Okay guys...and gals...just a few more chapters to go and then I've got to figure out what to write next. Not that I'm getting ahead of myself, but yeah, I am. So far I've had a few Rose/Master suggestions. If you want to second that or have your own suggestions let me know.

"Really? Guns, Jack?" the Doc snapped as they raced down the hall. He really hoped the Time Lord knew where he was going because this place all looked the same to Jack.

"I didn't hear you complaining when we were shooting our way out of that room," he retorted.

"You probably couldn't hear anything over all the shouting and noise."

"They're both set to stun. I made sure of that before I got in the TARDIS."

"At least that's something."

"You're one to talk," Jack said. "Since when did your sonic have a setting to disarm?"

They reached the lift. The Doc pressed the button and then they both turned around. Jack brandishing two blasters while the Doc held his sonic at the ready.

"Since the Weeping Angels, but really, it was probably River who made me want to add it. Having someone who carries a gun popping in and out of my time stream made me want to make sure I could disarm her if I needed to, but that's before I knew who she was."

There was that name again. River. The Doc never did explain who she was. His friends' child wasn't really an explanation and now he was talking about her popping in and out of his time stream?

"Who is River?"

"Was. She died," the Doc sighed and Jack suddenly regretted asking. Neither of them liked to talk about the people they lost. "She was my wife."

"WHAT?"

But there was no time to question him further as three soldiers rounded the corner on their left and ran toward them. Jack shot them before the Doc could hold down the button on his sonic. Then he turned on the Time Lord.

"Your wife?" he snapped.

"Yes, Jack, my wife."

"Wait…you said she was…had time energy in her DNA."

"She was a Time Lady, well, part Time Lady, at least she was until she used her remaining regenerations to save me."

"Save you?"

"I was dying. She poisoned me and the poison kept me from regenerating."

"So, wait, she poisoned you, you were dying, she saved you and you married her?" Jack laughed. "I thought I picked some winners, but wow, you really take the cake, Doc."

Two more soldiers ran toward them. The Doc disarmed them with his sonic then Jack stunned them.

"It wasn't like that Jack. It was…complicated."

"Complicated. That's your word for everything. You couldn't let Rose know how you felt because it was complicated. You had to leave the meta-crisis with her because it was complicated. Do you ever do anything that isn't complicated?"

At that moment the doors to the lift slid open. They both stepped inside, but not before another group of soldiers rounded the corner at the end of the hall and started firing. Jack positioned himself in front of the Doc. He felt the bullets pierce his back before the doors slid shut.

The Master turned around as the TARDIS materialized. He stepped over to Rose and un-cuffed her hand. She rubbed her sore wrist.

"Ready?" he asked, cheerfully.

"For what?" she snapped.

"To find someone to kill."

She didn't answer, but her stomach tightened. He was going to make her kill someone and if she didn't do it he'd destroy a town full of people. She couldn't do it. She knew she couldn't.

When she made no move to stand up he grabbed her arm and pulled her to her feet then leaned toward he face. She turned her head away, but he grabbed her chin with his other hand and forced her to look into his eyes.

"You're not thinking of defying me again are you?" he asked.

No, she was thinking about killing him. Tossing him into the Void. Screaming into his mind until he was nothing more than a blubbering mass on the floor.

"No," she said.

"Good, girl."

He smiled, stroking her cheek and it was all she could do not to knee him in the…not that she actually wanted to touch any part of him, but that thought almost brought a smile to her lips.

"Let's just get this over with," she said.

He released her and she followed him to the door and then out into the cool night air. It looked like Earth until she saw the twin moons. One full the other more of a Cheshire smile. She wondered where they were as he led her down the street.

The doors to the lift opened. The Doctor grabbed Jack under his shoulders and began dragging him into the underground parking garage. He sat Jack down, pulled out his sonic and disabled the lift before returning to the task of pulling Jack toward the TARDIS. After the impossible man returned from the dead he needed to have a serious talk with Jack about his weight. If he was going to keep dying and coming back then he needed to make it easier on anyone who might have to drag him to safety.

He opened the TARDIS doors and then dragged Jack inside. Once the door was shut he raced over to the console and started working on locating the Master's TARDIS. It should be the only other one in that universe, which should make it easy to locate. Well, not exactly easy, but easier than it would've been if there were other Time Lords flying around out there.

He tried not to let his mind wander to what might be happening to Rose. Why the Master would want her, well, he knew why. To get back at him. The Master knew how he felt about Rose. He must have been giddy with pleasure when he found her. The woman the Doctor loved, only she wasn't merely a woman. Rose Tyler was everything to him and if he lost her…No, the Master wouldn't kill her. That would be too easy.

