A/N: Alex's outfit for this chapter can be found on my Tumblr, under the name 'darksideofparis'.
Abigail's icebox door flung open, releasing Abigail from her cryogenic state. The Doctor, Alex, and Kazran were standing before her, the men wearing Santa hats while Alex was wearing a green elf hat. "Merry Christmas!" they all cheered.
"Doctor! Alex!" Abigail cried. As Kazran helped her out of the icebox, she asked, "What are we going to do?"
"The Doctor's got a great plan!" Kazran enthused as they all hurried to the TARDIS. "Wait till you hear!"
"I personally think it's completely insane and dangerous, but feel free to make your own opinions," Alex told her.
Abigail laughed heartily. "I'm sure it's something brilliant!"
~Living the Life of Ally~
"You are out of your mind," Abigail said flatly a few minutes later. She, Kazran, and Alex were all currently seated in a two-wheel carriage outside Kazran's house, the street completely devoid of people. The Doctor was standing on the cobblestoned street, his half a sonic screwdriver pointed up towards the sky. "This will never work!"
"Thank you," Alex nodded. Honestly, they couldn't go on a normal horse-drawn carriage ride, they had to go on a. . .
"Oh, don't think shark," the Doctor retorted, not moving his eyes away from the sonic. "Think dolphin!"
Abigail and Alex frowned. "A shark isn't a dolphin," Abigail protested.
"It's nearly a dolphin," the Doctor persisted.
Alex and Abigail rolled their eyes. "No, it isn't," they argued.
"That's where you're both wrong, because. . ." The Doctor trailed off, unable to come up with a logical argument. "Shut up!"
"It could be anywhere," Kazran pointed out as the two women giggled and high-fived. "Will it really come?"
"No chance," the Doctor replied. "Completely impossible." Suddenly, he beamed as the sonic began emitting its radar noise again. "Except at Christmas."
~Living the Life of Ally~
A few minutes later, the Doctor was at the reins, flying the shark over the rooftops of Sardicktown. Behind him, Kazran and Abigail laughed in delight while Alex who, while surprisingly liking the shark-carriage ride, was clutching the edge of her seat, hoping that the Doctor didn't fly a carriage like he did the TARDIS.
The Doctor whooped with delight as Kazran called out, "How are we going to get back?"
"I don't know!" the Doctor shouted.
"Do you have a plan?" Abigail questioned.
"Abigail, he never has a plan!" Alex cried. "He makes them up as he goes along!" This sparked a bunch of laughter and cheering, which continued as they flew farther and farther out into the sky.
~Living the Life of Ally~
"Best Christmas ever!" Abigail enthused as she climbed back into her icebox a little while later.
"Till the next one!" Kazran beamed, him, Alex, and the Doctor waving as Kazran shut the door and Abigail resumed her cryogenic state.
~Living the Life of Ally~
"Merry Christmas!" the trio cried as the icebox door opened.
"Doctor! Alex! Where to this time?"
The Doctor grinned. "Did I mention, at any point, all of time and space?"
~Living the Life of Ally~
"Merry Christmas!"
"Doctor! Alex!" Abigail studied them. The Doctor and Kazran were wearing fezzes while Alex stood off to the side, arms crossed, shaking her head. Alex, of course, had declined to wear their choice of hat.
"Where are we going?" Abigail asked as Alex helped her down.
Alex smiled at her eagerly. "Oh, you'll love it! The Doctor and I went there not too long ago and it's absolutely marvelous!"
"Where is it?" Abigail asked eagerly, Alex's enthusiasm rubbing off on her almost instantly.
Alex's smile grew into a giant grin. "Egypt."
~Living the Life of Ally~
"Merry Christmas!" the Doctor and Alex greeted when Abigail's icebox door opened. Kazran stayed silent. This year, he was going through puberty and was currently at that special time where boys' voices change. He had stayed silent most of the time so far. As he had explained to Alex, he really didn't want Abigail to hear his voice crack.
"Doctor! Alex!" Abigail exclaimed, taking in their apparel. All three were wearing long, stripy scarves of differing lengths and colors. Alex's was dark blue and purple, matching her outfit perfectly, while the Doctor's and Kazran's were decked out in every color imaginable. Regardless, all three of them looked splendid.
~Living the Life of Ally~
"Merry Christmas!" they all shouted.
Abigail beamed and started to greet them . . . when her eyes fell on the older, much handsomer teen Kazran. "Kazran. . ." she breathed.
Alex wordlessly helped her out of the icebox, smiling to herself. She could tell by the nervous and excited look on Kazran's face that he was starting to get a crush on Abigail. Now, based on Abigail's reaction, it was looking like that crush was being reciprocated.
