Forest of the Dead

As the forces of the Vashta Nerada closed in on the group. River backed up and used her squareness gun to create a hole in the bookshelf next to them. "This way, quickly. Move!" River said, and soon everyone was through the hole in the bookshelf. The group started running once more to get away from the Vashta Nerada that was following them while saying "Hey who turned out the lights." Over and over again until the group got far enough away that they could no longer hear it. Soon River used her squareness gun which made it possible for them to enter a room that had only one bit of light in it,

"OK, we've got a clear spot. In, in, in! Right in the center. In the middle of the light, quickly. Don't let your shadows cross. Doctor." River said as the group entered the room. The Doctor instantly took to see if the room had any Vashta Nerada in it. River turned her attention to the Doctor as he scanned the darkness for more Vastha Nerada.

"I'm doing it." He said as Alyssa joined him in looking into the darkness.

"There's no lights here. Sunset's coming. We can't stay long. Have you found a live one?" River said, as she looked up at the skylight in the room and saw that the moon was coming out. Due to the sun setting.

"Maybe. It's getting harder to tell. What's wrong with you?" The Doctor said as he held up his Sonic screwdriver to his ear.

"could there be a signal interfering with it?" Alyssa asked as she looked up at the moon. Which was the only new thing that was coming out.

"We're going to need a chicken leg. Who's got a chicken leg?" River said and turned to Other Dave as he took out a chicken leg "Thanks, Dave." she took it from him and threw it into the shadows. All the meat disappeared from the bone it fell to the floor with a clatter. "Okay. Okay, we've got a hot one. Watch your feet." River said as she kneeled by the others who were also on the floor.

"They won't attack until there's enough of them. But they've got our scent now. They're coming." The Doctor said, as he moved over a bit to scan for more Vashta Nerada, but he couldn't, something was indeed messing with the Screwdriver. Other Dave looked at River

"Oh, yeah, who are they? You haven't even told us. You just expect us to trust them?" He said, as he watched Alyssa and the Doctor look for more Vastha Nerada.

"He's the Doctor and she is Alyssa." River said like it was obvious.

"And who is the Doctor?" Mister Lux said, "And what makes Alyssa so special?"

"The only story you'll ever tell if you survive him. And Alyssa knows everything that is about to happen, she can't tell us nor stop it because that would bring something to the Library that is more dangerous than the Vashta Nerada. She and the Doctor are inseparable." River said, looking back at Alyssa, she felt that for some reason Alyssa was about to go through something horrible, but made her into the Alyssa she knew.

"You say they're your friends, but he doesn't even know who you are. Does Alyssa know you?" Anita said,

"Listen, all you need to know is this. I'd trust that man and woman to the end of the universe. And actually, we've been." River said,

"He doesn't act like he trusts you. I am not sure about Alyssa though." Anita commented as she looked at Alyssa who was watching the Doctor mess with his Screwdriver and she kept glancing up at the moon.

"Yeah, there's a tiny problem. He hasn't met me yet." River said, as she stood up before she walked over to where the two were. "What's wrong with it?" she asked,

"Like Alyssa said, there's a signal coming from somewhere, interfering with it." The Doctor said, from where he was kneeling.

"Then use the red settings." River said as she started taking her gloves off.

"Not yet River," Alyssa said as she stood up and smiled at her, before once again glancing up at the moon.

"It doesn't have a red setting." The Doctor said, ignoring Alyssa, He didn't understand how she trusted this female so much.

"Well, use the dampers." River said,

"Again River, Not yet." Alyssa said, but the two ignored her and she let out a sigh and said, "Every time every bloody time." Before she walked away and sat down near where the group was. Before taking out her notebook and began scribbling down stuff about this adventure and the last one. However, she still listened to the conversation.

"It doesn't have dampers." The Doctor said, and River handed her screwdriver out to him.

"It will do one day." She said, as the Doctor took the screwdriver and looked at it,

"So, sometime in the future, I just give you my screwdriver."

