Chapter Eight:

The calm sound of fire crackling against the bumping tunes of party music filled the air as the cherry red Buick Skylark pulled up to the Bonfire. Alex and Luke had been cozied up in the backseat with laughs and sighs while Alexys and Nick sat at arms-length with brief discussions on what was to come. The evening air had tinges of ambivalence as they exited the vehicle and joined each other to walk through the crowd.

Alex and Alexys surveyed the area with a watchful gaze.

The entire left side of the lake was surrounded by various Bonfires going on at the same time. Fake snow littered the ground while Christmas decorations accentuated each cluster of swaying Greendale residents. Every person had some form of holiday cheer that either incorporated bells or flashing lights which pulsed with every dance and bass drop.

The right side of the lake was a completely different affair. It was solemn, quiet with only the old Church in view with one or two cars visible. The lights were dim as if only candles were giving illumination.

Alex and Alexys glanced to each other with confirmation they had seen all sides of the lake. Before Nick and Luke arrived to pick them up the two had a deep discussion on their game plan—especially after the details of the strange encounter with the Dean. It was established that they would hang around the Bonfire for an hour then Alex would separate with Luke to the church. He agreed they would look around but not enter until they got more information on Father Blackwood and his no doubt nefarious plans. Alexys on the other hand would focus on doing her own recon (which meant finding any member of the Study Group to create her own experiences).

"Come on, let's dance," Luke grasped onto Alex's mitten-clad hands with a grin on his face, already tugging.

"Oh, I don't know," Alex hesitated. His eyes followed the group of people dancing around one of the bonfires close to someone's truck with loud speakers blaring.

Luke grabbed gently onto Alex's face with his own mitten-ed hands, "Come on, handsome. I want to dance with you."

"Oh…," Alex looked to Alexys who encouraged him emphatically while no one could see her, "Alright, let's go."

A joyful whoop left Luke as he held Alex and gently pushed a way through the crowd for them. It seemed the overall party vibes of the evening had taken Luke over and filled him with excitement that was genuinely contagious. He danced in playful thrashes and spins and hip swivels that had Alex laughing with actual happiness. Alex joined him, doing the absolute best arm wave that anyone had seen and gathering his own level of attention. With Luke at his side Alex found it so incredibly easy to forget the plans to search around the Church.

It was so easy to forget how afraid he was that there was a terrifying big baddie out there that still remained unknown. It was so easy to forget that the Doctors were all scattered around Greendale trusting him and Alexys to figure out what was going on and keep them safe. It was so easy to forget that there were cracks and Time Fissures in the universe that threatened to destroy everything they knew. It was so easy to forget that what they knew was only 10% of what was actually occurring. It was so easy to forget that Luke and Greendale and the Bonfire were all an alternate universe that did not have Alex in it.

Luke grabbed onto Alex, holding him close as if he could read his mind. Alex found that his glasses amplified Luke's natural beauty and staring so close made it such a pleasure to have the sight-enhancers. They gazed into each other's eyes without a word between them. Yet, both could feel what was unspoken. The world, the noise, even the music faded away from around them until all that was left was their closeness and the sound of their breathing. It was beautiful.

Alexys watched from a distance as Nick walked off to grab them both a drink. She felt so much happiness seeing how good Luke treated Alex and how much he seemed to blossom under Luke's gaze. Their tender moments were so genuine Alexys felt herself tearing up to watch them. She knew deep inside of herself that Alex deserved the love Luke gave him. He deserved it so much no matter where the universe split she knew Alex and Luke would be on the same side of it.

"Alexys, hello!"

A jolt of adrenaline or hormones or something exploded through Alexys as she looked up to see Professor Smythe in a Santa hat with his big ol' ears poking out from under, "Hey, Professor."

"When I saw your Aunts arrive without you I was afraid you wouldn't make it."

"Oh no, I'm here!" she smiled, thinking immediately of Nick and the fact that she had chosen him and so could not do anything with the Professor. But there was that blush, that heat, that electricity between them that she could not deny. The memory of their dance stood between them as they gazed into each other's eyes.

