A/N: As per usual, much love and many thanks to every one of you lovely viewers! You guys are the best motivation. Hope you had a nice Halloween and got tons of candy ;)

****EDIT: I made some revisions to the Library episodes. To anyone rereading this story, you'll notice the changes.****

Chapter 36: Forest of the Dead Part 1

Donna was sitting on a bed, all alone. Looking around, she was able to make out that she was in a hospital of some sorts. Noting how she was wearing blue and white plaid pajamas, she concluded that she had been here for a while. But…how did she get here? Funny thing was she had no idea. The last thing she remembered that she was standing in a room on a platform, a…teleport, she thought. She wasn't alone though. The one operating the platform was a tall thin man with dark spiky hair wearing a pinstriped suit. A string bean in a suit. The Doctor was his name. Odd name. He was making a fuss and was trying to get rid of her by sending her away. From…something. Maybe something dangerous? She tried to think but it became fuzzy.

But it wasn't only her that he was trying to get out of the way of whatever it was he was rambling about. There was another woman there, a blonde girl. Pretty woman, she was. His wife. Her name was that of a flower's. What was it? Violet? Daisy? Dalhia? Rose? Yes, Rose. Rose was the Doctor's wife. She was standing beside the platform arguing with her husband about being sent away. But she wasn't with her when she woke up here. Her mind was trying its hardest to remember the details about those two, but she was met with blurred visions out of focus. The main thing she was able to make out beyond the haze was a good feeling of fondness for the couple despite not having a clear thought of who they were.

There was a knock on her door and a moment later, a tall black man dressed in a suit came into her room. He was bald and wore glasses along with the serious look on hos face. But his demeanor changed when he noticed she was awake. He didn't seem familiar.

"Hello, Donna," the man said kindly.

"Who are you?" Donna asked, confused as she eyed him warily.

"I'm Dr. Moon," he replied. "I've been treating you since you came here two years ago."

She stared at him for a moment then it had clicked. Sh let out an embarrassed chuckle. "Oh God, Dr. Moon," she said, placing her fingers on her temple. "I'm so sorry! What's wrong with me? I didn't know you for a moment."

He smiled. "And then you remembered. Shall we go for a walk?"

No sooner after his sentence was finished, Donna found herself and the man standing outside in the front garden of the hospital grounds. The grass was a bright green and shining with dew from the rising sun. She didn't even remember coming out of her bed. She was sporting a large burgundy coat perfectly keeping her warm from the cold breeze that blew while Dr. Moon wore a long black one.

"No more dreams, then?" he asked. "About the Doctor and Rose Tyler and the blue box in time and space?"

Donna looked around again, still confused. "How did we get here?"

"We came down the stairs, out the front door," Dr. Moon told her. "We passed Mrs. Ali on the way out."

Once again it all came back to her despite the notion she had in the back of her mind that was telling her not to believe him. "Yeah," she said with a nod. "I forgot that."

"And then you remembered," the other man said. "Shall we go down to the river?"

Before Donna could answer him properly, they appeared on a bench beside a river. Funny thing was that when he questioned he if she'd like to go to a river she thought that she knew someone with that name. It was connected to the married couple she kept thinking about. Who were they again? The Doctor and Rose, that's it. And there was this other man. A pretty young man with dark skin and tight black curls. Everything slipped away with ease. How had her memory gotten this bad where she couldn't remember portions of her life or even something simple she had done a minute ago? The sound of quacking ducks brought her out of her musings as she pulled her coat closer to her for warmth.

Wizard, her mind was telling her.

"Dr. Moon!" called a man from the side as he made his way down the bank with fishing gear. "Morning."

Donna turned to face him and couldn't keep her eyes off of him. He had curly dark hair and dark eyes that twinkled in the sunlight along with his wide bright smile. He was gorgeous.

"Donna Noble," Dr. Moon said as they stood from the bench. "Lee McAvoy."

Coyly Donna extended her hand to the blushing man. "Hello, Lee," she said as he shook her hand.

