Heroic Hearts

[persiflage_1]

Title: Heroic Hearts
Author: Persiflage_1
Characters/Pairings: Martha/OMC, Ten, Donna, Jack, Jones family
Rating: PG-13
Spoilers: TW S2, DW S4, Peacemaker (James Swallow)
Summary: On her wedding day, Martha Jones finds there's more to her fiancé than she had realised.
Disclaimer: I don't even own my brain any more, never mind Doctor Who!
Author Notes: This story was written for the churchontime ficathon. The words that are used at Martha's wedding are a tweaked version of the Apache blessing. The main idea (ie. the identity of Martha's boyfriend) for this fic came from a conversation between shannonsequitur, drakyndra and eido during a lifeonmartha discussion. I liked the idea and ran with it.

Oh and my lovely beta padawanpooh advised me to issue a tissue warning for this, so arm yourself !

~~~~~~

As Martha headed to the train station after her hectic few days in Cardiff she thought with pleasure of the fact that she was leaving all the madness behind. True, it had been lovely to see Jack again and his team seemed like nice people if a little peculiar: she supposed that was to be expected when they worked on top of a Rift in Time and Space. She was still unhappy about what Jack had done to Owen, but the other Resurrection Glove was already on its way to UNIT HQ, dispatched by a special courier. Jack hadn't been happy when she'd told him that she was confiscating it, nor when she'd told him that she would be sending a detailed report to UNIT: she had sensed he felt she was betraying their friendship, but she couldn't put her relationship with him above her duty of care towards others, and the fact that Owen was now an undead man thanks to Jack's rash actions made her even more determined to report the situation.

As soon as she was settled on the train, Martha pulled out her mobile and hit the speed dial. The phone at the other end was picked up almost instantly.

"Hello?"

"Hey John." Martha felt a smile breaking out on her face at the thought of him waiting for her in London.

"Hello Martha." She felt her smile widen at the warmth and delight in his voice. "How are you?"

"On my way home, thank god!" Her longer-than-expected stay in Cardiff had been a source of mutual frustration to them both, but John knew how much Martha's job meant to her, and the fact that he also worked for UNIT helped a good deal in easing any potential tension.

"Oh that's good. What time are you expecting to be here?"

"If the train runs to time, I'll be with you by 6.30."

"What do you fancy for dinner?"

"Let's go mad and order in," she suggested. "I fancy a Chinese."

"Thought you fancied me?"

Martha laughed at his silly joke and he laughed too. "I do fancy you," she assured him. "But I'd love to eat Chinese tonight."

"OK, I'll give them a call and put in an order. Do you want your usual?"

"Yes please."

"I'll see you later then. Travel safely."

"Do my best." She clicked off the call, then pocketed her phone. She and John had been together for nine months now. She'd tried dating Tom Milligan a couple of times before she'd taken the job at UNIT, but she'd quickly realised it wasn't going to work because he wasn't the same man that she'd met during those final days under the Master's reign.

She'd met John on her second day at UNIT, literally bumping into him when they'd rounded a corner going in opposite directions and she'd knocked his armful of files onto the ground. She'd bent down to help him pick them up and they'd banged heads in the process, reducing Martha to helpless giggles at the absurdity of the situation. He'd been so sweet, taking all the blame, that when he'd invited her to have lunch with him, she hadn't hesitated to agree.

They had immediately hit it off: he was sweet, old-fashioned and romantic, and he made her feel like there was no one else around when she was with him. After spending a year being invisible to almost everyone whilst she was telling the Doctor's story, it was a heady feeling to have someone, especially an attractive man such as John, looking at her like she was the centre of his universe.

Martha pulled herself out of her daydream, then got out her laptop. She might as well make use of the journey time and at least start her reports for UNIT, especially as she hadn't even written one on The Pharm yet.

Incredibly her train arrived on time and she was able to get a taxi straight away so she was home a few minutes before 6.30 pm. She opened the door to her flat and had barely got herself and her bags inside before John appeared from the sitting room. He crossed the space between them in two strides to wrap Martha in his arms and give her a lengthy passionate kiss.

"God I've missed you!" he exclaimed when he finally let her breathe.

"Missed you too," she answered.

"Let's get your bags out of the hall," he said, picking up her suitcase.

Martha nodded and picked up her laptop and her UNIT bag, taking both into her 'study' as John insisted on calling the small spare bedroom. She dumped them by her desk, then wandered through into their bedroom.

"So just how much did you miss me?" John asked with a suggestive smile.

"Very much," she answered emphatically, pushing him to sit down on the bed, then straddling his lap as she kissed him again. She tangled her hands in his curly brown hair as he slid his hands up under her t-shirt and began to stroke her back. She felt him undo the clasp on her bra and pulled her mouth from his so that he could take her t-shirt off. He dropped both her t-shirt and her bra onto the floor, then dipped his head to kiss the tops of her breasts. She moaned and wriggled in his lap, feeling him harden in response.

* * * * * *

Half an hour later the doorbell rang, and Martha groaned. "We're not home," she mumbled into John's shoulder as she lay sated and blissful beside him.

"That'll be the delivery man with the Chinese," John said. He moved off the bed, ignoring Martha's discontented murmur as he left her, and pulled on a bathrobe.

After a moment, Martha sat up, rubbed her face with her hands, then pulled on her own robe and wandered through to the kitchen for some cutlery, glasses and a bottle of wine, carrying them into the sitting room.

After they'd eaten and disposed of their empty cartons, John poured them both some more wine and Martha settled herself sideways on his lap, her back against the arm of the sofa.

"Do you want to tell me about your trip?" he asked.

"Not tonight," she answered, "it can keep. Tell me what you've been up to in my absence."

John was a scientific adviser at UNIT and a brilliant one, though he'd deny it if you said so to his face.

"I finally got that experiment to work properly," he said, sliding a hand inside her robe to caress her side.

"Good! How long did it take?"

"Two days. I was ready to tear my hair out on the second day."

Martha stroked his hair. "I'm glad you didn't," she said. "I like your curls." She dipped her head down to kiss him gently. "Mind you, I also like your blue eyes." She kissed his closed eyes.

"Is there any bit of me you don't like?" he asked in a teasing tone.

"I honestly don't think so," she mused.

"Good. Could you stand up for a minute please?"

She raised an eyebrow at him, but slipped off his lap, then stared in astonishment as he got down on one knee in front of her and offered her a small jewellery box. "Doctor Martha Jones, would you do me the honour of marrying me?" His tone was humble but hopeful, and she felt tears spring into her eyes as she clapped a hand to her mouth.

"Oh god, yes!" she choked out after a moment and, ignoring the box he still held, sank down onto the floor beside him to hug him fiercely, then kiss him passionately.

For a few moments they clung to each other, laughing and crying at once, then John offered her the box again and she took it from him.

