'Courage doesn't always roar. Sometimes courage is the quiet voice at the end of the day saying, "I will try again tomorrow."' – Mary Anne Radmacher
Adventures of a Lifetime
~ oOo ~
Chapter Twenty: Gridlock
Somehow Shakespeare had sweet talked the Doctor into making them stay another night in the Elephant Tavern, and now here we were having a private tour of the Globe. Though she felt more like a third of fourth wheel along with the Doctor as Shakespeare winked at them both and dragged Martha off to the stage.
Her mind went quiet as she swayed in place. The sense of loneliness filled her up inside, desperation for her family made her heart feel ten times it's normal weight. Her eyes stung and she blinked rapidly as her lips trembled. She missed them. The only thing in the whole multi universe that she was to be able to return to her family.
She wanted to talk to them, to hug them and to be able to see them. Nothing mattered more than finding some way to return. No amount of adventures in time and space could replace her need for her family.
Breathing out heavily she blinked and took another look at the behind the scenes of Shakespeare's plays. She let the awe of the situation replace her previous emotions and flood across her entire being. She couldn't help but draw comparisons to when she came on the tour with her sister. It was much smaller than the rebuild and much more lived in. And geez, the smell! Turning the sense of smell off, she let her eyes take her places around the room.
"Cool." She whispered under her breath while looking around at it all. Skipping over she took a closer look at all the costumes. Her eyes noticed all the details in the embroidery, she silently wondered who did all the stitching for the theatre. Out of the corner of her eye she saw the Doctor taking a more hands on approach in his curiosity. Props and costume pieces were flung into the floor as he searched a chest. He took longer looking at some pieces, holding them at eye level.
It was seriously odd having spent two days with this man. He definitely didn't stand still for long. But shit, he's tall. Her eyes trailed up his figure, struck speechless at the giant next to her. She turned her head quickly to the side as her cheeks heated up. Did I say that out loud? She asked herself, her eyes looked over to see he was still occupied with the chest of clothes. Phew… didn't look like she did. Her cheeks regained their heat as she recalled him towering over her, really it was ridiculous how small she was next to him. She looked like a child. Though that was an issue she'd had for years, really, she could make herself look ten years younger just by putting her hair in pigtails or two plaits.
Turning her attention back into the costumes her finger reached out to feel the fabric. A habit that she always displayed when shopping, unable to help herself if something looked soft.
"Look at this!" The Doctor cheered, there was amusement in his voice which made her twist her head. A ruffle rested around his neck and he posed with it for a second before gesturing excitedly at it. "Remind you of something?"
"Shakespeare's portrait I assume." She rolled her eyes good naturally. His excitement reminding her of the Eleventh Doctor.
"Yes!" He beamed and strode towards her with something else in his hands. "Let's go show the other two." His coat whipped around his legs as he walked quickly out onto the stage. She turned around and followed him out onto the stage. Her heart thundered in her chest as she past the curtain and stepped onto the stage, amazement and nerves filled her on equal measure. This time she could appreciate being on the stage of the Globe, her eyes took in the set design.
Faint voices from the front of the stage drew her attention in time to see Shakespeare put his arm around Martha's waist and pull her towards him. They looked to be enjoying their conversation before Martha pushed Shakespeare away from her. "Good props store back there." The Doctor walked up with them wearing the small stuff ruff and waving the object in his hands around and once she'd stepped up next to him she saw it was an animal skull. "I'm not sure about this though. Reminds me of a Sycrorax." He drew the animal skull close to his face eyeing it, she cocked her head and eyed it also with interest. She tried to go through her memories to compare what she could remember the Sycrorax looked like.
"Sycorax." Shakespeare nodded with a smile. "Nice word. I'll have that off you as well."
"I should be on ten percent." Her mind flashed forwards at how much that reminded her of something Donna Noble would say. "How's your head?" He leaned over the stage to look at Shakespeare who looked up at them with a grimace.
"Still aching." Shakespeare replied with a frown, rubbing his head.
"Here, I got you this." The Doctor took off the ruff with a smirk and puts it on Shakespeare. "Neck brace. Wear that for a few days till it's better, although you might want to keep it. It suits you." She let out a giggle of amusement covering her mouth.
Shakespeare turned his head to look at her, her body shook with laughter as she held up two thumbs up. "You look great." He raised an eyebrow and joined in the happiness of the moment, giving her a smile.
"What about the play?" Martha asked containing her own laughter.
"Gone." The Doctor shrugged. "I looked all over. Every single copy of Love Labours Won went up in the sky." Brown eyes scanned the seats sections.
"My lost masterpiece." Shakespeare sighed.
"Probably for the best." She told him.
"You could write it up again." Martha looked at Shakespeare sympathetically.
"Yeah, better not, Will." The Doctor quickly contradicted that. "There's still power in those words. Maybe it should best stay forgotten."
Shakespeare nodded and smiled at them all with something sparkling in his eyes. "Oh, but I've got new ideas." He told them, excitement lacing his words. "Perhaps it's time I wrote about fathers and sons, in memory of my boy, my precious Hamnet."
"Huh." She blinked in remembrance. "Oh yeah."
"Hamnet?" Martha looked at Shakespeare in astonishment.
"That's him." Shakespeare nodded, his eyes glazed over with memories.
"Hamnet?" Martha repeated, clearly startled.
Shakespeare blinked and looked at Martha with a frown of confusion. "What's wrong with that?"
"Anyway, time we were off." The Doctor interrupted any reply Martha could have made. "I've got a nice attic in the Tardis where this lot can scream for all eternity, and I've got to take Martha back to Freedonia." He took a crystal ball out of his pockets and juggled with it for a moment.
"You mean travel on through time and space." Shakespeare grinned, three sets of eyes darted over shocked.
"You what?" The Doctor gaped at him.
"You're from another world like the Carrionites, and Martha and Marlene are from the future." Shakespeare shrugged and smiled at the gaping mouths. "It's not hard to work out."
"That's incredible." The Doctor shook his head and beamed in awe. "You are incredible."
"We're alike in many ways, Doctor." Shakespeare nodded towards him before taking Martha's hands and looking deeply into her eyes. "Martha, let me say goodbye to you in a new verse. A sonnet for my Dark Lady." She gasped, goosebumps breaking across her arms. "Shall I compare thee to a summer's day?"
"Wowzah." She whispered, eyes wide in awe. She looked over at Martha to see her staring dumbfound at Shakespeare. Wow the inspiration of a genius right in front of her, her fingers inched for a paint brush or pencil feeding off his inspirational energy.
"Thou art more lovely and more temperate-"
"Will!" A man suddenly shouted causing Shakespeare to stop and for them all to look towards the interrupter, two men walked into the Globe and over to Shakespeare.
