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The Master (cantyouhearit) wrote in colligo_threads,
@ 2011-12-13 21:48:00

Entry tags:

lucy saxon, the master

WHO: The Master & Lucy Saxon
WHAT: Husband and Wife, reunited. Sorta.
WHEN: December 13th; Evening
WHERE: Outside the Housing Complex
RATING: PG
STATUS: In Progress

Lucy was back. The Master had been certain that he would have been ecstatic whenever that occurred. The pair of them had been in and out of this place enough times, but they had always found their way back to each other. And over their time, he thought he'd improved as both a husband and a person. But none of that really mattered now. Lucy was from a future point in her timeline, the point where she'd sacrificed herself in order to make sure that he couldn't return, and the conversation that she'd had with Harkness over the network made it obvious to him that she wanted nothing to do with him.

Nothing, that was, unless it involved putting him out of his misery.

Uncertain exactly how to feel about that, it had moved the Master to step out, wandering about the park for awhile as he tried to figure out exactly how he was going to approach this. After all, it wasn't like he didn't deserve her loathing on some level. Even if it had been ages for him since the events of the year that never was had occurred, it was only a few months for her, and she had suffered for it the while time. And while he had behaved himself to a certain degree, he had recently proven that he wasn't reformed by any degree of the imagination. Honestly, her hatred was probably well earned and deserved at the moment, and that was a thought which had finally driven him back from the park and towards the housing complex.

And that was where he spotted the back of a familiar blond head.

"Well," The Master said as he approached the buildings, not really having any way to not be seen even if he'd hung back for several minutes and not really wanting to anyway. He'd missed her. Even if this wasn't the exact same Lucy that he remembered, he still felt a certain comfort at seeing her, alive and well. "It seems we simply can't avoid each other, can we, my dear?"

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neverthatbright
2011-12-14 03:33 am UTC (link)

In retrospect, Lucy had to admit that leaving the relative safety of Pepper and Tony's flat had not been the smartest move on her part. However, after months of imprisonment, she was loathe to remained cooped up inside and had honestly thought that a simple trip to the courtyard just outside the building would be safe enough. Of course, as she had told the Master shortly before killing herself in an effort to stop his resurrection, she had never been particularly bright. A fact made obvious when, no less than five minutes after enjoying the fresh air, she heard his voice from behind her.

Run. That was the first thought that crossed through her mind as her heart skipped a beat and her stomach clenched into a tight knot. Undaunted, the voice screamed inside her head once again. Don't just stand there, you stupid, stupid girl. Run!

Unfortunately, though, she couldn't. Not only was he much too close for her to make a proper getaway, her legs were suddenly shaking far too much to allow her to do any such thing. As it was, it was a miracle she was still standing. Or breathing, for that matter. Which was what she focused on for a few long seconds after he'd spoken. Eyes squeezed shut, she tried to calm her breathing so she didn't hyperventilate while desperately thinking of any way to get out of this predicament. When no solution immediately came to mind, Lucy knew she had no choice but to face him.

Slowly she turned around, blue eyes opening as she came face to face with someone she really would have preferred never to see again. Anger and fear vied for dominance within her and she swallowed past the sudden lump in her throat. Finally she spoke, absently pleased that her voice didn't shake even if the rest of her seemed incapable of doing the same.

"Hello, Harry." She paused, unsure what to say to him. She wasn't going to apologize for killing him. She wasn't sorry in the slightest. She always wasn't going to beg him to show mercy. Eventually, she just settled for a simply spoken, painfully polite, "You look well."

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cantyouhearit
2011-12-14 06:22 am UTC (link)

"And yourself," The Master replied smoothly despite the concern pricking his senses, unable to tear his mind from the fact that as much as she was attempting to appear composed, there was an intense undercurrent of scared bunny running through her entire body. He'd gotten got enough at picking up on when Lucy was frightened during the time that they had been together, both as someone who took immense joy out of that fact and as someone who was highly concerned by it, and now, as his gaze flickered down to the tremor in her legs, and he listened to the hitch in her breathing, the Master couldn't help but feel as though he should walk away and leave her in peace.

Unfortunately, he couldn't bring himself to do so.

Whether it was a matter of selfishness or just the fact that her hating him when he had tried so hard not to deserve the loathing, he wasn't really sure what prompted him to take a step toward her, a smile gracing his features as he extended a hand to her, "Are you heading somewhere? Would you care for an escort?" Obviously, the answer would likely be no, or something more vehement than that, but still. One never knew if they didn't ask.

And with any luck, he might remind her that it hadn't been all bad and get himself knocked down on her loathing scale from must be murdered to wary yet tolerable.

