A few hours later, Alex found herself standing in a throne room in the Calvierri House. The walls were made of stone and the lighting was dim, just a few candles along the walls. In front of her sat a very regal looking woman on a throne. The woman, Signora Rosanna Calvierri, had brown hair and wore a long purple and gold dress. But Alex's mind immediately bypassed it and she bit her lip to keep from screaming as she stared at the fish-looking alien in front of her.
Standing a little ways away from the throne was a man with short black hair whom Alex recognized from the plaza, wearing a traditional Italian nobleman outfit. Next to him was the steward, a black-robed man named Carlo, who had led her, Amy, and Rory into the throne room. Alex watched as the Italian nobleman disappeared, revealing the same horrifying aquatic creature that was sitting on the throne.
Next to her, Rory was nervously blabbering about why the Calvierri's should admit his two 'sisters'. All three of them were dressed in peasant clothing borrowed from Guido's house, Rory actually in the attire that Guido had been wearing. It had amused Alex to no end to see Guido wearing Rory's stag party shirt. "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 sisters go to your school for special people would be brilliant." Rory tugged at his collar nervously. "Cheers."
Alex resisted the urge to roll her eyes. Brilliant job, big brother, she thought sarcastically. It'd be a miracle if they got accepted after that.
It was then that she noticed the 'nobleman' staring at Amy carefully. "Have we met?" he asked her.
Rory, knowing that this was the guy that Amy had chased through the alleyway, spoke up. "I've just got one of those faces."
"I wasn't talking to you!" the man snapped.
"She's got the same face," Rory continued, hoping to distract him. "Because she's my sister!"
"Carlo, explain yourself!" Rosanna demanded the steward as the man began to approach Amy and Alex. "Why have you brought me this imbecile?"
"Signora, they have references from His Majesty the King of Sweden," Carlo replied as the man began circling Amy. Alex kept a steady eye on him. She didn't like the way he was looking at her friend. It was almost as though he was deciding whether or not to devour her.
"What?" Rosanna cried, clearly startled. She stared wide-eyed at the three and held out her hand. "Let me see!" she demanded.
Rory fumbled for a moment with the psychic paper before stepping forward and handing it to her. Alex knew that he was concentrating his hardest on thinking of what he wanted Rosanna to see. The Doctor had spent twenty minutes beforehand drilling him on it so that he wouldn't mess up. Meanwhile, the man finished circling Amy and moved onto Alex. Alex raised her chin high, trying to give off vibes that she didn't appreciate being examined like she was the last steak on Earth.
Rosanna looked up from the psychic paper. "Well, now I see what got my steward so excited," she smiled, but Alex didn't like the way it looked on her, not because that she was seeing it on a fish creature, but because it appeared malevolent and evil. She was sure Rosanna hadn't been fooled by the psychic paper. Her thoughts were derailed, however, as she heard Rosanna ask, "What say you, Francesco? Do you like them?"
The man now identified as Francesco circled Alex carefully. "Oh, I do, Mother," he breathed. Alex watched him stumble back slightly before creeping closer and looking right into her eyes. She knew then that her eyes had changed color again, attracting unwelcome attention. He flicked a piece of her hair. "I do."
Alex could only imagine the Doctor's reaction to this. And she knew Rory didn't like the way Francesco was looking at her or how he had looked at Amy just a few minutes ago.
"Then we'd be delighted to accept them," Rosanna smiled smoothly. "Say good-bye to your sisters."
Alex squeezed Rory's hand in reassurance and smiled. She knew that for as much as Rory worried about Amy, he worried about her as well. On his other side, Amy was about to hug him when he was quickly maneuvered towards the door by Carlo, left next to two guards.
Alex felt her stomach twist in a knot and she told herself to calm down. She had twisted the Doctor's arm so that she could get here, after all. Backing out now was not an option. She looked over and saw that Amy looked nervous as well. At that moment, Amy called out, "Tell Uncle . . . Doctor we'll see you both really soon, okay?"
"We'll be fine," Alex added, smiling slightly while her stomach twirled in knots on the inside.
The two were led through the house, both of their heads bowed in submission like Guido had told them to do before they left. It angered Alex quite a bit that she was supposed to act subservient towards the males in this society, even though some of them could be utter idiots. As she and Amy were led up a stone staircase, they passed several of the girls she'd seen earlier. All of them had high Jersey-style hair, sunken eyes, and pale, translucent skin, each of them wearing only white nightdresses that served to accentuate their pale skin even more. As they passed them, Alex bent her head even lower and made sure that her hair covered the sides of her face. Even though she was sure the girls from before hadn't noticed her, she wasn't about to take any chances.
She also didn't want to see their fish-forms again.
A minute later, they stepped into a large rotunda style room filled with beds. Alex gawked at the high ceiling and silk-covered walls. She could feel her shoes sinking into the rich carpet. Beside her, Amy also gaped. "There are clothes on the bed," Carlo told them, interrupting their staring. "Get changed and wait here."