Did he know what she was? That she wasn't human anymore? The Doctor hoped not because if he did…It was best not to think about that.

Rose followed the Master through the door of a building. The stale smell of smoke assaulted her as she stepped into the crowded room filled with the murmur of voices. He grabbed her wrist and pulled her through the crowed. The crowd was a mixture of humans and aliens. She passed two blokes that resembled human-cacti with green skin and nearly bumped into a guy? Girl? She couldn't tell because he…she looked a lot like a fish with a tube of green fluid attached to his…her face.

The Master stopped at the bar and sat down on one of the stools and motioned for her to do the same. She sat down and eyed the bartender who seemed to be some kind of human-cyborg. He glanced at her with his one human eye, a piercing blue. His other eye was more of a red light than an actual eye.

"What are we supposed to do in a bar?" she asked.

"You know why we're here, Rosie," he replied then nodded to the bartender. "I'll take a bourbon and she'll have…" He looked her over. "…some wine. Red preferably."

"We don't have bourbon or wine," the bartender replied in a gravelly voice.

"What do you have?"

"Ale and whisky."

"Fine. I'll take some whisky and she'll have-"

"Water," Rose said, eyeing the Master. "I'll have water."

There was no way she was going to let her guard down and drinking would do just that. She wasn't about to give him more of an upper hand than he already had.

"Suit yourself," the Master said with a shrug.

He turned around and gazed over the crowd. She knew what he was doing and it made her stomach churn. How long would it take him to find someone? And when she couldn't kill them what would he do? Would he really destroy the city? She glanced at him. Yes, she believed he would. Maybe she could change his mind or at least put it off, although that was just putting on the inevitable, but still she wouldn't have to do it now.

"So, what are you going to do?" she asked. "Find someone and then what?"

"And then your practice begins," he replied.

"Meaning I use my abilities to kill them…and then what? We run for our lives and hope we make it out of here because I'm sure someone will figure it out."

He turned his stool so he was facing her and gave her a smile.

"If I didn't know better I'd think you were trying to talk me out of this, but we both know that's not going to happen."

"I'm just saying if running for my life is part of the plan I'd like to know ahead of time."

He stared at her for a minute as if trying to decide if he believed her or not.

"First of all most people are generally stupid. You give them way too much credit. Second I wasn't planning on having you practice in here. We'll find somewhere less crowded and more out of the way." He leaned close to her and when she shrank away he grabbed her arm and pulled her close. "But don't you worry your pretty little head about that. I'll take care of all the details. I'll always take care of you, Rosie," his hot breath brushed her cheek, making her skin crawl, "forever, remember?" He paused for a moment and she wished he'd just let her go. "You just worry about killing them."

"Get your hands off of her," a man to her right said, making her jump.

She turned and noticed a man who appeared to be in his mid-twenties standing near her. His black hair was cut short and his hazel eyes were narrowed at the Master. She glanced at the Time Lord restraining her and watched his lips part in a wide smile. She had to get her would-be rescuer out of there before he became her first victim.

"It-it's fine," she said, turning back to the man. "I'm fine, really."

"I'm sorry miss, but I really don't think you're fine at all," he said, giving her a soft glance before locking eyes with the Master again.

"You heard the lady, now piss off," the Master snapped.

"I'm not going anywhere until you take your hands off her or would you rather I made you do it?"

The Master laughed, making Rose's stomach drop. He tightened his hold on her arm, but she forced herself not to show the discomfort she felt.

"You really think you can make me? Me?"

"I'm sure I can."

The bloke took a step closer. The Master stood up. Rose stared from one to the other. She had to stop this before it escalated. She knew she was throwing away a chance to run, a chance to get away, but she couldn't let the Master kill him. He was trying to help her and she wouldn't let him die as a reward. She stood up and put herself between them, facing her rescuer.

"It's really none of your business so why don't you just sod off?" she snapped. She felt the Master release her arm.

The man looked stricken, making her feel bad, but it was the only way to get him away from the Master. As he walked away she sat back down.

"That was smooth," the Time Lord mused. "You might've saved him, but don't worry I'll find someone else. Now be a good girl and sit here while I go…mingle."

He gave her a glance before disappearing into the crowd. She watched him for a few minutes, until he vanished completely and then she took her chance. After asking the bartender where the bathrooms were she made her way in that direction hoping the window was big enough for her to squeeze through.

Standard Disclaimer.

Thank you to all my readers! You guys are brilliant! If anyone has time reviews are always welcome. :)