"It wasn't you who gave me your screwdriver Doctor it was Alyssa." River said, and Alyssa looked over to the two, in shock, she never knew when the Doctor had given her his screwdriver in the show because it was never properly explained.

"Why would she do that?" The Doctor asked, glancing over and meeting Alyssa's eyes before she glanced away and back down at her notebook.

"I didn't pluck it from her cold dead hands if that's what you're worried about." River said,

"And I know that because?" The Doctor said, still watching Alyssa,

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

"Less emotional? I'm not emotional." The Doctor said,

"There are six people in this room still alive. Focus on that. Dear God, you're hard work young." River said,

"Young? Who are you?" The Doctor said in an angry tone, which finally made Alyssa snap she stood up and walked over

"Doctor, you need to trust her, She is a friend and that is all you need and can know right, now please stop arguing like you are siblings!" Alyssa said, they glanced at each other, Alyssa watched as River's face softened,

"Doctor, one day I'm going to be someone that you trust completely, but I can't wait for you to find that out. So I'm going to prove it to you." She said before she leaned up and whispered something into his ear. His eyes widened as his eyes turned to Alyssa then back to River before he smiled, a laugh escaped him which shocked Alyssa. Since she thought she whispered something else into his ear. But the words 'The show is the fake reality' from the Tardis ran through her head. Maybe what happened in the future was different as well. the Doctor took River's shoulders and said, "thank you."

"I guess we are good now. Are we Doctor?" River said, smiling at him,

"Yeah, we're good." The Doctor said, his smile not dropping. River took her sonic back and walked away. The Doctor looked down at his own screwdriver before he raised his voice to talk to the whole group and began walking around "Know what's interesting about my screwdriver? Very hard to interfere with. Practically nothing's strong enough. Well, some hairdryers, but I'm working on that. So, there is a very strong signal coming from somewhere, and it wasn't there before. So, what's new? What's changed? Come on! What's new? What's different?"

"The Moon." Alyssa said, "The moon has come out. Mr. Lux do you want to finally say something helpful?" which Lux nodded,

"the moon, It's not real. It was built as part of the Library. It's just a Doctor Moon." Lux said, turning his attention to the Doctor,

"What's a Doctor Moon?" The Doctor asked,

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

"Well, still active. It's signaling." The Doctor said, holding out his sonic screwdriver and holding it out. As the light began blinking "Look. Someone somewhere in this library is alive and communicating with the moon. Or, possibly alive and drying their hair. No, the signal is definitely coming from the moon. I'm blocking it, but it's trying to breakthrough." The Doctor said as he began messing with his screwdriver pointing to straight and a hologram of Donna appeared.

"Doctor!" River called as the Doctor was still trying to fix his screwdriver before he looked up and shouted Donna's name before she disappeared again. "That was her. That was your friend! Can you get her back? What was that?" River said, walking forward a bit.

"Hold on, hold on, hold on. I'm trying to find the wavelength. Argh, I'm being blocked." The Doctor said as he messed with his screwdriver more. Alyssa remembered something very important right at that moment she glanced at Alita and down at her feet which had two shadows. Anita followed her gaze and saw the two shadows. She glanced at Alyssa,

"Professor?" Anita called out,

"Just a moment."

"She has two shadows," Alyssa called out, and everyone turned around and saw that she had two shadows.

"Okay. Helmets on, everyone. Anita, I'll get yours." River said, as everyone started grabbing their helmets and put it on.

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

"Just keep it together, okay?" River said, as she picked up Anita's helmet and started putting it on her.

"Keeping it together. I'm only crying. I'm about to die. It's not an overreaction." Anita said,

"It's going to be alright Anita," Alyssa said, as River finished putting on Anita's helmet on and the inner light flashed on. Illuminating Anita's face,

"Hang on." The Doctor said before he sonicked her helmet and turned the visor dark.

"Oh God, they've got inside." River said when she saw the visor go black.

