Title: The Other Foot
Author: voicegrl
Disclaimer: I own nothing. Really. if I owned New Doctor Who, so many different things would've happened...Sadly, BBC and RTD own it.
Summary: A Post S4 fic where The Doctor, Martha, and Jack spend some time together. Sillyness ensues.
Spoilers: Everything through 4.01 Partners in Crime.
Author's Note: Special thanks to my beta, the lovely and talented goddess, Persiflage, who let me know this story wasn't complete rubbish. Thank you for all of your help. :hugs tightly:
Please read and review. Concrit welcome!
The bright orange grass where the TARDIS stood waiting for her occupants was at least 3 feet high. The yellow leaves on the trees rustled as the trio made its way to the clearing of orange grass.
"There she is!" the Doctor yelled back to Martha, whose hand he held as they reached the clearing but continued running. Captain Jack Harkness was not far behind. With an extra burst of speed, the trio made a larger gap between them and the 9 foot tall soldiers chasing them.
Jack fumbled for his TARDIS key in his trouser pocket as he ran and finally produced it with a smile that was lost on the two running ahead of him. He quickly passed them and unlocked the door, opening it just in time for The Doctor and Martha, who did not slow down, to race past him into the TARDIS and collapse. Jack quickly got inside and locked the door as the Doctor stood and ran to the console.
"'A nice, fun trip,' he said." Jack stated trying to catch his breath and chastise the Doctor at the same time.
Martha stood, put her arm around Jack's waist, and walked him to one of the chairs around the console as she said, "Really, Jack, did you honestly think something like this WOULDN'T happen?" She asked as the Doctor did his dance around the console preparing to get them off of the planet Cinaeno 518 and into the time vortex.
"Well, I WAS hoping." The commander of Torchwood replied.
Just then, the Doctor released the handbrake on the console and the TARDIS dematerialized into the Time Vortex.
"Is it really my fault that the Srethos thought Martha resembled their goddess?" The Doctor asked as he pranced around the console checking readings. "I'd consider that quite the compliment."
"If it was such a compliment, why didn't we stick around after the feast?" Jack asked dryly.
Martha, who had been quiet during this exchange, chuckled and shook her head. "We escaped from those lunatics," She said happily as she began taking off some of the necklaces and bracelets the Srethos had insisted she wear during the celebration feast. "Isn't that what matters?"
The Doctor gave his trademark manic grin and began dusting the debris off his suit jacket. Jack rolled his eyes and looked at Martha. "Fine," he said with a sigh. "At least I got to spend time with my two favorite doctors and the TARDIS."
"Exactly!" The Doctor enthusiastically agreed. Then, with a bit more of a serious tone, he added: "I really missed spending time with you both."
"Oh, Doctor!" Jack said, in a surprisingly accurate imitation of a damsel that's just been saved by the hero.
"Jack, don't you dare." The Doctor warned.
"Group hug!" Martha shouted as she and Jack ran and enveloped the Doctor in an enormous hug. The trio fell to the floor and continued the embrace in a fit of giggles. After a few moments, they sat up and contentedly smiled at one another.
"I really missed this." The Doctor said sincerely after catching his breath. Both Jack and Martha nodded in agreement.
"Just out of curiosity," Jack inquired as the three stood and the Doctor began setting the coordinates for Cardiff 2008 to take Jack back to Torchwood. "Why didn't they notice the resemblance between Martha and their goddess when we first arrived on Cinaeno 518?"
"Weeeelllll," the Doctor stated quickly. "She is rather vertically challenged. They probably hadn't really noticed her yet."
Martha Jones just stared at the Doctor.
"That's it?" The Torchwood leader asked. "Mr. Technical doesn't have a five minute scientific reason why the Srethos suddenly realized our Martha was as much a goddess to them as she is to us?" He winked at the beautiful young woman he had just complimented.
"Now that I think of it," Martha added after she acknowledged Jack's admiring comment. "They didn't really notice anything until they returned from showing you their archives." Finally, realization dawned on the young doctor. "Did you uncover something with my face on it that the Srethos didn't know existed?"
"Martha, are you really trying to blame all of this on me?" The Doctor asked.
"Answer the question, Doctor." Martha ordered - in a tone the Doctor could only assume was perfected during her time at UNIT - as she stalked closer to the Time Lord.
"What?" The Doctor asked, portraying the very picture of innocence. "It was obviously your fault for looking like the woman in the drawing."
"You're unreal!" She screamed.
"Oh, no. I'm very real." He replied. "Hold on!" He shouted as they left the time vortex and landed in 2008 Cardiff with an unimpressive thud.
"Well," Martha replied. "I'm currently in this reality on this plane of existence. You …are somewhere completely different!"
"You know, you weren't so antagonistic before." The Doctor stated condescendingly.
"I wasn't in control of all my senses before, either. " Martha retorted.
"What?!"
Jack could tell this was something that should have been discussed before his friend decided to travel with the Time Lord on a regular basis again. He knew she still harbored feelings for the Doctor, but that the feelings were no longer as strong as they were when she left the Doctor the first time. Jack also knew Martha and the Doctor would eventually end up together. He had seen the lingering looks the Time Lord had been giving Martha on this trip. He could tell the Doctor fancied Martha. And once again, he marveled at the fact that, for a Time Lord, the alien had rotten timing. Then, his mind wandered back to the discussion Martha and the Doctor were having.
