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

Alex woke the next morning to see her room now lit in early-morning sunlight. She blinked a few times to try and clear the crud from her eyes. Rolling over, she saw the Doctor lying next to her, fast asleep. His jacket was lying on the desk next to hers. His shirtsleeves were rolled up and his bowtie was askew. She smiled. He looked adorable.

Shifting away slightly so as not to wake him, Alex carefully got out of bed and tiptoed over to the mirror, nearly tripping on a bunch of rubbish that hadn't been there a few hours before. She studied her reflection. Her makeup was all smeared, her hair messy, and her clothes wrinkled. Still, she looked gorgeous.

Alex glanced at the clock. Seven fifteen. Way too early for anyone to be up, which meant that she got first dibs on the shower.

Alex tiptoed out of her room and gently closed the door behind her. The bathroom was the next door down. Stepping inside, she was pleased to see that Craig had his priorities straight. The bathroom was nice and clean and the little rose-shaped air freshener next to the toilet was working its little heart out. Alex pulled her shoes off and fished around in the medicine cabinet and then in the cabinet under the sink for some toiletries. She was again pleased to find that Craig had stocked up on shampoo, conditioner, body-wash, and even face cleaner.

Ten minutes later, Alex finished towel-drying her hair and reluctantly put yesterday's clothes back on, even the octopus earrings. She studied her reflection, happy to see that she had managed to scrub all her makeup off. She then glanced down at the wrinkles in her dress and sighed. She needed to go shopping.

Alex stepped out of the bathroom, surprised to see that her activities hadn't woken Craig, the Doctor, or their mysterious upstairs neighbor. She felt a stab of pain run through her head as she looked up the stairs. Ugh. Better add aspirin to the shopping list, she thought as she headed into the kitchen.

The paper sack with all that money was still lying on the counter. Alex rummaged through it and pulled out a small bundle of money. Craig wouldn't notice if some of it was missing. There was way more than four hundred pounds in there anyways.

Alex looked around, eventually spotting a pad and matching pen hanging on the side of the refrigerator. Yanking a piece off, she quickly scribbled a note out. Out shopping. Don't worry, Doc! I can take care of myself – Alex. For a split second, Alex started to write the word 'love' before her name, but caught herself in time.

Alex placed the note on the kitchen table under the salt and pepper shakers where it was sure to be seen. She quickly doubled back into the bedroom to grab her jacket before pocketing the money, grabbing the keys, and heading out.

It was a crisp spring morning and Alex shivered as she went down the street. She pulled the zipper up on her jacket but continued to shiver. Okay, get warm coat, she thought as she turned a corner.

Alex smiled to herself. She was the only one out at this early hour, but she could see and hear signs of others waking up. One house that she passed had its kitchen window open, allowing the scent of bacon to pour out into the street. A radio blared from a house obviously occupied by college students, if the numerous University of Essex stickers on the front door were any indication. A dog barked from a closed side yard and Alex heard the sound of someone pouring dog food out accompany it.

The business district was a bit busier. A few cars passed her by, one occupant whistling at her as they went past. Alex rolled her eyes. Good to know that some things never changed.

Alex continued on, passing a guy on a bicycle and a teenaged girl in a parka, her hair pulled up in a ponytail. She scrambled along past Alex as she attempted to corral the multiple dogs on leashes in front of her. Alex wanted to offer her some help, but she didn't know how to control dogs. She was more of a cat person.

Alex soon came along the coffee shop she and the Doctor had visited yesterday. She stepped inside and ordered a large coffee and a chocolate-chip scone. Before moving to England, Alex had never eaten a scone. Now she couldn't get enough of them.

Alex dug into her scone and sipped at her coffee as she continued along, looking for some of the clothing stores she had spotted yesterday. She passed a flower shop and a DVD rental place before finally happening on a small boutique. Hurriedly swallowing her scone and chugging down the rest of her coffee, Alex tossed her breakfast remains into a nearby trash-can and headed inside.

The inside of the store was bright, shockingly bright. Because of her head, Alex's first instinct was to cover her eyes, but then she realized . . . her head wasn't hurting anymore. She hadn't felt it ache since she left Craig's house. Fresh air must do some good, she thought, venturing further into the store.

Alex passed many glitzy clothes designed for the ultimate teenage fashionista before reaching the counter on one side of the store. Behind it was a young woman with red hair, blue streaks decorating it. A tiny diamond was pressed into the side of her nose, perfectly matching her bejeweled fishing net sweater. "Welcome to Madcap Ltd., the hottest teen boutique in England," she recited, flipping through a magazine as she spoke. Why people even bothered to work these kinds of jobs if they weren't happy with them, Alex didn't know.

"Thanks," Alex said, before turning to a rack filled with clothes that were cluttered with glitter and jewels.

The employee looked up. "Oh wow, you really don't belong here," she blurted.

Alex arched an eyebrow. "Excuse me?" she said, turning around, arms crossed, ready to give this idiot a piece of her mind.

Seeing Alex's growing anger, the employee hastened to back-track. "Not like that!" she cried. "I mean, most of the stuff in here is all . . . glittery and bejeweled up. You're so pretty! You don't need to be wearing stuff like that!"

Alex laughed. "Don't worry," she assured the employee. "That's not my style."

The employee shut her magazine and stepped out from behind the counter. "Can I help you with anything?" she asked.

"Yeah, I need some new clothes. A friend and I are staying here for a few days and our . . . luggage got lost at the airport."

The employee nodded sympathetically. "Damn. That happens. On the plus side though, I love that dress. Where'd you get it?"

From a bigger on the inside time machine, Alex thought, but she knew saying that would get her thrown out of the store. "A boutique back home," she evasively answered. "So. . ." she peered closer to see the name printed on the employee's tag, "Marcia, got anything in here not bedazzled within an inch of its life?"

Ten minutes later, Alex was armed to the teeth with a pile of clothes. Marcia pushed her into a dressing room. "Take your time!" she called. "I want to find something to go with your eyes. You wear contacts or something?"

Alex was about to reply in the negative but she heard Marcia walking away before she could. Shrugging, Alex took off her jacket and began tackling the pile of clothes. There was a lot of cute stuff. Alex happily pulled on a pair of dark wash skinny jeans and a simple white camisole. It was nice to get out of that '80s garb and into her normal clothes.