"Will, you'll never believe it." The other man beamed. "She's here! She's turned up!"
"We're the talk of the town." The first one explained. "She heard about last night. She wants us to perform it again." He grinned in excitement.
"Who?" Martha asked.
"Her Majesty. She's here." Music suddenly sounded from the doorway of the Globe, they all turned their heads to see two guardsmen entering and accessing the grounds. Fanfare from two people playing music only for an elderly royal woman to walk into the Globe.
"Queen Elizabeth the First!" The Doctor beamed enthusiastically as the elderly Queen stepped closely and looked around at all the people in the Globe. Narrowed eyes swung in their direction between the Doctor and herself, nostrils flared and a scowl over took the Queen's face.
"Lady Huntington?" Queen Elizabeth snarled.
"Huh?" Chills overtook her form as everyone turned to look at her with shock. What on Earth?
"What?" She heard the Doctor mutter in confusion.
"My sworn enemy."
"Um…" Her eyes darted around in confusion as her mouth continued to make sounds.
"What?" She heard the Doctor repeat.
The Queen trembled with anger. "Off with her head!" She automatically leaned away, jitters running through her body prepared to run.
"No thank you." She squeaked out.
"What?" The Doctor looked between them flabbergasted.
"Never mind what, just run!" Martha tugged on the Doctor's sleeve. "See you, Will, and thanks." Shakespeare sent an amused grin their way as they turned around and raced back through the stage and towards another exit.
"Stop that cumberworld wench!" The Queen shouted.
"Wench?" She turned to look at the Queen in disbelief as she followed the other two out of the area. She heard Shakespeare laugh and the sound of running footsteps following them as she followed the Doctor and Martha out of a door and into the street. They took a moment to orient themselves before running through the early morning crowd and towards the Tardis.
"Stop in the name of the Queen!" Yelled one of the Queen's guardsmen. They all decided to ignore him as they rushed down the streets and saw the blue police box towering over the crowd. People paused and watched in confusion as they stopped in front.
"Quickly quickly!" Martha yelped as the Doctor put the key in the key hole and they watched the guardsmen get closer.
"Vite vite!" She agreed jumping in place, adrenaline coursing through her entire body.
"In we go!" The Doctor finally got the door open and rushed the two females inside. She looked back as soon as she crossed the threshold to see the Doctor pause in the doorway looking out. She leant forwards, gasping for breath after their run. The Tardis had felt further away than it was due to running from the Queen's guards. She hadn't remembered that part of the episode before, but now she could almost see it in her memory. Though how the Queen knew her and thought her an enemy, she didn't know. Something to look forward to, she guessed. Or not… "Ooo!" The Doctor squawked before slamming the door closed. They all heard a hollow thud from outside and she looked in confusion as he ran past and she tried to regain her breath.
"Wow!" Martha gasped, turning to her with a twinkle of excitement in her dark eyes. "What did you do to piss her off?" Genuine amusement bringing a laugh out of her, though the inquisitive look never left her face.
"No idea." She shrugged. She shrugged after getting a hold of her breath, with one hand leaning her weight on the railing. "I haven't done it yet." She looked back at the doors and imagined the royal guard's astonishment when watching the blue box disappear.
"How does that work?" Martha turned to the Doctor who was stood pumping a lever and watching them. His face brightened, making her question how he was looking before they'd noticed.
"Time isn't linear, where it might have happened in Elizabeth's past, it hasn't happened for us yet." He explained as the Tardis started shaking, making her realize that they were leaving. "Still, can't wait to find out. Something to look forward to."
"Oh." Martha made a sound of realization, as they walked closer to the console with their arms out in order to balance themselves.
"That's time travel for you, never happens in the right order." She laughed as the Tardis jerked. She stumbled to the right along with Martha, who'd been paying the conversation more attention than she should have been. They both tumbled together into a railing, hands flying out and grabbing at each other for stability. Martha's face bent down to look at her with wide eyes and something about the expression caused her to burst into giggles. Martha soon joined in, their laughter filling the console room harmonizing with the sound of the Tardis dematerializing. As their amusement died down she noticed the Doctor smiling in their direction before looking determinedly at the monitor in front of him.
"Do you have a bathroom in here?" Martha suddenly asked staring around the console room.
She made a sound of agreement, putting her hand up. "Oh, me too! I desperately need to wash that century off." Hand gel could only go so far.
"Right." The Doctor nodded and gestured over to the hallway beyond which she just noticed. It was hard to remember that there were actually other rooms in the Tardis. So much to see and explore, she shook with enthusiasm. "I lead you to some rooms." He scratched his head and walked off. She looked over and shared a look with Martha in excitement, skipping over to her bags by the seat she quickly grabbed them. Jumping with energy she eagerly followed the Doctor into the hallway alongside Martha. Looking around in fascination at the walls and doors they passed. Her hand reached out and brushed against the wall, and she couldn't help the wide smile overtaking her face when her fingers stroked the cool material of the Tardis. The round things were a continued theme, along with the steam punk aesthetic of the console room, archways filled the hallway, lights coming from a couple of the round things doted along the walls. It was dimly lit and every room had a door, neatly carved Gallifreyan decorated the doors like a swirly pattern inside the round bit of the doors. It was awe-inspiringly beautiful.
"We should eat something, too." She casually mentioned as they strolled along. "We've only really ate stew yesterday." She turned narrowed eyes on the Doctor who'd turned his head around to the two females behind him. "And you dragged us out of bed this morning before we could eat breakfast."
"My Mum always says breakfast is the most important meal of the day. But I haven't had a proper one in years since way before I started residency." Martha agreed with a smile, she turned that smile to the Doctor with sparkling eyes. "Do you have a kitchen around here?"
"We just passed it." The Doctor gestured backwards at one of the doors on the left. She took note of it, trying to identify any markers that made it stand out. It had three round vertical glass sections and was one of the only double doored rooms they'd passed. Easy enough to remember. The Doctor led them down another hallway of doors and they stopped next to doors that stood opposite each other, they both also had round sections. One of them made a wood and the other an opaque heliotrope stained glass. "That's yours, Martha." He gestured over to the one with wooden parts that had beautifully carved lavender etched into it.
"Thanks!" Martha said as she pushed her door open and sent a grin back as she stepped inside. Marlene cocked her head to the side and touched the cool glass in wonderment. It stood out beautifully against the bronze door and had a small golden edge around the glass. Theora loved that colour.
"Interesting door." The Doctor regained her attention. "Is your favourite colour heliotrope?" He reached out and touched the glass himself.
