But he could relate to her—she said: “She [Vicki] loved him [Shawn]. She completely adored him; spent all day long talking about him…”

 

“Is this… going anywhere?” questioned the Doctor.

 

“Yes!” said Martha desperately. 

It was all the Doctor could to just fold his arms, stand up straight and listen. He had plenty of stupid, talkative companions. Even though Martha had proved herself to be one of the first companions he had with independence, intellect, and strength rolled into one very small human, he was sure that even the amazing Martha Jones, world saviour and heroine could have a rant. 

But she wasn’t ranting; she was explaining in a very human why she couldn’t go with him. 

 

“He never looked at her twice…" she finally said, still smiling. "I mean, he liked her but that was it. And she wasted years pining over him because while he was there she never looked at anyone else…” 

So this was Martha’s real reason for leaving—not that the parent thing wasn’t true—but she wanted to save herself. For a brief moment the Doctor felt sorry for her, almost guilty. She wasn't the first companion to express affection for him. His companions were like pet dogs. Like a dog loves its master the companions love their Doctor. And that would have been the end of the Doctor's thoughts - but then Martha said something that made him think:

 

“And I said to her” she explained “I always said to her time and time again: get out!”

 

And all of a sudden, the Doctor saw himself in the story of Martha had told. The only difference was that it was the other way around. He was pining after someone. He was living in the past. He was longing for something that would never come. He was slowing down his life because of it. 

He wasn't pining for Rose; nor Peri, Romana, Sarah-Jane, or Jo. In fact, he wasn't pining for any of his companions. To him his companions were to fill a completely different gap, need in his life, one that he couldn’t bear to keep empty. That was the lack on one person: his granddaughter, Susan.

 

His desire to have a companion travelling with him came from his wish to have someone to look after and look up to him. It came from his yearning for Susan to walk around the corner and rejoin him. But she never did. It was never her who came around the corner. It was Rose. It was Grace. It was all of them: Ace, Mel, Peri, Romana, Leela, Sarah-Jane, Jo, Liz, Victoria, Zoe, Polly, Dodo, and Vicki… all of them… even the boys he loved as grandsons.

 

No, he pined over someone he lost many, many, many years ago; centuries ago, before the Time War, before he even left Gallifrey… back when he was just a run of the mill troublesome Time Lord with crazy ideas. Back in the days when he was a family man, when he had children, (Before Susan was born obviously), and before most things happened in his life. 

In fact, the loss of this person was the first of his troubles. his partner and his wife and his mate… whatever you wanted to call it. He had first met her at home on Gallifrey and loved her on sight. And he had really, deeply loved her; completely adored her and spent all day talking about her. She loved him too—but she died young, quite unexpectedly, despite being a Time Lady. 

After she died, she wasn’t there to love him anymore but he didn’t care, because he still loved her and didn’t look at any other female creature twice. None of the Time Ladies and certainly not the humans. I mean he liked them, it took time but he grew to like humans very much... but have you ever been licked all over your face by a dog?

 

Yes, he liked them but that was it.

 

And that was what touched him in that special way in Martha’s words—how she had told her friend, who had wasted years of her life, she had told her time and time again: get out! 

The Doctor wondered if someone had told him to get out he would have; he doubted it but it might have pushed him down the right path. After all he has waste centuries pining over his lost partner because even after she was gone he didn’t look at anyone else.

 

Martha had touched it with a needle; she had touched the routes of his soul. And he wondered, as she finally walked off, what category she would be put into when it came to companions. She was far too intelligent to be a pet, and she had saved his life too many times to be a granddaughter—now that he thought about it, the Doctor realised she had probably saved him more times then he had her!

 

Yes, she’d get a whole new section. Just for her—"partner-in-crime", maybe.

 

It was too bad! It had been centuries and the Doctor didn’t know if he wanted to move on from the memory of his dear departed spouse. The loss of his family was enough to stop him moving on now. Stop him from settling down and having more kids. He did that when he was meant to. The Doctor could tell that Martha understood that better then any of his companions did. 

They were merely infatuated; Martha was truly in love with him, would do anything for him, and saved the world for him. The tragic thing was that had someone told him before to ‘get out’ he might have considered moving on with someone like her, even if she was a human.

 

After all, she was a very attractive woman, probably.


- - - - - - - - - - -

Have you met Miss Jones? Ianto hated that song not only because his name was Jones and the song reminded him of his sister, but because the song rang through his ears whenever Martha rushed up to Jack and gave his a friendly hug. While Owen and Toshiko just raised their eyebrows and shook it off, Ianto looked in jealousy at the sight, and so did Gwen. She glowered at Martha and dreamed of the day Jack would be back talking to her again.

 

Ianto had been the first of the team to meet Miss Martha Jones. She turned up one day, looking around in the main office in which Ianto worked. He had been working on his computer when he noticed the beautiful young woman through the blinds. He stood and asked her what he could do for her. Confidently, she mentioned that Jack had called her and wished to see her straight away. It was then that Ianto knew who she was. Before he could even open the door for her to go down Jack bounded up the stairs and through the door to give her an embrace, while Ianto sat staring like the dutiful butler did.

