A/N: Alex's outfits for this chapter can be found on my Tumblr, under the name 'darksideofparis'.
Alex adjusted her thick black sunglasses, trying to block out the persistent glare of the tropical sun. You'd think being in the shade would help her avoid the sun, not act as a target for it.
Alex shifted slightly as she heard the waves crash against the sand. Even though she was a good five yards away from the water, she still felt really uncomfortable. Listening to her iPod hadn't helped much so she figured losing herself in a good book would help take her mind off her worries. The TARDIS had provided her with a good one; Catcher in the Rye, a nice break from the somewhat haunting Christine.
As she turned a page, she listened to the various sounds all around her. Aside from waves crashing against the shore, Alex could also hear people laughing and having a good time. A mom nearby called out to two little boys who were getting farther out into the water than they were supposed to. One guy a few seats away was talking animatedly on his phone to a person named Kelly. Somebody was playing a Shakira song on a boom box. Ice cream vendors called off exotic sounding flavors and cheap prices. One young couple a seat away was lying on a blanket, making out ferociously. Alex had looked up to gawk more than once and had noticed the girl had a tongue piercing.
She glanced up again and grimaced. Ick. They were still going at it. Didn't they know public displays of affection like that were disgusting? Alex had half a mind to tell them to get a room but that would be rude and besides, Holden's world in Catcher in the Rye was so much more interesting.
She heard a loud shriek come from the water and looked up again. It was only Amy, easily spotted with her wet slicked back red hair and matching bikini. She and the Doctor appeared to be splashing each-other with water. Amy kept trying to dunk him but failed every single time.
Alex took this opportunity to stare appreciatively at the Doctor's torso. That time she'd noticed how tight his shirt was on him was nothing compared to this moment in time. That shirt had been hiding some very well-developed abs, almost on the verge of a six-pack. The fact that the Doctor was also only clad in a pair of TARDIS-blue swim trunks only served to accentuate those features.
Alex felt herself blushing and adverted her eyes, even though she was pretty sure the Doctor wouldn't notice her staring at him if he happened to look over at her. God. This attraction she had towards the Doctor needed to stop. He was an alien, for crying out loud! Why would he, a Time Lord, be interested in her, a human?
Alex leaned back in her chaise-lounge and studied her surroundings. She had to admit, Rio had nice beaches. Palm trees were spread out all along the shore, Alex herself tucked up under one of them. Various cabanas dotted the sand up and down the beach. The brilliant blue water sparkled in the sunlight. Even the huge, pink-colored hotel and restaurant behind her served to remind her that Rio was a very beautiful place.
"Another drink, miss?" a waiter that looked an awful lot like Ricky Ricardo asked.
Alex nodded and watched as the waiter placed another glass of strawberry and kiwi smoothie on the foldout table beside her and carted off the other empty glass. She took a sip of it and smiled. She could drink a ton of this stuff. She really needed to try and learn how a blender worked again. The last time she tried it, she and Lacey had spent three hours cleaning freezer margarita mix off of Lacey's kitchen ceiling.
She turned back to her book, but didn't start reading again. Instead, she simply thought about the last few days. There was an awful lot to process.
First off, Alex had accepted Rory's death. There wasn't anything she or the Doctor could do about it, other than try to act as normal as possible in front of Amy, who was still completely clueless about the fact that she had a fiancé and that he was dead. They had floated around in space for a few days, the Doctor claiming they couldn't go anywhere due to Alex's recovery and some repairs he had to make on the TARDIS, but that was really a lie. Alex had recovered in less than a day and the TARDIS was working perfectly (or as perfectly as it could with the Doctor flying it). Neither he nor Alex was ready to face having adventures again without Rory.
Of course, after a while, Amy was getting restless and Alex could only lie in bed reading and watching Castle episodes on her laptop for so long. Amy had soon asked the Doctor to drop her off in Rio if Alex still needed to recover, but the Doctor surprised the girls by saying they all needed a vacation and promised they would spend at least three days in Rio. Even more surprising was the fact that they had managed to make it there this time. Amy was staying in the pink hotel (aka Stella's Paradise Cabana) to try and capture the full vacation experience, but the Doctor and Alex had decided to stay in the TARDIS, which was currently parked out on the boardwalk a medium-sized distance away.
Alex shifted again as the waves whooshed in and out. God, only a day here and already she wanted to leave. She knew she could stay in the TARDIS if she wanted, but she didn't want to act like a party-pooper and drag the others down.
Just as Alex was beginning to get sucked back into Holden Caulfield's world – what the heck was he doing with a prostitute? – she sensed somebody sitting down in the seat beside her. "That seat's taken," she announced without looking up. Dear God, she really didn't want to chase the tonsil-sucking couple off.
Suddenly, her book was yanked out of her hands. "Look up, Ally," a familiar male voice teased.
Alex popped her head up and playfully glowered at the Doctor. "Shut up," she muttered. Noticing he was still holding her book, she lunged for it but he pulled it out of her reach. "Give me that!"
The Doctor ignored her and simply studied the book. "Catcher in the Rye," he mused. "One of my favorites."
"Really?" Alex asked as he turned down the corner of the page she was on and set the book down.
"Yes," the Doctor replied as he reached down and grabbed one of the hotel's complimentary towels. He began to dry his hair off, a few drops landing on Alex's exposed leg. He winced as Alex quickly wiped them off with her tank top. "Sorry."
Alex shrugged. "Not your fault. It's a beach."
Alex leaned back in her chair and watched the people nearby while the Doctor continued to dry himself off. Much to her hatred, she noticed several women staring at the Doctor like he was a piece of meat. She noticed one blonde woman in her forties wearing a string bikini licking her lips as she looked at him. Two girls who looked like they were in high school kept glancing over and giggling. A black woman was talking to some guy who must have been her husband, but Alex saw that she kept glancing over while the man spoke. Even an elderly woman in what looked like a red thong – Seriously, no one should wear those past thirty, Alex thought – was ogling him and was even patting her companion on the arm to get her to take a look.
Alex mentally drowned each and every one of these people.
Little did Alex know that the Doctor was also observing the scenery, or, more accurately, the people inhabiting it. Much to his burning jealousy, several of the men on the beach were ogling Alex like she was nothing more than a Barbie doll when she was really so much more. He noticed one man in a white shirt and Hawaiian style surf shorts looking over at Alex, trying to make eye contact with her. Another guy with a surfboard kept looking up from waxing it to stare at her. One guy was looking at her as his wife tried to corral two toddlers. Even the waiter who had served Alex her drink was staring over at them . . . oh wait. The Doctor shifted slightly to get a better look. The waiter was actually looking at him.
