Imaginary Worlds

"You can hold Sigmas lead?" the Master offered, it wasn't like it was hard to do and it seemed to keep Marnal happy. Besides, he doubted Koschei would want to.

The boy didn't enjoy holding the dogs lead much and he often tormented that dog in his own way by painting him and harming him in temper tantrums against the Master - he assumed there was no fondness.

The Doctor smiled softly at how happy his son seemed to be as they walked along. He couldn't find it in himself to mind much. The kid was happy enough at the moment and even Koschei seemed to be rather content.

Why would the Doctor mind? He just took hold of the Master's hand and offered a small smile. It was nice that they were able to get out like this. Everybody needed a holiday.

They walked around outside and the Master kept Koschei by his other side, smiling as he looked around. It was nice to have Koschei fitting in without too much fuss.

He dreaded to think what would of happened if he hadn't. "How long have you owned this place?" the Master asked, raising an eyebrow at the man, trying not to focus on the massive size of this place.

"Not too long. A year or so now." the Doctor said softly. A place to get away to. Who could ask for more? Surely not him. He was happy with what he had.

"I like to have a place I can run away to. Somewhere to just forget about who I am and the like." the Doctor admitted. Somewhere he could pretend he held a different life.

Oh the TARDIS clearly favoured the Doctor, he had all of this and the Masters escape? That was work. Or hiding in his workshop and praying Koschei didn't want dinner.

"It's nice, you're lucky. Me and Kosch usually take a day trip to the beach or camp on the hillside," the Master explained, those were their holidays and they were great fun... just not cabin style.

"Or so you say. But there's always something missing. Een when I was married. I've always something else that wasn't there." the Doctor admitted softly.

Most found issue with that. But really? The Doctor couldn't help himself. He just had to be content usually with whatever he had and nothing more.

"You know, I get that feeling all the time," the Master remarked, he was always yearning to leave but how the hell could he? Because it seemed a bit daft frankly

But part of him just felt wrong, everything around him felt wrong and that was unsettling. Fortunately he could tun that out most of the time and blamed it on his madness.

The Doctor nodded softly at what one. "I can never quite explain it. It's not anything big or overt. Just a nagging and then it simply goes away." he muttered as they headed back toward the cabin.

That was all there was to it. The Doctor would go about his life as if nothing was wrong or ever goingto change. Ande who was he to say it would?

The Master nodded his head and kept on moving, taking Sigma back off Marnal when the dog started pulling too hard for the boy, Sigma could be such an awkward dog for boys.

Wondering around after the other man, Marnal trekked behind his dad, watching Pest wriggle around inside of focusing on the poor pup.

The Doctor was surprisingly unbothered by how Pest clawed him to stay up, shifting about and occasionally making him actually hold the animal. He'd gotten use to it in the past.

"You should never let a kitten ride on your shoulders. They tend to not realize that they've got bigger." the Doctor murmured as he stepped inside, lowering Pest to the floor gently.

"Sigma still thinks he's a tiny pup so he thinks he can fit on my pillow still," the Master remarked, the dog was still nice and small but he was growing more and more every day.

But it seemed like Pest was a very odd little creature and frankly, he found it amusing!

Pest was beyond strange. The cat was a menace and, well, a bi of a pest. But he still adored the animal. Even if he had no idea why they had it.

"I'm going to whip up some sandwiches or something. You're welcome to watch something." he informed lightly, smirking a bit when Koshei hesitantly followed after to assist.

It seemed the Doctor and Koschei were into that sort of thing amusingly enough. But Marnal and the Master exchanged looks, the Master had not passed on the Doctors domestic parts when he'd made him.

He based him more off the wild traveller he'd known so well. Marnal went to retrieve a ball and insisted on throwing the ball to Sigma while the Master watched in amusement.

The Doctor made quick enough work of the sandwiches, plating them and takin them out to the livingroom to be eaten. He didn't see any reason why not to. It only made sense to let his sone at least eat wherever he wanted.

"So. Anything that you might want to do tonight?" he asked softly as he regarded the Master. He was simply curious what the man might come up with for them all to do.

"Play around in the hottub?" the Master remarked, raiisng an eyebrow and making sure neither boy was listening, he hardly needed them asking questions as to what he meant.

Fortunately Marnal was distraction Koschei by offering him a dog spit covered ball and trying to get him to throw it to Sigma. !We could also do some... stuff. Now it doesn't break my promise."

"That works. I do need to return the favor for you. Later, when the kids are asleep, I'll make it up to you." the Doctor assured quietly.

It was only fair and it wasn't as though he minded. It was even a relief to know that the Master ended his relationship. Even if he felt a small pang of guilt.

"Sounds great," the Master whispered before taking a sandwich and sitting down on the nearest seat while he watched his son and the Doctors son awkwardly socialise in their own way.

What odd kids they were, the Master found it rather baffling sometimes why they didn't get on. "I can't wait for tonight, some alone time finally will be great."

"Well, you said alone time, but really? He comes into the bedroom all of the time. I don't get it. I've tried talking to him and locking the door only distresses him." the Doctor murmured softly.

It was one of those things that he never quite understood. The Doctor tried. He honestly did. But it got rather frustrating for him over time. Even if he were alone, he liked to have his privacy from time to time.

"You could try sitting him down and explaining nicely?" the Doctor did try these things but he also failed at them badly and the Master didn't act surprised at all that the boy came in.

"Kids that age get scared, there's never much light around either. Get a night light and get him a new toy, say it's to protect him of a night?" the Master suggesting, trying to help out.

((Off to bed))

{Night!}

"I've tried talking and explaining it to him. Had to. He tried doing that with Iros...I'm glad that you're so different. I don't have to worry." the Doctor admitted softly.

He didn't worry about his son getting yelled at or dragged about for simply being a normal kid. If the Doctor knew how he had been when he'd first gotten Koschei...Well, Iros wasn't all that far from the state.

"Ask him why he does then try to tackle it, there might be an easy way to do this. Koschei used to do it with me and eventually I got him to sleep by himself," the Master remarked with a small shrug.

The kid still came in every now and again and when he was ill, he slept beside the Master but usually Koschei was very independent.

"He's afraid that something is going to hurt him." the Doctor said simply. And how was he supposed to say otherwise? He'd already let his son be hurt once before.

It was all one big mess. But he would work it out. "I tried talking to him again this morning. Here's hoping that it worked." the Doctor said softly.

"If Iros really is a total bastard then I wouldn't put it passed the kid to be scared," the Master would of been if he was a little runt like Marnal is. Kids took things rather hard sometimes.

This must be rather worrying if you always thought something might hurt you. "Have you tried going down to his level?" the Master asked, raising an eyebrow. "Let me guess, monsters right? Well, set up a 'monster defence'."

"I told him that there are no such things. He doesn't need to worry. He doesn't need to be afraid. I don't know what else to say to him." the Doctor admitted.

He couldn't even begin to think about what a monster defense would be or how it would even help. The Doctor was just tossed out of his parent's room when he was a hold and it worked out find in the end.

The Master heaved a sigh before shuffling closer and dropping his voice into a whisper. "You can never ever tell anyone this but... well, when I was a boy I believed that there were things under my bed. And, erm, my dad solved that by giving me a new toy and spraying the room with a special 'anti monster' spray."

It was an embarrassing thing to admit but he really hoped this explained his point better. "My dad never bothered to tell me they weren't real because we both knew, on some level, but this new toy... he said it kept every monster away and the spray, which was oven cleaner, would repel any creature. I kind of brought it ... it made me feel better."