Author's Notes: I do not own Doctor Who. So, here's the deal. I went into this story with a plan and decided it sucked and got completely stuck and thought about abandoning it, but then I realized how much I hate when people do that and so this story is what's happening. Imagine Chapter One as you read it was a foreword. Thank you for the reads and reviews and follows. Happy reading!


Over Nine Months Later... Way Over...

London was safe yet again. With the unexpected help of River Song, the Doctor had just managed to save the city from the time displaced Hannibal and the army of Carthage. No one had really noticed. London traffic was always rubbish and they had assumed the soldiers were dressed up for a footrace. The elephants he would leave to UNIT and Torchwood to explain. Donna, unfortunately, wasn't along for the adventure, she wasn't quite herself these days...

Now came the moment of the adventure where River usually made some coy comment and they said goodbye.

Only they were on the front steps of the house in London and instead of leaving, she was walking in the front door.

"So," said River Song, "mind if I come in?"

Before the Doctor could say anything yea or nay, River had let herself inside the house.

"Hello?," asked River. "Anyone home?"

She entered the sitting room. Zara and Chloe looked up from their game on the table. Esther stood at attention on the sofa.

"Hello, girls," said River.

"Hi, tart," said Zara.

"Zara..." warned the Doctor.

River cast a glance at the Doctor. "What? You're going to try to teach her now? Where's Donna?"

The Doctor looked around. "Girls, where's Mummy?"

They heard something clatter in the kitchen. The Doctor and River rushed in to find Donna, next to a heap of pans that had fallen on the floor.

"No, no, I've got it," said Donna.

"Are you alright?," asked the Doctor.

"Yes, fine," said Donna.

"You're not moving."

Donna turned and glared. "I'm taking my time."

"Maybe you should sit," said River.

"I'm absolutely fine," said Donna.

River looked at Donna. She was swollen everywhere, she noted that Donna's wedding ring was on a simple chain around her neck, every step seemed labored and her stomach was, well, it was huge. Just looking at Donna was making River uncomfortable.

"Here," said River, picking the cookware up off the floor. "Why don't I get this started and you have a seat?"

"I don't need help," Donna said tersely.

"That's alright, I want to help."


The 52nd Century

After supper with the family and on her way back to her cell in the Stormcage that evening, River made a call.

"Hello," said the man on the other end.

"Hello, sweetie."

There was a long pause.

River sighed. "Let me guess. I've reached you at a time where we are not on speaking terms."

"What do you want?"

"You need to go see your mother, Geoffrey."

"Don't call me that."

River rolled her eyes. "Trevor. Geoffrey. Whatever. Go see your mother."

"When exactly am I supposed to do that?"

"Sort it out, Time Boy."


A Few Days Later Back in October 2012

The Doctor sighed.

He was doing a lot of that lately.

It was Week 43, Day 5. This had to end.

Now, to clarify, the Doctor still thought Donna was the most beautiful woman in the universe and nothing could change that, but he was ready for her to not be pregnant anymore. Zara had come out at a reasonable time, Chloe was a bit on the early side, but when a Time Baby was done, she was done. Conversely, when a Time Baby was not ready to come out, he was not coming out. Or he wasn't coming out because his mother didn't want him to.

Donna would hear no opposition to his staying in there. She was too worried about what would happen when he did come out and he and Jack had repeatedly attempted to persuade her that they did have a plan for what to do. She acted as if the two were unrelated.

Then there was something in the mail, something that looked as if it was the answers to the Doctor's most fervent prayers.

"Donna!," the Doctor shouted as he hurried into the bedroom. "Guess what?!"

Donna was sitting on the edge of the bed, looking as if she was once again deciding whether or not to put on her shoes. She looked up at the Doctor. "I'm getting up any minute."

"Look!" He held the envelope in front of her face.

"Nerys?," asked Donna. She took the envelope and pulled out the card. "It's her birth announcement."

"Yes," said the Doctor. "She's had triplets. She's clearly trying to upstage you."

"Well, she was on fertility drugs," said Donna.

"There's a picture," said the Doctor, trying to arouse Donna's natural vitriol for the woman she had been frenemies with since primary school.

