The Time Lord Oracle: thanks. Read this chapter to see if your idea is right!

NicoleR85: thank you!

River blasted a hole in the wall behind them and they all hurried through it, running along the dimly lit corridor behind the wall. The group entered a large room bathed in the orange glow of the setting sun. Almost immediately the Doctor got out his sonic and started checking the shadows.

"There's no lights here. Sunset's coming", River stated "We can't stay long. Have you found a live# one?" she asked the Time Lord.

"Maybe", he replied "It's getting harder to tell" he taps his sonic crossly "What's wrong with you?" he grumbled.

"Lyssa you think you can check?" River asked the red head.

"No problem", Alyssa said closing her eyes and concentrating. After a couple of minutes she pointed at the shadow that the Doctor had been trying to scan. "There's one. It's fairly strong", Alyssa reported opening her eyes.

"They won't attack until there's enough of them", the Doctor said "But they've got our scent now", he added warningly "They're coming" he turned to Alyssa "You sensed one. Do you think you can sense any more coming this way?"

"I can try", the empath replied and moved away from the group, closing her eyes once more. The Doctor hung back, keeping an eye on his girl in case she needed him.

"Who are they?" Other Dave asked River the moment the pair were out of earshot "You haven't even told us. You just expect us to trust them?"

"She's Lyssa and he's the Doctor", River said vaguely.

"And who are Lyssa and the Doctor?" Lux demanded.

"The only story you'll ever tell…if you survive him", James said nodding at the Time Lord "and you really don't want to be on his bad side, trust me".

"You say they're your friends River, but they don't even know who you are", Anita pointed out to the curly haired woman.

"Listen, all you need to know is this: I'd trust those two to the end of the universe", River said "And actually, we've been".

"Funny how you can trust someone who clearly doesn't like you", Anita commented, recalling the way the Doctor had a go at River earlier.

"It's complicated", River offered and walked over to the parents-to-be. The Time Lord was now fiddling with the sonic while the empath watched, having abandoned her attempts to sense any more carnivorous shadows. Quite frankly she was having a bit of trouble and she was starting to get a headache. "What's wrong with it?" she asked.

"There's a signal coming from somewhere, interfering with it", the Doctor replied.

"Then use the red settings", River suggested.

"It doesn't have a red setting", the Doctor said, glancing at his girlfriend who was now rubbing her temples at this point "Ali, love, you alright?"

Alyssa shook her head "not really", she mumbled. The Doctor tucked his sonic away and pressed his on fingers lightly to her temples, gently massaging them. The empath closed her eyes, relaxing as his fingers soothed her throbbing head.

While the Time Lord was dealing with Alyssa's headache, he eyed the sonic in River's hands. "So, sometime in the future, I just give you my screwdriver", the Doctor said. He didn't believe for a second that he was just give the woman the device especially since he hated her.

"Yes, you do", River confirmed "but I didn't pluck it from your cold dead hands if that's what you're worried about", she added quickly.

"And I know that because…." The Doctor said giving River a suspicious look.

"Listen to me. You've lost your friend. You're angry. I understand", River said softening her tone "But you need to be less emotional, Doctor, right now".

"Less emo-I'm not emotional!" the Time Lord shouted, making Alyssa flinch at the loudness of his voice "sorry, love", he added, quieter.

"'S ok", the empath mumbled. She opened her eyes to look at him "I hate to say this, but River is right. We still need to keep a level head for the people still alive in this room", she stated "I miss Donna too and we can mourn her properly later, alright?"

The Doctor nodded, "Ok", he agreed "how's your head?" he asked, much calmer.

"Still throbbing but it's a bit better, thank you", Alyssa answered.

"You're welcome", the Time Lord said.

River shook her head at his shift in attitude. Thank god Alyssa was here to calm him down. "Dear God, you're hard work young", she remarked lightly.

"Young? Who are you?!" the Doctor demanded, glaring at the woman, his anger coming back.

"Oh, for heaven's sake!" Lux cried "Look at the pair of you!" he gestured to the Doctor and River We're all going to die right here, and the two you're just squabbling like an old married couple".

The Time Lord shot him a glare. "Do NOT say that", he said angrily. The thought of anyone thinking that he and River being married…made him shudder. He already had someone, a beautiful, brilliant someone whom he loved with every fibre of his being. Even more so now that she was pregnant. He reached for Alyssa's hand, grasping it tightly. "Never, ever say that".

