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A Story by Romana

After returning after her time away from Gallifrey Romana returns to be President again . a kind of sequel to returning to Gallifrey

The TARDIS arrived quietly outside the Palace and as Romana stepped out she breathed a sign of relief that there was no welcoming committee this time. She had expected at least something from her peers, something to show that they were happy that she was back.

She frowned, scanning the empty courtyard in which they had materialised.

"What, nothing?" she thought "I am President of Gallifrey!"

Deep down though, an unpleasant knot in her stomach told her the truth and she pursed her lips with the realisation.

Undeterred, Romana padded though the open space before her and into a wide, sweeping corridor, resplendent in the usual ambitious and intricate Time Lord architecture. The Doctor had once remarked to her about how Time Lords did not favour pastels " favouring lush fittings and deep hues. The more dramatic and imposing the better, she mused.

She reached the bank of lifts that had access to the Presidential suite. Sighing, she entered the first available lift car, depressed the button for the appropriate floor and keyed in the security code that granted her access to that floor.

As the lift rose through the building's interior, she wondered why there were so few others around upon her arrival. In fact, she had not seen a single soul since she arrived.

She had sent word ahead of her arrival, ensuring that whoever had been caretaking her position during her sabbatical had indeed vacated her office. In a way, she was glad that she hadn't seen anyone; there would be more time for her to settle in and compose herself now she was back.

It had been an entire year now since she had been taken from Gallifrey to Davidia, the presidential paradise retreat, when it had become clear that after her twenty years captivity at the Dalek's hands, she had fallen apart barely escaping with her sanity. Braxiatel had planned for her to leave Gallifrey to recover on Davidia. He had taken in the frightful sight of his former pupil and now leader and put in place procedures to ensure that she would heal in both body and mind as much as was possible. He had taken her care into his own hands and dealt with it. He was the only one who seemed to care.

She thought about what it had been like when she arrived back on Gallifrey after her incarceration and she grimaced. The crowds of Time Lords staring at her like a crowd of peasants at a country freak show. The Doctor, his kiss, his smile and then he was gone. Then there was Braxiatel .

It was during that time she saw a very different side to Braxiatel, even though she had directed all her anger towards him. There was just so much pain that needed to come out of her tired, broken soul, but he was patient with her even when she had refused to even eat.

She had been so angry and hurt by being left to fester in a Dalek prison for so long by her people. She knew damn well that they had the technology and the intelligence to find her. They could have even appealed to the Agency if they wanted to. They hadn't, no one had and it made her blood boil at the thought of not only her own plight, but the rest of the Gallifreyan people. If they could ignore her, then what chance did the misery of the average Time Lord or Shobogan have?

The lift car stopped travelling finally and opened its doors, depositing Romana into a lobby filled with light from the huge wall of windows in front of her. A row a carefully manicured red leaved plants in beautifully rendered pots punctuated each new piece of glass.

A new feature, she noted, before turning right towards the thick wooden doors that lead to her office.

Inside the room was empty and still. Her desk was neat and organised, with a few data cores left at the edge of her writing pad. The light was hazy with the orange light pouring through the collection of long curved windows that spanned the wall to her right, behind her desk.

She was happy with being left alone once more. She had too many thoughts busily trying to make their way to the front of her mind for consideration.

"Twenty years, did they just forget me? Like I no longer mattered?" Romana had hissed at Braxiatel His soft, troubled eyes staring into hers, wanting her to let her guard down, wanting her to open up. He had listened, he had comforted, he had been there for her.

She knew he would have fought for her, she knew he would have cared. She also knew that one, lonely voice against the entire might of the High Council meant nothing and probably earned him a few enemies just for trying to help her.

In all truth and honesty, he felt sick to the stomach at the idea of anyone ever harming her, so to get her into the state that she had been on her return to Gallifrey, had utterly hurt his hearts and soul.

He hadn't known what was worse: Romana feeling like she hadn't mattered or what had been decided by the High Council in terms of pursuing her after her abduction. They clearly had their own agenda which they could now play out, now that this upstart of a Time Lady was no longer physically there to be their President.

