'If you're offered a seat on a rocket ship, don't ask what seat! Just get on.' – Sheryl Sandberg
Adventures of a Lifetime
~ oOo ~
Chapter Eighteen: Something Old, Something New
"Oh, my gods!" She breathed out heavily. "I can't believe I said yes." Goosebumps prickled at her skin as she stood up, stumbling as she stood up and walked away from the Doctor. Her hands waved about as she looked to and from the Doctor. "What?" She questioned herself, tucking her hair behind her ear. He raised his eyebrows at her state of mild panic. "I said yes?" She paced about in a small area, looking at him as his face grew more amused. "Yeah." She clapped her hands together. "Okay..." She leaned her head to the side and her body followed its movement as she rounded the console. She stopped in front of him swaying slightly. "I said yes." Her face moved uncontrollably, until it settled on a frown. "What does that mean?"
"Time and space, all that ever was and can be." The Doctor smirked down at her.
"I'm shooketh." She looked to the side as her cheeks heated up. "That was such a millennial thing to say." She scoffed at herself as she hit her forehead. He laughed drawing her eyes back to him as she felt the need to curl up in a ball in embracement. "I can't believe I said that." She hid her face in her palms. "Why did you say that?" She whispered to herself, her hands fell down and she tugged at her skirt. "Can we…" She grimaced over at him. "Can we please forget the last minute ever happened?"
"Afraid not." He laughed at her and rocked in place.
She leaned her head backwards. "This is so embarrassing." She stared hard at the ceiling, trying to forget. "I say this stuff because it embarrasses my sister, she hates it when I use slang words." She told him, offering up an explanation. "I live to annoy her." She looked back at him finally. "Her expressions are really funny."
"My brother did something similar…" She heard the Doctor mutter as he twisted a knob. She looked at him in surprise, after all she wasn't expecting him to talk about his own past.
"Your brother?" She asked him as gently as she could, knowing that he might just ignore her and move on from this topic.
"Brax." The Doctor looked away and she took it as the ending of that conversation.
"I've got brothers." She told him, taking that he didn't want to talk about his own family into consideration. "Their taller than me, all my family is." She awkwardly swayed in place. "Most people are." She saw him look over at her with an eyebrow raised and a smile tugging at his lips.
"You are very short without those shoes of yours." He commented as lightness lit his face again.
"I'm 5'1, I like my height." She told him playing along with the subject change. "But I also like wearing heels." She shrugged and strolled around the console.
"I saw earlier." The Doctor poked his head around the pillar to shoot her a grin.
She rolled her eyes at him. "Our heights are probably comical together." She smirked and looked at him at the corner of her eye. "You're very tall after all."
"Not that tall." He shrugged as he put an old pair of 3D glasses over his eyes and looked at her. "You're just very short."
"I bet you have no problems reaching the top shelf." She sighed, knowing what he was looking for. "I can't even get onto bar stools without a struggle." She pouted as she walked up to him. "Found what you were looking for?" She stopped in front of him and narrowed her eyes, her mouth falling into a line.
"You've got a very serious face there." The Doctor took off the 3D glasses and waved a hand in her face.
"It's a good face to have." She cocked her head to the side. "It lets people know I'm serious, but most times it seems to send them running." She remembered her sister running off whenever she managed to piss her off. She lifted an eyebrow as she grounded herself in the present. "Now, are you going to answer my question?"
"Maybe…" He deliberated as he put the glasses back in a pocket and took something else out of them.
She saw him fiddling with his sonic and she recalled what they'd discussed earlier. "Go on then." She told him, he looked at her confused. "Scan me." She held up her arms. Realisation flashed through his eyes and he took an eager step forwards and jammed his sonic screwdriver in her direction. She was blinded by the bright blue light and the familiar sonic sound that rang in her ears. He held it up to his face once he was done. She blinked rapidly and rubbed her ears as the sound echoed in them. She took a step towards him and cocked her head in interest as he somehow read information from what he'd just gathered. His frown deepened as time passed on. "Well?" She asked, concerned at what he'd found.
"Your covered in void stuff." He told her finally looking up. His eyes lit up with interest as they centred on her. "But you've also soaked in Altron energy."
"Huh?" She questioned him, wondering why that sounded familiar.
"You've travelled in time."
Her eyebrow raised and searched for an answer. "Well I was from 2020, that must be it." Shrugging at what must be the clear answer. But he crossed his arms and a pinched look crossed his face.
"Hmm…" He disagreed, not seemly convinced. "Perhaps a deeper scan." He looked over to the archway leading further into the Tardis.
She shifted in place, not exactly eager to be inspected or examined. "No." She said firmly, bring his attention back to her. "I don't want to be a lab rat." She rolled her eyes as he stared questioningly at her.
"We could get answers." The Doctor suggested. "It could tell us why you were pulled through."
She reached up and twirled her hair around her finger, slightly uncomfortable with how he was pushing for answers. "I don't think I'm ready for answers."
His expression was put out but he thankfully backed off. "Alright then." They stood in silence, she wondered what to say next as they sunk into a lull. It was odd being in a place that felt so familiar but wasn't.
"Sarah Jane!" She remembered, turning towards him with wide eyes.
"What about her?" He asked her befuddled.
"I can't leave without telling her!" She shot him a look. "There's no way we're doing that." She put her hands on her waist and stared him down. "I need to tell her I'm leaving, I can't just disappear on her after all she's done for me."
He gave a hesitant nod. "Ah alright." He was probably realising either how right the sentiment was or worrying over visiting his past companion.
She rolled her eyes. "I might as well pick up my belongings while we're at it." She skipped over to the console and grabbed onto the side. She shot the Doctor a cheeky grin. "Come on Time Lord." She laughed. "What are you waiting for?"
"Allons-y!" The Doctor grinned at her and fussed around the controls. Throwing leavers and pressing buttons, he danced around as wheezing filled the space and everything shuddered as they moved.
As soon as they'd stopped she shot off for the door, eager to fill Sarah Jane in. about the day they'd just had, that Maria and herself were safe and that she was now going to be traveling with the Doctor. Even if he couldn't get her back home, she'd definitely be visiting. This was the closest place she had to a home now.
"Sarah Jane!" She shouted over Mr. Smith's explanation of them being detected. For some reason the supercomputer was open. Perhaps Sarah Jane had been monitoring them on the Moon after the hospital she knew they'd be at had disappeared.
"Marlene Huntington!" Sarah Jane scolded coming through the attic door and quickly putting her mug down on the first available surface before running over to her. She accepted the hug eagerly. Soaking in the comfort it brought her. "What happened?" Sarah Jane asked her holding her tightly.
"You won't believe it!" She laughed, pressing her face into Sarah Jane's shoulder. She leaned back in amusement as Sarah Jane didn't take her eyes off her and therefore didn't notice the Tardis and the Doctor stood just outside it.
"I won't believe what?" Sarah Jane asked frowning.
"Hello Sarah." The Doctor finally spoke up drawing their attention. Sarah Jane let her go and took a step back as she gazed at him.
"Doctor?" Sarah Jane looked between them, her brown hair flying about. "What?"
"He was with us at the hospital." She explained. "Judoon transported us to the Moon because there was an alien fugitive."
"Tell me all about it." Sarah Jane latched onto her arm and guided her over to the day bed. Though the older woman's eyes stayed glued onto the Doctor unable to believe he was there. The Doctor looked around the attic in interest as she told the story. He picked things up and examined them until he started looking over Mr. Smith in intrigue. His eyes lit up with joy as he ran his finger over the supercomputer.
"And then…" She looked down hesitating to say the rest.
"What is it?" Sarah Jane looked at her concerned.
"He asked me to travel with him." She lowered her voice and looked into Sarah Jane's warm brown eyes. Trying to read her face for her reaction.
Sarah Jane blinked quickly as she took in her words. Her eyes crinkled at the sides and she gave her a gentle smile with sadness in her eyes. "And what did you say?"
She shuffled in her seat. "Yes." She bit her lip, her eyes drifting to the Doctor who looked to not be paying attention to them. But Time Lords could hear more than humans, and he was nutritious for listening in on conversations. And snooping. "But I'm going to visit." She told Sarah Jane quickly, reaching over and grabbing her hand and giving it a squeeze. "There's no way I'm just going to leave you guys. I'll call so much you'll grow sick of it." She smiled as Sarah Jane's lip wobbled. "If he finds me a way back home there's no way I'm going to leave without saying goodbye first. I wouldn't do that to you." She told her getting emotional again, she breathed deeply to gain control.
