lodessa: lol (dr. who-martha-not enough)
[personal profile] lodessa
Title: In Place Of
Fandom: Dr. Who
Word Count: 976
Characters/Pairings: Martha/Jack (unrequited Jack/Ten and Martha/Ten)
Rating: PG-13/R
Set: Post New Who Season 3


Written for [livejournal.com profile] silver_fic who asked for Martha fic and loves Jack so.





"And so then he says: I've learned to stay away from hens. It's not pretty when they blow."

Then they laugh; because, it’s easier than the alternative.

It’s always like this: late nights when she should be studying (there’s no more TARDIS to turn back wasted hours), sometimes exciting adventure, inevitably more to drink than is probably prudent, and always ending up like this with them lying side by side recounting what it had been like.

Sometimes Martha wonders how far from the truth their memories have wandered.

He’s always Captain, though he hasn’t had a ship in over half a century, or longer depending on your perspective of time. Titles are soothing. Sometimes he calls her Doctor Jones and she lets him, half because he’s kidding and half because he isn’t. That’s a whole different species of little white lie.

“You know you really ought to think about joining us at Torchwood. We could certainly use your skills and you should be doing more than living life like nothing’s changed.”

Sometimes she sort of wants to say yes, but she’s been dreaming of being a doctor since she was a little girl and she doesn’t particularly think his colleagues like her terribly much. Besides, that would be giving up, whereas these nights they have are just a little bit of cheating, like chocolate cake snuck sometimes while on a diet.

“Tell me something, Jack. What would you do if I actually said yes one of these days?”

This is becoming all too comfortable and familiar. Martha’s pretty sure it is supposed to be like a nicotine gum. You reach for it instead of the cigarette, so when she finds herself holding that phone Martha calls Jack, and Jack calls Martha (she isn’t sure what his trigger is). She isn’t sure that this arrangement isn’t worse than actually making the call she longs to. It’s definitely easier though.

Jack’s aftershave is a bit stronger than she might like, but he’s warm and real when he leans over her. Her mother was right to be surprised when Martha showed up with the Doctor; before he showed up in her life, Martha had been altogether too focused on school. That isn’t a problem anymore. She’s anywhere as focused as she should be. This is a better distraction than some others, she supposes.

His kisses are practiced. Martha tries not to think about how many people or species they’ve been practiced on. It’s a welcome relief from inexperienced classmates and awkward mistaken fumbling. She realizes she’s not entirely sure what the Doctor would be like. Maybe it’s quite different for Time Lords. She thinks it would be like everything with him though: exciting and full of energy with endless possibility.

He likes how her nails run over the nape of his neck. His breath is hot on her skin as he unbuttons her blouse, his face trailing done her body to each bit of new flesh. Whoever this is really about, Jack knows Martha is there.

He’s a generous one, takes his time and pays attention. Martha sometimes wonders if the Doctor might not be a tad selfish and disconnected from her needs. Not that he’d mean to ignore them; it just might not occur to him. It never did occur to him. All that time they both were aching and it never once occurred to him.

Jack’s going to live almost forever. He’s got millions of years to come to terms with it. Martha doesn’t tell him this because this way they are more together in the struggle.

He’s the same salty sweet as other men. Immortality has not changed his basic makeup. If she’s disappointing compared to the variety of partners he’s encountered, he never shows it. His fists clench the sheets as he arches his hips upward, the same dazed expression as every man across the galaxy, well every one that she knows of.

He knows by now where to reach in the top right drawer. He’s strong enough to lift her up; she’s muscled well enough to help.

Martha knows that it’s far too late when she sees the light streaming in her window as she climbs off of him. But the past hours have been free, not of the Doctor but of the eternal solitude that the rest of the time is filled with in his absence.

Day has come again though, and she has not gotten the sleep she needed. Long hours lie before her and it’s time to get out of bed.

“I’m making eggs, you want any?”

Careless smile, sometimes it reminds her a little of Him. But it’s not quite the same and it’s far too easy to stand around in the kitchen cooking breakfast and acting like the possibility of being late to work in the only thing on her mind. He knows where the juice glasses are in the cupboard by now.

She notices he clutches the watch periodically, twisting it around his wrist absentmindedly.

The eggs are perhaps a little overcooked but neither of them comments on it. Jack’s gone when she gets out of the shower, but Martha doesn’t think it’s rude that he didn’t say goodbye. They will doubtless see each other again, and there has been too much of goodbye for them both. She’s only running 5 minutes behind and if she hurries maybe she won’t be late.

