An Eternity Among The Stars

by seasidewriter1

Waking up in the Doctor Who world after a serious car crash, Selene finds herself being invited to travel with the Doctor and his companions. Together they all protect the earth from the dangers it faces as well as saving other worlds and time periods. But as time goes on, how strong will the relationship between the two become? Will they fall in love? starts with 10 *Doctor/OC*

25. The Sound of Drums

Disclaimer: I do not own Doctor Who, any of the characters, places or alien species; those belong to their respective owners. I only own my OC Selene.

25. The Sound of Drums

In an alley somewhere in London, a time vortex opened in the sky. Out of that vortex appeared Selene, Jack, Martha, and the Doctor, faces strained and bodies fitted into a strange picture. Martha had one hand braced against the alley wall and the other was gripping Jack's wrist. Jack was leaning back at an awkward angle with one arm stretched out and held by the other three and the other braced against the air. Selen was squashed between them all gripping Jack's wrist with one hand and Martha's coat with the other, leaning into the other woman with all the might she could. The Doctor was holding everyone's hands against the vortex manipulator on Jack's wrist and one leg bent and lifted in the air, foot flexed. The minute they fully rematerialized and the vortex disappeared, they all jolted out of their previous positions and winced. Selene placed the heels of her palms on her forehead as a headache ripped through her skull.

"Oh, my head…" Martha moaned, placing a hand to her forehead and the other on her churning stomach.

"Erg, time travel without a capsule, that's a killer," the Doctor agreed, straightening up from the doubled over position he'd put himself in. He cricked his head to the side and cracked a couple vertebrae, making a satisfied sound as tension was released. He, having recovered quickest of the four, then made for the street, the others following as they winced and and flinched. The day was sunny, but it was cool. The sun did nothing to warm anyone who ventured out without the proper outerwear. Selene lamented the fact she didn't have a coat, but was then reminded that there were more pressing and important matters at hand.

"And you traveled like this all the time?" Selene asked Jack as they tried to look like casual, normal citizens. Jack blew out a breath and rubbed his aching shoulder.

"Believe it or not, yeah. I was pretty used to it when I was a Time Agent, but I haven't done it in years… and, god, does it make you feel like you want to vomit," he observed, shoving both hands into his trouser pockets. They all walked side-by-side, feeling the affects of the unprotected time travel begin to ware off. Selene still felt a stir of nausea in her stomach and––if her experience of being zapped back in time by the Angels was enough to go by––she would probably be dealing with such a feeling for the next few hours. "Still, at least we made it. Earth, twenty-first century by the looks of it. Talk about lucky."

"That wasn't luck, that was me," the Doctor pointed out in a serious monotone. They all stopped to take a seat on some concrete blocks in an open plaza as they contemplated how they escaped Yana's lab.

The Doctor was Sonicking Jack's vortex manipulator as the other three leaned against each other and pushed at the door in attempts to keep the Futurekind out. Jack was jostling around a bit too much for the Doctor's liking and it was deeply frustrating.

"Hold still!" he exclaimed. "Don't move"

The door was slightly ajar and the Futurekind were reaching in searching, clawing hands. Jack, Martha, and Selene were no match––strength wise and otherwise as well, for that matter––for the entirety of the tribe that was attempting to force the door open.

"I'm telling you, it's broken!" Jack cried in response, voice frustrated and strained. "It hasn't worked for years!"

"That's because you didn't have me. Martha, Selene, grab hold!" the Doctor instructed, grabbing one of both their hands. He placed all of their hands on the vortex manipulator and slipped his own finger over the correct button. "Now!" And with that, they were gone from the laboratory at the end of the universe.

"The moral is, if you're going to get stuck at the end of the universe, get stuck with an ex-Time Agent and his vortex manipulator," Jack said, sounding vaguely smug.

"But this Master bloke, he's got the TARDIS. He could be anywhere in time and space," Martha pointed out. Selene, who not only still felt nauseous but also had the remnants of a headache, grunted and rubbed at her temples.

"Doing who knows what…" she grumbled.

"No, he's here, trust me," the Doctor said in an unhappy tone, scanning the plaza.

"Who is he, anyway? And that voice at the end, that wasn't the Professor," pointed out Martha. Selene, who was seated on the ground beside the block Martha sat on, shaded her eyes from the sun and peered at their surroundings. Everywhere she looked there were posters and signs and t-shirts that all read 'VOTE SAXON,' 'Saxon is your man!,' and 'Saxon Victory.' A frown tugged at her lips and a nagging feeling rose to her stomach.

"If the Master is a time lord, then he must have regenerated," Jack deduced.

"What does that mean?"

"It means he's changed his face… voice, body. Everything. A new man."

All the while, a beggar on the other side of the plaza was tapping out a specific beat on the edge of a tin cup that he held in his hands. The same beat in the same, tin-y sound over and over again; a pattern that made Selene uneasy and a sound that made her headache worsen. Tap-tap-tap-tap. Tap-tap-tap-tap.

"Then how are we going to find him?" Martha asked in concern.

"I'll know him the moment I see him," the Doctor said confidently. "Time Lords always do."

"And I'm sure that his face will trigger a reaction in my head," Selene added on. "You know, open the seal on my memories and let me recognize him."

"But… hold on," Martha said, catching sight of all the 'Vote Saxon' posters and paraphernalia, "if he could be anyone…" Her face darkened. "We missed the election. But it can't be…"

The Doctor slowly rose to his feet as people began to applaud, turning their attention to a television screen that was attached to a lamp post. A smiling news reporter appeared on screen, bringing the latest news that the time travelers became suddenly enraptured with.

"Mr. Saxon has returned from the Palace and is greeting the crowd inside Saxon Headquarters." The video feed cut to a man with short, blond hair in a sharp suit and matchingly sharp––but charming––smile, descending a flight of stairs with a beautiful woman on his arm. The headache suddenly disappeared from Selene's head like a haze. That man on the screen, the one smiling brightly in the attention of the press, the brand new Prime Minister of England was the Master. Unequivocally. Unbelievably. It was him.

"I said I knew that voice!" Martha exclaimed as they all joined the crowd in front of the television screen. "When he spoke inside the TARDIS––I've heard that voice hundreds of times! I've seen him, we all have! That was the voice of Harold Saxon."

"That's him," the Doctor and Selene said at the same time, staring at the image of 'Saxon' on the screen.

"He's Prime Minister," the Time Lord said with mounting horror. "The Master is Prime Minister of Great Britain…" On screen, the Master turned to the woman he'd been walking arm-in-arm with, ducked his head, and kissed her soundly on the lips. "The Master and his wife!" Drawing himself away from his fair-haired wife, the Master descended the rest of the steps and stopped at the bottom, addressing the press and the whole of the country.

"This country has been sick. This country needs healing. This country needs medicine. In fact, I'd go so far as to say that what this country really needs… right now…" the Master looked straight into the lense of a camera and straight out into the crowd, "is a Doctor." Then, he grinned a gut-twisting, dangerous grin; and that was when the four time travelers knew they were in trouble.

OOOO

"Home," Martha sighed as they arrived at her flat. Selene pushed the sleeves of her jumper up to her elbows; they'd practically run back to Martha's flat and she was no longer feeling all that chilled.

"What have you got? Computer, laptop, anything!" The Doctor threw his coat down on the sofa arm as Martha crouched down by the telly and went about fetching her laptop. "Jack, who are you phoning? You can't tell anyone we're here."

"Just some friends of mine, but there's no reply," he responded in a troubled down. Martha pushed her laptop into the Doctor's arms after he slipped his glasses on.

"Here you are. Any good?" she inquired. The moment that the Doctor opened the laptop, Jack whisked it away and moved towards the table on the other side of the room.

"I can show you the Saxon websites," he said, "he's been around for ages."

"That's so weird though. It's the day after the election; that's only four days after I met you," Martha said, gesturing to Selene and the Doctor, who were flanking Jack on either side. The Doctor ran his fingers through his hair, a furrow appearing between his brows.

"We went flying all around the universe while he was here all the time…" he muttered. Selene placed a hand on his shoulder and squeezed, offering an empathetic look.

"You couldn't have known," she said, sounding troubled. The Doctor placed a hand atop hers and squeezed gently, fixing her with the same comforting look she'd just given him.

"Neither could you."

"You going to tell us who he is?" Martha asked with a slightly stern lilt to her voice, hands placed on her hips.

"He's a Time Lord," he replied simply, watching Jack over his shoulder, with his back to his Londoner companion.

"What about the rest of it? I mean, who'd call himself 'the Master'?"

A psychotic Time Lord, that's who, Selene thought to herself.

"That's all you need to know," the Doctor informed firmly. He leaned closer to the laptop screen. "Come on. Show me Harold Saxon…"

Martha, put off from the Doctor's frigidness, strode over to her answering machine and clicked one of the buttons. Her sister's voice came over the speaker.

Martha, where are you? I've got this new job! You won't believe it. It's weird. They just phoned me up out of the blue. I'm working for––Tish's voice was cut off as Martha, clearly not having any of what was going on, turned the message off.

"Oh, like it matters…" she brushed off.

The Saxon website contained an endorsement video, in which famous figures such as Sharon Osbourne, the band McFly, and Ann Widdecombe announced that 'Saxon' had their vote. Once the video finished, Jack clicked onto another section of the website and went about reading off the information.

"Former Minister of Defense. First came to prominence when he shot down the Racnoss on Christmas Eve." Jack turned towards the Doctor with an appreciative look on his face. "Nice work, by the way."

"Oh, thanks," the Doctor said distractedly. He was sitting cross-legged on the arm of the sofa with one elbow propped up on his knee. Selene raised a thumbs up with half a smile, accepting the compliment even though it had been directed towards the Time Lord. She'd helped take the spider alien down too.