He and several of the girls walked out of the room, leaving Amy and Alex alone in the room along with a young black girl sitting on one of the beds. Amy looked around the room again. "Blimey. This is private education, then?"
"Tell me about it," Alex sighed as she went over to the girl. "I wish my high school had looked this good." She smiled and bent down next to the girl. "Hi. I'm Alexandria, but everyone calls me Alex. What's your name?"
"Isabella," the girl replied, staring off into the distance. Alex's heart jumped as she recognized the name of Guido's daughter. She quickly examined her. Despite the fact that Isabella was a little dazed at the moment, she wasn't as far gone as the other girls. There was still hope for her.
Alex heard a door bang in the distance and the next thing she knew, Amy was seated on the other side of Isabella. "Listen, we're going to get you out of here," Amy told her, her voice low in case anyone was listening through the door. "But we need you to tell us what's going on."
"What is this place?" Alex jumped in, keeping her voice calm and reassuring. She rubbed Isabella's arm as she continued. "What are they doing?"
Isabella looked at her in shock and her breath rate rapidly increased. She looked at Alex's eyes and watched as they changed from copper to dark green. In them, she could tell that Alex was a kind person, one who was determined to help others. These realizations quickly helped her calm down. She hesitated a moment, gathering her thoughts, before revealing, "They . . . they come at night. They gather around my bed and they . . . they take me to a room with this green light and a chair with . . . with straps, as if for a surgeon."
Alex saw the terror and fear on Isabella's face and mentally cursed the monsters for causing this young girl such horror. She took one of Isabella's hands into her lap as Amy whispered, "What happens in there?"
Isabella shook her head, indicating that she didn't know. "I wake up here and the sunlight burns my skin like candlewax."
"Isabella, we're going to get out of here," Alex assured her. Above them, a gong sounded. "I promise you, we will. A friend of ours is helping and he's brilliant. I've seen him do things I'd never thought possible before." She was relieved to see Isabella nod and smile slightly. This girl needed some hope and good news after all she'd been through.
Amy glanced around. "Alex, the others will be traveling through the tunnels right now. We have to go."
Alex nodded and told Isabella they'd be back soon. After changing into the white dresses, the girls hurried out of the room, armed with only a single lit candle. It was a good thing Alex had memorized the map's route in her head, otherwise they'd have gotten lost very quickly in the huge palace. The two eventually came out to a courtyard, the trapdoor in the center. Without speaking, the girls hastily undid the bolts before turning to head back into the house. Alex's heart leapt into her throat when she saw Carlo standing behind them. Amy was shocked too, for she dropped the candle with a crash, plunging the girls into blackness.
~Living the Life of Ally~
As all of this was occurring, in the waterway below, Guido was driving the gondola while the Doctor and Rory sat in it, both of them nervous for the two headstrong, stubborn girls who had walked right into danger, their opinions be damned.
"They'll be fine," the Doctor said, more to himself than to Rory.
"You can promise me that, can you?" Rory asked coldly. It was bad enough that Alex was in there, but so was his fiancée, Amy. If anything happened to them, he wouldn't be hesitant in striking the Doctor.
"We're here," Guido announced as they pulled up to the beginning of the tunnel, the little light around them growing darker. The Doctor lit a torch and climbed out of the boat, Rory right behind him. As they started to go up the stairs to the door, the Doctor stopped and turned to Rory. "Right. Okay, I'll go first. If anything happens to me, go back."
Like hell, Rory thought, but he knew arguing against the Doctor wouldn't lead to anything productive. "What happened?" he asked, the two pausing halfway up the stairs. "Between you and Amy? You said she kissed you?"
Does he seriously want to go into this NOW? "Now?" the Doctor whispered harshly, vocalizing his thoughts. "You wanna do this now?!"
"I have a right to know!" Rory protested as they continued up the stairs, reaching the door. "I'm getting married in four hundred and thirty years!"
The Doctor opened the door and headed down the hall. "Look, Rory, she was frightened. I was frightened. Hell, even Alex was frightened, but she won't admit it. But we survived, you know, and the relief of it and so . . . she kissed me."
"And you kissed her back?" Rory guessed, a twinge of jealousy creeping into his voice.
"No, I kissed her mouth," the Doctor argued. And if one of those girls had to kiss me, Amy wouldn't have been the one I'd have preferred. The Doctor shook his head, shoving these thoughts to the back of his mind. "And, if it helps, Alex gave her one hell of a scolding. Amy was terrified."
Rory snickered in spite of himself. He could easily picture Alex screeching at Amy for kissing the Doctor. Alex had one heck of a temper. "Good to know she's on my side," he remarked.
The Doctor chuckled a little as well and stopped to look at Rory. "Rory, she kissed me because I was there. It would have been you. It should have been you."
