This is my first Doctor Who fanfiction. I hope I've written it well and I hope you all enjoy it.

I do not own Doctor Who; every bit of it belongs to BBC. I do own Dahlia Tombew. Please do not steal her.

Thanks for reading and I hope you enjoy it!

It was the middle of summer vacation. I was home alone for the first time in months; my parents weren't there to constantly breathe down my neck about wasting my life away on the couch and my brother was spending the night at a friend's house. I was ready with a stack of classic scifi movies and a huge bowl of popcorn. I had just settled into my well-worn dip in the couch, but guess what the power decided to do? If you guessed flicker on and off randomly like an asshole, you would be correct. For the past hour and a half, I had checked the breakers, changed every lightbulb in the house five times, and called the power company six. The phone operator had informed me that nothing was wrong with the power lines and that no one else had called about power surges. On the sixth time they finally agreed to send someone to check the connections.

So, there I was, pissed off and forced to sit and wait while the power continued to mock me. I'd been sitting there playing Uno with myself for half an hour when a flash of lightning flooded the living room and front yard with blue-white light.

I scowled and began grumbling, "Wonderful. First the power goes crazy, now there's a storm."

Tossing my cards down onto the table, I trudged into the kitchen in search of snacks. I had just gotten a box of gushers when there was another flash. Startled, I nearly toppled from the chair I was using to reach the top shelf.

When I regained my balance, I asked myself, Where's the thunder?

Another shock of lightning, but I could see where it hit now. The very edge of the backyard lit up like a spotlight was shining on it.

"Of course it would be my backyard. Why would I ever think it wouldn't be?" I muttered jadedly.

Now, I'm not a naturally curious person. I like to stay on the safe side of life most of the time; adventures open up the possibility for injury or err. But not tonight. Tonight I was too pissed off to stay away. So, as quickly as I could, I got dressed—jeans, t-shirt, converse—grabbed a flashlight (and my purse as a gut decision), and headed out the back door.

Never before had I regretted having such a huge backyard. Now, I did.

In retrospect, I probably shouldn't have spent so much time preparing, though braving the storm in pajamas couldn't have been a much better idea. Then again, stepping outside in these conditions wasn't exactly smart at all. The weather had gotten so much worse; I could vaguely recall a hurricane from years ago with similar conditions. Huge gusts of wind threatened to blow me over. My flashlight was nearly ripped from my hands when I reached the halfway mark, and the circumstances were only getting worse. The only good thing was that it wasn't raining. Yet.

I paused in my stumbling steps to stare up at the sky. Smaller bolts of lightning rained down until the entire scene looked like God was having a rave. One shard of electricity got a bit too close, forcing me to dive left and into the ground.

Thankfully I wasn't wearing white. A small mercy.

I struggled to my feet but was shoved face first into a giant oak only seconds later. My reaction time was better than I thought it would be. My arms managed to get between the tree and my body before I collected a knot on my skull. I did earn a bruised forearm and sore wrist in trade, though.

Peering around the trunk, I realized immediately that I should've stayed inside. All the lightning was converging at one spot only fifteen feet away. Electricity crackled across my skin. I could taste it on my tongue. Then the sound started. It sounded like someone was trying to crank an engine but failing. A light pulsed among the lightning into time with the sound.

Why is that familiar? The inquisitive thought caused me to edge closer until I was braced against the other side of the tree and peering around it at the absurdity happening before me. Useless thoughts raced through my mind as the light brightened and the wind shrieked. I had lost my hair band somewhere along the way so now my hair was whipping around my face like a mass of angry snakes. My hands were so tightly clenched that my short nails were digging into my skin. I had been holding such a deep breath that my lungs felt as if they were going to burst in my chest.

The light had gotten so intense it scalded my eyes even after they were closed. I dug a hand into my hair to rip it out of my eyes as I forced myself to open them so I would actually see the monstrosity convulsing in my yard. The lightning, the swirling wind, the grinding noise—everything led up to one gigantic crescendo . . . that ceased into silence after one deafening explosion of thunder.

Blinking furiously to clear spots from my vision, I finally saw what the lights had concealed.

What the hell is a police box doing here? Better yet, what the fuck was the lightning storm about?

Smoke—or steam—spewed off it and into the air. The door shook and rattled piercingly. Whoever—or whatever—was inside wanted out.

Maybe I should leave. No success in moving. I was completely frozen.

The clatter stopped.

