Ch 49

In the morning, the Doctor found himself completely pinned under River. He didn't mind it so much, though he'd planned to go and make breakfast and didn't want to risk disturbing her. It didn't seem like she was getting up anytime soon, perfectly content sleeping on top of him. He breathed her in, accepting his situation. His hands absentmindedly played with her messy curls.

"Doctor..." River mumbled in her sleep, her head moving slightly in response to his touch. "Kids...school."

"TARDIS, time machine." He whispered back.

"Baby's crying." Her words were slurred with sleep, obviously slipping back into a dream.

He hummed, recognizing that she was only dreaming. She nuzzled her nose against his chest, falling back to sleep. They stayed like that for a long while until Terra crept into the room and climbed up on the bed.

The little girl wiggled under the sheets, going to snuggle with her parents. The Doctor smiled at her attempts to join the cuddle. "[Good morning, my little star.]"

"[Morning, Daddy.]" She signed happily, tugging on River's arm to try and get her to cuddle.

"[Mummy's sleeping, let's not bother her.]"

"[But I want to snuggle.]" She pouted.

"[Snuggle with me, then.]" He encouraged, holding out his arm to her.

She decided this would be good enough, cuddling up to him. He kissed her head, holding both her and his wife close.

River began to wake a couple minutes later. "Morning." The Doctor whispered, feeling her stir.

"Hmm?" She murmured, eyes opening, "Oh, morning." She smiled softly, leaning in for a kiss.

Terra squirmed as her father kissed River, sticking her tongue out. River looked over, seeing her daughter, "[Good morning, my love.]"

"[You fell asleep on Daddy.]"

"[I did.]" She laughed softly, "[We were snuggling and I fell asleep.]"

"[You look silly.]" She grinned.

"[Do I?]"

"[Your hair's all messy. It's everywhere!]"

River looked at the Doctor, "Do you think I look silly?"

"I think you look beautiful." He kissed her nose. "But I may be biased."

"Hmm, maybe." She smiled, eyes bright.

"Most definitely." He added.

"[I'm hungry, can we have breakfast?]" Terra interrupted.

The Doctor nodded. "I'm afraid we're going to have to end our morning cuddle, Riv."

River pouted, "It looks like it. Perhaps it can continue after the kids go to school."

He nodded in agreement. She reluctantly got up, scooping Terra up as well. The Doctor followed the pair as they went to the TARDIS kitchen.

"[What'll it be for breakfast, sweetheart?]"

"[Waffles!]" Terra requested immediately.

"[Waffles it is, then.]" The Doctor started pulling out ingredients.

The girl smiled, helping gather the things they needed. Soon a plate was stacking up high with waffles. River went to wake up the other children.

Arthur easily woke up once he was told that there was food waiting. The twins took a little more convincing. Soon Arthur and his sleepy sisters wandering into the kitchen.

"Morning, you lot." The Doctor greeted from the stove.

"Good morning." They all murmured, sitting at the table. They helped themselves to the waffles, putting generous amounts of syrup on top.

"Did you all sleep well?"

They nodded, Arthur describing an odd dream. Their father smiled at them, joining them at them table after the last batch of waffles was done.

"[Can I stay home from school today?]" Terra asked.

"[Why do you want to do that?]" The Doctor asked.

"[Because I don't like school and I missed you!]"

He smiled. "[I missed you, too, and I promise I'm not going anywhere, but you do have to go to school.]"

She pouted, "[But I don't like school.]"

"[I know, but it'll be over before you know it.]"

Terra looked like she was tearing up, looking helplessly at her mother and then back to the Doctor.

"[Come here, little star.]" He gestured for her to sit on his lap. She crawled out of her chair and into his lap. He held her in a hug for a moment. "[Did bringing your fox help last time?]"

She nodded.

"[Why don't you bring him today?]" He started to hum comfortingly.

She nodded again, hugging him tightly.

"[Give school a go for now, yeah? I promise I'm not going anywhere.]"

"[Okay.]" She sighed.

The rest of the kids finished their breakfast, going to get ready for school. Terra cuddled a little longer with the Doctor before going to get ready as well.

"Do you think she'll be alright?" River asked softly as she and her husband did dishes.

He nodded. "She's going through a lot of change, but I think she will be."

They used the TARDIS to drop the kids off, Terra clinging onto River's hand as they walked her to the door.

"[It'll be okay, my love.]" River assured.

Sighing, Terra let go and held her fox close and went inside. River watched her go, a bit worried.

The Doctor squeezed River's hand. "She'll be alright."

"I hope so." She murmured.

They went back to the TARDIS, moving the ship back to the Bristol house where they fed the cats and dog.

"Do you have to meet Bill today?" River asked.

"At six." He nodded. "Though my first lecture isn't until noon."

"So I have some time alone with you." She smiled.

"That you do." He smiled as well.

"What shall we do?"

"I rather think you already have an idea." He pointed out.

"And I rather think you know what that idea is."

He grinned knowingly and closed the distance between them, kissing her. She smiled into the kiss, pulling him towards their bedroom.

Toby followed them but was made to stay outside. He curled up on the floor outside the door. Toby heard quite a few bumps and grunts and groans. He scratched at the door every so often, not understanding that his masters were not in trouble.

It was over an hour before the dog was finally let in. He darted into the room, immediately sniffing around for any danger.

The Doctor curled back into bed with his wife, letting the dog investigate. She smiled, touching her head to his, "I think we scared him."

"Nah, he's a brave dog." He disagreed.

She hummed, looking up at him, "I had a dream about us last night."

