A/N: Warning: there is a little bit violence in this chapter. Some sadism from our favorite psychopath.

This chapter also mainly centers around Diana. It will make more sense when you read it. :)

The Doctor jumped to his feet and ran out of the room before I was even out of my chair. I stayed by Alistair's side and followed him outside and around the back of the building where the Doctor was already driving Bessie away. The Brigadier called for me to follow him and we both got into a black UNIT car like the one Lieutenant Smith had driven.

"That man's a maniac," the Brigadier noted as he watched the Doctor speed down the street.

"I know," I said with a hint of a smile on my face.

Alistair shook his head. "You had better hold on to something," he suggested as he slammed his foot on the gas pedal.

I squeaked and held on to the seat as the Brigadier sped down the street after the Doctor. We came extremely close to colliding with other cars but thanks to the Doctor's somewhat reckless driving, Alistair found it easier to speed past the other stunned drivers.

"There must be a better way!" I cried hopefully. "Don't you guys have beaming capabilities yet?"

"This isn't Star Trek, Diana," the Brigadier said, grimacing as he passed too close to a civilian's car.

"Alistair, can't you steer?"

"I'm a little busy trying not to run anyone over before I get to the delegation, Diana! Do pardon my steering!"

I squeaked when my side of the car almost scraped against another car. "Watch it!"

"I'm trying!"

Much to my relief, Alistair didn't crash the car in his hurry to reach the Chinese delegation. As soon as he had parked the car, we both jumped out and ran for the front door. The Doctor had already arrived, it seemed only a few minutes earlier, and so we weren't surprised when we entered the main room and saw the Doctor with Fu Peng.

"Come on," the Doctor urged as soon as we entered, immediately running up the stairs. "We have to hurry!"

Alistair and I ran after him with the Chinese delegate right behind us. The Doctor had already opened the door when we reached him and inside was an incredible sight. Alistair immediately pulled out his gun, but the Doctor shoved his arm to thee side as he shot.

"No, Brigadier!"

The dragon that was looming over the American delegate turned to look at us. The Doctor started speaking to it it Chinese and the dragon then turned back into Chin Lee, who then collapsed.

"That was one of the legendary monsters of my people," Fu Peng said with in astonishment.

The Doctor shook his head in disagreement as he stepped forqard to check Chin Lee and the American. "A collective hallucination, gentlemen, nothing more," he assured us. "Who's that?"

"Senator Alcott," Alistair answered. "Is he dead?"

The Doctor beside the senator and checked hisnoulse. "No, but he's suffering from acute shock."

"Sing-sen!" Fu Peng suddenly cried out.

"Yes?"

"What is this?" the delegate asked as he pulled a device off of Chin Lee's neck.

The Doctor hummed. "Well, it's a telepathic amplifier."

"Is that what caused the hallucinations?" the Brigadier asked.

"No, not caused them. No, it merely picks up the impulses and projects them through Chin Lee's mind."

"Impulses? From where?"

"Well, unless I'm very much mistaken, from the Keller machine at Stangmoor prison." The Doctor then turned back to me and put a hand on my cheek. "I want you to go back with the Brigadier," he said with a smile.

"What? Why?"

"You'll be safer."

I shook my head stubbornly. "No. I want to stay with you."

"Diana, please." He gently ran his thumb along my cheekbone. I put my hand over his and smiled a little. "I'd feel much better knowing you are with UNIT."

"But Doctor-"

"Please."

I finally nodded and smiled in embarrassment. "You're sure I should go? I'd rather stay with you..."

"I just feel that you will be safer away from here and with the Brigadier." He grinned and quickly kissed my forehead before anyone saw. "I'll be back as soon as I can, my dear. And then you won't have to leave if you don't want to. Does that sound fair to you?"

"Yes," I answered with a slight laugh.

Alistair, having overheard our conversation, then escorted me outside to his car. The ride back to HQ was much more peaceful than the first time and I passed out in the car from pure exhaustion. I only woke up once after that to stumble up to the Brigadier's office and then fell asleep again.

I woke up to someone shaking me. Startled, I lifted my head and looked around wildly for the person shaking my shoulder. The Doctor's face then appeared in my vision and I relaxed. He smiled and leaned forward to kiss my forehead.

"It's time to wake up, love," he whispered.

"Tired," I mumbled in response as I rubbed my eyes.

"I know. You can rest later, though. I promise."

Still half asleep, I sat up in my chair and yawned loudly. I stretched my arms above my head and stretched my legs out, my shirt rising just above the waist of my jeans. As soon as I realized my stomach was showing, I relaxed and pulled my shirt down. Then I grabbed my jacket from off the chair, slipped it on, and ran a hand through my hair in an attempt to look partially decent.

The Doctor stepped over to the window and pulled back the curtains, temporarily blinding me with bright sunlight. "Rise and shine, Brigadier," he announced. "I've brought Captain Chin Lee here to see you."

Alistair sat up groggily, looking around the room for the Captain. When he saw her, he cleared his throat and sat up straighter in his chair.

"Oh, er, good morning, Captain," he said, embarassment obcious on his face. "Won't you sit down?"

Chin Lee thanked the Doctor for pulling a chair out for her and then thanked the Brigadier.i glanced over at her and smiled a little awkwardly. She nodded once at me and looked straight ahead at Alistair, who had started talking into his intercom.

"Corporal Bell?" he asked.

"Yes, sir?" she answered.

"Lay on some coffee, will you?"

I smiled and figured Corporal Bell probably was too. "Right, sir," she said pleasantly.

The Doctor smiled a little and looked over his shoulder at Chin Lee. "Right now, Brigadier, I think you'll find that Captain Chin Lee can cast considerable light on what's been happening," he suggested.

"Well, I'm glad to hear that someone can." Chin Lee sat down in the chair the Doctor had offered her and nodded in thanks. The Brigadier's phone started ringing and he quickly picked it up. "Yes? Oh, morning Yates. Oh. Oh, I see." To the Doctor and I he said, "It's Yates. He's had a hold up with his, er, cargo."

The Doctor glanced over at me and raised an eyebrow. "Yes, well tell him to be careful with his, er, cargo," he replied sarcastically, referring to the missile that Captain Chin Lee was not supposed to know anything about.

"Sorry, Yates, what was that? Chin Lee? Well... As a matter of fact, there's been some trouble."

There was a pause and I could just make out the sound of Mike speaking through the receiver.

Alistair sighed and lowered his eyes to his desk. "As far as I can gather, she tried to scare the American delegate to death. The Doctor stopped her."

Another pause.

"Quite frankly, Yates, neither do I. It's something to do with the Keller machine at Stangmoor. Anyway, Chin Lee's with me now." He paused and nodded. "Yes, alright."

After hanging up his phone, Alistair folded his hands on his desk and gave Chin Lee an apologetic smile. "I apologize. Now, why don't you explain in greater depth for my sake, Captain?"

"Emil Keller has been asking me to do things for him." Chin Lee glanced at the Doctor and he nodded reassuringly at her. She dropped her head and sighed. "The Doctor helped me to remember some of what happened to me... He hypnotized me and made me channel the power of his machine so that I could kill whomever he wanted me to."

"Yes, but where did you first meet this man, Emil Keller?" Alistair asked.

"At an Embassy reception. He told me of the Keller process for reforming the habitual criminal, and invited me to visit Stangmoor prison with him."

"And you agreed to go?"

Chin Lee lifted her chin and stared right into the Brigadier's eyes. "Prison reform is high on our list of priorities in Peking!" she insisted.

"Ah. And can you tell us what happened at Stangmoor?"

"I know that we went to the process room," she answered slowly. "I cannot remember."

"Well, did you see him again?"

"Yes, many times, but whenever I think about it, my mind becomes so confused."

The Doctor looked back at me and sighed. "You were right," he said. "Post-hypnotic block. His usual technique."

"Whose usual technique?" Alistair questioned.

