A/N: So, here is the second part of chapter 5. And now it lives up to the spoiler warnings. If you haven't seen Doctor Who 6x08 'Let's Kill Hitler', you'll probably have some problems understanding what's going on. But anyway, go read on, if you already have seen that episode and/or don't mind being spoilered.
A/N2: By the way, I'm away over the weekend and will try to finish writing this story. I have already written the next chapter but I'm not really happy with it. So I'll propably rewrite it. Therefore, there might be a little delay with the next update. just wanted to let you know, so that you don't come after me with torches and pitchforks, demanding an update. And now to the story. Don't forget to review.
Chapter 5 - Please Forgive Me (Part 2)
They arrived at the morgue slash med bay. Downstairs Owen was trying to figure out some alien tech thingy. Shadow jumped down the few steps and took a quiet look over Owen's shoulder.
"What've you got there?" Shadow asked all of a sudden, making Owen jump a little.
"Well, I think it's a singularity scalpel." Owen answered slightly arrogant like always.
"You think? And what would you use it for, hm?" Shadow challenged.
"Operating, obviously." Owen got a look that seemed to say: 'What the hell have you brought in this time, Jack?'
"Hmm...River? Would you mind coming down here?" Shadow rudely ripped the alien gadget out of Owen's hands. "And you give that to me before you hurt yourself."
As soon as River was down, next to her, Shadow whipped around and held the gadget directly under River's nose. "What do you think this is?"
River took the thing out of Shadow's hand and closely-examined it. "Um...broken?"
"Yes and no. Yes, it is broken, but it's still functional. Therefore, it is not entirely broken. It just lacks some pieces." Shadow grinned mischievously again.
"And I presume you got the right pieces to make it entirely functional again." River thought she began to see a pattern in Shadow's different grins.
"You bet I have." And with that said, she took out her scanner and fitted it to the side of the gadget. Meanwhile, Jack, who had watched everything from upstairs, had come down and looked interested. Owen looked mildly affronted because Shadow had taken the liberty to speak against him. "You see? Now it is complete. Like what does it look now?" Shadow again held it in front of River's face.
"I don't know. The same thing but with a monitor at the side?"
"Think. You were talking about thieves earlier." River slightly shook her head. "I give you a hint: it is definitely not medical equipment, but it has the same precision." Shadow could pin-point the exact moment in which the penny dropped.
"Oh, I always wanted one of these. It was Stone Age technology already by the time I grew up, but it is efficient." River's eyes lit up like a child's on Christmas when it sees the presents under the tree.
"What are you saying? It's not medical? What exactly is it then?" Jack inquired.
"Well, Jack, it's equipment for thieves and the like. It's like a lock pick, useful for everyone, but especially for thieves." Shadow moved over to one of the tables at the side and held the alien gadget near one of the containers. "Thieves call it Extractor, because it can extract anything from a closed container or safe or whatever. The only thing that is able to protect your things is a deadlock seal. Basically it scans the contents of a containing object like this metal tin here, and then you can lock onto the object you want to extract." Shadow turned some dials and tapped a bit on her scanner. "I can tell you that this tin contains cotton balls and this..." Shadow turned the dials again and with a final tap on her scanner, she stretched out her hand and on it appeared a chocolate bar.
"I don't know how that got into there." Owen tried to defend himself.
"Your want it?" Shadow held the bar out to River. She took it and unwrapped it. "Jack, your staff isn't well conditioned." Shadow proceeded to tell the Captain.
"Who says one of my staff put it in there?"
"I do, because Owen is a very bad liar." Shadow retorted.
"If you wouldn't be who you are, I'd throw you out just about now. But didn't you want something else in our humble medical area?" Jack tried to change the topic to something more comfortable for him.
"Indeed, I believe I did." With that said, Shadow grabbed River's hand and put it on top of the medical scanner in the middle. It started to analyze the complete body and the DNA of River right away.
"And now?" River asked.
"We wait." Shadow answered.
"What is it doing?" River wasn't so sure anymore about her half-lie. Maybe she should've come clean when she still had the chance. But now it would seem as it she had something to hide. Well, in fact she had, but she didn't want the people here to find out. So she decided to keep silent.
"It is scanning you. A complete body scan." There was a sound from the machine and as if on cue, Jack took one glance at the big screen and immediately drew his gun and pointed it at River. Shadow instantly moved in front of River like on instinct.
"Jack, you better put the gun down and start talking." Shadow demanded with a warning glare towards Jack.
From experience Jack knew that arguing would be in vain. So he decided to comply with what Shadow had demanded and started to talk.
"Some time ago, an abandoned Teselecta landed on our doorstep. Tosh was able to load its data into our system. "
"What's a Teselecta?" Shadow somehow knew that it wasn't a harmless thing. But what exactly it was, she didn't know.
"A Teselecta is a Justice Department Vehicle. They travel through time in order to pursue criminals and to punish them. I remember them from my time at the Time Agency. Whenever one of them appeared, our jurisdiction ended."
"Wonderful. But what has that to do with her?" Shadow inquired.
"They want to give me hell. Literal hell." River sighed, causing Shadow to turn around.
River seemed troubled with what she wanted to say. She looked at Jack then back at Shadow. Then she looked at the screen. "Take a look at the screen."
Shadow turned around and read what was written there.
'Melody Pond. Known alias(es): River Song.'
