Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters involved except for Ella-Marie Stark (Pond). All credit goes to the creators.
Bases: Doctor Who
Characters: The 11th Doctor, River Song, Rassilon
Title: The Child of the TARDIS
Summary: River has been acting a little strangely but that is the least of the Doctor's problems. The TARDIS is attracted to an unusual landing spot, one that shouldn't have existed in the first place. It's time to face up to his punishments as well as River's reason for her mood swings. The beginning to River's secret six years with the Doctor has finally come.
The TARDIS doors swung open, the sound of angered babbling erupted from inside as it flowed out into the open grounds outside. Finally a body emerged from the blue box, hair ruffled, cheeks in a red fluster and eyes wide, "River! For the love…"
A smashing sound followed, a vase had smashed against the wall of the console room and shattered which caused the Doctor to yelp.
Inside the TARDIS, River was mumbling curse words under her breath, fists clenched as she rushed out to see her husband cowering a little from her sudden flare in temper. "What kind of an idiot doesn't let his wife know about that?!" River flailed past him as he stepped back and rubbed his cheek a little. For the past couple of weeks he had suffered her tantrums and angry episodes and he had no idea why.
"River please, I had no idea at the time who you would turn out to be!" He turned to her, pleading with her as usual to calm down. As he turned to face her though, something caught his eye and this something was not good in the slightest. "I don't care if you thought I was going to turn into a pink fairy with spotty wings, why didn't you tell me you were engaged to three other woman?!" River was fuming, ok so they never had the perfect relationship but they were married now and surely that had to mean something?
The Doctor didn't respond though because what his eyes were seeing were something that he had never thought he'd see ever again, "Get in the TARDIS," He murmured as stared past River.
"What?" River furrowed her brow, confused to say the least because it seemed something had startled the Doctor. "Get in the TARDIS, we can argue in there. River I won't tell you again!" He spoke calmly yet quickly, a hand beckoning her over to him. God it was like trying to get someone away from a monster without them turning to see the problem.
River suddenly forget she was even pissed off with her husband, seeing him beckon her over to him like that made her stop and think what could be behind her. She slowly turned, a field of red grass swaying lightly in the breeze, a set of golden gates that lead through to a city encased in a large clear dome. She knew this place, from fairytales, from books in the Doctor's library, in fact even the Doctor himself had spoken of this place. "No way…" She murmured softly, the gates opening as she stepped back towards her husband.
The second River was in reach, the Doctor grabbed her hand and tugged her to him. "We need to get into the TARDIS. We shouldn't be here; it is not possible to be here. Ever," He began to back up to the TARDIS only to feel a mass of something bump into him, that mass of something not being wood. He lifted a hand to touch it, his fingertips met with metal plating. He bought his fingers to his lips and licked them, "Gold," He murmured before glancing at River who was just as wide eyed as he was.
A soft growl echoed out behind them as the Doctor and River exchanged glances. Slowly but surely the Doctor looked behind him to find a gold clad guard staring back at him, the familiar Gallifreyan symbols etched into his armour to resemble the rank he possessed. "The High council want you in their presence," The guard then looked at River, "You as well human." The Doctor clenched his jaw, if Rassilon wanted him there then chances were he was about to face the sentence of a life time. The Doctor complied though because there was no fighting these men.
They were marched through the gates, River grasping her husband hand in a flash. To him, River had been acting odd recently, the Doctor barely able to put a finger on what it was that was causing her to be like this. One minute she was happy and loving the next she was angrier than a bull that had been forced to fight. He squeezed her hand a little, reassuring her that she was safe here with him no matter the situation.
River's hand went for her gun, the Doctor grabbed her hand though, "Don't, there are too many of them. They'd only kill us on the spot." River glanced up to find rank upon rank of men in armour surrounding them, "They'll kill us either way," She murmured softly so only her husband could hear her. He knew for sure they wouldn't, after all, he recognised the symbols etched into their golden plated armour.
His wife was already staring down the men, scanning the place in order to keep an eye on every one, readying herself an attack right there. "They won't, not without orders," The Doctor murmured as he kept a hold on his wife's hand. River wasn't so sure, they looked ready to take them down right now. "So we just stand here and let them take us?!" The Doctor shook his head then shrugged because he knew there was no way out of this, for once he had one plan, go with it. "No, but we cannot run so!" He turned to the men, clapped his hands together with a grin and exclaimed, "Take me to your leader!"