The Doctor placed his hand on Alistair's desk as he spoke. "Well, think, man! Who else would make a deliberate attempt to plunge this world into war, using equipment and techniques not even developed on Earth, like this?" he asked, holding out the piece of machinery the Master had used to control Chin Lee.

"The Master?"

"Otherwise known as Emil Keller," I said in frustration. "He's been tricking everyone into thinking he's Emil Keller. And he's gotten away with it."

Alistair sighed and stared at his desk in silence for a moment. "Thank you, Captain Chin Lee," he said politely. "You may go now."

She thanked him and stood up, then left as quickly as she could without running. I watched her leave and felt sorry for her, knowing that the Master had taken advantage of her without even a second thought as to what might happen to her.

I shook my head a ran my hands through my hair. The Doctor gently rested a hand on my back and tried to catch my eye. When our eyes finally met, he smiled reassuringly.

"Are you alright?" he asked softly.

"I'm... frustrated. With the Master."

"I know."

Corporal Bell suddenly opened the door and came in with a tray in her arms, a pot of coffee and three cups resting on the tray. She placed the tray on the Brigadier's desk and then left with a smile. Alistair immediately grabbed a cup and poured some coffee into it. The Doctor, who seemed a little tired himself, reach for a cup and poured himself a little bit of coffee. When Alistair offered to pour me a cup, I refused and explained that I disliked it.

"Well, Doctor?" Alistair asked after having two cups of coffee. "What am I to do with her?"

"Well, let her go, of course," the Doctor said. "Well, she's not a criminal. Anyway, she can't do any more harm now that I've got this." He held up the round device that the Master had placed behind her ear to help her channel the machine.

The Brigadier's phone suddenly started ringing. We all jumped and laughed a little when Alistair answered it.

"Lethbridge-Stewart... Yes, she's right here. Would you like to speak to her?" Alistair smiled at me and said, "It's for you. I don't know who it is, I'm afraid."

I took the phone and held it up to my ear. "Hello?"

"Listen to my voice," ordered a man who's voice I recognized almost instantly. "You will obey me. I am the Master. You will obey me, Diana Scott. You will obey only me. Listen to my voice and accept it."

"I-I... I do," I stammered.

"Good." The Master made a pleased sound, then continued. "You will tell the Brigadier and your precious Doctor that a friend of yours is waiting outside. If either tries to stop you, incapacitate him. I will be waiting for you. Do you understand?"

"Yes."

The Master ended the call immediately. I handed the phone back to Alistair and stood up. "Thank you. I have to go."

The Doctor raised an eyebrow. "What? Why?"

"A friend of mine just called. They want to speak to me outside."

"A friend?" Alistair repeated.

"He's from the Doctor's future," I lied easily. "Now, I'm sorry, but I really have to go."

The Doctor stood up and kissed my cheek. "You'll come back as soon as possible?"

I smiled and nodded. "Of course. I'll be as quick as I can."

Once I felt sue that both the Doctor and the Brigadier weren't suspicious, I left and started down the stair out of the building. As soon as I stepped outside, the Master was waiting for me. He smiled and held his hand out to me.

"Miss Scott."

"Master."

"Do come with me, won't you?"

I paused for a moment, then shook my head. "No... H-How did I get here? What do you want this time?"

He grabbed me by the wrist and pulled me forward. I tripped and fell against his chest, my free hand grabbing his shoulder to steady myself. The Master smirked and tightened his grip on my wrist. Angry and frightened, I hit my fist against his chest and tried to pull my arm away.

"Now, don't do that. We can't make a scene."

"Let go of me," I hissed.

"You are in no position to demand anything. If you do not come with me and comply to my commands, then I will kill all of your friends one by one. I'll start with Miss Grant, then Captain Yates and Sergeant Benton. Once they're dead, I personally will murder the Brigadier in front of your eyes and then I will kill the Doctor." The Master smiled and dropped my arm. "Do not test my patience."

I dropped my head and nodded in resignation. "I'll come with you."

"Very good, my dear." The Master then put his arm around my waist and pulled me closer to him. He smirked when I recoiled in disgust. Then he started to escort me across the street where his black car was waiting. "I was hoping not to use too much violence with you. I would hate to damage you since you are so valuable to me."

"You're disgusting," I said hatefully.

"Your opinion of me is of no regard. I personally find you unappealing and unintelligent. The only reason you are still alive is because you have something I want."

I looked over my shoulder at the window of the Brigadier's office. I could just make out the outline of the curtains and the silhouette of a person as they walked past the window. The Master placed his hand on my jaw and forced me to turn and look at him.

"Don't try anything," he growled.

"I wasn't going to," I snapped as I whipped my head back. "And don't touch me."

The Master narrowed his eyes at me and harshly pushed me to the side. I stumbled and ran into his car, my chin nearly hitting the partially open door. I regained my balance and turned so my back was against the car. The Master took a step closer to me so that he towered over me, even though he was only about two inches taller than me.

His eyes flashed dangerously as he placed his hands on either side of my shoulders and leaned over me. "Get in," he commanded in a low, dark voice.

I lifted my chin a little higher, then turned and opened the door so I could get in. The Master followed me and slammed the door shut behind him. He ordered the driver to go to Stangmoor Prison and pulled a cigar from his coat pocket once the car started down the street.

"That's gonna kill you," I mumbled angrily.

The Master turned to look at me with raised eyebrows. "I am a Time Lord, not a human."

"Yeah, and cigars cause cancer. My great grandfather died from cigars."

"I don't care."

"And I don't care if you get sick and have to regenerate. Oh wait. This isn't your last incarnation, is it?" I asked with false sweetness.

"What do you know about me?" the Master asked, his tone laced with both anger and curiosity.

I scoffed and crossed my arms over my chest. "Like I'm going to tell you. I need as much information as I can get so that I have something you don't so that I can stay alive."

"I'm not going to kill you until I take your powers from you."

"My... powers?"

The Master smirked and leaned back against the seat, lighting his cigar. "Yes. I have all the necessary tools waiting for me at Stangmoor." He glanced over at me and exhaled his cigar smoke in my face, causing me to cough. "It shall be most interesting."

I crossed my arms over my chest and leaned against the window, watching the scenery fly by. I sighed heavily and prayed for the Doctor to realize my mistake as soon as possible. Then I remembered that I had my cell phone with me and could contact the TARDIS. Hoping that I would be lucky and the Master wouldn't catch me, I figured out a plan to get in contact with the Doctor.

Maybe while the Master's taking over the prison, I can call the TARDIS and she can tell me what the phone number is for UNIT HQ. I can call the Brigadier or somebody and they can tell the Doctor what to expect, I thought hopefully. Or maybe the TARDIS can give the Doctor a message for me? I don't know if she'll be able to do that or not, though. What if I can't get ahold of anyone at UNIT or I can and they can't talk to the Doctor because he's already on his way to the prison?

"I hope you aren't planning an escape," the Master said calmly.

I looked over my shoulder and shook my head. "I'm not stupid," I answered in a soft voice. "If I do, you'll either kill me or my friends. I don't have much of a choice, do I?"

"No. You don't."

I just hope that I can warn the Doctor. If he knows what he's walking into, he might be able to get everyone out of this alive. I stared out the window again and sighed. I hope.

The car stopped in the inner courtyard of the prison and the Master immediately opened his door, stepping out with an air of arrogance and superiority. He adjusted his coat and then turned to look at me. He pulled a gun out of his coat pocket and pointed it at me.

"Miss Scott, you are my new assistant. And if you do anything other than what I tell you to do, I will kill every innocent person in this prison. Perhaps I'll even start with Miss Grant or... that man they just used my machine on. Barnham, wasn't it?"

"Don't you dare," I almost growled.

"Then step out of the car."

I took a deep breath and slowly climbed out of the vehicle, avoiding the Master's eyes. He put a hand on my shoulder and pressed the gun into the small of my back. I looked up at the window two stories above us and realized it was the governor's office.

