Crossing Parallels (2/2)
Who_Daily Link: < a href="http://persiflage-1.livejournal.com/210377.html">Crossing Parallels (2/2) by < lj user=persiflage_1> (Characters: Martha Jones/Luther Arkwright, UNIT, Torchwood | Rating: NC-17 | Spoilers: The Adventures of Luther Arkwright, DW S3 & S4, TW S2)
Title: Crossing Parallels (2/2)
Author: Persiflage_1
Characters/Pairings: Martha Jones/Luther Arkwright, UNIT, Torchwood Two
[Note: Luther Arkwright is portrayed by David Tennant in the Big Finish audio drama]
Rating: NC-17
Spoilers: The Adventures of Luther Arkwright, Doctor Who S3 and S4, Torchwood S2
Summary: Investigating a potential alien invasion, Martha meets a stranger with a very familiar face.
Disclaimer: Doctor Who & Torchwood are owned by Auntie Beeb, Luther Arkwright is owned by Bryan Talbot. I'm just playing fast and loose with them all!
Author Notes: I listened to the Big Finish version of "The Adventures of Luther Arkwright" and fell instantly in love with both the character and the world that Talbot had created, and as a result, I couldn't resist bringing Luther and Martha Jones together. This story is set about 10 years after the end of "Adventures" for Luther, and a few months after "Journey's End" for Martha. This fic is a belated Xmas & birthday present for jadekirk - I hope you enjoy it!
Beta: The fabulous and helpful fourzoas
~~~~~~
Part 1
Two days later
Initially Martha had expected Luther to return within a few hours, but once he'd been gone for 24 she accepted that he could be gone for days or weeks, and she stopped wondering when he would return. Instead, she concentrated on learning as much as possible about the mechanoids, working with a team of scientists to dismantle the mechanics of one of the simian creatures, then examining the organic remains.
She was in her office, completing her final report on their findings, when she sensed someone else in the room with her. Looking up she was just in time to see Luther phasing into existence a few feet away from her desk, and she got up quickly seeing how weary he looked.
"Are you okay?" she asked, taking hold of his arm and guiding him into the other chair.
He nodded. "Just tired," he answered, pushing his hair off his face.
"Do you want some coffee?"
"No, thank you. I would like to meditate, though."
Martha looked slightly surprised. "Do you want me to go away?" she asked.
He shook his head, wincing slightly, and lifted his hand to rub the side of his neck, then hissed when that movement also hurt.
"You don't need to go away," he assured her, "I can meditate in the corner, if it's not an inconvenience, then I'll fill you in on what I discovered."
"It's not an inconvenience," she said quickly. "I've got to go to a meeting in about ten minutes anyway, and you'll be on your own for about half an hour after that."
"Thank you." He smiled at her as he got up and moved over to the corner of the office nearest the window. Once there he sat cross-legged on the carpet and closed his eyes, then opened them again. "I forgot to say, you don't need to worry about seeing any more of the simian mechanoids. I destroyed them."
She hoped she didn't look too shocked by this news. "Thank you, I'll let Colonel Mace know," she answered, then resolutely turned her attention back to finishing her report before her meeting.
* * * * * *
When Martha returned from her meeting she found Luther leaning against the edge of the window frame, his white-blond hair shining in the late afternoon sun, as he gazed out on the flower garden outside.
He looked round at her and smiled, looking so pleased to see her that she suddenly felt a little dizzy; it had been a long time since anyone had looked at her that way.
"Are you feeling better?" she asked, setting her mug of coffee down on her desk and avoiding his gaze: she'd suddenly remembered that he'd be able to read her mind and was feeling embarrassed at her reaction to his smile.
"Yes, thank you," he answered, startling her as he'd moved behind her without her realising.
"Colonel Mace was relieved to hear we don't need to worry about any more visits from the simian mechanoids," she said. She started when she felt his hand in the small of her back.
"Martha." His voice was soft and her name was like a caress against her skin.
"Luther?" She cursed mentally that her voice wasn't steadier.
"I missed you." He smiled when she looked up, startled by his admission.
"I missed you too," she said simply. She had tried not to miss him, telling herself it was ridiculous when she barely knew him, but she might just as well have talked to the wall for all the notice she had taken of her own strictures.
"Now I'm back, I want to start teaching you how to develop your telepathy, and how to become more whole."
"Is that a good idea?" Martha asked, trying to ignore the way he was stroking small circles on her back.
"Do you think it's a bad idea?" he countered.
"Maybe," she answered, retreating to her chair and sitting down. "You must know how I'm feeling about you. You've already made it clear that you have someone in your life, and I'm quite sure you won't be settling down here. I've already got one complicated relationship in my life, I don't really need to add a second."
She knew she was being harsh when he'd shown only kindness to her, but she was scared of being hurt, especially by someone who looked like the Doctor.
Luther surprised her by crouching down beside her chair, placing his hand on her arm. "I don't want to hurt you," he said quietly. "I want to teach you, and help you to develop your potential. You have so much potential here," he placed his hand between her breasts, "and here," he moved his hand to her forehead. "Your heart and mind chakras are not fully open, but if they were, you'd be a formidable woman."
"Chakras?" Martha asked. "Isn't that something to do with one of the Eastern philosophies?"
He nodded. "I follow the path of Tantra. There are seven Chakras: crown, forehead, throat, heart, solar plexus, sacral and base." He gestured to their locations starting with the top of his head and moving down his body.
He smiled, seeing her interest was piqued. "I can teach you about this as a means of teaching you wholeness and how to unlock your telepathic ability." He slid his hand into hers. "What do you say, Dr Jones? Would you like to go on a journey of discovery with me?"
She swallowed, then nodded. "Yes, please."
"Good." He leant forward and kissed her forehead. "We'll begin this evening."
* * * * * *
Two hours later
Martha unlocked the door of her flat and led Luther inside. They'd barely spoken on the drive from UNIT HQ, and she'd been grateful that he'd understood that she was still processing her decision to allow him into her life. She had no idea where this was going to go, and although that thought was exciting, it was also quite scary. Since Tom had been killed by the Daleks a few months ago she'd become closed off to the idea of relationships. It wasn't that she'd been grief-stricken about his death, since she'd hardly seen him anyway once they'd got engaged, it was just that it somehow seemed easier not to get involved. She'd felt guilty about her lack of grief over Tom's death, and knew her mother was worried that she was in denial, but she didn't dare tell Francine that while she mourned Tom's death as yet another unnecessary loss to the Daleks, she didn't really mourn his loss as her fiancé.
