Imaginary Worlds

The Doctor sighed softly at that one. Did he want to risk it? Did he really need to chance having the kid reject him? Except that Marnal wasn't Koschei. Marnal didn't hold grudges and be affectionate as an excuse to kick or hit him.

"I could agree to that, I suppose. I wouldn't mind apologizing again." he murmured softly. He had said he was sorry before and Marnal hadn't cared. How back could one more shot honestly be?

"Give me five minutes," the Master headed out and explained once more to Marnal, through his covers, that the Doctor was ill and while he was going to stay in bed, he wanted to apologise and he should be heard out.

The Master came in not long after holding Marnal, who was hanging loosely off the Doctor and watching him with caution. "So Marnal is here, Doctor? I'm sure you have things to say."

The Doctor sighed softly as he sat up and shrugged. This wasn't exactly easy for him. "I'm sorry, Marnal. For today and last night. I never should have taken you out there." he said softly. And he shouldn't have. That's what caused this mess to begin with.

"It wasn't fair to take you there. It also wasn't fair to bring you back." the Doctor sighed. And wasn't that the truth. He wasn't going to do it again. He wasn't completely agreeable to going with the Master.

Marnal gave the Doctor a small poutish look before nodding his head. The Master sat on the edge of the bed and let Marnal get closer to the Doctor. "I was saying that when the Doctors better, you lot can go back to the water park."

Marnal nodded his head once again because he couldn't trust that at all, he went one time and had to go home. It still hurt but he wasn't mad at the Doctor. He just clambered free of the Master so he could hug his father.

The Doctor shot the other a look at that one over Marnal's shoulder, not at all pleased. Did the man not get it? He wasn't going to try again. Period. He didn't want to go through that. He didn't want his son to either.

"It's alright. We will see what happens. Okay? That way you don't have to worry about something happening." the Doctor assured softly. Alright. So he didn't know when to shut up.

When the Doctor was fine, he was bloody well taking his son to that water park. He made his promise and he was keeping it, even if the Master had to drag him there himself. Which he didn't want to do.

Marnal pulled back from the hug and gave the Doctor a quizzical look. "I'm sorry. I really am. Can't I please go dad? You said you'd teach me to swim and I want to. I can do it! Promise!"

"I get that. But it isn't the poin. If I promise we'll go and something happenings, then what? You'll just get upset again. It's not happening. I'll take you. But I'm not promising on when. Because what if you get sick? Or the Master?" he asked slowly, frowning.

The Doctor didn't want to do it. He didn't want to have Marnal get his hopes up and then they not go. It wasn't fair. He wasn't saying he wouldn't go. He just wasn't saying when they would.

Marnal nodded sadly and tried his very hardest to not cry... but then, it wasn't the Doctor fault, kids just had trouble understand these things. "But, one day, we will go," the Master chimed in, just to assure him because that was one certainty.

Marnal nodded his head and gave the Doctor another hug before essentially clinging to his dad. "Can I make you better? Do you need soup?" When Koschei was ill, they got him soup so maybe that was what the Doctor needed?

This wasn't doing anything for him other than cementing the idea that he was a bad dad in his head. Because he'd already gone and upset Marnal again. Sighing softly, he brushed the child's hair and gave a soft shake of his head.

"I just need some rest, kiddo. You don't have to worry. I'm sorry, but it's true. You should just relax and not worry." he assured firmly. And that was it. He had nothing else that he could do.

"Come on then Marnal, lets get off to sleep," the Master suggested, prying the boy off the Doctor and offering a small smile to the other man. Marnal settled against the Doctor as he was taken out and waved bye over the mans shoulder.

The Doctor gave the kid a bath, got him dressed and left him to settle in bed before heading back inside his room and sitting with the Doctor. "He's a bit unsettled by he seems fine... see, things will work out great!"

Sighing softly, the Doctor settled against the other. He wasn't too fond over all of this. "You shouldn't promise him anything. You never know when I may screw up. The last thing I want is for Marnal to get hurt." he muttered.

He didn't like it. He didn't want to risk it. What good would it do either of them to screw the kid up further. "You honestly expect me to take him back? You think that it's a good idea?" the Doctor asked with a soft frown.

"We will go back, all of us, I'll make sure of it. Then I'll duck out early and you and he can spend time together. Just not right now, I said eventually... we never set a date," that was just it, he had promised but he never said when.

And besides, they sort of owed the kid and they could make it work to their favour. "Maybe one of the days Koschei comes down, then you can go off with Marnal and I'll take the kid to the museum now far from the water world?"

((Sorry fell asleep. Off to bed!))

(Night.)

The Doctor sighed softly and shook his head. He didn't want this. "It's fine. We can go eventually. Maybe." he murmured. He was giving in. He was conceding to the point. He just wasn't too thrilled about it.

"It's odd. But it's soothing to be around you now." the Doctor murmured softly, closing his eyes and just...Feeling. He could feel and sense the energy, and that honestly helped to calm him.

The Master sighed and just relaxed by the Doctor for a while. He put the TV on a low volume and watched it while the Dictor relaxed against him. Once he finally managed to drift off, the Master soon followed.

