A Shift in Perspective (10/10)
Who_Daily Link: < a href="http://persiflage-1.livejournal.com/178209.html"> A Shift in Perspective (10/10) by < lj user=persiflage_1> (Characters: Martha, Tenth Doctor, Torchwood Team, Sarah Jane, Others | Rating: PG-13 | Spoilers: Doctor Who, Big Finish Audios)
Title: A Shift in Perspective (10/10)
Author: Persiflage_1
Characters/Pairings: Martha, Tenth Doctor, White Guardian, Sarah Jane, Torchwood Team, Other characters
Rating: PG-13 (Rated for violence)
Spoilers: Doctor Who, Big Finish Audios
Summary: The Tenth Doctor goes missing and it's up to Martha Jones to track him down again, but it proves both harder and more instructive than she expects.
Disclaimer: I don't even own my brain any more, never mind Doctor Who!
Author Notes: This is the final chapter in a ten chapter story that's set a couple of months after S4.
Many thanks to my Beta readers for this chapter: laura_luvage, ladymako71, and most especially shadowturquoise, who has done sterling work in making sure this didn't utterly suck!
I'd also like to thank everyone who's stayed with this (my longest ever) fic and taken the time to comment as well as read. Feedback is happy-making and it's good to know people have enjoyed reading it as much as I've enjoyed writing it. And thank you to angelfireeast for the fantastic banner.
Index Post
~~~~~~
On Skra
Slavin dumped the unconscious Time Lord on the floor of his cell; although he would not admit it to anyone, least of all the Black Guardian, he'd rather lost interest in torturing the Doctor. There was little pleasure to be gained from inflicting pain on someone who was already in constant pain and only semi-conscious for the most part: Slavin much preferred his victims awake and screaming.
Ten minutes after he left the Time Lord in his cell, there was a bright blaze of light and Martha Jones appeared out of the Vortex. She gasped and staggered as she landed, but managed to keep her feet, then she saw the Doctor and felt a stab of panic at the way he was sprawled on the stone floor: she knew instinctively that he was not simply sleeping because his posture was too unnatural.
She knelt down beside him, her fingers going to his pulse points in his neck, and breathed a small sigh of relief that both hearts were beating, albeit not very strongly.
"God, Doctor, what have they done to you?" she asked desperately, as she took in the full horror of his battered body and ragged clothing.
A sudden shriek of an alarm split the air and she jumped, startled and immediately afraid. "Damn, someone must know I'm here," she muttered, quickly resetting the coordinates on Jack's wrist computer to take them back to the Hub.
The Doctor didn't stir, despite the strident noise filling the room, which worried Martha, but she knew she didn't have time to try to rouse him now that someone knew she was there. She just hoped that she could hold onto him once they were in the Vortex since he'd be incapable of holding onto her voluntarily.
"Only one way to find out, Martha," she told herself, then winced at the realisation that she was talking to herself again. She grabbed the Doctor's filthy coat, knowing he wouldn't want it to be left behind, and after a moment's hesitation, pulled it on. Then she hauled the unconscious Time Lord to his feet, slinging his arms over her shoulders before she wrapped her own arms around his slender form. She was alarmed to discover that he was even skinnier than before, and she wondered if he'd actually been fed while he'd been here, wherever here was.
Martha shook her head, trying to dislodge her fears and worries, and hit the buttons on the wrist computer. Please don't let there be Vortisaurs, she thought as they were whirled away from the cell.
Just as she and the Doctor disappeared in a burst of the light, the cell door was flung open and Slavin gave a howl of rage as he realised his prisoner was escaping. He'd been down in his own quarters, preparing a meal, when the alarm had alerted him to the presence of an intruder, and he'd had to run down several flights of stairs to reach the Time Lord's cell.
He knew his master would not be swift to forgive his servant for allowing the Doctor to escape. The Black Guardian had been confident that there was no escape from Skra for either the Time Lord or his companion whom they knew to be searching for him, and the fact that they had succeeded in getting away meant that Slavin could expect to be severely punished. The thought caused a shiver of apprehension to run through him before he turned and hurried out, knowing that he had to tell his master what had happened as soon as possible.
Cardiff
Jack, Sarah Jane, Ianto and Gwen were sitting in the boardroom at the Hub, eating Chinese takeaway and talking, when the White Guardian suddenly appeared.
"I came to warn you that the servants of my counterpart will soon be here. You must be ready to fight them."
"Does that mean Martha's found the Doctor?" asked Sarah Jane quickly.
He nodded. "They will be here imminently," he said. "I have sent for an agent of mine to assist you, for the Black Guardian's servants will be heavily armed." His expression was grave. "I cannot promise that you will all survive this encounter, but I can promise that the Black Guardian will not interfere."
Before he'd finished fading from view, Jack and the others were already on their feet; Gwen and Ianto hurried down into the main area of the Hub to grab their weapons, then the four of them raced up to the Plass.
As they reached the spot where the TARDIS was still parked, there was a burst of light nearby as the Vortex opened, and Martha and the Doctor appeared, the young woman staggering and then falling down under the weight of the Time Lord. Jack and Sarah Jane reached them first, with Gwen and Ianto close behind. Sarah Jane gasped in shock at the sight of the Doctor's battered and unconscious body.
"We need to get him into the TARDIS," Martha said urgently, before anyone could greet her.
"I'll do that," Jack said immediately, stooping to hoist the Doctor into his arms. He turned his head. "Gwen, Ianto, you stay here. I'll be back as quick as I can, but let me know the minute our 'friend' turns up."
"Yes sir."
Sarah Jane had already helped Martha up and was encouraging the young doctor to lean on her as she guided Martha over to the TARDIS.
"We're glad you got back safely," Sarah Jane told her as she unlocked the ship.
"Glad to be back," mumbled Martha, and Jack and Sarah Jane both noticed that she sounded exhausted. They crossed the Control Room and stepped into the corridors to find the ship had rearranged her rooms so that the Med Bay was immediately at hand.
"Thank you," murmured Martha.
Jack crossed to a bed and lowered the Time Lord onto it, and the young doctor immediately shucked off the Doctor's coat, and then her own.
"Here," she said, unstrapping Jack's wrist computer and handing it over. "Thanks."
"What can we do to help?" asked Sarah Jane as Martha washed her hands, then pulled on some gloves.
"I need to check the extent of the Doctor's injuries," she answered, "and we need to get him out of those filthy clothes."
Jack grinned and was about to comment when his face fell, and he put a finger to his ear.
"Damn, that was Ianto," he told them. "We've got company and not all of it is good."
"Do you want me to stay and help?" Sarah Jane asked Martha.
"If you want to go and fight, I'm not going to ask you to stay," she answered. "I can manage by myself, I've had practise."
"I think you should stay and help Martha," Jack said from the doorway. "You've got a son now, remember?" He hurried out without waiting for an answer.
"He's got a point," Martha said. "But it's your decision. No one else can choose for you."
Sarah Jane nodded. "I know." She bent and began unlacing the Doctor's Converse, while Martha got his jacket and shirt off.
"Could you fill a bowl with some warm water and add some antiseptic, please?" she asked, nodding towards the weals across the Time Lord's chest. "We need to get these cleaned up as quickly as possible before infection sets in."
"Of course," answered Sarah Jane. She pulled off her short leather jacket, then rolled up her shirt sleeves while Martha finished undressing the Doctor.
They were soon busy cleaning the numerous wounds that peppered the Doctor's body, and both women were appalled by the extent of the injuries he had sustained.
"Why didn't he regenerate?" asked Sarah Jane eventually, voicing the question that had been puzzling Martha as well.
The young doctor shrugged. "Maybe he didn't want to regenerate in hostile surroundings?" she suggested. "You were with the third incarnation when he regenerated into the fourth, so you know more about it than I do."
Sarah Jane's head shot up. "How on Earth do you know that?" she asked. "I never told you that when we discussed regeneration."
Martha gave her a half smile before turning her attention back to the injuries on the Doctor's legs. "I met him and you only a few hours after his regeneration," she said.
"What? Nonsense!" exclaimed the older woman in disbelief. "I would remember."
"Not if the Doctor had wiped yours, his and everyone else's memories of the meeting," Martha pointed out.
"No, he wouldn't," Sarah Jane said, "he wouldn't dare."
Martha reached out and clasped her hand as it curled into a fist by her side. "He had to," she said gently, "there was too much risk of people knowing too much of their own future. For him, too," she added.
Sarah Jane sighed, but Martha could see she understood. "So who else did you meet that day?"
"Harry Sullivan, Sergeant Benton and the Brigadier."
"Dear old Harry," said Sarah Jane. "He used to drive me mad, calling me 'old thing'."
The young doctor laughed softly. "He didn't go that far with me, but I think he was a little smitten."
"I can tell you've got some stories to share," observed the older woman.
Martha nodded, a more sombre expression on her face now. "I have, but the storytelling will have to wait a while." She straightened up. "We need to turn the Doctor over, or at least onto his side, so I can check his back. But I think I need to check whether there's any damage to his internal organs first. I'd rather not move him too much more without knowing how much danger there is in doing so. It's bad enough that I had to drag him through the Vortex."
