A/N: Here is 10, the Doctor that everybody loves. Honestly, it took me over a year to like him at all and I'm still warming up to him. But he is pretty brilliant and I'm starting to really, really like him.
Hope everyone enjoys this chapter and doesn't mind the things I've added. I wanted to make Diana's reactions as realistic as possible. You have to consider that since she's experiencing everything in real life, the fear level is probably tripled. She's already been really, really scared by the Pandorica and her time in the vortex. So she's sort of in panic mode right now. And if you say you're not afraid of the Vashta Nerada, then you're lying. I know you are. I've also edited certain things so that they make more sense to me and can also make more sense with the continuity of the series. (I'm talking about the journal scene.)
I was gazing at the stars through the swirling mass of the vortex. Time seemed not to pass at all, then suddenly felt as though it was passing slowly. I couldn't do anything other than wonder if I would ever get out, see the Doctor again, stand on solid ground again. The sound of the TARDIS haunted me as I floated through time and space. When I closed my eyes in an attempt to sleep and maybe disappear to another Doctor in another time, I could hear her wheezing and groaning. Sometimes I heard her voice sing to me the song of the TARDISes, sometimes I heard her crying, sometimes I could hear a distinct Northern voice or a deep baritone that belonged to a mass of curls and scarf or a smooth English accent that accompanied a silky cravat and shoes that fit perfectly. I cried, I screamed, I sang.
Sleep finally overcame me when I found that I was too tired to keep my eyes open. I begged the Doctor one last time to find me, to take me away from the hell I was stuck in. I called out for the TARDIS and sang the song of her kind. Then I felt unconsciousness wash over me and overwhelm my senses.
Air rushed into my lungs. I gasped and my eyes flew open. Someone was touching me, pressing against my diaphram. A voice was whispering to me, just out of reach.
"Diana. Diana, breathe. In through your nose, out through your mouth."
My vision cleared from blinding white to warm, glowing orange. I sat up and looked around at the familiar surroundings. Kneeling next to me and blocking my view of the TARDIS' console was Ten. He was gazing worriedly at me and had a hand partially outstretched towards me.
"Don't talk," he said quickly. "Save your breath. You've been in the time vortex for an extended period of time. Talking and walking might be a bit difficult at first."
How could I survive being in the vortex? I wondered. Jack died when he was exposed to the vortex for a minute. God knows how long I was in there.
"And I know what you're thinking. You'll know soon enough, actually. I can see that you're still early. Don't worry about it right now."
"Is she alright, Doctor?" Donna Noble asked. I looked around the Doctor's frame to see her standing by the console, looking at me with concern.
"Yes, fine. She just needs a bit of a rest, a few minutes to relax." He smiled at me and took my hand in his. "How about you stand up? I'll help you to your room so you can rest."
I put my free hand on the Doctor's shoulder to support myself as I tried to stand up. My knees wobbled and started to give out when I was halfway up. He managed to stand up and catch me before I fell, holding me against his torso.
"You alright?" I nodded. "Let's go slowly. Don't want you getting hurt, now do we?"
"Doctor, can I help?" Donna asked.
I nodded with a smile at the temp. She walked over and put a hand on my shoulder. The Doctor gently put his hands on my waist and pushed me away from his chest. With his right arm wrapped around my waist and Donna's left arm under my shoulder blades, the two helped walk me out of the console room.
"Are you feeling any better?" the Doctor asked once we reached the hallway my bedroom was located in.
I nodded. "A little," I croaked.
"I've got it, Donna," he told the woman. "Thanks."
"You sure? I don't mind."
"No. It's alright."
I cleared my throat and smiled warmly at Donna, greatly appreciating her help. "Thank you, Donna."
"Of course. Now you get some rest. I want you all better. You hear?"
I nodded. "I'll do my best."
Once she started down the hallway, the Doctor tightened his arm around my waist and opened my bedroom door. My legs had recovered, but I was still shaky when walking and I was only a few fet away from the bed when my legs gave out completely. I gasped and clung desperately to the Doctor's body. His other arm came to wrap around my back and hold me steady.
"Are you alright?" he asked softly.
"I feel funny."
"It's the affer effects of the time vortex. You'll be right as rain in about a half hour."
"But." I looked away from his face and chewed on my bottom lip. "I should be dead. Shouldn't I? The vortex-"
"Can't hurt you."
"Why not?"
"Because you're Diana Scott and you're brilliant." I looked back into his eyes and wondered if he was lying to me. I knew that he would only lie if there was something I wasn't supposed to know. "Trust me."
"I-I'd like to sit down," I mumbled.
He walked me the remaining distance to the bed and gently lowered me onto the mattress. Once I was sitting, I relaxed and let out a breath. "Better?" he asked.
"Yeah."
"Can I ask where you were last?" he questioned slowly. "In our timeline?"
"Your future. Your next incarnation. And the one after that, if I remember correctly."
"Before that?"
I smiled at the memories of my month with Three, Alistair, John, and Liz. "Three. Christmas 1970."
The Doctor's lips pulled back into a grin. He looked down at the floor for a moment, as if avoiding my gaze. "That was a good year."
"Was it? Why?"
"Oh, you know. I was with you."
I blushed. Before I could add anything else to the conversation, a yawn overwhelmed me. I covered my mouth with my hands and laugh awkwardly. "Sorry."
The Doctor shook his head and knelt in front of me. "No, no, no. It's alright. You've been through quite a bit. You should rest. And when you wake up, I'm gonna take you somewhere amazing."
"Where?"
"It's a surprise. Now lie down."
I obeyed his request and pulled the comforter up to my shoulders. Then I took my glasses off and placed them on the bookcase next ot my bed. The Doctor gave a single nod, smiled, then turned to leave the room. He was still in the doorway when I called him back.
"Doctor?"
"Yes?"
I was afraid to ask my request, worried that he would laugh or think I was being childish. But after the Pandorica, I wasn't willing to be on my own. "Would you... stay with me? What happened... It wasn't bad, I guess. But I was really scared. I'm still scared. I don't want to be alone."
He remained silent as he walked back to the bed. I watched him a little nervously and wondered what he would do. With a gentle sigh, he walked around the edge of the bed and sat down on the other side. "Do you mind if I lie down next to you? You usually like that."
I shook my head. "N-No. I mean, you do whatever you want. It's your TARDIS."
"And it's your room. I don't want you to be uncomfortable."
"I don't mind."
He slipped his red converse off his feet and lay on his back next to me. "You want me to stay until you fall asleep?"
The memories of the emptiness of the vortex, the darkness of the Pandorica, the cold light of the stars and galaxies beyond the swirling edge of the vortex ran through my mind on repeat. I shivered and buried my head in my pillow. "Please."
"Diana, what happened? I know you can't tell me exactly, but... Were you hurt?"
"Not really. An Auton sort of hit me, but it didn't hurt very long afterwards." I shyly looked up at him and smiled weakly. "Something happened that wasn't what I was expecting and I was worried. Nobody died and everything was alright in the end, but I was so scared..."
He put a hand on my cheek and searched my face with his eyes. I smiled and relaxed a little. "I'm so sorry. I wish... I wish I could have stopped it."
"I'm fine. Or I will be."
He leaned forward and kissed my forehead. "You should go to sleep now. I'll stay with you until you do."
I closed my eyes and let out a breath. I tried to block all the thoughts of the vortex and the Pandorica out of my mind and focus on sleep and that the Doctor wasn't leaving me. A smile worked its way onto my face and stayed there until I passed into unconscioussness where no dreams, good or bad, plagued me.
