Part 9

"Don't scare you," Martha repeated noncommittally. "I'll do my best," she added with a chuckle.

"Why the sarcasm, Martha?" the Doctor asked wearily as he sat in the chair by the desk. "I was really worried about you!"

"How could you have been worried about me, Doctor?" she asked trying to reel in the anger. "You didn't say a word to me all day."

"Yes, I did."

"I'm sorry," she told him; her sarcasm was getting the better of her. "You spoke to me when you had no other choice." She knew if she didn't say this now, she would never forgive herself. "I felt like I was traveling with you the first time around all over again!" She picked up half the sandwich and bit down on it so she wouldn't have to look at him.

The Doctor sighed. "Fine, I was angry," he admitted. "And I was hurt. Can you blame me?"

Martha just shook her head as she swallowed her food. "You know, I can't do this emotional rollercoaster thing again. I almost ruined my own sister's wedding weekend!" She looked up at him.

"I can promise you it's not what I want, either," he assured her.

"You deliberately hurt me again," young doctor said softly.

"How did I do that?" Now, the Doctor was becoming confused.

"You just left today without saying anything!" Her anger was back.

"I only went to work on the TAR…"

"Did I know that?" she screamed. "No!" she answered for him. "You wanted me to hurt; to think you were gone." Tears formed in her eyes.

"Martha, I…"

"Have you ever been this cruel to any of your other companions?" His answer was a look of immense perplexity. "And yet," she persisted. "You have no problem intentionally hurting me. Yeah, that's love." The last three words were dripping with sarcasm.

He knew there was no sense in trying to have a civilized conversation at this point. "You're safe," he told her. "I think it's best if I go."

"Fine!" she screamed.

"Good!" he yelled back just before he stood and stormed out of her room.

The Doctor was halfway down the stairs when Tish appeared as if out of nowhere blocking his path.

"Doctor, please don't go," the bride-to-be begged.

"Tish, I don't want to ruin what's supposed to be a special weekend for you any more than I already have," he confessed. "I'm so sorry." He walked past her and headed towards the door.

"You'll really ruin it if you leave right now," she said sternly. "What do think Mum and I will remember most?" He raised an eyebrow at her. "That you abandoned every Jones woman that ever lived in this house, that's what." She chuckled mostly to herself before concluding. "All three of us in one weekend."

"That's not fair," he replied.

"It's the day before my wedding," Tish retorted. "How exactly do you see me playing fair?"

He watched her for several seconds. "I'll stay," he conceded.

"Thank you!" Tish replied hugging him. He picked her up and smiled.

"On one condition," he added as he set her down. Tish nodded. "I won't be around as much," he told her. "You'll see me, but I won't go anywhere near her. I think it is definitely better that way."

"Agreed," she replied. "How is she, by the way?"

He ran a hand through his hair and scratched the back of his head with a slight frown on his handsome face. "I'd say she's feeling 100 percent healthy."

DWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDW

At the rehearsal, the Doctor was true to his word. He stayed out of Martha's line of sight while everyone was preparing to start the rehearsal. He kept to the shadows in the mezzanine of the church and watched her as the rehearsal began.

Martha assumed he'd gone after he'd stormed out of her room earlier. She hadn't seen him since. She felt more relaxed than she had previously during the day.

Jack was standing with the other two groomsmen as Charles' best friend escorted Martha down the aisle. She was, of course, Tish's Maid of Honor. The Doctor felt more than a sting of jealousy at the sight of another man walking down the aisle with the woman he loved. Finally, Charles came in from the side door as Tish and Clive walked down the aisle.

Ianto was taking pictures with his camera phone just as he promised Gwen he would. Minutes later, it was announced that the couple would speak their own vows.

Tish turned to the few people in the church and said, "Now, we haven't exactly worked on these together, so bear with us."

"Babe," Charles said as he took her hand and smiled. "That's why it's called a rehearsal."

"Cheeky American," she retorted.

"And yet, you're marrying this cheeky American," he countered. "Tomorrow."

She nodded and smiled the dazzling smile of the Jones women. The minister cleared his throat playfully and the two stood up straight and faced one another.

"We've been through so much in such a short time," Tish began. "But, you're the only one who really knows me."

