ignite ➝ Doctor Who¹

VI

Penelope sat on a jump seat as the Doctor ran around the main console. He had changed into a brown pinstripe suit and had thrown his long jacket over one of the huge pillars. But even the outfit change couldn't deter her from taking in every single detail around her, wanting nothing more than to smother herself in the aesthetic of the machine.

"So, Miss Adaams." She looked over to him, away from the interior of the TARDIS. "What do you think?" He gestured around him and spun on the spot, she couldn't help the smile on her face that cracked the dried tear lines.

"Really? That suit?" He looked so disappointed in her.

"Oh come on, it's my favourite bit, won't you humour me." She grinned wider, the smile finally lighting up her eyes. Which caused him to smile and bound over like an excited puppy. "So, for the final time, what do you think?"

"I think she's gorgeous. Honestly the prettiest ship I've ever been on." He looked at her impressed, jumping away to pull levers and push buttons, lighting up the room. Penelope got up in awe of the green light pulsing in the centre of the ship.

"I will admit that's a first. Usually I get 'it's bigger on the inside'." She smiles as he whizzes past, barely hearing him over her own internal adoration of the ship.

"Bet you love that bit." He laughs and she smiles wider, closing her eyes and adoring the idea that the Doctor chose her as the person he wanted to take alongside himself and Rose.

"Always have, Rose is just saying goodbye. Are you sure you don't want to grab anything? Phone, house keys? I mean we left in a rush." He looked over and the rest of his questions died in his throat, he had never seen anyone so content just being in the TARDIS. And it makes him even happier knowing that he's the reason for the happiness after all her grief.

"I'd have no one to call, plus I can always pick up a space phone on my space trips." He groaned in annoyance, neither of them registering that Rose Tyler had joined them.

"I've asked you, please do not put 'space' in front of every word. Just because a phone is in space it doesn't make it a space phone. You don't call a man in space a space man." From the absolute mad grin threatening to pull apart Penelope's face, he knew that intentionally making himself sound like an idiot was a good idea. Anything to make her smile again. Rose coughed.

"Hate to break it to you Doctor, but you've become an idiot." He looked very offended, especially as this elicited a small laugh from the ginger girl, effectively beating him in making her happy.

"Oh alright you two. Enough of that. We're off." The TARDIS lurched and Penelope Adaams fell forward off the seat into the console. She kept her fingers up, desperately trying not to push any buttons - she didn't feel like ending the world today.

He bounded over to her once more and pulled her up, back into the seat, making sure she hadn't seriously damaged herself before returning to the controls.

Rose struggled to walk against the turbulence, but managed to get up next to the Doctor. "So then, where are we going?" He grinned at the blonde girl before turning and smiling at Penelope.

"Further than we've ever gone before." Another switch was flipped and Penelope held on even tighter, not daring to imagine the injuries she would sustain if she was standing. Choosing, instead, to prepare herself for her first alien planet, unable to pull the smile from her face.