The Church On Ruby Road Pt. 1

"Since when are we wallflowers?"

December 22,2023
I WASN'T EXPECTING TO SPEND my twentieth birthday stalking some random girl in a bar.

"Since when are we wallflowers?" I asked the Doctor, as we hung back and watched the very unlucky blonde who was playing keyboard.

Her band playing a jazzy version of Winter Wonderland. The keyboard beginning to cut out caught our attention.

"Are you seeing what I'm seeing?" Doc asked nodding his head towards the unplugged cables by the stage.

"Yep." I hummed, as the crowd started complaining as to the lack of music.

••••••

December 23,2023

THE NEXT NIGHT WE HAD followed the unlucky blonde to a local club.

I sat at a corner table with an amused smile on my face, as the Doctor spun around in the middle of the dance floor, his kilt flaring out gracefully in the process. The memory of him urging subtlety, causing me to laugh. Then again with the way we're both dressed, it's impossible not to draw attention.

I adorned a black dress vest with black flared jeans that had red rhinestones sprinkled all over the pant legs, and red platform heels. Red roses rained down silver chain earrings and a simple necklace of ruby red glass drops fell right between my cleavage. A silver laurel wreath arm band wrapped around my left bicep.

My raven hair was pulled into half-up half-down space buns, knowing full well that I'd have a headache later from all of the bobby pins in my hair.

I nursed my Cuba Libre cocktail as I assessed the club looking for anything odd (alien odd that is).

"Jo!" Doc yelled over the music, snapping me out of my thoughts. "Take a break from brooding for tonight and dance!"

"You're not going to take 'no' for an answer are you?" I asked, already knowing what the answer would be.

"Would you look at that! You're learning!" He laughed, dragging me onto the dance floor.

"I don't think we're being very incognito, Doctor!" I yell, just loud enough for my friend to hear.

"That's the point! Miss Ruby Sunday hasn't taken her eyes off you since you got on the dance floor!" He stated, gesturing to someone over my shoulder.

Turning my head slightly, I made eye contact with the very unlucky blonde we'd been tailing for the last few days. She sent me a friendly smile, earning a slightly flirty one in return.

"Stop it!" Doc scolded, already familiar with the Harkness Charisma.

"What? You shouldn't have pointed it out if you didn't want me to flirt with her!" I argued, an amused grin on my lips.

"I promised Uncle Doctor that you wouldn't get our reputation for being bad romantic partners!"

"Shouldn't you be encouraging me to branch out and be happy?" I snarked, knowing full well where this was going.

"As your best friend it's my job to make sure that you don't get stabbed by any scorned lovers on my watch!" Doc joked, knowing that he had no room to talk.

"Oh, the irony!"

"Yes, it isn't lost on me either." He chuckled, whacking my shoulder. "Weird shit, six o'clock!"

Turning to look back towards Ruby, I see a bony little hand move her glass to the edge of the table.

Just as she'd knocked over the glass, Doc appeared next to her and easily caught it. I ran up to join them, feigning cluelessness.

"Well, that was lucky!" I laughed, fist bumping Doc.

"Careful!" He chuckled, placing the glass back on the table.

"Thank you!" She stated, still a little shocked by the speedy response. "But you were just over there!"

"Health and Safety: Gin and Tonic Devision!" He joked, the two of us throwing up our psychic papers.

"We're very good at our jobs!" I laughed, smirking slightly as a blush appeared on Ruby's face.

"Can I ask? Does that happen to you a lot? Knocking things over?" I looked carefully at Ruby's response to the Doctor's question.

"Oh, all the time! But I'm–I'm just clumsy!" She chuckled, brushing it off.

"No, no you're not!" Doc countered, having turned serious very quickly. "It's  worse than that."

"Fantastic wording there, Doc." I sassed jokingly, trying not to scare the poor girl off too soon.

"Merry Christmas." He said simply, before walking away.

"I'm sorry about my friend, he has a knack for the dramatic." I chuckled awkwardly, wincing slightly as I realized that I should probably catch up with him before I get left behind.

"Merry Christmas!" I echoed, before following after my friend.