Hi, people. So sorry about the mega delay. I've been pretty busy, with a lot going on. I will try and keep it regular. Thank you for your time. Kisses. Remember, reviews are love. STORY TIME!

VII - BAD NEWS WITH GOOD ENDINGS

Martha packed her bags quickly. Some jeans, shirts, her leather jacket, boots, her underwear and, of course, her gun with all the ammunition she'd need. It wasn't her first time packing her belongings and leaving. There was always some sort of anxiety and fear in packing up her bags and getting ready to leave her comfort zone. It left her with knots on her stomach.

While everyone thought she was sleeping or resting, Martha was in fact, downloading, copying and writing her side of events in Kaputznya. She knew there was a chance her stubbornness would come back and bite her in the ass. Even though she had done some good, had saved some people, Martha had disobeyed direct orders from her superior and broken several accords doing so. She worked a cold and confidential case with help of hunters, but not any hunters, the two who were under UNIT's red light. Not to mention her little encounter with UNIT's direct enemy and, according to them, terrorist organization Ipsilon, who was founded and now led by some of UNIT's best former soldiers. So, Martha Jones was neck deep in trouble.

The notification that came with Major Bellick was still a surprise and shock. Martha knew that, if she went along and waited for trial, she wouldn't get a chance to explain, defend herself and would be sent to jail immediately for a very long time. Martha was angry, she felt betrayed and misunderstood and therefore, she wouldn't go quietly into the night, with her arms folded to a trial where she probably wouldn't be set free. With all of this information in hand and much more on the way, Martha would make fight for her rights and, with all the luck in the world, prevail.

With her black leather duffel bag on one hand and her laptop bag dangling from her shoulder, she left her bedroom without looking back. Martha walked down the stairs, finding her sister and Jack waiting for her by the door.

"Martha, don't do this." Tish begged, standing in her way. "The consequences are going to be worse if you run."

"Let them be, Tish." Martha said, walking past her sister. "I'm not afraid."

"You are ridiculously stubborn, Jones." Jack said following her. "I don't know if the General will go easy on you after this. If fact, I think he'll want to teach you a lesson."

Together they walked out the house. The sun had already sat down, the empty sky was this blue/purple color and the stars were already coming out. Dean opened the Impala's back door, so Martha could throw her stuff in.

"Let her do her thing, Jack." Dean answered holding the door. "The good Doc doesn't want to go on trial for something she didn't do wrong. She's right."

"Don't encourage her, Dean." Tish jumped in. "It's not right."

"I'm not, her mind is made. It's none of my business."

"Jack, do you think it's okay for me to go to jail for something I didn't do wrong?" Martha said closing the door a little too harshly.

"Of course not, Martha. In my eyes you are a hero."

"Then, I need to show them too." Martha said. "I'm not going to sit here and wait for them to eat me alive, because that's what they'll do: eat me alive, Jack. In fact, if they want me, they can come and get me and be ready to fight because I'm not going down easy."

Tish came closer and grabbed her sister's hand.

"Martha, you will only make things worse. What will our dad say? Or Leo? Or Mum?

"Tish, understand one thing: I didn't do a thing wrong. What UNIT is trying to do is to punish me for something theydid wrong in the first place. I'm not going down for something I believe in and if you expect me to sit around and wait, you clearly don't know your sister."

Dean whistled and let out a loud laugh. "I thought you brits didn't have any fire in you. Boy, oh boy was I wrong." He got inside the car and got the engine running and called out: "Sammy!"

"Here." Sam said coming out of the house with his belongings dangling from his shoulders. He opened the car door and put everything inside without any care. After that, he turned to face Martha "So, ready to travel with hunters?"

"As ready as I'll ever be." Martha answered. She had mixed feelings: a bit of excitement, a bit of fear of the unknown, but overall her heart was beating fast and strong.

Going with the Winchester tasted the same as going into an abandoned building that could collapse any moment.

"Good." Dean said, poking his head out the window. "We have a long night, so we better hurry up."

Martha hugged Tish tightly.

"Please, don't go." Tish begged her sister while embracing her. "I don't want to lose sight of you again."

