Author's Note:
I am SO sorry for the freakishly long delay! First it was the holidays, then exams, then I got the worst case of writer's block I've ever had (!)... but long story short: No, I have not abandoned this story and made an outline for the rest of the story! So this fic will have an ending and an actual plot! *gasp*
Please enjoy Chapter 6
Because of the delay I also wrote a little recap so...
Previously in Companions:
The Doctor, Amy, and Rory were watching the Medusa Cascade when the T.A.R.D.I.S. and her inhabitants felt the ship being pulled into another dimension until they hit the Waverider. After materializing on board, Rory and Rip met their respective dobblegangers and discussed how being time travelers has impacted their family and their children. Afterwards, Sara made a pass at Amy & Rory in front of Leonard (for some not-so mysterious reason) while The Doctor and Captain Rip Hunter spent time in the library trying to find a way to send the T.A.R.D.I.S and her crew back to their universe. But the research is not going well, which is where this chapter begins- enjoy and please review!
The Doctor had never met someone so similar to him. In all the years he spent traveling, never had he met another person who used time travel technology to save people. And while researching and chatting with Captain Hunter was fun, neither man had ever had true competition before.
So when they decided to get more data about the crash from their respective ships, both men became very competitive.
"Not very aerodynamic, is it?" said Rip, an eyebrow raised at the blue police box.
Unbeknownst to him, The Doctor was smiling while unlocking the door with the key hanging on a chain around his neck.
"What if you're running from someone? The old-fashioned locks seem very inconvenient," added Rip.
"Well, she usually unlocks herself for me… but being in this universe and in a different sort of time vortex is making her fussy and I need to open the doors by hand," explained The Doctor.
"Her?" asked Rip with a smirk. Despite being quite attached to the Waverider, Rip never thought of the ship as a person.
"Yes, she!" exclaimed The Doctor, finally unlocking the door and turning to give Rip a look as if he'd been the one referring to his ship as a person.
"She's sentient! The T.A.R.D.I.S. has a soul and a personality and she is absolutely capable of being fussy… Just think about how your A.I. Gideon has a sort of personality but multiply it tenfold. The T.A.R.D.I.S…" The Doctor explained with his hands "...is quite possible the most significant and amazing invention made in all of time and-"
"Doctor" said Gideon. "Perhaps the two of you need reminding that since we do not know the nature of how you got here, we may be under tight time constraints. This may not be the time for, what Ms. Lance would call, a p*ssing contest."
Rip suddenly blushed and the Doctor said "Um… right. Crash data."
The Doctor's face went from awkward to smug in the span of two seconds and he snapped his fingers, opening the police box doors.
Rip seemed… seemed what?
"I knew it!" Cried Rip.
"Sorry, what?" asked the Doctor.
"I knew it had to be bigger on the-"
"Bigger on the inside, yes." The Doctor said, trying to sound exasperated but fooling no one.
The Doctor marched to the console in steps slightly too long to appear normal for him. (Clunky. Maybe "long, coltish strides?") Rip followed behind in him an almost stoic fashion; his eyes darted but the light of fascination and wonder wasn't anywhere near what The Doctor was used to from his companions.
Needless to say, he was very disappointed to have not "wow-ed" the Captain.
The Doctor and Rip were just gathering the printed TARDIS crash reports when they heard the faint sound of an alarm outside and the creaking of one of the doors opening-
"Rip! Doctor! Gideon's picked up an aberration in ancient Rome and- wait a second!"
Jax glanced around the interior of the TARDIS once more and ran back outside. Rip rolled his eyes and The Doctor continued gathering the print-outs.
Jax came back inside "but it's-". He ran out again.
The Doctor paused in his stacking and looked at Rip, "What's a time aberration?" he asked.
"Well, when we're not hunting time-pirates, we fix their mistakes and other anachronisms in the ideal timeline I was telling you about. We've begun calling the mistakes "aberrations" because they usually end horribly." explained Rip, with perhaps a bit more gravitas than strictly necessary.
Having felt his way around the box once, Jax ran back inside.
"It's- it's-"
"Bigger on the inside! Yes!" said The Doctor. "I love it when they say that!"
