HELLO EVERYONE! SORRY IT'S BEEN A WHILE! I have had this written up for a couple of weeks now but to be honest with you have been too lazy to post it.. and I have had loads of work to do... oh the joys of college... ugh :/ But here we are! Chapter 2 of TTTD! It is quite long, but I like it :D And I know this is the same as Silence in the Library/Forest of the Dead but, I have tried to take out some parts and the parts that have speech from the episode in, are there to help introduce Destiny a bit more. This chapter is to show how the Doctor and Destiny met. THE BOOK WILL NOT BE WRITTEN PURELY ON EPISODES PLEASE REMEMBER THIS! There will be times when I have to put a mention of a episode in... I hope this does not put you off... if you have read this authors note, then thank you... I hope you enjoy the chapter! Don't forget to leave a review! :) THANK YOU!

Chapter 2

"So Dad will be here then?" Destiny complained as they climbed out of their ship which was used to travel to the Library. The other crew members were taking their time in getting out, and so left Destiny and River waiting.

"Unfortunately, for you anyway, yes…" River sighed, knowing this was exactly what her daughter had not wanted. "I've sent him a message on the psychic paper," River turned her flashlight on, motioning for Destiny to do the same. Their helmets were in place. Destiny had her straightened hair tied up on top of her head in a tight bun. Her mother had asked her to straighten it especially for this trip; but she wasn't exactly sure why.

"But why?" Destiny pestered her mother. "You know I've never had an adventure without Dad! I thought this was going to be an exception!"

"Well, you know why we're here; we want to know why the Library has been sealed off for a hundred years; what happened to all those people? And what better man to ask than your father?" River asked, flashing a smile in Destiny's direction. Destiny didn't want to see her father on this pacific trip as she wanted to show that she could look after herself in any situation. But River wanted to see him, she always did. After all she lived only for the adventures with him.

"You're just afraid to admit that you won't find the answer!" Destiny sang as the realization hit her in the face. The other members of the crew started to emerge, helmets in place with their flashlights on. River rolled her eyes.

"No, I just thought that… well, why don't we get a bigger insight on it?"

"Mum, both me and you have a brain as big as a Time Lord! Why do we need another?" Destiny asked raising her eyebrows. They began walking away from the ship, into the Library.

"Well, you know the old saying… three Time Lords are better than one!" River called, walking in front of her daughter a little, in case of any dangers.

"I'm pretty sure that's not an old saying…" Destiny mumbled to herself as the crew members sped up a little over taking her and leaving her to trail behind the group.

She couldn't help but think of all the things that could go differently if her father wasn't going to turn up. She watched her feet take each step, following the person in front of her. She almost knocked everyone down like dominos as everyone stopped abruptly and made her walk into them.

"What?" Destiny called over the sudden silence, straightening herself out again. "Why have we stopped?" She looked around the group to see the sight of the thing she hadn't seen in about 2 years.

"The TARDIS!" She breathed, walking forward to place her hand upon the box she would one day call her home. She noticed how it looked slightly different than the one she had last seen, but she could feel the time machine humming and knew it was her father's ship.

"What is it?" Mr Lux called out.

"A Police Public Call Box from 1960's Earth," River replied casually.

"Honestly Mr Lux; you call yourself an archaeologist?" Destiny chuckled out loud, not taking her eyes off of the amazing blue box.

"Come now Destiny, be nice," River smiled – although everyone could tell she was being completely sarcastic and actually agreed with her daughter.

Destiny finally tore her gaze away from the TARDIS and looked at her mother. They shared a look of excitement before Mr Lux cleared his throat.

"Can we keep moving please? We don't have all day!"

Destiny rolled her eyes.

"Actually Mr Lux," Destiny said walking towards her mother who was looking at Mr Lux. "We do," And with that she turned to her heal and began walking away from the group.

"Well, you can tell she's you're daughter River," Anita chuckled.

"Oh trust me when I say, she's more like her father," River stated before following in her daughter's wake; jogging to catch up with her. "I knew you'd want to see him really," River whispered to Destiny.

"Shut-up mum!" Destiny sighed as they turned round a corner. "I only saw him last night!" River looked away from Destiny before Destiny could recognise the pain flashing through her eyes. For a few minutes, silence enveloped the group. "Mum, if Dad's here… then what about the older Destiny?" Destiny asked, breaking the silence.

