calufrax | Entries tagged with companion: martha

humantales.livejournal.com

I apologize for missing yesterday. I'm fighting some virus and my brain isn't at full capacity. A second will go up tonight.

Story: The Lonely Doctor's Club (or: Two Doctors Walk Into a Pub
Author: onedergirl
Rating: All Ages
Word Count: 4,880
Author's Summary: Martha Jones meets another doctor in a pub. Drunkenness and commiserating ensue. (Crossover with the BBC's Sherlock)
Characters/Pairings: The Doctor (11th)
Warnings: None

Recced because: I love crossovers. This one has two "sidekicks", who are also doctors (proper medical doctors), commiserating with each other. It's silly and a lot of fun. (Martha Jones and John Watson are an awesome team.)

( Excerpt )

Enjoy! And review.

sahiya.livejournal.com

Story: Noble Pursuits
Author: Quean of Swords
Rating: Teen
Word Count: 52k
Author's Summary: In an alternate universe, alternate Donna Noble is a PA at H.C. Clements. Then, one day, her boss tries to feed her to his alien insect offspring. Lucky for her, she is rescued by Rose Tyler of the Insanely Rich Tylers and a mysterious man who calls himself 'the Doctor'... two people who seem to be a bit more familiar with her than they should be. The Doctor, Rose, and the team at Torchwood Alpha (a.k.a. The Warehouse) have to stop an insidious alien invasion before they've even had a chance to settle into their new lives. Will Donna have to chose between helping them or protecting her ailing grandfather?
Characters/Pairings: Alt!Ten/Rose Tyler, Alt!Donna Noble, Alt!Harriet Jones, Alt!Ianto Jones, Alt!Jackie Tyler, Alt!Martha Jones, Alt!Owen Harper, Alt!Pete Tyler, Alt!Toshiko Sato, Alt!Wilfred Mott
Warnings: None.

Recced because: This was one of this year's

tardis_bigbang fics, and it. is. marvelous. Among the many things to look forward to: excellent writing, the human Doctor's slow adjustment to his new circumstances, and Donna being, well, Donna. Plus a most entertaining "aliens invading!" plot.

sahiya.livejournal.com

Story: Bubbles
Author: mamfidd82
Rating: All Ages
Word Count: 11,400
Author's Summary: Martha Jones and the no good, very bad day. With big dresses, mud, banter, a manual called 'So You Lack Bridezilla Genes!', wellington boots, Cheeky Walking Fishy People, and space snot.
Characters/Pairings: Martha/Tom, with cameos by Francine and Tish
Warnings: None.

Recced because: And now for something completely different! This story is, in short, hysterical. Poor Martha starts out having a bad day when she forgets she agreed to shop for wedding dresses with her mum and sister - and then the Doctor shows up and it's all downhill from there. Need a pick-me-up to get over the middle of the week? This is your fic.

sahiya.livejournal.com

Story: Starting Over
Author: hence_the_name
Rating: All Ages
Word Count: 16,400
Author's Summary: The TARDIS lands in Cardiff with a mysteriously ill Doctor on board.
Characters/Pairings: Jack/Ten, Donna, Martha
Warnings: None.

Recced because: Anyone in fandom who knows me for five minutes knows I am the world's biggest sucker for well-done h/c - and this this fic is exactly that, but so much more as well! It's post-Journey's End, so our poor Doctor is in dire need of some comfort.

hence_the_name writes beautifully and has a deft hand with both the characters and their relationships.

I forgot to mention this yesterday, but if you read, please drop the author a comment! It's always lovely to have comments roll in unexpectedly months (or years!) after you've posted something.

dbskyler.livejournal.com

Story: Thirteen Conversations About One Thing
Author: Amy Wolf
Rating: All Ages
Word Count: 6792
Author's Summary: "I'm half-human, on my mother's side."
Characters/Pairings: Doctors 1-13, Susan, Victoria, Sarah Jane, Romana II, Tegan, Peri, Ace, Grace, Jackie, Martha, Original Companions
Warnings: None

Recced because: "I'm half-human, on my mother's side." That one little line from the TVM is arguably the most hated piece of dialogue in the history of the show. But what if it were true? This fic explores what that might mean for the Doctor and his relationships with humans, using the device of showing thirteen different conversations where thirteen Doctors touch upon -- or just manage to avoid touching upon -- the subject. It's a skillful exploration, dripping with nicely drawn characterizations, and the ending is wonderful.

( a snippet )

dbskyler.livejournal.com

Story: When Dex was Three
Author: Azriona
Rating: All Ages
Word Count: 5453
Author's Summary: Dex Tyler is three years old, and life is good. And then, one day, with absolutely no warning whatsoever (if Dex Tyler is to be believed), it isn’t. A one-shot in the Crossroads series, though can be read very well on its own.
Characters/Pairings: Tenth Doctor/Rose Tyler, Ianto Jones, Sarah Jane Smith, Martha Jones, Original Companion
Warnings: None

Recced because: This is a story told from the point of view of Dex Tyler, three-year-old son of the Tenth Doctor and Rose Tyler. It's part of a larger set of stories but it can be read as a stand-alone, as no prior knowledge of the series is needed. What I love about this fic is how deftly the tale is told, with a strong respect for how seriously children take the world around them. Although filled with moments that are fluffy and warmly humorous, the fic manages to create an underlying and realistic tension, and it explores some very deep themes about loneliness and the meaning of family. As for Dex himself, he is an utterly charming original character who deserves to have his own series someday.