It seemed like they were both shattered and the Doctor really needed a long nights rest. The Master left him to sleep and even managed to get himself up at 6am to prevent Marnal from waking the Doctor. Instead, he just let the boy sleep with them. It was a sunday, he was not getting up early just to do nothing.

The Doctor eventually stirred and slipped away to make them all a proper breakfast. One week. He'd managed to go one week in this new situation and his son was in a mental institute, his other son got hurt, and he'd managed to put himself at odds with the Master. It was all very impressive.

The Doctor sighed softly, carrying a tray with the food up to the bedroom and placing it upon the bedside table. "Morning." he murmured softly, taking his own plate and sitting back down to pick at it.

"Oh breakfast," the Master murmured as he hauled himself to his feet and rubbed at his eyes, giving the Doctor a smile. Pulling a piece of toast off the plate, he nudged the boy sleeping beside them back to life.

Marnal took his own toast and let the Master spread on some jam for him. "I'll have to give him a bath after anyway so he may as well enjoy his toast," the Master remarked as the kid got it al over his hands and face.

Oh, the poor Master. The kid wasn't exactly use to being cared for by the Master, it would seem. "I can do it. Don't worry." the Doctor murmured firmly. He could manage that much. Even if the Master didn't trust him. What did it matter?

"Don't worry. I can do it." he assured. And that was that. He wasn't going to just...Sit back and pretend otherwise. He didn't want to. The Doctor wanted to prove he could care for his child.

"Go for it," the Master didn't distrust him that much, he just thought the Doctor still didn't feel like doing anything. If he did then thank Rassilon because that because the kid was sticky, dirty and the Master was never that good with the kid at bath time. They both left the room drenched more than often.

"Can we go somewhere today?" Marnal asked, he meant more so like the park or outside but he doubted either of his dads would, neither looked very motivated to do anything. "Can we do somethin'?"

"Yeah. I'll take you to get a bath. See how nice and easy that is? And we'll maybe watch a movie later. But be patient." the Doctor murmured softly. Yeah. He wasn't feeling up to much. He just wanted to be a little more active.

At least he wasn't laying down and refusing to get up because it was too much effort. He had to make progress somewhere. Sighing softly, he stretched and stood when finished eating, lifting Marnal to get the kid cleaned up and dressed.

When Marnal was cleaned and dressed, he took Sigma and went off downstairs to play. What? His dads weren't going to play with him, Koschei never played with him and the only one he could was the dog. Not that he could play properly.

The Master sat up on the edge of the bed and smiled when the Doctor same back, flood free. "Hey, so I was thinking. I don't feel like going out but maybe we could order something in? Pizza? For tonight anyway."

(Going out with family. Later.)

The Doctor sighed softly and nodded a bit. "I can concede to that. Easy. We can order in some pizza and relax. Marnal would like to bond with us. I just..." he trailed off softly. He just couldn't quite get to that point.

And wasn't that just sad and pathetic? He couldn't bring himself to take Marnal out and about now. Because the Doctor couldn't make that distinction between it was alright and the Master wasn't looking for an excuse to lash out.

(My head is killing so I'm lying down anyhow)

"You don't have to bond today, if you don't want to. Its up to you, just relax," the Master offered, the Doctor would sort himself out eventually and be the proper dad that Marnal needed.

The Master had total faith in him. He couldn't help but have faith. "So we have Koschei next weekend... I was thinking we could go back to the water park. I know, I know, you said you didn't want to but I do. I want to go and I want you to come to."

"You're right. I don't want to go. Why would I want to go through that? It's just asked for trouble." the Doctor murmured softly, a frown crossing his features. He wasn't that much of a masochist. And he doubted his kid was.

"Not to mention Koschei. He hates water. Asking him to put up with water is just...Mean. And asking Marnal to not fuss over his brother being elsewhere is just as mean." the Doctor pointed out softly.

"I mean this with all due respect Doctor but would you stop the damn pity party, its getting old and its pissing me off," the Master snapped because it was frustrating. It was a fucking water park, not a battlefield. "All you have to do is take your son, who you let down, to a park for the day to splash around in some water for like three hours. Big fucking deal! Anyone can do that, you can do that, stop moping! You told that boy you'd take him so you bloody well will to earn back his trust."

Shaking his head in annoyance, he got to his feet and grabbed his jacket off the side. "And I wasn't going to force Koschei to go into the park, there's a museum and an aquarium not far away, he liked them as a kid. I'm just attempt to help him bond with his family in a trip. You know? Like good parents do. But no, no, you're totally right. Screw it, who cares about family and all that rubbish? I mean, its hard to do and people are going to argue so lets just leave the whole thing and no one will talk to anyone because it might not go perfectly," the Master snarked as he took off out the room. It was a pointless fight and he didn't even know what the point was in trying.

What just happened? Because he'd been talking about having Koschei and Marnal together in a car for twelve hours. Just because the kid was no longer a psychopath didn't mean he would stop fussing and fighting. And taking Koschei somewhere else would only cause Marnal to fuss.

In other words? Don't do it when they had Koschei. The Doctor blinked a bit, wrapping his head around this before shaking his head slowly. Damn. How the hell did he possibly manage this one? Because he hadn't been having a pity party this time.