THE GALLIFREY CHRONICLES, A NEW WAR

A/N Please review it helps me to improve.

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Halfway down the corridor, Maxil stopped and turned to the Doctor, who was following behind him. "I have my orders, and they go far beyond the President. Gander wishes to speak with you."

As if on cue Gander appeared. His face was long and gray with worry, but he managed a wan smile. "Doctor. I need to talk to you immediately, but it's too dangerous here. Will you come with me?"

The Doctor nodded; he didn't have a choice. He followed Gander into a small, closet-like room that he recognized as the CIA office. The Doctor had been in the CIA before, but the office looked different. The doors were almost off their hinges, and the office seemed to have been ransacked. The only thing that was intact was the desk, down to photos of his family. There were several pictures of him with his wife, Oleander, and two sons. And one photo with Emmaline. It grieved him to see she had been part of their family, because he had never been a proper father to her.

Such was life.

"She was very much part of our family. I only wished we could have kept her safer. Rassilion damaged her. We don't know what happened but he kept her locked in that Tower. I wish I could apologize to her." Gander paused. "Where is Emmaline?"

"I left her on earth." He looked away before changing the subject. "Listen, how about an explanation regarding -"

"Not now, Doctor. There are more important issues that concern us than the cover-up of the Time War."

"So you do admit it was a cover up?"

"Indeed. But if you will . . ."

"Okay, you've piqued my interest." He leaned forward, a spark of life in his eyes. "What could be more important than the cover-up?"

"Ever since the death of Rassilion, and Bainbridge's subsequent rise to power, there have been daily battles. Hundreds of Time Lords have lost their lives since he came to power, and Romanadvoratrelundar remains missing."

"Romana? When was that?"

"Two years ago. She was due to meet me and never showed up. There is still no satisfactory reason for her disappearance, though we have tried to track her movements. There has been no success, however."

"And why not, with all the dirty, underhanded tactics within the CIA at your disposal?"

"It's not that simple; the CIA resources are more limited since our new president. Just last night the head of CIA was murdered in cold blood."

"How about using some of your resources to stop this insanity. How about finding Romana?"

"Rumors within the palace say Romana is dead."

"I don't believe it."

"There is no body and I refuse to believe it myself. I am logging communication at all levels, apart from the President's office, but she has not been mentioned at all. There is, however, a security compact within the palace. It used to be guarded, but nobody goes there anymore, and we have seen the President enter. It may be possible that if Romana is alive she is there."

Jack looked over at White Wolf sleeping, gently placing the blanket over her. She mumbled: Rassilion, Gallifrey. He knew she was suffering - each day she would die a little more - and there wasn't a single thing he could do to get through to her. She worked for Torchwood, battled the monsters, did everything she was asked to, but she would now only speak if Jack or the rest of the team spoke to her, and then there were her nightmares where she would wake up screaming. He silently cursed the Doctor for abandoning her. She needed her dad.

Unknown to Jack, he had come back a few times to watch over his daughter, lurking in the shadows, but he only saw the side where she seemed to be coping on earth without him. He had no idea how different the reality was.

Emmaline slipped into the hub, her hair twisted into plaits. Gone was her golden-blonde hair that fell down her shoulders. It was now dyed black, which was better for sneaking around at night. She was dressed in a simple white shirt and combat trousers. She made her way towards the computer and sat down, not even looking at Jack. He sighed. "You okay?" he asked..

Emmaline gave a distant look. "Fine," she replied. He knew she wasn't fine, but what could he do? He didn't even have a way of contacting the Doctor.

Gander and the Doctor walked through the palace where the secret dungeon was. They pushed the metal door open.

Romana lay on the ground, unconscious. She looked different than way she had the last time either of them had seen her, but the Doctor guessed that it was around her fourth or fifth regeneration. Her hair was matted with blood and she looked younger than she had ever been. She was far too thin as well, as if they had starved her. She had bruises all over her face and marks on her neck. The Doctor went to her. "Romana," he whispered, but there was no reply. He quickly scanned her with the sonic screwdriver; she was still alive.

As Gander carried her he was shocked at how light she felt and how undernourished she looked. He carried her through to the CIA office, placing on her a bed in the side room. Suddenly Romana's eyes flickered open. "Doctor," she whispered in a weak voice.

"I'm here, Romana," he said softly.

"Emmaline?" she whispered.

"She's safe. I promise."

"Since when have your promises ever meant anything?" she managed to say through the pain.

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