Soft lips trailed along the smooth skin of her neck, leaving fluttery and heated kisses imprinted on her flesh. Rose groaned, unable to open her eyes, and revelled in the sensations that coursed through her body; tingling and electrifying. Slender fingers caressed at the exposed flesh of her belly, causing her muscles to contract as they wandered lower and lower until they reached the waistband of her skimpy pajama shorts. Rose squirmed, her breaths now coming out in ragged pants as she struggled desperately to think. But it was impossible to think clearly with his lips grazing along her jawline, nipping softly and then soothing the hurt with devoted kisses.

Rose yearned to open her eyes, but she was blinded and all she could do was experience each and every sensuous touch and lingering caress that left her flesh feeling scorched. His lips were suddenly upon hers, moulding against her own with temperate persistence. His tongue ran along her bottom lip, seeking entrance, and Rose willing obliged. He deepened their kiss, their tongues cavorting in a sensual dance as they tasted and explored each other. As his fingers dipped just under her waistband, Rose let out a helpless moan as a fresh wave of arousal shot through her.

"Tell me you want me, Rose," the Master whispered, his voice dark and promising.

Her eyes instantly flew open and Rose gasped, waking from the explicit and sensual dream. She could still feel his hands and lips on her sensitive skin. Rose glanced wildly around, but her room was hauntingly empty, and the Master nowhere to be seen. Rose let out a shaky breath, a sense of relief flooding her, but the ache that accompanied this feeling told another story.

Rose let out a frustrated sigh and climbed out of her bed, shrugging on her robe as she headed for the door. There was no way she would be able to get back to sleep after that vivid reverie. She had never before experienced a dream that had felt so real, not even during her hormone induced teenage years, and she pondered whether it had something to do with the bond.

Tying the sash tightly around her middle, Rose decided to make her way to the console to check up on the Doctor. She had left him working on the device a few hours ago to get some much needed sleep. She hadn't been much help as she still couldn't understand all the techno drabble, so her job had been to hand him the tools when he needed them. The necessity for sleep had eventually won out, and she had been forced to leave him to get some shut-eye.

Rose padded barefoot down the dimly lit corridor, barely registering the cool tile beneath her feet, and paused when she heard voices up ahead.

"For God's sake, Doctor! You're butchering the hell out of it! Use a little more finesse."

"I will have you know," the Doctor stated more calmly, "that this is delicate work. You breathing down my neck is not helping much."

Rose peeked from behind the curve of the hallway and saw the Master and the Doctor hunched over the contraption that was settled on the console, their bent heads almost touching as the Doctor fiddled with something. His brows were furrowed in acute concentration and his tongue was currently poking out the corner of his mouth. The Master was dressed in his black suit and white shirt, with the silky black tie loose at the neck; the Doctor had discarded his long tan overcoat and had on his brown pinstriped suit paired with his red Converses. Their outfits suited the enigmatic Time Lords to a tee, and Rise couldn't imagine them wearing anything else.

"Hand me the sonic," the Doctor mumbled, extending his hand. "Make sure it's on setting seven thirty one."

The Master slapped the sonic onto his outstretched palm. "You'd better get it right, Doctor. A lot is at stake here."

"Don't I know it," the Doctor mutter as he pointed the sonic at the device, the whirring echoing through the room.

"I don't think you do. You've been unusually calm about all of this," the Master stated, straightening up and crossing his arms as he stared down at the other Time Lord's bent head.

"I'm trying to keep a level head through all of this, Master. Doesn't mean I like it or that I'm happy about it." The Doctor switched off the sonic and handed it back to the Master. He picked up another complicated looking tool and made some minor adjustments with squinted eyes.

The Master tossed the sonic in the air and caught it, his features thoughtful. "You know, I could sabotage this whole plan and take Rose all for myself, and there would be nothing you could do to stop me."

Rose frowned from her hiding spot. Is that what the Master really wanted to do?

The Doctor's mouth quirked into a smile, his attention never leaving his task. "You could…but you won't."

The Master raised a brow. "Oh? You think I won't do it?"

The Doctor turned his head to look at the Master, which now left Rose unable to see his face. "Nope," he replied, popping the 'p'.

"You sound awfully sure of yourself," the Master said snarkily, a dangerous glint surfacing in his eyes.

"I am!" he said cheerfully.

Rose was certain the Doctor was giving the Master a megawatt grin at this very moment.

"Want to know why?" the Doctor continued.

The Master rolled his eyes dramatically. "Okay. I'll bite. Give me your all mighty opinion."

"Firstly, you'd be a fool to mess with Rose. Even without her powers, she can be quite formidable - a trait that I'm one hundred percent certain she inherited from Jackie. You can't force Rose to do something she doesn't want to do."

Rose cracked a fond smile at the mention of her mother, recalling how sulky the Doctor had been when Jackie had delivered her infamous slap to his cheek.

"And…" the Master drawled, sounding unimpressed.