Sarah Jane smiled at her and tucked her hair behind her ear. "I know."
She bit her lip and looked down, her eyesight getting blurry. She sniffed and shook her head to get rid of it. "Where's Luke?" She looked around the attic, confused at why the boy wasn't there.
Sarah Jane sat back but accepted the change in topic. "He's out with Clyde, they've gone to meet up with Maria."
"Oh." She sighed sadly, the Doctor probably wouldn't wait around for her to say goodbye to him in person. "I leave him a letter then." She nodded to herself as she thought it over. "And I'll video call you tomorrow, I've got Mr. Smith's number in my phone so we can speak face to face!" She grinned over at her as her heart felt like in was being squeezed in her chest.
"We'd love that." Sarah Jane replied with a smile.
She sniffed and lifted a hand to her nose. Looking at the woman sitting next to her sent a wave of emotion through her and tears began bubbling up again. "I'm… I'm really going to miss you!" She sobbed and threw herself at Sarah Jane for another hug.
She heard Sarah Jane let out a jittery breath right next to her ear as their arms wrapped around each other. "I'm going to miss you." Sarah Jane squeezed her. "It may have been nearly a year but it feels like you've always been living with me. I don't know how I'm going to handle the golden trio by myself." Sarah Jane laughed leaning back and wiping underneath her own eyes. She smiled as Sarah Jane mentioned their nickname for the teenagers.
"You're going to be great." She swallowed and gave Sarah Jane a determined nod.
"More than great." The Doctor chimed in, they turned their heads in surprise to see the Doctor leaning on the table next to them. His eyes searching them, before resting on Sarah Jane and giving her a smile. "The things you're going to do." His eyes crinkled at the sides as he looked at Sarah Jane warmly. Sarah Jane smiled over at him in return.
It was silent for a moment, so she decided to stand up and get her stuff and let the other two talk without her presence. "I'll leave you two to catch up." She tugged her skirt down, she looked down at it and suddenly wanted to change before they went anywhere else. "And I'll have a shower, so that'll give you about half an hour or more." The two of them raised their eyebrows in perfectly in sync. "Bye bye!" She gave an awkward wave and hurried out of the attic and downstairs to her room.
Doing as she said she would, she had a shower and then plaited her hair into a braid crown leaving two strands of curls to frame her face. Knowing that they'd most likely to asking Martha to join them and then if she remembered correctly it was the Shakespeare episode. Hmm, that was the one with alien witches, right? She frowned before deciding on a pair of jeans and a flowery blouse and overlarge cardigan, she filled her pockets with stuff. Then she proceeded to pack up all her belongings. The things from before and everything she'd brought since arriving in this world.
As she was shifting through everything she came across the letter that had appeared the day after she arrived. She set it to the side and quickly penned a letter to Luke explaining where she was going off to, she rushed out and placed it on his bed so he wouldn't miss it. Since everything was now ready to go she sat on her own bed and debated opening her own letter. There were a couple sheets of paper inside, and she went for the first in the pile since it was marked '1'. She breathed deeply and opened the piece of paper up and read the words written in the same handwriting from the note left at her bedside.
Dear Marlene,
What your about to experience, is wonderful and terrifying. But I wouldn't change it for the world. I want to let you know that although staying on Earth would have been safer, this is the new world your living in. You have to face, be open to it and accept your new reality. I can't tell you much, it could ruin or spoil what's to come. But know the pain, the heartbreak and all the bad things that will inevitably happen do not take away from the best years of your life. It's going to be hard, the highs will be high and the lows will be low. But that's life, and if it were easy would it be worth living?
Lots of love,
M
P.S. There is more out there than even you could predict.
It was from her future self. She traced the words and read it again, I reaffirmed her choice. Knowing that it was the right one. The change of handwriting wasn't much of a surprise, her writing tended to change with any different pencil or pen used. The loopy style was more in line with calligraphy, but she'd began learning that back home so it wasn't much of a stretch. She folded the note back into the envelope with the others, knowing that it wasn't the right time to read all of them. She grabbed her bags and made her way upstairs, unable to shake the jittery feeling that was overtaking her body. Was it excitement? Or Nerves?
She lugged it all with her and heard the voice's in the attic die down as she awkwardly opened the door with her hands full. She looked at Sarah Jane and the Doctor standing together with tension lining their forms. "Everything all right?" She asked them, her eyes flickering between the two concerned.
The Doctor looked over at Sarah Jane and then to herself and gave her a nod with his lips pursed together. "All good."
She set her bags down next to the Tardis and looked over at Sarah Jane who's shoulders relaxed. She moved towards the older woman who automatically opened her arms as they hugged each other. "I love you, thank you so much for everything you've done for me." She closed her eyes and breathed in Sarah Jane's perfume.
"Oh, Lena." She heard Sarah Jane sniff. "I love you too, and it was my pleasure." Sarah Jane clutched her closer. "Goodbye." They both leaned back and stepped out of their embrace.
"No." She shook her head. "It's a see you later." She smiled and Sarah Jane chuckled.
"I'd better."
"You will!" She shot Sarah Jane some finger guns and gave her a wink. Sarah Jane laughed in return, wiping a tear away from her eyes.
"You look after her, you hear me." Sarah Jane pointed at the Doctor who scratched the back of his neck and gave her a nod. "And yourself." Sarah Jane lifted both eyebrows and jabbed her finger in the Doctor's direction in emphasis.
"Will do." He nodded looking over at the Tardis.
She rolled her eyes and shared a look with her closest friend. "Live long and prosper." She made the Vulcan hand gesture which always managed to amuse Sarah Jane.
"May the force be with you." Sarah Jane joined in on their joke and she giggled as the Doctor looked between them utterly perplexed by the nerdiness she'd sunk his past companion into.
"What have I brought with me?" She heard the Doctor mutter as he shuffled over to the Tardis. She wiggled her eyebrows at Sarah Jane in amusement and gave her a real wave.
"Bye!" The both shouted at each other as she grabbed her bag and followed the Doctor into the Tardis.
"Ready?" He asked her excitement clear in his eyes as he practically bounced by the console. She let out a sound of amusement as she put her bags by the one railing. She nodded as she held onto the railing unable to say the words. Luckily there wasn't much of a shudder as they took off. "How do you feel about adding someone else to the mix?" He asked her, somehow looking at her underneath his dark brows.
"Martha?" She asked him a smirk on her lips as he went over to the screen and twisted the knobs.
He smiled. "So, how about inviting her on a trip?"
"I'd say let's get this party started." She leaned around the console with a grin.
"Great!" He chimed dashing around the console with renewed enthusiasm. The engine came to life, the rotor in the centre of the controls rose and fell bathing the room in light. She launched forwards grabbing what she could to hold on as they flew through the vortex.
"You know where she is, then?" She asked him holding on tight as he leaned around and twisted something.
"She mentioned a party earlier, I've tracked her with the Tardis." He told her as he flipped a lever. The shaking stopped and they both looked towards the doors.
"So, she'll be right outside?" She grinned, he hummed in thought.
"Ought to be." He shrugged putting his coat on, she skipped over to the doors and took a deep breath before opening the left one outward, the Doctor following closely behind. They looked around the alleyway the Tardis appeared in, night had crept in and the street lamps were their only source of light. The sound of a woman shouting drew their attention and they walked out of the alley and turned right into another alley, the noise grew as they got closer. As they peered around the corner they could see a group of people storming out of a pub. The pub was on the opposite corner and called Market Tavern, it had a cheesy birthday banner and balloons attached outside the window. The Doctor beside her leaned against the pipes on the corner of the building they stood next to with his hands in his pockets. She followed his example and put her hands in the pockets of her cardigan.
"I am not staying in there to be insulted!" The blonde woman in a sparkly dress shouted, marching ahead.
"She didn't mean it, sweetheart." The oldest man ran after the blonde. "She was just saying you look healthy." The blonde turned around and looked at him.
"No, I did not. I said orange." The other woman said. She giggled at the comeback, lifting her hand to cover her mouth.
"Clive, that woman is disrespecting me. She's never liked me." The blonde pouted.
"Oh, I can't think why, after you stole my husband." The older woman rolled her eyes and pressed her hand against her chest in exaggeration. Again, she had to look away as laughter threatened to spill out of her bursting cheeks.
"I was seduced!" The blonde blurted. "I'm entirely innocent. Tell her, babe!" Martha walked out of the front door and stood behind her mother.
