Disclaimer: Don't own Doctor who, and am making no money from this.
A/N: Thanks to Rosetylerroxs for Betaing this for me passes tardis plushie
CHAPTER 1
The wind blew through the open window overlooking the great plain of the dead zone. The roses that held every shade she could think of glowed healthy under the red sky of Gallifrey. The rose scented breeze blew through her hair as she looked over the plain. It was her birthday today, which means her father would come to see her. Her heart soared at that thought. She loved her father so. He was the champion of Gallifrey, the oncoming storm, The Doctor, and most importantly, her father.
She had grown from the pretty 8 year old, who played on the hill just outside the window she sat, to a beautiful young Time Lady. She was the top of her class and year. Her father had often said she had her mother's beauty and his brains.
While everyone devoted their time on the new type of TARDISes she learned that and more. She learned all she could about the Type-40. She had finished the new components for her fathers Type-40. She knew the old girl was getting run down, her father had been offered a new version. But he would not be parted from his beloved time ship. And she knew the old girl would never want to leave him, they were bound by some link she may never understand.
"Rowenaantiluvamentra! Do you find daydreaming more educational than my lesson on temporal physics?"
"Of course not sir" she replied, turning her gaze from the window.
"Well in that case what is the answer to my question?" the teacher asked
" I blame the weak blood, I mean, having a human mother. It's bound to affect the mind" Inada commented, giggling with the other girls with her. Rowena sighed.
"The answer is 559 ratio7739001 sir. And Inada, that human mother you so try to discredit, saved our entire race. And what have you managed to do? Oh yes. Fail this course," she replied in a bored tone
The teacher smiled, he was a fairly old and kind Time Lord. He only seemed gruff when he thought you weren't paying attention.
"That is enough you two, the lesson is over for today. You all my go." The students started to file out of the teaching room and out into the white streets of the citadel.
"Rowena?"
"Yes, teacher Peledon?"
"May I have a few words with you?"
"Of course, sir" Rowena approached the desk of the old one, it was said he was on his last regeneration. His wizened face showing his life. He wore half rimmed glasses on his nose, over which he now looked. His green eyes looking kindly at her.
"You no longer need to attend my lessons Rowena, you have learned all I can teach." He stated, simply.
"I shall miss your lessons sir"
"And I will miss your young mind. But I have a feeling you will be leaving us soon. He returns today does he not?" he smiled at Rowena, wise green eyes shining.
"Yes sir, he does" Rowena matched his smile.
"Well then, on this day of your birth and last lesson with me a gift is in order!" With a wink he opened a draw and pulled out a little package, which he handed to Rowena.
"Sir, you shouldn't have"
"Nonsense. Open it" Rowena smiled and started to unwrap the gift, under the silk cloth was a wooden box. It was beautifully carved; the seal of Rassilon on its centre and growing through it was a red rose, it's stem forever woven between the seal.
"Not all of us diminish your mothers sacrifice my dear." He smiled warmly; she smiled her gratitude back, and then undid the gold clasp holding the box closed.
Inside was a beautiful crystal Rose; she gently took it from the box. The light refracting through it showing every shade of rose that grew in the field.
"To remind you of home."
"Oh, thank you teacher Peledon. I shall treasure it," she rose and hugged the old Time Lord who returned the embrace. "It must have taken you ages, I thought you had given up the craft."
"I have, but one last crystal sculpture before I become one with the Vortex. Besides, it seemed fitting. Now off with you my girl. Don't want to miss your father." Rowena placed the crystal rose back in its box and kissed teacher Peledon quickly on the cheek, before she rushed from the room.
Peledon chuckled at the girl, she had spirit. The combination of the Doctors and her mother, God help the universe. He walked to the window to look over the roses as Rowena had done, he could see the young ones running through the flowers. But soon the sun was hidden as it began to rain. He looked over the field near the tower and squinted his eyes as he saw a flash of gold. He watched as what looked to be an earth wolf, tread its way through the roses never disturbing a bloom. The blonde/gold wolf stopped, and its gold eyes looked straight at him.
"Do not fear, she is doing well my lady" the wolf nodded then ran to the tower of Rassilon and disappeared in a swirl of gold dust.
