A/N: Alex's outfit for this chapter can be found on my Tumblr, under the name 'darksideofparis'.
On the morning of her birthday, Alex sleepily rolled around in bed. She knew she had been asleep for longer than she usually slept, probably close to ten hours. That was okay though. It was her birthday, and she was allowed to do it. Besides, the Doctor had never shown much desire to wake her up if she slept late.
She stared up at the ceiling, not quite wanting to get up. She had a lot to think about.
First off, she was twenty-one years old. That was interesting. She was a whole year older. So far, she didn't feel any different. She was still the same southern girl with a smart mouth and brilliant mind that she had been since, oh, probably twelve. The only main difference now was that she could legally drink in the United States, putting an end to her illegal drinking and purchasing of alcohol in all fifty states.
Also, it was her birthday. Alex shifted slightly at this thought. She knew many people got excited over their birthdays. Lacey kept countdowns on the bulletin board in her room, the decreasing days cheerfully written in glittery pink ink. Emmy always celebrated her birthday by buying one expensive thing on that special day; once it was a pair of leather pants, another time a huge emerald ring that she had to keep hidden from her parents since it cost so much.
Alex, in contrast, had never been that excited about her birthday, at least not during her Bristol years. She had vague recollections of outlandish birthday parties in New York, one of them a Disney Princess themed one with a huge Cinderella cake and a visit to Broadway to see Beauty and the Beast.
But Carla had never really cared about her granddaughter, something Alex had quickly learned. The open disdain for her granddaughter continued on Alex's birthdays. When she was younger, Carla had sent her out into the yard, the door locked to keep Alex from bugging her. When Alex turned ten, she learned to keep her mouth shut and simply spent the whole day in her room, sulking and reading her favorite books over and over to keep her company.
During this time, Alex's friends had been far too young to do anything more than give her Barbie dolls or a whole Hershey bar at school, which Alex hid in her backpack from Carla until the woman had fallen asleep on the settee in the living room, leaving the elementary-school kid to thoroughly enjoy her 'birthday party'. But in high-school, things changed.
Starting at fifteen, huge parties would be thrown at Blondie's, always lasting way into the night, regardless of whether Alex's birthday fell on a weekend or a weekday. You could always guarantee the group to be absent from school the next day if the party was on a weekday.
The parties were extremely fun. There was always Alex's favorite cake served (marble with vanilla icing), Alex's favorite songs being played as loud as possible on the jukebox (mainly country with a few bubblegum pop hits thrown in) and presents. There were clothes and books and jewelry from the girls, and gift-cards from the guys. Ross would even present her with roses, the number varying depending on what age she turned.
Even when the parties became a regular thing, Alex was always amazed that her friends bothered to care about her. She knew they really did care about her, but it never failed to surprise her when Lacey turned up in the driveway, a conspiratorial look on her face as she said, "Come on, Alexandria. Your party awaits!" Alex had grown used to those bitter birthdays spent playing in the dirt while Carla did God-knows-what inside. It had been all she knew.
In Leadworth, Alex didn't really think the parties would continue. That disappointment from those early years in Bristol came back and she simply accepted it. She hadn't told Amy and Rory when it was until Amy confronted her after receiving a call from Emmy wishing Alex happy birthday. She had been surprised when the two presented her with a cake (not marble with vanilla, but it was still good) and a present (a teal sweater with black lace around the collar, which she really needed to wear again since it was gorgeous) mostly because she expected them not to care. After all, they hadn't known her for that long.
Alex sighed. Of course, that was completely untrue. She should have realized that. Now, it was her birthday, her twenty-first, and waiting outside her door was some kind of surprise for her. In a few minutes, she'd force herself out of her comfortable bed to see it.
As Alex was thinking all of this, the Doctor, Amy, and Rory were gathered in the control room.
Amy checked her watch and rolled her eyes. "Honestly! How long can she sleep? We've been up for two hours already!"
"She sleeps a long time," the Doctor told them as he piloted the TARDIS.
Amy sighed. "Well, I'll get her in a minute. But first. . ." She gave the Doctor a critical expression. "What did you get Alex?"
The Doctor glanced up. "What do you mean? You already know where I'm taking her!"
"That's a place, Doctor," Rory said. "Not a present."
"You'd better be giving her something nice," Amy threatened, her eyes slightly narrowed.
The Doctor sighed. He knew they weren't going to relent until he told them. "In answer to your questions, I am getting Alex something. It's not quite ready yet, but it will be soon."
"What is it?" Amy asked.
The Doctor only gave her an infuriating smirk. "You'll see, Pond. You'll see." He turned back to the console, flipping a lever. A second later, the TARDIS landed with a thump. "Now, go and get Alex."
Amy nodded and eagerly ran down the hall to Alex's room. "Alex!" she cried out as she banged on the door. "Wake up and get out here!"
Inside, Alex bolted upright at Amy's pounding and yelling. She had almost dozed off again. Almost reluctantly, Alex pulled herself away from the comfortable duvet and sheets and flicked the light-switch on, before padding off to the bathroom to get ready.
Approximately twelve minutes later, Alex finished applying her lip-gloss and pulled open the small jewelry drawer in her vanity. She was about to grab a pair of hoop earrings when she noticed a slim blue velvet box that hadn't been there yesterday. Curious, she pulled it out and opened it.
Inside was a pair of beautiful earrings. They were round with large green peridots, Alex's birthstone, in them. They were surrounded by tiny diamonds in a silver setting. The wall beside Alex hummed delightedly.
Alex glanced over at it. "Is this from you?" she asked. There was another delightful hum. Grinning, Alex patted the wall. "Thank you. They're beautiful." This was a surprise. Alex hadn't expected the TARDIS to get her anything. But then again, who expected a sentient time machine to give birthday presents anyway?