"No, it was the Doctor, maybe they will think they already got inside, and leave her alone," Alyssa said,

"Do you think they can be fooled like that?" River said,

"Maybe, hopefully," Alyssa said, she mentally flinched as she realized she was lying through her teeth.

"Can you still see in there?" Other Dave said, Alyssa looked around the room and noticed an extra suit in the back near the exit. She walked over to the Doctor and River

"Quick Word." Alyssa said, before she kneeled the others soon joining her "River you mentioned that there were 6 people alive in this room,"

"Yeah, so?" River said, not getting what she was trying to say.

"So, why are there seven?" she said, and everyone turned around to see the skeleton of Dave in his suit standing there.

"Hey, who turned out the lights?" Dave's voice said as he started advancing on the group,

"Run!" Alyssa said and took the Doctor's hand as they ran out of the room.

They ran for a while before the Doctor stopped as the other's passed him, he said "Alyssa take the others to a safe spot"

"I am not leaving you." Alyssa said, "You can't reason with it"

"All I need is five minutes, now go!" He yelled and pushed Alyssa away,

"I hate you." She said as she turned to leave realizing that he was right and that she needed to help the others, at that moment.

"No, you don't," The Doctor said,

" You have two minutes Doctor." Alyssa said,

"Other Dave stay with him, Pull him out when he is too stupid to live." River said, looking at the two, Before they ran off to find a safe place.

They found a room that had a weird circle in the middle of it and Alyssa walked over to Lux and said "That is now 2 deaths that are on your head, maybe even 4. Do you still believe your pride is more important?" Lux said nothing and Alyssa let out a sigh before she reached up and slapped him. "Stop being so stupid! The Doctor will not harm what you are protecting! You just need to trust us."

"You have given me no reason to trust you!" he snapped, Alyssa just left out another sigh and turned and walked away. She watched as River scanned the device on the floor in the middle of the room.

"You know, it's funny, I keep wishing the Doctor and his Alyssa were here." River said,

"The Doctor and Alyssa are here, isn't the Doctor is coming back, right?" Anita said, and River stood up and faced her,

"You know when you see a photograph of someone you know, but it's from years before you knew them. and it's like they're not quite finished. They're not done yet. Well, yes, the Doctor and Alyssa are here. He came when I called, just like he always does. But not my Doctor, not my Alyssa. Now my Doctor and my Alyssa, I've seen whole armies turn and run away. And they would just swagger off back to their Tardis and open the doors with a snap of the Doctor's fingers. The Doctor in the Tardis. Next stop, everywhere." Alyssa looked behind River and saw the Doctor she let out a sigh of relief

"Spoilers. Nobody can open a Tardis by snapping their fingers. It doesn't work like that." The Doctor said, before he climbed down some stairs and started towards Anita.

"How would you know that Doctor, dear? You never even tried." Alyssa said as she stood up to meet him halfway.

"It does for the Doctor," River said, as the Doctor passed her,

"I am the Doctor." The Doctor said, Looking back at River,

"Yeah. Some day." River said, before glancing away, and the Doctor walked over to Anita, Alyssa let out a sigh

"River can we talk over here?" She said before, as she walked past the Doctor and into a lit area near a patch of shadows. However, River didn't walk over right away as she realized that Other Dave wasn't with him.

"Where's other dave?" she asked,

"Not coming sorry," the Doctor said, before turning his attention fully back to Anita,

"River please over here." Alyssa said, and River joined her and Alyssa started "I know that you know the Doctor from way in the future, but that is just a version of the Doctor, he is the Doctor, as well, but that doesn't mean every past version isn't the Doctor because they all do the same thing, travel the stars saving people who need their help. You can't just say one version is not the Doctor. Only because you've seen a future version of the Doctor because that technically means you are ignoring every other version of him. Because he isn't the Doctor you know. But I am the one who can one day be with the ninth then the next day be with the eleventh and guess what River they are all still the Doctor, they are all the same man. You just don't know this version of him enough to realize that."

