Fic: Rest and Recovery
Who_Daily Link: < a href="http://persiflage-1.livejournal.com/431781.html">Rest and Recovery by < lj user=persiflage_1> (Characters: Martha/Jack, Ten, Francine | Rating: G | Spoilers: 3.13)
Title: Rest and Recovery
Author: Persiflage_1
Characters/Pairings: Martha/Jack, Ten, Francine
Rating: G
Spoilers: 3.13
Summary: After that Year is rewound, Martha and Jack get to know each other properly.
Disclaimer: Nope, still not mine!
Author Notes: Written for mischief89's birthday: she wanted Martha and Jack aboard the TARDIS after the YTNW. It has a slightly AU ending for The Last of the Time Lords. Happy birthday mischief89!
Beta: catholicphoton
~~~~~~
Jack and Martha stood in the doorway of the TARDIS, watching as the Doctor laid the Master's wrapped body on the funeral pyre and set it alight; the Time Lord had refused all offers of assistance once he and Jack had finished piling up the wood. Martha had sat and watched the two men: it had been embarrassing to discover that she was too exhausted to help them, but Jack had spread out his coat for her to sit on while they worked since she didn't want to stay in the TARDIS on her own.
"C'mon," she said now, her voice soft as she put a hand on Jack's arm. "Let me give you a check up in the Medical Bay. The Doctor said the TARDIS has repaired it."
He looked down at her, a streak of dirt from hauling the logs marking his face; they had both showered after the Doctor had brought the TARDIS off the Valiant, but chopping down trees and hauling logs was grimy work.
"I'm okay," he said, sounding a little surprised by her concern.
"I would still like to give you a once over," she persisted. "I'm almost a doctor, humour me."
"Very well." He peeled himself away from the door frame, then draped an arm around her shoulders as they made their way up the ramp.
The TARDIS' sick red lighting had almost all been transformed back to her usual green-gold colour, and Martha felt a sense of relief at this return to almost-normality. Seeing the ship after the Master's transformation of her had made Martha feel nauseous and given her a headache too, but she only felt a slight twinge of sickness now.
The Medical Bay was brightly lit and a clean, sterile white which immediately made Martha feel at home. She got Jack to sit on an exam bed first.
"Take off your shirt please," she requested, putting the stethoscope earpieces into her ears.
"You know Martha, if that was all you wanted, you only had to ask." Jack leered at her, but she sensed his heart wasn't really in it.
"Jack," she said patiently.
"All right, all right." He did as she asked, and she listened to his heart and lungs, then made him lie back while she scanned him from head to toe.
"Well?" he asked a few minutes.
"Yes, you are," she answered, trying to inject a little humour into the situation.
He sat up, smiling at her, and the warmth of his expression made her feel good. "And what about you, Martha Jones, my voice of a nightingale?"
"Voice of a nightingale?" she asked, puzzled at the phrase.
He flushed a little. "It was our codename for you, when we wanted to talk about you without him or his people knowing who we meant."
There was no need for Martha to ask who Jack meant by 'him', the expression on his face made it quite clear. "Oh." She felt a little nonplussed by his revelation, but was also somewhat amused by the idea.
"So, are you okay?" He patted the exam bed beside him. "I think I should check."
"I'm fine," she said quickly.
"Now you're sounding like the Doctor," Jack said.
"Well, I'm stiff from bruising, malnourished, a little dehydrated, and fatigued enough to feel that a week's sleep wouldn't even begin to touch my exhaustion, but I'm fine otherwise."
"Then I suggest we get some food, and then some sleep," he said, standing up and putting an arm around her again.
"Food sounds like a good idea," she said. "But I want to check on the Doctor first."
Jack sighed, but he turned them back towards the console room rather than deeper into the ship as they stepped out of the Med Bay. They looked down from the hilltop to the promontory where the Doctor and Jack had built the pyre, and saw their friend standing a short distance away, keeping a vigil over the fire.
"I think he's gonna be there a while, sweetheart," Jack observed. "C'mon, come and have something to eat."
