Ch 9
It took about two hours to set up everything that needed to be done and another hour before the Hub was feeding the power to generate River's new body. Jack stayed in the Hub, making sure everything kept running smoothly.
The Doctor plopped back down in the console room, looking rather tired.
"You look exhausted." River murmured when she saw him.
"Yeah." He sighed. "A bit."
"You should rest. You don't have to stay with me." She murmured.
"I don't, but there's nowhere I'd rather be." He lifted his head to look at her.
She smiled weakly, "I'll be fully with you soon. It's just a matter of hours now."
"Hopefully." He returned the smile.
"How's the baby been?" She asked softly.
"Restless. He want's you back, too."
She nodded slowly, "And how are you? Aside from tired."
"Well... hopeful. More than I've been in a while… Remember how you felt when you got out of the Library?" He asked. She nodded. "This... is going to feel a lot worse."
She nodded again, "I was expecting it would be like that."
"I just want you to know what to expect. You might be immobile for a little while." He said slowly.
"But I'll be back, and that's all that really matters."
"I want you to be back to a life and body you want to be in." He told her.
"What do you mean? Do you think I don't want to come back because I'm going to be immobile for a few days?" She asked.
"No, no. That's not what I meant." He thought of how to put it. "It's just, you were so sick at the end of your pregnancy... I just thought it might be ... a little frustrating for you, not being 100% immediately. I have no doubts about you wanting to come back." He added.
She sighed, "I don't mind not being 100% right away, I'm just happy I'm coming back."
"Just a matter of hours." He echoed her words.
"Is there anything else you have to tell me?"
"I just wanted to make sure you knew what was coming." He shook his head. "And if you have any advice for putting a consciousness into a body, that would be welcomed."
"Be gentle." She murmured, "I don't have much other advice."
He twiddled his thumbs nervously. "I don't want to mess up something this important."
"You won't." She gave him an encouraging smile, "I believe in you."
He smiled up at her. "Unconditionally?"
"Yes, unconditionally."
He sat up a bit straighter, feeling a bit more brave. "Luck and faith hasn't failed yet."
"I love you." She gave him a weak smile, "Now please, you should get some rest."
"Moving is too much effort." He teased, leaning his head back on the seat instead.
"I wish I could be with you." She whispered, her hand resting on the screen.
"You're closer by the minute." He looked up again. "Can I ask you something?"
"Of course, anything." She nodded.
"When you, uh, died," He started. "Did you... go right to the TARDIS? Was there... something else?"
"Honestly, I don't remember, everything was a bit fuzzy. I think… I think I was uploaded straight to the TARDIS."
He nodded. "So can you remember?"
"I can't remember, Doctor, I'm sorry." She whispered, "Everything was so blurry."
"It's alright." He said calmly.
"I wish I could remember, my love." She whispered.
"No really, it's okay. Besides, it probably wasn't the most pleasant thing."
"No, it wasn't." She muttered, sitting down finally.
"And coming back I doubt will be painless." He added, watching her movements.
She didn't say anything, putting her head in her hands.
"River?" He leaned forwards. "What's wrong?" He wondered if he'd hit a nerve.
"Nothing." She mumbled into her hands, "You should rest."
"I won't, knowing you're upset. Tell me." He encouraged.
"I don't really want to talk right now. I just want to think." She confessed.
"Shall I go, then?" He asked.
"You can stay if you really want to."
"I want you to be comfortable." He said, thinking it was her decision.
"Doctor, please..."
"Okay, I'll go." He gave in. "I'll check in on you in an hour or so." He made to head into the TARDIS, not to rest though, to check on River's body. He couldn't rest now even if he tried.
River's body was developing in a fluid chamber and much faster now, all the necessary pieces coming together to recreate her. He arrived and stared over her body, the sight making him a bit uneasy. She floated peacefully in a large tank like some sort of fetus. He could see endless amounts of tubes and wires connected to the tank, guessing that about half of them were for power. The body did quite resemble her, but it wasn't her just yet. It was empty and all too... new. The TARDIS would recreate her as exact as possible, he knew, but there was still so much missing. Scars, marks, certain variations in her skin that he'd mapped countless times.
The Doctor waited.
River's body continued to develop over the hours, resembling more and more her old self, however, as predicted, there were certain things that the TARDIS was unable reproduce, like the scar her inner left thigh, or the mark on her right side. The Doctor frowned as he waited and waited for the marks to appear. He was unaware how much time had passed, eventually getting up in search for River's old body.
