A/N: You can find Alex's outfit for this chapter on my Tumblr, under the name 'darksideofparis'.

Ten minutes later, Amy had finally coerced Alex into a gray jumpsuit with shorts and a strappy top, black heeled leather boots that reached to mid-calf, large hoop earrings, and a faux emerald necklace so as to make Alex's eyes stand out. Looking over herself in the mirror, Alex had to admit that she looked pretty good. Her eyes were sparkling and looked more green than brown, and her legs seemed never-ending. She originally wanted to wear black tights with the outfit, but Amy wouldn't let her, saying that Alex's legs were an absolute godsend. And, of course, she was right.

Amy had also changed and Alex had to say that she looked pretty good as well. Amy went to stand beside her in front of the mirror. "They won't know what hit them!" she joked.

Alex giggled a little. "Yeah, but I still think this whole idea of yours is ridiculous. The Doctor is not in love with me, nor me with him, and I wish you would get that through your skull already."

But Amy again ignored her, a skill one acquired when dealing with Alex. "Come on!" she cried, dragging Alex out of the room. "Let's go see how my fiancé is."

The Doctor had already gotten Rory by the time they got to the console room. And just as Alex had expected, poor Rory had been dragged directly from his stag party, the Doctor saying something about popping out of a cake as they approached the door. Alex shook her head. She knew she should have gone with him. No doubt she could have explained things a lot better and a bit more tactfully than the Doctor ever could.

Glancing over, Alex noticed that Amy looked rather nervous. Not that she was surprised; she had tried to cheat on her fiancé just an hour earlier and now, here was said fiancé, probably not very happy about this news, while also being overwhelmed with a spaceship that was bigger on the inside, along with its nutty pilot. Nutty, but cute, Alex couldn't help but think.

Seeing Amy hesitate, Alex pushed her into the room. This made the men look up. Rory's face brightened when he saw her but quickly dimmed, remembering what the Doctor had told him about Amy kissing him. The Doctor, meanwhile, was still looking up at the door, as though expecting something or someone else. Amy watched him the whole time, purposely not looking at Rory since she still felt a little weird about having him here, taking in the slightly disappointed expression on the Doctor's face when Alex didn't immediately show up. This only confirmed her suspicions about the Doctor and Alex; both of them were attracted to each-other in ways that others couldn't imagine. It was a connection all their own that they needed to recognize.

As soon as the Doctor turned and went down the steps leading under the console, Alex came in. She really did look good, almost radiant, as she descended the steps. And no one, not even Alex, could miss the way the Doctor's head banged against the glass in shock when he caught sight of her through the glass floor.

"Rory!" Alex squealed, launching herself into the taken-aback man's arms. Nevertheless, he recovered quickly and hugged her back.

"Alex," he greeted. He pulled back slightly to study her. She still seemed cheerful and determined, her usual self, but there was something different about her, but he couldn't figure out what it was.

Alex moved back and cocked an eyebrow at him. "So? How was the bachelor party?"

Rory shifted. "Fine," he said evasively. "Most everyone was a little disappointed with the cake though."

Alex nodded and cast a look down at the Doctor. "Those idiots were probably half-expecting me to pop out," she snidely remarked. From underneath them, there was another bang and then what sounded like a torch being drilled.

"Probably," Rory admitted. It was no secret that all the single males of Leadworth thought that Alex was the hottest girl next to Amy to ever grace the town.

There was an uncomfortable silence for a few moments, everyone feeling that awkwardness that comes when couples have a disagreement or a falling out. It was hard to classify Amy and Rory's current debacle, but it was awkward nevertheless. Therefore, Alex was almost grateful when the Doctor suddenly started up, blabbering on about love and whatnot, even though she suspected most of it was nonsense.

". . .the life out there, it dazzles!" he was saying as he welded something. Alex had the sneaking suspicion that he probably wasn't meant to be messing around with the controls like that. "I mean, it blinds you to the things that are important. I've seen it devour relationships and plans."

At that moment, there was a slight explosion from where he was working, causing Rory to jump. "Oh!" the Doctor exclaimed, before glowering at the origin of the spark. "It's meant to do that!"

Is not, Alex thought, rolling her eyes, but the Doctor was talking again, so she tuned back in.

"Because for one person to have seen all that, to taste the glory and then go back. . . It will tear you apart." He looked up at them triumphantly through the glass. "So, I'm sending you somewhere, together."

"Whoa!" Amy stepped forward, clearly nervous. "What, like a date?"

"Anywhere you want. Any time you want," the Doctor assured her as he leapt out of his harness and came up to the console. He cast a lingering eye on Alex before continuing. "One condition. It has to be amazing."

"The Moulin Rouge in . . . 1890!" Alex suggested, bouncing slightly. If she remembered correctly, her family had been a silent partner in the popular nightspot until the late 1950s.