"Hi, D-D-D…" he began, but began to trip over her name.

"Oh, you've got bit of a stammer there," Donna said with a small smile. "Bless." Lee tried to say her name again only to have the same result. "Oh, skip to a vowel, they're easy!" she joked.

Lee smiled at her and they laughed. Suddenly when Donna blinked she found herself and Dr. Moon back in the hospital gardens without Lee. What happened? Did the other man want to see her again? Why couldn't she remember? "How did we leave it, him and me?" she asked Dr. Moon. "Did it go well?"

"I got the impression he was inviting you fishing tomorrow," he told her.

Her face lit up as well as her surroundings when a white light encased her, her vision blurring again. When she was able to refocus, she found herself stepping into a room that she found to be Lee's room. He was standing to the side with his fishing gear while she realized she was dressed for a night on the town in a long glittering purple dress. She didn't remember being invited to visit his home nor picking out the outfit she was donning. It was a nice design. Rose would have loved this dress just like the others they've worn in the past.

Wait, what? That was wrong. Rose Tyler wasn't real. She was only one half of that dynamic duo in those fantastical dreams. She doesn't exist. But…why did she recall vivid details of that blonde woman's life? Like her features and voice. As he was concluding that her imagination was so active that she could have been a storyteller, but in the back of her mind she sensed that she was wrong and that Rose Tyler was real. Right?

Donna snapped out of her daze and realized Lee was staring at her, appreciating the way she looked even if it wasn't suitable for fishing. "So…" she proclaimed with a smile. "Fishing!"

He smiled widely at her, and they were outside in the rain. It really didn't seem like they were fishing by how they were seated underneath an umbrella as the rain came pouring down. She found the patter-patter comforting and relaxing. She felt out of place since she was never one to enjoy fishing or outdoor activities like these—from what she could remember at least—but it also had to do with the dress she was wearing. But Lee didn't mind either. He adjusted the umbrella more to make sure they didn't get wet before reaching a hand over and clasping it in hers.

"D-D…" he began again, trying to get his words out.

Donna grinned and squeezed his hand. "What am I gonna do with you?"

His eyes twinkled and then the white light came over them…the perfect shade for the elegant wedding dress she wore as they made their way into their house. It was a custom choice that she had fitted with pockets. She wondered why she felt the design was necessary but…it was. Lee lifted Donna up into her arms bridal style as they came to the threshold with wedding bells ringing in the background. The weather was unseasonably warm, which seemed odd since it still felt like no time has passed by and it was still chilly.

Today had been the perfect day. It was something she always wanted—to be married to someone who cared about her. For some reason, she felt like she had been engaged before. She doesn't remember to who, but she had the strangest feeling that the last time she wore a wedding gown she was surrounded by madness. Like a giant red spider with robot Santas. It seemed like one of her wonderful dreams again of that Doctor and his wife Rose. There was no way that could have happened in real life. Times like these she was amazed at how lifelike her imagination was that made her feel ebullient.

"Welcome home, M-Mrs. McAvoy," Lee said with a warm grin.

Donna returned it as she brought him down for a loving kiss. For the first time in what seemed like forever, she felt truly happy. There was still something…off, though. Almost like an itch at the back of her head trying to tell her that everything around her was wrong. She knew that years were passing by, but it felt like her life was skipping over weekends and months. She still had memories bleeding through, the dreams of the married couple in the blue box. But as soon as they came they faded.

She blinked again and found herself in their house. She was standing in the hallway after letting Dr. Moon in. He was coming for a normal checkup to see how she's been progressing so she finished cleaning up in the kitchen. She was just about to come back into the living room when she noticed her kids—Jacob and Eva, two fraternal twins—running around the entire house. They were playing some kind of game as they laughed and ran around the couch where Dr. Moon sat looking through a photo album.

"Stop it!" she scolded them. "We've got a visitor." They laughed again and dashed out of the room.