"Don't forget to smile," the Master whispered in my ear.

"Stop touching me," I snapped. "I hate it."

"And I could care less if you hate it." He chuckled and pulled the gun away from my back to put inside his coat. Then he put his hand on my waist. "Don't forget whose lives are at stake, my dear. Keep the Doctor's safety in mind in case you have any plans of escaping."

We walked inside the building and up the stairs to where the governor's office was. The Master opened the door without knocking and stepped in immediately. Another man left just after we entered and I watched him go with a resigned feeling in my chest, knowing I had just lost another chance of escape.

"So, there you are, Professor," the governor said when he saw the Master.

The Time Lord smiled pleasantly and shook the governor's hand. "A pleasure to see you again, Governor."

"Aye, well to tell the truth, I'm not at all sure I can return the compliment."

"I'm very sorry to hear that. Why?"

"Shall I?" asked the governor's assistant/guard, gesturing to the Master's overcoat.

"Oh, my assistant can take care of that," the Master insisted with a smile. "Miss Scott?"

"Say, isn't she that Doctor fellow's assistant?" the governor asked.

"Yes, but she offered to help me since my previous assistant is unable to be here at the moment." He smiled at me and shrugged out of his coat. "Miss Scott?"

I pressed my lips together and forced a polite smile onto my face as I took the Master's coat and hung it up on the rack. Remember Alistair's safety, I reminded myself. And the Doctor and Jo.

"Aye," the governor started as he and the Master sat down, "there's been nothing but trouble ever since that machine of yours was installed."

"Well, there are bound to be teething troubles. I can soon take care of them."

"You really think you can get things back to normal?"

"Yes Governor, I'm sure of it," the Master insisted.

"Well..."

"It just needs an adjustment here and there, that's all."

The governor nodded. "Aye, I hope you can. We've even got UNIT investigating."

The Master glanced over his shoulder at me and smiled slightly. "UNIT, really."

"Yes. Their scientific advisor is on his way down here now."

"The Doctor?" I blurted, feeling hope spark in my chest.

The governor nodded and I could tell that he was forcing a smile onto his face when he looked at me. "Yes, miss."

"I don't think we need to trouble him," the Master suggested. "As a matter of fact, I've brought my equipment with me and I have my new assistant."

"Well, then let me take you to the process theatre," the governor said as he stood up from behind his desk.

"There is one thing before we go there," the Master added. "I understand that the man who led the riot was next in line for processing."

"That's right. Harry Mailer."

"Well first, I'd like to see him, if I may," the Master requested with a smile. When the governor said he was allowed to visit Mailer, the Master turned to me and discreetly grabbed my wrist. He whispered in my ear, "Do exactly as I say and do not leave my side."

"Why?"

"Because you could very well get killed if you don't."

Because of the Master's threats and my fear for my own life, I stayed as close to the Master as I possibly could. I disliked being in the prison without the Doctor or Jo with me and I felt extremely uneasy as we walked through the halls. The prisoners were eerily quiet as we walked past their cells and I could feel all of their eyes on me.

Once we reached Mailer's cell, I let out a breath of relief. The door to the cell was opened and the governor, the governor's assistant, the Master, and I walked inside. Mailer was standing across the room with his arms crossed over his chest and a scowl on his face.

"We'll be right outside, Mailer, so watch yourself," the governor's assistant said.

The governor looked over at the Master and nodded. "Let us know when you've finished, Professor Keller."

The Master smiled. "Right." I started to leave behind the governor, but the Master grabbed my arm by the elbow and pulled me back. "Not you, my dear. You stay with me, remember?"

Miler was watching us with great interest. "He said Keller," the prisoner noted once the door closed. "You're the bloke who invented the machine. Pushing your luck, ain't you?"

"Maybe I am."

Mailer stepped forward so that he was only a foot away from the Master and I. He pointed a finger at the master and started, "Now listen-"

The Master quickly released my arm and brought his hand up to grab Mailer's wrist, forcing him to his knees. Mailer made a pained noise in his throat when the Master released him.

"Shut up, Mailer, and keep your voice down. I've come here to help you."

"Help me?"

The Master rolled his eyes. "You want to get out of here, don't you?"

"I've tried, mate."

The Master smirked. "Yes, I heard about that pathetic little attempt. It was bound to fail. No proper plan and what's more, no resources," he said as he placed his briefcase on the bed and opened it.

I gasped when I saw the amount of weapons inside the case. There were gas masks, grenades, and pistols all neatly placed inside the briefcase. I looked from the bed to the Master in shock and fear.

"What's your game?" Mailer asked suspiciously.

"You and I, Mailer, are going to create a great deal of havoc in this place."

The prisoner smiled darkly. "Oh yeah? You and me both."

"No, not exactly. We have a powerful ally." The Master quickly explained his machine and how it would help them. "So you see, we cannot easily fail. The plan will work perfectly."

"And what about her?" Mailer asked, pointing a finger at me.

I paled and took a step back, afraid of what Mailer might do to me since he was a hardened criminal. The Master smiled and shook his head. "My hostage. She too will help us as soon as I can lock her away in the governor's office."

"I'll get you some men to help you."

"That would be... much appreciated. But that is for afterwards. Right now we must concentrate on the plan." The Master handed a gas mask to Mailer first, then forced another one into my hands, and finally took one out for himself. He gave a grenade to Mailer and then put another in his pocket. "Now, you'll find more weapons like these in the boot of my car. Remember, you are responsible for the main gate. Now, from the outside, I want this prison to appear to be running quite smoothly. I'm expecting a visitor. All right?" He quickly closed the briefcase and pointed to the wooden table against the wall and said, "Over there."

Then the Master grabbed my wrist and pulled me over to the door. I stifled a whimper of pain when his fingers dug into my skin. He knocked on the cell door and took a step back. "Hide it behind your back," he whispered in my ear. When the door over the barred windows slid open, he smiled and said, "I've finished in here, thank you. Would you open up, please?"

"Master," I tried in a soft, fearful voice.

"Shut up."

"Please-"

"I said be quiet."

The door opened and Mailer and the Master threw their grenades and they exploded, making gas explode around us. The Master, who had already put his gas mask on, quickly forced my mask over my face.

Once the guards fell to the ground dead, the Master grabbed my hand and pulled me out of the room after him. Mailer ran out in front of us and started shooting his gun. At the to of the stairs was the governor and Mailer wasted no time in shooting the man in the back.

After Mailer ran up the stairs with his gun, the Master dragged me up after him. Because from the fast pace the Master was running at, I kept tripping over my feet. The Master would occasionally release my hand to throw gas grenades at guards that came towards us, but he always grabbed my hand immediately after.

"Now listen to me, all of you!" the Master shouted to the prisoners as the gas started to cloud. "Don't try to come out until the gas is clear. Stay where you are! Get down on the floor!"

Across the hall, there was a telephone on the wall. The Master dropped my hand and rushed towards it, attaching a small, flashing device to the side of the phone. As he did so, the prisoners started shouting. Their shouts scared me and so I ran to the Master's side. He grabbed my hand again and walked back out into the hallway.

The gas started to clear away a few minutes later. The Master then dropped my hand and took his mask off. "Right, Doctor," he muttered. "Now I'm ready for you."

I took my mask off slowly, afraid that there still might be danger for me. But I found that I was able to breathe very easily and the gas was almost completely gone. I sighed in relief and closed my eyes, trying to block out the image of the governor being shot in the back and the other guards dying from the gas.

I struggled against the two prisoners holding my arms, but couldn't manage to make them move an inch. They dragged me across the courtyard and into the prison governor's office after the Master. The Master then opened the door and gestured for the men to drag me in.

"As you see, Diana, I've not been idle. All this equipment," he said with a sweep of his arm, "is for you."

"What?"

He smiled. "You told me that you have powers, but you do not know what they are. With my equipment, I can discover that for you. You should be grateful."