"Yeah, it should've been me," Rory agreed as they continued down the tunnel.
"Exactly. That's why I brought you here." At that moment, a gust of wind blew the Doctor's torch out, leaving them in darkness. "Can we go and see the vampires now, please?" he whispered, causing Rory to roll his eyes, just like Alex would have done had she been there.
~Living the Life of Ally~
At the moment though, Alex was not in a good situation.
"Control yourself, child!" Carlo snapped at Alex and then at Amy. Carlo was holding each in an arm and neither girl was happy about it. Both were kicking and screaming and, in Alex's case, cursing every creative word that flew into her head.
"Take your hands off me!" Amy growled, kicking and thrashing.
"Let us go, you god-damned bastard!" Alex screeched, her Southern accent flaring up a bit more.
"Psychic paper," a voice rang out as the girls were pulled into a room, several of the girls from before around them. In the front of the room were Rosanna and Francesco. The light in the room suddenly went bright green, a color that only served to accentuate the green skin on Rosanna's natural form. The girls looked over to see Rosanna glaring at them. "Did you really think that would work on me?"
Well, we were hoping, Alex thought, but she knew better than to say that out loud. After all the times she had berated the Doctor for baiting monsters, she didn't want to start doing that as well.
"Where are you from?" Rosanna questioned, stalking around them in a circle as Alex was passed off to another guard and Carlo continued to hold Amy. "Did you fall through the chasm?"
"Mother, this is pointless," Francesco protested irritably, stepping up beside Amy and Carlo. "Let's just start the process."
"Hold your tongue, Francesco!" Rosanna snapped at him. "I need to know what these girls are doing in the world of savages with psychic paper!" Satisfied that Francesco was not going to challenge her anymore, Rosanna turned back to the girls. "Who are you with?" she demanded. "Because I scarcely believe your idiot brother sent you."
As she spoke, Alex watched as two of the girls from before brought the chair Isabella had described into the center of the room. It was only when Amy spoke that Alex realized Rosanna had asked them another question. "Okay, I'll tell you," Amy spoke as a drip bag was hung from the chair. "I'm from Ofsted."
Everyone looked over at Alex expectantly. Knowing that they wouldn't have heard of Kentucky in this time period, Alex smirked, cocked her head, and said, "London."
Rosanna laughed heartily in a very evil way before turning back to Amy. "Put her in the chair," she ordered Carlo.
"No!" Amy screamed. "Take your hands off me!"
"Amy!" Alex screamed, struggling against her guard. She turned and spat in his face. "Let go of me!" she screeched in an almost bloodcurdling shriek. The guard glowered at her and suddenly struck her. Alex staggered backwards from the force, her ears ringing. Her cheek felt like it was on fire and she knew it would be red for days.
Amy looked over from where she was struggling not to be placed in the chair just in time to see the slap. "Alex!" she cried fearfully. She was relieved a moment later though when Alex rose back up, her face absolutely furious, though Amy knew it'd be nothing compared to the reaction the Doctor would have when he saw the red mark on Alex's face.
Alex glared darkly at the guard before turning back to Amy. She watched as Amy was finally forced into the chair, the others strapping her arms down to the armrests. "You'll be very sorry you tried to hurt us," she warned Rosanna.
Rosanna ignored her though. All of her attention was currently focused on Amy. "Oh, make sport of me, will you?" she called as Amy continued to struggle. "Tease me as if I were your dog? Well, this dog has a bite, girl!" With that, Francesco yanked Amy's head back so that her neck was on display. And right before Rosanna sunk her fangs into her neck, Amy screamed, "DOCTOR!"
~Living the Life of Ally~
Meanwhile, the Doctor and Rory were ignorant of the girls' plight, as they were still working on actually getting into the fortress.
The Doctor sighed as he looked up at the grate, moonlight streaming down on him and Rory. He cracked his neck and turned to Rory. "Well, go on then, give me a boost." Rory groaned and reluctantly hoisted the Doctor onto his shoulders. The Doctor struggled for a moment to push the heavy metal grate back while Rory struggled with keeping his balance.
"Hold still!" he called down.
Rory glowered at him, even though he knew the Doctor couldn't see him. "I'm trying!"
"Well, try harder!"
Finally, a few moments later, the grate fell back with a CLANK! The Doctor quickly set to work on climbing out, with Rory's assistance. "Push!"
"I'm pushing!"
The Doctor was finally able to climb out and reached into the hole to help Rory out. "Push. Come on. There we are." Once Rory was out enough to pull himself out, the Doctor left him and began looking around the dark, open courtyard. "Amy? Where are they? Amy! Alex!"
"I can't see a thing," Rory said as he climbed out onto the stone wall surrounding the grate. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a small penlight. "Just as well I brought this then," he panted. Cocking an eyebrow, the Doctor reached into his bigger-on-the-inside pockets and pulled out a longer, brighter light.
