Chapter Text
"Are you sure?" Martha asked Jack as they rounded the bend. "It doesn't seem plausible to me. Darkness that eats? Shadows that eat? Even for him, that's gotta sound like some sort of amazing practical joke."
"No. We tested it. It was in that new forest, the one made for studying how much oxygen each tree gives. Doctor Ramkenel was the one doing the experiments, and he said he had no idea what it was. His co-worker, Doctor Tikela, is in the hospital. She was eating her sandwich, and suddenly was bleeding wherever clothing wasn't covering. It's like tiny- sharks, or piranahs just bit her. That's literally what it looks like, too. Nothing deep. She said it felt like having her finger pricked, except all over and a little more pain." He said.
"Point made. It does seem like his sort of thing."
"So, now we just have to figure out how to contact him. We've already got some of his old companions rounded up at Torchwood. You already know Rose and John, we've also got a Sarah Jane Smith. She's the one that's seen him last. She took a picture of him. Here, it's on my-" Jack rummaged in his pockets, then pulled out his phone. "phone. And here's the picture." He handed it over.
Martha studied it. He looked young. Floppy brown hair with a quiff, a huge chin, and pretty much the face of a man in his 20s. Or even a teenager. "Young." She said, handing it back to him.
"I think he's doing it on purpose." Jack said with a grin. "Now, we've got his phone number, but we were hoping you'd call him and explain it. You know, since you're- What is it?"
He paused to look in the direction she was staring at. "Oh. Never mind."
They only paused a second to grin at each other before racing towards the blue time machine.
Martha stuck her hand in her purse and pulled out the TARDIS key she had kept in it ever since she'd left him.
Then stuck it in the lock and turned. They both stared at the new console room.
"I like it." Jack said, breaking the silence. Martha nodded. "Now, the Doctor. Where is he?"
She walked to the side of the room and picked the corridor that held the most used rooms, like the bedrooms, library, and kitchen. Jack followed, whistling in appreciation of the new TARDIS. They stopped at the first door they came to.
"What if someone else is in here? I don't want to wake up one of his new companions." Martha whispered to him. "We'll ask where he is. They've probably been woke up under worse circumstances, knowing him."
Martha shrugged. He had a point. She had once been awakened by a fire-breathing rabbit on the TARDIS. According to the Doctor, the fluffy animal was harmless. Her scorched shoes begged to differ.
"Alright." She pushed open the door. It was a bedroom, alright. A nice one. The walls were all TARDIS blue, and the ceiling was a view of the stars. Who knows how he did that in the middle of the day. There was a huge bed, too, with two occupants snuggled under the sheets. One had brown hair and was faced the other direction, spooning someone with some curly blond hair that was seriously impressive.
"There's only one person I know that has hair quite like that..." She heard Jack murmur. She was about to ask what he meant when the blond stiffened in her sleep, and in one fluid motion, raised a gun (where'd she even get it?) to point at them across the room. It was then that Martha realised the two in the bed were naked. The blond with her sheet, which was only just covering her chest, relaxed once she saw them.
"Oh, Captain Harkness. You're lucky I didn't just shoot you." She said, and lowered her gun. Jack grinned. "That's me. Lucky. So, you're on the TARDIS. I would love to join you and whoever that person is that managed to get you in bed, but we need the Doctor. Where is he?"
Then the other occupant began to move his arm, trying to draw the woman back in and murmuring incoherantly. She just chuckled and patted the man's arm.
"Actually, sorry. Martha Smith. I swear, we didn't mean to intrude. But we need to know where the Doctor is. Actually, you know what, we can stand outside and wait until you're dressed." Martha said.
"No, actually, Professor, I don't believe we can." Jack said, a smug smile on his face.
That's when the man in the bed rolled over. When Martha recognized him from the picture, she gasped. "What?"
He lazily opened his eyes, scrunching his nose up. "Oh. Hello. Martha! What're you doing here?" The Doctor- yes, Martha told herself, that was most definitely the same man, who was naked in bed with a woman.
"I was just- wow. Ok, I'm sorry, what?" She said.
He gave her a confused look, then looked at Jack. "Oh, hi. Been a while, hasn't it?"
Jack grinned. "It has. I do like this one, though. Skinny geek."
The Doctor looked down at himself. "Yeah, I guess so. Wait-" He looked down again. "Oh. Sorry Martha. River's behind me too, isn't she?" Jack nodded.
"Harkness, out. Now."
Jack complied, but not without shooting several flirty winks. Martha followed, wondering why they hadn't walked out as soon as they realized the woman- River, was naked.
They shut the door behind them, and Martha leaned against the wall. "That's a new one."
On the other side of the soundproofed wall, the Doctor was processing the fact that he had just been caught in bed with his wife by Martha, Martha, and the man who had been trying to see him naked ever since they met. "My love, it's not that big of a deal. Jack may be a bit of a flirt, but he does do his job." River tried to console him, still laying on the bed as he dressed.
"No. It's not that. Martha- who respects me, somewhat, and fancied me at one point- just caught me in bed with you after-" he made a crazy gesture with his hands that could have meant anything- "-that, and- Wait a second. How do you know about Jack?"
River grinned and slid off the bed. "Let's just say that he was one of my students, and one day he mysteriously passed out in my lecture hall, and woke up without a vortex manipulator and had a large bruise on his face."
"What?!"
"Don't worry, I returned it. We see each other every now and then and the bar."
