Author's Notes: I do not own Doctor Who, the Doctor, Donna, Torchwood, those kids on the Sarah Jane Adventures, any of them. Thanks for the reads and reviews and follows. What I meant to say last time was that chapter was originally part of this chapter, but I split it up on grounds of being giant. Then I decided I couldn't bear the waiting so you get all of this.

Rhys Williams arrived at the hospital and hauled two duffel bags up to the maternity wing. He walked down the corridor and heard Jack's voice. He turned to see the waiting room where Jack, Ianto and some people he didn't recognize were.

Rhys walked in as Jack was waxing nostalgic to an older man. "I loved the nineteen forties," he said. "Except for the war of course. The fashion..."

"We guessed that," said Ianto.

Jack ignored him. "The music even more than that. Big band orchestras. Sinatra, Cab Calloway, Ella Fitzgerald. Hey, have I ever told you guys about the time I saved Ella Fitzgerald from the space caterpillars?"

"You sound worse than the Doctor," said Mickey.

Jack finally looked up to see Rhys. "Everyone, this is Gwen's husband, Rhys. This is Wilf, Sylvia and Mickey." He looked at Rhys. "Gwen will be right back, she's just doing a patrol of the perimeter."

Rhys looked around at the command center they had set up.

"Have you taken over the waiting room?," asked Rhys. "What if someone else wants to wait?"

Jack shrugged. "You know what I miss, Wilf? There's no romance in music today."

"Oh, that's for sure," said Wilf. "Though I sort of like that Jay-Z fellow."

"Yeah, he's good," said Jack.

"You know he's married to Beyonce."

Rhys just stood in disbelief as Ianto started inspecting the duffle bags.

"Is that all the bags?", asked Ianto. "Where's the trunk?"

"What am I? Your bloody bellhop? Why are we in a maternity ward anyway?"

"What? Didn't you get the emails?," asked Wilf.

Gwen entered. "Oh, hi, sweetheart."

"What's going on? First Christmas, now Valentine's Day?"

Gwen shrugged. "Christmas was an emergency and as for tonight, how am I supposed to tell a Time Baby when to come?"

Rhys paused. "What's a Time Baby?"

Sylvia scoffed. "Good luck getting a straight answer on that one."

Donna watched the sun rise from over John's shoulder. She was leaning against him, trying to find a comfortable position for the latest contraction.

"There, sweetheart, just breathe through it," said John.

"Stupid useless childbirth clinic," Donna muttered.

"Yeah, it was unfair of them to toss us out for talking," mused John. "You're doing brilliantly."

Donna took another deep breath. It seemed as if that was all she was doing: taking deep breaths.

That and screaming.

"John?"

"Yes?"

"You said we decided to have a baby, right?"

"Yes."

"Why did we decide?"

It was night at Hampton Court. The Doctor ran down the grand corridor, quickly followed by Donna and Katherine of Aragon.

"What do you mean she's an alien?", shrieked Donna.

"I don't understand!," said Queen Katherine.

"What's to understand? Anne Boleyn, well, the real Anne Boleyn has long since been possessed by one of the Xercici!"

"Does that mean Elizabeth I was an alien?", asked Donna.

"Who's Elizabeth I?", asked Katherine.

Donna looked at the Doctor. "Oh, I've done it, haven't I?"

"Yeah, you've really done it," said the Doctor, his trainers squeaking against the floor as he slid to a halt in front of a great pillar. "The transmitter should be in here. I'll neutralize it so she can't transmit any more plans to the first strike invasion force."

The Doctor took out his sonic screwdriver and popped open the panel of the pillar. He wen to to work on the wires and switches for the transmitter.

Donna looked sympathetically at Katherine. "Have you thought of taking a vacation home? Maybe somewhere warm and sunny like Majorca?"

Katherine looked at the Doctor. "You're saying my husband's mistress, the Protestant heretic, the Lady Anne is from another world?"

"Well, she is and she isn't. The Xercici are a parasitic race, they take over the free will of their host, they don't change their DNA, though. It all depends on how you define human, I suppose." He paused. "Invasion of the Body Snatchers! It's like that! Not the original, the one with Nicole Kidman. Oh, right, you haven't seen that. You haven't seen Nicole Kidman. That's the problem with the sixteenth century, there aren't any good popular culture references."

"We should tell the king," said Katherine. "My husband will expel her from the court."

The Doctor shrugged. "I don't know that I would count on that."

"And why not, Sir Doctor?"

Donna looked over at the Queen again. "What about Malta? My friend Beatrice went there on her honeymoon, she said it was brilliant."

"Donna," said the Doctor, "do we have to go through this again? Time? Fixed and moveable points? Not altering history so that you aren't born?"

Donna crossed her arms. "Okay, Time Boy, if I alter history so that I'm not born, that means I never came back in time with you to alter history, which means I was born, so exactly how does that work?"

"It's wibbly-wobbly, timey-wimey, Donna, okay?"