It had enraged him to say the least.

"I still fear them coming for me," she remembered whispering to him one night on Davidia when he had been there with her. Hot tears would burn down her face.

He had held her close to him as she clung to him, until she managed to calm her tears and sobs into nothing. He had spoken gently to her, telling her she was safe and trying to end her ever rising terror.

She slowly walked round the back of her chair, not really taking much notice of her surroundings. She turned to face the beautiful light coming through the windows and closed her eyes, letting it wash her of those terrible feelings of dread and fear.

Davidia had been a tonic, that was certain, but there was nothing like being home.

She returned to her silent reverie.

Even the vague memories that sprung up every now and again made her feel like it happened to someone else. Her return home seemed like millennia ago. Even her time in captivity. All of it seemed strangely far away now and a fog had come down over her memory, obscuring things and making them seem unreal. Perhaps this was her own minds instinctive defense mechanism working, perhaps not. Either way, it did not push some memories away.

She was almost startled when she came to realise that the main things that had kept the fog at bay were those of Braxiatel They were things she did remember like him carrying her to her bedroom because she couldn't stand up or the fact he held her when she had the nightmares of the Dalek's.

She smiled broadly at the thought of his closeness and his kindness. She longed to feel both again and soon.

Her scars were healing, at least the ones on the surface, but inside she knew it would take longer to get over. The time away on Davidia did do her some good and she was looking better; the colour had returned to her face and although she was still lanky, she had put some weight on.

She opened her eyes and moved closer to the window, looking out among the snow capped mountains flanking the edges of the Capital. She watched the twin suns lower slightly in the marmalade sky. She never thought she would see that beautiful sight ever again and she silently revelled in it.

There was a small noise, close behind her and she spun round to reveal Braxiatel stood at the opposite side of her desk.

"Madam President," he smiled at her. "Welcome back,"

"Braxiatel, I am so glad to be home!" she grinned at him, not even thinking to question how he got into her office and across the room without her even hearing him do so. She was just so pleased to see him.

"As I am glad to see my President standing there looking so much better" he replied, finding it hard not to smile at her dramatically changed appearance. She had been a solemn, silent wreck when she had returned a year ago. She was pale and deathly thin, so much so that he had been afraid for her life.

Relief poured through him at the sight of her, renewed.

During her time away she had seen a new, different side to him. It had taken an entire year away from Gallifrey for her to return to her normal, assured persona. Oh what had she put him through? The shouting? The crying? The days of silence? How he sat with her all night and waited patiently for her to even talk. If he had not been there for her on Davidia, she would have gone completely mad and she knew it. How could she cope without him?

How could her hearts cope?

Before she could even think quickly enough to stop herself, she had brought herself next to him round the other side of the desk and brought her lips to his.

For a moment, neither party moved, both stunned by what was happening.

He seemed to snap to his senses quicker and held her at arm's length, not wanting for either of them to regret it. It was certainly true that over the past six months they had become closer. He no longer saw her as a little girl, no longer his acolyte.

Hurt flashed in her eyes when he looked into them, making him instantly regret pushing her away. Anything that hurt her hurt him too.

"Are you sure this is what you want?" he murmured, his words heavy with meaning.

He had become overwhelmed in the recent past by not only her outer beauty, but by her inner beauty. She had come alive to him in so many, wondrous ways and it had given him his own sleepless nights trying to figure out what had made this Time Lady his first thought in the morning and the last at night.

"Yes," she stated firmly, as she looked at him steadily, not allowing him to give rise to question her sincerity.

"You know people will talk when it gets out" he found himself saying as his head began to spin.

"Let them" she beamed, her face radiating joy.

Braxiatel gently brushed the hair out of her eyes and cupped her face in his hands, kissing her softly. Romana quickly returned the kiss before they both pulled apart, smiling at each other.

"Thank you" she smiled softly at him "for everything"

"I live to serve my President," Braxiatel replied.