River staggered and covered her mouth, turning away from the screen. She leaned against the railing before she glanced back. She hadn't imagined it. The message was still there. River walked toward the doorway.
"Doctor!" She screamed desperately, wanting to know who that message was from. Somewhere in her heart, River wanted it to be from the real Doctor, but she knew that it probably wasn't possible. River staggered back to the seat as she heard the Doctor and Cassandra came back into the room.
"Did you call, River?" the Doctor asked, walking up to her. She closed her eyes and nodded. "What's wrong?"
"That," River whispered as she pointed at the screen. The Doctor turned to see the monitor as he stood up slowly. He approached the screen as Cassandra stood by the stairs. He turned to look at River, making sure that this wasn't some sort of prank before he pointed at Cassandra.
"Cassie, I need you to go back downstairs. I'm not sure what's going on, but I need you safe," he whispered as he knelt down to her. She looked frightened as she looked up at River.
"I don't want to be down there all alone," she whispered, hugging herself. The Doctor kissed her forehead before he held her close. Cassandra started to cry as River brushed her hair back lovingly. "Please don't leave me alone down there."
"I'm sorry, Cassie," the Doctor whispered, desperately thinking of another solution. River shook her head as she bit her lip to keep from crying. She wanted to be a strong, dependable mother, like Amy. "You have to be safe. For me. Everything will be fine as long as you stay in the TARDIS. Nothing will hurt you if you stay put."
"But Dad, what if something goes wrong?" the girl hiccuped, wiping her eyes.
"Nothing will go wrong. I promise. Everything will be completely fine," he replied as Cassandra nodded.
"Can't one of you come with me?" she asked as River and the Doctor exchanged looks.
"No, we can't. We need you to be strong, Cassie," River murmured as she tucked a lock of hair behind her ear. Cassandra hesitated, but nodded.
"I want to be strong, like Cleopatra in the story you told me," she whispered as River embraced her daughter. "Will you tell me a story? Before I have to hide?"
"Yes, yes I will. Go get ready in your room and I'll be there in a moment," River answered as Cassandra nodded. The Doctor hugged her once more before she went down the stairs and walked down into the TARDIS. The Doctor turned to River and sighed.
"River," he mumbled, forcing a smile. "What am I going to do with you?"
"Who is it from?" River implored, ignoring his comment. He turned and checked the computer, running a hand through his hair.
"Guess who?" he mumbled as River came up next to him. He had pinpointed the exact location from where the message had come from. It was from inside the computer in the Melody Malone New York City. River covered her mouth as she took a step back. "It's from the virus, River."
"What do we do? Can he get us from inside the TARDIS?" she whispered, horrified that the Dark Doctor would move.
"I don't know, River, but I wonder if you made the right choice," he retorted as River groaned.
"I did it to save you!" She shouted, stalking back to her seat. "I couldn't just sit there and do nothing while he destroyed you, and don't say he wouldn't have! You aren't indestructible when it comes to a corrosive virus! Please don't pin this on me because I didn't have another choice. And it definitely wasn't an easy choice. Do you think I want someone like that infatuated with me? And in my defense, I thought it would take a lot longer for the lipstick to work. It's a virus, for goodness sake."
"I know, but what are we going to do? I still don't know how to get rid of him," the Doctor replied, rubbing his eyes. River held her breath as she thought about the solutions. "If only we could learn about how to make an antivirus."
"We don't we go find someone who does?" River inquired, thinking that would get them one step closer.
"I don't want to leave Cassandra. The TARDIS isn't really here, so I don't want Cassandra to be defenseless while we're gone," the Doctor answered as River gave him a strange look.
"But we left her alone while we went looking for it in New York," River reminded as the Doctor shook his head.
"Then, I was thinking we were looking for a black mass or a rip in virtual reality. I did not expect it to be a copy of me," the Doctor explained as River nodded, trying to keep a cool head.
"If we could find out where the virus came from, then we could remove the information from the computer somehow. Wouldn't that work?" River suggested as the Doctor bobbed his head side to side, like he did when he thought about an idea.