"Books," the Doctor exclaimed with excitement as he flipped the materialization lever. "People never really stop loving books."
I stopped myself from following the Time Lord and Donna out of the TARDIS, glancing back at the cosnole in confusion. How did I know that he flipped the materialization lever? I asked myself. But I couldn't investigate further because the Doctor called my name and asked me to come out with him.
"Sorry," I aplogised. "I was thinking."
"It's fine. But, look around you." The TARDIS had landed in a mostly empty area with just a few small cases of books laying around. "Fifty first century. By now you've got holovids, direct to brain downloads, fiction mist, but you need the smell. The smell of books, you two. Deep breath."
The Doctor came up behind me after closing the TARDIS doors and wrapped his fingers around mine. I looked up at him and smiled, trying not to show any signs of being afraid. I looked away and into the shadows of the room.
Count the shadows. For God's sake, if you want to live, count the shadows. Terror sparked in my heart and I tightened my grip on the Doctor's hand. He looked down at me but I ignored his gaze. I couldn't reveal too much. I didn't want to accidentally change the future by trying to help.
"Let's go through here. Looks interesting."
Donna followed us as we walked through a large set of wooden doors. Beyond the doors was a grand marble staircase that ended in a balcony and a magnificent view of the planet. I was breathless at the sight and felt slightly giddy when I thought about the millions and billions of books I was surrounded by.
The Doctor grinned when he saw my starstruck expression. "The Library. So big it doesn't need a name. Just a great big 'The'."
"It's like a city," Donna said.
I forgot my fear for a moment or two and turned slightly to look at all the books on the balcony. "It's beautiful. All these books. It's incredible."
"It's a world. Literally, a world." The Doctor gave me a wink and released my hand, stepping forward to lean against the balcony and look out across the large buildings in front of us. "The whole core of the planet is the index computer. Biggest hard drive ever. And up here, every book ever written. Whole continents of Jeffrey Archer, Bridget Jones, Monty Python's Big Red Book. Brand new editions, specially printed. We're near the equator, so this must be biographies. Oh, I love biographies."
Donna rolled her eyes. "Yeah, very you. Always a death at the end."
"You need a good death. Without death, there'd only be comedies. Dying gives us size."
"Dying is tragic," I said lowly.
The Doctor gave me a sideways glance, but didn't say anything. He looked past me at Donna who had picked up a book by her hand and started to open it. He reached across me and grabbed the book out of her hands.
"Ah. Spoilers."
I winced at the word, knowing that River's life would end in the Library. "What?" Donna asked.
"These books are from your future. You don't want to read ahead. Spoil all the surprises. Like peeking at the end."
Donna looked at me with a slightly annoyed look. "Isn't travelling with him one big spoiler?"
"I suppose," I managed to say, adding a half smile so as not to worry her.
The Doctor scratched the back of his enck and stepped away from the balcony. "I try to keep you away from major plot developments. Which, to be honest, I seem to be very bad at, because you know what? This is the biggest library in the universe. So where is everyone? It's silent."
He waked over to a tall box with a screen in the middle, a keyboard, and some controls. With a flourish of his hand, he pulled the sonic screwdriver out of his pocket and pointed it at the screen.
Donna came up behind us and stood on one side of the Doctor. I followed her example and stood on his other side. "The library?" she asked.
"The planet. The whole planet."
"Maybe it's a Sunday," she suggested.
"No, I never land on Sundays. Sundays are boring."
"Sundays were family time for me back home," I commented, not really thinking about it.
The Doctor turned and looked down at me. "Are you alright? I mean, really, really alright."
"Yeah. Fine."
"Right." He faced the screen again, blowing air through his parted lips and started typing.
Donna set her jaw and tilted her head back, then looked straight again. "Well, maybe everyone's really, really quiet."
"Yeah, maybe. But they'd still show up on the system."
"Doctor, why are we here? Really, why?"
Because River sent out a call for help to him, I thought sadly. And now she's going to die. I should save her. I should help her. I should do something so that she doesn't die. She has a whole life to live and if I can just help her, maybe she can actually live it.
The Doctor pouted and waved his hand absently. "Oh, you know, just passing."
"No, seriously. It was all let's hit the beach, then suddenly we're in a library. Why?"
"Oh. Now that's interesting."
Donna and I looked at him in anticipation. "What?" we both asked.
"Scanning for life forms. If I do a scan looking for your basic humanoids. You know, your book readers, few limbs and a face, apart from us, I get nothing. Zippo, nada. See?" The screen showed that three humanoids were on the planet. "Nobody home. But if I widen the parameters to any kind of life..."
The screen read:
ERROR
1,000,000,000,000 LIFEFORM NUMBER CAPPED AT MAXIMUM RECORD
"A million, million. Gives up after that. A million, million."
The Time Lord raised an eyebrow and looked at both of us. Donna looked a little panicked and I felt like I was going to die. "But there's nothing here," she insisted. "There's no one."
"And not a sound. A million. million life forms, and silence in the library."
"But there's no one here. There's just books. I mean, it's not the books, is it? I mean, it can't be the books, can it? I mean, books can't be alive."
The two started to reach a hand towards one of the books on the balcony. A voice from the room we had landed in startled the three of us and they pulled away from the book. "Welcome," the voice said in a blank tone.
"That came from here."
The Doctor nodded. "Yeah" He grabbed my hand and tugged on my arm. "Come on."
We returned to the room and spotted the courtesy node. The stone head turned on its metal pole and stared at us. "I am Courtesy Node seven one zero slash aqua. Please enjoy the Library and respect the personal access codes of all your fellow readers, regardless of species or hygiene taboo."
Donna pointed. "That face, Doctor. It looks real."
"Yeah, don't worry about it."
"A statue with a real face, though? It's a hologram or something, isn't it?"
I squeezed his hand, looking to the side of the room where the shadows lingered. "No, but really, it's fine."
"Additional," the node added. Her voice was bland and dry and had no emotion. "There follows a brief message from the Head Librarian for your urgent attention. It has been edited for tone and content by a Felman Lux Automated Decency Filter. Message follows. Run. For God's sake, run. No way is safe. The Library has sealed itself, we can't-. Oh, they're here. Argh. Slarg. Snick. Message ends. Please switch off your mobile comm units for the comfort of other readers."
"So that's why we're here. Any other messages, same date stamp?"
"One additional message. This message carries a Felman Lux coherency warning of five zero eleven-"
"Yeah, yeah, fine, fine, fine. Just play it."
"Message follows. Count the shadows. For God's sake, remember, if you want to live, count the shadows. Message ends."
The Doctor gave a suspicious glance at the shadows in the room. "Donna, Diana?"
"Yeah?"
"Stay out of the shadows."
Donna froze. "Why, what's in the shadows?"
I gave her a frightened look and quickly looked away. I remembered the words the Doctor had yet to speak: Almost every species in the universe has an irrational fear of the dark. But they're wrong because it's not irrational. My fear of the dark had been present my entire life and being in a library infested with the Vashta Nerada was only increasing my fear. I knew that the next time I fell asleep, I would have nightmares.
"So, We weren't just in the neighborhood," Donna said accusingly.
The Doctor nodded. "Yeah, I kind of, sort of lied a bit. I got a message on the psychic paper." It read:
The library come as soon as you can. x
"What do you think? Cry for help?"
"Cry for help with a kiss?" she asked incredulously.
"Oh, we've all done that."
"Who's it from?"
River Song, I wanted to scream. It's from my friend, River Song. Melody Pond. My friend. And she's going to die.
"No idea," the Doctor admitted.
