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Tweak says, "In fact, he's kind of sweet."

Captain Jack Harkness, Torchwood (lt_to_chaos) wrote in whoville,
@ 2008-04-17 08:56:00

Entry tags:

lt_to_chaos, themaster

Anna's Master (Finished)
Jack woke up to the smell of coffee and cheese danish, rolling onto his side to look at the table the Master had set. Pasteries and coffee and what looked like a mini-fridge that he suspected held whatever else he'd brought back. "Morning," he murmured as he rubbed sleep from his eyes.

"Morning, indeed. I just ran into another of myself who was rather worried about you." The Master gestured at the food on the table. "Come, eat something."

"Worried about me?" Jack raised an eyebrow, taking a long moment to stretch before getting out of bed, and scooping up one of the danishes, munching on it while he waited for an answer.

"Seemed to think you were in danger from me."

Jack shrugged. "Sometimes I am. He wouldn't have any way to tell if now's one of those times, or if it's safe." As safe as it ever was around the Master. "Going to pack a picnic and explore today?"

"Actually, I was planning on not going anywhere, and just enjoying some alone time." The Master leaned back in his chair, grinning at Jack.

Jack twitched. "I'd rather go out." He popped the rest of the pastery in his mouth, heading for the wardrobe, and a change of clothes. "I can go alone, if you don't want to come with me."

The Master scowled at Jack's back, his fingers drumming restlessly against the table. "I want to stay in today, with you, and enjoy the day."

"I'm not planning on staying in all day." Jack looked back at the Master, his hand hovering over an undershirt. "Unless you insist."

The Master studied Jack a moment before sighing huffily, and waving a dismissive hand. "Fine, fine. Go on, then. I'll go... find a book." He reached for his mug of coffee, glaring at the dark liquid as if it were the source of his problems.

Jack sighed, pulling on a t-shirt and trousers he'd picked up while waiting for his jacket to be tailored before the party, and headed for the door. He'd find coffee downstairs, before the Master decided that he really would insist on Jack staying in the room all day.

As he stepped out of the lift into the lobby, he sighed, spotting another of the Master near the dining room. Well, at least he knew it wasn't his Master - the suit rather gave it away. Though with no rose, he doubted it was the sane one he'd first run into, either.

"Master," he greeted cautiously as he got closer, giving him a small smile.

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	lt_to_chaos 2008-04-18 03:01 pm UTC (link)
	Jack smiled, and shrugged. "Often." (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

	themaster 2008-04-18 03:05 pm UTC (link)
	"He doesn't... abuse you? Take advantage of your immortality? See it as an opportunity for all sorts of interesting experiments and games? He actually... cares about your feelings?" Hmm, a few things had obviously seeped through from the other Jack's talk to him. (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

lt_to_chaos
2008-04-18 03:15 pm UTC (link)

Jack shifted, a small frown on his face. "When the drums are louder - usually when the Doctor's around - he's not that stable. He'll kill me, he'll play games, mind games. But he's not sane, not stable then, and it's better me than someone who won't get back up." He took a deep breath.

"He does care, even then. He cares enough to not involve someone else in his games, to focus on me, and let me take the brunt of his insanity."

(Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

	themaster 2008-04-18 03:24 pm UTC (link)
	"He does that for you? Restricts himself to taking it out on you because you asked him to?" It was an intriguing look at what might have been - and in some ways, he felt, not so very different from his own world. (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

	And note to self... always remember to change the log in when posting. lt_to_chaos 2008-04-18 03:31 pm UTC (link)
	"Sometimes it's because I asked, sometimes it's because I don't give him a choice." Jack shrugged. "I'm not above making sure that I'm the only one available for him to take out his frustration and instability on." (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

	*g* themaster 2008-04-18 03:35 pm UTC (link)
	"That's very... noble of you, Captain." The Master couldn't help staring a bit. He was aware that the Jack he knew definitely used his immortality in that way occasionally, to draw fire away from others who wouldn't come back, but this was taking it to extremes. (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

	lt_to_chaos 2008-04-18 03:41 pm UTC (link)
	Jack looked down at his coffee, finishing the last of it. "It's what needs to be done, and there's nothing noble-minded about it. If there are bodies in the streets, they'll take him away from me." He held the Master's gaze. "And as much as I'm his, he's mine, and I'm not about to lose him because he does something stupid when he can't think clearly." (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

	themaster 2008-04-18 03:42 pm UTC (link)
	He frowned. "Who'll take him away from you?" (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

	lt_to_chaos 2008-04-18 03:50 pm UTC (link)
	"UNIT. The British government. Anywhere else he decides needs reduced to rubble while his mind is busy dealing with the drums." Jack tightened his grip on the Master's hand a moment, before consciously relaxing. "After a century on Earth, he's a citizen of Britain. Even running Torchwood isn't going to keep him safe if enough people die." (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

	themaster 2008-04-18 04:42 pm UTC (link)
	"Captain, this is me we're talking about," the Master admonished gently, sipping at his tea. "I've spent a lot of time on Earth and they've never taken me away yet. I really can't see that happening, unless of course your version really is a lot more insane than I ever was." (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

