Ch 74
With the door shut and Missy gone, the Doctor turned his attention back to his wife. "Are you alright?"
River shook her head no.
"What can I do?" He whispered.
"I don't know." She closed her eyes, much too focused on the pain to think clearly.
"Lie down." He urged gently. "That's it." He hoped his tone was at least a bit soothing. "Breathe and just focus on me."
She nodded, watching his face as she did what he said. He took her hands stroking the back of them and started to hum.
"Maybe trying Missy's idea would be worth it." River breathed.
He nodded slowly. "It'd be better than seeing you in so much pain if it worked. But I want to oversee everything. I might be able to adjust some things and make it safer."
"Okay." She smiled weakly, "That makes me feel better."
"We'll see how it goes. I don't want to make any promises." The Doctor kissed her knuckles, keeping her hand in his.
"I'm sorry." She murmured softly.
"Why? None of this is your fault."
"It feels like it is."
He squeezed her hand. "I wish there was something I could do about that."
They were quiet for a moment until River said, "I miss the kids."
"Me too. It's hard to be away from them." The Doctor agreed, glad that these three days would only be an hour or so for the kids and they wouldn't notice. "We'll go back tomorrow, have a family dinner night."
"That'd be nice." She nodded, "When do you have to go back to work?"
"Tuesday. I told them I'd have names if I had to deal with freshman orientation."
She laughed softly, "You'd probably scare all those poor freshmen."
"Luckily, mine is an upperclassmen course."
"Only the upperclassmen can handle the eyebrows." She teased.
"It's the eyebrows, is it?"
"The eyebrows and the grumpiness."
"Well, you seem to have an expert handle on both of these things."
"You think I'm an expert?" She smiled.
He tapped her nose. "Absolutely."
She scrunched her nose, "Well I'm glad you think so. And you'll be happy to hear that I've decided to teach only one class this semester."
"Actually, I'm surprised you listened to me and slowed down a bit. When does it meet?"
"Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays, 10 to 12:30." She murmured.
"Well, remember to take it easy. We're both going to have most of the semester on leave anyway."
She nodded, "I know. I've been working with Luna and my class is only going to be for a few weeks, then the students will have their final right before I go on leave."
"Only a few weeks? That would explain why you're meeting three times a week."
She hummed, "I didn't want some TA coming in and trying to teach my lessons."
"You're allowed to dictate how they're trained you know." He pointed out.
"I know, but it's still not the same."
He smiled softly. "You're irreplaceable."
She laughed, "Glad you think so."
"That's a fact, my love." He insisted. "And Luna knows it. So do I."
She smiled, "I like that the eyebrows have a sentimental side."
"Only for you, dear."
"I must be special."
"Very special," he agreed.
They sat there for a while longer until Missy came back and insisted that she should receive help getting the rest of the materials from the "grudge-holding, broken blue box."
"Fine, we'll help." River grumbled, "What do you need?"
"Mostly the actual nanobots. I've got just about everything else."
River glanced hesitantly at the Doctor. "I'll help her out," he offered slightly unsure. "They should be easy to find." He gave her a quick kiss, much to Missy's distaste, before rising and leaving to go help.
"Did you really have to do that in front of me?" Missy muttered as they walked through the hall.
"I didn't realize kissing my wife was such a traumatic thing to whiteness." He rolled his eyes.
"Well, I'd rather be spared from having to view you sink to her perpetual humanistic reproductive instincts." She scowled.
"Need I remind you that humans also use kissing as an expression of affection—not just an initiation to procreate," he sighed. "And what I "sink to" doing is my conscious choice and isn't really your concern."
"I don't understand why you feel the need to give her constant 'affection.' It's all you two seem to do."
"At this rate, you never will understand what love is," he said under his breath.
Missy glared at him but didn't speak. They continued in silence until they reached the mebday. "Alright, show me what you've got so far."
She brought him over to the exam table where all the bits and bobs were laid out. He looked it all over. "Grab some more neural-wire. I'll get your nanobots."
Missy nodded, getting the wires for him. The TARDIS, of course, left the nanobots in an easy to find place for the Doctor and made the neural-wire more difficult to find. Missy's mood had soured when she finally returned, practically throwing the wire at him.
"Look, I know it's frustrating when you're on her bad side," he tried patiently, "but you've had centuries to try to make nice with my ship and from the looks of it, you haven't tried very hard."
"Well, what do you want me to do? I've stopped destroying the rooms, isn't that enough?"
He paused for a moment. "If humans show care through kissing, how do you think you might show care for a time machine?"
"I'm not going to snog your machine if that's what you're trying to get at."
"No that's not what I—look, if you think not being an arse all there is to winning over someone's trust, then you've got a lot to improve on."
"Are you going to actually help me or are you just going to insult me?" She frowned.
"I am helping. You need to understand and respect my ship in order for her to help you." She rolled her eyes, crossing her arms. "It takes time." He added. "And patience."
"Well, hopefully, I won't be sticking around here too much longer."
"Actually, River and I have decided that your test will have to wait until after the baby is born."
"What?!" Missy growled, eyes narrowing.
"We both want to be there, Missy, and that means waiting."
"But that's not fair to me!" She snapped, "I have to stay in captivity because of her and your stupid offspring?!"
"I'm not going to risk my family more than necessary for you. I didn't think I had to explain that one." He frowned.
Her jaw tightened. She knew there would be no changing his mind, but perhaps she could find a way to speed up the baby's delivery date, though she couldn't let the Doctor know she was involved.
