Second Time Around
Title: Second Time Around
Author: Persiflage_1
Characters/Pairings: Ten/Martha, Jack/Martha
Rating: PG-13
Spoilers: Season 3 and 4
Summary: The Doctor invites Martha to travel with him for a second time.
Disclaimer: The BBC owns "Doctor Who" and the Doctor owns me…
Author Notes: This story is for parrotfish who wanted the Doctor's second invitation to Martha to board the TARDIS, done right, with optional Jack/pr0n - hopefully this fits the bill. Happy Holidays - and may your squee soon be unharshed.
~~~~~~
It had been a busy six months since Martha Jones had given up travelling through Time and Space to concentrate on becoming a fully qualified Doctor. She'd taken her finals and passed with flying colours - to her secret relief, she'd been worried that year walking the world had made her forget too much, but it turned out that several of the things she'd had to deal with during that year came up in her exams.
Then she'd been offered two jobs - one at UNIT and the other at Torchwood. Jack's job offer hadn't been a big surprise, but UNIT's had. In the end, she'd taken the job with UNIT, with the option of a temporary secondment to Torchwood. She had got the impression that her mother was relieved that she was working for UNIT rather than Torchwood - although her parents had a great fondness for Jack Harkness and gladly welcomed him to dinner whenever he visited London.
Now she was heading down to Cardiff to spend the weekend with Jack; it was a much needed break and she was hoping that any visiting aliens would kindly give the Earth a miss this weekend.
When she stepped off the train at Cardiff station, Jack was waiting for her, looking as smart as ever in his long blue coat. He took her case from her, putting it down, before wrapping his arms around her in a tight hug.
"Hello gorgeous." He bent his head and kissed her deeply, ignoring the bustle of passengers hurrying to make connections or leave the station.
Martha always seemed to feel eternity in his kisses; she'd felt the same thing when the Doctor had kissed in that busy hospital corridor. Then she hadn't known what that feeling was and she'd never asked the Doctor, but Jack had told her - something to do with the fact that they'd both absorbed Vortex energy from the heart of the TARDIS.
Finally they surrendered to a mutual need to breathe and Jack pulled back a little. "Let's go to bed," he said.
Martha laughed aloud. "It's the middle of the day!" She wasn't really scandalised, or protesting - and Jack knew it.
"No time like the present Doctor Jones." He picked up her case in one hand, wrapping his free arm around her and she slid her left arm around his waist, glad of his solidity. They took a taxi to the Thistle Hotel, where she always stayed when she came down to Cardiff, and Jack signed them, accepting the key card from the receptionist. They took the lift up to the third floor and Jack let them into the luxurious room he'd booked for her.
Martha sighed: this place always made her feel decadent. "I need a shower," she told Jack. "Train travel always makes me feel grimy."
He'd already pulled off his coat and kicked off his shoes, now he looked at her speculatively and she grinned. "Come on then," she said. She pulled off her own coat and shoes, then held out a hand to him.
He grinned and allowed her to lead him into the bathroom where they took their time undressing each other, pausing frequently for kisses and caresses, then they stepped into the shower cubicle. Jack sank to his knees in front of her and buried his face in her curls: it didn't take him long, with his talented tongue and fingers, to bring her to a climax. Afterwards they showered and dried themselves off, before Jack carried Martha through to the bed where they made love, lying in the sunshine that bathed the bed and half the room. After that Martha slept for a while, curled up like a cat, and Jack lay watching her thoughtfully.
Jack was just starting to drift off to sleep himself when the shrill sound of a mobile phone ringing jerked him back to wakefulness; Martha was already off the bed and fishing her mobile from her coat pocket.
"Hello?" A look of astonishment crossed her face and he sat up, watching her. "Doctor?"
Jack felt his eyebrows rise: the Doctor had actually rung Martha? That was surely a first.
"Where are you?" She listened a moment. "Well I'm actually in Cardiff at the moment, so I'll be there shortly." She snapped the phone shut and met Jack's eyes. He could see hope warring with pain in her expression.
"What is it?" he asked.
"The Doctor's here. He came to refuel the TARDIS. He wants to see me, to talk." She stood clutching her phone and Jack slid off the bed, then pulled her into a hug.
"Come on, you'd better get dressed," he said after a few minutes.
She nodded, then began pulling on clothes. "I don't know what I'm going to say to him," she observed as she buttoned her shirt.
