The plot thickens… please read and review… thanks!

Martha was there again, sat in the room the TARDIS had provided for her, examining the books she had taken from the library with wonder. All these planets, these solar systems, these races of people not so different to her- not on the inside anyway- she'd never know about. She sighed, tracing the almost silky book cover with a finger. Why was everything always so complicated? It would be so easy, so simple and the right thing to do to just go home, now. But that would mean never seeing so much, and now she had been given a taste, she wanted the banquet. She wanted everything. Including… the Doctor.

She had only just begun to admit it to herself. She was falling in love with the alien. The man from Gallifrey with the tousled hair and the wild, dark eyes and the slender, but strong physique. Every time he brushed her arm briefly, tingles would erupt down her spine. Every time he stared at her, their eyes would meet and nothing was real.

But she hated it. She hated how the Doctor tried (and failed) to balance his affections between her and his wife. She hated how Rose would behave, making Martha hate her, then think of her Mum and Annalise, then feel as guilty as hell. She felt cheap, like she was playing the role of a home wrecker- a TARDIS wrecker… whatever. She was ready to go home.

Martha heaved herself to her feet and picked up a small bag containing the clothes she had worn for Leo's party. She thought back to the hospital, the running, the rhinos. The kissing. Her mind wandered to that night at the inn, his lips exploring hers, his hands igniting sparks of electricity all over her body- she was proud of herself for stopping him when she did otherwise she wouldn't have been able to prevent herself from going all the way with him…

"Good bye," she said aloud. The ship hummed softly in response and she smiled tightly. She stroked the doorframe softly and made her way towards the console room. But a sound halted her. It sounded like crying, but it was punctured with words. Words begging someone, an invisible someone.

"P-p-plea-ease… let me… go." Martha stopped and peered round the doorframe of a room. Rose was in there, lying on the ground, sobs shaking and convulsing her body. Her face was a ruddy, unattractive shade of red and her blonde hair was stuck in clumps to her face with swear and tears. Her knees were clutched to her chest and she wailed in genuine fear and grief. "M-master…" she choked. "Master my Master… I don't want to… to do this anymore. I w-want to go home…"

"Rose," whispered Martha, stepping forward into the room. Her heart went out the girl, despite everything. She was sick. Rose didn't hear her, rocking back and forth on the floor.

"No…" she moaned. "Please… let me go home."

"Rose," said Martha, louder this time. "Rose let me help you." Rose looked up, and a feral snarl twisted from her lips.

"Leave me alone you bitch!" she screamed, her voice rising in pitch and volume. She staggered to her feet, her face blotchy, and stumbled forward. Martha paced backwards.

"Rose," she said again. The blonde woman lurched forward and pushed Martha out the room.

"GET OUT!" she screamed. "GET OUT OF THIS ROOM! GET OUT OF MY LIFE! LEAVE ME ALONE!" And she slammed the door. Martha heard hiccoughs and sobs even through the heavy material of the door. She sighed brushing her hair out of her face, and went in search of the Doctor.

She found him in the console room, leaning against the console. He looked up at her arrival, and noted the small bag she held in her hand. "You off then?"

"Doctor," said Martha. "You're wife is sick." The Doctor sighed.

"What's she done now?" he asked warily. "Whatever it is, ignore it. She didn't slap you did she?"

"No I mean she's really sick," said Martha. "She's ill, sick. She need's treatment, proper treatment. She's a danger to herself."

"What do you mean?"

"Don't tell me you haven't noticed it," scoffed Martha. "Just now. I was walking from my room and I heard her crying. Proper crying, loud, and she was screaming, she was pleading with someone, except nobody was there, obviously. She kept saying stuff, as if she was begging to God or something." The Doctor let out a breath, rubbing his face.

"Uurgh," he managed. "So it was what, like a breakdown?"

"Exactly," said Martha. "I tried to comfort her but she wasn't having any of it. She's locked herself up somewhere. She could be a real harm to herself. And… and I could have caused it." She looked down, ashamed.

"What?"

"Me," she said. "I could have caused it. I knew she hated me-"

"Come on I'm sure she didn't hate you…"

"Do I really look that stupid Doctor?" asked Martha. "She hated me, and she hated me being here. This could have been the trigger, this could have pushed her off the edge."

"No. This has been building up for a long time. Ever since the battle of Canary Wharf I think… that was when I noticed… damn."

"What are we going to do?" asked Martha. "We have to help her."

"We?" said the Doctor. "I thought you were going home."

"Oh yeah," she said quickly, looking at her shoes. "I forgot. Yeah. I'm off. Now."

"Right," he said. But he made no move to pilot the TARDIS back to her flat. She sat down, dropping her bag.

"I'm going to miss this," she said. He smiled.

"Me too," he said. He sat down near her, and pulled her into a tender hug. His hands stayed firmly on her back without wandering up and down her body like they usually did, and she felt reassured by the platonic nature of their embrace. He pulled away and rested his hands on the console. "I was thinking," he said. "We could drop Rose of at her Mum's house so they can spend some time together for once before I take you home. Just so we can say goodbye properly." Martha searched his face to decide what he was implying, but he was a picture of genuine innocence. So she replied with the truth.

