Disclaimer: I do not own Doctor Who or any of its characters, places, plots...Yeah you get the picture. My first ever Master/Rose fic, never thought I'd write one, but actually I really love writing it!

Chapter 12-The Truth Will Out

The conference room in the Valiant had become one of the Master's favourite haunts, maybe because he enjoyed spending his time around the Doctor, seeing how much power he had over the only other member of his species.

Flicking absent-mindedly through the pages of a book, the Master sat with his feet propped up on the table, his wife watching at the window at the world in which she used to live, which was now no more than a huge building site.

Sitting on the floor by his little, makeshift tent the Doctor stared up from the cold, wood floor into the other man's face,

"Master?" He asked in that feeble, croaky and really rather annoying voice. With an exaggerated eye roll the Master dropped his book into his lap with a sigh and looked down his nose at the Doctor,

"What do you want? I'm trying to read," he crooned irritably, a stony frown set on his face.

"I want to know what you did to her, what you did to my Rose?"

"Your Rose," the Master chuckled cruelly, "I think you mean my Rose Doctor." He turned to his wife who had her back to him, "Darling why don't you come down here and explain everything to our simple, little friend."

On hearing her name being mentioned, but not having really paid any attention to the conversation Rose turned around with her eyebrows raised and an unsure expression upon her face, walking regally down the stairs towards the two aliens, one being the love of her life and the other her hated enemy, she put a hand on her husband's shoulder comfortingly,

"What do ya want?" she asked gently.

"The Doctor needs a few things explained," the Master said and then pouted sympathetically at his partner, "Bless him," with a swift movement he turned back to the Doctor, "I haven't done anything to her Doctor, I swear. Ask her yourself if you don't believe me," he spoke harshly and surely, with a set and serious look in his dark eyes.

Rose gave a truthful smile, squeezing her husband's shoulder tightly; he covered her dainty hand with his, stroking her knuckles with his fingers as she supported his claims whole-heartedly,

"It's true Doctor. It's me, 100 Rose Tyler," she paused, pondering her last words, "Just changed slightly,"

"But why?" The Doctor asked naively, Rose had forgotten this questioning, inexperienced side of his personality, "The Rose Tyler I knew was loving and warm and brilliant..." he was cut off immediately by her voice, which was more raw and pained than he'd ever heard it before. It made him sad,

"...And borin' and broken and lonely because of YOU!" He screamed the last word, venom dripping from every letter.

"I met her at a party in her world," added the Master knowingly, his face calm and shaded, "I asked her to dance, practically love at first sight," he smiled lovingly, still tracing lace patterns on her hand with his fingers, then he lifted her hand to his mouth, tugging her closer and kissed her fingertips tenderly, caressing them with his lips soothingly. The Doctor still was surprised to see no trace of lies in his entire body. Could the Master be telling the truth? The Doctor scowled, staring at his mouldy converses with intense interest, trying to work something out, maybe it was the aging process or maybe the long time of confinement had made his brain turn to jelly, but he just could not come up with the answer. In the end he gave up, thinking there to be no other way to obtain then answer but to ask,

"But how did you...?"

"Oh," cooed the Master, not even allowing him to finish, "You thought you were so clever didn't you, fusing those co-ordinates, but you're not the only genius around here now," he teased in an attempt to take anything of any worth from his rival, "I would think the name would give that away 'Master of everything' sort of has a genius vibe don't you think?" He questioned sarcastically, "Anyway as I was scanning through the TARDIS's memory banks I found a certain Rose Tyler, child of the vortex, lover of the Doctor. Well I couldn't leave without meeting such a wonder woman."

"And you found a way through, across Universes'?" There was clear disbelief in his voice, even the evidence was right before him in the form of Rose Tyler. The Master nodded proudly, and looked disappointedly down at the Doctor,

"I'm surprised you didn't Doctor, it was simple really. You can't have tried very hard," he paused, a satisfied glint lit up his cruel eyes, "Or maybe you didn't look at all, hmmmmm?"

"Anyway 'e tracked me down, usin' 'is Harold Saxon persona," continued Rose, her voice steady and eyes bright.

"He's only done it to hurt ME Rose, to get revenge on ME! He doesn't love you!" The Doctor shouted, as if raising his voice would make the statement more truthful. The Master pulled a face and mimicked the Doctor spitefully, "You have to believe me!" He cried again with his voice full of the strains of desperation. Rose gave a short snort of laughter; she shook her head unbelievingly,

"I know exactly why he first came to find me but things change Doctor, you of all people should know that."

