Peri met her at the door to her room. She was leaving as Tegan steadily walked down the corridor.

As she approached, Tegan contemplated her young friend. She cleaned up well. Her long chestnut hair curled prettily at the nape of her neck, her cheeks were pink and her eyes were sparkling and clear. She was thinner, fitter than she had been when she had joined the Doctor. It wasn't an all around poor look for her, Tegan admitted; in fact, she looked absolutely lovely.

"You're back?" Peri asked, surprised. "I was just on the way to meet with you and the Doctor"

"You'll have plenty of time to meet with us tonight," Tegan voiced, a mixture of sarcasm and anger dripping steadily from her tongue. "He wants us to meet with him tonight to sign a trade treaty. I wouldn't advise meeting with him now; he's in one of his moods."

Peri's eyebrows climbed steadily over her eyes as Tegan's spout continued. When Tegan finished, Peri sighed and shook her head. "We've barely found him again and already you two are arguing?"

"He has guessed that you and I weren't just fighting to keep ourselves alive, we were interfering. Actively. Somehow, apparently through a couple of conversations he's had with you and with me, he's pieced together that we were in the high echelons of the Fighting Force. And that has him in a fine temper."

"Why? We had to do it" Peri pressed. "Surely he understands"

Tegan growled under her breath, muttering about interventions. "He even feels that love is an intervention, Peri. Blasted hell, it should be surprising, but it's so typically him"

Peri stifled a smile and Tegan felt her ire rising again. She raised her chin and shook her head. "You don't understand, Peri. He's been like that since I've known him. It's infuriating." She glanced at her watch and shook her head. "You can go see him if you would likeif those Ogrons will let you in. No thank you for me. I'll just wait and get my fill of his anger tonight."

And with that last harsh comment, she turned and entered her quarters, nearly slamming the door shut.

**

"How can this be wrong?"

His eyes infinitely sad, infinitely deep. His hands gripping possessively at her hips. The feel of his cool body along the length of hers. Brushing her hair back with his hand, he gazed at her worried, relaxed, pained and warm all at once.

"Interference, Tegan" he lowered his head and nibbled at her neck. Squirming, liquid heat invading her torso, radiating down her legs, out to her fingers. The feeling of the cool, cool sheets at her back. A dancing flame on the edge of an iced knife A warm chuckle. "This sort of interference could never be right. But Rassilon, I don't want to stop."

When the knock came on her door later, Tegan was quietly sitting, staring at nothing in particular. She had, in a fit of anger, pulled her hair clip from her hair and was too tired to put it back as it was. The knock was heavier, stronger than a human's and she instantly knew that it wasn't Peri calling for her. With a sigh, she moved to the door, dreading to open it.

"Blasted Time Lord, couldn't he just understand that we were doing what we needed to do to live? What did he think Peri and I were going to do? Sit around and wait to get killed?" she muttered, rising to venture to the door.

Tired. She was tired. She was tired of fighting, tired of arguing, but not willing to stop either if it meant that her freedom would be compromised. She had looked to the reconciling with the Doctor as a respite from the pain, anger and worry of war. It was true that she felt safer, calmer here, but she was dealing with his temper in her interference. She wasn't happy about it in the least.

Still, as she passed the mirror on the wall, looked at her hair curling about her face, her anger still shining in her eyes, the pink to her cheeks and felt a little strength come back into her. With a squaring of her jaw and a pull to straighten of her dress, she stepped to the door and pulled open. The Ogron that stared back at her was extremely attentive and in full military dress.

"Lady Tegan. Supremo wants you."

If she had been in a better mood, the basic utterance of that sentence would have sent her into giggles. As it stood, it brought a tight smile to her face. "Already?"

Tegan nodded and adjusted her dress. "Your name is Trock, yes? I'm ready. You're to escort me?"

The Ogron nodded and stepped back to allow her to exit the room. She did so, slipping by his bulk in the corridor with some difficulty. She stepped quickly in front of Trock as the two of them strode down the corridor, but the much taller Ogron passed her quickly.

"Supremo angry."

"That's an understatement," Tegan grumbled. "He's livid, Trock."

"Livid?" The Ogron reached out to hold her back as several other Ogrons ran past them at an intersection.

