A/N) And so we are onto the final stretch.... Never thought I would to be honest but its great to have finally finished this fic! Enjoy!
WARNING: This is a VERY DARK chapter.
Chapter Thirty-Five: Last of the Time Lords (part one)
Three-hundred and sixty-five days had passed since Rose Tyler and Martha Jones had been forced to leave behind the Doctor and Jack at the hands of the Master. It had been one hell of a year for them both, surviving on nothing but their wits and the magical key that Jack had equipped them with shortly before they had attempted to sneak onto the Valiant. It hadn't always worked, and Rose and Martha had constantly been on the run, knowing that one slip up would doom the entire world.
Both had been changed by their experiences: friends they had known publicly executed by the Master, many had sacrificed themselves so that they could escape and spread the word. Spread the word of the Doctor and what he could do.
For a whole year they had travelled the world, walking the Earth in the name of the Doctor but now, as the boat they were in reached the shore of Dover, Rose and Martha had returned to the land of their birth. Martha took Rose's hand and squeezed it tight. "We're home."
Rose did not answer, only stared straight ahead into the darkness. Rose had hardened during the year, more so then she had been when Martha had first met her. On countless occasions Martha had heard Rose promising herself that she would take from the Master what he had taken from Sarah-Jane Smith and Donna Noble – his life. Martha could still remember the gruesome deaths they had had, just because they had associated with them. The Master deserved to die, but Martha could not – would not – bring herself to even consider killing him herself. She hoped that Rose would not stoop so low to kill the Master when they eventually confronted him. There had been no other time in Rose Tyler's life that she had ever wanted to kill someone, but what he had done to the Doctor and to Sarah-Jane and Donna had turned her thoughts dark. Martha had attempted to talk Rose out of the decision she had made but her friend refused to talk or acknowledge Martha's presence if she dared to bring up the subject of not killing the Master.
As the boat reached the beach the two women clambered out, hoisting onto their shoulders their heavy packs. Behind them, the two rowers that had brought them from the edge of Sweden back to Dover turned away and made their journey back. Ahead of them two people stood, both wearing dark clothes like Rose and Martha did. As they stepped closer, Martha recognised one of the men, a smile spreading across her face as she ran forward, wrapping her arms around him.
"Leo! I can't believe you are here! Why?"
When she stepped away from him, he was smiling. "I'm looking out for you, big sis."
"I don't need watching over, Leo," replied Martha, her dark eyes glinting. "I've looked after myself for a year, constantly on the run, never looking behind him and always in front. It's been a long and hard year." She turned to the man beside her brother. "Who is this?"
"Tom. Tom Milligan," the other man said, stepping forward and, first, taking Martha's hand and then Rose's shook them. "And you are the famous Martha Jones and Rose Tyler, always evading capture on a mission that could affect the future of our people, but in a positive light of course. How long has it been since you were last in Britain?"
"Three hundred and sixty-five days," answered Rose, her voice sad, and her eyes dull.
"It's been a long year," added Martha, as she blew air out between her cheeks.
The pebbles beneath their feet cracked as they ran up the small slope to the edge of the road, where a jeep was parked. Tom clambered into the driver's seat while Martha, Rose and Leo climbed into the back.
"So, what's the plan?" asked Leo directing his attention to his sister but receiving an answer from Rose instead.
"We need to see Professor Docherty. It is a matter of urgency, can you get us there?"
"Tom?"
"It might be difficult...but as long as we time it well I can get you into the repair shed at the Nuclear Plant 7 facility where she works, easily enough," said Tom as he started the engine to the jeep.
Leo gave Martha a quizzical look. "What is this all for? What is so important about her? There are rumours she is in cohorts with the Master..."
"We know," said Martha, "but we've got to risk it. If you know what we are up to then that puts you in more danger then you are already in. By helping us you are already risking your lives and I do not want another death on my conscience, especially yours Leo."
Tom looked over his shoulder as he drove along the darkened road. Ever since the Master had taken control, driving had been prohibited except for the select few who had been enlisted in his service. Tom, as a trained medic, was part of his elite force but was quietly rebelling on the side. "There are a lot of people depending on you two. Both of you are legends to the workforce."
