Disclaimer: Doctor Who is property of the BBC. I do not own any of it, nor do I get paid for it.

A/N Thanks for all the love on the last chapter. You guys enjoyed it even if I was nervous about it. Thanks for all the reviews.

Here is the long-awaited "Human Nature" and "Family of Blood" two-parter. I'll be splitting this into two, so here is part 1. Slight M warning in this chapter.

Have fun with it. I know I did. ;D

Songs for the chapter: "Only Martha Knows" and "Mr. Smith and Joan" from the Doctor Who Series 3 Soundtrack.

Happy Reading!

Being Human

"Martha, did they see you?"

"What?"

"But did they see you?"

"I...I don't know."

"Martha, you have to do exactly as I say...'cos it all depends on you."

John Smith awoke with a start. That strange dream again. This was probably the sixth time he had dreamt that in the month that he had been at Farringham. He groaned slightly as he rubbed his eyes. The door opened and his maid bustled in.

"Good morning, Mr. Smith," she said as she opened the drapes and set his breakfast tray down.

"Good morning, Martha," he said politely as he grabbed his dressing gown and tied it around himself. "I had that dream again," he told her.

"Really?" she asked, sounding amused. "What did the Doctor do this time?"

John smiled. Martha wasn't half bad. At least, she didn't think he was loony. "You were there this time," he said. "As my companion."

"Now, I am really sure it was a dream," she joked. "A housemaid as a teacher's companion?" she asked, her tone implying the ridiculousness of the situation.

He laughed and nodded. He perused the newspaper with a slight frown and Martha knew herself to be excused. After a month of being his maid, she had gotten used to his habits.

"Did you hear?" Jenny asked Martha as they scrubbed the floors.

"Hear what?" Martha asked.

"There's a new Matron in school. Nurse Redfern, the old Matron, said her old mother was ill and left for two months. The new Matron is causing quite an uproar," Jenny gossiped.

Martha's ears pricked up. "Uproar? Why?"

"Well, she's a pretty old thing, innit? Turning all the heads, she is," Jenny said. "All young and blonde."

The phrase caught her attention. Young and blonde. Of course, who else?

Martha knocked on the new Matron's door. "Come in," the voice was muffled through the thick door.

Martha walked in and saw the familiar figure bent over some medical supplies. She looked up and smiled at Martha. "Hello, Martha," she said.

Martha gave a small smile. "Hello, Rose."

"Come in. Shut the door," Rose said.

Martha obeyed and then was surprised out of her mind when Rose hugged her. "Thank you," Rose whispered.

"What for?" Martha asked in confusion as she pulled back.

"Looking after the Doctor," Rose said, like it was obvious. "He's got you working as a housemaid?" she asked indignantly.

After a month of being treated quite horribly, the support was a welcome relief to Martha. She collapsed into a chair and Rose looked sympathetically at her. "It's not so bad," Martha protested feebly.

"Nonsense," Rose said. "I'm having a few words with him once he is himself," she said. "I'll make us some tea."

"Rose, you don't have to," Martha said.

"Of course I do," she said. "Housemaid in 1913 is not one of the better eras to be in. They must have been driving you like anything."

The genuine concern in her voice touched Martha. Ever since their conversation after Lazarus, they had both been slightly cool around each other. It was as if they were waiting to see which one of them would break first and start the blowout. But, right now, seeing her worry over her and defending her was definitely surprising to Martha. Just as Martha felt she had figured her out, Rose would go up and surprise her and leave her head spinning.

"Here, drink it," Rose said as she handed her a cup.

"Thanks," Martha said as she sipped the tea.

"Do you want to go back to the TARDIS?" Rose asked.

"What?" Martha asked.

"I'm here now and if you wanted, you could go back and stay on the TARDIS till this is over," Rose said.

Martha was sorely tempted to say yes and go back to the TARDIS. She would have her own room, nice food, she wouldn't have to do any chores and she could read and watch movies all day for the next two months. It would be a nice vacation.

But then she remembered the Doctor's recorded message. He had rattled off a list of instructions and the last thing he had said was 'Thank you, Martha.' How could she let him down?

She shook her head. "I will be fine," she told Rose. She tried to ignore the part of the brain that reminded her of the thing that the Doctor said after he had thanked her.

If Rose shows up, do everything she says.

Mr. Smith finished his classes for the day. He was exhausted to say the least. The boys had been restless the whole day and John knew the reason for that. The new Matron. Everywhere he went, from the staff to students to the servants, everyone was talking about her.

