Hello, lovelies! Sorry it's been so long, I've been stuck in a rut... Another big thanks to my beta, Charlie (oldbutnew-newbutold). She's lovely!
Anyways, enjoy!
Crank. Crank. Crank. The Doctor moved his wrench to the sound of the music. It was some annoying pop song from Earth that Rose had put on. He could hear her dancing, her feet pounding on the floor. The song wasn't even very good, and the lyrics were clearly written by some lovesick teenager.
Do you ever think
When you're all alone
All that we could be?
Where this thing could go?
Am I crazy or falling in love?
Is it real or just another crush?
Do you catch a breath
When I look at you?
Are you holding back
Like the way I do?
'Cause I'm trying, trying to wa-
The song stopped abruptly as the Doctor sent an irritated thought to his ship. Sighing gratefully as silence filled the console room, he continued his repairs.
"Oi! I was listening to that!"
"I'm sorry, love, but you have awful taste in music."
"What do you mean I have awful taste in music?" She was starting to sound more angry than irritated.
"I just mean," the Doctor started, pulling himself out from under the controls, "that there is much better music in the universe to listen to."
"Hmm? I'm sure there is, but I like... Uh, what's his name?" She looked confused for a moment, then scowled. "Never mind that. What exactly do you have in mind?" Her hands were fixed on her hips.
"Something like this, maybe?" On cue, Strangers in the Night started playing softly. The Doctor grabbed Rose's hands and started to sway to the music. Unable to stay angry, Rose pressed herself up closer to him and swayed. Pretty soon, they were full on dancing around the console room, laughing whenever they bumped into something.
"The world doesn't end if the Doctor dances," Rose said with a grin. The Doctor chuckled.
"Well, one time, it almost did."
"I'm loving the almost."
The Doctor felt a cold shiver go down his spine, and his brain tingled. He abruptly stopped dancing as the face of a woman passed through his mind. Older, with an attractive face surrounded by a full head of blonde curls. As quickly as it appeared, the image began to fade. The Doctor fought hard to store the picture in his vast mind, and he won.
He opened his eyes to see Rose looking worriedly at him. He gave her a weak smile before collapsing against the console. She quickly wrapped an arm around him and began to tow him to the Med Bay.
"No, love. I'm fine."
"Obviously not. What the hell was that, Doctor?" She continued to pull him out of the room.
"I… I don't know. Some kind of déjà vu, or something…"
"Déjà vu my arse. We need to take some scans. Make sure your brain is functioning properly, that you aren't ill, that you aren't being possessed by some fucking alien who wants to destroy us all and then take our baby prisoner and-"
"Rose, calm down. You are way overreacting." The Doctor wriggled out of her grip to face her. "Seriously, love."
"No, you fucking calm down, you stupid fucking alien! I am trying to-"
"Actually, technically speaking, I'm not an alien to you anymore…" He shrugged and ran a hand through his hair. God, Rose loved that hair.
"I'm trying to protect-"
"Our baby." He finished for her. She sighed, a mixture of frustration and understanding. The Doctor slowly walked to her and wrapped his arms around her. She hesitantly wrapped hers around him. "And I love you for that, Rose Tyler. I love you for all that you are and all that you do. So much so," he paused and grinned, "that I went domestic."
She looked up at him. "Marriage is not equal to domesticity, Doctor. We still live in a box that is bigger on the inside and can travel through time and space."
"It was a pretty domestic wedding, though."
"Getting married on another planet does not even come close to domestic."
"Jackie was there, she domesticates everything." Rose laughed at this.
"Watch it, that's my mum you're talking about. And I'm beginning to hate that word."
"You're right. A better word would be 'beautiful.' We had a beautiful wedding, and don't tell the groom, but I think the bride was stunning."
Rose tilted her head back and laughed as she thought of the wedding. It really was beautiful. It had taken place on a lush, but uninhabited planet somewhere in the Retyhian System. All the guests had to travel there by TARDIS, but that was only a small drawback.
The ceremony area was in a small clearing in the dense forest, simple chairs set up for the minimal guests, and a small walkway covered in petals of a gorgeous flower native to the planet. The alter was an artistic masterpiece though. It was made of gold, and looked like vines growing up from the ground on both sides, twisting together at the top. Small rose like figures sprouted out here and there.
The Doctor had stood there nervously with Captain Jack Harkness, who they had asked to officiate the wedding.
The real jaw-dropper, though, was Rose.
She had worn a long white dress that had flowed gracefully in the wind, and gave her great body the attention it deserved. Her hair was put up in a tasteful updo, and her bangs were curled gently on both sides of her face. She wore natural makeup, and the Doctor looked at her as though she were a goddess. The ceremony had gone perfectly according to plan, except for Captain Jack dropping a bit more than a few sexual innuendos. He had even attempted to flirt with Mickey, Jackie, and two couples at the reception. It was a bit annoying, having to tell him to shut up and keep his hands to himself, but it remained the best day of the Doctor and Rose's lives.
As the memory faded back into the recesses of her mind, Rose leaned her head on her husband's chest, and thought about what he had said before their conversation had changed.
"I… I don't know… Some kind of déjà vu or something…"
The Doctor didn't have déjà vu though. It simply didn't happen, with him being a Time Lord. He could see time and time lines, but he simply saw the past and future when he looked at someone. Something was wrong, they both knew it, but they just couldn't put their fingers on it.
"Professor River Song!" A young, timid voice called.
"Yes, Miss Evangelista?" River turned and looked at the pretty girl, an annoyed expression on her face.
"I know we've only just taken off, but you need to sign a Personal Experience contract agreeing that your individual experience inside the Library is the… Uh, intellectual property of the Felman Lux Corporation."
