THE GALLIFREY CHRONICLES, THE FALL OF GALLIFREY

Romana had thought a lot in the medical station about Braxiatel, about Narvin and her babies. She had grown closer to Brax during the period she was away from work, she had seen a more tender side to him, and the way he had cared for her but love? She knew she loved him more than anyhing but how could she know if he felt the same without making a fool of herself.

"I'm not allowed love," she remembered whispering to herself one night when she was alone.

He had given up his room, his bed for her. He had spent many hours listening and comforting her. He had kept Narvin away when she had not felt well enough to deal with him and made sure she ate and got enough rest. Oh how she loved him. She almost felt she could not of got through any of this without him.

And Just when she had decided to tell Braxiatel of her feelings. it had all come, far too late again.

For the second time she had been forced to exile Braxiatel and this time she knew the high council would never let him return. He would never see their twins growing up, their first words and that destroyed her.

Why did he have to break the laws of time, knowing she would have no choice? she had already compromised herself by keeping his crimes against the laws of time secret and putting her Presidency at risk.

How could Braxiatel have put her in that situation in the first place? leaving her with very little choice? Now he had left, she was left with very few allies left in the capital.

Narvin walked into the presidential offices wondering what kind of mood he would find Romana in today. She was scribbling on a data pad and didn't look up when he entered the office.

It was for the best getting Braxiatel exiled. He knew he had a hand in it but he wasn't going to let Braxiatel sail off into the sunset with Romana. Braxiatel wasn't right for her and Narvin was determined to win Romana back.

"Madam President," he said. She looked up at him from a stack of paperwork on her desk and glared at him, showing Narvin exactly what kind of mood she was in.

"The Doctor is on his way back to Gallifrey. Once he is, he must be arrested and dealt with accordingly."

"I will not sanction that," Romana said in an icy tone.

"Madam President, Romana you have no choice."

Romana stood up from her desk towering over him like some hunger wolf waiting to eat him. "As I have told you Narvin, you are not expendable. I can replace you in a instant. Now you will do as you are told and if you do not I will strip you of your position and you shall have no career. Now do we understand each other?"

Narvin gulped and tried to concrete on his breathing. It was ridicious the head of the CIA being terrified of a heavily pregnant Time Lady. He was a whimp and he knew it. Narvin knew without a doubt that she would follow through with her threats.

"I will not order the arrest of the Doctor without proof of the Doctors guilt, and you can tell that to the high council once they voice their inevitable protest. I am still President of Gallifrey and its about time you all learnt to accept that fact. Do I make myself clear Co-ordinator?" her tone seething in anger.

Narvin was tired of it. Tired of Romana putting the Doctor first, tired of her defending him no matter what. Sometimes he wondered if she loved the Doctor; with her liberal policys and her friendship with a regenerate Time Lord. He didn't doubt, if she wasn't pregnant she would run away with the Doctor in a instant.

"Yes, you couldn't make it clearer," spat Narvin as the anger continued to bubble inside of him like an volancoe waiting to erupt..

"Romana."

"Now that is all, please leave."

"Madam President, I must object in the strongest of terms."

"This is a matter between me and the Doctor, and you will not interfere. So object all you like. Now leave."

Narvin took one final glance at Romana and stomped out of the room. He was angry. How she could treat him like that and was convinced she was waiting for the right time to humiliate him, and in all fairness he deserved it.

He had cheated on her and she would not forgive him but none of those women had been her. None of them had ever come close to Romana. He remembered the first time. it was when Romana had a break down after they thought Emmaline had died and then it continued. He liked the attention but he had being selfish and he knew it. Now his activities were known by Gallifrey. He got disaproval looks but he was determined to shield Emmaline from it. She was his daughter and he had to protect her.

The Doctor sighed; the Time Lords had demanded he return to Gallifrey. He knew it was not good, not good at all.

"Romana," he called out. "We are going back to Gallifrey for a bit," he called out, but no answer. Where was she? he thought silently to himself.

Suddenly a figure stood in the door way. "Doctor?" she said softly as her clear blue eyes looked into his, as her long flowing blonde hair. fell down her shoulders.".

"Sorry I was looking for Romana," he said deep in thought. "I thought-," realising it was her.

"What, "he said to himself.

"What are you doing?" which had been a very silly question it was clear what she was doing.

"Regenerating," she said softly.

"There was no need, are you really so full of vanity?" he groaned.

"Don't you like it?"

He looked into her beautiful sparkling blue eyes. "Of course I do but-"

"Then what's the problem?"

"The problem. There was nothing wrong with-"

"I can always change it."

"But," he started to say. "Oh, we don't have time for this today."

"You hate it?"

"No, I just think. Oh what's the use, have it your own way." it was like His own Romana again and he could never win. He moved back to the console, muttering things about copies of bodies and regenerating on a whim.

Finally the TARDIS landed with a bump. The Doctor stepped out first followed by Romana .

"You know maybe I should have a different name," she paused as in thought.

"Well Time Lords choose their own names. What would you like to use?"

"I like Idris."

"All right, Idris it is."

"Doctor," said a young Guard. "You will come with me."

They followed the Guard through the long winding grey sluggish corridor. One that seem to stretch out for miles and miles. it was like one of those corridors you would run through in a dream and you would never quite reach your destination.