"Don't worry, I've been given a head's up," River smiled as she cautiously looked around another corner. "There will be no older Destiny travelling with him." River then led them round the corner, happy that nothing was going to spring out and surprise them.

"But," Destiny began but was cut off by River as she stopped by a door and held up her hand, silencing her. The rest of the group quickly caught up.

"What's going on?" Proper Dave's voice whispered.

"I hear voices," River mumbled. Destiny listened hard, she too could hear them. Mother and daughter shared a look before kicking the door open together. One after the other everyone walked in. There was a node to the right of them that kept repeating itself;

"Reminder; the library has been breached. Others are coming."

And there, stood in the middle of the room was a man in a blue suit and a woman with fiery red hair.

Destiny's mouth opened wide. Yes, this man was her father. But an earlier incarnation of him. She had never met one before. Her father was the one with the bow tie and the funny little walk. This regeneration of her father was not her father. He was completely different (or so she had been told by none other than her father).

She quickly closed her mouth before she slowly approached him.

"Hi," She smiled. He looked at her blankly before River walked up beside her daughter and took his attention.

"Hello Sweetie," She smiled flirtatiously. Destiny shook her head slightly. Different Doctor, same Old River.

"Get out," Was all the Doctor said. Destiny found herself gasping from utter confusion. Her father had never talked to her mother like that.

"Doctor," The woman with the red hair said quietly. Destiny gulped with anticipation as the Doctor, her father, walked forward and pointed out the door they had just come through.

"All of you! Turn around, get back in your rocket and fly away. Tell your grandchildren you came to the Library and lived. They won't believe you!"

Destiny looked at River and River nodded her head in support. Destiny fell back to be with the group, but River stayed stationed in the middle of the room.

"Pop your helmets everyone. We've got breathers." River commanded.

Everyone reached up and twisted their helmets off. All except Anita. River shook her wild hair free and Destiny smoothed hers back.

"How do you know they're not androids?" Anita asked cautiously, her helmet still in place.

"Because I've dated androids. They're rubbish." River threw a wink Destiny's way and she found herself giggling. The whole time, the Doctor stood there dumfounded. Mr Lux suddenly stepped forward towards River.

"Who is this? You said we were the only expedition. I paid for exclusives!" He sounded really pissed.

Destiny stayed at the back of the group not really wanting to interfere. She watched on, keeping a watchful eye on the man who was her father… who still hadn't said hello.

"I lied." River stated as Anita finally took her helmet off. "I'm always lying. Bound to be others," Destiny nodded, her mother had already shared this information with her previously.

"Miss Evangelista, I want to see the contracts!" Mr Lux ordered, turning back round. The Doctor's eyes followed him as he walked over to Miss Evangelista.

Destiny still stayed silent. Her father wasn't even giving her a second glance.

"You came through the north door yeah?" River asked the Doctor, grabbing his attention. He whipped back round to face her. "How was that? Much damage?"

The Doctor put his hands on his hips, sweeping his long coat behind him. The way he stood reminded Destiny of the way he stood when he was telling her off, or giving her a warning… or if she was just generally in trouble.

"Please just leave," He ordered in a voice that Destiny was well aquatinted with, due to the fact that it was the voice used when she was bugging him. It sounded almost exactly the same, even if she had never heard this incarnation of him speak it. "I'm asking you seriously and properly, just lea- hang on," He paused ever so slightly, turning his head to look at Mr Lux, almost catching eye sight with Destiny. She looked down quickly. "Did you say expedition?"

"My expedition. I founded it," Mr Lux almost spat as he pulled off his gloves. Destiny rolled her eyes; he was too high up his own ass in her opinion.

"Oh, you're not, are you?" The Doctor moaned, fanning round to look at Anita who stood behind him. "Tell me you're not archaeologists." He looked at River who he seemed to think was in charge.

"Got a problem with archaeologists?" River asked in a carefree tone, as if this was normal Doctor behaviour.

"I'm a time-traveller," The Doctor stated firmly. "I point and laugh at archaeologists."

"Ah," River smiled, holding out her hand. "Professor River Song; archaeologist."

