A/N: So I noticed on a rewatch of Spyfall that it's implied the gang spent the night at O's, so... Here's this chapter! Not my best, but hope you enjoy anyways :)

2: Night in the Outback

After Yaz appeared in the chamber instead of the Kasaavin, the group was noticeably shell-shocked. The Doctor most of all; she was noticeably rattled as she demanded the Master let down the glass cage to let her friend out, talking a mile a minute once again to try to reassure her.

But her usual trick wasn't working. Yaz - it was Yaz, apparently, he'd better make an effort to remember their names for a bit longer - just stared on, shell-shocked. A mug of tea was pressed into her hand and the two made efforts to calm her down, but nothing seemed to work. The Doctor left briefly in the TARDIS and returned with another friend from elsewhere - Ryan, was it? - and Ryan was able to take her to one side to calm her down.

The Doctor hovered nearby, impotent once more. "Yaz," she said suddenly, distracting them from the sandwiches Graham had made.

Yaz looked up, as if realising the Doctor was still there for the first time in hours. "Yeah, Doctor?"

"...Um. Maybe we...should have the TARDIS check you over? Uh...to make sure you're OK?"

Something in Yaz's expression shifted, the first sign of something other than emptiness in it. Though whether it was anger or sadness, the Master didn't know and didn't much care. "No, thanks, Doctor," she said, standing. "I'm tired. I'm going to sleep."

And then she raced inside the TARDIS. Ryan stood too, clearing his throat and making an awkward 'I'm gonna follow gesture'. The Doctor moved to go, too, but the older one - Graham, he needed to at least pretend to remember that - grabbed her by the shoulder, quickly let go at the Doctor's look his direction.

"Just give her a minute, Doc. She'll come around in the morning."

"But..."

"I don't think poking her around with the chemistry set will help." He smiled weakly, patting her on the shoulder again before heading into the TARDIS himself.

"I wasn't going to -" The Doctor started to protest, but he had already gone. The Master watched her shoulders drop, reading the defeat in the slump of her posture. But the satisfaction he'd been expecting to feel...didn't come. Just as quickly, the old anger flared up. Why should the Doctor be allowed to have it all, to gallivant around the universe with three adoring friends as if her little adventures were just fun and games?

It had stopped being a game for him a long time since.

He couldn't imagine the look on his face, but he knew if she looked at him now the jig would be up. He'd already messed up once, when he made her the perfect cup of tea and had to mumble around how he guessed her preferences. So he hastily muttered, "Just - going to check on the outside defences-"

She didn't even look at him as he pushed past her.

The Master had managed to calm himself down a little as he poked around the outback, idly fixing his defences. He didn't need them any more, but having something to focus on centred him, kept him calm. Maybe that was why the Doctor persisted in keeping that cronky old TARDIS around - she'd never run out of things to tinker with and fix. Anything to keep her from having to think about things.

Not that the Master couldn't understand that impulse, too. He'd only noticed how loud his thoughts were until he'd come to the outback with his two secret agent expendables.

But he wasn't the Doctor. He didn't run.

He walked back onto the porch, determined to talk to the Doctor. Twisting the knife in the wound? Maybe. But this was about to get a whole lot more dangerous.

It was about time she realised her companions were going to be in severe danger from here on out.

He didn't intend to pull any punches.

The Master took a deep breath and opened the door. He didn't spot the Doctor at first, expecting to find her zipping around the room or messing with something. Was she in the TARDIS-?

A noise caught his attention and he looked down.

The Doctor was lying on his rickety old couch, dozing. It didn't look like she'd intended to fall asleep - her legs were still resting on the ground, like she'd been sitting down and just tipped over.

The Master hovered, uncertain whether to wake her. He doubted he'd get much chance to speak with her alone tomorrow, when his plan started... Not with all her hangers-on around all the time, and there was only so much fun he could have messing with them.

The Doctor fidgeted in her sleep and the Master noticed something beneath her - his coat. It was the coat he'd worn back in freezing old England. He hadn't needed it here in Australia, had just dumped it on the couch and forgotten about it.

He moved to pull it free but at that moment the Doctor shifted, turned her face more into the fabric.

She mumbled something.

The Master paused. He knelt down by her side. "What?" he asked her softly.

The Doctor turned back, relaxing again. Her hand had curled into the fabric. "Master," she mumbled sleepily.

The Master flinched back, turning into a statue. But the Doctor wasn't awake, if anything she settled into a deeper sleep. She wouldn't let go of the coat though, turning and burying her face more into it again.

He stood back, covering his hand with his mouth to contain himself. It was possible she was just dreaming, but he couldn't bring himself to deny the obvious. She... recognised the scent on the coat. She recognised him in sleep, even if she ignored literally every hint he dropped in front of her nose (heh) while she was awake.

He turned around, running a hand through his hair. Why was this so surprising to him? She had been with him a long time. He just hadn't been with her first and wouldn't be with her at the last.

Stupid. Should've woken her up. Stupid thing to notice.

He fished out another blanket and laid it over her, going to sit at the table with his hand covering his mouth.

Forget waking her up tonight.

There was no way he could control his expression after all.