It didn't help that she was feeling conflicted again about her relationship with the Doctor: seeing him and Rose together had stirred things up somewhat in a way that seeing him and Donna had not. Knowing that he had sent his human counterpart to be with Rose in that other universe hadn't helped either: a small part of her had wondered why he couldn't stay here, travelling with the Doctor (and an even smaller, barely acknowledged, part of her had wondered why Rose had got to have him with her). She was trying to be grown up about it all, but it wasn't easy.
Now Luther had entered her life, looking very like the Doctor, but such a demonstrably different man; he was calmer, more focused, and far more open about his feelings than the Doctor had ever been, and it was a little disconcerting at times.
"Do you want to eat before we meditate or after?" Martha asked as she hung up her coat, then put Luther's on the hook next to hers.
"Before," he said. "Can I make a suggestion?"
She raised an eyebrow at him in mute enquiry.
"Why don't you go and have a bath or shower, and I'll prepare dinner, then you'll be more relaxed once we're ready to meditate."
"Okay." She put her laptop down on the hall table, then led the way into the kitchen to show Luther where everything was kept, before going to have a bath.
When she returned a while later the kitchen was full of the scent of stir-fried food and he was just about ready to serve up.
"Feeling better?" he asked as he began filling their plates.
"Yes, thank you. This looks good," she observed.
"Thank you. Hopefully it will taste good too."
It tasted very good, Martha quickly discovered, and she did her best not to bolt it. They made small talk about food while they ate and washed up afterwards.
"Do you have any candles?" Luther asked.
"Yes, I think there are a couple in one the cupboards, left over from a party."
"Could we use them?"
Martha nodded, and went to look in the cupboard. "Here you go," she said, holding out three fat blue candles in glass holders.
"Perfect." He smiled, then took her hand and led her into the sitting room. He set the candles down on the coffee table and lit them, producing a lighter from the pocket of his trousers.
"Since you're new to this, I suggest you sit on the floor with your back against the sofa to give you some support."
He waited while she settled into place, then he sat down opposite her in the lotus position. "I think, since you've not meditated before, that you might find it easiest to use a mantra meditation, which entails repeating a single word or short phrase to yourself. You might find it helps to focus your attention on the candle. Don't worry if your mind starts wandering, that's not unusual when someone is beginning to meditate for the first time. Just bring your focus back to the mantra and try to think only of it and nothing else."
He reached out and brushed a loose strand of hair behind her ear. "I think you might find it helpful to use the word 'peace' as your mantra because you're not feeling very peaceful at the moment. Try saying it to yourself as you breathe out."
"Okay. Do I say it aloud or silently?"
"Whichever you find easiest," he answered. "I can still meditate effectively even if you say your mantra aloud."
"How long are we going to do this for, half an hour?"
Luther smiled. "No, just ten minutes for now. You can build up to a longer period of meditation once you've had some practise."
"Okay." Martha focused on the flame of the candle and began to repeat the word 'peace' in her head. She felt a bit silly, but she was willing to persevere, particularly since she had noticed that Luther had looked a lot less tired and a lot calmer when she'd seen him after her meeting than he had before he'd meditated.
As the minutes passed she felt less self-conscious and became less aware of Luther's presence in the room, and more conscious of her own breathing, and the fall and rise of her chest as her lungs worked. When, at the end of the ten minutes, he spoke her name she felt as if she was a long way off and that it was an effort to focus on him instead.
"How do you feel?" he asked quietly, reaching out to cup her cheek with one slender fingered hand.
"Very relaxed," she answered, "and even a bit sleepy."
He smiled gently. "I'm glad that you're feeling relaxed, because that makes it easier for us to try the next thing."
She gave him a quizzical look. "What's the next thing?"
"Trying to unlock your telepathic ability," he answered.
"How do we do that?"
"We'll start by unlocking your forehead chakra, and to do that I need to teach you how to move your energy there. Lie flat on your back, on cushions if you prefer."
He waited while Martha moved around and stretched out on her back. "Now rest your arms by your sides, with the palms facing upwards, then bend your knees and put your feet flat on the floor, the same distance apart as your hips."
She shuffled her feet and bent up her knees. "Here?" she asked.
Luther took her feet and gently moved them slightly closer together. "Now relax your jaw and shoulders, and lengthen your neck." He smiled at her as she stretched her neck and she gave him a shy smile back. "Good. Now, keep your neck relaxed and lift your pelvis from the floor and begin to bounce it up and down."
"Do what?" she asked, jerking her head upwards to look at him.
"Bounce your pelvis," he answered patiently. "It's called Kundalini Shaking in Tantra."
She muttered something indistinguishable under her breath, then lifted her pelvis up, before lowering it down again.
"That's it," he encouraged. "Just a bit faster."
She gave him a puzzled look, but picked up the speed of her movements. "This feels far sillier than the meditating did," she commented.
"I can understand that," he answered, "but persevere for a few minutes."
To her surprise, Martha found that after a couple of minutes it didn't seem to be an effort, and it was almost as if her body had taken over the rhythm without any conscious decision on her part.
"That's it," Luther said quietly. "You're charging your body with energy, now imagine it moving up towards your head - visualise a point of light travelling upwards from your pelvis, through your solar plexus, then your heart, then your throat until it reaches your forehead." He traced the path he described with his right hand, not quite touching her body, until he reached the middle of her forehead.
"The energy stops here," he said, his voice still soft, "in your third eye, and if we're lucky, your third eye will open on the first attempt," and I can talk to you telepathically, and you will hear me.
He saw her eyes widen in surprise and smiled. Can you hear me? he asked.
"Yes," she breathed.
"Good." Now see if you can answer telepathically. Imagine a line of golden light that links your third eye with my third eye, and try to send words back along it, as if it was a phone line.
Luther?
