Chapter 10

The Master stood at his console with angry eyes fixed on the Tardis as it sped on as he gave chase. And then the police box came to a sudden halt, pausing to revolve calmly.

"You just made a grave error, Doctor," he said darkly, "I have you this time!"

And as the Tardis with the stained glass windows continued to stall in mid-flight, the Master accelerated.

As the stars flashed by, he laughed.

"Too drunk to fly your own ship?" he exclaimed, "No doubt you forgot your shields, too!"

And he laughed again as he sped towards the Tardis, knowing all it would take was a glancing blow to send the ship hurtling towards a nearby planet. Perhaps the Tardis would still be recognisable after the impact, but the Timelord would perish...

Victory glittered in his eyes.

He was seconds from striking the fatal blow.

And then the look of smug satisfaction was wiped from his face as the Tardis shot upwards and then sped off.

"NO!" he yelled, pushing his own ship to maximum speed.

As he shot forward, his eyes widened in alarm, around the same time he saw the sea of asteroids and felt the impact as the first slammed into his shields and then bounced off, hit another and slammed into him again.

The Master clung to the console as his ship was buffeted violently.

He looked sharply at the viewing screen and glared at the Tardis as it zipped with ease between asteroids.

"He stopped to plot a course?" he thundered, and then he tried to steer clear another incoming hit, but slammed into another asteroid, and then he clung to the console as rage burned in his eyes.

The Doctor had zipped between the asteroids at speed, it must have been a wild ride but he was now out in clear space, his Tardis calmly turning as if waiting patiently for the loser of the race to limp home.

The Master's ship shuddered with the blow from another asteroid, and he gave up on trying to reach for the controls and hung on, knowing it would be a long time before he was free of moving objects and able to make a move that would shift him out of the path of the asteroids.

And then the patiently revolving Tardis faded in and out of sight and disappeared.

"I''ll kill you!" the Master raged, and then his ship was knocked sideways by another glancing blow, and he reached again for the controls, desperate to make an escape before his shield system failed.

On earth, it was early morning in Perivale.

The Doctor had spent a restless night beside Ace. He knew he had slept deeply, because when he woke up around midnight he had discovered she had undressed him, and now he was under the covers instead of on top.

Then he had gone back to sleep and woken again around four in the morning, after a bad dream that relived the pain of a scalpel slicing into his flesh. The Doctor had soon realised that it had been triggered by falling asleep with his healing scar pressing against the pillow, so he had turned on his back and then Ace had moved closer and held him tighter and then he had gone back to sleep.

Now the Doctor was dreaming again - but this time he didn't want the dream to end:

He was in his bedroom in the Tardis, caught in tangled sheets in a bed warmed by the closeness of their bodies as he rolled her on her back and kissed her deeply.

He was aching for her and trying to hold back, desperate to make the moment last, but she was wrapping her legs around him and holding back was impossible...

And then the Doctor opened his eyes.

He gave a sigh and started to smile as he realised what had just triggered that dream – Ace was gently and patiently caressing him. He ran his fingers through her hair and then caught his breath as her kisses and warm breath against his skin sent a sharp bolt of pleasure through his body.

He knew he was out of breath as his twin hearts raced as if he had just run up a steep hill. As he grabbed at the sheets in a crushing grip he gave another gasp, and then he let go of the sheet as his hearts began to slow and breathing became easier. As he gave a sigh and started to get his breath back, Ace came up from under the covers.

"You shouldn't have done that," the Doctor said to her, "I'm too weak to make love, I can't return the favour!"

And then he laughed softly as their eyes met.

"I've missed you, sweetheart - even though you take advantage of me while I'm sleeping!" And he playfully touched the tip of her nose.

Ace kissed him softly, and then as she looked at him she felt thankful life was starting to return to normal – the Professor's face was flushed - that was her fault, but he looked so much better already. Even the shadows beneath his eyes had started to fade away.

Love shone in his eyes as he spoke again.

