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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 2008-04-20 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?"

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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.

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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.

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	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."

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	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)

	themaster 2008-04-20 04:53 pm UTC (link)
	The Master smiled approvingly as Jack ordered them more drinks. He was certainly a useful person to have around. "You might not. I'm not sure about my Jack, however. We... got off to a rather different start than you and your Master. But I'm certainly intrigued. I shall have to think about how I might be able to change things when I get home." (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

	lt_to_chaos 2008-04-20 05:15 pm UTC (link)
	"You keep making me curious about how different your Jack and I are." Jack responded to the approving smile, relaxing, one hand curled around the cup with cold dregs of coffee, the other just resting on the table near the Master's. "And what your relationship to him is like." (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

	themaster 2008-04-20 05:24 pm UTC (link)
	"Actually, I'm fairly sure you really don't want to know," the Master said ironically, because it was one thing boasting about killing and torturing Jack to the Doctor, but quite another to admit it to another Jack, especially one who actually seemed prepared to like him. (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

	lt_to_chaos 2008-04-20 05:32 pm UTC (link)
	Jack tilted his head, raising an eyebrow. "Why not?" (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

themaster
2008-04-20 06:20 pm UTC (link)

The Master paused, considering how to approach this. Drank some tea, and then looked up at Jack, all big, sad honest eyes.

"I wasn't very nice to him. I'd been. Using him like your Master uses you, to let out frustration when it all got too much, only without his consent. I've learned recently that that makes a difference, and from your story I can see that it does. In my defence, I still had the drums." He made a small grimace. "I haven't any more. I'm a little more in control now."

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lt_to_chaos
2008-04-20 06:51 pm UTC (link)

Jack didn't move for a long moment, studying the Master, his expression neutral. Then he leaned forward, and pressed a gentle kiss to the Master's lips, chaste and brief before settling back into his seat. The best way he could think of to let the Master know that he could forgive him - even if this Master's Jack couldn't, or didn't.

"He hasn't been able to get rid of the drums entirely, my Master." Jack quirked up one corner of his mouth in a wry smile. "Only mostly."

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themaster
2008-04-20 06:56 pm UTC (link)

The kiss, quick as it was, shocked the Master completely. He'd never, ever expected something like that from Jack - any Jack - any more than he'd expected the hand-holding. It shook him for a long moment, during which he stared at Jack with a much more candid gaze than before.

"If he's been able to get rid of them at all without the Doctor's help, that's impressive," he murmured.

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	lt_to_chaos 2008-04-20 07:08 pm UTC (link)
	"They come and go." Jack shrugged one shoulder, picking up his coffee, and taking a long sip. "He's usually at his worst when he's in close proximity to the Doctor." He paused, snorting softly. "I died a lot in the seventies. It was nice when the Doctor finally left Earth again." (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

	themaster 2008-04-20 07:45 pm UTC (link)
	"Yes, I bet." He smiled, remembering. "Good times, though. Some of them. Can't have been fun for him to just have to watch, though, without being able to get close." (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

	lt_to_chaos 2008-04-20 08:01 pm UTC (link)
	"As I said, I died a lot." Jack sighed, looking down at his coffee. "He tried to get close once. It took months to clean up the mess." (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

	themaster 2008-04-20 08:16 pm UTC (link)
	"I can imagine." The Master winced, and blinked a bit. "I'm still finding it a little hard to believe that you actually take all that from him, just because he hasn't abandoned you. The Jack I know best... I don't think he'd take that from anyone." (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

	lt_to_chaos 2008-04-20 08:44 pm UTC (link)
	"I don't know what else changed in the history of your Jack from mine. There might be some other difference. Maybe he ran into the Doctor again before he had a chance to realize he'd been abandoned, and not left behind because he was a corpse." That had been his first thought. That the Doctor had thought he was dead. Hadn't thought differently for years. (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

	themaster 2008-04-20 08:48 pm UTC (link)
	The Master smirked. "Oh, no, I think I can say fairly safely that in every universe where Rose Tyler immortalised you with the Time Vortex, the Doctor knew exactly what he was running away from. It's why he ran." (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

	lt_to_chaos 2008-04-20 09:00 pm UTC (link)
	"But in how many of them did Jack run into you when he chased after the Doctor?" Jack raised an eyebrow, meeting the Master's gaze. "And in how many of them did he have to rely on just himself when he realized he really couldn't die, and it was going to be a long time before he met the Doctor again? Assuming the Doctor didn't just continue to avoid him." (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)