Wolf Pact

Chapter Five: The Sound of Drums

by Lumendea

Disclaimer: I do not own Doctor Who.

…..

Keeping hold of the Doctor's hand, Rose tried not to think too much about some of the things the Master might be doing on Earth. The positives were that he didn't have a TARDIS, didn't have a position of authority and was dying. The negatives were that he was clever as the Doctor, lacked a moral compass, and was dying. Animals and aliens were dangerous when cornered and someone who had nothing to lose was even worse.

John had told her a lot about the Master over the years of their marriage. He'd recounted them growing up on Gallifrey and attending school together. Shared with her the bond they'd always had, even when he turned up on Earth centuries later. Rose had her own suspicions as to why the Master tormented the Doctor so much during that period. After all, the Master had a working TARDIS for much of that time and the Doctor didn't, but for some reason chose to hang around Earth and cause trouble. Sometimes she'd wondered if the Master was just trying to keep his friend entertained in his own dark fashion. They'd become more straightforward enemies in the following years with the Master even killing his fourth incarnation directly.

The Doctor gave a small aborted cheer as he picked up the Master again and they started to run. Rose tugged on his arm and they stopped at a cashpoint long enough to grab a few hundred and hail a cab. In the corner of her eye, she could see the tension rising in the Doctor's body. He didn't look towards her, but Rose didn't take it personally. This was more familiar than he knew. Three years of travelling with him in the TARDIS originally and fifty-five years of marriage to a human incarnation of him while working at Torchwood and she was well acquainted with his moods when worried.

At least Jenny was with Mickey. Her old friend might not fully understand how their relationship had developed since they saw them in Cardiff, but she knew he'd keep her safe. Jenny even looked more like her than any of her own biological children. Donna like her namesake and 'aunt' had slightly ginger hair that they'd blamed on Rose's own father and some of the genetics John carried from Donna. Jack and Adric had both had their father's wild brown hair. She'd teased John several times that she hadn't seemed to pass on any DNA herself.

Licking her lips, Rose breathed a little easier, realising that she'd just thought about her children without any twitches of pain. Perhaps it was the near gratitude for knowing they were in another universe far from the Master where their Gallfreyean genes would gradually be dispersed amongst human descendants and not even register anymore. Perhaps enough time had passed now. She wasn't sure, but Rose blinked and tried to focus her attention ahead of the cab as the Doctor directed the driver.

Around them, the city was bright and festive with the signs of Christmas. More people had stayed this year by the look of things, either giving up the idea of running or making peace with the notion it would all work out. Rose licked her lips as she watched a group of carolers moving down the street. She hoped that they were right and they could stop this, but the Master had no plan. At least none that she could imagine. His rebirth had gone wrong, he was alone, had no TARDIS, no technology and no way off Earth. What could he possibly be planning?

The Doctor's grip on her hand suddenly tightened and Rose returned the squeeze, eager to reassure him that she was there. She wasn't going to leave him, she mentally promised herself. If he was right and this was the end of this body she wasn't going to leave even if he did manage to have two heads this time. A guilty little part of her wondered if this might be easiest. They'd barely restarted a romantic relationship and maybe a new face, not one he shared with her late husband, would be easier.

Swallowing, Rose guiltily pushed down a sudden flare of hope for his next body. He wouldn't look like her late husband anymore, wouldn't sound like him and wouldn't talk like him. They could start over, but Rose pushed the thoughts aside. Guilt surged through her, a feeling of being unfaithful. It was similar to those moments when she realised that she loved this new Doctor and had felt guilty for his previous body.

Finally, they stopped and the Doctor thrust a large stack of notes at the driver. As they climbed out, Rose heard the man cheerfully thank them and wish them a Happy Christmas before he sped away. The Doctor took her hand again and they started walking toward a large row of warehouses looming past a chain link fence. Above their heads, the sun was setting and stars were peeking out over the city. It might have been beautiful in other circumstances.

Rose's eyes swept around for any sign of an ambush. She wasn't as comfortable with the calm almost confident way that the Doctor was moving forward. He seemed certain that the Master wasn't going to kill him, but perhaps he'd embraced the prophecy so much that until someone knocked four times he assumed he was safe. That idea didn't inspire confidence, but Rose had noticed in the last few months that while the Doctor was happier there was a shadow hanging over him. Something had happened while he was alone, something she wasn't sure he'd ever tell her about. Part of her wasn't sure she wanted to know.

Jenny could hear them talking in the kitchen from her place in front of the laptop. The itch to run was creeping up her spine as Martha confessed her worry to Mickey for the Doctor's safety against the Master. Perking up, Jenny leaned a little towards the kitchen, hoping that Martha might reveal more of her history with the Master, but Mickey just reassured her that they'd stay together.

"Well Mum and Dad have already headed to Scotland," Martha said. She sounded frightened and exhausted to Jenny.

"He doesn't have a plan," Mickey assured Martha. "There isn't a year of planning behind this."

"No, but he had a contingency in place to come back from the dead," Martha pointed out thickly. "He could have technology stashed somewhere or-"

"There's a lot of could be, babe," Mickey pointed out. "Let's stick with what we know."