River took a breath, to compose herself for what she was about to say. The one thing that could earn the Doctor's trust or make him trust her even less than he does at the moment. "Here we go", James murmured, knowing what was about to happen as the curly haired woman stepped closer to the Doctor.

"Doctor…one day I'm going to be someone that you trust completely, but I can't wait for you to find that out. So I'm going to prove it to you. And I'm sorry…I'm really very sorry" she whispered something into the Doctor's ear, the latter looking rather stunned as she stepped away.

It was his name. She'd whispered his name. How did she know that? There was only ever one time he could say his name… the he was allowed to say his name. And the person he would tell was most definitely NOT River Song.

The Doctor swallowed, regaining his composure "You shouldn't know that", he stated "only one person is allowed to know, and that's not you". Well, technically more than one person was allowed to know a Time Lord/Lady's true name. Not only can your lover/spouse know but their children can know too. Plus relatives are allowed to know as well. Professor River Song didn't fall into any of those categories.

That is a far as he knew. One category he was certain River didn't fall into was lover/spouse. That was reserved for Alyssa alone. He didn't think she was his future daughter either as he didn't feel a familial connection towards her, like he should've done. Well...he did with his son back on Gallifrey. Not so much with Jenny, at least not to start with. But with River there was nothing.

And of course there was the most obvious clue. He couldn't sense that she was a Time Lady. Which excluded her from the future children category, thank the universe. And it also removed her from relative category.

"I know", River said taking her sonic back and walked away to re-join the rest of the crew.

Alyssa wanted to know what River said to him to get that reaction but decided not to ask as she could feel how angry he felt. Whatever it was had upset him in some way. But she would wait for him to tell her if and when he was ready to do so. Change the subject Ali she thought. "So that signal which is interfering with the sonic has to be pretty strong, right?" she asked "I didn't think anything could mess with it".

"Well, there are some hairdryers that can", the Doctor told her.

"I don't think anybody is drying their hair in here", Alyssa said.

"Nope but something is messing with it, and it wasn't there before", the Doctor said "So what's new? What's changed?" he questioned. The group just looked at each other. Alyssa, on the other hand was glancing around the room trying to figure out what it could be "Come on!" he urged "What's new? What's different?"

"I dunno know", Other Dave shook his head "Nothing. It's getting dark?" he guessed.

James snorted "That thing works in the dark", he said "be pretty dumb if it didn't".

"Actually, I think Other Dave has a point", Alyssa said "It is getting dark and there's that" she glanced at the moon.

The Doctor followed her gaze upwards "Tell me about the moon. What's there?" he asked.

"It's not real. It was built as part of the Library. It's just a Doctor Moon", Lux replied.

The Doctor looked at him "What's a Doctor Moon?"

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

The Doctor raised his sonic and tested it on the moon "Well, still active. It's signalling. Look. Someone somewhere in this library is alive and communicating with the moon. I'm blocking it, but it's trying to break through-"

"Donna!" Alyssa exclaimed seeing a projection of Donna appear before them. The Doctor barley gets a glimpse of the ginger before she vanished.

"That was her. That was your friend!" River shouted "Can you get her back? What was that?"

"Hold on, hold on, hold on", the Doctor muttered scanning the area where Donna appeared. Behind him Alyssa stiffened and turned towards Anita. Her eyes widened. "I'm trying to find the wavelength. Argh, I'm being blocked", the Time Lord grumbled.

Anita met Alyssa's eyes, she could both see and feel that the woman was terrified. "Professor?" Anita called shakily.

"Just a moment", River called.

"Actually River, this is very important", Alyssa spoke up "Anita has two shadows".

River looked over at the woman in question, concerned. "Okay. Helmets on, everyone", she ordered "Anita, I'll get yours".

"It didn't do Proper Dave any good", Anita said tearfully.

"It's gonna be ok Anita", Alyssa assured her as River picked up the woman's helmet.

"I don't see how. I'm going to die Lyssa", Anita sniffled. River put the helmet on her.

"Hang on", the Doctor said and used his sonic on Anita's visor, turning it black.

River gasped "Oh God, they've got inside".

The Doctor shook his head "I just tinted her visor", he said "Maybe they'll think they're already in there, leave her alone".

"Do you think they can be fooled like that?" River asked, sceptically.

The Doctor shrugged "Maybe. I don't know. It's a swarm. It's not like we chat", he said.

"Can you still see in there?" Other Dave asked Anita.

