Jack's heart felt heavy. For all that the Master had done to him in that year, for all that his muscles still ached, he couldn't help but feel bad for him. If only through the Doctor's sadness. He'd hung his head in reverence for a dead Time Lord, but frowned when he heard his name.
"What?"
He didn't have time to think, if the Doctor's desperate voice was anything to go by. He hurried over to his side and knelt down. "Doctor, he's gone. He's not coming back. I'm sorry."
The words were like yet another pang to his hearts and he might have told Jack to stop talking, but there was no time to waste. He felt Jack's presence more than he saw him, always so wrong, always a disturbance in the fabric of time. He reached out to him, cupped the back of his neck and pulled him in for a kiss. No other word for it, immediate and deep and desperate, more than anything else, desperate, as if he needed him to live, as if he wanted to get to his very essence.
His other arm was still wound tightly around the Master's body while he kissed Jack, eyes closed. He needed focus, there was no time to formulate a better plan. He couldn't lose him.
In any other instance, Jack might have been delighted to have the Doctor kiss him. But this... This was different, and he wasn't entirely sure that he was okay with it. There was a sort of... pulling from inside him, though he couldn't exactly pinpoint where it was coming from, but it felt like his very marrow was being drained. The breath was stolen right out of him, though not necessarily in a good way, and it left Jack feeling properly scared for the first time in a very, very long time.
It was actually Jack who pulled away, clutching his chest and panting. "What the hell was that?!"
There really was no time to waste, but at least the Doctor had the grace to look guilty and apologetic as he let go of Jack. He wasn't sure what he would have said even if he could have said anything, so instead he stayed silent and just pulled the Master's body up until he could kiss him, fingers running through his hair, eyes screwed shut. He didn't know if this could work. It had certainly never been tried. But something was happening and then there was a gasp and only when he opened his eyes did he realize that it had come from the Master.
The Master who only took the time to glare at him with all the hatred he could muster before losing consciousness. But he was alive. He was breathing. The Doctor ran his hands down his body, pressing them against his chest and, when he felt both hearts beat, he finally smiled.
Jack stared. What had the Doctor done? Did he... did he really just revive him? And did he make Jack help? Jack wasn't sure whether to feel furious or plain violated.
Martha and her family, the Master's wife, the guards, everyone looked just as confused as Jack did. Still, the Doctor wasn't really in much of a state to be in charge, so Jack took to his feet, and with a stern look down to him, finally said, "We should get everyone back home, Doctor. A lot of cleanup. If you like, I can carry him to the TARDIS."
His state of mind really wasn't the best for anything at the moment. At first all he did at Jack's words was pull the Master tighter against himself in a rather child-like gesture, but after a few moments his thoughts caught on and he gave a nod.
"Yes, yes. Let's." The Doctor's eyes flickered over the faces of the people staring at him and he muttered under his breath as he got up, finally letting go of the Master. "To Earth, yes. But I have to..." He gestured at the Master's unconscious body, careful not to look at him. "Healing coma. It will take a while."
Great. He was losing his train of thought already. "Alright, alright. Just. Get him to the TARDIS, would you?" The look he gave Jack now was definitely close to pleading.
Jack frowned at the look he was given, but when it came right down to it, he was a soldier before anything. He sighed and scooted toward the Master to pick him up in his arms and then throw him over his shoulder. He was nearly as lean as the Doctor, so it made it easy for him.
He didn't wait for the Doctor to herd everyone into the TARDIS before he left for it himself, depositing the Master against one of the pillars that grew from ground to ceiling next to a piece of railing. He thought very sincerely about hurting him before the Doctor returned. It wouldn't be graceful or kind like the Doctor might have wanted, but god dammit this bastard deserved it. For everything he did... for the pain he caused his team.. for the people of the Earth.. for the things that he did to him... More than anything he wanted to make him suffer even half as much as the torture he put Jack through. Even just a fraction of it would make Jack feel better. No such luck, though, for the Doctor was not far behind, and for as much as he hated the Master, he respected and loved the Doctor more.
