Anna had found some 51st century equivalent of a mars bar – but bright blue... didn't taste so bad though so she had three. River had a practical that Anna had not been allowed in because it involved time travel machinery. River had raised a finely sculpted eyebrow at this before muttering to Anna that they should be the ones teaching the class. The Time Lady and the Time Lord's wife (to-be) (or not to be, zat is ze question).
So she had gone to the library. God, that sounded just like Hermione Granger then! It was definitely a "modern" library, vidlinks, holograms. Digi-downloads (which sounded like something Alex would witter on about for about a decade if given the chance) and all sorts of technology. Not many books. Anna felt a little disorientated. Library's were where books were kept, a safe sanctuary to drink in the smell of old paper. Nope, this one stank of batteries, acid, wires and computers. Enough to put any self respecting girl (however technologically minded) off her studies.
"Anna!" a voice cried. She whipped around, almost instinctively defensive. It was the two women from the canteen; Trina and "oh God I'm late". Seemed as safe a bet as any, these were River's friends.
"Hello," Anna said cheerily, sliding onto a chair next to them. "Where are the books around here?"
"Oh," Trina drawled, "There is a special library for them in another block, we tend to use the technology, even amongst the English department."
"Oh."
"So, River's niece eh?" Trina leant forward "I was very surprised to hear about you! River doesn't talk of her family much. Although she has been visited by a ginger sister and said sisters husband." She leant forward with an air of faux confidence "River looks much more like the husband!"
"That's my family you're talking about, I'd prefer it if you refrained from rudeness Trina," Anna said icily.
"Point taken darling," Trina raised her hands and laughed falsely. "So, what were you're parents like?"
"I don't remember them. They were scientists, but were involved in an accident when I was young/ I never knew them," Cover story test: Result, holding.
"Really? How terrible for you!" I sincerely doubt you feel sorry for me falsey "Did you have any brothers or sisters?"
"They were in the accident also, I wasn't – obviously" Anna answered, looking down and doing a very good job of looking like this was getting her down. "Do you mind if we don't talk about it? There is a reason why Tante doesn't mention my side of the family, it is far too painful for us to remember the tragedy."
"Of course... You were bought up by your grandmother?" Does this woman seriously not take a hint?
"Yes, but she died recently, the one thing they haven't cured is old age...I miss her," Anna was being truthful here at least, it was an admission that she missed her family. All of it, irritating Nana Jackie included!
"Oh you poor, poor thing," Trina cooed. The other woman was looking between her friend and Anna curiously. "And you have to be pushed between relatives!"
"No, I asked if I could stay with family before going to the Peninsular. It means I feel closer to Nan." OK, suspicious now...
"What will you do when you're in the Peninsular? School again?" Trina uncrossed her arms, and Anna noticed a flash of bluey green as she did so.
"I don't know," Anna said frowning. "Why do you want to know?"
"Anna!" River appeared over her shoulder. Anna had never felt so relieved (well, tell a lie, there was that one time – NOT IMPORTANT!) to see someone. "Time to go Dearie, I'm done for the day. Bye my loverlies."
She very deliberately waved at them, and all but escorted Anna from the hall.
"Are you ok?" She asked instantly, turning Anna to face her anxiously.
"Why wouldn't I be...?" Anna asked slowly. "I figured since you sat with them at lunch yesterday, you trusted them."
"First rule of combat: Don't trust anyone," River said seriously.
"Even you?" Anna teased. "I'm fine Tante! Take a chill pill. Jeez, if you're this bad as an Aunt how will you be as a mother?"
"I don't plan on ever finding out!"
...
"I think she's lying," the raspy, distorted voice sounded over the comms unit to the little man at his computer screen. "But if she is, we have no hope of discovering the truth."
"What makes you, the best criminal in the galaxy, think that?" Drawled said man, leaning back in his swivel chair.
"She is close to River Song. And we both know that it is she who is the most feared woman in the galaxy. River Song lies. I'll best this niece of hers has been taught how to lie as easily as breathing since the day she was born."
"Do you have anything of use to tell me?"
"She has family. Use it."
Beeeeeeeeeppp. The sound of being disconnected.
The small man pressed his fingers together in front of his face in a thoughtful gesture. Use her family eh? Well, he could do that, he just needed to find where they were...
...
"Anna Dearie?" River called from the kitchen.
River had a library, a proper books not computers library. Some were obviously picked up while travelling with the Doctor, they looked far too new, and smelt to old, to have been bought in this technological age.
Anna hated the smell. Everything stank of computers worse than the main office room at Torchwood HQ. She was getting used to it, slowly.
She sighed, going to put the first edition (and brand spanking new looking) of The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn back on the shelf.
"Coming," she called, but paused as a photograph fell from the pages onto the floor. It was of a tall gangly guy in tweed, laughing brightly with his arms wrapped around River on a space deck, looking out onto the milky way. One of those, I-didn't-know-you-were-taking-the-photo! Pictures, unguarded and honest. Anna smiled, and slipped the picture of the future Doctor and River away.
"Wassup?" Anna chirruped, slipping onto the seat opposite River at the island. River looked aghast.
"Wassup? Wassup? I thought you were supposed to be upper class missy!"
"Yeah Yeah, your mum."
"I beg your pardon?"
"Oh, it's an ...old earth thing..." Anna frowned watching as River was trying to paint her nails. "Did you want some help with that?"
"Yes please Dearie," River sighed, handing the fiddly bottle over. "I've done the clear coat, but I haven't added the colour yet!"
Anna pulled the brush out of the nail varnish and her eyes, big anyway, became the size of saucers. She dropped the bottle, nail varnish oozing from the lid into a great, mocking, pool.