Martha grimaced. "What do the legends say?"
Leo grinned as Tom spoke, explaining the stories that had spread about his big sister ever since she had escaped the clutches of the Master a year before. "They say you both sailed the Atlantic, walked across America and that you escaped the razing of Japan. 'Jones and Tyler' they say, 'they're going to save the world'. Bit late for that," muttered Tom darkly.
Rose leaned forward. "Hey, how come you can drive? Don't you get stopped?"
Tom shrugged. "Medical stuff. I used to be in paediatrics in the old days, but that gives me a license to travel so I can help out at the labour camps for the injured."
Martha exchanged a glance with Rose in the darkness of the truck. "Great, we're travelling a doctor."
Tom continued, puffing out his lips as he turned back to the road, keeping his eyes alert for any sign of movement. Every so often the Toclafane checked up on those authorised to drive, just to make sure they were not up to anything fishy. "The story goes that you two are the only people on Earth who can kill him. Kill him stone dead."
Martha just grimaced. "Let's just drive, Tom."
As they drove along the ruined land, Martha closed her eyes and thought back to the beginning of her year-long walk and all that she had suffered through alongside her best friend, Rose Tyler.
One year ago
They stumbled through the bushes, ducking and diving as Toclafane flew overhead. Their yells of victory cascaded through their heads and Rose scrunched her eyes shut, trying to forget the words that the Doctor had told her. She was overcome with guilt that she had left him again. What type of friend was she if she couldn't even rescue him?
Still clutching hands, the two kept themselves to cover beneath the bushes and trees of the forest. Slowly but surely they made their painstaking away back towards the UNIT base. The Toclafane were no longer heading towards London, they were spreading out all over the place which made their job of trekking the countryside even harder. Still, they did have their keys with them, but both doubted they would work on the machines flying above them.
"Martha, I can't carry on. I need to rest," breathed Rose heavily as she stopped, dragging Martha to a halt too. Her legs ached like hell.
"We have to carry on. Our only hope is reaching UNIT."
"Don't you see that they are everywhere? We're safe here in the undergrowth for now, but once we step outside this forest we're dead, Martha. How can we achieve what the Doctor wants us to if we blindly walk into the open?" Rose slid down to the muddy floor and sat with her back against the tree.
"What did he say to you?" whispered Martha, her voice cracking.
Rose looked down at her feet, her lips trembling as she remembered the words the Doctor had whispered to her, what he had said for her to do. How could she let him down again? "We have to use the countdown against the Master – he didn't say what it was. I figure we'll find out anyway at some point. The Doctor is weak Martha. He has no strength left, so he needs belief from people. Whenever this countdown ends we need to tell them to say the Doctor's name at the exact same time. I don't know what it will do but the Doctor; I think I can trust him that this is what has to be done to bring down the Master. He said..." she swallowed, as if trying to overcome a sudden sorrow that had built in her throat, "that we had to travel the Earth for a year, telling our stories and giving hope. Prayer, Martha, that's all we have to do."
Martha was stunned, her legs wobbled, almost giving way but she maintained her strength and caught Rose's eye. "But that's..." She couldn't even finish her intended sentence as her mind ran over the complications of what exactly the Doctor had asked them to do.
"Impossible?" finished Rose. "I know, but we are the only ones who can. We have the keys and our wits and our brains, maybe we can get this to work?"
Martha sighed, running a hand through her short black hair. "We don't even have a choice. We're going to be hunted by the Master whatever we do. He won't let us simply walk away from him. We need to leave England and not just go to Wales or Scotland... I mean to leave it properly behind, but we won't be able to stay in one place at the same time."
Rose looked down, her voice lower than it had been and Martha struggled to hear what her friend said. "I think the Doctor knew we would be forced into this position and prepared what we had to do. Let's face it, he probably has worked out how to defeat the Master but has been unable to do it himself. He knew if the Master succeeded in the first stage of his plan that we would have to run for it... why not give us a task that can enable him to save the world?"
