"And as you can see, Miss Tegan, over here we have all the comforts of Gallifrey…the same plants and scaled versions of the wonderful statues that we have near and around our Academies. This particular spring is the Pyridonian spring and therefore, our beloved 'guardian' statue is here at the head of the water formation."

Tegan's eyes were nearly watering with boredom. Her hand was numb where it rested on Alpha's arm. But boredom and numbness could not even begin to describe what her mind was doing. She demurely stifled a yawn as Beta smiled next to her. He had joined her and Alpha as they strolled the exterior of the spring. "Alpha, either you are boring this young woman to death or she is quite worn out from her night. Remember, Theta is rather young in this incarnation."

With an enigmatic smile, she kept quiet and let Alpha steer her and Beta toward a set of chairs. As she went to sit, she felt a tingling at her thigh and realized that the transmitter was vibrating against her leg. There was no beeping, thank God, she thought. Before the two men were completely seated, she jumped up and glanced about. Beta was immediately at her arm. "My dear? Are you ill?"

She hastily made her excuses, asking for a ladies' room in which to retire for a short time, and found herself walking across the spring toward the transports. As she jumped into a small two-seater transport and studied the controls, she didn't notice Beta approaching and frowning from the main doorway.

**

The Doctor tapped his foot and crammed his hands into his pockets for the sixth time in the last ten minutes. With a groan, he glanced down the landing pad with a frown. "Come on, come on, come on, Tegan...where are you? That is the problem with this retreat…no transport out if you wish to be secretive. I know I didn't tell you to come back here, but surely you know that by now." Overhead several transports buzzed and winged, and he was reminded, in some ways not kindly, of Gallifrey and the skies over the Capital.

He tilted his head back, biting his lip. A series of transports approached, slowly, and he thought he could see Tegan behind the controls of one. She always had been a quick study of technology akin to cars, he thought proudly. He smiled.

And then frowned. The shiny metal of the walkway exploded next to him. He stayed motionless for only a moment, the space of a breath, and then he was running. Several strides and a slide brought him around one of the pillars.

"Good heavens…" he breathed, heavily. "I do believe I have been discovered."

He leaned around the pillar and squinted at the platform above the landing pad. From the trajectory of the shot it had come from that altitude and direction. He could see nothing.

"Judgment from on high," he mumbled and quickly dodged back around the pillar as another shot came.

**

"Welcome."

It was all Grady could think to say. The Terran entourage was large and seemed extremely well-informed, if not extremely laden with information and legislative information. The first man off the shuttle straightened his jacket and glanced about as though everything he saw was akin to insects.

"You are Inspector General Grady?"

"I am," He nodded to the man that stepped from the stairwell first. He was a tall chap, Grady thought, and very impressive in stature. "And you are, sir?"

"The Attorney General of Intergalactic Interaction Kenneth Yardley, Inspector." Yardly looked beside the man. "I was to understand that you have the results of the autopsy and…" he nodded to have Grady continue to walk. "…that you have a Gallifreyan advisor that has some…evidence to give as well?"

Grady allowed the man to walk in front of him and rolled his eyes when they had safely passed him. Gallifreyan advisor, indeed. "The results of the autopsy and the attending physician will meet us at the station, sir. We have transportation awaiting at the end of the docking bay. Do you require refreshment?"

"I require a place to begin this investigation, Inspector," the man called over his shoulder. "And I don't have a minute to lose."

**

Tegan pulled the transport up to the edge of the transport wing after only having to adjust the altitude twice. She grumbled as she finally stopped and lowered her head to the steering ball. Yes, a steering ball, she sighed with exasperation. That took some getting used to, but she had, quickly. And she supposed that she had better return to the retreat. But, as she slowly climbed from the transport to the bay, the Doctor was nowhere to be seen. The door was not far from her and she began to walk, holding her skirt high. But a sudden jolt to the ground below and she found herself gasping and stumbling. It seemed as though the whole world was exploding. She felt shrapnel, sharp pricks, against her legs.

Her arm automatically covered her eyes, so she didn't see a man running towards her. But she did feel a sudden strength about her waist. "Run, Tegan. Don’t just stand here."

"Doctor!" she shouted and opened her eyes, but the world exploded again.

"The transport!"

