Nightmares - Coda
Title: Nightmares - Coda
Author: katherine_b
Rating: G
Summary: The Doctor’s nightmare might just come true.
Word Count: 1385 words
Characters: Martha Jones, the Doctor and completely unexpected Jack.
A/N: Written for juliet316 as part of my current Timestamp meme, who asked for ‘An inbetween scene during Chapter 8 of Nightmares where Jack overhears Martha and the Doctor's conversation and invites himself along on that NYC shopping trip. :-)’
“Doctor Jones,” Martha says briskly into the handset as she answers her phone.
“Martha, listen,” a voice says briskly, and she can’t quite help the grin that streaks across her face at the sound of his voice, “I need you to do something for me.”
“Is something wrong, Doctor?” Martha demands, getting out of her chair and crossing to the window of her New York office, which looks out over Central Park. She always finds it easier to solve problems when she’s staring out at this peaceful vista, and from the sound of the Doctor’s voice, she knows that something is definitely looming large.
“How soon can you get to New York?”
Martha can’t help laughing at this, turning back to her computer and putting the phone on speaker so that she can lay it on her desk.
“Well, let me see.” She pretends to type something into the computer. “It’s about an eight hour flight from London to New York. Give or take. I’ll have to pack, and then there’s all that waiting about while they do all the security screening.
The voice on the other end groans audibly. “Can’t you make it any sooner?”
“You’re in a time machine, Doctor,” she points out with exaggerated patience. “What does it matter to you when I get there?”
“Fine, then when are you likely to be there?” he asks quickly, and she can hear him manipulating the controls of the TARDIS in the background.
“Actually, I can probably be there by 9am on the October 28th,” she offers in would-be helpful tones, standing up to partially close the blinds as morning sun glints off one of the nearby skyscrapers and makes her squint.
There’s a moment of silence on the other end of the phone.
“According to the TARDIS, it’s already 9am on October the 28th where you are,” the Doctor says a moment later.
“And does the TARDIS bother to tell you where that is?” she asks teasingly.
There’s a stifled groan, and she suspects the Doctor is rolling his eyes.
“You’re already there, aren’t you?” he demands.
“Yes,” she agrees.
“You’re taking the mickey.”
“Yes,” she repeats, unable to help grinning again.
“I could,” he snaps in a hurt voice, “point out the dignity due to a Time Lord.”
“Or you could just get here and we could get on with the reason you need to see me so urgently. Which is what, by the way?” she adds, curiosity striking again.
“Shopping,” he says firmly, and for a moment she thinks she’s hearing wrong.
“Shopping?”
“Shopping,” he repeats, as seriously as if he’s telling here there’s an alien threat that needs to be dealt with right now.
“A Time Lord shopping.” Martha’s tone is mocking. “What are you going to buy, Doctor - a new tie? It’s not as if you need anything else! Or has the TARDIS broken down again?”
“Hey, that’s not nice!” The Doctor’s voice carries a deep sense of hurt. “Of course the TARDIS hasn’t broken down!”
“That was the excuse you used for all the tinkering you always did,” she reminds him. “That if you didn’t keep working on her, she’d break down.”
“Yes, well.” The Doctor’s words are hurried and Martha can almost hear him making things up, but she isn’t about to call him on it. “Never mind that now,” he says at last. “The important thing is, can you come shopping? Now?”
“Who are you shopping for?” Martha demands as she sends a message to say she’s leaving the office and begins closing down the myriad of programs she has open. “I mean, why do you need my help?” A terrible idea suddenly strikes her and she hurries on before he can speak. “There’s nothing wrong with Donna, is there?”
“Nothing at all,” he replies immediately. “Well, when I say nothing, almost nothing. Nothing that time and some sleep won’t fix. But she isn’t about to nod off again, since she’s only just woken up, and - ”
“Doctor, what happened?” Martha manages to interrupt him, her doctor’s instinct suddenly flaring into life. “Are you all right?”
“I am.” There is a quaver of tension in the Time Lord’s voice that Martha picks up on at once. Clearly whatever happened affected him deeply. “But Donna - she saved me, Martha. Got me into the infirmary and looked after me for days, without worrying about herself for a minute. I know she’s hurt, but she’s not about to admit it. Not to me anyway. I want you to see if you can get anything out of her.”
“But what was it?” Martha is beginning when she suddenly decides that she doesn’t want to hear about it over the phone. Although the Doctor sounds fine, she can’t help being worried about him, and she’s definitely concerned about Donna from what the Doctor has said. “Never mind,” she tells him brusquely. “Just get yourselves here and I’ll do some detective work while we’re shopping.”
“I’m picking up the tab,” he tells her, and she can hear the whine of the TARDIS engines that means he’s leaving the vortex.
“You don’t carry money,” she reminds him impatiently.
He gives a faint chuckle. “You should know me better than that, Martha Jones. I can always make things work.”
“Yes, you can,” she agrees. “All right, I’ll see you soon. Central Park, okay?”
