When her feet made contact with the ground again, the first thing she noticed was the sea.
It stretched out before her in a vast expanse of cerulean blue, its surface adorned with ripples that caught the fading light of the sun like scattered diamonds. The day was moving into evening, the air around her filled with the faint tang of salt, carried on the gentle caress of the ocean breeze. The sun, now a fiery orb of burnt orange, hovered just above the horizon, casting a warm and diffused glow across the waters. The sky above was a canvas of shifting hues, where the fading remnants of daylight intertwined with the emerging shades of twilight.
The atmosphere was charged with an electrifying warmth, the remnants of the day's prickly heat mingling with the cooler embrace of the impending night. Hally felt her grip loosen as she dropped The Master's wrist. She took a step forward, away from the group until they'd moved out of her peripheral vision completely. All that lay in front of her was the vast expanse of blue. Without much thought, she shed the confines of her jumper, leaving herself in just the soft fabric of her T-shirt that fluttered slightly in the breeze.
Her gaze kept fixed towards the horizon, the sun's descent painted the heavens in a riot of colours—burnt oranges, dusky pinks, and deep purples—each hue reflected upon the water's surface in a dance of light and shadow. A fleeting moment of stillness, the world holding its breath in reverence. Her hearts twinged with a sharp stab of longing as she wondered, briefly, if Rose was also staring out at the horizon. An expanse so far away, so very different to the watercolour landscape in front of her. With a deep inhale, she closed her eyes, letting the mingling scents of salt and freedom fill her lungs. She had been running on pure panic and desperation for so long, her body barely knew how to exist without the constant weight of an ingrained ulterior motive.
"Sir, there's nothing to stop them from following us…" Armitage's voice cut through the quiet, interrupting the tranquillity of the rush of the water breaking against the sand.
The Master didn't respond, she could feel his eyes on her, his attention circled the outskirts of her mind. Hally kept her eyes closed, the relentless sounds of the ocean enveloped her in a soothing symphony of white noise. A deep well had opened up in her chest, grief poured into it, drowning her. She was never going to see Rose again. Her father had vanished into the shadows, and as far as she was concerned, Torchwood would never want to see her face again.
But amidst the overwhelming sadness, there was a strange kind of happiness, an unexpected wellspring of love. It surged within her, reminding her that despite her loss, she was cherished, even in her darkest hours. She knew that she would never again gaze upon her mother's face, yet this knowledge, deep down, brought an unusual calmness. Hally felt like she was exactly where she was meant to be. She had never been truly alone.
She allowed the sorrow to flow through her, from her core out to her extremities. Energy surged inside her, blossoming out from her chest into her extremities. It raced over her skin, tangible and vivid, living tendrils of pure light. Her power extended outward in intricate, beautiful swirls of luminescence, akin to radiant whirlpools on the distant horizon.
She slowly opened her eyes and found herself bathed in an ethereal glow. The Master was a constant lingering presence in the recesses of her mind, always present, always close. They were far from out of danger, their struggle was certainly not over, but right now, they were free.
Armitage cleared his throat, and the bright tendrils of energy faded and receded back inside her. "We're too exposed here, Sir." His tone had taken on an edge of insistence.
She tore her eyes away from the horizon, turning to address him. "They won't come after us." The three men present fixated their gaze on her, John cocked an eyebrow.
"Jack could probably trace my Vortex Manipulator..." John murmured.
"Oh, they can trace us," Hally admitted. "All they'd have to do is run a scan for two hearts. They can find us easily, wherever we go. That's not my point. They won't follow us. Not yet." She asserted, her voice carrying a hint of confidence.
Armitage frowned, still sceptical. Hally surveyed their surroundings, absorbing the details of their new location. They stood on a small beach, enclosed by dramatic green cliffs, a thick canopy of trees providing a border along the edge of the sand. A singular wooden jetty led up to a lone house, very in keeping with their surroundings. It appeared someone had been living there.
"Where are we?" Hally inquired, her gaze now fixed on John.