"Just about", Anita replied, her voice slightly muffled.

"Just…just…just stay back", the Doctor warned. He then turned to River, Alyssa and James "a quick word, please".

"What?" River asked.

"Down here", the Doctor said taking Alyssa's hand and leading her over to the edge of the light, River following. The four of them crouch down.

"What is it Doctor?" Alyssa asked in a hushed voice as to not be over heard by the others.

"How many people would you say in this room right now?" the Time Lord questioned in a hushed tone.

"Not including us, 5", the empath replied "why?"

"There's an extra person", the Doctor whispered and looked over at the opening. Alyssa, River and James follow his gaze and see Proper Dave. He'd found them.

"Hey, who turned out the lights?"

"Run!" the Doctor shouted. The group raced along a walkway, the Doctor's hand clutching tightly onto Alyssa's. When they got part way, the Time Lord suddenly stopped. "Professor, go ahead. Find a safe spot. Ali, go with her", the Doctor said.

"No way, I'm not going anywhere", Alyssa said firmly.

"Ali please", the Doctor pleaded with both his voice and emotions, hoping she'd listen to one of them "I need you and the baby safe".

"And we need you safe", Alyssa shot back ignoring what she was sensing from the Doctor. It was rather a cheap trick using her own abilities against her like that. "I'm staying put whether you like it or not"

The Doctor looked at the determined expression on her face and sighed "fine", he said. He didn't like it but she was adamant about staying. "We'll both stay. Professor and James need to go".

"If, Ali's staying, I'm staying", James said firmly. He made a promise to her and he be damned if he didn't keep it.

"You're insane, it's a carnivorous swarm in a suit. You can't reason with it!" River protested.

"Five minutes", the Doctor told her.

River huffed crossly, knowing that he wasn't going to change his mind "Other Dave, stay with them, pull the Doctor out when he's too stupid to live" River nodded at the Time Lord "Lyssa usually has a better sense of self-preservation…probably the psychic in her. And James…well, he's sensible. For the most part" River looked straight at the Doctor "Two minutes!" and with that she, Anita and lux ran off. Moments later Proper Dave arrived.

"Hey, who turned out the lights?" he asked as he advanced.

"Stay here", the Doctor said to Alyssa giving her a look before he ran up to Proper Dave. "You hear that?" he asked "Those words? That is the very last thought of the man who wore that suit before you climbed inside and stripped his flesh. That's a man's soul trapped inside a neural relay, going round and round forever. Now, if you don't have the decency to let him go, how 'bout this? Use him. Talk to me. It's easy. Neural relay. Just point and think. Use him" the Doctor urged "talk to me".

"Hey, who turned out the lights?" Proper Dave repeated.

"The Vashta Nerada live on all the worlds in this system, but you hunt in forests", the Doctor continued "What are you doing in a library?"

"We should go Lyssa, James", Other Dave said to the pair.

Alyssa turned to him "the Doctor can do this, just give him a minute", she said. She turned back to watch the conversation that was happening in front of them, completely missing the shadow creeping up behind Other Dave…

"You came to the library to hunt", the Doctor stated "Why? Just tell me why?"

"We…did…not", the Vashta Nerada replied.

"Oh, hello", the Doctor said pleased that they were getting somewhere. Behind Alyssa and James, Other Dave shuddered as the Vashta Nerada consumed him. The pair was too focused on the Doctor that they were very unaware of the danger that was standing a about foot behind themselves.

"We did not-" the Vashta Nerada repeated.

"Take it easy, you'll get the hang of it", the Doctor said "Did not what?"

"We…did not…come here"

"Well, of course you did. Of course you came here", the Doctor shook his head.

"We come from here", the Vashta Nerada corrected.

"From here?" the Doctor asked with a frown.

"We hatched here"

"But you hatch from trees. From spores in trees", the Doctor argued.

"These are our forests"

"You're nowhere near a forest. Look around you", the Doctor gestured about him.

"These are our forests", the Vashta Nerada repeated. Alyssa's eyes widened when it hit her.

"Oh my god", she breathed "the paper from the books…its filled with their spores!"

"That actually makes sense", James stated "you're good Ali".

"Th…." Alyssa trailed off and stiffened.

"Ali, what's wrong?" James asked.

"There's another one", she replied and slowly turned around "Oh…Other Dave…". The Vashta Nerada had taken him too. James pulled her backwards as a shadow stretched out from Other Dave, intent of making to two of them its next victims.

