Ch 63
Toby was gone from the bed in the morning.
The Doctor woke early like he'd promised his wife. River was already awake, making tea in the kitchen. The Doctor wandered down to her. "Morning."
"Morning." She hummed, "How did you sleep?"
"Well." He came up behind her, resting his chin on her shoulder. "And you?"
"Okay. I kept waking up because your son wouldn't stop moving."
He snaked his hands around her, resting them on her abdomen. "How naughty of him." She hummed, leaning back against him. "I think he gets that from you." He teased.
She laughed weakly, "You think?"
He hummed an affirmation, kissing the corner of her jaw. "Can I make you breakfast?"
"Of course." She smiled, "Need help?"
He shook his head. "I've got it. You sit."
"Yes, sir." She moved to sit down, putting her feet up on the chair opposite her.
He sat down with her once breakfast was made, the two of them keeping quiet so they wouldn't wake the kids.
After breakfast, they got dressed and headed into the TARDIS. The Doctor set up the sound detecting bracelets in case he children woke up. He wore one and left the other with Toby.
River input the coordinates, sending them to her dig site. When they arrived, the site was already buzzing with activity. Archeologists were running around left and right, trying to get things in order for the upcoming excavation.
The Doctor instinctively reached for River's hand. "This all seems... stressful." "
It is." She murmured, squeezing his hand and leading him to a red tent. He watched their surroundings tentatively as he followed.
As they entered the tent, one of the workers practically pounced on them. The Doctor tensed until he realized the person was only going on about a ridiculous amount of administrative crisis. River went into professional mode, leaving the Doctor's side to find a solution to the crisis. (He found a place off to the side to stand so he wouldn't get in the way.)
The next hour was a flurry of activity. People surrounded River, trying to get last minute permits and plans approved. It was certainly a chance for the Doctor to see what the next few weeks of River's life were going to be like if she got to go through with the excavation.
While he could see that a River looked plenty in her element, he felt the urge to try to keep everyone at an arm's distance from her at least. He wasn't sure if he was just feeling overprotective or not, but the business of the scene worried him.
If the last hour hadn't put him enough on edge, the next one was certainly going to be a test. Once the paperwork was done, River needed to give final approval of all the tools they would be using. This meant dozens of people waving sharp and pointed objects near her.
The Doctor made a point of standing next to River for this bit, having been much too restless off to the side. He tensed every time a tool came so much at within five feet of River.
There was one instance, where one of the overeager interns brought one of the shiny new spades got a bit too close to her while she was looking the other way. The Doctor's instincts worked long before he was actively thinking about his actions. He stepped in front of River glaring at the intern dangerously as he grabbed the wrist holding the trowel. "Back. Up. Now."
The room fell silent, everyone turning to stare at him.
The intern squeaked, "I just need... Professor Song needs to approve..." She trailed off.
"Approve the sharp spade you're waving about so close to her unborn child?" His tone was threatening but his brain was starting to catch up with the rest of him, his gripping loosening.
"I'm sorry." She whimpered, "I was just trying to get her attention."
"It doesn't matter what you were doing if it had done damage." He hissed, taking his hands back to himself.
"Okay, that's enough. I think you've scared her enough." River murmured, putting her hand on her husband's arm. He glanced back at her, deflating slightly at the full realization of the situation. He took a step back from the intern, squaring his jaw.
"I think we should wrap this for the day. Just send a 3D scan of all the instruments pending approval to me and I'll finish them that way." She kept rubbing the Doctor's arm, feeling as though he needed to be calmed down.
Everyone in the room was too shocked to do anything but nod, the intern hurrying out of the room very quickly.
"We should go." She murmured.
He nodded silently, eyes mostly on the floor now. She led him back to the TARDIS, the walk silent. They left the sight, going back to the flat.
"Are you okay?" River asked quietly.
He still had his hands on the controls. "Just... worried."
"About?" She watched him carefully.
"You. Getting hurt."
"I'm going to be fine." She breathed, wrapping her arms around him tightly in an effort to comfort him.
He leaned into her warmth. "I know that, or at least part of me does." Almost all the excavations she'd had since the Library had him on edge. "But I worry. All it takes is one moment of defocus for something to happen."
"Like today." She nodded, understanding his concern.
"She was just waving that thing around it could've..." he trailed off, his mind conjuring up horrible images of the 'what if'.
"It's okay. Nothing happened. And I'm sure, after the show you gave them today, nothing's going to happen." She tried to tease, pressing a kiss to his cheek.