As Alex and the Doctor walked ahead, Abigail lingered behind so that she could walk with Kazran. "You've grown," she remarked, pointing out the obvious as they headed into the TARDIS, the Doctor and Alex already up at the console.
"Yes," Kazran blushed. He was incredibly worried about this Christmas. What if Abigail didn't like that he had changed? The Doctor and Alex never got any older, and because Abigail was kept frozen in ice, she didn't change either. He was the only one of the four who did. What if she didn't want to keep coming on their Christmas adventures anymore?!
"And now you're blushing," Abigail noticed, her words only serving to make Kazran blush even more.
"I'm sorry."
"That's okay."
Up at her place by the console, Alex watched the two and smiled. She knew a romance was blooming! She could just feel it! She had an eye for these things.
"So, Doctor," Kazran said now, "where this time?"
"Pick a Christmas Eve," the Doctor told them. "I've got them all right here." He patted the console for emphasis, the TARDIS letting out a little hum at the action.
"Might I make a request?" Abigail asked.
"Of course," the Doctor nodded.
"This one."
~Living the Life of Ally~
A few minutes later, the four were standing on a side street in a part of Sardicktown's slum district. Abigail, clad in a long dark cloak, stood outside the door to her family home, watching her relatives through a window, while the Doctor, Alex, and Kazran stood a little ways away.
"Thank you, darling," they heard Abigail's brother-in-law Eric say to his wife. He kissed her on the cheek, making Abigail smile a little.
"Who are they?" Kazran asked.
"Her family," the Doctor answered. "The lady's her sister."
"We met her once," Alex picked up, "when she was older."
Kazran nodded and turned back to Abigail, who now had tears running down her face. "Abigail's crying," he observed, his voice sounding worried and protective.
"Yes," Alex nodded.
"When girls are crying, are you supposed to talk to them?"
The Doctor shrugged and shook his head. "I have absolutely no idea."
Alex rolled her eyes. "Oh, you're no help at all!" she retorted. She marched over to Kazran and placed her hands on his shoulders, forcing him to look her right in the eye. "Yes. Of course! Girls want to be comforted. Now, go! Shoo." She shoved Kazran away and over to Abigail. When Kazran turned to look at her questioningly, Alex just made a shooing motion with her hands.
Kazran continued over to Abigail, knowing that Alex would yell at him if he didn't. He stood beside her for a moment, staying silent as she continued to cry and watch her family. He felt a little awkward, even though he liked Abigail very much, and he was starting to wonder whether Alex was wrong or not. Then, Abigail spoke.
"My sister's family," she explained, sniffling a little. "They're so happy."
"They look very poor," Kazran observed, noticing the family's raggedy and tattered clothing and lack of fine possessions. It was all so different from his way of living.
"They are very poor," Abigail confirmed. "Doesn't mean you can't be happy."
"Close the curtains!" Eric ordered someone. A second later, their view into the house was cut off.
"And then why aren't you?" Kazran asked.
Abigail sniffled a little more. "Because this is the life I can never have."
Kazran's brow furrowed in confusion. "Why not?"
Abigail didn't answer, instead taking his hand and squeezing it. "I think you're blushing again."
Then, much to their shock and surprise, the Doctor threw open the curtains from inside, Alex standing next to him. So caught up in their talking, they hadn't even heard the TARDIS dematerializing and reappearing inside the house. "Come in!" the Doctor cried as Alex waved her hand in a beckoning manner.
~Living the Life of Ally~
The Doctor sat in front of a young boy, Ben, who he and Alex recognized as Benjamin, the father of the family from the future. The Doctor had a pack of cards out in front of him, getting ready to show the boy a card trick. Alex stood off to the side, watching dubiously as the Doctor began.
"Pick a card," the Doctor instructed, holding out a fan of cards. "Any card at all."
"Every Christmas Eve?" Alex heard Abigail's sister, Isabella, exclaim off to the side of the room. "I don't understand."
"I'm not sure I do," Abigail admitted.
"You memorize the card, you put it back in the deck," the Doctor continued. "Don't let me see it."
"Is this what it looked like last year?" Eric asked, holding up some stockings before the fireplace mantel, as Ben picked a card from the deck, studied it, and then put it back.
"It doesn't have to be exactly the same," Isabella told him.
"I'm starting again," Eric declared. He turned to Kazran, who had offered to help him with the decorating. "Come on, Kazran, we're starting again."
"That's Kazran's boy, isn't it?" Isabella whispered to Abigail as the men began rearranging the stockings. Alex, from her angle, was able to hear the whole conversation.
"He's not like his father," Abigail said, as if she knew where her sister was going with the conversation.