"Doctor! We have a bit of a problem!" Alyssa called. The Time Lord spun around to see Alyssa and James backing away from Other Dave and his 'shadow'. The Doctor ran forward, moving James aside so he could take hold of his pregnant girlfriend, pulling her close to him. "Now what do we do?" she asked, a tremble in her voice. The Doctor glanced at Proper Dave then back at Other Dave, his mind racing a million miles an hour thinking about how they were going to get out.

"I don't know but I'm all for suggestions", James replied shifting so that he was standing in front of Alyssa, the red head protected from both sides, for what it was worth.

The Doctor glanced back at Proper Dave again, he noticed a trap door just behind them. "Ali, do you trust me?"

Alyssa glanced up at him "Always", she replied without an ounce of hesitation.

"How about you?" the Doctor asked James.

"Without a doubt", the blonde confirmed.

"Good. Just follow my lead", the Doctor said. Keeping one arm around Alyssa, the Time Lord addressed both Daves. "Thing about me, I'm stupid", he said slowly inching towards the trap door with Alyssa, James moving with them "I talk too much. Always babbling on".

"Well, I love it when you ramble", Alyssa said.

"I know you do", the Doctor said giving her a smile. He looked at the two Daves "and this gob of mine doesn't stop for anything. Well...only one thing. A kiss from my brilliant Ali. Though I don't think you wanna kiss me right now do you?"

"Not really", Alyssa replied "but later, most definitely". The Doctor grinned at her. He turned his attention back to the Daves, still with a grin on his face "Want to know the only reason I'm still alive?" he asked "Always stay near the door". The Doctor soniced the trap door and the trio fell through the hole. Both Daves looked down to see a long drop. Unbeknownst to either of them, the Time Lord and humans were still alive, hanging onto the support strut, out of sight.

The three of them hung there, waiting for the two Daves to leave. As soon as they left, the Doctor and Alyssa clambered through the trapdoor, the Time Lord going first so that he could help his girlfriend up. James climbed up through the hole as well. "Well, as fun as that was, we need to get back to the others. It's been more than two minutes, you know", he pointed out. The Doctor nodded, took Alyssa's hand and walked down the walkway, the blonde hurrying after them.

~Reading room~

"You know it's funny, I keep wishing the Doctor and Lyssa were here", River remarked as she checked the shadows with her sonic.

"They are here, aren't they?" Anita asked "they are coming back, right?"

River turned off her sonic and turned to the woman "You know when you see a photograph of someone you know, but it's from years before you knew them, and it's like they're not quite…finished. They're not done yet. Well…yes, they are here. They came when I called, just like he always does. But not my Doctor and certainly not my Lyssa. Now them… I've seen whole armies turn and run away from the Doctor. And Lyssa…what can I say?" a smile graced River's face "she's brilliant. Those two…were just mean for each other. And when is all said and done; the Doctor will just swagger off back to his TARDIS with his girl and open the doors with a snap of his fingers. The Doctor and Lyssa…in the Tardis…next stop: everywhere".

"Spoilers!" the Doctor shouted stepping into the room with Alyssa and James "Nobody can open a Tardis by snapping their fingers. It doesn't work like that".

"It does for the Doctor", River smirked "and Lyssa doesn't need to do even that. The box will open its doors as soon as she's close enough".

Alyssa frowned at that. Yes she may have some sort of bond with the TARDIS which allowed the box to communicate with her telepathically but she didn't think the bond would be that strong where she doesn't need a key to get inside.

"I am the Doctor"

"Yeah", River scoffed "Someday".

Alyssa walked over to Anita "How are you doing?" she asked gently.

"As well as can be considering the situation", Anita replied honestly "speaking of, why haven't they gotten me yet?"

"Probably the tint on your visor", Alyssa guessed noting that she still had two shadows. The Vashta Nerada had only latched onto her, they hadn't yet consumed her. "Must be making a difference if you've still got two shadows"

"It's making a difference all right", Anita remarked "No one's ever going to see my face again".

"Can I get you anything?" the Doctor asked stepping up beside Alyssa.

"An old age would be nice" Anita laughed "Anything you can do?"

"I'm all over it", the Doctor promised.

"I'm gonna see if I can sense any Vashta Nerada nearby", Alyssa said picking up a vibe from Anita which told her that she wanted to say something else but only to the Doctor.

"Be careful", the Doctor said.