The Doctor shook her hand and then set about trying to get them to leave. Mr Lux and River seemed determined to stay though. He seemed to like ordering people around, Destiny noticed. He never seemed to stop. He ripped up Mr Lux's contract and refused to sign it – but that didn't surprise her. He then decided to steal Mr Lux's torch and take it over to where two bookshelves stood and shone it down in between them where it was pitch black, talking to the woman with the red hair. He then proceeded to tell them to turn on all the lights they had and point them outwards to create a safe area. All the while, he ignored Destiny, and even though Destiny knew this wasn't her father (well the one she was used to), she was still hurt by it.

"Do as he says," River told Anita and the two Dave's.

"You're not listening to this man?" Mr Lux asked, sounding as if he was pretending that his expedition was going as planned.

"Apparently, I am," River stated as if it was the most obvious thing in the universe. She then proceeded to repeat everything the Doctor had just said but named people to do the jobs. She didn't give Miss Evangelista or Destiny a job. Destiny was just accompanying her mother, and even though she was studying archaeology at college (and hoping to go off to university so she could travel like her mother did) she wasn't actually qualified. And Destiny had a hunch that her mother knew how she was feeling towards seeing a different face on the man she called dad.

"Pretty boy, you're with me. Step into my office," River called to the Doctor was knelt on the floor with his ear flattened against it, listening to god knows what. Destiny knew who River meant by pretty boy, and by the looks of it, so did everyone else – except the Doctor.

"Pretty boy." River called again after confirming to Mr Lux that she didn't fancy him. "With me I said!"

Destiny watched from a distance as he began talking to the red haired woman.

"Who's that with him mum?" Destiny asked, not taking her eyes off of him. River looked up from her rucksack.

"I dunno, one of his many companions, obviously. It's quite difficult to remember them all. And even though I do, I don't know the faces to many of them," River mumbled. "Give us a minute, we need to do diaries, all right? Go help Other Dave and Anita with the lights." Destiny nodded and did as she was told and went over to where other Dave and Anita were putting up the lights. They were now talking to the ginger woman that the Doctor had just stopped talking too. She watched as her father approached her mother and they began conversing. She wished she could hear what was being said, but she couldn't. They we're too far away and sadly she hadn't inherited her father's Time Lord hearing.

"Hello."

Destiny zoomed around to face the person who had just talked to her. The person in front of her was the ginger woman, her father's companion.

"Hi…" Destiny didn't mean to sound so unsure and unfriendly. So she smiled. "I'm Destiny!"

"I'm Donna," The ginger woman told her. Destiny managed to keep her smile in place even though she realised who she was stood in front of. Donna Noble, the most important woman in creation. "You're an archaeologist?" Donna asked, looking at how young Destiny looked.

"No," Destiny's smile slipped a little. "Not yet anyway. I'm training." She sighed. "You could call this work experience I suppose."

"Oh, I just thought, because you look so young…. How old are you?"

"17," Destiny nodded in confirmation.

"Seriously? I would have probably said 14 or 15," Donna voiced.

"Yeah, I get that a lot…" Destiny trailed off.

"Well, I – uh… I'm going to," She motioned to the Doctor and River.

"Oh I wouldn't interrupt… they're um… sinking their diaries," Destiny advised.

"Sinking their diaries?" Donna questioned.

"Time traveller thing," Destiny shrugged her shoulders and began to help Other Dave and Anita with the lights. Donna walked closer to the Doctor and River; close enough to hear them, but far enough to not get in the way.

River looked into the eyes of the man she loved. Yes, he looked different… but deep down it was the same guy. She recognised that look, in his eye; he couldn't recall seeing her before. This was their first meeting for him.

"Doctor," River asked seriously. "Please tell me you know who I am."

The Doctor glanced down at the diary on the table before looking back at River with truth filled eyes.

"Who are you?"

River slowly took her hand away, in too much shock to continue. This was always the day that was going to frighten her the most. Although it was going to come one day, she never knew it would come so soon.

"N-nothing?" River asked. The Doctor shook his head.

"No, sorry," He said.

"Okay," River pushed back the tears starting to gather at her eyes. "Then please, please, please… tell me you know who that little girl is," River pointed behind him. The Doctor turned to get a better look. "Do you know her Doctor?"

