DISCLAIMER: Doctor Who and Torchwood are the property of the BBC. No infringement intended.
CHALLENGE: Written for Passion & Perfection's Big 5000.
ARCHIVING: Only with the permission of the author.
SEQUEL: To A Moment in a Crowd.
THANKS: To Ann for the beta.
A Moment of Strength
By ralst
Martha looked across the hub, her gaze once again drawn to the oblivious form of Toshiko Sato. Tosh's head was bowed as she feverishly tapped away at her keyboard, desperate to break the encryption code that was keeping them all prisoners inside the hub. She was their one chance to escape the trap laid for them, but that wasn't the reason for Martha's stare. Ever since she'd answered Jack's summons and travelled to Cardiff, Martha had been drawn to the other woman, their once brief meeting a siren's call that she couldn't ignore.
Tosh didn't remember her, of course, but despite the thousands of people she'd met during her year of hell, Martha remembered Tosh. The few scant minutes they'd shared were imprinted on her mind with crystal clarity. During a time of emptiness, Tosh had given her strength, and the feel of being held in her arms had lingered long after the crowd had separated them and forced Martha to carry on her mission alone.
Owen positioned himself between Martha and Tosh, whether by accident or design, she couldn't tell, but the smirk on his face irritated her either way. Torchwood's resident doctor had resented her presence from the beginning, and even now, weeks later, he still couldn't bring himself to admit he'd been wrong in his distrust. Not that it mattered to Martha, she held him in the same kind of contempt she usually reserved for the Doctor's more irritating foe.
"She's not interested," he sneered looking over towards Tosh.
Martha knew what he was thinking. To a man like Owen, longing was equated to sex, and he'd never understand the kind of longing Tosh inspired in Martha. It wasn't sexual, despite the desire that had blossomed of late, but something that ran a hell of a lot deeper and to the heart of who Martha was as a person. There was a strength about Tosh that called to her, reminding Martha of those lonely days on the road when the whole world relied on her ability to talk and spread the Doctor's message. Tosh reminded her of the 'famous Martha Jones' who could travel the world and change history. She reminded Martha of her strength.
Martha looked at Owen, his desperate contempt a thinly veiled mask to hide his insecurities, and she knew that it didn't matter. "She's real, and she's here. That's enough."
And for the moment, it was.
The End