"The first Olympic Games!" the Doctor jumped in. "Think of it as a wedding present, because it's either this or game tokens."

Alex smirked. "And personally, I'd rather have the free trip." However, neither Amy nor Rory would comment. Of course, this was probably because Rory was still looking around the TARDIS in disbelief, something that was bound to be expected when encountering such a thing as a bigger on the inside ship.

The Doctor noticed Rory's stunned expression and as he walked up the stairs, he smirked and called over his shoulder, "It's a lot to take in, isn't it? Tiny box, huge room inside. What's that about? Let me explain."

"It's another dimension," Rory revealed.

"It's basically another dimen—" The Doctor's voice cut off and he turned to stare at Rory in shock. "What?"

Rory shrugged. "After Prisoner Zero, I've been reading up on the latest scientific theories. FTL travel, parallel universes. . ."

The Doctor descended the stairs and stepped closer to Rory, his expression expressing both disappointment and slight anger. "I like the bit when someone says 'It's bigger on the inside!' I always look forward to that bit."

Alex giggled slightly and quickly hopped up to balance on the railing surrounding the console. "Aw, poor Doctor," she pouted, sticking out her bottom lip in fake sympathy. "He doesn't get to show off his TARDIS for once!"

The Doctor shot Alex a playful glare, which quickly fell as he caught sight of her protruding bottom lip. Oh, the things I could do to that lip, he thought absently, but he immediately mentally smacked himself. What the hell was he thinking, thinking of Alex like that?! No doubt if she ever heard those thoughts, she'd slap him silly!

Amy noticed the Doctor looking at Alex, seemingly thinking over something. She smiled to herself. She KNEW the Doctor had a thing for Alex! "So . . . this date," she cut in, "I'm kind of done with running down corridors. What do you think, Rory?"

Alex looked over at the Doctor mischievously. "How about somewhere . . . romantic?" she suggested. A beat later, the Doctor pulled a lever down on the console and they were off. Rory, a little surprised by the bumpy ride, gripped onto a railing as though his life depended on it.

The second the TARDIS landed, the Doctor raced to the doors. Alex was right behind him, followed by Amy and Rory. The Doctor threw them open to reveal a bustling market place sometime in the 1500s, everyone dressed in proper attire. But what caught Alex's attention the most was the large canal just a few feet away from them. She shifted aside to allow Amy and Rory to pass, but remained in the doorway, staring ahead trance-like.

"Venice!" the Doctor cheered, throwing his arms out wide, completely ignorant of Alex's discomfort. "Venezia! La Serenissima! Impossible city! Preposterous city! Founded by—"

"Founded by refugees from Attila the Hun," Alex recited, deciding that sprouting off a bunch of facts would help calm her down from the possibility of falling in the canal a few feet away. "It was just a collection of little wooden huts in the middle of the marsh, but became one of the most powerful cities in the world. Constantly being invaded, constantly flooding. . ." She paused, trying to see if there was anything else, but the Doctor took control again.

"Constantly beautiful!" he finished. He twirled around the marketplace, either ignoring or just not noticing the people who were staring at him and the TARDIS. "Oh, you gotta love Venice," he remarked as he eyed a young woman nearby. The girl blushed, lowered her head, and walked away, clearly be smitten. Amy glanced over at Alex to see if there was an inkling of jealousy in her after witnessing that, but Alex wasn't really listening, still frozen in the TARDIS doorway.

Meanwhile, the Doctor was still talking. ". . .many people did. Byron, Napoleon, Casanova, oh!" He frantically glanced down at his watch. "That reminds me! 1580." He breathed a sigh of relief. "That's all right," he said to himself. "Casanova doesn't get born for a hundred and forty-five years. Don't want to run into him! I owe him a chicken."

Rory stared at him. "You owe Casanova a chicken?"

The Doctor waved the question off. "Long story . . . we had a bet," he dismissed. He expected Alex to jump in, demanding to know what the bet was and otherwise just pestering him until he finally cracked and told her. However, she was silent. He turned around and was surprised not to see her. For a split second, his hearts sped up and he panicked. Had he lost her? Oh, God, if anything ever happened to her, he'd never forgive himself. . .

It was then that he noticed Amy standing by the TARDIS, seemingly talking to someone. He crossed back over and was surprised and a little worried to see Alex standing in the doorway, her hands clutching either side of the doorframe, staring vacantly at the canal in front of them. For a second, he thought something had invaded her mind again, but he was quickly reassured when Alex glanced over at him before blinking and turning back to the canal.

"Ally?" he said hesitantly, trying not to startle her. He placed a hand on her shoulder and noticed the way her muscles were tensed. "Are you okay?"

"I-I'm fine," Alex said shakily. "Just . . . water. So easy to drown in, you know. So deep and cold and weighting. . ." She sounded as though she were reliving a memory, the memory of the night where her parents died and she had almost drowned.

