Dreams
Title: Dreams
Author: Persiflage_1
Characters/Pairings: Ten/Martha/Jack, TARDIS
Rating: NC-17
Spoilers: The Last of the Time Lords.
Summary: Martha returns to her family temporarily but soon finds herself in danger.
Disclaimer: The BBC owns "Doctor Who" and all that jazz…
Author Notes: This is the much-demanded sequel to my earlier fic Nightmares, which was expanded from a Drabble for padawanpooh. Oh and in case anybody wonders, yes I am aware of the change in tense part way through the story - that's deliberate...
~~~~~~
After some of the most intense love-making he's ever enjoyed, the Doctor slides out of Martha's bed, leaving his two Companions curled up asleep together, and dresses quietly. Back in the Control Room, he leans a hip against the console and reaches up to run a slender-fingered hand down the central column of the Time Rotor. He can feel that his ship is far healthier than she was a few hours ago, and he's delighted, really he is, but he's also feeling a tiny sliver of jealousy, because she allowed Martha to help her, not him. He knows it's irrational, especially given the fact that it's Martha who's making the third in his relationship with the TARDIS, and there are few people he'd trust more not to harm the old girl, but that little knot of jealousy is there in his heart.
The TARDIS knows it's there - she knows everything about him because there's no way for him to hide anything from her, and he senses that she finds his jealousy absurd. Her bond with Martha is a strong one, but she knows it's only temporary, because Martha will die one day - and compared to TARDISes and Time Lords, a human's lifespan is a brief spark - but whilst Martha lives, she has a hold on the TARDIS and the TARDIS has a hold on her too.
Besides jealousy, the Doctor is also feeling hurt that the TARDIS shut him out whilst Martha was caught in his ship's nightmare. He wants to know why she wouldn't let him help. The answer he gets leaves him pensive and he settles on the Captain's chair, feet up on the console, in a thoughtful frame of mind. He's always known, since the first meeting between him and the Master after he borrowed the TARDIS and ran away that the Master coveted his ship. And he's hurt her in the past, opening up the Eye of Harmony and trying to destroy the Earth as well as his enemy. But what he did this time, turning her into a Paradox Machine, is much worse - something akin to rape in human terms, so the TARDIS reached out to Martha Jones, a woman who's nearly a doctor and who intuitively understood the Master's violation, without either one of them thinking of it in precisely those terms.
The TARDIS knows that if she had allowed the Doctor in, he would have gone after the Master, wanting to destroy that fragment of his psyche that he'd left buried in the TARDIS purely for the sake of hurting her, and through her, the Doctor. But whilst Martha Jones has earned herself Warrior status now, she is still, first and foremost, a Healer, so she did the most important thing first, rooting out the Master's poison thereby allowing the TARDIS to deal with her enemy herself.
He's still digesting this when Martha herself walks into the Control Room, dressed in her usual jeans and vest top. "Doctor?"
"Hello. Just came to see how the old girl's doing."
She nods and looks at him uncertainly so he gestures for her to come and sit with him. She sits on the edge of the Captain's chair, her eyes on her feet and he's suddenly reminded of her sitting here once before, after their trip to New New York. She seems almost as tense and nervous now as she was then, and he wonders why. "What will you do after we get the TARDIS fixed?"
"I shall go back to travelling the Universe, same as before." She nods and he has a sudden premonition that she's not going to come with him, and he feels his stomach clench into a tense knot. Surely she won't leave him now, after all they've been through, after he's given himself to her in the most intimate way possible, bar one?
"I'm going back home."
He swallows. "You are?" he asked hoarsely.
She turns to look at him now. "I have to," she says, her gaze fierce with determination. "I need to be with my family for a bit - help them get through this. And I need to take my exams. I've worked long and hard to qualify as a doctor - I don't want all that work to be for nothing. One of the things I learnt in walking the world for you is the value of my skills. I saved a lot of lives during that year, but there were some people I couldn't save. Just because you brought them back to life again by rewinding time, doesn't mean that losing them doesn't hurt. *I* experienced that, even if no one else did - and I don't like losing people."
The Doctor slides his hand into hers and squeezes her fingers. "I understand," he says.
"But I'll be coming back," she says firmly. "You don't get rid of me that easily Mister."
He smiles. "I'm glad to hear it - and I know the TARDIS will be glad too." He squeezes her fingers again. "I don't want to get rid of you."
"Good." She returns the pressure of his fingers, then gets up. "I don't know about you, but I'm hungry. I've burnt up rather a lot of energy recently."
He grins and stands up too. "Indeed you have Miss Jones." He offers her his arm and she takes it as they head to the kitchen.
Once there, they prepare some food, but it's a slow process because the Doctor keeps stopping to touch and kiss Martha. They're in the middle of a long slow kiss when Jack wanders in and he leans against the doorframe to watch them appreciatively.
"Is this a private party or can I join in?" he asks teasingly.
Martha pulls her mouth from the Doctor's. "Jack, join us," she says warmly before the Doctor's mouth captures hers again. Then Jack's at her back, kissing below her ear, the nape of her neck and her bare shoulders as his fingers twine in the spaghetti straps of her top before skimming down her sides.
When the oven timer goes off it startles them all and they pull apart reluctantly, hungry for other things besides food. Over pizza and salad Martha tells Jack of her decision to temporarily leave the Doctor and he nods his understanding.
"You're gonna ace your exams, sweetheart, I know it." He laces his fingers through hers and smiled proudly at her.
"What about you? Are you staying?" she asks, worried about the Doctor being on his own after losing the Master.
Jack nods. "The old man can't get rid of me that easily," he says, clapping the Doctor on the shoulder.
"What about your team?" asks the Doctor, and Martha can hear hope warring with fear in his voice.
"Hey, time machine remember? You can get me back to them within a few hours of the President's assassination and they'll be none the wiser. Then you can pop forward and pick up Martha."
"OK." He tries to affect a casual air, but neither of his Companions is fooled. They both know he's relieved that he's not going to be left on his own just yet.