Yes, Martha, I can hear you.
"Oh god!" She exclaimed aloud, startled and amazed, and he saw tears spring to her eyes.
"Well done." He lay down beside her, putting his right hand on her forehead, and then down over her heart chakra, and she instinctively reached up to clasp his right hand with hers.
"That's an excellent start," he told her, squeezing her fingers in his, then sliding his other arm under her shoulders to pull her body against his. She curled into his side, her body trembling, and he knew she was crying.
"Shh, shh, it's okay Martha." His voice was low and soothing, and he rubbed her back gently.
After she stopped crying, he helped her to sit up, and they moved onto the sofa from the floor, Luther wrapping his left arm around her shoulders.
"Okay?" he asked.
"Yeah." She kept her eyes down and he sensed her embarrassment.
"Hey," he said, lifting her chin so he could look her in the eye. "It's okay, you don't have to be embarrassed about crying. It's a perfectly normal response to something that is more than a little overwhelming."
"It's just - that was pretty intense," she said, trying to find the words to express how amazing and different it had felt.
"I know. You'll have to practise with me until you can make that telepathic link without doing the Kundalini Shaking first, but for a first step, that was a really good start." He brushed his lips against her forehead. "Now, I suggest you don't do too much else this evening, read a book, or watch a bit of undemanding TV, and then get an early night."
"Okay." She moved away from his embrace to pick up the television remote control and turned the set on. "I don't know what's on at this time of the evening," she commented. "I don't tend to put the TV on until about 10 pm, for the news."
"Have you got a DVD, a comedy would be best?"
"Yeah." Martha got up and moved over to the cupboard below the bookshelf along the far wall of the sitting room and opened it to reveal neatly stacked DVDs. She took a box out and slipped a disc into the DVD player that sat below the television.
"Morecambe and Wise," she told him as she sat next to him again. "I bought this in a fit of childhood nostalgia."
"That sounds quite reasonable to me," he answered with a soft laugh.
* * * * * *
Three weeks later
Luther went to work with Martha every day, and made himself so useful in a variety of ways that Colonel Mace never thought to wonder why he was still hanging around when the threat from the simian mechanoids was long gone. In the meantime Martha continued to work on learning meditation techniques, doing breathing exercises, and on mastering her telepathic ability. She was starting to feel more relaxed and less anxious as a result of the meditation, and more than one person noticed the change in her demeanour; most put it down to her relationship with Luther, although no one commented on the fact since everyone knew she had only recently lost her fiancé. She would have been surprised if she knew that a few people assumed that she and Luther had become lovers: although she was attracted to him, she had firmly pushed those thoughts aside, and tried to think of him only as a good friend.
They got home earlier than usual one evening and while Martha went to shower, Luther cooked dinner; their routine in this matter never varied since he preferred to shower first thing in the morning, and he liked cooking. Martha wasn't a great cook, as she was the first to admit, so this suited them both well. They ate and washed up, talking about work things and what they might do at the weekend.
"I'd like to do something different this evening," he told her as he dried his hands after washing up.
"Oh?"
"I thought we might try some massage for a change."
"Well a back massage would be nice," she agreed.
"That wasn't quite what I had in mind," he said, glancing away.
Martha tilted her head and looked at him more closely. "If I didn't know better, I'd say you were feeling embarrassed or something."
"Well, what I was thinking was rather more intimate," Luther answered.
"More intimate?" she asked, puzzled.
"Let's go and sit down in the other room, shall we?" he suggested.
They moved into the sitting room and settled on the sofa, where she gave him an expectant look.
"I'm very attracted to you," he said, "and I know you're attracted to me. I don't know if you realise it, but Tantra is used by a lot of people to enhance their sex lives."
Martha felt her face heat up. "I did know, actually," she answered quietly. "I did some research. I just didn't think you were interested in me since you've got Rose in your life."
"Rose isn't my only lover," Luther said.
She looked up, surprised by this revelation. "She's not?"
"No. I've had two other lovers at the same time as Rose." He stroked a finger over her wrist. "I don't have your notions about sex and sexuality, so I'm quite open to having more than one lover at a time." He smiled suddenly. "I think you'd like Octobriana - she's very fierce, but a very strong woman."
"I don't know," Martha said, getting up and moving across the room to the window. "I think I'd feel a bit odd about becoming involved with you, knowing that Rose has no idea about me."
"I don't think that's your real objection," he said, moving to stand behind her. "I think it's because you're scared of being hurt again." He rubbed the nape of her neck with his thumb, his fingers resting against the side of her neck. "You must know that we always lose the things we love, that's what part of love is."
She sighed softly. "I am scared of getting hurt," she admitted.
"And your fear is blocking your heart chakra." Luther's thumb continued to rub the back of her neck. "I want to see the Lover that's in you," he said softly. "You've so much passion inside you, but I want to see it come out."
She sighed again, leaning back against his body. She didn't object when he slipped his free arm around her body, then ducked his head to softly kiss the side of her neck.
"What do you say?" he asked quietly.
"Yes."
"Thank you." He turned her around in his arms and gently kissed her on the mouth. Then he took her by the hand and led her to her bedroom. "May I undress you?" he asked.
Martha nodded and stood still while he removed each item of clothing, kissing her shoulders, her stomach, and then her thighs as he bared her flesh until she was only wearing her underwear. Then he slipped out of his own clothes, only leaving on his boxers.
"What I've got in mind is a Yoni massage," he told her, leading her over to the bed to sit down.
"What's that?"
"Well your Yoni, which is a Sanskrit word loosely translated as 'sacred space', is the word used in Tantra for your vagina."
She stared at him, open mouthed. "You want to massage my vagina?" she asked, feeling a blush heating her face.
"Yes, if that's okay with you." He reached up and stroked her cheek with his thumb. "It's a very sensual massage, but it isn't actually about sex, it's about building trust and intimacy between two people."
"Okay. Do we have to do anything special for this?" She wondered if she sounded as nervous as she felt, then realised Luther would know anyway.
"Well, I did think that I might give you a shave," he said. "Your responses will be heightened that way."
Martha swallowed, then nodded. "All right."
"Good." He led her into the bathroom. "Where's your razor?"
