Title: Decision Making Exercise
Author: tromana
Rating: T
Characters: Romana/Doctor, Romana/Leela
Summary: …or five times Romana changed her mind
Disclaimer: Still not mine.
Spoilers: The End of Time
Notes: Still not mine. Prompt from hoshinekoyasha.

Decision Making Exercise

i

When the President of Gallifrey first approached her for this task, she'd been somewhat disconcerted. After all, she'd barely just graduated from the Academy and had been so looking forward to starting her thesis. And not only that, but it was practically unheard of for him to leave his quarters to spontaneously visit young Time Lords, never mind proposition them with the idea of the trip of a lifetime.

Her gut instinct had told her to say no, so she did just that. She wasn't ready to leave the planet and it would be a good couple of hundred years until she should even consider the very concept. Besides, the Gallifreyan Flutterwing was such an intriguing species and it deserved the time and energy to be applied thoroughly to it.

But as she slept, her decision shifted. The Flutterwings, an indigenous species, were still going to be there when she got back. Anyway, nobody had ever had the chance to study a Time Lord as, well, insane as the Doctor and he would be just as interesting a subject for her thesis as the tiny insects would have bee. So, the moment she woke, she returned to his quarters and informed him that her decision had indeed changed. He smiled benignly, as if he had always known she would.

It was only when she discovered that the President had actually been a Guardian of Time when she realised he probably always did. It also made her question somewhat whether or not the change of heart had been entirely hers.

ii

When she'd been given her briefing, she'd automatically assumed that she would be the one holding the Doctor's hand throughout their task. Her academic career had been stellar and she'd studied countless theories of working in the field. In short, she was confident of her abilities and despite her initial apprehension, she knew she was well suited to the position. Besides, she'd checked the Doctor's records and had been ever so slightly horrified at just how dense he was and the fact that they were trusting him, of all the Time Lords, to do a task of such importance. It was partially what stopped her from admitting that maybe he was right about the fact her lack of field experience might just be holding her back on occasion. It took a lot for Romana to admit that maybe there had been a couple of flaws in her education, but still. At least she was making up for it now by expanding her horizons by travelling with the Doctor.

It wasn't until the Doctor actually proved he was somewhat clever, despite his diabolical grades, by solving a particularly complex equation approximately five seconds before she did that she decided to revise her opinion entirely. After all, it was entirely possible that in the years he had been travelling that he had picked up a thing or two. And to have survived for so long when he came across hostile creatures time and time ago proved that if nothing else, he had to be rather quick thinking.

Of course she'd never admit that she thought he was clever, relatively speaking. His ego was already more than over-inflated. Besides, the only reason why he appeared to be cleverer was because he was older and had more life experience. That had absolutely nothing to do with actual intelligence at all.

iii

At first, she thought she'd never leave E-Space.

The pocket universe seemed to have trouble after trouble, all of which needed someone, anyone to come and solve it. The thrill of finding the answers for a group of deserving individuals never really grew old and their appreciation certainly made her feel warm inside. Only problem was, the more she thought about this specific universe, the more their issues seemed to appear to be trivial, pointless. Sooner or later, they'd always be able to sort it out themselves. The problems on Gallifrey, however…

Bending to K9's height, Romana asked her mobile computer for his opinion. Of course, he wouldn't state it directly and only gave her it in a roundabout fashion, pretending it were fact. He agreed though, for even though he was a computer and shouldn't have an opinion, the issues they had been dealing with had been boring him too. Once they were back on Gallifrey, he was confident in his mistress' abilities to fix any of the damage he'd obtained since inhabiting E-Space.

When they reached Gallifrey, after a long journey, she knew they'd make the right decision. Finally, she had a challenge at her fingertips that was worthy of her skills.

iv

When Leela approached Romana for the first time, she almost laughed in her face.

What possibly could she see in a human savage who was simply bored because her husband had disappeared? Besides, she was President now and if she had been interested, if she had reciprocated in Leela's emotions, the scandal would have been inconceivable. She remembered that it had been bad enough when Andred had taken Leela as his wife, so Leela becoming Romana's mistress… well it was scarcely worth thinking about.

As she waved Leela off, Romana found herself somewhat grateful that her eyes were still in their sockets.

It was some time after she hired the lithe huntress as her bodyguard that yet again, Romana's opinion shifted somewhat. Leela was intelligent, entertaining and kept Romana on her toes. And why should a political career mean she should forget about having a personal life entirely? It wasn't as if engaging in a sexual relationship with her was going to have any severe repercussions on anyone excepting the two individuals involved.

Of course, Gallifrey and its inhabitants were still rather sheltered. One day, they would be able to cope with the concept that their President was in a relationship with someone who was not only the same gender but a different species to them. But, for now… she'd have to keep it relatively quiet. Besides, being happier would mean she would be a better President, right?

v

Romana was lucky to survive the Time War, even if she had had to sacrifice a body or two to ensure that she lived. Surprisingly enough, it was some Nekkistanis that nursed her back to full health and naturally, she appreciated their help. But it wasn't long until the tiny rock of a planet they had been hiding on began to make her feel trapped, enclosed and the moment she finished a time and space machine suitable to her needs, she left, but not without showing her gratitude first.

She had some feelings that maybe she should go and look for the Doctor. She could sense him, right in the back of the mind and knew that he'd survived the war. Along with the Master, in one form or another. Not the best of company for the very last of a species, but surely it would be better than nothing, right?

When she landed on Earth (oh, how unsurprising that both of them had chosen that backwater planet to inhabit since Gallifrey's disappearance), she immediately changed her mind. Partially, because every human being was wearing the Master's form and partially because seeing the Master's face(s) reminded her just how much she couldn't stand either of their egos.

They could screw it and sort out their own problems. Besides, if the Doctor and the Master had managed to survive, surely other, more deserving Time Lords, should have found a way to escape their inevitable demise too?

end