A Starcrossed Reunion (A Doctor Who Short Story)

A Starcrossed Reunion Part 3

The Master had been incredibly pleased and slightly relieved to find out that Beatrice's feelings for him had remained unchanged. 

It wasn't that he hadn't wanted her to move on with her life, but he had known the possibility of her eventually finding someone else had of course been quite high. Despite her love of the unusual and exciting, she had wanted certain normal things that he could never have provided.

The fact that she had become a mother didn't surprise him in the slightest. He remembered what she had seen in the Morpheus Machine on Mesmerus of her ideal future which had included a child.

Still, he was glad she had found happiness after their parting. He reflected on this as he pulled her into his arms and she rested her head on his chest. It felt right to be holding her again. 

"So, what has happened to you? I assume it's been longer for you than for me," she asked gently.

"Over a century for me," he replied quietly. Over the years since their parting, Beatrice had remained the one constant in his mind. There had certainly been times when the feeling of her absence had been particularly poignant. Particularly since the war started. 

"Remind me never to complain about thirty years. Though at least you had the courtesy to look older," she said with a smile looking up at him. The Master chuckled at the reference to their ages and replied.

"You look no less beautiful now than you did on the day I met you," this drew a small laugh from Beatrice.

"Charmer. Though you seemed to have kept the gentleman villain vibe."

"I did my best," replied the Master with a slight smirk. "As for what I've done for the past years well, that is quite a long story."

"I'm retired and you have a time machine. I think that we have all the time in the world," Beatrice told him in a wry tone. He knew she would happily listen to him for a long as it took. She was treasuring this time as much as him. The Master looked down at her and found himself smiling.

"You know my dear, I think that we do." He paused. It would take ages if he went through every individual experience.

"I suppose I'll give you the abridged version of events."

"I'm all ears," said Beatrice shifting slightly so she could more easily look up at him and taking his left hand in her right. Gently he brushed his thumb across the back of her hand.

"After we parted I went through a period of some difficulty." That was putting it lightly considering he had been virtually a walking corpse. "Which was not your fault," he added in case she started blaming herself again.

"I found myself in need of a new body. The Timelords were unlikely to provide me with a fresh regeneration cycle so I had to improvise. Though the Doctor spoiled several of my attempts of getting a new one," he said in a slightly annoyed tone. Trust the Doctor to constantly get in the way.

"I take it these attempts would have ended in the death and destruction of other people?" said Beatrice shrewdly. The Master gave a slightly exasperated sigh. She might care for him but he knew she would never support his killing of other people who were in his way. 

"What do you think?" Beatrice rolled her eyes at his words.

"So how did you get out of that one?" The Master readied himself for the explosion that was likely to come after his next words.

"I was eventually able to take over the body of a Trakkenite." As he expected Beatrice sat up sharply.

"You stole someone else's body?!" she said in slight disbelief.