Alex put the earrings in and headed out of the room, pausing only to check her appearance in the mirror. She was wearing a white shirt, jeans, and white Converse. It was casual but cute, and as usual, she looked gorgeous.
Alex wasn't surprised by what she saw in the console room as she walked in. Pink and silver balloons had been tied to one railing, matching streamers underneath. On the seat beside it was a package wrapped in TARDIS blue and silver wrapping paper.
"Happy birthday!" an excited Scottish voice cried out. A split second later, Alex found herself being picked up and being whirled around in Rory's arms.
"Put me down!" Alex cackled. She kicked a little, laughing hysterically as Rory put her down.
"You're twenty-one," he smirked. "Wow, you're old."
Alex stuck her tongue out at him. "Gee, thanks."
She turned away from the excited Ponds to find herself face-to-face with the Doctor. He was casually leaning against the console, observing all the giddiness that comes with a birthday with polite interest. "Happy birthday, Ally," he smiled.
Alex smiled back at him. "Thanks, Doc."
"Here you go, Alex," Amy said, handing her the blue and silver wrapped present. "Hope you like it, because we can't return it. So, you better like it."
Alex laughed and quickly ripped the paper open. She had never been one for gently easing the paper open to try and save it, like Bree notoriously did. The paper was concealing a small white box which Alex ripped open with equal intensity. She smiled broadly as she lifted a brown leather-bound journal out. A red rose had been stamped into the cover and a small chain attached to the spine held a brown pen with red roses on it.
"It's gorgeous," Alex told them. "Thank you." She set the journal down on a nearby chair and studied the balloons and streamers some more. She went over and fingered one of the tied-up balloons. "You shouldn't have gone to such a fuss," she told them, since that was what you were supposed to say.
"It's your birthday, Alex," Rory said. "We're supposed to do that."
Alex laughed. "Okay, okay. Any other surprises I should know about?"
"Well, the Doctor does have something planned. . ." Amy revealed, before turning to the Doctor.
"Exactly!" the Doctor confirmed, racing around the console. As the companions held on to various parts of the control room, the Doctor ran around piloting, talking enthusiastically all the while. "Alexandria Nicole Locke, wait until you see what I have planned for you!"
The TARDIS came to a stop a few moments later. Alex released the railing eagerly and raced over to the Doctor. "Where are we?" she asked, her eyes glittering in excitement.
The Doctor smiled mysteriously at her. It looked incredibly sexy. "Go take a look." He nodded down at the main doors.
Alex looked at him for a moment, half-expecting a trick, before bolting down the stairs to the doors. She didn't even pause once she reached the doors, instead flinging one open and stepping out.
Alex's eyes widened as she stepped out onto a cobblestoned street. Around her, buildings that had once been old cotton warehouses stretched up to the mid-afternoon sky. On the other side of the cobblestoned street was the Savannah River, several cargo ships going up and down the pale blue waters. People went past her, either not noticing or ignoring the newly arrived blue police box.
An arm slung around her shoulders and Alex looked over to see the Doctor's grinning face. "Alex Locke, welcome to River Street in beautiful Savannah, Georgia!"
"Savannah?" Alex repeated incredulously. "As in the real Savannah, Georgia?!"
"How many Savannah, Georgia's do you know?" Amy asked, her and Rory stepping up behind Alex.
Alex could only laugh in response as she turned back to the Doctor. The Doctor smiled broadly, delighting in her thrilled expression. "Happy birthday, Ally."
Alex squealed and jumped up and down a little. "Thank you, thank you, thank you!" she cried, jumping up and hugging the Doctor.
The Doctor laughed. He knew she'd be ecstatic. "You're welcome, Ally."
Alex giggled and pulled back. "How long are we here?"
"Oh, a day or two," the Doctor replied, grasping her hand as he began to walk down the street. "Plenty of time to take in the local scenery, celebrate your birthday . . . shop." This last part was said with a sneer as the group passed a small clothing store which a bunch of teenagers were rushing out of, shopping bags in hand as they giggled excitedly.
"Shopping isn't the end of the world," Amy protested, rolling her eyes.
"Yes, it is," the Doctor muttered under his breath.
Alex didn't hear him, too caught up in looking around as she tried to absorb everything at once. "This is amazing!" she cried. She looked around excitedly. She couldn't believe she was actually in Savannah, Georgia. It was so beautiful here, just like Marigold described.
Alex reflected for a moment on the stories Marigold used to tell her and Lacey when they were younger. Marigold had attended Oglethorpe Hall for Girls for middle school and two years for high school at a time when Bristol's educational establishments had been, at best, subpar. Marigold's stories were positively thrilling and detailed; Alex could practically smell the azaleas and taste the Creole cooking.
Marigold had spoken of dinner parties and mint julep sipping in between studying and concocting new and interesting ways to avoid the nuns at Oglethorpe Hall. She had also spoken of many things that were in Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil. There was a man who owned a bottle of poison that could kill the entire town; Marigold recalled having a lovely conversation with him at a drugstore one time when he helped her with the topic for her science report. She could also recall a few drag queens, but she admitted that she tried to stay away from that part of town. She admitted to sneaking into Bonaventure Cemetery one time with friends and getting scared half to death by poet Conrad Aiken's grave when one friend pretended to be his ghost. There were several other stories, but Alex knew that Marigold had gone back to Kentucky a year before the events in Midnight began.
Still, Marigold had nothing but fond memories of Savannah. She would be delighted to learn that Alex was here for her birthday.
Which reminded her. . . She was in Savannah, and only for a few days at that! She had to make the most of this trip. Starting now.
Alex whirled around and grabbed Amy's hand. "Come on, Ames!" she cried, pulling her to the first store she spotted. "Shopping now!"
