Timely Lovers Part 4: His Father's Son
This is a birthday fic for the the_redjay, just under the wire! Hope you like it dear, despite having seen most of it already... On the other hand, I made a banner, as I finally found images to go with the picture I have in my head of the Seeker's second regeration. :)
If anyone's interested in catching up, follow the tags (for 'Timely Lovers' - isn't it a neat title?). Although it stands pretty well on its own, I think. For info about Roda, click the spoiler cut.
[Redjay basics]When Rodageitmososa looked into the Time Vortex at the age of eight, a series of events were set in motion that would lead to the survival of one more renegade at the end of the Time War, a self-proclaimed Robin Hood-esque Time Lady called the Redjay.
Summary: The Master and his son have a discussion about the Redjay. It doesn't go quite as the Master anticipated...
Setting: Shortly after 'By the Fireside'
Characters: Second Seeker (OC) + the Master
Rating: PG-13.
Wordcount: Just under 2000 words
Despite the many ways in which human society had moved on during the 200 years that separated the 21st and 23rd Centuries, there were still times when the political machinations the Master was currently indulging in gave him a distinct sense of deja-vu.
And then there were days when he was sharply reminded of all the ways in which his own life had changed...
Back then he’d not had a son who would waltz into his office in the brightest red coat the Master had ever seen and perch himself on the desk, studying him with eyes as keen and sharp as his own.
“We need to talk,” the Seeker said, and the Master leaned back in his chair.
“You know, I have guards out there to stop people just walking in from the street...”
The Seeker’s face split in a wide grin.
“I saw! It’s very cute. Does it create the desired effect?”
“Pretty much. Didn’t give you any grief, did they?”
The Seeker raised an offended eyebrow.
“I should think I am capable of walking through a handful of humans without being seen, father. And I can't help noticing that you are derailing the conversation before we've even started it.”
Sighing, the Master tilted his head.
“Very well. I... presume you've come to talk about the Redjay.”
“That would be correct, yes.”
The Seeker’s blue eyes were cool and considered, and really, there was no way of getting around it. Accidentally finding his only, beloved son in the arms of a sworn adversary had caused a deep and significant shock, as well as a quiet fury which had yet to blossom into anything solid, but there was ample time for that.
Right now, however, there was the business of trying to find out why this extraordinary liaison had taken place in the first place... He sat forward, looked up at the boy - all cheekbones and sharp lines in his red coat. It was a new coat, he was sure, and the colour might be a subtle message all on its own. Damn that woman. He cleared his throat, trying to put on his most reasonable face.
“So - here's the thing. I don't see our Redjay in... ages. More than a century. And when I do stumble upon her she's shacked up with you, which - I must admit - I wasn’t expecting. However..." His eyes narrowed, "I seem to remember that she had some trouble with You Know Who which you helped her with. Am I correct in presuming that we have a case of time discrepancies, and this is all rather recent for you?”
There was a pause, as the Seeker studied him in silence, the cogs in his brain obviously ticking over rapidly. When he finally spoke there was more than a hint of hesitation in his voice.
“You think... You think she's sleeping with me out of gratitude for helping save her life?”
The Master shrugged, aiming for a smile and failing.
“Well it’s either that or a surprisingly wily plan to get back at me through the person I love the most. But she protested so very valiantly against the very idea - plus that’s never been her MO, she’s too... principled for that kinda thing - well, I must admit I ran out of ideas.”
As he spoke, however, the Seeker had been slowly shaking his head
“I... can't begin to say how wrong you are. But since you're curious... Yes, that incident is fairly recent, and it's probably what helped earn her trust.”
Another pause, as the Master waited for him to continue, and then impatiently broke the silence himself.
“Well go on then... why is she sleeping with you? I’m presuming there’s a reason and she didn’t just fall through the door, naked, and into your arms.”
The Seeker casually brushed his hair off his forehead, making sure that the light was as flattering as possible, smugness and pure challenge radiating from his eyes. “Because I'm hot?”
