Entries tagged with companion: martha

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Rec: The Worst Plan

Story: The Worst Plan
Author: Vigs
Rating: Teen
Word Count: 1,315
Author's Summary: Takes place immediately after Family of Blood. Martha explains to the Doctor just how bad his plan was.
Characters/Pairings: Martha Smith, Tenth Doctor
Warnings: None.

Recced because: I think what I really enjoyed about this story was that Martha confronted the Doctor about her feelings and what she went through in "Human Nature/Family of Blood." I really admire the author's portrayal of Martha, touching upon her courage and her tenacity. I could totally see Martha doing this. She'd been mistreated too much before, sometimes by the Doctor himself, and I felt some relief on her part that she was able to express herself here. Great depth and introspection too. A little character-driven gem that should get more attention.

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Rec: Valentine's Day, This Year, by koshiroryuu

Story: Valentine's Day, This Year
Author: koshiroryuu
Rating: All Ages
Word Count: 2441
Author's Summary: How do you hold a memorial for people who don't even remember they died?
Characters/Pairings: Martha Jones
Warnings: None

Recced because: Shortly after I first figured out what Calufrax was, I read this fic, and I immediately wanted to rec it on Calufrax. But it was recced by someone else long before I got the chance, and there's a reason for that: this is one of the best fics on Teaspoon. So here I am reccing it again, and if for some reason you haven't read it yet, go read it now. It's about Martha Jones dealing with the aftermath of the Year That Never Was, and it's personal and powerful, and the ending is so touching and uplifting it just made me cry again even though I already knew what happens.

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Rec: Soldiers Without Guns, by Paladin

Story: Soldiers Without Guns
Author: Paladin
Rating: Teen
Word Count: 7999
Author's Summary: Alternate ending to the Poison Sky. The Doctor tries to save the world from the Sontaran threat but finds that even Time Lords shouldn't neglect the paperwork.
Characters/Pairings: The Tenth Doctor, Donna Noble, Martha Jones, UNIT
Warnings: None

Recced because: There's a bureaucrat at UNIT who wants the paperwork on the device the Doctor used to eradicate the Sontarans' poison gas in The Poison Sky. Did the Doctor file a Hazardous Emissions Management Plan? Not only is this fic extremely funny (and strangely plausible), but the twist at the end is brilliant.

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rec: Girlfriend, Date, Stake-out, Sex, by koshiroryuu

Story: Girlfriend, Date, Stake-out, Sex
Author: koshiroryuu
Rating: Teen
Word Count: 1297
Author's Summary: The Doctor and Martha spy on Jack's date, and things, as expected, go horribly wrong.
Characters/Pairings: The Tenth Doctor, Martha Jones, Jack Harkness
Warnings: None

Recced because: Ten and Martha hide in the hedgerows to spy on Jack Harkness and his date. It's a very funny fic with an amusing premise and an even better execution. There's also a bonus alternative ending in the second chapter.

( A sample )

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rec: welcome to the house! by masterpwn

Sorry it's been so long between recs, I've been recovering from a nasty case of the flu.

Story: Welcome to the House!
Author: Masterpwn
Rating: Teen
Word Count: 31896
Author's Summary: Multiple people who have never met each other are selected by a secret organization for unknown reasons and forced to survive in the most terrible place they have ever been in full of traps and monsters. It will take their best to stay alive and find out the truth, but the house will try everything to kill them. Is escape even possible? Will anyone even survive this? 10 go in, 1 comes out... Or so they say.
Characters/Pairing: Amy Pond, Clara Oswald, Donna Noble, Rose Tyler, River Song, Martha Jones, Rory Williams, the 9th Doctor, the 10th Doctor, the 11th Doctor
Warnings: Explicit violence, swearing, several major character deaths

As I've said before, I love a good AU, and this story fits the bill. Perhaps my favorite thing about it though is that we get a whole mess of characters who never got a chance to interact in canon working together towards a common goal. This story is full of surprises, twists, and turns-I never knew what to expect next, which is part of why I loved it so much. I hope you'll enjoy it as much as I did.

