The Doctor placed his hands palm down on one of the bigger doors, taking in the scent that was leaking through the cracks. Sweet omega and something else, something familiar and gut-wrenching. He took a few whiffs but couldn't decipher it. Clearly he'd been away from the source for too long, maybe one of the major masters he'd met last time was still around and in there with his mate.

That was enough to raise his hackles.

The Doctor soniced the lock, pushing it open as softly as he could. He slipped into the room, taking a quick look around and bristling. The room was swamped with the stink of sweat and seed, human submissive pheromones and those that matched his own bathed the air. That last part shocked him into stillness. It wasn't his, per say, but they were close enough to freak him out.

There was a pedestal in the middle of the room, padded with blood-stained silver cushions and the perfect height for intercourse. There was a man kneeling there, naked and crying softly, arms cuffed in leather and clipped above his head onto a chain. Dark red scratches laid across his chest, torso, thighs, even his neck...each dotted with bits of dried scarlet. Fresh bruises were blooming on those same areas, something translucent drying down the man's chin and across the hollow of his collarbone.

This man had been fucked.

This man was Jack.

"Jack!" forgoing safety, he ran at the pedestal. The man's head was tucked to his chest, but at the sound of his name his head rose. Oh, his poor captain. Those full lips were red, split in two places from biting, and his cheeks were marked with tear tracks. Horror chased surprise across his face, the chains rattled as he tried to rise up.

"You one of his lackeys?" Jack hissed through his crimson-stained teeth "Well you can tell him I'm humiliated. Tell him I can't sink any lower."

The Doctor approached with more caution, "Jack..."

"I'm done fighting him!" Jack was begging for his life and his dignity, arms quaking in the leather cuffs "He's won, alright? Just go away...please..."

Jack dropped his head again, the shivers going down through his limbs until his whole body was shaking. The Doctor could feel his hearts breaking all over again, he never believed someone could break his Jack. But this person before him was thoroughly destroyed, body and mind raked raw. The Time Lord came up real slow, reaching out his hand to touch the damp hair. Jack didn't move but he gave a little grunt, his fingers came back pink.

"Cor! Look at you" the Doctor whispered, taking a knee on the pedestal and cupping the man's neck gently between his palms. He picked the boy's head up with the curve of his thumbs, revealing his face once more. Those pretty blue eyes were clouded and afraid, any bit of trust in them ripped away by whoever did this. He could smell the bastard's cum on his mate, the scent undoubtedly alpha. But he could smell his submissive's own essence, the proof drying between his thighs.

Whoever had done this had gotten Jack to cum...had gotten him wet.

That brought out the angry alpha in him faster than anything else.

Jack winced when he saw this new man's eyes change from brown to gold, rimmed red and positively feral. He tried to pull away but couldn't, held in place with the cuffs and the strong hands.

"What do you want?" Jack could barely speak, his voice like gravel all mixed up in a blender "Can't you just tell him whatever he wants and leave me alone?"

"Love" the Doctor's voice was fond "Don't you recognize me?"

"You smell like another fake" the captain's nose crinkled up "I'm not an idiot. No matter what he told you, I'm not easy. Anything you shove in my mouth you won't get back, I promise."

The Doctor laughed, "There's my Jack. I know I'm a bit different now, but it's me. I'm still the Doctor."

"You're a fucking liar, that's what you are."

The tone was so harsh and biting that he nearly pulled away, Jack's tone was resolute. He really didn't believe him.

"I know I look different, but I'm still the same person" the Time Lord promised "I had to regenerate into a new form. I absorbed the energy from the Time Vortex. I technically...died."

"Yeah? So did I" Jack was losing his fight, the trembling was returning "I can't trust you or this place. I can't trust your smell or your touch because..."

The tears came again, reluctantly bathing a pained face.

"Jack?"

"He smelled just like you, you smell like him" the human babbled "I can't remember what's real. He tricked my body, and I swore he was the Doctor. How can he smell like him?"

"Who was it? Who smelled like me?" the Doctor stroked his thumb across his cheeks, wiping away the tears "What's his name?"

There was a pull at the base of his skull, alerting him of the Master's return. Jack instincts reared to protect this man, even if he was a fake. The bond felt raw and torn, but that smell and this cool touch was all he needed to lull him into a false sense of security again.

"You have to leave" Jack rasped hopelessly "He's here. Oh God, I remember..."

Jack clenched his eyes shut, the reason he'd fought coming back to him. The Master wanted the Doctor, he wanted him to come and try and save him. He wanted to trap his alpha and do something with him. He'd sworn to keep this from happening, he'd sworn not to give in and that's just what he'd done. He'd given the Master everything...and now his savior had come.

Too late.

"You have to go!" Jack begged "If you're the Doctor, then leave! He'll find you, he's insane-"

"Jacky-boy, remember you hurt with your words."