Queen Katherine looked at Donna. "What does that mean?"

"That means he doesn't know and still wants to sound clever," said Donna.

"How long have you two been married?"

"Oh, we're not-" Donna started. The Doctor looked at her pathetically. She threw her hands up. "Sorry, reflex! Six months."

"Actually, seven months, eighteen days, twelve hours, fifteen minutes and forty-two seconds," corrected the Doctor.

"You're still counting the time loop?," asked Donna.

"Do you have any children?"

"No, no, definitely not," said Donna. She looked up to see the Doctor again with the sad Bambi eyes. "What?"

"What do you mean definitely not?," asked the Doctor. "It almost sounds like you mean never."

Donna shifted uncomfortably. "Sorry, are we having this conversation now?"

Donna's attention was then distracted by a metal wolf, snarling at the end of the hall as its eyes blinked between green and red lights.

"Run!", shouted the Doctor.

The wolf started barreling down the hall at them. The three ran into a cupboard and the Doctor shut it behind them.

"What was that creature?", exclaimed Katherine.

"And more importantly, won't it find us in the cupboard?," asked Donna.

"Xercici drone. And it won't find us in the cupboard, their sensors don't work through wood." He looked at Donna. "So, what's the problem?"

"We're being chased by a metal wolf?," she asked incredulously.

"No, the children issue."

"Seriously? You want to have this conversation in front of Katherine of Aragon?"

"You seem to know everything about my private life," said Queen Katherine.

The Doctor seem genuinely irritated. "I specifically mentioned ginger Time Babies as a reason to get married!"

"And you were serious?", shrieked Donna.

"What's a ginger Time Baby?", asked Queen Katherine.

The Doctor didn't bother answering. "Do you mean you don't want them? Is it the alien baby thing? Is that it?"

"Yeah, that's why I've been shagging you all this time," said Donna. She looked over to see Queen Katherine's shocked expression. "Sorry, Your Majesty."

"Then you don't think I would be a good father?," asked the Doctor. "Jenny, it was just because she was unexpected. I can do better."

"No, Doctor, that's not it, that's not it at all." She paused. "It's me."

"What do you mean?"

"You've met my mother! I don't want to screw up some poor ginger Time Baby the way she did me."

"Well, why would you do that?"

"Have you never seen an episode of Oprah?"

"Of course I've seen Oprah! I got her to try the Key Lime Pie for her Favorite Things show!," said the Doctor.

Donna shook her head. "Are you ranking that up there with the time you taught Pythagoras geometry?"

"It was a really good pie, Donna. I'll take you for some right after this."

"I'll just damage any child I come into contact with, I'm sorry."

"You're brilliant, Donna, you could never do anything to damage a child. You're the most caring and wonderful person I know. He or she would be lucky to have you as a mother." He drew a deep breath. "And then I can't bear the thought of being without you."

"What?"

"Donna, you're going to die someday and you're right, I need you. I need someone like you. You'll be gone, but our child, your child would go on... Maybe if I could just have a piece of you, I... this isn't coming out right."

"No, I think it's coming out just fine," said Donna.

"So, if you just want to think about it..."

"Yes," said Donna.

"What?"

"Yes, assuming that it comes out normally and there's not like a five year pregnancy, yeah, Time Boy, you've got yourself a deal."

The metal wolf banged against the door of the cupboard, breaking it. Queen Katherine screamed.

Donna shot the Doctor an irritated look. "Assuming we live, of course."

Donna looked up at the Doctor. "Way to not answer me."

The Doctor was frozen as he held Donna in her arms. There was so much he wanted to say, but couldn't, he wanted to tell her everything.

But he couldn't.

"Because I love you, Donna," he said, starting to rub her back again. "No better reason."

Jack was the only one still awake in the waiting room. Ianto had passed out after the fifth round of coffee. Wilf had decided to nap, then Sylvia had fallen asleep while angrily muttering something about missing her daughter's wedding and being barred from the birth room. Gwen was asleep on Rhys, Mickey had draped his jacket over his head. It was morning when Sarah Jane arrived with Luke, trailed by Clyde and Rani. Jack looked up in disbelief.

"I thought you just had the one kid!", Jack shouted, causing some of the waiting room brigade to stir.

"I do. These two followed me because they wanted to see what a Time Baby looked like," Sarah Jane said with not a little irritation.

"And who told them about the Time Baby?," asked Jack.

Sarah Jane looked over at Luke.

"I'm sorry, Captain Harkness," said Luke.

"Come on, it's not like we don't keep secrets all the time, is it?," asked Clyde.

"I keep telling you, this isn't like other secrets," said Sarah Jane.

"Sarah Jane's right, guys, this is the biggest secret in the universe," said Jack. "It has to be."

They looked down.

"Well, as long as you're here, you should stay." Jack checked the clock. "This kid's gotta come some time."

