River and the Doctor came back to the Torchwood base only a few more times: At 23 weeks, 30 weeks, and 36 weeks. Each time was basicly the same. The Doctor would spend at least ten minutes catching up to his friends. River usually got bored and went to see what was in the kitchen, but she eventually would be included in the conversation since she had became friends with them, as well. They would have an ultrasound. The Doctor would smile and kiss River and look smug about being a father. Then they would be off to the TARDIS usually go to satisfy River's cravings.
The final time they came to Torchwood, River looked like she had swallowed a planet, as the Doctor thought. Her belly was very large and the Doctor thought she looked beautiful. River thought she looked like a beached whale. Her ankles hurt, her back ached most of the time, and a good nights sleep was almost never the case. River often vocalized her complains to the Doctor. But he was as happy as could be with a family on the way and was always quick to jump up to rub her back or ankles or lay next to her in the bed until she fell asleep.
Martha and Jack had just gone up to get the alien tech for more tests, as usual. The Doctor sat River up, wiping off her belly and expressing his excitement through kisses and smiles. River sat there. Her face looked deeping thought, but her eyebrows furrowed just over so slightly. Bad thoughts. "Hey, you okay?" The Doctor asked, concerned. River shook her head.
"No." Her eyes met with his. "I don't think I'm ready for this. I don't think I'm ready to be a mum." Her face was full of worries. He bent down eye level to River and held her hands tightly, much like he did when comforting Amy. Why was this the first time she mentioned this? He pressed his forehead to hers. "You, River, are ready. You'll always be ready. I know you, and I know that you are ready to protect our baby and love her with all of your heart. I know because you already have and that's what mothers do." he smiled at her and kissed her forehead. Reassuring River was something of a challenge, but the Doctor knew what to say.
But River still shook her head. "But what if she doesn't like me? What if she hates me? What if I can't protect her and..." Her voice quivered and she couldn't finish the sentence. But the Doctor knew what she was going to say. She was worried about the Silence taking their child and doing to her what they did to River. Raise her to kill. The thought made River want to cry, but River Song didn't cry, even if she was influenced by damn pregnancy hormones.
"It's going to be fine, River. I promise that you and I won't let anything happen to this baby. And she will love you. I promise. That baby is half of me after all and I already love you, River song. My River Song, I love you more than time can tell and more than you could ever imagine."
"Really?" River's voice was still shaky. She savored every one of those words, wanting and willing herself to believe them.
"I promise. Don't you trust me?"
River just pulled his head closer to hers and kissed him. For a long moment, their lips were pressed together and their tongues danced. River had always been a good kisser. "Always."
And that was that. Martha and Jack sent them off, all tests normal and a few weeks until the due date.
River and the Doctor sat in the console room. The Doctor pranced around the TARDIS console pressing buttons and River sat in a chair reading the book: Timelord anatomy and growth - from conception to the last regeneration. The book had been like a bible to her through her pregnancy. It was one of the few books, or anything for that matter, that had any information about Timelord pregnancies. The Doctor flipped a more few levers and then plopped down next to her. "You know, River. That is the seventh time you've read that. Isn't twice enough?" He wrapped an arm around her shoulder.
"Sorry." She paused her book. They both knew she wasn't though. "I'm just so excited! Only ten days to the due date and I want to be ready."
He just smiled at her. He knew that the baby probably wouldn't actually come on that date that was expected. First children hardly ever do, but he had long given up reminding her that. "A Timelord always on time."
"Timebaby" River corrected. "And a Timelady for that matter." She was excited at that part. She had been hoping for a girl and was joyful when they found out it was. She kissed him on the cheek and flipped few pages forward. "Look at this, Doctor." The pointed to a page labeled Medicine.
"Well that's interesting." The page was close to blank and came with a warning. Something about no one knowing about what medicines were live safe or deadly.
"Now what do you make of that?" River said. She had meant to show him earlier, but they were busy painting the nursery that the TARDIS had provided for them. She was happy that the walls were blank so that she and the Doctor could chooses a color together.
"It means that no one knows what's deadly to a Timelord and giving any medicine could be lethal." He said as if it was obvious.
River rolled her eyes at him. "I know that, Doctor. But what does that mean in terms of drugs during the birth? I'm not a full Timelady after all."
"No epidural." He looked at her. "It's okay, River. You're strong. I know you'll be fine."
"I know, sweetie, but if you were just told you had to squeeze something the size of a watermelon out of a very small hole in your body with no pain medication, I think you'd be a little nervous, too." She sighed and got up from the couch with a bit of difficulty. She chuckled seeing the Doctors face trying to imagine what she just described, then the waddled off to the library to put the book back. The Doctor watched her leave and he smiled forget momentarily about the watermelon. How he loved his wife.