Time can be rewritten

by Smeedog

When evil surrounds you, what do you do? For River, this is common but when everything is changing and there is no one by your side, sometimes all you want is a home. 'Escaping' the library, was easy, but fleeing your past is even harder. An army is wanted, but what is needed is family, and a family is what she gets, just not exactly the 'normal' one she had in mind. Library Fix-it

22. Chapter 22

"What do we do?" Donna shook the bars but gave up when no response was given to her, she joined the others slumped against the walls. She looked up to the Doctors who were still stood against the bars. Donna could understand the pain of being betrayed by the one you love. The River she had met had seemed like a truly good-natured person, but then all people can lie and some lies hurt more than others. Professor Song's had ripped through all of the people around Donna, especially the Time Lords who now looked lost, their eyes dark and their faces set with angry scowls.Donna overheard mutterings around her, all of them insults in River's direction. The Doctor overheard, as did Raggedy, for both turned and shouted for the group to be quiet, before chests heaving, they turned back to the bars.

Some guards appeared a few minutes after this with a large cauldron and bowls with a ladle. They handed out the bowls with some form of broth but no one seemed very hungry. Most of the guards then left; however one guard was stood near the Doctor and went right up to the bars in front of him. Raggedy stood next to his elder counterpart and the guard walked off, but stumbled slightly and followed on after the others. The Time Lords both sat down on the cot and both fiddled with something in their coats. Donna looked down at her meal, "I suppose I need to eat..." she thought and was about to take a spoonful when the Doctor turned his hawk stare onto her, "Donna don't, we don't know what's in that!" he stood up and tipped the contents of his bowl into the cauldron before throwing the bowl at the opposite wall, and then sitting down. The bowl, which was metal, landed and clattered noisily on the floor. Everyone else followed suit, except without the bowl throwing. Raggedy did something even more different, unsurprisingly, and tipped out the contents onto the floor. The group looked at him disgusted, bar Raggedy 's older self who nodded at him as one of the cleaning blobs Donna had stepped on earlier entered the cell, sensed the spilt food and moved toward it. As the blob did so, two big eyes and a large mouth appeared. When it reached the food, it began to eat. After the food was eaten, the blob fell into a deep sleep, snoring softly.

Donna looked up from the blob to hear footfalls echoing down the corridor. The footsteps grew louder until the owners appeared at the bars. "I came to see how my guests are doing!" the Master mocked. Neither Doctor replied. "How could you betray us River?" Amy pleaded to her daughter, who was stood behind the Master, head hung towards the floor. "Betray you! She has bargained for her life, and she is the only one who will survive." the Master replied, pulling River next to him. Donna noticed the slight wince River gave when the Master moved his face near her, but the Master didn't seem to notice. "I contacted the Silence; they will be taking you all off my hands. I can't imagine how long you're going to live after that...sorry!" he laughed. "And you get River right?" the Doctor growled. "That was my deal with the Silence. I own River now, she is all mine!" he boasted and proved it by kissing her. The group stood in shock, the Master and River broke apart and she turned away toward a computer opposite the cell. "Well, I must say Doctor, you certainly have good taste, she really is amazing." the Master smiled. "Yes, she is!" Raggedy smiled back. The Master narrowed his eyes at the younger Doctor's sudden confidence. "Why are you so happy?" he asked. "Because we've won! Again..." the Doctor answered, matching Raggedy's grin.

The Master's confidence started to falter. "Guards!" he called out. A few seconds passed but no guards turned up. "Guards? Guar..." The Master's legs seemed to give way under him. "River, what have you done?" he gasped, his eyes fluttered. "She gave you a rather potent sleeping draft, as she did with all your guards in the broth they all ate." The Doctor smiled. Donna realised then, "You knew all along didn't you." she said to the Doctors. "Does that mean River is on our side?" Clara whispered. Amy and Rory joined the Doctors at the bars. "River has always been on our side." The Doctor answered. "I didn't eat any of the broth...how did she poison me?" the Master said, flopping against the bars and tilted his head against the bars to look up to the two Doctors smug faces. "Kiss, Kiss..." River purred. The Master's eyes closed.