"Come on, Doctor!" Martha said. "Face it: I would've agreed with anything you said or did when I was traveling with you before! "
"You weren't so cheeky either." The Doctor replied disheartened.
"Oh, did I hurt your widdle feewings?" She asked in a condescending tone. The Doctor raised an eyebrow as he looked at her. "I'm not going to make a complete moron of myself trying to please you." Martha finished.
"Well, that's obvious." He mumbled.
"Isn't it better this way?" Martha asked.
"Oh, of course!" The Doctor sarcastically retorted. "It's like Donna is still here!"
"Did I slap your face recently and not remember?" She replied an equal amount of sarcasm. "Bollocks!"
"No, that was your mother." The Doctor said too sweetly. "But I can see how you would be confused!" SLAP! "OW!"
"You completely asked for it, didn't you?" Martha said cheerily as she folded her arms across her chest and stared at the Doctor.
Jack felt it was his time to intervene. "Why don't we draw the line at violence, you two?"
"Who asked you?" Both Martha and the Doctor screamed.
"O-kay," Jack said with a loud sigh as he grabbed his things and headed for the door. "Well, it's been… interesting." He then did the 'call me' mime, before realizing the Doctor and Martha had gone back to arguing. "I'll just…let myself out." He stated before opening the door of the TARDIS and quickly leaving the Doctor and Martha to their disagreement.
"You know, this is so bloody typical of you." Martha said as she began to pace back and forth in front of the Doctor. "How many times do I have to save your life before you decide I'm good enough to -,"
Before she finished her rant, the Doctor walked up to Martha, stood directly in front of her, took her face in his hands and kissed her. Martha recognized the fact that although it was exactly the way he held her when he kissed her (gave her the genetic transfer) the day they met at Royal Hope; the kiss itself was even more tender and passionate than the day they met. "What the hell was that?" She asked, genuinely curious as he pulled away from her and took a step back.
"A kiss?" He replied.
"Why?" She inquired. This was getting too weird for her.
"Sorry?" The Doctor asked, obviously confused.
"Why would you do that?"
"I didn't think you'd mind." He replied a bit unsure.
"We were having a discussion, Doctor!" She stated rather irritated at him.
"So, you didn't mind?"
"Yes, I minded!" Martha screamed angrily. "We. Were. Having. A. Discussion!"
"But, if we weren't having -?"
"Focus!" The former UNIT Medical Officer yelled. "I minded! I still mind." She began to pace once more before facing the Doctor again. "Why now? Why not back when I really wanted you to do it?"
"I…don't know?"
"I do." She said with a smirk. The Doctor watched her with a blank expression. So, Martha continued. "Because back then, I really wanted you to do it."
"Are you mad?" he asked, clearly not understanding.
"Glass houses, Doctor," she warned. She turned towards the chair and sat heavily before continuing. The Doctor tried to speak, but, Martha interrupted. "Shush!" He quickly shut his mouth and concentrated on the tiny woman in front of him. "The only reason you just kissed me is because I'm over you and you know it."
"Martha, that's not true," he persisted.
"Stop it. Just… stop." Martha was officially frustrated. She stood and squared her shoulders. She needed him to understand. "It's true. You know I'm over you. So, naturally, since I have a boyfriend that I care about, who cares about me, you are suddenly interested in me."
"I've always been interested in you." He replied softly. He took a step towards her. She immediately took a step back.
"You know what I mean, Doctor. Admit it."
"That's not true." He insisted.
"Yes! Yes it is!" She then took a deep breath to calm down before continuing. "Stop trying to deny it. It's fine. Just…don't try to kiss me again." The Doctor was silent. "So," she said happily changing the subject. "Where to next?" Then, she began to look around the control room. "And where did Jack go?"
"You still want to travel with me?"
"Of course I do," Martha replied. "It'll be fun with you chasing after me this time," she joked.
"What makes you think I'll be chasing after you?" he retorted with a sly grin.
"I'm actually hoping you'll admit I'm suddenly the one you're interested in because I'm over you," she said. "Then we'll move past this and neither one of us will have an unrequited love. "
The Doctor stared ahead at nothing in particular for a few seconds. Suddenly, his mood changed rapidly, as usual, and he stated: "Doctor Jones, you are brilliant! You may be on to something." He began dancing around the console preparing to send them into the time vortex. "That has to be it! Now that I see what you mean, we can easily move past this and just have fun traveling again! I miss that!"
"See! Natural instinct is all; just human nature," she said with obvious relief. "So, let me repeat the question: Where to next?"
The Doctor delivered one of his trademark manic smiles. "Go and get changed. You'll need warmer clothes in the Tropnevad System on the planet Legna!" His eyes lit up as he began to describe the planet. "The snow is royal blue and the sky is a lovely emerald green during the day and stunning fuchsia at night!"
"It sounds extraordinary!" Martha responded, literally jumping for joy. "I'll just be a moment!" She ran out of the control room towards her room to get changed.
The Doctor watched her run out as he walked toward the doorway where Martha exited moments earlier. "Oh, dear, Doctor Jones," The TARDIS hummed in the background as the Doctor smirked. "Yes, our friend Martha has been away too long, old girl." He answered aloud. "She seems to have forgotten. I'm not human." He turned and went back to the console where he finished setting the coordinates. "And where did Jack go?"
Finis