"I'll be fine." Martha said. "I've had worse, remember?"

"It's not the same. When you're travelling with the Doctor, I know you're safe, but…" Tish let go of her sister and looked straight at her with teary eyes. "Down here, on Earth, I'm actually more frightened then ever when it comes to you."

Martha gave her a shy smile and a kiss on the cheek.

"Keep mother sane, yes?" Tish answered only with a low hum. After her sister, Martha hugged Jack Harkness "I'll keep an eye on him"

"Call me, if necessary. If not, call me anyway." Jack asked, lifting Martha from the ground in a gentle bear hug.

After everyone has said their goodbyes, the trio was inside the Impala. Tish leaned over to the car window and gave Dean a peck on the cheek, taking him by surprise.

"Take care of my sister, Dean." She asked in a whisper.

Dean looked at Tish.

"We'll do."

It was a long journey, with a few stops along the way. The night was worm as the Impala rode down the road with its windows down. During their time on the road, there were moments of silence when they contemplated the shadows of the nature around them. There moments of fun, when Dean and Sam would share funny stories about each other and Martha would laugh her heart out – her favorite, was when Dean changed Sam's shampoo and his hair fell out completely. Other moments, when Martha would just talk about her adventures with the Doctor, in this case, Dean was especially interested – having in mind, he met the mad man once and the Winchester was in a bad mood.

Eventually, the trio passed a motel sign.

"I think we should stop for the night." Dean said, looking at his watch which pointed 04:00am. "Get some rest and go back on the road in the afternoon, what do you say?"

Martha and Sam agreed, to be honest their bodies were craving for some rest for a while now. Soon after the Impala was parking in front of the motel. Dean got his stuff out of the car, so did Sam and then Martha.

"I'll book the rooms." Sam said. Dean nodded and waited by his car, while Sam went to the reception desk.

"Hey…" Dean called. "Are you sure you're making the right decision?"

Martha crossed her arms over her chest and shrugged.

"Yes. I'm a fighter. I wasn't before, but now I am."

"Pardon me for playing the devil's advocate, but aren't you being stubborn? I mean, bottom line is, good or not, you broke the law and disobeyed rules. You have to be punished."

"I know. But, I'm not going to, because it wouldn't be right."

"Not talking about right or wrong, I'm talking about justice. You broke the law, you must pay for it. Right?"

"No."

"What do you mean?"

"Dean, what would you have done? Just be content with what you saw or dig in and try to understand what really happened? It was my duty! At UNIT I swore to protect the earth and to fight for the human race. That's what I did. No matter what they tell me. I broke the rules? Yes. I disobeyed my superiors? Yes. I worked with enemies of my institution? Yes." Martha held her head high. "Would I do it again? You bloody believe I would."

Without noticing Dean was showing a proud smile.

"Goddamit, Martha Jones."

"What?"

"You've got some balls on you."

Martha let out a laugh.

"Thank you."

"Well, don't thank me. It's true. You'd be one hell of a hunter." Dean said. "Event though, we practically ruined your life."

"Not ruined. Just brought back some well missed adrenaline." Martha said. "Which reminds me…"

Martha extended her hand.

"What?" Dean asked, looking at her empty hand.

"I need to see how you're doing."

"Oh, can you wait until we get a room first?" Dean asked, looking uncomfortable. " Sam can come back any minute and he won't be pleased to see you touching me."

"I'm a Doctor!"

"You're his girl."

"I'm not his girl."

"Well, you two had a thing, so…can we wait for ourthing to be done indoors?"

"What thing?" Sam's voice cut in. Martha and Dean both shared looks, but said nothing. Sam was left in silence and thinking the worst things "You know, that sentence sounded wrong in so many ways…"

Dean, snatching the keys from his brother's hand, said: "I'm tired. I'm going to go to bed."

The older Winchester left carrying his things to the bedroom whose door read 39. Sam handed Martha's keys and hers read 41.

"So…already moving on, huh?" Sam didn't mean to say it, or to sound so bitter while saying it. But it did.

Martha reached for the keys.

"I'm not moving on from anything." She pulled the keys out of Sam's hand, but he formed a gripped around it and wouldn't let go. "What are you doing?"

