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Before Yesterday Comes and Tomorrow Dawns - Prologue

By Sylva Dax

~DW~

Tabetha wrapped her granddaughter in a fierce embrace. The time had finally come to bid her farewell. Not knowing if she would ever see this Melody again nearly broke her heart. The depth of her feelings for this woman she had only gotten to know in the last several weeks surprised her until her heart reminded her that this was Mels, the lost little girl she'd come to love as a second daughter, never knowing until now how true that sentiment had been.

"Would it be too much of a 'spoiler' to ask if we'll see you again?" Tabetha asked, finally releasing her.

Chuckling slightly, River answered, "I'm a time traveler, grandmum, not a fortune-teller. I do promise to make every effort, but I warn you: the TARDIS doesn't always take us where we want to go. However, she always takes us where we need to be."

"You need to be with your family," she responded.

"Hey, stop monopolizing the granddaughter, Tabby. She's got two grandpas waiting here," Augustus said, pulling River into his arms. "I'm so proud of you, Professor Song. I always knew you had it in you." He kissed her cheek, and then addressed the Doctor.  "You take good care of our girl, Doctor."

"With all that is within me, Augustus Pond," the Doctor stated solemnly.

Stealing River from Augustus, Brian held his granddaughter tightly in his arms. "Next time, you and I are hitting the green."

"Next time," River whispered in agreement, kissing his cheek.

Turning to her parents who stood next to the Doctor and her friends, River smiled brightly, locking away the tears that burned behind her eyes. She threw her arms around Rory and kissed him before drawing back to say, "You are and always have been the best father a girl could ever hope for, even when you didn't know I was your daughter. I love you, dad."

His answering response was to hold her tight and sniffle into her curls. "Oh, man, I wasn't going to cry this time," he sighed ruefully.

Pulling Amy into their embrace, River said, almost in a whisper, "Mum, I love you. You're still my best friend, always." River stepped back, allowing the Doctor to place a supporting arm around her waist.

Amy held her daughter's gaze as she retreated. She smiled sadly, "This is goodbye, yeah?"

"Don't worry; it all works out in the end." Smiling gently, River added, "And, yes, that is a spoiler."

Having said his goodbyes earlier, the Doctor tugged on his bow-tie and said, "Fare thee well, Ponds," before leading his band of travelers into the TARDIS.

~DW~

The TARDIS' doors closed behind them as the Doctor headed straight for the console, determined to provide his wife with a distraction in the form of an adventure. River's brow creased into a frown as she looked around the console room.

"Why haven't you changed back? As much as this configuration means to me, I'd prefer the current design," she said, dropping her gaze to the glass floor.

Sighing, the Doctor answered, "The Old Girl wouldn't let me. I think she's feeling a bit nostalgic. She even hid my purple jacket." With that he pulled the lever launching the TARDIS into the vortex. "So, where to: the future or the past?" he asked the room at large.

Anita and Other Dave looked at each other with knowing grins. They were archaeologists, after all. "The past," they said together.

Looking thoughtful, Evangelista said, "Past or future is fine with me. The opportunity to interact with beings not generated by the Library's vast accumulation of literature is more than enough for me."

Proper Dave never got a chance to answer. Suddenly dizzy, River grabbed his arm to keep from falling. "I gotcha, Professor," he assured her.

Rushing to his wife's side, the Doctor noted with concern, "River, you're crying. What is it, love?"

"Of course she's crying. She just said goodbye to her family," Anita answered, unable to believe he'd even had to ask such a question.

"No, it's not that," River said, wiping the tears from her eyes. "Memories. Unlocked memories."

"Why? Who did this to you? Was it the Silence?" demanded the Doctor, outraged on his wife's behalf.

"No, my love, it was you."

~DW~

Chapter Text

"Of course it wasn't me," the Doctor said incredulously. "I think I'd remember blocking my own wife's memories. It's not something I'd ever do lightly."

"And you didn't," River assured him.

"Why would I do such a thing, and why don't I remember doing it?" the Doctor demanded, his gaze boring into hers as the others looked on with avid curiosity.

With a tender smile, River answered, "Spoilers."

Reeling back as though he'd been slapped, the Doctor protested, "No, no, no! You don't get to hide behind that word anymore. We're linear now, River; no more back-to-front."

"No, my love," she explained, "not totally. You still have a few adventures to run with my younger self." Smiling mischievously, she added, "I don't mind, as long as you come back to me."

~DW~

"You forgot something and you need me to go get it for you. I got that. But, River, why right now? I promised our guests an adventure." the Doctor protested a few minutes later as his wife walked around him to program coordinates into the TARDIS' console. "Why won't you tell me what this is all about?"

"Because there are things that need to be lived in the moment, my love," she told him over her shoulder.

"Then come with me," the Doctor suggested hopefully. The last thing he wanted was to be separated from her.

Completing her programming, River turned to the Doctor and responded with a smile, "I wouldn't miss it for the world, but it would probably be a bit crowded with me along."

"What? What - oh!" he crowed in delight, realizing the implications of her words. He flexed his interlaced fingers as he gleefully capitulated. "Well, if you insist, dear," he said, pecking River on the cheek.

Shaking her head in amusement, she joked to Anita and Evangelista, "Home for less than ten minutes and he's already tossing me aside for a younger model."

As the ladies chuckled, the Doctor twirled around to address the two Daves, "Always keep the wife happy and you'll live a long and happy life. And know when to run when she's not," he added, tapping the tip of River's nose affectionately.

"So, Doctor, I've set in coordinates for Brian's the day after Anthony is supposed to arrive. Once you've dropped us off, the TARDIS will take you to your destination. I've programmed your return for a few hours after our arrival. No detours."

"Not even a teeny, tiny one?" the Doctor teased.

Drawing close to her husband, River said quietly into his ear, "Theta, our future depends on this."

All joking forgotten, the Doctor soberly surveyed his wife's face. Nodding once, he announced, "Well then, next stop Brian Williams'."

"Sweetie, we've already landed," River said, unable to stop the smirk that stole across her face.

With barely a pause, the Doctor responded, "Well then, I guess I'll be seeing all of you in a few hours."

"Does this feel strange to anyone else but me?" Proper Dave asked as he led the way to the door.

"What, visiting people who haven't seen you in years after just saying goodbye to them a few minutes ago? Nah, strange went out the window the moment we entered the Library and met the Doctor," Other Dave answered as he followed Proper Dave out the door.

"Well, see you later, Doc. Don't keep our lady waiting," Anita said with a nod in River's direction as she exited.

"May the wind be in your sails. Metaphorically speaking, of course," Evangelista said following the others out.

"Don't worry, River, I'll be on time," the Doctor assured her.

"You better," she said before kissing her husband with a passion that left them both breathless. Pulling away, she took in his flushed face and glazed eyes and chuckled. With an extra swing to her hips, River headed for the door. Turning back at the door, she purred, "Oh, and, Sweetie, make sure to keep the brakes on when you land."

"Yes, dear," he squeaked as the TARDIS door closed behind her.

~DW~

Chapter Text

~DW~

The vrorp vrorp of the TARDIS' distressed brakes announced his arrival on the tiny, obscure planetoid. Cautiously the Doctor exited his faithful blue box. The dense foliage adorning the base of the hill effectively hid the entrance to the mouth of a cave he would not have seen without prior knowledge of its existence. And to his astonishment he now had prior knowledge. In this slightly altered timeline he'd been in this specific spot a couple of times nearly two hundred years ago.

~DW~

"River, you're being ridiculous," the Doctor called out from the safety of the TARDIS. The crazy woman had actually shot at him when he insisted on coming to her rescue, refusing to let him approach the cave entrance. "You sent for me. Nearly burned a hole through my pocket. Now, will you stop being difficult and let me help you?"

"Go away, Doctor," she demanded from her hiding place. "You're not old enough."

"I assure you, Dr. Song," he replied. "I am old enough to handle any quest you set before me."

"Really, Doctor?" she retorted. "Then tell me who I am. That is your quest. When you can answer that question, come back."

~DW~

Striding out of the TARDIS with utter confidence, the Doctor bellowed, "Melody Pond, pack your bags! I have fulfilled my quest and insist on rescuing my lady fair."

"Hello, sweetie," River replied from her place of concealment. "So, you know my name. What else do you know about me, Doctor?"

With a cocky grin, he answered, "I know I'm not looking forward to my next conversation with your father, all things considered. The man has his very own pointy sword, and he knows how to use it."

Laughing, River repeated her question, "Yes, well, what else do you know about me?"

"What else? Isn't this enough?"

"I'm afraid not," River answered with a sigh. "You've come back too soon."

Becoming just a bit exasperated, the Doctor complained, "Really, River, you're not playing fair. You could've warned me that this was a multi-part answer."

"Seriously, Doctor, this is no game," she corrected.

"What is it then?" he asked.

"Our future," came the reply. "Now go, Doctor, and come back when you're old enough."

~DW~

He was old enough, he thought as he stepped out of the TARDIS. He was more than old enough, truth be told. When had he decided to leave this particular adventure for when it would be one speck of light in his dark, River-less future? He couldn't help the grin that spread across his face. Our future. They now had a future; something he'd nearly given up hope of ever truly having with his beloved wife. A giggle escaped him. Pure joy.

He smoothed his hair, tugged on his tweed jacket, and straightened his bowtie before calling out, "Hi, honey, I'm home."

Silence.

Frowning, the Doctor ventured closer to the hidden cave entrance. "Hi, honey, I'm home," he called again.

"And what sort of time do you call you this?" came the gasped reply from deep within the cave. "Doctor," moaned River.

Alarmed, the Doctor pushed through the dense foliage. "Wife, I'm coming in," he warned.

"You better," she panted.

The interior of the cave was softly lit. Eyes solely for the lone figure of his wife, the Doctor failed to notice the stockpiled provisions, the empty cot, and the impressive arsenal lining the back wall. Naked, River sat in a twenty-first century birthing pool filled with warm water, her arms braced along the rim. Her alpha-mason squareness gun laying within reach on a nearby stool. He could do little more than stare at her extended abdomen.

"You're late!" she groaned as a contraction seized her.

"That's not my fault," he protested, suddenly wanting to wring his wife's neck. She'd deliberately sent him to this point in time without the slightest inkling of what would be awaiting him. Of course, he couldn't tell this River what she'd done. "You told me to come back when I was older. You never said there was a time constraint."

"Really, Doctor, you're arguing about this now?" she asked, incredulously. "I'm kind of busy here," she gasped as the next contraction arrived.

"B-but this isn't possible," the Doctor squeaked as panic threatened to consume him.

"THETA, NOW!"

Finally galvanized into action, the Doctor quickly shed his tweed, trousers, shoes, and socks before scrambling into the pool.

Twenty-five exhausting minutes later the Doctor announced, "That's it, love, just one more push."

~DW~

Time had made this possible. A scan with his sonic screwdriver while mother and child were sleeping confirmed his suspicions: River had become more Time Lady than human over time as continued exposure to the time vortex encouraged her DNA to continue its evolutionary journey. Of course, River's inadvertent visit to his previous incarnation in that delightful negligee was a contributing factor, escalating their relationship at a much earlier time for him right when she had become old enough.

"I still can't believe it," the last surviving Time Lord whispered as he watched their little miracle suckle at River's breast. "A baby. You and me. We made a baby together. Can you believe it, River?"

"Well, I was there, dear, for the whole thing," she said, smiling. "It's been real to me for months."

"I wish I'd known," the Doctor said wistfully. "You shouldn't have had to go through this all alone. I'm so sorry, River."

"Oh, sweetie, you did the best that you could. When I called, you came. Just not the right you," she said with a dismissive shrug.

Squatting down to look closely at his suckling child, he asked, "Have you picked out a name?"