"I will", Alyssa promised and walked off, both River ,the Doctor and James watching her go.

"Doctor…" Anita said as soon as Alyssa was out of ear shot "When we first met you, you didn't trust Professor Song. And then she whispered a word in your ear, and you did. My life so far…I could do with a word like that. What did she say?" she paused "Give a dead girl a break. Your secrets are safe with me".

"Safe", the Doctor repeated a thought just occurring to him.

"What?" Anita asked confused.

"Safe", he said again "You don't say 'saved'. Nobody says, 'saved'. You say 'safe'" the Doctor turned to Lux "The data fragment! What did it say?" he demanded.

"4022 people saved. No survivors", Lux recited.

Alyssa turned around, sensing the Doctor getting worked up "Doctor? What's wrong?" she asked walking back to him, not having heard the conversation.

"Nothing's wrong, except for the message. It said 4022 people saved", the Doctor replied.

"Which makes zero sense", James stated "surely it would be SAFE, not SAVED".

"Exactly!" the Doctor exclaimed "Nobody says saved. Nutters say saved. You say safe. You see, it didn't mean safe. It meant, it literally meant…saved!" he rushed over to an information terminal and began typing. "See, there it is, right there", he said pointing to a date on the archival log "100 years ago, massive power surge. All the teleports going at once. Soon as the Vashta Nerada hit their hatching cycle, they attack. Someone hits the alarm. The computer tries to teleport everyone out".

"It tried to teleport 4022 people?" River asked.

"It succeeded", the Doctor corrected "Pulled them all out, but then what? Nowhere to send them. Nowhere safe in the whole library. Vashta Nerada growing in every shadow. Four thousand and twenty two people all beamed up and nowhere to go. They're stuck in the system, waiting to be sent, like emails. So what's a computer to do? What does a computer always do?"

"It saved them", Alyssa replied.

"Precisely", the Doctor said before running over to a large table, pushing the books out of the way and starting to draw on its surface. "The Library. A whole world of books, and right at the core, the biggest hard drive in history. The index to everything ever written, backup copies of every single book. The computer saved 4022 people the only way a computer can. It saved them…to the hard drive", he explained.

Suddenly an alarm sounded.

"What is it?" Lux asked looking up "What's wrong?"

Autodestruct enabled in twenty minutes a computerised voice announced Maximum erasure.

"What's maximum erasure?" River asked.

"In twenty minutes, this planet's going to crack like an egg", the Doctor replied. Alyssa's eyes widened at that.

"Oh god", she breathed.

"No. No, it's all right", Lux said quickly "The Doctor Moon will stop it. It's programmed to protect CAL".

Suddenly the terminal screen goes blank. "No, no, no, no, no, no, no!" the Doctor shouted.

All Library systems are permanently offline the computer announced Sorry for any inconvenience. Shortly…

"We need to stop this. We've got to save CAL!" Lux cried.

"What is CAL?" Alyssa asked.

"We need to get to the main computer", Lux replied "I'll show you".

"It's at the core of the planet", the Doctor told him.

"Well, then. Let's go", River said. She pointed her sonic at the floor and it opened up "Gravity platform", she explained.

"I bet we like you", the Doctor remarked.

"Oh, you do", River agreed and they all step into the gravity platform.

~Data core~

Autodestruct in fifteen minutes

The Doctor and Alyssa look up at the large globe filled with swirling energy. "The data core", the Doctor said "Over four thousand living minds trapped inside it"

"They're not going to be living for much longer", Alyssa said looking at the globe worriedly.

"She's right", River agreed "We're running out of time".

As soon as they stepped off of the platform, the Doctor headed straight for an access terminal.

"Help me. Please, help me", a young female voice called, seemingly from everywhere.

"What's that?" Anita asked unable to see anything due to her visor being tinted.

"Was that a child?" River questioned looking around, trying to pinpoint the source.

"The computer's in sleep mode", the Doctor said as he typed away "I can't wake it up. I'm trying".

"Doctor, these readings…" River said pointing to it on the screen.

"I know" the Doctor frowned at it "You'd think it was dreaming".

"It is dreaming…" Lux corrected "of a normal life, and a lovely Dad, and of every book ever written". Alyssa glanced at him curiously sensing a lot of emotions from him. Sadness...Love…

Why would he feel those things for a computer unless… her green eyes widened when she realised "Mr Lux", she said slowly "CAL is a little girl, isn't she?"