"No actually, it's mustard yellow." She felt herself smile. "My brother preferred red, but I've always looked great in every colour." She smirked at the Doctor's raised eyebrow, the confidence was a little out of character for her to people who'd only just met her. She turned back to the door and grasped the handle. "It's an excellent choice, either way." The door swung open letting them glimpse inside. "Thank you." She looked up at him as he looked inside with interest, he turned his head down to look into her eyes. "Oh." She startled as a thought came to her and she fiddled around searching her pockets. "Before I forget, could you do that thing with my phone so I can keep in contact with Sarah Jane?" He reached over his head and scratched his neck as she looked eagerly up at him with a bright smile. He nodded, his lips twitching in amusement. "Yay!" She squealed with delight as she found her phone and held it up. He reached into his own pocket and drew out his sonic screwdriver, running it over her phone and then turning it around and fiddling with the back. "Thank you!" She rocked on the balls of her feet watching as he took something out of his pocket and placed it inside the back of her phone.
He shrugged as he handed it back over. "There you go." She looked down at the phone with joy held it against her chest and grinned up at him.
"Thanks!"
"Go on then, I'll meet you both in the console room." He nodded at her door and then awkwardly shuffled off down the hallway. She looked after him for a second before turning back to her room and poking her head inside before following with the rest of her body "Hello." She sighed in awe addressing the Tardis for the first time, once she closed the door behind her. "You're beautiful." Her hand reached out to trace the wall, feeling the panelled pillar in one of the corners. It might have been her imagination but it seemed like the lights became brighter. The thought of the Tardis actually responding to her filled her with joy.
The Tardis steam punk theme carried into the bedroom, it was really beautiful architecture, creating arched ceiling with beams above. There were two walls covered in round things, one of those walls were made of round glass that let in a softly glowing orange-yellow light, and the other had the round bits blend in with the bronze wall. The other two walls were made up of vertical panelling with one wall having a door leading presumably into the bathroom. There where shockingly white floors and a mixed collection of old furniture that lent itself to a boho theme. There were no customisations done to suit the resident (or companion), just a clear blank slate. Somehow that was better. She felt more at home in this room than she had in one of Sarah Jane's plain guest bedrooms. She told herself to hold off on unpacking despite her regular ingrained behaviour. It felt like an inch under the skin just to leave her bags unpacked at the bottom on the double bed. Instead she tried to distract herself by doing the tasks she already had in mind.
Scrolling through her contacts she pressed the most frequent number. "Sarah Jane!" She sang as soon as the phone was picked up.
"Lena?"
"Hello! Wait till I tell you who we just had an adventure with." She giggled with excitement.
"It's a bit early to call isn't it? Surely you couldn't have had an adventure in just two hours."
"Huh?" She blinked in confusion. "What do you mean?"
"You left two hours ago, Luke hasn't even returned yet."
"Whoa." She looked down at the floor trying to process the time difference. "It's been almost two days for me." She cocked her head to the side in thought. Wait didn't Martha return the morning after, when the Doctor dropped her off? Something like twelve hours. Huh, that must be it. "I think I know what's happened." She nodded, confirming her own thoughts. "It looks like our time lines aren't running linear and since I decided to call you often, the calls will be more frequent for you than for me." She explained, pacing along the floor of her room.
"That makes sense." Sarah Jane snickered. "Am I to expect a call every hour then?"
"I don't think so, I know after two more trips we'll end up back on Earth tomorrow." She shrugged as she opened the door into the bathroom and took a look around. "So, unless you plan on sleeping in the next three hours, the calls shouldn't be every hour."
"So, you'll be calling after every single trip?" Sarah Jane chuckled, teasing her. "Isn't that a bit excessive?"
"Hey!" She pouted and saw her own expression in the mirror. "Not every single one." Huffing at the continued laughter.
"So, what happened then?"
"We met Shakespeare!" Excitement laced her voice. "Oh my gods, he's amazing. Like the way his mind works, wow." Grinning she jumped slightly on her feet in happiness. "Martha practically got serenaded by him, he wrote that Dark Lady sonnet about her. He couldn't take his eyes off her!" She fanned herself, swooning at the memory. "There were three alien witches and they were using one of his plays to bring the rest of the witches back and end life on Earth." She snorted. "You know just your typical trip with the Doctor." She rolled her eyes.
"Sounds about right." Sarah Jane agreed. "They always want to destroy the world."
She smiled in amusement. "Totally unoriginal." Sarah Jane snorted with glee at her deadpanned voice. "We should tell them to brainstorm before arriving."
"Okay, okay." The mirth was clear in Sarah Jane's voice. "So what play were they using, and how did they intend to use a play to bring more of them there?"
"I think it was called 'Love Labour's Won?', anyway… they were using the power of words, hence Shakespeare." Sarah Jane hummed in reply. "Anyway, all copies of the play got sucked up in this whirl wind which sucked all the witches up and locked them in a crystal ball." She paused for a moment. "That sounds mad."
"You'll need to get used to that. It's only going to get madder from here on out." Sarah Jane replied wisely.
"Yeah but the Doctor just placed the crystal ball in like a chest, like that is totally normal behaviour." She giggled.
"It is for him."
"Anyway, we actually got to see one of Shakespeare's plays before that started. It was amazing." She reminisced. "It's a shame we didn't get to see any of his lost play."
"Love's Labour's Lost? It was real then?" Sarah Jane suddenly became inquisitive. "So, was it a sequel or a completely new play? Or just a play under a different title?"
"Under a different title? What do you mean?"
"Well it's been argued that it was an alternative title for Much Ado about Nothing, which has also been called Benedick and Beatrice." Sarah Jane explained.
"Wow, I didn't know that." She ran a hand through her hair. "Anyway, it was a sequel. But its forever lost so I have no idea what it's about." Sighing as her fingers got stuck in a knot in her curls. "It's so cool learning all these secrets lost to history."
"That was one of my favourite things about visiting the past."
"Right." She grinned. "I can't wait to see what else we find out."
"So where are you going next?"
"Oh!" She squealed with excitement. "Another planet, it's called New Earth."
"New Earth?"
"Yeah, humans in the future are really nostalgic." She shrugged. "We'll be visiting New New York which will be interesting." Her mind flashed to how Martha will end up kidnapped and then proceed to play hide and seek with giant crabs.
"You'll have to tell me about it." Sarah Jane said. "I remember my first planet, it was Parakon where Jeremy and I were kidnapped by Naglons who wanted to hypnotise humans to do their bidding. The Doctor and the Brigadier ended up saving us." Sarah Jane paused letting out a short laugh. "I ended up running into dinosaurs in 1970s London soon after that adventure."
