Storm: Time Jump

Forest of the Dead

"Hey, who turned out the lights?" Zombie Dave called as he came ever closer, and River pulled out her gun, pointing it at the wall and creating a hole. "This way, quickly. Move!" She ordered, pushing Teresa ahead.

They all ran through, and the process repeated until River cut through into another Rotunda and she called: "OK, we've got a clear spot. In, in, in! Right in the centre. In the middle of the light, quickly. Don't let your shadows cross. Doctor."

"I'm doing it." He replied as he soniced around, and River muttered: "There's no lights here. Sunset's coming. We can't stay long."

As everyone else sank down for a rest, Teresa joined her as she asked the Doctor: "Have you found a live one?"

"Maybe." The Doctor muttered. "It's getting harder to tell. What's wrong with you?" He asked as he smacked his sonic.

"We're going to need a chicken leg. Who's got a chicken leg?" River asked and Teresa nudged her, pointing as Other Dave withdrew one. River took it, murmuring: "Thanks, Dave."

River walked over to where the Doctor was pointing his sonic and she threw the chicken leg into the shadows. They watched in silence as it landed on the ground, just bare bone.

River muttered as she backed away a little: "Okay. Okay, we've got a hot one. Watch your feet." She warned her team.

"They won't attack until there's enough of them." The Doctor told them tersely, as Teresa joined his side. "But they've got our scent now. They're coming."

He took Teresa's hand with him as he dashed a little over to the side, trying to keep track of the creatures in the shadows. Teresa prodded his sonic as it began acting up again, her light touch doing wonders compared to his smacking it.

"It always listens to you- this and the Tardis." The Doctor grumbled and Teresa replied lightly: "Maybe you should stop hitting them, make them like you more."

He just hummed, and she said quietly: "Trust me, Donna will be fine."

He sighed and nodded, but he remained tense. She noticed that too and she sighed.

"Doctor, you can trust River." Teresa told him quietly and he remained silent.

She didn't say any more as the woman herself joined them, asking as the sonic acted up again: "What's wrong with it?"

"There's a signal coming from somewhere, interfering with it." The Doctor muttered, sounding very unhappy to be speaking to her.

"Then use the red settings." River tried, and the Doctor looked at her strangely as he murmured: "It doesn't have a red setting."

"Well, use the dampers." River tried again and he was now staring at her openly as he told her: "It doesn't have dampers."

"It will do one day." River and Teresa muttered at the same time.

River grinned at the blonde girl, and Teresa gave a small, almost shy one in return before she wandered off back to the crew, giving them time to be alone together. She'd hoped the Doctor might trust River a little more since he was used to the idea of a woman travelling across his time stream now, but he seemed, if anything, colder and harsher.

The Doctor watched her before he took River's sonic from her and he said sharply: "So, some time in the future, I just give you my screwdriver."

"Yeah." River said bluntly, and the Doctor asked with narrowed eyes: "Why would I do that?"

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

"And I know that because...?" He challenged.