Our Story

Chapter 19: Another Path

"Doctor, I think I should stay behind this time," the Archivist said as they walked down the sidewalk. Eventually they'd need to take public transportation to get closer to the TARDIS. She knew he wanted to go back to the wasteland and find the Master.

"Are you sure? We could stay together this time. I won't let him say those things to you ever again."

"It's not that. Well, I can't say that isn't part of it. But—if things are going to be as bad as the Ood say, perhaps it'd be best for us to split up. I thought I could keep an eye on things from Torchwood, with Jack and Martha."

The Doctor examined her face, as if he were looking for something, before he nodded. "Alright. We'll split up. But I think we should separate the TARDISes again so that you have Libby if you need it. If something goes really wrong."

"Don't say that."

"I don't want to, but it's true. You know it."

She sighed. "I do."

"Let's go."

**—**—**

When Libby materialized at the Torchwood Hub, she was back to pretending to be a miniature version of the tower. The Archivist was out her door and running for the entrance to the hub as quickly as possible. She ran past Ianto Jones in the faux storefront.

"Hello Ianto! Sorry, in a bit of a rush!"

The man looked up from his magazine and shook his head. "She's already getting to be just like the rest of them. Always in a rush."

She ran through the round entrance door as it rotated open, already talking to Jack, who'd been alerted to her pending entry.

"Jack, I need records of all technology that you've got stashed away around here."

"Excuse me, ma'am?" he said as he came hopping down the stairs.

"You heard me, Jack. I know you keep alien tech all over this place. I can sense it and I can scan for it. But you've got detailed records in your computer system."

"Why do you need to know what we have?"

"Because I need a very specific piece of tech, or at least one that can do a very specific thing."

"What's that?" He asked.

She finally stopped her pacing and turned to him. "I need to save Donna Noble. Or at least I'm going to need to."

"What makes you think we have something here that can help you do that?"

The Archivist finally deflated a bit, her shoulders dropping. "All I know, Jack, is that the Ood told me I was going to save Donna Noble. At least I'm just about certain that's what they were telling me. They're not exactly specific and sometimes speak in riddles. But it sure did seem like it's going to happen sooner than later as they were very urgent about everything they told us. And barring some sudden discovery, the tech you have here is all I can think to search through."

Jack eyed her a moment before nodding and reaching out to grab a monitor, swinging it around to her. "The database is at your disposal, ma'am."

"Jack, are you sure—" Gwen started to argue.

"Gwen! I trust her. And if she's trying to save Donna Noble then we're going to help her in any way we can. That woman saved the entirety of the universe. The least we can do is try to allow her to remember it."

**—**—**

It had been at least an hour of searching through databanks, talking through possibilities with Jack, and searching more, when the Archivist jumped up out of her seat.