"Hawaii," he replied with a smirk. "I borrowed a house."
"And we're still on Earth, because…?" The Master interjected, not bothering to hide his impatience.
John scowled at The Master. "Because. It's not a Space Hopper; it barely works as it is. It has about half a trip left on it without utilising the rift, and even then there's no predicting where you end up. Plus, I had to pick up extra passengers. So, you'll just have to make do with just Earth." He narrowed his eyes at The Master, his tone edging with challenge.
Hally glanced between them, interrupting before The Master could inevitably take him up on that challenge. "Earth is fine. Thank you for the lift." She made sure to glance at The Master meaningfully.
"You're welcome," John replied casually.
She raised an eyebrow at his previous choice of words. "Borrowed?"
"Yeah. Well. The previous owner won't be needing it," John explained with a nonchalant shrug, mischief glittered behind his eyes as he threw a look over his shoulder back at the house.
She rolled her eyes and sighed. Armitage, however, grew increasingly concerned. "Right. And the British and American Governments won't come after us because...?"
"Because they're not sure what they're up against," Hally clipped back quickly, her voice taking on a more serious tone. A momentary darkness flickered behind her eyes as she addressed him directly. "Yes. Jack will alert them to our presence. UNIT will pass on the information to their global factions, but none of them will make a single move until they're sure they're not walking into a massacre."
The Master hummed in agreement, tilting his chin up an inch. "They'll send in surveillance. It'll probably be a week, tops. But they won't move in."
John cocked an eyebrow, curiosity peaked as he glanced between the two. "What makes you so sure?"
The Master looked at Hally. "Because of her." His mouth curved with a proud smirk.
Armitage seemed to grasp the situation, and realisation brightened his eyes. "They don't know the extent of what you can do..."
Hally's eyes flashed. "Exactly," she said with a terse smile. "All they've got are rumours and the few humans who can attest to what they've seen. For all they know… if they send in guns and bombs, I could turn them around and start World War Three."
John raised an eyebrow. "Could you?"
The Master answered for her, his voice a low rumble. "Yes."
She shot him a warning look. "That's not what we're going to do, though. We're just going to exist here for a bit. It'll give us some time to think up a better plan."
"And the end goal of this plan is…?" Armitage inquired.
Hally sighed, her exhaustion showing. "I'm not really sure. That's why we need to think about it."
"You don't have a plan?" The Master pressed, his eyebrow quirking upwards.
"No. I was a bit busy executing the last plan. It's your turn," she retorted, running a hand through her hair. "We need to get off this planet."
John pondered aloud, "What about Harkness's Vortex Manipulator?"
Hally shook her head. "He'd be expecting us to come for it."
"We need the TARDIS." The Master shoved his hands in his pockets, looking at her with determined certainty.
Hally shook her head. "The Doctor isn't an idiot. He'll have flown off this planet to prevent us from getting at it."
Koschei, his eyebrow raised in disbelief, asked, "He'd leave us here?"
Hally tilted her head to one side, grimacing. "He trusts me. Vaguely."
"But the humans could come after us." She could hear the low tone of accusation in The Master's voice.
"I think he believes they won't."
"He's an idiot."
"Well. Yeah. But we can look after ourselves." She offered her husband a wry smile. "Until we can get the TARDIS or another way off this planet."
The Master's eyes lit up. "We cause some chaos, draw him back,"
"No, he'll be expecting that." The thought had already crossed her mind. "We make a mess, we'll only be driving him away."
"But he won't leave his precious humans to be hurt."
"We're not hurting the humans," Hally asserted firmly, shooting him a decisive glare, a weary exhale falling from her lips.
"What about UNIT?" Armitage crossed his arms over his chest.
"I doubt they'll be taking any direction from us right now..." She shot a playfully accusing look towards her husband, who happily accepted it with a wry smile.
John clapped his hands together, drawing all of their attention. "So, I guess that means you're staying here?" His eyes lit up with amusement. "Oh, I do love a house guest. I hope you're tidy… Only two bedrooms, so I guess you're with me, sweetheart." His gaze trailed over Hally, shooting her a wink when his eyes finally arrived at her face.