Nodding, River answered, "Ryan August Song."

Chapter Text

~DW~

River opened her eyes and stretched, feeling more rested than she'd felt since Ryan was born. The Doctor had insisted on handling this morning's feeding. Well, it was time to rise and check on her boys.

The TARDIS raised the lights as soon as she flung back the covers. Donning her robe, River made her way to the console room.

"Good morning. Sleep well?"

"Mum? What are you doing here?" River asked, surprised to see her mother sitting in the jump seat with Ryan in her arms.

"We asked the Doctor to bring you and our grandson by for a visit," Amy answered her daughter. Nuzzling Ryan, she adds, "We have something big to share with you that couldn't wait. They're waiting for us. Ryan and I waited for you. Didn't want you worrying when you woke up. You might want to change."

"Really?" River asked, more intrigued than she had been a moment earlier.

"Yes, really," Amy chuckled. "Now move along. You're picking up your husband's bad habits: always keeping me waiting."

"Really! How rude," River said, laughing as she headed back to her bedroom.

~DW~

Amy, still carrying Ryan, led the way to her living room where the others waited. Taken totally by surprise, River paused on the threshold when she realized that her husband and father were not alone.

"Oh, Amy, I didn't realize you already had company. We'll come back at a better time," River said, reaching for Ryan. 

"Melody Pond, you'll do no such thing," Tabetha  said hastily.

Looking at her grandmother in surprise, River responded, "They know?"

"Yes, we told them," Amy told her daughter.

"Everything?"

"Yes, everything," Rory assured his daughter as her husband bounced happily beside him.

"Really?" River half sobbed, overcome by emotions she'd held in check for so long. Immediately, she found herself being wrapped in the arms of her grandparents, and all she could think was, They know.

Amy handed Ryan to his father before linking arms with Rory. They looked at each other warmly, bright grins lighting up their faces. Rory cleared his throat in a vain attempt to get everyone's attention. A shrill whistle did it for him.

Squeezing Amy's hand in appreciation, Rory faced his family's curious gazes. "Well, um, Amy and I have an announcement to make. We, um, we're-"

"We're going to have a baby!" Amy blurted out.

"But that's impossible!" River responded without thinking.

~DW~

"What will you call her?" River asked, gazing upon her baby sister.

Rory, perched beside his wife and infant daughter, said, "After all the Silence did to Amy while she was pregnant with you, it's a miracle she was able to have her. She's our own impossible girl."

"We've decided to call her Clara," announced Amy.

~DW~

Amy stepped out onto the patio when she heard the telltale wheezing of the TARDIS. She smiled when her daughter emerged from the blue box once it finally materialized. The Doctor followed her out. Before anyone could say anything, a tiny blur shot out the patio door, lodging itself firmly in River's arms.

"Mummy," Ryan cried, kissing his mother.

Hugging him fiercely, River said, "Oh, I've missed you so much. Look how big you're getting.

Arms wrapped around River's neck, he leaned over to kiss his father. "You brung her just like you said."

"Of course I did," the Doctor said, tapping his son on the tip of his nose. "I said I would, didn't I, and I never say what I don't mean."

"Rule one," Amy murmurs, eliciting a quickly choked off chuckle from River.

"Now, mum, you know the Doctor always has his reasons for meaning what he doesn't say," River said with a grin. "Where's dad and Clara?"

"He'll be down soon. He just got home from hospital," Amy answered as River set Ryan back on the ground with a kiss to his forehead. Brow slightly furrowed, she asked Ryan, "Why didn't Clara come with you?"

Shrugging, Ryan said, "She was messing with those silly doorknobs she found the other day."

"Well, you go tell your Aunt Clara that her sister is here," Amy instructed.

"Okay," Ryan piped, immediately darting to the door with the boundless energy of youth. Just before disappearing through the door, he paused and turned to his mother to ask, "You won't leave before I get back?"

The question stabbing her in the heart, River responded with a reassuring smile, "Of course not, sweetie." After he disappeared through the door, River moved forward and hugged her mother. "I've missed you too. Younger you is adorable but …"

"You miss your family," her mother said knowingly.

"And my best friend," she added.

~DW~

"Hi, dad," she greeted her father with a kiss.

"Melody," Rory said, pulling his daughter into his arms. "It's been too long. I assume the Doctor is here too."

"How else would I get here," was the resigned reply. "I don't seem to be able to find this you with the vortex manipulator. You're always younger; sometimes knowing who I am but not often enough and you're never with Ryan." With those words, River's cracking facade broke and she began to sob in her father's arms. "Oh, dad, his childhood is slipping by without me. All I get are these snippets of time to cherish in my cell."

Anger welled up in Rory as he held his sobbing child. It was time to draw the line. Too much was being asked of her again! “Then don’t go back,” he told her.

Looking at her father in surprise, River shook her head and said, “But I have to. I made a promise.”

At that moment the Doctor entered the room, Clara holding to one leg and Ryan to the other, both giggling. Amy followed carrying tea.

“Hello, Rory,” the Doctor greeted.

 “Why, Doctor? Why should she leave her child to go sit and rot in a prison cell for a crime we all know she didn’t commit?” Rory demanded as River stepped back, staring longingly at her son.

“You know why,” the Doctor answered. “You’ve already lived it. History-“

“History be damned! This is our daughter we’re talking about. Your wife and the mother of your son!” the Roman roared, causing Ryan to run to his mother and Clara to hers. “Have you ever stopped to think how much you’re hurting her?”

“Everyday,” the Doctor whispered, looking at the pain-filled eyes of the woman he loved. “But I made a promise.” Not one line.

Amy spoke up then, “You made a promise to us, Doctor, that you didn’t keep.”

“Because I couldn’t,” he answered. “I would have if I could. River, understands. Don’t you, love?”

Holding her son close, River nodded.

Turning in triumph to his in-laws, the Doctor said, “You see. Now, what say we put all of this behind us and throw ourselves into enjoying this visit? River, Ryan and Clara have some wond-“

“I can’t,” River gasped. “I can’t do this anymore. Doctor, I know I promised but I can’t. I can’t go back. I can’t go back. He’s my son. I can’t go back! I can’t go back! I CAN’T GO BACK!”

~DW~

“River, River, wake up. Wake up, love,” the Doctor pleaded. “You’re dreaming.”

Chapter Text

~DW~

Instantly alert for danger, River sat up, her right hand already reaching for her gun. "What's wrong? Where's Ryan?"

"He's right here," the Doctor said, indicating the ancient cot where their son slept, undisturbed by his mother's cries. "What's wrong, River?"

Her immediate fears allayed, River shrugged dismissively. "Nothing; just another nightmare," she lied. Today was the day that she had to say goodbye to her two boys, the loves of her life, not knowing when or if she would ever see them again. For six months they had been a family. Now, she was expected to walk out the TARDIS doors and return to her cell in Stormcage just a few minutes after she'd left all those months ago as though nothing in her life had changed. Everything had changed. She was a mother with a son who might very well grow up without her. She'd had a taste of what truly living with her husband was like and she was loathe to give this life up. "Everything's fine, sweetie."

The Doctor looked at his wife and smiled. She was lying and he knew it. He'd seen that mask too many times before to be fooled by it now. He would let her hold onto her act and not confront her. After living as a family these last few months, he doubted that he would be able to leave her if he didn't already knowthat she waited for him on the other side. He wanted nothing more than to tell her the wonderful truth to ease her pain but… well, spoilers. He lifted his hand to tap the tip of River's nose but wound up caressing her cheek instead before covering her lips with his own.

Bless him, she thought as she parted her lips for him, he knows. She wrapped her arms around him and he melted into her sweet embrace.

~DW~

"I love you so much," River sighed as he played with her curls. She positioned her lips strategically upon his bare flesh and forcefully blew out the air that never failed to elicit delighted giggles and flailing limbs. She would miss these moments. She would miss him!

"River," the Doctor said from behind her. "Ready."

"And you're sure this won't hurt him?" she asked, not taking her eyes from her child.

"Sure? Of course I'm sure. I'm the king of sure. I-," he blustered until she fixed him with a steady gaze. "Okay, so it might sting just a bit," he conceded. "But we agreed, River, we agreed that this was the right thing to do."

"I know, Doctor. I know better than anyone how important this is," she said, clutching Ryan close. "I'll hold him."

He hated doing this to his infant son, but Ryan had to be protected. He'd failed to protect baby Melody. He was determined not to fail her child. Until he was old enough to take care of himself, Ryan needed to appear to be a normal human male. To that end, the Doctor had spent the last couple of months working with the TARDIS to develop a microscopic version of River's bio-dampener that he now injected into his son's femur. As an additional precaution, a distress beacon that was tied in directly to the TARDIS was included in the design. River had even removed the entries about Ryan from her diary and given the pages to the TARDIS for safekeeping. "All done," he said as River soothed their whimpering child.

"Mummy's here, my sweet, sweet boy," she whispered to Ryan. "Mummy's here."

~DW~

Clothed once again in the garb she'd had on months ago when she'd fled Stormcage, River held her son close one last time. Kissing him once more, she laid him in his cot. "Oh, my little love, when will I see you again?" she whispered. Fighting back a sob, she spun away and walked quickly to the TARDIS door where the Doctor stood waiting.

The Doctor looked tenderly at her stoic expression. She was the strongest woman he knew. "Are you ready, River?" he asked.

Nodding, she responded, "I'm…l can't! Oh, Theta, I thought I could, but I can't." Turning from him, she continued, "I know I promised you but that was a lifetime ago. He, our son, changes everything."

Taking her by the shoulders, the Doctor turned River back to face him. Gently, he entreated her, "River, look at me. Do you trust me? Good. Believe me when I say that this must happen and that everything is going to be all right."

With a slight lift off one brow, she asked, "What about rule one, Doctor?"

"Not about this. Never about this," he proclaimed earnestly, caressing her cheek as he spoke. "Know this, wife: I love you more than I ever thought it possible to love another, and that precious child is the embodiment of that love. Never doubt for one second that I will do all within my power to bring him back to you."

Covering the hand that caressed her cheek with her own, she smiled tearfully up at him and said, "I know you will, but I'll miss him so much. Already, the pain is nearly more than I can bear."

"Oh, River," the Doctor sighed, pressing his forehead to hers and holding her face between his hands, "why must I always cause you so much pain when all I want is to love you and see you happy?" Hands in place, he seized her lips with his own. As she melted beneath his onslaught, the Doctor slipped inside her mind and locked away her memories of being pregnant, of bearing Ryan, and of the past six months, leaving her with a pleasant but vague memory of spending time with him. He lifted her unconscious form into his arms and carried her into her cell and laid her gently on her prison cot. Since no alarms were blaring he surmised that they had successfully returned River to her cell just moments after she'd made her escape. He removed her shoes and covered her with the coarse blanket he found at the foot of her bed. Quickly, he stashed her gun and vortex manipulator away in the hiding place she'd shown him ages ago before returning to the TARDIS and their son.

~DW~

As tempting as it was to take just a little side-trip, just him and his son, the Doctor selected River's preset coordinates. Besides, he doubted the TARDIS would let them go anywhere else at the moment.

"What have you done to me?" he asked Ryan seconds after pressing the blue stabilizers. From where he rolled and scooted around on a blanket on the floor, Ryan responded with a well-timed raspberry. "Yes, I know it's boring but your mummy would shoot me in both hearts if I arrived with you all shook up. Oh, I know, why don't we make a grand entrance since she's not here to spoil our fun? Brakes on. Next stop, Pond family gathering."

The Doctor scooped his son up and wrapped him in a blanket against the cool night air and headed for the door. "Brace yourself, Ryan, mummy hasn't seen you for a very long time. She's apt to be just a little bit emotional.”

