Title: Out of Reach
By: angstytimelord
Pairing: Tenth Doctor/Ten.5
Fandom: Doctor Who
Rating: PG-13
Table: 1, fanfic50
Prompt: 36, Threat
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 frowned as he entered the control room of the Tardis, his gaze moving automatically to the door. He knew that Jamie had gone out, but he'd expected his lover back long before this, and he was getting more than a little worried.

What could go wrong? he told himself as he crossed the floor to stand by the console, a frown marring his brow. They were on Earth, in London. It was a place that Jamie knew well; it wasn't as though he was going to go out and get lost.

They'd had no problems with anyone lately; as far as he knew, the Master wasn't following them, and John Hart seemed to have disappeared from their lives. But he couldn't help feeling an ice-cold trickle of fear traveling down his spine at the thought of those two.

The Master would love to get his hands on Jamie; he knew better than anyone else that the best way to destroy the Doctor was by hurting the people he loved. And he had to know that Jamie was the person closest to the Time Lord's hearts.

John Hart had already managed to kidnap Jamie once -- what if that bastard came back into their lives again? The first time had been horrible enough -- a second time might prove to be fatal. It wasn't a chance that the Doctor wanted to take.

He should never have let Jamie leave the Tardis alone. He should have been with his lover, instead of letting himself sink into complacency and feeling that he would be safe. That attitude could result in Jamie's being terribly hurt -- or far worse.

He'd been gone for .... how long had it been now? Over an hour, the Doctor thought as he glanced at his watch. It wasn't like Jamie to leave the Tardis alone, and it definitely wasn't like him to be gone for so long. Something felt wrong.

Should he go looking for his lover? Or should he trust that Jamie would come back, that he'd just wanted to go out on his own for a bit? He stood there by the console, biting his lip and staring at the door, unsure of what would be the best thing to do.

The Doctor was startled out of his indecision by an insistent buzzing; it took him a moment to realize that it was his cell phone. He frowned as he pulled it out of his coat pocket; hardly anyone knew this number, and they only called if it was important.

"Hello, Doctor." The voice that he heard when he flipped the phone open made a shiver go through his body; he'd thought that voice was far away from him, that he wouldn't be hearing it again for quite a long time, if ever. But he should have known better.

"What do you want?" He could barely force the words out; he was sure that he already knew what the Master wanted -- or rather, what he possibly had. Someone who was infinitely precious to the Doctor. Someone he would do anything to rescue.

"You really shouldn't let your companions wander around by themselves, Doctor," the Master purred, that voice sounding smug and self-satisfied. "It would be so easy for them to get themselves into some sort of trouble -- or to lose their way, as it were."

"He's not in any trouble," the Doctor ground out between clenched teeth. "He only went out for a few minutes. He should be back at any time. In fact, I'm expecting him to walk through the door of my ship any moment now."

"Ah, I don't think he'll be doing that, Doctor -- considering that I'm watching him at this very moment," the Master told him. "You're so careless with your companions lately, Doctor. And with this one -- I would have thought you'd make sure to keep him safe."

"He is safe," the Doctor said, feeling another shiver ripple down his spine. He had to keep the tremor out of his voice, had to stop thinking that something could have happened to Jamie. He couldn't let the Master sense that fear -- or hear it in his tone.

"Are you so sure of that?" the Master asked, sounding surprised. "You're losing your touch, Doctor. But I suppose that I shouldn't be surprised. After all, this one is so much more than just a companion. He's a part of you, so you think that he has all of your abilities."

"He doesn't have all of my abilities," the Doctor snapped, his control starting to fray. "But he has my memories, my experiences. He has enough of me in him to keep himself safe, and he --" The Time Lord stopped speaking abruptly, realizing what he was doing.

He was being led into a trap. If the Master hadn't known much about Jamie before, he certainly had at least a small bit of information now -- but that was information that could serve him well. The Doctor had just told him something that wouldn't be readily apparent on the outside.

The veiled threats against Jamie were just another way for the Master to get inside his mind and control him -- and he had unwittingly let his greatest enemy find out too much about his lover. He could only that he was able to play this game without giving anything else away.

"Really? I had no idea!" the Master said, actually sounding shocked, even though the Doctor was sure that he wasn't. He must have been following the two of them, studying them -- and there was a distinct possibility that he knew more about Jamie than he was letting on.

"It wouldn't be hard for me to have someone bring him here," the Master continued, his voice dropping to just above a whisper. "I might not be able to have you at the moment, but I'm sure that having him would be nearly as good. After all, he does have the same body."

"If you touch him, I'll --" the Doctor clamped his lips together, trying to hold back the sudden rush of anger that swept over him. Threats would only egg the Master on -- and probably give him ideas the the Doctor most definitely didn't want him to have.

"I might, and I might not," the Master replied, the tone of his voice sounding like nails on a chalkboard to the Time Lord. "That all depends on you, Doctor. You see, why would I want the human copy when I could have the real thing?"

So that was his game. He didn't want Jamie -- or if he did, he only wanted to use him to lure the Doctor into the jaws of a trap. And knowing the Master, that plan might already be set in motion. If it was, he had no choice but to walk right into it.

The threat that the Master posed had always been directed at him in the past -- because he'd done his best to keep his companions safe from his enemy. But Jamie was different. He was more than just a companion -- and the Master was well aware of that fact.

"You can't have either one of us," the Doctor said, striving to keep his voice completely dispassionate, even though he knew that wouldn't fool the Master. His ancient enemy could always tell what he was feeling, even when he tried not to let any of his emotions bleed through.

He would have said more, but at that moment, the door of the Tardis opened and Jamie appeared. The Doctor almost gasped with relief; his love was here, safe from the Master. And he certainly looked none the worse for wear as he bounded up the steps to the console.

"Who are you talking to?" he asked, his brow furrowing as he waved a hand to indicate the Doctor's cell phone. "I don't think I've seen you use that the entire time I've been with you. Didn't you say that hardly anyone has the number?"

"No one," the Doctor told him automatically, closing the phone and turning it off as a thought struck him. He'd never given the Master that particular number -- so how did the other man know it? He'd been so alarmed by the call that he hadn't bothered to ask that pertinent question.

"We should leave," Jamie told him, throwing a worried glance over his shoulder at the door of the ship. "I'm not positive, but I could swear that I was being followed -- or at least watched. I had the eeriest feeling that someone was recording my every move."

"You might not have been wrong about that," the Doctor said grimly, leaning over the console and pressing a few buttons. Within seconds, the Tardis shimmered into the timestream, though that didn't make him feel as relieved as he probably should be.

The Master had managed to find the two of them on Earth, when the Doctor had thought they were far away from him. It only proved that he was letting his vigilance lapse, and that the Master had ways of slipping beneath his radar.

But they were away from Earth now, and he was fairly sure that the other man wasn't following them. "I should tell you about the conversation I just had," he sighed, holding out a hand to his lover. "It's not something you're going to want to hear."

Jamie took his hand, looking concerned as he let the Doctor lead him over to the couch against the wall of the control room. The Time Lord cleared his throat, wondering where to start and hoping that they were out of the Master's reach for the time being.

***