"But, he goes back years…" Martha said in a troubled voice, approaching the laptop. "He's famous. Everyone knows the story––look. Cambridge University, Rugby blue. Won the athletics thing. Wrote a novel… went into business, marriage, everything. He's got a whole life!"

The Doctor hummed in thought, rubbing at his jaw as he thought of just how all of this could be possible. There were records, pictures, documents… how on earth had he managed that? Martha, scrubbing at her eyes with the heel of her palm disappeared into the kitchen, murmuring something about tea. Selene followed, pushing her hands into the pockets of her jeans. She watched from the doorway as Martha set about boiling some water and sifting through what type of tea to make.

"Do you have anything to settle an upset stomach?" Selene asked hopefully. "And maybe some pain killers?" She was exhausted and aching and nauseous. Honestly, she didn't trust herself to sit down again; she might not get back up if she did. Her fingers gently massaged one of her wrists, which were still a bit marked up from the hogtie.

"Um… yeah, here," Martha said, snatching a box of antacids and a bottle of painkillers from a small drawer. Selene walked to the counter Martha set them down on and worked on removing the right doses. As she made herself at home and grabbed a glass from one of the cupboards and filled it with water, she glanced over at her friend.

"Don't let the Doctor's mood get to you. He and the Master… they've got a past." Selene paused as she threw back the painkillers. "And a vast portion of that past is, uh… it isn't good." Martha considered the new information for a moment, the two women standing in silence.

"What happened?" she asked. Selene looked down into her glass of water and then offered Martha an apologetic smile. "Right. You won't tell me."

"I would, Martha, really. I would… but they aren't my stories to tell. Besides, I'm still a, uh, a bit blocked," Selene reminded, tapping her forehead. Though, she was sure she could recall the stories quite well. Sometimes her memory issues were just a convenient excuse. Jack swept into the kitchen then, placing a friendly hand on both of their shoulders.

"I'll keep making the tea, you two go sit down," he insisted, gesturing towards the sitting room. Both complied without hesitation or argument, making for the other room. The Doctor had taken up a seat at the table, feet kicked up as he browsed the Saxon campaign website, ignoring everyone as he scrolled through every page he had access to.

Both women made for Martha's bedroom; she offered to lend Selene a fresh shirt and a coat that would keep her warmer than her jumper. Selene gratefully accepted the offer and changed into the black tanktop and military inspired jacket. She stood in front of Martha's mirror and went about tying her hair back, but froze at what she saw on her neck. There was bruising on either side of her throat, courtesy of the Master's left hand. She bit her lip as she carefully let her fingers brush across the tender skin. The last thing they needed was the added stress of knowing the Master had not only hog-tied her, but strangled her as well. Hell only knew how the Doctor would react. So, she grabbed a military green, plaid scarf and wound it around her neck, making sure it covered the marks. Now that they were both changed and ready for another whirlwind adventure, they stepped back into the sitting room.

"But he's got the TARDIS. Maybe the Master went back in time and has been living there for decades," Jack suggested from the kitchen.

"No…" the Doctor drawled as he scrolled through the web page.

"Why not? Worked for me." Jack exited the kitchen with four mugs of tea. He gave one to the Doctor and then distributed two more to the women who had just changed.

"When he was stealing the TARDIS, the only thing I could do was fuse the coordinates. I locked them permanently. He can only travel between the year one-hundred-trillion and the last place the TARDIS landed. Which is right here, right now," the Doctor explained before he sipped at his tea.

"Yeah, but, a little leeway?" Jack inquired.

"Well… eighteen months? Tops. The most he could have been here was eighteen months," the Doctor decided confidently. "So how has he managed all this? The Master always sort of… hypnotic, but this is on a massive scale."

"I was gonna vote for him," Martha mentioned from her spot sitting on the sofa arm.

"Really?"

"Well, it was before I even met you or Selene. And I liked him."

"Me too," agreed Jack.

"Why do you say that? What was his policy? What did he stand for?" the Doctor probed with interest. Both Martha and Jack suddenly seemed lost in thought––hypnotized.

"I dunno. He always sounded good," Martha admitted, beginning to tap her fingers against the sofa arm. Tap-tap-tap-tap. Tap-tap-tap-tap. Selene's brows pinched together as she watched Martha's fingers move. "I can trust him… Just nice. He spoke about… I can't really remember but it was good. Just the sound of his voice…"

The Doctor's arm shot out and he pointed to Martha's hand, which was tapping the beat. "What's that?" he demanded. She stopped tapping and looked as though she'd been brought out of a trance.

"What?"

"That. That tapping, that rhythm! What are you doing?"

"I don't know. It's nothing. It's just… I dunno!"

"That pattern is everywhere," Selene pointed out. "I heard it back in Yana's lab, in the plaza… god… it's a simple pattern but it just… makes me really uneasy."

A fanfare blared over the laptop, accompanied by a message that said 'SAXON BROADCAST ALL CHANNELS.' The Doctor bound over to the television and switched it on, sitting on the edge of a coffee table as he sarcastically said, "Our lord and master is speaking to his kingdom."

"Britain, Britain, Britain," the Master hummed from his seat in the cabinet room, looking directly at his audience through the screen. "What extraordinary times we've had. Just a few years ago, this world was so small… And then they came. Out of the unknown. Falling from the skies. You've seen it happen. Big Ben––destroyed. The spaceship over London. All those ghosts and metal men…" Appropriate clips were shown for each example he gave. "The Christmas Star that came to kill. Time and time again. And the government told you nothing. Well, not me. Not Harold Saxon. Because my purpose here, today, is to tell you this. Citizens of Great Britain… I have been contacted. A message from humanity from beyond the stars." The Master gave a nod off screen and a fuzzy, but visible image appeared on screen. It was of a sphere that vaguely reminded Selene of the Death Star or the map sphere from Treasure Planet. Lights zipped through it in regular patterns, shining bright and flashing brilliantly.

"People of earth," the sphere spoke in a feminine voice, "we come in peace. We bring great gifts. We bring technology and wisdom and protection. And all we ask in return is your friendship!"

The cameras cut back to the Master, who had pulled sickly sweet face as he said, "Ooh! Sweet. And this species has identified itself. They're called the Toclafane."

"What!?" the Doctor demanded in disbelief.

"And tomorrow morning, they will appear. Not in secret… but to all of you. Diplomatic relations with a new species will begin. Tomorrow… we take our place in the universe. Every man, woman, and child. Every teacher. And chemist. And lorry driver. And farmer. Oh, I don't know… every medical student," the Master said pointedly. The Doctor's head whipped around to look at Martha before he lurched forward and spun the television around; strapped to the back were sticks of explosives rigged with a timer, which had begun to beep.

"Out!" the Doctor cried loudly. Jack hauled Martha and Selene out the door while the Doctor snatched up the laptop and his coat and was quick to follow. They practically fell down the stairs and tumbled out the door, running as fast as they possibly could. Just as they reached the street, a massive fireball blew out the windows of Martha's apartment and the ground trembled from the explosion. Selene could feel the immense amount of heat nipping at the back of her neck like a blistering sunburn. Everyone stumbled over their own feet as they spun around to stare in shock. Fire licked the side of the building and glass littered the ground in glittering shards. "All right?"

"Fine, yeah, fine," Jack confirmed, sounded slightly winded.

"Not even a bit singed," confirmed Selene, rubbing at the back of her neck.

"Martha?" the Doctor asked, turning round to see she was dialing something into her phone. "What are you doing?"

"He knows about me, what about my family?" she asked in a panic. She looked to her American friend. "Selene, you said this was a television show where you… so you have to know––do they know about my family?" Selene's mouth dropped open and all that came out were a few stuttered sounds as she tried to grasp at anything she could. "Right good you are!" Martha glared and put the phone up to her ear. Selene placed a hand on her forehead and shut her eyes, feeling a familiar swell of guilt rising in her stomach.

"Don't tell them anything!" the Doctor ordered, pointing at Martha.

"I'll do what I like!" Martha practically growled, striding off to speak with her mother, who had picked up on the other end. "Mum? Oh my god, you're there… I'm fine, I'm fine, mum. Has there been anyone asking about me?... I can't, not now… Don't be so daft. Since when?... You said you'd never get back with him in a million years…" Martha turned back towards her friends with concern plain on her face. "Dad, what are you doing there?... Dad, just say yes or no. Is there someone else there?" There was tense silence as her father replied. Horror began to bloom across Martha's face. "Dad? What's going on? Dad!" She snapped her phone shut and stormed towards her car. "We've got to help him!"

"That's exactly what they want, it's a trap!" the Doctor tried to dissuade. Martha glared at the Time Lord from across the hood of her car.

"I don't care!" she growled. They jumped in the car with the Doctor in the passenger's seat and Jack and Selene in the back. As they drove, Martha phoned her sister, Tish, using the car's calling system. "Come on, Tish, pick up!"

"Martha, I can't talk right now. We made first contact, did you see?" Tish asked excitedly. Then there was the sound of her gasping and the phone hitting, presumably, the floor. "What are you doing? Get off! Linda, tell them!"

"What's happening?" No response. "Tish!" Nothing again. Martha shot a glare at the Time Lord seated beside her. "It's your fault. It's all your fault!"

They approached Mrs. Jones' house and jerked to a stop when they were met with armored policemen and a big, white, police van, into which they were trying to force Martha's mother. Everyone was silent and frozen for a moment, almost as though they were in a stand off.

"Martha, get out of here! Get out!" she screeched as she was hauled into the van. Armed men outside readied their weapons and moved forward.

"Martha, reverse," the Doctor ordered. The armed men visibly turned their weapons towards the car they were seated in.

