"What could you possibly be reading. I swear you haven't put that book down in days. Is it something juicy?" River asked walking out onto the porch.
"It isn't 'juicy', it's just interesting. Sounds a bit like your doctor actually." Anita said back making sure to add an extra bit of emphasis on 'your'. She had been in the library with River now for over a year but she still hadn't been able to get the story of the mysterious Doctor out of River. It was about the only thing that River didn't share openly.
"Oh, the Doctor is very juicy," River said flopping down onto the wicker chair next to her friend. The two sat in silence for a moment before River turned suddenly and grabbed the book. Looking over the cover she laughed. "'The Story of the Last Centurion' well that is unexpected. How far are you?"
"He is just taking the Pandorica out of Rome to protect the treasure from the invaders," Anita said clearly not pleased to have her book ripped from her.
"Well, that's wrong." River said handing the book back and moving to stand.
"What do you mean that's wrong? Like you were there?" Anita snapped upset that River couldn't just let her read in peace.
"Not when he left Rome admittedly but I heard the summary. I know for a fact he wasn't running from invaders when he left Rome." River said still making her way back inside. As she passed through the common area River began to wonder just what all these histories books had wrong.
While they were all living in a virtual world the survivors of the library had decided to live together in an apartment building. That way they were close but they all managed to keep their own space as well. Once a week they still made sure that the group had dinner together.
"Anita says you were saying some weird things about the Last Centurion River," Proper Dave said as they began to eat. He continued around a mouthful of food. "Making it sound like you knew him or something."
"Don't be ridiculous." Other Dave replied, "How could she have known him. He lived Millennia ago."
"If you believe the stories he also lived for Millennia." Proper Dave countered. This wasn't the first time that a conversation came up where River just wanted to throw food at the all and say 'I married a time traveler you dolts' but she had always refrained.
"He's my father." River said taking an obnoxious bite of mashed potatoes. The one thing about living in a virtual world that River loved was the food always tasted good and she didn't gain weight.
"He's...wait, what?" Miss Evangelista asked looking over at River in astonishment. "Don't be ridiculous River he lived on earth. In ancient Rome. He can't have been."
"The story about how he guarded the box," River asked, "Does your book say what was in it?"
"The Centurion guarded something for the god of time as punishment. If he fulfilled his task and kept the box safe for the god he would be rewarded by having his love returned to him." Miss Evangelista answered. "Everyone knows the story of the Last Centurion."
"What about Demon's Run?" River asked.
"The Last Centurion got his love back and they traveled off into the stars. His love was captured again and this time she was pregnant. The Last Centurion traveled far and wide to find her and with the help of a great warrior he was able to reunite his family. The warrior then went on to marry the daughter." Anita said.
"It's a bedtime story," Other Dave said. "Something to keep kids interested in history."
"Not for me. For me that's my life." River said taking the ast bite of pork on her plate. "But I could tell you the real story."
With that River got up and began to head to her quarters. The rooms here reminded her of the TARDIS. They were set to each individual person. The personality or attitude When they were created dictated how they looked. Walking through her blue door River couldn't help but notice her rooms were a lot like her parents house in London.
It was an hour later that river was finally interrupted by the group. She laughed as they made their way into her living room and she was surprised that A had brought her book with her. River was going to have to read through that book at some point. That and the other books about her family.
"So, you decided to take me up on that offer?" River asked with a smirk.
"I want to know what proof you have that your father is the Last Centurion." Anita asked with a tone River did not appreciate.
"How about those pictures of me with him?" River asked pointing to some pictures on the wall of her and Rory with him in full attire. She hadn't actually had anything when she came into this world but as she got comfortable pictures from her memories started to appear around the room.
"That does look like him." Proper Dave said walking towards the picture.
"It is, his name was Rory Williams. He was an amazing man." River said emotion just showing in her voice.
"What happened to him?" Other Dave asked forgetting his skepticism in the face of a good story.
"He died. Many years ago. In New York. Real New York, not New New New or any of that." River explained. "I never got to say good-bye to him. I got to say goodbye to my mother though before she joined him. I wish she could have stayed but those two always had to be together."
River pulled her legs up and wrapped her arms around them. It had been a long time since she had thought about that day in the graveyard. She could remember everything about it. One of the things she was least grateful for at time from her Time Lord DNA was the memories.
"What do you mean?" Miss Evangelista asked sitting down as well.
"Amelia Pond and Rory Williams were meant to be. Locked in time. They were always and forever. God I sound sappy. Only ever for them though." River said reminding herself she didn't cry. "They grew up together. They were my best friends and they were perfect together. They just fit right away. Though Mother did think he was gay at first.
"Then the doctor showed up. Amy had met him before and he had come back for her. They began to travel the stars. Time and Space meant nothing. It was all about the fun. Rory joined them later. The three of them travelling about. I joined every once and awhile. Though they had no idea who I was yet." River remembered.
"How did they not know their daughter?" Proper Dave asked.
"I hadn't been born yet. Time travel is like that. Very confusing, and wonderful, and upsetting, and brilliant. The doctor first kiss with me was also my last with him, it's not something to try and understand." River explained.
"So you travelled with the Last Centurion?" Anita asked starting to sound like she believed.
"Well, he wasn't the Last Centurion yet. That happened after he disappeared. There was a rift in time you see and things were just disappearing all over the place. Only the Doctor remembered. It was just after that when a trap was planned using Amy's memories. Including her memories of Rory. But they set it in Ancient Rome.
"Rory came back as a centurion. The trap was for the Doctor and they thought they had him. They were going to stick him in the Pandorica." River said sighing remembering that night.
"So that was the treasure of the Pandorica. The Doctor? The one from the library?" Other Dave asked.
"Well, that was the plan. But then no plan has ever gone correctly with the doctor involved. You see Rory had been recreated from living plastic. He had also been reprogrammed. He ended up shooting Amy. To save her they placed her in the Pandorica. Rory had to guard her for the next two thousand years." River stated. "Then the doctor could wake her back up."
"I don't understand one thing." Anita said.
"Really, I don't understand way more than that." Other Dave stated with a smirk.
"Who was the god of time?" Anita asked ignoring Other Dave.
"The Doctor of course." River replied. "He's a Time Lord."
Unsurprisingly another discussion began about how she was crazy. However, she was beginning to think she would enjoy telling her story to these people. It had been a long time since she had friends.