After they finish eating they go back to the Control Room to resume work on the TARDIS, and over the days that follow they develop a pattern of working for several hours, eating, then sleeping for a few hours, although the Doctor never sleeps as long as his Companions. Their sleep periods are spent together, although they use the Doctor's room since his bed is the biggest - which both Jack and Martha find amusing. Sometimes they simply sleep together, Martha in the middle always - which she appreciates after a year alone. Sometimes they talk, with both Jack and the Doctor encouraging Martha to talk about her experiences walking the world. Initially she's reluctant - it's painful to remember and she'd prefer to forget as far as that's possible - but the two of them persistently ask gentle questions and gradually it becomes a little easier to talk. After they've talked, they make love, taking it in turns to be with Martha. They're tender and gentle with her, but passionate too, and to her it feels as if they're trying to thank her for saving the Earth and them.
Finally their work on the TARDIS is complete and she is restored to her usual self. The Doctor seems pleased but a little forlorn and Martha crosses the Control Room to his side, circling his slender waist with her arms and he silently wraps his arms around her, his chin resting on the top of her head. After a while she tilts her head back and looks up at his still face.
"Come to bed," she says and he knows that she doesn't want to sleep. He nods and she looks over her shoulder. "Jack?"
He shakes his head. "You two go ahead. I'm going for a swim." She looks at him questioningly but he nods towards the archway that leads to the rest of the ship, so Martha leads the Doctor away.
In his room he sits on the bed and looks at her unhappily and she feels a little guilty. She understands his loneliness, but he won't be alone - Jack will be with him until she's ready for him to pick her up, which will be a matter of three months, at the most for her and no time at all for him.
She pulls off her boots and socks, and the Doctor gets up. "May I?" he asks and, at her nod, he undresses her. When he's finished, he studies her for several minutes, as if trying to memorise her. "Beautiful," he breathes, before quickly stripping off his own clothes. He gestures for her to lie down and she does, then he climbs onto the bed and slides inside her immediately. She's surprised as he normally likes to indulge in a lot of foreplay, sometimes driving her mad with his prolonged teasing.
He sees the surprise and hurt in her face, and realises he should have explained what he wanted to do before beginning. "Martha Jones, I want to try something new, if you're willing?"
She looks at him with curiosity, wondering what he has in mind. "OK."
He puts a hand up to her temple and says softly, "My people used telepathy to enhance their love making." Martha's eyes widen in surprise, "Close your eyes," he whispers and she does, then he closes his eyes and concentrates, then Martha can feel his body as if it's her own and she gasps a little in surprise and shock, but he senses she's pleased as well. She shifts her body experimentally and feels his reaction to the movement.
Steady now, the Doctor tells her softly. Don't rush. We've got plenty of time.
She stills instantly and waits hesitantly until the Doctor leans forward and kisses her: the longest, slowest and most tender kiss they've ever shared. Oh Martha Jones, he says softly, You're much too good for me.
Hush. She kisses him back. We've been through this before. Don't talk, just feel.
So he gives himself over to feeling and desire, and their love-making is the most intense they've ever shared where even the smallest movement and the gentlest touch is magnified through the telepathic link they share.
Throughout it all, Martha's aware of the TARDIS at the back of her mind, but this is a new level of awareness and she guesses that it's the result of the Doctor's link to the TARDIS being open to her. She can sense the TARDIS' love for her Time Lord Companion, the one who rescued her from the loneliness on Gallifrey, and she feels dwarfed for a moment, in a way that she's never felt dwarfed by the Doctor. The ship caresses her mind - a soft, gentle touch that's full of warmth and love - and Martha's orgasm surges through her causing her to cry out wordlessly.
When she can focus again, the Doctor's running a hand up and down her arm. "OK?" he asks.
She nods. "That was - wow!" She tries to find words for what she felt, then realises she doesn't need to because he felt it through their link. "Fantastic," she says finally and he grins at her suddenly.
"I'm going to miss you, Martha Jones, and I'm not the only one."
"I know, I'll miss you too, you and the TARDIS, but I've got to do this."
"I know," he assures her. "I do know." He pulls her into a hug and kisses her hair. They lie there together for a while in a companionable silence, until the Doctor pulls away. "Come on, let's get you home."
They dress and he leaves her to pack up her things whilst he takes the TARDIS to her parents' house since her own flat was blown up by the Master. Just as she's finishing, Jack knocks on the open door, then comes in.
"Hey," he says softly.
Martha lifts a tear-stained face to look up at him and he's at her side instantly, wrapping her in a hug. "Sorry," she says with a sniff.
"Don't be. He'll be OK, I promise. I'll look after him."
"I know you will," she answers. "It's just hard, after spending a year away from him - and with the way things have changed between us - There was a time when I thought he didn't see me, when I thought I'd always be second best - " She broke off a second time.
"You saved the world. You're good, one of the best. And he knows it." Jack assures her. "He loves you Martha. He may not say it, but actions speak louder than words, yeah?"
"Yeah." She rubbed her eyes, then smiled up at Jack. "Thanks."
"You're welcome. And don't forget, I love you too."
She kissed him briefly. "I know, and I love you too." They picked up Martha's bag between them. "I'm luckier than most women," she observed. "I get to travel through Time and Space with two gorgeous men."
Jack chuckled. "That's the spirit!"
Two and a half months later
Martha rubbed eyes gritty from a lack of sleep and wished the heavy feeling in her head would go away. It wasn't a headache, just a feeling of pressure on top of her head, as if a thunderstorm was about, though none was forecast.
She sighed, wishing, not for the first time, that the Doctor was around to give her some TLC. She'd passed her exams - with distinction - and was now coming to the end of her three months training in medicine. It was supposed to be followed by three months surgical training and she wondered whether the Doctor would be willing to bring her back in time to do that once she'd had another spell of travelling with him. She knew she was unlikely to spend the rest of her life travelling with him, so it made sense to ensure that she was fully qualified and eligible for full registration with the GMC once she permanently returned to Earth.
She rubbed her eyes again and turned her attention back to her books. She knew she should go to bed or she wouldn't be at her best tomorrow, but she felt obliged to make up at least a little for going out with Tish earlier; sometimes she cursed her strong work ethic.