Martha allowed him to lead her back into the ship and, at Jack's insistence, sat down at the table while he rummaged for food. She rested one elbow on the table, then leant her cheek on her hand. When she'd told Jack that a week's sleep would barely touch her exhaustion, she hadn't been exaggerating; she tried to recall how long it was since she'd slept for more than four hours at a stretch, and came up blank. And it was even longer since she'd slept in a proper bed. Her eyelids felt heavy, and she allowed them to slide closed.
* * * * * *
Jack looked up, a finger to his lips, as the Doctor came into the kitchen.
"Why are you letting Martha sleep there?" asked the Time Lord, sounding worried.
"Because I don't know where her room is, and you weren't here to ask. And whatever you might think of me, I wasn't gonna take her to my room to sleep."
The Doctor frowned, then exhaled. "Right. Has she eaten?"
"Not yet," Jack answered. "She fell asleep while I was preparing a meal."
"Well, we'd better wake her up, she needs to eat - you both do."
"But - " began Jack reluctantly.
"She can sleep afterwards, Jack. Both of you can. I'm going to move the TARDIS into the Vortex for a time - she needs to finish repairing and healing herself too, you know, before I can take her anywhere else."
"Of course."
Jack watched as the Doctor knelt down beside Martha's chair; the Time Lord put one hand on her back, and slipped his other hand into hers. "Martha, wake up. You need to eat."
The Captain swallowed a lump in his throat at the Doctor's tender tone.
"Mum?" asked Martha sleepily, lifting her head.
"No Martha, it's me, the Doctor. I'll take you back to your mum soon, I promise. But you need to eat, first, and then you can go and sleep in a proper bed."
"'kay." She straightened up, and the Time Lord, brushed her hair out of her eyes, then cupped her face in both hands.
"I don't think I've said thank you, yet," he observed softly.
Jack gaped as the Doctor leaned in and kissed Martha gently on the mouth, then rested his head against her forehead. "Thank you, Martha Jones, for everything." He got up, and Jack thought he saw tears in the Doctor's eyes, but he turned away before the Captain could be sure.
"You two should eat, and then get some sleep. I'm going to put the TARDIS into the Vortex for a while so she can finish recovering from what the Master did to her."
He strode out, leaving both his companions feeling rather shell-shocked.
"Here," Jack said, breaking the stunned silence as he set two plates of food down on the table.
"Thanks." Martha glanced swiftly up at his face before turning her attention to the meal of scrambled eggs, baked beans, sausages and bacon, all served with fresh bread slathered in butter. She fell on the food like someone who hadn't eaten properly in months, which Jack suspected was the literal truth.
"Hey, slow down," he said after a moment. "You'll give yourself indigestion."
She looked embarrassed and guilty, and he immediately wished he hadn't said anything. "Sorry," she whispered.
"Hey, it's okay." He reached across the corner of the table and put a hand on her wrist. "Really, it is okay. I do understand, but you've no need to eat so fast now - and there's plenty more food if you want more."
"Thanks."
He watched from the corner of his eye as Martha made an obvious effort to eat more slowly instead of simply bolting it down, but she still finished her meal faster than he did.
"Do you want some dessert?" he asked once he'd finished. "There's fruit and there's chocolate ice cream, if you fancy it."
"Ice cream?" Her tone was a mixture of surprise and hope.
"Yeah." He grinned at her and she smiled back.
"I've forgotten what chocolate tastes like," she observed quietly, and he felt his grin slip.
"Well then," he said, swallowing another lump of emotion. "Let me remind you." He picked up their empty plates and dumped them on the counter by the sink, then pulled two bowls from the cupboard. After a few moments he set one of the bowls down in front of Martha, the ice cream inside mounded high, and handed her a spoon.
"There you go little nightingale," he said, grinning again.
"Thanks."
He watched as she ate, apparently unconscious of the sensuousness implicit in her actions, and found himself growing aroused. He tried to push that aside because while he did fancy Martha and would quite happily take her to bed, he wasn't really sure now would be a good time.
They had just finished their meal when the Doctor appeared in the doorway again, and Martha immediately got to her feet.
"Come and sit down, Doctor," she said, moving around the table towards him. "I'll make you some tea, and then you can tell me what you want to eat."
"No," he answered. At her surprised look, he elaborated awkwardly. "There are certain rites we Gallifreyans completed after the death of - " He broke off, looking even more uncomfortable.