A few minutes later, Alex had amassed a nice pile of clothes, plenty for however long she and the Doctor were stuck here. She had fallen in love with a cream fishing net sweater and matching brown dress and stuck them in with her pile, even though it was way too cold to wear that right now. She was sure she'd find some time or place to wear it. Besides, she deserved a little shopping spree. God knows the Doctor wouldn't take her or Amy within spitting distance of a mall if he could help it.

Alex shrugged into a gray studded blazer and a pair of black kitten-heeled boots Marcia said were "totes fabulous". She ruffled her hair a little, making it look messy and tangled the way the Doctor liked. Smiling, she rummaged through her pink leather jacket. She was pretty sure she had stuck a lip-gloss in there. "Aha!" she cried as she pulled out a sparkly pink lip-gloss. She rubbed some on, glad that she didn't really need that much makeup to look pretty. Alex had often wondered why she looked so effortlessly pretty, but eventually put it down to good genetics and luck.

Alex stepped out of the dressing room with all the clothes she had amassed, thankfully a bit smaller than the pile Marcia had originally sent her in with. "I'll ring these up for you," Marcia said, seemingly appearing out of nowhere and grabbing the clothes.

"Thanks. By the way, do you have any coats? It's really cold."

"There's some over there." Marcia nodded to a back corner.

Alex nodded and quickly headed in the direction Marcia had indicated. Sure enough, there were plenty of spring coats that were guaranteed to provide more warmth than her leather jacket. Alex flipped through them, passing a black pea coat and a WWII style coat that she couldn't help but picture on the Doctor. It'd look really hot.

Alex shook her head. Stop it! She mentally scolded as she flipped to the very last coat. She stopped. Oh yes. This was the one. It was a brown trench coat with patterns of blue, yellow, pink, and green flowers on it. Alex grabbed it and tried it on. Fits like a glove, she thought, beaming.

"Wow, you look hot," Marcia complimented as Alex came up to the register.

"Thanks," Alex laughed.

Alex quickly paid for her stuff, bid Marcia good-bye, and headed out, her hands clutching several shopping bags. She glanced at a clock on the inside of a bookstore. It was eight thirty, still relatively early, but she was pretty sure the Doctor and Craig were up by now. Alex shrugged, remembering her note. She could spend a little more time on her own.

Noticing another store, Alex ducked in. She was pleasantly surprised to find that this store didn't carry the latest fashions for Disney Channel-star wannabes, but rather, the kind of clothes she wore. Placing her shopping bags on one arm, Alex immediately began flipping through a rack of dresses. Despite the fact that she really didn't need a dress while she was here, Alex couldn't resist. She loved dresses and there wasn't anything stopping her from trying some on.

Finding a few she liked, Alex quickly gathered them up and headed into the dressing room.

~Living the Life of Ally~

"Have you seen Alex?" the Doctor asked, coming out of his room. He hadn't seen her all morning and he was starting to get worried.

Craig looked over at Sophie and cocked an eyebrow. He'd told her all about the Doctor and Alex's relationship with each-other and now, she was going to see more evidence of it. "No, sorry."

The Doctor ran a hand through his hair. He knew Alex could take care of herself but with a possible alien upstairs, he really didn't want to take any chances. He liked when she was right by his side where he could keep an eye on her and protect her. "Her stuff's gone," he reported.

"Don't worry," Sophie said, though she had to admit, she liked that this Doctor bloke was really protective towards Alex. "She's probably just gone for a walk."

At that moment, Craig happened to glance at the table and noticed something wedged underneath the salt shaker. "Mystery solved," he announced, pulling the note out. "It's from Alex."

The Doctor took the note from him and quickly read it. Out shopping. Don't worry, Doc! I can take care of myself – Alex.

He groaned and pocketed the note. "She went out. I'm going to go see if I can find her." With that, the Doctor left.

It didn't take that long to figure out where Alex went. The business district was only a few streets away from Craig's house. He went down the street, passing several pedestrians and stores. He peered inside each store, hoping to spot that familiar golden, light brown hair but he didn't have any luck until about the eighth store.

It was a clothing store. Figures, he thought as he went inside. The interior was all pink and silver, clearly a store that advertised to teen girls. There was barely anyone inside the store at this early hour. In fact, the first person he saw was the cashier, a blonde woman in her early twenties with an eyebrow piercing. She glanced up from her Solitaire game as he approached.

"Welcome to Kelsey's, the coolest teen store in the British Isles," she recited, rolling her eyes as she did this. She pushed the sleeves up on her fuchsia top, exposing the stacks of silver rings on her fingers. She eyed him. Clearly, men didn't venture into this store too often.

The Doctor nodded at her, inwardly rolling his eyes. Shop-keepers. With the exception of Rose, they were all pretty annoying. He continued on to the back of the store, where he finally spotted Alex.

She was standing in front of a large mirror on one wall, studying her reflection. She was wearing a sleek dark green silk dress that showed off her long legs. She flipped her hair over one shoulder and turned to the side a little, trying to see how she looked from all angles.

The Doctor slowly approached her, careful not to get where she would see him in the mirror. Once he was as close as he could get, he let out a low wolf whistle. He laughed a little as Alex jumped and whirled around, probably ready to slap whoever did that. When she saw it was him though, she burst into a huge grin.

"Doctor!" she cried, rushing forward to throw her arms around him. Before he could reciprocate however, she pulled back to give him a teasing smile. "Couldn't last long without me?"

"Shut it, you," he playfully scolded. "I got worried. There is an alien running around you know."

"Yeah, at Craig's house," Alex reminded him.

"And you have a headache."

"Not anymore," Alex smiled. "It stopped shortly after I left."

The Doctor's eyes narrowed, thinking over her words. "Really?"

Alex nodded. "Yeah, why?"

The Doctor shook his head. "Nothing." He had a suspicion on why Alex might be having headaches, but he didn't want to say anything without some proof. "So, what are you doing?"

"Shopping," Alex smiled. "It's all well for you, wearing the same thing every day, but some of us like starting every day with something new."

"Oi!" the Doctor exclaimed, slightly offended by her comment.

