Chapter Eight: Once more.
Series: Three.
Episode: Three - Gridlock.
Part: One.

Martha and Rose clung to the railings still shaken from their sudden violent departure from Elizabethan London.

"Right then," The Doctor spoke up unperturbed by the rough landing. "Rose Tyler. Off to the medbay with you."

"What on Earth for?" Rose asked, still panting from their recent escape from trouble.

Martha looked similarly perplexed but also seemed to be more concerned with righting her breathing.

"We have no idea what affect the Carrionite's power has on time travellers, even they seemed unsure. You were out for at least half an hour, whereas Martha woke up less than ten minutes later."

Rose went cold from head to toe. She hated the medbay, even more so lately after having spent weeks getting near-constant check ups in there and then almost dying in a hospital. The Doctor was very aware of her less than favorable opinion of the medbay and had to wrestle with her every time, their stubborn streaks were frequently too well matched. And it did happen often, what with her being so jeopardy friendly. He had resigned himself to just patching her up with the sonic for minor injuries but his protectiveness won out over her stubbornness for bigger injuries.

"I don't even understand what happene- wait a minute, they got Martha? How?"

"Some weird witchy poetry to do with your name." Martha answered, waving her off, as if it were no big deal.

Rose really wished she hadn't just waved it off because in doing so, Rose lost any chance at distracting the Doctor from his desire to drag her off to the medbay for a battery of tests and scans.

Rose had just opened her mouth to begin her second rebuttal when Martha stepped in once more. And she decided right then and there that she'd been right, having two geniuses on board was definitely going to drive her mad.

"The Doctor's right, the Carrionites were banished for a reason, we shouldn't just assume that everything's fine. And you did seem to be out for much longer than anyone else. No harm in being sure."

Rose glared at her half-heartedly, the young doctor didn't sound half as convincing as she'd probably intended as she gave a wan smile and shifted uncomfortably on the spot. Likely having realised that the last place Rose wanted to be was in the medbay.

Taking a deep breath in an attempt to calm her unnecessary rage - she really did have her mother's temper after all - she tried a different tactic.

"I really am fine, I just need something to eat and a proper night's sleep."

"Yes well, insomnia might be a side effect of the Carrionite's psychic energy."

Logically the Doctor's reasoning sounded completely rational, the only downfall being that Rose knew that it wasn't completely true. She knew it wasn't the force of the psychic attack that left her vulnerable but rather whatever mods the ship had made to her that made her so susceptible. The TARDIS herself had seemed particularly queasy around the Carrionites, it was only logical that it would impact Rose too now.

Obviously she couldn't tell him that, wouldn't even know where to begin even if the TARDIS hadn't warned her against it. It wasn't like she didn't want to either, in those three weeks after meeting Donna she had tried to tell him but every time she'd tried she'd been overcome by a dizzy spell and found that she'd forgotten the information entirely until hours later. The TARDIS' less than subtle attempt at making sure her words were followed.

"Or, the more probable explanation being, Elizabethan mattresses and their lack of comfort. Besides Martha slept fine so it can't be related."

"Psychic energy affects people differently."

And there was the out she'd been looking for, if psychic energy affected people differently then it stood to reason that the Doctor had no need to be so concerned by the amount of time it had taken her to awaken after all.

"Well then I really don't see why we need to worry. I'm just hungry, if I suddenly feel worse I'll let you know. Can we eat now?"

The Doctor sighed deeply as if incredibly inconvenienced by the whole thing but seemed to concede for the time being. That was easier than she expected.


Half an hour or so later they found themselves sat down in the kitchen enjoying a stir fry with some kind of alien meat - that vaguely resembled chicken in texture - that the Doctor had prepared. Rose had attempted to help but all of her attempts had been thwarted by the Timelord who insisted that she at least sit down for his peace of mind if she was going to be stubborn and refuse scans. She'd ignored that advice as well and had gone to 'wash the Elizabethan out of her hair'.

Martha was still a little uncomfortable if she was being honest. The two of them were so often lost in their own little world in which no one else existed aside from themselves. That Martha could deal with, she'd spent plenty of time around couples who acted the same. But Rose's odd behaviour and hostile glare had left right back where she'd been when they'd first left the TARDIS several days ago. Questioning her place on the ship or at least questioning whether or not the blonde actually wanted her there.

Said train of thought was difficult to hold on to when Rose seemed to be trying to make up for her earlier attitude with pleasant mealtime chatter.

But with Martha still a little on edge and the Doctor still concerned that something terrible was going to befall Rose, she received little response.

Rose sighed in defeat as she let her fork clatter to her now empty plate.

"Fine, lets go run those stupid scans, if only to stop you moping." She said in frustration as she stood with her plate.

"Timelords don't mope." The Doctor automatically rebutted, sounding offended, but he looked to be in better spirits than he had since stepping back on to the ship.

"I'll have to take your word for it."

The Doctor was eager to head straight to the medbay, seeing no reason to delay now that Rose had agreed. But Rose had simply glared at him and told him that he wasn't going to get out of doing the dishes, and he better not even think of leaving them to Martha.

The medical student in question looked a little uncomfortable at being used as an excuse in their bickering. And briefly wondered how often people got caught up in the storm between the two of them.

The second the dishes were done the Doctor grabbed Rose's hand and all but dragged her from the room. Rose shouted something back over her shoulder about Martha taking a wander, though she couldn't be entirely sure.

Rose hopped onto the exam table with practised ease, she really had spent too much of her time in here. She lay down as the Doctor dragged one of the futuristic scanners over that she'd never bothered to learn the name of. She was sure that would change in the near future considering the profession of their newest companion.

The Doctor ran the scanner along her body from head to toe. Once that was done, she sat swiftly back up, swinging her legs back over the side of the table and began rolling her sleeve up. She may hate the medbay but she had become uncomfortably familiar with the routine.

