Shiny Rings & Other Things (Doctor Who fanfic)
(08.07.09 - reposted from ff.net)
AN: Martha/Ten with some Donna/Jack. Martha Jones isn’t really engaged. And the Doctor really is irritated because he thinks she is. And Donna Noble isn’t fooled. At All.
Disclaimer: Doctor Who isn't mine. (At All.)
Spoilers for: The Sontaran Stratagem, The Poison Sky, The Doctor's Daughter, & The Unicorn and the Wasp
Shiny Rings and Other Things
…Part I…
Martha Jones isn’t engaged. Yes-she’s in love. Yes-she called up the doctor she thought she could like. It didn’t work out. She’s tried getting over, forgetting, and hating the Doctor.
Pathetic, she thinks. And she hates it, because the one thing Martha Jones has never been is pathetic. So she doesn’t call him until she has to.
The ring is easy enough to come by, the story simple and ironic enough to pass inspection, but that moment? When the TARDIS makes it’s grand entrance and he steps out and she sees him? That’s maybe the hardest thing she’s ever done. But she does it. And when he grins and she grins and he hugs her so very tight she thinks it might kill her? Best not to talk about that.
Meeting Donna is painful, but she calls it therapeutic, and it doesn’t hurt that Donna is fantastic and interested and points out her engagement ring to the Doctor so that she doesn’t have to. And with Donna there are no awkward moments. No unnecessary pauses or tensions. And, of course, being kidnapped and cloned and held captive strapped to some…thing…means that she isn’t around the Doctor all that much and who knows? Maybe that wound will eventually get the chance to scab over.
Martha Jones isn’t engaged but she takes her fake engagement ring off her dead-clone (who luckily hadn’t mentioned the whole deception-thing) because with it on it’s easier to stop herself from hugging him thanks-for-saving-my-life-again-please-kiss-me. And it’s easier to ignore that of all things wearing his jacket-the smell, the touch-could, given different circumstances, be a real turn-on. Most of all the ring is making her focus on the fact that traveling off with the Doctor could leave real-Martha just like clone-Martha. Dead.
Martha Jones isn’t engaged but she’s doing a decent job of pretending. Watching him go up onto that ship is hard but seeing him come back hurts, too, in that man-that-I-love-that-will-never-be-mine way. Man-that-I-love-sacrificing-himself hurts mostly, though, and it’s a show she’s getting tired of seeing. Yet another reason to get off the boat.
Martha Jones isn’t engaged and maybe she won’t ever be and maybe-if she’s lucky/unlucky-she won’t ever see the Doctor again and won’t ever have to explain her nonexistent-fiancée. That would, of course, be the exact moment the TARDIS doors slam.
The Doctor lied when he said he couldn’t stop the TARDIS. Some sort of combination of that far-too-shiny ring and the notion that Martha Jones was leaving once again just distracted him, of course. He would never kidnap someone-especially not a friend. Especially not Martha Jones.
(That’s a blatant lie. Or would be if the Doctor lied. He doesn’t. Especially not to himself. Especially not about Martha Jones. Really.)
Really, though. That ring is far too bright. Far too distracting. Ought to be illegal. That ring-that’s why he’s worried about Martha Jones when they’re separated. Because logically-logically he knows she can probably take care of herself. She did fine during that year that never was. But that ring? Too bright-too shiny. Who knows what it will attract? How it’s bright, shiny surface will distract her at a critical moment? That ring will get her into trouble. He knows she can take care of herself-he’s only worried about that.
The Doctor lied when he said he was only worried about her because of that ring. People are dying and fully-formed children are popping out of the ground and of course he’s worried about her. He’d be worried about anyone. He’s worried about himself! He didn’t lie…persay. He just didn’t want to frighten Donna.
The Doctor really never lies. Especially not to himself. So he’s glad when he sees Martha Jones alive and well. Maybe even a little relieved. But he can say, with great confidence, that he is not contemplating giving her a hug that turns into a don’t-ever-disappear-on-me-again-why-do-you-look-so-sad-let-me-make-everything-better kiss. Because really. He’s never wanted to kiss Martha Jones. And he’d never lie about a thing like that.
Donna Noble isn’t fooled. Maybe Martha is engaged, maybe she’s not, but one woman to another she can tell she’s not over the Doctor. But she’s not about to call her out on it. Especially not after everything the Doctor has said on the subject. How he’d stress everything positive she’d ever done out of love for him. How he’d practically glowed. How he’d said over and over again that he couldn’t understand why she fell for him. Granted, he only talked about Martha when Donna brought her up. But oh no, Donna Noble isn’t fooled.
