It wasn't quite like her usual hops. Once Rose was in the vortex, there was a pull that she felt all across her body and all the way through it. Her initial instinct was to fight it, but she forced herself to surrender to it and found herself being dragged through the vortex at a colossal speed. There was no air rushing past her or change in the appearance of the vortex to indicate movement, but Rose could tell. Then she felt her particles, her essence divide and scatter. As pure energy, she wisped through the walls of the vortex. Then there was nothing. Finally she was sucked into the vortex again. But, she noticed after her being reasserted itself, that it was a different vortex. It felt different. But even better, it felt like home.

Rose reappeared in the physical world on the edge of a town. The skies were opening and football sized metal spheres were flowing out of the sickly looking crack in the heavens. Directly underneath the crack was a giant, flying aircraft carrier. The Valiant, from what River had told her.

The valiant child who will die in battle so very soon...

Rose shivered at the words of the Beast that ran through her head. Still, as far as names went, the Valiant Child wasn't bad. She shook herself. Things to be done. If she could see the Valiant, then chances were she had aimed correctly and Martha Jones would come barreling out of the woods behind her in just a few minutes.

The Tardis key Martha carried as a perception filter allowed Rose to track her. From the vortex, it was simple to look at the path of the Tardis key and Rose appeared in a place Martha would be, just a few minutes before hand. Rose sighed. That was the last time she could hop for a while. Between the satellites and the Tardis, the Master would be able to detect her form of travel if he wasn't distracted. The only two times when she knew he was certainly distracted were the beginning and end of this year. It was the slow path for her.

Rose spotted a lanky teen standing at the edge of the road staring at the sky in shock. She jogged over to him.

"Listen mate, in a minute or so, a woman 'bout my age is gonna come runnin' out of those woods. Her name's Martha Jones. I need you to give this to her, can you?"

The boy nodded, his mouth open. He took the smaller pack from her.

"Great, thanks. Tell her good luck from a friend." Rose checked her watch and jogged off, settling herself behind some bins in an alleyway not far off, so she could make sure the boy followed through.

Sure enough, as soon as she was in place, a tiny dark skinned woman in a dark red leather jacket bolted out of the trees, tears glistening in her eyes. She glanced quickly up and down the road, trying to decide which way to go.

"Er, Martha Jones?" The boy called out timidly.

Martha's eyes snapped to him suspiciously. "Yes?" She said in a clipped, precise voice.

"I was told to give this to you. And tell you good luck, from a friend." He said, holding out the pack.

Martha took the bag slowly and the boy turned and shuffled off, his eyes fixed on the sky again. Martha watched him leave then, once she decided he wasn't a threat, turned her attention to the backpack. She unzipped it slowly and carefully, unsure whether she'd find help or hurt inside. The smaller outside pocket contained a multitool pocket knife, a torch, some twine, a compass, and a thick stack of maps that would cover the world. Each side sleeve held a full water bottle that Martha carefully sniffed before tasting. Inside the main compartment were dark, sturdy clothes that would keep her warm even when wet, a first aid kit, an emergency blanket, a waterproof container of matches and firestarters, and food bars like Rose packed for herself. And, of course, the cupcake, which Martha unwrapped carefully. Her eyes widened at the color of the frosting but she seemed to take it as a sign of good faith. She sat on the curb as she opened up the maps and studied them, planning her route. After five minutes or so, the Doctor's companion stood and took the backpack with her as she started off down the street just as the metal balls descended.

Rose followed behind Martha Jones, doing her best to block out the screams all around her. Her hand itched for the weapon at her side but River was adamant. She couldn't use the gun unless she or Martha were in immediate danger. The same perception filter that shielded the Tardis from curious eyes applied to Rose as well so she walked through the destruction with no one the wiser. It hurt, the devastation caused in so little time. So many people already dead or dying. In the streets, in the shops, in their homes, everywhere there were bodies. Chaos and panic were sparked to life instantly. Rose was surprised there wasn't more violence from the humans though. They looked uniformly too terrified to do much of anything but run and hide.

