Wanderer of Time: Silence Begins (doctor who)

Chapter 40: The Story of Shadows

The Doctor turned away from those foreboding words and the feeling of dread that started to build up within him. He instead looked back at the computer in front of him. He needed to stay focused. Wanda was merely being overly anxious as usual. That was it. She was afraid that things might not turn out fine today. That was what she meant. She did not know what she was talking about. She had no clue. There was only one person who could ever be with him for that long in his life and it would always, always, be her. He would make certain of it.

Suddenly, books started to fly around the library. They all flung themselves away from the shelves towards the group in the middle. Some actually managing to hit Anita and Lux as they all tried to doge the oncoming onslaught of the heavy books. The Doctor stared around at the flying books, flabbergasted by what was happening. He was certain what he had been doing on the computer's system had nothing to do with this. Over by River, Wanda kept laughing at the books flying around. She found it hilarious the way Lux was outraged by his family's library seeming to be attacking them with books.

The books finally settled down and halted their attack. The Library growing silent once again. Baffled blinking came from everyone for a moment before they all continued on their work from earlier. Donna went over to Evangelista, seeing how the young woman looked troubled by everything that was happening. Wanda watched their encounter, observing the way Donna treated the young woman so kindly.

Wanda wondered briefly if she should save the girl. She wanted to. So much so. But . . . what if saving one of the people here had the same outcome like with Pete? A major domino effect upon the universe and to other people's lives. After the event with Pete, she had learned to be much more cautious with whom she saved; never knowing if she might just be destroying lives instead of saving them. Though it pained her to even consider letting someone simply die and do nothing for them, Wanda knew she must let time run its course when needed.

Pinching her thumb harshly, she could only watch as the day continued on as normal, letting the deaths to proceed as they would. The only peace of mind given to Wanda was that she knew Charlotte would give all who died here a home. They would all be taken into the computer system to live out a peaceful life, never again to be trouble or placed in danger's way.

However, with River . . . Wanda knew she was most likely being reckless in wanting to jump in blindly and save the woman without knowing the consequences of the action. But . . . Wanda just could not do it. She could not sit idly by and watch the woman she considered her sister to die. Not ever. Wanda knew she had to try. She had to save River. For both River's own sake and the Doctor's, Wanda must do this. She did not even care if others might think of her as selfish for it. For she knew she would be selfish for the ones she loved. She would even lie if she had to. Just like the way she did for Alice, pretending to be her in the end to give the music teacher's last goodbyes. For the ones Wanda loved, she would go to any lengths necessary.

More books started to fly around again, only not as many as the first time. Only a few seemed to leisurely fly off the shelves.

"What's causing that?" asked River while she jumped out a few book's path. "Is it the little girl?"

"Yep," replied Wanda, ducking as a book flew at her head.

"But who is the little girl?" questioned the Doctor. "What's she got to do with this place?"

"Spoilers," stated Wanda, glancing over to Lux. "But if you want some real answers, I'd start asking him." She nodded to the man. The Doctor turned his gaze to Lux. Hoping up onto the counter and taking his glasses off, the Doctor stared the man down for answers.

"How does the data core work?" he began to question the man. "What's the principle? What's CAL?"

"Sorry, you didn't sign your personal experience contracts," Lux answered curtly.