Ch 48
Back in the kitchen, the children were filling their father in on everything that he had missed. They told him about their friends at school, what they were learning and all the things they had been doing the past year.
The Doctor was delighted to hear every detail of what he'd missed. He'd been watching them from afar, of course, but he appreciated the anecdotes nonetheless.
Terra sat in his lap, letting Nardole do the rest of the cooking. She was still running a bit of a fever, but she was much happier now that her father was back.
Amelia commented that their reunion was a bit like an early birthday present and the twins informed him of their slumber-party plans.
Dinner was soon ready and the Song children dug in. The Doctor went to find River, stopping to pick up some medicine for Terra on the way to his bedroom.
River was sitting on the bed, a bunch of pictures spread out around her. The Doctor knocked on the doorway to alert her of his presence. "Hey."
She looked up immediately, a bit startled, "Hey." She quickly started cleaning up the pictures.
He frowned slightly, trying to glance at what the pictures were of. "Do you want help cleaning those up?"
"No, no I've got it." She said quickly, a few of the images slipping off the bed. They were all pictures of from when the children were babies.
He smiled a bit at the images, not sure why she seemed secretive about them. "You dropped some." He said, not physically helping like she'd asked. She got up, getting the pictures and putting them away quickly. "What have you been up to?" He asked, coming more into the room.
"Just looking at these old pictures." She murmured, her back to him.
He went over to her. "Dinner's ready if you want to join us." She nodded, not moving. He looked at her face. "Everything alright?"
"Of course." She lied, nodding again.
He pressed a kiss to her cheek. "The kids are going to finish their food before we get there if we stay here."
She turned to leave the room, avoiding his eyes. He could tell, as they walked back, that something was off and bothering River. He figured he'd inquire about it after dinner, trying to work out what it was in his head in the meantime.
The children continued to chat at dinner, begging to be allowed to stay up and play in the TARDIS tonight, having missed the ship and its many entertainment areas. The Doctor said they could do it after dinner, but no staying up late since it was still a school night. They seemed excited about this, eating fast and then running off.
The Doctor smiled after them, clearing the dishes. Nardole went to the library to read, and River helped with cleaning. The Doctor glanced at her as he did the dishes. "Do you think we could talk, River?"
"Talk about what?" She asked.
"It'd like to continue our conversation from before dinner."
She glanced at him, "Okay..."
"What you said in the console room, was it completely true?"
She didn't say anything for a minute, "It's true that I don't think we should have more children if you don't want them."
This answer confirmed for him to reason she'd seemed off. "You know I was asking what you wanted, ignoring what I think."
"It doesn't matter." She muttered.
"It's been bothering you all evening, of course it matters." He had a feeling that the response would have been a 'yes'. "I am open to conversation about it if you'd be willing."
"There isn't much to talk about. You said it yourself, our house is full. We have four kids, we don't need another."
"But...?" He urged.
"But I want to have another baby." She murmured quietly, not looking at him.
He watched her calmly, taking in her words. From how she'd been acting, he gauged that this want was sizable. "May I ask why?"
She closed her eyes, "It's probably just because I got used to the idea of having another one. I'll get over it."
"You don't have to get over it." He murmured. "I'm not asking you to."
"But I don't want to ask you to have another baby if you don't want one."
He thought about his words for a moment. "I'm not against it, exactly. I thought you were closed to the idea before."
"I was upset before." She finally looked at him. His eyes were warm and understanding and above all open to change. She smiled weakly, "So, you're not completely opposed to the idea…?"
He shook his head in confirmation. "No. I'm not."
"Do you want to talk about it more?" She asked slowly.
He nodded, stepping closer to her. "I want to hear all of your thoughts."
"I talked already. I think it's your turn now." She took his hand. He gave it a squeeze.
"Modern humans tend to think four is a lot. I said four is a full house to take consideration of that part of you, but for Gallifreyans four is nothing. It was common, at least outside the age of the loom, for Gallifreyans to have dozens of children over their life spans. That is to say that I'm scrapping the 'full house' argument."
"Do you think the kids will want another sibling?" She asked, "The girls are getting so old, the might not want us to have another baby."
He smiled. "Just because they put on that facade of teenage indifference don't mean they aren't quite full of love. But we could always ask them."
She nodded, "How do you feel about it? Is it something you'd really want?"
