Dust Bowl Dance [The Doctor]

[simm]

He watched the thin trails of electricity crash against the Doctor's chest with childish delight. The blue beams forced him down against the cracked, aged ground with their natural viciousness. Not enough to kill him, oh never. The Master wouldn't admit it, but he knew in his hearts that if he lost the Doctor, what point was there in him living? The Doctor had become his life, every thought surrounding the need to inflict pain upon his former friend, his best enemy.

A quiet whimper, how peculiar to hear such a thing from the Doctor of all people. The Master tilted his had to the side, a pitying grin lined with cruelty spreading across his lips. "How the mighty have fallen", he cackled, eyes lighting up with a wild light. Here lay the Doctor, saviour of people, of species, of planets, struck to the ground by the hand of the Master. His grin faltered. And yet, there was something wrong.

The Master narrowed his eyes scornfully. He still wanted to help. And wouldn't he always. The Doctor; a healer. It was in his nature to help. He could've helped a long time ago, he could've prevented it all. But no. The Master stepped towards the fallen Time Lord, crouching low. "Do you remember my father's land back home? Pastures of red grass, stretching for miles across the slopes of the mountains." He paused, lifting his head upwards. "We used to run across those fields all day." He sat back against the ground, elbows resting against his knees He turned his harsh gaze on the Doctor, holding up his hand as faint sparks of blue crackled and died.

"Look at us now."

He tore his gaze away, glaring at some unseen object.
"Help? Help?"

[/b] He clenched his hands into fists. How could he possibly help. "So hungry"[/b], muttered the Master. "So very, very hungry." [/b]His head snapped back to the Doctor. "Out there"[/b], he pointed to the distant housing estates.
"Out there are so many people. All feasting on food. And there's so much! All that roasting meat, burnt, greasy, salty, fatty, bloody, tender, sticky hot; hot skin; hot; all mine, mine , mine, to eat and eat and eat and eat and eat and EAT!"[/b] He threw his hands over his head, clutching at his skull feverishly.


"Oh."[/b] The single word echoed in silence. "But it hurts. It hurts.[/b] His hands loosened their grip, one slinding away, the other remaining to tap against his skull.
"Onetwothreefour, onetwothreefour, never ever ever ever ending and it hurts!"[/b] The fingers unfurled, threading themselves in short bleached hair, gripping the curve of his skul so tightly, as though the pressure could drown out the noise.

"Make it stop."[/b][/blockquote]

[The Doctor]

Like a lost puppy he gazed up at him, head still lingering on the ground. It hurt to much to move. So he laid still and quite for the moment watching his enemy from a ground point of view. Now the Master seemed tall, when in reality the Doctor was taller"Literally or just metaphorically stating?"

[/color]

Nodding he could feel the tears in his eyes begin. Home no longer existed because of him. Nor did he regret it because the Time Lords were corrupt and in his mind his choice was the best option at the time. Of course he remembered the crimson fields. How they reflected the golden light of the two suns and how they ran in them. They snogged there in those fields. Everything seemed golden then. Now, looking back it looked black and bloody in memories. "Of course I do,"[/color] They played all sorts of games of pretend and tag in those fields. "They were my solitude, you were my solitude."[/color]

Those days were over it seemed. They weren't coming back, as much as the Doctor wanted them to. It seemed impossible now.

"I think I still love you."[/color]

"I know, its the energy loss."[/color] He said looking solemn. Again he opened his mouth and said,"I know, Master. I know. Its going to be alright, the Doctor is in."[/color] It sounded cliche but after all he was the Doctor. "I'm sorry, I'm so so so very sorry."[/color]

He hugged him then. Pulled him close and stoked his back soothingly as it seemed like the right thing to do. "I will, I will. Just hush."[/color] [/blockquote]

[simm]

The Master's eyes closed for a moment. Those fields had been a place to hide away from their lives, to be free. So many memories, of laughing and childish games, or a brief kiss that had been shard so long ago. His eyes snapped open, staring upwards at the star ridden sky. "It's all gone now. Burned away. Our planet, our people, everything. But look , look at what survives."

[/b] He laughed coldly, gesturing at them both feverishly. "Us! The two disgraces of Gallifrey!"[/b]

"Love."[/b] He mulled the word over in his mind. It had no poignant meaning to him anymore, and hadn't for a long time. He hadn't 'loved' Lucy, she had been convienient but now there was only a bitterness. She'd spoiled his rebirth, and now he was dying. The energies in his body slipping away with every passing moment. "Dear Doctor." [/b]His head lowered to meet the Doctor's gaze. "Haven't you noticed what happens to anybody you love?" [/b]

The Masterthrew a fevered glance at his hands, watching the blue light dance around his fingertips. The Doctor's words fell of deaf ears, apologies ignored. Dying, death, defeated, he could never win. He'd cheated death so many times, outlived too many bodies, too many lives but he wasn't ready to die. Not yet.

And then he found himself in an embrace he remembered. Soothing brush of hands against his back, murmured promises. The Master's hand, wrapped around the Doctor's bony arm and suddenly tightened, fingers digging harshly into the flesh. "Doctor. Don't let me die. You'll be alone, again. Help me live." [/b][/blockquote]

[The Doctor]

Strawberry fields forever burning in his mind. Of days of yore of their youth, of days running though them laughing. All gone because of him.It was all his fault that Gallifrey was no more. He let it burn under his watch and then walked away. Actually he ran and fell to his knees in his old blue box, the lonely wanderer and wept for a good time before he came to Earth for a while traveled and ran into Rose Marion Tyler. He told her to run, and they ran throughout time and space. He loved her as well, lost her once only gaining her back in the end.

"It's my fault," he whispered feeling the guilt build up in his stomach. "All my fault, I let it burn." He confessed wanting the glory of the fall of Gallifrey.

He nodded not speaking. There wasn't anything to say to his former best friend. His eyes wandered away and he began to let his mind wander. He couldn't handle the thought but the Master was right as usual. Koschie was always right and he always fucked up. That how things were, he tried to make everything better to save those who could be saved but in the end Gallifrey burned, Astrid died, and so did so many others including his dear old Ace. Perry almost died under his watch and so did dear old Jamie. Wincing he looked back at the older Time Lord.

"I'm not going to lose you Koschei. I won't-- I can't let that happen." Now he was hiding his tears that were forming in his deep brown eyes. He couldn't let the Master see him weep. It was a sign of weakness.

He found himself clinging onto his old friend nodding as he took him tightly into his arms. He loved him, he still loved him but it was too late for that. He had a forbidden love with Rose and everything was a mess. His own TARDIS was broken. The Doctor nodded and hoped he could be of service to the Master. He wanted to. He needed to and he couldn't bear the thought of being alone. It was greatest weakness because in solitude horrible things happened.

"Come on, let's take you back to my TARDIS." He paused as he heaved up his old friend and let him lounge upon him. "Mind she doesn't like you, but I do. So I think if we're lucky she'll let you in."