"Wow, lots of questions just sprang to mind." She bit her lip in thought. "First one, whose Jeremy?"
"Oh," Sarah Jane sighed, leaking frustration somehow through the puff of air. "Jeremy Fitzoliver, he's a photographer for the Metropolitan. I got stuck with him because of my editor, he's never been well liked. It's well known he only got the job since his uncle Teddy is a shareholder of the magazine."
"How did he end up travelling with you then?" She asked in puzzlement.
Sarah Jane snorted. "The Doctor asked him to take his toolbox and then forgot that he was following him and the Brigadier into the Tardis."
"He really seems to kidnap most of his companions, doesn't he?" She giggled.
"It seems that way."
"That's how he started, you know." She said absentmindedly as she took out everything in her wash bag.
"Huh?" Sarah Jane asked.
"When he left Gallifrey with his granddaughter, they landed in a scrap yard I think and Susan decided to try out a school nearby while the Doctor fixed the Tardis. It was Coal Hill School where she met the teachers Ian Chesterton and Barbara Wright, they followed her back to the Tardis where the Doctor kidnapped them on their first trip to the past." She explained as she set out her tooth brush and paste. "He's always liked people travelling with him, much rather have an audience to show off his brilliance." She hummed running a thumb over smooth surface of her perfume. "It's less lonely too, he's lost so much and hates endings. He's always been running from something, whether that be losing the precious time with his friends and companions who don't have as much as he does."
"Really?" Sarah Jane sighed, making her awaken from her own words and blink in surprise. "I never knew. He never likes to talk about himself or his past. It must be really strange for him to have a companion who knows so much about him, so much can go unsaid. But you'd still understand more than any of us."
She wilted for a moment, suddenly feeling weighted. She'd said too much, voiced too many of her own thoughts. Let someone know the depth of her knowledge. Crap. And she'd made Sarah Jane feel bad. "Not really, there's so much more than any of us know." She backtracked. "Anyway, I need to take a shower and then make some food for everyone." She cleared her throat awkwardly.
"Right, tell me how New New York goes and call when Luke's back because I know he'll be really interested in everything you have to say." Sarah Jane replied.
"Okay." She agreed. "Talk to you soon, bye!"
"Bye, have fun."
She hung up the phone, and looked down at the screen before setting it on the counter. Taking off her clothes and launching them into the laundry basket by the door she took her everything she needed into the shower. It took surprisingly little time to figure out how to start the shower which was perplexing. She couldn't turn the heat up or down at home, which isn't to say she's dumb with everything just that it appeared to be stuck though Jen never had a problem with it.
Humming she went about her shower routine singing to herself, time passing quickly by and she felt refreshed by the second. The water was at a perfect temperature and she couldn't help dancing as she washed her body. "What are ya doin'? What do ya say? I wouldn't hear it, any other way." She sang nodding her head. "Any other waaaayyy." She swayed to the side enjoying the water cascading down. "She wouldn't say, how ya were feelin'. Nary a whisper, nothin' to chipper." She ran her hand through her hair massaging the conditioner out of her hair. "Why wouldn't you confess, save us all from this big mess. What are ya doin'? what do ya say? I wouldn't hear it, any other waaayyy." Humming she made doubly sure that she'd rinsed it all out before shutting off the water and wrapping her hair in a towel.
Going through moisturising her body, the products for her loose curls and washing her face she finally felt human once again. She shifted herself into a pair of tights and put a floral chiffon peasant sleeve dress on along with her only jean jacket which had huge pockets inside. Inside went the usual items that made her always over prepared. A small umbrella, two masks, lip-gloss, two cereal bars, a phone from this universe, mini perfume, a handkerchief, anti-bacteria gel and a half empty packet of rhubarb and custard sweets. She had a sweet tooth, okay? Then using the mirror in the bathroom as there were none in the bedroom she quickly used eye liner and eyebrow filler before placing her rings back on her fingers and choosing the diamond pendant that had been passed down to her from a family member many years ago that she had inherited once she graduated. She tucked it behind the fabric of her dress not wanting it to snag on something or get lost while they would no doubt be running at some point. All ready she exited the room and made her way down the corridors until she reached the kitchen the Doctor had pointed out.
Her head poked through the doorway and she noticed it was empty. "What to make…" She asked herself as she looked around the kitchen entranced with how it looked. Pushing the sleeves of her jean jacket up she set about opening cupboards to see what was available.
~ oOo ~
"There you are." The Doctor looked up from where he stood.
"I made sandwiches!" She sang and showed them both the plate as she walked down the stairs.
"Oh!" Martha cried jumping off the seat and making her way over. "What's inside?"
"There wasn't much to work with." She sent a scowl over at the Doctor. Really did he not eat or something? She didn't expect Rose Tyler would have cooked in the Tardis, seeing how she didn't even wash her own clothes and the show only mentioned Jackie cooking. But didn't he know how to make omelettes at some point? "We've got cheese and onion chutney or tomato and cheese."
"Brill." Martha cheered as she looked eagerly at the plate.
"I forgot to ask about any dietary requirements, like is there anything you won't or can't eat?" She looked at them both as the Doctor finally decided take an interest in what she'd made.
"Oh, I'm a vegetarian." Martha spoke up as she eyed the cut-up sandwiches. She let out a breath of relief that she managed to make two vegetarian options. That also explained how Martha had been eating last night when they were at The Elephant tavern on Borough High Street having dinner.
"Okay, great." She nodded. "Any allergies?"
"Nope." Martha said grabbing a tomato and cheese.
She grinned as the other woman snatched up two more. "What about you?" She turned her attention to the Doctor.
He blinked in surprise from where he was bending and sniffing the sandwiches. Brown eyes looked up at her from the step above. "What?"
"Is there anything food I should stay clear of?"
"Pears." He said immediately, his face scrunching up with distaste.
"That's it?" She grinned.
Scratching one of his sideburns, he hummed and went for the cheese and onion chutney. "Should be all good, I'll just go with you when we go shopping to restock later." He shrugged as he bit into it.
Smiling she finally picked up her own cheese and onion chutney, delighted in knowing more about these two and taking pride in the noises they made as they chewed. They made quick work of the plate and the Doctor took it before she could return to the corridors, placing it underneath the console in a box. "I'm going to wash that later." She told him with a raised eyebrow. He sent her a smirk of amusement as she turned to exchange a look with Martha.
"Thanks, Lena."
She smiled at the gratitude feeling warm inside. "No problemo, who knows when we would have eaten if I hadn't spoken up." She shrugged, giddiness making her feel as light as a feather.
"Yeah, I haven't been eating much lately due to working in the hospital." Martha admitted.