The Doctor whipped around, brow furrowing as he watched a man walk through the other set of doors in the room. The man was grinning from ear-to-ear, eyes the color of ice and hair a shade of hay. He was slim, but there a curl of madness and strength to him. Those eyes...he shuddered. He remembered those eyes. No amount of regenerations could hide that gleam, that capacity for violence.

The Doctor looked back to his mate to find him trembling more visibly than before, chain rattling and eyes dropped to the ground.

"Jack?" he touched the dark hair again, thumbing behind his ear in a hope to call him "What is it?"

"He remembers me" the man replied for the human "As do you. Say it, Doctor. Tell him my name."

The Doctor curled back his lip, ready to snarl something nasty, when the human spoke up.

"Master" Jack wheezed, mouth dry.

"No" the younger Time Lord looked between the two of them, eyes shrouded gold and fangs unsheathed "You did it, didn't you?"

The master chuckled, raising his palms, "Guilty."

"You slimey bastard" the Doctor could feel his fingers clawing, itching to wrap around the man's throat and choke the life out of him "You survived and you didn't tell me? I mourned for you and this is how you repay me?"

"See that, sweetling?" the Master circled widely, slowly coming around with the aim of getting behind the captain "The first concern he shows is for me. Not one question to what's happened to you or how you're feeling...just: Who did this? What's his name? How dare my long lost friend leave me all alone?"

"What? Wait a tick" the Doctor tightened his grip on Jack's jaw, tipping his head back to catch his gaze "Love, listen to me. As soon as I remembered I came for you. I'm sorry for taking so long, but I got here as soon as I could! You have to believe me."

"I...I can't..." Jack shook his head, more tears rolling down his cheeks "I've been here so long, and he didn't come."

"It's me!" the Doctor got right in the human's face, an edge to his voice "I've come for you. I'm going to make this right, lad, I swear. Then..." he tilted his head, brushing their lips for just a second "I'll keep that promise about taking you to every corner of the universe."

"Doctor?" Jack blinked rapidly, letting the real pheromones wash over him "Y-Your eyes were red before...you're so different..."

"I know" the Doctor let some of that Northern accent his last life had possessed "I didn't wanna leave ya, I swear."

"Doctor. It's you, it's really you" Jack sagged in relief, smiling for just a moment "Oh God, Alpha...I'm sorry, he made me-"

"Shh" the Doctor kissed him again, more deeply this time. Jack ripped his mouth away, cheeks flushed in shame.

"Don't. He...took every bit of me, Alpha" it was hard for Jack to say, another shudder shaking his chest "I'm dirty."

The Doctor turned on the approached Master with a snarl, getting an answering flash of flash.

"You knew very well he was mine!" the Doctor made a move to charge but was stopped by two approaching body guards, armed with what passed as guns in this world. One pointed at Jack, the other at him. The Master laughed in his face, going over to the human without delay.

"I'll shoot him in an instant."

"I know you would, you bastard" the Doctor shoved his hands into his pockets to keep himself from jumping burly guard in a suit "Henchmen? Really? Bit new for you."

"Old dogs and all that" the Master trailed his hand up the human's side, goosebumps cropping up on his pale skin "Notice anything off about your boy here? Hm?"

The Doctor reached out mentally, carding his fingers gently along the mental surface of his mate. The barrier yielded, and that's when he could feel it. Their weak bond was still there but it was different, split and feathered at the edges.

"What did you do?" it was a pure hiss, crimson ringing the edges of his eyes.

"You may have started the bond, but I consummated it" the Master's fingers slid between the captain's firm cheeks, pressing against the wet entrance "His body thinks it belongs to me. With a little mental back flip, I can fool this sweet omega body into believing I'm you."

The Doctor's lips pursed, breath coming faster as his anger rose.

"New trick of mine" the Master chuckled in his throat, face scrunched up cheekily "Cute, right?"

"You're sick and twisted" the Doctor stepped closer, the guard's finger moved to the trigger "I demand my mate back. You have no right to keep him from me and you know it."

The Master's smile faltered. Ah, so the other Time Lord still remembered the old ways.

"I've been searching for him for years" the Doctor met those steely eyes, looking for even a hint of who the man used to be "Koschei, mercy. He's just a kid. A complete submissive who can act like an alpha. You can't take that away...not after you've taken everything else. He was made for me."

"Theta" the Master purred, curling his fingers inside the human's welcoming entrance and forcing him to keen "He was made for us."

The Doctor watched his mate moan around another man's fingers, reluctance and shame etched into the lines of his handsome face, "What are you getting at?"