"Friends, loved ones?" suggested Martha softly, her eyes fixed on the Time Lord's. "It's okay, Doctor. I understand." She stepped into his personal space to wrap her arms around him and Jack saw a mixture of surprise, guilt and anger flash across the Doctor's face.
The Time Lord reached up and clasped Martha's upper arms, moving her away from him. "Don't do that!" he said, his tone harsh.
"Do what?" asked Martha; Jack could see the surprise and hurt in her eyes and he stood up, clenching his fists.
"Don't be so forgiving," the Doctor answered. "How can you? The Master imprisoned your family for a year, tortured Jack for a year, and kept you on the run for a year. How can you possibly forgive me for any of that?"
Jack saw Martha's body stiffen and she stepped back from him, looking up into his face with dark eyes.
"What would you have me do, Doctor? Rage at you? Hate you? He was the only other Time Lord in existence, and a long time ago, he was your best friend - of course you want to carry out the mourning rituals for him. If he'd regenerated, you'd no longer have been the last of the Time Lords, and you'd no longer have had to make do with us stray humans to keep you company. I'd think less of you if you didn't want to mourn him properly." She paused for breath, her dark eyes burning. "But I'm surprised you think so little of me, that you would think I could be so petty and vindictive. I thought you knew me better by now."
She stepped past the Doctor and walked away, her spine straight and her head held high, leaving him looking as stunned as if she had hit him. Jack stepped in front of the Doctor and met his eyes.
"That was completely unnecessary," he said softly. "How much longer do you think you can go on hurting her without completely pushing her away?"
Jack didn't wait for an answer, he just walked out of the kitchen, then hurried down the corridor after his friend.
"Martha, wait up," he called.
She stopped walking and half turned towards him as he caught up with her.
"You okay?" he asked softly, putting a hand on her shoulder.
She shook her head, and he realised she was crying silently; he wrapped his arms around her and held her without speaking.
"C'mon sweetheart," he said softly. He bent and scooped her up into his arms, then continued down the corridor. "Where's your room?"
She pointed to a door a few feet away, and as he reached it, it swung open, so he carried across the room and set her down on the bed.
"Don't go," she said huskily as he straightened up again.
"All right," he agreed easily. He turned his back and waited while she changed out of her jeans and t-shirt into her pyjamas, then he settled himself at the foot of the bed.
Once Martha was asleep, Jack moved over to sit in the armchair in the corner of her room; he didn't quite like to leave her alone, but he didn't want her to feel intimidated by his presence. He closed his eyes, intending to have a short nap, but before he knew it, he was sound asleep too.
* * * * * *
Martha ran through the dark streets of the ruined city, her heart thumping painfully in her chest, and her breath rasping in her throat; she knew she was making too much noise, but she couldn't seem to get enough air into her lungs, and she knew she'd inhaled a lot of smoke trying to get the others out of the camp before the whole place burnt down.
If she hadn't been too busy fleeing, she knew she'd be sobbing since at least half the people she'd pulled out of the warehouse had then been shot down or cut up by the Toclafane. Right now, though, she didn't have time to mourn because if she didn't reach the border, and the rendezvous point with her next guide, she wouldn't get to the coast in time to cross the channel and be in England for the countdown.
She heard the high, excited chatter of the Toclafane somewhere off to her right, and immediately rushed towards some buildings on the left, searching for a spot where she could pause and wait for them to pass. She knew the TARDIS key would keep her safe, but she still preferred to take shelter in such cases as this. She scrambled through the doorway of a building, the half broken door catching her leg as she clambered over it, then nearly yelled out in fright as she stumbled downwards, the rotten floorboards under her feet giving way. She lay still where she'd fallen, one hand clamped over her mouth to muffle the sounds of her panicked breathing as the childlike voices of the Toclafane came closer, their giggling glee sickening her.
Suddenly bright lights shone into the building, and one of the Toclafane zoomed inside, calling out excitedly that it had found Martha Jones. She rolled onto her back, staring up in horrified astonishment as its blades popped out of the casing, then it swooped down towards her, and she screamed.
"Martha, Martha, wake up!"
Martha woke with a start to find Jack standing over her, looking anxious. The room blazed with light and she was aware that the TARDIS was humming worriedly.
