Chapter Twelve: Here Begins a New Life

Well we finally returned back to our flat, well what's left of it. Mum is mad as hell; she keeps saying it's the Doctor's fault. But I know it's not really the Doctor's fault, after all he wasn't the one who ended up lighting the stove. But I know better than to tell my mother that. Oh yea, like I am going to tell her it's her fault. We're going through our flat trying to salvage what's left. The Doctor has been quiet lately. I found him later on in my room. A few tears were going down his face. He has a book in his hands; I recognize it as the book he was looking for earlier from our bookstore.

I end up looking at it and find it turned to a page in the book.

"In that book which is my memory, on the first page of the chapter that is the day when I first met you, appear the words, 'Here begins a new life.'"

"Doctor…"

"Hmm…"

"Are you alright?"

"Yes, I suppose so."

I shake my head, "I don't think you are. You said earlier you knew the previous occupants of our flat."

"I did. The girl, she was about your age. Rose was her name."

"What happened to her?"

"She's gone."

"Dead?"

"No…" The Doctor grins, "Very much alive and her mother too. She and her mother were very much a part of my life."

I look at the book, "What's that?"

The Doctor smiles, "La Vita Nuova."

"Huh?" I don't know the name of that, it's not in English.

The Doctor chuckles, "It's Italian. It means, The New Life."

"Oh…"

The Doctor shifts around nervously, "Well it's probably about time I head off."

"You didn't pay for that book did you?"

The Doctor looks a bit sheepishly, "Uhh…..actually no. But don't tell your mother."

I grin and yell out, "Oh Mum….."

The Doctor's eyes went wide, "Now wait a minute here….maybe we can work something out. I mean technically, you did save my life a few times and…I helped you get rid of your 'problem'."

He pauses and then said, "Mackenzie Dalton, would you like to come with me?"

"I thought you'd never ask." I smile a mischievous smile, "Consider the book paid for Doctor."

"Now wait a minute here, did you just blackmail me, Mack? Because I get the feeling you did that on purpose."

I laugh lightly, "Maybe…."

My mum enters the room, "Did you ask for me, love?"

"Yea, I did. But I forgot what I was going to ask you, sorry."

She sighs and gives the Doctor a very dagger-ish look and then leaves.

I see the Doctor shudder lightly and I laugh, "Oh my God, you're scared of her."

"I am not."

"Yes, you are. I mean we had to deal with dark oblivion and you're scared of her."

The Doctor sighs, "Give me dark oblivion over someone's mother any day, Mackenzie Dalton. Come on we better get going before your mother says something about that as well. Plus I'd like to help you with your mental abilities as well, that is if it's alright with you."

"Sounds fine with me, I am up for a challenge." I call out, "I am going out, mum. I don't know when I'll be back."

I hear her call out, "What about your doctor's appointment?"

"I don't need one; I already have one with another Doctor."

The Doctor beams lightly and he smiles, "So Mack." He grins and seems a bit more light hearted now, "Here begins a new life…."

XXXX

A/N: Okay that's the end of the story. I have grown quite attached to Mackenzie though, so I may write another story with her in the future. As for the quote, it's not exactly exact; the quote comes from Star Trek Voyager and from the following episode Latent Image. I love the way it's quoted though and so I used it. The way the actual quote, which is from Dante's Divine Comedy reads as follows: "In that part of the book of my memory before which is little that can be read, there is a rubric, saying, 'Incipit Vita Nova'." Thanks for reading and Please R/R