Um . . . moving on. The Doctor hurriedly focused back on Alex and he could instantly see why all these men were gawking at her. Alex looked pretty damn hot in her purple halter top and white short shorts. Completing the outfit was a pair of white sneakers and large silver hoop earrings. He then noticed she was also looking around, though it was probably at the scenery.
He put his towel down, his hair mostly dry but awful messy and uneven. Oh well. Maybe it looked good on him like it did on Alex. Too bad her hair was nice and straight today. What he wouldn't give to run his fingers through it and . . . oh stop!
Alex lifted her sunglasses up, exposing rings of copper in her eyes. "So where's Amelia?" she asked, looking around.
The Doctor glanced around before finally spotting Amy lounging on a towel a little ways away from them. She was plugged into her iPod and reading a fashion magazine. "Found her," he said, nodding over at her.
Alex looked over at her friend and nodded. Since Rory had died, she and the Doctor had become sort of like parents towards Amy which was kind of weird. Amy was twenty-one and plenty able to take care of herself. But guys were often hoarding around her and it felt disrespectful to Rory to allow her to flirt with them. "Good," Alex said.
The Doctor watched as her eyes moved away from Amy and down to her lap. "Speaking of Amy," he said. He leaned back in the chaise so he could closely watch Alex's expression. "How're you feeling?"
Alex, of course, knew he wasn't speaking about her recovery from Malohkeh's dissection. "It hurts," she admitted, her expression barely shifting. "I mean, I can remember Rory, but Amy can't." She sighed and pressed a hand to her forehead. "It feels wrong. Amy knew him so much longer than I did. She has more precious moments and memories of him. I feel like I should be the one unable to remember and she should be able to remember him."
The Doctor nodded. His expression was blank, hiding the sadness he truly felt. "Me too," he admitted. The two were silent for a moment, but then the Doctor sprang up and patted Alex's leg. "Well, enough sobbing!" he declared. "That isn't why I came over here."
"And here I thought you just wanted to bask in my utter beauty," Alex joked.
"Hush it, you," the Doctor playfully scolded, lightly swatting her leg. "You'll have your chance to look beautiful as always tonight." He didn't even care that he was full-on flirting with her. The rush going through him felt, to use his ninth incarnation's words, fantastic.
Alex smirked coyly and arched an eyebrow at him. "What's tonight?"
The Doctor smiled at her mysteriously. "Tonight, I'm taking you somewhere."
I'm liking where this is going. But there was still something Alex was curious about. "Why?" she asked.
The Doctor looked around the beach. "To make up for dragging you here," he answered, waving a hand to the scenery.
Alex blushed. Was she really acting like such a Debbie-Downer? "Sorry if I'm not acting that thrilled," she apologized.
"Ally, I didn't expect you to be your usual cheerful self when I said we going to stay here three days," the Doctor told her. "Tonight, I want to make up for it and see if I can get you cheered up any."
It was a sweet gesture, one that Alex was eager to accept. She could literally feel her normal personality restoring with each word that came out of his mouth. She grinned. "Sounds great, Doc!" she chirped. "Only, where are we going?"
The Doctor laughed. "Ha ha, I'm not telling you."
"What?" Alex cried.
"I want it to be a surprise."
"Oh, come on," Alex pouted. "Please?"
"No."
She stuck her bottom lip out and made her eyes go all big like Lacey used to do when she was five and wanted a new Barbie. "Please?"
But the Doctor still wasn't fazed by her puppy-dog expression. "Adorable, but no."
Alex abandoned the pouting and instead began to shake his chair a little. "Please, please, please, please tell me?"
The Doctor laughed again and pressed his hands atop hers to stop her from shaking the chair. His skin felt cool on hers and Alex felt a little thrum run through her veins. The Doctor felt one, too. "No, Ally. All the pleases in the world won't work on me."
Alex reluctantly wrenched her hands away and crossed her arms, turning to look out at the water. She really wanted to know where he was taking her tonight. Maybe the silent treatment would work on him.
She had been silent for less than a minute when she heard the Doctor sigh loudly. "The silent treatment? Really, Alex? You forget that I've had plenty of companions who've done that. You start to get used to it after a while."
Alex shrugged and turned back to face him. "Only other thing I could think of," she admitted.
"Alex, I'm not telling you," the Doctor insisted.
"Fine, be that way," Alex sighed.
"Although. . ." the Doctor said slowly, purposefully drawing the word out to make Alex go crazy. He smiled as he saw her stiffen up, eagerly waiting for what he was about to tell her. "I can tell you this. Meet me in the TARDIS control room tonight at a quarter to nine. Wear something pretty."
Alex looked at him suspiciously as her insides started dancing in excitement. Wear something pretty? Well, he must be taking her somewhere nice. "This sounds interesting."
The Doctor chuckled and leaned in close to her. "Believe me, Ally," he whispered into her ear, his breath hot against Alex's cool skin, "tonight will be very fun."
Alex's breath hitched. He was so close to her. She wondered what would happen if he happened to lick her earlobe right now. Well, she'd probably moan loudly, which was not an acceptable thing to do in public unless you just broke your leg or something. That didn't stop her from wanting him to do that though.
There came a sudden sucking sound, interrupting any romantic thoughts in Alex's brain. She and the Doctor looked over at the couple who were still passionately making out and were starting to get close to rolling around on the blanket. The Doctor grimaced. "That is disgusting," he murmured.
"Tell me about it," Alex agreed.
The Doctor leaned away from Alex a little and squinted, spotting the ring in the girl's mouth. "Is it wrong to wonder how he can kiss her with that thing in her mouth?" he asked quietly.
Alex burst into a fit of giggles. Though she hated to admit it, she'd been wondering the same thing. "Ultimate obstacle in their game of tonsil hockey," she quipped.
The Doctor chuckled quietly and leaned in to whisper, "Bottom of the final inning, he's still down by two. Two more tongue rolls will have the two teams tied."
Alex came very close to losing it, but managed to reel herself back in. "Yes, it's a tough game. What do you think his chances of winning are, Doc?"
The Doctor pretended to consider her question. "Well, Ally, I'd say they'd be great if she didn't keep doing that strange sucking technique and if he were more experienced with tongue rings."
The two had to bury their heads into their arms to keep their laughter from being heard. "We better stop," Alex giggled. "It's mean."
"You're right," the Doctor agreed but a split second later, the duo were giggling again. Once they had calmed down enough, the Doctor straightened back up and looked down at the couple, now no longer frolicking but just kissing slow and steady. "Still, nice to see romance is alive and well."
Alex was about to ask what he meant by that and if he had any experience in that department, aside from Rose, when her attention was captured by something down the beach. "Speaking of romance."
The Doctor followed her gaze to see a tan, very buff guy talking to Amy. Based on the way Amy was twirling a lock of hair around her finger and smiling, she was in major flirting mode. "I'm on it," he said, standing up. Just before he raced off, he pointed a finger at Alex. "Remember, control room, quarter to nine, dress nice."