"Wait and see what he's got to say for himself first," he advised as he began dressing too.
"I suppose so." She sat on the end of the bed and pulled on her boots. "I'm sorry Jack."
"For what?" he asked, puzzled.
"For running out on you like this. For going running when he calls."
He knelt on the floor and wrapped her in a hug. "Sweetheart, if I was in your shoes, I'd do the same thing." He let her go and stood up, then held out her coat. "I just hope he's got something sensible to say to you, that's all." If not, I swear I'll deck him. He pulled on his own coat. "What do you want to do about your case?"
"I'd better take it with me."
"OK." He offered her his arm and they made their way out of the hotel and took a taxi out of the city, down to the Bay.
They were silent on the ten minute drive, both lost in their thoughts, but Jack held Martha's hand the whole way and she appreciated it. She couldn't help wondering how this was going to end - and she half wished she hadn't agreed to meet the Doctor as she wasn't entirely sure it would end well.
The taxi dropped them off and Martha stood at the edge of the plaza, mentally girding her loins. Jack put a hand on her shoulder. "Want me to wait here?" he asked.
"Don't you want to see him?"
"Yeah, but it maybe easier for both of you if I'm not lurking in the background."
She turned and hugged him hard. "You're too good to me," she said, her voice muffled by his coat.
"Don't be daft," he said softly. "Go on. Go and talk to him. I'll look after your case."
"Thanks." She stood up on her tiptoes to kiss him briefly, then set off across the plaza. When the TARDIS came in sight, she forced herself not to run towards the ship, even though she was delighted to see her again. As she approached the door opened and the Doctor stepped out, dapper in his blue suit and a cream shirt. She noted absently that his red tie matched his red Converse, and that his hair was as wild as ever. She wished he'd tidied it, that just-shagged look was very distracting and she didn't want distractions just now.
He walked to meet her, hands in his pockets, a half smile on his face. "Belated congratulations, Doctor Jones," he said once she was close, grinning properly.
"Thanks." She looked up at him and saw his smile falter slightly: so he wasn't entirely sure of his welcome - good.
He pulled his hands out of his pockets and held out his arms. "May I?"
For half a second, she considered refusing, then nodded. He stepped closer and wrapped his arms around her. She hesitated a moment, then returned his hug. "Hello Martha."
"Hello."
He pulled back and looked down at her. "Are you coming in to say hello to the TARDIS?" She nodded. "Thank you."
She pulled away and walked over to the open door, pausing a moment just inside, eyes closed as a rush of images cascaded through her mind.
Martha walked up the ramp to the console and brushed a hand across it. "Hello." The TARDIS hummed joyfully back at her and she couldn't help smiling. "I've missed you too," she told the ship. She glanced up as the Doctor stepped up behind her, hands in his pockets again.
"She's missed you too, and so have I." He glanced down at his feet, then back up to Martha's watchful face. "Do you want some tea?"
"OK." She followed him through the familiar corridors to the kitchen and sat down whilst he bustled about making tea.
Finally he set down two mugs of tea and a plate of Jaffa Cakes, then sat down near her. She picked up her mug and blew on the tea a couple of times, then took a sip.
"There's something I need to tell you," the Doctor said after a moment. "I should have said it to you before you left."
Martha raised an eyebrow. "Oh?"
"You were never second best." He rubbed the back of his neck nervously. "And I'm very, very sorry for letting you think you were."
She looked at him thoughtfully. "Why are you telling me this now?"
"Because I've spent long enough feeling guilty about not telling you and not doing anything about it, because I've missed you terribly and because I'd like you to travel with me again." He looked at his hands curled around his mug. "Martha, I need my Doctor, I need you." He looked up at her, face etched with pain and loneliness. "Please can we try again?"
She took a deep breath. She really hadn't expected him to be so honest, and she definitely hadn't expected him to apologise. "Maybe," she said and saw hope flare in his eyes. "But if we do, it's on my terms this time."
He nodded. "I can live with that, if it means you're with me. Thank you."
He stretched out a hand and she grabbed it, tugging him gently towards her. "Come here," she said and pulled him into a hug. She held him tightly, feeling him taking deep breaths, as if he was trying not to cry and she rubbed a hand up and down his back, murmuring soothing nonsense words into his neck.
After a while she felt him relaxing and pulled back a little, to look into his face. "OK?"