"You did what was necessary," Sarah Jane said softly, clasping her shoulder.
Martha nodded, then pulled a device on a mobile arm across the bed where the Doctor lay. Sarah Jane watched as images began to appear on a screen on the edge of the bed opposite to where the younger woman stood. Martha's gaze was intent on what the device was showing her, but Sarah Jane couldn't make sense of the images.
"What's the situation?" she asked.
"He's got a lot of broken bones," the young doctor answered, "but according to this scanner, none of his internal organs have been damaged." She frowned. "I think we'll risk turning him onto his side, if you can hold him while I clean any injuries."
"Of course."
Martha moved across to the other bed and gathered up the pillows there. "We might as well make this as easy as possible," she observed. "Could you get me some fresh water and antiseptic again, please?"
She nodded and moved over to the small sink in the corner while Martha arranged the pillows in a line down the edge of the bed, so they would give the Doctor's body some support in addition to Sarah Jane holding him.
"Martha?"
She jumped in surprise when the Time Lord spoke. "Doctor?"
His eyes, which had been shut, opened slowly, and she felt a lump rise in her throat at the pain she could see in them.
"Where am I?" he asked, his voice hoarse and quiet.
"The TARDIS," she answered. She was aware that Sarah Jane was standing beside her, one hand on her shoulder, and the other stroking the Doctor's arm.
"Did I regenerate?" he asked, sounding dazed.
"Not yet," Martha answered.
"Oh." They watched as his eyes closed again.
"I think he's unconscious again," the young doctor said after a moment. "Let's get the rest of his wounds cleaned up and then I'll sort out an NG tube as he needs a lot of nutrients or he'll never heal properly."
Sarah Jane nodded her agreement and helped Martha to roll the Doctor onto his side.
* * * * * *
Outside on the Plass Jack watched, his grin a rictus of triumph and pain, as he dragged himself to his feet and Slavin's remains crashed to the ground: both Slavin and Trael were dead at the hand of the White Guardian's champion.
Frihet turned to look at the immortal man, whose tears were now falling unchecked as he began to make his way towards where Ianto and Gwen lay.
"My task here is complete," Frihet said.
Jack paused by his side. "Thank you." He held out a hand and Frihet shook it.
"Do not mourn, immortal, your friends are not dead, and their actions helped me to defeat Slavin and Trael, as did yours."
"Not dead?" gasped Jack in disbelief.
"Not yet," answered Frihet. "Now I must go."
Jack barely noticed his departure as he stumbled across the Plass to where his friends lay; kneeling between them, he found they were both alive, but unconscious and burned by the energy beams that Trael had thrown at them during the fight. He got up and hurried over to the TARDIS; letting himself into the ship, he almost threw himself into the Med Bay.
"Martha, I need your help! It's Gwen and Ianto, they've both been injured, well burned, and they're unconscious."
She looked up from preparing the NG tube and nodded. "Can you and Sarah Jane taken them down into the Hub while I set this up, and then if she comes back to sit with the Doctor, I'll come and have a look at them? I don't want to leave him on his own."
"How is he?" asked Jack, belatedly realising he'd forgotten to ask.
"He's developing a fever," she answered, "which is why I want someone to stay with him. I'm going to insert this, and then set up an IV with some drugs to bring down the fever."
"Come on then, Captain," Sarah Jane said, pulling on her jacket. "The sooner we get them down into the Hub, the sooner Martha can take a look at them."
"Thanks sweetheart." Jack hurried out again, with Sarah Jane close behind.
Martha turned back to her task, carefully measuring the nasogastric tube to the right length, and then inserting it through the Doctor's nose, down his throat and into his stomach. She fixed it in place, and then attached the bag of fluid containing salts, glucose, amino acids, lipids and vitamins that the Time Lord would need to help restore him to full health. She noticed he was becoming restless, his head shifting to and fro on the pillow, and he was mumbling incomprehensibly as well. She decided to restrain him, just in case he pulled out the IV or the NG tube, and then she set up the IV and attached it. She stroked his sweaty hair off his forehead, then ran a finger down his cheek.
"You poor man," she said softly. "I'm sorry I didn't find you sooner."
"Please, Martha, please." The Doctor's mumblings became slightly more coherent and audible, and she winced at the words; she wondered why he was begging her - the idea was painful. She entwined her fingers with his and squeezed them gently, hoping he would be aware of her touch on some level. After a few moments she moved away and began looking for supplies to treat Gwen and Ianto's injuries.
By the time Sarah Jane returned Martha had assembled everything that she thought was necessary and, after telling the older woman which monitors to watch, she hurried out to the Hub.
Martha found that Jack and Sarah Jane had put Gwen and Ianto down in Owen's old work area; it gave her a pang to be working there without him around to be caustic to her in that way he had of pretending that he was meaner than he really was. But she shoved those thoughts aside, knowing she had to concentrate on the living who needed her help, not the dead who had gone beyond it. She'd had to learn that lesson during the Year, and forgetting it now would not help Gwen and Ianto, or Jack.
The Captain watched Martha as she moved around Owen's work area, setting out her supplies in a calm and methodical manner. Now that he was looking at her closely, he could see that she looked tired and drawn, even more than he'd ever seen her looking before, including when she'd returned after that Year.
"You said in your text message that you'd met six incarnations of the Doctor," he observed.
Martha nodded. "I ended up meeting all nine of the earlier incarnations," she told him as she began to apply a salve to Gwen's burns that she'd found in the TARDIS.
"Including the northern one?" Jack asked, feeling a painful tightness in his chest as he remembered his farewell to that Doctor.
"He was the second one I encountered," she answered, not looking up from her task.
"When did you see him?"
"The night he blew up the relay device on the roof of Henrik's, the day he first met Rose."
There was a slight catch in her voice, he thought. "What happened?" he asked softly.
Martha laughed, although there was little mirth in it. "I actually told him to ask Rose along," she said. "Ironic, isn't it? He wanted me to travel with him, and instead I told him to find Rose again, and then all the time I was travelling with the current incarnation, he was telling me how wonderful Rose was because he'd made himself forget meeting me." She shook her head. "I knew he'd travelled with her, though, and I couldn't risk messing up the timelines, could I?"
Jack got up from where he'd been sitting on the stairs and crossed to Martha's side; slipping his arms around her waist, he kissed her cheek. "He liked you, though," he said, "and not just liked you, he saw something in you that made him want to travel with you, even though that was potentially paradoxical. I don't think you realise yet just what an effect you have on people."
She made an indistinct noise and moved away from Jack to treat Ianto's burns, and Jack wondered if Martha was comforted by the thought that another version of the Doctor liked her enough to want to travel with her. He thought not, and he found himself wishing he knew how to comfort her, even though it wasn't up to him but the Doctor.
"I'll leave this salve with you," Martha said, interrupting his reverie. "It needs to be applied daily and the burns will need to be kept clean, but left open as much as possible."
She turned away to wash her hands and Jack saw she was swaying slightly, he sprang forwards and caught her as she fell.
"Martha?" He tapped her cheek and after a moment she opened her eyes, looking confused.
"What happened?" she asked, dazed. She seemed to be in the Hub, lying in Jack's arms, and she couldn't figure out why she was there.
"You fainted," he told her. "I expect you've been doing too much, haven't you?" He helped her to her feet. "Let's get you back to the TARDIS." He picked her up, ignoring her protest that she could walk.
He only set her back down on her feet once they were outside the TARDIS again. "I think you need time to rest and recover," he said, unlocking the door. "There's a way of sending the TARDIS into the Vortex without the Doctor piloting the ship, so I suggest you do that, and then you can both take as long as you need to recover without needing to worry about work, or anything else."
"What about Gwen and Ianto?" asked Martha.
"They're not likely to suffer from any complications, are they?"
"No."
"There you are then. I'll look after them," Jack said. "You should concentrate on looking after the Doctor and getting some rest yourself."
He crossed to the console and Martha followed him, watching as he called up something on the monitor. "Here you are," he said. "Once Sarah Jane and I have gone, activate this program here." He pointed out the controls. "Then the TARDIS will move into the Vortex."
She nodded, knowing that Jack was right about the Doctor needing a lot of time to heal and recover, and not just physically, if she were any judge. It had become clear to her, as she and Sarah Jane had cleaned up the Time Lord's wounds, that he had been systematically tortured until he had several broken ribs, a broken nose, split lips, broken fingers on his right hand, broken bones in his left leg, a dislocated shoulder (which she had reset), and a large number of cuts and whip marks across his back and chest. She had felt amazed that he hadn't died of his wounds, and could only conclude that a Time Lord's body could take a lot more punishment than a human one.
"Okay," she said.
"Good girl." He kissed her forehead. "Let me fetch Sarah Jane and then you can get out of here. Just give me a ring if you need anything."
She nodded again, and Jack went off to the Med Bay to fetch Sarah Jane, who stopped to give the young doctor a hug before she left.
