It was dawn by the castle on the hill. He stood there alone – he stood there alone more often recently. It was always him, who got there first; River also loved the dawn, but not so much as he. It remembered him to home, to Gallifrey: the red and orange sk before the sun rised. It was his favourit daytime.
But nowadays River did not come. He knew why: she got a job at the Luna University at the Facultate of Archeology. He knew what it ment, what came after this. Library. Weird. He shunned libraries after that day. Every library. That was why Clara could find that damned book. He left it there after the last time he stepped into the TARDIS library.
'Damn it...' he whispered to himself.
'Damn what?'
He jumped and spinned around. She stood behind him.
'River!' he shouted more with anger than surprise. 'You should knocking off appearing from nowhere and frighten me to death. My hearts almost stopped!' he quarreled with her. She only rolled her eyes and stepped closer to take look on the rising sun. It was almost on the horizon.
'Sorry for disturbing you, Sweetie. I see you are in a bad mood. The sunrise is pretty as ever. Thank you for sharing it with me. Have a nice day. I'll leave you to yourself.'
She has not looked at him at all, just said it coldly and reached for her vortex-manipulator. She pushed some buttons and would be gone – but he grabbed her wrist and touched the manipulator – and disappeared with her.
An unbearable dizz and headache followed the jump. He shook his head and gave out a frustrated cry but ran after her – she was walking away from him already. It seemed she got used to the travelling by that awful thing.
'Wait! Where are you going?'
'Home.'
'Wait, River!' he reached her and grabbed her wrist and spinned her to face him. She slapped him with her free hand and he hissed – but did not let her hand go, and grabbed her another wrist too. She flounced a bit, but his grab was hard as stone.
'What the hell are you doing?! Let me!' she hissed. He did not.
'Explain yourself!' he commanded. His voice was without kindness.
'Explain me yourself if you want it so desperately. I'll go home.' she dragged her hands again.
'River, what the hell is going?! I thought we'll watch the sunrise together – as ever. What the hell is going on here?!'
'I thought it too. As ever. Now let me.'
'No.' he held her wrists.
'Let me, Doctor!' her eyes sparkled with fire of anger.
'No. Not till you explain.'
'I'm pregnant, right?!' she shouted. 'Now let me go!'
His eyes went wide. His face got pale. His mouth fell open. He couldn't do anything but gawp. But he did not let her go.
'You... you're... what?' he stummered.
'I am pregnant, what you heard perfectly clear 'cause you aren't deaf, so now let me go. I want to go home.'
They gazed into each other's eyes. Slowly the grab got easier but the Doctor wouldn't let his wife's hand go. Not ever.
'You're... pregnant?...' he asked silently.
'Yes, I am.' she answered with a cold face. 'And you are an idiot.'
She let a little smile in her voice. His face lightened slowly. He started to laugh – first slowly, the loudly and heartily. She rolled he eyes and sighed – but smiled a bit while shaking her head.
'You're with baby!' he laughed. 'You'll be a mother!' he grabbed her at the waist anf lifted her from the ground. She rolled her eyes and crossed her – now free – arms.
'Taked me down.' she said coldly again. He obeyed but held her close by the waist.She stood so far away as she could.
'Now let me go home.' she commanded.
'Never!' he grinned. She breathed angrily.
'It wasn't an ask, Doctor. Let me go.'
He stopped grinning. First he tried to look into her eyes but she avoided his gaze. His face darkened and he let her waist go.
'Is she mine?'
'How do you now if it's she?' she asked.
'River, is she mine? Answer the question.' he grabbed her arms.
'Ouch! It hurts!' she grimaced.
'I'm sorry...' he bowed his head and eased tha grab. 'But please answer me.'
'Of course it's yours you idiot! Whose would it be?! I'm your wife or what.' she said angrily. His face was happy again. But when he looked into her eyes, his mood setted.
'Then what's the matter?' he touched her other shoulder with his other hand too. She sighed.
'Nothing. I just would've liked to watch the sunrise with my moron husband.'
'Oh...' he realized. He bowed his head and let his hands fall from her shoulders.
'I'm sorry...' he whispered. She snorted with a hint of smile.
'Moron.' she reached for his face and lifted his head. He looked into her eyes and saw no anger but forgiving – and a bit of love. He made a mouth and shrugged.
'Old old Doctor. Forgets what love is. Forgive me River. You'd deserve much better.' he sighed with sad guilt. She shook her head and smiled.
'No. We would want no other but you.. You're her father and my husband. We just want to see that damned sunrise.' she smoothed his face and gave him an affectionate kiss. And she pushed the coordinates in and jumped back to Norway, to the fjords and sea and waves broking at the rocks.
She stood giggling while he murmured and shouted and shook his head after the jump.
'You!' he pointed at her. 'Stop it! Ooh... My head... How do you do that? Pregnant, and not a dizz, no feel of sickness, nothing! Aah, River! Brr... Vortex manipulator... Awful...'
She pulled her eyebrows and helped him to his feet.
'Sweetie, you are such a baby. Look our little one bears it well.'
He snorted.
'Good for her. She's inside a beautiful brave lady. I won't complain in her place either.'
'Oh you old rake.' she winked playfully. He freezed.
'No...' he blushed at realization of his sentence. 'I did not mean... No...' he stummered. 'Oh River!'
She laughed heartily at his fluster.
'Oh shut up I was joking, Sweetie!' she stepped closer and kissed him. He calmed at her touch.
'Now let's see that sunrise at last.' she took his hand and walked up the top of the hill. he followed her silently. He felt happy – again, after so many years. And the first light of the sun touched their face like a smooth of the Universe.
Note: this story was inspired by the song of Alpha Rev: New Morning. And yes, I got the words wrong, but I like the athmosphere my misunderstood words created.