The Pros and Cons of Silence

by DarkSideofParis

*SEQUEL TO LIVING THE LIFE OF ALLY* Alex knew her life would never be the same again after she met the Doctor, but she never expected to witness his death, learn of an alien cult gunning for him, nor begin suffering mysterious pain attacks. And, of course, River. But maybe these wild events will finally get them to admit their love? 11/OC AU Season 6. 2nd in the Alex Locke Series.

39. Adjusting - July

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

~The Pros and Cons of Silence~

July 4th, 2011

Alex was in high spirits, practically bouncing around her bedroom as she prepared for the day.

It was the Fourth of July! One of her favorite holidays. A time for fireworks, barbeques, eating her weight in hot dogs and Marigold's famous chicken salad, sparklers and, most importantly, fireworks!

She had always been fascinated by fireworks. Alex swore she could recall attending one of the Macy's Fourth of July Fireworks Spectacular shows when she was a child in New York. She could almost smell the stench of the East River, feel the press of bodies against her, as well as someone – possibly her father – lifting her onto their shoulders to better view the magnificent show in the sky. But she had no idea if it was a real memory or not.

Still, even if she hadn't actually seen those fireworks in person, watching them on TV was still fun. That's what she, Lacey, and their friends had done at Marigold's annual barbeque for as long as Alex could remember. After performing their other tradition of watching Independence Day, they would pile on the couch, eyes glued to the dazzling display, and sing along to the patriotic tunes (Ross always got particularly boisterous on 'Yankee Doodle Dandy'). They would set off their own fireworks as well. One year, Mike somehow got a hold of illegal bottle rockets. However, they had only managed to set one off before Marigold got wind of it and confiscated all the rest. But that was okay. They'd still been able to celebrate.

Alex wasn't naïve enough to think her birth country was perfect. Far from it, really. The so-called 'land of the free' wasn't free for everyone. But hopefully, someday, it would be. That was what Alex liked to celebrate on the Fourth of July; not what the United States had been when it was founded or what it currently was, but what it could be.

But in England, there weren't any big celebrations. The Fourth of July was . . . well, the Fourth of July. The only time fireworks were set off here was on Guy Fawkes Night and New Year's Eve. In addition, since she was the only American in Leadworth, on this day, Alex was forced to listen to no end of 'ungrateful colonial' jokes. Occasionally there would be a Boston Tea Party joke, such as last year when Archie asked her when her country intended to pay for the tea they destroyed, but it was mostly uncreative colonial jibes.

Still, Alex wasn't going to let the lack of a celebration ruin her festive mood. She knew Rory had some sparklers hidden in his study that they would set off later tonight. There was chicken salad in the fridge (not Marigold's, but good enough) that she could eat while watching the live-stream of Macy's fireworks on her laptop. She had no plans, however, to watch Independence Day. After learning about so many attempted invasions of Earth from the Doctor, the alien-horror movie genre had lost its appeal. Instead, she intended to watch her DVD of the History Channel's in depth docu-series, America: The Story of US.

Alex hummed 'Stars and Stripes Forever' as she dressed; white blouse with three-quarter length sleeves, shorts patterned with the American flag stars on one side and the stripes on the other, white Converse, and dangly earrings with red, white, and blue beads, all topped off with her favorite bright red lipstick.

"Good lord," Amy exclaimed upon Alex entering the kitchen. "You look like the American flag."

Alex merely smiled and headed for the coffeepot. "I did try." She had just poured herself a cup when Rory came in.

"Happy treason day, you ungrateful colonist!" he beamed, ruffling Alex's hair for good measure.

Alex swatted his hand away. "Thanks," she said with a roll of her eyes.

But Rory wasn't finished. "Amy, should we hide all the tea? Less our revolutionist here gets the idea to toss it into the village pond."

Amy snickered while Alex rolled her eyes again. "You two do realize," Alex said, "that the Boston Tea Party happened on December 16th, 1773, right? That the 4th of July is when the Second Continental Congress signed the Declaration of Independence? Although," she added, her head tilted in thought, "there is some dispute among historians as to when the Declaration was signed. Congress actually voted to approve a resolution of independence on July 2nd, with several claiming they signed the Declaration two days later, but some historians think it was actually signed a month later, on August 2nd—"

"Okay!" Amy cried, holding her hand up. "Enough with the history lesson. How do you even know all that anyway?"

"Social studies."

Rory frowned. "There's no way, not with how much I've heard you criticize the American public education system."

"Well," Alex shrugged, "in my seventh-grade social studies class, we had to memorize the Declaration's preamble. Memorizing it didn't take me very long, so I amused myself by reading the rest of the Declaration and stuff about it. I got extra credit for that."

Amy and Rory weren't surprised. When it came to academics (or learning in general), Alex didn't just learn the bare minimum needed to pass the tests. She fully immersed herself in various facts and figures on whatever she was studying. Had she gone anywhere other than Octavian, they had no doubt that she would have been a shining student, well on her way to a master's degree and then a Ph.D.

"Anyhow," Alex continued, "what's on your agenda for the day, Ponds?"

"Golfing with Dad, since I have the day off," Rory answered, not sounding very pleased about it. Not about spending time with his dad, Alex knew, but golf. Rory had told her on more than one occasion that he didn't see the point in the sport.

"Job interview!" Amy chirped. "For the new bookstore."

Alex couldn't hide her surprise if she tried. She stared at Amy in disbelief. "A job?"

Amy shot her a mild glare. "Yes, a job! Don't look so stunned. Otherwise, if the interview goes well, I may not let you use my employee discount."

Alex obligingly switched her expression to something more neutral, but she was still rather shocked. Amy had quit being a kissogram after she and Rory married but, what with traveling with the Doctor, hadn't tried for another job. There wasn't really any need to though. Between Rory and Alex's jobs, they were more than able to pay the rent, utilities, and for various household needs, such as groceries and take-out. But then again, maybe it wasn't about money. Maybe Amy just wanted to do something during the day that didn't involve watching reruns of Gavin & Stacy or poking through the library's history section.

Besides, it would be good for Amy to have something to focus on other than Melody right now. Since she'd spoken to the Doctor on her anniversary, Amy had been pestering Alex on any information she might have gleamed from him on Melody's whereabouts.

It made Alex sick inside that she had to lie, even if it was necessary. But Amy was still so optimistic that her baby would be returned to her. Just the other day, Alex had caught her flipping through a baby magazine, circling cribs she was interested in. It was such a hopeful and optimistic action. As much as Alex wanted Amy to face reality, how could she possibly crush her friend's spirit like that? She strongly suspected that spirit was what had enabled Amy to go this long without completely breaking down. Besides, even if she was allowed to tell Amy the truth, Alex really didn't want to tell her about the nunchucks or the disemboweled teddy bears. Those just weren't the kinds of things anyone wanted to hear, let alone a mother about her child.

Inwardly grimacing at these dark thoughts, Alex forced a bright smile. "I'll keep my fingers crossed," she promised. "And I'll hold you to that employee discount."

~The Pros and Cons of Silence~

Much to Alex's surprise, Kendra was already at the library when she arrived. Unsurprisingly, she hadn't bothered to do any work. The periodical and bathroom doors were still locked, the window blinds were still shuttered, and none of the computers had been turned on. Kendra was simply perched in her chair, examining something in her lap.

With a sigh, Alex dropped her purse on her chair and set to work on the windows. Sunlight soon streamed through the blinds, casting patterns on the floor.

Kendra looked up when the window closest to her was opened. She held a hand up against the sunlight. Squinting, she studied Alex's outfit. "You look like Fourth of July Barbie," she declared.

Alex rolled her eyes. "Thanks. I was aiming." She glanced at the object in Kendra's lap. It was a book. Wow, Alex thought, her eyes widening. I didn't even think she could read! "What're you reading?"

"Oh, one of my favorites!" Kendra held the book up triumphantly. It was a slightly tattered copy of Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets.

Alex blinked. Forget Kendra being able to read, or even Amy deciding to get a job. The biggest shock of the day had to be that she and Kendra had something in common. "You like Harry Potter?"

It was Kendra's turn to roll her eyes. The look on her face suggested that Alex had said something completely idiotic. "Well, duh! Who doesn't? Unless. . ." She wrinkled her nose disapprovingly. "Do you not like it?"

"No, no!" Alex cried. "No, I love Harry Potter. I've read the whole series."

"Me too. I bawled like a baby when Snape died."

"Me too!" Alex could still vividly remember locking herself in her room at Marigold's, determined not to come out until she finished Deathly Hallows. She'd read the book in just under 24 hours and had profusely wept during the final quarter. First Dobby being killed by Bellatrix, then the deaths of Remus, Tonks, and Fred, then Snape being murdered. That book had killed her emotionally. "I was always hoping that there was more to him that J. K. let on."

Kendra beamed. "Me too. But I'll never forgive her for killing him off. Or Fred, for that matter."

Ales hesitated for a moment before confiding, "The part with Dobby always makes me cry."

Kendra sighed. "Don't remind me. I may just skip that part."

Alex went to another window and opened the blinds. "You're re-reading the series?"

"Yeah, before the final film comes out. Doubt I'll finish in time though."

Alex nodded sympathetically, but she knew the same couldn't be said for her. After finishing the Outlander series and then a new library arrival, A Discovery of Witches (and bemoaning the wait for a sequel), she'd turned her attention to a re-read of the Harry Potter series before the final film came out on the 15th. She had blazed through the first two books and was already halfway through her favorite, Prisoner of Azkaban.

Kendra marked her place with a folded sticky-note. "Are you going to see it? Deathly Hallows 2?"

"Absolutely," Alex grinned. "I managed to score a ticket to the midnight premiere in Gloucester."

Kendra groaned. "Lucky! I wanted to get one, but they sold out before I could. I'll just have to trudge up there with half of England the day after."

For the rest of the morning, in between patrons, Alex and Kendra continued to find common ground over their love of Harry Potter. They revealed their Hogwarts houses (Kendra was a Hufflepuff, Alex a Ravenclaw), their favorite characters (Kendra adored Fred whereas Alex had loved Hermione from the moment she appeared on the page), and the various pros and cons of the books vs. the movies. Both agreed that the scene where the Weasley's meet the Dursley's in Goblet of Fire should have been included in the film version, that Kreacher should have been given more screen time in Order of the Phoenix, and that movie Ron was an absolute ass compared to the book version. Kendra was convinced that the filmmakers had thought Harry/Hermione would be 'endgame' instead of Romione. Alex had agreed that she couldn't help but ship the film versions of Harry and Hermione together.

Throughout their conversation, Alex found her opinion of Kendra slowly rising. Sure, she couldn't shelve books or vacuum to save her life, but at least she had some good literary taste and opinions.

The library was moderately busy. Most of the patrons were parents and their children, coming in to report their progress for the library's first annual summer reading program. Alex was quite proud of it. She had enjoyed the annual reading program at the Bristol Public Library, always managing to out-read the other participants. She'd been wanting to institute a similar program in Leadworth since her first day on the job, but it had taken until now, three years later, for it to actually happen.

Alex had divided the program into three sections: children, teens, and adults. Naturally, the children division had the largest number of participants. Jimmy Temple was the current front-runner, at twenty-five books and counting. Whoever made it to fifty books by the end of August would win a free tote bag and gift certificates to Bello Italiano and Michael's ice-cream cart. Prizes for teens and adults were varying cash amounts, a Bello Italiano gift certificate, and a tote bag.

For the adult division, Elsie Margraves was the current leader. Shortly after her shift ended at one thirty, she arrived with a stack of freshly read romance novels and her punch-in card.

"You were right," she declared as she handed Alex the stack of books. "A Discovery of Witches killed me in the best possible way."

Alex laughed and started punching Elsie's card. "I told you Diana and Matthew were amazing." While the love story had definitely been a selling point for Alex, the alchemical bits had been especially intriguing. The Doctor had recommended a few books on the subject which Alex intended to dive into after her Harry Potter marathon.

"I hate that we have to wait a year for the sequel," Elsie said, leaning against the desk. "I want to find out what happens!"

"Me too. I'm especially curious about the time travel."

"Oh, yeah! That's gotta be interesting. Elizabethan England . . . wonder if they'll run into Shakespeare?"

"I'd love if that happened." Though Alex was less curious about potential legendary playwrights making a cameo than she was of seeing how time travel in the series would be portrayed. Try as she might, since she started traveling with the Doctor, she had become a lot more critical of how time travel was portrayed in the media. It was very disheartening to note how many TV shows, movies, and books ignored the consequences of paradoxes.

At that moment, her Blackberry rang. Alex smirked at the ringtone. Instead of her typical Rascal Flatts, her phone was playing the chorus to Katy Perry's E.T., something she had programmed it to do when one specific person called.

Her smirk immediately captured Kendra's attention. "Oooh, looks like the boyfriend's calling," she grinned.

Normally, Alex would have ignored her or chastised her, but her unexpected bonding with Kendra had left her in a pretty good mood. "Yep! I'll be right back," she said as she stood and made her way to the bathroom. It had become her de facto place for talking to the Doctor, a safe place where they could flirt or divulge inner desires or anxieties without the fear of anyone overhearing.

The Doctor's voice rang out the moment Alex answered. "Happy Independence Day, my dear Ally. Quick question. 'The pursuit of happiness' means it's cool to hit on you, right?"

Alex made a half laughing, half groaning sound. "That was awful," she chuckled. "You have to be Googling these."

"I admit nothing!" the Doctor said cheerfully. He waited until Alex's giggling died down before asking, in a more serious tone, "And how are you, Ally? Really. Any more . . . incidents that I should know about?"

Alex sighed and slumped back against the door. Ever since she'd discovered that scratched-up birthday photo, after hitting her up with a cheesy pick-up line, the Doctor immediately asked this question.

Alex still shuddered at the memory. She couldn't remember exactly how long she'd sat in her chair, clutching the ruined photo to her chest. All she could focus on was her terror, the sudden feeling that she was no longer safe. She was just starting to get accustomed to not being so paranoid all the time. She'd stopped doing her daily security checks at the library every morning, had resisted the urge to carry Mace everywhere she went, and she was even able to walk into Vernon and Son's Chemists without her heartbeats (or was it heartsbeat?) racing, threatening to beat right out of her chest.

Neither Kendra nor any of her castmates could understand what was wrong with her. Archie kept snapping his fingers in her face, trying to get her to focus on him. Kendra had managed to pry the photo from her tight grip. "Oh, Alex!" she'd groaned. "Someone's ruined your lovely photo!"

Veronica had taken one look at it and simply shook her head. "Probably Mels," she said. "I told you that girl needs to be sectioned."

But Alex hadn't been able to respond to any of them. Eventually, Archie had located her phone and called Rory. The moment Rory arrived and saw the ruined photo, he'd immediately whisked Alex away, barking over his shoulder for someone other than Kendra to lock up. Once at home, he'd sat Alex in the living room and managed to coax a cup of tea mixed with a bit of Maker's Mark down her throat. Upon learning of what happened, a visibly shaken Amy sat beside Alex, not moving from her side despite Rory's best efforts. Alex greatly appreciated the gesture.

Eventually, Alex had managed to snap out of it long enough to call the Doctor, as she'd promised. But instead of picking up from their heated conversation and letting it snowball into more exciting, intimate activities, Alex had immediately told him all about the destroyed photo. He'd spent half the night calming her down, doing his best to reassure her that the feeling of dread she felt was probably nothing but remnants of anxiety and fear from her time at Demons Run, that the photo scratching was likely just a prank. Still, Alex had heard the genuine concern and worry in his voice. She knew that no matter how much he assured her it was just a prank, he wouldn't think the same until he got concrete evidence of it.

Ever since then, each time he called, after amusing her with another – most certainly Googled – pickup line, he would then ask her if anything else out of the ordinary had occurred. Alex was always happy to report that nothing had. She had reprinted the birthday photo, but she hadn't set it up on her desk yet. That seemed too much like tempting fate. For now, it rested on her nightstand at the house, something she could look at in the lonely hours before dawn as a reminder that she wasn't really alone.

In regards to the progress she'd been making. . . Alex had resumed her daily security checks, carried Mace on her key-chain, and had started wondering if maybe she shouldn't beg the Doctor to come back to Leadworth and get her. Or even fly out to Bristol for the rest of the summer. Each time she thought that though, Alex almost immediately dismissed it. She couldn't leave Amy and Rory in the lurch, drop her commitment to Archie and the others, and she definitely couldn't leave Kendra in charge of the library for two months. The villagers might revolt.

And, most especially, she did not want to let any possible Silence spies have this win.

The whole situation was quite infuriating, really. She had been doing so well. Then the incident with the photo happened and it was like she had taken one step forwards and three steps back.

"No," she said now. "Nothing at all. Unless you count the near run-in with Mrs. Temple and Elsie at church yesterday." Alex was convinced that if she hadn't steered Elsie away, Mrs. Temple would have gone after her with her new sharp acrylic nails.

"I don't," he said flatly. The Doctor sighed, long and heavy, and Alex grimaced. He really shouldn't be worrying about her. He'd dropped her off in Leadworth two months ago for the precise purpose of not worrying about her. This summer was supposed to be a time of recuperation, healing, as well as a bit of fun in the sun, play rehearsing, and eating more ice cream than most would consider healthy. It was not supposed to consist of worrying about a possible Kovarian-led attack or someone trying to gaslight her.

Again, it was infuriating.

"I'm sorry," she murmured.

"No, no, love, do not be sorry. You're perfectly entitled to worry, after everything that's happened." The Doctor paused and before he spoke again, Alex knew he had come to some kind of decision. "Alex, I've made a decision. And you may not like it."

I can't wait to hear this, then. Instead of saying that, though, Alex said, "Go on."

"I've asked UNIT to send an operative to Leadworth until the end of August. Someone who can keep an eye on you and the Ponds, make sure there's no trouble anywhere."

Sure enough, Alex didn't like it. "Doctor, I don't need a babysitter!"

"This is not a babysitter," the Doctor snapped, and Alex could tell by his tone that this was not up for discussion. "This operative will be someone highly trained, who can keep a lookout for any alien activity. Perhaps a Silence operative is stationed in Leadworth, keeping an eye on you and Pond. Perhaps not. Either way though, the peace of mind it brings me knowing you have help nearby just in case is relieving, to say the least."

Alex's annoyance died a quick death. The Doctor was rightfully worried about her and Amy. Even though Kovarian and the Silence had shown no signs of being around Leadworth, that didn't mean they weren't out there somewhere. Alex wasn't sure what further use they could have of her and Amy – Amy had given birth to their so-called weapon, and they'd altered Alex's body for whatever reason – but still, it was practically naïve to think that they weren't possibly keeping an eye on them. Even if they were currently searching for Melody (assuming they hadn't already managed to track her down), it seemed highly questionable that they wouldn't have someone watching Leadworth, hiding in the shadows.

Alex shivered. She knew the Doctor wasn't trying to scare her, but too late. The fear was already there, firm and deep. Plus, as the Doctor had said, having someone from UNIT in their vicinity would make him worry less. The last thing they needed was for him to be worried. He needed to be focused on finding Melody and getting into those files.

Alex sighed. "Okay," she said softly. "Do what you want. But don't think that Amy won't have a few things to say on the subject."

"I have no doubt she'll be swiping your cell phone again to give me all her thoughts on it. But thank you, Alex. Really. Just . . . just know that I want to keep you safe, alright? I couldn't keep that lot from snatching you and Pond, but I swear I'm not gonna let it happen again."

"That wasn't your fault, Doc, but okay. When's the UNIT operative going to be here? And do you know who they're sending?"

"I spoke to Colonel Mace. I worked with him before during the ATMOS debacle. He said they would be in Leadworth within at least twenty-four hours. I have no idea who's going to show up though. Shame Lethbridge-Stewart is retired. You'd like Alistair," he mused. "You two would get on like a house on fire."

Alex grinned. Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart figured prominently in the Doctor's stories about his days working as UNIT's scientific advisor. She'd never actually met the man, but she was sure the Doctor's prediction was right. "I wish he was the one coming. I bet he's got a lot of funny stories about you."

"Certainly not," the Doctor said a bit too quickly.

"Well, no matter who shows up, Doc, I promise I won't scare them off."

"Good. Will you call once they arrive?"

"Of course."

"Excellent. Now that we've got that out of the way, tell me about that run-in between Mrs. Temple and Elsie yesterday."

Alex giggled. "So much for not doing domestics, eh, Doc?"

"What can I say? You're an exception to my rules, love."

~The Pros and Cons of Silence~

"A babysitter?!" Amy screeched. She wielded the knife she was using to chop tomatoes a bit threateningly, as though it were the Doctor standing in front of her, not Alex.

Alex took a half step back. "He says it's not a babysitter, Ames," she said calmly. She knew Amy wouldn't react well to the idea of someone keeping an eye on them, as if they were clueless children, but there wasn't anything that could be done about it now. "The Doctor insists that it will be a highly trained operative who knows how to look for potential threats."

"And we can't do that?!" Amy returned to chopping tomatoes on the cutting board. Alex made no comment on how her chops were a bit harsher than they had been a minute ago. "What's the point of traveling through space and time if we, of all people, can't spot an alien threat?!"

Rory, seated at the kitchen table flipping through today's issue of The Leadworth Chronicle, spoke up. "Amy, I'm sure it's not like that. The Doctor's just worried, that's all."

"Maybe, but now that I think about it, I bet whoever slashed his face up in your photo meant it as a prank, Alex. A really stupid, scary prank, but a prank, nonetheless. It was probably one of the Dennis boys. They were at the library that day, weren't they? They've always been little buggers."

"It's true," Rory said neutrally. "Remember when they threw baseballs through all of Mrs. Delia's windows? In the middle of February?"

Alex leaned back against the kitchen counter, crossing her arms. "I remember."

"See?" Amy cried. "The Doctor's just overreacting. We don't need a UNIT agent coming down here and watching us like a mother hen."

"The Doctor made it pretty clear he's not changing his mind. And frankly, I don't really want to waste energy trying to convince him to."

Amy swept the now completely chopped tomato pieces off the cutting board and into a pan. "So you think he's right?" Her voice was a lot quieter now. The hand holding the knife trembled. "That there is a threat?"

Alex hesitated before answering. She knew Amy wanted her to lie, to say of course not, there was no threat. Amy and Rory had both been extremely shaken by the scratched-up photo, but as time went on, they had started wondering if it might be a prank. Alex suspected they were trying to convince themselves that that was exactly what had occurred. She couldn't blame them. None of them wanted to think about being in danger in Leadworth, a village where the most dangerous thing was Alex driving rapidly along the road late at night. Leadworth was supposed to be their safe place, a place where they could recuperate from their travels with the Doctor, a place where they didn't have to worry about Daleks or Cybermen lurking around the corner. And now, thanks to this mysterious scratched-up photo, along with Amy and Alex's kidnapping, that safety they felt here had been almost completely obliterated.

But Alex couldn't convince herself that the photo scratching had been a prank. Someone very, very angry had defaced it and they had destroyed only the Doctor's face. If it had been a prank, why not destroy her face as well?

The only conclusion Alex could come to was that it wasn't a prank. Someone was pissed off at the Doctor. No one in Leadworth knew him or discussed him, so that meant it had to be someone who knew him and bore a grudge against him.

Someone like the Silence. Whatever their mysterious grudge against him was, it certainly seemed serious. No one would go to the lengths they had for some petty squabble.

"I don't know," she said slowly. "All I do know is that maybe it wouldn't be a bad idea to have an extra pair of eyes around. Just in case."

"She's not wrong, Amy," Rory nodded. "Worst case scenario, someone tries to attack you or Alex, but a UNIT operative will be here who can help and who can get the help of others. Best case, the UNIT operative basically gets a paid vacation in Leadworth until the end of next month."

Amy still didn't look very happy about the situation. But as she worked on another tomato, Alex was relieved to note that her chops were much less harsh. "Alright," she grumbled after a few moments of silence. "Let the Raggedy Man send us a nanny."

Alex let out a huge sigh of relief. "Great! Now, if you'll toss those tomatoes into a salad, we can have our Fourth of July dinner, then light those sparklers Rory thinks I don't know are hidden in his study."

~The Pros and Cons of Silence~

July 5th, 2011

Alex knew something was up the moment she walked into the café to get breakfast for her and Kendra.

The place was packed – a bit unusual for a Tuesday morning – and Elsie and her co-worker, Halley Carpenter, were all but running from table to table, pouring coffee and taking and delivering orders as fast as humanly possible. The whole café was filled with rapid-fire chatter, so loud that even with her newly advanced hearing, Alex could barely hear Freddie Mercury belting out the vocally demanding falsetto at the climax of 'We Are the Champions' from the radio perched next to the cash register. As Alex approached the counter, she saw that typical closing waitress, Rachel Wyrick, was also on duty. No doubt she'd been called in when Elsie and Halley saw how thick the crowd was getting.

"Hey, Rachel, what's going on?"

Rachel was practically vibrating. The ends of her bright, unnaturally red hair were nearly standing straight up. "You know Molly Reynolds' boarding house?" She went on before Alex could answer. "Well, she told Leslie Brinegar, Kendra's cousin that lives there, that a UNIT agent checked in late last night!"

So the UNIT bodyguard has arrived, Alex thought. But they didn't consider gossip in a little English village. Aloud, she said, "Really?"

Rachel nodded. "Oh, yes! Came up in an official UNIT car and everything!" She tilted her head thoughtfully. "Wonder what he's doing here?"

Alex had a pretty good guess as to what the local grapevine had come up with. Everyone knew that UNIT dealt with threats that the regular police and military couldn't handle. No one used the words 'extraterrestrial' or 'paranormal' (not out loud anyway), but it was generally understood that they dealt with some pretty hush-hush stuff, things no one ever got concrete answers for, such as several eventful Christmases in London.

"It's probably nothing exciting," Alex said firmly. If there was a Silence spy in residence, there was no need to alarm it. "They're probably just here on vacation. UNIT was just considerate enough to provide a car."

Rachel looked rather downhearted at this less sensational theory. "Perhaps," she said glumly. "Nothing exciting ever happens in Leadworth. Nothing that would attract UNIT attention anyway. Still," she sighed dreamily, "it's nice to imagine."

"Yes, I suppose it is." Alex peered around the café. She couldn't spot anyone who wasn't a longtime resident of Leadworth. "Has the UNIT agent made an appearance?"

"Not so far, but Leslie said that Molly told her that he didn't get in till almost one o'clock last night. He's probably still conked out in bed."

"It was definitely a 'he', then?"

Rachel seemed to regain a bit of her enthusiasm. She nodded eagerly, her brown eyes going wide. "Oh, yes! And Molly said that he's really fit, too!"

Rachel didn't have any more information, apparently, as she quickly jumped into the task of taking Alex's order. Not that it was difficult to get the latest gossip in Leadworth. Ten minutes later, as she devoured some of the café's famous blueberry pancakes, Alex listened to Kendra relay her side of the latest gossip.

"Leslie says he's gorgeous," Kendra divulged through a bite of egg and bacon biscuit. "Tall and well-muscled. . ." She finished this thought with a little 'grr', clearly imagining this handsome, well-muscled stranger shirtless (and potentially with even less clothing).

Alex merely hummed noncommittally. She didn't care if this UNIT officer was gorgeous; she wanted to know if he was up to the task. Not something Kendra could answer. She would have to meet this man and judge him for herself.

"I wonder why he's here," Kendra mused. She chewed the remaining bits of her biscuit thoughtfully. "He arrived in the dead of night in what Leslie said Molly told her looked like an official UNIT car. He wouldn't be doing that if he were here on vacation, though why anyone would choose Leadworth for a vacation is beyond me." Her blue-green eyes widened. "You think it could be aliens?" she asked, dropping her voice to a whisper on the final word.

"I highly doubt it," Alex said firmly. She finished off her pancakes and dropped her trash into the little bin under the desk. "Whoever he is, he's probably here on vacation."

"Spencer Grayson." Kendra beamed at Alex's surprised expression. "That's what Molly told Leslie who told me! Checked in under the name 'Spencer Grayson'." She crumpled her biscuit wrapper and tossed it in the trash. "But I think there's more to him being here than vacation, Alex. I'll bet anything that it's aliens. They've probably sent him in undercover-like, to try to keep from tipping them off. Speaking of, can I have the rest of the week off? If there are aliens invading Leadworth, I'd rather be at the beach. Aliens don't like beaches, do they? They never invade beaches in the films. Too much sand, I bet."

~The Pros and Cons of Silence~

Alex had resolved to seek out Spencer Grayson after rehearsal, if he hadn't already made contact before then. As it turned out, though, there was no need. By lunchtime, Alex had gotten a good look at her so-called babysitter for the next two months.

It was as she was helping Shannon Darcy's girlfriend, Brianna Mayhew, check out one of the hottest books of the year, Divergent, that Kendra came running up. "OMG, OMG, OMG!" she squealed. Her breathing was labored, her breasts straining against her ribbed orange tube top.

Alex and Brianna exchanged a look. Everyone knew that when Kendra was especially excited about something, it didn't necessarily mean huge news was about to follow. Kendra had once gotten this excited over a Marks & Spencer sale. "What is it, Kendra?" Alex asked as she stamped Brianna's book with the due date.

Kendra bustled behind the desk, carrying two white café bags. She dropped one in Alex's lap while exclaiming, "Our UNIT bloke has come out of hiding!"

Brianna's eyes widened. "Really? Where?"

Kendra plopped into her seat and dug out her Mediterranean chicken salad, babbling all the while. "I saw him in the café just a few minutes ago! Halley Carpenter was hanging around him like cheap perfume. Not that he'd be into kissing her, though. Just the other day, I saw her smoking behind the fire station. She's been trying to quit those clove cigarettes of hers for six months now and she still can't kick the habit—"

"Kendra!" Alex snapped.

"Right, as I was saying. . ." Kendra paused to empty an entire packet of ranch dressing over her salad. "Halley was flirting with him, all pathetic like, but this bloke wasn't giving her the time of day. Just calmly asked for a veggie wrap and a Diet Pepsi. He was just finishing up when Rachel finally got our lunch out and I overheard him asking Halley for directions to the library!"

Alex paused in digging out the Styrofoam container holding her order of a BLT and fries. "He's coming here?"

"That's what I just said, isn't it?" Kendra said through a bite of salad. "And he is absolutely fit! Tristan cannot compare, I swear."

At this observation, Brianna lost interest. She thanked Alex for the book and bid her and Kendra goodbye. As she was heading out the door, she paused to hold it open for someone.

Kendra sat up straight. "Okay, okay, okay," she muttered under her breath. "He's here. Take a look, Alex!"

Alex, now munching on a fry, obeyed. Her eyes widened. Now that she'd gotten a good look at him, she couldn't blame Kendra for her enthusiasm. Had she been single and not completely held up over the Doctor, she definitely would have made a pass at him. Her newly appointed babysitter was gorgeous, handsome, well-muscled, as well as any other complimentary adjective Kendra could think up.

Spencer Grayson was a young man around Alex's age. He was, as Kendra had already established, handsome with dark, mocha brown hair. The front part had been swept back, exposing his forehead. Directly beneath the gorgeous hair were a pair of blue eyes. When he glanced towards the front desk, Alex was surprised to find that she could see the color of his eyes as if he were standing right in front of her instead of twenty feet away. The blue wasn't a very bright blue; instead, Alex could see touches of grey in there. They rather reminded her of a beach-front sky on a cloudy day.

Spencer Grayson was also, as Kendra had assured her, well-muscled. This was a guy who never missed a workout. His arms were broad and thick under the fabric of his shirt. His thighs and calves rivaled Archie's and strained against his slacks.

His clothes were surprisingly formal: a dark gray dress shirt with silver pinstripes, black khakis, and a purple tie with silver accents. His shoes were basic black Oxfords, and he wore no accessories save a black watch around his left wrist. All in all, Spencer Grayson more resembled a very young college professor or banker than a member of UNIT.

As Alex and Kendra watched, Spencer took a seat at the lone table by the children's reading room. He turned to the shelf beside him, which Alex knew contained the library's complete set of the Encyclopaedia Britannica. Very calmly, he pulled out the first volume. Then, reaching into his shirt pocket, he pulled out a pair of black eyeglasses. A second later, his eyes were scanning the pages.

"Blast," Kendra muttered. She stabbed at a piece of chicken in disappointment. "Came all the way here to read books? Couldn't he do that in London?"

He couldn't do it and keep an eye on me at the same time, Alex thought. Sure enough, every few seconds, Spencer would look up at the front desk. He wasn't looking directly at her – thank God for that subtle move – but Alex knew that he was keeping her in his line of sight, making sure that nothing got to her. Keeping an eye on her, just as the Doctor had instructed.

However, since Kendra was expecting a response, Alex merely shrugged. "He's on vacation, like I said. Now, Kendra, once you're finished with your lunch, I need you to shelve books. And for the love of God, please put them in the correct place. . ."

~The Pros and Cons of Silence~

There were, Spencer Grayson decided, worse places to be assigned for a mission.

Like Siberia in January. Temperatures in Siberia averaged −25 °C (or −13 °F) in January and generally didn't get much better during the rest of the winter months. It was especially bad when UNIT sent you to track down a rogue Abominable Snowman who had been killing and eating off the sparse Siberian population with nothing more than a tent and a fire hazard of a space heater to keep warm. Siberia was one of those places Spencer had determined to never return to unless it was a matter of life or death. Even then, it would require serious consideration.

But Leadworth. . . Leadworth was perfectly fine.

Spencer hadn't even heard of the village twenty-four hours earlier, but that was no problem. At least it meant his research on his new home for the next two months was quick. Located in Gloucestershire, the village was only a half hour's drive from Gloucester (and only forty minutes away from one of UNIT's designated safe houses, should one be required). There was no airport, power station or even a train station. There was, however, a post office, a church called St. George's Chapel, a fire station, the Royal Leadworth Hospital, a police station, a pub called The Queen's Garters, a nightclub called The Wig and Cravat (which, to Spencer's mind, seemed to resemble more of a karaoke bar than any of the nightclubs he was familiar with), a retirement home, a grocery store, a café called the Brew & Chew, an Italian restaurant by the name of Bello Italiano, an incredibly fancy hotel/restaurant called the Greenleaf Tavern (and hence not an option for UNIT, Spencer thought sourly), an office building that housed a lawyer's office as well as the local newspaper, The Leadworth Chronicle, the boarding house Spencer had arrived at late last night, as well as a small myriad of shops and residences.

Basically, Leadworth was a picture-perfect definition of an English village. It was a stark contrast to Roswell, New York, and London, but Spencer was okay with that. As much as he liked living in cities, being out in the countryside was pretty damn good too. Out here, the air was fresher, the days passed slowly, and there were rarely any alien attacks to worry about. As in all the Hollywood movies, most hostile species preferred to launch their attacks on cities. Spencer suspected this was because in a city, people were packed together like sardines in a can. Better chance of taking more out in a smaller space than risking an attack in the English countryside and getting only a handful of victims.

Of course, there were downsides to villages. In the city, you could go for years without ever exchanging more than friendly nods with your neighbors. Not so much in Leadworth, where everyone knew everyone, where gossip was the unofficial second currency, and where any newcomers were immediately noticed.

Spencer had known that keeping a low profile in Leadworth would be next to impossible. The village was small, most everyone was related or tied together in some way, and new arrivals were treated like a strange exotic good; something that was marveled at and feared, treated with an equal mixture of fascination and wariness. Spencer had known this. But it was paramount that he not stick out. His mission begged for it. The details the Doctor had given them were alarming, even by UNIT standards. A race of creatures that could erase your memories of having seen them? A race that kidnapped two young women without anyone noticing, who had subsequently kidnapped one woman's child and horribly experimented on the other? And who, even though those young women had been rescued and were currently trying to live their lives as normally as possible, might have stuck around in order to spy on and gaslight the experimented-on woman?

It made Spencer sick. Even Chief Stewart, the toughest, most capable person Spencer knew, had appeared rather ill upon reviewing the Doctor's information.

Not that that had lasted long. Chief Stewart was nothing if not resilient, turning that sickness into a fearsome determination to protect Alexandria Locke and get rid of this Silence menace once and for all.

But back to keeping a low profile. If there was a Silence spy skulking around Leadworth, watching and waiting for the right moment to terrorize Alexandria Locke, the last thing Spencer wanted to do was tip it off to his presence.

But that was easier said than done. As he'd walked to the café after dragging himself out of bed, Spencer hadn't failed to notice all the curious stares as he approached, then the flurry of whispers that began as soon as he passed. He had no doubt that in less than an hour, all of Leadworth would know of his arrival, maybe even that he was a UNIT agent. If only Colonel Mace hadn't insisted on driving him. . .

With an inward sigh, Spencer pushed those worries to the back of his mind. Nothing could be done about them now. As his mom had been fond of saying, if it won't matter in five years, don't waste five minutes worrying about it. Instead, he thought, as he handed the overly flirty waitress who reeked of cloves his credit card, he should be thinking about where to find his assigned charge for the next two months. As small as Leadworth was, it was still easy for a newcomer like him to get lost.

"Excuse me. . ." He paused to glance at the waitress's nametag. "Halley, but would you mind giving me directions to the library?"

Halley lit up like a Christmas tree. "Oh, of course not!" she chirped. She pointed out the window towards a structure across the road about three buildings down. "It's that building over there, with the huge magnolia trees out front. Don't blame you for missing it. Alex has been trying to get the council to pay for a sign, but no such luck yet." Her smile turned a touch saucy. "You know, under those magnolia trees are these little benches. They're a popular spot for couples."

Spencer ignored this less than subtle hint. "Great," he nodded. "Thanks for the help."

A few minutes later, leaving a now annoyed Halley behind, Spencer set off for the Leadworth Public Library. It was right where Halley had told him. She'd even been right about the magnolia trees. Two huge specimens of magnolia x soulangeana had been planted in the small green spaces on either side of the narrow walkway leading up to the front door. Pale pink flowers shimmered in the afternoon sunlight, giving off an intoxicating scent. Some of them had dropped off their limbs, littering the benches Halley had attempted to entice him with.

