Chapter 9: The vampires of Venice

Mike POV

Bella had gone home with the Doctor a few hours ago as she wasn't working today and since it was Friday I went bowling with Tyler and Eric. I was extremely worried for her knowing how dangerous it is what she's doing with the Doctor. Hell we were all together for that Prisoner Zero guy and while amazing the whole stint was extremely dangerous. I couldn't help but feel jealous tough. I was never way too into adventures but knowing there is a whole other world out there made me feel pathetic for turning down the Doctor's invitation. At school this morning Bella was glowing! I don't know what I expected but as sure as hell it wasn't her being all starry eyes and happy. I was sure she'd return hurt!

I tried calling her earlier as I didn't know whether they left again or not but she wasn't picking up her phone. I saw Jessica making a bee line for me and turned the other way only find myself face to face with the Doctor?

"Mike!"

"Doctor? What are you doing here? Where's Bella?"

"She's at the TARDIS. I wanted to know if you changed your mind about joining us?"

'Say yes' Bella's voice rang in my head so I did just that, I quickly nodded, said goodbye to the guys and headed outside with the Doctor. We walked the distance from the bowling alley to Bella's house and got in the TARDIS that was parked in the woods behind her house again. The Doctor immediately went to the console at the center and started pulling and pushing things around.

"Where is she?"

"Sleeping, there are bedrooms here you know"

I shrugged and after asking the way to Bella's bedroom I went to wake her up. She sent me back out claiming she needed a shower and to change clothes. She was ready within minutes and together we went to meet the Doctor in the console room.

Bella POV

I felt something poking me and calling my name. I turned around in the amazingly comfortable bed I was in hoping it would stop. it didn't. I opened one eye ready to give a piece of my mind and go back to sleep. I saw Mike looking embarrassed and that I was in a room that looked a lot like the inside of the TARDIS and definitely not at home on the couch where I remember falling asleep.

I yawned, stretched, and sat up.

"Mike? What are you doing here?"

"The Doctor picked me up at the bowling alley asking if I was sure I didn't want to join you, talking about 100 words per minute. At least I think that's what he said"

I shrugged and after telling Mike to stay put I went to take a quick shower and changed in fresh clothes. I found my bag in the bathroom and put on a denim skirt, for a change with a simple white tank top. my boots, my cell in my pocket and with Mike we returned to the main room. I saw the Doctor setting a destination and went up to him. I gave him a slight head slap and he jumped up and turned around exclaiming 'oi' I put on my best annoyed face

"You brought me here without asking?"

He had the sense to look embarrassed and quickly answered he didn't want to wake me up and also brought Mike because the more the merrier and because it wasn't fair to leave him in the dust while we were having the time of our lives. Something inside me told me he was lying and there was more. I made a mental note to call jack later and ask about river, so I smiled showing him I wasn't angry and asked where we were going. The Doctor cut me off and presented me with a necklace saying it would shut my brain completely against aliens. I nodded at put it on. Frankly I had no intention of letting the angel incident happen again, what can you blame me?

The Doctor started yapping about how amazing the universe was but also how it can tear relationships and friendships apart, yada yada yada, when Mike whispered in my ear

"Is he always like that?"

"Yep"

And ended by saying

"We will go anywhere you want with one condition. It has to be amazing. the Moulin rouge in 1890"

"No"

I piped in. I wasn't in the mood to yank them both away from half naked women with loose mores.

"The first Olympic Games"

"Are you insane? No!"

Men and sports, argh! The Doctor threw Mike a glance, then me, then he smiled. the TARDIS shook and with it's trademark sound we found ourselves in a plaza full of people and goats(?). Great, he took from one tiny village to another. Jeez, I really am cranky when I haven't slept!

The Doctor followed me out with Mike in tow.

"Venice! Venezia! La Serenissima! Impossible city. Preposterous city! Founded by refugees running from Attila the Hun. It was just a collection of little wooden huts in the marsh, but became one of the most powerful cities in the world. Constantly being invaded, constantly flooding... constantly... Just beautiful! Oh, you gotta love Venice. And so segnor Guidoy people did. Byron, Napoleon, Casanova. Oooh, that reminds me. 1580. That's all right. Casanova doesn't get born for 145 years. Don't want to run into him. I owe him a chicken."

"You owe Casanova a chicken?" Mike asked with raised eyebrows

"Long story. We had a bet."

