A/N: Yeah, it's time for another character! But there's not a lot of dialogue this time around. Set after the season 12 finale.

3: The Immortal

So as losses went, this was one of his least good. The Doctor had (naturally) given him a dressing down that he hadn't entirely believed, followed by doing her bloody irritating routine of refusing to kill at the exact moment she should have wanted to most of all. He had no intention of letting her off lightly for that little stunt. Let her watch planet after planet follow the same way as Gallifrey, first stop: Earth. If she was really immortal, she could have the fringe benefit of watching the world burn because of her goddamn scruples.

The Cyberium had taken off, too. Now that was a loss he would mourn. It had been a beautiful thing...

Basically, he was bored again. He took the TARDIS he'd stolen and started tracking, following the trail around for another TARDIS.

He found one, parked on Earth. Disguised as a house. Couldn't be hers. She'd never fix that bloody chameleon circuit.

He kept looking, eventually finding one parked on another planet. He wasn't sure what she was doing parked out on some near-abandoned sightseeing planet, but at least the views were nice.

The phone box sat in the middle of a meadow, sticking out like a sore thumb.

And the Doctor was sat outside it, sitting down in the grass. Her head was bowed, arms wrapped herself protectively.

Anyone looking could see that she was upset.

The Master hovered, debating whether or not to go over. But what the hell would he say?

Just then someone else appeared out of the box and sat down next to her. Someone in a long military coat.

The Master recognised that face, though it took him a second to place it.

The Captain he'd had so much fun torturing, back in the year he'd been on top. He hadn't changed much - little older around the eyes, maybe, sure. Too bad he wasn't Missy any longer. He'd loved to have watched her squirm around trying to explain to dear old Jack how the wicked Master had gone straight.

But then he hadn't, had he?

He grinned, about to make his approach.

Then the Doctor collapsed into tears.

The Master froze on the spot. He stood there, unsure what to do next.

She was trying hard to hide it, harder than the skinny one with the suit used to. When had that happened?

The Doctor's shoulders shook with contained sobs and she hid her face in her hands, but it was too late. The Captain had noticed.

He raised a cautious hand, stroked her hair. When she didn't pull away, the Captain pulled her head onto his shoulder, turning and rubbing her shoulders in what wasn't quite a hug.

The anger he had felt ever since he found out about the Timeless Child returned. Comfort in the arms of another immortal. He shouldn't be surprised.

So why, when he looked at them together, was little Theta and Koschei at the Academy the only thing he was reminded of?

That never-ending cycle; one of them coming to help the other. Over and over and over, no matter how badly he screwed up or she let him down.

But not this time.

Maybe this time he had really pushed it too far.