She’s thinking about complicated dance steps or well-thought out chess moves as she watches the two of them talk. How Martha Jones is trying so desperately to get away. How the Doctor is trying so obliviously to stop her. But the Doctor isn’t oblivious or stupid or completely insensitive or cruel, and that convinces her. Donna Noble isn’t fooled at all.
The TARDIS flying off into the night? Awfully convenient. Martha Jones always making sure not to be too close to the Doctor-no surprise she got separated. The sudden appearance of the Doctor’s brand-new daughter threw her for a loop, however. The anguish on the Doctor’s face and the raw pain on Martha’s as that shot fired and the girl fell did not. All the Doctor had to do was ask her to stay. All Martha had to do was not leave. But Martha Jones spun her ring and said her goodbyes, and the Doctor-for once-kept his mouth shut, and that was that. And Donna Noble could have kept silent, but she likes Martha and had seen the Doctor struggle with losing Rose, the only girl he’ll admit to losing, even as Martha says goodbye a second time. And the one thing Donna Noble has never been called is a fool.
Martha Jones isn’t engaged and maybe that’s why she’s crying when she starts to walk away from the TARDIS. And the Doctor is lying when he tells himself he doesn’t care. Luckily, Donna Noble has never minded a couple of lies now and again.
“I can’t believe she’s going back to him,” she sighs. The Doctor turns to look at her, frowning.
“What?” he demands. Not asks-there’s a subtle undercurrent of urgency. Definitely a demand. She turns to him and blinks-oh so innocent. Oh so surprised he’d heard.
“What? Oh-Martha. I can’t believe she’s going back to that man.”
“Why?” he asks, his voice turning as solid and heavy as stone. Donna frowns.
“What-after he…? Oh. Oh. She didn’t tell you, did she? Well…that’s just awkward, isn’t it? Best forget about it, let’s be off, eh? Never mind what I said.” Martha, Donna reflects, might be good at pretending, but Donna Noble is a master.
“What happened?” the Doctor growls, moving until he is inches from her, suddenly dark and crackling and maybe, she thinks, just maybe, she is too good.
“It’s not my place to say,” she tells him, reasonably proud of not stuttering. Oncoming storm, indeed.
“Oh, come on, Donna Noble!” he says, suddenly bright and all cheery and smiles. “What’s a bit of harmless gossip among friends?”
Her mouth drops open and she takes a fairly large step back. “Oh, you did not just try to pull that on me! How dare you, Doctor! I’m not telling you anything now! Nothing! You want answers you go talk to her, Doctor! Now out of my face! What were you thinking?”
He looks immediately contrite, but also confused, and even vaguely worried. “Oh, hush,” he tells her at last. “Pish and posh on the likes of you! Completely harmless, y’know, just curious, won’t ever let me have fun, Donna-Noble-who-thinks-she-needs-to-be-my-mum!”
“I’m not bloody-well your mother!” Donna roars, and he just grins. Ever so cheekish, that one. “’Course you’re not! Couldn’t be! Well…it’d just take a rather lot of time bending and-and ooh, maybe it is possible!”
She throws the nearest thing at hand at his head. It happens to be her hat, and he puts it on jauntily and smirks as she crosses her arms in annoyance. “Off we go, Donna Noble! Where to? Where to? Off we go!”
…Part II…
Martha Jones isn’t engaged, so she isn’t at her fiancée’s place, and she and her fiancée aren’t out on the town, and she and her fiancée aren’t participating in acts of a sexual nature when the TARDIS appears in her bedroom. Next to her bed. At two o’clock in the morning. Thank god she hadn’t taken Brian up on his movie offer because this could have turned into a horrible debacle. If the Doctor and Donna having to climb onto her bed to get out of the TARDIS, chatting about Agatha Christie, while she was still blinking her eyes and trying to wake up isn’t quite awful enough. She's pretty sure it is.
Trust the Doctor to sprawl instead of step and curl up like a cat while telling Martha she ought to get a softer mattress.
“I like this mattress!” she snaps, tired and confused and pretending not to notice how adorable the Doctor looks.
“I like them softer,” the Doctor smirks, and Martha gets out of the bed like it’s just caught fire.
“I’m not changing mattresses on the rare occurrence that you fall onto my bed at 2AM!”