	lt_to_chaos 2008-04-19 12:16 am UTC (link)
	"From what Emma got from UNIT's archives, the only reason they didn't lock you up the first time was the Doctor. At least, in my world. And that was just the version he knew he was dealing with - not my Master." Jack shrugged. "And maybe I'm just paranoid." (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

	themaster 2008-04-19 09:19 am UTC (link)
	The Master smiled. "You're just afraid that what you have will be taken away from you. I can relate." For the first time, he deliberately curled his fingers around Jack's in a gesture of comfort and understanding. It felt a lot less strange to be giving Jack comfort than receiving it from him. (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

	lt_to_chaos 2008-04-20 02:22 pm UTC (link)
	Jack raised a brow, a questioning expression on his face. "What did the Doctor take away from you?" Because in the end, no matter how much they both disliked it, his Master and he, it always came back to the Doctor. Or almost always, anyway. (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

	themaster 2008-04-20 02:32 pm UTC (link)
	The Master snorted gently. "Everything. Over, and over, and over again." (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

	lt_to_chaos 2008-04-20 03:04 pm UTC (link)
	"He's very good at that, isn't he? Leaving you with nothing." Except in his universe, the Doctor wouldn't be able to do that, not ever again. Jack wouldn't let him. He was staying, and even if the Doctor managed to take everything else, the Master would still have Jack. (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

	themaster 2008-04-20 03:08 pm UTC (link)
	"Oh, yes. Very good indeed at that." He smiled bitterly, meeting Jack's eyes with complete honesty for the first time. "Even when I've got him, I know it's not forever. I know it's just a matter of time before I lose him again, and spend most of my time wondering how long I've got left." (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

	lt_to_chaos 2008-04-20 03:21 pm UTC (link)
	Jack tightened his gripon the Master's hand. "Then seize every moment you have. And when it's over, find a way to keep your Jack close. And never let him go. You'll have someone the Doctor can't take away from you." (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

	themaster 2008-04-20 03:24 pm UTC (link)
	The Master raised his eyebrow scornfully. "Forgive me, Captain, I know you're special, but you're not the Doctor." Apart from the fact that however much he 'reformed' he had more chance of keeping hold of the Doctor than his Jack. He was very sure of that. (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

lt_to_chaos
2008-04-20 03:40 pm UTC (link)

Jack narrowed his eyes. He really didn't like the implication he was getting from that statement. He pulled his hand away, though he resisted the urge to push away from the table. Push away and go back to his room and let his Master have his way, just the two of them and nothing and no one else for the rest of the day.

"I should hope not," he said, a hard edge to his voice. "Is there a problem with that, Master?"

(Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

themaster
2008-04-20 03:47 pm UTC (link)

"A problem with you not being the Doctor? Not as such. But you have to understand that my Doctor and I have been playing this out for centuries. I've only known you - well, my version of you - a few months. There's simply no comparison."

His tone wasn't nasty, or confrontational. He was just stating facts - and completely indifferent to how it might come across to Jack. He was still very new to the idea of trying to see things from other's points of view.

(Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

lt_to_chaos
2008-04-20 04:00 pm UTC (link)

Jack took a deep breath, laying his hands flat on the table, as much to keep him from punching the Master as to keep from just leaving. Neither would do any good, not right now. And the first... he hadn't felt like doing that in most of a century.

"Of course. Just that one's better than the other, and the lesser isn't worth taking any time to really give a damn about." His voice was flat, controlled. Habit kicking in, and keeping his emotions on a tight leash.

(Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

	themaster 2008-04-20 04:12 pm UTC (link)
	"Are you suggesting I don't give a damn about you, Jack?" the Master asked mildly, with a hint of his Prime Minister's smile. "Because I assure you, that's not the case. Things are just different in my reality, that's all." (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

lt_to_chaos
2008-04-20 04:23 pm UTC (link)

"I'm not suggesting anything." Jack glared, his fingers spreading, the tips pressing hard against the wood. "You implied it. I'm not worth the time actully getting to know, not worth the time to care about when you have someone better around. Or even a chance at having him around. Under those circumstances, I'm not surprised the Jack in your universe hates you."

(Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

	themaster 2008-04-20 04:40 pm UTC (link)
	"Oh, I'm fairly sure that's not why he hates me," the Master said ironically. He went to take a sip of his tea, made a face when he found it cold, and pushed it away. "Though you may have a point," he admitted reluctantly. "You're certainly a darn sight less fickle than the Doctor." (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

	lt_to_chaos 2008-04-20 04:46 pm UTC (link)
	"Almost everyone's less fickle than the Doctor." Jack relaxed a little, though he still kept his hands to himself. At least for now, until he felt less like decking the Master. "And I won't run away if you let me know you care." Unlike the aforementioned Time Lord. He waved the server over, ordering another cup of coffee, and a fresh cup of tea for the Master. (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)