Blood taken they waited on the results. A process that took significantly less time with the TARDIS' advanced equipment.

Uncomfortable with being back in the medbay and feeling more than a little guilty with her earlier behaviour towards Martha, she decided to ask something that'd been playing on her mind.

"So." She started awkwardly.

"So?" The Doctor asked amusedly, as he spun away from the monitor that would display the results to face her, with a raised eyebrow and a crooked grin.

Rose dropped her gaze to her swinging feet as she spoke.

"Not quite the 'thank you' trip I was expecting. She's going to think trouble is all our lives are."

Rose heard the Doctor shift in his chair, the leather squeaking as he did so, but she didn't raise her gaze from the floor just yet.

"Rose you just lost your mother, do you really think it's wise to bring someone else along so soon."

"Would have asked Donna if I wasn't unconscious." The Doctor snorted and muttered something that sounded distinctly like 'jeopardy friendly', Rose chose to ignore it, this time. "And I'm not saying she should come with us full time, it is your ship and it would ultimately be her choice. But she did save your life at the hospital and then again with the Carrionites, you can't deny she did brilliantly. Just think she deserves at least one more chance at a proper thank you trip." Rose finished quietly.

She knew she was playing with fire here. She knew too much about the timelines, she could end up putting them in danger, especially if she continued to meddle. But part of her felt that she owed it to Martha. Martha had been there for the Doctor when Rose couldn't be, and she knew how rubbish the Doctor could be on his own, not that he always made travelling with him easy either. And while that timeline technically never existed, simply knowing it had, made Rose feel indebted and grateful to the young woman in a way she'd never be able to express.

But if this was going to happen at all, it had to be on the Doctor's terms. This was his ship, his home, it was his choice who should get to stay. And her track record wasn't the best. She had after all asked the Doctor to bring Adam along, who then went on to put them all in danger as well as almost altering time dramatically.

If he decided against it she wouldn't push it. It had only been recently that she'd lost her mum - the only constant in her life for the last twenty years - and Mickey before that, but maybe having someone else on board could be just the distraction she needed.

The Doctor hummed quietly as he spun his chair slightly. Rose peeked up at him from beneath her lashes. He opened his mouth to respond when the monitor beeped, notifying them that the results were ready. He stood from his chair, slipping on his glasses, to read them.

From behind him, all Rose could see was the slight droop in his shoulders. Whether that was good news or not she couldn't quite tell.

"Okay," The Doctor spun around to face her, leaning back against the counter, arms crossed and specs still in place as he spoke. "One more trip for Miss Martha Jones. Your results are all clear and if you're sure this is a good idea, I don't see why not. She was brilliant."

Rose knew that had the circumstances been different the Doctor would have taken Martha along with no questions. But Canary Wharf had left its mark on both of them.

But that knowledge didn't stop the grin that slowly blossomed across her lips. An identical smile spread across the Doctor's face in reaction to her own, like a delayed reflection. She leapt from the examination table and into his arms, unstabling him slightly leading him to take a step back to regain balance. He caught her as easily as ever, lifting her from the floor with the extra height he had on her. Her delighted laugh was echoed back in her own ear.

"Thank you." She muttered into his shoulder.

He gently lowered her back to the floor.

"Well," He grinned, dragging the word out. "Your wish is my command." He cleared his throat, his smile diminishing slightly as it usually did when he thought of the man he used to be, Rose's heart broke a little for him in those moments. "You go find Miss Martha Jones, and I'll decide on a destination."

"Yes Sarge." She said snapping off a salute, trying to regain some of that teasing air from before, the weak crooked smile was better but still evidence that she hadn't entirely succeeded.

She slipped from the medbay down the corridors of the TARDIS, pulling open doors at random in search of Martha. She was beginning to wonder if perhaps the young doctor hadn't ventured further than the kitchen, when she happened upon the empty galley, shrugging, she continued her search.

She finally found her in a sparsely furnished room with projections of far off galaxies in place of a ceiling. The floor was soft and padded, perfect for stargazing on. Stepping into the room, she silently took a seat next to the sprawled out Martha.

"The Doctor's gone to pick our next destination, told me to come and find ya. Glad I did, never seen this room before." She spoke softly so as not to startle her.

Martha looked at her curiously for a moment before nodding. She started shifting as she made to stand when Rose laid a hand on her arm ceasing her movements.

"I'm sorry abou' earlier. Shouldn't 'ave treated ya like that. It's nothing personal, got my mum's temper not that that's any excuse, I just hate hospitals and I'm not used to there being another person around when me and the Doctor argue about it. I overreacted, I'm sorry."

She nodded silently once more.

Rose stood with a sigh, she didn't think an apology was going to fix everything she'd treated the girl far too harshly for someone she barely knew, but she'd always been a bit of an optimist.

"Hope that means you don't hate me?" Martha teased softly.

Rose turned back around to her with furrowed brows.

"Huh?"

"You said you hate hospitals, does that extend to doctors too? Or medical students even."

Rose chuckled lightly, shaking her head as she stared at the floor. Bile rose in her throat as it often did when she thought of him.

"Nah, just bad experiences that led me to hospitals that's all." She rose her gaze from the floor, as a cheeky grin slid in place, "Make it a bit difficult travelling with him, if I did."

Martha laughed.

"Suppose it would. We should probably get going before he wonders where we've got to."

"Trust me has no problems coming to look for us if he runs out of patience. The amount of times he's dragged me from bed 'cause he couldn't wait to start the day." Rose confided as they made their way down the identical coral corridors.

"He didn't!"

"He does."

The Doctor was waiting for them when they finally made it to the console room, leant against the console with his back to them, supposedly deep in thought. Martha took a seat on the captain's chair, having learnt from the previous rough landings it would seem, Rose grabbed hold of the railings beside her. The sound of their footsteps must have notified the Doctor of their presence as he suddenly spun around.

