Ch 72
Together the Songs walked to their bedroom from the medbay where Missy was left jaw hanging. River was acting slightly like a cat in the sense of needing the Doctor's help to stand without doubling over, while simultaneously actings as though she were perfectly fine.
"How's the adjustment?" her husband asked, knowing better than to say 'how's the pain'?
"Not great, but I'm relieved to have finally shut Missy up," she murmured.
"It was clever," he agreed.
She smiled weakly, "We don't need to call a sitter for the kids, right?"
Time moved faster in the TARDIS, so for the kids, River and the Doctor would only be gone for an hour or so as opposed to three full days. They wouldn't even have to jump back in time with the vortex manipulator.
"I shouldn't think so," he confirmed.
They arrived in their room. The Doctor offered to rub River's feet, to which she voiced she'd rather cuddle. They settled on the bed together. She tucked her head under his chin and he placed his arms around her, a hand resting gently on her stomach.
"How's Felix?"
"He's calmed down quite a bit," River murmured.
"Not bothered by all the happenings, then."
"I guess not." She smiled weakly, "You don't think the infection will interfere with him, do you?"
"No. The antibiotics will stop it before it gets anywhere close to being dangerous to him," he assured.
"That's good to hear."
Felix kicked against the Doctor's hand, shifted, then settled again. "He loves you." River smiled softly.
He smiled as well. "I can't wait to meet him."
"Neither can I. I hope he looks like you."
"What does looking like me entail? Certainly not gray or wrinkled," he teased.
She laughed softly, "No. I'm talking about the shape of your face, your nose, your jaw, your wonderful eyes."
He met her gaze. "Now, are sure it's not just a second me you want around, dear? That sounds like your next birthday present."
"Well, I certainly wouldn't be opposed to there being two of you."
"I had a feeling you wouldn't." He tapped her nose.
"So is that something I get to look forward to?"
"If I said yes, then it wouldn't be a surprise."
"Perhaps it can be an early birthday present?"
"Perhaps." He echoed.
There was a knock.
"Come in." River called.
Missy opened the door, looking a bit grouchy. There was flour on her shirt and a dish in her arms that was meant for holding casserole but had in it a rough approximation of the traditional meal מos'Rhovae had cooked for them back on Gallifrey. "This is the only thing I know how to make." Missy blew a few stray hairs from her face. "If it tastes like rubbish then throw it out."
River looked at the meal. "Is this Tsiat Cubiegh?" she asked, surprised that Missy would make it for them since it was a dish that usually celebrated a coming child.
"Oh look, mummy's done her research," she muttered, dropping the dish onto the nightstand.
"It's very kind of you to make this for us." River complimented, letting the snarky comment slide.
"It's all I know how to make." She repeated, which was about as close Missy got to saying thank you.
River nodded, "Right, well since you did something nice for me, I won't make you sit here and talk to us. You can go do whatever you'd like, within reason, for the rest of the night."
Missy didn't say anything, leaving the room. River sighed, looking at the dish, then at her husband.
"If you think it's poisoned, I'll have the first go at it." He offered. River nodded at this. He reached over, taking a fork Missy had brought and tried some of the food. "This... actually isn't bad."
"Really?" She looked surprised, taking a fork full for herself. It was comparably dryer than מos'Rhovae's version, but taste wise managed to be similar. "It's not bad." River murmured.
He hummed in agreement. "I didn't think she knew how to make this."
"I'm surprised. I thought she'd make something simple like sandwiches," River murmured, "I didn't think she'd make a traditional meal."
"Well, maybe it's her idea of being kind," he shrugged.
They chatted for a while longer and ate, though Felix only seemed to be growing more restless as time went on. River was finding it hard to focus on anything more than breathing through the pain the baby's movements brought after a while. with her pre-occupied.
"I don't know how I'm going to do this for the next fifteen days." She breathed, interrupting the Doctor's distraction of a one-sided conversation
"...There are some things we could try, but I'm afraid it'll mostly be trial and error."
"I'm willing to try things."
"How does a hot bath sound?"
"That'd be nice." She nodded.
Felix shifted once more as the Doctor went to go start the tap. Bored.
If you settle down I'll tell you a story.
What story? His curiosity only made him more restless.
Any story you'd like.
Papa. He thought, both a request for the story and man's presence.
Okay. Okay, we can go get him and he can tell you a story.
This was met with a response of light, shining blue. River got up slowly, going to the bathroom.
The Doctor looked up as she came it. "The bath isn't full yet."
"Your son wants a story from you," she murmured, leaning on the counter.
"Does he now?" He smiled softly. He crouched down so his head was right by Felix. "You know, little star, Mummy tells just as lovely stories as I do."
"He's very insistent that you're the one that tells the story." She murmured.
"Did you ask nicely?" While River was translating between them, he still directed the question at her belly.
"Yes, he did."
"Good." He smiled and began to tell about one of his adventures with River. River closed her eyes, trying to relax her body as he told the story.
They paused for a moment when the tub got full to shed their clothes and get in. River became much more relaxed once she was soaking in the warm water.
The Doctor continued speaking softly, the room quiet once he was done with the story. It wasn't a bad quiet, more of a content lull. This quiet lasted for around twenty minutes until there was a loud, insistent banging on the bathroom door.
The Doctor sighed. "Missy, this had better be important."
"Will you tell your bloody ship to stop trying to freeze my room over!"
He glanced at River. "I'll handle this. Why don't you stay here?"
She pouted, not wanting him to leave, "She's like having a toddler."
He made a noise of agreement. "Or a cat."
"Why can't we just tell her to figure it out herself like an adult and go away." She murmured, leaning in to kiss him, trying to get him to stay.