"I'm sorry," The Doctor mumbled, looking back round at River. "I don't, at all."

Before River could think of a reply, a bringing noise echoed continuously around the room. Everyone turned to look at the source of the noise. The Doctor took a couple of steps away from River and stood with his back to her as he assessed the situation at hand.

"Sorry, that was me!" Dave called to the group. "Trying to get through into the security protocols. I seem to have set something off. What is that?" He paused. "Is that an alarm?"

Donna walked over to the Doctor.

"Doctor? Doctor, that sounds like…" She trailed off.

"It is," The Doctor confirmed. "It's a phone," His tone suggested he couldn't believe it.

"I'm trying to call up the data core, but it's not responding. Just that noise." Dave replied as he began repeatedly pressing a button.

"But it's a phone," Donna said, stating the obvious.

"Let me try something," The Doctor said as everyone began to gather round the computer. Everyone except River and Destiny.

Destiny looked over at her mum. A stray tear was in the middle of falling down River's cheek. Destiny jogged silently over to her mother.

"Mum?" She asked. "Mum, what's wrong? What happened?"

"Destiny, he doesn't know me," River whispered as if too scared to admit it.

"Oh no!" Destiny's hand flew to her mouth. That was bad, that was very bad. "Oh, Mum, I'm so sorry!"

River nodded.

"This'll be my last adventure with him… but do you know the worst thing?" River finally looked up at her daughter.

"What?" Destiny asked, unsure of what else to say.

"He doesn't even know you."

"No!" Destiny couldn't believe it. He always knew who she was. Even when he never knew that River was her mother! "Mum, what does that mean?"

"I don't know, Destiny, I don't know."

Suddenly the bringing noise stopped.

"Okay, don't like that," The Doctor said, talking to himself. "Let's try something else." He began typing something into the computer.

"C'mon," River whipped her face and put a gentle hand on Destiny's shoulder and took her over to the group stood round the computer. They couldn't make themselves look suspicious by not joining in with the group.

In the end, a little girl pooped up onto the computer screen, confusing everyone. The Doctor conserved with her for a little before the connection seemed to just vanish.

"What happened? Who was that?" River asked, voicing everyone's thoughts.

"I need another terminal," The Doctor said to himself. He then spoke loudly to everyone as he ran past them. "Keep working on those lights. We need those lights!"

"You heard him people," River patted Destiny on the upper arm. "Let there be light!" And just like that everybody separated and began working on the lights.

Destiny unsure of what to do as everyone was working on the lights, and there was not another light that needed attending to, casually walked around everyone. Donna was talking to Miss Evangelista. Destiny absentmindedly looked over at her father who was looking down at some blue book on the table. He reached and picked it up. Destiny looked away before realising what the book was.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa!" She said loudly, taking a few steps to almost close the distance between her and her father. "Dad, you can't go in the book!" She said quickly as she took it from his hands. "It's against the rules!" She kept forgetting that this version of her father was oblivious to everything.

"What rules?" The Doctor asked, now looking carefully at Destiny. It was the first time he had since they had arrived.

"Your rules," Destiny said in a voice that suggested that it was the most obvious thing in the universe.

The Doctor's eyebrows furrowed together.

"What's your name?" He asked.

"Destiny," She mumbled.

"Hang on, aren't you a bit young to be an archaeologist?" He asked enquiringly.

"Uh," Destiny looked around, River was watching them carefully. "Yeah, I am." She confirmed. The Doctor went to turn back to the computer terminal he was working at but looked back at Destiny.

"Hang on…"

"Again?" Destiny asked cheekily.

"Did you just call me…?" The Doctor paused. "…Dad?"

"Uh… I better return this book to its owner…" Destiny chuckled uncertainly as she turned away from her dad and paced over to her mother.

"Here," She handed River the diary. "Caught Dad about to look in this," She said under her breath.

"Thanks, Sweetie," River smiled softly placing the book into her nearby rucksack.

"Does Dad know that you're my…" River cut her off.

"No," She breathed heavily. "And he can't know until he knows who I am," River said sadly. Destiny opened her mouth to reply but the Doctor's voice cut across her.

