Okay, this chapter and the next took forever, but hopefully they came out well. :)
Let the rewriting of his past begin.
I'm starting with the Library episodes because, well, with Rose there you know that whole marrying River thing wouldn't happen and if not then...what happens at the Library?
River stopped in front of the doors that led to the main room. She waited for everyone to catch up and then blasted them open before leading her expedition team inside. She only made it a few steps before she paused. The Doctor. Not the one she knew. This was his most recent previous regeneration. Oh, but she recognized him, had seen that face looking back at her from pictures. Only, he wasn't wearing the goofy grin he wore in all those photos.
She crossed the room toward him, smiling, thinking of all the stories she'd been told. She remembered them well. She gazed over him, her smile turning into a smirk, and he called all those other blokes pretty boys. Oh, this was going to be fun. She walked right up to him and hit the button on her helmet to adjust her polarized filter so he could see her face. She gave him a smile.
"Hello, sweetie," she greeted.
Something she teasingly called the other Doctor. A suggestion from her friend, her best friend. A joke between them.
The Doctor eyed her.
"Get out," he ordered. Then he turned his attention to the others.
"Doctor," a redheaded woman said.
He ignored her, dashing toward the others. Was the redhead one of his previous companions or had she too found her way to the Library?
"All of you turn around, get back in your rocket, and fly away," he adamantly demanded. "Tell your grandchildren you came to the Library and lived. They won't believe you."
He was in a state. Not like the man she knew. The one who had become one of her closest friends. That one would've explained what was going on. This one seemed more than a bit angrier. She glanced around the room, looking for someone…someone who wasn't there and then she knew.
"Pop your helmets everyone. We've got breathers," she said, popping her own helmet and removing it. The others on team did the same.
The Doctor eyed her.
"How do you know they're not androids," Anita, a member of the expedition team, asked.
"Because I've dated androids," River replied. "They're rubbish."
She'd only dated two, but that had been enough to turn her off of them for good. Talk about one track minds. Mr. Lux crossed the room toward her, all commanding like, as if he was actually in charge. River rolled her eyes.
"Who is this?" Mr. Lux demanded. "You said we were the only expedition. I paid for exclusives."
River smiled.
"I lied. I'm always lying. Bound to be others."
She could do without him. She only took the job because of what happened there. The biggest Library in the universe. A place visited by millions until it went quiet. There had been people here when it happened, but the planet sealed and everyone had been trapped. How could she resist?
"Ms. Evangelista, I want to see the contracts," Mr. Lux demanded.
River turned her attention to the Doctor, looking him over again. Yes, definitely a pretty boy. Oh, she was going to tease him about this, not the him standing in front of her, but the other one. She smiled at the thought.
"You came through the north door, yeah? How was that? Much damage?" she asked.
He faced her putting his hands on his hips.
"Please, just leave," he insisted. "I'm asking you seriously and properly, just leave." His attention suddenly turned to Mr. Lux. "Hang on. Did you say expedition?"
What was going on with him? Why was he acting like they didn't know each other? He must have a reason, but she wasn't sure what that reason was, but she was sure he'd tell her eventually.
"My expedition," Mr. Lux replied. "I funded it."
"Oh, you're not are you," the Doctor said, in a horribly disappointed sort of way…like getting socks for Christmas, "Tell me you're not archeologists."
She eyed him, trying not to laugh. He was teasing, had to be. He knew she was an archeologist.
"Got a problem with archeologists," she asked, raising her brow.
"I'm a time traveler. I point and laugh at archeologists," he replied.
"Ah," she said, holding out her hand as she tried to hold her laughter in. "Professor River Song. Archeologist."
"River Song, lovely name," he said taking her hand and pulling her towards him and then pushing her at the door, "As you're leaving and you're leaving now. You need to set up a quarantine beacon. Code wall the planet. The whole planet. Nobody comes here. Not ever again. Not one living thing. Not here. Not ever." He turned, catching Anita as she tried to walk through a doorway. "Stop right there," he ordered, grabbing her and pulling her back into the room. "What's your name?"
There was something going on. Had to be. He was worried, she could see that now.
"Anita," Anita said as he pulled her across the room.
"Anita, stay out of the shadows. Not a foot, not a finger in the shadows till you're safely back in your ship. Goes for all of you. Stay in the light. Find a nice, bright spot, and just stand. If you understand me look very, very scared." He eyed them each in turn. Yes, he was definitely worried. "No, a bit more scared than that." He looked at each of them again. "Okay, do for now. You. Who're you?" He asked, crossing the room toward Other Dave.
