Chapter Six

Martha

She watched them pull out one firearm after another, panic mounting in her chest. The kitchen table she’d had tea and sco—biscuits at only an hour before was now littered with bullets and guns, and…and….what was that?

“What is that?” She said.

Dean looked up from his gun, his eyes following her pointed finger to the shriveled green thing on the table.

“Eww….Bobby. You didn’t get another one of those fucking things, did you?”

“They work you little shit.” Bobby said, sliding another bullet into his shotgun. “And don’t think I don’t know you’re the one who threw out my other one, you owe me a fucking grand. And a bottle of my good whiskey.”

“You paid a thousand dollars for that thing?” Dean shook his head, a small grin on his lips. “Damn, you got hosed.”

“Don’t change the fact that you owe me money.”

“Hello?” Martha called out, causing them once again to look at her. “And what is this again?”

“It’s a dijinn ear.” Dean said, his voice grim.

“A what?”

“A dijinn ear. A dijinn’s like a genie, but more of an asshole. Folks like Bobby here keep’m for protection. Cause they’re old and don’t know any better.”

“I know what a dijin is, I read about them in Classics.” Martha replied. “Did you say ear? As in…”

Bobby gave a deep sigh and picked up the offending body part, stuffing it into his shirt pocket. Martha and Dean stared at his shirt, distaste curling the corners of their mouths.

“You’re just gonna keep that there, huh?” Dean said.

‘With what I saw coming, you bet your sweet ass I am.” Bobby said. Dean glanced at Martha, who shook her head before turning away.

“How much time we got?” Dean said.

“Not much.” Bobby replied, moving toward the window. “I got a protection spell on the property that reaches out a couple of miles, but it won’t hold them long. Wasn’t made for a damn horde of demons, that’s for sure.”

“You said vampires.” Martha said, once she was able to face him again. “I know I’m new at all this, but aren’t vampires afraid of the sun? Don’t they…burn up or something if it touches them?”

Dean grabbed a bag of salt and tossed it into her hands. She caught it easily, though its heavy weight caused her to back up a couple of steps.

“Spread it around the house.” Dean said. “And to answer your question, yeah, sometimes. Sometimes not. Those guys don’t really care about rules all that much.”

“A simple no would have sufficed.” Martha said. His eyes met hers, and she felt her face warm a bit, remembering their kiss only minutes before. She turned away as her pulse quickened, and headed for the living room.

“Martha.” She turned back at the sound of his voice. He stood there, only a few feet away, his shotgun held at his side, his face drawn and tense.

“Yeah?” She said, trying to keep her voice normal. His mouth opened then closed, and he broke eye contact, nodding toward the living room window.

“Don’t leave any empty spots” He said finally. “One smudge and they’re inside.”

Her dark eyebrow lifted and her head lowered a bit.

“Don’t worry about me.” She said. “I’ve fought off a megalomaniac Time Lord with a god complex, I think I can manage to lay a round of salt, yeah?”

“Yeah—huh?”

“I’ll get it done.” She smiled; feeling the odd need to reassure him, before it slowly began to fade. An idea crept up on her, one so obvious that she was irritated that she hadn’t thought of it before now.

“Dean, there may be a ton of those things out there, but you’ve got something they don’t.”

“And that is..”

“You got me.” She said. Dean stared at her for moment, slightly confused, before what she was saying hit him. His mouth tightened.

“No fucking way.”

“It will work.” She said. Bobby walked up beside Dean, looking back and forth between them.

“I’m sorry, did I miss something just now. What the hell are you two…”

“She wants to be bait Bobby.” Dean said. “Actually thinks we’re gonna let her stand there and wait for those assholes to get her—and you’re nodding your fucking head. Son of a bitch!”

Dean slammed the gun on a nearby table, making Martha jump slightly.

“Don’t say it Bobby.”

“Dean, it’s not a bad idea.”


 

The Doctor

“What do you mean Martha’s gone. Where the hell is she?” Jack said.

The Doctor stared down at the screwdrivers in his hands, three of them now. All different in size in weight, each containing various levels of power.

All equally dangerous in the wrong hands.

“I don’t know.” The Doctor said reluctantly.