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neverthatbright
2011-12-14 06:53 pm UTC (link)

It took every ounce of self-control that Lucy possessed not to flinch away from him as he extended a hand toward her. Memories of the times those hands had brought her pain far outweighed, in terms of emotional impact, the times they'd given her pleasure. The last bit of that year that had never happened was the source of her nightmares each time she laid down to sleep. The feeling of betrayal, the sense of hopelessness, and most of all the fear, were always present in the back of her mind. It was true that she had regained some of her former self of self while in prison but that, too, had taken quite a toll on her. She had become a woman possessed, determined to find a way to stop the man she had once loved with all of her being from returning to life and destroying everything he touched. She had poured over books as ancient as he was, learned languages long since considered dead, and expanded both her understanding of the universe as well as her own capabilities. And although a small part of her had hoped that it wouldn't come down to her, that the Doctor or Captain Harkness or someone would show up and stop the Master from rising once more, when she'd been taken out of her cell that night and come face to face with his resurrection, she hadn't been very surprised.

Still. For all of the fear and loathing she felt for him, for as much as she wanted to scramble away from him now, Lucy held her ground. She would be lying if she didn't admit that part of her still loved him. She knew it was wrong but she couldn't help it. Yet that wasn't even the reason she didn't flee. Nor, really, was the fear. No, she stayed put, facing off with him with the snow falling down around her, because she simply refused to let him control her actions any longer. Even with something as simple as making her so terrified that she ran back inside instead of enjoying the winter evening.

Lips suddenly dry and her throat even more parched, she managed to ignore the scratchy feeling on her tongue as she responded evenly, "No, thank you." She wanted to add that she would sooner offer her arm to a ravenous lion than give it to him, but she had been raised to be polite and wasn't going to let the teachings of her various tutors, nannies, and her beloved parents be stripped away simply by his presence. Absently she brushed away some snow that had landed on her shoulder, her gaze never leaving the Master and her expression still as devoid of true emotion as she could manage.

"You look the same as I remember."

She hadn't meant to say that. Really, she hadn't. Yet now that the words were spoken, Lucy couldn't help but elaborate with a quietly questioned, "When is it you're from?"

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cantyouhearit
2011-12-15 06:01 pm UTC (link)

The Master shouldn't have been surprised by the rejection. He shouldn't have been, and he really wasn't on a conscious level, but the small part of him that had hoped she might consider it was now trying to ignore the disappointment that was welling up inside of him. Luckily, her next comment and question gave him something else to focus on as well as the hope that he might be able to explain a bit about the situation that they found themselves in. "Timeline wise, not long after you killed me," He said, a grin quirking his features as he took another step forward, moving carefully as not to startle her but with the hopes that he might be able to close the gap between them if he was careful about each step that he took. "But strictly speaking, I've grown well past that."

Nearly two years off and on with a host of different circumstances that he'd had to endure. Having lost her through the results of his own madness, having gotten to know her again in circumstances outside of her own devotion to him, he'd re-learned exactly why he'd chosen her to begin with. He supposed her hating him was just another step in the long drama that was bent on making him appreciate her far more than he had for so long and to learn how not to take her presence for granted. And if this was the challenge that he was going to have to overcome, he would. Somehow.

"I've been here a few years," He said with a slight chuckle. It was a good thing that he had, really, because he was sure without the Doctor, River, Molly, Claire, and some of the others who had gotten to understand him beyond his knee-jerk psychotic responses that he would have regenerated at least a couple times by now at the hands of those who hadn't. "How else do you think I've managed to survive so long in the face of Captain Jack without at least a handful of people around here willing to put themselves on the line for me?"

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neverthatbright
2011-12-19 05:58 am UTC (link)

If she were being perfectly honest, Lucy hadn't given much thought at all to how he'd survived in the city with the likes of Jack Harkness about. After all, the Torchwood leader hadn't done anything aboard the Valiant to stop the Master when he'd had the opportunity. Which, if she were being quite honest, she would have to admit angered her far more than she ever dared to let on. However, that was neither here nor there at the moment and she wasn't going to allow such things to cloud her judgement when she needed to keep a level head. No, she would simply seethe in silence at the inaction of the others on that ship, as she had for the months she'd been imprisoned. For now, she was going to focus on the Master and, more importantly, keeping herself alive.

Still. For all of her determination to focus, to not allow her emotions to override her common sense or self preservation, his own admission that he'd been here for a few years was enough to make her eyes widen ever so slightly and her breath catch a bit in her throat.

"It must be difficult for you, being stuck here for that long," she murmured, once again not really meaning to speak yet making no move to take it back. She silently wanted to kick herself for the concern in her tone, though, because the concern wasn't for the city at large or even individuals stuck here with him but rather for the Master himself.

Not wanting to dwell on why she still cared even though she knew she shouldn't, Lucy tried to think of something else to say. A million questions flickered through her mind - everything from asking how he was doing, really, to why he had turned on her in such a terrible way when she'd done not a thing to deserve it - but she refrained from asking any of them. She didn't expect a straight answer and wasn't going to waste her time listening to anything else.

