Crescendo

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The third change was, that the Doctor offered to run several tests on the Master to find out where the drums might originate from.

But just as Roka was about to be rejoiced at this, she saw the Master's face turn sour.

"And what do you think you can do, what all those other doctors in all of time and space and even the Time Lords themselves couldn't, eh?"

"Weeell... uhhhh..." The Doctor rubbed his neck. "I've got the knowledge of the Time Lords and the tech from all over time and space." He grinned his toothy grin from ear to ear. "You know me, I'll figure it out!"

With a grunt the Master turned around, though, and simply left the room.

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By now Roka was absolutely sure that the drums had gotten worse, even though the Master still refused to even brush the subject. But with each passing day it happened more and more often that he was absent-minded, and easier irritated than usually, always given away by a slight twitching of his eyes that he could never completely hide.

Even the Doctor in his usually so unaware ways noticed something. Especially when the Master didn't react with mean remarks to what he said and simply stared into the air, as if he hadn't heard anything. Here and there he wordlessly left whatever room he was inside at the moment and vanished somewhere else where neither the Doctor nor Roka could find him for hours.

And always did he look a bit worn out afterwards. Actually, he did all the time. Some days less, but gradually more and more.

Once, as Roka was looking out for him, she actually found him in his quarters, sitting cross legged in front of the windows, head buried under his arms, not moving an inch otherwise. She had no idea if he was anywhere near responsive at the moment, or completely swiped away by the noise. At least he didn't react to her sneaking in again shortly after, and placing a plate with food and some water on the table. Roka then sat outside on the ground, back leaned against the door, and tried to occupy her worried mind with a book.

It worked astonishingly well, so when the door suddenly got opened she promptly fell backwards and glared perplex into a tired smirk.

"Told you not to be worr..."

"Shut up," Roka retorted and heaved herself up quickly, only to give him a mean stare. "I'm worried about you as much as I bloody want."

She poked a finger at him, or at least she tried to. But the Master evaded and instead let her stumble into the room, before he grabbed her collar in the neck, to prevent her from falling.

"Doesn't help," he remarked with a grin and sat her down.

"Why is it getting worse so fast?" Roka asked quietly and put her clothes back in order. "Only because of the Vortex?"

"No idea what you mean. It's the same as always." He shrugged and sauntered to the two big windows.

"I might be human, but that doesn't make me stupid, you know," she grumbled and scowled. After a while she nodded outside, where stars and nebulas hung in the vast nothingness of space. "Where is this?"

"Mhm... that's what I'm trying to find out. Doesn't look very familiar."

"Is it even a real place?" she wondered.

"No idea," he mumbled and rubbed his eyelids.

Roka leaned with folded arms next to him at the window, not able to move her thoughts away from the drums. Only when the Master stepped in front of her did she look up to meet a smirk.

"You can make such a serious face. I'm almost getting scared." He slid a finger along her face. "There's nothing you can do. Stop worrying about it."

"Easier said than done," she grumbled back.

The Master chuckled and loomed over her with a smug grin. "I thought so often that it can't get worse and that I couldn't handle more... And look, I'm still here."

That barely calmed her down. If only the Doctor would let him go. Developing some big and complicate scheme surely would help drowning the noise out. Although thinking that made her feel selfish.

But there was no helping it. The mental bond they had might have been broken, but they still were connected on so many more levels. Even though they hadn't put a name to this, and probably never would. It didn't matter anyway.

Roka winced subtly when her finger brushed over a button. She hadn't even noticed what she was doing, not... completely conscious that is. And it took her an awfully long time to decide whether or not to take her hand away from there.

Not that she would have the time for thoughts anyway, finding herself pinned against the window all of a sudden, lips pressed against her own, and she felt a deep growl reverberating through the Master's chest.

Shortly after he already let go of her, as if surprised about his own reaction. His eyes were filled with glee though and he chuckled darkly. "Careful. You're giving me... ideas."