They stood outside the TARDIS, Jack and Donna. And Sam, who had been abnormally quiet on the walk back, despite his place between Jack and Donna, who took turns lobbing sexual innuendos his way. But Sam said nothing, only nodded politely, even when Donna pressed her body against his arm at one point. Hard to miss, that.

“You don’t know.” Jack’s brow furrowed, and he crossed his arms over his chest. Jack had explained earlier that he’d picked up the TARDIS during a routine sweep for alien activity for TORCHWOOD. Which was why he’d been strolling among the garbage just as they’d arrived.

And now, as The Doctor told him what had happed to Martha, his smiling blue eyes sharpened, and if he wasn’t mistaken, became slightly tinged with anger.

Martha and Jack had grown close in the past year, more than he realized apparently. He briefly wondered if something more had happened between them, but immediately dismissed it. Martha knew better than to fall for an oversexed alien hunter with a nice smile.

No, she was smarter than that.

“No Jack, I don’t, but I do know Martha, and she can hold her own quite well actually. At least until I find her.”

“And how exactly do you plan to do that? By staring at your toys all day?”

“Toys? Says the man who drives that monstrosity over there.”

They all turned to spot Jack’s large utility vehicle, with the words TORCHWOOD emblazoned on the rooftop. Jack grimaced as he turned back to The Doctor.

“Point taken. But that car is fucking awesome.”

“Sorry to interrupt.” Donna said, though he knew full well she wasn’t. “But what exactly happens now. You found what you were looking for in that trash, now what?”

“Now, I go where she takes me.” The Doctor said, nodding toward the TARDIS which was now only a few feet behind them. He placed the screwdrivers in his pocket, his eyes drifting to Sam, who stared at the blue box steadily, as if slightly transfixed.

“Isn’t that right Sam?” The Doctor called out. Sam snapped his eyes away, turning to face them.

“What? Yeah, yeah that right. We should go…figure out…”

“Well, I’m coming with you.” Jack said. Donna’s mouth dropped open.

“Like hell, you had your turn.” Her finger pressed into Jack’s chest, causing him to look down, slightly amused.

“That’s my seat in there, I’m travlin’ with the Doctor this go ‘round. Not you, you’ve already gone. Twice.”

“What about him?” Jack jerked his head toward Sam, and Donna’s eyes followed for a second before returning to Jack’s face.

“He’s cuter than you.” she said.

“Now I know you’re fucking with me.”

“Guys.” The Doctor said, and they all turned their eyes to him. “Time And Relative Dimension In Space.”

Blank stares.

“Enough room for everyone? Bigger on the, oh come now, you can’t be serious!”

‘He means everyone can come.” Sam said quietly. “Even me.”

 

Martha

Martha stood on the patio, and rocked gently on the balls of her feet. She wore her jeans and t-shirt from yesterday, and Dean’s leather jacket, which he’d yet to get back from her. And honestly, she wasn’t really keen on offering either.

It was quiet, which under any other circumstances would be calming. Living in London, she’d grown used to the sounds of the street outside her window, but being here, so far from civilization was almost peaceful. Almost.

Then the wind changed.

Her body tensed. The air felt odd, slightly static. Like it was charged with some sort of strange energy. Martha stared into the empty road ahead. There was only one more house a couple of yards down, and it looked completely empty. Bobby had said something about neighbors earlier, but she’d yet to see anyone exit that house.

Her skin began to crawl.

Martha breathed in deeply, trying to steady her increasingly frayed nerves. This was fine, it would work. She’d been in worse situations before, this was a…

Mistake. This was a bloody fucking mistake. And now she was about to be eaten by a movie monster.

She turned back to the house, her hand rising to grasp the doorknob. All she had to do was turn it, run back inside and hide behind that ugly couch in the living room. They were the hunters and she…she….

Was going to stay on the patio.

Her head leaned against the doorjamb, slowly turning side to side.

“And here you are.” She said. “Like you’re stuck in that bloody pod again. Why can’t you just listen to your mother you stupid bint.”

“Mother does know best.”

Martha spun around, her back pressed against the door as a man stood only inches away. He was about her height, with a neatly trimmed beard. And his eyes were jet black.

And he smiled.

“Hello.” He said. Martha’s hand groped frantically under the hem of the coat as she gave him a nervous smile.

“Hello back.” she said, her voice almost at a normal pitch.

