Mariah had made a deal to save her beloved Jack, and now she had to honour her end of the bargain. Sleep with the Master in an attempt to give him a Time Lord Child. What he didn't know, however, was that Mariah was already pregnant with twins…Jack's twins; the foetus's in suspended animation until the danger was over. She grimaced at the memories of her times with The Master…
~Flashback~
She watched him as he slunk towards her and she waited, unmoving, on the edge of his bed, sick to her stomach at the knowledge of what she was about to do.
"So, my dear," The Master smiled at her kindly. "Shall we do this the easy way, or the hard way?" Mariah's face remained blank as, disgusted with herself and terrified, she slid back into the centre of the bed and lay down, eyes scrunched tightly shut as The Master began unbuttoning her clothes, fists clenched by her sides. He smiled as he leant down to kiss her neck, "Good girl…"
As she lay there and let him touch her, a strange thought crossed her mind. 'Is it considered rape if you consent to something you wouldn't do in any other circumstance? Consentual rape?'
Sometime during this thought, The Master had managed to remove her last item of clothing. As he began touching her, she noticed him frown. "Hmm…" he parted her slowly legs and she whimpered pitifully; why did he have to draw it out? "Not nearly wet enough…though, I suppose I can forgive you for that, the circumstances being what they are…" he looked up at her, eyes sparkling with wicked intent. "I guess this'll have to do then."
He grabbed her hips roughly, dragging her pelvis towards his own and thrusting deeply. The pain was excruciating. Mariah clamped her mouth shut and gritted her teeth together; it was the only way to stop herself crying out, and she would never give him the satisfaction of knowing he'd made her scream.
Evidently, he didn't take long to finish; and when he did, he just left her there, abused and crying, on his bed. Eventually, Mariah had the courage to look down between her own legs and she cried harder. She was bleeding…
~End Flashback~
Mariah shuddered as she remembered that first night, bile rising in her throat at the things he'd made her do since, always threatening Jack if she hesitated or tried to refuse. He knew her weak spot…her beloved husband. He was still in chains, but at least he wasn't being tortured anymore. She'd had enough of being used and abused though. Mariah had a plan. It was risky, granted. But it might just work; and he'd leave her alone for a while too.
She asked to be escorted to The Master's chambers. When she was let in, she found him reclining against his lounge and he smiled wickedly when he saw her.
"So, you're finally coming to me!" He feigned shock and she held back a growl.
"I have something to tell you." Mariah started softly, she'd learnt long ago not to anger him…he had a good right hook on him that was for damn sure!
"Oh, really?" The Master frowned, now she had him stumped.
"Yes." She could feel the twins she carried, Jack's twins, slipping out of suspended animation. "I'm…"
When she paused he leant forward slightly. "Go on…"
"I…I'm pregnant…" Mariah looked up at him shyly, well…mock shyly, but he seemed to be buying it at least.
"You are?!" The Master sprung to his feet and hugged her briefly.
"At least, I think I am…I wanted to check." Mariah looked down at the floor, hiding her look of relief.
"Well, we can soon find out, my dear."
...
Mariah lay very still as the terrified, on-board doctor performed her ultrasound. She could already see the foetus' outlines and, as the doctor focused more, that both twins had one heart. She breathed a sigh of relief that they wouldn't be completely Time Lord.
"You are most definitely pregnant Miss…with twins." The doctor finally stated, nodding at her and The Master in turn. "Congratulations!"
"Only one heart each though," The Master shrugged. "That'll be your human genes coming through. Still, they're of Time Lord Origin. And there's always next time."
The Master winked at Mariah, smiling sadistically as he left her there, alone…and she cried.
...
Mariah hurried. She'd been allowed to see Jack, but she wasn't allowed to stay with him long, and so she hurried. When she got to the room where Jack was being held, she found the door already open. As she looked inside, she found the guard meant to be outside the door helping Jack drink a glass of water. As she stepped into the room, Jack's gaze snapped up to lock with her own, pained but relieved. She looked from Jack to the water to the guard, a million questions in her eyes.