( A taste )

ladymercury-10.livejournal.com

Story: Closer to Fine
Author: Etherati
Rating: All Ages
Word Count: 2105
Author's Summary: The Doctor is very good at pretending that he’s fine, but he’s running on fumes, and hiding in the shadows is no way to replenish your light. Ten, Martha, Post-42.
Characters/Pairings: Ten, Martha
Warnings: None

Recced because: "42" was a really intense episode, and we never really get to see the aftermath of it. "Closer to Fine" provides a lovely coda. The author manages to convey Ten's lingering fear and Martha's bravery while steering clear of excessive angst. The tone manages to be thoughtful and lighthearted at the same time, and the characterizations are spot-on. Plus, the marshmallow scene is simply splendid.

eve11

So now you know the reason I recc'ed such a short story yesterday; I was saving up for today's ;)

Story: The Godfather Paradox
Author: Quean of Swords
Rating: Teen
Word Count: 78,865
Author's Summary: When you're in trouble, you call the Doctor, and Charlie Elliott is in trouble. Her parents have disappeared and it's as if they never even existed. Can the Doctor put things right again before the universe unravels?
Characters: Ten, Jack Harkness, cameos from other Torchwood crew, Original Characters
Warnings: Swearing

Recc'ed because: It's an adventurous, sprawling tale with mystery, paradox, action and some really cool original characters. One day, Charlie Elliot's life just starts erasing. I know some teens feel invisible from time to time, but in Charlie's case it becomes all too real, and she becomes the crux of a paradox that threatens to destroy all of reality in its wake. I like how Charlie is easily recognizable as a teen, but how the story rises above its teen adventure sensibilities in exploring her relationship with the Tenth Doctor during a stretch where he certainly isn't looking for companions. It's imaginative and fun, timey-wimey, nail-biting and has a really cool climax. What more could you ask for in a story?

( Excerpt )

redblueskies.livejournal.com

Story: Be Still, My Beating Heart
Author: Elliptic Eye
Rating: G
Word Count: 863
Author's Summary: Judoon, hospitals on the moon, bendy straws of evil--all very well. But how did the Doctor get that double-heartbeat past all those, er, doctors?
Characters/pairings: Martha Jones, The Doctor (10th)
Warnings: None

Recced because:
Martha is a character I like far more in fanfiction than out of it (if I am to be absolutely honest). However I do admit that there were many ways in which she was mistreated by the Doctor and by her circumstances. I like this story because though the tone is light, and even joking, it manages to convey a Doctor who is capricious and a little whimsical in his choice of Martha, putting some of the onus for her misery on him from the beginning. While also leaving room for Martha as a strong, intelligent woman.

( Also: it's fun... )

sciathan-file.livejournal.com

Happy Saturday! Today we're era hopping.

Story: A Shift in Perspective
Author:  Persiflage
Rating:  Teen
Word Count:  50234
Author's Summary:  The Tenth Doctor goes missing and it's up to Martha Jones to track him down again, but it proves both harder and more instructive than she expects.
Characters/Pairings: Sarah Jane Smith, The Doctor (All incarnations), The White Guardian, Torchwood, a plethora of companions
Warnings: Spoilers for just about everything. They are warned for in the author's notes of each section.

Recced because: Set a few months after series 4, "A Shift in Perspective" sends Martha on a journey that has her meeting the Doctor - yes, every incarnation of him. What stands out about this particular fic (and Persiflage's writing in general) is her nuanced and strong portrayal of Martha Jones: she's independent, she's strong, and she does what she has to do. Part of the charm of "A Shift in Perspective" is the fact that you get to see glimpses of Martha interacting with all of the Doctors (who are all impeccably characterized) as well as many of the previous companions. Moreover, the fic is fast-paced and features a solid plot alongside the solid characterizations. Overall, a wonderful fic to park yourself and read on a summer day (or on any day, really).

( A small sample... )

sciathan-file.livejournal.com

Happy Tuesday to everyone. Today we have a trip back into the slightly mythical past.

Story: The Old Man and the Police Box, and other impossible tales
Author:  Rowena Zahnrei
Rating:  PG
Word Count:  12,838
Author's Summary:  In 1913, a British schoolteacher named John Smith wrote a short story destined to become a classic. Entitled "The Old Man and the Police Box," it tells the tale of an eccentric inventor from the land of Gallifrey who steals a miraculous time ship and sets sail for adventure.
Characters/Pairings: Martha Jones, Rose Tyler, Susan Foreman, The Daleks, The Doctor (10th), The Doctor (1st), The Doctor (4th), The Doctor (9th), The TARDIS
Warnings: For purists, Lungbarrow is taken as canon here.
Recced because: This fic uses the framing device of the Journal of Impossible things to great advantage. It is, essentially, a collection of the central stories that make the Doctor who he is related by one John Smith (and cleverly edited by Rowena Zahnrei). Each journal entry comes accompanied by an editorial gloss before continuing on with Smith's parts, which border on elegant stream of consciousness. The effective mix of styles for this collection is just part of its charm, however. The stories themselves weave through canon beautifully, piecing the Doctor together from the strange point of view of the outsider who is relating what we know as the inside. Overall, this is a wonderful collection of stories that you might find yourself reading through in one sitting, like you did with childhood storybooks.

