Chapter 43

This is possibly the last time we'll see Francine until The Last of the Timelords. By that I mean that the basic story I have planned for the rest of the fic doesn't involve her, but she might make a cameo, or I might suddenly change my mind about certain scenes (this happens sometimes).

Tish Jones is finally showing a bit of spirit. You go girl. I didn't want to have to do a scene cut, but having the Doctor present for this wasn't an option - he's too busy being on the business end of a gun at the moment. Francine needs to be taken down a peg or two. Don't get me wrong - I like the character and I adore the fact that the Doctor's manly charms don't work on her - but Tish was always the weakest of the Jones women in my opinion, and I thought it would be nice for her to finally come into her own and have a bit of character development.

The Doctor's getting a bit irritated here, but wouldn't you? He's been sitting still, watching everything go to hell (including the person he... well, you know) for seven long months. This is a man who hates sitting still, and has a huge sense of responsibility for everything that's been happening. He's determined to cut this short and save everyone today. He's determined because he has to be; because he's just taken a huge risk and he has to make it pay off or there is every possibility that the whole universe is going to pay.

"He's my responsibility."

The reasoning behind this should be so blindingly obvious that I shouldn't have to mention it. There are a huge amount of dynamics in the Master/Doctor relationship, (so many, in fact, that navigating through that psychological minefield makes my brain hurt), but this is one of the important ones.
 Finally next chapter brings us into full-swing of this escape (I think). We've been setting up the characters this whole time, and now it's time to move along. Let's give the Doctor some exercise.

I'd rather leave the Master's return a surprise, so I'm keeping quiet about that for now. In the meantime, just be assured he will return...

Link to the chapter is HERE

Moving to WordPress

This blog is now moving to wordpress!

I've changed the link on my profile page in order to redirect people there. This means that I could choose a template where new readers and those a little further behind wouldn't be bombarded with spoilers as soon as they clicked the link. This is much more preferable, and easier to navigate.

I'll continue to post here, but after this fanfic is finished, the wordpress address will become my permanent home:

https://theturkaholic.wordpress.com/

Hopefully I'll see you over there.

Chapter 42

The Doctor is - basically - the universe's biggest adrenaline junkie. He's been imprisoned in a room for seven months, so despite the stakes here, he's still going to get a little bit of a rush from the chase. Don't judge. We love him for it.

 I desperately wanted to take the Doctor into home territory for a little while - it's the side of him I've not had a chance to write yet and I've been looking forward to it. We've explored a fair bit of the Master's many many (many... many) sides so far, and it's only fair we represent the Doctor's, too. This was always going to be about their whole relationship - from the fighting to the strange half-friendship to the romance - so just roll with it for a bit. We're heading into epic territory in this section, as you may have gathered.

The Joneses are there for a reason. The Doctor and Francine have issues that need resolving before launch day, which will be happening in this section... sort of. I couldn't have the Doctor running silently around the Valiant for a few chapters, that would have gotten boring. Tish needed more time (we need a bit more female presence in this story. I have a tendency to identify more with male characters for some reason, so most of my writing is male-centered. Time to break out of that), and the Doctor always needs a companion. He's been alone for too long, and he needs a conversation - preferably one where he doesn't have to watch what he says in fear or being blasted with a screwdriver.

Tish is going to walk in her sister's shoes very shortly - albeit for a brief amount of time. I just thought it would be nice to see them interact, since she has already seen the Doctor in action against Professor Lazarus, and there's some level of trust already established there.

The Master is not stupid. Of course he would keep the Paradox Machine out of bounds (at least until launch day, when he's too busy being manic and trying to kill Martha). It would have been an insult to both of them to have had the Doctor simply tippy-toe down the stairs. Besides, what fun is Doctor Who without a bit of life-or-death?

The Doctor and Jack moment needed to be there somewhere. Let's not forget that the Doctor is also a person, and as selfless as he can be he's not entirely emotionless. In fact, the tenth Doctor's emotions are part of the reason why I personally think he's one of the most loved by the fans. Of course one of his motivations would be to save the Master, and of course he doesn't want to say it out loud. The Master isn't the only mentally and emotionally damaged Timelord around here. He's almost ashamed of it, but also ashamed of the fact that this attempt to help him ultimately failed, and was far too late (not for the Master's mental state, but because of what happened in The End of Time). He's also afraid that admitting it out loud means that it's real and... I dunno. Complex. Ultimately you guys are going to have to make of it what you will.

