trans_9 | Don't get your hopes up [closed, bendytimed to before shore leave]

This particular Doctor hasn't slept either, but rather than pacing around rooms where people might be trying to sleep, he'd channelled that energy into patching up his screwdriver. And then modifying it a bit, once he could no longer say he was just fixing it. He may have ~~stolen~~ borrowed a few parts from Engineering.

He's still flipping the screwdriver absently in one hand as he bounces into the hangar. Spotting his younger self, he stops a few steps away, and when his screwdriver lands in his palm again, it stays there for the time being.

"So! Just us, then?" He's... not entirely thrilled about the idea of being alone with himself for any length of time. Sooner or later, the younger Doctor's going to ask the questions he must already have - questions this Doctor very much does not want to answer.

Eh, Jamie was a young fellow. He’d get over it.

The Doctor paused in his bouncy investigation of a nearby X-Wing, leaning sharply forward as if getting ready to pounce, peering out energetically from beneath the brim of his Panama hat as he caught sight of his older self. For someone who recently received the news that his universe had been destroyed while he was snoozing away in a stasis chamber within the bowels of a transdimensional meatship—which, I’ll tell you, is enough of a conundrum to make anyone dizzy—this Time Lord was looking absolutely ecstatic. He might’ve been happier had one of his companions showed up along with (or instead of) his later incarnation, but at any rate his mind was too far gone on current matters and observations to dwell on yesterday’s passing glances, thanks. Besides, he had all of last night to mull that over.

“That would seem to be the case,” chimed the blond Doctor, straightening and raising an eyebrow at the sonic device clasped in Ten’s hand. For the moment his thoughts traveled to domestic matters; he’d had this particular regeneration offer him the same model the last time they met, but it wasn’t quite so…patchy then. “—Oh I don’t still carry that around, do I?”

He had never really mastered Omnicom use and quite frankly, it's become the very occasional chewie toy. Seriously, the thing's got a corner marred with gnawed teeth-marks. Still, when the message had come through on the audio setting, as reading does him absolutely no good, this curious oddity had easily been tempted.

It's something new. Something curious. Come on, he can't ignore that.

Thus, chittering and occasionally sharply chirping at or about something called a "Gad-ose", here comes a six pound little blue oddity into the hangar. He's been here before and if he happens to run into a certain unicorn-thing, he's one to stop a moment at its feet.

Alas, the sound/smell of two Doctors has the beastie grinning mischievously.

Beware, you two. This one's a wee bit hyper today.

It's true, Jamie is young and better easily able to recover from these sorts of things. That doesn't mean that the lack of sleep didn't affect him. In fact, when he shows up, he's looking more than a bit bleary-eyed.

He stifles a yawn, without much success. "Doctor, if ye are going to be doing that pacing on a regular basis, remind me to ask Billy if he can invent some earplugs?"

Maybe some noise-canceling headphones. Something so he can get some sleep, anyway. He's not spotted a hyper Renne yet, since he's still blinking and generally trying to get himself into a somewhat more awake frame of mind. Seeing the sonic screwdriver in Ten's hand helps, and Jamie peers at it.

"Did ye do something different to that?"

"Sure, I'll invent them as soon as I gather the materials. There's some sound-proof padding in some of the abandoned buildings in the City that I can repurpose."

Oh, did we mention that Billy followed his two friends into the hangar? He's here as well, waving to the Doctors as he enters. So today must be the day they search for the TARDIS. He's more than ready to go.

But soon enough, concern for Jamie displaces that excitement in Billy's mind and on his face. Fortunately it sounds like the guilty party for Jamie's exhaustion is the Doctor rather than the resurgence of any enchanted nightmares.

Unfortunately, regardless of cause that's still a bad thing. The Doctors don't look particularly refreshed either, and it makes him wonder. Not that Billy's had adequate sleep for a while, but he considered it part of his duty to worry about others first. After making sure that no one else was in earshot, he asked:

"Have you all been searching for the TARDIS all night long?"

The Doctor grins upon seeing the others entering the hangar. More people! Not having to talk to himself! Brilliant.

"Yes, I still carry this around," he says pointedly to the other Doctor, brandishing the screwdriver at him briefly. "And don't think I need it, I just like it." He swings toward Jamie, pointing to him as he answers his question. "Yes, I did do something different to this. It was broken, I fixed it, and then I made a few upgrades." His attention turns toward Billy as he adds, "No, I haven't been searching for the TARDIS all night long. If I had, I'd already have found it, and..."

He turns to the small blue creature nearby and goes on, "Hello, Renne. Thank you for not asking any stupid questions."