She snorted at the sharp prickle of anger that crackled through The Master. "Keep your eyes and hands off my wife." The Master didn't need to threaten Hart, the imminent danger was laced into his voice. A low, rough growl that had a chill running up Hally's spine. For a moment, the venom under his words seemed to have even Hart pausing with uncertainty.
Sometimes, Hally forgot just how terrifying her husband could be.
John hummed a low chuckle, cocking a playful eyebrow. "Oh, yeah?"
Hally clicked her tongue against her teeth, rolling her eyes. "Shut up. Both of you."
She felt The Master's presence prickle with possessive irritation at the edge of her mind. "I could just kill him. We don't need him. I could take his 'Space Hopper' and fix it myself."
Her eyes met his, projecting back as the humans watched on in silence. "Oh really? And how exactly are you going to kill him, hmm?" She cocked a smug eyebrow.
The Master's face tightened into a scowl at the realisation that out of the four of them, he was the only one without a weapon. "Give it back."
"No. It's mine. Get your own." Her mouth curved with a patronising smirk.
"It's mine!" He shot back, his eyes flashing with the command.
Hally crossed her arms over her chest. Oh, she'd forgotten how fun it was to rile him. "Nope. Make a new one."
"With what?!"
Hart was staring at them, an intrigued frown on his face, he flicked his eyes over towards Armitage who huffed and turned to look back towards the house. "I'm going to set up a perimeter." He grunted towards them, resigned to the fact that they were currently stuck here, and moved away to scout out the house and surrounding area.
John was sucking on the back of his teeth, eyes narrowed as he watched them. "Two Time Lords, huh?"
Hally shot him an unimpressed look, knowing exactly where he was going with his train of thought.
"Intergalactic black market would have a field day."
The Master's temple twitched and Hally shook her head as she exhaled a soft laugh. "Yes. I'll make sure the hassle is worth your time." Her eyes flashed with playful admittance.
John shot her a wink, a wicked smile curving his mouth at her choice of words. There was a flare of anger from her counterpart and she shot him a look before he could open his mouth. "Money, you idiot." She fixed The Master with a stern stare and sighed.
John chuckled. "Well… not that I wouldn't accept the other thing… but… I think Grumpy over here might castrate me."
"I'd castrate you." Hally turned to offer him an innocent smile.
John hummed, his head tilting down in an appreciative nod. "Touche. Right. Well. Hungry?"
Hally's eyes widened. "Starving."
"Good." Hart paused before he turned away, looking them both up and down after a thought. "We'll have to find you some clothes." Then he snorted a laugh to himself, before turning and heading back towards the house.
The Master hummed a grumble, his thoughts laced with distaste. "Do we trust him?"
"No, not really. But he's got a semi-working Vortex Manipulator. Maybe we can get it working fully? Plus, I think he's more friend than foe… For now at least."
The Master pulled a face. Evidently not happy.
She turned back towards the endless expanse of blue before her, the sun was lowering dangerously towards the edge of the world, painting the water with a warm orange glow. She wanted to feel safe, she yearned for the moment when they could simply exist in this universe and not have to fight. Not have to fight to exist within the same space. Fight the Daleks, the humans, Rassilon, The Doctor, even The Master himself. Was it too much to ask, the idea of settling, of running away to a far-off planet where there was no 'Queen of The Garden', just a cottage on the edge of a lake where they could simply, be. A low rumble of laughter ran up her throat at the ridiculous thought. Maybe in another life. Not this one. The simple life was never going to be their fate, both of them burned too brightly. The universe had other plans for them and sometimes it felt as though all they could do was grab hold while the tide yanked them in one direction or another. Hally knew, deep down, that Armitage was right. As always. Staying in a singular place was a risky move. But at this moment, it didn't feel like they had any other choice. They were stuck on this planet, this awfully beautiful planet.
