Doctor Who | songs from the vortex [Songfic Collection]

Trap of Love

Summary: Martha reflects on her feelings for the Doctor.

Note: Set during series 3.

Pairing: unrequited Martha Jones/Tenth Doctor

Song: "Trap of Love" by Crush/Daphne Blake feat. The Hex Girls (From Scooby-Doo! Mystery Incorporated s01e07 "In the Fear of the Phantom")

Originally Published: 24 January 2014

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Your unfeeling heart imprisons me
Careless eyes too blind to see
Empty words, an iron cage
Broken heart, bleeding rage

Martha Jones was currently perched on the yellow captain's chair in the control room of the TARDIS watching the Doctor as he tinkered with something on the underside of the console.

She was also thinking about her relationship—such as it was—with him. Even though she was in love with him, he didn't seem to notice. At times, he was downright cold to her. Whenever he mentioned Rose, it took everything she had not to slap him and yell that Rose wasn't here, she was, and couldn't he pay attention to her?

Yet at the same time she knew she would never be good enough for him, would always be second best, because how could she ever compare with the fantastic, brilliant Rose Tyler?

Then there was that time he'd told her about his home planet. It had just been empty words, all of it. His planet was gone and they could never visit.

If she stayed with him, Martha's heart was just going to end up even more broken than it was now.

She muttered, "Can't wait for you and me. It's time I break free . . ."

The Doctor's head suddenly popped out from under the console. "Sorry, did you say something?"

Martha just rolled her eyes and sighed loudly through her nose.

Clueless git.

And yet, she couldn't help but love him to bits.

Trap of love
Snared by desire
Trap of love
Burned by your fire
Trap of love
Snared by desire
Trap of love
Beware the trap of love.

Admittedly, she'd been attracted to him even before he'd kissed her on the moon. (He'd said that was just a genetic transfer—that it meant nothing—but she couldn't help thinking otherwise. After all, there were other ways to initiate a genetic transfer, weren't there?)

Martha loved traveling with the Doctor—she did—but he was like fire: If you stood too close, you'd be burned. At other times, he gave her the cold shoulder. When he looked at her, Martha sometimes had the impression it wasn't her he was seeing at all, but Rose.

It wasn't healthy for her, this one-sided obsession with him, but how could she escape this trap she'd stepped into?

Let me be.
It's time we part
Set me free
Uncage my heart

After the whole situation with the Master and the year that never was had been dealt with, and after Jack had been reunited with his Torchwood team, Martha stood in the TARDIS facing the Doctor. She'd realized that she had to stay behind in order to help her family. Besides, she had to finish her medical training. It was more than that, though. All that time on her own had made her realize she didn't need the Doctor, that she wasn't second best—no matter what the Master had said.

She told the Doctor as much, adding in a story about one of her friends and how said friend had spent months pining after a guy who hadn't even noticed her.

"So this is me," Martha finished, "getting out." Then, before she could talk herself out of it, she kissed the Doctor on the cheek and walked out.

She's noticed the look on his face as she left, and it hurt that he didn't seem to be all that upset about her leaving him. Martha tried telling herself that she didn't care whether he did or not.

But she didn't believe it.

And even though she heard the sound of the TARDIS vanishing behind her, even though she forced herself not to look around as she walked away, she couldn't help wishing he would come back for her.

He never did.

Can't wait for you and me.
It's time for you to see . . .

Trap of love
Snared by desire
Trap of love
Burned by your fire
Trap of love
Snared by desire
Trap of love
Beware the trap of love