She took it from the cupboard in the corner and handed it to him, together with the shaving cream, then waited with her eyes closed while he slipped off her bra and knickers.
"You are such a beautiful woman," he whispered, kissing her briefly before kneeling at her feet to shave her.
"I've never been shaved there before," she said quietly, aware that she was blushing again.
He smiled up at her. "There's a first time for everything," he told her, wielding the razor with quick, effective strokes.
Once Martha's skin was bare of any curls, he got up again. "Why don't you have a quick wash there," he suggested, "make sure that you're completely clean, and I'll go and set up the bedroom. Put your robe on before you come in."
She nodded, and he cupped her face in his hands. "You don't have to be nervous," he assured her. "I promise you'll enjoy this." He gave her another quick kiss, then left her to sort out candles, pillows and some music.
* * * * * *
"Are you ready?" asked Luther, his voice soft in Martha's ear as she stood in the doorway of her bedroom, which was now lit by blue and lavender coloured candles; there was a faint scent of Jasmine in the air, and a CD was playing in the background.
"I think so," she answered.
He brushed his lips against the side of her neck. "Go and make yourself comfortable then."
He nodded at her bed and she walked over, slipping off her bathrobe and dropping it onto the chair. He watched as she sat down on the edge of the bed, then swung her legs up and around to lie down before moving to the bedside.
Martha settled on her back, sliding a towel-covered pillow under her hips as Luther advised, and arranging two more under her head so that she could see him and her own lower body. He knelt on the bed by her feet and gently spread her legs, sliding pillows under her knees, then moved between her legs.
"Let's begin with the breathing exercise I taught you," he said, and she nodded, then closed her eyes and began to take deep, even breaths from her belly; Martha could hear Luther breathing and quickly noticed that he was keeping pace with her, so that they were breathing together.
As she began to relax, she opened her eyes and watched his hands on her legs, gently massaging her ankles and calves; then he moved to her thighs and she felt her muscles jump involuntarily when he touched her there.
He gave her a serene smile. "Deep, even breaths, remember," he reminded her in a soft voice and she gave a small nod, as his hands moved up across her ribcage to her breasts. Then his hands drifted back down her body to stroke her thighs again, before he picked up the bottle of massage oil he'd warmed and left on the bedside table while she was in the bathroom.
"Ready?" he asked.
"Yes," she sighed, relaxed already by his touches, even as her arousal began to build.
He poured a small amount of the oil onto her mound, just enough for it to drip down onto the outer lips of her sex, and she gasped slightly at the sensation, her eyes widening in reaction.
Martha noticed that at some point he'd changed position so that he was sitting cross-legged between her legs, but she could still see the bulge of his semi-erect cock through the material of his boxers.
She watched as Luther began massaging her mound and labia majora; his fingers were firm but gentle, applying just the right amount of pressure as they stroked across her newly shaved skin. His gaze was firm and direct as he watched her watching him, and she couldn't help reaching out to him telepathically as he had been teaching her.
That feels nice, she told him.
He smiled, his teeth as white as his hair. Good. And so does that, he replied. Aloud he said, "Tell me if you want more, or less."
He took one outer lip between his thumb and index finger and squeezed gently, sliding his fingers up and down the lip, before doing the same with the other.
Martha moaned lightly and Luther's smile broadened as he moved his fingers inwards and he began squeezing the inner lips of her sex. He was using both hands now, she noticed, his strokes evenly matched on either side of her opening.
"Okay?" he asked.
"Oh yes," she sighed, aware of her arousal building in intensity.
He smirked slightly as he moved his right hand inward and began stroking her clit in clockwise and anti-clockwise circles; Martha's hips bucked up off the bed and she gasped his name as she came.
"I love a sensitive woman," he told her. "Remember to keep breathing, though."
"I - unh - " For a moment she couldn't speak as a second orgasm washed through her body, then she gasped as he slid his middle finger into her pussy and she came a third time.
The Yoni, he reminded her, silently, not the pussy or the cunt. Your sacred space.
I remember, she answered, less breathless as she spoke mind to mind.
He smiled again, as he began to stroke inside her with his middle finger, adding a second finger after a time, then beginning to rub her clit with the pad of his thumb.
"Luther!" she gasped as yet another orgasm overtook her.
"Too much?" he asked, slowing, but not stopping, his strokes.
"I - no - not too much," she answered, trying to breathe evenly still. She remembered him telling her about 'riding the wave', when one orgasm quickly followed on from another, in response to the massage.
"Good." He moved his left hand up off the bed, where it had been resting, and began to massage her abdomen, then her breasts, even as his right hand worked inside her Yoni. As soon as his hand touched her left breast she felt yet another orgasm, and realised that she had lost count of how many times he'd brought her to a climax.
Five, he told her, grinning when her eyes widened in astonishment.
Five? she asked, disbelievingly.
He nodded. "Let's make it six, shall we?" he suggested.
Martha managed to nod in response, then groaned as she felt another, even more intense, orgasm. Luther slipped his fingers out of her, then bent down and gently licked up the length of her entrance, before moving to her side. He moved the pillows from under her legs and hips, dropping them onto the floor beside the bed, then lay down next to her, on his side.
"I think you enjoyed that," he said quietly as she rolled onto her side and he pulled her close so that she could feel his hardness against her mound.
"I did, thank you." She draped her right leg over his hip, pressing her body more firmly against his erection. "Is it your turn now?"
"Not yet," he answered, his hands stroking up and down her back. "I can wait, and you should relax. This isn't about sex, remember, it's about trust. I won't feel cheated if you don't give me 'a turn'."
Martha gave him a doubtful look, and he ducked his head to kiss her gently. I'm telling you the truth, he assured her as his tongue slipped into her mouth. We agreed that we would be honest. I know you feel that you should return the favour, but that isn't what the Tantra is about. You have to learn to let go of your Western notions of these things. I know it's not easy, but you're still fairly young so it shouldn't be too engrained yet. And learning it will be fun.
I'll try, she answered.
"That's all I ask," he said aloud. "What I'd most like to do with you right now is sleep, if that's okay?"
"Mmm-hmm."