"Make sure you look after yourself properly, as well as him, mind," she told Martha.
"I will," she promised.
"Good. And make sure you come and see me once you're back in London."
"Definitely," agreed Martha, knowing Sarah Jane wanted to hear more of her encounters with the third and fourth incarnations of the Doctor.
"Good." Sarah Jane kissed Martha's cheek, then moved aside so that Jack could make his own farewell, before the two of them headed back to the Hub and Martha moved the ship into the Vortex.
Three days later, relative time
Martha woke abruptly from a confused dream about flying through the Vortex on a Vortisaur's back to the sound of the Doctor hoarsely calling her name.
"Doctor, how are you feeling?" she asked, sitting up in bed. She had made the decision to sleep in the second bed in the Med Bay so that she could keep a close eye on the Time Lord while he was feverish.
"I've felt worse," he told her, managing a smile.
She climbed out of bed and moved across to his bedside. "You've looked worse too," she said lightly, as she checked the monitors and saw that his fever had finally broken.
"Did I regenerate?" he asked.
She shook her head. "You asked me that before, don't you remember?"
He frowned. "No."
"You came to, briefly, after we got you aboard the TARDIS, and you asked me then.
"Sorry." He waited while Martha removed the NG tube that had been feeding him and the IV as well.
"Thank you." He reached out and clasped her hand in the one that wasn't heavily bandaged. "Thank you for coming to find me."
She nodded, giving his fingers a brief squeeze before she moved away to dispose of the IV and food bags.
"I expect you'd like some proper food soon?"
His expression brightened. "Yes please. Only, no gruel, please."
"No gruel," Martha agreed. "I'm going to go and have a quick shower and get dressed, and then I'll bring you something."
He nodded, watching as she gathered up her clothes and went away, guessing that she was going to her old room. He sensed a certain reserve in her manner which he found puzzling: that hadn't been there when they'd talked before he'd been kidnapped, and he wondered what it signified.
He lay with his eyes closed, trying to fathom out what had changed, besides his kidnap and her search for him. He still hadn't worked it out when Martha returned carrying a tray which she set down on a folding table near his bed. It took him a moment to recognise that it was a card table from the TARDIS' games room.
"Let me lift up the head of the bed," she said.
"The controls are down here," the Doctor told her, flapping a hand in the general direction, "after all, the beds in here haven't changed."
Martha gave him a startled look and he smiled at her. "You remember that?" she asked in an uncertain tone.
"Everything," he told her, "every single meeting you had with every one of my past selves."
She frowned as she pressed the button to raise the head of the bed. "How is that possible? You told me that you were wiping your memory, and your fourth incarnation got quite annoyed that the third hadn't performed that memory wipe."
"Yes he - I - did, but when I put the mental blocks in place, I did it in such a way that I would start to remember you once you had begun searching for me." He frowned. "You told each of my selves that I had been captured 'for revenge', which I felt didn't bode well, so I wanted my memories to come back in order to have the hope of being found to sustain me."
The Doctor swallowed. "I didn't know, because you didn't know, that I would be tortured, but the knowledge that you were looking for me gave me strength and helped me to survive."
He reached out and clasped her hand again. "If it wasn't for you, Dr Jones, I would not be here now. Thank you."
Martha squeezed his fingers. "You're welcome." She moved away and then returned with a bowl of soup from the tray.
"I think I'd better feed you until your hand has healed," she observed.
"I can do it left handed," he said, without much conviction.
"Doctor, the food will only do you any good if you eat it, not if you wear it."
He gave a weak chuckle. "You're right, of course. I just feel like I'm being an utter nuisance."
She shook her head. "You do get some daft ideas at times," she told him. "Now eat." She offered him a spoonful of the soup.
They took it slowly since he found it painful to swallow, and because it had been three days since he had last eaten solid food. As she fed him, she told him what Jack had told her about Slavin and Trael, the Black Guardian's agents, and their battle with Frihet, the agent of the White Guardian.
"Was Jack okay, and the others?" he asked.
"Slavin killed Jack, but Gwen and Ianto were fairly lucky as Trael only stunned and burned them, although they'll be out of action for a few days while the burns heal."
"I hope everything stays quiet in Cardiff, then," he said.
"Well, Jack's not on his own, Sarah Jane is in Cardiff too."
His face brightened. "Really? I'm glad Jack's not having to manage on his own then. Sarah Jane is a good influence on him."
After he finished the soup, Martha offered the Doctor a bowl of pureed fruit salad, and he wrinkled his nose a little.
"How soon before I can eat proper solid food?" he asked, sounding a little grumpy.
"Not before tomorrow at the earliest," she told him. "I want to be sure you'll be able to swallow it as I've no desire to be obliged to perform an emergency tracheotomy."
"Oh, no, definitely don't want one of those," he agreed, massaging his throat with his left hand.
He allowed Martha to feed him the bowl of fruit, then accepted the mug of tea that she offered him. "Thanks."
"When you do eat solid food again, I've got some cake to share with you," she told him.
"Chocolate?" he asked hopefully.
"Sorry, no. Remember the fruit cake you gave me in your eighth incarnation?" He nodded. "I've still got that."
He laughed softly. "Oh Martha Jones, have you been saving it until now?"
"Not entirely," she answered. "I remembered that I had it when Harry was getting me something to eat in the UNIT canteen, but then I forgot about it again because it was tucked away in my pocket."
"Well, even though it's not Evelyn's delicious chocolate cake, I'll be glad to have it tomorrow."
"Doctor, what happened to Evelyn? Your seventh self told me she married and settled on Világ, but I got the impression there was something sad about that story."
He sighed. "There was. You should sit down," he told her. "I want to tell you about Evelyn, and about some of my other companions you met."
She gave him a startled look, but fetched a chair and sat down at his bedside. To her surprise he reached out and entwined his fingers with hers before he began to speak, telling her about the young woman named Cassie whom his sixth incarnation and Evelyn had met in London's Docklands, and the Forge Virus with which she'd been infected, and then about how he and Evelyn had arrived back in Norway too late to save Cassie.
"She never really forgave me for that," he said, tears trickling down his cheeks. "Even after I went back and saw her in my seventh incarnation to tell her that Cassie's son, Hex, was then travelling with me, and that he'd turned out a decent lad."
"Oh Doctor." Martha leant forward and carefully hugged him; he buried his face in the crook of her neck, grateful for her presence. He hadn't allowed himself to think about Evelyn for some time, as with other companions he'd lost it was simply too painful, but he'd made himself a promise, back in that cell on Skra, that he would talk to Martha properly, and he wasn't about to break that promise, even if she knew nothing of it.
After a while he pulled away and accepted the tissue she offered him.
"Have you thought of going to see Evelyn again?" she asked.
He shook his head. "I didn't want to bring back painful memories for her. She was happy with Rossiter, I hope she still is."
Martha didn't want to upset him further, so she didn't press the point, but she couldn't help feeling that Evelyn might have been glad of another visit, however brief, to make her peace with him. She decided to change the subject, and remembering her conversation with Sarah Jane earlier, she asked about Harry and Benton.
"Harry went to work with NATO on a top secret project," the Doctor said, "I lost track of him after that, although I believe Sarah Jane kept in touch with him for a while. The Brigadier told my fifth self that Sergeant Benton had retired from UNIT and become a second hand car salesman, which struck me as a bit, well, tame for Benton."
She laughed softly. "It does, a little. He was a lovely man, and Harry too."
"They were both upset when I told them that I was going to make them forget you," he said. "Sarah Jane too." He looked away. "I didn't win many friends that day."
Martha took his hands in hers. "You did what you had to do," she reminded him.
"I owe you an apology," he said, still not looking at her.
"Why?"
He swallowed, then met her eyes. "You encouraged my ninth self to find Rose and travel with her, and I repaid you by comparing you to her and talking about her endlessly. I should never have done that."
"No, you shouldn't have, but you did, and it's in the past now. There's no point in us going over old ground now. You didn't remember that you'd met me. If you had remembered, and you'd still gone on about Rose, I'd be seriously upset now."
She rubbed her thumb over his knuckles. "I hope we will always be friends, you and I, and I will certainly always be here for you if you need my help or support, but I'm not in love with you any more." She glanced up at him. "Don't get me wrong, I love you to bits, but I've grown out of that silly crush."
"That's as well," he said, "you deserve someone better than me." He looked down at her small hands wrapped around his larger ones. "You'll always be my Doctor, though."
"Thank you."
They talked of the other companions Martha had met during her search for the Doctor, and he told her where to look in the library for information on C'rizz's people since she expressed an interest in knowing more about Eturmesans. He also told her something of Charley's complicated story after Martha asked about the girl who'd nearly knocked her over at the Great Exhibition.
"I wouldn't mind going and having a proper look at that if you ever felt like going back there," Martha commented.
The Doctor looked at her in surprise. "Really?"
She nodded. "Really. I think it would be fascinating."
"Does that mean - " He broke off, almost afraid to ask.
"Does that mean what?" asked Martha, guessing what he wanted to ask, but wanting him to ask her properly.
