Disclaimer: I'm still trying to convince the BBC …

A/N: Oh, yeah, I know, two weeks … but you must know that my last weekend was really busy and I just couldn't bring myself to sit down in front of my computer and translate the last chapter.

Yep, my dear readers, this is the last chapter of "Two Side of the Same Coin"! I hope you'll like it, and I do hope that some of the more silent readers use the chance to write a final review. I know that I'm not perfect and that my use of the language is sometimes a bit awkward, so just write if you liked it, how I could improve etc. However, seeing that 13 readers put this story on their Fav's, 27 people on Alert and getting 39 reviews for this silly little thing tells me that the English fans definitely like Doctor/Master stories more than the German ones *laughs* I only got 25 reviews there for the whole story, so, yeah.

Anyway, I want to thank my beta oddood one last time. She bore my German/English phrases and was the quickest beta I ever had. I hope we can work together again.

Two Sides of the Same Coin

Epilogue – Colloquy

The Master sighed as he returned to his real body. He already heard the first "good advice" from Yana in the back of his mind, and saw a kind of short film out of Koschei's perspective, which demonstrated clearly that the Doctor had given up with good cause. Even the Master got goose-bumps, and Yana pointed out that an apology for this procedure was more than appropriate.

The Master considered for a moment if it had been a good idea at all to accept this deal with the old man, because actually the line "I'm sorry" was the Doctor's speciality, however …

The mental kick in the butt told him that he had to really control himself to not loose Yana's support.

Only now he opened his eyes, blinking, and relaxed the tense muscles in his arms and back; actually, all the muscles in his body ached. His legs slid into a loose Indian-style position, and he looked up.

The Doctor watched him; his arms crossed over his chest as he leaned seemingly casually against the console. Only his eyes gave him away; there was a shadow over them which darkened his whole face.

"Doctor." The Master nodded; a gesture that could mean much, but also nothing.

"Master." The Doctor nodded, too, but the strange expression did not vanish.

In the silence that followed the famous dropping pin could be heard.

"What has happened to Koschei?" The Doctor asked suddenly, his voice hollow.

The other Time Lord shook his head. "Locked away. With Yana's help."

"And the drums?"

"The same." What was this, a cross-examination about his mental stability?

The Doctor nodded, slowly, as if he first had to process what he just heard.

"Good." The Time Lord lowered his arms and pushed himself slightly off the console, made one step forward, so the Master had to tilt his head to look into the Doctor's face.

What he then did, the Master had not expected from the Doctor after the incidents in his mind.

He held out his right hand.

"Come up."

Utterly confused, the Master looked from the hand to the face of the Doctor and back again. His mind literally rattled. Was this a trap? Maybe some ambush? Then he saw the smile that had spread on the lips of the other Time Lord. The shadow had disappeared; the smile was honest.

He grabbed the Doctor's wrist, who did the same in return, and with a jolt the Master was back on his feet. He held the Doctor's gaze, albeit the protest of his muscles about the sudden movement, and the Doctor looked back.

Now.

"I'm sorry."

For a short moment, the length of a Time Lord's heartbeat, they stood there, equals, foes. Friends.

"I know."

Just two little words, but the Master instantly knew that the Doctor had just granted him absolution, and for the beat of an eyelash they simply looked at each other, but then the Doctor lowered his gaze and loosened his grip, turned around and seemed to concentrate on the console.

"Where shall we go?"

"What?"

The Doctor turned his head to the Master, grinning as he started his usual dance around the centre of his Tardis. The other Time Lord was visibly confused about the sudden change of the Doctor's mood.

"Where shall I drop you off? I know some nice little planets, hmm, how about New Earth? You just have to watch those cat-people, they're really creepy!" He leaned over the console, holding some lever down with his right foot.

The Tardis shook slightly as they entered the Vortex.

"Any wishes?"

The Master breathed deeply. Rassilon, he would hate himself for this for the next few decades.

"Actually, I thought it a good idea to accept your offer."

The Doctor stopped in the middle of his movements. He stared at the other Time Lord, pushing a button without even looking.

"Pardon?"

"Well, you know. Travelling with you, see the universe …"

The Doctor stared at him with his mouth wide open.

"Don't say you can't remember your own sentimental drivel!"

Apparently the other Time Lord had found his voice again. "I do … I do … but I never thought you would really accept this."

"Well, you thought wrong!" The Master grinned at the person opposite. "But only with three conditions:" He raised suggestively his index finger. "First, I volunteered for this, so if I want to leave your Tardis, you have no right to hold me back."

The Doctor nodded, still not really understanding which epic moment he was just experiencing.

"Second: I get my own room and, if it's necessary, my own wing in the Tardis. I don't want to see you more than I need to."

Again a nod, and a low rumbling of the Tardis, because she actually didn't like the Master since the whole paradox-machine-thing.

"And third!" The Master pointed down at him. "I want to get out of these pitiful remains of a pyjama. I really hope for you that my nice hoodie still exists; it was so comfy!"

"Of course, I'm sure it's already in your new wardrobe, washed and ironed." The Doctor murmured. He stared at the controls in front of him and turned some switches.

Then he looked up, and smiled. Smiled wide, grinned, and walked around the console towards the Master.

"No." The Master backed away. "No, no, no, no, no, no and again NO!"

"Aw, come on, one time won't kill you!"

"I said no! Even without the dru–"

The Master sighed desperately as the Doctor hugged him. It lasted only for a second, but that was torture enough.

"Great to have you on board!" the Doctor said and, still grinning, turned his attention back at the Tardis' controls. It seemed a little miracle he didn't whistled of joy.

The Master took a deep breath and tried to cut off Yana who was just dancing around very happily.

Rassilon, please, let that be not the wrongest decision of my life …

*DW*

"I never thought that travelling with you would contain so much running!" The Master ducked so he wasn't hit by a laser beam before both Time Lords let themselves fall behind a rock and gasped for breath.

"May I remind you that it was not me who offended the Sa-Noxian queen with my stupid comment?" The Doctor slid down further so the lasers couldn't hit him.

"How should I know that they are so fussy about their slime?" the Master asked cockily and bended to one side so he could fire with his stolen laser blaster.

The Doctor snorted and seized the laser blaster out of the Master's hand. "How many times must I say it? NO weapons!" He looked around and was relieved when he saw the Tardis about 400 meters away. The problem was that between the rock in his back and the Tardis there was just a wide, open range with no protection at all.

"Well, this means sprinting …" The Doctor put the laser blaster in the pocket of his coat and looked to the Master, who stared at him grumpily. He hated it when the Doctor took away one of his new toys.

"On three?"

The Master looked at the Tardis and considered how likely it was to survive a hit of such a laser blaster. Of course, he could regenerate, but … he liked this body a lot …

"One …" The Doctor straightened up.

"It was nice to travel with you." The Master peered again round the edge of the rock. The Sa-Noxians were dangerously close.

"Two."

"May your next body be less skinny."

The Doctor grinned. „Three!"

And then they ran.

Sometimes, the Master thought, his current life was not that bad.

Fin

For anyone who thinks this can't be just the end, I'm planning to write a sequel. There are so many things I want to write about the Master and the Doctor, so many little ideas, but I'm still lacking a good plot, so it could last some weeks until I even start the German version. But if anyone wants to take up my idea and start an own sequel, you are free to do so. Just write me a PM so I can read your story, yeah?

*bows* Until my next story, see you!