Yay, got this chapter done a lot sooner than I thought I would. Hopefully you guys like it^^

Thanks to everyone who's been reviewing! You guys are the reason I'm motivated to continue!

"You want me to do what?"

"I just need to borrow an atomic scanner from Torchwood. Can't be that hard-?"

"Well no," replied Jack. "But it's the actual reason you need the scanner that I'm opposed to."

The Doctor sighed. "Look, Jack. I know you hate the Master—for which you have every right to—but he's no longer any concern of yours. He is under my care, and he won't hurt anyone like that again."

"How can you be so certain? This is a psychopath we're talking about here. A deranged, evil, fucked-up Time Lord. And you want me to help you save him? No deal."

"He's all I have!" shouted the Doctor. "We're the only ones left. I can't just sit back and watch him die."

"What, just like you sat back and watched him destroy the Human race?" hissed Jack. "I am not going to let that happen again."

"I had no control over that, and neither did he," the Doctor nearly sobbed. "It's those Drums, Jack. They drive him mad, make him do things he can't control. But right now it's the only thing keeping him alive." His face turned stony. "Just give me this, please. After this, I'll find a way to fix him."

Jack slumped against his office desk and sighed. He felt bad for the Doctor; he honestly did. But after what had happened before, he just couldn't trust the Master. Time rewound itself once the paradox machine had been destroyed, yes. But Jack could still remember every torturous detail, locked up in that dungeon and made to suffer, while the Human race lived in constant fear below.

But he also knew that the Doctor wouldn't give up. There was only one thing he could do.

"Alright," said Jack after a moment. The Doctor's face brightened instantly. "But on one condition."

"Oh? And what might that be?"

"I'm coming with you."

"Okay, we've got one atomic scanner and a wave amplifier," said the Doctor, setting up the equipment and connecting it to the Master's brain.

"So, we just need to find where the signal is coming from and—what?" interrupted Jack. "How will this help to bring him back to life?"

"If I can manipulate the wavelengths from the source, I should be able to start up the Master's hearts using the energy as a sort of defibrillator."

"Okay, and then what? You can't honestly make me believe he actually wants to be locked up in the TARDIS." Jack's voice took on a more serious tone. "Doctor, this guy is insane. You can't cure insanity."

"You just watch me," retorted the Doctor, not taking his eyes off the Master. "I'm going to fix him, no matter what the cost."

"Fancy some tea?" called the Doctor from the TARDIS's kitchen. He and Jack had finished connecting all the equipment, and they were taking a break while it booted up.

"Uh, sure," replied Jack, not being much of a tea drinker. What he really needed was a nice, hot, caffeinated beverage to keep him focused. But he supposed tea would help him to relax, and he really needed to loosed his tense muscled.

The Doctor handed Jack a steaming cup, taking a seat in a cushioned armchair. The Captain looked around, sipping the drink tentatively. This was one room of the TARDIS he'd never seen before. It was very olden, and reminded him of the living room of an aristocrat during the Victorian Era. Jack snuggled back into the deep red sofa, holding his cup close.

"So what will that equipment do exactly?" he asked the Doctor.

The Time Lord looked up from his tea, gazing at the ceiling. "Well, the beating in the Master's head is actually being transmitted from somewhere. I always thought that he was just imagining it, but I've discovered that there's a definite signal." He sipped his drink. "That machinery is connected directly to the receiving end of the signal. What it does is refine the molecular structure of the radiation waves into a readable code, allowing us to pinpoint the general transmission area. That's where the atomic tracker comes in handy. I'll be able to read the atomic number of the particles and set it up to track the atomic waves."

"Damn," whistled Jack. "You really thought this through."

The Doctor tapped the side of his head. "It's all up here. Didn't take very long to piece together."

Jack shook his head, marveling at how advanced and complicated the Doctor's brain was compared to Humans.
It must be so lonely.

I'll be starting on the next chapter soon! I have most of the plot already worked out, I just need to get it all written down :)

Review!