On the left-hand side of the library was a parking lot. It was mostly empty, the only cars consisting of a white Saturn convertible with a hot pink license plate that read, BPOSTVE, and a red and white 1956 Chevrolet Bel-Air.

Spencer reached into his messenger bag and pulled out the file Chief Stewart had managed to put together late yesterday afternoon. Flipping a few pages, he finally found what he was looking for.

Subject drives a very noticeable vehicle, a 1956 Chevrolet Bel-Air, colored red and white. License plate reads CD11 – LOX.

Spencer eyed the license plate. Sure enough, it read CD11 – LOX. This was Alexandria Locke's car. If her car was here, then she was likely inside.

Spencer put the file back in his messenger bag and made a quick circle of the library, identifying the back door and the locations of all the windows. Testing the back door, he found it was locked. Good. That meant the likelihood of anyone sneaking up behind him or Alexandria Locke was slim to none. He couldn't test the windows right now (not without attracting attention), but at some point, he would have to come back and make sure the locks on them worked. It wouldn't be too difficult for someone to jimmy a bad one open and slip inside, waiting to get the drop on Alexandria when she opened the library.

As he was approaching the door, a pretty, dark-haired girl clutching a copy of Divergent was pushing it open from the other side. With a small smile, she paused to hold it open for him. Spencer nodded his thanks and stepped inside.

The Leadworth Public Library was rather impressive for a small village. Even if it hadn't been in a village, Spencer, who had been inside more libraries than most people his age, would still have found it remarkable. Sunlight shone brilliantly through the thirteen windows, making the old-fashioned metal lamps that hung from exposed dark beams almost unnecessary. The walls had been painted a deep cream and were covered in a wide variety of posters; advertisements for book festivals, prints of classic book covers like The Great Gatsby and Fahrenheit 451, and children's drawings. One that hung by the door showed figures that looked a lot like Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson chasing what strongly resembled a Sontaran. The floor, at first glance, seemed to be dark brown and black checkerboard patterned hardwood, but closer inspection revealed it was actually carpet. Directly across from the door was a table lined with computers and, behind the table, a bookshelf packed with books. A sign above it read, in maroon cursive, Nonfiction – Technology.

Spencer made his way further into the library, passing shelves labeled 'General – Young Adult' and 'General – Children'. The library was divided into two connected rooms. The semi-circle shaped circulation desk was situated against the wall at the entrance to the second room.

Due to how the library was divided up, there was no great space Spencer could sit that would allow him to keep an eye on the front door as well as the back door at the same time. Therefore, he made do by heading towards the back of the library, to a table that sat next to a low shelf and was right beside a room marked 'Children's Reading Room'. The back door was in the reading room, so sitting here would allow him to immediately hear if someone was trying to open it. It would also allow him to keep an eye on the circulation desk, where Alexandria Locke, as head librarian, was likely to spend most of her time. Nothing to be done about the front door unless he could jerry-rig a camera on it. Definitely something to consider, he mused.

Doing his best to act nonchalant, Spencer turned to the shelf beside him and pulled out the first book he saw. To his pleasant surprise, it was volume one of the Encyclopaedia Britannica. Once he put on his glasses, he opened the first page and began to read.

At least, he read the first paragraph. The moment he finished it (which, with his reading speed, was about five seconds), he glanced up towards the circulation desk. He was careful not to look at his charge directly, but at the same time, ascertain where she was.

Alexandria 'Alex' Nicole Locke, referred to by the Doctor as 'Ally', looked just like she did in the surveillance photographs UNIT had captured of her: 5'4 with long brown-blonde hair that went down to the middle of her back, bangs that were due for a trim, pale skin, and facial features indicative of her mixed Scottish, English, and Mexican ancestry. Though he couldn't see them from here, Spencer also knew her hazel eyes would be in the process of changing colors (colors they were known to change into were dark green, light green, chocolate brown, light brown, topaz, honey and, on special occasions, a really dark green bordering on black). There would also be a small scar on the right side of her nose, shaped rather like a sideways lightning bolt. How she had acquired such a scar was unknown.

Currently, Alex Locke was sitting on the right-hand side of the desk, digging into a BLT and fries. Her hair was long and loose, and her clothing consisted of a low-necked black tank top, a pair of ripped up, light denim overalls, a pair of silver hoop earrings, two blue and white rope bracelets around her left wrist, and the two items of jewelry she had never been seen without: a gold ring on the third index finger of her left hand, and the TARDIS-shaped sonic necklace. Hanging just below her collarbone, the necklace was on prime display today, the sapphires, diamonds, black onyx, and single topaz glittering brightly in the light provided by the lamps and the sun shining through the windows.

Sitting on the left-hand side, eating a salad covered in too much dressing for Spencer's taste, was a young blonde woman around Alex's age. Her hair was windswept, albeit not in the natural way, and her fake tan clashed horribly with her orange tube top. At the moment, she seemed to be jabbering on about something to Alex who, for her part, looked only slightly interested. Spencer wasn't sure who this woman was but, considering she was sitting at the desk, she had to be an employee of some sort. Maybe Alex's assistant.

With a small sigh, Spencer went back to his book. He'd been hoping to find Alex alone so he could introduce himself. In order to make sure his mission was successful, he needed to get along with his charge. According to Chief Stewart, the Doctor had warned them that Alex hadn't been very keen on the idea of a UNIT member following her around for the next two months. Spencer couldn't blame her. He'd probably feel much the same if the positions were reversed. Still, it would be a lot easier on him (professionally and personally) if they got along.

A sudden buzz at his left hip pulled Spencer's attention away from the desk. Grabbing his cell phone, he stepped away from his table and ducked into the children's room.

"Dr. Spencer Grayson."

"Spencer?" Chief Stewart's voice sounded slightly distant. Spencer could hear wind rushing in the background. "Spencer, can you hear me?"

"Loud and clear, Chief." Spencer frowned as more wind rushed over the other end of the line. "Where are you?"

"Some bloody field in Cornwall. The dogs and I have been out here for three hours, and we've only spotted one of those giant wasps."

Right, the reason Chief Stewart herself hadn't taken this assignment, as she'd hoped to do. There had been reports over the past several weeks of wasps the size of a double-decker bus flying over and terrorizing the many fishing villages that dotted the coast of Cornwall. The Cornish were a superstitious folk and believed the creatures to be some kind of fairy trickery. UNIT had a different theory. It had already been all hands-on deck when the Doctor's request came through, leaving Spencer, the newest member of the U.K. branch, to take up the reins.

"I'm sure there'll be more soon. The reports have an average of twelve being spotted every day."

"God, I hope so. Malcolm and Osgood are working on that special spray now and I've got Bishop investigating that new chemicals plant. Nothing concrete yet, but best to check anyway. It wouldn't be the first time giant insects were created because of some company's commitment to money over preserving the environment."

Spencer knew from his reading of the files that his boss was referring to the giant maggot and green death fiasco caused by Global Chemicals a few decades earlier. "Right."

"So! Have you made contact? Are you with Ms. Locke now?"

Spencer peered around the doorframe. Alex was still at the circulation desk, finishing off the last of her fries. She seemed completely unbothered as she scrolled through something on her Blackberry. "Yeah, I've got eyes on her now. Haven't spoken to her yet though. She's got an assistant with her."

Before Chief Stewart could reply, there came a new sound on the line. It was a fast-pitched wheezing, like someone gasping for breath after having run a 5K. But Spencer knew running wasn't the cause for this person's breathlessness. "Has he talked to her, ma'am?" Osgood asked eagerly. Words came out of her mouth like bullets out of a machine gun. "What's she like? Is she just like all the files say? Do her eyes really change color, because even with everything it says about her in the files, that just can't be possible, can it? It has to be a trick of the light or contacts or—" Her rambling was abruptly cut off by another bunch of wheezing, which quickly devolved into a hacking cough.

"Inhaler!" Chief Stewart cried. There was a bit of shuffling, then the unmistakable sound of Osgood taking a sharp puff on her inhaler.

Spencer chuckled. "Hey, Osgood," he called softly. "Sorry to disappoint, but I haven't talked to her yet. She's got some assistant with her and anyway, I only just got to the library."

"But you will tell me when you talk to her, right?" Osgood pressed.

"I'm sure he will," Chief Stewart cut in. Despite the dryness in her voice, there was no mistaking the underlying amusement and fondness for her personal assistant. "What's the situation like there? Is keeping a low profile going to be a problem?"

Spencer winced. He knew his boss wasn't going to like this. "I'm afraid so, ma'am." He chewed the inside of his cheek, a nervous habit from childhood he'd yet to let go of. "It's a small village and apparently word spreads quickly. I got a lot of looks and whispers on my way to the library."

Chief Stewart sighed. "Well, it was worth a try. Do they know you're with UNIT?"

"Not sure yet. Hopefully not."

"Try to keep that down. And if a rumor does start, nip it in the bud. If the Doctor's worries are right, we don't want this Silence spy slipping off to God knows where to do God knows what."

Even though he knew she couldn't see him, Spencer nodded. "Right, ma'am. I'll do my best."

"You'd better," Chief Stewart said grimly. "Or you'll be explaining yourself to someone a lot less understanding than me."

There was no question of who that someone was. Spencer swallowed thickly. "It won't come to that, ma'am. I promise."

I just hope that's a promise I can keep.

~The Pros and Cons of Silence~

"Typical," the Doctor sniffed. "Ask for help and they send in the new guy."

Alex raked a hand through her hair as she stared into the bathroom mirror. The moment Kendra had gone off to shelve books (hopefully correctly), Alex had sprinted into the bathroom to call the Doctor and give him an update. So far, it was going about how she'd expected. The Doctor hadn't been pleased to hear a description of her assigned bodyguard, immediately seizing on the fact that because he was young, he was more than likely the new guy and not one of the handful of trusted people the Doctor had been hoping would come.

"Maybe he's actually really qualified." Alex had to admit, she wasn't entirely sure of this Spencer Grayson herself, but she was willing to give him a chance.

The Doctor's voice was doubtful. "Maybe."

"Well, for the time being, he's all we've got."

"Have you spoken to him yet?"

"Not yet. We got slammed after lunch. But he hasn't left though. He's sat right in the same spot all day."

"So you said. Making his way through the Encyclopaedia Britannica in-between watching you."

"Which I suppose proves he's smart. He's definitely a speed-reader. When he came in, he started on volume one. He's already on volume eleven. And like I said, he's kept an eye on me all day." Alex had lost count of how many times she'd glanced up to find Spencer Grayson looking at her. Whenever they locked eyes, he always went back to his book but a few seconds later, she would sense his eyes on her again. Most would find it creepy, but Alex found herself reassured. For the first time since she'd discovered the vandalized photo, Alex hadn't felt the need to keep looking over her shoulder. She could relax, secure in the knowledge that someone was looking out for her.

"Impressive, I admit," the Doctor acknowledged, a bit reluctantly, Alex thought.

"Still, we should give him a chance." Alex checked her watch. "Sorry, Doc, I have to go. I've gotta make a quick sweep through the library before we lock up for the night."

She suspected the Doctor knew her checks were for more than misplaced library books, but thankfully, he didn't question her. "Of course. You have rehearsal again tonight?"

"Yep." Then, anticipating his next question, she said, "I don't know if Mr. Grayson is going to be accompanying me. Guess we'll find out."

After bidding the Doctor goodbye, Alex unlocked the bathroom door and stepped back out into the library. At half an hour to closing time, the library was deserted. Kendra was at the circulation desk, reading the latest issue of Vogue UK. Spencer Grayson was still at his table by the reading room.

Doing her best not to look at Grayson, Alex went and tapped Kendra on the shoulder. "Kendra, you can go on home if you want." Alex made sure to project her voice as she said this. She doubted Kendra would notice, but she wasn't trying to get her assistant's attention anyway.

Sure enough, out of the corner of her eye, Alex saw Spencer Grayson stiffen.

As Alex had already anticipated, her assistant was not one to look a gift horse in the mouth. "Really?" Kendra gasped, her blue-green eyes lighting up. "Thanks, Alex!" She tossed the magazine down and sprang to her feet. Somehow, she managed not to stumble despite wearing three-inch espadrilles. Before Alex could so much as blink, Kendra had grabbed her tote bag, slung it over her shoulder, and dashed across the library. The front door thudded heavily behind her.

Alex chuckled as she went and flipped the inside lock on the door. That had been extremely easy. She turned and made her way to the back of the library. Now for the interesting part.

Spencer straightened as Alex Locke made her way across the library towards him. Here it was, the moment he (and Osgood) had been waiting for. He struggled not to fidget as Alex came closer, concentrating merely on her movements. Her walk was casual, but purposeful. There was a slight tenseness to her muscles, indicating that the little bit of guard she'd dropped earlier was back. Her eyes were tightly fixed on him, irises changing from a warm honey to a dark chocolate brown.

Alex calmly sat down across from Spencer. Studying his stiff posture and how his hands were clutching volume 12 of the Encyclopaedia Britannica like it was a lifeline, Alex realized he was nervous. Nervous of me? she thought, bewildered. How can I possibly make someone nervous? It wasn't like she was the Doctor. UNIT had probably never heard of her until the Doctor called.

She smiled softly, hoping to reassure her clearly nervous bodyguard. "Relax. I don't bite. My friend Amy does, but I'm more of a yeller."

Spencer blinked. That . . . wasn't what he'd expected. He struggled not to chew the inside of his cheek. "Oh, um, that's . . . that's good to know." He shook his head. God, man! Do better! "Sorry, I'm not making a great first impression, am I?"

"I don't know," Alex shrugged. "I thought it was pretty impressive how you kept an eye on me all day without looking like you were."

Despite his best efforts, Spencer blushed. "Oh, good, I was worried about that. I don't have that much experience at watching." His eyes widened. Damn! He hadn't meant to say that!

Alex immediately seized on the slip. "You don't?" she said incredulously. This guy looked like he could be a soldier. He certainly had the muscles for it. But if he wasn't a regular UNIT grunt, then what the hell did he do? Coughing slightly, Alex struggled to ask this question without sounding critical. "Um, what exactly is your job within UNIT, if you don't mind my asking?"

"Co-scientific advisor. I share the position with Malcolm, er, Dr. Taylor."

Alex nodded. Malcolm Taylor was one of the UNIT personnel the Doctor had mentioned he trusted. "Where's he at?"

"He and pretty much everyone from London HQ are out in Cornwall. There's, um, a slight incident involving oversized wasps."

Alex grimaced. "Got it. So. . ." She strove for words that wouldn't sound offensive. "You're on your own?"

Spencer tried and failed not to cringe. "I'm still in contact with HQ and Chief Stewart, but on the ground? Yes. But!" he added hastily. "I really can do my job, I swear! While I am a scientific advisor, I have had regulation training."

Alex eyed his toned arms. "So I see. How often do you do regulation training?"

Spencer's face reddened. "Actually, to be honest, most of this," he gestured to his physique, "is recreational. When you're a twelve-year-old high school senior, you learn how to protect yourself pretty quickly."

"Ah, so you're a genius? I figured you had to be smart, considering your speed-reading."

Spencer blinked. "You picked up on that?"

Alex chuckled. "Not very many people can go through eleven volumes of the Encyclopaedia Britannica in just a few hours." She smiled brightly, copper eyes twinkling. "Come on, tell me. What's your IQ?"

Once again, Spencer blinked. Boy, was this conversation going in a completely different direction than he'd anticipated. He'd thought that by this point Alex would have rushed off to demand UNIT send her a different bodyguard. But no, she wanted to talk to him, get to know him. Osgood's gonna have a panic attack when I tell her this. "190," he answered.

Alex's eyes widened. "Damn. Wish mine was that high. Anything else?"

Feeling a lot less tense now, Spencer leaned back in his chair. "I have an eidetic memory and I can read 10,000 words per minute. I'm also a doctor."

"Of?"

"Mathematics, computer science, and engineering, all from MIT. I've also got bachelor's in psychology, sociology, and chemistry from the University of New Mexico."

"And you're how old, exactly?"

"Twenty-two."

"Same as me," Alex remarked. She attempted a smile but wasn't very successful. Thanks to Kovarian and the Silence, her twenty-second birthday had come and gone without any fanfare. By the time she realized just how old she was, she saw no reason to celebrate. Alex was hoping she could make up for it when she turned twenty-three.

Spencer noticed her lack of enthusiasm but chose not to comment on it. He didn't want to come off as rude, not when this was going so well.

"Can I ask why the University of New Mexico?"

"I was born and raised in New Mexico. The university wasn't my first choice, but my grandparents didn't like the idea of me being so young and attending a university out of state. The commuting home every weekend was hell, but at least it was within driving distance of Roswell."

Alex stared at him. "Wait. . . You're telling me that you're a UNIT agent originally from Roswell, New Mexico, aka the extraterrestrial capital of the world?" Her lips involuntarily twitched.

Spencer winced, as though he had heard this before. Considering where he worked, he probably had. Many, many, many times. "Yeah. . ." he said slowly. "Most of my colleagues find that pretty amusing."

"Can't say I blame them," Alex smiled, her eyes shining in mirth. "There is a certain poetic quality to it."

Spencer rolled his eyes. "Poetic quality to you, maybe, but annoying pain in the ass to me." His mouth twisted into a grimace. "The crash wasn't even in Roswell. It was closer to Corona, about seventy-five miles from the city limits."

As it sounded like Spencer was about to start ranting on the various misconceptions regarding the Roswell UFO incident, Alex decided to change the subject. "So . . . how does this whole thing work?" she asked. "Are you just . . . following me around until the Doctor comes back?"

"Pretty much. Chief Stewart was painstakingly specific. I'm supposed to keep watch over you as much as possible." He tugged awkwardly at his tie. "As much as you'll let me, at least."

Drumming her nails against the tabletop, Alex thought this over. "Well, in regards to night, I think we're okay. You need to sleep, obviously, and, well . . . I don't really need to sleep much. I don't think anything bad will happen if you're not watching me at night."

Spencer nodded. "I figured as much. So, for now, we'll operate on a daytime schedule. We can work on any adjustments as they come."

"That works. But what about a reason for you being here? People are going to notice you hanging around the library all the time, going wherever I go. In fact, people are already wondering what you're doing in Leadworth."

Spencer sighed. "I was afraid of that."

Alex gave him a wry smile. "News travels fast in a village the size of Leadworth. My assistant's cousin lives at the same boarding house you're staying at. She saw you arrive last night in an official UNIT car."

Spencer rubbed his eyes. "I was hoping that part wouldn't get out," he muttered. "A bit naïve, I suppose."

"Probably. A lot of people are now convinced there's some kind of alien threat to the village."

"There's not." Spencer's expression suddenly turned serious, his blue eyes hardening. "Not to my knowledge, anyway. I did a complete circuit of the library before I arrived, identifying weak spots and looking for any threats. Nothing I could see, though I do want to check out those windows before we leave."

Alex nodded, though she wasn't entirely pleased. She was glad Spencer was taking his job seriously, but if the Silence were still lurking around Leadworth, there was no way he could spot them. Which brought up something else. . . "What exactly did the Doctor tell UNIT?"

"The Doctor was pretty specific." Alex noted that even though his voice was quiet, there was no mistaking Spencer's admiration as he said 'the Doctor'. His eyes sparkled and there was a slight smile on his lips. Evidently, the Doctor had a fan. "He gave my superiors a pretty detailed account of what happened at Demons Run." Leaning down, he rummaged through a brown messenger bag lying at his feet before pulling out a couple of files. All were a nondescript brown with the UNIT logo at the top. Stamped on all of them, in bold red, were the words CLASSIFIED – FOR AUTHORIZED PERSONNEL ONLY. He pushed them across to Alex. After a moment of hesitation, Alex cracked open the top file.

Glancing through it, she saw the file contained the Doctor's account of what happened at Demons Run. He hadn't cut any corners – everything that had occurred was there, from Alex's account of her and Amy's kidnapping, the Doctor's record of his assembled army, a report of the battle, and what had happened afterwards: namely, Melody Pond being kidnapped, River Song revealing she and Melody were one and the same, and the revelation that Alex's body had been altered. Alex did note that the Doctor hadn't provided much information about the modifications to her body. It seemed he either didn't trust UNIT with that information, or just didn't think it was necessary to include.

There was also no mention of his future death at Lake Silencio, but that made sense. There was nothing UNIT could do about that.

The second file revealed a detailed account of the Silence. The Doctor had written about encountering them in 1969, the altering of the Apollo 11 footage, as well as a rough description of them based on Alex's account. Written in bold, capital print was: THIS TYPE OF CREATURE HAS EXTRAORDINARY TELEPATHIC ABILITIES, PARTICULARLY POST-HYPNOTIC SUGGESTION. THEY ARE ABLE TO ERASE A PERSON'S MEMORY OF HAVING SEEN THEM. ALL UNIT OPERATIVES MUST TAKE PRECAUTIONARY MEASURES SO AS TO KNOW WHEN THEY HAVE HAD AN ENCOUNTER.

"Precautionary measures?" Puzzled, Alex looked up at Spencer, only to see he was now holding a black Sharpie attached to a chain around his neck. Alex smiled. "Ah."

Spencer smiled back. "Really the only 'precautionary measure' we have against this type of alien, though Chief Stewart is trying to change that." He chuckled, remembering how utterly appalled his superior had been upon reading the Doctor's report, particularly that the Space Race had been directly caused by these mysterious creatures, followed by her orders to Malcolm and Osgood to start working on some kind of countermeasure the moment the giant wasps were dealt with. "She hates the idea of there being another race on Earth that's been influencing humanity all this time."

"Can't say I disagree with her." Alex flipped to the third file. To her surprise, her name was printed at the top.

Spencer blanched. "Oh, um, that's just some background information. General background information!"

The slight hysteria in his voice told Alex otherwise. Before Spencer could try and take the file away from her, Alex flipped it open and began rapidly perusing the contents. The more she read, the further her jaw dropped. General background information, my ass! As far as she could tell, this file contained everything but her measurements.

The first sheet in the file contained all her most basic information – full name, birth date, a description that even included notes on what colors her eyes changed, her estimated weight, her Social Security number, and a myriad of other details. There were copies of her birth certificate, her high school diploma, and doctor's records that detailed every little bit of her medical history, from her blood type to the medicine used to treat the strep throat she'd acquired every fall until sixth grade. There was a sheet that detailed all her previous addresses: a penthouse suite at the Waldorf-Astoria in New York, Carla and Marigold's houses in Bristol, and the house she rented with Amy and Rory here in Leadworth.

Alex gave Spencer a flat look. "This looks like a lot more than general background information."

Flushing, Spencer grabbed the file. Thank God she didn't get to the surveillance photos, he thought as he stuffed the files into his bag. That would not have been pretty. Considering Alex was worried about the Silence creeping around Leadworth and spying on her, he doubted she would have reacted well to the fact that UNIT had basically been doing the same. "Okay," he admitted. "It's more than simple background information. But if it helps, there are files just like this for all of the Doctor's known companions."

"Don't tell Amy and Rory that," Alex advised. "I'm not sure they'll take it as well as I have." She had to admit, knowing that UNIT had such a detailed file on her was more than a little creepy, but she could see why they would think it necessary. Keeping tabs on the companions would allow them to locate the Doctor more easily in the event of a crisis, especially if they knew which companions he was currently traveling with. Not to mention, but considering her current circumstances, such extensive knowledge might prove beneficial in helping her.

After making sure all the files were safely secured in his messenger bag, Spencer glanced at the clock hanging over the circulation desk. It was 5:15, a good quarter of an hour after the library officially closed. "Closing time," he remarked.

"So it is." Alex stood up. "You want to check those windows out while I lock up?"

"Yeah, that'd be great. What do you plan on doing afterwards?"

Alex's eyes widened. Crap! She'd completely forgotten about rehearsal. "Actually," she winced, "I have play rehearsal at six."

"Really?" Spencer smiled. He recalled that Alex's high school transcript included mention of her being president of the drama club. However, he refrained from mentioning this. No need to remind Alex that he knew far more about her life than a virtual stranger should know. "What play?"

Alex called the answer over her shoulder as she walked back to the circulation desk. "The Importance of Being Earnest." She leaned over a desk chair to shut Kendra's computer off, not at all surprised that her assistant had forgotten to do so. Again. "Rehearsal is every week-night from six to eight." She inwardly cringed. She doubted Spencer would want to camp out at an auditorium for two hours when there were other, much more interesting things he could be doing. For all his serious commitment to the job, it wasn't lost on Alex that Spencer might not be entirely enthusiastic about his assignment. After all, his purpose was to guard her 24/7 for the rest of this month and the next. No free time allowed. That probably had to suck.

But to her surprise, Spencer simply nodded. "Alright, then." His voice was nonchalant, and he seemed completely unbothered, more interested in testing the locks on one of the windows than this deviation from his normal schedule.

Alex blinked. "You don't mind?"

"Not at all." Spencer stepped back from the window, satisfied that the locks were sturdy, and moved on to the next one. "I'll have to check out the auditorium, make sure there aren't any weak spots, and it might be difficult to find a good seat where I can see everything, but really, it's no problem."

Alex stared at him. "You're. . . You're going to be in the auditorium?"

Spencer eyed her as though she had just said something particularly stupid. "Yes. Of course I am. Where did you think I was going to be?"

"I just kind of assumed the parking lot."

He snorted dryly. "No, not happening. If I was in the parking lot, I wouldn't be able to hear you if you needed help." He rattled the locks on the window beside one of the computer stations, brow furrowed as he listened for any looseness. "Don't worry, I won't attract any attention. I'll try to sit near the back. I should be pretty unobtrusive back there."

Alex hummed noncommittally, but she wasn't near as confident as Spencer was. This was Leadworth. People noticed things. Especially new things.

~The Pros and Cons of Silence~

Just as Alex had predicted, Spencer's presence at rehearsal was noticed.

Not that it was Spencer's fault. He'd done just what he told Alex he would do. He sat in the back of the auditorium, in the middle of the final row. Alex had already figured out this was an excellent vantage point for keeping an eye on the stage as well as the auditorium entrances. She'd been sitting in that same seat almost every rehearsal since discovering her wrecked birthday photo. Still, even while trying to be as unobtrusive as possible, being the only person in the room who wasn't a cast member, Spencer was quickly noticed.

"Who's that?" Veronica murmured. She and Alex were standing in the right wing, the latter waiting for her cue. Onstage, Henry's Algernon and Archie's Ernest were arguing over the former's romantic pursuit of Elsie's Cecily. Being careful not to completely step out of the curtained wing, Veronica pointed at Spencer.

"A friend," Alex whispered back.

Veronica raised a skeptical eyebrow. "Never seen him before. Actually, he looks like that bloke everyone's been going on about. The one supposed to be from UNIT."

Alex struggled not to grimace. So much for not tipping off possible Silence spies, she thought. Better nip this in the bud. "He's not with UNIT," she said firmly. "He's just a friend whose taking some much-deserved vacation time. His company practically forced it on him." Not really a lie. Spencer hadn't exactly come here by choice.

"And he chose Leadworth?" Veronica said with an incredulous scoff. "Bloody ridiculous. Nothing happens here." She poked her head out a little further around the curtain. After a moment, Alex joined her. Spencer was watching Archie and Henry intently, but only Alex saw how every few moments, his gaze would drift to the wings and then to the two auditorium entrances. Keeping an eye on things, just as the Doctor had promised he would.

Alex was jolted out of her observation by Veronica saying, "He's cute. Good job, Alex."

Alex's jaw dropped. "What?" It started to come out as a shout but, remembering where she was, Alex hastily dropped her exclamation to a hiss. "You. . . No! Spencer is not my boyfriend. Far from it."

Veronica merely smirked. "The lady doth protest too much," she chuckled.

"Really," Alex insisted. The same sense of revulsion she'd gotten when she thought Archie was going to ask her out flooded her system. Alex felt a bit guilty about it (Spencer was rather attractive) but she couldn't help it. Her body was hardwired for the Doctor. Just the mere idea that people would confuse Spencer as her boyfriend was enough to make Alex's nervous system shudder. "I have a boyfriend, Veronica. But Spencer's not him. He's just a friend. Came down here for vacation, is all. Like I said, he'd earned up a lot of vacation days at work and his company wanted him to use them."

All of this came out so matter-of-factly, there was no way Veronica could find any fault in it. But something else Alex had said caught her attention. "You already have a boyfriend?" She looked puzzled for a second, then her face flooded with recognition. "Oh, right, that photograph Mels ruined."

"We don't know it was Mels." Though when she considered how Mels had acted after viewing the photo, Alex was tempted to say it was her, too.

"I say it was her. She's crazy. I remember when we were kids, she was always babbling stupid answers to the teachers." Veronica rolled her eyes. "Always involved Amy's imaginary friend, the Doctor." Her cheeks flushed, presumably at the reminder that the Doctor was far from imaginary, but she quickly recovered. "'Oh, the Titanic sank because the Doctor wasn't there to stop it! Lord Mountbatten was killed because the Doctor didn't defuse the bomb in time!'" She rolled her eyes again, this time with a shake of her head. "Stupid shit like that, you know."

Before Alex could really process this revelation (something Amy and Rory had never mentioned to her, for whatever reason), George as Merriman was stepping out and announcing to Elsie/Cecily the arrival of Gwendolen. Pushing all her worries about Mels, Spencer, and the Silence aside, Alex stepped out and became the eccentric Gwendolen Fairfax.

Rehearsal went much as usual after that, but Alex knew the rest of her castmates had also noticed Spencer's presence. However, there was no time to question her about it. While it was only the beginning of July, Earnest scheduled for a late August premiere, preparations had gone into high gear. After rehearsal, Archie gave everyone notes on their performances, reminded the group he wanted them off-book by the end of the month, and revealed that measurements would be taken tomorrow night so costumes could start being prepared. In addition, everyone was expected to help with set decoration, which included painting backdrops and gathering items that weren't already in the storage room backstage or in Archie's basement, as well as general promotion for the show. Archie was going all out for this production. Flyers, posters, even a few ads in the Leadworth Chronicle. It was all rather exciting, and, for a moment, Alex forgot all about Spencer and the possible Silence threat.

That lovely feeling vanished the moment Archie released them.

"Who's that?" Archie demanded, falling into step beside Alex as she walked up the aisle towards a waiting Spencer.

"A friend. Dr. Spencer Grayson."

Archie frowned. "You've never mentioned him before." To Alex's surprise, his tone was somewhat accusatory.

Veronica, fiddling with a dangly tasseled earring, swept up beside him. "He's here on vacation, Archie."

"What's he doing here then? I mean, Leadworth. Not really a vacation destination."

"Visiting me," Alex said breezily.

Once again, Archie surprised her. His raised eyebrows dropped, and his expression became flat. He looked as though he'd just received some unpleasant news but was trying to keep his true reaction hidden. "Oh."

At that moment, Elsie came running up. She looked even prettier than usual this evening, her regular diner's uniform exchanged for a red gingham romper with matching lipstick and Keds. Veronica had been eyeing her enviously all evening. "You ready to go, Archie?" she asked.

Archie stared at her. "Huh?"

"To Bello Italiano? To watch the cricket match?" Elsie glanced at her watch. "Half past eight. Game's already started, but we should be able to catch the second inning."

"Oh, right, that. Um, sorry, Elsie, but something's come up." Archie could barely meet her eyes, his gaze, for some reason, going back and forth from Alex to Spencer. "I-I have to get home." Then, without another word, Archie darted up the aisle, flinging one of the doors open. His sneakers squeaked against the marbled foyer floor as he presumably rushed towards the parking lot. The door shut with a heavy thud.

Veronica's brow furrowed. "What was all that about? Archie always gives me a reason when he has to cancel our plans."

Elsie stared at the door Archie had fled through. Her big blue eyes were wide, shining in confusion as well as a light mist of tears. "I don't know," she murmured.

Alex winced. Poor Elsie. She was such a sweet girl. Archie was a much better choice for her than Temple. Alex had thought Archie was gearing up to ask Elsie out, but apparently, he'd gotten cold feet.

Well, at the very least, I can try and cheer her up. Alex had been hoping to befriend Elsie. Considering she was basically Leadworth's version of Hester Prynne at the moment, Elsie didn't have a lot of people she talked to or interacted with. Alex wasn't even sure if Elsie had any friends. But maybe she could help change that. . .

"Bello Italiano?" Alex smiled brightly.

Elsie was taken a bit off guard by the abrupt change in subject but nodded anyways. "Yeah, they're showing the cricket match between England and Australia." She smiled bashfully. "William and George promised they'd put it on for me if I wanted to watch there."

Because you can't go to The Queen's Garters, Alex mentally finished. There was no way Elsie would voluntarily show her face at the pub co-owned by her married lover. "Well, do you mind if I join you? You might have to explain the game to me, but it could be fun."

Elsie glanced briefly in the direction of Archie's chosen exit, but there was no denying Alex's idea held great appeal. "Oh, why, yes!" Realizing she had possibly come across as being a bit too enthusiastic, Elsie cleared her throat and schooled her features into something calmer, less ecstatic. "I mean," she said softly, "that'd be great."

"Great." Alex turned to Veronica. "Wanna tag along, Veronica?"

Veronica eyed the door. No doubt she wanted to go after Archie and make sure any possible feelings for Elsie were squashed, but she surprised Alex by shrugging and saying, "Sure. Who doesn't love a good cricket match?" She glanced at Spencer. "But, um, what about him?"

"I'll ask if he wants to come along."

Alex expected Spencer to politely decline, but once again, she was surprised. "If that's where you want to go, sure," he shrugged, looking for all the world completely unbothered by the turn his life had taken in the last twenty-four hours.

Alex stared at him. "You mean . . . you're coming along just because I want to go somewhere?"

Spencer smiled softly. Leaning closer, he murmured, "I promised both my superiors and the Doctor by extension that I would keep an eye on you. Granted, I'm not what most would consider bodyguard material, but I do have the proper training. I intend to keep my promise, so long as you'll let me."

"You don't have to follow me 24/7," Alex assured him, even though she was quite touched by his words. "I'm sure there's stuff you'd rather be doing than sitting at the library all day, following me to rehearsal and the café and such."

"It's really not that bad. Don't worry, I'm really enjoying myself, scout's honor."

Alex quirked an eyebrow. "Were you really in the scouts?"

"Cub Scout Troop #1,963 from ages six to ten. I'll be more than happy to tell you about that time since I'm betting neither one of us knows anything about cricket. . ."

~The Pros and Cons of Silence~

July 7th, 2011

At the end of Tuesday night, after the cricket match and dinner with Elsie and Veronica, Spencer accompanied Alex home. He'd performed a quick security check of the rental property, identifying any possible weak spots, most of which Alex had spotted weeks ago (like the overgrown bushes beside her bedroom window, perfect for spying on her unobserved).

Spencer had also met Amy and Rory that night. He'd introduced himself and was promptly dragged in for a cup of tea where he calmly explained what, specifically, he would be doing while in Leadworth. What it boiled down to was sticking close to Alex and watching out for any threats to her. It had been the general consensus of everyone involved that Madame Kovarian and the Silence were no longer interested in Amy. She had bred them their weapon (though Spencer was smart enough not to use those exact words). Her part in all of this was done. Their interest in Alex, however, was still very much up in the air. No one could say for sure that Kovarian and the Silence wouldn't possibly come back for her, finish whatever they had started in turning Alex into a Time Lady. While Amy was relieved to learn she wouldn't have a so-called babysitter watching her every movement, she was worried about Alex's safety.

"You will keep a close eye on Alex, won't you?" Alex paused in retrieving the tin of McVitie's Milk Chocolate Digestive's from the top shelf of the pantry (where Amy kept them in the mistaken belief that she'd be less likely to snack on them if they were stored that high up) to listen closer. "Because those . . . those bastards want something from her. They turned her into an alien after all, and they wouldn't do that for no good reason. Alex is strong but she's not. . ." Amy took a deep, shuddering breath. ". . .her will is strong, but theirs is stronger." Then, in a quieter voice that Alex would have missed had her hearing not recently undergone an upgrade, she said, "I'm scared they'll do something, and I'll never see my best friend again."

Those words made Alex sink to the floor, biscuits forgotten. She hadn't realized her transformation had affected Amy this much. In their talk about her altered body, she'd told Amy and Rory about being descended from a Time Lord, but she hadn't considered how the Ponds would take that in relation to Kovarian turning her into a Time Lady.

But Amy was right. Kovarian and the Silence wanted something from her. Advancing her DNA and altering her body had been part of those mystery motivations. And though Alex tried not to think about it, she knew those motives were for a sinister purpose, that despite what she'd said to the Doctor, those butchers had not willingly done her a favor.

"I promise," Spencer swore. "Believe me, I have no intention of letting Alex come to any harm."

"Right," Rory deadpanned. "Because at best you'll be sacked and at worse you'll be dead 'cause the Doctor cheerfully strangled you."

"I'm not doing this just because of a job!" Spencer snapped. There was so much passion and fierceness in his voice that everyone immediately knew he spoke the truth. "I'm doing this because I genuinely admire the Doctor and because I genuinely like Alex. She's not like most charges UNIT has had to protect. Those usually have no hesitation in expressing how much of an annoyance we are in their lives, how much of a disruption we are when the irony is they usually end up causing us headaches and inconveniences instead of the other way around. Alex, at least, understands why I'm here, even if she doesn't entirely like it. She asks questions, she's been helping me plan the best way to watch and protect her, and she actually expresses an interest in my wellbeing." He chuckled. "She's worried that I absolutely hate being here, that I'm just pretending to go along with following her everywhere."

"Are you?" Amy challenged.

"Not at all. Actually, for the first time in a long time, I'm really enjoying myself."

After that conversation, Spencer had received the Amy and Rory Pond stamp of approval. Spencer had nearly slumped over in relief when Amy and Rory nodded their acquiescence and cheerfully switched to lighter topics. Trained UNIT interrogators had nothing on the Ponds. Those two could easily get master criminals and alien cult leaders to sweat within ten seconds.