"Very angry," she explained, folding her hands in front of her as they started walking again.

"Supremo very angry that mate was in danger."

Tegan frowned as she looked over her shoulder at the alien. "It's not like that, Trock. I'm not his mate; we're friends. And he isn't angry that I was in danger; he is very angry that I was doing something that he thinks I shouldn't have."

Trock's face crumpled as he thought about what she had said. "Supremo male; Lady Tegan female."

"That's the way of it, yes," she muttered. "Wonderful for us, eh?"

"Supremo sad. No smiles. Lady Tegan comes back; Supremo smile; Supremo laugh."

"He was worried about us," Tegan responded. She stopped at another intersection and let the Ogron show her the rest of the way. She took the moment to observe the alien. He was tall with coarse fur or hair. He wore his black uniform proudly. She had heard stories from the Doctor about the Ogrons and Trock with his new uniform, puffed out proud chest and clipped step weren't as he had described. Somehow, the Doctor had garnered a sense of duty to the cause in this being.

Trock shook his head forcefully, taking her arm in his hand to pull her down another corridor. "No. Supremo very angry mate was in danger. Lady Tegan will bear Supremo many healthy pups. Supremo angry Lady Tegan hurt; angry Lady Tegan not with him; angry Lady Tegan in danger."

"Somehow," she breathed, under her breath as she stepped behind the Ogron to a very familiar door. "I don't think I'm going to win this one." Louder, she addressed the Ogron: "Are we there?"

The Ogron waved his hand at the other Ogrons flanking the door. The two scattered and Trock leaned forward to open the door for her. Trock entered ahead of her to announce her, and then he stepped back towards the door, leaving her standing in the middle of the room. Before she could thank him, he was gone.

**

She found herself alone with the Doctor. She had thought that several people would join them, but as she neared the table, she saw that the trade agreement was there. The parchment paper seemed strange to see in a sleek spaceship. The paper had several signatures on it and in its center was the Doctor's proud scrawl. Her frown grew as she neared it.

Johan's signature rested in the place of honor with Vidal's and T'ruk's signatures flanking it.

"Just great," she muttered. She glanced up to see her familiar Time Lord friend leaning against the table and staring at her. She squared her shoulders and shook her head. "I don't understand. I thought I was to come here and sign this treaty." With a sigh, she perused the parchment. Her suggestions were there.

"Your friend Johan was kind enough to join me for the signing this afternoon. We hadn't invited him, but I've learned to become the perfect host," he replied, his eyes trained on her. "As you can see, everything we discussed has remained intact. Johan was quite pleased with your work."

Her eyes narrowed. "Is he still here? I would like to see him."

"Ah, yes. Yes," the Doctor replied, glancing down at the parchment as well. "Yes, he's still onboard. The last planet fall transport is leaving in one hour."

"The last.."

"Yes, quite," he responded, blinking, finally. His eyes trained back on hers and he stuffed his hands in his pockets forcefully. "We've received communications for help and have put together quite enough information to mount an attack on Sarn. The Intergalactic Force will be leaving orbit around Sylvana this evening."

"Another battle," she muttered. "Always another battle."

The Doctor gave her a tight smile and turned away to walk to the wall. On it, spread like a Michelangelo painting, wide and encompassing, was another star chart. It was huge and Tegan found her mouth gaping as she neared it. Still, despite the obvious information that he was trying to make her see, she still had several points to make.

"Hell and spit," she nearly growled, drawing even with him before he could reach the wall. "You left me in my room while you and Johan signed the treaty like a child. And don't you dare say that I've behaved like a child to be treated as such."

"Oh, far from it, Tegan," he replied, eyeing the map.

"I would like to see Johan," she stated, turning towards the door. "And as you don't need me here for your diplomatic sham"

His hand wrapped around her wrist and pulled her to the board. "You see all the blue pins, Tegan?"

"I can't bloody well see anything else this close," she said, knowing from experience that his strength would far exceed her own. She didn't struggle, but felt his hand tighten on hers like an ice cold vice.

"Those are Morbius' ships, his fleet if you will. And the gold is our ships and those that have pledged help to us. Do you see the velocity change numbers under the pins?" He bit his lip and didn't give her time to reply to what she had seen. "They haven't changed. And when velocity falls to zero, Tegan, that means that the ship or ships have failed to move. Morbius has stopped. Halted."