Kids. The lad was more than two hundred now, and still he revelled in winding up his father. The Master took a deep breath, and forced his temper under control. They were not having another round of that particular argument.
“Apart from that.”
This time he waited, and the Seeker sighed in a mock-defeat which his eyes belied.
“Fine, if you're that curious - I came to her. And she was kind enough to accept my proposal. That's all you're getting.”
He had not been expecting this. The Seeker’s face was a perfect blank, and he wondered whether there was some kind of story behind the development - or whether the Seeker had just decided that he’d like to try sex with another Time Lord. Either alternative was as likely as the other.
He didn’t get any further in his musings however, as the Seeker was clearly keen to move on.
“Listen - why it started isn’t important. It did, and it’s probably going to continue, because it’s very pleasant to say the least. But there is one problem - you.”
Part of him wanted to protest, but a lie that big and obvious was impossible for even him - in this instance at least he cared very much where his son bedded. The Redjay - infuriating, intransigent, a relic from a lost world and refusing to ever bend to his will... The idea of his son sharing any kind of intimacy with her was unpalatable to him in ways he couldn't even begin to describe. If he was honest he had been half-relieved when she'd started working for Torchwood and subsequently fell of his radar. She and the Freak made a good couplet of impossible things.
Looking at the Seeker he grimaced, trying his best to appear casual.
“So, what is this - you’re going to warn me off going after her? That’s very gallant of you, especially considering how it’s only a casual thing...”
The Seeker smiled, a smile that caught the Master unawares and suddenly made his breath hitch.
“You’re on the right track, except I know you. You’re perfectly capable of being subtle when you want to - if, say, a strange artifact just happened to fall through the rift and injure her, then I am certain no one would ever be able to trace it back to you. So I’ve decided on a slightly different cause of action: Whatever befalls her, befalls you. Very Biblical, actually. Funny that, I don't think I've ever been Biblical before.”
Of all the ridiculous ideas the youngster had thought up! The Master tried his best not to sneer - it wouldn’t do to talk down to the boy. But still.
“Right then... because you happen to be sleeping with her, I become responsible for her welfare? And you say you are not infatuated...”
Sitting up a little straighter, the smile faded from the Seeker’s face with an abruptness that would have been alarming in anyone else.
“I'm not making you 'responsible' for her because I'm sleeping with her. I'm making you responsible because she is more terrified of you than her own death. I remember what you did back then, during The Year That Never Was, and that's obviously only a fraction - she's not going to share, and I don't want to know. But I want it to end. And the only way it's going to end, is for you to back off. So to ensure that, I thought up this little arrangement. Very simply I don't want her to be worse off because of me.”
With dawning horror the Master realised that the boy was deathly serious.
“But... the woman is a complete danger magnet. Plus she works for Torchwood - it's only a question of time before she gets herself killed! Their average life expectancy is less than a Sontaran’s.”
The Seeker’s face betrayed no emotion.
“Well if it came to that, I suppose I'd have to kill you too.”
“Now don't be stupid,” the Master replied, beginning to get rather bothered by the turn of the conversation.
But the Seeker merely readopted that delightfully dark smile. (Well, it would be delightful if it wasn’t directed at him.)
“Daddy dearest, you're an evil psychotic megalomaniac. Killing you would be doing the universe a favour.”
The Master shook his head, feeling oddly shaken. Part of him couldn’t believe that he was considering taking this seriously, and yet... The look on the boy’s face made warning bells ring in places that he knew better than to ignore.
“You wouldn't...”
His son held his eyes, the challenge unmistakable.
“Wouldn't I?”
For the longest moment they held each other’s eyes, before eventually the Seeker tilted his head, features softening.
“Besides, there are only four of us. Seems a shame to waste so much effort on in-fighting. Plus...”
He hesitated, biting his lip, and the Master couldn't help himself from prompting.
