Everyone endured an incredibly awkward dinner. Anthony was intrigued by his older sister and watched her nearly the entire meal, occasionally questioning her behaviors with questions such as 'Why are you using butter?' and 'Why didn't you eat the apples?'. The Doctor made small talk with Amy and Rory, neither of whom were really paying attention to him as both of them were observing their daughter. River could feel almost everyone's eyes on her and she lost what little of an appetite she had.

"River…" The Doctor said as Amy got up to clear the table. He was genuinely concerned. She had barely touched any of her food and she was visibly uncomfortable, something he had never seen unless something was genuinely wrong.

River shook her head as she smiled softly at him. "Please not now." She requested quietly.

Rory could sense that The Doctor wanted to talk to River, and that it probably wasn't a conversation for her father's ears. He stood up and picked up Anthony from his high chair. "Doctor, Anthony and I are going out for ice cream in a bit. Would you like to join us?"

"I would love to!" The doctor replied feigning excitement for Anthony who excitedly clapped his hands in response.

"Alright just let me get Anthony ready to go." Rory said before heading toward Anthony's bedroom.

"River I'm sorry we're stuck here…" He said softly as he gently took her hand in his and gave it a soft squeeze.

River shook her head. "It's not your fault..."

"River…" The Doctor tried once more.

River took her hand back. "I can't do this right now… I'm sorry." She said quietly as she got up from the table.

"River!" He whined this time. "Please!"

"Doctor!" She yelled back, this time anger surfacing in her eyes.

He looked at her in genuine fear he was beginning to back away when Amy rushed into the room. "River are you alright?"

River kept her eyes glued to her husband. "Drop it." She hissed.

The Doctor nodded anxiously, his eyes wide.

"Doctor!" Rory called from the entryway. "We're ready to go."

"I'll be right there." The Doctor called, not looking away from River who was trying to keep her angry exterior from cracking, but he could see her pain shining through. "River…"

"Shut up!" River replied angrily before going through the swinging door into the kitchen.

The Doctor watched as the door swung back and forth from the force of River's push.

"Doctor." Amy said sympathetically as she gently hugged him. "I'm sure everything's going to be fine."

The Doctor sighed in response without saying anything.

Amy pulled away slowly. "You should go… Anthony and Rory are waiting for you."

"Take care of her. " The Doctor said quietly.

Amy nodded and they parted ways, The Doctor to the front door to join Rory and Anthony, and Amy into the kitchen to check on River. She gently pushed open the door and was surprised to see River sitting on the floor, her back pressed against a cabinet and her knees tucked up so that her face was buried in them.

Amy was now genuinely concerned. "River?" She asked her quietly.

River quickly looked up, trying to look as if she was fine. "I'm sorry." She apologized quietly before standing up, with notable effort.

"River…What the hell was that?" Amy asked as she stared her daughter in the eyes.

River bit her lip. She wanted to ignore what was causing her so much pain but Amy knew how to break her, and she was becoming dangerously close.

Amy could sense that she was conflicted, and she began to feel only sympathy for her daughter. "River… did he do something to you?"

River couldn't help but let out a painful laugh. "I guess you could say that." She said quietly.

"River…" Amy insisted desperately.

River shook her head. "It really doesn't matter." She replied quietly.

"Melody Pond." Amy said suddenly. "You're hurt. If The Doctor did something to hurt you…"

River shook her head immediately. "It's not his fault…" She said quickly before looking down, suddenly interested in her feet. "It's mine." She admitted quietly before tears started to fall.

"River what happened?" Amy asked her quietly.

River gasped, trying to catch her breath. She hadn't noticed that she hadn't been breathing, and it took both of them by surprise. "I… I was…"

"River please… tell me. " Amy coaxed her gently.

"I was pregnant…" She admitted under her breath.

Amy's eyes immediately caught River's eyes, seeing the pain that was in them. "What happened?"

"I think I miscarried…" River admitted quietly.

"River…" Amy was at a loss for words. Her daughter's pain was clearly visible now, her exterior shell that she had put up had cracked. "How long ago?" She asked her quietly.

River was in a daze, not really sure if she was admitting it out loud in reality. "I started having mild cramps about a week ago and I thought it was nothing… then a few days ago I started spotting… I honestly thought it was nothing…"

"River it's not your fault." Amy said quietly.

River began to look sick to her stomach. "I feel horrible." She admitted quietly.

"Are you telling me the pain hasn't stopped?" Amy asked her gently, concerned for her daughter.

River nodded slowly as she gripped onto the counter, trying not to pass out.

"Okay River… what's happening… I need you to communicate with me… please…" Amy was getting desperate, she wasn't sure how she could go from looking simply unhappy to looking as if she were dying.

"I need to lie down." River insisted immediately.

Amy nodded quickly before putting her arm around River's shoulders. Amy was terrified. She had been through this but it had been a relatively quick process, and things hadn't changed quite as drastically, it was much more gradual.

Amy led River to her and Rory's bedroom as it was closer to the kitchen and she quickly had helped her lie down.

"River what can I do to help?" Amy asked her as she watched her daughter curl up into a ball, trying to ignore the pain. "Do you want me to go get The Doctor?" She asked desperately.

"NO!" River almost screamed.

"River… you can't…"

"Never… let him… see the… damage…" River ground out.

Amy shook her head. "This is ridiculous…"

"Please." River begged, tears streaming down her face. "I don't want to hurt him."