"I will," Alex told him but by that point he was already halfway towards Amy. She chuckled when she saw Amy give him a sour look and the buff guy beginning to look confused.
Alex grabbed her book off the table and opened it back up. Of course, she couldn't really focus on Holden and his troubles any longer, not when all her dreams were starting to come true.
~Living the Life of Ally~
"Wear yourself out today?" Alex asked as she perched on the edge of Amy's dresser in her room on the TARDIS. Amy had decided to check out of the hotel because she felt like the guy down the hall was checking her out weirdly. That and she didn't trust hotel sheets.
Amy shrugged and started to undo her cotton bathrobe as she walked into the adjoining bathroom. "A little," she admitted. "Do you have any idea how hard it is to duck the Doctor underwater?"
Alex laughed and nearly fell off the dresser. "I saw some of the water games."
Amy snorted. "Yeah, well, he won all of them." A minute later, she came out again, dressed in an oversized red shirt. "And it was exhausting. I need to go to bed early."
Alex hopped off the dresser. "I'll let you get to it then," she said casually. She hadn't told Amy of her plans with the Doctor, mostly because Amy would automatically assume it was a date and would insist on dressing Alex up in some tight outfit that she would say showed her off while Alex would feel like a hooker.
Alex softly shut Amy's door behind her and stepped a little ways away from it before taking off down the hall in a full-out run. All day her blood had been pounding and racing, exhilarated by the knowledge that she was going to hang out alone with the Doctor tonight. Alex had found it incredibly difficult not to burst through a tedious lunch with the Doctor and Amy and through the former's babble about the history of Rio. But now, the time had come when she could gleefully burst and get away with it.
The TARDIS seemed to already have knowledge of tonight's plans for the wardrobe room had been moved much closer and a selection of ideal outfits for Alex had been placed in the front of the room. Alex dug through the racks, dissecting and analyzing every single piece of fabric until she was finally dressed in a red short-sleeved dress that hit to a few inches above her knees, matching ballet flats, crystal drop earrings, and a topaz ring stuck over her parents' wedding bands.
Alex glanced at the clock the TARDIS had helpfully provided her. Eight forty-five exactly. She grinned and sped out of the room, pausing only to ruffle her hair a little, making it messy and disheveled. The Doctor deserved a little fun too.
Meanwhile in the control room, the Doctor nervously kept checking his watch. Alex had seemed really eager this afternoon, but what if it was all an act? What if she had changed her mind?
A shock ran up through his fingers, courtesy of the TARDIS console. He jumped back and glared at it. "What was that for?" he snapped.
'Would you quit being so nervous?' the TARDIS sighed mentally to him. 'Honestly! You're acting like a boy taking a girl to prom! Not that it's not adorable though.'
"I'm not nervous!" the Doctor retorted.
The TARDIS snorted. 'Yes, because checking your watch every five seconds constitutes as a sense of normalcy.'
"Oh, what do you know?" the Doctor shot back, leaning back against the console, arms crossed so he wouldn't be tempted to look at his watch again.
The TARDIS hummed. 'Doctor, calm down. Tonight will be great. And Ally's looking forward to it. In fact, she should be there in three, two. . .'
On 'one', Alex burst into the control room. "Here I am!" she called, jogging down the stairs.
The Doctor looked up and his jaw dropped. Alex looked stunning. She was wearing a bright red dress and ballet flats which made her skin glow and her hair look blonde. A topaz rung glittered on her hand, matching the current color of her eyes. She had even managed to toss on some bright red lipstick and make her hair look messy and tousled, the way he liked. He figured when he said to dress nice, she would wear skinny jeans and a cute top. Not tonight.
Alex twirled around in front of him before noticing his gob-smacked expression. "Cat got your tongue, Doc?" she laughed.
The Doctor tried to speak, but couldn't. There was some truth to her question. Thankfully, the TARDIS sent another shock up to him, causing him to close his mouth. "Oh, hush you," he scolded.
Alex giggled, knowing she had hit the nail on the head. She was kind of thrilled she could make the Doctor speechless like that. It was a very hard thing to do. "So," she said, skipping up to him. "Where are we going?"
The Doctor reached out and tapped her on the nose. If he had known it would be this fun to tease her like this, he'd have done it a long time ago. "You'll see," he promised.
"You're not going to tie your bowtie around my eyes, are you?" Alex questioned. As . . . appealing as that idea was, she was impatient and wanted to see what they were doing.
The Doctor also thought that idea was appealing, but quickly dug his fingernails into his palm before he could try and put it into effect. "No, you've waited long enough." He took her hand and led her down the stairs to the doors. "Come on, Ally. Let's go."
The Doctor had parked the TARDIS on a secluded section of the boardwalk, a hard task considering the amount of stuff on it. It was nighttime and bright, glittering lights stretched as far as Alex could see. Bonfires dotted the beach and the sounds of laughter and guitar strumming filled the air. Alex felt her stomach growl as the Doctor pulled her past stands selling cotton candy, hot dogs, a surprising amount of fried food, and other delicacies.
"Where are we going?" Alex laughed as the Doctor pulled her off the boardwalk and dragged her past the hotel. "You're not taking me somewhere for immoral purposes, are you?"
"Alex, I'm offended you would even ask such a question."
"Well, you'd better start talking," Alex told him as they went past several tourist shops selling the kind of junk Alex herself would never buy.
"Remember when I left you and Amy alone for an hour after breakfast this morning?"
"I thought that was a subtle way for me to tell Amy to stop flirting with every guy that approaches her."
"Well, that was one of my intentions." The Doctor pulled her around a corner and then stopped, stepping back to allow Alex the privilege of stepping forward and gawking. "This was the other. Finding the perfect place for tonight."
Alex looked around at the sight before her. They were currently standing in a large circular area, white stucco buildings surrounding the perimeter. Alex spotted a live band currently jamming on a makeshift driftwood stage underneath a giant white awning. Several colored awnings were above doorways on the stucco buildings, which were actually little shops with apartments above them. Alex spotted a few cafés with chairs and tables set out in front and one outdoor bar. In the middle of the huge circle, several people were dancing, women being twirled around as their different colored skirts swirled around them.
Alex turned to look at the Doctor excitedly. An expression of nervousness and hope was on his face. "I love it!" she quickly exclaimed, wanting to wipe that expression off his face and because she really was thrilled to be here.
"Thought you would," the Doctor commented. He knew Alex would love this place, especially when he remembered Rory's comment about Alex loving to dance and that was why she had made them get a salsa band for his and Amy's wedding. For a moment, he thought about telling Alex this, but then realized it would probably just make her sad and he didn't want that. He wanted to see that eagerness and effortless enthusiasm on her face.
