Thanks to my readers for your continued support! And now…chapter 11…
The TARDIS materialized in an all-too familiar spot which the Doctor had vowed to never return. It had been a couple hundred years since he had visited the library, and he was glad to see it bustling with people of all ages. That meant that she was here. She was the one who rescued all of them from the shadows. He breathed a sigh of relief knowing that whatever happens in his future would not change any of this.
He slowly made his way to the central data room and sonicked the door open. He was soon face-to-face with River in information node form. She beamed. "I was beginning to think you would never visit, my love."
"I thought it would hurt too much," the Doctor responded. "Glad to see that you still have feelings."
"What? Just because I'm running the largest computer in the Universe, it doesn't mean I'm not still me," River said with a chuckle.
The Doctor cut right to the chase. "Strangely enough, though, I am here for information. But information only River can tell me, not the largest computer in the Universe."
"Anything, my love," River cooed.
"I need to know when you kill me," he said.
For a moment, there was silence in the library. "I always wondered how you knew exactly when and where to be," River began. "I thought it was going to be more of a chase, but you just showed up, ready to die." She sighed. "April 22, 2011. 5:02 PM. Earth. Lake Silencio, Utah."
"Silencio," answered the Doctor with a forced laugh. "How ironic."
"I take it today is the day, then," she said.
"Yes, River, today is the day. I've screwed up so many times. I disappointed your parents and robbed them of a normal, human life. I took that away from you. And now, here you are, stuck inside a computer forever."
"It's not so bad, really," said River. "There are worse ways to die. It was the moments alive with you that mattered most. You should visit more often."
"What are you talking about?" the Doctor snapped. "Moments with me, visiting more often- River, I'm going to die today. You're going to kill me!"
"If you let yourself die, you will live again."
"What the hell does that mean?" the Doctor asked.
"Spoilers," River replied with a wink.
The Doctor turned for the door and made his way back to the TARDIS, landing on Amy and Rory's front lawn where he'd last left them in 2014. They rushed outside. "Did you get her?" Amy asked frantically. "Do you have Melody?"
"No," said the Doctor.
"What do you mean 'no'?" snapped Rory. "It's been 10 minutes for us, but for all we know, it could've been 10 years for you. You've had all the time in this world and beyond to look and you return to us to tell us you've given up?"
"I said 'no' in the context of answering Amy's question as to whether or not I have her on board right now," the Doctor elaborated. "I do, however, know where she is."
"Then let's go get her!" Amy exclaimed, bursting into the TARDIS. Rory followed, a bit skeptically.
"Now, before we go, she's going to be a little different," said the Doctor. "A little older."
"I don't care," said Amy, "let's go. Now."
The Doctor set their course and they landed outside a café near Silencio. "They hid her on Earth again?" Rory said, blocking his eyes from the blinding sun when he stepped outside.
Amy picked up a newspaper from the stand. "April 22, 2011," she read aloud. "Doctor, what do you mean she's going to be older? This would make her younger, or not even born yet."
"It's hard to explain," said the Doctor honestly, "but very soon you're going to witness something in which you're going to want to interfere. If you want to speak to your daughter again, don't."
Amy and Rory followed him down to the lake across the Plain of Sighs and there she was- adult Melody, waiting for him in her astronaut suit. "Doctor, who is that?" inquired Amy.
"Your daughter," the Doctor answered.
"Why is she in a space suit?" asked Rory. "And why is she tall? How much older is she exactly?"
"Look," said the Doctor, turning to face them. "I couldn't save her younger self because I failed three times. Three times and the event is time locked. Where do you think the expression 'third time's the charm' really comes from? The first was when I was outsmarted and they replaced her with the Flesh. The second was the time I tried to rescue her in New York before I went back and enlisted your help. The third was something that happened in Florida back in 1969, which is why, Rory, your daughter is wearing a spacesuit. This is what the Silence intended all along and there was nothing I could do."
"You're telling me that you just left her with the Silence for 42 years?" Amy yelled. "You let them hook her up to more wires and turn her into…that? Is this your idea of reuniting us, Doctor? When our daughter is older than we are and very different from 39 years of alien torture?"
"I told you, I couldn't prevent it," responded the Doctor. "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. Now you and Rory need to stand back. I'll be gone after this is done and she'll be entirely in your hands."
The Doctor turned to face River, who was staring up at him from the shoreline. He bravely made his way down the sand. Her helmet opened up.
"Before you shoot, I have something to say," said the Doctor.
"Nothing you could possibly say would shut me down," she replied with malice. "You did this to me. You left me there, Doctor. Even if this suit wasn't on autopilot, I'd want to do this. You're a sick man and no child should have to go through what I've experienced. I've waited decades for my life back. I plan to take yours to get it." She raised her arm.
"Oh, River," he said. "If only you knew how hard I tried. I'm so sorry. After this is over, stay with your parents. Go to college. I'm doing this for them. I owe them this much. I owe you this much. I…love you."
She looked taken aback, as if she was having some sort of internal struggle about whether or not to shoot, but he knew that she wouldn't be able to resist the power of the suit even if he was able to get through to her. Her words rang in his ears: "If you let yourself die, you will live again." He stepped forward, closed his eyes, and with the three blasts, accepted death.