River's old body was back in the room that she had died in, though no longer in the state they had left it. Missy had wreaked some havoc on River's former body. There were now gashes all over her flesh, and the word 'disgrace' had been carved into her arm as well as a number of other degrading terms.
The Doctor's hand flew to cover his mouth, shock being and understatement to what felt like a blow to the gut. He was going to sodding kill Missy when he saw her. He slowly approached the corpse, tears pricking at his eyes. "I'm so, so sorry."
Soft sobs echoed through the walls, the TARDIS trying to show that River had found out about this, and this was partially why she had seemed so upset a few hours ago.
"Can you bring her to me?" He asked softly of his ship. In the meantime, he took a scanner and cataloged marks on River's body. Not the new ones made my Missy, but old scars and things the TARDIS had missed in the reconstruction.
Rivers consciousness began to appear sitting on the floor, not yet noticing that she was being summoned. He turned to her, moving silently to sit in front of her. She finally noticed him, jumping to cover her tears, "Doctor! What are you..." She saw past him at that moment, her words trailing off.
"It's okay, my love. It's alright." He murmured, hand outstretched to her.
She was reluctant to take his hand, not wanting to feel herself pass right through him.
"It's alright, River. I'm here. Just look at me." Each words was warm and full of comfort. "You're here."
"But I'm also there. That's still a part of me."
He nodded in agreement. "Take my hand." He urged again.
She hesitated, but did as he asked, preparing herself for the heartbreak of not being able to touch him. Instead, his hand wrapped around hers. He brought his other hand to cup her cheek, thumb brushing over her soft skin. "There, now. See?" "
How are you doing that?" She asked in disbelief, staring at his hand, "I'm not really here."
"You're always here to me." He gave her a proper smile, eyes full of affection.
"But I don't understand. This should be impossible." She whispered, squeezing his hand to make sure she was really touching it.
"You coming back to life should have been impossible." He squeezed back. "You falling in love with an idiot like me should have been, too."
She managed a soft smile, until her attention was drawn back to her former body. He watched here eyes, knowing where she was looking. "Shall I put some plasters on you?"
She shook her head, "Bandages won't fix it. They'll never heal, it will always be like that now." Her voice gave away her hurt.
"River... you do know that we still have to have a cremation?"
"I know, but still...We'll be putting to rest a body, my body, that's been mutilated."
He rubbed her arm in comfort. "I'm so sorry, love." He couldn't think of a way to fix it.
She was trying her best to hide how much she was hurting, but she couldn't. He wrapped his arms around her, pulling her to him. She pushed him away, not wanting his attempts at comfort.
"River..." He looked at her.
"What?" She whispered.
"...Maybe we should go somewhere else." He suggested.
She shook her head, "Leaving won't make a difference. The damage is already done."
"Yes, but it's obviously making you uncomfortable to be around." He pointed out.
Before, she'd wanted to have contact with him. Now she was pushing him away. She swallowed, "I'm upset, and rightfully so."
"I know. I'm not saying you don't have the right." He quieted himself, thinking he was probably pushing pointlessly.
"I want to go." She whispered.
"Where?" He asked.
"Away from...that." She nodded towards her body.
He nodded, taking her hand. "Here, come on."
She stood up, turning her head away so she wouldn't have to look at the scene anymore. He lead her from the room, going to their bedroom. He hadn't been in since she'd died.
She relaxed as they left the room, though she kept a tight hold on his hand. He sat on the edge of the bed, not letting go of her. "Why didn't you tell me about the videos?"
"I wanted them to be a surprise." She whispered.
"I think they really helped the girls." He told her.
She smiled weakly, "I'm glad. I was hoping that they would."
"I'd forgotten we filmed the wedding. I can't even remember the camera man there."
"I think we just set the camera up ourselves." She rest her head against his shoulder.
"Oh yeah." He chuckled, leaning closer to her.
"You know, I really want to kiss you right now." She breathed, watching his face.
He met her eyes. "I would have absolutely no protest to that." He'd wanted to kiss her since he realized she wasn't really gone.
She started to lean in, eyes flickering to his lips. Their mouths met, his moving softly and lovingly against hers. She melted against him, wrapping her arms around his neck. His hands moved to her waist, pulling her close. The kiss broke after several moments, River pulling back with a large grin.
"Now there, see?" He was cupping her cheeks. "That's not so unwelcomed, now is it."
"I love you." She whispered, "We haven't kissed like that in a while."
"We can kiss like that all we want." He smirked.