Alex, unaware of his private musings, grasped his hand and pulled him along, effortlessly leading them through the throng of people over to an unclaimed table right near the dance floor. She plopped down in a chair and gestured for the Doctor to sit across from her. He obliged.
Alex leaned back and studied the scene before her. She didn't know much about Latin dancing despite being a quarter Latina herself. She knew the styles of dancing; reggae, tango, rumba, salsa, etc. She wondered if she could dance any of them. Watching the people twirl around on the dance floor, she felt pretty confident about it. Plus, she was spectacular at dancing, if she did say so herself. It couldn't be that hard.
Alex turned to the Doctor, noticing his attention was also focused on the dance floor. Taking advantage of the opportunity, she looked him up and down. He was scrawny and tall, nearly a foot taller than her. Of course, she could easily dance with him. But that brought up another question. . .
"Do you dance?" she abruptly asked.
The Doctor jumped in his seat, startled, and turned to face her. "Are you talking to me?"
Is there anyone else here with us? But instead of saying that, Alex simply crossed her arms and pressed them to the tabletop, leaning forward. "You heard me. Do you dance?"
The Doctor scratched the back of his head, clearly uncomfortable with the question. "Well . . . I used to, a long time ago, but not anymore." He recalled dancing with Rose in the TARDIS to Glenn Miller after their WWII adventure with Jack. Though he was over Rose, as evidenced by his attraction to Alex, it still felt a little painful. Plus, he wasn't exactly sure if this incarnation could dance. Some of them had had horrible two left feet, his sixth one in particular.
Alex arched an eyebrow in a very mischievous way that made the Doctor feel both nervous and excited. "Want to take a twirl around the floor again?" she asked.
The Doctor laughed a little to cover his nerves. "I'm really not that much of a dancer, Ally."
"Afraid you aren't that good?" Alex asked, digging into the heart of the problem.
"I'm probably not that good anymore."
Alex snorted. "Please. I'm an excellent dancer, if I do say so myself."
The Doctor smiled at her. "And so modest too," he chuckled.
Alex stuck her tongue out at him, but quickly continued. "What I mean, genius, is that since I'm very good, I'll make you look good by association."
"Did you take dance lessons or something?" the Doctor inquired.
"No, unless you count dancing to Backstreet Boy CDs in Lacey's room and trying to copy the moves in the music videos as dance lessons. I mostly just danced whenever I wanted." Alex smiled, allowing a memory to pop up in her brain. "I still remember my first dance. It was some kind of Spring Social dance during my eighth-grade year. Lacey and I spent two hours getting ready for it. I'd always expected school dances to be full of excitement; spiked punch bowl, gyrating teenagers, bored teachers, the usual. When we got there, absolutely nothing was happening. Everyone was just sitting by the bleachers gossiping like they did any other day. Lacey and I reluctantly joined them, but I still wanted to do something fun. Finally, the DJ started playing my favorite song."
"Lady Antebellum?" the Doctor asked, remembering what Alex had told them during their game of Twenty Questions.
"No, that song wasn't even out yet," Alex corrected. "It was an Usher song, can't remember the name though. Anyway, I got excited and some people were already milling around on the dance floor by then, so I got up, went out, and just started dancing."
The Doctor could easily picture Alex doing that. She really didn't care what people thought of her. She exuded poise and confidence the way others exuded perfume. "What did people think?" he couldn't help but wonder.
Alex grinned. "Lacey was mortified. I could hear her saying Alex, sit down or Alex but I just ignored her. Eventually, she got up and joined me. That cued everyone else to get up as well."
"Well, I'm hardly like your middle school peers," the Doctor pointed out.
"Didn't say you were." Alex abruptly stood and flounced over to the Doctor's chair. "I'm making you do this whether you want to or not. You did say tonight was about making it up to me for dragging me to the beach, correct?"
Unfortunately, he had said that. "Yes," he answered slowly.
Alex smiled again and her eyes changed from dark green to copper, making them shine with a bright intensity. "Then come on then. The world doesn't end just because the Doctor dances."
If only she knew she was repeating what Rose said, the Doctor thought. Of course, Rose had been referring to a way different type of dancing whereas Alex wanted to see if he could do a decent paso doble or whatever. He sighed, knowing that he wouldn't be able to get out of this. "Very well, Ally," he agreed, much to Alex's delight. "Let's go."
Alex squealed and pulled him up out of his chair and onto the dance floor. They somehow ended up in the middle of the floor just as the band was dying down. The Doctor looked around as various couples ended a soft, slow version of the tango. Slow dancing? Oh, that was easy! All it involved was standing in place, rocking back on your feet while you held your partner close. He could do that!
Just as the Doctor was reassuring himself of his slow-dancing prowess, one of the singers stepped up to a microphone. "How are you all doing tonight?" he shouted. The crowd clapped in applause, a few whistles and cheers erupting as well. The singer laughed, expecting this, and cried out, "You enjoy the tango?" More cheers and applause at this. The singer looked behind him at the band before turning back to announce, "Well now, we're switching it up! Let's see if you can do the salsa!"
The Doctor groaned. Salsa? All he knew about the salsa was that it involved a lot of twirling around and quick feet. The idea of him doing the salsa was laughable.
Alex caught his groan and giggled a little. "Don't worry, Doc," she said, carefully moving him into position. "Just follow my lead. I've got this."
The music started, a fast beat with a bunch of phrases in Spanish being shouted over a drumbeat by the singer. The TARDIS, apparently, was choosing not to translate the singing, instead allowing the duo to absorb the music in its fullest. Alex smirked at the Doctor, the Doctor smirked back, they grabbed each-other hands, and began.
The Doctor was barely aware of what he was doing, instead focusing on Alex's bright, confident eyes. She seemed to be moving backwards, her feet doing a quick shuffle movement. Her shoulders bopped in time to the music and he confidently began twirling her around, eyes moving to focus on the fast rolls her hips and abdomen were doing.
Alex had watched enough Dancing with the Stars with Emmy back home to know the basics of salsa dancing. She knew what she was doing. She began shuffling backwards, her body moving in time with the music, and she led the Doctor along with her. She watched his body movements as they danced around. It certainly seemed like he could dance. He was moving along with her perfectly. Then he began twirling her around him.
Alex's bright red skirt spun around her as the Doctor led her in numerous fast twirls around him. She wasn't aware that the band had started playing faster in time with them or that the couples around them had stopped dancing just to watch their seemingly effortless moves. All she was concentrating on was that she was dancing with the Doctor and it was amazing.
Getting a bit brave, when she came back into his arms, Alex twirled a leg around the Doctor's. Seeing what she wanted him to do, he lifted her up about the waist and quickly dropped her again. Alex landed on the ground and continued to bop back and forth. He spun her around again and just as she was done spinning, dipped her.
