Author's Note: This chapter is early days in the Master and Rose's relationship. The mention of Devil's End is from the Doctor Who television story, Daemons, and the blast that the Master refers to is referenced in another story of this series, The Chase Chapter 6.
Knock, knock! Knock, knock!
"That four knocks thing is really getting on my nerves," grumbles the Master as he opens the door to find a small moaning apparition standing before him on the doorstep of the Tyler mansion.
"Wooooo, wooooo!" wails the little girl from underneath her bed sheet with a slight swaying motion before shouting, "Trick-or-Treat!"
The Master gives the youth a quick perusal and then instantly declares, "Nice outfit!"
"You really think so?" she asks excitedly as she gives a triumphant twirl much to her parents' amusement.
"No," scoffs the Master while simultaneously shutting the door in the tiny specter's hand-drawn and the adults more lively smiling faces.
"Master!" hisses Rose in admonishment as she hurriedly snatches the bowl of candy out of his hand and yanks the door open. "I am so sorry about that," she offers in heartfelt apology along with several fistfuls of candy into the little girl's pillowcase. "My friend has such a poor sense of humor, whereas I, myself, have always preferred the classic styles as opposed to the more modern store bought costumes." Rose drops in one last handful of candy in an attempt to make amends as she steps away from the family while displaying an overly bright smile.
She slowly closes the door as the bewildered family makes their way down the driveway before rounding on the Master in irritation. "And what was that all about? You're supposed to pass out candy to the kids, not insults!"
"You are joking aren't you?" he asks incredulously. "Did you see what she was wearing, Rose? It was a bed sheet!" He snorts in disgust before taking the bowl back and unwrapping a piece of candy for himself. "Do you honestly expect me to reward a child whose imagination stops at Asda's bed linen aisle?"
She finds herself unable to answer as she falls back against the door in exasperation as he casually remarks, "I hope that you didn't give away all of the good candy, it only makes it that much harder to replace what I come across in the children's pillowcases."
Rose pushes the tip of her witch's hat up with her forefinger to better her view as she narrows her eyes at him. "I'm sorry but I think I must have misheard you. Are you telling me that you're nicking these kids' sweets off of them, as in taking candy from a baby?
He finishes chewing his treat and swallows it down with a satisfied smile. "Of course, he replies nonchalantly as he unwraps another piece. Then upon noticing her ire, he points an accusing finger at her. "And don't give me that look! You knew what kind of a man that I was once you interrogated me!"
"Yeah," she admits grudgingly as she glances at her broomstick in the corner and wills away the temptation to knock some sense into him, "but this is a new low even for you."
"The candy is for the kids," she insists indignantly when she takes the bowl off of him just as he reaches for another piece, "not for you! They're dragging it around with them so that they can have it for later, not to provide you with offerings in some twisted sense of worship!"
"You don't know that for a fact, Rose," he responds blithely while concurrently calculating the chances of retrieving the bowl and making it all the way to Tony's treehouse. "Children these days come up with all sorts of mad ideas."
Rose clutches the bowl firmly against the side of her that's farthest away from him, "That's it! You are through handing out sweets for the rest of the night!"
"Suits me," he remarks with an easy grin. "I've had more than my fill of tiny terrors and their wretched little ballads instructing me to smell their feet, as if I needed any enlightenment in that particular area." He wrinkles his nose in distaste. "Thanks to my Gallifreyan senses, I can smell more than just their feet." His mouth twists into a grimace. "Human children need to bathe more."
When Rose continues to remain silent, he eyes her curiously and questions, "Why are you nagging me anyway?" He gives a sharp tug on the brim of her hat. "Aren't you stepping a bit too much into character?"
Rose pulls away from him and strides past him to go into the living room. "At least I'm getting into the spirit of the holiday! What happened to the costume that you told me that you were going to wear?"
"I am wearing a costume," he insists haughtily as he straightens his tie, "I'm the Prime Minister."
"That's crap," she denotes grumpily as she flops down onto the couch. "Anyway, they have a president over here." She turns towards him as he seats himself beside her. "If you wanted to wear your suit then you could have at least painted your face up. You know, like from Dad's KISS Dressed To Kill album."
He shoots her a dry stare while the rest of his expression clearly displays his revulsion. "Right, like I'm going to bring greasepaint anywhere near this suit. It's Armani, Rose. Besides, Tony didn't seem to mind when we took him out earlier."
"Oh please," she mumbles pitifully, "don't remind me."
Flashback…
Knock, knock!