He smiled, noticing that for all her eagerness to give him a massage, she sounded sleepy now. He kissed her forehead, then reached out a long arm to grab the duvet and pull it over them both. A few moments later Martha was fast asleep in his arms, and he was dozing lightly.
Title: Crossing Parallels (2/2)
Author: Persiflage_1
Characters/Pairings: Martha Jones/Luther Arkwright, UNIT, Torchwood Two
[Note: Luther Arkwright is portrayed by David Tennant in the Big Finish audio drama]
Rating: NC-17
Spoilers: The Adventures of Luther Arkwright, Doctor Who S3 and S4, Torchwood S2
Summary: Investigating a potential alien invasion, Martha meets a stranger with a very familiar face.
Disclaimer: Doctor Who & Torchwood are owned by Auntie Beeb, Luther Arkwright is owned by Bryan Talbot. I'm just playing fast and loose with them all!
Author Notes: I listened to the Big Finish version of "The Adventures of Luther Arkwright" and fell instantly in love with both the character and the world that Talbot had created, and as a result, I couldn't resist bringing Luther and Martha Jones together. This story is set about 10 years after the end of "Adventures" for Luther, and a few months after "Journey's End" for Martha. This fic is a belated Xmas & birthday present for jadekirk - I hope you enjoy it!
Beta: The fabulous and helpful fourzoas
~~~~~~
Part 1
Two days later
Initially Martha had expected Luther to return within a few hours, but once he'd been gone for 24 she accepted that he could be gone for days or weeks, and she stopped wondering when he would return. Instead, she concentrated on learning as much as possible about the mechanoids, working with a team of scientists to dismantle the mechanics of one of the simian creatures, then examining the organic remains.
She was in her office, completing her final report on their findings, when she sensed someone else in the room with her. Looking up she was just in time to see Luther phasing into existence a few feet away from her desk, and she got up quickly seeing how weary he looked.
"Are you okay?" she asked, taking hold of his arm and guiding him into the other chair.
He nodded. "Just tired," he answered, pushing his hair off his face.
"Do you want some coffee?"
"No, thank you. I would like to meditate, though."
Martha looked slightly surprised. "Do you want me to go away?" she asked.
He shook his head, wincing slightly, and lifted his hand to rub the side of his neck, then hissed when that movement also hurt.
"You don't need to go away," he assured her, "I can meditate in the corner, if it's not an inconvenience, then I'll fill you in on what I discovered."
"It's not an inconvenience," she said quickly. "I've got to go to a meeting in about ten minutes anyway, and you'll be on your own for about half an hour after that."
"Thank you." He smiled at her as he got up and moved over to the corner of the office nearest the window. Once there he sat cross-legged on the carpet and closed his eyes, then opened them again. "I forgot to say, you don't need to worry about seeing any more of the simian mechanoids. I destroyed them."
She hoped she didn't look too shocked by this news. "Thank you, I'll let Colonel Mace know," she answered, then resolutely turned her attention back to finishing her report before her meeting.
* * * * * *
When Martha returned from her meeting she found Luther leaning against the edge of the window frame, his white-blond hair shining in the late afternoon sun, as he gazed out on the flower garden outside.
He looked round at her and smiled, looking so pleased to see her that she suddenly felt a little dizzy; it had been a long time since anyone had looked at her that way.
"Are you feeling better?" she asked, setting her mug of coffee down on her desk and avoiding his gaze: she'd suddenly remembered that he'd be able to read her mind and was feeling embarrassed at her reaction to his smile.
"Yes, thank you," he answered, startling her as he'd moved behind her without her realising.
"Colonel Mace was relieved to hear we don't need to worry about any more visits from the simian mechanoids," she said. She started when she felt his hand in the small of her back.
"Martha." His voice was soft and her name was like a caress against her skin.
"Luther?" She cursed mentally that her voice wasn't steadier.
"I missed you." He smiled when she looked up, startled by his admission.
"I missed you too," she said simply. She had tried not to miss him, telling herself it was ridiculous when she barely knew him, but she might just as well have talked to the wall for all the notice she had taken of her own strictures.
"Now I'm back, I want to start teaching you how to develop your telepathy, and how to become more whole."
"Is that a good idea?" Martha asked, trying to ignore the way he was stroking small circles on her back.
"Do you think it's a bad idea?" he countered.
"Maybe," she answered, retreating to her chair and sitting down. "You must know how I'm feeling about you. You've already made it clear that you have someone in your life, and I'm quite sure you won't be settling down here. I've already got one complicated relationship in my life, I don't really need to add a second."
She knew she was being harsh when he'd shown only kindness to her, but she was scared of being hurt, especially by someone who looked like the Doctor.
Luther surprised her by crouching down beside her chair, placing his hand on her arm. "I don't want to hurt you," he said quietly. "I want to teach you, and help you to develop your potential. You have so much potential here," he placed his hand between her breasts, "and here," he moved his hand to her forehead. "Your heart and mind chakras are not fully open, but if they were, you'd be a formidable woman."
"Chakras?" Martha asked. "Isn't that something to do with one of the Eastern philosophies?"
He nodded. "I follow the path of Tantra. There are seven Chakras: crown, forehead, throat, heart, solar plexus, sacral and base." He gestured to their locations starting with the top of his head and moving down his body.
He smiled, seeing her interest was piqued. "I can teach you about this as a means of teaching you wholeness and how to unlock your telepathic ability." He slid his hand into hers. "What do you say, Dr Jones? Would you like to go on a journey of discovery with me?"
She swallowed, then nodded. "Yes, please."
"Good." He leant forward and kissed her forehead. "We'll begin this evening."
* * * * * *
Two hours later
Martha unlocked the door of her flat and led Luther inside. They'd barely spoken on the drive from UNIT HQ, and she'd been grateful that he'd understood that she was still processing her decision to allow him into her life. She had no idea where this was going to go, and although that thought was exciting, it was also quite scary. Since Tom had been killed by the Daleks a few months ago she'd become closed off to the idea of relationships. It wasn't that she'd been grief-stricken about his death, since she'd hardly seen him anyway once they'd got engaged, it was just that it somehow seemed easier not to get involved. She'd felt guilty about her lack of grief over Tom's death, and knew her mother was worried that she was in denial, but she didn't dare tell Francine that while she mourned Tom's death as yet another unnecessary loss to the Daleks, she didn't really mourn his loss as her fiancé.