"For god's sake, move!" Selene shouted. Martha slammed the car into reverse and, just as they were in drive again and about to zip away, the gunmen fired. Martha stepped on the gas as Jack pushed Selene down and shielded her with his body; bullets thwacked into the exterior of the car, and the back windshield shattered as they fish-tailed slightly and screeched off down the road. Jack's chin was tucked into the crook of her neck and her hands were braced against the back of her head to shield it from the rain of glass that fell onto them. Selene felt him hold her closer to his chest as they hooked a corner, nearly sending the two off the seats.

"The only place we can go is planet Earth. Great!" hissed Martha as she smacked her steering wheel. She swerved sharply, which caused the Doctor to cry,

"Careful!"

Jack sat up and pulled a frazzled Selene with him. She fixed the fit of her scarf and ruffled her ponytail to rid it of glass fragments.

"I had no intention of living in Grand Theft Auto today!" she exclaimed gruffly, feeling a square of glass slip down the back of her shirt. The tension in the car was nearly suffocating.

"Martha, listen to me," Jack said in a steady tone. "Do as I say. We've got to ditch this car. Pull over, right now!" Martha, with a look that said she was suppressing both tears and an angry retort, swerved sharply to the right and pulled onto a side road. Rain began to slip out of the sky as they parked in the opening of an underpass. The minute the car was idled, Martha practically ripped her phone out of her pocket and dialed another number. Selene slipped through the rain and into the underpass, following Jack and the Doctor, who called out to Martha as they began to quickly walk away from the car.

"Martha, come on!"
"Leo! Oh, thank god. Leo, you've got to listen to me! Where are you?" she asked.

"I'm in Brighton. Yeah, we came down with Boxer. Did you see that Saxon thing on telly?" he asked his sister.

"Leo, listen to me. Don't go home. I'm telling you. Don't phone mum, or dad, or Tish. You've got to hide."

"Psh, shut up," Leo dismissed. There was, however, a slightly worried undertone to his voice.

"On my life, you've got to trust me! Go to Boxer's. Stay with him. Don't tell anyone, just hide!" Martha exclaimed. The connection on the other end switched gracefully to a different phone line and a different person.

"Ooh, a nice little game of hide and seek," drawled the Master's voice. "I love that. But I'll find you, Martha Jones. Been a long time since we saw each other… Must be, what? Hundred-trillion years?"

"Let them go, Saxon," Martha spat angrily. Everyone in front of her froze and spun around, utterly horror struck. "Do you hear me? Let them go!" The Doctor lurched forward and took the mobile from her. He placed it to his ear as he walked away, keeping his voice low and quiet.

"I'm here," he said into the receiver. Rain continued to drizzle as silence hissed through the line; the Time Lord glanced over his shoulder to see Selene gently trying to calm Martha down––to no avail––and see Jack keeping a close eye out on their surroundings.

"Doctor," the Master greeted in a hushed, nearly reverent tone.

"Master."

"I like it when you use my name."

"You chose it… a psychiatrist's field day," the Doctor responded flatly, glancing about.

"As you chose yours––the man who makes people better. How sanctimonious was that?" the Master inquired, sounding spiteful and uninterested. The Doctor began to meander around the empty plaza adjacent to the underpass, his shoes squelching into puddles.

"So… Prime Minister, then."

"I know! It's good isn't it?" he laughed on the other end.

"Who are those creatures? 'Cause there's no such thing as the Toclafane. It's just a made up name like the Bogeyman," the Doctor spit out at rapid speed. The Master, on the other end, chuckled a pleased, teasing sound.

"Do you remember all those fairy tales about the Toclafane when we were kids? Back home." His tone had become more serious, more reflective and sad. "Where is it, Doctor?"

"Gone," the Doctor responded quietly.

"How can Gallifrey be gone?" the Master demanded in half a growl.

The Doctor looked down at his shoes as he scuffed the damp pavement with the rubber siding of the high-tops. "It burned."

"And the Time Lords?"

"Dead. And the Daleks, more or less." The Time Lord sat down as the conversation tilted towards the darker side of things. The Master no longer sounded playful and memories of their lost home flooded their minds. Images of crimson skies and golden sunlight, shimmering trees and mountain peaks that stretched up into the sky. "What happened to you?"

"The Time Lords only resurrected me because they knew I'd be the perfect weapon for a Time War… I was there when the Dalek Emperor took control of the Cruciform. I saw it… I ran. I ran so far… made myself human so they would never find me. Because… I was so scared," the Master explained softly. His voice spoke of memories that pained him to the very core, that made his hearts ache like nothing anyone had ever experienced before. And the Doctor, he understood that pain. The horror of such memories; the way they came back to haunt him in his dreams and screamed at the back of his mind when he tried to ignore them.

"I know…"

"All of them?" The Master's tone of voice has switched to one of hard disbelief and scepticism. "But not you… which must mean…"

"I was the only one who could end it. And I tried––I did––I tried everything," the Doctor assured. But whether he was assuring the Master or himself wasn't quite clear. Perhaps it was both.

"What did it feel like, though? Two all-mighty civilizations burning." His tone became something akin to lustfull; a lust for destruction and death and power. "Oooh, how did it feel?"

"Stop it!" the Doctor snapped, his face scrunching up in displeasure.

"You must have been like god…"

"I've been alone ever since… but not anymore! Don't you see? All we've got is eachother!"

The Master laughed on the other end of the line, sounding highly amused. "Are you asking me out on a date?" he teased. "Not sure how dear Selene would feel about that…" The Doctor tensed at the sound of her name coming from the Master's lips. He spoke it as though it were some sort of confection he couldn't get enough of––and that made the Doctor's stomach churn and twist unpleasantly. He looked over his shoulder to see Selene and Jack quietly chatting as Martha paced nervously. Selene glanced up over Jack's shoulder and caught the Doctor's gaze, looking troubled and nervous. His jaw tensed and he turned his head away, glaring at a quivering tree a couple feet off.

"Leave her out of this," he nearly growled. The Master chuckled lowly and the Doctor heard papers shuffling around on the other end.

"Sorry, can't do that. You see, she's quite… integral. To you. To me. To the world––and to its future," the Master hummed casually. Though his tone seemed light, his words were anything but. The Doctor's fingers tightened around the phone and his brows scrunched closer together.

"What do you mean by that?"

"Oh, why have me ruin all the fun? The best games are those where you don't know what's going to happen next!" he giggled. "And could there be a prettier pawn than dear Selene Thomas? I mean, just look at her in that gown from the Lazarus Gala!" The sound of cardstock clicking against a tabletop carried over the line, like he was tapping a picture. "I can see why you chose to keep her with you for so long."

"Stop it! You can stop this––all of this––right now! We can leave this planet, we can fly across the constellations if that's what you want, but not on earth!" the Doctor exclaimed. He veered away from Selene as the subject of conversation, fearing what words might be strung together by the Master's honeyed tongue.

On the other end of the line silence became his answer before a faint, unhappy "Too late," left the Master's lips.

"Why do you say that?"

"The drumming. Can't you hear it? I thought it would stop, but it never does. Never ever stops. Inside my head… the drumming, Doctor, the constant drumming…"

"I could help you, please let me help!" the Doctor pleaded, rising to his feet in anticipation of his answer.

"It's everywhere. Listen, listen, listen! Here come the drums… here come the drums…" the Master very nearly hissed. A teenager in a hoodie who was leaned up against the wall of a television store suddenly began to tap his thighs mindlessly in a distinct pattern––tap-tap-tap-tap. Tap-tap-tap-tap.

"What have you done? Tell me, how've you done this? What are those creatures? Tell me!" the Doctor demanded as he strode towards the window of a cab service office.

"Ooh, look, you're on TV!" exclaimed the Master.

"Stop it! Answer me!"

"No, really, you're on telly!" The Doctor stopped in front of the cab office window, peering at the television inside. "You and your little band, which, by the way, is ticking every demographic box. So, congratulations on that. Look, there you are!" Sure enough, on screen, were four pictures. One of the Doctor, one of Martha, one of Selene, and one of Jack. The ticker at the bottom of the newscast read 'Nationwide Hunt for Terrorist Suspects.' The reporter mentioned that they were 'known to be armed and extremely dangerous,' which caused the Doctor's stomach to plummet. Everything had just become so much more complicated than before. "You're public enemies number one, two, three, and four! Oh! And you can tell handsome Jack that I've sent his little gang off on a wild goose chase to the Himalayas, so he won't be getting any help from them." The Doctor looked to his companions, who had followed him towards the shop, and then nodded for them to come closer. "Now, go on, off you go. Why not start by turning to the… right." The Doctor turned at the exact same time the Master mentioned the direction; he spotted a CCTV camera over head, pointed directly at them. In the blink of an eye, the Doctor whipped out the Sonic and pointed it at the piece of equipment. Once the Sonic whirred for a second, the camera shorted out in a shower of sparks.

"He can see us!" he exclaimed.

"Oh! You public menace! You better start running," the Master sang. "Go on… run!"

The Doctor lowered Martha's phone with a troubled look on his face, eyes cast hazily into nothing as he murmured, "He's got control of everything…"

"What do we do?" Martha asked, crossing her arms as she uneasily watched the news report that accused them of being dangerous.

"We've got nowhere to go," Jack added on.

"What do we do, Doctor?" Martha demanded.

"Run, Doctor!" the Master demanded through the phone, loud enough for all of them to hear. "Run for your life!"

"We run," the other Time Lord said with resignation, moving forward in a slow jog. Jack, Selene, and Martha followed tiredly, feet aching as they ducked into the shopping center and ran as fast as they possibly could. Running towards some spark of salvation they all hoped lay ahead. Running from the madman who was playing with them like cat toys.