The Doctor is not taken by and does not only just manage to suppress the urge to tell Martha that it doesn’t have to be a rare occurrence-no, not at all. The Doctor would never think anything like that, and the Doctor never lies. Especially not to himself. Especially not about Martha Jones.
“The way he flies that thing it probably won’t be a rare occurrence at all,” Donna steps in, and Martha laughs with her, commiserating. “Sorry about the time and not calling ahead,” Donna continues. “Good thing we didn’t drop in on you and your fiancée-wouldn’t that have been awkward!”
“Oh, yes!” Martha answers a little too quickly, her laugh a little too forced.
The Doctor is silent as he looks for the too-shiny, too-bright ring that isn’t on Martha’s finger. “Did he hurt you?” he asks at last-his voice low and calm and his eyes burning with a barely-suppressed fury.
“What?” Martha asks, confused. “What?”
“Did what’s-his-name, your fiancée, did he hurt you?”
Martha is, of course, only confused because she has no idea why the Doctor thinks her imaginary-fiancée would have hurt her. The Doctor takes it as an incorrect guess.
“Did he cheat on you, then?” he asks, and Martha is more confused then ever but Donna Noble isn’t. Donna Noble isn’t fooled at all.
“None of your business, Doctor!” she cuts in. “You can’t go barging into people’s bedrooms in the middle of the night and throw personal questions at them!”
“What are you doing here, Doctor?” Martha asks, and her voice is hard with a soft undercurrent of confusion and fear.
“Martha Jones, what did he do to you? Where is your engagement ring? Why haven’t I gotten a wedding invitation? What did you tell Donna? Why did you leave me again?”
There is a very long, very awkward pause. Finally Donna Noble rolls her eyes. “Martha, pack a bag-you’re coming with. Doctor, pick a place. Without. Giant. Bees.”
"What?" they both ask, startled, turning to look at her. She places her hands firmly on her hips.
“Doctor, Martha isn’t engaged. Never was. Martha, the Doctor has been moping since last time you left and I’ve dealt with him moping quite enough, thank you very much. Now let’s get on that TARDIS and find me someone sexy! Plenty of room on her!”
The Doctor and Martha look at each other and then at Donna and then back to each other. “Jack,” they grin, and then burst out laughing.
“What?” Donna asks with a frown, which just makes them laugh harder.
“Finally I’ll get to surprise him,” the Doctor grins, and Martha rolls her eyes. Then she looks down.
“I shouldn’t-I can’t come. But have a brilliant time, alright? And give Jack my love.”
“Martha,” the Doctor says softly, getting off her bed and stepping entirely too close for her sanity. “Are you really not engaged?”
“I’m really not engaged,” she sighs.
“Where’s that shiny little ring, then?” he asks, and she looks up at him with a frown.
“What?”
“I want to destroy it,” he tells her, his smile just the smallest bit self-deprecating. And she looks away. Her eyes with just the smallest bit of hope.
“Doctor…”
“Oy, just kiss her, Spaceboy!” He doesn’t, because they’re not like that. But Martha isn’t engaged, and the Doctor would be lying if he said he wasn’t glad. And he never lies. Especially not to himself. Especially not about Martha Jones. At least, not anymore.
So he might not kiss her, but he does give her a really tight hug, the sort that says I’ve-really-missed-you-and-sometime-soon-I’m-going-to-kiss-you-and-won’t-that-be-brilliant? And Martha smiles back won’t-it-just!
And Donna Noble isn’t fooled. Not at all.
She is, however, quite impressed and quite pleased when she meets Jack.
Those shoulders? Lovely. That smile? High marks. Saving her from a giant mosquito (thank you, Doctor), getting his shirt ripped off, and then leaning over and kissing her?
Bloody. Brilliant.
Which is exactly what she tells Martha when she and the Doctor get back from “finding Martha a new shirt” after her old one was “ripped by a giant mosquito.” No, Donna Noble isn’t fooled at all. Especially not when she sees the shiny new ring Martha’s sporting and the way the Doctor looks at her.
Martha Jones isn’t engaged, but she has been claimed. And the Doctor would be lying if he said he wasn’t happy about that.
And Donna Noble? She’d say she wasn’t fooled. Not at all. Never had been. But she’s a bit busy. Jack is “making sure the giant mosquito didn’t hurt her.” He’s being very thorough. Very thorough.
It’s. Bloody. Brilliant.
Twice.
Finis