In the two days that followed, Spencer and Alex managed to start a little routine. They had agreed that Spencer should meet Alex at the house every morning before she headed to the library, just to be safe. If the Silence ever wanted to kidnap Alex again, the perfect time to do it was when she was on her way out the door at an hour when most people weren't awake yet. They drove to the library in Alex's '56, one of Spencer's hands clutching his travel mug, the other gripping the bar above the window as an oblivious Alex sang along to whatever CD she was playing.

Both did a customary security check upon arriving at the library. So far, nothing was out of place except for the books Kendra continued to mis-shelve. Still, Spencer wasn't letting his guard down. That was just when the enemy would strike, when you'd convinced yourself they were no longer a threat, that maybe there hadn't been a threat in the first place.

For the next several hours, Spencer would occupy himself with books, UNIT paperwork, or the Leadworth Chronicle crossword puzzle. He also did his best to ignore Kendra's flirtatious glances or the curious stares from several patrons. Alex had done a great job at dismissing the UNIT rumors, but that didn't mean the curiosity had gone away. If anything, everyone was more curious than ever about this "friend" of Alex's whom no one had heard her mention before. Spencer had stopped counting the so-casual-they-were-clearly-planned encounters people had come up with to speak to him, ostensibly about how he was liking Leadworth before quickly diverting to his relationship with Alex. There had even been a few point-blank inquiries on if he was Alex's boyfriend.

Spencer always hotly denied these. It was less out of his loyalty to Alex and more out of a desire not to be a target of the Doctor's wrath if such rumors ever got back to the Time Lord.

When the workday was done, he and Alex would head off to Earnest rehearsal. Spencer sat in his usual spot at the back, keeping an eye on things, while Alex was free to concentrate on capturing the essence of Gwendolen Fairfax. The cast, for the most part, treated Spencer's newfound company with a mixture of mild curiosity and quick acceptance. They were far too busy juggling all the new responsibilities Archie had put on them; Alex and Veronica were already off book, and everyone was scrambling to join them, fittings were being done round the clock on costumes, and props were constantly being brought in for Archie's inspection. The Donaldson's produced a moth-eaten chaise lounge that actually looked as though it had been built during the Victorian era, Veronica borrowed her younger cousin's tea party set, and Mrs. Warner offered engraved cigarette cases that surprisingly belonged to a wide selection of men. She had regaled Spencer with tales of her time with one of them. By the end of the conversation, Spencer's whole body was bright red.

But there was one member of the cast who had taken particular interest in Spencer. More times than Spencer could count, he'd caught Archie Alden starting at him in a mixture of befuddlement and jealousy. It was almost comical, Spencer thought. Archie was so worried about this random person who had suddenly entered Alex's life when he had no reason to be. For one, Spencer had no romantic interest in Alex. For another, Archie had absolutely no claim on holding anything resembling jealousy towards men in Alex's life. He just didn't know it.

Archie had taken the approach of many of the other villagers in trying to pump Spencer for information. During his second day at rehearsal, Archie had come over while Alex was busy onstage. He'd started off fairly innocently by introducing himself and asking Spencer what he thought of the production so far. Quickly though, the conversation turned to Alex. Probably because Spencer, so devoted to his task, hadn't taken his eyes off her for more than a second at a time.

"Alex is really talented, isn't she?" Archie said, sounding for all the world like a proud father.

Spencer watched as Alex continued through her scene with Elsie, tracking her movements across the stage as well as who he could make out loitering in the wings. George and William seemed to be playing cards in the right wing while Dr. Coggins was paging through a copy of Hello! in the left wing. "Oh, yeah, she's great," he nodded.

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Archie frown. "You don't sound very enthusiastic."

"Oh, I am, don't worry." Spencer darted a quick smile in Archie's direction. "Just got some things on my mind is all."

"Related to Alex, I'm sure. I don't think your eyes have moved from her once all day." There was no missing the mild accusation in Archie's voice.

Spencer inwardly sighed. This was not what he wanted to deal with right now. If Archie knew just why he was here, he'd probably insist on shaking Spencer's hand.

"You've noticed that?" he asked, as though he were making an observation on the weather.

"I notice a lot of things," Archie said smoothly. "Have to, as a director." He and Spencer were silent for a few moments, watching Alex's Gwendolen and Elsie's Cecily quarrel over who, exactly, was engaged to 'Ernest'. Still keeping his eyes on the girls, Archie suddenly asked, "So how did you and Alex meet?"

Spencer wasn't even surprised by the abrupt, slightly prying question. He'd been waiting for Archie to ask something like it. "Through a mutual friend." Not really a lie.

"What friend?"

"I doubt you know them."

Archie turned to him then. His hazel eyes were hard, an eyebrow raised in clear challenge. "Try me."

Thankfully, before Spencer could try and come up with something, Elsie was calling out a question about blocking. With a final backwards glance at Spencer, Archie rushed back to the stage.

With the demands that directing and acting in a play require, Archie hadn't any more time to question Spencer. For the rest of rehearsal, Spencer had pretended not to notice Archie's baffled/envious looks. When it looked like the man was going to try questioning him again, Spencer acted like he was taking important calls on his phone. It had kept Archie away from him, but Spencer had no idea how long that was going to last.

He got his answer the very next day. Upon spotting him coming in with Alex, Archie practically pounced on Spencer, dragging him off to the wings to assist with prop maintenance; his reasoning being that if Spencer was going to keep coming around, he might as well make himself useful by helping the busy cast.

Neither Alex nor Spencer could really argue such logic. Not without telling Archie the insane truth. Spencer had to admit, he was a little tempted to let Archie know what was really going on. He had no doubt that if Archie knew Alex was in danger, the man would quickly make himself captain of the Protect Alex Army. But that would cause a whole host of problems in itself, something no one could afford to have.

Alex was completely oblivious to Archie's mood. His "baffling" behavior, as she put it, was most likely due to him being nervous about a member of the public viewing and judging them before the play was finished. Still, that wasn't really an excuse to rope Spencer into set decorating, at least as far as Alex was concerned.

So color her surprised when Spencer presented his theory.

"No, it's not that. He's got a massive crush on you."

Alex looked up from the flat she was painting. Feeling guilty about Spencer being roped into play preparation, every second she didn't have to be onstage she was spending backstage helping him. A small section of the crowded backstage area had been cleared out for the purpose of painting backdrops and assembling fake bushes for the scene taking place in Jack Worthing's garden. While she was painting a flat to be used as part of Jack's morning room wall, Spencer was painstakingly applying fabric roses to a rather realistic bush. "I'm sorry," she blinked. "What?"

Spencer nodded towards the left wing. Just beyond it, they could hear Archie directing Elsie and Henry. "Archie," he said matter-of-factly. "He's got a massive crush on you, and he thinks I'm ruining his chances with you." He gestured towards the fake bush. "That's why he's got me back here working on props. He's trying to keep me away from you." He smirked. "Not really working though."

Alex gaped at him. "What? No! That's not true." She turned back to the flat, sweeping another coat of white paint over the wooden surface. "I mean, I thought that myself at first, but he just wanted to talk to me about auditioning for the play—"

"So he could spend time with you." Spencer leaned over the bush and attached another fabric rose, nearly catching his pale gray tie on a sharp leaf in the process. "You told me yourself that he took an immediate interest in you when you first came to Leadworth, he knows you were in the drama club in high school, and when he cast you in the play, he cast you as his character's romantic partner."

"Only because I was qualified for the part!" Alex really didn't like the idea of Archie casting her as Gwendolen just so he could get close to her. It just felt so . . . skeevy. Not to mention more than a bit manipulative.

"I'm not saying you're not a terrific actress – you are!" Spencer assured her. "I've been watching this play for two days, haven't I?" He paused to roll the sleeves of his blue dress shirt further up his arms. "And I'm not in the habit of lying. Also, in addition to watching you, I've been watching the rest of the cast, and I've seen how Archie is around you. He always looks towards you when he's making some kind of character or technical decision."

Alex wiped her brush on a rag, a little harsher than she needed to. "Surely that's not true."

"Trust me, he does, whether you've realized it or not. He does that with Elsie, too, but not as much."

"Elsie!" Alex cried. She flung her brush down. "Glad you brought that up! Archie's interested in her, I've seen it. And the feeling is very much mutual."

Spencer picked up a red rose and carefully twisted it onto one of the bush's limbs. "I've noticed that, too. He's definitely developed a crush on her. That's why he canceled on their plans for the cricket match Tuesday night. He saw me, thought I was your boyfriend, and canceled so he could go home and mope and/or plot. He's confused over his feelings for you, which are old, and over his feelings for Elsie, which are new."

Alex considered this. As much as she hated to admit it, it actually made a lot of sense. She recalled all those times with Archie when she first arrived in Leadworth, all the beams he gave her, even when such a brilliant beam wasn't strictly necessary. How during every rehearsal, he would ask her opinion on some technical decision he'd made that day, whether it was telling an actor their approach to a character wasn't quite right or even something as mundane as a slight change to a scene's blocking. Now that Spencer mentioned it, she could recall a few times when Archie had looked in her direction as he was making a decision. She'd never paid it any attention though. She had simply never entertained the idea that there could be any hidden emotions beneath those quick, casual glances.

There was even how Archie always sought her out after rehearsal, always wanting to talk to her. He'd once offered to walk her home, but when she told him she'd driven, he simply smiled and offered a raincheck. Dear God, it had seemed so casual, like something she would have said to Amy, Rory, Lacey, or any of her other friends.

She had initially dismissed Kendra's pronouncement of Archie having a crush on her, but now. . .

Alex's stomach twisted violently, the taco salad she'd had for lunch threatening to make a reappearance. Her insides were lurching and tilting dramatically. Her nervous system felt as though it were rearing back in disgust. The same sense of revulsion she'd felt the first time she considered Archie's crush on her swept through her system. Unfortunately for Archie, Alex's body had been hardwired for one very specific person a long time ago and it would never – could never – be recalibrated for someone else.

Suddenly, all Alex wanted was to be in the Doctor's arms. She wanted to feel a scratchy tweed jacket under her fingertips, smell a musky cologne as she buried her head in his neck, lay her head on his chest and listen to the two hearts beat steadily beneath. She wanted the Doctor's arms around her. She never felt safer anywhere else. He always tugged her close to him, but his grip wasn't hard or suffocating. More as though he was trying to gently nudge her inside him where she would be safe from the threats of the universe.

Spencer watched her carefully. He had read the files on the Doctor and Alex's unique connection but knowing about it hadn't prepared him for seeing the effects of it. Alex looked like she was going to be sick, her face pale under her tan, her arms wrapped tightly around her midsection. Her eyes were wide with emotion. Had someone asked him to identify those emotions, Spencer would have said they were horror and longing, two feelings that typically didn't go together.

"Are you okay?" he asked worriedly. He eyed the large trash-can in the corner. Should he go ahead and push it over here?

Alex took a deep, shuddering breath. The nausea subsided slightly, but not by much. "I need some air," she muttered. She clambered to her feet and, arms still wrapped around her stomach, her face white as a sheet, she rushed over to the back door. Spencer was right on her heels.

Once outside, Alex wasted no time in running towards the first bit of grass she could see. It happened to be the soccer field. She sank down onto the cool, slightly damp grass and leaned back against the goal-post, the dented white plastic still warm from the slowly setting sun. Spencer, after eyeing the ground somewhat warily, sat down beside her.

Alex chuckled. "Sorry for making you get your pants dirty."

Spencer looked down ruefully at his gray khaki slacks. "Wouldn't be the first time," he sighed. "UNIT missions can be hell on clothes."

Alex snorted. "So can traveling with the Doctor. In some cases," she scowled, remembering the incident on Terados, "they can get you arrested."

Spencer debated asking her to elaborate. Ultimately though, Alex's well-being was far more important than any stories she could tell about the Doctor. "You okay now?" Alex's face had returned to a healthy tan, and she was no longer clutching her stomach, but it was still best to check.

Alex tilted her head back and breathed deeply. The scent of freshly cut grass filled her lungs, followed closely by the smell of someone barbecuing. Getting out in the fresh air had definitely been a good idea. Any lingering nausea had been completely curbed. "Yeah, I think so." After a few more moments of soaking up the fresh air and the lukewarm sun on her skin, Alex stood. She brushed off the rear of her navy romper, paired with a jean jacket, black ankle boots, a gold necklace layered over her sonic one, and gold hoop earrings.

Spencer stood as well. "So. . ." he said slowly, hesitating as he brushed off the seat of his pants. "What are you going to do about Archie?" His eyes brightened and he offered her a grin. "Want me to threaten him? I've never done it before, but I think I could make it pretty convincing."

Alex burst out laughing. "No, I don't think we have to resort to that."

"Then what, exactly? Because I can tell you right now, Archie's not going to give up. Not unless you do something about it."

Alex's expression became suddenly firm, no nonsense. It reminded Spencer of Chief Stewart when she was arguing for a scientific solution to a problem instead of relying on the typical military response. "I'm going to steer him towards Elsie, of course," she said, as though this was obvious. A calculating look came into her dark green eyes. Spencer could almost see the cogs turning in her head. "Tomorrow night should be a good night to do just that. . ."

~ The Pros and Cons of Silence ~

July 8th, 2011

"I hope I'm not horrible at this," Elsie fretted. She held a dangly silver earring shaped like a conch shell to her ear, examining it in the mirror. "I've never been that into Harry Potter."

Alex, seated on the bed flipping through her dog-eared copy of Deathly Hallows, gaped at her. "Really?" Try as she might, she couldn't hide the surprise in her voice.

Elsie blushed. "Well, I read the books and I've seen the movies, of course, but I've just never gotten hardcore into it. I don't think I could tell you what wood Harry's wand is made of, for instance."

"Holly. Eleven inches long with a phoenix feather core. It's only one of two wands in the series with that particular core, the other being Voldemort's."

"See?" Elsie cried, throwing up her hand. She flung the conch shell earring back into her jewelry box. "You know this kind of stuff! I don't. I'll just be an embarrassment."

"You are not going to be an embarrassment," Alex said firmly. She set aside her book and stood, making her way over to Elsie. She set a hand on her shoulder. "You could never be an embarrassment, Elsie. So maybe you won't know a lot of trivia. That's cool. You can just be moral support."

Elsie looked at her, those big blue eyes longing and yearning for Alex's words to be true. "Really? You think so?" she asked, her voice just above a whisper.

Alex nodded, her expression resolute. "Absolutely." And she did believe it. She just had to make Elsie believe it too.

Since Alex had first decided to befriend Elsie, she had endeavored to talk to Elsie more and include her in things to up her confidence. Elsie's self-esteem had understandably taken a severe nosedive after her affair with Edward Temple became known, which made her less inclined to interact with people beyond the basics. But Alex was determined to change that. Especially in regard to Elsie's relationship with Archie.

Tonight was part of her plan. The Queen's Garters was having a Harry Potter themed pub quiz to honor the final movie's premiere next Friday. The Earnest cast had made plans to go as a cast-bonding activity. Elsie, however, hadn't been enthusiastic. She'd been planning on staying home, until the combined efforts of Archie and Alex had persuaded her otherwise. Elsie couldn't avoid The Queen's Garters forever, nor could she pretend to ignore the villagers for much longer. Tonight, by going into the pub owned by the Temple's, Elsie would demonstrate that she was through being a victim, a target for scorn and ridicule, and that she was worthy of respect.

That was the plan at least. Alex just prayed it went off without a hitch.

In the hopes of boosting Elsie's enthusiasm, Alex had offered to come to her cottage and help her get ready (without Spencer, but Alex had no doubt he was somewhere nearby). She had barely gotten the question out before Elsie eagerly accepted.

Now, Alex dug around in the jewelry box. Elsie's collection was extensive, nearly rivaling Alex's own. After a few moments of rummaging, Alex pulled out a pair of gold stud earrings, shaped like a cluster of stars. "These," she said, handing them to Elsie. "They're perfect."

Elsie, much to Alex's relief, didn't protest. "Okay, how do I look?"

They peered into the mirror. Along with the earrings, Elsie wore a black t-shirt with a sweetheart neckline, ripped skinny jeans, and a pair of black ankle boots with silver chains along the sides. Alex had made her black hair wavier than usual, arranging it so it framed her face. Her makeup was daring, with a smokey eye and bold red lipstick that complimented her pale skin perfectly.

"You look great," Alex beamed. "Totally hot." Elsie blushed, but she didn't seem displeased. "Okay, how about me?"

Alex's outfit was a bit dressier than Elsie's, but no less attractive. She wore a black ribbed tank top that was slightly cropped, though you couldn't tell that thanks to her pants. They were a pair of form-fitting black dress pants with white pinstripes and went nearly up to Alex's waist. The rest of her outfit consisted of black pumps, dangly gold circular chain earrings, a matching bracelet, and her usual sonic necklace and ring. Unlike Elsie, Alex had kept her makeup simple, using her preferred products with the exception of her lipstick. It was a golden nude color, borrowed from Elsie, who had insisted it would go perfectly against Alex's tanned skin. She was right.

"Like a goddess," Elsie answered, a touch enviously, but she was smiling as she said it.

"Hardly," Alex scoffed. She ran a hand through her tousled hair, fluffing her bangs and roots in an effort to give them extra volume.

Elsie passed her a can of hairspray. "It's true," she insisted. "There's a reason you've got so many men drooling over you. Like Rory's friend Ricky, for example."

Alex grimaced. Ricky was an absolute sleaze-ball. "He can stop drooling as far as I'm concerned."

Elsie fiddled with a ring that had been left on the dresser. "And Archie." She reddened when Alex whirled around to stare at her. "Another example," she said quietly.

Alex shook her head. "Elsie, I can assure you, I have no interest in Archie. In fact," she smiled, "I want to help you."

Elsie blinked. "Help me?" she said, voice full of confusion.

"It's quite simple," Alex said as she set the hairspray aside. "Tonight at the pub, you'll be seated next to Archie. I, on the other hand, will be on the exact opposite side of the table, just to make sure Archie doesn't get his signals crossed. I'll make sure Veronica sits next to me, so she doesn't go all territorial on Archie."

"I don't think you have to worry too much about that. Haven't you noticed she's been getting close to Henry?"

"Really?" Now that Alex thought about it, she did recall seeing Veronica and Henry sitting together the past couple of rehearsals. She'd even spotted Veronica chatting with Henry at the counter when she had to run into the chemists to pick up a few things. "Well, good for her. That's one problem out of the way. Now all you need to do is sit with Archie and chat. He's a big fan of Harry Potter. Strike up a conversation about that. You can ask him to explain things you don't understand. That should lead into a conversation about the books you read. That ought to keep you occupied for a while."

Elsie stared at her. "Wow. You really have thought this out." She chuckled. "You do this kind of scheming often?"

"I had a lot of practice with Amy and Rory. And besides," Alex smiled, "I'm a romantic."

"Yeah," Elsie blushed. "So am I."

"I figured as much." Alex eyed the bookcase stuffed full of romance novels, and then the posters on the walls. All of them were for rom-coms: Sleepless in Seattle. How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days. Notting Hill. Bridget Jones' Diary. And so many more. The only posters that weren't of romantic comedies were of famous actors. Leonardo DiCaprio during his Romeo + Juliet days. Johnny Depp as Captain Jack Sparrow. Tom Cruise from Top Gun. Elsie's room screamed her love for romance. The only things in there that didn't indicate such a thing were the cross-country running trophies Elsie had won in secondary school, the glow-in-the-dark stars on the ceiling arranged into various constellations, and the cluttered desk tucked into a corner. On it were stacks of notebooks, a mason jar full of pens and pencils, and a laptop covered in stickers. WRITE ON! boasted one. Another said BOYS IN BOOKS ARE JUST BETTER. The one Alex was most interested in said SHUT UP, I'M WRITING.

"You write?" Alex asked, heading over to the laptop.

Elsie scrambled to block Alex's view of the desk. "Oh, it's just a hobby," she laughed. "Something silly I do for fun."

Alex stepped around her to examine one of the notebooks. "Writing's not silly. Trust me." She would never admit it, not even to the Doctor (not yet anyway), but she had written Gossip Girl fanfiction before. She was partial to the Nate/Blair pairing. Plus some Castle stuff. Mostly fix-its to episodes where it looked like Castle and Beckett were going to kiss or go on a date but didn't. She was a pretty good writer, if she said so herself. But Elsie. . . "This is good, Elsie. Really."

Elsie flushed. "It's not that good. Just some scribbling."

Alex had to disagree. She had read plenty of romance novels in her time. A lot were cheesy, using the same tired-out clichés and euphemisms. But Elsie's so-called scribbling didn't seem to use any of that.

The top of the notebook page read Five Nights in Tangier, pg. 16.

. . . Elsa glared venomously at Colin. Honestly, this was just what she needed. First learning that her contact in Tangier had disappeared without a trace, taking part of the map to the scrolls with him, and now that Colin McInerny was looking for the scrolls as well. Normally, Elsa loved having rivals. It made the game of treasure-hunting that much more exciting. Heightened stakes, more adrenaline rushes, the thrill of the chase. Truly, if it had been anybody but Colin McInerny, she would have welcomed them with open arms, buying them a drink and toasting 'To the best man win!'.

But that wasn't to be with Colin. It never had been.

"Listen to me loud and clear, Mac," she said, raising her voice so as to be heard over the big band music. "Those scrolls are mine. You understand? Cairo is paying me a small fortune to get them and verify that they're real. I have no intention of losing them to scum like you."

Colin put a hand over his heart in mock offense. "Scum?" he repeated, lips quirking in amusement. "Me?"

"Yes, you! You sell everything you can find to the highest bidder, someone who doesn't care about preserving them for future study or generations. Don't deny it!" Elsa leaned back in her chair, crossing her arms. "Just how much are you being paid for being here? And," she added before Colin could answer, "what happened to my contact?"

"Contact?"

"Professor Ahmed Burroughs. He's the one who contacted the Cairo Museum about the scrolls in the first place. Now he's disappeared." Elsa's eyes narrowed. "Of course, you already know all about that, don't you, Mac?"

Colin's expression suddenly turned serious, more serious than Elsa had ever seen before. He leaned across the table, tilting his hat back so she could look into his eyes. Those crystal blue depths were solemn, showing no hint of trickery. Not that that counted for much. With Colin, she had been wrong before.

"Elsa," he said softly, his voice nearly drowned out by the band's rendition of 'Sing, Sing, Sing'. "I honestly have no idea what you're talking about. I didn't have anything to do with a contact of yours disappearing. But," he said, a familiar sparkle coming into those blue depths, "perhaps I can help."

Before Alex could turn the page to find out Elsa's reply, Elsie had snatched the notebook away. "Like I said, it's just scribbling." She stuffed the notebook into one of the desk drawers. "Came out of a dream I had the other night." She chuckled ruefully. "I guess that's what happens when you marathon all of the Indiana Jones movies in one night."

"Elsie, your story is good," Alex insisted. "Really. I would totally read it."

Elsie smiled, but it was a rather sad one. "Eddie says it's nothing but the ramblings of a girl. He thinks I ought to give it up."

And there was another thing Alex wanted to talk to her about. . . "Elsie?" she said softly. "Just how serious is your relationship with Eddie, I mean, Edward?"

Slowly, Elsie sank onto the bed. Alex joined her. "I thought it was really serious in the beginning," Elsie began, her voice soft and wistful. "I've known for a long time that Eddie was attracted to me. He always used to ask specifically for me when he came to the café, he'd touch my hand when I gave him his change, and sometimes I could feel him watching me." Elsie blushed. "A lot of men already do that, but with him, it was different. We soon got to talking whenever he came to the café during slow hours, and he told me that his relationship with Gretchen wasn't working out anymore."

Alex had a pretty good idea on just what Temple had said about his wife to gain Elsie's sympathies, but she had to ask anyway. "What exactly did he say?"

"Oh, that she was horrid! She never listened to him, alternatively bullied or babied Jimmy, she wouldn't sleep with him anymore. . . She was just—"

"Horrid," Alex finished flatly.

Elsie nodded frantically. "Yes!"

Alex resisted the urge to face-palm herself. Or to smack Elsie upside the head. How could the poor girl not see she'd been played? "So when did the relationship, er, move to the next level?"

Elsie blushed. "It was actually during Amy and Rory's wedding reception." The more she spoke, the redder her cheeks got. "I was sitting in the same pew with him, Gretchen, and Jimmy. Gretchen kept fussing over Jimmy, I guess because he was only five at the time and five-year-old's don't like sitting still for so long in fancy clothes, so she didn't notice Edward's hand slipping up my skirt. While the vows were being read, he actually—"

"I get the picture!" Alex said hastily, holding up a hand.

"Well, anyway, by the end of the ceremony, we really just couldn't wait anymore. He made an excuse to Gretchen about a headache and left. I waited until the parking lot cleared out, then headed to his house." Elsie gave a smile that was a mixture of bashfulness and pride. "We did it right there on the dining room table, then on the couch in the living room."

Alex was aware her own cheeks were flushing, but she still managed to squeak out, "Not the bed?"

"Oh, no!" Elsie shook her head adamantly. "Eddie said he didn't want to make love to me in the bed he shared with his wife. Said it was full of tainted love and that our love shouldn't be like that."

Good lord, he played her like a piano! Although it was interesting to learn that the affair had been going on for almost a year prior to Elsie and Temple getting caught. Most of the villagers assumed the affair had begun very recently. "And you two have been seeing each other since then?" At Elsie's nod, Alex asked, "Did Edward tell you about any plans he had for the two of you? Like . . . leaving his wife?"

On this, Elsie's shoulders drooped. "He said he was going to," she murmured. "That first time, he said he just had to get things in order and then he'd tell her. He wanted it to be done carefully, he said. Didn't want to upset Jimmy so much. He started bringing Jimmy along to the café, so he could meet me." She smiled, this time broadly. "Oh, he's such a sweet little boy, Alex! I don't really know anything about being a mother, but I thought I could do it really well. Just needed a little time is all. So I was perfectly happy to wait for as long as Eddie needed. We came up with a kind of schedule. Every day I worked at the café, Eddie would come in at least once, sometimes with Jimmy. On Fridays, when he closed the pub, I'd come there shortly after closing and we'd spend time in the rooms upstairs. There were even a couple of times we went to Gloucester for dinner and then a hotel afterwards." Elsie sighed wistfully. "It was so romantic," she whispered.

Alex was careful to keep her voice gentle as she asked, "But not anymore?"

Elsie's eyes filled with tears. "In the weeks leading up to Gretchen catching us, we'd been arguing a lot. I wanted to know why he still hadn't filed for divorce yet. He told me the day he did, he'd buy me a ring and we'd go anywhere I wanted for the honeymoon. I chose Tangier and he said he would make it happen. But he kept finding excuses to put it off! The day Gretchen caught us, that was angry sex she witnessed. We'd been fighting for the better part of an hour and, well, I guess the tension just got to be too much." Elsie let out a wry laugh. "I was actually relieved when she caught us! Mortified, yes, but also relieved. Finally, Eddie would tell her about us, and we could go ahead with our plans."

Alex eyed Elsie's ringless fingers. "But he hasn't gotten you a ring, has he?"

"No," Elsie sniffled. She stared down at her hands, fingering the empty space where an engagement ring should sit. "Still putting it off." She paused, considering something. "You know, I haven't spoken to him in weeks."

Finally, we're getting somewhere. Edward Temple's stupidity was Archie's gain. Assuming Alex could get him and Elsie in the right direction. "Why is that, do you think?"

Elsie continued to stare at her ringless finger. "I guess . . . I guess I'm just tired of all the false promises. When the whole thing with Eddie started, it was like something out of one of my novels. It was so forbidden, like Romeo and Juliet. That made it exciting. But. . ." She let out a heavy sigh. "What have I got to show for it? Everyone in Leadworth hates me." She offered Alex a sad smile. "Well, except you and Archie."

"Elsie, I promise you, you have more people in your corner than you think. It's not just me and Archie." Alex smiled broadly. "And speaking of Archie. . ."

Elsie laughed. "Yeah, I like him. He's nice. So far, he's one of the few men in the village who doesn't look at me like a sign for a good-time shag."

"So . . . does that mean you're open to my plan? Going for Archie and forgetting Edward?"

A few minutes passed as Elsie considered this. "Maybe."

Alex nodded. It wasn't the passionate 'yes' she'd been wanting, but it was a step in the right direction. "Okay. Truthfully, you should probably break things off with Edward first." She just hoped Edward wouldn't somehow twist Elsie around into giving him another chance.

"Alright, but . . . do we really have to go to The Queen's Garters?"

"Let me handle the people," Alex assured her. "All you have to do is talk to Archie and enjoy yourself. Okay?"

Elsie still looked somewhat hesitant, but ultimately nodded. "Okay."

~The Pros and Cons of Silence~

"Blimey, that's the third dirty look someone's given Elsie," George muttered to Alex. He took a swig of his pint. "You'd think some people could keep their opinions to themselves."

"You would think," Alex grimaced. She peered down the table at Elsie. After the latest dirty look (this one courtesy of Mrs. Jeffries, whom Alex had decided was no more Christian than she was a chihuahua), Elsie had retreated into herself. Rather than following Alex's plan with Archie, she had been content to occupy herself with picking at the bar napkins, tearing them into little strips. Her pint had largely gone untouched.

Alex took a long swig of her gin and tonic, her third since arriving. Normally, she would have been plastered by now, but she'd discovered another change to her altered body: the ability to drink as much as she wanted and still feel sober. Alex suspected it would take quite a lot to get her drunk now. It was both a pro and a con, she thought. Sometimes, she wanted to get drunk, to have a good time, to forget about the difficulties she was currently facing. Such as now, with Elsie and Archie.

George, sitting on Alex's left, offered her a sympathetic look. "Don't feel guilty, Alex. Elsie would have had to face everyone here sooner or later. Better it happens now."

"Yeah, I suppose." But Alex still had a sense of guilt. It was like a rock sitting in her stomach.

In an effort to distract herself, Alex looked around the pub. The Queen's Garters was packed tonight, as it usually was on trivia night. The crowded tables were clustered around the squat, square bar, situated in the middle of the large room. The color scheme was largely black and off-white with splashes of red and blue; the stools surrounding the bar had faded red coverings, the couches in the corners of the room had peacock blue pillows on them, and the rugs spread across the knotted wood floor were patterned with red, blue, and white. In one corner hung the requisite portrait of Elizabeth II, a Union Jack flag directly beneath. The rest of the walls were largely uncovered, save for a dartboard behind the bar. Around the bar were several TVs, each of them tuned to a different station. One showed a cricket match, another BBC News 24, and one a re-run of Absolutely Fabulous. Directly behind the bar was a door covered in West Ham United posters (Edward Temple's favorite team). Alex knew it led to the upstairs rooms, often rented out to the few tourists Leadworth received every year. And where several steamy parts of Edward Temple and Elsie's affair had taken place.

Alex gazed across the full tables and bar. Nearly all of Leadworth had shown up tonight. Amy, Rory, and Spencer were seated at one of the tables closest to the bar. Amy and Rory were drinking alcohol, but Spencer was calmly sipping at a soda. Even though Alex had told him not to worry about keeping an eye on her tonight, he was still taking his duty seriously. It made Alex smile and her frayed, Kovarian/Silence related nerves relax.

Directly across from them was Kendra, her cousin Leslie Brinegar, and their friends. Kendra had dressed even more provocatively than usual tonight, wearing a black leather halter top and skirt that clung to her skin. The skirt barely covered her bum. Alex hoped that Kendra knew better than to bend over while wearing it. The group were making their way through a margarita pitcher, their second since arriving. They were all laughing about something, but Kendra was laughing the loudest. It wasn't because she was really amused at something though, or even buzzed. Alex had caught her making several backwards glances at Spencer, hoping her riotous laughter would attract his attention.

Over at one of the couches, Shannon Darcy and Brianna Mayhew were snuggled up together, their eyes glued to the TV showing tonight's episode of EastEnders. Michael the ice cream man and Jeff sat beside them, both drinking beer. At the table beside the couch sat Arthur Donaldson with a bunch of his mates. His friends, mostly males in various soccer jerseys, were loudly debating Gloucester City A.F.C's chances in the upcoming season. Arthur was the only one not participating. He was staring forlornly across the room at Grace Jeffries and her mother. Grace, for her part, looked just as forlorn, picking at her fries as her mother chattered on about something.

Alex glanced at the bar. Gretchen Temple was, thankfully, in the middle of refilling pints and tankards, so there was no risk of her looking over and giving Elsie the stink eye. Again.

All conversation had stopped the moment Elsie walked into the pub. Alex had heard of the expression 'you could have heard a pin drop', but she'd never thought it could actually be applicable until that very moment. Several of the older generation gave Elsie dark, judging looks. Mrs. Temple looked as though she was about to spit acid or ban Elsie from the pub altogether. It was only when Alex linked arms with Elsie and gave the crowd what Kendra called her 'stern librarian face' that conversation slowly started up again.

Alex just hoped that one glare from Mrs. Temple would be it tonight. She didn't think the woman would cause a bar brawl by attacking Elsie, but you never knew.

And then there was Alex's table. Mrs. Warner and Dr. Coggins had politely declined Archie's invitation (Mrs. Warner because ladies bingo was meeting tonight and Dr. Coggins because of his duties at the nursing home) but the rest of the cast was present and accounted for. At the head of the table sat Archie, looking rather dishy in a tight gray t-shirt, ripped jeans, and a battered black leather jacket. His hair was sticking up more than usual tonight, looking rather like the preferred hairstyle of the Doctor's last incarnation. Alex suspected product. Beside him sat Elsie, still picking at the bar napkins.

Sitting beside Elsie was Henry, in a plain blue t-shirt and jeans. He and Veronica were sharing a basket of chicken wings. Veronica, sitting directly across from him, was her usual put-together self in a sleeveless red dress, matching heels and lipstick, and a pair of dangly pearl earrings. She had eyed Elsie when the latter first arrived, but thankfully hadn't done anything to try and attract Archie's attention. Just as Elsie had said, Veronica had evidently moved her affections on to Henry.

Next to Veronica was William, wearing a soccer jersey. Rather than make conversation with anyone, he was busy trying to catch the eye of barmaid Nicole Sullivan, whom he'd had a crush on for years, according to George. Nicole, however, was too busy delivering orders to and from the kitchen to notice his lovestruck gaze.

Finally, Alex sat at the other end of the table, George beside her. He'd picked up on her sullen mood and had devoted himself to trying to cheer her up. Now, drinking up the last of his pint, he said, "Don't worry, Alex. Trivia will start here in a few minutes." He nodded to the side of the pub where Rupert Carstairs, The Queen's Garters main bartender and self-proclaimed 'trivia master', was setting up a microphone. "Everyone will be too busy trying to remember all of Voldemort's Horcruxes to give Elsie the evil eye."

Alex chuckled. "I hope you're right, George."

He grinned, his blindingly white teeth almost the same shade as his polo. "I always am, aren't I? Just don't tell Will. He thinks that's him." He gestured to her empty glass. "Another G&T?"

Alex handed him the glass. "Please."

As George made his way to the bar, Alex looked back down the table. Elsie had stopped tearing up bar napkins in favor of sipping at her pint. Her eyes darted all around the room, never lingering in one place for too long. Suddenly, she flinched. Her eyes dove to the tabletop and she sunk down in her seat, as though she was trying to disappear.

Alex quickly saw why. At the table beside them were several women Alex didn't know personally but recognized from church. They were often seen talking to Mrs. Jeffries after services were over. Almost all of them kept glancing over at Elsie, giving her the kind of looks usually reserved for mean girls in teen rom-coms.

Alex's eyes narrowed. She had half a mind to go over and dump the women's tankards over their heads. Never mind the fact that she might cause a brawl or get kicked out. Someone had to stick up for Elsie! It wasn't fair that she was getting all the scorn and ridicule while the low-life, manipulative piece of shit that was Edward Temple got off with nothing more than a slap on the wrist.

Before she could do anything that the Doctor might not approve of though, a loud burst of feedback from the microphone rang throughout the room. Wincing, everyone turned to face a sheepish Rupert.

"Sorry!" he called. "But welcome to The Queen's Garters' annual Trivia Night!" Raucous applause and cheers broke out. "Alright, alright! Good to see everyone's excited. Tonight's theme is Harry Potter, in honor of the final movie premiering next week. We'll start trivia proper in a few minutes, but for the time being, all groups playing tonight need to submit their team name. I'll gather them up and then we can start."

Archie quickly commanded attention. "Alright, everyone," he grinned. "What's our team name gonna be?"

"It should be something that relates to the play," Henry said. "Since we're all here as a cast."

George returned just in time to hear this remark. "Well," he said, passing Alex her gin and tonic, "should we do a play on The Importance of Being Earnest?" His face scrunched up as he considered possible names. "Like. . . The Earnestines?"

"God, no," Veronica groaned. "That makes us sound like an eighties rock band."

"A bad eighties rock band," Henry added with a grimace.

"What about . . . the Major Players?" All eyes turned to William. He flushed under the unexpected attention. "Just a suggestion."

Archie mulled it over. "The Major Players. . . It's got a nice ring to it."

"And it does reference the fact that we're in a play," Alex pointed out. "Plus, it sounds pretty badass."

Archie shot her a grin. "That it does. Any objections?"

There were none and Archie darted up to the stage to give Rupert the name. A few moments later, Rupert came back to the mike.

"Alright!" he grinned. "Team names are in! We've got, in no particular order, the Blond Squad–" Cheers broke out at Kendra's table. "— The Major Players–" The Earnest cast let out loud whoops and cheers, with George and Henry stomping their feet. " – The Quizengamot–" Amy let out a loud whoop while Rory and Spencer simply raised their glasses. " – Harry Potter and the Goblet of Beer–" Arthur's group let out a bunch of wild, frat-boy style yelling; Arthur, however, remained silent. " – Law and Auror–" Shannon, Brianna, Michael, and Jeff all whooped. " – Crookshanks for the Memories–" Grace and Mrs. Jeffries raised their glasses, Grace emitting a little whoop. " – Dead Sirius–" Most of the people seated at the bar cheered and clinked their glasses together. " – and last but not least, Expecto-Winno!" The church ladies who'd been judging Elsie all cheered, toasting their tankards and margarita glasses. "Alright, if someone from each team will come up and get the answer sheets and a pencil. . ."