OOOO

The four took up residence in an abandoned warehouse somewhere in the winding streets of South London. Night had fallen, rain was drizzling from the dismally cloudy sky, and they were all positively exhausted. They had jogged, sprinted, bounded, and dashed around for at least two hours, attempting to keep out of sight of the public. Once they'd settled into their makeshift shelter, Martha offered to go out and snag some take out, being as discreet and cautious as she could, of course. They'd––miraculously––found storm lanterns and Selene and Jack had gone about making a fire in a rusty old barrel, like the homeless always did in old movies. The Doctor was scrounging about for something to use as a table, having already found disused wooden crates and barrels to utilize as seats. Selene was seated atop one such crate, tiredly rubbing her eyes. Feeling a tad overheated, she began to shrug off her coat and then paused. Either she could remove the coat and end up shivering, or she could remove the scarf, bear the bruises to the world, and remain properly cool. Sighing through her nose, Selene reached up and removed the scarf. She stuffed the fuzzy green length of cloth into her pocket and sighed as the cool night air brushed against her now exposed neck.

Jack sat down beside her and began fiddling with his vortex manipulator. He leaned forward on his knees and clicked at buttons rapidly, typing in what she assumed was code. Craning her head to the side, she tried to see what he was doing on the small, square screen.

"Whatcha doing there?" Selene asked, unconsciously rubbing at her neck.

"Well, I'm hacking into a wavelength that'll let us know everything that Saxon is doing. We're essentially infiltrating the govern––what the hell is that?" Jack inquired when he looked at Selene. Her brows arched upwards when she noted that his eyes were trained on her.

"What's what?"

"The bruises on your neck," the captain clarified, gently taking hold of her chin in one hand. He turned her head to the left slightly so he could see the line of bruising on the left half of her neck. "Well, those sure ain't hickies… What happened?" He turned her face towards him and he took in the expression on her face as she opened her mouth to reply. "Don't lie, please, Selene. What happened?"

"I don't want to stress the situation more than it's been strained," Selene said quietly, eyes flickering towards the Doctor, who had just crossed the threshold of being able to hear their conversation. His brows were arched and pinched, and his brown eyes were narrowed through the lenses of his square framed glasses.

"Bruises, what bruises?" he asked, setting the laptop down on a giant, wooden industrial spool that had once been used to coil chain or wire around. He crouched down in front of the woman and craned his head forward to peer at the bruising on her neck in the dim lighting. His face smoothly morphed from a look of shocked confusion to one of quiet fury. "Did he do this?" It was plainly clear that 'he' was 'the Master' from the cold tone of the Time Lord's voice. Selene nodded and the Doctor lifted a hand to gently skim his fingers along the side of her neck, just over the bruising.

"Yeah. He did," she confirmed. The Doctor grit his teeth and forced a steady exhale through his nose. When his eyes flicked open again, there was a heavy promise in them.

"He won't get away with what he did," he promised. Selene smiled thankfully and slipped her hands into his, offering a gentle squeeze as she did so. She could recall that the Doctor had an undying hope that the Master would turn for the good, for the better; but in that moment, that hope was gone. It wasn't present in any form, almost as though it had died and disappeared. But Selene knew the Doctor. He was a man who held out hope no matter the situation, so it was like to rekindle itself in time. The Doctor squeezed her fingers and then removed his hands from hers. "Here." He placed a hand on either side of her neck so his palms covered the bruising on each side.

Selene watched as he shut his eyes and inhaled deeply, focusing himself on something. His eyes flicked open again, and Selene began to feel warmth grow beneath the Time Lord's palms. Her brows fixed themselves into a furrow and turning her head to the left, she saw a golden shimmer curl through the air, sparkling and brilliant––regeneration energy. He was using his stored regenerative energy to heal her. A gasp left her lips and she tried to crane her head and neck away.

"Doctor! What are you doing!?" she exclaimed, lifting her hands to try and pull his away.

"It's only a small portion of regenerative energy; it's not like I'm giving up an entire life," he mentioned quietly, letting her pull his hands away. Sure enough, the bruises were gone, leaving her skin completely unblemished. The Doctor smiled at her sweetly as he rose to his feet, bending at the waist to press a kiss to her forehead. "Even if it was, it would be worth it."

The Doctor sat down a rickety chair beside Selene and pulled the laptop open, beginning to set back to work. She stared at him and gently rubbed at her healed neck, a faint smile on her lips. Jack's eyes flicked between the two, still in awe at the scene he'd just witnessed. The pin-stripe wearing Time Lord had just sacrificed two handfuls––literally––of regeneration energy in order to heal a smattering of severe bruising, despite her protests that were clearly rooted in worry for him. Jack had only seen the two interact over the course of a day, but it was enough to make a couple of deductions and observations. There was something undeniably special about their blossoming relationship. Jack couldn't put his finger on just exactly what it was, but it was special; and that was something the Doctor deserved after all of the loneliness he'd been accustomed to.

Jack had gone back to finding the government wavelength and the Doctor was monitoring news on the laptop, leaving Selene with nothing to do once again. It gave her a quiet moment, though, to think of everything that had transpired in the last thirty something hours. Her thoughts became snagged on the Master's intentions to take her with him. Why? Just… why? What had she done to have unwillingly won his attentions, attentions that had inspired him to force her to tag along? There wasn't anything that she'd said or done to anger him besides, maybe, not saying his name. The only viable reason she could comprehend was that she was the Doctor's companion. She was close to him. What better way to anger him than to take away one of his companions? A hand fell to rest on her shoulder, which caused her to jump, startling her straight out of her thoughts. The Doctor was watching her with a concerned pinch present between his brows.

"Are you alright?" he asked quietly. Jack got up and moved a couple paces off, making a show of holding his hands out to the crackling fire inside the barrel. He wanted to appear as though he was simply making a move to keep himself warm, when––in plain actuality––he was giving the two a bit of space. Selene shrugged and offered a half-hearted smile.

"Oh, you know… just questioning the facts of life, like always," she laughed quietly. The Doctor nodded his head to the left, prompting her to come closer. She shifted her makeshift seat towards him and felt him drape an arm around her shoulders.

"Like what?"

"Like why the Master wanted me to come with him. Back at the laboratory he said he was going to steal the TARDIS and take me with him. He said it was because he was going to make me his first companion, but… somehow I think there's more to it than that," Selene explained, leaning into the Time Lord's side. The Doctor hummed quietly and inhaled slowly, considering what she'd just told him.

"Earlier, on the phone, he said that you were integral. Not just to me but also to him… to the world. Called you a pawn… which can only mean he's planning on using you for something, but what?" The two fell into silent thought. Selene curled one arm around his waist and rested her head against his shoulder. "Whatever it may be, I have no intentions on letting him carry out whatever plan it is he's come up with." She hummed her thanks and watched him scroll through a news website, searching for the newest headline or scrap of information.

"Say anything new about Martha's family?"

"Not much more than what it had to say an hour ago."

"Should've seen it coming…" Selene murmured, rubbing at her forehead. Martha's pained words earlier had been gnawing at the back of her head. 'Right good you are,' she'd said. Yes, it had been the panic and worry talking, but Selene couldn't help but feel she was right.

"Selene…" the Doctor deadpanned in warning. "It's not your fault. We talked about this, remember?"

"Yeah, I remember…" she grumbled like a put out child. She extracted herself from the Doctor's side and leaned her forearms against her knees, smirking wryly. "Doesn't mean I still can't sulk about it."

"No sulking allowed." The Doctor smirked, kissing her temple. "Not on my watch."

"How was it?" they heard Jack ask. Martha had just returned from her food run carrying a plastic bag filled with whatever the money they'd scrounged out of their pockets had bought. She sighed, still looking tense and frazzled.

"I don't think anyone saw me," she admitted, reaching into the bag. "Anything new?" Jack tapped the manipulator.

"I've got this tuned into the government wavelengths so we can follow what Saxon's doing," he informed. Martha fixed him with a look as she shoved a package of fish and chips against his chest.

"Yeah, I meant about my family," she snapped as she extracted two more packages of food to give the Doctor and Selene.

"It still says 'the Jones family taken in for questioning,' but, I'll tell you what though… no mention of Leo," the Doctor informed. Martha beamed as everyone began unwrapping their food.

"He's not as daft as he looks…" Her smile fell. "I'm talking about my brother on the run; how did this happen?"

"Nice chips," Jack commented, sitting down in another old chair they'd found.

"Actually, they're not bad," the Doctor agreed, popping a thin wedge of potato into his mouth.

"Definitely better than the ones fried in Krillitane oil," Selene decided as she picked one up. The Doctor chuckled under his breath and nodded his agreement, tossing another one into his mouth.

"So, Doctor," Jack began, catching the Time Lord's attention. "Who is he? How come the ancient society of the Time Lords created a psychopath?"

"And what is he to you? Like a colleague or…?"

"A friend at first," the Doctor informed.

"I thought you were going to say he was your secret brother or something," Martha admitted, earning similar looks from the others in the room.

"You've been watching too much TV."

"But all of the legends of Gallifrey made it sound so perfect," Jack pointed out. What sort of perfect planet would want to willingly produce a psychopath?

"Well, perfect to look at, maybe," the Doctor said as he reclined back in his chair, eyes becoming distant as he recalled his homeland. "And it was. It was beautiful… They used to call it the Shining World of the Seven Systems. And on the Continent of Wild Endeavour, in the Mountains of Solace and Solitude, there stood the Citadel of the Time Lords, the oldest and most mighty race in the universe, looking down on the galaxies below. Sworn never to interfere, only to watch." A tiny smile crept up the Doctor's lips. He'd definitely done a good handful of interfering over the years. "Children of Gallifrey, taken from their families at the age of eight to enter the Academy. And some say that's when it all began––when he was a child. That's when the Master saw eternity. As a novice, he was taken for initiation. He stood in front of the Untempered Schism. It's a… gap in the fabric of reality through which could be seen the whole of the vortex. You stand there… eight years old… staring at the raw power of time and space, just a child… Some would be inspired. Some would run away… and some would go mad." He shuddered at the memory of the Untempered Schism. "I don't know."

"What about you?" Martha asked. The Doctor snorted and pulled a face.