The Doctor might still be in a bit of a daze, but his focus was quickly returning and with it his priorities extending beyond the Master. Once he'd hauled everyone up and brought them to the TARDIS, he wasn't surprised to find Jack still standing close to the other Time Lord. He glanced at the Master to make sure he hadn't been hurt and when he couldn't see anything, he put a hand at the small of Jack's back, steering him away.
"Thank you." It was just a whisper, but loud enough. Everyone else ended up standing as far away from the Master as they could and he couldn't blame them.
"Next stop, London!" Close to Martha's home, he decided and he told her as much as he got the TARDIS going. He wasn't quite sure what to make of the way she was looking at him, but decided to ignore it. His facade held up well enough and though he noticed that Martha seemed to want to say something more, for the moment she just ended up in charge of her family as they moved out of the TARDIS once they'd arrived.
There were meaningful looks from her to Jack, but the Doctor pretended not to notice, staring intently at the console. In the end they hugged, and tightly, and the goodbye she gave him made him feel both fiercely proud and incredibly alone. Yes, she deserved better, so much better, but he needed her! In the end there they were, he was holding a phone in one hand and looking at the console, almost forgetting that Jack was still there until he looked up at him.
Jack mostly stood silent, watching the Master closely in case he woke up. He'd said his goodbyes to Martha and wished her luck with the promise of seeing her soon. He knew full well what was on her mind, and during their goodbye hug, he told her to take care of her family. The Doctor would always return when she really needed him. He hoped it would be true for at least one of them.
As soon as Martha and her family had shuffled out of the TARDIS doors, Jack looked over to the Doctor. Aside from the unconscious Master, the two of them were alone. Finally. It had been a long, long year, with barely even a glimpse of him. He was mostly just relishing the sight of him, like maybe there was some hope left in the universe. Though, with the Master still alive and well, who could tell how long that was going to last?
"Are you sure that's a good idea?" He asked, looking more than a little concerned. It wasn't that he didn't want to go home, exactly. He missed his team terribly and wanted to check in on them... but things were different now. "I mean... you and him in the TARDIS together? Can you really risk him overtaking you and getting control of it again? Doctor I... I know you have faith in him... he's a Time Lord like you, right? Maybe you think you can save him?" He shook his head. "I've gotten to know him the last year. Maybe not as well as you, but... I really, really don't think that's a good idea."
"I have no idea if I can fix him, Jack. But I'm all he has left." All they had was each other. The Doctor ran a hand through his hair as he pushed away from the console to approach the Master. Apparently he wasn't getting rid of Jack all that fast, so he'd better take care of some things right away. While he unlocked one of the handcuffs he kept talking, leading the chain of the cuffs around the pillar before fixing it to the Master's wrist again, making sure to deadlock both sides.
"The TARDIS won't let him control her again. If you can't trust me, then trust her." His hand was on the Master's shoulder perhaps a bit too long before he got up, turning his back to the other Time Lord and looking at Jack instead. "I know he's done horrible things, but I'm responsible for him. And this insanity... He never used to be this bad. If I can help him, if there is any way at all to help him, then I have to do it."
"You were all he had left before... And look what he did to you." Jack folded his arms, watching the Doctor secure the Master in place. "You two are the last of your people, and he knows that. Even knowing that, he still wanted to annihilate you and everything you care about. Doctor... he's not your son. None of what he did reflects on you.. I hope you know that. You didn't make him this way."
He looked down to the Master again. He looked a little pathetic just laying there... almost like he could be dead. Like he should be. "What did you do to revive him? What did you do to me?"
"He didn't kill me. Never could." The Doctor raised a shoulder, glancing to the console to avoid looking at Jack or in the Master's direction. "He needs an audience." He licked his lips and shook his head, rubbing his eyes as he kept talking. "We've known each other since... No, he's not my son. But friend, he used to be my friend. I was his only friend."
With a quick shake of his head he turned fully toward the console, but only for a second. Then, at Jack's questions, he stared at him for a few seconds before closing the distance between them. There was the slightest hesitation when he put a hand on his shoulder. "I... I used the vortex energy. It shouldn't change anything about you." He looked him over, frowning. "It didn't. I told you, what happened to you, I can't change that."