"Just one trip. That's what I said. One trip in the TARDIS, and then home. Although I suppose we could stretch the definition. Take one trip into past, one trip into future. How do you fancy that?"

"No complaints from me." Martha beamed.

And finally that shadow that had lingered since the Doctor had first mentioned the medbay, lifted just a little bit. Her doubts just that little bit smaller.

"How about a different planet?"

An innocent enough suggestion, Rose had never imagined it could go quite so wrong.

"Can we go to yours?"

And there was that shadow again, this time settling over the Doctor as his previous excitement left him suddenly, Rose shifted awkwardly on her feet. She knew how the Doctor reacted to mentions of his home, and it wasn't always pleasant.

"Ah, there's plenty of other places." The Doctor dismissed easily as he shifted around the console to stay hidden.

Martha leapt up from the seat to follow after him, complacent in her excitement, Rose reached out to grab her as she passed to warn her against such questioning. But the fellow traveller skipped past with ease.

"Come on, though. I mean, planet of the Time Lords. That's got to be worth a look. What's it like?"

"Well, it's beautiful, yeah." He admitted bluntly, like even that was revealing too much.

Rose watched him with growing concern. It was too much too soon. She shouldn't have pushed him, and maybe she wouldn't have, had she known this would happen.

"Is it like, you know, outer space cities, all spires and stuff?"

"Martha." She finally spoke up, a warning clear in her tone.

The woman in question turned to face her with confusion, Rose shook her head, hoping she'd pick up her meaning and stop before she went too far.

"I suppose it is."

Despite Rose's warning Martha continued to push, emboldened by the Doctor's answer. Miming her next assumption as she walked in a small circle.

"Great big temples and cathedrals!"

"Yeah."

"Lots of planets in the sky?"

Rose bit at her thumbnail uncomfortably. The Doctor had come a long way from the trauma of the Timewar, but she wasn't an idiot, she would never know how deep those scars ran but she could imagine. It was obvious not all of his scars were fully healed, many still openly bled. She didn't want to know how many more would after this reminder.

"The sky's a burnt orange, with the Citadel enclosed in a mighty glass dome, shining under the twin suns. Beyond that, the mountains go on forever. Slopes of deep red grass, capped with snow."

Rose rarely heard the Doctor speak of Gallifrey so openly, especially not in this body, so she could understand the reverence in Martha's voice when she next spoke. The Doctor had a way of speaking about his home that demanded awe and respect.

"Can we go there?"

The awe was shattered by the Doctor's frantic movements and distracting rambling, which was obviously the purpose of such behaviour.

"Nah. Where's the fun for me? I don't want to go home. Instead, this is much better. Year five billion and fifty-three, planet New Earth. Second hope of mankind. Fifty thousand light years from your old world, and we're slap bang in the middle of New New York. Although, technically it's the fifteenth New York from the original, so it's New New New New New New New New New New New New New New York. One of the most dazzling cities ever built."

The Doctor pulled on his coat as he spoke a mile a minute while dashing down the ramp with Martha close on his tail.

Rose followed after them at a more leisurely pace, not because she wasn't excited to see how New New York had changed since their last visit. But the last couple of days had left her off kilter, she hadn't thought much of it when she'd asked the Doctor to consider bringing Martha along for once more, had barely considered it when her conversation with Martha had reminded her of Jimmy it was only as Martha pressed for more about Gallifrey that it really hit that maybe she wasn't ready. Add that on to the sudden change in pitch in the TARDIS' hum and it was safe to say she was a little wary. So much so that she couldn't find it in her to laugh at the familiar joke. The familiar destination did little sooth her nerves, it seemed that the Doctor really did know her better than she knew herself.

But another part of her, the newer part, told her she had to. The foreknowledge she had of the timelines was dangerous and she couldn't risk them falling apart, she'd seen how that could end after all, with her father. It wouldn't be easy but she could get through this.

She grabbed the black hooded coat that had appeared on the coat stand beside the door as the Doctor yanked out the arrow impaled in the TARDIS' door. She cast one last cautious look back at the rotor before stepping out into the rain with the other.

"Oh, that's nice. Time Lord version of dazzling." Martha complained, as she zipped up her jacket in a futile attempt to ward off the rain and wind.

"Nah, bit of rain never hurt anyone. Come on, let's get under cover!"

The three of them dashed through the pouring rain to an overhead shelter as Martha continued to complain about the weather. Not that Rose could blame her, they got enough rain back home, it wasn't anything spectacular. And she had just ended up on the moon due to a particularly troublesome downpour.

"Well, it looks like the same old Earth to me, on a Wednesday afternoon."

"Hold on, hold on. Let's have a look."

They'd managed to find both shelter and an information outlet, a good sign in Rose's books. A quick scan with the sonic produced a fuzzy picture that refused to clear, until the Doctor pounded on the unit with his fist.

A woman appeared on the screen in business attire that wouldn't have looked out of place on a newsreader back home, which was fitting as she seemed to be giving some kind of traffic report.

"And the driving should be clear and easy, with fifteen extra lanes open for the New New Jersey expressway."

The picture changed to the view of New Earth Manhattan and the flying cars that they'd seen last time.

"Oh, that's more like it. That's the view we had last time."

"Not that we saw much of it mind, spent most of our time in that damned hospital." Rose said bitterly, "So where are we this time, Doctor?"

"This must be the lower levels, down in the base of the tower. Some sort of under-city."

"You've brought me to the slums?" Martha asked incredulously, still staring at the image of the upper levels.

"Much more interesting."

Rose scoffed, "If you say so."

"It's all cocktails and glitter up there. This is the real city." The Doctor defended.

"You'd enjoy anything." Martha remarked.

Rose chuckled slightly from the Doctor's other side. Yeah, that sounded about right. Not that the same often couldn't be said for her too, she had been rather excited about encountering a werewolf, the fear that should have been present, absent after all.

"That's me. Ah, the rain's stopping. Better and better."