Adrenaline and fear rushed through my veins with my heart pumping so fast it threatened to stop.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

The scream that nearly wrenched itself from my throat was stopped by coughing and sputtering. My heart had literally stopped for a second. Still gasping, I finally managed to move but tripped on a root and sprawled backwards in the dirt. I cursed everything and anything. Today just had to be the day my bad luck caught up to me.

Hiding behind the tree was easy. Did it make me feel safe? Hell no.

Bang! Bang! Ba-crash!

From the sound alone I could tell parts of the door had cracked and splintered. Smoke—definitely smoke—swirled obnoxiously around my face, invading my airspace and forcing me to breathe it in. Someone stumbled out of the police box. They coughed raggedly before gagging and cursing in some language I didn't recognize.

Taking a risk, I peeked out from my hiding spot.

A man was leaning against the box. He was gasping for breath in between coughing fits and, from what I could see, drenched in sweat. He reached into his left pocket and pulled something out. It was long and slim and had a bright, blue light on the end. It made a soft whirring noise when the man turned it on.

I squinted to get a better look at it. Is that . . . No, it couldn't be. That guy does not have a sonic screwdriver.

The device flashed twice and beeped. A sneer made its way onto the man's face.

"I know you're there. Come out before I make you."

Okay, I know I'm not the nicest person in the world. I've heard and spat out my fair share of insults; but few people had ever spoken to me with that much venom and disdain and even those hadn't frightened me like this stranger did.

Air hissed in and out of my lungs through clenched teeth as I steeled myself. Slowly, I stood and slid around the trunk, keeping my body as close to the tree as possible.

The man glowered at me. Even as sick as he was, he sent chills down my spine.

Apparently, it showed because he sneered before speaking.

"Who are you? What do you want?" His sneer grew, if that was possible. "And don't bother lying. I'll be able to tell."

I twitched. I was normally a polite, quiet person but not now. I didn't care who this crazy bastard thought he was. He wasn't going to give me orders.

Giving him my own sneer, I snapped, "I could ask you the same thing."

He chuckled coldly but sobered almost immediately. "Be thankful, ape, that I don't kill you. Unfortunately, I need one of your kind to fix my dimension."

Grunting, he shoved off the box and staggered towards me. He raised the screwdriver, pointed it at me, and pressed a few buttons. Whatever it did, it wasn't what he wanted. He frowned then morphed his puzzled look to a poker face.

"Who is Bad Wolf and where can I find them."

Fantastic, another friggin' order! And he's asking about Bad Wolf! That's just great. He's stupid and crazy. A perfect combination.

Once again my thoughts must've been displayed on my face because the man bared his teeth at me and snarled. "I don't have time for your puny ape mind to comprehend the severity of the situation! Now tell me where Bad Wolf is!"

I pressed myself against the oak so tightly my skull began to ache. I hated being yelled at. I especially hated being yelled at by dangerous lunatics who randomly popped up in my backyard.

I paused to inhale deeply, in hopes that it would calm my rage some. "Bad Wolf doesn't exist. If you're looking for Billie Piper, she's a few thousand miles North East of here in England." Keeping myself as calm as possible, I asked, "Who are you?"

The man scoffed but seemed to contemplate it. Moments later he answered, "The Master."

Whatever fear I had left while my feature slid into a deadpan expression that screamed "You've got to be kidding." But no, from the look on his face, he was definitely not kidding. Raising an eyebrow, I asked with an only slightly mocking tone, "You're The Master?"

"The Master" caught on immediately and was back to sneering again. "If you're done being a pest, you can be a useful ape and tell me where Bad Wolf is."

His sharp tone didn't even make me flinch. I was contemplating exactly how this deranged Whovian had gotten out of his mental institution and into my backyard with an exact replica of the TARDIS.

The Master scoffed, "It seems humans are always useless, no matter which dimension it is."

I snorted and crossed my arms. "I could be of more use if you actually explained why you're in my backyard ranting about Bad Wolf and looking like an overall Whovan lunatic."

"What the bloody hell is a Whovian?"

I blinked. Definitely had been expecting that. "Oh, well, um, ya see," I fumbled, "a Whovian is a fan of the show Doctor Who."

"Doctor Who?"

"Well, yeah, it's a British TV show about a man, a Time Lord, The Doctor, who travels around the universe in his TARDIS—" I stopped rambling when I noticed the look he gave me; a look of puzzlement, one that questioned my sanity and of general 'what the fuck'. "I thought you knew about it," I trailed off awkwardly to look down and fiddle with my hands.

He scowled, "Why would you think I was a part of one of your stupid human cliques? Rassilon, you apes keep getting stupider."

