer when you get your pictures taken, the photos will be given to you at the end of your meal, and all photos are included with your meal."
"Thanks!"
"No problem! I hope you enjoy your meal, and have a magical rest of your day!"
The Doctor turned to Rose, "What do you say, want to take a picture with our 'hostess'?" he asked, nodding toward Cinderella.
Rose nodded enthusiastically, and the two of them got on line. Rose felt butterflies in her stomach, and absentmindedly started to adjust her hair and clothing before she noticed what she was doing. The Doctor must have noticed to because he chuckled at her. "I know s'not, like, real, but I dunno, I'm just really excited to meet her," she laughed.
"Meet Charles Dickens and you keep your head on fine, meet a fictional princess and suddenly you're fussing over yourself," he chuckled, shaking his head.
"What can I say, been a fan of hers my whole life."
When they got to the front of the line, the Doctor handed the photographer the receipt.
"Well hello," Cinderella greeted in a gentle, polite sounding voice, "How are you today Prince and Princess?"
"We're doing well," Rose answered, smiling at the woman.
"My, my, you two must have come a long way, all the way from England. My friends Alice and Wendy are from England as well, have you met them yet?"
"Not just yet, but we plan on seeing them later," replied the Doctor. He rummaged through his pockets a bit before pulling out an empty autograph book. "Would you mind signing this for us?"
"I wouldn't mind at all. And who am I signing this for?"
"The Doctor and Rose."
Cinderella signed the book and handed it back to them. "Would you like to take a portrait?"
"Yes please," Rose beamed, making a mental note to show Tony the signature from the princess. She smiled for the camera as the photographer took the picture.
"Thank you, Cinderella," said the Doctor, stepping out of the way so other guests could greet the princess.
"Oh, it was my pleasure. Goodbye, Princess Rose and Sir Doctor."
Rose was impressed at how well the woman stayed in character. "Could we go character hunting later? I want to meet more princesses, as childish as that sounds."
"That doesn't sound childish. Remember, Rose, your talking to the man who made a life out of meeting iconic individuals. And I have a feeling we're going to be seeing a lot more princesses today," he added with a wink. They sat for a moment, waiting to be called.
"Here ye, here ye, Cinderella's Royal Table would like to welcome the Tyler family," they heard a voice call from by the suit of armor. Rose took the Doctors hand as they walked over to the woman.
"Hello! If you would just follow me, I'll show you to your table," the woman said in a cheerful tone. They followed the woman up a spiral staircase to the dining room, which had the most amazing view of the park through enormous floor to sealing windows. Rose gasped when she noticed the various princesses greeting guests as they ate lunch, signing autographs and talking to over-eager children, thrilled to see their favorite character brought to life.
Rose beamed up at the Doctor, "Mum told you that I always wanted to go to a princess ball when I was little, didn't she?"
"Well, she may have mentioned it once or twice. Figured I'd take you to one. Well, It's not a ball per say, but it's close."
"Here's your table," said the hostess, guiding them to a table right next to a window overlooking the park below. "Malik will be taking care of you today. Snow White, Belle, Aurora, and Ariel will all come and say hi. Each princess will come to you, so we do ask you to refrain from greeting a princess while their visiting another family. Is there anything else I can do for you?"
"No, thank you!"
"Then enjoy your meal," the hostess smiled, before walking away.
Rose and the Doctor just stared at each other before bursting into giddy laughter. "This is absolutely incredible," Rose finally managed to say, "I mean, I'm in Cinderella's Castle, in Disney World, having lunch with princesses, for my anniversary with my boyfriend who's a time-travelling alien! For my last anniversary with Mickey, all I got was a drink at the pub and an 'I won't forget next year, babe, I promise'."
The Doctor looked smug. "Well, not all men can be the perfect romantic partner. Although, I don't know why you would expect better from Mickey-the-Idiot."
"Oh, don't make fun of him. He did try."
"Hello, welcome to Cinderella's Royal Table," they were interrupted by a handsome young man, with dark skin and a bright smile, "I'm Malik and I'll be taking care of you today. Is it your first time dining with us today?"
"Yep!" Rose said, twirling an earing between her fingers as she examined the attractive young man. A flirty smile played on her lips. The Doctor seemed to take notice and visibly sulked.
"Really? Could have sworn I saw you in here a few days ago, looked just like you. Well, anyway, welcome! Could I get either of you anything to drink?"
"I think just some water would be alright for now. What about you Doctor?"
"Water's fine," the Doctor grumbled.
"Alright, two waters. I'll grab those for you and be back to take your order in a moment."
"Thanks, Malik," Rose said, giving another flirty smile. As the waiter walked away, Rose noticed the grumpy look on the Doctor's face.
"Thanks, Malik," the Doctor mocked, putting on his best impression of Rose.
"What's your problem, Doctor?"
"He was flirting with you!" the Doctor exclaimed, tips of his ears turning red.
"He was being nice!"
"Well, you didn't need to be that nice back! Honestly, you and your pretty boys."
