Newborns cry. That's a universal truth. Heck, even loom-born Time Tots cry as they draw their first breath. But now there was silence. A deafening silence. A newborn but no sound is the saddest silence the Doctor could recall ever hearing. He watched mouth agape as Dr. Chang held the tiny, still infant and cut the cord. It was a girl, as Missy had predicted. The Doctor could see Missy try and peer down to see her daughter. He could sense that, despite her tiredness and the fact she was drugged up to her eyeballs, she was starting to realise something was wrong. Dr. Chang held the baby out of sight from Missy as he turned quickly and placed her on the table where Kate was on standby. It was all happening in slow motion.
"How long was the cord wrapped around the neck?" Kate asked, rubbing the infant with warm towels. Her lips remained blue and form rigid. She looked back at Missy who was watching the scene desperately. "As long as she was pushing for, I think."
"Something's wrong" Missy's hoarse voice cracked through the silence. She'd watched them sweep her daughter away. She'd listened and waited for a cry that hadn't come. She was still waiting. She managed to convince herself that she was being paranoid but then she saw her fear reflected back at her in the Doctor's face. She was so tired and everything ached and she still felt groggy from the meds but in that instant, her mind was razor sharp and focused on one thing. "Where is she?" She demanded, voice croaky from hours of screaming. Missy knew the baby was forced on her. Knew she wouldn't be keeping her, but that didn't mean she felt nothing for her. "Please. I just want my baby."
The humans were still at the table, hovering around the baby. She was still wet and coloured with gunk and blood and fluid but she wasn't breathing. Kate carried on massaging her with the towels "Come on little one. Just take a breath," she whispered, trying to keep the panic from showing itself to Missy. Dr. Chang pressed small compressions into her chest. The Doctor watched the scene and turned back to Missy who was staring straight ahead and trying to catch even a glimpse of her daughter. It seemed unfair. She'd done all the hard work and was the only one that hadn't seen the baby. He watched Dr. Chang's back tense as the man shook his head. Gulping, he turned back to Missy, knowing he was going to have to prepare her for the worst. It had to be him that broke the news to her. There was always this risk; Missy's body wasn't meant for that process and the stress had been too much. Glancing at the Time Lady he could see her mouthing an ancient prayer to Gods they had long known not to exist.
Reaching out and covering her hand, he cringed at its clamminess. He'd get her another cool flannel soon. "Missy" he said quietly. "Don't say it," the Time Lady ordered, not looking at him. "I need you to get me to her. I can feel her presence and one heart is about to start beating." The Doctor shook his head. There was no way she was leaving the bed. She was exhausted and still had to deliver the after birth. "No, you can't leave the bed. Darling, you tried so hard, but we're not meant to reproduce like that" he smiled sadly, watching Missy stare straight ahead at the baby.
"Please Thete," the Time Lady begged, she knew that her daughter was alive and needed them to let her help. She could feel small cramps starting again and felt blood trickling down her thighs. Tentatively, she reached down and wiped at the sticky coating. Everything felt so strange and out of her control and she hated that. No one was telling her anything. Grimacing, she shifted at a cramp like pain and refocused her attention back to the small, wet bundle that still hadn't cried. Please. Poppet. Cry. Just. Take. A. Breath. She could feel the desperation in her projection and it was sloppy in its execution, with the Doctor picking up on it and looking at her with an expression of disgusting pity. "Get them away from her" she seethed, attempting to sound threatening but failing. "They're prodding her and hurting her. She needs me."
The Doctor shook his head and took her hand that was now coated in blood, wiping it clean. "No, they're helping" he said calmly, worrying over her paled appearance and growing fever. "We have a heartbeat," Dr. Chang exclaimed. The Doctor turned in shock. "I told you" Missy stated, with a slurred edge to her voice. The Doctor missed the way her eyes rolled back, struggling to stay open as he became entranced by the Time Tot and the way her mouth was opening and closing in short, sharp gasps. It had been so damn long since he'd seen a newborn of his own kind. He could sense the sameness dripping from the infant's pores. Guiltily, he realised Missy must have felt that intensified. In amongst the sameness, there was a strange twinge of something different. Something that reminded him this baby wasn't all Gallifreyan. It didn't bother him but he knew it would be difficult for Missy. "She's breathing but she's still weak. We need to start her second heart" Dr Chang listed, concerned and flustered. "How?" Kate stated, "We've never had to do that."
Missy nearly managed to snort at their incompetence. Nearly. Her daughter was in crisis though and her body was still doing things she didn't understand. She shifted as she felt a cramp and what felt like more blood dripping down her thighs. Without realising it, her muscles contracted and worked to dispel the last remnants of the pregnancy. Missy stilled, mind attuned to the baby. It was scared, she could feel it. The poor mite had been dropped into this world and was now desperately seeking the only other being she really knew. Mama's here, baby. Right here. She saw the Doctor's back tense, he had felt the projection but not the message; this was a link that not even he shared.