Chapter Text

~DW~

"You arrived while she was in labor? That means she was pregnant and alone on that planetoid for months," Anita observed, interrupting the Doctor's tale. She turned a questioning eye to River. "Professor, you set the coordinates. Why didn't you have the Doctor arrive earlier?"

"And risk him being shot before his son was born? I was heavily armed and hormonal, and he...Well, he's the Doctor," River answered with the slightest hint of a smirk.

"River!" the Doctor exclaimed, not sure if he should feel insulted or lucky to be alive. River simply shrugged in response as the others laughed.

Ryan chose that moment to raise his arms and gurgle up to the Doctor. "Sleepy, little one? Yes, it has been a long day. You liked being around all these not-mummy's and daddy's?"

"Doctor, what are you doing?" Tabetha asked.

"Well I'll be! He really does talk to babies like he understands them," Anthony exclaimed.

"Of course he does," River confirmed. "After all, he's nothing but a big baby himself," she added, laughing at the Doctor's outraged expression.

"How rude," he complained. "See, Ryan, that's what's wrong with humans today: no respect for their elders. Don't worry. Daddy is here to make sure you don't pick up any of their bad habits. Say goodnight now." He instructed his son as they entered the TARDIS, ignoring the chuckles that followed.

~DW~

After settling an exhausted Ryan into his bed on the TARDIS, River embraced her husband for the first time since he'd arrived in front of Brian's house hours ago with their son.

"You beautiful man! You brought him straight to me. He's not even a day older," she said between kisses.

"Of course I brought him straight to you. Why wouldn't I? Really, River, you really do need to trust me," the Doctor said, nipping his way down her neck.

"Always," she purred before pushing him gently away. "Later, darling, unless you want to be teased unmercifully by everyone."

Flushing at the possibility, the Doctor struggled to get himself under control. "Right, they are Ponds, after all. Shall we go then?"

"In a moment, dear," River answered distractedly as she watched her son's chest rise and fall. "You go ahead. I just need a moment."

He understood. "Okay, take your time."

Alone with her sleeping son, the child of the TARDIS became acutely aware of her other parent. "Yes, dear," she thought affectionately, "it is wonderful to have us all back together. What?! There must be a mistake. Show me."

~DW~

She'd shared her unexpected news about their expanding family and invited her time-displaced comrades to join them as family. An air of celebration pervaded the room.

Noticing her grandmother swiping a tear from her eye, River went to her. “Are you all right?”

“I’m fine,” Tabetha whispered, sniffling. “I just wish your mother were here right now.”

Hugging her, River said, “So do I; more than ever.” Holding her hand out to her husband, who watched them with a sad little smile, she announced, “Doctor, I think we should stay in my parents' house.”

“Permanently?” the Doctor asked in horror.

Laughing with the others, River shook her head, “Of course not, but I think Ryan and this little one deserve a stable place to call home while they’re little. It’s the perfect place for us. They’d be surrounded by family, and we would have a safe place for us to return to when we're not together.” She placed a gentle hand between his hearts. “Don’t worry, sweetie, we can travel whenever and wherever you want; just not all the time.  Maybe we’ll find you a companion who can keep you out of trouble during those times when I can’t be with you, hmm?”

He looked into her eyes and saw eternity.  It was just the two of them in their own little world. Time stood still for them, for once ceasing its efforts to tear the lovers apart. He was a Time Lord, a traveler by nature, his one constant, a wondrous blue box. She was his Time Lady, a paradoxical miracle, who'd sacrificed her life over and over again for him and now she'd given him something he'd never thought he'd ever have again: a family. He could give her no less.

Tapping her affectionately on the tip of her nose, he said, "It is about time the universe made a place for us. River Song, you are amazing."

~DW~

"Then you'll be staying?" Tabetha asked, hope shining in her glistening eyes.

"Of course we're staying. Wouldn't dream of going anywhere else. Would we, dear?" the Doctor tossed to River who just shook her head in amusement at him.

"You heard him, everyone; looks like you're stuck with us," River announced, her face lit with happiness.

~DW~

"Hi, honey, I'm home," the Doctor whispered.

"And what sort of time do you call this?" came the quiet reply.

"Time to kiss the boy and put the wife to bed?" he responded, already leaning down to kiss his sleeping son. Turning to River, he added, "Now, why don't we see about getting the wife to bed, hmm?" And with that he gathered her into his arms, kissing her deeply, hungrily.

Gasping for air, River teased, "I'd ask if you'd missed me, but I think I already know the answer. I'm assuming that's not your sonic screwdriver."

With a growl, the Doctor scooped her into his arms and swept out of the nursery and into their bedroom with surprising grace. The Doctor's purple jacket joined his wife's robe on the floor as they quickly rid themselves of every offending barrier to their desire.

"Hello, sweetie," River purred. "Definitely not the screwdriver."

~DW~

Chapter Text

~DW~

"Is that Ryan here to pick up these manuscripts?" she called from the study.

"No, special delivery," her husband answered as he joined her.

"Really? Probably just another unsolicited manuscript," she answered, already returning her attention to her sketching.

"I don't think so, Amy. It's a box or something, and it has both our names on it," Rory responded, placing the package on the desk cluttered with neat piles of manuscripts, sketches in varying degrees of completion, and pictures of their grandchildren. "There's no return address but according to this timestamp, it's from England."

"Well, don't just stare at it, open it," she instructed, already helping.

After finally removing the layers it had been bound in, they found a specially coated envelope affixed to a sealed metal box. Hands shaking, Rory passed the envelope to Amy.

Carefully, she opened it and pulled out a single sheet of paper with lines with achingly familiar handwriting. Adjusting her reading glasses, she managed to croak out, "It's a - it's a letter."

"Yeah, I kind of got that," Rory said, looking longingly at the letter held reverently in his wife's trembling hands. "What does she say?"

"Hello, mum and dad. It's been a long time, too long, though it has only been a few months for me. If all has gone as planned, I imagine it's been a few decades for the two of you.

This box has been sealed and biometrically locked by the Old Girl. It can only be opened by the two of you, no earlier than 1978. Anthony (Yes, spoilers!) provided the sealed address and instructions that my husband is preparing to deliver to Vastra. Enjoy."

Eagerly, Amy pressed against the locking mechanism. "Ow! It stuck me," she exclaimed, looking at the tiny spot of blood on her pricked finger.

"Yeah, DNA sample," Rory acknowledged, already pressing his hand to the lock.

For a moment nothing happened, then the lid popped open, revealing a second piece of paper and nothing more. Exchanging a bemused look with Amy, Rory took the paper out of the box and began to read.

"Sorry about the little bloodletting, but it was the most reliable way to verify your identity. Now, mum, place your hand in the center of the box, palm down."

Amy did as she was instructed. Immediately, the box whirred to life, projecting a four-dimensional holographic family portrait: flanked by Rory's and Amy's parents, the Doctor held a baby boy that looked about a year old in one arm and had his other arm around a very pregnant River. Anita, Evangelista, and the two Dave’s stood on either side of the family. Stunned, Amy gasped, covering her mouth with her hands. The moment she removed her hand, the image disappeared.

"What happened? Where'd they go?" Amy demanded, looking at Rory in confusion.

"Here, I've got it," Rory said, placing his hand in the center of the box. Immediately, the family portrait returned. "They're not taking any chances. One of us has to maintain contact for it to work."

"Look at them. I can't believe it," Amy whispered reverently. "Our Melody and the Doctor, having babies, our grandchildren. Oh, Rory, I wish I could be there and hold them."

"Yeah, me too," Rory agreed, wiping a stray tear from her cheek. "I wonder what his name is. It doesn't say in the note."

"There must be a message somewhere," Amy declared. "This is River and the Doctor. They know we'd want to at least know our grandson's name. Maybe they sent an audio message." She examined the box hopefully. "There are no visible buttons to press though."

"Maybe it's voice activated like the voice interface on the TARDIS." Addressing the box, Rory said, "This is, um, Rory Williams. Activate the voice interface please."

The portrait was replaced by a holographic image of River. "Voice Interface activated," said the image in their daughter's voice. "How may I help you?"

"River,-" Amy began only to be interrupted.

"I am not River. I am the Voice Interface."

"Voice Interface, are there any messages for us?" Rory asked.

"You have one message. Would you like to hear it now?"

"Yes, yes, we want to hear it now." Rory said, grinning.

"Hello, mum and dad, I knew you'd figure out how to work this thing. Dad spent enough time helping the Doctor with his endless upgrades.

As you can see, there have been a few developments since we last saw each other. It would seem that my reproductive system needed extra time to reach maturity. After we left you, memories of having had your grandson, Ryan August Song, a few months after we returned from 1969 America came flooding back. Yes, I was pregnant too during that trip. I sent the Doctor back to bring him here to me since I was still in Stormcage when he was born and couldn't keep him. Believe it or not, the Doctor actually delivered him. He locked away my memories of ever having Ryan to spare me the pain of being parted from him for so long. We discovered this little one was coming the day he returned with Ryan.

"There's been no hiding the damage these days, mum. Must be the hormones. I tried to act like everything was fine, but I needed you and dad to at least know about Ryan and ... I miss you. That wonderful man saw right through me and made this all possible. Well, the device is linked to the TARDIS, and, in theory, we should be able to send updates when we're in range. So, until next time..."

"Updates?" Amy breathed in a daze as the image of River was replaced by the family portrait. "I can't believe this is really happening. Messages from home."

Chapter Text

~DW~

"River, quickly, I need your help," the Doctor demanded as he rushed into her room.

"Doctor, what is it? Is someone hurt? Are we under attack?" River asked, turning to her husband in alarm.

"Under attack? Of course not. Why would you ask a silly thing like that?" he asked, slightly befuddled. At her raised eyebrow, he quickly conceded, "Okay, maybe not so silly. Still, that's quite a leap without -"

"Sweetie!" she interrupted in exasperation, eliciting a few snickers. "Could you please get to the point."

"Of course I can. If you'd just stop inter-" he protested.

"DOCTOR! I am in the middle of class," River cut him off.

For the first time since invading his wife's classroom, the Doctor took note of the twenty-nine teenage faces all focused on him. Straightening his bowtie, he said, "Oh, hello. Nice seeing you again. Amy and Rory's wedding?"

River just shook her head as several eager faces brightened at the Doctor's recognition. These were a few of the children who had danced with her baby giraffe at her parents' wedding just hours before she herself was even conceived. Now, here she was, Melody Williams, their history teacher. Timey-wimey indeed.

"Class, look over chapter nine while I see the Doctor out," she instructed. Crooking her finger at him, she bid the Doctor to follow her.

"Mrs. Williams, does this mean we're having a quiz?" one of her students ventured to ask.

"Spoilers."

~DW~

"Alright, Doctor, this had better be good," River said as soon as the classroom door closed. "You know my position here is still probationary." Mel's reputation had not endeared her to the school's current administration and Professor River Song's glowing credentials from Luna University would arrive a few millennia too late. Her husband knew this. What would make him break the "no Doctor/TARDIS on school grounds barring emergencies" rule? "The package! Doctor, did you deliver it to Vastra...without incident?"

"Of course I did...before the incident," the Doctor assured her. "I arrived just before Christmas."

Bless. Smirking at the inevitable, River said, "And you singlehandedly saved the world from another Christmas invasion."

"Not singlehandedly, of course, although I probably could have. I had help," the Doctor said, suddenly finding himself reminded of his reason for braving his very pregnant, very hormonal wife's ire. "A young woman helped us. She was brilliant!"

Anticipating his next words, River gushed, "Oh, sweetie, you found a new companion! That's wonderful. I can't wait to meet her."

"Actually, that's why I'm here. I lost her," the Doctor responded.