The Doctor mentally slapped himself again. Dammit! How could he have been so stupid? Alex couldn't handle water. If she was nervous to be around a swimming pool, Venice was like Ground Zero for her. "Ally, if you want to stay in the TARDIS, it's fine. . ."

Alex blinked and took a deep breath. She knew which option sounded more appealing to her. In the TARDIS, she'd be perfectly safe without having to worry about drowning in a canal. But at the same time, she'd be missing out on an adventure that many people would never experience. Plus, despite how she felt about some aspects of Venice, she had to admit that it was a beautiful city. How many people ever got to see it, let alone during the 1500s?

Releasing her breath, Alex courageously stepped away from the TARDIS and shut the door. She turned to the Doctor and linked her arm through his, taking in his surprised but pleased expression. "I'm fine," she said, her voice a little less steady than she would have liked. "Let's go."

The Doctor grinned and quickly rushed her away from the canal. He was so happy that she had decided to come along. Not that he would have forced her into coming had she decided to sit this one out, but he would have been disappointed with not having her right next to him. He leaned down and kissed the top of her head. "Don't worry, it's Venice," he whispered to her. "What could possibly go wrong?"

But before Alex could object to this question - something was always going wrong with the Doctor around - they were suddenly stopped by an official in black robes. "Papers if you please!" he barked, standing in front of them to keep them from going any further into the city. "Proof of residency, current bill of medical inspection!"

The Doctor calmly reached into his pocket and removed his psychic paper. As he held it open before the official's eyes, he calmly said, "There you go, fella. All to your satisfaction, I think you'll find."

The official snatched the paper from his hands and examined it. Suddenly, he looked up, his eyes wide as he stared at the group before returning to the Doctor and Alex. He hastily bowed, making Alex, Amy, and Rory frown in confusion while the Doctor simply watched him, as if this was an everyday occurrence. "I am so sorry, Your Holiness," the official begged. Alex was about to burst into laughter when the official turned, took her hand, and kissed it. "Your Royal Highness," he continued, making Alex's eyes go wide. Stunned, she did a flimsy curtsey as the official went on. "I didn't realize."

The Doctor patted him on the shoulder and retrieved the psychic paper. "No worries, you were just doing your job."

Alex quickly stepped in. "I'm sorry, but what is your job exactly?"

"Checking for aliens," the official calmly replied. Alex bit down on her lip, trying not to look at the Doctor. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Amy giggling. "Visitors from foreign lands what might bring the plague with them."

"Oh, that's nice," Amy groaned, before fixing a deep glare on the Doctor. "See where you bring me? The PLAGUE!" She wacked his arm for emphasis.

"Don't worry, Viscountess," the official assured her, bowing as Amy rolled her eyes, sighed, and gave a regal-looking nod. "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 official presented a thick book, the cover embossed with an Italian family seal.

"How interesting," the Doctor murmured, staring at the seal. "I heard the plague died out years ago." He said this in such a way that you knew that he actually knew the answer.

"Not out there!" the official protested, nodding towards the horizon. "No, Signora Calvierri has seen it with her own eyes; streets are piled high with bodies, she says!"

The Doctor frowned in thought. "Did she now?"

Without another word, the Doctor pulled Alex down the street as the official hurried off to accost some other poor tourist. Rory grabbed the psychic paper from the Doctor and examined it. A funny look crossed his face. "Um, according to this, I'm your eunuch!" he called out to Amy.

Amy whirled around and a funny look crossed her face as well, trying to process this. "Uh, yeah, I'll explain later," she said vaguely, before hurrying off after the Doctor and Alex.

Ahead of them, Alex wacked the Doctor on the head. "Eunuch?" she repeated. "Really?"

"It was the first thing that came to mind!" the Doctor protested.

Alex rolled her eyes and called out, "Rory, what does that thing say about me?"

Rory examined it again. "Uh, Her Royal Highness Alexandria, Princess of France," he recited.

Alex turned and cocked an eyebrow at the Doctor. "A princess?" she whistled. "Of France? My oh my, you think highly of me."

The Doctor smirked at her. "That might've said you were my wife if I wasn't pretending to be the Pope." The Doctor honestly didn't know why that came out of his mouth. Somewhere along the way, his and Alex's bantering had turned into flirting. And her in that revealing outfit only intensified it.

Alex blushed brightly. "By the way, what is that paper?"

"Psychic paper," the Doctor explained. "It allows a person to see whatever I want them to see."

Alex's eyes brightened. "Sounds incredible!" she squealed. She paused, thinking of something. "Do you think I'd be able to read it? What with my mind and all?"

The Doctor thought about this. "I'm not sure," he admitted. He reached over and grabbed the paper out of Rory's hands. They stopped walking as he thrust the wallet under Alex's nose. "See anything?"

Alex squinted, but all she could see was a blank piece of aged paper. She shook her head. "Nope, sorry," she said, hardly surprised.