She watched him, wondering what had him so concerned. She thought about contacting her friend who was back onboard her team's ship, but she dismissed the idea. Had to be careful. She couldn't chance him finding out about the other woman. If he did, that might very well change things and she couldn't let that happen.
Rose didn't usually come with her on expeditions, but she, occasionally , popped in on River when she wanted to catch up or just spend time together. Over the years they'd known each other they'd become friends, best friends. Rose had been there for her during times when no one else was. Her friend gave her parents back to her, gave her a chance to know them after what Kovarian did to her and that was something River could never repay.
So, when Rose showed up out of the blue and wanted to come along River was more than happy to spend time with her. This must be way she wanted to come. Seeing him again. She knew how her friend felt about the Doctor, the one River knew, but this one would always hold a special place in her friend's heart.
"Er…Dave," Other Dave said, answering the Doctor's question regarding his name.
"Okay, Dave," the Time Lord replied.
"Oh, well, Other Dave because that's proper Dave," he said, pointing at Dave, "…the pilot. He was the first Dave so when we-"
"Other Dave," the Doctor interrupted, pulling him into the hall, "The way you came, does it look the same as before?"
"Yeah. Oh! It's a bit darker."
"How much darker?"
Darker? What did that mean?
"Oh, like, like I could see where we came through just like a moment ago. I can't now."
"Seal up this door. We'll find another way out."
Seal up the door? It had to be pretty bad if he didn't want to chance going near it, whatever it was.
"Would you…" Other Dave began, but the Doctor walked back into the room, ignoring him.
Her friend was right. This previous version was quite rude.
"We're not looking for a way out," Mr. Lux said. "Ms. Evangelista?" He handed her a clipboard with the contracts on it.
River couldn't help smiling. She was fairly sure where this was going. Evangelista caught up with the Doctor and the redhead.
"Uh, I'm Mr. Lux's personal everything. You need to sign these contracts agreeing that your individual experiences inside the library are the intellectual property of the Felman Lux Corporation."
"Right, give it here," the Doctor said, reaching for one.
"Yeah, lovely. Thanks," the redhead replied, also reaching for a contract.
They each took one, ripped them in half, and then tossed them on in the air. Just as she thought. She was having a hard time not laughing. It was the nagging worry over the Doctor being so concerned that stopped her.
"My family built this library. I have rights," Mr. Lux insisted, crossing the room toward the Doctor.
"You have a mouth that won't stop," River snapped. He was worried about contracts, but she was worried about the Doctor's concern. She eyed the Time Lord. "You think there's danger here?"
"Something came to this library and killed everything in it. Killed a whole world. Danger?" the Doctor said, giving her a sideways nod. "Could be."
"That was a hundred years ago. The Library's been silent for a hundred years. Whatever came here's long dead."
He turned his head, catching her eye.
"Bet your life?"
He should know.
"Always," she said, giving him a smile.
He glanced at her curiously and then crossed the room toward Mr. Lux. She watched him. There were only five people she trusted and he was one of them. Not first on the list, that person was back on the ship, but he was a close second, tied only with Amy.
"What're you doing?" Mr. Lux asked in the background.
"He said, seal the door," Other Dave replied.
"Torch," the Doctor ordered.
Mr. Lux raised his torch. The Doctor snatched it from him.
"You're taking orders from him?" Mr. Lux asked.
"Spooky, isn't it?" the Doctor inquired as he crossed the room, passing River on his way.
He turned on the torch and pointed it into the shadows. The redhead joined him and River watched from behind.
"Almost every species in the universe has an irrational fear of the dark," the Doctor explained. "But they're wrong because it's not irrational. It's Vashta Nerada."
"What's Vashta Nerada?" the redhead asked.
"It's what's in the dark. What's always in the dark. Lights!" he exclaimed, turning around and walking back toward the group. "That's what we need. Lights!" He tossed the torch at Mr. Lux. "You got any lights?"
Lights? So whatever it was had to do with the shadows. Vashta Nerada? She tried to remember if she ever heard of them, but she couldn't recall anything.
"What for?" River asked.
"Form a circle. Safe area," the Doctor said, sweeping his hands around him as if to form a circle. "Big as you can. Lights pointing out."
Then he removed his coat.
