Alex screamed and clutched the Doctor closer, burying her face in his neck. Despite their current predicament, she still felt a strange desire to lick the Doctor's neck and taste that musky cologne she loved so much.
The Doctor wanted this too, but he pushed his growing desire for her aside to focus on their current problem and possible oncoming death. "That is impressive hearing he's got," he commented, wrapping his arms around Alex comfortingly. "What's less impressive are our chances of survival."
Thanks for the encouragement, Doc! Alex thought.
Amy continued to scream as the box began shaking. Alex's nails dug into the Doctor's back and she bit back her screams. The Doctor was just starting to get worried, until. . . "Hey! Are you looking for me, sonny?!"
Alex looked up in awe as the box suddenly stilled. She and the Doctor shared a thrilled I'm-so-glad-to-be-alive look as Vincent continued to shout at the Krafayis. "Come on, over here! Because I'm right here waiting for you!"
The Doctor eased Alex off his lap and opened the door. Poking her head out, Alex could see Vincent holding the Krafayis off with a chair. Seeing them, Vincent waved them over. "Come on! Quickly!" he urged as Amy's door opened as well. "Get behind me!"
The group wasted no time in doing this. The Doctor kept Alex behind him as he held up his screwdriver, trying to stun the Krafayis. "Doing anything?" he called.
"Nope," Alex answered before the four ran towards the door behind them.
"Where is he?!" the Doctor demanded as Vincent continued to stand in front of them, holding the upturned chair in front of him like a sword.
Alex could have slapped him. "Where the bloody hell do you think he is, you idiot?!" she cried, whacking the back of his head for emphasis.
"Use your head!" Vincent added.
The Doctor ignored the two's insults and instead buzzed the sonic screwdriver over Vincent's shoulder. "Anything?"
"Nothing," Vincent answered as Alex nodded her head in agreement. "In fact, he seemed to rather enjoy it." He then whirled around as the creature circled its way over to the Doctor. Alex and Amy stayed behind Vincent as he aimed the chair at the Doctor. "Duck! Left!"
The Doctor quickly obeyed, hurling himself to the left but the Krafayis' tail sent him flying towards a wall on his right. He slammed into it hard, wincing as he made contact. That was going to leave a mark.
Alex screamed and dashed forwards, getting down on her knees to make sure he was alright. As she gingerly tapped his shoulder to make sure nothing was broken, Vincent spoke. "Right, sorry," he apologized. "Your right, my left."
"This is no good at all," the Doctor wheezed. "Run like crazy and regroup."
"Ah, come on!" Amy cried, directing everyone to another door. "In here!" Alex hurriedly helped the Doctor up, straining underneath his weight, as Vincent dropped his chair and rushed after Amy. They all ducked through the door and rushed to try and close it, but something was forcing it open.
Looking down, Vincent saw that the Krafayis had its foot stuck in the door, keeping it open for about a foot or two. Acting swiftly, he stomped on it, the creature jerking its foot back and allowing them to close the door.
"Right, okay," the Doctor panted, leaning back against the door as everyone else did the same. "Here's the plan. Amy, Ally, Rory—"
"Who?" Amy questioned.
"Sorry," the Doctor said hastily, quickly backtracking. "Er, Vincent. . ."
"What?" Alex cried, trying to save him before Amy could really start questioning him on who Rory was. "What is the plan?"
"I don't know, actually," the Doctor admitted. "My only definite plan is that in future, I'm definitely just using this screwdriver for screwing in screws."
"Oh, it does that too?" Alex asked, not being able to resist asking this cheeky question even in the midst of danger.
"Not now, Ally," the Doctor mildly scolded.
"Give me a second," Vincent jumped in. "I'll be back."
"I suppose we could try talking to him," the Doctor proposed once Vincent had walked off.
"Talking to him?!" Amy repeated incredulously.
"It's actually not a bad idea," Alex admitted.
