You express it way better than I do: she knew where she was going.

That's funny because I watched Doctor Who out of order; so I met Donna and Amy and Rory before Martha. I really liked her straight away because she seemed extremely competent, she had skills, medical obviously, but others; you could ask her to do or fix something without explaining the whole process step by step. Of course Amy and Donna were not pretty nitwits, but Martha really had competence, which made her era closer to the usual travel story with a crew in which each member has a precise role and matching aptitudes. And I'm fond of those stories.

Also since I had not met Rose it was easier for me to overlook the whole 'crush on the Doctor' matter. Remained her courage and cool head, the fact she always does her part of the job even when he doesn't. She was not swept away by him, they had a captain/second-in-command dynamic to them sometimes... I have a feeling Clara is a bit similar (Is it a test?), she seems to think the Doctor has chosen her because of some competence she has and is determined not to let him down.

You're welcome, your fic are always so crafted - and thinky!