"And then she has a go at Martha, practically accused her of making the whole thing up." Martha's mum scowled. Two other people walked out and stood next to Martha.
"Mum, I don't mind." Martha stood forwards as the adult's argued. "Just leave it."
"Oh." The blonde waved her hands sarcastically. "I've been to the moon!" The blonde snickered. "As if! They were drugged. It said so on the news."
"Since when did you watch the news?" Martha's mum cocked her hip. "You can't handle Quiz Mania." Her face moved under her palm and she closed her eyes as giggles escaped. Martha's mum was a hoot.
"Annalise started it." Martha's sister from earlier spoke up. "She did. I heard her."
"Tish, don't make it worse." The younger man huffed.
"Oh, come off it, Leo." Tish frowned over at her brother. "What did she buy you?" Tish snarled. "Soap. A seventy-five pence soap!" Tish sent a glare at Annalise.
"Oh!" Annalise stamped her foot. "I'm never talking to your family again!" Annalise swept her fringe across her forehead and stomped off.
"Oh, stay." Martha's mum laughed. Annalise threw a look over her shoulder. "Have a night out with Clive."
Clive, Martha's dad watched as his girlfriend stomped off. "Don't you dare." Clive shouted after her. "I'm putting my foot down!" Clive actually brought his leg up and stamped it down on the pavement as Martha's mum continued to argue behind him.
"You coming?" Annalise asked him, turning around with her hands on her hips.
"This is me, putting my foot down." Clive replied pointing to the ground, Annalise continued walking off not bothering to turn and look.
"Doing it for the last twenty-five years!" Martha's mum said.
"Please!" Clive begged Annalise who didn't bother to look at him and after a moment Clive followed her like a helpless puppy.
"Clive, stop." Martha's mum pleaded with him. "Now!"
"Dad!" Leo shouted going off after his father.
"Mum, don't." Tish walked over to her mother. "I-" Martha's mum and sister went off in another direction from the other three leaving Martha to stand outside the Market Tavern. Martha sighed and looked around only to lock eyes with both of them peering around the corner of a building. The Doctor backed away from behind her, walking back into the alleyway. She gave Martha a wave and a cheeky grin before following him, knowing that Martha would give into her curiosity.
"Very mysterious." She teased him. "Man, of Mystery you are."
He cast her a smug grin. "Call me the Doctor."
"Doctor who?" She snickered, his grin widened at their banter as they reached the Tardis. She could hear Martha's heels clicking along as she followed them.
The Doctor stopped in front of the Tardis and she stood next to him unable to help herself in stroking the outside of the Tardis. She turned her head when the footsteps that had followed them stopped. Martha looked at them in surprise as she stopped and saw them waiting for her. "I went to the moon today." A smile broke out across Martha's face.
"A bit more peaceful than down here." The Doctor said nodding back where they'd come. She could hear police sirens in the distance.
Martha lifted an eyebrow. "You never told me who you are." Martha gazed curiously at him, questions clear in her eyes as she walked over to them. Martha's jacket swung in her grip.
"The Doctor."
She smiled biting her lip as her eyes flickered between them. "What sort of species?" Martha asked her teeth gleaming as her smile widened. "It's not every day I get to ask that."
"I'm a Time Lord." The Doctor replied.
"Right!" Martha smirked, humour in her eyes. She snorted with laughter seeing his straight face and Martha's raised eyebrows. "Not pompous at all, then."
She looked up at the Doctor to see his face twitch with amusement and a slight smile brightened his face. "I just thought since you saved my life and I've got a brand-new sonic screwdriver which needs road testing, you might fancy a trip." The Doctor shrugged and he brought out his new sonic from his pocket and juggled it in his hand. What a show off, she rolled her eyes.
"What, into space?" Martha looked at him with wonder.
"Well…."
"But I can't." Martha shook her head with a sigh of disappointment. Her lips tugged up as another companion said no to him before they heard about how he could travel in time. "I've got exams. I've got things to do. I have to go into town first thing and pay the rent, I've got my family going mad."
"If it helps, I can travel in time as well." The Doctor added.
"Get out of here." Martha gaped at him, Martha's eyes went to her for confirmation.
"He's telling the truth." Her eyes lit up at Martha's disbelief.
"Come on now, that's going too far." Martha shook her head.
"I'll prove it." The Doctor raised his brows and entered the Tardis his coat floating behind him. Her heart thundered in her chest as a minute later the Tardis dematerialised. Her skin tingled in worry that he wasn't going to return, realising that everything that she owned he'd just taken away. Her breathes came out unsteady as Martha walked forwards to where the Tardis once stood and reached her hand out to test for a magic trick.
"Was that real?" Martha turned to her with wide eyes.
"Yeah." She shifted in her spot. "Time and Relative Dimensions in Space. The Tardis, it means that it can travel anywhere and any when." She explained, Martha turned to her in interest.
"How do you know all of this?" Martha leaned towards her with inquisitive brown eyes. A woman of knowledge, did Martha identify as a Ravenclaw?
"If you think this impossible, wait till you hear my story." She told her and before Martha could reply a breeze swept through the alley.
Wheezing filled the air and she pulled Martha back knowing that the Tardis was going to appear in the same place. As the Tardis rematerialised she let go of the death grip that she'd taken on her cardigan, letting the material go. Martha backed into one of the bins in the alley and she gazed at the returned Tardis. The Doctor stepped out of the door holding his tie in his hands and his collar pulled up. She ran her eyes up and down him realising that without it he looked quite scruffy. "Told ya." The Doctor sang out, putting the tie back over his head and adjusting it back into position.
"No, but… that was this morning." Martha realised stepping away from the bin. "But… did you? Oh, my god." Martha's eyes widened at the evidence from her own memories. "You can travel in time."
"Yep." She grinned at Martha's startled expression.
Martha's eyes darted between them and the Doctor grinned as he folded his collar down. "But hold on. If you could see me this morning, why didn't you tell me not to go in to work?" Martha asked him, her head leaning sideways.
The Doctor leaned back against the Tardis. "Crossing into established events is strictly forbidden. Except for cheap tricks." The Doctor smirked, causing Martha to stare at him incredulously.
"If you didn't go, then time would have been rewritten." She explained to Martha. "It's a time loop. If you hadn't of gone in, then he never would have appeared here and gone back to 'warn' you." She shrugged as understanding appeared in Martha's eyes.
Martha turned back to the Doctor and looked behind him at the Tardis. "And that's your spaceship?"
"It's called the Tardis." Martha walked up to the Tardis and touched the wood. "Time and Relative Dimension in Space." The Doctor unknowingly repeated her explanation. Martha turned to her realising that she'd been right and she saw for the first time that Martha had two tattoos on her left arm.
"Your spaceship's made of wood." Martha looked at the Tardis closer, turning towards the Doctor with a smile. "There's not much room." Martha looked around the side of the Tardis still holding onto the corner. "We'd be a bit intimate." Martha looked between all of them, she wiggled her eyebrows in return.
The Doctor knocked on the Tardis door and it opened inwards. "Take a look." The Doctor suggested, nodding at the door that shone light into the alley.
"You'll be surprised." She grinned as Martha looked at them questioningly.
Martha peered inside the Tardis and walked inside, they followed her in as she gazed around the console room. The Doctor leaned against the railing opposite her looking overjoyed at Martha's reaction. Martha's mouth hung open and then she stumbled backwards and went out of the Tardis to presumably make the traditional circuit. "No, no, no!" She overhead Martha mutter from outside. "But it's just a box." Martha pointed at the Tardis, looking at it's outside. "But it's huge!" Martha walked back to the doorway, looking around in wonder. "How does it do that? It's wood." Martha continued knocking on the outside. "It's like a box with that room just rammed in." She finally walked back inside, eyes on the console. "It's bigger on the inside." She watched the Doctor mouth the words along which made her burst into giggles.
The Doctor turned his head to look at her his eyes shining with delight. "Is it? I hadn't noticed." He shut the door, shrugged off his coat as he swept past Martha.
"Cool huh." She nudged Martha who stood in the same spot still spell bound. The Doctor threw his coat over one of the beams and she followed him to the centre of the room.
"Right then, let's get going." He bounded up to the console, she grinned realising they were about to travel through time.
"But is there a crew, like a navigator and stuff?" Martha looked around, eyeing her bags and looking around the empty room. "Where is everyone?"