Half an hour later she admitted defeat and hurried herself into bed, squinting at the clock: 12:30. She should manage six hours before her alarm went off.
* * * * * *
The Doctor was sleeping restlessly. Since Martha had left Jack had noticed him sleeping even less than before and Jack wasn't sure whether he should worry about it or not - he had no idea what the Doctor's normal sleep patterns were, he just knew that whilst Martha had been with them, the Doctor had been sleeping for roughly four hours, but now he barely seemed to manage two hours. Fortunately he seemed happy to leave Jack to sleep for a few more hours, rather than insisting his friend also got up, otherwise Jack wouldn't have been able to function properly. Since they'd dropped Martha off, the two of them had been racketing about non-stop, bouncing from planet to planet and time-period to time-period, with barely a pause for breath. Jack understood the Doctor's restlessness, but he wished the Doctor would slow down a little now and then. And even asleep, the Doctor was restless; he'd woken Jack up ten minutes ago, tossing and turning, and finally Jack decided to wake him up. He reached out and shook the Doctor's shoulder. "Doc?"
A pair of brown eyes regarded him blearily. "Jack? Surely you're not ready to go again?" he asked, voice husky with sleep.
Jack chuckled softly. "No, but you were so damn restless, you woke me up. "What were you dreaming about?"
"Martha." The Doctor rolled onto his side to look at Jack, brushing his wayward hair from his eyes.
Jack's expression softened. "Not long now until we go and pick her up."
"Two weeks, one day and five hours," answered the Time Lord promptly.
Jack wasn't the slightest bit surprised that the Doctor knew the exact amount of time left. He did wonder if Martha was also counting the days and hours. "So what was the dream about? I'm guessing it wasn't a good one."
The Doctor rubbed a slender-fingered hand over his face. "At first she was studying and feeling guilty because she and Tish had gone out for a few hours earlier in the evening, although she knew it had done them both good to let their hair down a bit. Then she slept but there was a dark figure stalking her dreams, gave her a nightmare."
"Sounds like you were having a bit of a nightmare yourself," commented Jack. The Doctor nodded and Jack moved closer, pulling the Time Lord into a hug. He ran a hand down the Doctor's back, trying to get him to relax. "Don't think about it," he said.
"Perhaps you can give me something else to think about then?"
Jack glanced at the Doctor in surprise. Despite the fact they were still sharing a bed, they hadn't been having sex. Jack hadn't wanted the Doctor to feel that he was trying to take Martha's place, so he'd left it up to the Time Lord to make the first move if he wanted more. "Seriously?" he asked.
"Yes please."
Jack rolled out of bed and padded over to the chair where his clothes were piled, then moved back to the bed carrying a small bottle.
* * * * * *
Martha was dreaming she was back in the coral labyrinth of the TARDIS' nightmare; she'd dreamt about it a couple of times since she'd got back home and found it comforting in a way, as it reminded her of the TARDIS, the Doctor and Jack. This time though, she felt less comforted - she had the feeling that she was being watched or followed, which made her feel tense. There was also an almost unbearable pressure in her head and eventually she stopped walking to lean against the wall, rubbing her forehead in the hope of soothing the ache.
The next moment a voice whispered out of the darkness: "You thought you'd beaten me little girl, but you were wrong. I always come back."
Martha swallowed a yelp of surprise and looked around cautiously. She couldn't see anyone, but the voice had sounded very close. She straightened up carefully and moved cautiously towards the heart of the labyrinth. As she moved a dark figure shadowed her unseen until she turned a corner and glanced back the way she'd come. The dark figure immediately stepped aside, but not quickly enough; Martha had spent a year watching for trouble, watching her own back as she'd travelled and she hadn't yet lost the skills that had kept her alive as others died. She stopped as soon as she turned the corner and pressed herself back against the labyrinth wall, breathing slowly and quietly, listening hard. After a minute or so she heard footfalls approaching softly - but not softly enough. She wondered for a moment if she could make a run for it, then decided she couldn't.
The next moment the figure stepped around the corner and she dived at it, the advantage of surprise outweighing her slender build. It was only a temporary advantage, however - the dark figure was stronger and stockier than her and as they wrestled with each other, Martha found the pressure in her head building to a greater pitch than before, felt her body weakening under the onslaught. As the figure got her pinned face-down on the ground, the pressure peaked and Martha felt as if her head was exploding, then everything went black.
* * * * * *
The Doctor jerked away with an oath, startling Jack awake too.
"Doc, what is it?"
"Martha," he answered tersely, quickly getting up and dressing. Jack scrambled from the bed and into his own clothes, wincing slightly as certain sore muscles complained. He rushed after the Doctor who was already on his way to the Control Room, and was setting the controls as Jack hurried in.
"Were you dreaming of her again?"
The Doctor nodded, concentrating on his task. He ran a hand down the console. Come on old girl, I know you know Martha's in trouble, so let's get this spot on, please? The TARDIS hummed to him as the engines wheezed into life and the Doctor suddenly realised that it had been his ship who'd alerted him to the danger to Martha via the dream. He felt the tiniest flare of jealousy at the knowledge the TARDIS could sense Martha when he could not, then cursed himself for being irrational. He loved Martha and the TARDIS almost equally, his ship only had more of his love for having been in his life longer than his human Companion; it was ridiculous to feel jealous of their connection.
"Do we know what the trouble is?" Jack asked, breaking the Doctor out of his reverie.
"It seems to be a telepathic attack. When Martha healed the TARDIS, she unintentionally opened her mind to a lot of things, and something or someone has found a way in." He looked over at Jack and saw him blanch with horror.
"Is she gonna be alright?" Jack asked urgently.
"Yes, we'll get there shortly after the attack happened." The Doctor shoved any doubts about that to the back of his mind.
Moments later the TARDIS landed and the two friends let themselves out to find they were on a public landing somewhere.
"Where are we?" asked Jack.
"Martha's residency. The attack happened about ten minutes ago, I think."
Jack nodded and followed the Doctor along the corridor as the Time Lord set off unerringly. The Doctor knocked softly on a door, then opened it and Jack followed him in. They found Tish and Francine inside, to their surprise. Both women looked up, and registered their own surprise at seeing Jack and the Doctor, not the expected paramedics. The Doctor stopped dead as Francine hurried from Martha's bedside.
