"Are you okay down there?" Bernadette asked.
Talitha nodded, pulling her blanket closer.
"You can't hide under the console forever."
"I can if you keep bringing me tea and snacks."
"So I'll just stop."
"That's low."
Bernadette sat down beside her. "You're lower."
They sat in silence for a moment, taking in the hum of the engines and the distant patter of debris against the outside of the timeship.
"I called my mom." Bernadette said, breaking the silence.
"What did she say?"
"Run." Bernadette looked up at the underside of the console, tracing the circular etched into the polished metal with her fingers.
"Type 120." it read. "Model Number 347. Property of..." Her hand found its way back to the start. "Type 120. Model Number 347."
Bernadette sighed. "She told me to stay safe however I can, and that she loved me."
Talitha looked at her, her head tilting ever so slightly to the side. "So you're staying with us?"
Bernadette nodded, letting the sound of debris and laserfire answer for her.
Talitha tackled Bernadette with a hug, knocking her to the floor, blanket, tea, and all. "So-you're-staying-with-us-for-real-like-a-really-long-sleepover-except-this-time-your-mum-won't-take-away-your-laser-cutter-because-we-broke-the-balcony-and-part-of-the-first-floor-while-welding-metal-and-we're-gonna-have-so-much-fun!"
Her words turned to a squeal of delight.
Bernadette fought her way to her feet. "Tally, are you hyper or something?"
She nodded vigorously. "Yeah, sugar and non-decaf! Now come on, I need to show you something!" She ducked out from her hiding place and was soon pulling Bernadette down the hall.
The pale polished floors and wood paneled walls flew past, a maze of doors and wooden floors and pale polished walls, until Talitha stopped, letting Bernadette slide to a halt on her socks, ending up several meters past her destination.
"This is my room!" Talitha announced, opening a door on her right.
Bernadette peeked inside and saw that she was right. It was an exact replica of her room. It had Talitha's bed, her pictures, her books, her papers, her homework...
"Did you run away from home?" Bernadette asked.
Talitha shrugged. "I guess."
"When did this happen?"
"Three weeks ago?" She sat on her bed, bouncing on the bedsprings. "But does it count if my dad didn't come home first? I was starting to get hungry. And lonely. And something else, I guess…" She picked up one of her plush toys and held it to her chest.
Bernadette realized that most of the items were probably genuine.
Talitha changed the subject with a smile.
"Hey Bernadette, do you want to get something to eat?"
Soon they were sorting through the cabinets of the cozy kitchen, standing on their tiptoes in a vain effort to reach a jar of magenta jam. Somehow, it seemed that the self managed to stay just out of reach, regardless of every chair they stood on and every extra inch they stretched. They settled for some warm pastries without the sugary jam on top, which they ate while Talitha relayed the ground rules to Bernadette.
Go to school in the morning.
Only the ship is allowed to pilot the ship.
No fighting.
Don't break anything.
Have fun.
They found something to eat for dinner and soon they were too tired to talk about the times they'd tried to find the edge of the TARDIS and other dumb things they'd done before to keep their minds off things and not fall asleep.
They drifted off, side by side, leaning on one another, just as they always did.
Things were different, but they were as they should be.