"I'm sorry." Sam admitted. "I know you're mad."

"Mad, doesn't even begin to explain it, Sam."

"It's just…" Sam shuts himself up, but does not loosen his grip on the keys "I like you, you know I do-"

"No, you like me but…That's how it goes."

"I like you. Period. I would never, ever,lie to you Martha.

"Charming, Sam."

"Will you…!" Sam let out a sigh. "You are frustrating to talk to, Martha."

"Mickey used to say the same thing. Mostly, when I was right. I usually am, though."

"Listen, I'm trying to come clean with you." Sam said, but Martha went quiet. "I'm afraid."

"Of what?"

"Of what might happen to you, if you're with me." Sam explained. He was on a roll, he couldn't stop now. "Listen, all my relationships ended badly. You saw my life story, you saw how many women crossed my path and how it ended. I'm bad. I'm not saying this as a sense of charm, but there's really something wrong with me. Inside of me. Something bad always happens and-"

"Sam, you're a twat!" Martha snapped, letting go of the keys.

"What?"

"You. Are. A. Bloody. Twat!" Martha said, pushing him back. "Look at what we've been through so far! Remember where we were six months ago? We were being chased by a zombie like vampire woman, Sam! We nearly died, what could possibly happen now?"

"Don't say that." Sam said. "Things can always get worse."

"What if they do? It's life! You are going to deny yourself of something you like, because you are scared. You, a Winchester who fights monsters for a living, are afraid of actually loving someone besides your brother?"

Sam's face was white in astonishment. After a few seconds of silence, he blurted out a question:

"Do you want to be with me?"

"No, Sam. Do youwant to be with me?" Martha asked. "I like you. A lot. Period. But I want to know, if you like me enough to let go of this irrational fear of yours."

"It's not irrational, Martha."

"It is!" Martha argued. "Sam, you cannot live your life afraid of losing everything around you or you won't live at all. Figure it out, then come see me." Martha picked his things up from the ground, then grabbed her keys from Sam's hand "But, do not take very long. I'm not very patient."

Martha picked her things up and went back to her room, without saying a word. Sam was feeling, just like Martha had said:

A twat.

While Sam was taking a shower, Dean walked out of his room towards Martha's door. He wore a dark t-shirt, with jeans and his hair was still damp. It took two knocks before Martha showed up at her door, wearing a large t-shirt and a pair of shorts.

"Oh." Dean said, looking at Martha's legs. "Didn't know you were…naked."

"Not naked."

"That shirt is not long enough."

"Bothered?"

"A bit."

Martha rolled her eyes and took a step aside and allowed Dean to enter her room.

Her hotel room wasn't different from their room: A large king size bed with a big dark headboard, a green duvet and two big pillows. The wallpaper had images of tiny little sparrows perched on a thin branch. The television was surprisingly modern and perched on the wall, beneath it was a table with two chairs. The carpet was dark green and fluffy.

"Sit." Martha closed the door, while Dean sat on the edge of the bed. "Take off your shirt."

"Really?" Dean said, with an arched brow. "I mean…this is…well, that's kind of…"

"Fine, don't take it off." She turned her back to get out a stethoscope, a thermometer and a small digital blood pressure measuring device. Once she turned again, Dean had his shirt off. Martha sat next to Dean and took his arm out, wrapping the device around his forearm and placed the stethoscope a few inches down, pressed a few buttons and it started beeping. Immediately after, Dean began to feel a growing pressure in his arm. Martha looked at the numbers in the device and grew worried. "How are you feeling?"

"Tired." Dean answered. "But alert."

"Have you eaten?"

"Yes."

"Slept?"

"No."

Martha raised an eyebrow and looked at Dean.

"What do you mean?"

"I'm not sleepy." Dean answered. "I haven't slept since we got here."

"And you don't feel tired?"

"No, I do. Just not tired enough to sleep." He answered. "In fact, even when I can sleep is just a couple of hours."

"Is that normal?"

Dean bit his upper lip.

"No." He answered. "Not since Kaputznya."

