dramaturgy: ([DW/T] My Doctor.)
dramaturgy ([personal profile] dramaturgy) wrote2011-06-14 12:28 am

FIC: A Fairy Tale Called Gallifrey

Title: A Fairy Tale Called Gallifrey
Characters/Pairings: Eleven/River
Word Count: 712
Rating: G
Summary: A little father/daughter bonding time.
Author's Notes: [livejournal.com profile] spoiler_song Guns and Curls prompt: Doctor/River "I speak baby." Doctor talking with their timebaby, please. I make no apologies for the fluff and kidfic. As they say on Tumblr, deal with it.
Disclaimer: I do not own anything having to do with Doctor Who. If I did I would stop killing Rory.


After stout refusals to name her daughter Rigel, Celaeno, Adenine, Pentachlorobiphenyl (Penny for short), Mabel, or anything else the Doctor suggested, River said that without a doubt, their girl was definitely an Astraea. He liked it instantly, it put a smile on his face the way a daughter's name should. Of course, there was no name beautiful enough in any language but he supposed if they must then they could do worse than Astraea.

"You'll have to bear with me, it's been awhile," he told Astraea, holding her close to his chest. He thought holding on to her was going to feel like holding his other children, or grandchildren, but he'd forgotten: it's different every time, because they're different. Little bodies just waiting to grow up into people. She shifted and yawned.

"Well, thank you. I like to think I still have a trick or two in me," he replied. "Mm? Sorry, repeat that?"

Astraea gurgled, and her hand waved. "Oh, no, that's just your mummy. She's had a time of it, popping you out and threatening to send me into my next regeneration. It's all very exhausting. I expect she'll be asleep for a bit." He saw the question in her beautiful greenish eyes before she even asked.

"Well, I'm a different sort of person," he answered. "I can change myself if I get hurt. I expect you'll be able to do it as well. But don't worry, you're never going to regenerate because I'm never going to let anything touch you." He paused; she was all of an hour old and he was already making promises he's worried he won't be able to keep. "… and no matter what my face looks like I'm going to love you."

She motioned, and he frowned. "It's a bowtie. It's cool." She squealed. "Oh you sound like your grandmum."

"No, that's not a bad thing," he answered, and pondered how to continue. "She's a dear thing. Courageous. Your granddad too, he's a good man. Possibly even a great one. Certainly one of the best I've known, and I've known a lot of people." He stopped at her interruption. "No don't be silly." She insisted again, louder.

"Of course they're going to like you!" He stood and paced with her. He seemed to remember that some babies liked the feeling of being in motion. "You're beautiful, you're smart, and River's. And mine. And they like all those things. So you're up their alley, really. And they're going to have fun with you."

"Hm?" he questioned. "Oh, yes, I suppose it is a bit chilly out here. We are in space."

He picked up another blanket and wrapped her a bit more tightly. She made a noise of relief and looked up at him, and he melted again. "You can ask me anything you want," he told her, and listened as she made her request.

He was loved and feared from one end of the universe to the next and even a little beyond that. His name sent armies running, there were entire worlds that trembled when he came to call. He was the Destroyer of Worlds, great warrior, the Oncoming Storm, and his daughter undid him with no more than a look and a question.

"A what? A song?" he said as she repeated herself. He hesitated for a moment, but the second she asked the words were there and the melody was in his throat. "All right," he said. "This one is from my home -- a planet called Gallifrey."

He grew sad with her next question. "It is far away, my beautiful girl, very far away." A long time ago and far away and with him always; the fairy tale book from which the gallant trickster-wizard-Doctor had leapt. "You will never get to see it, I'm afraid." He could give her any place, any time from the alpha to the omega except for her father's people. Her life would be large and mad and impossible and full, but he could never give her that.

He would have to spend her life making that wrong seem trivial. "Now shut your eyes, Astraea. You've had a busy day."

When River awoke, the Doctor was still singing softly to their daughter, cradled tightly against him.

