After a few days in the vortex, the Doctor and Kema had managed to install the new additions to the TARDIS hardware. The ship seemed to accept the new technology, even though most of it originated in another universe. She was being rather accommodating, considering she usually zapped him when he tried to make major changes. The Doctor explained how it would allow them to travel into the other universe without the TARDIS crashing and burning. He didn't want a repeat of his last trip into Pete's World. No, he much rather his ship and his new crew of companions were traveling safely.
His new crew. Well, they were more than that. It was like having a little family on board all at once. He hadn't had this much company on the TARDIS in a very long time.They each had their place in the scheme of things and it made for an interesting dynamic. He was glad to see that Hikari seemed to feel at home on the TARDIS, especially after revealing what happened to her family. It seemed every chance she got, she was rifling off questions to the Doctor as fast as he could answer them. He was all too happy to accommodate her, and she became especially excited when they visited somewhere new. That was the best part of having someone new aboard.
Being with Rose again, and them being properly together still blew his mind. Every time he closed his eyes, he almost expected her to be gone when they opened again. It would take time for him to adjust, and he knew that. But it didn't stop him from marveling over how wonderful she was, and how happy she made him. He only hoped he could make her equally as happy in return. That meant everything to him. One way he could do that was to get her back to see her family again. Giving her the best of both worlds was a dream come true not only for her, but for him as well.
The Doctor looked down at Rose as she lay sleeping. She looked so peaceful, so perfect. His breath hitched as he thought about how many times he came so close to losing her, only to end up here. But today was not the time for sad thoughts. Today was time for happiness and reunions.
"Roseeeee," he said softly, gently prodding her side. She groaned in response, shifting on to her side, but didn't open her eyes. "Rose, wake up. I have a surprise for you"
"Is it a good surprise?" she said groggily, peeking one eye open. "It better be a good surprise because I was having a perfectly lovely dream about what we get up to under these sheets."
"More lovely than the real thing?" the Doctor said with a grin, leaning in to kiss the exposed area of her neck.
"Mmm, I'll let you know," she said, grinning and then shutting her eyes again.
"Oi! C'mon now! Rose Tyler that's just mean!" he retorted as he began tickling her sides. She quickly reduced to a pile of squirms and giggles.
"Okay, okay! I was just kidding!" she gasped, and the Doctor finally stopped. "So what's this surprise?"
"How would you like to see your mum today?" he asked, grinning again.
"What?! Doctor! Really??" Rose exclaimed, now wide awake. "Is the TARDIS really ready?"
"Yes, she's all ready to go. We can set course as soon as you're ready," he said, smiling. She beamed back at him and launched herself forward. She tackled him into a tight hug and kissed all over his face.
"You wonderful, brilliant man! Just let me shower. Oh! And I should tell the girls we're making a trip back! I can't wait to see Mum. And Dad, of course. And Tony! Oh Doctor you'll meet my little brother! He's going to ADORE you. You're like a storybook hero to him, you know? I've told him so many stories about you. Oh! And it will be Donna's first trip to the other universe! I can't wait to introduce her to mum. I think they'll get on really well I think. Mum will be delighted to have a full house! Oh...but how long will we stay? I guess we'll figure that out," Rose rambled off, going on and on. The Doctor started to laugh.
"Blimey Rose, you've been around me long enough to have picked up my gob," he said, chuckling merrily. She stopped and looked at him for a moment, considering his words.
"I guess I did ramble a bit there, didn't I?" she said with a laugh. "Anyway, I'm going to run and tell the girls and then have a shower!" With that she slid out of the bed, slipped on her dressing gown and hurried out of the room.
The Doctor shook his head, still chuckling. He was glad that she was excited. Of course, he had to be prepared to see Jackie. And now she would learn about the developments in Rose and the Doctor's relationship. He grimaced as he remembered the lasting sting of a Tyler Slap. Rubbing his cheek at the memory, he frowned. Hopefully she wouldn't be swinging at him today. Either way, he was ready for it.
After a quick shower and dressing in his usual pinstriped duds, he headed toward the galley. There he found Rose with Kema and Hikari. They were all sipping tea and talking excitedly.
"Mum will throw a wobbly if we don't stay at least a few days," Rose said. She turned to the Doctor. "That alright? If we stay for a bit? I know you get antsy being in one place too long."