Through it all strode Martha Jones, head held high despite the tears streaking down her face. She walked into the nearest grocer's and loaded a basket as quickly as she could with food to take on the run. It was smart, stocking up before the Master took total control. Rose monitored from across the shop. Martha grabbed a few cans that would keep, but she knew they were too heavy to take many of. Crackers, protein bars, nuts, dried fruit, and some fresh fruit and vegetables was what Miss Jones stuck with. Rose gave her credit for thinking smart. Martha paid with cash, so her card couldn't be tracked, and left the shop. Rose followed from a safe distance.

Rose knew Martha would be headed northwest, so she hitched a ride with panicking woman driving her small child out of the center of the storm. The driver was too busy holding herself together that she didn't ask many questions. At the first major road change, after an hour or so, Rose left the woman with a thank you. She started walking along the road in the direction she wanted to go, her thumb stuck out whenever she heard a car behind her. She made good progress that way. Walking when the driver she was with wanted a different direction and catching rides as she could. The evening crept up and Rose stopped in a small town on the coast, Rose found people there more organized than the previous villages. Rose grinned as she read the name of the town. Flydale North. The townspeople were being directed by none other than Harriet Jones, former Prime Minister. Rose watched them work, clearing damaged buildings and moving the injured and dead into the highly successful cottage hospitals or community center, respectively. The town was set just to the side of the main road and boasted a large sign with the village name. Rose took that as an invitation. She shook a canister of spray paint and painted a rough, Tardis shape on the sign with an arrow pointing into the village. In a mostly abandoned area of the town, Rose found a flat that had been emptied of its owner. She painted the door with a blue X and back tracked with arrows towards it. Inside she left a note.

Martha, talk to Harriet Jones, she's a friend of the Doctor.

Then she left to commandeer a boat. Martha Jones would be heading to Ireland, so Rose Tyler would too. This initial, baby-sitting phase would get tiring quickly. Rose figured it could take up to a month to get a resistance movement up and running. Maybe sooner if news of Martha spread ahead of her, inspiring people. That, Rose decided, she could do. Start the rumor of Martha Jones, the woman who could stop the Master.

Rose was right. The resistance organized quickly once they had a figurehead. People knew of Martha Jones so she was offered support every where she went after the first two weeks. Rose's cans of spray paint were getting less and less use. Now that both of them had reached the Americas though, the survival gear got more useful. Rose talked her way into helping crew the sailing ship that took Martha from Iceland to Newfoundland, in eastern Canada. She didn't interact with Martha, who was traveling under an assumed name, much. They were a smuggling ship, transporting the radios tuned to the resistance's frequency. Towns in the new world were spaced much farther apart than at home. By the time they got there, road traffic was almost nonexistent, so Rose and Martha were left walking. Rose felt like a stray puppy, tagging along when it wasn't wanted the way she followed Martha through the woods of Canada, the dusty, grassy plains of the heartland of America, and across the islands of the Caribbean. After they left the boat in Canada, Martha didn't see Rose. Few people did.

Rose thought that maybe her voice wouldn't work anymore. She went days without speaking to anyone as she watched and hid from Martha Jones. The legend of the woman walking the Earth had spread much faster than Rose could travel, so she didn't need to propagate that any more. Rose was almost desperate for danger just to have something interesting to do. Stealing food and clean water was getting boring.

The route Martha had to take to travel the world was exhausting. Why, Rose wonder, did all the continents have to be close to one another in the north? They always had to backtrack in order to cover enough territory for the story to spread the rest of the way. Martha and Rose trekked through the wasteland that was Russia and then south into the Middle East before turning back and heading towards China. Rose was thankful for her Torchwood issued boots. They were made from material extrapolated from alien sources. The soles were malleable like rubber but so much tougher, the uppers were a refined version of kevlar that was waterproof and resistant to wear. Martha had replaced her shoes more times than she could count.