"Oh, the ones that ran away!" he said as though it were obvious. "I never stopped."

Jack's vortex manipulator began to beep and, once he set his food down, he checked to see what the readings were. "Encrypted channel with files attached. Don't recognize it," he said.

"Patch it through to the laptop." The Doctor balled up the paper the chips had been in and cast it aside.

"Since we're telling stories… there's something I haven't told you," Jack admitted. The Doctor's brows pinched together as Jack tugged a cable out of his pocket and plugged it into the manipulator. He then took the Doctor's seat and attached it to the laptop, on the screen of which appeared the Torchwood logo. The Doctor's face slackened.

"You work for Torchwood."

"I could've told you that," Selene murmured, earning a look from the Time Lord. "What? You didn't ask––and it wasn't my story to tell. It's a… whole 'nother TV show––I'll just, uh, shut up now."

"I swear to you, it's different," Jack said in reference to the organization. "It's changed. There's only half a dozen of us now."

"Everything that Torchwood did, and you were part of it?" the Doctor spat as he crossed his arms.

"The old regime was destroyed at Canary Wharf. I rebuilt it, I changed it. And when I did that, I did for you, in your honor." Jack fixed his friend with a look before he looked to Selene for validation. "Is that something you remember?" All eyes were turned on her as she nodded and pat Jack on the back.

"He's being completely truthful."

The Doctor, still looking displeased, leaned forward and tapped the spacebar, opening the file that he'd received. On the screen appeared the video of a blond woman sitting at desk in a cluttered study.

"If I have not returned to my desk by twenty-two hundred, this file will be emailed to Torchwood," the woman said. "Which means if you're watching this, then I'm… anyway, the Saxon files are attached. But take a look at the Archangel document. That's when it all started. When Harry Saxon became Minister in charge of launching the Archangel Network." A file popped open, revealing a digital image of the earth, surrounded by satellites that were all connected to one another. Selene arched an eyebrow and leaned closer to the screen, trying to make sense of what she was looking at.s

"The Archangel Network?" Selene asked, leaning her chin against her knuckles. Martha's brows creased and she shoved her hand into her back pocket.

"I've got Archangel, everyone's got it," Martha said, extracting her phone. Jack pointed to the screen, at one of the satellites.

"It's a mobile phone network. Because, look, it's gone worldwide; they've got fifteen satellites in orbit and even the other networks, they're all carried by Archangel," Jack pointed out. The Doctor took Martha's phone and removed his Sonic, a look of understanding suddenly blooming across his face.

"It's in the phones!" he exclaimed whilst Sonicking Martha's mobile. "Oh, I said he was a hypnotist… wait, wait, wait––hold on." He tapped Martha's phone against their makeshift table and it began to emit a beeping sound. Beep-beep-beep-beep. Beep-beep-beep-beep. "There it is… that rhythm… it's everywhere… ticking away in the subconscious."

"What is it, mind control?" Martha asked. The Doctor vaguely shook his head in response.

"No, no, no, no, no, it's subtler than that… Any stronger than that and people would question it. But contained in that rhythm, layers of code. Vote Saxon. Believe in me. Whispering to the world… Oh! Yes! That's how he hid himself from me! Because I should have sensed there was another Time Lord on Earth. I should have known way back. The signal cancelled him out."

"Any way you can stop it?" Jack asked. The Doctor snapped the phone shut, stopping the beeping, and tucked it into his pocket.

"Not from down here. But now we know how he's doing it."

"And we can fight back," Martha added on. The Doctor grinned.

"Oh yes!"

A better part of the next hour was spent with the Doctor fiddling around with TARDIS keys and pieces of Martha's mobile and laptop. He bonded pieces of circuitry to each key with the use of the Sonic and found lengths of cord that he used to make them all necklaces. Everyone helped when he asked but mostly stayed out of his way since he was the one who knew exactly what he was doing. Once the tiny contraptions were done, he slid them forward and began to explain what he'd just done.

"Four TARDIS keys. Four pieces of the TARDIS all with low-level perception properties because the TARDIS is designed to blend in. Well, sort of. But, now! The Archangel Network's got a second low-level signal; weld the key to the Network, and… Martha," the Doctor took a couple steps back, holding a key-necklace in hand. "Look at me, you can see me, yes?"

"Yep!" she replied, looking straight at him.

"What about now?" he asked, looping the string around his neck. Martha's eyes suddenly drifted towards the left, pulling her main focus to the windows. She blinked hard and tried to look back towards the Doctor… but again looked the other way. He then raised a hand and waggled his fingers, breaking the spell and drawing her attention. "No, I'm here, look at me."

"It's like… I know you're there, but I don't wanna know…"

"And, back again!" He removed the necklace. "See? It just shifts your perception a tiny little bit. Doesn't make us invisible, just unnoticed." He handed one to Jack and one to Selene and took up the last two. He began to move towards the warehouse's exit before he froze. "Oh! I know what it's like! It's like, it's like when you fancy someone and they don't even know you exist," he said chipperly, handing off one of the keys to Martha. "That's what it's like. Come on!"

The Doctor bounded off and left the three of them just standing there. Selene cleared her throat awkwardly and made to follow, leaving Martha and Jack to share a look. The Captain smiled and pointed to Martha, saying,

"You too, huh?"

Once everyone had re-donned their coats and whatnot, they exited the warehouse with keys in hand. Night had fallen and the air was cool. It felt as though they were stepping out into a battlefield, where they could be shot at any moment.

"Don't run, don't shout. Just keep your voice down. Draw attention to yourself and the spell is broken. Just keep to the shadows," the Doctor instructed quietly. They all paused to loop the keys around their necks.

"Like ghosts," Jack likened.

"Yeah, that's what we are. Ghosts."

They slowly made their way through the streets and along sidewalks, not being noticed by anyone they passed by. It was an eerie feeling, Selene realized. To be there but not be there. To be perceived as a cool rush of wind, the echo of a footstep, or a branch snagging against the arm of a coat. It felt as though they were simultaneously existing and not existing, floating in and out of people's lives with ease, making as little of an impact as possible. Just thinking of it in that way made her feel colder, made a shiver slither along her spine. They all avoided running into two men out for an evening walk and continued along a bridge, headed for the airfield as quickly as they dared walk.

OOOO

The four time travelers stood by the airfield fence as they watched the Master and his wife, Lucy, greet the president of the United States. Said man was grey haired and stern of face, looking horribly unamused and like he'd rather be anywhere else. There were a number of secret service men standing around, protecting both leaders that were meeting in the dead of night. The Master raised a hand in a salute that very well could have been mocking.

"Mister President, sir," he said cheerily.

"Mr. Saxon, the British Army will stand down. From now on, UNIT has control of this operation," the President informed. The Master snickered and arched both eyebrows.

"You make it sound like an invasion," he chuckled.

"First Contact policy was decided by the Security Council in nineteen-sixty-eight. You've just gone and ignored it," the President pointed out. The Master exhaled and shrugged.

"Well, you know what it's like. New job. All that paperwork… I think it's down the back of the settee. I did have a look. I found a pen, a sweet, a bus ticket, and, uh––have you met the wife?" The Master grinned and gestured to the woman in the white coat at his side.

"Mr. Saxon, I'm not sure what your game is, but there are provisions at the United Nations to remove you from office unless you are very, very careful. Is that understood?" the President inquired sternly. The Master made an 'o.k.' gesture and then pretended to zip his lips, eyes rolled towards the sky. "Are you taking this seriously?" The Master nodded largely. "To business. We've assessed your files on these… Toclafane. But First Contact cannot take place on any sovereign soil. To that purpose, the aircraft carrier Valiant is en route. The rendezvous will take place there at eight a.m.." The Master replied but kept his lips shut, making the words garbled and unable to understand. "You're trying my patience, sir."

The Master held up one finger and 'unzipped' his lips. "So, America is completely in charge?"

"Since Britain elected an ass, yes. I'll see you on board the Valiant."

"It still will be televised, though, won't it? Because I promised. And the whole world is watching."

"Since it's too late to pull out, the world will be watching. Me," the President said matter-of-factly. Selene, from where she and the others watched, made a sound of distaste and muttered,

"What an ass-hat…"

"Shh…" hushed the Doctor.

The President and his men made for their vehicle, which would transport them back to their Air Force One jet across the tarmac, and the Master and Lucy shared a couple of hushed words that the time travelers couldn't make out. They all stood stock still as the Master turned around and looked in their direction. His face betrayed nothing, like he was lost in thought whilst staring out into the night. But it felt like he was looking at them. Not through them, at them. But then he turned away and made for his own car. Just as he was about to get in, a wailing police van pulled up and the Master, beaming, ran towards it.

"Ha, ha, ha! Hi guys!" he exclaimed childishly, arms thrown into the air as Martha's family was extracted from the back. He pretended to offer Martha's father––Clive––a hand, but then, grinning and child-like, drew it back and brought his thumb to his nose, waggling his fingers about. Clive, raving and shouting with zip-tied hands, lumbered for him, but the Master laughed and leapt back. His men man-handled Clive back and Martha's mother––Francine––and Tish struggled against those who were holding them. The Doctor placed a hand on Martha's wrist with a subtle movement.

"Oh my god…" she muttered.

"Don't move," he whispered.

"But the––"

"Don't."

"I'm gonna kill him…"

"Sonofabitch," Selene grumbled as Martha's family was forcibly shoved into the Master's car. She had only personally met Martha's family once, but she knew they were good people. People who reminded her of her own family in some ways; and to see them treated with such disregard and disrespect made anger grow in the pit of her stomach.

"What say I use this perception filter to walk up behind him and break his neck?" Jack asked darkly and completely serious. The Doctor fixed him with a look.

"Now that sounds like Torchwood," he pointed out.

"Still a good plan."
"He's a Time Lord, which makes him my responsibility. I'm not here to kill him. I'm here to save him."

