Interlude
In her Footsteps
The Doctor awoke, something was off, he left his room and headed to the console room, it was her. The Doctor was sure of it, he'd never miss her scent, his left hand moved to fiddle with the blue ring on his hand.
Looking at the TARDIS controls revealed that the ship wasn't in flight, his hands moved to the lever that controlled the overhead scanner. But stopped and smiled, it had been two months since Romana and Narvin showed up to explain Straxus' actions in regard to Molly O'Sulivan, but now that Romana's Presidency had been restored there was nothing else to worry about, so the Doctor wasn't worried. As he opened the double doors the Doctor picked up the question mark umbrella Benny had returned to him alongside his Panama hat.
"Hello, I'm the Lord Doctor of the House of Lungbarrow…" the Doctor started only to falter as he saw to his surprise he wasn't in an entry place anywhere in the Capitol, in fact he was in a garden on the top of the mountain of Good Will, overlooking the ocean of Eternal Glory. The twin suns twinkled off of the water. As the Doctor looked around the garden he found it familiar, he walked forward to the final bed of flowers and plucked a Sarlain flower, it was a peculiar mixture of a rose and a daisy and everything between.
As the Doctor turned he saw Lady Patience of the House of Blyledge, his wife, standing before him, the Doctor smiled in greetings as his eyes met her blue ones. She wore official robes, the long and binding Prydonian robes hid the body the Doctor knew so well, the birthmark on her ankle, the pattern of freckles on her shoulder blades, only he had ever had such thoughts. The few features visible were still perfection to the Doctor's eyes, the high cheekbones, full red lips and those beautiful blue eyes.
"Hello thee my Wife, as humble Lord of Lungbarrow I request audience," the Doctor smiled in jest at their shared joke.
"Hello thee my Husband as the Lady of Blyledge I grant you audience," as Patience finished the Doctor rushed forward and placed the Sarlain into the hair, never once breaking eye contact. "A flower from my own garden Doctor, you are as predictable as ever."
She leaned forward and touched foreheads, in a telepathic bond honoured since the Old Times, they were no longer the Doctor and Patience, they were husband and wife, two Gallifreyans linked for all time.
Pulling back the Doctor looked into her eyes.
"As great as it is to see you, I know you didn't bring me here just to catch up, why am I here?" the Doctor looked at her a touch of sadness in his eyes.
"I'm sorry Doctor, High Council matters," Patience reached out and took his hand. "Romana and Narvin wanted you here."
The Doctor looked at his feet.
"What for?"
"An emergency session of the High Council, they won't tell me why," Patience offered her left arm for the Doctor to take as she let go of his hand, the Doctor only looked at her once before smiling and taking her arm.
"I could never be mad at you," he smiled mischievously at her. "Still I'll be staying for a while."
Patience blushed as they were transducted straight into the High Council chamber, the Doctor turned to see the people at the council table sat K'anpo Rimpoche, the Monk, Leela and Ace the Doctor's adopted daughter.
"Alright Professor?" Ace said as she stepped up, to the Doctor's absolute shock her robes were worn in the same manner as Patence.
"Hello Ace, it's been a while," the Doctor said as he managed to give her a one armed hug.
"Well, yeah, you're wife's been great company," Ace teased as she hugged Patience in turn.
"K'anpo," the Doctor said in greeting as he sat beside his old mentor, his wife on the other side, he took a tight hold of Patience's hand when the Monk looked towards him, the Doctor would never forgive him for the death of his Great Grandson and neither would Patience.
"Ah, thank you all for coming," the hexagonal door plates opened and in came Narvin and Brax followed by Romana, her body was the same except the signs of age were creeping in, her blond hair was marred with greys and a few lines were drawn across her face, as President she sat at the head of the table with her Vice-President Narvin beside her on the left and Brax her Chancellor on the right. "Now as the Lady Ace and Castellan Leela already know as of several hours ago relative time a Dalek taskforce attacked the Monan Host world, with assistance of a squadron of war TARDIS' the attack was repelled, and as they returned to Gallifrey we received this transmission…"
Romana pressed a control allowing the image of a trio of Daleks to form as a holographic projection, two were of the white imperial models and the remaining one was a bronze model, a new innovation. At the centre was a familiar back Dalek skirt leading to a wizened deformed and obscene figure.
"Attention Time Lords of Gallifrey, I am Davros Lord and Creator of the Daleks, the message that follows is vital to the survival of the all. If the High Council of Gallifrey does not surrender to the might of the Dalek Empire then we will have no choice but to destroy them."
"The Daleks will sweep away Gallifrey and its impotent Quorum of Time Lords! We shall become all powerful and crush the lesser races. We shall BECOME LORDS OF TIME!"
The Doctor looked down at his hand; Patience's hand was gripping his with all her might, he squeezed her hand back, when she looked at him he smiled. She smiled a little in response as well.
"Madam President, I've known Davros for a long time, I don't believe he would be so stupid as to deliberately go to war with the Time Lords," the Doctor said half trying to convince himself and half trying to reassure his wife.
"We have evidence that it's no bluff Doctor," Narvin spoke up. "You are all assembled here as you have all encountered the Daleks in some way or another, Doctor you are the Ka Faraq Gatri and are feared by them. Lady Ace you are also known as a Dalek killer having fought in the Dalek wars on the frontlines, Lord Monk you have had a rather different history and under different circumstances I'd throw you into Shada and leave you to rote -"
"Narvin," Romana cut in her tone brokering no argument. "You have previously helped the Daleks, they may listen to you. As of now Gallifrey as at a state of war. My Lord Doctor, Ladies Ace and Patience are to be sent on a covert mission into the Seriphia Galaxy."
"Madam President what kind of mission?" the Doctor leant forward and placed his head in his hands, his elbows on the table.
"The Lord Doctor and Ladies Ace and Patience are to journey into the Dalek research facility on Elysium, they are using it to reverse engineer Monan Time Engines." Romana turned to the Monk. "Lord Monk you are to organise and audience with the Dalek Emperor, your task is to convince it that it would be suicide to attack Gallifrey. Lord Rimpoche will act as a rear guard, using his abilities to ride the Time Winds. Now lets get to it."
The Doctor still remembered the mission, it was touch and go but between the three of them the Daleks research was thwarted, upon returning the Doctor stayed on Gallifrey as Coordinator of the CIA. But the day would haunt the Doctor forever more, as during that mission the Doctor mercilessly killed dozens of Daleks and he has still to develop any feelings other than a sense of satisfaction and cool detachment.