He smiled weakly. "Sorry for making a scene."
"It's alright. No one's going to even dare come within five feet of me now because they know I've got a guard dog waiting at home." She smiled.
The Doctor turned in her arms to face her, leaning down to give her a proper kiss. She hummed against his lips, cupping his face.
The bracelet on his wrist started glowing and he pulled away. "Kids are up."
"Alright, let's go then." She murmured, taking his hand.
They'd parked in their bedroom, walking in as the door to the hall creaked open. Toby plodded in with Terra trailing behind him.
"[Good morning, my love.]" River smiled.
Terra looked tired but excited. She navigated around Toby to hug her mum. "[Are we going yet?]"
"[Not yet. We have to wait for your siblings to get up.]"
"[But then after?]"
"[After everyone is awake and dressed, we'll go.]"
Terra grinned, running off to get dressed. River smiled weakly, sitting down on the bed, a hand pressed to her side.
"How's the pain?" The Doctor asked.
"Not so great." She murmured.
"We could try something for if you want." He offered, though they both knew medicine probably wouldn't work very well.
"It's fine, I'll deal with it." She murmured.
"I've been thinking about more permanent solutions. There might be a device I can modify for you and I can pick it up after we take the kids out." He thought aloud.
"Okay, that'd be good." She nodded, sucking in a sharp breath.
"Why don't you sit for a while. I'll get the kids ready."
"Can you stay? Just for a minute?"
He nodded without hesitation, sitting down on the bed next to her. She took his hand, squeezing it tightly. He squeezed back, bringing her hand up to kiss the back of her palm.
She smiled softly, "Thank you."
"For what?" He asked softly.
"Everything. You've been so...wonderful recently."
He smiled. "Well, you've been doing a lot of work. It's the least I could do. Maybe I should've come back as a woman so I could do it for you." He teased.
She laughed softly, "Maybe next time, sweetie."
"I'll keep that in mind," he kissed her temple.
"I could use a nap." She murmured, closing her eyes and resting her head against his shoulder.
"Be my guest." He hummed. She smiled, kissing his shoulder. "Lay down." He whispered.
"Okay..." She murmured, laying back on the bed. He moved her feet into his lap and started to knead them.
"That feels so good." She moaned.
He shivered at the noises she made. "Does it?"
She hummed, looking down at him, "Getting a bit excited, Mr. Song?"
"You can hardly blame me." He glanced up at her.
"Well, are you going to do something about it? Or are you just going to sit there?"
She smirked. "The kids are going to be awake soon..." he reminded.
Her smile faded, "Right...Silly me."
"Raincheck?" He looked hopefully at her.
"Sure." She nodded.
"I'll make it worth the wait." He offered a smile as Terra came back in the room.
"[Can we go now?]" Terra asked. She had on all her gear, her mini trowel in hand.
The Doctor looked over at her, smiling brighter at how much she looked like a tiny River Song. "[Not quite. I don't think your siblings are even awake yet. How about I cook you breakfast, hm?]"
"[Can we have chocolate chip pancakes?]" She asked.
"[Sure.]" He agreed. It would give River enough time to nap and the other children time to properly wake up. She took his hand and pulled him to the kitchen, hopping down the hallway.
The Doctor let Terra help with making the food, as she often did when it came to anything that required mixing. In between mixing, Terra was signing a mile a minute, excited about their trip. The Doctor had a bit of trouble managing between watching the food cook and watching his daughter talk. Luckily, Arthur came downstairs and took over the conversation with Terra.
"[Can I go wake up Mummy?]" Terra asked once the pancakes were done.
"[I think we should let her nap just a little longer, but if you want to wake up your sisters, that would be fine.]"
She nodded, running off to wake her older sisters. Both twins rolled out of bed with minimal complaint, plodding into the kitchen to eat.
The family ate breakfast together, a sleepy River coming to join them about halfway through. Terra insisted River sit next to her, still buzzing away. River sat beside her daughter, smiling at her trowel, which now rested on the table.
The Doctor sat on her other side and took her hand sunder who table. "How was your nap?"
"It was nice." She squeezed his hand.
"How long are we going to be out today?" Freya asked.
"A few hours. We'll be back a little while after lunch." River answered.
"Can I see Ren today? Amelia said she's having a thing tonight."
"Sure." River nodded, "What 'thing' does Amelia have?"
"Fred wants me to DM a D&D campaign at his house," said Amelia. "But Freya and he are fighting so she can't come."
"Ah, I see. I suppose that only leaves Terra with us this afternoon." River glanced at her husband.
