Ch 21
"Mummy!" Came Freya, completely shaking with the freezing cold TARDIS.
River awoke, back in bed with the children, immediately moving to warm them up, "It's alright." She murmured, wrapping her arms around them, "We'll be alright."
"There's frost in the hall." Her teeth chattered. "It's never been this cold before."
"Doctor?" River called, helping the girls get bundled up in the clothes they had retrieved earlier and wrapping Toby and the cats up in a few more blankets they had, allowing the animals to snuggle with the children.
He took a moment to blink his eyes open, sitting bolt upright. "Are you okay?"
He asked frantically. "I don't know." She whispered, trying to hide how shaken she was.
Toby crawled up so he was practically laying on the girls, while the cats snuggled between their bodies. "What's happened?"
She hesitated, glancing at their daughters, "Girls, can you tell Arthur a story?" She asked, gently placing the baby between them, hoping it would provide a distraction for them while she spoke with the Doctor.
They nodded. The more people in their warmth pile, the better. River moved to the other side of the bed, fixing the blankets around the children to make sure they were as warm as possible before turning to the Doctor.
"I need you to tell me exactly what happened." The Doctor kept to a whisper, sounding quite serious.
"I don't know." She whispered, "I don't know what's happening. We were here and it felt so real, and then I woke up, or I thought I did, and the TARDIS had crashed, and then I woke up here again, and then there again..." She shook her head, "I don't know what's happening."
"Bravo, Mrs Doctor. You're finally getting it." The comment wasn't from the Doctor.
River jumped to stand in front of the children, looking in the direction of the voice.
Arthur started crying again, and the Doctor glared, "You."
River hushed Arthur, scooping him up and holding him close.
"Yes, me. It's not like you were expecting anyone else. And that's not the point, is it?" Though the Dream Lord spoke to the Doctor, his eyes were kept fascinated on River. She didn't look at him, not wanting to give him the satisfaction of having her attention. "You still haven't told her, naughty little Doctor. I almost want to ruin the surprise myself." What ever sort of cheery tone he put on was obviously a mask and could almost be mistaken for disgust.
"Told me what?" She looked at the Doctor.
"What's going on... It's happened to me before. He's happened to me before." The Doctor admitted.
"What do you mean?" She asked, frowning.
"It was a long time ago, with your parents. He showed up and trapped us in two different worlds-"
"-One was reality and one was a dream." The Dream Lord cut in. "Both will try to kill you."
"How do we make is stop?" She asked the Doctor, still not acknowledging the Dream Lord.
"We have to figure which is which before we die in reality." He muttered.
"What?" She stared at him, "How could you not tell me this?"
"I was trying to, but things kept getting in the way and not dying was a little higher on the list." He shivered.
She shook as well, curling against him, "I can't tell which one is false, they both feel so real."
"That really is a shame, dearie." The Dream Lord said unsympathetically. "Because you're the one who has to chose."
"Why am I the one that has to choose?!" She snapped.
"You're pieces in my game. You move where I tell you to, and I say the choice is to be made by you. It was ever so entertaining to see your mother struggle." He added.
"Doctor," She whispered, looking up at him, "Is there any other way to end this?"
He shook his head. "He won't stop switching us until you've chosen, or we're dead in both worlds."
"I don't know." She shook her head, burying her face in her hand, "I don't know. I can't risk choosing the wrong one and killing our children, and you."
"Look for dream jets." He tried offering. "I sorry this responsibility has been put on you, but we all trust you. We'll be okay so long as we keep moving."
"It has to be the other one..." She thought slowly, "The TARDIS cannot be destroyed with a crash, at least not to the point of dying. It's impossible."
"The TARDIS is also completely drained of power here and drifting towards a cold star. Is that any more possible?"
"Perhaps they're both false then..." She breathed.
"Oh for Pete's sake." The Dream Lord interrupted and rolled his eyes. "You're boring me already. I've got an idea. Let's split you up with the kiddos. Say goodnight to Mummy and Daddy."
"No!" River cried, jumping to grab the children as if that would protect them.
The Doctor moved to do the same, already covering his ears to block out the bird chirps even though it made no difference. River tried her best to stay awake, wrapping her arms around the three kids.
"Mummy, don't go to sleep," Freya begged.
"I won't, sweetie." She whispered, fighting had to stay awake.
"You will." The Dream Lord countered, easily intensifying the urge to giving into sleep.
"I'm going to stop this." She whispered to the girls, "Mummy will stop this, don't worry." They hugged her closer, the Doctor already unconscious. "Stay warm." She murmured before slipping into sleep.
The gas was only a few yards away from River, and there was blood pooling beneath her legs. River jolted awake, about to scramble to her feet until she looked down. When she saw the blood, she screamed.
The Doctor was still running to her, close enough to hear her. He only ran faster, carrying his two unconscious daughters. She was paralyzed by the sight, clutching Arthur closer to her. The baby's head lolled, still trapped in the other world.
It was a few minutes before the Doctor managed to finally reach her, completely out of breath.
"It's this one." She was shaking, "This is the dream."
