I have no idea how this one ended up as long as it did... Woopsie! Anyway, I hope you enjoy!


Armitage.

No sooner had Armitage deposited the girl back in her room, he heard The Master's voice in his earpiece.

"How does she seem?" His tone was measured, as it usually was when they spoke. But Armitage had learnt to read between the lines. He'd learnt to interpret the way The Master's breath clipped, how he sometimes trailed off at the end of sentences or the strained gravel to his voice.

Armitage responded factually. "Fine. She cooperated with Dr Pearce." It was professional, just enough information to appease his curiosity, without appearing overly interested in his wife.

"Good. And now…? What is she doing now?"

Armitage moved to the security room adjacent to Hally's bedroom, taking a seat in front of the array of screens. He massaged his jaw. Why The Master wasn't looking at his own personal device, he couldn't know. "I believe she's in the shower."

"Hmm…"

Armitage leant back into his chair. The Time Lord evidently needed reassurance today. "Dr Pearce informed me that she does not deem the girl to be a danger to herself." He offered.

His earpiece was silent for a moment.

"Mmm. Alright. Good." Came The Master's clipped reply. "Keep me updated."

"Yes, Sir."

He watched as the girl exited the bathroom, wrapped up in a towel. Her gait had a renewed bounce to it, her shoulders less slumped. Perhaps The Master's rogue idea of hiring the psychologist wasn't so rogue after all.

Armitage understood, however, The Master's need to exercise control. From the moment he had been hired by Harold Saxon, before he'd even entered the public eye, controlling each and every outcome had been key. It was why Armitage had been taken on in the first place, having just infiltrated the Chinese Government for an 'anonymous party', Harold Saxon had approached him and offered him significantly more money to act as bodyguard to an unconscious woman.

Armitage had thought it the easiest job of his career.

That was until The Master had woken her up.

She was so stubborn. Gratingly so.

The Master had given Armitage two very simple tasks. Keep her in line and protect her at all costs. Unfortunately, now that she wasn't deep under his hypnotism, the main threat to both of Armitage's tasks was The Master himself. But, of course, he couldn't very well raise that with his boss. He much preferred being alive.

Armitage considered himself a loyal employee and he did have to admit that the job had left him in a rather comfortable position. Even with The Master taking over the earth, Armitage had money, he was safe, no family or loved ones to take care of, plus he had ended up being in the rather unique position of having The Master's trust. Or, as much trust as the tyrant was possible of providing to a human.

He watched as she redressed herself and started picking at the tray that had been left at her desk. That evening's dinner. Spending so much time in their vicinity, watching them, it was obvious that they were both unavoidably obsessed with one another. It made his job more difficult, more unpredictable. He was having to adapt, take each day as it came in the hopes that neither of them would snap and accidentally kill the other.

Glorified babysitting.

Very specific, controlled babysitting.

After all, The Master had designed a very specific, personalised way to hurt his wife. A deadly mixture of revenge, jealousy and longing. It would make sense that he had not planned for her to hurt herself. That was outside of his control. Hence, the possibly perceived strangeness of his request to bring in the psychologist. But Armitage understood. No one was allowed to hurt his wife, not even herself, without express permission and direction from The Master. It was part of the reason Armitage was here at all. The other prisoners, The Doctor, were kept in line by the many guards and military men and women on the Valiant. But not Hally.

She was only to be seen, to be touched by Armitage. The others had been given strict instruction to barely even be near her unless unavoidable. But between Armitage and The Master, they had their agreed escalation points, all meticulously planned and detailed. If she didn't eat, there were steps and strategies in place. If she wouldn't walk unaided to wherever he wanted her, he was allowed to drag/carry/incapacitate her as required.

Since coming on board the Valiant, The Master had taken the reigns on dealing physical pain. The effects would be more personal, more effective. But Armitage had his own arsenal of pre-approved 'behavioural adjustment techniques'. Locking her in her room was the first and easiest. A sharp, single hit being the second and the third was cutting off her oxygen supply. Simple, effective.

There had been no plan for her hurting herself, so Armitage had acted on impulse. He'd knocked her out before she could do any further damage and had called the onboard medic. It was the second time he'd seen the man truly rattled.

The first had been when she'd been stabbed.

Albeit on his orders.

But, she had almost died.

She was his weakness. The gaping hole in his armour.

And from The Master's perspective, the less people who knew about her, the better.


Francine.

Francine was exhausted.

