Fic: Master on Mars Book 2.4: More Confrontations

[lorrabe]

Hi all,
It's been a really long time since I've gotten anything posted. Unfortunately I've been really sick and then had no access to a computer so I'm going to try and make up for that.
All of my stories will be continued, although it will be pretty randomly as I get them typed.

Lorrabe

Previous parts

http://www.livejournal.com/tools/memories.bml?user=lorrabe&keyword=Master+on+Mars&filter=all

Title: Master on Mars Book 2.4: More Confrontations

Fandom: DW/LoM/TW xover (only borrows two characters from LoM in book 2)

Pairing: Master!Sam/Martha, Ianto/Jack.

Summary: Martha and Owen emerge from the Vaults. Martha and Ianto have a little talk and some Jones’ have dinner, or try to.

Martha’s POV

As Martha and Owen finally exit the Vaults they are greeted by the others, mobbed and grabbed as expected but not quite as they’d expected.

Martha was sure her growly, possessive fake-husband would be grabby and possessive, not to mention growly, instead she was mobbed by Ianto and Tosh, who have just located Tegan. As such she’s dragged off to Tosh’s desk without even a chance at a glimpse back at the others.

Next thing I know we’re in front of Tosh’s terminal and she’s showing me her research and the last twenty years of the woman’s life, honestly I’m not paying attention and I’d feel guilty, but I’m too distracted.

Owen’s still with the Master.

“Toshiko, just tell Martha the best bit.”

Thank you Ianto. I smile at him and he smirks back, but Toshiko is back on track.

“She’s living in Bristol with her husband and kids. She’s a nursery teacher.”

“Bristol? But that’s brilliant, we won’t even need a TARDIS to get there. We can go and be back tonight.”

“No.” I turn around and there’s my husband- fake- at my back. But there’s no sign of Owen. I can’t ask, that’ll just make him madder. Probably.

I’ll wait and ask Jack.

“Why not?” Toshiko asks it, and I realise a bit belatedly that was a question I should have been asking.

“I promised Theta we’d all go out to dinner tonight. How’s Tapas?”

Toshiko looks thrown by that little curve ball- really she needs to get more used to how Timelord brains work. Just wait till the Doctor’s his old self and Mags comes to visit.

Ianto just looks resigned to it, then again… Well, at the very least he is dating Jack.

I nod then shake my head at him. “Not Tapas. I want something else, Italian?”

He frowns, I pout.

We’re so going for Italian.

Owen’s POV

Owen on the other hand had expected to be mobbed by his so-called friends. To get between him and said growly, possessive husband. Instead he is grabbed by the Master- and everyone lets him.

This would be the single most disturbing experience of his disturbing life- especially given his recent research- if not for what followed.

The Master sniffed him.

Long and deep and quite horrifically terrifyingly sniffed him.

Then smiled, patted him on the head and swanned off.

Owen just stood there gaping until the Doctor helpfully leaned over and closed his mouth for him.

“Why are you so… whatever that look is?”

“He, he… what just happened?”

Jack explains he was checking for Martha’s scent. No scent apparently means no nookie so Owen’s off the hook.

The Doctor asks what Owen was expecting and when he’s told ‘violence’ he laughs. Then explains he has yet to see the Master do anything so predictable.

Owen is still worried but Jack reassures him the Master was just checking if he had anymore competition seeing as how he’s already pretty much got his hands full with Ianto.

“Oh, so you admit it.”

Jack frowns at me. “What is there to admit? The Master loves to push people’s buttons. Unfortunately, he’s found some brilliant big red ones with Ianto.”

The Doctor tilts his head to the side, “That’s what he said.”

Okay, I’m curious, there’s just something about this guy that’s disarming, I’ve no idea how Torchwood 1 ever saw him as a threat. Maybe that’s his trick. “Who?”

“Koschei.”

Eh, who?

“The Master, although I advise you never call him that.” Jack explains, just before the Doctor continues.

“Toshiko was telling me about their latest argument. He compared Jack to a big red button marked ‘Do Not Push’.”

Jack’s frowning and I laugh. Which just makes him pout.

“I’m being compared to a nuclear bomb?”

Now the Doctor and I are both laughing at him as we walk back towards the main Hub.

Ianto’s POV

I’m trying to get some cleaning done in the Tourist Office and carefully not think about that annoying alien downstairs.

It’s a bit hard when his wife follows me up.

“Need a hand?”

I give her a tight smile and shake my head. “No, thanks you can go back down and…”

I trail off as she’s already grabbed a black bag and is dumping all the expired brochures and flyers. I guess she’s helping.

We work in silence for a few minutes, only the radio as background noise.

“Okay, I don’t do subtle very well and I have a question.”

I turn to her, surprised. I’d almost forgotten she was even there, too caught up in my thoughts.

“Ask away, but I won’t guarantee I’ll answer.”