He set the girls down, getting down River's level. Seeing the blood, he pulled her against him. "Are you sure?"
She buried her head into him, "I don't know, but I want it to be."
"We can end it here and now. We could wake up… we could not. You've got to chose, I trust you."
"I choose this one." She whispered, holding him closer. The gas inched nearer.
"I'm glad the kids aren't here to see it." He murmured. "Because death it the way out."
"If I chose wrong, I want you to know that I love you." She moved to hold the girls, wanting to be close to her family.
"I know." He breathed.
"I love you, too." He cupped her face and kissed her, the gas engulfing them.
It wasn't completely painless. It stung their eyes and lungs. They clung to each other as suffocation set it, but almost as soon as it did, they felt everything stop and go cold. Thoughts faded away the world stopped.
A little hand poked at River's shoulder. She slowly began to stir, eyes opening. The little hand persisted, trying to shake her. She opened her eyes fully, looking in the direction of the shaking.
"M-M-Mummy!" Amelia tried to say, too cold to say it steadily.
"Amelia!" She smiled as much as her frozen form could, squeezing her tightly.
"Th-the ice got in h-here too." She buried her face in her mother's shoulder.
"Mummy will save you." River whispered, slowly getting up, ice clinging to her hair and frosting the tips of her fingers blue. She moved as quickly as she could to the console room. The Doctor followed.
The console room hardly had an inch of surface that wasn't iced over. "This one is a dream too." She said with some effort, "We have to stop it."
The Doctor didn't question her this time, already knowing that she was right. He moved to the controls along side her. It took some effort to move the buttons and levers, but after some force, she was able to get them to go the way she wanted. They worked together to set the ship for destruction until there was only one button left to press.
"Ready?" She whispered, hand hovering over the button.
He put his hand over hers and nodded. "Together." She lowered her hand on the button.
Death came quickly this time, in a huge white flash of light.
The Doctor felt as though he was just a consciousness floating in limbo, that was, until warmth engulfed him and he felt the bathroom floor under his face. The light became white tile as he realized his head was very sore.
There was a splash beside him as River scrambled to stand up in the tub, practically falling out of it. She quickly grabbed a bathrobe, securing it tightly around herself.
"River?" He sat up and look up at her.
She relaxed once she realized that everything was alright, "Oh...sorry. I had the worst nightmare..."
"Wasn't a nightmare." He whispered, standing.
"What?" She stared at him, wrapping her arms around her belly.
"I had it, too. The Dream Lord, the two worlds. That happened." He reached for her.
She took a step back, "No…"
"River listen to me, we're alright now. Everything's okay now, it was an alternate reality." He explained, realizing she'd misunderstood.
She relaxed just slightly, "Are you sure?"
He nodded. "Positive... but we can check if you want." She nodded slowly. He took her hand and offered a smile. "Come on." She let him lead her, still appearing nervous. "We can check on the kids first." He offered. She nodded, turning and heading for Arthur's room.
Arthur was whimpering in his crib, complaining about his 'nightmare'.
"Oh, it's alright, my love." River quickly walked over to his crib, lifting him up and cuddling him close to her chest, "Mumma's here now."
Cold, cold! Cough-y air, scary stranger! Not a big bother! Arthur was still in a panic about the whole thing.
"Shhh, shhhh." River rocked him back and forth, "You're warm now, there's no stranger here, just Mummy and Daddy."
Big brother? He curled to her.
She laughed softly, "Yes, you're still a big brother." She looked up at the Doctor.
He smiled back at her, then at their son. "Everything's alright now. Go back to sleep, lovie."
"Mummy and Daddy will come back and check on you soon." She whispered, kissing his forehead. Arthur seemed content with the answer, happy to be put back in his crib. "I love you, sweetie. Sweet dreams." She tucked him, back in, walking back out.
They went to the girl's room next though they were already up and murmuring to each other.
"Are you girls alright?" River asked softly.
"We just had the same dream," Freya informed her, confused by the fact.
"You know, that can sometimes happen with twins if they have a very special bond." River lied, smiling at her daughters.
The girls grinned excitedly at each other, sharing something unspoken then giggling.
"It's the middle of the night, try and get some more sleep," River smiled, kissing both of their foreheads.
"Why are you awake?" Amelia asked, crawling back under her covers.
"Daddy and I were watching a movie and it just finished." She lied again.
"Kiss me goodnight?" She asked.
"Of course." She smiled, leaning down to kiss her daughter on the cheek.
"Me too!" Freya insisted.
"Don't worry, I'm not forgetting about you." She walked over to her and kissed her as well.
"Night, Mummy."
"Goodnight, my beautiful girls. Sweet dreams." She smiled, once again leaving with the Doctor.
"Feeling better?" He asked.
She nodded, "Yes, I'm relieved now."
"Good." He wrapped an arm around her. "Still want to check?"
"If you don't mind."
"Not at all." He lead her to towards the medbay. She squeezed his hand as they walked, a bit nervous about seeing their baby for the first time.