He coughed slightly as he looked away, "May I ask where Mr. Scratch is? I was under the impression he would be escorting you this evening."

"He went to get us something to drink," Alexys scanned the crowd in search of him.

"Of course, ever the gentleman," he spoke his words while his eyes seemed to scan the crowd for him as well.

"I, uh," she motioned toward her own head, "Like the Santa Hat."

"Oh this? Your Aunt Hilda gave it to me along with a tin of my favorite biscuits," he grinned.

Alexys could not control how sour her face turned, "Oh…cool. She's been in the holiday spirit these past few days. I mean is there anyone she hasn't given a hat and a tin of biscuits to? It's almost like she'll give them to anyone like it's not even special."

"Is that right?" he chuckled, looking her over with a true smile that spread across his face so big it minimized his ears, "Well, she did make one for me and my…husband?"

She nearly choked, "Oh…your husband? Congratulations."

"I don't have a husband," he smirked as he looked down at her, "But I'm sure you are well aware of that."

"I don't know what you're talking about," she playfully pulled on her scarf, "Is it just me or is it getting hot out here?"

He laughed his genuine laugh, "Would it be so terrible if I asked your Aunt Hilda to accompany me for a stroll around the lake?"

"But you're married," she intended to have some cadence of a joke but it came out far more serious than she expected.

"And you are spoken for," his tone matched.

Alexys looked down. He was right. She was being selfish and yet she couldn't stand the thought of him being with anyone but her—even if it was her dear Aunt Hilda. She put on a brave face with a forced smile, "You're right. You two would have a great time."

His face fell then as if she provided the answer he was not expecting. There was a hint of sadness in his voice as he stepped away with a bow of his head, "I'll be on my way then."

"Professor," she called out despite hearing Alex's voice in her head.

He turned, "Yes, Ms. Smellpan?"

Though she was sure her cheeks were red because the cold she was certain her face turned scarlet. She let a small smirk cross her features, "I hope I'll be seeing some of your moves this evening."

"Only if I am joined by my favorite dance partner."

She opened her mouth to reply but Nick's voice cut her off, "Sorry it took so long. Is this okay?"

She took the red solo cup and took a sip to find it was Coke, "It's perfect."

Professor Smythe was gone and they were left in silence.

Alex had seen the whole situation play out from the distance. A group of Luke's friends had joined their little dance party which was fine but it made Alex feel a little less like dancing. He continued his little shuffle while watching Alexys blow up her life. There was an instinct for him to help her but once Nick returned to her he knew it was best for them to talk alone. She had to decide for herself who she truly wanted to give her heart and time to while they searched for what was going on.

"Alex!"

He turned his head up to see Luke was walking away from the crowd and motioning for him to follow, "Come here!"

Confusion filled him as he grabbed Luke's extended hand. A spark met Alex as their gloved hands touch that shocked him enough to nearly let go but Luke squeezed his fingers, keeping them connected. It was such a subtle thing but for Alex it made his heart swell.

It wasn't until they were far off to the edges of the Bonfire that Luke stopped and turned to Alex, "Come on, I wanna show you something."

"Okay," Alex chuckled at the spontaneous nature of Luke that always seemed to excite him. He followed the man through the chilly air along the lake until they were all alone near the dock at the boatshed. "What do you want to show me?"

"It's a secret," Luke grinned as he opened the door to the boatshed and felt around the inside wall for a light.

A chill ran through Alex as he waited, looking back over the lake toward the fires that burned hot enough to keep the party goers warm. Though he loved being with Luke there was doubt that anything in the boatshed would be as welcoming as the warmth in the crowd. Alex reminded himself that he had gone to college in Maine and survived below zero winters and if he survived that he could survive waiting for Luke's surprise.

"I've got it!" Luke shouted triumphantly as the light switched on and when it did Alex gasped.

"Luke!" Alex shook his head, stepping inside so that Luke could shut the door behind him to block out the cold.