Japan, oh god, Japan. Rose thought as she fought her stomach. River was right, she would know the right moment to interfere more directly with Martha's journey. She'd woken up early that morning with more dread than usual which meant she had to be extra cautious. She knew she needed to leave Japan that day regardless, so in the wee hours of the morning, long before anyone was up for the work shift, she stole a boat and moved it to a safe, accessible location. Martha was telling her story in one of the housing areas while Rose looked on from a distance when the Valiant appeared on the horizon. With it came a swarm of the Toclofane, more than Rose had seen concentrated since they first came through the skin of the world. That was what her sinking feeling was about. The moment the Valiant was above land, they all opened fire and rained horror down on the people below. Japan was awash in flames. The people panicked, of course, trying to run for safety but there was none to be had. Rose, from her perch on the roof, scanned desperately for Martha. She gasped when she spotted the other woman. She hadn't yet been trampled, but definitely knocked around by the crowd. She laid on the ground, unconscious as people swarmed. Rose, thankful she'd left her pack with the boat, scrambled down and waded into teaming mass. She wasn't so short in Japan and she was better fed than most so she made good progress. Her first aid training came to mind as Rose reached her intended target but she couldn't afford to wait for a backboard. She had to get Martha out of there whether or not she had a spinal injury. Rose was thankful the other woman was so small as she lifted Martha over her shoulder in a fireman's carry and hurried from the square. The docks were one of the first targets of the toclofane and Rose was doubly glad she'd moved her transportation away from there. She slid Martha into the boat, beneath the thin tarp Rose had brought. Rose pushed the boat away from shore and scrambled inside it, continuing to push with the long, slender, bamboo pole. The tarp was a miracle in active camouflage technology. With the two women and the small boat beneath it, the tarp appeared as an unbroken stretch of water, seen from above. The edges weren't necessarily as convincing, but Rose thought it would be enough to get them away unnoticed.

An hour later, the hum of the Valiant grew fainter until it finally disappeared altogether. Her heart still pounding, Rose dared to peak out from under the edge of the tarp. The Valiant was gone and the thick cloud of toclofane once more dispersed. They'd abandoned the giant fireball that was once the island of Japan. She swallowed thickly, trying to remove the lump in her throat, but it failed to move. Then she took a swig of water and gasped. The lump faded down. Rose thought it may have had something to do with the smoke. Rose folded up the tarp and placed it in one of the hatches where it would be easily accessible if there was need again. Then she turned her attention to Martha. She was still unconscious but her breathing and heart rate were steady. Rose pulled her inside the very small cabin where she would be less exposed before returning to the outer deck. The boat was small, made for one or two passengers to go out on day trips. It wasn't the ideal boat for a long sea voyage, but there wasn't much choice. With an extreme amount of effort and some skilled placement of rope and pulleys, Rose managed to pull the mast upright into position again. She took a much needed break before she pulled the sail up. A groan from inside the cabin distracted her.

"Hey sleepin' beauty." Rose said as she found Martha stirring and looking around blankly.

"Where am I? What happened?" Martha asked blearily.

"You're on a boat heading out of Japan. You were nearly trampled in the panic when the toclofane descended and hit your head." Rose explained.

"They're not called toclofane, that's something the Master made up." Martha informed her.

"That's what you want to focus on?" Rose asked with one eyebrow raised. "Oh, right, concussion. Just a mo." She dug into her pack and pulled the tube of bruise cream out. She carefully spread it over the lump on Martha's temple.

Almost immediately Martha's eyes cleared and her focus came back. She sat up, rubbing her eyes. Then she caught sight of Rose and froze.

"You! I've met you before. Hang on, you were on the boat from Iceland!"

"Yup."

"Were you following me?" Martha demanded.

Rose smirked. "Yup."

"And now you've captured me. Do you work for the Master? Are you going to kill me?" Martha wasn't scared, just angry.

"No, no, no. I rescued you from the burning island of Japan. I don't work for the Master. And why would I pull you out of a fire and heal your concussion if I was going to kill you? I'm a friend, Martha, I'm here to help."

Martha narrowed her eyes in suspicion. That went well, Rose thought.

"Here." Rose said and dug the last, half-empty can of spray paint from her pack and handed it to Martha.

She stared at it for a long moment before she realized what it was. "Oh. You're part of the group that marks stuff for me?"

Rose smothered a laugh. "There is no group, Martha. Just me. The resistance doesn't do the paint thing."

"Just you..." Martha mused, "Why did you pick that color?"

"What, the color of the Tardis?" Rose said innocently. It had been so long since she had a real, honest-to-goodness conversation. It felt so good.

Martha's head snapped up and she shot an intense look at Rose. "Tardis?" She said. Rose got the feeling she was being tested.

