Human Nature
Another chapter ;)
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"Get down!" The Doctor shouted pushing Martha and Rita out of the way as a green laser hit the console creating a spark causing Martha to scream. The Doctor slammed the TARDIS doors shut then ran to Rita pulling her into a tight hug. The Doctor let go shortly after the embrace and ran over to the companion holding on to her shoulders giving her a serious look. "Did they see you?"
Martha stuttered looking at Rita who held the same equally serious expression as the Doctor. "I don't know."
"But did they see you?" He repeated.
"I don't know. I was too busy running." She replied.
"Martha, it's important. Did they see your face?" He asked her again.
"No, they couldn't have." She quickly replied.
"Andiamo!" Rita shouted running around the TARDIS with the Doctor pulling levers and pressing buttons. Rita then stopped at the monitor running a hand through her hair. "No, no, no." She read the Gallifreyan off of it. The Doctor then ran round looking over her shoulder.
"They're following us." He muttered.
"How can they do that?" Martha asked looking at them worryingly. "You've got a time machine."
"And they have stolen technology, I never agreed on anyone other than Time Lords having access to time travel, and people wondered why." She raised her voice.
"They've got a Time Agent's vortex manipulator." The Doctor explained. "They can follow us wherever we go, right across the universe." He then began to mutter to himself pacing back and forth, Rita carefully watched him. "They're never going to stop, unless." The Time Lady's eyes widened.
"Doctor you can't, there has to be something else."
"I'll have to do it." He looked at her dead in the eye.
"Doctor there has to be another way, please I'm begging you, don't do this." She pleaded holding his arms. "Please anything."
"There is no other way, they will just keep following us and you know it.
"But what about me." She rested her head against his mumbling. "What am I going to do."
The Doctor swallowed for a moment. "The day I found out that you disappeared I took something, something of your mothers, well yours, something your mother gave to you but you never used."
"What did you take?" She asked her eyes widening.
"It was the necklace your mother gave you left Gallifrey with me the second time."
"You don't mean-" she looked at him in shock.
"I do." He reached into his pocket and brought out a golden necklace with what looked like to be in the shape of a stone.
"But why?" She blurted out.
"I know you had an argument about it with your mother and forced yourself to not bring it, it hurt me to know that you disappeared most likely..." He swallowed closing his eyes and shaking his head. "I took it with me."
"I don't even know if it works, she never tried it, never had a reason to," Rita muttered watching the Doctor place the necklace in her hand.
"You'll have to think of something, I know you will." She swallowed then nodded. The Doctor then turned to Martha again gripping her shoulder. "Martha, you trust me, don't you?" He seriously said to her.
"Of course I do." She answered automatically then looked at Rita slightly scared for what was going on./mutes
"Because it all depends on you." His eyes drifted to Rita's for a moment, she nodded knowing fully well that before she could go anywhere near the Doctor, as a human she would have to get used and remind herself how to 'be human' again.
"What does?" She asked. "What am I supposed to do?" The Doctor then ducked under the console grabbed something then came back up and held what looked like an ordinary pocket watch.
"Take this watch, because my life depends on it. This watch, Martha. The watch is..."
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Groaning slightly from another random dream John Smith had he yawned before getting up. Hearing a knock on his door he loudly called for them to enter the room. The maid then entered carrying a breakfast tray. She turned around suddenly seeing that Mr Smith wasn't fully dressed. "Pardon me, Mister Smith." She apologised. "You're not dressed yet. I can come back later."
He shook his head while putting on a dressing gown. "No, it's all right, it's all right. Put it down. I was er. Sorry, sorry." He scratched his head. "Sometimes I have these extraordinary dreams."
The maid set down the breakfast at the table before drawing the curtains intrigued by what he was saying. "What about, sir?"
"I dream I'm this adventurer. This daredevil, a madman. The Doctor, I'm called. And last night I dream't that you were there, as my companion." He then up in thought. "There was a woman as well, brilliant, mad woman, she called herself 'the Stone' a name for a woman who looked so cold but who looked as beautiful as a ruby."
She snapped her eyes in his direction before pretending to shrug it off. " A teacher and a housemaid, sir?" She said not mentioning Rita not knowing what would happen. "That's impossible." She explained.
"I'm a man from another world, though." Mister Smith replied.