“Nice day.” He looked around the patio nonchalantly. “Little cool though. Nippy.”

He lifted his shoulders a bit, as if to demonstrate the chill in the air. A flash of irritation rushed through her as her hand finally found the small object at the small of her back.

“So, just to be sure, before you possess me, swallow my immortal soul, whatever, you’re going to what…chat me up?”

The smile faded slightly, but remained on his face.

“I’m trying to be pleasant.” He ground out through gritted teeth.

“Oh, well you can stop that now.” She said. “It’s a bit condescending actually, that you think just because you’re you and I’m me, that you have to make me comfortable or something. As if I’m afraid of you.”

“Aren’t you?”

She paused briefly, as if considering his words.

“You know, for a moment there, I was.” She shrugged. “But I’m over it, bit of a blip really.”

His hand shot out and grabbed her neck, slamming her into the wood frame of the door. She grimaced as pain shot through her head, but refused to make sound.

“How bout now?” The demon hissed.

Martha pulled at his vise like grip to no avail. She gasped out her words, struggling to breathe.

“You’re….in….my ..p…personal space..”

Her other hand reached up from behind her back, gripping the small spray bottle she had hidden there. He gave a short laugh, as his grip tightened.

“And what is that little girl, holy water? This isn’t the movi—ahhhhh!”

His hand quickly dropped away as he grasped his face, and she stumbled sideways, thrown slightly off balance.

“Well now, that was a lie, wasn’t it?”

His face, which he’d covered with his hands, raised slightly, the skin red and peeling. Martha grimaced as an acid smell reached her nostrils, sulfur. Definitely sulfur. The demon’s smile returned as he called out, his voice ringing through the air.

“Get her!” he yelled, and faces began to appear, bodies streaming toward the house as if from nowhere. She looked around the frantically; the spray can in her hand almost empty now.

“Fuck me.” Martha breathed, and this time when she reached for the knob, she opened the damn door.

She ran inside the living room, feeling them behind close her. That static energy had become an almost burning sensation, hard to describe, but oh so terrifying. Martha tossed the small can aside, and picked up an iron poker sitting next to the door, before heading to the dining room toward the back of the house.

They were gaining on her, and she felt fingertips brush the back of her jacket before she dove forward, tucking the poker against her stomach as she rolled across the ground. When she rose, two female demons stood in the dining room, their jet black eyes slightly confused.

“That actually worked?” She said, smiling brightly. Martha pointed above their heads, and they saw the Devil’s Trap Bobby had drawn on the ceiling a few hours before.

“Don’t feel bad.” She said, as they eyed her with anger. “I wouldn’t have looked there either.”

The Doctor

“This is bullshit.” Jack said, his perfect features arranged into a slightly face creasing scowl. “I’m here, you’re here. Why hell can’t I just go with you guys?”

The Doctor sighed, and walked towards him, his hands pressing together as if preparing to talk to a child.

Jack held up a finger before a word left his lips.

“Uh uh, don’t do that?” Jack said.

“Don’t do what?” The Doctor leaned back a bit, as if surprised.

“You were about to lecture me just now, like I was ten. I hate it when you do that. There’s only one way I liked to be spanked and that ain’t it.”

“Did you say spanked?” Donna called out form her perch beside the TARDIS. Jack gave her a dazzling grin.

“You offering?”

“Quite enough of that.” The Doctor said quickly, before turning back to Jack. His hands lifted, but he caught them this time, leaving them firmly at his sides.

“Jack, I need you to go to America, you may find her before I do. If she’s anywhere near where Sam left his brother..”

“Yeah, yeah.” Jack grumbled, giving a longing look at the TARDIS. “It’s just.. been awhile you know. I miss it.”

“It misses you.” The Doctor said, placing a hand on his arm. “And I do too. But I need you to help me. Help me find her. Please.”

Jack nodded, then pulled the Doctor in a tight hug. He could see Donna’s eyebrows rise as the hug lingered, and The Doctor cleared his throat, causing Jack to finally release his grip.

“Alright then, we all set?” The Doctor called out. “Donna?”

“Oh, I’m ready. Been ready for weeks if you remember.”

“Right. Sam?” The Doctor said. Sam only nodded.

The Doctor eyed him carefully before speaking once more.

“You know, you could go with Jack.” He said. Sam’s eyes glanced over at Jack, who crossed his arms over his chest.

