The Idea of Order: 013 Tomorrow
Pairing: Ten/Martha
Setting: AU, post S4
Story Rating:
Table Prompt: 013 Tomorrow
A/N: These stories will be, in the main, unbeta'd. Beta-ish comments welcomed if you feel so inclined.
I'm not particularly happy with this one, but I'm plowing ahead. It may change.
Index Post & Table
Tomorrow
Francine Jones had learned two important things during that horrible year. She had learned that her children had become responsible adults, and she had learned to trust the Doctor. She reminded herself of these lessons as she shared tea with Martha and their twitchy family friend.
The Doctor was actually in much better shape than any of them had expected; after surprising him with a quick hug and a motherly kiss on the cheek, Francine had settled him on the couch with a cup of tea, an assortment of biscuits, and, at Martha’s request, an entire jar of her marmalade, which he was gleefully attacking with two fingers and sharp shards of biscuits. Martha knew that she was in for either a very dangerous adventure or a very long night-or a combination of both-when they returned to their travels.
Martha was glad to see her mum, to hear about the various trials of her day, but there wasn't much that was new to be told. After all, to Francine only one day had passed since they’d spoken, and not much had changed-she and Clive were still “dating” as they decided whether or not to patch things up, Tish was still struggling to get her PR firm off the ground, and Leo was, well, Leo.
Francine, on the other hand, knew that much was different. Martha was traveling in the TARDIS again; Francine could hear the distance of time and space in her daughter’s voice when she’d called. When Martha had broken with Tom, Francine had worried that the loss of that (even-though-ever-traveling) tether might loose her earthy moorings. When Martha told her she’d put an offer on a house, Francine had relaxed slightly-this was an indication of commitment and cultivation-but it was now clear that roots of brick and mortar wouldn’t keep her daughter’s feet planted.
So Francine already knew that they were traveling, and Martha was relieved that no explanations were necessary. There were too many things she’d never really explained to her mother, and she feared that speaking of one thing might lead to the confession of another. This is not to suggest, however, that Francine learned nothing more during this mundane yet extraordinary tea. In fact, she learned two new lessons she’d always keep in her heart.
The first lesson was in Martha’s eyes while she spoke of the supernova they’d witnessed at the edge of the collapsing Kalprah system. It was in her voice as she painted the scented air of the spice markets on Sora T’Crik (where she’d purchased a few items to contribute to the next batch of marmalade). From these, Francine knew that her daughter had waited quite some time before calling home. It pierced that after all they’d endured, Martha felt she couldn’t tell her sooner.
The tales they shared of their adventures taught the next lesson. The stories-of their rescue of the Pinkahari royal family from captivity, of the escape from a planet populated by biped walrus creatures (“the Crysek,” the Doctor supplied when Martha’s memory failed her)-conveyed little at mere hearing. The look in his eyes as he spoke of Martha’s bravery, and the look in hers when she spoke of his cleverness, might have merely been evidence of the deep trust and friendship she knew they already shared. But when she walked into the sitting room after going to the kitchen for more biscuits, she saw the look the Doctor gave Martha as he sucked the marmalade from his sticky fingers. She read the blush in Martha’s cheek when his fingers brushed her shoulder on his way to wash his hands. Francine knew that in the space between yesterday and today, things had changed between them.
She was sadly happy for them both.
She made them wait a full 15 minutes before she would allow them to leave. They’d already been there an hour, and the Doctor was twitchy from the sugar and the tea and the sitting still for so long. She could hear Martha whispering to him, wondering why he couldn’t “stand still for two minutes,” and she smiled a fond memory of the early days with Clive. As they left, she pressed a bag filled with three jars of the marmalade, a box of Martha’s favorite tea, and a tin of ginger biscuits into her daughter’s hands. She gave them each a hug and a kiss, then whispered in the Doctor’s ear, “take care of her?” He was perfectly still as he nodded and smiled.
Francine marked tea time on her calendar, and went to the shops to purchase more biscuits. Martha had promised they’d visit tomorrow.
