Fic: Of Ogrons and Butterflies (DW, Martha and Benny Summerfield)
Title: Of Ogrons and Butterflies
Author: aces
Fandom: Doctor Who, Martha and Benny
Warnings: mild swearing
Word count: about 1200 words
A/N: I have barely read any of the books or listened to any of the audios involving Benny in ages. And I haven’t gotten past the first series of Benny audios in any case. So let’s just take it as read that this is wildly AU, shall we? Also takes place soon after Martha joined UNIT.
Pressie for settai. It really does not compare to delicious, delicious candy, but I hope you like it in any case. :)
“Oh! Terribly sorry, didn’t mean to run you over there; thankfully it’s not a habit I cultivate and I absolutely make it a point not to run people over more than once.”
Martha blinked. The other woman-about her height, pale-skinned with dark hair cut raggedly short-smiled at her brightly and held out a hand.
Martha shook it.
“Benny,” the woman said, “Benny Summerfield. You are Martha Jones, aren’t you?”
“Yeah,” Martha said. “How do you-”
“Shit fuck bollocks,” Benny said in almost the exact same tone, looking over Martha’s shoulder. “Martha Jones, would you mind terribly if we held off on this conversation for a moment so we could run?”
Martha twisted to look over her shoulder and saw a very large, very gorilla-like figure stomping toward them.
“Oh,” she said and looked back at Benny. “Right then, explanations later.”
They ran.
*
“That was an Ogron. Not very bright, Ogrons, and often used as cannon fodder by other species,” Benny explained later at the outdoor café they’d chosen for their celebratory coffees at escaping their pursuit. “That said, I do know some lovely Ogrons. Unfortunately, he wasn’t one of them.”
“Why was he following you?”
“I stole something,” Benny stated matter-of-factly. “His boss is not very happy with me about this. But then, I’m not very happy with his boss for having it in the first place, so at least we all have something in common.”
“Okay,” Martha nodded. “Who are you and how do you know me?”
Benny grinned again. She’d dug a disturbingly large floppy hat out of her backpack when they’d sat down, and now she slouched back in her chair, basking in the shade under the hat. She wore jeans, t-shirt, sloppy worn jacket that had seen better days and probably once belonged to a man. Martha wasn’t sure she’d ever seen somebody looking so comfortable in her own skin before.
“Guess,” Benny said.
“Ogrons don’t belong on Earth,” Martha said, “and which, by the way, means that UNIT are going to kill both of us for letting that thing chase us across half of the City.” She took a deep breath and looked Benny directly in the eye. “So when’d you travel with him then?”
“Oh, clever you!” Benny sipped her iced mocha. “But you’re actually not quite right, though yes, I did travel with the Doctor for a time. Ace-sorry, Dorothy-mentioned you to me when she dropped me off in this time period.”
Martha rolled her eyes. “Is there a network? There is, isn’t there? Sarah Jane’s dropped by a couple times as well, and one of the first people I met from UNIT was an old geezer everybody respectfully called the Brigadier or Sir Alastair, who waxed lyrical about every single bloody incarnation of the Doctor he’s ever met.”
“Hey now,” Benny interrupted, “the Brigadier’s practically an institution unto himself. I wouldn’t go about bad-mouthing him unless you want to be black-listed from every single covert military alien-related operation on this planet.”
Martha frowned at her, sitting back and folding her arms across her chest. Benny frowned back for a moment before letting it go and grinning again.
“He can get a little long-winded,” she admitted. “And I suppose there’s a loose network. Maybe. If you like. Purely by accident, mind you, and not everyone who’s ever traveled with the Doctor is in it. Or is on this planet. And it’s your own fault, Martha Jones; you let us keep knocking.”
Martha sighed. “Yeah,” she said, “my fault. How is Dorothy then?”
“Pragmatic as always,” Benny replied. “Which is why she dropped me off here in this particular time to meet up with you, I think. I need to get transportation off Earth and I need to do it quietly so no more Ogrons find me. Think you can help?”
“What exactly is it that you stole?”
“Alien technology, of course,” Benny sounded surprised. “That doesn’t belong here. I thought it best that it didn’t get in the hands of any of the covert military alien-related operations in this time period-there are an awful lot of them hanging about, aren’t there?-which is why I’m dealing with it. Your lads can take care of the Ogron who was bringing it here.”
“So now what?” Martha asked, draining her latte and sitting up energetically. A good brisk run away from an alien monster always got her adrenaline pumping. “How can I help?”
Benny grinned, engagingly. “You can take me to your flat.”