I raised an eyebrow and with a quick "be right back" I hurried to the room by bag was in, put on a pair of white leggings and a denim jacket and after a quick stop at the TARDIS kitchen to pick up a nice, big paper travel mug full of coffee for both me and Mike, I run back out. Cool, no more shivering. The Doctor was off in a corner of the plaza talking to a local man about something I couldn't hear. It's funny, since the moment I put on the necklace I see him as an old man with crazy white hair and a cane. I tried to bring his current regeneration to mind and after blinking I saw him as he was now, funny clothes and bowtie and all. I run to them handed Mike his coffee and fell to step with them.

The man asked the Doctor to give him our papers.

"Proof of residency and current bill of medical inspection."

What about our names? the Doctor showed him the paper, the 'slightly psychic paper' as he called it and what ever the man read there made him bow to us and call the Doctor holiness. 1580 right, there should be a plague around here if I remember our history books correctly.

"I am so sorry, Your Holiness. I didn't realize."

"No worries. You were just doing your job. Sorry, what exactly is your job?"

"Checking for aliens."

Mike blanced and spit out his coffee before coughing like crazy. I threw him a hard look before explaining

"Visitors from foreign lands what might bring the plague with them."

"Exactly viscountess"

Viscountess? Who did the Doctor tell him we are?

"We're under quarantine here, no-one comes in, no-one goes out, and all because of the grace and wisdom of our patron, Signora Rosanna Calvierri."

The Doctor and I moved forward and I heard Mike shout that according to the paper Mike was our eunuch. I hid my smile in my coffee; apparently the Doctor didn't miss my comment on how Mike acted like a golden retriever in my diary.

The Doctor stopped us at a railing over the canal as a group of girls in veils came out of a building. A black man rushed to them and started lifting their veils one by one saying the name Isabella. hmm obviously the name is popular around here. The girls hissed as the faint light hit them and one of them threw the man down. Their chaperone ordered them in class and they all left. The three of us exchanged a smile and the Doctor literally vanished from us.

Shrugging Mike and I went for a walk see if we could find the Doctor and do some sight seeing. Mike seemed a little taken aback from the whole trip so far and I promised myself I'd do everything to show him how it can be fun. I didn't want him freaking out on me now. Mike pulled out his cell phone and was about to take photos to show himself later he's not a nut job that dreamt it all we heard a piercing scream. Finally! I was beginning to worry it would be a normal trip to see Venice!

Mike put the phone back in his pocket and we run to where the scream came from. We saw a girl fallen on the ground a huge fish, bug not sure which leaning on her. I blinked a few times and the thing changed to a man with a set of sharp teeth dripping with blood, oh hoh. Mike rushed to the girl as I ran after the man/fish/bug. I chased him to the canal but lost him on he way. What the heck? This necklace may be shielding my mind completely but also alters my vision a lot!

I found the Doctor and he and Mike spoke at the same time.

"I just met some vampires!"

"We just saw a vampire!"

He and Mike went on and on and every time I opened my mouth to talk they would interrupt me. In the end I gave my best whistle and they turned to look at me.

"They're not vampires"

Silence

"I've met vampires they don't look alike"

More silence

"Not to mention the 'vampire' Mike and I saw also had the shape and image of a big fish or bug not sure which"

Even more silence. I showed the pendant at the Doctor to explain. He didn't get it.

"When I put it on I saw you as an old guy with white hair and cane. I blinked a few times and you returned to this shape." I motioned him "when we saw this thing it had the strange shape, when I blinked he became a man"

"You're no fun"

The Doctor grumbled.

"Still...we need to get back in there somehow"

"What?" Mike shouted

"How do we do that" well even if they're not vampires, they're definitely aliens

"Back in where?"

"Come meet my new friend"

We went to the house of the same black man we saw before. He introduced himself as Guido. The Doctor and the signore Guido were making plans peering a map and Mike was freaking out. I was thinking back to Carlisle's story about some vampire royal family somewhere in Italy. If these aren't them in how much trouble are we all gonna get? Should we try and contact them and let them clean this up? But this is the Doctor's story; he calls the shots and if I remember correctly that vampire royals weren't too keen on asking questions first and then shoot, bite, whatever.

As I pulled my attention back to the matter in hand I made a point to mention this to the Doctor. Maybe we were messing up with something we shouldn't. I have no problem bringing danger for myself but Mike? he was an innocent in all this!