"You're not really called River Song. So what?" Shadow failed to see the problem. To her knowledge, having an alias wasn't illegal. Not now and not in the future.
"Read on." River got more distraught by the minute. Shadow continued reading.
'Convicted for: Murder. Known victim(s): The Doctor.'
"Oh...I see..." Shadow was a bit shocked to say the least. She turned around and just stared at River, opening and closing her mouth repeatedly as if wanting to say something but not quite knowing what.
"You haven't seen half of it. There are also pictures of me." River turned to Jack. "If you were so kind to show her, Captain. I'm not familiar with this technology and before I break something."
Jack moved forward and typed something in. On the screen appeared some pictures, amongst them a picture of River like she looked now. Shadow looked at them and, if it was even possible, got even more shocked. After some moments she found her voice again.
"So...you killed the Doctor." Shadow repeatedly nodded her head slightly. Then, all of a sudden, Shadow she had to laugh madly.
"For heavens sake, Shadow! She killed your dad! I don't think that it's a laughing matter." Jack shouted, he couldn't see what was so funny.
"Oh, Jack. Don't you see? That's exactly what I meant when I said the universe has a very cruel sense of humor." She was interrupted by another fit of laughing. "She might be the only one able to regenerate in the whole time-spaced quadrant and the next; and I find her." Shadow turned to River. "You're Time Lord?"
"No and yes. Actually my parents are both human. But I got a bit Time Lord DNA in me, enough to let me regenerate. But I don't have any regenerations left because I gave them to save the Doctor; after I tried to kill him."
"You got a bit Time Lord DNA? But your parents are both human? How's that supposed to work?"
"The Doctor said I'm a child of the TARDIS. She even told me how to fly her. It's all very complicated and confusing."
"Oh, my dear..." Shadow laid her hands on River's shoulders and smiled. "You put the TARDIS on a guilt trip. Impressive."
"What?"
"Through you she tries to redeem herself, because she is responsible for the whole thing in the first place. But the TARDIS did other things that others would not like. Don't worry; I don't judge you after what you have done, but after what you do. And you should do the same thing, Jack." Shadow gave him a reproachful look.
"So...I killed your dad and you're cool with it?" River didn't understand why Shadow hadn't already beaten her up, at least.
"I'm not. But one thing I've learned is that death is relative. And no one knows that better than a Time Lord."
"But I'm not a Time Lord."
"Neither am I."
"Your not?"
"No, my mother is human. But I'm not like you or a Time Lord. My DNA is more stable. And it has to be. But I don't want to talk about that now. Now is the time for tours. Let's give you your tour through the hub." Mischievously grinning, she steered River out of the medical area and Jack led them through the hub and accentuated some rooms with anecdotes from the past.
They ended at Tosh's desk.
"And this is where we can manipulate and monitor every computer on the planet and connect to spaceships that come through the orbit." Jack gloated.
"Not every computer." Shadow shot back.
"Sarah Jane has Mr. Smith, Torchwood has Ms. Sato." He countered.
"But she isn't an alien computer."
"No, but she is a genius."
"It'll do." At that moment Tosh came back to her desk with a cup of coffee. She suspiciously looked at the three.
"Have you touched my computer?" With that simple question she made clear to everyone who didn't already know that touching her stuff would not end pleasantly.
"Course not. We'd never dare messing with your stuff." Jack calmed her.
"But I need a favor." Shadow took a step towards Tosh. "Could you get River here a place to stay? Something nice, if possible?"
"In Cardiff?"
"Yeah, it's late. And could you get me a ticket for a train to London for tomorrow morning?" Shadow asked politely.
"Of course, give me a moment and I'll have everything ready." Tosh sat down and got to work.
"Thanks. You're brilliant."
"I know. Now shoo, I've got work to do."
And the three left Toshiko alone to work. About half an hour later, she had finished. At the same time, Gwen arrived with pizza. Jack insisted on them staying to at least grab a bite. So they stayed a bit longer and ate with the team.
Shadow sat next to River and diagonally from Jack. Everytime she looked up, she could see Jack, how he was giving her a funny look. She assumed it was because she was getting along brilliantly with River.
Shadow had to admit to herself that she liked the company of River. Well, she had to admit that she actually liked River, to be honest. She liked her a lot. Each time they accidentally touched, Shadow had this tingle running down her spine. She did smile every time that happened or even when she just looked at her. Shadow hadn't smiled that much in her whole life. But something in her was incredibly happy about the fact that River was smiling back at her.
After eating and a few stories more from Jack, River and Shadow said their goodbyes to the Torchwood team and made their way to a hotel nearby. Shadow had decided to stay in a hotel for a change and not bunk on the couch in the hub. And she also had a selfish reason; she could be together with River a bit longer.
When they arrived at the hotel, they got their keys and went up to their rooms, which were next to each other. They both stood a bit undecided in front of their doors and looked at each other awkwardly.
"Um...well, here we are." Shadow made the attempt for some small talk, but didn't quite know what to say.
"Yeah..." River had the same problems.
After some moments more of awkward silence, River turned to open her door. But as soon as the door unlocked, she turned around again and grabbed Shadow, dragging her inside the room.
Once inside, River kicked the door shut, pushed Shadow against it and forcefully kissed her.
As soon as the kiss had started it ended. Both were slightly out of breath and looked at each other like they couldn't explain what was going on, which was probably true.
"Oh, whatever..." Shadow threw all caution in the wind and started what would inevitably involve a lot of sweating.