The man met her eyes and nodded. He pulled a lever in a cabinet and ran into the next room the moment the door slid open. Alyssa was quick to follow him, the others not far behind her. A node turns to face them. It has the face of the little girl that they'd all seen in the computer. "Please help me", the girl begged "Please help me".

"Oh, my God", River gasped. Alyssa stared at the girl sadly, her heart aching. She loved children, always had a soft spot for them. And to see this girl in distress, pleading for help…it hurt. The Doctor could see how much this was affecting the red head.

"How could you do this?" James demanded to Lux, equally as angry as the Time Lord.

"Why didn't you tell me that a child was hooked up to a mainframe?" the Doctor asked the man Why didn't you tell me this? I needed to know this!"

"Because she's family!" Lux shouted back. He took a breath and continued, his tone much calmer than before "CAL. Charlotte Abigail Lux. My grandfather's youngest daughter. She was dying, so he built her a library and put her living mind inside, with a moon to watch over her, and all of human history to pass the time. Any era to live in, any book to read. She loved books more than anything, and he gave her them all. He asked only that she be left in peace. A secret, not a freak show".

"So you weren't protecting a patent, you were protecting her", the Doctor said finally understanding.

"This is only half a life, of course. But it's for ever"

"And then the shadows came", the Doctor said.

"The shadows", Charlotte gasped "I have to….I have to save. Have to save…."

"She saved them", Alyssa murmured not looking away from Charlotte "tucked them away into her dream world".

"Then why didn't she tell us?" Anita asked.

"Because she's forgotten", the Doctor replied "She's got over four thousand living minds chatting away inside her head. It must be like…being, well, me". That got a glance from Alyssa. She knew about the mental connection Time Lords had to one another…they could literally sense each other. But with them all gone, the quiet must be deafening to him. Alyssa could, in away understand how he felt, her abilities connected her to people in a similar way. While it can be overwhelming at times…she didn't think she could be without it.

"So, what do we do?" River asked.

Autodestruct in ten minutes the computer announced.

"Easy!" the Doctor shouted running back to the terminal "We beam all the people out of the data core. The computer will reset and stop the countdown" he frowned at the readings on the terminal screen "Ok, Charlotte doesn't have enough memory space left to make the transfer" he went over to the banks of wires, examined them for a moment before he grinned "I'll hook myself up to the computer. She can borrow my memory space".

"He can do that?" Alyssa asked River.

The curly haired woman shook her head "No, he can't. It'll kill him", River replied. Alyssa's heart stopped at that. The Doctor was everything to her, she couldn't lose him!

"Are you absolutely sure?" Alyssa asked, her voice shaky. River just gave her a sad look. The red head glanced at the Doctor, an angry expression appeared on her face. River didn't stop her from storming over to the Doctor. Neither did James. Both of them knew that the only one who could talk sense into the Time Lord was Alyssa.

"Are you trying to kill me?" she demanded.

"I'm sorry?" the Doctor asked confused wondering why she was suddenly so angry.

"River told me you won't survive", Alyssa said angrily "this is like the Sontarans all over again! That time nearly killed me Doctor. And if you do this…if you die…it really will kill me" tears started to well up in her eyes "I love you Doctor! You are everything to me! You're my child's father and I cannot…I will NOT lose you!"

The Doctor watched as she broke down in tears. It hurt his hearts to see her this way and it was worse as he was the reason for her tears. He stepped up to her, putting his arms around her "I'll try my hardest not to die", he said quietly "I don't want to leave you or our baby behind. You both are everything to me too" he looked over at River "You and Luxy boy go back up to the main library", he said "Prime any data cells you can find for maximum download" when River opened her mouth to argue, he added sternly "Just do it River".

"Oh, I hate you sometimes", the woman grumbled.

"I know", the Doctor countered.

"Mr Lux, with me!" River turned and pulled Lux away "Anita, James, if he dies, I'll kill him!"

The pair walked out, leaving Anita and James with the Doctor and Alyssa. "What about the Vashta Nerada?" the woman asked.

The Doctor looked over at her, still holding onto Alyssa "These are their forests", he said "I'm going to seal Charlotte inside her little world, take everybody else away. The shadows can swarm to their hearts' content".

"It's not her anymore", Alyssa mumbled into the Doctor's chest, the Time Lord in question just about hearing her. He knew what she meant by that, she'd sensed that the Vashta Nerada had eaten Anita. He had suspected as much when he noticed that she only had one shadow but Alyssa confirmed his suspicions.

