Ch 25

The morning brought red, cloudy skies over the town. It created the sort of quiet one found when hidden beneath a blanket. The Doctor blinked awake, rolled on his side, and looked at his wife. He had an uneasy feeling about going back into territory where she could do easily get hurt. He moved a stray curl away from her face.

She murmured something unclear in her sleep, leaning ever so slightly into his touch. He rested his palm against her cheek, listening with no intention of waking her.

"Doctor..." She mumbled, still asleep, "The baby..." He unconsciously moved his thumb back and forth across her skin, wondering if she was really calling for him or if it was just her dream. "William..." She whispered, brow furrowing in her sleep.

"River, " he said softly. He knew from the name it was a dream, but he couldn't imagine it being a pleasant one.

"Doctor..." She whispered, sounding more distressed this time.

"Wake up." He said a bit louder. Her eyes blinked open, the distress on her face lingering for a moment. "It's alright," he whispered, "I'm here."

She nodded, reaching to take his hand. He met her halfway, giving her hand a squeeze.

"Alright?"

She nodded, "I'm okay. Just... dreaming."

"I know, I heard."

"Oh." She breathed, "I'm sorry."

"No need to be. I just want to make sure you were okay," he said gently. "You said his name."

She nodded slowly. He glanced out the window, changing the subject for her. "I should make some food before we get going."

"I can help." She murmured.

"Alright." He helped her out of bed. She walked with him to the kitchen, glancing out at the sky.

"Eggs?" He suggested.

"That would be nice." She nodded.

He got started on the food, neither of them quite managing to mention their nervousness about the day ahead of them, but somehow still understanding the other's just fine.

River walked over to him as he made the food, rubbing his shoulders to try and help relax him. He put his hand over hers with a weak smile. "I haven't seen Venic this morning. I think she's gone to check in with the other Healers."

She nodded, pressing a kiss to his shoulder, "We have to thank her before we go." He made a noise of agreement.

Soon they sat down to eat, hands still joined. River picked at the eggs, not having much of an appetite. She ran her hand along her belly, looking worriedly up at the Doctor.

He met her eyes, "Alright?"

She nodded, "I'm just worried about the baby."

"Me, too." He murmured.

"Can you come closer?" She asked.

He nodded, moving to sit next to her instead of across from her. She took his hand, bringing it to rest where hers had been. He gave a small smile. "Do you think the others will be pleased?" He meant the children.

"I hope so." She smiled as well, "It's been awhile since we talked about kids, but...I think they'll be excited."

He nodded in hopeful agreement. It felt a bit alarming to think about the future since he hardly knew if River or this baby would make it through today. He almost didn't want to get his hopes up.

"We know that you make it out of this." She murmured, her mind obviously stuck in a similar place, "I've seen future you, so you have to survive."

"It's not me I'm worried about." He admitted.

"The baby and I will be okay." She touched his cheek, trying to be assuring, "I know how to keep it safe."

He put his other hand over hers, leaning into her touch. He was trying his hardest to be at least somewhat positive. "Rassilon won't know what hit him."

"He certainly won't." She leaned in to kiss him. He met her lips, kissing her softly but with affection enough to fill his hearts and then some.

She smiled once they pulled away, "It'll be alright."

"Aren't I the one supposed to be saying that to you?" He teased lightly.

"Yes, I suppose so." She smiled, "However, I think we can make an acception."

She kissed his cheek, "We should get ready." He nodded in agreement.

They didn't really have to pack anything since they hadn't come with anything, so getting ready mostly just entailed putting on shoes and coats.

River stood in the doorway of the bedroom, her coat and shoes on. The coat wasn't quite enough to hide her bump, which peaked through. His eyes were on her as he toed his shoes on. "Ready?"

She nodded hesitantly, smoothing her clothes over her middle once more. He took her hand tightly and they left the little cottage, heading for the Healer's hut.

The Healers were all waiting for them, the serum that had been concocted resting on the counter.

"Thank you all very much for this." The Doctor murmured. "We would repay you if we could."

"There is no need. We are happy to help." One of the women smiled.

He thought for a moment about his place here as a war hero, how most who knew his name felt in debt to him. The people of the town had given food and shelter, guards in the capital had helped him escape to find River the last two times he was there, all because he'd once saved their lives. If only they knew he'd once taken them, too.

He tried and failed to manage a smile and pocketed the serum. "There is one more thing before we go... if it's not too much. We need a transport to the capital. Preferably something discrete."

"There are some transports in the marketplace, if you ask, I'm sure they would be happy to give one to you."

"Thank you." He nodded looking back at River. "We should get going."

They started towards the market, the cloudy morning tinting the town darker. He glanced over as they passed Rai and Theon's house, spotting two little noses peeking out the window.

"Do you want to say goodbye?" River asked softly.

He hesitated because he was reluctant to admit he'd grown attached to the children (especially with missing their own kids so much), but eventually nodded.

They walked up to the house, the door opening before they even reached it. Rai and Theon's beaming faces looked up at them excitedly, not realizing the two adults had come to say goodbye.

"Hello, little ones." The Doctor smiled sadly.

"Come inside! We're having breakfast, you can join us." Theon smiled.

"I'm afraid we've already eaten. River and I... we're leaving today." He said slowly.

