oOo
Chapter Seven

The Doctor Dances – Again
oOo

The TARDIS landed and I felt a giant burst of excitement bubble out of me, I knew I was in for an evening I would never forget. Unable to contain the thrill of what was outside that door I rushed over but the Doctor let out a sharp yell.

"Oiy! Not so fast you!"

I skidded to a stop and turned towards him.

"What?" I asked annoyed that he was keeping me in suspense longer that what was necessary.

"We are at a ball; you need to change into ball-clothes." He replied, giving me a funny look, as if I should have known better.

"I don't have any clothes at all." I frowned, looking down at the dress I had been wearing since the day I had left London. Thankfully Edmond wife had let me borrow a dress while there so I could launder this one.

"There is a closet full, right over there." He pointed past his shoulder.

"Are you going to change?" I asked, eyeing him suspiciously.

"Of course."

We separated and each went off in search of something to wear. When I entered the room the Doctor had directed me too, I was in awe. It was more than just a closet full, it was a mansion full. The room was the size of a football field, it was three stories high, and it was filled with endless racks of clothing, everywhere. From dresses to pantsuits, it was all here. The room was also filled with long shelves of accessories. Shoes and baubles, scarfs and hats, boas and glasses, it was all there.

I hurried to the closes rack and let my fingers glide along the different fabrics of every color of the rainbow. This had to be the ultimate dress-up room. I could essential become anything my imagination dreamed of. If I needed to be a Duchess in the 1800s or the first woman who land on Mars, I could do so stylishly thanks to the Doctor's clothing collection.

Each row of clothing rack seemed to be categorize by era and time period, but since I had no idea what section was the outfits for a ball on an alien planet, I immediately went to the modern-day dresses and browsed until something caught my eye, and boy did something ever did.

When I spotted the red dress, I was immediately drawn in by the color. Red had always been my color. Red was one of those colors that not everyone could wear, but I did it quite nicely. At least according to my friend Lara...

The dress in question was a one shoulder slit gown. It was layered and made of silk. I knew it was real silk when I first let my fingers glide along the smooth fabric. It was long and came down a bit past my ankles thanks to my lack in height but with the right shoes this dress would be perfect.

The shoes were also an easy find. I had spotted them when I first walked into the room. They were silver and quite artsy to look at. The open toe shoe had a four and half-inch high heel with a flower like pattern on it, which was all made of small crystals. They were perfect.

With a giant smile plastered on my face I hurried into the dressing room to change.

oOo

I came out of the large clothing room feeling slightly timid. I was feeling very nervous on what awaited for me on the other side of the room. But when I emerged and I spotted the Doctor at the TARDIS console, fiddling with some of the wires that stuck out, all that anxiety disappeared. He had changed as well; he was dressed in a dashing black, traditional tuxedo, with a white button up shirt and a black bowtie.

My breath caught for a moment at the sight of him. He looked absolutely amazing.

The Doctor looked up when I emerged from the room and his jaw dropped. I gave him a shy smile, swallowing hard at the sudden dry patch in my throat. We stared at each other for several moments until the Doctor shook his head.

"Yes ... Right ..." He cleared his throat and extended his hand towards me, cocking his head to the side. "Allons-Y." He gave me a croaked grin and I found myself smiling widely.

The Doctor opened the TARDIS doors to reveal a dark hallway, but beautiful, soft music carried down the corridor. The long hallway's flooring was made of bright white marble and the walls were translucent with gold and blues shining through, cascading down like a waterfall. Several windows lined the hallway. They were large Victorian type windows that went from the floor to the ceiling.

I stepped passed the Doctor and was astonished. My feet immediately carried me to the closes window. The view outside was just breathtaking. The largest beach was laid out in front of the building. The vast beach was several hues of whites and pinks and simply went on for miles.

My fingers touched the window as I found myself craving to touch the silky looking grains. Keeping my eyes exploring the amazing beauty before me, I heard the TARDIS door closing and moments later footsteps approaching me from behind.

"The planet of Aurora is one of the most peaceful planets to have ever existed." I felt the Doctor's body heat radiate from him as he spoke from behind me. "The planet has four continents and none of them have ever been at war. In fact, they have a five day ceremony just to say hello."