Rory peeked over her shoulder. "Really?" he said doubtfully, the only one in the group unaware of Alex's mental prowess. "It clearly says Trust me, I'm the Doctor."

"Alex's mind is a little different from other humans," the Doctor explained. He pocketed the psychic paper and pulled Alex a little closer to him. "Things designed to trick the mind, like psychic paper, don't work on her."

"I wish we knew why," Alex moaned. She ran a hand through her hair, causing it to become unkempt. The Doctor eyed it. He thought it looked pretty good like that, all tousled and wild. He knew he really shouldn't be thinking stuff like that, especially when they involved Alex, but he couldn't help himself. Maybe it was her outfit that was making him react this way. She certainly looked good in it.

During this conversation, the group found themselves wandering onto a large covered walkway overlooking the canal. Boats bobbed up and down in the marble blue water, a light breeze rippling their sails every few seconds. Across from the walkway was a large plaza, right in front of a stone fortress. Alex and the Doctor leaned up against the stone railing, eyeing the fortress, while Amy and Rory laughed and commented on the scenery.

The two watched as several girls in full-length dresses and shawls came to the doorway of the fortress. Alex squinted at them, trying to get a good look at them. At first glance, they all appeared about her age but suddenly, her vision shifted and she was alarmed to see green lizard creatures standing in the girls' places. She sucked in a breath and blinked rapidly. But by the time she had done this, an older regal looking woman had stepped in front of the girls and ordered them to put down their veils. Down went the veils and up came several white parasols.

"Geez, they're really concerned about getting sunburn here," Alex joked, trying to take her mind off what she had just seen. Had that been a perception filter? If it had been, it must have been a pretty strong one due to the fact that it took a minute for her mind to bypass it.

The corners of the Doctor's mouth turned upwards a little at her words, but they quickly went back down again as they watched what happened next. A black man in simple peasant clothing came running up to the girls. He flung up a few of their veils before finally reaching the one he was looking for. He seemed to be pleading with her, trying to get her to come with him, when one of the other girls approached him and pushed him to the ground. The other girls quickly swept the one girl off as the man attempted to get up, but was stopped by another man for a moment. The latter spoke to him for a moment before flouncing off with a kind of walk that screamed upper-class and elegance.

"What the hell?" Alex said, before finding herself being dragged by the Doctor down to the fortress. The duo bobbed and weaved through the crowd before reaching an exposed stone alleyway. Ivy crept up a few of the walls and some laundry had been hung above them but instead of taking in the details, Alex focused her attention on the man they had been watching, who was now at the end of the alleyway.

The Doctor released her hand and leapt onto the bottom step of a series of stairs on the building the man had just passed. "Who were those girls?" he swiftly demanded, not bothering to waste time. Alex had to admire the way he went straight to the point.

The man turned to stare at them, taking in Alex's revealing outfit for a moment before turning to address the Doctor. "I thought everyone knew about the Calvierri School."

"Our first day here," Alex explained. She leaned up against a wall and crossed her arms and ankles. Despite her casual stance, you could tell she was determined to figure out what was going on here. One look into her currently honey-colored eyes confirmed this, for they were filled with determination and authority.

The Doctor jumped down from his perch and stepped towards the man. "Okay, parents do all sorts of things to get their children into good schools," he theorized. "They move house, they change religion." He paused for a moment, allowing someone to walk past without hearing them. He leaned towards the man in a conspiring manner. "So why are you trying to get her out?

"Something happens in there," the man explained worriedly. "Something magical, something . . . evil. My own daughter didn't recognize me. And the girl who pushed me away, her face. . ." He trailed off and Alex could see the fear and worry in his eyes. "Like an animal."

Alex pursed her lips and right in chime with the Doctor said, "I think it's time I met this Signora Calvierri." The two looked at each-other, slightly startled but grinned nevertheless.

"Seems to be a reoccurring thing," Alex snickered, her eyes twinkling.

"We seem to be making a habit of it," the Doctor joked, making Alex giggle slightly.

The man stared at them, transfixed. Never in his life had he seen a couple who radiated such passion and depth in just a few spoken words as these two did. "Quite an interesting couple you two are," he commented.

The Doctor and Alex's eyes widened and they hastily shook their heads. "N-no, no, w-we're not. . ." the Doctor stuttered, blinking nervously.

"We're not a couple," Alex said adamantly. She stepped a little ways away from the Doctor to emphasize her point, but the man still didn't look convinced.

"Really?" he asked, cocking an eyebrow. "It certainly seems like it."

The Doctor rolled his eyes exasperatedly. "Oh, humans," he groaned, casting an agitated look towards the sky. "Always asking personal questions!"

Alex rolled her eyes. "Ignore him," she advised. "And speaking of personal questions, what's your name?"

"I am Guido."

"Nice to meet you," the Doctor greeted. "I'm the Doctor - and it's just the Doctor before you ask - and this gorgeous girl next to me is Alex Locke."