A few minutes later, they were ready to begin. "Alright, everyone!" Rupert grinned. "A reminder, we play in three rounds with ten questions each round. You all have the option of doubling your score during the round of your choice. You can only do this once, so choose wisely. And now, if we're ready, question number one: What house was Harry sorted into during the Sorting Ceremony?"

As a general rule, the first round had relatively easy questions that anyone, from a die-hard to a casual Harry Potter fan, could answer. Some other questions included naming the three unforgiveable curses, what, exactly, an Auror did, and who killed Professor Dumbledore at the end of the sixth book. When the answers were read off, most everyone had gotten them all right, including the Major Players.

"Should we use the doubling option now?" Veronica asked.

Archie glanced around the room. "I think that's what everyone's doing now. I say we wait till a later round, when the questions get harder, to double."

Veronica seemed doubtful. "But is there a guarantee that we'll still be getting all the questions right in the later rounds?"

"If you let Alex answer them, yes." They were the first words spoken by Elsie all evening. Naturally, everyone stared at her. She flushed. "Well, it's true," she murmured.

Archie turned to Alex. "She right? You can answer the more difficult questions?"

Alex tried her best not to preen. "I am pretty good at remembering the more obscure references," she said modestly.

"Fair enough," Archie shrugged and as Rupert returned to the mike, he slid the paper and pencil across the table to her.

Round two was still rather easy, but slightly more difficult as well. Questions included what qualities Ravenclaw possessed, how Harry caught the Golden Snitch in his first Quidditch game, and the reason the Whomping Willow was planted. Alex didn't really need to be relied on to answer all the questions. Again, the Major Players got all of them right, but all decided not to double their points until the third and final round.

That was Alex's time to shine.

"Question one," Rupert began. "What is Nearly Headless Nick's full name?"

Several of the game players looked blank. The Blonde Squad all muttered together, all agreeing that the first part was definitely 'Sir Nicholas'. Over at the Quizengamot, Spencer and Rory looked equally puzzled. Amy was trying to do a surreptitious Google search on her phone, even though such a thing was banned during pub quizzes. By this point, Harry Potter and the Goblet of Beer had, as their name suggested, focused more on their liquor than the questions. Several of their members were completely and totally shit-faced. Two had already left. Only Arthur and a few others were left to try and puzzle the answer out. Law and Auror seemed to know the answer, as Jeff had confidently scribbled down an answer before the group's attention was diverted to the last few minutes of EastEnders. Crookshanks for the Memories, Dead Sirius, and Expecto-Winno all seemed to be concentrating more on their food and drinks than a question they had no hope of answering without a contraband cell phone.

Not the case for the Major Players.

While the rest of the Major Players exchanged baffled looks, Alex merely smiled. "Please, Rupert," she muttered as she wrote out 'Sir Nicholas de Mimsy-Porpington'. "Challenge me."

"Question two! Harry, Ron, and Hermione help save the Sorcerer's Stone from being stolen. How old was its co-creator, Nicholas Flamel, when he decided to destroy it?"

William's face scrunched up. "He was over a thousand, wasn't he?"

"No. . ." Archie said slowly. "That doesn't sound right."

"'Cause it's not," Alex said. She wrote down the answer with a flourish.

George leaned over and examined the answer sheet. "Six hundred and sixty-five?"

Veronica raised an eyebrow. "Even if that's true, how could you possibly remember it?"

Alex took a sip of her sixth gin and tonic. "I remembered that it was so close to six hundred and sixty-six. 666. Always seemed funny to me J. K. didn't go for the obvious reference."

Before anyone else could question her, Rupert was at it again. "Question three! Monkshood and wolfsbane are the same plant, also known as what? I'll even give you lot a little hint. Ol' Snape quizzed Harry about this in his first potions class."

"Aw, crap," Henry groaned. "Harry didn't even know the answer to that! How are we supposed to?"

Elsie grimaced. "Whenever I watch the movie, I always fast-forward over that part." She shrugged a little self-consciously. "Second-hand embarrassment."

"Don't worry, Elsie," Alex said as she wrote down 'aconite'. "As hot as Alan Rickman is, I do that too."

"Question four! Name every ingredient contained in Polyjuice Potion. Another little hint for you: there's seven of them."

"Polyjuice Potion." Elsie's brow furrowed. "That's the one that makes you tell the truth, right?"

Archie shook his head. "No, that's Veritaserum. Polyjuice is the one that turns you into someone else." He turned to Alex. "We know it requires a bit of DNA. Hair or something like that."

Alex wrote that down. "Yep. That's the easy one." To everyone's amazement, she continued writing.

Henry got up to peer over her shoulder. "Lacewing flies, leeches, powdered Bicorn horn, knotgrass, fluxweed, shredded Boomslang skin. . ." He shook his head. "You're a ruddy genius, Alex."

Tell that to the genius over at the Quizengamot, Alex thought with a smile. She glanced over at the group. Spencer, Amy, and Rory seemed to have mostly given up on the game; they were currently giving orders to Nicole Sullivan as she delivered them another round of drinks. Alex wondered if Spencer had read the Harry Potter books at all or if, like a lot of people, he had just seen the movies.

"Question five! Professor Dumbledore has a scar above his left knee that is a perfect map of what?"

"Why can't these be multiple choice?" Veronica muttered.

Alex confidently wrote down 'the London Underground'.

"Question six! A bit of a two-parter here, folks. Where does Vernon Dursley work and what does the company produce?"

"I remember it makes drills," William mused. "The name escapes me though."

"Grunnings," Alex answered.

"Question seven! For Harry's seventeenth birthday, what color did Hermione turn the leaves of the Weasley's crabapple tree?"

"I suppose we can rule out green," Henry joked.

Alex chuckled. "Very true," she said as she wrote down 'gold'.

"Question eight! In the Hall of Prophecy, there are rows and rows of glowing orbs, all of which contain prophecies. Which row contains the prophecy about Harry and Voldemort?"

"The book actually specified a row?" William groaned.

Veronica shook her head. "I'm starting to think J. K. Rowling put a little too much detail into the books."

"It's a reference." Alex tilted the paper to show Veronica '97'. "The year the first Harry Potter was published."

"Question nine! Second to last one, you guys! On the wall across from the entrance to the Room of Requirement, there is a tapestry showing a wizard trying to teach trolls ballet. What is the name of that wizard?"

"Melvin the Mad?" George suggested, only half-joking.

"Mark the Mental?" Henry grinned.

Archie, however, wasn't in a joking mood. His hazel eyes were firmly fixed on Alex. "The answer, Alex?"

She smiled broadly. "You were close, boys," she said to Henry and George. "It's Barnabus the Barmy."

"Final question, everyone!" Rupert cried. He bounced up and down, his ale threatening to slosh over the sides of his tankard. "I repeat, final question! If you haven't used your double the score option, now's the time to do it! Question ten. In Deathly Hallows, Potterwatch, the covert radio station operated by the Order of the Phoenix to report the truth about Voldemort and the ongoing Second Wizarding War, was set up. Each of the correspondents had a codename. One of those correspondents was Fred Weasley. So the question is. . . What was his codename on Potterwatch?"

None of the Major Players bothered saying anything. No complaints, no jokes. All eyes were on Alex as she tapped the pencil against her chin. After a few moments of this, she finally wrote something down. She then circled the double the score option at the bottom of the page.

Alex handed the page off to Archie. "I'm pretty sure everything on there's right."

He shot her one of his dazzling grins. "I have no doubt about it."

"Alright, everyone!" Rupert cheered once all the teams had submitted their final round sheets. "Here are the answers to the third-round questions. Question one, Nearly Headless Nick's full name is Sir Nicholas de Mimsy-Porpington. Question two, how old was Nicholas Flamel when he decided to destroy the Sorcerer's Stone? Answer: Six hundred and sixty-five. Question three, monkshood and wolfsbane are the same plant, also known as aconite. Question four, name every ingredient in Polyjuice Potion. Answer: lacewing flies, leeches, powdered Bicorn horn, knotgrass, fluxweed, shredded Boomslang skin, and a bit of the person you want to turn into. Question five, Professor Dumbledore has a scar above his left knee that is a perfect map of the London Underground. Question six, Vernon Dursley works at Grunnings, which produces drills. Question seven, for Harry's seventeenth birthday, Hermione turns the leaves of the Weasley's crabapple tree gold. Question eight, the row that contains the prophecy about Harry and Voldemort is row 97. Question nine, the name of the wizard featured in the tapestry hanging across from the Room of Requirement, trying to teach trolls ballet, is Barnabus the Barmy. And question ten, Fred Weasley's codename on Potterwatch was Rapier."

Throughout all this, there were scattered remnants of cheers and applause whenever a group got one of the questions right. The Blonde Squad cheered upon finding out they'd gotten Nearly Headless Nick's name right, what Dumbledore's scar was, and Vernon Dursley's occupation and firm name. The Quizengamot had gotten the prophecy row number right, but not much else. The rest of the teams were much the same, sometimes getting only one question right. More often than not though, they hadn't gotten any.

But the Major Players. . . They had gotten each and every answer right.

A boisterous cheer was led by Archie at every right answer, but the final question caused pure jubilation to break out. The cast sprang up, jumping up and down, hugging and cheering. Alex received far more hugs than anyone else. Archie even rushed around the table and scooped her up, swinging her around. It was rather jarring since Alex was used to only the Doctor making such a move, but she refused to let it bother her. She tightened her arms around Archie's neck and laughed as he spun her around in a circle, her heels nearly knocking off Expecto-Winno's margarita pitcher.

"Congratulations, Major Players!" Rupert boomed into the mike. "You have scored thirty out of thirty and are tonight's trivia winners! Your prize is a round of drinks on the house, plus half-off on your tab tonight. You also get some of these." He reached into a bowl beside him and held up a chocolate frog package, just like the dessert featured in the books and movies. "Some Harry Potter inspired chocolate frogs! The rest of tonight's teams will also receive complimentary chocolate."

Archie finally put Alex down. Stumbling slightly as she was set back on solid ground, Alex beamed at him. "Told you I was good at remembering the obscure references!"

"You did," Archie chuckled. "But I think you were being a tad modest."

Alex shrugged. "I was brought up not to brag. It's not ladylike."

"Oh, I don't think there's anything wrong with bragging about your special skills." Archie's gaze had suddenly turned intense. "You do have a lot of them after all."

Alex's brow furrowed. That . . . sounded rather flirtatious to her. And Archie was still looking at her so intently. . . His gaze was firmly locked on hers, his plain hazel eyes never wavering from her colorful ones. It was like he was trying to peer into her soul. Unlike the Doctor, though, Archie wasn't having much luck.

Before Alex could think of a reply, Henry called out, "I'm getting the free round of drinks!" He grinned as Veronica, William, and George cheered. "What's everyone having?"

"Get me another gin and tonic," Alex said. "I'll be right back." With a small smile at Archie, she weaved her way through the tables towards the ladies' restroom.

After relieving herself of her previously consumed six G&T's, Alex lingered in front of the mirror. Was she reading too much into things? She'd thought that Archie was going to ask her out when he originally only wanted to ask her about auditioning for the play. She'd been mistaken then. Maybe that was the case now. Or. . . Maybe Archie had bided his time and was now planning to ask her out?

Alex shuddered. No. Not a chance. Had she never met the Doctor, she would be perfectly fine with Archie pursuing her, but not now. The Doctor had, rather unintentionally, ruined her for any other man. Simply no one else could compare. Her interactions with the Doctor compared to her interactions with other members of the male species was starting to prove Alex's theory that maybe, just maybe, she was only ever meant for the Doctor.

After fixing her lipstick and wiping away some smudged eye-liner, Alex stepped out of the bathroom . . . and right into Archie.

"Whoa, sorry!" Archie exclaimed as Alex nearly slammed into him. He reached out and steadied her. His fingertips ran over her bare shoulders, causing Alex to shudder, but not in a good way. Not that poor Archie realized this. Hie eyes, Alex noticed, became a touch brighter. "Didn't mean to act as a brick wall."

Alex forced a smile. "You're fine." She peered over his shoulder. The bar was about three feet thick, full of people getting one last drink before heading home. Henry was in the exact middle of it, none of the Major Players' free drinks in sight. Over at their table, Veronica, George, and William were talking while Elsie sat by herself, swirling the last remnants of her pint around. The weight in Alex's stomach intensified. Forget rock. It was now more of a boulder.

And that wasn't counting her worries about Archie's feelings towards her. As Alex made to step aside, Archie blocked her path. "Sorry, Alex," he said, flushing, "but I need to ask you something. Is that okay?"

Alex bit back the urge to say 'technically, you just did ask me something'. Now was not the time for her sarcasm and dry wit. She crossed her arms and nodded. "Sure. What is it?"

Archie took a deep breath. His hand darted up to fiddle with his hair, messing up the product and causing several strands to flatten. His eyes, in a stark contrast to his nerves, remained focused on Alex. "So, um, to be honest, Alex, I've been wanting to ask you this for a while. Just never got up the courage until now."

Alex stiffened. Damn it!

Archie, too focused on getting his flustered thoughts out, didn't notice. "One of the reasons I was so hesitant was that we really didn't know each other that well. I mean, we talked and all, but mostly our relationship was confined to the library, you know?"

I wish you wouldn't use 'we' and 'relationship' in the same sentence, Alex thought. Out loud, she gave only a noncommittal, "Hmm."

"So, I figured, if we spent more time together, maybe that would help change things. That's why I asked you to audition for Earnest." Seeing Alex's jaw drop, Archie hastened to add, "Not the only reason! I meant what I said, Alex. You are a really great actress and frankly, this production couldn't do without you."

Well, that was a relief. At least Archie hadn't only asked her to be in the play just to get closer to her. If that had been the case, Alex probably would have dumped her free gin and tonic on his head and stormed out.

"And it did work!" Archie said brightly. "I mean, the getting to know you better part. I knew already how smart you were, and how pretty, but I never knew how devoted you were to acting, to your friends. You've managed to bring Elsie out of her shell so much, and you don't judge her for anything, which is more than I can say for most people in Leadworth. . ."

Vaguely, Alex was aware of Archie continuing, singing her praises. To any other girl, this would have been the most romantic moment ever. A guy admitting he wanted to spend time with you, so he asked you to help with a passion project of his, then giving you a rousing speech about all of your best qualities. . . It was the kind of thing Alex used to dream about in high school, her very own Prince Charming looking at and describing her as though she had hung the moon. For a long while, she'd thought she would never find it, that maybe she wasn't capable of receiving and reciprocating that kind of attention.

But now, with the Doctor, she had it. He didn't just look at and described her as though she'd hung the moon. He looked at and described her as though she had designed the whole universe itself. Alex smiled, remembering the Doctor's words to her. The one person who will constantly defend me, stick up for me, no matter what happens. The one person I'd do just about anything for. The most precious thing in the universe.

Unfortunately, Archie interpreted the smile differently. He let out a long sigh of relief, pleased that Alex seemed to be responding well to his romantic overtures. It had been a bit of a gamble, admittedly. As well as he thought he'd gotten to know Alex, there were still parts of her that seemed untouchable or even unknowable. It was like having only part of a map, bits and pieces of the whole missing. Archie wondered if Alex was like this with everyone. Surely not with Amy and Rory, but then, you never knew. And maybe, just maybe, if she was this distant and unreachable with everyone, he could be the one to bridge the divide.

"So what do you say?" Alex's gaze, having drifted off into the distance in reminiscence, snapped back up. Her hearts pained at the hopeful look on Archie's face. He was such a good guy. Any girl would be lucky to have him. "Will you go out on a date with me?"

Alex took a deep breath. She smiled softly, hoping that would cushion the blow of her words. "I'm sorry, Archie, but no."

Archie's hopeful smile faltered. The light in his eyes dimmed. "No?"

Alex shook her head. "No. You see, I already have a boyfriend." She inwardly winced at the idea of calling the Doctor her 'boyfriend'. She really had to come up with another word. 'Boyfriend' didn't even begin to describe what he was to her, what he meant to her. . .

Archie's brow furrowed. He hadn't heard of Alex dating anyone. Leadworth was a relatively small village, and the gossip mill would have alerted him to Alex dating. As far as he knew, Alex hadn't dated anyone in the village since arriving three years ago.

"Who is it?" he asked. "Can't be someone from here, or I would've heard." He paused, his brain suddenly making the connection. "Is it that Spencer person you've been with? Spencer Grayson?"

"No," Alex said flatly. "Spencer is a friend. Actually, he's helping out my boyfriend by staying here for the summer." Not a lie. Spencer was helping the Doctor by staying in Leadworth to watch over her. "As for who he is. . ." She paused, her head tilted in thought. "Archie, were you at Amy and Rory's wedding reception?"

Archie blinked, clearly surprised by the unexpected question. "Uh, the wedding, yes," he said slowly. Where was Alex going with this? "I was at the reception for a little while, I went with Ronnie, but I had to leave right before all the speeches." His mouth twisted into a wry grimace. "Hay fever was already acting up and all the flowers weren't helping."

Alex nodded. For her, Amy and Rory's wedding day was mostly clouded by the Doctor's absence, then Amy remembering him back into existence, and then their incredible salsa dance. But now that Archie had brought it up, she could recall him looking resplendent in a white seersucker suit, sitting with Veronica and a few other members of the Leadworth Dramatic Society, sneezing loud enough to be heard over the band. Archie had left before Amy remembered the Doctor, but surely he would have heard all about the bizarre happening. Veronica would have told him, or some other member of the dramatic society, or anyone else who had been present that day.

"Okay, but I assume you heard all about what happened at the reception?" Alex eyed him significantly.

Archie immediately understood what she meant. He let out a slight uncomfortable cough, as a lot of people did when confronted by the fact that Amy's imaginary friend was real. "Um, yes, I did hear about the Doctor," he said quietly. Checking to make sure no one was around, he leaned in closer. "Ronnie was particularly torn up about it. I know she gave Amy a hard time about her imaginary friend when they were kids."

"I can just imagine," Alex murmured. Louder, she said, "Well, that's who I'm dating, Archie. The Doctor. And it's going really, really good." Against her efforts, her lips curled into a broad smile.

"I see." Archie looked only mildly disappointed, but not like he was going to pester Alex for more, as a lot of other men might have done. "Well," he said, adopting a sheepish smile and overly bright tone, "I had to try, right?"

Alex chuckled. "I am flattered, Archie, really. I just can't." For more reasons than one, she thought, but didn't say. Archie would never understand that unique connection she had with the Doctor, how fated everything with him felt.

"It's alright, Alex. Really."

Alex smiled, suddenly realizing something. Just because things between Archie and Elsie tonight hadn't gone as she'd planned, that didn't mean she had to give up altogether. There was a silver lining in all of this, and it was standing right in front of her. "You know, Archie, if you're really looking to date someone, I may be able to help you."

"Oh?" Archie said, clearly skeptical. "Really?"

"Yep. What do you think of a certain dark, curly-haired member of our cast?"

To her delight, Archie's cheeks turned as red as his hair. "Um, well, uh, that is. . ."

"It's okay, Archie," Alex chuckled. "I think I have my answer anyway."

Archie blushed harder. "Is it that obvious?"

"To someone with an eye for these things, yes."

"Oh, Christ." Archie ran a hand through his hair, causing it to become even more disheveled and sticky-uppy than before. "I tried to deny it, because I was still attracted to you, but. . ."

"Heart wants what it wants." Alex smiled softly. "You should go for it, Archie. Elsie is already attracted to you, I know she is, and you two would be so good together."

Archie's gaze turned wistful. "If only," he muttered. "She's still hung up on Temple, for God knows what reason."

"But not for long, I think," Alex assured him. "She told me all about their relationship, if you can even call it that. The guy manipulated her bad, promised he was going to marry her."

Archie scowled. "I should've known," he said darkly. "That's how it always is with guys like him."

"But you're not one of those guys," Alex persisted. She was getting close to Archie deciding to go for it, she could tell. He just needed a little more nudging in the right direction. . . "And you can show her that, Archie. Show her what a real man is. Someone who treats her right, doesn't sneak around, takes her out places where he can show her off, someone who actually gives a damn about her interests, someone who would encourage her writing. . ."

"She's a writer?" Archie asked. The light was starting to shine in his eyes again.

But before Alex could confirm, a shriek came from across the room.

The instincts Alex had gained from traveling with the Doctor ignited. Within a second, she was dashing across the pub, Archie hot on her heels. They pushed past the crowd still gathered around the bar, between half-full tables and chairs, until they were at the Major Players' table.

There was no sign of Veronica, George, or William, but there was Elsie. She was now standing behind her chair, all but cowering against the wall as a red-faced Gretchen Temple loomed over her. The shriek had been Elsie's and it had come about because Mrs. Temple had just dumped Elsie's free pale ale on top of her head. But that was all she'd been able to do. Spencer was now right behind her, holding her hands behind her back.

"What the hell's going on here?!" Alex demanded as she reached the table.

Mrs. Temple didn't answer. All her focus was on the pale, wet Elsie. "I cannot believe you had the nerve to show your face in MY PUB!" she roared, straining against Spencer's hold. "You just HAD to lord it in my face, didn't you?!"

By this point, Alex had rounded the table. Shoving Mrs. Temple aside with her hip, she put herself in front of Elsie. Archie moved around her and put a protective arm around Elsie. Elsie, wild-eyed and shaking, leaned back into him.

Had Alex noticed this, she would have been ecstatic. Right now, however, all she felt was rage. How dare Mrs. Temple attack Elsie! Honestly, she was a grown woman, not a teenager. Her dark green eyes narrowed at Mrs. Temple, and she was pleased to see the woman flinch back. She knew the exact effect her eyes had on people. It was a skill she had been practicing for years and, as they said, practice makes perfect.

"How dare you," Alex said in a low hiss. Combined with her dark, narrowed eyes, she rather resembled a deadly cobra, toying with its prey before it pounced. "How dare you attack a young woman having a good night out with friends."

Gretchen Temple glared, first at Alex, then at Elsie. It was not a good look for her face but then again, nothing really was. It could not be said that Gretchen was a beautiful woman. Alex would have described her as 'homely'. Her hair was a dark brown cut into a frizzy pageboy. Her facial features were slightly lopsided and rather looked as though they had belonged to separate people but had been gathered up and placed on this face without care for symmetry and order. Her only redeeming feature was her eyes, an almond-shaped pale green. They were very striking eyes and regrettably, they were the only striking thing about Gretchen Temple. Alex knew it was unkind, but she could see why Edward Temple would have pursued and romanced Elsie in favor of his wife.

"That young woman," Gretchen spat, "is nothing but a homewrecking whore!"

Alex felt more than saw Elsie flinch.

Gretchen strained against Spencer, but he wasn't having it. His grip simply tightened on her hands, and he inserted a leg between hers. It was a move Alex had seen her middle and high school principals use to hold students back whenever they got into a fight. It was a great move to keep Gretchen from physically attacking Elsie. Unfortunately, it did nothing to stop her mouth. "She stole Edward from me! All that eye-batting and short skirts, looking like a tramp!"

"That's enough!" Alex snapped.

"And besides," Archie said coolly, "if I were you, I'd remember that Edward participated in the affair. He wasn't some drugged victim."

"Precisely," Alex said. She crossed her arms and stared Gretchen down. "And either way, it's no excuse to dump a drink on her!"

"Actually," Spencer broke in, "that would be grounds for assault charges."

Gretchen stiffened.

Alex gave her a cruel smile before glancing over her shoulder at Elsie. "Elsie, would you like to press charges against this woman? There are plenty of witnesses who will say she attacked you unprovoked." The room, which had fallen silent at the moment of Gretchen's attack, slowly started stirring to life again. Kendra, Leslie, and their friends at the Blonde Squad table let out cheers of support. Amy and Rory clapped, along with Arthur and a few of his friends, as well as Shannon, Brianna, Michael, and Jeff. Grace even started to let out a supportive cheer but was silenced by her mother putting a firm hand on her shoulder. Still, that didn't stop Grace from eyeing Gretchen with disdain and giving Elsie a small, apologetic smile.

Elsie, for her part, simply looked as though she wanted to run home and hide under the covers. Her eyes were like a deer's in headlights, her hair limp and soggy, while her shirt and jeans clung to her, reeking of ale. She eyed Gretchen warily. Alex had no doubt she was weighing the pros and cons of pressing charges. Finally, Elsie shook her head. "No," she said softly. "I won't press charges."

Alex sighed. She couldn't say she was surprised by Elsie's decision, but she was disappointed. She'd been hoping Elsie would at least say 'I'll have to think about it'. It's what Alex would have done. Gretchen Temple should have been made to sweat, to worry about how an assault charge would dampen the perfectly clean-cut image she'd been striving to maintain, even in light of an ongoing divorce. She should have had to think about how she would explain such a charge to her son. Jimmy Temple should have looked his mother in the eye and asked why she had dumped a pint of ale over a young woman minding her own business.

"Well, then," Spencer said, loosening his grip on Gretchen. He gave her a cool look as she whirled around, anger in her eyes. "I would suggest, Mrs. Temple, that you go back to serving your customers instead of attacking them."

Gretchen glared at him for a few moments, but ultimately slunk off back towards the bar, shoulders slumped in defeat.

After a few silent, awkward moments, conversation slowly built back up. Everyone became occupied with finishing their food, settling their tab, or acquiring one last drink before going home. Soon, only a few eyes remained on Elsie.

Nicole Sullivan slipped out from behind the bar and headed towards Elsie. In her hands was a fresh pint of pale ale. "Here, Elsie," she said softly. "On the house."

Elsie sniffled. "Thanks, Nicole, but I think I might have to take that to-go."

Nicole nodded. "Of course. Let me grab you a cup."

As Nicole rushed off, Veronica, George, William, and Henry rushed up. "Oh my God, Elsie, are you okay?" Veronica asked frantically. She was holding a bunch of bar napkins and immediately set to applying them to Elsie's ale-soaked hair. So focused on her task, she completely missed Archie and Alex's exchanged looks of shock. "I can't believe she did that! I always thought Gretchen Temple had a major stick up her arse, that she was too high-class for something like that."

"Apparently, appearances are deceiving," Archie muttered with a dark look towards Gretchen.

George shook his head. "Elsie, you didn't do anything wrong. Don't give her a second thought."

"George is right," William agreed. "She's just bitter and taking it out on you instead of her twat of a husband."

Henry peered around the bar. "Speaking of, where is Edward Temple? He hasn't missed a trivia night ever, even with the divorce proceedings."

Elsie took a napkin from Veronica and started dabbing at her shirt. "With Jimmy at his parents' place in Gloucester," she said dully. To everyone's credit, no one asked her how she knew this. After a few more moments spent dabbing at her shirt, Elsie sighed and flung the napkin to the tabletop. "Look, I hate to bring the party down, but I'd really like to go home."

"Of course," Alex murmured. "Let me settle my tab and I'll walk you back."

"I'll go with you," Archie volunteered.

Leaving Elsie in the cast's capable hands, Alex headed towards the bar. By this point, it was significantly less packed than it had been a few minutes prior. All the stools were still full though, their occupants glued to the TVs. There wasn't very much talking going on; Mrs. Temple was behind the bar, aggressively wiping glasses, and no one wanted to risk setting her off again by discussing her attack on Elsie.

Leaning against the bar were Amy and Rory, waiting for Rupert to pull up their tab. Amy darted towards Alex the moment she came up. "Oh. My. God," Amy hissed. "I can't believe that actually happened!" There was no need to ask what 'that' referred to.

Alex ran a hand through her hair. "Yeah, me neither."

"I would never have pictured Gretchen going all Trainspotting on anyone. I can't believe she just snapped!" Amy glanced over at Elsie, still getting wiped down by Veronica. "What the. . ."

Rory came up beside her. "Is that Veronica Stackmore helping Elsie dry off?" he asked incredulously.

"Yep," Alex nodded. "Shocked me, too. I guess she has hidden depths."

"Apparently very hidden," Amy said dryly. "She certainly gave no hint of having such depths when we were in school."

"Isn't she hung up on Archie?" Rory asked.

"Not anymore," Alex said. "She's been getting very close to Henry."

Amy snorted. "Good luck, Henry."

At that moment, Spencer came up. "Hey." He nodded at Amy and Rory as he said this, but he was primarily looking at Alex. "Are you getting ready to go?"

"Yeah, just as soon as I pay my tab. I was going to walk Elsie home with Archie."

Spencer nodded. "No problem. I'll walk with you."

"Spencer, you really don't have to," Alex said gently. "I mean, you're probably tired and all. . ."

Spencer shook his head. "No, really, it's no trouble." He glanced around quickly before dropping his voice. "Besides, gives me an excuse to get away from Kendra."

Amy and Rory snickered while Alex smirked. Over the past few days, her assistant's unrequited attempts at flirting with her new bodyguard had provided Alex with plenty of on-the-job entertainment. "Oh?" she said, raising an eyebrow. "Kendra's flirting not reciprocated?"

Spencer shuddered. "God, no. I never knew someone could be so aggressive in, in . . . flirting before."

Alex took in his wide, bewildered eyes. It was a look that indicated he hadn't had much experience in unrequited flirting. Realization hit her. "Spencer, um, don't take this the wrong way but, er, have you ever. . ."

"No." Spencer gave what appeared to be a nonchalant shrug, but Alex could see the tenseness in it and how his cheeks were starting to flush. "I mean," he continued, his voice getting slightly higher as he started to ramble, "I was a twelve-year-old genius in high school. Girls my age thought I was weird because I liked watching Jeopardy instead of the Disney Channel and girls I went to school with thought I was 'cute' at best and if they did show interest in me, it was mainly to get homework tips. Not to mention, their boyfriends spent a lot of time shoving me into lockers and the occasional dumpster—"

"Okay!" Alex exclaimed. She put up a hand. "I get it." Frowning at the bullying her friend had to face, she said in a soft and sympathetic voice, "That's pretty rough, Spencer."

He shrugged, this time without the false confidence. "That's just life, I guess."

"So why not give it a whirl with Kendra?"

Spencer wrinkled his nose. "She's just . . . she's not my type really. I mean, I've watched her the last few days at the library with you, Alex, and she's. . ." He trailed off, suddenly embarrassed. "Well, it's just she's. . ."

"Dumber than a sack of hammers," Amy cut in. She patted him on the shoulder. "It's okay, Spencer. We understand."

"She does like Harry Potter though," Alex remarked. "There's a point in her favor."

Amy shot Spencer a dry look. "Considering our resident genius didn't know why the Whomping Willow was planted, I'm going to say that's not a selling point."

Spencer rolled his eyes. "I told you, I was a weird kid! Reading about the mechanics of a computer was fun to me!"

Alex patted him on the arm. "Don't worry, I'll get Kendra to lay off you."

Spencer gave her a quick grateful look before abruptly turning shrewd. "Speaking of unwanted suitors. . ." He smirked down at Alex, blue eyes sparkling in amusement. "Why did Archie corner you by the bathrooms? He practically ran over there after you walked off on him. For a moment, I thought he was going to follow you into the ladies room."

Alex rolled her eyes. "Alright, alright, quit crowing," she grumbled. "Despite all my attempts to prevent it, Archie asked me out."

Amy and Rory's jaws dropped. "What did you say?" Rory demanded at the same time Amy cried, "Did you tell him about the Doctor?"

"I said no, of course!" Alex cried, giving Rory a look. "And of course I told him about the Doctor, Ames. I kind of had to when I told him I couldn't go out with him because I had a boyfriend." Once again, she inwardly cringed at the word. What the hell could she call the Doctor?

"How'd he take it?" Spencer asked. He'd been keeping a close eye on the conversation, just in case Archie turned out to be the kind of man who didn't handle rejection well. It was why he'd completely missed Mrs. Temple slipping out from behind the bar and heading towards the Major Players' table.

"Pretty well. Disappointed, but he didn't try to get me to change my mind." That was more than Alex could say about guys in the past. "Actually," she grinned, "he forgot all about me when I told him his feelings for Elsie were reciprocated."

Rory chuckled. "Matchmaking again, Alex?"

Alex gave a nonchalant shrug that fooled nobody. "Well, if the shoe fits. Besides, Archie and Elsie would be good together, don't you think?"

"She'd certainly be better off with him than Temple," Amy agreed. "But enough about Archie and Elise." Her light brown eyes twinkled in delight, her lips quirking into an amused smirk. "What I want to know is . . . are you gonna tell the Doctor someone tried to move in on his girl?"

Alex's eyes widened. Oh crap. She'd completely forgotten about that. . .

~The Pros and Cons of Silence~

July 10th, 2011

At first, it seemed the Doctor's reaction to someone 'moving in on his girl' was rather tame.

Too tame, in Alex's opinion. He'd been eerily calm on the phone as she related a word-for-word recount of Archie's attempt to ask her out, only getting animated when she told him about Gretchen's attack on Elsie. He'd become surprisingly protective of the girl, considering he'd never met her. Still, it made Alex smile and dismiss his strangely blasé attitude towards Archie.

She really should have known better. But to be fair, she hadn't expected the Doctor to pull a move like this.

Archie let out a loud sneeze. By Alex's count, it was the tenth one he'd made since entering the library. "Alex, I think your boyfriend is trying to kill me. Ach-hoo!"

Spencer moved a vase a little further away from Archie. "I think he might be right, Alex. This is pretty devious."

Alex winced. Any other time, she would have defended the Doctor's actions until she was blue in the face. But in this case, Archie and Spencer were right. The Doctor's tactics were a bit below the belt, at least as far as Archie was concerned.

Starting right when the library opened yesterday morning, exquisite bouquets of red roses had arrived every hour on the hour. Each bouquet was a bit unique, not one resembling another. Some were low bouquets in squat vases, barely higher than a small hardback. Others were in tall, straight-lined vases, the roses the size of dinner plates. Some bouquets contained bits of Queen Anne's lace, some with Shetland's Mouse-ear, a native flower of Scotland, and others with Mexican sunflowers. The first bouquet to arrive had included a note from the Doctor suggesting Alex Google each of the flowers and their symbolic meanings as they arrived.

Red roses, obviously, signified passion, true love, and romance. Alex already knew that.

Queen Anne's lace, it transpired, symbolized sanctuary. That made a certain amount of sense. Alex considered the Doctor one of her safe places. No matter how many enemies tried to threaten her, she always felt safe when he was right by her side, shielding her from harm. But she hadn't realized he considered her a sanctuary as well. It was a lovely thing to realize.

Shetland's Mouse-ear didn't have an obvious symbolic meaning, but Alex suspected they were meant to represent her Scottish heritage. She hadn't realized the Doctor knew how highly she valued that bit of heritage, as it was one of the few things she had to connect her with her mother.

The Mexican sunflowers had a double meaning. Like Shetland's Mouse-ear, they symbolized her Mexican heritage. Alex refused to think of Carla, preferring to focus on her dad and his half-English, half-Mexican ancestry. Alex couldn't recall her father speaking Spanish, but that didn't mean that he hadn't acknowledged his heritage somehow. The traditional florio-graphical meaning was faith, loyalty, and admiration.

Reading those symbolisms, knowing they were qualities the Doctor saw in her, made Alex's cheeks, already flushed with embarrassment, flush even further. Those particular blushes she didn't really mind though.

However, it was only when Archie came into the library near closing time to return some books that Alex realized the Doctor's romantic gesture had an ulterior motive. She'd told him that Archie had hay fever and that it could be triggered by just about anything, from a high pollen count to being around flowers. Archie's yard was the only one in Leadworth that didn't have some kind of flower in it.

By the time Archie came in, the circulation desk was about two feet deep in flowers. Less than a minute after coming within spitting distance of the desk, Archie was sneezing up a storm, his eyes rapidly turning red and swollen.

He couldn't get near Alex if there were a bunch of flowers – flowers from her boyfriend – in the way. Those vases full of roses, Queen Anne's lace, Shetland's Mouse-ear, and Mexican sunflowers doubled as a beautiful, heavily perfumed brick wall.

Truly, it was an underhanded tactic. Alex was simultaneously impressed and livid.

Archie had fled without browsing for new books, sneezing all the way out the door. Today, while he was physically in the library, he was hovering by the front door, unwilling to step any further across the threshold. Despite the huge distance though, he was still sneezing at regular intervals. His eyes, at least, were clear.

Alex sighed as Archie let out his twelfth, then thirteenth sneeze. "I'm sorry, Archie. The Doctor's just . . . territorial."

Amy, leaning against the desk, played with a slightly droopy Mexican sunflower. "If he were a cat," she smirked, "I'd say he was definitely trying to mark his territory here."

Archie, to his credit, chuckled. "Can't say I blame him," he said with a nod to Alex. "There's a reason I had a crush on her."

Spencer raised an eyebrow. "Had? Definitely past tense then?"

Archie smiled ruefully. While he was still somewhat suspicious of Spencer's reasons for visiting Leadworth and constantly hanging around Alex, he had no doubt the man had Alex's best interests at heart. "Had," he repeated, softly but firmly.

Alex smiled. A small part of it was because of Archie's reaffirmation that he no longer had romantic inclinations towards her, but the majority was because she knew just who those inclinations were now focused on. Her smile only widened when Archie asked, "You sure she'll be there, Alex?" His voice had a slight trembling to it, his brow furrowed with concern.

Alex stepped out from behind the flower wall and over to Archie. She placed a reassuring hand on his shoulder. "Positive," she said. "I checked with her before church this morning."

'Her', of course, meant Elsie. After the ale-dumping incident Friday night, Elsie had largely kept to herself. She'd called in sick to work yesterday and even though her books were due, she hadn't come to the library. Alex had gone ahead and renewed them. Elsie had bigger things to think about than library fines.