"So, you think they're just going to let us go?" Anita asked.

"Best offer they're going to get", the Doctor replied.

"You're going to make 'em an offer?" Anita questioned.

"They'd better take it, because right now, I'm finding it very hard to make any kind of offer at all", the Doctor stepped away from Alyssa, turning to the suit with a glare "You know what? I really liked Anita. She was brave, even when she was crying. And she never gave in" he walked up to the suit, taking out his sonic "And you ate her" he flashed the sonic, clearing the visor to reveal the skeleton inside "But I'm going to let that pass, just as long as you let them pass".

"How long have you known?" the Vashta Nerada asked.

"I counted the shadows", the Doctor answered "You only have one now. She's nearly gone. Be kind".

"These are our forests", the Vashta Nerada "We are not kind".

"I'm giving you back your forests, but you are giving me them", the Doctor said firmly "You are letting them go".

"These are our forests. They are our meat", the Vashta Nerada stated. Shadows stretch out from it towards the Doctor. Alyssa watched nervously wanting to pull him away but she also knew that he could handle this. So, she stayed put. James shifted closer to her.

"Don't play games with me", the Doctor said angrily "You just killed someone I liked. That is not a safe place to stand. I'm the Doctor, and you're in the biggest library in the universe. Look me up".

The shadows halt for a moment before they retreat back into the suit. "You have one day", the Vashta Nerada said. The suit collapsed just as River walked back through the hall.

"Anita!" she shouted.

"I'm sorry. She's been dead a while now", the Doctor said "and I told you to go!"

"Lux can manage without me", River said, striding over to him "but you can't". She punched him, knocking him unconscious.

"What the hell was that for!" Alyssa demanded. She rushed over to the Doctor, kneeling beside him to make sure that he was ok.

"I'm really sorry Ali", James said apologetically before she pressed a sleep patch to the red head's neck.

"No", Alyssa mumbled trying to fight the drug.

"Don't fight it", James said gently, taking her in his arms, the red head tried to wiggle out but it was no use. She was just so tired.

Alyssa peered up a him blearily, doing her best not to succumb to the patch. A small frown appeared on her face when she sensed…love from the man. Love? Why the hell would he be feeling that? "Why are you feeling love?" she asked "and…regret?"

"I'm not feeling love", the blonde replied, attempting to mask his emotions but it was easier said than done. He couldn't hide how much he loved her, no matter how hard he tried. "I'm only regretful cos I didn't want to drug you since you're…you know…expecting", he admitted.

"James…I can feel the love coming from you", Alyssa insisted, fighting against the drug even more as she wanted answers "I'm an empath, remember?"

James sighed, before he answered knowing that his denial was allowing her to fight the drug. "Cos I love you", he confessed admitted "I have since the kiss on the moon".

Alyssa stared at him "but…the only person that did that was the Doctor…" James gave her a soft smile "oh my god…" she breathed before her eyes rolled into the back of her head and she passed out.

"You know that was a big risk", River remarked "she could remember".

"I know", James sighed laying Alyssa carefully on the floor "but she was fighting the drug. I had to tell the truth" River watched him tentatively brush some of Alyssa's hair from her face "I love her so much" he gently caressed her cheek "I wish she didn't have to go through that…day".

"I know James", River said, softly, placing a hand on his shoulder "but it has to happen, whether we want it too or not".

"Yeah, I know", James mumbled.


The Doctor winced as he slowly regained consciousness only to realise that he was handcuffed to a pillar a few feet away from a chair that River was sitting on, currently connecting wires together, James giving her a hand. The Time Lord looked behind him to see Alyssa lying a foot away. Unlike him, she wasn't handcuffed but she did have a sleep patch on her which is why she wasn't awake yet.

"She'll be fine", River called watching him straining with the cuffs trying to see if Alyssa was ok "that sleep patch is a weak one and it won't affect the baby". The Doctor stared at her for a moment before he realised what she was doing.

"Oh, no, no, no, no. Come on, what are you doing? That's my job!" he cried.

"Oh, and I'm not allowed to have a career, I suppose?" River joked.

The Doctor jiggled the handcuff "Why am I handcuffed? Why do you even have handcuffs?" he asked.

"Spoilers", River said with a smirk.

"This is not a joke. Stop this now", the Doctor ordered struggling even more in the handcuffs "This is going to kill you! I'd have a chance, you don't have any".

