"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" {Y/N} says.
"Easy! I'll hook myself up to the computer. She can borrow my memory space" the Doctor says.
"Difficult. It'll kill you stone dead" River says.
"Yeah, it's easy to criticise" the Doctor says.
"It'll burn out both your hearts and don't think you'll regenerate" {Y/N} says.
"I'll try my hardest not to die. Honestly, it's my main thing."
"Doctor!" {Y/N} and River say.
"I'm right, this works. Shut up. Now listen. You and Luxy boy, back up to the main library. Prime any data cells you can find for maximum download, and before you say anything else, Professor, can I just mention in passing as you're here, shut up" the Doctor says.
"Oh! I hate you sometimes" River says.
"I know!"
"Mister Lux, with me. Anita, if either of them dies, I'll kill them!" River and Lux leave.
"What about the Vashta Nerada?" Anita asks.
"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 says.
"So, you think they're just going to let us go?"
"Best offer they're going to get" {Y/N} says.
"You're going to make 'em an offer?"
"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" the Doctor says as he clears her visor to reveal a skull "but we're going to let that pass, just as long as you let them pass."
"How long have you known?"
"We counted the shadows. You only have one now. She's nearly gone. Be kind" {Y/N} says.
"These are our forests. We are not kind."
"I'm giving you back your forests, but you are giving me them. You are letting them go" the Doctor says.
"These are our forests. They are our meat" shadows stretch out from Vashta Nerada Anita towards the Doctor and {Y/N}.
"Don't play games with us. You just killed someone we liked. 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" the Doctor says, there is a pause, then the shadows withdraw.
"You have one day" the spacesuit collapses.
"Oh, Anita" River says running back into the room.
"I'm sorry. She's been dead a while now. I told you to go!" the Doctor says.
"Lux can manage without me, but you two can't" River punches the Doctor and {Y/N}, knocking them out. A little later, River is twisting some wires together.
"Autodestruct in two minutes" the Doctor wakes up, and {Y/N} is still passed out.
"Oh, no, no, no, no. Come on, what are you doing? That's my job" the Doctor says to River.
"Oh, and I'm not allowed to have a career, I suppose?" River says.
"Why are we handcuffed? Why do you even have handcuffs?" the Doctor asks, {Y/N} gasps pulling forward but realises she's handcuffed.
"Spoilers."
"Wow, ok this is not a joke. Stop this now" {Y/N} says.
"This is going to kill you! I'd have a chance, you don't have any" the Doctor says.
"You wouldn't have a chance, 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" River says.
"River, please. No" {Y/N} says.
"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 both, the real you, the future you, I mean, you turned up on my doorstep, with a new haircut and a suit" River says looking at the Doctor "and you still, looked the same yet only older" she says looking at {Y/N} "you both took me to Darillium to see the Singing Towers. What a night that was. The Towers sang, and you both cried" Rive says.
"Autodestuct in one minute."
"You wouldn't tell me why, but I suppose you both knew it was time. My time. Time to come to the library. {Y/N} even gave me her screwdriver. That should have been a clue" River says, the three screwdrivers and River's diary are just out of the Doctor's reach "there's nothing you can do."
"You can let me do this" the Doctor says.
"If you die here, it'll mean I've never met you two."
"Time can be rewritten" the Doctor says.
"Not those times. Not one line. Don't you dare. It's ok. It's ok. It's not over for you two. You'll see me again. You've got all of that to come. You two and me, time and space. You watch us run."
"River, you know our names" {Y/N} says.
"Autodestruct in ten."
"You whispered our names in my ear."
"Nine, eight, seven."
"There's only one reason we would ever tell anyone our names. There's only one time we could" {Y/N} says.
"Hush, now" River says tears slipping from her eyes.
"Four, three."
"Spoilers."
"Two, one" River joins two power cables together, and there is a blinding light, a short time later, {Y/N} and the Doctor are still handcuffed to copper pipes, looking sad.