Arms wrapped possessively around her waist, the main reason for their needing to flee resting his head innocently on her shoulder. She crossed her arms over the top of his, forever finding comfort in his touch. The sun's warmth seeped into her skin. It wasn't going to be easy but right here, in this moment, they were okay.
The Master was alive.
He was hers.
As the sun settled against the water, fire brushed across the sky in violent hot streaks of colour. Certainty sat like a warm stone in her chest, that no matter what happened from here, she would not let him go. She would rip this planet apart to keep him safe, to keep his arms wrapped around her. She didn't want to. She didn't want it to have to come to that. This was her planet too. It was one of the few homes she had left. But if she had to, if it came down to it, if the humans came for them, she would burn it all to the ground. Koschei hummed against the skin of her neck, sending a pleasant shiver across her neck and chest. Heat itched at her skin and she shrugged his arms off of her, feeling his immediate disappointment swiftly turn to amused intrigue when she pulled her T-shirt off over her head. Her shoes and socks followed, thrown, discarded onto the sand. She turned, admiring the addictive heat that flashed behind The Master's dark chocolate eyes as she unbuttoned her trousers, pushing them down and off her legs. She backed away from his burning gaze, a wry smile playing at her mouth as she shrugged out of her bra, her underwear following quickly as her feet met with the heated chill of the water. She backed into the ocean, turning from him to wade forward until the water lapped at her waist. It washed across her skin, refreshing against the heat of the air. Her face split into a grin as she felt The Master's hands come to her waist, tugging her body back against his. Her skin against his. She happily melted into his commanding hold, not resisting as he spun her away from the sunset to face him. She looked up into his eyes, captured by the intensity of his gaze. Only her. He saw only her. A nervous heat fluttered inside her stomach as she took him in. Completely hers. No doubt. No interruptions. Nothing niggling in the recess of his mind.
Just Koschei.
Water lapped across his chest, leaving glistening patches over his skin. He'd removed every item of clothing too. She could see the dark pile at the edge of the water, could feel every hard edge of his body pressing fervently against hers.
Hally's gaze remained transfixed on The Master, his gaze holding her captive. His eyes, those eyes, twin pools of darkening hazel, sparkling with an endlessly shifting complexity, mischief and darkness and passion, he drew her to him like a magnetic force. Those eyes. She'd dreamt of those eyes for months. The stars in the sky held nothing to those eyes.
Her fingers subtly traced across the lines of his face, recommitting every inch, every shadow to memory, his lips parted by the breath that fell from him. His hands held her, an immovable pressure on her lower back and waist. He rocked them, a strange sort of dance to the sound of the waves and wind hitting the shore. He was there. Always there, dancing at the edge of her mind. Entwined so comfortably with her. Underneath the ripples of familiar heat and warmth and love lay an inkling of something gentler, an apology. It snuck across to her, blanketed by far more intense desire, but it was there. Regret. An acknowledgement of pain.
"Did you miss me?" His voice rumbled low, teasing, and Hally felt her heartbeats shoot straight between her legs. She placed a coy smirk on her face, splashing water up to wipe the certainty from his face.
His eyes narrowed, darkening with a tantalizing challenge, and she fought the urge to whine in response. Instead, she composed herself with a confident smirk.
"Oh, darling..." His voice held a dark, commanding note that momentarily stole her breath. "It appears you might have forgotten how to behave..." His tone deepened into a low growl, his fingers tightening their grip on her.
A quiet noise of protest escaped her lips, and she pressed her hands against his chest, a weak flicker of frustration mounted against him. His self-satisfaction was infuriating. He had died, left her alone, and here he stood, expecting her to bend to his will as if nothing had happened. "If you ever die ever again, I will fucking kill you." Anger flashed behind her eyes.
A low chuckle rumbled in his chest and he grabbed her jaw, forcing her to keep her gaze steady on him. "You're so sexy when you're angry."