"We could never work. Two alphas like ourselves...we'd tear each other apart" the other Time Lord was blatantly enjoying the human, forcing little whimpers from his sweet mouth "But here we are again, chasing each other's tails. Our destinies are twined, Doctor. And lucky for me you found such a succulent little mate. I've watched this body go through things you wouldn't believe! And now a part of him is mine..." he brushed one of the bundles of nerves inside the captain, the boy's natural slick staining his fingers "...and another is yours."

The Doctor was dizzy from the scent of Jack's arousal and the rage that came with knowing another an was doing it to him, "You want to share him? Like cattle? Like a slave?"

"Like a whore" the Master grinned, pulling his fingers out to scrub them across the human's back "A whore who could bare us a powerful litter."

The primal beast locked up in the Doctor's chest reared, "If he swells with anyone's child, it will be mine and mine alone."

"Don't be selfish" the Master kept a close eye on his counterpart "I have more right than you at this moment. It's my seed inside him at the moment. The pretty boy could be conceiving right now."

Jack paled, turning a bit green at the edges, "I'll kill anything you forced in me."

"And that's the beauty of it" the alien ruffled the boy's hair, putting on that faux-sweet persona "You can't. Any child you bare, you will protect tooth and nail. A lineage even the great Doctor can't destroy."

"I would" the Doctor spoke up, just as sick as Jack at the thought of the Master's child resting on his mate's belly.

"You're both such liars!" the Master was laughing, madness shining like tears in his eyes.

"And you're insane!" the Doctor declared "He's mine. We're bonded, you can't break that."

"I didn't have to break anything" the man's laughter cut fof adruptly, his tone now solemn and showing his years "You did. The only way I could have split the bond like this is if you nearly severed it. I found your precious-" he spat the word "-Jack on a satellite stinking of Dalek and filled with time energy. Anyone else would've killed or eaten him. I simply brought him here."

The Doctor scoffed, "And then made him do God knows what."

The Master breathed, "I am the only God that matters here."

"You're not a god, you've been a god!" the other was outraged "You're not all-powerful, you're just like me!"

"Then we'll be gods together!"

"There's just no talking to you. You're mad" the Doctor raked his hands through his hair "Bonkers. Beyond all reason, you are."

The Master tisked, "This new regeneration of yours is rather cheeky."

"I'll show you cheeky!" the Doctor whipped out his sonic screwdriver, the other mimicking him with his laser device "This is your last chance to release Jack and walk away. Give him to me and I won't pursue you."

"You're unsure, you're greedy for him, I understand" the Master leaned over, parting his lips to show his full fangs "You'll change your tune when I trigger his heat."

Jack tried to squirm away, "No! You can't, I'll-"

"Just a proper bite to one of his hormone patches by an alpha, and he'll fall into his cycle within the hour" the Master was looking into pure gold eyes, his own an answering red "And once he begs for both of us, you'll see my way."

"Alpha" Jack was reduced to a begging mess, pleading to his proper mate "D-Don't let him. I won't be able to stop myself."

"Hush, love" the Time Lord soothed, meeting his desperate gaze "Do you trust me?"

Jack nodded tightly, a ghost of a smile on his lips, "Never doubted you...never will."

"Good lad" he turned his fearsome gaze back to the other Time Lord "Last chance, Master."

The Master raised his head for a moment, "Have I ever told you how much I love having you say my name?"

"Maybe once" the Doctor clicked his device on "And I'm sick of it."

In moments the room started to shake, heavy vibrations rattling the concrete. The Master jerked away fromt eh human, snarling and whipping his head about.

"What is this?" he hissed, backing off toward the door.

"Oh, just a heavily armed Sjen police force who frown upon the enslavement of their own kind" the Doctor shrugged "Saw a boy of theirs in the hall and noticed they were nearby, so I gave them a heads up."

A bolt of purple lightning shot through the ceiling, searing the floor and showering rubble from above.

It was the Doctor's turn to grin, "Did I say 'heavily armed'? I meant loaded."

The Master looked between his kin and the human, maddened at the collapse of his plan. With a barely contained scream, he took the steps back up to the spare door and slipped away. The remaining Time Lord turned his attention to the two guards, waggling his eyebrows.

"That's your cue to run."

They fled on command, tripping over each other to get out the door first.

The Doctor immediately dropped his arrogant persona, rushing over to his mate and working at the cuffs. He found the latch and slipped him off the chain, the human nearly collapsing in his arms. The room shook again, the ringing blasts alerting them to more bolts of raw energy cutting through other parts of the building.

"Come on, Jacky, on your feet" the Doctor eased him off the pedestal "I know it hurts, darling, but we have to go."

Jack nodded, teeth grit against the pain. The Doctor took just a moment to admire how strong his chosen mate was, a perfect match for him in every way. Perverse at times, charismatic, smart, inquisitive, enthusiastic, handsome, and unyielding. A more stalwart man you could not find.