River smiled at her and said, "you are the Alyssa that was right before you were my Alyssa, and I am so sorry, for what is about to happen to you." Which made Alyssa blink,

"what are you talking about River? What is about to happen to me?" She said her voice filled with worry, as she didn't know what River was talking about and it scared her.

"Spoilers." River said simply, the smile turned into a one of sadness before she turned and walked away. Alyssa didn't notice as a shadow crept over to her and latched itself on her as she walked over to where the Doctor was standing talking to Anita,

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

"Safe." Alyssa repeated before she looked at the Doctor "Oh I am such an idiot, is that what I am in this regeneration? Am I an idiot sometimes?" She turned to the Doctor who had a look of confusion on his face.

"What?" Anita asked,

"What did the data fragment say?" Alyssa asked turning around to look between Lux and River not answering Anita's question.

"Four thousand and twenty-two people saved. No survivors." Lux said,

"Alyssa?" River called out in confusion, but Alyssa didn't respond she turned back to the Doctor,

"Safe, saved, why would someone say saved? If you had just saved someone you would say SAFE not SAVED. Unless it actually meant 'saved'"

"Oh, you genius." The Doctor said as he realized what exactly she was saying. "Nobody says saved. Nutters say saved. You say safe. You see, it didn't mean safe. It meant, it meant, saved!" he yelled, which made Alyssa giggle, as he looked down at her before saying "My Clever Alyssa." Which made heat rise to Alyssa's cheek

"what are you two going on about?" River said,

"Cyberspace," Alyssa said, before giving River a grin. As the Doctor moved to explain what she meant to the group. By going over to a terminal and typing some things into it.

"See, there it is, right there. A hundred years ago, a massive power surge. All the teleports going at once. Soon as the Vashta Nerada hit their hatching cycle, they attack. Someone hits the alarm. The computer tries to teleport everyone out." The Doctor said, showing a power surge to River, and the others,

"It tried to teleport four thousand twenty-two people?" River asked

"Which it succeeded in doing but where would you send them? If there was nowhere else safe in the entire library." Alyssa said, before turning to The Doctor to explain the rest which he did.

"Nowhere safe in the whole library. Vashta Nerada growing in every shadow. Four thousand and twenty-two people all beamed up and nowhere to go. They're stuck in the system, waiting to be sent, like emails. So what's a computer to do? What does a computer always do?" The Doctor said, asking River the question

"It saved them." River said, before the Doctor went over to a table, and drew a circle before drawing a tinier circle inside it,

"The library. A whole world of books, and right at the core, the biggest hard drive in history. The index to everything ever written, backup copies of every single book. The computer saved four thousand and twenty-two people the only way a computer can. It saved them to the hard drive." The Doctor said, before drawing an arrow to the middle circle.

Alarms sounded throughout the room, "What is it? What's wrong?" Mr. Lux said as the Doctor and Alyssa ran over to the computer as the Computer itself said: "Autodestruct enabled in twenty minutes." The computer screen displaying the same message.

"What's maximum erasure?" River asked as she too looked at the computer screen.

"In twenty minutes, this planet's going to crack like an egg." The Doctor said,

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

"Are you sure about that Mr. Lux." Alyssa said, right before the computer screen switched itself off. " now the only way to stop all of this from happening Mr. Lux and to protect your family's pride is to tell us." Walking over to him and showing him a look of acknowledgment and hope, he swallowed and nodded. The Doctor and River who were watching the exchange walked over from the computer "Mr. Lux what is CAL?"

"We need to get to the main computer. I'll show you." Mr. Lux and Alyssa held out her hand and felt the Sonic Screwdriver be put in it. She pointed it at the symbol that was in the middle of the room and pressed the button and a blue corridor appeared coming up from that space.

"Gravity platform. The fastest route down to the core of the planet."

"Brilliant." The Doctor said, as the group stepped into the platform and began to go down to the core of the planet

They rushed through the halls as soon as they reached the Core of the Planet. They soon reached a place where the Doctor stopped and looked up at a glowing orange ball with lightning flashing around it. "The data core. Over four thousand living minds trapped inside it."