"Ultraviolet," he explained to an astonished Rory. "Portable sunlight."
"Yours is bigger than mine," Rory complained.
"Let's not go there."
While the Doctor searched the courtyard for any sign of Amy and/or Alex, Rory began to get nervous and started fidgeting. "If we cancel now, we'll lose the deposit on the village hall!" he bemoaned. "The salsa band!" The Doctor turned to give him a questioning look. Rory shrugged. "Alex's idea. She loves dancing."
Satisfied with this answer, the Doctor went over to one of the trunks lining the wall of the courtyard. As Rory approached him, he opened it. The contents were enough to make the Doctor yelp in fright and take a step back. Inside the trunk was a corpse, its skin blackened and its open mouth revealing a set of fangs.
"What happened to them?" Rory shakily asked.
The Doctor glanced back at him briefly before returning his attention to the corpse. "They've had all the moisture taken out of them," he answered gravely.
"That's what vampires do, right?" Rory reasoned. "They drink your blood and replace it with their own."
"Yeah," the Doctor agreed, kneeling down and gingerly picking up a hand that had been tossed over the lid of the trunk. "Except these people haven't just had their blood taken, but all the water in their entire bodies."
Rory stared at him, confused. "Why did they die? Why aren't they like the girls in the school?"
The Doctor thought for a moment, lost in thought, before he looked back up and answered, "Maybe not everyone survives the process."
Rory stormed off a little ways, not at all pleased with this hypothesis. Suddenly, he spun around and pointed at the Doctor. "You know what's dangerous about you? It's not that you make people take risks. It's that you make them want to impress you. You make it so they don't want to let you down. You have no idea how dangerous you make people to themselves when you're around!"
The Doctor marched towards him, glaring at him all the while. "You think I WANT them to be in danger all the time?!" he snapped. "Because I don't! I don't want anything happening to Amy or Alex! And if anything ever did happen to them, I'd never forgive myself for it!" Alex, you mean, the mean part of his psyche argued, but the Doctor only shoved that comment into the furthest recesses of his mind.
Rory was about to reply when a chorus of voices rang out. "Who are you?"
The two turned to see the group of girls coming towards them, fangs bared and hissing. The Doctor waved the UV torch in front of them, forcing the girls to back up from the light and shield their faces. As he did this, he and Rory carefully wound a path heading towards a door, the girls running after them once they had recovered from the UV light.
"We should run!" the Doctor observed. "Run!"
~Living the Life of Ally~
Back in the cellar, Alex watched, horrified, as Rosanna sucked Amy's blood. What felt like hours, but was probably minutes, passed before Rosanna pulled away from Amy's neck, her mouth covered in a thin layer of blood. Amy appeared dazed but coherent enough to follow Rosanna's movements around the room.
"Mother," Francesco called as he kneeled beside Amy. As he caressed the punctures on Amy's neck, he asked, "When you drink from her, may we share? I'm so thirsty."
"Of course, darling," Rosanna replied breathlessly. Damned if she doesn't sound a little dazed and high herself, Alex observed. She watched as Rosanna smiled down at Amy. "This is how it works. First, we drink you till you're dry. 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," Francesco chuckled darkly. "That can happen."
"And if I survive?" Amy asked, somehow finding the strength to ask this simple question.
"Then there are ten thousand husbands waiting for you in the water," Rosanna crowed triumphantly.
Amy snorted. "Yeah, sorry," she said, her voice trailing off as she noticed a bulge on Rosanna's right hip. Catching Alex's eye, who had noticed it at the same time, Amy watched as Alex nodded and subtly moved her foot up in a kicking position. Amy looked back at Rosanna. "I'm kind of engaged," she finished. Then, summoning up all the strength she had left in her body, Amy raised a leg and kicked as hard as she could at Rosanna.
Her foot hit something hard and an electronic fizzing sound filled the air. Amy gasped as Francesco wrapped an arm around her neck, preventing her from moving. Alex watched as Rosanna fiddled with something that would have been on her right hip had her perception filter been visible to Alex before her whole image flickered. Alex knew that the perception filter around Rosanna had dropped and she looked over to see Amy's pupils were the size of dinner plates. Rosanna's image flickered again, indicating her perception filter was back up. Rosanna turned to glare at Amy in absolute anger and probably would have sucked more of her blood in retaliation if they all hadn't heard noises above them.
"Rory, come on!" the Doctor's voice rang out. As the others fled the room, Alex wrenched herself free and dove over to Amy's side. Outside, she heard the Doctor say, "Cab for Amy Pond and Alex Locke?" which caused her to roll her eyes. She fiddled with the straps for a moment before concluding that she had no idea how to get them off of Amy. Therefore, she was relieved and grateful beyond belief when Isabella showed up a second later and began to remove the straps on Amy's wrist.