The cold, hard, wall behind her propped her up as she sat in the cot that had become her bed. Letitia sat on the other side of the poorly lit square, removing her shoes. Wincing as she did so. Francine was so very proud of her daughter. Despite everything, she always tried to put on a brave face.

"…all strung up between two pillars down there all on his own. Poor thing." Letitia sighed. She was talking about Jack. The Doctor's friend. He had been moved from his cell after returning from the bridge. Another punishment after his 'escape' attempt. At least he'd done something. Fought back.

"Honestly, I had to spoon-feed him. I wonder how long he'll keep him down there…" Letitia trailed off, her face pulling into a sympathetic grimace.

Not like The Doctor. He just sat silently. The man her daughter had thought so highly of, had followed into space, and he just sat and let The Master do whatever he wished. It made Francine's stomach churn. That man was the reason Martha was gone, her daughter was alone out there somewhere. Being hunted like a dog. All because of that man. And he did nothing to save her. Her face pulled into a tight frown. Letitia kept talking.

"He was asking about her though…" She paused thoughtfully. "About The Doctor's daughter. Asked if any of us had ever seen her outside of the bridge. I said I hadn't… have you?"

Francine shook her head slightly. "No."

"Hmm, I think he's got a bit of a thing for her you know. Jack. I think he likes her." Letitia gave her mother a small knowing smile. It never failed to flaw her, how her daughter could flick the switch and act like nothing was out of the ordinary. Gossiping about Mr Harkness's love life while they'd been enslaved. "Then I thought about it, you know, why he'd bother trying to escape. But he said, didn't he… on the bridge he told her he was coming to check on her. Then it clicked. She's the last female Time Lord." Letitia was staring at her, wide-eyed.

"So?" Francine responded, frowning slightly.

Letitia gave her mother a small huff, disappointed that she wasn't following her. "Well. The Master and The Doctor are supposed to be the last of their race right? Perhaps The Master wants The Doctor's daughter to… you know… make more?" Letitia nodded. "And I think Jack thinks this too… which is why he's always so worried about her. It would make sense. She's not kept down here with us. He'd want to keep her close."

"As long as it keeps him away from us… I couldn't care less." Francine muttered.

Letitia gasped softly. "Mum! You can't say that!" She berated, her voice hushed.

Francine shrugged. "Whatever those 'Time Lords' want to do between themselves has nothing to do with us. I'd rather they were all as far away from this planet as possible."

Her daughter gave her an exasperated look. "They're as much prisoners as we are. If anyone can beat The Master, it'll be one of them. We just have to have faith Mum…"

Francine smiled slightly for her daughter. The hope in her eyes was too bright and she couldn't bring herself to extinguish it just yet. She was just too tired.


Lucy.

Something was nagging at the back of Lucy's mind.

She lay in the lukewarm water of the bath, staring ahead at the tiled wall. Her room was silent, as it always was. Silent and empty. She wasn't even sure where Harry slept these days. If he slept.

The initial anger and fear she'd felt at being swept aside had long since melted into a weighty sadness. She had thought, had been led to believe that The Master, the man pretending to be her husband had developed some affection for her, had perhaps even respected her as they'd moulded this plan together. He had shown her the end of the universe. They had conquered humanity together and now… Now she barely existed.

Not that anyone outside of the four walls of her suite would ever know that. She would continue to play the role he had given her. His loyal companion.

She had thought he had needed her. They would rule the Earth side by side.

But if The Master no longer required her, why was she still alive?

She was nothing to him.

Just a pawn.

A pawn in a game.

But what game?

The niggling persisted. The way the other woman had spoken to her earlier. Hally. What had she said?

"Sorry, who are you supposed to be again?"

Something about it didn't fit. The way The Master had let her berate him. He'd even responded in a way other than violence. It made no sense.

He had told her that he had captured Hally to hurt The Doctor. He had awoken her and put her in the facility to gather information. To use her to hurt him. She wasn't supposed to be anything other than collateral damage. Which was why it made no sense.

"Sorry, who are you supposed to be again?"

Because that… that was personal. Lucy knew a bitchy comment when she heard one and that had been precisely that. She was used to the hateful glances, the muttering of the prisoners under their breath, blaming her for his rise to become Prime Minister, questioning how she could betray her own planet. Those slights made sense. But what she'd said…

Lucy couldn't quite place it.

The Master didn't treat Hally as if she were collateral damage.

Which meant there was something else. Another game.