"Thank God you've arrived! You'll help Martha, won't you?" she asked, clutching at his arm. "We thought the paramedics would be here by now. Her friend Julia thinks she's had a stroke."
The Doctor took hold of Francine's clutching hand and squeezed it gently. "It's not a stroke Mrs Jones, and yes, I'll help her." He turned to Jack. "Don't let the paramedics disturb us." He pulled out his wallet with the psychic paper in it. "Show them this, convince them not to interfere."
Jack nodded and accepted the wallet as Tish approached, unshed tears shining in her dark eyes. Jack put an arm around her, then held out a hand to Francine as the Doctor moved to Martha's bedside.
The Time Lord sat down, focusing all his attention on the slender young woman whose face was twisted in pain. He placed his hands on her cheeks, resting his fingertips at her temples and closed his eyes, before reaching into Martha's mind.
Looking around he was surprised to see he was in the coral labyrinth that the TARDIS had used to represent her psyche to Martha when she'd been having that nightmare about the Master. He frowned in puzzlement, then moved off stealthily, listening for any signs of Martha.
After a while he heard the sound of a voice: whomever it belonged to was taunting someone, their tone a gleeful gloat that seemed horribly familiar to the Doctor. He spotted a junction in the labyrinth and stopped before he rounded the corner, leaning forward as far as he could without being seen, and listened intently.
"Stupid little girl, you thought you were so clever, such a hero, walking the world, preaching the Gospel of the Doctor. You laughed in my face and thought you'd beaten me, but you didn't. I always come back - I can't be destroyed. Your precious Doctor has tried so many times, but I survived - it's what I do."
The Doctor's face grew stern and grave as he listened. This might sound like the Master, but it couldn't be, not in Martha's head. The psychic echo of the Master that had been in the TARDIS' nightmare was a result of the Master's interaction with her, but he'd had no psychic interaction with Martha. He eased a little further towards the corner of the labyrinth and peered slowly and cautiously around it to see Martha chained and gagged against the wall ahead, a dark figure standing in front of her with its back to him.
The Doctor stepped back again, then pulled out his Sonic Screwdriver, before stepping around the corner. "Let her go," he commanded.
The dark figure whirled around. "I've been waiting for you to show up, Doctor."
"Who are you?"
"Who do you think I am?"
"I don't know. But I do know you're not the Master. He's gone - I burned him myself, then scattered his ashes amongst the stars."
"And do you really think that's enough to stop the Master?"
"I'm pretty certain it's enough to stop anyone," the Doctor responded. "So who are you?"
"I am Telepat," answered the figure. "Only myself and a handful of my people survived the Time War." The Doctor flinched momentarily. "It has taken us this long to recover our strength enough to travel amongst the stars. We have been seeking you, Time Lord, and we intend to destroy you, to make you pay for almost destroying us."
"How are you able to enter Martha's mind?"
The figure laughed. "Human minds are so primitive, as you know, Doctor. Though we are few, our Hive Mind is strong - entering her mind was easy, especially since your recent contact with it had increased its openness to telepathic contact. And we knew that once we entered her mind, *you* would not hesitate to come running. You're so sentimentally attached to this primitive species."
The Doctor looked over at Martha, eyes full of apology. He saw only love and trust in her eyes and wished he was worthy of either one. "Let Martha go and I will help you in any way I can."
Telepat snorted. "*We* do not need your help, only your destruction - and now you're in her mind, we shall have no difficulty in destroying you."
"Why did you pretend to be the Master?"
"To weaken her with fear, of course."
"Given Martha had already defeated the Master once, that was a pretty stupid move, don't you think?" asked the Doctor as he subtly adjusted the settings on the Sonic, his hand hidden from Telepat's sight by the folds of his coat.
Telepat shrugged. "We thought it would frighten her to believe he had come back despite her actions."
"You're not very bright, are you?" asked the Doctor with a derisive snort. "Let Martha go and I'll be merciful."
"You don't know how to be merciful Doctor, you destroy everyone who opposes you." Telepat answered, then writhed in agony as the Doctor aimed the Sonic at the alien. "Ahhh!" he cried out in pain as another consciousness entered Martha's mind, a powerful and ancient consciousness that protected her own.
The Doctor dropped his arm in surprise, recognising the TARDIS' intervention. Telepat collapsed to the ground, clutching his head and writhing in agony, shrinking in on himself until he disappeared with a small pop. Martha's eyes were wide with astonishment as the Doctor freed her, then pulled her into a hug.
"Let's get out of here," he suggested.
She nodded and moments later she opened her eyes to see the Doctor's gaze on her, a look of profound relief on his face. Mindful of Francine and Tish standing only a short distance away, he made do with kissing her forehead, before moving aside for the three women to hug one another. He staggered slightly as he stepped away from the bed and Jack immediately slid an arm around his friend's waist.
"Steady now."
The Doctor rubbed a hand over his eyes wearily, feeling more tired than he'd expected. "How long?" he asked.
"More than an hour," Jack answered. "I sent the paramedics away with the story that it was a false alarm and since there's been a massive pile up on the M25, they believed me."
"Oh." The Doctor let Jack guide him to a chair and sat down heavily, watching as Jack greeted Martha, then gently persuaded Tish and Francine that Martha would be OK once she'd had some rest.
"We'll keep an eye on her," he promised, and the two women allowed him to guide them out after Martha promised to call them later. Jack moved back to the Doctor's side. "I'll be outside if you need me," he said softly.
The Doctor nodded, then pulled himself up and moved back to Martha's bedside. He sat on the edge of the bed and took her left hand in both of his.
"Thank you," she said quietly.
He bent and kissed her knuckles. "You're welcome."
"You should get some rest too," she said after a moment, and moved towards the middle of the bed.
He gave her a grateful look, pulled off his Converse and jacket, then lay down beside her, spooning up against her back. "We'll need to talk later," he murmured.
"I know. Sleep first."
"OK."
Within minutes they were both sleeping soundly, watched over, though they didn't know it, by the TARDIS.