"Just me." The Doctor told her as he fiddled with the controls. Martha looked over at her confused and with a question clear in her eyes.
"Us now." She reminded him as he stared hard at the console.
"All on your own?" Martha asked turning back to the Doctor.
"Well," He said in that extravagant way that David Tennant always brought. "Sometimes I have guests. Like Lena." He pointed towards her, and she looked at him in surprise. "I mean friends, travelling alongside. I had. There was recently, a friend of mine." The Doctor looked up confiding in them. "Rose, her name was. Rose. And we were together. Anyway…"
She looked at him before turning away knowing he didn't like to talk about his past. She fiddled with the rings on her fingers, twisting them around. "Where is she now?" Martha asked the Doctor.
"With her family. Happy." She raised her eyebrows at that, Rose always seemed like she wanted her family together but would rather be away from them. It was unlikely that she was happy when she'd spend so much time making holes through the universes searching for a way to come back to the Doctor. Uncaring of leaving her family behind. "She's fine. She's… not that you're replacing her." The Doctor hastily added, pointing a finger at Martha.
"Never said I was." She looked up at the annoyance that laced Martha's voice.
"Just one trip to say thanks." The Doctor looked over at Martha with his finger still pointed. "You get one trip, then back home." He pointed at the doors.
"That's the way it starts." She smirked and sent a wink Martha's way.
The Doctor ignored her as he went back to the controls and turned something. "I'd rather be on my own." She turned her head to frown at him, knowing that wasn't the truth.
"That's a lie." She muttered under her breath, the Doctor glanced over at her with narrowed eyes.
"Yet Marlene is here." Martha pointed at her. "And you're the one that kissed me." Martha successfully distracted him.
"That was a genetic transfer." The Doctor sputtered, looking up from his hands.
"… And if you will wear a tight suit." Martha looked at the Doctor with a suggestive look, walking closer to him. She stepped back as Martha walked past her.
"Now, don't!" The Doctor scowled at Martha. She let out a laugh as Martha continued on unperturbed, the Doctor sent her a betrayed look as he edged away from Martha who followed him.
"And then travel all the way across the universe just to ask me on a date." Martha smirked.
"Stop it." He gritted his teeth, leaning towards Martha with a serious look in his eyes.
"For the record?" Martha said airily. "I'm not remotely interested. I only go for humans." Her mouth twitched at Martha's lie, knowing that the other woman was definitely attracted to the Doctor.
"Good." The Doctor's face fell with relief. "Well, then." She saw Martha's form slump slightly and her head fall forwards at the Doctor's turned back. "Close down the gravitic anomaliser, fire up the helmic regulator. And finally, the hand brake. Ready?" The Doctor smirked up at them as he moved about the console and stopped next to the screen and to the left of her.
"No." Martha breathed out. The Doctor looked at her with excitement shining in his eyes.
"Yeah." She smiled unsteadily, her body felt weightless as a thrill ran through her.
The Doctor grinned. "Off we go." The Tardis started wheezing and shaking, they jolted about. She stumbled backs as it violently shook about, falling into the seat with the Doctor next to her she hastily grabbed it and held on tight.
"Whoa!" She looked at him in surprise, he turned to look at her with a grin before falling forwards towards the console.
"Blimey, it's a bit bumpy." Martha grabbed onto the console and fought to remain upright.
"A bit?" She laughed her hands tightening their grip.
"Welcome aboard! Miss Jones, Miss Huntington." He looked between them, beaming.
Martha leaned forwards and shook the hand he outstretched. "It's my pleasure, Mister Smith." Martha laughed.
"Geez you two." She blurted out at their actions, they both turned their heads towards her with wide grins.
The Tardis shook all of them in place again as they held on, she noticed the Doctor spinning something on the side of the console. "But how do you travel in time?" Martha pressed. "What makes it go? She looked to the two of them questioning how they could do anything else but hold on.
The Doctor sighed annoyed. "Oh, let's take the fun and mystery out of everything." He huffed turning his gaze on Martha. "Martha, you don't want to know. It just does. Hold on tight." She took his warning seriously, tightening her grip on the seat and spreading out her legs as if she was snowboarding trying to find her central balance. The Doctor appeared to be climbing onto the console and Martha wrapped her arms around one of the controls as one final violent shudder shook everything around them. Martha fell to the floor next to her and the Doctor stumbled away from the controls and into one of the beams.
"Blimey." Martha looked around as the shaking halted. "Do you have to pass a test to fly this thing?" Martha asked as she held out bot h hands to help her off the floor.
"Yes, and I failed." The Doctor commented as he sped around putting his coat back on. She let go of her death grip and stood up the stillness a high contrast to the second before.
"That doesn't surprise me." She said looking over at the controls, she looked up to see his brown eyes alight with humour as he walked over to her.
"Now, make the most of it." The Doctor reached over to her side and grabbed Martha's jacket off the seat and handed it to her. "I promised you one trip, and one trip only." He ran over to the front doors and paused to look at the both of them hurrying after him. "Outside this door, brave new world." She looked over at the door that had never looked so tempting. The past called to them, the thrill of what was to come. Seeing one of Shakespeare's plays in the Globe and then actually meeting the man himself.
"I don't think I'm ready." She fidgeted in place, realising that they'd actually travelled through time. Elizabethan England was outside.
"You'd better be." The Doctor raised an eyebrow at her doubt.
"Come on." Martha nudged her and she looked to her side to see the other woman's face alight with excitement. "Where are we?" Martha wondered asking the Doctor.
"Take a look." The Doctor gestured to the door, she heard the sound of the door unlocking and he opened it with his back turned. "After you."
Martha turned her head in her direction with her teeth gleaming in a wide smile. "You go first." She told her, needing a bit more time before stepping outside. Martha walked at a steady pace before heading out, the Doctor turned his head as she went past before looking back at her.
"Your turn." He turned round brown eyes in her direction a gentle smile on his face.
"I might need some help." She gulped, still stood in place. "I feel like I can't move." She looked at him and held out her hand slowly knowing that she'd probably have to be dragged out due to nerves.
"Alright." He nodded and grabbed her small dainty hand in his larger longer fingered one. He pulled her closer to the door, Martha's back blocking the view.
"I've never felt so nervous in my life." She confided in him as he tugged her forwards. Her skin tingled breaking out into goosebumps and her heart felt like it was in her throat. "Is it always like this?" She looked up at him as they reached the doors. "Feeling like you're on a ledge about to fly?"
He gazed at her with hidden knowledge swirling in his irises. "Yes."
"After all this time?" She questioned him more interested in his facial dynamics than what was capturing Martha's attention at the moment.
"Always." His lips tugged up and his eyes gleamed. "Now come on!" He pushed her through the door and out into the street. His hand let go of hers as she stumbled forwards and quickly took it all in.
Washing hung on lines below the overhanging eaves, scruffy children ran around. Her eyes darted everywhere taking it all in. The architecture! The fashion! The normal everyday people walking around. "Oh, you are kidding me." Martha muttered, she watched a woman washing her clothes next to a window as a man talked to her. There were quite a lot of people about the cobblestone street gathered together. "You are so kidding me. Oh, my god." She looked over to see Martha looked around with wide eyes, and standing right next to her the Doctor was looking down at them both with interest. Taking in their reactions. "We did it. We travelled in time." They watched a man walk past them, Martha turned to the Doctor. "Where are we? No, sorry." Martha paused and shook her head to correct herself putting a hand up. "I got to get used to this whole new language. When are we?"
"Mind out." He pulled them both back suddenly, her head flinched backwards when liquid splashed down in front of them. She blinked at the puddle in surprise.
"Gardez l'eau!" She looked up to see a man hanging out a window with a bucket in hand. So, plumbing without the pipes. Chamber pots and buckets galore.
"Somewhere before the invention of the toilet." The Doctor looked down at them and his face scrunched up. "Sorry about that." His eyes darted between them as his face contorted into a sheepish expression.
"I've seen worse." Martha replied. "I've worked the late-night shift in A and E." Martha shrugged, the Doctor sent her a grin.
They stepped around the puddle. "That must be tough. Have you always wanted to be a doctor?" She asked, interested in getting to know Martha more than the show had to offer.
Martha's smile widened. "I've wanted to be a doctor since I was a child. My brother, Leo pushed me off a swing which broke my arm. I ended up having an X-ray at a hospital, ever since then it's all I wanted to do." Martha carried on with her story. "Hopefully I'll pass my tests soon and finally achieve my dream!"