"You've done so much in seven years, Donna," Dr. Moon commended as he turned through the album.

"Sometimes it feels more like seventy," Donna said with a small smile before pausing. "Mind you, sometimes it feels like no time at all."

She hadn't meant to blurt that out, but it was true. It kept confusing her the more she thought about it. Dr. Moon set the photo album down on the coffee table and stood from his seat on the couch. Donna did the same when he bent down to retrieve his suitcase. "Can I just say what a pleasure it is to see you fully integrated?" Dr. Moon said.

Suddenly, he began to look fuzzy, making Donna frown. He was soon replaced by a holographic image of a tall man in pinstripes. Her eyes widened in surprise. It was the Doctor. He was wielding his sonic screwdriver with his eyes directed to the ceiling, looking at something she couldn't see. His form crackled like static and his voice sounded like he was coming out of a radio.

"No, the signal's definitely coming from the moon," he was saying. "I'm blocking it, but it's trying to break through." He looked around and his eyes stopped on hers. "Donna!"

As soon as he showed up he was gone. Dr. Moon reappeared, looking as solid and as real as ever. He held a hand on his stomach and shook his head with a chuckle. "Oops, sorry," he said. "Mrs. Angelo's rhubarb surprise. Will I never learn?"

Donna blinked in shock and soon she could see herself back in the Library with the group of archaeologists. She backed away, eyeing the man warily. "The Doctor!" she cried. "I saw the Doctor!"

Dr. Moon opened his mouth to speak, but then his figure became fuzzy again, but this time it wasn't the Doctor who was replacing the image. It was a blonde woman standing with her eyes closed. Donna gasped. It was Rose.

"I think…" she was saying. "I think I'm picking up something. But…it doesn't feel like—" She cut herself off when she opened her eyes, noticing Donna gaping at her. "Oh, my God, Donna!"

Again the image shortened out before vanishing completely with Dr. Moon coming back again. Donna shook her head in disbelief. It was true, they were her friends. Of course they existed! "Rose!" she cried. "I just saw the Doctor and Rose!"

"Yes, you did, Donna," Dr. Moon concurred gently. "And then, you forgot."

Donna blinked, any and all concern she had felt about seeing those two from her dreams fading away until gone. Why was she feeling scared for a second? Something didn't happen to Lee, did it? She shook her head and noticed Dr. Moon standing in her living room and smiled at him. She didn't know it was time for another visit so soon.

"Dr. Moon! Oh, hello!" she greeted happily. "Can I go make you a cup of tea?"

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

In all of the years Rueben has known the Doctor, he's seen him in some of the most fierce and impatient moods where the Oncoming Storm was on the verge of breaking through. And right now was no exception. As they hurried down the corridors away from the swarm and the advancing shadows, he could practically feel the waves radiating off of him. His face was drawn tight like a mask of fury, showing just how ancient he really was despite his young appearance. Well, younger appearance.

He can only imagine the amount choler swirling inside of him. When under dicey conditions or encountering dangerous beings, he would always stare them down hard and handle the problem with seriousness to make sure that everyone would make it out alive. But if that wasn't enough to get his nerves going then losing his wife jacked up the marks. Knowing how deeply close he and his wife were was always awe-inspiring. Just seeing what insane levels of commitment they had for each other was incredible to no end, especially when it came to protecting and saving them from some of the horrors of the universe. Now something strange happened to his beloved wife and their good friend. Now he was in his near-Oncoming Storm mode.

It was a risky move for the Doctor teleporting Rose out of the Library without even telling her. That blonde was feisty and hated the idea of leaving her husband alone in the middle of danger. But him being the thick and stubborn bloke that he is, he went and did it anyway. How the trait intensified and spread throughout the centuries. In his defense, he understood why he did it. He always looked out for her and wanted her safe at all times. And with her condition he really couldn't blame him for doing it. But Rose could always handle herself, she was strong. She may have also been stubborn, but she was always by her husband's side to walk with him in the middle of trouble.

