I am catching up on the Doctor Who Revival sporadically and I'm on the 3 episode of Donna's Tenure but I started Doctor Who watching Martha because she was the reason I got interested. This was written not long after I finished watching her arcs but eh, delays.
This is my first Doctor Who fanfiction so some critical feedback would be appreciated. I hope you enjoy.
Edited on March 17th, 2015
KendrixTermina wrote a rather lengthy review (thank you) and I have taken the liberty of doing a few edits in terms of character-presentation and conversation.
Doctor Who - the Tenth Doctor Era/Martha Tenure
After the End that Wasn't
Characters: Martha Jones, Jack Harkness
"There's one small blessing," Francine said as her daughter re-entered the family flat. Outside the window the TARDIS faded away, vanishing from the London street and possibly this era.
"The Doctor's gone?" Martha guessed, trying to tease but her joking tone sounded strained.
There was a pause and Francine's grip on her cup tightened. "No. That Leo was spared all this."
"But how will we explain it to him?" Tish voiced the thought they had all been thinking and they all fell silent.
"Maybe we shouldn't." Clive said.
"But then it's like we're shutting him out of the loop!" Tish said. "I'm glad he wasn't there but he'll always know something is wrong."
"He's coming tomorrow anyway." Martha said. "He wants to know what happened on the Valiant."
And what are we suppose to say?
The Year that Never Was had repaired Francine and Clive's relationship though they more like reconciling lovers than a husband and wife on the mend. There were still kinks to work through and wounds - both new and old - to be mended.
Their daughters kipped down in the living room, swapping stories like they were girls again, mostly of Martha's adventures but she held off the emotional aspects. That was a topic for tomorrow. Tish fell asleep, drifting off in the middle of one of Martha's tales.
Martha laid awake holding her sister's hand as the clock ticked over to midnight, lost to her own thoughts, dwelling on many of her exciting adventures with the Doctor and tried to push the unfortunate feelings to the side, allowing herself a moment to remember Riley Vashtee - a man in a distant future. Uncomplicated and wonderfully understandable and understanding, sympathetic. Human. It was just nice to have someone who got it without explanation.
The sanctuary of the memory - even if it included almost falling into the sun - made her close her eyes, orange light crossed with blue flickering in her vision and -
There was someone out there.
She sat up, alarmed and the figure hastily moved out of sight of the lounge room window only to return and waved sheepishly holding something in one hand.
Her brow furrowed in confusion as she stood up and padded over to the window. "Jack?"
He grinned, holding something up - a dish - and moved to the door. She went to let him and raised an eyebrow at the immortal captain. "Jack, what are you doing?"
"Well," he said. "I was back with my team when I realized a few things. One; we had been through a traumatic experience and while am I use to such things - unfortunately - your family isn't and two it didn't happen but your flat is still blown out."
They both winced. "So, I thought I'd stop by and rushed out and then I realized it's after midnight..."
She chuckled. "And you brought food?"
"There's a reason there's the concept of comfort food. May I come in?"
"Oh!" Martha exclaimed, realizing he was standing outside near midnight. "Yes of course. I'm sorry about that." she waved him off, firmly closing the door behind him. "Everyone's asleep now but you're welcome to stay. Come in for a chat?"
"Thanks," he said as she relieved him of the food he had brought and helped him out of his great coat. "It also occurred to me that someone should help you out with your blown flat. And - and..." His mumbling speech was broken by a yawn and Martha steered him towards the couch inches from the nest of blankets she and Tish had made. "Sleepover?" He asked, smirking.
"Of a sorts. It's therapeutic. Speaking of sleep though, it looks like you haven't had any."
He waved her off as she relieved him of the food he had brought and briefly retreated to the kitchen before returning, sitting beside him on the couch. "Nah, I don't need much sleep. Immortal and everything!" His protests were broken by a yawn that split his jaw.
"Did you ever sleep?" She demanded running a hand a over a pulse point to check it.
"Only when I was dead," he said flippantly but the comment made her blood chill. Jack slumped against the back of the couch with a heavy sigh. "You mind if I use you as a pillow, Martha?" He muttered. "It's been a long...y - year..." His words trailed off and Martha squeaked in slight alarm as he slumped against her side, heavy and unmoving. She rolled her eyes and hoped her family knew Jack well enough to understand his breach of 21st century etiquette and tried to get comfortable, shifting her head pillowed on his shoulder.
It was actually easier to go to sleep with Jack there, relaxing from the protective, on-alert tension that had coiled in her and she slowly drifted off, her breath becoming even and relaxed. Jack's eyes fluttered open, a small smile tracing on his lips.
"Get some sleep, Walker of the Earth. You deserve it."
Her family was mentally and physically exhausted and slept like the dead that night and through till the morning.
When she woke up to no Jack and the smell of breakfast, she quietly went around checking on them to make sure they were just sleeping before joining the Doctor's other former companion in the crisp clean kitchen – done in white and tans.
"Good morning," he said cheerfully, waving a spatula. The sizzling sausages made a comforting, crackling popping noise that reminded her of simple things, the sunny-side up eggs were cooking and there were even pancakes on.
"Thought I'd make some breakfast; that dish I brought is really more of a dinner dish. Least I could do after barging in at midnight and falling asleep on you." He grinned, flipping one of the pancakes and expertly catching it and Martha smiled, relaxed by the good smells. "So, I have to ask - where's the Doctor?"
Her smile faded quickly and she put on a shrug. "He left." She didn't miss Jack's scowl. "You know how he is."