"Well, it can't be true because there's no such thing."
"This thing." He walked over to the mantle and picked up the watch which was placed there. "The watch is-" he then shook his head losing the thought. "Ah, it's funny how dreams slip away. But I do remember one thing; it all took place in the future. In the Year of Our Lord two thousand and seven."
The maid then picked up the paper lying on the tray after setting out the breakfast. "I can prove that wrong for you, sir. Here's the morning paper. It's Monday, November tenth, nineteen thirteen, and you're completely human, sir. As human as they come." She then placed it down.
"Mmm, that's me. Completely human." He hummed.
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Martha sighed quietly scrubbing the tiled floor. She noticed the Doctor who was now 'John Smith' who thought he was human walking past. She smiled politely. "Morning, sir."
"Yes, hi." He quickly replied before heading up the stairs.
"Head in the clouds, that one. Don't know why you're so sweet on him." Jenny a friend Martha had made in the few months she had worked at the school commented while scrubbing the floor beside Martha.
"He's just kind to me, that's all. Not everyone's that considerate, what with me being..."
"A Londoner?" Jenny asked chuckling.
"Exactly. Good old London town." They laughed before two boys stopped interrupting them.
"Er, now then, you two. You're not paid to have fun, are you? Put a little backbone into it."
"Yes, sir." Jenny quickly replied apologising. "Sorry, sir."
"You there, what's your name again?" One of the two nodded at Martha.
"Martha, sir. Martha Jones."
"Tell me then, Jones. With hands like those, how can you tell when something's clean?"
"Excuse me, boys?" They turned hearing a female voice behind them making Martha blink recognising that voice anywhere. "These ladies are putting a fine good backbone into their jobs." She walked over wearing a fine dark purple 1913 styles dress. "I would appreciate it very much if you allowed them to continue their work."
"And you are exactly?" One of the boys asked eyeing the woman.
"My apologies. I'm the new Science teacher Miss Stone, I assumed that you boys knew I was arriving?"
"A woman as a teacher?" One of them looked at her shocked his eyes almost popping out of his head.
"Is there an issue with a female as a teacher?" She asked raising a brow.
"No ma'am" he quietly replied.
"What are your names?" She looked between them then tutted after neither of the boys replied. "Excuse me miss?" She looked over at Martha
"Jones, Martha Jones."
"Ah, Martha Jones, lovely name, would you be so kind to give me these boys names, they seem to think it is rather amusing to interrupt a woman hard at work."
"Baines and Hutchinson ma'am."
"Well, Baines and Hutchinson." She nodded at them both as Martha smirked at Rita. "I very much suggest that the two of you head in the direction of your next class, I, however, will be heading in the direction of the headmaster's office to explain to him the attitude that is definitely one of what a gentleman should not have towards a lady no matter of her class or colour." The boys looked at each other for a moment before they both rushed off heading towards their next lesson.
"My apologies for their appalling behaviour to you both." She headed over to Martha and Jenny. "Miss Jones, would you be so kind to help me find my classroom? I have only just arrived and managed to find my room myself." She looked at Martha. "Then I can find the Headmaster."
"Of course ma'am." Martha stood up and walked away with 'Miss Stone' following.
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After ensuring no one was outside the classrooms Rita closed the door and sighed. "It's been a long time since I have seen you, Martha Jones." She grinned at the woman.
"Too long." She gave the Time Lady a large hug. "How have you been?"
"Not too bad, I just came from where I technically used to live, in the Parallel universe. Ever heard of Bath?" She asked. Martha nodded in response.
"I was teaching there for a month, physics of all thing." She muttered fondly rolling her eyes, something of the Doctor definitely rubbed off on her. "Reminds me of a few old memories. Anyways, how is Mister Smith." She raised a brow.
"It's hard to explain, he's just so, so..."
"Human?" Rita asked chuckling a little. "Oh, I can only image, scares me a little to think about. How was settling in?"
"It was hard to get used to at first, but I managed."
"And him?"
"Fitted in perfectly."
"Of course, I knew he loved this era, it would only make sense that his human self-lived in it. And what about the dreams?"
"He mentioned you today actually."
"He did?" She raised a brow crossing her arms and slightly leaning against her desk. "And what did he say about me?"
