Title: Pearls
Author: bendingwind
Notes: [Doctor Who | K+/PG | 303 words]
Characters: River/Doctor
Summary: A moment of peace in the TARDIS, with a new occupant.
The Doctor is at his most beautiful when he cries, she thinks as she stands in the doorway and watches him hold their daughter.
“Hello,” she hears him whisper, “I’m your Daddy. Only I haven’t been a daddy in a very, very long time, so you’re going to have to be very patient with me.” Their daughter gurgles with delight.
“See! You know how cool it is. When your hair gets long enough, we’ll get a ribbon and you can have a bow too.”
She doesn’t have a normal name yet, their daughter, but the Doctor has given her a Gallifreyan name beautiful enough to make the stars weep.
The Doctor giggles suddenly, and River’s attention is pulled back to where he is now gently rocking their little girl. “I don’t think your mother will approve of you being named Colors, sweetheart. Maybe pick a specific color?” She squeals and smiles at him, and he beams back. “Blue! Blue! I like it. Well, I like it. We may have to spend a bit talking your mother around.”
Blue chirps questioningly. “Yes, I think you’re right, it is her favorite color. You’d think she’d like the name, but your mother’s a bit funny about things like that sometimes.” Blue nuzzles into his chest, and promptly falls asleep. The Doctor makes his way to the rocking chair the TARDIS has created for them, and gingerly sits down. His eyes flutter closed, and soon he is asleep as well.
River sags against the doorframe, fighting back tears-and if ever she doubted that it would be wise to have a child with her love, all doubts are erased. It will be dangerous, yes, and terrifying and mad and difficult, but if not for this she might never have known to what heights her heart could rise.
Disclaimer: The BBC owns Doctor Who, etc. etc. making profit etc. (What? Getting sick of writing disclaimers? Never!)