“Plus?”
“Well, Roda... You like her.”
Wondering whether the kid had completely lost his marbles, he shook his head, incredulous.
“I can assure you-”
But the Seeker cut him off.
”Listen old man. The Doctor and I - we love you. We're stupid for doing so, but we do; no need to pretend we don't. But Roda... Roda really, really hates your guts. She would flay you alive without a second's remorse, and you...”
A beat as he leant in, studying his father's face with an unnerving combination of concentration and quiet triumph.
“...like that.”
Eternities seemed to pass as the words sank in, and when the Master finally found his voice, he wasn’t quite capable of keeping it under control.
”Son...”
Taking a deep breath, he studied the wonder in front of him with undiluted delight and appreciation. His son. His son to the very marrow of his bones.
“...does your little girfriend know just what manner of man she is getting involved with?”
The Seeker lazily swung his feet onto the floor and stood up.
“She is neither little, nor my girlfriend. And what she knows or doesn’t know about me... We’ll that’s none of your business. Which is what all of this has been about really. Keep your nose to yourself. In return I shall get out of your hair and leave you to your machinations. Try not to kill anyone? I know it’s politics, but murder is messy and leaves a trail - besides, humans are so very corruptible... Get your kicks elsewhere.”
Leaning forward on the desk, the Master studied him.
"Seriously, you'll just... leave?"
The Seeker shrugged. "I have actual work to do, plus I'm sure the Doctor will show up if you get too noisy. And the stars forbid I should come between The Enmity of Ages."
Strolling across to the door he put his hand on the handle, then turned to shoot his father a bright smile - tall, sharp and perfectly self-assured, his hair like a polished flame falling over his forehead - and the Master could not for all the worlds have denied him anything at all.
After the door had closed, he sat for a long while in silence, carefully turning over the new developments over in his mind.
Finally a small smile tugged at the corner of his mouth. He had to keep the Redjay safe? Well, he would... surprise her yet. The future was literally brimming with possibilities...
Not the End
Continued in Part 5: /ˈimˌpas/ by the_redjay.
Part 6: Every Time A Bell Rings.
If anyone's interested in catching up, follow the tags (for 'Timely Lovers' - isn't it a neat title?). Although it stands pretty well on its own, I think. For info about Roda, click the spoiler cut.
[Redjay basics]When Rodageitmososa looked into the Time Vortex at the age of eight, a series of events were set in motion that would lead to the survival of one more renegade at the end of the Time War, a self-proclaimed Robin Hood-esque Time Lady called the Redjay.
Summary: The Master and his son have a discussion about the Redjay. It doesn't go quite as the Master anticipated...
Setting: Shortly after 'By the Fireside'
Characters: Second Seeker (OC) + the Master
Rating: PG-13.
Wordcount: Just under 2000 words
Despite the many ways in which human society had moved on during the 200 years that separated the 21st and 23rd Centuries, there were still times when the political machinations the Master was currently indulging in gave him a distinct sense of deja-vu.
And then there were days when he was sharply reminded of all the ways in which his own life had changed...
Back then he’d not had a son who would waltz into his office in the brightest red coat the Master had ever seen and perch himself on the desk, studying him with eyes as keen and sharp as his own.
“We need to talk,” the Seeker said, and the Master leaned back in his chair.
“You know, I have guards out there to stop people just walking in from the street...”
The Seeker’s face split in a wide grin.
“I saw! It’s very cute. Does it create the desired effect?”
“Pretty much. Didn’t give you any grief, did they?”
The Seeker raised an offended eyebrow.
“I should think I am capable of walking through a handful of humans without being seen, father. And I can't help noticing that you are derailing the conversation before we've even started it.”
Sighing, the Master tilted his head.
“Very well. I... presume you've come to talk about the Redjay.”
“That would be correct, yes.”
