I felt quite entitled to having a break while I was busy. And then I hypocritically left a review encouraging Omniac to write more while I lazed about.
Sorry!
Yes, this is short, and filler-ish. I'm still not done fussing with plot and I thought I'd let you all know I haven't abandoned this. Plot, ugh.
0o0o0o
Sometimes the Doctor wishes he could forget fear. It freezes him at the most inopportune times, always has, in every regeneration. Like now, when he should be leaving, protecting Donna and trying to figure out what the hell is going on, and instead he is clutching the wall at the top of the stair, chest heaving and hearts hammering against his ribs. Abruptly the Master is beside him, smelling like death and decay, with his ravenous resurrection crackling on the top of his skin.
"She's it, isn't she?" He hisses, pressing his face too close. "That scream." The Doctor swallows the fear of being so close, and lets the back of his head rest against the wall.
"Yes."
"Oho!" The Master laughs, "The only two left?"
"She's not-" The Doctor begins, and then straightens up and runs a hand through his hair. "What did he mean fix?"
"Don't change the subject."
The Doctor meets his gaze, and the two of them are quiet for a moment, processing at speeds exponentially greater than the average sentient being.
"She's not Time Lord." The Doctor says tiredly. "She's still human, she's just got..." He trails off, and then after a few blank misses, brings his hands around his head and continues, "she's got my head too, sealed away, but if she remembers me-"
"Boom," The Master says quietly, with a slow smile. "You've got quite a talent for that sort of thing you know, your little collection of freaks. How do you do it?"
"She's not a freak," The Doctor says quietly, staring down the stairwell, which is both dark and silent. While he looks, he brings up his right hand and wiggles it. "Remember my hand?" He slides his gaze over to the Master, who looks confused.
"I don't like where this is going, Doctor." He says, donning an offended expression.
"Well, long story short," The Doctor continues, after a brief chastising look, "Biological metacrisis."
"Metacrisis?" The Master asks. "Who were you trying to impress?"
"I'm not-" The Doctor starts, and then flinches when there's a step on the stair. "I've got to go."
"Then go." The Master offers, and when he smiles, lightning sparks across his teeth.
"I can't leave you!" The Doctor says quickly, desperately glancing between the figure on the stair and the Master.
"I'm dying," The Master reminds him. "You're not helping."
"Master!" The Doctor hisses.
"The basement!" Donna complains to her husband from the bottom of the stairs. "What the hell was I doing in the bloody basement?"
Without warning, when the Master turns his head at the sound of his former companion's voice, the Doctor snatches the Master's forearm and bolts for the nearest door. Abruptly the Master throws his weight backward, but the Doctor is already in motion, and there is something horrifyingly weak in the resistance that the Master offers.
The Doctor pulls him easily enough out the door, and then stops after rounding a corner, freezing again. The Master tears his arm free, but does nothing except lean a little heavily against the wall and catches his breath.
"Doctor!" A voice calls, and the Doctor whirls to greet it.
"Jack?" He questions, and the Master lets out a barking laugh.
"Another one of your precious freaks," The Master mutters, as the immortal approaches. The Doctor considers reproaching the Master, but decides against it as Jack's expression looks urgent.
"Doctor, what are yo- what is he doing here?" Jack asks, voice immediately switching from confused to guarded. The Master chuckles without even an attempt at civility, and straightens up from the wall.
"Did you change, I wonder?" The Master says, with a rhetorical air. Then he lifts his eyebrows and grins at his most malicious, "It certainly would have been an improvement."
"Yeah, I'll bet," Jack answers, and pulls out his gun.
"Nooo, no no no!" The Doctor inserts hastily, and throws up his hands. "Tell me why you're here."
Jack hesitates, and the Doctor sees him weighing the options in his mind, before he lowers the gun and lifts his chin.
"Well, believe it or not I was on vacation,"
The Master inhales to say something, but the Doctor elbows him in the side and nods at Jack to continue. Jack's eyes flick from the Master the Doctor and back again.
"...and then I got a call that one of our targets showed up on the energy search. We've been trying to get this one for a while, but it's pretty crafty."
This time the Master says something before the Doctor can stop him.
"What, you actually found something smarter than your little team? What was it, a bird?"
"No," Jack says, dismissing the Master with a sharp glance and meeting the Doctor's eyes. "A shape shifter."
"Shape shifter," The Doctor murmurs, and there's a brief moment when things start to all but audibly click together. "Oh, yes."
"Doctor." Jack says, prompting an explanation.
"What?" The Master adds, flatly, in what is probably the closest agreement he has ever had with the immortal. The Doctor just grins.
"That's brilliant, it really is, and I didn't realize it!" He begins, and can't resist a little laugh. "No, it is! He could fix her!" He pauses, lifts his eyebrows at the Master and leans in. "He could fix you."
"Not to rain on your party, Doctor," The Master answers testily, "but I think I warrant a little more skill than a simple shape shifter."
"I might actually agree with him on that," Jack adds, not bothering to mask his dislike.
"Well, you'd both be right on that," The Doctor concedes, "if it was your normal everyday run-of-the-mill shape shifter. Tell me, Jack, why are you hunting this one, hm? Shape shifters aren't usually a problem, a slight nuisance, yes, but nothing worth getting this excited about."
"It came through the Rift," Jack said, "and it started eating our power, including from the rift and the surrounding area until we figured out how to stop it. Then it ran away and we chased it until it stopped appearing on our scans."
"Oho," The Master says, and even the Doctor looks at him with question in his eyes. "Well, maybe you were right, Doctor."
"Right about what?" Jack asks, turning suspicious.
"It's a Star Eater," The Doctor says.
"Oookay, so what does that mean?"
"We need your help," The Doctor says, and immediately Jack's face is torn with conflict.
"No," He says finally, with a pointed look at the Master. "Whatever you're doing to save him, I won't do it."
"Y'know, I don't think he likes me," The Master comments idly, smirking at Jack.
"It could fix Donna," The Doctor says, for a moment ignoring the Master. Jack's face softens.
"Wilf told me what happened," Jack says tonelessly.
"I couldn't help her," The Doctor continues. "I had to leave her."
"A Star Eater, huh?" Jack asks, "Sounds like fun."
"He's married," The Doctor says, narrowing his eyes.
"Yeah?" Jack says, "What's your plan then, Doc?"
0o0o0o0
I often wish Jack didn't hate the Master, because I think they could have an opportunity to have a relationship sort of like the Doctor has with the Master. I won't scar you with the details of that. Oh, my twisted brain. So I'd like to hear where you think the plot is going. The closest one gets bragging rights or something. ;D