Rose couldn’t believe how fast she had fallen for him. She hadn’t looked at anyone, including Mickey, since leaving the Doctor on that beach in Norway, and now here she was, head over heels in love with some guy she had just met. There was something about him, something that reminded her of the Doctor. He seemed so charming all the time, but there was something lurking underneath. She just couldn’t quite put her finger on it.

The Master stared across the table at his latest project; young, blond and just so gosh-golly chav-tastic. Good grief. The psychic energy coming off of her just reeked of the other Time Lord; he could almost smell the Doctor on her. Tonight, he’d make his move tonight. And then he would claim his victory. How satisfying that would be.

As they walked together in the moonlight Rose looked up adoringly at him. Harry had asked her if she wanted to go back to his place and she’d agreed readily. This was it. This was what she’d been waiting for. She’d wasted so much time with the Doctor and now this was her chance at a real honest to God relationship. She was not going to mess this up.

They stopped in front of a normal looking telephone box. “I just have to make a quick call,” Harry told her as she tried to move away. Rose had a quick flashback to another telephone box, a blue one. “Okay, I’ll just wait over there.” His eyes met hers, “No,” he said quite seriously, “Come on. Come with me. There’s plenty of room,” and he pulled her along with him.

Her heart stopped. It was bigger on the inside.

“Oh my God, it’s a TARDIS. You’re a…a…Time Lord,” she managed to stammer out.

He looked at her now with a coldness that hadn’t been there before, “Yes,” he replied.

For a moment she couldn’t form thoughts or words. A Time Lord…but the Doctor had thought he was alone. Who was he? Her mind raced as she stammered out, “What…what are you…doing here? Why…why me?”

He moved menacingly closer to her until he was literally nose to nose with her, “The Doctor.”

Rose shook her head furiously, “I don’t understand.”

The Master sneered, “No, you wouldn’t would you. How could you, with your tiny little mind.” Then he cocked his head to one side thoughtfully, “But maybe I can help you with that little problem.” And with that he raised his hands towards her temple.

The force of the contact nearly knocked Rose to the floor. Though she knew the Doctor had a telepathic ability, he had never used it on her; but now this other Time Lord was tramping through her mind like it was his personal playground. Her memories, her thoughts, her feelings were being invaded, taken over, ravaged. And then rational thought became impossible and the blackness began to close in.

As the Master stood looking down at the Doctor’s former companion lying helpless in his arms he allowed a satisfied grin to spread across his face. Yes, things were going according to plan so far. Then he picked her up none too gently and carried her from the Console Room.

 

Once she was safely deposited on the bed he sat down to continue with the rest of his plan. The Master touched his fingertips to her temple and reached out with his mind once again, probing the edges of her unconsciousness. Finding no resistance he began to wander through her memories, soaking in images of Rose and the Doctor. Then his destructive nature took over.

She stirred a little and started making little mewling noises as he disconnected the memory receptors in her frail little human brain. Each memory of the Doctor he erased was like a little battle won and he found himself chuckling a bit maniacally as he worked. When the last vestige of her travels with his enemy had been erased from her mind he carefully placed his identity in its place. When her eyes fluttered open minutes later her first word was expected, “Master.”

 

“I can’t believe he’s got a dungeon on his TARDIS,” Jack said for the tenth time since they’d been chained to the wall.

“Well, the Master’s always been a bit of a sadist,” the Doctor replied. “I guess his girl knew what he liked and grew it to suit him.”

“Your TARDIS doesn’t even have a working oven,” Jack observed.

“It did before Rose burned it up. I should’ve known not to let her near the kitchen, especially since Jackie taught her to cook.”

“Doctor, have you noticed that there’re no guys with guns down here with us. I’m thinking this might be an opportune moment to escape.”

The Doctor rolled his eyes as he glanced towards Jack, “And do what, we’re on his TARDIS. We could be anywhere in time and space. And do you really think that he’s left his circuits unprotected from me. If he has half a brain cell left in that drum-addled mind he’s blocked me from controlling any part of his ship. Best we wait until we get back to the Valiant and then try and make our move.”

“What do you think he’s doing anyway? I mean, he de-ages you and unchains me for the first time in months and then packs us both up and takes off. Is he going to dump us on some prehistoric planet and leave us to rot or what?”

“Jack,” the Doctor was starting to look exasperated, “If I knew what the Master was going to do before he did it then we wouldn’t be in this mess, now would we? Time Lord telepathy doesn’t exactly work like that.”