"Yeah." He pulled back and rubbed at his eyes.
"Good." She kissed his forehead. "Jack's outside," she told him.
"He is?" She nodded. "Well let's go and get him," he said.
He held her hand all the way back through the corridors and across the plaza too. Jack was leaning against a building, Martha's case between his feet. When he saw them, hand in hand, he felt a grin breaking out on his face: he loved Martha and the Doctor equally, and seeing them together was definitely a good thing. He straightened up and pushed away from the wall, opening his arms wide to them both. The three of them hugged for several long minutes, then Martha tilted her head back and looked up at Jack.
"Come back to the TARDIS?" He looked down into her eyes, then up at the Doctor.
"Please?" asked the Doctor.
"OK." He picked up Martha's case and she looped her arm through his, whilst the Doctor walked on her other side, an arm around her shoulders.
They headed back to the kitchen and got themselves some refreshments, then adjourned to the library to sit around the fire to talk and reminisce. Martha sat with her back resting against the Doctor's knees and her legs across Jack's as they lounged on the sofa. She half wished they could stay here, talking, forever but she knew it wasn't possible, and eventually Jack stretched, lifted her legs off his and stood up.
"Time for me to go," he said.
Martha immediately got up and hugged him. "We'll stay in touch," she said quietly.
"You better believe it!" he said. "You're not getting away from me that easily, either of you."
The Doctor moved to take Martha's place. "Take care of yourself, Captain."
"You too, both of you." He saluted them both. "I'll see myself out."
The Doctor wrapped an arm around Martha's shoulders and they watched him go, then he turned to his Companion. "What do you want to do?"
"Eat first. I don't know about you, but I'm ravenous." He nodded. "Then we'll sort out what we're going to do. I definitely need to tell my parents that I'm travelling with you again."
"I'll come with you."
Martha turned and looked up at him. "You will?"
He nodded again. "Yes. I don't want Francine thinking I couldn't face her."
"Good." She stood on her tiptoes and kissed his cheek. "Food first though." She pulled away and he stood a moment, looking after her in surprise his fingertips grazing his cheek where she'd kissed him.
If anyone can help me to heal, it's my Doctor, he thought as he followed her out to the kitchen.
Author: Persiflage_1
Characters/Pairings: Ten/Martha, Jack/Martha
Rating: PG-13
Spoilers: Season 3 and 4
Summary: The Doctor invites Martha to travel with him for a second time.
Disclaimer: The BBC owns "Doctor Who" and the Doctor owns me…
Author Notes: This story is for parrotfish who wanted the Doctor's second invitation to Martha to board the TARDIS, done right, with optional Jack/pr0n - hopefully this fits the bill. Happy Holidays - and may your squee soon be unharshed.
~~~~~~
It had been a busy six months since Martha Jones had given up travelling through Time and Space to concentrate on becoming a fully qualified Doctor. She'd taken her finals and passed with flying colours - to her secret relief, she'd been worried that year walking the world had made her forget too much, but it turned out that several of the things she'd had to deal with during that year came up in her exams.
Then she'd been offered two jobs - one at UNIT and the other at Torchwood. Jack's job offer hadn't been a big surprise, but UNIT's had. In the end, she'd taken the job with UNIT, with the option of a temporary secondment to Torchwood. She had got the impression that her mother was relieved that she was working for UNIT rather than Torchwood - although her parents had a great fondness for Jack Harkness and gladly welcomed him to dinner whenever he visited London.
Now she was heading down to Cardiff to spend the weekend with Jack; it was a much needed break and she was hoping that any visiting aliens would kindly give the Earth a miss this weekend.
When she stepped off the train at Cardiff station, Jack was waiting for her, looking as smart as ever in his long blue coat. He took her case from her, putting it down, before wrapping his arms around her in a tight hug.
"Hello gorgeous." He bent his head and kissed her deeply, ignoring the bustle of passengers hurrying to make connections or leave the station.
Martha always seemed to feel eternity in his kisses; she'd felt the same thing when the Doctor had kissed in that busy hospital corridor. Then she hadn't known what that feeling was and she'd never asked the Doctor, but Jack had told her - something to do with the fact that they'd both absorbed Vortex energy from the heart of the TARDIS.
Finally they surrendered to a mutual need to breathe and Jack pulled back a little. "Let's go to bed," he said.