I tried hard to concentrate on what he was saying but the nearness of him was making it hard to pay attention to anything else other than his strong, tall frame and how much I wanted him to touch me.

"That sounds ... amazing." I found myself saying, breathlessly, trying to think of something a bit more intelligent to say. "All that just to say hello ... what happens when someone wants to say I love you." I flinched at my idiotic choice of words.

Closing my eyes, feeling embarrassed, I waited for him to say something silly and technically but he didn't. I felt his warm breath against my bare shoulder.

"It is quite amazing." He whispered, sounding almost as breathless as I felt. "The people of Aurora believe love is sacred ..." I twisted my head slightly only to see his face inches from mine. "When they fall in love, it's for eternity." My eyes locked onto his, neither one of us looked away. "They believe their souls are already married. That they were together in another life and that this is just that continuation." I swallowed thickly as the Doctor's voice lowered. "When they fall in love, they believe they already loved each other before. So they don't get married, they simply celebrate two souls being reunited together."

I wanted to say something clever and witty, but as I watched the Doctor, his eyes full of desire and hunger it made my knees weak. But as if he were fighting a war inside himself he blinked, straightened up and backed away, and just like that I felt cold and empty once again.

The Doctor stepped back and plastered a big smile on his face. But his strange behavior was more confusion and left my mind reeling. He held his hand out for me to take. Feeling dazed by the sudden changes in him, I reached out and grasped his hand a bit unsure, but once I felt his fingers close tightly around my hand all those second thoughts disappeared.

He tugged me away from the window.

"Come on." He coaxed playfully. "There is a party over there and we are missing it."

We both slowly walked down the hallway and I took notice of all the flowers dangling around the windows along with several potted plants in every little corner.

"Very eco-friendly planet." I commented.

"Ahh the flowers. Yes. They practically worship flowers here. In fact for every single month of the year they have a festival for a different type of flower."

I gave the Doctor a side glance and quirked my eyebrow. "It sounds like these people love to party."

The Doctor chuckled. "Well, I suppose so." He grinned. "They just know that this life is too short to spend it worrying. It's best to enjoy the time you have with those you love."

The Doctor and I strolled to the end of the hallway where a large staircase was located. The music grew louder and was coming from upstairs. We both paused and I turned to him. He gave me a large lopped-sided smile, his chestnut eyes sparkled with excitement, giving me a mischievous look. I noticed his black bowtie was askew so I immediately straightened it.

"We can't have you walking in with a crooked bowtie."

He looked down at me and clasped his hands around mine. With his warm hands tightly around mine, he brought my hands to his lips and placed a small kiss on my hands keeping his eyes on me. He gave me a warm smile.

"Thank you." He simply said.

At that moment I felt all these emotions wash over me. He was obviously saying thank you for straightening his bowtie, but something in his voice said that there was more. Not wanting to break the magic of the moment I simply smiled. The Doctor released my hands and leaned his arm out towards me, offering it to me. Without hesitating I wrapped my hand around his arm and let him lead me up the staircase to the dance.

A dance with the Doctor. My Doctor.

A giggle escaped my lips and we headed up the steps.

At the top of the stairs a large arch welcomed us inside the enormous ballroom. Various humans and aliens all danced and laughed. Large, tall, short and thin people were everywhere. Some had red skin while others had scaly looking skins. But everyone here had one thing in common, they appeared to be happy. The women wore elegant gowns in every color of the rainbow while the men were dressed in the finest black suits. A giant smile appeared on my lips as I stood at the doorway, amazed by the sight.

"Who are all these people?" I asked slightly shocked. I had not been expecting to see so many different types of aliens in one place.

"The people of Aurora always invite everyone to their party." The Doctor smiled as he watched a few couples dance by us. "There is just one condition; you are to have a good time."

Wasting no more time, The Doctor pulled me further into the room. The excitement inside me grew as we crossed the dance floor, I felt hopeful that I would get my dance, but to my dismay the Doctor lead me to the snack table and not the dance floor. I had expected him to just grab onto my waist and start dancing with me, but since this was the Doctor he had to have a look at the food first.

The snack table was overloaded with fruits and vegetables, some that I could recognize while others were completely foreign to me. The Doctor went straight for what looked like a sponge cake topped with an assortment of berries. He grabbed four of the little snack cakes with a grin.

