THE GALLIFREY CHRONICLES, THE FALL OF GALLIFREY

A/N Beta read by nightserenade

Disclaimer If I owned Doctor who River would be going to the library with a nice parting gift.

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Braxiatel looked at Romana as the other Braxiatel tightened his grip on her. "She has chosen to be with me," he said calmly but in that mesmerized voice. "She belongs to me as do your lives. A promise is a promise. Now isn't she and the baby worth giving up your lives for? I killed for her today, would you do the same Braxiatel?"

"Let her go." His tone was unmistakeably dark and seething in anger. "That was an order. This isn't your world, you are pulling her into another Time line."

"I will keep doing that until-"

"Until what? It will not work, she does not even belong in this Time line. There is already a Romana in this Time line and I don't care about the Romana you have. She means nothing to me." He knew he was playing a dangerous game but he knew what he was doing. He already knew the future, something this Valeyard lacked.

"Then I will find a world."

"I will stop you."

He wrapped an arm around her neck. Romana froze. It was like he held her life in his hands. Any tighter and he could squeeze her life away from her, and then his soft lips were pressed against the back of her neck and he was nibbling against, her feasting on her.

"This is what you want isn't it, Romana? All you ever wanted was to have me doing this to you, because Narvin could never give you what you wanted and I know," he whispered, "this really turns you on."

He kissed her harder against her neck and yet she was silent and it felt like she couldn't breathe and he was right. Somehow he had crawled into her mind, making her get so turned on for him.

"And when I took Bainbridge's life it was so magical."

And for that second she froze. She was horrified with herself, but more with him.

"He thought he could win, but you know what? I held his life in my hands. I was the last thing he saw and he had to accept his fate and die. I did that for you, Romana." He began sliding his hand back around her neck once more. "Now tell me what you want," he said softly, taking his arms and wrapping them around her waist.

"Let Braxiatel go," she whispered. "You have me, why do you need him? I should be enough," she said softly, trying desperately to think of a way of saving herself and Brax.

Finally the future Brax pulled a gun out. "I warned you all those years ago when I met you. You didn't listen then and you aren't listening now. Let her go," he roared.

"Like you said, you don't care about her." He grinned. "So shoot her, let's see how good your aim really is. Would you risk it? How good is your aim?"

He pushed her forward using her as a shield.

Romana bit down on his hand, causing him to instantly let go. "You animal," he snarled, but by then the future Brax had her safe in his arms, feeling her body shaking and trembling .

"It's all right," he said in a calming voice. She looked up at him. This Brax was taller with broader shoulders, much more handsome than her Brax. His warm soft eyes searched her own and his strong arms wrapped around her making her feel safe.

"Romana," he spoke softly. "Don't be afraid. It's all going to be okay. Trust me, I am going to take care of it all.

"You look different. You are him but from the future," she said quietly, noticing the Gallifrean promise band on his wrist.

"Are we, I mean in the future, are we..?"

"Married? We are in the future," he said.

"And are we actually happy?"

Braxiatel beamed at her. In fact he couldn't even stop himself. He had forgotten how beautiful she always was during her pregnancy. "Yes, very. It's something for you to look forward to. He loves you very much, the younger me, he'd be hopeless without you because you are his whole world. But it is not yet time for you to be with him. He needs to realise how much he needs you."

He leaned into her and kissed her ever so gently as she wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling him in closer. Finally pulling apart, she smiled. "Well, Chancellor Braxiatel, that was nice. I guess it really is something worth waiting for."

"Don't worry about the Valeyard, I will take care of him. I will take you home, to your Brax. I gather he is searching for you." He placed a tender kiss on her soft lips, willing her to forget before she fell into unconsciousness and he carried her to the Presidential offices into her correct time line.


"What are you saying?" Braxiatel asked the future version of himself.

"It should be very obvious who she will be to you one day. Just keep her safe and you will get your happy ending and then you'll realise she has always been worth the sacrifices no matter what the cost was. I had to make her forget the knowledge of meeting me."

Romana started to wake. "Brax," she mumbled "who were you speaking to?" She rubbed her eyes, seeing nobody but Braxiatel.

"Just myself, My Lady."

"What happened?" She looked down at the long night dress covering her body.

"You were exhausted My Lady and you fell asleep. I umm undressed you, but I didn't peek." He blushed furiously at the suggestion of even taking advantage of her like that. "How are you feeling?"

She twisted around to look at him, but her back ached more than usual.

"Let me." He gently rubbed her back, taking the pain from her with his hands. "You are so tense. That wont do, just relax." His hands massaged her back and shoulders, and as she leaned back against him he felt her relax.

"There, hows that?" he asked softly.

"Thank you, Brax. It's better, "

"I live to serve my President."

"Are you sure there is nothing I need to know?"

"Whatever do you mean?"

"Don't take me for a fool."

"The valeyard, well he saved you sort of, but he killed someone."

"Who?"

"Do not concern yourself with it, My Lady."

"Tell me."

"It was Bainbridge."

"So he is truly dead? I-"

"I know," he said taking her hand. "Don't be afraid, he can't hurt you anymore."

"I remember he wanted me to sign some letter."

"Shhh," he soothed her, "its okay, he's gone now." He wrapped her closer to him, feeling like he needed to calm any fears she might have.

"I didn't wreck his family, I didn't," she said, finally pulling apart as he slipped on a pink robe onto her.

"No you did not. The Doctor's wife, well she was something so spiteful. She was not always that way, she was very beautiful, but inside maybe not so much."