Lucy frowned.

If Lucy was the pawn in the game and The Master the 'King'…

Lucy didn't know much about chess, but she knew. The most valuable piece on the board. The Queen.

Could it be?

She had to be sure.


Alina.

Alina exhaled as she climbed into her single bed, clicking off the lamp that sat on the table by the side. She tried to clear her mind. Decompress. It had been an 'interesting' day. Her first session.

She hated this. All of it. But being here was better than the alternative. Plus, her family were safe. So Alina would carry on. She would do what was asked of her while The Master kept her family safe.

She just had to talk to his wife. It was manageable. Hally herself seemed pleasant enough. If not emotionally unequipped. He hadn't given her any other instruction other than to treat her as she would normally treat a patient.

Initially, Alina had been surprised, suspicious. But after reading the file put together by Armitage and after watching the footage from the facility, Alina had reached the conclusion that The Master was mostly under the impression that he'd selflessly requested her presence. But if Alina were asked to give her professional opinion… the conclusion she would draw would be that The Master was becoming insecure about what was going on inside his wife's head. Even Hally herself had today confirmed that the pair had had a telepathic bond for the rest of their marriage. Access to each other's thoughts and feelings. Without that bond, that two-way communication, The Master was unknowingly grasping at the next best thing.

Armitage had taken her notebook a few hours ago after she'd finished writing her initial thoughts and assessment. Hally's insight into The Master's mind had been enlightening, although Alina had kept it brief in her summary, not wanting The Master to question her tactics. Her main points of interest had been Hally's avoidance of the topic of her mother and whether she deemed her a risk to herself. Which she currently didn't.

There were thoughts she couldn't include in her report. Their relationship was dangerous. Unstable. Which meant their relationship was a danger to everyone on board and everyone on the planet below.

Although. Their relationship could also be beneficial. Alina wondered how their dynamic would shift if The Master were to remove the Biodampener around Hally's neck. If either party could ever trust the other enough to do it. If they both connected, could she have enough sway over him to get him to stop? Alina considered the thought carefully, weighing up the possible pros and cons.

Surely, it would be worth a try.


Breakfast was tense.

Not that breakfast had ever not been tense but today the awkward silence suspended over the table was practically another dining guest. The Doctor still hadn't spoken to her after she'd demanded an apology yesterday and Jack was probably not the happiest with her either after she'd snapped at him. She felt a little bad about that, although in the moment it had felt necessary.

Her eyes slid to the man on her right, The Master. Mixing blueberries into a bowl of granola as if he wasn't the orchestrator of all of the discord at the table. He caught her looking at him, his head tilting ever so slightly to the side.

Oh yes.

Hally had almost forgotten that he was mad at her too.

Wonderful.

She turned to the human in front of her, assuming at least Lucy would simply have disinterest in her eyes. But no, Lucy glared back at Hally hatefully.

Excellent.

No friends at this table.

Hally returned her eyes to the safety of the food in front of her. She wanted to speak with The Master alone, but that was a rarity and she wasn't sure how she could initiate it without raising any suspicions. Once they'd all dispersed from the table, maybe she could get Armitage's attention.

The hairs on the back of her neck were tickling her in warning and Hally looked up. Lucy was still staring at her, watching.

Her eyebrows pulled into a frown as the human took a breath.

"Could you pass me the milk?" Lucy asked in a sickenly innocent tone.

There was a small ripple of movement as everyone at the table looked up to check who was being asked, before their eyes settled on Hally. She raised an eyebrow, the jug of milk was placed on the table in between the two women and if Hally had to guess it looked like it was already closer to Lucy.

Hally gave her a small, polite smile, levelling her voice. "I'm sure you can manage…"

Instantly the blonde's head whipped to The Master, giving him a meaningful look. The Master exhaled loudly, his face darkening with impatience. He pinched the bridge of his nose between his fingers. "Hally, do as you're told." He clipped quickly.

Her eyes twitched and narrowed. It would be suspicious if he didn't take Lucy's side but the notion caused her jaw to tighten all the same. Hally stared back at Lucy, there was a calculating amusement sparkling behind the human's eyes. "Well, go on." Her voice was so soft, feminine.

Hally conceded, after all, it would be more difficult to get The Master alone if he banished her to her room before the day had even begun. Hally leant over the table, reaching out with her non-bandaged hand.

Lucy hummed. "No. I think, the other hand."