"You what?!" River exclaimed, visions of her mother vanishing assailing her. "Weeping angels?"

Pain shooting through his hearts at the remembrance, the Doctor shook his head. "No, she died. Twice."

"Oh, sweetie, that's horrible," she responded, knowing just how much her husband hated endings, and this new friendship had barely had a beginning.

 "I need you to help me find her."

Bewildered, River said, "Doctor, I don't understand. You just said she died. Did she regenerate? Is she-"

"No, no, she didn't regenerate.  The first time she died was when the Dalek asylum blew up. We told you about her.  Remember?"

Of course she remembered the adventure she'd been told about that had helped save her parents' failing marriage. A Dalek who thought it was still human helped them escape but not before erasing any knowledge the Daleks had of the Doctor's existence from their collective data banks. They never mentioned anyone else being there. River's eyes widened in dawning realization.

The Doctor nodded, exclaiming, "Exactly!"

Shaking her head, River stated, "But you never actually met her, when she was human, I mean. What makes you so certain that she's the young woman you just met? I don't see how it could be possible."

"That's why I didn't make the connection until the very end. Oswin's last words to me were 'Run, you clever boy, and remember.'  Those were the same exact words Clara Oswin Oswald, my mysterious Victorian barmaid/governess, said to me just before she died. Oswin's, my soufflé girl's, last name was also Oswald. And their voices! River, their voices were the same."

"What, they both sounded like Daleks?" River asked.

"Of course not, River," the Doctor retorted. "Oswin sounded like Clara through the asylum's comm systems. That's why I didn't know she was a Dalek until we were face to face and I almost became the surprise ingredient for her next soufflé."

"Clara? Her name is Clara?" River asked as the remnants of a dream from a lifetime ago bubbled to the surface. 'She's our own impossible girl. We've decided to call her Clara.'

"Yes, Clara. Why?" he asked. He'd seen a brief spark of recognition flit across her face. "Do you know her, River?"

Shaking her head, she answered, "No, but I once dreamt I had a little sister by that name. My parents called her their impossible girl."

"Did you tell anyone about that dream?" the Doctor asked, intrigued.

"No, it was locked away with the rest of my memories" River answered. "It was a part of the bad dream I had the day you returned me to Stormcage and flew away with Ryan." River paused, watching her husband bounce on the balls of his feet, eager to solve this mystery. "Sweetie, I believe this is a mystery you have to solve. I'll do all that I can to help you."

"That's my River! I can't wait until you meet her. She's perfect," he enthused. "I did mention she's a governess?"

"Doctor, you must promise me that when you do find her, you will tell her nothing about our family," River insisted, placing a protective hand on her distended middle. "Just remember, this Clara Oswin Oswald, she's not possible. It is more than likely that she is the bait in someone's convoluted idea of a clever trap."

Frowning, the Doctor protested, "Why would anyone go to this much trouble to set a trap for me, then save my life twice and set me free?"

"Just can't get good psychopaths these days, I guess," River quipped. "Besides, they may need you alive."

"You have my promise, wife," he said, kissing the slight bump on her nose. "When I find Clara, I will remain silent about our family until the mystery of our impossible girl is solved and we know she poses no threat to all I hold dear. Now, you go back in there and ensure that the future of the Earth learns from history."

"And where will you be?" River asked, her hand already on the doorknob to her classroom.

"At the House, having fish fingers and custard with my son," the Doctor answered with a smile. "I'd like to get his perspective on things."

Chapter Text

~DW~

"Docda, Docda!" Ryan cried excitedly, his little arms raised to the tall lanky man smiling down at him.

Just as he scooped his son up into his arms, Evangelista rushed into the study, relieved to find her young charge safe in his father's arms.

"Sorry about that, Doctor. He was supposed to be taking a nap," she said, smiling ruefully. "Here, I'll take him so that you can get back to your research."

Shaking his head, the Doctor held his son tighter. "No need. Another dead end."

It was nearly five weeks since he'd returned from his last disappointing trip. Even with their combined intellect and talents, he and River had gotten no closer to solving the mystery of his impossible girl. That in itself was both frustrating and intriguing in equal measure.

"Doctor, have you considered the high probability that the name you were given is more than likely fictitious?" Evangelista asked.

Of course he'd considered it. Every time a lead led nowhere he was forced to consider it. He simply refused to accept the possibility. A puzzle had been laid out before him with only two pieces revealed. Why reveal even those pieces if they were utterly false?...Distraction. They could be a very clever distraction. Distraction from what? This was utterly frustrating. It seemed the more answers he sought, the more questions presented themselves. Perhaps it was time to return to the vortex in pursuit of the elusive Miss Oswald. Hopefully it would be more fruitful than the last trip where he'd found himself moping in disappointment on a park swing when an adorable little girl tried to cheer him up. River would understand, and he'd be back before the baby was born. Of course he would. He had a time machine, after all.

"Of course not!" he replied to Evangelista. "Clara Oswin Oswald died twice helping to save the day. Both times she told me to run and to remember. What possible reason would she have to give me a false name?"

"None whatsoever, Doctor," Evangelista wisely responded. "However, the possibility that she herself is being used as someone else's unwitting pawn is rather high."

"That makes finding her all the more urgent," he responded, not liking the idea of someone else he cared about being used as a pawn against him. It was definitely time for him to once again leave his family.

Before he could head off in search of his wife, she came waddling through the study door with Anita right behind her. Both of them were bubbling with excitement.

"Sweetie, Anita has found something that has you written all over it. It seems a medieval monk left behind a painting of a nameless woman who had apparently died twice. It says that he was miraculously summoned away in a strange blue box after the strange tolling of the bells of St. John," she told him.

"Doctor, do you recall ever painting such a portrait while staying at a monastery?" Anita asked.

Shaking his head, he answered, "Nope, can't say that it rings a bell. Was there a picture?"

"Oh, right," Anita held out her tablet. "It's not very clear. This is the best resolution I could get."

Held securely in his father's arms, Ryan batted at his mother's curls while the Doctor studied the grainy picture displayed on Anita's tablet. He began bouncing excitedly as he picked up on the Doctor's growing excitement.

"It's her. That's Clara in that painting," the Doctor confirmed.

"The next clue to the puzzle then?" River prompted, "We now know that sometime in the future you're going to paint a portrait of Clara Oswin Oswald while staying at a monastery in the thirteenth century."

"Or, at least a clue to the next clue. Maybe even to Clara herself," he crowed enthusiastically. "And, since there's no time like the present, I should probably pop off right now to that monastery."

"Now?" River asked, a bit taken aback. She knew that finding Clara was important but there were more pressing matters at hand. Their baby was due within the next couple of weeks. Any time!

Anita and Evangelista exchanged knowing looks. Evangelista stepped forward and held her arms out for Ryan. Nodding gratefully, the Doctor relinquished his son. Almost unnoticed, the two young women exited the study with young Ryan.

"Of course now," the Doctor blustered. "Why not now?"

"Really?" River huffed in exasperation. "Must I spell it out for you, Doctor?"

"Spell what out to me? I thought we were talking about why I need to find Clara without delay," the Doctor said, exceedingly pleased with his speedy rejoinder.

"Precisely!" River hissed.

"Oh good, you agree with me," he gambled.

"I could slap you right now!" his irate wife growled.

"But you won't because you know how important this could be to the safety of our family," the Doctor said quickly.

"Doctor, go before I change my mind. But so help me, if you're late getting back…" she sighed in resignation.

"I wouldn't think of it," he assured her.

~DW~

"No! At least wait until the Doctor returns," Anita pleaded.

"But I've already spoken with the doctor, dear," the heartbroken grandmother responded, indicating the grim-faced physician who had already moved on to the next bed to consult with a colleague about the equally grim prognosis for the frighteningly growing number of coma patients. "They say there's nothing to be done. He's just not there anymore. Just like all the others."

At that moment, River entered the overcrowded hospital ward with Evangelista and the two Dave's, having been summoned by Anita's frantic call for help. Over the last few months Anita had grown quite close to Jeff. She'd gone over to his flat the previous evening only to find him collapsed and unresponsive on the floor

"Professor…River, tell her. Tell them. We have to give the Doctor a chance to fix this as soon as he gets back."

River looked over the grim sight. Jeff wasn't the only one she recognized in the row of hospital beds. These were the lucky ones. She'd heard reports of people who had lain undiscovered for a few days before their neglected bodies could hold on no longer. Doctors around the globe were baffled by the increasing number of coma patients. It wasn't quite a pandemic but this mysterious malady had swept the globe stealthily, its indiscriminate nature failing to create the sort of patterns that would set off alarm bells, yet claiming young and old, rich and poor, black, white, brown. It simply did not discriminate. Nor was health or lifestyle a determining factor. Only recently had the World Health Organization begun to suspect that the seemingly unrelated coma cases were linked. The general populace knew nothing and most medical practitioners had yet to be informed. Such ignorance did not extend itself to Professor River Song, of course. Within fifteen minutes of receiving Anita's call River had breached the 21st century security network protecting WHO data from the best hackers of the day. She and her team - her family reviewed the data and had all reached the same conclusion: these comas did not have a biological catalyst. It was time to get UNIT involved. First, though, she had to ensure the Leadworth doctors did nothing irreversible. She moved toward the doctors.

"River!" Evangelista cried in alarm.

~DW~

Chapter Text

~DW~

"Doctor? You’re a woman now?!” Kate Lethbridge-Stewart exclaimed in shock as she stared at the other blonde, a curly-haired woman who had unexpectedly appeared on her monitor.

“I’m not the Doctor,” River Song answered, slightly amused in spite of the currently critical situation.

Kate looked at her sharply, obviously not amused. “Then who are you and how are you accessing this exclusive channel? Are you one of his assistants? Has something happened to the Doctor?”

“I’m Professor River Song, the Doctor’s wife,” River identified herself, deciding that Kate needed to know the truth of her relationship to the Doctor to ensure that she understood that River was quite capable of standing in her husband’s stead during this crisis, amongst other things. “You met my parents, Amy Pond and Rory Williams, and my grandfather, Brian Williams, during the cube invasion.” Seeing the skepticism that stole across Kate’s face, she added, “Call Brian if you must to verify that I am who I say I am. But do it quickly. Time is of the essence.”

Kate turned to her assistant who hovered just off-screen and said, “Get Brian Williams on the phone now and put him on speaker.” Turning back to the monitor, she said, “Not that I doubt your word, but I don’t know you and the Doctor never said a word about being married, not even to my father.”

"That Doctor was before my time," River replied.

She could hear her grandfather’s voice as he responded to Kate’s unseen assistant, “Kate Stewart of UNIT? She needs to ask me some questions? Sure, I’m always ready to be of service.”

“Hello, Brian. Kate here. We also have a Professor River Song on another line. She claims to be your granddaughter and the Doctor’s wife.  Can you verify her claims?” Kate asked.

“Mels, you there?” Brian asked.

“Yes, Pops, I’m here. I’m going to need you to watch Ryan for a bit longer. There’s been a bit of a complication. The bubble burst and they’re keeping me at hospital,” she said across the lines.

“Is the Doctor there?” he asked.

“No he’s not,” River answered with a slight catch in her voice. “That’s why I contacted Kate Stewart.”

“Don’t you worry, he’ll be there. He promised you, didn’t he? In the meantime, I’ll call Tabetha and Augustus and tell them to get to hospital as soon as they can. If you need me, I’ll have Sharon watch Ryan.”

Eyebrows reaching for her hairline, Kate addressed Brian, “I assume that was an affirmative on her identity.”

“Yup, that’s m’granddaughter, Melody Pond, otherwise known as Professor River Song, the Doctor’s wife,” he said with much affection and pride.

