Finally. I've been trying to finish this for days now, but as it is Thanksgiving week, there was a lot of family things happening. But it's here now! So enjoy!

PS- My blog is sarbrookDOTblogspotDOTcom. In case you were interested. =)


.12.

Silence In The Library

Part Two

River, of course, answers my question with only a smirk. Though she does look down at my hand intertwined with the Doctor's. That rips the annoying smirk off her face.

The Doctor immediately drops my hand and takes charge. "Get out!" he orders.

"Doctor," Donna says, sounding confused, serious, and a bit scared.

At the same time, I frown at River. "Best friend?"

The Doctor raises his voice, addressing everyone. "All of you, turn around, get back in your rocket and fly away!"

River smiles again, but the glint is gone from her eyes. "Where are we?" she asks.

The Doctor points at the door. "Tell your grandchildren you came to the Library and lived, they won't believe you."

I hesitate, glancing at the Doctor. "Last I saw you was Lake Silencio," I whisper. I try to gauge her reaction. But it is River Song, so there is no reaction to be had. "But his time stream is… trickier…"

River nods, her voice hushed. "Oh, it always is." She addresses the rest of the expedition, almost hitting me with her white backpack. "Pop your helmets, everyone. We've got breathers."

As the group takes off their helmets, Donna grabs my arm and pulls me aside. "Do you know that woman?"

I shrug, though my eyes drift to the (supposedly) future Mrs. Doctor. "I've met her once. That's all I can say."

One of the members of the expedition does not take off her helmet. "How do you know they're not androids?" The voice is female, I believe.

"Cause I've dated androids," River replies. "They're rubbish."

"Who is this?" a slightly overweight man with short brown hair, receding hairline, and pretentious air stomps to River. "You said we were the only expedition, I paid for exclusives."

"I lied, I'm always lying. Bound to be others." As River speaks to the arrogant man, the woman who spoke before takes off her helmet, casting us a distrustful look.

The man balks at River. "Miss Evangelista, I want to see the contracts!" A young girl with a side ponytail starts fluttering about, digging through her backpack.

River turns her attention back to the Doctor. "You came through the north door, yeah? How was that, much damage?"

He ignores her. "Please, just leave." He pleads.

As he continues, I answer River's question. "Damage, no. Just empty. And the lights keep going out."

"I'm asking you seriously and properly, just lea... Hang on. Did you say expedition?"

Arrogant man puffs up. "My expedition, I funded it. I am Mr. Lux."

The Doctor gapes at everyone in disgust and tired annoyance. "Oh, you're not, are you? Tell me you're not archaeologists."

River raises an eyebrow. "Got a problem with archaeologists?"

"I'm a time traveler. I point and laugh at archaeologists." His hands are on his hips and his tone is akin to a weary parent.

"Ah. Professor River Song, archaeologist." She offers him her hand. I really want to slap my forehead as he takes it and starts shaking it madly.

"River Song, lovely name." He pulls her in front of him and, hand on her lower back, guides her away. "As you're leaving, and you're leaving now... you need to set up a quarantine beacon." River, amused and smirking, turns back to him as he lets her go. "Code-wall the planet, the whole planet. Nobody comes here, not ever again... not one living thing, not here, not ever."

The woman who was the last to take off her helmet wanders from the rest of the group, heading toward the shadow. I run forward and grab her arm before she can step into the darkness.

"Oh, I wouldn't do that," I say, tugging her arm. She's stronger, but I'm more determined. After a bit of a fuss and a little muscle, I've pulled her away from the shadows. "What's your name?" I ask, giving my sweetest smile.

"Anita," she says, bewildered.

"Ooo, like in West Side Story." I try to distract her so she'll follow my lead as I bring her back to the group. "If you want to live, stay out of the shadows, hun," I advise.

The Doctor, on one of his maniac ramblings, stomps over to us and finishes my sentence, sticking a finger in Anita's face. "Not a foot, not a finger in the shadows till you're safely back in your ship." He spins on a heel to face the group again. "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."

Blank faces all around. Except River, of course, who's smirking in that River-way she has.

"I'd be a bit more scared if I were you," I say. Then, tilting my head. "Actually, I should be too, shouldn't I?"

The Doctor frowns down at me. "You're not helping."

"Sorry, it's hard to be properly scared after everything I've been through." I gasp suddenly, feeling my eyes go wide. "Oh, god, I said 'properly scared.' I'm turning British…"

The Doctor just gives me an exasperated look, then turns to one of the men. "You, who are you?"