Tony's practically bouncing up and down with excitement as he stands between his sister and the Master but rapidly settles down once the front door opens. "Trick-or-Treat, please!" he requests before following up with a Frankenstein-like grunt and holding out his pillowcase for some candy.
"Oh, my goodness!" shrieks the woman dressed as a banshee. "What a fright you gave me!"
As her husband strolls out to view the latest trick-or-treater, he takes in Tony's costume with a huge smile as he tugs on the matching jacket of his own Frankenstein costume. "Well, I hope that our house isn't too scary for you, lad. We wouldn't want to give you any nightmares!"
The women laugh politely and Tony offers a wide grin while patiently holding out his pillowcase as the Master surveys his surroundings. The haunted house before him is covered with cobwebs and a vast array of jack-o-lanterns with scary faces while the front yard is filled with plastic sheet ghosts, owls with lights that blink on and off, styrofoam tombstones and a hidden stereo emitting creaking and groaning noises.
"I wouldn't lose any sleep over it," assures the Master in a bored tone. "The house down the street is much scarier; they were actually handing out candy that said 'Happy Valentine's Day' on it." He gives a shudder at the recollection. "Now that's truly frightening!"
The group of adults and Tony merely stare on in silence while the Master makes his way over to fish through the couple's bowl of candy. "This is acceptable for children of course, seeing as how they're not all that particular about what they consume but I have a much more refined palate." He eyes the couple hopefully. "I'm assuming that you must have something better in the house to offer. Apparently, you have more than enough revenue to fund this little fun house monstrosity, so surely you must be earning enough to afford some fairly decent chocolate." When the couple's only reply to the Master's query is to stare blankly, he huffs impatiently and proposes with barely restrained rudeness, "Well, aren't you going to invite us in?"
That was actually the very moment that Tony started sharing his Halloween candy with the Master as the young boy quickly devised that it was the only way to keep him quiet. Rose was rather proud of her brother for coming up with that.
End Flashback…
The Master dismisses the entire encounter with a smug smirk. "I don't see why you're so bothered. By the time we left, I had them eating out of the palm of my hand."
Rose snorts in disgust. "More like the other way around, mate! I was never so embarrassed in my life when you asked for a carryout bag!"
"A traveler's lunch, Rose," he corrects reasonably. "When I was in the Academy, we would always take one with us whenever our studies took us away from the Citadel. And as our willing hosts, they were more than happy to comply."
She swivels around to face him, her expression full of disbelief. "Only so they could be shut of you! Open your eyes, man! They gave you a box of chocolates with a card that said, 'Happy 80th birthday Nana'!"
"Yes," he acknowledges with a slight frown. "Hardly a suitable gift for an elderly human," he muses before turning to her with a smug grin, "how fortunate for her that I happened to come along."
Rose throws herself back against the couch cushions in frustration. "Is that all that Halloween means to you, the candy? What about the fun and the imagination?" Her tone changes to one of curiosity as she inquires, "Didn't you ever have something similar on Gallifrey?"
"No, not really," recalls the Master rather benignly. "The closest event that we had for dressing up in costume was the more formal occasions that involved the High Council." Suddenly, the Master's eyes light up with glee as he releases a loud laugh and turns to Rose with a malicious grin. "Which reminds me, I have to tell you about this one election for Lord President in particular…you'd never believe who won and it was all thanks to me!" He links his fingers behind his head as he leans back into the couch cushions. "You know, I bet that I could do really well in politics."
"Yeah," she mocks with a trace of laughter, "that'll be the day." Rose reaches into the bowl and starts unwrapping a piece of candy for herself as she eyes him inquisitively. "So in all of your travels and your time on Earth, you never once came across any festivals or celebrations that were similar to Halloween?"
"Well, of course there were a few events that were similar; I simply never chose to be a participant." His brow furrows as a particular memory flashes across his mind. "No wait, I take that back. There was this one instance on Earth that I masqueraded as the new local vicar of this quaint little village called Devil's End. I dubbed myself the Reverend Magister and conducted ceremonies in the caverns below the church to summon the Daemon Azal so that I could rule the world." Rose notices with slight morbid fascination at how he looks rather pleased with himself when he reminisces in a fond tone, "I even had my own followers. Of course, they were under hypnosis, but still…it felt nice to be needed."
Rose offers a dry stare and shake of her head as she remarks, "Gee, I'm sorry that I missed that."
