[A/N: there have been 3 comments in over 25 chapters... Is anyone still reading this? You can give me critisisms if it sucks, I just want to know you're there!]
Ch 93
"If we don't sit soon I think my ankles are going to explode." River whispered to her husband through a mostly pasted on smile. The two had gone out for a fundraising Gala, though it was more of a work obligation than anything. "Remind me why I insisted on wearing heels?"
"Don't look at me, I recall advocating against them." He said back in the same tone.
"Well, I'm sorry I wanted to look nice for your gala.'
A few important looking people had trapped them in conversation twenty minutes ago and they'd all been standing in the same spot since. The Doctor pretended to see someone he recognized and tugged River away.
"Where are we going? Aren't you supposed to be rallying funds for the physics department?" River teased as they slipped through the crowd.
"Somewhere quieter. This school could go ten years without these galas and still have enough money to fund the next ten." He guided them towards an empty bench just outside the plaza hall.
"Ah, a seat, at last." She smiled, sitting down and sliding off her shoes, "I didn't think that man was ever going to stop talking."
"I'd be surprised if he noticed we were even gone." He wrapped an arm around her. "Now, at what point do I get to say 'I told you so' about the shoes?"
"Oh hush." She smiled, leaning into him, "I wanted to look nice for all your colleagues."
He raised an eyebrow. "For my colleagues, hm?"
"That's what I said." She grinned mischievously, "Why? Do you think otherwise, Professor Disco?"
He was grinning as well. "Well, Professor Song, in all the time I've known you, I've never seen you do something so bold as suffering a night in heels just for a few posh so and so's."
"Then, you could make an educated guess that I'm lying."
"I have known you to do that."
"Perhaps there's one person, in particular, I was dressing up for," she continued in a gesticulating manner as if she were simply speculating with him about the nature of the matter.
He tried not to look too smug when she said this. "Someone here tonight, I can presume?"
She hummed, "Someone who looks quite dashing, himself, even."
At that moment, Ramone came outside, spotted them, and started over towards them. The Doctor's smile dropped quickly. Even River's smile seemed to fade a bit. "It looks like we're getting some company."
"Professor Song!" Ramone seemed to be the most cheerful among the three. "Someone said they'd spotted you. I didn't think you were coming tonight."
"Yes, I wasn't. But my plans changed."
"There's dancing, did you see?" he asked, looking hopeful.
"I did. I've already danced quite a bit with my husband," River made an effort to sound more tired than she really was.
The Doctor held her a bit tighter and Ramone deflated slightly. "Oh, em, right. Maybe next time, then...?"
"Of course, next time." She nodded.
"Right, you can go find someone else to dance with now," the Doctor huffed.
Ramone looked like he was going to say something more, but instead turned and walked away.
"Now there's no need to be rude, my love." River murmured once Ramone was gone.
"He's the one who-" he started, then stopped, realizing he sounded a little childish. "No, I suppose I could have been a bit better there."
"Now, what were we talking about?" She asked, wanting to move on from anything Ramone related.
"A scary handsome genius from space," he offered up in a lighter manner. "Who perhaps needs a little work on his interpersonal skills?"
"Scary handsome genius from space?" She echoed, brow arching.
"You were talking about me, weren't you?" He teased.
"Yes." She smiled, "But I don't recall calling you a scary handsome genius from space."
"Subtext."
"Is that what it is?" She laughed.
"What would you call then, dear?" He asked, face quite close to hers.
"Compensation."
"I guarantee I'm at least two of those things," he declared.
"Let me guess, scary and from space?"
He glared, though it was a playful one. "Didn't marry me for my good looks and charm then?"
"Well, that might have been a small factor." She leaned closer.
"And the other ones?"
"Well, for starters, you're wonderful at snogging."
"Are you sure about that one?" He challenged.
"Hmm, not really. I ought to test that hypothesis."
-x-
"[Has the medicine made you feel any better?]" River asked Terra.
The girl shrugged lethargically. "[Tired.]"
"[Why don't you try to sleep then.]" River offered.
"[Do I hafta go back to my room?]"
"[No, but if you move over just a little bit I can tuck you in so you're more comfortable.]"
Felix started winning yet again once Terra was asleep. River washed her hands before tending to Felix, "What's wrong, my darling?"
Mummy! Was the only word he thought, repeating it a few times as his arms waved about.
River lifted him up, rocking him back and forth, "I'm here, sweetie. Mummy's here."
His thoughts calmed and he relaxed, blinking up at River. River smiled at him, holding him tightly. "Aren't you so sweet."
The Doctor returned at that moment. River looked over at her husband, "Sweetie, look! He's smiling."
The Doctor came over and peered over her shoulder at the baby. Felix blinked slower in his attempted smile. "I would be too if I were in your arms," he teased.
"Oh, stop it." She beamed.