Hally paused, her hand on the jug. The Master sucked on the back of his teeth. Steeling herself, Hally reached for the jug with her right hand, wincing as her injured skin stretched painfully as she tightened her hand around the handle. As she lifted, her hand spasmed and the milk jug slipped from her grasp. Both Lucy and The Master pushed themselves away from the table swiftly to avoid the spillage, the human jumping to her feet.

Hally's mouth twitched up into a sly smile, muttering to herself. "They say Karma's a bitch."

"You did that on purpose!" Lucy shrieked, her perfectly symmetrical face contorting with rage.

Hally hummed in amusement. "I actually didn't, although I wish I had." She brought her injured hand to her chest, her palm stinging.

The Master rolled his jaw, catching Hally with an impatient stare. He exhaled heavily, motioning to the man standing behind her. "Armitage, get her out of here."

The petulant look Lucy gave The Master almost had Hally scoffing. "But she did it on purpose. She needs to be taught a lesson." Lucy spat.

Armitage, who had already dragged Hally out of her chair, pulling her away by the upper arm, paused for a moment. Checking with The Master for some kind of confirmation.

"Who says I'm not punishing her?" The Master growled lowly, dangerously. Lucy was stepping on thin ice.

Lucy's face softened, melting into a submissive, adoring smile. Perfectly placed. "Perhaps I'd like to take the burden from you?" She cooed. The Master watched her, face devoid of emotion. "Let me. I know you're much better at it than me… but she deserves to be punished. Here and now, in front of everyone." Lucy cocked her head to one side. "Like how you'd train a dog." She hummed softly, sweetly. Hally felt up top lip curl in a silent snarl.

The hand around her arm tightened, in warning or as a precaution Hally wasn't sure. Lucy looked back at Hally, her face was a tight mask of poise, but the malice was burning through her irises. The Master crossed his arms over his chest, weighing his options. There was a pause and he sucked on the inside of his cheeks, pouting irritably. His eyes caught hers, he was stuck in a trap of his own making, he was going to have to let the human touch her, even though his dark eyes, looking up at her through lowered eyebrows, screamed that that was the last thing he wanted to do. Hally was furious. Clammy apprehension stuck to her chest and neck. Because she knew, he was going to let the human touch her, he had to. Her eyes stung painfully.

The Master still hadn't spoken, his attention grazed over to the human. As of today, the bold human. Stupid human. Then back to Hally. Something flashed in Lucy's eyes as he looked away. Hatred.

Hally's eyes widened a fraction.

Oooooh fuck.

She knew.

She'd worked it out.

Fuck, fuck, fuck.

Hally had completely discounted Lucy as any kind of threat, and yet here she was. She had laid a trap for them both and they'd walked straight into it. The Master was conflicted and both women could see it.

Acting quickly, Hally tried to minimise the damage. Take control. "Well, go on then. Your bark is pretty pathetic so I'm assuming your bite is even more pitiful." Hally forced a smirk onto her face, feigning an attitude. The Master's eyes widened slightly, but seeing as Hally had practically lit the green light for him, he nodded towards Lucy, motioning for her to continue.

Lucy stalked around the table, fiddling with her hand as she did so. She placed herself directly in front of Hally and after only a moment's consideration, she backhanded her hard across the face. Hally's head snapped to the left, the right side of her face aflame. There was a sharper sting, just above her cheekbone and when Hally touched at it, her fingers came away red. Her eyes flicked down to the hand Lucy had used, her right hand, dominant hand. But there, newly placed on her middle finger, was her engagement ring. Hally hummed in appreciation of the irony.

Touché Lucy.

Lucy gave her a patronising, knowing smile. "Apologise."

Hally ground her jaw, her face hurt but… it would be unlike her to concede so quickly. "Nope." She muttered. She'd wanted it to come out with some bite but instead, it sounded disinterested. Just going through the motions.

Lucy smirked, relishing the opportunity. She turned her attention to the man standing behind Hally. Holding her still. "You…" Armitage straightened up slightly. "Do you think you'd be able to give me a hand?" Lucy purred sweetly.

Behind Lucy, The Master was watching them carefully, his eyes flicked to Armitage and then back to Hally. A silent exchange of glances. Passing invisible notes between the trio, for confirmation on how to proceed. Her chin tilted down, signalling her agreement. A shadow had stitched itself onto her husband's face. His jaw pulsed as he grit his teeth together. Eyes almost black as he looked back to the guard stood at her back. He nodded, unseen by Lucy and still with his arms crossed, he tapped his forearm three times.