“Why does he get a choice?” Jack said, but The Doctor ignored him.

“Do you want to? You’re welcome to come with me, but…do you want to?”

Sam nodded slowly, his hand running through his hair.

“I wanna go with you guys.” he said finally.

“Are you sure? Your brother..”

“I know Dean is probably worried, but…” He turned to Jack. “If she’s with him, you’ll tell him I’m alright? That I’m just…traveling?”

“Sure.” Jack said, cocking his eyebrow. “But it’s not just traveling you know. You realize it’s dangerous with him?”

The Doctor’s mouth tightened slightly, but he said nothing.

“Yeah.” Sam said. “But what the hell isn’t these days?”

The Doctor let out small grin as Jack nodded his approval.

“You’re quite a catch aren’t you, nice work Doctor.”

“I had absolutely nothing to do with it.” The Doctor replied. Jack let out a small snort.

“There’s not much in this world you have nothing to do with. Hey, Sam? You got your brother’s mobile number? I could try to..”

“Dean doesn’t have a cell right now, he dropped his when he was fighting a demon…”

Sam trailed off, looking everywhere but Jack’s face. Jack’s mouth opened slightly, and he turned The Doctor, his eyebrow raised again.

“Did he say a demon?”

The Doctor only smiled.

“Best hurry up. “ The Doctor said, backing away. “And if you see Martha…tell her…tell her...”

“I’ll tell her you’re on your way.” Jack finished for him. The Doctor’s smile grew softer, slightly wistful.

“Yes.” The Doctor said. “Do tell her that.”


 

Dean

“Martha, down!”

He watched her body drop to the floor and pulled the trigger, the explosion from the shotgun ringing his ears. The window in front of him shattered, quickly followed by a wail of pain that let him know he’d found his target.

“You okay?” he yelled.

“Yeah!” She called out.

And she was up again, instantly at his side. Dean motioned toward the stairs, and she ran for them, the poker still tightly clutched in her hand. He turned around, and covered her as she climbed, not chancing a glance backwards until he heard the sound of a door opening.

“That’s a big gun.”

He spun around at the voice, only to meet a sharp pair of pointed teeth aimed at his throat. Dean brought a fast elbow to the vampire’s neck, lifting its head, while his other hand rammed the shotgun in its mouth.

“I like my shit big.” He said. “Makes me feel all manly.”

Blood spurted from the back of its head when he pulled the trigger, the pale form slumping down at his feet.

That was five.

Dean headed up the stairs, moving backwards until he reached the first door. He gave two sharp knocks, and it swung open, Martha’s relived brown eyes staring into his.

“Took you long enough.” She said. He gave her a quick smile.

“Got bit.” Dean said. “Well, almost. I have a big gun.”

“What?”

“You guys ready?” Dean said. Martha turned to Bobby who nodded. Dean saw the grim look in his eyes, and hesitated.

“You sure about this Bobby?’ he said quietly. But Bobby just waved him off.

“I got friends boy, I’ll be fine. Let’s get this shit done, I’m tired.”

He nodded, then looked to Martha who nodded as well. Dean and Bobby reached for a freshly loaded shotgun, and the small blowtorches piled on the bed. Martha held out her hand, and after a second Dean placed a gun into her hand as well.

“Are you sure about this?”

“Let’s go.” She said tightly.

Sam

He wasn’t sure how long they traveled this time, his watch had stopped working a while ago. It actually went backwards first, before giving out all together. Apparently time travel was a bit too much for a Seiko.

“So this one is yours?” Donna said, pointing to the first screwdriver on the panel. The Doctor only nodded.

“And this one was….Jack’s. After which it belonged to River Song. Who you gave it to sometime in the future, after you actually meet for the first time. But that hasn’t happened yet.”

“Correct. And well done.”

“Cheers.”

She pointed the third screwdriver, the one The Doctor fished out of the garbage.

“And whose is this?” Donna said.

The Doctor’s eyes grew darker as he eyed the instrument. He stayed quiet as Sam moved forward, closer to the both of them.

“Who’s Harold Saxon?” Sam said. The Doctor’s eyes lifted, slightly startled by the question.

“Where’d you hear that name?” The Doctor said sharply.