"It's okay, you were dreaming," Jack said, sitting down on the edge of the bed and holding her as she clung to him, sobbing. "It's okay, sweetheart." He rubbed her back, trying to soothe and calm her.
Eventually she calmed down and Jack persuaded her let him go and make her a drink; in the kitchen he dug around in a cupboard until he found a bottle of whiskey, and he took that, along with two glasses and a mug of hot chocolate back to Martha's room on a tray.
He poured them both a glass of whiskey, then a second, after they'd drunk the first, then Jack cajoled Martha into telling him about her dream. She drank her hot chocolate as they talked, then he suggested that she try to sleep again.
"Will you stay with me?" she asked.
"You mean, in the bed?" Jack asked.
"Yes."
"Okay." He removed his shoes and shirt, then took his braces off his trousers, before settling onto the bed alongside Martha. She rolled onto her side, shifting sideways so that she was against his body, and he carefully put his arm around her.
"Okay?" he asked.
"Yeah, thanks."
"You're welcome."
* * * * * *
Martha woke twice more from nightmares, but Jack was there beside her each time to soothe and comfort her, and she felt glad of his presence. His solidity and warmth took away some of her fear, making her feel safer than if she'd slept alone.
* * * * * *
Neither Martha nor Jack was sure how long they were in the Vortex for - time didn't really pass when they were there, but they ate regular meals, slept at intervals, and talked - not just about their experiences of the last year, but about their travels with the Doctor, and their lives before they'd met him. Jack talked about Torchwood, telling her about his current team, and about others with whom he'd worked in the century before, while Martha talked about her family, and her studies. Each time they slept, he lay beside her, holding her and comforting her when the nightmares woke her.
After four 'days', the Doctor joined them in the kitchen as they were eating breakfast on the fifth morning. Martha noticed that he looked even paler than usual, and there were dark smudges under his eyes.
"I'll get you two back home," he said, then turned and walked out.
"Are you going to tell him?" Jack asked Martha.
"Not right now, but soon, yes."
"Well, don't forget, if you want a job once you've qualified, I'd be very happy to have you at Torchwood."
"I'll think about it," she promised, giving him a smile.
"Good."
They finished their breakfast, then joined the Doctor in the Control Room. Martha noticed that he seemed to be making a determined effort to smile and be cheerful, but she knew full well that it was an effort: she could see the strain in his eyes and the tautness of his muscles beneath his suit.
* * * * * *
The Doctor didn't really say much after they had left Jack crossing Roald Dahl Plass to get back to his team. For once, Martha didn't mind a great deal - she wasn't sure she knew what she would say to him, apart from telling him that she wouldn't be travelling with him again.
The TARDIS materialised with her customary groaning and wheezing, and Martha headed towards the doors.
"I've brought you back only a few hours after they left the Valiant. Take as long as you need to spend with them, I'll be here," the Doctor told her, and she nodded an acknowledgement, then headed outside to see her family.
* * * * * *
Martha spent an hour with her family, drinking tea and eating sandwiches.
"Will you be going with him again?" Francine asked her, after glancing through the sitting room window and seeing the Doctor leaning against the doors of the TARDIS.
"No, I can't. I need to stay and finish my studies."
Francine's eyebrows lifted. "If you wanted to go with him, we'd understand," she said.
"I can't," Martha said firmly. Her mother nodded. "I'm going to go and tell him."
"All right love."
As she left the house, Martha dialled the mobile number Jack had given her before they'd parted company.
"Captain Jack Harkness," he said, somehow oozing charisma in just those three words.
"Hello Jack."
"Martha! Missing me already? I am flattered."
She huffed a laugh. "The ego on you," she said. "I'm ringing to invite you to dinner this Sunday. My mum wants you to come up."
"Really?" He sounded nearly as surprised as she'd felt when her mother suggested it. "Okay. What time?"
"Say 12.30 for 1 o'clock?"
"All right. I'll be there. Where are you?"
"Just about to see the Doctor off," she answered.
She heard him inhale, before he spoke. "If you want to talk, after he's gone, call me."
"Thanks."
"In fact, any time you want to talk, Martha Jones, you ring me. Day or night, you understand?"
"Yes, thank you."
"Any time, my little nightingale. And remember, you're strong and you're not second best."
"I'll remember."
"Good girl. Talk to you soon, sweetheart."
