ADVENTURES OF A TIME LADY
A/N Beta read by elmostroverde Please review Disclaimer if I owned Eight/Romana would go on many more adventures together. "They just took her," Braxiatel hissed. The Doctor glanced at him, the first time he had seen that kind of emotion in him and a light went on in his head and things were becoming clearer, but Romana was his and yet he had left her behind. He wondered had her already lost her to his brother. "Are you in love with her?" the Doctor demanded. "Love, don't be absurd," she is important to Gallifrey. He said in that smooth kind of tone, the one when the Doctor couldn't tell if he was lying or not. "I came back for her." "Of course you did" snapped Braxiatel. "You weren't there ,you never saw the level of disappointment in her eyes when you failed to turn up. She was so hurt that she never mattered to you." "I had no idea she became President I never received anything. She matters a great deal. I love her." "Now you had your fun, you come home to Romana, you treat her like she's second best. The universe comes first I'm surprised you even remember who Romana is," Braxiatel continued as the anger poured out of him. Braxiatel knew he would do anything to have someone as awesome as Romana, and here his younger brother did and the Doctor was throwing it away. Romana sank back against the wall, the chains held her against that stone-cold wall after numerous escapes she was now chained up. They had not come for her for weeks now not even to bring her food as she drifted in and out of consciousness, soon she could not even remember who she was. She looked up, there was nothing but darkness, she stared into nothing and soon darkness came over her and her body slumped against the wall. Her eyes opened after many hours hearing Dalek's screeching and the sound and smell of gun fire and foot steps getting closer she started to tremble as if she was a little girl once more. Voices were heard in the dungeons but Romana no longer cared as she shut her eyes once more and the darkness came upon her once more. "Romana," said a soft voice, it was calling to her. She looked up at him with no recognition at all. This broke both his hearts. "It's me Braxiatel," he offered. But there was nothing from the young girl he had shaped into his President. Quickly he released the chains that held her there. "It's not over yet, twenty years and I still fear them coming for me. Left here for days, weeks at a time. No distractions, no exercise no food, you never hear them coming and then they roll down that metal corridor their eye's bore into you, screeching their orders." "Watching you do, or what they can or choose not do for themselves... You may not look like one of them, but you know what you have become. Then you look down at your body and remember when it used to be young and strong and now it's nothing." "Romana you have to listen to me," it's me Braxiatel." he tried again hoping for something, anything. He'd take anything right now from her but she was so emotionless it concerned him, she could not feel his comforting presence, it was as if something had snapped in her brain and she could not remember how to feel. He waited for a bit longer but there was still nothing, he quickly reached for her and she fell forward, he caught her wrists gently. Knowing instantly it was unlikely she would be able to stand unaided let alone walk. Even so she stood up, she was so undernourished and within seconds her knees seemed to buckle under her and he caught her and lifted her into his strong arms. He was alarmed at how light she was compared to last time he carried her, and he came out of the dungeon with her in his arms. He was deadly afraid for her. He could feel her breathing was shallow and laboured, worst of all: her hearts were beating much slower than they should be. "Romana," gasped the Doctor as Braxiatel came out carrying her. "She's very weak; she needs medical treatment, as soon as possible." They walked to the TARDIS and he set the controls for Gallifrey, he looked at Braxiatel sitting on the sofa Romana in his arms his hands gently touching her face and kissing her forehead and he just knew his brother loved her. He could see it clear as day, was he too late, had he already lost her? "I love you," he mumbled into her hair. "Always remember I do, even if nothing can ever happen between us," he said in a whisper as if he was afraid his secret love for her would be heard, and he would be rejected or laughed at. "Doctor," she mumbled. "I love you too." Braxiatel held his breath trying not to feel the pain Romana caused him by mistaking him for his brother and professing her love for The Doctor and not him. Finally he carried her through to the medical station. "Careful," he warned she's very weak," "Doctor," she mumbled. "Where is the Doctor?" "I'm here" he said taking her hand as gently as he could. Braxiatel looked on totally devastated and slipped quietly out of the room. The Time Lady he was in love with loved his brother, his little brother, someone who was not worthy of her by a long shot. She wanted to be with the Doctor and not him, after all this time of loving and caring for her unconditionally. He was not sure what destroyed him the most; the fact she was with the Doctor or that Romana barely remembered him. He returned later Romana laying there so still in the bed connected to all kinds of machines and tubes, seemingly asleep. He reached for her hand promising himself that if she pulled through he would be whatever she needed him to be, that he would be content just to stay by her side protect her from anything. He would not let anything like this ever happen to her again. One thing Braxiatel knew was that this was his entire fault; putting his collection first instead of his President. What was he thinking?
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