"Did you?" He stroked her hair, recalling her sleepy murmuring just earlier.

She smiled softly, "Yeah. It was very nice, a good dream."

"Why don't you share with the class, Professor." He teased encouragingly.

"I could show you." She offered, it was something they did much more often when they were younger: mentally sharing dreams.

He nodded, reaching his fingers up to her temple. She opened her mind to his, the scene melting into her dream.

The two of them were sleeping, curled together. It was the early hours of the morning still and the TARDIS was quiet. The quiet, however, was interrupted by a baby's cry. "Doctor..." The sleepy, dream-River murmured, "Baby's crying."

The Doctor watched the scene before him. He could feel River's fondness in the dream, which made him smile.

"It's your turn." The dream River mumbled.

The view followed as his dream-self rose and went to the nursery just a room over. Sleeping in his old cot was a baby with features that resembled his current face.

The dream-Doctor smiled at the crying infant and the real Doctor did as well.

The dream-Doctor lifted the child with a gentleness developed from his many years of fatherhood and held the child in his arms, gently rocking. The baby whined in hunger but was much less distressed in the Doctor's arms. Coddling over the baby, the Doctor brought it back to dream-River.

Dream-River was waiting for him, smiling tiredly when the two came in.

"Someone's hungry." He spoke, putting the baby in River's arms.

"I suspected that was the case." She murmured, adjusting her clothes so the baby could feed. "Maybe Daddy will play a song for us so you'll go back to sleep after you eat." She hinted.

By dream logic, there was suddenly a guitar in the Doctor's hands and he started playing a lullaby. The same logic put the baby right to sleep, looking peaceful to the sound of the lullaby.

The dream ended there, the feelings of River's affection lingering. The Doctor pulled his fingers away from her temple, resting his hand on her cheek instead. She smiled weakly, leaning into his touch.

"Thank you." He murmured. "For letting me see."

She nodded, "Of course."

He leaned towards her, kissing her softly. She smiled, relishing in the tender kiss.

Toby put his paw up on the bed, nudging River's leg. River broke the kiss, looking down at the dog. He wagged his tail excitedly.

"He wants a walk." The Doctor murmured.

"Do you want to walk him with me around the university campus?" She asked.

He nodded. They got dressed again and took the TARDIS and Toby to the University.

They walked through the campus grounds, holding hands, "The story is that you've been teaching at Bristol for ages." River murmured, "Why is that?"

"Perception filter." He murmured. "A big one, right under the school. I set it up to make everything go more smoothly. Humans are much more likely to accept something if they think that's how it's always been. And," he added, "It makes them overlook any strange happenings of mine. No one asked about the TARDIS, and no one will ask about the Councilmen."

"Well, aren't you clever." She smiled, "And our house? We did you just happen upon it? Because it's unbelievable. It's like something out of a novel."

"Out of our novel." He tapped his nose. "I'm not sure if you remember-it was so long ago-you were still attending Luna as a student and you were telling me how all the staff was given their own houses and you told me about the one you would ask for if you ever got to teach there. I wrote it down apparently. I had it built... with a few modifications on the size, of course."

River held back a gasp, "I almost forgot. That's why everything was so perfect." She murmured, wrapping her arm around his waist. Luna had stopped the practice of building staff members houses only a year or so after River had told him that story, so she had never gotten her dream home, at least until now, "I don't know how to thank you." She whispered.

"How about by letting me live there, too?" He teased.

"Well, I suppose there might be room for you somewhere." She teased back. "Maybe even in my bed."

"You could always make me sleep in the TARDIS if you're sick of me." He squeezed her hand affectionately.

She laughed, "I suppose I could."

"Something tells me you aren't sick of me quite yet." He added.

"No, not quite yet." She echoed, "Now, Mr. Song, I think you should treat your wife to lunch before you leave to teach your lecture."

"Of course." He grinned. "Where to?"

"Do you want to head over to the café?"

He nodded. "After you, Mrs. Doctor."

She led the way, going to the cafe they had been to before. There were students about, but neither of them cared as they sat down. The two looked like newlyweds, sitting in the corner booth, feeding each other bits of the food they ordered. The students weren't discrete when whispering about the professors.

Toby waited patiently outside, letting people pet him.

Ramone walked to the cafe, spotting the pair. River didn't notice him at first, leaning in to kiss the Doctor.

"Professor Song!" He waved, coming over.

The Doctor frowned slightly at the other man. "Ramone!" River moved away from the Doctor a bit, "Please, I've told you, call me River."

He tried to smile, "Right." They could tell he sounded a bit disappointed. His crush on River hadn't disappeared with his memory wipe and seeing her kissing the Doctor didn't make him hopeful. "So, er, what are you two up to?"

"We're..." She glanced at the Doctor, "We're on a date, actually."

"...Oh." He had somehow been hoping she wouldn't say that. "You two are dating?"

She shook her head, "No, we're not dating. We're married."

Ramone impressively failed to hide the shock on his face. "What? But you've never mentioned a husband before."

"Well, I didn't think I needed to." She took the Doctor's hand, "Why does it matter?"

"No reason..." He glanced at the floor for a moment. "I'll let you get on. See you at tomorrow's meeting?"

She nodded, "I'll see you then."

He left a bit hurriedly and the Doctor wore an amused look. "Poor man was still pinning for you. I can't blame him."

"Don't look so smug." River scolded, though she pulled him in for a kiss.

His triumphant expression was replaced with a loving one and he smiled under her lips. Ramone was already a long forgotten thought.