River could not believe what she was hearing as she stared at him in disbelief, "Are you kidding me?!" She flailed a little at him, seeing the men around them already marching towards the gates that were now wide open for them to go through. The Doctor turned to his wife with that ever mad grin on his lips and replied, "Too hard to resist," before grabbing his wife's hand and tugging her into the gates.
As they walked along, under the watchful eye of the men, the couple spoke among themselves. "You are an idiot," River chided her husband in a distasteful manner causing the Doctor to glance at his wife in shock with those puppy eyes he possessed. "We'll be fine," He answered with a slight sense of panic to his voice, simply because he knew how River could get when in a bad mood. "What if we end up dead? Won't be having a whale of a time then will we?" She almost snarled as her grip on the Doctor's hand tightened a little. "You have to trust me," The Doctor gasped a little, his hand crippling under the death hold that River had on him.
It seemed River had lost the ability to have faith in her husband, but then again there had been something off about River for a few weeks now. "I am trusting you, not quite seeing results yet," River scowled at him from under her mess of curly locks that had fallen into her eyes. Occasionally the Doctor had decided her hair grew with every angry emotion she would suffer…
That was a lot of anger.
The Doctor rolled his eyes as they walked hand in hand, the guards huffing and growling like wild animals as they kept them close to hand. River smirked a little at her husband's reaction to her words but was cut short from saying anything as the great doors before them creaked open, a grinding sound echoing out against the red dirt at their feet. Now he was so much closer to the doors, he could evidently see the scripture that was written out, embossed in finest gold that you could find in the universe. "The door, Of course how did I not see it before?" He slapped his forehead. "The door, the writing is Old High Gallifreyan... we are in the great citadel of the Time Lords..." His eyes widened as did River's.
River leaned even closer to her husband, there was no more gripping his hand tighter than he was as she stared at the door in compete disbelief. "How… How did we end up here?" She murmured, wondering how she was even forming coherent words as of now. The Doctor rubbed his cheek, the guards conversing softly to themselves. "I guess that explains the TARDIS' mishaps earlier, possibly also why you started ranting over nothing." He added slyly, gaining himself a nudge in the ribs from his wife.
"Get us out of here, use the TARDIS or something!" Even though there whispers were low and out of ear range, sometimes the guards would glance over their shoulder's at the pair, a brow raised at the hoarse whispers. "I am working on it, like I said earlier, the TARDIS hasn't been in the best of shape. She still works, we just need to get back to her alive." As they passed over the threshold of the room, his hearts leapt up into his mouth.
The great council room stood, proudly within it's set of foundations, looking remarkably something you would depicted as something of royalty. He knew it all too well from the days he worked under the Gallifreyan version of the CIA, this room where he had held all those debriefing meetings, year upon year. So why was he here now?
River on the other hand was internally panicking, eyes taking in the room as they entered. She was stunned into silence at the beauty of her husband's home planet and even more so now. However there was still the need for an explanation to why they were even here. Finally she answered her husband, "Alive? Well that all the more reassuring."
The Doctor rammed a smile on his face, "Good, reassuring is good!" Finally the head table came into view, curving in a semi circle before them, at least ten men and women seated in their high council clothing. Suddenly a wave of nervousness washed over the Doctor as he came to halt before a familiar face. The silence was deadly, even River could barely let words slip past her now dry lips and even if she could then her vice would have been hoarse to the ear.
Finally after what felt years, standing there under the daggers of the men and women that were seated, the head of the table got to his feet and stood. Rassilion. "Doctor…" He started to speak, eyes flitting over to River briefly as he noted her but ignored her all the same. "Yes?" The Doctor furrowed his brow, hand tugging at his collar a little as he tried to hide his nerves from them. River barely even looked at her husband, eyes focused on the people speaking to them.
Rassilion's dead panned expression never left his face, "After much time trying to get you back here, you will finally face punishment for your crimes." The Doctor tilted his head a little, he guessed it had something to do with that, but then again when wasn't it when it came to his species? "Which crimes are we speaking of?" He gestured a hand out a fraction, urging them to state exactly what it was.