"What's that? I didn't do that. Did you do that?" He turned to look at Proper Dave who was at another computer terminal. Books had started to fly everywhere.

"Not me," Proper Dave confirmed.

Everyone continued to get the lights set up and Destiny, who kept feeling the Doctor's eyes landing on her, pretended to be helping her mum for an excuse for something to do.

"So, I have to pretend?" Destiny asked as she helped her mum carry the wire of a light across the room.

"Uh," River looked at her daughter apologetically. "Yeah, at least until he knows who I am to him."

"But the last time he knew who you were was when I came to stay with you permanently. That could be ages away for this version of him."

"I'm sorry Destiny," River mumbled, not being able to look Destiny in the eye. She knew she was asking too much of Destiny when she said that she had to pretend River wasn't her mother. "This is why I asked you to straighten your hair."

"I don't get it," Destiny stated honestly. "Why do I have to straighten my hair?"

"Well, every time I have accompanied you father somewhere, he has always had an older Destiny with him," River began. "And to start with she had her natural, lovely curls. As time went on, the Doctor found out who I was, and that was the first time I saw you, an older you, with straight hair. And every time after that, she always had straight hair, and the Doctor didn't know who I was. He will not know who; he cannot know; who I am to you until he knows who I am to him. When he knows who I am to him, he'll know about us. I promise."

After this more books fell.

"What's causing that?" River asked, looking at the Doctor. Destiny too looked. She knew he had been watching them converse, and could have even tried to listen in to their conversation, and it was obvious he had been by the way he was leant against a table, looking straight at the pair. "Is it the little girl?"

"But who is the little girl? What's she gotta do with this place?" The Doctor voiced.

Nobody answered. He asked everyone if they'd set up the lights and then called them round to have what he called was 'a little chat'. Destiny felt uncomfortable as his gaze kept absentmindedly falling on her. She had yet to tell River that she might have accidentally called the Doctor, 'Dad'. She knew River was going to be fine with it, after all he was going to have to be told sooner or later, it's just Destiny opted for him finding out later. And now, she knew that he had his suspicions.

Everything was a bit of a rush from there on out. Miss Evangelista wondered off and within seconds was reduced to bones. They were introduced to the Vashta Nerada, which was described as a man-eating swarm; the piranhas of the air. They were told that they were living in not every shadow but any shadow and to stay clear of them as much as possible. And then… Proper Dave had two shadows…

"It's how they hunt," The Doctor informed them as he stood in front of proper Dave. "They latch onto a food source and keep it fresh."

"What do I do?" Proper Dave asked.

"You stay absolutely still, like there's a wasp in the room. Like there's a million wasps." The Doctor said calmly, but with so much command.

"We're not leaving you Dave!" Destiny called out. The Doctor's eyes fell on her before turning straight back to Dave.

"Course we're not leaving him." He said to Destiny, before addressing Dave again. "Where's your helmet? Don't point, just tell me."

"On the floor, by my bag," Dave sounded so scared now, and Destiny really, really felt for him. The Doctor put Dave's helmet on and ordered everyone else to as well. He cast a glance over to Destiny subconsciously before turning back to proper Dave.

"Professor," The Doctor called to River. "Anything I can do to the suits?"

"What good are the damn suits?" Mr Lux asked, fear laced through his voice. "Miss Evangelista was wearing her suit. There was nothing left!"

"We can increase the mesh destiny," River said, ignoring Mr Lux. "Dial it up four hundred percent, make it a tougher meal."

"Okay." He placed his screwdriver on Dave's suit, adjusting it. "Eight hundred percent. Pass it on." He held it up to River. But River had already pulled out her own. Destiny couldn't help but stare opened mouthed. River had kept that quiet.

"Gotcha." She smiled holding up hers for the Doctor to see.

"What's that?" The Doctor asked, dumbfounded.

"It's a screwdriver, duh," Destiny says out loud before she can stop herself. Everyone's eyes turned to her. The Doctor walked over to the side where Destiny was stood and placed his screwdriver to her suit, increasing the mesh destiny. She couldn't help but roll her eyes.

"It's sonic," The Doctor said, turning back round to face River who had started to adjust everyone else's suits.

"Yeah, I know!" River called out with a smile. "Snap."

And with that the Doctor took Donna and ran into the little shop with her.