"It's not my fault you showed up here with an exact replica of the TARDIS and waving a sonic screwdriver around, claiming to be The Master!"

The Master stopped pacing to stare at me. "How do you know this is a sonic screwdriver? And how do you know that's a TARDIS?"

Gritting my teeth, I answered, "It's on the show. The Doctor doesn't like weapons, so he uses a screwdriver. And the TARDIS has always been a police box."

Something changed in his expression. Something shifted in his yes, like something was dawning on him.

"Why has it always been a police public call box?" His sounded like he was a professor giving me a pop quiz.

My eyebrows furrowed. What was he getting at? "It has a broken chameleon circuit. The TARDIS first landed in 1950s England, when police boxes were used. The Doctor never fixed it, or at least it would always break again when he tried to."

He walked closer to me. I tried to back away until I remembered I was still up against the damn tree. Seriously, why had I thought that was a good idea?

"How much do you know about my dimension?"

That's what he asked me. My mouth dried up. What if this is real? What if he's telling the truth? What if I'm actually talking to The Master? No. No-no-no-no-no-no-no. No. NO! It's not real. It's a TV show and this guy's nuts. Answer him as a distraction and try to back away.

"Well, I've watched every season out—at least twice. I've seen some more than that. I've researched, read the books, watched the movies—I'm not saying I know everything, but I know a good bit."

That seemed to be the perfect distraction. It put him in a thinking whirlwind—that's what I'll call it—because he was suddenly pacing furiously, muttering to himself, jerking at his long, dark hair, and, most importantly, not watching me.

Being as sneaky as possible, I inched right at an agonizingly slow pace and just when only my left shoulder was still touching the tree, The Master spun to face me.

"What's your name?" He took three steps toward me, right hand tightening around the sonic.

"Dahlia."

He sneered. "Your full name, fool."

I bit back an irritated retort. I swear if this guy insulted me one more time I would punch him in the face. "Dahlia Fae Tombew."

"How is your surname spelt?"

What? Why would that be important? What's so special about—

"I don't have all bloody night, woman!" He shouted.

Okay. Best not to test the lunatic's patience.

"T-O-M-B-E-W." I spat out each letter, hoping to make them sting.

The Master's face lit up with malicious delight. A devious grin threatened to split his face in half as he locked eyes with me and swaggered a bit closer.

He stopped a yard away from me. "That's a funny way to spell a name. Don't you agree?"

Oh, so he wants to mock my name?

"If you're going to mock me at least be original. I've heard that one at least twelve times," I said, crossing my arms.

He snorted, "Please, if I were mocking you, if would take you a week to decipher my meaning."

I pressed my mouth into a thin line to stop myself from lashing out. I substituted rolling my eyes instead.

He tapped his jaw with the sonic, his expression turning playful. "Though, I must admit, I can't believe I didn't notice it before . . ." He trailed off, leaving me to try and decipher his thoughts.

I cocked my hip out. A silent dare for him to finish.

Lifting his chin high—to look down on me even more I expected—and smirking, The Master purred, "It's a pleasure to make your acquaintance, Bad Wolf."

My posture went slack. My mouth and throat turned to sandpaper.

"What?" I rasped.

He chuckled condescendingly. "Don't attempt to be coy. I've figured you out. You're Bad Wolf."

Don't panic. Deny it. Maybe he'll listen. "I'm not Bad Wolf!"

The amusement wouldn't have left faster if I'd insulted his mother. Fury contorted his handsome features into a frightening picture that shot dread straight through my core.

"Yes. You. Are." He was gritting his teeth, trying to control his rage.

Or maybe he won't. Don't panic. Don't panic. Reason with him.

"Look." I paused to swallow the saliva that suddenly flooded my mouth and repeated myself, "Look, I know you need to find Bad Wolf, but it's not me. I can promise you that. I'm just some teenaged girl who's in the wrong place. You have to listen to me. It's a mistake." I didn't care that I was practically begging. He had to understand. He had to!

"No!"

The shout had me back against the oak, stationary with fear.

"It's not a mistake!" He pointed the sonic at me threateningly. "Do you know what I had to do to get here? No, you don't! You don't know what The Doctor and I both sacrificed for this chance! This one chance! To get one stupid ape!" He growled the last time inches from my face.

Short gasps of air went in and out of my lungs. I could barely breathe. I wondered if this was what a panic attack felt like.

The Master whirled away from me to furiously pace while he ranted.