They stepped out from under the shelter when Martha asked a question that had been playing at the back of her mind since they landed, but she hadn't given much thought to.

"So how come you're taking me to the same planets that you took Rose?" It was an innocent enough question, but Rose could read the underlying hurt in her words.

"Well, promised you a thank you trip and I thought Rose could use some cheering up." The Doctor answered easily, unaware of how dismissive it came across to the humans.

Rose rubbed at her brow in frustration, god he was such an idiot sometimes. She appreciated the gesture, this was the first place they visited after he'd regenerated so it would always hold a special place in her heart, but this trip was supposed to be for Martha.

"I'm fine, I don't need any cheering up." Rose said, nudging his shoulder with a mock glare, as Martha watched on in confusion. "If you wanted to show me the slums, coulda taken me back home. Bit dreary for a thank you trip." She teased.

The Doctor returned her glare when she dismissed her pain once again. God she was going to have to be more careful if she wanted to leave the TARDIS again anytime soon. She gave him a tongue in cheek grin, and his posture softened slightly, but it seemed she'd likely be hearing about this again later. He turned to give the stalls surrounding them a better look.

"Cheering up? What's he mean, what happened?" Martha asked a touch concerned, pulling Rose back from her thoughts on how to convince the Doctor she really was okay.

"It's nothin'." She dismissed with a wave. "He's just worrying over nothing."

He shot another glare at her over his shoulder, and with a roll of her eyes she sidled up beside him and took his hand in hers. Leaning on his shoulder ever so slightly, as a permanent reminder that she was fine and wasn't going anywhere anytime soon.

Suddenly the lids of one of the green containers surrounding them burst open causing Rose to jump backwards slightly. The Doctor smirked down at her in amusement. She nudged him with the arm locked in his in retaliation. No further retribution could be given though as they were distracted by the voices of newcomers.

"Oh! You should have said. How long you been there? Happy. You want Happy." A rather jubilant man asked in a grubby white jacket behind a matching grubby counter, Rose absently wondered if he'd been sampling his own goods, whatever this 'happy' was.

More hatches on more containers opened, revealing two women behind them, which the trio of travellers spun around to face.

"Customers. Customers! We've got customers!" Bellowed the first woman.

"We're in business. Mother, open up the Mellow, and the Read." Crowed the second.

The first bloke tried to grab their attention again, "Happy, Happy, lovely happy Happy!"

"Anger. Buy some Anger!" The first woman spoke up again, shaking a small packet with a small plastic patch in it.

What the bloody hell was going on, Rose thought to herself, a difficult feat with all the yelling going on.

"Get some Mellow. Makes you feel all bendy and soft all day long." The third person spoke, miming her words.

"Don't go to them. They'll rip you off. Do you want some happy?" The first spoke up again.

"No, thanks." The Doctor declined with an unimpressed glare.

"Are they selling drugs?" Martha asked tone a mixture of intrigued and disgusted.

"I think they're selling moods." The Doctor corrected.

"Well at least we know one more thing that they were using human guinea pigs for." Rose said absently.

Personally she didn't think it was necessarily a bad thing - minus the human experimentation - she'd seen first hand on the estates how untreated mental health could ruin lives. Not having the time or money to seek treatment often lead to trying to cope through the use of drugs and alcohol which only lead to addiction and therein lies ruin. Perhaps this was a combative measure against mental health issues, though she didn't doubt that people also abused their use just like back home.

"Human ginnea pi-" Martha started to question, but it was lost in the sudden cacophony of the vendors all trying to gain the new arrival's attention simultaneously.

The young woman was pale, frail and drawn. Her overworn clothes hung from her slight frame. Similarly overwhelmed by the cacophony she headed to the second woman who spoke in gentle encouraging tones rather than the boisterous calls of her fellow vendors

"Come over here, yeah. And what can I get you, my love?"

"I want to buy Forget."

"I've got Forget, my darling. What strength? How much do you want forgetting?" Asked the pharmacist.

"It's my mother and father. They went on the motorway."

Rose's brow furrowed in confusion at the reply, since when did parents going on a roadtrip require mood altering drugs. The Doctor and Martha looked similarly perplexed. But it seemed the vendor knew exactly what she was referring to with her vague statement.

"Oh, that's a swine. Try this. Forget Forty three. That's two credits."

The trio slowly edged their way closer to the distraught woman. Curious as to her predicament.

"Sorry, but hold on a minute. What happened to your parents?" The Doctor asked, causing her to falter in her application of the mood altering sticker.

"They drove off." She answered simply, as if that explained everything.

And maybe it did to the people of this world, but it meant nothing to them. Rose began to wonder just what exactly had happened here since their last visit.

"Yeah, but they might drive back." The Doctor tried to reason.

"Everyone goes to the motorway in the end. I've lost them."

Rose could sense that they were losing the woman, her grief too palatable to distract her from her task. And on some level Rose could relate, but they were unlikely to get answers much more personal than this. Couldn't get much closer to the domestic approach than this.

"Why? What's on the motorway?" Rose interjected gently.

"Escape." She answered simply at first, as if that was all the explanation they needed, and in a way it was. "Look around you. There is nothing here, nothing worth staying for." Her voice broke at the end.

Rose's heart broke for her. Her parents were gone and apparently for good, and by the sounds of it they hadn't even considered their daughter. Grief and loss filled her big, blue, watery, eyes.

"But they can't have gone far. You could find them." The Doctor tried to reason as her lips trembled and with a slight shake of her head she placed the tab on her neck, victim to her pain and loss no more. "No. No, no, don't."

"I'm sorry, what were you saying?" Her face took on a glazed appearance as cheer bled into her words.

They'd lost her. And part of Rose envied her, that she had the option to not be hurt by her losses anymore, an option Rose did not have and would likely not take even if she did. Yes, losing her mum and Mickey hurt, but the hurt reminded her of just how important they were to her and she would not disservice them by forgetting them.