“My flat?” Martha frowned. “Hoi, I’m engaged, you know.”
Benny rolled her eyes and finished her own drink. “Then the nearest computer you have access to. Whatever, I’m not picky.”
“Oh, that all? Alright, c’mon.”
*
It was all absurdly simple. Benny logged into an email account, sent a message into the ether, and then played a game or two of solitaire while Martha did a bit of hasty clean-up.
“Where’s your fiancé then? Does he live elsewhere? Er, it is a he, right? Is same-sex marriage allowed in this country yet?”
Martha laughed. “He’s in Chad for a bit longer,” she said. “So I get to live like a pig without him knowing about it.” She sat down on the edge of the bed, watching Benny’s cards flip over and change. “So what do you do? Other than pick up the odd alien artifact that’s fallen into the wrong hands?”
“Me? Oh, I’m just a simple, ordinary, run-of-the-mill archaeologist. Though I do seem to spend an inordinate amount of my life picking up after the Doctor’s messes. And other people’s.” She glanced back at Martha appraisingly. “Which, as I’m sure you’re well aware, is something of a professional hazard after spending any amount of time with the Doctor.”
Martha snorted. “Quite right too,” Benny said. There was a loud thunderclap outside in the street, and she looked up. “I think my ride’s here.”
Martha followed her downstairs and outside, curious. A-it looked sort of like an overgrown butterfly made out of wood and metal and string-stood wavering in the breeze. A small gauzy creature stepped out and waved three arms at Benny excitedly.
Benny grinned and waved back just as enthusiastically, slinging her backpack over one shoulder. She turned back to Martha. “Lovely to meet you, sorry to dash off like this, all that,” she said. “Have a marvelous time with the fiancé. Make sure he’s not a git. He’s not named Jason, is he?”
“Tom,” Martha shook her head and grinned.
“Good,” Benny said seriously. She held out her hand, and Martha gave her a quick hug instead. When she stepped back, she nodded to Benny’s friend and her friend’s contraption. “You emailed Sarah Jane, didn’t you?”
Benny grinned widely, tipped an imaginary hat-she’d stuffed her hat back into her bag-and jogged off to join her friend. “See you later, Martha Jones!” she called back over her shoulder before stepping onto the butterfly.
Martha waved. Another thunderclap, the butterfly ship winked out of existence, and Martha stood out on the street for a moment, laughing.
Author: aces
Fandom: Doctor Who, Martha and Benny
Warnings: mild swearing
Word count: about 1200 words
A/N: I have barely read any of the books or listened to any of the audios involving Benny in ages. And I haven’t gotten past the first series of Benny audios in any case. So let’s just take it as read that this is wildly AU, shall we? Also takes place soon after Martha joined UNIT.
Pressie for settai. It really does not compare to delicious, delicious candy, but I hope you like it in any case. :)
“Oh! Terribly sorry, didn’t mean to run you over there; thankfully it’s not a habit I cultivate and I absolutely make it a point not to run people over more than once.”
Martha blinked. The other woman-about her height, pale-skinned with dark hair cut raggedly short-smiled at her brightly and held out a hand.
Martha shook it.
“Benny,” the woman said, “Benny Summerfield. You are Martha Jones, aren’t you?”
“Yeah,” Martha said. “How do you-”
“Shit fuck bollocks,” Benny said in almost the exact same tone, looking over Martha’s shoulder. “Martha Jones, would you mind terribly if we held off on this conversation for a moment so we could run?”
Martha twisted to look over her shoulder and saw a very large, very gorilla-like figure stomping toward them.
“Oh,” she said and looked back at Benny. “Right then, explanations later.”
They ran.
*
“That was an Ogron. Not very bright, Ogrons, and often used as cannon fodder by other species,” Benny explained later at the outdoor café they’d chosen for their celebratory coffees at escaping their pursuit. “That said, I do know some lovely Ogrons. Unfortunately, he wasn’t one of them.”
“Why was he following you?”
“I stole something,” Benny stated matter-of-factly. “His boss is not very happy with me about this. But then, I’m not very happy with his boss for having it in the first place, so at least we all have something in common.”
“Okay,” Martha nodded. “Who are you and how do you know me?”
Benny grinned again. She’d dug a disturbingly large floppy hat out of her backpack when they’d sat down, and now she slouched back in her chair, basking in the shade under the hat. She wore jeans, t-shirt, sloppy worn jacket that had seen better days and probably once belonged to a man. Martha wasn’t sure she’d ever seen somebody looking so comfortable in her own skin before.
“Guess,” Benny said.
