AN: Thanks to everyone who reviewed or added this to his/her favourite stories list. And of course thank you to Persiflage for beta reading.

Disclaimer: I don't own Doctor Who

Chapter 4

The Doctor sat on the bed in Martha's room, watching her while she stood in front of her mirror, brushing her long, black hair.

"I don't understand why it is so important that we visit your family today," he said.

"It's Saturday. My family always spends Saturday afternoons together ever since the Year. I guess that's one good thing that came out of the Year. We really got a lot closer."

"But we have a time machine. We can go there when ever we want."

She turned around to look at him. "I want our time on the TARDIS to be in sync with the time that passes for my family. It's not like the first time we travelled together. I always planned on going back home after some time and resuming my life, but this time I'm here because I decided that I want to stay with you, maybe even for the rest of my life. And my family is part of my life. It's been seven days since I've last seen them so that means today is Saturday and we are going to meet my family."

"Okay," the Doctor said. He was happy to hear her saying that she wanted to stay with him permanently. He was still a bit worried that Martha would someday realise that she could do better than him. Or that she would leave because she wanted to have a normal life and was tired of travelling around the universe and having to run for her life every other day.

But he pushed that thought out of his mind. Even he didn't know what their future would hold for the two of them. All he could do was make the best of the time they had together and do everything he could to make her want to stay.

"It's just that I really don't like family meetings," he continued. "Especially when we are going to tell your mother about what kind of relationship we're really in."

Martha put down her brush and sat down on the bed beside him. "I know how much you hate doing domestic. And I really appreciate that you agreed to come with me today."

"It's important for you. Of course I'm coming with you."

Martha smiled and leaned forward to kiss him lightly on the lips. Then she got up again.

"My mum knows that you'll come with me. I asked her to be nice to you. And the rest of my family will be happy for us. I'm just worried about mum's reaction. I think she isn't quite over the shock of last week when I told her we were travelling together again. Have you seen my purple hair band?" she asked looking through her small collection.

"I think you left it in my room this morning," he replied. They had started to sleep together alternately in his bedroom then hers since their relationship had tuned to a more physical one a few weeks after the Doctor had been injured on the colony planet.

Martha gripped her blue hair band instead. "Are you ready to go?" she asked.

The Doctor let out a sigh. "All right then."

...

A few hours later the Doctor sat next to Martha on the couch in Francine's living room. Leo and his girlfriend Shonara were sitting next to them with their two year old daughter Keisha, who had fallen asleep a while ago. Tish, Francine and Clive sat on chairs opposite them. Clive's girlfriend, Annalise, hadn't wanted to come after her fight with Francine the week before.

Francine had been polite so far, even if it was more than obvious that she wasn't happy about the Doctor being there. She had asked Martha and him about their travels, and how long Martha had been back with him. Martha had warned the Doctor not to tell her mother about the more dangerous situations they had been in and he had to agree with her. Francine was already angry enough with him because he was putting her daughter in danger. He didn't want to give her more reasons to make her think he was a danger to her daughter.

He could understand why Francine was worried but he knew that Martha was more than capable of looking after herself. She had been in a lot of dangerous situations so far and had always found a way to get out of them herself, instead of waiting for him to help her like some of his other companions would have done.

He stroked the back of Martha's hand with his fingers, careful not to let Francine see it. They hadn't found the right moment yet to announce that they were together.

"I'll go and get a few more drinks," Martha whispered in his ear. "Don't worry: I won't leave you alone with my mum for long." She got up and left the room. Just as she was out of sight Tish got up and followed her sister outside.

...

Martha heard someone walk into the kitchen and turned around to see Tish standing in the doorway looking at her.

"Hey Tish," she said. "What are you doing here?"

"I wanted to talk to you alone," Tish said as she walked into the kitchen and leaned against the counter next to where Martha stood.

"What about?" Martha asked although she already had the feeling she knew where this conversation was going.

"It's about you and your Doctor," Tish began. "You're a bit more than friends, aren't you?"

A smile crept onto Martha's face as she nodded. She wasn't surprised that her older sister had worked it out as soon as she saw the two of them together, even if the Doctor and Martha had been careful not to show any signs of how close they really had got in the last few months.

"I knew it," Tish exclaimed, grinning at her sister. "But you told me that he wasn't interested in you in that way," Tish said. Martha thought back to the one time she had talked to Tish about her feelings for the Time Lord just a few days after the Year That Never Was.

"Seems like I was wrong," she said, still smiling.

"How long has this been going on?" Tish asked.

"Almost six months," Martha said. "I started travelling with him again after my exams, just for a few trips, but then he told me how he was feeling about me, and asked me to stay with him."

"But that was only two months ago," Tish said confused.

"I know. It's a bit hard to keep track of time when you're on the TARDIS but it's been six months for me. I decided to keep your timelines and mine in sync from now on though, because I decided to stay with the Doctor."

"You know that this will drive mum barmy when she hears about it."

"I know. I haven't decided how I'm going to tell her yet."

Tish opened her mouth to ask another question, Martha knew that there was still a lot that her sister wanted to know, when they heard footsteps and the Doctor walked into the kitchen.

"Everything alright?" Martha asked, feeling a bit guilty for having him left alone with her mother for longer than she had planned because of her conversation with Tish.

"Fine. I just wanted to get out of the living room for a minute. I just don't like family meetings," he answered, shrugging as he moved to stand next to Martha.

"I'll leave you two alone then," Tish said, winking at Martha before she left the room to join the rest of her family in the living room again.

"Did my mum say anything about us travelling together after I left the room?" Martha asked.

"No, I think she understands that it's your decision and she can't change it. She's just worried."

"I just hope she will still be so calm after we told her about us."

The Doctor pulled Martha into a hug. "Have you decided when we could tell her best?" the Doctor asked.

"After dinner? Than we can leave soon afterwards and maybe she will have calmed down by next week and we can talk to her properly," Martha said.

"You want me to come with you again next week?" the Doctor asked. Martha found that he sounded a bit horrified.

"Maybe just for a short visit," she said. She reached up and stroked his cheek with the back of her hand. "It really means a lot for me that you're here with me today," she said.

He smiled at her and leaned down to press his lips against hers. Martha closed her eyes and enjoyed the feeling of his lips against hers. She buried her hands into his hair and deepened the kiss, letting her tongue explore every corner of his mouth.

After a few minutes they parted and Martha opened her eyes to look at him. At that moment, she noticed a figure from the corner of her eye. She turned her head to see her mother looking at them with an incredible look on her face.

AN: I hope you liked it. Please let me know what you think and review.