He grunts, not even denying it. There was not point when the other could smell it.
“I am… you could say it was self injury, for my future self stabbed my in the back…. literally…”
He was less surprised at that than he should have been.
“Finally reached that level of self loathing huh? C’mon. Let’s get to th’ TARDIS. I can patch you up.”
“I guess i did…” he murmured as he walked over to him, eyes squinting slightly, the only indication that he was in a great deal of pain.
“I’m positive I am breathing…” he joked.
“Tho… do me a favour and put me on something that will make me loopy… oh and feel free to ask questions, we both know you’re bursting with them…”
The Doctor gently set him down on the cot in the med bay. “Sorry it’s not more comfortable.”
And….he was dying to ask questions. “And you’re truly going to answer?”
“With the pain meds that I know you have… heh, you won’t get me to shut up, it’s practically like truth syrup… which worries me a little…” he grimaced.
He took her hand gently and linked their fingers together, “I Promise.” he told her as he stepped closer to her side.
“and I shall do my very best, to keep my promise.” he vows.
He had not though that he would actually get this far, that His Doctor would accept, that he would actually get to do what the Doctor had asked him to do… come with Them, in the TARDIS and Travel.
for once, in their years of feuding, the doctor believes him. his face, finally, shows honesty instead of deception and that little hint of mischief that, try as she might, the doctor can’t not enjoy.
their hands are locked, and she takes a moment to marvel over it. it feels like it’s been way too long coming. the doctor and the master side by side, the way she had always dreamt it.
“i knew you could do it, y’know. all along. deep down, we’re both the same as we used to be.”
His smile widens a little more. “At least someone did. Its nice to know you never gave up hope.” He murmurs as he looks at their linked hands…. and then kissed the back of her hand.
Just a peck, but its all he needed to show that what they once had, was still there, lingering and could be brought back if she wanted it.
He cleared his throat and straightened up. “I missed talking to you actually… I think the last time was casually talked was…. i actually cant remember… Perhaps thats what we should do?” He hummed looking at her.
Oh, this was going to be fun. She could feel her normal first instinct tugging away, but she instantly pushed that away. She needed this. She needed him. She needed her best friend back – and it seemed, vice versa.
“Yep. So come on, then. What’re you waitin’ for? For me to hold your hand?” She looked down at their connected hands, and grinned. “Oh wait.” She looked up towards him, her eyes playful and teasing. But she still tightened her grip a little bit. He wasn’t the only one that was still getting over the fact that this was real.
“Thank you. For givin’ me a chance.”
He laughed at her teasing, not saying anything in answer to her thanks. His shoulders (and soul) suddenly feeling light.
“Lead the way Sigma.” He smirked. “Lets see where we end up, especially with your driving.” he teased back.
Perhaps they could get their relationship back to where it once was. Before the young Doctor, decided to run away from Gallifrey, stealing a type 40 and leaving Koschei behind.
She sees him outlined by the sun, backlit so that the contours of him are orange and glowing, her Icarus.
His profile is the same as ever, eternally childlike and round, deceptive in its seeming innocence. Her hearts tighten as though anchors are buried in them and drag her ineffably toward him.
No gasp of horror this time, no cold sanctimony, no ulterior motive. Magnetism simply propels her toward her best and oldest friend, with reignited hope.
“Koschei.”
When was the last time she said that word? When was the last time she thought on those days, lazy and aimless and innocent, running, tumbling, rolling, in red grasses?
She stands inches away now.
And she smiles.
He stood there silently, Hands in his pockets, just watching her.
Watching how the sun reflected on her hair and The wind flowing through her coat.
And that smile… Heh, he was a sap, But, he wouldn’t say that out loud. That smile, made her beauty, even greater.
He didn’t notice a small smile growing on his lips at the sound of his old name. Yet there may be a smile, but regret shone in his eyes. He had much to regret, but he would try his best to be better in her eyes.
“Hello, Theta.”
The returned the favour, the name falling from his lips as if he had said it every day and time had not passed since the last time he spoke it.
“Its been a while, hasn’t it. A few weeks for myself.”
His voice pierces her through the gut; it’s always been resonant and rich, but in this particular face, it’s hypnotic. She remembers begging with apologies outside the doors of her own TARDIS; remembers his roar of “TOUGH,” cutting off bargaining of any sort; remembers a rawer, more selfish plea, still, for his life, and his claim to have “won;” remembers sobbing on the Valiant floor, shaking his lifeless body, so terrifyingly little without that brash vainglorious soul to animate it; remembers being alone again, alone, alone.