"She needs me" Missy asserted attempting to get out of the bed. Her words went unheard amongst the beeping and the panic in the room. Wincing, she unsteadily placed one foot on the cool tiles. Pausing, deep breath, and the next foot. She made three steps forward before her legs gave way and she crumpled to the floor with a crash, groaning with another cramp as the after birth sloshed out and on to the floor. That caught the attention of the others in the room and finally snapped the Doctor out of his trance.
"Missy!" In one swift movement, he eased her up. She caught sight of the blood that was coating the once white sheets. Her blood. Her daughter's blood. Catching onto her line of thought, the Doctor pulled her away from the bed and stepped carefully over the placenta as he led Missy to the chair in the corner. "So much blood" she stammered, momentarily unfocused on the baby. "It's normal, darling, I promise" he soothed, kissing her forehead. She was still sweating. Shaking herself, the Time Lady looked back over his shoulder wanting, no needing, to catch sight of her daughter. "She's breathing, Kos. They're trying to start her second heart." Missy shook her head. "She needs me" she tried again, hoping he would get it. He shook his head and the Time Lady realised she'd have to show him. Taking a deep breath, she tried to summon her regeneration energy. She tried once, twice, three times. It was only on the fourth attempt that a golden glimmer shone under the skin on her left hand. The Doctor gasped in alarm, grabbing her wrists and pinning them to her sides. "No, don't do that Missy." She struggled against his grasp. How was he not getting this? "Idiot" she panted tiredly as her shoulders slumped. The tiny amount of energy she'd mustered disappeared faster than it appeared. He'd need to do. He was their last chance. "Regeneration energy. It'll boost her second heart" she explained, each word an effort. The Doctor's face relaxed in understanding. "Regeneration energy" he echoed. "I'm too tired. I can't do it" she sighed, looking at the Doctor. "Please can you? Please" She begged, head shooting up as the baby made small whines. The Doctor ran his thumbs over her wrists, nodding. "I can do that for you" he stated, kissing her forehead and standing up quickly, walking over to Kate and Dr Chang.
Missy could barely believe that he had agreed so easily. Eyes widening as she watched him, "you'll do it?" She exclaimed, finding a new wave of energy and trying to follow the Doctor. "I will, of course, but you need to go and sit down" he spoke gently, eyes roaming over the baby as he summoned energy to both hands. Kate and Dr. Chang's attention turned to the Time Lord's hands, watching the gold glimmer under his skin. Missy didn't look away from the form of her daughter, licking her dry lips as she watched the newborn struggle to take a breath. "Now...you need to do it now" she whispered, stepping forward and trying to touch the infant. Kate stepped in guiding her away gently. The Doctor turned back, smiling thankfully at Kate and trying to catch Missy's attention.
She was too focused on the Time Tot to take in anything else. "Will you get the top of her nightie undone, Kate? I want them to have skin on skin contact as soon as I start her second heart. They've already missed crucial bonding time" he worried over the implications of that. Sure, Missy was clearly besotted with the baby but the Doctor couldn't help but worry that was more to do with her hormones and instinct than an actual bond. He knew she was capable of love, she'd shown him that enough over their lives. But she'd been so confused during the birth, he wasn't sure she was registering what was really happening. The sooner he let them physically connect, the sooner he could let nature work while he tried to help her come to terms with everything that had happened.
Pushing the thoughts to the back of his mind, he focused on the baby that was choking as she struggled to keep breathing. The Doctor smiled at the infant though he knew she couldn't see properly yet; she could just make out images and sense imprints. There was only one imprint she was searching for. "We'll get you to mama in a minute" he whispered in the most ancient form of Gallifreyan. It was melodic and had been used to soothe Time Tots for millennia. "Right now, you'll have to put up with uncle Thete." Rubbing his hands together, he glanced back at Missy and checked she was settled with Kate. To the human's credit, she had managed to get Missy reasonably calm. Either that or the events of the last few days and the drugs were finally catching up with her. The Doctor watched as a clearly dazed Missy complied with every one of Kate's wishes from undoing her nightie to having a sip of water to letting Kate take her temperature. Still, throughout it she kept staring at the baby.
"We need to do this now" Dr. Chang stated, interrupting the Doctor's observations as he stood close by with warm towels opened up and ready. The Doctor coughed and quickly placed his hands over the infant; his hands covered her entire body. In a second, there was a blast of energy that transferred from the Doctor to the baby in one swift exchange. The baby's frame stilled at first before she took a raspy breath and illuminated in an almighty gold burst. Kate and Dr. Chang shielded their eyes while Missy cringed, still feeling everything her daughter did. "I'm sorry. I didn't think" the Time Lord apologised. "It's fine, it's working" Missy panted.