"Never," he hummed and kissed her cheek. "How's Terra?"
"Sleeping. She was tired and that's about all she'd tell me."
"Well… sleep is good," he murmured. "It was a long night for all of us. You seem to be feeling better."
"A bit," she nodded, "I'm trying my best."
"I know, but you don't have to be at 100%," he reminded. "You're recovering as well."
"I'm alright," she smiled softly.
He didn't push the subject further. Felix gurgled and the Doctor reached down a finger to stroke his tiny cheeks. "Did you get a chance to eat yet?"
"Not yet, but I'll do that now." The egg sandwich he'd made for her earlier was still sitting on the nightstand, cold now. River took a bite, appreciating the effort despite the fact that the food was now cold.
"Maybe we should move Terra back to her room," the Doctor thought out loud. Both she and River seemed well enough that they didn't need to stay in the medbay anymore.
"I don't want to disturb her while she's sleeping." River murmured, "She needs her rest."
"Do you want me to stay with her later when it's time to get the kids from school?"
"We'll see… I'm still pretty sore."
He nodded his understanding.
The day remained quiet for the most part. They stayed in the medbay for a long while, mostly just chatting quietly and occasionally switching off who was holding Felix.
Terra woke around lunchtime feeling slightly better. They moved back into the flat at that point where Felix was fed again and the Doctor made lunch for everyone else—more toast for Terra, but this time with a few ambitious slices of banana on top.
River was on the sofa feeding Felix, when she said to the Doctor, "So...I suppose you're going to have to go to the Executioner's planet and save Missy."
"I suppose I am." He sighed in a conflicted manner but nodded. "Wouldn't want another alternate timeline on our hands."
"No, we wouldn't."
The Doctor looked at Felix, letting himself stare briefly with affection as the baby nursed. It was so much calmer than before when they tried to feed Felix with the bottles. The boy now indulged in the two favorite things he had in the world (so far)—food and his mother's warmth—so he was as content as a week old timetot could get.
"I could get it over with soon," he said out loud, even though what he wanted to do most was put it off for as long as he could.
River took his hand across the couch.
-x-
River was sitting at the kitchen table, trying to calm down with a cup of tea. It was cold and untouched. She had had another horrible nightmare about Missy and couldn't get to sleep again, now finding herself sitting in the dark kitchen.
Tiber had been rubbing against her legs in an attempt to get a very early breakfast, but had given up and was now just lying at her feet.
The stairwell creaked with the weight of someone descending it. River sighed, starting to get up to look less like an insomniac.
The Doctor peered around the corner. "No need to get up for my sake. You looked comfortable."
She smiled weakly, "What are you doing up? It's still so early. Or late."
"I could ask you the same," he hummed, sitting at the table across from her. "But it does raise anxieties to wake and find you missing."
"I'm sorry," she murmured, "I had a nightmare and I thought some tea might help calm me down." She glanced at the untouched cup.
He didn't need her to explain much further since this was a fairly common occurrence. Usually, she stayed in their bedroom or at the very least the adjoining bathroom, so it spoke volumes that she'd come all the way down to the kitchen.
"About her?"
River nodded, running her hand along her belly, "Her and the baby."
The Doctor listened to many accounts of River's dreams, but recently there was a recurring one that was a horrifying blend of past events. Even he winced when he remembered River words: hands grabbing in the dark, Missy's horrible laugh as she drugged River and forced her to have the baby, flashes of unnamable devices all used to hurt her and Felix, the blood as she watched the woman carve 'mutt' and 'halfbreed into the baby's skin and her own, heart-wrenching screams from the baby, and the unfortunately vivid memory of pain.
He assumed she was referring to this one and reached across the table and offered a hand. She took his hand, her own shaking.
"We've been so careful, Riv," he whispered. With all the extra scans and the extra protection on the house and the TARDIS, even Jack sometimes commented on them going a little overboard. "There's no reason to think things will change."
"But she's so smart. She's as smart as you are and she could find a way through all the walls we built." She breathed, squeezing her eyes shut.
He squeezed her hand, hoping to help anchor her into the present. "She's biolocked out of everything and our scanners get alerts of any spacetime movement the TARDIS makes." He knew she already knew this. It was actually mostly her idea to have most of those things. "We'd know it before she even started the engine."
River nodded slowly, pulling his hand closer.
"You know I'd do anything to keep her from laying a hand on you."
"I know." She stood, walking over to him. He pulled her into his lap, gently wrapping his arms around her.
She rested her head against his, "I'm sorry."
"It's not your fault." He was getting the increasing feeling that it was his, guilt thickening by the day that the decision he made was causing River so much distress. "Do you need anything?"
She shook her head, "I just want you here with me."
He relaxed slightly, moving one of his hands over her belly. "I can do that."