"He described you as a 'brilliant, mad, beautiful woman."
She chuckled a moment. "Even in his dreams as a human, he lies about me. When am I mad?" She asked looking at Martha.
"You do say Andiamo...
"It's Italian." She protested. "It means let's--' go... okay I see your point there Martha he does say Allons-y" She shrugged walking behind her desk. "I'm sorry I hadn't come sooner. I had to get back into well, acting human, it's a lot less difficult when you aren't trapped in a watch. Speaking of which is it safe?"
"Yes." She nodded. "I do have one thing I am worried about, however..." Martha quietly muttered.
"And that is?" Rita asked.
"There is this Nurse, Joan Redfern, he's getting quite close to her..."
"A nurse?" Rita chuckled. "Do you think she's part of the family?"
"No, it's like he likes her."
"Well then," Rita nodded before shrugging. "We can't do anything about that."
"What about you? I thought you and him...?"
"Martha, John Smith and the Doctor and completely different people I assure you that." She explained. "If it was an issue I would be calmly yet angrily storming around trying to find him, but I'm not, I'm here because I know that it isn't him and since when have me and him?"
"The way you both act around each other." She shrugged.
"Martha we have been best friends for centuries, way back when he was only friends with someone I knew."
"If you say so." Martha shrugged.
"I best prepare for my class now." She sighed pinching the bridge of her nose.
Martha nodded heading out. A few moments later she rushed back into the class while Rita was looking through old books. "He's fell down the stairs." Sighing Rita followed after Martha who looked more worried than Rita was.
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Martha ran in causing Rita to pinch the bridge of her nose again as she entered the room shaking her head "Is he all right?" Martha worryingly asked.
"Excuse me, Martha. It's hardly good form to enter a master's study without knocking." the nurse Martha obviously was speaking about said.
Martha nodded before running back to the door knocked on it and then ran back pulling Rita with her. "Sorry. Right. Yeah, but is he all right? They said you fell down the stairs, Sir." Martha looked at him.
"No, it was just a... tumble, that's all." He whined again as Joan touched his head.
"That looks a little more than a tumble," Rita spoke up. Joan and Mister Smith looked at her confused, Mister Smith looked more like he was daydreaming. "Apologies." She nodded. "I'm the new science teacher, Rita Stone."
"Rita Stone." Mister Smith muttered before wincing again. "That sounds familiar."
"I know a few people with that name," Rita muttered. "Joan I know it isn't my field but have you checked for a concussion?"
"I have." She practically snapped at the Time Lady. "And I daresay I know a lot more about it than you."
"Of course, I was only concerned since Mister Smith seemed to be a bit of pain." She muttered. "May I take a look? I promise I will be gentle. I tend to keep my promises."
He swallowed looking down before nodding. Rita then moved over and gently moved his hair away looking at his head. "Well, it seems that there are no cuts, not even a scratch. You will most like have a headache for a few hours up to a few days as you have most likely been told already."
"Actually I haven't." He slightly moved his head looking at Rita.
"Well then, now you know." She smiled.
"Sorry. I'll just tidy your things." Martha muttered turning around and giving Rita a look as if to say 'see what I have had to deal with?'
"I was just telling Nurse Redfern, Matron, about my dreams." He explained looking at Rita. "They are quite remarkable tales. I keep imagining that I'm someone else and that I'm hiding."
"Hiding? In what way?" Matron asked.
"They're almost every night. This is going to sound silly."
"Sometimes silly is always better, a friend used to tell me that," she muttered. "I'm sure it isn't silly Mister Smith," Rita reassured him.
"I dream, quite often, that I have two hearts."
"Oh," Rita mumbled. "Not that is odd, quite an imagination there Mister Smith, I think it's brilliant. I could double check if you wished."
Mister Smith looked at Matron who then handed a stethoscope to Rita. She placed it on the left side of his chest and sadly to her ears could only hear one heart something that once sounded so 'normal' when feeling her own heart months ago now sounded so foreign.
"Definitely one heart Mister Smith." She shrugged off the pang of hurt in her hearts. "Brilliant imagination, however."
"I have er, I have written down some of these dreams in the form of fiction. Not that it would be of any interest."