The Doctor audibly groaned, Rory sighing along with him. "Stop complaining!" Amy called back. "Wait outside if you want!"
The boutique they stepped in was a medium-sized space with exposed brick walls and gray carpeting. Racks of clothing were cluttered all around in seemingly no order. A bunch of bookcases in the middle of the room housed small figurines such as snow-globes, seashell bracelets, statues of the Bird Girl statue on the cover of Midnight, and more.
Amy bent down to study a book titled Historic Hauntings: Savannah Edition. "Is Savannah supposed to be really haunted?" she asked.
Alex nodded. "Yep. Savannah is America's most-haunted city. Hundreds of bodies are buried here . . . even right where you're standing."
Surprisingly, Amy didn't jump. Instead, she rolled her eyes and said, "Alex, I live in England. Haunted as all get-out it is. Being in the most haunted city in America doesn't really scare me."
"Damn," Alex frowned, but in a teasing way.
The girls browsed around for a little while the guys impatiently waited outside on a bench. Alex took a little delight in this. She knew that the Doctor couldn't complain because this was her birthday present. She also knew that Rory couldn't complain because Amy would tear him a new one.
Eventually, the girls exited the store, much to the visible relief of the guys. "You done?" the Doctor asked hopefully, leaning forwards on the bench he and Rory had claimed.
Alex smirked and leaned down until her face was right next to his. "Not. Even. Close."
Amy laughed. "Come on, Doctor! You can't deny her on her birthday!"
The Doctor sighed but then smiled slightly. "You're right, I can't," he admitted.
The group toured River Street for a couple hours. It was a really interesting place to be. Bars and restaurants and stores lined one side of the street while the other side was mostly river. A few outdoor bazaars were on the opposite side of the street, stairs leading down to a section of land that looked out at the river below.
The group walked along the cobblestones, staying away from the thickly populated sidewalk. They effortlessly dodged various pedestrians, cars that decided to brave the cobblestones, and numerous touring trolleys. Amy watched as a bright orange one passed them by, the tour guide at the front yelling something about penal colony and charter. "They sure like their trolleys here," she observed.
"It's tourism they like," the Doctor told her. "That book Alex is reading made this city famous."
"Nothing like a good murder to improve business," Rory commented.
After a while, the group began to get hungry. By this point, Amy and Alex had already amassed a few shopping bags. The time travelers quickly descended upon a restaurant with outdoor seating. Alex sank back into a chair, feeling the sea brine sink into her skin and the setting sun lightly illuminate her features.
She picked up the menu and scoured it quickly. The majority of it was seafood, something Alex really didn't like. She wasn't sure why. Fish just disgusted her. Running her eyes over the laminated pages, she finally settled for a chicken Caesar salad with extra ranch dressing and a Sprite. As she passed it back to the waitress, she caught something from the Doctor about just giving him a large plate of fish fingers and custard. Noticing the wait's astonished look, Alex quickly mouthed 'just got off his meds'. The wait nodded in understanding and scurried off.
The second she was gone, the Doctor lightly whacked the back of her head. "Ow!" Alex cried, glaring at him. "What was that for?!"
"Why do you have to tell everyone I just got off medication?" the Doctor questioned.
"Why do you eat a disgusting combination such as fish sticks and custard?" Alex asked, a disgusted sneer on her face. She couldn't understand how anyone, even an alien, could eat such a thing.
Rory and Amy snickered a little at the sharp and withering look on the Doctor's face. Only he could pull off such an expression. "Don't knock it until you try it, Alex," he scolded.
Alex merely rolled her eyes. No way in hell am I eating fish sticks and custard, she thought.
A few minutes later, their food arrived. Alex looked out at the water as she ate her salad. It was truly beautiful. The setting sun made the water gleam and glisten, turning it azure. She was so happy the Doctor had brought her here. Savannah was gorgeous.
"Better hurry up, Ally," the Doctor suddenly announced. He had already finished his meal and was calmly leaning back in his chair, observing the others. "You and I have got plans."
Alex put her fork down. "What kind of plans?" she asked before taking a sip of Sprite.
The Doctor smiled at her mysteriously. "It's a surprise."
Alex frowned. Oh no. She wasn't having any of that, not this time! "Please tell me?" she requested.
The Doctor, of course, was prepared for this. "No."
Alex stuck her lower lip out and pouted, much to the amusement of Amy and Rory, who had yet to see any of her begging techniques. "Please?"
"No," the Doctor insisted, although a tiny bit of his mind was starting to think about telling Alex where they were going.
Alex thought for a moment. She was going to have to up her ante some if she was going to find out where the Doctor was taking her. "Please, please, please, please, please, please, please, please?" she pleaded.
"Doctor, just tell her," Rory urged as Alex continued to beg. "She's not going to let up until you do."
"Okay!" the Doctor cried, putting Alex's 'pleases' to a stop. "Ally Nicole Locke, how do you feel about going on a historic ghost tour?"
Wasn't expecting that, Alex thought. Still, the idea of a ghost tour intrigued her. She had never really been scared by ghost stories, mostly because she didn't believe in them. But that brought up a question. . . "Sounds great, Doc! Only . . . are ghosts real?"
The Doctor gave her a withering look. "Of course not, Alex. Now, some aliens have been confused for ghosts, like the Vashta Nerada, but there's no actual ghosts."
Alex nodded. "Right, I knew that. Just checking."
Amy shuddered. "A ghost tour. I don't know why you'd want to go on one of those."
"I thought you weren't afraid of ghosts," Alex commented.
"I'm not, but I still don't like hearing about them."
"Neither do I," Rory added. "There's this old story at the hospital in Leadworth that says a poltergeist haunts the old tunnel that was used to carry bodies down to the morgue during the Spanish flu pandemic."