( A small sample... )

juliet316

Let's have a long and dark trip with Torchwood for our Thursday reading.

Story: Jack Harkness - Super Temp
Author: madder_rose
Rating: Adult/R
Word Count: 38609/33 chapters. Complete
Author's Summary: Jack Harkness lives in a cubicled office. Then one day, he meets a blue eyed man, and things slowly start to change.

Characters/Pairings: Jack Harkness, Ianto Jones, Gwen Cooper, Rhys Williams, Mickey Smith, Martha Jones, Sarah Jane Smith, OCs, Jack/OC, Gwen/Rhys, Jack/Ianto
Warnings: Domestic Violence/Rape, Torture, Mind Control, Adult language, character death

Recced because: What starts out seemingly as a complete AU, quickly turns into a terrifying and twisted story, involving a secret, evil branch of Unit, technology that's scary in both it's implimentation in the story and how scary it could be if used in real life, and a Jack who's victimized by both technology and the environment he's been placed in. Also features a kick-ass Ianto who takes no prisoners and is very much like the man who put shot Owen in the shoulder in Capt. Jack Harkness and used a stun gun to incapacitate one of the villians in Meat.

( Excerpt )

Current Mood: crappy

slash-addict.livejournal.com

Story: Faith
Author: whoisit
Rating: All Ages
Word Count: 22981
Author's Summary: There is a prophecy surrounding Martha Jones' friend, Faith Wallace. Is she the Doctor's love of a lifetime?
Characters/Pairings: Martha Jones, The Doctor (10th), Unspecified Companion
Warnings: none

Recced because: Sometimes I don’t think the Doctor should be paired with one of his companions because they too in aw of him or I think he has the need to show off to keep them with him. So every now and then I like having someone that is not a companion be his love interest. I also like seeing the Doctor do domestic. This fic and sequels show him doing domestic and enjoying it. He has a job, a hobby, friends that aren’t former companions, the dreaded mortgage, and children. There a couple shorts that are just so sweet and funny involving his children. I just love them.

Current Mood: awake

slash-addict.livejournal.com

Story: Alternatives: New Beginnings
Author: Persiflage
Rating: Teen
Word Count: 17227
Author's Summary: Trying to find his feet in Pete's World, the Human-Doctor learns something unexpected about himself and makes a new friend.
Characters/Pairings: Jackie Tyler, Martha Jones, Mickey Smith, Other Character(s), Pete Tyler, Rose Tyler, The Doctor (Duplicate 10th), Alt!Martha/The Doctor (Duplicate 10th),
Warnings: Swearing

Recced because: This is the first in a series called the Alternatives.I have read several fics that take place in the alt verse that has Rose quickly accepting the human!doctor and him quickly getting over the fact that he is now human and will never travel in the Tardis through space and time again. Although they are well written and I find them entertaining., I just find it unrealistic. He is now human and has part of the Doctor and Donna in him. Donna had a lot of problems having to do with the death of her father and how she was treated by her mother causing her, at least as I saw it, to have some real issues the most noticeable of which is her self esteem and her own self worth. They are a big part of who she is and I would think that he would have some those issues as well. They are never addressed in most fics. They are in this one. I see it as a big step in him figuring out who he is because no matter how much he is like the doctor and even has his memories he is not the Doctor. He can’t keep being defined by who The Doctor is, he needs to find his own identity and needs to know who he is to be happy. Also he I always saw him as mostly human he still has a Time Lord brain and if he was all human he could not handle it because I thought that was the problem with Donna. If he was completely human wouldn’t the Doctor had to do the same thing to the human!Doctor that he did to Donna. This isn’t addressed directly but he is shown as being not quite human as they thought after and incident at Torchwood. I also love this fic because it has alt!Martha and she is just great in this. She has come into her own without The Doctor and is now able to help his human self. The only real warning is there is a bit of Rose bashing. She is portrayed as being very immature and lack compassion towards the human!Doctor.

ghost2.livejournal.com

Story: with her own wings
Author: Branwyn
Rating: All Ages
Word Count: 1859
Author's Summary: Martha was once the Doctor's maid. Now the Doctor seems to have become Martha's secretary.
Characters/Pairings: Tenth Doctor, Martha Jones, Francine Jones, Tish Jones
Warnings: none

Recced because: So, it's after Last of the Time Lords and Martha has left the TARDIS. However, the Doctor still has her mobile. His conversations with the people who phone looking for Martha are humorous, as well as poignant. My favorite bit is the part where he gives her friend Vicky some unsolicited advice.

biichan.livejournal.com

So Primsong has already done her first rec, but since it's still Sunday in my time zone, I figured I'd do my last. And since Remix Redux just opened their archives today, I thought I'd rec a remix done two years ago (which is coincidentally the first time I participated.)