Nurse Tyler, who was supposedly young, beautiful and very much not married. John was intrigued but that was it. It was hardly any reason to get worked up over. He briefly wondered why the Headmaster had hired her. Having a young, pretty, unattached woman near boys this age was just asking for trouble.

Still, the polite thing to do would be to introduce himself to her. And maybe he would know what the big deal about her was.

He walked by the nurse's quarters and saw that her door was slightly ajar. He peeked in cautiously and caught a glimpse of golden hair.

"Doctor," she moaned as his hands tangled in her golden hair, twisting and pulling gently as their mouths joined in a passionate kiss.

John gave a gasp at that. He had never had such a vision before. He felt himself blush and was slightly ashamed. He hadn't even seen Nurse Tyler yet and he was comparing her to the girl in his dreams. He gave himself a slight shake and knocked lightly on the door.

"Come in," a sweet voice called. John felt his hearts hammer. Heart, he corrected mentally, wondering why he thought of them in plural. Must be a side effect from his dreams as the Doctor.

He pushed the door open and looked at the woman standing there. This time, his heart did plummet and his mouth went dry. It was her. The girl in his dreams. Rose.

"Yes?" she asked, looking up at him.

He looked at her in confusion.

She smiled and he had to stifle a gasp at that. She was beautiful. "You said Rose," she said.

Oh God, he hadn't even realised that he had spoken out loud. She was probably thinking he was a complete moron. "Have we met before?" she asked him.

"No," he said, finally forming an articulate word.

"Oh," she said and looked oddly disappointed. "It's just that you called me Rose."

"Yes, I do apologise for that," he said, finally getting back his bearings.

"Why would you apologise?" she asked with genuine curiosity. "It is my name, after all."

"It is?" he asked, feeling his eyes bug out. What were the chances of that happening?

She smiled at him as if trying to figure him out. "It seems rather unfair that you know who I am but I have no idea who you are," she said and there was just a hint of teasing in her voice.

John blushed. "I am John, John Smith," he stammered out, feeling like an utter fool.

"Nice to meet you, Mr. Smith," she smiled. "I am Rose Tyler, the new Matron."

"Of course, nice to meet you, Matron," he said.

"You can call me Rose," she said. "I really don't mind, Mr. Smith."

He returned her smile shyly. "Well then I must insist you call me John."

"Alright, John," Rose smiled.

He stared at her for a full ten seconds and she blushed under his gaze. He cleared his throat and hastily apologised for embarrassing her. "Oh, not at all," she said.

"Well," he said, knowing that he was in her room for far too long. Not knowing what else to say, he blurted out the first thing that came to mind. "Welcome to Farringham."

Later that night, John wanted to kick himself. He had made an utter fool of himself in front of the Matron today. Rose, he corrected. Perfect name for her. Beautiful, delicate but sharp.

He remembered her lovely smile and the pink blush and felt himself get flustered. He closed his eyes and remembered the Doctor's Rose.

"I love you," he said as he kissed her neck.

"I love you too," she gasped as his kisses trailed down her body. Her flush went from her lovely cheeks to her slender neck to even lower.

John sat up bolt upright and shook his head. It wasn't right. He shouldn't be thinking about her, like this. She was so pure, innocent and he was not being a gentleman. He pulled out his journal and traced his finger over the sketch of Rose that he had drawn weeks ago.

It must have been fate for the girl of his dreams to actually meet him. John smiled as he shut his journal with a click. He had met the girl of his dreams and he was going to make her his. Starting tomorrow, he was going to court one Miss Rose Tyler.

John walked out of his room, balancing a whole pile of books in his arms. He couldn't see a thing in front of him. Like a clumsy idiot, he ran into someone and the books clattered to the floor.

"Oh dear," she said and John saw that the person he had bumped into was none other than Rose.

"Sorry," he said, blushing as he knelt down with her and began to gather the books.

"No, I'm afraid it was my fault, Mr. Smith," she said. "I wasn't paying attention."

"Not at all. The books were making it rather difficult to see," John said as he smiled at her. "And I told you to call me John."

"Yes of course, John," she said as they finished picking up those books and stood up.

John stared at her. She was beautiful. Her youthful pink face was fresh and flushed, her rather unusual golden brown eyes shone with delight and something else and her smile was mesmerising. Her golden blonde hair was pulled back into a bun and she was dressed in her nurse's clothing. But even the drab clothing couldn't stop the radiating beauty that shone from her.

She cleared her throat and he snapped out of his musings and realised that he had been staring far too long than was acceptable at her. "I appear to be holding your books," she said.

He blushed hotly as he realised that he had handed all his books to her while he himself stood there empty handed like a lemming. "Ah yes," he said. "So you do." He tried to take the pile but it was proving rather difficult.