“Thank you, Brian. That’s all for now,” Kate said, signaling for the line to be cut. “So, um, Professor Song - how do I put this delicately?” she sighed. “Professor Song, are you having the Doctor’s –?”

“Yes, yes I am,” River cut in just before the first contraction hit her.

Kate could see someone’s hand rubbing soothing circles on River’s shoulder. She waited patiently for River to ride out her contraction before speaking again. “Professor, perhaps we should postpone this conversation for another day. Obviously, you have more important things at hand right now.”

“No,” River practically gasped. “This can’t wait. It’s about the unexplained comas that have been happening all over the world. I’ve had a chance to review the data collected by WHO and run it through our databases. The reason the doctors can’t find a biological link between the victims is because it isn’t an illness. These people are being kidnapped, their minds being stolen right out of their bodies.”

Kate ran a hand through her straight blonde hair as she listened attentively to River. She didn’t even question how she had gained access to the World Health Organization’s classified records. This was the Doctor’s wife. Obviously, she had the means to do so. And if what she was saying was true, she was right, this couldn't wait.

"We're not exactly sure how they are doing it, but we suspect they may be using the airwaves," continued River. "I know the Doctor has encountered something similar in the past, with televisions, I think. Evangelista, here," she said, pulling Evangelista into view with her, "will work with your people, sharing the additional data we've gathered. And the medical community must be warned against removing any of these coma victims from life support. They will need bodies to return to when we rescue them."

Kate gave the other woman a wry smile. She was starting to see why the Doctor married her. "Very good, looks like we have no time to lose," she said, already putting her team together in her head. "We'll be ready to receive your data within the next ten minutes over secure channels." She scribbled a few names on a notepad and handed it to her assistant.

"Good," River said instantly. "Evangelista will make all pertinent data available to you in a few minutes. Just give her the proper access codes."

Kate countered, "Just give us an open connection. We'll determine what's pertinent or not."

"Don't worry, we'll only filter out the temporally sensitive material. Can't have you reading what hasn't been written yet," River said with a smirk.

Kate nodded, saying wryly, "No, we certainly can't risk that. Who knows what kind of paradox we could cause. Possibly stop time itself."

"Exactly."

"Okay, Professor-" Kate started.

"Please, call me River," River interrupted.

"Okay, River," Kate returned with a smile. "Why don't we let you get back to other things. I'm sure Miss Evangelista and I can handle the rest from here."

"Kate, about that," River began. "The Doctor's not here. I've sent him a message, but it looks like he might not make it back in time." Especially since I don't even know if my Doctor was the one who got it, she silently fretted.

"Oh, that's right," Kate exclaimed, understanding lighting her features. "This isn't exactly a standard birth."

"No, it's not," River confirmed. "I may need assistance."

"I have just the person to help you. I'll have Dr. Martha Jones flown out to you immediately."

~DW~

Chapter Text

~DW~

Second Doctor

"It's time!" he read aloud in confusion. ‘Time for what,’ he couldn't help thinking as he stared at the paper he held in his slightly wrinkled hand. What kind of a message was that? It wasn't signed. It didn't even provide coordinates. It stood to reason that knowing the identity of the sender would at least put some kind of context around this ill-conceived broadcast. Had he forgotten an appointment with the Celestial Intervention Agency? Most likely it hadn't been scheduled yet in his own personal timeline. Perhaps the TARDIS could trace the psychic signature back to its source, he mused.

The Doctor proceeded to have the TARDIS scan the offending message. In seconds it posted a rather inconclusive reply, accompanied by a strange hum: SPOILERS.

"Spoilers? What kind of an answer is that?"

~DW~

"Eleventh" Doctor

The Doctor married? She was having a difficult time coming to terms with the idea. It was silly, really. Wasn't she married herself, happily, and with children? So why was she having a hard time accepting the fact that he was finally able to move on from Rose… Because it hadn't been with her when she'd been with him and so obviously smitten.

"Well good on him," had been Mickey's reply, with a quick kiss to her lips, when she'd relayed her brief conversation with Kate to him. "Funny how things work out. I wanted to hate 'em for swooping in with his time machine and black leather jacket and stealing my girl, but being with the Doctor changes you, ya know; makes you want more for yourself than what you'd settled on." The warmth in his eyes had included her in that more.  "I'm glad he's finally got somebody."

"Yeah, me too," she'd agreed with her husband.

And she really was glad. The Face of Boe turned out to be right after all. The Doctor was not alone. He'd finally found someone who could fill the void left by all he'd lost. And, according to Kate, the Doctor and his Time Lady were well on their way to replenishing the Time Lord population.

And here she was, flying in a UNIT helicopter, on her way to assist.

~DW~

"Tenth" Doctor

When would he see her? Truly see her. Smith and Jones: they made quite a team. They'd been on so many adventures together, risking life and limb. She loved it, but…She couldn't keep this up. She wanted so much more, and there was so much a heart could take before it broke. She watched him now as he puzzled over that strange message he'd received on the psychic paper: "It's time!"

"For what though? That's what I want to know," the Doctor exclaimed in frustration, one hand taking it out on his already spiky hair.

He looked up at her then and she had to press her lips together to keep from smiling at the adorable picture he made.

"Do you know how maddening this is? I've gotten this same message in every regeneration since the CIA first gave me this," he said, waving the psychic paper in her face. "And I'm no closer to figuring it out than I was in the beginning. And all she'll tell me is 'Spoilers'," he whined, indicating the TARDIS. "What kind of answer is that?"

 ~DW~

"Spoilers."

His hand had rested on the well-worn diary when she'd come up behind him and smoothly removed it from his reach. She'd known "spoilers" and she'd sent him the psychic message that had brought him to this accursed Library. And it finally hit him that the handwriting had been the same as the "It's time!" message. Professor River Song had written both messages, and now she was gone!

"You have all of that to come… You watch us run."

The Doctor held up his hand and snapped his fingers. Smiling in triumph, he marched through the opened doors into the TARDIS to join his best friend, Donna Noble, whose life was one of the countless lives the courageous professor's sacrifice had saved.

 ~DW~

"Eleventh" Doctor

"I'm Dr. Martha Jones-Smith, from UNIT," Martha told the exhausted-looking doctor who greeted her team at the entrance to the coma ward. "Where should we set up?"

"We've set aside a room right next to the birthing room where Mels is having her baby," he responded, already leading the way.

"Mels? I'm here for Professor River Song," Martha said, confused.

Rubbing the tiredness from his eyes, the young doctor paused to explain, "Yeah, that's Professor River Song. She was Mels when we were all kids growing up. Of course, a lot of things have changed since then, but I imagine you already know that, you being from UNIT."

The truth was that she knew precious little about her patient beyond the fact that she was married to the Doctor and having his baby. It came as a surprise to learn that she had grown up on Earth. Kate had told her that because of the sensitive nature of the situation, her patient's medical records could not for any reason be transmitted. She'd have access to them once she arrived.

Letting the doctor get her team settled in the room next door, where a team of four was already pouring over data, she entered the birthing room where she was greeted by a short, portly man of about sixty years who looked to her hopefully. A handsome woman, perhaps a few years his junior, looked up from the bedside of a woman with an incredible amount of curly blonde hair obscuring her face. She was in the middle of a contraction.

"Are you the UNIT doctor?" Augustus asked, his usually ruddy face a bit pale.

"Oh, thank goodness you've arrived," Tabetha said, letting out a sigh when Martha nodded. "Our granddaughter's in a lot of pain. Can you do anything for her?"

Moving instantly to River's side, Martha couldn't help asking, "Granddaughter? Then you're Gallifreyan too?" She checked River's vital signs and picked up her chart from the end of the bed.

"Gallifreyan? Of course not. We're just as human as you," Tabetha responded. "You are human, aren't you?"

"Yes," she answered absently, trying to process the information the chart revealed about her new patient. Human plus Time Lord? How was that even possible?

"Parents spent their wedding night on the TARDIS," River gasped as she came out of the contraction.

Surprised, Martha met River's eyes. Apparently she'd spoken her thoughts out loud. "Companions, really? Your parents travel with the Doctor?"

Mindful of her grandparents, River simply answered, "They used to."

Nodding in understanding, Martha moved on to more relevant conversation, asking, "How far apart are the contractions?"

"Fifteen minutes," Tabetha supplied, holding up a stopwatch.

"And eighteen seconds," added her granddaughter.

"Thank you," Martha responded to Tabetha. "Would the two of you mind stepping out for a few minutes while I examine your granddaughter?"

"Not at all," Augustus said eagerly, relieved to get a reprieve. "Come along, Tabetha. We can call Brian and Sharon to let them know what's happening."

"Thank you, Martha Jones," River said.

"I'm just doing my job," Martha responded, pausing in her examination.

"No, thank you for that too," River started. "But I've always wanted to thank you and Rose for helping his broken hearts to heal. You taught him to love again."

"Seven centimeters," Martha said at that moment.

"What?"

"You're at seven centimeters," Martha explained. "And you're wrong. He loved Rose. He couldn't even see me."

River watched Martha carefully as she studiously listened through the stethoscope she held against River's abdomen. She'd been hurt enough times by the Doctor to recognize the signs. "Believe me," she said gently. "He saw you… and it scared him. He'd lost Rose on top of everything else he'd lost. How was he to survive losing you too? He did the only thing he could think of to protect himself. He hid behind Rose. I think Donna's friendship helped get him the rest of the way."

Her stethoscope left dangling, Martha stared at River. "He actually told you all of this? Doesn't seem like my Doctor at all."

"That's because he isn't," River said. "He regenerated a long time ago, and I've known them both. So different and, yet, so similar. The Doctor hates goodbyes. Meeting me had to have been quite traumatic for him: I died."

"But then you regenerated?" Martha said, frowning in confusion when River shook her head. "You're like Jack then!"

"No, I died. Our relationship has been mostly back to front, with us usually meeting younger versions of each other, though not always. The day he met me was literally the day I died."

"River, that's awful," Martha breathed out.

"It wasn't easy, but it was worth it," she said with a smile, thinking of Ryan and the little one about to make her entrance. "My husband has had to carry the specter of my death with him through nearly two hundred years of our relationship, unable to say a word because of the danger of spoilers. He didn't come to me without a fight, hiding behind distrust and harsh words in a vain attempt to protect his hearts. They were already mine."

"I must admit that I am totally confused," Martha confessed. "How can you be here if you died?"

"He and the TARDIS finally found a way to save me without his younger self ever knowing the truth," River explained. "We are finally living a linear life together with very few spoilers between us. With my death no longer a secret burden, the Doctor has opened up to me about a lot of things this last year, including past relationships."

"Oh," Martha sighed in understanding just as River was gripped by a strong contraction.

~DW~

"Tenth" Doctor

Still reeling from their kiss, the Doctor decided to give chase. Professor River Song couldn't just pop into his TARDIS in that delectable TARDIS-blue negligee, snog his brains out, and pop back out again without giving him a chance to…a chance to…a chance!

~DW~

“Eleventh” Doctor

"What's wrong?" River asked as soon as she could catch her breath, allowing her grandmother to mop at her brow.

Martha looked up from her instruments. Frowning, she said, "That last contraction was a bit rough on the baby. I'm sure it's nothing to worry about," she added quickly, noting the alarm on all the faces turned toward her. According to River the Doctor had eased her and their first baby through the worst of the contractions via their telepathic bond. She couldn't help worrying herself about the Doctor's delay since River had sent out her telepathic S.O.S. some time ago. Without his calming influence, the baby was getting caught in the psychic backlash of her mother's pain, and without the TARDIS, she had no anesthetic on hand that was safe to give her patient.

Just then the door flew open, yielding to the excited flurry of River's friends and the lead researcher of Martha's team. Augustus jumped up, blocking their progress into the room.

