Summer 8 - Open

[notrosesshadow]

Morning - Community Center

Martha decided she needed a hike. While she had been avoiding people, she also wasn't really experiencing the island. Today she would. She woke up early and braided her hair... her hair. The rain had done a number on it, and she didn't have any product to even attempt to straighten it... Braids it was until she figured something else out. That done, and with proper adventuring clothes and shoes, she made her way to the Community Center. There she poked around in the kitchen. She filled a canteen with water and grabbed some various food stuffs that she could throw in her backpack. She didn't plan for this to be a massive hike, but just enough. She also make sure to add a pen and notebook.

---

Evening - Community Center

Martha sat in the lounge on the second floor with a cup of tea and a book. The hike had been what she needed, and now, she needed tea. She also should review her notes, but that could wait until she got back to her room.

Comments

[notrosesshadow]

Martha used to think that too. About UNIT. It turned out all the travels with the Doctor didn’t balance out her completely disregarding a superior officer and then destroying the Osterhagen Key.

She nodded though.

“Yeah. There certainly are plenty of us... plenty of others saving the world. And you never know when the Doctor’s around to help.”

[readystopwatch]

“Let’s hope so.” It seems too grim for this conversation to add that going back will be the death of him. It makes him feel a great deal less irresponsible when he thinks of it that way. “I’m sure Jack’s done plenty of his own world saving these last few years as well. I’m sure we’ll both hear all about it soon enough.”

[notrosesshadow]

“I’m sure he has,” she replied carefully. “That being said, he’s been fairly tight-lipped about his life.” But then, so had she. She shrugged her shoulders to hide her real concern about Jack. “But then we are on vacation. I can see wanting to not think about home while here.”

[readystopwatch]

So he’s not the only one whose noticed Jack is hiding something. He’s long past the time when he would have pried into what it is but he is worried about him. He looks away, suddenly a bit awkward. It’s been easy these past few years describing their relationship to strangers but he finds it rather more difficult to share it with a friend. She judged him for it last time even if he can hardly blame her given the circumstances. But it still feels like a touchy subject with her after all these years. He knows he’s just projecting his own feelings on the situation, but he can’t help it.

“It was actually the three of us for quite some time. Together, that is. Jack, Spike and myself. But you know him, he doesn’t like to stay tied down. We haven’t split up but he spends a lot of time away having his own adventures. I’m always glad to see him when he returns, but for someone who is so important to me I’ll admit I don’t know much of what he’s been up to lately. It’s all rather complicated, I realize.”

[notrosesshadow]

She'd definitely noticed. But Martha was also not doing anything about it because she knew she'd have to talk about her own issues too. It was easier to stay tight lipped. Besides, out of all the time at the island, they'd met twice. When they arrived, and when they got drunk at Midsummer.

Martha had been taking another sip of her tea when he mentioned Jack, Spike, and himself in the relationship. She sputtered as she made sense of them.

Once she caught her breath, she looked at him in surprise. "The three of you? How the hell did Jack NOT tell me that? That seems just the sort of thing he'd boast about."

[readystopwatch]

Ianto looks a bit sheepish but still manages a wry smile at the reaction. Much better than last time, then. Maybe he can keep the circumstances of he way their relationship began more of a secret this time. It might go better for all of them.

“Rather a good question to be honest. But as I said, it’s been months since I even spoke to him, much less saw him. The two of us have stayed on Earth while he’s been off having adventures. And he knows I don’t mind if he involves himself with other people he meets to be honest it may just not have occurred to him to mention it all. I’m sure he’s had plenty else to occupy his time with.”

[notrosesshadow]

To be fair, the other Martha had found out after being attacked by his boyfriend. This Martha has no impression of Spike other than he's absurdly handsome and isn't good at first impressions.

"You do have a point. I guess I just figured he'd give me news about mutual friends. But then again, he probably doesn't want to spoil things for me."

She frowned. "This feels like it's going to be tough... being so far behind you all."

[readystopwatch]

“I don’t know; to be honest it’s been five years since I’ve seen you, more or less. Even if we were from the same timeline you wouldn’t know any of this. Aside from Spike I’ve been rather anti-social lately I’m afraid.” The faint, fond smile on his lips gives away how little he minds this development. He doesn’t need anyone else, not with what the two of them have developed over the years. He was never the most sentimental person but that’s changed around him. His relationship with Jack was always drama and emotion and while that’s electric and something he loves about him this is different. His life now is different, and he thinks it’s for the best.

[notrosesshadow]

He so clearly loved Spike. It hurt to see that. Not that she wasn't happy for him. But after Tom... well. It just hurt. But it sounded as though Ianto didn't know that. Which was a good thing from her mind. Meant she didn't have to talk about it. "It's really been five years since we saw each other?" There's something sad it that too. How many people did she end up losing in the future.

"Well, I definitely want to meet this Spike soon considering just how much you love him."

[readystopwatch]

He blushes again at the comment, before asking delicately, “How are things with you and Tom?”

It’s an innocent question but it shouldn’t be hard to see that he knows. It’s about the right point in her timeline after all and the sympathy in his gaze is obvious.

[notrosesshadow]

Martha hadn't talked to anyone about Tom. Part of this vacation was to just let her get over that pain. And then he asked the question. She saw by his face that he already knew, and that just made it more frustrating.

She pressed her lips together a moment and sighed while her gaze shifted to the table, though she wasn't actually seeing it.

"You already know the answer it seems."

[readystopwatch]

“I was hoping things had changed, or my guess on your timeline was a bit off,” He replies gently. He does feel a little guilty for already knowing her secret but they certainly talked about it a lot before. Hopefully she can trust him enough to do it again. “If you’d ever like to talk I’d be happy to listen.”

[notrosesshadow]

She smiled ruefully. "Well, you know. These things happen. Seems people like us don't get to experience normal. I had just hoped... well..."

Martha took another sip of tea. "I'll be fine. But... thanks. For the offer."

[readystopwatch]

“I can offer to not talk about it and explore this place sometime instead if you’d prefer.” He knows when not to push. She’ll share if she wants to. Until then he’ll just be a friend. In the long run that might be more important.

[notrosesshadow]

This was the first any person had come close to that which pained her right now. Sure she'd spent the past few days holed up in her room or out where no one else was to avoid people while she stewed, but this was actually talking.

"I just wanted... I just wanted someone to see me. And he did... he saw through my Filter, and he helped me get to freedom. He died for me. But that man doesn't actually exist. Not anymore. The real Tom? He couldn't handle it. The trouble was always there, but it wasn't 'til the Daleks that things really came to a head."

[readystopwatch]

It’s been awhile since he heard this from her, enough time for it to hurt all over again to listen too. In his opinion anyone who would leave Martha Jones was never good enough for her to begin with but that sounds rather insentive to say just now.

“It’s hard, living the way we do. With all these different times and secrets in our heads. Did he know? About what had happened between you two before?”

[notrosesshadow]

Martha shook her head. "I didn't tell him. There are some things you just don't share. It would have broken him Ianto."

She took a deep, shuddering breath, then opted for another sip of tea.

"So I'm here on a vacation. And who knows... maybe I'll find a distraction."

[readystopwatch]

“I hope you do,” Ianto replies with an understanding smile. “And if I can ever help with that distracting be sure to let me know.”