"Dean." Martha scolded. The device beeped and Martha looked at the numbers. "You need to sleep, your blood pressure very low-"

"Hey, you told me to report when things weren't normal. I can manage fine without sleeping for six months and my blood pressure has been low ever since. These two trades are normal now. " Dean said getting rid of the machine. "Trust me, if I'm not well I'll tell you."

"Promise."

"Yeah." Dean said. "I promise."

There was a knock on the door and Dean instinctively got up to open, as if it were his bedroom door. Not surprisingly, Sam waited for him on the other side of the door. The younger Winchester saw his brother without his shirt and Martha in the background with no pants, raised an eyebrow.

"Am I interrupting something?" He asked looking straight at his brother.

"No." The two answered at the same time.

"Is there a problem?" Martha asked putting away her belongings without Sam seeing it.

"Yes." Sam walked into the room, and turned on the television on the first channel. It was a live coverage from the Cecil Hotel. "Another body found."

"Really?" Dean asked putting on his shirt, standing next to his brother. "Another girl?"

"No." Sam asked. "The guy we were supposed to meet in LA."

As if arranged, on the television popped a mugshot of Jack's contact. It was an old man, with long grey hair, a heavy beard and deep blue eyes. In the picture, his clothes were a mess; he had bruises all over his neck and the beginning of a black eye. He was a plumber, but he was known to have a few encounters with a law, normally DUI's and misconduct.

Apparently, the man had been seen wandering around the hotel premises, being thrown different in several different occasions.

"He was always here." Said one of the employees. "He was always wandering around with a thing in his hands and asking weird questions."

"What sort of questions?" The reporter asked

"Humm...I don't know...Just weird. Like asking if we had seen things in the halls or felt a presence...I guess he liked the fact that there is so much mystery around the hotel." The employee continued.

"I got the information that he was here just hours before his death."

"Yeah, he was." The young man continued. "Some guests came to the desk to complain about the pipes, that they made a lot of noise and it took forever for the water to come out and he interrupted the conversation and started asking weird questions. I had to explain that our pipes are very old and that not we are still recovery parts of the hotel..."

"Did he bother any of the guests?"

"Well...The guests were bit uneasyby his presence. Overall, he used to talk to them, ask them questions about the time they spent at the hotel. He never harassedany of them, but he could be a bit...intense."

"So, you threw him out?"

"We had too, yes. He was particularly and weirdly interested in a couple, he was following them every day, knocking on their door and trying to talk to them. It got to a point where he had to cut his access to the hotel and change the guest's room."

Security guarantees they saw the man walk out of the hotel, cross the street and enter his car. Later that day, one of the maids of the hotel found the man's body hung by his neck on the last floor. The woman was in such a state of shock it had to receive medical care.

"Well..." Martha sighed "What now? We lost our best lead."

"Not exactly." Dean said. "That man is the best lead we ever had."

"Dean's right." Sam agreed.

"How is he right? The man was supposed to help us and he is dead. How is that helping?"

Dean showed her a pride smile.

"You need to learn the hunter's way, Martha."

"Do explain, Dean..."

"Well, the hotel employee says that the man used to talk to the guests, that everyone knew him." Sam took lead

"Yeah, not to mention that one particular couple that he stalked. We need to know why." Dean continued. "We should interview that couple. Luckily, they're still staying at the hotel."

"Yes. And, on top of that we can always visit his body at the morgue, giving him a proper burial."

"Of course, but we can ask questions before that, no?"

"A séance?"

"Yeah." Dean said. "Chanel his spirit from the other side, ask him a few things, then salt and burn his bones."

Martha arched an eyebrow.

"From a person from the outside world, this kind of conversation is totally mental."

"Oh." Dean said with a smirk "So, you're telling me that aliens and a time travelling blue box is something people talk about every day?"

"Hum..." Sam said. "The more you know."

Martha got up from her bed.

"Okay. Enough. I'm way too tired to deal with a double dosage of sarcasm. Out."

Dean gave her thumbs up and walked out of the room, leaving Sam behind. He looked at Martha with a weird look in his eyes, as if he wanted to say something but his tongue was trapped inside his mouth. In the end, he walked out of the room quietly and closed the door behind him.