Fic: The Missing Year
Been a while, but here's part 2.
Title: The Missing Year part 2
Fandom: DW/TW
Pairing: Master/Martha, Jack/Ianto
Summary: Timeline jump, but the past is coming out as the story progesses.
Previous part: http://www.livejournal.com/tools/memories.bml?user=lorrabe&keyword=tmy&filter=all
The Missing Year part 2
The world had reset about a month ago now and Martha was feeling edgy, like she was just waiting for the other shoe to drop.
Everything in her world had been turned on it’s head and everything in it had changed. Then it changed again, only to change again and again. Only to return to normalcy, or at least a sham of it.
Her family denies the lives they were forced to lead until so very recently. Even to the extent where they pretend not to know the Doctor and even Jack. Despite their screams to the contrary in their nightmares, night after night.
She needs an escape and so runs to Cardiff. To spend time with Jack and his team. Her friends.
For all that they have no memory of her. Save Jack. Well, Jack and Ianto.
Ianto, her step-son. Step-son and best friend.
They have talked since the End of the World came to an end, but they are both somewhat uneasy in their return to their lives. Seeing him again will be good for her, a friend who knows and even shares her secrets.
And what secrets. She has promised herself time and again that she would come clean to Jack and the Doctor, confess her disastrous tale. Right from the moment she realised she knew that voice, the voice of the Master. The voice of her husband.
But really how would that conversation go, “Did I tell you I’m married? No? Oh, well I am. I got drunk last year, the night I got my exam results, and awoke to sobriety and matrimony in the Seychelles. He was the most adorkable hunk. Sweet and gorgeous. Oh, and did I mention completely psychotic? Well, he was. Oh, and also recently elected Prime Minister. I didn’t tell you, really? Well, I have now.”
So not going to happen.
Secrets to share or not Martha just can’t bare it.
Then again, that was one of the reassuring things about coming to Cardiff. Her friends there knew her secret. Well, most of them, even if they have forgotten. Such an awkward conversation that was.
Owen, Tosh and Gwen coming to their ‘rescue’ only to find her installed as Lady of a country manor. They told them the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth. Well, there had been some teasing from Ianto about his ‘freaky alien powers’.
Now, they cannot remember, will not remember, but it is still a comfort to Martha. They know, so her conscious is clear, yet at the same time they don’t know, so there is no awkwardness between them.
It’s refreshing, in a disturbing, twisted way.
Of course, Ianto is a reassuring presence in and of himself. They were close, and ,if Jack had any suspicions about the amount of time they spend together, a few hints about how close they were before and he backs off. After all, she didn’t lie. She never once said Ianto didn’t remember that time, just hinted that she wanted to be close to him again.
So, all in all it was good when she was in Cardiff.
Since then, she’s been back at least once a week. Running away from the stress of dealing with her family, from her disturbingly normal life. She never stays long, but she also never stays away long. Although, she freely admits it’s running, so that’s healthy-ish.
Especially this time.
She’s been sick recently, ill every day. She diagnosed her condition herself though, to her horror. She’s pregnant.
And there’s only one man who can be the father.
Which means she’s at least four months along. Shit, two months from her ‘rescue’ to the night she was captured and taken to the Valiant. Two months since the Doctor and Jack destroyed the Paradox Machine.
Two months since her husband died.
She’s furious with herself for not even noticing her obvious condition.
Then again, there’s a really good chance that her subconscious didn’t want her to know. She can’t fool herself- if she’d known, known she was having a baby, his baby, she’d never have fulfilled the Doctor’s plan. She could never have been that brave with someone else’s life.
Especially her own child.
Not that Ianto would have allowed her to either, if he’d known.
She’d probably have, no she’s sure she would have surrendered. If she’d known. She would have gone to her husband and begged for their child’s life.
He is a good father. Was. Hopefully, was. She thinks. She thinks she wants him to be dead, really dead. Maybe.
Shit, she’s going to be a single parent.
That awkward conversation with Jack and the Doctor has a whole new level of painfulness to come, “Ooh, and I’m gonna have a little psychotic dictator, too. At least it’s not gonna be illegitimate.”