"I'll let you get to work." He muttered. "Just the shell tonight. I want to oversee the rest."
She nodded, waiting until he left before adjusting her plans.
Missy wasn't seen until the next morning when she brought the fully put together device to the two other Time Lords.
The Doctor seemed a bit surprised at how fast she'd put it together. "I thought I made it clear that I wanted to oversee when you made this."
"Oh, I'm sorry. Should I take it apart and start over and prolong the amount of time your wife is in pain?" She bit back sarcastically.
"No..." he said slowly. "But I'd like to do tests on it first."
"Fine." She thrust the device into his hands.
He glanced at River with a mix of hope and uncertainty. River looked a bit wary. "Well, thank you for this." He murmured to Missy. "If everything checks out well have it in before we leave today."
Missy nodded, turning to leave. He offered a smile to River before also leaving to run the tests.
It was lunch when the Doctor went to find Missy, looking rather cross.
"What do you want?" Missy asked, looking up.
"You know exactly why I'm here." He tossed a piece of paper at her which had the diagnostics on it.
She raised an eyebrow, "I don't know what you're talking about."
"Look. At. It." He hissed.
She looked at the paper, hardly glancing at it, "I don't see anything wrong."
"Don't play that shit with me, Missy." He seethed. "This is exactly the kind of technology you gave Kovarian to speed up River's pregnancy before."
She pursed her lips, "Well, I didn't put it there."
"Oh, so it just magically appeared when you were building it last night, hm?"
She shrugged, "Maybe you're the one that tampered with it."
"This isn't a fucking joke, Missy. This is my child's life. This is what landed you on the Executioners' planet and why no one around here trusts you!" His voice was getting louder as he spoke. "Do you think I enjoy keeping you here? Do you think I want to wait for your test because it's fun?"
"That technology won't bring any harm to your child. It would have simply sped up the process. I know of things that are a lot more harmful," she hissed. "You promised me I'd only have to wait three days."
"I don't care if it's less harmful, you know exactly how I feel about this! And I promised I'd think about your test, nothing more. If you didn't like my decision there's this little thing call communication! With words! Like a normal fucking person!"
Although she looked slightly remorseful, Missy looked more annoyed at the conversation than anything, "Are you going to tell her?"
"Of course I'm going to sodding tell her," he glared.
"And what good is telling her going to do other than worry her?" She pressed.
He hardly batted an eye. "Better than the worry of finding out I've been keeping a secret. Trust me, I've been down that road before and it's much worse."
Missy frowned, knowing it would be much harder to win back River's trust now. She still had a plan in mind. The Doctor finding out about the device wasn't disastrous, it only meant she had to be more careful.
"You never think things through." He took the paper back and turned to leave, finding River and swallowing the hot lump in his throat.
"Please tell me you have some good news." River smiled hopefully as her husband entered their room.
He had trouble finding his voice, approaching the bed slowly.
"What's wrong?" Her smile began to fade.
He handed her the paper as he sat on the edge of the bed next to her. She looked at it, her face paling almost immediately.
"I think we need to leave." He whispered after a moment. She nodded, completely silent.
He stood and went to the dresser to retrieve the vortex manipulator. River didn't move, still looking over the paper. He came back over and offered a hand. River put the paper aside finally, taking his hand.
Without a word, they vanished from the TARDIS and rematerialized in the house. Telly could be heard downstairs along with the sound of one of the cats racing up the stairs. River still hadn't said anything, her hands clenched into fists.
"We've got to send her back." He said after a long moment.
"Send her back where?"
"To the Executioners. I can't lose—" He stopped when his voice wavered.
"I know." She nodded, wrapping her arms around him.
He pressed his face into her shoulder. "I thought I could change her."
"I know you did." She whispered, rubbing his back, "But some people just aren't capable of change."
"Sometime in the future, I stop her execution in the past. Why? If she tried to do this, then why did I save her?"
"I don't know." She breathed, "Maybe...maybe you need to give her more time."
"Her thousand years are almost up and this is where we are." He breathed. "I don't know if I can take that risk. Not with you and the kids."
She held him tighter, pressing a kiss to his temple to try and comfort him.
"Mum?" Amelia called.
"I should make dinner." He whispered.
"I can help." River offered.
There was a knock on the door, Amelia calling again. "Mum?"
River went to open the door, smiling at her daughter. Amelia smiled back, almost eye-level with her mother in height. She was covered in flour and a bit of tomato sauce. "I heard the vortex manipulator, I wanted to see if you were back."
"Have you been cooking?" River asked, surprised.
"Terra wanted pizza and I know you don't like it when we order takeaway without you."
"Thank you." River smiled, brushing some of the flour off of Amelia's shoulder. "That was very sweet of you."
"You were gone longer than you said." Amelia murmured. "Why have you changed clothes?"
"The TARDIS was cold so we put warmer clothes on." River lied, "We didn't mean to be gone for very long."
"I know. I was just a bit worried..." Amelia often was concerned about her parents, though this wasn't new. "But, um, yeah. Pizza'll be ready soon."
River hugged her daughter, finding comfort in the action, "Thank you."
Amelia was surprised for a moment before relaxing into the hug. "Terra's been asking for you. Will you come down soon?"
"I'll go down now." She nodded, turning for the door.
Amelia glanced back at the Doctor.
He tried to smile. "I'll be down in a minute."