"You're right but we can't do this alone. It's too big for us. We need a network and for that we need UNIT. We need to get to the base and hope that the Toclafane haven't targeted them yet. We need their help if we are to survive this."
Rose knew deep in her heart that Martha was right. They would have to rely on UNIT getting them to safety: it was the only option they had at the moment. Martha held out her hand and pulled Rose to her feet. "Come on. We've haven't got much time. We shouldn't stay here any longer then we have to."
Moving as quickly as they possibly could, the two companions made their way out of the forest and towards their only hope.
Surprisingly enough the disused airbases were not under attack: the Toclafane had simply passed over them. It looked deserted. There were no guards stationed around the area, and no UNIT jeeps either which caused some concern for them as they wondered if the base had been abandoned. The only option open to them was to check the bases themselves, but the Toclafane were still flying overhead, though getting less and less as they made their way up and down the country.
"What do we do?" hissed Rose in Martha's ear as she crouched down, hidden from sight in the undergrowth.
"I say we make a run for it. They might have sealed themselves in," explained Martha. "If we don't try it we'll end up regretting it. We should explore all options before making a definitive choice."
Rose frowned weighing the various options they had in her mind. "I think that since we've come this far we should at least check."
Martha smiled. "I thought you might say that." She peered out of the bushes and looked up into the sky. "No Toclafane overhead at the moment, but I can hear screams in the distance. If we're going to make a break for it, now would be a good time."
"On three?" asked Rose, her eyes fixed on the airbase.
Martha nodded.
"One."
"Two."
"Three!"
Both of them bolted out of the undergrowth at the same time, pumping their legs harder than they ever had before as they rushed across the ground, heading effortlessly towards the safety of the airbase, praying that no Toclafane could see them. They reached the doors, and tried to pull it open, their small hands making noises that echoed on the metal.
"It's locked" said Martha frustrated.
"What now?"
Martha looked around her, searching for the next option. They needed to get to the coast but it would take days to get there and they didn't have days to waste.
"Hey, you two!"
Startled by the strange but recognisable voice the two companions whirled and was surprised to see a head poking round the door they had just tried to open.
Rose gaped as she remembered the soldier's name. "Ross! What?"
Ross moved his head, motioning for them to come into the airbase. "We sealed everything up when the President was shot. We figured we couldn't do anything, even though that is not our policy."
"Usually you would go in guns blazing, right?" asked Rose cheekily, cocking her head to the side.
Ross shrugged, his cheeks colouring. "Probably." It was something that he shouldn't have admitted but Rose had the impression that if it had been in their power UNIT would have made an attack, but with the Toclafane moving across the world, it would be impossible to have everyone survive.
They stepped into the airbase, where they noticed all the desks had been pushed to the back of the hanger and three jeeps now stood in the centre. Soldiers lined the walls, sitting or laying on the floor, getting some shut-eye if they could. Colonel Mace walked towards them, his face stony.
"You got away then."
"We did, but it was close one," explained Martha.
"We know. We had access to the broadcast. We watched your escape," elaborated the Colonel. "We thought you might come back here. Hopefully you can explain exactly what is going on."
"We don't really know ourselves," admitted Martha. "All we know is that the Doctor gave us a mission to do but we need your help to accomplish it. The Doctor told Rose that faith will defeat the Master...I don't know exactly what that means but there is some sort of countdown and we've got to time it for that. The rough guide for the timeframe is a year."
"A year?" yelled Colonel Mace, shock written over his features as his mind worked through the facts that he had been given. "We can't let that mad-man control the planet for a year!"
Rose bit her lip, unsure of how to convince the Colonel that was what they had to do in order to save the Earth. Finally she settled on asking: "Do you trust the Doctor?"
Mace signed, his shoulders slumping. "I don't know him, have never had the privilege to meet him, but I've read his files and I would trust him with my life. But a whole year? Is he mad?"
"The Doctor is weak, and he needs strength. I have no idea what giving people hope that someone out there can save them will do for the Doctor, but Martha and I need to try, because if we don't our whole way of life is doomed. And that is where we both desperately need your help," said Rose.
