Jack shook his head in disbelief as Seska and the Master attended to the one person they thought they would never see again.
"But he was..." Ianto said.
"I know," Jack replied.
"There were ashes."
"But there he is," Gwen said.
Jack went to go towards the little group but Ianto placed a restraining hand on his arm.
"No Jack, not now."
Movement caught their eyes and Ashena moved past and they didn't stop her as she sat at the Doctor's feet.
Jack felt a pang of loneliness as he watched...they were a family.
"Come away Jack," Gwen said and pulled him towards the other side of the fire.
"This changes things," Ianto said.
Gwen nodded. "We may have to make a quick exit, the Doctor isn't exactly your biggest fan."
Jack shook his head. "No, we stay...whoever snatched Jakaar is someone we need to know about. We can't fight a battle on two fronts. We stay, no matter what."
The others said nothing, knowing that it would be useless trying to persuade Jack to do otherwise.
Seska cleaned the wound and was relieved to find that it wasn't deep, just bloody. He couldn't think about the turn of events...not yet. He'd gone from mourning his mother to finding he was alive in the space of half a day.
He was working quickly as he could feel the tension returning to his mother's body.
"Father, hand me the glue...father," he said sharply when he got no response. "Mother is coming round and I don't think he's going to lay still."
He father blinked and handed him a small bottle.
He quickly applied the glue, pressing the wound together; he could feel his mother literally trembling under his hands.
"Father..." he began to say but never finished as his mother's eyes snapped open and he fell backwards when with a snarl his mother shot up and once more went for his father.
The Master didn't believe in miracles...well not murderous ones, and this particular miracle had his hands round his throat.
He stared into the Doctor's eyes and saw no recognition; there was nothing but madness and fury.
Time to stop this he thought and with an answering snarl he clamped his hands on the Doctor's wrists and twisted.
He kept twisting and gradually the pressure on his throat began to ease and by then Jack and the others had gotten over the shock and were now pulling the Doctor away.
He was dragged away and he was spitting out words in Gallifreyan...murderous words.
He sucked in precious air and stood and collected his thoughts...he had to take control.
With confidence he didn't feel he strode over to where Jack and Ianto were struggling to keep hold of the Doctor, who spat more of the murderous words at him.
Jack and Ianto tightened their hold...painfully tight, but the Doctor didn't seem to notice.
"Pajh na...pajh na sia!" he commanded.
He got a snarl in response. "Irlia ir y'easah isha!"
"Isha ir mira resh Ni'ala!" he snapped, using a tone he reserved for intimidating his opponents.
But neither the tone of voice nor the words had the desired effect and the Doctor let out another snarl and struggled harder.
The Master scowled...he wasn't having that.
"Enough!" he snarled and moved closer and stared into the Doctor's eyes.
"Isha ir mira!" he said again, this time enhancing it with that voice...the one the Doctor should respond to.
This time it worked and the Doctor stopped struggling and a frown replaced the mask of anger on his face.
He blinked. "Ni'ala?"
The Master smiled and then frowned when the Doctor's eyes rolled back and went limp in Jack and Ianto's grip.
"Leave us," the Master said after they'd laid him down on several sleeping bags.
"Don't think so," Jack said.
The Master squared up to him and said. "Unless you've suddenly acquired another heart and the abilities of a Time Lord then I suggest you back off and let me look after the mother of my children and my husband."
Jack held up his hands and backed away; sensing that now was not the time to argue and he moved everyone away to the other side of the cave.
"Is that wise?" Ianto asked.
Seska answered. "Father won't hurt him...despite what you think. He would do anything to protect our mother."
No-one said anything after that.
Gwen busied herself with Ashena, making sure she was comfortable as no doubt the bruising was probably starting to hurt and Jack and Ianto along with Seska sorted out the watch rota.
Jack sat by the fire, his watch would be the last. He looked over at the blankets that had be hastily erected and sighed...somehow he knew his chance at getting the Doctor away from the Master had gone.
Now he had a new problem...the people who had taken the Doctor's youngest son and had almost killed the Doctor. Whoever they were, it was a problem he could do without.
With a sigh he lay down and pulled the sleeping bag tightly around him and bit back the tears that were threatening to overwhelm him.
The screams were getting louder and no matter how tightly he held his hands to his ears.
He let out a whimper and then the smell came to his nose...the stench of burning flesh.
He uncurled from the ball he'd been screwed up in and he forced himself to open his eyes and he wished he hadn't.
It was like a scene from Dante's Inferno and there were creatures...such awful creatures.
Then he heard a scream.
He rose to his feet and turned towards the scream ...everywhere was burning.
Then he looked beyond the horror of what was before his eyes and he let out a moan of sheer terror...not here...not here.
Another scream drew his attention and he turned and his legs went from under him at what he saw and he fell to his knees and his own scream joined those already echoing through the air.
The Master gently wrapped his arms round the Doctor...still reeling from the events of the last twelve hours; he lost and regained his lover and mate and still couldn't believe that he was holding him.
The Doctor stirred in arms and let out a moan and the Master frowned; it sounded like he was frightened.
He held him tighter and whispered to him in Gallifreyan but it didn't placate him.
The Doctor became more and more animated and the Master found it hard to hold, not just because he was squirming but because he felt incredibly.
The Doctor suddenly let out a sobbing cry and his eyes flew open.
"It's okay...efi Eresh'ala...efi."
The Doctor looked up at the Master and his eyes were full of terror.
"Eresh'ala...Doctor...what is it?"
"They're coming...the monsters are coming. "
Pajh na...pajh na sia- Stop this...stop this now
Irlia ir y'easah isha- I will kill you
Isha ir mira resh Ni'ala- You will obey your Master
Isha ir mira- You will obey
Efi- easy
Eresh'ala- Doctor
Ni'ala- Master.