A/N: Hello folks, is anyone out there stil reading? Hope so. BarbMack, if you make it onhline to read this, glad to hear from you hon, hope to hear from you soon!

Chapter 10

'Who's afraid of the big, bad wolf?'

The voices were back, but one was louder than the rest and, if the Doctor didn't know better, he'd say it was laughing at him.

'The big, bad wolf.

The big, bad wolf.

Who's afraid of the big bad wolf?

Tra-la-la-la-la'

The Doctor recognised the loudest voice. 'Rose?'

'Hello'

'What are you doing?!'

'Relax, its fine. We're all okay. I need you to keep him talking. I've got the Torchwood guys back and Donna and Keisha, they were all easy, well Donna can think at a mile a minute and Keisha couldn't stop shouting but otherwise they were easy. Sarah-Jane is a bit harder going. She's got so much going on in that head of hers.'

'She's been in this situation before. No, wait, hang on one second. What the hell is going on?'

'I can't explain right now but trust me. We are all safe. We're not really under his influence. Thanks to some help from the TARDIS, Bad Wolf is in control. I'll explain later just keep him busy.'

'Rose Tyler what am I going to do with you?'

'Oh, I can think of plenty but we'll have to wait 'til we get back to the TARDIS for that seeing as I'm meant to be under his control. I think it might give the game away right now.'

'That is not helping.'

'Gave you a happy though, right?'

'I guess you could describe it as that.'

'Dirty old man.'

'Harlot.'

'Cheek! And with me saving your backside as well.'

'Well get on with it then so we can go home!'

'Blimey, nag, nag, nag!'

The Doctor fought back the urge to smile at her and kiss her. Rose had come to his rescue yet again and, yet again, he had no idea how but right now he was just glad she was here.

"She can't hear you Doctor." The Master was stood close behind him. "She only does what I ask her to. I would've thought you'd have secreted her away somewhere. The great love of your life, your biggest weakness. I had you down as the chivalrous type."

The Doctor's stare slid dangerously to his old friend. "You think you know everything don't you Koschei? You think you have all the information and all the answers. Well let me tell you, you know nothing. You have no idea what you're up against. First you want to kill me, and then you want me to help you rebuild Gallifrey. Why? Why would you want to rebuild that place? The very place that uses you and throws you out at the first sign of difference."

"Because that was my home! We grew up there. Don't you remember Theta?"

"Don't call me that," the Doctor growled.

"But that's who you are! Theta Sigma; my old school chum!"

"You and I are not friends."

"We were once. We used to run through those fields of red all the way to the base of the mountains. We used to hide up in the trees, shrouded in the veil of silver leaves when it was time to go home, just so we could watch the sun set across the land."

"Stop it. It's gone and it's not coming back."

"Because you destroyed it! You murdered them all!"

"Yes! I remember! And I'd do it all over again if I had to, to save the universe from those creatures. You don't want Gallifrey back for sentimental reasons; you want it back so you can have the power we once did. You want to control time and space for your own ends. What was the code of the Time Academy? 'I swear to protect the Ancient Law of Gallifrey with all my might and main, I will to the end of my days with justice and with honour, temper my actions and my thoughts'. There are a lot of things I will do but do you really think I would help you?"

The Master walked casually towards Rose and threw his arm round her shoulders. "Oh I think you can be….persuaded." His smile was almost a sneer. "You know, she's not conventionally attractive," he continued, wrapping his index finger in a tendril of her hair. "I mean she's not even a natural blond, but there is something magnetic about her."

"Stay away from her," the Doctor snarled.

"Make me." He laughed as he took Rose's face between his hands a pressed a hard kiss to her lips.

Rose had to fight to stay calm and still. She was almost ready and she couldn't risk the Master cottoning on. She dreaded to think what the Doctor was doing but she didn't have to wait long to find out.

There was an almighty roar as the Doctor threw himself on the Time Lord and tackled him to the ground, taking Rose with them. Jack was there in an instant setting Rose upright again then dragging the Doctor away. "Stop it. Just stop," he commanded, his arms wrapped firmly round the irate Time Lord's chest, pinning his arms to his sides.

"Let go of me Jack."

"No. I'm not going to let you do this."

The Doctor's chest was heaving as he regained his breath.

The Master got to his feet and wiped the blood that was trickling from a cut above his eye. "Well this is a new side to you, Theta. I didn't know you had it in you. I must say I'm almost impressed. Such devotion to your belongings. Shame you didn't show that devotion in hiding her away."

"I've met a lot of creatures in my time but I never thought of any of them as monsters until now."

