It was only a matter of weeks before the news of the new baby got out to their friends. Some friends were called up and told over the phone and others overheard the girls' excited chatter.
When the school year was over, it was common knowledge.
As summer returned, River's middle grew, and the Doctor was insistent on doing monthly ultrasounds (at the least). 'To be safe', he claimed, which wasn't a lie since so many complications had arisen in the past, but he also just loved seeing the baby. River didn't mind the checking since she loved seeing their baby as well. Arthur insisted on keeping an ultrasound picture of the baby up on his well next to his bed.
The family kept busy preparing for the new arrival, going through old toys and books and buying blankets. The most recent debate was whether or not to find out the sex.
While the Doctor wanted to find out, the others were reluctant about it and didn't want him to find out before the rest of them got to. The Doctor's main argument was that he wanted to know what name they would be using. River countered that they would find out when the baby was born.
Arthur eventually took the Doctor's side in wanting to know and tried to convince his mother every time she had an ultrasound. When the baby started kicking, he upped his pestering to every time it kicked in his presence.
"Doctor, I'm fairly certain you put him up to this." River came into the bedroom frowning, holding out a picture that Arthur had drawn for her husband to see. It was a self-portrait of Arthur with a sad face. He had enlisted his sisters to help write 'Arthur happy if you find baby"
The Doctor looked at the picture and tried not to laugh. "Now, Riv, he did that all on his own."
"Something makes me doubt that this came completely unprovoked." She murmured.
"Well sure, maybe I sparked the idea..."
She put her hands on her hips, "Maybe?"
He dodged her stare. "I thought it would be funny."
"Well, I don't find it very funny." She frowned.
"Oh, um, sorry." He looked down.
She sighed, sitting down on the bed. He leaned against the dresser. "Have they spoken telepathically, yet?"
"No, not yet." She whispered.
"Is something the matter?" He asked, thinking she looked rather stressed.
She closed her eyes, "I want to keep the baby's sex a surprise, but everyone else wants to know so badly..."
"The girls seem pretty indifferent to it." He pointed out.
"Yes, but you and Arthur are extremely insistent."
"Arthur's never done this before and I'll own up to the fact that my excitement has gotten him on the same track, too." He moved to slowly sit next to her. "But... I can wait. If it really does mean that much to you, I suppose three months is bearable."
"I feel like I'm disappointing you." She whispered.
"I'm not asking to be impressed. Really, River, it ought to be your discussion. Besides, the girls and Arthur weren't a surprise, it'll be exciting."
"Are you sure?" She asked quietly.
"Positive. If it's something you want, then I can want it, too."
"I don't want to make you want something just because I want it."
He shook his head. "You're not making me do anything. It's all about compromise."
She nodded slowly, "Thank you."
He offered a smile and kissed her cheek. "Now we just have to convince Arthur."
"Yes, I have a feeling that'll be a bit more difficult."
"I can take the first crack at it if you want."
She nodded, "Go for it."
He gave her another kiss and went to find where Arthur had gone off to. The tot was digging through his toy chest with the dog in his room.
The Doctor gave a little knock on the door frame to make himself known. Arthur looked up, smiling, "Play with me!"
"Sure." He nodded, moving into the room. "But I'd also like to talk to you."
"Okay." He went back into the toy box.
"Mummy didn't like the drawing very much."
He stopped what he was doing, pouting, "Why not?"
"Well... because she doesn't want to know if the baby is a boy or a girl until it's born. It'll be a surprise."
"But I want to know."
"It really will mean a lot to her if you wait with the rest of us. Surprises can be fun!"
"I can't wait! It's going to be forever!"
"Only three months." The Doctor assured. "They'll go by very quickly, I promise."
"But I don't want to!" He flopped onto his back. It was very close to his grandmother's sense of drama which the Doctor tried not to comment on.
"Do you peek at your presents before it's time to open them?"
He pouted grumpily at the Doctor, "No."
"See? You've done it before, it's the same thing. Imagine how exciting it will be to wait."
"But I don't wanna wait this time. I want to know now!" He wasn't giving in easily.
"Now Arthur, yelling isn't going to get you your way. Mummy really wants a surprise, so we're going to wait."
"Why do we always do what Mummy wants." He frowned.
"What do you mean, dearie?"
"Why do we hafta do what Mummy wants to do instead of what me and you want to do," Arthur asked.
"We do things you want to do all the time." He pointed out. "And I'm agreeing with Mummy on this one: it should be a surprise."
"But I thought you were on my side." Arthur whimpered.
He pulled the boy into his lap in an attempt at comfort. "There aren't any sides in this, lovie. Why do you want to know so much?"
"Because I want to know." He frowned.
The Doctor sighed. "Is there anything I can do to make you feel differently?"
He thought about that for a few minutes, "New toys?"
"Well... sure. Why don't we take a trip to the toy store later, hmm?"
Arthur nodded, a small smile returning.
"But I do want you to say sorry to Mummy about the drawing, alright?"
He nodded, wiggling off his father's lap to find River. He hurried to his parent's room with his father close behind. River was cleaning up the room when they came in. "Mummah!" He ran over and attached himself to her legs.
"Hello, my love." River smiled, lifting him.
"Daddy said I gotta say sorry."
"Sorry for what, darling?"
"My picture. He said it made you not happy."
"Yes, that's true."
"Sorry." He said.
"It's quite alright, my sweet."
"Daddy said we could go to the toy stowe."
"Oh, really?" She looked up at the Doctor.
"Uh, yes. I did." The Doctor nodded.
"Why are we going to do that?"
"Arthur needs a little something to help him wait three months." He murmured.
"Ah...I see..."
"Can Baby have a toy?" Arthur asked.
"I suppose if we see one we can get it for the baby."
"Yay!" He smiled. She nuzzled the top of his head.