It had been hours. Hours of contractions doing absolutely nothing. Donna screamed for what she felt like was the umpteenth time and crushed John's hand.

"You're doing very well, Donna," said Martha. "We ought to be able to push soon."

Donna groaned. "Right, because I was worried about when the actual labor would start."

"Donna," said John.

"Yeah?"

"Since you're in between contractions, do you think you could see your way to letting go of my hand?"

Donna looked. She hadn't even realized she was still crushing him. "Sorry."

"Thanks."

She immediately screamed and grabbed John's hand.

"That was quick," commented Francine.

"About forty-five seconds," said John.

"What? How do you do that?," asked Donna.

"Let's have a look," said Doctor Jones.

She put gloves on and had a look at Donna, who wondered why people ever took videos of births. She looked a mess, hair everywhere, makeup long since sweating down her face, not to even mention the bikini line situation. Thank God John didn't have a camera. Doctor Jones looked back up at Donna with a smile.

"How do you feel about getting this over with?"

"What?," asked Donna in disbelief. She looked at John. "The books, the internet, they said that part was supposed to take hours."

"Well, you can tell her that when she gets out," Doctor Jones answered.

Donna looked at John. "I can't do this," she said.

"Sort of late to say that," said John.

"No, seriously, I can't do this, John."

"Donna, you can do anything."

Donna pushed for what John claimed was one hour, fifteen minutes and forty-one-point-two seconds, but felt like eternity. Finally Doctor Jones announced the head was coming out. Donna screamed at her for that one, what did she mean just the head? It took another minute before the rest came out as Donna screamed.

"Oh, look, she's ginger!," John exclaimed happily.

Donna would have hit him if she wasn't so worried. The baby wasn't making a sound, her eyes weren't even open.

"What's wrong?", asked Donna.

Doctor Jones didn't answer, she just cut the cord as she and Francine swept her away to the cot on the other side of the room. Donna gripped John's hand.

"John, she didn't cry," said Donna.

"Stay calm, sweetheart."

"Don't tell me to stay calm!"

John kissed her on the forehead. "I'll see, alright?"

Donna found herself shaking as John took her hand off hers.

The Doctor walked over to Martha.

"Is this normal?", Martha whispered.

"Sometimes the respiratory bypass system kicks in," the Doctor said quietly. "Come on, you. Cry for Mummy."

Francine smacked the little girl on the bottom. She wailed like a switch had been turned on. The Doctor looked back to see Donna was relieved and crying. Martha finished cleaning her up, wrapped her in a blanket and handed her to the Doctor.

"This is Mummy," John said softly as he handed the baby to Donna.

"I'm Mummy," said Donna. She couldn't believe it, those words were actually true, she was actually Mummy. She looked up at John. "We made her. You and I."

"Yeah, I was there for that part."

"She's gorgeous," said Donna.

"Of course she is, she takes after you," said John.

Donna looked down to see her baby staring back up at her with John's gorgeous brown eyes. Weren't babies supposed to have blue eyes or something? Funny how she had turned out like the girl in the dream. Donna quickly dismissed that thought as silly, enraptured by the creature in her arms. She looked back at John.

"Thank you," he said. "You were brilliant."

Donna smiled and looked back at the baby. "That's Daddy. Brilliant is his favorite word. You'll be hearing a lot of it."

"Look at you," John cooed, "brand new. Whole world out there for you, whole universe."

Donna looked back at John. "Thanks."

He gave her a quizzical look. "For what?"

"For whatever you said to talk me into this," Donna answered.

"Anytime."

The Doctor arrived in the waiting room. Everyone looked up at him anxiously. He broke out in a grin.

"Eight pounds, five ounces, twenty-one inches and ginger."

Jack let out a whoop and the rest of the room cheered and applauded. There were big hugs all around and suddenly the Doctor found himself hugging Rhys.

"Congratulations!"

"Sorry, this might seem rude, but do I know you?," asked the Doctor.

"I'm Rhys. Gwen's husband. Drove up from Cardiff."

"Oh, thanks for coming," said the Doctor.

He looked over to see Luke, with his two friends. Sarah Jane caught his confused expression.

"I'm sorry, they followed me," said Sarah Jane. "Clyde, Rani this is the Doctor."

The Doctor looked at them. "Why did you follow her?"

"It's my fault," said Luke, "I told them about the Time Baby."

"He's being grounded, believe you me," said Sarah Jane.

The Doctor looked at Clyde and Rani. "This goes no further than here, okay?"

"We could retcon them," said Jack.

"We're not retconning them!"

Jack rolled his eyes. "I'm joking."

"Promise?", asked the Doctor.

"Promise."

"Promise."

"Rani? I had a friend named Rani once. Well, not exactly a friend, it was... complicated. You're not interested in experimenting on human subjects, are you?"

"No," said Rani with a worried look on her face.

"That's good," said the Doctor. "Don't ever change."

Major Ellis watched from down the corridor as they celebrated, waiting to make his move.