The Seeker’s blue eyes were cool and considered, and really, there was no way of getting around it. Accidentally finding his only, beloved son in the arms of a sworn adversary had caused a deep and significant shock, as well as a quiet fury which had yet to blossom into anything solid, but there was ample time for that.
Right now, however, there was the business of trying to find out why this extraordinary liaison had taken place in the first place... He sat forward, looked up at the boy - all cheekbones and sharp lines in his red coat. It was a new coat, he was sure, and the colour might be a subtle message all on its own. Damn that woman. He cleared his throat, trying to put on his most reasonable face.
“So - here's the thing. I don't see our Redjay in... ages. More than a century. And when I do stumble upon her she's shacked up with you, which - I must admit - I wasn’t expecting. However..." His eyes narrowed, "I seem to remember that she had some trouble with You Know Who which you helped her with. Am I correct in presuming that we have a case of time discrepancies, and this is all rather recent for you?”
There was a pause, as the Seeker studied him in silence, the cogs in his brain obviously ticking over rapidly. When he finally spoke there was more than a hint of hesitation in his voice.
“You think... You think she's sleeping with me out of gratitude for helping save her life?”
The Master shrugged, aiming for a smile and failing.
“Well it’s either that or a surprisingly wily plan to get back at me through the person I love the most. But she protested so very valiantly against the very idea - plus that’s never been her MO, she’s too... principled for that kinda thing - well, I must admit I ran out of ideas.”
As he spoke, however, the Seeker had been slowly shaking his head
“I... can't begin to say how wrong you are. But since you're curious... Yes, that incident is fairly recent, and it's probably what helped earn her trust.”
Another pause, as the Master waited for him to continue, and then impatiently broke the silence himself.
“Well go on then... why is she sleeping with you? I’m presuming there’s a reason and she didn’t just fall through the door, naked, and into your arms.”
The Seeker casually brushed his hair off his forehead, making sure that the light was as flattering as possible, smugness and pure challenge radiating from his eyes. “Because I'm hot?”
Kids. The lad was more than two hundred now, and still he revelled in winding up his father. The Master took a deep breath, and forced his temper under control. They were not having another round of that particular argument.
“Apart from that.”
This time he waited, and the Seeker sighed in a mock-defeat which his eyes belied.
“Fine, if you're that curious - I came to her. And she was kind enough to accept my proposal. That's all you're getting.”
He had not been expecting this. The Seeker’s face was a perfect blank, and he wondered whether there was some kind of story behind the development - or whether the Seeker had just decided that he’d like to try sex with another Time Lord. Either alternative was as likely as the other.
He didn’t get any further in his musings however, as the Seeker was clearly keen to move on.
“Listen - why it started isn’t important. It did, and it’s probably going to continue, because it’s very pleasant to say the least. But there is one problem - you.”
Part of him wanted to protest, but a lie that big and obvious was impossible for even him - in this instance at least he cared very much where his son bedded. The Redjay - infuriating, intransigent, a relic from a lost world and refusing to ever bend to his will... The idea of his son sharing any kind of intimacy with her was unpalatable to him in ways he couldn't even begin to describe. If he was honest he had been half-relieved when she'd started working for Torchwood and subsequently fell of his radar. She and the Freak made a good couplet of impossible things.
Looking at the Seeker he grimaced, trying his best to appear casual.
“So, what is this - you’re going to warn me off going after her? That’s very gallant of you, especially considering how it’s only a casual thing...”
The Seeker smiled, a smile that caught the Master unawares and suddenly made his breath hitch.
“You’re on the right track, except I know you. You’re perfectly capable of being subtle when you want to - if, say, a strange artifact just happened to fall through the rift and injure her, then I am certain no one would ever be able to trace it back to you. So I’ve decided on a slightly different cause of action: Whatever befalls her, befalls you. Very Biblical, actually. Funny that, I don't think I've ever been Biblical before.”
Of all the ridiculous ideas the youngster had thought up! The Master tried his best not to sneer - it wouldn’t do to talk down to the boy. But still.