Tegan squinted at the board. "You'll have more to it than that" she stated with sarcasm.

"We've stopped him in his tracks. He's going to turn and fight like a cornered animal."

"And he'll bite like a cornered wild animal," she crossed her arms over her chest.

"No, no, no, Tegan. You've quite missed the point. You complained about battles and more battles. This might be our last battle. In fact, I quite think it will be the end of this conflict," he said, his eyes perusing the chart. Then he glanced at her, his eyes training on her. A small part of her felt weak from the weight of the stare. His eyes were blue as midnight. "Johan's last name is Undar. We received a communication for Tegan Undar this morning."

Tegan opened her mouth, but his hand clamped down on her wrist almost viciously. "Is there something you would like to tell me, Tegan?" She glanced up at his eyes and saw them dark with pain and if she wasn't mistaken, anger.

She frowned. "DocI'm not married," she shifted her weight. Her fingers were getting cold from the lack of circulation. "That's what you thought isn't it?"

"It had crossed my mind. After all," he said, quiet. It wasn't the quiet of familiarity; it was the quiet of slow boiling, gathering anger. "After all, the Heart and the Head of the Force did work closely together."

"And you think I would have come back up here" she sighed. "Doc, you're hurting me."

He released her hand and she drew it back to herself, cradling it to her chest. "For pity sake, we were getting ratherlast night," she responded. "Johan adopted Peri and me. We've fought with him for a year. Did you think I was going to stay here?"

"It's quite the viable thought," he nearly hissed in return. "Do you know, Johan spent most of the time with the signing telling T'ruk, Vidal and I tales of your and Peri's adventures in the Force? He's quite taken with you."

"I don't want to stay here," she hissed, turning to follow his sudden retreat. "And I don't know what in bloody hell you expect of me here. I do know you, you damn Time Lord, and I know you want to lead me to tell you something. Just" she growled a sigh. "Just come out and say it, please."

The Doctor turned a vision of slim military propriety, black uniform and blond locks. His angered countenance changed him from her Doctor into a military mastermind. It nearly rocked her to her soul. He was dangerous, fiery. "The question I had this afternoon still is unanswered, Tegan."

"How much fighting have I seen?"

He nodded, spearing her with his gaze. She couldn't move. "I would very much appreciate an answer." His tone let her know that appreciation had nothing to do with it; he demanded an answer. "I understand that Peri was quite ill for a time."

"Yes," she replied, finally lowering her gaze from his. Then, she raised her gaze, throwing all her steel into her spine and straightened fully before him. She had survived firefights and illness and death and burial; facing the Doctor was nothing compared to that. She also knew what it was that he was asking. "I tried to keep Peri as separated from the fighting as possible. She was ill for a time, but I gave her everything that we had, everything I could find to keep her as well as possible. Trust me. I know she's only a child."

"I don't doubt that. Whatever it is that I believe of you, I do know that you would keep Peri safe."

"Whatever it is you believe of me? What's that supposed to mean?" she nearly spat. "And stop beating around the bush. I know that you are quite livid about Peri and me intervening. I tell you we didn't have a choice and I wasn't about to just lie down and accept our death to keep Time in its proper place. That isn't my job. As far as I was concerned," she pressed, her hands falling to her sides, balling into fists. "I had to keep Peri and myself alive until you found us and if you never found us, then I had to try to make sure we lived full, happy, free lives. I didn't want Peri or I made to be a camp follower or end up working like slaves in fields. If we were going to do that, we were going to work in the fields to feed us. When we joined up with the Force, I did what I had to do. I saw a great deal of fighting, Doctor. I was there as often as the men were. If I goaded them into doing it, by God, I was going to be there too."

His eyes had widened as she had continued. "Your interfering isn't what I'm upset about, Tegan," he interrupted, his voice somewhat softer, but his spine still bone straight.

His denial confused her. "What? Then" she rubbed her wrist, holding it up so he could see the red marks on it. "Then what is this all about?"