Story: Superb (The Sex-O-Matic Venus Freak remix)
Author: LizBee
Rating: Teen
Word Count: 1913
Author's summary: Romana has improved on the Doctor's technique by quite a bit.
Characters/Pairings: Romana/Strella/Reinhardt, Romana/Mel, Romana/Tosh, Romana/Harry, Romana/Simm!Master, Romana/Lucy, Romana/Sarah Jane, Romana/Martha, Tenth Doctor
Warnings: no actual on-screen sex (though there's plenty of implying)

Recced because: It's silly, naughty, and just plain fun, not mention pretty darn funny as well. I especially enjoyed the running gag about week-long Time Lady orgasms. (The story it remixes, Livii's she'll be superb is fun as well, but Magicallaw already recced it two years ago.)

Everything you ever heard about Time Lord sexuality, or the nonexistence thereof, is a lie.

Okay, historically it's true that Time Lords were a bit repressed. The grandeur and majesty of the heritage of Rassilon didn't exactly lend itself to elaborate scenes of debauchery. But these days, there are only a handful of Time Lords around, and it's safe to say the species is, as a whole, pretty damn sexy. If a skinny man in a suit offers you a ride in his phone box, you'd best pack your good knickers. If a dapper madman takes you out dancing, you should resign yourself to the inevitability of a night of passion and bad pop music. If a sweet-looking blonde gives you a flirtatious look over the rim of her cocktail glass--

But let's not get ahead of ourselves.

Current Mood: cheerful

nonelvis

Story: Happily Ever Afters (Are Not Your Absolution)
Author: Camilla Sandman
Rating: Teen
Word Count: 5,401
Author's Summary: There aren't always happy endings, even with a time machine. (Doctor Who/Battlestar Galactica crossover)
Characters/Pairings: Ten, Martha/Lee Adama, Adama/Roslin, implied Lee/Kara
Warnings: None

Recced because: This is a beautiful and meditative fixit for parts of the BSG finale (and sorry, if you aren't a fan of the rebooted series, you won't be able to follow along). Ten changes a bit of history, Martha and Lee commiserate over unattainable loves, and Adama and Roslin celebrate a new lease on life. There's so much to love here: Sandman's deft touch with the characters; the themes of love, sex, and death that twine through every part of the story; and best of all, the way the two series mesh together in a way that feels true to both.

humantales.livejournal.com

Story: Never Say Never Again
Author:

robling_t
Rating: Teen
Word Count: 38,434
Author's Summary: Jack's in trouble. Yes, that kind of trouble. What's a pregnant guy to do when the employee handbook says "no guns at the baby shower"?
Characters/Pairings: Torchwood Team, Martha Jones, The Doctor (10)
Warnings: Crack!fic, Mpreg, Baby!fic, Kid!fic

Recced because: I decided to close out my week of recs with my favorite piece of fanfic candy. This is crack!fic on steroids, and I reread it to give me a smile.

It's the third story (second long one) and my favorite in a series, Yours, Mine, and Ours, all set in this same universe. It departs from our universe after season 3 of Doctor Who/season 1 of Torchwood, but canon events in Torchwood still have an effect on the story. There's also a good bit of timey-wimey goodness as well.

But, ultimately, the reason to read this story (and the rest of the series) is simple: it's fun!

I've enjoyed being your reccer for this week and I hope you've enjoyed my selections.

humantales.livejournal.com

Story: Innocence Bound
Author: Danse Macabre
Rating: All Ages
Word Count: 15,616
Author's Summary: AU of my story 'Return To Innocence'. The machine that converted Ianto mysteriously breaks.
Characters/Pairings: Ianto Jones
Warnings: N/A

Recced because: This is the first story in a series also called Innocence Bound. It is also an AU of the author's previous story, from the end of chapter 21, in which the deaging machine doesn't work.

I enjoy this story because it is fluffy (although some of the later stories in the series are darker). We get to see the youngest member of Torchwood behaving as a child, with all of the delights, aggravations and horrors that that involves.

And we get to see Tish, who is a Whoverse minor character whose story I would have enjoyed seeing continued (at least a little bit); here, you see how the Year That Never Was affected her and is still affecting her.

And, since Ianto's memories aren't gone, we get a paternal Jack who knows there's a pretty good chance he'll get his lover back, along with additional time (even if it is watching the child grow up.)

Essentially, this story puts a smile on my face.

humantales.livejournal.com

Story: The Children of Time Will Gather
Author: RobinC (

lindenharp on Live Journal)
Rating: All
Word Count: 14,082
Author's Summary: After the events of Journey's End, the Doctor's friends and companions gather together to remember the past and to prepare for the future.
Characters/Pairings: Jack Harkness, Martha Jones, Sarah Jane Smith, Mickey Smith, Wilfrid Mott, Gwen Cooper, Ianto Jones, Luke Smith
Warnings: None

Recced because: Although this has the feel of a Journey's End fix-it, it isn't one. What it is is a look at how the people we see in Journey's End cope with the aftermath and with a threat to Donna. We see a wonderful friendship building up between the different characters that I truly wish were (shown in) canon.

