Another chapter, huzzah! School is getting to be a pain, but I promise to get chapters out as quickly as I can.
Shonara shut her eyes tight against the glare of the search lights. Keenan wiggled and thrashed in her arms, whining loudly. Shonara hushed her son, then peered through the crack in the boarded up window.
They were in a safe house of sorts, located in eastern Cardiff. It was a dirty, run down house with creaky floor boards and rats in the attic. Dust covered the upper floor; an elderly woman had lived here, not bothering to keep the second floor tidy. Shonara didn't know how many days had passed since the Doctor took over and she really didn't care to. All she knew was that Leo was gone, Keenan now without a father.
Leo had been attacked and killed by the Toclafane while Shonara and their son were running for their lives. She fondly remembered Leo waving a rickety lawn chair at the spheres as a distraction so that they could escape. That had been days ago. Probably weeks. It hadn't really sunk in yet.
"Alright, alright," Shonara hushed her son once again and opened the bag on the floor next to her. She pulled out their provisions, which consisted of what little she could gather from the flat when they'd made the dangerous trek back here, and fed her son first, only taking food for herself when Keenan was full.
She looked back out the window, noticing that the spheres were absent. For now, anyway. A rustling in the opposite corner of the dirty room caught her attention. She watched a small boy of seven sit up, his blond hair ruffled from sleep. His mother was next to him, whispering softly. The boy frowned and Shonara watched his eyes fill with tears. She heard him say that he was hungry, before the mother hushed him quietly.
Shonara opened her bag, taking out their last unopened package of crackers and handing it to her own son. "Keenan, go take this to him, yeah?"
Her son nodded and quickly toddled over, dropping the package in the other boy's lap. The blond boy stared for a moment, then looked around Keenan. Shonara smiled and nodded, signaling that it was okay for him to have them. In a moment that even Shonara laughed at, Keenan abruptly patted the other boy on the head, then ran back to his mother.
The blond boy's mother mouthed a silent but heartfelt "Thank you" as her son began to eat. Shonara nodded a reply and gathered Keenan in her arms, rocking him back and forth slowly. Perhaps they would die here, but if she could help, then she certainly would.
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"I have a job for you, Tish."
Tish grimaced. She carefully set the silver tray of assorted tea cakes and liquid filled china cups on the table to her right, counting her blessings that she hadn't spilled a single drop. The Doctor sat in his chair in front of her, watching her every movement carefully. "Yes, sir?"
"I need you to go feed our resident immortal; your mother is busy," the Doctor intoned. It was getting dark outside, but it was never a bad time for tea.
Tish gave him a small bow. "Yes, sir. Right away." She set his tea out for him, then went to fetch Jack's food. She passed her father mopping along the way, giving him a small, comforting look. They had been trying to come up with a way to get the Doctor's laser screwdriver away from him, but so far the Master had come up with nothing. She retained faith in him, despite the odds.
Clive gave his youngest an encouraging smile, though he was now missing three teeth. They would get out of this. Somehow.
Tish made her way to the kitchen to find her mother there, cooking. Francine was preparing something outrageous that the Doctor had demanded. Tish looked around at the guards, then discreetly gave her mother a hug. Francine smiled a bit at the contact, then handed her a container. "Here, Jack's dinner." She looked so old now, eyes dull and sunken in. The wrinkles on her face were deeper than Tish had ever seen, like they had been carved in her skin.
Tish took the container, noticing a discoloration on her mother's wrist. She grabbed it and turned the arm to reveal a large, purple bruise on her underarm that looked suspiciously like the clutched fingers of a hand. "Mum! Did he-"
"Hush now, Tish. Don't make a scene," Francine said softly.
"But Mum!" Tish angrily put Jack's dinner back on the counter. "When did he do this to you?"
Francine was quiet for a long moment, then answered. "This morning, when I brought him his breakfast. I broke a... plate." She blinked and Tish could see the tears in her eyes. She quickly swept her mother in a hug, a display of affection that the guards around them chose to temporarily ignore.
"It's okay, Mum. Martha's still out there, she'll fix everything," Tish said encouragingly, sliding the object in her hand off the counter.
Francine nodded, wiping the fallen tears from her face. "You're right. We just have to keep strong. For her."
Tish nodded. "Martha's the strongest of us all; if anyone can do it, she can." She smiled sadly and kissed her mother on the cheek, gathering Jack's food once again and fetching a spoon. She walked off into the bowels of the ship, serrated knife now in the folds of her apron. Time for that bastard to die.
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"I've done as you requested, sir," Tish said, approaching the Doctor, who was finishing up his tea. "Is there anything else I can do for you?"
"Actually, Tish," he said, emphasizing her name. She hated it when he did that. "I'd like another of this particular kind of tea cake. It's brilliant." He held up the last bit of one before popping it into his mouth.
"Yes, sir. Would you like more than one?"
The Doctor leaned forward in his chair, swallowing the last bite of the delicious cake. "You're unusually polite today," he said, narrowing his eyes at her.
Tish said nothing, just watch from the corner of her eye as the Master slowly emerged from his dog house, watching the exchange carefully. The Doctor's fingers rested on the table in front of him, softly tapping out the sound that so tormented him.
"Yes," he replied suddenly, leaning back in the chair as he had before. "Three of them, actually. And more tea." He lifted his feet to rest them on the table, crossed and dangerously close to the teapot.
"Yes, sir. Right away." Tish bowed and took the teapot back to the kitchen. She piled the cakes neatly on a china plate and refilled the pot, taking them both out to the Doctor on a new, silver tray. She crossed behind him, placing the cakes in front of him and slowly pouring him another cup of Earl Gray. She stepped back, allowing him to enjoy his treat without interruption.
The Master watched as she pulled the knife from between her apron and dress, serrated edge glinting in the light from the Valiant. His eyes went wide. Don't, you can't kill him! Idiot!
"Your acts of courage are tiresome," the Doctor said, slowly turning in his chair to look at Tish, who had the knife raised, ready to strike. She quickly lowered it and stumbled back, almost tripping over her own feet. "I could see your reflection in the china," he sneered, standing quickly and backhanding her as hard as he could.
Tish yelped and raised a hand to her mouth. She could immediately taste the rich, tangy iron of blood. The hand that clutched the knife held it with white knuckles, determined but frozen in place. The Doctor reached into his jacket, withdrawing the laser screwdriver. Tish immediately dropped the knife. The Doctor's face split into a grin. "So heroic, until your own life comes into question. Then you run like a frightened animal." He kicked the knife away, raising the screwdriver to Tish's face, just under her chin. "Good help is so hard to find," he said, eyes glinting like mad. "Don't make me replace you, Tish."
"I-I'm sorry, sir. It won't happen again, sir. I promise."
He put the screwdriver back in his pocket. "Good. Now get out of my sight," he growled, half wanting to kick her as she left. He watched her go, eyes wide and frightened, hand still on her bleeding mouth.
The Master let out the breath of air he had been holding. Without even glancing at the Doctor, he retreated back into his dog house.
The Doctor shrugged and sat back in his chair, previous demeanor restored, happily eating his tea cakes.