He smiled and nodded. "Of course, Rose. I wouldn't expect anything less."
It was true that he often got itchy feet if they stayed put for an extended period, but this wasn't about him. This was about Rose getting to see her family. If he wanted her to be in his life, he knew he needed to accept a thing or two. Even if that meant having to put up with domestics for awhile. Truth be told, domestics with Rose wasn't a bad thing. She was the one living creature in all of existence that had ever made him feel so at home.
After a nice cuppa, Rose and the others excused themselves to get ready and the Doctor headed for the console room. When he arrived, he found Donna standing near the console, looking up at the time rotor. He crossed the room, watching her. She didn't seem to notice he was there.
"Donna? You alright?" he asked, his brow furrowed. She seemed to snap out of her trance and looked at him. She smiled.
"Yeah, I'm alright. Just thinkin' is all. I actually came here to see if I left my good coat on the jump seat, and I got drawn in by this ol' beauty here," Donna said wistfully, looking up at the time rotor again. "Listen to me talking about this ship. I'm starting to sound as barmy as you lot."
The Doctor chuckled and nodded to the rotor. "Well this is your home, and she welcomes you as much as I do."
Donna smiled and nodded. "That's good to know. I love being here, traveling about in her through time and space. I feel like this life really suits me, you know?"
He nodded. "I do. And I agree. You fit right in. Speaking of which," he began, grimacing a little. "Donna, how are you with all of this? I know it's been a big change that's happened rather quickly."
She chuckled and waved him off. "Oh come off it, Spaceman. Of course I'm fine with it. More than fine with it! It's nice to see you so happy. Rose is brilliant. We've become fast friends. Better watch out or she might take your place as my best mate." She pointed at him and winked. "And your sister, she's a laugh and half. Had me in stitches with stories about you. I like Hikari too. Bit shy, that one, but she's coming out of her shell."
The Doctor grinned. "I'm glad you're happy with things. That's important to me, your happiness. Like I said, the TARDIS is your home, too."
"So long as you lot don't mind me hitching along for the ride, I'm staying put," Donna said with a grin.
"Well that's good to know," came Rose's voice. They both turned to see that the others had joined them. "I'm glad you're okay with things, Donna. That's important to me too. Just because we came along doesn't mean anything changes for you. You're part of our family now, whether you like it or not." She finished with a wink and grin, and Donna matched her tit for tat.
"So, you have the telepathic sensors ready and open?" Kema asked, stepping up to the time rotor.
"Yu-p! Right over here, Kem. See these?" the Doctor said, rounding the side of the console and pointing to a crystalline surface with grooves carved into it. "This is the telepathic circuit that connects directly to the TARDIS mainframe. You transfer your thought process to the TARDIS and she can lock on the biosignal. Once she can copy your biosignal, she'll be able to sense the time holes and find a way through to the other dimension. And because you have such a strong connection to that world, it should form a permanent path link."
"Right, makes sense. Actually, that's bloody brilliant, brother dear," Kema said with a grin. She approached the surface and placed her hands along the grooves. The surface sprang to life, lighting up with the same warm greenish glow of the time rotor. "Whoa...tingly!" Kema laughed as the groves started to move beneath her hands, rolling in waves. After a few moments, Kema closed her eyes, taking deep breaths. The Doctor watched closed, concerned for his sister's health. If she did too much at once, it could tax her system.
"Alright there, Kema?" the Doctor said, stepping closer to Kema. She nodded and gave him a little smile before returning to her concentrated efforts. The longer she was connected to the TARDIS, the brighter the grooved surface became. Before long it was brightly aglow, almost blinding them. Just then the tone of the TARDIS hum changed slightly. The ship sent a brush against his mind, and he heard Kema gasp. "Kema? What is it?"
"She spoke to me," Kema whispered, opening her eyes. "I could hear her voice in my head. She told me she understood."
The Doctor opened his mouth to speak, but then immediately closed it again. Truth be told, he was just a wee bit jealous. The TARDIS had never actually spoken to him, telepathically or otherwise. He always did wonder what it would be like having a conversation with her. He considered that for a moment before the sound of Rose's voice broke into his thoughts.