The Colonel was silent, his thoughts running through his head like lightening as he considered what they had just asked of him. "What do you want us to do?" He had to trust that this was the right course.
Martha swallowed. "We need a change of clothes, food and water, and we need to leave England behind as soon as possible. The Master will be searching for us and will assume we might stay in England. Our only hope is to get out of the country as soon as possible. But while we are gone, you need to spread the word of the Doctor, and as soon as you can find out the date of the end of the countdown, whatever that is, pass on that message as well. Everything needs to be synchronised otherwise it won't work. Set up a resistance group, and start spreading your men across the world so they can do that too. Rose and I have to travel the whole world in order to pass the message completely on, but with your help, it will make it easier for us."
Mace still had his reservations but he realised that there was nothing more he could do, save for launching a missile attack on the Valiant, and that would a catastrophe waiting to happen. "Okay. We'll do that. I will be sending a few troops with you to spread out across the lands, and we will reconfigure our phones so that we can keep in contact without the Master hacking into them and getting yours or our location from it. We'll leave under the cover of darkness."
Night came swiftly for the two companions. They had procured backpacks from UNIT which was now filled with rations and a few bottles of water. What they had would barely last them a week. After that, they would be on their own, scavenging for food as best they could in the present climate. A range of soldiers had been hand-picked by Colonel Mace to accompany them as far as Paris, which was Rose and Martha's first intended destination. UNIT also gave them a map, so they could mark off places where soldiers would cover for them and pass on the message, while they took the main route through the countries. The primary goal for the soldiers going with them was to set up resistance groups and start an underground network, which in turn would attempt to keep in contact with news updates regarding the countdown.
Colonel Mace was remaining behind to set up his own resistance head-quarters. With it getting closer to ten o clock, Rose, Martha and the UNIT soldiers filed into one of the jeeps which had been loaded with a lot of equipment. With a final salute from Colonel Mace and best wishes, the mission to save the world had begun.
They had reached the shores of Dover without any problems. They had not used any lights on the roads, and while that was dangerous, it was the only way that they would get to the channel without being noticed. The roads they had driven on had been devoid of life, there hadn't been any noise save the sound of the car engine. There hadn't been any Toclafane around either which suggested they had moved on from the South-East of England and further North.
They avoided the pier but instead made their way to the bottom of the white cliffs of Dover, well away from any of the ports that regularly made passages across the channel. Rose and Martha stood on the beach, waiting for the soldiers to blow up the motor boat they would use to cross the water. They had brought six along which was enough to take across all the soldiers and their gear. Once the first one was inflated, the two soldiers accompanying Martha and Rose to Paris motioned for them to climb aboard and settle themselves as comfortable as possible.
And then, the two soldiers loaded their own gear and pushed the boat into the channel before jumping in and picking up the rows and began to peddle for the other side.
They were on their way, and Rose had to wonder if they would really survive this year and make it back to the land of their birth.
Present Day
The Valiant sailed above the clouds, circling above the Earth. In the conference room the Doctor sat on the floor, hands bound in front of him; the end of the rope tied to the table leg. A bowl of food was situated in front of him but the Master had deliberately placed it in such a way that he could not reach for it. It was another one of his cruel games. In the year since he had sent Martha and Rose on their journey, the Doctor had been the pet of the Master, watching as his foe did horrible things to Jack, forced to watch as he lashed out at the Jones family, and the worst part of all had been watching his companions die in front of him.
He swallowed, the memories rising to the surface. He could see in his mind's eye the face of Sarah-Jane Smith. He had begged the Master to spare her life but he had not. She had been blindfolded and shot, her body left in front of him for hours as tears had poured down his cheeks. He had failed her. He could remember her final words to him before the Master had given the order. "Don't give up hope. They are still out there." Oh, he believed in Rose and Martha, but they had twenty-four hours till the launch. He could still save Sarah-Jane if they got here in time.