He was getting the slap of his lifetimes when Rose came back. Rueben knew what those Tyler hands were capable of doing and he could only hear the crack echoing from the future and back. He promised their future selves that he wouldn't break their rules no matter how persistent they were when it came to figuring out what happened to them in the upcoming centuries. When he and the rest of the archeologists first arrived to the Library he felt the barest presence of both of them, which he understood since he crossed the timelines and came to the wrong point. Life with time travellers was hard. He always teased them and even his husband about ending up in the wrong place and time, but he was just as bad if not worse.

Still he knew they all would make it out of this alive. He saw the future and what he just left from. They make it.

Turning another corner, the group was starting to get breathless again, save for the Doctor of course. If Rose were here she wouldn't be too bad either. Rueben, however, was starting to feel fatigued. He was used to running, but for the first time in a while he needed a breather. When they came to a stop he reached for her sonic blaster, thankful that he remembered to bring it. She glanced over to see the Time Lord standing beside him, the same stone expression etched onto his face. No doubt he was trying to connect with Rose wherever she was, it was what they'd always do.

"Any luck making contact?" he asked him quietly.

The Doctor turned to him with the same look he's been giving him all day—a look of distrust and shadiness, like he was a fly-by-night that seemed to know who he and his wife were. It pained him, it really did. He admitted that to Donna earlier. He didn't expect anything less than the suspicious glances from any of them, but he couldn't stop himself from feeling hurt that the people he knew and spent time with for years that helped shape him to who he was today saw him as a stranger.

"No," he finally responded, his tone flat and low, sounding a tad bit dangerous anf more irritated.

"We'll find Rose and Donna, Doctor," Rueben told him, placing a hand on his shoulder for a moment. "I know it."

The Doctor stated at the man's hand before studying his face. "Who are you to us, Rueben Ochoa?"

Rueben ducked his head. "In time." He then aimed the sonic blaster at another wall, giving them another passage to another room. "Okay, we've got a clear spot," he announced before jerking his head at the others. "Everybody in!"

One by one they hurried inside of the room, the Doctor barely sparing him a glance a he dashed inside and immediately made his way to the other side of the room. It was becoming darker, the only source of light being the large moon looming overhead in the sky along with the deep hues of the sunset. There wasn't much time until the shadows completely covered the place.

"Right in the center, in the middle of the light, quickly!" Rueben directed as the others moved to crouch on the ground to catch their breaths. "Don't let your shadows cross. Doc, you'll wanna start—"

"Already doing it," he replied as he crouched on the ground to observe a dark opening. He took out his sonic and scanned the area.

"There's no lights here," Rueben said, looking up to turn his attention to the sky beyond the dome. "Sunset's coming, we can't stay long. You might wanna work faster."

"I'm trying to!" he snapped.

He bit his tongue. If Rose were here, she'd try to let him remain calm rather than add onto the frustration. How that blonde dealt with him all these years was amazing. Rueben knew they were the perfect match that way and balanced each other out. "Have you found a live one?" he asked.

"Maybe," the Doctor replied evenly. "It's getting harder to tell the longer we're in here." He stopped scanning and began to bang his sonic against his palm out of irritation. "What the hell's the matter with you?"

"Maybe if you didn't send Rose away then you could've borrowed hers." He turned around and shot him a nasty glare. He held his hands up in innocence. "Just sayin'."

He didn't mean to lightly pull his chain when he was more than rattled after losing contact with Rose, but he was trying his best to lighten his mood a little so he could focus on creating an actual plan of escape.

"We're gonna need more bait," Rueben said before turning to the others seated in a circle on the ground. "Any of you got some of the lunch I shared with you? Any chicken legs?" Other Dave fetched his lunch in tin foil then handed it to him. He walked over to where the Doctor sat on the ground and tossed the leg into the shadow. In a millisecond the meat was completely stripped and left just the bone. "Okay, we got a hot one on our heels."

