The Orphan in the TARDIS

Chapter Eleven

"Yes, well, when you work with Jack Harkness and a giant Pteranadon on the daily, you begin to just accept what's around you."

The Captain checks his watch, looking around the TARDIS himself. "You've redecorated," he comments off-handed to the Time Lord.

"Yep!"

"My room still there?"

"You never had a room," The Gallifreyan scoffs, stuffing his head down into another storage cubby near the console.

Jack rolls his eyes, once again checking his timepiece.

Sophie watches their interaction, a smirk on her face. She sits down on the console room floor, next to the Doctor. "So," she says, pulling out an old journal from her backpack, "where are we?"

"In the TARDIS?" the Doctor answers.

"I meant in terms of timeline."

The Doctor seems to consider this question, as he digs through the storage cubby. "Um...who do you think my companion is?"

Sophie glances up, surveying the console room, trying to determine which look it is. "Amy and Rory?"

"Got it in one!" he shouts, jumping to his feet, some piece of alien technology being waved around slightly dangerously.

"Okay...have you done Mercy?"

"The town, or the concept?"

The girl looks at the Time Lord, her mouth a straight line. "I'll take that as a yes then."

"Yep, last place I went with the two of them. Wait, how do you know about Mercy, you're too young."

"Future you mentioned it to past me, I jotted it down."

 "Right, okay then." The Gallifreyan spins on his foot, pointing the alien tech at Jack. "When does the rest of Team T arrive?"

The Captain checks his watch once again, "Should be here in around five minutes, why?"

"Cause they're not going to want to miss this."

Sophie rolls her eyes at the Time Lord, laying back onto the glass floor of the console room, looking up at the high domed ceiling arching overhead. She stretches her arms and legs out, laying spread eagle in the middle of the floor. The Doctor walks toward the woman, lighting nudging her side with the toe of his boot.

Sophie pops up, looking at her best friend, scandalized. "Did-Did you just kick me? How dare you. That's it, you no longer hold the seat as my best friend."

The Doctor rolls his eyes, stepping around her. "You don't have many options to take my place," he mumbles, lightly touching her head in a fond way.

Sophie smiles, grabbing his tweed clad arm, pulling herself up. Her thoughts drift to Morgan, and the other girls from the home, but knowing that the Doctor knows none of them, she grabs the Welshman by the arm. "Well, tough, because Ianto is my best friend now. You wouldn't kick me, right Ianto."

"Uh," the Welshman pauses, startled for a brief moment. "No, ma'am. My mother raised me to respect everyone. I don't normally kick people, unless they attack me first."

"See, Doc, manners. You should learn some."

"Oh, yes, I'll get right on that, Lyn" he mutters, sonicing some small machine, "Soon as I save the Earth...again."

Jack grins fondly at the exchange, "Aw, c'mon, Soph. You and I both know manners elude him."

"Well, I don't know about that, Captain Harkness. His fifth face was extremely well mannered. Don't know what happened."

"Change, my dear," the Doctor pipes up, leaning over Jack's shoulder, "and not a moment too soon."

Sophie rolls her eyes, as from her flat drift the sounds of voices. Ianto quickly turns, exiting the box to collect the rest of the Torchwood team. "You, my friend, are an idiot," she says, pointing a finger at the Doctor.

"I know you are, but what am I?" he grins, grabbing her from behind in a hug, kissing her hair in a friendly way.

"A clotpole," she answers.

He pulls back, a hand to his chest, gasping in offense. "Sophia Jacelyn McCoy, how dare you. Who even taught you that insult?"

Sophie smirks at the pouting Gallifreyan, "You, you turnip head."

He turns from her, crossing his arms like a petulant five-year-old. Before he's able to whine about the insult, the TARDIS doors creak open, admitting the rest of Torchwood.

"Oh my God!" Gwen comments, gazing at the interior of the ship.

A smile skirts across the Doctor's face, and he turns dramatically to face them. Flinging his arms wide, he states, "Welcome to my TARDIS. That stands for time and relative dimension in space, and yes, it is-"

The Time Lord is cut off by Tosh, as she says, "Dimensionally transcendental."

The Doctor, who hands had been open wide as he talks, snaps them closed, folding them in front of him clapping, "Well, yes." He points at her, snapping, "You, I like you. Smart, I like smart. But, please, don't interrupt me." He clasps his hands behind his back, as he looms over her, as he had walked forward.

"Right. I'm sorry, sir, I got excited."

A smile spreads across the Time Lord's face, "Oh, I'm just joking. And don't call me sir." He spins on his heel, practically skipping up the three stairs.

^-^

Hello, Sweeties,

I know it's been a while, but I'm back, at least with this chapter. I've been binging Eleven...again, and decided to pop this out. Enjoy.