"We worked and toiled over endless calculations! Created theories and then dismissed them as soon as they were created! All while our dimension ripped itself apart." He leaned against the TARDIS, digging his nails and forehead into the wood for a moment before spitting out, "Then we figured out what went wrong. An event that was supposed to happen didn't." he shoved off the TARDIS and stalked over to me. Leaning down to make eye contact, he sneered, "The fate of my entire dimension rests in the hands of one pathetic, little ape. Irony truly is humorous."

This was getting out of control. I needed to run. Now.

"Well, I'm sorry, but unless you can actually prove it, I'm not going to believe it."

That smirk was back full force. "Oh, but I can prove it. You see, the coordinates The Doctor and I ended up with were for this exact spot. So unless there's anyone else in that house who I haven't met yet," He paused and waited for me to refute his guess.

I stayed quiet.

"No?" the Master teased, chuckling, "Oh well."

He fiddled with the sonic again. It clicked twice and the light blinked on, nearly blinding me.

Hissing, I slammed my eyes shut reflexively.

"Apologies," The Master snickered cruelly but turned it down. "Open your eyes. You'll want to see this."

I hesitantly opened my eyes. After rapidly blinking colorful spots out of my vision, I finally focused on The Master.

His smirk was a victorious grin again as he held the sonic screwdriver loosely. "This is irrefutable proof that you are Bad Wolf." He proceeded to write in the air.

Once he finished, my name—Dahlia F. Tombew—hovered in the air in glittering light.

That doesn't prove anything. I watched carefully while The Master shushed and gave a one-word command.

"Watch."

With a flick of the sonic, my name rearranged itself.

My confused expression morphed into a wide eyed look of horror. I gaped at the seemingly innocent sentence my name had formed.

I am the Bad Wolf glowed bright blue in the near pitch black.

The Master waved the sentence away with another flick of the sonic. "There you have it—proof you're Bad Wolf. Any questions?"

"You, um, you left out two letters," I whispered in horror. I had no other response.

Now you can panic.

This is bad. This is very bad. This is so bad it makes the Twilight books look like The Holy Grail of literature. It's time to leave. No more stalling. I can probably outrun him. He was coughing at lot earlier, so he might have bad lungs and I left the door—

Hacking coughs broke me out of my thought.

The Master was doubled over, almost retching into his fist. He hissed and clutched his head while straightening.

"I've wasted too much time here," He scolded, then looked at me. "It's time to leave."

Oh God no.

Swallowing thickly, I stuttered, "A-again, I'm sorry but I c-can't help you."

Oh fuck. He was grinning again. That grin was definitely bad news for me. Every time I'd seen it, things went from bad to worse.

"Who said you had a choice?"

We stared each other down for several moments. Swallowing again, I weighed my options. Though, in reality, I had no other choice. Either I ran, giving myself a chance, or allowed myself to be kidnapped by a madman. I bolted.

Or attempted to. Apparently The Master wasn't impeded enough by his degraded health for me to outrun him. I had only gotten a few feet away when he tackled me and manhandled me back to the TARDIS.

When he dragged me through the door, I confirmed it was busted, though busted was an understatement. Splinters jabbed out in every direction. The lock was missing and so was the wood around it. Even the door handle was barely hanging on by a thread.

"Let go of me, you fucking bastard!" I was screaming and howling at the top of my lungs. I thrashed and bucked and kicked any way I could but it was no use; The Master had an iron grip on my waist and wrists. Honestly, it was like he'd done this before!

Maybe he had.

"Rassilon! You apes just don't give up," He growled.

I snarled, kicked out and lunged sideways. That was a horrible idea. The Master used my momentum to slam me against the wrecked door, scraping my palms, wrists, forearms, and cheek.

He then heaved me inside and up the ramp before shoving me into the captain seat. He rushed around the console, pressing buttons, flipping switches, and slamming two levers down at rapid speed.

Seconds later I heard the grinding gears sound of the TARDIS taking off.

No.

I leaped from the seat and dashed to the door.

The door's busted. All I have to do is run out.

And then I slammed into a very solid door.

Ow. That registered first. Next was that I was muttering 'No-no-no-no-no-no-no-no-no-no' so fast I was impersonating a machine gun. But he broke the lock! And it's not even supposed to open outwards!

"Piece of advice. Sit your arse down, woman!" The Master called sarcastically.

Like hell I'll—

The TARDIS jerked sharply.

Still standing, I was slung to the metal floor. My head cracked against it and I saw the hemospectrum. Pain bloomed warmly at the back of my skull. I prayed hadn't gotten a concussion.

