There's a more traditional time gap between the next few chapters. Enjoy!
Chapter 3, Age Old Questions
Rose absolutely loved this TARDIS. There was just something about her.
Maybe it was how much more organic this TARDIS was. The Doctor had inflicted much less machinery upon this ship, muttering about how arrogant and unfair the Time Lords had been. Of course, he did install a chameleon circuit, but disconnected it as soon as the new TARDIS had assumed the familiar police box appearance.
Maybe it was because she was an offshoot of the other Doctor's TARDIS. Rose had felt like the ship recognized her, long before the growing coral could really be called a ship.
The kids were rather fond of her, as well. When Rose had been pregnant with Emily, she would sit beside the TARDIS seedling, singing to both of them. With John, Jr., she would sit inside the tiny would-be console room. Susan was actually born in the TARDIS' med bay (the Doctor had begun equipping the ship long before she was ready to travel).
And the Doctor, well, he was just as in love with his ship as he'd ever been.
Still, along with Rose's affection for the ship came a good bit of protectiveness. So, when they suddenly found themselves transported back to their home universe, she had to ask.
"Is the TARDIS gonna be alright here?" The Doctor looked up at her. "I mean, travellin' in a different universe an' all," Rose explained.
"Oh, she'll be fine!" he told her, as he zipped around the console, checking readings. "The old TARDIS couldn't travel in Pete's world, because she'd never been calibrated for it. But this girl," he said, affectionately patting a support strut, "even though she's used to Pete's world, she came from the old TARDIS, so she knows her way around."
Rose raised an eyebrow. "Really? Just like that?" she asked.
"Yup," he told her. "Think of it kind of like genetic memory. She knows basically everything her parent TARDIS did. Well," he paused, scratching his ear, "at least when it comes to the instinctual stuff, like the nature of time and space peculiar to this particular universe."
Rose noticed he still spent several hours going over every readout he could find, making sure the TARDIS was ready to travel. When he finally finished, he asked, "Ready to visit some old friends?"
Rose was impressed. They'd landed in Cardiff just as gently as ever. It certainly helped having four capable pilots at the controls. In a few more years, little Sue would be able to join in as well.
Just as the Doctor had activated the scanner, a knocking sounded from the TARDIS' doors. Since it was followed shortly thereafter by a key in the lock, Rose figured they'd landed fairly on-target.
The doors opened, and one Captain Jack Harkness strolled up the ramp. "Hey, Doctor, Donn-" He abruptly halted, apparently only just taking in his surroundings, and the individuals around the console. "Rose?!" he exclaimed at last.
"How long's it been for you, then?" Mickey asked once they were all assembled within the Hub. He and Martha had joined Jack for a quick tour of the new TARDIS, and had been introduced to their "nieces" and "nephew".
"'Bout eighteen years, right?" Rose answered, turning to the Doctor for confirmation.
"Eighteen years, three months, four d-" Rose elbowed him, "according to Pete's world time," he concluded. Her half-human husband was always eager to demonstrate that he was also half-Time Lord.
Martha spoke up. "But it's only been, like, four months here. From what Mickey told us, time doesn't move that fast over there, does it?"
The Doctor shook his head. "There's no exact ratio to describe it, but no, it's not that drastic. We travelled to this point in time once we crossed over."
"It's so weird seeing you old," Jack told the Doctor.
"Who's old?" he asked, as if offended.
"I mean, compared to the other you," he explained. "And, by the way, Rose, you look great," he told her with a grin that she'd missed. "But you, Doctor, how come you look like you're the same age as her?"
"Yeah," answered Rose, "we noticed that. We figure he's aging about a third as fast as I am."
"So," said Martha, "when you're eighty, he'll only be, what-"
"About fifty-five, as far as appearances go," the Doctor answered.
"Wow," said Jack. Mickey just shook his head.
"It's not as bad as it sounds," Rose told them. They'd caught on to the aging difference a while back, so she'd had time to adjust. "I always thought men looked their best in their fifties," she said with a wink at her husband. "I mean, yeah, most likely, he'll still outlive me." The Doctor took her hand. "But he'll have the kids; he won't be alone."
"What about them?" Mickey asked. "Are they, like, human?"
"'They' are about three-quarters human," Em answered. "But if you mean aging-wise, we don't know for sure. So far we're just like normal, except in the intelligence department."
The Doctor took over, after giving their daughter a look that Rose recognized as meaning, Yes, you've made your point, now shut up. "They've grown at a normal human rate," he explained, "but their intellect's developed at about twice that. I suspect that their aging might slow as well, once they're fully mature."
"So, Sue's really twenty?" Martha asked, incredulously. Rose looked down at her youngest daughter, who'd fallen asleep against her side.
"Intellectually," Rose answered, "doesn't mean emotionally."
"But enough about us," the Doctor said. "What's my doppelganger been up to?"
Jack smiled. "Oh, the usual, flying around the universe with-" he cut off, as a familiar noise filled the Hub. "Well, speak of the devil," he said, as they all turned to see a second TARDIS materializing.
To be continued.