Jack, who was fiddling about with settings on his vortex manipulator, murmured, "Aircraft carrier Valiant. It's a UNIT ship at fifty eight point two north, ten point oh two east."

"Any plans to get on board?" Selene asked, watching as the Master leapt into a car.

"Does that thing work as a teleport?" the Doctor asked Jack.

"Since you revamped it, yeah." He punched a couple of buttons. "Coordinates set." They all placed their hands atop the manipulator and, with the press of the button, they were off.

They were dropped into the engine room of the Valiant, weak stomached and wobbly kneed, feeling just as horrible as they'd felt when they'd warped backwards in time from Yana's lab. Selene was sprawled stomach first on the floor, lightheaded and feeling like she might be sick again.

"Oh, that thing is rough…" groaned Martha. Jack grunted and hauled himself to his feet.

"I've had worse nights." Jack groaned as his vertebrae popped. "Welcome to the Valiant." Selene pushed herself up to her knees and then wobbily got to her feet, taking a look at their surroundings. Through a window, they saw nothing but bright sky.

"It's dawn…" Martha noticed, peering through the porthole like window. "Hold on, I thought this was a ship. Where's the sea?"

"A ship for the twenty-first century, protecting the skies of planet earth," Jack elaborated as everyone stepped up to the window. They were surrounded by clouds and morning sky, some thousand feet over the earth's surface. Turning around, Selene spotted a clock on the wall, and the time that it displayed made her heartbeat quicken with nervousness.

"Guys, it's two minutes to eight. Two minutes till first contact," she pointed out, physically spinning the Doctor around so he could see the clock. His eyes widened and his body tensed as they again realized how dire the situation was. Hell knew what the Toclafane actually were; and they needed to do everything they could to stop the Master from carrying out his plan.

"C'mon, c'mon, c'mon!" the Doctor exclaimed, taking off down the a corridor. They all jogged through steam laden passageways, following the rushed Time Lord, who was making the executive decisions on what corridors to take and which ones to run straight past. So, when he suddenly stopped for seemingly no reason, the rest of them did as well. Jack spread his arms questioningly.

"We've got no time for sightseeing!" he exclaimed.

"No, wait, shh, shh, shh, shh!" the Doctor stuttered, holding up a finger. The look on his face reminded Selene of a cat that had just heard something interesting in some distant room. "Can't you hear it?"

"Hear what!?"

"Doctor, my family's on board," bit out Martha, who began to stalk forward. The Doctor suddenly grinned.

"Brilliant! This way!" He then tromped down a set of stairs with everyone begrudgingly followed as he made the executive decision not to say what they were headed towards. They all ran as fast as they could, keys bouncing against their chests, and stopped at a set of large, steel double doors. The Doctor threw them open and, much to their excitement, the TARDIS sat on the other side. "Oh, yes!"

"What's it doing on the Valiant?" Jack questioned as the other time travelers excitedly bolted into the room. It was like a homecoming, seeing that blue box fitted between stacks of cardboard boxes. The Time Lord happily threw the door open and jogged inside, only to have that joy ripped right away from him. The whole of the console room was glowing red, and the engines were making a sickly gong-like noise. The room was humid and warm as the TARDIS engines were overworked. Selene's eyes grew wide as she stared at the number of wires and tubes that filled the room, feeling anger and fear roil about in her stomach. Everyone, completely stricken by the interior, froze on the ramp. "The hell's he done?"

"Don't touch it," the Doctor ordered sternly.

"Didn't even cross my mind," Selene assured. The entirety of the console was surrounded by a tube of protective fencing, wires, and various tubes, all of which were attached to one output or another. It was like it was being hooked up to some other device the way one would attach a video game console to a television. A sinking feeling settled into Selene's stomach at the honestly terrifying sight that sat before her. Someone had invaded their home and done something terrible to it. Ripped away what they knew and replaced it with something dangerous and highly volatile; and that made her feel undeniably sick. Steam billowed out from the floor and a beeping sound filled the room, like those machines that monitored heart rates in hospitals. The Doctor began to circle the console as the engines continued to clang and groan at regular intervals.

"What's he done, though?" Martha asked with worry, slowly approaching the once familiar set of controls. "Sounds like it's… sick."

"It can't be…" the Doctor murmured in horror. "No, no, no, no, no, no, it can't be!"

"Doctor, what is it?"

"He's cannibalized the TARDIS!"

"Is this what I think it is?" Jack asked, horrified. Peering through the metal mesh that separated them from the console.

"It's a paradox machine!" The Doctor lunged to the side to observe a gauge, tapping his fingers against its surface. "As soon as this hits red, it activates. At this speed it'll trigger at…" the Doctor grabbed hold of Jack's wrist so he could glance at the time on his manipulator, "two minutes past eight."

"First contact is at eight," Selene pointed out, stepping on top of a large piece of metal tubing. "So this machine––whatever it does––is going to trigger two minutes past that… so it has to be related, right?"

"Has to be… but what for?" the Doctor asked himself, threading his fingers through his hair in frustration. There was nothing he could do till he knew what its intended purpose was.

"What's it for? What's a paradox machine do?" Martha inquired.

"More important––can you stop it?" Jack tagged on.

"Not till I know what it's doing… touch the wrong bit blow up the solar system," the Doctor said, staring up at the dozens of complex wiring systems. Selene flinched at the thought and placed both hands on her hips.

"Yeah, let's not do that, please," she murmured.

"Then we've got to get to the Master," Martha decided.

"Yeah, how are we going to stop him?" Jack asked.

"Oh, I've got a way… sorry, didn't I mention it?" the Time Lord inquired with a cheeky smile. Selene rolled her eyes and gestured him towards the door, following him as he bounded for it.

"No, you didn't; care to tell us what the plan is?" Selene asked as they exited the TARDIS. The Time Lord said nothing and hooked a corner that brought them to a different set of stairs. "Doctor!" They clamoured after him, all looking slightly put-off about not knowing what sort of plan they were running into blindly. The hallway they found themselves in was lavishly put together, clearly not the maintenance tunnels they'd been in moments before. "Doc––"

"Shh!" the Doctor hushed as he skid to a stop in front of a mahogany door. He lifted a finger to his lips to signal they should all be silent and then quietly pulled the door open. The four slipped inside to find themselves on the flight deck, where the President was addressing a live feed to the whole of the planet. He stood atop a set of stairs in front of a room full of media folk and officials alike, who sat listening intently and silently.

"For as long as man has looked at the stars, he has wondered what mysteries they hold. Now we know we are not alone," the President was saying. The time travelers moved slowly, carefully, making sure not to draw attention to themselves as they moved to the back of the room. The Master was smiling and lounging in a chair that was seated at a large, glass table. He would tilt his head back every now and again, grinning up at the ceiling with a contented look on his face and contented posture to the rest of his body.

"This plan," Jack whispered, "you going to tell us now?"

"If I can get this around the Master's neck," the Doctor held up the key that dangled around his neck, "cancel out the perception, they'll see him for real. It's just… hard to go unnoticed when everyone's on red alert. If they stop me… you've got a key."

"Yes, sir," Jack agreed. Selene curled her fingers around the key around her own neck and placed a hand on Jack's arm.

"And I've got you if they get you," Selene confirmed. Martha nodded singularly, glaring at the side of the Master's head.

"I'll get him," she whispered furiously. The plan was extremely dangerous, and they all understood that. But if it meant saving the planet from whatever horrors the Master undoubtedly had planned, it would all be worth it.

"And I ask you now, I ask of the human race, to join with me in welcoming our friends. I give you the Toclafane," the President said with a sweeping gesture, stepping to the side as four spheres materialized in flashes of blue light. The Doctor began to creep towards the Master, stepping deliberately and carefully as everyone's attention became fixed on the Toclafane. "My name is Arthur Coleman Winters, President Elect of the United States of America, and designated representative of the United Nations. I welcome you to the planet Earth and its associated moon."

"You're not the Master," said a male sphere.

"We like the Mr. Master," said a female sphere.

"We don't like you!"

The four spheres began to circle a very confused looking President, trying to figure out the best course of action and words to speak. "I… can be master, if you so wish. I will… accept mastery over you if that is god's will."

"Man is stupid…"

"Master is our friend."

"Where's my Master, pretty please?"

"Oh, alright, then. It's me!" the Master said with false resignation, rising to his feet. He jogged to the front of the room, grinning. "Ta-da! Ha, ha, ha! Sorry. Sorry, I have this effect. People just get obsessed. Is it the smile, is it the aftershave, is it the capacity to laugh at myself? I don't know, it's crazy!"

"Saxon, what are you talking about?" the President demanded from the stairs. Something mad Selene's stomach twist unpleasantly, like a deep-seated fear that something was about to go horribly wrong. The Master turned to face the American, arms crossed, face dark.

"I'm taking control, Uncle Sam, starting with you." The Master nodded to one of the Toclafane. "Kill him." The Toclafane zipped forward, now baring spiked points that shot lazers. One such beam of red energy cut through the air and utterly eradicated the President. Everyone else in the room screamed in horror, scrambling out of chairs and grabbing onto one another in fear. Selene shimmed a couple feet away from Jack and Martha to avoid being run into and noticed, gripping the key around her neck, preparing to whip it off if necessary. Things were quickly tumbling down hill, and there was little she could do to even attempt to stop it.. "Guards!"

The Master's guards had already drawn their guns, turning them on everyone else in the room. "Don't move!" Everyone scrambled towards the back of the room, huddling against the walls. "Don't move!" The Master cackled and clapped his hands as he spun around, completely filled with visible glee.

"Now, then!" He bounded up the steps to where the president had been moments before and addressed the cameras. "Now then, peoples of the Earth. Please attend carefully." The Doctor ripped the key from around his neck and lunged forward, a concoction of anger and determination on his face. "Stop him!" Two guards lunged forward and grabbed either of his arms, halting the Time Lord's process immediately. "We meet at last, Doctor! Oh, ho, ho! I love saying that!" he laughed.