There’s a text message from Jack on her phone. It says: Remember, your departure wasn’t his choice.

Martha knows it’s supposed to be a comforting message. However, all whatit makes her think about is that if the Doctor had even considered that she might need to leave him, then maybe she wouldn’t have had to.

Her fingers hover for a moment between the 2 and 3 keys. She contents herself with telling Jack to shut up.

Date: 2007-09-20 02:19 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] silver-fic.livejournal.com
Wow..... sex with Jack, excuse me, I think my brain has died. Damn......

Love that you used that line at the beginning, love that bit about the hen ^__^

That was sad and sweet and yeah, the brain melting

Date: 2007-09-20 03:16 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] lodessa.livejournal.com
Perhaps it's a good thing that this ended up more implied and less straight porn than I originally intended.

Yeah the hen thing actually worked perfectly, because I was having a hard time figuring out how to start and that made me realized that obviously they're be reminiscing about the Doctor like that.

Date: 2007-09-20 03:22 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] silver-fic.livejournal.com
I don't know about that, but I do know what was implied was hot ^__^

Yeah, they so would, cause really the only options are reminisce or never talk about it ever, and i tihnk never talking about it would be too hard as well.

Date: 2007-09-20 03:33 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] lodessa.livejournal.com
Well I figure Martha could definitely use some good sexin'

Yeah... although I kind of think they never talk about why they aren't still with him or any of the real issues... just talk around them.

Date: 2007-09-20 03:37 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] silver-fic.livejournal.com
Yeah, she could, after that big long year that never happened, and everything else that happened with the Doctor, I am sure she probably did

Sounds about right.

Date: 2007-09-20 03:38 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] lodessa.livejournal.com
Yeah. Probably some pent up frustration...

Date: 2007-09-20 03:44 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] silver-fic.livejournal.com
I can't help feeling bad for her though, I mean she traveled the world by herself for a year, she saw the awful things that happened to everyone, and she is the only one who remembers all that, I mean Jack and the Doctor and her family and Lucy remember the year, but only she saw everything, and that has to be hard for her too. And I find it really odd that everyone forgot about Lucy, i mean she remembers everything too, shouldn't someone being watching her?

Date: 2007-09-20 03:50 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] lodessa.livejournal.com
Yeah. Martha honestly had a hard time in general. Hopefully it's helped her learn that she is awesome, but at a high cost.

Hmmm... maybe Lucy will be a plot point later on?

Date: 2007-09-20 04:25 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] silver-fic.livejournal.com
Yeah most likely, since personally I tihnk it had to be here who grabbed that ring from the bonfire at the end of last of the time lords, and that had to be important or else it wouldn't have been there.

Yeah, well I just love Martha, and I so look forward to seeing more of her, but even more than that, I look forward to seeing more of Donna ^__^

Date: 2007-09-20 04:26 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] lodessa.livejournal.com
That's plausible

skipping class means getting to catch up on fic!

Date: 2007-09-26 05:06 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] sophia-helix.livejournal.com
This is so good. The length is just perfect, because you pack in so many cutting little lines that show exactly what's going on. I love Martha comparing Jack with what 10 would be like, not necessarily favorably, and thinking about Jack's past at the same time, wondering if that's a favorable comparison. And Jack as nicotine gum. And the TARDIS turning back wasted hours. And: All that time they both were aching and it never once occurred to him., because that kind of killed me a little.
From: [identity profile] lodessa.livejournal.com
Yay.

Ultimately so much of this season was about comparison and feeling in the shadow of... so it sort of seemed natural to me that it would continue out into the future.

I totally can't scold you about class when you read my fic and say such nice things while doing it.

Date: 2008-07-24 09:30 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] lodessa.livejournal.com
Thank you!

Date: 2008-07-24 07:15 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] the-summoning-d.livejournal.com
Yum... *licks lips* ...I like this fic. Sweet and tasty, and also just the right amount of sad.

Date: 2008-07-24 09:31 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] lodessa.livejournal.com
That you. I am sort of a fan of the bittersweet.

Date: 2008-07-24 08:42 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] shiny-rosie.livejournal.com
Oh fantastic! Beautiful and sad. I loved it!

Date: 2008-07-24 09:31 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] lodessa.livejournal.com
Thank you. I try.

Date: 2008-07-25 12:11 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] supasass.livejournal.com
Wonderful fic, hun. I like how they're both fallen together, like clinking glasses. It's kind of how I view the Martha/Jack ship in general. xxx

Date: 2008-07-25 02:40 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] lodessa.livejournal.com
Thank you. That's definitely the way the pairing works for me. Because ultimately it is always about the Doctor isn't it?