"Doctor, you don't have a change and neither does River", James admitted.

"But at least this way the two of you will be together, the way it's supposed to be" River added. She swallowed hard "I'm timing it for the end of the countdown. There'll be a blip in the command flow. That way it should improve our chances of a clean download".

"River, please! No!" the Doctor pleaded.

"Funny thing is, this means two have always known how I was going to die", River said looking at him tears in her eyes "All the time we've been together, you both knew I was coming here. The last time I saw you, the real you, the future you, I mean…" she sniffled "you turned up on my doorstep, with a new haircut and a suit. Lyssa looked stunning as always. The pair of you took be to Darillium to see the Singing Towers. Oh, what a night that was", River smiled slightly, reminiscing "The Towers sang, you held Lyssa and you both cried".

Autodestuct in one minute

"Neither of you would tell me why, but I suppose you knew it was time. My time. Time to come to the Library. You even gave me your screwdriver. And Lyssa…she said goodbye to me. She never says goodbye. It's always…"

"See you later", the Doctor said.

"Yeah" River nodded. She sighed "that should've been the biggest clue".

The Doctor glanced back over at Alyssa who was still unconscious. If she'd been awake, she could've given him the sonic, which coincidently was placed next to the red head.

"There's nothing you can do", River said sadly.

"You can let me do this", he urged.

"If you die here, it'll mean I've never met you", River stated "or her" she nodded to Alyssa.

"Time can be rewritten", the Doctor argued.

"Not those times. Not one line. Don't you dare", River warned "It's okay. It's okay", she said softly "It's not over for either of you. You'll see me again. You've got all of that to come. You and Lyssa and me, time and space. You watch us run".

"River, you know my name", the Doctor began "But there's no way I'd tell you because you're not her" he nodded at Alyssa "so how do you know it?"

Autodestruct in ten…

"Hush now", River said gently.

Seven….

"You'll find out when you're older".

Five, four…

"Take care of her Doctor", River added.

three…two, one

River joins two power cables together and there is a blinding white light. She smiled, gratefully when a familiar woman appeared in front of her. "Goodbye, Melody Pond", the Time Lady whispered.


The Doctor stood by the door in the back of the reception watching the people River had saved be teleported away. Alyssa stood by his side watching them too. Silently, the Doctor wound an arm around her waist pulling her up against his side. Alyssa didn't say anything, she knew he needed to comfort and so she put an arm around his waist too. There was no sign of James when the light died so they just guessed that he'd taken off after River sacrificed herself.

"Any luck?" she asked Donna as the ginger approached. Apparently in the dream world, she'd been married to a lovely man called Lee and she wanted to see if she could find him amongst the survivors.

Donna shook her head "There wasn't even anyone called Lee in the Library that day", she said disappointed "I suppose he could have had a different name out here, but, let's be honest, he wasn't real, was he?"

"Maybe not", the Doctor replied.

"I made up the perfect man", Donna muttered "Gorgeous, adores me, and hardly able to speak a word. What's that say about me?"

"Doesn't say anything about you Donna", Alyssa said "we all dream of the perfect man. Even me".

"I suppose you don't need to do that anymore, do you?" Donna asked with a smile.

"No, I don't", Alyssa replied "so long as someone thinks twice before doing anything that could get him killed".

"Don't worry love. I will", the Doctor promised dropping a kiss on top of her head.

"So…are you alright?" Donna asked carefully. She knew River's death had upset the pair of them greatly.

"Are you all right?"

"I'm always all right", the Doctor replied.

"Is 'all right special' Time Lord code for…'really not all right at all'?" Donna asked.

"Why?" the Doctor asked.

"Because I'm all right, too", Donna replied.

"Come on", the Doctor said unwinding his arm from around Alyssa's waist so he could take her hand. The trio then walked away.


James waited in the gift shop, his disguise now removed since he was alone. He wasn't lingering there long when the TARDIS appeared. He smiled when the door opened to reveal the ginger haired Time Lady, hand resting on her baby bump. James wasted no time entering the ship, the door swinging shut behind him. He cupped Alyssa's face and kissed her, pouring as much love as he could into it. "I love you", James said softly "so much". After losing River, he had to tell his wife how much he cared about her.

"I love you too", the Time Lady, matching his tone.

James pressed his lips against hers once more "I want you", he murmured. Telling her wasn't enough he HAD to show her too. Alyssa took his hand and led him into the depths of the TARDIS.