chapter twenty-five ; smith, jones, and, peterson
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LUNA RAN HER FINGERS ALONG THE DOCTOR'S CHEEK AND JAWLINE, watching him with a small smile. It had been a few weeks since their encounter with John Lennon and they'd actually managed to stay out of trouble for the most part. They'd stayed aboard the TARDIS most days, reading and talking, occasionally they'd stroll through different planets and bazaars, doing a bit of shopping. Aside from a couple of angry aliens, a mishap with a boar and the King of New, New, New, New, New, New Earth -- they'd managed to simply enjoy each other's company.
But, they were travelers and they got bored being stuck at home and decided it was time for another grand adventure. There'd been some strange readings and a bit of electromagnetic interference and plasma coils around a hospital back on Earth, and the Doctor suggested they check it out.
And by check it out, he had the oh-so-clever idea to try and blend in. And he failed miserably. The Doctor checked himself in as a patient, and Luna pretended to be his wife, so they could check out the midst of the hospital and try to figure it out from the inside out.
They'd already given the Doctor three psychiatric exams and asked Luna loads of questions about her "husband." Luna didn't exactly have an answer to give them, explaining he was a method actor and sometimes pretended to be his characters in order to go more in depth with them.
They only half-bought it.
"Behave yourself," Luna told him gently, the fond smile seemingly ever-present on her lips. She adjusted herself on the chair and he grinned cheekily, sitting up further and pressing a soft kiss to her lips.
"When don't I?"
Luna let out a short laugh. "Every passing moment. Hush, the doctors are coming."
"I'm the Doctor..." he pouted under his breath as Doctor Stoker and a few fresh faces came into view, pulling back the curtain.
"Now then, Mister Smith, a very good morning to you. How are you today?"
"Oh, not so bad," the Doctor replied, winking at Luna. "Still a bit, you know, blah."
"John Smith, admitted yesterday with severe abdominal pains," Stoker explained, and Luna smiled at them all as he pointed do a dark-skinned woman. Luna's eyebrows furrowed together -- she looked remarkably like someone from Torchwood a few months prior. "Jones, why don't you see what you can find? Amaze me."
They both watched Jones walk towards them, putting her stethescope around her neck. "That wasn't very clever, running around outside, was it?"
Luna sat back a bit, watching across the bed as she examined him, raising an eyebrow at her comment.
"Sorry?"
"On Chancellor Street this morning? You came up to me and took your tie off."
The Doctor exchanged a look with Luna. He hadn't done that -- was there someone impersonating him? It wouldn't have been the first time. Or, perhaps it was a future him doing it in the past? Luna shrugged.
"Really?" The Doctor asked curiously. "What did I do that for?"
"I don't know, you just did."
"Not me. I was here, in bed. Ask the wife," he nodded to Luna. "She knows everything."
"It's true," Luna smiled at the woman.
"Well, that's weird," she frowned at Luna and the Doctor. "'Cause it looked like you. Have you got a brother?"
"No, not any more. Just me."
Luna squeezed his hand gently, but he didn't look at her. She knew he always felt pain talking about his family, even just a mere mention of them. It was the same with her family. It didn't matter that she was over her sister's death and wasn't in the mourning, she still missed her and hated talking about her to other people. It just hurt too much.
"As time passes and I grow ever more infirm and weary, Miss Jones," Stoker said sarcastically, standing a bit too close to Luna. She glanced up at him before scooting a bit closer to the Doctor in her chair. He pretended not to notice but his hand tightened on hers a fraction. She gave him a sidelong look and noticed his lips turn up.
"Sorry," Miss Jones smiled apologetically, resting the diaphragm on his left heart. The Doctor smiled at her knowingly, and Luna's lips turned up as a look of confusion crossed Miss Jones' face as she switched to his other heart.
"I weep for future generations. Are you having trouble locating the heart, Miss Jones?"
Luna coughed into her free hand, fighting back a laugh. She found the entire situation to be far too funny and was fighting back too many jokes.
"Er, I don't know. Stomach cramps?" Miss Jones guessed.
Mr. Stoker scoffed. "That is a symptom, not a diagnosis. And you rather failed basic techniques by not consulting first with the patient's chart." He reached over to the chart, wincing as an electric shock from the metal clipboard shocked him.
"That happened to me this morning," Miss Jones told Mr. Stoker.
"I had the same thing on the door handle," another medical student told him.
"And me, on the lift."
