Title: Bedtime Stories
Author: Kady the Red Panda
Fandom(s): Tintin, Doctor Who (as AU)
Pairing(s): gen
Rating: K
Warning(s): hinted child abuse, hinted death, Explorers of the Moon spoilers
Summary: Prompt: exploration. Colleen has been quite intrigued about Professor Calculus's past travels lately.
Word Count: approx 560
Disclaimer: The only character I definitely own is Colleen. Everyone else ain't mine.
Other tidbits: An AU within an AU within an AU. Is this AUception or what? XD I wrote a couple fanfics once where Professor Calculus is a Time Lord and Bianca is his main companion. Colleen is my OC daughter for Captain Haddock from my fanfic "Fishes Out of Water." You don't need to read either to fully understand what's going on here, but it could help. Main concepts to know is that Time Lord!Professor Calculus actually uses a hearing aid and his TARDIS's disguise mechanism still works. In the "Fishes" canon he's the normal, canon Professor. This piece is purely for the shits and giggles.

0000

The Professor couldn't help but smile at Colleen's innocent gaze of awe. Still curled up in her bed with Suzie she asked:

"You've been to all the planets?"

"In this solar system and others beyond it." He replied, a gleam in his eye.

"Y'know, Professor. I wanna know. Was there really life on Mars?"

"In certain time periods, yes."

"What about now? Right now?"

He shook his head. "Not at this time, no."

Her head dropped. "Oh."

"I'm afraid they don't look like any of the creatures in your movies either, dearie. Not one of the five species my companion and I have encountered. Neither did the humans colonizing it in the twenty-fourth century for that matter."

The child's eyes grew. "Humans? On Mars?"

"And the moon, and Neptune for a brief time. A brief, brief time."

Her face locked in the same awe she mouthed, "The moon." Then, she commented:

"When are we going to be on the moon, Professor?"

"Soon, Colleen. Soon. Unless, you want to count the time I was on it with your father and Tintin."

"Daddy and carrot top too!" Her nose wrinkled. "Hey! Why didn't they tell me? Are they your companions too or just is it just that opera lady?"

Thumbs twiddled and bum pushed back against the seat. "It's classified information currently. There were... 'accidents.' I have yet to discover if it will ever be declassified or forever be conspiracy fodder. But no, they weren't. And as far they know I'm human like them."

"Well, yeah. You look just like a person. You tricked me too until I saw you coming out a tree trunk!"

He blushed at recalling the girl accidentally catching Bianca and him leaving his TARDIS after such a trip on Mars (circa 2319) a couple days prior.

Colleen pushed herself off her pillows. "Say, Professor? Can I come too next time you're going somewhere?"

With little reflection he shook his head.

"Why not?!"

"I'm afraid you're a little too young, Colleen."

"But-but-- I'm going to be eleven in less than a month!"

"I'm truly sorry. Sometimes I wonder if I should keep bringing Bianca into danger and she's all grown up. I have another companion, another earthling, that comes and goes but he's been gravely hurt in some timelines as well. And what about your father? There's been at least one timeline I've visited where you still lived in Maine."

"With my crazy psycho grandparents?"

His breath hitched. He did not want to recall what he did see from that time.  The Professor forced a pained nod. The frowning girl turned her attention from the Time Lord to the babydoll in her arms.

"But, if you truly want to go with me..."

Her blue eyes perked up.

"...I suppose I can allow you one trip whenever I determine you're old enough."

She grinned. "Uh-huh?"

"It won't be anytime soon, however. But please, Colleen, all I ask of you is don't try to grow up too fast. Explore life at your own pace. Even home has a lot for you to uncover and discover."

She sighed. If Suzie was alive the embrace she received would've bordered on crushing. She smiled, even if the disappointment glowed.  "Fine. I guess I'll take your word on it. Just make sure Dad and Tintin knows I told them good night."