It didn't help that she was feeling conflicted again about her relationship with the Doctor: seeing him and Rose together had stirred things up somewhat in a way that seeing him and Donna had not. Knowing that he had sent his human counterpart to be with Rose in that other universe hadn't helped either: a small part of her had wondered why he couldn't stay here, travelling with the Doctor (and an even smaller, barely acknowledged, part of her had wondered why Rose had got to have him with her). She was trying to be grown up about it all, but it wasn't easy.
Now Luther had entered her life, looking very like the Doctor, but such a demonstrably different man; he was calmer, more focused, and far more open about his feelings than the Doctor had ever been, and it was a little disconcerting at times.
"Do you want to eat before we meditate or after?" Martha asked as she hung up her coat, then put Luther's on the hook next to hers.
"Before," he said. "Can I make a suggestion?"
She raised an eyebrow at him in mute enquiry.
"Why don't you go and have a bath or shower, and I'll prepare dinner, then you'll be more relaxed once we're ready to meditate."
"Okay." She put her laptop down on the hall table, then led the way into the kitchen to show Luther where everything was kept, before going to have a bath.
When she returned a while later the kitchen was full of the scent of stir-fried food and he was just about ready to serve up.
"Feeling better?" he asked as he began filling their plates.
"Yes, thank you. This looks good," she observed.
"Thank you. Hopefully it will taste good too."
It tasted very good, Martha quickly discovered, and she did her best not to bolt it. They made small talk about food while they ate and washed up afterwards.
"Do you have any candles?" Luther asked.
"Yes, I think there are a couple in one the cupboards, left over from a party."
"Could we use them?"
Martha nodded, and went to look in the cupboard. "Here you go," she said, holding out three fat blue candles in glass holders.
"Perfect." He smiled, then took her hand and led her into the sitting room. He set the candles down on the coffee table and lit them, producing a lighter from the pocket of his trousers.
"Since you're new to this, I suggest you sit on the floor with your back against the sofa to give you some support."
He waited while she settled into place, then he sat down opposite her in the lotus position. "I think, since you've not meditated before, that you might find it easiest to use a mantra meditation, which entails repeating a single word or short phrase to yourself. You might find it helps to focus your attention on the candle. Don't worry if your mind starts wandering, that's not unusual when someone is beginning to meditate for the first time. Just bring your focus back to the mantra and try to think only of it and nothing else."
He reached out and brushed a loose strand of hair behind her ear. "I think you might find it helpful to use the word 'peace' as your mantra because you're not feeling very peaceful at the moment. Try saying it to yourself as you breathe out."
"Okay. Do I say it aloud or silently?"
"Whichever you find easiest," he answered. "I can still meditate effectively even if you say your mantra aloud."
"How long are we going to do this for, half an hour?"
Luther smiled. "No, just ten minutes for now. You can build up to a longer period of meditation once you've had some practise."
"Okay." Martha focused on the flame of the candle and began to repeat the word 'peace' in her head. She felt a bit silly, but she was willing to persevere, particularly since she had noticed that Luther had looked a lot less tired and a lot calmer when she'd seen him after her meeting than he had before he'd meditated.
As the minutes passed she felt less self-conscious and became less aware of Luther's presence in the room, and more conscious of her own breathing, and the fall and rise of her chest as her lungs worked. When, at the end of the ten minutes, he spoke her name she felt as if she was a long way off and that it was an effort to focus on him instead.
"How do you feel?" he asked quietly, reaching out to cup her cheek with one slender fingered hand.
"Very relaxed," she answered, "and even a bit sleepy."
He smiled gently. "I'm glad that you're feeling relaxed, because that makes it easier for us to try the next thing."
She gave him a quizzical look. "What's the next thing?"
"Trying to unlock your telepathic ability," he answered.
"How do we do that?"
"We'll start by unlocking your forehead chakra, and to do that I need to teach you how to move your energy there. Lie flat on your back, on cushions if you prefer."
He waited while Martha moved around and stretched out on her back. "Now rest your arms by your sides, with the palms facing upwards, then bend your knees and put your feet flat on the floor, the same distance apart as your hips."
She shuffled her feet and bent up her knees. "Here?" she asked.
Luther took her feet and gently moved them slightly closer together. "Now relax your jaw and shoulders, and lengthen your neck." He smiled at her as she stretched her neck and she gave him a shy smile back. "Good. Now, keep your neck relaxed and lift your pelvis from the floor and begin to bounce it up and down."
"Do what?" she asked, jerking her head upwards to look at him.
"Bounce your pelvis," he answered patiently. "It's called Kundalini Shaking in Tantra."
She muttered something indistinguishable under her breath, then lifted her pelvis up, before lowering it down again.
"That's it," he encouraged. "Just a bit faster."
She gave him a puzzled look, but picked up the speed of her movements. "This feels far sillier than the meditating did," she commented.
"I can understand that," he answered, "but persevere for a few minutes."
To her surprise, Martha found that after a couple of minutes it didn't seem to be an effort, and it was almost as if her body had taken over the rhythm without any conscious decision on her part.
"That's it," Luther said quietly. "You're charging your body with energy, now imagine it moving up towards your head - visualise a point of light travelling upwards from your pelvis, through your solar plexus, then your heart, then your throat until it reaches your forehead." He traced the path he described with his right hand, not quite touching her body, until he reached the middle of her forehead.
"The energy stops here," he said, his voice still soft, "in your third eye, and if we're lucky, your third eye will open on the first attempt," and I can talk to you telepathically, and you will hear me.
He saw her eyes widen in surprise and smiled. Can you hear me? he asked.
"Yes," she breathed.
"Good." Now see if you can answer telepathically. Imagine a line of golden light that links your third eye with my third eye, and try to send words back along it, as if it was a phone line.
Luther?
Yes, Martha, I can hear you.
"Oh god!" She exclaimed aloud, startled and amazed, and he saw tears spring to her eyes.
