Advice from River

I don't know how long we sat there. What I do know, however, is after a while, the Doctor let go and got up. "Where are you going?"

"We have company." The Doctor grabbed his tweed jacket and headed to the console room.

"Company?" What was he talking about? I got up and followed him. That's when I smelled it, her familiar perfume. River…

She was standing in the console room, hugging the Doctor. "Hello sweetie." She said, kissing his cheek. The Doctor returned it. River saw me. "Hello, Nancy. Wish I was coming in better circumstances." Now it was her turn to hug me.

"You have a very scary knack of timing." I said as she kissed my cheek. "Yeah, the Doctor and I are going to be parents, oh joy!" I rolled my eyes sarcastically.

River laughed. "At least you haven't lost your sense of humor." Then she turned her attention to the Doctor. "So he's developed a new plan then, eh?"

"Yes and we don't know anything about his next move."

"Isn't there anything in your journal that talks about this?" I asked River.

"Nance, we've gone over this before. Wibbely-wobbly timey-wimey stuff?" The Doctor wiggled his fingers around in the shape of a ball. "This is a ripple, a new course of direction. Apparently Rassilon now has enough power to alter previous courses, even with the Time Lock in place."

"All without creating paradoxes?" I asked. "Because I don't see any Reapers running amuck."

"At this point, I don't think he even cares about paradoxes. As long as his objectives are met then he'll do anything…" River rubbed her temples. "I've been trying to go through my books and records, trying to find something…anything…but everything has been wiped out as a consequence of the Time War. It's only myth and legend."

"At least we've got nine months to figure out something." The Doctor and River looked at me as if I had grown an extra head. "Isn't that how long pregnancies last in Gallifrey? I know that's how long Human's last."

"It is, but, well, there's a problem…" The Doctor cleared his throat. Uh oh… "Us feeling the baby's heartbeat doesn't happen until the third month of pregnancy."

"So you're saying this…baby…is growing faster than normal?" I felt like I was going to get sick. Looking down at my stomach, I saw that it had swelled out a little bit. As much as I wanted it to be my imagination, I couldn't deny that I had been skinnier earlier that morning.

"Only one way to be sure." River led me into the medical bay, the Doctor hot on our heels. I felt numb as I lay down and River moved the scanner over my abdomen. Frightened, I reached out for the Doctor's hand. He did flinch but squeezed my hand when he saw how scared I was.

I don't want this…why is this happening…I can't be a mother…I'm too young!

An image popped up on the monitor beside the scanner. It looked like an ultrasound image like we have on Earth. Sure enough, there was a little fetus clinging there. The ultrasound caught the sound of the baby's heartbeats. Thump-thump-thump-thump!

How can I describe what I felt when I saw that little baby there? It was like…something awoke deep inside of me…something I had never felt before. I was going to be a mom and I was ok with it. I wasn't afraid anymore…I wanted to be a mom.

And the Doctor…? I looked at him, expecting to see something on his face. Maybe shock. Maybe fear. Maybe even denial. But no…I saw something deeper there. Was he having the same thoughts I was? What did he think?

"Henderson must've used a growth agent when implanting Nancy. Apparently Rassilon isn't patient enough." River said. "At this rate, I'd say this baby will be born in three months."

Three months…three months…oh my God…

The Doctor's face turned pensive. What was he thinking about? Was he scared? Granted he became a father, but not in the way he had expected. Did he even want to be a father? Letting go of my hand, he left. I wanted to go after him. River held me back.

"Give him some space. He needs time to sort out his feelings." River squeezed my hand. "Do you want to know if it's a boy or girl?" I nodded, returning to the image. "It looks like a little girl."

"Rassilon isn't going to touch her." I said firmly. "Not while there's breath in my body."

"You'll make a good mum, darling." River said reassuredly. But I was more worried about the Doctor.


A/N: Well? Reviews, please?