"The Master notified me you would be coming." Mariah nodded and stepped forward to take over from his water-giving duties. As he passed Mariah, the guard placed a comforting hand on her shoulder and whispered, "I am so sorry for what he has done to you…"
Mariah watched him go, shaking her head as she looked back at Jack. He wouldn't meet her eyes, and she could guess why. She'd let him touch her…but she'd only done it to keep Jack safe. Mariah knew he'd never see it that way though. So she decided to talk anyway.
"Jack…I haven't got long. You don't have to look at me, just listen." She lowered her voice. "You remember, before all this happened, I was going to go for an ultrasound…because I thought…well, you know." She paused, hoping he'd reply or at least look at her…he didn't. "The Master doesn't know it…but the twins I'm carrying…they're ours Jack! The two, tiny, perfect little beings I'm carrying inside me…they're ours!"
The guard came back in to check on them and she stopped, raising a questioning brow at the guard until he left. She helped Jack drink a little more water and eat a little. She kissed his forehead and said sorry so many times she lost count.
"Please, Jack…" she begged for the thousandth time. "Please…just look at me!" he still refused, so she looked into his mind. She didn't like what she found. "You think I did it because I wanted to…you think I liked doing that?! Jack, you imbicile! I did it to stop them hurting you! I did it because I love you! I know you'll never see it that way…but, please! If you can ever find it within yourself to forgi-"
"Miss, The Master has requested your presence on the bridge." The guard stated loudly from the doorway.
"Good God, that man has the worst timing!" Mariah fumed, her voice became gentle again as she looked back at her chained husband. "I have to go…I know you…hate me, right now…but you have to know that I love you…I always have…and I always will. You hear me, Captain Jack Harkness? I will always love you."
She tilted his head up and pressed a chaste kiss to his lips before, tears rolling down her cheeks, she obeyed The Masters' command.
...
Jack watched her go, grief stricken. He knew why'd she'd done it. And he couldn't blame her really…he would've done the same if they were hurting her…he loved her for being brave and trying to help him in the only way she thought she could…
But The Master had defiled the woman he loved, and that was why he hadn't looked at her. He didn't want to see the bruises or the hollow eyes devoid of life and love. They would get out of here…alive. And when they did, he would do everything in his power to rid Mariah of this awful experience. He'd tell her he loved her every day, because she was perfect every day.
And nothing, not even The Master could stand in their way!
...
"Citizens of earth, 'rejoice and observe." The Master raised his arms theatrically to the cameras briefly before turning to Martha. "Your teleport device. In case you thought I'd forgotten." Mariah watched on furiously as Martha threw Jack's teleport device to The Master, restrained by two guards. "And now." He paused momentarily for effect. "Kneel. Down below, the fleet is ready to launch. Set to burn across the universe." He turned towards another monitor, speaking to The Spheres. "Are we ready?"
'The fleet awaits your signal. Rejoice!' The Spheres replied.
"Three minutes to align the Black Hole Convertors! Counting down!" The Master pointed a remote at the wall behind him and grinned. "I never could resist a ticking clock! My children! Are you ready?"
'We will fly and blaze and slice! We will fly and blaze and slice!' The Spheres replied harmoniously.
The Master continued. "At zero, to mark this day, the child, Martha Jones, will die. My first blood.
Any last words?" he asked Martha, but she just stared at the floor. "No? Such a disappointment, this one. Days of old, Doctor, you had companions who could absorb the Time Vortex! This one's useless!" he continued to taunt his captives. He pointed his laser screwdriver at Martha. "Bow your head." As she conceded, The Master continued. "And so it falls to me, as Master of all, to establish, from this day, a new order of Time Lords. From this day forward," Martha laughed quietly and, with a look akin to confusion and irritation, The Master spoke to her. "What…What's so funny?"
Mariah looked into her friends', Martha's, mind…and smiled as Martha spoke. "A gun?"
"What about it?" The Master asked, ever more irritated.
"A gun, in four parts?" Martha continued to smile as she questioned his gullibility.
"Yes, and I destroyed it." The Master very nearly growled.
"A gun, in four parts, scattered across the world I mean! Did you really believe that?!" Martha scoffed.
"What do you mean?" The Master asked, genuinely worried now, eyes snapping towards The Doctor.