Undeterred, Evangelista announced, "Our joint effort has resulted in a very satisfactory conclusion."

"We found the monsters responsible for what's happened to Jeff and all the others," Anita added.

"Excellent news," River said with what meager bit of energy she could muster.

"Lieutenant?" Martha looked beyond the excited friends.

"Coordinates relayed, Commander," the lieutenant reported. "The Tower has already dispatched a squadron."

"Now, if you all don't mind, my granddaughter is a little busy here," Tabetha interjected, helping Augustus herd everyone but Martha from the room. Just before they closed the door, an excited cry reached them.

"Look, they're waking up!"

~DW~

After a rough ride, the TARDIS' doors swung open just outside the main entrance of Leadworth's only hospital. The Doctor darted from his ship and crashed into another fellow also racing to the main entrance.

Having each defied gravity's pull, they simultaneously pointed an accusing finger at the other.

"What are you made up to be?" asked the fellow in trainers.

"What are you doing here?" hissed the horrified fellow sporting a bowtie and purple jacket.

"You ought to know since I'm assuming you're me in the future," the fellow in trainers spat in distaste. "I've unfinished business with Professor River Song."

Glaring at his younger self, the Doctor shifted to block his way. "Time Lord Victorious. Have you learned nothing from your trip to Mars? Turn back around now. Get back into your TARDIS, and get as far away from here as possible. You have no business with my… River."

Shaking his head but already starting to back away, the younger Doctor muttered, "It's not fair."

Placing an understanding hand on his shoulder, the Doctor said, "Life seldom is, but good things come to those who wait." He'd learned that from his Ponds.

Wasting no time once the other TARDIS faded away, the Doctor sprinted through the hospital, pausing only long enough to find out where his wife was. Tripping into the birthing room, he came face to face with his past.

"Martha? Martha, it's time! It's time, Martha," he crowed, dancing her around until his eyes found his wife's.

Tabetha gave up her place beside River and led Augustus from the room.

Taking one of River's hands in his, he caressed her cheek with the other. Smiling tenderly, he said, "Hi, honey, I'm home."

"It's about time," she sighed.

~DW~

Chapter Text

~DW~

What a startling difference his presence made for mother and child, Martha mused, once the Doctor took up his post beside his exhausted wife. To be honest, she wasn't sure if it was their telepathic bond or the waves of love that rolled off him as he held River's hand in his, his world telescoping down to the woman before him and the child she struggled to bear.

River was right: this was not her Doctor. It wasn't just the change in his appearance and the ridiculous bowtie. This Doctor loved with both his hearts. She smiled softly at the idea that she'd had a part in his healing.

The latest contraction had mercifully subsided, leaving River nearly spent. The Doctor mopped the sweat from her brow, his lips following the path of the cool cloth. There had to be an easier way, he fretted. Perhaps those proponents of genetic looming so long ago on a Gallifrey before his time had the right of it after all: natural childbirth was a cruel and inhumane torture imposed upon their female incarnations. It tore him apart to watch his bespoken suffer, once again because of him. If he weren't such a selfish old man, he'd deny himself the bliss that was his wife if that were the only way to spare her from such pain in the future. 'Stupid, stupid, Doctor,' he thought, 'how could I have gone off and left her alone at a time like this just to solve a mystery?''

"Did you find her?" River asked weakly.

"Find who?" he answered distractedly.

"Clara Oswald, of course," she huffed.

"Doesn't matter," the Doctor answered, not intending to elaborate.

"Idiot," she sighed lovingly, "Of course it matters."

"All that matters to me right now is you and our family,"  he replied, his eyes devouring the only thing that did matter. "Had anything happened to you because I just couldn't resist the next adventure, I'd be lost, River. Unable to do anything but hide away in a cloud somewhere until this shell grew so thin it finally released me. Forgive me?"

"Always, my love."

"Okay, River, I need you to listen to me now," Martha interrupted. "It's time to push. Wait until the next contraction."

Martha pressed the button for assistance as River prepared herself, with the Doctor providing much needed support. To their surprise, Anita and Evangelista entered, both wearing loose-fitting medical scrubs over their clothes.

"We volunteered," Anita explained.

"Well then, let's get ready," Martha acknowledged, already showing each woman where to stand on either side of River as she adjusted the stirrups. "No, Doctor, stay there where you're needed. I'll handle things on this end." She paused, looking at the monitor. "Alright, here we go. River, brace yourself. Good... Now inhale. Hold it. Push!"

~DW~

"Here we are, young man," Brian told Ryan as they entered the hospital room.

"Mummy, Docda," the little guy squealed, squirming swiftly from his great-grandfather's grasp. His little legs propelled him forward at an impressive speed to his mother's bedside, smoothly dodging Tabetha's outstretched arms. She could hold him later. Right now, he wanted his mummy. She was laying on the ugly bed holding his present in her arms. Docda sat on the bed next to mummy. He'd been smiling down at it before Ryan called out to them. Now, to Ryan's delight, Docda scooped him up into his arms so that he could be on the bed with him and mummy and HER! She had finally stopped hiding in mummy's tummy where it was all dark and squishy. Before mummy's tummy got so big, he'd sit on her lap sharing impressions with his sister. He stretched out a tentative hand to HER, looking up at his parents, who nodded and smiled, before making contact. She'd missed him, especially during the scary time when everything started squeezing and pushing and mummy hurt. Ryan glanced up at his mummy to make sure she was okay. She smiled at him and kissed him. Reassured, Ryan turned back to his baby sister. He'd missed her too.

"Bless! There's far too many people in this room," Aunt Sharon complained as she and William pushed passed River's quartet of strays and Martha. "This is supposed to be a family moment."

Ignoring the flash of pain in her hearts for the two who were not present, River glanced briefly at her aunt before smiling at those gathered about them. "And so it is," she replied, and for now that was all that mattered.

Chapter Text

~DW~

"Tori Jessica Song," she sniffed. "That's beautiful."

"Yeah, it is," her husband agreed, trying not too successfully to appear cool as they gazed adoringly on the hologram of their newest grandchild. "I think she's ginger," he observed, increasing the magnification and prompting his wife to sob all the more. "Don't cry, Amy. I'm trying to be cool here," he said, eliciting a watery giggle from her.

At that moment a familiar voice called out from the front of the house, "Mom, dad?"

"We're here, in the study," Rory answered his son.

"Melody's had her baby! You're just in time. We were just listening to the audio message," Amy added.

"Um, Ryan's with me," Anthony warned before he and a caramel-complexioned young man with dark, tightly coiled copper hair entered.

The hologram had popped out of sight the moment Rory jerked back his hand at his son's words. Before they entered, Amy, still sitting at her desk, tried futilely to erase any signs of her recent tears.

"Are you doing all right, Mrs. Williams?" Ryan asked, his keen hazel eyes missing nothing.

"Oi! I was hoping you wouldn't notice an old woman's sentimentality," Amy answered with a rueful smile.

She had grown quite fond of her new assistant over the last few weeks, his slight Scottish burr endearing him to her almost immediately. He was a bright, eager young man aspiring to be a successful science fiction writer someday.

She'd met him at a book signing for her latest book, Summer Falls, asking her to autograph a copy for his sister, Jessie. He'd stayed for the refreshments that followed. Once the initial rush to speak with her, the guest of honor, was passed, Ryan approached her and asked if she needed an assistant. He would be in New York for a few months, staying with relatives who had emigrated from England years ago, and would love the opportunity to learn from one of his favorite writers. She didn't really, but something about the young man prompted her to say yes. He could always help Anthony at their modest little publishing house when he wasn't assisting her.

"What old woman?" Ryan asked, his hazel eyes twinkling as he regarded her fondly.

"Not a word, stupid face," Amy warned when Rory opened his mouth to comment.

"What? I was just going to agree with him," Rory insisted. "You're the same ginger spitfire I fell in love with on the playground in Leadworth. You think a few silver streaks make me see you any different?"

"Mom, you're the youngest person I know," Anthony said, kissing her cheek, before whispering, "I'll send Ryan on an errand if you like so you can finish?"

"That's okay," she responded, shaking her head. "We can finish later."

~DW~

His arms stole around her blessedly reduced waistline as she lingered in the doorway of the nursery. Sighing, she leaned back into his embrace.

"If I'm dreaming," she whispered, "I don't ever want to wake up."

Resting his chin against the curly halo of his wife's hair, the Doctor sighed in agreement.

"I know," River acknowledged his unspoken words. "If this were a dream, they'd be here too."

"Doctor," Tabetha called from the bottom of the stairs. "I thought you were bringing my granddaughter back downstairs, not staying upstairs with her?"

"We're coming," River responded, stretching up to peck her husband on the lips before leading him downstairs where their family and friends were waiting for their return.

"Oh, Martha, you must have wanted to slap him so hard," River said, shaking her head at her husband's thoughtlessness. "Doctor, how could you put Martha in such an untenable position?"

"What? We were hiding," he said in defense.

Sighing in exasperation, she said, "You really should have been black or female for one of your lives at least."

"Whatever for?" Uncle William piped, earning censorious looks from the others, including his wife.

Continuing as though her uncle hadn't spoken, River pressed on, "You left Martha to look after herself and you in an age when a young, black woman in her position would have been considered fair game for some privileged bigot's amusement.

"And she was brilliant; just as I knew she'd be," the Doctor declared. "Weren't you, Martha?"

Sitting beside her husband, Mickey, who'd joined her in Leadworth once he was no longer needed by UNIT command, Martha briefly regarded the faces turned expectantly towards her (River's grandparents, aunt and uncle, young friends, and the Zuckers) before replying, "I did what I had to, Doctor. It's not like I had much choice. I would gladly have done without scrubbing floors, snide remarks, and being told to mind my place by that school nurse you fawned all over." She looked River directly in the eye, and responded to River's initial statement, "More times than I can count."

He started to defend himself but stopped. He remembered his shocked reaction when he'd touched his hair during those first few moments after regenerating into his current form and thought he'd become a girl. Had he subconsciously been steering his regenerations? For his people, skin color and gender did not dictate one's place in society. The very notion was ludicrous! Had his time spent amongst humans taught him to unknowingly value or prefer one race or gender above another? Or perhaps it was an unconscious survival instinct that evaluated a cultural environment to determine what mattered and dictated his regenerations accordingly. Whatever the reasons, his obliviousness had obviously done Martha a disservice.

He straightened his bowtie and cleared his throat, an apology on his lips, "Martha, I --"

The doorbell rang.

"I'll get it," Proper Dave volunteered.

"Was anyone expecting anybody?" River asked, her body tensed for action.

Right beside River, the Doctor inhaled deeply, partly relieved at being saved by the bell but more importantly, testing the air for potential threats. His nonexistent eyebrows shot up in disbelief.

"Professor, Doctor," Dave called from the front of the house. "You need to come here right now."

The Doctor and River were half way there by the time Dave finished. River came to an abrupt stop as she spied their unexpected visitors, causing the Doctor to plow into her, his arms coming round her to steady them both.

"How?" River sobbed, her eyes riveted to the sight before her.

"Spoilers," came the delighted response.

Chapter Text

~DW~

"Spoilers?" River repeated, still stunned.

"Well, can we at least come in?" the silver-streaked ginger teased, before she and her husband found themselves crushed in a four-way hug.

"What on Earth is going... Amy?" Tabetha stopped, riveted to the spot.  She stared in disbelief at the couple being greeted at the TARDIS-blue door of their former home. Tears brimming over, she finally moved forward, totally unaware of the others massing behind her.

With a sniffle, River relinquished her hold on her parents as her grandparents claimed them. She stepped back and pulled her husband gently with her.

