"You're a genius. You're stone cold brilliant, you are. I swear, you really are. But you could be so much more. You could be beautiful. With a mind like that...we could travel the stars. It would be my honour. Cause you don't need to own the universe. Just see it. To have the privilege of seeing the whole of time and space- that's ownership enough."

The Master froze at the words he heard his Doctor saying. Every word he said stabbed him like a knife, because for everything Theta said, he could remember a parallel to. Words from their life on Gallifrey, when they were young, and best friends, and beautiful, and in love. Before bitterness. Before the Time War. 'Fool, I'm a fool!' The Master thought as his memories got the better of him.

You could be beautiful. You are just beautiful Koschei!

You're a genius, you really are. Did you do that yourself Kos? Your brilliant, you're a genius!

We could travel the stars. We could do it you know. Me and you, we could have our very own TARDIS, and just...fly away together. Don't you think?

To have the privilege of seeing the whole of time and space...that's ownership enough. It would be a privilege to fly away with you Kos. It really would.He looked at Theta, his Theta, his Doctor, and he could tell that every word that ran through his head, was running through the Doctor's head too. He was right, they had always been beautiful together. He knew that if he stopped right now, Theta would forgive everything he had done, and suddenly, he wanted that so bad. He wanted to be wrapped in his Doctor's arms again, to be in the arms of the only person who would quiet the drums in his head, the only person who could make them just stop. Because when he was crushed against Theta's chest, the drums in his head were replaced with the heartbeat of Theta, and though it was supposed to sound exactly like the drumbeat, they sounded worlds apart. Nothing could ever ever sound like Theta's heartbeat. He looked up, and his cool blue eyes met warm brown ones.

"Theta?" His voice came out in a whispering cry, like a plea, like a lost cause, and he was almost embarrassed that he was capable of making that noise. He knew Theta would understand though, Theta had always understood.

"Oh Kos. Oh love." He started to cry at that, and suddenly, arms were around him, arms that despite regeneration after regeneration wouldn't ever change. He didn't spare a thought as to how the Doctor had gotten out of his restraints. He was trying not to think, trying not to jinx this. Eventually, he knew, Theta would leave him, would remember all the things he had done wrong, every person who died in his name, every choice in which he had chosen second best. Even if he was completely forgiven, he knew he wasn't worthy of Theta's love. He never had been, really, he had just taken it out of selfishness. The Doctor couldn't love him. He froze as he remembered that the gift of a Time Lord, being able to hear each others thoughts, having their mental path linked, had always been intensified between them. Theta could hear him now.

"Couldn't love you? I never stopped. How could I not love you? In what universe could that ever even be a possibility? I loved you on Gallifrey, I loved you when we wanted to run away together, I loved you when I could kiss away the drumbeat, I loved you every time we fought, and I love you now Koschei." Theta placed his hands on either side of the Master's face, and he brought their lips together firmly. Idiot he heard Theta say in his mind you should know that. When they pulled away, Theta smiled and pulled Koschei harder against his chest.

"Theta?" The Master said quietly. "Would you really still run away with me?"

"Koschei," The Doctor answered. "I'd always run away with you."