Terra looked pleased with this. "[I want to make cookies.]"
"[Cookies? You don't want to go visit a friend as well?]"
She shrugged. "[Well... maybe, but I want to bake cookies first. Can we go now?]" She asked.
"[Yes, we can. Are you all ready?]" The other children nodded.
Terra practically ran to the TARDIS, though had to run back to the table because she forgot her trowel. The rest of the family followed at a more calmed pace, though Terra's excitement was starting to rub off on her siblings.
"[Mummy's taking too long.]" Terra frowned, waiting in the TARDIS with her other siblings.
"[She walks a little slower because of the baby.]" Arthur pointed out. "[Imagining filling up your knapsack with bricks or something and wearing it on your front all day every day.]"
The Doctor and River arrived, the former spotting his daughter's irritated expression. "[What's wrong my little star?]"
"[You and Mummy are too slow.]"
"[Well we're here now.]" He moved to the controls.
They flew off to Khejaphorax, the other kids going to the back to get their own tools. River sat in the jump seat, trying to calm the wiggling baby.
"Someone as excited as his sister?" The Doctor teased as they waited for the other kids to get their things.
"It would seem so." She murmured.
"[You're not tired already, are you?]" Terra fretted.
"[Well, it's hard not to be tired when you're making a baby, but I promise we're still going out.]"
She looked skeptically at her mother's rounded middle. "[When is he coming out?]"
"[Four more months.]"
"[How bigger are you going to be?]"
"[We can't know for sure, it depends on how big he's going to grow.]"
"[How big are babies?]"
"[Usually, they're about this big when they're born.]" River showed her with her hands.
"[That's kinda small.]" Terra put her own hands out to that length, testing out the size.
"[Yes, you're right.]"
"[But then why does it take so long for them to grow that big?]" She frowned.
"[Because every single cell has to be made, and cells are extremely tiny. You'd have to use a microscope to see one.]"
"[How many cells does it gotta have?]" She quizzed.
"[Ohh, at least 30 trillion?]"
"[Probably more.]" The Doctor added.
Terra's eyes looked huge, "[That's so many!]"
He nodded. "[Thats why Mummy can get tired quickly nowadays. She has to make every single one of those cells from scratch.]"
Terra was a bit more understanding now, going and hugging her mother's legs. Felix shifted next to her head, prodding curiously in her direction.
"[Hey!]" Terra pulled back, "[He's hitting me!]"
"[No, he's just saying hello.]" The Doctor kneeled next to her.
"[It feels funny.]"
"[Why don't you say hello back?]"
"[How? He can't see me sign.]"
"[He can feel you touch Mummy's belly. He doesn't have any language yet, so he only knows how to communicate through touch.]" He explained.
Terra reached out and poked where Felix had been resting, pulling back right away. The three watched as Felix prodded out again, the bump of his hand (or foot) just visible under River's shirt.
"[Can you feel that?]" Terra asked.
River nodded, "[Do you want to feel?]"
She hesitated. "[Will you do it with me?]"
"[Of course.]" She smiled encouragingly.
Terra let River guide her hand back to where Felix was moving. Felix pushed against their hands, excited at the new person. Terra flinched, looking up at River.
"It's okay." She mouthed to her, though she released her hand so she would have the option to pull away.
Felix sent a few confused thoughts to River, not sure who's hand this was. River sent him back a memory of Terra, trying to explain that it was his sister. He seemed to relax emotionally, though got physically more excited and tried to find Terra's hand again.
"[Press right here.]" River told her daughter, "[He likes you and he wants to feel you again.]"
"[How do you know?]"
"[We have a telepathic connection, so I know what he's feeling.]"
"[Why don't I have that?]" She frowned.
"[Because only mummies and new babies share it.]" She explained, "[Your father doesn't have it either.]"
"[You had it when you were still a baby in Mummy's belly.]" The Doctor added. "[But it goes away after you're born. He won't have it forever.]"
"[Oh...Why not?]"
"[That's just how it works. The connection fades after he's born, and any future telepathic bonds have to be conscientiously built.]"
"[Built? Like, you can make them?]"
"[Yes, so to speak. Mummy and I have one that we worked on making together.]"
"[Can I make one with you too?]" She asked.
He nodded. "[Yes, but it takes a while, so not at the moment.]"
The other children came back, dressed like little archeologists. Terra had apparently inspired a movement of such wear.
"You all look wonderful." River beamed.
Terra grew thrilled again at the sight of her siblings. "[Let's go!]"