"Like hell I should," I spat. "You just want my powers to be really incredible so you can use them for universal domination. I'm not stupid."

The Master snapped his fingers and pointed to a chair across the room. "You two, place her in that chair and hold her down."

"What? No!" I planted my feet on the ground and strained against the two men with every ounce of strength that I possessed. "No! Let me go! Master!"

"Yes?" he responded in a pleasant tone.

"Master, please! Whatever you're going to do, please don't!"

The men shoved me into the chair and held me down at the shoulders and forearms. I tried to kick around the chair and hit their legs, but couldn't reach them. They handcuffed my arms to the chair by my wrists and then left. I looked at the Master, who picked up a needle, and started struggling even more to free myself.

"Now, now, Diana. We can do this the easy way or the hard way. I don't want to hurt you. Needles can be very sharp."

I shook my head frantically. "No. No, please. I'm begging you."

"I have to take some of your blood for my experiments."

"Experiments?" I echoed.

"Yes. Of course." I let out a shriek and tried to thrash my arms about, to no avail. "My dear, are you afraid of needles?"

I cried out again as the Master stepped closer. "I'll tell you everything I know, I swear. But please don't experiment on me like I'm a lab rat."

"You are afraid."

"Master!"

"Don't worry. It will only sting at first."

I kept shaking my head and begging for him to stop, but the Master ignored me. He nodded at both men and they held my left arm still. My kicks didn't effect or phase them, only made them tighten their grip on me.

"No! Please, no, no, no. I'm afraid. Okay? I'm afraid of needles. Are you happy? Just please don't."

The Master leaned over me and placed his free hand under my chin, rubbing his thumb across my neck. "Oh, but there's so much more I have in store for you. You made my TARDIS fly without its dematerialization circuit and I want to know how. I also want to know about these strange powers you have but don't understand."

"Please. I am begging you. I don't know! I don't know anything!"

"I know. That's why I have to run tests on you. I have to understand what you are. And, perhaps even more importantly that your powers, how the Doctor fell in love with you."

"I don't know! Look, just ask him. He knows everything about me. You don't have to do this to me. Please-"

"Stop whining. It's pathetic." The Master slid the needle into my arm and started taking blood. I screamed and threw my head back, closing my eyes and fighting the urge to struggle. "There. Now all I have to do is start attaching my monitors."

"Please," I said weakly.

"Please, what?"

"Let the Doctor help you. He was your friend once. It can be that way again."

The Master grimaced and pulled the needle out very slowly. I whimpered and tried to keep myself from crying. "I don't want that. I want power, domination, and you're going to help me even if I have to kill you." He stepped away and picked up a white cap with over a dozen cords attached to it. He turned on the machine it was attached to and then placed the cap on my head. "This will monitor your brain waves, patterns, any abnormal human activity that it might be doing. And perhaps what makes this even better for me, other than the pain, is that fact that you look ridiculous."

"Shall we move on to the experiments, then? Since you seem so disinterested in my machines."

"Please," I begged, "don't."

"I think another blood sample might be necessary."

"No!" I cried weakly. "You've already taken enough."

"I am the scientist, Diana, not you. I shall decide when I have enough of what I want."

"I can barely stay awake. I've been in this chair for hours," I said with a shake of my head. "Please, Master. No more."

"I am not yet done with you. I am very interested in your healing rate. For a human, your recovery period is surprisingly fast."

"Master. Please. It's not me. I-It's the TARDIS. The Doctor told me that she healed me. He even told me that I have have a telepathic connection with her."

The Master put his hands on either side of me and leaned over me with a menacing smile. "It's not only the TARDIS, my dear. No human can survive an Auton blast and yet you are alive and well. It's more than the ship that heals you."

I slowly moved my hand to cover the Master's, my eyes staring into his. "Please," I breathed. "Don't hurt me. Just wait for the Doctor to arrive. He can tell whatever you want to know. You don't have to... torture me for your answers."

"I need your powers and I will have them!" I turned my head away and closed my eyes as a few tears slid down my cheeks. The Master made a disgusted noise and stepped back. "Stop crying."

"I'm sorry. I'm sorry, Master. I... I want my mom," I sobbed as I hung my head and started crying.

"I don't want you to be sorry. I want you to be silent."

"Please, just let me go! I want to be with the Doctor. I-... I just want my mom back."

"I told you to be quiet!" the Master shouted.

I let out another loud sob and recoiled against the back of my chair. "I'm sorry, I'm so sorry. But, just please." When he laughed at me again, I grimaced and fought against my restraints. "I won't let you do this to me."

He chuckled. "How do you plan on stopping me?"

"Whatever you're planning on doing to me..., it's not necessary."

"Don't be ridiculous," he answered with a roll of his eyes. "I'm not going to kill you until you're completely useless to me. I still have a great deal of information to pull from you."

"Please, no more than this," I begged. "I don't have a good tolerance of pain."

"Then it seems that your tolerance is about to increase."

"Wait." I shook my head and stared into the Master's eyes. "There was a time when I was with the Doctor in France. I was kidnapped and about to be sold into slavery and the Doctor rescued me. But I was hurt. The man who kidnapped me chained me up and beat me. I recovered from those injuries in the average time it takes for any human to heal. So, you see? I'm not really as special as you think."

"Perhaps it's only near death experiences that you can heal from."

I shook my head violently and prayed that he didn't know how close the Doctor and I had already come to dying at the hands of his machine. "No. No, please. Don't."

The Master scoffed and rolled his eyes, then stood up. "I won't kill you, stupid girl. If I were wrong, then I would lose you and I cannot afford for that to happen."

"Please!" I cried. "The Doctor knows so much about me. I'm sure he can tell you everything you want to know. Just don't do this."

The Master looked down at me in disgust. "Do be quiet," he snapped. "I am the Master and I am in charge. You will do as I say, you will not fight me, and as soon as your usefulness has been used up, I will not hesitate to kill you because you are the most annoying and insufferable young woman I have ever had the misfortune of dealing with."

Despite the fact that I knew the Master already disliked me, his words truly stung. I hung my head and closed my eyes so he wouldn't see the beginning of my tears.

"I will have to take more blood, it seems," the Master told me after a moment. "Do try not to whine about it."

When the Master picked up the needle that would draw out my blood, I started to hyperventilate out of fear. I shook my head violently as he approached me and started whimpering and crying, calling for my mother and my Doctor and begging for mercy. As the needle slid into my left arm and started tapping into my vein, I felt my head start to spin and a headache started pounding in my forehead. Within seconds, I was unconscious and at the Master's mercy.

It felt like a mere second later that I woke up in the console room. The lights were dimmed and the ship was humming. Confused and a little disoriented, I took a step forward and touched the console with my fingertips.

This feels real, I realized.

"It is," a woman said directly behind.

Startled, I spun around and raised my hands in front of my face in case I had to protect myself. I was surprised to find Idris in her blue and gray dress standing in front of me, her eyes glowing gold and a kind smile on her face. I relaxed and smiled in relief.

"Idris."

She took a large step forward, placed her hands on my cheeks, and pulled me into a sloppy kiss. I squeaked in surprise and awkwardly waved my hands in midair. She pulled back a few seconds later with a large grin on her face.

"Isn't that how the Doctor normally greets you?" she asked innocently.

That also felt real. And slightly awkward.

I chewed on my bottom lip for a few moments as I tried to think of something intelligent to say. "Uh...," I started. "Well, I suppose so. Sometimes. But... that's not quite what I had in mind for our first... meeting."

The gold light of the vortex started to fade from Idris's eyes. She tilted her head to the side, her hair bouncing playfully off of her shoulder. We stared at one another in silence, waiting for the other person to say something first.

"So," I finally started, glancing around the console room as I spoke, "is this a dream?"

"This is our telepathic connection."

"So we really do have one?"