"Oi," River said, eyeing her team. "Do as he says."
She would've liked an explanation, but she trusted him. It didn't matter what face he wore she knew he always did what he thought was right. Always protected other people. Same as her friend. Same as her.
"You're not listening to this man?" Mr. Lux asked.
River looked at him.
"Apparently, I am." She turned to her team members. "Anita, unpack the lights. Other Dave, make sure the door's secure, then help Anita. Mr. Lux, put your helmet back on, block the visor. Proper Dave, find an active terminal. I want you to access the library database. See what you can find about what happened here a hundred years ago." She bent down, picked up her helmet and bag, "Pretty boy, you're with me. Step into my office."
"Professor Song," Mr. Lux called, drawing her attention. "Why am I the only one wearing my helmet?"
"I don't fancy you," she said with a smile before turning and crossing the room.
She glanced over to the Doctor, he was leaning against a console, staring at the monitor over Dave's shoulder.
"Pretty boy, with me I said," she called.
The Doctor glanced at the redhead and then seemed to catch on.
"Oh, I'm pretty boy?" he asked.
"Yes. Ooo, that came out a bit quick," she replied.
"Pretty?" he asked.
The redhead gave a sideways nod.
"Meh."
The Doctor gave his own sideways nod and then crossed the room toward River.
"Don't let your shadows cross," he warned, eyeing the team members. "Seriously, don't even let them touch. Any of them could be infected."
"How could a shadow be infected?" Other Dave asked, but the Doctor ignored him and continued across the room.
River opened her pack and began digging items out until she came to the one she was looking for. The Doctor joined her, leaning against the table and folding his arms. He watched her. She pulled out her TARDIS blue diary. The one they gave to her all those years ago. She flipped through the pages, staying away from any to do with Rose. Her friend wasn't there with him, which meant this was during a time either after he lost her to the Rift or dropped her back on that parallel world.
"Thanks," she said.
"For what?" he asked, as if he had no idea what she was talking about.
"The usual. For coming when I call."
Rose was the one who asked her to call. Said she might need some help, although River hadn't been entirely sure why, but she always trusted her friend's instincts.
"Oh, that was you?" he asked.
"You're doing a very good job acting like you don't know me. I'm assuming there's a reason," she said.
"Yeah, a fairly good one, actually."
"Okay," River said, glancing at him. "Should we do diaries then? Where are we this time?" She glanced at the diary and then his face. "Um, going by your face I'd say it's early days for you, yeah?" She glanced back at her diary. "So, um, crash of the Byzantium. Have we done that yet?" He just stared at her. "Obviously ringing no bells." She turned another page. "All right…um…Picnic at Asgard?" she asked, thinking fondly of the first time her family was together, not just her parents, but the others too. "Have we done Asgard yet?" He continued to stare at her. She raised her brow. "Obviously not. Blimey, very early days then. Whoo, life of a time traveler, never knew it could be such hard work." She glanced from her diary to his face again. "Um…" And that's when she saw it. "Look at you." She sighed. "You're young."
"I'm really not, you know."
"No, but you are." She reached over and touched his shoulder, gazing into his eyes. So much younger than they'd ever been. She remembered the first time she looked into them when she was just a little girl, even then she could see it. The years. The pain. There was more pain in them now, but she knew why. It was because he lost her, Rose, he either lost her or walked away, but that had been losing her too. "You're younger than I've ever seen you."
"You've seen me before then?" he asked, glancing at her hand on his shoulder.
Her smile faltered. What?
"Doctor," she said, gazing into the eyes of the man who meant so much to her and so much more to her friend. "Please, tell me you know who I am."
He glanced at her hand again and then back to her.
"Who are you?" he asked.
And that's when she knew. She sat back, despair filling her heart because she knew what his not knowing meant. This was it. Her life with them had always been back to front. Never meeting in the same order. When she first met them they knew everything about her and now…she should've known when she realized her friend wasn't there, well, not there with the Doctor.
She knew what would happen here, in this place. She remembered. Two words. Given by her friend, whispered into her ear, oh, so very long ago. At first, she didn't know what the words were for, but she knew now. A day will come. A day when you'll need to know those words and I'm sorry, I'm so sorry. I'll be there, but I can't help you. It's something you have to do on your own because the choice has to be yours.
