The road less travelled...

Title: Finding A Way Home – Something Old, Something New
Author: katherine_b
Rating: G
Summary: He might not be a Time Lord, but some things, it seems, never change…
Word Count: Approx 1,200 words
Characters: 10.5, Martha and Mickey
A/N: juliet316 asked to see Martha having an adventure with the human Doctor.

“Know something?” Mickey says suddenly. “You’re right – you are the Doctor. I mean, the Doctor always ends up in places like this!”

“I’d like to point out, Ricky,” the Doctor says in his most cutting, Donna-like voice, although he also grins to show he doesn’t really mean it, “that you have never been in a jail cell with me before!”

Mickey grins back, although it turns into a grimace as he once more wriggles in an attempt to get free of the rope binding his hands. “Not denying how often you end up in one, I notice,” he shoots back.

“Yeah, well,” the Doctor wriggles around, trying to get his fingers into the inside pocket of his jacket where his sonic screwdriver is tucked away, but his shackles are making that difficult, “when you already know, there’s not much point, is there?”

Martha snickers before becoming more serious. “They won’t find the TARDIS, right?” she asks anxiously, and the Doctor rolls his eyes.

“Sometimes I think,” he tells her, trying and failing to sound hurt, “that you’re more fond of my ship of mine than you are of me!”

“Yeah, well, 1913,” she tells him, a faint smile on her face, “we came to an understanding.”

He gives up trying to get out the sonic and nudges her with his shoulder. “You were brilliant then, Martha Jones,” he assures her. “Just like you always are.”

“Of course she was,” Mickey adds, but the Doctor is quick to note the difference in tone from the way Mickey used to speak when Rose was the subject of their conversation.

It’s clear that there’s no envy or bitterness in Mickey Smith now, for which the half-human Doctor can only be thankful. He knows that the Time Lord made mistakes in the way he treated Mickey, and he’s glad that it seems to have caused no lasting problems.

“You’re right though,” Martha says with a smile. “Seventy-two hours ago, we were dancing at the Doctor and Donna’s wedding, and now we’re here.”

“Sixty-nine hours and eighteen minutes, actually,” the Doctor corrects.

“Not that you’re counting,” Mickey tosses in.

“It’s what I do!” The Doctor glares at him. “Time sense! I might only have one heart, but I’m still a Time Lord, thank you very much!”

“Ooh, he’s a little touchy about that, isn’t he?” Mickey teases.

“Well, considering what he managed to do at the wedding,” Martha remarks, with a smile that soothes the Doctor’s ruffled feathers, “I don’t think there can be much doubt about what he is.”

“And now Donna’s mum has to explain to all her friends that her daughter’s married an alien,” her husband says with a chuckle.

“Actually,” the Doctor corrects, “Sylvia has to tell her friends that her daughter is an alien – and she isn’t too happy about it. Sylvia, I mean. I think Donna’s quite happy. At least,” he adds thoughtfully, “I hope she is.”

“I know she is,” Martha assures him.

There’s a sudden bang that causes all three of them to jump. The peephole has been slid open and a beady eye peers in at the occupants of the cell. The creature outside stares unblinkingly at them for a moment before the panel slides shut again and the Doctor gives a sigh of relief.

“That’s them gone for the night then,” he says confidently. “Now we can actually go about getting out of here.”

“Are you sure?” Mickey asks uncertainly. “I mean, why would they just go and leave the place unguarded overnight?”

“Positive!” the Doctor replies with the conviction of someone who’s been through this sort of thing more times than he can count. “Martha!” He leans over towards her. “Can you reach inside my jacket pocket? I can’t get my hand in under the rope, but you’ve got smaller fingers. Fish around. The sonic should be on top.”

“And try to avoid touching him up,” Mickey advises as Martha begins doing as she’s been directed. “He might be ticklish or something, and that would give away to the guards what we’re doing.”

“Oi!” The Doctor glares at him. “I’m not ticklish!”

“Got it!” Martha interrupts, pulling out the sonic and sliding it between the Doctor’s fingers.

A few minutes later, they’re all free, although the Doctor does briefly consider leaving Mickey tied up in revenge for his comments. However he knows Martha wouldn’t forgive him, so he sonics the door and leads them out into the hallway – only to stop dead at the sight of a guard patrolling the far end of the corridor.

“I thought so you said they were gone,” Martha hisses, poking him in the ribs as they sink back into the shadows.

“They were,” he admits uncomfortably, “last time I was here.”

“Yeah, well, maybe they learnt from your previous escape not to leave people unguarded,” Mickey suggests, not unfairly. “What do we do now?”

“Hold on, I thought they were Judoon,” Martha says, peering intently at the silhouette of the figure several metres away.

“They were,” the Doctor agrees. “Well, are. Rejects from the training schools of the Shadow Proclamation.”

“So why hasn’t it noticed us?” She glances at Mickey. “What was it you were telling me about rhinos in that book you were reading the other week? Bad eyesight,”

“But great hearing,” Mickey finishes, glancing at the Doctor. “Are Judoon related to rhinos?”

“In some ways.” He glances at the stationery form. “And certainly in the way you’re both thinking of. With the hearing and sense of smell that Judoon have, they should have realised we were here by now.”

“And that hasn’t even moved,” Mickey says, nodding at it. “Hasn’t even breathed.”

The Doctor sidles down the hallway, keeping the sonic at the ready in the hope that he could disable the gun hanging at the Judoon’s waist if it came to it. They keep to the shadows – only to step into the light with loud laughter as they realize that the shape in front of them is particularly two-dimensional.

“Cardboard cut-out,” Mickey chuckles, kicking it so that it topples over.

“Hey, I said they were rejects,” the Doctor reminds them, checking they aren’t being watched. “Not particularly intelligent.”

“You know what,” Martha suggests. “Why don’t we show our hosts how much we’ve enjoyed their hospitality? Maybe teach them another lesson.”

“You mean lock this fellow up where they put us?” Mickey laughs, swooping on the form. “On it!”

He runs down the hallway and disappears into the cell, reappearing just as the Doctor is about to go down and check on him.

“Tucked it into that single bed they were nice enough to provide for all three of us,” he laughs as he rejoins them. “Come on then, let’s get out of here!”

They aren’t even challenged as they make their way out of the prison and head across the grass to where the TARDIS is parked.

“Okay,” Martha says while the Doctor is unlocking the door, “I think I can understand why they didn’t make it into the Shadow Proclamation.”

The Doctor grins back over his shoulder at the others as he leads the way on board the TARDIS, waiting for them to join him at the console.

“We make quite a team!”