But just because things hadn't gone according to plan at trivia night didn't mean Alex was going to give up. Far from it. If anything, she was more determined than ever. Archie had confirmed he was interested in Elsie. Elsie had confirmed she was interested in Archie. She just needed a little bit of careful shoving in his direction. Alex knew Elsie was still under Edward Temple's spell, even if said spell was starting to dissipate. Hopefully, with her help, that spell would dissipate even more until Elsie finally realized she deserved to be with a man that didn't give her false promises, who treated her with respect, decency, and love.

Today was Plan B. The Queen's Garters pub team was playing a Sunday league game. Such matches were always big events, with most of the village turning out to watch and cheer on their hometown team. Elsie surely wouldn't miss a match, particularly if Archie was playing. Alex was hoping that she could orchestrate a meeting between the two after the game. This time, however, she had more than just Elsie as a co-conspirator. Spencer, Archie, Amy, and Rory had all eagerly volunteered to help Alex's scheme come to fruition.

They had all attended church that morning, though it hadn't been planned. Archie had gone with his parents, as usual, and Alex was attending her normal once-a-month service. Spencer, naturally, had accompanied her. Alex knew he hadn't enjoyed it though. At various intervals during the sermon, she'd caught Spencer rolling his eyes or suppressing a sigh. Alex, admittedly, had started doing much the same during Reverend Jeffries' sermons since his horrible Jezebel-themed one last month, but not to Spencer's extent. Considering his high IQ and his job at UNIT, Alex suspected he was a firm atheist. Amy and Rory had also tagged along, even though Augustus and Tabetha had skipped today's service.

Mels, thankfully, had also decided to skip. Alex had no idea where she was today, nor did she really care. The further away Mels was from her, the better.

Now, while Rory headed on to the school to stake out good seats (something that always went fast on game days), Alex, Amy, Spencer, and Archie were at the library regrouping. Although, considering Archie's reaction to the Doctor's 'romantic gift', Alex was regretting not meeting elsewhere.

Letting out his fourteenth sneeze, Archie stepped a little closer to the door. "So, what did you have in mind, Alex?" he asked, rubbing at his itchy eyes.

Seeing the action, Alex decided to rush this little powwow. "Basically, we just need to make sure you and Elsie get a chance to talk after the game." Her chocolate brown eyes twinkled. "Oh, and that you win. Not a requirement, but it would be a nice bonus."

"Particularly if you make quite a few goals," Amy added.

Archie grinned. This would be no problem for him. He currently led the team in goals. "Leave it to me."

Alex beamed. "Great! Now let's go see some soccer!"

Amy and Archie rolled their eyes, as they'd done all morning whenever Alex used the American colloquialism. "Football, Alex!"

And as she had all morning, Alex ignored them.

~ The Pros and Cons of Silence ~

Alex carefully trekked across the slightly damp grass towards the bleachers. In hindsight, wearing open-toed sandals had been a bad idea. They were perfect for church, not so much for walking across a soccer field. At the very least, she should have made a pit stop at home and changed. Too late now though, she thought with a wry grimace.

Her ill-conceived shoes, a pair of turquoise open-toed heels, were paired with a sleeveless white polka-dot blouse, a pair of faded jeans, Amy's turquoise earrings, and a blue and white enamel bracelet. Overall, much more casual than Alex would usually dress for church, but soccer games weren't really a formal affair.

It was the perfect day for a soccer game. The sun was shining high in the cloudless sky. A light breeze ran across the field, preventing the eighty-five-degree heat from becoming too overwhelming. A good thing too, since the field was so crowded. Alex spotted almost all of Leadworth packed onto the bleachers or on blankets and chairs at the sidelines. Truly, game days were a village affair.

Spencer, already having shed his tie in the car, pushed up the sleeves of his white dress shirt. "Jesus," he said, gaping at the crowd.

Amy, bringing up the rear, chuckled. "Yeah," she said, sliding a pair of sunglasses on. "We have few big events around here. Game days, even the local pub league, are a pretty big deal."

Spencer hummed noncommittally. He wasn't so much intimidated by the size of the crowd as to the opportunities present. In a crowd this size, any Kovarian cohorts would blend right in. They would practically be invisible (literally if any possible spies were actual Silence). Someone could be watching Alex right now and he would have no idea.

Not that Spencer said any of this. Alex hadn't expressed any anxiety about Kovarian and the Silence in days. Her focus was completely on Archie and Elsie. Spencer wasn't going to ruin it for her, not when she was relaxed and enjoying herself as though she were any other girl in the world. He knew that had been the Doctor's ulterior motive in sending Alex a bodyguard; getting someone else to worry about potential threats and gaslighting so Alex could relax and continue to heal from everything she'd gone through at Demons Run.

Those thoughts in mind, Spencer settled down on the section of bleachers Rory had snagged and slid on his sunglasses. The thick black lenses would disguise the fact that he wasn't watching the game, but the spectators. Their seats weren't what Spencer would have chosen (right up front instead of the very back) but he would make do. He had with much less many, many times before.

Rory greeted Amy with a kiss and Alex by ruffling her hair. "Who're we playing today?" he asked as Amy settled down beside him.

Amy pursed her lips in thought. "Uh . . . some team from Colchester, I think."

"The Kings Arms," a new voice piped up. The group spun round to see Elsie sitting in the row behind them. As usual, she was dressed prettily in a white sundress, white sneakers, and oversized black sunglasses. Her black curls were piled into a knot on her head, exposing her long, slender throat. She smiled softly. "It's on the schedule posted in the front window of the pub."

I hope she only knows that from looking in the window and not from going there to meet Temple, Alex thought. Then, Elsie's words registered. "Wait, the Kings Arms? You're sure?"

Elsie nodded. "Positive."

Rory looked at Alex. "You know them?"

Instead of responding, Alex turned to scan the field. The Queen's Garters team, clad in white jerseys with Queen's Garters printed on the back, were on the left side of the field, huddled around team captain, Drew Hastings. But on the right side were a bunch of men in familiar blue jerseys. One player in particular caught her eye.

"Craig!" Alex sprang out of her seat. "We're playing Craig's team!"

Rory stared at her. "Craig?" he said blankly.

Amy, however, was quick to catch up. "Oh, Craig! He's the one you and the Doctor stayed with while I was stuck—" Suddenly remembering that Elsie was behind her, listening intently, Amy hurriedly cut herself off. "Doing . . . something," she muttered.

Alex nodded. "Yeah, he was. I'm gonna go see if I can catch a quick word with him before the game starts."

Spencer hurriedly stood. "Wait for me!"

By the time Alex and Spencer made their way off the bleachers, the Kings Arms had broken off into little groups, drinking water or Gatorade and discussing plans for after the game. Craig was in one such group, talking with a player Alex vaguely recognized from her last time encountering the pub team. In her defense, she'd been mainly focused on the Doctor, making sure he blended in as much as possible.

And watching him kick butt at soccer. That was seriously impressive.

Alex carefully positioned herself behind Craig, waiting for a good moment to interrupt. The opportunity came quicker than she thought. ". . .just hope we can make a decent effort," Craig was saying to his teammate. "This lot are in the top five of the league."

"Well, if you had a certain Doctor on hand, I think you'd stand a pretty good chance." Alex snickered as Craig spun around. His eyes widened and his jaw dropped, but a smile was quick to replace it.

"Alex!" he beamed. He rushed forwards and enveloped her in a hug. Pulling back, he took her in. Alex seemed slightly different than the last time he'd seen her. Oh, physically she was much the same. Same brown-blonde hair, same height, same color-changing eyes (right now they were going from light brown to dark), same everything really. But something in her demeanor had shifted. There was a bit of wariness in her eyes, a tenseness to her posture. Her eyes, while still changing color every second, seemed a bit harder, a lot . . . wiser. It rather reminded Craig of the Doctor, someone who looked so young but at the same time had seen and experienced things mere humans like him could never imagine.

He wondered what Alex had seen, experienced, to make her that much more like the Doctor. Somehow, Craig got the impression it wasn't anything good.

But he refrained from saying anything right now. Alex, one of the people who had helped turn his life around, was here! In Leadworth, a village he hadn't even heard of until a few weeks ago, of all places. "What are you doing here?"

"It's where I live, when I'm not with the Doctor."

"So he's not here?"

Alex shook her head. "I'm afraid not. He's a bit busy at the moment." Then, before Craig could ask for any specifics, Alex hurriedly turned him towards Spencer. The latter was standing just a few feet behind her. With his arms crossed over his chest and his black sunglasses blocking any glimpse of his eyes, Spencer resembled the poster-boy for a government agency. Or a really fearsome bodyguard. "Craig, this is Dr. Spencer Grayson. He's a friend staying with me for the summer. Spencer, this is Craig Owens. He's a friend of mine and the Doctor's."

In the time it took Craig to stick out his hand, Spencer had assessed him for any possible threat he could pose to Alex. He found none. Therefore, he offered Craig a genuine smile as he shook his hand. "Just Spencer, please. Nice to meet you, Craig."

"Likewise." Craig glanced around at his teammates, making sure no one was within earshot, before saying, "You, uh, know the Doctor?"

"Never actually met him," Spencer admitted. "But I am a big fan."

Craig's brow furrowed. What exactly did that mean? Before he could ask though, Alex was wondering, "Where's Sophie?" She peered around the field, but in the packed crowd, it was hard spotting one particular blonde.

Craig smiled brightly. "Oh, she's already up in the stands with Melina. Don't worry. After the game, I'll grab her."

At that moment, the referee, the secondary school's music teacher, Mr. Carris, blew his whistle. Immediately, every player's attention was on the field.

Craig shot Alex and Spencer an apologetic smile. "Sorry, guys, I gotta go."

"Good luck!" Alex called.

"He seems nice," Spencer remarked as they walked back towards the bleachers.

"He is," Alex agreed.

"How exactly did you and the Doctor meet him?"

Alex paused in front of the concessions stand. No one save the cashier was around and the cashier was far more interested in her phone than them. "Well, last year, the TARDIS landed in Colchester, which wasn't where we had planned on going. . ."

Alex quickly recounted her and the Doctor's adventure with Craig. Throughout her tale, Spencer noted she was quite cheerful, looking back on the adventure with fond nostalgia. However, upon reaching the part where they entered the alien spaceship, her expression froze. "Oh, God," she gasped.

"What?" Spencer asked, alarmed. Was there some traumatic element to this story Alex hadn't recalled until right now? "What's wrong?"

Alex's voice was faint. "I'd forgotten. That ship posing as the second floor. . . It was a Silence ship."

Spencer mentally swore. Just like that, Alex was frightened and anxious. Her skin was pale beneath her summer tan and her honey-colored irises had gone dark in remembrance.

Despite the heat she could faintly feel on her bare arms, Alex shivered. She had indirectly encountered the Silence ages before she'd been made properly aware of them. While she tried to remind herself that the crew of that spaceship had been dead long before she and the Doctor arrived, Alex still couldn't keep her thoughts from spiraling. Was it a coincidence that the Silence ship had settled there? Had they been hoping to somehow find her and take her in Colchester? Or maybe Colchester was just a base of operations? Colchester was only about a three-hour drive from Leadworth. It wasn't completely outside the realm of possibility that they had made their base at the first building they could find, hoping to either work their way closer to Leadworth or travel to Leadworth in the hopes of getting her. . .

Suddenly, someone was shaking her. Alex blinked and saw Spencer standing protectively beside her, one hand shaking her by the shoulder. "You're okay," he said softly. "It's okay, you're safe."

Alex desperately wanted to believe him. But it was far easier said than done. "You're sure?" Her voice was small and timid, like that of a scared child's.

It made Spencer's heart break. He had already become greatly fond of Alex, saw her not just as an assignment, but a friend. "Yes," he swore. He gestured down to his left pant leg. When Alex looked down, he pulled part of the leg up. Strapped to his ankle was a little black pistol. He smiled wryly at Alex's shocked expression. Evidently, she hadn't expected him to be armed. "Trust me," he said when Alex's gaze went back to his face. "No one, Silent or otherwise, is going to harm you while I'm here."

His words had the desired effect. Alex's tense shoulders relaxed, and her skin started to regain some color. "Thank you," she smiled. She watched Spencer drop his pant leg, covering the ankle holster once more. Her smile faltered slightly. "Have you had that on ever since I met you?"

Spencer nodded. "Chief Stewart thought it best in case any Silence turned up. I don't typically wear one though. I'm first and foremost a scientist." He smiled, recalling his boss's motto. "'Science leads'. That's what Chief Stewart always says."

Alex matched his smile back. "Good motto." Still, she couldn't stop her eyes from going back down to Spencer's left pant leg.

Noticing this, Spencer chewed the inside of his cheek. There was a reason he hadn't told Alex he was packing. The Doctor's stance on guns and weapons of any kind had been made very clear in multiple UNIT files. It was only natural that his companions and, in Alex's case, his girlfriend, would have much the same viewpoint. "Does it bother you that I'm carrying?" he asked in a low voice.

Alex was silent for a few moments, considering it. Finally, she said, "If my life hadn't just been drastically altered and if I wasn't possibly under threat? It would. But now?" She let out a long sigh. "Honestly, I'm relieved you're packing. Makes me feel safer, weirdly enough." She grimaced, remembering her failed attempts at escaping the Silence before. "At least someone can do something if one of those things shows up to kidnap me again."

"Not true." Spencer led her out of the shadow of the concessions building and into the sunlight. On the field, the Kings Arms and the Queen's Garters were conducting a coin toss, but neither Spencer nor Alex paid them any attention. Spencer's eyes suddenly appeared more gray than blue, less of a cloudy sky at the beach and more of a storm rolling across the water. "There's plenty of ways to defend yourself, Alex. I can teach you, if you'd like."

"Really?" Alex asked hopefully. During her two weeks recuperating on the TARDIS, the Doctor had mentioned teaching her self-defense. If it hadn't been for her physical condition at the time, Alex had no doubt he would have taught her some basic maneuvers. She was sure once the Doctor returned at the end of the summer, he would teach her some things, but right now, she was rather desperate for some knowledge.

"Absolutely." Spencer took in her small frame. The files had mentioned Alex had been a bit underweight when she was rescued from Demons Run, but she seemed physically fit now. "We'll work it in somehow over the next few days. Deal?"

Alex beamed. "Deal."

"Great." Spencer glanced out at the field. The Kings Arms had apparently won the coin toss as one of their players was preparing to kick off. "Now, let's get back to the stands." He shot Alex a grin. "Gotta make sure your plan for Archie and Elsie goes off alright this time, right?"

Alex nodded firmly. The reminder of why she was here in the first place pushed any lingering fears and worries to the back of her mind. She could deal with them later, preferably over a long phone call with the Doctor. Right now, Archie and Elsie were the priority. "Right."

Back in the bleachers, Amy and Rory barely noticed when Spencer and Alex rejoined them. They were completely focused on the game. "Oh, come on!" Rory shouted as a Kings Arms player stole the ball right out from under Henry's heels. A split second later, a collective groan rang out across the field when the Kings Arms made the first goal of the game.

"Come on, guys!" Amy shouted, cupping her hands around her mouth in a makeshift megaphone. "Pick it up!"

Spencer gave them a strange look. "Are they always like this in games?"

"Unfortunately," Alex sighed. "They even get like this over Eurovision."

Behind them, Elsie let out a whoop. Archie had stolen the ball from Craig and was making a fast dash for the goal. "Come on, Archie!" she cheered. "You can do it!"

Alex couldn't say whether Archie heard her or not. But he did make the goal. The Leadworth residents cheered, Rory and Amy let out loud whoops, Alex and Spencer clapped, and Elsie jumped up and down. "That's it, Archie!" she cried. "Keep it up!"

Alex and Spencer exchanged conspiratorial grins. So far, so good, Alex thought.

By halftime, the Kings Arms and the Queen's Garters were tied 1-1. Alex had seen enough Sunday league games to know that they typically ended in ties, but she was hoping that today might be different. Her plan mostly hinged on Archie impressing Elsie with his skills. What girl didn't like a guy who was athletic and made a ton of points in games, but especially one who helped his team win?

Also, not that Alex didn't support Craig, but it would be nice to see her adopted home team win. She could be a fangirl, too.

Spencer, in contrast, really couldn't tell you who was up, which team was more talented, or even what number jersey Archie wore. He was far more focused on the crowd. With his eidetic memory, he could immediately identify which people were residents and which ones had come from out of town to support the Kings Arms. There was only a handful of the latter, mostly made up of young women who were presumably either related or involved with different members of the opposing team. As always, he had his Sharpie around his neck. Every so often, he would glance down at his arms for tally marks. There were never any. It seemed that there weren't any Silence spies in the crowd today, though that didn't make Spencer relax in the slightest.

If anything, the complete radio silence since the photo incident left him rather worried. Why would someone do such an obvious, attention-getting action like that and then go completely quiet? Spencer had seen the photo, had noticed the rage that had gone into making those marks. He was convinced it wasn't some harmless prank, something a mischievous teenager had done. No, it had been a very deliberate act, something to yank Alex's chain, make her sit up and pay attention. That photo keying had been a warning: I'm watching you. I don't like your boyfriend and you are going to know this, whether you like it or not.

Perhaps this radio silence is intentional, he mused. It could be designed to make Alex paranoid or even to make her relaxed enough to drop her guard.

Whatever the motive, this waiting period left Spencer rather frustrated. As a scientist, he knew patience could be an excellent virtue. When developing vaccines, scientists had to be patient enough to concentrate on the minute particulars associated with assembling different bacterial strains together and then observing the effects it had on test subjects. But as a bodyguard. . . He wanted to know where this threat to his charge/friend was, who was behind it. A part of him hoped the person behind the keying struck again.

Spencer shook his head. No, he thought firmly. No thinking things like that. He should be glad that no one was threatening Alex right now. She was certainly happy about it, so he should be too.

He was pulled out of his thoughts by Alex standing. "Spencer, you want anything from the concessions?"

Spencer quickly stood. "Some water would be great."

The concessions line was, predictably, long. Now that it was halftime, people were desperate to replenish themselves with water, meat pies, chips, and candy bars. Alex didn't really understand eating meat pies in almost ninety-degree weather (Americans had it right with hot dogs and hamburgers, in her humble opinion) but the concessions stand did have Diet Pepsi and her favorite sour cream and onion flavored potato chips, so she wasn't complaining. Absently, she peered around the field. Those who weren't waiting in line were either in the bleachers or roaming around the field socializing. Amy and Rory were still in the stands, talking to a newly arrived Brianna Mayhew, Shannon nowhere in sight. The seat above them, where Elsie had been, was empty, now taken up by a bunch of Arthur Donaldson's friends. They were in the process of flirting with some out-of-town sixth formers.

Where had Elsie gone? Had she gone to talk to Archie? Alex's hearts fluttered as she scanned the field. It didn't take her long to find Elsie. Her white dress stood out against a crowd primarily garbed in the two teams' colors. She was standing off to the side of the field, nowhere near the team benches, talking to a tall man in a form-fitting green polo. . .

Alex let out a loud groan.

Spencer jumped. "What?" he cried in alarm. "What's wrong?!" He quickly spun round in a circle, looking for any threats.

Alex laid a hand on his shoulder. "Easy, Spencer. Nothing's wrong. Well . . . nothing pertaining to me specifically, anyway." She nodded across the field towards Elsie.

Spencer followed her gaze. "Who's that Elsie's talking to?" But even as he asked the question, he had already arrived at an answer. "That's Temple, isn't it?"

"Unfortunately."

Spencer eyed the man who had used and abused Elsie so dirty. From what he had heard about Edward Temple and his actions towards Elsie, he had built up in his head a picture of a grotesque, hideous figure, the type that made children run away screaming when they saw him. In reality, Edward Temple was actually quite decent looking, even bordering on handsome. He was tall, well over six feet, towering over Elsie's tiny frame. He had closely grown medium-brown hair and a bit of a beard. He had a bit of a dad bod going on, but he wasn't overweight, nor did he indicate someone who never exercised. Combined with his almost-handsome facial features, it was quite easy to see how Elsie had gotten ensnared in his web.

He said what he knew Alex was thinking. "Why's Elsie talking to him? I thought she was interested in Archie. You said she told you that she hadn't spoken to Temple in a while."

"I know!" Alex ran a hand through her hair. God, this was not an obstacle she had prepared for. She knew Edward Temple, with the sole exception of the time he had to get his gallbladder removed, never missed a pub game, not when the team playing was his pub team. She had known this, known without a doubt that he would be here today, but she hadn't thought that he would talk to Elsie. Or that Elsie would talk to him. Did Temple seek her out? Or did Elsie?

She continued watching the two converse. Sadly, unlike what Alex herself would do, Elsie showed no signs of getting ready to kick Temple in the balls. Or just telling him off. Rather, Elsie was leaning against a tree, allowing Temple to loom over her, his hand resting just above her head. Elsie seemed perfectly content. One hand twirled a dark curl as she looked up into Temple's eyes. She was falling back under his spell, becoming once more ensnared in his web.

Alex let out a long sigh. "Why do I even bother?" She spun back around, facing the front of the line once more.

"You're not giving up, are you?"

Alex was silent for a long moment. " I don't know," she murmured. Louder, she added, "It just seems like when I come up with a plan, a wrench gets thrown into it." She risked a glance over her shoulder. Elsie and Temple were still talking. Worse, Elsie was laughing. "You can't control people, not in their love lives. Maybe I should stop meddling."

Spencer had no idea what to say to that. He had never been in a relationship. For all his smarts, he had no knowledge or advice for this.

A few minutes later, they were back in the stands. Spencer was chugging on his water in between bites of a meat pie while Alex sipped at her Diet Pepsi, her sour cream and onion chips sitting unopened. Halftime was almost over so people were starting to return to their seats. Elsie finally separated from Temple and made her way back towards the bleachers.

Alex struggled not to look disapproving, but she couldn't help it. Why was Elsie still giving Temple the time of day? She hadn't spoken to the man in weeks and all of a sudden, they were talking? She was laughing with him? It made absolutely no sense.

Elsie, for her part, was oblivious. Sliding her sunglasses back on, she let out a loud whoop as the teams reassembled on the field. "Come on, boys! Come on!"

Alex forced her thoughts away from her schemes and all the wrenches that kept getting thrown in them and onto the game. Though she would have been hard-pressed to give the specifics of a soccer game, anyone watching would have thought she was an expert. She cheered when a Queen's Garters player stole the ball, booed at bad calls, and cheered outrageously when Archie sunk in another goal, putting the score at 2-1, Queen's Garters. Though she had intended to push Elsie and her questionable taste in romance out of her mind, she also succeeded in blocking any remaining worries about the Silence and Kovarian too.

All too soon, the game was over. The Queen's Garters had achieved a stellar victory, 3-1. The soccer field was soon flooded with ecstatic villagers. Alex spotted Michael clapping one of the Queen's Garters players on the back, Jeff high-fiving Archie, and Veronica, decked out in a bedazzled Gloucester City A.F.C. jersey, jumping on Henry to give him a sloppy kiss. Elsie was at the sidelines, Edward Temple once again by her side. Several villagers were giving them serious side-eye, whispering under their breath, but neither Elsie nor Temple seemed to notice or care.

"My God," Amy hissed as she and Rory followed Alex and Spencer down the bleachers. "What the hell is Elsie doing? What is she thinking?"

"I don't think she's thinking at all," Alex grimaced. Elsie was such a hopeless romantic. According to Amy and Rory, Elsie had never dated while in school. She had been somewhat of a late bloomer, not what teenage boys would consider attractive. It was only in the last few years that Elsie had started to shed her school self, like a caterpillar transforming into a butterfly. Suddenly, she had become desirable. But people only saw the attractive outside, didn't bother with the equally attractive inside. As Elsie herself had said, most of the males around Leadworth looked at her as though she were a piece of meat. Temple, while surely viewing her in the same way, at least had enough smarts to flatter her and compliment her, building up the idea that she was worth having a future with. Elsie hadn't heard that from anyone else. So long as Temple continued whispering those tempting promises in her ear, Elsie would keep falling for them, even if the logical part of her knew he was bad news.

Alex shook her head. She had to push all thoughts about Elsie and Temple aside. It wasn't something she could fix, so it wasn't worth dwelling on. "Come on, let's go find Craig. I'd like to see Sophie before they leave."

They found Craig talking to one of his teammates by the Kings Arms bench. Standing beside them were two young women, one a Hispanic woman with long, thick dark hair and the other a familiar blonde.

Alex beamed. "Sophie!" she called, quickening her steps.

Sophie spun around. Her eyes widened at the figure darting towards her. "Alex!" The moment the American came close enough, Sophie pulled her into a hug. "Craig told me you were here, but I didn't quite believe it till now!"

Alex chuckled. "Well, here I am," she said as she extricated herself from the hug. She turned to the woman standing beside Sophie. "And you're Melina, I'm guessing?"

Melina nodded. "Yep. Tagged along for the game. Probably wouldn't have though if I'd've known we weren't going to win."

Sophie rolled her eyes. "I told you, it's about the fun, the experience, not necessarily who wins." She checked to make sure Craig was still occupied with his teammate, then dropped her voice to a whisper and added, "But I would've liked to have seen us win."

Melina gazed across the field, where the Queen's Garters were still in full celebration mode. "Your team's pretty good," she said to Alex.

"We've got a bunch of good players," Alex acknowledged.

"Tell me about it!" Sophie exclaimed. "That ginger one, the one in jersey number two, he seemed pretty motivated today. He made the two goals, didn't he?"

Alex struggled not to wince. Archie had definitely been motivated today, but it wasn't just because he wanted to win. He'd had his eye on a much bigger prize. Now it appeared as though his efforts had all been for naught. "Yep," she nodded, effecting a nonchalant tone. "Archie was definitely in high form today."

"Archie?" Melina seemed to grow two inches at this information. "Cute name," she mused. Her eyes scoped out the field before finally narrowing on Archie. He was off on the sidelines, talking to Henry and Veronica. "He seeing anyone?"

Oh, boy. While Alex had only interacted with Sophie for the better part of a day during her and the Doctor's time in Craig's flat, she had been treated to stories of Melina's many, many relationship troubles. The girl seemed to have the incredible talent of always picking guys who were either total losers, gay, or hung up on someone else. In Archie's case, it was the latter. Alex just hoped that news was enough to make Melina back off.

She gave Melina an apologetic smile. "Sorry, but he's interested in someone else. I've been helping him try to get her attention." Not to much success though, she thought grimly.

Those two inches Melina had grown disappeared. "Oh," she said quietly, shoulders slumping. A split second later, however, she straightened back up. She pointed behind Alex. "Well, what about him?"

Alex turned and nearly burst out laughing. Melina was pointing at Spencer. He had elected to hang back a few feet beside Amy and Rory, who had gotten pulled into a conversation between Dr. Ramsden and Dr. Coggins. Spencer's arms were still crossed but he had removed his sunglasses. He no longer looked like a terribly intimidating bodyguard. More like the very attractive boy next door. His eyes were darting all around, never lingering on one spot for longer than a few moments, so he had yet to notice that he was the subject of conversation.

"Oh, um, well, Spencer's a friend of mine and he is single, but I don't think. . ."

But Melina had stopped paying attention after hearing the word 'single'. "Score!" And with a flip of her hair, she was sauntering over to Spencer.

Sophie shook her head. "Oh, dear," she murmured, although her words were softened by the fond smile on her face. "Somehow, I don't think he knows what's about to hit him."

Alex chuckled. "No, he doesn't. And I don't think she knows how much resistance she's going to be met with."

Sophie dismissed this with a wave of her hand. "Ah, that won't throw her off. Make her more determined, actually." Dropping her voice once more, she said, "How have you been? Life with the Doctor treating you well?"

"Definitely," Alex smiled. "We're together now actually."

"Really?!" Sophie beamed. "I knew all that crap you told me about him not doing relationships was just self-defense!"

"Okay, okay!" Alex laughed. She had to admit, Sophie had hit the nail on the head there. While she had honestly thought the Doctor wouldn't be in a relationship with her because of past failures, Alex couldn't deny that it had been an excuse born primarily out of her own insecurities. She'd been afraid to, as Sophie had said, 'take the plunge', because she feared being rejected, of screwing up the friendship they had. "Go ahead and crow. You were right."

Still smiling, Sophie studied her. Physically, Alex looked the same as when they'd last seen each other. However, there was something . . . different about her. Sophie couldn't say exactly what it was. A kind of maturity, maybe, something most people Alex's age didn't have. Then again, they didn't experience half of the things Alex did. But Sophie also saw a slight stiffness to Alex's posture, how much harder her eyes seemed. Those colorful eyes were still soft, full of kindness and southern charm, but they seemed to have gained a bit of an edge, a sharpness that hadn't been there before. If Sophie had to guess, she would say that something bad had happened to Alex. What else could cause that sharpness?

She could only hope that whatever traumatic event had happened, it was over now.

Just as Sophie was considering asking Alex if she was really alright, Amy and Rory came running up. "Thank God!" Amy gasped. "I thought we never going to get away from those two. Dr. Ramsden's like a bloody dog with a bone, refuses to let go once she's got you." She turned and smiled at Sophie. "Hi, you must be Sophie. I'm Amy Pond and this is my husband, Rory Williams."

Sophie's eyes widened in recognition. "Oh, you're the girl who wrote the note directing the Doctor and Alex to Craig's flat!"

Craig finished up his conversation just in time to hear this. With the Doctor's memories still rattling around his head, he immediately recognized the ginger standing beside Alex. "Amy Pond!" he exclaimed.

Amy took the exclamation in stride. "Nice to properly meet you, Craig," she said, giving him a quick hug. "And really, it's a treat to meet someone who lived with that raggedy man and didn't kill him."

Alex rolled her eyes as the others laughed. "Come on, Ames, he wasn't that bad."

"I have no doubt you kept him in line as best you could," Amy assured her. "But really, Alex . . . don't you sometimes want to throttle him?"

Alex was silent for several moments. "Well. . ." she said slowly. "Maybe sometimes."

Chuckling, Rory reached out and ruffled her hair. "Don't worry, Alex. We all know you still love him, despite all his faults."

"Speaking of love. . ." Amy nodded at Spencer. Melina had practically cornered him by the concessions stand, Spencer's back flat against the brick structure while Melina stood right in front of him. Spencer's expression could be best be described as 'deer in the headlights'. "Should we go and rescue Spencer? Then maybe head for lunch after?" She looked at Craig and Sophie. "You two are invited, obviously."

Craig grinned. "Sounds great to me! Soph?"

"Fine with me," Sophie smiled. "And yes, someone should go save him. I love her, but Melina doesn't quite know when to take a hint."

"I'll go," Alex volunteered. She owed Spencer an apology anyway for inadvertently steering Melina in his direction.

Leaving Amy and Rory conversing with Craig and Sophie, Alex headed across the field. It still wasn't particularly easy going, since the grass had been roughed up by dozens of running feet, but she persevered.

By this point, the place had largely cleared out. Most of the Queen's Garters team had left for the afterparty at the pub while those belonging to the Kings Arms were packing up and heading to their cars for the journey back to Colchester. A small number of people were still scattered around. Alex spotted Michael the ice cream man heading for his truck at the edge of the parking lot, Kendra, her cousin, and a bunch of their friends gossiping on the bleachers and, surprisingly, Elsie and Archie conversing just a few feet down from Spencer and Melina at the concessions stand.

Despite her earlier stance to no longer get involved in people's love lives, Alex's hearts still sped up a notch. This is promising, she thought. After seeing Elsie with Temple, she'd been sure the girl wouldn't talk to Archie again. Maybe Elsie had realized the error of her ways?

As Alex got closer though, she realized there was no cause for optimism. Neither Archie nor Elsie looked like they were confessing their feelings for each other. If they had been, their expressions should have been a bit shy, hesitant, but still happy and elated at the truth finally coming out. Instead, Elsie looked frustrated, her eyes slightly watery, while Archie's cheeks were the same color as his hair.

Damn it, Alex thought. They were fighting, presumably about Elsie and Temple. So much for a love connection.

Just as Alex was thinking this, Spencer caught sight of her. "Sorry!" he cried to Melina. She was leaning in close to him, enough to where he was almost choking on her jasmine-scented perfume. "But I came here with somebody, so. . ." Using Melina's shock to his advantage, he leapt out around her and practically pounced on Alex.

"For Christ's sake," he muttered. He hooked an arm through Alex's and all but dragged her towards the parking lot. "What were you thinking?! She's worse than Kendra!"

"Sorry," Alex said sheepishly. "Didn't get a chance to tell her you weren't interested. The moment she heard you were single, she was off like a rocket."

"Well, next time, start with the fact I'm not interested in relationships." He shuddered. "Especially not with women who can't take a hint."

"What is your type, Spencer?" Alex asked curiously. "Or are you just not interested in romance in general?" Through her travels with the Doctor, she had learned about different types of sexuality that had previously been unknown to her. One such sexuality was being ace, either to sex, relationships, or even both. Maybe Spencer was one or both of those?

"No, no, I am. It's just. . ." He trailed off, his blue eyes turning grayer. He let out a long sigh. "UNIT life is pretty different to everything else, you know? I need to find someone who gets that, who isn't freaked out about aliens or tries to deny their existence."

"You need somebody who can relate to you and vice-versa," Alex mused. "Makes sense." It reminded her of her relationship with the Doctor in a way. He needed to be with someone who understood and accepted his way of life, someone who participated in it. That was her. Before the Doctor, Alex couldn't imagine the kind of life she was living now, much less that she would want to live it. Now though? She couldn't imagine anything else.

Spencer nodded. "Exactly." He glanced over his shoulder and the gray in his eyes softened back into blue. "Someone ought to tell those two that."

Alex didn't have to look to know who he was talking about. But she did anyway.

Elsie and Archie's argument had apparently come to an end. Archie was walking away from Elsie, his head down. Elsie was leaning back against the concessions building as though it was the only thing keeping her upright. She wiped at her tear-stained cheeks. After a moment of doing this, she covered her eyes with her sunglasses.

Alex sighed softly. She hated this. She hated that she couldn't do anything to fix this. All her plans had been for naught. No matter how perfect the plan, it was still malleable to human nature. Nothing could control that. Elsie and Archie's relationship (or lack thereof) wasn't like hers and the Doctor's. With the Doctor, everything felt fated, like puzzle pieces sliding into place. In that kind of relationship, it was easy to forget that it wasn't like that for everyone.

"Yeah," she murmured, watching as Elsie finally slunk towards the parking lot. "Someone should."

~The Pros and Cons of Silence~

July 14th, 2011

Alex leaned back against the cool brick, doing her best to get comfortable. In hindsight, she really should have brought a chair, like a bunch of other people in line had done.

Shifting her position for the tenth time in the past twenty minutes, Alex glanced up and down the long line. It had started forming around eight o'clock this morning and had been growing steadily longer ever since. Alex hadn't arrived until about four and by that point, the line stretched nearly all the way around the theater.

Alex wasn't surprised. She'd expected this. It was why she'd bought a pre-sale ticket weeks ago. Everyone wanted to attend the midnight premiere of the last Harry Potter film.

Alex was no exception. She had attended midnight premieres for two of the other movies: Order of the Phoenix and Half-Blood Prince. She'd spent those premieres with Lacey, and they had been anything but boring. She and Lacey had been content to sit on the sidewalk outside the Kentucky Theater, amusing themselves with people watching (particularly those who came in costume), flipping through one of the dozens of magazines Lacey brought, or talking about the Harry Potter books. Lacey wasn't much of a reader (her taste was mostly limited to Marigold's stash of Harlequin romances) but she'd been converted to Harry Potter, thanks to Alex. And Daniel Radcliffe, whom Lacey swore she was going to marry someday. But mostly Alex.

It was weird not spending this premiere with her. There was no one to talk to, no one to gossip and snigger with, no one to run down to the gas station to grab Diet Pepsi's and Red Hots while the other person kept their spot in line. Alex had brought a thermos full of Diet Pepsi, a bag of Red Hots and a sandwich, the latest issue of Vogue UK, and her copy of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, but it was still weird.

One could argue Lacey was here in spirit though. Alex wore the dangly golden snitch earrings Lacey had given her the night they went to the Half-Blood Prince premiere. She'd paired the earrings with her white Hogwarts Alumni t-shirt she'd bought off Etsy, a pair of cutoff jean shorts, white Converse, and a floral tote Marigold had given her years ago. It was the biggest purse Alex owned. While not bigger-on-the-inside, it could carry up to three books, a couple magazines, and other necessities with plenty of room to spare. Perfect for stashing all the supplies needed for a midnight premiere.

So, yes, Lacey was here in spirit. And Alex knew they'd spend a good portion of tomorrow analyzing the movie during their weekly phone call. Still, she wished she had someone to talk to right now. She would have brought someone with her, but pre-sale tickets had been sold out for weeks. Those still for sale had prices starting at a couple thousand pounds. No one else was here to keep her company save a thousand Potterhead's.

Even Spencer wasn't here, though not because he didn't want to be. He'd been temporarily called back to UNIT HQ in London just yesterday. His co-scientific advisor, Dr. Malcolm Taylor, had specifically requested his help in developing the cure for the giant wasps terrorizing Cornwall. Previous attempts at a cure had instead resulted in the insects growing even larger, enough to where one was almost the size of Big Ben. It had been a headlining story on BBC 24.

Needless to say, Spencer was currently needed elsewhere, though he had stressed to Alex he would be back on Monday, cure or no cure. In the meantime, as a way of making sure she was okay, he had taken to texting her. A lot. The constant bombardment of 'are you okay' texts made Alex wonder if that cure was being worked on at all.

Her Blackberry buzzed. Alex groaned. Speak of the devil, she thought as she pulled the phone out. A new text from Spencer had come in, his fifth in the last half hour.

Are you okay?

Alex rattled off a reply:

For the fifth time, YES, I'm FINE. No one has kidnapped me. No one has approached me except for that one drunk guy in the Voldemort costume that I told you about in text number three.