Jack wasn't sure whether to feel relieved or disappointed in the news that he hadn't changed. Instead, he decided to go for 'violated'. "You used me." His voice sounded hurt, but he didn't look away from the Doctor. Not yet. He watched his eyes, though, as though trying to catch him in a lie.
"After everything he did to you... did to everyone... and did to me... what makes you think I'd want to help him? Doctor I..." He looked down to the Master, vivid memories flashing at the forefront of his mind. "I don't know what he is to you... But the things he did... I can't forgive that. I don't care what he might have been like once or what you think he can be. To me, as long as I know he's still alive, I'm going to see his face laughing at me and taunting me as he did unspeakable things to my body over and over." He shook his head. "I'm sorry."
'You used me.' The words seemed to echo and the Doctor had to look away, one hand reaching for the console as he felt the guilt bearing down on him. But his expression hardened when he managed to look at Jack again, giving a curt nod. "I did. I had to try."
The Doctor swallowed, not looking at the Master but feeling his presence all the more. "And if he had died then and there, what would it have changed? I know he's done unforgivable things, Jack. If I could undo it all, I would. If I could keep everyone safe forever..."
He trailed off, blinking once as he looked at the console, because between Jack and the Master it was the only neutral spot he could find. "I can't just keep losing all the time."
With that he turned fully to face the console, pulling a lever. "So. Cardiff, yeah? Or anywhere else? I'll take you anywhere, anytime. Just say."
Jack's heart ached for the Doctor. He could see the visible pain he was in with just the thought of losing the only other member of his race. Not something Jack felt he would ever really have to deal with; after all, he'd seen his people survive the end of time. But still, in all of the whole wide universe, were these two really the last ones?
He looked down to the Master, knowing full well what he was capable of. The Doctor had to know too, right? There wasn't any way he couldn't. Not after all this time. Still, he was too clever... too dangerous to be left alone. Without even thinking, Jack spoke up.
"I don't want to go home. Not yet. Not while you've got this lunatic on board with you... I can't leave you two together in good conscience. It wouldn't be right. What if he hurts you again? I'd never live with myself."
Well, he certainly hadn't expected that. Maybe he should have. The Doctor turned to look at Jack, surprised enough that his emotions showed relatively clearly, however they were conflicting enough that it didn't help much. Relief. There was definite relief, because part of him was terrified of the Master waking up, of the hatred in his eyes, of what power he could have over him. But at the same time it felt as if Jack wanted to intrude on something he had no business interfering with. So like Jack, wasn't it, to have him feel such contrary emotions.
"...are you certain? Jack, he isn't going to hurt me. I can handle him. The TARDIS won't let him pilot her, either. But... This trip isn't going to be like it was with... With Rose." He would never be able to just casually say her name, would he? "I don't want him to hurt you anymore, either."
"I'll be fine. Wouldn't you know it, but I sincerely doubt that whatever he'll do with you here isn't nearly as bad as what he did to me before." He gave a sort of half-smile and leaned against the railing, almost daring the Master to wake up while he was near him. When he was with the Doctor, Jack felt fearless, and he knew that the Master wouldn't present too much of a problem if they were together.
"Where were you going to take him?" He wondered, folding his arms. "You can't exactly take him home, and I'm not sure a prison would be good enough to keep him in. I used to hear stories of a woman who would break in and out of Stormcage whenever she got bored. I don't think they're up to the task of watching over him."
"He said it himself, didn't he?" The Doctor stepped closer to the Master, looking down at him and feeling his hearts ache for so many reasons. "I'll keep him prisoner on the TARDIS. We won't make many stops." How he wished he could trust him. Perhaps it was good Jack was on board, because it made him ever so much more aware of the many reasons why dropping to his knees and freeing the Master right now wouldn't be a good idea.
He turned back to Jack again, frowning as he thought. "I can get you a phone or something. In case you want to contact your team?"
Jack kept a close eye on the two of them, half expecting the Master to jump to life at any second and tear out the Doctor's throat with his teeth. Who knew what he was going to do and what he was capable of like this? Jack certainly had no idea, and he wasn't very keen on finding out the hard way. He caught the Doctor's gaze evenly and sighed.