Alex felt her cheeks flame up at this. Maybe she should listen to Amy more often. This outfit certainly seemed to be fulfilling its purpose. "Thank you, Doc!" she chirped.

"I thought I told you not to call me that," the Doctor objected.

Alex giggled mischievously, the sound ringing in the Doctor's ears. "Maybe, but it's a lot of fun," she smirked. She linked arms with him and bounced up and down slightly, relishing in the adrenaline rushing through her.

All the while, Guido stared at them. They certainly acted like a couple. . . "Are you sure you're not a couple?" he questioned skeptically.

Both the Doctor and Alex did simultaneous eye-rolls, but their hearts sped up as they thought about this interesting assumption. "Is that all you're going to focus on?" the Doctor demanded. "Or do you want to find out what's going on in the school and get your daughter?"

Any and all thoughts about a possible Doctor/Alex romance immediately vanished from Guido's mind. "Isabella," he answered affirmatively. Alex could see the love and determination to save his daughter on his face, as though it had been etched there in stone. He looked at them carefully, the face of a concerned father confirming his words. "I need to save my daughter."

The Doctor grinned and patted Guido on the shoulder. "Exactly what I wanted to hear!" he crowed. He looked over at Alex, a slight smile on his face. "Willing to plan a break-in?" he asked, already knowing her answer.

"Absolutely!" Alex bounced, teetering slightly on her heels before catching herself. "But what about Amy and Rory? Shouldn't we include them?"

The Doctor glanced back in the direction they had come from before replying. "I think we'll let those two sit this one out. They need to work some things out."

Alex nodded. "Right. Can't risk Amy snogging the living daylights out of you again."

"Exactly. Now, Guido, you are going to distract the guards while Alex and I investigate. . ."

~Living the Life of Ally~

It didn't take them long to formulate a plan and before she knew it, Alex was racing across the plaza after the Doctor, her heels clicking slightly on the stone, as Guido loudly distracted the guards, demanding they let him see Isabella. The two stopped and carefully inched their way along a narrow ledge to the side gate. Alex focused on her feet and not the water beneath her, willing herself not to freak out again. She breathed a sigh of relief as she stepped on stone again. Next to her, the Doctor soniced the lock, the gate swinging open.

The fortress was dark and gloomy and Alex unconsciously grabbed the Doctor's hand. She wasn't normally scared of the dark but she had to admit that this, combined with what she saw earlier, only spelled trouble. Sensing her slight panic, the Doctor squeezed her hand reassuringly and gave her a little smile. Alex smiled back. Somehow, despite their precarious situations, she always felt safe around the Doctor. She knew it made about as much sense as being safe when you were surrounded by ten tornados, but that was the truth. Outside, she heard Guido's yelling cease and she knew that all was currently going to plan.

The two made their way down a set of stairs before entering a small room. Three doors lined one wall with a mirror on the wall directly opposite. Alex immediately went over to examine the doors while the Doctor turned to the mirror, grinning as he studied himself.

"Where do these lead?" Alex muttered, trying one. To her dismay, it was locked.

The Doctor didn't hear her though. He was too busy admiring his reflection. "Hello, handsome," he smirked into the mirror. As he fixed his bowtie, he watched Alex's reflection frown and step over to him.

"Are you always so vain?" Alex questioned as she began fussing with her bangs. She fluffed her hair up, trying to give it more volume than it currently possessed.

The Doctor cocked an eyebrow at her. "Really? You call me vain when you're busy with your hair?"

Alex stuck her tongue out at him. "Longer hair is harder to manage," she said defensively. "Besides," she added, turning back to the mirror, "you're fussing with your bowtie, which is much worse."

The Doctor was about to retort, but he was interrupted by a bunch of voices ringing out. "Who are you?" they demanded.

The two froze and whirled around to find themselves facing five of the girls from earlier. They were all dressed in white nightdresses, their skin pale. Alex and the Doctor swirled back to the mirror and were stunned to see that the girls had no reflection. As Alex simply stared in shock at the girls, the Doctor was busy glancing between them and the mirror while also doing what he did best: rambling.

"How are you doing that?!" he cried. He took a few more back-and-forth glances between them and the mirror. "I . . . am . . . loving it! You're like Houdini, only five, slightly scary girls. And he was shorter . . . will be shorter!"

"You're rambling," Alex told him.

"I'll ask you again, Signor," the girls chorused. "Who are you?"

The Doctor looked at them, a cocky expression on his face. "Why don't you check this out?" he answered, pulling out a wallet and showing it off to them.

The girls frowned in confusion at it and Alex leaned around him to take a look. Noticing this, the Doctor looked at it and groaned slightly. "Library card," he realized. "Of course, it's with . . . he's. . ." He trailed off, silently cursing the complicated effects of regeneration.

Alex yanked the wallet down to her eye-level. "Who the hell is this?" she demanded, recognizing the face of the old man from the Atraxi hologram. "Is this your grandfather or something?"

