The silence in the room was so thick, so full of meaning, that not even cutting it with a knife would do the trick.
"I'm sorry, but who?" Amy asked, completely lost. 'Saxon' sounded a little familiar to her, something to do with politics or whatnot, but she had been a teenager when she'd last heard it and teenagers, especially ones living in Leadworth, didn't care much for politics.
Leonard glanced over at Amy as if noticing her for the first time, his eyes sweeping her up and down in a way she didn't particularly like. "What's this, Doctor? A new companion? I've been researching your history for some time—you could say it's a bit of an obsession of mine—and I must say you go through them pretty fast. Although this one's quite a catch, I'll give you that."
"Last I checked I wasn't a fish, Mr. Saxon," Amy retorted, crossing her arms.
"And spirited too, I see." Leonard chuckled and ran a finger across her cheek.
The Doctor was at her side in a moment, shoving the man's hand away. "Leave her alone," he said darkly.
Unfortunately, Leonard's sharp eyes alighted on the ring tattoo identical to Amy's on the Doctor's finger. Almost mechanically his gaze moved to Amy's left hand, and his mind put two and two together. He looked at the Doctor incredulously. "You've got to be kidding me. Everyone I interrogated told me you were untamable; there for them when they needed you but incapable of being tied down. You're losing your touch, Doctor."
Leonard leaned in, and the Doctor shifted to block him, tightening his grip on Amy's arm. When the Master's son spoke again, his words were harsh and as sharp as two-edged swords. "What does she see in you, anyway? After all, the age difference is a bit of a stretch—eight centuries and more than a few decades. She's little more than a child compared to you; it's like robbing the cradle. Although I'm sure having a young mate is…invigorating for you, eh, Doctor?"
"It's not like that," the Doctor said gruffly, determined not to give the man any satisfaction. This meeting had stunned him, to be sure. He could see the semblance of the Master's second to last incarnation in Leonard's face, despite the hair that most definitely belonged to Lucy Saxon. He wished things could be different, but he knew that the part of the Master that lived on in his son wouldn't have any of it.
"The Doctor never told you about my father, did he, beautiful? They used to be friends once upon an era, during the glory days of the Time Lords. But things change." Leonard turned and paced the marbled floor, his disturbed thoughts making him restless. He paused at one of the windows, clasping his hands behind his back, and stared out into the blackness of space. "You see, if it wasn't for your precious Doctor here, I might still have my father."
"Leonard, you don't know what really happened all those years ago. You weren't even a year old then," the Doctor spoke up. "It was Lucy, your mother, who pulled the trigger and, later, sabotaged his return." The Doctor paused, his lips set in a thin line as he recalled a painful memory. "Granted he was attempting to take over the world—again—at the time, but he sacrificed himself when the Time Lord President tried to kill me."
"Exactly, he saved you. Do you know what it's like to live twenty four years of your life never having known either of your parents?"
The Doctor could very well have countered this. He was pretty sure living for centuries having lost, not only his parents, but everyone he ever cared about, was ten times worse than never knowing your family. But instead he said, "Listen, Leonard. I'm truly and honestly sorry for everything. Losing your father was hard on me as well. But living your life in depression and hatred will only hurt you. Please." He held out his hand pleadingly, welcomingly. "A truce."
Leonard's dark eyes flickered, and for a second he looked like a scared little boy who only ever wanted the love of a father. But the look was gone as soon as it had come, replaced with one of disdain. "I don't want a truce, dear Doctor. I want revenge." He began pacing again. "It took me a while to decide the best way to make you suffer. I considered enslaving the universe, or maybe destroying it, but nothing seemed quite good enough for you, the man who ruined the life I could have had."
"Well he's a cheery one. Do all your enemies have this much of a tendency to monologue, Doctor?" Amy asked in a low voice.
"Amy, shush! This isn't a good time," the Doctor told her. The last thing he wanted was to flare the unstable Leonard Saxon's temper even more, and if anyone could do it best it was Amy Pond.
"Anyway," Leonard continued as if there hadn't been an interruption, "it was a bit of a chore, and I still wasn't sure up until just a moment ago." The left corner of his lip curled, as if he knew a secret the others did not. He snapped his fingers, and two eel-like stainless steel robots sprung out of cavities in the floor. They wrapped around the Doctor's arms and legs like ropes and, when he tried to struggle against them, electrocuted him.
"Doctor!" Amy screamed, lunging forward to pull the offending creatures off of him.
"Hold up there, sweetheart," Leonard said, grabbing her by the waist and crushing her against him.
"Let go of her!" The Doctor shouted desperately, unscathed aside from the singed tips of his hair. He fought even harder against his bonds.
Leonard Saxon grinned. "Ah, it appears I have chosen correctly. The thing that you hold most dear in your heart isn't the welfare of the universe, or even your beloved Earth. It's your wife."
"Get your bloody hands off of me!" Amy yelled, channeling all her outrage into her fists and feet. She punched and kicked any part of him she could reach, but to no avail.
"I don't think so." Leonard pushed her hair out of her face, his fingers ghosting possessively down her neck and tracing over her collarbone. His lips brushed her cheek, and she wrenched away in protest. "I think she'll be a lot happier with me, don't you, Doctor? We're so much closer in age, and there's so much more I can give her."
"No, please! Amelia!" The Doctor implored, but the electric eels still held fast. All he could do was watch powerlessly as the love of his life was dragged away from him, kicking and screaming and cursing her captor into oblivion. Leonard just about carried her up the grand staircase at the end of the ballroom and through a set of equally elaborate wooden doors, which swung open to admit them and then slammed shut as if to prove a point.
The Master's son had been right. This truly was more terrible than a little thing like the universe exploding.
Cliffhanger, please don't kill me lol.
So apparently watching just one several-part episode with the Master in it wasn't enough. I had to look up the rest of the information on his demise on Wikipedia. I think I got it all straight; if you are a diehard Doctor Who fan I apologize for any errors.
Thanks for reading and please review :)