That is a talk she is very eager to avoid, to put off for a very long time. Of course her new predicament, or not so new, does add something of a time limit before it all becomes blatantly obvious.
Right now she’s on her way to Cardiff, to tell Ianto. The only person in her life she can tell. Well, who she can tell and won’t then immediately have her committed.
Probably.
She gets him alone, in the kitchen, to tell him her news. Only now she’s here… “Have you told Jack yet?”
His gaze darts to the coffee-maker, the door anywhere but at Martha. “How can I tell him that? No. I, I’m just going to leave. It’s for the best.” She grasps his arm and gasps. “Not you.” He assures her, turning back to take her hands in his. “I wouldn’t leave you.”
“Don’t- at least, at least give it a while. What harm can it do?”
He meets her eyes and holds her gaze, “You do know… He’s still alive. You have to know that, right?”
She steps back, avoiding his gaze this time. “But-” She sighs and looks back at him, “No, I can’t kid I myself that I didn’t suspect as much. Do you know where he is?”
“No. Thank God.” Martha gives him a questioning look, puzzled by his comment. “If I knew- if he finds out who my boyfriend is, well I really don’t see him being supportive-”
That surprises her. “He doesn’t know?”
“It’s not really something I brought up.”
“No, I , well, I just figured… He always seems to know everything about the both of us.”
Ianto smiles and turns to finish the coffees.
Shortly after which the team are called out to deal with an unusual sighting. From which they don’t return until 11am the next morning. All exhausted and in desperate need of caffeine.
Caffeine that they don’t actually have. Well, only if you squint. They ran out of the ‘good stuff’ yesterday and Ianto hasn’t had a chance to get any more yet.
He leaves to stock up on real coffee, not even considering the possibility of touching the instant in the cupboard. He has deigned to allow Martha to use the kitchen but refuses, steadfastly, to serve such a inferior substance as instant and pass it off as coffee. He has standards.
But when Ianto gets to the coffee shop he sees his father sitting, waiting for him.
Sighing, he sits across from him.
“Ianto, my dear boy, I’m disappointed in you. I was willing to forgive Torchwood. I was even willing to let you keep whichever of the little minions you were sleeping with.” His tone is affectionate and indulgent even, for the next part as well, “But Captain Jack Harkness? That Freak and interfering moron. And worse yet, a cast off of the Doctor’s?”
Ianto sits forward, angry at the insinuation. “You’re one to talk- you only married Martha because she was the Doctor’s!”
His father laughs, “Wrong! Firstly, I had her before he did, and I only slept with her because she was his. I married her for entirely different reasons.”
Ianto gives him a funny look at that, but he already feels bad enough for bringing Martha up in the first place. For all he knew his unhinged father might have entirely forgotten about his wife. It was a distinct possibility with the Master. Instead he keeps to the original topic, his own lover. “I’m old enough to choose who I want and you can’t do anything about it.”
“I can kill him-”
Ianto laughs at that, “You have. Didn’t stop us did it?”
The Master’s eyes twinkle. “It almost makes me proud, being so confident, going against my will. Almost, but not quite. Not when it’s about that Thing.”
Ianto opens his mouth to reply, but his father leans close, voice dripping barely suppressed violence and anger and interrupts, “Don’t defy me on this, Ianto, you really won’t like the consequences.” He sits back again, flicking non-existent lint from his sleeve, his tone completely different, indulgent and affectionate again. “Now, it’s really time we get going, so I suggest you get your pregnant step-mother and we’ll be on our way.” The Master’s sharp eye caught his gasp at the word ‘pregnant’ and smirks. “Ah, she tried to hide it from you too? And here I thought you two conspired on everything together. And you wonder why I married her.”
Ianto doesn’t move. “The last time you saw her you were about to kill her. On live TV-”
“Oh, that’s sweet, you’re protecting her, I wouldn’t worry though, I was never going to kill her. She’s having my baby! Shame on you, thinking I’d kill your brother or sister. I was going to be lenient and magnanimous and forgive my erring wife.” He smiles broadly, obviously reminiscing on that moment on the Valiant, when he literally had everything, before shrugging. “It was going to be a beautifully poignant moment when I announced we were having a baby- then I’d get rid of the bad influences in her life, couldn’t have them ruining my little one.” He spares Ianto a loving and pained look, “You’re borderline as it is, can you imagine if I were to let Francine Jones interfere with my-”
Ianto has been so shocked he’s not had any idea what to say, but at that, “You were going to kill her family? Right there in front of here?”