“Time Lord what?”

“Telepathy,” said a familiar voice from the doorway. “Oh, and wouldn’t it be fun if I gave you a bit of a demonstration.”

“Master,” the Doctor said menacingly.

“Oh, don’t worry Doctor,” the Master said as he rolled his eyes. “I’m not going to hurt freak boy right now. I have something much more fun planned.”

“What’s that?” Jack queried sarcastically as he rattled his chains a bit, “Going to blow up a planet?”

The Master shot a scathing look at him and replied slowly, “No, I think the Doctor’s done quite enough of that for the both of us.”

The Doctor chose to ignore Jack’s confused look and instead addressed the Master, “Alright, come on. What matter was so pressing that you had to drag us off that nice cozy prison ship?”

“Well alright, I’ll tell you. But you won’t like it.”

“I seldom do,” replied the Doctor warily.

A sheepish look crossed the Master’s face. “I’ve met someone. And I’m afraid, dear Doctor, that you may not be the number one person in my life anymore.” The Master waived a hand absently as he continued. “I know last of the Time Lords and all that, but really, what do we have in common. And this girl, she’s just so sweet and innocent, so devoted and loyal. I just know that we’ll be together forever,” he said melodramatically clasping his hands to his chest.

The Doctor was staring at him with wide, fear filled eyes, “No,” he said quietly.

The Master went on, “You two may know her. She’s young, about twenty, blond, about this high,” he gestured to his shoulder.

“NO!!!” the Doctor roared, straining at the chains that bound him.

“You bastard,” Jack yelled, “Not Rose. What have you done to Rose?”

The Master turned an incredulous look to him, “Done…I haven’t done anything to Rose. She’s here of her own accord.” He looked back to the Doctor and winked at him conspiratorially, “You know how women are about Time Lords; always fancying themselves in love.”

The Doctor had now gone completely still, “Let me see her,” he murmured.

“Oh, I don’t know if that’s such a good idea, she’s just getting settled into our room and…”

“LET ME SEE HER!”

“Oh, alright Mr. Rude and Not Ginger,” the Master said with a true smile on his face now, “She’s waiting just outside, I’ll just go get her,” and he bounded away to the door like a kid enjoying his favorite game.

“Come love, say hello to my friends, they want to meet you.”

At the sight of her familiar face the Doctor felt his breath catch in his throat. “Rose…” he whispered reverently.

“Umm…Hello,” she replied without a hint of recognition. “Is this a dungeon, Master?” she asked, turning back to him.

“Dungeon,” he said, a bit confounded as he looked around the room. “Oh, well, yeah, I suppose it is. But don’t worry your pretty little head about that,” he said, reaching out to cup her face in his hand. “Trust me, these two are very bad men and they deserve to be chained up for the rest of their unnatural lives.”

“Oh, ok…” she said nervously.

“Rose,” the Doctor tried again, his voice a little bit stronger this time, “Don’t you remember me…remember us,” his voice breaking on the last word.

Rose turned towards him, a curious look on her face, “Should I? Have we met?”

Tears were blurring his vision now, “Rose, please...,” he begged, though for what he wasn’t entirely sure; some hint of memory, some glimpse of his Rose in her eyes.

“Rose, please,” the Master parroted in a disgusted fashion, “Oh, please. No wonder you couldn’t hold on to her. Good grief. You never even told her how you felt, did you? Never even bothered to show her. But if it had been me…,” he let the thought trail off as he pulled Rose closer and lowered his mouth to hers.

It was a hard, punishing kiss and when he raised his head it wasn’t Rose’s eyes he met, but the Doctor's. “Oh, silly…it is me. And I won’t be nearly as daft as you were.”

“What have you done to her?” Jack queried with barely suppressed rage.

The Master shot a look of extreme annoyance towards Jack, “Blah, blah, blah…don’t you ever shut up.” A telepathic thought from the Time Lord to his TARDIS and a jolt of electricity shot through Jack leaving him limp and lifeless in his bonds.

“When he comes back to life you can explain Time Lord telepathy to him,” the Master instructed the Doctor, who had not taken his eyes off Rose.

“I, meanwhile, am going to take this Bad Wolf to bed.” Wide brown eyes swung towards the Master’s.

“No!”

“Oh yes, Doctor…Oh yes.” He flashed a grin towards his enemy as he gestured towards his prize, “Come dear,” and she followed.