Martha laughed aloud. "It's the middle of the day!" She wasn't really scandalised, or protesting - and Jack knew it.
"No time like the present Doctor Jones." He picked up her case in one hand, wrapping his free arm around her and she slid her left arm around his waist, glad of his solidity. They took a taxi to the Thistle Hotel, where she always stayed when she came down to Cardiff, and Jack signed them, accepting the key card from the receptionist. They took the lift up to the third floor and Jack let them into the luxurious room he'd booked for her.
Martha sighed: this place always made her feel decadent. "I need a shower," she told Jack. "Train travel always makes me feel grimy."
He'd already pulled off his coat and kicked off his shoes, now he looked at her speculatively and she grinned. "Come on then," she said. She pulled off her own coat and shoes, then held out a hand to him.
He grinned and allowed her to lead him into the bathroom where they took their time undressing each other, pausing frequently for kisses and caresses, then they stepped into the shower cubicle. Jack sank to his knees in front of her and buried his face in her curls: it didn't take him long, with his talented tongue and fingers, to bring her to a climax. Afterwards they showered and dried themselves off, before Jack carried Martha through to the bed where they made love, lying in the sunshine that bathed the bed and half the room. After that Martha slept for a while, curled up like a cat, and Jack lay watching her thoughtfully.
Jack was just starting to drift off to sleep himself when the shrill sound of a mobile phone ringing jerked him back to wakefulness; Martha was already off the bed and fishing her mobile from her coat pocket.
"Hello?" A look of astonishment crossed her face and he sat up, watching her. "Doctor?"
Jack felt his eyebrows rise: the Doctor had actually rung Martha? That was surely a first.
"Where are you?" She listened a moment. "Well I'm actually in Cardiff at the moment, so I'll be there shortly." She snapped the phone shut and met Jack's eyes. He could see hope warring with pain in her expression.
"What is it?" he asked.
"The Doctor's here. He came to refuel the TARDIS. He wants to see me, to talk." She stood clutching her phone and Jack slid off the bed, then pulled her into a hug.
"Come on, you'd better get dressed," he said after a few minutes.
She nodded, then began pulling on clothes. "I don't know what I'm going to say to him," she observed as she buttoned her shirt.
"Wait and see what he's got to say for himself first," he advised as he began dressing too.
"I suppose so." She sat on the end of the bed and pulled on her boots. "I'm sorry Jack."
"For what?" he asked, puzzled.
"For running out on you like this. For going running when he calls."
He knelt on the floor and wrapped her in a hug. "Sweetheart, if I was in your shoes, I'd do the same thing." He let her go and stood up, then held out her coat. "I just hope he's got something sensible to say to you, that's all." If not, I swear I'll deck him. He pulled on his own coat. "What do you want to do about your case?"
"I'd better take it with me."
"OK." He offered her his arm and they made their way out of the hotel and took a taxi out of the city, down to the Bay.
They were silent on the ten minute drive, both lost in their thoughts, but Jack held Martha's hand the whole way and she appreciated it. She couldn't help wondering how this was going to end - and she half wished she hadn't agreed to meet the Doctor as she wasn't entirely sure it would end well.
The taxi dropped them off and Martha stood at the edge of the plaza, mentally girding her loins. Jack put a hand on her shoulder. "Want me to wait here?" he asked.
"Don't you want to see him?"
"Yeah, but it maybe easier for both of you if I'm not lurking in the background."
She turned and hugged him hard. "You're too good to me," she said, her voice muffled by his coat.
"Don't be daft," he said softly. "Go on. Go and talk to him. I'll look after your case."
"Thanks." She stood up on her tiptoes to kiss him briefly, then set off across the plaza. When the TARDIS came in sight, she forced herself not to run towards the ship, even though she was delighted to see her again. As she approached the door opened and the Doctor stepped out, dapper in his blue suit and a cream shirt. She noted absently that his red tie matched his red Converse, and that his hair was as wild as ever. She wished he'd tidied it, that just-shagged look was very distracting and she didn't want distractions just now.
He walked to meet her, hands in his pockets, a half smile on his face. "Belated congratulations, Doctor Jones," he said once she was close, grinning properly.
"Thanks." She looked up at him and saw his smile falter slightly: so he wasn't entirely sure of his welcome - good.
He pulled his hands out of his pockets and held out his arms. "May I?"