"Let's sit on the sofa," he suggested, "my knees aren't what they once were."

Martha laughed and tugged him up to his feet. He sat down, pulling her down onto his lap again and she put her right arm around him, then opened the box carefully.

"Oh wow!" She stared down at the ring that was nestled into the box. "That - that's gorgeous!"

He took the ring out carefully and slipped it onto her finger. "It's a message ring," he told her. "It spells your name in the initials of the names of the stones." He touched each one in turn starting with the deep blue one. "Moonstone, Amethyst, Ruby, Topaz, Haematite and Aquamarine."

"I wondered what the black one was called," she said. "Haematite."

"It's a very old fashioned sort of ring, but as you know by now, I'm a rather old-fashioned sort of man," he said apologetically. "It's a 19th century idea and the most common sort of message rings spelled Dearest or Regard."

"John it's gorgeous, and I like you being old-fashioned, but it must have cost you a fortune," Martha said suddenly, looking up into his face from the ring on her finger.

"It was worth every penny," he assured her.

"But - "

"Martha, don't worry about it."

"You're such a hopeless romantic," she said, kissing him again before whispering in his ear, "Let's go back to bed."

"Gladly," he answered.

* * * * * *

Martha was glad the following day was a Saturday and that, barring emergencies, she wouldn't have to go into work. She slept late, trying to catch up on the sleep she'd missed during her stay in Cardiff, and didn't stir until John shook her awake when he brought her breakfast in bed.

"I'm glad I'm marrying you," she commented with a cheeky grin as he settled the breakfast tray on the table over her lap.

"Are you? That's good." He climbed into bed beside her, sliding his left arm around her shoulders.

"Well if it means I can expect breakfast in bed on a regular basis, I am."

He chuckled warmly. "I shall do my best." He accepted bits of sausage and toast from her plate then tucked into the croissant he'd brought for himself.

"The only problem is that I'll get fat if I eat like this too often."

He snorted. "You, get fat? That will be the day. You don't keep still long enough." He moved the lap table and tray, setting them on the floor, then snuggled up close.

"Mind you, there's a way of ensuring you don't get fat," he said in her ear, his breath tickling her cheek.

She turned her head and kissed him thoroughly. "So you're going to feed me breakfast in bed as an excuse for lots of calorie-burning sex, are you?" she asked when she finally released him.

"Would that be a hardship?" he asked as straight-faced as he could manage.

"With you? Never!" she declared, shivering a little in anticipation as he began to stroke her left breast.

"Good." He pulled her to lie down properly beside him and proceeded to demonstrate just how they might burn up lots of calories.

* * * * * *

"What do you want to do today?" John asked as they lay quietly together some time later after their very passionate love-making.

"As little as possible," Martha answered, her head resting in its usual spot on his chest. For some reason she found it soothing to lie with her ear pressed to his heart, listening to its steady beat. Then she lifted her head to look up into his blue eyes. "Actually, I want to tell you something. You remember when we first started sleeping together, I used to have nightmares?"

He nodded. Hearing Martha scream with terror in her sleep the first few times they'd shared a bed, had frightened him more than he'd ever cared to admit.

"I want to tell you what caused them."

"If you're sure," he said softly. He'd asked her a few times in those early days, but Martha had always refused to tell him and he'd never pushed her. She'd stopped having the nightmares a few weeks after they'd become lovers, and she'd said that it was all down to the fantastic sex they were having. He hadn't known whether to take her seriously or not, but he'd been relieved that the nightmares had stopped.

"I'm sure," she answered. "You remember I told you about the Doctor?" He nodded, remembering the story she'd told him when she had explained how she'd ended up as an MO with UNIT. "Whilst I was travelling with him we met an old enemy of his called the Master. I don't know if you've seen the files, but UNIT's also had dealings with him in the past." She sighed heavily and John tightened his arms around her unconsciously, then listened as she told him the tale of her year of hell, walking across the Earth to stop the Master's plot, and how the Doctor had rewound that year so that it had never happened except for those who'd been on board the Valiant.

They lay silent for some time after Martha finished speaking; he could see that she was relieved to have finally told him about that year, but he was simply astounded. He'd known from the minute he'd met her that Martha was a very special woman, but he'd never realised just how special until now.

He lifted her head from his chest and gazed deep into her dark eyes. "You do realise that I'm going to have a very hard time not worshipping you, now you've told me this?"

Martha dropped her eyes as she flushed with embarrassment. "I didn't tell you for that," she said. "I told you because I didn't want to have secrets from you, not now we're engaged."

He lifted her chin so he could look her in the eyes again. "I know you didn't tell me for that reason, you're too modest to even entertain the idea of anyone worshipping you." He kissed her softly. "Is that year the reason why you stopped travelling with the Doctor?"

"In part," she answered. She put her head back down on his chest. "That year was hell for my parents and Tish, being imprisoned by the Master, seeing him torturing Jack and the Doctor, not to mention destroying Earth. I couldn't just go off as if none of that had happened." She took a deep breath. "But there was another reason."

"Oh?" John thought he detected shame in her voice and he wondered why. "What was the other reason?"

"I fell for the Doctor but he never really saw me."

For several long moments there was no sound in the room apart from the muffled sounds that filtered through from the street, then Martha lifted her head from John's chest, worried by his silence. "Say something?" she asked in a pleading tone.

"Am I a rebound then?" He hated to ask and he was fairly sure the answer was no, but he felt compelled to ask the question.

"No. I briefly dated a couple of other men before I joined UNIT but we never got past the stage of going out for a drink or dinner. If you had been a rebound, we'd never have slept together."

"That's what I thought, but I had to ask," he said apologetically.

"It was a reasonable question in the circumstances," Martha assured him.

"I can't imagine how anyone could not see you," John said thoughtfully. "When you walk into the room, it lights up."

"Don't!" she said, burying her face in his chest, embarrassed as she always was by thoughtful words.

"You're a strange woman, Martha Jones," he said. "You've just told me that you saved the world under apocalyptic circumstances, and yet when I offer you a mild compliment, you hide your face in embarrassment."

"I did what needed to be done," she answered. "Anyone would have done the same."

"Maybe, but - "

"John, can we change the subject please?"

He kissed the top of her head. "Of course."

"I should ring my Mum," Martha said suddenly. "Tell her we're engaged. She'll want to take us out for dinner if not throw a party to celebrate." She pulled a face at the thought of an engagement party. "Do you have any friends or family you want to tell?" She knew he was an orphan, but wasn’t sure whether he had any other family.

He shook his head. "No." He reached out and lifted the cordless phone from the bedside table. "Might as well ring your mother now and get it over with before we make any other plans," he suggested. "I'm going to have a shower."