The Doctor and Luna exchanged a look. That's exactly what drew them to the hospital in the first place.
"That's only to be expected. There's a thunderstorm moving in and lightning is a form of static electricity, as was first proven by...anyone?"
"Benjamin Franklin," The Doctor answered cheerfully.
"Correct."
"My mate, Ben, you'd like him," the Doctor breathed in, reminiscing, looking to Luna. "That was a day and a half. I got rope burns off that kite, and then I got soaked..."
Luna closed her eyes, a fond smile growing on her face. "Here we go again," she laughed to herself. "Sorry about him," she apologized to Mr. Stoker, once again explaining the cover story. "I've told the other nurses, he's a method actor, really likes to get in character."
"Quite."
"And then I got electrocuted."
"Moving on," Mr. Stoker announced to the group, moving away from the Doctor's bedside. "I think perhaps a visit from psychiatric," he said quietly to another doctor. Luna groaned quietly. Again? "And next we have..."
As they walked off, Martha glanced back at the pair and the Doctor grinned at her. Luna winked and Martha smiled, following Mr. Stoker off.
"You're terrible," Luna told the Doctor after they'd gone. "Really? Benjamin Franklin? I'm so tired of psychiatric visits."
The Doctor grinned cheekily, reaching up and grabbing the back of her head, pulling her face towards him. "I'll make it up to you," he promised, his face only centimeters from her own.
"Oh yeah?" She asked and he nodded, sure of himself. She raised an eyebrow. "That's what you said about Sherlock."
The Doctor groaned, falling back against the pillow on the bed. "That was one time, I'm sorry!"
Luna leaned back against the chair, shaking her head as she spoke in dramatic sarcasm. "All I'm saying, we could have met Sherlock Holmes but no, you just had to find the devil instead."
"I'm sorry," his smile widened. Her lips formed a small pout. "I promise, I'll make it all up to you. I'll take you to Shakespeare, alright? I know you've been wanting to meet him..."
Luna stood a bit straighter, eyes widening in excitement. "Don't make a promise you can't keep," she warned.
The Doctor shook his head. "I'll make it happen as soon as we're done here, alright?"
Luna thought for a moment, watching him, lips pursed in consideration. At last, she relented and nodded, sticking her hand out for him to shake. "You've got a deal, Doc."
He grinned, shaking her hand enthusiastically. "Deal."
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The Doctor held Luna's hand tightly as they roamed the halls, him still donning a dressing gown and the hospital pajamas.
"This rain is so weird," Luna conversed as they walked. He nodded, checking into a room, stopping for a moment, before tugging her along.
"Tell me about it," he agreed. "Something's definitely wrong here."
Not a moment later, they stood looking outside a window with matching expressions. The rain was going up. "Well, that's unusual," Luna commented. "Never seen that one, how 'bout you, Doc?"
The Doctor sucked in a breath, dropping her hand and moving closer to the window. "I think I have an idea what's going on."
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Luna took another spoonful of the jello, listening to the Doctor explain his theory about an H2O scoop. Then the blast happened and Luna was thrown back, accidentally knocking over a tray of medical tools as the Doctor stumbled over his feet, trying to grip onto something. Most of the other occupants began screaming and Luna tried to get up, losing balance as the storm overtook the hospital.
"It's the gravitational pull!" The Doctor shouted to her over the screaming and storm. "Someone's messed with it, we're going up!"
Luna nodded in understanding. "Got it!" She frowned, looking to the floor where her snack was thrown about. "My jello," she pouted.
After a minute, the shaking stopped and the Doctor rushed to Luna's side, helping her up. "You alright?" He asked her.
She nodded. "Yeah," she answered, looking back at the floor. "I paid for that jello. You don't even have any money, I found a fiver in the loo and spent in on jello."
He shook his head fondly. "Oh, Luna." He kissed her cheek soundly, watching as the Jones woman from before rushed into the room, trying to calm the now screaming patients down. A few doctors broke down crying and Luna sighed. The Doctor grabbed the bag they'd gotten earlier, changing into his normal clothes and Luna looked away, blushing heavily.
"Doctor, warn me next time."
The Doctor grinned as she glanced back a minute later, only to find him tucking in his shirt. She moved over, shaking her head. "What am I going to do with you?" She asked, grabbing his tie and placing it around his neck, tying it quickly.
"Stick around, maybe," he teased. "Kiss me a little?"
