"Okay, relaying information in zero point two seconds…. Information relay complete if the system's functioning in the aligned programme. Can you read the info?"
Her voice crackled over the intercom, and the Doctor let out a small 'mmmm' sound.
"Doctor, have you or have you not received the information?"
"Yeah…. I got it," he said slowly, leaning over, glasses perched on the bridge of his nose as he read the various similar symbols that raced across the screen at an almost impossible speed.
"And what does it say?" she queried, and the Doctor looked back at the screen linked to the intercom. He smiled slightly as he saw her brush her long, chocolate-shaded hair away from her face, a spanner in one hand and a laser in the other.
"Running diagnostics check."
"Now, are you sure that's the TARDIS, or have you just left Windows Vista open? Remember the trouble we had last time with that? Nearly destroyed half the universe!"
"Never mind that, I never got a refund! Cheeky buggers," he said, before quickly adjusting the screen, and turning to face the intercom. He grinned sheepishly at her.
She rolled her eyes, placing the laser on the floor and putting her hand on her hip.
"You left Windows open, didn't you?"
"Yeah," he admitted with a sigh. "But the system says that there may be a temporal leak…"
"And what the hell does that mean?"
"It means you'll need to go down the tunnel, to the right, and under power reserve cell seven-hundred-and-ninety-two. Then, you'll need to use the laser to make an incision, bleed out around twelve millilitres of influx radiation, and then use the spanner to seal it up." He rattled off, dancing around the console, his hands flicking over the various instruments as he attempted to stabilise his ship.
The TARDIS let out a groan as she continued to rock through the vortex, the ride becoming increasingly bumpy, her passengers clinging on for dear life. Well, at least one of them, anyway.
"Never bloody mind that, is there anything else I should know about?" The voice shot back, sounding slightly irritated.
The Doctor replied cheerily, "No, that's all for now!"
"Great, thanks a lot…" His companion mumbled, and he smiled slightly to himself. At least this companion didn't mind working on the TARDIS…
He closed his eyes briefly, leaning his elbows on the mushroom-shaped console of the TARDIS. He noted how the central column rose and fell in irregular patterns as the influx radiation dug into her systems, and he murmured softly and reassuringly to her.
"Everything's gonna be fine… It'll be gone soon…"
Thirty-two minutes later…
"Doctor? Doctor, you still awake up there? You better be, I'm telling you…"
The Doctor blinked open his eyes, stretching his arms out like a big, lazy, over-sized cat.
"Yeah, course I'm awake," He muttered blearily. He ran his hand through his hair, before wandering round to the monitor and rubbing his eyes with his hands in an attempt to brush away his tiredness.
"Is it okay yet?" She called up, and the Doctor smiled at the screen, settling back onto the Captain's chair.
"You've done a good job, all working down there!" He called impressively, before snapping off his glasses and poking them back into his pocket, kicking his feet up onto the console, and leaning back on the chair comfortably.
"Are you sure nothing else needs doing?" The intercom crackled again, and he sighed.
"Everything else has to be done up here, so I'll do it."
"And just remind me why I had to do this job and you didn't?"
"Well, of course I could've done it, but I wouldn't look half as good as you do when you're doing it."
"Charming!" She called back. "So this is basically for your benefit?"
"Mmmm, yeah, pretty much, but also, you are helping fix the TARDIS."
"Well, seeing as you're her owner, why try fixing things that need fixing rather than replacing the same light bulb I've seen you replace one-hundred-and-twenty-three times in the past week alone?"
The Doctor tilted his head in amazement. "Really? I fixed it that many times?"
"It was never even broken!" His companion said, exasperated. "God, I give up with you! I honestly do. Anyway, I'm done down here, so I'm coming back up, okay?"
"Sure thing!" He called back to the intercom. "So you're coming up here because you're done down there?" He shouted, and he swore that she called him something offensive.
"Yes!"
"Does that mean that I can do you so you're done up here too?" He grinned cheekily, and she threw the spanner, hitting the camera.
"What is your problem?" She squeaked back. "It's bad enough after the whole Torchwood celebration thing, remember?"
"I will have you know, that I thoroughly enjoyed that, and if I remember correctly, so did you. In fact, you had a very good time," He began to breathe heavily, mimicking her voice. "Oh, Doctor, god, you're so good, oh Doctor, harder…"
"SHUT UP! YOU ARE SUCH A LIAR! AND IT WAS YOU WHO MADE A MOVE ON ME!" She screeched in defiance, and he laughed.
"Anyway, if I remember correctly, you were the one who was whispering your 'future intentions'." She shot back.
"Yeah, and one has already been fulfilled," He grinned wolfishly at the screen. "I think that will be one we must repeat, it was a very… pleasant experience." The Doctor's voice dropped low as he spoke his second to last word, sending shivers down her spine.
"You know," he said conversationally, "Every time I eat chocolate now, or even look at it, I can't help but think of you. And it tasted wonderful, and when I say it tasted wonderful, I don't mean the chocolate."
"I swear, if I had anything else to hand now, I would so throw them at the camera."
"Thought you were coming back up?"
"I am," She hissed in annoyance. "But with the gravity down here lower, it makes things a bit harder, you know?"
She moved so that she was half bent over, her arms grabbing the cooling pipe to try and stabilise herself.
"Erm, just bend over again, will you?" The Doctor asked, before settling back into chair once more.
His companion's face twisted in confusion. "Why? Doctor, what's wrong?"
"Nothing," he said, licking his lips slightly. "I'm just getting a good view, that's all." He whistled appreciatively, and she snapped upright instantly, turning to walk back through the maze of corridors and tunnels.
"Niiiiiccceee!" He laughed down the intercom after her, and he could here her calling back to him.
"You are sooo dead!"
"Okay!"
He reached forwards, resetting the shields and protocols, before programming the co-ordinates for their next destination.
The TARDIS wheezed and groaned, and suddenly everything turned hauntingly beautiful white.