Disclaimer: I don't own Doctor Who

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

It was Hell on Earth. That was the way that Martha thought you could aptly describe the situation on her homeworld.

Ever since that fateful day nearly a year ago, the Master had all but destroyed the planet. Whole cities and civilisations had been obliterated, landmarks wiped from the map. Millions had been murdered by whatever those sphere things were, and those who were left had all but lost hope.

In the face of the Master's master plan; to conquer the galaxy and create a new Gallifrey, the humans who were left could see no way out, no chance of freedom.

During the past year, Martha had travelled the Earth looking for help to help the Doctor and fight the Master. But everywhere she went, she would only find more hordes of desperate people too wrapped up in the day-to-day challenge of surviving to even consider fighting back against their tyrannical oppressor.

Nevertheless, she would tell them her story, tell them about the Doctor, and about all he'd done for them, about all the times he'd saved them, in the hopes that someone—anyone—would truly hear her words, and help her to help him.

But after her latest unsuccessful pledge in Russia, Martha felt that maybe it was time to return to London. Maybe someone there would listen.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Meanwhile, nobody on the Valiant was having much of a better time than the people on the surface. The Master was making everyone's lives hell.

The Jones Family had been put to work as the Master's personal servants, catering to his every whim. Jack had been chained up in one of the engine rooms, where he was tortured and killed regularly, for the Master's entertainment.

And the Doctor, or Theta as he now was, hadn't had it easy either. The Master seemed to have made it his mission to make the boy's life a waking nightmare, teasing and taunting him at every opportunity.

The only fortunate thing was that it seemed that even the Master wouldn't stoop so low as to inflict physical abuse on Theta. That was one of the only reasons that the Jones family were still complying with the Master. His treatment of the boy Doctor understandably enraged them. But they would have rebelled were it not for the fact that it would make Theta's life worse too.

And then there was the issue of Martha. The only advantage to their current position was that they were in close proximity to the Master and therefore heard every new piece of news relating to the now infamous Martha Jones.

And so it was.

And as it was, the Master was on top of the world, literally and figuratively. He was riding sky high and was extremely pleased with his new position in life. He made the most of it by doing what he loved best, surveying the destruction he was causing to this primitive world, and taunting his now miniaturised nemesis, the Doctor.

"Oh go and cry to Mummy," he said nastily to the boy, who was currently sniffling quietly in the corner. Then he paused in mock-thought and continued, "Oh that's right, you can't. She's dead!"

A muscle in Mrs Jones's jaw twitched as she clenched her teeth in anger, and on the other side of the room, Mr Jones tightened his hand into a fist, making it clear just what he wanted to do to the Master.

Only Theta seemed calmer. Well, him and Lucy anyway, but then the Master's wife rarely showed any emotions in front of her husband.

Theta turned his face up to the Master, tears running down his face, and said with a sob, "I hope you burn in Erebus, Koschei. You're evil."

But the Master just laughed manically, and Theta ran from the room.

The guards moved as if to follow the boy, but the Master waved them back, "Leave him. He's no threat and he's got nowhere to go. He'll be back."

So Theta got away and fled down the corridors of the Valiant. He knew that Koschei was right, he had nowhere to go, and there was nothing he could do. But there was one thing Koschei was wrong about, he was not going back... or not voluntarily anyway.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Jack let out a sigh of exhaustion as he was finally left alone. He wasn't sure how much longer he could take this. Hour after hour, day after day, week after week, month after month the Master tormented him, taking infinite pleasure in coming up with ever more imaginative ways to 'kill' him.

But even just as he allowed himself to relax, (as much as he could relax in his chains anyway) Jack heard a sound coming from near the ever-open door.

It wasn't loud, anyone else might've missed it. But years living on the run from the Time Agency and as a criminal had taught Jack always to know when he wasn't alone. And this was one of those times.

The scuffling sound came again, from just around the corner of the doorframe, followed by sniffling. Jack frowned, wondering who on Earth it could be. In the end, he called, "Who's there?"

The sound abruptly stopped at his words. Whoever it was had clearly thought themselves alone.

"C'mon. Come say hello," Jack continued, "I won't bite."

Nothing.

"Playing hard to get, are you?" Jack made one last effort.

