Carol frowned and drew gloves on over her hands. The body of the Senator she had requested back out and now she stood over him. In the light of the exam room, the laser Y-section looked ghastly, a white scar on pale, white skin. She lifted up the man's right hand and squinted over her glasses at the nails.

"You know, Turlough, there can very well be trace material. Often we don't do this…at least in the case of a shooting. It is a waste of man power."

Turlough stood at the far wall, his arms crossed sulkily over his chest. His eyes had been averted from the scene on the table but as he heard what Carol said, he turned in surprise to the table. Before he could not look, he was closing his eyes wearily. "Not do this…" he protested. "You mean you didn't swab under his nails as course of action? That's ridiculous."

"Any more so than to blame an innocent because of association in passing because the victim touched him? Really, Turlough, our methods of DNA extraction are to be trusted implicitly. If I were to isolate DNA, it would be completely admissible in court AND be completely damning to whomever. In the case of a shooting…"

"Backwards…" Turlough offered, finally lowering his hand from his mouth. "Just get on with it, Carol, please don't give me a dissertation on the procedure."

"I would if you would kindly come over to the table, Turlough, I need your assistance. We are going to have to swab under his finger nails. You are going to hold the evidence slides for me." She bent back over the corpse and sighed as the boy took his time to approach. As he joined her, she glanced up at him with a pronounced frown. "And for gods sake, put on gloves!"

**

Tegan straightened her gown for the third time in fifteen minutes as the transport crept toward an infinitely large building. It was like approaching the Coluseium or the Parthenon in Greece. The building itself rose out of nothing to tower over the surrounding landscape. Its gray/butter yellow/ terracotta red made it classical in extreme. She wondered if she should be in a toga as opposed to the full, but revealing cut gown of orange and red, but settled for frowning instead.

The gown made her feel uneasy was the bottom line, she guessed. But when the Doctor had approached her that morning, the gown draped over his arm and an eager, but hesitant smile on his face, she had put it on with little argument. He had helped her slip it on, explaining its purpose:

"It's Pyrodonian, Tegan…a woman's gown. You can't wear it unless you either graduated from the Academy or…"

"…have slept with someone who did?"

"Yes…well…" in the light of the new morning with the expenditure of his hormones, the Doctor was less than open with discussions about sex. "Well…I suppose yes. I don't know. As I said before, you are one of my rare dalliances, Tegan. I have never asked about nor executed that right. But as my friend and my companion, you are able to wear it. It offers you protection, respect and acceptance amongst those of the same Academy. As I will not be with you…"

She had nodded and gathered up her belongs quickly, late as usual. The Doctor had given her a quick embrace by the door, a concession to their night, and sent her on her way.

A scant half-hour later, there she was, stepping from the transport, holding her gown aloft. Almost immediately Alpha approached, holding his arm out to her. It surprised her and she resisted laying her hand on his proffered arm. "Lord Alpha?"

He bowed his head slightly. "I see that Thete has not made it to the spring today."

"No, he had a business dealing to attend to, something about TARDIS engineering. He will join us later."

"Typical," the elder man answered, but held out his arm still. When it appeared that he would not leave her alone until she accepted his arm, she did so. Her questioning look brought her an answer. "Theta was wise to send you with the gown. As the eldest of the House, I am inclined and expected to show you hospitality and welcome."

"All that from a dress rather than for simply being his friend?" she asked, almost haughtily. The flash in her eyes spelled anger.

"It is our culture. I will escort you inside, Tegan. You will be expected to stay with either Beta or myself or in the company of the women. Am I understood?"

"Perfectly," she answered, her chin set. She let herself be led inside by a man that she ranked as the most arrogant, most condescending man that she had ever met. If this was how all Time Lords were, she had to thank her lucky stars she was with the Doctor. At least he resembled a liberated man.

**

The Doctor went to close the door of their room and spied a lone piece of clothing next to the bed, under what remained of the comforter. With widened eyes, he realized that it was Tegan's underwear. Although no one was around, he cleared his throat and walked back in to pick up the errant clothing and put it in his pocket. He shut the door with a resounding slam and shook his head. He shrugged into his coat in the hallway, making sure the papers he had been given by Psi were tucked tightly into his pocket.

The elevator was at the end of the hall and he entered it. It only took one flip of a coin for him to choose a floor. Although Beta had been more than open about where his room was, Alpha had been less than forthcoming about his placement on the grounds. But the Doctor thought he could hazard an well-educated guess.

As he lounged back against the wall, his hand closed over the contact device, the twin of which he had given to Tegan, in his pocket. It was not time to contact her, but it would be soon.

"Are you sure I need this?" she had asked, tucking the contacter into the inner pocket of her gown.