The Doctor never took his eyes off Martha while the vows were being read. He felt as if they were once again steering things toward him and his beautiful doctor.

"You get what I'm trying to say even before I say it", the bride stated.

'The place must be full of laboratories,' he said to Martha. 'I say we do some tests.'

'Lucky I've just collected a DNA sample, isn't it?' she replied.

'Oh, Martha Jones, you're a star!'

He was so impressed with her; he could hardly focus on finding a quiet lab to do the experiments.

"You call me on all my faults," Tish continued.

'And you've got to pick it up,' Martha grumbled as he picked up the Dalek embryo.

The Doctor smiled as he remembered the look on Martha's face. His eyes began to fill with unshed tears.

"And no matter how strange my life is," she said while secretly indicating her family to Charles. "You still look at me as if I'm the most amazing person you've ever met."

'You grew another hand?"

'Hello again,' he said as he waved his "new" hand. 'It's fine.' He stood and held out his hand for Martha to touch. 'Look, really, it's me.'

She looked at his hand fascinated. 'All this time,' she chuckled as she took his hand. 'And you're still full of surprises!' He beamed at her and winked.

The tears were freely flowing now. The Doctor was grateful no one could see him.

"And sometimes you can be so intelligent," Tish beamed. "But, still you can be so clueless."

'Oh and Martha, be careful,' the Doctor told his companion through the communications system. 'There's something else aboard this ship.'

'Anytime you want to unnerve me,' Martha sarcastically answered. 'Feel free.'

'Will do,' the Doctor answered. 'Thanks!'

The Doctor remembered realizing that Martha was being sarcastic after they were back on the TARDIS. He quickly wiped the fallen tears from his cheeks and concentrated on the vows. This time, Charles was speaking.

"I can't believe I actually found you," the American soldier declared. "After years of believing I'd never find the one with whom I'm supposed to be." He smiled as he looked down into Tish's eyes and whispered. "And, there you are." Tish's eyes began to well up as she returned Charles' smile. "I can always open up to you about anything."

'I lied to you because I liked it,' the Doctor said as he began to tell Martha the story of Gallifrey on New New Earth. 'Because I could pretend they were still alive…'

"I was a Technical Sergeant in the United States Air Force," he continued. "Yet, you're the one that's always trying to protect me. It's so cute!" Tish giggled.

'A science geek; what's that mean?' he asked Martha as he munched on some nibbles.

'It means…you're obsessively enthusiastic about it,' the young medical student answered, trying to protect his feelings.

'Oh! That's nice,' he declared as they walked towards Lazarus' machine to watch the experiment.

The Doctor wasn't sure how much more of this he could take without screaming that he was, head over heels, in love with Doctor Martha Jones.

But, Charles relentlessly continued. "You are the one person who isn't afraid to speak your mind and put me in my place."

The Doctor raised his hand. 'We're volunteering.'

'I'll kill you for this,' Martha whispered to him before heading to work under the Empire State Building in 1930's New York.

The Doctor had had enough. He had to get out immediately. He noticed his tears had been constantly falling the entire time and he had to get himself together before the dinner. He rushed down the stairs and out of the church unnoticed by all but one.

At the rehearsal dinner, Martha was standing and talking to Charles and his parents when the Doctor arrived. He managed to make it to their table without attracting attention to himself. He sat down and took a deep breath. He knew this was going to be difficult, but he'd promised Tish he'd do it.

"I thought you were gone for good," Martha said from behind him.

He turned to look at her. He couldn't believe that anyone could be so beautiful in a simple pink dress and hardly any make-up at all.

"Well, I promised Tish I'd be here, and I plan to keep that promise," he replied coolly.

"I see," she said just as indifferently as he had. "So, there'll be no fighting, then."

"Nope," he answered. "No fighting. For Tish's sake."

"For Tish's sake."

Jack decided to make the toast since Charles' best friend Tony would make the toast the next day at the wedding reception. After he finished, he went to talk to the Doctor who was on his way to talk to Tish.

Martha watched the exchange as Ianto sat next to her. "We need to talk."

"Sorry?" she asked.

"Now," Ianto persisted.

"What is it? What's wrong?" Martha was starting to get worried that maybe aliens were about to invade her sister's wedding weekend.

"There's something I need you to see."

End Part 9