River gulped as she heard those words. Her own husband, a criminal just as much as she was and suddenly she kind of liked that in him. The deep and ghastly voice of Rassilion echoed out once more as he began to list the Doctor's crimes, "For one, stealing a TARDIS, another…" He narrowed his eyes at the rebel Time Lord, "…you have intervened with the course of history as it formed, the course of time as it made itself and above all you have interfered with the lives of people that are not of our own race!" His voice grew with every crime the Doctor committed, his hands clenching up into fists as Rassilion declared how much of a criminal the Doctor really was.
"What is he on about?" River spoke with great fear in her voice as she gripped her husband's hand tightly. The Doctor tore his eyes from in front to his side where his beloved stood. "I simply borrowed the TARDIS, illegal, yes and of course Time Lords were to never interfere just observe. I couldn't do that." He simply stopped there and let og of River's hand, stepping closer to the head table, "Look, I borrowed the TARDIS and was going t give it back!"
A withered hand slammed down on the golden and ruby topped table. Rassilion had utter spite bursting in his eyes, a vein pulsed on his forehead as he snarled under his breath, "Borrowed or not, you still committed offences that are punished by death!" There was a sudden outrage of mumbled opinions among the other council members. River flinched from the pounding on the table, her heart raced as she had to watch this side show of stupidity. She didn't want to get into the thick of a fight for once and she had reason.
The Doctor grasped his wife's hand back tightly, still ever proving to River in a silent trust that he would stay at her side forever. However though, the threat of death hanging over his head was beginning to pick at him. "Oh come on! Look at what I've done! I've helped them become better while you people sit here, waste time, and get fat, all the while looking absolutely awful in those dreadful robes! During my adventures there has been chaos yes, but honestly, I've made a hell of a lot more differences than you people will ever amount to." He stood there, scowling at them.
Oh a thing the Doctor should have not said because it burned the high council's pride to hear such drivel spout from the Doctor's mouth. Rassilion leaned forward a little, a scowl passed back at the man before him as his hand pressed against the table top, "Do not dare question your superiors Doctor," He growled, an alpha dog warning off one of his pack. "You interfered and caused mass destruction of the Dalek race, the cyber race, the cause of the Sycorax's death. Dare I continue?"
River tried to talk up, it took a few moment's to get words pass her dry mouth, her body encased with raw emotion of terror and panic. "S-sir, he save the lives of people though," It was undeniable that her voice trembled with fear. Of course, the head leader had not wanted to hear such as he raised a hand to silence her, "Silence! Mortal women have no say here in these halls!" River lowered her head, like a scolded child would when in trouble.
The Doctor may have put up with such a manner if directed at him but to River, his River? Big mistake, "Oi! Leave her out of this. It doesn't concern her, so you will not talk about her like that!" A finger was now pointed towards the high table before scoffing at what he was to say next. "Really, you are upset I destroyed the Daleks? If I recall you were the ones who made me start such a war! It's your own bloody faults." The Doctor panted with each breath that he forced from his lungs, a scowl like no other pressed against his now hardened features. "I gave everyone I killed a chance to correct their ways, they didn't take it when I was being reasonable."
It was like trying to talk to a stubborn mule, the Doctor was going to fight back either way, there was no backing down. "She has no right to speak here considering for a start, she is human. You had the chance to wipe them out, you were never given permission to carry on doing so on your travels! Because of this you have potentially broken points in time that were to have happened." Another snarl passed his lips, proving his dominance over the Doctor, "You and your… wife," He spoke the last word with much disgust, how could a Gallifreyan become so attached to a broken and fragile thing. , "You shall be forced to live upon earth and the TARDIS taken from you, be glad we do not kill you or take your ranking symbol from you."
The Doctor's eyes widened at the very idea of being shoved on earth and forced to live such away. Yes he was fascinated by the mortal world but never had he wanted to live there, he was too… over active for them. "What?! No, you cannot do that!" The Doctor practically bellowed at the cruel judgement placed upon him. "I never broke points in time, fixed ones to be precise. Come on, rethink this over. You cannot force me to live on earth again?" With every word the Doctor almost screamed at the council, River could feel herself beginning to actually fear her surroundings, having basic instinct to force her to run out of there.