After a moment of silence, the screams of the newborn filled the air. Dr. Chang passed the towels to the Doctor quickly who bundled her up. The baby's face creased and her wails echoed around the room. The Doctor smiled as he scooped her up. "There she is" he cooed, "you have mama's lungs" he gushed walking over to Missy quickly and placing the squawking infant on her chest, just watching as the Time Lady stared down at the baby as she pressed her cheek into Missy's chest. The screams died down to whines and eventually she settled, opening her eyes and staring at Missy.
Missy furrowed her brows and pulled away from the infant's touch. Now she knew her daughter was okay, she wasn't so sure how she was feeling. Tiny nails clawed at her chest without leaving any marks or gaining grip. The Time Lady looked down, mouth hanging open. "No. No, take her back" she pushed the baby away tears threatening to fall. The Doctor scooped his arm around Missy, holding the baby in place and rubbing her back soothingly. "Its okay, Kos, she needs you" he hummed stroking the infant's cheek. She grumbled and turned away, pressing closer to Missy. The Time Lady felt something strong stir inside her. She knew it was protectiveness, she'd felt it often enough over Maisa or Thete but she didn't want to feel it over her. Despite herself, Missy reached out and slapped the Doctor's hand away. "Don't touch her, she's too sensitive. All these sensations are overwhelming," she mumbled instinctively, her words betraying her internal feelings. All she wanted to do was be rid of the thing but her body kept making her respond a certain way.
The Doctor retracted his hand quickly and watched his friend's obvious confusion as she battled her conflicting emotions. The baby opened her mouth and moved her lips hungrily before letting out a cry. Missy felt a pang of hunger in her own stomach followed by a strange sensation in her breasts as milk soaked the edge of her cotton nightie. Looking down in embarrassment, she tried to shift the blankets to cover the stains. Her eyes darted nervously around the room as she shifted and tried to get comfortable. It wasn't just the baby that was overwhelmed by the new sensations. Growing impatient, the baby cried louder and started to thrash. "Don't do that," Missy whispered, voice on the edge of a meltdown. She hadn't had to soothe a Time Tot in so long and right now she was exhausted and felt disgusting. She wanted a bath and she wanted to sleep and she wanted someone to take this damn, screaming thing away. "She needs feeding, Missy" the Doctor sighed as he pulled her nightie loose and eased the baby up to feed. She latched on quickly and suckled away greedily. Missy winced and looked at the Doctor accusingly. "Why did you help her?" She spat, narrowing her eyes at him. "Darling, she needs feeding and you're the only one that can do it." The Doctor sighed, scraping back her greasy hair. Missy squeezed her eyes shut and turned away, focusing on anything but the infant in her arms.
Kate watched the scene with concern. Missy had gone from frantically caring about the newborn, to seemingly rejecting her. Not just that, Kate could see she was still bleeding heavily. So much so that her lilac nightie had stained in a pool around the Time Lady and was dripping down her pale legs. It was more blood than normal and the coppery tang that filled the room reminded the humans that this was not a normal birth. Kate's eyes drifted to the placenta that was still on the floor by the bed. That had been unfair. They'd neglected Missy during the panic and the blonde wasn't happy with how the after birth had been delivered; the Time Lady was feverish and clearly not quite right. "I'm not happy with the delivery of the placenta" Dr. Chang voiced his own concerns. Kate nodded and the Doctor looked over, brows knitted together. "What's wrong?" He asked, arm still wrapped around Missy who was still avoiding looking at her daughter. Kate frowned and looked away while Dr. Chang stepped forward. "The delivery of the placenta was rushed and it looks like she may be developing an infection. There's too much blood," he added rather pointlessly. He was concerned. Concerned for Missy, concerned for the baby and, most of all, concerned what the Doctor would do if anything happened to either of them.
The room fell into a strange silence, the only noise was the greedy suckling of the baby at Missy's breast and the light taps of rain at the window. Kate found herself changing the bed sheets in the hope they could get Missy back into bed and examined; she was already starting to fear surgery would be needed to remove the remainder of the placenta. What that would do to Missy's bond with the baby, she dreaded to think. The Doctor looked at Missy and the way her face was coated in sweat. The Time Lady appeared to be murmuring away to herself and it was then the Doctor realised just how ill she was. He looked down at the baby and squeezed Missy's shoulder. The Time Lady jumped and tried to focus on him, her head flopped clumsily from side to side. "Thete" she smiled but it came across more as a grimace. "I don't feel right" she winced, recoiling as the baby finished feeding. "No, I can see that" he said gruffly, pushing back her hair and looking at the humans for advice. "We'd like to take a look at you Missy. Check what's making you feel bad" Dr. Chang said, watching the newborn nuzzle at Missy's chest and fall into a deep sleep. "How about we put her in this cot next to the bed and have a look at what's happening" he suggested, leaning down to try and take the baby out of Missy's arms.