The Doctor shot Alex a dirty look and snatched the wallet back. "No!" he snapped sharply, tucking it back in his pocket. He focused back on the girls. "Pale creepy girls who don't like sunlight and can't be seen. . ." he mused. He stopped and a look of realization crossed his features.

He turned to Alex, who had already caught up with him. "Are you thinking what I'm thinking?" she asked quickly.

"I think so," the Doctor affirmed. He turned back to the girls. "But the city - why shut down the city? Unless—"

"Leave now, Signor, or we shall call for the steward. . ." The girls trailed off and smiled almost flirtatiously at the Doctor, revealing a set of sharp, pointy teeth in each one of their mouths. It was at this same moment that Alex's mind finally bypassed the perception filter covering the girls. She squeaked and jumped as she watched the creepy lizard figures in white nightgowns inch towards them while also saying, "If you're lucky."

"Ooh," the Doctor breathed. Alex sent him a flabbergasted look. Do you seriously think they're hitting on you right now?

The girls began advancing on them, their mouths wide open, hissing. The Doctor maneuvered Alex behind him and started backing them up the stairs. "Ally, run," he commanded. Alex didn't want to obey, but she knew she had to listen to the Doctor. Compromising, she ran to the top of the steps, allowing herself to listen to the rest of the exchange.

"Tell me the whole plan!" the Doctor demanded once she was far away from him. Alex raised an eyebrow. Really? He actually thought that would work? She was proven right a second later when she heard the Doctor mutter to himself, "One day that'll work." Yeah, right. She listened as he began backing up the steps. "Listen, I would love to stay here. This whole thing . . . I'm thrilled. Oh, this is Christmas!"

Alex had had about enough of this by now. "Doctor, I swear to God—" she began but there was a sudden hurrying of stomping and she found herself being dragged out of the fortress.

"I thought I told you to run!" the Doctor snapped at her as they ran out onto the plaza.

Alex frowned at him. "I wasn't going to leave you alone!" she objected. They slowed down, passing the guards as casually as possible. Once they were out of sight of the fortress, they immediately began sprinting back towards the walkway. Alex was slightly impressed that she could run in these heels, but resolved not to make a habit of it.

When they reached the walkway, they were surprised to see Amy and Rory rushing towards them. Amy sprang into the Doctor's arms and immediately began talking excitedly. "Doctor! Alex!" she cried.

"We just met some vampires!" the Doctor told her as Amy quickly added, "We just saw a vampire!"

"You did?" Alex cried, jumping into the conversation.

All three of them started talking over each-other, the energy and adrenaline inside each of them boiling to nearly impossible levels. ". . .and creepy girls and everything!" the Doctor revealed.

"Vampires!" Alex and Amy squealed. The three of them started jumping and down in excitement, similar to Alex on an adrenaline high, as Rory skidded to a stop beside them.

"We think we just saw a vampire!" he announced a little too late.

"Yeah, yeah, I know," the Doctor replied, calming down a little. "Amy was just telling us."

"The Doctor and Alex actually went to their house." Amy laughed and hugged the Doctor, then Alex. She leaned back, breathing heavily. She couldn't remember the last time she had had this much fun.

"Okay." The Doctor patted Rory's face before beginning to pace. "So, first we need to get back in there somehow."

"What?!" Rory cried.

Alex stared at him. "You've seen how guarded that place is," she reminded him. "It'll be really hard to sneak in undetected."

Amy stared at him a little skeptically as well. "How do we do that?" she wondered.

"Back in where?" Rory asked, still ignorant of the vampires residing in a school.

The Doctor threw his arm around Alex's waist, conscious of the thin fabric separating his fingers from her skin. Alex blushed a little at the contact, but made no move to stop him. "Come and meet our new friend," he said vaguely as he led Alex off.

Underneath his fingers, he could sense Alex's excitement at this turn of events. "Excited?" he said quietly into her ear.

Alex looked up at him and grinned, her currently light brown eyes glittering. "Yes!" she cried, bouncing on her toes a little to prove her point. She wrapped an arm around the Doctor's shoulders and leaned in to him, relishing in his scent. "I expected I would see a bunch of weird things traveling with you, but Twilight vampires were not one of them."

The Doctor groaned. "Twilight?" he repeated, his voice exasperated. "Tell me you don't watch those ridiculous films."

Alex laughed. "Of course not! My friend Lacey tried to get me to read the books but I could barely get through them. It was some of the worst writing I'd ever seen." She glanced over her shoulder to make sure Amy and Rory weren't listening before turning back and quietly adding, "But Amy loves them though. Can't imagine why."

The Doctor snorted a little at this information. "Well, I seriously doubt they're like the vampires you're thinking of."

Alex thought about what she had seen the girls back in the fortress turn into. "Yeah, I think you're right," she agreed. She nibbled on her lip for a moment before adding, "I saw something."

