TWO

"Here we are," he said, very pleased, standing back from the console to do the buttons up on his brown jacket. She peered at the display, shaking her head.

"That's just symbols. Where are we?" she asked.

"You mean you can't read?" he teased, then lifted his foot to balance it on the edge of the console, tying his laces securely.

"Sorry. I only studied Earth languages at comprehensive school," she said tartly, making him grin.

"Well I can't help it if your school was short-sighted, can I?" he said ebulliently, letting his foot fall and turning away from the console, dragging his long coat from over the beam next to him, shaking it. "Keys?" he said to himself, then heard a slight noise and smiled, pulling on the coat. "Come on, then," he said cheerfully, already walking down toward the doors.

"Do you do this to everyone?" she demanded suddenly, and he stopped, looking back at her.

"Do what?" he asked, non-plussed.

"Do you treat everyone as if they don't matter?" she asked hotly. He sniffed, his cheerful smile fading quickly. He let his hands slide into his pockets, looking round the TARDIS slowly.

"We are everyone," he pointed out.

"What?" she asked flatly, folding her arms.

"Well there's only us two here. So, technically, we are everyone," he said patiently. She pouted. "What do you really mean to ask me?" he asked slowly.

"I just want… I just want to know where we are," she said, exasperated. "You just plough on like me telling you I couldn't read the monitor was my little joke! It's not fair! It's like I'm not really here, you just need something else in this big old crate to break the silence. Why don't you stick to that radio, you can't hurtits feelings!"

"Now you've hurt my feelings, Martha Jones," he said curiously, and she bit her lip. "There's only one person allowed to call this ship a 'crate', and he's not here," he added tersely. She watched him. He stared at her, but it seemed to be with curiosity. "Would you say I'm a callous person?" he asked suddenly.

She actually found herself thinking about it. "No," she admitted quietly.

"Little bit mean?"

"Well… not really," she said.

"Malicious?"

"No," she said firmly.

"So what exactly do you find unfair?" he asked, confused. "It's not like I get you to make the tea, is it? Mind you, it's better I make it. You never warm the –"

"Doctor, I meant that you -. That I just feel like -. That I just want you to talk to me like I'm really here," she stressed. "You say all the tiny things, like 'good morning' and 'tea, Martha?' and 'look at that, isn't is interesting' and all the really, really, inconsequential things. But you never talk about anything else! It's as if you're trying not to do anything but small talk!" she accused.

He looked at his feet for a long second, and she realised she had shouted. He looked up finally, but he didn't look at her. He looked around the TARDIS slowly.

"Have you ever heard me do anything else with anyone else?" he asked wearily.

"Actually… no," she admitted, surprised.

"So it's possible I do this with everyone, all the time, then?" he asked. She thought about it for a long minute. She nodded slowly. "Ah. So what you're upset about is the fact that I'm not a sharey-talky-best-friendy person. Is that it?" he asked, confused.

"I just… Yeah, I suppose so," she said quietly, then huffed. He continued to watch her, and she looked back at him. "I'm sorry. If you're not built that way, you're not built that way. There I go again, trying to fit your square alien personality into a round human hole," she sighed, wiping her forehead.

"I can fit round holes when I want to," he sniffed, and she looked up at him. "I like that though – square alien personality, round human hole. Nice," he said, grinning affably to himself as he looked at the ceiling.

"So… where are we?" she asked, walking down the ramp to stand next to him, nearer the doors.

"Take a look," he dared, gesturing to the doors with his head. She tutted and reached out, slapping her fist into his chest, hard. The breath wheezed out of him and he 'whoof'ed in surprised. "What?" he demanded, putting his hand up and rubbing his chest sulkily.

"You don't have to try and impress with me with all these 'come and see outside' routines," she challenged.

"Oh," he said, a little crest-fallen, his bottom lip starting to stick out slightly. "I thought you liked it. You know, man of mystery, bit of undiscovered country, like –"

"You're not a man of mystery," she snorted dismissively, and he stopped short.

"Oh."

"You're a black hole of the completely unknown," she said, walking past him and shaking her head. He grinned suddenly, then put his hand back in his pocket and walked after her, stopping by the doors.

"You know, you come out with the greatest little phrases," he mused, as if to himself. She looked up at him to find him grinning at her. She bit her lip, trying not to show the heat in her face.

"Yeah, well," she said weakly. He leaned closer to her and put his hand on top of hers, over the door handle.

"Right then," he said quietly, fixing her with a gaze from just six inches away. "This is where I break the habit of a lifetime – well, sort of… well, at least do something I never thought I would," he admitted.

"Right," she said hastily with false cheer. She wondered if her knees were shaking. He leaned his head down closer and she realised her hand was gripping the door handle painfully tightly. I just hope this bloody thing doesn't come off in my hand!

"And tell you – that this is Pwr," he said quietly. "See? You wanted to know where we are, and I just told you. Plainly, simply, no guessing or teasing. Although I think you rather like the teasing," he winked, straightening up and moving to open the door. She swallowed and nodded, clearing her throat quietly.

"That's what you like to think," she managed gamely, pushing the door. He watched her walk outside and then leaned back and picked something up, following her.