I'm just making sure! I'd rather be there where I can see everything.

Alex sighed. It was hard to maintain her irritation with Spencer, not when he was so worried about her. And Alex understood. He just wanted to look out for her. Honestly, she wished he was here doing just that, looking out for any possible threats while she was free to enjoy herself.

She couldn't really do that now. Not for the first time since arriving at the theater, Alex longed for the beginning of summer, when her worries revolved around looking after Amy and Rory and adjusting to her altered body. No thoughts of Kovarian or the Silence creeping around, people sabotaging her photos of the Doctor, or the possibility of being kidnapped again. Not like now. Try as she might, when she was by herself in the middle of the night (even with a thousand Potterhead's around her), Alex couldn't keep those newfound worries at the back of her mind.

And it was so frustrating! She didn't want to be afraid anymore. She didn't want to have to rely on Spencer for protection. She didn't want to be a damsel in distress. The next time she saw Kovarian, she wanted to punch her in the face. Maybe kick her in the stomach, too. That horrid woman did not deserve the credit of being some kind of boogeyman, someone Alex now looked for in dark, shadowed corners. But that fear was still there. Alex didn't know why Kovarian had kidnapped her in the first place. She suspected that if she got those answers, she wouldn't be afraid anymore. Or, at the very least, her fear would significantly lessen. Until then, though, Alex's only option was to simply buck up and stare defiantly at the darkness, all the while hoping nothing came out of it.

She peered round the crowd. No threats that she could see. The guys in front of her had largely ignored her, too caught up in their debate about various football leagues. The group behind her was a bunch of tight-knit friends, all of whom had come in costume. Alex had been overhearing bits of their animated conversation all night. It seemed they were all part of the same teaching course, currently working on achieving their Postgraduate Certificate in Education, which would lead to their getting Qualified Teacher Status, aka the qualification needed to work in a school in the United Kingdom. Just listening to their ranting about a difficult pedagogy essay they'd just been assigned made Alex glad she hadn't tried becoming a teacher. Not in England, anyway. The qualifications for becoming a teacher here were vastly different and more complex than those in the U.S.

"I swear, Dr. Michaels is out to get me!" This came from a very pretty girl dressed in a very convincing Bellatrix Lestrange costume. She was short, shorter than Alex, with shoulder-length chocolate brown hair, big brown eyes, and a dimple in her left cheek. The thick black satin of her floor-length dress rustled as she shifted to lean back against the wall, just a few inches away from Alex. "It's the third time he's lost –" Alex could hear the implied air quotes. "– one of my rough drafts!"

A black girl dressed up in a makeshift Hogwarts uniform let out a scoff. "Clara, he's like that with everyone! He lost one of mine. When he finally found it, it was covered in coffee stains."

Clara wrinkled her nose. "Ew. . ." As the others laughed, she cried, "Well, speaking of his coffee, that slime he drinks is the second most disgusting thing ever invented!"

"It's really concerning," a guy dressed as a Dementor deadpanned, "that you have a list."

Clara didn't seem bothered by this. Shrugging, she said, "So? I find it concerning other people don't have a list."

Unnoticed by the group, Alex chuckled to herself. She rather liked this Clara. However, she didn't really have much to contribute to the conversation, which had now gone back to the discussion of pedagogical theory. Therefore, doing her best to ignore her loneliness as well as her lingering sense of fear, Alex cracked open Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. She was almost finished with it. As the giant clock hanging over the theater chimed eight, Alex delved into Chapter 33: The Prince's Tale.

~The Pros and Cons of Silence~

Alex had always been a fast reader. Knowing what she knew now about her Time Lord heritage, she suspected that played a part in it. By ten o'clock, she had finished her book and was slowly flipping through Vogue for the second time. Spencer's texts had finally calmed down a bit, only two coming every half hour instead of five. Amy and Rory had checked in as well, asking how the crowd was and if she was sure she didn't want them driving up and staying with her.

Alex had told them no. She was going to be fine. She was sure of it.

Well, not completely sure, but surer than she had been in the last several weeks.

Now, however, she was staring to wish she'd told them yes, but not because she was scared. She needed someone to hold her place in line while she ran down to the greasy spoon on the corner for a much-needed bathroom break.

Alex pulled herself to her feet. Tossing the magazine in her bag, she glanced around. The guys in front of her had lapsed into silence. Apparently, there was only so much to debate about football leagues. Clara and her group of teachers-in-the-making were still chatting. The conversation had gone away from teaching and its various accompanying subjects and onto the black girl's two kids, Angie and Artie. At the moment, she was relating a story about a prank Angie had pulled on her younger brother that was causing the whole group to cackle wildly. Clara, the one Alex would have approached, was almost bent over at the waist from laughing so hard. It didn't seem like she was going to stop anytime soon either.

With a sigh, Alex tapped one of the football league debaters on the shoulder. The moment he turned around, she adopted her most charming smile, the one that got everyone to do just about anything she asked. "Hi, I hope you don't mind, but would you please watch my spot for a minute?" She gestured to the greasy spoon, knowing he would make the connection. People in line had been in and out of there all night.

Just as Alex had expected, the guy was caught up in her smile. She'd barely finished her question before he started nodding enthusiastically. "Oh, yeah, no problem! Just a warning though, they're making everyone buy something before they can use the bathroom."

Alex looked over her shoulder at the long line behind her. It stretched for almost a full block. "Can't say I blame them." Tonight was a very good night for restaurants.

Just as the guy had warned, the moment the bell above the door rang, a man behind the counter jumped into a clearly rehearsed speech. "If you're in the midnight premiere line and need the bathroom," he said in a bored voice, "you need to buy something first." He wasn't even looking at Alex. He was focused on a magazine in his lap, the cover carefully concealed.

Alex wasn't bothered. She'd worked in customer service before. She knew the mindset, particularly the one that developed on a late night. "Yeah, I know," she said easily.

The cashier looked up. Alex rather wished he hadn't. There was nothing outwardly incriminating about him, but for some reason, Alex's mental alarm bells started ringing. He was tall, about the Doctor's height, slightly overweight, with shaggy black hair and a severe five o'clock shadow. His fringe obscured his eyes, but Alex caught enough of a glimpse to see that they were dark. Really dark. Especially as they settled on her.

The hairs on the back of Alex's neck stood up. This wasn't like when the Doctor's darkened gaze landed on her. His gaze was full of heat and passion, his desire for her tempered by the fact that he viewed her as the most precious thing in the universe. He would never hurt her. Alex knew that.

That was not the vibe this creepy, middle-aged cashier was giving her.

"Yeah?" he smiled. Alex thought it was meant to be charming, even relaxed. It sort of looked that way, but not really. It was like looking in a funhouse mirror. The reflection in the mirror was your own, but highly distorted.

The man nodded out the door towards the theater. "Word spreads fast, I suppose."

Alex fell back on her acting skills. Don't give anything away, she told herself. Just act casual. "Yeah, it does." Stepping slightly closer to the counter, she surveyed the offerings. It seemed the greasy spoon had made plenty of fresh items before the kitchen staff left for the night. To Alex's pleasant surprise, there was a cherry pie on prime display in the dessert case. When was the last time she had cherry pie? Before moving to Leadworth, that was certain.

"Two slices of the cherry pie, please," Alex called over her shoulder as she speed-walked to the bathroom. Her acting skills hadn't failed her, but she still didn't want to be in that man's presence for longer than absolutely necessary.

Alex was relieved to find that the bathroom was clean and, more importantly, had a lock on the door. After relieving herself and washing her hands, she unlocked the door slowly. She half-expected the cashier to be standing right outside the door. Thankfully, he wasn't. However, he was out from behind the counter. He stood right by the door, holding a white paper bag.

"Shit," Alex hissed. So much for the counter still functioning as a barrier. But she had dealt with creepy guys before. Plenty of them had hung around Bar Alley back in Bristol. This was nothing new. She just had to handle it the right way.

Putting her shoulders back and holding her head high, Alex strode out of the bathroom. She shifted her purse so that it hung directly in front of her body, a makeshift shield. "How much do I owe you?" she asked, adopting a business-like tone.

The cashier gave her that unsettling smile again. "No charge," he murmured. He held out the bag. "Not for lovely young women such as yourself."

Good lord, is he copying that from a movie? Not that Alex was going to look a gift horse in the mouth. No charge meant getting out of here even quicker. "Thanks." She reached for the bag, only for the cashier to suddenly pull it back. The moment Alex's hand dropped, he held it towards her. But when Alex reached out again, he pulled it back, holding it slightly above her head.

Alex's eyes narrowed. Creepy or no, now this guy was getting on her nerves. If he was expecting her to jump for the bag or somehow be charmed by this, he was sorely mistaken.

He smiled at her again, dark eyes flashing.

Alex gave him a smile of her own. It was not, however, the one she used on the football league debater. This smile was dangerous, her teeth glinting like freshly sharpened knives.

Not that the creepy cashier knew this. Those dark irises brightened slightly. He started to lean closer. The hand holding the bag dropped to his side.

It was just what Alex had been waiting for. In the blink of an eye, she grabbed the bag and shoved open the door. "Thank you!" she yelled over her shoulder.

After jogging a little distance away, Alex slowed to a walk. Looking around, she took a deep breath. She hadn't realized it while walking over here, but the greasy spoon was a good distance away from the movie theater and, by extension, the midnight premiere line. While the line was lit up with lights, this end of the street was nearly covered in darkness.

Alex wasn't scared of the dark, not really. For as long as she could remember, she'd never used a nightlight. She could sleep just fine after watching horror movies, never needing to check the closet beforehand for possible serial killers.

But, like many things post-Demons Run, things were different. Alex still wasn't scared of the dark. She was scared of what it could be concealing, which to her mind was completely different. She was scared Silence could be lurking in the shadows or even Kovarian herself. It seemed rather ludicrous. If someone had been following her the past few months and wanted to grab her, they'd had plenty of opportunities before tonight.

But no matter how much logic she tried to use, Alex's hearts continued to beat nervously.

She forced herself to keep walking. She tried not to eye every alley she passed or peer into darkened storefront windows, but she couldn't help it. Her damn PTSD was flaring up again. Alex absently wondered if she would ever be able to take a walk by herself again. At this moment, it didn't seem likely.

She continued walking, forcing all her attention on the lights ahead. With her newly advanced hearing, she could hear bits of conversation. Two people were passionately debating Harry/Ginny vs. Harry/Hermione. Someone else was on their phone, having a longwinded conversation with someone named Claudia. A group was reading aloud from Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. They were currently on Dobby's funeral. The person doing the narration sounded on the verge of tears.

Alex's hearing flitted back and forth. The person arguing Harry/Ginny was triumphant, knowing they had the better argument. The guy talking to Claudia was clearly exhausted, his voice growing more and more ragged with each word said. Footsteps puttered softly on the pavement behind Alex. The person narrating Dobby's funeral had broken down into full out sobs. . .

Wait. Footsteps? Behind her?

Alex's breathing came to a complete stop. Her respiratory bypass kicked in a moment later, not that Alex noticed. The hairs on the back of her neck stood straight up. Her body screamed at her to start running.

Someone's behind me. On a wild hunch, Alex came to a stop. Her whole body tensed, waiting for someone to try and grab her.

Nothing happened. Even the footsteps had stopped.

Maybe it was a fluke? Slightly reassured, Alex started walking again.

Less than a second later, the footsteps started up again.

Shit! Someone was following her! Alex stared at the well-lit crowd up ahead. It was a good two minutes' walk away. So close, yet so far. Whoever was behind her could grab her and no one would notice, no matter how much she fought or shouted. Alex's hearts thundered and the blood drained from her face. Spencer hadn't yet gotten around to teaching her those self-defense moves. Once again, someone was going to grab her and there was nothing she or anyone else could do about it.

"Lizzie! Lizzie, is that you?"

Despite knowing that someone was following her, Alex came to an abrupt stop. That voice. . . It was familiar. And close.

"Lizzie!" Suddenly, a figure appeared just ahead of her. The figure was wearing a floor-length sleeveless black dress, black lace elbow-length gloves, and a lot of dark makeup that didn't quite hide the pretty face underneath. It was the girl from the teacher's group, Clara. And she was heading straight for Alex.

"Lizzie!" she beamed. "I thought that was you!" The moment she was close enough, she pulled Alex into a tight hug. "Follow my lead," she hissed in Alex's ear. "That creeper from the café's been following you."

Never had Alex been so grateful to someone in her life. She quickly threw her arms around Clara. "Clara!" she cried, her relief at being rescued bleeding into her voice. "Why didn't you tell me you were coming here?"

Clara pulled back from the hug but didn't let go of Alex completely. She kept an arm wrapped around her shoulders as she gently guided her back towards the theater. "Oh, it was all last minute!" She kept her voice purposefully loud as they walked away. "One of those impromptu things Soph is always planning. You'd think with two kids she wouldn't do spontaneity, but go figure."

Clara kept up a running conversation about Soph and her ridiculous penchant for impromptu group gatherings as they walked back to the line. Once they were at the end of the line, surrounded by a group of teenagers wearing Hogwarts Gryffindor robes, Clara looked casually over her shoulder. Her lips curved into a satisfied grin. "Ha!" she cheered, dropping her arm. "Knew that would spook him!" The victory in her eyes was quickly replaced, however, by worry. Her gaze darted back to Alex. "But seriously, are you okay? I saw that creeper following you and I just couldn't do nothing."

"No, I'm fine, thanks to you." Alex offered her a smile that was shakier than she would have liked. She could tell Clara noticed, for the worry in her eyes doubled. Alex immediately took a moment to lock down all spooked emotions, slamming a metaphorical iron shield over herself. "Really," she insisted, her tone coming out much steadier than before. "I'm a bit rattled, but I'm okay."

Clara offered her a small smile. "Oh, well, that's good then." She grimaced, her small, upturned nose crinkling in disgust. "Honestly, I don't know what that bloke with thinking! He has to know every girl who's gone in there has been on their guard from the moment they laid eyes on him."

"I did get a really off vibe from him," Alex admitted. "Glad to hear it wasn't just me."

"Oh, no, I promise you, it's every woman who's gone in there tonight."

They started walking back towards their place in line. "You went in there tonight?" Alex asked.

Clara nodded. "Yeah, but I had Soph with me, thank God. He wasn't going to try following two girls at the same time. Didn't stop him watching us from the window though." She shrugged. "Still, don't know what else you can expect from a guy reading a gent's magazine at work."

Alex's jaw dropped. "Seriously?!" Though that did explain why he'd been keeping the cover concealed.

Clara smirked. "I'm sure he just reads it for the articles."

Alex burst out laughing. Clara was quick to join in. They continued laughing until they reached their spot in line. Just as he promised, the football league debater had saved Alex's spot. He stepped aside as she approached.

"Thanks again," Alex said, resuming her spot on the ground.

The guy nodded. "No problem."

Alex expected Clara to slip right back in with her teacher friends. But to her surprise, the tiny brunette dropped right down beside her. "You don't mind if I hang out with you, do you?" A worry line appeared in Clara's forehead.

Another surge of gratefulness ran through Alex. She gave Clara a dazzling smile, one that never failed to charm people. "No, I'd love the company, actually."

The worry line disappeared, replaced by an expression Alex wouldn't hesitate to call relief. Had Clara really been worried she was going to say no? "Great!" she beamed. She leaned back against the bricks, adjusting the folds of her dress as she stretched her legs out in front of her. "Frankly, you're kind of saving me from more discussion about teaching." Eyeing her group just a few feet away, she leaned closer to Alex. "No offense to them or anything," she said, dropping her voice, "but a lot of them can't quite understand there's more to life than just a job."

Alex nodded sagely. "I completely get it." She'd been much the same way prior to coming to Leadworth. She had only ever focused on her education, getting good grades so she could attend a good school and get a job that would allow her to live independently, a burden to no one. No horrid grandmothers bragging about their hold on the purse strings, no well-meaning gifts from Marigold and Lacey that felt a bit too much like charity. Just her and her freedom. So focused on achieving it, however, she hadn't considered what to do when her plans fell through.

Thankfully, it had all worked out in the end.

"Wait," Alex smirked. "So, if I'm saving you from more conversations about teaching, does this mean you owe me?"

Clara's tone turned playful. "Well, I viewed it as payment for me saving you from getting kidnapped by the creepy cashier."

"Oh, so I owe you?"

Clara's eyes twinkled. "Now you're getting it."

Alex rolled her eyes, but that didn't stop her amusement from escaping. Her initial opinion remained. She really liked this girl. "Well, I guess if I do owe you, I should know the full name of my rescuer slash debtor."

Clara held out her hand. "Clara Oswald. No middle name. My parents didn't give me one." Her nose crinkled as she tilted her head to the side. "Not sure why."

"Alexandria Nicole Locke." She shook Clara's hand. "But I go by 'Alex'." Then, remembering she was still clutching her white pastry bag, she pulled out one of the pie slices. "Cherry pie?"

"Don't mind if I do," Clara smiled, accepting the slice. "And damn," she added, a touch enviously. "That's a nice name."

Alex unwrapped her own slice. "Personally, I've always felt it's a bit long."

"Nah, I think it's perfect. Better than mine by a longshot."

"You don't like your name?"

Clara took a bite of pie. Less than a second later, she let out a low groan of satisfaction. "Eh," she shrugged as she swallowed. "'Clara's alright, if a bit old-fashioned. I hate 'Oswald' though. Got a lot of grief from the other kids after we learned about the JFK assassination in school."

"Kids asking if you were related to Lee Harvey Oswald?"

Clara scowled off into the distance, no doubt remembering those schoolyard taunts. "Exactly." After a moment of remembrance, she shook her head. "But seriously," she said, turning back to Alex, "you've got a great name."

"Better than Lizzie?" Alex teased.

"Absolutely," Clara nodded firmly. "But in my defense, I had to pick a name at random. Ended up going with the main character from my favorite book."

Alex wracked her brain for any 'Lizzie's that showed up in literature. There were a couple that immediately came to mind, but Alex decided to go with her number one guess. "Lizzie Bennet? Pride and Prejudice?"

Clara's eyes widened in delight. "Yes!" She gave Alex an admiring look. "I didn't expect you to get it right off the bat."

"Well, it was an easy guess. Either her or Elizabeth 'Beth' March or even Elizabeth Lavenza. Couple other possibilities as well, but I figured it was one of the first three." Almost as a reward for her brilliance, Alex took her first bite of pie. Her eyes involuntarily closed, and she hummed contentedly. Despite the turmoil she'd gone through with that creepy cashier, the cherry pie more than made up for it.

Clara's admiring gaze seemed to increase tenfold. "You can just name famous literary Elizbeth's at the drop of a hat?"

Despite herself, Alex blushed. "I'm a librarian," she said modestly. "Kinda comes with the territory."

"And I'm studying to be an English teacher and despite being an avid reader since birth, even I can't do that." Clara pursed her lips thoughtfully. "Name some famous Catherine's in literature," she ordered.

Alex was quick to oblige. "Catherine Earnshaw from Wuthering Heights, Katerina Minola from Taming of the Shrew, Catherine Morland from Northanger Abbey, and there is a Catherine in Pride and Prejudice, Catherine 'Kitty' Bennet. . ."

"Blimey," Clara said once Alex had rattled off a few more fictional Catherine's. Her eyes were wide as saucers, the brown orbs looking almost too big for their sockets. "That's really brilliant. You must be one hell of a librarian."

Alex chuckled. "I try, though my assistant doesn't make it easy some days."

Clara smiled sympathetically through another bite of pie. "One of those assistants who doesn't so much help as hinder? I know the feeling. One of my professors had an assistant who always tried to help us, but she was an absolute nightmare. . ."

The remaining time until midnight was filled with conversation between Alex and Clara. No longer did Alex feel so alone or even scared. Clara was someone she immediately clicked with. Alex couldn't say that for a lot of people in her life. There was Lacey, Ross, Amy, Rory, and obviously the Doctor. Still, Alex was amazed at how much they had in common. Aside from a love of literature and favorite authors (though they had to agree to disagree on Alex preferring Sense and Sensibility over Pride and Prejudice), they were both Ravenclaws, had always suspected Severus Snape to have hidden depths, had giant crushes on Alan Rickman, and shared a love for traveling. Clara even revealed that she planned on taking a break after finishing her teaching degree in order to travel.

"My mum had this book that I was obsessed with as a kid." She smiled a touch sadly. Alex noticed she was fiddling with one of several rings on her fingers. This particular ring was smaller than the others and rather looked like a modest engagement ring, though Clara wasn't wearing it on her ring finger. "Still am, really," she continued. Alex didn't comment on the grief that briefly flashed across her face. She understood all too well the pain that went with losing a parent and how it wasn't something easily talked about. "It's called 101 Places to See. By the time I was ten, I'd picked out my top ten places to visit."

"What's number one?" Alex asked.

To her surprise, Clara smirked. "That's for me to know and you to find out."

Maybe Alex was imagining it, but Clara's tone sounded a touch flirtatious.

Alex couldn't reveal her more extraordinary travels to a complete stranger, but she happily told Clara about going to Auvers-sur-Oise, France (leaving out that it was to meet Vincent Van Gogh), visiting Venice (omitting the alien vampires), experiencing the beaches and nightlife of Rio, and basking in the beauty of Savannah, Georgia (minus all the possessions and psychics). Clara was practically drooling by the time she finished. She peppered Alex with questions, some Alex couldn't answer. Alex was positive she was filing all the information away for future travel reference.

All too soon, midnight arrived. The girls sprang up as the crowd started counting down, letting out loud cheers when they reached 'one'. Alex thought she would lose Clara in the theater but to her pleasant surprise, Clara and her group sat in the same row as her. Clara even managed to snag the seat next to her, giving her friend Soph an apologetic look that really didn't have a lot of apology in it. Soph, for her part, just rolled her eyes. The rest of the group nodded politely at Alex before focusing back on their own conversation.

And then . . . the lights dimmed, and Hedwig's Theme started playing. Loud whoops rang out all around the theater, but Alex was silent. All her attention was on the screen.

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2 was, in a word, magical. Alex tried and failed not to cry at Dobby's funeral, the entire Battle of Hogwarts sequence, and at Snape's death. She, along with the rest of the theater, cheered when Molly Weasley killed Bellatrix and again when Harry defeated Voldemort for the very last time (though Alex was a bit put out that the scene didn't match what was in the book. But that was Hollywood).

As an older Harry, Hermione, and Ron watched their children depart for Hogwarts at Platform 9 ¾, Alex wiped tears from her eyes for the fourth time. Honestly, why was she crying so much? She hated crying. Her only comfort was that everyone else in the theater was crying too, some even outright bawling. Clara, thankfully, was not one of the latter people. She shot Alex a smile as she wiped a tear from her cheek.

"That was amazing," Clara sighed as she and Alex walked out of the theater. "Can't believe it's over now."

"It was," Alex said with a sigh of her own. "And neither can I." She gave Clara a playful grimace. "Feels like my childhood is officially at an end, you know?"

"Tell me about it," Clara groaned. "Even though I've not been a child for years, it still feels like something's ended."

"Clara!" someone shouted. It was a member of Clara's group, the guy dressed as a Dementor. He and the rest of the group were halfway down the sidewalk, lingering under a streetlamp. "You ready to eat?"

"In a minute!" She turned back to Alex. "Hey, you wanna come with? We're going to hit one of the diners – not the creep-infested one – before heading back to London."

Alex smiled apologetically. "Thanks, but I'm gonna have to say no. I gotta head back home. My car's over there." She gestured to the parking garage just across the street. She'd been lucky enough to get a first-floor spot. The '56 was visible through the ground floor windows.

"You're driving home at three am? Aren't you tired? I could easily fall asleep right now!"

Alex smirked. "Let's just say," she said slowly, "I have a really flexible sleeping schedule."

"Sleeping the day away tomorrow?"

"Nope, going in at nine am as usual."

Clara goggled at her. "Not even taking the day off?! All I plan on doing tomorrow is sleeping and catching up on Emmerdale over some wine and takeaway."

"I did tell you about my assistant, right? If I leave her alone, she might pull another Mummy Laid an Egg."

Clara snorted. Truly, out of all the antics Alex had related regarding Kendra, the Mummy Laid an Egg incident was the one she found most amusing. "Yeah," she smiled. "Best not chance it."

Alex shuddered. "Yeah, best not." Just imagining what else Kendra could get up to unsupervised, even for a single day, was almost enough to make her forget about Kovarian and the Silence.

"Clara!" Another call from the teaching group, this time courtesy of a girl dressed as Rita Skeeter, green skirt-suit, glasses, and all.

Clara shot the girl a glare. "In a minute!" she huffed. Her annoyance faded the moment her gaze went back to Alex. "Sorry."

"No problem. Sounds like you better go though."

"It can wait a second." Clara suddenly took a deep breath, as though she were bracing herself for some monumental task. "Long enough to ask if you'd be interested in going out with me."

Alex's currently copper-colored eyes widened. So she was flirting with me! She'd thought so at various intervals but kept dismissing it. Honestly, she'd never been flirted at by a woman. How was she to know? Especially when her hearts were completely hung up on the Doctor?

Alex clamped down on the wave of revulsion that swept through her. Clara was far from repulsive. She was quite pretty, actually. And she was seriously into literature. A huge plus, in Alex's book.

Alex had never gone out with a woman. Not because she was against it, but merely because she'd never met a woman she had entertained dating, much less doing other intimate things with. Alex had always identified herself as straight, but never discounted the possibility of trying a relationship with a woman. She had always told herself that if the right opportunity came along, she'd take it.

And Clara was someone she definitely would have viewed as the right opportunity. If this had been even a year ago, Alex would have said yes. She really did like Clara. She was very attractive, could hold an intelligent conversation on various works of literature, and was immensely caring. Not everyone would have jumped in to help a random girl being followed by a strange man. Clara had. That just showed how compassionate she was, a quality that would do her a world of good as a teacher.

But unfortunately for Clara, she had come along a little too late. Alex was completely head over heels for the Doctor (who, now that she thought about it, could potentially regenerate into a woman someday. It was an idea that was nowhere near as shocking or horrid as it had been when it was brought up with the Shansheeth). Everyone else simply paled in comparison. Even this lovely young woman in front of her, who was now holding her breath, her big eyes even bigger as they awaited an answer.

Alex offered Clara her most sincere smile. "Probably should have mentioned this earlier," she winced, "but I've got a boyfriend."

Clara's stiff shoulders slumped. "Oh," she said quietly.

"I am sorry," Alex said gently. She patted Clara's shoulder. "Really. Honestly, if I wasn't with him, I would have said yes."

"Really?" Clara eyed her warily. "You're not just saying that to make me feel better?"

"I swear I'm not. I'd say 'scout's honor' but I've never been a scout. Would it help if I swore on my parents' graves?"

To her relief, Clara offered her a small smile. "Not necessary, but thanks for the offer."

"Likewise." Alex grinned. "I'm quite flattered, really."

"You should be," Clara said seriously. "You're gorgeous. And brilliant. Hope that boyfriend of yours knows what he's got."

Alex smiled softly, her hand going up to cradle her necklace charm. "Don't worry," she murmured. "He's told me more than once that I'm the most precious thing in the universe to him."

"Well, there you go," Clara beamed. "I feel slightly better about being turned down now, knowing it's not my gender but because you've got a great guy."

Alex laughed. "Good to hear!"

"Clara!" This time it was Soph shouting. "Come on or we're leaving without you, I swear!"

"And that's our cue to depart," Alex snickered. "See you, Clara."

Clara grinned. "See you, Alex."

~The Pros and Cons of Silence~

Clara shot her friends a glare as she walked back over to them. They all wore horribly mischievous expressions, barely able to contain their Cheshire cat grins. They knew damn well what they'd been interrupting every time they hollered for her.

"Not bringing your girlfriend, Clara?" Jamie cracked as he peeled off the hood of his Dementor costume. His face paint, which he'd meticulously applied during the train ride over, was now cracked and peeling in several places. The area around his eyes was smudged, no doubt from wiping away tears during the movie. Not that he'd ever admit to crying. "Thought we'd have to drag you away from her for a moment."

Clara crossed her arms over her chest. "She has a boyfriend," she said flatly.

Soph's expression immediately softened. "Oh, honey," she sighed. She slung an arm around Clara's shoulder, tugging her close. "I'm sorry."

With a sigh, Clara rested her head on Soph's shoulder. It was times like this that she really adored Soph. She was slightly older than the rest of their group, closer to mid-thirties than mid-twenties, and had two kids, one of whom was almost a teenager, but that didn't matter. Her experience in times like this was greatly appreciated. She truly was the 'mom friend' of their group.

"She did say that if she wasn't with him, she would've said yes," Clara offered into her shoulder.

Soph petted her hair. "Still doesn't make it better though, does it?"

"No, it helps a little." Feeling Soph's doubtful eyes on her, Clara looked up. "Really, I promise." Though she couldn't help letting out a wistful sigh. "Still. . ."

"Would've been nice if she was single and said yes," Soph finished.

"Exactly." Flinging herself off Soph's shoulder, Clara groaned long and loud. "And God, she was perfect! Bloody gorgeous – did you see her eyes? They changed colors every time I looked at them! And she reads Jane Austen and Shakespeare for fun!"

Emily, the girl in the Rita Skeeter costume, shook her head. "Blimey, Clara, sounds like you met your soulmate!"

Clara rolled her eyes. She had always found the concept of soulmates and destiny and fate to be completely ridiculous. Nothing more than the product of modern-day romance novelists, in her opinion. "I highly doubt she was my soulmate, Emily. Just a really pretty girl I'd like to get coffee with, discuss literature with—"

"And shag?" Jamie cut in with a wink.

Clara shot him a glare, but she couldn't say he was wrong. She'd been attracted to Alex the moment she laid eyes on her. They'd been in the middle of listening to one of Emily's familiar rants on the class she was student-teaching for when Clara, bored with a topic she could practically recite in her sleep, happened to glance to the side.

And there she was. Easily the most beautiful girl Clara had ever seen. Long brown-blonde hair and bangs Clara's fingers itched to play with, long legs Clara immediately pictured wrapped around her waist, and those gorgeous color-changing hazel eyes. Those eyes had been chocolate brown when Clara first looked at them, but to her shock, they turned light green, followed by copper, honey, then a rich emerald green. All in the span of about ten seconds.

But what really got Clara's attention was how lonely the girl looked. Not to mention a bit frightened. It immediately made Clara wonder what a beautiful girl like her should be lonely for, much less have to fear. While Jamie wasn't wrong that Clara had first been physically attracted to Alex, her attraction had quickly been put on the back-burner as she found herself worried about the girl.

She wanted to get to know her, figure out what was ticking inside her head. She wanted to reassure her, let her know she had nothing to be scared of. And, much to Clara's surprise, figure out what this girl was so afraid of and crush it to smithereens.

With all of that considered, Clara would have immediately gone up to her, but the girl was reading. Clara was a firm believer in never interrupting anyone who was reading, and this girl seemed particularly engrossed in her copy of Deathly Hallows. Clara had reluctantly allowed herself to be sucked back into Emily's problems, but she still permitted herself side-glances every few moments. It was only when Soph started talking about Angie's latest attempt to torture her brother that Clara got distracted, almost forgot about the girl completely. So caught up in her laughter, she hadn't noticed the girl slipping off to the greasy spoon on the corner, the de facto spot for line-goers to use the bathroom and get a snack. Where that slimeball cashier was.

When Clara's laughter finally calmed down, she immediately turned to look at the girl. She was thinking maybe she would apologize for disrupting her reading with her loud laughter, if it actually had. It was a better conversation starter than nothing at all. But she hadn't been there. Immediately, Clara started looking for her. Then she spotted her a good distance away, walking away from the greasy spoon with a white bag in hand.

And that disgusting cashier with the too dark eyes was just a small distance behind her, his hands clenched in anticipation.

Clara hadn't thought. She just reacted. Shoving past a bewildered Emily and Soph, she started running down the dimly lit street. It wasn't even that she was attracted to this girl. It was that no girl should be followed on the street while minding her own business. It had happened to Clara once during university. That was how she met Soph. Soph happened to be in the right place at the right time and immediately addressed Clara as 'Angie', greeting her like a long-lost friend. The creeper following her had subsequently fled. Since then, Clara had sworn to herself to do the same to any girl she happened to come across in a similar situation.

And she'd saved this girl. She'd been a bit startled by the relief in the girl's expression. It was the relief of someone who had been caught in a similar circumstance before, one that hadn't ended so well. Alex had clung to her tightly, probably without even realizing it. When Clara pulled away to lead her back to the safety of the theater line, she'd noticed how wide Alex's eyes were, the colors changing faster than seemed humanly possible, shades of green and brown blurring together into an almost indistinguishable mess. Her skin was pale beneath its summer tan, and she'd been ever so slightly shaking.

That had all stopped the moment they reached the theater. Alex had shut all those terrified feelings off, shoving them to the back of her mind. It had both impressed and worried Clara. It was a skill she wished she could have utilized in the fraught couple of years after her mother died, instead of lashing out at everyone and everything. But it also made her wonder why Alex felt like she had to do such a thing. That kind of skill didn't develop overnight. It was something that only came from years and years of practice.

Clara hadn't wanted to leave her then. She wanted to stay right there beside Alex, give her something to focus on other than what had almost happened to her and whatever had happened to her in the past. And, okay, yes, she wanted to get to know the person she was attracted to, but that was only a secondary concern. Her main priority was distracting Alex.

And she had! Practically from the moment she sat down beside Alex. As they started talking, Clara started to think that maybe Alex was flirting with her, so she quickly allowed her natural flirtation and innuendo to come out. A beautiful girl talking to her, seemingly flirting with her, who could rattle off famous literary figures the way most men rattled off sports statistics. Her eyes lit up as she said each character name and book title, those pale pink lips twisted into little smirks at one of Clara's funny remarks, and the way she said Clara's name in that American accent, 'Claire-uh' instead of 'Clar-ah'. . .

Clara had to remind herself of her 'don't fall in love' trick. By the time they went into the theater, it had been on a loop in her head. Don't fall in love, don't fall in love, don't fall in love. . .

Could she really help it that she fell hard and fast for people? Especially the good-looking ones?

She'd never be able to look at cherry pie the same way again after tonight.

She was pulled out of her thoughts by Soph rubbing her shoulder. "I'm sorry, honey," she murmured.

Clara sighed. "Thanks."

"Okay, so you can't date her," Jamie broke in. "Unless you want to go all My Best Friend's Wedding on her and her boyfriend."

Clara couldn't help but snort. "My Best Friend's Wedding? Since when have you seen that movie?"

"Yeah," Emily added suspiciously. "I thought your taste was limited to Harry Potter and movies with guns and car chases."

Jamie rolled his eyes. "Libby loves that movie and as a good boyfriend, I'm honor-bound to watch it with her." He rubbed his chin thoughtfully, smearing the makeup there. "Not a bad movie, really. Julia Roberts is hot in it."

Chuckling, Clara shook her head. "Definitely not doing a My Best Friend's Wedding, as you so eloquently put it."

"Well, in that case, nothing's stopping you from being friends with her."

"He's right, Clara," Soph said with a smile. It was the sunny one she gave everyone, from her friends to her family to the postman. "Like you said, you two have a lot in common. If you think you can separate any feelings for her, then be friends with her."

Clara paused on the sidewalk, considering this. That was true. There was nothing wrong with being friends with Alex. She'd been just friends with plenty of people she'd been attracted to. Just because you were attracted to someone didn't mean you would always be attracted to them. Clara had learned that a long time ago. And Alex was just the kind of person she could see herself being best friends with. She'd never really had a best friend before.

Maybe meeting Alex tonight was a kind of fate, as mad as Clara still thought that sounded. Maybe she had met her soulmate. A nice, lovely, platonic soulmate.

"You're right," she breathed. Clara quickly spun around and ran back up the sidewalk. "I'll be right back!" she shouted over her shoulder. "I didn't get her number!"

They had only gone a short distance down the sidewalk. There was still a good number of people clustered around the theater or heading to the parking garage across the street. She'd only been gone a couple minutes. Alex could still be here. She had to be.

Clara's gaze went to the ground floor of the parking garage. Alex had gestured at a rather vintage-looking car, not the kind of thing people drove anymore. Clara knew nothing about cars so she would be hard-pressed to identify what type of car it was, but she knew she would recognize it on sight.

Clara's heart sank.

The car was gone. Alex had already left.

Her shoulders drooping, Clara trudged back up the sidewalk. So much for that, she thought. She kicked at a stray pebble, sending it bouncing off into the street. She kept her gaze on the pavement. She really didn't want to see the pity in her friends' eyes, nor the well-meaning sympathy in Soph's.

Clara tried to be optimistic. Maybe she would see Alex again. The thought hadn't even finished running through her head before Clara scoffed at it. England wasn't exactly small. And Alex hadn't told her where she lived, just that she was a librarian in a village. And Lord knew England was crawling with villages.

It was only as Clara was just approaching her friends that the perfect optimistic thought came to her. To most people, it would hardly be grounds for optimism, but it made Clara feel better. Enough so that, when she met her friends' sorrowful faces, she was able to offer them a smile.

Run, you brilliant girl, and remember me.

~The Pros and Cons of Silence~

July 20th, 2011

Alex leaned against the kitchen counter, staring at the package in front of her. She was staring at it so intently, most people would have thought there was a bomb inside. There wasn't, of course. Not unless Lacey had developed some very interesting hobbies and a sudden desire to kill her best friend.

The package was one of Lacey's regular I-miss-you-so-here's-some-stuff-that-I-thought-you-would-like packages. She sent them every month or so and had done since Alex first moved to Vegas to attend Octavian. Even when Alex moved continents, they continued to come. The packages typically contained different types of makeup, some of the stuff Alex regularly used, and some that Lacey had seen either in the drugstore or advertised in a magazine and thought Alex might like. Lacey would also send perfume (usually Alex's preferred Chanel No. 5 but occasionally other scents), clothes, jewelry, the occasional book, and photos of herself, Marigold, and the Bristol group.