Author: Persiflage_1
Characters/Pairings: Ten/Martha/Jack, TARDIS
Rating: NC-17
Spoilers: The Last of the Time Lords.
Summary: Martha returns to her family temporarily but soon finds herself in danger.
Disclaimer: The BBC owns "Doctor Who" and all that jazz…
Author Notes: This is the much-demanded sequel to my earlier fic Nightmares, which was expanded from a Drabble for padawanpooh. Oh and in case anybody wonders, yes I am aware of the change in tense part way through the story - that's deliberate...
~~~~~~
After some of the most intense love-making he's ever enjoyed, the Doctor slides out of Martha's bed, leaving his two Companions curled up asleep together, and dresses quietly. Back in the Control Room, he leans a hip against the console and reaches up to run a slender-fingered hand down the central column of the Time Rotor. He can feel that his ship is far healthier than she was a few hours ago, and he's delighted, really he is, but he's also feeling a tiny sliver of jealousy, because she allowed Martha to help her, not him. He knows it's irrational, especially given the fact that it's Martha who's making the third in his relationship with the TARDIS, and there are few people he'd trust more not to harm the old girl, but that little knot of jealousy is there in his heart.
The TARDIS knows it's there - she knows everything about him because there's no way for him to hide anything from her, and he senses that she finds his jealousy absurd. Her bond with Martha is a strong one, but she knows it's only temporary, because Martha will die one day - and compared to TARDISes and Time Lords, a human's lifespan is a brief spark - but whilst Martha lives, she has a hold on the TARDIS and the TARDIS has a hold on her too.
Besides jealousy, the Doctor is also feeling hurt that the TARDIS shut him out whilst Martha was caught in his ship's nightmare. He wants to know why she wouldn't let him help. The answer he gets leaves him pensive and he settles on the Captain's chair, feet up on the console, in a thoughtful frame of mind. He's always known, since the first meeting between him and the Master after he borrowed the TARDIS and ran away that the Master coveted his ship. And he's hurt her in the past, opening up the Eye of Harmony and trying to destroy the Earth as well as his enemy. But what he did this time, turning her into a Paradox Machine, is much worse - something akin to rape in human terms, so the TARDIS reached out to Martha Jones, a woman who's nearly a doctor and who intuitively understood the Master's violation, without either one of them thinking of it in precisely those terms.
The TARDIS knows that if she had allowed the Doctor in, he would have gone after the Master, wanting to destroy that fragment of his psyche that he'd left buried in the TARDIS purely for the sake of hurting her, and through her, the Doctor. But whilst Martha Jones has earned herself Warrior status now, she is still, first and foremost, a Healer, so she did the most important thing first, rooting out the Master's poison thereby allowing the TARDIS to deal with her enemy herself.
He's still digesting this when Martha herself walks into the Control Room, dressed in her usual jeans and vest top. "Doctor?"
"Hello. Just came to see how the old girl's doing."
She nods and looks at him uncertainly so he gestures for her to come and sit with him. She sits on the edge of the Captain's chair, her eyes on her feet and he's suddenly reminded of her sitting here once before, after their trip to New New York. She seems almost as tense and nervous now as she was then, and he wonders why. "What will you do after we get the TARDIS fixed?"
"I shall go back to travelling the Universe, same as before." She nods and he has a sudden premonition that she's not going to come with him, and he feels his stomach clench into a tense knot. Surely she won't leave him now, after all they've been through, after he's given himself to her in the most intimate way possible, bar one?
"I'm going back home."
He swallows. "You are?" he asked hoarsely.
She turns to look at him now. "I have to," she says, her gaze fierce with determination. "I need to be with my family for a bit - help them get through this. And I need to take my exams. I've worked long and hard to qualify as a doctor - I don't want all that work to be for nothing. One of the things I learnt in walking the world for you is the value of my skills. I saved a lot of lives during that year, but there were some people I couldn't save. Just because you brought them back to life again by rewinding time, doesn't mean that losing them doesn't hurt. *I* experienced that, even if no one else did - and I don't like losing people."
The Doctor slides his hand into hers and squeezes her fingers. "I understand," he says.
"But I'll be coming back," she says firmly. "You don't get rid of me that easily Mister."
He smiles. "I'm glad to hear it - and I know the TARDIS will be glad too." He squeezes her fingers again. "I don't want to get rid of you."
"Good." She returns the pressure of his fingers, then gets up. "I don't know about you, but I'm hungry. I've burnt up rather a lot of energy recently."
He grins and stands up too. "Indeed you have Miss Jones." He offers her his arm and she takes it as they head to the kitchen.
Once there, they prepare some food, but it's a slow process because the Doctor keeps stopping to touch and kiss Martha. They're in the middle of a long slow kiss when Jack wanders in and he leans against the doorframe to watch them appreciatively.
"Is this a private party or can I join in?" he asks teasingly.
Martha pulls her mouth from the Doctor's. "Jack, join us," she says warmly before the Doctor's mouth captures hers again. Then Jack's at her back, kissing below her ear, the nape of her neck and her bare shoulders as his fingers twine in the spaghetti straps of her top before skimming down her sides.
When the oven timer goes off it startles them all and they pull apart reluctantly, hungry for other things besides food. Over pizza and salad Martha tells Jack of her decision to temporarily leave the Doctor and he nods his understanding.
"You're gonna ace your exams, sweetheart, I know it." He laces his fingers through hers and smiled proudly at her.
"What about you? Are you staying?" she asks, worried about the Doctor being on his own after losing the Master.
Jack nods. "The old man can't get rid of me that easily," he says, clapping the Doctor on the shoulder.
"What about your team?" asks the Doctor, and Martha can hear hope warring with fear in his voice.
"Hey, time machine remember? You can get me back to them within a few hours of the President's assassination and they'll be none the wiser. Then you can pop forward and pick up Martha."
"OK." He tries to affect a casual air, but neither of his Companions is fooled. They both know he's relieved that he's not going to be left on his own just yet.