Swiftly, the Time Lady pulled the newborn in tighter her eyes alight with fierce protection. The move surprised everyone in the room, even Missy herself. "No. Not you" she spat, slurring her words as she felt the room spin. "You don't get to hold her, only the Doctor can." Dr. Chang stepped away, hands raised to show that he meant no harm. Missy was in such a volatile mood that everyone had to be careful. Giving way to the Time Lord, Dr. Chang watched as the Doctor scooped the sleeping infant into his arms and placed her carefully into the cot before turning back to Missy and helping her towards the bed. "I'm going to prep theatre," Kate said from her position at the door. "She hasn't even been examined yet!" The Doctor protested, watching as Dr. Chang set about checking Missy over. The Time Lady had already fallen back to sleep, body giving in to exhaustion. "Maybe she's just tired. She was in labour for two days. Or it could just be another case of Time Distortion!" he added, desperation seeping into his words. As he saw her still bleeding heavily, he realised he was going to have to admit defeat. "She hasn't delivered all of the placenta," Dr. Chang said levelly. "It's perfectly normal and requires a straightforward procedure." At Dr. Chang's confirmation, Kate turned and headed towards the operating theatre. "A procedure? She doesn't… You've seen what she's like with hospitals" the Doctor stuttered. "If she doesn't have the operation it'll develop into an infection that could be much worse for her. It'll take half an hour at most." Missy murmured and it caused the baby to whine. The Doctor sighed, noting how interlinked the baby and Time Lady were. Taking her hand, the Doctor did his best to comfort both. I'm here, Missy, don't worry he projected before turning to Dr. Chang. "Can I be with her?" Another murmur. Another whine. "You should stay with the baby. I'm going to give her the anesthetic now so she's less distressed and doesn't know she's going into the procedure" he said, pulling a mask up to Missy's face. "Wait" the Doctor said quickly, "make sure it's a strong enough dose to keep her asleep." Dr. Chang nodded, "Doctor, everything in this room is adjusted for Gallifreyans. You need to trust us." The Doctor coughed. "Yes. I will. I'm sorry" he rambled, watching the human bring the mask back to Missy's lips.
As soon as the mask made contact with Time Lady's skin, her eyes shot open. Panic coursed through her and the baby cried out as she felt her mother's distress. "They're helping you, Missy. You're going to feel sleepy but I wouldn't let them hurt you. You trust me?" "Yes. I trust you" she nodded and looked around to find where the cries were coming from. "Oh no, baby girl. Baby girl, shh. I'm here. Mama's here" Missy attempted to soothe the newborn. It still felt wrong but not as wrong as hearing her baby crying inconsolably. No. Not her baby, the baby. The Doctor looked on, sensing Missy's conflictions and nodding at Dr Chang to sedate Missy before she worked herself up.
The Time Lord continued stroking the Time Lady's hand, while cradling the baby in his free arm. He watched as Missy's blown pupils clouded over and remained fixed on the baby. Eventually, her eyelids drifted shut and remained that way for all of a second. The Doctor cursed under his breath at his friend's stubbornness. "Keep the mask over her nose and mouth" he ordered Dr Chang "and up the dose. She's being damned stubborn. At this rate, you're going to need enough anesthetic to down a flaming elephant." Placing the baby back in the cot, he turned his full attention to Missy as he crouched down by the head of her bed.
"Stop fighting it, Missy" the Doctor said with a gentle firmness. Missy turned and faced him hazily, unable to fully focus on anything. Her mind seemed to be pulling her in two directions. One was a blanket of darkness that covered everything and lulled her into a sleep. The other was more firmly in the physical world. It had the Doctor and that smelly human and the Doctor was telling her it was okay to go to sleep. Oh how she wanted to! But something was stopping her. She couldn't place what exactly it was but she could feel its pull and its need in her very core. The Doctor watched Missy's confusion and tried to figure out why exactly she was fighting the sedation with such determination. Stroking her forehead, he continued trying to reassure her. "It's okay. I promise you it is okay. Just close your eyes" he soothed while Missy nodded and started to close her eyes again. From the cot, a quiet snuffling emerged and caught Missy's attention instantly. It suddenly clicked into place for the Doctor as he realised the baby was keeping her awake. She needed reassurance that the baby was safe. Whether she was aware of it or not, that was what was happening. "Your baby is safe with me. I will never let anything happen to her and she will be back in your arms before you know it." He promised, wondering how strange it must have been for Missy to be so far away from the infant after months of carrying her. He'd only ever read about the bond between mothers and womb-born Time Tots but now he was seeing it firsthand and realising that all of the books had underestimated its depth.