"That's great." She replied, Martha turned interested eyes on her.
"What do you do?" Torchlight flickered over Martha's features.
"I was going to be a teacher." She sighed, both of them looked down at her with curiosity. "Unfortunately, life happened." She weaved around two people, thankfully the other two took that as the end of that conversation for now. Really, she wanted to focus more on the present, that wasn't really the present but the past. They were in another time! "And now were here."
"But are we safe? I mean, can we move around and stuff?" Martha questioned as they walked along.
"Of course, we can." The Doctor looked at Martha with a befuddled look. "Why do you ask?"
"It's like in the films." Martha raised an eyebrow. "You step on a butterfly, you change the future of the human race."
"The rules of time travel." She smirked in amusement recalling Endgame's take on it. "Thou shall not interfere."
"Where did you get that rule from?" He asked with a frown.
"Obviously not from you." She laughed weaving her way between people.
He nodded in agreement as he walked around a couple. "Oh, and Martha, tell you what then, don't step on any butterflies." He shrugged and then did a double take on Martha with a new thought in mind. "What have butterflied ever done to you?" The Doctor pulled a face before walking off at a fast pace. She automatically began following him at an equally fast pace, Martha walking slowly behind them presumably trying to think over the complexities of travelling through time.
Martha sent him a look. "What if…" She pondered. "I don't know, what if I kill my grandfather?"
The Doctor turned and walked backwards in order to look at Martha. "Are you planning to?" He asked still clueless to Martha's concerns.
"No." Martha grinned in amusement.
"Well, then." The Doctor turned and carried on walking.
"And this is London?" Martha asked, she looked around checking out the pretty houses. They didn't make them like this anymore. The last one she'd seen like this in person was Little Moreton Hall which had been beautiful. Actually, she wondered looking down in thought. She probably had photos from that visit on her phone since it had been about one or two years ago.
"It's gorgeous isn't it!" She said looking at the architecture around them in wonder. Most of the buildings in central London were homes in this time, it was a dramatic shift from the future with all the skyscrapers. "What year?"
"I think so." The Doctor looked at Martha so they knew he was answering her question before turning his face to her. "Round about 1599."
"Wow." She bit her lip as elation sent a thrill through her.
"Oh, but hold on." Martha stopped causing them to look at her and see fear in Martha's eyes. "Am I alright?" Martha worried, holding a hand to her chest. "I'm not going to get carted off as a slave, am I?"
Understanding filled her and she went up to Martha and grabbed her hand. "Not if we have anything to say about it." She gave Martha a smile. "They'd have to get through us first." Martha's face transformed into a smile and she squeezed her hand before letting go.
The Doctor's eyes widened. "Why would they do that?" He cut in, confused.
"Not exactly white, in case you haven't noticed." Martha sent him a look pointing at her face.
"I'm not even human." The Doctor shrugged. "Just walk about like you own the place. Works for me."
"That's because he looks like a white man." She whispered to Martha whose face lit up with amusement, worry fading away.
Two females exited the building in front of them, walking on ahead and gossiping together. "Besides," The Doctor continued. "You'd be surprised. Elizabethan England, not so different from your time." He pointed over to the side, drawing their gazes. "Look over there. They've got recycling." They watched a man shovelling horse manure off the street and into a bucket. "Water cooler moment." Giggles burst out of her seeing two men talking over a water barrel with mugs. The Doctor sent her a pleased look, happy that he'd made her laugh.
"And the world will be consumed by flame!" A man shouted, he looked to be a preacher with his hand in the air in an effort to get anyone's attention.
"Global warming." She continued to laugh, trying in vain to smother it which only made the Doctor's grin larger. He suddenly skipped in front of them as Martha put on her jacket. "Oh, yes and entertainment." She breathed out and gained control over herself to see his eyes caught on something. "Popular entertainment for the masses." His head darted about looking around them. "If I'm right, we're just down the river by Southwark, right next to…" He took Martha and her hands and grabbed them in both of his own before forcefully dragging them along the street. The houses on the left stopped cropping up and she could see the moonlight reflecting off the river as they ran. Southwark? Memories of walking by the Thames flashed through her mind, walking alongside family or friends. They ran for a couple of minutes until they saw London Bridge the Thames running alongside. They all stopped as they turned around the corner and saw a building towering over the rest. "Oh, yes!" The Doctor grinned. "The Globe Theatre! Brand new." She looked at the building studying it and comparing it to the one in the future. It was an entire two floors bigger than any other building around it, and the only one that looked circular. The sight of it reminded of her of the only time she'd been inside with Jen. Her sister had been studying Shakespeare for the English A-Level and she'd agreed to take her. They'd made a day of it, walking around London and having lunch together, taking a tour of the theatre and having fun in the gift shop. "Just opened. Through, strictly speaking, it's not a globe, it's a tetra-decagon. Fourteen sides. Containing the man himself." They looked at one another, the Doctor bending slightly down to capture their reactions.
Fourteen. She frowned as something about that pinged in her mind. It was important, for some reason. "Whoa, you don't mean…" Martha gasped focused on the building. "Is Shakespeare in there?" Martha turned wide-eyed to them.
"Oh, yes." The Doctor grinned. "Miss Jones, Miss Huntington, will you accompany me to the theatre?" He looked down at them with his intense brown whirlpools, holding out his arms for them to thread their own through his.
"Mister Smith, I will." Martha smiled at him eagerly, locking her arm through the Doctor's immediately. They both turned to her awaiting her answer.
She paused her heart feeling heavy in her chest. It would be different, good memories didn't have to ruin this experience. "I'd love to." They traded smiles and she put her hand around his elbow before they started walking off.
"When you get home, you can tell everyone you've seen Shakespeare." She looked up to see the Doctor looking down at Martha. She focused on the path as they walked closer. Sarah Jane would defiantly get a kick out of this adventure, and at least she wouldn't sound crazy when talking about it to her.
Martha looked up at him with a deadpan expression. "Then I could get sectioned!" She pressed her lips together and looked away trying to hold in her amusement.
~ oOo ~
"When daisies pied, and violets blue,
And lady-smocks all silver-white,
And cukoo-buds of yellow hue,
Do paint the meadows with delight,
The cuckoo then, on every tree,
Mocks married men; for thus sings he,
Cuckoo;
Cuckoo, cuckoo, - o word of fear,
Unpleasing to a married ear!
When shepherds pip on oaten straws,
And merry larks are ploughmen's clocks,
When turtles tread, and rocks, and daws,
And maidens bleach their summer smocks,
The cuckoo then, on every tree,
Mocks married men; for thus sings he,
Cuckoo;
Cuckoo, cuckoo, - o word of fear,
Unpleasing to a married ear!
When icicles hang by the wall,
And Dick the shepherd blows his nail,
And Tom bears logs into the hall,
And milk comes frozen home in pail,
When blood is nipp'd, and ways be foul,
Then nightly sings the staring owl,
Tu-who;
Tu-whit, tu-who, - a merry note,
While greasy Joan doth keel the pot.
When all aloud the wind doth blow,
And coughing drowns the parson's saw,
And birds sit brooding in the snow,
And Marian's nose looks red and raw,
When roasted crabs hiss in the bowl,
Then nightly sings the staring owl,
Tu-who;
Tu-whit, tu-who, - a merry note,
While greasy Joan doth keel the pot."
Her mouth hung slightly open as she watched the performance with wide eyes taking all of the actors in as they sang. She flinched away from the man next to her who shifted, she shuffled uncomfortably at the lack of personal space. She wasn't used to being in a crowd after so long. One of the actors stepped forwards dramatically away from the rest. "The words of Mercury are harsh after the songs of Apollo. You that way, - we this way." She breathed out as the actors bowed to the audience who broke out in applause. She looked up at them in the pit, leaning around the people in front of her as they moved so she could keep a view of the stage. She clapped her hands together as a smile broke out of her face. She's just watched a show in the original Globe Theatre!
Wow!
It had been amazing, watching one Shakespeare's plays in the theatre instead of watching a film adaptation. She couldn't remember the last time she'd watched a show in the theatre. Had it been with her mum? Wicked or Mamma Mia? Or something completely different?
She'd found herself laughing along with the audience as the four men stumbled through the play trying to stay true to their attempt to distance themselves from women and then ending up falling in love. "That's amazing!" Martha turned her head in excitement jumping slightly on the spot. "Just amazing. It's worth putting up with the smell." She wrinkled her nose being reminded of it. "And those are men dressed as women, yeah?" She looked at the actors on the stage with a smile, with the blush on their faces visible from the crowds. They had some great wigs.