 

“Lovely to see you, Martha ma’am” Jack said, deepening his accent into a Southern American accent, making Martha laugh. “I’m glad you could come, we have a lot of work to do” he explained, leading her towards the hub door. He then looked to Ianto, pointing him out to Martha as if he were a piece of furniture. “Oh, this should be interesting. Martha Jones this is Ianto Jones. Ianto Jones this is Martha Jones.”

 

Martha smiled and offered her hand, “Nice to meet you, Mr. Jones.”

 

Ianto smiled back and took the hand, “Nice to meet you too, Miss Jones.”

 

He watched wryly as Jack put his arm around Martha and made a joke about how they wouldn’t need to remember last names before motioning her to the door finally. Martha made sure to turn and smile, saying it was nice to meet him and at the time it was just nice to meet Martha Jones.

 

Within time it became clear though that Jack favoured her and spoke in confidence with her. Ianto was naturally jealous but made it his business not to show it. He made the coffee for the team and noticed how each one reacted differently. Owen just took the coffee and went back to his work; Gwen, who was occupied with the busy and stressful job of watching Jack and Martha in the office took the cup and nodded “Yeah, thanks Ianto”; Toshiko looked up from her computer and smiled “Thanks Ianto, very nice of you.”

 

He went up to the office and knocked on the door. Jack smiled and gave his gesture to come in. He walked in slowly and handed out the last two cups. Jack took his straight away and drank from him. He smiled, “Mmmm, that’s great Ianto!” he looked to Martha, “Have you tasted Ianto’s coffee yet Martha?”

 

Martha took the cup, staring at it gratefully: “Oh, Ianto you didn’t have to do that…”

 

“It’s my job, ma’am” Ianto replied, managing to smile and walking to leave.

 

“You don’t have to call me ma’am, Ianto” she said, laughing. “Just call me Martha. I’m not the queen!” Jack chuckled at that while Ianto just awkwardly nodded and then decided to walk away from before Martha tapped his coat again, holding the coffee in her hand. He wondered if she had a complaint; he was used to that by the doctors of Torchwood—both in one and three. But instead she smiled saying: “Ianto, excuse me for saying, but this is one damn fine cup of coffee!”

 

Ianto didn’t know whether she was complimenting him or making fun. Either way he made it his business to rush away quickly. Finally out of the door he looked back in to see Jack and Martha go on talking, laughing, and Jack was glowing with cheerfulness. It made Ianto feel left out, like Gwen. As he made his way back down Gwen did grab him for a moment.

 

“Ianto, what are they talking about?”

 

“Who…”

 

“Jack and Martha”

 

“Twin Peaks”

 

Ianto began wishing for some natural disaster to hit the Torchwood Team, like a great storm; Gwen, Owen, Toshiko disappear into shelter, and Jack and Martha separated, and his beloved in his arms. As he filled in Martha’s profile he imagined what it would go. He’d have a chance to ‘grow-up’ and take charge, especially with Jack’s underdogs gone with the wind. He imagined what the hub would look like after this great disaster. Just the two of them left…

 

 

Just then in came Jack and Martha, who was singing ‘I Will Survive’, bag over her shoulder, carrying coffee, dancing to her own tune, and laughing there way it. Jack was glowing again, that annoyed Ianto who managed to just ignore it.

 

“You know” Jack was telling Martha “I once had a girlfriend who dumped me to the tune of that song!”

 

It was then that Martha noticed Ianto at his computer. She rang the bell and Ianto turned to look. Jack took a coffee and said he’d see her down in the hub and nodded at Ianto, acknowledging him. After he went Martha handed him a coffee. This was new—not one ever got him coffee—he was the one who got coffee!

 

He looked at it sceptically at first before Martha laughed, “What’s wrong? It’s not poisoned.”

 

“It’s not that” Ianto said quietly. “It’s just no one ever gets me coffee.”

 

“Oh” she replied, not really caring and pushing it into Ianto’s hand. “Well, I do. I bet you’re good at more things than making coffee.”

 

Ianto shrugged.

 

“Jack says your computer is the only one no one can hack in this place” he then smiled. Martha turned to catch Jack up before turning back and smiling, “Just so you know; we all think of you as part of the team. I can tell you know that Jack and I do.”

 

“Oh?”

 

“Yes” she said quietly before disappearing. “Just so you know.”

 

After that Ianto felt a lot better when he saw Martha and Jack together, laughing and having fun. Watching those sparks between them didn’t hurt nearly as much, nor didn’t it hit him when he noticed Jack give Martha a quick peck on the cheek when he thought no one was looking. Everyday, Martha brought the coffee and left one for Ianto on his desk. The outlook seemed much brighter all of a sudden, and felt a smile on his face, and dared enough to make a vow…

 

Jack had competition if he wanted Martha Jones.