"I'd be very interested." Matron muttered. Mister Smith was, however, looking at Rita who was looking out of the window. She shook her head snapping out of her daydream too busy thinking about what the Doctor would most likely say about the dress she was wearing. Something that for an odd reason she thought about a lot lately. Whether it was because she was missing her best friend or something more were two opposites.
"Apologies, it seems that sometimes my own head gets the better of me." She smiled at him. "You were saying Mister Smith?"
"I wrote down some of these dreams in the form of fiction." He repeated. "Not that it would be of any interest." He added.
"Oh really?" Rita asked. "These dreams sound brilliant." He then stood up and walked over to a bookshelf.
"Well, I've never actually shown it to anyone before." He handed the book to Rita who then handed it to Matron who stood between them.
"Matron also wished to see," Rita added. Marron smiled a little a little opening the book.
"A Journal of Impossible Things." Matron read off of a page. She then turned it, there was writing all over it with drawings on top. "Just look at these creatures." She muttered.
"Some of these are beautiful," Rita nodded looking at the pages, slightly shivering at the page holding a drawing of a Dalek. Why had the Doctor never told her he could draw? Centuries and centuries they had known each other for and this was how he was telling her?
"Such imagination."
"It's become quite a hobby." He explained.
"Hobbies are always good." Rita nodded.
"And quite an eye for the pretty girls." Matron looked at Mister Smith who shook his head. Rita looked down at the page feeling her hearts sink as she saw a drawing of Rose.
"Oh no, no, she's just an invention... This character, Rose... I call her, Rose." He then muttered making Rita's hearts sink even further than she thought possible. "Seems to disappear later on."
Matron turned the page again and a drawing of the TARDIS appeared. Rita felt the corner of her mouth twitch upwards, she hadn't seen her in over a few months now and really missed her.
"Ah, that's the box. The blue box." He pointed out. "It's always there. Like a like a magic carpet. This funny little box that transports me to far away places."
"Like a doorway?" Matron asked.
"Mmm." He hummed. Matron then turned the page and Rita's eyes widened. Nine drawings, nine drawings of nine woman. She gulped seeing a drawing of her current body in the corner.
"Ah." Mister Smith fondly smiled. "That's the Stone, well the Stone in her diffident bodies, sometimes I call her, Rita."
"I never knew my name was that common." Rita chuckled.
"You even look like her." Matron pointed at the drawing in the corner.
"How does she change her face?" Rita asked changing the subject off of her.
"I don't remember, but she's almost always there, she sometimes left for a while at some points but then always came back.
"I have to say they are beautiful drawings." Rita nodded.
"I sometimes think how magical life would be if stories like this were true."
'So did I' Rita thought sighed to herself. "Honestly Mister Smith-"
"Please call me John."
"John." She corrected. "Your Hobby is brilliant, very imaginative and the detail in the drawings is magnificent."
"Oh, it really isn't." He blushed slightly looking at the floor.
"Miss Stone is right, these are truly amazing, may I borrow this to read, unless Miss Stone wishes to read it?"
"Oh no thank you." Rita shook her head. "After just settling here I am far too busy for any hobbies of my own. I have classes to prepare for. Goodbye John, Matron, Martha." She nodded to them all and then headed out, back to her classroom.
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"I don't understand why I had to come with you, Martha honestly I'm so tired." Rita ran a hand down her face as they walked around the small pub while Jenny sat outside in the dark and the cold waiting for them both. "Can't I just go and rest, all I need is an hour."
"Haven't you been sleeping?" She asked.
"I've been trying to drag out how long I can go without sleep. When I try to sleep... Something isn't right."
"You can sleep later. Do you want to meet in your classroom tomorrow? I would say what for but it's not something we should say." She whispered lowering her voice.
"Of course." Rita nodded "just after lunch?".
Martha nodded then shivered, walking outside the pub holding two drinks while Rita held another as they wondered over to Jenny. "It's freezing out here. Why can't we have a drink inside the pub?"
"Now don't be ridiculous." Jenny scoffed. "You do get these notions! It's all very well, those Suffragettes. but that's London. That's miles away."
"But don't you just want to scream sometimes, having to bow and scrape and behave. Don't you just want to tell them?"Martha questioned.
"I don't know. Things must be different in your country." Jenny then glanced at Rita for a moment.
"Yeah, well they are. Thank God we're not staying." Martha muttered.