"London never changes." The Doctor snorted as he looked around the crowd.
"Where's Shakespeare?" Martha looked to the stage, shifting about to get a better view. "I want to see Shakespeare. Author! AUTHOR!" Martha raised a fist into the air along with her chant. Martha turned to them when other people took notice of her shouting. She looked at the two of them embarrassed by her own display. "Do people shout that? Do they shout Author?" Martha smiled while looking at the Doctor.
"AUTHOR!" Someone shouted from behind them. "AUTHOR! AUTHOR!" The chanting was picked up by the crowd.
"You've created a trend." She looked over at Martha in amusement. "Trendsetter."
"Well..." The Doctor looked around, as the chanting carried up to the upper levels. "They do now." The chanting changed to applause, she looked around confused to see that Shakespeare had walked out onto the stage. His body language encouraged the crowd as he walked to the front of the stage with a smirk. He blew kisses to the crowd and paced the stage.
"He's a bit different from his portraits." Martha whispered, she looked over to see Martha gazing up at the author. She looked back at him and tilted her head to see what had drawn Martha's attention.
"Artist's work are always up to interpretation." She shrugged not seeing too much of a difference to what she could remember Shakespeare's portraits looked like. Brown hair and a beard, check. She also caught the glint of earrings in his ears.
She looked at the other two to see the Doctor's mouth twitch and Martha raising an eyebrow in her direction. "Genius." The Doctor grinned at the author who was eating up everyone's excitement. "He's a genius. The genius. The most human human there's ever been. Now we're going to hear him speak. Always he chooses the best words. New, beautiful, brilliant words." The Doctor leaned forwards eyes set on the author with glee rising in his eyes, it was endearing to see him excited to meet a human.
There was a silent hush over the crowd as Shakespeare threw out his arms. They all locked their gazes on him waiting in anticipation for whatever he was about to say. "Ah, shut your big fat mouths!" Shouted Shakespeare, drawing laughter from everyone around them.
"Oh, well." The Doctor slumped back in disappointment, she couldn't help the grin that arose on her face seeing it.
"You walked into that one." She fiddled with the sleeves of her cardigan, shifting closer to him as the crowd moved.
Martha reached up and gave his arm a patronising pat. "You should never meet your heroes."
She bit her lip at his hanging head. "You really should know better." He looked up at her with a pout, but before he could form a comeback Shakespeare interrupted them.
"You've got excellent taste, I'll give you that." Shakespeare pointed into the crowd. "Oh, that's a wig." The crowd laughed again. "I know what you're all saying. Loves Labour's Lost, that's a funny ending, isn't it? It just stops. Will the boys get the girls? Well, don't get your hose in a tangle, you'll find out soon." The crowd cheered. "Yeah, yeah. All in good time. You don't rush a genius." Shakespeare bowed to the audience before suddenly jolting up. He stumbled back a step and the crowd fell silent as an odd ringing sounded in the globe. "When? Tomorrow night." Everyone applauded, but the actors next to him and behind Shakespeare exchanged looks. "The premiere of my brand-new play. A sequel, no less, and I call it Loves Labour's Won." The Doctor silently looked at the stage as everyone clapped including Martha.
Everyone filled out of the theatre in a huge crowd, the Doctor grabbed their hands so they wouldn't get lost. She stepped closer to him as people shoved each other eager to escape the pit. Perhaps they were going off drinking together or off home. She watched them with interest knowing this was an experience that these people regularly took part in. She couldn't help but wonder at them all. "I'm not an expert…" Martha paused and looked over at the Doctor. "But I've never heard of Loves Labour's Won." She pondered as they walked over to the doors. Her list of Shakespeare plays wasn't that long, her Secondary School had done Othello twice. She knew a couple but she didn't even know Loves Labour's Lost before watching it today.
"Exactly." The Doctor over the crowd in thought. "The lost play! It doesn't exist, only in rumours." He filled them in. "It's mentioned in lists of his plays but never ever turns up. And no one knows why."
The crowd continued to slowly shuffle along. "Interesting." She pondered, an old mystery buried in the depths of human history.
"Have you got a mini-disc or something?" Martha joked. "We can tape it. We can flog it. Sell it when we get home and make a mint." Martha looked over at her and winked.
She burst out laughing. "How would we explain that?" Tears ran down her face as she leaned against a wall. "Hey fellas look what we stumbled across! A video of a lost play in 1599, wow golly gee!" She shook her shoulders and gave Martha a cheeky grin in return.
"No." The Doctor stared at them sceptically.
"That would be bad." Martha sent him a pout.
"Yeah," The Doctor nodded with a frown, still not getting the joke. "Yeah."
Martha laughed and she joined in. "Well, how come it disappeared in the first place?"
"Yeah?" She looked over at the Doctor not holding back her interest, knowing that they'd be about to uncover that mystery.
"Well…" The Doctor looked around the crowd as they got closer to the exit. "I was just going to give you a quick little trip in the Tardis, but I suppose we could stay a bit longer."
"Yay!" She threw a fist bump into the air. She heard Martha let out a snort from the other side of the Doctor at her antics.
The Doctor ended up questioning one of the actors who were leaving the theatre, asking him where they could find Shakespeare. Thankfully he gave them clear directions, he'd told the Doctor that he shouldn't hold onto hope that Shakespeare would have time for them, but said that their chances were better with two ladies by his side.
Luckily the walk wasn't long, after all they'd been standing for quite a while watching the play, and they'd spent a lot of time running in the hospital before that. She was quite ready to sit down and rest her feet. They entered a tavern called 'The Elephant' on Borough High Street, which the actor had told them Shakespeare stayed at while in London. They'd looked around the crowded tavern and been directed upstairs by the barkeeper. They edged their way into the room looking around the environment as they took notice of Shakespeare alongside a couple of other men and two females. It was nicely decorated with lit candles and a well-worn rug and a couple of mismatched wooden chairs around a table. "You must be mad, Will." One of the men said with a piece of parchment in his hand. "Loves Labour's Won? I mean, we're not ready. It's supposed to be next week. What made you say that?"
"You haven't even finished it yet." The other guy looked over at Shakespeare with a frown.
"I've just got the final scene to go." Shakespeare shrugged with a goblet raised to his lips. "You'll get it by morning."
"Hello!" The Doctor interrupted them knocking on the doorway, unable to wait a second more waiting. "Excuse me, not interrupting, am I? Mister Shakespeare, isn't it?" He walked in through the open door without invitation and up to the table where the men sat.
She watched Shakespeare sigh, looking at the Doctor whose tall form blocked Martha and her from view. "Oh, no. No, no, no." Shakespeare shook his head and let out a groan, pinching the bridge of his nose. "Who let you in? No autographs. No, you can't have yourself sketched with me." Shakespeare gave him a dismissive hand gesture. She bit her lip realising that was an olden day selfie with a famous person. "And please don't ask where I get my ideas from. Thanks for the interest. Now be a good boy and shove-" Shakespeare stopped as Martha stepped around the Doctor, his eyes glued to her form. The Doctor turned his body to Martha as he noticed Shakespeare's distraction. "Hey, nonny, nonny!" Shakespeare's face lit up and she saw Martha blink in surprise, before a pleased smile graced her face. "Sit right down here next to me. You two get sewing on them costumes. Off you go." He waved away the two unnamed men.
"Come on, lads." The old woman spoke up, patting the one of the left's shoulder with an amused smile. "I think our William's found his new muse."
"Sweet lady." Shakespeare grinned at Martha, instantly distracted by her. The three men and older woman left the room, the younger female continued to sweep the floors. The Doctor nudged her over to the table that Shakespeare and Martha were sitting down at. She blinked up at him surprise and went to sit next to Martha. The Doctor shrugged off his coat and draped it over the back of his seat on Martha's other side. "Such unusual clothes. So… fitted." She looked down at her own clothes realising how they really didn't fit in with the 'current' fashion. She'd have loved to dress up, though without the corset part that sounded like it would be painful. Though that might be a stereotype, perhaps if she didn't tighten it too much then it would be alright?
"Er…" Martha shifted in her seat. "Um… Verily, forsooth, egards?" She raised an eyebrow at the odd accent Martha put on.