He began to set things up when they arrived, letting River seat herself on the cot. She sat slowly, adjusting her robe so he could get to her stomach. He put the gel on her skin and got to work with the probe, all the while making his movements gentle.
She closed her eyes again, mentally preparing herself to see the baby. The Doctor tapped the screen after a moment. "There we are." He murmured softly.
She slowly opened her eyes, looking up at the screen. He tilted it towards her, tracing over the image. "Head, body, legs... do you want me to find the heartbeats?" She stared at the image, not answering him right away. "...Riv?" He took her hand.
"Yeah?" She breathed, squeezing his hand softly.
"You alright?"
She nodded, giving his hand another squeeze.
"Is... this alright?" He gestured to the screen.
"Of course, it's alright, it's just..." She trailed off, "It's the first time we're seeing our baby… sometimes I forget how monumental this moment is."
"Me too." He agreed. "Though I'm quite enjoying it."
"So am I." She whispered, surprising herself a bit.
"Heartbeats, then?" He asked.
She nodded, "I want to hear them." He nodded and released her hand so he could isolate the hearts and amplify their sound. "Wow..." She whispered.
"Nice and strong, no complications there." He commented, unconsciously beaming.
She reached for his hand again, pulling him closer to her. He put the probe down and settled on the edge on the bed. "Lay with me?" She asked softly. He nodded, turning off the ultrasound then laying next to her.
"Do you think it's a boy or a girl?" She asked softly.
"Statistics say boy, but my gut says girl." He settled his arms around her.
"That's what you said the last time." She smiled.
"Well maybe I'll be right this time." He teased. "Unless you think it's a boy, in which case the universe will generally take your side on it."
She shook her head, "I happen to agree with you this time."
"We should still think of a boy's name, just in case." "Do you have any in mind?"
"I like Ian... or Wilfred." He suggested.
"I like those." She smiled, tracing circles on his chest, "What about Jack?"
"Absolutely not."
She giggled, "Oh, why not?" She teased.
"Because- Didn't we have this conversation the last time we were naming babies?" He realized.
She laughed again, "Yes, because you know I love teasing you with that name."
"You wouldn't really name our kids that, would you?" He asked cautiously.
"No, I wouldn't." She pressed a kiss to his chin, "Besides, I don't think you have to worry about that since we're having a girl."
"I'll worry until we're 100% percent certain of that." He couldn't help a grin. "And even then I'll worry a little because maybe she'll be a boy in her next regeneration and choose Jack as a name."
"That's also a possibility with Amelia and Freya." She smiled.
He exaggerated a groan and buried his face in her shoulder. "Any name but Jack."
"Really? Any name?"
"Okay, maybe not any name." He corrected, knowing his wife could think of much worse.
She hummed, "But if it's a girl, I know we talked about Terra Aurora Song, but since we have Arthur now, I was thinking maybe we could change her middle name?"
He nodded. "What were you thinking?"
"I was thinking maybe Vastra?"
He smiled and held her closer. "That's perfect."
She smiled, curling into his arms, "I'm glad you like it."
"Vastra's been the best a friend can be to us without question. I think she's more than earned this."
"Of course she has. Shall we tell her or do you want to keep it a surprise?"
"A surprise for now." He decided.
She nodded, nuzzling his cheek. "Our secret."
"We should get some sleep. Real sleep."
She nodded, "Alright."
He got up from the bed. She followed, taking his hand and walking back to their bedroom. They settled back in the bed, the Doctor snuggling up to her again. She yawned, resting one hand on her belly.
"River?"
"Hmm?"
"I'm glad it wasn't real. What happened, I mean." He was still thinking about the blood.
She tensed a bit, curling closer to him, "...Me too."
He held her closer, thinking that doing so would help to stop reminding him of all the other memories it brought up. She squeezed her eyes shut, the memories that haunted her dreams rising from the back of her mind.
"Arthur seems excited." The Doctor said, trying to distract the both of them.
She nodded, "I'm happy he's excited. He keeps calling himself big brother."
"It's a very exciting thing when you're only eight months old. Maybe he see's how much the girls like it." He added.
"Oh, my..." She breathed, "I keep forgetting he's only eight months old."
"He'll be nearly a year and a half when he gets his little sister. Or brother." He pointed out.
"Well, not exactly." She shook her head, "I'm nearly four months now, so that means the baby's due in another four months and he'll just be a year by then."
"Oh, right." He nodded. "I forgot how far along you are."
"He's still so young..." She murmured, "I wish we had waited."
"We can handle it." He encouraged.
"Are you sure?"
"Do you remember when we saved those hostages on Raxomairi with nothing but a bottle of seltzer, a pistol, and an earring? A baby will be a piece of cake." He assured.
"We're not going to have any time with the girls anymore." She worried.
"You said the same when Arthur was only a month old. We'll always be able to make time for our daughters." She sighed, closing her eyes, still worrying. He kissed her forehead in quite assurance.
"Goodnight." She murmured, trying to push the stressful thoughts away.
"Goodnight, love." He replied softly. She closed her eyes, thankfully not taking long to slip into sleep.