"In a few hours we'll be able to do a little more than kiss." She purred, leaning in to kiss him again.
"Who says we have to wait?" He murmured against her lips.
"Are you sure you want to do it now?" She pulled back just a bit, "You do remember that I'm..." She trailed off, not thinking she needed to finish.
"Yes, I'm aware. I'm also aware that you've got two other bodies in the TARDIS so that makes three of you." He pointed out. "But this you can feel this me, and this me can feel this you." He kissed her cheek.
She smiled softly, "If you want to do this, so do I." She murmured.
"One kiss at a time then?"
"One kiss at a time." She echoed, nodding.
He grinned, meeting her lips. She made this kiss more passionate, letting her guard down. He returned the passion, giving as much as he got and letting his hands in her hair. Her hands wrapped around the lapels of his jacket, pulling him closer. He leaned her down softly to the mattress. She kissed him hungrily, teeth running along his bottom lip.
He hummed. "God, I've missed you."
"I've missed you too." She breathed, pulling him down more.
His hands raked over her body, mouths crashing together. She let out a small gasp when he touched her, eyes fluttering closed. He started the hike up her ghostly dress, hands smoothing over her thighs. She shifted to make the task easier, already working on his shirt.
He pulled the dress over her head, taking a moment to let his eyes wander over her. "Enjoying the view?" She teased.
"Categorically." He breathed, unable to resist the temptation. He kissed a column down her neck to her collar bone, tasting her skin.
She let out a small whimper, her hearts pounding. He shrugged his shirt to the floor, hands and mouth working her skin.
She was growing more and more impatient. "Doctor, I need you..." He made a sultry hum, obliging and trailing his hand frustratingly slow down between her thighs. "Doctor." She whined, rolling her hips down towards him.
He chuckled and pressed the heel of his hand against her clit, creating the desired friction. She gasped, hands tightening in his hair.
"More?" He asked her, though it was more of a tease.
"Y-yes. More." She moaned.
The sound sent chills through him and he slipped two fingers inside her, wanting to hear more. Her moan was much louder this time and she ground her hips towards him. She arched her back, gasping with each movement, "Doctor."
His mouth was trailing hotly down her body. He brought it lower to her sensitive nub, using his free hand to work his trousers and pants off.
"Doctor..." She cried out, one hand wrapping around his wrist.
He lapped up her juices with ravenous vigor, the taste of her bursting across his tongue. Her cries were going louder and louder, her grip on him tightening. He managed to rid his bottom half of clothes, slowly stopping his movements and moving up the bed.
As soon as he was close enough, she dragged his lips to hers, rolling her body towards him. He grunted at the contact, murmuring a bit incoherently; something along the lines of 'want you, need you'.
He turned them on their sides, pulling her leg over his hips in a bit of a sideways straddle before entering her. She moaned, pressing her body against his. He rocked his hips against hers, hands wrapping around her and cupping her arse. She buried her face in his neck, kissing and sucking up and down the column. He groaned her name, arching to her.
"I love you." She murmured against his skin, rolling her body towards him. They were completely pressed against each other, aside their hips which kept up the back and forth.
"I love you, too." He uttered back in Gallafreyan.
She smiled, growing more and more distracted by the feeling of bliss. His grip was bruising, hips pushing into hers roughly. She was growing closer to her release, encouraging him on.
He groaned her name again, heat growing low in his gut. All his senses her clouded by her. The touch or her, the smell of her, the sound of her all very welcomed. She pressed her forehead to his, her eyes fluttering shut as pure bliss took over.
He quickened his pace, driving them both higher than they'd been in a long time and sending them tumbling over the edge with nothing but each other holding them to reality.
She tumbled over the edge with cry of his name, her lips reattaching to his. His release was laced with shouts of jumbled words of praise and affection towards his wife until he stilled, speechless and panting.
She giggled, breathlessly once they were both finished, curling against him, "Those were some very interesting compliments."
He blinked at her, grinning like an idiot. "I said those out loud?"
"Yes, you most certainly did." She laughed, pressing a kiss to his nose.
"Okay, I might have exaggerated some, but they were still true." He scrunched up his nose, then returned the kiss.
"I've certainly missed doing that." She murmured, tucking her head beneath his chin.
"I think that was the first time since our coming home party." Which was to say months ago.
She nodded, hands trailing along his bare chest, "You'd better not have gotten me pregnant again. I don't know how to take care of a half data-ghost baby." She teased.
He laughed, a hand mimicking her movements along her back. "I think three children is plenty."
