Title: Shattered Pt. 8
Author's Note: Sorry that it has been so long a wait for this chapter. I have been distracted by real life and a bit blocked on how to end this story. And so I may have rushed the ending a bit...I'm not sure how I feel about it, but I felt that it was necessary to end this series now and move on rather than continue to drag it out further. So I hope that you are still reading and that you won't be too disappointed in me. Please do let me know what you think, good or bad. I do have more stories and series in the works already and hope to have them posted up soon. Thank you all for your support and for sharing this adventure with me.
Summary: The Master's a prisoner…or is he? Tea and biscuits. The end.
Pt. 8:
Martha looked up at the Doctor and met his worried eyes, "Well, she seems fine physically, aside from some bruising. But I don't think she's at all fine mentally. Something's seriously wrong there, Doctor. What exactly did he do to her?"
"I don't know, exactly," the Doctor said with a shake of his head, "I wish I did. I wish I had been there to stop it…all of it."
Martha lay a comforting hand on his arm, "Doctor, you can't protect everyone all the time. Rose is strong. I'm sure she'll come out of this just fine."
"And what if she does, Martha? What then?" he asked sadly, "Will she remember all the nights she spent with him? Will she think of it as rape? Will she be permanently scarred for life because of this…because of me?"
"Doctor," Martha said gently, "This is not your fault."
The Doctor just looked at her, his sad eyes saying that he didn't believe her words for a moment.
"Rose and Jack are in the kitchen having tea, come along. It'll make you feel better," Martha encouraged.
Suddenly a pounding sounded through the halls of the TARDIS and the rhythm of it was agonizingly familiar.
Da-da-da-dum Da-da-da-dum Da-da-da-dum
The Doctor rolled his eyes and swore in frustration. "What in the name of…"
"Doctor, don't listen to him, he's just trying to provoke you. Come to the kitchen," Martha pleaded over the noise the Master was making.
But the Doctor wasn't listening; he had already set off down the corridor towards the Master's bedroom.
Da-da-da-dum Da-da-da-dum Da-da-da-dum
He flung open the door to the Master's room abruptly causing the other Time Lord's fists to connect unceremoniously with his chest.
"What in the name of Rassilon are you pounding about!"
Calmly the Master looked up at him, "I was bored."
"BORED!"
"Yes, I was bored. It's not my fault," the Master pointed out, "You're the one who's locked me up in here without any external stimuli at all to amuse me."
The Doctor was shaking his head furiously, "External stimuli…Oh, I'd love to hear what kind of external stimuli you find amusing. Oh, let me guess…dynamite, bombs, missiles."
The Master shook his head disgustedly, "Have you no imagination, Doctor? And don't think it escaped my notice that all those things you mentioned were earth based weapons. Really, you don't get around much do you?"
He rolled his eyes, "Alright then, what were you thinking of?"
"Well, I was thinking of you letting me out of here, but seeing as that's unlikely to happen you could at least provide me with a little company."
"I'm busy."
"I didn't specify it had to be you."
"Well, who else is there?" the Doctor shot back. "I won't have you killing Jack again. And I'm not letting Martha and Rose anywhere near you."
"You make me sound like the plague."
"How about a book?"
"A book?"
"Yes, you know, to read, pass the time."
The Master gave him an annoyed look, "We did attend the same school if you remember, and I believe I got better marks than you in just about everything. So don't condescend. I do know what a book is."
"Well then, do you want one or not?"
"Hmmm…" the Master put a finger to his lips as if deep in thought, "Maybe Machiavelli's 'The Prince' or 'The Art of War'. I suppose I could do with some light reading."
The Doctor rolled his eyes in a disgusted fashion, "Forget it; just forget it. I'm going to go have tea with the others. I'll bring you a something afterwards."
The Master pouted, "So you're not going to stay and play then?"
He shook his head firmly, "No, I'm not. And you're going to behave like a good psychopath while I figure out what to do with you. Otherwise, I'll have to follow Jack's suggestion and throw you in the dungeon."
"Well you got out, how secure can it be?"
With a final exasperated sigh the Doctor pulled the door closed and locked it. Then he stood there for a moment listening...waiting for the wretched rhythm to begin again, but his prisoner was quiet…for the time being.
Rose was looking down into her tea, intent on ignoring the three sets of eyes that were focused on her.
"Are you sure you don't want any biscuits, Rose?" Jack queried.
"I'm sure."
"And your feeling alright?" asked the Doctor gently.
"I feel fine," she answered testily.