"Does that mean that you'll consider travelling with me again, full time, just for a little while? I mean, I know it couldn't be permanent, you've got your job with UNIT, and your family, and, well, Tom, but - " He broke off, aware that he was beginning to babble.
"I don't know if I'll be marrying Tom," she said, "but I'm not going to make that decision just yet. But I'd like to travel with you again."
"Really?" he asked, not quite daring to believe she'd said yes.
She nodded. "Really. I feel I know you much better now, than I did before, and it would interesting, and fun too, to spend some time with you again in light of what I've learned."
The Doctor looked like he was going to burst into tears, so she leaned forward and hugged him again. "You're a silly old fool, sometimes," she said quietly.
"No fool like an old fool," he answered, sniffing.
Martha pulled back and kissed his forehead. "You should get some more sleep. You've still got a fair amount of healing to do yet before you can consider going anywhere."
He cupped her cheek in his good hand and looked her in the eyes. "Do you know what," he said, "you are good."
She laughed at him echoing her words. "And don't you forget it, mister."
"Oh I won't," he assured her. "How could I possible forget the woman who not only faced down the Master, thereby saving the Earth, but also defied the Black Guardian to search through Time for me?"
Martha looked away, embarrassed, as she lowered the head of the bed back down. "I just did what needed to be done," she told him. "Now, get some sleep. Do you want me to give you a mild sedative, or will you be okay?"
"I'll be okay, I think," he said.
"Good."
She left him to go back to sleep, and headed to the kitchen with the tray of empty dishes and mugs. After doing the washing up, she rang Jack to see how Gwen and Ianto were, and then her mother to have a quick chat, although she didn't mention that she was no longer in Cardiff, or that she was planning to travel with the Doctor again: it would be better to have that conversation face to face, she felt. After that she headed to the library to look for the books that the Time Lord had told her about.
* * * * * *
It was another week, not that there was any real time in the Vortex, but Martha marked the days as best she could, before the Doctor was fit enough to get up and take some gentle exercise walking the TARDIS' corridors. He was still in pain from some of his injuries, and he was suffering from nightmares about Slavin's torture, which Martha had anticipated would happen. She managed to persuade him to let her give him a mild sedative so that he could sleep for a few hours without waking up screaming, telling him that he needed the sleep to help him to heal, and that the less sleep he got, the longer his healing process would be.
"And the longer your healing process is, the longer you'll be stuck in the Vortex doing nothing much, instead of dashing about getting into trouble," she added, teasing him just a little.
"Oi!" he protested, half-heartedly.
She smirked at him and he agreed it would be for the best, and he slept a lot better although Martha continued to sleep in the second bed in the Med Bay, just in case.
The first day that the Doctor was up and about for a few hours, he took Martha's hand and led her through several corridors until they reached a door which had a silver leaf above the handle. He stopped, his hand on the handle, and looked down at her.
"It'll just be a holographic projection this time," he said, his voice husky with emotion.
She nodded and squeezed his fingers encouragingly, and he opened the door and led her inside.
Even though she had seen the real thing, and this was only an image, Martha still felt breathless at the sight of the red grass, silver-leaved trees and the burnt orange sky. The Doctor led her across the grass and they sat on a bench beneath the trees, just as they had before.
"I still find it incredible that I've actually walked on Gallifrey," she said quietly.
"I find it a little incredible, too," admitted the Doctor. "I had no idea the TARDIS would do that for you."
They sat in silence for a few moments, and then he told her about his encounter with Davros and the Daleks at the time she had met his seventh self, before describing some of his adventures with Ace. After that he talked of Jamie and Zoe, explaining that he and his two companions had ended up in the War Zone, and then he found himself tried by the Time Lords for stealing a TARDIS and leaving Gallifrey, for breaking the laws of time and interfering in the histories of other planets.
"I was exiled to Earth, after a forced regeneration, and my memory of how to operate the TARDIS was wiped, while Jamie and Zoe were both taken back to their original time zones with their memories wiped of our travels together, although they both remembered their first meeting with me."
"That's horrible," Martha said, her tone and expression fierce. "I didn't meet Jamie, but I liked Zoe. She seemed like she'd be fun to spend time with."
"My people could be pretty unforgiving when they chose," the Doctor said.
She decided to change the subject, considering it too painful. "By the way, your second self said I had to get you to take me to Florana or somewhere as a thank you for searching for me."
He laughed softly. "I remember. We could go to Florana, if you want. It's a lovely planet."
"That would be nice."
"Just don't tell Sarah Jane, if we do get there," he said.
"Why?" asked Martha, curious.
"I promised to take her there, but we never made it. She might be a bit jealous."
"Invite her to come too," she suggested.
"Maybe I will." The Doctor yawned. "Sorry."
"Doesn't matter," Martha told him. "Come on, back to bed with you again."
"Do I have to?" he asked, pouting at her a little.
"Oi, none of that," she scolded. "What are you going to do if you don't go back to bed?"
"I thought we might watch the Back to the Future films again," he said, a hopeful expression on his face.
"I guess that would be okay," she answered.
He grinned, the first genuine grin she'd seen from him since she'd rescued him from Skra. "Good."
She helped him up and they made their way to the cinema; Martha found the DVDs on the shelf and put the first one in, then settled down next to the Doctor on the sofa; he promptly slid an arm around her shoulders and she rested her head on his shoulder.
They took a break for tea after the first film, and as the Doctor was making the tea he remembered there was something else he hadn't told Martha.
"My ninth self was jealous of me."
She looked up from buttering scones. "Why?"
"Because I got to travel with you. After you left, he - I took the TARDIS back into the Vortex so I could make myself forget meeting you, but before I did that, I went over all my memories of you from the moment you turned up on that roof, to the moment that you walked out of the TARDIS." He laughed. "I wanted to chase after you and beg you not to continue looking for this version of me."
She gave him a puzzled look. "That would have been paradoxical, though," she said. "Not to mention selfish."
He nodded. "I know. But you met that earlier incarnation of me at a time when I was beginning to feel more in need of company than isolation. After the Time War - " He paused. "After the Time War, I didn't want anything to do with anyone, except on a superficial level. But after a few years, I began to feel lonely and I was half on the look out for a new companion, and there you were: smart, quick, brave, and a doctor. You would have done me a lot of good, back then."
He set down their mugs of tea and sat down. "Rose helped me a lot," he told her, "but I think you would have helped me a lot more. At least, that's what I felt, back then."
Martha felt stunned. "I don't quite know what to say," she said. "I'm flattered that you think I would have helped you, but I couldn't stay with your ninth incarnation, knowing that you were being held prisoner somewhere."
"I know. You made the right decision, and I'm very grateful that you came and rescued me. I'm not sure that I deserve such loyalty and bravery from anyone, especially you, Dr Jones, but I am very glad that you dared to come looking for me, and that you rescued me."
"You're welcome." She put the plate of scones on a tray, together with their mugs of tea and some side plates. "Come on, let's go and watch another film." She stood up, but before she could pick up the tray, the Doctor embraced her, and Martha hugged him back.
* * * * * *
It was Sunday afternoon of the same weekend that Martha had arrived in Cardiff when the TARDIS materialised in Roald Dahl Plass, and the Doctor and his companion were met by Sarah Jane and Jack as they stepped out of the door of the ship.
Hugs and greetings were exchanged, then they adjourned to the Hub's boardroom for tea and conversation, and Gwen and Ianto joined them.
"How are you both?" asked Martha immediately.
"We're not doing too badly, thanks to your burns salve," answered Gwen.
"Well, technically, it's not mine, it's the Doctor's," she said. "I took it from the TARDIS' Med Bay."
"Well either way, we're both healing nicely, thank you."
"Yes, thank you," murmured Ianto from his seat on Jack's left.
"You're welcome."
After a couple of hours of chat, Gwen and Ianto both went to get some rest again, and Sarah Jane said it was time she headed back to London so she could collect Luke from Clyde's house and spend some time with him before school the next day.
"Good to see you again, Doctor," Sarah Jane told the Time Lord. "Make sure you look after Martha," she said softly in his ear as they hugged. "You've got a real gem there."
"I know," he assured her, "and I will, I promise." He kissed her forehead. "I'll see you again soon. I want to meet your son, too."
"Okay, then." She hugged Martha and made the younger woman promise to visit soon.
After Sarah Jane had gone, Jack looked at his two friends and then said, "There's something you two aren't telling me."
"I'm going to travel with the Doctor again for a bit," Martha said promptly.
Jack gaped, and his friends started laughing, pleased at having sprung a surprise on him; usually he was so astute that he seemed to know things without being told.
"What about UNIT?" he asked.
"I'll square it with them," she answered, "they owe me some leave, anyway."
"Well, I'll be damned."
"I hope not, Captain, I really hope not," said the Doctor with a quiet chuckle.
"Can I leave my car here, and will you keep an eye on it for me please?" Martha asked.
Jack nodded, still apparently thunderstruck.
"Thanks. Now, you've got my number, so if you need us, give me a call."