"Never there for the clean up." the Captain muttered. "And - "
"I chose to stay here. Don't get me wrong; it was exciting and wonderful - "
" – and dangerous!" There was a twinkle in his eye and she chuckled; the danger - though harrowing - was part of the fun, sometimes. And the Doctor hadn't treated her that terribly despite his hang-ups on Rose. There had been few recreational trips in which they could just enjoy the sites. Even a visit to a hospital or two.
"There are... very few people who get to see what I've seen but ..." she paused and when Jack didn't prompt or finish her sentence she continued, leaning on the kitchen table. "There's a point when it becomes...more emotionally painful than just...living normally."
"Well, he's old." Jack said, his voice turning serious. "No matter how many times he regenerates and he gets a new...perspective, he still remembers. He still ages. Not human either - not that there's anything wrong with it but ...he can't quite understand us a lot of the time. Not even other species sometimes."
"Tell me about it." she scoffed, sinking into a chair and she was silent for a moment, letting the smells of a cooking breakfast calm her before getting up to put on a pot of tea and perhaps some hot cocoa. "I think he's still ...hung up. On Rose."
The air whistled through Jack's teeth as he hurried to turn over the pancakes. "Likely."
"You knew her?"
"Yeah. Brave girl. I met them during the London Blitz."
He brow furrowed in confusion, the information clashing with what she knew. "I'm sorry?"
The Doctor was a different man then – different face, much less goofy, angrier, harsher." he explained, becoming more sober, more lost in memories. "
Martha winced. "Glad I missed that phase."
"No, I think you would have liked him," Jack countered. "He was...the Ninth one I think." At Martha's arched eyebrow of confusion, he explained. "He did tell you he regenerates? Like...reborn, new face, new body?"
"Oh! Yes, yes! After we almost fell into a sun,"
"Wait, what?"
She smiled. "I'll tell you later."
"Okay, so apparently, the Doctor I knew had had eight incarnations before – well, I think there was one he wasn't counting...for some reason..." he trailed off before shrugging.
"Oh, wow...I hadn't considered..."
"So, the one you know would be Ten. So, Nine was much more...soldier like, sarcastic and witty and not so oblivious. He was cool. Traveled with them for awhile." he looked at her wanting her to ask.
"Okay, I'll bite. What was Rose like?"
"Great! I mean, everyone is." he said enthusiastically. "Younger than you, I think. Sassy. I think...well, the Doctor was in a war and then he was angry and he needed some people along to help not be."
"He told me a little bit."
Jack moved around the kitchen as he spoke, grabbing plates and shooing Martha away when she attempted to help.
"You're the guest."
"Exactly, so let me thank you for your hospitality. Besides, you made the tea and cocoa. So, Rose Tyler –I mean, she was normal. Human. 21st century, Mom, hard life, shop girl - he blew up her job apparently."
"He blew up her job?"
"Yup! Practically how he communicated, she said. There was an army of evil plastic though - "
"Tish was out that night! Came out blabbing in a panic, took us at least an hour to calm her down! I was...oh, I was still in university. My last year."
"I mean you - " he waved. "You're going to be a doctor! A proper medical doctor, heal people, help people. Like...I guess the Doctor has a habit of picking up lost people. Well, I really have just me and Rose to go on - you're less lost than most."
He was happy to chatter about Rose but it wasn't in the 'oh she would have known what to do' kind of way but in that simple, delighted way people had when they were sharing stories about people they cared about and liked. The silly stories, the simple ones, the ones on the TARDIS, or little side adventures and things. She was dying to ask about Canary Wharf - she had a cousin who never came home. Practically her twin, actually. Their mothers looked eerily similar too because their mothers had been twins, that was probably why. But Rose was apparently alive...in another dimension? And jack looked happy enough to reminense fondly in a non-rose colored glasses way.
Haha.
"How long did you travel with them?"
He sighed. "Well, a bit but not long really. Wish I had longer but at the same time wish I hadn't. I was a coward before I met them next thing I knew I was leading a small platoon of humans against an entire army of Daleks. Oh they're – "
"We've met. Unfortunately."
"Really, where?"
"1930. The Great Depression in New York City. Top of the Empire State building."
"I am going to have to pump you for details of all your adventures." he sighed and she just shrugged. There had been the good parts and the bad parts and it was very likely if she had the chance to it over, she'd only change a few things. But she would choose to go.
"Anyway, that's where the Doctor found out they had survived. We were all holed up on this Satellite – they'd been there before – and fighting off the Daleks and they killed me."
"And...she brought you back to life?"
Jack paused, focusing on dishing out the breakfast. "I still don't know how she did it. I'm not really sure if it was her. But it was a one time thing I gather. And it was...like her but not her. And like...I had dreams about it, when I was tired enough to sleep. But that's when the Doctor left me behind."
"Because you're immortal?" She sounded disapproving.
"Because I'm a fixed event and apparently those aren't suppose to exist. The TARDIS didn't like that."
"But she liked you afterwards."
"I had to prove myself. But enough of him, them," He waved a hand dramatically. "We are alive and it's time we celebrate properly!"
He was about to bang on a pot, clattering around the house, when Martha stopped him, catching his hand. "Let them sleep. They need it."
"They're a lot stronger now, Martha."
"Yeah...but I worry."
"You just want me all to yourself." he teased.
She rolled her eyes, the beginnings of a smile appearing. "Please, don't be so daft."
"Ah, I'll get you to admit it eventually. So, adventures! Tell me about the good parts and I'll you mine?"
"You first. You said you were stranded in the 1800s?"
Author's Note:
This turned out more conversational than I expected.
Nine, Jack and Martha are my favorite characters (so far, let's see if they can hold their positions) and I liked the camaraderie Martha and Jack struck up in such a short period of time. So, this is a one-shot for now, tell me your thoughts please!