His hand flopped at his side, a sign of his agitated anger. When he paced to her, she kept her eyes trained on him, defiantly grinding her teeth, lifting her chin. She goaded him once more before he joined her. "You are a military General, Doctor. Why on Earth would fighting bother you?"

"It bothers me more than you could ever know," he responded. "It bothers me as much as it does you. You and I have done the same things in the last year, haven't we? Whatever we are, you and I are very much alike in handling that which bothers us. You might yell at it for awhile, but after a time, you plow head first into a plan and put the pain aside. I've done the same thing."

The change, the softening of his tone, teased a similar reaction out of her. "What are you angry about-"

"You having to be here at all, Tegan."

"I can manage, you know. I've been able to handle the situation, thank you very much."

The Doctor sighed and rubbed at the back of his neck. "Yes, wellI don't have any doubts that you could and did. This is a bloody war. I never wanted you or Peri or any of my companions in this situation. But to know that you have beenengaged in warfare" he swallowed and lifted his eyes again. She felt the weight of the pain. "You're strong, Tegan. But even you aren't that strong. You've been injured and more than your arm. I never wanted that for you. And I'm angry" he sighed again, apparently becoming self-conscious again. "That I got you into the mess at all."

"I'm fine. Peri is fine," she responded, immediately, without thought.

She was surprised to feel his hands gently enclose her shoulders. His cold skin, somehow more fitting with his black uniform than his usual clothing, felt refreshing against her heat. "I know, Tegan. But war changes people. I didn't want it to change you."

"You finally understand how I felt in that warehouse"

He shook his head. "A long dead argument, Tegan. But yes, if you like, I do understand."

"There's something else you're not asking me," she responded, looking up into his eyes dubiously.

The quiet stretched between them like a string of putty rolled between an artist's fingers to infinity. She could see his eyes searching hers for something that she was sure wasn't there. Or maybe it was. The blue irises grew; she could see the ice and gold in them.

"Do you want to stay on Sylvana, Tegan?"

It was asked in a tight, pained voice.

"No," she responded, almost whispering. "I wanted to see it through. But I don't belong there. Peri doesn't belong there."

He nodded.

"I'm gathering we're leaving soon?" she asked, quietly.

"Very."

"I want to say goodbye to Johan," she responded. "But I don't want that spy Vidal to take me there."

"I'll escort you," he responded, quietly with a hidden smile. "And I know he was sent by the High Council, Tegan. He isn't a spy; he couldn't be one, if I feed him the knowledge to pass on and have his loyalty."

She sighed, rolling her shoulders, trying in vain to ease the pain from her muscles. She had steeled herself to meet him and had yet to relieve the tension. "I don't like what you've done here. You've manipulated me again."

He frowned and rubbed her elbows. "Yes."

Tegan gaped, momentarily staid by his word. "Honesty. Interesting."

"We'll have the time to argue about it once this is over, Tegan," he responded. His hand lifted her now red and sore wrist so he could see it. "I apologize, Tegan. I've forgotten my strength." He pressed a kiss to the injured skin.

"You charmer," she warned. Then with a resigned sigh, she shook her head. "Let me talk to Johan. I'll deal with you later." As he turned and escorted her to the door, she stopped him. "And you had better talk to your guard, Trock. He's rather made up his mind that I'm to bear you healthy pups"

"Be grateful he thinks that," the Doctor replied, opening the door. Immediately two Ogrons appeared at their sides. "He's been known to hold Vidal off the ground when the man was trying to give me information. If he thinks you are my mate, he'll allow you in my quarters or room that I'm in with little or no fuss."

The two guards fell into step behind them. Tegan gave a cursory glance over her shoulder. "Would you want me in your quarters?"

"Yes, well" he cleared his throat. He nodded, waving his hand as if to force the words from his mouth.

She lifted an eyebrow and gave him a tight smile. "Another topic for another time. You've got"

"quite a lot on my mind, yes," he completed her sentence. He was surprised when she turned; she could see the surprise in the blue of his eyes. She pressed a quick kiss to his lips and watched as he surreptitiously licked them after she drew away.

"Hmmm," she hummed. "Yes, wellas I saidanother topic for another time."

"Now, who's manipulating?" he whispered, raising an eyebrow.

They fell into step with each other, walking down the hallway.