"Ohhhh, I love these!" He stuffed the little cake in his mouth and without warning he brought the second cake up to my mouth and stuffed it in. With a cough I took my first chew of the treat. "See ... Good huh." He grinned widely.

As soon as the small fruit hit my tongue, an explosion of flavor filled my mouth. A small moan escaped my lips. "Oh my gosh ... these are amazing." I gasped with my mouth full.

I hurried and chewed the rest so I could grab a second, but before I could, a group of women approached us. All dressed in beautiful, sparkling gowns that put mine to shame they sauntered over; all four women eyed the Doctor with greedy stares.

"I do not believe we have had the pleasure of meeting yet." The obvious leader of the small group said. The woman was almost as tall as the Doctor with beautiful blonde hair that shimmered in the light. She stuck her hand out with the palm down. "I am Tabitha Greenwood."

The Doctor brushed his hands on his pants, wiping away the crumbs.

"Oh, right, yes. I am the Doctor." He grabbed her hand and gave it an awkward shake. She frowned at his action. "And this is Clara." The Doctor pulled his hand away and inclined his head towards me.

Tabitha seemed rather insulted that he did not kiss her hand but she quickly hid her disappointment and plastered a smile back on her face.

"Very nice to meet you. I do not believe I have seen you attend any of our celebrations before."

The Doctor shrugged. "We were just passing through and thought we would stop."

Tabitha nodded and gave me the once over with judgmental eyes. "Clara, you do not have a dance card."

I frowned. "A dance card?"

"Well yes, so all your suitors can claim a dance. It's only proper to reserve a dance for all of them." She smiled widely.

"Suitors?"

The Doctor leaned his tall frame down and whispered close to my ear.

"Even though this planet has many lovely rituals, they still believe that things like romance should be done properly." Seeing my confusion the Doctor elaborated more. "Imagine London 1800's in high society."

"So the women look for a husband so they can become some pretty bauble on their arm?" I said outraged.

"Whoa, settle down." The Doctor chuckled. "They are just proper at formal affairs like this, everyone has the freedom of choice, Clara."

I nodded, feeling a bit better about the situation.

"Come with us Clara, we will get you a card so you can start to fill it!" One of the girls behind Tabitha giggled excitedly.

The Doctor gave me a little push. "Go on now, we will catch up later."

The girls all grabbed onto a hand and pulled me along. A little unsure I glanced back at the Doctor and to my dismay Tabitha had moved in closer. She spoke to him for a moment, making him laugh loudly. I couldn't help but feel the pang of jealously hit me hard. I was supposed to be here with the Doctor to dance, not watch him with other women.

oOo

The girls that had dragged me off to find this mysterious dance card were all quite nice and despite my first impression of them, they were not idiotic women on the hunt for a husband. In fact two of them were in serious relationships, but they all loved a good party. After giving me a small card that was tied to my wrist they took me around the room and introduced me to several of their friends.

As it turned out the people of Aurora were a lot like humans on Earth. They all had proper jobs and lives. They all had dreams and visions of their future along with fears and worries. But despite the wonderful time I was having learning about this new culture I couldn't help but finding myself always scanning the crowd looking for the Doctor.

After I had been whisked away, Tabitha had not stuck around the Doctor long. Whatever had happened, she had stomped off, looking angry. Sadly a small surge of happiness had peaked inside me, but I quickly stamped it down. I was being silly. It wasn't like he was my boyfriend, he was just a ... friend. But I had no idea where he had gone off this time.

After my fourth dance with a very nice man who was several inches shorter than I with bright red skin, I spotted Tabitha.

"Have you seen the Doctor?" I asked approaching her hoping she might have seen him.

Tabitha gave me a once over, eyeing me distastefully before answering. "That strange man ... no." She shrugged and turned back to the man she was talking too.

"Are you sure?" I asked again. "I have not seen him in some time ..."

She turned to me again, this time seeming annoyed.

"No!" She snapped. "We were at the refreshment table together having a delightful conversation, but then he just stopped paying attention to me. He then mumbled something about seeing someone who shouldn't be here and he took off."

As Tabitha's words sank in, I bit my lower lip. That did not sound good at all. Wasting no time I hurried off and as I did I heard Tabitha gasp and mutter something about the rudeness of aliens, but I paid her no mind. I hurried through the room, pushing my way around the throngs of people, suddenly starting to feel claustrophobic. I needed to find the Doctor.

