Wanderer of Time: Silence Begins (doctor who)

Chapter 39: The Library

To where Wanda arrived next, she felt her breath leave her. She stood in the centre of the room under a large skylight. A circle of light surrounded her, keeping her completely safe from the shadows in the surrounding area. The shelves covered with a vast number of books lined all along the walls, filling the space with a calming and peaceful sense from the smell of old pages and knowledge. A calm and peace that Wanda knew should not be here during this particular time and place. Tears, which had already been trailing down her face from before, began to leak out even more as she realized she was in the Library. The one of the places she dreaded ever arriving to in her lifetime. She breathed in and out quickly as she felt horror and panic beginning to fill her up. She felt like screaming in dismay, wishing to run and hide away from this place. Not here. Not now. Anywhere but here!

She jumped in startled fright as two doors across the way began to be slammed upon, as though someone were trying to break-in. A wooden, football-shaped security camera, which Wanda just now noticed its presence, quickly turned to face her. It was hovering in mid-air while two doors were banging loudly. Wanda looked at the wooden camera, smiling kindly at the large centre lens.

"Hello, Charlotte," she whispered gently to the camera as the doors burst open. The security camera's lens closed and it instantly fell to the ground. Wanda picked up the camera and dusted it off as the Ten and Donna barricaded the door with a book through the handles. They both turned and smiled upon seeing Wanda standing there.

"Wanda!" the Doctor gave a cheerful exclamation. He bounced up, grabbed ahold of her, and pulled her into a hug, spinning her around and around on the spot as Wanda gave a cry in surprise, awkwardly pressed up against him with the camera still in her arms. He finally sat her back down with her wobbling slightly from the dizzy experience.

"What was that for, exactly?" Wanda asked curiously, finding his behavior odd. Especially since Ten had never acted in such a way before. Only Eleven felt the need to give her spinning hugs whenever he found a reason to do so.

"Oh, nothing. Just had some great news recently," the Doctor beamed at her, bouncing on the balls of his feet. Donna suddenly came up beside Wanda, giving her a strong and merry hug.

"Hello, sweetheart! You have no idea how happy I am for . . . well, a future certain someone," Donna said brightly, some laughter within her voice as she spoke.

"Happy about what?" Wanda questioned, raising her brows and blinking rapidly. They both seemed to have these silly grins on their faces. As though they had recently received the best news in the universe. The Doctor had the biggest grin of them all as he stared at Wanda.

"Oh, just a little this and that. Spoilers mostly," he replied with a laugh. He gave Wanda a wink.

"Well, I'm glad you're excited," Wanda responded, giving him a small smile. "But what brought this all on? Did I accidently give a spoiler away or something?"

"Yeah, just a little," the Doctor replied, smiling and bouncing on his feet. Continuing to grin for a moment longer, his smile and happy bounced instantly vanished when he noticed what exactly she was wearing. The lilac dress of a 1913 school teacher. The dress of Alice. His expression fell to a devastated one, no longer bouncing on the balls of his feet and his happiness deflated dramatically. "You've . . . your wearing . . .," his eyes look at hers hesitantly, feeling his hearts clench tightly as he saw the tears running down her face, ". . . Have you just come from 1913?"

Wanda lowered her gaze solemnly, hugging the wooden camera closer. "Yes."

"Oh . . . Oh, Wanda, come here." He pulled her up into another hug, moving the camera away from her arms and placed it upon a nearby counter. He held her close, feeling her shaking as she began to cry.