It's all AU.

The Doctor spied a familiar figure in black - as opposed to the less familiar ones around - and said, conversationally, "You're still here."

He was, frankly, grateful for someone here he actually felt he knew.

Tosh wasn't particularly paying attention as she made her way to the hotel dining room, setting her laptop on a table to let it run the simulation before going over to the side bar to fix herself a strong, sweet cup of coffee. Turning back, she spotted someone looking at her laptop, and frowned.

"Can I help you?

The Doctor stepped out his TARDIS, locked it behind him, and smiled over his shoulder at the person walking past.

"Hello," he called out.

Continued from here.

The Master strolled along the row of shops in the town proper, a bland expression on his face as he watched the handful of people on the street. Mentally categorizing them, dismissing some as not worth the effort, others as potentially too well connected to safely separate out from the rest. Ever the calculating predator, even if he had no intentions to go for someone new. Well, not entirely true, but he wasn't sure who John had been protective of. Certainly not Jack - Jack was more than able to take care of himself.

Dismissing the thought with a small sigh of irritation, the Master scanned the street again. And smiled. Oh, there was a face he hadn't seen in centuries. He strolled over to the man outside a cafe.

"Now, that is not a face I had expected to see here, after all this time. Good afternoon, Doctor."

Well. That was strange. He'd gone from a place outside of normal space but encompassing time itself to...somewhere outside of time altogether? He checked the readings again, ran a couple of diagnostics in case Miss Grant's ill-advised actions had damaged something, and finally decided that he wasn't going to get any answers from inside his TARDIS. He stepped out onto a sidewalk in what looked a bit like 20th century Earth, but certainly didn't feel like it.

He glanced back at the TARDIS, which had remained in the shape of a large 1970s set of computer banks. Whether the chameleon circuit was malfunctioning (which would be embarrassing) or whether his ship couldn't get enough of a sense of place to work out what to disguise itself as, he didn't know. He set off down the sidewalk, hoping to find some answers.

The Doctor went to get something to eat, and well, he wasn't surprised to see the Master in a body he didn't recognize. It was how very different he looked from his usual style. No beard, blond, almost boyish. He crossed over to stand in from the Master and greet him with a solemn, "There you are."

Maybe a reformed one. Maybe not. Definitely worth talking to him to see.

It was the middle of the night and Lucy couldn't sleep. She got dressed in far more casual clothes than anyone had seen her in here - a sweatshirt and jogging pants - and went downstairs for a change of view and some tea. Then she wandered outside into the night with her mug.

The Doctor was sitting on park bench reading a book. He looked up as someone approached. With a little trepidation for who he might meet from centuries in his future, this time.

The Doctor was quite enjoying his walk around the town, getting a feel for th place, at the moment. It wasn't Metebelis III, but the town was pretty and the weather was perfect. Eventually he'd find the library. And other people to talk to.

The Doctor was merrily - downright joyously - working in finally requiring the TARDIS. Installing the brand new dematerialization circuit that the Time Lord had gifted him with, in thanks for dealing with Omega. Given him back the parts of his knowledge necessary to fly her. His exile on Earth - save for those few jaunts through various means - was at an end.

He thought he heard Jo come into the lab, and he stepped outside the TARDIS to greet. But he wasn't in the lab at all. He was on a street corner. He whirled around - the TARDIS was still behind him.

Couldn't his people leave him in his peace and freedom for five minutes?! He'd just saved them all.

Or maybe this was some new game of the Master's?

He looked around for some sign of where he was. So far the town looked quite ordinary, on the surface. But something was. Off.