The Doctor nodded approvingly at her, knowing she'd see his point. "Exactly! No harm trying! Might be interesting to know his side of the story." The Krafayis then screeched outside the door, making the Doctor wince. "Yes, though, maybe he's not really in the mood for conversation right at this precise moment."
The beast then began hammering at the door, desperate to get in and destroy them all. Alex cringed and positioned herself so that she was closer to the Doctor. "No harm in trying," she pointed out.
The Doctor nodded, conceding, and turned to face the door. "Listen!" he called out. "Listen! I know you can understand me, even though I know you won't understand why you can understand me. I also know that no one's talked to you for a pretty long stretch, but please, listen. I also don't belong on this planet. I also am . . . alone. If you trust me, I'm sure we can come to some kind of, you know, understanding. And then, and then, who knows?"
Alex noticed that the alien had been quiet for a pretty long stretch. Huh, maybe the Doctor had gotten through to him. But then a window crashed on the other side of the room, little glass shards flying in all directions. The girls screamed and Alex clutched onto the Doctor's arm.
"I'm guessing it's not so understanding!" Alex shrieked as the Doctor pushed her fully behind him.
"Over here, mate!" Vincent shouted, suddenly appearing before them, now brandishing his easel, the three legs pointing upwards. The three ran towards him, the Doctor and Alex ducking behind a stone column while Amy crouched behind a stone monument.
"What's it up to now?" the Doctor asked.
"It's moving round the room," Vincent answered, taking cover next to Amy. "Feeling its way around."
"What?" the Doctor frowned.
"It's like it's trapped," Alex elaborated, cautiously poking her head out from behind the column. "It's moving around the edges of the room." Suddenly, something dawned on her. Holy crap, how had she not seen that? She looked at the Doctor to propose her theory, only to see he also had a look of realization on his face.
"I can't. See. A thing!" Amy hissed.
The Doctor and Alex ignored her. "How did we miss that?" Alex whispered excitedly.
The Doctor nodded. "I am really stupid," he muttered.
"Oh, get a grip!" Amy snapped, not knowing what they were talking about. "This is not a moment to reevaluate your self-esteem!"
"No, I really am stupid, and I'm growing old," the Doctor insisted. "Why does it attack but never eat its victims? And why was it abandoned by its pack and left here to die? And why is it feeling its way helplessly around the walls of the room?"
"It can't see!" Alex revealed. "It's blind!" She felt a stab of sympathy for the creature. No wonder he was so violent. Blind and abandoned by his pack? That was the ultimate sign he was unwanted.
"Yes," the Doctor confirmed, his voice a little louder than before. "And that explains why it has such perfect hearing!"
"Which unfortunately also explains why it is now turning around and heading straight for us!" Vincent shouted as everyone came out of their hiding places.
"Girls, get out!" the Doctor ordered, pushing Alex towards the doors while he remained behind with Vincent. "Vincent! Vincent, what's happening?"
"It's charging now," Vincent reported. Alex whirled around just in time to see this very occurrence and she felt her heart tense up. "Get back! Get back!"
The Krafayis then screamed and everyone watched, stunned, as Vincent was lifted up into the air, still clutching his easel. Alex watched as Vincent held on for a few moments before letting go and dropping to the floor. She watched, her heart heavy, as the Krafayis wailed in pain because of the easel now stuck in its chest, blood oozing out. A moment later, the Krafayis fell to the floor, the easel seemingly floating sideways in the air.
"He wasn't without mercy at all," Vincent realized as the group slowly approached the dying Krafayis. "He was without sight. I didn't mean that to happen. I only meant to wound it, I never meant to—"
"It's alright. We know," Alex assured him as the Doctor knelt down next to the creature and held up his hand, indicating for everyone to be quiet.
"He's trying to say something," he revealed.
"What is it?" Vincent asked as Alex moved over to the Doctor's side. She kneeled down and hesitantly reached out to touch the Krafayis. She felt the alien tense up beneath her, but slowly relax as she began to pet it.