"Time and relative dimension in space. The sentient time machine disguised as a police box. The last of her kind. Owned by the Doctor, currently in the hands of the Master"

None of that seemed to ease Martha's suspicion at all, in fact it seemed to make it worse. "You know an awful lot." She accused.

"Yes. I... had some friends that traveled with the Doctor." Mickey. Jack. Rose thought. One in another universe, and one, last she'd seen, stuck in the year 200,100.

Martha studied her closely. "Your eyes." She said suddenly. "They have the same pain as the Doctor's. You knew Rose?"

Rose almost stopped breathing. River did say Martha was sharp. "Yes."

"Figures." Martha muttered, her voice full of... anger? Pain? Ah. Jealousy. That's what River wouldn't tell her. Which probably meant that Rose was supposed to talk her out of her jealousy then. Great.

"What's your name then? Since you already know mine." Martha said, resigned to her new companion.

"Marion." Rose had decided on using her middle name.

"Alright Marion, why have you been following me?"

"To help you." Surely that was obvious.

"Then why didn't you travel with me?"

Oh, right. "It was safer that way. For you and for me. And I had to spread the news of your journey."

"What?" Martha squawked.

"Well, I knew there would be a resistance movement formed, it could just take a while. Unless they had a figurehead, so I spread the news about you. Martha Jones, the woman who can stop the Master."

"So that's where all the rumors of me killing him come from." Martha glared.

"Unh uh, I was very clear. I said stop the Master. I don't think that the Doctor would ask you to kill, especially another Time Lord."

"You know the Doctor, then?"

"We've met."

"He's never mentioned you." Martha accused.

Oh, Sarah Jane all over again. "The Doctor doesn't talk about old friends, he just moves forward. He can't bear to watch the people he cared for grow old and die."

"He talks about Rose." Martha grumbled.

"Really? What does he say?" Half was morbid curiosity and half was realizing it could be important.

"Oh, just 'Rose would know, Rose and I came here, Rose had a way of...' that sort of thing. Like he worships the ground she walks on." Martha was clearly fed up with that behavior.

"Did you know, for a remarkably brilliant alien, the Doctor can be an incredibly stupid man?" Rose told her.

Martha looked at Rose and realized she may have said too much. "How did you know where to find me?" Martha asked.

"What?" Rose said, confused by the topic change.

"The first day, when the Master revealed the spheres, you marked the sign, the flat, and you left a note. How did you know?"

Oh. Well, Rose had six months to come up with an answer to that. "I used to work for an organization called Torchwood. I know how to look for alien interference and track fake documents. Harold Saxon was suspicious, so I prepared. I saw you disappear on camera so I figured you were doing a runner. All I had to work out was which direction you would go and get there first."

"Torchwood. You worked with Jack? Did you meet him through the Doctor too?"

"Hang on, Jack. Jack Harkness?"

Martha nodded.

"Jack works for Torchwood?" That was not okay, in the other universe Torchwood was the good guy. In this one, not so much.

"Yeah, we ran into him in Cardiff. He's on the Valiant." Martha said softly.

"Oh, Jack." Cardiff, that was Torchwood Three in Pete's world. Before Pete took over, they were a bit off the grid, rarely communicating with the London office. Maybe it was the same in this world. Being on the Valiant though, that would be miserable, especially with what she had done. If the Master found out that Jack couldn't die... "No, I didn't work for Jack, I worked in the London branch."

"Canary Wharf. My cousin worked there, she didn't come home after the battle." Martha said.

Rose studied Martha and realized why her face was so familiar. "Addy." She said. "I'm so sorry."

In Pete's World Adeola Oshodi was a computer expert and did a lot of the reverse engineering on alien computer systems. Rose had met her a few times when she looked in on projects and in the field sometimes when they turned over a find to the recovery team.

"Well," Rose said, drawing it out like the Doctor did, "How about we catch up later and get sailing first. I don't like sitting here so close to the island."

Martha nodded and both women ducked out of the cabin back into the sunlight. Rose was glad she learned to sail at the very beginning of their journey. Gas was a rare commodity and highly regulated. Rose had a few tanks for the little outboard motor, but it wouldn't get them near far enough.

With two of them working the lines, they got the sail raised quickly and Rose installed herself at the helm. "Martha!" She called.

"Yeah?"

"Where are we going?"