"OK," she sighed. She accepted the phone, then watched him as he climbed out of bed and crossed the room naked. He had a nice bum, she thought, enjoying the view as she dialled, but then she liked his body full stop.

* * * * * *

Ten minutes later Martha let herself into the bathroom. "Mum's arranging for us to go out for dinner," she told John over the sound of the shower.

The noise of the water stopped and he opened the door. "Did you say something?"

She nodded. "Mum's arranging dinner out," she told him. "Budge up." She edged into the shower with him.

"I've nearly finished," he protested, laughing.

"And I haven't even started yet," she answered, running a hand down his chest before she kissed him.

"Is there something in the Welsh water?" he wondered as Martha began to kiss a path down his body. "You've been - oh !" The sentence went unfinished as she knelt at his feet and kissed him again.

It was another half hour before they stepped out of the bathroom and Francine Jones had rung twice in that time. Martha tried not to groan when she saw the light flashing on the answer machine. She picked up the phone and dialled, John laughed softly, then went to fetch their discarded breakfast things from the bedroom. He was half way through washing up by the time Martha got off the phone.

"Do you want to elope to Gretna Green?" she asked when she joined him in the kitchen.

"Well I wasn't planning to, why?"

"I think mum's planning the equivalent of a royal wedding," she said.

"Oh dear."

"Anyway I've agreed we'll have dinner tonight at 7.30 pm at Giardinetto." She wrapped her arms around his middle, leaning her cheek against his back.

"OK. What do you want to do for the rest of the day?"

"I need to finish my reports for UNIT," she said regretfully. "I want Brigadier Bambera to see them both first thing on Monday morning."

"Do you want me to go and do some grocery shopping then?" he asked.

"Would you mind?"

"Of course not." He tipped out the washing up water and dried his hands, then turned in Martha's arms. "You realise you've made me a very happy man?" he asked.

She quirked an eyebrow at him. "I didn't realise you liked food shopping that much," she teased.

"Cheeky woman," he said affectionately. "You know that’s not what I meant."

"Well you're making me a very happy woman, so that works out nicely," she answered. She kissed him thoroughly. "You'd better go before I drag you back to bed," she told him.

"Completely insatiable," he laughed.

"Well it's been a week," she protested, "between Cardiff and other things."

"I know. Do you want to write a shopping list for me? You know what I'm like, I'll forget things if you don't."

"Sure." She grabbed a pad and quickly wrote a list which she tucked into his trouser pocket as she kissed him again.

"See you later," he said.

"Yeah." She let him go reluctantly, then headed into her study to work on her reports.

* * * * * *

Martha and John arrived at the restaurant in good time, and Tish and her parents joined them shortly afterwards.

"Leo's always late," Martha murmured in John's ear.

"Hope he's not going to be late to the wedding," he replied just as quietly.

"Better not ask him to be your best man. Oh! Who are you going to have as your best man?"

He shrugged, blue eyes wide. "I have no idea," he answered. "But we've not set a date yet."

"Trust me, by the time dinner's over, we'll have a date."

"Your mum's that much of an organiser?" he asked.

"You'd better believe it."

Leo arrived at that moment, so they headed in to find the table that Francine had booked.

For John the meal passed in something of a blur. He was vaguely aware of eating but he found afterwards that he couldn't really remember what he'd eaten. Francine Jones had proved to be every bit as formidable an organiser as her daughter had said and by the time they settled in the taxi that was to take them back to Martha's flat, almost everything about the wedding had been sorted out. The only thing that remained was to decide on their honeymoon destination and for John to find a best man, and Francine had even suggested some names for that role too.

"Your mother is an exhausting woman," he observed as Martha let them back into the flat.

"I know," she answered feelingly. "I know."

By mutual consent they headed straight to bed and they were both too tired to do more than kiss and cuddle for a few minutes before they fell asleep in each other's arms.

* * * * * *

A few weeks later Martha was busy at work when all hell broke loose with the arrival of a small invasion force of Sontarans. Fortunately the Doctor and his latest companion weren't far behind, and between them and UNIT, the Sontarans were given their marching orders.

"They just don't know when they're beaten," the Doctor growled as their spaceship disappeared. "I've chased them off so many times, it's getting ridiculous." He turned his attention back to Martha with a large smile. "Hello Doctor Jones," he said, emphasising her title with a great deal of obvious pride.

"Hello Doctor." She allowed him to pick her up and hug her, wrapping her arms around his neck as he whirled her around madly. He set her back down on her feet and held her steady by the shoulders.

"How are you?" he asked.

"You mean apart from giddy?" she asked with a giggle. "I'm fine, better than fine." She paused, then gave him a cheeky grin. "In fact I'm brilliant."

"Of course you are," he said promptly, grinning just as widely. Then his eyes widened and his smile slipped as he caught sight of the ring on her finger.

"You're engaged?" he asked sounding altogether disbelieving.

She immediately folded her arms across her chest and saw from the corner of her eye that Donna had taken a subtle step backwards from where she'd been standing just behind the Doctor's shoulder, watching them with a look of combined amusement and disbelief on her face at the Time Lord's treatment of his diminutive former companion.

"Yes I am. Getting married in six weeks in fact," Martha said. "Do you have a problem with that?"

"So long as it's not Jack you're marrying," the Doctor answered.

"Jack?!" she snorted. "He's already practically married to Ianto Jones."

"Any relation?" he asked flippantly.

"Not that I'm aware of," she answered.

"Right. Well I'm very happy for you."

"Really?" asked Martha quietly.

The Doctor stepped closer again and holding her shoulders, looked deep into her eyes. "If you're happy, then I'm happy for you."

"Thank you." She stretched up and kissed him chastely on the mouth. "You're coming to the wedding, aren't you? You and Donna?"

"Um, well, I - " he shuffled nervously.

"We'll be there," Donna piped up. "Even if I have to tie him up and drag him to the church."

Martha burst out laughing at the look of pain that crossed the Time Lord's face. "Thanks Donna. It's at noon on June 18th at St Mary's, Rotherhithe."

The redhead nodded. "Got it." She poked the Doctor in the back. "And no aliens or robots this time," she said.

"That wasn't me!" he exclaimed.

"Whatever." She gave Martha a little wave, then walked towards the TARDIS.

"You've got your hands full with that one, I see," Martha teased.

He groaned, then his expression brightened. "Come with me?" he asked. "Just one trip?"

She snorted with laughter. "Your one trips have a way of escalating into five or six," she reminded him. "Besides, I've got a job and a fiancé."

"Where are you going for your honeymoon, 'cos I know - "

"Venice," Martha said, cutting him off.

"Oh. Well if you fancy somewhere more exotic, let me know." He hugged her tightly. "Take care of yourself," he whispered in her ear, then turned away quickly, but not before Martha spotted a hint of wetness in his eyes.

"You too," she called after him.