After they finish eating they go back to the Control Room to resume work on the TARDIS, and over the days that follow they develop a pattern of working for several hours, eating, then sleeping for a few hours, although the Doctor never sleeps as long as his Companions. Their sleep periods are spent together, although they use the Doctor's room since his bed is the biggest - which both Jack and Martha find amusing. Sometimes they simply sleep together, Martha in the middle always - which she appreciates after a year alone. Sometimes they talk, with both Jack and the Doctor encouraging Martha to talk about her experiences walking the world. Initially she's reluctant - it's painful to remember and she'd prefer to forget as far as that's possible - but the two of them persistently ask gentle questions and gradually it becomes a little easier to talk. After they've talked, they make love, taking it in turns to be with Martha. They're tender and gentle with her, but passionate too, and to her it feels as if they're trying to thank her for saving the Earth and them.
Finally their work on the TARDIS is complete and she is restored to her usual self. The Doctor seems pleased but a little forlorn and Martha crosses the Control Room to his side, circling his slender waist with her arms and he silently wraps his arms around her, his chin resting on the top of her head. After a while she tilts her head back and looks up at his still face.
"Come to bed," she says and he knows that she doesn't want to sleep. He nods and she looks over her shoulder. "Jack?"
He shakes his head. "You two go ahead. I'm going for a swim." She looks at him questioningly but he nods towards the archway that leads to the rest of the ship, so Martha leads the Doctor away.
In his room he sits on the bed and looks at her unhappily and she feels a little guilty. She understands his loneliness, but he won't be alone - Jack will be with him until she's ready for him to pick her up, which will be a matter of three months, at the most for her and no time at all for him.
She pulls off her boots and socks, and the Doctor gets up. "May I?" he asks and, at her nod, he undresses her. When he's finished, he studies her for several minutes, as if trying to memorise her. "Beautiful," he breathes, before quickly stripping off his own clothes. He gestures for her to lie down and she does, then he climbs onto the bed and slides inside her immediately. She's surprised as he normally likes to indulge in a lot of foreplay, sometimes driving her mad with his prolonged teasing.
He sees the surprise and hurt in her face, and realises he should have explained what he wanted to do before beginning. "Martha Jones, I want to try something new, if you're willing?"
She looks at him with curiosity, wondering what he has in mind. "OK."
He puts a hand up to her temple and says softly, "My people used telepathy to enhance their love making." Martha's eyes widen in surprise, "Close your eyes," he whispers and she does, then he closes his eyes and concentrates, then Martha can feel his body as if it's her own and she gasps a little in surprise and shock, but he senses she's pleased as well. She shifts her body experimentally and feels his reaction to the movement.
Steady now, the Doctor tells her softly. Don't rush. We've got plenty of time.
She stills instantly and waits hesitantly until the Doctor leans forward and kisses her: the longest, slowest and most tender kiss they've ever shared. Oh Martha Jones, he says softly, You're much too good for me.
Hush. She kisses him back. We've been through this before. Don't talk, just feel.
So he gives himself over to feeling and desire, and their love-making is the most intense they've ever shared where even the smallest movement and the gentlest touch is magnified through the telepathic link they share.
Throughout it all, Martha's aware of the TARDIS at the back of her mind, but this is a new level of awareness and she guesses that it's the result of the Doctor's link to the TARDIS being open to her. She can sense the TARDIS' love for her Time Lord Companion, the one who rescued her from the loneliness on Gallifrey, and she feels dwarfed for a moment, in a way that she's never felt dwarfed by the Doctor. The ship caresses her mind - a soft, gentle touch that's full of warmth and love - and Martha's orgasm surges through her causing her to cry out wordlessly.
When she can focus again, the Doctor's running a hand up and down her arm. "OK?" he asks.
She nods. "That was - wow!" She tries to find words for what she felt, then realises she doesn't need to because he felt it through their link. "Fantastic," she says finally and he grins at her suddenly.
"I'm going to miss you, Martha Jones, and I'm not the only one."
"I know, I'll miss you too, you and the TARDIS, but I've got to do this."
"I know," he assures her. "I do know." He pulls her into a hug and kisses her hair. They lie there together for a while in a companionable silence, until the Doctor pulls away. "Come on, let's get you home."
They dress and he leaves her to pack up her things whilst he takes the TARDIS to her parents' house since her own flat was blown up by the Master. Just as she's finishing, Jack knocks on the open door, then comes in.
"Hey," he says softly.
Martha lifts a tear-stained face to look up at him and he's at her side instantly, wrapping her in a hug. "Sorry," she says with a sniff.
"Don't be. He'll be OK, I promise. I'll look after him."
"I know you will," she answers. "It's just hard, after spending a year away from him - and with the way things have changed between us - There was a time when I thought he didn't see me, when I thought I'd always be second best - " She broke off a second time.
"You saved the world. You're good, one of the best. And he knows it." Jack assures her. "He loves you Martha. He may not say it, but actions speak louder than words, yeah?"
"Yeah." She rubbed her eyes, then smiled up at Jack. "Thanks."
"You're welcome. And don't forget, I love you too."
She kissed him briefly. "I know, and I love you too." They picked up Martha's bag between them. "I'm luckier than most women," she observed. "I get to travel through Time and Space with two gorgeous men."
Jack chuckled. "That's the spirit!"
Two and a half months later
Martha rubbed eyes gritty from a lack of sleep and wished the heavy feeling in her head would go away. It wasn't a headache, just a feeling of pressure on top of her head, as if a thunderstorm was about, though none was forecast.
She sighed, wishing, not for the first time, that the Doctor was around to give her some TLC. She'd passed her exams - with distinction - and was now coming to the end of her three months training in medicine. It was supposed to be followed by three months surgical training and she wondered whether the Doctor would be willing to bring her back in time to do that once she'd had another spell of travelling with him. She knew she was unlikely to spend the rest of her life travelling with him, so it made sense to ensure that she was fully qualified and eligible for full registration with the GMC once she permanently returned to Earth.
She rubbed her eyes again and turned her attention back to her books. She knew she should go to bed or she wouldn't be at her best tomorrow, but she felt obliged to make up at least a little for going out with Tish earlier; sometimes she cursed her strong work ethic.