"Well I'm definitely going to take the time to fatten you up." She laughed. "I love making food for people!"
"So…" The Doctor suddenly spoke up drawing her attention. He rocked on his feet and fiddled with something on the console before his eyes darted back over to them. "Just one trip." He spoke up gaining Martha's attention, her own lips tugged up in amusement. "That's what I said." He nodded to himself as Martha raised an eyebrow. "One trip in the Tardis, and then home… Although I suppose we could stretch the definition." Martha began to smile too, realizing the Doctor's intentions. "Take one trip into the past, one trip into the future. How do you fancy that?" He looked at Martha eagerly.
Martha grinned in excitement. "No complaints from me."
She leaned over and nudged Martha's arm giving her a smirk when brown eyes looked down at her. "Who could say no to that." She laughed. "It's not like you'll lose time on your exams either." She sent a wink over to Martha who grinned behind her hand finishing off her sandwich.
"How about a different planet?" The Doctor drew their attention back to him.
"Yes!" She clapped her hands together and jumped in excitement, bouncing over to the console and closer to the Doctor. He looked down and delight lit his face at her obvious enthusiasm.
"Can we go to yours?" Martha stepped closer and the mood plummeted. Pain leaked through his expression and his quickly stepped around the console to get out of sight. Her heart gripped itself at his pain.
"Martha…" She whispered trying to get the other woman's attention.
"Ah." The Doctor sighed from out of sight when it looked like Martha was waiting for an answer from him. "There's plenty of other places."
"Come on, though." Martha lit up smiling and not registering how he kept backing away. "I mean, planet of the Time Lords. That's got to be worth a look. What's it like?"
"Well, its beautiful." He sighed. "Yeah."
"Is it like, you know," Martha's eye glazed over her imagination going wild. "Outer space cities, all spires and stuff?"
"I suppose it is." He agreed.
"Great big temples and cathedrals!" Martha grinned.
"Yeah." His eyes spaced out reminiscing. Her heart clenched wanting to go over there and comfort him.
"Lots of planets in the sky?" Martha carried on, looking at him eagerly.
"The sky's a burnt orange, with the Citadel enclosed in a mighty glass dome, shining under the twin suns." He told them, painting a beautiful picture. "Beyond that, the mountains go on forever. Slopes of deep red grass, capped with snow." She pictured it, those tall snow-capped mountains with red grass swaying in the wind, gorgeous sunlight from the two suns making the silver leaves of the trees twinkle.
"Can we go there?" Martha's eyes sparkled with excitement, her own breath came out uneasily and her heart squeezed in pain.
"Nah." The Doctor came out from wherever his mind had gone shaking his head and turning away from them so they couldn't see his face. "Where's the fun for me? I don't want to go home. Instead, this is much better." She watched him bounce around the console setting coordinates for a different destination. "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." He pulled a leaver and showed them a scrunched-up face. "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 New New York." Wow how could he keep up just repeating himself? "One of the most dazzling cities ever built." The Tardis stopped shaking and he strolled over to the door. "Coming?" He grinned at them.
"Of course." She smirked, he opened the door for all of them and immediately them noticed they were in a narrow alleyway and it was pouring down with rain outside.
"Oh, that's nice." Martha rolled her eyes. "Time Lord version of dazzling."
"I'm sensing sarcasm." She giggled as she remerged around her pockets and drew out her umbrella.
"Nah, bit of rain never hurt anyone." He stepped out and looked around inquisitively. "Come on, let's get under cover!" He pointed them towards a bit of shelter. Martha immediately followed but she waited until her umbrella was up before stepping outside and closing the Tardis door behind herself, she couldn't help giving it a pat of gratitude.
"Oh nice." Martha noticed her umbrella giving her a smile. "Good thinking."
"Always prepared for the weather." She shrugged in amusement, seeing the Doctor looking at the umbrella with a ludicrous expression.
"Did you know this was going to happen?" He asked her.
She twirled the umbrella between her fingers. "You never know where or when the rain will strike." She answered, not letting him know that she'd totally forgotten that this episode featured rain.
"I'm going to be soaked." Martha complained, touching her straightened hair.
"I'd let you share, but I can only just fit myself under here." She admitted, at least it wasn't windy as well otherwise her damp curls would be flying into her face.
"Well, it looks like the same old Earth to me, on a Wednesday afternoon." Martha looked around underneath the shelter.
"What's this?" She looked at the monitor on one of the walls, her head bent to the side as she stared at it.
"Hold on, hold on." The Doctor bounced over to her and ran his eyes over it for a moment. "Let's have a look." He used his sonic screwdriver to get a monitor working.
The monitor suddenly sprang to life. "And the driving should be clear and easy, with fifteen extra lanes open for the New New Jersey expressway." A picture appeared of a high-tech city and flying cars as the woman spoke.
"That's New Jersey?" She watched the screen in amazement.
"Oh, that's more like it." The Doctor said smiling at the screen. "That's the view we had last time." He hummed and looked back at the alley. "This must be the lower levels, down in the base of the tower. Some sort of under-city."
"You've brought us to the slums?"
"Well he couldn't have a repeat experience in glitzy city life, could he?" She shrugged and rolled her eyes as Martha raised eyebrows looked in her direction for her agreement.
"Much more interesting." The Doctor agreed not noticing the sarcasm. "It's all cocktails and glitter up there. This is the real city."
"Glitter and cocktails sound's exciting." She admitted.
"You'd enjoy anything." Martha told the Doctor, before cocking her head in Marlene's direction. "But the cocktails do sound like fun."
"That's me." The Doctor agreed. "Ah, the rain's stopping. Better and better." He noticed, causing the two women to look up at the sky and notice the same thing.
"When you say last time, was that you and Rose?" Martha asked him as Lena put her umbrella down and gave it a shake.
"Er… yeah." He nodded. "Yeah, it was, yeah."
"You're taking us to the same planets that you took her?" Martha frowned at him in disappointment.
"What's wrong with that?" He asked confused.
"Nothing." Martha huffed. "Just ever heard the word rebound?" Before either of the two others could reply a sudden rattling noise broke the quiet.
"Oh! You should have said. How long you been there?" A man popped up behind a stall grinning at them. "Happy. You want Happy." He told them.
More hatches open. The next two are women. "Customers. Customers! We've got customers!" Pharmacist number two clapped their hands.
"We're in business. Mother, open up the Mellow, and the Read." Excited voices started overlapping each other to gain their attention.
"Happy, Happy, lovely happy Happy!" The first man continued to cry.
"Anger. Buy some Anger!"
"Get some Mellow. Makes you feel all bendy and soft all day long."
