Together, River and the Doctor called their friend, River speaking first. "Hello, Vastra. How's Arthur doing?"
"He's delightful." She replied, Arthur audible in the background.
"Good, I'm glad he's not causing you too much trouble."
"I wanna say hi to Mummy!" Came their son's voice.
Vastra handed the phone over to him. "Hello, sweetie." River smiled into the phone.
"I saw a doggie on our walk!" He informed her excitedly.
"Did you really? Did it look like Toby?"
"No, it was a little doggie."
She quickly passed the phone to the Doctor, struggling to muffle a groan of pain. He took it quickly and offered a hand to his wife. "Hey, little man."
"Daddy! I saw a doggie on our walk!" Arthur repeated, excited to share the news with both his parents.
"That's lovely, Arthur!" He smiled affectionately. "Your mum and I actually called to tell you a surprise."
"What is it?" He asked eagerly.
"Your baby sibling is coming today."
"Really?! My puppy?!" He exclaimed.
"It won't be a puppy, lovie." The Doctor chuckled. "You're going to have a little brother or sister very soon."
The boy shrieked into the phone, "Auntie! My baby's coming!"
The Doctor pulled the receiver away from his ear, looking at River while Vastra calmed Arthur down. "Do you think we should have Vastra come help? Jenny could watch Arthur."
River nodded. He got back on the phone, which Vastra had taken back over by now while Arthur ran around her feet.
"The baby's coming?" Vastra asked to confirm what the boy had told her.
"Yes. The baby's coming. River's been in labor for about twelve hours now."
"Oh, dear. Do you need me to come and assist?"
"I was about to ask if it's not too much trouble. Things aren't exactly going as smoothly as they could."
"I'll leave Arthur with Jenny."
"Thank you. We'll come pick you up in a moment."
Vastra hung up the phone.
River clutched the Doctor's hand as another contraction came. "Keep breathing, love." He soothed.
"I am." She growled.
He was quiet until her grip loosened. "I've got to pop to the console room quickly and pick up Vastra."
"No!" Her grip tightened again, "Don't leave me."
He hesitated, though her expression won him over. He mentally asked the TARDIS to pilot to Vastra's for him so he could stay by his wife's side. The ship flew herself to Vastra's. The Doctor wiped of River's forehead with a rag he'd gotten earlier. "It's going to be alright."
"Don't leave me." She repeated.
"I'm staying right here, Riv. I'm right here." She relaxed a bit at that, sighing.
Vastra came in a couple minutes later, immediately asking what she could do for them. River was huddled against her husband, breathing through yet another contraction.
He looked up at Vastra. "Can you grab the stethoscope?" She nodded, retrieving the instrument for him. "Thanks." He murmured, putting the ear pieces in. "Just going to check Baby's hearts."
River nodded, still holding onto him as tightly as possible.
"They're slow." He murmured. "I'm going to check your dilation but it looks like I'm going to need to turn the baby."
River nodded slowly, though the fear in her eyes returned. He moved to the end of the bed, rubbing her leg in comfort. Vastra moved to take one of River's hands. River whimpered at the pain.
She had gotten a little further, now at about eight cm, but they couldn't wait for the other two cm she needed.
"I'm going to try and turn the baby, Riv. I'm sorry, but it's really going to hurt."
"Can't we wait a little longer?" She whispered.
"The baby's heart rates are getting low, there isn't much wiggle room for time." She squeezed her eyes shut. He scooted up a little and took her other hand. "River look at me."
She looked up at him.
"I know this is scary, but our baby needs you and she's going to be fine." He squeezed her hand. "I'm here and Vastra's here. You're going to be alright."
"She?" She breathed, "So you do have a suspicion." She tried to tease, despite how worried she was.
"Guilty as charged. I think it'll be a girl." He offered as warm a smile as he could. "And I know that she'll be just wonderful and you'll feel so much better when she's in your arms. She needs you now, River."
She nodded, "What do I have to do?"
"Hang in there while I turn her. It's fine to yell if you need. When she's head down you need to push."
She nodded, getting ready. He let go of her hand so he could externally feel the baby's position while his other hand reached into turn the baby.
River tried to hold in her pain, her teeth clenched. The baby's thoughts jolted, panicking at the unknown feeling of the hand. River tried to sooth the baby, calming their thoughts.
