CHAPTER 44
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Jenny and Amy were waiting in UNIT HQ's parking lot when Lily's TARDIS finally appeared at the prearranged time and place for them to meet with Romana. The two of them entered with nary a stare from the UNIT personnel and soldiers. They had long since gotten used to Time Lords appearing and disappearing at all hours here since Rose had started using it to park her TARDIS in. They actually thought that it helped to keep them safe for the most part. Who would be crazy enough to attack them, besides the Daleks, with so many Time Lords around all of the time after all?
Romana was waiting for the two Time Ladies with a big grin on her face. She hadn't seen either of them in a while and was happy to be reunited with them.
That wasn't the only reason that she was happy either. Now was her chance to move on. For a long time now, she had felt that she didn't belong here. Lily and her crew had been very friendly to her, but Romana wasn't family to Lily in the way that everyone else here was. They were all in one way or another very close to Lily. Romana was just not. She liked Lily and regarded her as a hero, but she wasn't like family to her. It made her feel like the fifth wheel around here because she just didn't seem to mesh perfectly like all of the others did.
She therefore wanted to ask if she could travel with one of the two visitors. She had already told Allison and the others about this, and they had understood. They had felt bad about it, but they didn't want her to be where she felt like the odd one out either.
"Allison said that you wanted to ask me about Leela. I know where she told me that she was going when she last left Gallifrey. I'm not sure if she'll still be there or not though, or if you'll even be able to find her. If Leela doesn't want to be found, no one will be able to find her. I've learned that from past experience," Romana said.
"We have to try. Both Jenny and I need to know what happens when a human bonds with a Time Lord, and Lily's not in a position for us to ask her," Amy said.
"Alright then but it will be very hard to find her though. She told me that she was going to Florana. She said that the Doctor had always promised to take her there but never did. She thought that she would finally settle down there for a while. The planet is supposed to be covered in flowers and to have waters as clear as crystal according to the Doctor. He always promised to take me there too, but he never did," Romana said with a grin.
"He always promised to take me and Rory there too. You know he never did get where he wanted to even when he was a kid. I remember one time that he told me that we were going to the Eye of Orion, but we wound up on some jungle planet fighting for our lives," Amy said with a chuckle.
"That doesn't surprise me. So you're still going there to try and find her then?" Romana asked.
"Yes, we both are. I especially have to go there soon," Jenny answered.
"Why?" Romana asked.
"I've partially linked to my human boyfriend, Patrick, by accident. He keeps getting images and thoughts from my mind without me wanting him to. He can also hear bits and pieces of telepathic conversations that I have with other people. I need to know if linking with him all of the way would do something to him or not," Jenny explained.
"So you may need someone to go with you then and help you in case there are any complications with the link?" Romana asked hopefully.
"Well, I do have my brother, niece, and sister along as well. I'm sure that they could help," Jenny said, not understanding what Romana really wanted.
"You want to travel with one of us, don't you?" Amy asked in order to spell it out for Jenny.
"Yes, she does," Lily said as she came behind them unexpectedly.
"Lily? Are you alright now?" Romana asked in concern.
"For the moment I am. I'm still experiencing my past even as I'm talking to you. I've just found a way to see the present at the same time. It's like watching two movies at the same time side by side with each other. Forgive me if I kind of tune you out sometimes though if Robin is in a particularly bad situation in the past," Lily said.
"Are you upset with my wanting to leave? I didn't get to talk to you about it," Romana asked.
"No, it's fine. I know that you don't exactly feel happy here. I've known that for a while now. If one of those two wants you to come along with them then I won't stand in your way," Lily said.
"I'm going to miss you," Romana said.
"I'm going to miss you too. I'll be by to visit you though wherever you turn up," Lily said warmly.
"Gran, can you tell me if linking with a human is dangerous for them?" Jenny asked.
"I've only been linked with Robin for a short time. We became separated from one another across time and space, and that disrupted our link before it could fully establish itself. It's really done a number on my brain so I know that it can be dangerous to the Time Lord involved if they're separated too early. Robin seems to be fine though so far from what I've seen of him. In other words, I can't answer your question because of the weird circumstances that I've found myself in. I'm sorry, Jen. I will say this though. I think you should finish your link. I know that you love him and that he's the one. I know about Rose Baker after all," Lily said.
"What if I finish it too early, and it messes Patrick's brain up? I have to make sure. It's not a question of whether I want to or not. I do. I just want to do it right. How do you know about little Rose by the way?" Jenny asked.
"She paid me a visit just before my mind went south. She didn't say much, but now I know that she came to see me because she knew what was about to happen to me. She's a very nice girl. I like her, and I like Patrick. Finish the link, Jen. You don't need to find Leela to know whether to do that or not," Lily advised.
"I'd normally take your advice because you're almost always right about everything, but I have to be sure. I'm sorry, Gran," Jenny said, having a shamed look on her face.
"It's okay. I understand. Don't worry about it, sweetie," Lily said as she hugged her granddaughter.
Lily then whispered in Jenny's ear, "Take Romana with you. I think that she may find her place in life with you. Everyone has to find their own place, and she hasn't found hers here."
Jenny nodded at Lily. Then she turned to Romana and said, "If you still want to go with me, I'd be glad to have you join my crew. I will warn you though that I have an evil self out there somewhere, and I don't know what she might do."
"I think that I can handle that. I've dealt with evil selves before. I'll have to tell you a story about a lady named Pandora sometime. I'll be glad to come with you. Good bye, Lily," Romana said.
"Good bye, Romana, and good luck," Lily said.
The three of them then left to go to Florana, where they hoped that they would soon find Leela. Lily smiled as she thought about Nicolas, who she knew was traveling with Jenny at the moment. He needed to find a place in life too after all, and she wasn't sure that he was going to find it with Reinette from what Rose had told her about her. Maybe, just maybe, the two of them might find that their place was with each other before all was said and done.