"Do you like it?"

"I love it!"

Though it still remained a boatshed the inside was decorated like a dream come true. The canoes and kayaks were all pushed against the walls and along them hung Christmas lights. At the center sat piles and piles of warm blankest with two thermoses that no doubt contained something delicious. Facing away from them was a projector that clicked on when the lights did and waited to be channeled to the right program. Red rose petals circled around the blankets with an inviting hand.

Alex shook his head as he looked to Luke, "I don't…I don't understand. Why?"

Luke placed his hand behind Alex's head again as he looked into his eyes, "Because you deserve it, Alex. Because you deserve good things all the time and when the world doesn't remember I do."

It was overwhelming the appreciation Alex felt for Luke and the whole scene. It was beautiful, it was unbelievable, it was so much. Fear snapped into him suddenly. It was fear that Luke was playing a cruel trick on him or that the universe was going to collapse any moment as proof that this was all a fantasy. It was fear that he would wake up on the sofa in the Air B&B as if none of the adventures he experienced were true.

"Come on, let's sit down," Luke encouraged, tugging Alex along.

Alex followed though the fear remained. It remained and seemed to get stronger as they took their place at the center of the blankets. Luke handed him the thermos and he was happy to feel the warmth even through his mittens but he was still shaking.

"What's wrong?" Luke pulled his mitten off to caress Alex's face.

He opened his mouth to reply but couldn't think of an answer. He didn't know how to vocalize the fear when memories of incredible moments being tarnished by reality came crashing down on him. Alex didn't know how to express his fear that Luke was too good and this was too perfect and it was too unreal. There were no words to explain how vulnerable he made him when he was already so vulnerable already. All he could do was look into Luke's eyes as if imploring him to please be the reality.

"Alex," Luke looked to him with confusion, "Come here, come here. Tell me what's wrong."

Luke pulled Alex against his chest, holding him tight with the thermoses between them for an added layer of warmth. His strong arms were nearly suffocating but that was what Alex needed. He needed to be reminded that Luke was physical, solid, alive. He needed to hear his breath and feel the beating of his heart and the heat coming off of his body. He needed to know it was all real.

"Come on, talk to me," Luke pleaded. "I'm here, I'm not goin' anywhere."

"I just…it's all so good and," Alex choked slightly but took in a deep breath and swallowed, "And I can't take another heartbreak, Luke. I just can't."

"Is that it?" Luke pulled back with that sweet smile that made Alex feel foolish though not stupid, "Oh, Alexander. I'm not going anywhere. Alright? Get that through your head okay? I'm here. I'm here for you just as long as you're here for me. No! I'm here longer. I'm here to always remind you how important you are. How good you are. How much greatness you deserve. This is real, Alex. Okay? Do you trust me?"

Alex nodded his head, looking into Luke's eyes as he agreed, "I trust you."

"You sure? You trust me?" he asked using a silly Greaser type voice.

Alex chuckled softly, "I trust you."

"Good, trust me when I say this. I'm in it. Alright? I'm in it for good. You're not getting rid of me. Okay? So when I do things like this for you…just know it's my love language. You don't have to do anything, you don't have to be anything, you don't have to solve anything. You just have to be you, okay? Who you are is the greatest thing I could ever hope for."

"Why are you so good to me?" Alex let out a shaky breath.

Luke kissed the top of his head, "Because you deserve it and…and I think I met you for a reason. I could have flown by anyone else in the universe but I flew past you and I've been stuck on you ever since."

"I'm stuck on you too," Alex smiled.

"Good," Luke held him tightly, pulling the remote for the projector from his pocket, "Now tell me, what do you want to watch?"

"Well, what are the options?" he grinned.

"Anything and everything, baby. Anything and everything."

While Luke and Alex cozied up in the boatshed, Alexys and Nick swayed alone to music that took up the space of their silence. They sipped their drinks as they looked out to the many different clusters of people around the different bonfires. It was awkward. Alexys typically thrived in awkward situations but this was a different sensation she was not accustom to.