Amy was trying to decide what to do when she heard the front door open, Anthony crying loudly. Amy bit her lip anxiously. She was conflicted more than ever before. Both of her children were in distress and she wouldn't be able to figure out what was wrong with Anthony without alerting The Doctor to where River was.

"Please." River was now sobbing.

Amy looked down at her. "I can't help you River… please… at least let me go get Rory…"

"Rory… but not The Doctor… whatever you have to do…" River said before moaning in pain.

Amy quickly opened the door to the bedroom slightly before closing it after she slipped out. She ran to the kitchen where she found Rory putting a bandage on Anthony's arm. Amy immediately put on her sympathetic face for her son. "What happened?" She asked him as she pressed a kiss to her forehead.

"I fell." Anthony said as he sniffed.

"Doctor could you watch Anthony for us for a moment?" Amy asked as she grabbed Rory's arm.

"Honestly it was my fault, not Rory's." The Doctor replied immediately, assuming Amy wanted to admonish Rory.

"I just need to talk to him for a minute." Amy said immediately.

"Alright… how's River?" The Doctor agreed as he picked up Anthony.

Amy looked up at him. "She's asleep… it would be best not to disturb her." She lied quickly before pulling Rory into their bedroom behind her.

"Amy what on…" He began to question her before he saw River on the bed, visibly in immense pain. "What happened?" He asked her angrily.

"She's pregnant… or she was?" Amy said in hushed tones.

"We need The Doctor…" Rory began to insist before he heard an insistent "NO." from River. "River…" He said quietly as he sat down next to her. "How long?"

"I think it started a week ago…" River replied, feeling her father's gentle touch on her back. "

Rory continued to gently rub River's back as he spoke to her gently. "River do you know about time lord pregnancy complications?"

River nodded as she groaned once again. "I was reading about them… after I started having cramps…" She said, her voice breathy from how hard she was trying to breathe.

"Tell me what you know." Rory requested, gently but firmly.

River tried to focus on her father's voice and she began to speak. "A miscarriage can last one to two weeks… starting with mild cramping and spotting for the majority of the time ending with severe cramps and severe bleeding… often ending in regeneration for the… mother…"

Amy looked at her daughter angrily. "You didn't tell me this was this serious River…"

"Well time lords only have a one-tenth of a percent chance of having a pregnancy end in miscarriage." River replied, now obviously reciting facts from a book.

"You need The Doctor." Rory said gently as he continued to rub her back.

"I don't want him to know…" River began sobbing again. "He'll be angry…"

"River." Amy said sympathetically moving to allow her daughter to hold her hands. "He's not going to be mad at you… this isn't your fault…"

It was then that River screamed.

The Doctor came storming through the door, Anthony secure in his arms. "WHAT HAPPENED?" He yelled, trying to take in the scene at once.

"Doctor you need to calm down." Rory said quietly as he tried to soothe River the best he could.

"What… happened?" He asked as he cautiously put Anthony down on the floor before moving toward his wife.

"She's having a miscarriage." Rory said quietly as River sobbed beneath his touch.

"I'm sorry?" The Doctor asked immediately. "No… this isn't what happens… not to our… I know…" It was then that the severity of the situation kicked in. His own mother had regenerated when she miscarried one of his siblings and so he knew exactly what the stakes were. The Doctor suddenly felt sick to his stomach.

He stood frozen, staring at River. His hearts were ripped in half and he couldn't think straight. He knew that he had met Jessica… but he didn't know whether or not she was a fixed point. She could disappear in this moment.

"Doctor…. I'm so sorry." River said as she whimpered in pain.

The Doctor immediately shook his head before moving to the bed to hold River. He pulled her into his arms and she clutched onto him tightly.

"It's not your fault." He whispered quietly. "I'm so sorry I let you go through this alone… it's not fair... everything is going to be fine… no matter what happens…" He continued to try to comfort her.

"What if I die?" She asked him quietly.

The Doctor shook his head before he pressed his lips into her hair multiple times. "I'm not going to let that happen."

River screamed again, pain searing through her abdomen. "I was going to tell you." She said quietly through her tears. "I was… I really was…"

The Doctor hushed her. "It's okay. I understand. You didn't get a chance. I've been incredibly dense, I should have given you more of my time..."

River whimpered once more.

"Rory…" The Doctor looked up at him. "I don't know a lot about what it is that usually kills them… but please… try to help her."

"I'll do the best I can." Rory promised him quietly. "River… we're going to have to keep you nourished and hydrated." He told her gently. "I know it's going to be hard… But you've got to fight…"

River nodded.

"For now, get some rest. When you wake up we'll work on some nourishment." Rory said gently as he kissed his daughter's cheek.

Amy had picked up Anthony and was trying to comfort her distressed son.

"Come on Amy." Rory said quietly as he led her out of the room, quietly closing the door behind him.

Amy and Rory went to work on their separate tasks, Amy putting Anthony to bed, Rory working on researching ways to help River.

Amy found Rory in his study nearly an hour later.

"Hey." Rory said gently as he stood up to pull Amy into a hug. "Are you okay?"

Amy nodded, the tears she had been holding in finally falling.

"Amy…" He said quietly as he ran his fingers through her hair. "It's okay… I'm doing my best… I'm going to do everything I can to help River…"

Amy nodded as she held Rory tightly. "We can't lose her… not again."

Author's Note: I'm really sorry this took so long to upload? Honestly I've just changed this chapter so many times… This is my favorite version so far. I've got multiple unused chapters at this point… Possibly I'll post extras after this story is done? Is that something you would be interested in? Let me know!