"Oh," said Donna, looking at the photo. It was one of the ones that the Doctor knew Donna hated, where newborn babies were made to look as if they were part of some sort of vegetation, in this case a patch of flowers. "I suppose that's cute."

"Cute?!," spat the Doctor. "You do not think that is cute!"

Donna exhaled deeply. "Doctor, I'm just too tired to care, alright?"

"That's my point, Donna!"

She looked up at him. "I am not having this discussion again. The baby will come out when he is ready."

"Donna, he's been ready for weeks! The only thing stopping him is you!"

"He's fine."

"Donna, you're a human being not an elephant. You aren't meant to haul around another person indefinitely."

"Well, luckily, I have plenty of Time Lord energy or whatever floating around, so I'm good. Thanks."

The Doctor rolled his eyes. "No Time Lady would have carried a baby this long. Thirty six weeks, eviction day, that's it."

"Thirty six weeks?," asked Donna.

"We were punctual."

"Well, sorry, the baby is half human, so he can't go by your schedules."

The Doctor sat next to her and took her hands in his. Mostly so she wouldn't slap him. "Donna, you have to let go. What happened in Las Vegas wasn't your fault. It could have been anyone. I am going to take care of everything and nothing will happen to our son. All you have to do is have him. That's it!"

There was silence. The Doctor wondered if somehow he may have broken through to the reasonable Donna that existed somewhere behind the pregnancy hormones and the overly protective mother lioness Donna. For a second, he thought he might have.

"He's not-"

The Doctor let out a huge groan, it had been completely unintentional, but it elicited Donna's scowl.

"We cannot go on like this!," shouted the Doctor. "You cannot go on like this!"

"I'm fine," said Donna.

"How long have you been staring at your shoes?," asked the Doctor.

"I think I'd like to be left alone right now."

"See?! That's not you, either! You should be yelling at me!"

Donna turned and laid back on the bed.

"Are you going back to sleep?," asked the Doctor.

"I'm tired," said Donna pulling the duvet over her.

The Doctor sighed. He walked over to the bed and she didn't turn. He gave her a peck on the cheek and left the room.

Something had to be done.


1960, Back at the Sands Hotel, Las Vegas

"Where are Amy and Rory?," asked Zara.

The Doctor and Donna looked at each other. It was breakfast time. Amy and Rory had not yet emerged from their suite and they were fairly certain of the reason.

"They must still be sleeping, sweetheart," said Donna.

"Let's wake them up!," said Zara.

"No," the Doctor and Donna both said quickly.

"Why not?," asked Zara.

"We'll tell you when you're older," said the Doctor. "Two hundred or so, maybe three hundred. Actually, I'm going to leave that to your mother mostly, well, when I say mostly I mean entirely..."

The Doctor droned on and as the girls were occupied with their banana slices, Donna seized the opportunity to get at her own bacon and eggs. Donna didn't hear the Doctor speaking anymore and looked up.

She caught sight of the only available window in the restaurant. It looked as if it were some kind of mushroom cloud.

"Doctor!," she exclaimed. She turned to the girls, ready to grab them and run back to the TARDIS as quick as she could. She looked to see that Zara and Chloe were frozen, their banana slices suspended in midair. Come to that, the Doctor was frozen. She looked around the restaurant and so was everyone else. Sinatra and Kennedy who had been breakfasting across the room were mid-drink and that's when she noticed Judy heading towards her.

"Donna Noble, the most important woman in the universe."

That was right. The Doctor had said he thought that Judy's species fed on power and disruptions in the time line. That must have been why she was after Kennedy and Sinatra and the Doctor had yet to think of a plan.

"What is this?," asked Donna. "What have you done?"

"This is about to be a nuclear test gone sour," said Judy. "The future president of the United States, one of the most important vocalists of the twentieth century and the last of the Time Lords all gone in one fell swoop." She knocked her head back and closed her eyes in ecstasy. "Imagine the consequences to the time line."

"And what do you want?," asked Donna.

"A favor."

"A favor?," asked Donna.

"A little one, a very little one."

"What sort of favor?"