"It's so good to wake up next you instead of alone in a white room,"he said softly, stroking her hair as she rested her head on his shoulder, "Oh...and I almost forgot – I met another Doctor while I was on Sabra."

"I thought Carla was treating you?"

He was glad her head was still on his shoulder so she couldn't see the look of guilt in his eyes. Yes, Carla had certainly treated him to a little something and he knew he never should have asked her to do it...

"No," he said, moving the conversation along, "I meant, another one of me – number Fourteen."

Ace looked up at him, resting her chin on his chest.

"Really? How did you find him?"

"He came to visit me while I was having treatment. Seeing him and my Ninth regeneration gives me something to hope for – they wouldn't be here if I didn't eventually survive the toxin."

"Of course you're going to survive!" Ace said to him, "You have to keep believing that!"

The Doctor's thoughts had turned back to Rebel.

"He's got an addiction."

"Who has?" Ace wondered.

"Rebel – number Fourteen. He's a powdered rock user, he sets it alight to inhale the vapour. Addicts call it a T bomb, or blue mist. I knew it as soon as I met him, I could smell it on his clothing."

"But why would one of you have a problem like that?"

The Doctor thought for a moment.

"I don't believe it is a problem – well, not exactly... I think he takes that stuff for a reason."

"Yeah - and his reason is, he wants to get out of his head because he's a junkie!"

He smiled fondly at Ace.

"Nothing is ever as simple as it looks," he told her,""There's always a reason for circumstances. I think he deliberately sought out the blue mist, and he had a good reason for choosing to take it."

Her eyes widened.

"I can't believe you're defending him, he's taking drugs!"

"I know he is, but blue volcanic rock powder has more than one use."

"And he's using it to get high!"

"No," the Doctor replied, "There's more to it. Apart from its legal use in various medicines, it can also be taken in its purest form by empaths who wish to block the receptors in their brain."

Ace looked confused.

"I don't get it. What's an empath?"

"Someone who can feel the emotions of others," he replied, "I mean literally feel it. Thanks to his difficult regeneration he suffered some kind of mutation that caused his brain to become wide open to signals from all over time and space, and unfortunately for him, he can only tune in to the pain of others. Of course he needs to block it, he'd go insane if he couldn't shut it out sometimes."

"How do you know all this?" she asked.

The Doctor's eyes sparkled.

"I get around, Ace. I've been to many times and places, and I've heard all the stories. They tell of a man who travels the universe in a dark blue box with stained glass windows and follows the voices of those who are calling for help. And there's something he doesn't know about himself yet – he can lift out pain from others and internalise it, and his unique system can turn that pain into euphoria. If he ever finds another way to block the empathic signals, he won't need the blue mist any more."

"He might get used to hearing it eventually," Ace said to him, "If it's all around him he probably will get used to it at some point."

No," he replied, "Rebel will never get used to hearing screams of pain and the cries of the dying. It would drive him insane. He needs to find another way to turn it off."

Ace thought some more about Rebel.

"So I was wrong about him, then. He's not just a junkie."

"Few people are just anything," The Doctor reminded her, "Everyone has a story to tell."

"You're right," she replied, "I guess there is more – reasons, circumstances."

And then she settled down in his arms to rest beside him as the morning sun rose higher in the sky.

After sleeping for another hour, the Doctor was woken by a kiss from Ace as she set down a tray containing a cooked breakfast and a cup of tea. He did his best to eat most of the breakfast and drank the tea, and then he got up, showered and got dressed.

As he put on his clothes, Ace sat on the edge of the bed and watched him, noticing his scars were healing well and the bruises left on his arms from needle marks were starting to fade already.

"Carla said you'd recover quickly."

The Doctor put his hat on and reached for his umbrella.

"And she was right – I feel much better just for the sleep I had last night – I'm not so sore now. I still feel tired, but not like I did. I think I'm okay to leave now."

A brief flicker of panic reflected in her eyes as Ace looked sharply at him.

"We can't leave – it's too soon."

She knew she has spoken urgently and she knew the Doctor had picked up on the look of fear in her eyes – of course he had, because he missed nothing...