The Doctor flailed his hands, this entire situation was unbelievable. Rassilion slammed his hand against the desk once more to silence the rambling, rogue Time Lord. "We can do with you what we wish, we are your superiors. Like I said, be thankful I am not stripping you of your ranks and having you killed." He beckoned for the guards to step in, to grasp them. "Take them back to earth…" His finger pointed at River, the next round of punishment would hit the Doctor pretty hard, "But before you do, clear her mind of this encounter. She may speak of us or of something connected to us, we could be at risk if she does."
River gasped as she felt hands wrap around her wrists, the need to protect herself was kicking in, "No! No you can't do this." She begged and pleaded, squirming and writhing about to break free from the guard's grip but failed in her mission. Her tinged blue eyes turned to the Doctor, wide and fearing. Surely he was going to save her, was going to do something to protect her.
He made no attempt to do anything right away actually, the Doctor sighed and simply rubbed his forehead with young hands. There was no way they would let them leave, alive at that if River still held memories of what had transpired here. Ruddy Time Lords, and people wonder why he did what he had done all those years ago. They were just so arrogant, so hateful and so arrogant in their ways. They believed they owned the universe and were better than anyone who lived within it. He was the only one of his race that even began to understand everyone was on a na equal level someway or another.
He finally turned to his wife as she was dragged back from him and said, "River, go with them. It won't hurt I swear to you," He moved close enough to gently stroke her cheek before he lowered his head and moved back from her reach. River stared at the Doctor, "Please!" Her husband had not reassured her in the slightest because he didn't know the truth at all. "You cannot let them do this! Doctor please, you do not understand!"
The Doctor couldn't begin to drown out his screaming wife's please and begs for them to let her go, but it was what he had to do. He slowly turned to face his superior and in a low, angered tone he added, "I swear of you make this a life sentence I will find my own way back and steal the TARDIS back all over again. I will ruin even more points in history. I will find away. You will not make me live on that dull planet forever." As he spoke he felt a soldier grab his arm in which he instantly tore back from him in a flash, he wasn't done yet.
The head of the table snarled, "Remove her from the halls before my head starts to hurt," His eyes flittered to the Doctor, "As for you…" He paused though because River had began to shout once more, "No! Stop please, just let me go!" Another tugs against the guards and she really was starting to wear out, "I'm pregnant, please!" And in that moment, she managed to free an arm and clutch her stomach, a mother's instinct to protect her child as she let tears slip down her cheeks.
The Doctor spun to face River, he was shocked, taken a back by her claim. Rassilion smirked a little, he cried out with words of sarcastic joy, "A child? Impossible! Wipe her memory then send her to earth with the Doctor." Rassilion finally added, "And Doctor, it won't be for life for something a lot worse is coming your way. A punishment far greater than what I can give."
The Doctor hadn't even register Rassilions words as he stared at his wife with wide eyes. Had she truly just claimed such a thing, an impossible thing? He blinked a few times as he tried to find words to reassure her that she'd be ok, their little one would be ok. He managed to look at the council then at the guards, "Don't you hurt her, you hurt her and I will kill you myself!" Tears pricked his eyes, his voice trembled as he choked on tears at the though of a perfect miracle. Alas though for this was all he could muster up as he spoke, the overwhelming shock of finding out he was to be… a father.
She panted softly, catching her breath from the fight to get out of the man's grip, the crying, the ache she was feeling right now. "I'm... I'm sorry..." She murmured, her head hung low as she tried to hide her face behind her curls from her husband. She couldn't look at him, for she had felt ashamed for telling him. His reaction had obviously told her that he did not want this child.
Rassilion had to interrupt these silent, precious moments. "Doctor, you cannot kill me, you won't. Now go before I change my mind and have you sentenced to death instead." And with that, the head of the council sat down and gestured with his hand for them to be taken from this room.
The guards enclosed around the incredibly confused Doctor, their hands grasping a hold of him before he finally tore away from their grip. "I can find the door for myself, thanks." He walked on ahead of them, following right behind the soldiers who had escorted River out of the room. When the ones taking him tried to stop him, he pointed at them, dead serious. "Don't. Don't touch me, I swear if you do."
The soldiers were weary of the Doctor, even though the man was terrible in a fist fight, he was still pretty dangerous. When the Doctor swung around to point at them, some stepped back.
