Chapter Five: Not Impossible
The following morning, Rose checked out of her room and helped the Master into the passenger's seat of the car. They were going back to the estate where a medic would tend to him quietly. The last thing they needed was for a hospital to find out that he had two hearts. She carefully buckled him into the seat and looked him over. "The belt isn't hurting you too bad, is it?"
"It could be worse. Why don't you kiss it and make it better?"
She slammed the door on his foot, grinning as he yelped. Once she was in the car next to him, she breezily smirked at his scowl. "Time to go home, yeah?"
"You shut the door on me."
"Oi, you had that coming, Harold."
The car began to travel and he found himself smiling. He drifted off after about an hour and fell into a nightmare. The drums were all around. Banging. Booming. Gallifrey was burning. The Doctor was mocking him for running away and missing his chance to feel like God. Just as the Doctor was about to imprison him for the rest of his days, he woke with a scream. Rose leapt at the noise and pulled over to the side of the road.
"Are you okay?"
"What do you care?" he grumbled irritably, tapping to the drums on the window. "I'm someone you just met and have severely threatened and beaten, but you want to be sure that I'm well and good? How does that make sense?"
"Well, that's just me I guess. I think all people deserve respect, even if they aren't respectable."
He would have scoffed, but he was far too busy being surprised that someone could sound so genuine. Ignoring her concern, he asked, "Where are we going again?"
"My home in London."
"Right. What do you do for a living?"
Her hesitation was the first clue. "I work in a shop."
"You are totally lying. Come off it. No shop worker is 'always prepared' and has a laser pen. Very nice design, by the way. I'm guess that you got it from somewhere. Certainly not the Doctor. He wouldn't have a laser anything."
"I told you that I work in a shop."
"And I told you that you're lying."
She huffed. "I work in a shop. That's all you need to know."
"We need to start our relationship with honesty."
"That's ironic coming from you. I have a feeling you're lying through your teeth about something. Or maybe everything."
He rolled his eyes. "Fine. You don't have to tell me where you work. Blimey."
"Good."
She resumed driving and the Master started to whine. "I'm starving. Can't we get food?"
"You Time Lords are all alike. Always thinking with your stomachs. Do you have a banana fetish too?"
"Please," the Master dismissed. "Although they are good."
Rose smiled at those words, ignoring the breaking of her heart. She couldn't believe that her Doctor was gone. She just couldn't.
In London on the other world, the Doctor had happened across the one and only Donna Noble. He stood outside of the TARDIS with her after his accidental adventure with living fat. She wanted to travel with him, so he agreed. At the moment, she was prattling on about how excited she was to see the universe.
"Donna," he stopped her politely. "I need help."
"Well, I would guess so. You are a bit barmy. I know a good therapist if you'd like the number."
"No, not that kind of help. I need help from you."
She pointed at herself. "Me? A temp from Chiswick? You are joking, aren't you?"
"No, I'm not. I need an extra pair of hands. I can't do it by myself."
"Oi, who do you think I am? I'm not some cheap streetwalker! I don't know what those other women did for you, but don't even think about it, sunshine! You're an alien. And so skinny!"
He put his face in his hands "Listen to me for a moment, all right? Remember how I told you that my friend was still lost?"
"…yeah…"
"Well, she might be in danger. There's this other Time Lord. He's called the Master and he is very dangerous. Some time ago, he caused a lot of trouble and found a way to escape. He went to a parallel world. That's where Rose is. If he can, he'll take over that Earth. He'll destroy the universe. I'm trying to stop him, if he already hasn't succeeded, but I can't do it alone. Will you help me?"
She grinned. "Oh, that's what you meant! Here I was thinking so many dirty things. That's what happens to you if you don't enjoy the company of a gentleman every now and again. Of course I'll help you, spaceman. I want to travel with you. See the stars. That is the point, innit?"
"Brilliant! Although, you should know that there is a chance that we won't be able to come back to this world."
Donna shrugged apathetically. "Not much for me here. Other than Gramps and Mum. We should pay them a visit before our journey! C'mon, mate. Shake a leg. We have things to do. People to save. Let's go get your friend."
They got into the TARDIS and swung around to wave farewell to her grandfather and mum. After that, the Doctor set a course. He had most of the parts that he needed, but there were still a few on the list. After that, he'd need an extra pair of hands to help him assemble the device. If it worked, the entire TARDIS would jump to the other world and have enough juice to take them home. If it didn't…well, he didn't want to think about that.
"So…" Donna began as she leaned on the railings. "Exactly how are we getting to this other world?"
"Through a gap. The jumper will search time and space for a single second of fluctuation. Once it finds it, we'll shoot through to the next world. I've found a way to calibrate it so that we'll arrive in the same time frame as the Master. At least, I think so. The entire thing is really just a theory. I wouldn't normally risk it, since so much is at stake, but—"
"What's at stake?" Donna interrupted.
He waffled. "Well, you know. If it doesn't work, we might accidentally rip a hole in both universes and cause them to collapse. I don't think that'll happen, though. Very small chance. Marginally small, really."
"Destroying two universes?" she shouted, smacking him in the arm. "Why would you risk something like that? Doctor, you could kill billions of people!"
"Trillions, actually," he spoke over her. "I know that. But, I have to try. You don't know the Master. What he's capable of."
She searched his face. "You're scared. You're really scared. What's so awful about this man?"
"He is not only power hunger but insane, and he has one of the highest intellects in the whole of the universe. This is not to mention his unending stubbornness and extraordinary ability to lie. He's resentful and sadistic. Takes pleasure in watching everyone else suffer. He'll destroy a planet for the sake of fun. And you can't reason with the man. He's simply unreasonable. We used to be mates, and I genuinely think that I can reach him. But, I have to stop him first. No one is safe as long he's out there."
"And your friend Rose is on this other Earth?"
"Yes."
She pointed at him accusingly. "You wouldn't be doing this if it was a random world, would you?"
"What?"
"This is about Rose. You're going there because of her."
"Not exactly."
"Yes exactly."
Huffing, he tried to explain things to his new friend. "The Master knows about her. I told him stories and he had a look at her file. He knows that she's on that world, and he will stop at nothing to hurt me. There's no doubt in my mind that he'll go after her and the entire planet. I won't let that happen. He's the last of my kind and that makes him my responsibility."
Donna softened. "I understand. You loved her."
"What? I didn't say anything about that."
"I'm not a dumbo! I can draw conclusions! Did you or did you not make a big deal about 'just wanting a mate' to me five minutes ago?"
He ran a nervous hand through his hair. "Okay, I did. But—"
"It's all right, Doctor. I told you that I understand. I've been in love before, and I'd have risked two universes to keep that person safe. Besides, I'll bet you miss her."
"I do. Honestly, I didn't even consider this jumper idea. It was too risky. Just a fable. But when he did it…I have to do this. If not for Rose, for that Earth."
The Doctor rushed around the console and Donna had to ask. "What did you tell the Master about Rose? Anything we should worry about?"
"I told him enough. If he met her, he'd be able to gain her trust. That's the last thing that should happen. I shouldn't have talked. I shouldn't have been."
"Been what, Doctor?"
"So bloody human. She might be in danger because I wanted to hold onto a few stupid trinkets."
"Stop it. You're being too hard on yourself. We'll get there and we'll find her. She'll be safe. What are the chances that they would have met anyway?"
He nodded in agreement. "You're right. It's highly unlikely. But, it isn't impossible."
On a parallel world, the Master and Rose Tyler were laughing and singing with the radio like nothing was wrong.