The Doctor shook his head, he cringed as he shifted in his seat. "No, no, No…" She looked at him amused. "Don't do that. Don't." The Doctor brought out his psychic paper and showed it to Shakespeare. "I'm Sir Doctor of Tardis and these are my companions, Miss Martha Jones and Miss Marlene Huntington." Shakespeare's eyes suddenly looked over at her, probably realising how distracted by the other two he'd been. Before he looked at the physic paper the Doctor held up.
"Interesting, that bit of paper." Shakespeare looked over and pointed at the Doctor and nodded to the psychic paper in the Doctor's hands. "It's blank." He narrowed his eyes sceptically trying to find out what the Doctor was trying to pull.
"Oh, that's very clever." The Doctor's eyes lit up, a grin stretching across his face. "That proves it. Absolute genius."
Martha frowned looking at it. "No, it says so right there." Martha pointed at the psychic paper. "Sir Doctor, Martha Jones and Marlene Huntington. It says it." Martha looked up at eyed the Doctor confused.
"And I say it's blank." Shakespeare shrugged, though he had an intrigued light in his eyes as he took another glance at the paper.
"Psychic paper." The Doctor explained. "Er… long story. Oh, I hate starting from scratch." She narrowed her eyes on him as he waved the question off and put the physic paper back in his pocket.
"It means you can see whatever he wants you to see on it." She told Martha whose put out expression turned to her in interest.
"Psychic?" Shakespeare cut in as Martha opened her mouth to question her. "Never heard that before and words are my trade." She recalled how Shakespeare was famous for bringing about a lot of the words in the dictionary. He looked at the Doctor in interest with his head tilted as he looked at him. "Who are you exactly?" He turned his head to look at them all. "More's the point, who is your delicious blackamoor lady?" He stared adoringly at Martha.
Martha's eyes widened in disbelief. "What did you say?"
"Oops." Shakespeare looked around concerned. "Isn't that a word we use nowadays? An Ethoip girl? A swarth? A Queen of Africa?" He shrugged as he gazed at her with a grin.
"I can't believe I'm hearing this." Martha scoffed.
The Doctor pressed two fingers into his left eye a grimace on his face. "Its political correctness gone mad." The Doctor assured Martha. "Er… Martha's from a far-off land. Freedonia."
She snapped her head over in his direction. "Freedonia?" She muttered underneath her breath confused. What hat did he pull that out of?
"Excuse me!" Another voice cut in, they looked up to see a man dressed in rich clothing wearing a gold chain enter the room. "Hold hard a moment." His narrowed eyes locked onto Shakespeare. "This is abominable behaviour. A new play with no warning?" The man clenched his jaw, as he stared hard at Shakespeare towering over them in their seats. "I demand to see a script, Mister Shakespeare. As Master of the Revels, every new script must be registered at my office and examined by me before it can be performed." She looked over at him in surprise not realising that was a thing back in these times.
Shakespeare pinched the bridge of his nose as the man leaned towards him. "Tomorrow morning." Shakespeare said unconcerned waving the man off. "First thing, I'll send it round."
"I don't work to your schedule!" The man sputtered. "You work to mine. The script, now!"
"I can't." Shakespeare raised an eyebrow at the man who scowl deepened.
"Then tomorrow's performance is cancelled." She blinked at him and looked over at Shakespeare who's smile fell.
"It's all go around here, isn't it?" Martha whispered to her, she nodded tucking a curl behind her ear.
"I'm returning to my office for a banning order." The man stopped shifting and stood up straight with renewed arrogance. "If it's the last thing I do, Love's Labours Won will never be played." His chin tipped upwards, and with his nose in the air he turned and left the room. They watched him shut the door, even the maid stopped sweeping.
She bit her lip as silence befell the group, they looked at each other wondering what had just happened. "That's it?" She asked under her breath to Martha who leaned into her.
"Must be." The Doctor answered frowning overhearing her question, his fingers tapped on the table top. He looked deep in thought and she saw Shakespeare looking at them all oddly.
Martha's forehead creased as she looked over at her and then at the men and picked up one of the goblets on the table and took a sip. "Well then, mystery solved." Martha sighed disappointed leaning back in her seat. "That's Love Labours Won over and done with." She put her clasped hands on the table and looked down at it considering, she couldn't remember much from this adventure but there was definitely more. And the play was definitely on at the end. Wasn't it? "Thought it might be something more, you know…" Martha suggested, she looked up and saw the Doctor looking at her with a lifted eyebrow. She blinked realising he was looking for tells. She sent him a confused glance, trying to let him know that she didn't know. Hopefully that came across. "… more mysterious?"
A scream rang out from the open window, they looked over startled. Another high pitched female scream sounded and they rushed out of their seats, down the stairs and outside to investigate what had happened out there. They made it through the door and saw a large crowd forming. "Help me!" A woman shrieked. She took a step back dumbfound as they found the man from before staggering in the street, his eyes clouded. Her mouth hung open as she looked at him unsettled by the copious water flowing out of his mouth. It was never ending and concerning. It rattled her to the core as he swayed and people watched helplessly.
"What?" She hugged herself and looked to the Doctor for an answer.
"It's that Lynley bloke." Martha noticed.
"How is he drowning on land though?" She shivered in the street as everyone gathered. He was growing paler by the second, his eyes clouded as he looked off into the distance as he choked out the water.
"What's wrong with him?" The Doctor asked as a line appeared between his brows. "Leave it to me." The Doctor shoved himself forwards between people in order to get closer to the man. "I'm a doctor."
"So am I… near enough." Martha muttered, loud enough for them to hear. Martha followed the Doctor and she stayed back with Shakespeare in the crowd watching. Suddenly the man collapsed and water sputtered out of his mouth and dribbled down his chin and onto the street. It created a puddle that his body jerked in with his eyes opened staring up at the moon above. "Got to get the heart going." Martha kneeled down next to the man. She swallowed realising that he'd probably just died, this wasn't going to be a carefree episode. "Mister Lynley, come on." Tears welled up and she turned away, her mouth wobbled and she sniffed. You couldn't save him, she told herself. "Can you hear me?" You didn't remember, it's not on you. "You're going to be alright." She wanted to believe it, but as she dabbed away at her eyes with a handkerchief she found her heart squeezing with an inner pain. "What the hell is that?"
"There, there dear." Shakespeare gave her a pat on her arm, looking down at her in concern. She blinked up at him with tears in her eyes as she struggled to smile in thanks for his concern.
She breathed out and looked back at the ground, unable to look at the dead man's body. "Good mistress." She heard the Doctor speak up. "This poor fellow has died from a sudden imbalance of the humours." Her breath caught in her throat at the Doctor's lie. "A natural if unfortunate demise. Call a constable and have him taken away."
"Yes, sir." She heard a woman reply, Shakespeare took her arm and steered her away back to the Tavern.
"I'll do it, ma'am." She heard another woman say as they began walking back up the outside stairs.
She followed Shakespeare to another room, this one with a four-poster bed so it must have been his own. "Best to sit down after that frightful show." Shakespeare nudged her back over to her seat and set a drink in front of her. "This'll help." She looked down at the liquid inside watching it slosh and remembering the water gushing out of the man's mouth outside. That was the stuff of nightmares. This liquid was a darker colour and her nose tweaked to the side recognising the smell of wine. She grimaced slightly and looked up at Shakespeare who was observing her.
"I don't think it will." She said in a low voice as she blinked back tears. "I feel sick."
"Then perhaps you should lie down and rest your delicate disposition." Shakespeare smiled down at her. She was rather delicate, wasn't she? She thought to herself. Recalling how Martha had marched through the crowd and taken-action. And what had she done? Frozen in horror. That didn't make her good companion material. But she didn't want to change who she was, she couldn't just shrug off death. She remembered an episode with Rose and the Doctor laughing after people had been killed by a werewolf, she couldn't see how that measured up to being a great relationship. But she didn't have Martha's skills that could help in that sort of situation. How could she be useful, what could she do? What was her contribution?
Her stomach rolled, and she gave Shakespeare a nod. "That'll probably be best."
"I'll instruct Dolly to prepare a room." Shakespeare left and she sat there in silence, shoving the cup of wine away from her. Yes, perhaps she did want to just go curl up in a bed now.
"Marlene?" She heard Martha say, she looked up to see her walking through the door. "Are you okay?" Martha hurried forwards and pressed the back of her palm against her forehead.
"No." She muttered, wondering why the woman was checking her temperature. Did she look as sick as she felt?
