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Pregnant Preparations

Welcome to the sequel to 'The Doctor's Wife AU, an interlude series between the two halves of series seven in the show which will show, as the title implies, the preparations for the Doctor and Romana's new baby. I hope you like it, and thank you so much for reading!

/

Romana heard the words "You're pregnant" come from her husband's lips, but she didn't understand. Well, she understood each individual part of the phrase separately, but when they were put together it made her mind reel, and lose the ability to process thoughts. "Huh?"

Gently, the Doctor guided her out of the bathroom and sat her down on the bed. He rubbed her back soothingly and brushed her hair from her eyes. "It's going to be okay, Romana. I know you're scared, but we're going to get through this" he said reassuringly, as Romana stared off into space. I'm pregnant. Pregnant. Pregnant! The word repeated itself on a loop over and over in her mind, allowing no other thought in its place. The Doctor was right; she was scared.

Was it just her, or was the room getting smaller? Her vision blurred, her chest constricted…she found it difficult to breathe. "Romana? Romana!" the Doctor cried in alarm, realising that she was on the verge of having a panic attack. "Shh, Ro, calm down; it's okay, I'm right here, you're okay" he soothed, trying not to sound as worried as he felt. Romana continued trying to gulp air, like she were drowning, and the Doctor slipped off the bed to kneel in front of her. He pressed his fingers to her temples, and sent her to sleep.

Much to his relief her breathing evened out and she slumped forward; he caught her and laid her on the bed, kissing her forehead. His eyes travelled down to her stomach, currently flat, and tried to imagine Romana with a rounded belly. The notion that there was a miniscule living being in there, that he had helped create, was astounding. The Doctor couldn't help but smile for sheer joy as he gently traced Gallifreyan words of affection on Romana's tummy. Baby; they were going to have a baby.

He knew there would be a lot to consider, that this would be a monumental change. The baby would need to be protected from his enemies, and so would Romana whilst she was carrying their child. In that moment the Doctor made a decision, not to travel so long as Romana was pregnant. In fact, he wouldn't travel until the child was old enough to understand the dangers of the universe. They'd just buy a house somewhere on Earth, in a time zone before the Space Age…Victorian London, perhaps.

No, that's no good he thought to himself, it'll be full of smog and nasty stuff like that, not good for the baby. Oh, I suppose I can worry about that later. Right now I need to take care of Romana he decided, before creeping out of the room and heading for the library.

/

When Romana awakened, at first she didn't quite remember how she'd ended up on her bed fully clothed…but then she did. She sat up quickly and looked around for her jacket, spotting it draped over a nearby chair. On legs that felt like jelly, she staggered over to it and rummaged in the pockets for her sonic screwdriver. When she found it, she scanned herself and prayed, that the Doctor had made a mistake. The result was the same – pregnant, two weeks. I need the Doctor Romana said to herself.

As if he had been summoned by her thoughts, the Doctor appeared in the open doorway. "Hello. I just went to make you a cup of tea" he explained, handing it to her. She sat down on the chair, since it was nearest, and sipped it quietly. The Doctor placed another chair beside hers and sat down, leaning over to rub her thigh comfortingly. Once the tea had helped her calm her nerves, Romana lowered the empty cup from her lips and quietly said "Thanks…Doctor, I'm pregnant" she added, looking up at him helplessly.

The Doctor smiled at her. "I know" he said reassuringly, "isn't it wonderful?"

'Wonderful' wasn't the first word that came to Romana's mind…more like terrifying. "I…Theta, I don't know what to do" she told the Doctor, sounding so helpless and frightened that he wanted to gather her into his arms and hold her. So he placed her cup on the floor beside his chair, pulled her out of hers and into his lap. Supporting her with his left arm, he let his right hand rest on her tummy, rubbing his thumb along it. "I don't think you really have to do anything" he told her, voice tinged with amusement, "well, apart from give birth, but that's nine months and two weeks away".

"I know, but…I've never done this before" she admitted, "What if I do something wrong? What if…what if I get caught by mad scientists who want to vivisect me, or I accidentally ingest something that's fatal to the baby, or I'm kidnapped by the Silence like Amy was or shot by a Dalek or"- her stream of consciousness panicked ramble was cut off when the Doctor pressed his lips to hers. "None of that is going to happen" he told her when they pulled apart.

"How do you know?"

"Because until our baby is born, and possibly for quite a while afterwards, we're not going to travel" the Doctor informed her, and Romana's eyes widened in shock. "But…but you love travelling!" she protested weakly. The Doctor cupped her cheek and replied calmly, "I love you so much more. I'll keep our baby safe, Romana, I promise you. The next ten months – well, nine months and a half – won't be easy, especially not for you, but I will be with you every step of the way. Trust me".