"Don't go to them." The first man shouted. "They'll rip you off. Do you want some happy?" He continued to question them pointing at whatever he was selling.
"No thanks." The Doctor said gazing curiously around the stalls.
"Are they selling drugs?" Martha asked, frowning at the frenzied sellers.
The Doctor sighed. "I think they're selling moods."
"Same thing, isn't it?" Martha eyed the sellers warily.
"Definitely." She agreed.
More people start to enter the area, listless and dressed in rags. "Over here, sweetheart! That's it, come on, I'll get you first!" She turned her head to see the seller addressing a young girl.
"Oi! Oi, you!" The first man pointed at someone in the small crowd of people. "Over here! Over here! Buy some Happy!" He insisted.
"Come over here, yeah." The young girl made her way dejectedly towards the seller. "And what can I get you, my love?"
"I want to buy Forget."
Marlene couldn't help but flinch backwards at the words. There was so much that she wanted to be able to remember, especially now separated from her family and unable to form new memories with them that the concept of wanting to make herself forget felt like the furthest thing she would ever want.
"I've got Forget, my darling. What strength? How much do you want forgetting?"
"It's my mother and father. They went on the motorway."
"The motorway?" She repeated to herself as her mind spun trying to find the memories of what this episode was about.
"Oh, that's a swine. Try this. Forget Forty-three. That's two credits." The girl handed over the money and picked up the patch that read Forget 43 on the front.
"Sorry, but hold on a minute. What happened to your parents?" The Doctor interrupted.
"They drove off." The girl blinked up at him.
"Yeah, but they might drive back." He reasoned.
"Everyone goes to the motorway in the end. I've lost them." The girl sighed sadly as she fiddled with the patch in her hands.
"Lost them?" What? What did that mean?
"But they can't have gone far. You could find them." The Doctor reassured her.
"Trust me, wait a day. Just one day and then if you decide you still want to use it do, but just wait one day!" She pleaded with the woman.
"I can't." The woman shook her head.
"No! No, no, don't." The Doctor reached out a hand to stop the girl.
But unfortunately, she was too quick and stuck the Forget 43 patch onto her neck. "I'm sorry, what were you saying?" Instantly her posture changed and a blissed-out expression lightened the once withdrawn face.
All three of them stared in shock at the instant effects. "Your parents." The Doctor explained slowly. "Your mother and father. They're on the motorway."
"Are they? That's nice. I'm sorry, I won't keep you." She blinked, horror filling her as the girl walked away.
"So that's the human race five billion years in the future. Off their heads on chemicals." Martha scoffed.
"I remember…" She gasped, eyes wide she reached out and dragged Martha and the Doctor back down the alleyway.
"What?" She heard the Doctor question as they rounded a corner.
"Is there a map we can use?" She turned to him as she continued dragging them forwards. "We really need to get to that auditorium parliament place they have in the city. It's really important." She hurried them along, her mind turning as she thought over the episode.
"You mean the Senate?"
"What's going on?"
She blinked and looked over to Martha who looked at them in puzzlement. "Oh yeah, I should probably explain." She looked back at the Doctor who flashed his sonic screwdriver at one of the monitors on the wall, static filled the screen for a second before a map of the city flashed into view. "Brilliant!" She beamed over at him as her eyes traced over the map, tracking the pathway they'd need to take. Nodding she tightened her grip on their hands and led them off.
"What do you need to explain?"
"You're going to tell her?" The Doctor asked, concern laced his eyes. He was most likely thinking of how humans would react to her 'foreknowledge'. Oh well, since Martha was going to be a companion for a while it would be best to explain rather than have her completely in the dark.
"Yep." She let go of their hands after noticing they were now following her. "Backstory time. I'll keep it simple." She nodded to herself. "I'm from another universe, where that Earth had a bit of an inside scope on this one in the form of a television series. Basically, we watched episodes of some of the Doctor's adventures, so I know a quite a bit about his future."
Martha frowned as she tried to wrap her head around it. "So, you know the future? You know everything that's going to happen?"
"Hmm… not really." She shook her head. "We're currently in series three, the last series I watched was eleven I think? There was a series twelve but I hadn't found the time to catch up on that and there was going to be a shorter series thirteen starting in like two months, but I completely missed that." She saw two befuddled brown eyes staring down at her. "Right off topic…" She breathed out and reset herself. "I don't know the future because I am a part of this universe, I have a terrible memory and there's going to be trips which were never featured on the show. Capishe?"
"I understood a little of that." Martha nodded and scratched her head.
"Really?" The Doctor grinned at Martha impressed. "It made sense to me."
Martha rolled her eyes in reply. "How did you get here then?" Martha turned her head back to look at her.
"No idea." She shrugged, narrowing her eyes at the pathway in front of them as the streets became more open and cleaner. "Can't wait to find out." Her mind flashed back to that day, the pains she'd been having, the blankness of the in-between and then the unforgiving floor of the Torchwood building. She had no idea why she'd been pulled through the void, why it had happened. "Anyway." She shook her head to get rid of the encroaching depressive thoughts that threatened to consume her.
"Anyway?" Martha questioned.
"This is an episode I remember quite well, and it's definitely best for all involved if we get it sorted sooner." She recalled the crabs at the bottom of the motorway and the poor people who went to the bottom lane. "The sooner we get to the senate the quicker those people can be free."
"Free?" The Doctor suddenly spoke, she looked up at him to see hard brown eyes staring down at her unnervingly.
"Some of them have been trapped there for years, there's like thousands of them permanently driving in the motorway." She explained. "Basically, what I can remember there was a drug kind of like the one in the movie Serenity." She quickly drew the comparison, while Martha looked confused the Doctor nodded in acknowledgement.
"Shame how they cancelled Firefly." He sighed, a pout forming at his lips. "Leela enjoyed it." She looked over at him in surprise as he mentioned a past companion.
"Yeah." She nodded still astonished.
"Leela?" Martha questioned at her side, the question was practically whispered and remembering how he reacted to talking about Gallifrey she gathered he might not want to explain past companions at that very moment. So, she decided against answering Martha and just continuing her explanation of the present slash past events of this planet.
She cleared her thought. "So, there was a drug which kind of blissed them out and I think they all just forgot to live, so they all died." She finished anticlimactically. The Doctor's face hardened and he looked back the way they'd come with a glare. Yet he kept striding forwards with both of them. "But I might be getting those plots mixed up, we'll have to get the proper story when we reach the senate." They reached a gate and the Doctor used the sonic to buzz them through, once the gates opened they stopped and stared at the sleeker buildings. They were definitely no longer in the slums.
