Ch 27
Soon there was a little hole in the ground, sand in the pale, and a proud looking toddler sitting in on the beach.
River smiled at her son, "Very good, my love! Have you had enough now? Shall we go swimming?"
"No." He pouted, wanting to fill the bucket.
"Alright, we'll keep playing with the sand then." She murmured, pulling him onto her lap, but in a position so he could still reach the sand. He babbled some nonsense as he dug more. She brushed back his wisps of hair, kissing the top of his head once more.
Toby decided to join the girls in the water.
Terra kicked against her brother. River glanced down at the baby, wondering if he had felt the movement. Arthur didn't seem phased, very focused on his work with the sand. She laughed softly, glancing towards the water to see where the Doctor and the girls were.
They were climbing around a few meters out where a chunk of the gems came above water. The girls were jumping off it and doing cannonballs. River smiled at the scene, playing with Arthur until he was finished with the sand.
Splash! He insisted, deciding he wanted to be in the water now.
"Alright, we'll play in the water for a little bit and then you have to take a nap." She scooped him up, carrying him towards the water.
Don't want a nap. Play time! Splashy!
"Yes, I know. We're going to do that now." She assured him, nuzzling his cheek. He kicked his legs excitedly.
She brought him to the edge of the water, dangling his feet down so they touched the water.
Too shallow. He frowned, still squirming like a worm.
"Okay, okay." She murmured, wading in a bit deeper so his ankles were in the water.
Want to play with sisters! He demanded.
"We're going to wait here." She shook her head, "They're swimming in the deep water and you can't go there just yet."
Them come here! He looked up at her.
"What? You don't want to play with Mummy and your baby sister?" She pouted.
He looked conflicted, but eventually nodded at the idea. Sit. She sat down, keeping him in her lap.
He grew delighted again at getting to be more in the water, hitting the surface to make a splash.
She smiled, scooping some water up in her hand and letting it trickle onto his head. He squealed again, flailing a bit and accidentally knocking into her belly. Terra kicked back, light green, bubbly white.
River laughed, repeating the action, thinking he hadn't even noticed Terra's kick. Arthur attempted to splash his mother back, throwing water above him, though most of it landed right back on him. She laughed harder, finding the action very cute.
More bubble-white, then it shifted a more shiny one and Terra kicked again. Arthur poked back this time.
River watched him carefully, wanting to see how he would react to the movement once he realized it was his sister.
Breakfast poking me? He stared, confused as he got in a bit of a poking war with his sister.
"No, sweetie." She chuckled, "That's Terra, your baby sister."
Sister! He put both hands on her belly. Trapped!
"No, she's not trapped. That's where she lives. Babies have to live in their mummy's tummies until they're big and strong enough to come out."
Egg nest...?
"A bit like that." She whispered, "Now, how about you and I go lay down for a nap and then when you wake up, your big sisters will come and play with you."
Not done. He insisted. Sister out now to play.
"She'll be playing later too. It's your nap time now, Arthur."
Why not out? He frowned.
"Because she's still too little." She scooped him up and then stood, carrying him back to their towels.
How long? He pouted.
"A couple of months." She dried him off with a towel, and then grabbed one of his blankets, draping it over him and laying down with him beneath the umbrella.
Too long. He yawned.
"The time will go by much quicker than you think." She murmured, giving him a kiss on the cheek, "Sleep now." He didn't complain this time, more worn out that he'd admit.
Toby came back to shore, shaking himself out. River shielded the baby from the droplets of water, looking out in the direction of the Doctor and the girls again. They appeared to be searching for mermaids now. She smiled softly, holding the baby protectively as she started to drift off as well.
Toby, still awfully soggy, tried to curl up next to River. The wetness of the dog startled her awake, "Oh, Toby. You're all wet." She grabbed another towel, rubbing it against his fur in an attempt to dry him off.