As they reached the room where River was to have her mind eradicated of today's events, a guard that had a hold of River sat her down, who by now was silent and barely even looking up as tears rolled down her cheeks. The Doctor snarled as the guards stepped back from him, furious as he went into the room. "River..." He immediately went over to her and grabbed her hand. "It'll be okay, it won't hurt... and it won't hurt the baby. I promise." That's if she truly was pregnant because in all honesty, last he checked, his race were never born, simply weaved with life.
The touch of her husband's hand made her flinch a little before she finally glanced up. "I'm scared; for once I am truly scared." Her voice was but a whisper, fighting back a sob as she grasped his hand tightly. The Doctor smiled a little, trying to keep her from letting more tears slip down her cheeks. He couldn't believe it though, him, a dad? The sheer impact of that drove home in his mind. He slumped at her side. A father, the Doctor, again. His first thought went back to the old days, his family, /his/ family. But then he looked over at River... she was his family now. But he hadn't been a dad in at least a thousand years. He would be absolutely terrible... rubbish.
As River claimed her fear over and over again, he lightly rubbed her hand with his thumb as he held it. "Don't be, I am here and I'll always be here," He could barely feel his hand under the tight grip she had on himbut to him that was nothing, in fact he card little for that minor pain. He smiled kindly as he pushed a piece of hair back from her face, "It'll be over soon River, I am so sorry…" He couldn't even finish his sentence so he pressed his lips to her forehead and kissed her before finally letting go of her.
Her head lowered, River hitched a breath as she tried to hold back a sob and then replied to his apology, "Don't be sorry." It was a simple whisper that he heard, their hands letting go of each other as the guards stepped between them. River didn't want him seeing her go through this but she had no other choice.
"Sir we need you to step back," One guard pressed a hand to the Doctor's chest but the Doctor wasn't pleased with such a minor threat from the guard. After much angered stares being thrown at the man, he finally stepped back and leaned against the wall.
Once everyone was at their base stations, a man stepped in front of River and pressed his fingers to her temples. The psychic link now up and ready to clean her memory of what she had seen here and that was to be all wiped away. The Doctor smiled a little at his wife, a loving smile in all honesty. River closed her eyes, seeing her husband's smile last before they cleaned it from her mind.
The Doctor closed his eyes as well as he waited, his mind swimming in the news of her being pregnant, it just seemed so impossible. As he let his thoughts bounce around in his complex mind, trying to find reasons for such a thing, the intricate process of having specific memories being wiped from River's mind went on.
The Doctor's fingers grasped at his chin, his eyes slowly trailed up to see the man step back from his wife, her head lolled forward a little, eyes shut as she sat there in a state of sleep. The moment River was left alone, the Doctor rushed to her side and gently grasped her cheeks, "River, River are you alright?!" He knew that by the time she finally awoke, they'd be transmatted back to earth. He sighed as he caressed her cheeks, it seemed that his past had caught up with him, all his running was for nothing.
He sighed, sitting here, God knows where on the planet. This would be one of the worst things he'd ever experienced. But, as long as River didn't know, he'd be okay. He couldn't let her know she'd actually been to Gallifrey. The Time Lords would kill her if she ever revealed she had been, but he wouldn't let that happen. He'd just try to make these next few months as pleasant as possible. He'd say that it was to get used to being a father, to try and do it like the humans would. He'd say that it'd be good to know what it was like. But really it was just to protect her. Always it would be to protect her. Something he didn't even really succeed at in the first place... with knowing what would happen to her in the future...
As he sat there, gently caressing her cheek with his fingers, he thought about their future... good lord, he was going to be a father. That along was enough to make him want to jump up and start pacing back and forth, wringing his hands together and flailing like mad. Him! A father! To River's /kid/! Bloody hell, he'd never ever thought of that happening!
"Transmat is prepared to transport you to earth. Is there anywhere in particular you wish to stay sir?" One guard asked the Doctor, seeing him care for his wife. It was a little heartbreaking but it was not his orders to stand and blubber like a baby over this.
The Doctor barely looked up at the man who spoke, he daren't take his eyes from his wife, "England... a small village in England. Always liked that place, she'd like it too. Maybe Leadsworth?" It was an unexpected request, after all why would he go to the village that his sweet Amy Pond lived in. It didn't matter though as he smiled softly as he finally stared up at the guard. "They never told me how long. I need to know how long I will be on Earth. Tell me."