She rolled her eyes, patting his chest after finishing. "Maybe. I don't know yet."
"...But they're not exactly air tight," the woman, Jones, from earlier explained and the Doctor grabbed his jacket, throwing it on quickly and pecking Luna's lips. She scowled playfully.
"Sorry, had to," he winked. "Hard to resist."
"If the air was going to get sucked out it would have happened straight away, but it didn't. So how come?"
The Doctor pulled back the curtain dramatically, looking to the woman seriously. "Very good point. Brilliant, in fact. What was your name?"
"Martha."
"And it was Jones, wasn't it? Well then, Martha Jones, the question is, how are we still breathing?" He grabbed Luna's hand, pulling her towards the window as they both looked outside, the Doctor more intrigued than she.
"We can't be," answered another doctor.
The Doctor rolled his eyes "Obviously we are, so don't waste my time," Luna smacked his chest lightly for the rude remark but he ignored her, turning to Martha again. "Martha, what have we got? Is there a balcony on this floor, or a veranda, or--"
"--By the patients' lounge, yeah," Martha answered.
"Fancy going out?" The Doctor asked her with a small smile, his eyes brightening. Luna knew the look. A small smile graced her lips -- he was testing her, wanted to see if she was worth being his companion. He did the same to Donna. Excitement bubbled in her as she thought about having another woman on board. She loved the Doctor, but desperately needed another human to talk to. And after the Rose fiasco -- she wanted a woman she could trust.
"Okay."
"We might die."
"We might not," Martha argued. Luna grinned and the Doctor's smile widened.
"Good. Come on," he grabbed Luna's hand and Martha followed them quickly. "Not her, she'd hold us up," he gestured to the other doctor.
"Be nice, Doc," she chastised him and he shrugged.
"Sorry," he mocked.
They raced through the halls quickly and found the patients lounge soon enough, walking over the doors. The three exchanged a look, and took a deep breath as Martha and the Doctor pushed the doors open.
They waited a moment before letting their breaths out. Luna took the first breath, the Doctor following in suit before Martha inhale.
"We've got air," Martha gasped and the trio moved closer to the edge. "How does that work?"
The Doctor snaked his hand around Luna's waist. The view was beautiful. They could see the Earth from where they stood, and all around them was the dusty, grey moon. Space seemed endless above them and, for a moment, Luna felt at peace. She had grown accustomed to strange scenarios and anything involving space and odd circumstances. It was home.
"Just be glad it does," the Doctor said pointedly.
"I've got a party tonight," Martha spoke softly, choking up. "It's my brother's twenty first. My mother's going to be really, really..."
"You okay?" Luna asked her gently.
"Yeah," she answered confidently.
The Doctor glanced over. "Sure?"
"Yeah."
"Want to go back in?" He asked.
Martha shook her head immediately. "No way. I mean, we could die any minute, but all the same, it's beautiful."
"Do you think?"
"How many people want to go to the moon?" Martha questioned in awe. "And here we are."
Luna smiled over at her, leaning into the Doctor a bit. "I like her," she whispered just loud enough for him to hear. He squeezed her waist in response.
"Standing in the Earthlight."
"What do you think happened?" Martha asked the pair.
Luna shrugged. "What do you think?"
"Extraterrestrial. It's got to be. I don't know, a few years ago that would have sounded mad, but these days? That spaceship flying into Big Ben, Christmas, those Cybermen things. I had a cousin. Adeola. She worked at Canary Wharf. She never came home."
Luna sighed. That must have been the familiarity, they looked so similar. She remembered the woman, just before the Cybermen came through and she had the panic attack. It felt like so long ago.
"I'm sorry," the Doctor said honestly.
"Yeah."
"We were there," he confessed quietly. "In battle..." His grip tightened around Luna and rested a hand on his chest, looking up at him. Losing Rose, Mickey, their fight -- it all seemed so fresh and raw.
"I promise you, Mr. and Mrs. Smith, we will find a way out. If we can travel to the moon, then we can travel back. There's got to be a way."
Luna smiled, letting out a small laugh as the Doctor dropped his hand from her waist, grabbing her hand and interlocking their fingers.
"Oh, it's not Smith," he explained, "that's not my real name."
"And we're not married," Luna added. "Luna Peterson, pleasure to meet you."
Martha looked between the two unconvinced. "You sure act like it."
"We're together, but not married," Luna explained.
"Yet," the Doctor said under his breath. Her eyes widened and she turned to him, jaw dropping a fraction.