Isabella shook her head. "His father treats everyone like cattle," she argued, her words making Alex frown, her eyes narrowing. "One day that boy will do the same."
"No. He's different," Abigail protested, causing Alex's frown to loosen a little and her eyes to cease their narrowing.
"The three of clubs!" the Doctor guessed, pulling Alex back into the card-playing. The Doctor held up a card before Ben.
Ben shook his head. "No."
"You sure?" the Doctor asked, eyeing him. "Because I'm very good at card tricks."
"It wasn't the three of clubs."
"Well, of course it wasn't." The Doctor pulled another card out of the deck. "Because it was the seven of diamonds!"
Ben gave him a flat look. "No."
Alex sighed, unable to take much more of this. "Oh, move!" she cried, shoving the Doctor off the couch. "You're doing it wrong. Let me." The Doctor stood to his feet and stood behind the couch, watching as Alex reshuffled the deck before holding out a fan of cards. "Pick a card, Ben."
Ben obeyed and pulled out a card, examining it for a few seconds before putting it back in the deck. The two watched as Alex reshuffled the deck before pulling out a card. "Is this your card?" she asked, holding out the three of diamonds.
Ben shook his head. "No."
"Ha!" the Doctor crowed.
Alex just shot him an impish smirk before putting down the cards and leaning closer to Ben. "Of course it wasn't," she agreed, reaching for Ben's ear. "Because. . ." A card appeared in her hand, looking like she had pulled it out of Ben's ear, much to the boy and the Doctor's shock. "It was the Queen of Spades, wasn't it?" she smiled, holding out the card before her.
Ben nodded, his eyes wide and his mouth agape. "Yes! How'd you do that?"
"Yes, how did you do that?" the Doctor wondered.
"Magic!" Alex whispered excitedly, much to Ben's delight.
The Doctor rolled his eyes. "The truth?"
Alex laughed and reshuffled the deck. "Ross taught me. Taught me how to play poker and Texas Hold 'Em too."
Oh, ROSS taught you, the Doctor inwardly sneered, his jealousy of the good-looking country boy flaring up.
"I see him around town sometimes," Alex heard Isabella say to Abigail as she reshuffled the deck. "Never any friends."
"He's got me," Abigail replied.
Alex smiled and looked over at Kazran, who seemed to be bonding with Abigail's family pretty well. He had been quiet and unsure at first, but Abigail had made a point of introducing him to everyone and, after a little while, the young man began to loosen up.
"All those Christmas Eves, you never once came to see us," Isabella accused.
"I'm here now," Abigail pointed out.
"Then stay," Isabella requested. "Stay for tomorrow. Have Christmas dinner with us."
"I can't," Abigail sorrowfully replied, causing Alex to frown a little. Abigail could stay outside the box for as long as she wanted. The TARDIS was a time machine, and they could get her back before anyone noticed she was gone. But, for some strange reason, Abigail would only stay one day. Actually, less than that. And it wasn't the first time she had done that. Alex had seen her constantly checking clocks on their travels. Why was she so worried about timing?
It doesn't have anything to do with why she has so many doctors, does it? Alex worried. But before she could pose her thoughts to the Doctor, Isabella stepped forward.
"Tomorrow's Christmas dinner is canceled," she announced, everyone turning to look at her in shock, "as my sister refuses to attend."
"Isabella!" Abigail hissed.
"Instead. . ." Isabella's grim face broke out into a smile. "We'll have it tonight."
~Living the Life of Ally~
A few minutes later, everyone was sitting around the table, even the Doctor and Alex despite their attempts to break away and step back into the TARDIS. Now, Alex was sitting on the Doctor's right, Ben on his left. Alex watched as they each gripped an end of a Christmas cracker, something Alex had been scared by more than once during holidays with Amy and Rory. Those two loved making her shriek because of those things, even if they did get pelted with pillows afterwards.
"Three, two, one," the Doctor counted down, "pull!" He and Ben pulled and a second later, the cracker burst open with a loud POP. Though she had been expecting it, Alex still jumped and yelped.
"Scared, Ally?" the Doctor teased, having heard her yelp when the cracker popped.
Alex mock-glared at him. "Shut up." She turned to look at the contents of the cracker, her brow furrowing in confusion as she spotted the little prize inside. "Whatcha got there, Ben?"
Ben looked down at his cracker, his face turning into an expression of befuddlement and eagerness. "How did you do that?" he asked the Doctor.
"Your card, I believe," the Doctor said, nodding to the eight of hearts in Ben's hand. After Alex one-upping him in card tricks, he was determined to figure out Ben's card from their first game.
Ben shook his head. "No."
Alex laughed while the Doctor's hopeful expression turned sour. "Oh, shut up," he muttered, though whether it was to Alex or Ben wasn't clear.
