Chapter 3: Venice
She laced her arm through his and gasped as he opened the door. It was beautiful! They were on the docks and everywhere they looked there were people, and lights and new sounds and smells that she had never seen. Everything screamed city of romance and her heart fluttered. "Thank you so much Doctor! I'm so excited!"
He smiled widely at her. "I'm rather excited myself Macy. Now, the cafe is just a few blocks away. Course, we've got to take the gondola seeing as the river's the only way to get there- not to mention hey when in Venice right?" He led them towards a dock and helped her into the boat.
She had never been on any boat before so she was a bit nervous as she got in, but soon her nerves melted away. They were actually in Venice, under the stars and strings of beautiful lights. She looked over at the Doctor and blushed, he was so handsome, she hoped the darkness would hide the flush of color on her cheeks.
The Doctor told the driver where they were headed and they were off. He leaned back in the seat and wrapped an arm around Macy. "Having fun yet?" He grinned to himself.
"More than you could begin to imagine!" She exclaimed, "Is this the first place you take all your companions to at night?" she asked winking at him.
He faked offense, "I'm hurt that you'd even think I was that predictable. No, this is not the first night place I take my companions to. With Amy and Rory it was Egypt, Donna it was a fashion show on Venus Aragog, Martha it was London to see an original Shakespearean play, with Rose it was Paris..."
He wasn't sure she had ever wanted to know their names that made them all more real, haunting, to her. But that was ok, because they weren't here now, she was. "Those all sound like loads of fun," she replied. "But this will always be special to me Doctor."
He patted her hand lightly, "Course it will, me too." He smiled at her. They pulled up alongside a dock that was lined with small cast iron lanterns. "Ah, here we are. Thank you my good man! He paid the driver, climbed out of the boat and then helped Macy out as well. "Casa della Luna- House of the Moon"
Macy wasn't sure how sincere she felt he was when he agreed that this would be special, then on the other hand, he did remember where he had taken all of them. "This is absolutely gorgeous Doctor," she said as they walked inside.
He spoke with the waiter and they were seated a moment later in a private corner. "Thank you sir." The Doctor pulled out Macy's chair for her. After she'd sat down, he took his seat. He took up a menu and surveyed its contents. "Now, what shall it be hmmm?"
"Perhaps the chicken florentine," she replied, still loving her new ability to read new languages. She smiled at the Doctor and wished she could hear his real thoughts for just a moment.
"That sounds marvelous; I think I'm going to go with the pasta romana." He waved the waiter over and ordered for the both of them. "I'd order some wine, but seeing as I, in this regeneration, don't like it and you aren't of age in your own time, I figured it was a no go."
"I can respect that," she agreed. "I would never have imagined coming to a place like this before... I mean, even in my wildest dreams. I suppose my imagination doesn't stretch that far," she mused. "This is brilliant."
"We'll just have to fix that, won't we." He winked at her. "Ah! here comes our food! Monte Bene!"
Throughout the night, Macy enjoyed her meal, but most of all she enjoyed the Doctor's company. She listened to him tell stories of places he had been and things ha had done. She was also relieved that he never seemed to ask her about her life. She could just be the person she wanted to be now and she didn't have to remember.
"Well, that was fantastic. Shall we go for a walk? The check's already been taken care of- owner owed me a favor." He got up and led Macy outside. He wrapped his arm tightly around hers and they began to stroll through the cool night air of Venice.
She sighed, feeling surreal. She had a feeling that everything in her life had lead her here... to be with the Doctor in his beautiful blue box. She knew she would never meet anyone else like the Doctor... and she knew she could never be what the Doctor needed, so she would have to be content with this. She looked at him, so handsome and pale in the moon light. "It's so beautiful out here," she said as she took a deep breath of the fresh air. Even the stars seemed to sine brighter when she was with him.
"Yes, it is. This one of my favorite places you know." He led them over to a bench and sat down. "Thank you for sharing this with me Macy. Truly, it means the world to me!" He smiled at her. Even though he'd only meant Macy less than 48 hours prior, he'd come to really like her. She was just what he needed after all the terrible things that had happened to him as of late.
"You're thanking me? I should be thanking you for taking me to one of the most beautiful cities in the world!" She exclaimed. "I'm going to be perfectly honest with you for a moment Doctor, if it weren't for you finding me when you did, I would be dead right now and I know that to be a fact. So I owe you so many thanks," she said as tears formed in her eyes.
He looked at her tentatively. "Oh Macy...you wouldn't have, would you? Had it really come to that?" He took her hand in his. "I'm really glad I stopped when I did. Although...I have been there...I do understand...," he squeezed her hand tightly.