"It might be for the best. I... didn't exactly say anything when I left, so there's a good chance they'll be mad at me." Gwen absolutely would be, and he was certain that Owen would have a few choice things to say as well. He was still figuring out Ianto, but Tosh was fine without him.
"Alright." The Doctor gave a nod and returned to the console, rummaging about for a bit and then leaning back against it as he used the sonic screwdriver on the phone he'd dug up. "I can bring you back any time, just within minutes after we let out Martha and family. Any time." He wasn't even sure whether he was trying to talk Jack into staying or leaving. In the end he just sighed and handed him the phone.
Jack took the phone and looked it over. He'd seen Rose use it before, so he had no assumptions that it might not work. The Doctor was just good like that. He smiled.
"Don't worry about me getting lost. I've got a good memory." He winked and began dialing the number to Gwen's mobile, turning to start down toward the direction of the room the Doctor had let him use last time he was on board. "You're welcome to join me later if you like." Another wink for his half-invitation, not expecting him to even consider taking it for a moment before he began walking toward his room, the phone up to his ear.
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Alternate timelines ROCK
"What?"
He didn't have time to think, if the Doctor's desperate voice was anything to go by. He hurried over to his side and knelt down. "Doctor, he's gone. He's not coming back. I'm sorry."
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His other arm was still wound tightly around the Master's body while he kissed Jack, eyes closed. He needed focus, there was no time to formulate a better plan. He couldn't lose him.
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It was actually Jack who pulled away, clutching his chest and panting. "What the hell was that?!"
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The Master who only took the time to glare at him with all the hatred he could muster before losing consciousness. But he was alive. He was breathing. The Doctor ran his hands down his body, pressing them against his chest and, when he felt both hearts beat, he finally smiled.
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Martha and her family, the Master's wife, the guards, everyone looked just as confused as Jack did. Still, the Doctor wasn't really in much of a state to be in charge, so Jack took to his feet, and with a stern look down to him, finally said, "We should get everyone back home, Doctor. A lot of cleanup. If you like, I can carry him to the TARDIS."
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"Yes, yes. Let's." The Doctor's eyes flickered over the faces of the people staring at him and he muttered under his breath as he got up, finally letting go of the Master. "To Earth, yes. But I have to..." He gestured at the Master's unconscious body, careful not to look at him. "Healing coma. It will take a while."
Great. He was losing his train of thought already. "Alright, alright. Just. Get him to the TARDIS, would you?" The look he gave Jack now was definitely close to pleading.
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He didn't wait for the Doctor to herd everyone into the TARDIS before he left for it himself, depositing the Master against one of the pillars that grew from ground to ceiling next to a piece of railing. He thought very sincerely about hurting him before the Doctor returned. It wouldn't be graceful or kind like the Doctor might have wanted, but god dammit this bastard deserved it. For everything he did... for the pain he caused his team.. for the people of the Earth.. for the things that he did to him... More than anything he wanted to make him suffer even half as much as the torture he put Jack through. Even just a fraction of it would make Jack feel better. No such luck, though, for the Doctor was not far behind, and for as much as he hated the Master, he respected and loved the Doctor more.
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"Thank you." It was just a whisper, but loud enough. Everyone else ended up standing as far away from the Master as they could and he couldn't blame them.
"Next stop, London!" Close to Martha's home, he decided and he told her as much as he got the TARDIS going. He wasn't quite sure what to make of the way she was looking at him, but decided to ignore it. His facade held up well enough and though he noticed that Martha seemed to want to say something more, for the moment she just ended up in charge of her family as they moved out of the TARDIS once they'd arrived.
There were meaningful looks from her to Jack, but the Doctor pretended not to notice, staring intently at the console. In the end they hugged, and tightly, and the goodbye she gave him made him feel both fiercely proud and incredibly alone. Yes, she deserved better, so much better, but he needed her! In the end there they were, he was holding a phone in one hand and looking at the console, almost forgetting that Jack was still there until he looked up at him.
"...right. Right! Cardiff, shall we?"
