A/N: Does anyone else have a firm belief that Rose will be back at some point? The fact that Billie Piper said she was done for now gives me hope.
S o m e t i m e s
One call can change everything
Martha let out a frustrated groan. It had been the tenth one in the past fifteen minutes, not that the Doctor was the kind to keep track. He knew she was bored, but the TARDIS needed some work, whether it wanted it or not. Martha's sigh would just have to wait until he was satisfied that it was him choosing the next location, and not his ship.
A sudden spark and searing pain on the back of his hand told him that he was done for today. Or at least for now. "Fine, you win this round," he told the TARDIS as he crawled out from beneath it's console, "but the war is not over."
Martha eyed the Doctor wearily. He had been fussing about under there for hours, not saying a damned thing, and she wanted to explore. That was why she had joined the ranks of "The Doctor's Companions". Yes, Martha had learned about the many other lucky people who had been given free passage to see the whole of space and time in the little blue box that no one ever seemed to notice.
The doctor mentioned them sparingly, when he would reminisce, which seemed odd because he didn't strike Martha as the reminiscing kind. However, there was the last companion, before she joined. She was the one that the Doctor never mentioned by name or even in memory. She knew there had been another though, because she had asked. Martha wasn't the prying kind, but she had asked one day who was with the Doctor before her, and remained silent for sometime. He had a far off look in his eyes and when he snapped out of his trance he decided to go to London, 2003. There was no adventure that day. They just sat outside an apartment building. A few people came in and out and the Doctor watched intently as though looking for someone. When they left later that night, he had said only one hint as to why they were there.
"I can't see her anyway."
It occurred to Martha that she had found something out about the Doctor that he didn't intend to share. The last companion the Doctor had, was not really a companion. She was so much more and some how he had lost her. It was heart breaking to watch the usually lively Doctor shuffle slowly into the TARDIS with his hand buried deep in his pockets, and the ghost of tears on his face.
She hadn't mentioned that mysterious person since then.
"All better?" Martha asked pushing off the railing she had been leaning on and sauntering over to the Doctor'' side. He had wrapped a cool cloth around his hand, which she assumed had been burned.
"I think this ship is trying to kill me. How do you like that?" The Doctor said indignity in his voice. "After all our travels together."
Martha rolled her eyes and took the Doctor's hand in hers to examine his battle wound. It was something the Doctor liked about her. There was something maternal about Martha, domestic. She wasn't sure why he was so fond of her motherly habits, being as he was an advocate against domestics, but she never pried. She had come to except that the Doctor was always going to keep her at arm's length.
"So where are we off to today, Doctor?" Martha inquired after re-wrapping his hand.
"Where would you like to go? Past, future, some strange planet with funny little creatures that crawl around on their backs?" The Doctor quirked his eyebrows suggestively at the last suggestion. Martha broke out into a wide grin.
"That last one sounds nice," she said, clapping her hands together in excitement. Martha had been a vet before she started traveling. All the strange little creatures the Doctor showed her were amazing and she loved it.
"Alright, We're off to Maloicso, home of the glurb. You'll love these things, they glow in the dark!" The doctor had a goofy grin on his face as he began to set the coordinates for the alien planet. He stopped abruptly when a very foreign sound filled the TARDIS. "What was that?" the Doctor asked.
The sound was made again. "You have a phone?" Martha asked, completely shocked. After all the time she had spent on the TARDIS, and all the things the Doctor had shown her, this was probably the strangest.
"I have a phone, but I don't have a number, so who could be calling?" The Doctor went to the phone in its little hiding place as it rang once more. Cautiously he picked it up. All he heard for a few moments was static and fuzz. Martha cocked her head a bit trying to read the Doctor's expression. "Hello?" the Doctor tried to listen for a response. Martha watched as his face went from confused to an emotion she had never seen in her life. It was a mix between shock, fear, happiness, and strangely, sadness.
He placed the phone down gently, and found the floor as he sat down. His eyes seemed glassy. "Doctor, who was it? What happened?" Martha ran to the unresponsive Doctor and tried snapping her fingers to bring him back. She couldn't fathom what had upset him so much. "Doctor, please, who was it?"
"Rose."
O-o-o-o-o-o-o-o
A/N: okay, thought I'd bring in the Doctor at this point, see how things are with him. Next chapter will be out soon. Please review.