His eyes and voice were so sincere, that for the first time since she discovered she was pregnant, Romana's lips curled into a tentative smile. She put a hand on her stomach and took a deep breath. "Our baby…you're right" she whispered, "it is wonderful".

They sat in blissful silence together for a while, before Romana felt another wave of nausea creeping up on her. "Oh no" she groaned, staggering to her feet and into the bathroom. The Doctor followed her, holding her long brown tresses off her face and rubbing her back as she retched. "How can I keep being sick?" she asked plaintively when it was over, "I haven't eaten since this morning!" The Doctor winced sympathetically. "It's just part of being pregnant, I'm afraid" he told her, and then he realised… "You haven't eaten since this morning, have you? Would you like to have something to eat?"

She shook her head swiftly; the mere thought of food made Romana feel as if she might throw up again. She was really not going to enjoy being pregnant. "You ought to keep your strength up" the Doctor said tentatively, and she scowled. "No, I don't want any food ever, stop asking me!" she snapped at him, and then she gasped. Where in time had that come from? "Oh my, I'm sorry. Doctor, I didn't mean to shout, I just…" she said hurriedly, trailing off because she didn't know what to say. He hugged her, saying "It's alright. You're pregnant, you're allowed to shout as much as you like".

Tears gathered in Romana's eyes. "See, this is what I mean! I don't know anything about being pregnant, I can barely remember what I learned about it in the Academy" she complained. The Doctor suggested that she rinse her mouth to get the taste of sick out of it, and once she'd done that he guided her back into the bedroom. "Okay. If you don't want anything to eat, how about another cup of tea?" he inquired, and she nodded. She wasn't sure if she could keep it down, but she needed something to keep her nerves from fraying.

"I'll go make some then. In the meantime, you ought to put on your pyjamas and read that book I left for you on the bedside table. It'll explain this whole pregnancy thing much better than I can" the Doctor advised Romana. She managed a small smile. "Okay, I will" she nodded, giving him a brief kiss before he left with a promise to return soon. Then she put on her pyjamas, got into bed and picked up the small but thick tome. 'Preparing for Motherhood - A Comprehensive Guide to Pregnancies' by M. A. Ternal, read the front cover. She took a deep breath and opened it.

/

When the Doctor returned five minutes later, she looked up at him with a weak but grateful smile. "Thank you…I really don't like the look of all these symptoms. It does say they get better over time, but…" she trailed off, biting her lip in the most adorable way. The Doctor kicked off his shoes and threw his jacket idly over a chair, joining her on the bed. "Doctor? Um…when your…your first wife was pregnant, was it…difficult?" Romana asked cautiously.

He ran a hand through his hair and sighed. "Yeah, it was difficult at times…the stress, the nerves, the nausea…and that was just what I went through" he joked, though judging by the slight grimace on Romana's face it fell rather flat. "Sorry. Love, believe me, this will all be worth it when you're holding our son or daughter in your arms. Pregnancy is uncomfortable, and tiring, and irritating, but it's not about what's happening now. It's about the future. This will be the first Gallifreyan born for over four hundred years, Romana. I think that's pretty special, don't you?"

She smiled. "Yeah…it just doesn't feel quite real right now" she admitted. After all, apart from being sick and craving odd food combinations she hadn't experienced the symptoms, her stomach was still flat…it was hard to believe she was really pregnant, but the sonic didn't lie. "Where will the baby be born?" asked Romana. "The Hospital of the Sisters of the Infinite Schism" the Doctor rattled off at once. It was one of the best and safest hospitals in the universe.

"Okay…" Romana kept reading the book, absently sipping at her tea as she went. The Doctor idly played with her hair, twisting the chocolate-y locks into a plait. Then Romana remembered something. "Doctor, can you fetch my jacket, please?" she asked. He did so, and she searched through the pockets for a second time before pulling out a small box.

Inside was a little teddy bear. It was cocoa coloured, with two black button eyes, and most ridiculous of all, a tiny felt fez sewn to the top of its head between its ears. Romana stroked its furry tummy. "She and Rory must've realised I was pregnant sometime after they…they left. This wasn't just a gift for me…it's for our baby. Their first teddy bear…I think I'll name him Barry".

"That's a great name…do you mean the teddy, or the baby?" the Doctor asked, and she actually giggled. "The teddy bear, silly; I think it's a bit early to give the baby a name. This is really happening, isn't it?" she asked. The Doctor smiled and nodded. Romana picked at a loose thread on the duvet. "Will you tell the others I don't feel well? I don't want to break the news to them…just yet" she admitted. The Doctor smiled and pressed a kiss to her temple. "Sure, darling. Whatever you say".