"You don't actually believe that, do you?" Amy asked.
"No, but it doesn't make it any less creepy."
The Doctor sighed. "Well, regardless, this little tour might be fun." He reached into his jacket and tossed a few ten-dollar bills on the table. "That should cover it. Ponds, have fun. Don't get into any trouble. Ally, let's go."
After leaving her bags in Amy's possession and waving good-bye to the Ponds, Alex dashed over to the Doctor, who was waiting a little ways down the street. Once she caught up with him, she stuck her arm through the crook of his, and they walked off.
The sky was slowly turning dark as they reached the spot where they would meet the tour bus. Already, several people, obviously tourists based on their cameras and fanny packs, were gathered around, chatting excitedly. Alex observed the crowd. She saw two families, three couples, one group of college students, and an elderly woman with a young woman around Alex's age that had to be her granddaughter.
The young woman turned as the time travelers approached. She had long black hair and bright green eyes. She was dressed in a sleeveless black top, dark-wash skinny jeans, and well-worn gray Converse. "Hi," she greeted. "I'm Eva."
"Alex, and this is my. . ." Alex paused for a moment, not really sure what to call the Doctor.
Thankfully, the latter chose to step in. "Her friend John," he said smoothly.
Alex didn't miss the way Eva's eyes lit up upon seeing the Doctor, nor the way they traveled up and down his body. "Pleasure to meet you," she smiled flirtatiously, batting her eyelashes for emphasis.
Alex felt the familiar burn of jealously run through her. It was like a close friend now, always there and just waiting for the opportunity to make a visit again. Unconsciously, she pulled the Doctor closer to her, resisting the urge to rip Eva's lovely eyes right out of their sockets. "So, you here for the ghost tour?" she politely inquired.
Eva proudly nodded. "Well, it's my fourth time. My grandmother and I are from Chapel Hill, North Carolina. Gran loves coming down here and every time we do, we have to go on the ghost tour."
"You must be quite the expert then," the Doctor commented.
Eva giggled outrageously, obviously pleased with his comment. "I guess you could say that," she smirked.
Alex felt bile rise in her throat. Dear God, why was she here?
Thankfully, before Alex could do something illegal to Eva, the tour bus chose that moment to come up. It was a long dark green bus with the name R.I.P. Savannah Tours on it in neat white script. The group watched as the bus crawled to a stop, and a second later, a woman stepped out.
She was older, probably in her early sixties, with sagging skin and long black hair that had been cheaply dyed. She was wearing a sky-blue tank-top, stonewash jeans, and tan hiking boots. She had the expression of someone who had seen a lot and knew a lot and was reluctantly resigned to that fact.
"Evening, all," she greeted, her voice a deep southern twang with the undercurrent of a former cigarette smoker. "Welcome to Rest in Peace Savannah Ghost Tours. Tonight, you will hear many tales involving the former inhabitants of this lovely city. You may be scared, you may be excited, you may see things you never thought possible before." Alex and the Doctor looked at each-other on this, as if silently saying wanna bet?
"Now, before we begin, I just need to check each of your tickets." There were a few groans from the crowd, to which the woman rolled her eyes. "Come now, everyone line up. Get them out. This is a security thing."
The Doctor and Alex got at the back of the line. "How are we supposed to get on if we don't have a ticket?" Alex questioned.
The Doctor reached into his jacket pocket and pulled out a familiar blue leather wallet. "Psychic paper, Ally," he said, dangling the sheet in front of her.
"Right, stupid question," Alex nodded. "That mean you fixed it from where Albert Smoth ruined it?"
"Had to get a new sheet," the Doctor grumbled.
"Aw, you poor thing," Alex teased, sticking her bottom lip out in faux sympathy.
The Doctor eyed her protruding bottom lip. God, the things he wanted to do to that lip. . . Of course, he couldn't do any of them because he and Alex were not like that. They couldn't be and they never would be. No matter how much he wanted it to be otherwise.
Luckily, before his mind could start playing the fantasies he had concocted detailing what exactly he wanted to do to Alex's bottom lip, they reached the front of the line. The tour guide was looking at them expectantly. She looked slightly weary and bored, as if she just wanted this whole day over with already.
"Ticket," she requested.
The Doctor held the psychic paper before her. "Here you go," he said, keeping a tight grip on the wallet. He didn't want what happened during the Talerian invasion adventure to happen again. Getting a new sheet of psychic paper was not as easy as it sounded. "Two-person ticket. All in order, I should think."
The tour guide squinted at the paper and for a second, Alex was worried. The Doctor had once admitted that not everyone could be fooled by the psychic paper, only those with brilliant minds or those who had psychic training. She highly doubted that the tour guide had had psychic training. The brilliant part could be true.
"It's fine," the tour guide suddenly announced, making Alex's thoughts vanish with a poof. "You're good."
The Doctor led Alex on board, the two taking a seat near the back. Alex got the window seat while the Doctor sat near the aisle, an arm wrapped around Alex's shoulders. "Good thing your paper worked," Alex murmured. "I was afraid it wouldn't."
"Don't be so doubtful, Ally," the Doctor told her, his voice low and undeniably sexy. Alex shivered slightly and bit the inside of her cheek to keep herself under control.
"Welcome everyone!" the guide cried out, now speaking through a microphone at the front of the bus. "My name's Cassie and I'm one of your tour guides this evening. Welcome to Savannah, Georgia, a city full of intrigue, mystery, and more." Alex and the Doctor looked at each-other, both thinking that the tour guide was going a little overboard with the mystery.