"Why tell you? This is so much more fun. The most important woman in the universe at my mercy." She edged closer to where Donna stood, putting her hand through Zara's hair. "Your Time Babies won't survive a nuclear blast, no matter how fast you can get them back to the TARDIS. Could you carry them both? And what of the Doctor? All you have to do is say you'll give me a favor."

"Fine!," Donna shouted, smacking the woman's hand away from her daughter.

"Say it," said Judy.

"I'll give you a favor."

Judy smiled. Everything started moving again. Donna looked out the window to see the mushroom cloud had disappeared.

"Well, I mean I am qualified on the subject," the Doctor continued as if he had never stopped. "I mean, there are several types of lifeforms throughout the galaxy whose reproductive habits I think I could inform you on, only- Donna? Donna, what's wrong?"

Judy began to walk away.

"Wait!," said Donna. "What is it? What's the favor?"

Judy stopped and turned back. "Oh, don't worry. I'll be back to collect when he arrives."

"What do you mean when he arrives?," asked Donna. "When who arrives?"

Judy gave a smile. A smile that made Donna's stomach sink.

"Oh, God," said Donna. "Oh, God, no."

The Doctor stood up. "Donna, what's happened?"


October 2012, The Cellar

"I can't believe we're back to this," muttered Martha as Jack helped her down from the cellar door.

"It certainly brings you back," said Ianto. He looked around the cellar. "Where is the TARDIS?"

Jack shrugged. "No idea. The Doctor did say to meet down here, didn't he?"

Mickey nodded. "Did he say what it's about?"

"You know him, probably an alien invasion or the house is haunted."

The cellar door opened. They looked up surprised to see Sylvia and Wilf coming down.

"Why didn't you have to come in the cellar?," asked Mickey.

"Where is my son-in-law?," asked Sylvia, looking around the cellar. "There aren't even any chairs down here! No tea."

"What do you think it's about?," asked Wilf.

Just then, the Doctor appeared, looking secretive. He hurried down the steps. "Alright, thanks everyone for coming."

"Doctor!," they heard a voice say over the mobile. "Are we on speaker? You're going to have to turn the volume up!"

"Amy!," exclaimed Martha.

"How's the baby?," asked Jack.

"She's fine," said Rory, becoming more audible as the Doctor pulled the mobile out of his pocket.

"When are we going to see you again?," asked Martha.

"Sorry," said the Doctor, "I need to make this quick. Donna could find us any second. Though she is rather slow moving lately."

"Yeah, what's this about?," asked Jack.

The Doctor sighed. "As you all know, Donna has been expecting for some time."

"We had noticed," Sylvia said tartly.

"It's been fourty four weeks," said the Doctor.

Martha frowned. "Seriously?"

"That's insane!," said Amy. "Why don't you get some space age cesarean machine and beam that kid out?"

"Amy, where would I get one?," asked the Doctor.

"We have a thing like that at the Hub," said Mickey.

"That's not a good idea," said Ianto. He shook his head sternly.

"So?," asked Wilf. "Donna said that Time Babies take more work sometimes."

"Ah, well," said the Doctor, "she's telling part of the truth there. Time Babies can take more work. They can be done when they like and at this point, he's been done a while."

"Okay," said Martha. "We'll induce then-"

"Donna won't allow it," said the Doctor.

"Why not?," asked Amy.

"Isn't there a little something you can do to get this going?," asked Jack, with a twinkle in his eye.

Sylvia frowned. "What are you talking about?"

"You know, just a little something between a husband and wife... I don't want to make him blush. Actually, I would like to see him blush."

"Captain Harkness!," exclaimed Sylvia. Wilf chuckled.

"It didn't work," said the Doctor, definitely not blushing.

"What do you mean it didn't work?," asked Jack.

"This is really none of our business," said Sylvia.

"She didn't fall for it," said the Doctor.

"Oh, poor Doctor, getting the cold shoulder," said Mickey.

"Stop enjoying this, Mickey," said Martha.

Mickey rolled his eyes.

"Is there something I'm missing?," asked Ianto.

"Sorry, is this about Rumpelstiltskin?," asked Rory.

"Rumpelstiltskin?," asked Wilf.

"Right, I ran this past Jack, but Donna may have inadvertently promised our first born son to a creature who feeds off time energy and was at the time posing as the mistress of John F. Kennedy, Frank Sinatra and Momo Giancana."