"That would be nice," she said. "Thanks for the thought." He smiled charmingly, flying the TARDIS much more calmly that usual. "Where are we going?" she asked.

"The Powell estate," said the Doctor. "Rose's parents live here."

"Right," she said. "Do you think I should…go."

"Where?"

"Just out of the lime light," said Martha. "They might not be to pleased if their son in law's travelling with another woman." The Doctor hesitated.

"There's a point there," he said. "Yeah, that might be a good idea. If you could just-"

"Figured." The TARDIS settled and the Doctor checked where they were.

"Here we are," he confirmed. "At their flat-"

"Rose! Doctor!" The doors of the time ship swung open and a blonde woman in her forties burst into the TARDIS. Martha took a step back. "Rose honey how are you-" Fear flickered across the woman's face.

"Hello Jackie," said the Doctor. Jackie shrank back.

"Where's Rose?" she asked. "And who's that?"

"Rose is just coming," lied the Doctor. "And this is Martha. She's travelled with us a few times."

"Just a few," Martha emphasised.

"Right," said Jackie. "Right if I could just find my daughter."

"What's going on?" Rose stepped through into the console room, cool and composed. Martha's eyebrows shot up, she couldn't believe this was the same woman who had been sobbing into her bedroom carpet mere minutes before. Rose smoothed down her hair self consciously, and then saw her mother.

"Rose!" Jackie went forward and hugged her daughter. Rose went stiff.

"You took me home," she said, her voice strained. Her lip quivered. "Why did you take me back?"

"Rose?" said Jackie quietly. "What's wrong?"

"Are you trying to get rid of me?" Rose whimpered. Her eyes darted from the Doctor, to Martha, and then to her mother. "Is that what this is?"

"Rose," said Jackie. "Aren't you pleased to see me? And your Dad?" Rose brushed off her comment.

"Well, Doctor?"

"We just thought… I mean I just thought you might want to spend a day with your parents while I drop Martha back home," the Doctor said nervously. "That's okay, isn't it?" Rose shrugged out of her mother's embrace.

"What? You expect me to leave you alone with that!"

"Rose," said Jackie nervously. "Don't be rude."

"Shut up, Mum," she said fiercely.

"Rose!"

"Shut up!" Silence fell. Martha shuffled from one foot to the other nervously.

"Doctor," said Jackie. "Why don't you tell me what the hell you have done to my daughter."

"He hasn't done anything," said Martha.

"He hasn't done anything, Mum," echoed Rose. "She has."

"Rose, don't be ridiculous," said the Doctor. "Look, why don't you talk this over with your Mum while I pop out and drop Martha home. Deal?"

"Maybe that's the best idea," said Jackie. She grabbed hold of her daughter and led her out the TARDIS.

"Mum!" Rose trashed in Jackie's firm grip, looking back at the Doctor. "Doctor why are you letting her take me away?"

"I'm your mother," said Jackie, seeming close to tears. "Why are you acting like this?"

"Doctor!"

"I'll be back," he said. "I promise."

"Doctor, I don't want to go back," she said. "You don't understand…"

"Rose, stop showing me up," said Jackie.

"Showing you up?" Jackie looked back at the Doctor darkly.

"I'm talking to you later," she hissed, and slammed the TARDIS door behind her. Martha let out a breath.

"That was weird," she said. "Earlier on she was begging to go home and when it happens..."

"Something is very wrong here," said the Doctor, working the TARDIS controls. "So!" he said. "Back to your place then. As promised."

"Yeah," Martha said, trying to sound optimistic. "Probably for the best."

"Hmm. Not sure about that but if it's what you want."

"It is," she said forcefully. He looked up at her.

"Fine." They were silent as the TARDIS was piloted away from Jackie's flat and towards Martha's.

III

Rose stormed out of the kitchen where the TARDIS had materialised and into her living room, fuming. Jackie followed her nervously.

"The kettle's on do you want a cup of tea, love?" Rose answered with a tiny nod. Jackie sat down. "What's up, Rose?"

"It's hard," she said, her voice cracking. "Harder than I thought. Harder that he said it would be."

"Who?" asked Jackie. "The Doctor?"

"No," said Rose. "You know."

"Yes," said Jackie. "I know." She clasped her daughter's hands close to her. "Do you think you're trying too hard Rose?"

"Get off me," she growled, snatching her hands back. "He said that the Doctor loved me. He said it would be easy. He said if I didn't do what he said…" Tears trickled from her eyes. "I have to do this Mum," she said. "I can't let him get away. Or else… I'm dead." Jackie fiddled with her hair.

"Who's that woman?" she asked. "The one in the TARDIS. Martha." Rose scoffed.

"His new 'friend'," she said. "It's been awful. They've been all over each other. I was warned about this, Mum. He said I'd be replaced… I thought it was Donna. I thought that was who he meant. But now I guess it wasn't." Jackie pulled her into a hug.

"What are we going to do?" she asked. Rose's expression darkened.

"What I was told to do," she said. "Get that bitch Martha Jones out the way."

"Rose…"

"Permanently."