They were interrupted by the arrival of Narvin

"Romana," he said slightly out of breath as he started fussing over her as Braxiatel quietly slipped away.

"Narvin, for Rassilion's sake, will you stop your fussing. I am not a child. Your concern has been noted, now can you please stop fussing." She wondered why he always had to suffocate her. Why couldn't he give her space like Brax did or just let her be? She glanced around, noticing Braxiatel had gone.


"Romana, every thing I do is so wrong. If I show concern you get mad and if I don't you get upset. I can't seem to please you."

"I want people to stop fussing around me. I am pregnant. I am not a helpless child, as you well know, Co-ordinator, I can-"

His lips against hers cut her words off as he kissed her, holding her close to him, surprising even her, but she kissed him back. It was true they no longer slept in the same bed let alone were intimate anymore. They had moments but those moments were becoming few and far between. She had even suspected he had taken on a lover, she had heard the rumours but she just didn't want to believe them. Romana felt she had so much to watch out for on Gallifrey and she certainly did not trust Narvin to look out for her interests.

Pulling away she glanced at him, noticing the scratches and love bites on his neck. How could she have been so stupid in refusing to believe it?

"Who is she?" Romana asked

"Romana?" He gave her a questioning look.

"I am not an idiot, who is it who gave you the love bites?"

"I can assure you, you are the only Time Lady for me."

"So I assume those love bites magically appeared on your neck," she hissed.

He tried to touch her but she moved away.

"Don't just don't."

"Romana, please you have to think of the baby."

"The baby is not yours, so you don't need to stay with me," she said coldly.

Narvin saw his stupid mistakes flash before his eyes, his life in pieces and his career destroyed. She was a little bit too calm; he expected tears, insults, screaming and a lot of yelling.

"I want you gone from here. Get your stuff and leave."

Narvin made no attempt to move.

"Fine. I have a scan, I don't have time for this."

"It was just once," he said quietly as she opened the door, her back facing him.

She stood for a moment, spinning around she raised her hand and slapped him across the face. "How dare you. You throw such a hissy fit about the time I spend with my Chancellor and I never did anything with him... but you, you sleep with the first tart that throws themselves at you. Now get out. I don't ever want to see you here unless I call for you and that is an order."

She waited for him to leave and the door to slam shut behind him.


She walked to the sofa and sank into it. She closed her eyes for a moment as she started to fall asleep before she was aware of someone's hand on her shoulder.

"Brax," she mumbled looking anywhere but him.

"What's wrong, Romana?" he asked softly. "They told me you did not go for your scan today."

"I'm fine, Braxiatel, honestly," she said quietly.

"I don't think you are being honest. Please tell me. You do not have to be this strong all the time, let me help."

"There's nothing to tell. I asked Narvin to leave that's all."

"Why?"

She sighed.

"Let me take you away from all this. How about Paris or some really beautiful place in the universe?"

Romana looked up at him and just promptly burst into tears. Now he really was concerned. Instantly he pulled her into a solid embrace. "Never thought me taking you away would make you cry," he said as he gently rubbed her back, letting her cry into his arms.

"Sorry," she mumbled, attempting to pull away, but he held her tightly until her tears had stopped. Then he wiped them away with his fingers. He spoke softly to her trying to work out what had set her tears off but she wouldn't tell him, or maybe she couldn't. "I'm concerned for you and I want to take you away for a few days." He waited for her to protest but to his surprise she nodded. For the first time she was allowing him to make decisions regarding her.

He got up and took her coat and wrapped it around her. Then he took her hand gently in his as she allowed him to guide her to his ship.

"But..." she started to say, "I have so much to do." He put a finger to her lips to silence her protests.

"You do enough Romana, for all of Gallifrey, and whatever you do they always want more. You are only one person. Now I know something is causing you pain and I want you to forget Gallifrey for a few days."

"But I am not even dressed to go to Paris or anywhere."

"Do not worry there are clothes in my ship." He left her to change and she arrived moments later in a simple blue dress that fell above her knees.

Braxiatel stared at her, speechless he tried to form words but all that came out were sounds.

"You are staring at me. Is it the dress? If you hate it I can change it."

"No, the dress is fine. I have just never seen you look so beautiful."

She blushed furiously, looking away, before he gently took her arm and helped her to the sofa. But he could not help to notice she looked so sad.

"Romana, please tell me what is wrong. I will give you whatever you need."

There was a long pause

"He cheated on me," she finally said.

"I'm sorry," he mumbled, not looking in her direction.

"Braxiatel?" She gave him a questioning look.

"I am sorry, My Lady. I did not want to believe it. I didn't think Narvin would be that stupid. You need someone who will never hurt you." He brushed the hair away from her eyes. "If there is anything I can do..."

And Braxiatel just looked at her with those kind eyes and she knew she wanted him to hold her, to kiss her, to take her to bed, but she couldn't ask that of him. She couldn't use him in that way and pull him into her own misery. They would end up hating each other and he would resent her.

Braxiatel sighed. He wished he had the courage to just take her into his arms, kiss her so hard that it left her so breathless. But he didn't. He believed she thought very little of him and didn't blame her, after all she endured from his Valeyards self. He quietly resigned to just being her friend and being whatever she needed right then.

He had spent many years not wanting marriage, children and never felt any desire for an intimate relationship. The women he had had in his arms were purely there for show because he liked having beautiful things around him. But Romana was different. She made him want her, want a family. She was as good as an equal in his eyes, something he never had before.

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