"Bye Jack."
She ended the call, then took a deep breath before pushing open the TARDIS doors, ready to make her farewells.
Title: Rest and Recovery
Author: Persiflage_1
Characters/Pairings: Martha/Jack, Ten, Francine
Rating: G
Spoilers: 3.13
Summary: After that Year is rewound, Martha and Jack get to know each other properly.
Disclaimer: Nope, still not mine!
Author Notes: Written for mischief89's birthday: she wanted Martha and Jack aboard the TARDIS after the YTNW. It has a slightly AU ending for The Last of the Time Lords. Happy birthday mischief89!
Beta: catholicphoton
~~~~~~
Jack and Martha stood in the doorway of the TARDIS, watching as the Doctor laid the Master's wrapped body on the funeral pyre and set it alight; the Time Lord had refused all offers of assistance once he and Jack had finished piling up the wood. Martha had sat and watched the two men: it had been embarrassing to discover that she was too exhausted to help them, but Jack had spread out his coat for her to sit on while they worked since she didn't want to stay in the TARDIS on her own.
"C'mon," she said now, her voice soft as she put a hand on Jack's arm. "Let me give you a check up in the Medical Bay. The Doctor said the TARDIS has repaired it."
He looked down at her, a streak of dirt from hauling the logs marking his face; they had both showered after the Doctor had brought the TARDIS off the Valiant, but chopping down trees and hauling logs was grimy work.
"I'm okay," he said, sounding a little surprised by her concern.
"I would still like to give you a once over," she persisted. "I'm almost a doctor, humour me."
"Very well." He peeled himself away from the door frame, then draped an arm around her shoulders as they made their way up the ramp.
The TARDIS' sick red lighting had almost all been transformed back to her usual green-gold colour, and Martha felt a sense of relief at this return to almost-normality. Seeing the ship after the Master's transformation of her had made Martha feel nauseous and given her a headache too, but she only felt a slight twinge of sickness now.
The Medical Bay was brightly lit and a clean, sterile white which immediately made Martha feel at home. She got Jack to sit on an exam bed first.
"Take off your shirt please," she requested, putting the stethoscope earpieces into her ears.
"You know Martha, if that was all you wanted, you only had to ask." Jack leered at her, but she sensed his heart wasn't really in it.
"Jack," she said patiently.
"All right, all right." He did as she asked, and she listened to his heart and lungs, then made him lie back while she scanned him from head to toe.
"Well?" he asked a few minutes.
"Yes, you are," she answered, trying to inject a little humour into the situation.
He sat up, smiling at her, and the warmth of his expression made her feel good. "And what about you, Martha Jones, my voice of a nightingale?"
"Voice of a nightingale?" she asked, puzzled at the phrase.
He flushed a little. "It was our codename for you, when we wanted to talk about you without him or his people knowing who we meant."
There was no need for Martha to ask who Jack meant by 'him', the expression on his face made it quite clear. "Oh." She felt a little nonplussed by his revelation, but was also somewhat amused by the idea.
"So, are you okay?" He patted the exam bed beside him. "I think I should check."
"I'm fine," she said quickly.
"Now you're sounding like the Doctor," Jack said.
"Well, I'm stiff from bruising, malnourished, a little dehydrated, and fatigued enough to feel that a week's sleep wouldn't even begin to touch my exhaustion, but I'm fine otherwise."
"Then I suggest we get some food, and then some sleep," he said, standing up and putting an arm around her again.
"Food sounds like a good idea," she said. "But I want to check on the Doctor first."
Jack sighed, but he turned them back towards the console room rather than deeper into the ship as they stepped out of the Med Bay. They looked down from the hilltop to the promontory where the Doctor and Jack had built the pyre, and saw their friend standing a short distance away, keeping a vigil over the fire.
"I think he's gonna be there a while, sweetheart," Jack observed. "C'mon, come and have something to eat."
Martha allowed him to lead her back into the ship and, at Jack's insistence, sat down at the table while he rummaged for food. She rested one elbow on the table, then leant her cheek on her hand. When she'd told Jack that a week's sleep would barely touch her exhaustion, she hadn't been exaggerating; she tried to recall how long it was since she'd slept for more than four hours at a stretch, and came up blank. And it was even longer since she'd slept in a proper bed. Her eyelids felt heavy, and she allowed them to slide closed.