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Rec: "A Few Things and a Lizard," by Beer Good

Hello,

calufrax! For once I'm here in my capacity as reccer, not as the mod, so expect recs from me for the next two weeks. (Although as always, if you'd like to rec – and everyone is welcome to do so! – leave a comment in the signup post or send me an ask on Tumblr.)

Story: A Few Things and a Lizard
Author: Beer Good
Rating: All ages
Word Count: 2,820
Author's Summary: When Clara doesn't join him after the events of "Deep Breath" the Doctor picks up another companion. A big, sexy woman with legs up to here, a tail that won't quit, and big, nasty, pointy teeth. Yes, the Doctor is joined by a T Rex in the fix-it fic to end all fix-it fics.
Characters/Pairings: Adric, Clara, Danny, Harriet Jones, Ianto, Jack, Martha, Rory, Sarah Jane, Wilf, Twelfth Doctor, Simm!Master
Warnings: None

Recced because: The Doctor has had many companions over the years, but never, to the best of my knowledge, a T. rex, much less the one from "Deep Breath." And let's just say it's remarkable how differently certain situations might have played out had a gigantic carnivore been brought into the mix. (Davros never stood a chance.) Best of all – and unlike a number of companions – our dinosaur friend finally gets a happy ending, and a fate she earned far more than what really happened to her in her one onscreen episode.

Excerpt:
( after the cut )

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Passengers by Azar

Story: Passengers
Author: Azar
Rating: All Ages
Word Count: 690
Author's Summary: Before they leave 1913, there's one place Martha wants to go.
Characters/Pairings: Tenth Doctor, Martha Jones
Warnings: None

Recced because: It's a short fic where Martha and the Doctor visit the last passenger pigeon in existence, after "The Family of Blood." And yet it always breaks my heart whenever I read it.

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rec: Kept Man by Aralias

Hello! I’m x_los here and on Teaspoon. I haven’t rec’d here before, and I solemnly swear I will lj-cut the many teal deers I have brought along with me.

Story: Kept Man
Author: Aralias
Rating: Adult
Word Count: 30953 words
Author's Summary: In Scream of the Shalka, REG!Doctor (the ninth Doctor who almost was) was seen travelling round the universe with a robotic Master for no apparent reason. The ninth Doctor (who actually was) has a much better reason for travelling with a robotic Master, given that his entire race are dead. This fic assumes that he was and that the Master just kept out of sight so as not to alarm anyone.
Characters: Jack Harkness, Jack Harkness, Martha Jones, Mickey Smith, Mickey Smith, Professor Yana, Rose Tyler, Rose Tyler, The Doctor (10th), The Doctor (9th), The Master (Jacobi), The Master (Other), The Master (Simm)
Pairings: Shalka!Master/Nine, Shalka!Master/Ten, Doctor/Master generally implied
Warnings: Explicit sex, swearing (goodness, there’s a warning for that? Huh.)

Recced because:

( A little about the author. )

Kept Man is relatively early but essential work from an essential writer in Doctor/Master and, really, the fandom. This fic tracks the first three series of the reboot, imagining that all along, an android version of the Master, built by the Doctor, lives in the TARDIS, preferring not to interact with the Doctor’s various human companions (a plot device that pulls on Scream of the Shalka’s presentation of the Doctor and an android Master voiced by Jacobi living together). It slots neatly into the show as we know it, but not in a facile, consequence-free ‘episode coda’ kind of way. ‘The Doctor keeps the Master on the TARDIS after the events on the Valiant’ is a big subgenre of Doctor/Master fic (especially the fic that came right after s3) (Kept Man is also probably a little influenced by Ariastar’s generally well-regarded Ten/Simm!Master alternate series—alternate series 4 and 5 are another sort of sub genre.). Aralias is engaging with that here, but pulling the trend/trope in directions that chime with her overall interests and sensibilities.

( A little about why this fic is compelling and important. )

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Rec: Ruined Places by Styrofoam monster

Story: Ruined Places
Author: Styrofoam monster
Rating: All ages
Word Count: 474 words
Author's Summary: Martha meets a strange man during the Year That Never Was.
Characters/Pairings: Martha Jones, The Master (Delgado)
Warnings:None

Recced because: It’s difficult to say much and not give away the whole story as this is a short fic that manages to convey a lot in very few words. The Master has got himself stranded out of his time and is desperate to get away. Martha is trying to save the world, full of confidence in the Doctor. Their points of view differ. Go and read it, it will just take you a few minutes and I'm sure you won't regret it!