"You keep saying that," Jenny replied.
"Just you wait. One more month and we're as free as the wind. I wish you could come with us, Jenny. You'd love it!" She breathed.
"Martha I'm sure she would but this isn't the time for our dreams."
"Where are you going to go?" Jenny asked ignoring Rita.
"Anywhere. Just look up there. Imagine you could go all the way out to the stars." Martha pointed up at the sky. Rita sighed missing the feeling of being up there.
"You don't half say mad things." Jenny shook her head.
"That's where I'm going. Into the sky, all the way out."
Martha noticed a flash in the sky and Rita jumped up staring at where it was.
"Did you see that?" Martha asked.
"I definitely did," Rita answered.
"See what?" Jenny asked
"Did you see it, though?" She stood up. "Right up there, just for a second." She pointed to where she saw it in the sky.
"Martha, there's nothing there." She protested. They turned noticing Matron running up to them.
"Matron, are you all right?" Martha asked as Matron came to a stop breathing deeply.
"Did you see that? There was something in the woods. This light."
Mister Smith then arrived walking up to them. "Anything wrong, ladies? Far too cold to be standing around in the dark, don't you-"
"There, there. Look in the sky." Matron interrupted.
"Oh, that's beautiful." Jenny breathed looking up at it. Rita looked around in alarm knowing exactly what it most likely was, she wasn't one hundred percent sure if it was
. She definitely didn't like it though.
"All gone." John sighed. "Commonly known as a meteorite. It just rocks falling to the ground, that's all."
"You know science then?" Rita asked impressed.
"Of course, my grandfather used to enjoy the subject."
"I'm impressed, John." She grinned. "I seem to be saying that a lot lately not many people make me say that either."
"It came down in the woods." Matron told them as John slightly blushed at the brunettes comment.
"No, no, no. No, they always look close, when actually they're miles off." John shook his head. "Nothing left but a cinder."
"Again that's correct." Rita chuckled. "Are you sure you don't teach science, John?"
"I'm sure about that. Now, I should escort you back to the school?" He asked.
"I think I'll stay out for a little while, I don't have any early classes tomorrow."
"You said you were getting tired earlier Miss Stone." Martha interrupted.
"I'm fine." Rita protested.
"Honestly, Rita it is not trouble at all." He said making her blink. He had called her miss Stone throughout the day. Now he was calling her Rita as if it was natural. Not even a fob watch could stop small parts of the Doctor seeping through. "I was heading back myself." Rita silently groaned glaring at Martha while no one was looking at her.
"If you insist." She nodded.
"Ladies?" He asked the rest of them as they shook their heads.
"No, we're fine, thanks." Martha replied.
"Then I shall bid you goodnight." He walked off with Rita who continued to glare and narrow her eyes at Martha.
"So John," Rita muttered after she was no longer in distance to glare at the woman. "I was thinking while in one of my classes today of who I should look for, which boys cause the most trouble, who should I aim to assist and so on."
"Well, they are all brilliant." He replied and she nodded.
"All in their own ways."
"Exactly what I was going to say." He looked at her a little shocked.
"I had- have a friend." She sighed. "He said things like that. Brilliant, amazing things."
"And what is of him now?" John asked interestingly.
"He- he's back home. I'll see him again one day." She shrugged. "Still, he's brilliant."
"He sounds like a man I would love to meet."
"Oh, you have no idea." She muttered under her breath.
"Ah, here we are." He nodded as they walked towards to the school.
"There was honestly no need to walk me back John." Rita shook her head.
"It is cold and dark, you shouldn't have to walk back alone."
"You truly are a gentleman." She chuckled.
"I try." He shrugged a little. "Rita just out of curiosity have you had a look around the village at all yet?"
"Sadly I haven't had the time." She sighed. "I would love to, villages always interested me, I lived in a city, not a big city but still."
"I could always give you a tour tomorrow?" He suggested.
"Are you sure? Don't you have classes?"
"Not until afternoon."
"I would have to reschedule with Martha Jones. She wanted to help me with some things."
"We could always change the day?"
"No, no." She shook her head. "Meet in my classroom?" She asked. "My last class should end just after twelve."
"Of course" he nodded. "I shall see you tomorrow Rita."
"John." She nodded heading inside the school.
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