"Who's Momo Giancana?," asked Mickey.

"Also, their son was there!," added Amy.

"Amy!," exclaimed the Doctor.

Sylvia looked up at the Doctor in amazement. "What do you mean he was there?"

"Well, it was him in the future and I don't think we should discuss it further." He looked at the phone pointedly. "Amy."

"They've all met him!," exclaimed Amy.

"We've met him?!," asked Sylvia.

"When?," asked Wilf.

"That's seriously enough," said the Doctor. "There are time lines that ought not be interfered with. Understand?"

The group grumbled.

"What do you want us to do?," asked Ianto. "We guard the baby, capture Rumpelstiltskin."

"I've got everything we need outside," said Jack.

"Uh, just one thing," said the Doctor.

"You mean, how do we convince Donna to have the baby?," Rory asked on the phone.

"I know, let's just stab her with a syringe or something when she's not looking," said Mickey.

"Mickey, we can't stab her with a syringe!," said Martha.

"It's worth a shot," Mickey protested.


Donna opened her eyes to find Zara bouncing on her knees next to her on the bed. Chloe climbed up after her.

"Mummy, come play," said Zara.

"Mummy's tired, sweetheart," said Donna, running her hand down her cheek.

"Baby," grumbled Chloe.

"When are you having the baby?," asked Zara.

Donna sighed. Not them as well. "When he's ready, sweethearts."

Zara paused and gave it some thought. "When?"

Donna was all ready for another lecture when there was a flash of light. She sat up and turned to see...

"Trevor!," shouted Zara.

"Trevor!," Chloe echoed.

"Hi, Zara. Hi, Chloe." He looked up at Donna. "We should talk."

"Talk?," asked Donna.

"Yeah," said Trevor. He looked at the girls. "Get Dad to look after you, alright? We'll just be a second."

Trevor took Donna's hand and that was when she realized he had a vortex manipulator that looked oddly like Jack's. Before she realized what had happened, she was standing again in the Copa Room at the Sands. Sammy Davis Jr. was onstage.

"Hey, red!," shouted a drunk man. "Want to sit? We can't see around you."

Donna was about to shout a retort of her own when Trevor beat her to it. "Watch it, mate! She's got an excuse, she's pregnant. Are you carrying twins?"

The man growled. Donna and Trevor sat at the empty table in front of them.

"Okay, this is going to sound strange," said Trevor, "but you seriously have to have me."

"What?," asked Donna.

Out of a pocket that was too small, Trevor pulled what seemed to be a futuristic iPad. "This is time. You're bending it because I was a fixed point that you haven't so much as changed as shoved over a few inches. Any more and you're going to cause serious damage."

"The Doctor didn't say anything."

"He doesn't know. He can't see his own future. No one can, that includes you."

Donna leaned forward. "And what am I supposed to do? Hand you over to that woman?"

"Does Dad have a plan?"

Donna shook her head. "He says he does."

"And has he ever let you down before?"

Donna was silent. "That's not what this is about."

"Then what's it about, Mum?"

Donna couldn't say what it was about. What it was about was the man that River said she had killed and a future where Trevor and River didn't travel together.

"What's with you and River?," asked Donna.

"I can't tell you that."

"You could do better," said Donna.

"Yeah, so you've told me. About a million times."

"What happens to you?"

"Mum, you know I can't tell you that."

"You confirmed I'm your mum."

"Zara told me that's what you thought."

Donna dropped her jaw in astonishment. "Does Zara just tell all to everyone?"

"Think about her parents."

"Oi! Enough lip out of you!"

Trevor shrugged. "I'm just saying."

"When we first met, you said you weren't speaking to your mum. Why not?"

"It's complicated."

"Was it over River?"

"You'll find out."

"I can't accept that I am not on speaking terms with one of my children. I love you all too much to let that happen."

"It's not a matter of loving me," Trevor said softly.

"Then what is it a matter of?"

Trevor leaned in. "Look, here's a surprise, you don't know where Zara's going to be, where Chloe will be, what they'll be-"

"What does that mean?," asked Donna.

Trevor shook his head. "It doesn't mean anything. You can't have good without bad. You can't not live because you're going to die!"