And now he was looking at her expecting the truth and nothing less.

"What are you hiding, Ace?"

She hesitated.

"Ace? I need to know."

She took in a deep breath and let it out slowly, turning to the window as she gathered her thoughts. This would not be easy. No matter how she explained, nothing would change the fact that she had hid the Master's visit from him.

"I didn't want to worry you. I still don't, you've been back for one night -"

"Ace, I want the truth."

She turned back and stepped closer to him, and looked at him pleadingly.

"I didn't want you to know, not yet, not until you felt stronger...he was here. The Master broke in three days ago. He was asking for you. My mum scared him off. I wasn't in when it happened. What if I leave and he comes back again?"

Her voice was breaking up as she gave a sob.

"I just couldn't tell you, I wanted you to rest and get stronger before -"

"Shhh..." he said, and put his arms around her, "I'm not angry with you, it's okay."

Ace was still tearful as she clung to him. But as he embraced her he felt another flicker of guilt – he had secrets too, and Ace would not be so forgiving if he matched her honesty and told her all she didn't know about him and Carla...

Ace let go of him and stepped back as she blinked away tears.

"You're not angry?" she sounded surprised.

"Of course I'm not! I know you wanted to protect me!" then he smiled and added, "What was the plan, see him off with a few cans of nitro nine?"

And then Ace was smiling too.

"Something like that."

He kissed her cheek.

"Let's go back to the Tardis."

"But what about the Master?" she asked as she picked up her rucksack.

"He came looking for me, didn't find me and then he left. I don't think he's coming back here again."

They left the bedroom and stood together in the upper hallway as the Doctor paused for thought.

"Why did he come back?"

"He wants to know if you're still alive?" Ace guessed.

The Doctor was still thinking deeply on his own theory.

"But why? He knows there's no cure without the antidote, so why?"

Her eyes widened.

"Are you saying he regrets what he did when he smashed the antidote?"

"Perhaps. He could be imagining a universe without a challenge, no one to stand up to him – even victory can become boring if it's predictable. I'm his rival. Perhaps he's not sure if he's going to like a life with no Doctor there to stop him. If he kills me he knows the regenerations stop, it all ends with my death..."

"So you think he's changed his mind?" Ace had spoken in a hushed voice, the possibility that the Master could turn the situation around hand hand him the antidote was too much to dare to hope for.

He shrugged.

"Maybe. Or perhaps he was just desperate for confirmation that was I gone, who knows? Come on Ace, let's get back to the Tardis."

"Doctor – are you leaving already?"

As he reached the door he turned back to see Audrey standing in the hallway.

She looked at Ace and noticed she had her rucksack.

"You don't have to go yet, do you?"

"We're going away for a while," the Doctor told her, "Sorry I didn't say hello when I got here but I was tired, I've been sleeping since yesterday."

"I know," Audrey replied, and then she smiled, "Ace told me last night. She said you was very tired, so I thought I'd better leave you to sleep. You're looking well, by the way – I mean, considering what you've been through."

She had spoken so warmly, that warmth had been unexpected and the Doctor looked at her in surprise.

"Thanks," he replied.

"And I just want to say I'm glad you two got married, it's about time!"
"Is it?" he said, "I wasn't sure you'd feel that way."

"Of course I do! And I'm so glad you're on the mend. It couldn't have been easy. I can see you've been through a lot, but at least you've won the fight."

"I have for now," he replied, and then Audrey stepped closer and hugged her daughter and then looked fondly to the Doctor.

"Keep in touch, don't stay away for too long. Next time I see you both I'd like you stay a bit longer – if you've got the time."

"We'll definitely do that," Ace promised, and then she walked out of the door and up the path towards the gate. The Doctor followed, but then Audrey called him back.

As he met her on the porch she lowered her voice and spoke quickly as Ace waited for him by the gate.

"I really am happy for you both. And I just wanted to say, I know what you've been through. Been there myself, I found a lump two years ago."

"Ace didn't tell me."

