*DISCLAIMER: Doctor Who and its characters belong to the BBC. I do not profit monetarily from this story. No copyright infringement intended.*

oOoOo

The TARDIS, Unknown Temporal Location

"Now then, Sexy, where are we off to?"

The Doctor danced around the console of his enchanted grotto, spinning on his heels as if he were in a ballroom (which the TARDIS did have, somewhere…probably…he couldn't remember). His fingers caressed the vast array of switches and levers that adorned the centre console, lingering over some and pressing others, as if he were choosing chocolates from a selection box. The central column of his time machine rose and sank as it breathed in the vortex.

Once his moment of whimsy had passed, the Doctor allowed himself to collapse into the nearest chair and allow the gentle humming of the TARDIS coax him into the peaceful realm of sleep…

Without warning, the cloister bell gave a low howl and the TARDIS shuddered violently. The Doctor was woken as he collided harshly with the glass floor. As his mind focused, he could hear Amy's faint footsteps heading towards the console room as well as the familiar grinding sound the TARDIS made as it tore apart the fabric of time and space to materialise.

These were soon joined by a distinct knocking on the TARDIS door. The Doctor dragged himself to his feet and edged towards the slab of blue which separated him from whatever was outside. As he pulled the doors open, nothing could have prepared him for what he saw…

The Doctor straightened his bow tie and looked down at the man, sporting a ghastly pullover and panama hat, who stood before him. Contrary to his unimpressive stature, the familiar stranger stared back at him through stormy eyes expelling the energy and confidence of a man five times his height. As the man's eyes narrowed slightly, the Doctor thought he saw a glimpse of a lightning bolt striking menacingly through the storm clouds.

Then the storm passed, and the man smiled. A young girl, no older than eighteen, wearing a worn-out bomber jacket, appeared beside him.

"Hello!" the man said. "I'm…"

"The Doctor," continued the Doctor.

"And this is…"

"Ace." The Eleventh Doctor's lips curled up into a soft smile as he said her name.

Ace stepped back warily. "How do you know my name, and what are you doing in the Doctor's TARDIS?" She thrust her right hand into her jacket pocket.

The Seventh Doctor took hold of her elbow before any explosives emerged. "No, no, Ace. Don't you see? This is me…the future me, that is. My…erm…?"

"Eleventh."

"My eleventh incarnation! And you see, Ace, this isn't my TARDIS; not now; not yet, but it will be, one day."

Ace's hand left her pocket and squeezed her Professor's, still not relaxed about the situation. Reluctantly, she allowed him to coax her into the future version of his time machine, and was soon taken aback. It was nothing like the antiseptic white interior she had learned to call home.

"Wicked," she mouthed as her eyes took in the bright lights and magic of the new TARDIS interior. "Looks a lot tidier than your one, Professor."

The floppy haired Doctor smirked as his younger self shot her a disapproving glare.

"I don't know what you find so amusing. It was very irresponsible of you coming here, knowing that I came here with Ace on the same day!" The Professor relieved himself of his hat and coat, obviously intent on giving his future self a long lecture. "You've triggered a temporal paradox!"

The other Doctor looked hurt. "Me? I don't remember ever coming here. I was plucked from the time vortex." He took a brief glance at the world outside. "Where is 'here', anyway?"

The younger Time Lord sighed. "We've landed on an asteroid in Area Z. You really should check the scanner before you open the TARDIS doors."

So should you, the older Doctor thought.

"Hang on a minute," said Ace, keen to join the conversation. "So what you're saying is that something's plucked us both out of our time streams and dumped us here? Wouldn't that mean we're outside space and time?"

"Very good, Ace," the shorter Doctor said, wrapping an arm around her shoulders.

"You've taught her well," said the other. His younger self smiled.

"I like to think so," he said, "although Area Z is still within the confines of space. It's a ring around the edge of the universe where time simply doesn't exist, so you were right about that part."

"See, Professor. I told you I'm not a little girl anymore."

"Indeed. You have grown up," said the Seventh, before looking up at his future, "but it seems I've done the opposite. How old are you, twelve?"

Suddenly, a woman's voice rang out through the myriad of TARDIS corridors. "Doctor! I think there's something wrong with the…!" She stopped when she reached the console room, her gaze locked on the two unexpected visitors.

"Temporal flux regulator? That would be me, I'm afraid. My TARDIS was plucked out of the vortex and materialised right next to yours, but don't worry. We'll soon have that fixed." The small stranger with the familiar accent danced past Amy, into the primary TARDIS corridor beyond, only to emerge several seconds later, somewhat perplexed. "What have you done with the secondary control room?"

"Ah yes," Amy's Doctor replied. "Nasty incident with some radiation. Had to reconfigure the architecture. Amy will take you, won't you Pond?"

The redhead was about to protest when the Doctor shot her a dazzling smile. She rolled her eyes and turned to the strange little man beside her, gesturing him to follow her.

Their silhouettes faded from view down the corridor, leaving the Doctor and Ace alone in the control room.