Before he could reminisce further a loud blast of music erupted from the speakers: the track 'I Can't Decide' by Scissor Sisters. The doors to the conference room flung open and strolled in the Master, a big grin on his face. He held his hands above his head and started to dance along to the music.
The Doctor rolled his eyes. This was his lifestyle now: sit and watch the Master dance. Still, at least on some occasions he had, had Jack for company when the Master deemed feet to place him in the company of his other human prisoners.
The Master caught the Doctor's eyes and clicking his fingers at two UNIT guards. They marched over to the Doctor, untied the rope around the table leg and dragged him over to the large window where he was placed on his knees. The Master stood beside him looking out of the window. "It's almost ready, Doctor. The new Time Lord Empire. It's good, isn't it, all the work I've done?"
He would not give him the satisfaction he desired, the Doctor mused.
"Anything? No? Anything?" The Master waved his hand in front of the Doctor's face. "Aww, the Toclafane broke your heart didn't they? Oh, Doctor, you really thought they wouldn't slaughter their ancestors... you thought you could appeal to their human side... get them to help you instead of me!" He leaned in closer to the Doctor's ear. "You know what? A rumour has reached me, about a certain pairing. Rose Tyler and Martha Jones have returned home... now why would they do that?"
Silence.
"ANSWER ME!"
"Leave them alone!" the Doctor growled in response.
"Oh, no, no, no!" chuckled the Master. "You said something to Rose Tyler before Martha Jones dragged her away, on the day I took control. Tell me, what did you tell her?"
"I won't betray them," he stated, his eyes locked on the window.
The Master placed a hand on top of the Doctor's head. "Oh Doctor, I could easily find out..."
"You've tried several times and failed. You cannot get that memory from me. I will not betray them."
Glaring, the Master turned away from his prisoner, hands behind his back as he strolled away. "Still, if they are back on England's fair soil, I expect my men will find them soon. After all, quite a few people who are part of the resistance work for me... one of them will give them up to me."
Closing his eyes to the world, the Doctor could only hope that his companions were caught at the right time and that they had instructed the world to do what they had to do. If all went to plan, the Master would fall in a day, and Earth would be restored.
Down near the engine room, Tish Jones made her way towards a gated area where in the small space hung Jack, his arms pulled up above his head. His face was cut and dried blood decorated his forehead. It was a mark of all the times he had been killed in the last year. On the tray she held, there was a bowl of gruel.
"Morning Tish!" Jack was cheerful as always, despite having spent the last year as a plaything for the Master and his soldiers to use whenever they were bored. "Ah, I can smell that sea air! Must be nearing Britain then! Hmm, makes me long for good old fish and chips!" He laughed merrily, his eyes dancing. "But what do I get? Cold, mashed swede. Yummy!"
As Tish fed him, she mimed the words: "It's not long now."
Jack winked at her.
One Year Ago
Paris was in ruins. Buildings had been torn down, and the military under the command of Harold Saxon had moved in. Survivors of the decimation of one tenth of Earth's population were being dragged from the rubble and bundled into vans and taken away from the city. Notre Dame had been destroyed, torn down and materials taken from the rubble. What remained of Paris still gave the impression that it had been a beautiful city.
Rose and Martha sheltered in a building that had not yet been touched, but had already been searched by the Master's men. While one slept the other kept watch, noting the movements of the enemy soldiers. Their two companions had left them shortly after arriving on French soil to move onto Belgium and Switzerland. Now they were on their own in an impossible situation, just meters from the enemy.
Their packs were now relatively light having consumed half of the food they had bought with them, and Martha's water had depleted to the last swallow, with Rose on her last one. They needed to get out of the shelter they were in and find some more supplies, but with the soldiers on the prowl they were finding it increasingly difficult. The survivors that they had made contact with had unfortunately been swept away a few hours later by the soldiers. Fortunately they had told them about the Doctor and asked them to pass it on, giving them instructions about the countdown. They would not believe for one second that the Master would not boast about the countdown coming to an end. Both wished they knew exactly what was being counted down to.