The bus started up, emitting a large cloud of exhaust fumes as it scurried on. The passengers were jostled as the vehicle went over the cobblestones before finally turning onto normal asphalt. "Savannah, Georgia was founded in 1733 by General James Oglethorpe," Cassie began. "Now, Oglethorpe came here with several former prisoners from debtor's prison back in England. Debtor's prison was a place where you went if you had a large amount of debt and you had to stay in prison until it was paid off. Only problem was that you really couldn't work off your debt in prison, so Oglethorpe convinced the king to let several prisoners accompany him to the new colony to work off their debt."
Cassie continued to entertain them about Savannah's history, including how Savannah was spared General Sherman's wrath in Sherman's infamous March to the Sea. All around them, old historic houses stretched up to the sky, surrounded by wrought iron fencing and manicured gardens. Alex looked at the houses enviously. She had always loved older houses like these, how beautiful and simple they looked, unlike the gaudy one she had grown up in. If she could, she'd own a house down here.
". . .and we are now coming up on the Telfair Museum of Art," Cassie announced, the bus coming to a stop. Outside was a large white Regency-style mansion. It was probably considered the height of the social strata a long time ago, but it reminded Alex of a mausoleum.
"The museum was founded upon the death of Mary Telfair, who bequeathed her house to the museum in her will. Mary Telfair was the daughter of Governor Edward Telfair. She grew up very rich and well-off, and as you can probably guess, that made many young men very interested in her. Miss Mary fell in love with one gentleman, but that young man left her for her sister, who he ended up marrying.
"Angry and miserable, Miss Mary vowed to never marry, and she remained a spinster until the day she died. As I previously mentioned, she left her house to be turned into a museum upon her death, but with a few stipulations. There could be no drinking, eating, dancing, music, or parties in the house.
"For a while, the museum abided by her rules. But one year, the museum decided to hold a big fundraising ball right in this house, completely ignoring Mary's stipulations. They sent two workmen to the house to set up and take down a portrait of Mary that had hung in the main room since the museum was founded. However, as they were doing so, a giant piece of the ceiling fell and nearly hit one of the men on the head." Everyone started murmuring excitedly, except the Doctor and Alex, who sat in their seat, identical expressions of amusement and doubt on their faces.
Cassie waited until the noise level settled down a bit before continuing. "As you can probably guess, the Telfair decided to hold their event elsewhere and the portrait of Mary still hangs in the main room this day, keeping an eye on everything."
"Doubtful," Alex muttered as the bus started up again. "That house is from the 1800s. That ceiling is old. A piece could've fallen off at any time."
"Good job, Ally," the Doctor complimented. He was glad that she didn't believe in ghosts. He couldn't quite understand why humans insisted on believing in something so silly when all the stuff ghosts were blamed for could be easily explained.
By this point, it was pitch black outside. A few stars twinkled overhead, Alex just able to make out the Big Dipper above a bunch of trees adorned with Spanish moss. The residential streets they were going through were quiet, the houses around them locked up tight and, more often than not, completely dark. It was a little unnerving to Alex. The vacant houses looked like they were watching the group as they went further down the street.
"We are now coming up upon the sight of one of many deadly fires in Savannah," Cassie solemnly announced. Ahead of them was a large brick house, curtains drawn and lights off. "This house stands where an all-girls orphanage used to be. There used to be two girls who lived there. They were the best of friends and could often be seen playing together out on the street.
"One night, a horrible fire broke out. All of the girls were rescued . . . except for the two friends. They died that night in the attic. Now, witnesses since then have reported seeing two little girls in nightgowns playing on the street here. Also, if you'll notice that window up there. . ." she pointed to one of the top floor windows ". . .a handprint often appears on that attic window, no matter how often the glass is washed."
"That's so sad," Alex said, her heart going out to those two little girls. If they were ghosts, at least they had each-other for companionship. The Doctor hummed in agreement, not being able to stomach seeing children suffer.
They went along several other houses before coming up on a large and grand white house with an extended portico. "This house used to be the residence of William Washington Gordon II and his wife Nellie, the parents of Girl Scouts founder, Juliette Gordon Low."
Alex smiled. "Good old Girl Scouts," she murmured. Lacey had been a Girl Scout for several years. Alex fondly remembered being coerced into helping Lacey sell cookies every year so she could win a prize. When she was older, Alex had bought a couple in support, but never ate them. She thought they tasted bad.
"William and Nellie were very much in love and Nellie was distraught when her husband died. On February 22nd, 1917, Nellie lay in her room dying, surrounded by her five children. The wife of one of her sons left the room to give the family some peace. As the wife left the room, she passed one of the adjacent rooms. Waiting in one of them, she reported, was the ghost of Nellie's husband William. She also said that William walked into Nellie's room just as she died. According to her children, Nellie died with a radiant look on her face. A servant had also seen William and told the Gordon children that the General had come to fetch his wife and lead her into the afterlife himself."
There was a bunch of awing at this. Alex even spotted one woman with tears in her eyes. She had to admit, that ghost story was pretty romantic. She wouldn't mind having an experience like that when she died. Of course, you want that to be with the Doctor, a snippy part of her mind commented. Alex swallowed and pushed that thought to the back of her mind.
The bus went on for several blocks, Cassie commenting on the squares they passed. Soon, they came to one large square. "This," Cassie announced in a very dramatic voice, "is Monterey Square and on the southwest end of the square, you can see the Mercer-Williams House, the setting of the murder that took place in Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil."
Many of the passengers craned their heads to get a good look, Alex one of them. She studied the house. It didn't look like how she had pictured it in the book. She had envisioned a tall, imposing structure with dark paint and curtained off windows. The actual house was a two-story brick house with a flat roof surrounded by iron gates. It seemed so simple, certainly not the kind of place you pictured a murder happening at.