"Doctor? What do we do now?" she asked nervously, looking between him, Kema and the time rotor. "Does she need anything else?"
The Doctor smiled gently. "Actually, yes. Rose, I'd like you to connect to the TARDIS telepathic circuits as well. Give her a clear picture of where to go, a place to land."
Rose stopped, her eyes wide. "But..I'm not...I mean, its meant for telepaths, isn't it? I'm not a telepath. You said humans can't...do that," she stammered in disbelief.
"Rose, when you looked into the heart of the TARDIS you took part of her into you. You and the TARDIS are linked through your connection to Bad Wolf. This will likely trigger your latent telepathic abilities," he said gently, stepping closer to her and gently caressing small circles on her back. "You can do this."
Rose looked at him,her brow furrowed and mouth turned downward. She shifted her weight from one foot to the other, arms crossed over her front. She eyed the crystalline surface, studying it. After some coaxing from the Doctor, she reached out and touched a hand to it. The TARDIS instantly changed the tone of her hum. When Rose made contact with the telepathic circuits, the TARDIS practically sang. Even the Doctor seemed a bit taken aback by the ship's response.
"Go ahead, Rose. She's welcoming you to connect with her," the Doctor said, giving Rose a gentle nudge forward.
Rose met his gaze and nodded. She stopped for a moment to draw in a deep breath before placing her hands along the grooves. Suddenly, she felt a warm, tingling sensation traveling up her arms and traveling through her entire body, enveloping her completely. She giggled a little and glanced at Kema, who gave her a wink. Rose then glanced at the Doctor and he flashed her an encouraging smile. He leaned in close and whispered in her ear.
"Just open your mind, trust her. She'll guide you through it," he said gently, as Rose slid her fingers between the grooves. Closing her eyes, she tried to blank her mind. She tried to feel rather than think and soon a warm, glowing presence entered her. A golden shimmering wolf sat beside a beautiful dark haired woman.
Show me the way, my Wolf. Her voice was less than a whisper, but more than a ghost. She reached out to Rose and offered her hand. Almost immediately, Rose took the woman's hand and felt the power of the TARDIS surge through her. A crisp, clear image of the Tyler mansion appeared before them, and the TARDIS smiled gently, nodding. Rose knew that she understood. Soon the image of the woman and the wolf faded, and she found herself back in the console room. Slowly pulling her hands away from the telepathic circuits. After a moment, she wiped away the tears trailing down her cheeks.
"Rose? Are you alright?" the Doctor asked tentatively, stepping toward Rose and resting a hand on her shoulder. She turned to look at him and nodded, smiling a little.
"Yeah, I'm fine. Great. Fantastic even," she said with a laugh. "She knows the way now. The TARDIS. We connected."
The Doctor watched her for a moment and then nodded. "Okay, good. I'll set the coordinates." He flashed Rose one of his million watt grins and she couldn't help but giggle a little. His excitement was contagious. She realized then that she had been holding back because of the doubts lurking in the recesses of her subconscious. It had been eating away at her for months now, since they left. On some level she had accepted that she would never see her family again. Now she could finally feel the giddy excitement that she had been suppressing. They were really doing this!
The Doctor skipped around the console as he pulled levers, pushing buttons, and toggling switches. It was like the strange mating dance of a hyperactive bird. He and the TARDIS spoke to each other with lights and movements and hums. Having connected with the TARDIS on a telepathic level had left Rose with a stronger connection to the ship. She always loved her, always expressed her gratitude and appreciation, but now she understood her. It was an amazing feeling. He stopped in front of the dematerialization switch and looked at Rose.
"You want to?" he asked, eyebrows raised. She grinned and nodded, hurrying over to where he stood. She took hold of the switch and threw it upward, launching the TARDIS into the vortex. It wasn't the first time he had let her throw the switch, but it was still a rush. Within seconds the ship landed with it's usual thump. The Doctor turned and looked at Rose. "I think we're here."
Rose nodded, her entire body shaking. Had they landed in the right place? The right time? There was only one way of finding out. The Doctor stood next to Rose and took her hand, squeezing it gently. He nodded toward the door. She stepped toward it, still holding his hand. She reached the door and pulled it open slowly. Just outside the TARDIS door was Tony's little swing set that was in the back garden. They had made it!