* * * * * *

June 18th arrived and Martha awoke with the dawn. Her first thought was to wonder how John had slept: he was staying overnight with his best man, Sergeant George Benton. George's father, John, had also worked at UNIT with the Doctor, a fact that had fascinated Martha when she had first discovered it.

Her second thought was to wonder if the Doctor would turn up. Whilst she didn't doubt Donna's ability to make him do whatever she wanted, Martha was also acutely aware of the fact that sometimes things in his life got completely out of hand.

Her third thought propelled her out of bed: I'm getting married! Oh My God! I'm getting MARRIED!. She dashed into the bathroom in a panic, bumping into the doors on the way.

"Martha?" came a mumbled call from her study where her sister had been sleeping. Tish wandered out of her room a moment later and found her sister clutching the edges of the sink, practically hyperventilating.

"You OK?" she asked.

"I'm getting married," Martha gasped out, sounding slightly panic-stricken.

Tish rubbed her sister's back. "Breathe," she said.

"I'm getting married," Martha repeated.

"Yes you are," Tish answered. "To John, who is a lovely man and will cherish you as you deserve to be cherished." She pulled Martha away from the sink and into a hug.

"After that awful year, I never thought to see this day," Tish said quietly. "I didn't think you'd dare to let yourself be this happy."

"I didn't know if I'd dare to either, until John proposed," she admitted. She pulled her left arm free and looked down at her engagement ring.

"Think you can get back to sleep if you go back to bed?" Tish asked after a long moment.

Martha shook her head. "But don't let me stop you, if you want to go."

"I doubt I'll be able to sleep either," Tish said. "Coffee?"

Martha nodded. "Do you want first dibs on a shower?"

"Yeah, but let's have some coffee first."

"OK."

A couple of hours later, Tish went for her shower and Martha pulled out her phone to send John a text. Did you sleep?

A few moments later her phone vibrated in her hand and she glanced down at his reply. A bit. You?

Same. Love you. Martha waited another few moments.

Love you too. See you later!

Yes! She looked down at the phone in her hand, wondering whether to give the Doctor a ring to remind him about the wedding, then decided against it. A few minutes later Tish came out of the bathroom and went into Martha's study to get dressed, and Martha took her turn in the bathroom.

Tish was just trying to persuade Martha to eat something when Francine arrived and after that the rest of the morning passed in a blur of activity, with Francine alternately cajoling or commanding her youngest daughter as she saw fit. By 11 am Martha was ready and Francine was clearly fighting to stay calm and collected as she took in the sight of her daughter in a flowing dress of deep gold with a matching short veil and high heeled shoes.

"You look beautiful," Francine said softly.

"Thanks Mum."

Tish stood nearby with her digital camera. She'd been taking photos on and off during the course of the morning which Martha had found mildly irritating, but couldn't bring herself to object to. "You ready?" she asked Martha, intending to take a final set before they headed to the church.

Martha gave her a nod and stood patiently as Tish took several more photos of Martha on her own and then with Francine. Then Francine insisted on taking a few of Martha and Tish together, and Martha found herself wishing she'd persuaded John to elope after all.

Finally her mother and sister were satisfied and Tish pocketed the camera's memory card, then inserted a new one, before they went out to the waiting car. They were going straight to the church where they hoped to find Clive, Leo, his girlfriend, Shonara, and his baby, Keisha. Martha had been relieved that Francine had decided Keisha was too young to be a bridesmaid, not that she didn't love her little niece, but small children were unpredictable at the best of times.

They reached the church with 20 minutes to spare. "I thought the bride was traditionally supposed to be late?" Martha asked.

"Martha," her mother said in a warning tone.

Her daughter subsided and waited whilst Francine got out of the car and went inside to find Clive and the others.

"Nervous?" Tish asked, seeing the tension in her little sister's face.

"Terrified actually, could do without all this fuss. I wish I'd persuaded John to elope."

"Well you know Mum, she likes to show off her children." Tish didn't add 'especially you', because she knew Martha hated being paraded by Francine.

"I know."

"Do you think he'll come," Tish asked softly.

Her sister looked up sharply. "I don't know," she answered. "Donna promised he would, but I know very well how things escalate around him. I guess we'll find out soon enough."

Clive stepped out of the church and crossed to the car. He slipped inside, then told the driver to go once around the block.

"Everything OK?" Martha asked, hoping she didn't sound too anxious.

"Everything's fine," he assured her, clasping her hand tightly.

"Good."

They drove once around the block, then Tish and Clive got out followed by Martha. She accepted her bouquet of red and gold roses from Tish, then took her father's arm and let him lead her inside. Tish followed at her right shoulder, her camera mercifully tucked away now that others were there to take photos.

Martha's first impression of the church was that it was far too full of people, but Clive squeezed her arm gently and she heard Tish's whisper reminding her to breathe, and lifted her head to look for John at the front of the church. He was standing and watching her with the biggest smile on his face that she had ever seen there, his blue eyes shining with pride and pleasure. He carried off his old-fashioned green velvet jacket with real style and Martha felt as if she might melt at the sight of him.

She only had eyes for John and it was Tish who looked in vain for the Doctor's lanky form amidst the crowd of people watching her sister. She couldn't see the Time Lord, but she did see Jack grinning madly at the bridal party and she smiled back.

The service began and Tish soon stopped scanning the congregation to concentrate on the vicar's words. Then she heard a slight scuffle at the back of the church and as the vicar said, "If any person can show any just cause why this man and this woman may not lawfully be joined together, let him speak or else hereafter for ever hold his peace", Tish looked around to see the Doctor standing up as a red-haired woman, whom Tish assumed was Donna, tugged frantically at his arm.

"I do." The Doctor's words rang through the silent church and everyone immediately turned around, including Martha, who looked furious when she realised who was objecting.

A murmur began as the Doctor marched down the aisle, Donna in tow. "That man is an impostor," the Time Lord said.

"I'll kill him," Martha muttered just loud enough for Tish to hear. John looked bewildered by the Doctor's assertion and Martha put a hand on his arm. "Vestry," she spat at the Time Lord before sweeping across the church to the small side room. Francine joined the vicar and followed Martha, John, the Doctor and Donna into the vestry. Tish looked across at Jack who shook his head, clearly confused by the interruption.

Jack made his way to the front of the church as quickly as he could as the guests began to murmur in alarm. He put his arm around Tish. "Looks like we’ll have to stall this wedding, sweetheart," he murmured as they both looked at the anxious crowd.

As soon as the vestry door was shut, Martha rounded on the Doctor, getting right up in his face. "Explain," she said tightly.

The Doctor leaned back slightly then rubbed at the back of his neck. Donna had her arms folded across her chest and Francine looked ready to murder someone. Both John and the vicar looked puzzled.