"Of course, Ma'am." Armitage's gruff voice rumbled behind her. He released Hally's arm and moved directly behind her. His right hand came over her shoulder, to cup her throat. The pressure increased slowly, almost gently. Keeping her held steadily against him. It was precise, controlled and professional. Gradually pressing.

Until she couldn't breathe.

Both her hands grabbed at his arm as her body went into panic mode. The pressure on her neck didn't budge. Just enough to stop the oxygen from flowing into her lungs. Her body started to wriggle of its own accord, struggling and straining to get away. Lucy stared with fascination at her futile efforts to escape. The Master's fingers dug into his shirt, his thumb swiftly tapping repeated beats of four. Dark eyes concentrating hard as she thrashed against the immovable muscle behind her. Her body was weakening. Black crept into her vision.

Then, the pressure at her neck lessened.

Hally couldn't help the undignified gasp of air as her lungs desperately pulled in oxygen. She coughed violently, Armitage holding her steady.

For a few moments, the room was filled with only the sound of Hally spluttering as her lungs recovered.

Lucy narrowed her eyes. "Apologise."

Hally stared at the human. She had to give the woman credit. It was a bold move. Another cough pulled through her throat and she inhaled deeply. "I'm sorry." Hally hissed, voicelessly. The muscles in her neck straining.

A smile split Lucy's face. "Good." She turned innocently back to The Master. "How did I do?"

Instantly, The Master plastered a proud smile onto his face. "Wonderfully, my darling wife." His chin jutted out as she moved past him. Then he steeled his expression as his attention fell back on Hally. "Sit." He threw at her. She complied swiftly.

The Master opened his mouth to say something, but whatever it was seemed to get stuck. So he settled on a generic sneer. "It would seem that my hospitality has gone unappreciated." He curled his top lip in disdain. "One would almost think you would all prefer to go without?" He eyed the prisoners around the table, humming in thought before he turned on his heel and stalked away to the upper bridge. Lucy smiled after him, then, once she was sure he'd moved far enough away, her face fell. Eyes sparkling with a rage that Hally was very familiar with. But then, a flash of fear. The human's eyes met hers and Hally stared back at her. Unsympathetic.

Yes… best get out of his way.

Lucy raised her chin and swiftly glided towards the door and away from the bridge.

Hally swallowed, wincing. To her left, Jack reached across the table and grabbed an unused serviette, dabbing it in his water. He held it out to her and she took it from him, muttering a soft thanks and bringing it to her face to dab gently at the gash Lucy's ring had opened.

The Master was on the bridge, they could all hear him barking orders loudly, erratically pacing along the control deck.

She needed him to be less… angry. Talking to him in this state would only prove to be explosive and that wasn't what she needed. Although, she wasn't sure if she could wait. The human was now out of sight, she couldn't be sure that she wasn't already causing more damage.

Hally sighed softly, rising to her feet slowly and turning towards her personal shadow. He looked back at her, face unreadable as always. Stepping in closer, she muttered. "I need to speak with him. Alone."

Armitage looked her up and down, reaching into his pocket for his phone, he typed something on the screen quickly. Then after a brief pause, Armitage manoeuvred her towards the door. "Come with me."

Hally assumed he would be taking her to her room, so she was surprised when he led them to a new part of the ship. It felt like they were fairly high up. The layout changed, from long corporate corridors to a kind of indoor courtyard, dots of greenery around the edges. The ceiling gave way to a panelled glass dome, looking out onto the bright blue of the sky. Thin columns held up the second floor of the courtyard. Doors and archways lead off into rooms and alcoves. It was beautiful, like a sanctuary. Hally could be fooled into thinking she'd stepped foot back on earth, into a beautiful Spanish or Greek villa. There wasn't much time to admire the courtyard though, as Armitage guided her straight through towards two heavy wooden doors at the far end. He pushed one open, motioning for her to enter.

"Wait here." He stepped aside, meaning for her to go in alone.

She took a slow step into the new room and her eyes widened in awe as she crossed the threshold.

Some kind of witty quip would have probably been appropriate as Armitage closed the door behind her, but instead, she just stood, silently stunned.

It was a library.

Hally took a few steps further into the room.

But, it was the most beautiful library she'd seen since Gallifrey.

It was huge.

Perhaps even the same size as the bridge. Warm wooden bookshelves lined the four walls, each one filled to the ceiling with books.