"Hey, they're moving away," whispered Rose, as she watched the soldiers climb back into their vans and drive off through the rubble.
"Did they leave anyone behind?" questioned Martha.
Rose shook her head. "I don't think so. I think we should make a move on, before they come back. If there any survivors we need to find them. As soon as we are done here we've got to get to Germany and then into Italy. We can't cover the whole of France, but if we can get to the major cities and contact people maybe we can make sure the message is being spread. It's theoretically impossible for us to visit every city in every country in the world in a year, especially if our only transport are our legs, so we've got to improvise."
Martha nodded accepting her friend's logic of the situation. She picked up her pack and walked into the kitchen in the flat they had been staying in. Unzipping her pack she took out the three bottles of two litre bottles she had and turned the cold tap, filling each to the brim. Next she went to the fridge, which since the Master's taking of the Earth had not had any electricity to it. There were a few things that were still edible in the cupboards but not in the fridge. The bread was dry and stale but Martha buttered it and added marmite to the bread, before wrapping the ten sandwiches she had made into a plastic bag and placed it with the water, back in her backpack. Then Rose did the same while Martha kept watch.
Leaving the apartment they tiptoed down the stairs as quietly as possible and left the building by the back entrance into a side alley. And then they ran, realising that they could not dawdle. Racing across the road to the shelter of another alley the two friends constantly checked their surroundings, looking for any signs of life.
They had been jogging for about an hour when Rose stopped and raised her hand, her eyes and ears alert. "I think I heard something," she whispered.
Sure enough, just around the corner in the current alley they stood in came the sound of frightened voices. Exchanging glances the two companions stepped forward slowly and edged towards the corner. Martha leaned against the wall and risked a look around. She breathed a sigh of relief when she realised they were not soldiers but survivors scavenging for food. One of them was a small girl who was carrying a teddy who had an arm missing.
Martha stepped around the corner into the open so that they could see her. She kept her hands by her sides. "Hello."
The four people nearly jumped out of their skin when Martha spoke. Immediately the three adults had twisted and held guns in their hands, and they didn't seem so friendly. Martha raised her hands. "I'm not going to hurt you. I'm not one of them."
"How can we trust you?" said the only woman in the group, a heavy accent in her voice making her difficult to understand.
"Do I have a weapon?" asked Martha. "Do I look like I'm dangerous?"
One of the men walked forward, his weapon raised to her chest. "We can't trust anybody. Our world has been devastated by those things, and anyone could be working for them. If I have to I won't hesitate to kill you."
Martha swallowed, raising her hands. "Look, I don't mean you any harm. All I want to do is to tell you something. I'm on a mission that could save the world and if you kill me then there will be no hope. Please."
Though he kept his gun trained on her, the man nodded to her, motioning for her to continue. So she did. She told him about the Doctor, the most wonderful person in the universe and what he could do. She told him of the instructions she had been given, that on a specific day in a year's time they were to say his name and then the world would be saved.
The man was sceptical about what she had said but he promised to pass on the message to anyone he met. Martha said her thanks and stepped away from him and back around the corner where Rose was waiting.
"Did they believe you?" asked Rose.
"I think so. Well, unless they were humouring me, the man did say he would pass on the message. We've only told one man though and even he could be caught or killed at some point. One French man is not enough. We're going to have to keep going and tell anyone we come across."
Rose nodded. "Sounds suitable. By the way the soldiers are gaining on us. I can hear them again."
Sure enough, in the far off distance they heard the sounds of shouts and what they assumed were survivors being rounded up. All those people they could have told their story too and now they had lost their chance.
"We have to keep moving," said Martha, hoisting her backpack onto her shoulders as it had slipped down her arms.
The two companions walked into the alleyway where Martha had just spoken to the man but they were no longer there, having fled. They ran down the alleyway and came to a junction that split in four directions. Rose went to the right leading Martha through the city of Paris, searching for anyone they could tell their story to, while avoiding the soldiers that, if they had known they were there, would have hunted them down.