"I'm having trouble making it out," the Doctor admitted, "but I think he's saying. . . 'I'm afraid. I'm afraid.'" He reached out and copied Alex's petting of the creature. "There, there," he soothed. "Shush, shush. It's okay, it's okay."
"You'll be fine," Alex murmured. "Shh. Just go to sleep. Go to sleep. Just relax . . . and go to sleep." With that, the Krafayis breathed his last. Alex felt a huge wave of sorrow wash over her.
"He was frightened, and he lashed out," Vincent realized as the Doctor stood, pulling Alex up with him. He wrapped an arm around her shoulders comfortingly as Vincent continued. "Like humans who lash out when they're frightened. Like the villagers who scream at me. Like the children who throw stones at me."
As Amy looped an arm through Vincent's in an attempt to comfort him, the Doctor and Alex headed to the doors. "You know," Alex said suddenly, looking up at the Doctor and exposing the tears in her eyes, "sometimes winning . . . winning is no fun at all."
Alex looked down, embarrassed, as some tears leaked out. The Doctor gently tilted her head up and used the pads of his thumbs to wipe them away. "Oh, Ally. I'm so sorry you had to do that," he murmured, pressing a kiss to her hairline. "Come on. Let's go."
~Living the Life of Ally~
A few minutes later, Alex was curled up next to the Doctor. The grass beneath her tickled her neck, but she didn't mind. Instead, she concentrated on the feeling of the Doctor's chest moving up and down beneath her head and the way Vincent, who was lying next to them in a circle with Amy, was currently describing the night sky above them.
". . .are so lucky we are still alive to see this beautiful world. Look at the sky. It's not dark and black and without character. The black is in fact deep blue. And over there, lighter blue. And blowing through the blueness and blackness, the wind swirling through the air and then, shining, burning, bursting through, the stars. Can you see how they roar their light? Everywhere we look, the complex magic of nature blazes before our eyes."
"I've seen many things, my friend," the Doctor murmured, lifting a hand to smooth Alex's hair out of her eyes. "But you're right. Nothing quite as wonderful as the things you see."
Vincent smiled, knowing that the Doctor's words were also describing the young, almost but not quite blonde-headed girl lying next to him. "I will miss you terribly."
~Living the Life of Ally~
"I only wish I had something of real value to give you," Vincent apologized the next morning. The only response he received was Amy and Alex's mad giggling as they stared at the object in the Doctor's hand, the painting Self-Portrait with Straw Hat.
"Oh, no, no, no," the Doctor grinned. "I could never accept such an extraordinary gift."
Vincent shrugged, not really surprised by this. "Very well," he said, taking back the painting. "You're not the first to decline the offer." He set the painting down and then held his arms out to Amy. "Amy, the blessed, the wonderful."
Amy grinned and stepped towards him. They kissed each-other's cheeks in that weird European way Alex still wasn't used to before hugging each-other. "Be good to yourself, and be kind to yourself," Amy told him before pulling away.
"I'll try my best," Vincent assured her.
"And maybe give the beard a little trim before you next kiss someone," Amy advised.
"I will, I will," he smiled. "And if you tire of this Doctor of yours, return, and we will have children by the dozen!" Alex bit back explosive laughter as she saw Amy's smile become more forced and she let out a little squeak of disgust.
Luckily, Vincent didn't notice for he was already turning to the Doctor. "Doctor, my friend," he said, shaking his hand. "We have fought monsters together and we have won. On my own, I fear I may not do so well."
The Doctor decided not to say anything, instead drawing Vincent into a tight hug before releasing him. Alex felt tears brim up to her eyes, but pushed them down. Vincent was turning to her now. It was her turn.
"Alex, my dear," Vincent smiled at her before hugging her. "I don't think I'll ever be forgetting you."
Alex giggled, not seeing the Doctor's jaw tighten behind her. "I have that effect on people," she laughed. "It's been amazing meeting you, Vincent. I'm really going to miss you."