[identity profile] bendingwind.livejournal.com 2011-06-14 04:43 am (UTC)(link)
Pentachlorobiphenyl

LOL! Very cute :)

[identity profile] dramaturgy.livejournal.com 2011-06-14 04:47 am (UTC)(link)
:)

[identity profile] dqbunny.livejournal.com 2011-06-14 06:43 am (UTC)(link)
Oh, this is adorable. *sighs longingly* This fic prompt is making me want to go smash my biological clock or yell at my husband to hurry and get himself over to the US.

[identity profile] dramaturgy.livejournal.com 2011-06-14 06:50 am (UTC)(link)
Me too. Except for the husband part. XD Thank you!

[identity profile] cinderbella333.livejournal.com 2011-06-14 09:28 am (UTC)(link)
Oh goodness, I thought I didn't like babyfics, and then you and Bendingwind had to go start writing the Doctor talking to his newborn baby. And it's turning me into mush. There was such aching bittersweetness in this. Well done, you.

[identity profile] dramaturgy.livejournal.com 2011-06-14 03:45 pm (UTC)(link)
:D I know kidfic is not everyone's cup of tea and it can be downright awful sometimes so I don't blame anyone, so thanks for giving it a read!

[identity profile] gidget-zb.livejournal.com 2011-06-14 11:15 am (UTC)(link)
Love it! Oh god I want all the baby!fic I can get lol. I loved the suggestion of Mabel for a name for some reason. It seems so very Doctor-ish:)

[identity profile] dramaturgy.livejournal.com 2011-06-14 03:43 pm (UTC)(link)
XD I loved it too. The names get progressively weirder and then... Mabel.

Glad you enjoyed. <3

[identity profile] nancybrown.livejournal.com 2011-06-14 06:36 pm (UTC)(link)
Aw ... I love some of the name ideas!

[identity profile] dramaturgy.livejournal.com 2011-06-14 06:50 pm (UTC)(link)
The Doctor was rather fond of them as well, he's only sorry River did not agree. :P Thanks!

[personal profile] syien_island 2011-06-14 10:57 pm (UTC)(link)
Awwww...
All these baby!fics make me want to have babies!

[identity profile] dramaturgy.livejournal.com 2011-06-14 11:08 pm (UTC)(link)
I hear you. My plumbing is ready and willing but alas. XD

[identity profile] llaynicorn.livejournal.com 2011-06-15 02:31 am (UTC)(link)
timebaby :')

[identity profile] dramaturgy.livejournal.com 2011-06-15 02:37 am (UTC)(link)
TIMEBB <333333333333

[identity profile] sahiya.livejournal.com 2011-06-16 04:54 am (UTC)(link)
Oh God, I'm sure none of the Doctor's suggestions for names would ever be appropriate. This was adorable, with just the right amount of bittersweet.

[identity profile] dramaturgy.livejournal.com 2011-06-16 05:09 am (UTC)(link)
I think it's for the best that River agreed with you. XD Thank you!

[identity profile] irrealia.livejournal.com 2011-06-17 02:17 pm (UTC)(link)
What is it about this prompt producing babyfic I really like? Not that fic I like is a bad thing. Great job!

[identity profile] philippa-1988.livejournal.com 2011-06-18 10:01 pm (UTC)(link)
If you see any melty puddles lying around on the floor, that'll probably be me. This was so unbelievably cute. I want, no I *need* to read more baby!fic right now.

[identity profile] vilya-mariposa.livejournal.com 2011-06-20 08:27 am (UTC)(link)
Awwww!

[identity profile] honeynoir.livejournal.com 2011-06-26 09:10 pm (UTC)(link)
Oh, this is just gorgeous! So lovely! :D

This line: A long time ago and far away and with him always; the fairy tale book from which the gallant trickster-wizard-Doctor had leapt. Is. perfect.

Also this: Pentachlorobiphenyl (Penny for short) is <3!