He darts a shrewd glance in her direction before brushing imaginary lint off of his trousers while chiding, "Now, now, there's no need for the Big Bad Wolf to go into a huff over my past misdeeds." He turns to her with an almost angry expression. "And I'll have you know that I paid dearly for that crime. After I was captured at the end of my endeavor, I was forced to remain under the Doctor's watchful eye along with that of U.N.I.T.'s mistrustful gaze. Believe me," he insists with a grimace as he crosses his arms defensively over his chest, "receiving regular visits from the Doctor and Jo Grant?" He exhibits a fierce shudder. "I made my retribution."
Rose's laughter soon trails off into a giggle and they sit in companionable silence until the Master turns to her with a haunted look in his eyes, the one that he bears whenever he reflects on the Time War. "Besides," he states quietly, "I'm not that man anymore. I've had enough of death, destruction and attempts to rule the universe to last me the rest of my lives."
Rose refuses to appear sorrowful or pitying; she knows how much he hates that. Instead, she stretches out her arm to interlock their fingers together and curls into his side. "I know you have," she murmurs softly. "And although I haven't known you very long, I can still tell that you haven't been that way for a very long time." For a while, it's only the barely imperceptible tightening of his fingers around hers that is the only proof that he acknowledges her presence. He eventually wraps his free arm around her and rests his chin atop her head while she whispers, "We'll get through this, I promise."
His mouth immediately tightens in frustration but he doesn't move away from her as he curtly replies, "I've told you before, Rose, I am not a hero who has returned from war so stop trying to make me out to be one."
Rose's lips twitch into a smile as she angles her head to stare up at him. "You don't have to tell me twice, mate! Most heroes don't go nicking sweets off sprogs and pensioners."
He cranes his neck to gape at her in indignant disbelief. "You're really not going to let that one go, are you?"
Rose laughs in delight and vows, "Not a chance! I'll be trotting out that little gem for years to come!"
He gazes at her more with affection than annoyance as he fights off a small grin at the thought of spending years with Rose Tyler and gruffly mutters, "See that you do." Pulling away from her in order to sit up straighter, he turns to face her and queries, "So what's next on tonight's alien agenda of fun and hijinks? Bobbing for pears?"
"That's bobbing for apples," corrects Rose in amusement as she recalls how appalled he looked when Tony had introduced him to that particular activity.
"I know," he responds casually as his gaze flickers over the candy bowl before coming to rest on her. "I just happen to prefer pears."
That explains a lot, she acknowledges silently as she offers him a simple nod and remembers the time that her mother once offered a dish of pears and syrup to the Doctor. Rose had watched him face down a Dalek with less disgust.
Shaking herself free of the memory, she leans over and plucks a dvd off of the coffee table and hands it to him. "I thought that a night of classic horror movies would be in order and that we could start with Dracula."
The Master quickly scans the synopsis on the back of the dvd. "So he had three brides? Was he certifiably insane? Why in Rassilon's name would he want to be constantly nagged at by three women? I could barely tolerate one!" His laughter dies off as he glances over at Rose to find her arching an inquiring eyebrow in his direction. "Unless it was the right woman," he amends with a flirtatious smile.
"Oh, please," she rebuffs with a knowing smirk. "A master of time and space you may be but a master of chat up lines you are not!"
He slumps back against the cushions in defeat, resigning himself to an evening of what passes for human fun. "Is this all that our night is going to amount to?" he inquires in a tone oozing self-pity.
"Well, yeah," scoffs Rose derisively, "it is since you ate all the good candy!" She begins digging through the candy bowl in earnest. "Oi! Where are all of the Nestle's Roses and Walnut Whips?"
"Sorry, I ate all of those." He picks up a piece of candy and offers it to her. "Why don't you try a Roundtree? The little beggars don't seem to mind accepting them."
"Accepting them or exchanging them?" she wonders aloud while giving him a deliberate stare.
"Does it truly matter?" he questions with a trace of bewilderment. "After all, since the candy is free, then it shouldn't matter what they take away with them."
Rose drops the bowl down onto his lap in frustration. "Not anymore, thanks to you! You selfish, greedy pig of a Time Lord," she mutters under her breath while still ensuring that it's loud enough for him to hear.
He casually sorts through the bowl and selects one last edible piece, at least in his eyes, while murmuring, "Flatterer." Picking up the extra prosthetic bits of Tony's costume, he runs his fingers over its latex surface in curiosity. "What exactly is the attraction of Halloween anyway, what with the wearing of masks and all?"
