The Wrong Translation

"What do you mean?" The Professor asked walking back to where Molly sat. She was still weak and kept hold of the Doctor for support.

"I mean whoever did the translation needs shooting." Molly said grinning.

The Doctor grinned back a her and said joyfully "Prehaps that is a job for you," and then continued quietly in River's ear "then maybe you can leave my hats alone."

River smiled instantly back "Fat chance" was her only reply.

"We all know what the Silence believes it says, correct?" continued Molly, ignoring the flirtatiousness of the last comment. Realising that she meet business they both nodded looking straight at her. River lowered herself, with the Doctors help back into the old leather chair

"Well my translation is different, it's small differences but they change the whole meaning." She continued taking a deep breath.

"On the battlefields of Trenzalore, at the fall of the eleventh child, when no mortal can speak incorrectly or fail to respond, a question will be tested, a question that never, ever needs to be answered and silence must fall when the question is asked."

No one spoke for a few minutes. The Doctor and the Professor just looked at the scroll and then at her, neither of them dared to speak. A thousand thoughts were flying through each of their heads. Molly knew exactly who and what the Silence were, creatures from a unknown planet that have been on earth longer than anyone remembers, due to the fact that no one can remember. During the time of the ancients they were referred to as Muses, inspiring the human race to do great things but as always there was a darker side to it and she knew that as well. She knew what they had done to the Professor that she held so dear, although she never talked about it. The story of Melody Pond was one she had grown up with, it was talked about on campus, nature over nurture. How someone from good parents can be turned bad and how easily it is to find the light again when you choose to love. There was also something about the Silences' own mythology that didn't add up, there were gaps and no matter how hard she searched she couldn't find the answers to fill them. Her main problem was that there were so few accounts and all of them from their enemies, not really a reliable source.

With all three of them deep in thought the TARDIS decided to break the silence with a loud whistling out of one of her tubes.

"Sorry old girl. Are you sure?" The Doctor was the first to speak.

"Yes, read it for yourself." Molly answered feeling a little like she was back at home with her Dad, sat at the kitchen table doing her homework.

"I have." He said

"And… Am I wrong?" she dared him to say that she was wrong. In her heart she wanted to be wrong, she knew what heart ache it would cause if she wasn't.

"Your translation is right, but what does it mean?" This time it was River who spoke in a soft voice. She didn't have the energy to waste on a pointless argument.

"I'm not sure. The problem is that the Silence believes it. Prophesies tend to come true because people believe in them, that's why the Soothsayer hid them. What worries me more that what it means is how this prophesy is known all over the universe?" The Doctor's words hit the spot. Molly and River knew that it always matter more what people believed, than what the truth was. River had been willing to spend the rest of her days in Stormcage because of that.

There was another long silence filled with thoughts, no one could answer and none of them wanted to admit that they didn't have a clue what to do with this new information and how or even if this would have an effect on the actual event.

The Professor slumped back onto the chair, frustrated and still tried from the attack. "Come on, you are supposed to be really smart, you must have an idea"

"I will have, but until then why not close your eyes again" There was such tenderness in his voice and his actions as he fussed over her, trying to make her comfortable. She had just challenged him and instead of his usual response, he calmed her and lulled her back to sleep. Even the Doctor realised that this was unusual for him. He had never worried about River dying before as he knew that where and when it happened but now things were different.

Molly couldn't help but smiling at the scene before her. He stayed there caressing her hair until she fell asleep again and then carried her off to another room in the TARDIS. He returned after a while and joined Molly on the floor. She was still pouring over the scroll trying to understand everything that was written, there were symbols incorporated into the border, some that were strange to her. She knew that the Doctor would know but she didn't want to draw his attention to it because she had seen his true name among others and knew she couldn't tell them.

A Note from AEK

I own nothing but my ideas. I hope that this chapter has captured your imagination and that I have done the characters of the Moff justice. I hope he won't be mad at me borrowing them. As for my little band of readers, I apologize for taking so long but the world has been mean and kept me from finishing this. However I am back, and plan to post the rest of this story as soon as possible.