"Well, since it seems Amy will most likely not return, is there any chance I could snatch you away from the Doctor instead?" Vincent smirked at her as Alex's eyes went wide.
The Doctor crossed his arms to keep himself from reaching over and socking Vincent in the nose. No, no, no, don't say yes, Alex! What would he do if Alex did say yes? He'd probably go ballistic and wrench Alex away from Vincent before locking her in her room on the TARDIS, away from the temptations other men provided. He turned and tried to focus on something, anything else. Ooh, lots of paintbrushes, Alex and Vincent are still hugging . . . this carpet needs to be cleaned, what's Ally thinking right now? Maybe I can tell her Vincent is a fixed point! Oh, look, Starry Night!
Clearly, it was easier said than done.
"Thanks," Alex said slowly, her voice grabbing the Doctor's attention. "But. . . I'm not really ready to marry right now. I'm still young and . . . I want to see as much of the world as possible before I even think about settling down."
The Doctor let out a noticeable sigh of relief at this. Yes! She wasn't marrying Vincent Van Gogh! Alexandria Van Gogh. . . The Doctor bit his lip to keep from laughing. He could just see Alex married to Vincent, forever pronouncing her last name wrong.
Now, Vincent shrugged. "I had to try, didn't I?" he asked, knowing that Alex would never leave the Doctor. It was such a shame, he thought, to be so captivated and in love with the person beside you and never share it. He couldn't understand why the Doctor and Alex tortured themselves so and he hoped that someday, all their acts and pretending would end, and they would be united together as it seemed they were supposed to be.
~Living the Life of Ally~
A few moments later, the Doctor, Alex, and Amy were walking out through the courtyard. The Doctor slung his arm around Alex's shoulders as he asked, "Are you two thinking what I'm thinking?"
"I was thinking I may need some food or something before we leave," Amy answered.
The Doctor looked at her strangely. "Well, no, you're not thinking exactly what I'm thinking." He turned to Alex. "What about you, Ally?"
Alex nodded. "I think so, but I really don't believe it's possible or something we're allowed to do."
"And why do you say that?"
"Won't it cause a paradox or something?"
He smiled down at her. "Sometimes, there are exceptions to rules. This is one of them." Before Amy could ask what they were talking about, the Doctor turned to the window. "Vincent!" he called, summoning the artist, who appeared at the sill . . . shirtless. The Doctor hoped that Alex was diverting her eyes. "Got something I'd like to show you! Maybe just tidy yourself up a bit first." Vincent nodded and ducked away out of sight. He appeared a few minutes later, now properly dressed.
The group headed out of the courtyard and down the streets. "Now, you know we've had quite a few chats about the possibility there might be more to life than normal people imagine?" the Doctor said as they came up upon the TARDIS, the blue exterior now completely hidden under advertising posters. The Doctor groaned when he saw this, sending Alex into a fit of giggles.
"Yes," Vincent answered as the Doctor pointedly looked at Alex to get her to stop giggling.
"Ha, well, brace yourself, Vinny."
The Doctor pulled out his TARDIS key and used it to cut through the posters, beginning where the door started to unlock. Once he was done, he pushed the door open and ushered Vincent to take a step inside. Vincent obliged, but quickly stepped out to look at the time machine's exterior, baffled on how the seemingly tiny box could hold such a vast interior. He walked all around the box trying to figure this out for a good five minutes before he looked over and saw the others leaning against a wall, all bored.
"How come I'm the crazy one and you three have stayed sane?" Vincent wondered, heading back inside as the others followed him.
"Oh, the Doctor is far from sane," Alex informed him, taking his hat as Amy shut the door. "He's a madman in a box."
"Thank you, Ally!" the Doctor called down from his place on the central platform.
Vincent laughed at her description and headed up to the platform. "What do these things all do?" he asked, frowning at the controls.