"I can't believe you're here," Tabetha cried. "We thought we'd never see you again."

"I'm beginning ta think nothing's impossible with this family," Augustus declared as he wrapped his long-lost daughter in his arms.

"That's what I've been telling you both all along," Brian said, his hold on his son's forearm an unconscious tether.

"Yeah, well those of us who've traveled with the Doctor see things a bit different, dad," Rory said, affectionately patting the hand that still held him to his father's side.

"You're all just as I remembered you," Amy said, dabbing at her eyes.

"But you're so old!"

"Thank you, Aunt Sharon," Amy laughed. "We missed you, too," she added, kissing the now younger woman on the cheek. "It's been a good forty years for us."

"Promise me you won't travel with the Doctor," Jeff stage whispered to Anita.

"Why not?" she asked.

"I went to school with all three of them," he answered with a shudder.

Martha and Mickey traded glances, overhearing Jeff's comment. Traveling with the Doctor definitely had its risks. And its rewards.

"I don't care how long it took you to get back to us," Tabetha insisted. "The only thing that matters is that you're here. The girls can move in with us if you want to stay here, or the two of you can always live with us."

Shaking her head, River said wistfully, "If only they could, but they can't stay, grandma. Fixed points."

"This is their home. Of course they can stay," Tabetha retorted, her eyes pleading with the Doctor. "You've cheated fixed points before. You owe us this much!"

She was right, of course; he owed them more than he could ever repay. He would find a way to make this right. Stepping towards her to pledge his intent, the Doctor said, "I will-"

"Do absolutely nothing," Amy interrupted.

"But if the Doctor can fix it so you can stay?" Augustus asked.

Supporting his wife, Rory explained, "This visit is a gift; one we never expected to have, but it is only a visit. It's true what they say, you know, ‘You can't go home again.’ We stopped waiting to be rescued a long time ago and started living our lives. We've made a home for ourselves back there."

"We have a son and daughter-in-law and a host of grandchildren waiting for us to return to them. We have lived our lives to the fullest and I don't want any part of it jeopardized, especially the time we were granted with our Melody," Amy continued, smiling at her daughter.

"Speaking of our grandchildren," Rory started. "Where are they?"

~DW~

"I wish we could warn them," Amy whispered to Rory as he held his grandson in his arms. They were alone for the moment in the nursery, having volunteered to change Ryan.

"I know," Rory agreed, kissing the top of Ryan's head as the toddler played with his beard. "But we gave our word to not change anything."

"You know what?" Amy said, addressing her grandson. "Foreknowledge really stinks."

~DW~

Chapter Text

Two hours later, each holding a grandchild, the Williams continued to bask in the gift that had been unexpectedly handed to them: time with loved ones long lost to them. It didn't matter that they were now older than their parents. It was, after all, a family tradition.

Martha and Mickey were the first to leave, eager to return home to their children. Before they left, it was agreed that Martha would serve as the children's doctor should the need ever arise.

The Zuckers followed soon after, with Emily promising to stop by later in the week to help out with the children.

"Don't trouble yourself, Emily," Amy spoke up immediately. "I think there's more than enough help here at the moment." She ignored her husband's sharp look.

The Doctor and River exchanged amused looks. Grandmother Amy was losing no time staking her claim.

Her smile frozen on her face, Emily said, "Yes, well,  I guess you do have a point. Mels, I'll talk with you later."

"Alright. Get home safely," River told her foster parents as she saw them out. The Zuckers were the only people in Leadworth she allowed to still call her Mels. It was her way of making up for all the trouble she'd given them growing up.

"Well, you seem to have gotten closer since we left," Amy observed when River returned.

Smirking a bit at her mother's obviously green-eyed remark, River replied, "They did help raise me, after all. And now that I know they had nothing to do with the Silence, I feel like I owe them a second chance. Don't worry, they'll never replace Arthur and Jessica as my favorite foster parents."

Flushing, Amy tried to explain, "It's not that; it's just that, that our time is limited."

"How limited?" Tabetha asked, nearly holding her breath.

"Actually, we can stay a few months," Rory announced. "At least until January."

"Christmas!" the Doctor crowed. "This is great news! Isn't this great news? We're going to have a real Pond family Christmas."

Amy and Rory shared the briefest of looks, their smiles lacking the brightness of the others.

"Shouldn't it be a Williams family Christmas?" Jeff asked.

Laughing, Anita corrected her boyfriend, "Of course not. That's just not how it works in this family."

~DW~

Having successfully gotten a very excited little boy to finally settle down in his bed, the Doctor now stood transfixed by one of the most beautiful sights his eyes had the privilege of witnessing, their infant daughter suckling at her mother's breast. River looked up, smiling at the Doctor's awed expression.

"What? You look as though you've never seen this before," she teased.

"It's like looking at a new sunrise, each is as beautiful as the one before," he replied earnestly. “I don’t think I could ever get tired of this.”

"Well, dear, as much as I love these moments myself, even I have my limits," she said wryly.

"No, no, I didn't mean that," he said, flushing just a little. "I meant this, all of this. Our family. After running for so many centuries, I finally feel as though I've come home."

River's answering smile was more than he could resist. He leaned over and captured her lips with his own.

~DW~

In the guest room, Rory and Amy settled in. They'd unpacked their meager luggage and put their belongings away in the dresser they'd bought for River when it had been her room.

"Amy, if you want to be able to stay, you've got to stop treating Emily like she's the enemy. What happens isn't her fault. You know that. They told us what happens and made us promise not to interfere," Rory warned his wife.

"Well, I wish they hadn't," Amy complained, drawing angry strokes through her silver-streaked hair. "I hate not being able to tell them what's about to happen. Spoilers," she said with disgust. "This is one family tradition I'd hoped not to have to deal with again."

"I know," Rory whispered, wrapping his arms around her. "What's important is that we will be here for our daughter when she needs us."

"Yeah," she responded, leaning her head against his shoulder. "I just wish he wasn't so excited about Christmas. It breaks my heart knowing he won't be here."

Chapter Text

Several Wednesdays came and went and the Doctor made no attempt to seek out the impossible Clara Oswald. He had his wife and children and the Ponds to occupy his time. He was finally home.

That didn't stop him from trying to coax Amy and Rory into taking a short trip with him in the TARDIS for old time's sake but they declined emphatically. Okay, so he couldn't exactly blame them. He did get them permanently stranded in the past their last trip together in the TARDIS. Not only that, chances were high that their temporal vacation would probably expire the moment they entered the time vortex. He took their refusal surprisingly well and settled for golfing with the Pond men and shopping with the women. The Doctor was so well behaved and helpful with the children that River actually let him keep the hat he picked up on one of their shopping sprees.

Of course, by the end of the second month everyone could see the caged tiger prowling around pretending to be a house cat. He started fixing things. That was fine until he started fixing things that weren't broken until he decided to improve them. River threatened to shoot him if he improved anything in the nursery.

"Why haven't you launched him into the vortex yet?" Amy demanded as the third month found her, with Evangelista (Eva for short), scrubbing the kitchen walls after her beloved idiot installed a soda fountain.

"Why would I do that?" River responded, continuing to put away Ryan's freshly laundered clothes.

"Because you don't want to become the woman who really killed the Doctor," Amy retorted.

Turning to face her, River said with a smirk, "Really, mother, it's not like they could imprison me for the same crime. And for the record, I am the woman who really killed the Doctor. I merely changed my mind."

Shaking her head, Amy continued, "Double jeopardy aside, it's not healthy for either of you to have the Doctor constantly underfoot with nothing constructive to occupy his time."

"He has a screwdriver. He could always build a treehouse for the kids," River threw out flippantly. "And right now Emily has granted us a reprieve by asking the Doctor to help Tom fix a few things around the house. He took dad and the children along with him."

"I see," Amy said, not entirely pleased.  "What about this Clara Oswald?" She suggested, knowing how much her friend loved solving a good mystery.

"What about her?" River said nonchalantly while resuming her task.

"Melody," her mother said quietly, freezing her in her tracks.

"Yes?"

"What's wrong? What aren't you saying?" Amy asked quietly, closing the distance between herself and her child.

"I don't know what you mean," River evaded.

"That's a load of crap and you know it," Amy retorted in frustration. "Remember, young lady, I'm not just your mother, I'm your best friend. We grew up together. You can't hide from me. And back in New York I held a very young you in my arms when you woke up screaming from nightmares or cried because some stupid girls teased you about your beautiful curly hair, your skin color, or having us for foster parents."

River sighed, resigning herself to having this conversation.  "Alright, mum, you want to know what's bothering me? I'll tell you, but don't you dare laugh."

"Never," Amy promised, steeling herself.

"I'm a history teacher," she announced solemnly.

"A history teacher?" Amy repeated, choking back a chuckle.

"Which means I also teach geography," River added ruefully. "How am I to compete with an enigma?"

"What enigma?" Amy asked.

"The other woman. The one you want me to throw my husband at. I've got a few hundred years on her and no more spoilers to dangle just out of his reach. This is the longest we've ever been together linearly. The Doctor doesn't do the slow path very well, and until the children are older, I'm grounded. He's already growing restless,” River explained.

"Then it's time for him to get back to work, solving mysteries and saving worlds," her mother told her. "Do you think your father and I have managed to stay together this long by being joined at the hip? Of course not! We've pursued our own careers and supported each other's dreams. There were days when the only thing that got us through them was knowing the other was there to come home to. You and those children are the Doctor's port in a storm, a sweet haven for his battered old soul when those eyes have seen too much. Don't you worry about Ms. Oswald. Mysteries come and go; what you two have transcends time."

"Literally,' River said with a smile tugging at her lips. "Thank you, mother," she whispered before kissing her cheek tenderly.

"That's what mother's are for," Amy replied, giving her daughter an affectionate squeeze.

"Now, would you and dad be available to babysit tonight? If I'm going to send my husband off in pursuit of another woman, you'd better believe I'm going to make sure he remembers exactly what he's got waiting for him back home," River declared with a wickedly delicious smile.

~DW~

"This had better be important," she told the nervous looking technician. "You just pulled me out of a meeting with Temporal Research. Our window of opportunity is growing smaller by the moment."

They were running out of options. First, the Pandorica failed miserably. Then all that time and energy wasted on that ungrateful brat, not to mention the resources expended to ensure that they had crafted the perfect weapon, only to have her go all googly eyed over her target and refuse to kill him. That's when they'd been forced to move to Plan B: the suit. Reliable witnesses saw that treacherous tart shoot the Doctor twice at Lake Silencio, effectively blocking his regeneration and killing him, before being forced back into the murky depths to await her just dessert. That should have ended it, but somehow Trenzalore still happened, and she had been forced to flee her beloved Church before the war consumed them all. That's when she realized she would have to strike the Doctor at an earlier point in his timeline. Temporal Research identified their target zone and a trap was set. Her blood boiled when she thought about the number of underlings she'd had to sacrifice to harvest enough Vashta Nerada to contaminate that Library planet. Of course that lovesick fool had to show up and die in the Doctor's place. She blamed Tasha Lam for that failure. A pardon, really? Poor foolish Tasha. Why couldn't she understand that the only effective solution for the Order of the Silence was to end the Doctor before he reached Trenzalore?

Now Temporal Research claimed that further pursuit of their goal would put the entire universe that they had all sworn to protect in dire jeopardy. She had one last gambit to play. The Great Intelligence would rewrite the Doctor's story.

"So, what are you waiting for? Give me the report," she barked at the hapless cleric. She snatched the report from him and started reading. It was a report from a forgotten surveillance drone. The smile that spread across her face reached her eye.