"I don't know who he's told you he is," the Doctor said, gesturing at John, "but he's lied."

"This is Doctor John Bowman, a scientific advisor with UNIT," Martha said, her voice low and angry.

The Doctor shook his head. "No it's not." He looked at the vicar, clearly wondering how much to say in her presence.

"Excuse me," he said. He put his hands to the vicar’s head and a moment later she was unconscious. He caught her neatly and placed her on a chair.

"What the hell are you doing?" demanded Martha, and Donna wondered if the younger woman was going to slap the Time Lord.

"I've just put her out for a little while," he said. "Martha, please calm down a bit."

"Calm down? CALM DOWN! You've just caused my wedding to grind to a halt by claiming the man I love and was about to marry is an impostor, and you want me to calm down? You - "

"Martha that's me," the Doctor said, cutting her off.

"What?" asked everyone.

The Time Lord nodded. "That's not John Bowman, that's my eighth incarnation."

"That's ridiculous," John said, sounding angry and hurt.

"That's not even remotely funny," Martha said flatly.

"It's not meant to be," the Doctor answered wearily.

"How can you say that?" John asked him. "Do you want to hurt Martha?"

"Of course not!" The Time Lord looked shocked at the suggestion.

"Then why did you say it?" John persisted.

"He can't be you, he's only got one heart," Martha said, putting a calming hand on John's arm. "I should know, the number of times I've listened to his heart beating."

The Doctor frowned at this news. "Oh."

"Yes, oh." She looked at John then back at the Doctor. "Can you prove this is your earlier self?"

The Time Lord nodded. "I can, but we'd have to go to the TARDIS."

"Lead the way." Martha turned to her mother. "Mum - "

"I'm coming too," Francine said firmly, forestalling her daughter.

She sighed. "OK."

They filed through the outside door and went around the corner to where the TARDIS stood.

"Sorry about this," Donna said quietly in Martha's ear. "If I'd known he was going to cause trouble, I wouldn't have insisted we come. He turned my wedding upside down too."

"It's not your fault," Martha assured her.

The two women followed Francine, John and the Doctor down the corridor to the Med Bay, where the Doctor immediately asked John to strip to his waist; he complied but Martha could see his hands were shaking as he struggled with his cravat and his shirt buttons. The Doctor wheeled a large device over to the bed.

"Hop up there, please?" he asked, his tone detached.

John climbed awkwardly up onto the bed and sat waiting. Martha wanted to go to him and hold him, but she knew she had to wait whilst the Doctor did whatever he planned to do to prove his point.

"I don't know why I'm letting you push me around like this," John muttered, sounding more annoyed than Martha had ever heard before, "you can't possibly be right. I remember my parents' names: my father's name was Stanley and my mother's name was Grace."

Martha saw the Doctor flinch at John's remark and wondered why, but before she could ask he flicked a switch on the side of the machine and everyone gasped as they saw, quite clearly, that John had two hearts.

"But - " Martha said, tears rising unbidden. "How can he have two hearts? I've only ever heard one."

The Doctor switched off the machine and pushed it aside. "One's not working at the moment, that's why. He - I must have been through some trauma that shut it down." He was opening drawers as he spoke and now he pulled out a needle and a bottle of clear solution.

"What are you going to do?" Martha asked in alarm.

"Get the second heart started again," the Doctor answered, as if it ought to be obvious.

"But what about me? Us?" she asked, her voice shaking. "It's my wedding day." She felt tears starting to slide down her face and Francine immediately wrapped her arm around her daughter's shoulders.

"Isn't there any way around this?" Francine asked. "Please Doctor?"

The Time Lord looked at John, then back at Martha and her mother. "Donna, show them to the kitchen please while I talk to John."

"Come on." Donna guided them out of the Med Bay, giving the Doctor a grim look and he knew she'd make his life hell if he ruined things any more for Martha.

"What do you remember?" he asked John.

"I've been working for UNIT for a year," he said. "I don't remember much before that, I've got an amnesia problem."

The Time Lord sighed. "I remember I had a lot of issues with amnesia in that body. It was that damned regeneration." He ran his hands through his hair, making it stick up even more wildly than before, then began to pace.

"I love Martha," John said. "I fell in love with her the moment I met her." He gave the Doctor a pleading look, willing him to understand.

The Doctor nodded. "I did too, but I kept her at arms' length. I didn't want to hurt her."

"You did though," John said. "She thought you didn't see her. How could you not see her?" He sounded as if he thought that didn't make any sense.

"Oh I saw her," the Doctor assured him. "Sometimes she was all I could see and it terrified me so much." He paced some more, then came back and sat next to John.

"There's a war coming," the Doctor said. "A huge, bloody war that is going to have enormous repercussions, especially for the Time Lords. You are going to have to go and fight in that war, there's no way around that, but I think you'll be able to stay with Martha until then. Hopefully that will be for quite a few years." He sighed. "You shouldn't be around when I am, but the fact that I am around means you can play house with her, because I can do the Saving the Universe thing."

He tugged at his ear. "You always were an utter romantic," he observed quietly, "and I know you'll treat her better than I did." He turned a manic grin on the other man. "Martha deserves the best, and we're definitely the best."

John chuckled. "You've got a big ego, haven't you?"

The Time Lord snorted. "Of course!" He hopped down off the bed again. "Right. I'm going to give you this drug," he tapped the bottle, "and get your other heart restarted. I'm also going to see if I can sort out your amnesia problem, and then we'll see if we can find out where you left your TARDIS 'cos you'll need her when you have to go off to the War. But," he looked at John sternly, "you'd better not go jaunting around in her too much - we don't want to get my timeline too tangled up. It's bad enough already."

John nodded. All he really cared about was the fact that he was going to be able to marry Martha after all. He sat still whilst the Doctor gave him the injection, then gasped and put a hand over his second heart as it began to thump.

"Oh!" he exclaimed.

The Doctor gave him a thoughtful look, then bent to whisper in John's ear. "You do realise this will affect your performance in bed? You'll have a lot more stamina. I bet Martha will appreciate that."

John blushed. "I think she will. Don't you remember?"

The Time Lord shook his head. "All my memories of this time with Martha are blocked until you leave her timeline."

"Oh." He was still blushing, the Doctor noticed. "Well she's a very willing and generous lover. I think she'll be happy."

"I thought she would be generous in bed, she is in everything else." He sat back on the bed beside John again.

"Why don't you get dressed then we'll see about getting your memory back," he said.

John pulled on his clothes quickly.

"Oh and make sure you take her somewhere nice to exchange your vows, now that the wedding's been abandoned. She really liked the Eye of Orion when I took her there."

"OK." John closed his eyes as the Doctor held his temples in his long fingered hands and concentrated: John sensed doors unlocking that he hadn't even been aware were there before now. He suddenly felt as if his head was over-full and without being aware of doing it, he gripped the Doctor's wrists tightly.

