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Rose Noble slid into place at her mother's side on the couch. The Noble clan had been gifted temporary accommodations by UNIT while their house was repaired. It was nice. Comfortable. A gift from Kate, most likely.
The Doctor wrapped their hands around the cuppa they'd been given and let the smell of the steam was over them. Their new hands, well, old hands, well, familiar hands were a distraction. It was strange being in a body so familiar and yet so knew. They looked the same as before only slightly older, as if they'd gotten to properly live a life in this body. They wondered if this was what their human counterpart living with Rose Tyler looked like now. The same, but older. A life lived.
"So," a different Rose said, pulling them from their thoughts. Rose Noble leaned closer to them, over her mother slightly, with a hesitant expression. "So, I don't know if this is rude to ask, but I remember bits and pieces from the Meta-Crisis and, you used to be a woman?"
Donna laughed between the two of them. "Oh, yes. I've been dying to ask you about that. What did you think? What was she like?"
The Doctor smiled and took a sip before answering. "It suited me. First time I'd ever been a woman, that. Well, first time I remember being a woman." They ignored Donna's questioning look and continued on. "I was shorter than this. The height change would take me longer to get used to, but, well, I'm already familiar with this one."
They paused to think and drummed their fingers on the rim of the cup. "I was blond. Had blond hair to about here." They gestured to just below their chin. "Been about seven regenerations since I was blond."
"Did you not like it anymore?" Rose asked. "Being a woman, not being blond."
They looked up at her. "No, no. It wasn't that. I enjoyed it. Might do it again someday. I just don't get to really decide what comes next. I could've, maybe, when I was her, but I was content with whoever I was going to be. I just wasn't expecting a familiar face."
"Yeah, but how was it? Being one of the girls?" Donna asked as she leaned against him.
The Doctor thought a moment. "I'm not sure. I don't really experience gender the same way you do. Male or female or neither, I'm just me. It was a new perspective. I liked the way women from certain times trusted me more. I didn't realize there had been a difference until they were more comfortable with me. I liked significantly less how certain men treated me."
Donna laughed and clinked her cuppa against theirs. "Welcome to the club, sister."
Rose looked thoughtful for a moment before asking, "Do you want us to treat you like a man? Is calling you 'he' alright? You mentioned earlier, with the Meep, that you prefer just the 'definite article.'"
"Oh, well." The Doctor rubbed the back of their neck. "I don't mind pronouns. I feel less attuned to being strictly male this time than I did before. Usually, I'm not really a man or a woman. I just look like one. The same way I'm not really a human, but to you, I look like one. Plenty of people have assumed I was human before and I've not corrected them. It's the same with the gender thing. I'm not hiding who I am. I just don't always see the need to correct people. Especially when the assumption isn't hurting me. Sometimes it's safer."
Rose leaned against her mother. "I get that."
Donna squeezed her hand. Then, she set down her tea and squeezed the Doctor's wrist. "Well my home will always be a safe place for the two of you to be whoever you want."
"Thanks, Mum." Rose leaned over and kissed her on the cheek.
"Thanks, Mum." The Doctor laughed and bumped against Donna's shoulder.
"Oi! Don't get cheeky with me, sunshine." Donna laughed and shoved them back.
"Are other Timelords like you?" Rose asked. "Do they change gender too?"
The Doctor hesitated. "Some Timelords change gender quite frequently. I had a friend called the Corsair. They would switch just about every other regeneration. Others would only change sex once or twice in a cycle. Some never did. Some would change sex but not gender. Bit unusual that. Normally we shift inside to be comfortable with whatever our new body might be, but not always. It really depended."
Rose nodded. "That's pretty cool."
The Doctor leaned back and smiled. "Yeah."
"Well you're welcome to come over for girl time anytime you want," Donna said. "With this face or any other."
The Doctor felt a wave of affection fill their chest. "Thank you."
Donna squeezed their shoulder. "You're my best mate. Anytime."