Today was that day. Only, she didn't know what choice her friend had been talking about. The Doctor was going on about a phone. She pulled herself together. Now, wasn't the time to dwell on the past. If the past caught up with her today then so be it. She needed to make sure her team made it out of there. They were her responsibility.
The Doctor tried to call up the data core, but for some reason a little girl answered and then he was bumped out. An Access Denied message flashing across the screen.
"What happened? Who was that?" River asked.
The Doctor punched keys on the keyboard, but he couldn't access the data core.
"I need another terminal," he said and then dashed across the room. "Keep working on those lights! Need those lights!"
"You heard him people. Let there be light," River said, running after him.
She found him typing on another terminal, but caught him glancing at her diary. He reached for it, picking it up, but she took it from him.
"Sorry, you're not allowed to see inside the book," she said. "It's against the rules."
"What rules?" he asked.
"Your rules," she replied, turning around and walking back to her pack to put the book away.
It wouldn't do for him to read it. Wouldn't do at all. Future knowledge was dangerous and the future knowledge inside her diary could change everything. Not only for him, but for her friend, and herself as well. He couldn't know.
She hated keeping the truth from him. She knew how much he was being torn up inside, but he had to live through this, had to have the bad before he could have the good. After stuffing her diary back and zipping up her pack she began helping with the lights, but before she got on too far books began flying from the shelves. She tried to ignore it because the lights were what was important. Then the books began flying off the shelves again.
"What's causing that?" she asked. "Is it the little girl?"
"But who is the little girl?" the Doctor asked. She turned to him, he was sitting on the counter. "What's she got to do with this place?" He eyed River. "How does the data core work? What's the principle? What's Cal?"
She led the expedition team, but she didn't know all of that. That was Mr. Lux's territory.
"Ask Mr. Lux," she said.
The Doctor eyed Mr. Lux.
"Cal, what is it?"
"Sorry, you didn't sign your personal experience contracts," Mr. Lux replied.
The Doctor hopped off the counter and crossed the room toward Mr. Lux. She could see anger flashing in his eyes, anger he was barely holding back.
"Mr. Lux," he said, stuffing his hands in his pockets as he faced the man. "Right now, you're in more danger than you've ever been in your whole life. And you're protecting a patent?"
"I'm protecting my family's pride."
"Well, funny thing, Mr. Lux. I don't want to see everyone in this room dead because some idiot thinks his pride is more important," the Doctor replied with a dangerous edge to his voice.
This was going nowhere fast. She had to find a way to diffuse him or they'd never make it out of there.
"Then why don't you sign his contract?" River asked, drawing both their attention. "I didn't either. I'm getting worse than you."
The Doctor gave her a confused and slightly surprised look, there was distrust there as well. Then glanced between her and Mr. Lux as if he had no idea what was going on. Good. Better that then having a yelling match with Mr. Lux because they were both too stubborn to give in.
"Okay. Okay. Okay," the Doctor exclaimed, walking across the room. "Let's start at the beginning." He turned around. "What happened here? On the actual day, a hundred years ago, what physically happened?"
Good. Moving on. Moving on was good.
"There was a message from the Library. Just one. The lights are going out. Then the computer sealed the planet and there was nothing for a hundred years," River explained.
"It's taken three generations of my family just to decode the seals and get back in," Mr. Lux said.
"Um…excuse me," Evangelista interrupted.
"Not just now," Mr. Lux shot.
"There was one other thing in the last message," River said, bending down and dug the handheld from her pack.
"That's confidential," Mr. Lux insisted.
She eyed him. He was annoying to no end.
"I trust this man. With my life. With everything," she insisted.
The only person she trusted more than him was sitting in a ship orbiting the Library, probably listening to them at that very moment, if she knew her friend as well as she thought she did and she knew Rose very well, had known her since she was little. River caught the Doctor's surprised look, but ignored it as she drew up the data.
"You've only just met him," Mr. Lux insisted.
"Nope, he's only just met me," River replied.
The Doctor crossed the room to join her, gazing at her handheld as she brought up the message.
"Um…this might be important, actually," Evangelista interrupted, again.
"In a moment," Mr. Lux ordered, impatiently.
"This is the data extract that came with the message," River said.
"Four thousand and twenty-two saved. No survivors," the Doctor read.
"Four thousand and twenty-two. That's the exact number of people who were in the Library when the planet was sealed."
"But how can four thousand and twenty-two people have been saved if there were no survivors?" the redhead asked.
"That's what we're here to find out," River explained.
