one;

[rude_not_ginger]

It had been a long few weeks in France. A long few years, if he was perfectly honest with himself (he was not, of course). Business was difficult. People were becoming more unruly. He'd tried to convince Reinette it was time to leave, but she didn't want to move, not yet. No, too much to do here

Comments

[doyouhearthem]

The Master had been amusing himself serving drinks tonight. Granted, a fair few of them had been for him, but seeing as there were no staff to complain, it didn't much matter. He even cajoled his 'bodyguard' of sorts into taking a drink, knowing he could not say no. It had been fun watching it lap the stuff up obediently, only to screech and spit and go scrambling for the nearest bin. It was only too bad this one wasn't dumb enough to be fooled again.

A man walked through the door, looking distinctly out of place in his rococo dress. The Master mused idly if he remembered any mixes from the time... until he saw the man's face, and his hearts nearly stopped.

Everything else may have been all wrong, but it was him and every part of him knew it. His hands gripped the bar hard enough to crack, waiting for some recognition, a look, some melodramatic remark - surely the Doctor knew by now - but clearly something wasn't right.

[doyouhearthem]

"Got it in one," the Master said with a smirk. Bodyguard and enforcer, in fact, given its designation in a sort of perverse nod to their shared heritage. He had at least a dozen of these, though none were called Theta. As far as he was concerned, that name was taboo.

"Fantastic little device he's got. Connects to the subcortex, directly. He doesn't know a word of English, and he doesn't need to. I think it's quite a success, don't you?"

Lambda stayed where he was, standing very still.

[rude_not_ginger]

"Quite," the Doctor replied, circling both Saxon and the creature. "Until you get into the possibilities of subcortextual madness, unruly wire placement, transfer allocation theories, but you've taken all of those into account, right?"

For some reason, and the Doctor couldn't quite figure it out, he was absolutely certain Saxon was too clever to have something like that happen. Why would he think that? He barely knew the man.

How did he know him? He thought about demanding an answer, but the creature at Saxon's side made him wary. The wrong move and that thing could be vicious.

[doyouhearthem]

He didn't need to touch the Doctor's mind to see the gears turning. Oh, how he wanted to see the realization dawn on him.

He furrowed his brow. "Now why would you say a thing like that? Awfully suspicious, a courtly gentleman like you knowing about such things. I'm afraid you're losing your cover."

He grabbed another glass. "And what makes you think I made it, at that? It's almost paranoid! Maybe you do need a drink, after all."

[rude_not_ginger]

"What cover?" the Doctor replied without hesitation. "That implies you think I'm hiding something."

He affected a calm, disinterested tone, completely contrasting to the curiousness he displayed moments earlier. M. Saxon knew something. Oh, if only the Doctor could remember where he saw him before. Maybe it was hidden, deep in the parts of his mind he had to shut down to avoid withdrawal symptoms from being away from the TARDIS. Maybe Saxon had changed his appearance, somehow? But how?

"No, you see, the thing is M. Saxon," he paused. "Bit long, that. Is there another name you'd prefer I called you?"

[doyouhearthem]

The Master stiffened almost imperceptibly. Something in his eyes changed; it was only the faintest shift, but to a fellow Time Lord, these were obvious tells. The Doctor had hit upon something, and he couldn't hide it any longer.

"I know that you are not a French aristocrat," he murmured, "And you know I'm not a bloody bartender. We're both lying to each other, there's no use pretending we're not."

He glanced down, behind the counter, and reached - presumably - for a bottle.

"The difference, I suppose, is in the magnitude of the lie. When does it become too much to bear, hm? How long can one live with oneself? How long have you lived with it, I wonder?"

Surreptitiously, the Master had been feeling for a sharp edge on the wood. He had felt one earlier - there. In one swift movement he sliced his thumb open across it. Quickly, he opened a bottle and poured a glass, thumb over the lip.

He nudged it towards the Doctor. "In vino veritas, don't you agree?"

[rude_not_ginger]

"Not an aristocrat," the Doctor said. "Have to be born into the aristocracy. Fortunately, I'm an excellent employee of the King. Employee of the year and all that. I'm sure he'll make me a plaque."

The King who was not-so-subtly mocked on a regular basis. Because the Doctor wasn't French, and he wasn't really interested in France beyond his companion and how swiftly he could leave.

