Romana hadn't eaten the biscuits so much as pinched them into crumbs. She had, however, gone through four cups of tea. "That is a quandary," she admitted. She had known that the Doctor would change after the Time War, but she had not predicted to what extent. What he had done to his TARDIS desktop should have prepared her, but wiping his companion's mind, his clone wiping out the Daleks, him having a clone at all... "You actually kept it in a jar?"

"No," Jack admitted. "I kept it. And it wasn't a jar."

"I did keep it that last bit," the Doctor said, not wanting Jack to take all the blame.

Jack shrugged.

Romana glanced between them and considered their situation. Torchwood's work force had been cut nearly in half, which would have been more of a blow to her if her plans had involved them at all. As it was, Torchwood could be an advantage. Except their Ianto; he and Romana's Ianto were quietly discussing the best way to make tea, and from their expression and the set of their chin, she could tell it was rapidly falling into the most polite argument she would ever see. She took another sip of her tea and watched, fascinated.

"So the me here," Donna said, leaning forward in her chair and taking a biscuit from the tray, "she's still got her family?"

"Just Sylvia and Wilf," the Doctor said. "I'm to go back and visit, but..."

Romana's lips twitched. "You won't."

"I will!" The Doctor squared his shoulders.

"No, dearest. You say you will, but you've said it before. You prefer for the past to remain in the past." She patted his hand. "Nothing wrong with that. It hurts."

The Doctor relaxed slightly. Only slightly. He really did have the best intentions.

"Could I visit them, then?" Donna asked.

"No," the Doctor said firmly. "She sees you, even a glimpse, even if her neighbors see you and ask her what she was doing home in the middle of the day, she'll start asking questions. She starts asking questions, she might get answers. She gets answers, she might die. No going to see her, under any circumstances. Is that clear?"

Donna hung her head and nodded.

Gwen took pity on her. "But maybe you can see Sylvia and Wilf sometime somewhere else. We'll see." She reached across the conference table and patted Donna's hand.

"Well," Romana said firmly, "there seems little to be done until we get my TARDIS working." She stood and looked to the Doctor. "What are your plans, Doctor?"

"Haven't got any." He hesitated. "I was thinking, though, that you and Ianto and Donna might want to travel with me? You know, a full house? Well, fuller house. The TARDIS could never really be full, I don't think."

Romana smiled. "Maybe while construction is ongoing, but I'll need a working TARDIS sooner or later."

"You're welcome to stay here as long as you like," Jack offered with a roguish grin.

She turned her smile to him. "Thank you. I'm afraid I will have to trespass on your hospitality, but it shouldn't take too long. Particularly if we start right away." She looked at them expectantly. "That means now, darlings. I've been out of this universe a very long time. I have things to do."

Jack hopped to his feet with more decorum than the Doctor, and they both fell into step behind her as she walked to her TARDIS.

"What could you possibly have to do?" the Doctor demanded. "You aren't Lady President anymore. It's just traveling. And you have a time machine."

"Some things wait for no Time Lady," Romana intoned. She grinned at him over her shoulder, but the grin, though warm, had an edge of steel to it. "I'm going to make sure once and for all that every single Dalek is annihilated. And then, Doctor," and her grin widened into a sunny smile, "I'm going to see the Mona Lisa again. I think I'll appreciate it more than last time."

The Doctor grinned. "It's a date! Well, not a date. It's a≈ I mean, it isn't≈ Oh, you know what I mean. It's a≈" He broke off as his grin spread into a smile. "I am so glad you're back."

Her eyes twinkled. "Oh, this is just the beginning, Doctor. Just the beginning."