"You've got to be fucking kidding…" Hally whispered to herself.

Light streamed in from a floor-to-ceiling window that sat in the middle of the left-hand side wall. At the far end of the room, sat a proud desk and behind that, a cosy fireplace, cornered by a set of armchairs and a coffee table.

He'd had this on the ship, the entire time?!

You're not going to win me over with this Beauty and the Beast style shit, Koschei…

The sound of her hearts beating in her ears suggested otherwise.

She paced around the walls. Some of the books were from the TARDIS, others he must have acquired on Earth. Hally very quickly allowed the room to distract her as she waited for The Master. The door slammed open after twenty minutes and she turned, The Master stormed over to her. She braced for impact, anger was still sizzling under the surface. He reached her and stopped, his eyes drawn to the gash and accompanying bruise on her cheek. His hand came up, thumb brushing underneath it. She winced, he wasn't gentle.

"She knows." Hally started.

He pulled back an inch, frowning. "No, she doesn't, she just doesn't like you." He pursed his lips. "I can relate."

Hally shot him a look of impatience. He was being petty.

"She knows, Koschei."

He pulled his hand away from her face, stepping back and shrugging. "There's nothing to know."

How could he be so infuriating at the same time as looking so nonchalant? Hally scoffed. "Stop the act."

"There is no act." He shot back quickly. Eyes flashing.

"Of course, there is, all this bullshit." Hally motioned at him with her hand. Her voice cracked. "Power grabbing, all your stupid little games, pitting me and The Doctor against one another, marrying a human." She rolled her eyes, emphasizing her final point.

"It's not an act, I mean all of it." His upper lip curled. It was almost believable.

"No, you don't." She narrowed her eyes at him.

"Yes, I do." He countered and cocked his head to one side. "You know I do. You've always known. It's who I am. You knew then and you know now, I'm not a good person." His eyes narrowed. "You've always known. It's not me you're angry at."

She rolled her eyes, her frustration escaping in a short groan.

He laughed, it was cold and cruel. "It's true. You're so angry because you know who I am." His eyes glimmered with arrogance. "You know I'm the man who hurts the people you love. I'm the man who hurts you. I've taken over this planet and I'm going to destroy all of it and I'm never going to stop." His voice had dropped low and he purred. "But that's not why you're angry." He invaded her space suddenly, stepping back in, crowding her. "You're angry because you love me despite all that and it's killing you." His eyebrows raised and his eyes held her captive. "Because now, you have to choose. Between who you are and who you're pretending to be."

"Stop it." Hally held her ground, planting her feet on the floor. Not letting him back her into a corner this time.

"I won't." He rebutted, looking down at her.

Her face cracked, the butterflies in her stomach breaking to the surface. "Why not?"

His breath tickled her face. "That's not the question you want to ask, is it sweetheart." His eyes were cold, calculating. A hunter who had found its prey. Edging it closer into the trap. Danger sparked behind his eyes.

Her resolve was breaking. She wanted so much to be able to scream at him, to tell him how awful he was being. Instead, she asked. "Why are you doing this?" Her voice wavered, not only from the after-effects of Armitage's hand.

"Not quite." His hand caught her chin, holding her still.

She knew what he wanted. It had been the question on her lips from the moment Harold Saxon had revealed himself as The Master. But, she'd never been brave enough to ask. Because then he would know. As if he didn't already know…

Then it would be inescapable. She didn't want to have to face it head-on. Being angry at him was so much easier than being angry at herself. She'd spent months pretending that the guilt eating at her from the inside was his fault, forcing the blame onto him. But she knew.

After all this time. Taking over the planet. Imprisoning The Doctor. Killing millions of humans. Slaughtering them and forcing them into slavery.

The one question she really wanted to ask.

"Why are you doing this to me?" Saying it out loud, she felt sick. It was as if she had just pushed a knife into the back of everyone else on board. Her eyes were round and fearful.

"Ahh, and there it is." He hummed lowly, eyes flashing with victory.

A desperate sound climbed up her throat and she smacked her fist heavily against his chest. "Tell me!"

Then the dam broke.

The Master grabbed her shoulders and shook her violently. "You abandoned me!" Rage and pain rolled off him in tidal waves. Her breath caught in her throat. "It was us against the universe and you left!" He was terrifying. Pure, deranged agony screamed back at her. "You let The Doctor sweep you away and you forgot about me." His fingers were digging painfully into her shoulders.