I sneak to River's side again. "I'd seriously consider leaving, if I were you. Like, take everyone and go."

She's just more amused, if that's possible. "Now where is the fun in that?"

"River," I whisper as Other Dave explains about Proper Dave the pilot. No one is paying me any attention. Good. This is complicated enough without a million questions. "I'm not kidding around. Being here is a really bad thing right now."

She places a hand on my shoulder. "Lils, my dear friend," she looks directly into my eyes. "No spoilers, please."

I close my eyes tight, then open them again. I squeeze both of her shoulders, hard. "River, my apparently good friend from my future," I can feel the desperation rise up. "He doesn't know who you are."

That freezes the smile. "What?"

"He hasn't met you yet."

She purses her lips. We both turn to the Doctor, who is now dragging Other Dave about the room, interrogating him on their journey to this room.

"So it's finally happened," River's voice is laden with sadness and wonder. "I've finally caught up with him."

"River, please," I grab her chin and force her to look at me again. My left hand remains on her shoulder. "Please, for once in your impossible life, just listen to the Doctor and get out of here. Right now." No reaction. Is she in shock? Time to go for broke, then. I glance back at the Doctor again. He's back with the group, and Other Dave is barring the door. I lower my voice, leaning in to whisper into River's ear. This is something no one else can here. "Melody Pond," my voice is shaking. I shouldn't be doing this. I really shouldn't be doing this. This can change… everything. "Remember what you said to your father in Florida."

Referring, of course, to The Impossible Astronaut, when River and Rory were searching through the tunnels and she was explaining to him that her timeline and the Doctor's timeline is running backwards. When she said, "The time is coming when I'm going to look into his eyes and he's not going to recognize me at all. And I think it's going to kill me."

That's not verbatim, of course. But it's the general idea.

And she knows exactly what I'm talking about.

Her hazel eyes glisten with tears. Whatever she was about to say is interrupted by the Doctor popping his head into our conversation.

"Problems?" His tone is fake playful. I drop River's chin and we both meet the Doctor's dark, manic gaze.

"Just trying to convince her to get everyone out of here." I plaster on a grin, just as fake as the Doctor's.

He raises an eyebrow. He clearly isn't buying my act. But there isn't time for more questions.

Donna, however, doesn't seem to get that sentiment. "How do you two know each other?" Her arms are crossed. She's standing opposite the Doctor.

River, for her part, masks her tears with another smirk. This one is a bit wobbly though. "Spoilers." And she walks away.

I roll my eyes. "Oh, please," I grumble. "Yes, River and I know each other. No, I'm not going to explain how." I give the Doctor a look, which I hope he takes as "I can't tell you, because it's the future and you can't know or else it'll rip a hole through space and time or something equally bad."

He takes the hint.

"I hate to interrupt the soap opera," Mr. Lux steps in. "But we are not looking for a way out. Miss Evangelista?"

The young brunette takes River's place, shoving papers into our faces. "I'm Mr. Lux's personal... everything. You need to sign these contracts agreeing that your individual experience inside the Library are the intellectual property of the Felman Lux Corporation."

The Doctor takes the paper from her. "Right, give it here."

Donna takes one as well. "Yeah, lovely. Thanks."

I grab the final contract. "Ooo, let me see!" Ok, maybe I laid that one on a bit thick.

The three of us rip up the contracts and toss the paper like confetti.

Mr. Lux's face goes red. "My family built this Library. I have rights."

River, seemingly back to her self now, pushes past the annoying man. "You have a mouth that won't stop." She cocks her head at the Doctor. "So there's danger here?"

Seriously? I want to smack her face in. Did she listen to me at all?

The Doctor rolls his eyes. "Something came to this Library and killed everything in it, killed a whole world. Danger? Could be."

I give her a pointed look, eyes wide, lips pursed.

River ignores me. "That was 100 years ago. The Library's been silent for 100 years. Whatever came here is long dead."

I snort. "Bet your life?"

Again, she ignores me. Though she does smile up at the Doctor, flirting. "Always." She looks me up and down, then turns away.

"Torch!" the Doctor cries, ripping a flashlight out of Mr. Lux's hand.

"River," I growl. She ignores me, though Donna grabs my arm.

"Lily," she hisses. "What's going on? Who is that woman?"

"Something bad," I say, not really answering either question. I pull myself out of her loose grip. We both trail behind the Doctor.

The Doctor is shining the flashlight into every corner. "Almost every species in the universe has an irrational fear of the dark. But they're wrong. Cause it's not irrational. It's Vashta Nerada."

"What's Vashta Nerada?" Donna asks.

