The Gardens at Exion – 10 + Martha
The main console of the Tardis beeped and whirred as it prepared to land on another far and distant planet. Martha held tightly on to the railings as the Doctor tried, and failed, to perform a steady landing. Sure enough they soon hit the floor heavily on impact.
"Martha? You alright?"
"Yep I'm fine!," she replied, "You need to work on that landing you know!"
He smiled in response.
He grabbed his overcoat and jumped the stairs to the wooden doors.
"I thought we could do with some fresh air so...," he grinned devilishly and slowly opened the doors.
"Welcome, Martha Jones, to the Gardens at Exion."
They were immediately bathed in strong, harsh sunlight. The Tardis had landed surrounded by trees and shrubs of the deepest green imaginable, fluorescent green butterflies hovered in sunlit glades and the air was thick with the deep scent of flowers. Circling the Tardis and extending outwards was a carpet of thick, luscious, green grass, which remained perfectly still in the golden shafts of light.
Martha was speechless, it was one of the most beautiful things she had ever seen. Sensing her amazement, the Doctor grabbed her hand and led her out in to the sunlight and deep grass. Soon they were wading through it, almost waist deep until they reached the tree line.
"It's...It's beautiful Doctor!"
"Isn't it! I always remember this place, if I had to choose, it would probably be one of my favourite places in the universe," he replied fondly.
"Wait, you haven't seen it yet, just through here."
He ducked through the tree line and Martha followed, they passed through the shadowy alcoves hidden by moss and creepers that looked rather ominous, Martha thought. They broke the tree line and Martha caught up to find the Doctor standing on a ridge of grass looking serene and reminiscent, his face so young yet his mind so old and complex. Martha stood for a moment at the bottom of the ridge and took him in, he was...very beautiful, she thought, in everything, not just his looks but his soul, the very essence of his being was angelic in its simplicity and complexities.
He beckoned for her to join him. She ran up the ridge and the view she was greeted with took her breath away.
They were standing on top of a cliff that seemed to be on the very edge of the world, it overlooked the deep, cool water of the ocean that stretched off all the way to the horizon, on which sat two suns, one huge and one smaller one glittering distantly. They stared out across the depths for what seemed like a lifetime.
"I think this could just be the very best place to sit in all the universe," he said suddenly.
The Doctor took off his long overcoat and lay down, Martha did the same and found the grass to be pleasantly soft and springy. She stared and the horizon for a few moments.
"So you've been here before then?," Martha asked inquisitively.
"Yeah," the Doctor replied calmly. "I often come here when I need to think."
The Doctor suddenly looked uneasy.
"And...I once came here with Rose. We...well we..., we were alone here together, and one thing kind of led to another...and we... well ya' know.."
"Oh right!...," Martha replied embarrassed. She broke eye contact with him and looked down. There was a few seconds of awkward silence.
"I...," the Doctor began.
"You...," Martha began simultaneously.
They both stopped.
"Sorry," the Doctor said. "You go."
"I was just gonna say that you two were very close weren't you, you and Rose."
The Doctor waited before answering. He could see the truth and there wasn't much point on hiding it now...she was...gone.
"Yeah we were...I...I." He gathered his courage. "I loved her."
He paused.
"I want you to know, Martha, that you're not competing with her, I would never dream of treating you as second best. I would never do that to you," he smiled at her warmly.
"We have had the best of times, and I will always remember you."
He looked up at the deep blue sky and lay back on his coat.
"My Martha Jones, the Woman who Walked the Earth."
"My ordinary, brilliant, fantastic human."