Chapter Text

Another Thursday dawned, and the Doctor couldn't help smiling. He'd just dropped Clara off after deploying a bit of underwater diplomacy on a Russian submarine between its surviving crew and a misplaced Ice Warrior. He was no closer to solving the mystery that was Clara "Oswin" Oswald, but it had been fun.

River had been right to push him back into the vortex. His smile grew wider recalling how she'd sent him on his way. Yes indeed, Wednesday was bordered by his new favorite days of the week: Tuesday goodbyes and Thursday hellos. With a flourish he hit the new shiny button on the TARDIS console. In elegant Gallifreyan curves it said HOME. When he hit that button the TARDIS took him to one very specific place and time and no other. She took him home to his family. With his track record, especially with the Ponds, he had been reluctant to go off on adventures with Clara, afraid he would return home to find his children all grown up.

His children! They were an unexpected gift he would never take for granted. He'd never expected to be a father again after Jenny died, especially at the ripe old age of 1,200, we'll, give or take a few hundred years. He couldn't wait until they were old enough to take on adventures (safe ones, of course). He'd teach them how to fly the TARDIS and (when their mother was too busy to notice) love the vrorp, vrorp sound of landing.

Their mother, his amazing wife, had given up so much to ensure that their children had a chance to have a normal childhood. When was the last time she'd left Melody Williams behind to give River Song a chance to let off some steam? No matter. He would soon rectify that.

Turning the brakes off to avoid waking the children should they be asleep, the Doctor landed the TARDIS quietly in its reserved spot in the darkened study. Just as he emerged from his ship, the lights came on.

"Hello, sweetie," River purred from the doorway.

She always knew when he arrived. He liked to think it was their unbreakable bond that alerted her, but who was he trying to fool? It was more than likely Sexy the Child of the TARDIS felt first.

"Hello, wife," he said, eyeing her appreciatively. Motherhood certainly hadn't hurt her figure. It simply made her curves more luscious than ever. Mesmerized by the tempting globes flirting with the lacy top of her nighty, the Doctor tripped into the welcoming embrace of his smirking wife. Molding her to his long frame, he kissed her hungrily, turning her unuttered teasing remark into moans of pleasure. His jacket and bowtie had already hit the floor, along with River's lacy nighty, before the Doctor scooped up his wife and carried her into the TARDIS where volume was no issue at all.

Chapter Text

River carefully closed the nursery door, not wanting to wake Jessica or Ryan after getting them to finally be asleep at the same time. For a change, it was still early enough to spend an hour with her parents, Anita, and Evangelista before grading papers. Wednesday had come again, which meant the Doctor was off adventuring with Clara Oswald and not due to return until the morning.

She had nearly reached the living room when she felt, before she heard, the unexpected arrival of the TARDIS, with its brakes on. Without a pause she changed direction and was in the study before it finished materializing.

Concerned about her husband's early return, River reached for the TARDIS door just as it opened, words of inquiry already on her lips, "Sweetie, what are you…"

"River?"

"My love, what are you doing here?" she asked in surprise.

"You know me? This face I mean," came the hoarse reply.

"I should say so. I had twenty-four years to learn every nuance of this face," she said, her hand gently caressing the face in question.

"It worked?! I dinna know what to think when you didn't come to me," he choked out, a hand rising to cover the small hand at his cheek. "Why?"

"My love?" River responded, stepping back to get a better look at his stricken face. "Doctor, surely you know why?"

His remarkable eyebrows drew together. "Don't be daft, woman! Would I be asking if I already knew the bloody answer," he growled as the reality of her standing before him set in. "You stayed with him, didn't you?"

Taken aback, River retorted, "Don't be an idiot. Of course I stayed with you as you bloody well ought to know."

"Well I don't know," the Doctor barked, looking around for the first time. "I don't remember any of this."

"You don't remem-Doctor, come with me right now. There's something you need to see."

Not waiting for his consent, River grabbed the Doctor's hand and dragged him through the house to the nursery, ignoring the stunned faces as they passed by the living room. Signaling for him to keep quiet, she gently opened the nursery door, revealing the sleeping children. With the exception of an almost inaudible gasp and a tightening of his hand in hers, the Doctor was as still as stone until a tear rolled down his weathered cheek. He gave no resistance as she pulled him away and carefully closed the door. Still holding his hand, she led him down the hall to their bedroom and seated him at the foot of the bed. She watched silently as memories long locked away danced across his face.

"Jessica and Ryan," he whispered reverently. "Ours," he said with a smile. "River, is she mine?" he asked, remembering their last night together.

"Possibly," she said with an answering smile. "Of course, with the timing of everything, who can say."

He grunted in understanding before standing and pulling her into his arms. "I've missed you," he declared, his eyes intense as he lowered his lips to hers. In that moment the man who once thought himself incapable of physical affection would gladly give up breathing if it meant he could drink of her nectar forever. He caressed her body, his lips eventually following the trail of revealed flesh left by his eager hands. He paused only long enough to help River rid him of his offending abundance of clothes.

She hadn't realized just how much she missed this version of her husband, the version that had dedicated twenty-four unbroken years on Darillium to proving just how much he loved her. This moment, their love, was not to be denied, and she loved every facet of her husband. So different, yet the same. Hers! She felt like she couldn't get close enough as they tumbled eagerly onto the bed she'd shared hours earlier with his younger self. Bless!

~DW~

"Amy, stop! They'll come to us when they're ready," Rory said, halting his wife before she barreled into what could possibly be a very awkward moment for all concerned.

"That was the Doctor, wasn't it?" Anita asked.

"Yeah, that was the Doctor," Amy answered, moving away from the stairs reluctantly.

"Other than his appearance, is he very different from our Doctor?" Evangelista inquired.

"No idea," Amy responded, casting an uneasy glance back towards the stairs.

"We've seen pictures but never actually met," Rory explained.

"But what about our Doctor? Does this mean we'll never see him again?" Anita asked.

"We're not totally sure,' Amy admitted, her heart already aching at the thought of never seeing her raggedy man again. "But if he does return, you can't say a word about this."

"Of course not," Anita assured them. "I wouldn't dream of causing problems between River and the Doctor."

Amy snorted. "That's not quite what I meant. They're used to meeting at different points in their timelines."

"We can't risk the Doctor finding out about his future self and doing something that alters that future," Rory explained. "Don't tell anyone else. The fewer the people who know, the better."

~DW~

"I want that channel monitored at all times. If the Great Intelligence fails to rewrite the Doctor's timeline, we will proceed with 'Operation Child's Play'," Kovarian told her lieutenants. If their last viable attempt to stop that monster from bringing death and destruction upon all that she held dear failed, she would have her revenge!

Chapter Text

“He's not able to do this, you know,” he said into the riot of curls nestled beneath his chin.

“Really, Doctor,” River said with a wicked smile against his chest, “you couldn't be more wrong.” Surely he wasn't still jealous of his younger self? “Ouch!”

“Behave, wife,” the Doctor warned. “That's not what I was talking about. I meant that he's not ready to stop running. The truth has yet to set Macbeth free.”

River understood. Guilt. It was nearly impossible to wash the blood from one's hands even when one's victim wasn't really dead. Her sweet idiot. That baby face hid the damage behind a deceptively childish façade. Had she seen it for the last time? She hadn't realized their time would be so short. Had she sent him off for the last time not realizing she'd never see that him again?

“Will you stay?” she asked softly.

“I cannot,” was his immediate reply.

A sad little sigh escaped her. “I see,” she said, rolling away from the Doctor's embrace. Twenty-four years. He's already suspended his life for her. To expect him to do more was selfish on her part.

He pulled her back against his chest as she attempted to rise. “No, you don't see,” he corrected. “I canna be here when the idiot returns.”

River relaxed against him, the tiniest of smiles twitching at the corners of her lips. She would get to give him a proper sendoff. “You could you know. I recall a certain very memorable birthday,” she purred.

“Nay, River, he must not know about this face,” he growled against her ear, remembering his paradoxical birthday gift. He took a deep breath before continuing, “He must not be allowed to remember any of this.”

“What?!” River exclaimed, pulling away to face him. “Don't you dare. Don't you dare take this away from him!”

“Not me. You.” His hands on her shoulders, the Doctor explained, “There is nothing that would keep me away from you and the children. Especially Trenzalore.”

“Trenzalore!” she gasped. He had to go to Trenzalore. All that they had now was because of the miracle that occurred in that town called Christmas. He should have died there. He had arranged for his digital essence to be uploaded to CAL so that they could be together in the Library's computer core. That had been his plan, having failed to rescue her before he met his fate at Trenzalore, but then his exiled people imbued the dying old man with a brand new regeneration cycle.

“A thousand years of war on Trenzalore,” he continued, shuddering at the memory. “Four and a half billion years punching my way through a time loop to get to Gallifrey. Do ya think I could have stayed the course knowing I had a family waiting for me?”

“How long since Darillium?” she asked, already dreading the answer.

“Days, weeks, years, decades? It doesn't matter. It's been a long time. An eternity not knowing if I'd sent you off to your death or not.”

“Oh, Theta,” River sighed.

~DW~

A studied silence greeted the Doctor as he entered the living room with River, the inhabitants having fallen silent once they heard them start their descent down the stairs. Here they were, his Ponds, just as he now remembered seeing them last, shoulder length ginger hair streaked liberally with silver, neatly trimmed gray beard with hints of brown, and age lines that told stories of full, happy lives not diminished by their temporal exile. He supposed there would be hugging now.

“Aren't you a sight for sore eyes,” Amy said, eyes shining behind her glasses. “Not quite my Raggedy Man anymore.”

“But my Amelia Pond always,” he responded. And now the hugging. To his relief, Rory followed his wife's enthusiastic embrace with a hearty handshake and a pat on the back.

“Scottish?” Rory, the last centurion, asked, laugh lines crinkling at the corners of his eyes.

“I think he sounds lovely,” Amy declared, sticking her tongue out at Rory, eliciting snickers from Anita and Evangelista.

“Ladies,” the Doctor acknowledged them.

“So, you're the Doctor now?” Anita asked, boldly appraising him.

"Yes, and I have been for a long time now,” he answered.

“Really?” Evangelista questioned. “ Our Doctor was just here this morning.”

His impressive eyebrows stretching upwards, the Doctor responded, “ And the point of your observation is?”

Flushing a bit, Evangelista did not allow herself to be intimidated by gruff Scottish brows. She felt slightly ridiculous for feeling as she did, but she couldn't help feeling that accepting this Doctor made them disloyal to her baby-faced savior. He was the one to return to the Library and give them new life, not the Pretty Boy who broke River's heart, and certainly not this bushy-browed interloper.

“I realize it isn't really my place,” she began, “but it strikes me as a bit presumptuous of you to just drop in here claiming the Doctor's wife and family as your own before his bed is even cold.”

The Doctor smiled. No Ramones on her watch! “ Miss Evangelista, you are so right. It is not your place, but I thank you all the same.”

“Don't worry, Eva,” River said, placing her hand possessively on the Doctor's arm. “The Doctor can be a bit presumptuous at times, but not in this. He and I have already lived together for twenty-four years.”

Amy and Rory exchanged glances, happy to know their daughter finally had a husband willing and able to stay by her side. They were relieved to know that this Doctor would be there for River when the time came.

“Well, now that we've gotten the pleasantries out of the way,” the Doctor forestalled any further discussion, “we can move on to more urgent matters before I have to leave.”

“You're leaving?” Anita asked in surprise. “Does that mean our Doctor-?”

“Yes, your Doctor is coming back!” barked the Doctor. “I don't understand what everyone sees in that idiot,” he grumbled half to himself.

“Sweetie, being an idiot is part of your charm,” River said, laughing at his pique.

“I'm no idiot,” he retorted.

“Really?” River said.

“Oh, shut up,” he threw back.

“Make me,” came the time-proven response.