The Master stepped out of the tunnel and looked down at the building that housed the machine. It had been twenty years since that day and the Master had moved the whole structure here, out of the sight of the Doctor.
There were way too many painful memories associated with that place; not that the thing that was now the Doctor would feel anything.
That day was burnt into his soul and he would carry it until his final regeneration. He thought he'd never hear that almost animalistic howl of grief come from the Doctor ever again; once had been enough.
The days following Tejhan's death had been chaotic and bloody and violent.
Gallifrey's birth pangs had carried on for days and humans had died in their millions as their planet slowly disappeared.
The Master didn't care how many died; he had a mate torn apart by grief and a young child to care for...so he let the Earth die.
However, it hadn't taken long for humans to show their true colours and soon those that didn't want to lose their power and wealth turned to him and soon he began taking control.
Then the Doctor had snapped out of his grief and he could only stand in admiration as his mate burnt his way across the planet in grief fuelled vengeance.
For six months the humans lived in mortal terror of their one time champion and little Ashena was right alongside him, learning what the true rage of a Time Lord meant.
But all of that was now lost as he looked at the creature standing next to him.
"The gateway is there?" the Doctor said, not a flicker of emotion on his face.
"You don't recognise this place?"
The Doctor looked down at the building and then at the Master. "This body knows of it but it means nothing to me. Grief and sorrow are weakness and there is no place for weakness in my master's world."
It seemed the conversation was over as the Doctor began climbing down the slope and the Master had to follow. He stopped for a second when he thought he heard something in the tunnel but a mental pull from the Doctor up ahead forced him to leave it and keep following.
White Coat moved next to Jack and acted like they were the best of friends.
"Do you like the improved version of the pack...so much easier to get through customs."
"I hope it bites you in the ass."
"Your eloquence is slipping captain. I learnt a lot from the sample I extracted from my property."
"Extracted," Jack snarled. He knew exactly what White Coat meant. "You butchered him and murdered his unborn child."
"Butchery...hardly...vivisection maybe...you can't butcher a lab rat."
Jack didn't reply; if he did his temper would win out and someone else would suffer for it.
"No comment, wise decision," White Coat said. "But I thought you would be glad to be rid of my property, its mate and its offspring."
Jack did say something then. "I'd rather face them and die than let you have them."
"My dear captain, it has been mine from the time I saw it in that laboratory in Gen-Med. It was clearly deluded if it thought it had any freedom, it would always come back to me."
Anymore conversation was halted when one of the pack appeared and morphed back into a human.
"The tunnel ends about a mile ahead, there's a warehouse of some kind at the bottom of a huge cave. They're scent leads straight to it."
White Coat nodded. "Then let us retrieve my property."
Jack looked at the others and he knew they were thinking the same as him; this was going to get violent and bloody.
The Master stopped when the Doctor hesitated at the door of the building and for a second the light seemed to dim in his eyes.
Was there still some of the Doctor inside? Were the memories of that day too strong to be erased by whatever had a hold on him?"
"You remember, don't you?"
"I..."
The light suddenly died in the Doctor's eyes and he stepped away from the door; the first signs of emotions etched on his face that the Master had seen since whatever it was had shown itself.
He turned to the Master and when he spoke it was the Doctor speaking.
"Not here...please...Tejhan."
The Master moved closer. "That's it, fight it...it's not your master."
He moved a little closer and said softly. "You know who your master is...Si'arila."
He stepped back suddenly as the light flared in the Doctor's eyes.
"The gateway, now...Time Lord," he hissed; it was back in control.
The Master shelved the small victory away, knowing that the closer they got to the machine the more it was exude its influence and whatever was in charge now would have a very rude awakening.
He punched the code into the locking panel and the door opened with a hiss and a rush of stale air ruffled both of their hair.
The Doctor stepped in first and he stopped again and drew in a breath. "I can smell it...the gateway. My master will soon be free."
"Don't be so sure," the Master muttered and followed the Doctor into the building
Neither he nor the Doctor noticed the group of skittering figures move towards the door, nor did they see the group of people emerging from the tunnel.
White Coat stopped the party and looked down at the building and gestured for Ashena and Seska to be brought forward.
"That place, what is it?"
Ashena looked at Seska who shook his head.
"You might as well tell me and save yourselves any unnecessary pain."
Both of them said nothing and White Coat scowled. He took out the control box and twisted the dial savagely.
The pair's screams echoed around the cavern.
A trio of shouts made White Coat take his hand of the dial and Jack and the others were shoved forwards.
"Stop it!" Gwen cried.
"Bastard!" Ianto added.
"Stop it...I'll tell you what's in there!" Jack yelled.
White Coat narrowed his eyes and then put the device away and Ianto and Gwen hurried to help the two.
"Well?" White Coat said.
"There's a machine inside...they used it to change the Earth."
White Coat looked down at the building. "Interesting...they would have had to manipulate the Vortex...of course, a temporal manipulator."
He looked at Jack who seemed surprised that he knew what it was. "Surprised captain, I've learnt a lot from my erstwhile jailers ...they were very knowledgeable. But I digress...enough chatter."
He turned away then and began descending and they were pushed along and Ashena and Seska were dragged as they followed him.
Gwen whispered to Jack. "We can't let him get hold of that machine."
"How do we stop him?" Ianto said.
"The machine needs a key...destroy the key and it won't work," Jack replied.
"We don't know where or what the key is," Ianto said.
Jack said nothing in reply...he knew where and what the key was and it would be his fate to destroy it.
They fell into silence as the group were joined by the pack, which had reverted to human form and they entered the building.
The Master could feel the power from the machine as they entered the room it was housed in.
He repressed a shiver as he crossed over the spot where his son had died. He looked over at the Doctor but there was nothing, just the light from his eyes glowing brighter in the semi-darkness.
The Doctor walked up to the machine and caressed it like it was a long lost lover. "The gateway," he sighed.
Before the Master could speak he stepped into the machine and placed a hand on either side of the framework.
"You will be free...my master."
The Master moved then and stood in front of him. "It won't work...not for you."
The Doctor looked at him and smiled...not a nice smile...a smile that promised nothing but ill.
"The machine needs a key and this body is the key...my master shall be free."
The Master jumped when the whine of the generator filled the air and the machine began to crackle with energy.
"No...it's not possible," he breathed and started to back away but stopped when he felt something press into his spine.
"Whatever you are doing, you will stop this right now," a voice that he'd last heard before the owner of it killed him.
He was about to snarl a reply when the whole room shook and the machine burst into life.
He turned sharply and found himself facing White Coat, who was still pointing his weapon at him.
"Stop this...stop this now!" he ordered.
The Master turned back to the machine and looked at the Doctor as green tendrils started to lick at his body.
"I can't, even if I wanted to...I'm not in control...he is!"
"Then I'll do it myself," White Coat snarled and aimed his gun at the Doctor.
"No!" the Master cried but his lunge was too late and the bullet sped towards the machine.
But it never reached its target; it dropped like it was made of iron not lead.
"Foolish human!" the Doctor spat, his eyes glowing even brighter.
A deep rumble filled the air and the skylight shattered and rained down on the group who scattered to avoid impalement.
The Master ran to one of the screens and his eyes widened in horror at what he saw. He turned back to the machine and the Doctor.
"No, what have you done!"
The Doctor grinned. "My master...he comes."