Their attention was then drawn to Kazran as the young man nervously raised his glass. "Um . . . Merry Christmas!" he toasted.
"Merry Christmas!" everyone chimed in, raising their glasses and clinking them together.
~Living the Life of Ally~
About an hour later, the group were heading back to the TARDIS. While Abigail was tearfully telling her relatives goodbye, Kazran standing beside her comfortingly, the Doctor and Alex headed into the living room, where the TARDIS was parked.
"You think this is working?" Alex murmured to the Doctor, glancing back just in time to see Kazran hugging Isabella. "You think we're making him kinder?"
"Definitely," the Doctor confirmed. "A few more trips and he'll be helping us land a space liner, no problem."
The Doctor moved to open the TARDIS door and let Alex inside when Isabella suddenly called out, "Doctor! Alex! Wait!"
The two whirled around, expecting to see a look of terror on Isabella's face, but they instead saw a mischievous smirk. "What is it?" the Doctor wondered.
"You're standing under the mistletoe," Abigail told them, a smile threatening to crop up from the corners of her mouth. She pointed above them. The two stared at her before slowly looking up. Sure enough, hanging from one of the rafters was a nice sprig of mistletoe.
"That means you have to kiss," Kazran helpfully called out. He had to admit, he was rather enjoying this. While he'd much rather it be him and Abigail instead of the Doctor and Alex, he was enjoying this too much to try and stop it. He had always thought the Doctor and Alex were a couple. Maybe kissing under the mistletoe would help hurry things along.
The Doctor and Alex looked ever so slightly terrified. "Um . . . we're, we a-aren't a," the Doctor weakly protested, stumbling over his words.
"No, no, probably not a good idea," Alex agreed, her words spilling out of her mouth so fast that they were almost impossible to interpret.
"It's a tradition!" Abigail cried. "And this is still my Christmas Eve."
They couldn't exactly argue with that.
"Now go ahead," Isabella urged.
"Kiss!" Ben ordered.
The Doctor and Alex turned away from them to look at each-other. Alex felt her heart pounding in excitement and nervousness. This would be the first time she kissed the Doctor since figuring out she loved him. She seriously doubted that he felt the same way about her, which was what kept her from saying anything. She couldn't risk him shunning her or sending her home. She wanted to stay with him for as long as she possibly could, even though staying around him while knowing that she loved him was beginning to get so much more difficult. Especially because of this mistletoe kiss! God, of all the traditions to last into the future, this had to be one of them?!
The Doctor eyed Alex nervously, even though his hearts were fluttering in excitement at the prospect of kissing her, his Ally. Not Ross's or Jack's, but his. Of course, he could never really have her, not really. Human lives were so fleeting. He would lose her eventually, to old age or when she ultimately had to leave the TARDIS, having grown up and away from his adventure-filled but dangerous lifestyle. But he could have her now, right in this moment as he kissed her.
Ever so slowly, their lips got closer and closer before ultimately touching. Unlike their Byzantium kiss and their Dream Lord Leadworth reality kiss, this one was slower, tenderer. Instead of tasting hot and feisty, the Doctor's lips now tasted like warm embers cooling down from a blazing fire. Alex's lips still had their sweet and sour taste, but it was much more subdued now, like a key lime pie. Hesitantly, their lips moved together, and their eyes closed, each of them unconsciously moving closer to the other.
Finally, after almost a minute had passed, Alex needed to breathe. She reluctantly moved away, gasping for breath as her eyes fluttered open. She watched as the Doctor's eyes opened, also slightly gasping for breath. In the excitement he felt in kissing Alex, he had forgotten to use his respiratory bypass system.
"Hi," Alex breathed nervously, wondering what had just transpired between them.
"Hello," the Doctor chuckled lowly, the low timber of his voice sending shivers down Alex's spine.
It was then that they remembered they weren't alone. Rather awkwardly, the two turned to see Abigail, Kazran, and Abigail's relatives staring at them, all of them totally silent. They had all seen how tender and sweet that kiss was. A kiss like that didn't happen between two people who claimed not to be a couple.
"Right, well!" The Doctor clapped his hands together, hoping to move along and get Abigail back to her icebox before taking another trip into the future so they could make Kazran nicer and save the Ponds, who probably wouldn't be happy to learn that the two had spent their time kissing instead of figuring out ways to save them.
Then again, based on how the two had been pushing him in Alex's direction for months now, maybe not.
Shut up! The Doctor inwardly snapped. He could not think about that! He had to concentrate. "Come along, Alex, Kazran, Abigail!" Then, before anyone could stop him with another mistletoe kiss, he ducked into the TARDIS, Alex following him a beat later, her brain still tingly and muddled from their kiss.