As the Doctor had found himself caught up in thought, Missy's eyes had drifted shut. "We're going to take her down now, Doctor" Dr. Chang, stated as he started to wheel the bed outside. "Yes. Yes" the Doctor nodded dumbly, feeling the cool air from the reception area hit him. He'd been so used to the recycled, heated air in the birthing suite, the surge of air was surprisingly refreshing. Turning, he stared after the back of Missy's head for as long as he could before it disappeared out of sight. The baby was now nuzzled up to his chest, sleeping as his two hearts pounded away. It was a rubbish substitute for her mother, but it was a substitute nevertheless. "You've not been in this world an hour yet, but you're already stuck with me. Poor mite" he spoke softly to get her used to vocal words, while still giving the baby a psychic embrace. The newborn snored softly and tiredly projected back images that were synonymous with Missy's imprint. "She'll be back soon, I promise" he cooed. Reaching down, the Time Lord retrieved the top Missy had been wearing when she arrived at the hospital before walking over to the un-bloodied chair on the opposite side of the room. "This will have to do for now" he murmured, wrapping the shirt around the baby who seemed to take some comfort from it before falling into a deeper sleep.
Clara woke abruptly, feeling her shoulder shaken with considerable force. "Hey, hey. Where's the fire" the woman yawned, stretching and staring back at Me. For someone so small, she certainly had strength on her side. Clara had found herself dozing off to sleep intermittently throughout the night. There was only so much waiting around, a person could do. God only knows how the Doctor had managed to cope with the waiting around when he was so used to being able to play around with time. "They took Missy down to theatre about an hour ago" Me stated, not wasting any time on pleasantries. "I've been trying to wake you since. Have you been raiding the pharmacy downstairs?" Clara blinked a few times, trying to wake up properly as she listened to Me's words. Ignoring her jibe, she focused on her words instead. "Oh. The Doctor finally agreed to let her have the C-section" she wiped at her mouth sloppily, yawning. "That's good. Missy must be exhausted." Me let out an exasperated sigh. "No. She had the baby, remember? We heard it crying. Christ, you don't remember do you? You were definitely awake" she tutted, standing up and pacing. That woke Clara up, though the energy that Me was pacing the corridor was exhausting. "What? Then why have they taken her down?" Me peered into the room through the box window, watching as the Doctor slept with the baby resting on his chest. "Kate didn't say and then Dr. Chang was in too much of a rush to explain. It's probably some complications surrounding the birth." Clara nodded. "That happens. I'm sure they'll deal with it quickly" she joined Me at the window, also peering in. "He looks tired." Me's eyes lingered over the baby and she made a non-committal noise. "You should go in and see them. He won't mind, you know" Clara stated, noting Me's distraction. Me shook her head, causing strands of dark hair to fall over her face. "He'll think I just care about the baby. I'm not that one-track minded, I do actually care about Missy too." She muttered, turning away and walking back to the seating area. "It's such an important bonding time and she's missing it." "We know that. You didn't need to stay here all night, that shows how much you care." Clara offered, rejoining her. "I'm sure the Doctor will make sure they get some bonding time but if Missy was in danger then they needed to help her." Me grumbled and shrugged, "well I had to come after Alsaz's warning, didn't I?" Clara went to respond when she was interrupted.
"Alsaz" a croaky voice echoed and the women turned around to find Missy looking at them. The Time Lady looked groggy and was momentarily distracted by the cannula in her hand. "She shouldn't be out from under the anesthetic yet" Kate muttered, moving to the side of Missy and laying her back down, hoping that she could prevent full blown panic by getting the Time Lady back to sleep. "That doesn't matter right now" the blonde stated softly, in that same voice that she usually saved for her children and never dreamed of having to use with the Master in any form. "No. Alsaz is a Gallifreyan name. Why is she talking about Gallifreyans? Why am I here?" Missy murmured, slipping into Gallifreyan at the end. Her mouth was dry as she rested her head against the pillows and let it flop to one side. The atmosphere tasted distinctly human and she momentarily wondered if the Doctor had finally fulfilled his promise of handing her over to UNIT. Soreness ran throughout her body and everything felt so hazy. "The anesthetic is still wearing off, Missy. If you rest, you will feel better and we'll get you settled so you can see the baby and the Doctor."
