Imaginary Worlds

"Course it will, we'll all be fine. I mean, we know Koschei has needed help for a while and this is good," the Master asserted as he watched Marnal eat his dinner. He wouldn't blame the kid, it wasn't his fault. He wouldn't regret making him.

But he did miss Koschei... it was a little sad, to be honest, it was what they had to do though. And the Master could amuse himself till the brat pulled himself together and everything was sorted once more.

The Doctor shook his head slowly and continued with his dinner. When finished, he calmly took to wiping Marnal's face and hands with a small roll of his eyes. This wasn't too bad. It was actually somewhat entertaining. Even if he understood that the Master missed Koschei.

He sighed and offered the other a small smile. "Let's get going. A lot of things to talk about and whatnot." the Doctor murmured. And he wasn't looking forward to that in the least. How could he be?

The Master laughed as he watched the Doctor clean off Marnal as the four year old pulled faces and tried to wriggle free. Well, maybe some day he could form a bond with Marnal if he never got Koschei back. Wasn't the end of the world.

Though he did wish he could have Koschei back, it was hard for him. The boy had always been here with him. Losing him left him without any real priorities. "You want to drive us back?"

The Doctor paused at that before nodding with a small smile. "Okay. I can do that." he agreed, takin the keys as he led Marnal out to the car. Once everybody was situated, he started off home, making quick enough work out of the journey.

This was nice. This was a nice evening. "Marnal. Can you go play with your frog?" the Doctor asked as he unlocked the door. He might as well get this over wig and out of the way.

"Okay but you have to be up in time for bed time," Marnal ordered with a childish look of seriousness on his face before he dashed off upstairs without even taking off his shoes. Well, at least he was dealt with.

Turning his head to the Doctor, the Master sighed somewhat and gave the Doctor a small shrug. "I know I said I never would... but maybe we should lobotomised Koschei and fix him... Because I know, hand on hearts, he will never get better."

The Doctor knew that was coming. After all the fussing and fighting, this is where the were. The Master deciding to do something he'd never been for before. But no matter. He could go with that. Because Koschei was just like the Master and the man lobotomized himself to be happy.

Same principal applied here. "That's fine. Really. I don't care one way or another. If you want to do that, then you can do it." the Doctor assured softly with a small shrug. And that was that. He wasn't pushing for any one way or another.

"I need you to do it... because I can't," the Master said quietly because he knew he was asking a lot but he really did need this to happen and he knew that the moment he was in the room with that kid, he simply couldn't.

"Well go next week, after they sedate him, we'll go into his head... we can do it together, as a team. I can't just-- I need you," the Master asserted because it was kind of like doing it to himself and as he had no idea he had done this to himself, he didn't think he could do it to Koschei either. It was a hard thing to manage.

Right. Because when the Doctor made things better, it always worked out. He ducked his head with a soft sigh and nodded. Okay. He could do this. "No. One of us needs to stay with Marnal. He can't be exposed to that." he asserted with a shake of his head.

Okay. He could do it. His son already hated him. Resetting the kid couldn't do anymore damage. "I'll do it. You still won't get him back for a while? But I'll do it for you." the Doctor assured. It was the least he could do after everythig.

"We have to do it together, Doctor. No offence, but you need a little guidance," the Master asserted, they would have to find a way to get someone to take care of Marnal. "Perhaps we should introduce Marnal to Verica... or maybe get him to social properly?"

"If we prove that he's made progress, we might be able to get him early release. I'm just saying, we can edit people-- so why not edit out the psychopathic part and make him a nice kid?" the Master asked, already feeling horrible at the thought of doing this.

And there was another issue right there. The Master couldn't do it. The Doctor couldn't let him do it. "I'll be fine. Just go in, edit out and dull the psychopathic urges. Done. Just shut up and let me do it. You're not going through with this. Or I'm not agreeing." he asserted.

And he wouldn't. He wasn't about to let the Master put himself through all of that. Period. He couldn't. Shaking his head, the Doctor stepped forward to embrace the man. "Trust me." he murmured softly.

"Don't dull them, you tried that and it didn't work. Remove it," the Master asserted because it wouldn't help to just repress the boy till he snapped, was it? They had to operate and remove the problem not put a plaster on it.

hugging the Doctor back awkwardly, he frowned somewhat, not sure how to feel about all of this. "Just be care, would you? You tend to be just a tad loony when you start using your powers."

He wasn't too happy to hear that one. "I'll be fine. I'll fix the kid and I'll spend the night at the institute. That way I'm there I I get out of hand." the Doctor muttered pulling away and shaking his head. He was fine.

"I'm going upstairs to lay down. Try not to bother me too bad." the Doctor mumbled as he headed up with a frown. Well. Nobody liked to be told they snapped a bit when using the powers. Especially not him.

The master had to roll his eyes because really? Sighing, he headed after the Doctor with a small glare. "Doctor, don't be childish, its true. I was just saying that I do worry. Whenever you get very into your powers, you get a little loopy."

And that was true because hey, look at Koschei. He wasn't saying it to be harsh, just honest. "You can go to bed if you wish but don't forget Marnal, would you? He is waiting in there for you."