"And so far, we haven't found any bodies," Mr. Lux said.
A scream tore through the room. In the next moment the Doctor was running for a passage that opened in the wall and River was right behind him.
-0-
Ms. Evangelista was dead. The Vashta Nerada killed her. Creatures that lived in the shadows and could tear flesh from bone in less than a few seconds. She survived for a few moments as a data ghost. Then she was gone. River wanted to find the creatures and not just destroy them, but obliterate them.
They raced back into the room she entered when she first arrived. The Doctor shined the torch into the shadows.
"I'm going to need a pack lunch," he said.
"Hang on," River said, running over to her pack and digging through it.
The Doctor bent down next to her as she pulled her diary out to get to her food supply. He eyed her.
"What's in that book?" he asked.
"Spoilers," she dismissed.
There was no way she was letting him anywhere near her diary. Not now, not ever. He was far too emotional. She wasn't sure what he'd do if he knew, knew how close her friend was…who her friend was.
"Who are you?" he asked.
"Professor River Song, university of-" she began.
"To me. Who are you to me?"
"Again," she said, catching his eye. "Spoilers." She opened her lunch pack and handed it over. "Chicken and a bit of salad. Knock yourself out."
He continued to stare at her for a few moments. She thought about how much of a friend the other Doctor was, the future Doctor, and how important he was to Rose, but she couldn't tell him what she knew. That there were dark times ahead for him, some of the darkest he'd ever known, but in the end he would have her back. In the end they'd be together. He couldn't know that, couldn't know how close the woman he lost was. Finally he took her lunch pack and stood up and she breathed a sigh of relief.
"Right, you lot. Let's all meet the Vashta Nerada," he said, facing the group.
River watched him bend down and begin checking the shadows under one of the tables. He held the torch in front of him and scanned the area with his sonic. The redhead was next to her.
"You travel with him, don't you?" River asked. "The Doctor, you travel with him?"
"What of it?" the redhead snapped.
River looked at her. There was distrust in the woman's voice.
"Proper Dave, could you move over a bit?" the Doctor inquired.
"Why?" Proper Dave asked.
"Over there by the water cooler. Thanks."
"You know him, don't you?" the redhead asked.
"Oh, God, do I know that man. We go way back, that man and me and…" she trailed off, glancing at the other woman. Almost said too much, almost slipped.
"And who?" the woman asked.
"Just not this far back," River replied, turning her attention to the Doctor and hoping the woman wouldn't insist on an answer.
"I'm sorry…what?"
"He hasn't met me yet. I sent him a message, but it went wrong. It arrived too early. This is the Doctor in the days before he knew me. And he looks at me. He looks right through me and…and I know what that means."
"What're you talking about?" the redhead demanded. "Are you just talking rubbish? Do you know him, or don't you?"
"Donna! Quiet. I'm working," the Doctor snapped.
The name…River recognized that name. She turned to the woman.
"Donna, you're Donna. Donna Noble."
"Yeah. Why?"
"I do know the Doctor, but in the future. His personal future."
"So, why don't you know me? Where am I in the future?"
Oh. That was bad. River didn't think about that, didn't think that Donna would ask that.
"Okay," the Doctor called, interrupting them and River thought she'd never been so grateful for an interruption before that moment. "I've got a live one." He stood up and faced them. "That's not darkness down those tunnels. This is not a shadow." He reached for River's lunch pack and picked it up. "It's a swarm." He bent down in front of the table. Donna joined him and River watched from behind. "A man eating swarm."
He grabbed the chicken leg and tossed it into the shadow. The moment it hit the shadow the flesh vanished and when the chicken leg hit the floor the only thing left was bone. That's how they killed Evangelista. Now River knew why he was worried. They were in trouble, worse trouble than she'd ever been in. These weren't aliens bent on domination or revenge, there was no reasoning, no fighting her way out.
"The piranhas of the air," the Doctor continued. "The Vashta Nerada. Literally, the shadows that melt the flesh. Most planets have them, but usually in small clusters. I've never seen an infestation on this scale, or this aggressive."
"What do you mean most planets?" Donna asked. "Not Earth."
"Mhmm, Earth, and a billion other worlds. Where there's meat there's Vashta Nerada. You can see them sometimes, if you look. The dust in sunbeams."
Donna shook her head, but River hardly noticed. She was too busy realizing the situation they were in and her mind thinking kept going back to that choice. A choice she had to make.