Half an hour later she admitted defeat and hurried herself into bed, squinting at the clock: 12:30. She should manage six hours before her alarm went off.
* * * * * *
The Doctor was sleeping restlessly. Since Martha had left Jack had noticed him sleeping even less than before and Jack wasn't sure whether he should worry about it or not - he had no idea what the Doctor's normal sleep patterns were, he just knew that whilst Martha had been with them, the Doctor had been sleeping for roughly four hours, but now he barely seemed to manage two hours. Fortunately he seemed happy to leave Jack to sleep for a few more hours, rather than insisting his friend also got up, otherwise Jack wouldn't have been able to function properly. Since they'd dropped Martha off, the two of them had been racketing about non-stop, bouncing from planet to planet and time-period to time-period, with barely a pause for breath. Jack understood the Doctor's restlessness, but he wished the Doctor would slow down a little now and then. And even asleep, the Doctor was restless; he'd woken Jack up ten minutes ago, tossing and turning, and finally Jack decided to wake him up. He reached out and shook the Doctor's shoulder. "Doc?"
A pair of brown eyes regarded him blearily. "Jack? Surely you're not ready to go again?" he asked, voice husky with sleep.
Jack chuckled softly. "No, but you were so damn restless, you woke me up. "What were you dreaming about?"
"Martha." The Doctor rolled onto his side to look at Jack, brushing his wayward hair from his eyes.
Jack's expression softened. "Not long now until we go and pick her up."
"Two weeks, one day and five hours," answered the Time Lord promptly.
Jack wasn't the slightest bit surprised that the Doctor knew the exact amount of time left. He did wonder if Martha was also counting the days and hours. "So what was the dream about? I'm guessing it wasn't a good one."
The Doctor rubbed a slender-fingered hand over his face. "At first she was studying and feeling guilty because she and Tish had gone out for a few hours earlier in the evening, although she knew it had done them both good to let their hair down a bit. Then she slept but there was a dark figure stalking her dreams, gave her a nightmare."
"Sounds like you were having a bit of a nightmare yourself," commented Jack. The Doctor nodded and Jack moved closer, pulling the Time Lord into a hug. He ran a hand down the Doctor's back, trying to get him to relax. "Don't think about it," he said.
"Perhaps you can give me something else to think about then?"
Jack glanced at the Doctor in surprise. Despite the fact they were still sharing a bed, they hadn't been having sex. Jack hadn't wanted the Doctor to feel that he was trying to take Martha's place, so he'd left it up to the Time Lord to make the first move if he wanted more. "Seriously?" he asked.
"Yes please."
Jack rolled out of bed and padded over to the chair where his clothes were piled, then moved back to the bed carrying a small bottle.
* * * * * *
Martha was dreaming she was back in the coral labyrinth of the TARDIS' nightmare; she'd dreamt about it a couple of times since she'd got back home and found it comforting in a way, as it reminded her of the TARDIS, the Doctor and Jack. This time though, she felt less comforted - she had the feeling that she was being watched or followed, which made her feel tense. There was also an almost unbearable pressure in her head and eventually she stopped walking to lean against the wall, rubbing her forehead in the hope of soothing the ache.
The next moment a voice whispered out of the darkness: "You thought you'd beaten me little girl, but you were wrong. I always come back."
Martha swallowed a yelp of surprise and looked around cautiously. She couldn't see anyone, but the voice had sounded very close. She straightened up carefully and moved cautiously towards the heart of the labyrinth. As she moved a dark figure shadowed her unseen until she turned a corner and glanced back the way she'd come. The dark figure immediately stepped aside, but not quickly enough; Martha had spent a year watching for trouble, watching her own back as she'd travelled and she hadn't yet lost the skills that had kept her alive as others died. She stopped as soon as she turned the corner and pressed herself back against the labyrinth wall, breathing slowly and quietly, listening hard. After a minute or so she heard footfalls approaching softly - but not softly enough. She wondered for a moment if she could make a run for it, then decided she couldn't.
The next moment the figure stepped around the corner and she dived at it, the advantage of surprise outweighing her slender build. It was only a temporary advantage, however - the dark figure was stronger and stockier than her and as they wrestled with each other, Martha found the pressure in her head building to a greater pitch than before, felt her body weakening under the onslaught. As the figure got her pinned face-down on the ground, the pressure peaked and Martha felt as if her head was exploding, then everything went black.
* * * * * *
The Doctor jerked away with an oath, startling Jack awake too.
"Doc, what is it?"
"Martha," he answered tersely, quickly getting up and dressing. Jack scrambled from the bed and into his own clothes, wincing slightly as certain sore muscles complained. He rushed after the Doctor who was already on his way to the Control Room, and was setting the controls as Jack hurried in.
"Were you dreaming of her again?"
The Doctor nodded, concentrating on his task. He ran a hand down the console. Come on old girl, I know you know Martha's in trouble, so let's get this spot on, please? The TARDIS hummed to him as the engines wheezed into life and the Doctor suddenly realised that it had been his ship who'd alerted him to the danger to Martha via the dream. He felt the tiniest flare of jealousy at the knowledge the TARDIS could sense Martha when he could not, then cursed himself for being irrational. He loved Martha and the TARDIS almost equally, his ship only had more of his love for having been in his life longer than his human Companion; it was ridiculous to feel jealous of their connection.
"Do we know what the trouble is?" Jack asked, breaking the Doctor out of his reverie.
"It seems to be a telepathic attack. When Martha healed the TARDIS, she unintentionally opened her mind to a lot of things, and something or someone has found a way in." He looked over at Jack and saw him blanch with horror.
"Is she gonna be alright?" Jack asked urgently.
"Yes, we'll get there shortly after the attack happened." The Doctor shoved any doubts about that to the back of his mind.
Moments later the TARDIS landed and the two friends let themselves out to find they were on a public landing somewhere.
"Where are we?" asked Jack.
"Martha's residency. The attack happened about ten minutes ago, I think."
Jack nodded and followed the Doctor along the corridor as the Time Lord set off unerringly. The Doctor knocked softly on a door, then opened it and Jack followed him in. They found Tish and Francine inside, to their surprise. Both women looked up, and registered their own surprise at seeing Jack and the Doctor, not the expected paramedics. The Doctor stopped dead as Francine hurried from Martha's bedside.
