- Three Of A Kind -

By - Mad Eye Maddi

Plot- The Master was never shot in the 'Last of the Timelords' and he and the Doctor have been travelling throughout time and space ever since. With time, the two of them have revived their friendship, and the Master has earned almost all of his freedoms back.
However, over their time together, he has noticed that the Doctor seems to be missing this Rose that he is always talking about, so the two Timelords have decided to find a way to get to the parallel world, and find her.

Authors Note: I'm sorry, I have done a rotten job at keeping everyone in character, so this is a slightly OOC fic. Apart from that, I hope that you like it, and please review, because reviews are the bricks in the wall of my education.

- Chapter One - Concocting Plans -

It was late into the night inside the TARDIS, a time when normally, the occupants of the ancient time and space machine would fast asleep in their chosen rooms. But not tonight. The control room tonight, like so many other nights of late, was resembling the lounge room of an earth home, that was being used as the campsite for a sleep over…which essentially it was.

Empty cans of drink and packets of crisps were strewn across the grating floor of the impossibly large room, and at the far side of the room, to Timelords were lying on top of their makeshift blanket beds, discussing their latest plan.

"What if we flushed the system then reversed the-" began the Master keenly, only to be interrupted by the Doctor, who shook his head and countered, "That would only fry the tempus-modulator, and probably rip the old girl to shreds."

From his spot on the floor, the Master shot the glowing control panel a contemptuous glaring, muttering mainly to himself, "That wouldn't be such a bad thing, got an attitude on her this one."

The Doctor burst out laughing, as the TARDIS responded with a distinctly smug hum, and a small zap that made the Master jump in alarm.

Rolling his eyes at his companion, who was cursing fluently under his breath, that Doctor asked nonchalantly, "Sooo, you got any more ideas, or are you just going to keep on seething about my TARDIS."

Rolling onto his stomach, the Master sigh deeply, and scratched the back of his head in thought. Then an idea struck. Slowly he suggested, "What if we go to that rift running through Cardiff…and get Captain Jack to open it up for us-"

"He wouldn't do that," interrupted the Doctor immediately, pushing himself up into a sitting position and crossing his legs, still shaking his head admittedly. "Last time that happened, it was a complete disaster. They let out some great big beast tha-"

The Master rolled his eyes, a smug grin plastered on his face and held up a hand to stop the Doctor mid-rant, saying, "But if we were there in the TARDIS, to control what was coming through, then we would be able to stop all of the nasty stuff coming through, and find your little 'Alternate Universe'."

The Doctor opened his mouth to say something, but then a look of confusion flickered across his features, and he closed it. This happened two more times, before the Doctor announced, very slowly, "That. Could. Actually. Work."

For a second, the Master looked like he was offended, but ruined the effect when he broke into a grin, and retorted smugly, "Course it will work, I came up with it, I'm the Master…remember."

"It haunts my every waking hour," quipped the Doctor, jumping to his feet, and racing over to the controls, setting in the co-ordinates and grinning at the Master, who swaggered over casually and leant on the captains seat, "Next stop, Cardiff 2008!"

-- Doctor Who --

It was just past twelve o'clock in Cardiff, and Captain Jack Harkness could be found, locked in his office, held prisoner by the menace that is UNIT…well, UNIT paperwork to be exact.
Torchwood Three was a close team, nobody would argue with that, but when it came down to paperwork, there was no mercy at all. Owen had been the first to dump his files on Jack's desk, then Gwen, then Toshiko, and even Ianto.
It was hardly fair, that he be stuck with all of this paperwork, just because he went AWOL for a few (twelve) months.

With a deep, suffering sigh, Jack leaned back in his chair, wincing as his spine cracked rather loudly, and stared sourly at the monumental stack of paperwork that he had left to do.

However a lovely distraction presented itself to the captain, in the form of a ringing mobile. Digging frantically through the avalanche of democratic nonsense, Jack laughed triumphantly as he pulled out a mobile, emitting a nauseatingly bouncy tune, and pressed down on the answer button.

"Hello, Captain Jack Harkness speaking."

There was a loud crackling and a good amount of static from the other end of the line, but the voice that answered was unmistakeable, "Hey Jack…um- we were in the neighbourhood, and thought we might pop in…you know, say hi, what's the time by the way?"

"It's quarter past twelve," answered Jack, a grin spreading over his face. 'When were you thinking of coming Doctor?"

"Well, if it's not too much trouble," began the Doctor, his voice on the phone soon replaced with a loud droning that seemed to be emanating from the middle of the hub. His suspicions were confirmed when Tosh, Gwen and Owen all shouted in surprise and alarm, the latter yelling, "Jack, there's a bloody police box materialising in the hub."

The droning stopped as Jack ran down the stairs leading from his office. The TARDIS door swung open, and the Doctor bounded out happily, beaming up at him, and concluding, "We thought now might be a good time."

The Master slowly and grudgingly stepped out of the police box, looking like he would have much rather walked into a vacuum lock without a suit.

With a small smirk tugging at his lips, Ianto walked up to the pair of travellers, and asked, "Would you like your usual coffee?"

Still beaming, the Doctor turned to the young Welshman, and answered, "Nah, we're fine for now Yan, thanks."

Ianto nodded, his smirk growing as he caught sight of Owen's bewildered expression.

Jack walked up to them, grinning and shaking the Doctor's hand, saying happily, "Nice to see you again Doctor." He then turned his attention to the other Timelord, his grin turning to a cold glare, saying callously," Master."

"Captain," replied the Master, mirroring Jack perfectly, from his tone of voice to the clenched fists.