"Shh, it's OK, everything will settle down shortly," the Doctor said softly.

After a few more minutes, the Time Lord released John's head and held his shoulders instead. "OK?" he asked.

The Eighth Doctor opened his eyes. "Yes." He rubbed his forehead.

"Good. Let's go and see Martha then."

They headed to the kitchen where they found the three women sitting in silence, nursing mugs of tea. All three looked up as soon as John walked into the kitchen and Martha immediately knew that he was a Time Lord: there was something about the way he looked at her, as if he could see the whole of her future. She felt tears start to her eyes again but before they could fall she was wrapped in a hug.

"It's OK Martha, it's OK," he whispered. "I'm still yours."

"You are?" she asked doubtfully.

"For as long as I can manage," he said. "I promise." He gave her a quick kiss that was somehow full of promise, then turned to the others.

"We need to go and speak to our guests," he began.

"I'll do that," Francine said. "Obviously the wedding's off for today."

The Eighth Doctor nodded. "Would you object very much if I took Martha somewhere quiet for us to exchange our vows now, then arrange for a civil ceremony as soon as we can?"

"That's fine," Francine said, surprising Martha, who had expected her mother to object. She must have looked as surprised as she felt because Francine gave her a wry look. "I just want you to be happy," she said, "and given I thought you weren't going to get a wedding at all, I'll be happy to arrange a civil ceremony instead."

She got up and hugged them both. "Take care of my daughter," she said sternly.

"I will Mrs Jones," he said fervently, kissing her hand, which caused Martha to hide a smile, and Francine to blush.

"Ring me once you're back," she said to Martha, then went out with Donna.

Martha turned to the other Time Lord, her first Doctor. "Is this OK?"

He nodded and crossed the kitchen to pull her into a hug. "It's probably one of the weirder things that's happened to me, but I don't think it's actually the weirdest." He kissed her forehead. "We need to find my other TARDIS now, and then Donna and I will be out of your hair."

"OK."

"I’ll go with you," said the Eighth Doctor to the Tenth as he hugged his former companion. The Tenth Doctor shook his head.

"Oh no you won't: knowing your luck you’ll bonk your head and lose your memory again."

The Eighth Doctor smiled as Martha turned in his Tenth self’s arms: "or get kidnapped by the Terrible Zodin."

“Nah… she was never really that terrible, just misunderstood.”

Martha looked from one Time Lord to the other and rolled her eyes. "Some things never change, do they," she said pulling them both into a three-way hug.

After a long moment the latest Doctor stepped gently away, and the three of them went back to the Control Room, meeting Donna on the way.

"I'm going to look for my other TARDIS," he told her.

She frowned. "Yeah, OK. I'm going to go and change." She went off with an inaudible mutter.

It didn't take long for the Doctor to pinpoint the location of the other TARDIS and he took them straight there. Donna reappeared and said goodbye to Martha and her almost-husband.

"Can I still call you John?" Donna asked curiously.

He nodded. "It saves confusion."

"Well take good care of yourselves, both of you" said Martha’s first Doctor: the Doctor for her now, because thinking of John as another incarnation of the Time Lord was something she couldn’t process now.

Donna took a seat on the Captain's chair, whilst the others went outside to look at the second TARDIS which had been left parked inconspicuously behind a derelict block of flats in Battersea.

The Doctor reached up and took a key from the cubby hole above the P of the Police Box sign and handed it to John.

"Good job I always keep a spare up there," he said and John nodded.

"I'll keep in touch," the Doctor told Martha, "but don't expect to see me often." He gave her a smile to soften his words. "I don’t want to muck up your timeline more than I have to," he admitted.

She nodded and stood up on tiptoes to kiss him quickly, then turned and followed John into the TARDIS. The Doctor heard her "Oh!" of surprise when she saw the interior, and smiled, then let himself back into his own ship.

* * * * * *

"We'll explore the TARDIS at some other time," John said as he set the controls on the console. Martha had immediately noted how simple this console looked compared to the one she was used to. "If that's OK with you?" he suddenly added, looking up at her.

She wrapped her arms around him. "Let's get married," she said with a smile.

He nodded. "The Doctor - " he paused, frowning. "I'm going to call him the Doctor, I think. Anyway he suggested somewhere that I could take you for us to exchange our rings and vows."

"I'm in your hands," Martha said. "You can take me almost anywhere and I will go gladly so long as I can go with you."

He finished setting the coordinates, then slipped his arms around her and kissed her very thoroughly until she was breathless and had to pull away.

"Oh, sorry," he said. "I forgot you don't have a respiratory bypass system."

"Well try to remember please," she asked with a small laugh.

"I will try." He nuzzled her neck and she sighed.

"Are we still going on our honeymoon?" she asked suddenly.

He lifted his head and looked at her. "Yes, unless you don't want to."

"No, I want to go."

"Good."

A moment later the TARDIS arrived with a soft thump and John slipped his arm around Martha's waist to lead her outside.

"Where are we?" she asked.

"The Eye of Orion."

Her eyebrows shot up. "Interesting choice," she murmured.

They had landed near some trees and when they stepped out of the ship, Martha saw that the memorial to the Time War was just a distant pillar; she felt grateful that John didn't appear to notice it.

He walked across to a tree that resembled an oak and fished in his pocket for the box with their weddings rings in it.

"Lucky you had them on you," Martha observed.

"George was terrified of losing them so he gave them to me to look after until the right moment in the ceremony," he answered, which made Martha laugh softly.

He took one of the rings out and gave it to Martha. "This is mine," he told her, then took out the other one, "and this is yours."

He took both her hands in his and held them between their breastbones, then began to speak quietly.

"Now will we feel no rain, for each of us will be a shelter for the other. Now will we feel no cold, for each of us will be warmth to the other. Now we are two persons, but there is only one life before us. Let us go now to our dwelling, to enter into the days of our life together, and may our days be good and long upon the earth. We will treat ourselves and each other with respect, and remind ourselves often of what brought us together. We will give the highest priority to the tenderness, gentleness and kindness that our connection deserves. When frustration, difficulty and fear assail our relationship, as they threaten all relationships at one time or another, we will remember to focus on what is right between us, not only the part which seems wrong. In this way, we can ride out the storms when clouds hide the face of the sun in our lives, remembering that even if we lose sight of it for a moment, the sun is still there. And if we both take responsibility for the quality of our life together, it will be marked by abundance and delight."

He smiled at her and she smiled back, suddenly brimming over with happiness and joy.

"With this ring, I thee wed." He slipped the ring onto Martha's finger.

"With this ring, I thee wed." Martha repeated John's words, then slipped the ring onto his finger.

"I promise to love you and cherish you for as long as we remain together," he said.