He warmed up to her, liking the towel and thinking it was some sort of brush. She smiled, leaving the towel draped over him so he could dry off. Toby settled to nap with them as River returned to her protective rest over Arthur, though she was a bit more relaxed now that the dog was with them.
Terra turned, pushing up into River's ribs. River winced, pushing down on the spot with her fingertips, finding Terra's position extremely uncomfortable.
Sharp white and a firm kick.
River didn't know what white meant, but the strong kick in the ribs was rather painful and she winced again. Terra kicked two more times before shifting to kick her spine instead, all the while thinking the sharp white.
River slowly got up, calling for the Doctor. She was growing concerned that white meant there was something wrong.
He and the girls came to shore, the latter grabbing towels and rummaging through the picnic basket. The Doctor dried his hair off looking fondly at his sleeping son. "Everything alright?"
"I hope so." She whispered, "I need you to tell me what a color means."
"Sure." He sat in front of her as the girls found sandwiches to munch on.
"White." She watched him carefully.
"All white or a certain kind?" He clarified.
"Sharp white."
"Boredom." He chuckled. "Is that what she's telling you?"
She nodded, "She won't stop kicking my spine."
He scooted up to her, resting his hand on her belly. "Terra, lovie, I know you're bored but that's going to hurt Mummy."
River immediately tensed when he started talking, "Doctor...She can't..."
"I know." He said softly and smiled reassuringly up at her. "But she can feel the vibrations of my voice. She can feel my hand."
She closed her eyes, taking in a deep breath. She didn't say anything else, glancing over to make sure Arthur was still asleep. He was still all cozy and tucked in his little nest, making soft snores.
Terra turned and pushed against the Doctor's hand. River swallowed, looking back to the Doctor, then at his hands.
"See?" He said. The white softened and began to go into a light blue.
River still looked very hesitant, "She likes you..." She murmured.
"You mentioned." He replied.
"Mummy, do you want anything?" Freya asked.
"I'm alright, my love. Don't forget to have some of the tomato slices I brought." She kept her eyes on the Doctor. The girl nodded, going back to the food box.
The Doctor met his wife's eyes. "...What?"
She shook her head, "Nothing."
"Something." He countered. "What's on your mind?"
She shook her head, "I don't think..." She sighed.
"There's a start. Don't think what?" He urged.
"I don't think she cares for me very much. She never seems to be happy when it's just the two of us."
He frowned. "Maybe you're just not bonding in the way she wants to." He tried to guess.
"Maybe..." She sighed.
"You do tend to tense when she kicks..." He observed.
"It's not on purpose." She murmured.
"I know." He soothed. "But your connection is still there even though it's weak. She can probably understand some of your emotions."
"Well then maybe it would be better if you cut our connection." She whispered.
He shook his head. "I'm not going to do that."
"Why not?"
"Because it's not going to make her go away and it's not going to make her stop kicking, but it is going to make her feel lonelier than she is now." He explained in a level tone.
She sighed, squeezing her eyes shut.
"Sorry... I know you don't want to talk about it." He murmured, sitting up and looking out over the water. "I know you're not ready to have her... but I think you care more than you give yourself credit for."
She shook her head, swallowing. "Be careful, I don't want you to wake Arthur."
He nodded and fell silent, trailing his gaze back to her. She was staring at the ground, barely breathing.
"Would you like something to eat?" He asked, moving on to a different subject.
She shook her head, "No, I'm alright." She whispered.
"What did you and Arthur get up to?"
"Well, we played in the sand for a bit." She nodded towards all the holes in the sand, "And then I took him in the water, but we weren't in for very long."
"Tired himself out already." He smiled at the boy.
"He's still a very young baby, remember." She whispered, her gaze turning to Arthur.
"Yeah, I know." He shrugged.
"My baby..." She murmured, fixing the blankets around him.
"He's almost one." The Doctor murmured.
"I know." She bit her lip, eyes still focused on the boy.