Alex only giggled mischievously before turning back to the mirror. The Doctor watched her as she smoothed out some wrinkles in her dress. "You look good," he complimented. "Marvelous, even."

"Thanks," Alex said. "Not really practical though, for our circumstances, I mean."

"So why are you trying it on?"

Alex shrugged. "Just for the hell of it. Lacey and I used to do this all the time back in Bristol. Sometimes, we would go to Lexington and work up enough nerve to go into the bridal store to try on bridal gowns."

The Doctor gulped, imagining Alex in one of those dresses. There was no doubt in his mind that she would look gorgeous. He pictured her heading down the aisle in a church somewhere, her smile visible from under her veil, her fingers nervously but excitedly clutching at a bouquet of dark red roses. The lucky groom would lift her veil, seeing her smile and her shimmering eyes, knowing that she was prepared to marry him and spend the rest of her life with him. What I wouldn't give to do that, the Doctor thought. Suddenly, he started. Why the hell was he thinking about marrying Alex?! He shouldn't be thinking about stuff like that!

Luckily, his inner turmoil was interrupted by Alex. "I know, silly, right?" she asked. For a split second, the Doctor feared he had blurted his thoughts out loud, but then he realized she was referring to her confession about trying on the bridal gowns. "What can I say? We were sixteen and Lacey was obsessed with all those ridiculous wedding-planning shows."

The Doctor nodded, trying to focus on the girl in front of him and not the fantasies that would never happen in his mind. "Right, of course."

Alex stepped away from the mirror and over to the dressing room. "Hope you don't mind, but I do have one more dress I'd like to try on."

The Doctor sighed, but consoled himself with the knowledge that he'd see Alex in something equally gorgeous in just a few minutes. "Take your time," he said, waving his hand as he leaned against the wall.

A minute later, Alex came back out. The Doctor bit his lip to keep his jaw from dropping. This was definitely the prettiest outfit he'd seen on Alex, hands down.

It was a simple black and white dress. Black silky fabric fell over a white underskirt that reached down to just above her knees. Two black straps tied around her neck, leaving her shoulders and arms bare. Alex beamed as she twirled in front of the mirror. "Not bad, huh?" she called over her shoulder as she observed the Doctor's dumbstruck expression in the mirror.

Pushing off the wall, the Doctor went over to her. "You look incredible, Ally," he said honestly as he stood behind her.

"Thanks." Alex smoothed out the skirt and tucked some hair behind her ear. "I think this is probably my favorite one."

"Is it?"

Alex nodded. "Yep." She twirled around once more before suddenly sighing. "Too expensive and hardly practical for our situation though." With a quick twirl of her heel, she was heading off towards the dressing room. "Let me get changed and we'll go, okay?"

The Doctor nodded and watched as the dressing room door slammed shut. Ignoring the tantalizing impulse to try and watch the door for glimpses of Alex's body, the Doctor turned and paced up and down the racks of clothing. He felt an idea forming in his head and was trying to work out whether it was a good one or not. So far, the majority of his brain was leaning towards the 'good' part.

Alex came out a minute later, dressed in a white camisole, gray studded blazer, dark skinny jeans, and black kitten-heeled boots. A patterned trench coat had been thrown on as well and shopping bags dangled from one arm. "Wanna play pack-mule, Doc?" she asked cheekily as she approached him. He must have made some sort of disgusted expression for Alex laughed heartily. "Fine, fine," she dismissed, walking past. Suddenly, noticing he wasn't following her or pushing past to try and get out of the store, she turned back around. "Are you coming?"

"Yeah, I'll be with you in a sec," he promised. "Just go and wait outside."

Alex shrugged, wondering what he could possibly get up to in a clothing store, but decided not to ask. Maybe he thought it sold bowties or something and he wanted to check without the risk of getting ridiculed. "Okay," she said breezily before turning and heading out the door.

Once the door shut behind her and she was out of sight, the Doctor let out a sigh of relief. He quickly turned and headed into the dressing room Alex had used. As he expected, a bunch of dresses waiting to be hung back up were folded neatly on the tiny bench. Rummaging through them, he was able to find the one Alex had deemed her favorite.

What the bloody hell are you thinking?! The rational side of his mind spoke up, making him pause. Buying a dress for a little human girl! Isn't that beneath you? Then again, maybe this wasn't such a good idea.

This is ALEX we're talking about! Don't you think she deserves a little treat? The side of his mind that wouldn't hesitate in doing something for Alex piped up, making him reconsider the rational part. It was right. This was ALEX he was considering. Alex was perfect. He'd do anything for her.

Ignoring the neuron implosions in his head he was getting from these thought streams, he grabbed the dress tightly and headed towards the register. The clerk looked up at him as he approached, arching an eyebrow but otherwise taking the dress and ringing it up.

"Eighty-five fifty," she announced in a slightly nasal voice she probably hated.

The Doctor resisted the urge to roll his eyes as he grabbed the money he had snitched from the ATM a few minutes prior. Alex better appreciate this, he thought as he slapped the exact amount down on the counter.

The clerk seemed to take an agonizing amount of time in putting the dress into a Pepto-Bismol colored bag. "That your girlfriend?" she asked, referring to Alex.

The Doctor was about to say no, but realized it would appear mighty odd if he was buying this dress for a platonic female. "Yes," he answered, hoping his voice didn't squeak at the lie.

"How long have you been together?"

"Two years," he replied. That was technically true. From Alex's point of view, she had known him, or about him, for two years.

The clerk stuffed some tissue paper into the bag, something the Doctor thought extremely unnecessary. He had half a mind to snatch the bag and get the hell out of here before Alex returned and saw him. "This a birthday gift?" she asked, nodding to the bag.

What are you, INTERPOL? The Doctor thought snippily, but he bit his tongue to keep from spilling his thoughts. He could practically feel Alex slapping the back of his head if he said that. Instead, he replied, "Not exactly. I'm just . . . saving it for a special occasion." Her birthday would be a good time, he thought, then realizing he had no idea when Alex's birthday was.

Thankfully, the clerk finally finished arranging the tissue paper to her standards and the Doctor was able to exit the store. Once outside, he looked around for Alex, spying her at a newspaper box a distance away. She was leaning in close to the glass to study the headlines and didn't notice as he pulled the dress from the bag and pushed it into the recesses of his bigger-on-the-inside jacket pockets. He then stuffed the bag into a nearby trash-bin before walking casually over to her.

