I'm so very sorry for the extended delay on the posting of this next book of our series. I recently had a couple of losses in my life, including my beloved mother. As a result, I've spent the last year settling her estate and coping with the great loss. However, I am back and can now finish posting the great epic story that Asearcher and I worked so hard to make for your reading pleasure. Thank you so much for your patience and understanding.

Julianna Calavicci (nom de plume)

Chapter 1

Santa Fe, New Mexico

April 3, 2010

The Master worked on his laptop, reading the latest reports from the representatives of his fledgling empire. A grin played on his face as he thought about how easy it had been once the satellites were in place. The Doctor may think these Earthlings were a brilliant species - he had said it often enough - but the Master knew otherwise. They were stupid apes, plain and simple, and now he was going to have them all under his thumb, doing his bidding. Well, all except two. As he considered that his man Reggie and the love of his life Periwinkle Langford-Saxon were simply above the level of these other humans, he noticed the door handle to the suite turning, announcing the return of his love and his assistant back from her shopping trip. Peri had insisted on going to all the stores to get what she wanted before he was allowed to destroy New Mexico as a warning to any who might still oppose him. As the door opened, he laughed when he saw Reggie struggling with all of her bags, boxes, and other purchases.

"Harry! I'm glad you're in a good mood," Peri gushed. "You can't do it. You simply can't."

"Can't do what, dearest?" he questioned, continuing to watch in amusement as poor Reggie started to unpack Peri's purchases.

"You can't destroy New Mexico, that's what," she answered, kicking her heels off. Looking into the various bags, she asked Reggie, "Do you know where those new slippers are? After all that walking my feet are killing me."

"I believe you purchased them at Goler's Fine Imported Shoes, Dr. Langford-Saxon," Reggie replied, emptying a bag from one of the shops - he couldn't remember which - from the plaza.

"Oh. Yes. That lovely, lovely store. I will have to come back when they get their next shipment in." She dug into one of the other bags, pulling out three shoe boxes before finding the one she was looking for. "Here they are," she said with an excited smile. Throwing open the box, she pulled out the brightly colored southwest patterned flats. "I love these!"

"There isn't going to be a next shipment, Peri," the Master told her bluntly, listening to her doting over, in his opinion, atrociously obnoxious shoes. "Fortunate for me, if you are going to buy things like those," he added under his breath.

"But I had such fun, Harry. Even more than Rodeo Drive... or Paris. Can't I just keep New Mexico and you can find some other unimportant state to get rid of? Maybe... Arkansas. There's nothing I want to see there."

"What kind of message would I be sending to the human race by destroying Arkansas?" he replied with a grimace. "No one likes Arkansas, not even... Arkansasians."

Peri slipped on the shoes in her hand. "All right. That's a gimme. Let me think." She paused. "What about Illinois? Chicago would be a loss but the rest of the state..." she trailed off.

"No," came the firm answer. "There is a reason I chose New Mexico, Periwinkle."

"Why?" she asked petulantly.

"Well, those horrible fringes, for one thing," he complained when he saw Reggie unpack a leather jacket with copious strings of leather. "And there is the Air Force base. And HAL is fairly sure that Project Quantum Leap is somewhere in this desert and close by, from what I gathered. So..." He wiggled his right hand as if to be waving at some invisible person. "Bye bye."

Peri stopped her joyous unpacking. "But that's just not fair! I find someplace that I really enjoy and you want to take it away from me." She looked to Reggie. "Don't you agree he's being totally unfair?"

Reggie looked between the two of them, trepidation instantly reflecting in his eyes at what the consequences might be for answering favorably in either case. "Well, I..." he stated.

"Oh, leave Reginald out of this, Peri. My mind is already made up," the Master berated, putting aside his laptop. "Besides, he agrees with me. New Mexico has to go."

Peri put her hands on her hips and pulled her back straight. In that stance, she was a formidable woman, her blue eyes intensely blazing. "No, he doesn't. He doesn't think you're being fair. I don't ask for much, Harry. You know that's true. So why are you so insistent on taking New Mexico away from me?" Her lips pouted. "You just want me to suffer."

"Is that a proposition?" he queried, a wicked grin on his face.

"Only if you let me keep New Mexico," she answered defiantly.

He seemed to think about the matter for a long moment. "No."

"Yes," she responded, her heels digging in deeper.

Reggie was backing towards the door to the hotel suite, hoping to get out before this argument grew more... explosive. He'd been at this point many times and as much as he greatly respected... and feared... his employers, he knew he would come out the worse for wear. His eyes gauged the distance to the door, hope growing with each inch towards it.