Donna put her hands on her hips. "So why did we come here? Why did you-"
"Donna."
The lights down the hallway of bookcases started flickering, then went out one by one. I held back my scream and grabbed the Doctor's hand, my fingers gripping his hand as tightly as I could manage. I couldn't face it, I couldn't face the Vashta Nerada. I'd faced the Autons and the Whisper Men and a Dalek, but I couldn't find any courage inside myself to face this nightmare. Then the Doctor turned and ran to the nearest door.
I grabbed the handle of the wooden doors and pulled hard. Of course it was locked and in my panic I only thrashed the door back and forth even more. The Doctor pointed his sonic at the lock and pushed my hands away, trying the door himself. "Come on," he urged the door.
"What, is it locked?" Donna asked.
"Jammed. The wood's warped."
Donna looked over her shoulder at the shadows that were approaching. "Well, sonic it! Use the thingy!"
"I can't, it's wood!"
Donna, annoyed and more than a little angry, shouted, "What, it doesn't do wood?"
"Hang on, hang on! I can vibrate the molecules, fry the bindings. I can shatterline the interface!"
"Oh, get out of the way."
Donna kicked the door open, rushing in with me and the Doctor hot on her heels. They slammed the door shut and the Doctor locked it with his screwdriver. But I felt frozen, immobile. The Vashta Nerada were coming and we wouldn't be able to stop them without somebody dying. They were all around, lurking in the shadows, waiting for a feast.
The Doctor and Donna turned and gasped. "Oh. Hello." They walked right past me towards the floating security camera that I knew was hovering behind me. "Sorry to burst on you like this. Okay if we stop here for a bit?"
I turned and saw the small metal globe fall to the ground. I felt bad for the little girl on the other end of the camera and walked towards it with the hope that I could comfort her.
"What is it?" Donna asked as she knelt next to the Doctor.
"Security camera. Switched itself off."
The Doctor used his sonic screwdriver on the security camera and managed to turn it back on. I put my hand on his shoulder, causing him to look up at me. I shook my head and knelt next to him, placing one hand on the globe.
"There's a little girl on the other end of the camera, Doctor. And you've just really scared her."
"Oh! Oh, I'm so sorry! But, wait. Why didn't you tell me."
I scowled. "Sorry. I was busy trying not to have a mental breakdown because I happen to know what's in the shadows and what's after us and I'm bloody scared."
"Doctor," Donna questioned as she looked around the room, "are we safe here?"
"Oh, of curse we're safe. See, look?" He pointed across the room. "There's a little shop."
The camera finally opened. The Doctor jumped a little and smiled. "Ha! Gotcha!"
There was a panel under the lense of the camera and words kept scrolling across it. "No, stop it," it read. "No. No. No. Please, stop it."
"Oh, I'm sorry. I really am. I'm sorry. I'm so sorry."
"I told you," I said.
"I know."
I rolled my eyes in annoyance. "You can be so infuriating sometimes. Do you know that?"
"Yes."
Donna raised an eyebrow. "You said it was a security camera."
"It is. It's an alive one."
I sighed. "Pest," I told the Time Lord.
"You love it."
"Others are coming," the panel read. "The library is breached. Others are coming."
"Others? What's it mean, others?" Donna walked towards one of the nodes in a corner of the room. "Excuse me. What does it mean, others?"
The Doctor spared Donna a glance before putting the camera in my lap. "That's barely more than a speak your weight machine, Donna. It can't help you." He stood up and walked over to her side.
"So why's it got a face?"
"This flesh aspect was donated by Mark Chambers on the occasion of his death," the node said robotically.
I felt a twinge of fear, remembering that the node used to be a real person. The thought sent chills up and down my spine. "It's a real face?" Donna asked.
The node continued it his monotone voice, "It has been actualised individually for you from the many facial aspects saved to our extensive flesh banks. Please enjoy."
It chose me a dead face it thought I'd like? That statue's got a real dead person's face on it."
The Doctor nodded. "It's the fifty first century. That's basically like donating a park bench."
"But it's donating a face!"
She started to back away when the Doctor grabbed her hands and pulled her towards him. "No, wait," he instructed firmly.
"Oi. Hands," she snapped.
"The shadow. Look."
I followed the direction his finger was pointing in and saw the triangular shaped shadow. Then I panicked because the shadow was mere inches away from my foot. A sob stuck in my throat and I looked up at the Doctor with wide, fearful eyes.
"Doctor?" I asked.
"Just stand up, Diana. Slowly. Very, very slowly."
With the camera still in my hands, I stood up. I kept my eyes trained on the shadow and tried to walk around. However, my shadow would have crossed the Vashta Nerada if I had continued, so I stopped where I was and stared at it.
"Count the shadows," the Doctor murmured.
"One. There, counted it." Donna looked at him in confusion. "One shadow."
"What's casting it?" I asked, my voice laced with fear.
"Oh, I'm thick!" the Doctor shouted, slapping his head with the palm of his hand. "Look at me, I'm old and thick! Head's too full of stuff! I need a bigger head."
The light in one of the corridors that branched off from suddenly flickered and went out. Donna raised an eyebrow; she looked a little worried, but not properly scared like she should be. "The power must be going."
"This place runs on fission cells," the Doctor explained. "They'll outburn the sun."
"Then why is it dark?"
"It's not dark."
"But that shadow. It's gone."
The Doctor looked at me and motioned for me to come to where he was standing. I looked at the floor and realized that the shadow had disappeared. With a tiny squeak, I ran to his side and pressed my shoulder against his chest. He took the security camera from my hands and placed it on the ground. "We need to get back to the TARDIS."
"Why?" Donna asked.
"Because that shadow hasn't gone. It's moved."
The node started talking, his voice and message greatly unsettling me. "Reminder. The library has been breached. Others are coming. Reminder. The library has been breached. Others are coming. Reminder. The library has been breached. Others are coming. Reminder-"
The door we had come in through suddenly flew open in a flash of bright light. Six figures in white spacesuits entered through the doorway, the figure of one Professor River Song leading the party. She stopped right in front of me and the Doctor, Donna standing standing slightly behind the Time Lord. River adjusted the visor on her helmet so we could see her face.
"Hello, sweetie," she said with a smile. "And hello Doctor."
"Get out," the Doctor ordered harshly. "All of you. Turn around, get back in your rocket and fly away. Tell your grandchildren you came to the library and lived. They won't believe you."
"Pop your helmets, everyone," River instructed. "We've got breathers."
"How do you know they're not androids?" one woman asked.
River smirked. "Because I've dated androids. They're rubbish."
Another woman with a thick French accent added, "I know zem. Ze man and women. If zey are safe, zen so are we."
I noticed the Doctor's face brighten when the woman spoke. He looked past River in search of the woman. "Susan?" he asked hopefully.
The woman took her helmet off and shook her hair out. She was a beautiful woman with a full figure and long, luscious black hair that was perfectly wavy. She placed her helmet on the ground and quickly ran to the Doctor's side, tears glistening in her eyes.
"Papa," she said, "c'est si bon de vous voir."
The Doctor smiled and pulled her into a hug. "Salut, ma chérie," he replied, kissing her forehead. "Comment êtes-vous?"
I was extremely confused by the exchange between the two. Did she just call him Papa? Did the Doctor and River have a child? I shook my head, but continued to watch the two interact. Then I wondered why the TARDIS hadn't translated the French.
One of the men in the group angrily approached River. "Who are these people? You said we were the only expedition. I paid for exclusives."
"I lied, I'm always lying. Bound to be others."
