A Different Set of Drums (The Master, Doctor Who)

Chapter Twenty-Seven

Squeezing my hand, The Doctor looks at me like I was a child, softly prodding me forward. I narrow my eyes a little, attempting to tease him. A ghost of a smile appears on his face, and we both began to walk back to the gang.

"Things will just be... Normal again. Won't they?" My voice cracked, not having used it much today. "Of course." The Doctor sighs, kicking a rock. "I'm sorry. I know you know him- knew him long before I did. I sense it was a love-hate relationship." I look to him.

"We were friends, when younger." He explained, looking down to me. "Just.. Began to- He didn't-." The Doctor stuttered before breathing deeply. "I feel that if I hadn't of brought you along, you would of never had to go through that. I may not know much..." He trails off and a thought pops into my mind. "You've loved someone before, haven't you Doctor?" I say simply, before pausing. "Or... Still do?"

He looks to me in surprise. "I guess I have." He hums, before turning the conversation back to me. "You've loved before as well, am I right?" The Doctor coughs, smirking slightly as I nod lightly.

"Suppose so. Wouldn't of called it love though. I think I know what that is now... I don't want it. If this is what love is, Doctor, I don't want any of it." I quietly answer, stuffing the hand that The Doctor didn't hold in my pocket. I felt him look at me closely for a few seconds before looking to the hard, rocky ground.

"This has been a tough year, Kayla. You... Want to leave, don't you?" He sadly says as I shake my head. "I fear going home would actually hurt me more. But I would like a visit. To think my family had all died and then... Lived. It's actually amazing what you do for us." I look at him in awe.

"And yet, nobody really knows." I finish, as I see a smile smile flicker across his face.
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"Time was... Every single one of these people knew your name. Now they've all forgotten you." Martha frowns, looking to The Doctor to her right. We were outside, on the ground. It was an open space in the middle of town. Floor of concrete, with benches and pillars and rails.

The Doctor, Jack, Martha and I were leaning on a railing. "Good." The Doctor said, not looking at her. "Back to work." Jack suddenly said, climbing through the railing. "Oh, I really don't mind. Come with me." The Doctor smiled softly at Jack.

"I had time to think that past year. The year that never was. And I kept thinking of that team of mine." Jack says, looking to the distance behind him with a grin. "Like you said, Doctor. Responsibility."

"Defending the earth." The Doctor made a scrunched up look. "Can't argue with that." He nods, before taking hold of Jack's wrist. "Hey, I need that!" Jack complains as The Doctor gets out his sonic screwdriver. "Can't have you, walking around with a time-traveling teleport." He explains, sonicing the device. "You could go anywhere."

"Twice! Second time to apologise." He mumbled to himself. "Then what about me, can you fix that? Will I ever be able to die?" Jack questions. "Nothing I can do. You're an impossible thing, Jack!" The Doctor pops the 'impossible'. Jack chuckles, his smile wide. "Been called that before."

He walks a few centimetres before swishing around, saluting. "Sir." He says, The Doctor doing the same back. "Ladies." He winks at Martha and I as I smile and wave at him, Martha doing the same. Jack turned to walk again before sighing and turning around to us again.

"But I keep wondering. What about ageing? 'Cause I can't die but I'm getting older... The odd little... Grey hair, ya know?" Jack pauses, motioning to his hair. He put his hands on his hips. "What happens if I live for a million years?"

"I really dunno." The Doctor smiles happily. Probably because he's not as old anymore. "Okay, vanity sorry. Yeah. Can't help it. Used to be a poster boy. When I was a kid. Looking down in the boshang bolincipen. Tiny little place. I was the first one ever to be signed up for the time agency. They were so proud of me.

The Face of Boe they called me!

I'll see you." Jack grins and points to us before spinning around and running off, for the last time. Meanwhile, The Doctor, Martha and I were gobsmacked. "No way." I breathed out, looking at The Doctor and Martha in shock. "Can't be." Martha gasped.

"No. Defiantly not!" The Doctor exclaimed as Martha began to laugh. I smiled, hearing The Doctor do one of his hearty laughs which after a while made me giggle a bit as well. Who would of known, The Face of Boe...
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I was sat on a bench in the TARDIS, Martha was outside with The Doctor to see her family. The soft blanket that draped over the bench was comforting, though the bench itself was pretty hard. I looked to my hands, fiddling with them. A flash of him appeared before my eyes making me shiver.

Hearing the door open, I jumped in surprise. The Doctor casually walked in and took off his coat, throwing it onto one of many pillars. Smiling at me, he goes to me and pops down to my left, throwing his feet up onto the TARDIS' console.

It was silent, which I loved. It was a comforting silence, just sitting with each other. I've known The Doctor for so long now, been on so many adventures. We've never been more than friends, nor do we want to. I can't see him like that.

"You won't leave me... Would you, Kayla?" He quietly asked as I looked at him. "I could never leave you, Doctor. Though I don't love you romantically, I love you as my bestfriend and part of my family. You're part of my life." I told him sincerely, making him sigh in relief and take my hand.

"See this is why I brought you with me that one time. Remember that? You, casually bumped into my TARDIS and I whacked you in the face with the door." He chuckled as I smirked at the memory.

"That really hurt you know." I teased him as he laughs. "It was your fault for running into my se- TARDIS." The Doctor coughs on the last word as I raise an eyebrow at him, amused. "Your what?"

We both giggle lightly, before hearing the door open and Martha slip in. "Well then! Off we go, the open road! There is a burst of star fire, right now, on he Coast of-" By now I had tuned out his rambling, and looked to Martha.

She had a look of determination and a tad bit sad. She's leaving, isn't she? I stand up and walk to her, hugging her. "I'll miss you." I whisper as she shakily smiles at me. "So will I. Text me, okay?" Martha says as I nod and walk to the corridors, giving them space.

"The sky is like- oil on water!" I heard him exasperate, making me roll my eyes and head into my room. Their voices drained out as I step into my TARDIS-blue room. Looking at my clothing, I walk over and change quickly before beginning to head back.

Walking slowly, I catch a glimpse of Martha closing the door. The Doctor stared forward, dazed. She must of told him she loved him. "You knew, didn't you?" The Doctor finally says after a few minutes, glancing over to me.

As I nod lightly, The Doctor turns and presses down a lever, the 'heavy breathing' of the TARDIS signalling our departure. "Yes." I say as The Doctor sighed. Clicking down a button, I hear a faint rumbling sound before the side of the TARDIS breaks in.

Squeaking in shock, a loud horn of a ship explodes throughout he air, hurting my eyes greatly. I had fallen over from the blow, The Doctor doing the same. "What?!" I exclaim, watching The Doctor flip over the lifesaver and look back up in shock.

The word 'Titanic' was embedded on it. "What." The Doctor firmly said, disbelief lacing his words as I frown, chuckling half-heartedly.

Here we go again.

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THE END

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(changed the upload date to Monday, wanted to add more)