I wasn't sure if anyone else had heard my words. They didn't know about how I and the Master had met the first time. And I wouldn't tell them. They wouldn't understand anyway. Nina would, maybe. Donna, though? She was too good of heart and too forgiving.

The Master regarded me with a cruel smile. "What a shame. And there I thought I'd finally get something fun to see."

"You think I'd just run in there and…" My thoughts wandered back to my small apartment, to the dark corner in my wardrobe where the gun was hidden. Never to be used. Would I really have done it anyway? Would I have flinched at the last second? Would I have begged the Master to try his hypnosis on me again so I could see it through?

"No. I didn't think so." He tapped my nose and got serious again. "But if a pathetic coward like you is willing to do it at all, that means something. Just wanted to check if you're alright."

"'m not pathetic," I grumbled and stepped on his foot. An action that only wielded a chuckle.

"Is that your boyfriend?"

I winced and turned around. Nina was curiously staring at the two of us and Donna wasn't helping with her knowing smirk.

"N… noooo! He's not."

"What's that thing?" The Master pointed at my sister. "She looks like you. And you're even the same height."

"My sister."

"Oh, right, that explains things." He still looked at her as if she were some nasty bug in the dirt.

Nina stepped forward and politely held her hand out. "I'm Nina. Hey."

The Master regarded her hand with a huff and made himself as tall as he could. "You can call me the Master, little ape. Just because you're related to my toy doesn't mean I'll spare your pathetic life if you're annoying."

Nina let her hand sink and looked at me, blinking. "Wow, he's even more of an arse than your last boyfriend. Where do you pick those up?"

I couldn't help it. That comment made me burst out a laugh, melting the tension away that had been building. "He's a friend, nothing more. And I guess he picked me up. Quite literally…" I poked his chest. "Be nice to her. Or rather… just don't be so you around her."

"I'm me around everyone." His half smile was as vicious as it was teasing.

Donna giggled. "Maybe stop it and people might actually like you."

"I don't need them to."

"Obviously. Well, I guess it's enough if Lucy does. And the Doctor."

"Just shut it, witch."

"Witch?" Donna laughed. "That's the least creative insult I've heard from you in a while."

I groaned and pinched my nose with two fingers. "Can we just… leave or something? I don't want to be here any longer than necessary."

"The ice cream hole is still in business," said Nina, referring to a location we had started calling a hole because it was a shabby place, but sold surprisingly delicious ice cream.

"Yeah, good idea."

.

"What happened to Dad?" I asked eventually. The whole way down the road and through half of the village I had avoided the question, had tried to shove it away from me as if that would make its source disappear.

Now we sat in the park, watching people pass by, listening to the sounds of birds and the flowing creek. Donna and Nina got along fine, just as I had anticipated. What actually surprised me, was that the Master stayed close and that he, aside from his overly dramatic introduction, kept a relatively low profile. Aside from some snarky remarks, of course. Even the Doctor joined us, just as we reached the ice cream hole, happily accepting to have someone pay for him. He wasn't as happy anymore when I told him about what had happened in my former home.

However, they all left soon so I could have a quiet chat with my sister. Donna sat on a bench and watched some dogs play, whilst the Time Lords strolled between the trees. Talking? It looked as if the Doctor actually wanted to get away from the other man, fidgeting and turning his head all the time.

Right now, though, their affairs didn't bother me much. I still felt numb because of the bad news and stared at my ice cream for almost a minute, before eating it. I got what I always got. My holy trinity, as I used to call it. Hazelnut, citron and stracciatella. The nostalgia was almost overwhelming.

Nina looked sad at the question, but she answered nonetheless. "He wouldn't come out of his room all day and when I went in to check on him… The doctors said his heart simply stopped working. It was a peaceful death."

I swallowed and nodded. It was at least good to know that he hadn't suffered.

"How… do you get by now?" I asked. Mom had always been too lazy to work, had instead settled on throwing out every penny her husband had earned. "Did you ever start an apprenticeship or anything?"

"Yeah." My sister nodded. "Just in retail, nothing fancy, really. But it makes enough money."

"Why don't you move out then? Get your own place. I bet Mum is draining your bank account the same as she did with Dad's."

Nina huffed. "She tried. And she's annoying about money all the goddamn time, that's right. But I only give her a small amount for herself and keep the rest. I can't just move out, Lucy. What would she do all alone?"

I frowned and resisted the urge to literally growl. "She'd deserve every bad thing coming her way."