Romana sighed she knew she would appear to be weak if she was not to make the right decision. Earlier she had been forced to exile Braxiatel for his breaking of ancient laws. She had been pushed into it. The father of her unborn baby a secret she had kept from everyone even herself until recently, but she had knew it was true. Brax was the father of her unborn child whether she liked it or not and right now she didn't like it one bit.

it seemed he was only one who cared about them. How could she have done it exiled the one person who cared, but she had no choice and she knew it.

Now her Presidency was hanging by a thread. The high council had gone over her head appointing a chancellor a very weak individual a very old school person who would happily see her deposed of.

Now the high council wanted the Doctor arrested and tried for his crimes before even knowing if he was responsible for the cracks and they clearly saw her indecision as weak.

"Oh Brax," she whispered. "I need your counsel more than ever my friend," as she wiped a tear from her already tear strained face placing an hand on her stomach. Suddenly the door opened and in walked the Doctor and Idris.

"Romana," said the Doctor. "This is Idris, well she was the other you on the other Gallifrey, but she regenerated and changed her name," the Doctor rambled on.

Romana made no effort to welcome the new Time Lord but stared anywhere so long as it wasn't at them, hating herself for been made to make a decision regarding him, regarding them, and what about Awen. She was only just starting to get to know her daughter.. How could she send him away from her without the Doctor having the chance to get to know her?

It tore at her soul as the sickness in the pit of her stomach was back making her want to be sick and she was sick of it all; sick of Braxiatel's law breaking, sick of Narvin's activities, and sick and tired of the high council being against her.

"The high council have my hands tied I am afraid they believe you or your TARDIS is responsible for the cracks. I have no choice Doctor, I have very few allies in the capital since Braxiatel-"

Romana bit her lip as she tried to control her emotions. She could not afford to let her emotions control her.

"I was forced to exile him,". She glanced away and stood up and walked towards the large windows looking above the beautiful mountains and the afternoon sun. The beautiful twin suns were of no comfort to her today and did nothing to improve or lighten her mood. All she felt was a huge dark shadow covering her that she wanted to cry and scream and say it was not fair, but she wouldn't because she was Romanadvoratrelundar President of the Time Lords and she could not appear to be weak.

She simply could not let the High council win. She had already lost Braxiatel for good and she felt that loss greatly. She could not pretend she felt nothing for Braxiatel if only things had worked out for them.

"I know about Awen," the Doctor said softly placing an comforting hand on her shoulder.

"I would like to know her too," but his plea to her made this worse.

She knew if he stayed the high council would have him vaporised. it went against everything the Time Lords stood for. It went against everything she stood for and what he had once meant to her, what he still could mean to her if she had allowed herself those feelings.

The ice maiden she thought silently to herself, remembering the phrase from some time ago. Braxiatel had told her she must not call herself that but maybe it was true.

She would of followed her head but now her hearts had won as she knew they would.

"You must leave and not come back for your own safety."

The Doctor nodded as if he knew what Romana was risking by helping him get away. He would ask her to come with him but he knew it was pointless. She wouldn't leave, Gallifrey always came first.

"Idris," she said looking at her. "Take care of him, don't let him get into too much trouble."

"I will do my best," she replied.

"Romana," the Doctor said.

"Please don't make me regret this I am putting myself on the line and I don't know what will happen to me afterwards."

"Then come with us."

"If it only it was that simply. Its a difficult-"

"Gallifrey is tearing you apart." the Doctor cut in. He could see it quite clearly in her eyes. She was tired and beaten down by Gallifrey. He wanted to scoop her up in his arms and take her away.

Suddenly he glanced up at her, like he noticed her for the first time. "Romana are you pregnant?"

Romana rolled her eyes, for someone with such a brilliant mind, at times, he could be quite dim.

He took her gentle by her arm leading her into one of the other rooms.

"Yes," she said softly. "It's not yours if that's what you were thinking. It's Braxiatel's."

He wrapped her in his arms for a long moment. "I am so sorry Romana, of course you can't go running across the universe in your condition."

"I wish-," she started to say as she reached for him, but he held her at arms length. Catching her wrists gently.

"I don't think its really me you want. I saw it in your eyes, when you mentioned Braxiatel. You love him don't you?"

"I don't have time for love."

"Romana, this is me you are talking to."

"Yes, I love him so much. The old selfish fool he is. He should be here. I want him. I need him here ... The selfish old man," she repeated the words.

"Come with us," The Doctor pleaded. "You can just rest until your baby is born."

"When I took my wows I promised to defend and protect Gallifrey, as you once did, but I take my wows very serious. I am sorry Doctor, but I have responsibilities to Gallifrey."

The Doctor knew He should not of expected anything less. She was stubborn even in her current regeneration, she was still the same Romana the fierce protector of her world and her people.

He turned to leave.

"Goodbye Romana, until we meet again."

"Goodbye Doctor." It never got easier saying goodbye if anything it grew harder.

It was few micro spans later after the door shut that she felt herself fall as her very soul felt ripped apart, she crashed to the floor knocking things over in an attempt to stop herself falling, knowing they would be nobody this time who would find her as everything went black and a trail of blood from her head ran down her face.

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