"Anything interesting?" he asked, nodding to the newspaper box.

Alex shook her head. "Parliamentary elections or something of the sort. I've long given up in trying to understand the English system of government."

The Doctor laughed and slung an arm around her shoulders. "Well, how are you at understanding football?"

Alex turned to stare at him in confusion. "I beg your pardon?"

~Living the Life of Ally~

"So, I'm going out," the Doctor told Amy as he adjusted the football jersey Craig had loaned him. A knock sounded at the door and opened a second later as Alex awaited permission to enter. Waving her in, he added, "If I hang about the house all the time, him upstairs might get suspicious and notice me."

"Football. Okay, well done," Amy complimented. "That is normal."

"Yeah, football," the Doctor repeated as Alex closed the door and sat down on the bed. "All outdoorsy." There was a pause and he then asked, "Now, football's the one with the sticks, isn't it?"

Alex and Amy both groaned. "Tell me Alex is there with you," Amy begged.

The Doctor looked at the girl in the mirror and nodded. "Yes, she's here."

"HELP HIM, ALEX!" Amy screeched through the earpiece, causing the Doctor to stagger back and hold a hand up to the device.

"Oi! What did I tell you about wrecking my earpiece, Pond?" the Doctor cried, glaring at no one as Alex snickered.

"That's cricket, Doc!" Alex cried. "Football, or what the Brits call football, is where you kick the ball around a field and aim to kick it in a net."

"Oh, is that football?" the Doctor asked. "I thought that was the game Americans call football."

"Again I say, help him, Alex!" Amy cried, thankfully not as loud this time.

The Doctor sighed and quickly told her good-bye before disconnecting. He turned to find Alex looking at him curiously. "Can you play sports?" she asked. "Did they even have sports on Gallifrey?"

"I can play," the Doctor shot back. "And, in answer to your second question, there were some but not a whole lot. Sports weren't as popular there as they are here on Earth. The school I went to was more . . . academically rigorous. They preferred you study instead of wasting your time on sports."

Alex nodded. It sounded like something she'd expect from Time Lord society. "So, what did you have? Quidditch?"

The Doctor laughed. "No, smarty. Let's see. . . There was a form of hacky-sack, but it was a bit more complex. There was also a form of baseball, but with two balls and more bases."

"Sounds interesting," Alex remarked. She could just imagine a younger Doctor playing these games, completely ignoring books and regular lessons in favor of more fun activities.

"It was something," the Doctor agreed. He was silent for a moment, evidently remembering his long-lost home. Alex knew that despite the fact he resented what the Time Lords became, he still missed his people and his home and was still wracked with guilt over what he had done to them, even though it was for a greater good. She felt the need to remind him again, but she knew her presence was enough.

"Right then!" the Doctor called, shaking them both out of their dreary thoughts. "Let's go and play football!"

~Living the Life of Ally~

"What are you actually called?" Craig asked as he, the Doctor, Alex, and Sophie walked down the road towards the park. The Doctor was in his football uniform and tweed jacket – which Alex had been unable to talk him out of wearing – and was playing with the ball a little. "What's your proper name?"

"Just call me the Doctor," he replied, eyes barely straying away from the ball.

"Yeah," Sophie agreed.

Alex felt a slight burn in her stomach. She had a sneaking suspicion that Sophie was only agreeing because she thought the Doctor was hot. At least Alex had been able to get the upper hand though. The second she and the Doctor had walked through the door of Craig's flat, Sophie's jaw had dropped and Alex had heard her mutter, "You told me she was gorgeous, not drop-dead gorgeous!" Still, Alex could see Craig's point. She made a mental note to ask the Doctor why he hadn't gone by the name John Smith like he had in Bristol.

"I can't go up to these guys and say, 'Hey, this is my new flat mate, he's called the Doctor'!" Craig protested.

"Why not?" the Doctor questioned.

Alex rolled her eyes. "It sounds weird!" she cried.

Craig smiled at her. "Thanks, Ally."

Alex's eyes narrowed and the Doctor shot Craig a you-really-shouldn't-have-done-that look. "Don't call me Ally," Alex warned, shooting him a glare that would cause babies to cry.

Craig staggered back in shock from the look in her eyes. It was like there was a storm in them, threatening to overtake the unlucky reciprocate. As Alex stormed off ahead, the Doctor sent him an apologetic look. "Sorry about that," he said before quickly jogging ahead. "Ally, wait up!"

Craig's jaw dropped and he looked over at Sophie. "You heard that, right?" he asked. "He did just call her Ally and she didn't snap at him?"

"I guess you were right," Sophie said. "They are a couple and just don't know it yet."

~Living the Life of Ally~

Alex hung back as Craig and the Doctor went over to the group in the center of the field. "So," Sophie said, coming up to her, "Craig tells me you met the Doctor at uni."

Alex nodded, remembering her and the Doctor's cover story. "Yep. Cambridge."

"So, do you still go there?"

"Oh, um, no," Alex admitted, feeling a wave of embarrassment go over her. She knew it wasn't her fault that colleges were reluctant to accept her, but it was still humiliating. "I never got in. Things didn't work out."

"Oh, that's a shame," Sophie frowned. "But at least you got the Doctor out of it."

Alex laughed. "Yes, I suppose you could say that."

"Not a bad trade though," Sophie commented. Alex watched as she eyed the Doctor appreciatively. "He is rather hot, isn't he?"

Alex resisted the urge to blurt out hell yes. If Sophie ever told the Doctor that, Alex would die. Instead, she shrugged and said, "I guess."

Sophie laughed. "Don't tell me you haven't noticed!"

Alex shrugged. "It doesn't really matter one way or another. He's not into relationships."

Sophie highly doubted this. She had seen the way the Doctor looked at and talked about Alex and she was positive the Doctor had feelings for the attractive-looking brunette. "He tell you that himself?"

"No," Alex admitted. She thought for a moment how to tell Sophie the Doctor's romantic history without somehow betraying the man. Though he'd never said anything directly, Alex got the feeling that she wasn't supposed to gossip about the Doctor's secrets with anyone, even Amy. "He's had some . . . bad relationships in the past and doesn't like to get close with anyone."