"I wonder if he'll care much about cake flavor." He laughed a little. "Otherwise, the girls will just pick their favorite flavor."
She smiled weakly, "We should start trying to teach him how to walk."
"I think that's a good idea. The girls will probably want to help."
She nodded, "I'm sure they will."
The girls had taken over the beach toys and were in the process of building a sandcastle.
"You want to go with them?" He asked, looking over at his daughters. "I can watch Arthur."
"I think they're alright. I don't want to hover over them too much." She murmured.
"They were talking about getting to play with you earlier." He told her. "I think they want you to be the mermaid queen if they find one."
She glanced at Arthur, always reluctant to leave the baby.
"I've got him, Riv." He assured.
"...Okay..." She whispered, "I'll go...play with the girls then."
He offered a smile. "You should take some snacks over."
She nodded, slowly gathering the snacks, watching the baby for another moment, hesitant to go.
"Or I could go." He said after a moment. "If you really want to stay with him."
"No." She sighed, "You said the girls wanted me to play with them, I should go."
"We can get them to come build over here." He pointed out.
She shook her head, "No, no it's alright. I'll go. Just… take care of him. Make sure he stays in the shade and he doesn't get hot. If he wakes up, he needs to eat and I brought a few books and toys for him. I don't want him to play in the sand or water right after he eats." She wasn't acting like she was only going to be a few feet away.
"River... you're not even going to leave my line of site." He frowned. "You alright?"
She took in a deep breath, "Yes...I'm fine."
"You sure?" He looked concerned.
She nodded quickly, "Yes, I am."
"...Alright." He wasn't convinced, but like he'd said, she was only a few feet away.
She walked over to the girls, sitting beside them and helping them stack up the sand. Amelia started to tell her mother the intricate story about her sandcastle about the little sand gnomes who lived in it and helped the mermaids collect the shells and gems that washed ashore.
"Oh, my, that's quite interesting. Have you seen any mermaids today?"
"Freya said she saw a tail, but I didn't see anything." She said.
"Well, there's still lots of time left in the day to spot something," River assured her.
"Will you come help?" She asked hopefully.
"Of course, I'll help!" She smiled.
"I wanna finish my sand castle first." Freya butted in.
"Alright. We'll finish the castle and then we'll go look for mermaids." The girls agreed, Amelia showing River the gem she'd found. "That's beautiful, sweetie." She praised, helping finish up the castle before leading them to the water.
They eagerly ran in with their floaties, showing her over to the place they were searching. River followed close behind, helping them swim in the waters. They went back to the rocks where they'd been jumping before, the rocks blocking their view of the beach. River let them bring her over, pointing out all the colorful fish in the water.
"I wanna catch one!" Freya insisted.
River smiled, "Alright, we can try."
"You can hold your breath the longest." She pointed out. "You have to help."
"Yes, I know." River nodded, "I'll go first." She took a deep breath, sinking under the water. The girls watched her hair splay out around her head, becoming easily weightless under the water.
The light bounced the colors of the gems onto her skin and the fish, who didn't seem bothered by her presence. Her hands moved slowly behind the fish, waiting until they were close enough before she snatched the end of one. The one she'd gotten struggled, wiggling furiously. She carefully brought it closer to the surface so the girls could get a better look.
"Woah!" Amelia reached to poke it.
"Be very gentle, sweetie," River warned, not wanting her to hurt the fish.
She relaxed her hand, moving to carefully stroke it instead. Freya did the same, eyes sparkling.
River smiled softly, "Alright, ready to let it go now?"
Amelia nodded, though Freya shook her head. "Let's keep it as a pet!"
River shook her head, "No, we can't do that. The ocean is his home. He'll be very sad if we take him away from where he lives."
"Oh." Freya nodded quickly. "Then he can go back to his friends now."
"Alright." River let the fish go, watching as it swam away.
"It's swimming slower than the rest." Amelia pointed out as she saw it join the other fish who'd moved about a meter and a half away.