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As soon as Martha and her family had shuffled out of the TARDIS doors, Jack looked over to the Doctor. Aside from the unconscious Master, the two of them were alone. Finally. It had been a long, long year, with barely even a glimpse of him. He was mostly just relishing the sight of him, like maybe there was some hope left in the universe. Though, with the Master still alive and well, who could tell how long that was going to last?
"Are you sure that's a good idea?" He asked, looking more than a little concerned. It wasn't that he didn't want to go home, exactly. He missed his team terribly and wanted to check in on them... but things were different now. "I mean... you and him in the TARDIS together? Can you really risk him overtaking you and getting control of it again? Doctor I... I know you have faith in him... he's a Time Lord like you, right? Maybe you think you can save him?" He shook his head. "I've gotten to know him the last year. Maybe not as well as you, but... I really, really don't think that's a good idea."
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"The TARDIS won't let him control her again. If you can't trust me, then trust her." His hand was on the Master's shoulder perhaps a bit too long before he got up, turning his back to the other Time Lord and looking at Jack instead. "I know he's done horrible things, but I'm responsible for him. And this insanity... He never used to be this bad. If I can help him, if there is any way at all to help him, then I have to do it."
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He looked down to the Master again. He looked a little pathetic just laying there... almost like he could be dead. Like he should be. "What did you do to revive him? What did you do to me?"
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With a quick shake of his head he turned fully toward the console, but only for a second. Then, at Jack's questions, he stared at him for a few seconds before closing the distance between them. There was the slightest hesitation when he put a hand on his shoulder. "I... I used the vortex energy. It shouldn't change anything about you." He looked him over, frowning. "It didn't. I told you, what happened to you, I can't change that."
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"After everything he did to you... did to everyone... and did to me... what makes you think I'd want to help him? Doctor I..." He looked down to the Master, vivid memories flashing at the forefront of his mind. "I don't know what he is to you... But the things he did... I can't forgive that. I don't care what he might have been like once or what you think he can be. To me, as long as I know he's still alive, I'm going to see his face laughing at me and taunting me as he did unspeakable things to my body over and over." He shook his head. "I'm sorry."
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The Doctor swallowed, not looking at the Master but feeling his presence all the more. "And if he had died then and there, what would it have changed? I know he's done unforgivable things, Jack. If I could undo it all, I would. If I could keep everyone safe forever..."
He trailed off, blinking once as he looked at the console, because between Jack and the Master it was the only neutral spot he could find. "I can't just keep losing all the time."
With that he turned fully to face the console, pulling a lever. "So. Cardiff, yeah? Or anywhere else? I'll take you anywhere, anytime. Just say."
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He looked down to the Master, knowing full well what he was capable of. The Doctor had to know too, right? There wasn't any way he couldn't. Not after all this time. Still, he was too clever... too dangerous to be left alone. Without even thinking, Jack spoke up.
"I don't want to go home. Not yet. Not while you've got this lunatic on board with you... I can't leave you two together in good conscience. It wouldn't be right. What if he hurts you again? I'd never live with myself."
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"...are you certain? Jack, he isn't going to hurt me. I can handle him. The TARDIS won't let him pilot her, either. But... This trip isn't going to be like it was with... With Rose." He would never be able to just casually say her name, would he? "I don't want him to hurt you anymore, either."
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"Where were you going to take him?" He wondered, folding his arms. "You can't exactly take him home, and I'm not sure a prison would be good enough to keep him in. I used to hear stories of a woman who would break in and out of Stormcage whenever she got bored. I don't think they're up to the task of watching over him."
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He turned back to Jack again, frowning as he thought. "I can get you a phone or something. In case you want to contact your team?"
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"It might be for the best. I... didn't exactly say anything when I left, so there's a good chance they'll be mad at me." Gwen absolutely would be, and he was certain that Owen would have a few choice things to say as well. He was still figuring out Ianto, but Tosh was fine without him.
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"You can still find the way to your room?"
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"Don't worry about me getting lost. I've got a good memory." He winked and began dialing the number to Gwen's mobile, turning to start down toward the direction of the room the Doctor had let him use last time he was on board. "You're welcome to join me later if you like." Another wink for his half-invitation, not expecting him to even consider taking it for a moment before he began walking toward his room, the phone up to his ear.