"They won't attack until there's enough of them," the Doctor informed. "Usually small swarms are harmless, but they've got our scent. They're coming."

Rueben could make out his tension and refrained from placing a hand on his shoulder. He wouldn't accept it the next time if he did it, so he held back from trying. Instead he moved over to join the others and knelt on the ground, watching as the Time Lord scanned the area.

"Who is he?" Other Dave asked, his voice quiet. "And who was the blonde woman with him, his wife? You haven't even told us. You just expect us to trust them."

"They're the Doctor and Rose Tyler," he told him. "And yeah, she's his wife."

"And who exactly are 'the Doctor and Rose Tyler'?" Mr. Lux snapped sarcastically.

"The only story you'll ever tell—if you survive," Rueben shot back. "They're two of the most amazing people in the universe. They're known as the stuff of legends. Believe me, there's stories about them written across the stars and it's legend alright."

"You say you're close to them, but they don't even know who you are," Anita spoke up.

Rueben sighed. "Listen," she said firmly. "All you need to know is this—I'd trust those two all the way to the end of the universe."

"Well they don't act like they trust you. Especially him at the moment. The last time we saw Rose, she didn't either. You're like a stranger to them."

"Yeah, there's a tiny problem with that—they haven't met me yet. They're time travellers. Everything that happened in my life, every point of it—every minor setback, every ounce of joy, every single moment—it's only history. At least to me it is. But for them, it's the future. Everything is."

On the other side of the room, the Doctor remained crouched on the ground with his sonic buzzing as he moved it along the shadows. The swarm was alive, but he couldn't get a good track on them. His sonic kept shortening out every few minutes and it made him more frustrated than usual. Up until recently he believed it to be the result of it being an older mark in need of some upgrading. And, while he still believed it to be the truth, something was blocking him from detecting the surroundings. He inwardly growled. Bloody technology.

If only he had Rose's screwdriver right now maybe then he'd be able to make some more progress than what he's got at the moment. He'd probably still come up short since this other unknown source was pretty strong, but he might have been able to get somewhere more. He mentally kicked himself. He wished his wife and friend were here with him right now and not…wherever they ended up. That was still bothering him. The Node had Donna's face. She was…dead. No, he didn't think that was true. While, yes, she was at the moment, he knew there had to be a way for him to reverse the process of however she ended up that way.

But Rose's…situation was completely different. She had to have made it back to the TARDIS, she couldn't just be wandering around this Library. He would've sensed her. But in either sense of if she were on the ship, he still would have been able to feel her fully in his mind. He didn't. It was faint, like…fuzzy. It was making his nerves tremble. Not being able to contact her was unnerving to no end, especially after…certain unpleasant events in the past. The Node said nothing about her being located in the building, so she had to have been on the TARDIS somewhere. But he would've heard his sonic beep if she was.

He stopped whirring his sonic for a moment and rubbed his eyes, taking a deep breath to steady himself. Rose had to fine. She was still alive just…somewhere else. There was no way that the coordinates slipped. Yes, the equipment here was more aged than his sonic technology, but his advancements would be able to work at any given period. The only way the women may have been taken away was by some kind of interference. Perhaps the same one blocking him from finding the right signal.

"Hey," Rueben said softly as he came over. "You been able to contact Rose yet?"

"No," the Doctor replied flatly. "I know she's there, I can feel her. It's just…off, somehow." Trying to scan the shadows again he let out a curse before bringing the sonic up to his ear to listen to the frequencies.

"What's wrong with it?" the young man asked.

"Same thing that's preventing me from contacting my wife—there's a signal coming from somewhere and interfering."

"Try using the red settings on your screwdriver?" Rueben suggested.

The Doctor frowned and looked up. "It doesn't have a red setting."

"What about the dampers?"

"There's no dampers."

Rueben chuckled quietly. "'Course not." He pulled out his screwdriver. "You were always one to spoil your wife and made hers better than your own."