His voice is low, serious, and, once again, very sexy. "It's what's in the dark. It's what's always in the dark." A brief pause, then he explodes into action, shouting. "Lights! That's what we need, lights. You got lights?" He throws the flashlight back to Mr. Lux.

"What for?" River asks.

"Form a circle, safe area, big as you can, lights pointing out." He pulls off his long trench coat and throws it over a banister, then grabs my arm, a little more hard than necessary, puling me with him.

"Oi! Do as he says!" River orders.

As Mr. Lux fights with her, the Doctor pins me with a dark, serious look. "Who is that woman?"

I don't struggle, though I really want to. "Which one?" I paste on a smile, but I think it's more sarcastic than I meant for it to be.

The woman in question, River, is issuing orders to the group, who actually listen to her. "Anita, unpack the lights. Other Dave, make sure the door's secure, then help Anita."

"River," the Doctor hisses.

River is still firing off orders. "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."

Inside, I feel like I'm falling down a tunnel, my fingernails digging into the metaphorical walls. Outward, I try to stay peppy. "Oh, she's a friend from my past. And our future."

"Pretty Boy, you're with me. Step into my office."

"Our future?" the Doctor's eyebrows are almost touching his hairline.

I shrug. "Well, you know I'm from your future. She's also from your future. So in a way it's our future." I sigh. "Please stop asking questions. You'll find out soon enough."

Mr. Lux starts complaining. "Professor Song, why am I the only one wearing my helmet?"

I can almost hear the smile in River's voice. "I don't fancy you."

"Is she important?" The Doctor's grip on my arm loosens, but he doesn't let go. He places his other arm on my shoulder. I gaze into those dark brown eyes and I swear they are getting a little stormy. And not in the Oncoming Storm way.

"I'm just going to say no to all your questions from now on," I say, drinking in that fitted blue suit. My cheeks are starting to flush. "It's easier that way."

"All my questions…?" His voice is soft and he's leaning in again. I lick my lips and I swear his chest just rumbled.

"Pretty Boy, with me I said," calls River. "You too, Lils."

The Doctor jerks back, letting go of me suddenly. "Oh, I'm Pretty Boy?" He's confused now and all that heaviness from a second ago has dissipated.

"Yes," Donna says from the other side of the room. "Ooh, that came out a bit quick!"

"Pretty!" the Doctor exclaims.

"Meh," Donna says, shrugging.

He glances at me and my cheeks feel extra warm now. I clear my throat. "You do have a certain… uh… never mind."

He winks at me, then clears his throat, becoming serious again. "Right." He stalks toward River. "Don't let your shadows cross! Seriously, don't even let them touch. Any of them could be infected."

Pushing some loose hair out of my face, I follow the Doctor to River's side. I stay right beside him. His arms are crossed as he leans his legs and bottom against a short wall. I slump my shoulder against the pillar right behind him.

River is probably not going to like what's about to happen. I don't think she believed me when I told her that he didn't know her.

Well, she's about to get her proof.

River, stooped over her backpack, stands up, holding her Tardis journal. "Thanks," she says.

The Doctor regards her with a cool look. "For what?"

"The usual. For coming when I call."

"Oh, that was you?"

"River," I interrupt. "I wasn't lying to you earlier."

She barely glances at me. "You're doing a very good job, acting like you don't know me. I'm assuming there's a reason."

I toss my arms in the air. "Aaand, you're ignoring me. Awesome. Why am I even over here?"

She gives me a sardonic look. "Because I want to prove you wrong. This isn't the first time you've pulled such a trick on me." She's almost looking desperate. "OK, shall we do diaries, then? Where are we this time? Uh, going by your face, I'd say it's early days for you. Yes? So, um... crash of the Byzantium, have we done that yet?"

The Doctor says nothing.

I just snort. "Wrong face, River."

She gives him another look over. "Right, um, oh. Picnic at Asgard. Have we done Asgard yet?"

Again, nothing.

"Obviously not. Blimey, very early days, then. Huh, life with a time traveler, never knew it could be such hard work." She leans in, really examining him now. He takes a bit of a step away from her. I think he's trying to figure her out. River whispers, casting me a look. "Lils, you're right." She leans forward. "Look at you! You're young."

He gives a small smile, shaking his head. "I'm really not, you know."

"No, but you are. Your eyes." She reaches out, stroking his cheek, his hair. Hello, Jealousy. Nice of you to drop in. "You're younger than I've ever seen you."

He takes a step away from her. In doing so, he leans right into me. "You've seen me before, then?"

