Chapter 8
River slowly pushed the front door open, and tip-toed into the house. She put her black bag on the floor in front of the table that stood in the hallway.
She opened the draw quietly, trying not to make a single sound. Her breathing was shallow, short breaths. When she had opened the draw, she pulled out her gun. She hadn't planned on using it any time soon, and she sure didn't want to start shooting people.
River heard feet scuffling, and it was coming from the kitchen. What the hell can someone steal from a kitchen? she thought to herself.
She quietly crept along the hallway, still not making a sound. She leveled her gun, and make sure her arm was straight, when she reached the door that lead to the kitchen, it was slightly open. She lifted her leg and kicked the door open.
"Stop whatever the hell you are doing" River shouted as she kicked the kitchen door open, she pointed the gun right at the person stood in her parents kitchen.
The intruder spun around lifting his hands up, "Riv! River it's me" he said, "Put the damn gun down."
River took a second look at the intruder and realized that it was he husband. River lowered her arm, "You complete idiot" she grunted, "I could have bleeding shot you" she glared at the Doctor, her hand wrapped tightly around her gun. River took a moment to look at her surroundings. There were flowers and candles every where, and the most amazing smell in the world. River put her gun on the kitchen worktop, "What.. Or who is this all for?" she asked. River was shocked, was all this for her? What had she done now? So many questions ran through her head.
The Doctor walked over to River, she was stood in the exact same place, she didn't seem to move. He stood in front of her and took a hold of her hands, "Well..." the Doctor started, "This morning when you was saying how you loved looking after me. It made me think" he let go of River hands and pulled her close to him, River was looking deep into his eyes and her hands were placed on his chest, she could feel his hearts beating faster and faster with every second that ticked on the clock, "It made me realize how much I don't do for you, and you deserve better" he said, planting a kiss on her lips.
River smiled mid-kiss, and completely out of context she asked, "Why didn't you tell me about Brooklyn last night?"
The Doctor smiled at her question, "Wibbley wobbley timey wimey" he replied, not sounding sure of himself. He let go of River and walked over to the kitchen table. It was beautifully set, there was a white tablecloth, two candles slowly burning, and there was a vase of red and white roses.
He pulled out a chair from under the table, he put one arm behind his back, "Please sit madame" he said in his best French accent.
River laughed at him, but she did as she was told, she walked over the chair and sat down.
The Doctor walked back over to the oven where two plates of food had been keeping warm. He took the plates and brought them back over to table and put one plate in fron of River and the other on the place-mat next to her.
River looked at the plate, there was a chicken and bacon pasta dish, smothered in a creamy white sauce, it looked delicious.
He took the wine bottle out of the wine cooler, he popped the cork as he asked, "Wine Professor Song?" River smiled at him with her million dollar smile as she nodded at his question.
After he had poured wine into her glass he put the bottle back in the cooler and then sat down in his own chair. "Enjoy" he said as his picked up his knife and fork.
"I'm sure I will sweetie" River replied, picking up her own knife and fork.
They both tucked into their delicious meal that the Doctor had cooked. As River took her first bite, she let out a pleasing moan, "This is brilliant sweetie, where did you learn to cook like this?" she asked.
The Doctor put down his fork and tapped the side of his nose, "Spoilers" he said with a smile.
Within 15 minutes, both the Doctor and River had finished and cleared their plates. River sipped the lat bit of her wine out of her glass, "Thank you my love, that was simply fantastic" she said, sinking into her chair. River took a few moment to think whether she should bring the subject of children up at the table, or whether it should wait until another day.
That thought was soon over, "Sweetie, I need to speak to you about something" she blurted out, she couldn't stop herself. She must have sounded worried.
"What's wrong River?" he asked, his face dropped realizing her worried tone, "You're not sick are you" he added, putting his hand on her arm.
"No, no sweetie. I'm perfectly fine" she said with a chuckle in her voice.
The Doctor sighed with relief, River took a hold of the Doctors hand, "After seeing Mum and Dad today, you know, with Harry and Brooklyn" the Doctor nodded and River squeezed his hands, "Well..." she continued, "Would you ever consider having children with me?" she asked. Rivers voice shook with nerves, she hadn't been this nervous in front of the Doctor before she didn't know he was going to act to her request.
The Doctor didn't even reply to Rivers question, he just sat there. He didn't say a word, or even smile. He just sat there, still, not moving a muscle.
River sat in her chair eagerly waiting for the Doctor to murmur something, or even just nod or shake his head, but there was only silence. Tears gathered in Rivers eyes, "Thank you, thank you for everything" she said sarcastically as she got up of her chair, she picked her plate up of the table and walked over to the sink. Whilst she was stood at the sink, a single tear rolled down her cheek, she sobbed silently,making sure that the Doctor couldn't hear her. She left her plates in the sink and headed upstairs to her bedroom, it wasn't until he hear Rivers footsteps on the stairs and the slam of the bedroom door that he finally jerked back to reality.