"Your parents. Your mother and father. They're on the motorway." The Doctor reminded her, trying to bring her back to the conversation, holding on to hope that the drug couldn't possibly have acted that fast and they might yet get their answers.

Martha looked on in fascination and concern. Her eager mind hungering for knowledge even now. Hoping to understand even with no foreknowledge.

"Are they? That's nice. I'm sorry, I won't keep you."

Gone was the pain and any knowledge of what those words implicated. They might as well have asked a stranger from another planet for all that she now understood.

The woman staggered away in a daze, as the travellers looked on in shock. Martha looked a tad disgusted by the whole situation, Rose gathered she hadn't spent much time around those struggling with addiction and tried to quell the bitterness she felt at that thought. They'd lived very different lives on Earth but that was neither of their fault.

The Doctor looked strangely detached from it all even as Martha spoke, likely having experienced similar in the past or at least having knowledge of such events.

Rose watched after the woman, wanting to follow her, she wasn't in her right mind right now and from the sounds of it she had no one to look after her. But she felt there was much more going on here than just one woman. Maybe if she'd been less concerned with the fate of one stranger, she could have helped a new friend.

"So that's the human race five billion years in the future. Off their heads on chemicals." Disgust dripping from her words.

Any further contemption was cut off by her scream. The two of them whirled round to find Martha held against her will by two people. A man pointing a gun at Martha's temple while the other woman pointed her gun at the two of them.

The surrounding stalls closed their hatches simultaneously, willing to drug a vulnerable woman for money, but not willing to risk helping an innocent bystander. An attitude all too familiar from back home on the Estates, Rose mused bitterly.

"I'm sorry, I'm really, really sorry. We just need three, that's all." The man holding Martha blabbered.

"No, let her go! I'm warning you, let her go! Whatever you want, I can help. Both of us, we can help. But first you've got to let her go." The Doctor roared, the rage often kept so well hidden, now so close to the surface with their companion in danger.

"I'm sorry. I'm really sorry. Sorry." The woman still pointing a gun at them trembled, as they edged backwards with Martha.

The door slammed shut in front of them, with Martha and her kidnappers on the other side. The panic on the Doctor's face belayed his fears and mirrored Rose's own as they lunged for the door.

Rose shook the handle, her panic surmounting as it held fast, Martha's screams becoming more and more distant with every second.

"Doctor, sonic!"

"I know!" The Doctor answered as they switched places, the door finally releasing.

Heart pounding in her chest, they ran down the dark, cluttered alley that separated them from Martha. They took turns seemingly at random, but with so much on the line, Rose didn't bother questioning the Doctor. She wasn't sure she'd even be able to speak past her panic at the current moment.

They'd burst through a door at the end of another cluttered corridor just in time to see the car housing Martha take off. That last little bit of hope that Rose hadn't realised she'd allowed to bloom, disappearing with it as her heart stuttered in her chest.

"Martha!" The Doctor screamed after them.


Unwilling to be defeated, they marched back to the alley they'd first found themselves in with the pharmaceutical stalls. The Doctor pounded on the hatch of the one closest, revealing the beaming woman who'd served the grieving girl.

"Thought you'd come back. Do you want some happy happy?"

Rose resisted the urge to punch her right in her beaming face. They'd stood by while their friend was taken and now had the audacity to suggest they forget her in a drug induced haze.

Not to be swayed, the Doctor demanded, "Those people, who were they? Where did they take her?"

"They've taken her to the motorway." The first bloke answered simply, his statement holding no weight or emotion to it.

"Looked like carjackers to me." The beaming pharmacist informed them with faux sympathy.

Wonder if any of their emotions are genuine, Rose thought nastily before she could help herself.

"I'd give up now, darling. You won't see her again." The second woman added.

The unhelpful comments did nothing to abate either of their anger.

"Used to be thriving, this place. You couldn't move. But they all go to the motorway in the end." The bloke said wistfully, echoing the grieving woman's statement from earlier.

"He kept on saying three, we need three. What did he mean, three?" The Doctor asked, determined to get his answers and not be distracted by their chatter.

The unnervingly joyful one informed them, "It's the car-sharing policy, to save fuel. You get special access if you're carrying three adults."

"This motorway. How do I get there?"

"Straight down the alley, keep going to the end. You canna miss it." The Doctor started towards the TARDIS, when she spoke up again. "Tell you what. How about some happy happy? Then you'll be smiling, my love."

"Word of advice, all of you. Cash up, close down and pack your bags." The edge of the Oncoming Storm bleeding into his command.

"Why's that, then?" She asked oblivious to the Doctor's rage.

"Because as soon as I've found her, alive and well. And I will find her alive and well. Then I'm coming back, and this street is closing, tonight!"


It was rare these days that Rose found herself unnerved by the Doctor's bursts of anger. She'd seen them often enough and they rarely occurred without provocation, especially in this regeneration. Today was not one of those times. Perhaps if she hadn't been so swept up in her own anger and blame she would have questioned the Doctor's reaction to the pharmacists, but right now she couldn't find it in her to care.

They made their way back to the TARDIS largely in silence, with the Doctor leading the way. Rose was usually fine to let it lay, but Martha had been kidnapped and at present the only person she could find to blame - aside from the carjackers - was Rose herself. Martha might have been safely at home if it wasn't for her, and because of that she had to know what the Doctor was planning.

"So we using the TARDIS to locate her then?" She asked, because she hadn't forgotten that the Doctor had asked for directions to the motorway, so their current course had left her in a state of confusion.

"No." Rose stilled several paces away from the TARDIS, certain she wasn't about to like where this was going. "You're going to stay on the TARDIS while I get her back."

"You're daft if you think I'm staying here, she's only gone because I asked you to bring her." Rose argued.

The Doctor swung round to face her, the storm in his eyes abating only slightly to reveal his fear. Rose didn't feel so confident in her argument anymore.