"Oh, a huge variety of things," the Doctor answered as he ran around the console. "This one here, for instance, plays soothing music." He pressed the button he was pointing at, sending the sound of flutes and clarinets playing a cheery tune out into the control room. Amy swirled around while the Doctor grabbed Alex and dipped her low to the ground.
"Fancy a dance, Ally?" he asked.
Alex chuckled. "Only if it's the salsa, Doc."
The Doctor laughed and pulled her back up. Keeping her next to him, he reached over and pulled a lever down, sending various taking off sounds out into the room, mixing strangely with the music. "While this one makes a huge amount of noise," he added as he reached for something else. "And this one makes everything go absolutely tonto."
Alex frowned at his word choice. "Is that even a word?" she asked, but her question was lost as the TARDIS began shaking, forcing three of the occupants to lunge forward and grip the console while the Doctor ran around piloting.
"And this one?" Vincent asked as the TARDIS began to settle. He reached out to press a certain button, but the Doctor hurried up.
"That's the friction contrafibulator!" he shouted in warning, causing Vincent to jerk his hand back.
"And this?" he asked, pointing to a red light.
"Oh, that's ketchup," the Doctor answered, making Alex look at him, then at the console weirdly. He then pointed to the yellow light next to the red one. "And that's mustard."
"Why is that on the console?" Alex questioned, reaching over to tap the lights hesitantly.
The Doctor shrugged, either not knowing or just dismissing her question. Meanwhile, Vincent grinned. "Nice," he complimented. "Come on. Back to the café, and you can tell me all about the wonders of the universe."
"Good idea," the Doctor replied, giving Amy and Alex a quick wink before directing Vincent down the stairs to the door. "Although, actually, there's a little something I'd like to show you first."
The Doctor stepped out first, Alex right behind him, leaving Vincent and Amy to follow them out. Alex shut the door while Vincent stared around in shock, seeing that they had completely moved at some point. "Where are we?"
"Paris, 2010," Alex answered as she noticed the absence of posters on the TARDIS exterior. She looked around the side and smiled when she saw a few remainders slowly burning off.
"And this," the Doctor continued, motioning towards the great building in front of them, "is the mighty Musée d'Orsay, home to many of the greatest paintings in history!"
"Oh, that's wonderful!" Vincent marveled before he caught sight of a group of people who were carrying handheld radios with music coming out. He frowned in wonder and confusion.
"Oh, just ignore that," the Doctor said quickly, following Vincent's eyes. He ushered him towards the museum. "We've got something more important to show you."
As they went through the museum, Vincent paused to look at a few of the paintings and sculptures, but every time he did so, Alex came and yanked him on the arm, dragging him further into the building. It wasn't long until they were in the Vincent Van Gogh exhibit. Once they stepped across the threshold, Alex released his arm, allowing Vincent to step in and stare at the paintings and the crowds of people admiring them in shock.
"Dr. Black," the Doctor called to the familiar tour guide. "We met a few days ago. I asked you about the Church at Auvers."
"Oh, yes," Dr. Black recalled as he stepped over to the Doctor. Amy and Alex pushed Vincent closer to the Doctor, his back to Dr. Black. "Glad to be of help. You were nice about my tie."
"Yes," the Doctor said, smiling. As the girls stepped up beside him, he added, "And today is another cracker, if I may say so. But I just wondered, between you and me, in a hundred words, where do you think Van Gogh rates in the history of art?"
Alex bit her lip nervously as Dr. Black considered the question. She really hoped Dr. Black said something nice. If not. . . She shook her head, not allowing herself to think of the dreadful possibilities.
"Well, big question," Dr. Black said. "But to me, Van Gogh is the finest painter of them all. Certainly, the most popular great painter of all time. The most beloved. His command of color the most magnificent. He transformed the pain of his tormented life into ecstatic beauty. Pain is easy to portray, but to use your passion and pain to portray the ecstasy and joy and magnificence of our world. . . No one had ever done it before. Perhaps no one ever will again. To my mind, that strange, wild man who roamed the fields of Provence was not only the world's greatest artist, but also one of the greatest men who ever lived."