“Ogrons don’t belong on Earth,” Martha said, “and which, by the way, means that UNIT are going to kill both of us for letting that thing chase us across half of the City.” She took a deep breath and looked Benny directly in the eye. “So when’d you travel with him then?”
“Oh, clever you!” Benny sipped her iced mocha. “But you’re actually not quite right, though yes, I did travel with the Doctor for a time. Ace-sorry, Dorothy-mentioned you to me when she dropped me off in this time period.”
Martha rolled her eyes. “Is there a network? There is, isn’t there? Sarah Jane’s dropped by a couple times as well, and one of the first people I met from UNIT was an old geezer everybody respectfully called the Brigadier or Sir Alastair, who waxed lyrical about every single bloody incarnation of the Doctor he’s ever met.”
“Hey now,” Benny interrupted, “the Brigadier’s practically an institution unto himself. I wouldn’t go about bad-mouthing him unless you want to be black-listed from every single covert military alien-related operation on this planet.”
Martha frowned at her, sitting back and folding her arms across her chest. Benny frowned back for a moment before letting it go and grinning again.
“He can get a little long-winded,” she admitted. “And I suppose there’s a loose network. Maybe. If you like. Purely by accident, mind you, and not everyone who’s ever traveled with the Doctor is in it. Or is on this planet. And it’s your own fault, Martha Jones; you let us keep knocking.”
Martha sighed. “Yeah,” she said, “my fault. How is Dorothy then?”
“Pragmatic as always,” Benny replied. “Which is why she dropped me off here in this particular time to meet up with you, I think. I need to get transportation off Earth and I need to do it quietly so no more Ogrons find me. Think you can help?”
“What exactly is it that you stole?”
“Alien technology, of course,” Benny sounded surprised. “That doesn’t belong here. I thought it best that it didn’t get in the hands of any of the covert military alien-related operations in this time period-there are an awful lot of them hanging about, aren’t there?-which is why I’m dealing with it. Your lads can take care of the Ogron who was bringing it here.”
“So now what?” Martha asked, draining her latte and sitting up energetically. A good brisk run away from an alien monster always got her adrenaline pumping. “How can I help?”
Benny grinned, engagingly. “You can take me to your flat.”
“My flat?” Martha frowned. “Hoi, I’m engaged, you know.”
Benny rolled her eyes and finished her own drink. “Then the nearest computer you have access to. Whatever, I’m not picky.”
“Oh, that all? Alright, c’mon.”
*
It was all absurdly simple. Benny logged into an email account, sent a message into the ether, and then played a game or two of solitaire while Martha did a bit of hasty clean-up.
“Where’s your fiancé then? Does he live elsewhere? Er, it is a he, right? Is same-sex marriage allowed in this country yet?”
Martha laughed. “He’s in Chad for a bit longer,” she said. “So I get to live like a pig without him knowing about it.” She sat down on the edge of the bed, watching Benny’s cards flip over and change. “So what do you do? Other than pick up the odd alien artifact that’s fallen into the wrong hands?”
“Me? Oh, I’m just a simple, ordinary, run-of-the-mill archaeologist. Though I do seem to spend an inordinate amount of my life picking up after the Doctor’s messes. And other people’s.” She glanced back at Martha appraisingly. “Which, as I’m sure you’re well aware, is something of a professional hazard after spending any amount of time with the Doctor.”
Martha snorted. “Quite right too,” Benny said. There was a loud thunderclap outside in the street, and she looked up. “I think my ride’s here.”
Martha followed her downstairs and outside, curious. A-it looked sort of like an overgrown butterfly made out of wood and metal and string-stood wavering in the breeze. A small gauzy creature stepped out and waved three arms at Benny excitedly.
Benny grinned and waved back just as enthusiastically, slinging her backpack over one shoulder. She turned back to Martha. “Lovely to meet you, sorry to dash off like this, all that,” she said. “Have a marvelous time with the fiancé. Make sure he’s not a git. He’s not named Jason, is he?”
“Tom,” Martha shook her head and grinned.
“Good,” Benny said seriously. She held out her hand, and Martha gave her a quick hug instead. When she stepped back, she nodded to Benny’s friend and her friend’s contraption. “You emailed Sarah Jane, didn’t you?”
Benny grinned widely, tipped an imaginary hat-she’d stuffed her hat back into her bag-and jogged off to join her friend. “See you later, Martha Jones!” she called back over her shoulder before stepping onto the butterfly.
Martha waved. Another thunderclap, the butterfly ship winked out of existence, and Martha stood out on the street for a moment, laughing.