Roka sheepishly looked away. "Won't do it again."

He snorted amused. "Why so hesitant?"

Stupid heartbeat. It was a bit hard to focus with that, and she only managed to look like an idiot for a moment. "You're... not human after all," she mumbled eventually, still looking away.

"And how exactly..." He leaned closer down to her. "...does that keep me from having fun?" He chuckled again, breathing a kiss to her neck an adding huskily, "Besides... I very much enjoyed you screaming my name."

"I... I definitely didn't scream it!" Roka protested, feeling her head adopting a similar red as his shirt.

"Oh? Mhm..." The Master looked down at her with raised eyebrows, an almost childish smile curving on his lips, before he bent down, muttering into her ear, "Mind if I change that?"

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Roka decided not to be too annoying about the drums. After all, the Master knew best what he could handle and what not, having endured them his entire life.

He seemed to do his best to stay distracted. And as much as he despised the Doctor's company, he very willingly came along outside, even though he never talked much to the other Time Lord. Roka had the suspicion, those two would never get along, no matter how much time would pass. Somehow the thought made her sad. After all, they were the only two left of their entire species.

There was a huge advantage for her though. Before all of this, she had only been able to accompany the Doctor whilst she had a visibility window. Everything else was just too risky, as she had found out when she had barely made it back before the TARDIS dematerialized. After a few of those incidences she had stayed inside. Only occasionally strolled around in a small diameter around the blue box. Close enough to get back should she see the Doctor running inside, chased by whatever.

Now that the Master was with them, he took care that she wouldn't stay behind, holding the Doctor back to wait whenever it was necessary. One such time he was leaning at the outer wall of the TARDIS, eyeing the crowd and waiting until she returned from a foray of her own.

"Back again?" she asked and sped up her steps. "I'm pretty sure I'm not late this time."

"Nope... we're early. Might have gotten us into a bit of trouble by rewiring a few androids," he innocently told, examining his nails. "Found something interesting?"

"Uhm... just a few books." Roka shrugged and grinned. "Certainly not stolen."

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Another time they visited earth in its late third millennium. There were actual flying cars and huge buildings like Roka had seen in some sci-fi movies. And everything was littered with blinking neon signs, illuminating the night. It looked fantastic and had an almost mystical atmosphere to it.

"Is there anything at all, that doesn't fascinate you?" the Master asked with an amused grin at her happy face.

"Just look around!" She spread her arms. "All those colours and sounds and smells! It's so overwhelming! And cool! I need to take some pictures!"

"Oi, don't run off!"

"What are you shouting at?" the Doctor asked.

With a grunt the Master grabbed Roka's arm before she got away and she waved happily at the other Time Lord.

"Can you widen the bracelet's radius?" she begged. "Only a little."

"I'll just come along, how about that?" the Doctor offered cheeringly as soon as he remembered her.

The Master only rolled his eyes, but Roka agreed, since she didn't mind him at all. Now she had an escort while taking photos of some alleyways and signs and people. Later the Master took her camera and went through her shots with a slight smile.

"Not bad. And there I hoped they'd be all rubbish," he teased and gave the camera back.

A moment later they passed a guy who gave out plastic flowers to everyone. To Roka's surprise the Master took a yellow one, and held it in front of the Doctor with a wide grin. "Remember?"

The Doctor let out a deep, noisy sigh. "That plan was so hilarious!"

"Och, don't be so harsh. It was fun!"

"People died through those things!"

"Yeah..." the Master drawled on. "Like I said. Fun." A wide smile sat on his face, when he saw the slightly annoyed expression of the other Time Lord.

"What's that about?" Roka asked, having a vague memory of a story knocking on her consciousness.

"Did he ever tell you about the Nestene consciousness?" the Master cheered.

"I remember it vaguely. Something about... Right! Plastic flowers that were supposed to kill everyone, who got one!"