Idris nodded with a smile. "You're my thief. One of my thieves. No! You will be my thief," she said quickly. "Oh, tenses. They're so much easier when I'm not speaking."

"What do you mean, thief?" I asked curiously. "The Doctor's your thief."

"And you're his. No. Yes! Wait... Yes...?" Idris paused and stared down into my eyes. Then she gasped and jumped backwards. "Oh, no! I've spoiled everything! You haven't done it yet! Oh, bad me."

"Wait, wait, wait, wait. What are you talking about?" I gestured to the console room and asked, "You said this was our telepathic connection. At least explain that."

"Your mind is here with me, but your body is still with the Master." When Idris said his name, her beautiful face contorted into an expression of disgust and dislike. "Oh, my dear girl, I wish I could help. I wish I could take you away from him. But I can't!"

"Idris, it's-"

"I used to like him, you know. There was a time when he wasn't evil."

"Sexy-"

"And now look at him."

"TARDIS! It's alright," I assured her when she stopped talking. "I know there's only so much you can do. It's okay."

Idris smiled sadly and shook her head. "He knows. He knows you lied to him. Or he will know, at least... Only don't tell him I told you. Spoilers."

"He...? The Doctor?"

"Spoilers! Shh."

I smiled fondly at the human form of the TARDIS. "I understand. Don't worry."

"Diana!" a voice suddenly called. "Diana! Diana, please. Please, wake up."

I looked around the room for the source of the voice, then stared curiously at Idris. "What is that?" I asked.

She smiled. "It's time for you to wake up, my dearest."

"What do you mean?"

Idris leaned forward, pressed a kiss full of vortex energy to her fingers, and pressed her fingertips to my chest just above my heart. I gasped and staggered backwards. The vortex energy quickly consumed my body and as it wrapped around me, Idris and the console room started to fade away.

I woke up in Stangmoor Prison with a loud gasp. The Doctor was hovering over me and calling my name on repeat, but I was too weak to respond. He ran his hands across my face and brushed my hair away from my eyes.

"What have you done to her?" he demanded as stood and turned to face the Master. "Let her go or I swear-"

"If you try to free her now, she will be too weak to survive," the Master informed him. "She's lost too much blood."

"You mean you took too much blood."

"I did what I had to, Doctor."

The Doctor took a step forward, his fists clenched at his side. "You kidnapped her and then you took nearly all of her blood just for sport!"

"For power, Doctor! I do not torture for sport, but for power."

"Diana is not a toy for you play with until she breaks just so you can make another ridiculous attempt at world domination." The Doctor took another step closer to the Master pointed a finger at him, his eyes narrowed. "I don't care if I have to die for her. I don't care if I have to give up all of my remaining regenerations for her. I will stop you if it kills me."

"You'll do nothing," the Master snapped dangerously, "or I'll put a bullet through both your hearts."

"Why the delay? I assume you will kill both of us in time."

The Master smiled and sat down behind his desk. "Oh, eventually, yes," he agreed. "But unfortunately, I find I need your help."

"You want me to help you with that machine of yours." The Doctor shook his head and knelt in front of me again. "You want to be careful of that thing, you know. One day it's going to end up killing you."

"Oh, it won't harm me. I created it."

The Doctor paused for a moment as he considered the Master's words. Then he looked into my eyes and brought a hand to my cheek. I smiled weakly and leaned against his hand.

"Oh, Diana," he whispered sadly. "I'm so sorry."

"It's okay," I breathed. "It was my fault."

"No! No, of course it wasn't."

"Actually," the Master interrupted, "it was. She came to me. She lied to you and let me take her with me."

The Doctor grimaced and shook his head. "I don't believe you," he growled. "I'm sure you hypnotized her and then threatened either her life or mine."

"Doctor," I moaned, pain rippling through my arm and chest.

"What is it? What's wrong?" He looked down at my arm where a needle was inserted in my vein and drawing blood out. An angry and almost possessive shout fell from the Doctor's lips. "You're killing her, Master."

"I most certainly am not. I need her alive."

The Doctor stood up and face the Master with a firm expression. "Release her or I won't help you. If you kill me, then so be it. But I will not help you until you release her."

The Master considered his opponent's offer for a few moments. Then he stood up and smiled at the other Time Lord. "Very well, Doctor. Consider Diana free." He gestured to the chair across the desk from him and said, "Now sit."

The Doctor set his jaw and turned back to me, pulling the needle out of my arm and letting it drop to the floor. After removing the other machines and their respective cords from my body, he pressed a gentle kiss to my forehead and took the seat the Master had offered him. The Master then bragged about his plans for stealing UNIT's missile while also complaining about his machine and its out of control behavior. When he finished explaining all his plans, he gestured to me and smiled.

"As for her," he started with a chuckle. "Well, you've already guessed quite accurately. Once I dispose of you and your UNIT friends, I can continue my experiments on your wife. Her powers will be mine to harness and once I have them, I will dispose of her."

While his opponent explained his schemes, the Doctor poured himself a glass of water from a pitcher on the desk and held the glass in his hands. "It's a lunatic scheme," he retorted. "Still, that's only to be expected considering."

The Master grinned. "Oh, come, Doctor, how can I possibly fail? I launch the missile and wipe out the peace conference, the world is at war."

"I see. How remarkable. Now would you mind if I comforted my wife? I do believe you've traumatized her."

The Doctor placed his glass on the table by the pitcher, then suddenly knocked the pitcher over. While the Master was still in shock, the Doctor grabbed the table's edges and flipped it onto its side. The Master tried to grab his gun that had fallen onto the floor, but slipped on the spilt water. The Doctor ran across the room and took cover behind a suit of armor.

"Diana!" he called. "Run!"

The Master reached for his gun and I ran as fast as I could across the room. The Doctor grabbed my arm as soon as I reached him and pulled me after him. I could hear a gunshot ring behind us as we ran down the stairs.

"Doctor," I wheezed. "Doctor, I-... I can't. I'm so sorry. I can't..."

My legs gave out beneath me and I fell down the stairs and landed on my side with a sob. The Doctor knelt beside me, placing one arm around my back and the other under my knees. Then he lifted me up in his arms and started walking as fast as he could.

"Just leave me," I breathed. "Please. You can get away."

"I'm not leaving without you," he told me. "It's going to be alright, Diana. I promise."

As soon as he stepped outside of the building, a man started firing at us from the higher levels. I screamed when a few bullets whizzed past the Doctor's head and recoiled into his chest. He twisted his torso so that if any bullets came close to us, they wouldn't hit me. The shots stopped immediately after my voice started to echo around the courtyard. Confused, I looked up to where the shooter was and saw him running away.

"Doctor," I whispered. "I'm sorry."

He smiled at me and shook his head. "I love you," he murmured as he pulled me tighter against his chest.

"This is all my fault. I didn't even fight when he hypnotized me. I didn't want to go with him, but he told me he'd kill you and the Brigadier right in front of me right after he'd killed Jo, Benton, and Yates. I-I couldn't let him do that."

"I know."

"Please don't be angry with me." I closed my eyes and shook my head. "I just wanted to keep you safe. You and Jo and-"

"It's alright. I'm going to find Jo, get rid of the Master, then take you home and look after you."

"Home?"

The Doctor nodded. "The TARDIS. She and I will take care of you."

I smiled weakly and nodded, then buried my face in his chest. "I dreamt about her," I mumbled. "She got in my head and I could see her as a human."

"She was protecting you."

I lifted my head and looked over my shoulder. Just a few yards in front of us was the entrance to the main prison building. I looked back at the Doctor and very gently pushed my hand against his chest. He glanced down at me and smiled.

"Put me down," I said.

"No. I'm not letting you out of my sight for a moment."

"It's okay, Doctor."

"Diana-"

"Theta," I insisted. "It's okay. I can walk. Trust me."