"Well... I don't quite know. I know that I wouldn't be upset- I love our kids, always. Intentional or unintentional, I know I'd love the theoretical next one, too."
She nodded, "Okay because I don't want you to think you have to say yes. I can handle a no." She assured him.
"I think I'd like to leave the possibility open." He said honestly.
She rubbed his arm lightly, "Okay."
He tugged her closer. "In the meantime, I think I'd also like to celebrate you coming a bit more."
She smiled, "Oh is that so?"
"Maybe a lot more." He corrected with a nod, wrapping his arms around her.
"I like the sound of that." She breathed, leaning in.
He yearningly closed the distance between them, kissing her with an earnest desire. She pushed her body up against his, relishing in the kiss. "God, I missed you." He whispered breathlessly when they paused for air.
"I missed you too." She breathed, "Ramone was good but not as good as you."
"He was rubbish." The Doctor affronted.
"Rubbish?" She raised an eyebrow, "Maybe you need to find a way to prove that." She leaned in again.
"You're the judge," he murmured. This kiss was accompanied with a hand tangling in her hair while the other cupped her cheek. She tugged him closer, humming into the kiss.
Luck had it that Nardole kept the kids occupied with hide-and-seek while River and the Doctor thoroughly celebrated their reunion. They had moved to their bedroom, snuggling beneath the sheets, murmuring to one another.
"We're going to have to enforce bedtime soon if we don't want the kids staying up late." The Doctor said. This mostly meant Terra for now, who went to bed the earliest.
"I know, but I'm so comfortable here with you." River pouted, pressing her nose against his jaw, "We could let them stay up a little bit later tonight and take them to school with the TARDIS tomorrow."
"Now there's a brilliant idea." He hummed.
She smiled, "I'm full of them." He nodded in agreement, turning his head to kiss her nose. "I think we're going to have to christen your office at some point." She murmured.
"Definitely." He hummed again. "Do you think you'll stay working in Bristol?"
She shook her head, "Bristol is nice, but I want to go back to Luna."
"You ought to work out your resignation, then." He traced his thumb absentmindedly over the back of her hand.
"I will." She murmured, closing her eyes.
There was a knock on the door and Nardole's voice. "Are you two decent?"
"No, not exactly." River called back.
He muttered something along the lines of 'can't leave you two alone for a minute' before he spoke up. "Your youngest wants a bedtime story and she won't hear it from me because I'm not either of you."
"Alright, we'll be there in a moment. Thank you, Nardole." River gave the Doctor one more lingering kiss, "I guess we should get up now."
"I suppose." He made no move to do so.
She started to get up, knowing the girl was going to grow impatient sooner or later, "After we put the kids to bed we could take a bath."
"Is that a promise?" He teased.
She nodded, "Come on, now."
He finally pulled himself out of bed, throwing on a t-shirt and some trousers. She led him by the hand to their daughter's room.
Terra was scrutinizing the shelves with emphasized importance for a book. River watched, flicking the lights so Terra would know that they were there. She turned around. "[Can I have a story from your blue book?]"
River nodded, "[I'll go get it.]"
The Doctor helped Terra get cozy in her bed while they waited. River brought back her diary, letting Terra pick the story. She chose an account of one of her parents' dates together. River read Terra's selection, recounting the time she and the Doctor had gone on a date in the gardens if Ishlaa and ended up having to stop the historical garden from being turned into toxic sludge by a corrupt gardener.
Terra delighted herself in the story though was asleep by the end of it. River kissed her daughter's head, "She looks so sweet and peaceful while she sleeps."
"She does." The Doctor agreed.
River smiled softly, "Shall we attempt to corral the other children?" He nodded, giving Terra a kiss as well.
The other children were in a hide-and-seek room with an utterly stumped Nardole. The poor man begged for River and the Doctor's help as soon as they walked in. They agreed, having a few ready tactics for this.
"Everyone come out, it's time for bed." The Doctor announced to the room. This was met with silence.
"Sweetie," River said to the Doctor, still making it so the children could hear, "I don't think the kids want you tucking them in. Even though they haven't seen you in months."
He followed along, making it sound like he was let down. "Is that so? I've missed them so much."
"I'm sorry, darling. I guess we should go back to our room and go to sleep." River exaggerated a sigh.
"No!" Arthur said hurriedly, trying to wiggle out from where he'd been hiding as fast as he could.
River looked over at him, "Oh! Arthur! There you are."