I got no answer. There was just this sad look. The same I had seen on my father's face so often. And now he would never have the chance to have a proper life of his own, free from that tyrannic woman.

The Master strolled towards us. He was nibbling away at the remnants of his ice cream waffle. Strawberry, what else. "Can we leave now?" he asked, his eyes darting towards my sister. "As I see it, there is nothing left for you here."

I shot him a pointed look. "I told you, I never planned to stay here. Don't make a fuss."

"You're sure he's not your boyfriend?" Nina taunted.

"Yes!" I grunted frustrated, then mumbled, "He'd probably rather cut his hand off than let that happen."

"Ouh, that sounded horribly disappointed." The Master wore another nasty grin. One that deserved to be smacked out of his face.

"Are you for real?"

He chuckled ruffled through my hair a little. His attention went to my sister. "I own her. That's much better."

Nina opened her mouth, but didn't seem to find words. Eventually she shook her head. "I'm pretty sure I don't want to know."

What was this? This nagging feeling inside of me. The Master was right, there was nothing left to do for me here. Not that it wasn't great to see my sister again, but we had never been very close. For no reason at all, honestly. We simply didn't have too much in common. The one I had come for was gone. Forever. There was no one else I had wanted to see so badly. The connection I used to have with my father had been such a special one…

Now he was gone.

I felt the tears well up again and swallowed them down with some effort.

"What are you doing, Lucy?" asked Nina. "You disappeared for so long and no one knows anything."

I huffed. "Why should I tell anyone? You know what our family's like. They only want to know about achievements and see if they can brag with us. I'm not some bloody trophy to show around." I sighed. "Not that there's anything worth bragging about. I struggled. A lot. Didn't get forward much, if at all. And now…" I thumbed at the others. "I travel with them. Just seeing the world. That's actually pretty neat."

"Oh, like a YouTube travel Blog?"

That made me laugh. It sounded so simple. Way too simple to ever cover my experiences that were now the new normal for me. "No. We don't record it. It's just… for fun." I shrugged. "'s hard to explain, honestly.' n Im helping that prick here with a… project. That's all."

"Sounds cool, though." Nina smiled. "I always wanted to travel. But I'm too anxious for that. You know how it is."

"Hehe, yeah, I do. You'll take care of yourself, right?" I drew her in for a hug. "And consider leaving her. Be selfish for once."

Nina hugged me back. "Maybe one day."

As much as I loved her, there was nothing I could do if she wasn't even willing to help herself. And with that I had no more reason to stay.

The others joined us and I looked at each of them, then at my sister. This was goodbye. I would leave my past behind. I had found a new… family? Twisted and weird as they might be, but this was the place I now belonged. So I gave them a nod and slid my hand into the Master's.

"Let's go home."

.

"I'm sorry for your loss."

The Doctor sat next to me in the door. We stared out into space, like so often. I felt that his words were meant in honest, although they had sounded a little clumsy. As if he had read up on what to say to a human in such a situation. And, knowing him, he probably had.

I appreciated the gesture. "Thank you. It was… I didn't even think about the possibility. He was just in his mid sixties."

"That's incredibly young. Even in your times a human should easily get to their… oh oh, I'm rambling again. Sorry."

"It's okay, Doctor."

I playfully nudged our shoulders together. He rubbed my back, his motions a little clumsy. One would think he would know how to be with other people after such a long life and after having lived with so many different companions. But the thought occurred to me that he always did his best to keep a good distance from everyone. Maybe he had simply forgotten. Keep lonely for long enough and even something as simple as a brushing touch feels like something you've never done before.

I rested my head against his shoulder. I need the comfort of another person right now and I was sure he needed it too. For more and wider reasons than my own small problems.

My thoughts drifted away, out to the stars and into the distant nebulae. If only I had been able to say goodbye, to give him one last hug.

"Doctor…" I sat up.

"Mhm? What is it?"

"What if we… IfIf we travel back. In time. Could we… I just want to see him one las-"

"No!"

I winced at his sharp tone.

"Sorry, but I can't." He retreated and stood up, leaning against the door frame with folded arms. "Someone I… knew… once asked me the same. And it didn't end well. Can't risk that again. No discussion. Please."

I wrapped my arms around myself and nodded. He didn't sound as if it would do me any good to try harder. Asking at all had cost me enough willpower already. I winced again when his hand squeezed my shoulder and I looked up.

"We can go somewhere nice tomorrow. A theme park maybe? I bet Donna would love that too."

I forced myself to smile. "Yeah, sounds good."