Right as he finished speaking, Vincent burst into tears.
The Doctor quickly turned around, noticing this. "Vincent. I'm sorry, I'm sorry. Is it too much?"
"No, they are tears of joy," Vincent assured him. He turned and approached Dr. Black, hugging him and kissing him on both cheeks. "Thank you, sir. Thank you."
"You're. . . You're welcome," Dr. Black stuttered in confusion as Vincent released him.
"Sorry about the beard," Vincent added before abruptly turning and heading out of the exhibit, the Doctor, Amy, and Alex following him as Dr. Black just stared at the group in confusion. He'd forever wonder who, exactly, they were.
~Living the Life of Ally~
"This changes everything!" Vincent exclaimed as he walked out of the TARDIS, now back in the yard of his Arles home. "I'll step out tomorrow with my easel on my back a different man. I still can't believe that one of the haystacks was in the museum. How embarrassing."
"It's been a great adventure and a great honor," the Doctor told him, shaking hands and hugging him again.
Vincent grinned. "You've turned out to be the first doctor ever actually to make a difference to my life!"
"I'm delighted," the Doctor grinned back. "I won't ever forget you."
The Doctor headed back towards the TARDIS doors, anxious to leave, while Vincent turned to Amy. "And you are sure marriage is out of the question?"
"This time," Amy affirmed, leaping forward and grasping him in a hug before adding, "I'm not really the marrying kind."
Alex bit the inside of her cheek, afraid her smart mouth might let something slip.
Once Vincent and Amy separated, Amy skipping back to the TARDIS, Vincent turned to Alex. "And I know there is no point in asking you," he said.
Alex smiled, not really sure what to say. "Well, I'm not really the marrying kind either."
"You mean, you are waiting for the Doctor?" Alex's face paled. "It's alright," Vincent assured her. "I understand. It would be wrong to try and separate you two."
"I-I d-don't. . ."
"But remember," Vincent interjected, interrupting her babbling, "love can only happen if it's actually spoken aloud. Not if it is danced around."
Alex nodded, her eyes a little unfocused and dazed as she processed Vincent's words. "Right," she said slowly. "Thanks."
"I'll never forget you, Alex."
"The feeling's mutual," Alex smiled before giving him a quick hug.
Alex headed back to the TARDIS, her head still spinning from Vincent's words. The Doctor stood in the doorway, eagerly awaiting her presence. He smiled at her, but then noticed the slightly befuddled expression on her face. "Are you okay?" he asked. "What did he say to you?" He was fully prepared to defend Alex if he learned Vincent had said something upsetting to her.
"Nothing bad," Alex quickly assured him. "Just . . . puzzling."
"Define 'puzzling'."
"It's nothing," Alex insisted, pushing past him. "Shall we head back to the gallery?"
"Yes!" Amy cried from her place up by the console.
The Doctor sighed, reluctantly resigning himself to not knowing what Vincent had said to Alex. "Very well," he agreed, stepping inside and shutting the door. "Off we go."
Alex had never seen Amy more excited than she was as they headed back to the museum. She frowned as Amy bounded out the door. She looked to the Doctor for explanation, but he only let out a sharp sigh and grasped her hand, pulling her along after Amy.
"Time can be rewritten!" Amy called over her shoulder as they headed towards the museum. "I know it can!"
"She doesn't actually think. . .?" Alex questioned.
"Yes," the Doctor confirmed.
"Is it?"
"No."
"Oh, the long life of Vincent Van Gogh!" Amy cheered, darting up the steps towards the exhibit. "There'll be hundreds of new paintings!"
"I'm not sure there will," the Doctor cautioned but Amy didn't hear this, instead continuing on, racing to the Van Gogh exhibit.
