To The Moon and Back [A Doctor Who fanfiction]

Courtship and Chivalry

We walked across the lawn and up the marble steps, stopping to check in with a bored looking valet flipping through a big, leather bound book.

"Names, please." He said in a monotone voice, not looking up from the book. "I don't think that'll be necessary." The Doctor said, pulling out a small booklet looking like a wallet and showed the valet a seemingly blank piece of paper in it. The valet suddenly snapped to attention. "Oh! I deeply apologize for not recognizing you, Mister de Gouges! Please, go right inside!"

We walked inside to see a massive marble hallway with tapestries and paintings lining the walls all the way to the ballroom. "de Gouges?" I asked the Doctor curiously. "As in, the French feminist?" "It's psychic paper: it tricks people into seeing what they want to see." He responded, putting it back in his jacket pocket. "How come I didn't see anything?" I asked as we neared the ballroom. "Because I wasn't trying to trick you." The Doctor said, smiling at me.

We walked into the ballroom and I looked around in amazement. Beautiful crystal chandeliers hung from the ceiling and tables with intricately designed cloths held enough food to serve, well, the entire French court. A stage on one end of the room seated a small orchestra playing recent compositions by Bach as people waltzed around the room, smiling and laughing.

My stomach growled and I realized I hadn't eaten in about eight hours. "I'll go get us something to eat, you go find us some seats." The Doctor said, nodding towards some tables by the orchestra. We went our separate ways and I grabbed us a couple seats a little away from the brass section so we could still hear each other.

I was patiently waiting when I felt a tap on my shoulder. I turned in my chair to see a taller, slim man with a mask similar to the Doctor's standing behind me. "Are you here alone, Miss?" He asked me in a Scottish accent. "No, my date is just getting food." I responded, sitting up a little straighter, trying to look proper. "Well, surely you would be able to spare a dance before he returned." The man said, extending his hand out towards me. "That's a very nice offer, but I'll pass." I replied politely.

He smiled at me slightly before turning his head as if he heard someone calling him. "Excuse me Miss, but my beautiful Rose is calling me back. It was lovely to make your acquaintance." "The pleasure is all mine." I said, returning the smile. He gave me a slight nod and turned and walked away to stand next to a blonde woman with a dress shockingly similar to mine.

"Who was that?" The Doctor asked as he sat down in the chair opposite of me, handing me a plate of cheeses and sweets. "I'm not sure, but he asked if I wanted to dance with him." I looked back at the Doctor. "His mask looked a lot like yours, too." The Doctor looked over at the man, and a look came over his face as if remembering a long forgotten memory, a small smile pulling on the corners of his mouth. "Must have been a coincidence." He said softly.

"Anyway," He said, snapping back into his perky persona. "Eat up, I got you aged cheeses and truffles with fruity fillings." I took a bite of one of the truffles, a raspberry jelly spilling out onto my tongue. "Oh my gosh, these are amazing." I said, my mouth full of chocolate. "Now you can say you've had two-hundred and fifty year old chocolate." The Doctor said, grinning. I laughed and took another bite.

After we finished our food the Doctor stood up and walked over to me, extending his hand out to me. "Is there a possibility that the most beautiful woman at the ball would like to dance with me?" He asked. "After a good sized food bribe, your chances are slowly rising." I said, giggling and taking his hand.

He led us over to the middle of the floor, waltzing just as we had practiced earlier. I laughed as he dipped me over-dramatically. He snapped me back up and our noses touched, and we stopped briefly and stared into each other's eyes.

"Why did you call me beautiful?" I whispered. "What?" The Doctor asked looking at me quizzically. "You called me the most beautiful girl at the ball, but earlier you were calling me silly looking." "Well, that is perplexing, isn't it?" He responded, tilting his head, smiling slightly. I mimicked him, staring intently into his eyes. "I guess you'll just have to," We started leaning in, and I closed my eyes as our lips brushed. "Figure me out." He whispered.

Suddenly, the music stopped, and we snapped out of it, looking around. Everyone around us applauded the orchestra, and after a second we joined in.

"Well," The Doctor began, taking a step back. "We've had quite a night, how about I take you home." He said, smiling sadly. We walked out of the ballroom and back outside, and I took one last look at the glowing palace with its lush lawn stretching out before us.

We walked down the path back to the TARDIS, and the Doctor held open the door for me. When I got inside I took off my shoes, placing them on the floor by the console. I stretched my hands above my head to relieve my cramping back.

"Well, this dress, lovely as it is, is giving me back pains. I'm going to go change out of it, I'll be right back." I said to the Doctor as he walked over to the console, leaning up against it and taking off his coat, nodding at me.

I walked back down to the clothing room and changed back into my t-shirt and shorts, placing the dress carefully back in the chest along with the hat. I grabbed my sneakers, walking back up to the console room in my socks, where the Doctor was adjusting various dials. He looked back at me as I walked over and stood by the railing behind him, smiling slightly again. He flipped a lever, sending the TARDIS flying through space and time again, and I looked outside to see light shining through the windows.

I opened the door to see the setting sun as a backdrop to the grassy park where the Doctor and me first met.

"So," I said, turning back towards him, leaning up against the closed door. "So," The Doctor said, "How did you like our trip?" He asked, putting his hands in his pockets. "It was fun, I really enjoyed it." I replied, offering him a small smile. "So do you want to travel with me?" He asked, looking up at me hopefully. I thought about my answer for a minute, before taking a deep breath and responding, "Yeah, I would like to travel with you."

A big grin appeared on his face and he ran up one of the staircases and disappeared down a hallway, returning a few seconds later with something clutched in his hand.

He ran over to me and opened his hand to reveal a small key in the palm of his hand, with a string attached to it in a necklace fashion. "It a TARDIS key." He said, placing it around my neck. It felt warm on my chest from being held in his hand. I held it between my fingers and examined it, a smile tugging on the corners of my lips.

I let go of it after a minute and looked back at the Doctor, matching grins on our faces. He bopped me on the nose, his eyes twinkling with joy. "Welcome aboard." He said.