Chapter 13

The Doctor moved towards the Master but stopped near a support strut. Leaning against it, his arms crossed. His face creased into a deep frown.

"I should have known," said the Doctor, in a low tone "I should have known that you had some kind of plan of escape and what happened on the Valiant wasn't the last of you."

The Master laughed and looked up at the Doctor and smiled.

"So, you do recognise me then, Doctor?" asked the Master.

"But, you should be dead! I saw you die…in my own arms. How did you beat that?" enquired the Doctor, almost expecting the Master to launch into the way he cheated death, like it was some kind of game; something to be proud of and gloat about. He had done in the past.

"Ah, I have my ways, Doctor and I see you haven't changed," smiled the Master.

"Well, aren't you going to tell me, how?" asked the Doctor, conversationally, ignoring the Master's musings.

"All in good time, Doctor but right now, I want to discuss an important proposition with you which I'm sure will benefit the both of us," replied the Master

"Really? Oh, I am so honoured!" replied the Doctor sarcastically.

Donna, who was still standing near the doorway of the TARDIS, looked over the whole situation in bewilderment; confused by what was actually taking place in front of her.

"Doctor, what's going on?" she asked, looking at him.

The Doctor suddenly realised, as he turned towards her, that he hadn't talked much about the Master but he knew or felt that that wasn't entirely his fault. He had truly thought that the Master had died and so there was nothing to really talk about. But, now that obviously wasn't the case anymore.

Donna asked him again. The Doctor didn't reply immediately. Eventually all he did was shrug and say "I don't know but I intend to find out," which for the moment he hoped would satisfy her for now and turned back to the Master.

"Do you really think that after all we have been through and all that you have done to me, I will be open to hearing whatever you want to say to me? Well, I'm sorry but I have to disappoint you this time. I'm just not interested," replied the Doctor, "but…"

"Yes, you are," interjected the Master, looking directly at the Doctor.

"Err…sorry…what?" asked the Doctor, surprised that he had been interrupted mid-stream

"Interested… your always interested. You always listen even to your own detriment," replied the Master, "listen to me now, Doctor" he added, almost pleadingly.

The Doctor stood in silence, looking at the Master then looking away. He had no reason not to do what the Master asked but there was a little bit of him that wanted to deny him, even this.

"Before I agree to anything," replied the Doctor taking a few steps towards the sitting figure of the Master, "I want you to tell me why you took my ship?"

The Master didn't answer right away. He seemed to think about what his answer could be. Should he be truthful or lie? Meanwhile, the Doctor was growing more impatient.

"Come on then, tell me!" he demanded.

"I wanted to go back in time," answered the Master, innocently.

"Well that's obvious!" replied the Doctor, sarcastically, "but for what? What could you possibly want to travel in time to see so badly that you had to take my ship?"

"I wanted to go back to Gallifrey," shouted the Master. All the sadness that he felt before the Doctor found him returned, "to go home," he added, almost whispering.

The Doctor was stunned. He didn't expect the Master to say anything like this. It just wasn't in his nature.

"But why?" asked the Doctor,

"To find out what actually happened to them. After you told me about them being gone, I've always wanted to find out what really happened. And, because of what I saw I want to talk to you, Doctor," replied the Master.

"About what? You think I did it?" spat the Doctor, anger seeping into his voice

"I did," said the Master, "and if I'm honest with you, I did when I saw what happened but now I don't. You're right. You've always have been."

"I have?" replied the Doctor,

"Yes. You said we should work together instead of trying to destroy each other, but I was blind to see it. And, now I'm not," replied the Master. He got to his knees so he was begging at the Doctors feet.

"So, please Doctor, I beg of you, hear me out and show me compassion," begged the Master, looking the Doctor, directly in the eye.

This made the Doctor feel very uncomfortable. He couldn't stand to see the Master, begging on his knees. He shifted uncomfortably in the silence and stare of the Master. Deep down, the Doctor wanted to listen to the Master but doubts about how the Master had and may behave in the future towards him later rose in his mind, so much so that he couldn't quash them completely. He had to keep his guard up, not to protect himself from the Master but Donna.

"I have to think about it," answered the Doctor, in a small voice. The Master seemed to deflate and fall forward but didn't say anything.

"But while I do, I have to put you somewhere safe," said the Doctor, as he walked over to the Master. The Doctor bent down and grabbed him by the arm and pulled him up to his feet.

"Where are you taking me?" asked the Master, suddenly panicked at the thought of being trapped somewhere with the Doctor.

"Somewhere you can relax and where you can't do anymore harm to my ship or me. A place where I can keep an eye on you while I think over whether or not to really trust you," replied the Doctor, taking a step towards the doorway leading out of the control room.

"Wait, Doctor? What do you think you are doing?" asked Donna, as she quickly stood in front of him.

"Donna, don't. I have to do this," pleaded the Doctor. "This man is an extremely dangerous person and he has to be contained, no matter what he says."

"But can't you just listen to him here…now?" pleaded Donna.

"Yes, listen to me, Doctor," interjected the Master, "please tell him, make him listen," he pleaded to Donna. Donna ignored him and only looked at the Doctor.

"I will think about it but Donna, he's not trustworthy enough to be allowed every access to my ship while I do. He's already stolen the TARDIS once. He might find some way of taking over again and imprisoning us and you don't want that do you?" replied the Doctor, ignoring the Masters pleas.

"No but where are you going to take him?" answered Donna.

"To a detention cell," he said, "where he can be monitored. If you stay here, I will come back and I will explain everything. I promise," replied the Doctor.

Before anything more could come from Donna, he moved past her and towards the doorway of the control room, dragging the Master with him and disappeared around the corner.