"You're calling me a monster? That's rich! How many murders have you committed? I'm sure there would be billions of malpractice suits if anyone had survived to tell the tale. Call yourself 'the Doctor'? That's a joke. 'The Undertaker' would be more appropriate, or how about the Angel of Death? Oh no wait, there already is one of those and you made a deal with her! You know I was actually going to let you live but now I think I'll just take your TARDIS and recreate Gallifrey by myself." He reached into his pocket and pulled out what looked to Jack like a ray gun.

The Doctor yelled and threw Jack off, shoving him out of the firing line before launching himself at the Time Lord.

The pair struggled for control, neither winning the upper hand for very long.

Rose took the fight as her cue. Relinquishing her control on the others she focussed her attention on the warring Time Lords. "Oi! Pack it in!" she yelled before blasting them with a shot of the Time Vortex.

"Rose?!" Jack ran to her side, grasping hold of her as she catapulted backwards. The room watched as the Doctor and the Master were blown across the room, their grip on each other broken.

The Doctor skidded along the varnished wooden floor and headlong into a wall as the Master lay breathing heavily, pawing around for his weapon.

"I don't think so, matey," Owen announced pointing his gun down at the villain. Gwen, Tosh and Ianto joined him, all keeping their guns trained on him.

Jack set Rose on the floor to catch her breath and retrieved cause of the battle, slipping it into his coat pocket.

Rose looked around the room. Keisha looked okay, confused but okay. Sarah-Jane, Donna and Martha were trying to reassure her that everything was alright and there was nothing to worry about. Her eyes fell on the Doctor, bundled against the wall where he landed. Getting to her feet she scrambled towards him. "Doctor?" She stroked the side of his face and the Doctor groaned. "Oh thank god! You okay?"

"Softer landing next time please," he told her quietly as he rolled onto his back to look up at her. "Hello, fancy seeing you here," he grinned then winced, pressing a hand to his chest.

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing, must've hit my breastbone on something on the way over. Nothing to worry about. You okay?"

"I've got a headache and I'll be really glad when we get home."

The Doctor nodded in agreement and slowly got to his feet. "Blimey!" he exclaimed, giving his head a shake. "Remind me never to give you reason to throw me across the room again, it hurts!"

"You're telling me!" she laughed, rubbing her backside.

"Thank you," he said, pulling her to him in a desperate embrace. "Everyone alright?"

"Looks like it. Although I reckon it's a dose of headaches all round."

"A common side affect, easily fixed though."

"Doctor?" Martha called. "What are we doing with him?"

The Doctor and Rose crossed over to the crowed.

Jack's team all had their guns drawn and aimed at the Master which caused the Doctor to bristle.

"Put them away," he growled. When no one moved he yelled. "I SAID PUT THEM AWAY!"

Torchwood looked at him and took a step back.

Sarah-Jane and Martha braved the anger and moved towards him, Keisha following a beat behind.

"He's not dangerous anymore," the Doctor said quietly, crouching down to the fallen Time Lord.

The Master's breathing was laboured and his heart rates were slow, even for a Time Lord. "Looks like you win again Doctor," he managed, looking up at him.

"There's nothing to win, Koschei. Nothing at all. You'll be fine, just let it happen."

"I can't. There's nothing left to happen."

The Doctor frowned.

"They're all gone and there's nothing to be done."

"There is one thing. Come on." The Doctor pulled his old school friend to his feet. "I don't normally do this you realise, except in a real emergency," he told him before pulling out the Sonic Screwdriver and activating it. "She doesn't like it."

A familiar grinding and wheezing filled the air as the unmistakable shape of the TARDIS began to materialise in the room.

The Master looked round at the Doctor's friends. "Nice to see you again Sarah-Jane."

"I wish I could say the same," she told him, narrowing her eyes.

"Ah come on now. It's the last you'll see of me. I won't be coming back this time."

"Just as well," Donna snorted. "I take it the headache is courtesy of your little mind games?"

"Could be, hard to say." He attempted a smile but a pain shot through his chest causing him to lurch forwards.

"Alright, alright. I've got you," the Doctor assured him, opening the front door.

"Doc, what are you doing? This a good idea?" Jack questioned, the rest of his team seemed to be thinking the same thing if the looks on their faces were anything to go by.

"I'm taking him home."

XxXxX

Coming soon:

Yes Jack Harkness considered himself to be a lucky man; he just wondered how long his luck would last. How long would Ianto wait for him to find what he's looking for? What if he never really found it? He wasn't really sure what he was looking for if he was honest. He just needed a sign of some kind that he was headed in the right direction instead of floating in the wind. Looking over at Ianto and smiled to himself. Ianto was good to him, he hadn't demanded anything of him but Jack knew he wanted him home, permanently

He was confused about everything and everyone.

A/N: Well ther you have it folks another chapter down. I'm about to update Fillers too, so keep an eye open for it. Let me know what you think? Press the button below and leave me a review? Please?

"Catch ya on the flip flop!"