Donna sighed. "And who told you that?"

"You did."

"Well," said Donna, taking a breath, "I would have liked to have known when I came up with that one."

"You've got plenty more. You're a great mum."

Donna shook her head. "No, I'm not. I promised you to Rumpelstiltskin disguised as some kind of posh prostitute. I'm still not sure what's going on there."

"It was a slip-up."

"A pretty bloody big one!"

"Yeah," said Trevor.

"Thanks," said Donna. She felt a twinge. "Oh. Oh, no."

"What?," asked Trevor.

"That was a contraction."

"What?!," Trevor shouted.

"Pipe down there!," someone in the audience shouted.

"No, that was a contraction. What's with you? Zara and Chloe gave me back pain! That was like a proper contraction."

"Oh, my God," said Trevor.

Donna rolled her eyes. "Well, don't panic. Just let's go home."

"About that..."

"What?," asked Donna.

"I can't take you in the Time Vortex while you're in labor, not outside the TARDIS, else I might go flying off into the vortex, lost forever."

Donna leaned in. "What are you saying?"

"Yeah, well..." Trevor tugged at his ear in a manner that completely betrayed him as the Doctor's son. "You're sort of having me here."

Donna's jaw dropped. "Did you know about this?!"

"I thought I was born in London!"

"What do you mean 'you thought'?!"

"Chloe told me that she came upstairs and I was there."

"Chloe's two!"

"She's not two in the future!"

Donna put her head in her hands and groaned as she felt the force of another contraction. They were starting to attract some attention.

"I'm sorry, waiter," said Trevor, standing up, "we need some help. My mother's gone into labor."

The waiter looked at Trevor, then at Donna. "Your mother?"

"Yes," said Trevor. "Don't be weird about it. Come on. Help me."

The waiter summoned a manager who helped them to a spare dressing room in the back. Donna sat on the sofa as Trevor frantically dialed a mobile.

"Can I get you anything, ma'am?," asked the waiter. "Some water? Towels?"

Donna looked up. "Do you happen to have a Type 40 TARDIS?"

"I am trying to ring him!," said Trevor.

"Do you need a phone?," asked the manager. "We can have one brought."

"I'm on the phone," said Trevor. He looked at Donna. "I think there's a busy signal."

Donna threw her arms up. "I told him to get call waiting!"

"I think it's sending me to voice mail," said Trevor. He paused and took a breath. "Hi. It's me. Look, I'm here with mum, it's December 31, 1960. We're at the Sands in Las Vegas, it would probably be good if you could come get her."

"Why are you giving them the date?," asked the manager.

Trevor hung up the mobile. "Never mind that. Look, could you find a doctor?"

"Yes, doctor." The manager quickly left, relieved at having something to do.

"A doctor?," asked Donna.

"Someone's got to deliver me!"

"Oh, yes, let's just have them deliver a Time Baby in 1961! Aren't we near to Area 51? They can take you right there!"

"I do not get taken to Area 51!"

"Then what does happen?"

"I don't know, you didn't tell me!"

"Don't blame this on me!"

"Well, we had better come up with a plan! I can't deliver me!"

"And why not?"

"Well, one, it would be traumatic-"

"Traumatic?," Donna interjected.

"Two, it would be a paradox!"

"So, you're more worried about the trauma than a potentially universe ending paradox?"

The manager came back in. "I found a doctor."

"Well," said Donna, "that's something."

They were soon joined by a man with a bow tie, floppy hair and a cowboy hat.

Donna stared at the man. "I have two questions."

"I thought you might," he said.

"One, you are the Doctor in the future from this universe?"

"Yes, I am."

"I was afraid of that. Two, why are you wearing a cowboy hat?"

He shrugged. "I heard Nevada, I thought wild west and all that."

"Should I call an ambulance?," asked the manager.

"No," said Eleven, "you should definitely not call an ambulance. I have everything under control right here. Fetch towels and hot water and some cups."

"Cups?," asked Donna.

"Yes, I have a tea tin in my pocket. I thought we could have a spot in the meantime."

Donna turned to Trevor. "I thought you left a voice mail."

Trevor opened his mouth to speak, but Eleven beat him to it. "That's my fault. I just checked it."