The Doctor and Alex reached the exhibit just in time to see Amy stop in the center of the room, stunned as she took in the same paintings they had seen already, Dr. Black informing a tour group a little ways away that Vincent had committed suicide at the age of 37. Alex felt her heart sink, even though she'd known this was coming. There had been a small sliver of hope but ultimately, it wasn't meant to be.
"So, you were right." Amy stepped towards them, her eyes red and filled with tears. "No new paintings. We didn't make a difference at all."
"I wouldn't say that," the Doctor objected, releasing Alex's hand to step forward and grip Amy in a tight hug. "The way I see it, every life is a pile of good things and bad things. The good things don't always soften the bad things. But, vice-versa, the bad things don't necessarily spoil the good things or make them unimportant." He let go of Amy but kept an arm around her shoulders as he added, "And we definitely added to his pile of good things. And if you look carefully. . ." He trailed off, pulling Amy and Alex towards Church at Auvers. "Maybe we did indeed make a couple of little changes."
"No Krafayis," Amy realized as she saw the now empty window.
"No Krafayis," the Doctor agreed.
The Doctor released Amy and Alex watched as she wandered towards one of the paintings tucked into an alcove. The Doctor, noticing this, pulled her along and they stopped next to Amy, who was now staring at Vase with 12 Sunflowers. On the vase was written For Amy, Vincent. The Doctor whistled, impressed.
"If we had got married, our kids would have had very, very red hair," Amy quipped.
"The ultimate ginger," the Doctor chuckled.
Amy laughed softly. "The ultimate ginge. Brighter than sunflowers."
The Doctor and Amy stared in silence at the painting for a moment. "You're being awful quiet, Ally," the Doctor realized after almost a minute had passed. He turned, but Alex wasn't there.
Amy whirled around as well. "Where's she gone off to?" she wondered. It wasn't like Alex to wander off. She usually stayed right by the Doctor's side. The two looked around for a moment before finally spotting Alex standing in front of a painting, arms crossed and her head cocked, as the tour group talked behind her.
The Doctor and Amy crept closer but stopped upon seeing the painting. "I've never seen that before," Amy whispered.
"Neither have I," the Doctor agreed, shushing her so they could listen to Dr. Black.
"And here we have a truly beautiful painting, one of Van Gogh's finest," he was saying. "This painting is often considered to be one of Van Gogh's best and prettiest. In fact, despite a few interests, Van Gogh refused to sell the painting, saying that he was saving it for a friend. The friend, as some critics believe, was someone called Ally, as the painting is titled Ally's Roses."
The Doctor and Amy turned to each-other, stunned. Ally? Vincent only knew one Ally. . .
The second the tour group moved on, the two hurried forwards to look at the one new painting in the gallery. It was 74 cm by 94 cm, the same size as Church at Auvers. The painting showed a vase of brilliant red roses in a hazel-colored vase on a table somewhere, sunshine coming in from a window in the background. Alex stood completely still, staring at the beautiful masterpiece before her.
"He remembered I like red roses," she whispered, tears brimming in her eyes.
The Doctor smiled down at her and gently put his hand on her shoulder, comforting her. He studied the painting, feeling a sense of euphoria creep over him that Vincent had managed to capture something Alex – and by extension, the Doctor himself – loved perfectly.
"Not bad at all, Mr. Van Gogh," he beamed, pronouncing the last name as 'Van Go'.
Alex looked up at him in shock before grinning and leaning back into him as his arm wrapped around her waist.
A/N: Aw, the end! He said it in the correct way! And Vincent made a painting for her! Double aw! AND he gave her relationship advice about the Doctor! Basically a chapter full of aw's huh? Sorry for the later update, but I had to do communications homework and then I got caught up in a book I was reading: Vampire Kisses by Ellen Schreiber. If you haven't read it, get it. Just to warn you, this will probably be the first of many book/song/TV shows/movie recommendations from me. :)
Notes on reviews. . .