He stopped walking and simply stared at me, not saying or even moving. I nodded encouragingly and tried to smile in the hopes that he would listen to me. After a few moments of consideration on his part, the Doctor finally sighed and gently let me down.

My legs wobbled at first and I had to throw my arms around the Doctor's neck to keep from falling over. His hands went to my waist to steady me and I could see in his eyes that he was about to pick me up again. I shook my head quickly.

"No," I said firmly. "Jo needs you, Theta. I can manage."

"I'm not going to leave you out here-"

"I'll be right behind you! Just go. She needs your help more than I do. She's not free." I smiled and smoothed my hands over the Time Lord's shoulders. "I won't be more than a foot behind you. But just go in. You can't help her if you're carrying me around like a sack of potatoes."

The Doctor shook his head slightly, his eyes quickly flitting across my face. I lifted my hands to his cheeks and ran my thumbs across his skin. "Please," I whispered. "Just trust me. Don't worry about me right now. Worry about the Master and Jo and the machine."

He quickly tilted his head forward and brought his lips on mine. It was an urgent, worrisome kiss, full of fear and desperation. I knew that he was afraid for me and I was afraid for myself, too. I knew that he was protective of me and cared about me more than anyone ever had before.

He pulled back and rested his forehead against mine. "Stay very close to me," he whispered. "DO you understand?"

I nodded. "Yes."

The Doctor pulled away completely and took a deep, calming breath. He stepped past me and pulled the doors open long enough for me to walk in after him. I forced myself to endure the burning of my legs muscles and of my lungs so I wouldn't fall behind and become a hindrance. As we looked around, I realized that we were in the room off of the Process Theatre. And, perhaps even more disturbing, the entire place was completely deserted.

"Jo?" the Doctor called as he stepped in front of me and headed for the stairs. "Jo, where are you?"

Jo responded almost instantly, shouting, "Doctor! Doctor, we're in here!"

"Right, I'm coming!" he answered.

My breath caught in my throat as I saw the Master's prison accomplice jump out from behind the wall with a gun in his hand. I jumped forward and threw myself in front of the Doctor, pushing against his chest so that he stumbled out of the path of the bullets. I heard a bullet fly past my head as I fell forward from the momentum of my push.

The Doctor stumbled through the doors of the Process Theatre and he barely managed to grab my forearms as I fell. I stumbled over my own feet and felt my head start to spin as the Doctor cradled me against his chest.

"Diana," the Doctor started worriedly, "are you alright?"

The Master's accomplice entered the room after us with his gun pointed at us. I struggled to pull myself to my feet before he shot at us. Luckily, he never had the chance because he was stopped. Unfortunately, the person who stopped him, as I knew would happen, was the Master.

"Hold it, Mailer!" the Master ordered. "Let me have that gun. I think you'd better show our patient into the chair, Mailer, and handcuff him into it."

"And the girl?" he asked.

I waited for the Master to decide what to do with me, wondering what other tortures he had in store for me. He smiled and said, "She's weak. Leave her."

Mailer stepped forward with his gun pointed at the Doctor's head. I spread my arms out to my side and pressed my back against the Doctor's chest in a sad attempt to protect him. The Master approached us from behind and harshly grabbed my elbow, jerking me backwards and into his arms.

"No, let me go!" I snapped as I tried to fight him.

The Doctor turned to face me and he shook his head slowly. "Diana, it's alright," he assured me.

"No, don't!"

The Master grabbed both of my arms by the elbows and pulled them behind my back, effectively leaving me defenseless. Then he pulled me so tightly against his torso that I could barely even move. I shook my head as I watched the Doctor walk over to the chair that the machine was attached to. He sat down with a sense of calm and resignation that made me want to cry and scream.

Mailer then placed his gun on the ground and harshly pulled the Doctor's arms behind him and handcuffed them together, the chain of the handcuffs laced between the metal braces of the chair. I felt tears in my eyes as the Doctor grimaced against the harsh movements Mailer was making.

"May I ask the purpose of this charade?" the Doctor asked.

The Master made a sound of agreement in the back of his throat. "Certainly." He looked at Mailer and said, "You'd better wait outside, Mailer. And give me that other pair of handcuffs before you go."

Mailer picked up his gun, dug a hand in his pocket, pulled a second pair of handcuffs out and gave them to the Master, then left. The handcuffs had a much shorter chain than the Doctor's handcuffs and kept me from moving more than a few inches without pain in my wrists. The Master twisted my arm behind my back further than I was able to on my own, chuckling softly when I cried out in pain. He closed the cuffs around my wrists and then shoved on my shoulders so that I fell to my knees.

Pain erupted through my legs as my knees impacted the concrete floor. I sobbed and hung my head as I tried to keep from falling over. The effect of losing a large amount of blood was taking its toll on me and I found it increasingly difficult to keep my balance. My legs were tingling and they felt wobbley like Jell-O.

I heard the Doctor strain against his handcuffs say my name. I looked up at him and forced a smile onto my face. He slumped in his seat, but continued to pull against his restraints.

"As you see," the Master began, taking a few steps forward to lean over the Doctor, "I have affected the necessary repairs. But before I let you control this machine for me, which I fully intend that you shall, it'll be very interesting to see exactly how long you can hold out against it." he reached inside the Doctor's coat pocket and started searching for something. "Now somewhere, you have, er... Ah-ha."

The Master pulled out a small, round device that had been responsible for Chin Lee's ability to channel the power of the Keller machine.

"Now this little device, as you know, transmits and amplifies the power of the machine. What you may not know is that it can be adjusted to turn that power against the wearer, like this." The Master smiled as he spoke and placed the object behind the Doctor's left ear, then turned his machine on.

The Doctor still appeared calm throughout everything. "You know, this is all very tiresome," he said in a tone that suggested he was bored and tired.

"Is it? Oh, I really would like to stop and watch your nightmares."

"Then why don't you?" the Doctor countered.

"I have other business, as you know. Will you excuse me?"

"And you're going to leave Diana with me?" the Doctor questioned before the Master had moved an inch.

"Of course not. I cannot afford for my lovely little specimen," the Master purred as turned to face me and run a gloved hand across my cheek, "to be hurt by my machine."

I jerked my face away and glared hatefully up at him. "Don't touch me," I spat. "I'm not a specimen. I'm a bloody person."

The Master bent down to grab my left arm and pulled me to my feet. Since I was already weak when the Master had forced me to my knees, it was difficult to stay balanced and my legs almost immediately gave out with a gasp. I fell forward against the Time Lord's chest and he quickly caught me by putting his arms around my shoulders and waist.

"I'll take care of your wife," the Master said with a smirk as he picked me up like the Doctor had earlier. "Farewell, Doctor."

I shook my head and squirmed in the Master's arms. "No," I whimpered. "Doctor... Theta, I'm sorry."

"Be quiet," the Master snapped.

I called the Doctor's name again as the doors to the Process Theatre closed behind us. Mailer barred the doors and stood guard in front of them. I tried to wriggle my way out of the Master's arms, but he tightened his grip on me and threatened to hurt me again if I didn't stop. I could hear the Doctor shouting and crying out in fear as the Master carried me away.

Even though the Master had already walked a small distance away from the machine, far enough that the room it was locked was out of sight, I felt its presence in my mind. I gasped in fear when it immediately started to cause me to hallucinate.

Looking up at my captor in fear, I saw his face distort into that of a clown's. I screamed and started kicking and flailing. He grimaced and stopped walking, then fell to his knees with a groan of pain. I immediately rolled out of his arms and fell onto the floor, kicking my legs behind me to keep him from grabbing me. But I stopped flailing and fighting when I saw a large group of spiders with red marks on their stomachs start racing towards me. I screamed again and tried to scramble to my feet, ending up in a heap on the floor when my legs gave out again. The spiders then turned into a vast amount of water that surrounded me completely.

I started to sink below the surface of the water as I faded out of consciousness. Water poured into my nose and mouth and no amount of desperate kicking could keep afloat as I passed out.