He took the glass from Saxon. Not a bartender. Not even from this world, if the Doctor was guessing correctly. And there was something there. Something in his eyes. It was so utterly familiar.

He inhaled the perfume of the wine. Not a fantastic year, but he'd grown a bit too fond of the extremely good bottles avaliable to him at the palace. And this had something sharp behind it. Coppery. Ah. Very clever. Giving the Doctor the answer without telling him a thing. Just the sort of thing the Doctor might do

[doyouhearthem]

Immediately he locked eyes with the Doctor, sensing that familiar touch. The Master's hearts were racing - it had been so long since he had felt it. His breath hitched, and for only a moment images flashed through his mind of their last exchange, of dying in the Doctor's arms... events that had not occurred for this Doctor at all.

And then they were gone. He pushed back with predatory intensity, gripping the the other man's mind like a vice.

You've grown weak, Doctor. Languishing away with humans, while I've become a god.

"Hold him."

The alien Lambda hissed and grabbed at the Doctor's arms with alarming strength.

[rude_not_ginger]

The images didn't make any sense. The Doctor had never met this man, much less held him while he died. No, no, not just a man. The shape of the words in the Doctor's mind, the energy behind him. There was only one person in the universe he could be.

The Doctor didn't struggle when the creature grabbed his arms, choosing instead to keep his defiance on his face rather than in his actions. The glass of wine fell and shattered as the Doctor's arms were forced back.

"I should've known," the Doctor said. "It could only be you."

[doyouhearthem]

"You should've, but you didn't. See what happens when you try to hide yourself away?"

He leaned over the bar, close enough to whisper into the Doctor's ear.

"I won't let you."

The Master nodded to Lambda, and the alien pulled the Doctor back with a snarl.

"But which game shall we play, I wonder," he said, grinning. "Ooh, how's this: You tell me the location of your TARDIS, and I won't have this beast tear your arms off!"

[rude_not_ginger]

"You think I'm hiding?" the Doctor hissed. He gave a tug against the creature, but its grasp was significantly stronger than the Doctor's arms.

The Master. It could only be the Master, after all this time, after all that loneliness, he was faced with him. And for what?

"The TARDIS? What do you want the TARDIS for?" the Doctor demanded. "Whatever it is, she won't help you and you know it."

No need, for the moment, to tell him about the ship's location, five thousand years away. The Doctor would've done more than a bit to get her back, but he imagined his oldest enemy didn't simply want a trip 'round the universe. He never did.

[doyouhearthem]

The Master barked out a laugh that echoed through the room.

"I want it because it's yours! That's all the reason I need! Well, maybe a little for organ donation but it's not like I need permission for that, yeah? I won't be using her like last time, though, I've learned from that mistake."

Giddy with excitement, he hopped over the bar and circled the Doctor. "Ohhhh, that's right! You're not from that timeline! Well, I'll be sure to share all the best moments with you, but not just yet."

He placed a finger to his chin. "Lambda, what do you think? Shall we take him home with us?"

"It is your will, Imperator."

[rude_not_ginger]

"Organ donation?" the Doctor asked. He struggled again. "The Eye of Harmony is closed permanently. Even if you wanted to, you couldn't use her like you did. And I've lost all but three lives, Master. Hardly worth your time to take those, either."

Wait. Timeline? Did he meet him in the future? "So I get her back." The TARDIS was so far away, it sometimes felt like a memory of a memory that he'd ever traveled. That was the trouble with the space between ship and Time Lord. Memories faded.

"Imperator? That's new. Been running around and enslaving races during our time apart, eh?"

[doyouhearthem]

The Master shook his head, that insufferable grin still on his face. "Oh come now, what fun would it be if I killed you? We're born survivors, if nothing else! And I intend to keep it that way."

He walked past the Doctor, turning his back on him, towards one of the many doors in the bar.

"Since you've probably gone rusty during your little holiday, I'll give you some time to compose yourself. Get all those thoughts in order, maybe have a little cry, whatever it is you do."

He turned and motioned to Lambda. The creature shoved the Doctor forcefully and released its grasp.

"Don't let my generosity go to waste, Doctor. It's only because I'm so happy to see you, after all. Perhaps I'll have them throw a banquet in your honor - the coming of another god."

He opened a door, and with another glance over his shoulder, stepped through.

Lambda started after him, but lingered almost hesitantly, looking at the Doctor.