"Oh, come on, Doctor. No need to be jealous," Rose teased, giving him a tongue-touched smile, "I'm here with you on our anniversary trip, remember? 'Sides, your one of those pretty boys too, remember? Regenerated right into Mr. Slim and Foxy, you did."
"I'm not jealous! What have I got to be jealous about?" The Doctor pouted, "And I'm not pretty, I'm very manly!"
Rose rolled her eyes. "Whatever you say, Doctor."
They looked over the menu in silence, sneaking glances at one another. Rose noticed the pout still etched on the Doctor's face and couldn't help but giggle.
"Well hello there!" said I soft soprano voice, "How are you two doing today."
Rose and the Doctor looked up from their menus and saw Snow White standing by their table.
"Hello!" the Doctor greeted, manic smile on his face.
"Are you enjoying your day here?"
"Absolutely," Rose said, beaming up at the princess. "Went on your ride today and everything!"
"Oh, that's wonderful! Sometimes I go on it with the dwarfs. Such magical memories of how I met my prince!" Snow White played along, a sweet smile on her face. "And I see you have a handsome prince as well," she added, giving a flirty smile towards the Doctor.
The Doctor looked smug and adjusted his tie. "Well, you've got excellent taste, Snow White."
Rose rolled her eyes at him. "Do you mind if we get a picture?"
"It would be my pleasure, princess!" Snow White answered cheerfully. Rose stood by the princess as the Doctor asked someone at the table next to theirs to take the picture.
After they took the picture, the Doctor pulled out the autograph book again. "Would you mind signing for us?" he asked, handing the book to Snow White.
"I don't mind at all!" She took the book and signed the page next to Cinderella. "I see you've met my friend Cinderella! She's so kind to invite everyone to her castle!" she said, handing back the book. "I hope you have a magical rest of your day! Goodbye now!"
"Goodbye!" the Doctor said as she walked away, a bright smile on his lips.
"And you get mad at me for flirting!" Rose teased. The Doctor gave her a confused look.
"What are you on about?" he asked, brow furrowed.
"Oh, come on, she was blatantly flirting with you, and you certainly didn't discourage it."
"Well, it's not my fault I'm irresistible to women."
"Yeah, alright," Rose rolled her eyes, looking back down at her menu. "Doesn't mean you have to flirt with every woman you meet."
"Well, if you didn't flirt with Malik maybe-"
"I didn't flirt with Malik! You're just a possessive alien git!" She retaliated, becoming a bit irritated at him. "Honestly, why are you so threatened? S'not like I'm just gonna leave you for some bloke I met at Disney World!"
The Doctor looked a bit sheepish, turning pink. "Sorry. I won't mention it again." He looked back down at the menu. He knew she didn't mean anything by flirting with Malik, just like he didn't mean anything by flirting with Snow White. He understood why she attracted so many pretty boys; she just had no idea how charming she was. He decided to change the subject. "What are you going to get?"
"Dunno, I'm deciding between the gnocci with roasted vegetables and the braised short rib. What d'you think?"
"Well, why don't I order the short rib and you get the gnocci and we try both?"
"Sounds good!" She beamed at him, her irritation from before completely forgotten. "So, what plans have you got for the rest of the day?"
"Well, you said you wanted to go on 'It's a Small World' after this, so we can do that, and then at three, there's a parade, if you want to see that. We can go back to the hotel after, if you want. We can go swimming for a bit, and then get cleaned up for dinner. I have a reservation for us tonight in Epcot."
"Can't wait! Epcot's the one with the countries, right?"
"Yep! Great for souvenir shopping. They've got best restaurants, too. All of the pavilions are funded by corporations from the respective companies, and the employees are all part of an exchange program, so it's pretty authentic. Lot's of snack places, too. You can have sushi with an authentic German pretzel on the side, and wash it down with French wine! Course, living on the TARDIS, we can do that anyway, but it's nice not to have to fly everywhere."
His rambling was cut off by Malik. He brought them their waters and took their orders. "This is the strangest thing!" He commented off-hand, "the woman, the one who I said looked like you, she was with a guy, and they ordered the exact same thing as you both. Both of 'em British, as well. Her first time here, too." He mentioned. "Course, I get a lot of guests, déjà vu happens sometimes."
The Doctor's brow furrowed a bit. "Did you get their names, the other two?"
"I did, but I can't remember. Why, do you have a twin?" Malik asked Rose.
"No. Just…complicated life, with this one. Weird things like this happen sometimes." She tried to divert the conversation.
Malik looked at her strangely, before smiling at them both. "Well, I'll go put in your orders, and be back in a moment with your hors d'oeuvres."
Rose waited until Malik walked away before she turned to the Doctor. "Doctor…" she started in a concerned tone.
"I know. But Malik said that the other woman said it was her first time, so it couldn't have been you. Besides, I wouldn't plan another trip with you around the same time as this one." He still looked a bit concerned, his face scrunched up in thought. He paused for a moment, as though processing the information for himself. He sniffed, turning his attention back to Rose. "He didn't recognize me, so there' also that. I wouldn't worry about it. Probably just coincidence." He tried to brush off his concern for Rose's sake, but something about his tone made her think she had every reason to be concerned.