River didn't know it yet, but the Doctor had an announcement that would change their whole lives and also their relationship. He thought back to earlier that morning, when he laughed at her for spilling all the pancake mix all over the floor, or how he's hear her sing when she didn't want him to hear. He then thought about all the adventures that they have had, all that running, all that shooting. It would all have to stop. He smiled at all the memories that they have had, and how he couldn't let her go.
River was upstairs, laid on her bed. She was sobbing silently to herself. He was her husband, the one she loved, how could he deny her the only thing that she had ever wanted? She picked up the teddy bear that was perched on the bed next to her. It was a white teddy bear and it held a read heart, and on the heart it read I will love you forever and always. River picked the teddy up and threw it across the room in anger. She hit a vase full of flowers and they both fell to the floor, the vase smashing into a million pieces when it hit the floor.
The Doctor finally got out of his chair, he headed upstairs. He didn't know how long River had been up there, he just needed to think about his announcement, he worried about how she was going to take it? He didn't know whether she would be ready for this or not. He headed upstairs, and he saw the bedroom door shut. He hesitated whether to go in there or not, but he heard Rivers soft sobs and sniffles. When he reached the door, he took a deep breath before turning the handle, he pushed the door open gently, by now River was hugging a pillow and sobbing softly into it. The Doctor looked on the floor where the broken vase and the teddy laid, untouched.
He walked over to the teddy and picked it up, the then went and sat next to River on her bed. "Riv" he said quietly, trying to take her hand, she pulled it away, "What it says on here is true River, I will love you forever and always" he carried on, River interrupted him,
"Clearly you don't" she said, wiping the tears away from her face. She didn't even look at him, she just stared out the window.
"River, let me finish. Where was I" he said, "Oh yeah" he added , remembering, "I will always love you. Can you remember this morning, when you were making pancakes and we were having a good time?" he asked.
River nodded at his question.
"And all the adventures we have had, and all the running we have done" he asked again.
Once again River nodded her head at the Doctors question. By this time the Doctor had managed to some how put his arm around River, she laid against him. He pulled the duvet over both of them, even though they were both fully dressed.
River still hugged the pillow that had a tear stain on it, and still refused to look at the Doctor.
"Well, that will all have to stop River, because there is only one thing that I need to say to you..." he said.
River burst into a fresh flood of tears, "Just get it over with Doctor, tell me that you are leaving me. Whats the point in torturing me with all the good times that we have had" River said in between sobs, leaving the Doctors embrace and standing next to the window. Tears were streaming down her cheeks.
The Doctor look confused, "Riv, what the hell are you on about?" he asked, he got up of the bed and walked over to River. He stood next to her, yet she still refused to look directly at him. "River, this morning, when I hugged you. I got a message. A message from a child" he said,
River slowly turned her head to look at the Doctor, "River, you're pregnant" he said.
River wiped away the tears from her face. Had she really just heard what the Doctor had just said, or was her mind playing tricks on her?
"Doctor, please don't mess around" River said to the Doctor.
"River, I am being serious, why would I joke about something like that?" he asked.
Half a smile creeped across Rivers face, the news started to sink into her mind. She was pregnant.
"Look River, when you asked me about children at dinner, it shocked me because I was going to tell you about the message and everything. When you had gone to the hospital, I got the TARDIS to perform a full body scan and it confirmed what I thought. 2 weeks pregnant River, I honestly was going to tell you but then all this hap..." he said, before he could finish his sentence River kissed him. He ran his hand through her hair, how he loved those wild, blonde space curls.
River was too stunned for words, she still couldn't believe that she was pregnant. The Doctor got worried, "Say something then River" he said.
"I... I... I'm just can't believe it sweetie" she replied, she now had a smile on her face and all her tears had dried on her face leaving streaks down her cheeks. She placed her left hand on her stomach, she was already protective of her unborn child, and she could already see how much love she would have for him or her.
The Doctor placed his hands on top of hers, River looked at the Doctor.
"So, you're not leaving me?" she joked. Her eyes locked with his and there was a silence between the both of them. River knew from that exact moment that this child would have the best parents in the world, especially his or her father.
River broke the silence between her and the Doctor, "Mum" she randomly said.
The Doctor looked at her confused, "What about her" he asked.
"For one, she has just had Brooklyn and Harry, and two, she is going to freak out... The little ones won't even be a year old when this little one is born" she said, she laughed at this.
Everything that River wanted was in these fall walls, she had her beloved husband, who she now knew wasn't leaving her, and she had their child. Everything was slotting into place. There was one thing that River didn't know, and it was about to shatter her world into a million little pieces like the broken vase that still laid on the floor, she was about to lose someone she held dearly and it was going to devastate her.
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