In moments they were rushing down the halla, dodging hysterical customers and chucks of wall alike. One man about Jack's size came out of his room with his clothes in his arms, protesting loudly when Jack snatched away his pants. The Doctor laughed as the captain managed to put them on mid-stride, adding 'graceful' to his mental list of beloved Jack-qualities. His laugh earned a famous Harkness smile.

"Where's the TARDIS?" Jack huffed, following close behind the Doctor.

"Close" but his voice was swallowed up by another loud blast, the hallway they'd just left collapsing in on itself "This may not have been my best idea."

"But you came" Jack was smiling, feeling more like his old self than he had in half a year "That's what matters."

Two more halls and their legs were burning, but there was the TARDIS. They raced for it, the Doctor practically throwing himself against it trying to get it open. He remembered he locked it properly after some embarrassing scrambling, he dug in every pocket for the key.

Behind him, Jack bent over, hands resting on his knees and lungs working overtime on his already exhausted body. He was pushing his limits and he knew it. Maybe a few months ago he would have been fine, but he'd gone too long on small rations of water and barely enough food to stay alive on. His muscles were weaker, his mind cloudier from the manipulation, and he was damn sure he'd lost twenty-five pounds or so. It would take him months to recover completely.

A faint cracking sound reached the captain's ears. He straightened, tilting his head back to gaze up at the mirror ceiling. Another tremor worked through the building's foundation and the cracking sound came back, louder this time.

"Doctor..."

But the Time Lord was busy muttering to himself and searching for the key.

"Doctor?"

"I just had it, it was right here."

Jack watched cracks spider along the ceiling, creeping over their heads, "Doctor!"

"Ah, here it is!"

The Doctor found himself pushed up against the TARDIS's door and deafened by the sound of shattering glass. Jack was hot against him, breath ragged along his neck. The Doctor shoved the key into the lock and gave it a good twist, pushing open the door to dart inside. Jack ambled behind him, shutting the door as best he could.

The Doctor didn't look back, he went right for the console and started flicking switches for the new coordinates. They needed to get out of here, they needed to run as far away from the Master as they could. That rat bastard, how dare he try to steal another Time Lord's mate. On Gallifrey that crime was punishable by death, either that or a full-out brawl. True mates had been sacred back on his home world, they were few and seen as the Chosen by Fate. Mated pairs were destined to do great things and they rarely disappointed. He prayed he and Jack could live up to that reputation.

The TARDIS jerked and spun as it took off, quickly finding her new desolate location and landing with an angry thump. Static shot out of the controls and singed his fingers, a firm You're an imbecile ringing through his head.

"What?" he drawled, blowing on his fingers to soothe the ache. Between flexing his fingers and opening his mouth to scold his ship, he realized something dreadful.

"Jack!" Rose screamed "Oh God, Doctah, what happened?"

The Doctor very nearly vaulted over the railing, landing on the lower level and heading to the entrance. Jack hadn't gotten more than four feet into the TARDIS before collapsing flat on his back, blood pooling beneath him much too thickly to be anything but fatal. His brilliant blue eyes were dull and staring up at the ceiling, unblinking. Rose was kneeling beside him, feeling at his wrists and neck in a desperate search for a pulse.

"Rose...stop..."

The Doctor knew it was useless.

Thick shards of mirror were protruding from his shoulder, slicing through muscle and veins and sticking firmly. There was a shattered piece beneath his back, another sliver had cut clean through the top of his own arm. No one could live through wounds like that without immediate assistance, let alone a malnourished man with a neglectful alpha.

"Take the glass out."

"Doctah" she was crying harder now "He's dead. He-"

"Take them out!"

Rose obeyed with shaking fingers, being careful and sure to get every single sliver. She managed not to cut her hands but she couldn't stop the tears. The Doctor sat still as stone, on his knees and staring down at his dead mate with a numbness that only came from denial.

"He'll come back" the Doctor whispered as she finished up "When you revived him with the Time Vortex's power, you infused him with it. He'll revive, I'm sure of it."

Jack just laid there, and after a moment Rose couldn't take it and gently shut his eyes. His blood started to soak through to their knees, clammy against their skin. Every minute he didn't revive Rose sobbed loudly, she quickly covered her mouth to muffle the painful sounds. The Doctor was sure of his mate's immortality, he'd put so much faith in it he'd abandoned him on a satellite to a fate worse than death. He had to be right, he had to be.

But Jack just stayed dead.

That's a good enough cliff hanger, gives you a good reason to read more, right?

Well, I think 5 chapters will be enough for this story. The next chapter will be what this whole thing was about, for the Doctor to claim his mate. Yay for hotness, am I right? If you review and come back for the next chapter, I promise you wet/bubbly Jack, fang!fetish, lots of Jack getting the hell fucked out of him, omega-heat, and then a romancy happy ending :)

Hope you liked it, thank you for all the wonderful feedback