"Stop it! Stop it now!" the Doctor exclaimed.

"As if a perception filter's gonna work on me. And look… the girlies and the freak. Although, I'm not sure which one's which," the Master joked, gesturing to the rest of the Doctor's gang. Jack lunged forward and made a dash towards the Master, only to be shot down by a lazer beam. Martha and Selene shot forward towards their fallen friend; Martha was able to make it. Selene, on the other hand, felt herself grabbed by hauled back by two more guards. She struggled against them, but found it useless once they shoved her down to her knees and held her there. The Master held up the weapon he held in his head proudly. "lazer Screwdriver. Who'd have Sonic? And the good thing is, he's not dead for long; I get to kill him again!"

"Master, just calm down. Just look at what you're doing! Just stop!" pleaded the Doctor, staring up at the man who had once been his friend. "If you could see yourself…"

"Oh, do excuse me," the Master said to the cameras. "Little bit of personal business––let him go."

The Doctor shouted as he was shoved forward and out of the guard's grasps, hitting the floor with an uncomfortable thud. "Ah!" He pushed himself back up to his hands and knees, the Master having descended the stairs to loom over him. "It's that sound––the sound in your head! What if I could help?"

"Oh, how to shut him up." The Master held up a finger as though an idea came to mind. "I know. Memory Lane. Professor Lazarus. Remember him and his genetic manipulation device? What, did you think that little Tish got that job merely by coincidence? I've been laying traps for you all this time. And if I can concentrate all that Lazarus technology into one little screwdriver…" He held up the silver tube in his hand and then pulled a troubled face, drumming fingers against his chin. "But, ooo, if I only had the Doctor's biological code… Oh, wait a minute! I do." The Master snapped his fingers and bounded across the room, throwing open the front of a metal case. "I've got his hand!" Sure enough, inside the case was the Doctor's hand from Jack's 'Doctor Detector.' The Master, smirking, began to twist at settings on his screwdriver. "And… if Lazarus made himself younger… What if I reverse it? Another… hundred years?"

Selene watched on in horror as the Master lunged forward a dramatic step and zapped the Doctor with his screwdriver. The Doctor lurched to his feet, convulsing rapidly as he screamed in pain; it was a pained sound only rivaled by that of when he used the Chameleon Circuit. Selene again struggled against the guard's hold and found herself able to break it this time. She lunged for the Master's legs but, instead, sailed right past them as he spun away with a flourish. He stopped zapping the Doctor, who collapsed to the floor, wrinkled and frail. He looked about one hundred years old now; he had little hair, and what hair was there was wispy and white. His wrinkles were deep set and the veins stood out on the backs of his trembling hands. Selene dragged herself over to him and helped him sit up, Martha appearing on his other side.

"Doctor? We've got you," Martha said reassuringly.

"Aw, she's a would-be Doctor," hummed the Master, pretending to coo down at them. "But tonight, Martha Jones, we've flown them in, all the way from prison!" He gestured at the door and Martha rose to her feet as she turned to face the back of the room. Her family was being roughly escorted in with hands bound and guns leveled at their heads.

"I'm sorry," Francine quietly cried, tears rolling down her cheeks.

"The Toclafane…" the Doctor labored to say, voice gruff and rumbling. "What are they?" The Master crouched down, gesturing at his ear as though he hadn't caught what the other Time Lord had said. "Who are they?" Selene kept her arm wrapped around the Doctor's back, aiding in supporting his now frail and creaking joints. He listed into her side as they both glared at the Master, who was close enough that she could hear the rushing through his nose on his exhales.

"Doctor, if I told you the truth," he placed a hand in the middle of the Doctor's chest, "your hearts would break."

"Is it time? Is it ready?" asked a male Toclafane, who appeared at the Master's right shoulder.

"Is the machine singing?" asked another. The Master rose to his full height and checked his watch, a smirk rising to his lips.

"It's two minutes past." He bound back up the steps and grabbed hold of the railing, head whipping round to stare down the camera. "So! Earthlings… Basically, um… end of the world!" He smiled and then lifted a fist in the air, proclaiming, "Here… come… the drums!"

Out of the speakers overhead, the song 'Voodoo Child' began to play, repeating the Master's message of 'here come the drums' for a moment or two. Lucy, who stood at her husband's side, began to dance and the Master kissed her on the forehead for a fleeting second; he then leapt down the steps and bolted to one of the windows, watching as the sky ripped itself open. Thousands of Toclafane poured out of that rip in the sky, rushing towards earth. The Master blew a kiss to the Doctor and his companions before grabbing Lucy by the hand and dragged her to a different window. With the flick of a switch, he cut off the music and then, after flirting with Lucy over the word 'decimate,' clicked another button to send out his orders.

"Remove one tenth of the population."

While desperate pleas for help began to play over the speakers, the Doctor leaned forward to whisper something in Martha's ear. A solitary tear rolled along her cheek as she again rose to her feet with Jack's vortex manipulator tightly clutched in her hands. She gave her family one final look and, shutting her eyes, hit a button and teleported off the Valiant. Selene felt her stomach drop as the air crackled with ozone and flashed blue. Her friend had just popped off to the earth below, straight into a massacre. Their paths had diverged, but neither was exceptionally safe. Neither was a guaranteed survival. Selene helped the Doctor sit up completely. He placed a shaking hand on her cheek, a silent sadness sparkling in his eyes. She smiled with a sad upturn to her lips and placed her hand over his, voicelessly reassuring him.

"Hate to ruin this lovely moment, but…" the Master sang, skipping down the stairs with his wife. They both pulled the Doctor away from Selene, casting her aside as they practically dragged the aged Time Lord towards the window they'd been at moments before. Jack slowly crawled towards Selene, the two looping comforting arms around each other. They were trapped. There was no way out and they were at the Master's mercy––which was an utterly horrifying concept. Jack, with all the capacity he had to be charming, grasped one of Selene's hands in his own and raised it to his lips, pressing a gentlemanly, friendly kiss to her knuckles. It was a reassuring gesture paired with a shaky smile as they huddled together.

"We're gonna be okay…" Jack whispered. Selene squeezed his fingers and returned the smile, her brows creasing in a betrayal of her worry.

"Yeah… we'll be okay," she repeated, her whispered tone breaking as they heard the Master chuckle.

"And so it came to pass... that the human race fell and the Earth was no more. And I looked down upon my new domain as Master Of All and thought it... good," the Master said, as if he'd practiced it dozens of times before. He and Lucy each had a hand on one of the Doctor's shoulders, smiling as they forced their prisoner to watch the Toclafanes descend upon Earth. The Master spun around, pulling the other Time Lord with him; the Doctor stumbled over his own feet, his reflexes slow now that he was legitimately an old man. The Master clapped his hands once and surveyed the room. Selene glared up at him as he grinned a legitimate grin, sighing contentedly at the plan.

"Right, then! Why don't you all go on and enjoy my victory? Yes, yes, guards, escort them from the room––oh, except for… you… and you and you…" the Master pointed to some of his guards, "the freak," his finger moved to Jack, "the Doctor," he pointed over his shoulder, "Miss Thomas," he pointed at Selene and then placed both hands on his chest, "and myself. Go on! Go! Enjoy my victory!" the Master dismissed, shooing everyone out of the room. The guards not appointed to stay escorted everyone else out of the room noiselessly; Lucy, who departed with one last kiss from her husband, spared a curious look over her shoulder as she disappeared through the door. Once only those asked to stay were present, the Master grinned and escorted the Doctor down the steps before he gently pushed him into a chair with a smirk. The Doctor grunted as he hit the seat wrong, his frail body protesting the fall. What next, what next, what next… ah, yes. "Guards, please make sure the Freak doesn't do anything… unexpected." The Master snapped and pointed to Jack. Two guards grabbed Jack by the arms and hauled him away from Selene, dragging the captain across the glossy wood floor.

Selene, now sitting solitarily, stared down at her hands, which were braced against the floor. She suddenly felt utterly alone. Her stomach twisted unpleasantly. Two shiny shoes appeared in her field of vision and she didn't have to look up to know they were the Master's. Raising her head, she glared up at the grinning Time Lord who stood above her. He extended a hand, clearly intent on helping her. Selene did nothing but sit back on her heels, fingers balled into fists so that her message was clear––she was not going to accept his help.

"Oh, come now, I can help you up."

"I'm not a child, in case you hadn't noticed. I don't need your help," Selene muttered as she smoothly rose to her feet. The Master shook a finger at her and chuckled, glee again shining in his eyes.

"Oh, I like her. I really do," he said with a toothy grin, his eyes crinkling in a way the Doctor didn't like. His jaw clenched violently as the Master looked Selene over. "Now… seeing as you won't be going anywhere anytime soon, I actually have a… position for you." He set his hand on her shoulder and Selene stared at it with plain distaste on her face. But that distaste morphed into one of confused worry. How could she be of any use to him? Her eyes slowly slid to his; he saw the confusion, which he immediately read into. "Oh, you see, it's nice to know that I someone who can tell me what decisions to make!"

"I… beg your pardon?" Selene asked in confusion. He chuckled and then clasped her face between his hands, squishing her cheeks as though she were the most adorable thing in the universe.

"You know the future, dear Selene! You're to be my prophet!"

Selene's face immediately fell. She pushed his hands away and backed up a step, shaking her head. Was he absolutely mental? Well, yes, actually, she thought. The Master took a step forward, keeping the far too intimate space between them present. Her lower back hit the large glass table that occupied the center of the room, and she grabbed hold of it. She inhaled deeply and fixed the Master with a carefully composed look of sternness.

