A Man Named John Smith (10th Doctor x OC)

Chapter Twenty three

"Are you sure?" the Doctor asked carefully.

"One hundred percent sure," Willow replied.

He opened his arms and Willow walked into him. She held onto him tightly like he could disappear at any moment.

Jack looked at the two of them before glancing at the ground. He stood from the chair and heaved a big sigh.

"Actually Doctor," he blurted, running a hand through his brown hair. "I can't stay. Not now."

"What?" both Willow and the Doctor said, their eyes wide.

"I know, I know," Jack replied, a faint grin on his lips. "It's just... I've been waiting for the right Doctor to, you know, take me back. I thought for a moment that now would be the right time but..." He shook his head. "You both have some sorting out to do. It'd be wrong for me to try and throw myself into it all."

"But you've waited for such a long time," Willow pointed out. She really wanted her new friend to stay.

Jack chuckled and nodded. "True. But I can wait for a bit longer. Not like I'm getting any older."

"Are you sure?" the Doctor asked, slowly turning to the console.

"Of course," he winked. "Just please drop me off in the 21st century."

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"You're doing all of this just because of my stupid little crush, aren't you?" Willow asked, jabbing Jack in the arm with her elbow. She was trying to lighten the mood as much as she could, trying to distract her mind from the loss of John. She had to move on somehow. That's how life was with the Doctor.

"Maybe, maybe not," he replied before glancing down at her. "Look Willow, you deserve more. I know it, hell, even Jamie knew it. What happened to you, what happened to John... it wasn't right in any way and I'm sure the Doctor knows that. I'm also sure that he knows he was being a bit dramatic in that recording."

Willow hugged herself as she looked out over the bay the TARDIS had landed in. Her hazel eyes flicked up to his blue ones. "I've said it before and I'll say it again: the Doctor sees me as a friend, Jack. Though there are times," she stopped and dipped her head. "Oh it's stupid."

Jack nudged her with a goofy smile that lifted her grieving spirits a tiny bit. "Spill," he urged her.

Willow gave him a side eye, but continued. "There are times where I catch him looking. Just staring at me with a faint grin on his lips that makes me want to return it," she sighed before rubbing her face. "At least, I thought. I don't know, it's stupid."

Jack shrugged and looked out at the crashing waves. "It's not stupid," he assured her. He wet his lips like he was about to say something important. "You know, Willow, I spoke to the Doctor about this and he-"

"Willow? Are you ready?" the Doctor called from the door of the TARDIS. "I just got a radio distress signal from the planet Skowven! It's avalanche season!"

"Oh jeez," Willow said with alarm as she stepped away. Her gaze went from Jack to the Doctor's. "I've better go. People to save, you know."

"Of course," Jack nodded. "Just make sure to take care of yourself too, Willow."

"I will. Thanks, Captain." She gave him a small salute, which he returned. After a final glance, Willow went into the TARDIS, leaving Jack behind.

She watched as the Doctor bumbled around the console, pulling switches, hitting buttons. "Skowven has some lovely weather," he babbled. "Although the vast hills and mountains lead to one hell of an avalanche towards the end of winter. Apparently this year, there's bound to be five times more snow than average-"

His voice trailed away as Willow stood stoically in the doorway. 

"We can't just go back to how it was. You know that," she whispered. "It's going to take some time."

The Doctor looked down at his Converse. They awkwardly stood in place before Willow spoke again. 

"I forgive you Doctor, but there are times when you forget that not all of us can move on as fast as you," she said, trying to hold back her tears. "I just need a second to recover. You know, while still doing all of the hero stuff too."

"I... I understand," the Doctor murmured, running his hands along his face. "I can't express how sorry I am-"

"You don't have to," she said, opening her arms for another hug. The Doctor quickly received it, squeezing her shoulders as tightly as he could. "I forgive you, remember?"

They stood in each other's arms for as long as they could.

"And you're sure that whatever you had to say in the bathroom wasn't important?" he whispered into her ear.

Willow paused for a moment. Her lips twitched with the temptation of telling him how she truly felt about him.

No, she suddenly thought. What good would it do anyway?

She tilted her head so that her buttoned nose nearly touched his. "It was nothing. Nothing special at all."

Willow released him and pursed her lips together into something like a smile. She widened the forced expression onto the rest of her face, trying to distract her friend from the underlying sadness in her eye.

"So, what are we waiting for?"

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AAAAAAAHHH I had so much fun writing this story!!! Thank you to everyone who stuck with it. Like I said at the beginning, the Family of Blood episode was so interesting to me, but I was also thinking "what if John Smith had fallen in love with Martha (bc of her lil crush situation),,, like, what emotions would she had gone through when it was time to open the watch???" that would have been such a cool concept, though I do love the episode in itself. 

Anyways, I'm already on the next story (writing machine in quarantine, remember?) 

The plot takes place in the early 20's with glamour and flashiness (ooooh) with a more sci fi themed story that also tackles Willow and the Doctor's rELAtIoNsHiP. I hope you stick around for more!

Thank u for reading! x