"As many of you already know, this house is the scene of the murder that takes place in the novel Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil. But this house has actually been the home of two more deaths. In 1913, a previous owner tripped over the second-floor banister, fractured his hip, suffered a concussion, and died three days later. In 1969, a boy was chasing pigeons on the roof when he fell off and impaled himself on the iron fence you see around the house." The passengers murmured for a few moments until the bus started up again and drove off.
As Cassie began talking about hauntings in several old buildings that made up part of the campus of the Savannah College of Art and Design, the Doctor asked, "How are you liking this, Ally?"
"It's interesting," Alex responded. And it was. She knew Savannah had an eclectic history, but she never realized just how much. "Some of the stories are a bit creepy though."
"If you think that's bad, remind me to tell you some of the stories they tell on Crimson Kel."
A few minutes later, they arrived at a new destination. Alex peered out the window to see a large wooden structure with light blue window shutters. Light pooled out of the windows, and she squinted through the glow to make out the hanging sign over the porch. It read PIRATES HOUSE.
"Okay, everyone!" Cassie called. The bus doors opened, and she backed up against the driver's seat as people began making their way outside. "You can wander around for a few minutes and then we'll meet in the front room, okay?"
The Doctor and Alex were the last ones off. As Alex hopped off the final step, she noticed Eva loitering around the front door. She was leaning against the doorframe in a provocative manner, one hip jutted out and cleavage spilling out of her strapless top. Alex felt her jealousy burn through her system again. Eva was gorgeous. She had the whole dark seductive thing going on while Alex looked like an innocent goody-goody. It was sad to admit, but it was the truth.
"You not going in?" Alex politely inquired through clenched teeth as she and the Doctor approached.
Eva yawned. "Nah, it's not that exciting. I've been in here loads of times." She pushed off the doorframe, allowing her to stand just a centimeter away from the Doctor. She smiled through heavily glossed lips and batted her eyelashes. "Say, why don't you hang out here with me? There's nothing going on in there and I'm sure we could find something else to do."
Alex could tell that Eva was only speaking to the Doctor, not her. As far as Eva was concerned, Alex didn't exist. Gritting her teeth, Alex marched into the restaurant, determinedly not looking behind her.
The entrance of the Pirates House had wood paneled walls and wooden flooring. Several tour members were scattered all around the room. One of the families was taking pictures by a large pirate statue, Eva's grandmother was chatting with one of the young couples, and the college kids were talking about getting wasted after this snooze-fest of a tour. Alex rolled her eyes as she passed them. It was a good thing she had been blessed with intelligence.
As Alex was beginning to wander into the dining room, a familiar tweed-clad figure rushed up to her. "Why did you leave me alone with her?!" the Doctor hissed, pushing Alex back up against the wall and out of sight of the other tourists.
Alex looked at him. She was surprised to see that the Doctor looked slightly angry, nervous, and confused. "Who?" she said, playing dumb. "Eva?"
The Doctor gave her a look that translated as who else? "Yes, Eva," he said, rolling his eyes. "Why did you leave me alone with her?"
Alex shrugged. What was she supposed to say? That she was practically spitting with jealousy? That she wanted to claw Eva's eyes out instead of letting them settle on the Doctor's body for another minute? She knew she couldn't have a relationship with the Doctor and that she had told him she didn't have feelings for him. Admitting any of her real thoughts was too risky. She couldn't do it, no matter how much she wanted to.
Thankfully, before she could try and formulate a response, the stomping of boots sounded throughout the room. "There you two are!" a voice exclaimed. The Doctor and Alex turned to see Cassie standing in the doorway, clipboard in hand. There was a slight smile on her lips, and anyone could see that she was trying not to laugh. "I hate to interrupt, but we're about to continue."
It was then that the two became aware of how . . . amorous their current position looked. The Doctor had Alex pushed back against the wall and his hands were on her waist, keeping her in place. He towered over her, but his head was craned down so he could look her in the eye. Alex's head was tilted up to meet his. To the casual observer, it looked like the two were in the midst of stealing a passionate moment.
The Doctor gathered his voice first. "Of course," he said smoothly, although his face showed embarrassment. He pushed away from Alex and hurried out of the dining room. "Come along, Ally!" he called weakly before disappearing.
Alex shoved herself off the wall and ran a hand through her hair, attempting to look dignified. It wasn't a difficult thing for her to do, but the fact that she had to do it was mortifying. She was all too aware of Cassie's gaze on her as she walked past.
"He's quite the looker," Cassie commented, her southern twang sounding mischievous. "You're very lucky."
Alex's face turned a dull shade of red. "He's . . . h-he's not, I mean, we're not . . . we're not a couple."
Cassie only smiled at her, the action serving to make Alex's face flush harder. "Of course not, dear," she grinned. Alex could tell that she didn't believe her and that she was only pretending to buy her argument.
Alex refrained from commenting and instead hurried back into the lobby. The tour group had reunited and was buzzing excitedly at what was to happen next. The Doctor was on the edge of the group, staying as far away from Eva as he possibly could without making it obvious. Alex eyed her competition. It seemed the sex-kitten, as Alex had now taken to calling her, had been reined in by her grandmother for she was currently standing with the elderly woman, arms crossed, an abiding expression on her face. A smile crossed Alex's lips. She couldn't help but enjoy this.
"Alright, everyone," Cassie said as she reentered the room. "Welcome to the Pirates House. This is the oldest building in Savannah and, as you would guess, one of the most haunted."
Alex and the Doctor listened attentively as Cassie went on to describe the history of the Pirates House. The land had originally been purposed to house a botanical garden to help the wine and silk industries. Unfortunately, Georgia's soil was not compatible with several of the plants and would only grow peach trees and cotton, both of which later proved vital for the state's economy.
The first part of the Pirates House was built in 1734 to house the garden's gardener. Twenty years later, it was decided that the botanical garden was no longer needed since Savannah was quickly becoming a port town. The gardener's house was turned into an inn and tavern to house visiting seamen, quickly garnering an unfavorable reputation due to all the pirates and sailors that stopped by.
