Midnight ⋆ Doctor Who²

3. The Oval Office

AURORA FEELS AWFUL. Properly awful. She abused the Doctor's trust in her, making him think that it's safe — when of course it isn't, it's related to his death! She stands there, looking in the void as the Doctor starts to run around the console again, sending them small looks. River knows it, according to the fact that she creeps closer to her to hold her hand.

"Thank you." Thank you for what, exactly? Using the Doctor's feelings towards her to manipulate him? There's nothing to be thankful for.

Amy pats her back, reassuringly. It was necessary if they wanted to work out how and why he died — and how to stop it. In the meantime, they'll just have to pretend like everything's okay, and one of Aurora's hearts hasn't stopped beating since she saw his lying form, scarred into her brain.

"So!" the Doctor chirps, whirling around the TARDIS' console, snapping her out of her trance. "Canton Everett Delaware the third. Who's he?"

Aurora blinks, before walking to the computer, and punching in his name. Everything is okay. He's fine, and I'll figure it out. "Ex FBI," she reads. "Great, love the feds." She frowns. "Apparently, he got kicked out."

"Why?" the Doctor asks her, coming up next to her.

"Problem with authority," she says. "A big one, I'd say. Six weeks after he left the Bureau, the President contacted him for a private meeting. Damn."

"Yeah, 1969," he muses. "Who's President?"

Aurora makes a face, and River walks up behind her. "Richard Milhous Nixon," she reads. "Vietnam, Watergate. There's some good stuff, too."

Aurora scoffs. "Yeah, like what? Not being Trump?"

"It's not enough," the Doctor says at the same time.

"Hippies!" River chastises.

The other two don't even look at each other before saying at the same time, "Archaeologist."

The Doctor walks to the other side of the TARDIS. "Okay, since I don't know what I'm getting into this time, for once I'm being discreet. I'm putting the engines on silent." He pulls a lever and there is a huge wail. Aurora throws a different switch and it goes quiet. He peers at her from behind the column. "Did you do something?"

She purses her lips. "No, just watching."

He sends her a dubious look. "Putting the outer shield on invisible. I haven't done this in a while. Big drain on the power."

Rory blinks. "You can turn the TARDIS invisible?"

"Ha!" He presses a button, and all the lights are turned on. Aurora gestures for River to move another lever, to her right. The lights go out. The Doctor walks to her. "Er, did you touch something?"

Aurora shrugs. "Nope. I'm... casually admiring, of course."

"Good. You might learn something." River laughs softly behind her as she rolls her eyes. "Okay. Now I can't check the scanner. It doesn't work when we're cloaked. Just give us a mo." He rushes for the doors, everyone right behind him. He abruptly stops and turns to them. "Whoa! Whoa, whoa, whoa. You lot, wait a moment. We're in the middle of the most powerful city in the most powerful country on Earth. Let's take it slow. I'll go alone." He opens the door, before looking over his shoulder. "Aurora, you're coming?"

She sighs and rolls her eyes again. Even though she has to admit, she likes this more than staying back. On a beach. Staring at his lifeless form — there's definitely no forgetting that. And anyway, she doesn't know if she'll be able to leave him alone after what she just saw.

So, they both step out of the TARDIS. And into the oval office.

"Oh m—"

The Doctor puts his hand on Aurora's mouth, stopping her panicked whisper from becoming a scream — which definitely would have happened. He holds his index to his mouth, and she nods. He lowers his hand.