Although I enjoy the entire story, my favorites are probably the UNIT officer's description of the events on the Valiant and what he calls the principal players and Wilf's role in the "performance" (because we need more Wilf).

pitry.livejournal.com

Story: Armour
Author: Mamfidd82
Word count:1303
Rating:All ages
Author's summary:The Doctor always hides behind something or other. Usually, it's himself.
Characters/pairings:Ace McShane, Adric, Barbara Wright, Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart, Charley Pollard, Ian Chesterton, Jamie McCrimmon, Jo Grant, Martha Jones, Peri Brown, Rose Tyler, Susan Foreman, Tegan Jovanka, The Doctor (all of him).
Warnings: none.

Recced because: Well this one's just lovely. Touching, and sad, and a it painful, but lovely. A collection of moments, from both Old and New Who, that make you want to slap the Doctor and hug him all at the same time. And most importantly, catches the very essence of the Doctor in such a beautiful manner.

biichan.livejournal.com

Story: A School for Scandal?
Author: Azar
Rating: Teen
Word Count: 1439
Author's summary: "Don't you remember, he said we'd give the Time Lords a shake-up they really needed?" Ace/Martha/Donna--VERY AU crack!fic.
Characters/Pairings: Martha/Donna/Ace, Romana, OC
Warnings: None I can think of.

Recced because: About a year and a half ago, the most awesome ficathon ever conceived in this fandom took place. It was called the Cliche Swap-a-thon and what it basically entailed was taking the cliched plotlines from various pairings and challenging people to write fic for other pairings using those plotlines. Which meant that suddenly the internet had Ten/Martha stopwatch porn, the TARDIS shipping Seven/Ace, and fic in which the Doctor reassures the Master he was never second best. Much fun and lulz were had by all.

As you may have guessed, Azar's "A School For Scandal?" was one of the fics written. It takes the "group sex and academy hijinx" cliche so beloved of Doctor/Master/Rani shipfics and instead applies it to Martha, Donna, and Ace. Well, if any of the Doctor's companions were to end up attending the Prydonian Academy, it would probably be those three. The resulting fic is cracky and hilarious. I was giggling all the way through it. It probably helped that the one original character from the beginning of the fic--an Academy master--is the perfect portrait of Time Lordly stuffiness and his octosyllabic name sounds wonderfully silly said out loud.

Martha looked at her with a raised eyebrow. "So which of us is going to graduate and go all megalomaniacal, then?"

"I dunno." Ace shrugged with a twinkle in her eye. "It might be a lark, being evil."

Donna shrugged too. "I'm up for it." She smirked at Martha. "And you're already the doctor of us anyway, so it's only fair."

Current Mood: cheerful

aralias.livejournal.com

It's that second crossover I mentioned on Monday -

Story: How To Save A Life (Ish)
Author: vvj5
Rating: All Ages
Word Count: 3062
Author's Summary: Sometimes what you get isn't what it seems - and further proof that Martha can sort out everyone's problems. Well, almost.
Characters/Pairings: Ten, Martha, Arnold 'Ace' Rimmer, formerly of the mining ship Red Dwarf.
Warnings: Spoilers for Red Dwarf series 7.

Recced because: As a Red Dwarf fan, this is what I want to have happened after series 7. Martha's niceness and understanding, her companion and doctoring ability to talk to people are exactly what 'Ace' needs. Meanwhile he looks at her and appreciates her (sort of) and manages to (lightly) humiliate the Doctor, who is fantastically petulant about the arrival of the other sort of hero (he's athletic! he fires guns at people! he's handsome! [strangely, the hair does work for him] he talks in a ridiculously deep voice! he once surfed an alligator out of a burning helicopter!). As well as being a great match-up all round, this fic leaves me with warm fuzzies, which (if Dwarf has a fault) it must be said Red Dwarf does too rarely.

If you haven't seen 'Red Dwarf' - perhaps you should. It's a low-budget British science fiction show about the last of his kind travelling through (time and) space in a ship all the other aliens make fun of. And it's one of the best and funniest sitcoms Britain has ever produced (until it isn't. The relevant episode in series 7 is about the time you should stop watching.)

( Excerpt )

librarylover82.livejournal.com

Story: A Butterfly for Every Storm

Author: Nostalgia

Rating: All ages

Word Count: 527

Author's Summary: Martha's tattoo is oddly appropriate.

Characters/Pairings: Tenth Doctor, Martha Jones

Warnings: None

Recced because:

I like so much about this short piece it's hard for me to explain why I like it. Blending an idea from a throwaway line in The Shakespeare Code, Freema's real-life tattoo, and two of the Doctor's personas into a powerful ficlet takes skill. Nostalgia uses the butterfly as a symbol of the Doctor's companions; ephemeral creatures that flit through his life so briefly. The last line packs a real punch.

elliptic-eye.livejournal.com

Story: Suffragettes
Author: livii
Rating: Teen
Word Count: 1135
Author's Summary:
Characters/Pairings: Martha/Jenny (from "Human Nature"/"Family of Blood")
Warnings: none

Recced because: Martha's connection with fellow servant Jenny is generally quickly forgotten by fandom (and by the episode itself). But this fic takes the brief glimpse we got, capitalizes it, and brings a nuance and life to the period that Martha and Jenny lived—together.