"Almost there." The Doctor said.
The baby's mind clung to River's for assurance. She kept soothing them, helping them both since the task helped focus her mind away from the pain.
"Okay, got it. Push now!"
River screamed and bore down, reaching for his hand. Vastra shifted to the Doctor's place and took over so he could be by River's side. She clung onto him like a lifeline, still pushing.
"Stop now," Vastra said. "Take a rest."
River stopped, breathlessly looking up at the Doctor. "You're doing well, love." He assured.
"So, Terra then?"
"It's only a guess, but yes."
"Terra Vastra Song." She murmured, looking to their friend.
Vastra looked up in surprise, a mix of shock and pride on her face. "Will that be her name?"
River nodded, "That's the name the Doctor and I picked."
"River... I'm truly honored." She breathed.
She smiled down at Vastra, though didn't get a chance to answer before the urge to push returned. Vastra and the Doctor were encouraging her to push again.
She leaned forward, putting in as much as she could, hair matted with sweat. The Doctor wiped the sweat away once the bout was over. This was going to take a while.
River was pushing for the next three hours with little progress. Vastra frequently checked the baby's heart beats, updating and keeping track of any change. She and the Doctor did their best to try and talk to River between contractions, trying to get her mind off the pain. It was mostly talk about the baby, how the kids would react (Arthur's excitement a clear preview), and praises to River for how strong she was being.
The contractions were coming much faster, leaving little time for them to talk (which really only consisted of Vastra and the Doctor talking anyway since River was growing too tired to participate).
Another hour dragged by in which the baby's head finally started to emerge more quickly, but the heart rates got even lower.
"Is the baby going to be okay?" River whispered horsely, looking between Vastra and the Doctor.
"If we can get her out soon." The Doctor said, wanting to stay positive.
"How much longer do you think it'll take?"
"It's hard to say at this point," Vastra answered.
Another forty minutes drifted by with no movement from the baby. "Perhaps we should try another position," Vastra suggested.
"Gravity can help the baby descend." The Doctor added.
"Do you want to help support River?"
"Course." He looked at his wife. "What do you want to try?"
"Squatting is supposed to be best." She recalled from a book she had read.
He nodded and helped her carefully shift off the bed and squat beside it. He positioned himself behind her to her was holding her up. She clutched onto both his hands during the next contraction so she was completely leaning on him, pushing as hard as she could, hoping that the new position would at least bring some progress.
Vastra announced that it seemed to be working, though the progress was still slow. River was relieved at least something was happening, pressing her forehead against the Doctor's jaw. He kissed her sweaty forehead. "You're doing so well."
"Tired..." She murmured, body already tensing with the next contraction.
"I know, love. You're almost there."
"Big pushes now, River," Vastra instructed.
River ignored her, too tired to keep going immediately. The contraction ended with her not having pushed much at all. "You've got to push harder next time, River."
"I can't." She whispered.
"You can, love." The Doctor encouraged. "You're doing so well, you're so strong. You can."
She shook her head, "I need a rest." She was extremely tired and rightfully so after being in labor for over seventeen hours and pushing for the last five.
They would have gladly given her rest if there was a way to do so, but with the contractions as strong and frequent as they were, is was impossible. "You can rest all you want once your baby is out." Vastra said, "But that does need to happen first and quickly."
The next contraction was starting and River was once again tensing but not pushing hard enough.
"You've got to push, River." Vastra insisted.
She finally bore down and pushed. The baby inched down further.
"That's good! Just a few more and the head will be out."
She fell back against the Doctor, panting heavily. He murmured an encouragement to her, feeling more excited and anxious the closer she got to bringing their child into the world.
"I can't..." She murmured under her breath.
"You can. I promise you can." He held her tighter. "You've done it before."
"Yes, but never for this long."
"You're all the stronger for it. You're doing brilliantly and you're so close to the end."
"I'm so tired." She whispered again. Her face was flushed and it looked rather dizzy.
Vastra and the Doctor exchanged glances. He reached for the wet rag to press against her heated skin. Vastra rose to find some ice chips.
"Just hang in there." He whispered. She held onto him.
Vastra hurried back over and handed the Doctor the ice. "Maybe we should try a vacuum assist."