The look in River's eyes… it almost breaks my heart. "Doctor… please tell me you know who I am?"

"Who are you?"

Beep beep.

Beep beep.

I look up into the air, as if the noise is coming from the ceiling. The Doctor breaks away from us to investigate.

I grab River's arm before she can follow him. "I'm sorry. I tried to warn you."

She pulls out of my grasp. "I know." Head high, she leaves me.

Sighing, I run my hands over my face.

Proper Dave, I believe, calls out to everyone. "Sorry, that was me. Trying to get through into the security protocols, I seem to have set something off. What is that? Is that an alarm?"

Donna says, "Doctor? Doctor, that sounds like…"

"It is," he exclaims. "It's a phone!"

My head is killing me. I start rubbing my eyes.

Proper Dave continues. "I'm trying to call up the data core, but it's not responding. Just that noise."

Donna is still shocked. "But it's a phone!"

"Let me try something," the Doctor says.

I blink a couple of times. I haven't had sleep in what feels like forever. After that 42 minutes of hell, I just had time to shower and have a strange moment with the Doctor. I feel like I could sleep for a year after this.

That's when I feel it.

My wrist is starting to burn.

"No…" I whisper.

Slower than ever, the burning is spreading.

"Doctor!" I call.

"Not now, Lily, I'm busy," he responds.

I'm shaking. "Doctor, I'm about to go."

"Good," he says. I hear the sonic somewhere in the background. "You'll be safer that way."

The burning is in my chest, my legs, my other arm, my cheeks. I'm tingling everywhere, but I've still yet to leave.

"I really don't think so," I whisper.

Then I'm engulfed and suddenly I'm somewhere else.

Or, wait, no I'm not. This is still The Library. I'm with the group still.

Though it is a bit brighter. Maybe?

The Doctor is on his stomach, pointing a light at the shadows and sonicing the air in a staccato rhythm. Everyone else is in a semi-circle around the lights. I land right behind River and Donna. And it's a good landing! I don't even sway!

River says to Donna, "You travel with him, don't you? The Doctor, you travel with him."

Donna looks at her. "What of it?" Then she notices me. "Lily?"

The whole room turns to me, except the Doctor, who's asking Proper Dave to move over so he can investigate.

"Hey," I say, flicking a few fingers in salute. "What have I missed?"

"We lost Miss Evangelista," River informs me, matter-of-fact.

That throws me a second. "That's too bad…"

Awkward silence. I come to stand next to River and we watch the Doctor sonic the room.

"You know him, don't you?" Donna says all of a sudden.

"Me?" River says. Out of the corner of my eye, I see Donna nod. "Oh, God, do I know that man. We go way back, that man and me. Just not this far back."

"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 it shouldn't kill me, but it does."

Donna's voice starts to rise. She's clearly getting frustrated. "What are you talking about? Are you just talking rubbish? Do you know him or don't you?"

The Doctor interrupts. "Donna! Quiet! I'm working."

"Sorry!" she calls. Though she doesn't really sound that sorry.

River finally looks at her. "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?"

I want to elbow River in the ribs to get her to shut up, but the Doctor stands up and that moment, that bad moment, is gone.

"OK, we've got a live one!" he calls. He turns to the group. Donna goes to his side. "That's not darkness down those tunnels, this is not a shadow. It's a swarm. A man-eating swarm." He finally notices me. "Oh, hello again, Lily. I thought you were gone!"

I shake my head. "No, I just jumped time a bit."

"Oh, lovely," he says, a bit sarcastic. "Maybe next time you should try to leave completely." He gets on his hands and knees again, pulling a metal lunch box to him. He turns back a second later. "Actually, that's a good point. See if the vortex manipulator…"

"NO!" I put my hand behind my back. "Last time I tried to go somewhere on purpose, I landed in an ocean and almost drowned."

"Worth a shot, though," he insists, going back to the line between the shadows and the light.

"Yeah, I'll get right on it," I murmur.

He tosses a chicken leg into the shadows. It falls to the ground completely meat-free. "The piranhas of the air, 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."

Donna says, "What do you mean, most planets? Not Earth?"

"Mmm, 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."

"If they were on Earth, we'd know."

"Nah, normally they live on road kill. But sometimes people go missing. Not everyone comes back out of the dark."

A bolt of electricity crashes through my body and I'm suddenly somewhere else. No. No I'm not. Still in The Library, but still sometime else.

I'm next to River again, but my placement has moved a few feet to the right. Still in the light, which is good. Everyone has their helmets on now.

Ugh, my head is spinning.

