7. Libraries and Truths

I froze.

"I... I don't know what you're talking about." I said faintly, at loss of what to say. The Doctor snorted.

"You are a spectacularly awful liar, Miss Tyler." I looked away. "So, why not just tell me the truth?"

"What makes you think I'm not saying the truth?" I asked, my tone slightly more aggressive than I wanted it to be. The Doctor shot me a look.

"Oh come on- it's not that hard to work out. A strange girl dressed as a Gallifreyian- but quite obviously human- walks into me, and with a look of complete surprise on your face, says my name as if you can't believe you're seeing me in front of you. And then you run like the wind to try and get away from me- as if you're afraid that something will happen if you stay near me"-

"That doesn't prove anything." I argued defensively, and he glared at me.

"Then, if what you say is true- that you don't know me at all- then will you kindly explain why you had this on your person?" he asked, taking small metal object from his pocket and putting it on the coffee table between us. My throat constricted as I picked up the TARDIS key and looked at it numbly. How could I explain this?

"It fell out of your pocket when I carried you here," he continued, his voice remote. "And it's a key to my TARDIS. So answer my question, Miss Tyler." He leaned forward, his face serious. "Where have you seen me and why are you here?"

I closed my eyes. There was no way I could get myself out of this without telling him. I swallowed and met his curious eyes.

"Your tenth reincarnation." I whispered. "I … travel with you." The young Doctor nodded slowly, taking my answer in. He looked at me and grinned.

"No wonder you recognised me- I look the same."

I frowned. "How is that possible?"

"The first life and eleventh are identical- in appearances anyways…" He leans forwards curiously. "Do I have the same personality? No!" He cut me off before I could answer. "Don't ruin the surprises."

I closed my mouth and nodded, smiling sadly, my throat constricting. I felt my heart break for the man in front of me- he really had no idea what was going to happen, what he was going to lose. I knew that somewhere along the line of time, he would lose that innocent look and that his smile would become less frequent- until he came to meet me, and then he would rediscover some things he lost.

Then, after so many centuries, he would be able to live again.

But no for a long time. Not before he'd had his life torn apart and everything ripped away. Not before parts of him died and were lost forever.

I swallowed my thoughts and forced a half-smile- the Doctor had begun to look slightly worried by my expression. He smiled back.

The moment was lost however, when another servant stepped into the room, accompanied by Harla. The two women bowed- I saw the Doctor wince again- and after a beat, straightened and looked at him silently. He sighed, defeated.

"Oh alright- you have permission." Harla smiled and thanked him- he rolled his eyes at me, and I smiled- Harla turned to me. "Master is uncomfortable with his position, Miss Tyler; he needs to be constantly reminded of it." I smiled.

"He always will be uncomfortable with ordering people around."

Harla looked confused at my use of tense, but the Doctor glanced at me with raised eyebrows, and I winked devilishly. "So, Harla," he said, still holding my gaze- I refused to give anything away, and eventually he looked away. "What is bothering you?"

"Your TARDIS is making bizarre noises." I glanced at him- he had a TARDIS? And then mentally hit myself- of course he did (he'd even said that) he just didn't use it at the moment.

He nodded understandingly. "Is it making a noise like this?" And then he clucked once, coughed, clapped his hands twice and made a sound in the back of his throat that faintly resembled a geese's honk. I stared at him incredulously, as did Harla and the other girl, who couldn't have been any older than me.

"What?" He asked, looking innocently at the three women staring at him as if they were mad. "Whatever are you staring at me for?"

I met the gaze of Harla and mouthed 'don't worry- he's always like this' and she nodded once, smiling, and mouthed back 'I know.'

I laughed quietly and shook my head happily at the Doctor, who was still staring at me as if I were meant to stick up for him. I shrugged apologetically at him.

"Sorry, but us three are right- you're the weirdest alien I know, Doctor. And I know quite a few aliens." She giggled, and he frowned.

"Oh, stop taking their side, Tyler. And you lot," He turned to the two servants with a mocking glare. "Give Cheryl a good kick on her left side, knock on each window panel once and press 3 on the phone and she'll calm down. She's just teething, poor baby." He explained out of the corner of his mouth to me, and I laughed. "Misses her daddy."

I choked on my water and had to spit most of it back into the glass, which was disgusting, but I had no choice- water was streaming from both my nose and mouth.

"Sorry," I spluttered to Harla.

She smiled and shook her head. "No matter dear- you do get taken surprise a lot by him."

"Oh, go away." He ordered irritably, and with one last smile in my direction, Harla disappeared again, the girl who hadn't said one word following dutifully at her heels.

* * *

The library we'd moved onto was beautiful, huge and old. It was circular; its walls lined with floor-to-ceiling bookcases specially curved for the room, with a polished ladder on a runner to reach to higher shelves. The bookshelves covered every wall, apart from a segment that was occupied instead by a huge stone fireplace, where a fire the odd shade of purple was burning happily behind an ornate grate. There were three green leather sofas in front of it, with a glass coffee table on top of another of the silk rugs placed just in front of the fireplace; we were sitting on opposite sofas, facing each other with the table in between us.

"So, tell me." He said, taking a sip of the glass in front of him. "Why are you here?"

I wanted so badly to look away, but I knew he deserved better than that. I met his gaze fully and unflinchingly. "You asked me not to reveal any secrets- my reason for coming here is probably the biggest spoiler, Doctor."

He nodded ruefully. "I'm going to really regret saying that aren't I?"

I smiled. "Depends whether you want a predictable life or not." I countered, and he grinned. "I'd tell you, but I rather think half the universe would collapse."

"That big, huh?" he asked innocently, and I swallowed the agonisingly painful lump in my throat.
"Oh Doctor, you have no idea." I whispered, and a tear slid down my cheek as I saw him look at me with such openness, such childlike innocence it made me want to hug him and sob.

And I did.

He came over to sit beside me and held me gently as I cried. I couldn't stop myself- the pain of what I knew he would go through was too much to bear. Why did knowledge have to be such a horrible thing?

I leant my head against his chest as the tears refused to stop; he wrapped his arms around my shoulders and kissed my forehead softly. And then my cheek. So softly, so comfortingly, so there-

And then I was kissing him.

He pulled me gently onto him and I did not protest- I just wanted to kiss him forever. My chest echoed with wave upon wave of pain, and I knew that I would feel it until I saw the real Doctor again- I needed to see him. So much.

Was that why I was straddling him- this time intentionally? Time faded away until all I knew was his lips against mine, the arms around me that were the same as the ones that had held me so many times. Whenever I cried or was hurt or just needed a hug.

My heart stopped and I almost leapt a foot in the air as a loud ring echoed through the house, and I looked at the Doctor. His deep brown eyes were full of questions to what I had just done, but he slowly broke away from my gaze and turned to Harla, who was standing in the doorway. My heart pounded- how long had she been there? I prayed only a few seconds; then she wouldn't have seen me straddle her master. She looked only at the Doctor, and her eyes held only the question of the doorbell.

"Could you answer that for me, Harla?" The Doctor asked, his voice casual, and she nodded subserviently. "Thank you." The moment the woman disappeared, his eyes were on mine again, and I saw the worry in his eyes that was mimicked in mine; that wasn't supposed to happen. I bit my lip and was about to say something when the voice in the hall drew me up short in shock.

"Oh hello Harla," Said a cheery, very familiar voice. "My name's the Doctor and I've come to get my companion back. Mind if I come in?"