"What?" Martha breathed out and looked around them in puzzlement. "Is that why this place is deserted?" The Doctor's eyes took on a sharper gleam, she could practically see his mind whirling to life behind those brown orbs.
"Yep. I think the planet was put under quarantine." She shuddered as she spoke the word, hugging herself as she continued onwards. They reached a set of stairs that the sun was shining down on. "The motorway is locked up and anyone who enters it can't leave. They're on this continuous loop, never able to exit."
"That's why that woman wanted to forget." Martha looked at her in realization.
"Yeah, and that's what we're here to fix."
"But you want to get them out sooner…" The Doctor muttered looking at her warily. "Why?"
"So, there's this bottom layer of the motorway. It's really polluted." She started explaining. "Only cars with three passengers or more can access it. But its home to these large crabs, I think they're called M-"
"Macra." The Doctor sighed interrupting her, a hand reached up and went through his hair. "What are they planning?"
"Sorry, wait a moment." Martha held a hand up as they paused on the stairs. "What are Macra?"
"Large man-eating crabs basically."
The Doctor huffed in amusement. "They're a gigantic crustacean race that feeds on poisonous gases, the filthier the better. I've ran into them before, they're the scourge of this galaxy. Billions of years ago the built up a small empire using humans as slaves and mining gas for food. What are they doing here?" They continued up the stairs looking around the quiet city.
"I believe they've devolved, they're just sort of feeding on passengers and the gases of the cars." She shrugged.
"So, their evolution has taken a turn due to their circumstances." The Doctor nodded along. "But they're still hungry."
They reached the top and stared at the beautiful building shining in the sunlight. A gentle breeze swept from the wide-open street. "Wow." She looked around in awe, it was like the stereotypical future come to life. Modern and minimalist, clean lines and human planted vegetation. Hover cars dotted the streets, hooked up to ports alongside a couple of other transports which she couldn't recognise. But as beautiful as it was, it was empty. Completely abandoned and creepy.
"Where is everyone?" Martha looked around the street.
"Let's go get some answers." The Doctor strode off in one direction.
She pinched the bridge of her nose, already feeling a headache forming. "Wrong way." She called before turning in the direction she remembered, even seeing a street sign pointing that way. She heard Martha let out a laugh before two sets of feet followed after her.
"Right, I knew that." She heard the Doctor mutter as he came up beside her.
"Keep telling yourself that." She rolled her eyes and continued onwards.
~ oOo ~
The Doctor led the way inside, pushing the door open and holding it for Martha and herself. "Thanks." She smiled up at him as she gazed around the lobby. Instantly she saw a figure walk around a corner looking down at something. She couldn't help the gasp of amazement at the cat nun. Like wow, all that fur and those whiskers.
Her gasp made the cat nun look up. "You're here." The cat nun blinked in surprise as we all looked at one another.
"Oh." Martha blinked as the cat nun hurried over to them, recovering quickly enough and disregarding the device strapped to their wrist. "Doctor, you've got to come with me!"
"Do I know you?" The Doctor narrowed his eyes in confusion.
"You haven't aged at all. Time has been less kind to me."
"Novice Hame!" His eyes widened amazement as realisation hit him, before his head jerked backwards and his eyes tightened. "No, hold on, get off. Last time we met, you were breeding humans for experimentation." He stepped in front of Martha and herself, looking at Hame with suspicion.
"Breeding humans?" Martha questioned as she frowned at Novice Hame.
"I've sought forgiveness, Doctor." Hame shifted where they stood, ignoring Martha's question. "For so many years, under his guidance." Eyes shifted further into the building. "And if you come with me, I might finally be able to redeem myself." She softly encouraged him, exhaustion was plain to see in the face and figure.
"That was the plan. Lead the way." She gestured them vaguely forwards, not waiting for the Doctor to continue his protests.
"Thank you." Hame looked at the group of them before pointing in the direction of one of the doors. "This way."
"Breeding humans?" Martha leaned her head closer to her in question.
"The last time he was here, they were making test subjects in order to cure the humans living on the planet." She explained. "But they didn't see those test subjects as alive until the Doctor arrived and caused a bit of chaos." Rolling her eyes, she looked over at Martha to see that she was now scowling over at Hame.
"That goes against the medical code of ethics." Martha's walk became a stride as she quickly followed the other two.
"If this is the Senate of New New York, I'd like a word." The Doctor took a threatening step forwards, towering over Hame. "I've been told that there are thousands of people trapped on the motorway."
"Millions." Hame Sighed, sadness making her expression fall further. "You're inside the Senate, right now. May the goddess Santori bless them." They walked into a room to find it populated by skeletons. "They died, Doctor. The city died."
"How long's it been like this?" The Doctor asked as they all looked around in horror at the amount of dead people just sitting in the room.
"Twenty-four years." Hame explained.
"All of them? Everyone?" He bent down and took a closer look at one of the skeletons. "What exactly happened?"
"A new chemical. A new mood. They called it Bliss. Everyone tried it. They couldn't stop. A virus mutated inside the compound and became airborne. Everything perished." Hame looked sadly down at the skeleton the Doctor was examining. "Even the virus, in the end. It killed the world in seven minutes flat. There was just enough time to close down the walkways and the flyovers, sealing off the under-city. Those people on the motorway aren't lost, Doctor. They were saved."
"So, the whole thing down there is running on automatic." His eyes looked around the room once more, searching for where Hame was leading them to.
"There's not enough power to get them out. We did all we could to stop the system from choking." Hame shook their head in sorrow.
"Who's we? How did you survive?" He questioned.
"He protected me. And he has waited for you, these long years."
'Doctor.' The word flew into her mind and echoed, causing her to stumble on her feet with dizziness.
The Doctor had no such reaction. He flew across the room towards a great glass container with a massive ancient head inside with wires surrounding it. "The Face of Boe!" Martha and herself followed behind him with Hame taking up the rear.
"Oh." She winced. "I knew I was forgetting something." She bit her lip and looked awkwardly to the side catching her Doctor's frown as they stopped beside him. "What are you looking at me for?"
"Didn't you know this?"
"Well excuse me. I never took the time to memorise your life." She huffed.
"Yet you watched it."
"Hey! This brain is a sieve unless it's nerd related!" She poked a finger at the side of her head. "Which I admit the show does fall under… but I don't go and memorise what I watch." She looked away annoyed but also flustered when she recalled the only lines she knew by heart were 'I like bananas, bananas are good.'. Embarrassment flooded her, fuck it was a good line though.
'I knew you both would come.' The Face of Boe chuckled. 'And you even found your own way here, because of Lenny I presume.'