Even in my unconscious state, I could feel someone pressing their hands against my stomach. Then I felt a mouth against mine and forcing air into my lungs. Seconds later the hands were pressing against my stomach again. I felt water sliding up from my lungs, into my throat, and pouring out of my mouth.

The action caused me to cough, which forced to wake up and spit the water out of my mouth. I rolled onto my side as I coughed water out of my mouth and more water poured out from my nose. A hand came down on my back and caused me to cough up even more water.

"Breathe," the Master instructed, his mouth close to my ear. "Deep breaths, Diana."

I tried to pull away from him, but the handcuffs were still locked around my wrists and restricting my movements. "Leave me alone," I hissed. "Don't touch me!"

The Master grabbed my shoulder and forced me onto my back. He hovered over me with menace and evil shining in his eyes. "Without me, you would be dead," he told me. "I saved your life. You should be grateful."

"You only saved me because I have some sort of powers. And I don't even know what they are. maybe if you asked the Doctor instead of torturing me-." I broke off mid-sentence when I started coughing again. Shouting at the Master strained my throat and made it hurt more than almost drowning did on its own.

"I suggest you stay silent," the Master retorted, sliding one arm under my knees and the other under the small of my back and then picking me up. "It would be a shame if you lost your beautiful singing voice."

Once I was in the Master's arms again, I felt myself sliding back into unconsciousness. The repetitive motion of his steps lulled me to sleep and the fear of nearly drowning had exhausted me. Sleep was easy to find, even as the Master handcuffed me to a chair and started attaching me to his machines.

In my sleep, I saw Idris approach me and press another kiss-touched hand full of vortex energy to my chest. The motion made me fly backwards. Confused and disoriented, I stumbled to my feet. When I had regained my balance, I saw that I was in Jo's prison cell.

The Doctor was waking into the cell when Mailer brought the butt of his gun on the Time Lord's head. The Doctor fell forward into Jo's arms. The Master stepped in after the Doctor and smiled, telling Jo to talk some sense into his opponent.

Then the surrundings changed and I was in the Process Theatre. The Master was standing beside his machine and started to groan when the machine.

I jumped back and turned to run, but Idris appeared in front of me. "You aren't really here. It's like a dream," she explained. "The machine can't hurt you."

"You can't harm me. I'm stronger than you are," the Master was telling his machine.

"Idris, why am I here?"

"So you can see what is happening. I cannot save you, but I can at least show you what is being done while you sleep and recover."

The Master shouted. "I brought you here. I gave you the minds you need to feed on! You are my servant! You are my servant! I-."

He ran across the room to the control panel and tried to switch the machine off, but nothing worked. Then his greatest fear appeared in the air behind him: the Doctor laughing mockingly at him and... me, exclaiming that I wasn't afraid of him, that my powers were fake, and joining in with the Doctor's laughter.

"No! No!" the Master cried. "You can't destroy me! I am too strong for you! I am too strong for you!"

The scene suddenly changed around me again. I was in the Doctor and Jo's prison cell where Doctor Summers was listening to the Doctor's heartsbeat.

"It's extraordinary. Quite extraordinary. His physical make-up," Doctor Summers said in astonishment, "it's just not human."

"But what's the matter with him?" Jo asked.

"He's been beaten up, of course, physically and mentally. His whole system's suffered a tremendous shock. He's in some kind of a coma, but I-"

"Can't you do anything for him?"

The doctor shook his head. "I very much doubt it. You could try giving him one of these, if he recovers consciousness."

Summers then tried to ask Jo about the riot, but he was quickly removed from the room. Jo then sat next to the Doctor on the bed and put a hand on his arm.

"Doctor?" Jo asked softly. "Doctor, take one of these. Come on. Come on, just try," she urged as she tried to force the pill into his mouth.

"No!" I shouted. "Jo, no! You'll kill him! Jo!"

Neither Jo nor the Doctor could hear me but my fear was relieved when the Doctor woke up and protested. "That's wrong-... wrong metabolism," he mumbled weakly. "It'd probably kill me, Jo. I'm all right. I'm all right, Jo. Just-... just let me rest. Let me rest."

Jo said his name again and sighed worriedly when he fell asleep again.

Idris appeared next to me again and pressed her hand to my chest. We stayed in the same room, but I could tell that it was a little while later then the first time I saw the Doctor. I was relieved to see that he was up on his feet and looked like he had recovered. He and Jo were softly devising a plan of escape.

"I have to get to Diana," the Doctor told Jo. "If the machine affected you, then it must have effected everyone here in the prison."

"Do you think she almost drowned again?" Jo asked worriedly.

"I hope not."

I smiled fondly at the worry clearly written across both of their faces and placed a hand on both of their shoulders. "Don't worry about me," I told them, knowing they couldn't hear me. "I'm fine."

"I miss her," the Doctor admitted softly after a few moments. "I am so worried about her and all I can think of is if she's alright and if she isn't... Well, there are a dozen creative ways I could kill the Master for hurting her."

I was genuinely touched his admission and simultaneously taken aback by his determination to avenge me should I be hurt. Feeling bolder by the knowledge that he couldn't see me, I knelt in front of him and placed my hand on his cheek. He stared straight ahead, almost directly into my eyes, and I leaned forward to kiss his cheek.

"Thank you," I breathed. "Theta."

As soon as the nickname fell from my lips, the Doctor's eyes moved to lock with mine. He gazed at the space in front of him where I was kneeling and he seemed to sense that I was there. His lips turned upwards slightly and he seemed to relax a little.

A hand then fell on my shoulder. I looked up and saw Idris smiling down at me. "It's time to wake up, my dearest Diana."

I woke up what felt like mere seconds later with a gasp, surprised to see the Doctor's face in front of me. He pulled something off of my head and tossed it onto the ground, then brought his hands to my left arm where a blood pressure monitor was wrapped around my upper arm. Once the cuff had been taken off my arm and tossed onto the floor with the cap, the Doctor pulled off the three heart monitor cords that had been attached to my chest.

"Doctor?" I mumbled in partial confusion.

He immediately stopped what he was doing and brought his hands up to cup my cheeks. "I'm here, Diana. I'm right here. I'm not going anywhere."

I managed to turn the corner of my lips up in a faint smile. "I saw you," I breathed. "In my dream... I was so worried."

"What did he do to you? What about the machine? I know it effected everyone."

"I almost drowned... Again. And there were... spiders." I started crying as I remembered the things the machine had forced me to see and endure. "Doctor, it was terrible... I... I want my mom."

The Doctor pulled me forward into a tight, protective embrace and started running his fingers through my hair. "I know, my dear, I know. I'm so sorry." He pressed a kiss to my temple and tried to soothe me. "This is all my fault, Diana. I'm so, so sorry. But... But don't worry." He tried to laugh a little to reassure me. "When this is all over, I'm going to take you home and I'm going to take good care of you. You're going to be up and running around in no time. You'll see."

"They seem to be setting up some kind of search party," Jo said behind the Doctor.

He pulled back and looked over his shoulder at her. "Timing, Jo," he said in a frustrated tone.

"I'm sorry," she answered genuinely. "But you did tell me to watch them."

The Doctor looked back at me and pulled his sonic screwdriver out to unlock my handcuffs. "They'll be expecting us to try and make a break for it," he said.

"Well, aren't we?" Jo asked.

He shook his head and threw the handcuffs onto the floor. "No, not while they're all chasing around. Let them cool off for a bit. We'll try again later so Diana can gain some strength."

I leaned forward and put my arms around the Doctor's waist, seeking comfort and physical contact that wasn't violent and painful. He slipped his sonic screwdriver back into his coat pocket, then put his arms around me and held me firmly, yet gently. I sniffled as a few more tears poured down my cheeks and pressed my face into his chest.

"Theta," I breathed.

"I'm right here, my dear," he answered softly.