Alex laughed a little as he lifted her back up and began a forwards shuffling movement, forcing him to dance backwards, hands lightly on her hips. He twirled her around again and dipped her once again, bringing her back up only to twirl her back into his arms. The music stopped and Alex leaned back against his chest, panting wildly, unable to believe what just occurred. The Doctor held her close. His breath was a little ragged as well and his hearts were beating wildly, not only from the dancing, but also from the knowledge that he had just danced the salsa with Alex. He couldn't believe it.
Neither could the crowd around them, apparently. For a few seconds, they just stared in silence at the couple. But then, they started clapping, louder than they had for the band. Many began cheering and whistling and Alex and the Doctor felt their faces turn red from pride, embarrassment, and the satisfaction that dancing brings.
The band singer stepped up to the microphone again. "Well, how about that everyone!" he cried into the microphone. "Looks like we got us the next Ricky Martin and Shakira in the crowd tonight! Let's give them another round of applause!" The crowd cheered again, even louder this time. Alex bit her lip and looked up at the Doctor. She caught his eye and the two smiled at each-other.
"That was amazing!" a black-haired woman in her late twenties complimented. She adjusted her form-fitting light blue dress before saying, "I wish my husband could dance like yours!"
"Oh, um. . ." Alex trailed off.
"W-we're not. . ." the Doctor stuttered.
"We're not a couple," Alex awkwardly finished.
The black-haired woman cocked her head. "Really? Sorry! I am a ditz sometimes! Shame though. You two have such incredible chemistry."
The Doctor and Alex were about to reply when the woman was pulled back off into the crowd. Chemistry? Incredible chemistry at that? Neither were sure what to make of that.
"Who wants another fast number?" the singer called. The crowd roared, one guy even crying out, "Bring it on!" The singer laughed and the band quickly launched into another fast tune.
"Care to do that again, Ally?" the Doctor asked, tightening his grip on her waist. "Or was that too much for you?"
Alex raised an eyebrow at him challengingly. "Oh, I wasn't even getting started, Doc," she retorted, moving into position. "Let's see what you're really made of."
~Living the Life of Ally~
Three salsas, a rumba, and one paso doble later, the Doctor and Alex decided to take a break. Their foreheads were damp with sweat, their hearts were pounding, and their blood was moving in time with the music. The two stumbled off the dance floor and collapsed into two chairs. Alex propped her feet up in the Doctor's lap and leaned back, feeling the cool night air rush over her face.
"That was so much fun!" she laughed as she picked up a drink menu. "I can't remember the last time I had so much fun."
The Doctor grinned. "Me neither. I had no idea I could actually move like that."
"You should be a dance teacher somewhere," Alex commented, eyes narrowing as she debated a margarita over a mai tai.
The Doctor grimaced. "Nah, too domestic for me. I'd have to have a house. With carpets. And windows. Worry about a mortgage and buying groceries."
"Isn't the TARDIS technically your home?" Alex asked quizzically. "It has carpets and windows, although I'm only assuming that last part based on the fact its exterior has them."
The Doctor couldn't exactly argue logic phrased like that so he shrugged and plucked the drink menu out of Alex's hand. "God, what is half this stuff?" he muttered.
"Alcohol," Alex answered, like it was obvious.
"I know that, but the names just sound ridiculous. Nihamanchi, highball, flirtini, godmother, etc."
Alex yanked the menu out of his hand and lifted it to her eyes again. "Mmm, mai tai's," she murmured. The Doctor noted that mischievous look was back in her eyes. "I think I'll have that and then we'll experiment in what type of alcohol tickles your fancy."
The Doctor felt like arguing with her, but decided to go along with it. Tonight was meant for Alex's enjoyment. A few drinks wouldn't be so bad. Who knew? It might actually be fun.
~Living the Life of Ally~
Five minutes later, a blonde-haired waitress who took way too long in serving the Doctor his drink, delivered Alex's mai tai and something called a hangman's blood. Alex eagerly lapped at her drink while the Doctor sniffed at his.
Alex lowered her glass and glared at him. "Quit being a baby and try it already!" she cried. Alcohol made her a lot quicker to speak her mind.
The Doctor raised an eyebrow at her, noticing this, but lifted the glass to his lips. He took a sip and grimaced as the alcohol burned its way through his mouth. "Oh, that is foul!" he cried, putting the glass back down and sliding it away from him. "How do you humans drink this stuff?"
Alex put her empty glass down and took a sip of the Doctor's beverage. She swirled it around in her mouth before swallowing. She nodded approvingly. "Not bad," she mused. "Nice and smooth."
"It's disgusting!" the Doctor protested.
"You're just tasting the mixture of rum, gin, brandy, and porter," Alex told him, reading the drink description off the menu. "Um, what about a sidecar?"
A minute later, a sidecar had appeared in front of the Doctor. Alex was currently gulping down her second drink, a third glass by her elbow. She watched as the Doctor took a sip before spitting it back into the glass. As she made a face, the Doctor exclaimed, "Ally, how can you expect me to drink that? It's sour!"
"There's lemon in it," Alex said flatly.
"Exactly!" the Doctor cried, vindicated.
Alex gulped down the rest of her drink and then took a swig from her third glass. This could take a while and she wanted to have a nice buzz going before she listened to any more of the Doctor's complaints.
A little while later, after trying four offerings in the brandy section and one from the gin section, the Doctor was sipping a Dos Equis. Alex was stunned. She could have gotten him that at Bristol's liquor-store for $12.99! She shrugged and took a sip of her fifth mai tai. Oh well. It'd been worth it though to actually see him drinking something.
The Doctor finished his drink and placed several bills he had gotten from an ATM down on the tabletop. He watched as Alex slowly lifted herself up from her chair but suddenly fell. Alex giggled. "I fell!" she laughed up at him.
The Doctor smirked at her. "Yes, yes you did," he said, helping her up.
Alex continued to giggle as the Doctor steered her through the crowd and back out onto the street. "It's so pretty!" she laughed, pointing up at a palm tree. "Have you ever seen anything so pretty?"
The Doctor couldn't help but smile. Boy, was she drunk. "No," he answered, hooking an arm around her shoulders.
"Too bad." Alex stumbled a little and laughed some more, her head titling back into the crook of his arm. She stumbled again and nearly fell down, but the Doctor quickly pulled her upright. "I fell again! Why does that keep happening?"
The Doctor bit down hard on his lip. He hated to admit it, but he was enjoying seeing this tipsy Alex, the one that acted like a clumsy ditz. He'd never see this from her regularly. "Search me," he replied.