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Rec: "Establishing Events," by Lurky McLurklurk

Posting on behalf of Styrofoam monster on Teaspoon.

Story: Establishing Events
Author: Lurky McLurklurk
Rating: All Ages
Word count: 2432
Characters: 10, Martha, Seven
Summary: "Saving someone's life's not a cheap trick, Martha," said the Doctor quietly.
"No, it's much more important."
Warnings: none

Recced for: Excellent timey-wimey in the form of a closed paradox. Martha wants to save her sister's life, and we all know she can't -- the way the establishing events of the title play out, though, show how manipulative the Doctor can be, without necessarily being cruel. An intricate and troubling fic.

Excerpt: ( after the cut )

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rec: loose sand, by schildkroet

Story: Loose Sand
Author: schildkroet
Rating: All Ages
Word Count: 2687
Author's Summary: Torchwood is facing a problem and Jack doesn't want to call the Doctor for help. Martha does so anyway.
Characters/Pairings: Tenth Doctor, Jack Harkness, Martha Jones, Sarah Jane Smith, Mickey Smith, Gwen Cooper, Ianto Jones
Warnings: None

Recced because: This fic is like the best of Twilight Zone in the way it quietly unfolds, starting with a mystery -- why doesn't Jack want to call on the Doctor for help? -- and then turning on a simple, horrifying reveal. The story was written back in 2008, so it's AU now, but perhaps that just means this happened in an alternate timeline (something else both Doctor Who and Twilight Zone have in common).

( Try it )

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rec: karaoke, by koshiroryuu

Story: Karaoke
Author: koshiroryuu
Rating: All Ages
Word Count: 345
Author's Summary: Martha, Donna, Sarah Jane and the Doctor go to a karaoke bar. It seemed like such a good idea at the time.
Characters/Pairings: Tenth Doctor, Donna Noble, Martha Jones, Sarah Jane Smith
Warnings: None

Recced because: Ten takes Donna and Martha to meet Sarah Jane, and they all end up in a karaoke bar. It's a little bit of silly and a whole lot of fun, and what better reason could there be for a rec, really?

( A sample )

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rec: And Indeed There Will Be Time by kaydee_falls

Getting the last one in under the wire! I was planning to only rec crossovers this week, but then I found this fic and I couldn’t not rec it. So the last one breaks the mold. Thanks for having me, all, and to all a good night!

Story: And Indeed There Will Be Time
Author: kaydee_falls
Rating: Teen
Word Count: 42816
Author's Summary: In 1919, Harriet Derbyshire was killed while investigating the disappearance of Torchwood Four in Dublin. In 2009, UNIT pulls a dying man out of the Irish Sea with a one-word message: Torchwood. Martha joins up with Jack's team in Cardiff to track down the errant branch of the organization -- before a time-traveling race of aliens can change the course of history as we know it. (Jack/Ianto + team)
Characters/Pairings: Jack/Ianto, Donna Noble, Gwen Cooper, Martha Jones, Mickey Smith, UNIT
Warnings:

Recced because: I love a good twisty time travel mystery, and this fic delivers on all counts. The Jack/Ianto pairing is so background you’ll hardly notice it, so don’t come into the fic expecting romance; this is all action adventure time travel plot mystery, all the time. Well-drawn OCs, a richly realized setting, a fantastic mystery, and insanely good writing – you’ll be up late reading it, just as I was!

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Rec: Aliens in the Backyard by Raven Aorla

Hello everyone! Thanks for having me back for another reccing stint. This time around I’ll be focusing largely on crossover fanfic. Much like sci-fi/fantasy is the art of using the fantastic to shine a light on ourselves, good crossovers use the different POV to shine a light on the original. It’s a genre that’s often overlooked, but when done right it’s a treat.