Rowena ran to field of Roses, laughing as it began to rain. She never minded the rain, it cleansed all things. She ran on to the hill overlooking the field and sat under one of Gallifrey's silver trees for cover. He would turn up soon she was so excited.
"Aww, is the little half breed waiting for its daddy?"
"What do you want Inada? Haven't you got a brain to find?" Rowena didn't even bother to look up from her view of the field. This was a very old game, some really couldn't let go of old prejudices. Inada's family were one of the old line, and they could not conceive that a primitive human ape had saved them. How could the Vortex bond with someone so unworthy? Why not a Time Lord? Why not them?
Inada walked in front of Rowena, blocking her view. She looked up at the snobbish face of the other girl, and then looked to the three other girls with Inada.
"Why if it isn't Lessa, Ryn and Anzu. The gang's all here. I'm touched."
"What's this?" in an instant Inada had grabbed the box, which held her rose. "Oh that old fop. How dare he defile the symbol of Rassilon with that thing? It isn't bad enough that we have the stupid weeds growing on our very soil. Now he dares put it with the seal!"
"Shut up! They are not weeds."
"Oh, hit a nerve? Well your mother was named after the silly things wasn't she? That makes her a weed too. One that needs to be stamped out" Inada lifted the box above her head to smash it to the ground.
"No!" Rowena tried to rush forward, but the other girls got in the way. The box hit the ground, spilling the crystal rose to the floor. The fragile crystal shattering upon impact. Then Inada lifted her food to smash the box. But a low growl stopped her. All girls looked behind them to see a gold wolf, its teeth bared as it snarled at the girl. Inada backed off eyes fearful as she did so. The wolf snapped it's jaws once and the girls ran. But Rowena remained. She was looking at the shattered remains of the crystal rose, tears running down her face.
"Why? Why can't they just leave me alone? It's not my fault she was my mum. Why can't I be a normal Time Lady?" Rowena looked up as the wolf made a small whine. She watched as the Wolf touched its nose to the rose, and time turned back, the shards flying back to become the whole, unmarred flower. Then the wolf stepped back.
"T…thank you" Rowena picked up the rose and placed it back into the box. When she looked back up the wolf was gone.
"Who wants to be normal? Being special is so much more fun." Rowena looked around for the source of the sweet lilting whisper, but could see no one.
The TARDIS travelled through the Space-Time Vortex heading for home. Its owner and oldest friend the Doctor smiled at the Time-Rota as it moved up and down.
"Soon be home again old girl. Looking forward to seeing Rowena?" the Doctor smiled as he got an answering beep.
Eventually, the TARDIS' engines changed pitch and with a clunk the ancient craft materialized on its home soil. The Doctor didn't even get to the door before it was opened from the outside and he was bowled over by his young daughter. To a human she would look to be 19, though she has lived now for 40 years.
"Whoa! Happy to see your old dad?"
"Course I am. What you been up to? Saving planets again?"
"Of course!"
"And seeing stars explode?" Rowena asked, hugging her father
"Of course!" His enthusiastic response making her giggle. He was always so full of energy, his hair standing up and ruffled seemed to show this. His brown eyes shone with excitement, but you could still she the shadow of great sadness at their edges.
"Been abusing the TARDIS?"
"Of course!…..Hey….you cheeky girl!" He gave her a poke in the ribs.
"Sorry dad, but you fell for it!" She stuck the tip of her tongue between her teeth as she laughed, an echo of her mother.
"You're too much like your mother you are. Pick up the Tyler mean streak you have!"
"Talk like Yoda mode now in?" The Doctor just stuck his tongue out.
"So what do you have there?" He indicated the box.
"It's a birthday present from Peledon, he made it for me." She handed him the box. He saw the seal and smiled, but he looked on in awe at the crystal rose.
"Why that silly know it all, thought he had given this up! Said he lost his inspiration years ago." He placed the rose back in its box and handed it back to Rowena. "Well go put that in your room, and we'll go pick your stuff up. Then we can be off. Where to first?"
"Can we go to earth? I haven't had chips in years."
"Chips it is."