Alex's expression turned impish. "Really?" she laughed. Her hand moved down his back towards his bum but the Doctor quickly caught it. Alex pouted. "You said search you. Where's the fun in stopping me?"
The Doctor didn't tell her how he actually wanted her to search him, but he'd never take advantage of her intoxicated state to allow him such pleasure. Instead, he just shook his head and murmured, "What was I thinking, letting you have all those drinks?"
Alex only snickered in reply and allowed him to pull her along to the boardwalk. Her brain felt like it was buzzing and like her whole world was blurred, except the Doctor. He was crystal-clear. He was the only one that mattered right now. "It's a shame though," she suddenly babbled.
The Doctor looked over at her in confusion. "Shame about what?" he asked, readying himself for more tipsy chatter.
"Shame that you've never seen anything pretty before," Alex clarified. She swung his hand back and forth as they walked past the now dark rides and closed up stands. "I mean, you've been in love, right? With people other than Rose, I mean. One of them must've been really pretty."
The Doctor stiffened. Was she asking him if he had been in love with anyone before? No. She couldn't possibly be asking such a thing! He shook his head and continued walking. "You don't know what you're saying, Ally."
"Yes, I do!" Alex objected. She stomped her foot a little for emphasis. "Were you in love with anyone other than Rose before?"
Rassilon, she IS asking that! The Doctor grimaced and tried to think of a reply that wouldn't involve yelling at her to shut up. It probably wasn't her fault anyways. Her normally perfect mind was currently addled with various alcoholic beverages. "You're very drunk, Ally," he said instead. "You don't know what you're saying."
"Yes, I do," Alex insisted softly. The Doctor turned to look into her eyes. They were a little cloudy, but were clearing up. Alex wasn't so intoxicated anymore.
The Doctor sighed and leaned against the railing overlooking the water. He pulled Alex to him so that she was leaning against his chest, facing him. "There was one girl," he admitted. "You'd like her. Sarah Jane Smith."
Alex jumped. "The famous reporter?" she gasped. "The one who won a Bevins Prize for her expose on the department store in Ealing that was also operating as an escort service afterhours?"
The Doctor hadn't heard about that particular story and made a mental note to look it up later. "Yes, that one," he confirmed. That story sounded like something Sarah Jane would be all over. "She traveled with me for a while, during my UNIT days."
"UNIT?" Alex repeated.
"Unified Intelligence Taskforce," the Doctor recited. "Used to be United Nations Intelligence Taskforce, but the U.N. didn't like being associated with them, so they had to change the moniker. Anyway, they're a military organization dealing with aliens."
"Military? Doesn't sound like you."
The Doctor laughed. "I didn't have a lot of choice in the matter. The Time Lords had exiled me to Earth with no memory on how to fly the TARDIS. By luck, I crashed into the middle of a UNIT investigation and a little later, Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart offered me a job as their scientific advisor. I met Sarah a couple years later. She was a reporter and kept sticking her nose into places that it didn't belong."
"Sounds just like an investigative journalist," Alex complimented.
The Doctor chuckled in agreement. "Eventually, when I was able to leave UNIT, I took Sarah in as my companion. We traveled together for a while, but then I was called back to Gallifrey and I had to leave her on Earth. I meant to leave her in Croydon but she ended up in Aberdeen instead. Still not sure how that happened."
Alex snorted. "Sounds like something you'd do."
"Oi! You want to hear this or not?"
"Sorry." Alex wrapped her arms around his waist and looked up at him. "Continue, oh wise one."
The Doctor lightly swatted the back of her head, but continued. "There was a . . . connection between me and Sarah. I saw her once for the first time in years and she pretty much implied she'd fallen in love with me. She didn't know it was the same vice-versa. I always admired her. Her strength, her curiosity, her wit, everything. But . . . we couldn't be together."
Alex didn't say anything. She wasn't sure replying to that was even appropriate.
"Switching gears, there was Martha. Remember Martha? Shakespeare, witches, end of the world as usual? Anyway, on our first adventure, I had to kiss her. Long story, don't ask. She fell in love with me after that. She was great, don't get me wrong, but that was right after I lost Rose at Canary Wharf." The Doctor sighed. "I hate to say this, but I treated her like shit." Alex raised an eyebrow at hearing him casually admit this, but stayed silent.
"Don't look surprised, Alex. It can happen. I was still obsessed over Rose. Every time I looked at Martha, I was expecting to see Rose, but here was this total stranger instead." He sighed again. "The things I put her through."
"I'm sure she understood," Alex tried.
The Doctor made a noncommittal sound. "Well, she's moved on. With Rose's ex-boyfriend actually."
"Talk about a small world," Alex quipped. Sensing the conversation had reached its end, she pulled away and allowed the Doctor to lead her further down the boardwalk. Alex stumbled a little more and smiled slightly, but otherwise seemed normal.
They had gotten about fifty steps when Alex suddenly blurted, "What about Gallifrey? You must've had a life there."
The Doctor stopped dead in his tracks and Alex bit her lip. This is why we don't drink so much alcohol, Alexandria, a little voice in her head scolded. She swore under her breath. "Sorry," she quickly apologized, not daring to look up into the Doctor's face, which she expected to be full of sadness and anger. "Just . . . ignore me. I'm still drunk. Forget I said that. I'm drunk. I don't know half of what I'm saying."
"No, no, you're alright, Ally," the Doctor assured her, but Alex thought his voice sounded a little strained.
She forced herself to turn back around and look at the Doctor. To her surprise, his face seemed perfectly calm, but his eyes told a different story. The dark green depths told everything he couldn't say aloud to her; the happiness of a family, the fun times, the bitter ending, a wave of sadness and anger so big that it could cause an entire tsunami to go off inside the Doctor if he let it.
She stepped closer to him and wrapped her arms around him. She wanted to tell him that he didn't have to unburden himself onto her if he didn't want to; that he was fully entitled to having his secrets, that she was just a drunk little human who couldn't walk straight right now. She wanted him to not hate her for trying to peel back all his layers tonight.
After a brief moment of hesitation, the Doctor wrapped his own arms around her waist. He buried his face in her almost but not quite blonde locks, relishing in the calming effect the silky strands had against his hard jaw. He did want to tell her everything, but he just couldn't. Even after all these years, it still ached. It had taken him a long time to recover from the loss of Gallifrey and his family, the sadness locked so deep inside him that he worried it would burst and engulf him if he allowed it to unlock.
He couldn't risk that. He didn't want Alex taking pity on him. He didn't want her feeling obligated to try and nurse him back to a sense of happiness. He'd just bring her down with him and he never wanted to do that. Maybe he couldn't open up about his family, but there was someone else he could tell her about.
"Her name was Romana," he blurted. He felt Alex jump a little, but she stayed silent. "Romanadvoratrelundar, to be more specific."
