A/N: (Feel free to skip my useless rambling) Woohoo! An update on time because I'm finally done with school for Christmas break! Take that, finals! Guess what, it was even done early and I nearly posted it early, too! Anyway, you guys are going to love this one - and probably flip out a bit. If you do, then I did my job. ;) Anyway, enough of that because it's bound to lead to spoilers, and River would frown on me giving too much away. Well, there's a fire going in that fireplace I totally own, and a whole new tin of Christmas cookies! Tea, Hot Chocolate, and Coffee as usual, with the addition of eggnog if any of you would fancy some! So come on in, settle down in the purple comfy chairs, and enjoy this next installment! Don't forget to leave a review on your way out, reviews truly always make my day.

36

All She Had

Brooke landed in the darkened library. She knew it was dangerous. She also knew she hadn't much time. It had been early to leave the Doctor, Amy, and Rory. She would've liked to stay with them a little longer - but this was more important. The siren was blaring: "Auto Destruct in Five Minutes."

It was time.

By her counting, she had exactly three to do what she had come to do, what she needed to do, what she'd been planning to do for a very, very long time. A secret plan, shrouded by lies and cover ups and excuses. This had to work, Brooke knew it was time. Her Doctor had said so. So, she would do this. She trusted him. He may lie, but he wouldn't lie about something like this. Brooke took a deep breath, taking a second or two to assess the situation. It would be a quick run down a few flights of stairs, and then she would need to sneak quietly into the core of the library to program the computer to do what she wanted.

She ran down the halls, avoiding the small group of astronauts panicking in one of the rooms nearby. They couldn't know she was here. The air rushed in her ears as she grabbed the side of the wall, curbing her momentum as she swung to the left and down a flight of stairs. Just a little further. She vaguely wondered how quickly she could program a computer. It couldn't be too hard, right? After all, this data core had been made for the mind of a child. Brooke dodged around bookshelves on the next floor down, running to the next flight of stairs. Why couldn't they have made them all in succession, instead of spreading them out across the Library? The shadows were closing in, she could see them. She didn't have much time. This was going to be one of the most important, most significant things she would ever do with her life. She couldn't botch it up. Not now.

It was then that she heard it,

"Hey, who turned out the lights?"

A cold shiver ran down Brooke's spine.

"Hey, who turned out the lights?" It repeated. She turned to see the stuff of nightmares standing before her, the shadow filled space-suit, the skeletal skull grimacing out at her while it slowly took a step, and another, and another, towards her fear-filled frame.

Daleks: shot to the eyestalk, Sontarans: back of the neck, Vashta Nerada: Run.

Brooke gulped and then spun on her heel, making for the next flight of stairs. She kept speeding, down the steps, through the halls, and into the very belly of the Library, not daring to look behind her.

She stopped just short of the room, of River's tomb. She could already see the woman beginning to plug herself into the computer. That unfamiliar regeneration- the Tenth Doctor, the proud, spastic one, was now handcuffed and lying listlessly on the floor. Brooke smiled at that. River did always like handcuffs. She shook the thoughts from her head, creeping along the edge of the walls. She knew River could sense things easily - especially her. Her foot scuffed on the edge of a metal grate, and Brooke mentally muttered ancient curses, praying she wouldn't alert the Time Lady to her presence.

River looked up, frowning, listening. Brooke tensed, waiting with baited breath, her heartbeat pounding in her ears. She couldn't know she was here either, it would cause a paradox – things, things wouldn't work out the way they were supposed to if River knew what was going to happen. The stakes were too high… Thankfully, River returned to her task allowing Brooke to return to hers. She continued on the edge of the wall, staying in the shadow, even though she knew it was dangerous and risky to do so. Her breath caught in her throat as she prayed that none of them were moving. She hadn't come this far to fail now.

Finally, she made it to the other end of the computer. She pulled out her sonic, grateful it had a silent mode, and began to preprogram River's executioner. A few whacks there, the press of a blue button, type a new command code in there- and brilliant! Brooke smiled, pleased with herself. River's body would be sent to a nearby planet. The coordinates were still in Brooke's new vortex manipulator. If she worked fast enough, there would be a tiny window of time when she could still save her. A whisper of River Song would be in the computer, yes, but the real River Song would be very much alive and well.

She pressed herself flat against the edge of the computer as the countdown continued. Quietly as she could, she brought up the carefully saved coordinates on her vortex manipulator and vortexed to the planet. The hot, burning sun was a strange contrast to the cool darkness of the Library.

Brooke waited.

Two minutes passed, then three, then five. Brooke was getting agitated, panic building in her heart. What if it didn't work? She'd…she'd made a promise to herself. She wasn't going to let River die. Not here, not now. She was the only one that knew the Doctor's name, and by god Brooke was certainly not going to let River die in a time when the Doctor didn't know her. River was not going to die forgotten and alone, Brooke wanted to be sure of that. River was not going to die heartbroken. She was not going to be imprisoned in a computer. That, to River, was a fate worse than death. River Song, who could walk out of Stormcage with a snap of her fingers and a smooch of hallucinogenic lipstick; River Song, who could take down armies of Silence with her blaster; River Song, who could fly the TARDIS even when it was stuck at the burning core of the Universe; River Song, who could override everything she'd been programmed to do to save the Doctor's life more times than could be counted… yes, River Song couldn't be imprisoned in a computer. It was unthinkable.

A body materialized on the sand and Brooke gave a startled mewl. She rushed forward, adrenaline seeping into her veins. Her heart nearly stopped as she cradled River's lifeless form in her arms. It was macabre to see her like this, she who was normally so lively, so pale and deadened. Her eyes were closed peacefully, however. Her left cheek was still wet from the hot tears she'd shed. Brooke took the cuff of her sleeve and dabbed at it, feeling her throat constrict.

No, she couldn't grieve. Not while River had a chance. The window of opportunity was close, but it would close fast. Brooke took a deep breath and closed her eyes. It was now or never.

She focused all of her being on the creature in her arms, every bit of her for River. She delved deep into her soul, found the part of her that loved River more than anything – and focused it through her limbs. Long disused embers stirred to flame, heating her very soul. It spread through her being, tingling and burning, scorching now. It needled in her fingertips.

Golden light fled from Brooke into River.

River's eyes shot open, and she gasped with new life.

"Brooke… don't you dare."

Brooke could only smile weakly before pure life overtook them both. "Hello, mum."