"That's a shame," Sophie declared. "I mean, I can understand that, but what if you meet a person you really like, but never take the plunge because you're too scared? You shouldn't have to worry about the what ifs and junk. You should just be able to go all in and go with the flow."

"That's good advice," Alex nodded. "Are you speaking from personal experience?"

"Me, no." But Sophie was a little too quick to answer that.

"Really?" Alex quizzed. "No . . . connection between you and Craig?"

"What?!" Sophie started laughing nervously, only proving to Alex that the girl was just as attracted to Craig as Craig was to her. "No! Don't be ridiculous! We. . . We're friends. That's all. He . . . he wouldn't ever be interested in me that way."

Whatever you say, Alex thought, but she kept her mouth shut. Knowing she wasn't going to get any more out of Sophie, she focused her attention back on the soccer field where a whistle was now being blown. She watched as the team separated and got into certain positions. Though she knew next to nothing about soccer, Alex knew that she'd be able to see if the Doctor was playing it wrong or not.

Please don't do anything stupid, she silently prayed.

With that, the match began. Alex kept her eyes tightly fixed on the Doctor as he began playing. Much to her shock, he was quite nimble, effortlessly dodging players as he kicked the ball. "That's not bad," Sophie revealed, much more well-versed at soccer than Alex was. "Yes! Go!"

Alex watched, totally transfixed, as the Doctor played circles around everyone else. She was so caught up in him that she didn't even notice Craig's growing looks of frustration and agitation as the Doctor undermined his every chance to get the ball and score. She then watched as the Doctor made a goal.

Alex's jaw dropped. Sophie looked over and laughed. "I take it you've never seen him play before?"

"That would be correct," Alex breathed before suddenly jumping up and down, reminding Sophie of a kangaroo on a caffeine high, as the Doctor made another goal. "Whoo! Way to go! Whoo!"

A little while later, the game was done. Craig's team had won with flying colors, thanks in part to the Doctor. Alex, who was immensely shocked and thrilled by what she had seen, ran forward and practically threw herself into the Doctor's arms, causing him to stumble back a little.

"That was incredible!" she squealed as he regained his balance. "I had no idea you could play like that!"

"Neither did I," Craig muttered, but no one seemed to hear him.

"Where the hell did you learn to play soccer like that?" Alex continued, bouncing excitedly.

"Guess you haven't seen all my moves, Ally," the Doctor commented, aware he was now entering high-level flirting mode with her.

Alex smirked at him and raised an eyebrow challengingly. "Guess you'll have to show me all of them," she shot back, not even noticing everyone around them was watching them with the kind of devotion usually reserved for soap-opera love scenes.

"Get a room," someone next to Sophie muttered.

She elbowed them harshly. "Shut it," she hissed. "It's sweet!"

"She his girlfriend?" a guy next to Craig asked.

Craig was about to answer in the negative but quickly reconsidered it. He'd seen how possessive the Doctor was of Alex. He could just imagine his reaction if one of these guys went up and tried to hit on her. "Uh . . . yeah," he responded, before reaching for a beer can and opening it. Unfortunately, it sprayed him. And then it did it again. And again. And again.

The Doctor and Alex watched as the scene repeated before them. Grabbing her hand, the Doctor and Alex ran to the other side of the field where they could observe the repeating scene. The Doctor tapped his earpiece. "Amy?"

"It's happening again!" Amy reported. "Worse!"

"What does the scanner say?"

"A lot of nines," Amy answered. "Is it good that they're nines? Tell me it's good that they're all nines!"

Alex looked at the Doctor and noticed that he looked a little panicked. Apparently, it was not a good thing. "Yes, yes, it's good," he lied. "Zigzag plotter. Zigzag plotter, Amy!" There was a pause as Amy did this and then a loud BANG, followed by Amy screaming.

"Amy?" Alex called into the earpiece, standing up on tiptoe so she could speak into the device. "Amy, are you there?"

"Amy?" the Doctor echoed.

"Yes," Amy replied after a moment, her breath ragged. "Hello!"

The Doctor sighed in relief. "Oh, thank heavens," he exclaimed, putting one hand to a rapidly beating heart. "I thought for a moment the TARDIS had been flung off into the vortex with you inside it, lost forever."

Alex's eyes widened. "You mean that can happen?!" she cried. And here she was, thinking about clothes and soccer when Amy's life was in danger!

"You have GOT to get me out of here!" Amy screeched.

The Doctor nodded, knowing he was going to try and do just that with everything to his ability. "How are the numbers?" he asked.

A pause and then, "All fives."

The Doctor looked over at the football group again, noticing that the time loop had stopped. Good thing, too. The whole Craig-gets-sprayed-by-a-can-of-beer was getting old. "Fives? Even better."

"But the effect's still really strong, isn't it?" Alex asked, having thought this as the Doctor and Amy talked.

"Yes," the Doctor confirmed. "But don't worry. Hang on, okay? I've got some rewiring to do."

"Hang on," Amy repeated before the Doctor disconnected.

"What do you mean, rewiring?" Alex questioned the second he hung up. "Does it have to do with all that junk you brought back last night?"

"It's not junk," the Doctor corrected her, rolling his eyes. "It's parts for an advanced scientific detector that won't even be attempted to be built until the 27th century!"

Alex looked at him flatly. "So, junk, right?"

"You have very little faith in me, Alex."

Alex let out a loud, dramatic sigh. "It's hard, but someone's gotta be the logical one in this operation, Doc."

"I am logical!" the Doctor argued.

Alex patted his shoulder and smiled at him innocently. "We'll see, Doc. We'll see."

~Living the Life of Ally~

Alex clutched a pillow over her head, desperate to block out the sun and any and all noises coming from the Doctor. Despite the fact that her headache had vanished when she left Craig's this morning, it had come back in strong force the second she and the Doctor passed the staircase as they returned from the game.

Strangely, Alex didn't think the sun or any loud noises were contributing to or irritating her headache. But what else could it be? Headaches didn't just spontaneously form, did they?

The Doctor looked up from his tinkering to study Alex. He was getting really worried about her. Her headache had come back stronger than ever the second they walked through their bedroom door and for the past few hours, Alex had done nothing but lay in bed, trying to block out anything that could make her headache worse.

