Title: Chorus for a Sexy Old Lady

Prompt: Serenade.
Fandom/Characters: Doctor Who: The Doctor (Ten), Jack, Rose and the Tardis.
Medium: fic
Rating: PG
Warnings: None that I can think of.
Summary: The Doctor and all his companions are taking Earth back home, but the Tardis had been badly wounded. She needs comfort and she finds it.

Word count: 698 more or less.

Note: Written for Schmoop Bingo

Beta: Jooles34

…..

The Tardis was humming quietly. It was a music the Doctor had got used to listening to. A soft hum of contentment. She was getting old and had been badly wounded, but she was content. Martha and Mickey were chatting in the library. Sarah Jane was giving Jacky the grand tour. Donna and his metacrisis counterpart were arguing on the deck. Rose and Jack were nowhere to be seen.

Those two were just impossible. But they were her favourites. Of all the companions he had brought on board they were her favourites.

The humming was getting stronger, turning into a sort of purr.

"Tell me. What is it with him? And don't say I'm jealous; I just want to understand why you're always purring like this when he's on board?" The Doctor spoke aloud attracting Jacky and Sarah Jane's attention.

"Problem Doctor?" Sarah Jane asked.

"Who are you talking too?" asked Jacky, looking around to see if anyone else was in the corridors.

The Doctor didn't bother to answer either of them.

"Do you happen to know where Rose could be?" he asked.

"That would be with the Captain." Jacky said. "Nice guy."

"Yes of course..."

"Down in the zero room." Sarah Jane added.

"In the zero room?"

"Yes, something about comforting her." Sarah Jane said. "The Tardis, she got hurt." she added when she realised the Doctor was completely at loss.

"Yes I know that. Of course I know." He said a bit puzzled. What the hell was the Captain doing in the zero room with Rose to comfort the Tardis? Or was this just a covert story for Jacky? "I better go and have a look." He said.

And he went down to find Rose comfortably tucked in Jack's coat on the sofa. She had provided them with a sofa. He couldn't see most of the Captain. Only his legs were visible. He was working deep inside a maintenance access. And he was singing. The Tardis hummed in response.

"What the hell are you doing Captain? I checked, everything is fine."

Startled by the Doctor, Jack banged his head.

"Oye. That hurts." he said, trying to get out of the trap with some dignity. "Hi Doc. Not so loud. Rose is sleeping."

"You were the one singing here, and you want me not to be quiet?" the Doctor pointed out.

"Singing is not noise. Of course it can be noisy, but that's not the purpose here."

"And what is the purpose?" the Doctor asked.

"She loves it when he sing for her, always has." Rose grunted. "I like it too. Not much my style, though. But I like the voice."

"You're kidding me?"

"No Doc. And she is not fine. Far from it. And you know it as much as I do. Repaired but not fine."

There was a lot of concern in the Captain's eyes. He loved the Tardis as much as the Doctor did and was probably the only one of his companions to understand her.

"So why here? And why under this deck?"

"I'm not sure, something about vibrato?" the Captain answered frowning.

"Vibrato or vibrations?"

"Hey Doc." Rose protested. Still on her sofa. Still trying to sleep."Won't you let him sing, and let me sleep?"

"I don't think it matters." the Captain said, his thoughts still focused on the Doc's question. "A lot of species don't actually hear sound as we do, they feel it."

"I don't think she has actual ears, does she?" Rose asked.

"Of course not." the Doctor answered. "Okay. Go on." he added, sitting on the floor beside the sofa.

The Tardis provided him with a cushion.

"Okay, but you'll have to sing with me."

"Why's that? Rose doesn't sing, she's sleeping."

"Still trying to anyway." she grunted.

"Rose is going home and so am I. You're home. She is your home and she needs you."

"You want me to sing for my ship?"

"Why not?"

"Okay, let's do this."

And they sang for the Tardis, the three of them. And she was content, feeling loved. And she would soon be fine.