"Yes. I need to be in contact with you, Tegan. You need to know how long to keep Alpha busy."

"How will I even be in contact with him?"

"When you show up at the spring without me, he will, by his own arrogance, escort you. I need you to keep him with you or in your sight until I have time to search his room."

She had frowned at him. "But why search his room?"

Why indeed? The Doctor thought, watching out the glass wall as the elevator climbed to the highest floor. The papers that were tucked into his pocket spelled the reason as to why he had to search Alpha's room. As Tegan had showered and dressed, he had received the papers from Psi citing the inclusion of Gallifreyan members on several committees. Several committees of which the dead Terran Senator had been a member if not the chair. And one particular name had risen to his notice early on included on all the lists: Alpha's.

He had dressed, passing Tegan in the room as she fluttered about, yawning.

"Are you sure about this, Doc? I mean, you are not exactly a professional at investigation."

"I've done more investigations than you can imagine, Tegan," he had tapped her on the nose as he passed her. "What do you mean 'not a professional'. Ye of little faith, Miss Tegan."

The homing beacon for the TARDIS had acted as an excellent transmitter once adjusted with a small wrench, laser and screwdriver; a variety of bits and pieces that he had stuffed in his frock coat had, when assembled, served as a wonderful receiver. The only problem was it was a one way transmittal device. He had hastily juggled them in the air for a second and then dropped the receiver into Tegan's hand.

"Take that and wait for me to send you a signal. Keep Alpha busy until then."

"But…"

"Time for questions later, Tegan. Hurry along…you will be late for the transport."

"But what if I need to get in touch with you?"

"Whatever for? You will be perfectly safe there; Beta will keep an eye on you. Now go, Tegan."

As the door opened onto the empty hallway of the top floor, the Doctor smiled. He knew Alpha had requested the top floor; it was dictated by his personality; he was not disappointed. As he ambled down the hall, he saw a collection of dirtied plates and a pile of papers discarded, addressed to Alpha. He had found the place.

Now…

He knelt in front of the door and stared at the keyed/thumb-print combined lock. If he could just….

"I wish I still had my sonic screwdriver," he muttered, but stared at the pad. "But as I haven't, luck and familiarity shall have to suffice. Now…if I were…"

His hand snuck out and he began to punch in keys. His genetic print was close enough to Alpha's to allow entrance; it was the pad that would give him pains.

"Prime numbers…too easy. Second derivative of Rassilonian temporal escape velocity is too meaningless for him to use…but what would he…"

He thought back to his youth, those many centuries ago and the games that he and his cousins would play. He saw himself as a much younger Gallifreyan standing in line with his others at yet another naming day. There had been laughing, teasing, joking and general mayhem, he smiled inwardly, a pad had been passed back and forth between he and several older and younger boys. On the pad had been an ongoing collection of calculations redesigning the Grand Patron's hover car. He had started it; better to use their time well than not at all, standing in the line.

Until the pad had been confiscated.

By Alpha.

He had received it back after the given Naming Day celebrations had ended with a lecture and dressing down from Alpha. But what had surprised him the most was the notations in the corner of the pad, next to the intricate drawings:

Never do this again, Theta, or you shall have your title stripped before you have even achieved it fully.

But, my dear young, cousin, remember the lift to acceleration ratio. You miscalculated by 1.27. The answer is 8.90443.

Even now, the Doctor still found this hilarious, once he had gotten past the sting. Alpha had miscalculated himself as became clear when the Grand Patron's hover car had never left the ground. But that ratio stayed in the Doctor's mind.

He reached out and tapped in the six numbers and was rewarded with the door clicking open.

"Ah, psychology is a wonderful thing," he mumbled, scrambling to enter the room.

**

"Sir?"

Grady grunted. He had to shield his eyes as he glanced at the door. That much light into an interior room, in his estimation, was overkill. "What is it, Martins?"

"The Terran colition, sir. They will be at the intercity landing pad in two standard 'ours."

Harry swallowed his coffee hard and coughed. "By the Gods! They are not expected until tomorrow."

"No, sir. They will be 'ere in two 'ours."

Grady jumped from his chair and threw his half-full cup of coffee in the trash. "Nothing…nothing else could go wrong today."

**

Turlough glanced at the results strewn about the lab. Carol stood at his side, humming happily as yet another print out was produced.

"Bingo."

"Bingo, how, bingo," Turlough asked. "I will admit that genetics is not my strong point."

Carol nodded to the screen above their heads. "Gallifreyan DNA."

Turlough rolled his eyes and stared at the ceiling. "Why does that sound distinctly like a nail in Gallifrey's coffin?" He stared at the convoluted double laddered helix above his head as it turned. All around them were copies, twins, triplets and the like of that self-same molecule. "How can you tell?"