Hey, God? Yeah, I just wanted to tell you that you're an ass. 'Kay, thanks, bye, I thought crossly.

The Master barked out a laugh. "I told you so."

"Go fuck the Slitheen family you alien douchebag," I hissed with as much contempt I could muster.

He snorted and said something but was drowned out by the TARDIS screaming. The console exploded with huge bursts of sparks in three different places one after the other.

"Come on, come on!" The Master urged, "You can make it! If you can survive traveling with The Doctor for over nine hundred years, you can do this!"

Still dazed, I slowly got to my feet.

Only to be tossed into the railing a few seconds later when the TARDIS slammed to halt.

The Master shoved past me and opened the door. He beamed, "Cardiff, early 2000s. What're you waiting for? This is your new home! Don't you want to see it?"

I glared at him. Backing away and shaking my head, I flatly informed him, "No."

His face fell. He tilted his head in the silent question of 'Why not?' As if he hadn't just committed an atrocity.

Taking a deep breath to contain my rage, I started, "You come to my dimension, threatened me, insulted me and my race, and not only kidnapped me from my home, but you have also brought me to another dimension! Now you expect me to prance off into the streets of—not just a city I've never been to—a country I have never stepped foot in like some giddy little school girl on a field trip! You expect me to just do as I'm told when I've been taken from my family and everything I know!"

My knees finally gave out. I fell against the console and slid down to the floor. For a while, I just stared at the metal grating in shock; my thoughts too scrambled to even form a coherent sentence.

After I had gathered my wits, I glanced upwards. The Master stood in the door frame. His eyes had lost their malicious cheer and the burning hate they had sported for most of the time I had known him. He looked lost.

No, I thought. He doesn't deserve my pity.

"Take me home." I had meant for it to come out as a demanding order, but instead it was a hoarse plea. Not sure if The Master had heard me, I repeated it and each time I did, it got louder and louder until I was screaming those three words at him.

"It's impossible," The Master mumbled.

My temper flared again and this time, I wasn't going to shove it down. "I don't care how you do it, just do it!"

"It's impossible. The chances of returning to your dimension are in the negative trillions. The journey requires too much power. Even with a Type-100 TARDIS and a perfectly crafted wormhole, we wouldn't be able to get through. The only reason I made it was because I had The Doctor, and our dimension was dissolving. There's no way to go back," He rattled.

Defeated, I curled into the fetal position to cradle my forehead against my knees. Why did this have to happen?

The Master shuffled closer. He coughed and cleared his throat.

"I'm sorry."

I lifted my head just enough to look him in the eyes. He stared right back.

Snorting with dead laughter, I spat, "No, you're not."

He swallowed. "Yes, I am."

The Master quickly walked to the console. I flinched when he meandered too close, but he shuffled past me and continued down the hall.

Only a few minutes later, he was back. In one hand was a black leather backpack purse. The other hand he held out to me.

My eyes flickered between The Master's hand and his eyes. He seemed sincere, but I didn't trust this guy as far as I could throw him. And that's, like, a few centimeters.

"Please," The Master begged.

Shakily, I took his hand and he pulled me up. I expected The Master to immediately drop my hand but he didn't. When I loosened my fingers, he clutched my hand tighter with his. I could feel him shaking. I let him clutch at my hand.

The Master led me outside the TARDIS but still didn't release me. Instead, he closed the door and leaned on it.

But it's broken, I thought irritably.

"I am sorry." He squeezed my hand. "I've taken you away from everyone and everything you love and brought you to a place you know nothing about. I'm ordering you to save a world you just gained knowledge of after insulting you. And now, in a few minutes, once the TARDIS and I vanish, I'm going to desert you in a strange place with absolutely no help."

He knocked his head against the TARDIS, staring at the sky before making eye contact.

"I'm sorry—for everything. For what you've already gone through and what you will go through because I brought you here. I'm sorry, but I just couldn't allow my universe to fall apart while I did nothing. Though I regret bringing you here, I can't take you back, even if I could cross over again."

The Master handed me the bag. I took it, not breaking eye contact. I tentatively released his hand to put it on. The Master reluctantly allowed it.

I still had my purse. I had completely forgotten I had it until now. That was one good thing, at least.

The Master dug around in his pockets while he spoke, "That bag is Dimensionally Transcendental. I assume you know what that means."

I nodded.

"The TARDIS put it together, so I have no clue what's inside it."

