Chapter Song: "Hurricane" by Slow Meadow

That evening after dinner, as they walked back towards the garden, the Doctor noticed that Balen had quietly ushered Jacob, Jack, and Donna ahead and had them in a conversation. He and Scarlett were a few steps behind, shyly, and somewhat awkwardly passing glances back and forth between each other.

The humor was not lost on him, that at 900 some years old he felt and was acting like a schoolboy with a crush. The affect this woman had on him was preposterous!

As they moved further down the hall towards to the garden entrance, Jacob turned from his discussion with the others, walking backwards as he posed a question, "Doctor, do you mind if I show the Prime Minister around the TARDIS? I'd like to discuss with him how we might be able to help with the relief and restoration efforts?

"No, no, not at all," the Doctor replied, only half glancing ahead towards Jacob and the others. His attention was focused between the ground in front of him and Scarlett, who walked along beside him. He hadn't felt this awkward in ages. But the knowledge that soon she'd be able free of her ties to the throne and able to make her decisions without those complications made him feel as nervous.

Soon they were back in the garden and before the Doctor could say anything, Jacob led Balen, Jack, and Donna into the TARDIS, leaving Scarlett at his side.

"Well, there's that then. I get the distinct feeling they intended to leave us to ourselves, don't you?" As he spoke, the Doctor ruffled a hand through his hair.

"Yes." Scarlett grinned towards the closing TARDIS door, then looked back to him. "Shall we have a stroll through the garden, then?"

The Doctor smiled back. "That'd be fantastic, yes!" Without thinking, he held out his hand for her to take.

Scarlett looked down at his outstretched hand, then quickly looked around the immediate area. They were alone, the guards were on standby just on the outside of each doorway, out of view.

As if he felt his sister's hesitancy, she heard Balen's voice in her head, Go ahead, sister. Enjoy a few minutes while you have it. I've ensured you won't be disturbed. Things are only going to get more hectic tomorrow, enjoy tonight while you have it.

Before Scarlett could smile and act, the Doctor had picked up on her hesitation and pulled his hand back, dropping it to his side. He frowned and spoke quietly, "Oh, um, sorry. I forgot. I just thought—"

"No, no. Doctor, it's okay. I've just lived too long under the watchful eye of the Elders. My brother says I should relax this evening." She sighed then took another moment to look around before she determined her next course of action. She steeled herself, reached out, and grabbed his hand in hers. "I think he's right."

He gulped and looked down at their hands. "Are you—are you sure?"

"Absolutely. Let's walk. I have something to show you." She pulled on his hand and then nodded in the direction ahead, around towards the section of the garden that held plants from other planets. He smiled in relief and squeezed her hand, pulling her just a tad bit closer as they began to walk. She spoke again as they began moving, "Tomorrow morning the whole planet will hear the announcement from myself and Balen about the upcoming transition of power, as well as the relief efforts. Then things are going to be very—public. I'll have to be on guard. But tonight, I'm the citadel gardens, surrounded by royal guards. My brother has been whisked away to converse with your companions. He ensures me that for tonight, I have a moment of privacy—and to enjoy it."

"But," the Doctor said, not wanting to push his luck, but clarifying his knowledge of Teni customs. "Any public act of—affection—" He stopped walking and held up their hands briefly, staring down at their intertwined fingers as he continued, "is quite significant for the Queen of Teni"

"Public, yes. And normally, as Queen, I would consider any place on the planet to be public and not push my luck, but—" she paused to formulate further words.

"But?" the Doctor's voice went up an octave again as he rubbed on the back of his neck with his free hand.

"But, perhaps, I'm feeling a bit daring this evening." She grinned. "Things have gone so well today, better than I had imagined they would. And Balen is being very—encouraging." She lowered their hands back down and squeezed his hand again, her eyes twinkled as she smiled up at him and they began walking again.

"Grr…," he let out a playful growl of frustration as his hand went through his hair again. "I am seven hundred years older than you, how is it you are so much better at this—," He waved that hand in the air between them. "—stuff than me?"

She chuckled and grinned as they began walking again. "I'm seven hundred years younger, and perhaps just a little less repressed, but not by much. As a culture the Teni people have been much less repressed than Gallifreyans were, emotionally and—physically— but for the royal line—repressing your feelings has been considered a badge of honor." She rolled her eyes with her explanation, then grinned. "I'm perhaps a bit of a rebel, but hundreds of years of rule-following is heard to break."

He nodded in acknowledgement, then made his own point, "I'd say, any civilization that doesn't use looming as a means of reproduction is quite significantly less repressed than Gallifrey."

She hummed an affirmative reply, then they both glanced at each other and realized what they were discussing and both blushed equally. As he glanced away quickly, the Doctor gasped when he saw a specific flowering plant nearby. "Well, look at that!"