I made a promise to a friend that I would give the Doctor some heroic moments on board the Valiant (not that that was ever in doubt), but we're about to do your regular, everyday Doctor Who action sequence. Even I admit that my strengths seem to be in dialogue and personal moments (not just personal but personal), so I may fail miserably in this attempt. If I do, just bear with me: this section is going to end dramatically, if I can write it well...

Link to the chapter is HERE

Chapter 41

I used to have a dog that escaped every Christmas day.

That really has no relevance at all... just putting that out there.

I'm afraid that I do get a bit overexcited about my own writing. In my head the end of this chapter makes me want to shout RUN, DOCTOR, RUN!

...Rather odd really, considering I know where this is going to end up, and everyone reading at least knows that this isn't going to be successful.

As usual, the Doctor is leaving out his personal reasons for what he's just done. He will be forced to tell Jack very shortly, but he's sharing the most important stuff, and showing us just what an amazing guy he is.

 Did I mention how much I adore the tenth Doctor? That incredibly complicated, damaged, occasionally morally ambiguous but good and kind man is my biggest hero in all of fiction. Forgiveness and unconditional love seem to be pretty much his things. Well, that and being pretty kickass in his own oddly passive way.

 Lucy has really forced him into this situation. I'm not saying that he made the right choice (like I said - morally ambigious), but he didn't want Lucy to have to suffer whatever the Master would do to her for trying to help the Doctor escape. There's always this really weird divide in Doctor Who as to what is acceptable happening to other people, and what is happening to the people the Doctor knows personally. It's natural, I suppose. Having never been in that situation (and hopefully I never will), I can't say for certain why it is, but it seems natural enough to me.

Also, let's just take a moment to feel a tiny bit sorry for the Master? I know, he's a psychopath, but we all love him because/despite it, and the two people he has any attachment to (the degree of which - in Lucy's case - is debateable) have just betrayed him. He obviously expects it from the Doctor, but Lucy... hmmm...

Jack and the Doctor have their own complicated relationship, and sometimes Jack can be a little callous - he looks at the bigger picture, regardless of individuals, and that's one thing he and the Doctor can never agree on. They've been fairly friendly with each other so far, but there is always that underlying difference in morality that will bring them to disagreements.

One question that leaps to mind - why did the Master keep his screwdriver? I have my own thoughts on that, but the thing about this relationship is that you have to leave things open to interpretation, or it becomes less believeable. It's a strange way to approach it, I know, but honestly? Interpretation influences a hell of a lot of Doctor Who. The canon is so twisted and conflicting from one Doctor to the next that sometimes you have to interpret. Personally most of my stuff comes from Russel T. Davies' 'interpretation', and most of what I'm writing - their history and the nature of their relationship - was what I got from his era. Whether I'm right or wrong doesn't matter, because there doesn't seem to be a right or wrong way in Doctor Who.

We're about to hit running mode. It's about time we saw the Doctor shine, instead of just resisting the insanity of the Master. Of course, the Doctor needs someone to share his shining moment with, and I can think of only one person on the ship cut out for that...

The rest of this section - while I have the key points and a rather (very) painstakingly thought out conversation ready to roll - is still forming in my head. Due to real life stuff it may be a little while before the next chapter (I don't have an estimate for this one, it depends on a lot of things. I'm hoping it will be before the end of January though), but as always I'm contactable, and reviews would be wonderful.

Link to the Chapter is HERE

Chapter 40

This is not one of my favourites, but it was a necessary transitional chapter between the Master's exit and Lucy's visit. There are some nice moments, though. I've managed to mention all three companions in one chapter. Yay me.

Obviously we know this isn't going to end well. We already know how this year ends, but I think half of the fun is that - just this once - we know more than the Doctor does. Lucy's forced a really weird conundrum on him, but we'll be getting his perspective on stuff next chapter.