"It's Marlene or Lena." She frowned at the Face of Boe who merely chucked in reply. "Why are the both of you here?" She looked between Boe and Hame, seeing everyone's confused expressions she expanded on her question. "In this building I mean…" She gestured around them, her arms flying outwards.
"Back in the old days, I was made his nurse as penance for my sin." Hame explained, looking down at their hands. "The Senate hoards what is left of the city's power in order to keep the Face of Boe alive so we have been living here."
"Who is he?" Martha blinked dumbly at the giant head.
"I don't even know. Legend says the Face of Boe has lived for billions of years." The Doctor shrugged before turning back to Boe. "Old friend, what happened to you?"
'Failing.'
"He protected me from the virus by shrouding me in his smoke. But with no one to maintain it, the City's power died. The under-city would have fallen into the sea." Hame smiled at Boe.
"So, he saved them." The Doctor grinned proudly, looking at Boe with admiration.
"The Face of Boe wired himself into the mainframe. He's giving his life force just to keep things running." Hame stepped up to the jar and lay a paw on the glass.
"But there are planets out there. You could have called for help." The Doctor frowned.
"The last act of the Senate was to declare New Earth unsafe." Hame explained. "The automatic quarantine lasts for one hundred years." She flinched at the word, automatically curling in on herself while her eyes darted around.
"So, the two of you stayed here, on your own for all these years?"
"We had no choice." Hame smiled sadly.
"Yes, you did." The Doctor smiled.
'Save them, Doctor. Save them.' The Face of Boe pleaded with him.
The Doctor rushed over to the mass of technology that was plugged into Boe and the Senate building, pressing buttons and tapping screens before either Martha or herself could blink, glasses perched back on his nose. "Novice Hame, hold that in place." He pointed at a lever.
"Anything we can do?" She ran over to him, Martha on her heels.
"Yes, hold this button down." He pointed at one on a panel of switches. Her fingers instantly reached out and pressed it.
"Martha come over here!" Martha and the Doctor ran over to the other side of the screen and he told Martha something to fast for her to comprehend and he whizzed back to his previous spot. "Think, think, think, think. Take the residual energy, invert it, feed it through the electricity grid."
"There isn't enough power." Hame shook their head.
"We can't give up now!" She argued.
"Oh, you've got power." The Doctor looked away from the screen and over at the three of them with a grin. "You've got me. I'm brilliant with computers, just you watch. Hame, every switch on that bank up to maximum. I can't power up the city, but all the city need's is people. Lena press switch on the two buttons to your left." She blinked and did as she was told, trusting his knowledge. "Martha turn every dial up to maximum!"
"Right!" Martha replied getting busy.
"So, what are you going to do?" Hame asked.
"This!" The Doctor explained as he threw a big switch and suddenly the lights went out. "No, no, no, no, no, no, no." He examined the computer, shouting in protest. "The transformers are blocked. The signal can't get through." He dived down to the wires around their feet, investigating and examining every single one.
"What do we do?" Martha leaned around the panel to look at the Doctor.
'Doctor.'
"Yeah, hold on, not now."
'I give you my last.'
As Boe breathed out the power came back to the computer. "Hame, Martha, look after him!" The Doctor pointed over at Boe and then began typing furiously while eyes darted across the quickly moving screen. "Don't you go dying on me, you big old face. You've got to see this. The open road. Ha! Lena let go of the first button and press the three directly above your head." She looked up curiously, letting her finger stop pressuring the button and touched the ones the Doctor must have meant. As she did that the Doctor hit a number of things on the computer until his face appeared on it and he pressed record. "Sorry, no holograms today. My name's the Doctor. And this is an order! Everyone drive up. Right now. I've opened the roof of the motorway. Come on! Throttle those engines. Drive up. All of you. The whole under-city. Drive up, drive up, drive up! Fast! We've got to clear that fast lane. Drive up and get out of the way. Drive up! You've got access above. Now go! All the way up. Because it's here, just waiting for you. The city of New New York, and it's yours."
"Get up here now." She stepped up next to the Doctor, putting on the face and voice that got the children in schools to listen to her.
"Doctor!" A big crackling drew their attention away from the screen and over to the others as they saw the cracks spreading across the glass of Boe's tank, suddenly Boe falls out of his jar and onto the floor right next to where Hame and Martha were previously tending to the Face of Boe.
"Oh!" She breathed as Boe slid across the floor and fell slightly backwards amongst the broken glass and liquid that had leaked out.
"What's happening?" Martha gasped.
"My lord gave his life to save the city, and now he's dying." Hame shook with despair.
"No, don't say that. Not old Boe. Plenty of life left." She was reminded of how much he didn't like endings at that moment.
"It's good to breathe the air once more." For once the words came out of Boe's mouth, the great Face of Boe sighed.
"You can't give up now." The Doctor shook his head and looked desperately at the Face of Boe.
"Everything has its time. You know that, old friend, better than most." Rasped the Face of Boe.
"The legend says more." Hame pointed out crouching down next to the Face of Boe, smiling at him.
"Don't." The Doctor reeled backwards and practically glared at Hame. "There's no need for that."
"It says that the Face of Boe will speak his final secret to a traveller." Hame continued, ignoring his warning.
"Yeah, but not yet." The Doctor pleaded, he turned his attention back to the Face of Boe with a sad smile. "Who needs secrets, eh?"
"I have seen so much. Perhaps too much. I am the last of my kind, as you are the last of yours, Doctor." She gulped knowing this not to be true.
"That's why we have to survive. Both of us. Don't go!"
"I must." The Face of Boe breathed out. "But know this, Time Lord. You are not alone." Boe breathed out for the last time and closed his eyes, slumping where he lay. Sudden weeping filled the space, and she blinked back her own silent tears to see Hame curled in on themselves.
~ oOo ~
Author Note: I've updated! Le gasp! Ha ha. Sorry this was so late, I got accepted on my PGCE course and then when I was on the second placement I ended up becoming depressed again because of the situation there which then sucked out all my inspiration to write for fun. I'm not going to promise when the next update will be, I'll need the extra time to make sure the next chapter is as good as possible. I really hope you enjoyed this one and how I deviated from the plot of the episode, along with Marlene finally explaining her situation to Martha. Hopefully you can see Martha reacting this way.
I wish everyone a belated happy new year! I hope you enjoyed the chapter, leave a review and hopefully I'll update soon! If you follow any of my other stories take a look at my profile and you'll see the update schedule for this month.
Lastly,I just wanted to let everyone know that I've made a Ko-fi page, where you can support me for £3 if you want to. Ko-fi is an easy way to help me out and its sort of like giving me a tip(or paying for a coffee, hence the name). The link is in my profile if you'd like to donate, you don't have to but I'd really appreciate it