"She bit me!" Amy cried to no one in particular. Alex patted her shoulder real quickly before copying Isabella's movements in releasing Amy's other wrist.
A few seconds later, Amy was free. She hurled herself out of the chair and grabbed Alex's wrist. Alex only had enough time to grab Isabella's hand before Amy was hurling them out the door just as Rosanna said, "This rescue plan, not exactly watertight, is it?"
Watertight, Alex thought wryly. An amphibian humanoid made a water joke! Oh, concentrate, Alexandria!
"Doctor!" Amy and Alex called as they rushed into the hallway. In the hallway, the Doctor and Rory were trapped by the freaky vampire girls on one side and Rosanna, Francisco, and Carlo on the other. The Doctor waved his UV torch at the girls before turning to Amy and Alex. "Amy! Alex!" His face seemed delighted until he caught sight of the large red handprint gracing Alex's face. Alex saw his eyes darken and she actually felt a little scared of him at that moment.
"Rory!" Amy cried delightedly, seeing her fiancé.
"Amy!" Rory cried in relief.
"Quickly, through here!" Isabella called, leading them through the house to a different exit.
As they ran their way back through where the Doctor and Rory had come in, Alex reported, "They're not vampires!"
"What?" the Doctor asked.
"I saw them! I saw her!" Amy revealed. "They're not vampires! They're aliens!"
The Doctor laughed, though why Alex couldn't understand. "Classic!" he chuckled.
"That's good news?!" Rory stared at them incredulously. "What is wrong with you people?!"
Alex giggled. "Oh, so very much, Rory!"
They could all hear the group behind them gaining speed, coming after them. They eventually reached the door that led out to the river. Isabella threw it open, sunlight streaming in. Once everyone was past her, Isabella made a move to follow, but as the sunlight touched her skin, she cringed and backed away.
"Come on!" the Doctor yelled, seeing her plight. "Run!"
"I can't!" Isabella cried.
"Isabella!" Alex screamed, rushing towards the door, the Doctor right alongside her. Alex watched helplessly as Francesco and the other girls pulled Isabella back through the door, back to their world of blood-sucking and amphibious creatures.
Alex pounded at the door, desperately trying to get in as the Doctor tried to get it open. She stepped back in defeat when she heard the resounding thud, but the Doctor was still touching the door when an electric current suddenly ran through it. The current shocked him and caused him to seize up until he released his grip on the door. Alex screamed as she dove down the steps, watching him fall against the railing, before sliding down the last few remaining steps and falling onto his back, unconscious.
"Doctor, wake up!" Alex cried as she knelt down beside him. Rory knelt down on his other side while Amy stood against the wall, leaning against it for support.
She shut her eyes, praying for a different outcome instead of the one that had probably just happened. "Is he dead?" she asked hesitantly.
"No, he's breathing," Rory assured her.
Alex rested her head on each side of the Doctor's chest, listening to his pulses. "His pulses are steady," she reported, straightening back up. Amy and Rory gaped at her for a moment but immediately pulled themselves together once Alex said, "Come on, let's get him into the boat."
Alex and Rory carefully hoisted the Doctor down the stairs and into the bottom of the gondola. As Alex situated him, she happened to look up at Guido. Her heart sank as she saw the distraught and disappointed look on his face.
"Amy, can you take his head for a second?" Alex asked. Amy, noticing Guido's expression, nodded and quietly fussed with the Doctor while Alex stepped forward.
"I'm so sorry we couldn't save her," she said quietly. "You should be proud of her though. She helped us escape and put us before herself. She was very, very brave."
Guido silently nodded and began to push the gondola away from the Calvierri fortress. Alex sank onto a bench next to the Doctor's still body. She knew that her words wouldn't work long-term for the father's painful grief, but she hoped that they had given him a brief moment of closure and comfort.
~Living the Life of Ally~
Alex hissed sharply at the Doctor's contact with her reddened cheek. As everyone had expected, he was furious when he woke up and remembered Alex's red cheek. The first place he had gone to, in fact, had been right over to her. Now, he was currently assessing it.
"Sorry," the Doctor apologized roughly. Alex knew he was genuinely sorry, but his anger at someone hurting her was bleeding through his words. He leaned back to look her right in the eye, innocent light green eyes meeting angry, bitter dark ones. "Who did this to you?"
"Some guard," Alex attempted to dismiss. The memories of the Doctor's reactions to the Star Whale and the Daleks were still fresh in her mind. She did not want to be the cause in unleashing that raw, suppressed anger again.