She turned her head to nuzzle his jaw. He hummed and smiled weakly. He turned his face towards her, stealing a kiss. "Love you."
"Love you too." She whispered back.
-x-
Terra seemed to be feeling better after another nap and kept asking her parents if she was allowed to play with Felix.
"Should we let her hold him?" River asked wearily, she didn't want to expose the baby to Terra's illness, but she also didn't want to discourage the sibling bonding.
"It should be okay...," the Doctor murmured. He was still on edge about Felix catching something, but he knew logically that even if he did get sick it wouldn't be the end of the world.
"[Terra, would you like to hold Felix?]" River offered.
The girl nodded excitedly. "[Yes, please.]"
"[Okay, Your father is going to put him in your arms. Just shake your head when you want me to take him back.]"
"[Alright,]" Terra agreed excitedly, holding her arms out.
"[Be very gentle.]" River reminded.
The girl nodded. Felix didn't seem to mind being shifted around, blinking up at Terra with some young form of curiosity.
"[Does it feel okay? Is he too heavy?]" River asked her daughter.
She shook her head. Felix was about the same weight as the cats give or take a pound. Terra wouldn't be able to lift him well, but sitting and keeping him in her lap wasn't an issue.
River stepped back, watching. Nothing really happened for a minute or so. Terra stared at her brother with the inspection of a curator and Felix stared back with a somewhat interested regard.
They hadn't had a huge amount of interaction so far-Felix was used to seeing one of his parents' faces looming so close, not the face of his youngest older sister. Likewise, Terra was still grasping at why people thought babies were so cute and precious when their faces had a distinct lack of defining features.
Terra was sitting so still with focus that she nearly jumped when Felix said, "Baphthhh," and left his tongue out for a few seconds longer than needed to actually make the sound.
"[He's trying to talk to you.]" River smiled softly.
Terra looked a tad confused, then excited as an idea formed. She looked at the baby and tried to say his name like she had before. "Fe'ik."
River looked at her, quite surprised. Terra rarely ever tried to vocally speak.
Felix, on the other hand, seemed quite pleased with the noise and gurgled back. Terra looked equally satisfied to have gotten a reaction from her brother, deciding that this was a sufficient form of communication since English and Sign weren't options.
River took the Doctor's hand as Terra and Felix made noises back and forth with one another. "They make quite a pair don't they?" He whispered to her, tone laced with affection.
She nodded, "They're so sweet." Neither of them knew if this peace between their two youngests would last, but they were both glad for it, happy to watch it as long as it lasted. "She seems to be feeling much better."
"The medicine must be finally kicking in."
They were quiet for a long moment.
"I don't want to go back to the Executioner's Planet." He said, recalling their earlier conversation. "Not soon, anyway. It still feels... it still feels so fresh."
"I know." She whispered, turning and wrapping her arms around him.
He leaned into her embrace, glad he didn't have to explain himself. River seemed to always understand these things without him saying. "Thank you."
"Love you." She pressed her face to his chest.
He rubbed slow circles on her back in a soothing manner. "Love you t-"
"Muh!" Terra interrupted her father before he could finish.
River turned, looking at their daughter. Felix was sucking on Terra's pinky finger, somehow having decided that it was a good substitute for a pacifier. Terra looked distressed and mildly disgusted, not knowing what to do.
River went to lift the baby up, "Terra doesn't like that, my love."
Felix looked confused for a second before his brain decided that was too complicated of an emotion to have and went straight to crying instead.
"It's alright, Felix. It's alright." River murmured, offering her finger to him instead. He calmed instantly once his mouth was occupied again. All evidence of his fit was gone aside from a few tears still wet on his cheeks.
Terra exaggeratedly wiped her hand off on her trouser leg. "[Why does he do that? Do babies do that or is he just weird?]"
River shook her head, "This is what babies do." The Doctor signed for River.
Terra looked skeptical but shrugged. "[How come?]"
"I don't know, sweetie. That's what babies do."
Terra didn't question it further. "[How long do you stay out of work for?]"
"A couple of months so we can take care of Felix."
"[So...]," she paused to count on her fingers. "[After Christmas then?]"
River nodded, "Yes, exactly."
"[Won't it get boring?]"
"I don't think so. I get to spend time with Felix, and your father. And I'll be able to see all of our friends." River listed.
"[Oh. You won't go on trips without us, will you?]"
"Well, we may go visit Auntie Vastra, but nothing too exciting."
Terra relaxed. "[Can I go with Dad to pick everyone up?]"
"Are you sure you're feeling well enough?"
Terra nodded, though the Doctor didn't look very convinced.
"[If your fever is still up after your next dose, I want you to stay here,]" the Doctor decided.
Terra pouted, "[But I wanna come!]"
"[It's not good to push yourself,]" he reminded. "[And I don't want you to get worse.]"
Terra frowned but didn't protest anymore.