DISCLAIMER: No, I don't own Doctor Who. Yes, I wish I did. No, I don't earn any money from this. Yes, David Tennant is My Doctor.

ALL PRAISE TO THE MIGHTY BBC! ;)

SUMMARY: Starting at Utopia, things change for The Doctor and The Master. But in a good way, I promise! (This is my first fic, so take it easy on me, please!)

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The Master wakes up not long after on the grating, fighting back The Doctor's memories that have been forced into his head.

The jar with the handy bio-matching recepticle has shattered, burned, melted. The handy spare hand has disappeared into dust and settles through the holes in the grates on the TARDIS console room floor. She'll make it a point to clean up later.

This new Master curls into the foetal position, wishing he could crawl into himself and be gone from this life already. He reaches shaking hands up, grabs his head and pulls, as if trying to pull the demons from his very soul. Screams as it burns and tears flow down his face. His arms wrap around his legs and he is hugging his knees, crying, then screams like his soul is lost.

The Doctor starts pounding on the doors of his precious ship again. "Master! Master! Open the doors!"

Jack and Martha are still working desperately trying to keep out the Future-kind.

The Doctor soon realizes no sound is coming from the TARDIS, it's not moving, not leaving them at the end of the universe. So, taking a great chance, he runs back to Jack and Martha to help close the door, blocking it with now broken machinery.

"Doctor?" Jack's wide-eyed stare at the TARDIS focuses everyone again.

The Doctor can now hear The Masters' cries turn hysterical and he start screaming again, high-pitched, extensive, and echoing. The TARDIS - you brilliant thing you! - manages to release the manual control The Master used to deadlock seal the doors and The Doctor, Jack and Martha rush in just as the Future-kind manage to start opening the laboratory door.

The Doctor finds his old friend/enemy curled up on the floor, hands raw from beating the grating and pulling at his hair, gibbering in Gallifreyan.

"Theta. Help me. Sorry so sorry. Oh Gods. Never…. Dead! No! Theta stop it. Stop me. Help me please help me. No more no more no more…"

The Doctor pulls The Master's hands from his head and cradles his body to his chest, rocking him like a infant.

The Master rears back and grabs The Doctor's head. "I see her! She's there, the Golden One. The Lady. She's singing!" A crazy smile and short laugh shoots out. "Loves Her Doctor. Keeps him safe." The Master grimaces and curls forward again, but The Doctor has grabbed his arms to keep him off the ground. He freezes when he hears "Keep him safe. Save the world, save you too. Burning!" and pulls The Master back into the safety of his body. The sounds of The Doctor's dual heartbeats seem to calm him a bit.

"Master. Stop this. Stop it! Listen to me, there's no one here. Let me help you!"

He starts to hyperventilate, gasping, head thrown back to see the ceiling of the TARDIS. "The drums! The drums! Louder louder stop it!" Then, gasps and stills. "My Lady, my Golden Lady. My Goddess." The smile that breaks through tears raging down his cheeks is frightening and beautiful, and his breathing becomes shallower and slower, his heartbeats slowing.

"Master! Hold on now. Come on. Talk to me, Master. Talk to me!" The Doctor shakes him a little then switches to Gallifreyan. "Koschei. Please let me help you," and puts a cool hand to his old friend's burning cheek.

The Master lowers his gaze to look The Doctor in the eyes, tears still streaming and eyes hot, the madness receeding like the tide. "Theta. There you are. She stopped them you know. She stopped drums." He closes his eyes, sighs and smiles. "She stopped them."

He looks back at The Doctor and whispers in Gallifreyan. "I should have come here first. Should never have run. You ran. I saw it. Across the whole wide universe. And more! Gallifrey … is gone?"

The Doctor nods shortly.

"I see. Well, you saw. It was for the best really. Only thing that could have been done."

The Master tucks his head into The Doctor's chect and takes a deep breath. He feels his body calm and his mind settle, quiet, for the first time since his days in the Academy. Before the Untempered Schism. Before the madness started taking hold.

A beatific smile crosses The Master's face now. He looks so young! And not just this body. It's like the weight of all the years he's suffered has lightened exponentially.

"Oh, you've done such great things, old friend."

The Doctor is confused, as well he should be. "What?"

"Such wonderful things. And the people! Humans! Ha!"

"What?"

The Master sits up quickly, almost smashing his head into The Doctor's chin, catches himself, then grabs his shoulders tightly and says softly. "Oh, the things you've seen!"

He sighs and leans forward to place his forehead on The Doctor's. "I should have come to you," and blacks out.