Doctor Who: The Girl Who Said No

Chapter 19 - Sam & Olivia

Back on my feet, I ran out of the vaults and down the corridor where the soldiers were attacked with Clara and the Doctor hot on my heels. Dropping to my knees I skidded to a stop beside the dying soldier who had risked his life for me. The handsome one with the dark skin and pretty eyes who I'd ran into earlier.

"Olivia." He gasped, taking my hand.

"Olivia, come with me." The Doctor pleaded.

"He needs help. He knows me!"

"You could be crossing your own timeline right now. You know how dangerous that is."

"I need to know how he knows me, Doctor."

"I'm Sam, you know me. It's Sam!" he was struggling to breathe now. He wouldn't survive his wounds, I knew that.

"I'm sorry, if you know me then you know I'm a time traveller. I don't know who you are."

"Sam Collins, I have a daughter and a son. And you, Olivia..." he wheezed. "You're my wife."

His hand fell from my grip whilst he passed. It was cruel. He was so young, not much older than me. And if what he said was true...

"Sorry, lass." Said one of his colleagues. "He's gone."

"Well, it seems the apple doesn't fall far from the tree, does it, Doctor?" I said, feeling the sting of tears again.

With his hands on my shoulders, he pulled me into a standing position and started to lead me away from the body of a man I was to marry. "You shouldn't have asked, Olivia."

"Spoilers." I said and began to cry. I don't know why, I had only met the man. But I cried for a future me. "I need you to do something for me, Doctor."

"Anything."

"Go to the TARDIS, find out how far back I have to go to meet him."

"Hey."

"Don't argue." I cried. "Just do it, please."

"Okay." He agreed easily.

We followed him back to the TARDIS when Clara wished us farewell and promised the Doctor she'd see him again soon. She still had a life to live after all and a new job as a teacher at a school near the city centre. I had a feeling I'd be seeing her again in no time at all without the Doctor.

"So?" I asked, when he stepped out his ship with a sad look on his face.

"Three years."

I felt the floor fall out from under me. "Three years, that's all?" my voice shook.

"Olivia, you don't have to do this."

I wiped away at a tear. "I think I do. Not because I have to, because I want to."

"You know you're going to lose him. You know exactly how, where and when. Do you think you can live with that hanging over you?"

"I can."

"How?"

"Because you did." I sobbed. "The day you met Mum. You told me it was the day she died. You've lived with that all these years so I will too."

"It's not easy. I tried to back out of it so many times to begin with."

"Because you knew a lot of pain was headed your way. Its worth it isn't it? No matter how much you tried to run from her to begin with, you loved her and she loved you."

"Yeah, I wouldn't change a day."

I sobbed, "So you know why I'm doing this." I tried to smile, "Because, you had to calculate your time left with River, to ensure that I would be conceived, we both know you don't have much time left with her. Even though my journey with her has only just begun."