The Unexpected Hero

Pancakes and Cricket Bats

*Rubie's POV*

I woke the next day, stretching my arms above my head and lifting my body off the mattress as I remembered the Master's gentle touch on my feet as he gave me my much needed foot massage. Then I grinned when I smelled the most delicious smell a girl can smell in the morning. Pancakes!

I rolled over to swing my legs out of bed, only then noticing the indentation on the bed next to me, and a familiar smell filled my nostrils as I took a breath to scream as loudly as I possibly could. Then I thought 'oh what the hell, he's making me pancakes!' and I rolled out of bed and to my feet, pulling on my blue waffle gown from my nan that I'd had since I was a teenager. May she rest in peace.

I smiled as I thought of her, remembering how she used to let me have tim tams, even if it was right before dinner. She was one amazing lady, bringing up five sons and putting up with grandfather. I miss her.

I closed the door softly behind me, wanting to be able to sneak up on the Master for once. I knew it wouldn't work, but I wanted to try anyway.

In the end it was my feet that betrayed my presence to the Master as they made a slight clicking sound on the linoleum floor of my kitchen when I lifted them from the floor.

"I tried," I murmured softly to myself.

The Master turned from where he was skillfully flipping the pancakes, chuckling softly. "Yes you did."

I couldn't help the smile that stretched my lips wider and wider and wider. The Master returned my smile, and unlike his crazed smile that I remembered used to make me laugh on the show, actually reached his eyes and appeared to be genuine.

I approached the stools near my kitchen bench, sitting down and crossing one leg over the other. When I brushed past the Master sparks flew and butterflies fluttered in my belly, causing me to place a hand over my stomach in a half hearted attempt to calm them.

"What's the plan for today then? And don't you dare say we have to go save the world from the Doctor or something!" I said, my hands flying up in the air to emphasise my frustration.

The Master just chuckled again and went back to skillfully flipping pancakes and stacking them onto a plate which he then proceeded to generously drizzle with maple syrup as he placed it in front of me, kissing the exposed skin at the back of my neck.

I shuddered at the electrical sensations that ran through me from the point of contact, even though he had pulled back immediately, and gone back to making more pancakes. All the while I was smiling like an idiot, feeling on top of the world.

"How many of those do you think I can eat?" I asked in shock when I saw how many pancakes he was making.

"No, no, these ones are for me!" He replied, his words nearly entirely muffled by his laughter.

"Oh," I said, feeling stupid, my cheeks flushing red.

"Your pancakes are going cold," the Master pointed out.

I blushed and turned back so that I could dig into my pancakes that smelled soooo amazing! And they tasted amazing too! Damn, is there anything this man can't do?

"No, not really," the Master replied thoughtfully.

"Did I say that out loud?" I muse, my gaze fixed on the plate of pancakes in front of me.

"Yep," the Master said cheerfully. "Do you fancy some shopping today? We could look for books for your already full bookshelves,"

"Yes, please!" I exclaimed excitedly, clapping my hands together like a small child, forgetting that they were sticky with maple syrup.

The Master chuckles, approaching me with the dishcloth to clean my sticky hands, I pull them away and up over my head. Then when he gets too close to back away fast enough, I pull them back down and smear the sticky goodness all over his face and nice clean shirt.

"Ugh, gross, Rubie why did you have to do that? This shirt was clean, too!" The Master grumbles at me, even though the whole time he had a shit-eating grin twisting his lips upwards quite attractively.

I just giggle, incapable of speech, and continue eating my pancakes with my fingers because my hands are already sticky, why the hell not?

"I'm going to get dressed," The Master murmurs, so quietly I can barely hear him, and my hearing is pretty rubbish to start with, so he probably isn't even talking that quietly at all, but still. A little consideration wouldn't go astray!

So I'm shocked when he turns and heads for the front door instead of the bedroom where he's stored a few clean clothes on the occasion he should need them. "Why are you going that way?" I ask, knowing my confusion is showing on my face, and hating myself for it.

"I'm going to the SIDRAT," he answers just as quietly and mysteriously as he did before. Where has my happy man who reminds me of the Doctor I knew on my television set so many years ago? Where has the man that made me pancakes and gave me foot massages gone?

I get up from where I'm sitting at the kitchen table, running to the front door where I can just see the Master's silhouette walking away down the street, not even in the direction of where I last remember him parking the SIDRAT.

"And stay out!" I yell after him, in my loudest voice so that he can hear me along with all the neighbours that might be up at this ungodly hour.

He freezes for a moment, then continues on his way, never even looking back. How dare he! My irrational mind continues raging after him long after his figure has disappeared into the distance. If he comes back, I won't hesitate to whack him over the head with the cricket bat I have hidden around here somewhere...

I turn away from the door in search of the elusive cricket bat, thoughts of the Master long gone in my distraction.