"No headache, nothing hurts?" the Doctor continued to probe.
Rose's gaze came up angrily and caught his. She glared at him until he looked sheepishly back down into his cup.
Martha patted Rose's shoulder sympathetically and sent the Doctor a warning glance.
He caught up a biscuit, brought it to his mouth and nibbled distractedly.
"So are there rooms for us all on this boat?" Jack asked, seeking to break the tension that had developed around the table.
"Your old rooms are still here, just move back in," the Doctor replied.
Martha shook her head, "What do you mean Doctor? This is the Master's TARDIS, we don't have rooms here."
"Oh, well, yes…actually, the two TARDIS's were having such fun getting to know one another again they sort of…well…merged. Being parked side by side and being the last two in the universe, they have a lot to catch up on and this seemed the best way. They'll separate when they're ready, but for now, all my rooms are here, and so are all of his. They'll be in vaguely the same spots, just with some extra rooms thrown in here and there."
The three of them were staring at him with identical looks of disbelief.
"Well, it's true; just take a look around the place. You'll see…two TARDIS's in one. Quite a rare event actually. TARDIS's usually don't get on very well with each other, they're quite jealous beings."
"Tea," Rose said quietly as the Doctor paused for breath.
"What?" the Doctor responded.
"Mum made tea…You were sick. Yeah?" she looked up at him with wide eyes.
A silly smile spread across the Doctor's face, "Yeah."
"It was Christmas," she added hesitantly.
He nodded, "Robot Santas."
"And killer Christmas trees," she responded. Memories of that time coming back in a rush as she sat staring into his eyes across the table.
She shook her head abruptly, "I don't understand."
Martha turned towards her, "What don't you understand?"
She looked around the table, at the familiar faces from a past that she'd forgotten. "I thought…I thought…it was him."
The Doctor's face grew serious, "Him?" he questioned, though he knew the answer already.
"The Master."
The Doctor was feeling rather murderous as he made his way down the corridor towards the Master's room. Carrying a tray bearing a cup of tea and a plate of biscuits he looked harmless, but in his eyes there was a storm brewing.
Martha had taken Rose to find her old room…he thought of the pink walls and the stuffed animals that resided there and his heart clenched at the thought of her in that familiar place again. Jack had offered to take tea to the Master, but he'd been too afraid to risk Jack's safety again. Besides, he had some unfinished business he wanted to discuss with the other Time Lord
He unlocked the door and pushed it open with one hand. There was no one there…
The Doctor's gaze swung around the room frantically, searching for any sign of the Master's presence. The TV was still on…the Teletubbies frolicked on the screen under the baby-faced sun. A red silk tie was thrown over the end of the bed; the wardrobe door stood open revealing an array of exquisitely tailored suits. But no Master...
He set down the tray and walked towards the wardrobe. Pushing the suits aside he noticed an open panel in the back. He moved further in, hunching his shoulders to fit inside the small passageway behind. He thought back to their escape from the dungeon…this was eerily familiar. Had the Master escaped the same way? Had he made peace with his TARDIS? The Doctor began to move along the tight corridor…further from the bedroom, deeper into the unknown. Reaching the end of the passageway he found an open grating. Pushing at it, he emerged into the Zero Room.
The Master sat in the middle of the all white room cross-legged on the floor. His suit slightly rumpled and his shirt open at the neck. He looked more like a lost little boy than a psychopathic Time Lord. The Doctor stood and stared at him sitting there, eyes closed, lips parted, and in his minds eye he saw Koschei again…his friend from the Academy, his constant companion…how did they grow so far apart? How did they become enemies?
He must've made some noise that revealed his presence for as he watched the Master's eyes opened and a smirk appeared on his youthful face. "Looking for me?"
"Yes," the Doctor acknowledged and stepped further into the stark white room, "What are you doing in here?"
"It's the only place the drums are quiet and I needed to think. I had a passageway built between the two rooms ages ago, but our TARDIS's seem to have rearranged things a bit. It's a good thing this regeneration is smaller than most, or I wouldn't have made it through that corridor."
"So…no drums in here then?" the Doctor asked hesitantly.
The Master shook his head, "No drums."
"Can we talk then? I mean, without all the madness and the arguing…just talk."
"About what, Doctor?"
He sat down on the white floor and folded his long legs before him. "About Rose, Earth, Gallifrey, Us…what happened, Koschei?"
The Master's eyes widened at the use of his childhood name. "What happened…Theta," he began, placing particular emphasis on his use of the Doctor's Academy nickname, "Is that I grew up. We grew apart. We became two very different people. You can't abide me…I can't abide you, let's just leave it at that."
