ashes ➝ Doctor Who²

XX

"Busy? Doing what, exactly?"
- Francine, The Lazarus Experiment

"You look amazing Martha." The doctor in training had to hold back her compliments for the woman. She didn't think she'd have enough nice things to say.

"Thank you so much! I saw that guy you came in with, he is stunning. Is that the partner you told me about."

"Something like that, I sent him off for drinks since we were forced out this evening."

The doctor stepped forwards, scratching the back of his neck. He felt awkward and unwanted in this conversation. Which was mainly due to the way she refused to look at him properly. And then when she did, it was cold.

"Why are you here? If you didn't want to be." Penelope tried hard not to feel anything when she looked at him, but the guilt she had tried so hard to bury was making itself known the longer he was there.

"Lazarus has been dealing with Torchwood for a while. He supplies some of our equipment free of charge and with absolutely no catches. Not often we get a deal with that. Besides I can deal with a tad of flirting from the old man at these types of events if it keeps Torchwood running." He looks at her confused, and a little surprised at how much she's changed.

"So he does it absolutely free? Doesn't sound real, not for Torchwood. There's always something." Her eyes flicked to his sharply and he almost flinched.

"Maybe there was at some point. But I own it now, I run it in the memory of people we couldn't save. I run it so that I never have to tell another mother their baby isn't coming home. Not everyone has the Doctor looking out for them. Now if you don't mind, I'm going to find out where my drinks went, please catch me at some point Martha so that I can get your number." Martha had been watching between them during the interaction, a little in awe of the woman. As she bid goodbye and sauntered off into the crowd, she turned to her plus one for the evening.

"You didn't say you knew her."

"I don't."

"You clearly do, the way she was looking at you Doctor. That's only when you've really pissed a woman off." She turned away for a second to try and find her in the crowd before she turned round again, gripping his sleeve.

"What?" He was a little distracted, being a head taller than everyone else he was able to see her leave and get caught in conversation by someone else

"I forgot to ask for her name again, crap. This is the second time I've done that."

"Yeah. Could- could you just give me a minute Martha. I'll be right back." He slipped out of her grasp and made his way through the crowd, intent on finding her again.

It had taken a little time, and it was still processing. What he had done to Penelope was harsh, it was horrible and he never should've treated her that way. Not when he.. when he needed her.

He caught her arm, and the person she was talking to seemed a little offended. The man had two drinks in his hand, and looked as if he was offering her one.

"Can we help you?"

"Sorry, just got to steal her for a minute, you'll be fine on your own." He dragged her away, into the crowd of people so that he could talk to her.

Although it seemed that as soon as he turned to face her, his blood ran cold. His heart almost stopped at the seething look on her face.

And for a split second, he was scared of her.

"Are you out of your mind Doctor? If that had been a seriously important benefactor we would've lost funding and I would've had your head."

"But.."

"But that was just a guy trying to flirt with me. So you got lucky this time. The hell do you want? Thought you wanted nothing to do with me." She was pointed and it hurt him a little.

"I wanted to find out how you'd been." She looked at him like he'd grown another head and eaten one of the guests.

"I appreciate the fact that you think that now you've calmed yourself down I'm ready to talk to you, but I'm not. If you really do care then find me when I am." Someone called her name from behind her and she turned. Thankfully she didn't see the crestfallen face of her past companion. "That's my partner. Have a good evening Doctor."

He watched he walk away again, except this time he couldn't follow her. And that hurt more than he had expected.