~Living the Life of Ally~
"Best Christmas Eve ever!" Abigail beamed, hugging the Doctor outside her icebox.
Alex chuckled. She said that every year. Although, since she had seen her family this year, she probably really meant it this time. "Till the next one," she said.
"I look forward to it," Abigail smiled. She looked away from them for a moment, taking a sideways glance at Kazran. "Now, I'd like to say good night to Kazran."
"Of course, yes," the Doctor nodded, not moving away even though that was what Abigail had clearly implied. "Well, on you go."
Alex rolled her eyes as Kazran shot the Doctor a glare. God, the man was oblivious. No wonder he hadn't realized her feelings for him. "You are an idiot," she sighed, grabbing his jacket sleeve and pulling him away towards the TARDIS. "They want to be alone."
"Oh. Oh!" the Doctor cried, now getting it. "Yes. Right! Sorry! I'll . . . er . . . we'll go, then. Good night." He turned to look at Kazran. "Good luck. Night! Good night!"
They were about halfway to the TARDIS when Kazran came running after them. "Doctor!" he cried, causing them to turn around. "I . . . er . . . I think she's going to kiss me."
What did you think she was going to do? Alex wondered. Ask you to teach her how to play checkers?
"Yeah, I think you're right," the Doctor agreed.
"I've never kissed anyone before!" Kazran said worriedly. "What do I do?"
"Well, try and be nervous and rubbish and a bit shaky," the Doctor advised.
Kazran and Alex stared at him. "Why should he do that?" Alex questioned.
"Because he's going to be like that anyway," the Doctor shrugged. "Might as well make it part of the plan, then it'll feel on purpose."
Alex shook her head. The Doctor's lack of romantic expertise was truly astounding. You didn't seem that nervous when you kissed me, she thought, but didn't say. She knew better than to say that. She turned to Kazran. "Just . . . be yourself," she advised. "As long as you're yourself and confident, you'll be okay." She reached out and shoved Kazran back towards Abigail. "Now, shoo! Go!"
"What, now?" Kazran questioned, turning back to her with nervous eyes. "I kiss her now?"
The Doctor looked at him seriously, placing a hand on his shoulder. "Kazran, trust me. It's this or go to your room and design a new kind of screwdriver. Don't make my mistakes."
Alex stared at him. "You must've been quite the ladies' man in school," she wryly commented.
The Doctor ignored her. "Now, like Ally said, shoo!" He shoved Kazran towards Abigail and, after a brief over the shoulder glance at them, Kazran went on. The two watched as he approached Abigail. The second he regained his place in front of her, Abigail pulled him in for a deep, long kiss. They were so absorbed in it, they didn't even hear the TARDIS leave.
~Living the Life of Ally~
They went to several places. The Statue of Liberty – the old one, not the New New York one – Uluru, the Sydney Opera House, the Empire State Building – the Doctor triple checking to make sure they hadn't landed in 1930, for some reason – even the Eiffel Tower. Alex loved all of those trips, except for one. That would be the party the Doctor took them to in Hollywood, 1952.
Alex stood off by herself in some bushes behind the pool outside a huge Hollywood mansion that belonged to some huge star from this time period. Frank Sinatra? Humphrey Bogart? Regardless, the party was positively thrilling, full of celebrities she remembered watching on Turner Classic Movies when she was a little girl. She had even dressed up for the occasion, now wearing a light pink, strapless, lace cocktail dress with matching pink heels and silver dangly earrings.
She fiddled with her sonic necklace a little, glancing behind her as laughter came from the house. The Doctor had ushered her to the balcony doors a few minutes ago, right when she was in the middle of chatting with Spencer Tracy, of all people. Alex hadn't been sure what his motivation for separating her from Spencer Tracy had been. He couldn't possibly think the handsome actor was interested in her, could he? Everyone at this party knew he was having an affair with Katharine Hepburn!
Alex sighed and made a move towards the house. She was going to go back in there and party, regardless of whether or not the Doctor thought all the male celebrities in there had amorous intentions towards her. Just as she was starting to walk up, Kazran came running down from the house. He headed to the entrance of the pool, completely missing Alex.
"Abigail, are you coming back?" he asked as he rushed up. Alex turned to see him approaching Abigail, who was standing by the pool. Apparently, she had been there for some time, because Alex had completely missed her. "The Doctor is going to do a duet with Frank!"
Now that I have to see, Alex thought, but her good mood was interrupted when Kazran suddenly said, "Abigail? What's wrong?"
Alex frowned and inched closer to the bushes to try and listen.
"I have something to tell you," Abigail admitted, her voice fragile and clearly upset.