"Why don't you just take the ones on top?" she suggested.

"Perfect, yes," he said, like it was the best idea in the universe. "Division of labour."

Rose smiled at him as they began to walk. "Where do these need to be taken?" she asked him.

"To the library," he said and then remembered that he was supposed to court her. He cleared his throat nervously and stepped in front of her. She looked questioningly at him. "Uh, Rose," he began. "I hope I don't sound too forward in saying this but..."

"Stairs," she interrupted.

"What?" he asked as he rocked back on his heels.

"Stairs!" she said and then everything went black.

John hissed as she fixed his head wound. "Oh stop it," she chided. "I have boys making less fuss than this."

"It hurts," he protested, trying to ignore her soft fingers in his hair.

"You have great hair," she said, running her fingers through it.

He moaned and closed his eyes at the sensation. She leaned forward and bit his lip playfully and then soothed it by sucking it into her mouth.

His moan became louder as his tongue entered her sweet mouth. She gripped his hair tighter and he pushed her against the wall...

"Does it hurt less now?" she asked and he snapped out his daydream, thanking the lord that she couldn't see his face. He was blushing like a tomato.

"Ye...Yeah," he stammered.

"Rose!" he whined. "It hurts!"

"Well, you shouldn't have hit her with the mallet again. You know she hates it," Rose said simply.

"She didn't have to throw me down and shock me as well. It hurts," he whined.

"Should I kiss it better?" she asked him teasingly and the Doctor pouted.

"Yes," he nodded.

"Where does it hurt?"

He pointed at his head. She kissed his forehead. He pointed at his cheek. She smiled and kissed it. He grinned cheekily as he pointed at his wrist. She picked up his hand and placed a lingering kiss there. His eyes darkened as he pointed at his throat. She kissed his Adam's apple and gave it a quick nip. He pointed at his lips and she captured them with her own.

"You should be more careful," Rose told him.

He was about to reply when the door opened and Martha burst in. "What happened?" she demanded.

"Martha, it is hardly appropriate to burst into your master's study without knocking," John admonished.

Rose looked at Martha in apology as she went outside and knocked. She came back inside, looking decidedly angry. "It was a minor fall," Rose said. "Nothing too bad."

"Did you check for a concussion?" Martha asked.

"Martha!" John said in reproach. "Nurse Tyler is a perfectly good nurse and she doesn't need a housemaid to ask her insolent questions."

"I really don't mind," Rose said, biting her lip and silently apologising to a fuming Martha.

"Yes sir," she said through gritted teeth. "Sorry sir."

John nodded and then waved dismissively at Martha. She turned to go back but not before she heard him ask Rose to go with him to the village the next day.

John showed Rose his journal. "It sounds rather incredible, doesn't it?" he asked her.

Rose smiled. "That doesn't mean it can't be true," she said.

John blushed deeply and wondered if it would be moving too fast if he asked her to marry him right now. "Ye...yes well," he stammered as she turned the page and came to a sketch of herself.

She gasped. "Is that me?" she asked him, almost breathlessly.

He looked at her carefully to gauge if she was angry. But she looked intensely fascinated. "Yes, I dreamt of this woman that the Doctor loves," he said blushing heavily as he answered.

"He loves her?" she asked him in an oddly soft voice, looking at the sketch.

He nodded. "Her name was Rose too," he said, now sure that she wasn't running away. "A huge coincidence, is it not?"

"Maybe it was just fate," Rose said and blushed a lovely pink. She hadn't meant to say it loud.

John inhaled sharply. He gazed at her in wonder. Rose blushed brighter and he smiled back tenderly at her.

Rose looked through John Smith's journal in wonder. She had been rather surprised by how much of his subconscious had manifested itself into his dreams. That explained his reaction when he had first seen her. He looked like he had seen a ghost.

She had way too much fun teasing him though. John Smith lacked the cockiness of the Doctor but his shy, sweet demeanour reminded Rose of those precious unguarded moments with the Doctor that he didn't share with anyone else but her.

She could see the Doctor in John Smith and John Smith in the Doctor. And so, she felt no guilt in accepting his invitation to go to the village with him.

A/N And that is all for now. The next part will be up on Sunday.

So, did you like it? I know I did. Review and let me know how this was.

Up next, we see more Rose and John Smith and the final blowout between Rose and Martha. Their interaction in this chapter was quite mild but can you guess what the catalyst will be?

In other news, I posted a new one-shot called 'See the Future". It's a Five/Rose, Nine/Rose story and could be canon. Do check it out and I would love any feedback on it.

The second half of this two-parter will be up on Sunday. See you then.

Cheers x