Don't worry, boys. The Doctor didn't mean that 'stupid' bit. Mostly.

Jenny wasn't normally the type to be nervous about any situation. She was the type to dive in headfirst, to seek out the adventure, wherever it was. But the matter of there being two Doctors, two of the same person, and yet not... it was a lot for her to take in. It wasn't that she wasn't thrilled to have found her dad. Quite the opposite, really. For the first time since she'd been born, she felt connected to someone else. She felt whole. And, even if it meant she was stuck on Stacy for a while, it was more than worth it to her.

But this other Doctor... was she supposed to consider him her father, too? He didn't know her, hadn't experienced her birth, and death, and everything in between on Messaline. And how exactly did regeneration work? Would her father become someone else eventually? And, in becoming that new person...would he still know her, really? Would he still feel connected to her?

Jenny pushed all of these thoughts to the back of her mind, and entered the hangar bay, a smile on her face. Catching the end of what her dad was saying, she replied, "Oh, c'mon, Dad. We can't all be as brilliant as you."

...That was obvious, wasn't it? Mentally kicking himself (an extra time for the accurate 'stupid question' comment), he turned and advanced toward the vehicles in the Hangar. Still in earshot of the group, but far away enough to hide while he reverts to 'intimidated shy geek' mode. In the interest of multi-tasking, he recalled what he knows of their placements and considered likely hiding spots for a large blue box.

While crouching and standing on his toes and looking at heights, he heard a young woman behind him talking to her dad. That must have been Jenny. A quick glance over his shoulder to register her appearance and he was back to looking ~~occupied~~ during the wait for the rest of their group. By now, the only person he didn't know was Rose.

For his part, Jamie is not at all bothered by the inference that his question was stupid. He makes a small, interested sounding noise and goes to poke at the sonic screwdriver much like he used to poke at intriguing-looking switches on the TARDIS console - a move which would often get his hand slapped.

As Billy moves away, however, he glances over and frowns slightly. With a look at Ten that clearly indicates that someone could have perhaps thought about picking a different word, he walks over to join his friend. Jenny gets a nod as she comes in, but he's a little more concerned with making sure Billy doesn't get too flustered.

"Och, don't mind him. He gets like that sometimes, especially when I'm the one asking questions. It's not like he means it, aye?"

That's probably a good thing Jamie's gone in Billy's direction. See, Renne has seriously good ears but his English (and understanding thereof) is...lacking in more ways than one. Figurative language very often flies over his head.
As a result, the Doctor over there, that one that has the higher-pitched voice, gets an unusual reaction.

The Renne's skin gives off a few tiger-striped flashes of pale amber-yellow. His transparent teeth bare a bit and his voice? Well, please, don't laugh. He's trying to sound serious here. He is serious.

"Stoo-pid Dohck-turrrr noh say Bee be stoo-pid." Grrrowl. "Bee be smahrrrt ahn-d goo-d! Dohck-turrr bi-te Rrrr-enne."

Yes, Doctor. He just told you to "Bite me".

The Doctor smiled not at all apologetically, opened his mouth, and—

—All hell broke loose as most of the rest of the requested group popped in. Perhaps it would’ve gone better if Ten hadn’t made a jerk of himself. Erm, them. He was representing at least half of his personality, after all, but quite frankly he wasn’t sure he wanted whatever half that was to be represented. So much for mellowing with age, huh?

If Five wasn’t already giving his older self a glare for the screwdriver thing, he was now. At least the first comment was mildly amusing. The Doctor folded his arms, making sure the others (Jenny not included) were mostly distracted trying to console one another, before muttering out of the corner of his mouth:

“At this rate it will just be us looking for the TARDIS!” At which point he managed to unravel his arms and stuff his hands back into his pockets, sighing heavily—and saw Jenny. Or rather, registered that she was here. The Doctor gave her a polite smile before returning to a more serious visage (which was just about as menacing as the look Renne was attempting, but at least he had a reputation to help back up his threats), deciding to address the rest of the assembled group. Nothing different here; still fixing everyone else’s problems, as usual…

First priorities went to Renne, who was ~~too cute to be angry~~ the most flustered and in immediate danger of getting a snide retort from his later incarnation. The Doctor stepped beside the creature, leaning down to his level and offering a hand for identification purposes and as a sign of a truce. “Steady on, Renne, he doesn’t mean it.” And, after another pointed glare, he made a slightly less serious aside in the imp’s direction. “Don’t pay him much mind. One tends to lose a certain amount of intelligence after each regeneration…”

He popped back to his feet as if nothing had transpired. “—Alright everyone, settle down, settle down. Now we have a lot of room to cover and not a lot of time, so since most of us are here we should probably start moving…”

...oh dear. Billy's face was burning brightly by this point. He'd intended to cool down and make sure the supplies were gathered, not start a fight!