"All right. Take good care of yourselves, and each other."
"We will," they agreed in chorus, then laughed, before taking it in turns to hug him, and then they headed up to the Plass and a new chapter in their adventures together.
The End.
Title: A Shift in Perspective (10/10)
Author: Persiflage_1
Characters/Pairings: Martha, Tenth Doctor, White Guardian, Sarah Jane, Torchwood Team, Other characters
Rating: PG-13 (Rated for violence)
Spoilers: Doctor Who, Big Finish Audios
Summary: The Tenth Doctor goes missing and it's up to Martha Jones to track him down again, but it proves both harder and more instructive than she expects.
Disclaimer: I don't even own my brain any more, never mind Doctor Who!
Author Notes: This is the final chapter in a ten chapter story that's set a couple of months after S4.
Many thanks to my Beta readers for this chapter: laura_luvage, ladymako71, and most especially shadowturquoise, who has done sterling work in making sure this didn't utterly suck!
I'd also like to thank everyone who's stayed with this (my longest ever) fic and taken the time to comment as well as read. Feedback is happy-making and it's good to know people have enjoyed reading it as much as I've enjoyed writing it. And thank you to angelfireeast for the fantastic banner.
Index Post
~~~~~~
On Skra
Slavin dumped the unconscious Time Lord on the floor of his cell; although he would not admit it to anyone, least of all the Black Guardian, he'd rather lost interest in torturing the Doctor. There was little pleasure to be gained from inflicting pain on someone who was already in constant pain and only semi-conscious for the most part: Slavin much preferred his victims awake and screaming.
Ten minutes after he left the Time Lord in his cell, there was a bright blaze of light and Martha Jones appeared out of the Vortex. She gasped and staggered as she landed, but managed to keep her feet, then she saw the Doctor and felt a stab of panic at the way he was sprawled on the stone floor: she knew instinctively that he was not simply sleeping because his posture was too unnatural.
She knelt down beside him, her fingers going to his pulse points in his neck, and breathed a small sigh of relief that both hearts were beating, albeit not very strongly.
"God, Doctor, what have they done to you?" she asked desperately, as she took in the full horror of his battered body and ragged clothing.
A sudden shriek of an alarm split the air and she jumped, startled and immediately afraid. "Damn, someone must know I'm here," she muttered, quickly resetting the coordinates on Jack's wrist computer to take them back to the Hub.
The Doctor didn't stir, despite the strident noise filling the room, which worried Martha, but she knew she didn't have time to try to rouse him now that someone knew she was there. She just hoped that she could hold onto him once they were in the Vortex since he'd be incapable of holding onto her voluntarily.
"Only one way to find out, Martha," she told herself, then winced at the realisation that she was talking to herself again. She grabbed the Doctor's filthy coat, knowing he wouldn't want it to be left behind, and after a moment's hesitation, pulled it on. Then she hauled the unconscious Time Lord to his feet, slinging his arms over her shoulders before she wrapped her own arms around his slender form. She was alarmed to discover that he was even skinnier than before, and she wondered if he'd actually been fed while he'd been here, wherever here was.
Martha shook her head, trying to dislodge her fears and worries, and hit the buttons on the wrist computer. Please don't let there be Vortisaurs, she thought as they were whirled away from the cell.
Just as she and the Doctor disappeared in a burst of the light, the cell door was flung open and Slavin gave a howl of rage as he realised his prisoner was escaping. He'd been down in his own quarters, preparing a meal, when the alarm had alerted him to the presence of an intruder, and he'd had to run down several flights of stairs to reach the Time Lord's cell.
He knew his master would not be swift to forgive his servant for allowing the Doctor to escape. The Black Guardian had been confident that there was no escape from Skra for either the Time Lord or his companion whom they knew to be searching for him, and the fact that they had succeeded in getting away meant that Slavin could expect to be severely punished. The thought caused a shiver of apprehension to run through him before he turned and hurried out, knowing that he had to tell his master what had happened as soon as possible.
Cardiff
Jack, Sarah Jane, Ianto and Gwen were sitting in the boardroom at the Hub, eating Chinese takeaway and talking, when the White Guardian suddenly appeared.
"I came to warn you that the servants of my counterpart will soon be here. You must be ready to fight them."
"Does that mean Martha's found the Doctor?" asked Sarah Jane quickly.
He nodded. "They will be here imminently," he said. "I have sent for an agent of mine to assist you, for the Black Guardian's servants will be heavily armed." His expression was grave. "I cannot promise that you will all survive this encounter, but I can promise that the Black Guardian will not interfere."
Before he'd finished fading from view, Jack and the others were already on their feet; Gwen and Ianto hurried down into the main area of the Hub to grab their weapons, then the four of them raced up to the Plass.
As they reached the spot where the TARDIS was still parked, there was a burst of light nearby as the Vortex opened, and Martha and the Doctor appeared, the young woman staggering and then falling down under the weight of the Time Lord. Jack and Sarah Jane reached them first, with Gwen and Ianto close behind. Sarah Jane gasped in shock at the sight of the Doctor's battered and unconscious body.
"We need to get him into the TARDIS," Martha said urgently, before anyone could greet her.
"I'll do that," Jack said immediately, stooping to hoist the Doctor into his arms. He turned his head. "Gwen, Ianto, you stay here. I'll be back as quick as I can, but let me know the minute our 'friend' turns up."
"Yes sir."
Sarah Jane had already helped Martha up and was encouraging the young doctor to lean on her as she guided Martha over to the TARDIS.
"We're glad you got back safely," Sarah Jane told her as she unlocked the ship.
"Glad to be back," mumbled Martha, and Jack and Sarah Jane both noticed that she sounded exhausted. They crossed the Control Room and stepped into the corridors to find the ship had rearranged her rooms so that the Med Bay was immediately at hand.
"Thank you," murmured Martha.
Jack crossed to a bed and lowered the Time Lord onto it, and the young doctor immediately shucked off the Doctor's coat, and then her own.
"Here," she said, unstrapping Jack's wrist computer and handing it over. "Thanks."
"What can we do to help?" asked Sarah Jane as Martha washed her hands, then pulled on some gloves.
"I need to check the extent of the Doctor's injuries," she answered, "and we need to get him out of those filthy clothes."
Jack grinned and was about to comment when his face fell, and he put a finger to his ear.
"Damn, that was Ianto," he told them. "We've got company and not all of it is good."
"Do you want me to stay and help?" Sarah Jane asked Martha.
"If you want to go and fight, I'm not going to ask you to stay," she answered. "I can manage by myself, I've had practise."
"I think you should stay and help Martha," Jack said from the doorway. "You've got a son now, remember?" He hurried out without waiting for an answer.
"He's got a point," Martha said. "But it's your decision. No one else can choose for you."
Sarah Jane nodded. "I know." She bent and began unlacing the Doctor's Converse, while Martha got his jacket and shirt off.
"Could you fill a bowl with some warm water and add some antiseptic, please?" she asked, nodding towards the weals across the Time Lord's chest. "We need to get these cleaned up as quickly as possible before infection sets in."
"Of course," answered Sarah Jane. She pulled off her short leather jacket, then rolled up her shirt sleeves while Martha finished undressing the Doctor.
They were soon busy cleaning the numerous wounds that peppered the Doctor's body, and both women were appalled by the extent of the injuries he had sustained.
"Why didn't he regenerate?" asked Sarah Jane eventually, voicing the question that had been puzzling Martha as well.
The young doctor shrugged. "Maybe he didn't want to regenerate in hostile surroundings?" she suggested. "You were with the third incarnation when he regenerated into the fourth, so you know more about it than I do."
Sarah Jane's head shot up. "How on Earth do you know that?" she asked. "I never told you that when we discussed regeneration."
Martha gave her a half smile before turning her attention back to the injuries on the Doctor's legs. "I met him and you only a few hours after his regeneration," she said.
"What? Nonsense!" exclaimed the older woman in disbelief. "I would remember."
"Not if the Doctor had wiped yours, his and everyone else's memories of the meeting," Martha pointed out.
"No, he wouldn't," Sarah Jane said, "he wouldn't dare."
Martha reached out and clasped her hand as it curled into a fist by her side. "He had to," she said gently, "there was too much risk of people knowing too much of their own future. For him, too," she added.
Sarah Jane sighed, but Martha could see she understood. "So who else did you meet that day?"
"Harry Sullivan, Sergeant Benton and the Brigadier."
"Dear old Harry," said Sarah Jane. "He used to drive me mad, calling me 'old thing'."
The young doctor laughed softly. "He didn't go that far with me, but I think he was a little smitten."
"I can tell you've got some stories to share," observed the older woman.
Martha nodded, a more sombre expression on her face now. "I have, but the storytelling will have to wait a while." She straightened up. "We need to turn the Doctor over, or at least onto his side, so I can check his back. But I think I need to check whether there's any damage to his internal organs first. I'd rather not move him too much more without knowing how much danger there is in doing so. It's bad enough that I had to drag him through the Vortex."
"You did what was necessary," Sarah Jane said softly, clasping her shoulder.