“Right then... because you happen to be sleeping with her, I become responsible for her welfare? And you say you are not infatuated...”
Sitting up a little straighter, the smile faded from the Seeker’s face with an abruptness that would have been alarming in anyone else.
“I'm not making you 'responsible' for her because I'm sleeping with her. I'm making you responsible because she is more terrified of you than her own death. I remember what you did back then, during The Year That Never Was, and that's obviously only a fraction - she's not going to share, and I don't want to know. But I want it to end. And the only way it's going to end, is for you to back off. So to ensure that, I thought up this little arrangement. Very simply I don't want her to be worse off because of me.”
With dawning horror the Master realised that the boy was deathly serious.
“But... the woman is a complete danger magnet. Plus she works for Torchwood - it's only a question of time before she gets herself killed! Their average life expectancy is less than a Sontaran’s.”
The Seeker’s face betrayed no emotion.
“Well if it came to that, I suppose I'd have to kill you too.”
“Now don't be stupid,” the Master replied, beginning to get rather bothered by the turn of the conversation.
But the Seeker merely readopted that delightfully dark smile. (Well, it would be delightful if it wasn’t directed at him.)
“Daddy dearest, you're an evil psychotic megalomaniac. Killing you would be doing the universe a favour.”
The Master shook his head, feeling oddly shaken. Part of him couldn’t believe that he was considering taking this seriously, and yet... The look on the boy’s face made warning bells ring in places that he knew better than to ignore.
“You wouldn't...”
His son held his eyes, the challenge unmistakable.
“Wouldn't I?”
For the longest moment they held each other’s eyes, before eventually the Seeker tilted his head, features softening.
“Besides, there are only four of us. Seems a shame to waste so much effort on in-fighting. Plus...”
He hesitated, biting his lip, and the Master couldn't help himself from prompting.
“Plus?”
“Well, Roda... You like her.”
Wondering whether the kid had completely lost his marbles, he shook his head, incredulous.
“I can assure you-”
But the Seeker cut him off.
”Listen old man. The Doctor and I - we love you. We're stupid for doing so, but we do; no need to pretend we don't. But Roda... Roda really, really hates your guts. She would flay you alive without a second's remorse, and you...”
A beat as he leant in, studying his father's face with an unnerving combination of concentration and quiet triumph.
“...like that.”
Eternities seemed to pass as the words sank in, and when the Master finally found his voice, he wasn’t quite capable of keeping it under control.
”Son...”
Taking a deep breath, he studied the wonder in front of him with undiluted delight and appreciation. His son. His son to the very marrow of his bones.
“...does your little girfriend know just what manner of man she is getting involved with?”
The Seeker lazily swung his feet onto the floor and stood up.
“She is neither little, nor my girlfriend. And what she knows or doesn’t know about me... We’ll that’s none of your business. Which is what all of this has been about really. Keep your nose to yourself. In return I shall get out of your hair and leave you to your machinations. Try not to kill anyone? I know it’s politics, but murder is messy and leaves a trail - besides, humans are so very corruptible... Get your kicks elsewhere.”
Leaning forward on the desk, the Master studied him.
"Seriously, you'll just... leave?"
The Seeker shrugged. "I have actual work to do, plus I'm sure the Doctor will show up if you get too noisy. And the stars forbid I should come between The Enmity of Ages."
Strolling across to the door he put his hand on the handle, then turned to shoot his father a bright smile - tall, sharp and perfectly self-assured, his hair like a polished flame falling over his forehead - and the Master could not for all the worlds have denied him anything at all.
After the door had closed, he sat for a long while in silence, carefully turning over the new developments over in his mind.
Finally a small smile tugged at the corner of his mouth. He had to keep the Redjay safe? Well, he would... surprise her yet. The future was literally brimming with possibilities...
Not the End
Continued in Part 5: /ˈimˌpas/ by the_redjay.
Part 6: Every Time A Bell Rings.