Remembers the Christmas of billions of him.
Remembers nearly properly reaching him; remembers his tears.
Remembers when he became her, and clambering desperately for another chance, to the point of locking her in a Vault and trying to graft her own code of ethics over top of her.
So who has hurt whom more?
Who can say?
The Doctor’s eyelids flutter at the sound of her boyhood name; he recognizes her. Of course he does.
She lifts her fingers to his lips; DANGER, the voice in the back of her head snarls. She ignores it, as she is wont to do. She pets his cheek, and asks the crucial question:
“Are you hurt?”
When are you? Have I hurt you yet? Have you hurt yourself yet?
His eyes squint, ever so slightly, having been wanting to keep that hidden. He had been and then he fixed himself up, as best as he could.
He had managed to stop the bleeding and wrapped a bandage around himself, which was probably the only thing he managed to get done properly.
Sadly, he was still healing. He was positive it was going to scar.
He licked his lips. “Maybe… but Im Alive… I mean, I got out the ship.” Yes. Of course he was, Missy was trying to get him to regenerate. Did Theta even know about that little bit? Was he going to have to tell her about what he had done in retaliation?
Her eyes lingered on him, before shaking her head slightly and shifting forward. How was she going to put this in a way that he would understand?
“I just regenerated. Recently. Recent-recently. And through that I realise how much I bloody CARE about everyone, and how much I’m sick of losing them.” Tilting her head to the side, she peered back to him, taking a couple of steps towards The Master. “’Everyone’ includes you, especially you actually. And since it’s OBVIOUS that rehabilitation doesn’t work on you– what I’m offering here isn’t that. It’s friendship.
Master, this isn’t me trying to get you to stand by me. It’s me trying to get you to accept that I can stand by you. That I want to. Screw trying t’HELP you my way. You need a friend, not a babysitter. I want to try it your way.”
‘’Everyone’ includes you…. You need a friend… I want to try it yourway…’
Koschei sucked in a breath as the words rang in his mind. Suddenly he sprang forward and snatched her hand, holding it tightly as he studied her face, looking for a lie, for the smallest deception, not even caring about the skin on skin telepathy, conflicting thoughts and feeling tumbling through his mind.
“Tell me right now that you are lying, that you are just humouring an old man, who had only just wanted to be on the same side as his bestfriend, Tell me that right here, right now, and ill forgive you for being KIND in your own twisted way.” It had been, Oh So long since the Doctor had said anything like this without a reason behind it, last time it was to save Earth.
The Doctor expected SOMETHING. This? Eh, seemed typical Master-like. She almost forgot what insanity looked like until now. But… was insanity really the right word? No doubt, it was an accurate description for the past. But now – honestly? His reaction was no surprise.
She looked towards the hand, conflicted about the emotions running through her, before she pulled her mind away from them and looked right at him. She tightened the grip on his hand, moving forward to face him properly, eyes meeting his as she spoke.
“Not this time. I’m with you, if you let me be.”
The Master froze, his hand tightening a little more….. and then turned it, linking their fingers together. A silent, but obvious sign of acceptance.
“Yeah…. Id like that” He said softly, Taken a back at the fact this was real. He cleared his throat and gave her a smile.
“So, were finally going to do that pact we created, eh? Travel the stars together.”
He chuckles bitterly. “Im not even trying to pretend that i’m in any way a good person…. but, i am willing to play by your rules… to try and turn a new leaf.” he repeats and he will continue to say it, till she realised that he was serious.
“Its practically the reason i’m… asking for your help… For, correct me if i’m wrong, but did we not agree on a silent truce an age back? Before i heroically forced Rassilon back into the time lock?”
“Or at least thats what it felt like.”
asking for your help.
the doctor’s dreamt of this moment, always wondered how and when it would present herself, and what she would even say to such a request. but deep down, she knew that she could never turn away her oldest friend, even if it meant getting burned in the end.
“you’re right.” she holds out a hand, a figurative olive branch. “and i’ll help you. just promise you won’t make me look like a fool at the end of this.”
He took her hand gently and linked their fingers together, “I Promise.” he told her as he stepped closer to her side.
“and I shall do my very best, to keep my promise.” he vows.
He had not though that he would actually get this far, that His Doctor would accept, that he would actually get to do what the Doctor had asked him to do… come with Them, in the TARDIS and Travel.