*Time Skip*
People are teleporting out.
"Please be patient. Only three can teleport at a time. Do not state your intended destination until you arrive in your designated slot."
"Any luck?" the Doctor asks as Donna walks up to him and {Y/N}.
"There wasn't even anyone called Lee in the library that day. I suppose he could have had a different name out here, but, let's be honest, he wasn't real, was he?" Donna says.
"Maybe not."
"I made up the perfect man. Gorgeous, adores me, and hardly able to speak a word. What's that say about me?"
"Everything. Sorry, did I say everything? I meant to say nothing. I was aiming for nothing. I accidentally said everything" the Doctor says, {Y/N} grabs his hand.
"Stand right in the middle of the teleport, please. Keep your hands and feet inside at all times."
"What about you two?" Donna asks.
"And remember to switch off your mobile comm. unit."
"Are you, all right?"
"We're always all right" {Y/N} smiles.
"If you are pregnant, please go to teleport seven on the floor above."
"Is all right special Time Lord code for really not all right at all?"
"Why?"
"Because I'm all right, too" Donna says.
"Come on" the Doctor, {Y/N} and Donna walk out.
*Time skip*
The Doctor puts River's diary on the balcony rail.
"Your friend, Professor Song. She knew you two in the future, but she didn't know me. What happens to me? Because when she heard my name, the way she looked at me" Donna says.
"Donna, this is her diary. Mine and {Y/N}'s future. I could look you up. What do you think? Shall we peek at the end?" the Doctor asks.
"Spoilers, right?" Donna says.
"Right" {Y/N} puts River's sonic screwdriver on the diary.
"Come on. The next chapter's this way" {Y/N} says, they walk back up the stairs.
"When you run with the Doctor and {Y/N}, it feels like it will never end. But however hard you try, you can't run for ever. Everybody knows that everybody dies, and nobody knows it like the Doctor and {Y/N}. But I do think that all the skies of all the worlds might just turn dark, if they ever, for one moment, accepts it" {Y/N} runs back for the screwdriver, the Doctor and Donna follow.
"Why? Why would I give her my screwdriver? Why would I do that? Thing is, future me had years to think about it, all those years to think of a way to save her, and what she did was give her a screwdriver. Why would I do that?" because it also contains a neural relay, which has two green lights on it "oh! Oh! Oh, look at that. I'm very good!"
"What have you done?" Donna asks.
"Saved her!" {Y/N} shouts running off leaving the Doctor and Donna behind, {Y/N} is running as one green light goes out "stay with me! You can do it, stay with me! Come on, you and me, one last run! Sorry, River, shortcut!"
"Platform disabled" {Y/N} dives into the gravity well. The last light is blinking.
"Everybody knows that everybody dies. But not every day" {Y/N} plugs the screwdriver into the core, and River's neural energy is transferred.
"Not today" Charlotte Node smiles at {Y/N}.
*To River*
River is wearing a loose white robe. Charlotte and Doctor Moon walk up to her.
"It's okay, you're safe. You'll always be safe here. {Y/N} fixed the data core. This is a good place now. But I was worried you might be lonely, so I brought you some friends. Aren't I a clever girl?"
"Aren't we all?" Anita, the two Dave's and Miss Evangelista are walking towards River.
"Oh, for heaven's sake. She just can't do it, can she? That women. That impossible women. She just can't give in" River says hugging everyone.
"Some days are special. Some days are so, so blessed. Some days, nobody dies at all" {Y/N} returns to the Reception and stares at the TARDIS for a while. She snaps her fingers, and the door opens. Donna and the Doctor are waiting inside "now and then, every once in a very long while, every day in a million days, when the wind stands fair, and the Doctor and {Y/N} come to call" {Y/N} walks inside and the Doctor snaps his fingers and the door closes. River closes her diary "everybody lives" she kisses Charlotte goodnight and looks at Ella and Joshua "Sweet dreams, everyone."
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