"That isn't much," Martha grumbled.

"UNIT and Torchwood know he's back. They're on alert and Rose and the Doctor are out looking for him," Mickey told her in a softer voice that Jenny could barely hear. "It'll work out."

Biting at her lips, Jenny tried to focus on the laptop and digging for more information. The urge to run was creeping over her. Something was coming. She didn't know what or how she knew that, but there was a certainty in her bones that Jenny didn't dare argue with.

….

They'd found him again only for the Master to run. The mad Time Lord thankfully took no note of Jenny's absence and instead had fallen back on his obsession with the Doctor. Rose never thought she'd be grateful for that, but as they ran through the construction site after his vanishing figure she was. Then the Master stopped, but only for a moment as the Doctor begged him once more to let them help. She knew he wouldn't and the Master gave him such a look for vanishing once more.

Rose froze as a group of humans came rushing up to them as the Doctor looked over a pile of stacked beams. Her eyes were drawn to Wilfred "Wilf" Mott in shock. The last time she'd seen the man had been so so long ago when he'd wished her luck before she teleported to the TARDIS. His eyes widened as he looked at her and a great grin took over his face even before he looked at the Doctor. The surprise on the Doctor's face was clear as the small group of senior citizens surrounded them eagerly.

After a rather strange meeting with a bunch of older folks who had apparently managed the feat of tracking down the Doctor, much to his shock and discomfort Wilf took them to a small café. With every passing moment, Rose could see the Doctor withdrawing more and more into himself. He wasn't even bothering to drink his tea. As they sat across from Wilf, she grabbed his left hand and squeezed it. The tension in his shoulders eased for only a moment.

"It's good to see you, sweetheart," Wilf told her affectionately. "Been looking after this one?"

"As much as he lets me," Rose answered, not wanting to go into the reality of just how long it had been for her.

"Oh, we had some good times, didn't we though?" Wilf sighed as he looked at the Doctor. "I mean, all those ATMOS things, and planets in the sky, and me with that paint gun. I keep seeing things, Doctor. This face at night."

"What?" Rose gasped in surprise and worry. "How could you-"

"Who are you?" the Doctor asked darkly."

"I'm Wilfred Mott," Wilf answered, straightening up in his chair.

"No. People have waited hundreds of years to find me and then you manage it in a few hours."

"Well, I'm just lucky I suppose," he answered with a slight quiver in his voice.

"No, we keep on meeting, Wilf," the Doctor insisted. "Over and over again like something's still connecting us."

"What's so important about me?"

"Exactly. Why you?" the Doctor asked before going silent. His grip on her hand loosened, but Rose didn't let it go. "I'm going to die."

"Well, so am I, one day," Wilf chuckled

"Don't you dare," the Doctor scolded.

"All right, I'll try not to," Wilf agreed with a laugh, not taking his eyes off the Doctor.

"But I was told. He will knock four times. That was the prophecy. Knock four times, and then…"

"Yeah, but I thought, when I saw you before, you said your people could change, like, your whole body."

"I can still die. If I'm killed before regeneration, then I'm dead," the Doctor informed him before leaning forward. "Even then, even if I change, it feels like dying. Everything I am dies."

"No it doesn't," Rose interrupted, tightening her grip on his hand and leaning over to rest her head on his shoulder. "Not everything. You're still there. The Doctor is still there."

"Rose-"

"You'll still have me, and Jenny and the TARDIS," Rose reminded him, earning a smile from Wilf before the man looked out the window.

She and the Doctor both turned to see Donna standing by a blue car in a green long coat, her long ginger hair fluttering in the wind. The Doctor tensed and Rose heard him make a sharp intact of breath. One of the best friends he'd ever had was only a few feet away and he couldn't even say hello.

"I'm sorry, but I had to," Wilf apologised quickly. "Look, can't you make her better?"

"Stop it," the Doctor hissed.

"No, but you're so clever. Can't you bring her memory back?" Wilf all but begged, gesturing towards Donna. "Look, just go to her now. Go on, just run across the street. Go up and say hello."

"If she ever remembers me, her mind will burn, and she will die," the Doctor insisted urgently, almost desperately.

"Don't you touch this car," Donna said sharply to the nearby traffic warden, her voice carrying inside.

"She's not changed," the Doctor observed with a small smile.

"Oh, there he is."

Rose saw a sweet looking dark skilled man carrying a load of shopping bags hurry up to Donna. The pair exchanged some words as they opened up the car and began putting their purchases away. Something about him reminded her a bit of Mickey and Rose smiled.

"Shaun Temple. They're engaged. Getting married in the spring.

"Another wedding," the Doctor breathed.

"Yeah."

"Hopefully it'll go a bit smoother than the last," Rose offered with a smile.

"Hold on, she's not going to be called Noble-Temple? That sounds like a tourist spot," the Doctor observed with a slight smirk though Rose recognised him trying to use humour to mask the pain of seeing her again.

"No, it's Temple-Noble."

"Right. Is she happy?" the Doctor questioned. "Is he nice?"