To Jamie, he shrugged and whispered a "No, it's all right. I just wanted everything to go smoothly for you and I..."

Rats. He couldn't even finish his sentence before feeling a spike of anger and protectiveness from Renne. Billy cringed, anticipating the worst. Really, Renne, was calling the Doctor stupid the best choice? Especially considering how Billy had accidentally started this? For the first time, he found himself looking at the imp with am absolutely mortified facial expression. 'Stop helping me,' he wanted to say. Instead, the thought he transmitted was Renne, please leave him alone. It's nothing. I'll explain later, all right?

Before he could stutter out his apologies and ask to start over, the other Doctor intervened. By further insulting his taller self. Yes, this was definitely going to end well. Thinking fast, he reached for his contributions to the search effort and set them in the middle of the group. Two custom-built heavy duty flashlights, ready for usage in dark spaces. As they were built from salvaged Command Center parts they weren't the sleekest of models, but they were functional.

"You're right, Doctor. Both of you. I'm sorry that I caused this mess, and I promise not to cause any more trouble. Please proceed." The hangar floor, he found out, was a very interesting thing to look at. And it was also a very interesting thing to wish to be swallowed up by. Not that he'd find the TARDIS down there, unless it had the capability to meld with the ground. Or Stacy kept a trap door in here. Always a possibility.

Following Billy's mortified gaze over to Renne, Jamie winds up staring for a long moment, rather stunned by the imp's words. Then his brain catches up. That wouldn't have gone over well with his Doctor, and he can't imagine it being much different with Ten.

Hurrying over, he goes to try and slip in between the two of them and grip at the Doctor's sleeve. There may be a bit of an inadvertent jostling as he does so, but it's not a particularly rough gesture - he's mostly just trying to find some way to distract the older Time Lord. If he winds up putting some space between him and Renne in the process, that's just as well.

He seizes onto Five's words with a bit of relief. That should work for trying to redirect things. Billy's contribution to the search effort might do that as well, for that matter, but Jamie opts to focus on the subject that he thinks will be the most effective.

"Aye. Could we not go look for the TARDIS now?"

((OOC: oh, hai there fail. All fixed. :) ))

The Doctor, for his part, just blinks for a moment and rolls his eyes a little, shooting a scathing glare at the younger Doctor. Just as well his Ninth isn't here, if this is the sort of reaction a little comment like that is going to get.

"Well, that was a bit interesting," he mutters under his breath, glances to Billy, and adds, "And I like people who cause messes. They're much more interesting than the other kind." All forgiven - except maybe the comment from you, Five. Ten happens to think that was unnecessary.

"Anyway. Why doesn't someone who's been on this ship longer than me point out a likely direction and we'll be off? Unless..." He pauses, glancing around the group. Rose isn't here yet, but he has no doubt that even without her, this particular group is more than capable of finding trouble. Still, it's worth mentioning...

"I suppose we could always split up. Cover more ground, hope no one gets lost forever or eaten by something..." Well, he thinks it's a valid concern.

Kaylee's all full of cheer as she steps down out of Serenity. Tired, maybe--because aren't they all?--but definitely cheerful. Maybe it's because of things with Dean, maybe it's a breakthrough in Engineering, but really, it's just Kaylee being Kaylee and not letting the lack of sleep or worry for some of her fellow shipmates get to her too badly.

'Course, even with cheer radiating over everything else, it's hard to miss the not-so-happy vibes radiating from a small group of people not too far off from her normal walking rounds through the bay. Kaylee's even more interested in the small group when she realizes just who it's made up of.

Yep, sounds about right.

She steps up in time to catch some of the conversation, and gives Billy a friendly shoulder-bump and a whisper as she does so. "Don't look so down, makes me wanna hug ya and never let go." Because that'll really help him feel more secure.

After that, though, it's smiles and grins to everyone. "I doubt anybody's gonna get eaten in here," she promises, "though the place is big enough that I don't think it'd hurt to split up into smaller groups at all."

Absorbed as he was in trying to phrase his suggestion somewhat intelligently before speaking, Billy fails to notice Kaylee until the cheerful woman is already upon him. The bump against his shoulder causes his posture to straighten immediately, and those words trigger an alarmed look at everyone. No no, Kaylee, Billy is fine. He enjoys your hugs but he'll wait until less people are watching.