She smiled at him and squeezed his hand back, "I'm afraid I would have Doctor, It was just too much to take any more. I hated my life," She looked into his eyes for a moment. "But now I have a new one," she said, her face brightening up. "Please try not to get to that point again Doctor..." she pleaded, "I couldn't stand to see you that way."
"That's why I bring people along you know...because I can get low, and I means really low, and then you all bring me back." He squeezed her hand once more before bringing up to his mouth and kissing it quickly. "I'll do my best, always try to."
She smiled at him lovingly, "In that case I will try to move on from my past as well. We can just move forward together."
"Sounds fantastic." He slumped down and rested his head on her shoulder. "So not to pry or anything...I know we're moving on from the past and all, but what made you so low?" He drummed his fingers on her knee.
She took a deep breath and felt like her stomach was in knots. "I'm not sure where to begin..." she started, "Well, My parents are alcoholics and drug abusers. I lived in a little one bedroom apartment where I'm sure almost everything was in violation of the health code, my father was highly abusive, and to top it all off... he did some unspeakable things to me that made me truly hate myself... I was just ready to be done with my life. I tried running away but all that did was make life harder, then I had no place to even lay my head at night..." Tears filled her eyes and she tried not to let them fall. She hadn't meant for all the truth to come tumbling out at once.
He sat up and looked at the small, scared girl that sat beside him. He wiped a fallen tear from her cheek with his thumb. "Oh Macy...I'm sorry, I'm so so sorry." He pulled her into an embrace and stroked her hair. "I shouldn't have pried...I'm terribly sorry."
"Don't be sorry Doctor," she sniffed. "You told me about many parts of your past; it was only fair that I tell you about mine." She nuzzled her face into his neck while they sat there, him holding her. For the first time in her life she felt truly safe, whole.
He sighed and enjoyed the quiet for a long while. The Doctor hummed little tunes and traced circles on her palm.
After they sat there a long time, and her tears were dry, Macy broke the silence, "What's running through that mind of yours Doctor?"
"Everything...just like always...it never turns off really," he said with a sigh, "Equations...calculations ...maps...stories...languages...memories...people I've lost...people I've loved...the past, present, and future all running together." He looked at her, "That's what's running through my mind Macy."
She was almost sorry she asked. "I like this Doctor, just sitting here with you... It may have hurt to tell you all those things, but I'm glad I did."
"It's good to talk sometimes and get things off your chest, remember that." He thought about what she had said earlier about advice. He liked this girl, his new companion, she'd already helped him and she didn't even know it.
Macy yawned and rested her head on the Doctor's shoulder. "I feel sort of silly for crying off all of my make up," she laughed.
"You look beautiful either way darling." He blushed slightly as he spoke. "Right...so we should be getting back to the TARDIS I suppose."
She couldn't help but smile at the Doctors words and she nodded, "Yes I suppose so, it's getting awfully late, although I'm not really sure what late is anymore, considering all the time and space travel. I think it's confusing my body clock a bit." She said as they walked back.
"You get used to it. Pretty soon you'll be on TARDIS time and it won't matter anyway." They took the long way back instead of taking the gondola. As they approached the phone box, he got out the key and unlocked the door. "So you really had a good time?" he asked before they walked inside.
Macy looked at the Doctor and smiled and leaned up and lightly kissed his cheek, "I've never had a better night in my life Doctor."
The Doctor's cheeks flushed a bright pink. "Good, I'm glad." He leaned down and returned a kiss to her cheek and gave her a smile.
"Good night Doctor," Macy said as she walked back into the TARDIS.
"Goodnight Macy..." he grinned to himself before following her inside. He set the controls for the time vortex and watched her sashay down the corridor. The TARDIS sent a small shock through the console. "Ow! What? I wasn't...Ow!"
Macy turned "Did you say something Doctor?"
He fidgeted and ran a hand through his hair. "No...nothing...just uhmm talking to the TARDIS...silly me ya know!? Night!" He walked down the corridor and straight past Macy.
She just laughed and shook her head, he was brilliant but sometimes she really did believe he was mad. "Alright, good night then, thank you for tonight again Doctor,"
"Uh huh," he waved over his shoulder. As soon as he was out of her sight, he stopped and slid down the wall into a sitting position. With his head in his hands and started having a conversation between him and the little noises the TARDIS made in response. "'I'm being stupid...yes I know, I know, but what if...oh don't give me that!"
Macy could hear the Doctor talking, but she couldn't make out what he was saying, she figured he was just rambling again and shrugged. She went into her room and changed into her night gown and fell fast asleep dreaming of the wonderful night she had with that wonderful, brilliant, crazy man.
The Doctor got up and went to his room. He took a cold shower to clear his mind before going to bed.
