Title: " Being together at Christmas."
Summary: Martha realizes how special Jack Harkness is to her.
She remembered the way his hand felt in hers as she lifted the phone to her ear. It was one of those things she thought about constantly in the months that has passed. She waited until Tish had rounded the corner before she dialed that familiar number. It only took a heartbeat before she heard his voice.
"Nightingale what a surprise! What can I do for you sweetheart?" He said and she smiled unable to help herself.
"Hello Jack. Listen I was having a bit of a Christmas get together and well...I kinda thought you might fancy a visit." She said looking at her shoes and waiting for his answer.
"Christmas party? Are you sure you want to see me?" His voice was low and unsure, so unlike himself.
"Yes. I mean we shouldn't just call on each other when the Earth is in jeopardy right?" she said laughing and he laughed too.
"Yeah I guess you're right. So when is this party?"
"Tomorrow night. Around seven." She said.
"See you then Nightingale and believe me I'm looking forward to it."
The next night...
Jack explained to his team that he was going to London to see Martha and then he was off. It was colder than he thought it would be even though there was no snow yet. He pulled his long trenchcoat closer to his body as he walked down the street towards her home. He paused two houses down thinking of the last time he saw Martha Jones. The Daleks had invaded the Earth and tried to use the reality bomb to destroy all other lifeforms, and she had been threatening to use UNIT's Osterhagen Key. True he was threatening to use a Warp Star too but her idea was more dangerous, blowing up the Earth.
He wandered if the Dr. had visted her after they left hand and hand that day. He smiled thinking of the way her small hand felt in his, and how very close he came that day to kissing her. Her plush lips so close when she pulled away and went inside her home...he missed her.
Sighing, the Captain knocked on the door and was embraced by Tish. He laughed giving her a quick squeeze and a kiss on the cheek. He grown to like the oldest of the Jones Children. She was saucy, funny, and he loved the way she stuck up for Martha.
"Hello there darling! How do you keep getting more beautiful each time?" He said as he spun her around in a circle. She kissed him lightly on the cheek before pulling away.
"Oh you flirt! Come in you'll get a cold." She said taking his hand and shuting the door behind then. Jack took off his coat and talked to Tish a bit before he learned that Martha was in the kitchen with her mother and aunts cooking.
He quickly made for the kitchen smelling various dishes cooking and cooked hitting his nose and making his mouth water. That's when he saw her just standing there looking amazing. She wore a dark blue dress with white on the neckline and the hem. Her lovely dark hair, out and back with a clip holding it all to the left side. She looked like an angel and he gulped before he stepped fully in the kitchen catching her attention.
"Jack! Oh you made it!" She said placing the carrots on the cutting board and wiping her hands on the apron beside her. She rushed up to him and he opened his arms taking her in them immediately. He held her tight like he was afraid she'd disappear or that she wasn't real. She must have sense the way he was holding her because she tightened her grip too.
"So, do I get to have my daugther back or did I just lose my help in the kitchen?" Martha's mother said lightly and the two pulled away.
Martha smiled brightly and Jack took her hand in his kissing the back of it. She licked her lips looking into his blue eyes and then he kissed her forehead lightly. He liked to have kissed her lips but her mother was standing right there.
"I said I would Nightingale and I never would lie to you." He whispered before caressing the side of her face. She leaned into the touch before squeezing his hand.
"Thank you Jack. Now, would you like to help or would you rather find Leo and the men folk?" She said waiting for his answer. He grinned back.
"You know I'd rather be under you Nightingale in any circumstance." He said wagging his eyebrows. She blushed a bit he knew and her mother pretended not to hear.
"Ok well wash those hands mister and then grab a knife. I'll finish the carrots and you can help with the potatos."
"I like it when you get all bossy." He whispered in her ear and she laughed ignoring him.
The next two hours were spent cooking and cleaning up before the dinner was served over memories and laughter. After most of the guess left, Jack made it clear that he intended to stay the night which Martha found delightful. They sat in a corner by the stairs talking quietly alone. She sat in his lap as he played with her hair and she tried her best to think of this as just an overly friendly moment between them.
"Did I tell you how beautiful you look in this dress Martha?" Jack whispered mainly because of the music that was playing. She turned to face him fully and ruffled his hair playfully.
"Yes you did...fifthteen times."
"Oh so you've been counting?" He said raising an eyebrow. She laughed and he gave her side a squeeze.
"Only because I'm starting to think you want to wear it instead of me." She said sticking out her tongue and he tickled her a bit for that. After their laughter died, Martha laid her head on his shoulder.
"Really Jack thank you for keeping me company tonight. I...well I really missed you. Plus, we never just get to be together without a threat of death hanging about. This is nice." She said hoping that her words wouldn't get her in trouble or show how much he met to her.
"You are welcome Sweetheart. Uh just for curiousity, did you try calling him for this party before calling me?" He asked hoping she didn't hear the slight jealousy in his voice.
"Why would I do that?" She said sitting up a little and looking into those big eyes of his. He looked away but she caught his chin in her small hand making him look at her again.
"I told you before...I don't think of him that way anymore and beside, he's gone. Well the him I knew is gone. I doubt if his new regeneration even remembers me." She said trying to smile but it didn't reach her eyes. Those warm brown eyes that haunted him dreams.
"OK I believe you but he hasn't forgotten you. How could anyone forget you Martha."
"Oh Jack-"
"No I'm serious. You are the most amazing, intelligent, beautiful person in the world I ever met and I love you to bits." He said hoping that she couldn't hear the way his heart was pounding in his chest.
"Aw Jack I love you too." She said looking down and he sighed making her look up again.
"What is it?"
"I didn't mean it like that Nightingale. I mean I love you. I love you the way you use to want the Dr. to love you. I don't know how I can prove that to you." He said now it was his turn to look down.
Martha bit her lip thinking and then she did something she always wanted to do. She kissed Captain Jack Harkness. At first, she was gentle, shy about it and nervous but he started to participate back and that made her brave. The sounds of her family and friends melted away as she closed her eyes and wrapped her arms around his shoulder, one hand fisting his hair.
"I knew what you meant Jack. "
"Good because I hate for you to think that I don't mean it. So, what do we do now?" He asked kissing her neck lightly.
"Can you just...I don't know. Hold me?" She asked hoping she didn't sound feeble. Jack smiled softly and kissed her again.
"I'll hold you until the sun rises if that's what you want. I'll hold you forever." He whispered and she snuggled closer as he kissed her once more and the noise around them hushed. They stayed that way for the remainder of the party, wrapped in each other.