"It's chilly," she spat out after some time.

"Yeah, it is," he sighed with his hand in his pocket.

His answer filled her with a sense of discomfort that made her nauseous. They were supposed to be mending their issues, not making them worse. In her past, Alexys had shied away from confrontation but in recent years she had learned to go head first into the situation regardless of how nervous she felt. She took the same approach with Nick as she turned on him and spat out, "Why don't we sit in the car and talk?"

"Talk? About what?"

Frustration filled her at the sound of his denial. She narrowed her eyes on him and ordered, "Car. Now. Talk."

There was a flash of something strange behind his eyes like a mix between panic and fear and something else she had no clue about. It seemed for a moment he would protest but instead he nodded and turned to guide her back to the Buick. When they entered he immediately turned on the heater and let the radio connect to his Bluetooth for music to play at a low volume.

Alexys was silent as she and Nick relaxed into the seats. She wanted to begin speaking immediately but the racing of her heart acted like a net to trap the words in her throat. There was a general idea of what she wanted to say. Somewhere in her bones there was an outline. Yet as she gazed at Nick who focused his eyes outside of the windshield…it was all lost.

Once again the reality of the situation hit her. If she were truly to consider the timelines of her life her time with Nick was much shorter than her time with the Doctor. But the Doctor wasn't present. Instead of the Doctor there was the Professor that she could not help flirting with and who seemed to enjoy flirting back with her. She could not deny the raging jealousy she felt at the thought of Hilda kissing the man she had married. And yet…there would be plenty of people to kiss him—a Time Lord's amount of people to kiss him.

And then there was Nick…

"Just say it," he snapped suddenly, turning away so that she couldn't see anything but the side of his face.

"Say what?" she was completely at a loss.

"I saw you. I saw you talking to Professor Smythe."

A sigh escaped Alexys as she looked down, "Yeah? What'd you see?"

"I saw the smiling, the laughing, the flirting, the expression…I saw you look at him in ways you," he swallowed, "You have never looked at me."

Alexys didn't know if that were true but she didn't say anything to protest. Memories of sitting in cars with other boys floated backward to her but in a flip of positions. She seemed to have always been the one in Nick's position. She had never been the one doing the flirting, been the one doing the hurting, been the one that was doing the assuaging. It was an odd role reversal she did not like.

"Listen…Alexys," he took in deep breath and then turned his eyes on her.

A gasp nearly left her as she looked at him. Nick Scratch, the Nick Scratch, was crying.

"I know we haven't been dating long. In the story of our lives our relationship is…is just a few pages in its first chapter. But for me it's been a good few pages. For me it's been the best few pages and the other night," his eyes sparkled and Alexys blushed with knowledge of what he referred to, "The other night felt incredible for more than just what we did physically. It was the closest I felt to you…ever. We were vulnerable, we were open, we were naked!"

Alexys lowered her head slowly to cover her face with her hand though she kept her eyes trained on him.

He chuckled at her reaction, reaching his hand forward to grab hers so that her face was uncovered, "I want more of that. I want more of you. I don't want to say this is something it's not but give it a few more days and I believe it will be. The way I feel about you…"

Nick let go of her hand so he could wipe at his face and gather himself. He looked away again, not allowing himself to finish the rest of his sentence for the moment. Alexys felt herself twisting in her skin. She had been in situations when an individual was confessing their feelings but had trouble. In the past she always jumped the gun and finished the sentence for them or instead spoke as if she understood. This moment was different though. She wanted to wait.

"The way I feel about you…" he gathered his composure again to continue though still had trouble meeting her eye, "…I don't understand. When I'm around you I feel like the best version of me. I feel like I can save the universe and you make me want to. And I never wanted to do that before. Since I laid eyes on you…you made me feel like all things were possible. Like I could be better than where I came from, like I could make you proud. But I see the way you look at him and I…"

"Nick," she reached over to him but he pulled away.