The Doctor walked down the corridor leading the Master by the arm. He tried to ignore the Master, giving him no chance to try and engage with him. He knew deep down that this wouldn't work, as the Master loved the sound of his own voice. All he needed to do was ignore him.

"Found yourself another charity case, I see. Well, you do love helping people so it shouldn't come as a surprise to me," said the Master, chuckling, "and I give you credit Doctor, I would have done the same. If I found you on my ship, I would imprison you too."

The Doctor kept silent, trying to not rise to the Master taunts. He tried to speed up so they would get to the cell sooner.

"So what happened to Martha? What happened to the famous Martha Jones, who helped you defeat me?" asked the Master, but his questions were met with silence,

"Oh, come now, Doctor. You can tell me…after all I thought we're friends?" asked the Master, looking over at the Doctor who was looking straight ahead.

"We were friends," whispered the Doctor

"Sorry, what was that?" asked the Master

"I said, we were friends once but not anymore," said the Doctor, more louder

"Of course we are friends, Doctor. It's just we have a little more history than some others," replied the Master, chuckling

"Oh, is that what you call it, 'a little more history'?" said the Doctor, sarcastically, "I didn't know that friends turned on each other and tried to kill each other."

"As I remember Doctor, it was you who turned on me," retorted the Master.

The Doctor stiffened at this. His anger rose inside him but all he could do was bite his tongue as he knew the Master would want him to say something else back. Silence reigned once more between both as he and the Master continued around the various corners of corridor.

"So, what did happen to Martha Jones?" asked the Master, once more, breaking the silence.

"She left," whispered the Doctor

"Oh, I'm so sorry to hear that Doctor. She was a very good weapon to you. You did train her well," laughed the Master. The Doctor immediately turned his head and glared at the him.

"I didn't train her," he spat and knew instantly that he shouldn't have said anything. That's what the Master wanted. The laughter that followed from the Master confirmed it. Inside, the Doctor reprimanded himself for rising to the bate. Not again, he vowed to himself, never ever again.

Eventually, they both entered a room that had some kind of cell like structure at one end. It had what seemed to be a large arch in the middle of it with a glowing blue florescent switch on one side of it. Above that switch was some kind of hatch.

The Master looked around, and was mildly impressed by what he saw. The Doctor had impressed him again and proved that he did have the guts to imprison someone. But one thing was amiss. There were no weapons trained onto the cell like he had seen on other worlds he had visited, then taken control of. To be honest that was no surprise as the Doctor prided himself on fighting with no weapons.

The Doctor walked towards the blue switch, leaving his prisoner near the middle of the arch. He pressed it and immediately the invisible barrier flickered out of existence. The Doctor motioned the Master inside.

"Very nice, if I do say so myself," remarked the Master as he looked around the cell as he walked in. The Doctor didn't reply.

"I didn't know that you had anything like this. Does it come with room service?" said the Master, chuckling at his own joke.

"Well, I have to take precautions," replied the Doctor, coldly, "you understand. Now give me any weapons you may have," holding out his hand towards the Master.

"I'm unarmed," replied the Master, sweetly, holding his hands up.

"Don't lie to me. I know you have a blaster on you, which you used to kill that man outside. Now hand it over," demanded the Doctor.

Knowing that he had no choice but to comply, the Master withdrew the Dalek gun from his pocket and placed it in the Doctor's hand.

"Thank you, now stand back," said the Doctor as his hand moved towards the button on the wall. The Master moved backwards, his eyes never leaving the Doctor's face. The Doctor pushed the button and the energy field buzzed back into life. In a flourish of fingers, the Doctor locked out the controls.

"Don't you trust me, Doctor?" asked the Master, playfully as he watched the Doctor at the controls.

"No," replied the Doctor and without looking at the Master, he turned and began walking out of the room, placing the gun into his pocket. Then a sudden question came into his head. He stopped and turned towards the Master, who was still watching him from the other side of the invisible barrier.

"And for the record, why did you kill that soldier outside? Necessity or pure enjoyment?" asked the Doctor.

"Necessity," said the Master, indifferently.

"I see, so he was following you, went to close for comfort to what you were doing and you had to kill him to keep him quiet," replied the Doctor, maliciously, "no surprise there then."

The Doctor turned away again before the Master could say anything more.

"Doctor! Wait! I still need to talk to you," shouted the Master suddenly, to his retreating back.

"I'm not interested in anything you have to say, especially after you hijacked my ship and killed people," spat the Doctor, loudly as he continued to walk out of the room.

"But, you said you would!" said the Master, angrily.

"No, I didn't. I said I would consider it," replied the Doctor, cooly, "big difference," he added, and he turned on his heels and walked out of the room, leaving the Master in his wake.

"WAIT! DOCTOR, PLEASE!"

As the Doctor walked out of the room he had heard the Master shout after him again, but he ignored him as he felt his anger rising within. Although, that wasn't to say he enjoyed locking up his only living link to his long lost home in that cell. He didn't agree with locking up people for no reason even though the Master had stolen his ship and killed a man. For all he knew, he was part of whatever was happening on this planet. He could even be in league with the Dalek Donna had encountered earlier. If he was then he had to find out why and until he did, the Master would stay in the cell.

But right now, he had to prepare for the questions Donna obviously had ready for him. He hated going over the same bit of history again and again but knew it needed to be done. She needed to know.

As he reached the control room door, he saw Donna looking at the small viewing screen on the central column with her back to him. He took a deep breath, preparing himself for the barrage of questions that would come. Feeling slightly calmer he strolled in.

"Anything interesting?" he asked, brightly.