An Unexpected Adventure-A Doctor Who Fanfiction

The Beginning

River awoke with a start.  Something was wrong.  She sat up in bed, confused, breathing heavily.  Slowly, she pulled herself out of bed and onto the cool wooden floor, loosing her balance slightly.  She regained her composure, looking in the mirror.

All she saw was herself.  A tired face, messy hair, a swollen stomach.  Nothing seemed wrong.  

And yet, she could feel it.  There was something different about her, about this morning.  She just couldn't see what it was.  

"Auuh!"  She grasped her mid-section and gasped.  "No.  Not now."  She whispered.  A pain surged in her gut  and she yelped, sinking to the floor.  Griting her teeth, she grasped the wall, attemptig to pull herself up.  "Where is he?!"  

She fell to the floor again, another wave of pain hitting her, tears in her eyes.  Her cries of pain were drowned out by the sound of the Tardis materializing.  Moments later the Doctor entered her bedroom.  "River!"  He ran up to her and crouched beside her, his hands hesitating to touch her.  

She groaned.  "I-I'm okay, Doctor."  He smiled pitifully.  "No you're not, you're going into labor.  Now, how far along are you?"  "I don't know, I just woke up and the pain hit."  "Hmm."  He thought for a moment.  "Well, come on.  Let's get you to a hospital."  He made her stand, but she held back.  "Doctor, think about this.  I'm part timelord.  You're timelord."  He looked at her, confused.  She rolled her eyes.  "This baby isn't human.  It will have two hearts.  How do you think a nurse or doctor would react?"  "Oh."

She sighed.  "So-"  She wrapped her arms around her waist, her face contorted, looking down.  "River, what's wrong?"  He eyes her worriedly, then looked down as well.  She was standing in a puddle.  "Ah."  She swallowed.  "My water broke."  She slide back to the floor.  

He sat down beside her.  "Okay then.  So if you don't want to go to the hospital, what are we going to do?"  She shrugged.  "We still have a while yet, I figure here will be fine."  "You know, in an hour you're going to regret saying that."

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

FOUR HOURS LATER

"AUUUUHHHHH!"  She gritted her teeth as another contraction hit her, groaning.  The Doctor gripped her hands, not quite sure what he was doing or if it would help her.  

Her contraction passed, leaving her breathing heavily.  "Painkillers would be-be really nice right now."  He smiled.  "I knew you'd say t-"  She glared at him, cutting him off.  "Sorry."

 "Do you have any idea how much longer?"  "I don't know, about an hour, maybe a little less."  She nodded, thinking.  "Doctor, get some towels." He went off into the other room to grab some towels, and when he returned, River was having another contraction.

He sat beside her, laying some towels down.  "Do you need anything else, River?  Anything at all?"  She shook her head, teeth gritted, face blotchy.  "No, I... I'm okay.  Just stay here."  He held her in his arms, and she swallowed hard.  

"I- I think I need to push."  He looked at her nervously and nodded.  "Okay."  She laid down on the floor, a few pillows to prop her head up.  Taking a deep breath, she pushed once, then again.  She exhaled, panting.  He pecked her on the forehead.  "Your doing good, River.  Keep going."  

She pushed a few more times, tears rolling down her red face, before Lily was finally born.  The Doctor smiled.  This was just the beginning.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------

River awoke a few hours later, finding herself in her bed.  She looked around the room.  No sign of the Doctor or Lily.  She attempted to sit up, but fell back with a groan, her muscles aching.  

The Doctor, hearing her groan, entered the room, carrying Lily.  He smiled, and sat down on the bed.  "Hello, River.  How are you feeling?"  She raised an eyebrow at him.  "Horrible.  How long was I asleep?"

He shrugged.  "A few hours.  Not too long."  She gestured at Lily.  "And is she..?"  He nodded.  "She's okay.  Here."  He gently handed her to River, who cradled her.  She smiled, tears rolling down her face.  

He stared at her.  "River, what's wrong?"  She looked up at him, through the tears.  "Nothing, just...  She's perfect.  And..."  She stopped talking, just staring at Lily.  "And what?"  

She sighed, crying a little harder.  "I can't care for here.  People are after me.  I-"  She sucked in a breath, letting out a sob.  "I don't want to hurt her."  She continued to cry.  "What am I going to do with her?"

The Doctor leaned close to her and kissed her forehead, stroking her cheek.  "I could take her."  She looked up at him.  "Really?  Are you sure that's safe?"  He shrugged.  "It's safer than being here, isn't it?"  

She sat silently for a moment, then nodded slowly.  "Yeah.  You're right."  She smiled slightly, looking down at Lily.  The Doctor laid down beside her.

"Will I see her again?"  He nodded.  "Yes.  That I can promise."