The Doctor had even surreptitiously scanned her with his sonic but couldn't find anything alarming or different. As far as he knew, Alex was having incredibly strong headaches for no apparent reason. He had tried giving her aspirin, but it hadn't seemed to work. All he could do was keep the blinds closed, keep the covers up over Alex, and try to work as quietly as possible without disturbing her.

Just as the Doctor was about to attach a traffic cone to his work, there came a knock at the door. Alex winced and burrowed even more under the covers. The Doctor hurriedly went over to the door, opening it to see an anxious-looking Craig. "Hello, flatmate," the Doctor greeted.

"Hey, man. Er . . . listen. Er, Sophie's coming round tonight and I was wondering if you could give us some space?"

"Oh, don't mind us," the Doctor assured him. "You won't even know we're here." Right then, a bang sounded from upstairs. The Doctor and Craig glanced up, the Doctor muttering, "That's the idea."

"Tell them to shut the hell up," Alex growled, her voice slightly muffled from her position under the covers and pillow.

Craig craned his head a little to look into the room. He'd thought Alex looked like she was in pain when they got home. "Is she alright?" he asked.

"Headache," the Doctor answered, but Craig could hear the worry in his voice. "She'll be fine."

"Maybe you should call a doctor," Craig suggested.

The Doctor nodded, but he had the feeling Alex's headaches weren't being caused by some common Earth occurrence. "Yes, maybe I will," he agreed. "Well, have fun!"

"If I don't see her, tell Sophie I said hi," Alex mumbled, her position not changing in the slightest.

The Doctor shut the door and went over to her. He knelt down next to the bed and gently brushed the hair away from the back of her neck. He felt sweat gathering at the base of it and he mentally swore at whatever was causing his Ally to feel this way. "Is there anything I can do?" he asked.

Alex removed the pillow to look at him. Her eyes were a delicate light green and looked like they could shatter from the force of her headache. "No," she answered, smiling slightly. "But thanks for the thought."

"No problem. But let me know if you need anything, okay?"

"I will, I promise. Now, get back to your detector-thing or whatever it is."

The Doctor playfully rolled his eyes. "And you get back to your daily ritual of sleeping for fourteen hours," he instructed. "You need rest."

Alex nodded and lowered her head down onto the pillow. Her eyes closed as the Doctor began running his fingers through her hair. Within a few minutes, she was fast asleep. The Doctor leaned down and pressed a light kiss to her forehead, scared of waking her up and subjecting her to more pain.

He leaned back, stood, and sighed. He needed to get a move on that detector. The sooner he got it working, the sooner he could solve these time-loop problems, and the sooner he could take Alex away from here and not have to see her subjected to this much pain again.

~Living the Life of Ally~

Alex awoke an hour later thanks to a bunch of banging and crashing upstairs. She had half a mind to get a broomstick and use it to bang on the ceiling, like the old guy did on that one episode of Friends.

Her head wasn't aching as bad, but Alex could barely stand it anymore. She'd been lying in here for a good five hours. She was bored and needed some form of entertainment. She glanced over at the Doctor, who also looked rather bored. Maybe he was done with his detector thing.

Feeling a pair of eyes on him, the Doctor looked up to see Alex, wide awake. "Hey," he smiled at her. "How're you feeling?"

Alex shrugged as if to say it was half-and-half. "It's lessened up a little," she said as she pushed the covers away and stood up. "I need to get out of here though. I haven't left this room in hours."

"Where are you going?"

"Probably for a walk," Alex figured, grabbing her coat. She put it on, tightening the belt around her waist. "Don't worry, I'll be fine."

Bidding goodbye to the Doctor, Alex headed out. She slipped past the living room where Craig and a newly arrived Sophie were conversing and out the door. As she went down the steps and down the sidewalk, Alex felt the intensity of her headache decreasing dramatically until it was totally gone.

It can't have something to do with the house, can it? Alex looked back over at the house and felt a slight twinge in the back of her mind. She squinted. Was there a perception filter on the house? And if there was, shouldn't she have seen right through it by now?

Alex turned away as the twinging grew sharper and continued on down the sidewalk. She'd ask the Doctor about it later. Right now, she wanted to clear her head – somewhat literally.

Alex walked a little further along the street before stopping at a house just a few doors down from Craig's. She recalled Craig telling her about it. Apparently, the owner was planning to move but just vanished one day, presumably to wherever he was going, leaving all of his stuff behind in the house. Some neighborhood kids said that a ghost got him, but that didn't stop them from playing basketball in the driveway. It was, after all, the only house in a five-mile radius that had a basketball hoop.

Alex stepped up onto the drive. The basketball hoop was made of concrete and a ragged net hung from the rim. A bright orange basketball had been stuck into an old flowerpot on the porch. Alex quickly retrieved it and returned to the drive. She then started dribbling.

If Alex lacked at soccer, she made up for it in basketball. Basketball was practically another religion in Kentucky. Two NCAA winning teams only boosted that. Alex had grown up watching the UK Wildcats battle it out with teams such as Louisville, Duke, Tennessee, and more. Ross had taught her how to play during one glorious summer in his driveway, teaching her everything from how to make the perfect basket to the difference between fouls and interferences.

Needless to say, basketball was in Alex's blood.

Alex went over to the hoop and dribbled a little, taking her time before she decided to shoot. Ross had always told her not to take risky shots, thoroughly demonstrating this with several hilarious attempts at three-pointers. Once she was thoroughly acquainted with the ball, Alex raised it, positioned it the way Ross had taught her, aimed, and threw. It went in with a perfect swish.

"Good job, Ally," a voice behind her complimented. "Aim's a bit off though."

Alex whirled around to see the Doctor smirking at her. "My aim was not off!" she said hotly, not even bothering to ask what he was doing here. She already knew. He got worried about her and followed her.

"It was just a bit."

"Ross taught me how to aim! I did everything he said!"

Oh, ROSS taught you, the Doctor thought, inwardly sneering. He still had occasional bouts of hatred whenever Alex mentioned him. The Doctor could practically hear Ross calling Alex 'Beauty' over and over again in his ear. But, knowing he couldn't say any of this to Alex without getting slapped, he said, "Guess he taught you wrong."