“Who is he?” Sam repeated, unwilling to mention the campaign poster on the ground in among the rubble. He wasn’t sure why he’d asked about the name. Something about the face on the poster felt familiar. It was the eyes. He’d seen eyes like that before.

They were like The Doctor’s.

“He’s dead.” The Doctor said. “As is the previous owner of this screwdriver. Which makes me wonder who else may have owned this one. So far, the TARDIS has led me to each of these and their owners, which could mean...that someone else had this before…him...”

“Before Saxon?” Sam said.

“I didn’t say it was Saxon.”

“You didn’t have to.”

The TARDIS shifted a bit, causing them each to grab hold of the center panel. When the familiar jolt rocked the cabin, they eyed each other, their gazes lit with excitement. They each ran for the doors, Donna jockeying for the front position as her hands reached out, pushing them open.

Her anticipation quickly morphed into disappointment.

“Oi. I guess they can’t all be winners.” She said. Sam walked up beside her, taken aback by the darkly lit interior of what looked to be an aging cargo hold.

“Is this really ship?” Sam said. “I mean, the TARDIS is one too, I know, but this…feels like a….a space ship.”

Doctor walked out behind him, his eyes slightly alarmed as he began to look around him.

“It is a space ship…and I’ve….”

“You’ve been here before.” Sam finished, grinning slightly. “I’m starting to notice a pattern….hey, are you okay?”

The Doctor’s face had gone pale, his brown eyes slightly panicked. Donna’s face grew concerned as well and she reached for him, only to have him slide slightly out of reach.

“Doctor?” Donna said.

Sam’s grin was gone, and he looked around again, trying to understand what was happening.

“What is it?” Sam said finally. “What’s wrong? Did something happen here?”

The Doctor closed his eyes, sweat beading his brow.

“I lost her. Here on this ship. She almost… ” He said softly.

“Lost who?” Sam said.

His eyes opened and Sam resisted the urge to turn away from the raw pain staring back at him.

“Martha.”


 

Martha

The house went up fairly quickly.

They’d barreled downstairs, setting the walls on fire as they ran. The shotgun burned her hands a few times as she fired, averting her eyes when she heard the screams.

They were demons, monsters…and she was killing them.

Now, they stood a little less than a mile away and watched the house burn. They’d re-salted the unprotected areas outside of the house as they left, preventing the demons from crossing into the yard. As an added bonus, the house was covered in Devil’s Traps, so the odds were good that those they didn’t kill on their way out were now still trapped inside the blaze.

No, not killed, Martha mentally corrected herself. The bodies were destroyed, but the demons…the demons lived, likely on their way to find another host.

“Well at least the vamps and werewolves won’t be back.” Bobby said gruffly. “That’s something.”

“No it’s not.” Dean said. “Those were their damn pets. They got tons more where that came from, and now they’re pissed at us because we burned the ever loving shit out of them.”

Bobby and Martha glared at Dean, who shrugged.

“Truth fucking hurts.” He said. “Who’s up for a beer?”

“It’s noon Dean.” Bobby said.

“And your goddamn house just burned to the ground, you should be hauling ass to get wasted.”

Martha’s eyes strayed back to the burning building, remembering the heat of the fire against her skin. Just like before. Just like that sun.

Martha snapped her eyes from the house, resolutely focusing on the two men at her side.

“I’m game.” She said, causing both their eyebrows to shoot up a bit.

“My hands are killing me, and I need a pee. Let’s go find a pub and get sloshed already.”

“Now you’re speaking my language” Dean said, smiling. “Well, not really, but I got the gist. I’d say going medieval on a bunch of sulfur farting demons earns us a fucking beer buzz, right Bobby?”

“Right.” Bobby said quietly.

“Right.” Dean gave a quick smile then headed for the Impala. Martha placed a hand on Bobby’s arm, and he smiled at her softly.

“Didn’t think I’d miss that piece of shit house this much.” He said.

“I know.” She said as they walked to the car, her voice softening as well.

“It’s funny really.” She said. “How you never really know how much you’ll miss something until it’s gone”


 

The Doctor

Burn with me.

The words filled his head as soon as he left the TARDIS. Just as they had before, the last time he was on this ship.

It was all so clear, just like it happened yesterday. The bare bones crew they’d found when they’d arrived, the strange affliction that struck one of the crew members.