It's definitely time to move. Hauling up the two flashlights and testing their brightness knobs, he glances around the hangar. "And in the unlikely event that we are threatened by any of the vehicles, Stacy has the ability to intervene."

Nervously scratching his head, he tries to finish as quickly as possible. "The vehicles are grouped by type and roughly by size. We're standing near the mecha doors, with smaller vehicles located further back---though that's not a guarantee, as I'm unsure how she would classify the TARDIS. So...you're leading the groups, Doctors?"

Edited 2010-06-20 21:32 (UTC)

Okay, okay, so maybe the Doctor was still a little sore about the whole “decorative vegetable” thing. And maybe he was enjoying seeing that other incarnation of his scare off others while he—the younger, obviously more handsome and likeable regeneration—brought the group back together and led the charge. The implications that one day he would actually turn into this other, less fortunate form did not immediately appear in his subconscious; but even when they did, Five wasn’t too terribly concerned. He figured he still had a while off before he had to worry about it, and at any rate he would’ve forgotten about this whole ordeal and therefore wouldn’t mull over it unless prompted.

Regardless.

The Doctor nodded with a brief, energetic twitch of the head, for the most part ignoring any glances from Ten and instead focusing on the task at hand. He would talk to him later, maybe. Or maybe he would just continue to ignore him. That might be better.

“—Erm, yes, I suppose we are,” he directed at Billy—and then he promptly turned to Kaylee with a smile and a brief, “Hello Kaylee, glad to see that you could join us,”—before setting his mind to sift through the gathered collective and come up with two groups.

Renne would definitely have to come with him, if his temperament towards Ten remained the way it was, so that was already set. And if the subject of said outburst—Billy—was so important, then separating the two would also lead to bad things. Jenny and Kaylee both appeared to be in pretty high spirits, and thus they would be quite beneficial to lift the pair’s mood; but while Five was eager to get to know his future daughter, he figured that such discussion was better saved for a more private time, and forcing her into it would only make things awkward and distracting in terms of what they were trying to accomplish here. She would, thus, be better off traveling with Ten—leaving Kaylee to keep Renne and Billy in check, and Jamie and Rose (when and if she showed up) to keep the other Doctor company. Besides, Jamie was probably tired of listening to Five’s ramblings, and he wasn’t entirely sure how Rose and Ten fit together just yet. They seemed to know one another well enough, if the comm message was any indication.

The Doctor gave another nod at the ceiling, addressing the group as he picked up one of the offered flashlights, testing its intensity in various settings against the Hangar walls high above them. “Alright—Renne, Billy, Kaylee, you should come with me. Jenny and Jamie can go with him—er, the other me. We’ll do a sweep through the front while your group goes ahead and searches the back.”

He paused, having opened up the top of the flashlight while he was talking; already he was fiddling with a few of the wires, removing some resistors haphazardly, storing the remains in an inside pocket before reconnecting them and turning it on again. The light’s intensity nearly doubled, shining a nigh blinding blaze of blue-white towards the ceiling.

“If someone finds something, we can use the flashlights to signal. Now, let’s get going, shall we?”

I mean, not like the Doctor wasn’t already walking ahead of them, but, you know.

"Eeee." Chirp.

Five gets at that, a brief but somehow nervous little almost-nuzzle. Renne's quite attentive here but there's an undercurrent of something. It isn't fear. It isn't anger. It's somewhere between all of that, in that place where children fear the wrath of a beloved hero or the disdain of an idol.

So, he keeps close but not too close, holding tight to a nearly omnipresent plushie under an arm. He'll likely bring up the rear. Logically, a reason for that is to keep up with the scent trail of those around him.

Logically.

Jamie - having already let go of Ten's sleeve after that impromptu clutching - turns towards the sound of the new voice and addresses its owner. "Kaylee!"

It's a brief greeting, but a rather pleased sounding one, even coming with a tiny little bit of a smile - because it's Kaylee, and she has that effect on him. Now if Rose was able to find her way down, they could actually get started.

As the groups are split up, however, his good mood is slightly dampened. It's not that he has any objection going with Ten. He actually would prefer that, as he's likely going to wind up spending quite enough time with Five as it is in the foreseeable future. It's the fact that Five is getting both Billy and Kaylee, and he was kind of hoping at least he'd be able to look with one of his friends.

Jamie gets over things quickly, however, and after a moment where he looks slightly disappointed, he nods. "All right."

He takes the other flashlight and offers it to Ten, figuring that he'd likely want to do some similar adjustments. After about 30 seconds, he starts walking off in a likely direction, letting the others catch up as they will. Apparently, he also still tends to go wandering off on his own at the earliest provocation.