Martha nodded, then pulled a device on a mobile arm across the bed where the Doctor lay. Sarah Jane watched as images began to appear on a screen on the edge of the bed opposite to where the younger woman stood. Martha's gaze was intent on what the device was showing her, but Sarah Jane couldn't make sense of the images.
"What's the situation?" she asked.
"He's got a lot of broken bones," the young doctor answered, "but according to this scanner, none of his internal organs have been damaged." She frowned. "I think we'll risk turning him onto his side, if you can hold him while I clean any injuries."
"Of course."
Martha moved across to the other bed and gathered up the pillows there. "We might as well make this as easy as possible," she observed. "Could you get me some fresh water and antiseptic again, please?"
She nodded and moved over to the small sink in the corner while Martha arranged the pillows in a line down the edge of the bed, so they would give the Doctor's body some support in addition to Sarah Jane holding him.
"Martha?"
She jumped in surprise when the Time Lord spoke. "Doctor?"
His eyes, which had been shut, opened slowly, and she felt a lump rise in her throat at the pain she could see in them.
"Where am I?" he asked, his voice hoarse and quiet.
"The TARDIS," she answered. She was aware that Sarah Jane was standing beside her, one hand on her shoulder, and the other stroking the Doctor's arm.
"Did I regenerate?" he asked, sounding dazed.
"Not yet," Martha answered.
"Oh." They watched as his eyes closed again.
"I think he's unconscious again," the young doctor said after a moment. "Let's get the rest of his wounds cleaned up and then I'll sort out an NG tube as he needs a lot of nutrients or he'll never heal properly."
Sarah Jane nodded her agreement and helped Martha to roll the Doctor onto his side.
* * * * * *
Outside on the Plass Jack watched, his grin a rictus of triumph and pain, as he dragged himself to his feet and Slavin's remains crashed to the ground: both Slavin and Trael were dead at the hand of the White Guardian's champion.
Frihet turned to look at the immortal man, whose tears were now falling unchecked as he began to make his way towards where Ianto and Gwen lay.
"My task here is complete," Frihet said.
Jack paused by his side. "Thank you." He held out a hand and Frihet shook it.
"Do not mourn, immortal, your friends are not dead, and their actions helped me to defeat Slavin and Trael, as did yours."
"Not dead?" gasped Jack in disbelief.
"Not yet," answered Frihet. "Now I must go."
Jack barely noticed his departure as he stumbled across the Plass to where his friends lay; kneeling between them, he found they were both alive, but unconscious and burned by the energy beams that Trael had thrown at them during the fight. He got up and hurried over to the TARDIS; letting himself into the ship, he almost threw himself into the Med Bay.
"Martha, I need your help! It's Gwen and Ianto, they've both been injured, well burned, and they're unconscious."
She looked up from preparing the NG tube and nodded. "Can you and Sarah Jane taken them down into the Hub while I set this up, and then if she comes back to sit with the Doctor, I'll come and have a look at them? I don't want to leave him on his own."
"How is he?" asked Jack, belatedly realising he'd forgotten to ask.
"He's developing a fever," she answered, "which is why I want someone to stay with him. I'm going to insert this, and then set up an IV with some drugs to bring down the fever."
"Come on then, Captain," Sarah Jane said, pulling on her jacket. "The sooner we get them down into the Hub, the sooner Martha can take a look at them."
"Thanks sweetheart." Jack hurried out again, with Sarah Jane close behind.
Martha turned back to her task, carefully measuring the nasogastric tube to the right length, and then inserting it through the Doctor's nose, down his throat and into his stomach. She fixed it in place, and then attached the bag of fluid containing salts, glucose, amino acids, lipids and vitamins that the Time Lord would need to help restore him to full health. She noticed he was becoming restless, his head shifting to and fro on the pillow, and he was mumbling incomprehensibly as well. She decided to restrain him, just in case he pulled out the IV or the NG tube, and then she set up the IV and attached it. She stroked his sweaty hair off his forehead, then ran a finger down his cheek.
"You poor man," she said softly. "I'm sorry I didn't find you sooner."
"Please, Martha, please." The Doctor's mumblings became slightly more coherent and audible, and she winced at the words; she wondered why he was begging her - the idea was painful. She entwined her fingers with his and squeezed them gently, hoping he would be aware of her touch on some level. After a few moments she moved away and began looking for supplies to treat Gwen and Ianto's injuries.
By the time Sarah Jane returned Martha had assembled everything that she thought was necessary and, after telling the older woman which monitors to watch, she hurried out to the Hub.
Martha found that Jack and Sarah Jane had put Gwen and Ianto down in Owen's old work area; it gave her a pang to be working there without him around to be caustic to her in that way he had of pretending that he was meaner than he really was. But she shoved those thoughts aside, knowing she had to concentrate on the living who needed her help, not the dead who had gone beyond it. She'd had to learn that lesson during the Year, and forgetting it now would not help Gwen and Ianto, or Jack.
The Captain watched Martha as she moved around Owen's work area, setting out her supplies in a calm and methodical manner. Now that he was looking at her closely, he could see that she looked tired and drawn, even more than he'd ever seen her looking before, including when she'd returned after that Year.
"You said in your text message that you'd met six incarnations of the Doctor," he observed.
Martha nodded. "I ended up meeting all nine of the earlier incarnations," she told him as she began to apply a salve to Gwen's burns that she'd found in the TARDIS.
"Including the northern one?" Jack asked, feeling a painful tightness in his chest as he remembered his farewell to that Doctor.
"He was the second one I encountered," she answered, not looking up from her task.
"When did you see him?"
"The night he blew up the relay device on the roof of Henrik's, the day he first met Rose."
There was a slight catch in her voice, he thought. "What happened?" he asked softly.
Martha laughed, although there was little mirth in it. "I actually told him to ask Rose along," she said. "Ironic, isn't it? He wanted me to travel with him, and instead I told him to find Rose again, and then all the time I was travelling with the current incarnation, he was telling me how wonderful Rose was because he'd made himself forget meeting me." She shook her head. "I knew he'd travelled with her, though, and I couldn't risk messing up the timelines, could I?"
Jack got up from where he'd been sitting on the stairs and crossed to Martha's side; slipping his arms around her waist, he kissed her cheek. "He liked you, though," he said, "and not just liked you, he saw something in you that made him want to travel with you, even though that was potentially paradoxical. I don't think you realise yet just what an effect you have on people."
She made an indistinct noise and moved away from Jack to treat Ianto's burns, and Jack wondered if Martha was comforted by the thought that another version of the Doctor liked her enough to want to travel with her. He thought not, and he found himself wishing he knew how to comfort her, even though it wasn't up to him but the Doctor.
"I'll leave this salve with you," Martha said, interrupting his reverie. "It needs to be applied daily and the burns will need to be kept clean, but left open as much as possible."
She turned away to wash her hands and Jack saw she was swaying slightly, he sprang forwards and caught her as she fell.
"Martha?" He tapped her cheek and after a moment she opened her eyes, looking confused.
"What happened?" she asked, dazed. She seemed to be in the Hub, lying in Jack's arms, and she couldn't figure out why she was there.
"You fainted," he told her. "I expect you've been doing too much, haven't you?" He helped her to her feet. "Let's get you back to the TARDIS." He picked her up, ignoring her protest that she could walk.
He only set her back down on her feet once they were outside the TARDIS again. "I think you need time to rest and recover," he said, unlocking the door. "There's a way of sending the TARDIS into the Vortex without the Doctor piloting the ship, so I suggest you do that, and then you can both take as long as you need to recover without needing to worry about work, or anything else."
"What about Gwen and Ianto?" asked Martha.
"They're not likely to suffer from any complications, are they?"
"No."
"There you are then. I'll look after them," Jack said. "You should concentrate on looking after the Doctor and getting some rest yourself."
He crossed to the console and Martha followed him, watching as he called up something on the monitor. "Here you are," he said. "Once Sarah Jane and I have gone, activate this program here." He pointed out the controls. "Then the TARDIS will move into the Vortex."
She nodded, knowing that Jack was right about the Doctor needing a lot of time to heal and recover, and not just physically, if she were any judge. It had become clear to her, as she and Sarah Jane had cleaned up the Time Lord's wounds, that he had been systematically tortured until he had several broken ribs, a broken nose, split lips, broken fingers on his right hand, broken bones in his left leg, a dislocated shoulder (which she had reset), and a large number of cuts and whip marks across his back and chest. She had felt amazed that he hadn't died of his wounds, and could only conclude that a Time Lord's body could take a lot more punishment than a human one.
"Okay," she said.
"Good girl." He kissed her forehead. "Let me fetch Sarah Jane and then you can get out of here. Just give me a ring if you need anything."
She nodded again, and Jack went off to the Med Bay to fetch Sarah Jane, who stopped to give the young doctor a hug before she left.
"Make sure you look after yourself properly, as well as him, mind," she told Martha.
"I will," she promised.
"Good. And make sure you come and see me once you're back in London."