I closed my eyes and tightened my arms around the Doctor's waist. "Please don't leave," I said softly. "Ever."

"I won't." He hushed me when I started crying into his chest and continued to run his fingers through my hair. "I promise."

"Telephone," I heard Jo mumble as she walked around the room. "There must be a telephone here somewhere."

"There is, but it's in a locked box," the Doctor explained, briefly puling away from me. "And in any case, it'll be manned by convicts."

"What's that?" Jo asked when she turned on the projector.

The Doctor turned to look at the projection that had appeared on the wall. "That, my dear Jo, is the Thunderbolt. Captain Yates is escorting it. I hope."

"What's it got to do with the Master?" Jo asked.

"Everything. He's hoping to steal it." He turned back to me and smiled. "Are you feeling any better?"

I nodded. "Yeah. Thanks."

The tears started up again when the Doctor brushed the back of his hand over my cheek. I forced myself not to sob, so I cried silently while my shoulders shook violently. The Doctor quickly wiped all my tears away and pulled me against his chest again.

"It's okay to cry," he told me. "Jo and I won't mind."

I didn't any more persuasion than that and I immediately started sobbing loudly into the Doctor's shoulder. He tucked my hair behind my ears and then put his arms around my shoulders.

Every feeling of sorrow, loneliness, and fear was poured into my tears. The fear of a close call with death twice in two days and the knowledge that it had all been my fault was all I could think about. I felt guilty for lying to the Doctor about our relationship and letting him believe that I was in love with him.

"I'm sorry," I choked. "God, I'm so sorry."

"No, no, no. This isn't your fault."

I hiccuped and continued to cry. "I could have saved you. I didn't do anything to save anyone. I'm so useless!"

"Diana, no," the Doctor said in a scolding tone. "None of this was your fault. Do you understand?"

"B-But I-"

He gently cupped my face in his hands and tilted my head back so I had to look into his eyes. "Listen to me," he pleaded. "This was the Master. All of this was his doing, his fault. None of this has anything to do with you."

I shook my head stubbornly. "If I had never come here, if I was still back home, things would be different. He wouldn't have kidnapped me because he found another way to take over the universe. Things would be better if I didn't exist."

"Don't you dare say that."

"But it's true! I haven't helped anyone here. I've just made the Master even more desperate and hungry for power. I've given you one more thing to worry about. If I wasn't involved, then you could focus on saving Jo and the others. You'd have one less problem." I ran a hand under my nose and swallowed my tears. "I mean, for God's sake, I almost caused you to get shot! I just get in the way of things and I get people in trouble. He's using me to get to you and it's working because you love me!"

The Doctor shook his head firmly. "This is him, Diana. He's making you think like this."

"No. It's true. You know it is."

"You think you're a burden," the Doctor replied angrily, "but you're not. You're the best thing that could have ever happened to me! I am better off with you in my life, Diana. But everything that's happening right now is because of the Master, not because of you or anything you think you caused."

More tears started to roll down my cheeks as the Doctor spoke. I desperately wanted to believe him, but I felt so guilty for lying to him and being so utterly useless that I refused to let myself be forgiven. I buried my face in my hands tried to choke back my sobs so that neither Jo or the Doctor could hear them, but it was pointless.

"Diana," the Doctor whispered as he put a hand on my arm, "please. It breaks my hearts to see you like this."

I sniffled and dropped my hands form my face. "Maybe," I started as tears continued to pour freely down my face, "if I just give him what he wants, he'll leave you alone."

"Diana, no."

"I could bargain with him for your safety and the safety of UNIT. Maybe he wouldn't have to use the machine if I just helped him get my powers."

The Doctor placed his hands on my cheeks and wiped my tears away with his thumbs. "Diana, listen to me. You're scared and you're hurt and I understand. It's okay to be afraid, but this? This is not the answer. You cannot give him what he wants. He'll take advantage of you."

I lifted my hands so that they were resting gently over the Doctor's hearts and whispered, "I just want you safe, Doctor."

He smiled. "I know, my dear. I know."

After pressing a light kiss to my forehead, the Doctor exhaled softly and rested his forehead against mine. He brought one hand down to my shoulder and squeezed it lightly. He started to pull his other hand away from my face, but I brought both of mine up to cover his.

"Don't," I requested. "Please. I just... I need..."

"I know. I won't."

We stayed in that position for a long time, kneeling next to one another with our foreheads touching and our hands searching for comfort in the other person. I craved his touch on my arms, my face, on any part of my body that the Master had touched. I wanted to wash the feeling of the Master from my skin and fall asleep in the Doctor's embrace, knowing that I was safe and sound in the TARDIS. The Doctor somehow understood all my thoughts and whenever I felt the desire for his embrace grow, he would tighten his arms around my back and brush his fingers through my hair.

"Doctor," Jo started from her spot by the window, "we can't just go on sitting here."

The Doctor smiled from his seat behind the governor's desk. "Why not? It's the safest place at the moment. They'll never think of looking for us here. Besides, I need more time to think. I've got to find out a way of dealing with that alien creature out there."

"What alien creature?" she asked.

"The one inside the Keller machine."

"Do you really believe there's something alive in there?"

The Doctor nodded. "I do."

"Well, what is it?"

The Doctor looked over at me and sighed. "It's a sort of mind parasite that feeds on evil. The deadliest threat to mankind since the beginning of time."

"Doctor?" Jo said after a few moments.

"Mm?"

She pointed out the window. "The Master. He seems to be leaving."

The Doctor jumped to his feet and walked past me, grabbing my hand as he went. "Right. Now's our chance."

Jo nodded. "We'll slip out by the hospital and through the rear courtyard."

"I didn't mean our chance to escape, Jo. I meant our chance to get into that process chamber and deal with that machine once and for all."

"Oh." Jo reached for the gun that she had placed in her belt and offered it to the Doctor. "Here."

"No, thank you, Jo. You were trained to use those things. They only make me nervous."

As we started down the spiral staircase, a scream echoed through the prison. The Doctor paused in front of me, glancing back at Jo and I, then running down the remaining stairs. When we reached the bottom of the staircase, there was a body. I gasped and turned to bury my face in the Doctor's chest. He put a hand on the back of my neck and lightly kissed the crown of my head.

"His face!" Jo said in astonishment. "He looks terrified, just like the others."

"Perhaps the creature's learned to move," the Doctor suggested. He grabbed onto my hand and pulled me past him. "Come on, both of you!"

"You were right. It's gone!" Jo noted as we ran into the Process Theatre.

"Yes."

"All right, girl, drop it! You heard me. I said drop it." We all turned around to see Mailer blocking our exit with a gun in his hands. Jo dropped her gun and stepped back. "Clever girl. As for you," mailer said as he pointed to the Doctor with his gun, "we've had enough of you."

"Yes, well, before you pull that trigger, I-"

"Doctor," I interrupted, staring in fear at the Keller machine that had just materialized behind Mailer.

Mailer narrowed his eyes at us. "What's the matter with you?" he demanded.

"Look," the Doctor urged. "Look behind you."

"I've heard that one before."

"Look behind you!"

Mailer dodged behind one of the doors and started shooting at it. The Doctor threw an arm around my waist and grabbed Jo by the wrist and pulled us back behind the machine's control panel. Jo knelt down next to me and the Doctor put an arm over my back to pull me against him. I put an arm around my waist and closed my eyes as the shooting stopped. A final shot rang through the room and then I heard footsteps running away.

The Doctor, Jo, and I slowly looked over the top of the control panel to see the machine reappear in its original place in the room. I looked at Jo, then at the Doctor, and we all tensed up as we anticipated the machine's powers to start up again.

A/N: Just to be clear, when Diana is saying "desire" towards the end about the Doctor holding her and everything, it's not a romantic desire. It's more of a fatherly, friendly, comforting desire for companionship and touch. If that makes sense. She obviously has feelings for him, but the more romantic feelings are not what Diana's thinking about in those moments.