Suffragettes captures everything that was just offscreen but could be felt: the camaraderie, the little mundanities of a borrowed life (that was still a life), the humiliation. The anger. And it explores a bonus dimension between Martha and Jenny, as well. I first read this when it was first posted, and it still bowls me over a bit.

( Excerpt )

eve11

Story: Birth of Destruction
Author: rickmaniac101
Rating: All Ages
Word Count: 12235
Author's Summary: While trapped in 1969, the Doctor finds employment at the local hospital and finds much more than he bargained for.
Characters/Pairings: Ten, Martha Jones, Ian Chesterton, Barbara Wright
Warnings: None

Recced because: I always love the stories where the Doctor meets up with old companions when he and Martha are trapped back in 1969. This one does it within the context of a traditional Doctor Who mystery story, with aliens, murder, running down corridors, and a good set of original characters to balance it out and give it the feel of an actual episode of the show. It's nice to see Barbara (Wright) Chesterton still true to form, observant and sharp and quite able to take initiative once her suspicions are raised. And the interactions between Ten and Martha, as they transition from dealing with the mundane things like flats and jobs and money, over to conspiracy, alien invasion and general otherworldly peril, are really fun.

( An excerpt )

dbskyler.livejournal.com

It's been a pleasure, but the end of the week has come. Thank you all, and here is something fun to go out on:

Story: One Does Not Simply Materialize Into Middle Earth . . .
Author: rickmaniac101
Rating: All Ages
Word Count: 1803
Author's Summary: A silly little crossover ficlet with "Lord of the Rings", if the Doctor found the ring rather than Frodo and goes to the Elrond Council Meeting. Hilarity, naturally, ensues.
Characters/Pairings: Tenth Doctor, Martha Jones, the Council of Elrond from "The Fellowship of the Ring"
Warnings: None

Recced because: You mean the title's not enough? Okay, how about this, then: Doctor Who is a show that is incredibly easy to use in a crossover -- the Doctor can go anywhere in time and space, after all -- and also incredibly difficult to use in a crossover, because more often than not, the tone of what's being crossed doesn't match up with the show, and the author has to deal with that somehow. This story takes a natural clash of tone between Doctor Who and Lord of the Rings and doesn't just deal with it, it revels in it. Neil Simon once said about "The Odd Couple" that its humor was entirely character-driven, as there wasn't a single joke in the entire play. The same is true of this story. It's crack that isn't crack at all, because while it's hilariously funny, everyone -- the Doctor, Martha, Elrond, Gandalf, everyone -- is completely, utterly in character throughout. And yes, that's exactly why this is so funny, and such a brilliant crossover.

( Here, try it out )

dbskyler.livejournal.com

After yesterday's rec, it's time to get back to humor:

Story: A Complicated Event in Time and Space
Author: gnossienne_nr1
Rating: All Ages
Word Count: 1213
Author's Summary: Takes place after Journey's End. Donna starts remembering, and since the Doctor isn't around to do any good, she gets to work fixing her brain herself with a fork, a toaster and a satellite dish.
Characters/Pairings: Donna Noble, Jack Harkness, Martha Jones, the Tenth Doctor.
Warnings: None

Recced because: This is another story that has been jossed by on-screen events, but for that reason alone some people will find it especially well worth the read. Donna fixes her own brain, then goes off to be her fantastic part-human, part-Time Lord, all-Donna self. It's funny, it's irreverent, and it's simply a joy, all the way through.

( See for yourself )

dbskyler.livejournal.com

Story: Last One Out
Author: joonscribble
Rating: All Ages
Word Count: 10,787
Author's Summary: The years pass with Owen watching. Spoilers through "A Day in the Death."
Characters/Pairings: Owen Harper, Toshiko Sato, Jack Harkness, Ianto Jones, Gwen Cooper, Martha Jones
Warnings: Character death

Recced because: Thoroughly AU now, this story starts from where we were left after Torchwood's "A Day in the Death" and takes us to its logical conclusion: aside from immortal Jack, the person who seems slated to be the last surviving member of the team is Owen. The story takes place over many years, with Owen going on as the others age and eventually die, until he and Jack are the last ones left. And that's when a twist shifts the story from good to utterly brilliant, and it's all just simultaneously heartbreaking and beautiful. What I find most amazing about this fic, though, is that Owen is faithfully portrayed as the complete and utter prat he was back then in the show, and yet he also is an ultimately sympathetic character. So sympathetic, in fact, that you might just find yourself crying for him at the end. Don't say I didn't warn you.

( A sample )

pitry.livejournal.com

Story: A Grand Day Out
Author: Persiflage
Rating: All Ages
Word Count: 653
Author's summary: A Moon landing with a difference.
Characters/Pairings: Tenth Doctor, Martha Jones, Wallace & Gromit
Warnings: none.