"We can start over here, aye?" he calls back to them.

Edited 2010-06-22 19:39 (UTC)

Billy watches the adjustments to the flashlight intently, trying to figure out what precisely he could have done better. They weren't his best work given the lack of spare time between Jamie's initial request and the present, but at least they were functional.

For now, he's content to wave goodbye to the others and dutifully follow the blond Doctor. He honestly isn't sure he'd be able to interact with the other one without intense embarrassment. Billy walks quickly and quietly, scratching Renne's ear for his own comfort as much as the imp's. I'm okay, Renne. It's not your fault. I'll explain when we settle into walking, all right?

Finally, he strides to meet Kaylee. "Should we look at opposite sides, then?"

He's fine. His shy smile and rigid stance scream 'fine'.

"Need to loosen up some," is her only real reply to Billy--it's a constant reminder, whether he likes it or not--before she turns to give Jamie a happy wave and responding, "How's it goin', Jamie?"

As the Doctor starts fiddling with the flashlight, Kaylee is watching just as intently as Billy. A mental note is made to keep an eye on the flashlight as they work through the Bay. This reconfiguring might work for the better or for the worse, and she plans on remembering it either way. Future reference for any work she might be doing.

And they're moving. Kaylee refocuses on the situation at hand, gives Jamie a little wave 'later,' and follows after the appropriate Doctor. "Opposite sides might be best, and meet in the middle?" She gives Billy a comforting pat on the arm. Cheer up, kid, or she really will hug you.

After a quick nod to Five, Jenny watched as both of the Doctors took charge of the situation, started to plot things out. She had to admit, it was hard for her to stand back, to let someone else take on that role. She had been off on her own for a while now, exploring new worlds, taking on one adventure after the next. She was used to playing the leader, whether it was to a group of people or simply to her shuttle, deciding which destination it would fly off to next.

But, if she was going to stand by and watch anyone else take on that role, it was her father. ...Her fathers? She still wasn't sure what to think about that, and it was pretty clear to her that Five felt the same way. Maybe she made him feel uncomfortable, maybe that was why he wanted her to be a part of her dad's group. Or maybe he worried that was how she felt. Either way, it was obvious they would need to sit down and talk soon. Preferably after someone explained, in detail, the regeneration process to her.

Jenny followed after Jamie, "Good a place as any. Though, you would know better than dad or me. How long have you been here, Jamie?"

Rose finally arrived, looking a bit windswept from her mad dash over. She hadn’t intended to be late, only wanting to get in a bit of target practice before the meeting, but she’d lost track of time in the Sensoriums, lulled by the familiar sight of Torchwood’s firing range and the almost-meditative repetition of gunshots. The faint smell of hot metal and expended powder still clung to her hair, reminding her of her first days of training.

When she caught sight of the group (groups?), she slowed from flat-out run to a brisk trot. Rose didn't recognize everyone there and counted off more than the four the Doctor's Omnicomm post had been directed toward; Jamie's mates must have decided to help.

She gravitated towards her Doctor and managed a sheepish grin. “Sorry ‘bout that. I was--” Looking at the two Doctors, Rose caught herself; they probably wouldn’t appreciate the fact that she’d been playing with guns. “Wanderin’. Guess I wandered off farther than I thought.”

Squeak.

The skritch of course, has the effect of a nuzzle in return. And possibly a lick when he thinks (hopes) no one's looking. he crawls in that spot not quite beside but not quite behind the Human and at least manages to keep his skin-flashes under control.
Yes, Bee, your tension screams 'okay', but he's keeping quiet for now.

For Rose's voice, the Renne offers a trilling squeak.

"Is big shi-p. Noh ge-t lost." And then to the Billy comes a quiet, inward wave of a question.

[[ooc: Hah, yeah, beat me to it. x3 Maybe we'll do a bit more of this threading for a while, then have a new sub-thread for when they actually find it? Also, we've kinda already established that the TARDIS is in the back, so Ten's group gets there first, right?]]

The entrance of Rose almost went unnoticed by the other Time Lord, who didn’t turn around to give her a pleasant smile until she spoke and the others addressed her. He seemed ready to say something; his mouth opened, he raised a hand. But then he thought better of it and stuck with the wide grin, holding for a moment before he went back to lead his group. Things to do, you know, places to be—not at all like the Doctor was still kind of embarrassed about Rose first meeting him wearing slime and nothing else. Of course not.