"Don't worry, he'll catch up," River assured her.
"Look it." Freya pointed as the other fish slowed down for the one they'd let go so it could be part of the school.
"See? I told you there was nothing to worry about." She smiled at her daughter.
"That's because his fishy friends helped him," Freya said.
"They care about him and don't want him to feel left out," Amelia added.
River nodded, "Yes, exactly."
"They're like a little fish family! I bet the mermaids have them as pets."
"Well if the fish are around here, then it must mean that the mermaids are nearby too."
"Let's follow them!" Freya cheered.
"Alright, but I don't want to go too deep." River let the girls follow the fish, staying close behind them.
"Why not?" They asked, doing their best to paddle fast.
"Because I want to stay close to the beach."
"Mermaids don't go near the beach."
"Sometimes they do." She tried to convince them, growing more anxious as they got further and further from the baby.
"When?" Freya frowned.
"Sometimes when people are in trouble, mermaids will come near the beach to help them."
"But no one's in trouble." Amelia pointed out, a bit worried.
"Yes, you're right." She nodded, just as her mind began to burn red.
"We can stay on the rocks." Amelia tried to compromise.
"Alright, but let's go back to the beach for a moment. I have to check on your brother." River was starting to suddenly get a massive headache.
They nodded and finally went back with her. She helped the girls back into the beach, suggesting that they look for shells while she went to see the baby and the Doctor. They hurried off to do so, forgetting about their reluctance.
The Doctor was sitting under the shade of their beach umbrella, playing patty-cake with a now awake Arthur. River sat beside them, kissing the baby on the head. "Hello, again."
The boy caught hold of one of her damp curls. "Muh!"
"Be gentle, sweetie." River murmured, prying the hair out of his fingers, "Mummy doesn't like hair pulling." At least not in that situation.
"You ought to tie it back." The Doctor suggested.
She hummed, leaning in to give him a kiss, "And how are you?"
"Well." He smiled. "What'd you get up to?"
"We saw a fish and the girls got to touch it, and then we were looking for mermaids." She smiled, the pain in her head only growing, "And you?"
"Arthur got to figure out how to eat a grape and then we've been playing games. Oh, and he learned the sign for 'mummy'." He added.
Her smile faltered, "You're already teaching him to sign?"
"Just a word or two. I wouldn't be surprised if he forgot already, though." He looked up at her. "Should I not do that?"
"No...no, it's fine." She sighed, closing her eyes, "She's showing me red, what does that mean?"
"What kind of red?" He frowned.
"Really dark, burning red." She squeezed her eyes shut in an effort to soothe her headache.
"Does your head hurt?" He reached a hand out for hers.
She nodded, squeezing his hand when she felt it connect to hers, "What does the color mean?"
"Same thing as the cloister bell in the TARDIS. It's a warning." He whispered. "We should get you inside."
"What?" She murmured, looking up at him, "A warning?"
"Let's get you inside." He repeated.
"But the girls, and the baby..."
"They can come in, too." He rubbed his thumb over the back of her hand. "But we should move while you can still walk."
"What?" Her eyes grew wide.
"Your headache it going to get worse. Really worse." He told her. "Go to the med bay, I'll gather up the kids and everything."
"Doctor, what's going on? Please, don't hide it from me." She whispered.
"I don't know exactly. Warnings are for a lot of different things that the equipment in the med bay will help us figure out. What I do know is that this color comes with mind numbingly bad migraines."
She looked terrified, her face completely drained of color. "Okay." She whispered, "I'll call Vastra and see if she can come over to watch the kids."
"Go straight to the med bay after, alright?" He tried to look assuring. "We'll figure this out."
She nodded, giving him a soft kiss, "I'm sorry."
"It's alright." He squeezed her hand. "Just hang in there. I'll be right with you."
She nodded, heading into the TARDIS and calling Vastra.