"Yeah, well, they won't be living much longer. We're running out of time." River said as the Doctor stepped down from where he jumped up to look at the data core, and something on the floor near Alyssa caught his eye. He looked down and saw two shadows. Anger filled him as they once again started racing towards the computer. The Doctor stopped as soon as he found a data terminal. "Help me. Please, help me." A young girl's voice said

"What's that?" Anita said,

"Was that a child?" River asked from beside the Doctor,

"it is a child's voice." Alyssa said from where she was standing, she looked at Lux, waiting for him to fully explain what CAL is.

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

"Doctor, these readings." River said as she was also working on a data terminal

"I know. You'd think it was dreaming.

"It is dreaming, of a normal life, and a lovely Dad, and of every book ever written," Lux said,

"Computers don't dream," Anita stated,

"No they don't but Little girls do." Alyssa said and as she spoke the little girl's voice sounded again "Please help me. Please help me."

"She's right," Mr. Lux said, "computers don't dream but little girls do." Before he pulled a lever and a door opened which they walked into. They walked into a brightly lit area and a node turned to face them showing a little girl who repeated the words "Please help me, Please help me."

"Oh, my God." River said as she took in the sight of the little girl.

"It's the little girl. The girl we saw in the computer." Anita said, remembering that they talked to her earlier.

"She's not in the computer. In a way, she is the computer. The main command node. This is Cal." Mr. Lux said,

"Cal is a child? A child hooked up to a mainframe. Why didn't you tell me this? I needed to know this!" The Doctor shouted

"Because she's family! Cal. Charlotte Abigail Lux. My grandfather's youngest daughter. She was dying, so he built her a library and put her living mind inside, with a moon to watch over her, and all of human history to pass the time. Any era to live in, any book to read. She loved books more than anything, and he gave her them all. He asked only that she be left in peace. A secret, not a freak show." Mr. Lux said as a single tear rolled down his cheek.

"even the greatest things, Mr. Lux end, when someone closes their eyes to see something else," Alyssa said, as she stared sadly at the little girl.

"So you weren't protecting a patent, you were protecting her." The Doctor said, coming to the realization,

"This is only half a life, of course. But it's forever." Mr. Lux said, before walking up and caressing her cheek,

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

"The shadows. I have to. I have to save. Have to save." The Node said,

"Which you have done a successful job doing but we are here to help," Alyssa said, stepping forward as if Charlotte could somehow hear her.

"She saved everyone in the library. Folded them into her dreams and kept them safe." The Doctor said

"Then why didn't she tell us?" Anita said,

"Because she's forgotten. She's got over four thousand living minds chatting away inside her head. It must be like being, well, me." The Doctor said,

"also the Doctor moon, made her forget so she could live a normal life." Alyssa added,

"So what do we do?" River asked,

"Autodestruct in ten minutes." A computer voice said, and the Doctor raced back to the other room and the data terminal

"Easy! We beam all the people out of the data core. The computer will reset and stop the countdown. Difficult. Charlotte doesn't have enough memory space left to make the transfer. Easy! I'll hook myself up to the computer. She can borrow my memory space." The Doctor said before racing over and exposing some wires.

"No, not easy difficult." Alyssa said, as she entered the room, and walked over to him, "It will kill you,"

"Yeah, it's easy to criticize." The Doctor said, not glancing at her, he had just recently seen her die, to protect him.

"You won't regenerate Doctor; it will kill you too quickly!" Alyssa said, walking up to him and staring at him but he didn't glance at her, he just stayed typing at the computer.

"I'll try my hardest not to die. Honestly, it's my main thing."

"No, I'll do it," Alyssa said, but the doctor instantly shook his head,

"No right now you are going to stand completely still." The Doctor said, finally looking at her and down at her feet.