"If you stick with three you won't get a Terra." She murmured, having grown very fond of the name over the past several months.
"We could always get Toby a friend." He teased.
"I don't think your mother would appreciate having a dog named after her instead of one of our children." She smiled.
"Well then I should inform you that data ghosts can't get pregnant," He knew she already knew that, though. "But if four kids is something you want to talk about, I'm all ears."
She thought for a moment, "I think we should get acclimated to having three children before we seriously talk about a fourth one." She murmured, touching his cheek, "But for the record, as of right now, I'm not opposed to the idea."
He smiled, then reached for the scanner on the bedside table. He pressed a few things, then set it back and replaced himself where he'd been cuddled with River.
"What did you just do?" She asked, curling up tightly against him.
"Made adjustments to your new body." He murmured.
"What adjustments?" She frowned slightly.
He kissed the crease between her eyebrows. "Adjustments so if we really want to, we can have more kids without having a repeat of the past months. The TARDIS is getting rid of the scar tissue and revitalizing your systems."
"Oh." The smile returned to her face, "Thank you."
He brushed his nose against hers. "My pleasure."
"Well, if we do end up deciding to have a fourth, it's an excuse for us to do this lots and lots of times." She smiled, nuzzling his nose.
He pulled the blanket over them. "Who says we need an excuse."
"Well, we don't, of course." She pressed a kiss to his cheek, "But it's an excuse to do it more than usual."
"As much as you want." He promised. Footsteps started from down the hall and the Doctor sighed, thinking Jack was going to ruin his cuddling time.
"Do you want to put clothes on? Or do you just want to lock the door." She breathed, nipping lightly at his ear.
He pulled the covers over both their heads and let out a giggle. "Option three: hide under here."
She laughed, snuggling close to him and giving him a soft kiss, "I like this option."
There came a knock before Jack came in. "Heya Doc, Vastra called and she- Oh. Well hellooo, Doctor." They could hear the smirk in his voice.
River laughed, giving the Doctor another kiss to muffle the sound. "Go away, Jack." The Doctor tried to sound annoyed, but the sight of his giggling wife was making him smile too much.
"Havin' a bit of fun with yourself there, Doc?" Jack teased.
He poked his head above the cover's and did his best to glare at the man. "Who says I'm alone?"
River laughed again, peering out from beneath the covers and resting her head against her husband.
"I take it I'm not allowed in on this?" Jack crossed his arms, eyeing the pair.
"I'm afraid not." She smirked, "Perhaps another time."
"It's no fun to catch you two like this if I end up without any end of the stick. Or other parts." He half wished for a little bit of x-ray vision. "Anyways, Vastra called because the girls wanted to go to a candy shop and she didn't know if you guys would allow that."
"Yes, that's quite alright, as long as they don't have too much. A couple of pieces at most, they'll have to eat dinner in a little while and I don't want them filling up on sweets."
He nodded. "I'll call her back. TARDIS says your body is just about done, so finish up all," He made a vague hand gesture. "This."
She grinned, "We'll be back in the console room in a bit. Thank you, Jack."
The man saluted and left them. The Doctor pouted at nothing in particular. "I suppose we have to put on clothes then."
"Well, maybe just a few more minutes of cuddling." She murmured.
"Good." He hummed, hiding under the blanket once more. She curled back under with him, giggling quietly. He pressed a kiss to her curls. "The girls will want to hog you all to themselves when you've got a physical form."
She nodded in agreement, "I want to hold Arthur again as soon as possible."
"I can arrange that." He grinned. "As long as you can promise you'll be back for good this time."
"I promise I'll never leave you again." She breathed, pressing a kiss to his lips. Even though she didn't necessarily have control over that, he melted into the kiss, joy washing over him at finally having his wife back. "And do you promise me?" She murmured, looking up at him through long eyelashes.
"I do. To the best of my ability." He vowed.
"Good, I'm glad."
They stayed there in each other's arms for what turned out to be another quarter of an hour before finally getting enough motivation to put their clothes back on.
She slipped back into her dress, going over to help him tie his bowtie. He moved to rest his hands on her hips, watching her nimble fingers. She straightened it once she was finished, giving him a kiss on the jaw, "There."
He pulled her closer for a proper kiss, holding her close. She hummed against his lips, snaking her arm around his neck. He pulled away after a moment, resting his forehead against hers. "Love you."
"Love you too." She whispered, nuzzling his nose.
He took her hand as they started to make their way to the console room.