"What do you mean you just checked it? What if someone left you an important message?"

"Well, they'd ring you," said Eleven.

"Can't you just take me back in the TARDIS to my time?" Donna screamed again.

"I don't think you can wait that long, can you?," asked Eleven. "Lie back. I'll take a look."

Donna's jaw dropped again. "I just met you!"

"We've been married years, Donna. I'm familiar with that whole... region," he finished with a general waving of the hand.

"I don't need to know this," said Trevor.

Eleven turned to Trevor. "This is your own fault, you know! You can't let women in the third trimester travel via vortex manipulator! You shouldn't travel by vortex manipulator anyway! Another bad habit learned from your godfather, no doubt!"

"I don't need this right now, Dad," said Trevor. "I was just trying to be born."

"I think I'm having another contraction," said Donna.

"Of course you are," said Eleven. "You've had him in there for an age. He's not a baby elephant, Donna."

Donna held her hand out. "Come here."

Eleven stepped forward, taking Donna's hand. She then used her free hand to smack him on the arm.

"What was that for?!," shouted Eleven.

"That is the second time you have told me I am not an elephant! Do you think you're funny?!"

"Sometimes!," Eleven shouted back.

Donna shook her head. "Oh, my God. Who the hell am I married to?"

"Plenty of time for all that later," said Eleven. "Trust me. There will be discussions later. We need to get this birth sorted."

"I know," said Donna, "you bring the TARDIS here. I'll crawl in."

"Donna, I really don't think we have that much time."

Donna burst into tears.

"You're crying," said Eleven. He looked at Trevor. "She's crying."

"Just once," said Donna, sobbing, "I would like to have a baby in the correct time period on Earth. Is that so wrong?"

"It's not wrong," Eleven said softly. "Just a little far fetched..."

Donna let out an involuntary scream. "You mean they're all like this?!"

"No, no, of course not," said Eleven, looking over at Trevor. "What about Zara? That was normal."

"A man kidnapped her to hand her over to vomiting space aliens!"

"Well... before that."

Donna sobbed some more.

"Is there anything I can do?," asked Eleven.

"Take off that hat!"

Eleven sheepishly took off the hat. "Geoffrey, see where the hotel manager got off to with our cups."

Donna's interest piqued. "Geoffrey?"

"You know, he got to choose his own name," Trevor said, looking at Donna. "Maybe think about that when you fill out the birth certificate."

"Get the teacups!." said Eleven.

Trevor or Geoffrey or whoever he was walked out.

"I know this hasn't been easy for you," said Eleven. "I promised you so much at the beginning, I never stopped to think of the consequences."

Donna turned to him. "Don't you dare start that angst ridden last of the Time Lords rubbish on me. I am not staying with you in this regeneration if you're going to go all emo on me."

"I am not emo!," Eleven protested.

"Could have fooled me," said Donna. She let out another sigh. "Besides, I'm a bloody hypocrite."

Eleven raised his eyebrows. "Pardon?"

"I don't tolerate your moodiness and what the hell have I been doing? Laying around, being miserable while I tell you to be happy about sending Zara to school and tell what happened to your family on Gallifrey..."

"School!," said Eleven. "I'd almost forgotten about sending Zara to nursery school! With the snacks and the non-radioactive blocks! It was so quaint!"

Donna didn't respond. Eleven watched as she stared at her feet.

"You're not wearing shoes," said Eleven.

"I was in bed," Donna said softly.

"You shouldn't be hard on yourself," he said. "We all have rough patches and sometimes we like to stew in them. I know I did for a very long time."

"Then what happened?," asked Donna.

Eleven smiled wanly. "You came to travel with me."

Donna was gobsmacked at the statement.

"Oh, Donna, don't tell me you didn't know that already," said Eleven. "You helped me and I am going to help you if you'll just let me, but you have to try."

Donna nodded. "I suppose it's about time I got a taste of my own medicine." She yelped again.

"Now, Donna, don't worry," said Eleven, "I've got this well in hand."

"Really?," asked Donna.

"Do you want to know the truth?"

"No."

"Then really."

Donna shrugged. "Good enough."

Eleven grinned. "That's the spirit!"