Alex crossed her arms challengingly and went over to him. "Really?"

The Doctor smiled cockily at her, enjoying riling her up. "Yep."

"And just how did you come to know this?"

"Ally, I'm 907," he reminded her. "I've been around long enough to pick up a few skills."

"Including soccer?" Alex smiled.

"Football, Ally."

Alex rolled her eyes, knowing better than to argue. "Okay, football, then?"

The Doctor shrugged. "Lucky fluke. I am a Time Lord, Ally."

"And being a Time Lord automatically qualifies you to be perfect at everything?"

"Basically, yes."

"You're so full of it!" Alex chortled. She went over and grabbed the basketball. As she went back over to him, she surprised him by tossing it at him. As he caught it, she said, "Care to put your money where your mouth is?"

He smirked at her. "Thought you'd never ask, Ally."

Alex stepped back a little as he began to dribble the ball. So far, so good. She watched as he approached the hoop, stood, readied the ball, aimed, and shot. It went in perfectly.

"Lucky shot," Alex yawned, not quite ready to admit that he was superior to her.

"Perhaps," the Doctor conceded. He grabbed the ball as it bounced and tossed it over to her. "But how about we make things interesting?"

I like where this is going. Alex waved for him to go on.

"Care to play one-on-one, Alexandria?"

"Alex is just fine, Doc." Alex quickly passed him the ball. "And I would love to. Let's see how an old dinosaur of a Time Lord fairs against the young, much quicker human."

"That hurts, Ally," the Doctor remarked, placing a hand over one of his hearts to feign injury.

Alex shrugged. "All's fair in basketball."

The Doctor considered her retort for a moment before shrugging. "Very well. Street ball or regular?"

Frankly, Alex was surprised he knew the difference between the two, but she tried hard not to show it. Thinking the options over, she decided a regular game would be too structured. She really wanted to see what the Doctor could do and the rules of a regular game would just hold him back. "Street ball," she decided as the ball was passed back to her.

With that, the game began.

Alex immediately began moving, part of her mind cursing her small heels, the other part concentrating solely on beating the Doctor at something. She dove around him, the dribbling of the ball keeping in time with the beat of her heart. Once she was in front of him, she raised the ball and squared back, preparing to shoot. She threw the ball, watching triumphantly as it sailed through the air towards the basket. . .

. . .until the Doctor swatted it away.

Alex's jaw dropped. "Interference!" she accused.

"Street ball!" he reminded her, grabbing the ball. "Unless . . . you've had enough?"

Alex narrowed her eyes at him. "Hardly."

She sprinted towards him, prepared to snatch the ball back, but he dodged her. He ran around her, making several illegal moves before tossing the ball upwards and into the basket.

Alex shook her head. "Okay, you realize you just fouled out in less than ten seconds?"

"Need I remind you that this is street ball, Ally?" the Doctor asked. "Anything goes."

"Oh," Alex nodded, pretending as though she had suddenly realized this. She then casually began walking towards him, still nodding along as though he had just invented a car that ran on bubble-gum and was explaining how to her. Soon, she was right up next to him.

The Doctor, not seeing what she was planning, began ducking around her, dribbling the ball. Alex quickly followed him. "Well, in that case. . ." She trailed off as she got beneath him and elbowed him in the gut. The Doctor grunted and released the ball, allowing Alex the chance to steal it, dribble over to the goal, and shoot.

"That was wrong on so many levels, Ally," the Doctor groaned as he straightened back up.

Alex just smiled sweetly at him. "Street ball, Doc."

"Why did you choose street ball anyways?"

"I wanted to see more of those moves of yours." Alex tossed him the ball. "Now show me some more."

~Living the Life of Ally~

Sophie and Craig were saying good-bye. Just a few houses down from them, they could hear a bunch of laughter and high-pitched protests. "What is going on?" Sophie wondered, turning her head.

The Doctor and Alex were playing basketball in the vacant driveway, or some street version of it. At the moment, Alex was running past the Doctor, dribbling the ball as though her life depended on it. She was just about to raise her arms to shoot when the Doctor came up from behind her and wrapped his arms around her waist. He picked her up, causing Alex to drop the ball and begin laughing and kicking wildly.

"Put me down!" she cackled as she unsuccessfully tried to pull away from his grasp.

The Doctor ignored her, instead twirling her around. "You were the one who wanted to play street ball!" he reminded her.

"I'm pretty sure this isn't allowed in street basketball!" Alex protested before giving up and leaning her head back into the crook of his neck.

"That's so sweet," Sophie sighed. She truly was envious of the Doctor and Alex's connection. They just seemed to go so well together . . . almost as though they had been made for each-other.

Craig nodded in silent agreement. "So, are you going off then?" he abruptly asked. Despite the scene before them, his, Sophie's, and the Doctor's conversation from a little earlier was still at the epicenter of his mind. "Seeing the world?"

Sophie turned away from the basketball game to face him. "What, do you think I should?"

"Yeah," Craig said slowly. He really didn't want Sophie to leave, but it was her dream to help animals. Who was he to stand in the way of her dreams? "Like the Doctor says, what's . . . what's keeping you here?"

Sophie nodded slowly. "Yeah, exactly. What." There was a pause and then an abrupt, "Bye."

"See you." He and Sophie hugged each-other, both of them wondering whether they would be able to do this anymore in the future and, if so, for how long. "See you in a bit."

"Yeah," Sophie agreed before pulling back and heading down the street.

At the same time, the Doctor and Alex had decided to call it a night. Alex quickly put the basketball back in its original place before running over and joining the Doctor on the sidewalk. The Doctor wrapped an arm around her waist, pulling her close. "So, how are my moves, Ally?" he asked.

Alex pretended to give the matter some serious thought. "Well, you certainly have a unique way of playing street ball."

"I'll take that as a compliment."

Alex laughed and they continued down the sidewalk. Just as they were coming up on Craig's house, they came across a just-leaving Sophie. "Hi, Sophie," Alex greeted. "You and Craig have a good time?"

"Well, it wasn't just me and Craig," Sophie admitted. "The Doctor joined us as well."