When he came back, Donna was no longer with him, and Dave's second shadow was still gone. Sadly, Proper Dave went the same way as Miss Evangelista. He started to ghost.

"Hey, who turned out the lights?" Proper Dave's voice rang out. "Hey, who turned out the lights?" He was still standing though and the Doctor took a step towards him.

"Doctor don't!" River warned.

"Dave, can you hear me?"

"Hey, who turned out the lights?" Dave was still asking. Suddenly, out of nowhere, Dave's hands went to the Doctors shoulders and pushed him onto his knees.

"DAD!" Destiny screamed, on instinct.

"Hey, who turned out the lights?" Dave's voice kept repeating.

"Excuse me!" River said, placing her sonic screwdriver on Dave's suit and running an electrical current through him. It defiantly made what was left of Dave let go of the Doctor. They managed to get out using River's squareness gun (Destiny swore that her mother just hid all these objects up her sleeves). They all ran for it.

Within a few minutes they were in amongst shelves of books. The Doctor was trying to sort out a light fitting with his sonic screwdriver, but with no such luck. Destiny was lent against a shelf, catching her breath while her parents talked. The Doctor then figured out that his companion had not reached the TARDIS like she was supposed to. She had been turned into a node, informing the Doctor and everyone around him that Donna Noble had left the library… Donna Noble has been saved. At the same time, The Vashta Nerada within Dave's suit was getting closer and closer. River used her squareness gun against the bookshelf and they all ran through. They managed to find a clear spot. But as River pointed out, sunset was arriving. They found a live Vashta Nerada and it ate up Other Dave's chicken leg in a second. Destiny stayed silent, unsure of what to do, she caught her breath and watched her parents squabble over the sonic screwdriver.

"Listen to me. You've lost your friend. You're angry. I understand. But you need to be less emotional, Doctor, right now," Destiny heard her mother say to her father.

"Less emotional? I'm not emotional," The Doctor didn't seem to impressed that she had suggested that he was being emotional.

"There are six people in this room still alive. One of them is your daughter! Focus on that. Dear God, you're hard work young." River snapped. Destiny sighed. He had been told now… even though she knew he had known for a while now.

"Young? Who are you?!" He yelled back, just as snappy. Destiny hated when her parents argued.

"Stop!" Destiny shouted over them. They both looked at her. "Please just stop!"

River turned back to the Doctor and whispered something in his ear. He looked stunned.

"Are we good?" River asked, pulling away slightly. The Doctor didn't reply. "Doctor, are we good?"

"Yeah…" He paused for a moment. "We're good…"

He then went on about his sonic screwdriver, Mr Lux shared the information with them that the moon of the library was not real, that it's a virus checker. The Doctor was trying to block the signal as it was interfering with his sonic screwdriver. As he was trying to do this, an image of Donna appeared from the screwdriver. But as quickly as she appeared, she disappeared.

Anita then announced that she had two shadows and everyone was putting their helmets on again. And before they knew it they were running for their lives again as Proper Dave's suit had caught up with them. They run through a walkway that connected two of the skyscrapers together. The Doctor suddenly stopped and let everyone run ahead of him.

"Dad!" Destiny yelled, coming to a halt as well. "What are you doing?!"

"Go! Go ahead and find a safe spot!" He says to Destiny.

"It's a carnivorous swarm in a suit. You can't reason with it." River tried to reason with him, coming to her daughter's aid beside her.

"Five minutes," He promises holding up a hand.

Destiny runs on with River and the others, apart from Other Dave who River told to stay with the Doctor. They manage to find a spot and wait until the Doctor comes back.

He informs them that other Dave is not coming back, he too was taken by the Vashta Nerada. And then the Doctor realised… nobody says saved… four thousand and twenty two people saved… literally saved. Saved into the hard drive. Everything went quickly downhill, the computer told them all that autodestruct was enabled in twenty minutes and the terminal screens all went blank. Mr Lux got really panicky declaring that they needed to save CAL. They use a gravity platform to get to the main computer. They discovered that CAL stands for Charlotte Abigail Lux, the main command node. She was a child, who was dreaming of a normal life with a lovely dad.

"So what do we do?" River asked.