"As if I would ask her to kill." The Doctor's hands wrapped around the bars of his small cage.
"Oh Well! It does not matter, because I have her exactly where I want her." The Master snarled.
"But I knew what Professor Doherty would do. The resistance, knew about her son. I told her about the gun so she'd get me here… At the right time."
The Master laughed menacingly. "You're still gonna die."
"Don't you want to know what I was doing?" Martha asked incredulously, shrugging slightly.
"Tell me." The Master sighed.
"I told a story." Martha smiled sweetly. "That's all. No weapons, just words. I did what the Doctor said. I went across the continents. And everywhere I went, I found the people. And I told them my story." She paused briefly, remembering. "I told them about the Doctor. I told them to pass it on.
So everyone would know about the Doctor."
"Faith and hope? Is that all?" The Master mocked.
"No, I gave them an instruction. As the Doctor said." Martha continued, looking to Mariah.
"Use the countdown." Mariah smirked, eyes full of admiration as she looked at The Doctor.
"I told them if everyone thinks of one word at one time…" Martha trailed off, voice full of conviction.
"Nothing will happen! Is that your weapon? Prayer?!" The Master jeered.
Mariah looked to Jack and, for the first time in a year, he looked at her. She mouthed, 'It's in the phones…the satellites…'
"Right across the world. One word, just one thought, at one moment…" Martha paused. "But with 15 satellites!"
"What?" The Master's expression turned to one of concern mixed with disbelief.
"The Archangel Network…" Jack murmured, looking from Mariah to The Master.
"A telepathic field binding the human race together, with all of them, every single person on Earth…thinking the same thing at the same time. And that word is… 'Doctor'."
The air around The Doctor began to glow. "Stop it." The cage bars fell away and The Doctors figure rejuvenated from its aged form. "No, no, no, no, you don't Doctor!"
Mariah closed her eyes. "Doctor."
"Doc-" The Master stopped himself, looking around at everyone on the Valiant.
Jack looked at Mariah. "Doctor.
"Stop this right now!" The Master yelled as they all chanted 'Doctor'. "Stop it!"
And The Doctor spoke. "I've had a year to tune into the psychic network and integrate with its matrices." The Master began to back away from The Doctor's floating form. "The one thing you can't do… is stop them thinking." The energy surrounding him glowed brighter. "Tell me the human race is degenerate now, when they can do this."
"No!" The Master fired his laser screwdriver at The Doctor to no avail.
"I'm sorry." The Doctor said softly, voice firm. "I'm so sorry."
"Then I'll kill THEM!" the Master cried, pointing the laser at the others on the Valiant; but The Doctor stopped him with a mere gesture of his hand. "You can't do this! You can't do this! It's not fair!"
"And you know what happens now." The Doctor continued.
The Master backed away, cowering against the wall. "No! No! No! No! No!"
"You wouldn't listen." The Doctor stated blankly.
"No!" The Master's voice quietened a little as he cowered.
" Because you know what I'm going to say." The Doctor floated down to crouch beside The Master's cowering form and held him. "I forgive you."
"My children!" The Master's head snapped up looking first to the monitor showing the spheres and then to Mariah as the Spheres voices were heard descending upon them all. 'Protect the Paradox! Protect the Paradox! Protect the Paradox!'
The Doctor and The Master Teleported away; leaving behind bewildered guards. Jack got himself free of the two holding him and nicked a gun from them. He pointed it towards Mariah's captors. "Let her go!" he yelled, several of the other guards siding with him now. "I said 'Let her go'!"
The two guards keeping hold of her hesitantly let go of Mariah and, when she rushed into his arms, Jack held onto her as if his life depended on it. It was only a minute or two that passed but, whist The Doctor and The Master were missing everyone waited with baited breath, still terrified of the outcome of their disappearance.
When The Doctor and The Master reappeared, The Doctor yelled. "Captain! The Paradox Machine!"
Jack snapped into action. "You men! With me!" he ran his thumb across Mariah's cheek briefly. "You stay here."
Mariah nodded as he left and turned back to the situation at hand…
...
Tell me what you think people! Please?! It really makes my day to hear from you!