"And it didn't earn this reputation by rumor." Cassie turned around and headed through the dining room, gesturing for the group to follow her.
The dining room was fairly large and not really busy at this time of night. Two waitresses were rolling up silverware at the back of the room while two men were conversing at a nearby table, one of them leisurely smoking a cigar. The group traveled through the room to a back corner where a series of narrow steps led downwards. Cassie went down first and everyone else followed, single file. The Doctor and Alex were the last of the group.
As they went down further, the walls turned to stone along with the steps. Dim lights were placed in irregular order along the walls and Alex unconsciously shifted closer to the Doctor, who wrapped an arm around her waist. Neither would admit it, but this place was starting to creep them out.
They entered a medium sized room with faded brick walls and compact dirt flooring. On one side of the room was a kind of stone ledge, where Cassie was currently perched. The rest of the tour group was gathered all around the room. Alex noted that some of the college kids looked nervous, the kids in the families all looked a little scared, and that Eva was casually leaning against the wall, arms crossed, looking bored.
Cassie looked rather scared. She kept looking above her head at a hole in the wall near the ceiling. Alex frowned and crossed her arms. Something was up here.
"This is the entrance to one of the infamous underground tunnels that run underneath Savannah," Cassie explained. "The tunnels were used for a variety of purposes. Some were built during the yellow fever epidemic during the 1800s to hide bodies from the public. Others were used as hideouts as part of the Underground Railroad. They also served as a way to get alcohol into the city at a time when it was banned in Georgia. But this tunnel in particular was used for a much more sinister purpose.
"Sailors used to come here all the time during the 17 and 1800s. They would drink in the restaurant upstairs and, as you can probably imagine, get pretty drunk. Captains would wait until a customer was so drunk they could barely function. They would flog them over the head and carry them down to the Savannah River through this tunnel to their ships. Those people would then wake up on a ship in the middle of the ocean somewhere and be forced to work as a sailor for the rest of their lives. The citizens of Savannah referred to this as shanghaied as the sailors were believed to be taken to China."
Cassie looked up and eyed the hole in the wall again. Alex looked up at it. It didn't seem very remarkable. It had probably been caused by a loose stone. Why did Cassie seem so afraid of it? It made no sense.
"The tunnels are also believed to be haunted. Several tour groups have reported seeing specters in photos and also having jewelry snitched right off them." Alex's fingers quickly wrapped around her parents' wedding bands. Though she highly doubted this story, she wasn't about to take any chances in losing the last connection she had to her parents. If a ghost wanted her rings, it was going to have to pry them from her cold dead fingers.
"The ghosts are also a bit . . . violent." Cassie was looking nervous, and she eyed the hole again. "One time when I was down here, a brick came flying out of that hole up there and nearly hit me in the head." Several people gasped, but the Doctor and Alex stayed silent. Cassie nodded furiously. "It did. It missed me by an inch! Now, whenever I conduct tours down here, I sit right here in this arch where nothing can get me."
As Cassie continued to talk about some of the other encounters people had had down here, Alex became aware of a pounding in her head. She winced as the pounding increased. It felt like a professional boxer was hitting her skull. She gritted her teeth as the pounding increased and she clutched her forehead.
This didn't go unnoticed by the Doctor. He looked down and worriedly watched as Alex rubbed her forehead. "Ally, are you okay?" he whispered. Dear God, please don't let it be another bloody perception filter!
Alex nodded, the movement causing the pain in her head to increase a little more. "Fine," she grimaced, but the Doctor knew she was lying. He watched as Alex shut her eyes and her head tilted towards the ground.
Alex could feel something in her mind. It was a terrified force that kept banging around in a random manner. Alex was trying to use her shields to lock it down, but the force was too quick for her still-developing mental barriers. Her headache increased as the force crept closer to the epicenter of her mind. Closer. . .closer. . .closer. . .
A sudden stab of pain burst in Alex's head, sending her staggering back against the wall. She could feel tingles of pain rushing down her spine and sprinting through her head like a bunch of racehorses. Whatever this force was, it was malevolent.
Alex's staggering didn't go unnoticed. Everyone whirled around as she fell back against the wall, her back arching in an almost painful manner. The Doctor rushed over to her. "Alex, Alex, Alexandria!" he cried, kneeling in front of her. Alex's hand was still clutched to her forehead, making it impossible to see her eyes.
The Doctor watched as her body stilled. She stood up straight, but her hand was still covering her eyes. "Alex," the Doctor said softly. "Ally, look at me. Are you okay? Alex, lower your hand and look at me."
A second later, Alex responded. She lowered her hand stiffly, the muscles stretched tightly. It was a very unnatural reaction. The Doctor rose slowly, watching her for another movement. Her eyes were still shut but her face seemed calm.
The Doctor relaxed. She was okay. Whatever had happened was over. It had probably been a headache, though why it was so violent was another question entirely. He was about to ask Alex if she was okay when Alex's hand suddenly shot out and gripped his wrist. Her fingers clenched around him, squeezing him painfully and with a strength he knew Alex didn't have.
"Alex," he gasped. He reached over and tried to pry her fingers off him, but her incredibly tight grip was too strong. "Alex, what's wrong? Please, let go of me!"
"Doctor," she stated, her closed eyes still tilted towards the ground.
"Yes," the Doctor said slowly, wondering why she was saying his name like that. "Yes, Alex, it's me."
"I am not Alexandria Nicole Locke." Alex looked up and her eyes burst open. Everyone around them staggered back in shock. Alex's normally beautiful eyes were now a bright, lifeless white. Those alarming eyes settled on the Doctor, and she then jerked him forwards, nearly pulling him on top of her.