"Definitely," agreed Martha, knowing Sarah Jane wanted to hear more of her encounters with the third and fourth incarnations of the Doctor.
"Good." Sarah Jane kissed Martha's cheek, then moved aside so that Jack could make his own farewell, before the two of them headed back to the Hub and Martha moved the ship into the Vortex.
Three days later, relative time
Martha woke abruptly from a confused dream about flying through the Vortex on a Vortisaur's back to the sound of the Doctor hoarsely calling her name.
"Doctor, how are you feeling?" she asked, sitting up in bed. She had made the decision to sleep in the second bed in the Med Bay so that she could keep a close eye on the Time Lord while he was feverish.
"I've felt worse," he told her, managing a smile.
She climbed out of bed and moved across to his bedside. "You've looked worse too," she said lightly, as she checked the monitors and saw that his fever had finally broken.
"Did I regenerate?" he asked.
She shook her head. "You asked me that before, don't you remember?"
He frowned. "No."
"You came to, briefly, after we got you aboard the TARDIS, and you asked me then.
"Sorry." He waited while Martha removed the NG tube that had been feeding him and the IV as well.
"Thank you." He reached out and clasped her hand in the one that wasn't heavily bandaged. "Thank you for coming to find me."
She nodded, giving his fingers a brief squeeze before she moved away to dispose of the IV and food bags.
"I expect you'd like some proper food soon?"
His expression brightened. "Yes please. Only, no gruel, please."
"No gruel," Martha agreed. "I'm going to go and have a quick shower and get dressed, and then I'll bring you something."
He nodded, watching as she gathered up her clothes and went away, guessing that she was going to her old room. He sensed a certain reserve in her manner which he found puzzling: that hadn't been there when they'd talked before he'd been kidnapped, and he wondered what it signified.
He lay with his eyes closed, trying to fathom out what had changed, besides his kidnap and her search for him. He still hadn't worked it out when Martha returned carrying a tray which she set down on a folding table near his bed. It took him a moment to recognise that it was a card table from the TARDIS' games room.
"Let me lift up the head of the bed," she said.
"The controls are down here," the Doctor told her, flapping a hand in the general direction, "after all, the beds in here haven't changed."
Martha gave him a startled look and he smiled at her. "You remember that?" she asked in an uncertain tone.
"Everything," he told her, "every single meeting you had with every one of my past selves."
She frowned as she pressed the button to raise the head of the bed. "How is that possible? You told me that you were wiping your memory, and your fourth incarnation got quite annoyed that the third hadn't performed that memory wipe."
"Yes he - I - did, but when I put the mental blocks in place, I did it in such a way that I would start to remember you once you had begun searching for me." He frowned. "You told each of my selves that I had been captured 'for revenge', which I felt didn't bode well, so I wanted my memories to come back in order to have the hope of being found to sustain me."
The Doctor swallowed. "I didn't know, because you didn't know, that I would be tortured, but the knowledge that you were looking for me gave me strength and helped me to survive."
He reached out and clasped her hand again. "If it wasn't for you, Dr Jones, I would not be here now. Thank you."
Martha squeezed his fingers. "You're welcome." She moved away and then returned with a bowl of soup from the tray.
"I think I'd better feed you until your hand has healed," she observed.
"I can do it left handed," he said, without much conviction.
"Doctor, the food will only do you any good if you eat it, not if you wear it."
He gave a weak chuckle. "You're right, of course. I just feel like I'm being an utter nuisance."
She shook her head. "You do get some daft ideas at times," she told him. "Now eat." She offered him a spoonful of the soup.
They took it slowly since he found it painful to swallow, and because it had been three days since he had last eaten solid food. As she fed him, she told him what Jack had told her about Slavin and Trael, the Black Guardian's agents, and their battle with Frihet, the agent of the White Guardian.
"Was Jack okay, and the others?" he asked.
"Slavin killed Jack, but Gwen and Ianto were fairly lucky as Trael only stunned and burned them, although they'll be out of action for a few days while the burns heal."
"I hope everything stays quiet in Cardiff, then," he said.
"Well, Jack's not on his own, Sarah Jane is in Cardiff too."
His face brightened. "Really? I'm glad Jack's not having to manage on his own then. Sarah Jane is a good influence on him."
After he finished the soup, Martha offered the Doctor a bowl of pureed fruit salad, and he wrinkled his nose a little.
"How soon before I can eat proper solid food?" he asked, sounding a little grumpy.
"Not before tomorrow at the earliest," she told him. "I want to be sure you'll be able to swallow it as I've no desire to be obliged to perform an emergency tracheotomy."
"Oh, no, definitely don't want one of those," he agreed, massaging his throat with his left hand.
He allowed Martha to feed him the bowl of fruit, then accepted the mug of tea that she offered him. "Thanks."
"When you do eat solid food again, I've got some cake to share with you," she told him.
"Chocolate?" he asked hopefully.
"Sorry, no. Remember the fruit cake you gave me in your eighth incarnation?" He nodded. "I've still got that."
He laughed softly. "Oh Martha Jones, have you been saving it until now?"
"Not entirely," she answered. "I remembered that I had it when Harry was getting me something to eat in the UNIT canteen, but then I forgot about it again because it was tucked away in my pocket."
"Well, even though it's not Evelyn's delicious chocolate cake, I'll be glad to have it tomorrow."
"Doctor, what happened to Evelyn? Your seventh self told me she married and settled on Világ, but I got the impression there was something sad about that story."
He sighed. "There was. You should sit down," he told her. "I want to tell you about Evelyn, and about some of my other companions you met."
She gave him a startled look, but fetched a chair and sat down at his bedside. To her surprise he reached out and entwined his fingers with hers before he began to speak, telling her about the young woman named Cassie whom his sixth incarnation and Evelyn had met in London's Docklands, and the Forge Virus with which she'd been infected, and then about how he and Evelyn had arrived back in Norway too late to save Cassie.
"She never really forgave me for that," he said, tears trickling down his cheeks. "Even after I went back and saw her in my seventh incarnation to tell her that Cassie's son, Hex, was then travelling with me, and that he'd turned out a decent lad."
"Oh Doctor." Martha leant forward and carefully hugged him; he buried his face in the crook of her neck, grateful for her presence. He hadn't allowed himself to think about Evelyn for some time, as with other companions he'd lost it was simply too painful, but he'd made himself a promise, back in that cell on Skra, that he would talk to Martha properly, and he wasn't about to break that promise, even if she knew nothing of it.
After a while he pulled away and accepted the tissue she offered him.
"Have you thought of going to see Evelyn again?" she asked.
He shook his head. "I didn't want to bring back painful memories for her. She was happy with Rossiter, I hope she still is."
Martha didn't want to upset him further, so she didn't press the point, but she couldn't help feeling that Evelyn might have been glad of another visit, however brief, to make her peace with him. She decided to change the subject, and remembering her conversation with Sarah Jane earlier, she asked about Harry and Benton.
"Harry went to work with NATO on a top secret project," the Doctor said, "I lost track of him after that, although I believe Sarah Jane kept in touch with him for a while. The Brigadier told my fifth self that Sergeant Benton had retired from UNIT and become a second hand car salesman, which struck me as a bit, well, tame for Benton."
She laughed softly. "It does, a little. He was a lovely man, and Harry too."
"They were both upset when I told them that I was going to make them forget you," he said. "Sarah Jane too." He looked away. "I didn't win many friends that day."
Martha took his hands in hers. "You did what you had to do," she reminded him.
"I owe you an apology," he said, still not looking at her.
"Why?"
He swallowed, then met her eyes. "You encouraged my ninth self to find Rose and travel with her, and I repaid you by comparing you to her and talking about her endlessly. I should never have done that."
"No, you shouldn't have, but you did, and it's in the past now. There's no point in us going over old ground now. You didn't remember that you'd met me. If you had remembered, and you'd still gone on about Rose, I'd be seriously upset now."
She rubbed her thumb over his knuckles. "I hope we will always be friends, you and I, and I will certainly always be here for you if you need my help or support, but I'm not in love with you any more." She glanced up at him. "Don't get me wrong, I love you to bits, but I've grown out of that silly crush."
"That's as well," he said, "you deserve someone better than me." He looked down at her small hands wrapped around his larger ones. "You'll always be my Doctor, though."
"Thank you."
They talked of the other companions Martha had met during her search for the Doctor, and he told her where to look in the library for information on C'rizz's people since she expressed an interest in knowing more about Eturmesans. He also told her something of Charley's complicated story after Martha asked about the girl who'd nearly knocked her over at the Great Exhibition.
"I wouldn't mind going and having a proper look at that if you ever felt like going back there," Martha commented.
The Doctor looked at her in surprise. "Really?"
She nodded. "Really. I think it would be fascinating."
"Does that mean - " He broke off, almost afraid to ask.
"Does that mean what?" asked Martha, guessing what he wanted to ask, but wanting him to ask her properly.
"Does that mean that you'll consider travelling with me again, full time, just for a little while? I mean, I know it couldn't be permanent, you've got your job with UNIT, and your family, and, well, Tom, but - " He broke off, aware that he was beginning to babble.