"That's one hell of a name," Alex commented, not being able to resist the temptation.
"I know," the Doctor agreed. "She wanted me to call her Fred, but I never would. Romana just fit her."
"How'd you meet her?"
"The White Guardian assigned her to me to construct the Key to Time," the Doctor explained.
Alex craned her head up at him in confusion. "The Key to what? And what the heck is a White Guardian?"
"The White Guardian is a force that represents peace and order in the universe. As for chaos and evil, that's the Black Guardian's domain. At the time, the two Guardians were searching for the Key to Time, an artifact that gives the owner supreme power over all of existence."
Alex nodded, understanding this. "Got it. Well, you obviously got the Key to the White Guardian, right?" The Doctor nodded and Alex continued. "So, back to Romana."
"Right." The Doctor thought for a moment and chuckled a little. "God, I could barely stand her when we first met and believe me, the feeling was mutual. She was very haughty and arrogant, assuming she knew everything just because she passed a few more exams than I did. Over time however, she loosened up a little. Her regeneration only improved that. She was a lot . . . sweeter, lighter, less abrasive. There was an attraction, but we never acknowledged it."
You have a habit of doing that, Alex mentally observed, feeling a little bitter about that.
"Eventually, Romana was called back to Gallifrey. She didn't want to go back so I left her in E-Space, a parallel universe we visited. When the Time Lords were still around, you could access parallel universes quite easily and leave them easily as well. Then . . . the Time War began. Romana decided to come and help, against my arguing, and she was declared Time Lord President. She was mighty good at it, but then Rassilon came back." The Doctor stopped, clearly uncomfortable with what he was about to say.
Alex looked up at him and mentally swore at her drinking again. "You don't have to tell me if you don't want to," she offered.
"I'm fine," the Doctor insisted, gritting his teeth. He let out a deep breath and pulled Alex even closer to him, readying himself for the words he never dared spoke to come out. "She was in an official meeting. I was there with her. We were talking and then Rassilon burst in, much to everyone's shock and awe. He declared himself President but Romana argued she had been elected and was still acting President. But . . . that didn't stop Rassilon though. He took out a gun . . . and shot her. He kept shooting until she had stopped regenerating."
Alex felt her heart break into a thousand pieces. Poor Romana! She didn't even know the girl and she already liked her. Romana did not deserve such a horrible death. No one did.
She then became aware that the Doctor was still talking. "I held her in my arms and screamed and ranted and sobbed. Rassilon and the others barely flinched though. They had already become war-harden. I had half a mind to kill Rassilon myself, but I just couldn't bring myself to pick up the gun. Instead, I carried Romana out and gave her a proper burial." He shuddered and Alex felt a few drops of water land on her head. "It was the least I could do."
Alex clutched him tighter to her, wishing she could just suck the pain and misery out of him like a vacuum. Nine hundred years of time travel and what did he really have to show for it? A lot of sadness and regret and anger and betrayal and more dark emotions than she would ever experience. It was a miracle he was able to go on every day.
She felt the Doctor suck in a deep breath. The words had clearly drained him. "Well, enough of that!" the Doctor suddenly exclaimed cheerfully. Alex decided not to question him about his sudden switch of emotions. "Tonight's about you, if I recall."
"Right," Alex nodded, pulling away. She averted her eyes for a moment to allow the Doctor a little more privacy, but not before seeing him wipe a stray tear from his eye.
Desperate to forget the angst portion of the evening, which seemed to be a requirement whenever they were alone together, Alex tugged the Doctor back down the boardwalk and over to a side street. She was pretty sure she had spotted a small marketplace over here when she was out with Amy earlier.
Sure enough, the two stumbled upon a marketplace, a crowded one even though it was eleven thirty at night. Wooden booths and large tents with different colors were lined up in several rows, paper lanterns strung along the tops. Alex's wide eyes scanned their surroundings. She spotted several food stands selling fresh strawberries, kiwi, pineapple and mangos, jewelry carts selling homemade necklaces and rings, one stall selling fake Gucci purses, another selling fancy looking rugs, one selling exquisite china dishes, and so on.
The Doctor put an arm around her shoulders. "Now I expect you'll want to go shopping," he guessed, disdain in his voice. Alex grinned and quickly tugged him along.
"I love Rio," she said as they passed a man playing a guitar, singing something that could barely be heard over the chatter of the crowd. "I mean, other than its beaches, it's a really great place."
"Salsa dancing, alcohol, shopping, what could be better?" the Doctor joked.
Alex made a face at him but still laughed. "Come on!" she cried, pulling him off. "I'd like to get something for Lacey while we're here. She's always wanted to go to Rio."
Alex passed several stalls offering junk she knew Lacey would never like until she finally reached a jewelry stall. The woman sitting behind the counter glanced up long enough to say, "Everything's half off," before turning back to her tabloid magazine.
Alex rolled her eyes and began to examine the merchandise. She looked at a few beaded necklaces before finally looking at the earrings. She smiled as she spotted a pair of bottle-cap earrings with parrots painted on them. Lacey would love those.
She continued to glance around the jewelry cart, vaguely aware of the Doctor tapping a finger on the countertop. She ignored him and continued looking. Her eyes finally traveled over to another pair of bottle-cap earrings, these made of simple Ale-8 bottle-caps. She picked them up and held one to her ear, checking to see how it looked in a small mirror on the counter. As usual, she looked gorgeous.
Alex set them down on the counter in front of the cash register, clearing her throat to get the clerk's attention. The clerk reluctantly lowered her magazine and placed it underneath the counter. She took one quick glance at the earrings before declaring, "Fifteen fifty."
Alex raised an eyebrow. "That seems awfully high for a pair of earrings," she observed. "Didn't you say everything was half off?"
"A regular pair of earrings costs thirty-five BRL."
Both of Alex's eyebrows rose at this. God, she could just have the TARDIS replicate the earrings if she was so desperate. She was about to tell the clerk she wasn't interested when the Doctor stepped up, a few bills in his hand. "That should cover it," he said smoothly, sliding the bills across the counter. "Keep the change."
Alex watched the clerk count the money. Based on the suddenly joyous expression on her face, the Doctor had given her way more than fifteen fifty. "Thank you!" the clerk chirped. She looked at him and Alex excitedly before reaching under the counter and pulling out a tray filled with fancy bejeweled rings. "If you and your girlfriend are interested, I also have a lovely selection of rings." She winked at Alex. "Get him to pop the question, my dear?"
The Doctor and Alex's faces went bright red. "No, we're not interested!" the Doctor said quickly, yanking Alex away just as she grabbed her bag.
"Why does everyone assume we're a couple?" Alex questioned as they sped away from the jewelry cart.
"Not sure, but it's happened to me quite a bit before," the Doctor confessed. "Rose, Donna, you name it."