And yes, he was deliberately ignoring his other self now, even though he could clearly hear that annoying sonic hum behind him and see the shadow created by a much brighter torch, most likely blinding everyone else in that vicinity. At least he was secure in the knowledge that he didn’t have to rely on some dinky screwdriver to fix or modify or unlock things. Pah. Better off without the blasted device.

…In truth the Doctor missed it greatly, but still. Don’t need a sonic screwdriver to be better than Ten. Hmph.

Internal ramblings aside, the blond Time Lord wore a casual smile and was, as before, almost bouncing with energy. Hands in pockets and brow raised, he stopped in his investigation of a nearby mecha only to lean sharply forward and replace his Panama hat.

“—Right, that should work,” the Doctor nodded briefly and resumed his pacing, going in no specific direction (as a matter of fact he was making a large, aimless sort of circle), “Now we should all know what we’re looking for. Ah—it’s a large, blue police call box, has a light on top. Renne, you’ve encountered the TARDIS before, haven’t you? Would you recognize it if you came across her again?”

It would be okay as long as Kaylee stayed there, Billy thought.

Once they were far away enough from the other group and he settled into his routine of looking and thinking, he tried to explain his trouble to Renne without the others overhearing.

I really appreciate you defending my honor, but I don't think that was the right time. The Doctors are our leaders in this situation. Offending them with personal insults, no matter how true you feel they are, would get us in trouble and end any chances of us continuing to help Jamie. I just don't think the victory you might have won was worth the cost.

Besides, he was right. That was stupid of me. If I'm going to help him I need to do better. There was absolutely no disappointment or anger directed at Renne in that exchange. All of it was frustration with his own failings.

...oh, was the Doctor talking? Pulling out of that inner conversation, he nodded absently. "Jamie described it to me."

And stay there Kaylee would, if only because she couldn't really handle Billy's looking like a kicked puppy. Searching for the TARDIS? I nice bonus to getting that smile back on the Ranger's face where it belonged.

Kaylee gave Rose a friendly smile as the woman approached, but groups split off too quickly after that to say or do much.

"Can't say Jamie's ever described it to me, though." Which was strange, given the many times he'd bragged and boasted about the ship to her. She listened carefully to the Doctor's description, and eventually only shook her head. "Don't think I've seen it, but if it's around and not over with the smaller vessels..." She glanced up at Billy. "Don't have a special TARDIS parkin' section, do we?"

"Thank you, Jamie," the Doctor says as Jamie hands him the flashlight, flipping it over in his hands and making a few adjustments with his sonic screwdriver - without having to pry the thing open. Not that he's looking for ways to feel superior to the other Doctor or anything. Of course not.

The light blazes brighter, nearly blinding him as he swings it up toward his face to check, and then he waves the flashlight vaguely around. "Right, who's carrying the torch? I've got my screwdriver, no sense in holding both."

When Rose jogs to meet them, he smiles bright enough to match the torch and beckons for her to come with him and Jenny and Jamie. "Somehow, I'm not surprised," he says cheerfully, not thinking for a second to doubt that explanation.

"You're with us, by the way. Rose, this is Jamie and Jenny, in case you haven't already met." He points the torch's beam at each of them as he introduces them. He's... just going to avoid mentioning that Jenny's his daughter, right now - there's no way that won't raise a million questions from Rose, once she knows. "Jamie and Rose, you already know what the TARDIS looks like. Jenny - big blue box, taller than it is wide, light on the top, says 'Police' on it... Got it?"

"It's been...och, it's hard to tell time here," Jamie replies to Jenny. "It's been a few months at least. Maybe five or so?"

It could be longer, or shorter. Trying to figure out how long he's been here tends to give him a headache. Rose's arrival distracts him nicely from trying to figure it out, and he takes her words at face value.

"Aye, ye can wander for hours sometimes. As long as GLaDoS's not gotten ye, ye can usually find your way back." Without thinking about it, he goes to take the now-modified light source back - almost as if he half-expected to be handed it anyway. However, he's fairly quick to realize what he's done, and promptly lowers his hand.

"Er, did one of ye want to take the torch instead, and I can show ye where I've been already?"

"Five months," Jenny repeated to herself. Such a long time to be stuck in one place. "You know other people here, yeah? What's the longest you've heard of anyone being on the ship?"

Just then, a blond woman entered the room. Jenny could see a change in her dad's demeanor instantly, as if the woman's presence alone was enough to make him happier. Since she'd found him again, she'd noticed that he'd been a bit...darker. As if he had an extra shadow following him about. But there was something about this woman, some connection between her and her father. Jenny, of course, couldn't wait to learn more about her, to learn about everything in her dad's life.