"Miss Evangelista," the man snapped, "I want to see the contracts."
"You came through the north door, yeah?" River quickly looked the Doctor up and down. "How was that, much damage?"
"Please, just leave. All of you. You too, Susan. I'm asking you seriously and properly, just leave."
"But I came here to find you," Susan added before the Doctor could continue. "And yes, it is."
"Stop using our telepathic connection," he scolded lightly, keeping his voice low so only River and I heard it. "Now, am I right in understanding that you're all an expedition?"
"My expedition," the cranky man explained. "I funded it."
The Doctor groaned. "Oh, you're not, are you? Tell me you're not archaeologists."
"Got a problem with archaeologists?" River asked, one eyebrow raised.
"I'm a time traveller. I point and laugh at archaeologists."
"Papa," Susan murmured scoldingly, tapping her hand against his arm.
"I'm sure they laugh at us too, Doctor," I added with a half smile.
River held out her hand and smiled. "Professor River Song. Archaeologist."
"River Song, lovely name. As you're leaving, and you're leaving now, you need to set up a quarantine beacon. Code wall the planet, the whole planet. Nobody comes here, not ever again. Not one living thing, not here, not ever." One of the two women in the expedition had started to walk past the Doctor into the shadows. He hooked her elbow with his hand and pulled her back. "Stop right there. What's your name?"
"Anita."
"Anita, stay out of the shadows. Not a foot, not a finger in the shadows till you're safely back in your ship. Goes for all of you. Stay in the light. Find a nice, bright spot and just stand. If you understand me, look very, very scared." Anita backed away ad looked at her friends. They all had confused expressions on their faces and seemed nothing more than startled. "No, bit more scared than that... Okay, do for now. You. Who are you?"
"Er, Dave."
"Okay, Dave-"
"Oh, well, Other Dave, because that's Proper Dave the pilot," Other Dave said as he pointed at Proper Dave. "He was the first Dave, so when we-"
"Other Dave, the way you came, does it look the same as before?"
The Doctor guided him back to the door he had burst in through. I watched him with no small degree of fear as I realized that the attack of the Vashta Nerada was well under way.
Susan stepped towards me with a hopeful smile. I looked at her and returned the smile. "Hi. Your name's... Susan?"
"Oui." I noticed that her hopeful smile faded a little. "And you are Diana Scott."
"Sorry. Are you Susan Foreman? Have you regenerated?"
Susan's smile disappeared completely. She shook her head and spared River a glance. "No. I am Susan Smith."
"Seal up this door!" the Doctor ordered. "We'll find another way out."
The cranky man who owned the operation stepped forward. "We're not looking for a way out. Miss Evangelista?"
Miss Evangelista stepped forward with a small stack of papers in her hands. She smiled nervously at us and tapped her fingertips against the backs of the papers. "I'm Mister Lux's personal everything. You need to sign these contracts agreeing that your individual experience inside the library are the intellectual property of the Felman Lux Corporation."
"Right, give it here," the Doctor said with a wave of his fingers.
Donna put a hand on her hip. "Yeah, lovely. Thanks."
The Doctor and Donna took their contracts and ripped them in half, throwing them over their shoulders with smug expressions. I took my contract and ripped it diagonally twice. "It's not you that I dislike, Miss Evangelista," I said with a cool smile.
"My family built this library," the cranky man snapped. "I have rights."
River smirked. "You have a mouth that won't stop." She looked back at the Doctor with admiration in her eyes. I smiled when I saw how pleased she was to see him and wondered again if there was a way I could save her. "You think there's danger here?"
"Something came to this library and killed everything in it. Killed a whole world. Danger? Could be."
"That was a hundred years ago. The Library's been silent for a hundred years. Whatever came here's long dead."
"Bet your life?"
The woman paused for only a half a second before responding flirtatiously, "Always."
"What are you doing?" the ranky man asked one of the Dave's.
"He said seal the door."
"You're taking orders from him?"
The Doctor smirked. "Spooky, isn't it? Now, anyone have a torch?" He took a flashlight from the man's hands and walked towards the corridor where a light was flickering on and off. "Almost every species in the universe has an irrational fear of the dark. But they're wrong, because it's not irrational. It's Vashta Nerada."
"What's Vashta Nerada?" Donna asked.
I shivered and ran my hands up and down my arms. The Doctor took a deep breath and shined the light down the corridor. "It's what's in the dark. It's what's always in the dark." He suddenly snappe dhis fingers and jumped back. "Lights! That's what we need, lights. You got lights?"
River raised an eyebrow. "What for?"
"Form a circle. Safe area. Big as you can, lights pointing out."
"Oi," River snapped when the others didn't move. "Do as he says."
"You're not listening to this man?" the cranky man asked.
"Apparently I am. Anita, unpack the lights. Other Dave, make sure the door's secure, then help Anita. Mister Lux, put your helmet back on, block the visor. Proper Dave, find an active terminal. I want you to access the library database. See what you can find about what happened here a hundred years ago. Pretty boy, my dearest Diana, and precious Susan Smith, you're with me. Step into my office."
Lux, as I was relieved to discover his name was, asked River, "Professor Song, why am I the only one wearing my helmet?"
River smirked and answered, "I don't fancy you."
"Neither do I," I added, making sure no one other than the Doctor and Donna heard me. I stepped across the room, careful to mkae sure that my shadow didn't touch anyone else's. "What now?" I asked when I reached her.
River led me to a table that was slightly farther away from the rest of the expedition than the other tables. She took her battered TARDIS journal from her backpack, which was resting on the table, and ran her hand across the cover. I put my hand on her back and shuffled next to her. "You alright?" I asked.
"He doesn't seem to recognize me," she answered lowly. "But at least you do."
"Of course I do, River. You're my friend."
She looked up from her journal and into my eyes. "Where were you last?"
"Pandorica. Also known as hell."
A light smile worked its way onto River's face. "So you're still quite early."
"Yeah. But I'm... I'm getting the hang of things now. I suppose I should stop being so scared of the things I'm going to face. That way I can be of some help instead of freaking out."
"Oh, Diana, don't you worry about that. It's only natural to be afraid."
I shrugged. "So, where were you? Crash of the Byzantium?"
"Manhattan, actually. Rory and Amy-"
"Oh. You don't have to... I'm sorry."
"It's alright. At least they're together."
I leaned forward and pulled River into a tight embrace, knowing from first hand experience that losing my parents was a difficult thing to deal with. Her arms came up and rested on my back, holding me close as she rested her cheek against mine.
"I miss them," she admitted.
"I miss mine, too."
"They mean the world to me. You and the Doctor and Susan, you all mean so much to me and I can't bear to lose any of you. Let alone my p-parents." She choked on the last word and I realized that she was probably fighting to keep her emotions in check.
"It's alright," I said soothingly. "I'm here for you, River, and I'm not going anywhere. Not even the Vashta Nerada will take me away."
River pulled away and looked at me with a smile. "What ever would I do without you?"
"Probably have lots more fun," I joked.
The sound of the Doctor and the woman Susan speaking in hushed voice drew my attention. I watched them interact and wondered what their relationship was. Susan seemed to view him as a father figure, if he wasn't actually her father, and his attitude towards her was that of any good father's: love, protectiveness, and happiness.
"Mère ne me reconnaît pas," Susan whispered sadly. She looked up at the Doctor with a furrowed brow. "Ceci est de me rencontrer sa première fois, n'est-ce pas?"