She knew that her answer hadn't satisfied the Doctor but luckily, he didn't press her. Instead, he reached into his pocket and pulled out a small, round blue jar of what appeared to be face cream. The only thing off about it was the weird language on it that Alex knew wasn't Earth-bound. Sure enough, the TARDIS translation systems kicked in a second later to reveal that the jar was Chimeria Healing Salve Version 10.7
"Hold still," the Doctor told her as he opened the jar. An intoxicating scent of gardenias and grapefruit filled the air, burrowing into every nook and cranny so that it would stay around long after they had all left. He gathered some onto his fingers and lightly touched Alex's cheek. Alex jumped as the cold mixture touched her skin. "Sorry," he apologized. "It's a little cold."
Alex involuntarily closed her eyes and breathed in the beautiful smell of the cream. She and the Doctor were currently in a back room while Amy, Rory, and Guido changed. Alex was seated on a barrel - she had a suspicion it, like the others, was also filled with gunpowder - while the Doctor leaned over her. The room was dark, with nothing but the fire from the next room providing illumination. It was very intimate and Alex's breath hitched as the Doctor's fingertips danced around her cheek.
"There," he said a moment later, leaning back. Damned if he didn't sound a little breathless himself. "The Chimerian's are amazing; universally renowned for their healing products. That mark will be completely gone in a few minutes."
Alex opened her eyes and smiled at him. "Thanks," she said.
The Doctor shrugged, wiping the remaining cream off on a nearby towel. "Anything for you," he dismissed, but he was secretly pleased.
Alex hopped off the barrel and went over to where she had stored her clothes. She was about to remove the dress when she noticed the Doctor still standing there, watching her. "Um, you mind?" she asked, cocking her head towards the door.
"Oh! Sorry!" the Doctor cried. He nervously backed up towards the door. "Um, I'll just. . ." In his haste, he accidentally hit a broom, sending it toppling to the floor. As Alex laughed silently, the Doctor hastily picked it up and set it against the wall. "Um, yeah," he murmured, before dashing out of the room.
Alex giggled to herself before pulling the nightdress off and stepping back into her jumpsuit and heels. She bounced slightly, making sure she could still walk in them before slipping her earrings and necklace back on. She raked a hand through her hair, making it tousled and messy again. She had seen the look on the Doctor's face when she did that previously. He liked it, though he'd never admit it.
She reached over and picked up the rose she had discarded when she changed into Isabella's clothes several hours ago. Surprisingly, it hadn't wilted in the slightest. Alex carefully tucked it behind her ear, liking the way it shined against her hair and pale skin. Once she was satisfied with her appearance, she stepped back out into the main room.
Out in the main room, the Doctor was sitting in one of the chairs by the table, waiting on her. Alex skipped over and bounced slightly as the Doctor examined her cheek. "Nothing there," he reported. "I told you that cream does miracles."
Alex giggled and glanced over at the other doorway. "So, it seems the others are still changing." She looked at him expectantly. "What do we do now?"
"Well, I'm going back to the Calvierri house to speak with Signora Rosanna." The Doctor tapped her nose. "You on the other hand, are going to stay here."
Alex's face fell. "What? Why?" she demanded. Okay, I got slapped, but that doesn't mean I'm going to get killed if I go back there!
"It's too dangerous," the Doctor said. Rory's words still echoed in his ears. It's not that you make people take risks, it's that you make them want to impress you. You make it so they don't want to let you down. You have no idea how dangerous you make people to themselves when you're around. Though he had argued back, the Doctor could easily see the logic in Rory's words. It was true. He had lost many friends this way. They always took risks. And here was Alex, a bright and bubbly girl, who wanted to walk back into the evil Calvierri house just hours after she had nearly been killed.
"I don't care," Alex retorted. She narrowed her eyes and so did he, both of them trying to make the other see their way. "If you're worried I'm going to get hurt again, don't. I can take care of myself."
"That's not it," the Doctor argued, though that was part of it. "I don't want you taking unnecessary risks to try and help me."
"Unnecessary risks?" Alex scathingly repeated. Frowning, she said, "Define 'unnecessary risks'."
"For starters, willingly putting yourself in a school where you knew there were aliens that wouldn't hesitate to kill you!"
"You AGREED to let me go!" Alex yelled.
"And I should never have done that," the Doctor said, getting to his feet. He stalked towards the door, his back tense. Just as he reached for the knob, he turned back to her. "You're staying here. That's final, Alexandria."
"Do not call me that," Alex said evenly. The Doctor turned back to the doorway and turned the knob. Just as he swung the door open, Alex called out, "What did Rory say to you in the tunnel?"
The Doctor slammed the door shut. He looked at her, surprised that she had guessed this so easily and angry that she had managed to figure out why he was refusing to let her tag along after him. "What makes you think he said anything to me?" he asked evasively.
Alex balanced on her heels, swinging back and forth on them. "Rory is very protective of Amy and me," she reasoned. "And I know you think he's just a bumbling country nurse, but every now and then, he can explode. Especially when it involves those he loves."
