We Will Rise |2| The Ascension

Chapter Twenty Three: New Year's Eve

"Kas, I don't think thi—"

"Shh," the Doctor grinned, holding McKenzie's visor, imbibed with JENSEN, away from her as he led her up the stairs.

"But I can't see," the redhead frowned. After a few days with JENSEN's help, she'd gotten used to vision. "And it's kinda late."

"That's the point," the Doctor replied. "Where we're going is a surprise."

McKenzie raised her eyebrows. "Another surprise, huh? I don't think it's my birthday..." The Doctor pushed open a door and guided her through it, into the open air of the roof, and walked them over towards the edge before giving her back her visor. When she saw where they were, looking out across New York City, its streetlights illuminating the night sky like stars, she gasped, her eyes lighting up. "It's beautiful," she murmured. "Tallulah was right about this place."

The Time Lord put his arm around her. "This is the city you saved. Stretching far past Long Island and back again, there are people who sleep well at night because of you."

"I'm pretty sure you, Nat, and the boys had something to do with it," the redhead pointed out, blushing.

"I wouldn't be so sure." At McKenzie's look, he tilted his head in allowance. "Okay, so maybe they had more experience in the war aspect, and we couldn't have saved New York on our own. But you didn't have a codename. You weren't an agent. S.H.I.E.L.D. had never tried to recruit you. People had never really heard of you before the battle. And yet you were the one they chose to call Angel." He shrugged. "I reckon some of them believed it."

"What, so you're saying the people of New York think I'm some kind of seraph warrior, sent down from Heaven to keep them safe." She snorted. "Like I'm pure, or worthy, or any of that."

The Doctor smiled at the skyline. "No. But you are to me." McKenzie looked up at him, eyes wide behind her visor, and he turned to her, kneeling down on one knee. "McKenzie Di Angelo, I am more in love with you than I have ever been with the stars, or anything for that matter. We first met four years ago, in a cold shop basement with your sister, and nothing has felt the same ever since. You have saved me in ways I didn't believe possible, and for that, I cannot stop thanking you. But more than that, you healed my hearts. You took a damaged, depressed man, and you did the purest thing: you loved him. There is only one honour you have yet to do me, and that is all I ask. McKenzie Di Angelo, Kez, will you be my wife?"

The ginger had a hand over her mouth, tears slipping past her visor to her cheeks, but that didn't stop her from answering. "Yes," she whispered, nodding. "Yes! Of course I will!" She kissed him when he stood up. It was a while before they broke apart, leaning their foreheads together. The Doctor dropped one hand from her waist to reach into his pocket, and pulled out a dainty silver circlet, placing it on her head like she was a princess.

"A little bit of Gallifrey," he said by way of explanation, shrugging. "Instead of rings, we had circlets."

"It's gorgeous," McKenzie assured him.

He smirked. "Just like you then." She blushed, looking over the edge down to the balcony, where people were starting to gather.

"Come on, you. Tony's guests are arriving." She took his hand and pulled him along, running down the stairs barefoot, laughing.

***

When the countdown started, the Doctor and McKenzie were by the railings of the balcony, surrounded by Avengers and friends. Martha had noticed the circlet pretty quickly, and when the pair told her the news, she had squealed, hugged them, and ran off to find Jack. Soon, all of their friends had been told and were cheering. Hugs were going round like wildfire, and more drinks were passed round for celebration. Eventually, somebody got a megaphone and started counting down, causing everyone else to join in.

"Ten!" Tony put his arm around Pepper.

"Nine!" Steve and Sam cheered.

"Eight!" Natasha and Clint grinned at each other, toasting to those who hadn't been able to make it.

"Seven!" Bruce smiled, watching his friends celebrate.

"Six!" Martha chanted along, enjoying the party she would never normally have been able to attend.

"Five!" Jack whooped, his arm around some guy he'd met all of ten minutes ago, the pair of them drunk out of their minds.

"Four!" The man who had originally been counting jumped down off the bar, shouting along without his megaphone, revelling in the hype.

"Three!" Someone let up a cheer as they opened a bottle of champagne early.

"Two!" The Avengers were pushed to the front with Jack, Martha, and Pepper, and they laughed at each other, unable to stop smiling.

"One! Happy New Year!"

The Doctor and McKenzie shared their New Year's kiss, and it was better than any before. His lips were soft and tasted sweet from the alcohol Tony had tried to get him drunk on earlier in the night. Hers were pearly and smooth, and smiling like she'd never smiled before.

They broke apart to watch the fireworks across New York City, and as the golds and silvers and reds and greens and purples lit up the air, McKenzie laid her head on her fiancé's shoulder, her hearts pounding with the explosions, and with the knowledge that things had changed tonight, for the better. The sky flashed golden like the energy the human race had bequeathed to her new fiancé, and the realisation dawned upon her.

Nothing was ever going to be the same again.

~~~

Gahhhhh, the fluff!

Although they are now engaged, I can assure you that we will have a break from this much fluff before we get to the wedding. The way I'm planning things, it'll be in the next book, but it is gonna be worth the wait. This thing is going to be fluffier than a Labrador someone took a hairdryer to, all right?

Enjoy!