"It was so unnecessarily complicated!" the Doctor let out. "He even exchanged my telephone cable with that stuff!"

But the Master only chuckled and then leaned down to Roka, putting the flower into one of the button holes on her shirt, before he proudly proceeded to tell the whole overly complicated plan. Only the end got left out and the Doctor sighed, but not without smiling to himself, as if this rivalry between them actually was a lot more fun than he was willing to admit.

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Roka had lost track of time. But as she checked the date on her computer, she realized that they were stuck in the TARDIS for almost two months in earthen time now. And it felt so much longer than all this time she had spent travelling with the Master.

There also had been a lot less to worry about.

For a while it had seemed as if everything would turn out alright, somehow. The two Time Lords never got along too well, but also not too badly; even though the latter was mainly due to the Master executing his inhuman patience. And a way too optimistic voice in her head had started to hope they might travel together for some time longer. Or that the Doctor would finally give in and take off the bracelets.

Then, all of a sudden, things had gotten... weird.

From one day on the Master started to refuse to leave the TARDIS. He had become silent from one second to the next, staring into the air, as if he could see something no one else could. Eventually he had shaken his head and just left the console room, demanding no one were to follow him.

Hours later she had knocked on his door, assuming the drums had been especially bad for a while. But as she got no answer and also found the door to be locked, she really started to worry.

The Doctor also wasn't a big help, having no idea what to do or how to convince the other man to accept some help.

Two entire days passed, without the Master coming out or giving of any sign of existence at all. Roka had placed some packed sandwiches in front of the door, only to find them at the exact same spot on the third day.

Usually she would have found it funny that a man with his appetite had refused them, but now it filled her only with more worry. Once more she knocked on the door.

No answer.

Another day later she got annoyed and knocked again. Not very loud, but with a steady and stubborn rhythm of four knocks.

It didn't even take a minute before the door got ripped open violently.

"Will you bloody stop that!" the Master shouted with so much anger in his voice, that she instinctively stumbled back and struggled with an answer.

He was seeping so much anger that she could almost physically feel it. Quite like the moment before he had cut the mark into her. Uncontrolled and raw. His gaze wandered to her surprised eyes and turned even more angry than before.

"Daft human. Get lost," he murmured, turned around and slammed the door shut.

Finally Roka found her speech again and stepped back to the door, raising her hand to simply knock again. But she hesitated and slightly pushed her fingertips against the wood. He was there, leaning on the other side. She knew it.

"Master?" she almost whispered.

Again there was no answer, but she could hear a faint rustling of clothes, and for some reason she had a picture in her mind of him sliding down the door, sitting on the floor with his hands clutching his head. In moments like these she had a feeling as if the psychic bond might not have been ripped completely that day. Or maybe it was simply because she knew him quite well by now.

Roka sighed and sat down in almost the same position, back leaned against the door. "I'll stay here for a bit," she mumbled. "It's okay if you don't want me around, it's just..." She went silent, not knowing what she actually had wanted to say.

There was the sound of rustling clothes again, she was certain of it. Then the door got opened, only slightly, and when she peered up he was standing there, looking down with tired eyes, all anger gone from them now.

"You're right. I don't want you here," he just said toneless.

"Mind if I..."

"Yes, very." His look turned darker. "I'm tired of you. Get lost."

Slowly Roka got up and gave him a sceptic glance.

"What?" His voice sounded a bit amused and at the same time venomous. Then he put on a mocking pout for a second and suddenly grinned, while opening the door for good to step out and roughly grab her collar, almost choking her. "No idea what your primitive head spun together there, human." He narrowed his eyes on her speechless face and shook her a bit. "The Doctor was right from the beginning. Was only toying with you, naive little thing. Had a bit of fun," he went on as a sickly malevolent grin curved his lips. "And now I got bored of your face." Finally he let go and roughly pushed her away. "Get lost. And don't dare to bother me again."

