What happens when you bring the mistress to see the missus [closed]

[alwaysalright]

The Doctor's still experiencing a mix of many different emotions related to seeing Charley again (most of them happy) as he heads back towards the TARDIS.

Breathing in the cool evening air, hands in his pockets as he strolls along, he doesn't feel too bad. The closer he gets, however, the grumpier he becomes about being locked out earlier, and worried that she still won't let him in.

The latter seems not to be an issue though - the door pushes opens easily this time. But now it's his turn to shut her out of his head as he walks inside, throwing his coat over the railing. He wants her to know he's not pleased about her behavior.

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[theoldgirl]

If anyone has a right to be offended here, it's the TARDIS. She'd been shocked at Charley's appearance, and even more shocked at how quickly the Doctor abandoned her for the girl once again. The fact that her systems are largely stable again hardly matters; she just went through a traumatic experience and there is still a lot of mending to be done, so she requires the Doctor's attention now more than usual.

Being shut out of his mind when she tries to convey her displeasure hurts, even though she'd just done the same to him a short while ago in order to make it clear that she won't tolerate the girl or his pleading on her behalf. Now his silence only adds to the perceived neglect. But very well, if that's how he wants to handle this, she can be just as stubborn.

The air in the console room becomes tense, loaded, as though a storm was approaching, and a discordant sound rings down from the ceiling. The storm turns out to be her humanoid form, entering at the top of the stairs and remaining there with her arms crossed, glowering down at him. Under less harrowing circumstances she might be perfectly willing to sulk in silence until he gives in first, but offering him her face to talk to is the only concession she'll make to how desperate she really is for his contact here. She certainly won't be the first to speak.

[alwaysalright]

Nonsense. The TARDIS isn't in urgent need of anything, whereas Charley was at the time - and if he didn't go to her right away, he might not find here again. Which would cause him a great deal of pain, as the TARDIS should be aware, after last time he lost her.

And shockingly, he didn't actually need to be made aware of her displeasure, it was already pretty obvious. But now he doesn't just know about it, he can feel it. For once he realises he probably doesn't need to make everything worse, so he relents a little, dropping his mental guard as she steps inside, a concession in return. Part of him glad she wants to talk enough that she actually brought her body - the other part of him is disappointed he can't just ignore the issue for a while. And he's not exactly overly apologetic, as she'll feel.

"So you decided to let me in this time," he says, leaning back against the rails and mirroring her in crossing his arms, though his pose is much more defensive than hers. (And just because he's trying not to make things worse, doesn't mean he's good at it.)

[theoldgirl]

It's a start, being allowed back into his mind. But lest he think she forgives so easily, she merely hovers at the edge of his awareness, curling in anger and bitterness. At his words she bristles, feeling the accusation in them.

"I was not keeping you out," she counters, narrowing her eyes. "But I will not allow her in. Never again." She'd done it once, and she'd done it a second time, in an endless paradoxical loop, and they all paid the price for it. She's not going to make the same mistake a third time.

[alwaysalright]

His instinct is to distract himself with the controls. That's what does with his companions, so he doesn't have to look, so he can pretend not to listen properly. It doesn't really work when the controls are part of the one he's talking to.

"For not being kept out, it sure was hard getting in," he answers testily. And then he gets annoyed at himself. What does it matter? She doesn't want to stay inside the TARDIS anyway, and it's not like they could travel together now, with the current situation. As long as the TARDIS won't stop him from seeing Charley, he doesn't actually need to force her company on her. And while he still doesn't understand the full extent of the TARDIS's problem with Charley, he does understand some of it. If he can't set aside his petulance for his ship, then who for? Besides. Charley's appearance is a welcome distraction from all their troubles, and it's frustrating that it should create more problems.

He pushes away from the railings, stepping over to the controls, pressing a few buttons, bringing up a status report on the scanner, seeing what more is to be done for her. A placating gesture, coupled with his mind carefully reaching out for her. Just because Charley's here doesn't mean he'll stop paying attention to her.

"I won't bring her here," he promises. He not naive enough to think this will suddenly fix everything, but he'd like to not be actively fighting, at least.