Date: 2008-07-25 05:11 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] tattooedsiren.livejournal.com
Great fic. :O)

Date: 2008-07-25 02:41 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] lodessa.livejournal.com
Thank you.

Date: 2008-07-27 04:00 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] laurab1.livejournal.com
Oh, I like that :)

Date: 2008-07-28 02:19 pm (UTC)

Date: 2008-07-27 07:29 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] rose-cat.livejournal.com
Beautiful and sad ...

She thinks it would be like everything with him though: exciting and full of energy with endless possibility.

Well said. IMHO it was clear all through Season 3 that she loved that about him. Also, IMHO, she gave up too soon. :(

All that time they both were aching and it never once occurred to him.

Kind of sums up Season 3 Ten, doesn't it? *sniffle*

Excellent first fic :)

Date: 2008-07-28 02:25 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] lodessa.livejournal.com
Thank you.

Yes. I don't think you could love him without loving that about him.

For me it is all about that moment where Ten is explaining how the Tardis key cloaking works and Jack turns to Martha and is like "You too".

I've actually written one other Whofic, And the Distraction of the Stars (http://lodessa.livejournal.com/177300.html) which is basically me trying to find a way to make things with Martha and the Doctor's relationship turn out in a way that is in character but more satisfying to me as a Martha fan.

Date: 2008-07-28 10:51 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] rose-cat.livejournal.com
that moment where Ten is explaining how the Tardis key cloaking works

Indeed. Although it's occurred to me that Martha's earlier line, something like "It's like, I know you're there but I don't want to know," could possibly describe Ten's attitude towards Martha while they were traveling together.

Now I'm off to read your other Whofic!

Date: 2008-07-28 11:00 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] lodessa.livejournal.com
That's also a really great description of the situation.

Date: 2008-07-28 11:37 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] rose-cat.livejournal.com
Thanks! I just don't believe he's that oblivious. Just afraid.

Date: 2008-07-28 11:41 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] lodessa.livejournal.com
I feel like sometimes it's a bit of column A and sometimes it's a bit of column B. Like there are times when he's being really alien and just not at all noticing what it obvious to the viewer, but there are definitely times (like in the Shakespeare EP where he is ignoring what he knows).

Date: 2008-07-29 02:27 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] rose-cat.livejournal.com
Probably so. Some fans seem to think that he just doesn't understand love or that the Time Lord concept of love is something, well, alien to humans. But after that scene near the end of "Stolen Earth," ... SPOILER for that ep, if a reader wants to skip the rest of this comment!


... in which he's running to Rose, the look on his face kinda "Josses" that, don't you think? :)

Date: 2008-08-04 04:43 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] lodessa.livejournal.com
I think that the difference between love and the concept of love is where the jossing is avoided. I definitely think the Doctor loves as much or more than any human, but I think that Time Lord socialization around the idea of love must be different. Because the emotion and the idea are two distinctly different things.

Hopefully that makes sense.

Date: 2008-08-05 01:52 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] rose-cat.livejournal.com
I think that Time Lord socialization around the idea of love must be different. Because the emotion and the idea are two distinctly different things.

Hmmmmmmmm...makes sense, but would you care to elaborate? Or, perhaps, make an example?

Date: 2008-08-05 02:12 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] lodessa.livejournal.com
Well, I'm definitely one of those people who feel that he loves them all. In different ways, but ultimately that isn't the point. And I don't think that he was ever taught as a young time lord the same boundaries about what is appropriate for one kind of love and what is appropriate for another and I doubt he ever had them categorized as family, friendly, or romantic love. For him it all bleeds together and he doesn't even think about it. Our society puts a great deal of emphasis on ideas like "true love" and "a mother's love" etc. and it changes the way we look at relationships and I don't think he thinks about that. Not to mention that he does not associate love with domesticity because he does not do domestic. I am not sure exactly what the timelord stance on love is, but it just doesn't seem to add up to ours.

Date: 2008-07-29 08:03 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] radiantbaby.livejournal.com
Wow, you completely said everything I wanted to say about this fic (same quotes, same thoughts, everything!).

Great work, [livejournal.com profile] lodessa!

Date: 2008-07-29 07:20 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] rose-cat.livejournal.com
completely said everything I wanted to say about this fic (same quotes, same thoughts, everything!)

Sorry! Saved you some typing, though, didn't I? :)

Date: 2008-08-04 04:34 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] lodessa.livejournal.com
Thank you.

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