"What was that?"
He pretended not to hear her and Martha chuckled at the pair. "Who are you, then?" She asked the Doctor as he let go of Luna's hand, moving to the edge of the balcony, staring off the side from different angles.
"I'm the Doctor."
"Me too, if I can pass my exams," Martha shook her head. "What is it then, Doctor Smith?"
"Just the Doctor."
"How do you mean, just the Doctor?"
Luna laughed at his face as he walked around, his face growing slightly annoyed.
"Just the Doctor."
"What, people call you the Doctor?"
"Yeah."
"Well, I'm not. As far as I'm concerned, you've got to earn that title."
"He has," Luna assured her.
"Well, I'd better make a start, then. Let's have a look. There must be some sort of," he grabbed a pebble from near the door, tossing it out. A ripple occurred, making a low-toned vibration sound. "Forcefield keeping the air in."
"But if that's like a bubble sealing us in, that means this is the only air we've got. What happens when it runs out?"
"How many people in this hospital?" Luna asked.
"I don't know. A thousand?"
The Doctor sucked in a breath, grabbing Luna's hand again. "One thousand people," he and Luna exchanged an angry look. "Suffocating."
Martha gasped. "Why would anyone do that?"
Not a moment later, three spaceships moved through the forcefield, each twice as big as the hospital and floated above them before landing on the ground of the moon.
"Head's up! Ask them yourself."
"Aliens," Martha commented. "Real, proper, aliens."
Luna smirked. If only she knew.
The Doctor's face hardened as the aliens got out of the spaceships, marching towards the hospital. "Judoon."
Luna's nose crinkled up and she shook her head. "I hate them."
He glanced at her in surprise. "You've never met them, how could you hate them?"
"I don't know," she answered honestly. "Something in the back of my head, just...telling me I don't like them."
A smile tugged at the Doctor's lips and he opened his eyes to say something but shook his head, deciding against it and instead, pressed a kiss to her head. "I love you," he murmured quietly in her ear. She smiled at the words, a faint blush tracing her cheeks. Where'd that come from?
He squeezed her hand, pulling her away from the balcony, gesturing for Martha to follow as they raced down the halls. They found the Judoon a few minutes later, storming the hospital shop and scanning humans.
"Oh, look down there," the Doctor smiled. "You've got a little shop. I like a little shop."
Luna shook her head. "You want something from the shop?"
"Maybe," he shrugged. "Could be nice."
"Never mind that," Martha interrupted. "What are Judoon?"
"They're like police. Well, police for hire."
"They're more like interplanetary thugs," Luna added. She'd gotten a bit used to randomly spouting facts. The more she encountered other alien species, and the longer she spent with them, the more she seemed to know. Not to mention, spending a majority of her time asking the Doctor questions and reading up on different species seemed to help.
"And they brought us to the moon?" Martha questioned them
"Neutral territory. According to galactic law, they've got no jurisdiction over the Earth, and they isolated it. That rain, lightning? That was them, using an H2O scoop."
"What are you on about, galactic law?" Martha asked as the Doctor pulled Luna to another part of the mezzanine, ducking behind a plant. Martha joined that a moment later, hiding next to the Doctor. "Where'd you get that from? If they're police, are we under arrest? Are we trespassing on the moon or something?"
"No, but I like that," he half-smiled at Martha, glancing over at her. "Good thinking. No, I wish it were that simple. They're making a catalogue. That means they're after something non human, which is very bad news for me."
"Why?" Martha turned to him in confusion. The Doctor simply stared at her.
"Oh, you're kidding me." He raised an eyebrow and she shook her head. "Don't be ridiculous. Stop looking at me like that."
"Come on then," he told her, pulling Luna up and down the halls again, Martha following quickly behind.
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okay first chapter of this up:) I'm actually not a fan of this episode tbh. I love Martha but there are sooooo many other good episodes in this season so this one's kinda meh for me but idk. next chapter will be out in a few hours so keep an eye out! thanks for the continued support, I love this story sm and I'm so happy you guys like it. fun things are coming because I love Martha so much and I'm so excited for her and Luna. also ik this was kinda luna to the side a bit but again this isn't my favorite episode and I didn't have the best idea on how to incorporate her v much tbh. okay let me know your thoughts!! comment any hopes or suggestions or predictions! don't be a silent reader!! and don't forget to vote!!!! stay safe! -osw