"You care for Rose and that scares you."

"I wouldn't care for her if it weren't for the bond!" the Master exploded, unfolding his arms and pointing a finger threateningly at the Doctor.

"Exactly!" the Doctor reasoned. "Which is why I know you won't sabotage this. You want this device to work."

The Master scowled darkly at him, but didn't refute these claims.

After a moments silence had passed, the Doctor resumed his work on the device, and asked in a casual tone, "So…what happened there earlier on?"

"What are you talking about?" the Master growled, still irate.

"Twelve minutes ago, you went completely still and your eyes glazed over. You grabbed the console so tightly that I thought you were going to rip a chunk out of her."

Rose held her breath. Twelve minutes? That would be about the time she had experienced that dream. Had the Master been subjected to it as well?

"No idea what you're talking about," the Master dismissed, throwing the sonic on to the console with a clatter. He glanced back up and instantly froze when their gazes locked. The air seemed to crackle with tension, neither able to tear their gazes away from the other.

Through sheer will power, Rose ducked back around the corner, leaning against the wall for support as her heart beat frantically within its confines. Swallowing hard, Rose pushed from the wall and bolted back to her bedroom.

Just as she reached for the doorknob, a cool hand grabbed her wrist and spun her around. Rose gasped in surprise when she felt her back hitting against the wall with a thud and she looked up in alarm as the Master loomed over her. He placed his palm against the wall on the side of her head, his grip still tight on her wrist.

"You need to get those dreams of your under control, Rose. It took every ounce of self-control I had to push that out of my head!"

Rose scowled darkly at him. "I can't exactly control my dreams, you git!"

The air around them seemed to constrict with an electrical current and the Master hastily snatched his had from her wrist as though he had been burned. He took several steps back and glared at her.

"You also need to work on those mental shields of yours. You lack absolutely all control. Do you have any idea how difficult you're making it for me?"

Anger fuelled her, and Rose stormed towards him. The Master held his ground and refused to budge or back down, standing tall and rigid as he glared down at her arrogantly.

"And how do you suggest that?" Rose shouted, jabbing him in the chest with her finger. There was very little distance between them, but she barely noticed in her tirade. "I didn't grow up learning this stuff! I have absolutely no idea about mental shields and trying to control this bond! You are being a complete and utter ass to assume that I should magically know all of this!" Her face was now mere millimeters from his, her eyes narrowed dangerously as she glared at him.

Then Rose noticed the Master's eyes darken and she gulped.

"You are absolutely breathtaking when you're angry," he stated, his voice going a pitch low.

Rose took a step back, suddenly realising how close they were. The predatory look that was now consuming the Master's face was not a good. Not good at all.

"Touch me and I'll blast you all the way back to Gallifrey," Rose warned.

"And I think I would enjoy it," the Master growled darkly, his voice seeming to caress her intimately. Rose shivered and crossed her arms protectively over her stomach.

"We can't do this, Master. Neither of us wants this," she said, shaking her head and taking calming breaths. "It's best if we avoid each other until this device is ready."

"I've been trying, Rose. But that naughty little dream of yours is breaking all resolve." He took a step forward and Rose took a counter step back, desperately trying to maintain distance.

Rose swallowed hard, recalling the dream in minute detail and she squeezed her eyes tight as she tried to dispel the sensations from her mind.

"That's not helping, Rose," the Master said sarcastically. "I'm still getting snippets of it."

Rose huffed out a frustrated breath, running her hand through her hair as she stared back at the Master. His eyes seemed to grow darker and suddenly it didn't seem like such a bad idea anymore. Why resist? Why fight this? What was stopping them? Surely one kiss wouldn't hurt. By the looks of it, the Master was coming to the same conclusion, the fight leaving his body.

"The device is ready," the Doctor said, snapping them both back to reality.

Rose startled and glanced frantically at the Doctor, noting the serious look that graced his face as he stood in the middle of the hallway, his hands thrust into his pant pockets. He didn't say word as he held out his hand for her, which Rose gratefully took. His touch seemed to ground her and she found she could breathe more easily.

"Coming?" the Doctor asked pointedly, his eyes glued to the Master and his voice tight and controlled. There was no mistaking the undercurrent of warning in his tone.

The Master's face morphed into a neutral mask as he stared back at the other Time Lord. He casually thrust his hands in his pant pockets and cocked his head to the side, giving the Doctor a tight lipped smile, though there was no warmth in it.

"You're playing with fire there, Doctor. You really shouldn't have the both of us in the same room."

"I need you there to see if the repression of the bond has worked on you as well."

The Master took a deep breath through his nose, his nostrils flaring, as he stared up at the ceiling in contemplative thought. Then he shrugged and strolled past Rose and the Doctor.

"Sure. Why not? What could go wrong?" the Master asked sarcastically, his voice fading as he made his way to the console room.

"You okay?" the Doctor asked, visibly relaxing. He lifted his hand to Rose's cheek, caressing her smooth skin with his thumb.

