Author's Notes: I did this already, at the end of the previous story, but sometimes I pick up new readers between stories. And unfortunately, I do think it's necessary. This warning isn't directed at one particular person or one particular archive (I post on three) … but rather, to address a tendency I've noticed. I appreciate that all characters have fans. However, what I don't appreciate is fans of a given character being warned that a story is unfriendly to their favorite, and then throwing a hissy fit. This story is not Gwen-friendly … I don't bash her. I don't need to, I just write her as I see her. I was skeptical of the hatred of Gwen when I first entered the fandom. I've encountered such animosity directed at female characters in other fandoms, and loved those characters (Mary Travis and Charlotte Richmond in The Magnificent Seven, and Kristen Adams in Poltergeist: The Legacy come immediately to mind), but unfortunately, I was wrong about Gwen. By the same token, you should know that certain characters from Thor and Avengers will be in this story. You will not find woobie!Loki, unfeeling bastard!Odin or bully!Thor, et al, in these pages.

Disclaimer: Jack Harkness, Esther Drummond, Dr. Owen Harper, Agent Rex Matheson, Gwen Cooper Williams, Rhys Williams, Anwen Williams, Mary Cooper, the Families, Jilly Kitzinger, Alice Carter, Dr. Martha Jones-Smith, Mickey Smith, Tish Jones, Francine Jones, and Clive Jones do not belong to me. Nor does Lord President Rassilon of Gallifrey. They all belong to the BBC, Starz Studios, et al. By the same token … Odin, Thor, Frigga, Loki, the denizens of Asgard, et al, don't belong to me, either. They belong to Marvel Comics. Lucas North belongs to Kudos. The Tregarths, Dite, and the Hallorans, however, do belong to me. Don't mind if you borrow them, just ask first and return them more or less intact.

Prologue

One Betrayal Too Many

Shrewsbury, Shropshire, West Midlands, England

October 2012

It all happened so fast … too fast to track what was happening at the time. Only later would she sort out how things happened and when they happened. They entered the abandoned warehouse; the catwalks overlooking the former warehouse floor went from being empty to lined with people. There was that split second of understanding as their eyes met, followed by bullets and screams and cries of agony … the sight of a gun swinging in her direction ('I'm so sorry, Martha, I don't have a choice') just before someone slammed into her. There was a limp body slumped over the catwalk (might be dead, might be unconscious) and to her right, Martha Jones Smith could hear either Lucas or Jason Martinelli moaning in pain. But his brother was tending to him, and Martha's concern was for the woman who protected her. Once Martha managed to wriggle free, she rolled her protector face down to inspect the wound in her back.

There was no exit wound, which was a good news/bad news scenario. The bad news was, the bullet was still rattling around inside her; however, the good news was, that also meant that there was only one source of hemorrhaging. And she would take any good news she could get right now. There was a keening cry, and Martha looked up at the traitor, who was staring first at a crumpled body on the catwalk, and then at her with wet eyes. But there was no sympathy in Martha's soul when she stared back, regardless of what the other just lost. Not this time. Run, she thought, run, you selfish traitor ... because if my husband catches you, you're dead. I don't care if it angers the Doctor, I won't stop Mickey from killing you.

Perhaps seeing Martha's lack of sympathy, the traitor bolted for the back exit of the warehouse, still weeping. Martha returned her attention to the injured woman, ducking over her protectively even as Mickey literally stormed the warehouse. And he wasn't alone. Thank God for Alicia's insistence that they hold off on this scouting mission until Lucas was back from Scotland. The tall, dark-haired former spook continued to lay down cover fire, even as Mickey scrambled to her side, and Martha breathed, "Mickey, she was shot in the back and one of the Martinelli boys took a bullet to the chest. We need to get them to hospital immediately. No, ignore her ... she's not important right now. These two are the important ones. She'll be dealt with later."

"I got her, Martha, I've got her. Our tires were slashed, but they didn't know about Lucas. And if we can't all fit into his car, we can always hotwire one of theirs. Fair's fair, after all," her husband responded, kneeling beside the woman who shielded Martha with her own body. It wasn't easy to pick her up, but Mickey was careful to avoid the bullet wound as he carried her to the SUV. Lucas shifted, just enough to cover Mickey while he carried the unconscious woman to safety. Martha's husband threw a furious glance over his shoulder at the fleeing traitor, and Martha knew there would be a reckoning soon. That was more than fair … but later.