"Saw what?"

Alex racked her brain, trying to figure out how to describe the weird creature she had seen the girls turn into. "It's like . . . the girls; they all turned into this hideous green lizard thing." She thought for a moment, thinking that there was something she had missed. "And, now that I think about it, they kind of seemed fish-like, too. Green lizard-fish people." She groaned. "Does that make any sense?"

The Doctor frowned, thinking this over. "Possibly," he admitted. "How long did you see them for?"

"Less than a minute," Alex replied. "I think there's a perception filter on them, but it's a really strong one and it takes a minute for my mind to bypass it."

"If what you're saying is true, then we're dealing with really powerful aliens."

Alex sighed and closed her eyes. "Why can't anything be easy?"

The Doctor smirked and plucked a rose off a nearby bush. Pausing, he carefully tucked some of Alex's hair behind her ear and slipped the rose in. Alex blushed and smiled up at him. They didn't even notice the townspeople around them, whispering about the beautiful couple and the extraordinary love that was radiating off them. "Easy is very, very boring," the Doctor told her.

Alex pulled the rose down from her hair to sniff it. "Mmm," she sighed. "My favorite flower, red roses. Best make a note of it for birthdays and holidays."

The Doctor laughed. "Duly noted," he promised, taking the rose and placing it back in her hair.

Behind them, Amy and Rory were watching the two with unabashed astonishment. "Okay, first she lets him call her Ally and now they're basically flirting with each-other?" Rory cried. He gawked at Amy. "When did this happen?"

Amy shrugged. "Almost instantaneously," she guessed. "Seriously, the connection between them . . . it's like nothing I've ever seen before."

Rory crossed his arms. "He best not hurt her though."

Amy laughed. "Oh, is that the protective side coming out in you?" she teased. Rory had always been a little protective of Alex, since he considered her like a little sister.

"Yes," Rory confirmed. He watched the Doctor and Alex laugh and banter ahead of them. He only hoped that he and Amy could have a relationship like the one the Doctor and Alex shared.

~Living the Life of Ally~

Several minutes later, the group found themselves in Guido's cottage. The cottage was small, but cozy. They were currently in the kitchen, grouped around a large rectangular wooden table, staring at a map of Venice that Guido had brought out. Across from them was a fireplace where a pot cooking something sat. In one corner of the room were a bunch of barrels where Rory was currently sitting. Alex was sitting on the table, her legs propped on a chair. Amy was leaning against one end of the table while the Doctor and Guido were up on the other end by Alex.

"As you saw, there's no clear way in. The House of Calvierri is like a fortress," Guido explained. He ran one of his fingers across the crinkled, aged map. "But, there's a tunnel underneath it, with a ladder and shaft that leads up into the house. I tried to get in once myself, but I hit a trapdoor."

"You need someone on the inside," Amy realized.

"No," the Doctor said quickly, not even looking up from the map.

Amy frowned at him. "You don't even know what I was gonna say!"

"Oh, that we pretend you're an applicant for the school to get you inside and tonight you come down and open the trapdoor to let us in," the Doctor answered, his tone of voice oh-so casual.

"Oh," Amy said, seemingly defeated. "So you do know what I was gonna say."

"Are you insane?" Rory snapped.

"We don't have another option," Amy reminded him, her voice nearly singing this.

"He said no, Amy," Rory argued sternly. "Listen to him."

"There is another option," Guido jumped in, catching everyone's attention. "I work at the arsenal," he explained, pointing to the pile of barrels Rory was sitting on. The Doctor frowned and stepped towards them. "We make warships for the Navy."

Alex's eyes widened. "Is that seriously—"

"Gunpowder," the Doctor confirmed, sniffing at the barrels. "Most people just nick stationary from where they work." He leaned on one of Rory's shoulders, who was staring wide-eyed at Guido like a deer caught in the headlights. Alex watched, amused, as he carefully shuffled away from the barrels, acting as though they were going to explode at any second.

Alex shook her head. "Look, that's not how the Doctor or I work. We don't want to kill them. We have to give them a chance." The Doctor stared at her, impressed. His logic and beliefs had quickly snuck into Alex's psyche, making her believe them. He wondered if she had always been like that or if it was a new development and, if it was the latter, what else had rubbed off on her from him.

"Well, what do you suggest, then?" Guido snapped at her, turning to the fire. As he messed with the pot cooking over the flames, he rhetorically asked, "Wait until they turn her into an animal?"

"There is definitely another option," Alex assured him. She turned to stare at the Doctor critically. Already, she could tell that he knew what she was about to suggest and that he didn't like it one bit. "But the Doctor will refuse to consider it."

"She's right," the Doctor said darkly. He crossed his arms and stared Alex down, who didn't appear fazed by his stance. There was a noticeable tension in the room at these actions. It appeared that if the Doctor and Alex could love or flirt hard, they would be able to fight hard as well.