"Possibly, but I don't know if he was downloaded with certain information or if we can even track where it came from. Whoever designed this virus probably remembered to program it without a trace of where it came from," the Doctor answered, thinking that it was an impossible idea. River nodded, thinking that she was desperate for something to work.
"So what do we do? We can't just sit here like sitting ducks," River whispered, gaining a headache.
"I agree, but something tells me that he can track us, so I don't know if it would matter. The virus has full range of the computer. I don't know if he can get in here, but he can figure out where we are. I don't think we can get to the apartment without him knowing. We can't really land anywhere," the Doctor whispered, starting to pace.
"So, we're stuck in limbo?" River guessed.
"If you would like to think of it that way, sure. We're stuck in limbo," the Doctor answered, stressed. River held her head in her hands. The Doctor knelt next to her and touched her knee. "I'm sorry."
"Why?" River asked, a lump forming in her throat.
"Because I started an argument and made you cry," he replied as she touched her cheek. It was wet and salty, just like he said. She sniffed and looked away. "It'll be okay, I promise."
"It better be, Doctor," she laughed, turning to face him. The Doctor smiled comfortingly up at her as she hugged him. "I'm sorry, too. I made a stupid, hasty decision that has put all of us in danger."
"We'll figure this out. I know we will," he whispered in her ear as she nodded. He looked at her again. "That virus is not going to come anywhere near you if I have anything to say about it. You'll be safe as long as you're with me."
"Promise?" River chuckled through her tears as the Doctor nodded once.
"Absolutely," he answered, kissing her gently. River returned the motion before breaking away, pressing her forehead against his.
"You're unbelievable," she smiled as he shrugged, looking into her big hazel eyes.
"Would you like me any other way?" he teased, standing up again. She shook her head slowly, smiling. "There it is."
"Where what is?"
"Your smile. It's been awhile since I've seen your true smile. Sure, I've seen your teasing smile and amused smile, but this is you true smile," the Doctor answered, turning back to the monitor. River smiled again and laughed. "I wish you would always be that happy, River. I wish I could make you that happy everyday."
"You can," River insisted, standing next to him and grabbed his hand. The Doctor smiled kindly and shook his head.
"I disagree. So far, I've put you in horrible danger and made you cry," the Doctor reminded as River sighed.
"Doctor, the virus would be a threat whether or not you were here. This isn't you fault. And I think I've been emotionally unstable for the past few days, so you can't make the point that you made me cry. If someone told me their dog died, I would probably burst out in tears," River teased, making the Doctor laugh underneath his breath.
"I've missed you River," the Doctor smiled as River leaned on his shoulder.
"Well, you're going to have to miss me for a little longer," she informed before she kissed his cheek and walked away.
"Why?"
"Remember? I promised Cassie that I would tell her a story," River replied as she walked down the stairs.
"Right which story?"
"Melody Pond, the super hero," she winked as she disappeared into the TARDIS. The Doctor laughed as he continued to check the monitors, making sure that the virus was at a reasonable distance away.
River wandered through the hallways, looking for Cassandra's room. Eventually she found it, since she had created a sign that said 'Cassie' on it. She knocked on the door as she heard movement from within. Cassandra opened the door and smiled up at River.
"I was wondering if you were going to show up," Cassandra smirked as she invited River into her room.
"Like I could stay away," she teases, making the girl smile. River glanced around the room, thinking that it was every kid's dream place. There was a fake tree in the middle of the room as a swing and a hammock hung from the branches. She had a computer and a TV in the corner in case she got bored of the thousand stuffed animals on the shelves on the far wall. River shook her head for a moment, thinking that the Doctor was spoiling the child, before she brought a chair over to the hammock. Cassandra grabbed her stuffed bunny and climbed into the tree hammock, waiting for the story.
"What are you going to tell me?" she asked as River smiled.
"I wanted to tell you a story about Melody Pond," River answered, intriguing Cassandra's attention.
"The Last Centurion's daughter?" Cassie guessed, remembering Amy Pond from the other tale River told.
"The exact same," River answered as Cassandra smiled widely.
"Is this going to be a true story about the Ponds?" the girl asked, making River grin back.
"It is indeed. Ready?" River asked as the girl nodded vigorously. River pulled her chair closer to the fabric bed before she began the tale of Melody Pond.