"I will not risk losing you too. I should have checked before bringing you both, it's not your fault, it's mine and I won't lose you too especially after-" He cut himself off suddenly, unable to look into her eyes.

She knew him well enough to know he hated any signs of vulnerability and that he felt he'd shown too much already. She also knew him well enough to know that his thoughts had turned back to her mum. Rose knew on some level he felt responsible for her loss, he had been the one to bring her to Torchwood to begin with, too lost in his excitement to notice Jackie was on board.

The fight left her, leaving only guilt in its place. She hadn't thought much about how he must be reacting, not since their trip to Krevaar and she suddenly felt incredibly selfish. He'd brought Martha along to appease her because he believed it would help with her grief but she hadn't given the time to think about him in return.

Overcome by her guilt, she nodded. Trying not to show much of her internal conflict on her face.

"Okay, I'll stay." At her agreeance the Doctor's shoulders sagged with relief. "But be careful, can't promise I'll wait longer than five and half hours." She teased, in a weak attempt at humour.

The Doctor rewarded her efforts with a weak smile of his own.

"I'll try not to take that long, this time."

"Good." She nodded, some of her confidence returning now. "Go and bring her back safe."

They switched places, with Rose closing the distance between her and the TARDIS and the Doctor heading back the way they came. He looked back over his shoulder once more before they parted.

"See you later."

"Not if I see you first." She grinned.

His smile a little stronger now as he darted back towards the stalls to go and find their lost companion.

She sagged against the TARDIS with a sigh as she watched him disappear from sight. Giving herself a moment to collect herself she stared at her dreary surroundings and with a pang she realised it was almost indistinguishable from home. If she'd found herself wandering these streets at night, she was certain she wouldn't be able to tell the difference. As a tidal wave of grief threatened to consume her she finally turned her back on the cluttered streets and let herself into the TARDIS.

Safe within the TARDIS' walls, she let the tears that burned behind her eyelids finally fall. She staggered bleary eyed to the captain's chair, sinking down into it as her knees gave out. All the stress and grief that she'd been ignoring since meeting Donna finally came crashing down around her.

What the hell was she doing? She couldn't do this. She couldn't have this power or whatever the hell it was. And she certainly couldn't keep lying, she was certain she'd break under the weight of it all. She was no protector of timelines, no goddess of time. She couldn't do this!

But then she remembered her father. And all the destruction she'd wrought by selfishly saving him. She wouldn't let him down again. If that meant lying to the man that she- to the Doctor then she'd do it. She'd do what she had to, even if she didn't understand the TARDIS' reasoning. She'd hide her secrets from him. It was for his own good.


Martha was having the worst day. Though that was becoming increasingly relative the longer she spent with the Doctor, so far today, was topping the list. She'd been soaked, kidnapped, drugged, trapped on the slowest car in history, was currently being attacked by unseen creatures with no one to save her and she was pretty certain that she'd listened to someone's final moment. They were now driving in a state of hysteria as they fought to avoid the same fate. So yes, she was certain this qualified as having the worst day.

"Go faster!" Cheen shouted.

Martha didn't bother pointing out that speed had been of little use thus far, no matter how frustrated she felt by her inability to help.

"I'm at top speed!" Milo shouted back.

They weaved blindly through the exhaust fumes hoping the irregularity of their movements would help them dodge the creatures prevailing them. Milo tapped at the computer trying to make another request to get off of the fast lane.

"No access above." The monotoned voice of the computer informed them.

"But this is an emergency!" Milo shrieked.

Trying a different route, he attempted to call the police instead, only to be rebuffed by them too.

"Thank you for your call. You have been placed on hold."

Panic continued to rise as the inhabitants of the car were shaken about and desperation began to set in as their fate become increasingly clear. When Martha was suddenly hit with an idea. It was a long shot but at this precise moment in time, death seemed imminent anyway.

"Turn everything off." Martha demanded, in a tone much calmer than she felt.

"You've got to be joking." Milo questioned.

Frustration quickly replaced panic at having her suggestions so rudely dismissed.

"But listen, it's all fog out there, so how can they see us? Maybe it's the engines, the sound, or the heat, or the light. I don't know. Turn everything off. They might not be able to find us."

"What if you're wrong?"

"It can't be worse than this! Just do it!" Martha shouted, finally losing her temper.

Finally acquising, Milo began flicking switches and pushing buttons until they were plunged into darkness. And at last the noise from outside died down.

"They've stopped." Cheen noted.

Ever the pessimist, Milo pointed out. "Yeah, but they're still out there."

"How did you think of that?" Unwilling to dwell on that fact, Cheen asked.

Thankful that it'd worked, Martha explained. "I saw it on a film. They used to do it in submarines. The trouble is, I can't remember what they did next."

"Well, you'd better think of something, because we've lost the aircon. If we don't switch the engines back on, we won't be able to breathe." Milo informed them.

"How long have we got?"

"Eight minutes, maximum."

Time passed at a leisurely crawl as they sat silently in the dark, constantly aware that they were living on borrowed time. Uncomfortable with being inactive and feeling useless, Martha was inexplicably pleased when Cheen finally broke the silence that had settled over them.

"How much air's left?"

"Two minutes." Milo panted.

Feeling defeated already, Martha clung to her last shred of hope.

"There's always the Doctor. Those friends of mine. They might think of something."

"Martha, no one's coming." Milo informed her.

"He looked kind of nice." Cheen said, grateful for a distraction.

Uncertain how to describe the two travellers she settled on a vague answer. "He's a bit more than that."

"Are you and him…" Cheen left the question hanging.

And though they were perfect strangers, it was the first chance she'd had to vent to someone so she took it with grasping hands.

"No. Though him and Rose seem closer than they'd like to admit. Sometimes I'm not sure why they brought me but sometimes, I just think they need someone with them."

"I never even asked. Where's home?