"What option?" Amy asked hesitantly, hoping to break some of this tension. She still vividly remembered the duo's argument on Starship U.K.

"That I go in and open the door for you all," Alex answered, her stare not wavering from the Doctor. She crossed her arms and legs and cocked her head to the side. "But the Doctor would never let me."

"Do you have any idea how insanely idiotic and—" the Doctor started, but Alex quickly cut him off.

"May I also remind you that I'm the only one here who can actually see these creatures?" Alex pointed out. The scowl on the Doctor's face failed to be moved by this though. Alex sighed, hopped down from her perch, and crossed over to place a hand on the Doctor's arm.

"I'll be in there three, four hours tops," she assured him. She watched as the scowl on his face passed and changed to thoughtful pondering. He seemed to be seriously considering it.

She wouldn't be in there too long, the Doctor mused. And if Amy is really serious, I could always have her go in with her . . . oh, God, what am I thinking?! "No, no, no, no, no, no!" the Doctor objected before beginning to pace. "It can't keep happening like this. This is how they go." He flopped down into a chair and rubbed his face, exasperated and worried.

Alex walked over and leaned against the wall next to him. The Doctor sighed and looked up at her. "But I have to know," he admitted. "We go together, say you're my daughter."

"Your daughter?!" Alex repeated, giving him an incredulous look. Across the room, Amy burst into a fit of giggles. She had seen how the Doctor acted around Alex and it was definitely not in a fatherly way! She listened as Alex added, "I once told you that you looked twenty-five and I'm only twenty! That's five years difference! You look like you're a little older than me!"

"Brother, then," the Doctor shrugged, not at all bothered by Alex's protests of how old he looked.

"Too weird," Amy chimed in. A mischievous look crossed her face. "Fiancé?" she suggested innocently.

Rory leapt up, fueled with a sudden burst of protectiveness. "Alex, I'm not having him run around telling people he's your fiancé!"

"And anyway, we are not a couple," the Doctor reminded Amy, giving her a pointed look.

Amy sighed and backed down. "No, no, you're right," she admitted.

"Thank you," Rory and the Doctor muttered.

"Besides, they've already seen the Doctor," Alex pointed out. She turned to give Rory a cat that ate the canary smile. "You should do it. You already act like a brother towards me. It'd be easy."

"But didn't they see you as well?" Guido asked.

Alex shook her head. "They only noticed the Doctor, not me," she assured them. She gave the Doctor a little smirk. "He is pretty hard to miss after all."

"This whole thing is mental!" Rory protested. "They're vampires for God's sake!"

"We hope," the Doctor said cryptically, causing everyone to turn and look at him.

"So, if they're not vampires. . ." Amy breathed, trailing off as the possibility occurred to her.

"Makes you wonder what could be so bad it doesn't actually mind us thinking it's a vampire," the Doctor replied, baring his teeth at the end of this remark, causing Alex to roll her eyes at him.

"So, who's going in there?" Amy asked. She stepped over to Alex's side and crossed her arms. As she stared the Doctor down, she asked, "Me or Alex?"

The Doctor groaned. "Well, Ally is the only one who can see past the perception filter. But I'm not having her going in there alone."

"I'll go with her," Amy volunteered. "One of us will keep an eye on the other and vice-versa."

Rory sighed. "I can't say anything to change your mind, can I?" he asked, already knowing the answer. He had known and dated Amy long enough to know that once Amy got something into her head, it was hard to sway her in a different direction.

"Nope," Amy affirmed, her gaze never wavering from the Doctor.

"Then it's settled," Alex declared. She spun on her heels and waltzed back over to Guido. "Now, we need proper clothing. I don't think this jumpsuit or Amy's skirt will cut it."

A/N: Lots of flirting going on in this chapter huh? It was so much fun to write, especially the Doctor's reactions to Alex's revealing outfit. :D

Notes on reviews. . .

Guest - Sadly, that didn't happen in this chapter . . . but you never know about future stories! Lol, can you imagine the Doctor's reaction if Alex did pop out of the cake in that outfit and all the guys were goggling her? That would definitely be an Oncoming Storm moment! :)

ElysiumPhoenix - Yeah, that was a little unexpected? I figured it just fit the scene, especially since they're discussing why the Doctor kissed her in the first place. And jealous Alex is very fun to write. We'll be seeing more of her in the future. :)

jesterlover - Thank you! I try to write in some funny moments, particularly with Alex's one-liners. I'm glad you think I wrote Amy perfectly. It's a little hard trying to keep the original characters in character when dropping an OC into the mix. :)

Thank you to Gwilwillith, Guest, rycbar15, AimeeLiz726, Kawaii-Attack, ElysiumPhoenix, and jesterlover for reviewing! I'm in awe that this has reached 78 reviews in only 18 chapters. Thank you! And thanks to those who followed/favored this story!