This month's package contained a brand-new Naked eyeshadow palette from Urban Decay, Alex's preferred red lipstick, Cherry Bomb, a gauzy black shawl printed with red roses, the latest edition of the American Cosmopolitan, and plenty of photos. Highlights included a flour-covered Ross and Bree in the Blondie's kitchen (Lacey's note on the back explained Bree had been attempting to teach him how to bake a pie), a very grown-up looking Lola in an American-flag inspired dress on the 4th of July, and Lacey, Emmy, Ross, and Lola eating hot dogs at Marigold's annual 4th of July barbecue. Lacey's hot dog was plain, Emmy's covered in ketchup, Ross's piled high with sauerkraut, and Lola's cut up into pieces on a plate as she disliked hot dog buns.

Alex treasured these packages. The gifts were wonderful, but she really loved the photos. They all went into the scrapbook she kept in her nightstand, both on and off the TARDIS. Whenever she was feeling homesick for the Bristol group, all she had to do was crack open the scrapbook and gaze at their happy, smiling faces (or, in Mike's case, a slight quirking of the lips).

However, in this instance, the package reminded her of how much her life had changed since the last time she'd seen the Bristol group. She'd been kidnapped by an alien cult, her whole body altered for their own twisted purposes. She had discovered she was the distant descendant of a Time Lord. She had become a godmother, but her goddaughter had been kidnapped and had become a woman Alex highly disliked. She was now being protected by a member of UNIT in case said alien cult tried to kidnap her again.

None of this was known to the Bristol group.

Alex knew she should tell them. Or, at the bare minimum, Lacey and Marigold. But everything that had happened was so insane, so complicated. It was like the plot to one of those weird alien soap operas from the 33rd century that the Doctor had a guilty pleasure for. How could she possibly explain any of it to them? Especially via phone call or Skype?

No, it had to be in person. Alex had told herself when the Doctor returned at the end of the summer, one of the first places they'd visit would be Bristol. He could help her explain. It wouldn't be just her trying to muddle through all the insanity.

Yes, she was just waiting to tell them in person. It had nothing to do with being scared to tell them or them reacting negatively.

Nope, not that at all.

Still, there were some things that they should know. Like her new relationship with the Doctor. Alex would more than happily tell them that. The only reason she hadn't yet was because she'd been so focused on the other changes in her life, all of which seemed rather more important than beginning a romantic relationship with someone.

So, she was going to Skype Lacey. They had decided it would be easier and a lot less expensive than collect calls from separate continents. Tonight was a good night for it. It was seven o'clock right now, meaning it was two in the afternoon in Bristol. Amy and Rory had gone out to dinner with Mels in Gloucester. Earnest rehearsal had ended early so cast members participating in next week's annual Leadworth Fair could go down to the fairgrounds and start setting up. Spencer was back at the boarding house, conducting a video conference with his UNIT superiors. According to him, it was supposed to be about the effects of the cure he'd helped develop on those massive wasps in Cornwall, but Alex suspected it also doubled as a sort of progress report regarding Spencer's work here in Leadworth. It was a bit weird imagining a bunch of military types she'd never met discussing her, so Alex had already decided not to ask Spencer too much about it.

After depositing Lacey's package in her bedroom, Alex grabbed her laptop and headed into the living room. The TV was on, muted to BBC News 24. Alex happened to glance up at it as she settled on the couch. The image on the screen nearly made her hearts jump out of her chest.

There was a Silent on TV.

Dropping her laptop rather roughly onto the coffee table, Alex scrambled for the remote. Surely to God the Silence weren't stalking her through her TV?! Then again, they were certainly capable of turning regular humans into Time Lords and psychopaths. Maybe spying on people through television wasn't a complete impossibility?

The moment Alex pressed the mute button, the Silent's unnerving voice rang throughout the room. "You should kill us all on sight," it hissed, sending chills down Alex's spine.

And then, in the blink of an eye, the image changed. Now the screen showed Neil Armstrong descending from Apollo 11's ladder onto the moon. ". . .one giant leap for mankind."

Alex blinked as a reporter's voice came on. "Exactly forty-two years ago today, back in 1969, American astronaut Neil Armstrong uttered those famous words as he became the first person ever to set foot on the moon during the successful Apollo 11 mission. Apollo 11 was the very first spacecraft to land on the moon and arguably was an end to the Space Race, though not for humanity's desire to travel further and further into space."

Slowly, Alex's whole body relaxed. She shut her eyes as the reporter moved on to the United Nations formally declaring a famine in southern Somalia, the first for the region in over thirty years. That Silent had been from the recording Canton had taken from the one he'd injured in Graystark Hall, the one the Doctor slipped into the official Apollo 11 footage. It was not a new Silent spying on her. She was safe.

Alex took a few more deep breaths before finally opening her eyes. The news was now discussing the ongoing European sovereign debt crisis, a topic Alex could frankly care less about. She quickly muted the TV and opened her laptop. As she clicked the Skype icon on her desktop, it occurred to her that maybe she should go ahead and tell Lacey about the Silence. Not necessarily about them kidnapping and converting her, but about their influence on the Space Race. Lacey had seen the very same Neil Armstrong footage countless times before. She deserved to know about everything that was on it.

Not to mention what that extra footage may have caused her to do.

Alex swallowed thickly. Not until now had she considered the possibility that because of that altered footage, her friends may have unknowingly killed members of the Silence. At the time, Alex had thought the Doctor's plan genius. Turning the Silence's powers of post-hypnotic suggestion against them by having the humans fight back? Brilliant! But now she saw just how manipulative and exploitative it also was. The humans obeying that command didn't have a choice in the matter. While they were getting rid of a horrible and sinister species, they were still murderers. Murderers who didn't even realize they had committed such a deed when they turned away from their work.

Alex worried her bottom lip. Please forgive me and the Doctor, Lace.

Lacey answered less than a minute after being called. Her bright, bubbly face filled the screen, sapphire eyes shining almost as much as her pearly white teeth. Her blonde curls were pulled back into a bun at the base of her neck, and she wore a simple faded red tank top and a necklace with a small heart charm. No makeup adorned her face. That made Alex feel a lot better about her own attire. The moment she got home from work, she'd changed into a matching black camisole and boxer pajama set patterned with stars, keeping her white socks, sonic necklace, and ring on.

"Hi!" Lacey cried, waving to the camera.

Alex laughed. Her excitement was infectious. "Hey, Lace," she said, waving back.

Greetings out of the way, Lacey quickly got to the point. "Alright, tell me. What's new? I want to know everything. Oh!" she cried, suddenly jumping in her chair. "Did you get my package yet?"

"Yep, got it today." Alex smiled softly, her tone becoming softer as well. "Thank you. I love it, as always."

Lacey dismissed this with a wave of her hand. "No problem. You know I love doing that stuff. I think you'll love that eyeshadow palette. Urban Decay just released it and all the beauty bloggers can't stop raving about it."

Alex grinned. Lacey had recently become obsessed with beauty bloggers on YouTube and took their critiques as though they were commands from God. "I trust you," she said simply. "Where'd the shawl come from?"

"This little boutique in Lexington. Found it by accident when I went up there with Bailey to do wedding dress shopping. I told you she's getting married, right?"

Any thoughts regarding telling Lacey about the Silence flew right out of Alex's head. "What?! No! Who to?"

Lacey smirked, which could only mean the groom was someone Alex would never suspect. A moment later, she was proven right. "Brett Parker, believe it or not."

"Brett Parker? As in your Brett?"

"He's not my Brett. Hasn't been for a long time."

"When did they start dating? How did I not know about this?"

"It was all rather sudden," Lacey reflected. "Only about six months ago, I think. They kept it on the down-low, I guess because Bailey's parents don't exactly approve of Brett. Anyway, by the time we all learned about it, Brett was shopping for a ring. He proposed to her earlier this month and just last week, I got asked to be a bridesmaid."

"Not maid of honor?"

Lacey grimaced. "No, thank God. That honor's going to Bailey's cousin. Remember her? Miranda Adkins. Lives up near Indianapolis, but she and Bailey are thick as thieves. All the better for her. I couldn't stand being responsible for planning everything."

"It's not that bad," Alex argued. "I like to think I handled Amy and Rory's wedding pretty well."

"That's because you thrive on that kind of thing. Making sure catering gets paid, booking the band, helping send out invitations, not to mention corralling all the bridesmaids. . ." Lacey shuddered. "No thanks."

Alex sniggered, but she could understand Lacey's point of view. Amy and Rory's wedding had been a pretty small affair, compared to most other weddings, but Alex had done a lot of work for it. She'd done all of what Lacey had just listed and more. The only thing she hadn't needed to worry about was planning the bachelorette party and that was only because Mels claimed it the moment Amy told them she was engaged. "So, when is the big day? What about the bachelorette plans?"

"Wedding is set for September 10th. Bailey said to tell you you're invited, obviously. You ought to be getting the invite in the next few days. As for the bachelorette party, Miranda's organized a big to-do in Nashville." Lacey's expression indicated just what she thought of this.

"Come on, it won't be that bad. You'll be on Music Row! You can go see the Grand Ole Opry and the Ryman Auditorium, just like we wanted to do when we were kids!"

"I'd love if that happened," Lacey sighed, "but let's face reality here, Alex. That whole weekend will be about nothing but booze and strippers. Maybe we'll go to a spa, but that's only if we're really lucky."

Alex couldn't help raising an eyebrow. Lacey's attitude was rather surprising. She had always been a bit of a wild-child and party girl, always the first to arrive and the last to leave. Alex would have thought a wild bachelorette weekend in Nashville to be something Lacey would thrive on, not reject.

And because Lacey was her best friend, she knew exactly what Alex was thinking. "I think I'm getting a little old for constant booze and antics," she confided with a whisper. She glanced over her shoulder, as though fearful someone (like Marigold) was listening in. After making sure it was only her and Alex, Lacey shook her head. "Crazy, isn't it? Who'd have thought the party girl would hang up her hat?"

Alex offered her a soft smile. "Nothing wrong with growing up, Lace. Makes you feel any better, I'm rather past all of that carousing myself."

"That's because you're doing a different kind of carousing now," Lacey pointed out. Those sapphire blue eyes twinkled at the camera. "All of time and space right at your fingertips." Her voice was wistful, even a touch envious.

"You know," Alex said slowly, an idea just coming to her. "If I asked the Doctor, he'd let you come on a trip. If you wanted."

Lacey blinked, her mouth in a little 'o' shape. "Are you serious?"

"Dead serious. He won't say no to me." Alex honestly couldn't believe she hadn't considered this before. It would be awesome having Lacey come on the TARDIS, even if just for one trip. Her old life and her new life coming together like puzzle pieces, forming a full picture instead of just separate halves. And she had no doubt the Doctor would agree. Anything to keep me happy, she thought with a smirk. I'll have to mention it to him later.

She was pulled out of her thoughts by Lacey saying, "Won't say no to you, huh?" When Alex focused back on the screen, she saw Lacey was watching her carefully, those sapphire orbs unusually shrewd.

Alex had almost forgotten that Lacey had been able to see early on that she had feelings for the Doctor. She'd urged Alex to tell him more than once, but Alex had never listened. Not until recently. Not until River Song had forced her hand. "Yep," she said casually, leaning back against the couch cushions.

"Uh-huh." Lacey continued eyeing her, but said, "I'll think about it, okay?"

Alex nodded, resisting the urge to beg Lacey to say yes. Lacey was well-aware of the dangers involved in traveling with the Doctor. Alex had told her all about the Daleks, Weeping Angels, and countless other foes. Lacey would be mad not to carefully think even just one trip in the TARDIS through. "Okay," she nodded. "I understand."

Lacey smiled softly. "Good. Now!" she cried, abruptly brightening up. "What is that Doctor of yours up to? Still off doing the solo travel?"

"Yep." It wasn't a lie. The Doctor was traveling on his own, although not on great adventures, as Lacey assumed. But that was a conversation for another day. "I'm still talking to him every day though."

Lacey's expression suddenly turned mischievous. "Does he know about Clara?" she asked, half-singing the name.

Alex rolled her eyes. Lacey had gotten a huge kick out of that. As had Amy and Rory. "Yes, as a matter of fact."

"Really?" Lacey's smirk deepened, those blue eyes wide in anticipation. "What did he say?"

Alex smiled in recollection, as well as at the idea that had just popped into her head. Here was a way to tell Lacey one of her big news's without making a whole speech about it. "He was a bit jealous and a little surprised when I told him I would've said yes if I wasn't already dating him. He also muttered something about the dangers of pretty girls, but overall, he took it really well."

It took a moment for Lacey to fully process this. "Okay, he was jealous but took it well when you—" Her jaw dropped. "Wait. Did you say dating?" Her eyes widened. "You're dating the Doctor?!"

Alex didn't even manage to get an answer out for Lacey let out a squeal that could probably be heard all over Leadworth, no web camera required. "Oh. My. GOD!" she cried, doing little jumps in her chair. "You're dating?! Since when?!" Her ecstatic features abruptly turned into anger. "And why didn't you tell me sooner?!" she snapped.

"I'm sorry, Lacey, really. I would have told you sooner, but a lot's been going on." Alex couldn't keep from grimacing as she said this. 'A lot' was a severe understatement. Before Lacey could ask what she meant, Alex hurried on. "In answer to how long, it's been about . . . four months? Maybe five?" She gave Lacey an apologetic look. "Hard to keep track in a time machine, weirdly enough."

Lacey let out a loud groan. "Four or five months? And you're just now getting round to telling your best friend? I mean, I can understand wanting to keep it to yourselves for a while, but not for five months!"

"I know," Alex said quietly. "I really am sorry for not telling you sooner."

Looking at her, Lacey sighed. Despite her best efforts, she could never stay mad at Alex. She always caved in the span of about ten seconds. Besides, she could tell there was something up with Alex. She seemed . . . guarded. A bit hesitant. Lacey would even go so far as to say scared. Alex even seemed physically different, though in what way Lacey couldn't say. Not from a mere live video feed, anyway. She needed to see Alex in person.

Knowing now that her friend was, for some bizarre reason, skittish, Lacey kept her tone gentle. "Don't worry about it, Alex," she smiled, though it didn't mask the newfound worry in her eyes.

It didn't go unnoticed by Alex. She inwardly groaned. This was the downside of having a best friend who'd known her since she was five. Lacey knew all of her tells, could tell almost immediately when something was bothering her. And Lacey never failed in wearing her down enough that she finally blurted everything out. That couldn't happen now. Such a conversation was not meant to be mindlessly blurted out. It had to be careful, concise. It had to be done in person, not on a video chat or phone call.

Before Lacey could ask any specifics, Alex started talking. "This is going to sound pretty insane, but what I'm about to tell you is true, Lacey."

Lacey sat up straighter. A worry line appeared on her brow. "You know I'll believe you, Alex," she said assuredly. "What's this about?"

Taking a deep breath, Alex began.

She told Lacey about going to 1969 Washington D.C. (leaving out exactly how they knew to go there; another thing to cover at another time) and meeting Canton and President Nixon.

Lacey snorted at this. "You met Nixon? Watergate Nixon?!"

Alex couldn't help but smirk. "Yeah, and guess what, the Doctor actually assured the existence of the Watergate tapes, but that's skipping ahead."

She told Lacey about the strange phone calls Nixon had been receiving from a scared little girl, leaving out that said little girl was Amy and Rory's daughter, Melody Pond. She talked about the Doctor tracing the calls, based on Melody's recitation of 'Jefferson, Adams, Hamilton', to the warehouse that sat at the corner of those three streets down in Florida. From there, the rest of the story flowed easily; finding the NASA astronaut suits and equipment there, following River and Rory down into the tunnel and discovering the spaceship that was a twin to the one masquerading as the second floor to Craig's flat (a story Lacey had already heard), and then coming face to face with the Silence and realizing that she was the only one who could remember them after looking away.

By this point in the story, Lacey's eyes were wide with horror. "That. . ." She shook her head. She was at a loss for words. Finally, she managed to come up with one, though it hardly described the situation accurately. "That's horrifying."

She honestly couldn't imagine it. A whole race of aliens, hiding out on Earth for what sounded like centuries, completely unnoticed by the human race? Having the power to erase the memory of them being seen? 'Horrifying' didn't even begin to cover it.

And only Alex could remember seeing them. Alex had told her about the advanced mental abilities the Doctor had helped her discover. That revelation had been surprising, but Lacey hadn't let it bother her. To her, it was just another interesting fact about her best friend. Alex liked popcorn mixed with Red Hots, could recite all of Taylor Swift's number one hits, and had a mind that could literally fight off anything that tried to enter it or take it over. Simple facts.

But now, that interesting fact had become even more interesting. This was no longer just a random factoid in a long list of them. This was now an ability, similar to a superpower. Alex's mind was capable of things Lacey couldn't even imagine.

And she was okay with that.

But what if Alex was in danger because of that power? Lacey didn't think these creatures would like the idea of someone being capable of remembering them. To the Silence, Alex's mental abilities would seem less cool, more threatening.

She wondered if she should bring this up to Alex. But before she could, her friend was plowing on. Lacey let her. It rather sounded as though Alex needed to get this off her chest.

Lacey was pretty sure her jaw dropped when Alex related her three months spent tracking the Silence across America. Over a thousand Silence across a couple of states? Again, 'horrifying' didn't cover it.

Lacey's jaw only dropped further and further as the story went on. By the time Alex told her about the hidden clip in the Neil Armstrong moon footage, it was nearly touching the floor.

"There . . . t-there's this hidden bit of footage in that clip?!" Lacey immediately thought about all the times she'd seen that famous bit of footage. Too many history classes to count, on the news during the anniversary of the landing (Like today, she thought with a shiver), and more occasions that she couldn't even name right now. And all this time, there was something in that footage that she saw but never remembered seeing.

Again, 'horrifying' was too tame a word.

Before Alex could answer, something else occurred to Lacey. The words in that clip. . . You should kill us all on sight. Alex had explained that the Silence had been using their powers of post-hypnotic suggestion to influence the human race. They had used it to influence the Space Race, to get them a spacesuit for the little girl (another thing that was utterly horrible about them – Lacey highly doubted the girl was with them by choice). The Doctor had, quite ingeniously, turned that ability back on them. That particular Silent had unknowingly instructed humanity to slaughter his race.

Eradicating such a manipulative species was fine and dandy in Lacey's book, but to have humanity do it? On the one hand, it was a good way for humanity to get revenge on those who had been manipulating them for thousands of years. On the other. . . Humanity had become unknowing murderers.

Have I killed any? Lacey wondered. Has Marigold? What about the rest of their friends? Had there ever been a time when they had seen a Silent and immediately reacted? Then, once the deed was done, they turned around and forgot?

Chills ran down Lacey's spine. 'Horrifying' was still too tame a word. There might not be a word in the English language, any language, that fully expressed the horror and repulsiveness of this whole situation.

"I'm so sorry, Lace," Alex said quietly. Her eyes were downcast, her fingers fiddling with her sonic necklace. She refrained from looking at Lacey as she continued speaking. "At the time, the Doctor's plan seemed brilliant. I didn't realize until recently how. . ."

"How exploitative it is?" While Lacey's voice was quiet, there was no mistaking the underlying harshness.

Alex swallowed thickly. "Yes. And manipulative. And just . . . plain wrong."

Rubbing a hand over her eyes, Lacey sighed. She had no doubt that at the time (as she had been kidnapped by those creatures) Alex had thought the plan incredibly clever. And it was. There was no doubt about that. It would have been abundantly clear to Alex, who valued brains and brilliance very highly. So relieved in getting herself and Amy out of harm's way, Alex wouldn't have considered the downsides of the plan. Only now, when she was back in the normal monotony of regular human life, would she have truly been able to sit back and think about things, something the Doctor's lifestyle, Lacey gathered, didn't often allow.

Lacey dropped her hand and looked at the computer screen. Alex still wasn't looking at her. She was staring down at her sonic necklace charm like it was the most fascinating thing in the world. She rather reminded Lacey of her younger self when Carla was around, back before Alex had learned to be defiant. Staring at the ground, waiting to be scolded because with Carla there was always something to be scolded for.

And just like that, Lacey's anger dissolved. Again, she couldn't stay mad at Alex. And her friend was still so skittish, so guarded. . . She'd told Lacey all about the Silence, but she was still holding something back, keeping it close to her chest. What the hell is she so scared of?

"Alex?"

Alex's eyes snapped up. Lacey's tone had been gentle, so soft and sweet. Meeting her best friend's gaze, Alex saw those same qualities reflected in her sapphire blue eyes. "Yeah?" she said, a bit warily.

"It's okay." Lacey offered her a little smile. "I get it. I mean, I'm not super excited by the fact that I might have unknowingly killed those things, but I don't exactly regret it if I did, you know?" Her posture straightened as she thought. "Actually, I hope I gave them hell."

Alex couldn't help but snort. There was the Lacey Rose Abernathy she knew and loved. So loving and caring but with a vitality and spark that, if you crossed her, was dangerous to see fully lit. "You should know," she added, "that information about the Silence erases itself over time. You should write all this down, because you will start to forget in a few days." That was what had happened for Canton and Amy and Rory, until the latter two eventually realized something was amiss because of all the tally marks they'd drawn on themselves.

Lacey nodded firmly. Leaning slightly out of camera, she grabbed her diary out of its hidden space between her bed and the nightstand. She wasn't as meticulous as Alex when it came to keeping a diary, but she did write in it at least twice a week. "Writing it all down now," Lacey promised as she grabbed her favorite sparkly pen. She'd have to remember to put a post-it note on the diary, reminding her to regularly read this entry. There was no way in hell she wanted to forget any of this. The Silence and their freaky memory powers could go to hell.

"If it helps," Alex offered as Lacey wrote, "you and the rest of our friends have probably never encountered a Silent. I've been giving it some thought and all the Silent's we encountered were in 1969. That was two decades before we were born. They might have been mostly or completely eradicated by that point."

"That does help," Lacey admitted. Still didn't mean Marigold might not have encountered one (she was born in 1966) but Lacey refrained from bringing that up.

Lacey waited until she'd written down everything Alex had related before looking back up. It was time for the even more serious questions.

"Alex," she began. "You know you can tell me anything, right?"

She didn't miss the way Alex stiffened. "Right. . ."

"Because . . . we've been best friends since we were five. I mean, you told me about the nightmares you had about the boating accident the first time you slept over at my house, remember?"

Alex nodded. She'd been so scared of having another one of those horrible nightmares and scaring off her new friend. "I remember."

"And I told you when I got my period during ninth grade gym, right? There was blood all over my gym shorts and you gave me yours so no one would know."

Alex chuckled. "And got scolded by Coach Davis for not bringing my dressing out clothes."

"Hey, he didn't write you up though!" All Alex had to do was give him one of her glares and Coach Davis immediately turned tail for the safety of his office.

Alex smirked. "That was a lucky break there."

Lacey laughed, but not for long. The seriousness of the situation didn't really allow for a lot of laughter. "Anyway," she continued, "based on all that, you know you can tell me whatever it is you're holding back." Alex opened her mouth to protest, but Lacey talked overtop her. "Don't deny it! I know you, Alex. Yes, I know whatever you're keeping back is bigger than nightmares or having an unexpected period. . ." She trailed off, her eyes suddenly widening. "Wait, or is it not having your period? Alex, are you pregnant?!"

Alex rolled her eyes. "No, Lacey," she said flatly. "Definitely not pregnant."

Lacey visibly deflated. The moment the idea entered her head, she'd gotten excited. She had never been an aunt and the prospect of becoming one was quite thrilling. Unfortunately, it seemed like her chance at becoming one was still a ways off. "Then what is it?" she asked.

Alex desperately wanted to answer. She wanted to tell Lacey the truth. Well, Lace, thanks to those Silence creatures I just told you about, I'm no longer human! Wasn't 100% human to begin with, either.

Yeah, that was definitely bigger than nightmares or periods. Not to mention infinitely more complicated. Lacey had been so fantastic and wonderful accepting this crazy, amazing world Alex was now a part of. But what if this was something she just couldn't accept?

Alex swallowed heavily. She hated thinking that, hated admitting it, but it was the truth. She was sure that if she admitted these fears right now to Lacey, her friend would immediately dismiss them, say Alex was insane for ever thinking them in the first place. But what if those fears became founded the moment Alex told her everything?

Amy and Rory were different. They had lived with everything Alex had gone through. They had experienced their own turmoil at the hands of Kovarian and the Silence. Lacey hadn't.

Not to mention, but Alex really didn't want to talk about all that just now. Not when she was being guarded by an operative from UNIT from gaslighting and possible kidnapping attempts, still dealing with her newfound Time Lord abilities, and trying to help Amy and Rory not only heal from their daughter being kidnapped, but also face the truth that they were never going to get their innocent little girl back. It was all so much for a person to deal with. Lacey would just have to accept that she wasn't ready to confide everything yet. Not without someone else there. Someone who wouldn't let her go through the terror of admitting everything alone.

Alex drew in a deep breath.

Lacey sat up a little straighter, bracing herself for whatever Alex was about to say.

She was both disappointed and yet not surprised at what Alex said.

"I will tell you everything, Lacey," Alex promised. She made an x over her left heart, barely stopping herself from making an identical mark over the right side of her chest. "But not yet. Everything's still so. . ." She shook her head. "It's a freaking mess, actually. I want to wait until things are a bit calmer before I tell you and Marigold everything."

Lacey raised an eyebrow. If Alex wanted to confess her secrets to her and Marigold at the same time, it meant that this news was big. Lacey would even go so far as to say possibly life-changing.

Alex eyed her a touch warily. Lacey knew her well enough to know that Alex was expecting her to get mad, protest, or even start firing questions at her. Lacey might have done just that if not for the look in Alex's eyes. Those color-changing hazel orbs were still shifting from color to color, but there was a newfound heaviness to them. Lacey would have said they were more mature were it not for the edge of sharpness she saw in them. It was a sharpness typically only acquired after immense trauma, something that made the person who experienced it that much more wary, more guarded, not as open and trusting as they used to be.

It had clearly happened to Alex. Whatever truths she needed to divulge, those truths had put that edge there. They had made Alex just that bit warier and guarded, more jaded instead of compassionate and trusting.

Lacey immediately wanted to hurt whoever had done that to Alex.

She wanted to demand Alex tell her the truth, reveal who put that look in her eyes so she could go out and punch them.

But Lacey didn't. Because Alex didn't need that right now. All she needed was acceptance.

Lacey merely nodded, holding Alex's gaze so her friend would know she spoke the truth. "No problem," she said softly. "Whenever you're ready, we're right here."

Alex's eyes watered, but she hurriedly pushed those tears down. She smiled at Lacey, her relief practically radiating off her. "Thanks, Lace."

Lacey offered her a smile of her own before quickly changing the subject. Lord knew some light-hearted gossip was needed after so much angst. "Now that that's settled," she said briskly, "you can tell me everything about your relationship with the Doctor. First things first, how the hell did it happen?!"

Alex burst out laughing. She was so glad she had Lacey.

The universe would have felt a lot lonelier without her best friend.

~The Pros and Cons of Silence~

July 25th, 2011

"The annual Leadworth Fair, eh?" Alex could hear the Doctor's grin through the speakers. "That should be exciting." He paused. "Hopefully better than the 1994 one."

Alex snorted. Amy and the Doctor had each told her their own accounts of attending that fair the night Amy finally corned the Doctor about her two sets of memories. "Definitely better," she assured him. "The rides no longer look like ones that require you to make out a will before getting on them."

"Definitely an improvement," the Doctor agreed.

Alex pressed her phone tighter against her ear as she walked past a group of teens, all babbling excitedly about the fair. Alex could hardly blame them. The Annual Leadworth Fair was one of the few exciting things that happened in Leadworth each year.

According to Rory, the fair had started up years ago as a fundraiser for the local hospital. It still acted as such today, though it was also a good place for local and out-of-town vendors to sell their wares. In the last few years, it had become quite popular, even being written up as a summer highlight on a popular holiday blog. People came up from London and down from Manchester to attend the fair, making it quite the big deal locally. Slacking on the fair wasn't an option and pretty much every Leadworth resident was expected to somehow contribute. Add in the fact that Tabetha Pond was head of the organizing committee, there was no chance for Amy, Alex, and Rory to avoid helping out.

Amy and Alex had already agreed to help out with one of the refreshment stands. There really hadn't been much expectation for them to do anything else. The first year Alex was in Leadworth, she and Amy had volunteered to make some of the desserts to be sold at the refreshment stands. However, after Alex's brownies came out burnt and Amy's cupcakes turned out to taste sour rather than sweet, it was agreed by all parties that the girls would be better at selling the treats rather than making them.

Rory, much to his everlasting regret, had been signed up for the dunk tank. For three hours a day, he got to be at the mercy of several determined throwers. He had made Amy and Alex swear not to join those ranks, but the girls had made a pact of their own to try to dunk him at least once. There was no risk of retaliation from Rory. He didn't really do revenge.

Even the Earnest castmates weren't excluded from pitching in. Archie, aside from helping build several booths, was in charge of the strongman game. Veronica was helping with the face-painting booth, George and William (plus Arthur) were helping their parents run Bello Italiano's refreshments stand, and Elsie and Henry had been assigned to balloon darts. Dr. Coggins and Mrs. Warner, in addition to serving on the organizing committee, were assisting with the cotton candy stand and the bingo tent, respectively.

"How long do you have to run your booth?" the Doctor asked.

"Just two hours every day this week. Tabetha gave us the ten to twelve shift. Not a lot of customers, but Amy and I like getting it out of the way first thing."

"Oh, well, that's not too bad then. You'll still get to check everything out."

Alex laughed. "Don't worry, I've already set my sights on the caramel apples, the bottle toss, and the cake walk."

"Cake walk?" the Doctor repeated, puzzled.

"Mrs. Warner makes this incredible triple-layer brownie cake with M&Ms on top." Alex almost started drooling just thinking about it. She had never tasted something so utterly delectable that it was practically a sin before. "It's the most delicious thing you have ever tasted, Doc, and she only makes it for her son's birthday and the cake walk in the fair. I've been lucky enough the past two years to win the cake walk, but only last year was I able to select that cake." Alex's mouth set in a determined line. "I am getting that cake this year."

The Doctor chuckled. "Then I wish you all the luck in the world, Ally. My only request is if you do win it, save a piece for me? That cake does sound rather delicious."

"Consider it done, Doc," Alex grinned.

"Lovely. And also–"

"Dunk Rory for you." Alex rolled her eyes, though she couldn't keep the smile off her face. "Consider that done, too."

The Doctor let out a rather devilish chuckle. "Excellent." Alex had no doubt he was smirking as he imagined Rory getting repeatedly dunked. Not that she blamed him. She also smirked picturing that.

However, Rory's future misfortunes in the dunk tank were quickly put on the backburner. "And Spencer?" the Doctor asked. "What will he be doing all day?"

"Sticking to me like Velcro." That was actually a direct quote. Spencer had said it when Rory asked what he was going to be doing while Alex was working at the refreshment stand. "He'll be hanging out with me and Amy and then following me around. The usual."

"Good." Despite the fact that there had been no other signs of a threat, the Doctor continued to remain cautious. Alex knew he was worried that if he or Spencer dropped their guards for so much as a second, something would happen, something that would put her in danger. Fortunately, neither the Doctor nor Spencer had any intention of letting that happen.

Alex glanced over her shoulder. Spencer, in an effort to get some of the attention off himself and Alex, had decided to not outright walk with her to the fairgrounds, but walk a few paces behind. He wasn't very far away though. Only about three feet. At the moment, he was making a big show of looking down at his phone, but Alex knew it was an act. Every single bit of his attention was on her and the surrounding area.

"Don't worry, Doc. Nothing's gonna happen."

"No more creepy men following you, I hope," the Doctor growled. He hadn't been happy when Alex related that story. He'd even gone so far as to demand to speak to Spencer, no doubt to remonstrate him on his shortcomings. Alex, however, had refrained from helping him send Spencer into heart failure. She'd reminded the Doctor that it wasn't Spencer's fault he hadn't been with her that night and that nothing had happened to her, thanks to Clara. This, in turn, caused the Doctor to forget Spencer in favor of grumbling about some "pretty bird" asking her out. He'd gotten back to Spencer eventually, but Alex remained firm. Spencer was blameless in the matter.

Besides, Spencer had started showing her cool new defense moves. His on-the-fly self-defense classes were typically conducted in the library during the hour before rehearsal. Practicing flipping Spencer over her shoulder in a library, of all places, gave Alex serious Buffy vibes, but it was working. In the span of just a few days, Spencer had taught her how to escape from a 'bear hug' attack, escape from a side headlock, do a heel-palm strike, and flip someone almost twice her weight over her shoulder. Alex had gleefully demonstrated this latter skill on Rory, who politely declined from seeing what else she had learned. In addition, the Doctor promised to teach her more advanced stuff once she was back on the TARDIS.

"Definitely no more creepy men," Alex said now. Coming to the end of the sidewalk, she stepped onto the blacktop that made up the parking lot of Leadworth's lone school. Just beyond the playground, she could see huge, colorful tents and various rides peeking over the treetops. "There's none that I know of in Leadworth."

"You said yourself this fair attracts quite the out-of-town crowd." The Doctor's voice, previously warning, softened as he let out a long sigh. "Just . . . be careful, Ally, okay?"

Even though she knew he couldn't see her, Alex nodded. "I promise, Doc," she said softly.

"Good."

Smiling, Alex continued across the parking lot and onto the thick green grass. She ducked under the monkey bars as she made her way towards the line of trees that separated the primary grades' playground from the secondary grades' soccer field. "I'm almost there, Doc. I'll call you back later and fill you in on everything."

Alex knew he was smiling even before he replied. There was just no missing it, not for her. "I'm looking forward to it, Ally. Good luck again on that cake walk!"

"Thanks," Alex chuckled. "Love you."

"Love you, too."

Once she hung up, Alex switched her Blackberry to vibrate and slid it into the back pocket of her overalls. She'd paired the tight, medium-blue overalls with a red bandeau top (worn so her black lace bra wouldn't show at the sides), white Converse, some silver bangles, and silver stud earrings. She'd left her purse at the house. There was no real need for it. The library was always closed for the week of the fair, which meant Alex didn't need it to carry her keys and her lunch. Not to mention, but carrying a purse around a fair was just cumbersome, as well as a bit risky. Pickpockets and purse-snatchers would consider the fair the perfect place for a bit of light thieving.

Alex was surprised to see Kendra manning the ticket booth. Her assistant, dressed in a paisley-print bandana top and cutoffs, was perched on a high stool in the red and white striped booth, flipping through the latest edition of OK! She had just settled on an article discussing the first few months of Will and Kate's married life when Alex came up. "Oh, hi, Alex."

"Hey, Kendra. You got stuck on the ticket booth?"

Kendra, whose attention had turned back to her magazine, nodded. "Yep." She shrugged. "Not so bad, really." Her mouth curled into a quick scowl. "Better than getting the dunk tank again."

Alex bit back a smirk. Kendra had made it abundantly clear last year that she was not happy with the organizing committee assigning her to the dunk tank. At the end of each of her three-hour shifts, Kendra had stalked away, shouting that she bloody hated her job and that if the committee tried to assign it to her again next year, she could not be held responsible for what she would do. Alex had no doubt the committee had taken that threat to heart (or at least wanted to avoid hearing Kendra bitch and moan for a second year in a row). "Yeah," Alex nodded. "Rory got assigned there this year."

Kendra looked up, a mischievous grin on her face. "So I heard. My goal is to be the first to dunk him." She paused, then added, "After Amy, of course."

Alex grinned. "Of course."

At that moment, Spencer came up. "Oh, hey, Alex!" he said as though he hadn't been three feet behind her since she left the house half an hour ago.

Alex played along though. "Hey, Spencer. Come to check out the fair?"

"Figured I would. Sounds like the hottest ticket in town."

"Probably because it's the only hottest ticket in town every year," Kendra cut in. She leaned back as far as she could without toppling off her stool and crossed her arms in front of her chest, causing her cleavage to deepen. Alex had no doubt she'd practiced this move in front of a mirror. Kendra shot Spencer a simpering smile. "Hey, Spence."

Spencer's eyes widened at the nickname, but he chose not to comment on it. "Kendra," he said with a polite nod. He glanced at the sign above the booth advertising admission prices. "Ten quid to get in?"

"Oh, don't worry about it!" Kendra cried as Spencer reached for his wallet. She glanced around as though people were watching, even though this section of the fairgrounds was basically deserted. "I won't tell if you won't," she whispered. She finished this with a wink.

Oh, brother, Alex thought. Safely unobserved by Kendra, she rolled her eyes.

Spencer, for his part, ignored Kendra's blatant flirting. "That's really nice of you, Kendra, thanks!" And without another word, he strode past them into the fairgrounds.

Kendra craned her head to watch him go. "One day," she sighed, "I'll wear him down."

"Good luck with that," Alex said. She was unable to keep the dryness out of her voice. Fortunately, Kendra didn't notice. With another wistful sigh over Spencer's aloofness, her attention returned to her magazine.

Alex caught up with Spencer just inside the start of the fairgrounds. He was standing next to the funnel cake booth, sniffing appreciatively. Behind the counter, Rachel Wyrick was helping the Brew & Chew's main cook, Ron Farthing, construct the funnel cakes. Both were dipping batter into the two deep fryers, sending a delicious sugary smell into the air.

Rachel, looking over her shoulder, smiled apologetically. "Won't start serving till ten thirty!" she called out over the sound of the deep fryers. "But if you're hungry, I think the cotton candy booth just opened!"

"Thanks, Rachel!" Alex called as she and Spencer headed further into the fairgrounds. "We'll be back!"

Spencer rubbed his growling stomach as they left the tantalizing smell of deep-fried batter behind. "Ten thirty?" he groaned. "I don't know if I can wait that long."

"Don't worry," Alex smiled. "My booth always starts serving before anyone else."

