Summary: Unscrupulous temporal engineers and a major breach in the laws of time lead Rose Tyler and the first Romana to join forces to rescue the Doctor. Both of him.
Rated: PG-13
Notes: Start the year out right with some Romana fic. Beta by Branwyn.

Timepiece
by LizBee

One

It was the perfect day, and it was never going to end. Rose stood in the centre of the markets of Temnein and looked up. Around her was a vast alien crowd: merchants, customers, dancers, travellers. And above and around them were the raging winds of a gas giant, held at bay by a bubble in time. It was like watching a storm through the window, seeing trees uprooted while you were warm and secure inside.

It wasn't safe here -- Rose watched with interest as a small child (at least, she assumed it was a child) picked the pocket of a passing alien -- but it was amazing.

She didn't even mind -- much -- that the Doctor had left her alone while he ran off to gawk at a computer or something. "Try not to get kidnapped," he'd called as he disappeared into the crowd, "I'll be back to rescue you later."

So far she'd gone two hours without being kidnapped, and the little pickpocket had gotten a clout around the ear when he went for her purse. Score one for the stupid apes. Only she was starting to wonder when he'd get back, because she'd all but exhausted this section of the marketplace, and didn't want to move on without letting him know where she was. She'd bought gifts for her mum, and a nice kind of crystal thing that was supposed to bring good luck, that she would hang in her room in the TARDIS. Now she was considering the alien fashions, but seriously, it was time to move on.

Abruptly she became aware of a change in the sound of a crowd. There was movement, heavy footsteps. Rose turned to see what was happening, but a hand closed around her shoulder and a woman's voice said, "Are you Rose?"

"Yes, but--"

"Run."

Instinct compelled Rose to obey.

"This'd better not be a kidnapping," she managed to say as they pushed through the crowds. On the edge of her vision, she could see uniformed figures behind them.

"The Doctor sent me."

And they were heading straight for the TARDIS. Rose reached for her key, but the woman reached into her white robe and withdrew one of her own. It hung on a chain, just like Rose's, and the door opened when she turned it.

"Hurry," the woman said, so Rose followed her in and closed the door, and watched in numb amazement as the stranger threw herself at the console, throwing levers and adjusting dials like she could pilot a TARDIS in her sleep.

And they were away.

"Who are you?" Rose demanded, catching her breath. "Where are we going, and what have you done with the Doctor?"

The woman looked at her. She was tall and beautiful, dark curls and fair skin, and she was looking at Rose like she'd just opened an unwanted gift.

"My name is Romana," she said, "and for now, we're making a strategic retreat. As for the Doctor, he manages to get into trouble quite well without my help." She looked around, frowning. "I see he hasn't lost his love for amateur repairs. Can't say I like the colours. They're in trouble, you see," she turned her attention back to Rose, "which isn't unusual, but it is serious."

"'They'."

"The Doctor," said Romana, as if explaining to a slow child. "In two of his incarnations. It violates the laws of time, but I suppose that's the least of our worries right now."

"And you're ... what, a time agent?"

Romana snorted. "Hardly." And then, like it was something you could just announce casually, she said, "I'm a Time Lord."

"Liar," said Rose. She could feel her heart pounding against her chest. Her palms were sweaty.

"Well, I do have some exams to take, but that's hardly significant."

"No," said Rose. "He's the last one. The last of the Time Lords," she added, just to make it clear. "Everyone knows that. They have, like, legends about it. So you can't just come in here and expect me to believe you." She was backing towards the door, which was stupid, but she wanted as much space between her and that -- woman -- as possible. "So who are you really? And why do you need me, because it wasn't to get into the TARDIS."

Romana looked slightly ill. Kind of like -- and Rose didn't want to be having this thought -- but kind of like someone might look if you'd just told them they were meant to be extinct. And suddenly she seemed much younger, and less sure of herself.

"They don't prepare you for this at university," she said. "'Don't cross time streams', they say, and leave the rest up to your imagination. Well, the punishments seem real enough..." She was approaching slowly, holding out her wrists. "Look," she said gently, "two heartbeats."

Rose felt them fluttering beneath her fingers, and it was just like the Doctor only maybe a bit faster, but she said, "You can't be the only ones in the universe to have two hearts."

"But as a symbol," said Romana, "you have to agree it's compelling."

"The Doctor," said Rose.

"He's in the laboratories beneath Temnein. Both of him. The Temnons will do their experiments, and then they'll hook the Doctor up to their temporal phase devices. They're partially organic, you see, and that bubble is hugely complex. The Temnons have been stealing time travellers for years. Hitchhikers, vagrants, the ones who won't be missed. But a Time Lord? Two?"

"It's like Christmas," said Rose.

"I don't know what that is," said Romana, "but it was not an opportunity to pass up." She began to pace. "I don't understand why he went back there in his future incarnation. Unless he's mad, of course. Or senile--"

Rose let that one pass, and just said, "He didn't say anything about having been there before. Just that he'd heard about it. He thought it'd be fun."

"Fun."

"Or, you know, an experience."

"Travelling with the Doctor is certainly that."

And suddenly Rose wanted to sit her done for a nice girly chat about the Doctor, and where Romana was from, and what was it like to be a Time Lord, and all the rest. But Romana had closed up again, going all cold and elegant once more. She turned away, saying something about needing to think, and walked out of the console room.

Rose let her go. Romana probably had a lot to think about, what with accidentally finding out her whole species was going to be wiped out. Rose bit her lip, and made a mental list of topics to avoid. Daleks. Time War. Lonely god. That time she caught the Doctor dancing to Elvis songs in his shorts.

And at the same time, she opened up the TARDIS records. They were sketchy, highly unreliable and difficult to use -- for her, at least. But eventually she found a mention of Romana, or at least, the jettisoning of her room, which was good enough. As long as she didn't have a crazy alien serial killer lurking in the TARDIS, Rose figured it couldn't be that bad a day.

Then, figuring that enough time had passed, she went looking for Romana.

She found her in the kitchen, drinking green tea and staring into space.

"So you found everything okay?" Rose said. Stupid, but domestic and comforting.

"Yes," said Romana. "Thank you."

Sitting before her on the table was what Rose could only think of as an alien wand. Romana caressed it absently, frowning.

"What's that?" Rose asked.

"Duty."

"Oh."

"The Temnons will be quite happy to feed us into their machines if we give them a chance. You're less valuable, being a human, but you've travelled in time and been exposed to Time Lord technology. I barely escaped." Romana sipped her tea. "It was your Doctor who saved me. He told me to find you, take the TARDIS and get away, and damn the timeline." She sighed. "I can see he's only gotten worse with age."

"But we're going back for him, right?"

Romana looked at her like she was stupid. "Of course," she said. Rose relaxed slightly.

"Good," she said. "So ... do you have a plan?"

"Not yet," Romana admitted. "But I'm sure something will present itself."

The look in her eyes reminded Rose of the Doctor, which was worrying and reassuring all at once. Rose got up to make herself a cup of tea, and silently promised, Don't worry, Doctor, we're on our way.

to be continued