"Ace didn't know."

She put her arms around him and hugged him tightly.

"Don't you ever stop fighting, Doctor," she whispered, "Never give up."

And then she let go of him.

The Doctor smiled.

"We'll see you again soon," he said warmly, and then he walked back up the path towards the gate, where Ace was still waiting for him.

It felt good to return to the Tardis.

As the Doctor closed the door he noticed the familiar hum that filled the console room seemed slightly louder today, as if the ship was welcoming him back.

"So where are we going now, Professor?" Ace had an excited sparkle in her eyes as she turned for the corridor and headed down to his bedroom.

"Going?" the Doctor repeated, and he followed her into the room.

Ace placed her rucksack on the floor next to his wardrobe and then sat down on his bed.

"At last we get to spend some time alone!" she exclaimed.

The Doctor paused in the open doorway as his gaze lingered on her smile and the way her eyes shone. That look in her eyes sparkled even more as he slipped the knot from his paisley tie and left it hanging loose as as he unbuttoned the top of his shirt.

"Want to go back to bed, Professor?" she asked him, "I think we should, and then I think we should go somewhere nice and peaceful for a few days -"

"Ace -"

""You can show me some new places, we could just take things easy, relax and enjoy being together -"

"Ace!"

The sparkle vanished from her eyes as she heard his sharp tone, and now he felt bad for yelling at her.

"Professor?"

Hurt still reflected in her eyes.

"We cant go any where," he said quietly.

And it was then she noticed the weary expression on his face, the tiredness that was still present in his eyes. Of course they wouldn't be going anywhere, he was far from recovered...

"Maybe we can get back to normal in a few weeks time?" she suggested hopefully.

The Doctor gave a sigh as he closed the bedroom door, then walked over to the dresser and slipped off his tie and took off his jumper and then hung his hat on a hook on the wall.

"No," he said quietly, "We can't do that, Ace. I'm okay for now. That could change at any time. I can't risk going back on my travels. Life is not back to normal. It may never return to normal for me."

Then he got on the bed and wearily laid back against soft pillows.

"Carla has to check my blood every week. Those toxin levels could raise at any time. And when they do, I'm not sure what I ought to do about it."

He wished he had kept that thought silent, because she looked at him with wide eyes and when she spoke her voice was hushed.

"What do you mean?"

He looked away.

"Professor?"

Ace sounded scared, and that was the last thing he wanted to make her feel at a time like this, he knew he had said too much.

"I just mean I don't want to think about facing all that treatment again if Carla can't find a cure. I just want to rest and enjoy some time with you, can you understand that?"

As she looked at him, he wondered if she was going to cry, but instead she put her arms around him and held him tightly.

"Of course I understand!" she said as she held him, "We get more time together, that matters more than anything."

He hugged her tightly as he recalled every moment he had ever spent with the girl from Perivale.

"I love you," he whispered.

"I love you too," she told him.

And then they separated sharply as a tapping sound echoed from outside.

"What was that?" Ace whispered.

It sounded again, three loud knocks on the bedroom door that echoed in the corridor beyond.

The Doctor's eyes widened.

"Someone's in the Tardis!" he exclaimed.

Ace took in a slow breath as she looked to the closed door and the intruder knocked again. She thought of the Master, and then remembered her nitro nine was in her rucksack, and within easy reach...

Ace had no time to reach for the explosives as the door opened and a man entered the room. He was tall and dressed in black – but thankfully was not the Master.

"Hi guys," he said, "I heard you having a chat...didn't sound like anything else was going on..." And then he laughed nervously, noticing the Doctor was on the bed minus his tie and Ace was sitting beside him – and neither looked too pleased to see him...

"If I've interrupted something, don't mind me at all – I'll just wait in the console room until you've finished. I won't listen or anything. So just crack on and have some fun...I don't mind waiting."

And he smiled.

Ace stared at him, and as she spoke up, her question was for the Doctor:

"Who is this joker, Professor?"

He gave a sigh.

