I'm REALLY REALLY REALLY sorry I haven't been posting, and in light of the Christmas season I hope your forgiveness is intact. Also, thank you all so much for following the story. I swear on my love of Doctor Who that I'll try to post more frequently. But if I don't I give you all permission to attack me angry mob style. Seriously.
Also, I don't know if I specified, but this takes place between series 4 and 5 of DW, aka right before Ten regenerates. I figured some fluff in his life would be nice and helpful, so yeah.
With that, enjoy chapter 3!
With a pang of realization that this 'Doctor' wouldn't be telling her, a girl he'd just met, anything more about who (and what) he was, Ami decided it would be better to get productive than to faint because something wasn't scientifically coherent or possible. After all, she was Sailor Mercury. She had no reason to be scared of a bigger-on-the-inside police box... right? And for a moment she doubted her safety again.
Apparently it had been more than a moment, because when the Doctor looked over at Ami to ask where she wanted to go, he had to catch her again. He frowned down at the girl in his arms. "Okay, you are /not/ fine," he said, his voice stern, but in a dort of kind way. "What's the matter?"
Ami looked up at him for a moment, a bit of sadness in her eyes. But it quickly turned to anger as she got herself up and shoved the Doctor away. "You- you're 'what's the matter'!" she shouted, her fists clenching on each side of her.
"What? How am I-" but the Doctor was cut off by more shouting.
Ami roughly poked the Time Lord in the chest, which sent him back even further. "You and all your alien technology nearly made me faint, that's how! And come on, 'Doctor', do you expect me to believe I'm the first girl you've picked up off the street like this?!"
For a moment the Doctor opened his mouth to protest, but he promptly shut it, as Ami was right. He could have, however, shouted back that people had looked for him, too, but he didn't dare. Honestly, he started to feel like he deserved all of this, so he remaibed silent.
"How am I supposed to know whether or not you're an actual Doctor?! Where'd you get your degree, huh?! And what about this box of yours? It's obvious that whatever you are, it isn't human! You could be from the Negaverse for all I know!" Ami continued to shout about the idea that the Doctor was sone descendant of Queen Beryl, and she felt herself transforming into Sailor Mercury- not in appearance, but in attitude and actions. She probably would have transformed completely and tried to kill the time traveler, had it not been for what happened next.
The Doctor stared at Ami, eyes wide. "You... you actually think I'm..." He hardly got to finish, cut off by his own laughter at such a ridiculous thought. With all this word about him dying, the feeling of a laugh felt amazing.
Ami's eyes widened, her fists loosening as confusion settled in. "What- why are you- Stop that!" she shouted. "There's nothing funny about this little scandal of yours!"
"Scandal. Right." The Doctor repeated the word to himself, doubled over in his laughter. He looked up to find Ami offering a stare that could have turned him to stone, and he composed himself as best he could. He cleared his throat and stood up in full. "Is that really all this is about? A little paranoia?"
Ami continued to stare, but her eyes were completely filled with the obvious fact that she was completely dumbfounded. "What- what do you mean 'a little paranoia'? Look at this place!" She did a little 360 spin, eyeing every bit of technology as it was her worst enemy. "How could I not have suspected you? And why should I believe I shouldn't?" Mizuno's tone was lighter, more curious, showing she actually expected to receive a good answer.
"Well..." the alien had to think for a moment, but he came up with an answer quickly. "See, Ami, the universe is much bigger than you humans seem to think it is. There are more species than you could believe. There are some better than those in the Negaverse, and some far, far worse. You aren't the first to question where I stand in that ranking, and sometimes I myself question it. But wherever I am, I don't like seeing people get hurt. That, and I'm clever." He grinned.
"You're modest, too," Ami muttered, rolling her eyes, though a smile crept onto her lips.
The Doctor ignored the comment. "So, what do you say? Fancy a trip?" He patted the TARDIS console. "If not, you can walk right out the door and forget you ever met me. Your choice." He extended a hand to the girl.
Ami looked down at the Doctor's hand, glancing up at him for only a moment. She hesitated, but stretched out her own hand, giving the Time Lord's a firm shake. "Alright. Where are we going?"