The Doctor grabbed the device from his hand as he stood to his feet, peering hard at it. Why would his wife just give this man something that he made specifically for her and her only? Anyone could just say they 'borrowed' something as a cover up when in reality they absconded with said item. Who was he to them? He was acting so familiar with them, even told Rose herself that he knew the certain epithets referred to them. He was growing annoyed with her ambiguous answers, he needed to get to the bottom of this.

"Okay, let me get this straight," he began, his voice taking a sharpened edge. "Some time in the future Rose just lets you borrow her screwdriver?"

"Yeah," the young man said with a nod. "I didn't believe it either when she did."

"Why would she do that?"

Rueben shrugged nonchalantly. "Wish I knew. I know what you're thinking and I promise you, she was fully alive and lent it to me willingly. You were there when it happened. Nothing to worry about."

"And I know that because…?" he said virulently, his stomach twisting into knots.

Rueben sighed something out in what sounded like Swahili, his voice gentle. "Listen to me. You've lost your friend and you can't get into contact with your wife, I understand that. You're angry and upset. But you seriously need to calm down—"

"Don't tell me how I should be feeling!" he snapped, cutting him off.

"The temper really went far down the line," Rueben murmured.

"What?" he said sharply.

"Just listen to me, you need to relax!" the other man said, raising his voice. "If Rose were here right now you know she'd be telling you the same thing."

"She's my wife and I trust her with my entire life. I have all the reasons in the world to trust her. Why should I trust you? I don't even know who you are!"

"I already told you—"

"No, I don't care about what you have to say to me. This whole time you've been claiming these things to me, to my wife, and probably even to our friend. Just because you're allegedly from our 'future' doesn't mean I have to trust you right now. Proclaiming you're from our future doesn't always mean an ally or friend or anything else in a positive manner."

"Instead of taking your frustrations out on me, you could be coming up with a plan to get the rest of us out of here so that we can get your wife and friend back! I know you're upset, but you need to relax and try being a little less emotional right now."

The Doctor's brows raised. "Emotional?" he said indignantly. "You want me to be less emotional?" He stepped closer to him, his eyes tearing through him. He noted how he shifted uncomfortably, even though the young man was a couple inches taller. "In case you haven't realized, I'm doing everything I can to get my wife and friend back as soon as possible. I don't want either one of them to wind up dead because of this damned Library or because of me."

"Losing Rose and Donna is hard, I know," Rueben shot back, his voice a little lower. "I want to find them just as badly as you do. I know we're gonna find them, but just look around this room. There's five people in this room still alive, focus on that for right now." He shook his head. "Christ, I don't know how Rose has put up with you for all these years. I thought both of you were hard work when you're older, but you're worse young! At least she's more tolerable than you by a long shot!"

"Young?" he echoed. His patience was wearing thin as he straightened himself more. "Who are you, Rueben Ochoa?!"

There was vulnerability lingering in his wide eyes. Deep down the Doctor actually felt a shred of care and trust for the man, even though he wasn't fully admitting it. All he cared about was focussing on how to get his wife and friend back along with getting everyone to safety. Rose had told him earlier that Rueben said this was the youngest he's ever seen them and that he was amazed by it. At least by what he claimed. Just how far into their future did they meet this man?

"Those names you called us earlier," he mentioned. "You called us the Oncoming Storm and Bad Wolf."

"Well, that's who you are," Rueben said casually. "The Doctor and Rose Tyler, the Storm and the Wolf travelling across the stars."

"Nobody just says those so casually like that nor do they at all unless danger is coming."

"Okay, I know that…but isn't that enough for you to believe me when I say you can trust me?"

The Doctor scoffed mirthlessly. "I shouldn't think so!"

"Oh, for heaven's sake!" Mr. Lux yelled from the side. "Look at yourselves! We're all in serious danger and could die right here and you're just standing around bickering!"

"Shut up, Mr. Lux!" they shouted in unison.

The Doctor kept his black look locked onto Rueben. "Gimme a better reason for why I should believe you."