"What's wrong?" Martha stared down at her concerned, a gentle look falling across her face. Martha's pretty brown eyes twinkled down at her. She was drawn to the genuine care Martha showed her and couldn't help but answer honestly.
"I'm not used to seeing death." She swallowed and looked away, her arms wrapped around her middle. "First your boss at the hospital and now that man." She shook her head.
"Oh." Martha patted her shoulder, and she drew comfort from the gesture.
"What happened?" She looked up to see the Doctor frowning at the two of them, his eyes glued onto her slumped form. Before she could answer Shakespeare and the older woman from before, who must have been Dolly entered the room.
"I got you a room, Sir Doctor." Dolly turned to the Doctor and spoke only to him. She didn't bother looking up from the table as she hugged herself. "You, Miss Jones and Miss Huntington are just across the landing."
"Thank you." She spoke up, drawing the older woman's attention to her. She received a nod in return.
"Poor Lynley." Shakespeare sighed as Dolly left the room. "So many strange events." She swallowed realising he was talking about more than just the man's death. "Not least of all, this land of Freedonia where a woman can be a doctor?"
"Where a woman can do what she likes." Martha answered defiantly.
"And you, Sir Doctor." She heard Shakespeare shuffle in his seat. "How can a man so young have eyes so old?" Shakespeare's eyes narrowed on the Doctor.
"I do a lot of reading." She looked up to see the Doctor shrug off the question unconcerned to Shakespeare's insight.
"A trite reply." Shakespeare smiled. "Yeah, that's what I'd do." He nodded before looking back at Martha. "And you? You look at him like you're surprised he exists. He's as much of a puzzle to you as he is to me." Shakespeare wondered looking between the two.
"I think we should say goodnight." Martha eyes flickered to the side and hastily made her way out of the room in the direction Dolly had pointed in.
"I must work." Shakespeare's eyes dimmed looking away at Martha's departure. "I have a play to complete. But I'll get my answers tomorrow, Doctor." He smirked at the other man. "And I'll discover more about you and why this constant performance of yours."
"All the world's a stage." The Doctor's eyebrows rose as he walked over to the door.
"Hmm… I might use that." Shakespeare nodded in thought. "Goodnight, Doctor." Shakespeare surveyed him before turning in her direction and lifting her hand up to his lips and giving it a kiss. She blinked at his in surprise, warmth flooding her cheeks. No one had ever done that before. "And to you as well lovely Miss Marlene."
"Thank you, Mister Shakespeare." She stood up from her seat with her cheeks still blushing.
"It's William to you my dear." He bowed at the waist. A pang rang through her at her brother's name, make her smile fall. Will. What was he doing right now? "It is my pleasure to help a lady in need."
"Nighty night, Shakespeare." The Doctor spoke up, she looked at him realising he was still by the doorway.
She turned to look back at William Shakespeare and gave him a smile. "Sleep well." She quickly said before turning away and falling the Doctor out of the room. The door closed behind her and she followed the Doctor along the hallway. They went down the hallway until they reached an open door.
The entered a room to find Martha inside holding a lit candle next to a cupboard with her jacket now off. "It's not exactly five star, is it?" Martha lips tugged up at the sides as she looked around. It wasn't as grand looking as Shakespeare's room had been. Though there was a pretty tapestry hanging above the bed.
"It might be for this era." She shrugged going over to the bed and taking off her cardigan and putting over the bench underneath the window. She slipped her feet out of her shoes and flipped open the covers.
"Oh, it'll do." The Doctor said unconcerned. "I've seen worse." He shut the door behind himself.
"Really?" She asked him before yawning, the Doctor hummed in confirmation as he looked around the room.
"I haven't even got a toothbrush." Martha complained looking around at the furniture.
"Oh, err…" She watched the Doctor shift through his pockets and brought one out. "Contains Venusian spearmint." She raised her eyebrows impressed wondering what else he kept in them.
"Have you got another?" She asked him, he searched again and held it out to her. "Thank you." She tucked it into her cardigan pocket to use in the morning before slipping in the middle of the bed.
"So, who's going where?" Martha looked at the bed she was snuggling down into. Her eyes drew heavy as she got comfy. "I mean, there's only one bed."
"Sorry." She muttered, feeling drowsy.
"We'll managed." He shrugged off. "Come on." She turned onto her side away from the Doctor as he flopped onto the bed beside her.
"So… magic and stuff." Martha spoke up in the silence, her eyes fluttered close. She wondered why Martha hadn't used the tooth brush. She herself had brushed her teeth back at Sarah Jane's so there was no need to use it till the morning. "That's a surprise. It's all a little bit Harry Potter."
"Wait till you read book seven." The Doctor said with a grin. "Oh, I cried."
"I think everyone did." She yawned rubbing her face into the pillow. She had to force herself not to voice her disappointment in Fred, Tonks and Remus' deaths as that would be a spoiler for Martha.
"You've read it?" Martha asked.
"Uh huh."
"How?" Martha's voice was laced with disbelief.
"I'm from 2020." She answered with another yawn, her body curling up. No doubt while she was sleeping she'd end up spreading out like a starfish, it always happened when she wasn't sleeping in a single bed. Jen always companied when they shared a bed at their aunt's that she took up most of the space. These guys probably wouldn't take the warning seriously if she voiced it.
"Oh." Martha muttered. "I'm going to ask you more about that when you can keep your eyes open." She heard Martha breath out a laugh. "But is it real, though?" She heard Martha presumably asking the Doctor. "I mean, witches, black magic and all that, it's real?"
"Course it isn't!" The Doctor scoffed, she leaned her elbow back and hit him with it.
"Oi!" He nudged her back.
"Be kind." She reminded him, wondering when they were going to shut up.
"Well, how am I supposed to know?" Martha huffed. "I've only just started believing in time travel. Give me a break."
"Looks like witchcraft, but isn't." The Doctor sighed. "Can't be." The bed shifted as he leaned back. "Are you going to stand there all night?"
"Are you going to take your shoes off?" She asked him.
"If I must." He huffed and the bed shifted and she heard the thuds of the shoes landing on the floor.
She heard something cluttering and something else thud to the floor. Hopefully Martha's shoes. "Budge up a bit, then." The mattress sunk as Martha climbed in and she shifted away. "Sorry, there's not much room. Us three here, same bed. Tongues will wag!" Martha nudged her, she moved away from the poking finger and bumped into the Doctor.
She let out a laugh. "They'll think he's got lots of game." She snickered amused as Martha sunk down next to her. Martha let out a breathy laugh as she shifted the covers up over them.
"There's such a thing as psychic energy, but a human couldn't channel it like that." The Doctor mumbled. "Not without a generator the size of Tauton and I think we'd have spotted that. Nah…" She felt him shift down onto the pillows and the bed creaked. She felt a breeze against the back of her neck and she was reminded that her hair was still up in plaits.
"It's probably not human. Widen your mind." She told him, trying to get to sleep.
"Hmm… yes. But there's something I'm missing. Martha. Lena. Something really close, staring me right in the face and I can't see it." The Doctor rambled on.
"You will in the morning." She waved him off as her face rubbed against the fabric of the pillow.
"Perhaps. Rose'd know… a friend of mine, Rose. Right now, she'd say exactly the right thing." He continued. "Still, can't be helped. You're a novice, never mind."
"Rude." She muttered as he droned on.
"I'll take you back home tomorrow." He continued on, ignoring her remark. He shifted behind her making the bed creak again.
"Ugh…" She moaned unable to tune him out yet. "Just think of all the aliens who could be linked to the idea of magic."
"Hmm…" He let out a sound of consideration.
"Great." Martha let out a sigh and the light from behind her eyelids went out.
~ oOo ~
Author Note: First off, I'm really sorry this chapter was late, I was super busy and this chapter took a long time to complete to a place I was happy to post it. Also, there was a number of days I just didn't feel like writing. Did you like it? The beginning part ran away from me and just kept on extending on and on, haha. This is my longest chapter to date, so I hope that makes up for the lateness. Anyway, I really hope you enjoyed the start of this episode! Thank you to Frostspiderman and zoey-the-catgirl for reviewing the last chapter! And for all the new people liking and following this story, I really appreciate it :D
I'm going to be changing the upload day to Tuesday since I'm having a bit of trouble now uploading on Mondays since I've been working during the weekend and then spending most of Monday rushing to finish the chapter off. Also, next Monday I'll be returning to my placement. (I was meant to post this yesterday but I ended up injuring my feet). So, the next chapter will come out on Tuesday instead from now on.