"Oui, je pense que oui. Elle est encore très tôt dans notre calendrier." Susan sniffled and buried her head in the Doctor's chest. He put a hand on the back of her head and tried to soothe her. "Je sais que c'est dur de la voir et elle ne sait pas qui vous êtes. Ça me fait mal aussi."
"Sait-elle qui Sarah et Hope sont?"
My ears pricked up at the sound of Sarah's name. Why were they taking about Sarah? Who was Hope?
The Doctor shook his head slowly. "Non."
I looked over at River in confusion. "Can you understand them?"
"Yes. Can't you?" I shook my head. "Maybe it isn't the right time for you."
Susan pulled away from the Doctor and sighed. "Je savais qu'elle était jeune, vous pouvez le voir sur son visage. Mais j'espérais que peut-être je me suis trompé."
The Doctor spared me a glance and sighed again. He gave Susan a sweet smile and kissed her forehead. "Let's have a chat. Shall we?"
She put her hand in the crook of his elbow and walked with him in my direction. I looked back at River in worry. "Did I say something to offend her? She looks... sad."
"Spoilers, sweetie," River responded with a half smile.
Once the Doctor had come to stand next to me, he reintroduced Susan to me and explained what I had already guessed: she was his daughter. I nodded and gave Susan a kind smile. "I'm glad he's found some of his family," I said honestly. "I don't like for him to be without anyone."
"Neither do I," she said.
"So, are you... a Time Lord or Gallifreyan or whatever the technical term is?"
Susan nodded. "Since my father is Gallifreyan and I was concieved in time vortex, I am Gallifreyan as well. My mother was not Gallifreyan, but she was... special. Did not age normally like ze rest of her race. Therefore, I can regenerate and live a long life much like ze Time Lords did." I noticed that she paused and her eyebrows came together in concentration. Then she looked at her father and shook her head. "I am sorry. I was thinking."
"It's alright."
"Now. Shall we compare diaries?"
"We?" the Doctor asked in confusion.
"Oui." Susan nudged him in the ribs with her elbow and pointed a finger at River. "She is ze friend I told you about."
"Her?"
"Oui."
River nodded. "And you better not have anything to say about that. I've saved your daughter's life more times than you know, Doctor."
He was silent for a moment or two as he thought over River's words. Then he nodded in thanks and smiled briefly. "Then thank you."
River sat down at one of the tables and opened to the end of her journal. The pages were slightly yellowed and torn in various parts. Various papers and alien objects were sticking out of the journal and I wondered what exactly she put in there.
"Thank you, by the way, Doctor."
I looked at him and smiled when he raised one eyebrow. "For what?"
"The usual. For coming when I call."
"Oh, that was you?"
"You're doing a very good job, acting like you don't know me. I'm assuming there's a reason."
I put a hand on River's knee, drawing her attention. She gave me a confused look and raised both her eyebrows. "Yes, dear?"
"River, you should brace yourself."
"What for?"
"Actually," the Doctor interrupted, "I have a fairly good reason for pretending not to know you."
River just brushed his comment aside and continued flipping through her diary. "Where are we this time? Susan?"
I looked over at Susan and noticed the she had a diary similar to mine and River's. "I was just with Douze- Pardon. Twelve. I switch back and forth from Français to English so often, you know." She smiled and blushed a little at her mistake. Touching her tongue to the tip of her fingers, she flipped through a few more pages in her journal. "Where were you, River? Somewhere after ze pandorica, non?"
"Ah, yes. Manhattan. I trust you know what happened."
"Oui. I am sorry."
"Thank you," River said quietly.
"And where is Diana?" Susan asked with a smile.
"Uh, I-I was with Eleven. You know, tweed, floppy hair."
"Oui, I know. When?"
I didn't want to spoil the Doctor's future too much, but I also wanted to tell Susan where I'd been. Since she was his daughter, it seemed only natural that her timeline would be just as messed up as River's or his. "Pandorica," I answered.
"Oh, I see," she mumbled as she flipped to the beginning of her diary. She read through a large portion of her diary within a few seconds, flipping the pages wither fingers rapidly as she scanned them. "You are early. You were with Papa in 1970 before zat, oui?"
"Oui- Yes. Sorry."
Susan laughed, a pleasing and charming sound that made everyone smile. I was glad to see the Doctor smile, despite everything I knew he had experienced in his last few weeks and incarnations. Susan looked through a few more pages of her diary before nodding and looking back at me. "Christmas, correct?"
"Yeah."
She looked over my outfit and nodded again. "Ze pendant. Not too early, but not very far still," she said cryptically. "Now, Papa, it is your turn."
"Sorry, sweetheart. I don't have mine with me."
Susan ran her eyes over his face and outfit, processing the facts in her mind. "You are... how old now?"
"Nine hundred and something. Four? Three? I don't remember."
"Three, I believe," she said with a smile.
River leaned forward, her eyes shining with excitement. "So, very early days for you, then?" she asked.
"Not really. I'm nine hundred and three. Not exactly what you'd call 'early'."
"I mean, for us."
"Us?" he repeated.
River's smiled dropped slightly and she seemed to realize what I had avoided telling her. She looked down at her journal and flipped to the very back. "Oh, picnic at Asgard. Have we done Asgard yet? That was right after Queen Elizabeth, I think." The Doctor's absent expression was all she needed. "Obviously not. Blimey, very early days, then. Whoo, life with a time traveller. Never knew it could be such hard work."
"Professor Song-"
"You can call me River now, love." When the Doctor didn't respond, she looked back up at him and her smile disappeared completely. "Look at you. Oh, you're young."
"I'm really not."
"No, but you are. Your eyes. You're younger than I've ever seen you." She reached out a hand to his cheek and rested her fingertips against his skin.
"You've seen me before, then?" the Doctor asked slowly.
"Doctor, please tell me you know who I am."
"Who are you?"
The sound of ringing suddenly heard through the room. The four of us started and loked around to find the source of the ringing. Dave was standing by one of the screens the Doctor had looked at earlier. We all stood up, River and Susan leaving their journals on the table, and running after the Doctor.
"Sorry, that was me," Dave admitted. "Trying to get through into the security protocols. I seem to have set something off. What is that? Is that an alarm?"
Donna loked around in confusion. "Doctor? Doctor, that sounds like-"
The Doctor nodded, standing by Dave and looking down at the screen. "It is. It's a phone."
Dave typed rapidly on the keyboard, but nothing happened. "I'm trying to call up the data core, but it's not responding. Just that noise."
"But it's a phone," insisted nervously.
"Let me try something," the Doctor said as he nudged Dave aside and started typing. The screen suddenly started flashing the words: 'ACCESS DENIED'. "Okay, doesn't like that. Let's try something else, then."
He pointed his screwdriver at the screen, typed for a few minutes, then repeated the process several times. Suddenly, the screen went from black to black and white static. Pleased, the Doctor put his sonic back in his coat pocket and looked at the screen. "Okay, here it comes. Hello?"
The little girl appeared on the screen and scooted closer. "Hello. Are you in my television?"
"Well, no, I'm, I'm sort of in space. Er, I was trying to call up the data core of a triple grid security processor."
"Would you like to speak to my Dad?"
"Dad or your Mum. That'd be lovely."
The girl tilted her ehad to the side as recognition shone in her eyes. "I know you. You're in my library."
"She's the security camera," I told the Doctor.
"I see. But... Your library?"
"The library's never been on the television before. What have you done?"
"Er, well, I just rerouted the interface. That's all."
The screen suddenly reverted to black and white static and the girl disappeared. The Doctor slapped his hand against the side of the box in frustration.
"What happened?" River asked. "Who was that?"