"To start the lists of reasons that will never work let's start with this––I don't remember any of it. Or don't you recall?" Selene inquired sharply, in reference to their talk in 'Yana's'––his––lab. The Master arched an eyebrow and leaned forward; Selene didn't lean away this time. She stood her ground, but did flinch as his breath crept across her face.

"You don't have a choice," the Master growled. Selene crossed her arms.

"Yeah, I don't. 'Cause I cannot access any of those memories!"

"You're lying," the Master accused.

"I'm not," Selene bit out.

"Your life might depend on telling me what you know––I could kill you."

"You kill me, you won't even get the chance to try and see if I'm lying," Selene pointed out. The room went silent and the Doctor shakily smirked, glad she found the loophole in the Master's threat. Jack smirked from his spot slumped between two guards.

"Don't look so smug," the Master snorted at the three, snagging his arm around Selene's waist. He proceeded to drag her over to the stairs, the rubber soles of her Converse dragging across the floor. She pushed against him, but he held her fast. "Besides, I have other ways to make you talk. I could torture dear old Jack till he screams with agony… till he dies right before your eyes... and then do it all over again!" She pushed at him, jaw tense and eyes angry. "Or I could hurt the Doctor." At the mention of the other Time Lord's name, he felt her go rigid.

"Don't..." she muttered.

"I'll do it and, my dear, I won't regret it. Hell, I'll go as far to say I'd enjoy it!" he told her gleefully, spinning her around so she had to face him. Through with being manhandled, Selene tried to punch him, her fist sailing towards his cheek. However, he caught her wrist and laughed. "Oh, Doctor! I really do love her! Not only is she spirited, she's beautiful! Oh, especially for a human!" He released her wrist and pinched her chin between his fingers. "If I were you I would keep her for the rest of time and space... but you can't can you?" He tutted and frowned at the Doctor over Selene's shoulder. "She's human. She'll age and get sick and wither and die right before your very eyes... in the snap of someone's fingers she'll be gone."

The Doctor felt rage bubble up inside him and he tried to stand. He didn't care how feeble he was, how weak he felt, if he could stop the Master from speaking he would do it. But two guards came forward and shoved the Time Lord back into his seat with an unnecessary amount of force. He seethed from where he was being forced to sit, body trembling with the rage that boiled deep in his stomach. The Master smirked. He hand found the sensitive nerve that was ready to be struck. And, oh, could he use that against the Doctor. Looking back to Selene, he saw that she was staring at the Doctor, the holding one another's gazes from across the room. A grin spread over the Master's face, just loving what he'd discovered.

"Oh! Ohhhh! Oh-ho-ho-ho! This is better than I could have thought! You two are absolutely infatuated with one another! Dare I ask… is this love? Oh, this is better than I could have hoped for! Tsk-tsk, Doctor, you should know that you can't get too involved with a human. As I mentioned before, they just die off in front of you!" the Master said with a laugh. The Doctor's fingers curled around the arms of the chair he'd been forced to sit in, eyes sparking with something dangerous. The Master tightened his hold on Selene's chin and gave a tug, pulling her attention back to him. The hold he had on her was far more dangerous, Selene noted, than any other way he might have held her. He could control her with just that simple grasp on her chin better than he could holding her waist because, in an instant, she knew he could snap her neck if he liked. "You'll see, Selene, that I will do anything to get what I want. If I have to make you watch me destroy each continent one by one to get you to speak, I'll do it."

With a snap of his fingers, the Master summoned one of his guards, who firmly wrapped a hand around her elbow and dragged her towards the door. Selene did all she could to pull her weight against the guard, she tried hitting him, she even resorted to the childish tactic of simply dropping to the floor. The guard, who was simply not having it, hoisted her back to her feet and continued to pull her along. The Doctor shakily extended a hand, which Selene grasped onto as she passed. If he had the strength, he would have pulled her away from the guard, would have held her against his chest and protected her from whatever it was the Master intended to do. But he couldn't. His strength had been sapped. There was a zap and a flash of purple light; Selene suddenly slumped to the floor, having been hit by a projectile from the Master's Screwdriver. The Doctor and Jack gaped down at her unmoving form in horror believing, for a moment, that she'd been killed. Her hand had gone limp in his and she was held up only by his and the guard's grasp.

"Oh, so dramatic…" the Master yawned in a bored tone. "Thank god for the stun setting; I thought that little show would never stop." He waggled his Screwdriver and then fitted it into his pocket. The guard picked Selene up and slung her over his shoulder, continuing towards the door. The Doctor's hand slipped from her own, leaving his outstretched in the air as he watched her get carried away to god knew where. The Master simply chuckled and watched the anger flicker over the Doctor's face. "Ah, I just love it when everything goes to plan, don't you? You'll see, Doctor, you'll see… my reign over earth with absolutely brilliant."

Afterword: So there we have it! Not my favorite of episodes/chapters, but I think I got a good few scenes here and there. I've had a couple of them planned for a very long time and I had to refigure them since my writing style has changed and Selene as a character has changed. It also took this long to get up because of this: I'm going to be going to school in the UK. But due to a couple of mix ups with some stuff, I've been making calls and resubmitting documents and making drives to different offices, so I've been very, very stressed and lost my drive to write for a while. But it's all getting straightened out so my inspiration is slowly returning!

Review replies!

NicoleR85: Out of all the Doctor's enemies, the Master is definitely my favorite as well. Just how Moriarty is my favorite Sherlock Holmes villain. There's just… something about him. We've finally found out what the Master has planned for Selene… and next time we'll see how that's gonna be working out for him. I hope you enjoyed the chapter! Thanks again!

grapejuice101: It's definitely not looking good for the team, is it? Next chapter we get to see how far along the Master is getting with trying to get information out of Selene… thanks again! I hope you enjoyed the chapter!

time-twilight: I'm really trying to push past the last few episodes of season 3 to get to season 4––season 3 had its moments, but it wasn't my favorite. I am in LOVE with Donna's season and cannot wait to write it! I hope you enjoyed the chapter! Thanks again!

tardiscompanion101: I think there's something about the Master's eccentricness that draws people in and makes them fascinated by him. I, too, love the Master as a villain. We've still got a lot to deal with with him. I hope you enjoyed the chapter! Thanks again!

MaximumNerd46: I'm glad you enjoyed the last chapter! These chapters take a while for me to write and get posted, so by the end of the chapters I feel like I haven't done the best work; but it's always nice to hear that people think otherwise and enjoy the chapters. I hope you enjoyed the chapter; thanks again!

GhostlySights: Aw, thank you, so much! I'm glad to know you'll be sticking around :) Also, I'm sorta glad you forgot that Selene was from a different dimension/universe. I didn't want to overplay it, but it's still important enough to pop up now and again. 'Cause she calls this universe home now, so there's no real point for it to keep popping up. I hope you enjoyed the chapter; thanks again!

azaadin: I'd always wanted Selene and the Doctor to realize their feelings pre-Utopia. 'Cause it really is gonna be a more dangerous now that the Master realizes how much they care for one another. And that is sure gonna play a role in everything he's got planned. I'm very, very happy you've enjoyed this story so far and I hope that you enjoyed the chapter! Thanks again!

10th squad 3rd seat: There's gonna be more Doctor/Selene sweetness in season 4––I promise. Plus, I might have an original 'episode' to write for them in between season 3 and 4. It's gonna be so much fun. I hope you enjoyed the chapter! Thanks again!
ash: I'm glad you were so excited for last chapter! It sucks I took this long to get the next one up but the next chapter is gonna be an original, so it shouldn't take all that long to get up. If I'm lucky, within the next week, but I always say that don't I? And I have no intentions of giving up this story; it make take me forever to complete/finish, but I'm in this for the long run! I hope you enjoyed the chapter! Thanks again!

ShadowTeir: I've got a lot planned for Master/Selene interactions for the next few chapters/whenever he pops up in the season 4 specials. I've got to go through and edit them 'cause the ideas are… well over a year old… but I'm looking forward to finally publishing them! And Martha getting jealous was a give-in what with all the flirty cuteness that's been going on. I hope you enjoyed the chapter! Thanks again!

Thegirlwhowaited24601: I'm impressed that you binge read this entire thing! I'm glad that you've enjoyed the chapter and flattered that you're intending to read more! I'm definitely going to do Eleven and my goal is to hopefully make it to Twelve, since I've got episode ideas jotted down for that. As for River, she'll still be in the story ('cause I love her) but there'll be some edits made :) I hope you enjoyed the chapter! Thanks again!

my fandom is better than yours: I'm super happy you've enjoyed the chapters so far! I hope you're excited for more Selene and Master moments, 'cause they're a-comin'! I hope you enjoyed the chapter; thanks again!

Momochan77: I'm very happy that you've enjoyed the progression of this story, which I had been worrying was too slow. I hope that you've enjoyed the initial Selene and Master interactions and that you're looking forward to the next chapter! Thanks again and I hope you enjoyed the chapter!

Rainbow Quartz 14: I'm glad you enjoyed the last chapter! And I'd contemplated doing a couple one-shots of the Doctor and Selene––since they don't get many chances in these chapters to be as cutesy as they deserve. So maybe that'll be coming up soon… but I hope you enjoyed the chapter! Thanks again!

And thank you to those who added this story to their favorites/follows––it means so much to me!

And there we have it––next chapter will actually be an original. grapejuice101 suggested I do a chapter that would include part of Selene's year on the Valiant and I thought it was an absolutely brilliant idea. So, we'll get a little insight into Selene's days as the Master's 'prophet.' I hope you'll all be excited for that! I'm also re-writing my chapter with Prince Hal, so an updated version of that will be up at some point… it was one of my favorite chapters to write, honestly––and as I edited I realized that I would love it if there was an alternate universe somewhere where the Doctor and Rose never found Selene and she stayed with Hal. But that would be an entirely different AU story. But these are just the ramblings of my half stressed mind. I hope you all enjoyed the chapter! Thanks again!

~Mary