"I don't know if I'll be marrying Tom," she said, "but I'm not going to make that decision just yet. But I'd like to travel with you again."
"Really?" he asked, not quite daring to believe she'd said yes.
She nodded. "Really. I feel I know you much better now, than I did before, and it would interesting, and fun too, to spend some time with you again in light of what I've learned."
The Doctor looked like he was going to burst into tears, so she leaned forward and hugged him again. "You're a silly old fool, sometimes," she said quietly.
"No fool like an old fool," he answered, sniffing.
Martha pulled back and kissed his forehead. "You should get some more sleep. You've still got a fair amount of healing to do yet before you can consider going anywhere."
He cupped her cheek in his good hand and looked her in the eyes. "Do you know what," he said, "you are good."
She laughed at him echoing her words. "And don't you forget it, mister."
"Oh I won't," he assured her. "How could I possible forget the woman who not only faced down the Master, thereby saving the Earth, but also defied the Black Guardian to search through Time for me?"
Martha looked away, embarrassed, as she lowered the head of the bed back down. "I just did what needed to be done," she told him. "Now, get some sleep. Do you want me to give you a mild sedative, or will you be okay?"
"I'll be okay, I think," he said.
"Good."
She left him to go back to sleep, and headed to the kitchen with the tray of empty dishes and mugs. After doing the washing up, she rang Jack to see how Gwen and Ianto were, and then her mother to have a quick chat, although she didn't mention that she was no longer in Cardiff, or that she was planning to travel with the Doctor again: it would be better to have that conversation face to face, she felt. After that she headed to the library to look for the books that the Time Lord had told her about.
* * * * * *
It was another week, not that there was any real time in the Vortex, but Martha marked the days as best she could, before the Doctor was fit enough to get up and take some gentle exercise walking the TARDIS' corridors. He was still in pain from some of his injuries, and he was suffering from nightmares about Slavin's torture, which Martha had anticipated would happen. She managed to persuade him to let her give him a mild sedative so that he could sleep for a few hours without waking up screaming, telling him that he needed the sleep to help him to heal, and that the less sleep he got, the longer his healing process would be.
"And the longer your healing process is, the longer you'll be stuck in the Vortex doing nothing much, instead of dashing about getting into trouble," she added, teasing him just a little.
"Oi!" he protested, half-heartedly.
She smirked at him and he agreed it would be for the best, and he slept a lot better although Martha continued to sleep in the second bed in the Med Bay, just in case.
The first day that the Doctor was up and about for a few hours, he took Martha's hand and led her through several corridors until they reached a door which had a silver leaf above the handle. He stopped, his hand on the handle, and looked down at her.
"It'll just be a holographic projection this time," he said, his voice husky with emotion.
She nodded and squeezed his fingers encouragingly, and he opened the door and led her inside.
Even though she had seen the real thing, and this was only an image, Martha still felt breathless at the sight of the red grass, silver-leaved trees and the burnt orange sky. The Doctor led her across the grass and they sat on a bench beneath the trees, just as they had before.
"I still find it incredible that I've actually walked on Gallifrey," she said quietly.
"I find it a little incredible, too," admitted the Doctor. "I had no idea the TARDIS would do that for you."
They sat in silence for a few moments, and then he told her about his encounter with Davros and the Daleks at the time she had met his seventh self, before describing some of his adventures with Ace. After that he talked of Jamie and Zoe, explaining that he and his two companions had ended up in the War Zone, and then he found himself tried by the Time Lords for stealing a TARDIS and leaving Gallifrey, for breaking the laws of time and interfering in the histories of other planets.
"I was exiled to Earth, after a forced regeneration, and my memory of how to operate the TARDIS was wiped, while Jamie and Zoe were both taken back to their original time zones with their memories wiped of our travels together, although they both remembered their first meeting with me."
"That's horrible," Martha said, her tone and expression fierce. "I didn't meet Jamie, but I liked Zoe. She seemed like she'd be fun to spend time with."
"My people could be pretty unforgiving when they chose," the Doctor said.
She decided to change the subject, considering it too painful. "By the way, your second self said I had to get you to take me to Florana or somewhere as a thank you for searching for me."
He laughed softly. "I remember. We could go to Florana, if you want. It's a lovely planet."
"That would be nice."
"Just don't tell Sarah Jane, if we do get there," he said.
"Why?" asked Martha, curious.
"I promised to take her there, but we never made it. She might be a bit jealous."
"Invite her to come too," she suggested.
"Maybe I will." The Doctor yawned. "Sorry."
"Doesn't matter," Martha told him. "Come on, back to bed with you again."
"Do I have to?" he asked, pouting at her a little.
"Oi, none of that," she scolded. "What are you going to do if you don't go back to bed?"
"I thought we might watch the Back to the Future films again," he said, a hopeful expression on his face.
"I guess that would be okay," she answered.
He grinned, the first genuine grin she'd seen from him since she'd rescued him from Skra. "Good."
She helped him up and they made their way to the cinema; Martha found the DVDs on the shelf and put the first one in, then settled down next to the Doctor on the sofa; he promptly slid an arm around her shoulders and she rested her head on his shoulder.
They took a break for tea after the first film, and as the Doctor was making the tea he remembered there was something else he hadn't told Martha.
"My ninth self was jealous of me."
She looked up from buttering scones. "Why?"
"Because I got to travel with you. After you left, he - I took the TARDIS back into the Vortex so I could make myself forget meeting you, but before I did that, I went over all my memories of you from the moment you turned up on that roof, to the moment that you walked out of the TARDIS." He laughed. "I wanted to chase after you and beg you not to continue looking for this version of me."
She gave him a puzzled look. "That would have been paradoxical, though," she said. "Not to mention selfish."
He nodded. "I know. But you met that earlier incarnation of me at a time when I was beginning to feel more in need of company than isolation. After the Time War - " He paused. "After the Time War, I didn't want anything to do with anyone, except on a superficial level. But after a few years, I began to feel lonely and I was half on the look out for a new companion, and there you were: smart, quick, brave, and a doctor. You would have done me a lot of good, back then."
He set down their mugs of tea and sat down. "Rose helped me a lot," he told her, "but I think you would have helped me a lot more. At least, that's what I felt, back then."
Martha felt stunned. "I don't quite know what to say," she said. "I'm flattered that you think I would have helped you, but I couldn't stay with your ninth incarnation, knowing that you were being held prisoner somewhere."
"I know. You made the right decision, and I'm very grateful that you came and rescued me. I'm not sure that I deserve such loyalty and bravery from anyone, especially you, Dr Jones, but I am very glad that you dared to come looking for me, and that you rescued me."
"You're welcome." She put the plate of scones on a tray, together with their mugs of tea and some side plates. "Come on, let's go and watch another film." She stood up, but before she could pick up the tray, the Doctor embraced her, and Martha hugged him back.
* * * * * *
It was Sunday afternoon of the same weekend that Martha had arrived in Cardiff when the TARDIS materialised in Roald Dahl Plass, and the Doctor and his companion were met by Sarah Jane and Jack as they stepped out of the door of the ship.
Hugs and greetings were exchanged, then they adjourned to the Hub's boardroom for tea and conversation, and Gwen and Ianto joined them.
"How are you both?" asked Martha immediately.
"We're not doing too badly, thanks to your burns salve," answered Gwen.
"Well, technically, it's not mine, it's the Doctor's," she said. "I took it from the TARDIS' Med Bay."
"Well either way, we're both healing nicely, thank you."
"Yes, thank you," murmured Ianto from his seat on Jack's left.
"You're welcome."
After a couple of hours of chat, Gwen and Ianto both went to get some rest again, and Sarah Jane said it was time she headed back to London so she could collect Luke from Clyde's house and spend some time with him before school the next day.
"Good to see you again, Doctor," Sarah Jane told the Time Lord. "Make sure you look after Martha," she said softly in his ear as they hugged. "You've got a real gem there."
"I know," he assured her, "and I will, I promise." He kissed her forehead. "I'll see you again soon. I want to meet your son, too."
"Okay, then." She hugged Martha and made the younger woman promise to visit soon.
After Sarah Jane had gone, Jack looked at his two friends and then said, "There's something you two aren't telling me."
"I'm going to travel with the Doctor again for a bit," Martha said promptly.
Jack gaped, and his friends started laughing, pleased at having sprung a surprise on him; usually he was so astute that he seemed to know things without being told.
"What about UNIT?" he asked.
"I'll square it with them," she answered, "they owe me some leave, anyway."
"Well, I'll be damned."
"I hope not, Captain, I really hope not," said the Doctor with a quiet chuckle.
"Can I leave my car here, and will you keep an eye on it for me please?" Martha asked.
Jack nodded, still apparently thunderstruck.
"Thanks. Now, you've got my number, so if you need us, give me a call."
"All right. Take good care of yourselves, and each other."
"We will," they agreed in chorus, then laughed, before taking it in turns to hug him, and then they headed up to the Plass and a new chapter in their adventures together.
The End.