Storm: Time Jump

The Impossible Astronaut

Teresa blinked as she reappeared in the Tardis console once more. She immediately spotted Eleven, sitting in the chair beside the console, and she raised a brow to see he was, in a rare moment, genuinely angry and letting it show. Glancing around, she saw Amy, Rory, and River standing to the side sheepishly.

They all looked incredibly uncomfortable, and Teresa's eyes narrowed, especially when the three looked at her with startled expressions. Well, River was startled; Amy and Rory blanched, and they looked like they had seen a ghost.

"Ah, Terry." The Doctor said lightly as he held out a hand to her.

She took it slowly, warily, and almost yelped when he tugged her onto his lap. Glancing at River apologetically, Teresa shifted uncomfortably as the Doctor said in that same, forced light tone: "Nice of you to join us. Or rather, join me, because I'm afraid we're going to have to get rid of the others."

"Doctor?" Teresa asked with a frown, wondering what had happened to make him so cross.

He continued glaring at the other three as he said to Teresa conversationally: "You see, these three are trying to keep secrets. And it won't work."

Teresa's frown deepened, and she glanced at him warily as he dropped the light tone and turned back to the other three. The Doctor almost snarled the words, he was so angry: "Don't play games with me. Don't ever, ever think you're capable of that."

"You're going to have to trust us this time." River replied firmly, and Teresa immediately knew what they had just come from, what they had seen. And more importantly, what they were hiding from the Doctor.

She grimaced as the Doctor growled at River sarcastically: "Trust you? Sure."

He abruptly stood up, pulling Teresa to her feet beside him. He wrapped an arm around her waist as he said to River evenly: "But, first of all, Doctor Song, just one thing."

He stopped before River, glaring down at the blonde woman, who met his gaze determinedly.

"Who are you?" He threw the question in her face and Teresa winced as River's eyes narrowed.

The Doctor continued, and they could all hear his rage barely suppressed in his low tone: "You're someone from my future. Getting that. But who?"

River simply stared back defiantly, refusing to answer. The Doctor's eyes narrowed and he bit out: "Okay. Why are you in prison? Who did you kill, hmm?"

River continued to stare back at him silently, and Teresa gripped the Doctor's hand warningly. She knew he'd regret it later when he found out who River was in his future, but unfortunately he refused to heed her warning and he snarled at River: "Now, you know I love a bad girl, me, but trust you? Seriously?"

"No. Trust her." River said evenly, and she nodded at Teresa.

The blonde girl stiffened, as did the Doctor. His nostrils flared and the Doctor was a second away from biting River's head off for her statement, when Teresa tugged on his hand. He glanced at her and she murmured: "A word?"

The Doctor's eyes narrowed and he turned his back on their friends, giving Teresa his full attention. She tried to ignore the tense atmosphere and the guilt from imagining poor River's heartache. Instead she focused on the Doctor, murmuring quietly: "Doctor, you have to trust them this once."

"I'm not trusting them when they won't tell me what's happening." The Doctor answered in a low growl, clearly agitated. He hated not knowing, and he hated feeling like he was being pulled along by someone else's whims. He would only tolerate it from one person, the only person he trusted more than anyone in the entire universe.