Title: Clouds on the Horizon
By: angstytimelord
Pairing: Tenth Doctor/Ten.5
Fandom: Doctor Who
Rating: PG-13
Table: 1, fanfic50
Prompt: 31, Phone
Author's Note: The human version of the Doctor is being referred to as John Smith in this fic, since it's the Doctor's human alias and his clone needed a name.
Author's Note: Spoilers for Journey's End, somewhat. This is an completely alternate take on the ending of Season Four.
Disclaimer: This is entirely a product of my own imagination, and I make no profit from it. I do not own the Tenth Doctor, or his human clone. Please do not sue.

***

The Doctor sighed as he leaned his head back against the cushions of the couch in the library of the Tardis, Jamie next to him, his lover's head resting on his shoulder. He so enjoyed times like this, when all was quiet and peaceful and the two of them could relax.

There had been no threat hanging over them recently; John Hart seemed to have disappeared from their lives, though the Doctor was sure that he wasn't gone for good. Like the proverbial bad penny, he would always manage to turn up when he was least expected.

And the Master would do the same, he reflected, suppressing a shudder. That was one person who Jamie hadn't had to tangle with yet -- but his lover certainly carried vivid memories of everything that the Master had done to the Doctor in the past.

The Doctor hoped that Jamie would never have to deal with the Master in the same way that he had, but he also had a strong premonition that it was a vain hope. The Master knew of Jamie's existence; he would try to find a way to use his lover against him.

That would more than likely involve harming Jamie in some way, while he forced the Doctor to watch. The Tiem Lord shrank from even thinking about such a thing; Jamie had been hurt enough by his encounter with John Hart. He didn't need to go through anything like that again.

But that was how the Master worked; he knew that the easiest way to break the Doctor would be to hurt someone close to him -- and who was closer than the man who was literally a part of him, the man who was his lover and held the Time Lord's heart in the palm of his hand?

The thought made the Doctor's blood run cold in his veins; he had to hold back another shudder, this one of fear and foreboding. He knew that no matter how he tried to keep the Master away from Jamie, there was bound to be a confrontation at some point.

Once the Master made up his mind about something, he set about accomplishing that goal with a single-minded purpose. If he wanted to come face to face with Jamie and take his measure, then he would find a way to do so, no matter how the Doctor tried to prevent that from happening.

But at least they were safe now, and the Master hadn't shown any signs of being near them. He didn't even seem to know where they were; the Doctor knew that the Master could find ways to contact him, but there were ways to block that contact if he chose to do so.

He hadn't chosen to block all of those ways yet, but that was only because the Master hadn't tried to use them. He didn't think that the other man would use any sort of conventional way of getting in touch; that wasn't his way. He would be more insidious, more unexpected.

The sound of his cell phone ringing brought the Doctor out of his thoughts; he reached for it and clicked it on, holding it up to his ear as he spoke. "Hello?" He didn't recognize the number, but not many people had it; he assumed that it was Jack, or someone else he knew.

"Hello, Doctor." The voice on the other end of the line seemed to freeze his blood in his veins; he caught his breath, unable to speak for a few moments. It was a voice that he had never expected to hear in this way, a voice that he didn't want to hear on his phone.

The Master. How was it that the bastard seemed to know when the Doctor was thinking about him? It was uncanny how he could simply turn up, out of the blue, when the Time Lord's thoughts had been focused in his direction. It was almost as though he could sense those thoughts.

Was that what had happened? the Doctor asked himself, trying to regain his equilibrium and groping for a reason why the Master had happened to call him at this precise moment. Had his thoughts somehow been able to summon the Master into his orbit?

That was entirely possible; they were both telepaths, and the Master had always had a stronger grasp of that art than the Doctor had. It was one of his biggest regrets, that he hadn't been able to hone his mind to the razor-sharp edge that the Master had achieved.

If he wasn't careful, his own mind could fall under the sway of the Master's; he had to keep his innermost thoughts cloaked, hidden from this warped man who could take those thoughts and twist them until they were barely recognizable as coming from the Doctor.

"How did you get my number?" he finally managed to say, knowing that his voice sounded strained. "I've never given it to you, so I'm assuming that you got it from someone who knows me. And you should hope for your sake that you haven't harmed whoever it was."

"I haven't harmed a hair on anyone's head," the Master told him, sounding surprised. "At least, not yet. I'm saving that privilege for myself until later. I want to meet that lovely clone of yours first -- then we'll see just what I might be able to come up with."

The Doctor clamped down on the anger that he felt coursing through him; he knew that the Master was only trying to rattle him, to make him angry so that he would lose his temper and say things that he would regret later. He wasn't going to give the bastard that satisfaction.

Beside him, Jamie was sitting up, his body tense, his expression half-grim, half-fearful. It was obvious that he'd heard the Master's voice over the phone; he was trembling, one hand on the Doctor's shoulder as if he had to keep some contact with his lover to keep himself steady.

"If you touch him, I'll --" The Doctor had to stop himself, closing his eyes and counting to three before he spoke again. "I won't give you the chance to get near him," he said quietly, careful to keep his voice steady. "You know I'll do everything I can to keep you away from him."

"You might try, but you won't succeed, Doctor," the Master purred, self-satisfaction oozing from his voice. "You should know better than anyone that I have ways of getting what I want. If I want to amuse myself with your little toy, then you can't stop me."

The Doctor glanced anxiously at Jamie, knowing that his boyfriend could hear every word that was being said on the other end of the phone. Jamie's face had gone white; hs was now clutching the Doctor's free hand so tightly that his grip was almost painful.

"I'll keep you away from him," the Doctor almost snarled, his anger rising in his throat until he could almost taste it. "Don't even try to get anywhere near him, you bastard. I've held back from killing you all these years -- but if you harm him, you won't live to tell the tale."

"Now, now, Doctor, there's no need to throw threats at me!" the Master exclaimed, sounding shocked. The Doctor knew that the surprise was feigned; he could just imagine the smile on the Master's face, the great satisfaction he derived from knowing that he was getting under his rival's skin.

"I'm not throwing any threats," he replied, keeping his tone as mild as he could. "I'm just telling you how things will be. If you try to harm him, you'll have to answer to me. And you should know from experience that tangling with me is a battle you can't win."

"It's been that way in the past, Doctor," the Master said, his voice sinking to a whisper. "But things may change sooner than you think. I know how to break you, Doctor -- and I'm going to enjoy doing it. I'll watch as you crumble to the ground, and I'll savour every second."

With those words, the phone went dead in his hand; the connection had been severed with those words hanging in the air like storm clouds on the horizon. His first reaction was to throw the phone across the room; but with an effort of will, he managed to put it down on the coffee table.

Jamie leaned his head against the Doctor's shoulder again, not speaking, his thin arms sliding around the Time Lord's waist. The Doctor pulled him close, stroking his hair, closing his eyes and wishing with all of his dual hearts that he hadn't answered his phone.

But he had, and now they had more worries to plague them. It was obvious that the Master was planning something -- and he had no idea what it was, or when that devil would strike. They would have to look over their shoulders every moment, everywhere they went.

"I'll keep you safe, love," he whispered, hoping that he was telling the truth. He had no idea just how the Master would try to strike at him through Jamie, but he knew that it would happen. And he knew that he had to protect the man he loved, no matter what the cost might be to himself.

Glancing towards his phone, sitting there so innocuously on the coffee table, he scowled at the thought that the Master had managed to get to the two of them so easily. He had to have that number changed -- and to get it done as quickly as possible.

***