I don't know what happened I thought I had already posted this chapter, but when I went to post the next one this was not up. Sorry for the delay. On the bright side you get two chapters in one day. :) enjoy.
Martha awoke two hours later very glad that she had already procured the evening off. She had about four and a half hours until she was expected back she noted. That gave her four hours to plan. Her mood was much better after her much needed emotional venting and nap. It got even brighter when she realized there was no reason she shouldn't take a soak. The TARDIS may have been running low so the power out put would go undetected but that still left the old girl with plenty of power to warm some water.
Less then three minutes later Martha was letting out a sigh as she sunk into a bath that was just the right temperature. She had thought to bring her alarm in the bathroom with her and set it for another two hours. She had considered spending the whole time in the tube but she was feeling better and wanted to try eating before her return. "Thank you so much" she said. It turned out the TARDIS had known what she needed and had prepared it already. Martha knew the TARDIS was conscious on some level. The Doctor had said the TARDIS liked her. Yet this was a first, and Martha was not about to complain.
Now all she needed was to think. How could she ensure the doctor would open the watch on time that was the first order of business. She could consider what to do about him and Joan later if there was anything to be done. Martha was nothing if not practical she knew just telling him he was really a Time Lord and his dreams where true would never work. She would only resort to that as a last resort or in an emergency. No, Martha Jones needed a way to get the man to open a pocket watch he barely even knew he owned. Sure that was great for stopping him from opening it before the scheduled time but how was she supposed to get him to open it without seeming daft.
That's when she remembered the conversation between one of the teachers and the Headmaster the other day. They were complementing John on being so good with the boys. He'd said something about John's method being so successful at such a young age. That was the key the Headmaster had said "so skilled and not even thirty yet." the other teacher had then said, "Yes, which reminds me his birthday is coming up next month is it not. We should do something. Him being so new and all, make him feel more at home. We wouldn't want to lose him after all." That was it his birthday was two days after the date he'd said it would be safe to open the watch. Who would question her having his old watch fixed for him. She was sure it had to be common for an old pocket watch to run a little slow. The only problem was how would she explain having the money to have the watch fixed, and what if someone talked to the watch maker there was only one in the small town. That could be a problem but she knew the gift Idea might be her only hope she had to make it work. She finished her soak feeling a little less brilliant then she had at first. How could she be so close to a solution and not be able to work out the details. Maybe having a watch fixed would be less expensive then she thought. She could look into it, but then the watchmaker would be expecting her to return with the watch if it wasn't to expensive and that would never do. She had to be careful.
"Why does the watchmaker have to be so close to the staff of Farringham School?" Martha lamented.
Oh, well she'd figure something out she had to besides she hadn't really expected to fix all her problems in one afternoon. Her best ideas always came on her feet anyways. Just then her alarm went off. She got out the tube, dried off, and got dressed. She moved slower then necessary because she knew she would soon have to consider what to do about the growing closeness of Joan and The Doctor. Wondering into the kitchen she found a can of soup that was still good and fixed herself a pot of tea. Setting down to her simple meal she mentally prepared herself for the task at hand.
As soon as she began to ponder that particular problem she began to wonder if she even should do anything about. They were adults, and if she could iron the wrinkles out of her plan she wouldn't have to worry about being stuck there. Sure she didn't know if The Doctor would remember or not but it might serve him right with all he'd put her through. She knew the past was better not having to worry about documentation so much, but would it have been that hard to have gone to Canada instead.
Still, Martha could not bring herself to just sit back. She would never want The Doctor to suffer like that, and besides Joan really was a nice woman she was just raised in the wrong era. Martha couldn't really hate her; when she was thinking clearly anyways. What she would never admit to herself is that she still held out some hope. She sadly admitted though that Joan and the The Doctor's heart break might just be inevitable. She really did feel sorry for Joan most. Even if the Doctor did remember who's to say he'd feel the same when he was back to himself. She could simply try to make herself more appealing to The Doctor she supposed. With that thought Martha made some sound that sounded like a mixture between laughter, crying, and a cough. She couldn't get The Doctor to notice her when he thought her brilliant. No way John was gonna notice his simple black maid; not like that anyways.
Then again maybe that was the perfect plan. Maybe she should stop acting so simple. She could let her guard 'slip' a little bit. She had no delusions that the young school teacher with the promising career ahead of him would throw it all away for her. That wasn't the point she just needed to spark his interest a little. Be enough of a distraction that he didn't fall for Ms. Redfern quite so fast. Without the full weight of Rose's memory she might actually have a shot at this.
"This could actually work. I'll just be sure no one expects I like John, especially Joan" Martha thought aloud. "Besides what's more appealing initially then an enigma and someone who doesn't want you back." With only one month left initially was all she needed. With that she tidied the kitchen, and went to change back into her 1913 clothes. Oh, how good it felt to be dressed normally for a couple of hours. On the way back to the school her spirits were decidedly higher. She had a plan for both her problems even if one still needed the details worked out. Things were looking up. Though her high spirits partially stemmed from the hope that The Doctor would remember everything if her plan worked. There was no reason not to get something from this horrible experience after all.
Okay likes dislikes ambivalent perspectives. I crave them all. So gimme gimme gimme. Seriously though this is only my second fan fic ever for anything and my first multi chapter, so feedback is exceedingly good if you want good stuff from me in the future.
