Hello, My Love
She never thought her hearts could ache this much. River sat in the med bay of the TARDIS, the Doctor's hand held tight in her hers, staring at the holographic 3D image in front of them, a soft whooshing sound echoing around the room.
Trembling slightly, she reached out a hand, watching with complete wonder as her fingertips brushed just gently over the image, running through it. River could feel tears in her eyes but she was smiling, beaming, laughing in happy disbelief.
"Hello," she whispered softly, her fingers tracing the image,
Next to her the Doctor squeezed her hand, and River turned her gaze to him, seeing her happiness and awe reflected back to her in his eyes.
"She's perfect," he whispered, his voice choked,
They turned back to the image of their baby and River frowned ever so slightly, "She?" she asked, "It's a girl?"
The Doctor nodded, leaning in and kissing her softly, "It's a girl,"
Butterfly Kisses
Slow, deep breathing. Closed eyes. Utter trust, love and awe. A feeling, a flutter; a small and gentle pressure. The single most amazing thing he had ever experienced.
Slowly, after many long minutes of silent contentment, he opened his eyes.
River looked back at him with a smile and sparkling eyes, their foreheads resting together, his fingertips pressed to her temple. She ran her hands over her swollen stomach between them, where moments ago their daughter had been kicking. River beamed as the Doctor drew back, sitting away from her, his hands moving down to cover her own, squeezing them gently.
"Just you wait," He whispered to her and River smiled.
Mind Games
Her eyes flew wide, tears immediately filling here eyes and sliding slowly down her face. Her hearts were in her throat and beating madly as they swelled with such pure love. She cried out his name and a sob shook from her body as he ran into their bedroom where she had been reading on the bed.
He climbed over to her and she flung herself into his arms, shaking and crying and he smiled.
Holding her close and breathing in the scent that was just purely River, the Doctor smiled, "I can feel it too." He told her, having no need to press his head to hers and slip into her mind.
Their baby was reaching out to the minds closest, the minds most familiar with voices she knew. She was brushing against them and it broke River's hearts because this baby loved them so much and they loved her and they could feel it. All of them. And she cried because what else could she do?
The Doctor held her closer and pressed a kiss to the top of her head, "She's amazing,"
Princess
She had gotten so big over the last six weeks, grown so much. It had been a tough pregnancy on River, all thirteen months of it, but holding her little girl in her arms made it all worthwhile. All the pain and the hormones and the aches. None of it mattered anymore. Because this was her daughter and oh, River her loved her so much.
Small eyes opened after a sound sleep and River smiled, shifted the small child in her arms, holding her closer and whispering, "Hello, Sarah,"
Sarah's mouth opened in a small yawn and she blinked up at her mother, wriggling slightly in her arms, prompting River to rock her gently, "Are you hungry, my love?" she murmured, undoing a side of her nursing blouse and watching with a smile as Sarah latched to her breast.
"How're my favourite girls?" the Doctor asked, looking up from his book with a grin,
River laughed, "Tired," she told him, "But so happy."
"And Sarah?"
"Perfect."
He smiled and stood up, stepping behind his wife, his head propped on her shoulder, his arms wrapped around her middle, watching his daughter with some fascination, "Yes," he murmured, pressing a kiss to the crook of River's neck, "She really is."
Battle of the Sexes
"Come on, Princess," The Doctor was saying, "Say Daddy."
River laughed, "Oh Sweetie, she's going to say Mummy," her gaze fell to their daughter, "Aren't you, my love?"
Between them Sarah giggled, her hands reaching out for the Doctor, who grinned smugly and opened his arms, "Yes, come to Daddy, Princess, that's right." he scooped her up into his arms
Sarah laughed again and watched her mother with a happy smile, babbling nonsense they both knew to mean 'up!' and the Doctor obliged, holding her under her arms and swinging her up into the air above his head,
"Say Mummy, Sweetheart," River told her, "You can do it,"
"No don't say Mummy, that's a silly word isn't it?" The Doctor whispered to Sarah with a grin, "Wouldn't want to say that would you? You should say Daddy. Much cooler."
River rolled her eyes, "Don't lie to her, Sweetie, it sets a bad example."
"Oi," The Doctor set Sarah against his chest, "I do not lie."
River snorted, "Yes you do, you're always lying. Rule one."
He frowned, "Yes, but I only lie when I absolutely have to."
She rolled her eyes again, "Of course, my love," she kissed him softly, "But she will still say Mummy first."
Between them Sarah giggled, her hands reaching out and grabbing the red cloth tied around the Doctor's neck, "Bow!" she exclaimed excited, pulling at it,
They stared at her, "What was that, Sweetheart?" River asked, her hands resting against her daughter's small back,
"Bow!" the girl repeated,
"Bow! Yes, well done Princess," beamed the Doctor, "Bowties are cool, aren't they?"
"Bow!"
You Watch Us Run
"Oh God, look at her go."
River laughed, "I know." she smiled, "She doesn't stop. Hasn't since the moment she realised she could."
Amy gaped at the young girl, running madly around her backyard with the Doctor, chasing birds and laughing together. "She's better than he is,"
"I heard that!" The Doctor exclaimed, swooping down to pick Sarah up and placing her on his shoulders, "And really, she hasn't even grown up yet. Just you wait, when she's twelve or thirteen she's going to have a growth spurt and her legs will be longer than yours. Honestly."
Sarah rolled her eyes -River really had to stop teaching her to do that- and pulled the Doctor's hair, "Ow!" She giggled, along with Amy and River, and the Doctor scowled at them, giving up and placing his daughter back to the grass,
Sarah kissed her mother quickly before running off again, winding and circling the grass with her father her as mother and grandmother watched. "How can she be running anyway," Amy asked, "And, speaking of which, I thought you said she was only six months old."
"She is," River smiled, "She was born a lot bigger than a normal human child, mother, with an extra three months pregnancy." Amy shuddered, but River laughed, "She was small for a Time Lord, I was fine."
"Still," Amy said, "Thirteen months, I'm barely at five and I'm ready for this baby to come tomorrow." her hands ran absently over her extended belly and River smiled,
"How is my brother or sister?"
"Hyperactive," Amy complained, "I think he wants to run with Sarah,"
River laughed, watching her family contently, "She's growing up so fast." She sighed, "Too fast. The Doctor says she'll be able to understand fourteen languages by the end of the month."
Amy took that information in her stride, saying instead, "God, if she keeps running like that she'll be able to keep up with you and the Doctor by the end of the week."
River could only laugh.
END