"Yeah, he's sweet enough," Wilf agreed. "He's a bit of a dreamer. Mind you, he's on minimum wage, she's earning tuppence, so all they can afford is a tiny little flat. And then sometimes I see this look on her face like she's so sad, but she can't remember why."

"She's got him," Rose pointed out. "That's a lot more than some."

"She's making do," Wilf sighed.

"Aren't we all?"

"Well, I see you and Rose are still together," Wilf pointed out with a smile. "That's something."

Rose squeezed the Doctor's hand and offered Wilf a small smile. "We've got a daughter too," the Doctor said slowly, his body relaxing a little. "Jenny. She's with… some old friends right now to keep her safe. I've got her and Rose. "

"Not so bad then," Wilf remarked with a sad note.

"Donna will be okay," Rose promised. "She's got people who love her, can't really ask for more than that."

The Doctor sighed and pulled on her hand. Nodding her understanding, Rose stood up and followed him out of the café. As he pulled on his coat, he released her hand for a moment before grabbing it again quickly. She shifted and walked closely beside him, taking a bit of pride in the way his body relaxed just a little bit more. They'd be okay, she knew that, once he regenerated, but this foreknowledge was impossibly cruel. Maybe if he'd been unhappy it would be easier to know it was coming, but then again maybe not.

Darkness had fallen when they found the Master again. Rose had long since lost track of where they were. The Doctor was following the Master through their telepathy and without Archangel to shield him the game of cat and mouse continued. As they moved slowly towards the Master Rose was uncertain who was the cat and who was the mouse.

"I had estates," the Master announced to the Doctor, sounding wistful and sad. "Do you remember my father's land back home? Pastures of red grass, stretching far across the slopes of Mount Perdition. We used to run across those fields all day, calling up at the sky." The Master shook his head and chuckled bitterly. "Look at us now."

"All that eloquence," the Doctor remarked in a blend of sadness and mocking. "But how many people have you killed?"

"I am so hungry," the Master groaned. He looked past the Doctor and fixed his eyes on Rose.

"Your resurrection went wrong. That energy. Your body's ripped open. Now you're killing yourself."

"Let us help you," Rose pleaded as his skin vanished for a moment and his whole body shuddered.

The Master fell to the ground with an exhausted huff. "That human Christmas out there," the Master breathed. "They eat so much. All that roasting meat, cakes, and red wine. Hot, fat, blood, food. Pots, plates of meat, and flesh, and grease, and juice, and baking, burnt, sticky hot skin. Hot. It's so hot."

"Stop it," the Doctor ordered as he took a step towards him.

"Sliced. Sliced. Sliced."

"Stop it."

"It's mine. It's mine. It's mine to eat and eat and eat."

Rose took an instinctive step back as the Master's wide crazy eyes fixed on her once again. The Doctor shifted in front of her protectively. Part of her wanted to protest, but the gleam in the Master's eyes terrified her.

"Stop it. What if I ask you for help? There's more at work tonight than you and me."

"Oh yeah?"

"I've been told something is returning."

Rose held back a gasp and forced herself to focus on the Master who gestured to himself. "And here I am."

"No, something more."

"But it hurts." The Master shuddered and glared at the Doctor.

"I was told the end of time," the Doctor told him in a too calm voice, staying squarely between him and Rose.

"It hurts. Doctor, the noise." The Master was staring at him with begging eyes now. Rose couldn't help but feel a painful rush of sympathy. "The noise in my head, Doctor. One, two, three, four. One, two, three, four. Stronger than ever before. Can't you hear it?"

"I'm sorry."

"Listen, listen, listen, listen." The Master was begging now as waved his hand around wildly. "Every minute, every second, every beat of my hearts, there it is, calling to me. Please listen."

The Doctor stepped towards the Master and slowly knelt down next to him with a hand extended. Rose shivered against the December chill as a rush of vertigo hit her. She stumbled on her feet for a moment and for a split second she heard four beats in her head. It was a steady rhythm that was gone the next moment. Shaking her head, Rose turned towards the Doctor and Master. The Doctor removed his hand from the temple of the Master and she blinked in confusion, wondering what she had missed.

"I heard it. But there's no noise. There never has been," the Doctor told him urgently as the Master began to stand. "It's just your insanity. What is it? What's inside your head?"

The Master was looking up into the sky before his eyes shifted over Rose. She began to move forward, her heart pounding as the Master began to giggle.

"It's real. It's real." The Master stepped back from the Doctor, running his hands over his bright blonde hair. Then he gasped for air and shouted, "It's real!" Then he threw his hands down and bolts of lightning blasted forth, propelling him into the air.

Rose and the Doctor started running after him immediately. The faint sound of a helicopter reached Rose's ears as the Master began to shout. Looking up she saw a light coming towards them. Years of instinct despite having been retired kicked in and Rose grabbed the Doctor's hand. She pulled him back as a searchlight fixed on the Master and men in black descended on ropes.

"Don't," Rose hissed as the Doctor began to move towards them. "Too many of them. They're armed."

The Doctor made a noise of protest but stopped struggling as Rose pulled him into the shadows. The Master laughed right until they injected him with something. They were pulled into the helicopter and vanished towards London.