The Master liked to tease. He liked to dig deep, to uncover secrets that had long since been buried – to wrap his hands around the Doctor's hearts, everything he held dear, and crush it in his grip until it was nothing but ash. If nothing else, that was what the Doctor was learning during the year that was never meant to be.
Martha Jones was wandering the Earth below, telling his story. Saving the world.
Jack was somewhere else on the ship, he knew. He could hear the screams, sometimes.
His friends were out there, suffering, because of him.
But Rose Tyler was trapped in a parallel universe. And for the first time since the void had crumpled in on itself, he was grateful for it. God knows what his enemy would do to her.
Because the Master would know right away what she meant to him. He'd take one glance at the Doctor, see the way he looked at Rose Tyler like she held the entire universe in her hands, and he would destroy her.
The Doctor shuddered at the thought and reminded himself again – she wasn't there. The Master couldn't get his conniving hands on his precious human even if he wanted to. It wasn't possible. Every single day that the Doctor remained on the Valiant, he thanked the universe that Rose was not at his side. That she would never meet the Master.
A tiny smile graced his face as he thinks of what she would do to his old friend. Kick, scream, scratch. Spit in his face. The Master would never crush her feisty spirit – he'd be no match for Rose Tyler, Defender of the Earth. The idea was comforting.
The morning arrived with flickering phosphorus lights overhead, harshly illuminating his too-small cage. The Master entered the flight deck walking purposefully, headed straight for the Doctor, ready to begin his daily taunting. The Doctor's old friend looked down at him with distaste and distrust, a sneer already morphing his features.
Staring up defiantly to meet his gaze, the Doctor set his jaw and prepared himself for today's daily tortures, mentally repeating the words like a mantra.
Rose is not here. Rose is not here. Rose is not here.
And he was glad.