The Master slowly stood from his seated position, a dark look in his eyes. "Peri... you know better than to get me angry," he warned. "And just where the hell do you think you are going, Reginald?"

At the sound of the Master's voice, Reggie couldn't help but jump slightly. "I was thinking, sir... um... that the two of you may wish refreshments. This air is so... dry here and Dr. Langford-Saxon I'm sure is famished after her excursion..." He held his voice steady as he explained his actions.

"I like the dry air," came the response.

"Of course, you do," Peri said with a little vehemence. "Dry air fills a windbag so well."

Reggie winced. When the Mrs. started throwing insults, things were about to get... heated... like in an industrial furnace or perhaps a thermonuclear blast.

The Gallifreyan, enraged by her words, marched up and slapped her across the face. "Don't you dare talk to me like that, woman!"

Peri stood in front of him, her body shaking as she reached her hand up to the reddening cheek. With a very calm voice, she aimed her next request to Reggie. "You will go down to the front desk and obtain another suite for me... preferably as far away from this one as can be found."

Reggie started to obey when the Master pointed at him, fury in his eyes. "Stay right where you are, Torkinson!"

"You heard me, Reggie," Peri retorted.

"You take a step towards that door and I'll recreate what I did in that warehouse in Wales only you'll provide the room decorations!" the Time Lord countered.

"And if I have to stay another moment in... in... his presence, you can be sure I'll have to use my power tools," she growled. "You've seen what I can do with a drill, Reggie."

The assistant looked between the two of them with fear in his eyes, now firmly resembling a deer caught in the headlights of a car. "I..." he started, never getting to the next word.

"You'd resort to power tools just to have this barren uncomfortable wasteland as yours? There's nothing here but the danger of that project!" the Master stated harshly.

"Yes, I would. Although the circular saw might be an interesting twist."

"You wouldn't."

"Well, you were the one threatening to turn Reggie into real Halloween decorations!"

"And why not...he's supposed to listen to me. Not you. And you called me a windbag!"

"If the word fits! All you ever seem to do is talk about your plans for universal domination," she complained. "Is it too much to ask that I have a small area of that universe for myself? So what if it's New Mexico. It's what I want!"

"I'm giving you the universe on a platter! Why would you want New Mexico?" He said the name of the state as if it were a disease.

"Because... I do." Her words were firm. "And if you really loved me, you wouldn't make me try to justify my desires."

The Master rolled his eyes at his words. "Oh, we're back on that again, are we?"

Her eyes narrowed. "We never left."

"Wrong! You never left it. I've been planning the greatest conquest in all of time and space. I don't need to worry about your 'desires' at a time like this."

"Which is why," she answered, "I don't wish to remain in this suite." She turned back to Reggie. "Now are you going to get me my own suite?"

Reggie hesitantly pointed to the Master. "He's going to turn me into shark bait."

"Oh, he will not. He's just mad at me for standing up to his dictatorial edicts."

"Wrong again," the Time Lord countered. "I'm angry because I do not tolerate being insulted, especially by my own wife!"

"You think that was an insult! If you really want to know what it is to be insulted..." she started.

"No!" Reggie screamed. He turned to the Master, speaking quickly. "She doesn't mean it, sir. You know how she gets at times... says things she doesn't really mean..."

"I meant every word!" Peri responded bluntly.

Reggie turned to her, his voice increasing in speed in a desperate attempt to prevent the situation from spiraling into a murder. "No. You don't. You love him. I know you love him and you're just feeling he hasn't been paying enough attention recently."

"Shut it, Torkinson!" the Master growled. He took a dangerous step towards Peri, his dark eyes blazing.

The assistant quickly put himself in between his employers, not at all sure this was the best position to be in at the moment. "And you, sir. I've been with you almost since the two of you met. Don't you remember how devastated you were when you thought you'd lost her? Do you want to feel that way again?" He hoped against hope that the Master would heed his voice.

The Gallifreyan growled in anger, pushing Reggie out of the way to rush at Peri. Wrapping his hands around her neck, he squeezed tightly. "Why I ever married a stupid ape like you is beyond reasoning!" He watched with a hint of twisted satisfaction as she realized he wasn't going to release her and struggled to break free of his grip, gasping for air with terror in her eyes. All the while, the distinct sound of drumming encouraged him to keep going.

Reggie reached out, trying to disengage the Master's hands from Peri's neck. He could see red spots forming in her eyes and knew this was the only chance he'd have. As he found the courage to take action against his alien master, he only hoped his own death would be swift and mostly painless. "Please, sir! Don't!" he entreated, again trying to pull him away. "You're killing her! You'll never forgive yourself! It's only New Mexico, after all!"