So grinning at the woman, she said, "Hi, Rose. It's nice to meet you. How do you know my dad? Seems like so many people here do." And then she simply nodded at Jamie, taking the torch from him, completely unaware that the Doctor had been trying to save the conversation with Rose about their relationship for another time.

Rose waved at the other group, resolving to introduce herself properly to the two she didn’t know at some point—preferably when they found the TARDIS. Frankly, she was glad to have some time away from the other Doctor to get over the fact that they met while both were naked and slimy; that had to be the most awkward first impression she’d ever made.

She joined her designated group, returning the Doctor’s bright smile with a dazzling one of her own, before turning her attention to the others. “Hi, Jamie. Nice meetin’ you, too, Jenny.”

At the word ‘dad’, she turned to the Doctor and arched an eyebrow. She didn’t start barraging the Doctor with questions, of which she had many, such as ‘weren’t the rest of the Time Lords killed in the Time War?’ and ‘if she’s your daughter, why hasn’t she seen the TARDIS before?’. However, her expression promised that, some time in the future, she would get him alone and ask for an explanation.

She turned back to Jenny to answer her question, feeling rather sillily relieved that Jenny wasn’t another of those pretty young women that ~~fell in love with him~~ he had a tendency to pick up. “I traveled with him in the TARDIS for a couple of years. Least, I think it was a couple; surprisingly hard to keep track of time in a time machine.”

The Doctor winces as soon as the word 'dad' comes out of Jenny's mouth. Well, so much for avoiding that little revelation for a while...

He catches Rose's eye and shakes his head a little. It's not what you think. Then again, when is it ever? But as long as he doesn't need to explain right now... He spins his screwdriver around in his hand before pointing it into the depths of the hangar and starting up a scan. It's as good a reason as any to pretend not to be paying attention to Rose and Jenny's conversation.

"I'm not getting a response," he says after a moment, frowning at his screwdriver. "Which means, if the TARDIS is here, it's either out of range of my sonic or... shut down." Not a pleasant thought. Not one he really wants to dwell on for long. He glances toward Jamie. "If the smaller vehicles are further in, stands to reason that that's where we'll find the TARDIS. Probably somewhere no one's likely to stumble across it - whoever's in control of this ship, they'd want to keep that technology away from most curious wanderers. So. Far in the back and out of the way - think you can get us there?"

There's a little twitch of Jamie's lips when Rose responds to Jenny's question, but it doesn't manage to develop into a real smile. He knows the feeling of trying to tell time in a time machine, which is why he tends to be relatively unconcerned by not really knowing how long he's been here. Despite that, he does try to answer her as well. "I've not met everyone, but I do know a few people."

His expression turns thoughtful for a moment as he thinks about who he knows that might have been here the longest. "I think that's Xander. He said it had been several months for him at that point, but..." He shrugs. "I don't know exactly how long ago that was for me, except that it was after the zombies. He did say he was with the ones who woke up first, though."

Not that that likely helps, but it's really the best he can come up with. When the Doctor cuts in, he turns towards him, lifting his chin ever-so-slightly and says boldly, "Aye, of course I can. It's this way."

Once again he takes off in one direction, only to return a moment later with an expression that's half-chagrined and half-annoyed. This time he seems to be annoyed at himself.

"Uh, that is...I mean this way."

He jerks his head in the exact opposite direction of the one he took, and is very careful to avoid eye contact with the others as he starts walking again.

Jenny's eyes lit up, "Oh, you were one of his traveling companions! Like Donna. I'm so glad to have met you, so excited. I would love to hear stories of the adventures you've had with my dad. When we're not busy looking for the TARDIS or stuck in the middle of a war, of course." She offered her a cheeky grin.

Jenny nodded at Jamie's response to her question. Months. Months, or possibly even longer, in one place. It was pretty hard for her to imagine. The longest she had ever stayed on a planet during one of her adventures was a few days. A week at most. ...What did one do during such a long period of time? Obviously, there was the issue of the war she was caught up in. But still, there was down time. And without adventures, without the constant exploring, what was she supposed to do?

Jenny forced the thoughts from her mind. They would help her dad find the TARDIS, and that would be the end of it. Off to explore the universe with him!

"Uh, that is...I mean this way."

Jenny simply shrugged and followed Jamie. She wasn't sure why he was embarrassed; the ship was huge, it was amazing that anyone could ever figure out where they were going.

Rose considered the bit of information about Xander’s stay. Really, she didn’t mind being stuck on Stacy for however long it took to stop the Ohm. And though none of her family or friends were awake, the Doctor was here and in the end that was all that mattered; she’d been willing to give up everything for him before, and she still was.