"I promise to love you and cherish you for as long as we remain together." Martha repeated his words with an even bigger smile.

"I shall now kiss my bride," he declared and proceeded to do just that until Martha was breathless again.

"I want to hear your hearts beating," she said when he released her.

"If that's what you want," he said, clearly amused. They undid his waistcoat and shirt buttons between them, then Martha pressed her ear to his chest first on the left and then on the right.

"Two hearts," she whispered.

"And both of them yours," he told her, lifting her head so he could kiss her again. "My turn now," he told her.

She quirked an eyebrow at him, clearly puzzled as to his meaning until he began to unzip her dress and eased it off her shoulders to bunch around her waist. He bent his head and placed it against her left breast, listening to the steady beat of her heart, then he lifted his head and kissed the top of her breasts, one after the other.

"I want to make love to you here."

Both eyebrows went up at that. "You want to make love to me in a field?" Martha asked doubtfully.

He nodded. "Is that OK?"

She looked thoughtful for a moment then nodded and he gave her a big grin, then darted away to the TARDIS, returning a few moments later with an armful of checked picnic blankets. He quickly spread them on the grass, then they slowly finished undressing each other. He folded their clothes carefully and set them on one corner of the blankets, then pulled Martha into his arms.

He began to kiss her face and neck, then her shoulders and breasts, then her belly and thighs before moving back up her body to kiss her mouth as he slipped inside her. They made love with an intense passion that they'd never experienced before and Martha wondered if he was expressing his Time Lord self somehow. He brought her to orgasm twice before he allowed himself release, and Martha came a third time, crying out quietly as he came. He grabbed the edge of the blankets and pulled them across their bodies since the air was chilly under the trees, and they dozed in each other's arms for a little while.

They made love a second time before returning to the TARDIS, and then to Earth. John landed the TARDIS in the back garden of Martha's, now their, flat and they went inside to shower and change before driving to the airport for their flight to Venice. Martha rang her mother to assure her they were OK and about to head off on their honeymoon.

"Have a lovely time," Francine said. "I'll speak to you when you get back."

"OK."

* * * * * *

After they returned from Venice, they had a quiet civil ceremony with only Martha's family and a small number of friends, including Jack, in attendance, and then they settled into married life. They had made a joint decision not to have children as Martha didn't want the responsibility of bringing half-Gallifreyan children into the world, and they had decided against adoption, which John had suggested, concerned that Martha was going to miss out on motherhood, but she had assured him that she was happy just being an aunt unless he desperately wanted to be a father.

"I've been a father already," he told her. "I'm happy if you're happy."

"I promise you, I'm not pining at the thought of not having children," she assured him. "My work means more to me."

Martha went on to prove the truth of her words over the next forty years, acquiring an international reputation as an authority on Xeno-medicine. She and John eventually jointly won the Nobel Prize for Medicine for their work in developing advanced scientific and medical procedures for dealing with aliens arriving on Earth, including tools to quarantine alien beings carrying potentially life-threatening microbes.

She had worried that he would always look young, but he seemed to age at the same rate that she did, though he never got sick and he healed quickly and easily if he was injured, which he once told her was a result of his Time Lord physiology.

They eventually retired to Cornwall, at John's suggestion, when Martha reached her 65th birthday, and although they both continued to correspond with UNIT staff across the world, they seldom left Cornwall except to visit Cardiff at Jack's invitation, when he would send a helicopter for them, to Martha's intense amusement.

Most of the time John's TARDIS remained parked in their back garden; they would take her for the occasional quick spin to some quiet spot, and sometimes they just spent a day and night on board, sitting quietly in the Time Vortex whilst they wandered through her corridors, exploring.

Then a few days after Martha's 94th birthday, John spoke the words that he'd been dreading saying and she'd been dreading hearing: "I must leave you now."

They'd spent one last night together on board the TARDIS and the following day he was gone; Martha rang Jack and he immediately flew down from Cardiff to spend a week with her. Each night she refused to go to bed, so he let her fall asleep curled against his body on the wide sofa.

Even after Jack went back to Cardiff, she found herself unable to sleep in the bed she'd shared so happily with John for so many years, so she slept on the sofa instead, curling up like a cat under a heap of checked blankets.

* * * * * *

Epilogue

A couple of months after Jack returned to Cardiff Martha was sitting by the window in the cottage one morning, watching the sea, when a quiet knock sounded on the door. She turned her head in surprise: she wasn't expecting any visitors today. "It's open," she called.

The door opened and a very familiar figure stood in the doorway. "Hello Martha Jones," said the Doctor. He stepped inside and she took in the wildly ruffled brown hair, the blue suit and the long brown coat. There was something in his eyes that she couldn't name but somehow recognised.

"He's gone, hasn't he?" she asked softly, fighting not to cry.

"Yes." He crossed the room in three long strides and knelt beside her chair. "I'm sorry Martha."

"I - " She found she couldn't hold back her tears and the next moment she was clinging to the Doctor, sobbing desperately. In her head, she knew her tears were silly, since the Doctor was right here, holding her and rubbing a hand over her back just as John used to do, but this wasn't the man she'd married 70 years ago, the man who'd shared her bed and her life until he'd gone off to do his duty to his people and to the universe at large.

The Doctor waited until Martha's sobs had quieted, then pulled back and looked at her. "Come with me?" he asked softly and she nodded. He offered her his arm as he had so many times before and she slipped hers through it.

"You're still as lovely as the first day we met," he told her as he guided her up the garden path and out onto the headland where the TARDIS was waiting.

She looked at him to see if he was teasing, but he looked perfectly serious. "I'm a wrinkled old lady of 94," she protested, a hint of asperity in her voice.

"And I'm over a thousand years old," he answered. "What's that got to do with anything? Besides, your wrinkles are beautiful." He unlocked the door of the TARDIS and gestured for her to go in first.

Martha walked up the ramp, she moved a little more stiffly these days, but the Doctor could see eagerness in her steps as she headed to the console where she ran her hands over the familiar buttons, levers and switches, murmuring a greeting to the ship. The TARDIS hummed back and the Doctor felt his ship reaching out to her old friend. Martha must have felt the telepathic touch because she looked up at him with awe in her eyes.

He gave her a grin as he pulled off his overcoat, then bounded over to join her at the console. "Anywhere you'd like to go?" he asked, sliding an arm around her shoulders.

Martha shook her head. "Somewhere quiet, that's all. I'm too old to run around now."

He kissed the top of her head and refrained from remonstrating with her because in human terms she wasn't that young any more. Then he guided her over to the Captain's chair before setting the controls. To Martha's surprise the TARDIS took off more gently than she'd expected and she looked up at the Doctor who gave her an impish grin.

"Since you're so old, my lady, the TARDIS is taking care to treat you gently." His tone was light and teasing, so she stuck her tongue out at him, earning a joyful laugh in response.