Rose expresses a soft smile as she remembers past fancy dress parties. "I don't know…I guess it's just a bit of fun and having a laugh. And of course, it gives you the chance to be something that you've always wanted to be." She rests her arm along the back of the couch and props up her head in her hand. "Didn't you ever want to be someone else?"
"And why would I?" he asks in sincere confusion.
She manages to stifle a giggle as she mock apologizes, "Sorry, I must have lost my head for a moment. Honestly though, you never wanted to pretend to be someone else?" She promptly halts his answer by raising her hand in the air. "And I don't mean masquerading as someone else in order to take over the world or something of the like."
"Oh," he quickly realizes with a widening of his eyes, "then, no." His eyes narrow as he studies her closely. "So, what is this obsession of your species to want to be someone else? Why not simply be content with being human? As dismal a prospect as that is."
Before Rose can reply, the ringing of the doorbell immediately propels the Master to collect the candy bowl and rush to the door while gleefully declaring, "More candy coming up! We'll discuss human idiosyncrasies further once my next contributor has left!"
The Master takes a moment to straighten his tie and reshuffle the candy before donning his best welcoming smile and opening the door. Upon seeing their latest arrival, his expression immediately changes to one of shock as he surveys a miniature replica of himself, right down to the Harrods dress shoes. "And who are you supposed to be?"
The young boy offers an eye roll and the tired sigh of someone who has been asked that particular question far too many times in one night. "I'm the Prime Minister," he proclaims haughtily as he draws himself up to his full height and smoothes down his tie.
The Master balances the candy bowl against his hip. "I thought that this universe's England was ruled by a president."
"Does it matter?" responds the boy in a bored tone. "It's Halloween after all." Then suddenly something clicks in the youth's mind and his gaze flicks upwards to the Master. "Did you just say this universe?" His gaze intensifies as it rakes over the Time Lord. "That explains a lot."
The Master's countenance hardens as he contemplates the boy with suspicion. "Why do you say that?"
Ironically, the boy speaks in a tone indicating that his statement should be obvious to a child, "Because I can to see your timelines."
Instantly on the alert, the Master concentrates every sense that he has on the boy. He steadfastly delivers his own examination until he arrives at the conclusion that he is seeking. "I see that I'm not the only one who was misplaced from another universe." His eyes narrow to mere slits as he finalizes his assessment. "And by the familiarity of your timelines, I would have to say that you're from my original universe. You're Delgadoian, I presume?"
"Yes," he replies quietly while tilting his head to indicate the couple standing at the end of the driveway, "myself and my parents." Pain and weariness settle across the boy's face and as he begins to tell his story, the Master silently acknowledges the extreme expression of maturity on one so young. "Our planet was invaded by Daleks. It wasn't long before we were overrun with them, our technology all but useless. The very last thing that my parents and I remember is a loud explosion and then waking up here. We've been able to maintain a low profile as we assimilate into this world's culture. Fortunately for us, Terrans are as humanoid as Delgadoians."
The Master's tone is devoid of any emotion as he inquires, "I'm assuming that you lived in Ainsley, then?"
The boy takes a step back at the accuracy of the question. "How did you know that?"
"It's my fault that you're here," admits the Master in a tone full of regret. "It's also why I'm here. The blast was meant to destroy the Daleks but it also ended up sending us through some open cracks in space."
The boy can only stare up at him in silence, his jaw clenched and eyes shining bright with tears that he refuses to let fall as he attempts to process this unexpected response. Feeling more uncomfortable as the silence prolongs itself, the Master takes a deep breath and offers an uncharacteristic heartfelt apology. "I'm sorry, I did my best."
"I know," returns the boy in a gravelly voice, "and that's why my parents and I are still alive."
The Master blinks in astonishment at the youth's gracious acceptance and the two outsiders stare at each other while they each search for a way to return to a sense of normalcy and decorum where they can both feel comfortable.
"I assume that you're going to eventually offer me some of that candy?" questions the boy with a sniffle. "My parents are bound to be suspicious at why I've been gone so long and I'd prefer that they not have to face any reminders of our old universe just yet."
The innocent, yet rather blunt remark startles the Master out of his discomfiture and prods him to thrust the candy bowl back towards the boy. "Here, take your pick."
Staring down into the bowl, the young alien's lip begins to curl in distaste as he roams its contents. "Is this it, seriously? Even the cottage down the road had Lion Bars!"
Deciding that he's had enough turmoil for one night, the Master issues a reluctant sigh of surrender and then reaches behind the door for an unopened bag of Double Deckers. "I was saving these for later," he notes petulantly.