There was hurt in the other man's eyes and he acknowledged it. He didn't mean to make his feelings hurt, really, but he couldn't help it. His gut wasn't sitting right the entire time they've been here and encountering this mysterious man only added to it. He honestly hoped this man was telling the truth. Rassilon knew he had enough enemies in his life, and Rueben seemed like a decent bloke. Brilliant, too.

"Doctor," Rueben said softly. "One day I'm going to be someone that both you and your wife trust completely, and I mean that sincerely. You're some of the most important people in my life and I care deeply about you. I know you're one who wants trust to be earned, and I tried dropping hints to make it as easy as I could in this situation. But I can't wait for you to figure that out." He paused and studied him carefully. The Doctor steadied his breathing and calmed down a notch, waiting for him to continue. "I'm gonna prove it to you in the most convincing way I can for now." He placed a hand on his shoulder and he felt jittery. "Before I say this…just know that it's not what you think it is. Believe me."

The Doctor narrowed his eyes at him before the other man leaned down to whisper something in his ear. And it was then his blood ran cold and his insides froze up. His mouth nearly fell agape at what came out of the man's mouth and his chest tightened. No, no, no. It couldn't be. How…? He pulled back from him and he just stared at him in shock with widened eyes, his nerves tensing up again.

"Doc?" Rueben said gently. "Before you say anything—"

"How do you know that?" he demanded, his voice surprisingly quiet yet hoarse from yelling. He shook his head at him in denial. "No one else is supposed to know that but Rose. How could you know that? No one else in the universe can know that except for my wife."

"Uh, see the thing about that..." The Doctor's brows almost flew off his face. "Relax, you've said it yourself: polygamy would never work out for you. You're a one-spouse bloke. You swore by that with your blood and crossed your hearts. Rose is the only one for you, you know that." He snorted. "Also, no offense old man, but you may be handsome but I belong with another."

He nodded, feeling his throat tightening. Yes, Rose was the only one for him. So why did this man know a part of something he kept to himself and to his wife? "She is," he said with seriousness, raising his left arm slightly to indicate his marital bracelet and ring.

"Always showing that off," Rueben said with a warm smile. "Now that's true devotion."

The Doctor ran a hand through his hair. "So how the hell do you know that?"

"I'm telling you, it's fine. It's okay, I promise. I'm sorry you're upset but I swear, Doctor, I'm gonna be someone you and your wife trust. It may be hard to believe that right now, I know that, but listen to me when I say it. Both you and Rose are fully alive in the future and together. Just because I know a part of that doesn't really mean I got it from either of you now, does it?"

His brows creased and he narrowed his eyes. What in Rassilon's name was he talking about? If he hadn't got it from them…then how?

"Now are we good?" Rueben asked.

The Doctor felt numb, the whisper still lingering in his ear, still stunned and a bit skeptical.

The younger man sighed. "Okay then. Should I further mention how you have strong attachments to, not only to Rose, but to bananas, the Muppet Movie, pinstripes, hot maxa-chocolate, your sideburns, a certain activity that—"

"Okay, I've heard enough," the Doctor finally choked out, feeling a bit flustered.

"So…are we good?"

The Doctor's body trembled. "Yeah," he said quietly. "We're good."

The other man took a deep breath and wrapped his arms around him in a hug. "Good." While his own arms were hanging in the air for a moment, the Doctor found himself patting the man's back lightly. Rueben pulled back seconds later and took the gold sonic back from him. "Thank you."

Rueben lightly patted his shoulder then walked back over to the rest of the group. The Doctor's eyes followed him, his gaze burning. He swallowed hard, his mind racing at unbelievable speeds while his entire body remained frozen. How in Rassilon's name did this man know these things? Personal things, no less. It was unnerving.

But the main thing that was bothering him was the very first thing he told him. A part of his name. His actual name.

