Chapter 7

Missy opened up the double doors to the bedroom and then turned around, her eyes shining as she looked to the Doctor.

"Lovely honeymoon suite! And a four poster bed...we really ought to test out the mattress, what do you think, Doctor?"

This plan was not going to well for the Doctor – at least, not the part about keeping Missy at arm's length. He had considered pretending to be in such pain that he needed a lie down – but she would have gone with him and he didn't want to think about what that could lead to. As much as he loved Rose, his TimeLord status did nothing to change the fact that he was a man with the urges of any other - and if she were persuasive enough, there would be a point of no return - and he really didn't want to let that happen.

"You look tired, Doctor," she said as she took in the sight of him leaning on his cane, "I think we should have a lie down. Together."

"I think you should sit out here with me," he told her, and then he sat down on a sofa, struggling a little as he lie back on it, remembering to be sure Missy could see he was definitely out of action for what she had in mind.

"And do what?" she asked.

Then he indicated to the carpeted floor beside the sofa.

"You can sit down there, and I can watch you take the replicator apart. I'm far too tired to be doing anything but watch, Missy. We need to see how that thing is put together so we can build more of them!"

All thoughts of the bedroom had left her now as she sat down on the floor, extending long and shapely legs as her a skirt slid to her thighs and she opened up the case.

She paused to turn her head and look at the Doctor.

"Do you like what you see?"

He forced a smile.

"Very much. Now get to work, I'll reward you later."

As Missy began to open up compartments and remove the parts that were not fixed to the case, the Doctor settled back against the softness of the sofa,letting his thoughts drift home to Rose:

Perhaps home would always be where ever she was. He knew she would be just fine now, but he still wanted to be there when she woke up – although he doubted he would make it, because he knew how long his plan would take and she would most likely already be awake when he returned.

And then she would read his note. He hoped when she did, she would feel better about everything she had been through...

"I always dreamt of this," Missy said as she continued to work, "You and me, like this...I mean not always, just since I met you, I mean...since Missy and the Doctor first laid eyes on each other."

"At the shopping centre, moments before the blast."

His words had sounded calm and measured, with a sudden hint of anger beneath the surface, and she caught a glimpse of that in his eyes as she turned her head and met his gaze as he lie on the sofa.

"I didn't know about the bomb," she told him, and her voice trembled as her twin hearts fluttered like frightened birds trapped in a cage as she thought how terrible it would be to lose him now, this magnificent man who she wanted in her bed for the rest of eternity...No, she couldn't mess this up,not with him...

Perhaps she was falling in love.

If she was, she wouldn't be surprised. Already the thought of losing her handsome lover filled her with dread...

The Doctor was looking at her calmly, no show of emotion about him at all.

"But you knew there would be an explosion. You just didn't know where. Now tell me, Missy – if you want us to be together I want all the details because if there's secrets in the way, our partnership won't work. Tell me who was selfish or evil enough to force you to work for them and then put you at risk of dying from one of their own explosions. Who has such little regard for the lives of their allies, Missy?"

She pushed the case aside and turned to him, still sitting on the carpet as she leant on the sofa and looked up at him.

"The Daleks. They forced me to run the drugs to Earth. They had slaves programmed to run a campaign of terror to bring Earth to its knees and then flood the population with Blue Ice to make the planet easier to take over. I didn't want to be a part of it, but they forced me. Even now I don't know if we are safe. They could track me with this," she told him, indicating to her bracelet, "But I scrambled the signal and its still on and off so I don't think they can yet follow me."

"Oh that signal,." the Doctor remarked, and then he smiled, "You mean the signal the Tardis destroyed just before we took off? I forgot to tell you about it because that massive jolt that ran through the ship was my Tardis sealing the Daleks safely back in their own dimension as I used my ship to heal the rip in time. So that leaves us free to carry on with our plans together. Am I clever, or what?"

Her jaw dropped for a moment, and then she grabbed at the bracelet.

"Help me get this thing off!"