She takes a deep breath, “Yesterday, you’re parents called,” I gulp. Oh, shit, “and you left the Hub to talk to them-”

“It was private.”

She nods, “Yeah, I get that. But, well I asked about them, just curious… Your father’s a policeman, a DCI and your mother, she’s a teacher.”

“Is that a problem? You still haven’t asked a question.”

“No, I haven’t. Are your parents Mags and Gene? I mean Romana and Gene, I guess. I’ve been thinking about it and it’s too big a coincidence really, and I’ve learnt not to believe in those and I know Gene’s mum was Welsh, and called Jones. But then so are a lot of people, especially Welsh people. But I’ve been trying to get you alone all day but well, then Owen kidnapped me and… Say something please…”

Really, her babbling had nothing to do with my silence. I don’t think I could’ve gotten a word out if my life depended on it.

Someone knew, or had guessed who my parents were.

I hadn’t done this on purpose- hell, I’d hardly of tried so hard to join this team if I’d known my Jack was, well, their Jack.

Now I was in a tug of war for him with the Master of all people!

My parents would kill Jack, or me. Or both.

Or, my personal preference, the Master- ‘cause obviously it’s all his fault.

I’ve been working on that argument since he’d shown up, the first time when he locked us all up.

“Yes.”

Did I say that?

Must have done because Martha’s smiling.

“Please don’t-”

“Tell anyone? And have Gene torture Jack for the next hundred years or so? Not a chance. But you might want to tell Sam, the Master.”

“Oh, yeah I’m gonna trust that psycho with my biggest secret!”

I pause, she might not like me insulting him and she does have some great dirt on me. Looking at her though I don’t she really noticed what I called him, but she is smiling.

“Ah, but at the moment he’s concocting the best way to get you into his bed.” My mouth falls open in shock, but before I can respond she continues, “But he’s scared of Gene- well as close to scared as he’s ever gotten I imagine. If he knew who your parents were there’s a really good chance he’d leave you alone. Even a slim chance he’d leave Jack alone.”

I consider that, “Really?”

“Well, the Jack part is really pretty slim but apart from that, yeah.”

Tish’s POV

“You can’t seriously want to move to Cardiff, Leo.”

“Why not Tish? It’s a good job. Besides you are supposed to be here to help me flat-hunt, not be a grouchy doomsayer.”

Ugh! Idiot brothers! He just doesn’t get it. How to make him see just how bad an idea this is without sounding nuts? “I know, it’s just… Cardiff is dangerous-”

“Oh yeah, ‘cos the news is always filled with the atrocious violence of the Welsh gangs. Come on Tish, it can hardly be as bad as London-”

He does have a point, aliens attack London all the time, but at least we don’t have a Rift throwing stuff out all day everyday. “You might be surprised.” He gives me that sly look usually reserved for when teasing Martha. I smile back but it makes me wonder… could Leo know? “Look, just consider your options first, that’s all I’m saying. You could get a better job offer. You never know.” Probably not, but if he does he’d never just say. He’d want me to say something, but if I say something and he doesn’t know then he’d know and it’d all be my fault and… okay my head hurts. Much better to leave all this nonsense to Martha.

“Yeah, right. Not all of us can work for the PM, even if he did end up being a raving loony.” I can’t help but flinch and Leo quickly changes the subject. “Lets drop this for now. How about I spring for a nice dinner for us both before we head back to the hotel.”

I shake it off as best I can, I‘m hardly going to let Him continue to ruin my life. Really not my style. “Fine, but we’re not done.”

“’Course not.” His tone is resigned and I smirk. Between Martha and me there’s no way our baby brother can hold out. We’ve trained him too well.

We’re seated in the restaurant, our order taken and they’ve just dropped off a lovely bottle of wine when I notice the people at the next table gasp. Following their gaze my heart stops.

“Is that-” Leo doesn’t get to finish his sentence as I jump to my feet, accidentally taking the tablecloth with me. Everything on the table smashes to the floor, with a resounding and surely expensive crash.

Not my main concern right now. Not seeing as how Martha and…

At least the sudden noise stopped their disgusting display but they’re still, he‘s still holding her.

Martha’s still clinging to him like…

The Master looks over and right into my eyes, I wait for the smirk. It starts, but it’s like he falters, then he starts talking to Martha. “Remember I wanted Tapas, right?”

“What?” Her back is still to me and Leo. She doesn’t even know we’re here. “What was that noise?”

“Your sister destroying a table full of crockery and glasses.” He says it quietly, I’d more expect him to crow.

“What? That’s not-”

“Martha?” Leo’s voice is pitched low but I can tell from the sudden tension in her back she heard.

It’s got me moving though- a few steps forward, I want to tear her from his arms but I stop short. Not willing to get that close to my nightmares. “Martha!”

Mine is as far from a low pitch as you can probably get.