"This gentleman is my Fourteenth incarnation, this is Rebel."

And Rebel went over to the bed and held out his hand. As Ace made a move to shake it he drew it to his lips and kissed it, and then he let go and turned to the Doctor.

"Sorry for barging in like this, but all Doctors have the same Tardis key, it's not as if I broke in -"

"What do you want?" the Doctor asked him.

Rebel answered with complete honesty.

"I'm sorry about leaving Sabra the way I did. I should have stayed, given you support. I can't forget the pain you went through and I still want to help."

Then he fell silent, omitting the fact that while this was true, he also had plans to save Carla Bailey when the time arrived...

The Doctor settled back against his pillows and glanced at Ace.

"I could really do with a cup of tea."

"What?"

"Could you make us some tea please, Ace?"

And Ace caught a look in his eyes and understood at once – he wanted time alone with his troubled future self.

"Okay, I'll go and do that," she said, and got up from the bed.

As she reached the doorway Rebel spoke up.

"Can I have mine black with a slice of lemon?"

Ace glanced at the Doctor.

"Does the Tardis kitchen have lemons?"

He smiled.

"I'm sure it will have lemons for him," he replied, and then Ace left the room and as she closed the door he got comfortable and watched as Rebel grabbed a chair from beside the dressing table and placed it next to the bed and sat down.

"I need to talk to you," he said, and the Doctor gave him a knowing look.

"I had a feeling you might say that," he replied, and then he looked intently at his future self, waiting for the Timelord known as Rebel to start talking about everything he had held back for far too long.

Rebel remained silent at first, gathering his thoughts before he spoke up. Then he took in a deep breath and started to explain:

"I didn't mean to impose on you like this. But I had to see you. I can't forget your pain, I can still feel it... if that makes sense."

"Am I in pain now?" the Doctor asked him.

Rebel shook his head.

"No, it's gone. Even the emotional pain has faded. I know because I can feel it from you."

The Doctor smiled again.

"You're learning," he told him.

"About what?"

"About yourself. I know you hear the voices and the screaming and only a T bomb can block it out for a while. I know you can feel the pain of others. When you're stronger and ready to take on the universe, you'll also find you have the ability to lift out pain from others. And your own chemistry will convert the negative into positive energy and turn it into a natural high. You're empathic, but unfortunately you can only tune into pain. I think that's something to do with your regeneration. You'll have to help me out with the rest, because I've heard the stories. I've been around and I've heard the tales of the man dressed in black who flies a Tardis with stained glass windows. But you'll have to tell me the rest."

Rebel's eyes widened as he stared at him.

"Tales about me? What kind of tales?"

"About your future," the Doctor told him, "They say you're the man who can lift out pain, the one who can heal broken spirits and bruised bodies, you're the man whose voice can unite warring nations. They also say you follow the cries of those in fear and pain and cross the universe to put things right. You're a peacemaker, the only hope of those who are oppressed. You're going to do great things when the time is right."

"You can't be talking about me," Rebel replied, "You don't know about my past, about my regeneration – I still hear the screams of the dying as the planet burned up. It's fixed in my mind -"

"No!" the Doctor said firmly, "You carried those memories because you had a traumatic regeneration. You fought against the process and the result was the mutation that gave you the abilities that you have!"

Pain reflected in his eyes.

"Which makes me a freak."

"No, it makes you different, unique! You just have to accept it."

Rebel thought for a moment, and then he realised something:

"I can lift out pain? Why the devil didn't you tell me that when I was at your bedside?"

The Doctor smiled.

"Because you wasn't ready," he said kindly, "I couldn't have put you through that before you understood the nature of your own design."

"But I wanted to help you!"

"Of course you do, you're the most compassionate man in the universe. But you won't be able to accept the changes caused by your regeneration unless you talk about what happened. Do you want to tell me about it?"

Rebel hesitated.

The Doctor looked into his eyes and spoke gently as he asked him again.

"Are you ready for that?" he said softly, "Can you tell me about the day a planet burned? Tell me about the fire..."