Recced because: There are a lot of things I could say about this story. But none of them are necessary. The only thing that should be said is these three words: Wallace & Gromit crossover.

missbaxter.livejournal.com

Story:Mr & Mrs Smith (Go to Lyrae)
Author: Significant Owl
Rating: All Ages
Word Count:4875
Author's Summary:"Yep, expect a perfect evening, I said that, I remember."
Characters/Pairings: Ten/Martha
Warnings: N/A
Recced because: Signficant Owl writes some of the best Ten/Martha I've come across - her Martha is the strong, funny, smart Martha who kicked ass in 'Smith and Jones', who Ten evidently fancied the pants off of, and who I wanted to see more of throughout Season 3. Mr & Mrs Smith (Go to Lyrae) was apparently written for the cliche challenge of characters pretending to be a couple, and it reminds me of nothing quite so much as classic screwball comedy. It's got brilliant rapid-fire dialogue, it's funny, it's sexy, there's moments of spot-on insight, and a misdirect that genuinely made me grin. Practically perfect in every way.

livii.livejournal.com

Story: The Less Than Perfect Daughter
Author: nonelvis
Rating: Teen
Author's summary: Martha is pregnant, but Rose just won't take responsibility. How can the Doctor convince his companion that sometimes in this life, you've got to step up and do domestic? (Written for violetisblue's Afterschool Special prompt on the LJ churchontime comm.)
Characters/Pairings: Rose/Martha, Ten
Warnings: none
Word Count: ~2,900

Recced because: This is a hysterical bit of crackfic, with a great, breezy style that's indeed very reminiscent of a Very Special Issue TV movie. The characters are exaggerated in just the right ways to suit the story, and in particular I found the Doctor's attempts to promote an (almost traditional) two-parent family a riot. Fun, fresh, cracky – perfect for a weekend!

livii.livejournal.com

Story: The Strength To Hold On (The Halley's Comet Remix)
Author: stunt_muppet
Rating: Teen
Author's summary: Forty years in the life of Elizabeth Shaw, waiting for a paradox to unravel.
Characters/Pairings: Liz/Martha, Liz/OFC, Three, Eight
Warnings: none
Word Count: ~6,600

Recced because: And one more remix, which also does a fantastic job of pulling out something from the original story and creating a fabulous parallel story. The original is atraphoenix's excellent The Strength To Let Go, told from Martha's POV on meeting and re-meeting Liz forty years later, though very little time has passed for her. The remix gives us Liz during those long forty years, and creates a gorgeous portrait of her, a life lived half in waiting but never not lived. It's well-written, thoughtful, with some great imagery and excellent cameos by two different Doctors, helping nudge Liz along the path to understanding and appreciating what she has in her life. It's a terrific remix and a terrific story in its own right as well.

elliptic-eye.livejournal.com

Story: A Place Called Home
Author: sheldrake
Rating: All Ages
Word count: 2,413
Author's summary: What's so bloody special about being human, anyway?
Characters/pairings: Martha, Jenny (from "Human Nature")
Warnings: none

Recced because: It makes Martha's experience in 1913 real. Though we only got brief glimpses in the episode itself, Martha's interactions with Jenny suggest that she entered into that world to a great extent, even though her time there was mostly bitter and she knew she wasn't staying. A Place Called Home explains why.

I'm at a loss to explain just what makes this story so effective; the best I can do is to say that it doesn't make the view through Martha's eyes pretty, but it does make it beautiful. It's just very alive. It's also one of my favorite looks inside Martha's head.

( Excerpt )

jenny-gwen.livejournal.com

Story: Twenty Things About Tosh

Author: mari4212

Rating: All Ages

Word Count: 6429

Author's Summary: These are the things that form her life.

Characters/Pairings: Toshiko Sato, The Torchwood Team

Warnings: None

Recced because: This fic is beautiful. Seriously. It’s almost as if it’s an official episode, an episode about who Tosh really is, not just where she came from (2x12, ‘Fragments’). It’s really lovely. If you like the character Tosh, you should completely read this. Even if you don’t like her, at least try it!

clocketpatch

Greetings! I'm Clocketpatch and I will be your assigned reccer for the week. Most of the stories I've picked out already are a trifle on the long side and I do apologise in advance. I'll try to get some shorter ones in as well for those who enjoy having tales which they can read and digest over a lunch break.

Story: Wibbly-Wobbly, Timey-Wimey (Book I: Exile)
Author: I Walk In Eternity
Rating: All Ages
Word Count: 33280
Author's Summary: “People assume that time is a strict progression of cause to effect… but actually, from a non-linear, non-subjective viewpoint, it’s more like a big ball of wibbly-wobbly…. timey-wimey…. stuff.” (The 10th Doctor, ‘Blink’) An adventure spanning all of the Doctor's lives begins with a series of vignettes from the eras of the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd Doctors. May they rest in peace.
Characters/Pairings: Barbara Wright, Ben Jackson, Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart, Dodo Chaplet, Ian Chesterton, Jack Harkness, Jamie McCrimmon, Jo Grant, John Benton, Liz Shaw, Martha Jones, Omega, Polly Wright, Romana (author created), Susan Foreman, The Autons, The Doctor (10th)
Warnings: Some swearing