"If they were on Earth we'd know," Donna insisted.
River shinned her torch down the hall across from her. Dark. Darker than it should be and her torch barely penetrated it.
"Nah, normally they live on road kill. Sometimes people go missing. Not everyone comes back out of the dark," the Doctor replied.
"Every shadow?" River asked.
"No, but any shadow," he said.
"So, what do we do?"
"Daleks aim for the eyestalk. Sontarans back of the neck. Vashta Nerada," He turned around and caught her eye, "Run. Just run."
"Run? Run where?"
They were trapped in the Library. Granted it was the biggest library in the universe, but if they could be in any shadow there was nowhere to run.
"This is an index point," the Doctor said, standing up and setting the lunch pack on a table. "There must be an exit teleport somewhere."
"Don't look at me. I haven't memorized the schematics," Mr. Lux replied.
"Doctor," Donna said, pointing. "The little shop. They always make you go through the little shop on the way out so they can sell you stuff."
Oh, she was good. The Doctor ran back to the little shop and glanced inside.
"You're right," he exclaimed. "Brilliant! That's why I like the little shop."
"Okay, let's move it," Proper Dave said, racing across the room.
"Actually, Proper Dave," the Doctor said, stopping the other man in his tracks. "Could you stay where you are for a moment?"
"Why?" Proper Dave asked.
River turned her attention to the Doctor. There was something in his words that gave her pause.
"I'm sorry," the Doctor said, walking up to the other man. "I am so, so sorry…but you've got two shadows."
River glanced down. Dave had one shadow behind him and one to the side. No! Her heart dropped. She'd known Proper Dave for a few years, ever since he became part of her team. He was a good man and now…she closed her eyes and sighed.
"It's how they hunt," the Doctor continued. "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."
"We're not leaving you, Dave," River insisted, she wouldn't leave him behind, wouldn't leave any of them behind.
"Course we're not leaving him. Where's your helmet? Don't point, just tell me."
"On the floor by my bag," Proper Dave replied.
Anita walked over to fetch it.
"Don't cross his shadow," the Doctor ordered.
Anita sidestepped Dave's shadow, picked up the helmet, and handed it to the Doctor.
"Now, the rest of you. Helmets back on and sealed up," the Doctor advised while he helped Proper Dave with his helmet. "We'll need everything we've got."
"But, Doctor, we haven't got any helmets," Donna replied worriedly.
"Yeah, but we're safe anyway."
"How're we safe?"
"We're not. That was a clever lie to shut you up. Professor?" he called, turning his attention to River. "Anything I can do with the suit?"
"What good are the damn suits?" Lux demanded. "Ms. Evangelista was wearing her suit. There was nothing left."
"We can increase the mesh density," River called over Lux's voice. "Dial it up four hundred percent. Make it a tougher meal."
She pulled her sonic from her pocket. They gave it to her, the Doctor and Rose, after they went on their last trip together. Her friend called it an early birthday gift and then joked about how she wanted to make sure River got it early because the Time Lord always seemed to be late with things.
"Okay," the Doctor replied, pulling out his sonic and using it on Proper Dave's suit. "Eight hundred percent."
He handed his sonic over, but she lifted her own.
"Gotcha," she replied.
He eyed her screwdriver in surprise and…worry? Yes, a bit.
"What's that?"
"It's a screwdriver."
"It's sonic."
"Yeah, I know." She lifted it up. "Snap."
She walked over and began dialing up her team's suits. She could feel his eyes on her, but she ignored that.
"With me, come on," the Doctor called after a few moments.
River glanced up as he grabbed Donna's hand and raced into the little shop. She turned back to her work and continued dialing up the suits for the rest of her team.
"Professor," Proper Dave said.
River finished up and then turned to him.
"Everything all right?"
"Yes, I…I think it's better than all right."
"Sorry?"
"Look," he glanced around the floor near him. "Only one shadow."
She looked him over. He was right. Proper Dave only had one shadow. There was a chance that dialing up the suits worked, but she wasn't foolish enough to believe that without a second opinion.
"Doctor," River called.
The Doctor raced through the doors and back into the room.
"He's only got one shadow," she said, nodding at Dave.
The Time Lord looked him over.
"Where did it go?" he asked.
"It's just gone. I looked round, one shadow, see?" Proper Dave said.
If it was gone she wanted to get the hell out of there as quickly as possible.