Finally, he pulled out a huge roll of British pounds and handed it to me. "There's a hotel down the street that you can stay in for a while. I'm sure you're capable of figuring out anything else from there. This will also come in handy." Out came a USB-like device that he also handed over.

He reached into his pocket again, hesitantly this time. After several moments of contemplating, The Master slowly pulled out a short, thick snake chain. The chain was followed by a fob watch.

The Master sighed deeply before showing the watch to me. "Do you know what this is?"

I furrowed my eyebrows. A fob watch? Why was that so familiar? It was used with something else . . . Yes!

"It's a fob watch used to hold the identity of a Time Lord when they use a Chameleon Arch to hide among another species," I rushed out in one breath.

The Master smiled, "I guess you know more than I thought. You're correct. This watch's true power is lost on you because you're human, but I'm hoping it will give you luck."

I understood the bag, the USB, and the money, but he didn't have to give me the watch. I always thought it was some sort of personal item and that a Time Lord just wouldn't hand it over to random girls they kidnapped.

The Master was still holding it out to me. I realized he was waiting for me to take it.

Blushing bright red, I fumbled a few second trying to shove the money and USB into my purse. I finally just ripped open a random pocket—nearly breaking the zipper—and crammed both inside.

The Master looked straight into my eyes, but it wasn't like the other times. It wasn't condescending or regretful or all knowing. It was pleading for something. But what? What could I give him other than my cooperation?

I was reaching for the watch when it dawned on me. Taking the watch meant I forgave him.

My hand froze inches from the dangling watch. Could I forgive him? Better yet—should I. He kidnapped me, brought me to a different dimension, and had given me orders. He insulted me countless times and now he says he's sorry and asks for forgiveness.

I'd zoned out with my thought so I focused back on The Master. I blinked in astonishment.

The Master just looked so pathetic. His confidence had deserted him. The dangerous and terrifying man I was acquainted with was gone.

Being so used to watching The Master act like the worst creature in the entire universe, this unfamiliar regeneration shocked me to my core. He seemed to feel so much more than any of the ones I'd seen before. It was surreal.

Yes, he kidnapped me and I was still upset about that. Yes, he could've handled it better, but was it really that wrong?

From what The Master mentioned, this dimension had been falling apart. The Doctor and him had worked together relentlessly to find out why; and the why was that Bad Wolf never happened. So, he used the TARDIS to cross into another dimension and find the one thing that could stabilize his world. He needed to fix what was broken. The Master would've taken whoever he believed to be Bad Wolf.

I was just the unlucky one.

The fob watch was heavy and cold in my palm.

Gently, I tugged it from The Master's grip. He swallowed thickly and released it before turning away.

I traced the pads of my fingers over every groove and design on its surface, taking in its beauty. Curiosity finally got the best of me, and I attempted to open it. Nothing happened. Even shoving my fingernails beneath the lid earned me nothing but nearly broken nails.

I jerked when The Master cleared his throat. He was holding out a hand and still not looking at me.

"I believe it's time we part, Ms. Tombew," He paused to steady his hoarse, cracking voice. "I don't have much time left and you need to get going."

My heart clenched in pity. He was going to die. The Master was going to die and he was trying to look brave. He didn't want me to notice that he was afraid.

After locking the fob watch to my belt loop and putting it in my pocket, I shook The Master's outstretched hand.

"Thank you for your help. I swear I'll do my best." I tried to smile reassuringly. I don't think I succeeded.

The Mater smiled back just as weakly, "I know you will. And I'm sorry."

Our hand fell limp at our sides; our interaction finished. Neither of us moved, though.

I can't explain why I did what I did next.

I shuffle closed to The Master, leaned up, and kissed his cheek.

While pulling away, I noted his shocked—bordering on horrified—look. I winced and tried to stutter an excuse.

"I-I'm sorry! I don't know why I did that! You're about to die or something so you obviously don't want to be touched by an ape! I'm so sorry!"

Oh my fucking God! Why did I do that? Why? Do I have a death wish? I didn't think I did but I apparently—

My inner freak out/horrified rant would've continued if not for the hand threading itself through my hair and jerking me forward.

"Wha—" The Master's mouth silenced my question.

At first, I just froze. The Master didn't seem to care. He was a good kisser, I wouldn't deny that, but it wasn't like any kiss I had experienced before. It was rough, passionate, and slightly desperate. Oh, and dominating, couldn't forget that.

While one hand busied itself with twisting in my hair, the other clasped my jaw with almost bruising force. The Master twisted to deepen the kiss and to bite my bottom lip.

Should I kiss back? Should I just let him continue?