Once Mickey was clear, Martha joined Lucas, aiming her pistol at the remaining Family members gathered on the catwalk above. Lucas glanced at her, to make sure she had it under control. They were two against many, but the Cousins seemed frozen, and she nodded to Lucas, allowing him to look after the Martinelli brothers. Not even the loss of Martha's tall, dark-haired protector induced the Families to move. This was explained a moment later when Martha heard someone cry out that the child was gone. Martha allowed herself a small, vicious smile as the Cousins disappeared, and then turned her attention to the Martinelli brothers. It was the younger one who was shot, she realized, Lucas. His older brother Jason looked up at her with tears in his eyes and the young doctor smiled at him reassuringly. Or tried to, at least.

Martha dropped to her knees to examine the American Lucas and nodded, murmuring, "He'll be all right, if we hurry and get him to hospital. I don't know why she did it, but I'm not surprised, Jason. She's done this sort of thing before." And if Mickey or I ever catch up with her, she thought grimly, not even Jack will be able to save her. Although, she had a sneaking suspicion that there would be other individuals looking for vengeance after today. Martha was a doctor, dedicated to saving and preserving life. But this time, a trust was broken one time too many, and now, someone was (likely) dead as a result of that betrayal. The sad irony was it was someone whom the traitor was trying to save. Martha would mourn for that life later ... she had two living individuals who needed her right now. Mourning could wait until later. Justice would wait until later. Healing was her most important task for the moment, because the living had to take precedence over the dead.

"Did Grandfather know about this? Did he know she would do something like this?" Jason asked brokenly as Mickey returned from Lucas' car. He and the former MI5 agent worked seamlessly to lift the injured young man. Mickey was quietly furious, and Lucas … well, Martha could hardly look at her new friend's face. During the last few weeks, she and Mickey came to know him well, and right now, she didn't need to look at him to know that he would look pained and guilty, even though he wasn't the guilty party. Martha shook her head as Jason once more caught her eye. She didn't have the answer to that, and it really didn't matter. They would worry about what Carlyon Tregarth knew, and when he knew it, later.

"I don't know, Jason," she answered quietly, looping her arm through his as she cast a wary eye around the warehouse. Martha steered the shocked young man out of that place of death, having no compunction whatsoever about using his obvious infatuation with her if it meant saving his life. Ahead of her, Lucas and Mickey were easing Jason's younger brother in beside their young aunt. Martha swallowed hard, hugging Jason's arm a little. Lucas straightened up, his eyes meeting Martha's. To her relief, there was none of the guilt that she feared. There was, however, a great deal of anger. Also to her great relief, none of that anger was directed at her.

"I'll let Mickey drive … it'll give me a chance to call Alicia, let her know that she needs to send a clean-up crew. It looked like one of the Cousins kept glancing at one of the bodies on the catwalk," he explained, and Martha nodded. She urged Jason forward, the boy putting one foot in front of the other numbly. There was a possibility that there were others who were injured. Her concern was with the two in the very back. She was a doctor, sworn to heal, but there were limits to what she could do … and sometimes, hard decisions had to be made.

As she slipped into the car between the two injured people to monitor their condition, Martha Jones-Smith stared at the warehouse, wondering once again what the Families were playing at. 'I'm so sorry, Martha, I had no choice.' So she was the intended target. But why? Another attempt by the Families to get their filthy paws on Jack? That was the only thing she could think of. And now, it didn't really matter, thanks to the unconscious woman rolled onto her side. Lucas observed from the passenger seat, "I think I got the boy's bleeding staunched, Martha … Alicia says that she's on her way, should be here in the next five minutes."

Martha nodded, barely aware of Jason's promise to keep up pressure on his brother's wound. That was good. It would allow her to focus on the injured woman, which Martha began immediately. She winced at the whimper of pain she caused, but whispered, "I promise you, Natalie, I know it hurts, but it's better in the end. I won't let you die. I won't let either of you die." She had no way of knowing whether she was heard, but Martha meant every word she said. Natalie Tregarth would have sacrificed herself so Martha could return home to her daughter … Martha would ensure that Natalie would live to return to her own.

TBC