Tosh, Gwen and Owen all exchanged perplexed glances, at their bosses uncharacteristically rude behaviour towards the man…and possibly the man's name as well. Ianto however, merely rolled his eyes at the behaviour of the two, and continued drinking from his mug of hot coffee, watching the exchange.

Owen, well and truly sick of being left in the dark, stepped forward, and demanded more than asked, "Alright, does anyone mind telling me, who the hell you are?" After a couple of seconds of thought, he added quickly, "And how did you get a police box to materialise in the middle of the hub."

The Doctor rolled his eyes as he heard the Master mutter under his breath, "Stupid little ape", before answering, "Well, I'm the Doctor, and old friend of Jack's., and this is the Master, a companion of mine-"

"Not by choice mind you," interrupted the Master.

"Oi, if it wasn't for me, you would have been executed genius," retorted the Doctor.

The Master scoffed at this, and replied, "I doubt that…Humans just love their precious guilt."

Sighing, the Doctor turned back to the rest of the team, and announced, "Just ignore him, we have this argument daily. Any way, I'm the Doctor and he is the Master."

"And it's not a police box you stunted little ape," added the Master before the Doctor could stop him. "It's a TARDIS, that just looks like a Police Box…all of the time."

The last bit was directed at the Doctor, who pulled on a look of shocked hurt, and patted the door of the TARDIS lovingly, defending, "I like it, sort of retro don't you think."

Owen however was seething, and made a furious step towards the Master, only to be held back by Tosh and Gwen, growling, "I am not a stunted little ape."

"Anyway," interrupted Jack, sending Owen a pointed glance, before returning his gaze to the two visitors, "What are you two after?"

The Doctor feigned a look of hurt, placing a hand instinctively on his right heart, before glancing around at his human company, and quickly moving to his left, saying in a voice of fake sincerity, "Jack I'm wounded. You act like whenever I see you I'm after something…-wait?"

"Yes you are," insisted Jack, pointing at the Master and saying, "Last time, you two got sick of each others company and I had to deal with him all night."

The Master grinned mischievously, and winked at Ianto, saying happily, "You have an evil mastermind potential in you young Ianto."

Jack sighed exasperatedly as Ianto grinned at the comment, relieved to see the amusement in the Welshman's eyes, but still irritated at the reaction. "Yes, thanks for that, now him and Ianto are best friends."

"You know, him has a name," stated the Master pointedly.

"You enslaved the planet, and held me, the Doctor and Martha's family prisoner, sorry, that sort of turns you off a person," bit back Jack, his fist clenching tighter.

"Oh thank goodness for that, I'm not particularly fond of you either you freak!"

"Maniac!"

"Impossible Twat!"

"Psychotic wannabe-dictator!"

Soon enough both Jack and the Master were standing inches away from one another, fists clenched tight, and yelling curses in languages that the TARDIS thankfully, had decided best not to translate.
The Doctor grabbed hold of the Masters arms, and pulled him away from Jack, as Ianto did the same with said Captain.

"I was wrong, let's just go," spat the Master, not taking his eyes off of Jack, glaring daggers at him…a glower that Jack returned tenfold.

Taking a deep breath, the Doctor turned his gaze from his struggling companion, to Jack, who was also struggling against Ianto, and said clearly, and as firmly as he could, "Jack look, I need you to do me a favour…I need you to open the rift for me."

A stunned silence swept over the hub, only broken by the Master's and Jack's heavy, aggravated breathing.
Jack fixed the Doctor with a look of utter shock, confusion also written plainly on his features…but within seconds, his shock gave way to suspicion. His eyes narrowed, and he turned to the Master, who was grinning smugly at him, and he growled, "This was your idea wasn't it? What are you playing at this time?"

"Oh come on Jack," chuckled the Master in a condescending voice. "If I was trying to escape, or conquer the world again, do you honestly think I am just going to tell you just like that so that you can work out a way to stop me, I don't think!"

Rolling his eyes, the Doctor looked back at Jack, and gave him his best pleading voice, "Jack, I know what happened last time, but if we are here in the TARDIS, than we could monitor what comes through, and then you can close the rift again once we find what we're looking for."

"And what is it that is so important that you want to tear a hole in time and space Doctor?" asked Jack, looking torn between exasperated and curious.

Knowing that honesty is the best policy with Jack, the Doctor replied sincerely, "Jack, we're looking for a parallel Earth…we're looking for Rose."

It took hardly a second for this to register with Jack, his features turning from angry, to vulnerably hopeful, asking in a voice hardly above a whisper, "You found a way?"

"Yeah…well the Master did, but it will work, I know it will," answered the Doctor, his excitement leaking into his voice. "Jack, we can get her back…I just need your help."

There was a short pause, broken when Jack clapped his hands together and announced, "Alright team, to work then."

The Doctor grinned, gave Jack a quick overview of everything that needed to be done, thanked him and then dashed back into the TARDIS.

The Master turned to walk inside also, but found himself pushed roughly against the side of the tall, blue box instead, Jack gripping the collar of his Jacket tightly and pushing him painfully hard against the wood.

"If you are just toying with him…or this is a plan to get free…you can regenerate all you want, I will kill you each time," he growled into his ear, giving him a hard shove and then walking back to his team to discuss what they had to do.

There we go- Chapter one, hope you like it, and please review, because Reviews are the bricks in the wall of my education. Um, obviously I don't own Doctor who, and it's characters, etc, etc…I wish I could get me a Jack, Doctor and Master…but I can't- and it vexes me so. Oh well, hope you like the next chapter,

Later

Maddi