His Better Half

By Michael Weyer

I don't own Doctor Who so don't sue. Just a quick little drabble that hit me. SPOILERS for "Last of the Time Lords" obviously.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

His eyes sprang open and he sat right up. He heaved for breath several times, feeling at his chest. One…no, both hearts now, both beating nice and steady. He held his chest as he tried to get his bearings. He reached up to rub his face and felt a sharp goatee at his chin. He reached to his head and felt a much thicker brush of hair.

He swung his legs around, noting he was draped only in a sheet on a slab. He glanced around, instantly alert and taking in his surroundings. He appeared to be in a dark room of some sort, a lab judging by the equipment nearby. Otherwise, there was really no other sign of life or his exact whereabouts.

He stood up, steadying himself on his legs. He looked around and saw a mirror on one of the stands. He reached to it and brought it up to examine himself. Looking back was a face that appeared to be in late 30's (as humans judged time), strikingly handsome with dark blue eyes, thick curly black hair and a matching goatee. He opened his jaw up and down, gnashing his teeth a bit to get it out. "Not bad," he muttered. He paused. "Hello…hello! Helllloooo…." He tested the new voice, a bit lower in pitch but good.

Once again, regeneration did well for the Master.

"An improvement, I suspect," came a soft voice nearby. He spun around, alert instantly, his hands reaching for a nonexistent weapon. He saw a figure in the doorway of the lab, a female who remained in shadow. "At least from my point of view."

"Who is that?" he hissed, the old instincts kicking back in. Regeneration tended to make him rather…moody and woe be anyone around at the time.

"Why, I'm hurt," the woman said as she stepped forward. "I would think you'd remember your own wife."

The Master narrowed his eyes. "Lucy?"

Lucy Saxon stepped into the full view of the light…and the Master realized something was wrong. She was still the same: gorgeous face, blonde hair, regal bearing in a lovely red dress. But there was something else about her, something more commanding than before. Her lips seemed raised in a slight smirk as she took in his appearance. "Welcome back to the land of the living."

"I suppose I have you to thank for it," The Master said. He wasn't sure what was going on but he wasn't going to let her know she had the upper hand. "You got my ring."

She nodded. "Yes, I did. May I ask, just how did you manage to put your spirit and persona into a stored space like that?"

"Little trick I picked up a few centuries ago. It's served me well."

She nodded. "Clever ploy but refusing to regenerate should have been a dead giveaway for the Doctor. After all you did to hang on to life, even possessing some humans, just giving up like that? Not like you at all."

"And you would know that," he continued in that careful tone.

She cocked her head and the smirk grew. "You honestly haven't figured it out, have you? You don't know who I am."

"Should I?" he asked.

"It never struck you as the slightest bit odd that you…you…would bring a simple human woman around with you everywhere?" She paced and he noted how her stride was so much more commanding now, more filled with purpose. "That you would share a bed with her? Not to mention all your plans and secrets?"

He bit his lip. As much as he hated to admit it, he had wondered much the same. Certainly, it made sense at the time, having a wife to fool the public and the sex was amazing. But….there had always been something there too…some other reason. "I suppose you can answer that question?"

"I can," she said. "Just as I can answer how I knew you'd survive." She smiled brightly. "You're indestructible. The universe knows that for a fact."

He stared in confusion that soon changed to disbelief. "You?" At her slow nod, he smiled himself. "Of course. You. If anyone else could survive it would be you."

"Surely, you didn't think you and the Doctor could accomplish something I couldn't, did you?" she said with a smirk. "It took your death to shake it enough for me to open my locket and unleash my hidden persona. I realized what you had done, got your ring, found my TARDIS and brought it here."

"Your…" He knew his jaw was agape and quickly shut it.

"Please," she snorted. "You think I wouldn't be prepared for something like the Time War? I've had it on this planet for years just in case."

"Right under the Doctor's nose? My compliments." The Master paused. "So what now?"

"Well," she said as she came forward. "I believe you and I may be able to…continue our partnership."

He raised his eyebrows. "I don't recall you ever being one to play with others."

"True," she admitted. "But we did do rather well together." Her face turned downward. "Until you let that idiotic vendetta with the Doctor get in your way yet again."

The Master nodded. "I see…So, what are your plans now?"

"There's a lovely spot in the Abraxis galaxy I've had my eye on for a time," she said, coming toward him. "The inhabitants are simply perfect for some experiments I've had in mind." She reached forward, her fingers trailing up his smooth chest and he felt a tingle in his newly developed nether regions.

"For now," she whispered. "Perhaps we can test out this new body of yours."

The Master smiled as he wrapped his arms around her. "You know, of course, I can't trust you now. Now that I know who you are."

"Just as I cannot trust you," she answered back. "You incredible egotist."

"Manipulative harpie."

"Fool."

"Slut."

They kissed. It was a kiss unlike any he'd ever had before. The passion was more intense, the feelings more arousing now that he knew the truth. As she lay him down and began to tear her dress off, he moaned out, lost in the lust and the power, the knowledge of the havoc the two of them would cause together giving the moment extra heat. And as they began to join together, he finally, finally said her name.

"Rani…"