"A bad thing?" Kazran guessed.
"A very bad thing."
"What is it?"
"The truth."
Alex shifted even closer to try and hear them, but was unable to for two reasons; one, they were too far away and were now whispering, and two, the Doctor was now running up, and his appearance pretty much became the epicenter of Alex's concentration. She turned and gaped at him. His bowtie was undone, and a pair of lips was outlined on his face in red lipstick.
"Doctor? What happened to you?" Alex questioned. Honestly, what could he have gotten into? She had only been gone for five minutes!
The Doctor tugged his shirt collar. He had gotten changed for the party too, in a nice white shirt and dinner jacket that Alex had been eyeing him in ever since he put it on. "Well . . . long story. I sort of, accidentally, got engaged to Marilyn Monroe and now she's phoning a car. Oh. Not as long a story as I thought it would be!"
But Alex barely heard him. Her blood was boiling and pounding at the thought that Marilyn Monroe had dared to kiss her Doctor. Her Doctor, not Marilyn's! That bottle-blonde dared to think that she could try and marry the Doctor, just like River Song did? Well, Alex was not going to let that happen. Not at all.
"What?!" she screeched, her eyes flashing dangerously.
"Yes, thank you!" the Doctor said, too caught up in his own worries to focus on Alex's obvious blazing jealousy. "Now, let's go get Kazran and Abigail and get out of here!" He grabbed Alex's hand and pulled her towards the swimming pool and over to Kazran and Abigail. Much to Alex's surprise, the two were now kissing, and they didn't show any signs of stopping.
"Guys, we've really got to go quite quickly!" the Doctor chattered as he ran up to them. "I just accidentally got engaged to Marilyn Monroe!" However, it didn't seem as though Kazran and Abigail cared about his newly engaged status for they continued kissing. The Doctor peered at them, reminding Alex of what he had done with Amy and Rory during the Big Bang fiasco. "How do you keep going like that? Do you breathe out your ears? Hello? Sorry! Guys, she's phoned a chapel. There's a car outside! This is happening—"
"Yoo-hoo!" a new voice called out.
Alex whirled around. Squinting out into the distance, she could just barely make out the figure of Marilyn Monroe, looking like the bombshell the papers of this time labeled her as in a white dress, curled and coiffed blonde hair, and sky high heels. She waved at the Doctor, missing Alex completely.
The Doctor turned around and distractedly waved at her. "Yoo-hoo," he called back. He turned back to Kazran and Abigail, who still showed no signs of stopping their makeout session. He sighed and rolled his eyes at them. "Right. Fine. Thank you. I'll just go and get married then, shall I?"
YOU'LL WHAT?! Alex mentally screamed.
The Doctor straightened his jacket lapels. He really didn't want to get married to Marilyn Monroe. Every single part of him was against it. But what else could he do? He and Alex had already objected to everyone at the party that they weren't an item. After that, it didn't take long for Marilyn to nab him, having literally pulled him into the coat closet for a snog. Therefore, he couldn't really ask Alex to cover and say she was his wife. Therefore, there really weren't any other options.
"See how you like that," he retorted to an oblivious Kazran and Abigail. He turned around to face Marilyn, not seeing the furious and upset expression on Alex's face. "Marilyn! Get your coat!" He started to stride off, when he suddenly turned to address Alex. "Ally, you coming?"
To watch you get married to that blonde slut? No! But of course, Alex didn't say this. Instead, she just shook her head and tried her best to look indifferent. "No, I think I'll stay here, Doc. Um . . . keep these two in line," she said slightly awkwardly, nodding her head at the still lip locked Kazran and Abigail.
The Doctor nodded. To be honest, he wasn't sure if he wanted Alex to witness his marriage to Marilyn. It would feel like . . . like she was watching him marry River Song. "Oh, um, of course. Yes, probably best anyway."
Alex nodded, her eyes becoming enraptured with the cracks in the concrete surrounding the pool. "Yeah. Um . . . have fun."
The Doctor nodded, his eyes also fixated on the ground. "Yeah," he murmured before abruptly swirling around and heading off towards his future of becoming Mr. Marilyn Monroe.
Alex waited until he was out of sight before storming back up to the house. She felt like her heart was shattering into a million pieces. Her bottom lip quivered, and she bit down on it harshly. No! She would not cry. She would not cry over that absolutely brilliant, perfect man that at this very moment was off getting hitched to Marilyn Monroe of all people. Instead, she would do what she always did back in Bristol whenever a guy did her wrong: have as much fun without him as possible.