"I see the way you look at him and it reminds me of how I look at you, Alexys," he swallowed hard again, "I know we haven't been together long. I know we're still just getting to know each other. I know you're still just learning to trust me. I know I have done nothing great or amazing. I know all you know about me is surface level but I want to go deeper. I want to let you in deeper and I want to go deeper with you. I'm not asking for forever but I want to share forever with you…So tell me. Tell me the truth. Is it me or him?"

Alexys was at a loss for words.

Nick seemed to understand the speechlessness and so he took her hands between his again, "Don't answer right now. Think about it and…let me know. No matter what your answer is. I want you to know that I will still feel the same way about you. I'll always save the universe when you're around. Even if you have the Professor in your eyes."

"Nicholas," Alexys spoke his name in a whisper and he crossed the space between them so that they were only sentences apart.

"Yes?"

It was true that the memories she had were mostly fabricated by the Chameleon Arch. It was true that potentially everything was unreal and that included the Nicholas Scratch who's warmth filled her at her core. It was true that the universe could come crashing down on top of them at any second and it was up to Alex and her to stop it or at least help the Doctor and Co. to stop it. It was true that try as she may…she doubted she would ever not be in love with the Ninth Doctor and that included who he was as the Professor.

But then there was Nick.

She looked at him, genuinely looked at him as if for the first time since she had arrived to Greendale. There was something so beautiful about him. It seemed he was radiating, shimmering from within but she knew it to be the changing colors of the stereo system fading between colors as the music played. For the first time she looked at him like a real person and not just a perk she got for arriving at Greendale and following the script. He was flesh and blood and he was asking her for honesty.

And when she asked herself for that same honesty it came to her in fragments. She looked at Nick and saw him as a person, a being, an individual deserving of loyalty and security and safety and happiness and joy and love…just like she did. In that moment she understood she could not hurt Nick. Not because he reminded her of herself but because he was a being that did not deserve to be hurt. She looked at him with love in his eyes and heart on his sleeves in the most vulnerable position a person could be and she felt nothing but love back.

"Nick…I choose you,"Alexys leaned forward to press her lips to Nick's and when she did he responded with passion beyond belief. It was like kissing a tornado or hurricane and it filled her up from the inside out.

It felt like a fever melting the chill that had captured her and all she could think was: We're going to touch each other in the front seat of his car at a party!

When the morning came it was clear that Alex and Alexys had not completed one part of their mission. The evening with Luke was filled with so much spiked cocoa and Star Trek that Alex had fallen asleep well before he was supposed to go spy on the Church of Stillhet. The fooling around Alexys and Nick did lead to cuddling after and then a deep hunger for food they had to acquire. By the time they returned to the Bonfire many of the participants were too drunk to hold a decent conversation and so Nick and Alexys spent the rest of the time fooling around in the car again and then falling asleep.

The sun had just begun to rise in the sky when Alex and Alexys woke with their respective partners.

Alex yawned a happy awakening as he looked to see Luke snoring gently at his side. He watched him for a few moments. It was amazing to see how attractive he looked even in the depth of slumber. He leaned over and placed a soft kiss to the man's cheek. In his sleep a soft smile crossed Luke's mouth. It was beautiful.

The birds chirping outside of the boatshed caught Alex's attention. He looked toward the door and noticed the light coming through the cracks. In that moment his heart sank. He scrambled as quietly as he could to it and stepped outside to see that it was morning. Alex grabbed his glasses from the case safe in his pocket so he could scan the lake. His primary objective was to find the cherry red Buick or anything strange enough to convince Alexys he had followed through with the plan.

Yet when he looked around all he saw was the charred remains of where the Bonfire had been and small tents that had been set up for those planning to stay until dawn. Across the lake to the old church he watched people leaving one at a time dressed in all black. For a moment he was tempted to walk his way to the Church to peek inside still but it was too late.

He had failed.

"Alex," the sound of sleepy Luke's voice caught his attention, "Close the door, its cold."