"Does that mean we can leave? I don't want to stand around here," she asked.
"I don't know why we're still here. We can leave him, can't we?" Mr. Lux asked, gesturing at Proper Dave. "I mean, no offense."
"Shut up, Mr. Lux," River snapped.
There was no way she'd leave any of them behind. Well…she glanced at Mr. Lux…no not even him, but she might think about it. Then she realized Donna wasn't there. She glanced at the Doctor and in the next moment knew what he'd done. He took her to the teleporters and sent her somewhere…back to the TARDIS most likely.
"Did you feel anything, like an energy transfer? Anything at all?" the Doctor asked.
"No, no, but look," Proper Dave said, turning around, "it's gone."
The Doctor held his hands out, watching Proper Dave's shadow.
"Stop there," he ordered, a bit nervously, "Stop, stop, stop. Stop there. Stop moving. They're never just gone and they never give up." He pulled out his sonic as he bent down. He checked Dave's shadow. "Well, this one's benign."
"Hey, who turned out the lights," Proper Dave demanded.
River looked at him.
"No one, they're fine," the Doctor said.
"No, seriously. Turn them back on."
"They are on," River said.
"I can't see a ruddy thing," Dave said, fearfully.
The Doctor stood, watching Dave with that worried look, that fearful, worried look.
"Dave…turn around," he instructed.
"What's going on?" Dave asked, as he turned around. "Why can't I see? Is the power gone?" His visor was completely black, but even if the polarization was on he should be able to see from his end. "Are we safe here?"
"Dave, I want you to stay still. Absolutely still."
Dave's body jerked. The Doctor jumped, backing off a step.
"Dave?" he called. "Dave? Dave can you hear me? Are you all right? Talk to me, Dave."
Then Dave stopped. He stood straight.
"I'm fine," Dave said. "I'm okay. I'm fine."
"I want you to stay still. Absolutely still."
"I'm fine. I'm okay. I'm fine…I can't…Why can't I? I-I can't. Why can't I? I-I can't. Why can't I? I-"
"He's gone. He's ghosting," River said, despair creeping into her voice.
Dave was her responsibility and a good man. Part of her team and now…now he was gone.
"Then why is he still standing?" Mr. Lux asked.
"Hey, who turned out the lights?" Dave's voice asked. The Doctor leaned in. "Hey, who turned out the lights?"
"Doctor don't," River warned. She couldn't chance anything happening to him. Not now. Not this early.
"Dave, can you hear me?" he asked.
"Hey, who turned out the lights?"
The Doctor stepped closer and Dave or whatever was inside the suit, reached out and grabbed him. Oh, no! No, no, no! He couldn't die. Not here. Not now. River pulled out her sonic.
"Excuse me!" she exclaimed, shoving her sonic into the suit and zapping the creature inside.
The Proper Dave suit released the Doctor and he scooted back and then jumped to his feet.
"Back from it!" The Doctor ordered. "Get back! Right back!"
Everyone raced back, but when they turned around the creature began to advance on them. Dave's skull was visible in the darkened visor.
"Doesn't move very fast, does it?" River asked, grateful for that. Maybe they could outrun it.
"It's a swarm in a suit," the Doctor replied. Then he glanced at the shadows growing around Dave's suit. "But it's learning."
She watched the shadows advance. If those shadows reached the group they'd be dead, all of them. She glanced around, looking for a way out.
"What do we do? Where do we go?" Mr. Lux demanded.
River eyed the far wall.
"See that wall behind you?" she asked.
Mr. Lux and the Doctor turned around. River pulled out her gun.
"Duck!" she yelled and then pulled the trigger, the gun fired and a square hole big enough for them to climb through appeared in the far wall.
"Squareness gun!" the Doctor exclaimed
"Everybody out," River ordered as she raced for the new exit. "Go! Go! Go! Move it! Move! Move! Move it! Move! Move!"
They stopped in the hall, which happened to be teaming with shadows.
"You said not every shadow," River said.
"But any shadow," the Doctor replied.
She gazed from one side to the other. Both ways looked about the same, one could be just as dangerous as the other.
"Hey who turned out the lights?" Dave's voice called as the creature closed in on them.
"Run!" River yelled, grabbing the Doctor's hand as her mother and her friend would have if they were there.
She raced down the hall, everyone else racing after.
Standard Disclaimer.
Thank you to all my brilliant readers!
Reviews are always welcome. :)