Warning: Beware of Robotic Dog! He will make you feel stupid.

CHAPTER 4

"He's coming," announced Jenny, her eyes peeled to the scanners.

"Everyone stay here," said Romana hurriedly. "I'll bring him in. Look, you can watch on the scanners." She left Jenny's TARDIS and went back into the outer room. She had just settled herself in a chair when the Doctor and Susan walked in.

"How did it go, Doctor?" she asked non-chalantly.

"Don't ask," he said, collapsing into the chair next to her. Susan stood next to him, her hand resting on his shoulder in sympathy.

"It can't have been that bad," said Romana. But the look the Doctor gave her told her otherwise.

"It was excrusciating," he exclaimed. "Give me a Dalek any day of the week, just don't let me have to put up with that again."

"So will any of them show up?" Romana asked.

"If they do, it would be out of either curiosity or spite," he said.

"But they're your family!" she protested. Even though she too had abandoned her family to go traipsing through time and space, they were all ready to forgive and forget.

"Ha! The only family I need is Susan and Jenny. And you, of course."

"Oh, Grandfather..." said Susan, leaning down, wrapping her arms around him, and kissing his cheek.

"Cheer up. You're getting married today."

"Yes, yes." It was physically impossible for him to remain upset with Susan nearby.

"Oh, that reminds me..." said Romana, suddenly thinking of something from before. "Andred stopped by to drop off your robe."

"Aawww... do I have to wear it?" he whined.

"Of course you do."

"But the hats are so ridiculous!" he insisted.

"Doctor," said Romana in her best scolding tone. "I've seen some of the things you've worn over the centuries; you're no one to judge fashion. And besides- you're a Prydonian; it's an honor to wear the colors that symbolize your stature."

"Fine," he said. "But I won't like it."

"You don't have to like it," she retorted. "You just have to wear it."

"But it's not going to be as much fun wearing those robes when we make our quick getaway..."

"Quick getaway?" Romana asked, utterly confused. "What are you talking about?"

"Romana," the Doctor said, in what seemed to her a very serious voice. "Every time I visit Gallifrey, I get chased by guards, get accused of crimes I don't commit, or get inducted as Lord President; in which case, we'll need to get out of here as soon as possible.

"Doctor, you attract trouble."

"Do you know how many times the Time Lords have tried to execute me?" said the Doctor, irritated by emerging memories.

"Just the once at your second trial?" said Romana. She hadn't recalled anything else like that mentioned in his files; and she'd read through those dozens of times.

"If you'll believe that, you'll believe anything," he said. "And if you think that was my second trial... Most of my dealings with the Time Lords have been kept off the record."

"Really?" asked Susan, herself becoming interested now. She had always been slightly worried imagining the situations her grandfather could manage to get himself into, and she knew all too well the power that the Time Lords possessed.

"Why do you think I rarely ever came back? Usually only when they summoned me... And they always had to find me first."

"But you were so insistent that time, remember?" said Romana. "You were told to bring me back here. I was the one who wanted to ignore them, but you said we couldn't."

"Well, they would have found us eventually," he said.

"We could've reinstalled the Randomizer?" suggested Romana.

"Surely you're joking?" said the Doctor.

"Yes," said Romana, forming a smile. "I am, in fact. That was the worst idea you ever had. And you would bypass it all the time, anyway."

"And the Black Guardian only ever came after me once," the Doctor mused. "The most paltry attempt on my life ever; even Andred did a better job. I can't believe I was ever afraid of that third rate trickster."

"Well, he is a Guardian," said Romana. "And you did get on his bad side. Those were the days, Doctor. Remember how much you hated me when we first met?"

"Me?" said the Doctor, playing innocent. "I didn't hate you. Perhaps I thought you were an annoying little know-it-all who had no experience in the real world, and was too busy psychoanalyzing people to really be able to learn from them... but I didn't hate you." He paused for a moment and looked straight at Romana. "Did you hate me?"

"Well... no. But you were infuriating. I couldn't understand how someone so old could be so childish."

"Well, what's the point of being old if you can't act childish?" said the Doctor. "And I wasn't that old!"

"Not according to you anyway," chided Romana. "And I bet you've totally lost track of your age again."

"I have not... I'm... I'm...Well, why is everyone so preoccupied with age anyway? It's how you feel that counts."

"In other words, you've lost count," she said.

"Shut up, Romana."

"I win."

"You may have won the battle, but not the war," said the Doctor.

"And we'll have plenty of time for all that. Hopefully. The way you always get yourself into dangerous situations, I might end up a widow before being a bride."

"Surely you don't think I'll get myself into that much trouble between now and this evening?" he asked.

"Knowing you, Doctor..." said Romana. "Now I know why you go through so many travel companions- they must fear for their lives at every moment. At least I could regenerate."

"The people I have traveled with over the years were quite strong when it came to their resolve. I taught them well."

"You taught them?!" said Romana, astonished.

"Like I taught you," said the Doctor in all seriousness... well, partial seriousness.

"Whatever you want to tell yourself..." said Romana, but then she formed a new idea. "Or maybe they can tell you?"

"Huh?" asked the Doctor, unsure what she meant.

"Follow me," Romana said, rising from her chair. The Doctor did the same, and both he and Susan followed her to a column that he suddenly realized he hadn't noticed before. Romana stepped inside and the other two did the same.