Chronological and Vertical: To 017: Blue
Setting: AU, post S4
Story Rating:
Table Prompt: 013 Tomorrow
A/N: These stories will be, in the main, unbeta'd. Beta-ish comments welcomed if you feel so inclined.
I'm not particularly happy with this one, but I'm plowing ahead. It may change.
Index Post & Table
Tomorrow
Francine Jones had learned two important things during that horrible year. She had learned that her children had become responsible adults, and she had learned to trust the Doctor. She reminded herself of these lessons as she shared tea with Martha and their twitchy family friend.
The Doctor was actually in much better shape than any of them had expected; after surprising him with a quick hug and a motherly kiss on the cheek, Francine had settled him on the couch with a cup of tea, an assortment of biscuits, and, at Martha’s request, an entire jar of her marmalade, which he was gleefully attacking with two fingers and sharp shards of biscuits. Martha knew that she was in for either a very dangerous adventure or a very long night-or a combination of both-when they returned to their travels.
Martha was glad to see her mum, to hear about the various trials of her day, but there wasn't much that was new to be told. After all, to Francine only one day had passed since they’d spoken, and not much had changed-she and Clive were still “dating” as they decided whether or not to patch things up, Tish was still struggling to get her PR firm off the ground, and Leo was, well, Leo.
Francine, on the other hand, knew that much was different. Martha was traveling in the TARDIS again; Francine could hear the distance of time and space in her daughter’s voice when she’d called. When Martha had broken with Tom, Francine had worried that the loss of that (even-though-ever-traveling) tether might loose her earthy moorings. When Martha told her she’d put an offer on a house, Francine had relaxed slightly-this was an indication of commitment and cultivation-but it was now clear that roots of brick and mortar wouldn’t keep her daughter’s feet planted.
So Francine already knew that they were traveling, and Martha was relieved that no explanations were necessary. There were too many things she’d never really explained to her mother, and she feared that speaking of one thing might lead to the confession of another. This is not to suggest, however, that Francine learned nothing more during this mundane yet extraordinary tea. In fact, she learned two new lessons she’d always keep in her heart.
The first lesson was in Martha’s eyes while she spoke of the supernova they’d witnessed at the edge of the collapsing Kalprah system. It was in her voice as she painted the scented air of the spice markets on Sora T’Crik (where she’d purchased a few items to contribute to the next batch of marmalade). From these, Francine knew that her daughter had waited quite some time before calling home. It pierced that after all they’d endured, Martha felt she couldn’t tell her sooner.
The tales they shared of their adventures taught the next lesson. The stories-of their rescue of the Pinkahari royal family from captivity, of the escape from a planet populated by biped walrus creatures (“the Crysek,” the Doctor supplied when Martha’s memory failed her)-conveyed little at mere hearing. The look in his eyes as he spoke of Martha’s bravery, and the look in hers when she spoke of his cleverness, might have merely been evidence of the deep trust and friendship she knew they already shared. But when she walked into the sitting room after going to the kitchen for more biscuits, she saw the look the Doctor gave Martha as he sucked the marmalade from his sticky fingers. She read the blush in Martha’s cheek when his fingers brushed her shoulder on his way to wash his hands. Francine knew that in the space between yesterday and today, things had changed between them.
She was sadly happy for them both.
She made them wait a full 15 minutes before she would allow them to leave. They’d already been there an hour, and the Doctor was twitchy from the sugar and the tea and the sitting still for so long. She could hear Martha whispering to him, wondering why he couldn’t “stand still for two minutes,” and she smiled a fond memory of the early days with Clive. As they left, she pressed a bag filled with three jars of the marmalade, a box of Martha’s favorite tea, and a tin of ginger biscuits into her daughter’s hands. She gave them each a hug and a kiss, then whispered in the Doctor’s ear, “take care of her?” He was perfectly still as he nodded and smiled.
Francine marked tea time on her calendar, and went to the shops to purchase more biscuits. Martha had promised they’d visit tomorrow.
Chronological and Vertical: To 017: Blue