With a sigh he followed the direction and returned to the comfy blankets where Luke waited. Alex crawled back to the makeshift cocoon they created, "It's morning. We should go back to my house…where I have an actual bed."

"But I'm so cooooomfortable," Luke groaned, reaching to curl up against Alex for warmth.

Alex laughed, holding him tightly in his arms, "Okay. We can stay for a little while longer but then we have to go."

Luke had already returned to his soft snores.

Nick was awake before Alexys but did not move a muscle so that she could keep resting. When she finally sat up and yawned her good morning he stretched his sore body with a smile, "How'd you sleep?"

"I mean…" she blushed brightly as she looked at him, "It's the deepest sleep I've ever had…"

"Good," Nick chuckled, leaning forward so he could turn off the car and the heater, "I was thinking we could take a walk around the lake?"

Alexys smiled happily, "I would like that."

The two exited the vehicle, bundling up in their winter apparel before walking toward each other and wrapping their arms around one another. Her eyes scanned the tents wondering which one Luke and Alex were holed up in. At some point in the night she had raised questions about where they could be but Nick promised that Luke had set up a very special evening for them that promised they were safe and warm.

Nick kissed the top of her head as he lead her toward the paved walking path around the lake, "Did you have any interesting dreams?"

Her eyes brightened at the question.

"I thought so," Nick laughed, "Go on, tell me every detail."

After another twenty minutes Alex felt the chill of the morning drifting into his cozy spot with Luke. He nuzzled the man with tender affection, "Luke…?"

His eyes flashed open as though he had been awake the entire time, "Yes?"

"Luke!" he laughed, "I thought you were sleeping!"

"I was...well, I was resting," he smiled, "Want to get out of here?"

"Uh…yeah," Alex shook his head at the man as he sat up, "I would also definitely like to go home and take a shower."

"Is there room for two in that shower of yours?" Luke had already begun folding the blankets and putting them away in a basket Alex hadn't noticed.

Alex chuckled and looked to Luke with seductive eyes, "There is always room for two in that shower of mine."

THUNK.

"What was that?" Alex looked to the top of the boatshed, wondering what could have hit the roof so hard.

Luke walked toward the door to gaze out, "Maybe hail or so—"

THUNK.

"That sounds a lot stronger than hail," Alex moved to the door with him.

"I don't know…fifty years ago Greendale had a sudden hail storm that was deadly. It seems possible," he mumbled looking out with narrowed eyes. "Maybe it's a—"

THUNK. THUNK.

"Alex! Get back!"

Nick and Alexys held hands as they discussed the intricate and layered dream she had the night before. The air had grown suddenly so warm on their trek but neither felt any suspicion toward it. The scene around them was beautiful. The lake was quiet in the winter air. As they were cresting a small hill on the walking path they marveled at the tents surrounding the extinguished bonfires like medieval camps. The smell of a fresh morning made everything feel at peace. It was a lovely start to their day until Alexys felt a strange static in the air.

She paused in mid step.

"What's wrong?" Nick looked around with concern.

"I don't…" she paused, unable to describe the sudden feeling of anxiety overwhelming her and the fear she felt at the prospect of moving from her spot. "I…Do you feel that?"

BOOM.

A massive clap of thunder vibrated the heavens and earth with a shaking roar. Alexys and Nick jumped into each other's arms with Nick on the outside cradling her head against him. The warmth of the morning turned into an unbearable heat as grey clouds surged through the sky to block out the rising sun.

"Come on! We need to run for cover!" Nick urged.

"No! Don't move! Don't move!" she grabbed onto his clothes and held him in the same spot. "Don't!"

BOOM!

The sound was so loud they screamed in terror. They waited, frozen in place as they clung to each other. Seconds ticked by in anticipation of another booming sound but nothing happened. Slowly the anxiety faded from Alexys and she turned her head out from Nick's hold to look at the world around them.

"Holy fuck."

"What is it?"

All over the ground waited the gold watches she and Alex had found on their first night with the Doctor.

"I have to find Alex."