The Doctor grinned at the pair. "Why don't I get the girls and we can all take a trip to the store?"
Arthur nodded enthusiastically, "Yes! Go now!"
"Mummy will help you get ready while I help your sisters."
River went to get Arthur ready, meeting the rest of their family in the console room.
They went to one of their favorite toy stores on Plype where the toys were all something one might find out Weasley's Wizarding Wheezes. Arthur and the girls spent quite a while raking through the aisles before picking out their toys.
The Doctor found an adorable blob monster plushie he insisted they get for the baby. River agreed and it also gained Arthur's approval.
Upon their return to the TARDIS, Toby was waiting. "Hello, Toby." River smiled, patting the dog's head. He spotted the plushie in her hand, immediately thinking it was for him and getting excited.
"No, this is for the baby."
He whined.
"We'll get something for you next time." She promised.
He barked an excited affirmative, circling around her feet once before bouncing over to greet the others with appropriate licks. The girls giggled, hugging the dog tightly.
Arthur went up to River and pulled on her skirt. "I help give Baby's toy?"
"When the baby comes out you certainly can." She nodded.
"Why not now?"
"Because the baby can't play with it just yet."
"I wanna put it in the baby room." He insisted.
"Okay, we can do that." She nodded.
He grinned and took her hand, pulling her along. They went to the nursery, which was only half finished. He took the toy and tried to put it into the cot, but couldn't reach over the side. River lifted him up so he could put the toy in. He placed it neatly on the blanket in there already. "Here, Baby."
River smiled softly, "What a good big brother."
"Can Baby come out now?" He asked.
"No." She laughed softly, "The baby will come in a few months."
He sighed, "How will Baby know about the toy, then?"
"We can tell them about it." She offered.
He brightened. "Yeah!"
She brought him to the rocking chair, sitting him on her lap. He put his little palm on her stomach, earning the brush of a foot. "What would you like to tell the baby?"
"We got you a toy!" He said to her belly.
River smiled softly. "What else?"
"Um, I want you to come out and play and meet everybody so hurry up growing."
"Want to give a kiss too?"
He nodded and did the action.
River smiled at him, "Good boy."
He started describing the house to his unborn born sibling, though the baby only seemed to respond when he used physical contact.
River frowned slightly, realizing this pattern quickly. "Doctor..." She called.
Arthur looked up. "Why are you calling Daddy?"
"Because I want to tell him something." She gave him a small smile. He pressed his ear up to her belly in an attempt to hear what he could.
The Doctor came in a minute later.
"Hey." She murmured, reaching for his hand.
He smiled. "You two look cozy."
She gave him a half smile, "We need to talk."
He nodded. "Arthur, why don't you go play with your sisters?"
"But I wanna play with my baby." He pouted, hugging River's middle tighter. The Doctor looked at his wife wondering if what she had to say required the aversion of their son's ears.
"Arthur, I think that the baby's going to take a nap now so why don't you go play with Amelia and Freya and you can come back and play more with the baby later." She suggested.
He hesitated. "...Okay." He slid off her lap and left.
River waited until he left before pulling her husband closer, "Talk to the baby." She wanted to make sure it just her imagination before alarming him that something might be wrong.
He nodded, though was a bit confused. "Hi there, Baby. Your brother is very excited about meeting you."
She waited for any kind of response, hoping she was wrong. The baby didn't show any acknowledgment until the Doctor brushed a finger against her skin. River watched her husband, waiting to see if he noticed.
He murmured to their child for another minute before looking up at River. "Why did Arthur have to leave for that?"
"Did you not notice?" She whispered.
"That... They like following my hand?"
"No, that they only react when they can feel you..."
He frowned. "That can't be right."
"Talk to them again."
He did so, speaking without touching. River frowned at the lack of movement.
"Nothing?"
She shook her head.
"Well, it could just be a coincidence..." he said, "But you wouldn't be so concerned if you thought it was."
"Do you really think it's just a coincidence?" She frowned.
"I wouldn't discount the possibility, but I wouldn't bet on it." He looked at her, "What do you think it is?"
She shook her head, "I don't know."
"We could find out." He offered softly. She nodded slowly.
He offered a hand up. She took his hand, slowly standing, one hand on her side. They went to the med bay were the proper tests would be, the Doctor doing his best to give her assuring looks. She tried to smile back, biting her lip. He set up some devices which required scanners and things to be connected to her middle. She watched him place each bit on, biting her tongue.
The machines started running and the Doctor took her hand. "I'm sure it'll be okay."
"I hope so." She whispered.
The scanners beeped after a few moments and he looked to see what it said. River took a deep breath, "What is it?"
He turned the screen towards her. River's eyes scanned the information her hearts stopping.
"Not a coincidence." He whispered.
Her eyes were frozen on the screen, voice caught in her throat.
"Please... say something." He stared at her.
"...What did I do wrong?" She finally whispered.
"River, it couldn't have been caused by anything you did."
She squeezed her eyes shut, burying her hand in her hands, "You don't know that."
"Well... no, but neither do you. You've been doing everything right."
"But maybe there was something I could have done better. How could we have not known until now?"
"She only started kicking a few weeks ago and human parents usually don't know until the child is born... lots of reasons, Riv." He sighed. "But the likelihood is that it's something caused by genetics."
She nodded slowly, gently pulling him onto the cot with her. He lay beside her, taking her hand. "This is certainly a lot to take in."
"I..." She moved closer, "I don't know how we're going to communicate with if it can't hear."
"...I know how to sign." He murmured.
"You do?"
He nodded. "I speak everything. I guess it's technically not speaking, but I do know all the different Earth sign languages. I can teach you and the kids."
"That would help a great deal."
He offered a smile. "I'm sure you'll all pick it up fast."
