DISCLAIMER : I do not own.
A/N: A huge thanks goes to everyone who has shown support with this story so far. A little bit of Doctor/Doctor in this chapter. Sorry, just couldn't help myself.
He had planned it, carefully, marooning it around a concept so basic and brilliant that it just simply couldn't go wrong. He was going to save River, and there was nothing or no one who could stop him. His mind was set on saving her. He had to stop the sacrifice she had made. He had to stop it, and he would because without a doubt in the depths of his newly knitted DNA he was still The Doctor. His predecessor and River had been right all along, because The Doctor was a man who made decisions, horrific ones, with destructive consequences, and here he was, doing the very same. _ Saving her because she had saved him so many times before.
He doesn't know who that impossible woman is but compared to the thousands of stars in the universe she is the brightest, most beautiful his life is dark her shining light guides him, and he wasn't about to let her burn out and die. The universe would be a far more dismal place if he let that happen.
He was choosing one woman over every other living thing. If he rescued her from the grips of death not only would he be jeopardising the people saved in the library core, but he'd also be putting the whole of existence at risk.
" You can't do this. I'm sorry, I'm really sorry but you just ... can't." His tenth selves voice drifted from behind him like a powerful stab in the back.
Turning around he stared into the deep pitted eyes of his tenth self, and spoke slowly with a grating hint of mild annoyance staining his words, " I have to. You just don't understand, " Taking a deep breath he repeated himself, " I have to do this."
His tenth self frowned, " Why? You know it's wrong. I can see in your face that you know." Oh yes, it was such a funny joke the sick universe was playing on him, wasn't it? The only thing that could possibly hold him back was another version of himself. Typical!
" What's so wrong about saving someone?" He retorted in an automatic response. Though River Song wasn't just a person ... she was so much more.
" Normally I'd agree with you but I can't ... not this time. You'd be crossing your own timeline." His tenth self pushed his hands in his pockets and glanced at the ground sadly.
Chuckling slightly he said, " And what exactly do you call this? " He raised an eyebrow, and poked his tenth self.
His tenth self swallowed, " A valid point, but what if ..."
" Already thought of that! I've analysed all the risks down to a fine art. " He quickly interrupted his tenth self, " I know what I have to do." He straightened his bow tie nervously before starting to type in the coordinates to the library on the TARDIS console.
" I can't stay with you nor can the TARDIS. You'd be on your own, and what about the River on board ...what if she wakes up. What should I tell her? " His tenth self asked.
Of course he knew what his predecessor was doing. He was trying to make him feel guilty about leaving the injured River without so much as a goodbye, but what he was about to do was for River ; at least that's what he kept on telling himself. His hearts felt like they were being torn into tiny shreds. A huge part of him wanted to stay my Rivers bedside, to await the moment she opened her eyes again, but that part of him was rather outweighed by the part that wanted to save her from the library. The image of her burning body just wouldn't leave him alone, and unless he did something quickly that would be an image he would carry around for the rest of his lives.
" Tell her... tell her. " He bit down on his lower lip slightly as he tried to find the right words, " That I've just popped out for a while. I'll be back before she knows it. " He smiled weakly at his tenth self, " I promise you I've thought about this long and hard. I know what I'm doing. Time and space shall stay intact." He span and began walking towards the TARDIS doors. He half expected to be stopped and his fear almost came true as he felt hand clamp onto his wrist.
" It's not time and space that I'm worried about. " His tenth self admitted, leaning forwards.
The Doctor found himself melting underneath the puppy dog eyes that were fixed on him, and instead of pushing his tenth self away he instead brushed his lips against Tens and gave him a simple but ever so affectionate kiss. This was the second kiss that he'd shared with himself, and despite the wrongness of it, both times felt extremely right. except this time it felt like he was saying goodbye, and a small voice in the back of his mind was telling him that there was every chance that he was.
Pulling away the two men stared at each other both knowing exactly what the other was feeling ; Scared, sickened with sorrow, and completely baffled,
" You must really love her. " His tenth self smiled weakly.
The Doctor took a second to think about the mixture of the feelings that River Song stirred up within him, " Yes. I barely know her, but blimey do I love that woman." He nodded.
" Then go out there and save her. Just BE careful!" His tenth self said, emphasising the word be ," Oh, and don't do anything I wouldn't do. Now off you pop before I change my mind. "
The Doctor raked a hand through his thick, brown hair and let out a long, pained sigh, " It was good though, yeh? " He asked.
" It was more than good! It was brilliant. You're brilliant!" His tenth self grinned at him madly.
" Good. Now, look after her for me, and promise me something. Never let go of her hand." And just like that The Doctor found himself running. He fled out of the TARDIS doors and was immediately met by hungry shadows flickering in the dark.
He ran, never stopped, not for anything, and all his previous denial of not being the man who had created him blew away, along with the air in his lungs.
Because he was The Doctor, and what does The Doctor do best? He runs. Except he wasn't running away, not this time.
Each stride he took through the darkness was another step towards saving River, another step closer to the fate that had been waiting for him all this time, because he knew now, this is why he had been created. For this moment in time. This was his purpose.