The whole restaurant is watching now and I hear a big commotion from the other side of the restaurant but I ignore it, Martha finally turns to face me, us. Leo‘s obviously confused, but I…

There’s so much. So many reactions, words. I don’t know what to do. What I’m supposed to do.

I see her sheepish expression and I settle on one- anger. Pure rage.

How dare she do this!

The commotion, other than our little staring match, turns out to be Jack and the Doctor . Jack pulls Martha into his arms and nudges the Master, “Leave,” I hear him hiss, “I’ll take care of this, but don’t you dare make it any worse.”

The Master glares at him, but that’s it. No threats, no smirks. No bloody carnage, how restrained of him.

He reaches out and squeezes Martha’s hand briefly before he turns and leaves, catching the Doctor’s arm on his way out and taking him forcibly along. A bunch of people follow after them with a brief glance at Jack and Martha, must be Jack’s team.

“Jack…” I try to clear my head. Deep breaths and a quick shake, but I feel myself start to pant, harsh, quick breaths and my whole body quakes. There’s tears in my eyes and I can see Martha’s have already started to fall, but I’m still consumed by the rage. “What the hell do you think you’re doing Martha?”

Her head jerks back as if slapped and I notice even Jack and Leo flinched at my tone.

I can’t… Then Leo’s arms are around me, in a mirror of Jack and Martha and I finally break.

Curling into him, my body sinks into his arms and the floodgates shatter as I break down into heaving sobs.

Jack’s moved closer, with Martha, and he says something to Leo but I can’t make it out what through my own harsh breathing. I am aware enough to realise that my cries and sobs have an echo. Martha.

Part of me hates doing that to her but the rest of me hates her for doing this to me.

We’re outside and moving. I couldn’t say where we’re going but eventually we stop and Leo lowers me to a bench. The other side moves as Jack lowers Martha beside me. Then both men back off, whispering hurriedly back and forth.

I’m kind of glad I can’t hear it, after all how the hell will Jack explain this to Leo.

We’re almost silent, two sisters with their hearts broken. Until Martha reaches her hand out to me. I snatch it from her and she folds in on herself. I don’t want to see her so, so broken so I try that deep breath again and I quickly take her hand and hold it between mine.

“Tish… I love him.”

For the first time since before leaving the restaurant I actually look directly at her. Her eyes are swimming, she looks a mess. I must look just as dreadful, but her eyes. Looking into her eyes I see pain, shame, worry and, terrifyingly enough, truth.

“How?” My voice is husky and cracks as I ask. She sighs and moves to take her hand back but I hold firm, “Martha, how?”

“It’s a long story.” Her voice is as broken and lost as mine.

“I’m not going anywhere.”

She sighs again but this time moves closer.

Then she tells me her story- chance and fate. God it could be some twisted new noir fairytale. The two of them thrown together and worse, drawn together.

Her voice gets stronger as she talks- not physically, emotionally. It makes me want to cry and rage. Again.

She lights up when she says his name.

Laughs when she describes his escapades.

Shivers when she thinks about him getting hurt.

“And what about us? Your family. Me, Mum, Dad?”

Her eyes water again but she stands. “I love you guys and I get that this is… madness. But it’s my madness-”

“So, I’m supposed to lie to them-” How could she ask that of me?

“No. No, but- look if nothing else… If nothing else then the fact that there’s an organisation out there worse than the Master should frighten you. It terrifies me. Give me- give us the time to stop them, then tell them. Please.”

“You really mean that. You would choose him-” She can’t really mean…

“He won’t ask. But if, if you do, I will. I do love you Tish. All of you, so very much.” She leans down and kisses my forehead then tugs her hand out of mine and steps back.

I‘m staring at her in shock, I know I am but… She’s already made up her mind, I understand that.

Leo and Jack step forward to her side and she pulls Leo into a tight hug. “I love you so much, Leo. Please-”

“Don’t mention any of this to mum or dad? Yeah, your friend already asked.”

“I… I know this is confusing but give it a while. Just till we get some stuff sorted out. Then you can tell them.”

Jack gasps at that and I realise he and I really need to have a talk. But not now. I’m not ready right now. Martha’s in love, with the Master. Jack knows. The Doctor knows, sort of. The Master… I can’t even begin to deal with this. This is Martha’s job.

She’s the responsible sister, I’m the flake who’s supposed to bring home the ne’er-do-well. I’m supposed to be the screw up that needs rescuing.

Does Martha need rescuing?

I should really talk to Jack, but not now. Not tonight.

I rise and walk to Leo and Martha. I pull her into a quick hug, just as quickly pulling back and dragging Leo away with me. I wave at Jack and get a nod in return then we turn to leave.

As we walk away from them I hear Jack speak quietly to Martha, “Are you sure about telling them? You could lose them.”

“I’m sure I don’t want to lose him. It’s crazy, but I won’t hide what we have. Not from the world, least of all my own parents.”