Just a quick update before I go to bed!

*Doctor Who belongs to the brilliant BBC*


"Hi honey, I'm home."

"And what sort of time do you call this?" River replied as usual, looking up from her book as the Doctor shut the door behind him. It was actually a reasonable question seeing as it was three o'clock in the morning.

"Ah yes, I am home a bit late, aren't I?" he smiled sheepishly as he glanced at his watch. "Why are you up at this hour?"

"Couldn't sleep," she replied simply, a troubled look crossing her face.

"Why not, dear?" the Doctor questioned, a hand reaching forward to smooth the worried lines on her face. "Nightmares?"

"Sort of," she murmured. He raised an eyebrow and sat down next to her on the lounge. She rested her head on his shoulder and he frowned.

"Are you alright, River dear? Are you coming down with something? Should I call a doctor – a proper doctor, not me. Is the baby okay-"

She placed a finger over his lips to stop his babbling. "Everything is fine, sweetie. I'm fine, the baby's fine, the cat's fine," she took a deep breath before continuing. "I'm just worried about… about what will happen to our baby."

The Doctor frowned down at his wife as she avoided his gaze. "What do you mean?"

"I j-just… don't want what happened to me to happen to my baby," she murmured, the tears welling in her eyes threatening to spill over. "I wouldn't ever want to bring that upon any child."

"They'll be safe, River," he said, his voice muffled against her curly hair. "I'll keep our baby safe."

"How?" she demanded. "You didn't stop Kovarian when she took me."

He flinched, anger flashing in his eyes. River inhaled quickly, realising her mistake. She shouldn't have said that. "Sorry, my love. I'm sorry, I shouldn't have said that, I'm just… scared."

The Doctor's gaze softened and he leant down to kiss her softly, his lips barely brushing against hers. When they pulled apart she started at the sadness in his ancient eyes, even more overwhelming than usual. "My brilliant River Song is never scared."

River didn't reply, simply stared at him with a desperate look on her face and he sighed.

"I had children once, long ago – grandchildren too. You know that. My first companion was my grandaughter Susan. I was so naive then; so young and naive. I was too young to be a parent let alone a grandparent, always running away from responsibility," he smiled sadly, remembering simpler times. "But now I'm old. I've been to every corner of the universe and tried to help wherever I could. Sometimes it didn't work and I just hurt people, but sometimes I acually did it right and I saved people. But no matter how many people I save, I always think of the ones I didn't. Rose, Martha, Donna, Amy and Rory – everyone who either left me or got left behind. That includes my children, my family from all those centuries ago on Gallifrey. I didn't save them. But I promise you if your child is ever in danger, Melody Pond, I will go to the edge of the universe and back to bring them home safe. I know how it feels to lose a child and I wouldn't ever want to bring that upon you."

The tears flowed then as River shook with sobs. She buried her face in the Doctor's chest, his warm arms wrapping around her, as she cried.

"Stupid hormones," she muttered when she stopped sobbing enough to speak coherently. He laughed, a deep chuckle that made his whole chest vibrate, and River smiled. She looked up into his hazel eyes and he kissed her on the nose.

"I love you," he smiled brightly.

"I love you too, sweetie."


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