Somehow, through the haze of fury, the voice of his faithful adjuvant seeped into the crazed Gallifreyan's mind, causing him to slightly loosen his hold on Peri's throat. The slight change in pressure allowed Reginald to finish pulling him away from the weakened woman, causing the Time Lord to fall abruptly on his backside. As the two men moved away from her, Peri's eyes rolled back into her head as she fell to the floor, the lack of oxygen having led to unconsciousness. Her neck showed the evidence of handprints on the skin, bruising quickly coloring where the pressure had been strongest.

The Master, confusion clear on his face, looked up at Reggie, not yet noticing Peri's still form. "What..." he started. His face turned towards his hands, which were shaking for some reason he couldn't recall.

Reggie looked from one to the other, praying that he had not acted too late. He left the Master's side, going to Peri's and attempting to ascertain the extent of the damage. "She didn't mean it, sir. No matter what she said. She didn't mean it."

"Mean it?" the Gallifreyan questioned, turning his head towards Reggie. Seeing Peri sprawled on the floor, he suddenly remembered the last several minutes in perfect clarity. "No," he whispered, scrambling to her side. "Peri?" Not getting a response, he quickly ran his hands over her form, checking her throat while listening desperately for signs of breathing.

Seeing that the Time Lord was no longer a danger to his wife, Reggie moved away to allow him to examine her more closely. He stood back watching, not with fear for himself but with hope that she would survive for both of their sakes.

"Oh, thank Rassilon," the Master whispered, resting his forehead against his fallen wife's. "I didn't crush her trachea. She's unconscious, that's all. Just unconscious. No permanent physical damage." He abruptly turned towards Reggie. "Why didn't you stop me?!"

Reggie blinked. "I did, sir." He paused, "But when you have a goal in mind, there's little anyone can do to completely stop you."

Hearing the assistant's words, the Gallifreyan had to concede that the man was right, especially when the constant rhythm in his mind overwhelmed rational thought. Still, at the cost of hurting the only good thing in his life... A moment later, he blinked, looking up at the only human who he might actually consider as a friend. "Did you... just grow a backbone on me?"

"I'm sure it's only temporary, sir." Reggie stated, clearly ready to back down.

The Master laughed at his statement. "In that case, I better get a new assistant because I think I like you better this way and if you are going to change back on me..."

Reggie smiled slightly. "Then I will endeavor to maintain the enhanced vertebrae around my spinal cord, sir."

Again, the Time Lord laughed before his eyes shifted to the woman lying beside his seated position. "I didn't mean to hurt her, you know. She's just... Why does she do that to me? Gets me all... discombobulated."

"Human males have been trying to figure that out for millennia," Reggie noted. "We're as clueless now as we were when we were hitting rocks together to make arrowheads."

"She makes me lose control of myself," came the response. "I never lose control of myself."

Reggie's mouth opened but closed just as quickly. Backbone may be one thing but pushing the alien's buttons still wasn't a wise maneuver. Besides the idea of becoming Halloween decorations was still a picture clearly in his mind.

The Master was about to ask about the expression that had crossed the younger man's face when Peri began to cough, pulling herself back into consciousness. Her eyes started to flutter open. Immediately, the Master shifted his position, gently helping her to sit up. "You'll be fine," he told her. "Just some bruising, that's all. Well, and your eyes are a bit more unique now."

Her hand reached towards her throat, a raspy voice straining, "You wanted to kill me."

"I wasn't rational," the Gallifreyan answered, brushing down her hair with his hand. "All I could hear were the drums. I'm sorry, my precious Periwinkle." Turning to Reggie, he instructed him to bring some water for her.

"Your eyes were somewhere else." Tears started to fall. "I'm sorry, too, Harry. I love you. I have since we found you trapped in that... place. It was just... my stubbornness. It took on a life of its own. Please forgive me."

He looked at her with incredulity. "I'm the one that nearly killed you and you're apologizing? Peri... you have nothing to be sorry for. I'm the one who should be apologizing and that's saying something since I never apologize." He pulled her closer to him, resting her head on his shoulder. "I can never make this right."

Peri pulled her head away from his shoulder after snuggling there a moment. Looking into his eyes, she answered, "Yes, you can."

He frowned slightly at her words, wondering what she had in mind. Almost immediately, he read the stipulation in her expression and laughed slightly. "Okay. You win. Anything you want. Even New Mexico."

Peri smiled with delight at his concession.