What if something happened to him and he was hurt? Why would he just take off like that and not tell me? A flash of him leaving me in 1718 quickly came to mind but I ignored that rising panic. He promised he wouldn't leave me again. Pushing those negative thoughts aside I hurried to look for the Doctor.

After circling the room, I decided I would go back to the TARDIS but before I could I felt a warm hand on my shoulder.

"Clara, there you are."

I quickly spun around and found those familiar big brown eyes staring at me. Without thinking I jumped up and wrapped my arms around his neck. I felt his arms wrap around me.

"Are you okay?" He asked worried.

I laughed awkwardly and let go of him with a blush. "Yeah ... Yeah, sorry ... I just -" But as I looked at him, he looked worried. Even though he was smiling, there was a certain tension to his face. "What's wrong?" I asked.

"I was hoping we could dance." He said simply.

I knew there was something he wasn't telling me, but deciding that I could quiz him on the dance floor so I nodded.

"I'd like that."

The Doctor escorted me to the dance floor just as the orchestra was coming back from their intermission. The musicians were sitting down and producing those awful noises they make as they prepared to play, so we were forced to wait a moment on the dance floor before we could actually dance.

"Thank goodness you didn't refuse." The Doctor said with great feeling.

"Well ... you didn't sign my dance card." I said with seriousness as I waved the little white paper on my wrist. "So I could technically refuse."

He raised a brow. "Does that mean I need to sign this thing and ask you again?"

"No, of course not," I replied, rolling my eyes. "That would be childish of me. And besides, it would cause a terrible scene, and I think we have attracted enough attention for one night." I teased.

He cocked his head and gave me a rather assessing glance, as if he was analyzing the whole situation. I found the experience somewhat unnerving, but just then the orchestra ceased its discordant warm-up and struck the first notes of a waltz.

The Doctor groaned. "I think young ladies still need a permission to waltz."

"Seriously?" I grinned. "For what?"

"It's just a tradition." The Doctor looked around, looking uncomfortable.

"Who would you ask permission to dance with me?" I asked amused.

"Your guardian."

"Well, I guess that would be you."

The Doctor gave me a giant smile and swept me into his arms. He whirled me into the throng of elegantly clad couples.

"Good, then I definitely give you permission to dance." He whispered near my ear.

We had made a full circle of the ballroom before I talked again. "You are a very good dancer. Is there anything you can't do?"

He didn't answer but simply smiled, a dashing grin, and I was thankful for the companionable silence that fell between us once again because I was not sure I could find the right words at this moment. So I did the next best thing, I lost myself in the dance, in the sound of the music, in the sway of our bodies. I had not been to many formal dances, where the people actually did proper ballroom dancing and waltzing, but I knew the basic steps to them.

This was my first real waltz and I wanted to remember every moment of it. Completely forgetting that I wanted to question him, I closed my eyes and let the Doctor guide me around the room. I became keenly aware of his hand barely touching my waist, the brush of his long, muscled leg against my own as we swirled across the floor. But after several moments, I became disoriented and opened my eyes, unsure whether the source of my light-headedness was the movement of the dance or the man.

Meeting the Doctor's electric stare, I accepted the truth. It was, of course, the man.

"You dance rather well for a twenty century woman." The Doctor commented.

"Thank you ... I think ..." The Doctor smiled. "You dance well too ..."

He shrugged slightly, his shoulders rising as his head tilted to the right. "I haven't danced in a while ..." He said.

"Why not."

"I suppose I just don't want too ... the last time I danced was ..." He got a sudden faraway look in his eyes but with a quick blink it was gone. "It was long ago, with someone else."

"Oh ..." I didn't want to pry but my curiosity got the better of me. "A girlfriend?"

The Doctor was thoughtful for a moment.

"Sort of. Someone I cared for ... very much.

I chewed on my lower lip.

"What happened to her?"

-"She ..." He sighed and I felt his grip on my waist tightened. "She is gone ... to another dimension. I lost her ... Twice."

I tripped over my feet, and then, just as soon as I'd regained my balance, I tripped over his. I had not expected him to reveal anything like that.

"I am so sorry ..." I said lamely, getting my balance back.