Let’s start…

Story: Aliens in the Backyard
Author: Raven Aorla
Rating: All Ages
Word Count: 4038
Author's Summary: Calvin is really, really good at attracting attention from aliens. Usually Hobbes merely bears this, but now he has a reason to call for help, and a certain blue police box makes an appearance in a forested suburb in Ohio. Crossover with, you guessed it, "Calvin & Hobbes". Spoilers for "Last of the Time Lords".
Characters/Pairings: Tenth Doctor, Martha Jones, Susan, Calvin, Hobbes, Susie Derkins
Warnings: None

Recced because: Time Lord!Calvin isn’t a new idea. And if you just read the first chapter of this fic (there are four total), what you get is a fun, lighthearted Time Lord!Calvin fic. Keep going, though, and the fun, joyous improbabilities of Calvin’s world start to peel back, one by one. This goes from being an easy read to a hard one so quietly that you don’t even realize it until you’re halfway through the fourth chapter crying your eyes out, and it will haunt you (and your Calvin and Hobbes rereads) long after it’s done.

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rec: A Message in the West

Hello, and happy Monday! I'm

kaffyr, and I'll be providing you recommendations for the coming week. All of the stories I've collected this time around are short, and in a couple of cases they are very short. But they're examples of stories that either have made me think, or have provided me with a great deal of enjoyment - and sometimes both. If you read any of these, it would be wonderful if you could let the author know you've read by leaving a comment!

Story: A Message in the West
Author:

scarlett_key
Rating: all ages
Word Count: 4,330
Author's Summary: Martha Jones’ walk across the world brings her to Seattle, where she encounters a pirate radio station perfect for getting the word out about the Doctor. When she finds the pirates, she has to argue her case to another doctor before she can access the airwaves.
Characters/Pairings: Martha Jones, other characters
Warnings: none
Recced because: Crossovers are always a revelation to me, largely because they show me the talent of a writer. In fact, they generally stand and fall on that talent. The broader the stylistic chasm between worlds, the tougher the challenge for an author.

scarlett_key handled this extremely challenging crossover, between Doctor Who and the NBC sitcom “Frasier,” really well, something I wouldn’t have thought possible, especially given its setting, during the horrific Year That Wasn’t. It’s wonderful (in a somber, Year That Wasn't way) to see my favorite show, and one that I liked a great deal, come together so believably.

A taste:

( "Don't mind them." )

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rec: Everybody Needs an Editor

Story: Everybody Needs an Editor
Author: SignificantOwl
Rating: All Ages
Word Count: 1,592
Author's Summary: "Martha Jones? Are we having oblique yet resonant dialogue?" [post-ep for The Shakespeare Code]
Characters/Pairings: The Doctor (10th), Martha Jones
Warnings: n/a

Recced because: I have recommended serious works so far that focus on character development and narrative arc, many of which pick up on many of the very serious themes in Doctor Who. But there is also humor in Doctor Who, and so my two remaining recommendations will both be funny and perhaps a bit silly. In this one, Martha discovers that the Doctor is writing a novel. In between the humor, both the Doctor and Martha are characterized well (I could well believe this would be an actual episode tag for The Shakespeare Code), and the humor highlights the Doctor's own rude-but-perhaps-a-bit-charming way of interacting with humans sometimes.

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rec: And the World Keeps Spinning by locker_monster

Story: And the World Keeps Spinning
Author: locker_monster (

locker_monster)
Rating: All Ages
Word Count: 2,032
Author's Summary: While Donna might not remember, the world remembers Donna. And she’s still the best temp in the universe.
Characters/Pairings: Donna Noble, Martha Jones, Sarah Jane Smith, Jack Harkness, The Doctor (10th), Rose Tyler
Warnings: n/a

Recced because: One of the great things about the Doctor is that he helps his companions to see what was already there, to develop the brilliance that they already possessed. They become who they are because of the Doctor, but not because he makes them that way--it was always there, he just helped to bring it out. One of the saddest moments in Journey's End (and this is saying something, since the end of the episode is full of them) is after the Doctor returns Donna (sans memories) to her house and she barely acknowledges him when he leaves. Donna's loss is so great that she doesn't even know what she's missing. What's even sadder to me, however, is that this is the note we leave Donna on (at least at this point), and this seems false to her story. Donna was always brilliant, but the Doctor offered her the opportunity for her to see that, and now it seems like that all has been lost. But surely, if Donna was always brilliant, she would be brilliant with or without the Doctor, and the story here explores that through vignettes about Donna's life after Journey's End. The bonus is that these vignettes also include other companions and even the Doctor himself.