No sounds were coming. She just stared at him. It hit her so hard. His pain. She had done that to him. "I…" Her voice clipped. She shook her head slightly. "I didn't forget… I thought you were dead."

His eyes narrowed and he bared his teeth in an unforgiving snarl. "Did you even look?"

She blinked up at him, eyes filling with tears. Her chest ached, with every sharp inhale it was as if she was pulling daggers into her lungs. Her eyes slid away from his and she bowed her head. He was right.

She had left him.

Alone.

"I'm sorry." Her voice was barely audible above the pounding of her hearts in her ears. She couldn't look him in the eye, couldn't bare to witness the pain in them. The pain that she had caused. "You're right… I'm sorry." She closed her eyes, dropping her head forward until her forehead connected with his chest. His hearts were racing, but the hands on her shoulders eased up their suffocating pressure. "I should have burned down the entire universe looking for you." She mumbled weakly into his chest.

"So, why didn't you?" His chest rumbled, the disappointment unbearably loud.

Hally forced herself to look back up at him. Tears tracked their way over her cheeks. He looked back at her, his thoughts locked away behind an impassive mask. "Because I believed him. Because The Doctor told me Gallifrey was gone and everyone had died, and I believed him." She could feel herself shaking in his arms, becoming very aware that if he hadn't been holding her captive she would probably have backed away. "Because I wanted so much to fit into his life. I wanted so much to belong there. Because…" The words caught in a choke. "I let you down." She reached up at hand, touching his cheek. "I'm sorry."

His eyes were hard and cold, but the skin under her hand was warm. "The Doctor lies." He hissed softly.

She nodded, eyes pressing closed as another wave of tears fell free. "I know. I'm so sorry." She needed him to believe her. This grief inside her felt like it was turning her inside out.

"You don't belong with him." His hands moved from her shoulders to cup both sides of her face. Her face broke and she sobbed. His thumb halted the trail of water running from her eye.

"But… I can't belong here either… not like this." Her voice cracked as the sobs cut off her words.

"I know, sweetheart." His face softened an inch and his lips pressed against her forehead. Warmth blossomed across her face.

"I… I understand Koschei, maybe not fully, maybe not completely, why. But I know your rage and your pain and I'm so sorry that I hurt you. But all of this… I can't stand by and let it happen. No matter how much I... I just. I can't." She was breathing heavily, her eyes locked with his. "He's… after everything, he's still my father."

"And me?"

Her eyebrows tugged into a frown.

"After everything. What am I?" The dark of his eyes swirled with something that looked like longing. Deep and desperate.

"You're… you're the man I married." She whispered. She saw the doubt cross his face, unsure how to take her declaration. She pulled back slightly, taking her hand from his face and moving it down the neck of her dress. He had to remove his hands from her so she could pull the chain off over her neck. She pulled the ring from the chain and placed it on the middle finger of her left hand.

They both stared at it. Not quite where it should be, but it was there. Her wedding ring was on her hand. He caught the tips of her fingers in his, bringing it closer towards him as if inspecting it. He pushed his fingers through hers, locking their left hands together. He hummed in soft satisfaction as their rings pressed together, next to one another. They had never really matched. One silvery in colour, the other gold. But they were beautiful and undeniably them.

"I promise… no matter what happens, I am never going to give up on you like that again." Hally looked up into his eyes, the intensity in his gaze sent a shiver up her spine. A glassy sheen reflected back at her. "You have me Koschei. You've always had me. I'm here. I'm sorry and I'm here."

He felt infinitely too far away, her body curved towards him until she'd nestled their chests together. His hand still held hers, his eyes searched her face. Searching for any hint of reluctance or dishonestly. A small smile crept onto his face.

The air around them was heavy with emotion. She could see, the hunger in his eyes. He wanted to grasp her, to fold to both of their baser instincts. The way her pupils widened, he would have seen that she wanted it too. But it was too much, too soon. For both of them.

He swallowed and the hunger in his eyes lessened, to be replaced with soft amusement. "I knew therapy would be good for you."

She breathed out a laugh, bumping her hips playfully against him. "I can't believe you."

He grinned. "What? It worked wonders last time." The wink he gave her was positively scandalous.

She pouted at him. "I hate you."

"No, you don't." His eyes twinkled mercilessly.

Hally exhaled softly. "You know I'm still going to fight you…? This doesn't change that."

"Of course." The side of his mouth twitched, a sad kind of pride on his face.