"Autodestruct in ten minutes," The computer informed them.

"Easy! We beam all the people out of the data core. The computer will reset and stop the countdown. Difficult. Charlotte doesn't have enough memory space left to make the transfer. Easy! I'll hook myself up to the computer. She can borrow my memory space." The Doctor exclaimed running straight over to a terminal.

"Dad no!" Destiny said, going up to him. "It'll kill you!" She tried to reason.

"Yeah, it's easy to criticise."

"It'll burn out both your hearts, and don't think you'll regenerate!" River warned, a harsh tone to her voice.

"I'll try my hardest not to die. Honestly! It's the main thing!"

"DAD!" Destiny yelled trying to get through to him.

He ignored her.

"I'm right, this works."

"DAD!" Destiny screamed twice as loud. He turned to her this time and put his arms around her. "Listen, go! Go with River and Luxy boy. Go back to the main library." He then let go of her and turned to River. "Prime any data cells you can find for maximum download, and before you say anything else, Professor, can I just mention in passing as you're here, shut up."

"I HATE YOU SOMETIMES!" River yelled at him.

"I know!" He replied. River grabbed Destiny's wrist knowing she would object to leaving him and turned around. The three; River, Destiny and Mr Lux left. Mr Lux was running in front of them both.

"Mum! We can't just leave him there!" River didn't reply. "Mum!" Destiny stopped, pulling River to a stop as well. "Mum! I will not let him do it!" River looked sadly at her daughter. "If he dies now, you'll never have had all those adventures with him…" She paused slightly. "I shall never have exited! Because I am pretty sure I wasn't conceived when my father had that face!" She shuddered.

"Oh my gosh! You're right!" River said. "MR LUX!" she called. "YOU GO ON!" And without waiting for a reply, mother and daughter ran back towards the Doctor.

"Oh, Anita!" River gushes as she runs towards Anita's suit, laying on the floor. A skeleton stood in place of her face.

"I'm sorry, she's been dead a while now." The Doctor turned to her quickly. "I told you to go!" He said, directing it mainly at Destiny.

"Lux can manage without us! But you can't" And with that she punched him. He hit his head on the covering of the main hard drive, knocking himself out.

"Mum! What did you do?" Destiny gasps.

"I had to, otherwise we would have never got through to him." River crouches down beside him. "He's okay, he won't be out long. But he will be out long enough for me to do what's necessary."

"And what's that mum?!" Destiny asks as the computer tells them that Autodestruct is in 8 minutes. Destiny however, reckons she knows what's coming.

"I have to take his place. That's the only way," River says as she hauls the Doctor up and manages to carry him over to the other side of the room.

"How?! Mum, I'm not going to save one parent and let the other take his place! Mum! This isn't fair!" Destiny yells, following her mother. River pulls a pair of handcuffs out of nowhere and cuffs one of the Doctor's wrists to the metal work. She knelt down and reached into the Doctor's suit and pulled out his sonic screwdriver. "Mum!" Destiny yelled, but she was ignored as River moved forward a bit and placed a kiss on her future husband's forehead. Her lips lingered on his skin for a moment longer than was needed. "Mum, please don't do this!" Destiny begged. "Please!" She watched her mother take out her own sonic screwdriver and her diary and place them with the Doctor's sonic screwdriver on the floor just a little further away from the Doctor's reach. She stood and faced her daughter.

"Listen," River whispered moving closer to her daughter. "I know this is hard for you, it is for me, and it will be for him too," She nodded behind her at the Doctor. "But I need you to know Destiny, that I love you… with all my heart! You know, there were times when I…" Her voice started to break. "Before I gave birth to you, I didn't really know who you were, to me you were just simply the Doctor's daughter… you were nothing to me. And I want to apologize in advance," A tear slipped down her face. "For all the things that I say and do to you to try and get more of that daft old man's attention," Destiny knew she meant the Doctor. "I really, really, really am sorry. When I was that selfish woman, I used to think that the Doctor was my world. But I realised you were my universe. He was just a galaxy within my universe. You were the one that was always there for me, even when I had no idea who you were to me, so thank you," Destiny too began to shed some tears. "I also want to apologize for what I am about to do Destiny. I don't want to do it. But if it means saving your father, and saving you, then I will gladly do it. There is nothing that I will not do, to save you."