The Doctor sighed and went over to her. He laid a hand on her hair, smoothing it out and then twirling a lock around one of his fingers. "Alex, I make people take risks so that they can impress me. They act without thinking, all so that they can get an approving look from me." He closed his eyes and rested his forehead on top of her head. "I don't want you doing that either."
"Doctor," Alex murmured. "That is the most ridiculous rubbish I've ever heard!"
The Doctor jumped back and stared at her. "Excuse me?"
Alex glared defiantly at him. "Doc, in case you haven't noticed, I kind of figure things out for myself. I don't do impulsive. Okay, there were times in high-school when I was young and stupid and when I decided to move to England, but other than that, I don't jump into things lightly."
She stepped towards him. "So, having said that, if you don't let me come with you, I swear, I will do everything you don't want me to do. I will follow you, I will sneak into the Calvierri house, whatever it takes." She raised an eyebrow at him. "So, what's it gonna be?"
~Living the Life of Ally~
Alex had her way, of course.
As she stood next to the throne, Alex couldn't help but allow a smug look to show on her lips. The Doctor had been convinced that Alex would follow through on her threats and figured it would save them all a lot of trouble if he just allowed her to come along with him.
The Doctor looked over at her and, noticing her triumphant look, shook his head and muttered, "I can't believe I let you talk me into this."
Alex sat down on the armrest next to him and smirked. "But you're glad I'm here anyways, right?"
The Doctor nodded slightly, conceding this. Truthfully, he was happy Alex was with him. He liked having her around him. He just felt more complete when she was around. He knew such a thing should probably scare him, but it didn't. It just felt wonderful and exhilarating and so many other words that would take far too long to list.
In front of them, the door opened and Rosanna stepped in. The Doctor felt Alex tense up beside him, knowing that she could see past the perception filter while he was seeing a beautiful woman. He let out a low wolf whistle and Alex felt jealously burn through her veins, ashamedly wishing that he would do that to her.
"Long way from Saturnyne, aren't you . . . Sister of the Water?" he asked. On the way over, Alex had given him a more detailed description and he was able to name the alien based off it.
Rosanna stopped in the dead center of the room, staring at the two people lounging on her throne. "No, let me guess," she said, giving a passing look to Alex. "The owner of the psychic paper. Then I take it you're a refugee, like me."
The Doctor smirked at her and Alex bit her lip. He almost seemed to be flirting with Rosanna! Why did I come here again? She wondered. Her pondering on this was interrupted when she heard the Doctor say, "I'll make you a deal; an answer for an answer." Rosanna nodded, smirking as well, and began to pace as the Doctor continued.
"You're using a perception filter. It doesn't change your features, but manipulates the brainwaves of the person looking at you. But seeing one of you for the first time in, say, a mirror, the brain doesn't know what to fill the gap with, so it leaves it blank, hence no reflection."
"Your question?" Rosanna requested.
"Why can we see your big teeth?" the Doctor blurted, grinning. Alex shook her head.
Rosanna was hardly bothered. Instead, she laughed heartily as she answered, "Self-preservation overrides the mirage. The subconscious perceives the threat and tries to alert the conscious brain."
"For some maybe," Alex murmured quietly.
Apparently not quietly enough, for Rosanna looked up sharply and stared at her in wonder. "You can see past the perception filter?" she asked breathlessly. She walked closer to Alex, who was tugged closer to the Doctor. "I've never heard of anything like it before. How is that possible?"
"Your deal is with him, not me," Alex replied coolly. Besides, she couldn't explain it even if she tried.
Rosanna shrugged and reluctantly paced back to the center of the room. "Where's Isabella?" the Doctor demanded.
"My turn," she reminded him. "Where are you from?"
"Gallifrey," the Doctor replied. Alex's eyes widened. She'd never heard of his home planet before. Based on its name, it certainly sounded lovely.
Rosanna stared at him, surprised. "You two should be in a museum," she commented. "Or in a mausoleum."
"Him perhaps, but I'm human," Alex corrected her. As she spoke, she couldn't help but wonder what had happened to the Doctor's planet to make Rosanna respond like that. Did something happen leaving the Doctor's race dead? It certainly seemed like it, based on those words and the Doctor's own comments back on Starship U.K.
"One with astonishing mental abilities beyond many races," Rosanna pointed out.
"Why are you here?" the Doctor asked.
Almost instantly, Rosanna's playful demeanor towards him disappeared, revealing a scared and mournful person. It almost made Alex pity her . . . almost. "We ran from the Silence," she replied. Alex's eyebrows rose up. The Silence was something Prisoner Zero had mentioned. "Why are you here?"
"Wedding present," the Doctor answered quickly, his interest piqued by Rosanna's response to his question. "The Silence?"
Rosanna slowly paced towards them, silent as she tried to gather her thoughts. "There were cracks," she recalled. "Some were tiny . . . some were as big as the sky. Through some we saw worlds and people and through others we saw Silence . . . and the end of all things. We fled to an ocean like ours and the cracks snapped shut behind us . . . and Saturnyne was lost."