Alex turned to give the Doctor an oh, really look. Though she had been in considerable pain at the time, Alex had still been able to deduce from Craig's words that he had wanted alone time with Sophie, alone time meaning just him and Sophie, not him, Sophie, and their resident Time Lord.

The Doctor looked at her confusedly while Sophie continued on, not noticing the expressions on either one of them. "Oh, and thank you, Doctor, for that lovely advice. I think I will actually pursue it."

"What advice?" Alex asked.

"Oh, just that I really should try and follow my aspirations of taking care of animals. I mean, I don't want to work at a call center forever, so maybe I really should try something I love."

Alex nodded. The whole argument made sense, but she couldn't help but wonder how Craig reacted to all of this. Probably not well, she thought, based on how Craig seemed to treat Sophie. Despite both their arguments, she was sure that they were in love with each-other.

It really is a waste not to speak your mind because you're afraid of getting hurt, Alex reflected, remembering both Sophie and Vincent's words. Of course, Vincent's words had been meant for Alex and the Doctor specifically. Alex inwardly winced. Okay, no longer thinking about that!

The two said goodbye to Sophie and continued on towards Craig's house. Just as they got to the porch, Alex's headache cropped back up. She winced and rubbed her head. Maybe she needed to eat something.

~Living the Life of Ally~

A little while later, Alex sat cross-legged in a corner of the room, snacking on some Club crackers she had found in the pantry. The Doctor's gizmo was huge now, so huge that it had taken up residence on the bed. The Doctor had taken the mattress off and placed the gadgetry on the box-springs. As Alex mulled over where, exactly, she was supposed to sleep tonight, the Doctor talked to Amy excitedly.

"Right!" he cried happily. "Shield's up! Let's scan!"

As he sent the gizmo spinning wildly, Amy asked, "What are you getting?"

The Doctor looked at the gadget. "Upstairs. . . No traces of high technology? Totally normal? No, no, no, no, no, it can't be. It's too normal!"

"Only for you could too normal be a problem," Amy huffed. "You said I could be lost forever. Just go upstairs!"

"Without knowing and get myself killed?" the Doctor questioned before shaking his head. He began moving some things on the gizmo around. "Then you really are lost. If I could just get a hold in there. . . Hold on." He looked over at Alex, who was clutching her head in pain. Remembering his suspicions, he hurriedly ordered, "Use the data bank. Get me the plans of this building. I want to know its history, the layout, everything. Meanwhile, I shall recruit a spy."

Alex looked up at this. A spy? What the heck did that mean? Was he going to bribe someone off the street to sneak in and see what was up?

The Doctor disconnected and continued to work on the gizmo some more. Alex set the box of crackers down. Her head still ached, but she was sure that the food had made some improvement. She stood and wandered over to poke at the mattress with the toe of her shoe. "So, when are we going to have a bed back?"

The Doctor sighed. Oh, right, Alex. As a Time Lord, he didn't need that much sleep, but Alex did. "Oh, right, um . . . here." He grabbed the duvet that had been on the bed and a pillow, arranging them on the mattress in a slightly haphazard fashion.

Alex sighed and plopped down on the mattress. Despite the fact that she was actually sleeping on something other than the floor, she still wasn't really content. Still, she had to give the Doctor props for trying.

He knelt down next to her, kissing her hairline lightly. "I'm sorry, Ally. Don't worry, I'll make it up to you somehow."

"It's okay, Doc," Alex insisted. The Doctor had already sacrificed a lot for her. She could tolerate sleeping on a mattress on the floor for one night. "I'm fine, really."

A/N: The FLUFF! It's so much but at the same time, not that much at all! Wasn't the part where the Doctor and Alex played basketball cute? I live in Kentucky and I can honestly say, basketball is another religion here. It's also a house divided, with two rival teams and all. :) And did anyone 'aw' at the part where the Doctor bought the dress Alex liked? I can say that that dress will be making a reappearance in this story. :) Also, a reminder that we're going to be starting the 'Apollo 23' adventure on Thursday! I'm so excited! :D

Some notes on reviews. . .

SopherGopherroxursox - Lol, I love the medication bit too! That excuse will be making another reappearance in this story and it will continue to annoy the Doctor! :) Yes, poor Alex...wish I was in her place so I could spare her some *pain*. :) Yeah, I don't know other Whovians either, other than my dad. There are a couple at my school, but I don't hang out with them and they don't know I like it. I'm kind of a loner. :)

Guest - Yes, as seen in this chapter, the sport Amy was describing was what we Americans refer to as soccer but the British, for some reason, call football. The British have weird, but cool, slang. Glad you liked the chapter and sorry for leaving you hanging! I tend to do that! :)

Guest - I like Craig too! Hmm, I don't really like 'Closing Time'. Not sure why, just don't. Glad you liked that part! Yeah, you would think it would cross their minds that Alex might need to get some new clothes a little sooner, but they were focused on finding a place to stay and trying to get Amy back. Besides, her 80s clothes don't seem that much of a stretch from what people today wear, to me at least. :) Lol, yeah, the Doctor can't pass for normal, can he? :)

jesterlover - They have to share! Yes! And yes, long live prinos and fluff! :D

Gwilwillith - Glad you liked the chapter! And yes, things could get interesting. . . :)

ElysiumPhoenix - Aww, I'm sorry you're ill. Hope you get better soon! :)

TheUltimateGuest - Yes, more fluff! :)

TheGirlWhoWaited - Hmm, good point. Both are there, in the same room, trying to figure out what's upstairs. . . As one River Song said 'The mind races!' Glad you liked the chapter! :)

Jackspicer2311 - Alex will see him get shot, don't worry. And I will say that her reactions to it are very, very emotional. . . }:)

Timey-Wimey Somn-Like Lass - Really? Wow, I didn't realize that. Lol, good thing the Southern Charm is there, right? :) Yep, Alex won't be in 'The Snowmen'. Good guess. She could be visiting Marigold and Lacey. We'll have to wait and find out. :) Yes, why wouldn't River be jealous of Alex? Alex is awesome! There is a little more too it, but I think it'll be fairly obvious when we start Season 6. Yes, Alex might be flying the TARDIS in the future! It wouldn't be that hard, since the TARDIS likes her. :) Hmm, I was thinking Idris would call Alex 'Ally', since that's what the Doctor calls her, but you never know. It could change. :)