"Mum, please, there must be some way…" Destiny began but got interrupted.

"There is no other way Destiny." She kissed her daughters forehead. "And don't you realise?" River tried to smile, attempting to lighten the mood. "You're going to become the older Destiny that you always wanted to be."

"Well if this is the price I have to pay to get my childhood wish then I would rather not have it!" Destiny spat.

"I'm sorry Destiny," River cried, hugging her daughter for dear life. "At least I got to see you all grown up, eh?"

Destiny hugged her mother back just as tightly when the computer rang out exclaiming that there was only 5 minutes until autodestruct. They pulled apart and River began working on hooking herself up.

"Mum, I can't just stand here and watch you sacrifice yourself." Destiny whispered watching her mother, not wanting to assist.

"Destiny," River spoke as she worked. "You have done many things since you were born for me and you will continue to do so. You have done all these things off of your own back and I thank you for that as I never asked you to do anything for me. But please, just this once, I'm asking you, let me do this. Let me save you!" She looked over at her daughter who had lost control of her tears. Destiny didn't reply and so River continued with her work. Eventually when the countdown reached 3 minutes, River sat herself down and continued twisting wires.

"Mum, I love you!"

"I love you too Destiny! Oh the adventure's you'll have! I admit, you won't see me for a while! But when we do… well let's just say… spoilers," River smiled at her daughter. Destiny managed a weak smile. She then ran forward and embraced her mother in a tight hug. She didn't want to let go.

"I love you, I love you, I love you, I love you!" Destiny kept repeating.

"Oh Destiny, sweetheart, I love you too!" River cried holding her daughter just as tightly. Destiny let go. "It's for the best sweetie," She promised.

"For the best," Destiny nodded, trying to agree as she took a step back. "I love you mum!"

"I love you too!" She smiled as she whipped her eyes. "Can't let him see the damage," She whispered to herself. She continued to work and as soon as the computer announced: "Autodestruct in two minutes." The Doctor awoke.

Destiny watched, with tears flowing freely down her face as her parents conversed. She listened to her mother tell her father of their last adventure, that for her had happened the night before. And then the countdown reached one minute. Soon it was ticking away the seconds. River's eyes glanced over to Destiny who mouthed 'I love you' again. She could tell in River's eyes that she was replying. As soon as the countdown reached one, River joined two power cables together which caused a blinding light.

Both the Doctor and Destiny cowered away but as soon as the light went away Destiny was at her mother's body was.

"NO!" She screamed loudly the tears now staining her face and coming more fiercely. "NO!"

The Doctor was attempting to reach one of the sonic screwdrivers, he needed to get to her, to comfort her.

"WHY?! WHY, GOD? WHY?! IT'S NOT FAIR!" She then broke down, crying loudly into her mother's lifeless lap. "Please," She mumbled to herself. "Please. Time can be rewritten. Please. I love you. Come back." She kept mumbling to herself, hoping that her mother would just suddenly appear, but she didn't.

The Doctor gave up trying to reach a sonic and sat back against the metal framework.

"Destiny," He said softly, trying to attract her attention. But it wasn't working. "Destiny?"

"IT'S NOT FAIR!" She screamed again, holding onto River's body.

Mr Lux came running round the corner, beaming.

"He did it! River he…" He paused when he saw the situation at hand. "Oh… oh my…" He stopped beaming.

"She did it, Mr Lux… she saved them," The Doctor gulped.

"Uh, right," Mr Lux seemed lost for words. "She did it, bless her."

"Uh, Mr Lux, I wonder whether you could pass me one of those sonic screwdrivers," He asked sadly. Mr Lux passed him them both, he pocketed one and used the other to unlock the handcuffs. "Give us a moment please Mr Lux?" Mr Lux respectfully turned and walked away. The Doctor picked up and pocketed River's diary before kneeling beside Destiny.

"I'm sorry, I'm so, so sorry." He whispered, placing a soft hand on her shoulder.

"It's not fair dad! Why?" Destiny wailed, falling into her father's chest.

"Who was she to you?" The Doctor asked. "Was she your mother?"

Destiny cried harder at hearing this and then looked into her father's eyes.

"Spoilers," She whispered.