The words ACCESS DENIED flashed across the screen. The Doctor ran a hand through his hair and stepped back, looking around the room. "I need another terminal. Keep working on those lights. We need those lights!"
River nodded at the other people. "You heard him, people. Let there be light."
The Doctor ran across the room to where another terminal was located River's diary was laying next to the terminal on the table. He looked at it for a moment befoe gently picking it up and examining it. River came up behind him and took her diary back.
"Sorry, you're not allowed to see inside the book. It's against the rules."
"What rules?"
"Your rules. Like your rules for Diana and Susan."
"How do you know about them?"
She smiled. "Why do you think I have this journal, Doctor? Why do you think Diana and Susan trust me so much? Just something to think about."
Books suddenly started flying off the shelves, hitting tables, floors, and the occaisional person. The Doctor started and looked around at the flying books. He grabbed my arm and pulled me towards him so he could shield me in case any books came our way. "What's that?" he asked Dave. "I didn't do that. Did you do that?"
"Not me."
The screen on our terminal started flashing the words: Cal Access Denied. "What's Cal?" he asked.
The onslaught of books finally stoped and everyone calmed down a little. I noticed Donna walk over to Miss Evangelista and pulled away from the Doctor, wanting to talk to the girl. Donna looked at me and smiled briefly before looking back to Miss Evangelista. "You all right?" she asked the girl.
Miss Evangelista panicked and was looking around frantically. "What's that? What's happening?"
"I don't know," Lux responded, ignoring the girl's worry.
Donna put a hand on her arm and smiled. "Oh, thanks, for, you know, offering to help with the lights."
"They don't want me. They think I'm stupid, because I'm pretty."
"Course they don't. Nobody thinks that."
I nodded. "I don't think that. By the way, I wanted to ask you. Is Evangelista your first name or last name?"
"I-It's my last name. My first name's Talulah."
I smiled. "That's a beautiful name. Goes with your beautiful face. And don't be ashamed of being pretty, Talulah. Honestly. If I was as beautiful as you, I'd be so happy. I relaly would."
"Thank you," she said shyly, a small smile working its way onto her face. But then her smile faded when she loked past us and saw Other Dave give her an annoyed look. "They're right, though. I'm a moron, me. My dad said I have the IQ of plankton, and I was pleased."
Donna started laughing and I tried not to laugh, not wanting to hurt her feelings. "See? That's funny."
Talulah shook her head. "No. No, I really was pleased. Is that funny?"
Donna seemed to realize what the girl meant and shook her head in response. "No, no."
Another loud crash that came from more books shooting off their shelves sounded through the room. Talulah looked at me with wide eyes and I realized that she was genuinely afraid. I put an arm around her shoulders and rubbed her upper arm comfortingly. "It's alright," I told her softly. "The Doctor's my friend and he knows what he's doing. He's going to fix all this and it'll all be alright. I promise."
"Really?"
I nodded. "Yes. Really. I'll make sure you stay safe."
"Why?"
"Because you're nicer than everyone else," I said in a whisper, smiling and acting like it was a secret. "But we'll keep that little fact to ourselves. Alright?"
"Okay," she agreed with a smile.
"Cal," the Doctor was saying, "what is it?"
Lux smirked, which infuriated me to no end. "Sorry, you didn't sign your personal experience contracts."
The Doctor's face grew darker and I could see the Oncoming Storm in his eyes. "Mister Lux." His voice was low and deadly and if looks could kill, Lux would have been dead instantly. "Right now, you're in more danger than you've ever been in your whole life. And you're protecting a patent?"
"I'm protecting my family's pride."
I wanted to yell at the man for being so arrogant, but the Doctor beat me to it. And then, as he was talking, I remembered why Lux was protecting the Library: because of the little girl, because of CAL. "Well, funny thing," the Dotor continued with barbed words, "Mister Lux. I don't want to see everyone in this room dead because some idiot thinks his pride is more important."
River had ahand on her hip and a smirk on her face. "Then why don't you sign his contract?" AFter a moment of silence, she chuckled. "I didn't either. I'm getting worse than you."
The Doctor shook his head and lookde River straight in the eyes. "Okay, okay, okay. Let's start at the beginning. What happened here? On the actual day, a hundred years ago, what physically happened?"
Off to the side, where some of the shadows were dark and scary, a panel in the wall slid up into the ceiling. Talulah's head turned and she took a step towards the opening. I firmly gripped her wrist and pulled her back. "No," I said sharply. "Do not go in there."
"Why not?"
"Because you'll die, Talulah, and I'm not letting that happen to you."
She bit her bottom lip in concern and looked oer my shoulder. "Er, excuse me?" she asked worriedly.
"Not just now," Luz said dismissively.
"There was one other thing in the last message," River added.
Lux narrrowed his eyes. "That's confidential."
"I trust this man with my life," River snapped, "with everything."
"But you've only just met him."
"No, he's only just met me."
Talulah tried again to raise an alarm. "Er, this might be important, actually."
"In a moment."
Not wanting interrupt the information that River was giving the Doctor, I patted Talulah on the back and smiled. "Just wait. You can tell them when they feel like listening."
River pulled something out of a pocket and showed it to the Doctor. "This is a data extract that came with the message."
"Four thousand and twenty two saved," he read. "No survivors."
"Four thousand and twenty two. That's the exact number of people who were in the library when the planet was sealed."
Donna, who had walked away from Talulah and I, voiced her concern. "But how can four thousand and twenty two people have been saved if there were no survivors?"
"That's what we're here to find out," River informed her.
Lux added his bit of information, which set everyone on edge. "And so far, what we haven't found are any bodies."
"Excuse me," Talulah finally said, raising her voice a little more than before. "I think I've found something-"
"You be quiet, girl," Lux snapped angrily.
I felt protectiveness of the girl who I had already started to consider a friend surge up inside me. With one arm still around her shoulders, I defended her for trying to do the right thing. "You know, Mr Lux, you are an absolute ass. Talulah here, as she told me her name was, is trying to warn you all about a panel in the wall that just slid up into the ceiling. If I weren't here, she would have gone in there and died."
"How do you know that?" Lux asked. "Who the hell are you, anyway?"
"I'm Diana Scott, friend of the Doctor's, and a lot smarter than you right now. I know what's going to happen while we're all here in the Library and I've already prevented one death beause inside that room is a creature that will kill us all if we're not careful. So shut up and stop treating your assistant like dirt."
"Why, how dare you," he spluttered, his cheeks turning red. "I am in charge of this expedition and-"
"Actually," River interrupted with an annoyed smirk, "I'm in charge of the expedition. You just funded it. There's a difference, Mr Lux. Now please do stop being so arrogant and let Diana explain what she needs to."
I nodded in thanks at River, offering her a brief smile. "You all need to stay out of the shadows as much as possible. The Vashta Nerada are carnivores and will devour you in an instant."
The Doctor nodded in agreement. "All of you need to be very careful. Stay in the light."
Dave had a confused expression on his face. "You keep saying that. I don't see the point."
"I'm going to need a packed lunch," the Doctor said as he looked arund the room.
River retrieved her back pack. "Hang on."
The Doctor appraoched her and stood next to her as she rummaged through her bag. "What's in that book?"
"Spoilers."
"Who are you?"
"Professor River Song, University of-"
"No," he said with a shake of his head. "To me. Who are you to me?"
"Again, spoilers." She pulled a metal box out of her bag and handed it to him. "Chicken and a bit of salad. Knock yourself out."
He took it and turned around to face everyone. "Right, you lot. Let's all meet the Vashta Nerada." He bent down in front of a wodden desk, scanning the floor beneath it with his sonic screwdriver. "Proper Dave, could you move over a bit?"