Around the time The Master attempted to shove his tongue in my mouth, he noticed I wasn't responding. He pulled away briefly, and then loosened both his grips before kissing me again.

This kiss was much softer, timid even. It was still desperate, but I didn't feel like he was trying to bite my lips off.

I kissed back—just a bit of pressure to assure him this was all right.

The Master asked for permission this time. Albeit, it was such a faint flick of his tongue I almost didn't feel it.

My lips parted just enough for his tongue to slip in.

The Master didn't immediately initiate a game of tonsil hockey. First, he mapped every tooth, every crevice; every slope as deliberately as possible, even going so far as to dip into the spot beneath my tongue. Only after what felt like eternity did he slide against my tongue.

I twisted mine around his and roughly sucked it into my mouth. I wanted some of that fierceness from the first kiss but The Master was being cautious and gentle. He was scared again and I wasn't having that.

Both arms were around his neck, jerking him closer so I could assault his mouth. At first The Master allowed me to dominate him. That changed when I pressed him against the TARDIS. He fought back (finally) until he forced me to submit to a slower kiss.

I broke away for air. Satisfaction flooded through me when I caught sight of the Master's flushed cheeks and heaving chest.

"Feel better?" I smiled devilishly.

He chuckled. "Yes, I do."

We broke apart so I could prop myself up to his right. Closing my eyes, I allowed myself to take in the silence.

"Thank you."

"No problem," I hummed. I paused before asking, "How long do you have?"

I felt him stiffen next to me. Maybe I should've been subtler.

He cleared his throat. "Five, maybe ten minutes."

"You seem fine, though." I frowned, turning to look at him.

He barked out a bitter laugh. "The calm before the storm. How do I explain this to someone with very little understanding of traveling through dimensions?"

I sucked on my front teeth, "I find it helpful to just ramble and let the moron ask questions after."

The Master smirked. "Just for that I'll take back every stupid ape comment. Let's see if you can keep up, though.

"Time Lords used to travel between dimensions frequently, but with Gallifrey and the Time Lords gone—"

I interrupted, "I know that. Traveling between dimensions became impossible." He raised an eyebrow. "Sorry." I said, smiling sheepishly. "The Doctor went to another dimension by accident once."

He nodded. "It is impossible now. We had to run nearly two point four trillion numbers for we got the sequences that would allow us to cross dimensions on purpose," The Master explained further.

"One in a million chance?" I joked.

He ignored my poor attempt at lightening the mood and licked his lips. "When we finally succeeded, The Doctor was going to come with me but, before he could, a rip appeared." He looked up, silently asking if I needed more explanation.

I shook my head.

"It trapped him. He couldn't get to the TARDIS. I couldn't leave him, so I stayed. Tried to. The Doctor told me to. He said that if I waited for him, the chance was gone. I left. I ran. I managed to cross into your dimension but not without a price. In your world, we're on the telly. We don't exist there. Making something exist in a dimension it doesn't exist in is dangerous, not to mention illegal.

"When I did that, your dimension fought back. It started breaking me apart—atom by atom."

I winced. "Like white blood cells fighting an infection."

The Master snorted, "Yeah."

"That must hurt. If it's stopped hurting then it's entered the final stages, right?" I questioned.

He nodded. "Soon I'll fade from existence."

"There's nothing you can do? Nothing at all?" I knew it was hopeless; it showed in my tone, but it never hurt to ask.

The Master sighed tiredly, "No, this TARDIS and I are from a doomed timeline. Even if your dimension hadn't fought back, this one will still wipe us out of existence."

"Because with me here, you'll never exist," I deadpanned. "Dude, that is so fucking shitty. I can't even begin to tell you how much that sucks."

"You have such an elegant way of putting things, Miss Tombew," The Master teased, his mouth curling into a slight grin.

Snickering, I replied, "That's me—picture of elegance. And call me Dahlia. Friends use their first names."

That seemed to strike a chord with him. He swallowed then cleared his throat.

"Do," He stumbled before righting himself, "Do you know my name?"

I blinked and muttered 'yes'.

"Call me that," He muttered. Then he added a begging 'please' to it.

A small smiled sneaked onto my face. "All right, Koschei it is."

The Master—Koschei—smiled. "It's been so long since anyone called me that."

We sat in silence again. I started humming a random song that I couldn't remember the name of.

"You should probably get going."

I tilted my head to show him I was listening.

"That hotel down the street has plenty of rooms open, I made sure. You need to go book a room and get some rest. You're going to need it," Koschei repeated, motioning to the opening of the alley.