* * * * * *
Jack looked up, a finger to his lips, as the Doctor came into the kitchen.
"Why are you letting Martha sleep there?" asked the Time Lord, sounding worried.
"Because I don't know where her room is, and you weren't here to ask. And whatever you might think of me, I wasn't gonna take her to my room to sleep."
The Doctor frowned, then exhaled. "Right. Has she eaten?"
"Not yet," Jack answered. "She fell asleep while I was preparing a meal."
"Well, we'd better wake her up, she needs to eat - you both do."
"But - " began Jack reluctantly.
"She can sleep afterwards, Jack. Both of you can. I'm going to move the TARDIS into the Vortex for a time - she needs to finish repairing and healing herself too, you know, before I can take her anywhere else."
"Of course."
Jack watched as the Doctor knelt down beside Martha's chair; the Time Lord put one hand on her back, and slipped his other hand into hers. "Martha, wake up. You need to eat."
The Captain swallowed a lump in his throat at the Doctor's tender tone.
"Mum?" asked Martha sleepily, lifting her head.
"No Martha, it's me, the Doctor. I'll take you back to your mum soon, I promise. But you need to eat, first, and then you can go and sleep in a proper bed."
"'kay." She straightened up, and the Time Lord, brushed her hair out of her eyes, then cupped her face in both hands.
"I don't think I've said thank you, yet," he observed softly.
Jack gaped as the Doctor leaned in and kissed Martha gently on the mouth, then rested his head against her forehead. "Thank you, Martha Jones, for everything." He got up, and Jack thought he saw tears in the Doctor's eyes, but he turned away before the Captain could be sure.
"You two should eat, and then get some sleep. I'm going to put the TARDIS into the Vortex for a while so she can finish recovering from what the Master did to her."
He strode out, leaving both his companions feeling rather shell-shocked.
"Here," Jack said, breaking the stunned silence as he set two plates of food down on the table.
"Thanks." Martha glanced swiftly up at his face before turning her attention to the meal of scrambled eggs, baked beans, sausages and bacon, all served with fresh bread slathered in butter. She fell on the food like someone who hadn't eaten properly in months, which Jack suspected was the literal truth.
"Hey, slow down," he said after a moment. "You'll give yourself indigestion."
She looked embarrassed and guilty, and he immediately wished he hadn't said anything. "Sorry," she whispered.
"Hey, it's okay." He reached across the corner of the table and put a hand on her wrist. "Really, it is okay. I do understand, but you've no need to eat so fast now - and there's plenty more food if you want more."
"Thanks."
He watched from the corner of his eye as Martha made an obvious effort to eat more slowly instead of simply bolting it down, but she still finished her meal faster than he did.
"Do you want some dessert?" he asked once he'd finished. "There's fruit and there's chocolate ice cream, if you fancy it."
"Ice cream?" Her tone was a mixture of surprise and hope.
"Yeah." He grinned at her and she smiled back.
"I've forgotten what chocolate tastes like," she observed quietly, and he felt his grin slip.
"Well then," he said, swallowing another lump of emotion. "Let me remind you." He picked up their empty plates and dumped them on the counter by the sink, then pulled two bowls from the cupboard. After a few moments he set one of the bowls down in front of Martha, the ice cream inside mounded high, and handed her a spoon.
"There you go little nightingale," he said, grinning again.
"Thanks."
He watched as she ate, apparently unconscious of the sensuousness implicit in her actions, and found himself growing aroused. He tried to push that aside because while he did fancy Martha and would quite happily take her to bed, he wasn't really sure now would be a good time.
They had just finished their meal when the Doctor appeared in the doorway again, and Martha immediately got to her feet.
"Come and sit down, Doctor," she said, moving around the table towards him. "I'll make you some tea, and then you can tell me what you want to eat."
"No," he answered. At her surprised look, he elaborated awkwardly. "There are certain rites we Gallifreyans completed after the death of - " He broke off, looking even more uncomfortable.
"Friends, loved ones?" suggested Martha softly, her eyes fixed on the Time Lord's. "It's okay, Doctor. I understand." She stepped into his personal space to wrap her arms around him and Jack saw a mixture of surprise, guilt and anger flash across the Doctor's face.