Turquoise. It was bright, undeniably, turquoise.
"Anna," River asked, worried. "Anna dearie whats wrong?"
"It turquoise," she managed to splutter out. "Tante you have turquoise nail varnish."
Trust not she with turquoise nails...
Stuck on replay, again and again and again and again... She wasn't supposed to trust River
Anna jumped up, staring at River in fear, backing away.
"It was you," She gasped, breath hitching in her throat. "All along it was you..."
"Anna, you will listen to me right now!" River came forward slowly, her hands open in front of her, in sweats and a baggy shirt. Safe feeling. "Anna, what was it about the nail varnish."
"It was you, I was never supposed to trust you!" Anna's back hit the wall. She was trapped.
River stopped, and understanding dawned on her face.
"Anna, do you have visions?"
"No!"
"Then what has my nail varnish to do with anything?" River stopped where she was and sat down. She pulled a stick of credits from her pocket. "Do you want to know who he is?"
"I need to go!" Anna cried.
"Anna it is not safe for you to go out there. While you are with me I can protect you!" River jumped up and grabbed Anna's arm. "Anna, listen to me. The Doctor once told me you can tell when someone is telling you the truth, especially when you're scared. Right now you're terrified so I trust that this will work:
I am not going to hurt you!"
Something, at the very back of Anna's mind was saying not to trust her. But the rest, overwhelmingly so, began to calm down.
"What do you want from me?" Anna whispered.
"To protect you," River replied.
"You sold out on me!" she accused, order returning to her chaotic thoughts.
"Anna, listen to me, my spies tell me that there is someone who is using the Criminal Web to find you. I have been trying to find out who, and why he wants you. But Anna, you have to be on your guard at all times."
"First rule of combat," Anna whispered. "Trust no-one" with that, she tried to use the venusian martial arts her dad had taught her. But River must have been some psycho bad girl. She didn't even bat an eyelid and simply pushed Anna's hand away.
"Trust me," she said simply.
...
"River Song has found information," The second best criminal in the galaxy said in a slightly panicked voice to the small man. He was preparing to leave, packing equipment up into boxes with portable computers everywhere.
He stood up straight. "Deal with her then."
"You don't deal with River Song, she deals with you. The girl is with River. River will undoubtedly return her to the care of the Doctor. Either way it will be impossible for you to touch her. I very much doubt she will be left alone for long enough for you to find her."
"What are you suggesting?" He said icily.
"Get away now while you have the chance, River Song doesn't do second chances. Nor does she forgive. And she never forgets. I'm warning you that this endeavour of yours, for this almost ordinary young girl, will only end badly. The Doctor and River Song. Look at the legends. You can't touch that kid. And if they have taken a vested interest in her, you can bet that she is more than just their niece."
"What are you saying? She is their child?" He asked excitedly. This would be like striking gold on Kalapatosh.
"No, I'm saying she is dangerous. Just as dangerous as them. This is my information and my advice. I do not expect payment for this. I am out, I want no further part in this."
"you don't have a choice."
"I will not die for a cause I don't know about."
"Oh, this girl is powerful alright," he grinned evilly, rubbing his bony hands together "Powerful enough that should she fall into the right hands, she would be completely unstoppable."
"Nevertheless. She is too well protected. I refuse to risk my life for something you cannot gain access to. Goodbye."
"Oh goodbye my little mole," he cackled, pulling a vortex manipulator from a box. "But I know that she will not heed instruction. She will be on her own at some point. I will just have to wait."
...
River handed Anna the last bag as they settled down onto the bench outside Di Mall, exactly one week after Anna had arrived. They sat in silence for a few moments before River reached into her pocket and pulled out a square wooden box that she handed to Anna.
"Here, I want you to keep this on you at all times, no matter what old Grouch says in there," she said softly. Anna opened the box to reveal a small pistol, old earth, almost Victorian in design with a short barrel and a pearl handle. "If you change the dial it will change the type of bullet, doesn't need reloading or anything."
"Tante, I cant..." Anna started. She had never carried a gun except when on Torchwood missions back home. Mum and dad didn't like it.
"Anna, I want you to stay safe even when I can't protect you, or the Doctor isn't around to save you. You have to trust me. I will try and neutralise the enemy independently but just in case."
"River, you know what I can do, you've seen it. I can protect myself if the need arises."
"Anna Smith, I don't want you to end up getting fried because of this! You nearly burnt yourself out in Bannerman Road, and while your resilience has grown with the exposure to the time vortex, it might still happen," River paused and took a deep breath. "It would kill him if anything happened to you."
"Ok, I'm not happy with this..." Anna slipped the gun into an inside pocket of her jacket. "You're going to have to go, he'll be here soon."
"Promise me you'll take care of yourself."
"Tante, you are not the only one to have become well aquainted with the dealings on the criminal underworld and almost losing your life! Of course I'll look after myself," She smiled. "But you have to promise to look after yourself too?"
"I promise"
They hugged awkwardly in the only way possible while sat next to each other on a park bench.
"Call me if you need me."
"Ditto Tante. Bye."
Anna waved as River ran over to the entrance and knew she was stood on the other side of the door "just in case".
The TARDIS sounded next to Anna and her crazy haired uncle stuck his head out of the door, beaming with pride.
"On time, see! Told you I could do it!"
"You're a week late moron," Anna laughed and handed him a load of bags. "I had to make my own way. Lets go."
The Doctor looked a little shocked. "A week late? An entire week late? No, that can't be right! A week?..."
Anna laughed. It was good to be home.
Oh no, she did not just think that!
A/N sorry for the long time, exams and all that just zap time more than a sontaran on a battle field with a vortex manipulator. Cant guarantee a speedy update either tbh!
Anyway, R&R!