Scowling, she pushed him away, a dark excitement flashed behind his eyes as he swiftly caught her wrist, pulling her back towards him. His free hand wound into her hair, wrapping it around his wrist, angling her face as he pleased. He tsked playfully as she rested her hand against his chest, a flicker of golden energy crackling beneath her fingertips. "I could throw you off me," she threatened.
With dark certainty and hungry intent, he simply watched her face for a few moments, letting her silently stew before she withdrew her energy. They both knew it was an empty threat. This wasn't a fight she wanted to win. "Oh, I know you could. But you never will." He leant down, claiming her mouth in a possessive kiss. "Instead, you'll beg me..." His mouth left hers to nip along her jaw and down the vulnerable flesh of her neck, angling her head exactly as he wished. Her brattish fight fizzled and died as she melted into him. "You'll beg me to take you." His mouth was hot as it moved back to hers, his warm breath mingling with hers. "...beg me to fuck you." A needy whine hummed in her throat, and the side of his mouth curved. "You will take whatever I give you. Everything." He shifted his hand down to her neck, just under her jaw, holding her eyes captive. "Your body is mine. Your pleasure is mine. You are mine." He bent down, his lips consuming hers, igniting a passionate exchange of desperate kisses. His tongue grazed hers with an electric intensity, teasing and tasting. As he sucked gently on her tongue, a sweet ache of desire pulsed through her. He nibbled her bottom lip and a shiver of pleasure coursed down her spine. Against her better judgment, she melted into a breathless, eager surrender.
"And you won't push me away, not ever... do you know why?" He cocked his head at her, a small, smug smile dancing on his lips.
Her brain had stopped working a few sentences ago, the only word her mouth could form was a breathless, "Master..."
His eyes twinkled with delight. "Exactly." His voice was sinfully smooth, utterly convincing. "Such a good girl. Say it again." The pad of his thumb pressed against the flesh of her neck.
She drew in a shaky breath. "Master."
"Say it again." His voice had dropped into a breathy groan, she couldn't help but moan at the sound, immediately conceding.
"Master."
"Beautiful." His eyes fluttered shut, appreciation rumbling in his chest. A pleasant chill rushed across her skin. "Now say, 'Yes, Master.' Say it for me."
She drew in a breath, heat rushed across her chest and face. The hand pressed against his chest was shaking, she could feel it. "Yes, Master."
He groaned, his eyes snapping open and fixing her with a look that had her knees threatening to buckle. "Good girl. Again."
Her vision blurred, her eyes threatening to fall shut. Perhaps it was because they were alone, or perhaps it was because she'd missed him so, but she submitted to him before he'd even finished his command.
"Yes, Master."
He tapped an insistent finger against the side of her face, forcing her eyes to refocus on his. "Did you miss me?"
She wasn't sure how any sound moved from her, the air stuck in her lungs.
"Yes, Master."
Armitage sank into the beach chair, its frame half-buried in the soft sand, and let out a deep, exhausted sigh. Fatigue coursed through him like a heavy weight. Well, at least he could take a short break from babysitting. He'd concluded that the secluded location they'd found themselves in was accessible only through a winding dirt track across the valley or by sea, making it semi-suitable for safe habitation. At least for the next few days. If anyone did come for them, it would be easy enough to keep an eye on their advance.
Hart, eventually joined him, extending a bowl of food. Armitage inspected it briefly before giving it a hesitant sniff, eventually proceeding to eat it. The scattered pile of discarded clothes near the shoreline suggested that the two Time Lords had taken a 'swim' before retreating indoors. Hence why both Armitage and Hart had found themselves sitting outside, embracing the cooling breeze.
John, still alert despite his own weariness, furrowed his brow and raised an inquisitive eyebrow at the distant sound of something shattering inside the house. The fading daylight cast eerie shadows around them. "Do you think they'll be long...?" John glanced back at the house, which was now veiled in darkness.
Armitage let out a thoughtful hum, his gaze lingering on the house. "Maybe a few hours."
John huffed, and settled back into his own chair, surrendering to the urge for a quick nap. Hoping, he'd be able to venture into his own house soon enough.