"It's a long way away." An inadequate explanation but also the only one she could give. It suddenly hit her, that lost in the excitement of it all, she'd never really considered the fact that she'd ran away from home without any notice. "I didn't really think. I just followed the Doctor and Rose, and they don't even know where I am. My mum and dad. If I died here, they'd never know." The implications of her actions suddenly heavy on her shoulders.

"So, er, who are they, then, this Doctor and Rose?" Milo asked tentatively.

"I don't know. Well, not really. There's so much they never say."

"But that means that the only hope right now is a complete stranger. Well, that's no use." Cheen gasped, panic returning.

"It is, though, because you haven't seen the things they can do." Martha rushed to reassure them. "Honestly, just trust me, both of you. You've got your faith, you've got your songs and your hymns, and I've got the Doctor."

She may be milleniums away from home, but she knew she could count on the two of them to save her, of that she had no doubt.

"Right." Milo said determinedly, as he switched the car back on.

"Systems back online." The computer informed them.

"Good luck." Milo said, grasping Cheen's hand in his own.

"And you." Martha returned.

As the car started it's deadly dance through the fog once more.


Rose wasn't certain of how much time had passed, but the tears had long since stopped leaving only numbness and determination. She slowly stood for the captain's chair, knees weak from a prolonged period of sitting in an uncomfortable position. She staggered to the console, a plan slowly forming.

"Okay old girl, think you can take us to the Doctor?"

Whatever had led to her hearing the TARDIS' voice after losing her mum, was no longer working. The only response she received was another change in hum, this time sounding slightly angry or maybe even frustrated? It was difficult to distinguish but for now, Rose would assume it was a negative response.

"Oh come on, I can't just sit here and do nothing while Martha's in trouble. I know you said he can't know about it, and you've made sure of that but surely there's still something we can do. It's not as if I have a big yellow truck on hand this time." She'd been circling the console as she'd spoken, her hands kept in contact the whole time almost subconsciously, as she awaited an answer.

She'd been waiting for it this time, so the TARDIS' reply was easier to interpret. Well as easy as a hum was to understand. And though reluctant, it seemed as though the TARDIS agreed. As the TARDIS whired to life around her, she realised that without a pilot it was likely to be a bumpy ride and she should probably grab a hold of something.

And just as the thought entered her mind, the world went dark.


Rose opened her eyes to find herself laid on the grating of the TARDIS. Grunting quietly to herself, she slowly sat up feeling bruised and tender.

What the hell happened? She wondered to herself.

One moment she'd been determined to help and then… nothing. Just a big old blank space in her memory. Her brow furrowed in confusion, had she blacked out? Wobbling to her feet, she used the handrail to support herself as she yanked open the TARDIS door. She stumbled out of the door, looking back over her shoulder in bewilderment. She was pulled from her confusion by a voice.

"Rose!"

She whipped round to see Martha looking at her. Confusion was replaced by elation at seeing the woman alive and well.

"Martha!" She dived forward, wrapping the girl up in a hug. "Thought we lost you."

"It's good to see you too."

As they pulled back, they finally took note of their surroundings. Gone was the filth of the alley in it's place stood a prestigious building left in ruin and littered with decayed bodies.

"Is that…" Martha trailed off, not wanting to finish the thought.

"I think so."

"Doctor?" Martha whispered.

"Over here." The Doctor's voice echoed through the large chamber.

Unwilling to spend much longer surrounded by corpses the two women darted off in the direction of the voice. As they stepped into view the Doctor's face crumpled in confusion.

"Rose, what are you doing here?"

"Dunno. TARDIS just took off, thought it was another one of your emergency protocol things." Rose answered distractedly, her attention focused on the Face of Boe, lying on the floor in a bed of glass and wires from his tank.

"What happened out there?" Martha stopped suddenly at the sight of the Face of Boe. "What's that?"

"It's the Face of Boe. It's all right. Come and say hello. And this is Hame. She's a cat. Don't worry. He's the one that saved you, not me." The Doctor's voice was gentle as he spoke.

"My lord gave his life to save the city, and now he's dying." Hame said through unshed tears.

"Rosie." A voice whispered in Rose's mind leaving her frozen in shock at the greeting, she'd never spoken to the Face of Boe before, not really and there was only one person who'd ever called her that.

"No, don't say that. Not old Boe. Plenty of life left."

"It's good to breathe the air once more." The Face of Boe spoke verbally this time though it seemed to take a considerable amount of effort. "I've missed you, Rose."

"Who is he?" Martha asked from besides Hame.

Shaking off her shock at that nickname, Rose finally settled on the floor with the others besides the Doctor, today just kept getting weirder.

"I don't even know. Legend says the Face of Boe has lived for billions of years. Isn't that right? And you're not about to give up now."

"Everything has its time. You know that, old friend, better than most." The Face of Boe wheezed.

A chill ran up Rose's spine at the words. Who was the Face of Boe to call the Doctor 'old friend' and how did he know them? No one could tell by looking at the Doctor that he was hundreds of years old, so how did he know.

The TARDIS hummed quietly in the back of her mind, it took her a moment to realise that the TARDIS too, was mourning. That cemented it for Rose this wasn't just the loss of another life, this was the loss of a dear friend.

"The legend says more." Hame started.

"Don't. There's no need for that."

"It says that the Face of Boe will speak his final secret to a traveller." Novice Hame said pointedly at the Doctor.

"Yeah, but not yet. Who needs secrets, eh?"

The guilt that statement brought would be felt later, Rose knew. But right now, this moment was the Face of Boe's.

"I have seen so much. Perhaps too much. I am the last of my kind, as you are the last of yours, Doctor."

Something about those words rang untrue to Rose but she couldn't pinpoint what, the Face of Boe was dying, he had no reason to lie.

Martha's gaze flickered to the Doctor in confusion. Neither of the travellers denied Boe's claim.

"That's why we have to survive. Both of us. Don't go." The Doctor pleaded.