"What?" Alyssa said, following his gaze, to see two shadows "Oh god," as she froze not moving "Why haven't they already killed me? Wait that doesn't matter, I am already going to die Doctor let me do it by saving Four thousand and twenty-two people."

"Absolutely not, and you will not die, this will work, Alyssa shut up. Now listen. River and Luxy boy, go back up to the main library. Prime any data cells you can find for maximum download, and before you say anything else, Alyssa can I just mention once more, shut up." The Doctor said, before

"Oh! I hate you sometimes." Alyssa shouted, in protest, feeling more like River in this situation than ever before.

"I know!" He shouted right back, as he went to another data terminal, River stood in front of Alyssa

"you aren't going to die I promise you aren't going to die." She said, trying to convince herself more than her

"River go do what the Doctor says. And I trust you to do what is necessary." Alyssa said, giving River a look which she knew what it meant, and nodded, before walking over to Mister Lux,

"Mister Lux, with me. Anita, if she dies, I'll kill her!" River said, pointing at Alyssa who was frozen, and River and Lux left.

"What about the Vashta Nerada?" Anita asked,

"These are their forests. I'm going to seal Charlotte inside her little world, take everybody else away. The shadows can swarm to their hearts' content." The Doctor said as he ran around the room doing what he said he was going to do.

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

"Best offer they're going to get." The Doctor said Alyssa's eyes snapped to his.

"You're going to make 'em an offer?" Anita said,

"They'd better take it because right now, I'm finding it very hard to make any kind of offer at all. You know what? I really liked Anita. She was brave, even when she was crying. And she never gave in. And you ate her." He pointed his screwdriver at her and cleared her visor to reveal a skull. Anita was dead. "And you have my wife frozen because you latched onto her. you are treading on very dangerous grounds with that, But I'm going to let that pass, she would want me to, just as long as you let them pass." He said making Alyssa's eyes snapped to him and the ring on his hand, things made so much more sense now, but that meant the Eleventh Doctor was very good at acting because he never let it slip expect for the 'Spoilers' he gave her when she first started jumping.

"How long have you known?" Anita said as the Doctor walked over to her,

"I counted the shadows. You only have one now. She's nearly gone. Be kind." The Doctor said as the last bar blinked on her communicator.

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

"I'm giving you back your forests, but you are giving me them. You are letting them go. You are letting her go, if you don't there is no telling what I will do." The Doctor said, before turning around to walk away,

"These are our forests. They are our meat." They said, and the shadows started advancing on the Doctor,

"Don't play games with me. You just killed someone I liked. And you are about to kill someone I love. That is not a safe place to stand. I'm the Doctor, and you're in the biggest library in the universe. Look me up and look up the Golden Angel which is who you are holding captive right now." The Doctor snapped and the shadows paused, and soon they withdrew. Alyssa watched as her second shadow pulled away from her and she collapsed to her knees. The Doctor was there in a second as he wrapped his arms around her but instead of sobbing, she was just letting out sounds of great relief. As the space suits said, "You have one day" before they collapsed. The Doctor let go of Alyssa and went back to work just as River reentered the room right as Anita collapsed, she leaned down and caressed her helmet as she "Oh, Anita." She said,

"I'm sorry. She's been dead a while now. I told you to go!" The Doctor said as he went back to work at the Data Terminal.

"Lux can manage without me, but you can't." River said, and punched the Doctor, knocking him out, Alyssa got up from where she was kneeling and walked forward as River put one cuff on him, "good River help me, I'll let the computer use my head." Alyssa said,

"Actually no." River said, as she hit her to knock her out. Which she succeeded in doing as Alyssa slumped to the floor. She handcuffed her and the Doctor's wrist together, using a bar to keep them moving.

The Doctor was the first one to come back to consciousness. River had set up the device and was currently twisting some wires together, as the computer said, "Autodestruct in two minutes."

"Oh, no, no, no, no. Come on, what are you doing? That's my job." The Doctor cried in protest before he noticed that he and Alyssa were handcuffed together, and a bar was keeping them from moving.

