belle, doctor who

seventeen

Belle stares at a map of Venice that's on a table. Amy notices Belle's coldness towards her, even though she's tried to apologize to Belle many times.

"As you saw, there's no clear way in. The House of Calvierri is like a fortress. But there's a tunnel underneath it, with a ladder and shaft that leads up into the house. I tried to get in once myself, but I hit a trapdoor," Guido says.

"You need someone on the inside," Amy says. "Izzy and I can go."

The Doctor immediately disagrees. Belle was thankful for that, but Belle rolls her eyes at Amy. Of course Amy was trying to get her to join her.

"You don't even know what I was going to say."

"Er, that we pretend you're an applicant for the school to get you two inside, and tonight you both come down and open the trapdoor to let us in."

"Oh. So you do know what I was going to say," Amy says.

"There's no way I'm joining her," Belle scoffs, annoyed. The Doctor frowns as Rory comments.

"Are you insane?"

"Fine. I'll go by myself. We don't have another option."

"He said no, Amy. Listen to him," Rory protests.

"There is another option," Guido points to the collection of barrels behind Rory.

"I work at the Arsenale. We build the warships for the navy."

The Doctor sniffs the barrels.

"Gunpowder. Most people just nick stationery from where they work. Look, I have a thing about guns and huge quantities of explosives."

"What do you suggest, then? We wait until they turn her into an animal?"

"I'll be there three, four hours, tops," Amy says after giving Belle a frown. The Doctor pulls Belle to the side by wrapping an arm around her waist.

"No. No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no. It can't keep happening like this. This is how they go. But I have to know. We go together, say you're my daughter," the Doctor says. Belle looks at him. "Our daughter."

"What? Don't listen to him," Rory tells Amy.

"Your daughter? You look about nine. Izzy looks like she's ten."

"Brother, then," the Doctor says.

"More believable," Belle says as she's sitting down with the Doctor now.

"Too weird. Fiancé," Amy says. Belle scoffs while Rory gets angry.

"I'm not having him run around telling people he's your fiancé," Rory says. "And I think Izzy will be even angrier than she already is with you."

"No. No, you're right."

"Thank you," Rory says. Belle loosens up a bit.

"I mean, they've already seen the Doctor and Izzy. You should do it."

"Me?" Rory says.

"Yeah. You can be my brother." Belle laughs.

"Why is him being your brother weird, but with me, it's okay?"

"Actually, I thought you were her fiancé," Guido points to the Doctor. Belle tenses up again.

"Yeah, that's not helping." A pause. Then the Doctor says, "And besides, would a fiancé to her, do this?"

The Doctor kisses Belle on the lips passionately, leaving her breathless. Amy and Rory look around uncomfortably.

"Okay, you can have your whole snogging session later. This whole thing is mental. They're vampires, for God's sake," Rory says as Belle has a big blush. The Doctor presses their foreheads together, making her smile.