Rose leaned into the touch, resting her hand over his. "Yeah, but we really need to fix this now, Doctor."

The Doctor stared at her a moment longer and then gave a nod, dropping his hand to his side. He gave a gentle tug on her hand and together they made their way back to the console room.

ooOoo

The Master sat down heavily in the jump seat, loosening his tie and shrugging off his black suit jacket, draping it carelessly over the railing. He crossed his legs, ankle resting on his knee, and laced his fingers behind his head. The Master was the vision of a man completely at ease, but Rose was not fooled. Tension radiated from him, filling every crevice in the room like a violent storm building up.

Rose made her way to the other side of the console, trying to maintain as much distance as she possibly could. Would this work? God, she hoped so. What would they do if this didn't work? Rose shuddered, not even wanting to contemplate it.

"Ready?" the Doctor asked, startling Rose out of her musings as he came to stand in front of her. Rose swallowed thickly and gave a nervous nod.

The Doctor held up something that resembled a thin piece of grey tissue paper and Rose frowned in confusion.

"I thought we were using the device?"

"Well, I had to make the device to produce this." Excitement lighted his face as he shifted from foot to foot in his building excitement.

"And what is that?" Rose asked cautiously.

"This?" The Doctor paused as he looked at the item held up between his thumb and forefinger. "This is the suppressor."

"Are you sure?" Rose asked incredulously, doubt lacing her voice.

"It doesn't look like much, Rose, but trust me. It will work."

"And how exactly is…that going to work?" she enquired, nodding her head in the direction of the tissue-like strip in his grasp.

There was a dramatic sigh from the other side of the console and the Master popped into view, irritation and annoyance flashing through his eyes.

"You place the repressor on your forehead and it dissolves into your skin, burrowing all the way into your brain. It will find the bond and suppress it."

Rose raised a dubious brow. "Are you certain it will work?" she asked the Doctor.

"Yeesss," he said, drawing out the one syllable as he rubbed the back of his neck nervously.

"About sixty-three percent it will work," the Master muttered under his breath.

"What?" Rose shrieked. "It isn't foolproof? What if it fries my brain?"

"Then we can all get on with our lives like normal," the Master said coolly.

Rose narrowed her eyes at him, clenching her fists to her side. One punch. It would take just one punch to make her feel so much better.

"Master," the Doctor said in warning. He then turned his attention to Rose. "Both the Master and I have worked on this. Two genius Time Lords…"

"One genius Time Lord. Not so sure about you," the Master interrupted.

"Master?"

"Hmm?"

"Shut up!" the Doctor said in exasperation.

The Master raised his hands in mock surrender, though he was grinning wickedly as he leaned his hip against the console, his fingers tapping an annoying rhythm.

The Doctor turned back to Rose, his voice going back to a soft pitch. "We've worked extensively on this, Rose. All the coding is embedded in this repressor, which is what we needed that device for. It might not seem like much, but I'm certain that it's going to work. I need you to trust me, Rose. I would never make something that would hurt you."

"You didn't say anything about leaving her braindead, Doctor," the Master added snarkily.

"What? Is that a possibility?" Rose asked, glancing back and forth at the Doctor and the Master as panic starting to consume her.

"No, Rose. I put in a failsafe. This repressor only goes for the bond, which admittedly is rooted deep within your mind. But it's not programmed to latch on to anything else but the bond. If it even tries, it will instantly evaporate."

"And what do we do if this doesn't work?"

"Then…We'll try plan B and I'll form a bond with you." The Doctor held her gaze, promise cemented in his words.

Rose's eyes widened as she stared at him, unable to believe what she was hearing. There was no mistaking the truth burning plainly in his face. He would do this. He would form the bond with her.

Rose took a shuddering breath and then nodded. "Okay. I'm ready."

The Doctor hesitated and then gently laid the tissue-like device against her forehead. There was a slight tingling and Rose closed her eyes, willing herself to remain still and not hastily wipe the thing from her head.

A cool sensation swept over her mind, but it wasn't unpleasant. Just foreign. Rose kept waiting for pain, but it never came. Then she jolted when she felt a weird feeling overcome her. A deadening feeling. It was like something beautiful was being repressed and made to die, leaving behind a husk of a shell. Rose felt like she couldn't breathe. This pain was different. It was not a physical pain, but more of a deep emotional pain, as though she were losing an essential part of herself that she held dear to her heart. Rose felt as though she were losing a part of herself, something that made her whole and complete.

Rose's eyes snapped open and she abruptly turned her head to stare at the Master. His lips were slightly parted and he was holding on to the console tightly for support. He slowly lifted his gaze and Rose glimpsed the desolate anguish washing over him. Then it was as though all the light seeped from his eyes, leaving him deadened inside. Just like her.

"Did it work?" the Doctor asked, concern lacing his voice as he peered deeply into her whisky colored eyes.

"Yeah, it worked," Rose mumbled. It had worked too well.