Granted, it wasn't his full name, which he was thankful for. That in its entirety was only for Rose. But for another person to even repeat a small portion of it? How the hell was that even possible? There had to be a reasonable explanation for it. What would Rose think if he found that out? She wouldn't take it lightly. But…she said she sensed a kinship with him, as faint as it was. His original question still remained unnswered. Who was this man? Obviously she has to be close to him and Rose somehow, that was the only thing he could come up with at the moment.

But there would really be no reason for either of them to tell another person a part of his name. Well…there were, but none of them could be true. So what was he to them? The oddity kept bothering him the more he thought about it, so he brushed it aside for now. He tried to tap into his wife's mind to see if he could reach her, but was still blocked. He inwardly cursed. Recovering from his stillness he took a deep breath and strode over to the center of the light.

"Know what's interesting about my screwdriver?" the Doctor said loudly. "Very hard to interfere with, practically nothing's strong enough…well, some hairdryers, but I'm working on that. And it just so happens to be the same with my wife. Under normal circumstances I would be able to stay in contact with her when she's a fair distance away and she'd let me in. 'Less in case she's upset with me for doing something thick, but she'd still reply. So there is a very strong signal coming from somewhere, and it wasn't there before. What's new, what's changed?" Everyone just exchanged looks and remained silent. "Come on!" he shouted as he paced. "What's different?"

"I dunno, nothing," Other Dave tried. "It's getting dark. Maybe your device works better in the light."

The Doctor arched an eyebrow. "It's a screwdriver, it works in the dark. There's something else, something different coming in." He paused and craned his neck to look up at the dome where the sky was turning into a darkening sunset with a large moon looming. "Moonrise…" he breathed out. He turned to Mr. Lux. "Tell me about the moon."

"It's not real," the older man said. "It was built as part of the Library. It's just a doctor moon."

"And what's a doctor moon?"

"A virus checker. It supports and maintains the main computer at the core of the planet."

The Doctor pointed his screwdriver towards the dome and turned it on. "Well, it's still active," he said. "It's still signalling. Someone, somewhere in this Library is alive and communicating with the moon—or possibly drying their hair." He brought the sonic to his ear and adjusted the frequency, checking the signal again. "No, the signal's definitely coming from the moon. I'm blocking it, but it's trying to break through." Rueben gasped from where he stood. It got his attention as he turned his head around and saw a fuzzy image of Donna appear before them. "Donna!"

The hologram faded and the ginger woman was gone. "Donna!" Rueben cried. "Can you get her back?"

"Wait a second," he said, adjusting the sonic again as he held it up against his ear. "I'm trying to find the right wavelength." He frowned when he picked up something else. "Hold on, I'm getting another signal. This one seems…different."

"Doctor!"

The Doctor whirled around at the sound of his wife's voice and was met with a slightly transparent image of her. "Rose!" he exclaimed, feeling her in his mind again. "Where are you?"

"I'm in the TARDIS," she told him. A nasty glare was in her eyes and he felt it. "You sent me away! Again!"

Here comes the scolding like he expected. "I know, I'm so sorry," he told her quickly as he rushed over to stand before her. He reached a hand out with intentions of being able to touch her. "Are you alright?"

Before he could get an answer his hand went right through her then her image disappeared. He cursed in his native tongue and brought his sonic up. He was a little relieved to finally feel her more in his mind but it wasn't enough to ease him of his aggravation at missing her.

"Oh, God!" Rueben said from the side before coming to stand beside him. "What happened to Rose?"

"It's the interference," he answered. "The moon's energy is too strong. It's been blocking us from communicating or from reaching each other's form."

"Why did she look like a ghost? Both her and Donna were holograms."

"Whatever's blocking me from finding the wavelengths interfered when they were being teleported back to the TARDIS," he mused. "Donna couldn't be preserved because the interference came too quick and swept her away. Rose came later and the TARDIS was able to sense it. She's protecting her."

"Because they're connected," Rueben added.

He gave him a pointed look before nodding. "Exactly."

Response to thecurlygal-6218: No worries, love. Catch up when you can ;)