Epilogue:
The Doctor and the Master took Jenny to Donna's wedding and stood out of her sight as they watched her become Donna Temple-Noble. They would start Noble Temple Publishing, Inc. with the money they would won from a lottery ticket left as an anonymous gift from someone who dropped by during their wedding party. Donna knew who it was, however, and the intricate circles within circles on the envelope were saying, she was sure, good luck.
But watching Donna get married wasn't easy on anyone, because the Darkness had claimed at least one casualty in their lives. Jenny spent her time in the TARDIS library, studying so that she could know almost as much as her father. She hoped to learn the mental Time Lord's tricks from the Master so that she would never be unable to help a friend again.
The Doctor and the Master met again on the Doctor's bed, their mouths greedy and soft. They knew how close they had come to losing each other forever, how close they had been to a different life. They pressed their skin together as their minds became one, basking in each other's feelings and sensations until they were both tired and satisfied.
Normally they would have slept fitfully, but knowing Donna was truly happy, that she was out in the universe being magnificent, was more than enough for the Doctor to be happy. He lay there with the Master in his no-longer-too-large bed and happily drifted off to sleep, drowsily taping fingers on his lover's back where it curled, exposed, as the Master had pressed his stomach against the Doctor's side as he slept. They both lay there, too far gone to actually think, too far gone to realize that the Doctor's fingers were tapping a drumbeat on the Master's side.
Fin
NOTE: The sequel, Through Darkness and Storms, is now posted. Thanks!
Final Author's Notes:
What can I say? This has been such a long journey filled with frustrations and plenty of rewatching of old episodes. My love of the Doctor and the Master has grown, and Jenny herself when from a character I hated to one I adored. As much as it hurt to give Donna the same ending (Donna!), she loved Shaun and I'd never take that away from her. I'd like to thank everyone who has ever been beta for this, most recently Meg and qaffian_luvr. They stepped in when no one else could and allowed me to finish this fic. Betas are love, and I shudder to think what fandom would be without them.
FAQ (Since I promised a few people I'd answer these questions when we were done!):
What inspired you to write this fic?
It was mainly inspired by an icon that had the Master and the Doctor snarling at each other while electricity ran between their eyes. I thought, "Hmm, that looks awful familiar," and the plot took off from there.
Did you use a lot of themes from EoT in your ending?
Actually, everything that happened in the end (with the exception of Shaun Temple... although I did always plan on Donna meeting her future husband, I just didn't know the show would give me a name!) was already decided several months to a year before the specials aired. Now I'm not surprised the show used them- it was made very clear that what was in the Master's head was real- but I was a little disapointed to see it used anyway.
Who is your favorite character?
The Master, hands down. I love the Doctor, I really do, but he's a bit of an arrogant git sometimes. The Master is too, but he doesn't hide it. I also think that the Doctor did leave the Master behind on Gallifrey and that that is the real reason why the Master hates him. (It's my personal canon) He loved someone, and they ran away. I think the Doctor regrets it now, but I also don't think he realized the damage he did until it was far too late.
Do you ever intend for either Doctor or Master to regenerate? What about Jenny?
I don't think the Doctor and the Master can stay in one regeneration for too long. Someone says or does something stupid and gets killed. Will I eventually bring 11 in to play? Probably, once S5 starts and I can get a sense of his character. As for the next Master, well...
Jenny's a different situation. We don't know if she is able to regenerate, or if what happened on Messaline was a delayed regeneration. Maybe she's more akin to Jack? (Oh dear, I didn't really answer this at all, did I? Well, to be blunt: I don't even know!)
Is there a sequel on the horizon?
Well... yes, but not right away. I have a few other fics I have to finish before I can start a new project.
Once again, thank you! (And if anyone has any other questions, tell me and I'll put them up and answer them!)