And then the dying began. And the screams.

“What do you mean you lost her, Martha was…?” Donna sighed with frustration. “Bloody hell, explain for god sakes. Don’t leave us standing here with out thumbs up our arses.”

The Doctor gave his head a small shake, and ran a hand through his dark hair. He could feel Sam watching him, waiting patiently for an answer.

“When we came here.” The Doctor said. “There was…a life form inside this…burning sun. The ship ran out of gas and became trapped inside the gravitational pull. It was boiling, this place. Slowly….burning...”

He looked up at the familiar pipes and levers surrounding them.

“And Martha…was brilliant as usual, she was helping me and…she got caught in an escape pod, trapped really. And it began to drift. Out there….”

He nodded toward the walls of the ship as the memory overwhelmed him. The desperation in her face as she called out for help, frantically knocking against the glass of the small pod. She’d looked so young. So…afraid. And that sun, blindingly bright and burning behind her.

Almost…beautiful.

“I watched her.” He said, his voice barely a whisper. “I watched her drift away from me, toward that sun. To her death.”

“Doctor...” Sam said.

“I just stood there, screaming her name.”

The Doctor gave a rueful smile.

“I’ll save you.” The Doctor glanced at Sam again. “That’s what I said. Over and over, like a…I’ll save you. But she couldn’t hear…”

“And you did.” Donna said. “I know you did, you done it for me plenty of times.”

“Yes.” The Doctor said. “But she…I…”

“We should look around.” Sam said suddenly. The Doctor looked up, his eyes slightly unfocused.

“We need to figure out why we came here.” Sam said, moving closer to him. His voice was firm, direct.

“So we should look around, see what’s still here, right?” Sam prompted.

“Right.” The Doctor said. His mind began to clear as he looked around the cargo hold.

“The ship was refueled when we left, they must have gotten clear ages ago. But this place feels empty. Deserted.”

“Well.” Sam said. “If there’s no one here, then it has to be something you guys left behind. Or maybe something happened, something to do with you.”

“Or with her.” The Doctor said. “She was there when….when…”

“When what?”

“The life form inside the sun. It’s what killed most of the crewmembers, it invaded each of their bodies, burned them from the inside.”

Burn with me.

“And it was inside me too.” The Doctor said.

Burn with me, Martha….

“And I….I’m not sure, but I think part of it hasn’t quite left.”

They stared at him for a moment, before Donna lifted her arms in frustration.

“Small hint. That information should be shared before the bloody recap. Honestly...”


 

Ruby

“Damn, that wasn’t even close.”

Ruby’s eyes rolled as she reached into her pocket, bringing out a crumpled twenty. The deep laugh of the man at her side made her eyes narrow slightly as she watched the flames dance across what was left of the house. He snatched the bill from her hand, waving it proudly.

They stood at the window of the house a few yards from the hunter’s, the homeowner’s bodies littered around them. Ruby kicked a stray arm from her booted foot, her blue eyes flashing with anger.

“Can you cool it with the smug shit already, its grating.” She said.

“I told you the Winchesters would eat those dumbasses alive. Where’d you find those guys, at some funky bar or ….oh, hell. You did. Damn Ruby, are you really that desperate...?”

“Yes.” She snapped, turning to face him. “I am that desperate, I need that Colt like yesterday. And that bitch….Lilith, won’t take no for a fucking answer.”

“And the pouting hasn’t worked? I though you had Sam all wrapped up in those pretty eyes of yours.”

“Sam’s gone.” Ruby said, watching the Impala drive away. “And I can’t find him. It’s like…like something’s protecting him, shielding him in some way. It’s fucking weird.”

“Yeah, well, fuck him. Last thing I want to see is that little shit’s face. Besides, did you see that cute little ass?” He gave a short laugh. “The Dark One….Fuck, when I was living I woulda been all over that.”

A small smile grew on her lips, as she turned to him. His dark eyes narrowed, slightly weary.

“What’s that look for?”

“I just got an idea.” Ruby said, her smile growing even larger as she swung her shoulder’s back and forth happily. “Wanna hear it?”

“Does it involve ripping Dean Winchester’s fucking face in half?’

“It could.”

Gordon Walker smiled, his eyes growing even darker than his deep brown skin.

“Then I’m all ears baby.”