The order for a small village in England would be the place they would live. The man turned to the Doctor who was gazing up at him, "Six months minimum. The High council believe you will serve a far worse sentence in your future."
"Yes you keep going on about that, what does it mean anyway?" The Doctor pulled himself to his feet, getting real close to the guard that was over seeing them. "A far worse sentence? There's hardly anything worse you could do, except kill me, and they've already said they won't. Six months?" Six months, that wasn't so bad, he could cope with that.
The guard raised an eyebrow, was the Doctor seriously asking him what was much worse and coming his way? "You'd have to take that up with the Oracle, she is the one who the High council go to." The Doctor looked up at the guard. "Right yeah sure..." He shook his head. Couldn't be much worse, he'd take his chances. "Right then," He fixed his bowtie and grasped River's hand before tugging her up into his arms.
River let out a soft moan as he pulled her up into his arms, her head lolling against his chest, legs dangling from his arms as he held her. The guard glanced at River and gestured to her, "Want me to take her?" He could easily carry her, give the Doctor relief from it.
Fat chance was it that he was handing his sweet River over to some man who was under orders from the arrogant men he used to work below. He narrowed his eyes at the man, "I'm good, thanks," He huffed as the guard shrugged, believing he was just trying to help. Instead he turned to lead the Doctor to where he needed to be.
The Doctor hefted River into his arms as the guard took off ahead of him, looking down at her with deep concern as a sigh passed his lips and carried her down the halls. Even though River was a little limp in his arms, her head lolled against his chest, the double heartbeat of her husband was still heard and it calmed her with great ease even if she were clueless to life right now.
The Guard walked on, making sure the Doctor was behind him at all times. "You'll be sent to the Village of Leadsworth, apparently you know the area well?" The Doctor nodded at this suggestion "Sounds fine." He scowled at the guard, he had much hate for everyone on this planet right now.
"Good because you'll be there any moment." The guard stepped back and gestured to the spot that the Doctor had to stand in. Not wanting to get caught up in the transmat, the guard kept back at a decent distance "We will come to you when we think you are ready to finish your sentence."
The scowl was still ever present upon the Doctor's face. He pulled his arm close to him for a moment, feeling the sonic dig into his rib cage and was immensely relieved to still have that on him. "Righty ho then," The Doctor called out, making them aware he was ready.
The man nodded to the Doctor before given permission to his fellow men to transport them to the earth that the Doctor treasured far too much, the very one he had interfered with for so long. The tired and weary Time Lord sighed as the transmat gave way, sending them to a small house in Leadsworth.
As they materialized on earth, River's head pressed against his chest, she was beginning to wake up, forcing the Doctor to glance down at her and smile just a fraction, at least he was not doing this alone. "River?" Her hand reached up and grasped his shirt a little, gosh did her head hurt. "W-what happened?" She asked in a tired voice, slurred a little but mainly tired sounding.
"We, uh…well, we're on Earth. Remember how I said that we were going to have a go at human life?" He grinned. "I just bought the house and everything." She was still a bit hazy, her head ached as if something was missing. "Oh shut up... you couldn't even if you tried," She chuckled softly, her eyes closing again as she mused over the thought of her husband wanting to go full on human, to give their child and relationship a good start.
"Want a bet, dear? I just did while you were snoozing…" He noticed she had drifted off again and carried her into the flat, setting her down on the couch with a groan of effort. The shock still hadn't resided, he truly thought she was joking. He started pacing as soon as she was on the couch, every now and then he would glance over at his slumbering wife.
River's head ached far too much to stay awake as she lay on the couch, surely a few more moments of sleep wouldn't hurt? She was safe in his care anyway. A soft chuckle escaped her, "I bet you a night out you won't." She murmured as he settled her down on the couch, her legs curling up the moment he lay her down.
"Then you owe me a night out!" He chuckled softly as he realised this would be the start of something a lot more than just a simple six months. In fact this would be the beginning of the secret six years River would have with her husband and child.
Here it is! The Doctor's Daughter series in one area, Enjoy and leave reviews and ideas if you have any! It would be great to hear from the people reading these! Thank you! ~StarkyGirl