"So Earth is to become Saturnyne Mark Two?" the Doctor guessed.
Rosanna was now standing before them and she gave the Doctor a desperate, pleading look. "And you can help me," she offered. "We can build a new society here, as others have. What do you say?"
The Doctor hummed a little before standing. He pulled Alex up and placed himself in front of her. "Where's Isabella?" he demanded.
Rosanna frowned, gazing at him in confusion. "Isabella?" she wondered.
Alex's eyes narrowed. She didn't know Isabella's NAME?! Alex clenched her fingers together in an effort to restrain herself from running over and strangling Rosanna. "The girl who saved us!" she snapped.
"Oh, deserters must be executed. Any general will tell you that," she replied matter-of-factly, not even noticing the identical dark glares on the Doctor and Alex's faces. "I need an answer, Doctor." She took a step closer to him, ignoring Alex altogether. "A partnership. Any which way you choose." She smiled knowingly at him.
Alex's blood boiled. Was she seriously flirting with him? Again?! Her eyes narrowed even further and she reminded herself that she had no claim to the Doctor. Still, the jealousy and spite refused to leave her system.
"I don't think that's such a good idea," the Doctor replied calmly, not even noticing Alex's overwhelming jealousy. "I'm a Time Lord . . . you're a big fish. Think of the children." Alex swallowed hard, resisting the urge to vomit as she considered that mental picture.
Rosanna glared at him and stormed off across the room. "Carlo!" she called. As the steward entered, Rosanna turned back to them and conceded, "You're right. We're nothing alike. I will bend the heavens to save my race, while you . . . PHILOSOPHIZE!"
"This ends today," the Doctor warned, looking Rosanna right in the eye as Carlo and the guard that slapped Alex approached them. "I will tear down the House of Calvierri, stone by stone."
Carlo moved to push him away from Rosanna but the Doctor roughly shoved him away, his eyes never wavering from Rosanna. "Take your hands off me . . . Carlo," he warned, his voice low and threatening.
He glanced over at Alex, who was staring at the other guard coming towards her. The Doctor quickly worked out that this was the guard that had slapped Alex. His blood burned with an angry fire. Seeing that red handprint on Alex's lovely face had angered him to no end. To think that someone had hit her when he wasn't there to protect her was enough to make him snap.
He marched over to the guard, his mind barely registering what he was about to do. Then, before any of them could react, the Doctor had swung at the guard, knocking him to the ground, his nose oozing blood. Alex and Rosanna screamed as the Doctor easily dodged Carlo's attempt to restrain him and went back over to Alex. Her eyes were incredibly wide and her face was pale, mouth in a perfect little o-shape, completely flabbergasted by his actions.
The Doctor shook the small amount of blood off his hand and wrapped his arm around Alex's waist protectively. The two walked towards the side door that led out of the house, Carlo, having recovered from the shock of the Doctor breaking the other guard's nose, now escorting them. The Doctor and Alex stopped once they reached the door, turning to Rosanna.
"And you know why?" the Doctor asked her.
"You didn't know Isabella's name," Alex replied scathingly. "You didn't know her name." With that, the door opened and the two stormed off.
A/N: Well, the Doctor is certainly protective of Alex, isn't he? I think his reaction is pretty realistic, because if someone he loves, like Alex in this case, is hurt, he just goes off. And wasn't that moment where he was fixing the mark on her face cute? :D
Also, just to let you all know, on Monday, we start an original adventure. I don't want to give too much away, but the adventure will reveal a lot more about Alex and what her life was like pre-Leadworth. There's a couple new OCs, a jealous Doctor, aliens (naturally), and a ton of other stuff. *smiles nervously*
Some notes on reviews. . .
rycbar15 - Oh, thanks for pointing that out! In that section, the Doctor grabs a different wallet, one that houses his library card. He doesn't grab the psychic paper. In the episode, Rory still had the psychic paper, but for this story, the Doctor still has it, but grabbed the wrong wallet. Thanks again for pointing that out! I may go back and re-edit that chapter just to clear things up. :) And thanks for the compliment about the flirting. For someone who doesn't date, I'm surprised I can write stuff like that, lol! :D
TheUltimateGuest - The flirting IS pretty cute, isn't it? :)
ElysiumPhoenix - I know, they both constantly do that! Kind of annoying, isn't it? I can say this; Amy and Rory will notice this and they are going to do something about it. *smiles deviously* :)
Guest - Oh yes, let's just say that Alex is going to be in for a pretty tough time in those episodes. Actually, the whole season really. }:) But that's all I'm saying.
Thank you to rycbar15, TheUltimateGuest, Gwilwillith, ElysiumPhoenix, and Guest for reviewing and thank you to those who followed/favored this story. Please review and see you tomorrow!