"Well done." He lay down beside her, putting his right hand on her forehead, and then down over her heart chakra, and she instinctively reached up to clasp his right hand with hers.
"That's an excellent start," he told her, squeezing her fingers in his, then sliding his other arm under her shoulders to pull her body against his. She curled into his side, her body trembling, and he knew she was crying.
"Shh, shh, it's okay Martha." His voice was low and soothing, and he rubbed her back gently.
After she stopped crying, he helped her to sit up, and they moved onto the sofa from the floor, Luther wrapping his left arm around her shoulders.
"Okay?" he asked.
"Yeah." She kept her eyes down and he sensed her embarrassment.
"Hey," he said, lifting her chin so he could look her in the eye. "It's okay, you don't have to be embarrassed about crying. It's a perfectly normal response to something that is more than a little overwhelming."
"It's just - that was pretty intense," she said, trying to find the words to express how amazing and different it had felt.
"I know. You'll have to practise with me until you can make that telepathic link without doing the Kundalini Shaking first, but for a first step, that was a really good start." He brushed his lips against her forehead. "Now, I suggest you don't do too much else this evening, read a book, or watch a bit of undemanding TV, and then get an early night."
"Okay." She moved away from his embrace to pick up the television remote control and turned the set on. "I don't know what's on at this time of the evening," she commented. "I don't tend to put the TV on until about 10 pm, for the news."
"Have you got a DVD, a comedy would be best?"
"Yeah." Martha got up and moved over to the cupboard below the bookshelf along the far wall of the sitting room and opened it to reveal neatly stacked DVDs. She took a box out and slipped a disc into the DVD player that sat below the television.
"Morecambe and Wise," she told him as she sat next to him again. "I bought this in a fit of childhood nostalgia."
"That sounds quite reasonable to me," he answered with a soft laugh.
* * * * * *
Three weeks later
Luther went to work with Martha every day, and made himself so useful in a variety of ways that Colonel Mace never thought to wonder why he was still hanging around when the threat from the simian mechanoids was long gone. In the meantime Martha continued to work on learning meditation techniques, doing breathing exercises, and on mastering her telepathic ability. She was starting to feel more relaxed and less anxious as a result of the meditation, and more than one person noticed the change in her demeanour; most put it down to her relationship with Luther, although no one commented on the fact since everyone knew she had only recently lost her fiancé. She would have been surprised if she knew that a few people assumed that she and Luther had become lovers: although she was attracted to him, she had firmly pushed those thoughts aside, and tried to think of him only as a good friend.
They got home earlier than usual one evening and while Martha went to shower, Luther cooked dinner; their routine in this matter never varied since he preferred to shower first thing in the morning, and he liked cooking. Martha wasn't a great cook, as she was the first to admit, so this suited them both well. They ate and washed up, talking about work things and what they might do at the weekend.
"I'd like to do something different this evening," he told her as he dried his hands after washing up.
"Oh?"
"I thought we might try some massage for a change."
"Well a back massage would be nice," she agreed.
"That wasn't quite what I had in mind," he said, glancing away.
Martha tilted her head and looked at him more closely. "If I didn't know better, I'd say you were feeling embarrassed or something."
"Well, what I was thinking was rather more intimate," Luther answered.
"More intimate?" she asked, puzzled.
"Let's go and sit down in the other room, shall we?" he suggested.
They moved into the sitting room and settled on the sofa, where she gave him an expectant look.
"I'm very attracted to you," he said, "and I know you're attracted to me. I don't know if you realise it, but Tantra is used by a lot of people to enhance their sex lives."
Martha felt her face heat up. "I did know, actually," she answered quietly. "I did some research. I just didn't think you were interested in me since you've got Rose in your life."
"Rose isn't my only lover," Luther said.
She looked up, surprised by this revelation. "She's not?"
"No. I've had two other lovers at the same time as Rose." He stroked a finger over her wrist. "I don't have your notions about sex and sexuality, so I'm quite open to having more than one lover at a time." He smiled suddenly. "I think you'd like Octobriana - she's very fierce, but a very strong woman."
"I don't know," Martha said, getting up and moving across the room to the window. "I think I'd feel a bit odd about becoming involved with you, knowing that Rose has no idea about me."
"I don't think that's your real objection," he said, moving to stand behind her. "I think it's because you're scared of being hurt again." He rubbed the nape of her neck with his thumb, his fingers resting against the side of her neck. "You must know that we always lose the things we love, that's what part of love is."
She sighed softly. "I am scared of getting hurt," she admitted.
"And your fear is blocking your heart chakra." Luther's thumb continued to rub the back of her neck. "I want to see the Lover that's in you," he said softly. "You've so much passion inside you, but I want to see it come out."
She sighed again, leaning back against his body. She didn't object when he slipped his free arm around her body, then ducked his head to softly kiss the side of her neck.
"What do you say?" he asked quietly.
"Yes."
"Thank you." He turned her around in his arms and gently kissed her on the mouth. Then he took her by the hand and led her to her bedroom. "May I undress you?" he asked.
Martha nodded and stood still while he removed each item of clothing, kissing her shoulders, her stomach, and then her thighs as he bared her flesh until she was only wearing her underwear. Then he slipped out of his own clothes, only leaving on his boxers.
"What I've got in mind is a Yoni massage," he told her, leading her over to the bed to sit down.
"What's that?"
"Well your Yoni, which is a Sanskrit word loosely translated as 'sacred space', is the word used in Tantra for your vagina."
She stared at him, open mouthed. "You want to massage my vagina?" she asked, feeling a blush heating her face.
"Yes, if that's okay with you." He reached up and stroked her cheek with his thumb. "It's a very sensual massage, but it isn't actually about sex, it's about building trust and intimacy between two people."
"Okay. Do we have to do anything special for this?" She wondered if she sounded as nervous as she felt, then realised Luther would know anyway.
"Well, I did think that I might give you a shave," he said. "Your responses will be heightened that way."
Martha swallowed, then nodded. "All right."
"Good." He led her into the bathroom. "Where's your razor?"
She took it from the cupboard in the corner and handed it to him, together with the shaving cream, then waited with her eyes closed while he slipped off her bra and knickers.