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

"Why am I handcuffed? Why do you even have handcuffs?" The Doctor said as he grabbed the handcuffs,

"Spoilers."

"This is not a joke. Stop this now. This is going to kill you! I'd have a chance; you don't have any." The Doctor said,

"Alyssa was right you wouldn't have a chance, she wouldn't have a chance either, and neither do I. I'm timing it for the end of the countdown. There'll be a blip in the command flow. That way it should improve our chances of a clean download." She said, as she looked at the countdown, Alyssa groaned as she came conscious and instantly realized what was going on

"River don't" she said, beggingly,

"Funny thing is, this means you two have always known how I was going to die. All the time we've been together, you knew I was coming here. The last time I saw you, the real you, the future you, I mean, you turned up on my doorstep, with a new haircut and a suit. And Alyssa you were wearing a gorgeous dress, you took me to Darillium to see the Singing Towers. What a night that was. The Towers sang, and you both cried."

"Autodestuct in one minute." The Computer said,

"You wouldn't tell me why, but I suppose you knew it was time. My time. Time to come to the library. Alyssa you even gave me his screwdriver. That should have been a clue." River said as the Doctor noticed that the two screwdrivers and Alyssa's gun were on the diary. Alyssa saw it too and they both attempted to grab it. However, they couldn't reach it.

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

"You can let me do this." The Doctor said,

"OR me." Alyssa added, but River and the Doctor both shook their heads

"If you die here, it'll mean I've never met you two. And "Alyssa you have just started, there is so much for you to do, for you to see. Doctor, haven't you noticed it too?" River said, and Alyssa let out a sob as she said

"That doesn't mean anything if I can save you hear I have almost all of my regenerations left I might have a better chance." But the two shook their heads as the Doctor glanced at Alyssa and saw what River meant. Innocence was in her eyes, something that he hasn't seen in her eyes since she was young. Back on platform one was the last time he saw her that young. If she died here, he would die somewhere in the past. She was too young she hasn't gone on most of her adventures yet. That one event that changed her forever. The Doctor looked back at River

"Time can be rewritten." The Doctor said,

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

"River, you know how to stop Alyssa jumping." The Doctor said, making Alyssa blink she looked at River and saw that she was smiling, a single tear ran down her cheek as she realized that eventually, she would stop jumping. That she would be able to have a normal future with the Doctor, River had already seen it. Alyssa just had to take the long way.

"Autodestruct in ten," the computer said,

"You whispered it into my ear." The Doctor continued,

"Nine, eight, seven," The Computer said beginning counting down,

"You have to tell me now, she shouldn't go through all that, please." The Doctor pleaded, as if he wanted to save Alyssa from some terrible fate,

"that would change your timeline your past, and mine, but Hush, now." River said as the Countdown continued going down, "Spoilers." She said just as the countdown hit zero. And River joined two cables together. There was a blinding light that made both of them cover their eyes. When the light faded River was gone, the chair she was in was gone. Alyssa let out a sob, and the Doctor instantly took her into a hug as they waited for somebody to come to get them.

It was Donna who came and got the screwdrivers and Alyssa's gun. Alyssa took both her old gun and River's squareness gun which she stuffed in her pocket. River would've wanted to have it she thought. Alyssa went straight into the Tardis. The Doctor found her later, in her spot in the Library. She didn't glance at him as she said: "you and River, both know so much about me and I don't know anything but you both make it seem like I go through something terrible, Doc a hint is all I ask for, just a hint."

"I'm sorry," the Doctor only said, and Alyssa let out a hiss of pain as a strong headache ripped through her head, a stronger one then she had ever faced, the Doctor watched as she clutched her head from where she was sitting. The Doctor walked over and took her into a hug as he said, "I'm so so sorry." As she cried out due to the pain. Before she disappeared in a flash of golden light. This time the Doctor knew where she was going, and wished he could save her, but this time he couldn't. she would have to save herself.