She placed the box in her room, and then making sure the TARDIS key (that had been her mothers), was around her neck, she made her way to the console room. Together her and her father walked out onto the soil of Gallifrey, he looked to the field a moment. Then continued on.
"So what's been going on?"
"Same old politics father: There has been some unrest over the new version of the seal though. Romana is having a tough time." Rowena replied. They walked side by side as the sun shone red, the landscape burned the same colour.
"I bet! The stupid fools, when will they open their eyes? If they don't it will just happen all over again. And this time there will be no Rose to save them." His face darkened a moment.
"Doctor! My friend, I thought you would have gone by now," came the old voice.
"Peledon! I couldn't leave without saying goodbye." The Doctor came forward, giving the old Time Lord an embrace. "Thank you for the gift to Rowena"
"It was a pleasure and an honour, and the Lady seemed pleased."
"The lady? Who Romana?" The Doctor asked, looking confused.
"No, the Lady, Doctor. Your Lady."
"What Rowena?"
"Did I really teach someone so dense?" Peledon commented as he turned to walk across the plaza in the citadel.
"Hey!….I wasn't that dense" the Doctor mumbled, he glared at Rowena as she tried to hold in her giggles.
"Come on you two, I'll treat you to lunch." Peledon called back as he hobbled with his walking stick Rowena jogged up, taking his folder from him so he could walk with ease. The Doctor soon caught up with them with his long strides.
They walked along the plaza to the outskirts, Peledon seemed to have bought a small home on the edge of the field of roses. They sat on some garden furniture, but were inside as the red rain began to fall. They had tea and scones, which Peledon blamed the Doctor for. It was him that introduced them to the old Time Lord.
The warm water laden air wafted like a spring rain, and the hefty scent of roses accompanying it.
They ate and talked of old times, while Rowena played with Peledon's cat Misfit. Yet another gift from the Doctor.
"So tell me old friend, what is going on? Row tells me there is unrest."
"Yes, over those of the new seal. And the "true way of Rassilon" as they call it. The pure seal. Piffle!" Peledon said with scorn, rising to stand at the edge of the over hang. "There has be protests, even to the length of terrorism. I thought we were better than that."
"What are they thinking? Rose wouldn't want this. She didn't sacrifice herself so we could destroy ourselves" the Doctor raged, Rowena could see he was mad, it wasn't often in this regeneration that he got mad.
"But Father, you know mum didn't sacrifice her life for Gallifrey." Rowena commented quietly
"No, but your mother wouldn't want us to fall apart. She did love Gallifrey."
"But how would you know? She only saw it for a couple of minutes before she died. If she saw how they treat people she would have hated it!" Rowena shouted, she seemed shocked a moment, then ran out into the rain and through the field.
"What was that about?" the Doctor asked, shocked at his daughter's outburst.
"She has had a rough time Doctor, they consider her a half breed. Not unlike how they treated you old friend" Peledon commented sadly, "but I must admit it has become worse with the emergence of the new seal."
"Oh, this is ridiculous. When will they learn?"
"In the fullness of time Doctor, in the fullness of time"
"I should go after her."
"No, leave her. Look, the sun is coming out, let her have some time to herself." They both turned round at the sound of the COM system, Peledon hefted himself out of the chair and walked to the screen.
"Yes?"
"Forgive me Peledon, but they have gone mad!"
"Calm down, Cadfael. Who are mad?"
"Sakura and the others. They're going to turn the primary power system off!"
"What! But that will turn off the defence system!" Peledon roared back over the COM, by this time the Doctor had come to stand by his side.
"What about the secondary systems?"
"They are under repair and are shut down. We will be defenceless!"
"Oops."
"Not quite the word I would have used Doctor," Peledon commented.
"We have to stop them!" Cadfael shouted over the screen, his voice was followed by an explosion and the lights flickering off as the power died.
"I rather think we're too late." Peledon dryly stated the obvious.
Rowena ran through the roses, the rain had stopped shortly after she had fled. So she could no longer hide the tears in the rain. What had she been thinking? It wasn't her father's fault of how they treated her! And her mother was a saviour, she couldn't blame her she?
