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The first time Anna flashed a real, gummy, social smile, it was because her father was pulling some rather undignified faces as her mother photographed them with her phone.
It took a while longer for Anna to laugh out loud. She'd smile and wiggle with amusement, but she didn't giggle. It bothered Rose, just a bit. “Y’know, she's still tiny. And maybe she's a bit like me. I don't always laugh out loud when somethin’ strikes me funny,” the Doctor explained.
“You guffawed over that story Jack told,” Rose pointed out. “The one with the tentacles.”
“Well, I won't be tellin’ Anna that story just to get a laugh,” the Doctor chuckled.
The TARDIS was parked in a corner of Rose's old bedroom, and the small family was on board. The Doctor tinkered with the console while Rose sat cross-legged on a cushion nearby, watching Anna in her baby swing. Rose grinned, trying to elicit a smile from her baby. Anna rewarded her, poking out her tongue as she grinned. “Oh, Doctor,” Rose called. The Doctor, who had been paying more attention to Anna than the circuit he was splicing, rolled his eyes with a snicker.
“I'm in trouble,” he muttered, gazing at his wife and daughter with their identical grins on display.
Rose chuckled. “Daddy is in so much trouble,” she told the baby. Anna indicated her agreement by drooling a bit and kicking her legs.
The TARDIS seemed to agree as well. The hum changed to a musical, bubbling sound Rose had come to associate with laughter.
Then, it happened. The beautiful sound of a baby giggle bubbled up and both of Anna’s parents paused, in surprise, watching their daughter. The TARDIS made her laughing sound again and this time Anna squealed, her whole body wriggling with glee.
“Blimey,” the Doctor breathed.
Rose glanced back at the Doctor then back at Anna who seemed to be laughing at nothing at all and looking up at the ceiling.
“Can she understand the TARDIS?” Rose gasped.
“I think she can. Never heard of a child so young bein’ able to connect with a TARDIS.” Anna giggled again. The Doctor sat down next to Rose. “Then again, I've never known a child like Anna.”
“The TARDIS loves her,” Rose murmured, in awe of her daughter and their time ship. The time ship replied with a higher pitched, happy hum. “I mean...I knew that. I can feel her affection for both of us, so of course she'd love Anna but I didn't expect this.”
The Doctor gazed at his two precious girls, and marveled that sometimes, the universe could be kind. The TARDIS had given herself a gift along with giving them their hearts’ desire. Thanks, Old Girl, he thought. The TARDIS sent a wave of gratitude back to him. Rose smiled up at the coral struts overhead. And Anna, who could feel the TARDIS’ affection nearly as acutely as her parents, giggled.