"Alex, what's happened to you?" the Doctor frantically asked.
"I am not Alexandria Nicole Locke," Alex insisted, her voice turning from Alex's light American accent to a darker, rougher voice that sounded almost like a man's.
The Doctor's eyes darkened, and he yanked back from Alex's grasp. "Who are you?" he demanded lowly, his voice sending shivers through everyone in the room. "Who are you and what have you done to Alex?"
"Alexandria Locke is indisposed at the moment." But then Alex's body jerked to the side in an inhuman manner before slamming back against the wall. A brief glimmer of hazel appeared in her white eyes.
The Doctor raised an eyebrow. "Are you sure about that?"
"She . . . is . . . strong!" the voice gasped out. "She is . . . fighting!" Alex's body slumped forward before jerking back up in another unnatural manner.
"Who are you?" the Doctor demanded once again. Whatever this thing was, it had possessed Alex and he wanted it out of her. Now.
"There is a coming threat," the voice gasped as Alex's body slunk down against the ground. The being inside her shoved away from the wall and rushed to stand in the middle of the room. Tourists scattered away from the girl and Cassie shrunk back even further into the little arch.
Alex whirled around to look at each and every one of them, focusing a few extra seconds on Cassie, before turning back to the Doctor. "There is a coming threat, Doctor. Only you . . . can . . . stop . . . IT!" Alex's body fell to the ground and started convulsing.
"Everybody out!" the Doctor shouted as Alex thrashed around on the floor, her fingers clawing at thin air. "Everybody get out now!"
A few tourists hastened to do this, Eva being one of them. She sent a final horrified look at Alex before sprinting up the stairs.
"Can't . . . stay . . . any longer!" the voice in Alex choked. Alex suddenly sprang up in a way no human could ever manage. The Doctor could see dots of hazel in the white irises, meaning that Alex was fighting her way back. "Threat, Doctor. Threat! Water . . . evil . . . water. . ." Alex whirled around to face Cassie. "And I only threw that brick at you as a joke!"
Alex whirled away from a dumbstruck Cassie and back to the Doctor. Her eyes closed and her back arched again. Alex stayed still for a few seconds before her eyes burst open, no longer white but a reassuring topaz. "Doctor," she wheezed in her normal voice. Suddenly, her eyes rolled to the back of her head and her legs gave out from under her.
Alex Locke toppled to the ground, unconscious.
A/N: Now we're getting somewhere! Alex is getting possessed! But by what? What's going on?! }:) I also hope you all liked the exploring Savannah part of this chapter. Savannah is one of my favorite cities and I love going there. I actually went on a ghost tour down there once, which is where I heard all the ghost stories mentioned in this chapter. And there's more to come in the next chapter! :)
Some notes on reviews. . .
The Raggedy Time Traveller - Me too! Savannah is so beautiful and gorgeous. They should really do a 'Doctor Who' episode there, in my opinion. :) I've never heard of that candy store. Since this adventure is already written, it probably won't be in here, but it may crop up in a future story. :)
jesterlover - Lol, that sounds like a fun wedding! I was a flower girl in my uncle's wedding and a bridesmaid in my aunt's wedding and I've also been to a few weddings with my parents as a guest. None of them were that fun though. :)
SopherGopher'sAwesomeSister - You can find those mini-sodes on YouTube. They are hilarious! I'm especially partial to 'Bad Night'. :) Yes, poor Alex. At least her teen birthdays weren't bad. :) August 31st is just a random date. It's actually two days after my birthday, August 29th. Alex and I have a lot in common; same home-state, same middle name, and same birth month. :)
ShadowTeir - Yeah, not having a lot really makes you appreciate what you have. Those birthdays were actually painful to write, but now that the Doctor's here, things will get better...after the possessions mystery, of course. :) Yeah, the Doc did overstep his boundaries. So far, I don't have Alex finding out about his venture into her past, but I think it'll come up sometime. He could let something slip or something. If Alex did find out, I think she'd be furious for a while, but later come to understand he was only trying to learn more about her and help her. :) Hint . . . hmm . . . I think one I can give you without revealing too much is that it happens after a major event. That could mean after the Doctor's 'death', Melody getting kidnapped by the Silence, the Doctor coming back after Lake Silencio, Amy and Rory getting taken by the Angels in Manhattan, any number of times. But it's a hint! :) Glad you liked the chapter!
SopherGopherroxursox - Yep, poor Alex. The Carla aspects of her Bristol life were awful, but her friends made up for it. :) I can definitely say that Alex is not a future version of the Doctor. That would be too . . . ew. Hope you liked the chapter! :)
LizM - Thank you! I'm glad you like the story! There is going to be another story for Season 6, the title of which will be revealed at the end of 'A Christmas Carol'. Roughly, there are probably about 15 chapters left until the end of this story. It depends on how much I edit down and combine chapters for this original adventure. :)
rycbar15 - Lol, I do have a gift with that. But you got another hint here! It happens after a major event . . . which could be pretty much anything in Seasons 6 and 7. :) Yep, the Doctor was a bit stalkerish here, but I think, considering the circumstances, he was allowed to be. :) Lol, glad you like little Alex! She still contains some of the feistiness of her older self. :)
ElysiumPhoenix - I know! It's so sad! I felt bad writing those parts. Yep, I would've slapped Carla too. Or bashed her over the head with her own beer bottle. Whichever suited my fancy at the time. :)
Gwilwillith - Thanks!
TheUltimateGuest - Yep, poor Alex. At least some parts of her Bristol life were good, like Lacey, Ross, and Marigold. :) Lol, that's a good name for her! Hope you liked the chapter! :)
Timey-Wimey Somn-Like Lass - On behalf of Alex, thanks! :)