The Time Lord reached up and clasped Martha's upper arms, moving her away from him. "Don't do that!" he said, his tone harsh.
"Do what?" asked Martha; Jack could see the surprise and hurt in her eyes and he stood up, clenching his fists.
"Don't be so forgiving," the Doctor answered. "How can you? The Master imprisoned your family for a year, tortured Jack for a year, and kept you on the run for a year. How can you possibly forgive me for any of that?"
Jack saw Martha's body stiffen and she stepped back from him, looking up into his face with dark eyes.
"What would you have me do, Doctor? Rage at you? Hate you? He was the only other Time Lord in existence, and a long time ago, he was your best friend - of course you want to carry out the mourning rituals for him. If he'd regenerated, you'd no longer have been the last of the Time Lords, and you'd no longer have had to make do with us stray humans to keep you company. I'd think less of you if you didn't want to mourn him properly." She paused for breath, her dark eyes burning. "But I'm surprised you think so little of me, that you would think I could be so petty and vindictive. I thought you knew me better by now."
She stepped past the Doctor and walked away, her spine straight and her head held high, leaving him looking as stunned as if she had hit him. Jack stepped in front of the Doctor and met his eyes.
"That was completely unnecessary," he said softly. "How much longer do you think you can go on hurting her without completely pushing her away?"
Jack didn't wait for an answer, he just walked out of the kitchen, then hurried down the corridor after his friend.
"Martha, wait up," he called.
She stopped walking and half turned towards him as he caught up with her.
"You okay?" he asked softly, putting a hand on her shoulder.
She shook her head, and he realised she was crying silently; he wrapped his arms around her and held her without speaking.
"C'mon sweetheart," he said softly. He bent and scooped her up into his arms, then continued down the corridor. "Where's your room?"
She pointed to a door a few feet away, and as he reached it, it swung open, so he carried across the room and set her down on the bed.
"Don't go," she said huskily as he straightened up again.
"All right," he agreed easily. He turned his back and waited while she changed out of her jeans and t-shirt into her pyjamas, then he settled himself at the foot of the bed.
Once Martha was asleep, Jack moved over to sit in the armchair in the corner of her room; he didn't quite like to leave her alone, but he didn't want her to feel intimidated by his presence. He closed his eyes, intending to have a short nap, but before he knew it, he was sound asleep too.
* * * * * *
Martha ran through the dark streets of the ruined city, her heart thumping painfully in her chest, and her breath rasping in her throat; she knew she was making too much noise, but she couldn't seem to get enough air into her lungs, and she knew she'd inhaled a lot of smoke trying to get the others out of the camp before the whole place burnt down.
If she hadn't been too busy fleeing, she knew she'd be sobbing since at least half the people she'd pulled out of the warehouse had then been shot down or cut up by the Toclafane. Right now, though, she didn't have time to mourn because if she didn't reach the border, and the rendezvous point with her next guide, she wouldn't get to the coast in time to cross the channel and be in England for the countdown.
She heard the high, excited chatter of the Toclafane somewhere off to her right, and immediately rushed towards some buildings on the left, searching for a spot where she could pause and wait for them to pass. She knew the TARDIS key would keep her safe, but she still preferred to take shelter in such cases as this. She scrambled through the doorway of a building, the half broken door catching her leg as she clambered over it, then nearly yelled out in fright as she stumbled downwards, the rotten floorboards under her feet giving way. She lay still where she'd fallen, one hand clamped over her mouth to muffle the sounds of her panicked breathing as the childlike voices of the Toclafane came closer, their giggling glee sickening her.
Suddenly bright lights shone into the building, and one of the Toclafane zoomed inside, calling out excitedly that it had found Martha Jones. She rolled onto her back, staring up in horrified astonishment as its blades popped out of the casing, then it swooped down towards her, and she screamed.
"Martha, Martha, wake up!"
Martha woke with a start to find Jack standing over her, looking anxious. The room blazed with light and she was aware that the TARDIS was humming worriedly.
"It's okay, you were dreaming," Jack said, sitting down on the edge of the bed and holding her as she clung to him, sobbing. "It's okay, sweetheart." He rubbed her back, trying to soothe and calm her.