Recced because:
For my first rec of the week I wanted to start at the beginning, literally. Using the simple, yet brilliant, premise of a diary bequeathed from companion to companion, this story follows the life of the Doctor and those many companions, allies, and enemies who have been swept into the whirl-wind of his existence. The plot is, in some ways, straight-forward, but at the same time it is very, well, I guess the scientific term is “wibbly-wobbly”, as it darts from past to present. This is, really, a love song to the show. Every character from Jack, to the Brig, to Ben and Polly, to the Doctor himself(s), is perfectly voiced and painted with the palate of an author who is both a very talented writer and a very devoted fan. There are continuity references galore for those who like them, though the story should still be a good romp for someone who has only basic knowledge. There's a mystery as well!

Current Mood: crazy

pitry.livejournal.com

So! It's been a week since I started reccing and this is my chance to say goodbye, hope people have enjoyed the stories I recced! For my last rec, I shall leave you with an especially sweet fanfic. Eeeew.

Story: Job Hunting, Back Soon
Author: csg1
Rating: All ages
Word Count: 3528
Author's Summary: Being stuck in the past once again is taking its toll on Martha, and the Doctor's not helping. Blink!Fic.
Characters/Pairings: Tenth Doctor, Martha Jones
Warnings: None

Recced because: Living with the Doctor must be a terrible experience. After all, despite his best (?) efforts, he's not human and he doesn't really understand the finer points of humanity. Running away from dangers with him looks fun, but when our heroes are stuck in one place - say, 1969 - it's a disaster waiting to happen. Job Hunting, Back Soon is an extremely realistic approach to those months the Doctor and Martha spent stuck in 1969, and captures beautifully all those annoying little habits of flatmates, all those things the Doctor just can't understand, and the sort-of friendship between the Doctor and Martha. there's been a bunch of these - and quite some good ones, too - but this is definitely my favourite of all the stories of the genre I've read. It's not an excuse to ship Martha and the Doctor (canon! canon!), it doesn't try and make the Doctor a better person than he is in the show, or Martha... it's a brilliant piece and I really see it happening on screen, if Blink wouldn't've been slotted as the Doctor-light of series 3.

pitry.livejournal.com

Hello! I'm Pitry and I shall be your reccer for this week (be afraid, be very afraid). I've decided to go this week with stories by authors who have never been recced before here on Calufrax, just to add a little bit more to the mix. 'Sides, it gives me an excuse to sign up for a second round later this year...

Story:Towing the Earth Home
Author:mamfidd82
Rating: All ages
Word Count: 1873
Author's Summary: After the events of 'Journey's End', two women move back into their lives. But for a moment, one moment there, they moved together.
Characters/Pairings: Martha/Tom, Rose/Duplicate Ten
Warnings: none.

Recced because: THe one thing I would fix/change about Journey's End is the nearly-non-existant interaction between Rose and Martha. mamfidd82's story doesn't fix JE's, and doesn't add interactions between these two, but rather shows what happens afterwards - two women who could have had the same life, each one thinking about the other. The really brilliant thing about this story is the love and respect shown to both characters - there are too many stories that downplay one character in favour of the other, but not this one - each character is played to its strength, each character gets to show just why she became a companion in the first place, and you can really feel the love the author has for both characters - and that makes the whole story just a joy to read.

dbskyler.livejournal.com

My last rec, and thank you all for allowing me to share some of my favorite stories with you!

Story: Never Been Kissed
Author: digitalfletch
Rating: All Ages
Word Count: 971
Author's Summary: Swapping stories with some mates leads Sarah to an unexpected discovery.
Characters/Pairings: Tenth Doctor, Sarah Jane Smith, Jack Harkness, Donna Noble, Martha Jones, Rose Tyler
Warnings: None

Recced because: It's always fun to get companions of the Doctor together, and what could be more convenient than when an episode does it for you? Written before "Journey's End" aired and now slightly AU, this story has Sarah, Jack, Donna, Martha and Rose all going off to a pub with the Doctor to celebrate their saving of the Earth. The companions are swapping stories of their travels when a little fact comes out, one small detail that sets Sarah apart -- she alone, out of all of them, has never been kissed by the Doctor. It's funny, it's fluffy, and it's well-written; sweet without being sappy.

( a teaser )

morgeil.livejournal.com

Story: Amor Vincit Omnia: A Dark Tale With A Happy Ending
Author: Biichan
Rating: Teen
Word Count: 1452
Author's Summary: There is very little the Doctor won't do to get Rose Tyler back. Whether this is a good thing is debatable
Characters/Pairings: Tenth Doctor/Rose Tyler, Jack Harkness, Martha Jones, Sarah Jane Smith, Donna Noble.
Warnings: Graphic violence, OOC (Dark!Doctor), Non-Con. Will likely make some readers squeamish.

Recced because: Crack, but really bloody dark crack. Evocative, creepy and just downright disturbing. But brilliant.

Can't say anything else without giving it all away, really...

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April 2018

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A rec comm for A Teaspoon And An Open Mind

Entries tagged with companion: martha

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