The Master's Game (Doctor Who)

A severed bond

A/N: There isn't that horribly much plot going on from the second half on... also, this chapter is rated M... for reasons. You have been warned. ;D

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As much as she was exhausted, Roka couldn't stay asleep for long. Even now she was plagued by nightmares, by all those cruel images and ideas the ancient alien had brought up. Icy chills went through her mind and body, despite the crackling fire, and that feeling of utter loneliness from the dream just wouldn't leave her, made her insides twist and her eyes burn. It was as if she had lost something, something important. Although everyone was back safe and all right.

Not even the warm atmosphere of the study dispelled those feelings. So eventually she got up, threw a last glance at the Doctor, who sat in his comfy chair, reading, and went to get the only thing that would help... coffee.

After downing two cups the tiredness had eased a bit and she finally brought herself to enter the library, although her steps were slow as she wandered along the shelves. For some unknown reason it felt awkward, as if she shouldn't be here... as if she had lost every right and reason to come inside. Maybe because, in the end, all of this had been her fault. But maybe it also wasn't so bad. Now the Doctor would help, or at least try to.

"Let me guess... the key is destroyed," said the Master from behind her.

Roka spun around with a small yelp. "Gosh, stop sneaking." She held a hand to her pounding heart and peeked up to him, but hastily turned her head away shortly after. "It... was the only way to get rid of the alien," she mumbled. "I'm... sorry."

"For what?" He was leaning with folded arms against a shelf, but didn't look at her.

"Because that's my fault..." She glared at her shoes. "If I hadn't been so persistent on coming along... the key would still be intact... and that thing wouldn't have attacked you through me."

An amused laugh finally made her look up. His eyes showed some of the same exhaustion she felt, but other than that they were only filled with glee. Then he ruffled through her hair before pulling her into a hug. The warmth emanating from him and being held so tight slightly eased the weird, lonely feeling, but not completely.

"I'll only be mad at you, if you turn out to be another nightmare," the Master murmured into her ear. "What a nasty way to punish thieves... I should keep that in mind. Could be fun."

His words made her wonder what he might have seen, but she didn't want to ask something so privately. Not that she expected him to tell her anyway.

"I want to leave," she mumbled, suddenly feeling an unexplainable restlessness. If only they could just go. If only she could continue running away. With him. Like they had done before. It had been such a great time. So different from that current, dragging state of endless waiting.

"Yah, me too. If I don't find a way out soon, I'll really burn down the library..."

"Don't you dare!" Roka glanced up, but he didn't look too serious.

Then her eyes fell onto something else. Right at the shoulder his jacket had a small hole that was slightly burned on the edges, and a fine black dust covered some of the cloth.

"Are you hurt?" She stretched to take a closer look. "Whoa! What the...?" It wasn't only the jacket, there also was a wound on his shoulder. Small and round, but already about to heal. And she remembered having felt a short pain at that spot, shortly before the entity had taken over.

"Oh, right... totally forgot." The Master, somewhat absently, looked down and put a finger into the hole in the cloth, frowning at it. "There was a trap on that thing. Shot me with a bullet of some kind, but the content stopped whatever it was doing a while back. Probably some kind of nano-bots. I guess it was linked to the key." With that he swiped some of the black dust away.