"I'm sorry we didn't get here sooner, but please don't go." Rose tried to project her words to the Face of Boe mentally just as he'd done, unsure as to whether it had worked.

"I must." He said in answer whether to just the Doctor or to Rose as well she wasn't certain. "You'll see me again soon, Rose." He spoke solely to Rose for a moment before continuing. "But know this, Time Lord. You are not alone." And with the utterance of his final secret the life left him.

Rose reached out a hand to stroke the side of his cheek, until the skin beneath her fingers grew cold. Novice Hame sobbed, as the Face of Boe's eyes closed for the last time. She could sense the tension in the Doctor besides her, could already tell his mind was working at a million miles an hour to determine the Face of Boe's possible meaning.

Martha rose to shaky feet, looking unnerved by his passing. The Doctor stood too, wrapping an arm around Martha's shoulders.


The Doctor popped back to the alley they'd first arrived in to ensure his order had been followed through with. On the trip over he'd explained that the city had gone under quarantine due to a virus mutating inside of a new mood patch. This had only sought to reaffirm the Doctor's belief that the business should be shut down and Martha was clearly in agreeance with him.

Rose's mind however, was stuck on the loss of the Face of Boe and his possible connection to them.

From scraps of cardboard, signs had been made to hang on the hatches that read: closed until further notice. The entire place was deserted, the only movement to be seen was plastic bags caught in the wind. It was all a tad depressing, a place that used to bustle with life was now empty and in ruin, the rest of the city was likely in a similar state. So while the Doctor and Martha celebrated the closure of the mood patch businesses, Rose silently grieved the losses the city had sustained.

"New New York can start again. And they've got Novice Hame. Just what every city needs. Cats in charge. Come on, time we were off."

Rose was all too glad to escape the somber attitude of New New York. And began heading back to the TARDIS with the Doctor when Martha spoke up.

"But what did he mean, the Face of Boe? You're not alone."

"I don't know."

"You've got me and Rose. Is that what he meant?"

"I don't think so. Sorry." The Doctor rejected with a careful smile.

"Then what?" Martha asked, crestfallen.

"Doesn't matter. Back to the TARDIS, off we go." The Doctor dismissed.

Rose was tired and more than a little emotionally drained, she didn't want to plead with Martha to leave it be once more, she prayed that she'd see that it was a losing battle on her own. Unfortunately, that train of thought came to a sudden halt at the sound of a chair scraping against the concrete.

"All right, are you staying?" The Doctor asked, confused by the sudden development.

"Till you talk to me properly, yes." Martha said adamantly, "He said last of your kind. What does that mean?"

"It really doesn't matter."

"You don't talk. You never say. Why not?"

A part of Rose just wanted this conversation to be over so they could return to the TARDIS, another part of Rose could relate to the frustration of getting non answers from the Doctor. She had had a similar moment when she first started travelling with the Doctor after all, but she'd begrudgingly accepted that the Doctor didn't like to talk about personal things over time.

"Fast falls the eventide."

"It's the city." Martha spoke awestruck at the song filling the air.

"The darkness deepens."

"They're singing."

"Lord, with me abide. When other helpers fail."

"It's beautiful." Rose commented quietly.

She looked over her shoulder at the Doctor when she realised he still hadn't spoken. Though he was still, Rose could almost see his internal conflict. Stepping closer, she took her hand in his, his shoulder's immediately sagging with a sigh.

"I lied to you, because I liked it. I could pretend. Just for a bit, I could imagine they were still alive, underneath a burnt orange sky. I'm not just a Time Lord. I'm the last of the Time Lords. The Face of Boe was wrong. There's no one else." The Doctor's words are careful and measured, none of his emotions bleeding in as he spoke.

Rose squeezed his hand in an attempt to comfort him. She couldn't bring his people back, she couldn't heal his suffering but for now she could offer this.

"What happened?" Asked Martha.

"Swift to its close ebbs out life's little day."

The Doctor pulled up a chair to sit with Martha as he explained, Rose followed suit, already knowing what was coming.

"There was a war. A Time War. The last Great Time War. My people fought a race called the Daleks, for the sake of all creation. And they lost. They lost. Everyone lost. They're all gone now. My family, my friends, even that sky." Gone was the carefully measured monotone, his voice betraying the tears he would not let fall. "Oh, you should have seen it, that old planet. The second sun would rise in the south, and the mountains would shine. The leaves on the trees were silver, and when they caught the light every morning, it looked like a forest on fire. When the autumn came, the breeze would blow through the branches like a song."

Beneath a foreign sky the Doctor spoke of his lost home with reverence as the people he saved, filled the air with song.

"The darkness deepens. Lord, with me abide."

A/N: So I know this episode was really short but I feel much better about this one than I did the last. I wanted to use the episode to explore the differences in character dynamic between Rose and Martha, cus I feel they're in a lot of ways polar opposites. If you're wondering why I kept it that Martha was the one kidnapped or why Rose didn't go with the Doctor as that would have made the adventure longer, I thought a lot about all the different ways this episode could have gone with the addition of Rose and felt that this one made the most sense given the situation. I could go on and on about why I chose to do each little thing but we'd be here all day. I wasn't originally going to include the scene with Martha and her carjackers but I wanted to use it to clear up the whole 'will Martha won't Martha have a crush on the Doctor' question and thought that was a good way to do it. Anyway, let me know your thoughts in the comments, what you liked, what you didn't, what you think I should change etc. See ya next chapter :)

Comments (from chapter 6 & 7):

Dreamcatcher56:
Glad you enjoyed the breakfast banter I had fun with that scene, don't worry plenty more of Martha's observations to come. In reference to the queen's comment: yes.

David-El:
Thank you for your input on the Doctor-Martha situation and I think I'm pretty much settled on that

DragonRose4:
Thank you! Rose will become a much more common feature later on but for now she'd still trying to find her feet in light of all the changes in her life