By this stage, the Doctor had heard the sudden commotion and rushed outside to meet Missy. As soon as he entered the corridor, the Time Lady sensed the baby in his arms and everything made sense as all her attention was captured by the infant. As the baby sensed Missy's presence, she woke up, crying for her mother and thrashing as much as her little body would allow. "Oh. It's baby girl. I forgot. I'm sorry poppet, Mama's here." Clara looked on, not quite believing the words falling so genuinely from Missy's lips. Me stiffened, slightly jealous at the evident bond between Time Tot and Time Lady, but remained unsurprised. This was just how the Time Lady had been with the failed attempts. The Doctor ignored her ramblings, but felt the baby relax in his arms as she heard Missy's voice. "Is it okay to lay the baby on her- it won't hurt her or anything?" Dr. Chang and Kate nodded. "Yes" Kate smiled, while Dr. Chang fumbled with the equipment at the back of the bed. "Just make sure she doesn't get startled by it like she was earlier, we need to limit sudden movements." The Doctor nodded. "Would you like to hold her Missy?" He asked, deciding to leave it as Missy's choice. The Time Lady licked her lips and reached her arms out "yes. I want to" She tried to sit up. Kate placed a hand on her shoulder, easing her back against the pillows while the Doctor smiled at her new enthusiasm "Okay darling, here she is" he smiled, laying her down on Missy's stomach.
The Time Lady beamed as the infant snuggled against her and trailed her hand down to rest against the back of her head. "Her hair's so soft" she murmured, playing with the fine, brown hair that already curled at the ends. Missy's eyes scanned across every detail of the infant, seeing her properly for the first time. "You're so soft and so beautiful and" she paused, placing her hands over her back "still naked. My poor baby, the depravity. Did uncle Theta not dress you?" she cooed, scowling over at the Doctor who laughed and held his hand up defensively. "I thought you would want to dress her" he tried to explain. Missy scoffed. "I'm too tired. Don't you pass the buck," she looked away from him and back at the baby. "Silly uncle Thete" she yawned, closing her eyes while easing the baby up gently; both of them falling into a sleep not long after. The Doctor placed a blanket over the baby as Dr. Chang wheeled them into a new room.
"It's just a matter of leaving them both to rest and get to know each other now" Dr. Chang stated, looking over the notes and sliding them into a folder at the end of Missy's bed. The Time Lady had been out of theatre for several hours now and, apart from being initially quite alert, had slept for most of it. Every so often, she had woken up just long enough to feed her daughter. All her actions seemed to be on auto-pilot and it was clear the immediate post-birth hormones were still controlling most of her decisions; still the Doctor couldn't help but smile as he watched her. He always knew she had a maternal, caring side but he hadn't seen it in so many centuries. Kate had found a new room for them, thinking both Time Lords could do with a fresh environment. It was bigger and Clara had spent time keeping the Doctor company and gushing over the newborn. Me, after having a quiet word with the Doctor to look out for Alsaz and the others, had taken her leave with the promise of returning in the next day. "Thank you for everything you've done" the Doctor stood, watching carefully as the young human examined Missy. "It is my job" he shrugged, replacing the sheet with a content nod. "Everything's in order and they're both doing well. All being well, they should be able to go back to the house tomorrow."
"That…That's great news" the Doctor stuttered, mind now starting to worry over the next month. He knew his friend and he knew that she wouldn't be capable of the round the clock care her daughter would need. She had barely managed it with Maisa and that had been a child she'd chosen to have. Not only that, but the Time Lords posed another threat and that was a threat that wasn't going anywhere. "One step at a time" Clara chimed, sensing the Doctor's line of thought as she watched his worried face crease. "Clara's right" Dr. Chang said, buttoning up his jacket as he stood awkwardly in the door way. The young medic was eager to get home after several days spent at work but had agreed to stay on for a few hours while Kate went home and spent a bit of time with Daisy. "Kate mentioned that she'll organise a meeting about the faction and everything else sometime next week. She'll discuss that with you when she gets back. For now, just focus on Missy and the baby." The Doctor looked over at the Time Lady, still sleeping and still cradling the infant. Dr. Chang was right- they were the priority. "Yes. Okay. You're going now?" He asked, trying to show an interest. "I am but Kate will be here within half an hour and if you need anything in the meantime, I will only be ten minutes away." The Doctor stood and walked over to the human, feeling the clothes stick to his back. He wished he'd bought himself a change of clothes. "See you in the morning" he stated forcing a smile and shaking his hand.
"Look, look! She's doing that thing with her nose again" Clara gushed, pointing at the baby as she wrinkled her nose up and craned her neck up towards Missy. "It's so cute." "Aye, it might be cute but it's also a precursor to the little thing waking up wailing" the Doctor laughed, standing and shuffling up to the head of the bed counting down silently in his head. He got down to two when Missy's eyes shot open, just before the baby started to cry. The Time Lady groaned and slowly sat up as the Doctor adjusted the pillows behind her. It was evident that the initial hormones were wearing off and the Time Lady was starting to become fed up of the constant neediness of her daughter. It had been twelve hours, the Doctor thought, that would be about right.