He leaned into the kiss, easily convinced. "Missy, go get a blanket." He called through the door.
"She's been hiding all the blankets." Missy banged on the door again.
"You know as well as I do that I don't control this ship, I negotiate with her. Maybe she'll give them back if you ask nicely."
Missy pounded on the door again, though it mostly was just to annoy him. He didn't respond to that, though squared his jaw with clear irritation.
"Ignore it." River murmured, pressing her lips to his once more. He was glad for the distraction, wrapping his arms around her.
"I'm not an it! I'm a Time Lady!" Missy shouted, obviously having heard what River said.
"Then act like one and not a four-year-old." The Doctor muttered.
"Well if you'd stop shagging your wife for two minutes and actually come help me I wouldn't have to act like this." She pounded on the door again.
He smirked slightly at that, looking back at River. "A premature accusation."
"Disgusting nonetheless." Missy pretended to gag loudly.
"I rather think the opposite." He was getting distracted again, looking over River's body with darkening eyes.
"Missy I think you'd better leave." River murmured.
"Ugh, please tell me you're not going to do what I think you're going to do. Now I really am going to be sick," Missy complained. "and here I thought Time Lords were capable of rising above the repulsive reproductive frenzy you humans have. She's influencing you, Doctor."
River hummed, "I'm such a bad influence."
"I think you need to remind me just how bad an influence you are." He started peppering kisses along her jaw. "
Well if you insist." She purred, pulling him closer.
Missy groaned in defeat on the other side of the door. It took a few more minutes of exaggerated moans to properly scare Missy off. Once she was truly gone, they got to more thorough work with each other.
—-x
Waiting on the bed when they got out of the tub in a large round cage, was a bird. A raven to be more specific.
The Doctor stopped short at the sight of it. "What the hell?"
River frowned, "Missy!"
There was no answering laugh, which meant she wasn't waiting around to see their reaction. The Doctor lifted up the birdcage, moving it off the bed. "Where did she get a raven?"
"I don't know. What is it supposed to mean?"
"She's probably just messing with us," he sighed.
River frowned, "What happened to her trying to be nice to us?"
"She needs a reminder." He stared at the bird. "River... I think it's a hologram."
River approached the bed, reaching out to touch the cage. The cage seemed real enough, cold and hard to the touch like any real metal might be. The bird darted out to bite River's finger when she was close enough, though unlike the cage, the bird's beak went right through her finger, leaving her skin untouched. River jumped back in shock anyway, immediately jumping to defense.
"It's a hologram." He repeated, "It can't hurt you."
"But the cage isn't. The bird is a hologram, but the cage is real."
He picked up the cage. "Then there should be a button... here." He clicked something and the bird suddenly disappeared.
"Where is she?" River growled, stalking out of the room.
"Er... probably in her room." He followed after her.
River stormed down the hallway, banging on the door, "Missy!"
"Yes?" came her voice from inside, smooth and level like she didn't know what River was in a huff about.
"Why the hell was there a raven in our bedroom?"
"Maybe it liked you," Missy suggested.
"Fine, if you want to keep playing games than I don't have to stay here. We can end your test right now and keep you here for an additional thousand years, as promised."
"Or," The door suddenly swung open. Inside MIssy's room hung dozens of the holographic bird cages, from ravens to hummingbirds. "I thought it might look nice in your room. You've got lots of pets, don't you?"
"Is that really what you thought?" River crossed her arms, raising an eyebrow.
Missy scowled. "Is that so hard to believe?"
"Actually, yes, it is."
"Well, it's the damn truth." She snapped. "You make it very frustrating trying to be good, you know. You're always assuming I'm up to something terrible or want to make you suffer! So fine, I find it amusing sometimes, but I've been in isolation for hundreds of years now trying to do nothing else but be better! And Every. Time. You walk in those stupid blue doors and demand that I'm just plotting your downfall just makes me want to really do it! I can't disappoint you if you already assume the worst!"
"I'm sorry if I find it hard to trust you given your history towards my family. I find it hard to let my guard down and trust you after the multiple times you've tried to kill me." River snapped back, "I'm not going to pretend that everything is roses just because you said that you're going to try to be good. I'm not going to start trusting you simply because you said a few nice words."
"Right, how could I be so hopeful," Missy said dryly. "Don't keep the raven if you don't like it. What do I care."
River was practically steaming, turning sharply and leaving.
The Doctor stayed for a moment. "Was it really a gift?"
"What do you care?" Missy glared at the floor.
He didn't answer for a moment. "Why a raven?"
"Ravens are a sign of renewal." She muttered cooly.
He nodded slowly. "I'll talk to River about doing your real test soon."
"Good luck with that." She scoffed.
He frowned. "If you want her to show a little faith in you, maybe you should start showing a little faith in her."
She turned her back to him, crossing her arms. He sighed, leaving to go back to River.
River was in their room, pacing. The birdcage was no longer anywhere to be seen. He closed the door quietly behind him. "Are you alright?"
"I don't know." She whispered.
He sat down on the end of the bed. "Is there anything I can do to help?"
She shook her head, "I hate that she's here."
"I know, " he whispered. "Maybe... maybe we should just give her the test and get it over with."
"Do you think that's a good idea?"
"Well, I don't think she's going to turn on us and stab us in the back if that's what you mean. I think she's learned that her ways were... bad. Now she needs to learn that there's real gratification for doing good. Not just the good that involves trying to be kind to us, but the kind that involves saving lives instead of taking them."
River sighed, "I suppose we can let her give it a shot."
"We can work out the details later. It's late. We should sleep."
She nodded, going to lay down on the bed. He settled in next to her, kissing her forehead. "Sleep in as much as you want. I'll make you a big breakfast in the morning."
"Thank you." She hummed.