Instead, she simply questioned, "There really isn't a way to leave, then?" A bit redundant, perhaps, but it seemed a far safer topic than anything else that came to mind.

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cantyouhearit
2011-12-19 06:19 am UTC (link)

Difficult. It hadn't been difficult for him. It had been challenging, perhaps, frustrating at times, and unnerving during others. There had been a whole host of situations that he'd had to work past, aspects of his existence in the city that changed which he had to adapt to. There was a lot of different words that the Master would have used to describe what he'd been through, but difficult... Difficult probably wasn't one of them because no matter what, he'd always had some type of support from someone.

Even if it had usually been her.

"I managed," The Master said, shrugging slightly since he wasn't really sure how to elaborate about that without leaving her unsettled. "In fact, I actually settled after awhile. Mostly." Because even the most determined cheetah couldn't change its spots, and some backsliding was to be expected especially when he was presented with such temptations.

"None," The Master said with a shake of his head. "Not unless our host elects to return you from where he got you. I've left a few times and returned, but it was never because I wanted to."

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neverthatbright
2011-12-19 06:40 am UTC (link)

If Lucy had been stunned at his admission that he had been there for a few years, she was very nearly blown away when he added that he had settled, of all things. Such a concept was positively unfathomable to her and, for a brief moment, she found herself wondering if she'd ever truly known him half as well as she had believed. Not that learning she hadn't known him at all would shock her too terribly, of course. He certainly had a way of surprising her at most every turn, sometimes in good ways and sometimes in terrible ones. Yet she wanted to believe that she had at least known him somewhat, that it hadn't all been an elaborate series of lies.

She didn't mention any of that, though. To do so would be revealing far too much emotion on her part and would provide him with yet one more way to possibly manipulate her. Lucy instead focused on what he said next, swallowing past the lump in her throat at the mere thought of what returning back to their own reality would entail.

"I'm dead back home," she said almost distractedly. "So I do hope our host doesn't elect to do any such thing." She had let her gaze drop, slightly, as her thoughts had wandered a bit but she returned her attention fully to him once more. There was a brief flicker of wariness that shone in her eyes at her admission, jaw flexing ever so slightly in anticipation of... she wasn't even certain. Whatever it might be, though, she wasn't expecting it to be good. After all, she was dead because she had sacrificed herself to stop him. She seriously doubted he was fine with such a thing, or would let her off lightly for the betrayal.

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cantyouhearit
2011-12-20 02:33 am UTC (link)

"Yeah, I know," The Master said, remembering witnessing the events of his 'rebirth' back around when he'd first arrived. He couldn't help but agree with her wish not to be sent back. It had been quietly devastating to him each time that he'd lost her with the knowledge that she wasn't returning to anything. Of course, neither was he, and he still arrived back each time without any issue. But he'd rather not have to go through the issue of getting reattached only to have her ripped away once more. "Neither am I. So it's nice to know that this place is here to serve as a stop gap between my former existence and nothingness."

Because, really, if he went back only to return from where she'd left off, he'd hardly been in the sort of position to survive in the way that he did here. Not without relying rather heavily on nobody to notice that he was slowly thinning out the local population.

"Are you staying here, then?" The Master asked, briefly glancing up at the building before turning his attention back to Lucy. Obviously, she wasn't going back to what had once been their flat. She wouldn't remember that she'd ever had a home in this building. And even if the answer would obviously be a yes -- why else would be be standing outside? -- it was something to keep the conversation going. As much as she probably wanted to get away, he wanted every excuse to keep her here. "The accommodations are rather nice. Considering."

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neverthatbright
2011-12-21 01:12 am UTC (link)

Although Lucy wondered if her own sacrifice back home had been enough to curb the Master's return to life, she didn't dare ask him. Firstly, she knew there was a chance he simply wouldn't know, considering he was from a time before it had happened. Secondly, if he did know, she realized she would rather not discuss such things with him. For reasons she couldn't quite understand, his temper was in check for the time being and Lucy was loathe to risk ruining that.

So instead she focused on the question he'd asked her. She looked toward the building, in a way having forgotten it was even there, then returned her attention to the Master. "I am," she replied, distantly finding the question a bit odd given how obvious the answer had to be. After all, if it was obvious for her, it had to be ridiculously clear to him. "I'm staying with-" She hesitated, realizing a bit belatedly that giving away her location might not be the wisest idea she'd ever had. It wasn't easy, thinking clearly when he was around, and the longer she stood there the more she longed for things to be as they once were.

