The phone rang, interrupting some very important maths problem the Doctor had been solving the whole day. Whole several of them days actually, now that he though of it. The Doctor could swear he had been close to a solution before the demanding voice of a telephone pierced though his mind. Then again, doesn't it always feel like that when you're interrupted?
"Jo! Jo my dear, would you get that for me!" he called, but Jo wasn't there. She had gone to a holiday and the Doctor knew this well, but kept forgetting, as all these nice scientific experiments kept his attention. He had decided to work on a few trickier problems now that here was nobody frowning their face if something went a little off. You can't do science without some smoke and casualties, but try telling that to the good human assistants.
"Hello. Who is this?" the answer came a bit grouchier than the Doctor had intended, but perhaps it served a purpose. He wouldn't want anyone to feel they're too welcome interrupt a scientist at work. The person on the other end of the line chuckled.
"Now, now Doctor, did you get up on the wrong foot? Is that a nice tone to use with your best enemy, hmm?"
"Master. I'd ask what brings me this pleasure, but I know you're just up to annoy me as usual", said the Doctor, but not as dry as he pretended. Ever since the Master had come to Earth Doctor had gotten his dose of diabolic antics almost daily, but now he hadn't heard of him for a while. Not in their usual way anyway, and try as he may, he was secretly pleased to hear the Master's deceivingly gentlemanly voice.
It was, in some ways, nice, soothing even, to know the Master hadn't got bored of him and gone to other places of the galaxy to harass innocent creatures who didn't have their resident Time Lord to protect them.
"You wound me Doctor. If I'm annoying, then what are you? Pity me for all those headaches your stubbornness gives me! The least you could do is to be sensitive. I'm calling just to inquire your well-being for this day and age. That is sweet of me, wouldn't you agree?"
"Most kind," said the Doctor, not really convinced.
"You're welcome, I thought you'd appreciate the sentiment. Now, if I'm to believe my sources, you're currently working alone, as miss Grant has taken a trip to the countryside, yes?"
"That is interesting. Pray tell, what sources you're exactly referring at?"
Even one corrupted soul inside UNIT it would be a worrisome security breach. The Master laughed a little, amused, but even the Doctor wouldn't call it entirely menacing.
"My dear, I am flattered by you considering me as a mastermind extraordinaire, penetrating your precious little UNIT with my all reaching tentacles. But rest assured, I've only used conventional methods of intelligence", Master claimed, almost like an innocent man.
"Is that so? Why don't I seem to believe that statement, not even a bit?"
The Master clicked his tongue in annoyance, but didn't add anything to his previous claim. The Doctor made a note to check every UNIT-employee for signs of hypnotic suggestion and the likes. Though t he Doctor did recognize the Master's offended demeanour even without seeing him. There's no doubt his facial expression was a frown. This particular incarnation of the Master had such talent for the most exquisite hurt faces.
"Believe what you will", he said, not at all unlike someone who tried to hide their true thoughts.
Ego. Something he and the Master both shared: superfluous, easily damaged ego.
"I only called to hear if you're in a need of company. I know you and your ridiculous and quite frankly disgusting fondness for your little Earth-monkeys. Don't tell me you haven't been drowning your feelings in countless test tubes while your darling assistant is away?"
"It is not polite to spy on people."
"Please. As if I needed to see you to know you're sulking. Come along now, wouldn't you let me buy you a drink? For friendship's sake."
"Oh? Unusual choice of words... friends you say? How quaint. Never would have guessed for all the attempts of homicide."
"Can a person have multiple emotions at once?"
"I'm surprised to hear you have one."
"Such cruelty and I've only been so patient and emphatic with you today. But I guess it's only my own fault, for falling in l - "
The Master stopped without finishing a sentence. There was a silence hanging between them a while, just a hum of low breath travelled trough the line. Doctor didn't know what to say, or if there even was anything to say without embarrassing the Master more. The relationship he and the Master had might be complicated - now that's an understatement! But the Doctor never intended to be... well... too harsh. If he could avoid it, to say.
"Drinks sound lovely", he said after giving it a long and throughout though. How harmful could it be? Entertaining the Master's whims weren't exactly a decent code of conduct, but the Doctor felt like making an exception. After all, they were friends. And much, much more than that.
"Where should I meet you?"
Again, he couldn't see the Master's face lit up, but there was no doubt.
"Nowhere. I'll find you", he said, then hung up the phone without saying as much as a goodbye. In the meanwhile, the Doctor's little experiments had gone to a waste now that he had ignored their progress. Even all the leftovers of his calculations had left his head.
The Doctor sighed, then shuffled the papers back to a grey folder, placing it with other binders by the wall. Then he took his velvet cape, brushed off lint from his fetching red jacket and straighten his necktie. And so he went out, closing the lights in the laboratory.
In no shape or form the Doctor informed anyone he was off to have some drinks in the most questionable company imaginable. Even so, the Doctor figured the mood of the evening was likely going to be both awkward and the most welcome change of pace indeed.
FIN