Roka wasn't able to move, nor to speak. His words stung and felt like a thousand sharp knifes in her chest. The pain quickly turned to anger, deep and raw and she straightened with folded arms, staring at him.

"Well... if that's it... have fun being the Doctor's pet for the reminder of your regenerations." Sharply she turned halfway around. "I've still got the Vortex Manipulator. It's not as if I'd need you for anything."

With that she simply left, stormed into the library and hid there in the darkest corner she could find. Her mind was running a million miles per hour, contemplating whether or not she should really leave. In a way she wasn't even surprised. Why should the Master, of all people in the entire universe, care more about her, than about a speck of dirt on his shoe? Naive? Yes, she definitely had been. Naive and dumb and... She clenched her teeth and took some deep breaths. Crying like an idiot wouldn't help anything here.

After she had calmed down a bit, Roka went back to her room and took the Vortex Manipulator out of her desk drawer. A manual she had found in the library sat on the table, and now she was studying it intensely. The device was a lot more complex than she had thought, and space-time coordinates also weren't easy to calculate. The manual was filled to the brim with formulas and diagrams that made her head spin. Which was exactly what she needed right now.

At the end of the day she understood more or less enough to try out the formula. Without much thinking she picked Donna's house for the space coordinates. For some reason it was the first place that sprang to her mind when thinking about earth. Then she picked a random time and started to replace symbols with numbers and calculated around, until she was certain to have gotten it right.

When the Doctor would leave the Vortex next time, she would try it out. For now her head was heavy and dizzy anyway, and all she wanted to do, was to sleep and to forget why she was doing this in the first place.

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Weird dreams plagued Roka's mind, making her twist and turn. She dreamed of some of the stuff the elder god had shown her, and of other things she couldn't remember afterwards. One of those dreams changed, stopped feeling cold and instead... she could feel fingers slow and gently running through her hair, playing with them. It was soothing and she leaned in to the touch with a sigh.

"Sorry," a voice whispered, entering the fading world of her dreams.

She didn't want to wake up. It was warm here and she felt safe. The waking world though was cold and lonely, not a welcoming place at all. A frown formed on her face when she realized that she had already slipped out of sleep, but somehow also not. The hand was still there, and she could vaguely feel someone sitting next to her.

"You're quick," the voice said calmly. "Those are nasty formulas."

Roka opened her eyes and a cold sting went through her, then anger. Why was he here? Just to taunt her further? She turned away and pulled the covers over her head, not saying a word.

"Then I guess this is goodbye," the Master said, not letting it sound like a question. But his voice was still calm and quiet. "It's better that way, believe me."

"Let me sleep. Your presence is very much disturbing," she grumbled back.

He chuckled barely audible and stood up. "Good. That's... I think that's good. Hate me. Please... do that for me."

The sound of rustling clothes indicated that he was about to leave. Roka was still drowsy and also confused. His words made no sense. Slowly she turned around, watched as his hand reached out to the door handle. Then suddenly everything snapped into its right place and she shot up so fast, her head got dizzy and she had to sit back down, pressing her palm against it.

"Wait..." she mumbled. "Gosh, I'm really dumb, am I not?" Her hand lowered and she looked up, seeing the Master standing there, only illuminated by the faint glow of her souvenirs. "Has it gotten so bad?" she asked. "See, you're rubbish at hiding it, so I know something's wrong with the drums. I mean... more wrong than usual."

Hesitantly he lowered his hand from the door handle and turned around. It was impossible to clearly see his face in this faint light, but he nodded.

"Nothing I wouldn't have awaited. I just thought... it would take another few centuries. Instead of..." He shook his head. "Right now they are almost bearable. First time in days."

Roka only grumbled something indistinctly, rubbing the last bits of sleep out of her eyes.

"It's accelerating. Since a while actually," he continued calmly. "And I... this once... I'm not sure if I will be able to bare them much longer." A short pause interrupted his words. "It doesn't matter. It's not to stop." Now he

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