Chapter Two
The past week- all nine days of it- had passed in a blur of form filling, meetings and excitement. Bellezza's government smiled at them, showed them a house and politely asked for payment within three days. The Doctor gave them his trademark smile, and whisked her off to the Tardis. He ushered her in first and tugged the door closed behind them. The warm light from the console brushed his skin with a golden glow. It put sparks in his eyes that she'd never seen before.
"Where are we going?" she asked, and took a seat where she could watch him. She breathed deep; the Tardis smelt like him, of time and travel and a hundred other things she couldn't name. It was a relaxing blend, and one she had come to love. A spare shirt hung over the seat, and she folded it absently.
He smiled widely. "You'll see." The Tardis hummed into life beneath his expert hands. He dropped onto the bench next to her and took her hand. His thumb brushed across the soft skin on her wrist. It felt like silk under his touch. The delicate scent of roses clung to her. "Got your bank details with you?"
The question threw her. "What? Why?" She frowned at him, and he smoothed the lines away with his finger. Her frown changed into a smile so full with love that the air seemed to glow.
He patted his pockets. Brown eyes brightened with excitement as he found what he'd been looking for. She started to speak when the Tardis hummed to a stop. "Ah, good." He grabbed her hand and tugged her to her feed. "We're here."
"Doctor," she started to speak and hesitated as some strange emotion flickered in his eyes. "Doctor, are you okay?" Her tone changed from curious to concerned.
She touched his cheek. He blinked and the emotion vanished. "I'm fine." He dragged a smile onto his face from somewhere deep inside. She took his hand. His fingers where chilled, and she rubbed them absently. He watched her with careful eyes.
"You're not fine." She cupped his cheek and met his eyes. "What did you just think?"
He glanced away for a second. When he looked back, he wore a lopsided smile. "It's a secret. I can't tell you."
Frustrated, she shook her head. "What sort of secret makes you look so sad?" She studied his face, and something clicked. "I called you Doctor," she breathed.
The lopsided smile died and left it's ghost on his lips. He shrugged sadly. "It's been a long time since someone called me by my real name."
Her eyes softened. "Tell me and I will," she whispered. He brushed his fingers through her hair. True regret shadowed his eyes.
"I can't." His voice rang with finality. She opened her mouth to argue, and he shook his head firmly. "I can't. My name was cast into a weapon during the time wars. If the wrong person found out what it is, they could use it to end the world. All of them, actually." His voice was very serious.
Hurt eyes stared at him. "You don't trust me with it?" She stepped away from him, hands clenched into fists by her sides.
He closed the space between them and cupped her cheek. "It's not you that I don't trust. Knowing it would make you a target." He looked away. "I couldn't live with that."
She sighed unhappily. He bent his head and kissed her, a chaste caress that chased the hurt from her eyes. A gentle chime broke in before she spoke again. His expression changed. "Ah, good." He grinned. "We're next."
He opened the Tardis doors and nudged her out first. She stepped outside and stopped with a gasp. "Wow!" A huge room spread out around them. Gold and silver glittered on the walls. A ray of light danced over the floor and created tiny rainbows. She knelt and brushed her fingers over the diamond chips set into the tiles. "This is stunning..." she breathed.
He joined her. "And this is just the lobby."
Bright blue gems spelled out 'The Exchange' on the floor in front of them.
"What's the Exchange?" she turned to look at him.
"Great big Bureau De Change. All of the currencies from all of the worlds can be exchanged here."
A mechanical whine drew their attention. A floating cart approached them. It seemed to shimmer with a hundred different colours. It stopped a few feet away, and she realised that the body was made from some highly polished metal. A tiny creature, no bigger than her hand, hopped out. It hovered in mid air, just level with their faces. The bright colours it wore danced in the light.
"Doctor, Rose, will you come with me?" It's voice was surprisingly deep for such a small creature. A gentle shower of dust sifted through the light to the floor.
"You're a pixie?" Rose asked. The Doctor hid a smile as the pixie's wings flushed a delicate pink.
"I am. My name is Noah." The pixie waved a hand, and the cart doors opened. Suddenly, scents filled the lobby. She could smell vanilla, and chocolate and a hundred of her other favourite things. She followed the pixie into the cart. The Doctor slipped in beside her.
"You might want to hand on to something." He warned her with a smile.
"Why?" She asked, just as the cart sped up. His ringing laugh followed them into the tunnel as she scrambled to hang on. The tunnel sped past in a blur of vibrant colours. Rose braced as they raced towards a flickering wall. They shot through it without a bump.
"What was that?" she wondered aloud.
"Firewall," their pixie guide supplied. "Keeps the riff raff out."
The world brightened around them as they left the tunnel. Both of them blinked as their eyes adjusted to the light. The cart eased to a halt a few feet away from an impressive set of double doors.
"Welcome to the Exchange. If you return here then you business is over, I will return you to your transportation. Enjoy your stay." The pixie waved his hand and the cart doors opened. Pixie dust sparkled gently as they left the cart and headed towards the double doors.
The oak doors swung open as they drew near to them. The main room of the Exchange spread out in front of the pair like a chaotic game board. Creatures of every colour, size and shape stood in untied lines as they waited their turn. On Rose's left, a tiny creature that looked like a starfish argued in a high pitched voice with a Judoon. The Judoon ended the argument by stamping on the starfish. Within seconds, the security team had removed the Judoon from the main room.
Rose stooped to help the starfish. The Doctor caught her arm and shook his head. "Toxic," he pointed "Let his own people fix him." A small group of multi coloured starfish clustered around the injured one. They lifted it up and vanished into the crowed.
"Stupid, really. All he's done is got his race banned for a month." The Doctor muttered.
A polite cough drew their attention. A crisply pressed suit stood a little way behind them. The creature's hands and feet were made of mist. The suit leaned closer to the Doctor. "It's their second offence, actually. The committee is thinking of banning them altogether."
"They never did like rules that weren't their own." The Doctor agreed.
The suit's form wavered for a second. "A room is free. Shall we?"
They both nodded, and followed the gliding form through a twisting hallway. The room was plush, with wood clad walls, a leather topped desk, and large, overstuffed chairs. An alcove with flickering light gave the impression of an open fire.
"Please, sit." The suit followed its own instructions and sank onto a chair. The Doctor and Rose sat at the other side of the desk. A silver tray floated into the room. Two glasses filled with sparkling water sat on it. They each took a glass. Her eyes widened in surprise as she sipped. It felt and tasted like she'd just bitten into a ripe, juicy pear.
"What can the Exchange do for you today, Doctor?"
"I'd like five hundred Bellezzan currency." The Doctor pulled a slim, gold card from his pocket. "I'll be paying with this."
Rose had the impression that the suit's eyes had widened. "Yes, that will most certantly do." The suit sounded a little flustered. It reached out a misty hand and took the card. "How would you like your currency?"
The Doctor grinned. "Notes are fine."
The suit nodded and left the room.
"What did you just give him?" Rose asked. The Doctor shrugged. "Think of it as the Time Lord equivalent of a platinum MasterCard."
She touched his face. "Thank you."
"You're welcome," he smiled. "It's not often I get to treat someone like this."
The suit hummed back in and handed the Doctor his card back. He tucked it back in his pocket. A slim leather pouch hovered next to the suit's right arm. The suit picked it up and handed it over.
"Thank you, Doctor. It has been a pleasure doing business with you."
The Doctor nodded. "Same to you." He took Rose's hand. "Let's go home."