Alex's designated booth was right square in the middle of the fairgrounds. Its position in the middle of a large path created two smaller paths that went along the booths and tents lined up alongside. Though it was still rather early, the fair opening at ten and it only being eight thirty now, there were plenty of people already hard at work at various booths. Brianna Mayhew was in the process of filling a large metal tub with water for the duck pond game. Two booths down from her, a troop of Girl Guides were setting up a stand to sell cookies. Several out-of-towners were piling their wares out on booth counters. Alex spotted two jewelry makers, a corset-maker, a blacksmith setting up actual swords, and someone whose wares seemed to consist of fruit with funny faces carved into them. This latter booth was a definite skip, but Alex vowed that she would check out the other booths.

The refreshment stand was large and round, complete with a white awning acting as a roof. Hopping over the counter, Alex saw that several coolers had already been delivered. Some housed cold turkey and ham sandwiches, others soft drinks and bottled water. Five other coolers housed extra bags of ice. A cash register was tucked into a little slot in the counter. Alex opened it with the key Tabetha had given her earlier and found one hundred pounds in cash inside. Perfect starting out money.

Laying against one of the coolers was a large chalkboard sign. Alex grabbed this and hoisted it onto the counter. "Do me a favor?" she asked Spencer. "Run back to the parking lot. They should be setting up the chalk art activity. See if you can borrow some chalk."

Spencer nodded. "No problem!"

Once Spencer returned with the chalk, he and Alex set to work. Alex wrote out the items for sale and their prices on the chalkboard while Spencer set up a few stools around the whole stand. He kept three for himself, Alex, and Amy.

"Where's Amy?" he asked as he helped himself to a bottle of water.

Alex grabbed a Diet Pepsi from another cooler. "Helping her mom with final adjustments. I think she mostly does it so she can get out of helping set up here."

"Do not!" a familiar Scottish voice cried. Amy, dressed in a gauzy red sundress and sandals, slapped her clutch down on the counter. "Mum always grabs me to help her out! I can't say no!" She slid over the counter, though instead of jumping to the ground, she sat and swung her legs back and forth. "Besides," she added with a cheeky grin at Alex. "You set up the booth so well you could easily run it without me."

Alex gave her a look. "Let's not get ahead of ourselves."

Amy shrugged. "Fair enough." She slid off the counter and gathered her hair into a ponytail. "Let's get to work."

~The Pros and Cons of Silence~

Amy and Alex's shift passed quickly. When the fair officially opened at ten, they were pleasantly surprised to be bombarded by out-of-towners itching for some much-needed caffeine and refreshment. Spencer, who was far better at adding and subtracting sums in his head than either one of the girls, was quickly requested to man the cash register while Amy and Alex prepared orders, chatted with customers, or ran for further supplies when they became low on something.

Several locals also stopped by. Grace Jeffries, wearing a delicate white sundress and a cross around her neck, darted up to grab a bottle of water around eleven. She was helping with the cake walk and assured Alex that Mrs. Warner's prized cake was still there.

"I'll try to hide it for you," Grace offered with a smile. "But you'd better hurry. I'm doing part of Jenna's shift because she's visiting her gran in the hospital, but she'll be back around one. I can't guarantee she'll willingly hide stuff."

"I'll be there," Alex vowed, shooting Grace a conspiratorial grin. She was such a good kid. Better than her parents, that was for sure.

At noon, Shannon Darcy and Clark Meyers, an old schoolmate of Amy and Rory's, arrived to take over. Once Alex had given them instructions, she and Spencer made their way to the cake walk while Amy went to check on Rory at the dunk tank.

"That cake is mine," Alex muttered to herself as they approached the cake walk.

Spencer, shaking his head, smiled at her. "I've never seen you this determined for something."

"That cake is edible nirvana, Spencer. Once you have a taste, you can never go back."

The cake walk wasn't too crowded, consisting of a few locals and out-of-towners. This had its pros and cons. On the one hand, fewer people meant less competition. On the other hand, there was a significantly greater chance of having to do multiple rounds, because it meant the likelihood of an unclaimed number being called out was higher. Alex much preferred the one and done routine. Multiple rounds just made her nervous.

Sure enough, just as Grace said, Mrs. Warner's cake was still on the table, jammed between a lopsided Jell-O mold and a tray of blondies topped with chocolate chips. Grace had also kept her promise to try and hide the cake. Partially covering it was a strawberry shortcake. The little tag on it said it had been made by Kendra's mother.

Grace beamed at Alex and Spencer when they approached the foldout table she was using as a makeshift ticket stand. "It's still there," she whispered as she took Alex's three quid. "No one goes for the strawberry shortcakes, not unless there's only a few offerings left."

"Thanks, Grace. You're a saint. Wait, you're playing, too?" This last part was said to Spencer, who was pulling out his own wallet.

He shrugged. "Figure there's no harm in a team effort. Betters the odds."

Alex chuckled. "True."

Once Grace had taken participation money from a few other fair-goers, she settled back in her chair. "Okay, I think we all know how this works!" she called out. "Music stops, I call out a number, and if you're standing on that number, you win. Three quid means you get three rounds. Let's go!" Grace switched on the boombox at her elbow. One of the Beatles' early hits started playing and everyone began walking.

"I should have known better with a girl like you, that I would love everything that you do, and I do! Hey, hey, hey! And I do! Whoa, oh, I never realized what a kiss could be, this could only happen to me! Can't you see, can't you see. . ."

John Lennon was abruptly cut off as Grace pressed pause. Everyone froze. Alex looked down at her number. 22. Spencer was a few steps behind her at 19.

Grace rifled in a little bowl filled with pieces of paper. She pulled one out and studied it. "Number 16!"

A little girl not much older than six was the lucky winner. Letting out a little squeal, she joined her mother by the cake stand. After a few moments pondering, the little girl settled on a tray of vanilla swirl cupcakes topped with rainbow sprinkles.

"Congratulations!" Grace smiled as the rest of the participants clapped. "Remember, your three quid is good for three rounds. Here's round two."

"That when I tell you that I love you, oh! You're gonna say you love me, too, oh! And when I ask you to be mine, you're gonna say you love me, too! So, oh, I should have realized a lot of things before! If this is love you've gotta give me more! Give me more, hey, hey, hey! Give me more!"

Grace allowed John's harmonica to play out but cut off at the beginning of George Harrison's guitar solo. Alex now had number 11 while Spencer had 7. Alex stared down at her number. Eleven, like the eleventh incarnation the Doctor was on. The incarnation he had met her in. If this wasn't some kind of sign, Alex didn't know what was.

"Alright. . ." Grace, probably in an effort to draw out the suspense, took her time unfolding the scrap of paper and examining it. "Number 11!"

Alex didn't realize she'd let out a shriek until halfway through it. She jumped up and down, squealing just like the six-year-old before her. "Yes, yes, yes!" she cheered. Eleven must be my lucky number!

As polite claps (from the other participants) and ecstatic whoops (courtesy of Grace and Spencer) rang out, Alex bounced up to the table and collected her prize. Her mouth watered. The cake looked as though it had been made only yesterday. Perhaps it had been. The melted chocolate icing on top was nice and gooey, M&Ms were sprinkled everywhere, and the whole cake was moist to the touch, even through heavy plastic wrapping. It was, quite frankly, the crown jewel in the cake walk. And it was all Alex's.

Alex sat round three out, merely happy to hold her prize to her chest and watch Spencer. Spencer won with the number 25 and made quick work of selecting the chocolate chip covered blondies. After bidding goodbye to Grace, they settled down on a bench not far away from the cake walk to enjoy their prizes.

The moment he took a bite of Mrs. Warner's cake, Spencer let out an almost orgasmic moan. "Dear God!" he exclaimed, his eyes wide in ecstasy. "You were right, this is edible nirvana!"

"I told you!" Alex laughed. "How are those blondies?" She peered at the little tag stuck onto the plastic film. "Janet Thomas is a pretty good cook. I won one of her chocolate macadamia nut pies two years ago and that was delicious."

Spencer took an experimental bite. He let out a contented hum. "Really good," he affirmed. "But not as good as that cake." He eyed the large cake resting in Alex's lap. "Speaking of, what are you going to do with that thing? You can't carry it around for the rest of the day."

"Don't worry, I'll run home here shortly and stick it in the fridge. Your blondies too, if you want."

"Yeah, I don't have a refrigerator in my room." Spencer finished off his blondie and immediately started in on the rest of his bit of cake. "I'm gonna gain a whole stone before the week's out," he said ruefully.

Alex merely grinned. "That's basically a requirement of attending the fair."

"No kidding! I still want some of that funnel cake."

"And I'm now craving a caramel apple."

With a sigh, Spencer finished the rest of his cake. "Well, maybe we can work up some more appetite on the walk back to your place."

~The Pros and Cons of Silence~

The walk to and from Amy, Rory, and Alex's house was only about twenty minutes. Kendra waved them past the line gathered at the ticket booth, much to the consternation of a few customers, but Alex and Spencer ignored it. They were fully focused on enjoying the rest of the fair. Spencer's hope of working up another appetite had proven true, and he and Alex helped themselves to funnel cake and caramel apples, respectively, upon reentering the fairgrounds.

For the next few hours, they made the rounds. Alex and Spencer each dunked Rory at the dunk tank, ignoring Rory's muttered curses when he surfaced, and checked out some of the games. Alex won a pack of cards at the balloon darts booth, Spencer won a Rubik's cube in the ring toss, and each got a stuffed animal at the strongman activity. Spencer's hit sent the marker halfway up, earning him a little stuffed puppy.

Alex's hit, however, was a total shock to her. In the two years before, she'd always hit well below the 'acceptable' range, never earning a prize. This year was different. Her hit sent the marker all the way up to hit the bell.

"Wow, Alex!" Archie cried, gaping at her. "That's incredible! You got nowhere near the bell last year! Have you been working out?"

Alex let out a strained chuckle. "Something like that." As Archie handed her a large stuffed bear, she prayed he didn't notice her arms, which had a distinct lack of muscle.

Amy, who'd been in line herself, stepped out of it to trail after Alex and Spencer. "Another Time Lord perk?" she whispered to Alex.

"Must be," Alex murmured. She had noticed that it wasn't so much of a strain anymore to carry huge stacks of books around the library, but she really hadn't thought much of it. Another pro to add to my forced transformation, she thought. She had seen the Doctor lift things twice his weight and not so much as stagger (the time with her suitcase was just a fluke. She was sure he didn't anticipate it being that heavy).

Now, while Spencer tried out the shooting gallery two booths down, Alex poured over the blacksmith booth. She wasn't normally fascinated by weaponry, but she had to make an exception here. All of the swords, daggers, and various other weapons were exquisitely crafted. There were typical medieval swords and daggers, but there were also samurai swords, swords and daggers with colored blades, and some with intricate designs on the hilt. One dagger Alex was examining had roses and vines etched into the ivory hilt. The weapon itself was small, the blade only about three inches. Still, it was a beautiful dagger.

Just as Alex was checking the price tag, a shadow fell across her. Before Alex could react, a sly voice said, "Not sure that itty-bitty dagger will protect you, Ally."

With a jolt, Alex sprang up. Standing right beside her (literally right beside her) was Mels.

Alex's face immediately curled in annoyance. "Hello, Melody," she said flatly. She took a step back so that Mels was no longer breathing on her. "Enjoying the fair?" Never let it be said that I can't be civil, Alex thought.

Shrugging, Mels took a step forward. Once again, she was practically on top of Alex. Her breath hit Alex's face as she spoke. "It's alright," she said with a dismissive air. "Not really my scene though." Turning so that she was properly facing the booth, Mels scrutinized the weapons on display. "Oh," she murmured as she studied a particularly wicked dagger with a curved blade. Picking it up, her fingertips caressed the edges of the blade. "But this. . . This is more my scene."

A wave of trepidation came over Alex. It was very surprising. She had never felt threatened or scared of Mels before. Annoyance and exasperation, yes. Even anger. Sometimes confusion. But never fear. Yet seeing Mels handling that fearsome dagger, practically purring over the blade. . . It made all of Alex's nerves sit straight up. Her hearts pounded and her feet itched to back away.

She allowed herself a small step back. Nothing else. It wouldn't do for Mels to see that she was unsettling her. Mels would undoubtedly relish in it. Alex forced her facial features into an impassive expression. "Never thought you to be interested in weapons," she said with an affected air of boredom. She spoke the truth though. She couldn't recall Mels ever being interested in any type of weaponry, either ancient or modern. The closest thing to a weapon she'd seen Mels handle was a can of Mace.

Mels offered her a smirk. "I have many hidden depths, Alex." Her voice was cool, calm, and collected, even casual, but her eyes. . . There was something in them. Alex couldn't say exactly what. But she got the feeling that whatever it was, it wasn't good.

Mels continued fingering the dagger. One finger tapped the knifepoint. When she pulled her finger away, there wasn't any blood, even though Alex swore that Mels had tapped it hard enough to puncture her skin. "How's that boyfriend of yours? The Doctor?"

Alex's eyes widened, though she knew she really shouldn't be so surprised Mels had finally figured it out. Amy had made enough Raggedy Doctor dolls and had presumably described him enough that it would be child's play for Mels to connect him with the man in Alex's birthday photo. "He's fine," she said, a bit stiffly. She didn't know why, but for some reason, she felt the need to keep Mels in the dark when it came to the Doctor.

Well, actually, when she thought about it, Alex knew there was a reason. It was because Mels had always seemed so obsessed with the Doctor. As with Alex, Amy had told Mels all about her first encounter with the Doctor. Mels was also, like Alex, the only one to take Amy seriously. However, Mels had taken it a bit too seriously. And sometimes in a completely different direction. Alex recalled Veronica mentioning how Mels would blame the Doctor for failing to prevent various incidents in history. Amy, she was sure, had never done that. If anything, young Amy had probably defended the Doctor until she was blue in the face.

Frankly, Alex wondered why the hell Amy had remained friends with Mels, if the latter was constantly blaming the Doctor for things beyond his control. Alex would have thought such behavior would be enough for Amy to cut all ties with Mels. Apparently not. What Amy saw in Mels that made her constantly defend the girl, Alex had no idea.

Still, Mels' behavior regarding the Doctor was alarming, to say the least. Alex knew Amy and Rory hadn't told Mels about their traveling with the Doctor. No doubt this was a deliberate attempt to keep Mels from asking if she could come along. Even the Ponds had enough good sense to know bringing Mels onto the TARDIS was a disaster waiting to happen.

Therefore, Alex wanted to give Mels as little ammunition as possible.

Unsurprisingly, Mels wasn't satisfied with Alex's short answer. "Oh, come on, Ally," she smiled, though there was nothing warm about it. "Can't say anything more than that? Come on, give me something. Just a little tidbit between us girls."

Alex crossed her arms and gave Mels a flat look. "I would never confide any tidbits to you, Melody."

"Really? Not even a little mention of what he's doing right now? What's keeping him from staying here and protecting you?"

Alex stiffened. Protecting her. What the hell did Mels mean with that? Surely Amy and Rory hadn't told her anything about Alex's life possibly being in danger. "What are you babbling on about?" she demanded. She was displeased to hear her voice shaking slightly.

It didn't go unnoticed by Mels. Her lips curving into a smirk, she leaned closer to Alex. Alex attempted to step back but found herself pressed against the booth. "You really think I haven't noticed, Alex? How jumpy you always are now? Constantly looking over your shoulder? That can of Mace on your keychain?" Mels' fingertips curled over the dagger's hilt. "You used to walk around this village all high and mighty, scared of nothing. Now. . ." Mels shook her head. "You're just a shell of your former self."

Her words, meant to beat Alex down even further, had the exact opposite effect. Her copper eyes narrowing, Alex pulled herself to her full height. Not for the first time, she thought about how grateful she was that she and Mels both stood at 5'4. No matter how much Mels wanted to, she could never physically look down at Alex, nor was Alex at any risk of having to look up at her. "Aw, Melody, I didn't know you cared so much." Alex gave her a sunny smile, one she knew Mels would loathe. "How sweet of you."

Sure enough, Mels sneered. "I do not care," she hissed. She said 'care' the way some people said 'feces' or 'scrotum'. Mels' eyes glittered with barely concealed glee. "In fact, I'm quite happy you're feeling in danger because finally, after three years, I'm better than you!"

Alex blinked. "What?"

Mels nodded feverishly. "Yes!" she snapped. She clutched the dagger tightly, her nails turning white. "I used to have it really good before you sped into town! The fact that you nearly ran Amy and Rory over should have made you a pariah from the very start, but no! You made yourself out to be some kind of martyr!"

It was just one of many things Mels couldn't stand about Alex. That whole situation with Amy and Rory shouldn't have ended the way it did. If Mels had had her way, Amy and Rory would have pressed charges and Alex would have been deported back to America. Never mind the fact that her life in Vegas was shitty. It would have served the meddlesome little brunette right.

But no! That wasn't what happened at all! Somehow, Alex had managed to twist the whole situation into a scenario where the near collision wasn't really her fault, just a momentary lapse in judgement. And for God knew what reason, Amy and Rory had fallen for it hook, line and sinker. As had everyone else in Leadworth. If Mels had done something like that, she would have been carted off to jail in five seconds' flat.

Mels had had plenty of time over the last three years to think these things. With these thoughts came a lot of anger. And now they were pouring out. Mels didn't think she could stop the flow of words if she tried. Honestly though, she didn't really want to. It was high time Alex was forced to hear all of her crimes.

"You took everything from me when you came here!" she cried once she finished reciting all this. "Amy and Rory, any respect and love their parents and everyone else in town might have given me! You even have the time traveling life and love with your handsome Doctor that I always wanted!"

Alex was completely taken aback. She had no idea Mels had felt all this. Honestly, she had never intended to usurp Mels' position in Amy and Rory's lives. It had never crossed her mind that she might be doing such a thing. Had she done such a thing? Did she somehow unconsciously set out to take Mels' place, having judged Mels to be inferior?

Then the last part of Mels' outburst registered. You even have the time traveling life and love with your handsome Doctor that I always wanted.

Love? Since when did Mels have a crush on the Doctor, let alone love him? They had never met! Not to mention, but how the hell could Mels love the Doctor when she had constantly blamed him for failing to intervene in historical tragedies?

It was, in a word, deluded. Alex told her exactly this.

"You're delusional, Mels!" Alex's eyes blazed at the young woman. Mels' eyes did the same back at her. "I have never tried to take your place! And if I have somehow taken your place, a very big if by the way, you enabled it! Haven't you ever considered that at some point, Amy and Rory are going to get tired of constantly chasing after you, bailing you out, trying to get you out of trouble? That hasn't happened yet, but mark my words, it will."

"It will not!" Mels shouted. Her whole body shook with rage. She moved the dagger so that its blade started to point upward. "Amy and Rory are not going to get tired of me! They'll never do that! They don't mind chasing me and bailing me out! It's what they're supposed to do!"

"You have a pretty messed-up idea on friendship. Friends are not supposed to chase after you and constantly bail you out of jail! Particularly not at the speed in which you do those things."

Mels opened her mouth to retort, but just as quickly shut it. For a moment, Alex thought the fight had gone out of her. But she was quickly proven wrong when Mels raised the dagger. The sharp tip was pointing straight at Alex's chest.

"Listen to me loud and clear, Alex Locke." Mels' words were coated in venom, matching the look in her narrowed eyes. She took a step closer, forcing Alex to nearly bend backwards over the booth's counter. Her and Alex's chests were almost touching. The dagger hovered in the space between. "I promise you, you will pay for everything you've done to me. I don't quite know how yet, but you will. So keep watching your back." Lifting the dagger, Mels used it to trace a lock of Alex's hair. "Because I am coming for you." She leaned closer, whispering in Alex's ear, "And that's not a threat. It's a promise."

Alex shuddered. Forget mild trepidation or annoyance. She was straight up terrified now. Her whole body trembled. Her breathing was ragged, as though she'd been running a marathon. Her eyes were locked on the dagger, still absently tracing a bit of her hair. She couldn't look away from it if she tried. What if Mels decided to stab her the moment she did? Because it was abundantly clear now that Mels wasn't just delusional, but straight up psychotic. Though she'd said that she wasn't sure how to make Alex pay for her so-called sins, Alex wouldn't put it past Mels to suddenly decide right here and now was as good a time as any.

Vaguely, a part of Alex's mind wondered if anyone was seeing this. The blacksmith had stepped away several minutes ago to grab lunch, telling Alex to take her time looking, that he'd be right back. He was still nowhere in sight. But he was an outsider. He didn't know Mels' history. What the hell could he do?

And where was everyone else in Leadworth? Archie, Elsie, Veronica, Amy, Rory? Someone who had a vague idea on how to control Mels?

But then a growling voice boomed out, "Is there a problem here?"

Mels sprang back. Alex's head snapped up.

It was Spencer. And he looked downright dangerous. His face was black as a thundercloud, the features contorted into a scowl that rivaled the Doctor's Oncoming Storm expression. His eyes were more gray than blue, fixed tightly on the dagger in Mels' hand. But what really made Spencer look so dangerous was the fact that his little black pistol had moved from his ankle to his left hip. It was tucked into the waistband of his trousers, but there was no missing it. The black steel shined in the sunlight, drawing the eye straight to it. Spencer's hand hovered over it. A distant part of Alex's mind wondered how fast he was at withdrawing and firing.

Mels stared at the gun for one long minute. Suddenly, she took a huge step back. She now stood a good six feet away from Alex. Alex, for her part, continued to remain slumped over the booth. Her knees were still shaking, leaving her doubtful as to whether it would be a good idea to try walking. Or, what she really wanted to do, run as fast as she could away from Mels.

"No problem!" Mels chirped. She was doing her best to sound innocent, but Spencer was no fool. He could see the anger and frustration in her eyes, the way a muscle in her jaw ticked. She'd been caught threatening Alex, forcing her to back off when it was the last thing she wanted to do. With a quick gesture, Mels tossed the dagger back on the counter. It landed within a few inches of Alex's arm, making her flinch. If Mels noticed this, she didn't show it. "Just talking to Alex here!" She glanced at the watch on her wrist. "Good talk, Alex, but I have to go." She once again eyed Spencer and his gun. This time, the look in her eyes was wary, even worried. Still, that didn't prevent her from making one final remark. "Remember what we talked about!" With that, Mels scurried away.

Spencer waited until Mels was completely out of sight before darting to Alex. "Are you okay?" he asked worriedly. He tugged on Alex's arms, scooping her up and into his grasp.

To his shock, Alex fiercely hugged him. "She's insane," Alex said, her voice nothing but a shuddering whisper. "She, she, thinks that I took her place in Amy and Rory and the Doctor's lives and she wants me to pay for it."

Unseen by Alex, who had now buried her face in his neck, Spencer's eyes darkened. Got the gaslighter, he thought with a grimace. He was going to have to question Alex further once she calmed down, but there wasn't a doubt in his mind that Mels was the one who scratched up her photo. The why was still a mystery, but Spencer would make it his mission to find out.

He gently released Alex but didn't let go of her completely. "Come on," he murmured, wrapping an arm around her shoulders. They needed to find Amy and Rory and take Alex somewhere she could calm down.

"Excuse me?" Spencer and Alex looked up to see a big, burly man with a thick black beard now standing behind the booth's counter. Evidently, this was the blacksmith. He nodded down at the counter, specifically at the little dagger Alex had been admiring just two minutes prior. "Are you still interested in the dagger, ma'am? Eighty quid, but I'm willing to lower the price if you're interested."

Alex eyed the dagger for a long moment. She still found its elaborately carved hilt beautiful, though she was no longer numb to the fact that, beauty aside, it was very much a functioning weapon. However, rather than repulsing her, Alex only found it that much more irresistible.

"Yeah," she nodded. She ignored Spencer's incredulous gaze. "I'm interested. Would you be willing to lower the price by half?"

Spencer's heart sank as he watched Alex and the blacksmith negotiate. The Alex he met at the beginning of the month didn't like weapons. No guns or knives for her, just her sonic necklace. But the damn Silence, Kovarian, and Amy and Rory's psychotic friend Mels had made her so afraid that she was now willing to carry a dagger on her.

As Alex forked over an agreed forty quid, Spencer pulled out his phone and fired off a text. He needed information, more than Amy, Rory, Alex, or anyone in Leadworth could possibly provide.

Hey, Osgood. Do me a favor and find me everything you can about a woman named Melody 'Mels' Ukuthula ASAP. Alex's life may depend upon it.

~The Pros and Cons of Silence~

"Oh, God," Rory groaned. He ran a hand through his hair, causing the still damp strands to stick straight up. Not that he cared though. How his hair looked was the least of his worries.

He, Amy, Alex, and Spencer were gathered in a booth at the Brew & Chew, him and Amy on one side, Alex and Spencer on the other. During fair week, the café only opened for dinner service, offering out-of-towners a nice alternative to carnival food. At the moment though, it was more or less deserted. The sky outside was a mixture of pink, gold, and purple from the setting sun. In the distance, the fair lights were coming on. The vast majority of citizens and visitors were down at the fair watching those lights power up for the first time. The only people here in the café besides themselves were Ron, back in the kitchen, and Halley Carpenter, safely tucked up by the cash register reading a magazine. That was a good thing. No one outside of their group needed to hear the tale he and Amy had just heard.

"Not sure how He can help," Alex muttered. She absently twirled her straw around her glass of Diet Coke. She had only taken a sip of it. Likewise, her chicken salad remained mostly untouched.

Amy fiddled with her napkin. She hadn't felt this helpless since Melody dissolved into Flesh in her arms on Demons Run. Her best friend since childhood was apparently on the warpath against Alex. She had threatened her with a dagger.

Contrary to what Alex thought, Amy wasn't naïve. She knew Mels was not exactly the most levelheaded person. Her constant mentioning of the Doctor, particularly him being responsible for historical disasters, was rather strange. Add that with the fact that she continued to maintain he was real long after Amy had written him off as imaginary, the behavior became bizarre. Amy also knew Mels harbored fantasies of marrying the Doctor and traveling with him in the TARDIS. It was exactly why she and Rory had refrained from telling Mels about him reappearing in Leadworth, much less the fact that he was clearly interested in Alex, Mels' sworn enemy. Couple all of that with Mels' well-documented history of reckless, defiant, and often criminal behavior, and her encounter with Alex today, it all added up to the fact that Amy's childhood best friend just might actually be insane.

Yet time and time again, Amy had defended her. She laughed off Mels' claims of the Doctor's culpability in various historical disasters, figuring it was just Mels trying to get a rise out of the teachers. She thought Mels was simply trying to be supportive when she brought up the Doctor years after Amy had stopped believing in him, attempting to show that out of everyone in Leadworth, she didn't think Amy had ever been crazy. The fantasies about marrying and traveling with the Doctor. . . Well, Amy had had those, too. With how often she and Mels talked about the Doctor, it only seemed natural those fantasies had rubbed off on her best friend. And as for her not getting along with Alex? Well, that was just a clash of differing personalities.

Amy still wanted to defend her. She had no idea why. For reasons she could not explain, even to herself, she had always been drawn to Mels. She felt a desire to protect her, to try and make her see the error of her ways. However, based on her behavior with Alex today, Amy had failed miserably.

"You know she's completely wrong, right?" Rory's voice made Amy look up. He was staring intently at Alex. "That you somehow replaced Mels?" Rory shook his head. "That's total rubbish."

All thoughts of trying to defend Mels died in favor of reassuring Alex. Perhaps that proved Mels' point, but Amy couldn't be bothered to care. "He's right!" she cried, nodding frantically when Alex looked at her. She reached across the table and grasped Alex's hand, holding it tightly. Amy locked onto Alex's dark green eyes, holding them steady. She wanted to make sure Alex knew she was telling the truth. "You never replaced Mels to us," she said solemnly. Amy didn't think she had ever been more serious than in this moment right here. "I don't know why she sees it that way, but it's completely untrue." She smiled warmly. "The truth is, we gained another amazing best friend, and we wouldn't trade her for everything."

Rory nodded firmly, his expression simultaneously solemn and warm. His hand reached out to grip Alex's shoulder. "Exactly," he affirmed.

Alex hurriedly pushed back the tears that wanted to fall. "Thanks, you two," she smiled. "I didn't really take her seriously, but I did wonder if. . ." She shook her head, unwilling to dwell on those thoughts. "At any rate, it's nice to hear."

Spencer coughed, reminding the others of his presence. "I hate to break up this moment," he said apologetically, "but we do still have a problem here."

Amy, Rory, and Alex sighed. "Right," they muttered.

Leaning back against the booth, Rory rubbed his eyes. "What are we going to do about Mels?" The question was mostly rhetorical. He had absolutely no idea what to do.

Spencer, thankfully, was way ahead of him. "For a start," he began, "we should keep her away from Alex."

Amy frowned. "You mean get a restraining order?"

"I don't think that would work," Spencer admitted. "While there are definitely grounds for one, I highly doubt Mels would adhere to it."

Amy, Rory, and Alex grimaced. That was true. Mels would simply take a restraining order as a challenge.

"What's another option?" Alex asked. "And if it's leaving Leadworth," she interjected just as Spencer started to reply, "then you can forget that right now. I am not allowing Mels to scare me out of town. That's exactly what she wants!" Alex freely admitted to being intimidated by Mels earlier. She would even admit to still feeling that way. But she was not going to make Mels feel victorious by seeing her spooked. "I won't give her that satisfaction," Alex insisted. "I'd rather have another face off with a dagger."

Spencer sighed. That had, in fact, been what he was going to suggest. Alex could easily come with him to UNIT HQ in London, or even go to one of UNIT's safehouses if she preferred. But even before Alex spoke, he knew it was a lost cause. Alex, scared as she might be, wasn't going to run off. She was going to stand her ground and make Mels bring the fight to her. Personally, Spencer found it admirable. Professionally, he found it maddening. "Alright," he said slowly. "Then that leaves us with option number three." He turned his gaze on Amy and Rory. "And this one's really up to you two."

Amy and Rory's brows furrowed. "How so?" Rory asked.

Spencer's expression was devoid of humor. He was in serious, protective bodyguard mode. "You two are Mels' best friends. She is clearly devoted to you two, so use that to your advantage. Get her to back off Alex."

Amy and Rory looked at each other. They didn't need to speak. They both knew they were on the same page. "Option three it is," Amy agreed, Rory nodding beside her. How, exactly, they would approach Mels on this very delicate subject would have to be discussed further. For now, though, they had a plan. That was more than they'd had at the beginning of the conversation.

They just hoped that, for Alex's sake, it would work.

~The Pros and Cons of Silence~

July 26th, 2011

Bang! Bang! Bang!

Alex and Spencer jerked up, Alex nearly falling off the couch in the process while Spencer came close to banging his head on the underside of the coffee table. It only took him a few seconds to recalibrate. At the fourth 'bang!' he reached for the gun still tucked into his waistband. "What the hell is that?!" he exclaimed.

Alex blinked rapidly and tried to rub the grogginess from her eyes. After their talk with Amy and Rory at the café, they had all returned home. Amy and Rory went upstairs, presumably to further discuss how they were going to handle Mels. Alex and Spencer made themselves comfortable in the living room. While Alex had maintained she wasn't going to let Mels scare her out of Leadworth, she didn't relish the idea of returning to a home that had already been invaded once. Mels didn't have a key to the house (Alex had conveniently forgotten to give her one when they had the locks changed) but after her little stunt with the dagger, not to mention all her other criminal behavior over the years, Alex didn't put it past Mels to get into the house somehow. If she was determined to get at Alex in the middle of the night, she would find a way.

Thankfully, Spencer had declared that he was staying here tonight. He'd braced himself as he told her this, clearly expecting Alex to argue. Therefore, he was stunned when Alex merely smiled and offered to help him set up the inflatable mattress.

Alex had stayed in the living room with him. Ostensibly, it was because she hadn't thought she would fall asleep. She'd found a late-night marathon of Downton Abbey's first season on and figured that would occupy her well into the morning hours. It seemed, however, that all the shock and stress of the day had worn her out more than she'd thought. She'd dozed off on the couch halfway through Episode Two, just after Carson's former music hall partner showed up demanding blackmail money.

And now it was morning, going off the thin stream of sunlight shining through the gap in the curtains. Actually, very early in the morning. A quick glance at the clock on the wall in the corner showed it was only a quarter to seven.

Spencer rose to his feet, hand now gripping his gun. He peered into the kitchen. Another 'bang' sounded. This time, though, Spencer recognized it. "Someone's at the door."

Raking a hand through her sleep-mussed hair, Alex stumbled off the couch. She was still in the clothes she'd been wearing yesterday, minus her shoes (lying at the end of the couch) and her earrings and bracelets (sitting on the coffee table). "For God's sake," she muttered as she headed towards the door.

Spencer rushed after her. "Wait!" he hissed just as Alex reached for the doorknob. "What if it's Mels?"

Alex gave him a flat look. "I don't think psychopaths intending on coming after you with a dagger knock."

Sure enough, it wasn't Mels banging madly on the door. It was Archie and Veronica.

Both Alex and Spencer blinked. Archie and Veronica were the last people in the world either of them would have expected to come banging on the door before seven o'clock in the morning. "Archie?" Alex said, slightly dazed. "Veronica?"

Still blinking in confusion, Alex took quick stock of her two castmates. Archie and Veronica looked just as disheveled as she did, like they had just gotten out of bed. Archie had on a frayed t-shirt and pajama pants, his red curls all askew. Veronica looked slightly more put-together in leggings and a t-shirt advertising the dramatic society's production of Rent, but her tousled hair had been pulled back into a messy bun and she wore no makeup, nor her signature dangly earrings. Alex had never seen her without makeup or earrings. Whatever had caused Veronica to leave the house looking like this, it was serious indeed.

Alex's inner alarm bells started ringing. "What's wrong?" she demanded.

Archie scratched at his bed head. "Have either of you seen Arthur or Grace since yesterday?"

Spencer frowned. "Arthur Donaldson and Grace Jeffries?"

Veronica rolled her eyes. "Yes!" she snapped. "Who else?"

"No," Alex answered. "We saw Grace at the cake walk yesterday."

"And I do remember seeing Arthur at the Bello Italiano booth," Spencer recalled. All of his early grogginess and confusion had faded, replaced by his well-hone UNIT training. "Why? Has something happened to them?"

Archie and Veronica let out near identical sighs. "George called me just fifteen minutes ago in a near panic," Archie explained. "He went to wake up Arthur to get ready for fair today, but he wasn't there. His bed was made. Didn't look like it had been slept in. On it was a note."

"What did it say?" Alex asked.

Veronica's lips pursed. "That he's running off with Grace. I live next door to the Jeffries, so after Archie called me, I went over there." She winced. "Mr. and Mrs. Jeffries were both a wreck. Grace left a note pinned to the front door. But her note varied slightly."

Alex and Spencer leaned forwards. "How so?" Spencer asked.

"Arthur's note said they were running off together. Grace's note said they were eloping."

~The Pros and Cons of Silence~

A/N: EEP! Things are really kicking off now! Mels' interaction with Alex. . . Wonder how that will change things when we get to 'Let's Kill Hitler'? :}

Also, I hope you enjoy Spencer! It took me a while to get his character down, but it was well worth it. He's going to be a recurring character from now on in the series. He'll be in the next chapter as well as at least once more in the story.

Roll Call:

Spencer Grayson: Cooper Barnes

Lacey Abernathy: Alyson Michalka

Notes on reviews. . .

NicoleR85 - Thank you! I'm glad you enjoyed getting a peek into Mels' head regarding Alex. Her viewpoint on events is very interesting to me and I honestly feel like it's not explored enough in OC fanfiction. We saw more of her views regarding Alex here and we'll definitely be getting more in 'Let's Kill Hitler' and throughout this story. That talk between Amy and the Doctor was, admittedly, hard to write, but I'm SO glad I wrote it! It seems so obvious to me that the Doctor should bond with Amy over losing a child, yet the show doesn't explore that. Consider the fact that the Doctor and Amy both had a child they only knew for such a short amount of time (Jenny and Melody) and it really seems unfathomable that Moffat didn't try to explore that. At least there's fanfiction though! Hope you enjoyed the chapter!

ShadowTier - Thank you! Lol, I'm glad you've gotten over the Archie incident, especially as he plays a big role in this chapter. I love the Amy/Doctor bonding too. It was a bit hard to write, but I'm so glad I wrote it. It is really weird Jenny's not brought up in relation to Melody, considering they parallel each-other so well (both were born as soldiers, both were lost for a while (Jenny still is, technically) but thanks to outside forces they fought past that and turned to good). I definitely couldn't resist having the Doctor bring Jenny up for that reason. Hope you enjoyed the chapter!

lexicaruso - Hi! Omg, I'm so glad to hear you love the stories! Oh, don't worry, I'm definitely keeping up with this story. Sometimes it just takes me a while to write out chapters (like this one, at 116 pages). Eep! Thank you for the writing comment! Being a professional writer is my dream! I am currently working on an original WIP so maybe someday it'll be out in the world! Oh, I can't wait to get to 'Let's Kill Hitler'. As you can see in this chapter, events in that episode will definitely be significantly different because of the Mels/Alex dynamic. Hope you enjoyed the chapter!

tardis-tea-time - Hi! I'm so happy to hear you love the stories, especially that you're on notification for them. I'm doing alright in the current crisis. I did lose my job, though not because of the pandemic ("re-evaluating my position" were my boss' words) but I'm now helping out with my cousin's financial planning business and I'm getting paid more for it than I was in my last job so, by and large, it's worked out for the better. I'm sorry to hear times have been hard for you and I hope things are better for you now, but I'm also glad this story has been a comfort to you and that you've been inspired to write your own fanfic! Thank you so much for your kind words. I hope you enjoyed the chapter!

Faery66 - Here's some more (116 pages worth!) to read! Hope you enjoyed the chapter!

BoredGirl27 - Yay! I'm glad to hear you love the series! And thank you! I really want to be a professional writer someday, so hearing stuff like that is great encouragement. Hope you enjoyed the chapter!

Please review and see you later!