------
Martha was pacing the corridor. "Ok, we've got an infestation of carnivourous, invisible, tiny, pirahnas." Jack remained leaned against the wall, smoothing his hair.
"Ok Jack, spill. Who was that woman?" Martha finally asked him. "Professor River Song. At one point I went undercover and was enrolled in one of her classes. She knocked me out in the first semester and stole my vortex manipulator."
Martha stopped pacing. "Seriously?" She asked.
"Well, she returned it. And let me take her to get a drink. Wouldn't sleep with me, but she is an amazing kisser." He said. Martha rolled her eyes and sat down on the ground. "Where did she teach?"
"Luna University, the 51st century. From the beginning I suspected she time traveled, since she would say things that weren't in the history books. You know, make comments on the people we were studying. Taught archeology. The entire class drooled over her, but as far as I know, she ignored them."
----
The Doctor was still wondering if Jack would ever let this go. He grabbed a shirt and tugged it on while River found a dress that was good enough for running.
"River, do me a favor and get me a bowtie." He called to her in the closet. She picked one and brought it out to him. "It'll be fine. Martha's married anyway, am I right?" He shrugged and let her tie it for him. "Yes, and that's great, but Jack will never shut up about this, and it doesn't help that you know him. And Martha- I just feel guilty."
River finished tying it, then straightened it. "Put your jacket on and go talk to them. I'll be out in a second." She said. He nodded and gave her a swift kiss on the lips. He reluctantly agreed and went out.
Martha stood up when he opened the door, and the Time Lord immediately swept her into a hug. "Martha! Sorry about that, I just didn't know you would be coming in, and usually the TARDIS redirects anyone who tries to find our room."
He looked to Jack. "Jack." He acknowledged. Jack nodded.
"You look like a teenager, Doc."
The Doctor, very ironically, pouted at that. "Why does everyone say that? It's not my fault! Regeneration is completely random." Well, unless you're River Song. He mentally added.
"Listen, I've got to tell you something. When I don't tell people, for some reason they seem to get mad at me." He began, looking between the two. "River's my wife."
If Martha had been drinking anything, she would have spit it out. Jack's eyebrows went so high they could have flown off his forehead. "Wow. Ok." Martha said after a short silence.
The Doctor rubbed his hands together nervously. "It's complicated. First it was just the one in an alternate timeline, but then we also sort of had 28 other cerimonies, too."
"Well, you picked a pretty one." Jack said. "That's great, Doctor. Really. Sorry, just surprised me there." Martha told him.
She was glad he had found someone. He needed something, and maybe this River woman had it. Martha was over the Doctor. She was married. Plus, this one looked like he was 10.
"Doctor!" A feminine voice called down the hall. "I know Melody is onboard, because the kitchen isn't across from our room! I'm hungry, and I told-" Amy stopped when she saw the two newcomers. "Oh. Hi."
Jack immediately went over to her. "Captain Jack Harkness. May I ask who you are?" He said, taking her hand and raising it to his lips. "Amy."
"Stop it, Jack! Married! To a centurion with a sword, might I add."
"Seriously, you won't let me talk to anyone!" Jack said. "Where's River?" Amy demanded, ready to see her little, well, grown up girl.
"Getting dressed. She'll be out in a second." The Doctor informed her.
"Rory's gonna be mad, so I suggest not telling him she was here all night. You know how he feels about you two shagging. I'm gonna go get some breakfast." Amy said, and walked past them to go into the kitchen door.
The Doctor blushed. "And that's Amy Pond. River's mom." Martha didn't ask about that one. Time travel.
"I'm going to go get some Jammy Dodgers. Feel free to come get something, too. The TARDIS missed you. Jack, you can come, but no flirting."
-----
Rory came into the kitchen a few minutes later. He was annoyed with the Doctor that River was there, but was happy to meet Martha. "So, you used to travel with him. Was he this annoying and have this bad of a dress sense?" At the Doctor's "Oi!", she laughed and replied. "Yes. He wore trainers with these tight suits all the time!"
The Doctor grabbed a Jammy Dodger and ate it. "Mean, you lot."
"Seriously though. A bow tie? Come on."
"It's cool." He defended himself, straightening it.
"Not cool, love." River said, and emerged in the doorway. "River!" Amy immediately stood up and scooped her daughter in a hug. "How've you been?"
"Alright. Just yesterday I got to burn down the palace of Koldsi Ni Gap. His face was hilarious." She said, letting go of her mother. "Wait, Koldsi Ni Gap? Isn't he the leader of the Hidsolca?" Jack asked, intrigued. River smiled and went to the kitchen counter. "Yes. Dear, I'll have some bacon and toast." She directed the last sentence into mid air.
"You're the siren in that legend of their fall, I take it."
"Yes."
Then the TARDIS dinged. "What was that?" Martha asked the Doctor. "My breakfast." River answered for him, and opened a slot in the wall to pull out a plate.
"How'd you do that? The TARDIS never cooked my breakfast."
"Let's just say-" River picked up a piece of bacon- "I'm her favorite." Martha knit her eyebrows together. The TARDIS didn't have favorites! And yet she did, if River's small groan of pleasure was anything to go by.
"Um, right." The Doctor said from the other side of the table, squirming. Right after River made that noise-ugh. Martha thought to herself. "Well, you said you had something for me. What's wrong?"
"Oh, right." Jack said. "We've been having some weird things going on lately in this tree study thing. People have been hurt. It's like the shadows are carnivorous."
The Doctor's head snapped up.