I really don't have much to say here, except for the fact that 'Merry Christmas, Martha.' is quite possibly one of the saddest, sweetest (in his still manly way) bits of dialogue I've written for the Doctor so far. This is the Doctor completely out of his element, forced to operate from such a weird position - even the person trying to destroy everything is someone he wants to save, and he's all alone at Christmas when he's used to having a companion to share it with. I dunno, it's just a little bit heartbreaking, or maybe that's just me.

 This is pretty much the calm before the storm. Lucy's little moment of clarity here is going to set us up for the rest of this section, and after that? Well, I don't want to spoil it for you.

But really, we need to give the Doctor his moment to shine. This is his story - a very very significant story, too. Not just because of the Master, but also because of where in the tenth Doctor's story he is telling it. I'm desperately hoping that everybody except Jack knows, but just in case, let's hold off on that (sort of) revelation until it comes up in the story.

 Here, we're also setting Lucy up for launch day. With five months left to go, she's starting to crack. I'm not saying she's suddenly turned 'good', but she is yet another infuriatingly complex character to explain. Future Doctor and Jack will be talking about her in the next chapter though, so I'll leave discussing her until then.

Link to the Chapter is HERE

That is more or less all I have to say here, except for the music I used, which was:

 

 It's very calm and very sad, and I think it suits this chapter wonderfully.

Chapter 39

The Master is a pain in the ass.

I know normally I'm quite thoughtful and stuff in this blog, but that is a fact that I felt I needed to share.

The Master is a pain in the ass. I adore the character, but trying to write him talking to himself is infuriating. Normally I would have taken the easy way out and skipped this part, but it needed to be in there: we needed to see how the relationship between the Master and the Doctor has changed in the five months we've missed. Verbally this is colder than we've ever seen them, even on the show; even when they're fighting. The 'conversation' (or INFURIATING monologue) is pure mockery, there's no warmth in it. There are, however, body language moments (and the very fact that the Master is even there) that let us know that all is not lost.

 That wordless moment when the Master bends down next to him? After that last Interlude, I can be a little more open about his motivations: he's checking to make sure the Doctor hasn't gone insane.

The Master also needed to do me a favour and do some exposition: things are falling into place for the events of Launch Day now: the psychic network, Mount Rushmore... we're in the second half of the year, and things are picking up pace - quite literally, very shortly.

This is the last we're going to see of that beautifully insane man for some chapters. Enjoy him while you can.

This language Doctor...

If I'm honest, I have no idea why they talk to each other in English rather than... Gallifreyan? Gallifreyian? Except for the fact that perhaps if they spoke in their own language none of the viewers would understand a blind word they were saying. In any case, let's just put it down to this: Timelords are weird. Still, it's nice to acknowledge that they have their own language, even if we never hear it.
 

 Christmas Day... the Doctor has a thing about Christmas - something always happens to him. I wanted to place this set of memories there sort of in honour of that tradition. It also goes some way to explaining what Lucy is about to do, and why today.

There are lots of technical and stylistic reasons I started this section where I did, so I wont bore you with the details, but taking us down to the surface for a moment puts the Valiant into context. The thing with the Master is that he's THE most complicated Doctor Who character to write: he's vulnerable but dangerous, insane but intelligent, occasionally hilarious but sinister. If you show one side of him (which we did in the interlude - indirectly) you have to balance it with a reminder of his other side. John Simm always had this lovely ability to show both sides at once, but unfortunately writing characters rather than showing them on screen has its drawbacks (but also its perks).  Alas John and David have aged and moved on in their careers, so I'm stuck with my own attempt to do it, and that means I'm doomed to get frustrated and call the Master a pain in the ass.

Not that I would say that to his face.

Chapter is HERE

Music for this chapter...

As always, this isn't the only music that would suit this chapter (though imagining the Valiant drifting over the Earth suits this greatly). Even though the Doctor isn't speaking, and the Master is being... himself... hopefully I'm getting across the fact that there is more at work here than that. This scene is a bit of everything, really.

 I do struggle to explain sometimes. The thing with writing these two is that most of it just isn't explainable in words - it has to be shown and sort of... felt, rather than told . That means that everything around both of them - the thought processes, the setting, the pace of the scenes etc. has to be written in a certain way, or the feel of it is lost. Weird, I know, but Timelords are complicated creatures, even when they're not insane.

As always, please leave a review or comment. It means a huge amount when people do.