As signore Guido told us about his first try to get into the Calvieri school I mentioned they would need someone on the inside, the Doctor shot me down as I knew he would. The next idea was to blow up the place which was a little too harsh and definitely not Doctor like so it looked like my idea would be used. After all I'd only (hopefully) be there for only 3-4 hours. I could see in Doctor's face he liked it but stopped himself from saying yes and Mike looked as if he would get a heart attack any minute now. As I knew it would happen in the end he said yes.

I would pose as Mike's sister and the Doctor was too young to pose as my father and they had already seen him, he couldn't pose as anything really. Mike was appalled but agreed to pose as my brother to get me in. I shot down his idea to pose as my fiancé as I didn't really want him to get any ideas in his head. It took me almost all the previous semester to get him to stop asking me out, we're so not going down that road again! Signore Guido made a comment on how he thought the Doctor and I were an item but the Doctor shushed him as Mike went on a 'this thing is mental & these are vampires' tirade.

"They're not vampires and if they're not vampires..."

"What are they that make you wonder what it could be so bad it doesn't actually mind us thinking it's a vampire?"

Mike and signore Guido went in another room to get Mike dressed accordingly to this time and I pushed the Doctor aside telling him again about the shape I saw. We made a deal. I would go in, if it weren't vampires we'd deal with them, if it were or had anything to do with vampires we'd get the vampires from Carlisle's story to deal with them. Mike came back and I bit my lip not to laugh. I changed clothes as well and put on Isabella's clothing thinking of how ironic it was. An Isabella in Italy getting changed to something that resembles a vampire while I, Isabella, dated a vampire and never got to be one myself.

Then Mike and I went tot he Calvieri School, took a breath and presented ourselves.

"So, basically, both of our parents are dead from getting the plague. I'm a gondola... driver... so... money's a bit tight... .. So having my sister go to your school for special people would be brilliant."

Why didn't I insist on having signore show him how to speak appropriate for the current time? Gondola driver and money's tight?

Mrs. big fish Calvieri and her son Mr. big fish Calvieri were checking us up and down. The son was sure we'd met before and his momma asked why 'this imbecile' (yep Mike it is) was brought to her. Thankfully our references from the king of Sweden (the Doctor, I know right?) helped the cause and convinced her to take me. I did the best I could to get the son away from me as he circled my like I was dinner. gulp, I really hope I'm not dinner. Mike was escorted out and I was led to the sleeping chambers. Everywhere the room was full of paler than me girls in different stages of girls to big fish. I was told to change in the schools uniform and wait there. Uniforms my ass, a white dress with a cleavage so open that would make Jessica proud is what it was. Unfortunately I had no choice but to wear it. Thankfully I was also wearing Isabella's underwear because I didn't really think that lacy boy shorts and bra would be appropriate.

All the girls but one left the room. I introduced my self, Isabella, to her. She was Isabella, the girl we were looking for. Quickly I sat next to her telling we'd get her out of here and asked her what was going on. Isabella told me that they come at night, gather around her bed and take her to a room with a green light and a chair with straps but she woke up in the sleeping chambers. ok that didn't sound too vampiric at all. Creepy yes, vampiric no. She went on to tell me that the sunlight burns her skin like candle wax. I knew the Doctor and Mike were outside but I didn't feel safe. Safer than being alone with James but not safe for this situation. My cell was hidden in my belt but there was no one I could call. Actually I had no idea where I'd put it when I had to change in the uniform. in my bra maybe, like in those old bad movies? I changed in the dress and as the bell rang I made my way to the hidden entrance. I opened the latch realizing I had forgotten to remove my nail polish and I came face to face with Calvieri's stewart. He grabbed my arms and got me to Calvieri. She was pissed of and asked whether I really thought that the psychic paper would work on her. I bit my tongue and didn't tell her that I saw her as a big fish posing as a vampire and how I should let the actual vampires deal with her. The lights went on and I saw I was in the room Isabella told be about. The one with the green lights and the chair. she was asking me question after question, where was I from, did I fall through the chasm? I kept my mouth shut fully knowing that if I answered I would be in even bigger trouble. The stewart forced me in the chair and strapped me in. as she showed me her teeth I literally saw my life flash in front of my eyes. I let a loud scream calling for the Doctor trying to kill the silly aqua calling dr. Jones song that played in my head. She bit my neck.

What is it with people biting me? Do I have a sign that says 'bite me'?

I was wobbly after she drank, and confused. I tried to force my mind to cooperate as the son asked if he could drink too.

"This is how it works", she told me. "Then... we fill you with our blood. It rages through you like a fire, changing you, until one morning you awake and your humanity is a dream... now faded. Or you die. That can happen."

"And if I survive?"