"Thank God you've arrived! You'll help Martha, won't you?" she asked, clutching at his arm. "We thought the paramedics would be here by now. Her friend Julia thinks she's had a stroke."
The Doctor took hold of Francine's clutching hand and squeezed it gently. "It's not a stroke Mrs Jones, and yes, I'll help her." He turned to Jack. "Don't let the paramedics disturb us." He pulled out his wallet with the psychic paper in it. "Show them this, convince them not to interfere."
Jack nodded and accepted the wallet as Tish approached, unshed tears shining in her dark eyes. Jack put an arm around her, then held out a hand to Francine as the Doctor moved to Martha's bedside.
The Time Lord sat down, focusing all his attention on the slender young woman whose face was twisted in pain. He placed his hands on her cheeks, resting his fingertips at her temples and closed his eyes, before reaching into Martha's mind.
Looking around he was surprised to see he was in the coral labyrinth that the TARDIS had used to represent her psyche to Martha when she'd been having that nightmare about the Master. He frowned in puzzlement, then moved off stealthily, listening for any signs of Martha.
After a while he heard the sound of a voice: whomever it belonged to was taunting someone, their tone a gleeful gloat that seemed horribly familiar to the Doctor. He spotted a junction in the labyrinth and stopped before he rounded the corner, leaning forward as far as he could without being seen, and listened intently.
"Stupid little girl, you thought you were so clever, such a hero, walking the world, preaching the Gospel of the Doctor. You laughed in my face and thought you'd beaten me, but you didn't. I always come back - I can't be destroyed. Your precious Doctor has tried so many times, but I survived - it's what I do."
The Doctor's face grew stern and grave as he listened. This might sound like the Master, but it couldn't be, not in Martha's head. The psychic echo of the Master that had been in the TARDIS' nightmare was a result of the Master's interaction with her, but he'd had no psychic interaction with Martha. He eased a little further towards the corner of the labyrinth and peered slowly and cautiously around it to see Martha chained and gagged against the wall ahead, a dark figure standing in front of her with its back to him.
The Doctor stepped back again, then pulled out his Sonic Screwdriver, before stepping around the corner. "Let her go," he commanded.
The dark figure whirled around. "I've been waiting for you to show up, Doctor."
"Who are you?"
"Who do you think I am?"
"I don't know. But I do know you're not the Master. He's gone - I burned him myself, then scattered his ashes amongst the stars."
"And do you really think that's enough to stop the Master?"
"I'm pretty certain it's enough to stop anyone," the Doctor responded. "So who are you?"
"I am Telepat," answered the figure. "Only myself and a handful of my people survived the Time War." The Doctor flinched momentarily. "It has taken us this long to recover our strength enough to travel amongst the stars. We have been seeking you, Time Lord, and we intend to destroy you, to make you pay for almost destroying us."
"How are you able to enter Martha's mind?"
The figure laughed. "Human minds are so primitive, as you know, Doctor. Though we are few, our Hive Mind is strong - entering her mind was easy, especially since your recent contact with it had increased its openness to telepathic contact. And we knew that once we entered her mind, *you* would not hesitate to come running. You're so sentimentally attached to this primitive species."
The Doctor looked over at Martha, eyes full of apology. He saw only love and trust in her eyes and wished he was worthy of either one. "Let Martha go and I will help you in any way I can."
Telepat snorted. "*We* do not need your help, only your destruction - and now you're in her mind, we shall have no difficulty in destroying you."
"Why did you pretend to be the Master?"
"To weaken her with fear, of course."
"Given Martha had already defeated the Master once, that was a pretty stupid move, don't you think?" asked the Doctor as he subtly adjusted the settings on the Sonic, his hand hidden from Telepat's sight by the folds of his coat.
Telepat shrugged. "We thought it would frighten her to believe he had come back despite her actions."
"You're not very bright, are you?" asked the Doctor with a derisive snort. "Let Martha go and I'll be merciful."
"You don't know how to be merciful Doctor, you destroy everyone who opposes you." Telepat answered, then writhed in agony as the Doctor aimed the Sonic at the alien. "Ahhh!" he cried out in pain as another consciousness entered Martha's mind, a powerful and ancient consciousness that protected her own.
The Doctor dropped his arm in surprise, recognising the TARDIS' intervention. Telepat collapsed to the ground, clutching his head and writhing in agony, shrinking in on himself until he disappeared with a small pop. Martha's eyes were wide with astonishment as the Doctor freed her, then pulled her into a hug.
"Let's get out of here," he suggested.
She nodded and moments later she opened her eyes to see the Doctor's gaze on her, a look of profound relief on his face. Mindful of Francine and Tish standing only a short distance away, he made do with kissing her forehead, before moving aside for the three women to hug one another. He staggered slightly as he stepped away from the bed and Jack immediately slid an arm around his friend's waist.
"Steady now."
The Doctor rubbed a hand over his eyes wearily, feeling more tired than he'd expected. "How long?" he asked.
"More than an hour," Jack answered. "I sent the paramedics away with the story that it was a false alarm and since there's been a massive pile up on the M25, they believed me."
"Oh." The Doctor let Jack guide him to a chair and sat down heavily, watching as Jack greeted Martha, then gently persuaded Tish and Francine that Martha would be OK once she'd had some rest.
"We'll keep an eye on her," he promised, and the two women allowed him to guide them out after Martha promised to call them later. Jack moved back to the Doctor's side. "I'll be outside if you need me," he said softly.
The Doctor nodded, then pulled himself up and moved back to Martha's bedside. He sat on the edge of the bed and took her left hand in both of his.
"Thank you," she said quietly.
He bent and kissed her knuckles. "You're welcome."
"You should get some rest too," she said after a moment, and moved towards the middle of the bed.
He gave her a grateful look, pulled off his Converse and jacket, then lay down beside her, spooning up against her back. "We'll need to talk later," he murmured.
"I know. Sleep first."
"OK."
Within minutes they were both sleeping soundly, watched over, though they didn't know it, by the TARDIS.