For half a second, she considered refusing, then nodded. He stepped closer and wrapped his arms around her. She hesitated a moment, then returned his hug. "Hello Martha."
"Hello."
He pulled back and looked down at her. "Are you coming in to say hello to the TARDIS?" She nodded. "Thank you."
She pulled away and walked over to the open door, pausing a moment just inside, eyes closed as a rush of images cascaded through her mind.
Martha walked up the ramp to the console and brushed a hand across it. "Hello." The TARDIS hummed joyfully back at her and she couldn't help smiling. "I've missed you too," she told the ship. She glanced up as the Doctor stepped up behind her, hands in his pockets again.
"She's missed you too, and so have I." He glanced down at his feet, then back up to Martha's watchful face. "Do you want some tea?"
"OK." She followed him through the familiar corridors to the kitchen and sat down whilst he bustled about making tea.
Finally he set down two mugs of tea and a plate of Jaffa Cakes, then sat down near her. She picked up her mug and blew on the tea a couple of times, then took a sip.
"There's something I need to tell you," the Doctor said after a moment. "I should have said it to you before you left."
Martha raised an eyebrow. "Oh?"
"You were never second best." He rubbed the back of his neck nervously. "And I'm very, very sorry for letting you think you were."
She looked at him thoughtfully. "Why are you telling me this now?"
"Because I've spent long enough feeling guilty about not telling you and not doing anything about it, because I've missed you terribly and because I'd like you to travel with me again." He looked at his hands curled around his mug. "Martha, I need my Doctor, I need you." He looked up at her, face etched with pain and loneliness. "Please can we try again?"
She took a deep breath. She really hadn't expected him to be so honest, and she definitely hadn't expected him to apologise. "Maybe," she said and saw hope flare in his eyes. "But if we do, it's on my terms this time."
He nodded. "I can live with that, if it means you're with me. Thank you."
He stretched out a hand and she grabbed it, tugging him gently towards her. "Come here," she said and pulled him into a hug. She held him tightly, feeling him taking deep breaths, as if he was trying not to cry and she rubbed a hand up and down his back, murmuring soothing nonsense words into his neck.
After a while she felt him relaxing and pulled back a little, to look into his face. "OK?"
"Yeah." He pulled back and rubbed at his eyes.
"Good." She kissed his forehead. "Jack's outside," she told him.
"He is?" She nodded. "Well let's go and get him," he said.
He held her hand all the way back through the corridors and across the plaza too. Jack was leaning against a building, Martha's case between his feet. When he saw them, hand in hand, he felt a grin breaking out on his face: he loved Martha and the Doctor equally, and seeing them together was definitely a good thing. He straightened up and pushed away from the wall, opening his arms wide to them both. The three of them hugged for several long minutes, then Martha tilted her head back and looked up at Jack.
"Come back to the TARDIS?" He looked down into her eyes, then up at the Doctor.
"Please?" asked the Doctor.
"OK." He picked up Martha's case and she looped her arm through his, whilst the Doctor walked on her other side, an arm around her shoulders.
They headed back to the kitchen and got themselves some refreshments, then adjourned to the library to sit around the fire to talk and reminisce. Martha sat with her back resting against the Doctor's knees and her legs across Jack's as they lounged on the sofa. She half wished they could stay here, talking, forever but she knew it wasn't possible, and eventually Jack stretched, lifted her legs off his and stood up.
"Time for me to go," he said.
Martha immediately got up and hugged him. "We'll stay in touch," she said quietly.
"You better believe it!" he said. "You're not getting away from me that easily, either of you."
The Doctor moved to take Martha's place. "Take care of yourself, Captain."
"You too, both of you." He saluted them both. "I'll see myself out."
The Doctor wrapped an arm around Martha's shoulders and they watched him go, then he turned to his Companion. "What do you want to do?"
"Eat first. I don't know about you, but I'm ravenous." He nodded. "Then we'll sort out what we're going to do. I definitely need to tell my parents that I'm travelling with you again."
"I'll come with you."
Martha turned and looked up at him. "You will?"
He nodded again. "Yes. I don't want Francine thinking I couldn't face her."
"Good." She stood on her tiptoes and kissed his cheek. "Food first though." She pulled away and he stood a moment, looking after her in surprise his fingertips grazing his cheek where she'd kissed him.
If anyone can help me to heal, it's my Doctor, he thought as he followed her out to the kitchen.