The Master gives him an exasperated look, “Why else do you think I kept them alive so long? God, I really wanted to kill that woman. Still do. But, I’m not completely heartless,” He smiles and Ianto winces, wondering how bad this will be, “I was going to leave pretty little Leticia. We needed a new nanny. That bloody Mrs. Davies refuses to fly. Honestly, what kind of servant tells her Master where she is and isn’t willing to work. Useless humans.”
Ianto smiles, then stops himself, “Is this still about Martha not introducing you to her family?”
His father laughs and Ianto finds himself smiling again. “No. It’s about there being no one and nothing between me and what’s mine.” He sighs and meets Ianto’s eyes. “Look, either you go bring her out, or I do- which do you prefer?”
This time it’s Ianto who sighs.
He gets to his feet, but before he leaves his father tosses him a bag. The coffee he came for.
Back at the Hub, Ianto drops the coffee off, making a new batch while he’s at it. As he takes the coffee around he purposefully ends with Martha. Jack notices this because he is served first when usually he is always last, so Ianto ends by his side. Not today, though.
He watches Ianto hand Martha her drink, He leans down close and whispers something that makes her gasp and her eyes widen, but it’s when Ianto’s hand rests against her stomach that she spins to face him. Jack can’t see her expression anymore and Ianto’s face has never left it’s impassive look.
After a few minutes Ianto moves away and Martha sinks down onto the couch. Jack walks over and sits beside her, “Hey.”
She manages to return his smile, but he can tell she’s distracted.
“What was that? With Ianto?”
She smiles more genuinely, if somewhat pained. “I, ah… Did I ever tell you I’m married?” The shock shows clearly on Jack’s face and she laughs. Her good humour fleeting, passing as she continues. “It was a couple of years ago, or- anyway, I met him the night I passed my exams and he swept me off my feet and out of the country even. We were married in the Seychelles, after only a couple of weeks.”
He smiles, but he can sense a tension in her, “I take it the whirlwind romance didn’t end well?”
“It hasn’t ended.” Okay, she’s wrong footed him again.
“What?”
“Ianto bumped into him and he wants to see me.”
Jack’s completely lost now, “How did Ianto-”
Martha blushes slightly, “They’re… related. But-”
She seems so worried, “Martha, if you don’t want to see this guy-”
“It’s, I guess it’s not that. It’s just going to be… awkward. Awkward is a good word for it.” She’s nodding and sounds entirely too much like she’s trying to convince herself as much as anyone else.
“Do you want me to come with you?”
“No. Thanks, but Ianto’s already said he will.”
Jack nods. “When are you going?”
“In a bit.” She pulls her feet up under her, cuddles down into his arms and stays there for the next half hour.
When they leave, Jack calls Tish for the dirt on Martha’s ex.
“I don’t know him. I’ve never even met the guy, which I count as a blessing.”
That doesn’t sound good, so Jack asks, “Why?”
“He’s psychotic. He almost beat a guy to death, with his bare hands- Martha was devastated. She was there and saw the whole thing. She got on the first plane home. As far as I know, she’s never spoken to him since. Although, she gets on with the son fine-”
Through her description Jack’s bad feeling has just grown, he had been expecting to hear the mystery husband was a bit of a bastard, but… “He’s violent? Has he ever hurt her?”
“Not that she said, but- Why? Jack, why are you suddenly so interested in this?” It’s Tish turn to get worried about the turn in the conversation.
“She’s gone to meet him, now.” Jack hangs up and asks Tosh to find Ianto and Martha.
Just as all the computers crash and the Hub puts them in a lockdown.
Jack is really starting to freak out.
When Martha and Ianto left the Hub they were met by a car. It takes them to the Master, who opens the door, helping Martha out and kissing her cheek in greeting. But he doesn’t say a word to either of them. Just turns and expects them both to follow.
Exchanging a look, his wife and son decide to make the most of his apparent good mood and keep quiet as well. They find themselves following him into a TARDIS.