"Why didn't you just talk to me? Why do ALL this?"

"Because I was… am angry. Furious. I wanted you to feel the pain that I have felt. You understand the sentiment." He cocked his head to one side and she nodded her head, begrudgingly agreeing. "I didn't know if I could trust you…"

She winced, hearing him say it out loud was painful. "And now?"

He was silent, but his eyes lit up with a small smile. He untangled their hands, brushing his thumb softly across her cheek. He paused just underneath the cut Lucy had left, considering the mark. "It didn't look like she struck you that hard…" He murmured, concern seeping into his hushed voice.

Hally exhaled sharply through her nose. "She didn't. She moved her engagement ring…" Her eyebrow cocked, giving him a stern look.

His eyes widened as the realisation dawned on him.

"Koschei… she knows." Hally said firmly.

He nodded slowly. "Then let me deal with her." He moved away from her, a flash of anger lighting up his eyes as he also concluded that the human had forced his hand earlier.

Hally followed him as he strode over to the desk at the far end of the library. "I don't think so… I know what your idea of 'dealing with her' would probably entail."

He took a seat behind the desk. "She's become an obstacle."

"Well yes, but you can't kill her!" Hally exclaimed, coming to perch herself next to him on the desk, facing towards him.

He frowned a genuinely confused frown. "Why not…?"

She huffed. "Because! You got her into this mess." He took out his phone, typing swiftly.

"I mean, she didn't protest." He muttered, his tone uncaring and nonchalant.

Hally plucked the device from his hands, placing it down on the desk out of his reach. "You can't kill her."

He gave her an affronted eyebrow. "Fine. I'll send her away."

Hally blinked. Surprised that he'd conceded. Then she was struck by a thought. "You shouldn't really do that either… she is… kind of a decent… cover." Hally chewed at her lip, cocking her head slightly.

Her husband's eyes darkened and he chuckled. "Oh, look at you." A self-satisfied smirk fell onto his face as he provocatively looked her up and down.

"Shut up." She breathed, crossing her arms over her chest.

He hummed, eyes flicking back to her face. "So, what do you suggest, little wise one?"

Hally sent him a half-hearted scowl. "You can't hurt her. But…? Well… she knows, so we need to do something. She's understandably angry." Hally tried to reason, giving him a scathing look.

He scoffed and rolled his eyes. "Oh come on, she's just a human."

"Yes, but she's a human who you've accidentally given power to here. You need to… you know..." She wiggled her fingers, hoping he'd catch her drift.

"No…?" He sat back in the chair, looking up at her.

Hally rolled her eyes. "Well, what did you do that last time you had 'inconvenient spouse issues'?" She clipped patronisingly. Putting on her best fake smile.

He laughed, eyes lighting up with delight. "Oh. You mean I need to hypnotise her?" His smirk widened, fond amusement in his voice.

"Yes."

He shrugged, still smiling. "Seems like a lot of effort when I could just kill her."

Now he was purposefully trying to rile her. She whined. "No."

"Why, would you feel guilty?" He cocked his head to one side.

"Yes!"

"Why?"

She shot him an impatient glare. "Because, she's kind of in this mess as a result of my actions, so I'd prefer it if you didn't kill her. We can hypnotise her. Then she'll basically be what she was before. A harmless red herring. She'll be safe, no harm will come to her. I'm sure she'd prefer it to dying…" Hally concluded. She wasn't going to let him brush this woman under the carpet after using her so callously.

The Master hummed and pretended to consider it. "Perhaps." He pouted. "Ask me nicely." His mouth was upturned in a calm smirk. Insatiable playfulness behind the dark brown irises. She knew instantly what he wanted.

Hally scowled at him. "Are you serious?"

"Mmhmm." His hands came together, fingers pressing against fingers as he watched her squirm. "Say it."

She crossed her arms. "Koschei." She warned.

He shrugged. "I'm doing this for you… I'd be happy to kill her."

Hally winced. "Don't say that."

"Go on then. Say it. Just for me."

She ground her teeth together. "You're the worst."

"And yet, you love it."

She glared at him. He waited patiently, perfectly still as he watched her.

Hally forced her voice flat. "Please, … Master."

His eyes fluttered closed for a second and he blew out a low groan. The Master rose to his feet, forcing her to tilt up her head to look at him. "Of course, I'll hypnotise her." He purred. A small smile pulled at his mouth. "It is, after all, the only viable option."