She hid a smile, watching Jamie get himself turned around, before her expression turned into one of curiosity. “Zombies? Like, the walking undead?”

Jenny really did take after Ten, didn’t she? The energy and gob, at least; she must’ve taken after her mother (or another regeneration of her father) in hair and height.

The mention of Donna had Rose’s questions multiplying exponentially and she cast about for something to turn her attention to before she exploded with questions that shouldn’t have been asked in public. Her eyes landed on the Doctor and filled with mischief.

No doubt he’d been regaling his daughter with tales of how impressive he was. Well, Rose couldn’t very well let that stand, now could she? She was going to break out her most embarrassing stories for Jenny and Jamie. Sure, her own reputation was going to take a hit, but that was nothing; she’d been tabloid fodder for years now.

“We’d get nothin’ done if we did that.” Once this war was over, Rose would be returning home (if it was restored) to finish her own battles and it didn’t seem like they’d be meeting again. “Tell you what, though; when we find some downtime, I’ll tell you about the mad life I had with ‘im, especially the stuff he doesn’t want you to hear.”

The Doctor looks a little alarmed at that, though maybe he should have expected it. Now he remembers why his companions getting along is almost more worrying than when they're fighting. Not quite, but close.

"And anything she tells you," the Doctor says firmly to the other two, "is bound to be a complete fabrication. Honestly, Jenny, she'll only lead you astray."

He glances to Rose and gives her a mock glare, shaking his head at her a little, but whatever disapproval he was going for is completely ruined by the beginnings of a broad grin tugging at his lips.

"Aye, walking undead. We had to fight them here once. It...look, it's a long story, but if ye want me to tell ye about it sometime, I will. They're gone now, though."

Speaking of stories...

"Don't listen to him," Jamie says over his shoulder to Jenny at that point. "He's just worried we're going to make him look bad. Remind me to tell ye about the time he nearly let the TARDIS get swallowed by lava. That's a good one."

Telling embarrassing stories sounds like an excellent plan, he thinks. He turns his head to give Rose a rather lopsided sort of smile. Oh, he definitely approves of her.

"I'm glad to see ye at least have sense when it comes to who ye let go with ye in the future, Doctor."

As they make their way through the ships in the hangar, they are getting smaller in size, and are at a point now where they seem to be personal craft, holding only a few people at best. Jamie pauses for a moment, looking to see if he can spot anything from where he's at, popping up on his toes to try and get a little more height.

"Maybe ye should try a scan again?"

The Doctor rolls his eyes a little at Jamie, but he decides not to argue the point further. The only thing he'd get out of that would be looking... flustered. Which he is not.

So instead, he sweeps his screwdriver around the hangar in a slow scan. He doesn't pause while he's scanning, but there's something faint in the response he gets from the screwdriver that makes him try a second go, brow furrowed and head cocked to listen to the buzz of the sonic.

"Something's not right," he mutters, possibly just to himself, and sweeps to the lead of the group. He's not quite running, but walking about as quickly as possible without breaking into a run, and he glances up from his screwdriver as he walks to search the vehicles around him.

And - there, peeking over the tops of a few other vehicles, is that so-familiar blue, drawing his gaze immediately. The Doctor's expression lightens a bit, though he still looks vaguely troubled - he should've been able to sense the TARDIS from this distance, and it's barely registering on the screwdriver.

"Call the others," he calls as he hurries toward the TARDIS. Maybe it's just powered down in his possibly very long absence, and maybe as soon as he steps through the doors, it'll be fine... "It's here."

Following the Doctor's gaze, Jamie also catches sight of that familiar blue box, and his heart lifts. He had been afraid that they weren't going to be able to find it, that Stacy wouldn't have been able to save it. And while Jamie thinks that he, personally, would have learned to get by, he's not at all sure the Doctor would have been able to. So he's very, very glad to see it's there.

Before the others can reply, Jamie says impulsively, "I'll go and get them." Hopefully they won't blame him for wanting to be the one to fetch the others, considering the majority of the other group contains his friends.

He runs off in the direction of where he last saw them headed, cupping his hands around his mouth to amplify his words as he goes. "Doctor. Doctor! We've found the TARDIS!!"

((OOC: dunno if anyone specific wants to start the finding thread at this point? Assume for this one Jamie is off fetching the others so he's out for the moment.))

Don't get your hopes up [closed, bendytimed to before shore leave]

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Double Dare + Doctors = Bloody Confusing!

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I'm so sorry this is inexcusably late :(

It's very much excusable. <33333

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