"I have just as much right to fall in love as you," the Master spat forcefully, "And just as much capability." As if to prove his point he stood and moved back to stand next to his spouse protectively.

"So we dated," Rose carried on, "He met the family, and may I add mum liked Harry way more, and then we moved in together. 'E told me his plan and I agreed to it. So we married and came back 'ere, back home. I wanted my revenge just as much as 'e did."

"But why? After all we did, all I did for you." The Doctor said loudly.

"All ya did for me?" Rose repeated, scoffing, "Ya wrecked my life!" She screamed furiously, every emotion she's kept in check since capturing her ex-lover was laid bare to the world, and it was frightening. Pure scorn and malice flowed from her eyes as tears began to form in the very corners, and her lips shook with rage, her cheeks turning from a beautiful peach to a bloody red, "Ya left me alone in a boring world, after all I'd seen, the aliens, the other planets how could being stuck at home and working in an office compare to that!?" She spoke quickly, as if the words hurt too much to linger on each of them too long, "My relationships failed because no man could compare to you, even after 6 years, I watched everyone else move on with their lives, fall in love and I was left outside, cold and hurting. Really I didn't exist, no Rose Tyler in that universe remember? You never tried to find me, you never told me 'ow you felt," she listed the points in her fingers manically, clearly working herself up into hysterics. The Doctor had never seen anything like it. "But the Master, he never lied, he was open and honest and he loved me and I loved him," the water in her eyes suddenly become more prominent, "And you left me when I needed ya most..."

The Doctor interrupted rudely, that hadn't changed even in his aged body, "I had no choice! I couldn't do anything!"

"I was PREGNANT!" She cried, and then froze dead, taking slow, laboured breaths as her eyes flicked sorrowfully about the room. The Doctor's mouth fell open, it couldn't be true! He stared hard at Rose's devastated face and knew the answer instantly, however his mouth did not seem to be under the control of his brain,

"What?" Was all he managed to croak out, his throat as dry as sand-paper.

"Couldn't you tell? I never was good at lyin'"

"What happened? Where...?"

"I lost it! Do ya see a child anywhere? All the stress and that took its toll. My baby...He died."

The Doctor gulped down a breath of air. Her baby. His baby. Their baby. Their son. And he had left her to go through all that alone, not that he could have possibly known. But that did not help ease the pain and guilt. He could have been a father with Rose. But it was all gone. He wasn't surprised that she hated him.

Meanwhile the other Time Lord enfolded Rose into his embrace, pulling her close as she cried. Her tears seeping through his shirt and making his flesh damp, her sobs like grating on his ear-drums, he'd heard her cry too many times, every time it seemed to hurt him more and more. Her knuckles turned white as she clung desperately to the lapels of his jacket, she needed him near her.

"I'm sorry. I'm so sorry." It was all the Doctor could say, it wasn't enough he knew it, but there was nothing else he could do. The glare he got from the Master told him to shut-it immediately, and he decided that would be the safest option in the circumstance; the Master did not look at all happy with the state this conversation had made of his beloved wife, he looked as if he could kill the Doctor with his eyes.

Turning his full attention back to Rose, Saxon rubbed her back soothingly as he held her tight and safe, allowing her time to sob, she was always trying to be so brave but she needed this release occasionally, and hell would freeze over before he denied her that.

"Ssssshhhh," he cooed sweetly to her, rocking her slightly in his arms and pressing kisses onto her hair reassuringly.

"I hate you Doctor," came the muffled voice of Rose Saxon from within the solid confines of her partner's arms. Each word burnt with truth. It broke the Doctor's hearts all over again.

With small, slow movements the Master guided Rose to a chair and sat her down tenderly just in case she felt faint from the sudden outpouring of feelings, he shrugged of his blazer and draped it over her shoulders. He motioned to one of the guards, who were stood by the door, not moving more than an inch away from Rose,

"TAKE HIM AWAY!" He shouted heatedly, but the guard just stared at him clueless, "ANYWHERE JUST AS FAR AWAY FROM HERE AS POSSIBLE!" He shouted more angrily than ever before. When the guard still did not move he Master raised his voice even more, "NOW!" The guard suddenly sprung into action and the Doctor was dragged, still gobsmacked, from the room, his heels dragging on the floor as he was pulled roughly away from the mother of his dead child and her new love.

The Master spun round to look back at Rose, who was still crying, and knelt down beside her, resting his hands on her legs, she simply needed his presence next to her and he would stay for as long as necessary until he was sure she was back to her usual, happy self.

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