Gallifreyan Nature Chapter 17

[nevermoreraven]

Fandom: Doctor Who
Rating: Teen
DISCLAIMER: Other people have actually read this one before the internet.  Yes, I know.  It's weird.
Summary: This is a rewrite of the Human Nature/Family of Blood two-parter, because I really liked Latimer.  It's long.  I liked it pretty well at the time, as did the other readers, so let's see how well it held up.  ...so far, so good.  also I actually bothered to tab for once on this one.
It's not finished, but it's fairly close.

Martha went to eat breakfast first, trying to act as normal as possible.  But when Jenny entered the room, something was wrong-her head was cocked, like Baines’, and she kept sniffing…  She talked about Smith and Matron, about the life that she might be leaving to, about the adventures they might have-nothing specific, mind, just vague happinesses.  She was thinking of Dan, of the life she might have with a brilliant Time Lord, however young.  To her discomfiture, her fellow servant started asking alarming questions, keeping nagging at her insistently…

The thought struck her immediately.  Dan had seriously wanted her to just go and get the watch.  He didn’t want her anywhere near Jenny, because he knew.  ‘…The whole of the Family is here and assembled…’

It’d been a while since Miss Jones had had to pretend…involving aliens at least.  She talked about different food, including some types she knew weren’t available in this time period anyway.  Jenny just stated, “I like the sound of that,” with that smile that she didn’t altogether trust.  Martha just got up, saying with a smile, “Hold on a tic,” and carefully went to the door.  After she closed it, she carefully locked it, then started running.  She ran down the path, and as she did, she heard the sound of some kind of futuristic weapon being discharged close by, to judge from the heat near her leg.  She screamed reflexively and sighed at herself as she ran.  How thick could she get?  Maybe she’d stayed here too long; her instincts were slow as molasses.

She barged into Mr. Smith’s room, startling him and Matron Redfern in the middle of a kiss.  She didn’t have time to think of that now, starting her hunt for the watch.  “They found us,” she was explaining to John almost offhandedly-like the Doctor did sometimes when his attention was elsewhere.  “I’m sorry, but I’ve got to open the watch.”  It was then that she looked where she’d last seen it, and…it wasn’t there.  Her heart skipped a beat.

She frantically searched for the watch, until Smith thought he’d figured out what was going on and tried to explain.  “Martha, this is what we call a story.”  He was holding the Journal of Impossible Things, trying to make her fit into his world.  It wouldn’t work.  And she didn’t think the Family would comply with his strict boundaries, either, even if he asked them politely.

“Oh, you complete…” she about said ‘idiot’, but decided against it.  She didn’t need him any more riled up than he already was.

She slapped him, trying to bring the Doctor out, but he just threw her out, angrily.

In her haste, she ran into Tim, who tried to talk to her.  He’d been a friend of Dan’s, probably wanted to apologize, but they didn’t have the time for that either.  She didn’t have the time for anything.

She went to the place the TARDIS had been, but it was gone.  For a moment, she wondered if Winters had run out on them, but couldn’t bear the thought.  “He’s probably just hidden it somewhere safer,” she told herself calmly.  “It’ll be all right.  Everything will be all right, just you wait and see.”

Then she remembered the dance.  That’s probably where Mr. Smith had gone, and a chance existed that she’d find Dan there.  She hoped so anyway.  It was all falling apart, and it was her fault, and if they couldn’t stop it…if the Family got the Doctor….she’d never forgive herself.

She wasn’t in the mood when the panhandler at the entrance stated condescendingly, “Staff entrance, I think, miss.”

Martha just flashed the psychic paper.  “Think again, mate,” she muttered, not caring whether he heard her or not.

She went to talk to Matron-perhaps she could get her to listen and find the watch.  She hoped she was in time…