"Oh yes!" Scarlett responded happily. "I knew we were close, but I was distracted and didn't realize how close. Why are you so surprised? Did you think I'd get rid of it?" She smiled and sat down on the large rock that sat close to the plant in question.

The Doctor knelt and gently touched the flower. There beside it was a small plaque with the name of the plant, its planet of origin "Gallifrey" and below it, in Gallifreyan writing was 'The Doctor.' "No, I'm just pleasantly surprised that it survived. I was hoping it would do okay; being transplanted from the greenhouse in the TARDIS is a bit of a tricky thing."

"I came here often to sit and think, in the past few months, since you left." She smiled down at the plant, and at the man bent down next to it, then continued, "It was a reminder to me that you would come back." He looked up at her and —there was that smile again. It was nice making him smile like that, she thought.

The Doctor moved to sit next to her on the rock. He looked around to see that this area of the garden was private and secluded, blocked from the rest by higher trees, bushes, and large rock formations. He looked back to her. "So," he said nervously, hand going back to the back of his neck again as he glanced at her. "A transfer of power, then?"

"Yes," she replied with a gentle smile.

"How long?"

She nodded. "Several months, for sure, probably six to eight, give or take, depending on how long it takes to get the cities and towns on the path to restoration."

He nodded back slowly. "And, any ideas, about what—what you'll do after that?"

Before she could answer, they heard a voice coming from the center of the garden, "Scarlett? Doctor?" It was Balen, already done with his conversation in the TARDIS.

The Doctor frowned, why couldn't Jacob have kept him busy just a bit longer?

"Be right there, Balen!" Scarlett voiced loud enough that her voice carried through the garden. Then she turned to the Doctor and answered his question in a whisper, "There's still much to happen before we make any decisions, Doctor." She saw his face turn downwards and a small look of disappointment crossed his face. She grabbed his hand and squeezed it to bring his attention back to her. "But for now, please remember this…" She smiled as she leaned over, pulling him towards her and before he could make another noise or movement, she had leaned in and given him a quick, gentle kiss.

Just as quickly, she moved back away and stood, straightening her dress, and began walking away backwards, looking at him with a smile. He was frozen, mouth slightly open, staring in the direction of where she had been sitting. After a moment he visibly shook his head, his brain finally rebooting. He looked at where she now stood. She spoke quietly again, with a smile, "Are you coming, Doctor?"

He took a deep breath, smiled, and jumped up off the rock, taking several quick steps to catch up with her as she turned the direction they were walking. She quickly grabbed his hand one last time, giving it a squeeze, before releasing it and moving a step away as they turned the corner back into the open area of the garden.

Balen stood near the fountain, waiting for his sister to appear, his hands hidden within his robes as he tucked them into the opposite sleeves. "Ah, there you are. I believe, Doctor, that your companions and I have come up with a satisfactory plan for tomorrow."

"Oh, very good." The Doctor smiled, considering how his companions had managed to shuffle off and disappear with Balen at just the right moment. He would have to remember to thank them for that later.

"As tomorrow my sister has promised you all a tour of the planet anyway, we thought it would be a good opportunity to begin the survey, so we can determine priorities. Donna has agreed to record, organize, and prioritize all our observations, working triage, per se. I understand she's quite handy with that sort of thing."

The Doctor grinned. "Oh yes! She'll be brilliant at that. She was already super-temp, with the Time Lady bits, she'll be even more remarkable."

Balen continued, "Once work has begun, Jack has requested to be 'boots on the ground.' Seems he doesn't like helping from afar. He's going to be our eyes and ears in the local communities, ensuring we're getting accurate data about how progress is being made, and, as he said, 'getting his own hands dirty.'"

"Sounds about right," the Doctor agreed.

"Jacob recommended that you and he assist with any needed major and minor equipment repairs or installation."

"You know, this twin thing could come in handy. Sounds like he covered all the bases appropriately." The Doctor grinned and nodded.

"Yes, about that," Scarlett interjected. "I'd like to spend a few hours tomorrow morning with Jacob and Donna; begin the process of giving back some of what I had to quickly block from them. Retrieving that knowledge sooner than later might be helpful, and even though it's only been a few days, I think they can handle a bit more 'memory dump' as Jack called it."

"I'll discuss it with them tonight, but I think they'll happily agree to that." The Doctor nodded towards Scarlett, then looked to Balen. "Prime Minister, I know I said it at dinner, but thank you again for your part in ensuring that my friends and I are able to stay and help you with recovery. It would have been terribly difficult for me—us—to have our hands tied in the matter and not be able to help."

Balen smiled and looked between his sister and the Gallifreyan. "Seems to me it's a positive all around. Now, if you don't mind, I need to escort my sister to her quarters and see that she gets some rest. I'll make arrangements for tomorrow's tour. Good evening, Doctor."

The Doctor bowed his head slightly towards Balen, "Evening, Prime Minister." He shifted towards Scarlett and did the same, a small smile quirking at the corner of his lips. "My lady."