"Then there are 10,000 husbands waiting for you in the water."

"Yeah, sorry. Tried a relationship with a real vampire and it didn't work, don't wanna try it with a wanna-be"

I gave her a good kick as the self defense classes Charlie forced me to take when I was 14 kicked in. She made a strange sound and pulled her dress aside to fumble with a portable cd looking device. I heard the Doctor's voice in the background and I fought to detach myself from the chair. Easier said than done. I could feel their blood seep into me and frankly I hated it. out of thin air Isabella appeared and untied me. we run to where the Doctor and the Calvieris where bantering and Isabella showed us the way out. we run out the back door as the sun rose and the bright morning light signaled a new day. I felt as if I had a sunburn but Isabella hissed and couldn't move in the light. The Doctor took his jacket off and covered her face and hands and he got electrocuted by the now-closed door. Mike hauled him to the gondola and I hugged Isabella and helped her down the stairs doing my best not to fall too. Her father had a smile so bright he reminded me of Charlie the day I came back from phoenix broken but alive.

We were led back to Isabella's house where we sealed off all windows as she was in pain from the sunlight and to tell the truth for the first time in my life I wasn't too fond of it myself. the Doctor had left us and returned to the house of Calvieri to confront the momma fish, or a 'sister of the water' as he called her. Still alien!

the Doctor came back, checked me out, cured the puncture wounds in my neck and after telling me I'd be alright by morning gave me pastry. Isabella however would take more time to recover but she would also be alright in time. He gave her some form of prescription and told her to stay shy from the sun for a while. I changed back in my own clothes and we all sat for a conference.

The Doctor paced up and down murmuring

"I need to think Come on brain, think, think. Think! Think!"

"If they're fish people, it explains why they hate the sun."

"Stop talking, brain thinking."

The Doctor put a hand over my mouth

"It's the school thing I don't understand"

"Stop talking, brain thinking."

the Doctor put him other hand over Mike's mouth

"I say we take the fight to them."

"Ah-ah-ah!"

"What?"

"Ah!"

Mike got the hint and put his own hand over Isabella's dad's mouth and I did the same with Isabella herself.

"Her planet dies, so they flee through a crack in space and time, and end up here, then she closes off the city and, one by one, changes people into creatures like her to start a new gene pool. Got it. Then what? They come from the sea, they can't survive for ever on land, so what's she going to do? Unless she's going to do something to the environment to make the city habitable... She said, 'I shall bend the heavens to save my race' Bend the heavens... Bend... the heavens... She's going to sink Venice."

"She's... she's going to sink Venice?"

And repopulate it with the girls she's transformed."

"You can't repopulate somewhere with just women. You need... dudes."

"She's got men."

"Where?"

"In the canal."

"She said, 'There are 10,000 husbands waiting in the water.'"

"Only the male offspring survived the journey here. She's got 10,000 children swimming in the canals, Waiting for Mommy dearest to make them some compatible girlfriends."

Ew

"I mean, I've been around a bit, but, really, that's... that's... Ew."

Cluttering sounded from upstairs and once again it was time to play. The fully transformed girls smashed windows to get to us. Not a pretty image, trust me. We ran and they chased, we ran more and they chased, until we ran out. They got Isabella though and signore Guido decided to turn back and stay to die with her. Moments later the explosives he had in his house went boom. I asked the Doctor how we would stop Rosanna now that she started the final phase and he went off on how he tells me what to do and how I'm supposed to do it. I bit my lip as not to start an argument and simply left with Mike in tow. In that moment I decided I'd stop by the vampire family to alert them and if the Doctor didn't like it he could send me to earth with Mike. we're supposed to be in this together not like a sergeant and his foot soldier damn it. Mike and I used the less populated roads to get to TARDIS but we found ourselves face to face with the son - fish. Mike tried to stop him with 2 candlesticks forming a cross and I rolled my eyes. Just as the son-fish tried to strike me Mike tried insulting him, spongbob didn't do the trick but insulting mama-fish? That worked, apparently every species gets angry if you insult their mothers. Son fish pulled a long sword to defend his mother's honor. 1580 good year for swordfights. What the heck does Mike think he's doing? Of course he was losing; seriously did he think he was going to win? I had an idea, I pulled from my other pocket (seriously I need a purse next time) a small compact mirror and reflected the sun straight on son-fish. He made nice fireworks as he exploded saving Mike's life. Still jumpy from the fight Mike tried to sit up, I helped him and after making sure he was fine and dodging his 'oh my god we're alive' kiss I pulled him behind me to go find and help the Doctor. The dumb dumb would need help and I didn't want him to get hurt, after all who's gonna fly the TARDIS home? I'm not 1580 kind of girl. I get irritated only in thought of the ridiculous clothes.

