Chapter Text
As wary as they still all were of the master, everyone was starting to grow somewhat fond of him and the relationship he shared with the doctor.
It brought out a softness in them both, that her friends had never seen and created an air of calm in the tardis that hadn't been there in a very long time.
The two Time Lords didn't sleep as much as the humans on board and as such they often found their breakfast interrupted by the Gallifreyan's stumbling into the kitchen, covered in scorch marks and dirt, talking a million miles an hour about something that passed completely over their heads.
Yaz, Ryan and Graham spent a lot of time alone in the evenings discussing the new things they had learnt about the pair.
It was graham for example, who had first come up with the theory that the colour of the tardis console corresponded to the Doctor's mood.
So far they had found three colours in response to her emotions. When she was happy, excited, curious or any other variation of positive emotion the console was a golden yellow. When she was sad, or sometimes even worn out, it was blue. And when she was angry, which they had only seen once, after the couple got into a very heated argument resulting in the master storming out of the TARDIS and back onto his own, it turned a deep shade of red.
But the majority of the time these days the TARDIS remained in its comforting golden glow.
The doctor, with the help of the master, had also gradually been opening up to her fam.
They never pushed her, but for the past few weeks, over dinners or picnics or even during her passionate teachings about whatever planet or place they had landed in that day, she would begin to narrate some of the stories of her past.
For the harder ones, often about lost friends and loved ones, the master was close by, holding her hand tightly to ground her and reassure her that she wasn't alone anymore.
The master had his own past too, but he was much more reluctant to share his stories. He would indulge them with the occasional anecdote, but aside from that, and what they saw on the days he would spend with them, they still didn't know much about him.
That day, they decided to head to a planet of the tardis' choosing. They had only done this a handful of times but the places she took them had, without fail, been absolutely incredible.
Once the doctor assured them it was safe, Ryan, Graham and Yaz stepped out onto the new planet.
The sight that met them was stunning.
When they looked up the sky was a gorgeous swirl of orange, red and pink and three suns shone proudly behind purple clouds. The landscape was mostly hills of sand and grass with beautiful jungle-like forests scattered around. They could see a small city in the distance and the joyous hum of life emanating from it. It was breathtaking.
"Doctor! This is incredible!" Yaz shouted back into the tardis.
"Yeah, Doc this has got to be the most beautiful place I've ever seen! Come and see!" Graham agreed.
When the couple eventually strolled out hand in hand, they both gasped at the sight that greeted them.
Yaz noticed the doctor go pale, while the master seemed to grip her hand tighter. The Doctor's eyes went wide and began to dart around her surroundings frantically and once again the master tightened his grip on her hand and stepped a little bit closer to her.
"Uh, Doctor are you alright? You look a bit sick." Yaz commented.
This caught the attention of Ryan and Graham, who up until now had been having a conversation between themselves about the planet they were on and hadn't even noticed the two Time Lords leave the TARDIS.
This certainly wasn't the reaction that any of them were expecting from their time travelling tour guide.
The master and the doctor appeared to be having a silent conversation, while the master simultaneously whispered "it's okay" over and over again.
"Um, yeah sorry guys. Uh… d-do we have to stay here? I-I'm sure there's somewhere much nicer than this place to visit…" the doctor trailed off uncertainly.
Her fam didn't know what to make of it. This was the most beautiful place they had ever visited, but something about simply the sight of this planet was enough to reduce their happy go lucky friend into a stuttering panicking mess.
"Doc, if you are uncomfortable here, we can leave… but, can you please tell us why?" Graham attempted to reason.
"We don't push Doctor, that's not what we're about. But this place is mesmerisingly gorgeous and you just want us to leave? At least give us a reason?" Yaz agreed.
"She doesn't have to justify anything!" The master suddenly snarled. "If she never wants to tell you anything she doesn't have to and if you aren't happy about it then maybe we should just leave you here, seeing as you seem to love it so damn much!"
He was seething, fear and frustration radiating off of him in waves that made the rest of the crew almost nauseous.
"Master! Enough. They haven't done anything wrong. They are my family as much as you are, do not threaten them." The Doctor warned, carefully but firmly. Once again they appeared to be having a conversation without speaking.
The master turned around and began pacing anxiously a few metres away.
"Okay, okay… fine." Ryan huffed defeatedly, holding his hands up in the air in mock surrender. "We'll go somewhere else… but don't think that this conversation is over Doctor."
Yaz, Graham and Ryan traipsed miserably back into the Tardis and shut the door loudly behind them for good measure.
The Doctor sighed wearily, knowing she would have a lot of explaining and apologising to do later. But right now her thoughts were too jumbled to linger on that worry, she just needed to get them off this planet.