Eventually she calmed down and Jack persuaded her let him go and make her a drink; in the kitchen he dug around in a cupboard until he found a bottle of whiskey, and he took that, along with two glasses and a mug of hot chocolate back to Martha's room on a tray.
He poured them both a glass of whiskey, then a second, after they'd drunk the first, then Jack cajoled Martha into telling him about her dream. She drank her hot chocolate as they talked, then he suggested that she try to sleep again.
"Will you stay with me?" she asked.
"You mean, in the bed?" Jack asked.
"Yes."
"Okay." He removed his shoes and shirt, then took his braces off his trousers, before settling onto the bed alongside Martha. She rolled onto her side, shifting sideways so that she was against his body, and he carefully put his arm around her.
"Okay?" he asked.
"Yeah, thanks."
"You're welcome."
* * * * * *
Martha woke twice more from nightmares, but Jack was there beside her each time to soothe and comfort her, and she felt glad of his presence. His solidity and warmth took away some of her fear, making her feel safer than if she'd slept alone.
* * * * * *
Neither Martha nor Jack was sure how long they were in the Vortex for - time didn't really pass when they were there, but they ate regular meals, slept at intervals, and talked - not just about their experiences of the last year, but about their travels with the Doctor, and their lives before they'd met him. Jack talked about Torchwood, telling her about his current team, and about others with whom he'd worked in the century before, while Martha talked about her family, and her studies. Each time they slept, he lay beside her, holding her and comforting her when the nightmares woke her.
After four 'days', the Doctor joined them in the kitchen as they were eating breakfast on the fifth morning. Martha noticed that he looked even paler than usual, and there were dark smudges under his eyes.
"I'll get you two back home," he said, then turned and walked out.
"Are you going to tell him?" Jack asked Martha.
"Not right now, but soon, yes."
"Well, don't forget, if you want a job once you've qualified, I'd be very happy to have you at Torchwood."
"I'll think about it," she promised, giving him a smile.
"Good."
They finished their breakfast, then joined the Doctor in the Control Room. Martha noticed that he seemed to be making a determined effort to smile and be cheerful, but she knew full well that it was an effort: she could see the strain in his eyes and the tautness of his muscles beneath his suit.
* * * * * *
The Doctor didn't really say much after they had left Jack crossing Roald Dahl Plass to get back to his team. For once, Martha didn't mind a great deal - she wasn't sure she knew what she would say to him, apart from telling him that she wouldn't be travelling with him again.
The TARDIS materialised with her customary groaning and wheezing, and Martha headed towards the doors.
"I've brought you back only a few hours after they left the Valiant. Take as long as you need to spend with them, I'll be here," the Doctor told her, and she nodded an acknowledgement, then headed outside to see her family.
* * * * * *
Martha spent an hour with her family, drinking tea and eating sandwiches.
"Will you be going with him again?" Francine asked her, after glancing through the sitting room window and seeing the Doctor leaning against the doors of the TARDIS.
"No, I can't. I need to stay and finish my studies."
Francine's eyebrows lifted. "If you wanted to go with him, we'd understand," she said.
"I can't," Martha said firmly. Her mother nodded. "I'm going to go and tell him."
"All right love."
As she left the house, Martha dialled the mobile number Jack had given her before they'd parted company.
"Captain Jack Harkness," he said, somehow oozing charisma in just those three words.
"Hello Jack."
"Martha! Missing me already? I am flattered."
She huffed a laugh. "The ego on you," she said. "I'm ringing to invite you to dinner this Sunday. My mum wants you to come up."
"Really?" He sounded nearly as surprised as she'd felt when her mother suggested it. "Okay. What time?"
"Say 12.30 for 1 o'clock?"
"All right. I'll be there. Where are you?"
"Just about to see the Doctor off," she answered.
She heard him inhale, before he spoke. "If you want to talk, after he's gone, call me."
"Thanks."
"In fact, any time you want to talk, Martha Jones, you ring me. Day or night, you understand?"
"Yes, thank you."
"Any time, my little nightingale. And remember, you're strong and you're not second best."
"I'll remember."
"Good girl. Talk to you soon, sweetheart."
"Bye Jack."
She ended the call, then took a deep breath before pushing open the TARDIS doors, ready to make her farewells.