First DocWho fanfic. I'm excited about this one. I like writing them, because it entails me doing some actual research. Plus, I get to write Ten's lines. He's the most erratic Doctor ever, for sure, except maybe Four. But Four was constantly hyped up on candy. Ten's just hyped. Must be all that excess energy the Time Vortex gave him.
Disclaimer, once and for all: It's not mine. None of it.
The TARDIS' internal workings blinked erratically as the Doctor danced around the control center. Well, it was really more like jumped about while mumbling strange words and half sentences of techno-babble under his breath; all the while, mashing buttons, throwing levers, and spinning knobs.
Rose sometimes laughed at herself for considering the possibility that he actually was dancing, in tune to the computer of the TARDIS. In an intricate waltz with the strange symbols flitting across screens and the beeping and whooshing as the ship propelled them across time and space to whatever misguided adventure they were to have next. But it was in the quiet moments, when she allowed her mind to wander to strange possibilities, knowing the Doctor was too preoccupied with his fascinating routine to read her mind or even consider it, that she let herself believe that this tall, unpredictable man in front of her occasionally had a method to his madness.
"Doctor?" she let her voice rise at the end, so that even if he didn't hear the exact word said, he would still realize he'd been asked a question. He glanced over at her, his dark-rimmed glasses sliding down his lightly freckled nose.
"Hm?" his eyes returned the greenish tube of light in front of him as symbols and letters spiraled through it, but Rose had his partial attention now, at the very least.
"Where, um… where are we going?" he turned to stare at her peculiarly.
"I told you that already," she shook her head.
"No, actually. You haven't said a world since we left Epsilon-7," her grin widened a bit as one of his eyebrows crept steadily up his forehead, disappearing partially behind a tussled tuft of hair.
"But… we've been having a conversation this whole time, I was explaining to you all about this particle gun that UNIT created a while back, that took each itty-bitty little particle of whatever its unfortunate victim was an'…" he watched her as she attempted to stifle an audible giggle with her fist.
"You mean to tell me that for three hours, you were having a conversation with YOURSELF?" he couldn't help but smile at himself.
"I get to rambling on… in my head. But you were staring at me intently enough," he rerouted defensively. She smiled and glanced out the small window at the door of the TARDIS.
"So… where are we going, then?" The Doctor's face broke into that goofy grin again.
"Brighton, circa 1800!" Rose raised an eyebrow, obviously missing the connection between Brighton, England and the twinkle of excitement in his eyes.
"Brighton… beach?" He scoffed, spinning another knob.
"Nothing so commercial," his face lit up like a kid on Christmas morning, "I think I've finally got the date right!"
"What date?"
"Here we go!"
"Doctor!"