"Why?"
"Just over there by the water cooler. Thanks." After a few more seconds of scanning, the Doctor jumped up and glacnced at his screwdriver to look at the readings. I saw that off to the side, River and Donna were talking and I realized that River was discovering who the ginger woman really was. "Okay, got a live one. That's not darkness down those tunnels. This is not a shadow. It's a swarm. A man eating swarm." He grabbed a chicken leg from River's lunch and threw it into the shadow beneath the table. It had turned into a white bone stripped of all meat, skin, and tendons before it even touched the floor on the other side.
"The piranhas of the air," the Doctor explained. "The Vashta Nerada. Literally, the shadows that melt the flesh. Most planets have them, but usually in small clusters. I've never seen an infestation on this scale, or this aggressive."
Donna walked up behind him to watch better. "What do you mean, most planets? Not Earth?"
He hummed in agreement. "Earth, and a billion other worlds. Where there's meat, there's Vashta Nerada. You can see them sometimes, if you look. The dust in sunbeams."
Donna scoffed. "If they were on Earth, we'd know."
"Nah. Normally they live on road kill. But sometimes people go missing. Not everyone comes back out of the dark."
"Every shadow?" River asked.
"No. But any shadow."
"So what do we do?"
He tilted his head to the side as he thought about River's question. "Daleks, aim for the eyestalk. Sontarans, back of the neck. Vashta Nerada? Run. Just run."
"Run? Run where?"
"This is an index point. There must be an exit teleport somewhere," he said with a pointed look irected at Lux.
"Don't look at me, I haven't memorised the schematics."
Donna snapped her fingers and grinned. "Doctor, the little shop! They always make you go through the little shop on the way out so they can sell you stuff."
The Doctor copied her grin. "You're right. Brilliant! That's why I like the little shop."
"Okay, then," Proper Dave said firmly, clearly ready to leave. "Let's move it."
He started towards the shop but the Doctor held his hands out and stopped him. "Actually, Proper Dave? Could you stay where you are for a moment?"
My heart fell and I felt guilt wash over me for failing to save Proper Dave. I had wanted to, I had planned to, but I forgotten in the excitement and the running and the terror. I felt horrible for letting him die, even if I hadn't been the one to kill him.
"Why?" Dave asked.
"I'm sorry. I am so, so sorry. But you've got two shadows." The Doctor looked at me, noticing that I was close to the shadows and pointing them ot to me. I grabbed Talulah's wrist and pulled us both away from the dark, careful not to let our shadows touch Dave's. "It's how they hunt. They latch on to a food source and keep it fresh."
"What do I do?"
"You stay absolutely still, like there's a wasp in the room. Like there's a million wasps."
River's face had softened and she comforted Dave as best she could. "We're not leaving you, Dave."
"Course we're not leaving him. Now, where's your helmet? Don't point, just tell me."
"On the floor, by my bag."
Anita walked forwards to get it, but the Doctor made her stop for a moment. "Don't cross his shadow. Thanks. Now, the rest of you, helmets back on and sealed up. We'll need everything we've got." Anita handed Dave's helmet to the Doctor and he put it over the man's head.
Donna pulled a worried and slightly terrified expression. "Doctor, we haven't got any helmets."
He shrugged. "Yeah, but we're safe anyway."
"How are we safe?"
"We're not. That was a clever lie to shut you up." Turning to River, he asked, "Professor, anything I can do with the suit?"
"We can increase the mesh density. Dial it up four hundred percent. Make it a tougher meal."
"Okay." The Doctor took his screwdriver out of his coat pocket to adjust Dave's suit. When he finished, he held it out in River's direction. "Eight hundred percent. Pass it on. Diana, you got one?"
"One what?" I asked.
"Screwdriver."
"No... Do I get one?"
"Later."
River started working on the suits after Susan handed her a sonic screwdriver that looked similar, but not identical, to the the one River owned when I watched the series back home. The Doctor noticed and was curious.
"What's that?" he asked.
"It's a screwdriver. Susan's."
"It's sonic."
"Oui," Susan answered with a smile. "You gave it to me."
"But I never gave you a sonic screwdriver."
"You did. Otherwise I would not have it."
With a sigh, the Doctor nodded and let River continue adjusting the suits. He grabbed Donna's hand and mine and asked us to folow him. I let go of Talulah's hand and told her I would be right back.
"What are we doing?" Donna asked. "We shopping? Is it a good time to shop?"
"No talking, just moving. Try it. Right, stand there in the middle," he said, dropping Donna's hand and pointing to the teleport pad that was situated against a wall. "It's a teleport. Stand in the middle. Can't send the others. TARDIS won't recognise them. You too, Diana."
"What are you doing?" Donna asked suspiciously as she stepped onto the paltform.
"You don't have a suit. You're not safe."
"Doctor," I tried to warn him. "Could you wait just a-"
"You don't have a suit, so you're in just as much danger as I am and I'm not leaving you-"
"Donna, let me explain!" he shouted as he pressed the button that would teleport her away. "Alright, Diana. Now you."
"No."
"Diana, get on there."
"What makes you think I'm leaving? I know what's going to happen anyway. At least, I think. If nothing changes too much."
He stepped towards me and put his hands on either side of my face. River called him back from the other room, but he ignored her. "Please. You'll be in so much danger if you don't-"
"I'll be in more danger if you make me go. Trust me." I couldn't bring Donna back, but she would return once River sacrificed herself. The thought made my heart hurt and I quickly tried to think of a way to keep River from dying. I considered taking her place and wondered if I would be able to do it. "I don't want to leave you."
"Yes, you do."
"Well, I want to leave the library, yes," I admitted. "But I don't want to leave you. Who's going to make sure you don't get into trouble?"
"Diana-"
"Doctor!" River called. "We need you!"
I took the Doctor's hand and laced our fingers together. For some strange reason, the memory of Amy and Rory popped to the forefront of my mind. "Together or not at all," I said gently. "Don't you think?"
He nodded and ran out of the shop with me in tow. He released my hand once we reached the others, but stayed close to me. "Where did it go? The shadow. Where did it go, Dave?"
"It's just gone. I looked round, one shadow. See?"
River took a half step forward. "Does that mean we can leave? I don't want to hang around here."
"I don't know why we're still here. We can leave him, can't we?" Lux smiled slightly. "I mean, no offence."
"Shut up, Mister Lux," River snapped.
"Did you feel anything, like an energy transfer?" the Doctor asked. "Anything at all?"
"No, no, but look, it's gone."
Dave started to turn around, but the Doctor waved his hands. "No. Stop there. Stop, stop, stop there. Stop moving. They're never just gone and they never give up." With Dave's back facing the rest of us, the Time Lord crouched down close to the floor and scanned the single shadow. "Well, this one's benign."
"Hey, who turned out the lights?"
A chill rand own my spine. I turned to find Talulah, Susan, and River. Susan was the first one I saw, so I ran over to her and put a hand on her shoulder. "Susan, I need you to listen to me. This is going to get very bad very quickly. I want you to be extra careful. Alright?"
"Oui, M- Diana. Pardon."
"It's alright," I said with a smile. "Now go find Talualah. Miss Evangelista. Tell her, too."
"Alright."
I darted over to River and quickly repeated my warning in her ear. She nodded and promised to be careful. Dave was still asking about the lights, which was scaring everyone.
"No seriously," he insisted, "turn them back on."
River looked worriedly at me. "They are on."
"I can't see a ruddy thing."
