Next chapter, and I think it's a good one. Wrote it a minute ago at half past eleven at night.
"Parallel world," she said. "Like, in the Golden Compass?"
His face scrunched up. "I hated that movie. The screenwriter ruined the books."
Martha shrugged. "Never read them. So, like that then? Where something went a bit different?"
"Yeah. Look, Martha, do you see any zeppelins in the sky?"
"No, why?"
"Never mind."
Martha started to walk down the street.
"Where are you going?" the Doctor called.
"Going to see if I can steal a newspaper!" she called back.
She went about halfway down the street, keeping an eye out for newspapers, before she turned back to look at the Doctor. He was still staring at the sky, a bemused expression on his face. "Oi! Keep up!" she yelled. He blinked, shook himself, and trotted down to meet her.
Martha went to the nearest recycling bin and lifted the lid. "What you doing?" the Doctor asked curiously.
"See if they threw out yesterday's paper," she said shortly.
He grinned. "Brilliant!"
"I know." She fished one out. "Two days ago, presuming they have the same calendar as us." She shook it out. "Prime Minister's still Harriet Jones... Fiasco: Downing Street was blown up by UNIT?"
"What?" the Doctor said. "That was me!"
"I should have guessed," she said, still reading. "England still recovering from the destruction of the 2005 Shop Dummy Massacre, thousands of casualties? What?"
"Whatever," he said. "Just enjoy it, Martha Jones! You're in a totally different universe!" Despite this, he looked uneasy and very much on edge.
"Maybe, in this world, Mum and Dad are still together," Martha mused. The Doctor stiffened in anxiety. "Nah," she continued, "not if they're still Mum and Dad." He relaxed.
"Hey, look, there's someone throwing out the paper," she said, pointing. The Doctor looked. The Doctor stared. The Doctor ran like hell towards the tall, dark man tossing his paper in the bin along with an old cardboard box.
"Hello," he said breathlessly, "uh, I'm the Doctor, this is Martha."
"Um, hi," Martha said.
The man gave them a look that clearly said, Weirdos. Martha looked at him more closely. He had dark hair and appeared to be in his late middle age, but his most prominent features were his large nose and ears. He was wearing an old gray suit that didn't really suit him.
"And you are?" the Doctor asked.
The man looked at them again, and said briefly, "Smith. John Smith." Martha gave a start, then forced herself to calm down. A very common name, John Smith, she told herself. A little voice said, so how many do you know? It's so common it's uncommon.
"Mr. Smith," the Doctor said, "I was wondering if you'd seen a pocketwatch around here? A big old one? Only I've lost it, and it's something of a family heirloom, you see."
He gave them another hostile glare, then reached into his pocket and produced a pocketwatch.
Martha gasped.
It was very obviously the exact replica of the Doctor's fob watch.
"Got this one," he said. "It's mine, though. Had it for years."
"Doctor," Martha whispered, "he's a Time-"
"Shush." He turned back to the hostile man. "Smith, you got a nice job? Friends? A family?"
"Why should I tell you?"
Suddenly the door on the house behind them opened, and a little girl ran out. She had dark ringlets and a serious expression. She ran to Smith. "Daddy! Daddy!"
The man's face melted, the hostility gone in a flash. He picked the girl up in his arms. "Hey, Susie, what's wrong?"
She sniffed. "Fred's being mean again. He broke my doll. And Sarah won't let me play with her. She says I'm a baby."
"You? You're a big girl!" he said in mock surprise. "Why, I think Sarah needs her eyes checked!"
Susie giggled. "Yeah, she does," the little girl agreed.
"Well, Susan, you be a big girl and run and tell her she's the one being the baby. And you can tell Freddie I'll have strict words with him when I come inside."
She nodded. "Kay." Then she looked up at the Doctor. "You look funny," she said. Then she ran back inside.
Martha looked at the Doctor. There was a look on his face, as though it wanted to express his emotions but wasn't quite sure how to go about it. He stepped in front of John Smith. "Look, I'll give you two hundred dollars for that watch."
He shrugged. "It's broken, but whatever." He handed it over, and the Doctor paid up. "Now get off my property," he said, hardening.
"Right," said the Doctor, and walked straight back to the TARDIS, very fast. Martha had to run to keep up. The wind was blowing straight through her vest. "But he's a Time Lord!" she said incredulously.
"Yes," the Doctor said, "he is."
"But you're not the only one!"
They were at the familiar blue box. He fumbled with the lock. "Yes, I am."
"But what if he's just hiding from the Family? You took the watch! He'll never turn back now, he'll die a human!"
"Yes," the Doctor said, with undesguised satisfaction, "he will."
Like it? Hate it? Feel like killing me with penguins? Review or get exterminated!