Title: The Missing Year part 2
Fandom: DW/TW
Pairing: Master/Martha, Jack/Ianto
Summary: Timeline jump, but the past is coming out as the story progesses.
Previous part: http://www.livejournal.com/tools/memories.bml?user=lorrabe&keyword=tmy&filter=all
The Missing Year part 2
The world had reset about a month ago now and Martha was feeling edgy, like she was just waiting for the other shoe to drop.
Everything in her world had been turned on it’s head and everything in it had changed. Then it changed again, only to change again and again. Only to return to normalcy, or at least a sham of it.
Her family denies the lives they were forced to lead until so very recently. Even to the extent where they pretend not to know the Doctor and even Jack. Despite their screams to the contrary in their nightmares, night after night.
She needs an escape and so runs to Cardiff. To spend time with Jack and his team. Her friends.
For all that they have no memory of her. Save Jack. Well, Jack and Ianto.
Ianto, her step-son. Step-son and best friend.
They have talked since the End of the World came to an end, but they are both somewhat uneasy in their return to their lives. Seeing him again will be good for her, a friend who knows and even shares her secrets.
And what secrets. She has promised herself time and again that she would come clean to Jack and the Doctor, confess her disastrous tale. Right from the moment she realised she knew that voice, the voice of the Master. The voice of her husband.
But really how would that conversation go, “Did I tell you I’m married? No? Oh, well I am. I got drunk last year, the night I got my exam results, and awoke to sobriety and matrimony in the Seychelles. He was the most adorkable hunk. Sweet and gorgeous. Oh, and did I mention completely psychotic? Well, he was. Oh, and also recently elected Prime Minister. I didn’t tell you, really? Well, I have now.”
So not going to happen.
Secrets to share or not Martha just can’t bare it.
Then again, that was one of the reassuring things about coming to Cardiff. Her friends there knew her secret. Well, most of them, even if they have forgotten. Such an awkward conversation that was.
Owen, Tosh and Gwen coming to their ‘rescue’ only to find her installed as Lady of a country manor. They told them the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth. Well, there had been some teasing from Ianto about his ‘freaky alien powers’.
Now, they cannot remember, will not remember, but it is still a comfort to Martha. They know, so her conscious is clear, yet at the same time they don’t know, so there is no awkwardness between them.
It’s refreshing, in a disturbing, twisted way.
Of course, Ianto is a reassuring presence in and of himself. They were close, and ,if Jack had any suspicions about the amount of time they spend together, a few hints about how close they were before and he backs off. After all, she didn’t lie. She never once said Ianto didn’t remember that time, just hinted that she wanted to be close to him again.
So, all in all it was good when she was in Cardiff.
Since then, she’s been back at least once a week. Running away from the stress of dealing with her family, from her disturbingly normal life. She never stays long, but she also never stays away long. Although, she freely admits it’s running, so that’s healthy-ish.
Especially this time.
She’s been sick recently, ill every day. She diagnosed her condition herself though, to her horror. She’s pregnant.
And there’s only one man who can be the father.
Which means she’s at least four months along. Shit, two months from her ‘rescue’ to the night she was captured and taken to the Valiant. Two months since the Doctor and Jack destroyed the Paradox Machine.
Two months since her husband died.
She’s furious with herself for not even noticing her obvious condition.
Then again, there’s a really good chance that her subconscious didn’t want her to know. She can’t fool herself- if she’d known, known she was having a baby, his baby, she’d never have fulfilled the Doctor’s plan. She could never have been that brave with someone else’s life.
Especially her own child.
Not that Ianto would have allowed her to either, if he’d known.
She’d probably have, no she’s sure she would have surrendered. If she’d known. She would have gone to her husband and begged for their child’s life.
He is a good father. Was. Hopefully, was. She thinks. She thinks she wants him to be dead, really dead. Maybe.
Shit, she’s going to be a single parent.
That awkward conversation with Jack and the Doctor has a whole new level of painfulness to come, “Ooh, and I’m gonna have a little psychotic dictator, too. At least it’s not gonna be illegitimate.”
That is a talk she is very eager to avoid, to put off for a very long time. Of course her new predicament, or not so new, does add something of a time limit before it all becomes blatantly obvious.