Her heels clicked sharply against the marble floors of the back entranceway. Cigarette smoke floated in little wisps above her head, the air wreaking of it, expensive perfume, and money. Alex was vaguely aware of people noticing her stormy glare and hastening out of her way. She spotted Clark Gable and Gregory Peck ducking into an alcove to try and avoid her and Audrey Hepburn watching her with a slightly worried expression over the tip of her long cigarette holder. Alex ignored them. There were bigger things on her mind and right now, she was going to try and make them disappear.
She marched up to the sleek oak bar that had been set up in a corner of the study she had just entered. The bartender looked up expectantly as she approached.
Alex gave him a cat-like grin and leaned against the bar. "Flaming Dr. Pepper and a shot of bourbon," she requested. "And make both extra dirty."
~Living the Life of Ally~
The Doctor lugged Alex over his shoulder, the girl giggling crazily and flopping around like a sack of feathers as he carried her out of the TARDIS. Honestly, what had possessed her? How could she get so drunk like that?
Thank God Frank had found the number for the chapel that Marilyn had dragged him to so that he could call and warn him that Alex was drinking a tumbler of whiskey by the minute and didn't look like she was going to stop anytime soon. Frank had sounded rather mad at the Doctor, as though he had caused all of this. The Doctor, needless to say, had ran off down the aisle before the priest could even finish the vows and had raced back to the house to get Alex and a now smooching-less Kazran and Abigail.
"Whee!" Alex whooped as the Doctor turned around quickly to set her down against an icebox.
The Doctor shook his head at her, absently wondering whether he still had any of those hangover-dissolution pills in the TARDIS med bay. He turned away from the drunk Alex to watch Kazran escorting Abigail back to her icebox.
"Good night, Abigail," Kazran said, his voice slightly hard and distant.
"Good night, Kazran," Abigail said, her voice breaking a little as she stepped inside the box. Kazran wordlessly shut the door, plunging Abigail back into a deep-freeze.
The Doctor stepped away from Alex, who was giggling at a nearby school of fish. "There we go," he said, stepping up to Kazran. "Another day, another Christmas Eve. I'll see you in a minute, eh? I mean, a year." He then looked back at Alex. "Well, maybe an hour for me. Rassilon knows how long it will take for her to sober up."
Kazran shifted a little, not even amused by the Doctor's quip on Alex's drunk state. "Doctor? Listen . . . why don't we leave it?"
The Doctor blinked at him. "Sorry, leave what?"
"Oh, you know, this. Every Christmas Eve. It's getting a bit old."
The two didn't even notice Alex suddenly stiffen, her alcohol-addled brain suddenly clearing up upon hearing these words. "Old?" the Doctor repeated.
"Well, Christmas is for kids, isn't it?" Kazran reasoned. "I've got some work with my dad now. I'm going to focus on that. Get that cloud belt under control."
What did Abigail tell him? Alex wondered, her mind clear of all alcohol-related thoughts, now replaced by worry for what the future held now that Kazran seemed to be reverting to his miser state.
"Sorry, I didn't realize I was boring you," the Doctor apologized, even though he was wondering what could have happened in the time that he was gone with Marilyn.
"Not your fault," Kazran shrugged. He started to walk away. "Times change."
"Not as much as I hoped," the Doctor muttered. Then, noticing that Kazran was walking off, he hastened to catch up with him. "Kazran! I'll be needing a new one, anyway. What the hell?" He handed him his half of the sonic screwdriver. "Merry Christmas. And if you ever need us, just activate it. We'll hear you."
"I won't need you," Kazran said stiffly.
"What happened?" Alex demanded, coming up behind the Doctor. The two men stared at her, surprised by her sudden lucidity. "What did Abigail tell you? Why are you acting like you barely even care about her anymore?"
"I do care about her!" Kazran snapped.
Alex stared him down. "Really. So, you're just going to leave her in her icebox for the rest of your life? You're just going to completely forget about her now?"
Kazran glared at her, but if he meant to intimidate her, he obviously didn't know who he was dealing with. "I know where to find her," he coolly, gesturing to the vault around him before storming up to the door.
The Doctor and Alex watched him go, their hearts heavy. "Yeah," they muttered.
~Living the Life of Ally~
"Here, take these," the Doctor ordered, thrusting two small, round, white pills and a glass of water at Alex.
Alex took the items but eyed them suspiciously. "What are they?"
"Hangover-dissolution pills," the Doctor replied as he shook off his dinner jacket and disappeared down the hall towards the wardrobe room. Alex followed along behind him, biting her lip to keep from moaning as she saw him unbuttoning his shirt. "They literally rid your system of all alcohol you've drank in the past twelve hours and prevent a hangover. Quite remarkable, really."
