Last Night
Summary: 'I have lived for over 2,000years. I've made many mistakes and it's time I did something about that.' The Doctor goes about correcting one of his mistakes from long ago.
Disclaimer: I own nothing.
There clearly comes a point in your life when you know the end is near. For Martha Jones she knew it was close. She could feel it in her tired bones. But you know it's ok. She's lived a long life. Got married. Had kids and grandkids. Mickey's gone on already...and she misses him but she'll see him again soon.
Now she lies in bed in the dark wondering if tonight will be the last night. It's just the sorta thing you think of at her age...or it's just her.
Then suddenly a wind picks up, blowing through the room...and then there's the noise. That grinding, wheezy sound she could never forget, no matter how aged her mind has become.
And before she knows it that familiar blue box materialises in her room.
All she can do is stare...and stare and the door opens, the light spilling out into the darkness.
And there he is. New face. Old. Grey hair...and what is with the eyebrows?
"Doctor," she says in a soft voice.
A smile comes to his face. "Martha Jones. Recognise me then?"
"Well...the blue box is kinda a clue," she jokes.
"Suppose it is," he says as he wanders to her side.
"Just passing through?"
"No," he says, quite seriously.
Martha blinks. "Why are you here?" she asks.
"To see you."
"You hate endings," Martha reminds him.
"I do...but...I am over 2000years old now..."
Martha's eyes go wide at the mention of his age. It's been over a thousand years for him?!
"...and I've made many mistakes," the Doctor continues. "When I got this face I promised I was going to do something about that. A long time ago you asked me to take you somewhere...and I lied to you about it so if you want I'll take you there."
"Now?" Martha asks, trying to recall what he is talking about. Her mind isn't what it was.
"Now," the Doctor confirms.
"Doctor...I'm old," Martha points out.
"Nonsense. You're just a kid."
"Only compared to you."
"Martha...let me make it up to you," the Doctor insists.
Martha looks at him… "What the hell. Only live once...or at least I do," she jokes as she agrees to.
The Doctor manages another smile.
"You'll need to help me up," Martha points out to him. "Old. Remember."
The Doctor helps her sit up before grabbing a dressing gown and helping her into it. "You won't need dressed," he says to her before he pulls the sheets back and lifts her in his arms, demonstrating strength beyond that he would appear to have.
He carries her into the TARDIS.
"You've redecorated," Martha remarks at the new...more space-shippy(is that a word?) appearance, yet on the upper levels there are books and chairs like he was living here.
"I missed the round things," the Doctor mutters as he sits her down in a chair. He turns to the controls, flipping switches and levers and inputting coordinates and releasing the brake.
"Still not passed your test then," Martha comments at the still bumpy ride with a sly grin.
"Oh that was a funny. Very good," the Doctor dryly remarks. It isn't too long before they set down.
"Where are we?" Martha asks him.
"Better to show you," the Doctor responds as he picks her up once more and carries her outside.
It's dry...like a desert Martha notes...with a not blue sky.
"The sky is a burnt orange with a Citadel enclosed in a mighty glass dome," the Doctor repeats words from long ago as he turns round the corner of the TARDIS...and Martha gasps at that very sight in the distance.
"Shinning under the twin suns," Martha continues. "Beyond that the mountains go on forever. Slopes of deep red grass...capped with snow."
And her voice has the same wonder and reverence he said it all those years ago.
"H-how?" she asks him. It was lost...burned...gone.
"I saved it," he says quietly. "I had a chance to go back...and save it."
"And you did," Martha says in amazement at him. "Doctor...that's wonderful."
"Hmm," he huffs slightly.
"What?" she asks, "Because you're killing the mood."
"Oh well it's nothing," he tries to dismiss it.
"Doctor," she says in warning tones.
"It's nothing much. Just...you know me. Don't get along with authority figures who think they're more important than they are."
Martha can only...laugh. "Only you." Only the Doctor could end up getting into hot water with the planet and people she remembered he so craved to see again.
The Doctor laughs too as he lays her down, sitting against the TARDIS but with a good view of the glorious city. "Yeah well...I'm special."
"That's one word."
"Oi!" he protests as he sits down next to her.
The laughter settles down as they take in the view.
"That is only one sun," Martha points out that something is missing.
"Oh well...that's because we're at the end of the universe. It's safer here. No-one else around to get into a fight with," he explains.
"You moved a whole planet to the end of the universe?"
"Not me exactly. They did," he nods at the glass dome.
"You can do that?"
"It's not that hard," the Doctor insists.
Martha leans in and rests her head on the Doctor's shoulder.
"Alright?"
"Hnn...tired," Martha murmurs sleepily. "Old. Remember."
"I always remember. I never forget any of you," the Doctor says sincerely. He places an arm around her. "Just rest Ms Jones."
"Whatever you say Mr Smith," she mumbles. "You're right. It really is beautiful to look at," she comments as her eyelids droop lower.
"Yes it is," the Doctor agrees. He would never deny the aesthetic beauty of his homeworld despite his issues with his fellow Time Lords.
The Doctor watches as she closes her eyes for the very last time. They'll never open again but he feels he did something, at least, that the very last thing she saw was what she had so wished to see so long ago and his response had been to lie to her. Like Donna was fond of saying, he really was a skinny idiot back then. He plants a gentle kiss into her hair. "Sleep well Martha Jones."
Author's Note: Martha is still my favourite companion and lets face it, the Doctor never treated her as well as he should have so I came up with this as a way he tries and makes it up to her.