"Dave," the Doctor started slowly. "Turn around."
I grabbed River's forearm in an attempt to settle myself. When Dave turned around and his visor was black, I relaxed a little. River put her hand over mine. "You wouldn't be scared of something unless it was important," she whispered. "What is it?"
"He's dead," I answered in as low a voice as I could manage.
"What's going on? Why can't I see? Is the power gone? Are we safe here?"
The Doctor took a step closer to Dave. "Dave, I want you stay still. Absolutely still." Dave's body jerked and everybody jumped, even the Doctor. "Dave? Dave? Dave, can you hear me? Are you all right? Talk to me, Dave."
"I'm fine. I'm okay. I'm fine."
"I want you to stay still. Absolutely still."
"I'm fine. I'm okay. I'm fine. I can't-. Why can't I? I-... I can't. Why can't I? I-... I can't. Why can't I? I-..."
River let out a soft breath and hung her head. "He's gone. He's ghosting."
Lux steeped back in fear. "Then why is he still standing?"
"Hey, who turned out the lights? Hey, who turned out the lights?"
Somebody screamed behind us. I turned and saw Talulah, her eyes wide with fear and her arms shaking. Her visor suddenly went dark and her body collapsed. I ran forward, but River held me back.
"Don't," she told me firmly. "You know they could still hurt you."
"Talulah!" I shouted as tears clouded my vision.
"Hello?" she called softly. "Hello? Excuse me. I'm sorry. Hello? Excuse me. Sorry, where am I? Excuse me?"
I ripped my arm from River's grip and took slow steps towards Talulah's body. Tears were starting to roll down my cheeks. "Talulah," I breathed upon reaching her. "Oh, Talulah, I'm so sorry."
''Hey, who turned out the lights?"
"Sorry, where am I? Excuse me?"
"Hey, who turned out the lights?"
"I can't see. I can't-... Where am I?"
I reached out a hand to rest it on her leg, but suddenly the Doctor ran up behind me and wrapped his arms around me and pinned my arms to my chest. "Don't. Don't. She's ghosting now, love."
"I saved her," I told him through my tears. "I did. She would have died."
"I'm sorry."
"I can't see, I can't-... I don't know what I'm thinking."
"Where's that woman? The nice woman. Is she there? The nice woman and her nice friend. Is she there? She said I was beautiful."
I gasped and felt another wave of tears pour down my face. "I said that," I whispered.
"Hey, who turned out the lights?"
"Doctor," River said warningly.
"Is she there? The nice woman."
"Talulah?" I asked gently, trying to make it sound as if I wasn't crying. "Talulah, it's me."
"Hello? Are you there? Hello? Is that the nice woman?"
"Yeah. Yes, I'm- I'm here," I choked.
"You said I was beautiful."
"Yeah, I did."
"I thought you were beautiful, too. I-... I thought-... I thought you were-..." She paused and I felt the Doctor's arms tighten around me. "What I said before, about being stupid. Don't tell the others, they'll only laugh."
"I won't tell," I promised.
"Hey, who turned out the lights?"
"Doctor!" River shouted as she and the others ran past us.
"Don't tell the others, they'll only laugh."
"I won't. I swear."
"Hey, who turned out the lights?"
The Doctor pulled me past Talulah's body. I fought against him, not caring about Dave and the fact that he could very well kill me if I stayed. I wanted to stay with Talulah, the girl who never knew how marvelous she was.
"Don't tell the others, they'll only laugh."
"Hey, who turned out the lights?"
"Talulah!" I cried as the Doctor pulled me through the square in the wall that River had made with her gun.
"I can't think. I don't know. I-I-I-I scream. Ice cream. Ice cream. Ice cream. Ice cream."
"You said not every shadow," River said as we came through the square. She looked sadly at me and gently put a hand on my arm.
"But any shadow."
Dave appeared by the square. "Hey, who turned out the lights?"
"Run!"
The Doctor moved his arms and grabbed my hand, pulling me after him as he ran. I found it difficult to keep up with his long strides, especially since I was still crying a little. "Come on!" he urged, tugging on my arm. "Diana, please!"
"I'm trying!" I huffed between breaths. "Not... exactly... athletic!"
We stopped at a dead end where there were shelves on three of the four sides around us. The Doctor took out his sonic and pointed it at a flickering light close to our group. "What are you doing?" I asked him.
"Trying to boost the power. Light doesn't stop them, but it slows them down."
"So, what's the plan?" River asked. "Do we have a plan?"
"I've got one question for you Professor Song," he said, giving her a strong glare. "Who are you?"
"What's the plan?" River repeated.
The Doctor ran a hand through his hair and pressed his lips together in contemplation. "I teleported Donna back to the TARDIS. If we don't get back there in under five hours, emergency program one will activate."
River nodded. "Take her home, yeah. We need to get a shift on."
The Doctor suddenly gasped, holding his screwdriver to his ear. "She's not there. I should have received a signal. The console signals me if there's a teleport breach."
"Well, maybe the coordinates have slipped. The equipment here's ancient."
Walking up to a node whose face was looking in the opposite direction. "Donna Noble. There's a Donna Noble somewhere in this library. Do you have the software to locate her position?"
The node's face turned slowly and I braced myself for it; Donna's beautiful face was on the node. The Doctor and I both gasped, even though I had been expecting it. "Donna Noble has left the library. Donna Noble has been saved."
"Donna," the Doctor breathed sadly. "No."
"Oh, Donna," I breathed.
"Donna Noble has left the library. Donna Noble has been saved."
"How can it be Donna?" River asked. "How's that possible?"
"Donna Noble has left the library. Donna Noble has been saved. Donna Noble has left the library."
"Hey, who turned out the lights?"
River grabbed my arm and pulled me behind her. "Doctor!"
"Donna Noble has been saved."
"Hey, who turned out the lights?"
"Donna Noble has left the library."
River looked peladingly at him. "Doctor, we've got to go now!"
"Donna Noble has left the library. Donna Noble has been saved."
"Hey, who turned out the lights?"
"Donna Noble has left the library. Donna Noble has been saved."
"Hey, who turned out the lights?"
"Donna Noble has left the library. Donna Noble has been saved."
"Hey, who turned out the lights?"
"Donna Noble has left the library. Donna Noble has been saved."
"Hey, who turned out the lights?"
"Donna Noble has left the library. Donna Noble has been saved."
The shadows started closing in on us, blocking off any escape routes we could have used. The only direction we could move in was the direction Dave was coming towards us in. The Doctor looked over the rest of the group and made eye contact with Susan. Then he put an arm around my waist and pulled me away from the bookshelves. He looked down at me and I could see that he was starting to feel like there was no way out."
River looked up at the Doctor with desperation and fear shining in her eyes, much like I knew my eyes were. "Doctor, what are we going to do?"
"Hey, who turned out the lights?"
"Donna Noble has left the library. Donna Noble has been saved"
I know it's not my best piece of work, but I did enjoy writing it. Sort of. Comments/reviews are always wonderful and motivate me to update sooner.
Translations (Read if you dare. Nothing bad, but certain sentences could spoil Diana's future for you. Also, I used a translator. Sorry if there's bad translations.) :
"Daddy, it's so good to see you."
"Hello, sweetheart. How are you?"
"Mother does not recognize me. This is her first time meeting me, isn't it?"
"Yes, I think so. It is still very early in our timeline... I know it's hard to see her and she doesn't know who you are. It hurts me too."
"Does she know who Sarah and Hope are?"
"No."
"I knew she was young, you can see on her face. But I was hoping maybe I was wrong."