Lifting the newborn to her chest, Missy winced and looked down at her in disgust. Deep down, she loved her but right now she could do nothing but resent her. "I hate you" the Time Lady spat at the baby as she guzzled away. "I hate you and if we were alone right now I'd break your tiny little neck, consequences be damned." The Doctor didn't doubt Missy's words and it was just one of the reasons he wouldn't be leaving her alone anytime soon. Clara looked at Missy aghast and momentarily wondered if the Time Lady was talking to her. The words were far from the gushing adorations she had heard spill from her lips earlier and reminded Clara that this was still the Mistress. "Don't worry, on this occasion it's not your life at risk" Missy drawled, glaring at Clara. The Time Lady's mind was still sharp as a knife. "I wasn't worried" the human asserted, trying to keep the judgement from her words. "You're tired and I don't think you mean what you're saying at all." The Doctor closed his eyes, sometimes he wished Clara wasn't quite as bold. Right now, her words were like waving a red flag at a bull. "I didn't want her" Missy shrugged, jostling the infant and causing her to grumble. "She's done nothing but cause me pain and nearly kill me. Why shouldn't I return the favour?" She challenged, staring down at the human who shrunk into her chair. Clara watched, realising that this was the most alert and coherent she'd seen Missy since the birth and subsequent operation.
"Clara, go and get us all some drinks and snacks from that vending machine upstairs" the Doctor stated calmly, offering the human a way out and hoping for a chance to calm Missy down alone. Clara stood up, eyes still locked on Missy; she knew better by now than to take her eyes off the Time Lady even for a second. "That's right, run away little girl" Missy trilled, "it's not all about cooing over the sounds it makes. It's still Gallifrey's most wanted weapon, you know!" Clara scurried out of the room, not attempting to reply to Missy. "She Missy, or they, if you prefer gender neutral" the Doctor said softly, pulling a chair up to the head of the bed and stroking the infant's head as she became unsettled at her mother's outburst. "What?" Missy spat, scowling at the infant that was still managing to feed whilst everything was going on. "Your baby, you called her it" he smiled, keeping as calm as possible. "She's not my baby" the Time Lady countered, "she's half human and she's a weapon." Missy made sure to petulantly stress the word 'she.'
The Doctor swallowed, those initial hormones that had helped her to bond and care for the infant had worn off. Now was the hard part. "You gave her life Missy and it is you she's dependent on, how can she not be your baby?" He asked gently, still stroking the newborn's head. The little thing was picking up on Missy's mood and he feared it was only a matter of time before she too became unsettled. "What you did today was amazing." Missy scoffed. "It was horrible. I hated it and everything still hurts." She rested her head against the pillow and sighing in relief as the baby stopped feeding. "And every time I fall into a deep enough sleep to try and recover, she wakes up." The Doctor gulped- what could he say to her? It had been hard to watch and must have been even harder to do.
"You'll fall into a routine and it'll get easier" he tried to reassure her. They had to think hour to hour and not in the long term. Missy chuckled cynically. She'd never managed to cope with routine. "Yes. Fine. Whatever you say" she muttered looking down at the baby and smiling ever so slightly as she fell back to sleep. Her tiny fist gripped hold of the front of Missy's nightie with a surprising strength and her chest rose and fell in steady breaths. She looked so much like Maisa. The Doctor couldn't miss the smile that dared to creep across Missy's features- an adamant contradiction to the Time Lady's attempts at distancing herself from her daughter. He also couldn't miss the uncanny resemblance to Missy's first daughter. "She looks like Mai…" "Don't. Don't you dare say it" Missy hissed through gritted teeth, smiling falling. "She looks like a baby. A pruney baby." The Doctor gulped and nodded "I guess babies just look like babies, well humanoid babies anyway. Do you remember those reptile hatchlings we saw…"
"Shut up. Just stop the incessant talking" Missy spat, hands shaking as she tried to control her anger. The Doctor stood up and walked around the room, trying to keep calm himself. Finding Missy's overnight bag, he fiddled around with the contents and pulled out a fresh pair of pyjamas. He felt Missy's eyes following him around the room, she'd always done that and it often made him wary but not this time. This time he felt like she was getting some form of comfort from the action.