The Doctor sat down beside her and took her left hand in his, rubbing his finger over her wedding and engagement rings.

"Since he left your timeline I've remembered everything about our life together," he told her softly. "He - I love you very much Martha Jones and our,” he hesitated, “our marriage made me very happy."

"Oh Doctor." Martha rested her head against his shoulder and he held her tight as she cried again.

She dozed off against his shoulder, worn out by her emotions and he continued to hold her, wondering at the strangeness of his life, that he'd allowed himself to marry and settle down for so long. His eighth incarnation had always been ridiculously romantic, though.

The TARDIS arrived at their destination without any of her usual bumps or jolts and he knew his ship was still taking care of Martha. He eased her body away and settled her on the seat, then got up and pulled on his coat before walking across the Control Room to check the contents of the large hamper he'd prepared before he'd arrived at Martha's cottage. Satisfied that he had everything he needed, he picked it up, then crossed back to his companion, wife and lover.

"Martha, we're here," he said softly, shaking her awake.

"John?" she mumbled as she opened her eyes and took in the Doctor's lanky form. "Oh!" She didn't tell him that she'd been dreaming that John had come back to take her off to Gallifrey with him.

"Not John," he said. "Not now."

"Where are we?" she asked, rubbing her eyes so that she wouldn't cry again, and sitting up.

"I'll show you in a minute," he answered. "But first, there's something I want to do for you.

She gave him her familiar quizzical look and he smiled. "Do you remember the nanogenes we used to heal Jenny, back in the old Wild West?"

Martha nodded, remembering that adventure all too well.

"I stopped off on New Earth and picked up some more." He pulled the green, jelly-like pod from his pocket. "I tinkered with them a bit and they can temporarily give you back a younger body."

She opened her eyes wide. "Why would you do that?" she asked.

"I want you to enjoy this trip properly," he said and she wondered at his evasive tone, but she knew that there was always a right time to push him for more information and sensed that this wasn't it.

"OK."

He gave her a brilliant smile, then activated the pod and applied it to Martha's neck. She felt a strange tingling sensation rippling through her body and closed her eyes, slightly disconcerted. After the tingling stopped, she opened her eyes again and looked down at her hands, staring in surprise at the smooth brown skin. The Doctor pulled a hand mirror from the pocket of his coat and she gasped in shock at the sight of her face, looking much as it had the day she'd first met the Time Lord.

"How do you feel?" he asked quietly.

"Incredibly young," she laughed, "but I can remember the last 90 years quite clearly."

He smiled, then offered her his hand and she took it, letting him lead her down the ramp. He gave her his familiar nod so she opened the door.

"Oh! You brought us back to the Eye of Orion," she said, seeing the landscape.

"You wanted somewhere quiet," he said apologetically.

"I did."

They walked across the grass to the same group of trees where she and John had taken their vows so many years ago. The Doctor set down the hamper, then pulled out a large picnic blanket before setting out the picnic. They talked about their travels and adventures together as they ate: Shakespeare, Daleks, New New York, old New York, Sontarans and all the rest. They talked too, of Jack, Donna and Sarah Jane, and Martha recounted Jack's most recent visit to her from Cardiff.

"You should drop by and see him after you take me back," Martha said. "You know how much he loves to see you."

He nodded. "I will." He didn't tell her that he'd already planned that visit before coming to see her again.

After they'd eaten, he packed the picnic things away, then pulled out two more blankets, and Martha frowned at them.

"What are they for?" she asked.

"Do you remember our wedding day?" he asked.

She gave him a sharp look. "Of course I remember," she answered. "How could I ever forget that day?"

"We made love under these trees," he said softly. She raised her eyebrows. "I want to make love to you again Martha Jones. Will you let me?"

She looked away, her eyes not really seeing the distant memorial to the Time War. This was the third time she'd been here with the Doctor: the first time he'd brought was after their stop in the Torajii system and his encounter with the living sun. The second time had been for their wedding after his tenth incarnation had turned up at the church and revealed that Doctor John Bowman was not a human, but an amnesiac Time Lord, his eighth incarnation in fact.

The Doctor waited, knowing that she was remembering their previous visits here.

Martha turned back to face him finally. "Yes," she said simply.

"Thank you." He undressed her with tender hands, punctuating his actions with soft kisses to her face and neck, then he quickly stripped himself. Martha tried not to stare: this was the first time she'd seen him naked in this body after all. He shook out the blankets and spread one on top of the picnic blanket, then pulled the second one up over them since the air was slightly chilly, as it always was here.

Martha let the Doctor lead, unsure what he liked or didn't like in this body. He pulled her into his arms and kissed her gently, stroking strong and slender fingers across her skin, remembering with perfect clarity how and where she liked to be touched. He could sense her arousal building and smiled against her skin as her breathing quickened; he lifted her leg up, then he gently eased himself inside her. She gasped a little: it had been a while after all, but he heard her murmur "Don't stop" as he pushed deeper. He stopped moving once he had sheathed himself and let her get used to the feeling of his length inside her.

"OK?" he asked.

"Yes."

He carefully rolled her onto her back, then kissed the side of her neck and her face as he began to move. Martha kept her eyes closed and he wondered if she was picturing John's face above her instead of his; he knew he could find out easily, but he didn't try: John was him and he was John, and he'd loved her too long and too much to want to hurt her.

She came twice before he allowed himself to lose control and spend himself in that brief moment of ecstasy. He slipped out of her, then rolled onto his back, pulling Martha with him until she was half draped over his body, her head on its familiar spot between his hearts. She fell asleep quite quickly and he allowed himself to doze for a while until he sensed she was beginning to feel the chill.

"Martha." He shook her awake, then they dressed before they headed back to the TARDIS and the Doctor took them back to her cottage; by the time they went inside, Martha looked like a 94 year old lady again.

"Do you want a cup of tea before you go and see Jack?" she asked.

"Yes, but I'll make it, you sit down," he said.

"OK."

He went out to the kitchen and leant against the wall, breathing hard and fast. He stayed there for a few moments before he walked back into the sitting room. He knelt beside Martha's chair, taking her hands in his, and she gave him a sweet smile.

"Thank you for coming today," she said.

"You're more than welcome Martha, my love, my dear," he said. He kissed her softly and watched as her eyes closed. He stayed where he was, waiting for what he knew was about to happen, and after a few more minutes he felt her heart slow and then still. He continued to hold her hands in his, sobbing unrestrainedly; when his tears finally stopped, he let himself out of the house and walked back to the TARDIS. He rang the number of the local UNIT officer whom he knew had been keeping an eye on Martha since John had departed, and told her that Doctor Martha Jones, MO, had passed away in her sleep. Then he set the TARDIS coordinates to take him to Cardiff to break the news to Jack.