This time though, there was a response. A small face peered hesitantly into the room, one which Jack instantly recognised. Even though he hadn't seen him for months and the boy had evidently grown a good deal since then, Jack never forgot a face. It was the Doctor, or rather, the child that the Doctor had become, Theta.

For a second, frustration and anger surged through Jack, the Doctor was supposed to be able to get them out of situations like this. He was the one who looked after them. That was what he did! But now, he was the useless one, stuck as a child with no clue of what was going on or how to stop it.

However, he quickly forced those feelings away, realising that now the Doctor was his responsibility for once and he was the one who needed looking after. And who knew, maybe even as a child the Doctor would know something to help them.

"Hey there, Theta," he called, trying to sound friendly and non-threatening (not that he could act particularly threatening when he was chained to a wall). Then, seeing the boy's tear-streaked face, he asked, "What's up?"

"Nothing," the kid mumbled under his breath.

But Jack wasn't buying it. "Nah, come on, kid. You can't fool me. That is definitely not a nothing face, that's a something face, so spill it. What happened?"

But Theta resolutely said nothing, looking uneasily and slightly warily at Jack.

Something occurred to Jack, "Are you afraid of me?" he asked.

"No!" Theta protested emphatically, indignant almost.

"Then what is it?"

"You're…" Theta began, clearly struggling to find the right word "…wrong," he eventually decided.

Jack's heart sank. Evidently the Doctor hadn't been lying when he said it wasn't anything he had against Jack, that it was a gut feeling, something he couldn't control. Clearly that was the case, seeing as Theta, who knew next to nothing about Jack's condition, still felt the same way about him.

And from the way that Theta was still looking at Jack as if he were about to grow an extra head, the ex-time agent figured that he'd better say something.

"You're right," he admitted, "There is something a bit... wrong with me. I used to just be a normal little human being, although I am a lot more good-looking than most, but now... something happened to me, and now I'm immortal."

Theta's eyes widened.

"Yeah," Jack said, nodding, having seen the boy's reaction, "I can't die. That's what's wrong... But it's not my fault, and I would change it if I could. And, I would never do anything to hurt you, ok?"

"You're telling the truth," Theta said, wonder in his voice.

"Yes I am, kiddo," Jack agreed, "So, friends?"

Theta nodded, a small smile on his face.

Silence fell.

"So..." Jack said, drawing out the word, "How're you holding up? You ok?"

"Yes," Theta replied, "Koschei tries to make me cry by talking about my family, and how they're... dead. And it does hurt, I miss them a lot... especially my mother, but..." he sighed, holding back tears, "I'll see them again."

Jack hesitated, he knew that asking Theta questions was taking advantage of the Doctor's situation, but he was just so curious. When he was himself, the Doctor had never voluntarily talked about his family, in fact he'd never even mentioned that he had a family.

"Tell me about them?" he asked eventually. But when Theta hesitated, he added, "You don't have to if you don't want to."

"It's alright," Theta answered, sitting down on the floor in front of Jack. Then he paused for a minute. "We weren't anything important on my planet. We weren't rich or important. I used to get teased at school because my father was poorer than theirs... But I don't care about any of that anymore... I had three brothers and two sisters, and they were all bigger than me, I was the youngest. They used to pick on me and tease me, but I think they quite liked me really. Mama used to tell them they had to take me with them whenever they went to town or something, but they never would. I didn't mind though, I would stay at home with Mama and we'd make Jaelberry Kalesh... The only good thing about having big brothers was that the bigger boys at school would leave me alone, and—"

Without warning and for no apparent reason, Theta jerked his head around to face the door. Then, turning back to Jack, he asked excitedly, "Did you hear it?"

"Hear what?!" Jack asked, having no idea what Theta was talking about.

"The whispering."

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

A/N: Yes, I have finally updated! Please, nobody die of shock!

Obviously there's going to be a little more of this, and I was going to do it all as one chapter, but I figured that you'd prefer 2 shorter chapters now rather than one longer one later, am I right?

Anyways, inevitably there are probably problems with this, as I am re-writing a Dr Who episode written by far better writers than me, but what can I say, I do my best!

So please review, and I'll do my best not to take quite so long with the next (and probably final) chapter... but I'm not making any promises!