"I'm not surprised," is the reply while the Master opens the bag and drops a few handfuls of candy into his pillowcase, and then a few more when the boy shakes it about when he deems the offering too meager. "Especially when you consider the unexceptional quality of goods that remains in your bowl."
The Time Lord casts a morose eye over the now half-filled bag of Double Deckers. "Is that sufficient?"
"I suppose so," concedes the youth with a bored sigh. "Although, I would expect something more extravagant and at least more appetizing from Tony Tyler's abode."
"You know Tony?" he asks surprisingly.
"Yes, we're in the same class at school, I go by the name of John Simms here. Give him my regards and tell him to contact me for a playdate." He gives the Master an appraising once over that ends with a satisfied nod. "Tony can't be all that dull if he mingles with aliens. Well, good evening!" he declares curtly before pivoting on his heel and heading down the driveway towards his parents.
John Simms, hmmm? ponders the Master. Well, I suppose anything is better than John Smith. Withan amused shake of his head, he goes back inside the house and leaves the candy bowl on the hallway table while keeping the remnants of the Double Deckers bag firmly against his side.
Completely engrossed in the film, Rose barely acknowledges his return and only spares him a swift glance as he sits down alongside her. "So, what little ghoul appeared at the door this time?"
"The Ghost of Christmas Past," he answers dryly, refusing to expound any further when she turns to him with a questioning gaze.
He casually drapes his arm around her, "Now, where were we?"
"You were wondering why humans tend to want to be someone else, why we feel the need to wear masks…" her voice trails off as she becomes lost in thought, something that the Master notes and questions with great interest. "And do you feel the need to be that way with me?"
"No," she assures him readily, "not with you." She returns her gaze to the television without really watching it, trying to bide her time until she can face down her old fears while adding in a shaky rasp, "But I did with him."
Neither of them needs to clarify the himto whom she is referring. She continues to focus on the film as she makes her confession, avoiding his gaze not because of some misplaced sense of embarrassment or shame, but because of the pity she might see reflected there instead of the anger that any mention of the Doctor usually evokes.
When she speaks, her tone sounds as far off as her memories have taken her. "I never felt like I could quite be myself with him…not completely. I always felt like I needed to be so much more so I'd put on this mask from the moment that I woke up until I went to sleep. One that showed what I felt was what I needed to be for him, one that he inspired me to want to be for him." She releases a sigh full of remorse. "Sometimes I wonder if I let it slip one too many times or left some cracks that allowed the pretense to fall away and let the real me shine through just a bit too much." It's only then that her voice carries the slightest hint of embarrassment or shame and even with his superior hearing, he has to strain to catch her mumbled, "Although I doubt even that would have helped me compete with her.
They've also never spoken of this herthat she sometimes unknowingly refers to but he doesn't feel that they need to, at least not until Rose feels that she's ready. The woman obviously caused her great pain and distress and he is left in no doubt that the Doctor was largely, if not entirely at fault. He suspects that the Doctor had tried to induct this woman as one of his TARDIS tag-a-longs while he rubbed Rose's face in it. The Master was absolutely clueless as to what she saw in that pitiful excuse for a Time Lord but he did know that she deserved so much better than him. "You don't need to wear a mask, Rose, especially with me."
"I know," she states firmly, her voice tinged with wonder. "And you have no idea what a gift that is to me. Do you have any idea how exhausting it is to be so afraid to let your guard down, to worry that you've allowed just one chink in your armor to show because if you're not at your absolute best than you keep finding yourself left on your own in favor of somebody better? And it's so demeaning," she finishes in a harsh whisper.
She takes a deep breath to calm herself down and gaze down at their interlocked fingers that the Master has laced together. "But it's not that way with you and it doesn't feel that it ever will be. You accept me for who I am, faults and all, and you may point out my mistakes to me, a lot," they both share laughing grins, "but you don't make me feel any less than what I am for them and I can't tell you how much I appreciate that." She looks over to him, the relief and gratitude in her heart reflected in her gaze. "How much I've needed that."
She leans over and brushes a kiss across his cheek. "Do you know what else you need?" he asks seriously. She shakes her head in the negative. "Better aim."
"Maybe someday," she responds half teasingly as she settles back comfortably against him before losing herself in the film once again.
Someday, he muses as he watches the images flash across the television. He could wait. He knew that they couldn't be considered the 'Stuff of Legend', yet, but he did know one thing for certain. There was nowhere else that he'd rather be or anyone else that he'd rather be with than Rose Tyler.
THE END