The children's smiles faded, "Why?"

He bent down to their level. "It's a bit complicated, I'm afraid. We have something of a mission we have to finish. The longer we're here, the more we put your town in danger."

"But we'll miss you." Rai pouted, "Nobody else has stories as good as yours."

"Perhaps you can make your own stories." He soothed. "There's alway an adventure to be had somewhere. There's alway treasure to be found and people to meet and monsters to chase away."

"Will you come back and visit?" Theon asked.

"I don't know." He answered, though in honesty it was a very low likelihood.

"We want to meet the baby so you hafta come back!" Rai insisted.

He looked up at River, not knowing what to say. River knelt down next to her husband, "Well, Rai. As much as we want you to meet our baby, I don't know if it will be safe for us to bring it here."

The girl looked at the ground. "Why not?"

"There are a lot of powerful people here who don't like me and the Doctor and they would want to hurt the baby." She explained.

"I don't want anyone to hurt you!" She looked alarmed.

"I know, and they won't." River assured.

Rai looked on the verge of tears. "You promise?"

"I promise." She nodded.

Sniffling, Rai threw her arms around River to hug her. River hugged the girl, comforting her a bit. Theon wiggled his way into the embrace, crying harder than his sister.

"It'll be alright." She murmured.

"Will you ever come back?" Theon asked.

"We'll try our best." She lied.

Rai reached into her pocket and pulled out a small rock with an etching of some sort of flower on it. "Take this for luck."

"Thank you, dear." River murmured, squeezing the rock tightly. Even a quick glance was enough for her to recognize the etching from her past. It wasn't as neat or smooth as when she'd first seen it. It would probably fixed up by her husband later.

"A lady gave it to me on my first day of school." She explained sadly. "It's my good-luck rock so maybe if you have it, you won't get hurt."

"Are you sure you don't want to keep it?" River asked.

Rai shook her head, wiping her nose on her sleeve. "If you never come back, I don't want you to forget us."

"I won't, I promise." She smiled, "Thank you very much."

The Doctor put a hand to River's shoulder. "We ought to get going."

She nodded, "I know..."

He looked at the kids. "You two be strong now, alright? Look out for each other. ...and if anyone in red robes asks about us, you lie to them, alright?."

The children nodded, grasping each other's hands. The Doctor's stomach tightened, painfully reminded of his own children moments before he'd let the Angel take them. He took River's hand.

"Bye." The children waved as River and the Doctor turned away.

They made their way towards the markets, saying nothing but keeping hold of each other's hand. The market wasn't a far walk, people openly staring at the pair as they moved through the streets. The Doctor shifted protectively to have his arm around River's waist.

Milva was waiting in the marketplace when they got there.

"Do you know where we can get transportation to the capital?" River asked the woman once they had drawn close enough.

"I do." She nodded. "But you shouldn't go."

"Why not? We can't stay here forever."

"No, you can't," she agreed, "But running to the capital is foolish and suicidal. You can't expect to go undetected or left alone."

"We have a plan." River defended, "We're not going in unprepared."

Milva's concern didn't fade. "I recognize that you two are capable people, but you are valuable. Doctor, you were one of the last children of the Dry Lands to make it out of this place. You are the savior of worlds, our hope. And you, River, you may very well be that last free Time Lady there is. Free to have children, free to do something with your life out of the shadow of the Capital." She took River's hand. "This child is a miracle and if that light is darkened, there is none for any of us."

River glanced at her husband, seeing Milva's point, "Well then what do you suggest we do?"

"We go to the Capital." He cut off whatever Milva was going to suggest. "I'm sorry Milva, but we're not going to jump from town to town looking for a spare TARDIS. Rassilon is a desperate man and I'm sorry for what Gallifrey has come to, but we need to go. We need to take ourselves out of the equation completely. Prophecy or not, hero or not, risk or not, my family comes first."

"So you are going to abandon your own people? Are you going to leave us to rot until the next census? We are your people, we are your family. You are leading your wife and child to slaughter by going to the Capital." She gripped River's hand tighter as if to prove her point.

"I'm not abandoning anyone." He said too defensively. "I'm not the only damn savior there was or will be. I can't save anyone from Rassilon, that is not my duty."

People in the market were starting to look at them now.

"Fine. If you refuse to listen then you can't blame us if you all don't make it out alive."

The Doctor closed his eyes, trying to calm down. "And when the Capital comes for a census, you can thank me for not sticking around and riskng all of your lives."

River put her hand on his arm, trying to give him some form of comfort.

"We can protect you when the census comes. We have ways of hiding you so that they won't find you." Milva tried again.

"It's not your job to protect me. The way the people look at me, there aren't many here who'd risk themselves to protect us, risk their children to protect us. I'm not asking them to." He sighed. "We've got to get a move on."

"Thank you for all of your help." River murmured.

Milva looked at the floor. "Do stay safe, child."

She nodded, gripping her husband's hand tighter. They left Milva and moved to the back of the shops where the transporters were. The teleports wouldn't get them in the city, but it would get them close enough to walk.

"Are you ready?" River asked softly.

"Probably not, " he whispered. "But I suspect we should go anyways.'"

She nodded, taking a deep breath. They stepped onto the teleport and disappeared from the town.