I don't like being reminded that I become a psychopath who makes a mess of things. Who does? I'm taking care of Marnal and then I'm laying down. You're welcome to join me." he muttered, ducking into their son's room to put the kid to bed.

He'd admit to making quick work of it. But really? At least he was still thorough. He shook his head and got settled into his own bed, really not looking forward to the coming week. At least he had work to take his mind off of things.

"My apologise," the Master snarked before retiring to bed and lying down comfortably. He was already tired and all he wanted to do was go to bed. Leaving the doctor to do as he pleased, the Master closed his eyes and settled down.

He didn't wake up till around 3am when he felt something shuffling on the bed and turned to find Marnal lying on the foot on the bed with his dinosaur. Seriously? 3am? Even Koschei could come bother them at a reasonable hour!

The Doctor was definitely better suited to taking care of the kid. At least this one didn't come around just to kick him. "Hey, kiddo. Why don't you come up here to lay down." he murmured softly, moving Marnal to settled in between the two of them.

It was that simple. The Doctor settled down once more, brushing at the child's hair in a soothing manner to try and ease the kid back to sleep. It was far too early to have Marnal up and about. Period.

"My rooms really dark and something is moving in there," Marnal whispered but odds are it was all his imagination. The Master sighed and rubbed at his eyes. The last thing he needed was a kid making noise this early. All he did was shuffle further away from Marnal and the Doctor, burying his head in the pillow.

That was fine by Marnal, he just moved closer to the Doctor and wriggled closer, getting comfortable beside the Doctor and closing his eyes. He was much safer with his dads.

The Doctor eyed the Master before sighing softly and getting out of the bed, picking Marnal up carefully. "Here. Let's go scare off whatever is bothering you. I'll even stay with you." he murmured softly, slipping out of the bedroom to head into the kid's.

He could sleep on the floor well enough. He just grabbed his pillow and a spare blanket on his way out. "Here. Settle in and I'll be right down here to protect you." the Doctor assured, getting Marnal settled in before he situated himself on the floor. He just didn't want to disturb the Master. Again.

Marnal shuffled so he could lie on the side of the bed nearest to his dad and closed his eyes, falling asleep more contently than before. When the Master woke up, he trekked into the boys room and checked the time on his way in. 6.34am and he had to get the Doctor up.

"Doc?" the master whispered, trying hard not to take Marnal. He never did decorate Marnals room well, he did fill it with toys when he made it but the walls were white and bare and the carpet was a basic blue. His bed sheets weren't very colour either. Maybe they should decorate and stop the kid from being so fearful?

The Doctor stirred a bit and cringed. Oh. He had more kinks in his neck and back than he could honestly find pleasant. Rubbing at his neck a bit, he sat up and frowned. Oh. Right. He needed to get up and get ready so that he could go work. Was it that late already.

Stiffly getting up, he brushed past the Master, carefully closing the door behind him as he rubbed his neck. "Morning. Sorry to disturb you last night. This morning. I'll just take Marnal first next time." he assured softly, offering a light smile. Because the Doctor saw nothing wrong with keeping Marnal away from the Master so as not to disturb the other.

The Master sighed somewhat and nodded his head, giving the Doctor a quick kiss as a way to make it up to him. "Don't be silly, I sulk for first but ignore me. He's a kid, just let him sleep in here but make sure he knows he can't forever."

The Master knew Marnal was probably scared, most because there house was big and dark of a night and what four year old wasn't scared of that? "We should definitely decorate his room, by the way, make a bit more kid friendly?"

The Doctor gave a small shrug at that one. "We can. Once everything is settled and whatnot. That way we don't have to worry about multiple things on top of that." he murmured. In other words? It would require time, effort, and noise. All things he was avoiding with the Master when the man was dealing with everything else.

"It's fine. It's not going to kill me to spend a night or two on the floor. It's probably worse because there's an animal that moves and makes noise throughout the night." the Doctor said softly, heading to shower and dress. Immediately after which he headed to make a proper breakfast for the Master and Marnal.

"I can do it... I need something to do," he didn't intend to sit around and think till he dealt with Kosch. No, he wanted a project and this was perfect. Just like when he built the car, the swing and the train. He only did those things when he needed a distraction.

Marnal poked his head out the bedroom and blinked at the Master before sleepily holding out his arms to be carried. Rolling his eyes, the Master picked the kid up and headed downstairs. "Doctor? Someone wants breakfast!"

The Doctor was under the impression that the Master wanted as little as possible with Marnal. He wasn't planning on asking the man to play nice with the kid anymore than absolutely necessary. Which included the bedroom. It was that simply, really.

Shaking his head, he smiled and sat a plate of eggs and bacon for the both of them down with a small smile. "I need to head out. But I'll be home late." he murmured, kissing the Master and ruffling the kid's hair on his way out. And he was home late. He couldn't help himself. Not really. He was exhausted and sore and had a bag of crickets in hand for Marnal's frog.

The Master and Marnal had spent the day not really around one another. Marnal was on the sofa when the Doctor got back and instantly launched himself at the Doctor, hugging him very tight at the sign of someone who would acknowledge him.

"I missed you Dad!" he declared and the Master came down the stairs with a small yawn, offering him a smile. "You're late but I did make dinner so if you want some, I can reheat?"