Flopping into his chair the Doctor sighed heavily. Tired wasn't usually a word in his dictionary; he couldn't remember the last time he'd actually felt this tired. His legs stretched out before him, heels digging unnecessarily into the already worn carpet. Eyes focused on the tips of his boots his brow furrowed into a frown. His hands gripped the arms of his favourite chair far too tightly. The Time Lord felt as though he simply didn't have the energy to move, his mind worked at its regular pace yet his body protested by keeping him still. From seemingly nowhere a hand squeezed his shoulder. River stalked around the chair to position herself gently on his lap. For a few long moments he didn't respond; simply continued to stare at his boots. He acknowledged her finally, sliding his arm around her waist. River dipped to plant a kiss against his cheek; the slight stubble across his face told her all she needed to know. He was exhausted.

"It's not easy is it?" she murmured into his ear.

"What isn't?" he asked wearily his eyebrows raised slightly as he focused further on his boots.

"Being a parent"

To this comment he didn't respond; but turned his head to look at her through sleepy eyes, "River," he whispered finally.

"Don't say it," came the reply followed gently by the soft brushing of her lips against his. The sound of crying suddenly filled the room. Their eyes looked hopelessly at each other before the Doctor reach for the homemade baby monitor on the table beside him.

"Won't be a minute," he murmured unsettling her as he got up out of the chair. River occupied his place; tucking her knees up to her chest and sighing softly. He insisted that during the night she deserved a break and that he; as useless as he may be, would do the running around.

River took his screwdriver off the table; it was heavy in her hand. She flicked it out to its full extension and pressed it back down a few times before setting it down again with a small clunk. His study was the only reasonably tidy room in the whole Tardis; well, out of the rooms she'd found, this was the most organised. She got up and wandered aimlessly around the rectangular room; running her finger along the edges of dusty books. Her fingertip traced the outline of a very familiar object perched on the edge of a display cabinet. It was her own screwdriver; how impossible he was sometimes. She picked it up; slid her small finger through the loop and enjoyed the feeling of having it in her hands again. What a day that had been.

Setting it down once more River checked her watch; what was taking so long?

River had been surprised when the Doctor had willingly sacrificed a room on board the Tardis to convert into a nursery room for the baby. She'd expected him to put up more of a fight, sulk childishly; anything but the eager reaction he'd had when she'd told him about the baby.

The door had a single Tardis-Blue plaque on it, 'Doctor Jnr'. She chuckled to herself; it was typical of that man to insist upon such a name. Inside, the sight made her smile even more. The Doctor was flat on his back, fast asleep on the soft blue carpet; the little boy also flat out and asleep on his chest.

She shook her head, dipping to collect the child and return him to his own little bed. River glanced very briefly at the Doctor; mischief danced wildly across her lips as she flicked off the light leaving the Time Lord sprawled out on the floor.

'Finally,' she thought.

It was always a struggle to get the kids to sleep.