"No." River said as firmly as she could. "I'm fine."
"You're exhausted." Her husband said, offering some of the ice chips.
"I can do it. I just need a minute." She breathed, gratefully accepting the ice.
Vastra listened with the stethoscope again while the Doctor helped River finish off the cup.
The possibility of vacuum assist made her frightful. She wanted to do this of her own strength and certainly didn't want that thing near her baby. "I can do it." She insisted.
The Doctor smiled and took her hand tightly. "You're amazing, you know that?"
She nodded, determined and pushing at the next contraction.
"That's it, keep going!" Vastra urged.
"Nnnghh!" She groaned, bearing with the pain.
"Head's almost out, take a breather, darling."
River relaxed, panting again. "Almost there." The Doctor reminded. She nodded, already pushing again.
This contraction was particularly long and intense, the baby's head finally being fully force out. River shouted, bearing down hard, eager for this push to be her last.
Relief flooded her as she finally felt the baby slip free.
Cold, was the word that filled the telepathic connection as the baby started to cry. A tired but ecstatic smile broke out across River's face as she relaxed against the Doctor.
The baby's wails grew as Vastra cut the cord, wrapped her in a blanket, and put her on River's chest. "Your daughter."
River looked down at the baby, then up to the Doctor, beaming, then back down. Hello, sweetie.
"She's beautiful." The Doctor whispered.
Terra blinked up at her parents with round, wet eyes, trying to adjust to the whole ordeal of being able to see.
"Terra Vastra Song." River murmured, feeling an overwhelming rush of emotion. She held the baby close, squeezing her eyes shut.
Mumma. She thought, seeming to think the word was a synonym for warmth.
"Hello, my darling." River whispered tears in her eyes.
"River...?" The Doctor murmured, wondering if she was alright.
"I'm sorry." She whispered.
"What for? You did wonderfully."
She shook her head, "I feel like...our family is finally whole and I'm sorry that it took me so long to come to this point."
"River, that's nothing to apologize for. I'm very happy you feel that way now." He kissed her temple and gazed at their daughter. "[And we're very happy to have you in our family.]"
River kissed the baby's forehead, as Terra stared up at them, reaching out with her tiny hands. He let her wrap her fingers around one of his digits. "How about we get you back in bed?"
River nodded, getting into bed with his help, never taking her eyes off of their baby.
Vastra helped deliver the placenta and get River cleaned up while the parents fawned over their baby. Vastra decided to go cook dinner, mostly so the parents could have some alone time with their newest addition (and they hadn't eaten all day).
Terra was very tired from the whole weight of being born and was falling asleep on River's chest. Terra's nap didn't keep her parents from cooing over her. River examined every detail from her little fingers to the hairs on her head. Her hair was dark unlike her sisters', but just like her other siblings, had an unmistakable curl to it.
"She has your eyes," River whispered, nuzzling the Doctor's jaw.
"She's got my last face's chin, luckily." He grinned.
She laughed softly, "She's beautiful."
"Must've got that from you, too." He teased.
"Oh stop." She nudged him lightly.
"Not a chance." He nudged right back.
"We should get Arthur once she wakes up." She murmured.
"I wonder if he'll be disappointed she's not a puppy."
"I certainly hope he won't be." She murmured, stroking Terra's cheek affectionately. The little infant turned towards her in her sleep.
"How are you feeling?"
"Tired and sore." She breathed.
"A rest well earned."
"Eighteen hours of labor, but It was so worth it."
He nodded in agreement as Terra started to stir. River smiled softly, looking down at the baby, "She'll probably be getting hungry now."
Promptly, the baby started whining for food. "Okay, my sweet, okay." She murmured, shifting her so she could get fed. Terra latched quickly, one hand reaching up. "Her hands are so small," River whispered.
"Babies tend to have small everything." He pointed out.
"Yes, I know." She smiled. Terra grabbed onto one of River's curls. "Careful, my love." River pried the curl out of her fingers.
She whined, milk dribbling out of her mouth.
"Doctor, can you help me?" River murmured, trying the get the baby to relatch so she could finish eating.
He snaked his arms around hers, helping her reposition Terra. Terra waved her hands, grasping onto the Doctor's. "[Hello, sweetheart.]" He smiled at her.
She blinked, settling against her mother's warmth.