Two months later Martha and Rose had made a lot of progress since their time in France. Resistance cells had started to appear in some of the most unlikely of places. News from UNIT had reached them when they had stayed with the resistance group in Syria. UNIT soldiers had infiltrated slavery camps in Africa and word was quickly spreading of the famous Martha Jones and Rose Tyler who were travelling the world in the name of one man.
However it was while in this country that the resistance group picked up a transmission from the Valiant. It was deliberately aimed so that any resistance group would be able to pick up the video. What they saw put Martha and Rose off their food for a week.
The Master had stood proudly in front of the camera addressing the resistance cells but he specifically mentioned Rose and Martha, guessing that they would have access at what he was about to broadcast. He spoke about the Doctor and his companions and how many he had had in his years of life. And then he had ordered for 'her' to be brought in.
The camera had moved away from the Master to focus on the Doctor's beaten face, and then it swivelled to six guards, who were dragging a woman through onto the main deck of the Valiant.
"No!" Rose had whispered.
For the woman was Sarah-Jane Smith. She had been blindfolded and her arms bound behind her back. The Master had taunted her for the faith she had put in the Doctor. He had said that he was going to find her son and kill him, but Sarah had remained stubborn, promising him that Luke would not allow himself to be caught in the way she had been. After all, Sarah-Jane Smith had sacrificed herself so that he could escape.
At the end of the Master's speech they heard the Doctor yelling for him not to take her life; that he would do anything to spare her life, but the Master refused. They saw Sarah-Jane's lips move but could not hear what she had said and then the order came and she died. The camera focused on her body before the Master stepped in front of the image and said loud and clearly, directing his words at Martha and Rose: "Surrender or more will suffer the same fate as Miss Smith!"
After the broadcast Rose had went away, needing to be alone for a while. Martha had given her the space, for after all, Rose Tyler and Sarah-Jane Smith had been friends and to have been forced to see the end of her life must be eating at Rose. They barely talked over the next few weeks save for when they had to make decisions or talk to the people they came across. They had left Syria the following day moving into Iraq and then Iran, continually making progress. .
It was when they were camped out near the border of Iran that would take them into Pakistan that Martha made the effort to talk to Rose, to break her friend's silence.
"Rose?"
Her friend didn't answer for a while but when she did she looked Martha in the eye. Rose's hair was dirty, and her eyes sunken. Martha knew Rose had hardly slept. Since Sarah's death Rose had been slowly killing herself. While Martha had been keeping to eating when they could, Rose had usually passed and just starved herself. What the Master had done had traumatised her; had made her rethink her priorities.
"Rose? Do you want to talk about it?" Martha tried again.
Finally she got a response. "What is there to talk about? The Master killed my friend, forced the Doctor to watch it. That bastard glorified in killing her. And now her son is without his mother, somewhere out there... all alone. And I want him to pay Martha. I want the Master to pay for what he has done to the Doctor, to Sarah... everything he is doing to the world. Given the chance I would shoot him on sight." Her lips were now trembling, and her once pretty face was filled with anger and hatred. "I am going to survive this and I am going to kill him!"
Martha swallowed, understanding Rose's feelings on the subject. "I know you are angry that he killed Sarah-Jane but storing your anger away won't help us. You could get distracted easily... I'm not saying you shouldn't have that anger, but maybe let it go for now...?"
Tears were now falling down Rose's cheeks. "I can't! He killed her for the reason that she is associated with the Doctor! Is every companion of his going to meet the same fate? Is that what would have happened to us if we hadn't escaped? He needs to suffer Martha and if we can get back onto the Valiant then I will not hesitate to hurt him! He's destroying our world!" Rose fell silent, wiping the tears from her cheeks.
Carefully, Martha shifted herself so that she was sitting next to Rose on the hard ground. She wrapped her arms around her, pulling her friend into a hug, holding Rose tight as she sobbed, letting all her anger pour out of her in her tears.
To be continued...
Please let me know what you think!
And yes, I said it was going to be dark. I don't for one second think the Master would have let Sarah-Jane Smith live. Apologies for that. More way for him to hurt the Doctor that way.
More soon in two days time.
the-writer1988