"Would you like to get changed, Missy?" He asked tentatively, wanting to distract her and get her moving around a bit. She'd resisted most forms of movements since coming out of surgery and while that was understandable, she was going to have to start moving around soon. When he didn't receive a response, he turned around and found her snoring. Mouth hanging open, she was drooling slightly while the baby, now awake again, stared up at her and just watched entranced as she took in her mother's features. "I guess not" he sighed, retaking his seat and grabbing an old book from his pocket. Tomorrow. It would have to be tomorrow she started walking around. It was probably for the best, the Time Lady was surrounded in a maze of wires and drips. Tactfully and carefully, he lifted up the catheter bag and placed it under the bed and out of view of the Time Lady. Missy hadn't been aware of it and he hoped it stayed that way- her pride would never recover if not.
Outside, the Doctor heard what sounded like Kate's heels clicking down the corridor followed by muffled conversation with Clara who must have been waiting outside. The baby remained awake but settled, just taking everything in. He could feel her tiny presence buzzing away in the back of his mind and wondered how strong it must have felt in Missy's mind. As if in answer, the Time Lady woke up, wiping at her mouth with one hand and looking down at the infant. "What? You can't possibly be hungry again. What do you want?" she asked, mind unable to sleep while her daughter was so awake. The baby just blinked and wrinkled her face up before continuing to stare at her mother. "Fine. I guess we're not sleeping just yet" she grumbled. The Doctor looked over sympathetically.
"I'd offer to take her for a little walk but I reckon she'd protest too much" he shrugged. Missy nodded "she would. Little brat." The Doctor saw past her harsh words and watched the way that Missy held the baby a little bit tighter. Something told him that the baby wouldn't be the only one that protested. "Have you thought of any names you like? As lovely as little brat and baby girl are" he chuckled, unsure how Missy would react to naming the infant. A look flashed across Missy's face and in that instant the Doctor realised she'd already been calling her daughter a name in her mind. "That's not my job. I'm sure Me has a few names in mind and it'll be her and Henry raising her so…" the Time Lady shrugged. "No. Absolutely not, you should name her Missy" he stated, leaning forward and looking at her from under his thick eyebrows. "I can see you have a name in mind, What is it?" he smiled encouragingly.
The Time Lady trailed her little finger down the infant's cheek. "I have two" she whispered, looking over at him. "A Gallifreyan name, a traditional one, I mean and then an Earth one. She can pick her own title if she's that way inclined when she's old enough." The Doctor nodded. "Don't keep me in suspense then" he grinned, watching Missy bite he lower lip. Missy nodded and proceeded to pronounce a melodic combination of syllables that were unpronounceable to anyone but a Gallifreyan. It was a beautiful name and the one that Missy had been calling her daughter since birth in their link. She hadn't been lying when she said it was a traditional Gallifreyan name; this wasn't like Maisa or Unza, or any of the other names that had been universal. This was uniquely Gallifreyan and it shocked the Doctor. Missy usually wanted nothing to do with their people, yet for some reason she was being so traditional. "It's beautiful" he murmured and repeated the name to himself, deciding that it did fit the newborn. "And her Earth name?" he prompted, knowing the humans would want to know a name as soon as possible.
"Aoife" Missy whispered quickly, hoping the Doctor wouldn't recognise the name. She didn't want him thinking she was becoming sentimental. The Doctor gave her a puzzled look as he registered the familiarity of the name. "It's Celtic" Missy stated, "and I'm kind of Celtic this time around. Well, I mean I'm Scottish and the name's Irish but they're both broadly speaking Celtic and I'm really not either but I just thought it fitted" she shrugged, rambling as she tried to distract the Doctor. "And I thought Me looks quite Irish with the dark hair and blue eyes and pale skin so it'll fit for when she goes to them. And there's a legend about an Aoife being a warrior princess and she's definitely a fighter."
The Doctor nodded, unsure why she was so nervous about telling him the name. "It's a lovely name and you've definitely thought it through" he reassured, smiling softly. "It just seems familiar somehow" he mused, eyes widening as he remembered. "Aoife" he whispered. "She was the little girl without a mummy in that story I used to read you when you first came out of hospital back on Gallifrey. I'd found it stored on a Tardis database under some collection on Earth culture" he reminisced fondly. "You loved that story. You loved the twist. The twist where we found out Aoife wasn't a human girl at all, but a girl from another world who had been left on Earth by her mother to keep her safe from the war on their home planet" he trailed off, realisation really hitting. "Oh Kos, that… that's just perfect" he beamed looking from Missy to Aoife and back again. "It's just perfect."
Missy scowled. "I've not gone soppy" she protested. "Of course not" the Doctor smiled. "There are lots of methodical reasons for the name" she added. "There are" the Doctor nodded. Missy reddened as she realized she'd been caught out. No matter how much she protested, they both knew why she'd chosen the name. "It's a beautiful name, Mistress" the Doctor praised, using her full title to restore some of her dignity. "Yes. I think it rather is" Missy admitted, looking down as Aoife took a few long blinks and eventually returned to sleep. "Little Aoife."