With a shrug, Carol carefully pointed out a smaller pair of molecules swirling around the larger DNA. "Those."

"What are they?" he asked, loudly, pointing them out to Carol.

"Nanites. All Time Lords have them; they keep them shiny and new. They are what will tell us exactly who…at least in the neighborhood of a House genetic collection and generation…that is…with the help of the High Council on Gallifrey and the biodata extracts of the Time Lords," Carol explained tiredly. "Elementary, my dear Turlough, really."

He groaned. "Wonderful."

**

Tegan glanced around the large, open room, rapt with the beauty that surrounded her. Alpha's hand landed on top of hers, patting it as he would a child's. The inside of the room was filled with plant life, building material that resembled limestone, small waterfalls and pool upon shining pool of water. The air was slightly humid, but she knew the water would be cool. Time Lords were a low temperature people. They were cool all over.

Cool like spring water, Tegan thought, remembering the feeling of the Doctor's skin on hers. She shook her head quickly.

"Incredible," she breathed, arching her neck to stare at the scenery overhead.

Alpha seemed pleased with her reaction. "This is the just a small sampling of the beauty of our planet, Tegan. I have a feeling that Theta has not told you of Gallifrey."

She returned her eyes to the man alongside of her. Her chin jutted defiantly. "I have been there myself, you know. He didn't have to tell me of Gallifrey. But you are wrong about that…the Doctor…" she emphasized his nickname. "…has told me plenty about Gallifrey. The night sky is burnt orange and the leaves are silver in the summer. The Capital is gorgeous; it is a wonder of a construction. The Academies…"

Alpha grimaced. "You have been with Theta…" he emphasized the Doctor's proper name just as much. "…for a long time, I gather. You have been his lover beyond what is proper, I think."

Tegan seethed, and removed her hand from the Time Lord's. With a practiced ease, betrayed by her hands shaking in anger, she lifted her skirt to walk across the wet stones and pavement. "I am his friend," she answered when she was far enough away so that her anger decreased a little. Attempting to change the subject, she sniffed. "I don't see Gillian or June around, Lord Alpha. As they are the only women with whom I am familiar, I wonder if you might tell me where I might find them."

"They were unable to be here today…tired, I'm afraid. There are the others…"

Tegan turned, letting her skirt down to the ground and putting her hands on her hips. "Then maybe you might be so good as to show me about, then, Lord Alpha." She stated, a fake smile on her lips. "If I might inconvenience you for a little while."

With an equally fake smile, the Lord held out his arm. "Of course, my dear Tegan."

She took his arm again, frowning. Beyond what is proper, indeed. What on Earth and in the Universe did that mean, Tegan thought. Together, they strolled across the open room toward the pools and collections of Time Lords in their finest.

**

The Doctor hummed under his breath as he opened yet another drawer. It appeared to him that Alpha had been on Paradise Prime for some time. Not that it surprised him, but it seemed strange that his cousin would be this settled anywhere but Gallifrey. There was personal correspondence and legislation. Mostly of Terran origin. With practiced hands and his speed reading, he quickly had the piles separated for current, passed and researched bills and laws.

And from what he could see, they all were related on Gallifrey's interaction in the Galactic Senate on the defense, and finance. And, unsurprisingly, who had voted yes and no. There was a careful plan of the Senator's movements and his contacts on Paradise Prime. And contacts of the contacts.

All very damning in his estimation.

If one took what was presented at face value.

He leaned back into the strength of the dresser and covered his face with his hands. His sigh was loud. There was something else. The woman. That was who this had to be about, he thought ruefully. There was something new about a Gallifreyan woman on Paradise Prime. Now if he could find something tying Alpha to…

He jumped up and paced to the cupboard, throwing the door open. Inside was the usual Time Lord dressery: gowns, pants and caste shirts and vest. But as he moved the clothes aside, he saw a small collection of women's clothing. But they were not like the dresses Tegan had worn recently, or the ones that he had bought her. They were very demure, covering and completely unlike what the other women were expected to wear.

The more skin the better was the motto here.

His mouth went momentarily dry as he remembered Tegan's body astride his in the growing light of the day. More skin…

With a shake of his head, he looked back in the clothes cupboard. June was Alpha's 'date' and she was a tall girl, the Doctor thought. The clothes were all the wrong size. As he opened the other door of the cupboard, he saw that June's dresses were properly arranged and hung. He spun about, half angered by the situation and saw a shiny object propelled from a pocket. Bending, he picked up the key and studied it.

Then with a frown, he reached into his pocket and picked out the transmitter. Time to recall Tegan. There was work to be done and this key was the key to a solution.