He placed his hand on her arm and as she looked into his eyes adoringly, he enjoyed the power he now had over her – clearly, it did cancel out a great deal of the threat this woman could have posed...

"I want you to keep it on. I like it."

Missy gave a sigh.

"Just for you, Doctor. But I wouldn't do that for anyone else!"

He placed his hand on her shoulder and pulled her back towards him.

"Now get on with taking that machine apart," he said softly, and he briefly kissed her, it was a kiss that made her ache for more, but then he let go of her and settled back on the sofa.

"I'm going to sleep for a while," he told her, "Don't wake me up. I hate being woken when I've been doing Blue Ice. I want you to finish taking the machine apart and then leave me to rest. Go outside get some fresh air, take in the beauty of this world. And when you get back, I might be in the mood for something you've been waiting for."

Her eyes sparkled.

"I'll get on with it," she promised him, and as she continued to work on the machine, the Doctor closed his eyes, resisting the urge to smile as he felt the satisfaction of a well thought out plan starting to slide together.

The Doctor had listened as he lay there with his eyes closed as she had taken the replicator apart. Then when the task was done, he heard her get up and leave the suite. That was when the Doctor got up quickly from the sofa, and took his phone from his pocket and put out a request for an emergency call to be sent out to deep space, with the message that the Doctor required an urgent connection...

He was in the bedroom when Missy returned.

She stood there in the open doorway, drinking in the sight of him on top of the covers, his shirt open as he rested against soft pillows.

"I could get used to this place!" he exclaimed, "Maybe when we've conquered a few galaxies we can buy a mansion just like this...just for us."

And she caught her breath as her gaze locked with his.

"Maybe I should join you now, Doctor."

"Not yet, you haven't finished."

Missy's eyes clouded with confusion.

"I did everything you asked me to do."

"Yes, I know. You took the replicator apart and I've noted all the components. Now put it back together."

She put her hand on her hip as frustration burned in her eyes.

"Why should I -"

"Because I'm saving myself for you, Missy. I need just a little more rest before I take you to my bed - and I really do think with your beauty and persuasiveness you can...bring me back to life in the way that I need most. But first, the replicator?"

Missy gave a sigh.

"Okay, I'll put the thing back together. And then I want no more excuses!"

He smiled and that look he gave her made both her hearts skip a beat.

"I want you, too," he promised her, and then as she turned away and went back into the next room to reassemble the machine, the Doctor breathed a relieved sigh:

So far, so good...

In an hour, the replicator was fixed.

Then Missy came into the bedroom, kicked off her shoes and walked over to the bed.

"That was quick," the Doctor remarked, "Now come and sit beside me."

Missy didn't need to be told twice. She climbed on to the bed and sat beside him, turning on her side as she shared the pillows that were soft to lean against as she looked into his eyes.

"How are you feeling?"

"Okay," he replied quietly.

It was then she noticed something had changed...there was a look in his eyes she could not read...

"What is it?" she asked as all her fears of losing him went crashing about in her unstable mind.

"I was just thinking about how much trouble you've been caught up in...is this something new, or part of a pattern?"

"I've not led a good life, I'll admit that. But I'm a victim of circumstance, Doctor, trying to make the best of a bad situation. And then you came along and everything changed."

He was still looking into her eyes as he thought how very soon Missy would find out the truth.

"Where are you from?" he asked her.

"All over the place, just like you."

He laughed at that remark.

"You cant be like me. I'm a TimeLord with two hearts and my planet burned long ago."

Then as she saw sadness cloud his eyes and she placed her hand on his shoulder, he caught his breath as she slipped it inside his open shirt, tracing her fingertips over his chest.

"Mine was also lost. In that sense I can understand your pain."

Missy's touch was becoming a little too persuasive, and he tried to push away thoughts of how she was arousing him as he spoke up again.

"I was just thinking,Missy...all the trouble you've been mixed up in...if it ever caught up with you I would imagine you would be confined to a high security prison...I have no idea in which star system but some of them can be terrible places. But don't worry, I'm here now, I'm here to put things right."

