Fight For Freedom |4| The Ascension

Chapter Nine: Vampires In Venice

Rory put a finger to his ear as he dialled Amy, trying to make himself heard above the noise of his stag party. "Hey!" he called. "It's me. Hello. How are you? The reason for this call is because I haven't told you for seven hours that I love you, which is a scandal, and even if we weren't getting married tomorrow, I'd ask you to marry me anyway. Yes, I would, because you are smashing." He looked over his shoulder as a giant pink cake was wheeled in behind him. "Oh. Oh, blimey. I've - I've, er, got to go. I'll see you tomorrow." He hung up.

"Out! Out! Out!" his friends shouted, pushing him forwards towards the cake.

Right on cue, McKenzie burst out of the cake, making his friends cheer while Rory faltered, his eyes wide. "Rory!" she cheered, silencing the crowd. "That's a relief. Thought I'd burst out of the wrong cake. Again." She made a face. "That reminds me, there's a girl standing outside in a bikini. Could someone let her in and give her a jumper? Lucy, she's called. Lovely girl. Diabetic."

The door opened and Pietro entered, ushering Lucy in. "I've got her," he told her, nodding at the older woman.

"Thanks, Piet," she grinned, clambering out of the cake, fully dressed. "Now, then, Rory. We need to talk about your fiancée. She tried to kiss my husband." Someone dropped a glass and it shattered on the floor.

***

The three of them went back to the TARDIS to find the Doctor welding under the console while Zoë leaned against the railings, watching Amy with an iron gaze. McKenzie immediately went below, Pietro moving to Zoë's side.

"Uh, hi?" Rory managed. The tension was palpable.

Downstairs, McKenzie smiled gently as she found the Doctor tinkering. "Hey," she said quietly, knowing he'd heard her coming.

"Hi," he muttered, glancing up briefly.

"You okay?" she asked, coming to sit next to him. He stopped working.

"I..." he sighed, rubbing his eyes tiredly. "I just want everything to go back to normal."

She nodded, watching him carefully. She remembered her own experiences, flinching away from anyone who tried to touch her, and she didn't want to hurt him any more. "Okay. Where do you want to go?"

He smiled.

***

Fifteen minutes later, McKenzie was back up in the main control room, the Doctor finishing off the work he was doing.

"The life out there, it dazzles," she was explaining. "I mean, it can blind you to the things that are important. I've seen it devour relationships and plans. Because for one person to have seen all that, to taste the beauty and then go back, it will tear you apart. So, I'm sending you somewhere, together."

"Whoa," Amy said, blinking. That hadn't been what she'd expected when McKenzie had said she was going to find Rory. "What, like a date?"

"Anywhere you want," McKenzie offered, although she knew where they were going to end up. "Any time you want. One condition. It has to be amazing. The Moulin Rouge in 1890. The first Olympic Games. Think of it as a wedding present, because it's either this or tokens."

"It's a lot to take in, isn't it?" Zoë said kindly, noticing Rory was looking around curiously. "Tiny box, huge room inside. Let me explain."