Callista rushes in through the door of her TARDIS and locks it securely behind herself. Then she takes a moment to breathe. Library, bad. Full of hungry shadows. Probably shouldn't have stayed there after dark really. She dumps an armful of books, scrolls and data drives onto the small, formica table, and initiates the start-up sequence.
Despite the confrontation with the Vashta Nerada, she spends a good few days holed up the TARDIS with a cup of tea, researching everything she can on the Doctor. It makes for fascinating reading but is absolutely no help when it comes to Callista knowing if she can trust him or not. Doctor Who?
In his school days he had been known as Theta Sigma, which indicated that he was from a much higher class than Callista herself. One of his best friends in childhood had been the Master (whom Callista spends an afternoon reading about, and then has to put those books down before she starts crying) which doesn't bode well. He'd been friends with one of the evilest, most devious, psychopathic people that Gallifrey had ever produced. How can she reconcile that with his supposed image as a saviour of planets and peoples?
"To the people of the Gamma Forests, the word Doctor means Mighty Warrior…"
"Doctor – The word for Healer and Wise Man. We get that word from him. But if he had carried on, what might that word have come to mean?"
Callista flicks back to the title page of her current book. It's called "Doctor – Who?" and was written by none other than Professor River Song. It chronicles the Doctor's life right up until the events surrounding Lake Silencio in Utah, and his death there. That the Doctor had not died there had remained a mystery for a very long time, it seemed, though Callista has little access to the books that came after "Doctor – Who?". They're from beyond her timeline and, sadly, won't open for her.
After flicking through another book dealing with the Doctor's companions, Callista is even more lost. Accounts taken from them by Torchwood and UNIT show a great deal of devotion. At least they do where the accounts have been found. Several of these people never made it home to their families. It makes Callista feel better about what had happened with Greg, at least she hasn't killed him through her own stupidity.
Callista puts the last book down with a groan and stretches. As informative as it has all been, the new knowledge still hasn't helped her make up her mind. Her eyes flick over the now dog-eared copy of "Doctor – Who?". Surely it wouldn't hurt, going to see Professor River Song? She probably doesn't get all that many visitors after all. Dumping her cold tea into the small sink, Callista wanders out of the control room for a shower, humming to herself.
It is the highest security prison in the universe. The worst criminals from all over time and space locked away to contemplate their crimes in solitude with only the slightest possibility of release. It's embarrassingly easy to break in to. Callista hopes it will be just as easy to break out of when she's done. It was dangerous to come here but she has to speak to someone.
Doctor Song sits up in bed. It has been exactly twenty two minutes since the last guard walked past her cell. They are supposed to come every fifteen minutes and are irritatingly good at being on time. It is one of the rare days when rain isn't coming down in torrential sheets outside so they could just be making the most of the weather. Not likely. River wanders up to the bars of her cell and tries to peer down the corridor. Not a sausage. Wait. Something is moving in a shadowed doorway down the hall.
"Hello? It's not like you boys to go sneaking around…"
It's not easy to keep the anxiety out of her voice. The only visitor River ever gets is the Doctor, and he only comes at night. There are plenty of other people who would come though, given the right information, with all the wrong intentions.
The shadow moves out of the doorway and resolves into a girl. River starts breathing again because this is someone she recognises and actually rather likes. Not that Callista will know that yet. She's very young right now, very raw and so full of possibility.
"I haven't got long Doctor River Song, and you have some information that I desperately need, so please be co-operative" River almost laughs at the shaky resolve in Callista's voice. She is trying to be authoritative, which is sweet when the Doctor does it and positively adorable coming from Callista. Schooling her features into a stern mask, River replies in her very best serious voice.
"I understand. What do you need to know?"
Callista jerks in surprise at River's complete acceptance and readiness to comply. Perhaps she has sounded more compelling that she thought. Moving closer, Callista studies River Song through the bars. The Doctor's wife. River is still, trying not to frighten the girl, and Callista calms slightly.
"Why would he help me? The Doctor I mean? He fixed something for me and I don't know why. He should hate us… hate me. He does. Apparently you're from his future, you're his wife, you know everything there is to know about him. I read your first book but not the other two, they're in my future so I'm not allowed it and-" Callista gabbles, frightened. She is so relieved to finally be able to ask her questions that she has forgotten where she is, who she is, and who she is talking to. She shuts herself up and waits for River to answer.
"I write a book do I?" River asks, mischievously, and Callista puts her face in her hands "Oh don't worry! The Doctor makes far worse mistakes all the time. He told me what my next birthday present was the other night, silly man." Her tone is coaxing, and soon Callista starts looking at her again, slip up forgotten.
"Now, about your question. He's helping you because that is what he does. He's the Doctor, he helps people and occasionally fixes things. Callista, I know you're scared, but you need to trust him. He's not going to hurt you. As to why… Well, I think I'll let him explain that to you in his own time." River finishes and smiles reassuringly at a surprised Callista.
"You know my name?"
"We've been watching you for a little while now. The Doctor didn't know how to approach you so he's been keeping an eye on you in between other… projects" admits River, ruefully, making a mental note not to reveal any other spoilers to Callista before their due time and place. Really, her husband's bad habits are rubbing off on her. Well, just so long as they kept rubbing… Mentally slapping herself, River returns to the matter at hand.
The adolescent Time Lord looks lost, confused and is clearly fighting tears. Somewhere in the facility a siren begins to wail and angry voices echo up the corridor.
"Callista… It's time for you to go. You wouldn't like it here darling." River gently prods, waking Callista from her daze. Nodding mutely, Callista turns to leave. Just before disappearing back into the darkness she mumbles something.
"Thank you."
River feels the tell-tale breeze of time travel stir the air and takes a minute to savour it before the guards came crashing round the corner. They look honestly surprised to see the cell closed with River inside it.
"Too late boys. Hmmmm, you really must try harder next time, and I'll take my dinner now, thanks." Blowing them a kiss, River saunters back over to her bed and stares at the tiny patch of blue sky visible from her window. It really has been a beautiful day.
The Doctor stands in Central Park, New York, just looking at the place where he and the Ponds… He and the Williamses had their last picnic. He tries to stay away from this place, but the TARDIS brings him here, it's like she wants him to mourn. Why here though, when their graves are so close? The Doctor crushes that small, ember of hope and turns to leave.
He re-enters the abandoned pavilion and smiles. There is a caravan parked next to the police box and a teenaged girl with messy hair stood leaning against a pillar.
With a packet of Jammy Dodgers.
"Tea?"
