The Only One Left Alive
All rights for Doctor Who are the BBC's. I own nothing.
He was sitting in the observation deck, looking at the stars. It was the first time he'd seen the clear sky above Earth in over a year. He missed that view of sparkling dots in the dark sky of the night. He loved those stars, each and every one of them. Around each of them orbited planets, and on every planet lived another species. He hadn't met them all yet, but he was planning to. From the day he stole the TARDIS, all he wanted was to see everything and help everyone in the universe.
Just a day ago he thought he might never see these stars again. Just a day ago he knew there was a chance no one in this galaxy will remain alive. He knew that if he doesn't stop the Master, by the end of that year, there would be nothing else remaining in the universe, nothing except for the Timelord, his Toclafane and his few prisoners. He was mad, absolutely mad, and the Doctor knew he needed to stop him. But he also knew he mustn't kill him, and when he decided that, when he decided he would not let the Master die, no matter what happens, he knew there was the chance he would never make it through.
But now it was all peaceful again. He was completely alone in the TARDIS, after both Jack and Martha left, deciding to remain on Earth. He won the final battle, hence the war as well. Thanks to Martha, the Earth was saved and the Master was no longer controlling the planet. There was nothing out of the ordinary there, nothing but the Doctor and his seems-to-be-police-box time machine.
His heart ached when he thought of that. It hadn't been this bad since the end of the Last Great Time War, since he'd lost all of his people. Even when losing Rose, whom he loved more than anyone else currently alive in the universe, it wasn't that bad. But now he hadn't just lost the woman he loved. He lost his old friend, the only survivor of his species, the only one who knew Gallifrey and the Timelords as well as he did. He was his last chance for curing that shattered heart of his, and now he was gone, just like the rest of their people.
"Regenerate! Just regenerate!" He couldn't lose him. He couldn't lose the last of the Timelords. He couldn't be the only one again. He couldn't live through this, through the pain of losing his people and his home, again. He couldn't lose the only person who understood him he had left. "Please, please!" He couldn't lose a Timelord again. "Just regenerate, come on!"
"And spend the rest of my life imprisoned with you?" I'm sorry, he wanted to whisper to him. I'm so sorry. I forgive you. Please forgive me. Please regenerate. You can't leave me alone again.
"You've got to. Come on. It can't end like this." It can't. It mustn't. "You and me, all the things we've done. Axons? Remember the Axons? And the Daleks?" They're alive, he wanted to tell him. You can't leave me to face them alone again. Don't do that, please. "We're the only two left, there's no one else." He could feel the tears in his eyes. After the end of the Time War, he never thought he could cry again, never thought he could break like that again. "Regenerate!"
"How about that? I win." The Master paused. He seemed to be in pain. "Will it stop, Doctor? The drumming. Will it stop?"
He hugged his dead body tightly, crying. Rocking him back and forth, being as gentle as he could, he cried over the friend he had once lost; cried over the loss of the last of the Timelords; cried over the loss of his only hope; cried over the death of one of the people, despite everything they've been through, dearest to him. He screamed in pain, trying to let his pain and frustration out, even though he knew it will always be there, in his heart. He knew from now on, he will always be haunted by this memory of the Master's death, just like he was haunted by the destruction of his people.
Yes, he wanted to whisper to the body in his arms, the drumming will stop.
The Doctor sighed quietly and then got up, getting ready to leave Earth. He was the only one left alive. The only Timelord who survived through it all. Setting the date and time in the TARDIS, he found himself thinking again. The Master had found peace in his death. Will he ever find peace in life, or for peace he needs to die as well?