"You are such a beautiful woman," he whispered, kissing her briefly before kneeling at her feet to shave her.
"I've never been shaved there before," she said quietly, aware that she was blushing again.
He smiled up at her. "There's a first time for everything," he told her, wielding the razor with quick, effective strokes.
Once Martha's skin was bare of any curls, he got up again. "Why don't you have a quick wash there," he suggested, "make sure that you're completely clean, and I'll go and set up the bedroom. Put your robe on before you come in."
She nodded, and he cupped her face in his hands. "You don't have to be nervous," he assured her. "I promise you'll enjoy this." He gave her another quick kiss, then left her to sort out candles, pillows and some music.
* * * * * *
"Are you ready?" asked Luther, his voice soft in Martha's ear as she stood in the doorway of her bedroom, which was now lit by blue and lavender coloured candles; there was a faint scent of Jasmine in the air, and a CD was playing in the background.
"I think so," she answered.
He brushed his lips against the side of her neck. "Go and make yourself comfortable then."
He nodded at her bed and she walked over, slipping off her bathrobe and dropping it onto the chair. He watched as she sat down on the edge of the bed, then swung her legs up and around to lie down before moving to the bedside.
Martha settled on her back, sliding a towel-covered pillow under her hips as Luther advised, and arranging two more under her head so that she could see him and her own lower body. He knelt on the bed by her feet and gently spread her legs, sliding pillows under her knees, then moved between her legs.
"Let's begin with the breathing exercise I taught you," he said, and she nodded, then closed her eyes and began to take deep, even breaths from her belly; Martha could hear Luther breathing and quickly noticed that he was keeping pace with her, so that they were breathing together.
As she began to relax, she opened her eyes and watched his hands on her legs, gently massaging her ankles and calves; then he moved to her thighs and she felt her muscles jump involuntarily when he touched her there.
He gave her a serene smile. "Deep, even breaths, remember," he reminded her in a soft voice and she gave a small nod, as his hands moved up across her ribcage to her breasts. Then his hands drifted back down her body to stroke her thighs again, before he picked up the bottle of massage oil he'd warmed and left on the bedside table while she was in the bathroom.
"Ready?" he asked.
"Yes," she sighed, relaxed already by his touches, even as her arousal began to build.
He poured a small amount of the oil onto her mound, just enough for it to drip down onto the outer lips of her sex, and she gasped slightly at the sensation, her eyes widening in reaction.
Martha noticed that at some point he'd changed position so that he was sitting cross-legged between her legs, but she could still see the bulge of his semi-erect cock through the material of his boxers.
She watched as Luther began massaging her mound and labia majora; his fingers were firm but gentle, applying just the right amount of pressure as they stroked across her newly shaved skin. His gaze was firm and direct as he watched her watching him, and she couldn't help reaching out to him telepathically as he had been teaching her.
That feels nice, she told him.
He smiled, his teeth as white as his hair. Good. And so does that, he replied. Aloud he said, "Tell me if you want more, or less."
He took one outer lip between his thumb and index finger and squeezed gently, sliding his fingers up and down the lip, before doing the same with the other.
Martha moaned lightly and Luther's smile broadened as he moved his fingers inwards and he began squeezing the inner lips of her sex. He was using both hands now, she noticed, his strokes evenly matched on either side of her opening.
"Okay?" he asked.
"Oh yes," she sighed, aware of her arousal building in intensity.
He smirked slightly as he moved his right hand inward and began stroking her clit in clockwise and anti-clockwise circles; Martha's hips bucked up off the bed and she gasped his name as she came.
"I love a sensitive woman," he told her. "Remember to keep breathing, though."
"I - unh - " For a moment she couldn't speak as a second orgasm washed through her body, then she gasped as he slid his middle finger into her pussy and she came a third time.
The Yoni, he reminded her, silently, not the pussy or the cunt. Your sacred space.
I remember, she answered, less breathless as she spoke mind to mind.
He smiled again, as he began to stroke inside her with his middle finger, adding a second finger after a time, then beginning to rub her clit with the pad of his thumb.
"Luther!" she gasped as yet another orgasm overtook her.
"Too much?" he asked, slowing, but not stopping, his strokes.
"I - no - not too much," she answered, trying to breathe evenly still. She remembered him telling her about 'riding the wave', when one orgasm quickly followed on from another, in response to the massage.
"Good." He moved his left hand up off the bed, where it had been resting, and began to massage her abdomen, then her breasts, even as his right hand worked inside her Yoni. As soon as his hand touched her left breast she felt yet another orgasm, and realised that she had lost count of how many times he'd brought her to a climax.
Five, he told her, grinning when her eyes widened in astonishment.
Five? she asked, disbelievingly.
He nodded. "Let's make it six, shall we?" he suggested.
Martha managed to nod in response, then groaned as she felt another, even more intense, orgasm. Luther slipped his fingers out of her, then bent down and gently licked up the length of her entrance, before moving to her side. He moved the pillows from under her legs and hips, dropping them onto the floor beside the bed, then lay down next to her, on his side.
"I think you enjoyed that," he said quietly as she rolled onto her side and he pulled her close so that she could feel his hardness against her mound.
"I did, thank you." She draped her right leg over his hip, pressing her body more firmly against his erection. "Is it your turn now?"
"Not yet," he answered, his hands stroking up and down her back. "I can wait, and you should relax. This isn't about sex, remember, it's about trust. I won't feel cheated if you don't give me 'a turn'."
Martha gave him a doubtful look, and he ducked his head to kiss her gently. I'm telling you the truth, he assured her as his tongue slipped into her mouth. We agreed that we would be honest. I know you feel that you should return the favour, but that isn't what the Tantra is about. You have to learn to let go of your Western notions of these things. I know it's not easy, but you're still fairly young so it shouldn't be too engrained yet. And learning it will be fun.
I'll try, she answered.
"That's all I ask," he said aloud. "What I'd most like to do with you right now is sleep, if that's okay?"
"Mmm-hmm."
He smiled, noticing that for all her eagerness to give him a massage, she sounded sleepy now. He kissed her forehead, then reached out a long arm to grab the duvet and pull it over them both. A few moments later Martha was fast asleep in his arms, and he was dozing lightly.