I sucked on my teeth again before stretching noisily. A satisfied groan left me as I collapsed against the TARDIS again.

"Nah, I think I'll stay here a while longer," I dismissed his serious tone easily.

Koschei relaxed, reassured that I wasn't going to run off that easily. Licking his lips and smiling, he intertwined his fingers through mine and squeezed.

"Thank you," He whispered gratefully.

I smiled. "It's not like the hotel is going anywhere, and I don't have anywhere to be."

Sighing, I asked, "You know what the worst part of this clusterfuck is, Koschei?"

"Clusterfuck?" Koschei asked wryly.

I pouted, annoyed. "Please tell me you've kept up with human lingo enough to know what a clusterfuck is."

He laughed, "I believe I can deduce what a clusterfuck is, Dahlia."

Once again beaming, I continued, "Good because I'm crap at explaining things. If I try to explain it, it'll either be so dumbed down you'll be insulted or a jumble of nonsense even your Time Lord brain wouldn't understand."

"You were saying about the clusterfuck?" He prodded.

"Oh, yeah, sorry, got distracted. The worst part is that the first time you're not a complete asshole, you have to fade from existence," I whined.

"The universe is a bitch."

I burst out laughing and continued to do so until Koschei joined in and we were both gasping for breath.

After we were out of breath, wheezing, and wiping tears off our faces, I giggled out, "Dear God, only met you a few minutes ago and I've already corrupted you. I should probably be ashamed."

"You should, you horrible, despicable human," Koschei snickered.

In the most serious voice I could muster, I said, "I have no shame."

He gave me an expression that could only be summed up with the words No Shit. I giggled and continued humming my song. It kept the silence from being completely overwhelming.

I tried to appear as at ease as possible for Koschei's benefit, but in the back of my mind, I couldn't stop counting. He said around five or ten minutes; at least five had passed already, possibly more. It should start any minute now.

Even if this was inevitable, my heart still sputtered with anxious adrenaline. In an attempt to calm myself, I began tapping against the TARDIS. It was a nonsense beat. It meant absolutely nothing.

Koschei's hand suddenly clenched mine; his grip was almost painful. I looked up at him in surprise, but he refused to meet my eyes.

"Koschei?" I murmured.

His hand tightened again. Mine did as well, though I wasn't I understood why.

The fingers of my right hand continued to tap out the steady beat.

It wasn't until Koschei stared down at my hand that I realized why he was so upset.

One-two-three-four.

One-two-three-four.

One-two-three-four.

I was tapping out the beat of the drums unknowingly. Immediately, I stopped, slapping my hand palm-down on the worn wood of the TARDIS to cease the itching beneath my skin. My gut lurched fearfully. I swore I heard the drums, if only for a moment, but it was just my pounding heart.

I opened my mouth to apologize, but Koschei spoke first. "It's time."

Nodding sadly, I gave the Time Lord a tight hug. He returned it briefly before releasing me to gather my things.

Leaving someone to die wasn't easy. Though this wasn't someone I could prevent, I still felt an overwhelming amount of guilt at leaving. Even if the person I was leaving was my kidnapper who I used to refer to as The Master. But he was Koschei now, and I had forgiven him during our extremely brief friendship. I was allowed to mourn the loss of a friend.

One-two. Three-four.

I squeezed my eyes shut and sucked in a nervous breath when I tapped the rhythm against my thigh. I shoved away the fear as I got to the mouth of the alley. Be brave. Show no fear in the face of death or nonexistence.

I turned around. Koschei was standing in the doorway of the TARDIS. He didn't say anything, nor did he move toward me. We locked eyes and the entire world froze.

One. Two. Three. Four.

Koschei entered the TARDIS and closed the door.

My feet were planted in the ground. I couldn't move. I didn't want to.

The police box flickered in and out of sight quickly—like I'd blinked but I made sure to keep my eyes wide open. It flickered again but slower this time. And again and again. Slower each time.

One . . . Two . . . Three . . . Four . . .

I turned on my heel and left the alley.

Funny thing was, as I walked down that dirty Cardiff street on an unknown date, I realized that in those last few moments of The Master's life—I had truly heard the drums.

I hope you enjoyed the first chapter! I won't beg for a review, but it would be greatly appreciated. Everyone enjoys feedback and constructive criticism!

I'm not sure when the next chapter will be up. I've started on it, but with school starting back I won't be able to work on the story as much as I'll want to. All I know is that it won't be as long as this one was.

Again, thanks for reading!