Child of the void (Doctor Who)

Part III - Conviction

It was the greatest mystery to the Master how Donna could be sulking about getting away from life threatening danger. She had seriously tried to convince him to stay and solve the whole thing. That he had almost died just some minutes ago seemed to be completely irrelevant.

So much for her tears.

Or maybe... maybe it was because she had gotten too used to the Doctor's recklessness, to his sheer suicidal tendencies when it came to adventures.

Stupid.

The Master wasn't like that. He knew when it was time to leave the battlefield. Literally, in the case of the Time War.

He had, however, made a deal with Agatha. If she would manage to solve the case, she had to write a book about it, change as many details as she wanted, as long as an involved person could understand the meaning.

Donna decided on the title: The Unicorn and the Wasp.

Agatha gave them a small pile of books they had never heard of and also two she hadn't even published yet.

Not everyone was happy, but, as far as the Master was concerned, he had done a lot more good than he usually was willing to do. For his own reasons, yeah, but it should still count, shouldn't it?

Why did it even bother him? He didn't need any approval. He didn't need the Doctor to smile at him with this proud and childish expression and certainly not with the shy one he had hopefully seldom shown to anyone but the Master.

Alright, stop!

He scowled, kicking a pebble away. The bag with the books weighed heavy on his shoulder. Finally, more books.

Distraction.

He knew exactly from what. Or rather whom. After all, he would spend way too much time in the TARDIS. Even with the Doctor no longer holding him back, the Master wouldn't leave, would he?

Where to?

There was no place in the whole wide universe where two specific faces would not follow him, where the memories of their time together would not haunt him. As it did right now in the form of a little black dragon on Donna's shoulder.

Another mystery.

The Master hoped the creature would disappear again soon so he wouldn't have to be reminded all the time. Of his own stupidity. Of the damage he did whenever he let the reins of control slip even a little. And he needed those reins. He needed them, needed them, needed, needed, needed, needed...

Breathe.

"Donna! Where have you been? You just wanted to go shopping, but you were gone for ages!" The Doctor came running towards them, coat missing and shirt buttoned in a mess that didn't make much sense. "And..." He got slower and eventually stopped, glaring at the Master. "You're still here." Spoken as if it surprised him. Honestly surprised him. And that made the Master's guts twist. "What did you... where did you..." His look wandered back and forth between him and Donna.

"Did not harm a hair on her head," the Master promised with a hand between his hearts. The wellbeing of the human strays was always the biggest concern. And that too made his insides feel like someone had put them through a wringer.

That look on the other one's face. There was so much worry and now it morphed into an expression of utter misery. Because the Doctor knew. He knew what monster the Master kept inside of himself. He knew how much it took the Master to keep this monster on a tight chain. He knew how dangerous even a chained beast could be. Because he knew it sometimes didn't take much to let the restraints slip just enough.