“See you there!”
The call cuts off and Martha scoops up her phone, sliding it into her pocket.
“So I guess you’ll be needing someone to carry all your bags then?” a voice says from the doorway, and Martha starts violently, looking up into the familiar features of Jack Harkness, who is leaning against the doorjamb, his hands deep in the pockets of his coat and a grin on his handsome face.
“Jack, the Doctor is not going to want to see you,” Martha says knowingly.
“Sure he is!” He flashes her his most charming grin. “Everyone wants to see me, Martha. I mean,” he tilts his head to one side and tries for his most charming smile, “haven’t you been missing me terribly since you headed over here?”
“Do you want me to answer that?” she snaps as she turns off her computer and picks up her bag, slinging it over her shoulder.
“Not really.” He chuckles and slides his arm through hers, leading her out of the office. “Come on then.”
“Going somewhere, Doctor Jones?” a sharp voice says suddenly from behind them.
“A call from the Doctor, General,” Martha replies at once, turning to find her commanding officer, General Sanchez, in the doorway of his office. “He needs me - if that’s all right with you, sir.”
“Of course, of course,” comes the brusque reply. “And I suppose, since Captain Jack is here, Torchwood is involved as well.”
“That’s right.” Jack grins in his friendliest manner. “I can promise we’ll have her back at her desk tomorrow morning and all in one piece, General.”
“I should hope so,” General Sanchez says grimly before returning to his office.
Martha can feel his eyes on them as Jack all but drags her down the hall and she knows there will be a grilling from the General tomorrow about her activities. She makes a mental note to ask the Doctor to make something up for her so that she won’t get into trouble for something as insignificant as shopping.
“Cheer up, Martha,” Jack says gleefully as they emerge from the darkened UNIT HQ into the bright sunlight of a late October morning. “Just think, an entire day of spending the Doctor’s money, or even days if we don’t get everything. I mean, the TARDIS can always bring you back at the right time so that you don’t miss anything important.”
“I don’t know what you’re looking forward to more,” Martha teases, deciding not to bother worrying about work until she has to. “Seeing the Doctor or spending every single dollar he’s got.”
“Little from column A,” Jack retorts, his dark eyes dancing. “Little from column B.”
“You do realize,” she reminds him again as the first sounds of the TARDIS dematerialisation sequence cuts through air, “that he really, really, really isn’t going to want to see you.”
“I know.” Jack winks at her as the blue box gradually takes shape beside them. “And that’s half the fun.”
Next Part
Author: katherine_b
Rating: G
Summary: The Doctor’s nightmare might just come true.
Word Count: 1385 words
Characters: Martha Jones, the Doctor and completely unexpected Jack.
A/N: Written for juliet316 as part of my current Timestamp meme, who asked for ‘An inbetween scene during Chapter 8 of Nightmares where Jack overhears Martha and the Doctor's conversation and invites himself along on that NYC shopping trip. :-)’
“Doctor Jones,” Martha says briskly into the handset as she answers her phone.
“Martha, listen,” a voice says briskly, and she can’t quite help the grin that streaks across her face at the sound of his voice, “I need you to do something for me.”
“Is something wrong, Doctor?” Martha demands, getting out of her chair and crossing to the window of her New York office, which looks out over Central Park. She always finds it easier to solve problems when she’s staring out at this peaceful vista, and from the sound of the Doctor’s voice, she knows that something is definitely looming large.
“How soon can you get to New York?”
Martha can’t help laughing at this, turning back to her computer and putting the phone on speaker so that she can lay it on her desk.
“Well, let me see.” She pretends to type something into the computer. “It’s about an eight hour flight from London to New York. Give or take. I’ll have to pack, and then there’s all that waiting about while they do all the security screening.
The voice on the other end groans audibly. “Can’t you make it any sooner?”
“You’re in a time machine, Doctor,” she points out with exaggerated patience. “What does it matter to you when I get there?”
“Fine, then when are you likely to be there?” he asks quickly, and she can hear him manipulating the controls of the TARDIS in the background.
“Actually, I can probably be there by 9am on the October 28th,” she offers in would-be helpful tones, standing up to partially close the blinds as morning sun glints off one of the nearby skyscrapers and makes her squint.
There’s a moment of silence on the other end of the phone.
“According to the TARDIS, it’s already 9am on October the 28th where you are,” the Doctor says a moment later.
“And does the TARDIS bother to tell you where that is?” she asks teasingly.
There’s a stifled groan, and she suspects the Doctor is rolling his eyes.
“You’re already there, aren’t you?” he demands.
“Yes,” she agrees.
“You’re taking the mickey.”
“Yes,” she repeats, unable to help grinning again.
“I could,” he snaps in a hurt voice, “point out the dignity due to a Time Lord.”
“Or you could just get here and we could get on with the reason you need to see me so urgently. Which is what, by the way?” she adds, curiosity striking again.