He ran over to them, attaching himself to the Doctor's legs. "You can't go to bed yet!"
"And why is that?" River asked, hands on hips.
"Because you have to put me to bed first!" The boy grinned.
"Oh, of course. How could I forget?" She smiled, "Now, do you know where your sisters are?"
He nodded mischievously. "I'm not telling."
"Why is that?" The Doctor questioned.
"Because they said if I tell then I have to do their chores for a whole week!"
"That's not their call." He tutted. "I promise you won't have to."
"But they'll be mad at me." Arthur was usually the one to "ruin" their games when it was time for bed. He still hadn't quite figured out that his parent's threat of no bedtime stories was really just a ploy to get him to come out of hiding.
"Tell you what, how about we let Uncle Nardy try to find them while Mummy and I put you to bed."
Arthur agreed to this, leaving with his parents.
"Do you think Nardole's found the girls?" The Doctor asked after Arthur was tucked in.
"Hopefully." River murmured, giving Arthur a soft kiss on the forehead.
"Let's go and see, shall we?"
Upon heading back to the hide and seek room, they found an out of breath but triumphant looking Nardole with their two eldest, mildly annoyed looking daughters.
River smiled, "I see you've tracked down our two missing children."
He nodded with a puff. "They're very good at avoiding me."
"I think it's time for bed, girls."
"Can't we stay up later?" Amelia begged.
"Not tonight, Amelia." River murmured.
"How come?"
"Because you have school tomorrow and you've stayed up late enough as it is."
The girls sighed disappointedly but didn't put up any more resistance. They walked to their room, getting ready for bed. Freya insisted that they didn't need any stories before bed, but Amelia admitted that she wouldn't mind being tucked in. As much as Freya tried to show her indifference, she still enjoyed the tucking in since she hadn't seen her father in so long. He kissed them goodnight and wished them sweet dreams, promising to make a big breakfast in the morning.
The two parents left the girls to sleep, heading back to their own room. The Doctor could help but smile the whole time, overjoyed to have his family back.
"I don't think I've seen you smile this much in a long time. I didn't think this face was capable of it." River teased.
"Afraid my eyebrows might fall off, wife?"
"A bit, and I have to say that I rather like the eyebrows." She stopped, pulling him against her. They were still in the hall, though she didn't seem to care.
Unfazed, he tilted his head down to steal a kiss. She wrapped her arms around his neck, backing him up against the wall. He hardly noticed until he felt the hard surface on his back, making the kiss more passionate. She kissed him hungrily, lips moving to his jaw.
His grin was still very present as he made a low, sultry noise in his throat. "In the hallway, Mrs. Doctor?"
"I don't think I can make it to the bedroom, Mr. Song." She purred, sucking on his neck.
He stifled a groan. "At this rate, neither can I." He suddenly turned them so she was the one pinned between him and the wall, holding her wrists tightly.
She was panting a bit, chest heaving as she looked up at him. His eyes were dark looking back at her before he crashed his mouth down to hers again. She moaned into the kiss, pressing her body up against his once more.
True to their word, they never quite made it to the bedroom, christening the hallway shamelessly. There wasn't much time for them to wind down; moments after they finished, Nardole's muttering could be heard coming in their direction. They quickly gathered their discarded clothes and slipped into their bedroom, laughing.
"You're a bad influence, Professor Song." The Doctor teased.
"Yes, and you love it." She murmured, giving him a kiss before heading to the bathroom, adding over her shoulder, "I believe I promised you a bath?"
He followed eagerly. "Yes, you did."
She started the tub, taking off the few garments that she still had on. He did the same and they climbed into the warm water together. She closed her eyes, relaxing in the water, curled up against him.
The environment now was much calmer than it had been in the hall. They knew they had all the time they wanted to just be there with the other.
"I think you bruised my hip." River murmured, her head resting against his shoulder.
"Sorry," He murmured, pressing a kiss to the top of her head.
"I'm not complaining." She smirked. He smiled as well, pulling her close. She closed her eyes, "I missed this."
"Me, too." He whispered.
They sat for a while in the warmth of the water, murmuring to one another. The ship was quiet, though full for the first time in a long time.
They eventually did get out of the water, having been lulled nearly to sleep. They got dressed and crawled into bed, curling together so close that they were practically on top of each other.
"I love you." He whispered to her.
"I love you too." She hummed.