Determined not to give in to such frivolities and open herself up to pain again, she pressed forward instead with, "Some new friends who volunteered their spare room for the time being." It was the truth, if a bit ambiguous, and Lucy was silently pleased she'd come up with it on the spot. Yet even as she was proud of herself for having replied as she had, she felt the corners of her mouth quirk upward ever so slightly at his admission that the accommodations were rather nice, finding such a statement to be a bit amusing considering the man she'd known as Harold Saxon didn't have tastes that coincided with the flats they'd been given.

"I would have expected you'd have a place of your own by now," she remarked idly.

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cantyouhearit
2011-12-22 05:54 am UTC (link)

Her caution was very wise considering what she thought of him, what she thought that he was capable of or might do, and even as he was quietly frustrated by not really knowing whether she was staying in order to be able to make his point about having improved further by showing her that he meant her no harm, he took a deep breath to claim his thoughts over the matter. It wasn't something to trouble himself about since she'd have to find her own place sooner or later. Also, he could always just go about and check the nameplates in the buildings. If he ever got really desperate to see her.

Which he might eventually.

"Well, I really do have a place of my own, if you want to get technical about it," The Master said, offering Lucy a smile. "One of the benefits of having my own TARDIS within the city is that I can stash her inside the flat and have some place to disappear to should the need ever arise." And sometimes, here, it did. The Master's thoughts flashed back briefly to the Toclafane invasion, Lucy laying dead at the foot of the TARDIS, blood smeared on the door where she'd been inches from safety. The flash thought provoked a deep sadness in his features for the briefest of moments before he shook it off. "No stealing the Doctor's required."

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neverthatbright
2011-12-23 04:33 am UTC (link)

His own TARDIS. As the words were spoken, her heartbeat increased until Lucy could hear little more than a loud roaring in her ears. His TARDIS. A ship similar to the Doctor's, one that apparently couldn't leave the planet but was still capable of being used for all sorts of amazing, terrible things. Fear caused her to tremble ever so slightly as her imagination kicked into overdrive at the thought of what he could do to the people here with that sort of technology at his fingertips and no one willing to stop him.

That last part was the bit that upset her the most, truthfully. She understood the Doctor would do little to intervene so long as the Master seemed to be behaving. But for others present to simply allow him free reign, to not have some sort of eye on him, it was simply unfathomable to her. She had spent months in prison, preparing for his eventual return, ready to sacrifice herself and the rest of the prisoners being held with her to ensure he didn't come back to wreak further havoc on the world. Yet here he was, alive and free to do as he pleased, with nary a person to stop him and quite a number of things within his grasp to destroy them all.

So caught up in her own internal, worry-filled musings, Lucy missed the brief look of sadness that he wore. Yet she did hear his next words and sucked in a soft yet sharp breath at the memory of precisely what he'd done with the Doctor's TARDIS when he'd had unfettered access to it. She mentally shook the memories away, refusing to drown in them while he was standing so very close to her. Later, as always, when she laid her head down to sleep, she would think about the tragedy she'd done her part to see happen. For now, though, those thoughts and emotions were best left locked tightly away where he couldn't use them to hurt her more than he already had.

But even though she was quite good at internalizing her feelings - one of the very few benefits of being as his not-so-tender mercies for that year that had only existed within the limited scope of a handful of people - Lucy couldn't seem to stop the slight trembling of her tone when she spoke next. She did, however, force herself to meet his gaze and stand her ground even if the desire to shrink away was nearly an overwhelming one.

"I-Is it often necessary, here, for you to disappear within your ship?" she asked, the trembling wrought from emotions obvious but genuine curiosity present as well.

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cantyouhearit
2011-12-24 11:14 pm UTC (link)

He'd said something wrong. It was impossible not to notice the change in Lucy's demeanor, even as small as those changes were, and as he peered over at her, he ran through the things that he could have possibly said to cause such a reaction and came up blank. Unless, perhaps, the implications of stealing the Doctor's TARDIS had brought up some unpleasant memories. For all the concern that he had about upsetting her, though, he couldn't take back something which was already said. No more than he could take back what he's already done and what those actions had lead her to know about him. So, instead, the Master simply shook his head at her question and pressed forward, the only direction that he had to go.

"Unfortunately, it's not. Or perhaps, fortunately, given the situations that would prompt the need," The Master said. "To be honest, she's more than a bit upset with the way that I've been neglecting her. Even if I have been trying to put a bit more effort into upkeep since getting back, there's not really much that can be done as long as we're stuck here other than giving her knobs of bit of a twist and shining up her console every once in awhile."

Slipping his hands into his pockets as he stood there, the Master spared a glance up at the building before turning his attention back to Lucy, "You're welcome to come see her some time if you'd like. She wouldn't mind the company," He said. Though, she likely wouldn't want to come anywhere near him by herself, particularly in a situation that would likely leave them alone. Then again, maybe if they weren't going to be alone... "You could even bring someone else along, if you'd like."

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