Right now she’s on her way to Cardiff, to tell Ianto. The only person in her life she can tell. Well, who she can tell and won’t then immediately have her committed.
Probably.
She gets him alone, in the kitchen, to tell him her news. Only now she’s here… “Have you told Jack yet?”
His gaze darts to the coffee-maker, the door anywhere but at Martha. “How can I tell him that? No. I, I’m just going to leave. It’s for the best.” She grasps his arm and gasps. “Not you.” He assures her, turning back to take her hands in his. “I wouldn’t leave you.”
“Don’t- at least, at least give it a while. What harm can it do?”
He meets her eyes and holds her gaze, “You do know… He’s still alive. You have to know that, right?”
She steps back, avoiding his gaze this time. “But-” She sighs and looks back at him, “No, I can’t kid I myself that I didn’t suspect as much. Do you know where he is?”
“No. Thank God.” Martha gives him a questioning look, puzzled by his comment. “If I knew- if he finds out who my boyfriend is, well I really don’t see him being supportive-”
That surprises her. “He doesn’t know?”
“It’s not really something I brought up.”
“No, I , well, I just figured… He always seems to know everything about the both of us.”
Ianto smiles and turns to finish the coffees.
Shortly after which the team are called out to deal with an unusual sighting. From which they don’t return until 11am the next morning. All exhausted and in desperate need of caffeine.
Caffeine that they don’t actually have. Well, only if you squint. They ran out of the ‘good stuff’ yesterday and Ianto hasn’t had a chance to get any more yet.
He leaves to stock up on real coffee, not even considering the possibility of touching the instant in the cupboard. He has deigned to allow Martha to use the kitchen but refuses, steadfastly, to serve such a inferior substance as instant and pass it off as coffee. He has standards.
But when Ianto gets to the coffee shop he sees his father sitting, waiting for him.
Sighing, he sits across from him.
“Ianto, my dear boy, I’m disappointed in you. I was willing to forgive Torchwood. I was even willing to let you keep whichever of the little minions you were sleeping with.” His tone is affectionate and indulgent even, for the next part as well, “But Captain Jack Harkness? That Freak and interfering moron. And worse yet, a cast off of the Doctor’s?”
Ianto sits forward, angry at the insinuation. “You’re one to talk- you only married Martha because she was the Doctor’s!”
His father laughs, “Wrong! Firstly, I had her before he did, and I only slept with her because she was his. I married her for entirely different reasons.”
Ianto gives him a funny look at that, but he already feels bad enough for bringing Martha up in the first place. For all he knew his unhinged father might have entirely forgotten about his wife. It was a distinct possibility with the Master. Instead he keeps to the original topic, his own lover. “I’m old enough to choose who I want and you can’t do anything about it.”
“I can kill him-”
Ianto laughs at that, “You have. Didn’t stop us did it?”
The Master’s eyes twinkle. “It almost makes me proud, being so confident, going against my will. Almost, but not quite. Not when it’s about that Thing.”
Ianto opens his mouth to reply, but his father leans close, voice dripping barely suppressed violence and anger and interrupts, “Don’t defy me on this, Ianto, you really won’t like the consequences.” He sits back again, flicking non-existent lint from his sleeve, his tone completely different, indulgent and affectionate again. “Now, it’s really time we get going, so I suggest you get your pregnant step-mother and we’ll be on our way.” The Master’s sharp eye caught his gasp at the word ‘pregnant’ and smirks. “Ah, she tried to hide it from you too? And here I thought you two conspired on everything together. And you wonder why I married her.”
Ianto doesn’t move. “The last time you saw her you were about to kill her. On live TV-”
“Oh, that’s sweet, you’re protecting her, I wouldn’t worry though, I was never going to kill her. She’s having my baby! Shame on you, thinking I’d kill your brother or sister. I was going to be lenient and magnanimous and forgive my erring wife.” He smiles broadly, obviously reminiscing on that moment on the Valiant, when he literally had everything, before shrugging. “It was going to be a beautifully poignant moment when I announced we were having a baby- then I’d get rid of the bad influences in her life, couldn’t have them ruining my little one.” He spares Ianto a loving and pained look, “You’re borderline as it is, can you imagine if I were to let Francine Jones interfere with my-”
Ianto has been so shocked he’s not had any idea what to say, but at that, “You were going to kill her family? Right there in front of here?”