SopherGopher'sAwesomeSister - Yes, darn that Krafayis! How dare he interrupt them! The polite thing to do would've been to wait a minute or two before attacking. . . :) And did you like the part where the Doctor pronounced 'Van Gogh' in the correct way? :) Good luck with your homework! Hopefully it wasn't as bad as the homework I had to do last night: writing down the title, artist, medium, date completed, and location today of twenty-four works of Renaissance art for A.P. European History. :(
ElysiumPhoenix - Lol, good to know I'm not hated! I know, so close! Lol, sorry about the blood vessel! :)
SopherGopherroxursox - *blushes like mad* Thank you! That really means so much! :)
ChessieKittie - Ooh, the mind boggles at that . . . hopefully Jack will have enough sense not to flirt with her TOO heavily! :) Don't worry, they'll get a kiss . . . eventually! :) I am planning on doing all of Season 6 and Season 7 and also the 50th Anniversary Special, but anything after that is up in the air. There are some ideas rattling around in my head regarding 11 and I want to wait and see what I think of the 12th Doctor before I go ahead with them. And since I am doing Season 7, Alex will meet Clara. I haven't got Season 7 written yet, but I will say that Alex and Clara will be good friends and Alex will be curious about her. :) Lol, that is something likely to happen with those two!
Gwilwillith - Yes, yes, I am cruel. Thanks! :)
Percabeth Jackson - Sorry, only one update a day! :( Glad you like the story so much that you want more though! :)
NunquamAlius - She does have a habit of doing that or interrupting them, doesn't she? Maybe the Doctor should invent that companion muzzle he was thinking about back in 'Amy's Choice'. . . :)
ShadowTeir - Oh God, I didn't even think of THAT! I just thought 'exquisite torture' sounded good, lol! But you never know. . . :) Yes, damn the aliens for interrupting them! I can't damn Amy, she's one of my favorite companions, but everything else we can damn! :)
JackSpicer2311 - Sorry, Marigold and Lacey are only going to appear in 'Death of the Doctor'. :( Ooh, that is a good idea. Sadly, since almost all of this story is already written, that won't be in here. I will have to save it for future reference though... :)
jesterlover - Yes, WHY?! Lol, I laughed so hard reading that! A prino. . . I think I just got an Alex line for the future! :D
TheGirlWhoWaited - Oh, don't worry about that. :) Glad you liked the chapters! And yes, I do love torture. . . :)
TheGirlBehindTheRayBands - When will the interruptions stop?! Lol, glad you love the story! Oh yes, Jack better watch what he says around the Doctor to Alex. And I will say that Jack flirting with Alex might not be the only thing that could potentially get him thrown into the sun. . . :) Yes, they do need a huge make-out session and guess what? They WILL have one! :D Can't say when though, but rejoice in the fact that it WILL happen! :D
Ahsilaa - Glad you like River's reaction to Alex. There are a lot of OC stories out there where they have this fun sisterly bond, and while I'm not opposed to it, I wanted to do something different with this story. :)
Timey-Wimey Somn-Like Lass - No one's dying! I promise! Unless you count the Krafayis, but he was going to die anyway. No, I could never kill Alex off. It would be too sad. Glad you're psyched for Jack! :) Hmm, good question. . . I never even thought of that. No, I don't think Craig is going to see that. The way I interpreted that scene was that the Doctor was only giving Craig enough information about him and Alex to let him know that he was an alien and that they were time-travelers and that they came to investigate the upstairs flat. But I might use that in a future story. . . :) Oh my gosh, it would! Definitely more teasing and flirting going on than there is already! Yes, I keep interrupting the Dalex moments. I'm so evil! :} And no, HE REMEMBERED! Kovarian better start running as fast as she can! Glad you liked the chapter and don't worry about telling me. I could already tell. :)
rycbar15 - Glad you liked the chapter! Yes, they can't stay away from each-other can they, no matter how hard they try. :)