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rec: where to next? by jinxed_wood

Hi all: I'm cpsd90, and I'll be your reccer for the next two weeks.

Story: Where To Next?
Author: jinxed_wood
Rating: All Ages
Word Count: 1507
Author's Summary: Martha isn't really sure she believes in happy ever afters.
Characters/Pairings: Martha Jones, Mickey Smith
Warnings: Spoilers for The End of Time.

Recced because: I love fic that fills in the gaps in-between episodes, especially (as in this case) some big changes happen, and also fics that follow up with the companions after their official story is over. This fic does both, and in an elegant and concise manner that few fics manage. When I read this fic, it immediately became my head-canon for what must have happened. Although Martha and Mickey have just met here, it becomes clear (without having to be said directly) why they make sense together. But the fic isn't just about how Martha and Mickey ended up together; it's also about Martha finding her own way, on her own terms.

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Rec - Duct Tape by captain chico

Story: Duct Tape
Author: Captain Chico
Rating: All ages
Word Count: 9297
Author's Summary: Sarah Jane has an unexpected visitor.
Characters/Pairings: Clyde Langer, K-9, Mr. Smith, Other Character(s), Sarah Jane Smith
Warnings: None

Recced because: I'm ending my recs with yet another new author, and an entertaining Sara Jane Adventures story that refers back to one of the most interesting canon characters we never quite met in Doctor Who (yes, I am being a little cryptic) and does so with immense style. Some familiar characters do appear, and it's fun and fast-paced throughout.

( A small sample )

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A Problem of Background

Story: A Problem of Background
Author: Lyricwritesprose
Rating: Adult
Word Count: 5117
Author's Summary: The Doctor needs Martha's advice about a new companion.
Characters/Pairings: Martha Jones, Original Companion, The Doctor (11th)
Warnings: Explicit Violence, Non-Con, Character Study, Drama, General

Recced because: Well, part of the rec is 'Lyricwritesprose'. I mean, anyone who has read her work will understand what I'm talking about. She is one of the most recced writers here (top ten, actually) - and for a good reason. She consistently (and absolutely) blows everyone away with her stellar work. She can write every Doctor, every Era flawlessly and with a style that puts you right there in the thick of it. A gorgeous writer and well worth reccing every time. But that's not the only reason I'm reccing at this point.

This is literally a 'history' fiction (in a manner of speaking). The Doctor not only goes back to see a Companion we have not seen since Ten's Era, but he brings someone only she can help. There are some shocking elements to this fiction - but then, there should be. With the turmoil going on in today's world - racial tension, profiling and horror being committed against people for the very fact their skin color isn't white - this fiction...fits. It tells us that our history (for all that it has changed), has only changed slightly. It is a good historical fiction. It is a fiction that is well worth the read for the characters, the remembrance of not-so-good days in the past. And how one little girl could be rescued (and just may do the same for others), by the man with a time machine and good intentions - even as he may not be equipped to handle everything the universe can throw at him. That's why he has friends. That's why he needs people to keep him steady and remind him that sometimes, he isn't the only one saving people. Though really, the bravest and best character here is the one the author created that this fiction is centered around. You will love her, feel for her, be proud of her. In the world she grew up in, life was sketchy and difficult and brutal - but she was a rock against it. There are a lot of reasons to recommend this fiction. I have barely scraped the surface (and likely, I have done so poorly) - but I could be here all day with all the reasons this fiction is a must-read and one that will change how you see the world and all of our places within it. But I will not do that. I will let you discover this for yourself. But as always, I will give you a small taste to get you going with this tale...

( Small taste below the cut )

Ahhh, a wonderful, terrible, beautiful and perfect fiction. Please do tell her what you think. And let her know that her work is missed...