The Master gives him an exasperated look, “Why else do you think I kept them alive so long? God, I really wanted to kill that woman. Still do. But, I’m not completely heartless,” He smiles and Ianto winces, wondering how bad this will be, “I was going to leave pretty little Leticia. We needed a new nanny. That bloody Mrs. Davies refuses to fly. Honestly, what kind of servant tells her Master where she is and isn’t willing to work. Useless humans.”
Ianto smiles, then stops himself, “Is this still about Martha not introducing you to her family?”
His father laughs and Ianto finds himself smiling again. “No. It’s about there being no one and nothing between me and what’s mine.” He sighs and meets Ianto’s eyes. “Look, either you go bring her out, or I do- which do you prefer?”
This time it’s Ianto who sighs.
He gets to his feet, but before he leaves his father tosses him a bag. The coffee he came for.
Back at the Hub, Ianto drops the coffee off, making a new batch while he’s at it. As he takes the coffee around he purposefully ends with Martha. Jack notices this because he is served first when usually he is always last, so Ianto ends by his side. Not today, though.
He watches Ianto hand Martha her drink, He leans down close and whispers something that makes her gasp and her eyes widen, but it’s when Ianto’s hand rests against her stomach that she spins to face him. Jack can’t see her expression anymore and Ianto’s face has never left it’s impassive look.
After a few minutes Ianto moves away and Martha sinks down onto the couch. Jack walks over and sits beside her, “Hey.”
She manages to return his smile, but he can tell she’s distracted.
“What was that? With Ianto?”
She smiles more genuinely, if somewhat pained. “I, ah… Did I ever tell you I’m married?” The shock shows clearly on Jack’s face and she laughs. Her good humour fleeting, passing as she continues. “It was a couple of years ago, or- anyway, I met him the night I passed my exams and he swept me off my feet and out of the country even. We were married in the Seychelles, after only a couple of weeks.”
He smiles, but he can sense a tension in her, “I take it the whirlwind romance didn’t end well?”
“It hasn’t ended.” Okay, she’s wrong footed him again.
“What?”
“Ianto bumped into him and he wants to see me.”
Jack’s completely lost now, “How did Ianto-”
Martha blushes slightly, “They’re… related. But-”
She seems so worried, “Martha, if you don’t want to see this guy-”
“It’s, I guess it’s not that. It’s just going to be… awkward. Awkward is a good word for it.” She’s nodding and sounds entirely too much like she’s trying to convince herself as much as anyone else.
“Do you want me to come with you?”
“No. Thanks, but Ianto’s already said he will.”
Jack nods. “When are you going?”
“In a bit.” She pulls her feet up under her, cuddles down into his arms and stays there for the next half hour.
When they leave, Jack calls Tish for the dirt on Martha’s ex.
“I don’t know him. I’ve never even met the guy, which I count as a blessing.”
That doesn’t sound good, so Jack asks, “Why?”
“He’s psychotic. He almost beat a guy to death, with his bare hands- Martha was devastated. She was there and saw the whole thing. She got on the first plane home. As far as I know, she’s never spoken to him since. Although, she gets on with the son fine-”
Through her description Jack’s bad feeling has just grown, he had been expecting to hear the mystery husband was a bit of a bastard, but… “He’s violent? Has he ever hurt her?”
“Not that she said, but- Why? Jack, why are you suddenly so interested in this?” It’s Tish turn to get worried about the turn in the conversation.
“She’s gone to meet him, now.” Jack hangs up and asks Tosh to find Ianto and Martha.
Just as all the computers crash and the Hub puts them in a lockdown.
Jack is really starting to freak out.
When Martha and Ianto left the Hub they were met by a car. It takes them to the Master, who opens the door, helping Martha out and kissing her cheek in greeting. But he doesn’t say a word to either of them. Just turns and expects them both to follow.
Exchanging a look, his wife and son decide to make the most of his apparent good mood and keep quiet as well. They find themselves following him into a TARDIS.