“Shopping,” he says firmly, and for a moment she thinks she’s hearing wrong.
“Shopping?”
“Shopping,” he repeats, as seriously as if he’s telling here there’s an alien threat that needs to be dealt with right now.
“A Time Lord shopping.” Martha’s tone is mocking. “What are you going to buy, Doctor - a new tie? It’s not as if you need anything else! Or has the TARDIS broken down again?”
“Hey, that’s not nice!” The Doctor’s voice carries a deep sense of hurt. “Of course the TARDIS hasn’t broken down!”
“That was the excuse you used for all the tinkering you always did,” she reminds him. “That if you didn’t keep working on her, she’d break down.”
“Yes, well.” The Doctor’s words are hurried and Martha can almost hear him making things up, but she isn’t about to call him on it. “Never mind that now,” he says at last. “The important thing is, can you come shopping? Now?”
“Who are you shopping for?” Martha demands as she sends a message to say she’s leaving the office and begins closing down the myriad of programs she has open. “I mean, why do you need my help?” A terrible idea suddenly strikes her and she hurries on before he can speak. “There’s nothing wrong with Donna, is there?”
“Nothing at all,” he replies immediately. “Well, when I say nothing, almost nothing. Nothing that time and some sleep won’t fix. But she isn’t about to nod off again, since she’s only just woken up, and - ”
“Doctor, what happened?” Martha manages to interrupt him, her doctor’s instinct suddenly flaring into life. “Are you all right?”
“I am.” There is a quaver of tension in the Time Lord’s voice that Martha picks up on at once. Clearly whatever happened affected him deeply. “But Donna - she saved me, Martha. Got me into the infirmary and looked after me for days, without worrying about herself for a minute. I know she’s hurt, but she’s not about to admit it. Not to me anyway. I want you to see if you can get anything out of her.”
“But what was it?” Martha is beginning when she suddenly decides that she doesn’t want to hear about it over the phone. Although the Doctor sounds fine, she can’t help being worried about him, and she’s definitely concerned about Donna from what the Doctor has said. “Never mind,” she tells him brusquely. “Just get yourselves here and I’ll do some detective work while we’re shopping.”
“I’m picking up the tab,” he tells her, and she can hear the whine of the TARDIS engines that means he’s leaving the vortex.
“You don’t carry money,” she reminds him impatiently.
He gives a faint chuckle. “You should know me better than that, Martha Jones. I can always make things work.”
“Yes, you can,” she agrees. “All right, I’ll see you soon. Central Park, okay?”
“See you there!”
The call cuts off and Martha scoops up her phone, sliding it into her pocket.
“So I guess you’ll be needing someone to carry all your bags then?” a voice says from the doorway, and Martha starts violently, looking up into the familiar features of Jack Harkness, who is leaning against the doorjamb, his hands deep in the pockets of his coat and a grin on his handsome face.
“Jack, the Doctor is not going to want to see you,” Martha says knowingly.
“Sure he is!” He flashes her his most charming grin. “Everyone wants to see me, Martha. I mean,” he tilts his head to one side and tries for his most charming smile, “haven’t you been missing me terribly since you headed over here?”
“Do you want me to answer that?” she snaps as she turns off her computer and picks up her bag, slinging it over her shoulder.
“Not really.” He chuckles and slides his arm through hers, leading her out of the office. “Come on then.”
“Going somewhere, Doctor Jones?” a sharp voice says suddenly from behind them.
“A call from the Doctor, General,” Martha replies at once, turning to find her commanding officer, General Sanchez, in the doorway of his office. “He needs me - if that’s all right with you, sir.”
“Of course, of course,” comes the brusque reply. “And I suppose, since Captain Jack is here, Torchwood is involved as well.”
“That’s right.” Jack grins in his friendliest manner. “I can promise we’ll have her back at her desk tomorrow morning and all in one piece, General.”
“I should hope so,” General Sanchez says grimly before returning to his office.
Martha can feel his eyes on them as Jack all but drags her down the hall and she knows there will be a grilling from the General tomorrow about her activities. She makes a mental note to ask the Doctor to make something up for her so that she won’t get into trouble for something as insignificant as shopping.
“Cheer up, Martha,” Jack says gleefully as they emerge from the darkened UNIT HQ into the bright sunlight of a late October morning. “Just think, an entire day of spending the Doctor’s money, or even days if we don’t get everything. I mean, the TARDIS can always bring you back at the right time so that you don’t miss anything important.”
“I don’t know what you’re looking forward to more,” Martha teases, deciding not to bother worrying about work until she has to. “Seeing the Doctor or spending every single dollar he’s got.”
“Little from column A,” Jack retorts, his dark eyes dancing. “Little from column B.”
“You do realize,” she reminds him again as the first sounds of the TARDIS dematerialisation sequence cuts through air, “that he really, really, really isn’t going to want to see you.”
“I know.” Jack winks at her as the blue box gradually takes shape beside them. “And that’s half the fun.”
Next Part