Title: "Right up His Alley"

Author: Wish Wielder

Fandom: Doctor Who

Pairing / Character Focus: Martha Jones

Challenge: 30 Smiles

Theme / Prompt: #27 (Pride; High and Mighty)

Word Count: 1,051

Rating: K Plus / PG

Summary: "If we're being honest, then, I can't say I was surprised when they said they knew you," she said. "Makes sense though, doesn't it? Talking heads in concrete slabs're right up your alley, aren't they?"

Notes: Post-S3; set during the bit where Martha's s'pposed to be working at Torchwood before returning to the Doc.

Disclaimer: "Doctor Who" and all respective properties are © the BBC. Megan D. (Wish Wielder) does not, has never, nor will ever own "Doctor Who".

"Right up His Alley"

"I had an interesting patient today," Martha said, balancing the phone between her shoulder and her ear as she sniffed a container of Chinese. With a grimace she chucked it in the bin and resumed her search of something edible, pushing back more cartons just like it in her fridge.

"Oh?" she heard the Doctor ask from the other side. She opened an old plastic container to find a pasta dish inside. With a shrug she walked over to the microwave and popped it in, setting it for just under two minutes.

"Yeah," she said, leaning back on the counter and watching as the container was rotated. "Kind of funny, really – said they knew you."

"Did they, now?" he asked, his voice slightly muffled by a familiar banging. She could see him, in her mind, leaning over to pound on something on the console with that plastic hammer of his. He never could just do one thing at a time, could he?

"Yeah," she said. "Girl named Ursula – she came in with her boyfriend Elton. Had a bit of a head cold."

"Did she? Well that's too – oh, hold on," she bit her lip against the laughter, grinning as she heard him stop. "Clever, Martha Jones – very clever!"

"I thought so," she said as the microwave sounded. She popped open the door and removed her dinner, wincing as the plastic burnt her hand. She slipped her uninjured hand under her shirt and grabbed the other edge, using her other hand to grab a fork from a nearby drawer. "I take it you remember them now?"

"'Course I do! Elton and Ursula – went up against an Abzorbalof a few years back. Part of a group that was trying to track me down. Elton had the genius idea of getting to me through Jackie, and that really set Rose off – kept yelling at him for 'upsetting her mum'. Jackie deserved it, mind you – never was too fond of that woman," he said, and she smiled at his prattling. "Ursula was absorbed, but I was able to save her – well, her head, at least – when they broke the limitation field and the Abzorbalof melted. He was absorbed by the Earth, and I, using my brilliant brains and amazing sonic screwdriver, was able to put her head in that block. So they're together now – happy ending, right? I'm good, right?"

"Absolute genius," she said, smiling at how elated he sounded. "Not at all full of yourself."

"Well, geniuses can't afford to be modest – and there's no need for it if you're just being honest, and I'm always honest!" he said, and she laughed.

"If we're being honest, then, I can't say I was surprised when they said they knew you," she said, and she heard him grunt in response. She rolled her eyes and popped a shrimp into her mouth. "Makes sense though, doesn't it? Talking heads in concrete slabs're right up your alley, aren't they?"

"I feel I should be insulted," he said, and she grinned again. The grin wavered as she looked at the noodles circled on her fork, a thought coming back to her.

"They…they wanted me to tell you sorry," she said.

"For what?" he asked, and she sighed.

"Well, like you said – you met them with Rose, right? They said they saw her name on the list of the dead after the war at Canary Wharf," she said, and she heard him freeze. A part of her wanted to sigh at that; he'd multitask his way through an entire conversation, but mention Rose just once and he was still as ice. "They went to her funeral – her and her mum's. They wanted me to tell you how sorry they were. Said they knew you cared for her."

"I didn't go to her funeral, and I don't think I would have gone to Jackie's," he said, and she smiled a bit at that. He had told her shortly after their encounter with Dr. Lazarus all about Jackie Tyler and just why he should always stay away from mothers, including her own Francine Jones. "Didn't see the point, not with her still being alive and all. Besides, I was busy trying to send her a message – didn't have time for funerals."

"You live in a time machine," she told him coolly, and she heard him catch his breath. She sighed, knowing that wasn't what he had wanted to hear. "Point is, I told them about that. Her not being dead, that is. Well, what I know of it. Told them she was alive in another universe and couldn't come back. They said sorry for that, too."

"Wasn't their fault," he mumbled, and she shrugged, even though she knew he couldn't see it. She took a bite from her noodles, careful not to drop the phone as she swallowed.

"You know…" she started, unsure of how exactly to say what she wanted, "Meeting them, and Jack, and other people that knew her…sometimes I wish I could have. She sounds amazing."

"She was fantastic," he said, and she smiled at the smile she could hear in his voice. "Absolutely brilliant. You would've got on great with her."

"As long as she wasn't a talking head in a concrete slab," she said, and she winced as she heard him toss the hammer, trying her best to stifle the giggles.

"Now, look here!" he snapped. "I saved her life – she should be glad to be a blockhead! Still gets that love life with Elton, doesn't she? You need to stop questioning my amazing genius, Martha Jones – it's just not very –"

"Blockhead?" she asked, snorting, and she could practically hear him deflate.

"Well, you got 'head cold'…" he mumbled, and she threw a hand over her mouth to keep the noodles from shooting out as she laughed. The laughter quickly died into a coughing fit, and again she could hear his grin through the phone. "Careful now, Martha – don't choke."

"I'm hanging up now before your bad puns kill me," she said, her lips twitched in a grin. He mumbled a 'yeah, yeah – whatever' at her before she clicked off, and with another smile she put the phone back on its slot by the kitchen door.

"Brilliant brains my foot," she said, shaking her head. "Egomaniac…"

A.n.: Thememunity whore? Who's a thememunity whore? Certainly not! xP (Ok, yeah…I totally am…) I was gonna wait a bit until I was more into S3 and knew Martha a bit better, but I got this idea and it was just too tempting. I love "Love & Monsters" (it's one of my favorite eps – it's just so random it's brilliant!), and I'm really surprised it's taken me this long to bring it into one of these thememunity ficlets.

Anyway, yeah. Basically I just wanted a chance to work with Martha a bit more, so I took on this challenge. And for those who are curious…yes, I do intend to do the bonus themes. C'mon, guys…thirty-four is "Empty the pocket" – how could I not do that? xD