Well, that was handy. Alex obediently took the pills and leaned against the doorframe leading to the wardrobe room, watching as the Doctor disappeared behind a changing screen. "So how did the wedding go, Mr. Monroe?" she called out, hoping her voice didn't sound as bitter as she felt.
"There was no wedding," the Doctor revealed as he turned to grab a new shirt off a hanger, completely missing Alex's ecstatic grin. "I received a call from Frank during the ceremony telling me that you were drinking yourself into oblivion."
Alex allowed herself a little smirk. She knew her little drinking fit would work out in the end. "Oh, really?" she said, trying her best to sound innocent.
The Doctor let out a huff of breath. "Honestly, Alexandria, what possessed you?!" he exclaimed, fastening the buttons on his shirt. "Do you know how much trouble you could've gotten into?"
"I could've gotten us kicked out for throwing up on Frank Sinatra's carpet?" Alex guessed.
"No," the Doctor deadpanned. "Someone could've tried to take advantage of you in your intoxicated state. Some of the celebrities there were real ladies' men, Alexandria. They took who they wanted, and they didn't always ask permission. If something had happened, you would've been defenseless. I wasn't there to protect you and Kazran and Abigail were doing God-knows-what and weren't much help either!"
Alex's face paled. She honestly hadn't considered that. All she had been focused on was trying to forget the Doctor's agreeing to marrying Marilyn Monroe. She had been trying to block out the image of him with another woman's lipstick on his cheek. She had been trying not to imagine the blonde undoing his bowtie in the confines of some coat closet. She had been trying to forget the physical pain that came whenever she saw someone flirting with him, and how that pain intensified by a thousand whenever he flirted back.
Oh God. She had put herself in danger tonight. What had she been thinking?! She was smarter than this! Back in Bristol, she had been responsible with her drinking. She hardly ever drank on school-nights, and at parties on the weekend, she kept her drink close on her, sometimes switching it out for another just to make sure no one had slipped her something when she wasn't looking. However, it seemed that her love for the Doctor clouded her judgment. It was like she had been thinking earlier; spending so much time with the Doctor and nothing happening was becoming too much for her. What if . . . what if she needed to leave?
Don't think that! Alex snapped to herself. No, she couldn't, shouldn't, be thinking things like that. Right now, she needed to concentrate on the problem at hand. "Um . . . right. I'm sorry." Alex bit her lip, hoping he wouldn't hate her for what she had done in a bitter and jealous mood.
The Doctor sighed, not finding the energy or the heart to be mad or disappointed in her. She was safe. That was all that mattered. That and saving Amy and Rory. "It's okay, Ally," he assured her, stepping out from behind the screen, now back in his original outfit. "Just forget it, because now, we have to figure out what went wrong with Kazran."
~Living the Life of Ally~
The Doctor landed the TARDIS outside Kazran's bedroom window, a year after he had last saw them. The Doctor stepped out first, followed by Alex, who had changed back into the outfit she had been wearing before. The two stepped up to the window. Inside, they could see Kazran at his desk, holding the Doctor's half of the sonic screwdriver.
Alex reached out to knock on the window. Kazran spun around almost instantly. For a moment, he gaped at the two. But just as quickly, an expression of stony displeasure appeared. He stormed up to the window and shut the curtains in their faces.
The Doctor sighed. "I was afraid this would happen. Time for Plan B then."
"Plan B?" Alex repeated. "We're way past Plan B, Doc. It's more like D or E."
The Doctor didn't respond, instead taking out the comm he had linked with the Ponds. "Amy?" he called into it. "We're going to need your help. Does your ship, by any chance, have a hologram app?"
A/N: They kissed under the mistletoe! Aw! Also, a little bit angsty at the end, but it worked out okay. :)
Notes on reviews. . .
ShadowTeir - Thank you! That means so much! Hope you liked this chapter! :)
Gwilwillith - Thank you! :)
ElysiumPhoenix - Yes, more Dalex fluff! Lol, yeah, I love that part. Yep, a twelve year old sees it! They are so oblivious. . . Glad you liked the chapter! :)
mayfire21 - Oh, wow, I never thought that! Yeah, the spider in that movie was creepy! :)
jesterlover - I know, how oblivious can two people be? Unfortunately, it's quite common. Hope you liked the chapter! :)
SopherGopher'sAwesomeSister - Yep, she told me, and I hope she's having fun! :) Lol, yes, Alex can make the Doctor do pretty much whatever she wants, something that will be brought up in a future story. :) Yeah, it would be cool to have random fish swimming everywhere, although I think my cat would have a nervous breakdown trying to catch them all. :) Ooh...I make no promises! :)
rycbar15 - Yes, I think that describes him to a tee. :) Glad you liked that part! It was one of my favorites to write. :)