Alex laughed. "Quite the Romeo you are!" she teased.
The Doctor glared at her playfully. "Oi! What about you, Juliet? I'm sure you had plenty boys crowding around you."
Alex chuckled a little. "Well, yes. I did have a lot of boyfriends in high school. But . . . I don't know. I never felt that seriously about them." In fact, she'd never felt so serious about someone until the Doctor came along.
The Doctor made a non-committal sound. "You were young," he suggested. Secretly, he was quite thrilled that Alex had never felt very strongly for anyone before. It made him think he could change that. Oh, stop it! He mentally scolded himself. If Alex has never felt strongly for someone before, how could she possibly feel strongly for you?!
The two continued wandering through the market, bantering and teasing each-other, steadfastly avoiding any angst or inquiries about past loves. Alex wasn't sure how long they stayed there, but she was exhausted by the time they made their way back to the TARDIS. The Doctor practically had to carry her.
Alex leaned against the cool wood of the TARDIS and smiled when she felt a hum beneath her. "That was definitely more fun that I imagined."
The Doctor smirked and rested a hand against the wood over her head. "I'm glad to hear it."
Alex's eyes sparkled and she turned to look out at the ocean. The bonfires had all burned out now and the only sound she could hear was the gentle shh ahh sound of the waves moving back and forth along the shore. Though she hated water, she had to admit that she liked that sound. It seemed peaceful, completely unlike the thrashing and swirling she was familiar with. "Doc?"
"Hmm?"
"Mind if I ask you something personal?"
"Since when has that stopped you before?"
Alex made a face but continued. "You told me that you were in love before, or at least had a connection with others."
The Doctor nodded slowly, wondering where she was going with this. "Right."
"Well, I'm just wondering. . ." Alex trailed off and took a deep breath before she launched into her question. "Do you think you could ever really love someone again?"
The Doctor was silent and Alex could tell that instead of being offended or angry by the question, he was really and truly thinking about it. Finally, after a few minutes of thinking, the Doctor let out long breath and shook his head. "No," he answered, staring out over the waves. "I'd like to, believe me, but my life is too dangerous. There's always the risk of somebody getting blown up, squished, sucked into a parallel universe, getting shot by a Dalek. . . You know what I'm saying. So, I can't really do that."
Alex nodded understandingly, but she felt an inner turmoil of sadness and anger begin to swell up in her. That only confirmed it. The Doctor could never be with her, even if he did have feelings for her, which he probably didn't. He just happened to get along with her better than anyone else. That should have been enough but it wasn't.
Alex swallowed a lump in her throat. She wasn't going to start crying in front of him. If she did, she might blurt out her feelings for him and then God knew what might happen. He could take her home or something and Alex didn't think she could bear that.
Instead, she attempted to control her breathing and simply nodded. "Well, thanks for the evening out, Doc," she said, trying to force some cheerfulness into her voice. "Goodnight." The door behind her opened and Alex stepped in, wanting to escape to the confines of her room before she began bawling, but then, she paused.
Without thinking, she whirled back around and stepped out. She stepped up close to the Doctor. He stayed still, wondering what she planned on doing. Then, Alex leaned in close and pressed her lips to his cheek. It was a quick kiss, one that somebody would give a friend or relative, but both knew that the kiss went far deeper than that.
Alex pulled back, her eyes down, slightly embarrassed. "Um . . . goodnight!" she called, dashing off into the TARDIS. She raced down the halls to her room. The door opened automatically and Alex threw herself down onto the bed.
Why couldn't matters of the heart be easy?
A/N: So there was the original chapter! Lots of Dalex fluff with a bit of angst tossed in for good measure (lol, Alex really doesn't know when to shut up after she's had a few, huh?) :) And who liked the salsa dancing portion? :) Tomorrow, we start 'Vincent and the Doctor' which will be a bit more upbeat (or as upbeat as one can get with Vincent Van Gogh) than the ending of this chapter.
Notes on reviews. . .
SopherGopherroxursox - Is the word you're looking for 'fabulous'? 'Fan-freaking-tastic'? I love 10 too. He's my dad's favorite Doctor actually. Hmm, I think in terms of storylines, 11 had better ones, but I liked how 10 connected with the companions families. You don't see that real much with 11. Of course, despite that, I love 11! :) Glad you love the story, even to the point of obsession!
SopherGopher'sAwesomeSister - Lol, I'm glad this story can make you two that excited! :D
ShadowTeir - They would have gotten along well, wouldn't they? I can totally see them ganging up on the Doctor, or even Donna teaming up with Amy. :) Yeah, River really doesn't come around much, and because of that point and more, I could never buy her relationship with the Doctor. I LOVE the Doctor/Clara pairing, me and my dad both. They've got really good chemistry with each-other and are just so cute together! Sadly, I don't think we'll get that relationship with Peter Capaldi as the Doctor. My dad and I both predict it will be more father/daughter than romantic. *sighs* Oh, well, at least there's fanfiction. :) Hope you liked the chapter!
Gwilwillith - Thanks! :)
rycbar15 - Lol, glad to hear it! :)
JackSpicer2311 - Sadly, the whole Bristol group won't be seen again until the next story. :( But, Marigold and Lacey do appear in 'Death of the Doctor'. :)
dream lighting - Glad you liked that Alex remembers Rory. It really made the most sense, with her mental abilities and all. Hope you liked the chapter! :)
ElysiumPhoenix - I know, the ending to 'Cold Blood' is so sad! Weirdly enough, I don't cry at it. I never really cry at sad movies or sad moments on TV for some reason. I did cry at some moments on 'General Hospital' though, so I guess that counts for something. :) And yes, Alex is better! Hmm, we'll have to wait and see on that kiss. Just be reassured that the Pandorica episodes are fast approaching and that's when future Doctor kisses past Alex. :)
Timey-Wimey Somn-Like Lass - Lol, I can't stop putting her in perilous situations, can I? Fortunately, things calm down a bit in the next episode, and I always make up for the bad moments with fluff. :) Lol, yeah, the Doctor would choose Alex over Rose. I can't wait for the 50th Anniversary to air so I can write Alex into it. I think she and Rose would get along, but there would be little moments of jealousy, more on Rose's end than Alex's. :) Oh God, I'm reading that story too and I want to hit River with a baseball bat every time she insults Angel and then turn around and hit the Doctor for forgetting Angel! :) Amy won't see them sleeping together again, but she will catch them doing other things in the future. :) Yep, I'm doing 'Apollo 23'. Some crazy stuff will be going down in that, some of it not good for Alex. }:)
TheGirlWhoWaited - I know, it's so sad! :( At least we know that he comes back though. :) Hope you liked the chapter!
Emerald Monkey - Thanks! :)
