#I don't know why but I tend to prefer post-series 3 ten x Martha building

[forget-about-me2]

As much as I love to see Ten/Martha together as a couple, and I'll go down with that ship till the end of time, the idea of it not happening has a spot in my heart as well.

I mean obviously not the way it happened in the show. Like that was god awful. But I'm thinking like the Doctor actually like being in conflict about his feelings for Martha and like kinda pushing her away not wanting to get attached, all "curse of the Time Lords" etc.

Then she walks away after the year that never was just like in the show. And like in that scene she all but outright says that she loves him and that she leaves because he doesn't love her back.

But oh he does.

He still lets her walk, after all, he's the Doctor, he's not suddenly going to grow common sense. And instead ends up heart broken that she left but resigned to it. Except he's still in her life, like every now and then he shows up like a love-sick puppy spending a afternoon with her, kidnapping her to an alien beach. Whatever idk.

They talk properly, and like are on decent terms. She tells him about UNIT and also about Tom. He hates hearing about Tom but bottles up his feelings.

I imagine at some point he's realised that he actually does love her back. But has vowed to never tell her.

Anyway Partners in Crime happens, Donna happens and the next time he sees Martha is during the Sontaran Strategem. That happens pretty much the same, except he's less judgemental since he already talked things out with Martha.

Btw I imagine he still told Donna about Martha, and that she fancied him the exact same way. But it's in this episode she realises that it might not be as straightforward as unrequited love as she sees her spaceman absolutely fawn over Martha.

Now Donna being Donna forces encourages him to be truthful about his feelings to Martha when she learns the real state of things.

Anyway he somehow ends up doing and I'm imagining it kinda going with Martha just heavily sighing out an "Oh Doctor" Then proceeds to tell him that she can't. She's moved on, realised he's not the right person and all that. She's engaged now, maybe even already married by this point.

Anyway, I'm imagining this ending with a heartbroken Time Lord sharing a tub of ice cream with Donna that night.

They still remain friends and all, but like there's a bit of awkward tension between them that neither of them likes. Maybe eventually it settles again and gets neutral again like they were before he confessed his feelings. Probably even have a better friendship than ever as there are no unspoken words between them anymore.

But yeah overall it's just the relationship that could be but never was, because the Doctor is a perpetual idiot. If he had been honest to himself and Martha things might have been different.