"Lils," River hisses. She grabs my arm. "Did you just jump again?"

I nod. Oh, that was a stupid movement. I stumble on my own two feet. River grabs my other arm, righting me.

Mr. Lux is complaining now. "What good are the damn suits? Miss Evangelista was wearing her suit, there was nothing left."

River says, "We can increase the mesh-density, dial it up 400%. Make it a tougher meal."

"Ok," the Doctor nods. He starts sonicing someone's suit. I can't really tell whose, because the helmet is on and his back is to me. "800%! Pass it on."

He starts to toss the sonic screwdriver to River, but two things happen. One, he notices me, and that makes him balk. Two, River lets go of me to pull something out of her pocket.

Another sonic screwdriver.

I give it a good look. It has a blue tip, a thick body, and possibly a finger hole?

Well, it's not 11's sonic, that's for sure.

"What's that?" the Doctor asks.

"It's a screwdriver," River answers, calm.

"It's sonic."

"Yeah, I know. Snap!" She runs away from me to start sonicing everyone's spacesuit.

The Doctor takes a second to watch her, then he grabs Donna's hand. He pulls her across the room to me, and takes my hand.

"With me, both of you," he orders. "Come on!"

He tries to pull me, but my legs are jelly. I trip during my first step, falling flat after my second. Growling in frustration, the Doctor picks me up, carrying me like a bride through the archway.

Uh, ok, that's just a bad thought right there.

He starts running. The movement makes me more dizzy. I close my eyes and rest my head against his shoulder.

"Lily," he warns. "I need you to stay awake. Just for a few more minutes."

"But I'm so tired…" I complain. Even talking makes my stomach turn.

"I know," he kisses my forehead. "You've used the vortex manipulator too many times so close together. That thing is very bad for you, you know."

I just moan. I feel like I'm floating.

The running sensation stops suddenly and I feel something cold and smooth against my cheek.

"What are we doing, we're shopping? Is it a good time to shop?" Donna's voice echoes from the fog.

The Doctor's voice makes my stomach jump. Happy jumps. Happy, yippy, skippy jumps. "No talking, just moving! Try it! Right, stand there in the middle. It's a teleport. Stand in the middle. Can't send the others, TARDIS won't recognize them."

He's so dreamy when he's being all control taking and stuff.

"What are you doing?" Donna's voice is all mean and stuff and I don't like it.

The cool smooth thing goes away. Two beanstalks hold me up. "Lily, please say something. Quickly. There isn't time." Something rough and itchy nuzzles my cheek.

I open my eyes. The world is spinning and at the center are two brilliant brown eyes. "You're my Doctor," I say. My lips feel like mush. "Technically 9 is my Doctor, because that's the one I started on, but you're my favorite, because you're David Tennant and you're very, very attractive."

Something rumbles against my chest and something moist presses against my temple. "When you get to the Tardis, get her in bed, Donna. She'll be fine once she can sleep off the effects." I'm laying on something smooth again.

"What are you talking about?" Is Catherine Tate in the room? Oh, I like her!

"Neither of you have a suit, you're not safe!" Isn't David Tennant Scottish? Why does he sound like the 10th Doctor?

"You don't have a suit, so you're in just as much danger as I am and I'm not leaving…"

"Donna! Let me explain."

Everything is so confusing. I blink open my eyes again. I can almost make out the Tardis console room, but then it's gone. Someone is screaming. Is it me?

Yes, I think it is.

Gasping, I sit up in bed. My heart is beating so fast, I'm surprised it isn't bursting out of my chest. Over the rushing of blood in my ears, I take in my surroundings. White curtains surround the bed I'm in. I fall back to my pillow. My nose is itchy. I go to scratch it. But I can't. My arm won't move. I try the other one. Same thing. Something is preventing them from moving.

Something around my wrists.

I'm cuffed to the bed. The hospital bed.

Before I can work up a scream, the curtain tugs back, the metal rings scraping against the metal bar. A woman in a tweed skirt and jacket combo smiles at me. She has dark hair peppered with gray strands. Her hair is pulled back into a bun. The corners of her eyes crinkle as she smiles at me. She's holding a metal clipboard.

"Hello, Lily," she says. She's American. "How are you feeling today?"

"What?" I croak.

"You had quite an episode," she continues, regarding the clipboard.

"What?"

"What's the last thing you remember, Lily?"

"What is going on? Where am I? Who are you?"

She finally puts the clip board down and smiles down at me. It's not a good smile. It's a smile full of pity. "I'm Dr. Smith. You're in MacLean Hospital and you have been here for a while now."

WHAT?