Mike and I ran like crazy to get back to the Calvieri castle to find the Doctor doing something with Rosanna's throne. he sent us away again and as soon as Mike made a 'we're not leaving you' comment the Doctor got upset again saying 'so one minute it's 'you make people a danger to themselves' (what?) the next it's 'we're not leaving you!' but if one of you gets squashed or blown up or eaten, who gets...he stopped talking as a small earthquake had us all rolling on the floor and then informed us that Rosanna's throne was the control hub and she locked the program and we allowed us to go crazy and smash things. Mike was thrilled for once and he went ballistic. I smiled and did the same. After ruining the throne as much as possible Mike and I rushed outside looking for the Doctor. he was scaling the roof of the bell house which by the way was the tallest point in the vicinity and it was raining. I really hoped he wouldn't get hurt or killed. I wanted to kill him myself in that moment. That's why he has so many enemies, he makes even his 'friends' hate him. ok so the antenna like on top of the bell house is the way to stop the final phase. He did it! Mike and I were jumping up and down and the Doctor even bowed to the applause of the Venetian people. I still wanted to give him one good slap, just so he knows not to scare me like that again.

the Doctor went to find Rosanna but she killed herself and her children.

The three of us, the Doctor, Mike and I moved slowly to the TARDIS. Mike was still reeling in the absurdity of it all and was more than ready to go back to earth. I talked him into staying for one more adventure hoping to show him it wasn't all bad or crazy or dangerous. The Doctor nodded and agreed on having Mike for bit longer. As we got in the TARDIS I asked the Doctor to locate the nearest real vampire layer and to set the TARDIS for there. I'd take this trip only in space, not in time alone and I'd come back. He agreed, didn't like it but agreed.

I boarded the TARDIS alone and pulled the 'go' button. I landed and after a deep breath got out. I found myself in a large, bright, cavern like room, perfectly round like a huge castle turret… which was probably exactly what it was. Two stories up, long window slits threw thin rectangles of bright sunlight onto the stone floor below. There were no artificial lights. The only furniture in the room were several massive wooden chairs, like thrones, that were spaced unevenly, flush with the curving stone walls. In the very center of the circle, in a slight depression, was another drain.

The room was not empty. Three people stood looking astonished at the TARDIS and me. One more was at the side.

I was not astonished as one of them floated closer and I could see his face. It was not like the unnaturally attractive faces of other vampires I've met. I couldn't decide if his face was beautiful or not. I suppose the features were perfect. But he was as different from the vampires beside him as they were from me. His skin was translucently white, like onionskin, and it looked just as delicate–it stood in shocking contrast to the long black hair that framed his face. I felt a strange, horrifying urge to touch his cheek, to see if it was softer than Edward's, or if it was powdery, like chalk. His eyes were red, the same as the others around him, but the color was clouded, milky; I wondered if his vision was affected by the haze.

Thankfully all of their eyes were a bright, vivid red. They had recently fed. That made me feel slightly more at ease. I took a deep breath to calm my sudden nerves and when I spoke my voice was far more steady that I thought it'd be.

"Hello, unless I took a wrong turn I should be in the eye of the vampire's layer."

"Hello young one"

The man with the milky eyes said.

"Are you offering yourself?"

You wish

"I simply wanted to inform you that a family in Venice was posing as vampires. Letting a lot of people understand it (ok that was a lie) and taking local girls. They've been disposed of, but you really should keep an eye on things."

They all fell silent and looking at me. As I looked back I realized that the fourth man in the room, the one with the golden hair, was Carlisle. He had red eyes as well, so much for never tasting human blood. As I saw him I decided I had to shorten this up, I didn't want him to remember me in 430 years when I'd meet him again.

"And you are?"

The white haired man asked

"A friend."

"Not from around here" Carlisle said

I looked down at myself in my white leggings, white top, denim skirt and denim jacket. Do I really look as if I'm from around?

"I really can't stay any longer though, just thought you should know"

"We'll see each other miss..." the man with the milky eyes said

"Yes, we will"

With that I jumped back in the TARDIS and pushed the button the Doctor had told me would take me back. The TARDIS shook and landed in the plaza right in front of Mike and the Doctor. They both entered and with a

"I'll make coffee" from Mike we were off. Off to something new.