"You're quite the little matchmaker, aren't you?" Ivy asked from behind her.
"I have no idea what you mean," Lily said in an innocent voice.
"Sure you don't. I know you and how you think too well, Persephone. I hope for both of their sakes that it works out for them," Ivy said.
"I hope so too," Lily said.
"Are you okay? You're still not looking too good," Ivy said.
"No, I'm not okay. I'm sure that I will be though. Robin is safe for the moment with me and Allison. I'm almost ready to take my stand against Rassilon," Lily said with a faraway look in her eyes.
"Mum, what are you talking about?" Allison asked. She had just walked into the console room and had overheard her.
"I didn't remember before. I forgot about you and Robin ever being in my past. Rassilon's tampering with my mind made me remember bits and pieces of my past and its general direction but not the specific details. Now that I'm linked with Robin though, I'm remembering it all through him. I'm seeing it all through his eyes, and it's restoring my memories. You're our daughter, Allison, and I named you Freya," Lily said with a serene smile.
"Robin is my father? That would explain so much," Allison said with wide eyes.
"It does, doesn't it? He always felt so protective of you, and now we both know why," Lily said.
"Freya?! I like that name I guess, but I think if it's all the same to you I prefer Allison. I'm used to it, Allison said.
Lily laughed at her as she said, "Whatever you want, Freya."
"Mum!" Allison said.
"I haven't gotten to call you that since you were a baby. Just let me say it for a little while," Lily said.
"Alright but only you, Mum. If anyone else starts calling me that I'm going to hurt them," Allison promised.
"Hello, Freya," Ron said with a huge grin on his face. He had heard everything.
Ron howled in pain a second later as Allison punched him very hard in the arm. Lily sighed and shook her head. They had only been officially brother and sister for a short time, and they were already fighting.
Lily then blocked out everything around her as she saw that Robin was soon to be in danger. She could see Rassilon's soldiers entering the Wilderness as they searched for herself, Robin, and Freya. She knew that they would soon be on the run again.
Robin could hear them coming long before he could actually see them. Years of living in Sherwood dodging a corrupt sheriff and his henchmen were serving him well now.
"Sekhmet, we have to run! They're coming for us!" Robin shouted.
"I don't see anyone, but I'll trust your word for it. Where exactly are we going? There's nowhere else to run," Sekhmet asked as she gathered Freya, and the three of them started to run.
"I'm an old hand at toppling corrupt governments where I come from, Sekhmet. We're going back into the Capitol, and we're going to start a resistance movement," Robin said with a wicked smile.
"We're on the run for our lives, and you're wasting time having delusions of grandeur," Sekhmet said worried.
"You'll see. It worked on Earth, and it will work here," Robin said with confidence.
The three of them then managed to sneak their way around the searching soldiers until they found the stragglers in the rear. Robin knocked two of them out and stole their uniforms and weapons.
Robin and Sekhmet dressed up as guards and then started toward the Capitol. Robin was grinning all of the way. It was just like the good old days.
"How do I explain Freya? I certainly stand out like a sore thumb holding a baby," Sekhmet asked.
"If anyone asks, we can say that we found the baby after she was abandoned," Robin said.
"Oh, so it looks like that I abandoned her? Nice!" Sekhmet protested.
"Do you have a better excuse to give to people?" Robin said with a sigh.
"Not really, but I still don't like it," Sekhmet grumbled.
Sekhmet found a way around this problem without having to tell the abandonment story by taking apart her weapon as they traveled and using the pieces of it to make a device that made others unable to see Freya. It was something new that she had been experimenting with before for her idea of a time machine. It altered a person's perceptions so that they wouldn't notice the machine and snoop around it. In this case, she had made a little one in the shape of a locket to wear around her daughter's neck. She then made two more for the two of them.
"I still think that my plan would have worked. Your idea is good too, however. We can use these for when the soldiers are around," Robin said.
The three of them then made their way back into the Capitol at last; and after searching for a while, they found an abandoned area to hide in. This would be their new base for now. Robin started thinking of it as Sherwood II.
In the days to come, he would sneak around the Capitol in a variety of disguises in order to steal food for Sekhmet and Freya. During that time, he would find out by sneaking back into the laboratory that they had broken out of that Rassilon had shut down the inoculation program and that all traces of it had been wiped from any records.
Robin realized that Rassilon must have found out that the treatment made someone immortal. He remembered Lily telling him that Rassilon had tried it on himself, and when he found out what it did, he tried to kill her so that he could keep the secret of immortality to himself. He had no idea at the time that he would someday be a part of those events himself.
Robin smiled to himself as he also remembered Lily saying that she had joined a rebellion against Rassilon and helped to overthrow him. Maybe that rebellion had been started by him. Who was to say it wasn't?
Robin now started to spread the idea of a revolt among the population and slowly over time he began to gather together a small group of loyal people to help run the rebellion movement against Rassilon. There were many people who hated Rassilon and could no longer tolerate his cruelty. Robin was now gathering them all together. He had helped to overthrow one tyrant, and now he was going to do it to another one.
Robin thought to himself with a smile that Rassilon's days were numbered. He didn't know that his own were as well. Soon he would be taken away from both of the people that he loved in this time and place by the very events that he had set into motion.
Next: In the past, Robin and Sekhmet lead the final coup against Rassilon that will see him locked up in the Dark Tower. In the present, Lily tries to find out just what happened to Robin in the past as she tries to get information on that period from the Matrix. Will she find something far worse than she bargained for hiding inside of it?
For those interested in Amy and Jenny's quest to find Leela, you can read about the story of that journey in future chapters of Jenny Tyler, Time's Angel starting with Chapter 35.