"It's alright ..." The Doctor gave me a sad smile. "I gave her a part of me, so she won't be alone, not like the first time."

I let his words sink in for a moment. I wasn't too sure what that meant, he had given a part of himself, but it was obvious that he more than just cared about this woman. It was written all over his face that he was deeply hurt by losing her.

"What was her name?"

The Doctor met my stare. "Rose." He whispered.

"If she got a part of you ... what did you get from her?" I asked, suddenly feeling angry at this woman for hurting the Doctor, even though I had no idea what had happened.

The Doctor seemed thoughtful for a moment. He then reached up and brushed a few strands of hair, looping them behind my ear.

"She fixed me when I needed someone the most, so I could be able to be the man I am today." His serious gaze bore into me and his message was loud and clear.

oOo

The music ended and the Doctor escorted me from the dance floor. I was silent, loss in thought at everything he had said, but as we made our way to the edge of the dance floor I caught a glimpse of something out of the corner of my eye. No, not a something, someone. It was brief and when I looked back it was gone. But I thought I had seen someone I knew, which was impossible right?

I stopped short in my tracks and quickly looked back to the spot where I had seen the man.

"What's wrong?" The Doctor asked turning towards me.

My eyes scanned the area. "I thought I saw someone ... familiar." I spun myself around the room. "It was a man with a bowtie ..." I trailed off. "Never mind, it was nothing."

I looked to the Doctor and to my surprise he was smiling. I was not expecting him to smile. A smile that didn't quite reach his eyes but it was a wicked, wolfish grin that shook me to my toes—I was completely unprepared for that reaction. A burst of heat spread through me, and despite myself, my heart began to pound. I couldn't stop staring at his white teeth, his wide, soft lips, the single dimple that appeared in one cheek. He was more handsome than he had ever been.

The Doctor took advantage of my unguarded state, closing in on me until my back was pressed against the wall, and that was when I noticed that he had taken me to a secluded area. A small alcove that was remarkably quiet considering the mass of humanity that was just out of sight. He had selected a spot that was almost entirely blocked by a massive column and a cluster of large ferns, affording us a measure of privacy.

He didn't seem to care that there was a large crowd mere inches away from us. I grew nervous. He reached out and ran a finger down the length of my arm, leaving a trail of fire where he touched me. Taking my hand in his, he turned it over, exposing my wrist to his gaze. He brushed his thumb over the delicate skin there, sending my pulse racing. My entire world had been reduced to this single moment, this single caress. I could not tear my eyes from the point where we touched. The warmth of his hand, the even stroke of his thumb, consumed me.

I didn't know how long he stood caressing me before he lifted my hand to his lips and pressed his mouth to the skin of my wrist. My eyes closed against the flood of sensation that came with the touch. He parted his lips just enough so his hot breath tickled my wrist. He then scraped his teeth against the sensitive spot. I heard myself gasp and my eyes flew open just in time to feel his tongue on my skin. He met my gaze as he wreaked havoc on my senses, and all I could do was watch him, knowing that he knew exactly what he was doing to me. With one final kiss on my wrist, the Doctor let go of my hand, holding my gaze as he leaned toward me.

I blushed.

"Clara ..." He sighed inches from me. "I need to fight this, but I don't want too anymore. It's my turn to get something I want."

He lifted my chin. I was at a loss for words.

"Doctor." I whispered

"To hell with it all, it's my turn." He muttered harshly.

He then cupped my cheeks, turning my head just enough to ensure the perfect angle of a kiss. He sipped at my lips, teasing me with little nibbling kisses. Then he kissed me. He took my mouth in a deep, passionate kiss that left my knees weak. His tongue stroked along my bottom lip. I sighed into his mouth, eager for more, desperate for us to be anywhere but here—anywhere we could explore each other further.

I pressed closer to him, eager for more of his warmth, and as a fire curled in my stomach, he emitted a low growl in the back of his throat that thrilled me.

"I should have known you'd be here mauling her. You always were selfish that way."

I pulled back instantly at the words, spoken from the entrance to the small alcove we were in. The anger in the strangers tone sent a chill down my spine. The Doctor stiffened and turned to face the newcomer, attempting to block me with his size, but I got a quick glance at the stranger who wore a dark, Victorian suit and a bowtie.

"You." The Doctor said, his tone laced with warning. "I remember you."