Title: Wonderland
By: angstytimelord
Pairing: Ianto Jones/Tenth Doctor
Fandom: Torchwood/Doctor Who
Rating: PG-13
Table: VRD challenge - Green, 5_prompts
Prompt: An expanse of emerald green lawn
Disclaimer: This is entirely a product of my imagination, and I make no profit from it. I do not own Ianto Jones or the Tenth Doctor. Please do not sue.

***

The Doctor rested his elbows on his knees, looking out over the expanse of green lawn that he was sitting on. It seemed to stretch out for miles before the clipped green grass met the trees at its edge, like a sparkling sea of glittering emeralds.

The dew on the grass would fade away as the sun rose higher in the sky, and it would be transformed from the glistening wonderland that it was now into a simple lawn, the rich emerald color becoming as smooh as velvet. But they wouldn't stay long enough to see that, he was sure.

Still, it was lovely to envision that scene; he could picture the dew evaporating, and the glittering expanse of green going from gemlike to velvety. Maybe one day, he and Ianto would have the time to actually enjoy seeing that transformation take place.

But at the moment, they didn't have the time. They shouldn't even be here now, he told himself sternly. They should go back to the Tardis and resume their search for the Master -- though he wasn't entirely sure of what they'd do if they found the renegade Time Lord.

He really should try to map out some sort of game plan, the Doctor thought, wincing. It was ridiculous to think that they could simply confront the Master without any sort of a plan and defeat him. He was sure that the Master's plans were concrete already.

If only they knew what he had in mind, the Doctor told himself, pulling his knees up to his chest and resting his chin on them as he gazed out disconsolately at the glittering green lawn. The dewdrops were already starting to disperse, drying as the sun rose.

How many more chances would he and Ianto have to see this sort of pastoral scene spread out in front of them? Not many, if the Master had his way. The Doctor was all too aware that the other man was bent on destroying Earth, if he could manage to do so.

And he was also determined to bring the Doctor to his knees -- or better yet, take him captive. Yes, the Master would revel in having the enemy who had thwarted him for all these centuries at his feet, helpless to do anything except what he was told.

The Doctor shivered at the thought; if that came to pass, he'd rather than he dead than be forced to kneel to the Master, bow to his wishes. If that happened, then he would be completely unmanned in every way; he wouldn't be worthy of calling himself a Time Lord.

Not only that -- but he would lose Ianto. He knew that the Master would never let his young lover live if that scenario were to become reality; he would either kill Ianto, or keep him captive as well, simply to torture the Doctor with the sight of what he could no longer have.

He didn't want to think about that. It was entirely possible that the scene playing out in his head could happen, though, if they didn't manage to stop whatever it was that the Master had planned. They might be all that stood between the Master and the human race.

What would a world ruled by the Master be like? The Doctor shivered again, feeling as though ice-cold water had just trickled down his spine. That was a universe that he didn't want to contemplate; life there wouldn't really be worth living.

At least not for him. He would bear the brunt of the Master's rage once the other man discovered that a devastated world wouldn't be worth ruling over; somehow, the Master would find a way to blame the Doctor for the desturction that his own madness had caused.

The Doctor looked up as a shadow fell over him; Ianto was standing there, a concerned look on his face. He sat down slowly next to the Time Lord, lowering his body to the ground and sitting cross-legged on the blanket as he turned to face the Doctor.

"This may be the last time that we have the chance to see beauty like this, Ianto," he murmured, his eyes still on the expanse of lawn. "If the Master has his way, I'm sure that it'll all be gone. There won't be anything left of Earth as it is now but memories."

"That isn't going to happen," Ianto told him, his voice firm and strong. "We may not be able to find the Master at the moment, but sooner or later, he's going to slip up -- and whatever mistake he makes will lead us right to him."

"And then what?" the Doctor said with a sigh, turning his gaze to his lover. "We have no concrete plan of action, Ianto. We need to know what we're going to do when we do catch up with him. We can't just go rushing into the situation head first."

"That's why I think we should go to Torchwood and talk with Jack and the team before we do anything else," Ianto said, heaving a sigh. "It would be better to have some kind of plan of our own that could flush him out, rather than playing the game by his rules."

"You may be right about that," the Doctor said slowly, nodding. "Though there is one more place that I want to look before we head for Cardiff. It's a long shot, but .... it's a place that he's frequented, and I wouldn't want to give up looking before we've been there."

"All right." Ianto took a deep breath, looking out over the green carpet of manicured grass stretched out before them. "We won't let this kind of sight disappear from the world, Doctor," he said softly. "We can't. Beauty like this is worth fighting for."

"We'll fight him," the Doctor whispered. "And we'll defeat him. No matter what he's tried to throw at me in the past, I've always been able to come out on the winning side. And I have to do it again this time, Ianto. I have to. Not only for myself, but for you. For the world."

Ianto held out a hand to his lover, helping the Doctor to his feet before leaning to pick up the blanket they had been sitting on. "And you'll succeed," he murmured as he followed the Time Lord back to the Tardis, casting one last look at the glistening wonderland before closing the door behind him.

***