"If that were true then I wouldn't have had to spend the last 900 years fighting you across every galaxy in existence. If that were true then you would've left earth when I arrived and not gone through with your twisted plan. It seems that your soul purpose over the centuries has been to hurt everyone I've ever cared about."
The Master scoffed, "Oh yes, because the universe revolves around you. I forgot that bit, Doctor."
"No, it doesn't revolve around me…I realize that. But your world seems to."
The Master got to his feet abruptly, "You sanctimonious, pompous ass."
Rose stood outside the Master's bedroom and looked in through the open door. He was nowhere to be seen, but still she felt drawn inside. She'd slipped away from Martha and made her way here with an urgency that she couldn't explain. She needed to see him again. She needed to look in the Master's eyes and know that he cared about her, that it wasn't a lie.
As she stepped over the threshold she heard the voices. The Master and the Doctor, their shouting coming from the open door of the wardrobe, she walked towards it. Pushing back the suits she looked down the corridor and saw them, coming towards her.
"Master, Stop! Wait! I'm sorry. I just wanted to talk to you."
"Too bad, Doctor. I'm done talking to you. It's game on now. I'm tired of waiting for you to make the next move."
"What are you talking about? You're my prisoner."
"Oh, is that what I am…Silly me, I thought I was a fellow Time Lord, the only other one in existence, the only one in the universe who can match you. Come now, Doctor, don't you want to play anymore?" the Master taunted.
"I don't understand," the Doctor said as he trailed behind the Master and clambered out of the wardrobe back into the bedroom.
Then he stopped…the world around him stopped…Rose was there in the Master's room. And the pair of them stood there before him, their gazes locked on each other. Rose looked at the Master as if her life depended on him…The Master looked at Rose as if he'd been expecting her all along. The Doctor looked at them both with a mixture of jealousy and panic.
"Come with me, Rose," the Master said calmly.
The Doctor looked at him in confusion, "Come with you? What do you mean, you're not going anywhere."
The Master laughed lightly and moved to the bed to snatch up his tie, turning to Rose he held out his hand and said again, more urgently than before, "Come with me."
"But…you hurt me," she said softly.
The Master shook his head, "It was a mistake, Rose. I'm sorry…I'll never do it again." He paused and stepped closer to her. Looked deep into her eyes and said the words that the Doctor had never been able to say to her, "I love you, Rose."
"No Rose, don't do this…Don't believe him. He's just using you," the Doctor stammered frantically.
Rose looked at the Doctor, a look of sadness in her eyes. "He loves me…he cares. I know he does."
Tears came to his eyes, "No Rose, not him…it's not him…it's me. I love you…I care about you."
A hard look passed over the Master's face, "Too little, too late, Doctor." With that he opened his watch, revealing the vortex manipulator hidden safely inside. Then taking Rose's hand tightly in his he pressed the button and made his escape.
"NO!" The Doctor lunged towards them, screaming, but they were gone…He dropped to his knees and buried his head in his hands and let the sobs overtake him.
They were gone…both of them…lost to him again.
Jack and Martha burst through the door seconds later. Jack stopped in the doorway, his gaze locked on the sobbing man alone in the middle of the room, "Doctor?"
Martha walked forward and put her hand on his shoulder. "It's alright, Doctor. We'll find him," she tried to encourage, but he shook his head.
"They're gone."
Jack came forward then, "Do you mean she…"
"She chose him, Jack. She's gone with him," the Doctor replied sadly.
"But we've got his TARDIS," Jack reasoned.
The Doctor shook his head again and climbed slowly to his feet, "We can't enter the vortex with the TARDIS's merged like this. We'll have to separate them and just take one…Mine. His will remain here. He'll use the vortex manipulator to come back for it after we've gone."
"What do we do, Doctor? We can't just let him go…we can't just leave Rose," Martha questioned.
The Doctor ran a hand through his hair then looked at each of them in turn, "We don't do anything…just me. Game on…If I have to play his game then I do it alone. I won't have you two getting hurt.
They had argued with him, offered to stay, to help find Rose, to help defeat the Master once and for all, but nothing had swayed him. He'd dropped them off and said his goodbyes. And as the TARDIS entered the vortex he thought of her…with him…and knew that if he had to tear the universe apart, if he had to shatter every star in the heavens, he would win her back. And when he did Rose Tyler would never doubt his feelings for her again…and she would remember him. Always.