She found herself near the tower of Rassilon, she looked up at its towering edifice.
"Why Rassilon? Why did you have to take her? I really needed her!" She collapsed to the ground sobbing.
"Why you crying Row?" She looked to see some of the young ones she had helped Peledon teach.
"Yeah Row, why you cry?"
"Because I miss my mum."
"How can you miss what you never knew half-breed!"
"Go away Inada!"
"No, don't think I will." Inada said coldly, before pushing Rowena over, "because you haven't answered my question."
"I don't know!" Rowena sobbed
"Do you even remember her face?" Inada continued coldly, the others in her gang keeping the little ones at bay as they tried to come to Rowena's aid
"Leave her alone!"
"Quiet runts!"
"Answer me half-breed. Do you remember her face?" Rowena was stopped from answering by a sonic boom from the heavens. All looked up to see many silver ships coming from the sky, they were square in shape, with what looked to be flaps coming from the side, their front was made such that it looked like a robot head.
They came down from the sky; their hulls still red hot from the atmosphere. There were several flashes as their landing thrusters fired, the Roses being burned to cinders under the onslaught.
As they stilled on the field, the fronts opened lowering like drawbridges, and from inside came row after row of silver robot like beings, all carrying menacing guns.
The Doctor and Peledon had made their way to the citadel; Time Lords were running round in a panic, trying to restore power. There they met with Cadfael.
"What is happening Cadfael?"
"We are trying to restore the power, be we are defenceless Lord Peledon. It is good to have the champion with us also." The Doctor snorted at the title.
"Very well Cadfael. Has president Romana been informed?"
"Of course, she is on her way here." Cadfael replied.
"Very well, get on."
"Doctor, it is good to see you!" Came a sweet lilting female voice.
"Ah Romana, you look well." The Doctor walked forward with his full energy, stopping short before her and bowing to the lady president.
"Yes, though I wish we would meet under different circumstances." Romana turned to the officers in charge of defence, they brought her up to speed, just as they too heard the sonic boom. They all rushed to the large bay window, overlooking the scene of Gallifrey. The rivers of Mobious flowed to the horizon, the tower of Rassilon burned red in the sun and the roses swayed in the slight breeze. Disturbing the serene scene was the many glints of the silver hulls of ships reflecting the sun. The Doctor knew these ships all too well.
"Oh, raspberries….Cybermen!"
"Where are they landing?" Romana asked.
"In the field of Roses ma'am," one of the guards replied.
"No, Rowena is down there" Doctor exclaimed, turning to Romana. His eyes were frantic and afraid.
"Remus, make ready the guard. We need to fight them."
"Of course, ma'am." The personal guard bowed to Romana then set off, the Doctor took a step to follow.
"Doctor wait, we may need your help." Romana stated
"I can't lose her Romana," then he was gone, running through the hallways.
"What are they?" Inada said quietly, as they hid among the roses.
"Cybermen." Rowena replied just as quietly, the young ones quivering by her side, holding her hands.
"How do you know?" Inada hissed
"Because I actually pay attention to teacher Peledon." They watched as a group of three walked past, then they shuffled near the tower.
"I'm scared Row," sniffled one of the children. A small girl called Rose. Rowena had laughed at this. They said it was in honour of her mother. She felt sorry for the young one.
"Don't worry, Rose, my father will come"
"Oh yes, lets wait for the great champion!" Inada commented in a snide tone.
"Shhh!" It was too late though, they were already spotted. "Run!"
They began to run, Rowena carrying the small one. They headed for the citadel, but they did not get far: A group of Cybermen stood in their way. Inada froze in place, making them stop too. The Cybermen pointed guns at them, the glint of death reflected off their barrels. Only the one in the centre made no movement.
"What shall we do leader?" One of the Cybermen asked the one in the centre.
"Rowena!" she turned to see her father get to the top of the hill, the presidents guards with him.
"Kill them." She turned back as the Cyberleader spoke.
Rowena looked on as all guns were aimed at them. Time seemed to slow, the numerous beams coming towards her, knew her death was at hand.
"ROWENA!" would her fathers voice be the last she heard? Death was looming, and there was no escape.
b>TBC... /b>