"Prove it."

Her words had taken him by surprise.

"Okay I will," he replied, "Like I said, I'm not well enough to do what I want to do, but I can manage the next best thing."

And he pulled her closer, and as their lips touched he felt her give a sharp gasp as he slid his hand between her thighs.

As he kept her mouth trapped with his, kissing her deeply, he knew it would not take long, because with every stroke of his fingertips, she was closer to the edge. When she lost control, he pulled back from her body, sliding his hand up and over her dress before taking hold of the hem and bringing it down to cover her once more.

She was still breathless as he kissed her again, and then he shifted back from her and looked into her eyes.

"I want you to remember this," he told her, "Because it will matter to you always."

"Of course it will!" she exclaimed,"Oh, I feel so alive..."

And then she stopped, as her feelings slid deeply into unmistakable love, and she was seized by the urge to confess her secret.

"Doctor, put your hand on my chest. Feel my heart beat."

The Doctor's phone rang.

He ignored her request and answered the call, listened, and then thanked the caller.

"Five minutes," he said, and then he got off the bed, buttoned up his shirt, put on his jacket and coat and reached for his cane.

"I need you to meet me down stairs. I've arranged for a car to take us to a rental property not far from here. I've had enough of this place. I want you all to myself, where we can be properly alone to make our plans. There's no rush - I need to give the driver directions. You can bring the case."

And then he reached the door and looked back at Missy and smiled.

"See you in five," he said with a smile, and then he winked.

Missy smiled back at him as she got off the bed and turned to the mirror to fix her hair, and then he was gone.

Five minutes later, Missy stepped into the lift and hit the button for the ground floor. As the doors closed she smiled and her freshly applied lipstick shone under the bright lighting, just like the shine on her high heeled shoes seemed to bounce off it, she had smoothed the creases from her dress and sprayed her hair and now, as an afterthought, she reached up with her free hand whist the other held the case, and popped open the top two buttons on her dress,to treat the Doctor to a glimpse of her cleavage when the lift doors opened.

At last, life was working out.

They had it all planned, her and the Doctor together, replicating the replicator and spreading addiction throughout the universe.

What a team they would make!

Missy decided, as soon as the lift stopped and those doors opened, she would walk over to him and give him a great big kiss...

Then the lift stopped. Missy stepped forward and the doors slid open.

And she was face to face with three armed Judoon...

As they pulled her out of the lift, cut off the Dalek tracking bracelet and replaced it with heavy cuffs, she saw the Doctor nearby, he looked like he had smartened himself up, his tie was on, his suit buttoned and he certainly didn't need a cane any more...

"I thought – but what about what we just -"

"That was a parting gift," he replied, "You'll most likely spend the rest of your life in solitary confinement. I thought I'd give you something to remind you what life could have been like... with a little bit of tenderness."

Hurt and anger blazed in her eyes as the Judoon who had cuffed her led her further from the lift as a second Judoon retrieved her case.

"Be careful with that," the Doctor told him, "That's your evidence – it's covered with her prints inside and out. And look after that bracelet, you'll find it's of Dalek origin."

Missy glared at the Doctor.

"This is a sting? You set me up? Oh Doctor, what a team we could have made if you had really been on my side!"

He shook his head.

"Me? On your side? Never!" he replied, and then Missy tensed as the Judoon who held her lifted the scanner and briefly activated it.

The Doctor was watching silently now, feeling that justice had now been done – the woman who had poisoned Rose would be dealt with by the intergalactic police, which was no less than she deserved...

Then the Judoon spoke up as he read out the scan results.

"Prisoner confirmed as wanted for acts of terrorism across the universe-"

The Doctor had been leaning against the wall, but on hearing that, he was up straight and stepped closer...The whole universe?

"What?" he said.

"Prisoner's identity is confirmed as most wanted. Name ordered to be withheld until trial for multiple offences. Listing prisoner as female, race, Time Lord. Planet of origin – Gallifrey."

