All right. Here's the verdict- friendship only. Why? Well, partly because I don't want to drive anyone away, and partly because trying to write a love story between the most complicated hero and villain I know with no experience is just dumb. Sorry for you shippers, but you wouldn't want me to ruin the pairing anyway, I promise.
Anywho, I got excited writing and here's the next chapter.
0o0o0o
They end up in the control room, the Doctor babbling rapidly, set on automatic, and the Master following his motions with a stony face and sharp eyes.
"-a woman in that galaxy, bit creepy, actually, but knows her stuff. Brought the TARDIS round through her ceiling once, that was an accident, and after she yawed my ear off for a while, we started talking, grand lady, she was, and-"
The Doctor is about to start his ritual dance around the console when a muffled booming echoes throughout the TARDIS. Both of them flinch, and they exchange gazes.
"What is it?" The Master demands, as the Doctor immediately dashes for the monitor, skimming the flashing display. The words roll by in Gallifreyan, and panic rises in his throat.
"Someone's trying to call us." He answers curtly, furrowing his brow, and flipping a few nearby levers. The TARDIS engines start their scraping ring, and the booming echoes again. The Master walks towards him, leaning in on the other side of the monitor to see for himself.
"And making a bloody mess of it too," The Master adds, and when the Doctor reaches over his arm to hit something, he bats away the hand and slaps it himself.
"Yes, but more importantly," The Doctor says, pausing to look at the Master, "how do they know how to contact the TARDIS?"
The Master opens his mouth to answer, but abruptly, both of them wince, because whatever it is that calls them finally forms a link, and it screams. It's a high, thin, wail, screaming in every open psychic frequency at full volume until, after 3.532 seconds, it cuts off.
"That," The Master hisses, "was a Time Lord."
The Doctor grips the console tightly, and not just because their trip through the Vortex is becoming uncomfortably bumpy. He swallows, and fixes the Master with his eyes.
"What if-"
"There's no way they could have escaped the Time Lock." The Master answers firmly.
"That's what I told Davros." The Doctor says tightly.
"Leave it." The Master orders, and if the Doctor hadn't known him for most of his lives, he would have thought him unaffected.
"I can't."
"Oh, yes you can, you see, you have me. Isn't that what you wanted? Another Time Lord?"
The words hit him in exactly all the wrong spots in the right way, and he inhales in another one of those shaky breaths that are becoming too common.
"Master, I can't leave them." The Doctor insists, though the words hurt him too. "I just can't."
"No you're too good for that." The Master snaps, and looks back at the screen. "Always playing the hero and you always wonder why they leave you."
The Doctor swallows painfully, grits his teeth, and darts around the console around the Master, who refuses to move. The TARDIS engines sing.
"Doctor." The Master says when the TARDIS settles on solid ground. The Doctor feels his hearts lurch at his tone, which is flat and sharp.
"Yeah?" He answers, standing stiffly between the console and the doors.
"Why?" The Master asks, brow furrowed. The Doctor just stares at him until the Master waves a hand expansively. "Why this?"
"I don't-"
"No!" The Master cuts him off, leaning forwards and jabbing in the air with a finger. "No, just listen! Listen." The Doctor shuts his mouth abruptly.
"This thing you do," The Master continues, bringing his finger back to his lips in contemplation. "This heroic, noble dash around the universe, saving pet bunnies and pretty women, why?" He pauses, but it's a theatrical pause, and when the Doctor waits for him to start again, he isn't disappointed. "You think if you throw yourself in front of enough trains, dodge enough bullets the universe will forgive you?" The Doctor swallows.
"No."
"No?" The Master echoes immediately.
"I-" The Doctor begins, and then drops his eyes for second before looking back up. "I'm not looking for forgiveness. I can't be... forgiven for what I did, I just-"
"Just what?" The Master asks, and the Doctor can't decide if the soft curiosity in his eyes is disturbing or relieving.
"I just want to live." The Doctor answers, and it isn't quite the phrase he's searching for, but it will do. He lets out a deep breath and smiles crookedly at his friend. "Just want to live." And that's the simple of it, the scramble to survive, always running and fixing and laughing and crying with the universe. His chest swells gently with the wonder of just thinking about it.
"Nothing you do suggests to me that you want a long life." The Master says, the light in his eyes changing. The Doctor laughs shortly.
"Well, you can't live without friends." The Doctor answers, automatically slipping into a half-lecturing tone, and he grins. "And friends often seem to get into trouble."
"Yeah." The Master snorts, and one corner of his mouth turns up slowly. The Doctor raises his eyebrows and presses his lips together.
"C'mon then," He says, lightly.
"An opportunity to go save the universe with the great Doctor," The Master declares, in a mocking tone. He half-closes his eyes and tips back his head, lifting his hands in a mimic of prayer. "Who could refuse?"
"Stop it." The Doctor orders, half-seriously. They start to leave, and the Doctor feels his spirits lift, because even if the Master isn't the sweetest soul in the universe, he's a great companion.
Providing he isn't bent on controlling something, that is, so the Doctor decides to enjoy the short time while it lasts.
"Do you always have to have that stupid grin on your face?"
"That's good, coming from you, Mister Manic Master."
"Ouch, Doctor, that's not very nice."
"I've been told that befo- do you have any idea where we're going?"
"That's your job, not mine."
"Oh, well we'll figure it...oh dear."
"Earth again? My, my, Doctor, you never seem to be anywhere else."
"Earth's a good place!"
"Someone else certainly agrees with you."
It is indeed, Earth. It's summer now, for which the Doctor is somewhat glad- winter means Christmas, and Christmas has always been a harrowing experience. The TARDIS has landed them smartly in an alleyway, and the Doctor leads the way, and then stops in the middle of his stride.
"Almost forgot." He tells the Master cheerily, then pulls a small device from his pocket and locks the TARDIS. It beeps twice in response. It still tickles him to hear it, and he beams at the Master, who has a slightly disgusted look on his face. The Doctor finds this slightly unfair. "Oh come on, surely somebody can appreciate that?"
"So sorry to disappoint." The Master answers, looking supremely un-sorry. He then inhales deeply, and the Doctor remembers again why they're here. Still-
He breathes in as well, then stops with a sharp cough, and wrinkles his nose in the Master's direction. The Master sneers back, and then brings a fisted hand to his mouth.
"There's nothing here." He says, looking somewhat unnerved.
"The TARDIS followed the signal's origin." The Doctor replies, testily.
"And, yet, like I said," The Master shoots back, gesturing to the alleyway with open arms, "there's nothing here."
SMASH!
Both of them flinch at the sound of shattering glass a few stories above their heads. Something small hits the ground with a thunk. After that, there's silence, except for a few passerbys on the street who give a quick glance and carry on. The Master slowly bends down to pick up the object while the Doctor watches the window from where it came. There is no movement.
"Interesting." The Master murmurs, with a small laugh. The Doctor looks down at him, confusion written on his own face.
"What is it?" He asks,. The Master shows him the object with an expression of almost glee.
"Isn't that nice?" He crows, showing a few too many teeth. The Doctor stands still, weariness sinking into his skin. He'd thought it was over. Absently he reads the cover of the book, to keep from staring at the picture.
Fighting the Future, by Joshua Naismith
The Doctor remembers one of the Laws he was taught as a child. It's one of the ones he prefers not to think about, but this time it's a slap in the face.
There is no such thing as a coincidence.
0o0o0o
And here I was thinking I was going to start making chapters longer, and then it just seemed proper to end it there. Cut to the commercials. Reviewing makes me write faster!