"Sweetie, let me tell you something," River started, putting her arm around the girl. "I don't sign contracts. I do whatever the hell I want."
"But Professor-"
"Here, let me see that," she said, motioning to the paper in Miss Evangelista's hands. She gave it to her, and River proceeded to fold into as small a square as possible, then tossed it down a garbage chute. "Like I said, I do whatever the hell I want."
Miss Evangelista simply looked at her, shocked.
"Now, Miss Evangelista. Is that your first name or your surname?"
"Uh, it's my last name? My first name is Angela," she added with a smile.
"Angela Evangelista. Interesting. Anyways, you can go tell Mr. Lux that I will not be signing any 'Personal Experience contract.' You can also tell him that he will be okay with this, because I am the one leading this expedition, not him. He is only funding it."
She let go of Angela and walked towards her small study that had been provided for her, thanks to Mr. Lux. She closed the door behind her and turned around in the small, white space. Her desk was littered with papers and artifacts from the Library, as well as a small device that contained the message, "4022 saved. No survivors."
It had puzzled everyone to no end, it was the whole point of the expedition: to find out exactly what happened that day, almost 100 years prior. River sat down and began to shuffle through the papers. Most were taken from the actual library, but a precious few were about the big event. There were many different names for what had happened: The Disappearance of the 4022, The Falling of the Library, and funnily enough, The Silence.
River had always found that particular name frightening. She had dealt with the Silence both as a child and an adult, and they scared her to death both times. They had revolved around her, and she hoped that they were not coming for her again. Every time, she lost someone… Or thought she had.
She shrugged off the thought and reached for the sonic screwdriver that was sitting on her desk. It was the Doctor's, he had given it to her after their last adventure.
"Here." He held the screwdriver in front of her, not meeting her eyes. "You need it more than I do."
She smiled at the thought. Although his word choice seemed a bit odd, she did appreciate the act of trust he had shown her by giving it to her.
The archeologist closed her eyes and leaned back in her chair, content for the moment. Then she heard muffled shouting outside her door.
"What do you mean she didn't…" A male voice.
"I just… Sorry… She said she… The hell… Wants." A quieter voice. Miss Evangelista.
She could only hear snippets, but she knew what was going on. She walked to the door and swung it open right as Mr. Lux had reached for the door latch.
"Can I help you, Mr. Lux?" River asked with a smile, then winked at Angela, who was cowering behind him. His face was red with anger.
"You have to sign the Personal Experience contract!" He exclaimed, waving the papers in front of her face. "My family built the Library, I have rights!"
River simply smiled at him, a very cheeky smile. "Sweetie, I don't give a shit about your so-called 'rights.' Now, leave it, or you'll find yourself without an archeologist."
Strackman Lux sputtered for an answer, but an alarm began blaring, calling River to the cockpit.
"I have to go," she said. "Mr. Lux, head to your sleeping pod. Angela, with me."
"Why?" He asked, already being ushered there by River.
"Because, sweetie," she began, shoving him in and programming it to open in 8 hours, "You're being a royal pain in the arse."
Before he could respond, she shoved the door shut, and started walking towards the back of the ship.
"I thought Proper Dave needed you in the front," Angela pointed out, confused.
"Oh no, honey. That's just the dinner bell. Why don't you go wash up in the bathroom real quick?"
Angela nodded and quickly scurried off. With everyone out of her way, she went back to her room, shutting and locking the door behind her. She sat at her desk and began to concentrate. She needed to contact the Doctor, knowing she very well might need his help. Focusing her mind, she sent a message to the psychic paper:
The Library
Come as soon as you can
She finished it with a kiss, so he would know who it was. That man received so many cries for help on his psychic paper, it was ridiculous. You would think some species could handle themselves, but oh no, they were all constantly crying for aid, for someone, anyone to help them.
It was a depressing thought, so River was grateful when an alarm began to blare again.
"Now that is not a dinner bell," she muttered, running to the front.
"What the hell is going on?" She asked the pilot, Proper Dave.
"An escape pod just launched, we've no idea why."
"Well is anyone on it?" Anita asked, appearing behind River.
"I don't know!" He answered, pressing an intercom button. "Escape Pod R76T4-0, report to Main Ship."
"Uh, hello?" Miss Evangelista's voice came over the intercom. "I think I'm in the escape pod… Ooh, I see the ship! It's so big! Wow! I'm waving at you guys, can you see me?"
Proper Dave let go of the intercom button as he and Anita burst out laughing. Even River was fighting back a snicker.
"We have to go back for her," River said, trying her best to sound serious.
"But… She seems… So happy!" Anita said between giggles.
"Dave, turn it around."
"Yes, ma'am!" Dave said, still in fits.
River sighed and ran a hand over her face. Being stuck on a ship with this lot, she could already tell that she had her work cut out for her. They could not get to the library fast enough.
"Don't worry, Miss Evangelista, we're coming back for you," River said over the intercom.
"Thank you. I'm sorry, I… I thought this was the restroom."
"It's okay, we're coming." Turning to Dave and Anita, she said, "Take care of it. I'm going back to my study."
She exited the cockpit, and began walking to her room, smiling at Mr. Lux as she passed his sleeping pod. He was yelling at her, trying to get out, but she couldn't hear him. One of the joys of the sleeping pods: blocks out snores. Oh well, she thought. At least I'll have a bit of fun…
Thanks for reading! I'm trying to make it somewhat similar to the episode, but obviously it's not going to be that similar. Also, I love River, but damn... Rose is a protective mum! Yay! Keep reading, sweeties!
-Edith