"What?" the Doctor exclaimed again.

But the Judoon were leading her away towards the exit, where outside a small ship was waiting to transport her back to the mother ship far away.

The Doctor broke into a run, placing his hand on the shoulder of the third Judoon who followed behind the others as they reached the exit.

"Wait!"

The Judoon turned back.

"Please," the Doctor begged, "There's been a misunderstanding...she's from Gallifrey, the only other of my kind who still lives... I must speak to her...I want to help her -"

"This matter is closed," the Judoon replied, "The prisoner will be processed and taken for trial the case is a complicated one and will be held in secrecy. This is now a matter only for the Judoon and those who seek justice relating to her many crimes."

"But she's from Gallifrey!"

The Doctor's dark eyes widened as he looked back to the alien cop pleadingly.

"I didn't know she was of my race. Now I do, it changes so much -"

"The matter is closed," the Judoon replied, and then he turned away and marched off to catch up with the others.

The Doctor stood there on the steps of the hotel, powerless to stop them as Missy was taken inside the ship, and then the door closed and the ship fired up and rose into the sky and then out of sight, as it headed for space beyond.

Sorrow shaded the Doctor's eyes at what now felt like a hollow victory.

"Who are you, Missy?" he said quietly, as his hearts felt heavy at the knowledge that his question would never have an answer now...

But the ship was gone, and so was the woman from Gallifrey.

And the reason for all he had done mattered far more than even the thought that another of his kind still lived - that reason was Rose Tyler, and he needed to get back to her.

It was a bright and warm morning on Earth and Rose had woken feeling wonderful. Even the memory of the explosion and all that had followed seemed faded. She had no need to long for the Blue Ice because the stuff the Doctor had given her had worked - it had killed her withdrawal stone dead,. Leaving her feeling alive once more...

"But are you sure you feel okay?" Jackie had asked as Rose had put on her denim jacket and headed for the door.

She looked back at her mum and smiled, and her eyes sparkled brightly as she thought of the man she loved.

"The Doctors not back yet. That means he's back very soon – I want to go out, I want to be there when the Tardis lands!"

It was then her mother remembered something.

"Oh Rose, I almost forgot – the Doctor gave me a note. He said to give it to you when you woke up."

Rose took the folded note.

"Thanks," she said, "I'll read it on my way down...see you later, mum!"

And then she hurried off towards the stairs, making her way down, where she would wait for the Tardis to land in the estate.

When she reached the outside, Rose looked up at her mum's flat, smiled and waved, and then she walked on slowly, looking about as she listened for the sound of his returning Tardis. Then Rose stopped walking, and opened up the note and began to read:

Dear Rose,

Always remember I would never think badly of you for what happened. The code for the antidote is guarded and can only be passed from one survivor to another. That's how I knew the code. It was handed to me when I needed to break free of my own addiction many centuries ago, back when I was young and foolish and had no concept of a drug I couldn't handle. The code that made the antidote is 3-8-1 which also translates as:

Three words, eight letters, one meaning (I love you).

P.S. Will you marry me, Rose Tyler?

And as Rose laughed in delight, the air was filled with the sound of the returning Tardis as in front of her, the blue box materialised, then the engine's whine faded out and the Tardis landed.

The Doctor opened the door and stepped out and Rose threw her arms around him as she held his note in her hand.

"Yes!" she exclaimed, and then she kissed him.

"Yes you will?" he asked as he briefly pulled back.

"You know I will!" Rose said, and his face lit up with a warm smile, he kissed her again, then took her by the hand, and led her inside and closed the door.

Moments later the air was filled with the sound of the Tardis departing, and from her flat, Jackie Tyler stood and watched as the Tardis faded from sight as the Doctor and Rose left Earth together, off on another adventure.

And she smiled as she looked to the place where the Tardis had stood, because this time she really wasn't worried at all:

Of course Rose was safe, the Doctor would look after her.

He would always keep her safe, now and forever – because he loved her...

End