Chapter Twenty Five
"Okay," the Master said to the Doctor when they stepped outside the building. "I hope you take this as a sign of trust between us?"
"What about them?" the Doctor said, nodding his chin as Sarah Jane and Rose.
"The offer about Rose still stands," the Master said. "As for Sarah Jane, she can go if she wants. I have no need of her."
"What offer?" Rose said to the Doctor.
"I want to stay with you, Doctor," Sarah Jane said. "Whatever's going on, I want to help."
"What offer?" Rose repeated when no one answered her.
The Doctor sighed.
"You have amnesia," he said to her.
"Yeah, I guessed that," Rose said.
"How?" Sarah Jane said to him while the Master observed them.
"Me, it was me," the Doctor muttered to her.
"You? How did you give me amnesia?" Rose said in shock. "Are you the terrorist that blew up the building then?"
The Doctor started to reply and then thought about that.
"I'm not a terrorist but I did blow up Henricks," he said to her.
"Why?" Rose said.
The Doctor's mouth opened again but he didn't know what to say.
"I was saving people," he finally said vaguely.
He looked away when Rose studied his face, trying to see if he was lying or not.
"Look, I know the three of you are trying to sort this out but I would like to get going," the Master said. "So if you'd just follow me, that'd be super."
"Follow you where?" the Doctor said as they walked off with the Master.
"A special laboratory I had built when I became Prime Minister," the Master said over his shoulder.
"And what about your fan club, you don't trust them?" the Doctor said.
"I barely know them, to be honest. They were just a means to an end, like Lucy was," the Master said.
"They don't seem to think so. That older lady was angry you didn't include her in this," the Doctor said.
"Oh well, I don't even remember her name. She was just someone I picked to be in my inner circle. She was a part of the inner circle through sheer dumb luck."
"And the adoration?" the Doctor said.
"Well, I had to do something to get them to trust me so I made them believe I was a godlike creature and I was the savior of the world. Don't blame me if apes are simpleminded and believe anything they're told," he said, shrugging as he looked over his shoulder.
"I'd watch her if I were you, her adoration might become dangerous," the Doctor said.
"And you would know all about that, wouldn't you?" the Master said, gesturing to his companions.
Rose glanced around, trying to find a way to escape. She noticed a policewoman about sixty feet ahead of them. She looked at the Master for a moment before suddenly wrenching her hand out of the Doctor's hand and running full speed for the policewoman.
"Rose!" the Doctor said behind her. "No, wait!"
Rose panted and gasped as she strained to get to the policewoman. She was about halfway there when suddenly the Doctor seized her from behind and locked his arms around her.
"Let me go, please let me go," Rose begged as she tried to get out of his arms.
"Rose, no, calm down, please," the Doctor said in her ear. "If you don't stop this, we'll all die."
"I just want to go home, I want to get away," Rose sobbed as she stopped struggling.
The Doctor's hearts ached as he held her close to him.
"Everything will be alright, I swear," he said in her ear. "Do you want to find out why you have amnesia and who I am and who Sarah is and why they want you so badly?"
Rose wanted to say no and break free from his arms but her curiosity about what was going on temporarily overrode her fear and she calmed down. She watched as the policewoman walked away, out of sight of her and the Doctor.
"It's alright, there's no need to fear. I won't let anything happen to you," the Doctor murmured in her ear. "Please trust me and do what I say, yeah?"
"I'm scared," Rose said in a small voice.
"I know you are but I'm someone you can trust, I promise. Please just come with me and don't try to escape again, alright?"
"Will you help me remember?" Rose said.
"I'll try, I'll try everything I can to help you remember but if you run, they'll track you down and kill you and your mum. I won't let them hurt you if you come with me. Please come with me."
Rose listened to him pleading with her and again there was that feeling of trust that existed between them. She turned in his arms and looked at his face. She looked into his eyes and felt calm descending over her. Somehow, she knew she could trust this man even though she didn't really know him. She looked back at the Master and Sarah Jane. Sarah Jane was standing near the Master and the Master was looking at them, an angry look on his face as he pointed a tiny blaster at Sarah Jane. She knew the Doctor was right, if she ran they would all die.
"I will trust you," she said to the Doctor.
The Doctor visibly relaxed at that.
"Just stay with me, I will protect you," he said tenderly.
Rose nodded and the Doctor relaxed his hold on her. He took her hand and Rose felt him squeeze it.
"Come," he said gently.
Rose nodded again and walked with the Doctor back to Sarah Jane and the Master.