She was spun about and her hand was grabbed. She blinked her eyes open and stumbled over the hem of her dress. The Doctor was sprinting across the space, zigzagging and dodging in a strange pattern back to the transport that she had just parked. He leapt into the body of the transport, pulling her behind him and it rocked on its suspended center of gravity. She cried out as she fell forward, toward the edge of the transport, but the Doctor reached out and pulled her into an embrace and against his more centered form. Her hand flew wide, as did the key. It flashed blue against the white sky and then disappeared over the side.

With a moan, she spat out: "Rabbits! The key!"

They pulled apart. Tegan launched for the side; the Doctor for the driver's seat. She leaned over the side, gasping. The key was still tumbling through space, more than four stories below them. "The key, Doc!"

"No time!"

The edge of the landing bay nearest the transport exploded, ringing in their ears.

"But…"

"Sit down and do be quiet!" he offered and reached under the column to jimmie the control panel. As he did so, a small compartment opened behind his seat. He leapt over the chair. Tegan slid into the driver's seat as he yelled for her to do so.

"But, Doc…"

"Hold on…" Suddenly, the transport lurched forward and Tegan reached out with a yell to grab the ball. The Doctor glanced behind them and frowned. "Tegan…how well do you drive this?"

"Enough to get us somewhere; why?" she called back over her shoulder. Her small hands enclosed the steering ball.

"Get us out of here…down, side…anywhere…we have company that I do not think we want."

"What?!" She twisted in the seat to see another speeder starting up behind them. The Doctor jumped the seat and landed next to her. He nodded ahead. "Increased speed and drive, Tegan."

She tightened her hand on the ball and grimaced. "Hold on to your Pyrondian head, Doc, you are in for a ride."

**

Sometime later, after careening down several corridors and one ways in the wrong manner, Tegan stopped the transport at a crowded bay. The Doctor didn't wait for the transport to stop completely and jumped from it to the metal and glass walkway with ease. Tegan was pulled out of the seat bodily by him and they both ran across the open space. When the space became tight, he stopped, pulling her sideways into a small outcove. "I hope we lost them. Any more time in that transport and I think I will need a new psyche."

"Don't pick on my driving, Doctor. At least it was legal. I did not know that you could hot wire one of those."

"A gift," he smiled. Glancing down at her, he was staid momentarily. Her dark hair was wild about her head, her lips were a deep glistening crimson and the orange and red gown she wore made her positively glow."We need to get to the Grand Loomlight Hotel."

"How do you know that? Are you psychic as well?" she lifted her eyes to stare at him.

"A professional investigator, Tegan," he pulled out the key and showed it to her. "Voile."

"Oh, great…another hotel," she groused. With a glance around, she nodded. "Okay, Doc…let's go."

He smiled and stepped out into the corridor only to be stopped at gun point.

**

Turlough grimaced and sighed as he was led into the interview room yet again. The collection of men inside, to him, looked like a firing squad as opposed to a Senate investigative committee. He could barely see them for the papers that were stacked about them. He lifted an eyebrow and unbuttoned his coat to sit in the offered, centered chair. "I don't suppose this is a committee to ask me how my evening is going?" he muttered under his breath.

"Sarcasm…" Grady warned from his chair close by. "Just answer their questions honestly. They can only ask you about the club that night; anything else would be hearsay."

The boy nodded, almost sagely, and adjusted his coat. The questions did not start immediately and a second chair was brought out and set next to his. The side door opened again and Carol was injected into the room by an escort. As she stepped over the threshold, she jutted her chin out and stepped lively to chair. As she sat, she adjusted her white coat and her skirt to recline comfortably.

"Wonderful."

"Nice to see you as well, Turlough," Carol answered, equally lowly.

"It is not you, Carol…it’s the fact that your presence here means that the questions, I think…will not be about my arrival at the Diamond Jive Club."

"You are correct, Vislor Turlough," the main inquisitor answered, sitting forward.

"How did you-"

"I will ask the questions…beginning, of course, with the evidence. Dr. Jenkins…I believe that you were the attending ME. In your own words, please explain your findings and the weapon of choice."

Carol took a deep breath as Turlough groaned under his and then began.

**

Tegan grunted as she was pushed into the seat in the transport and against the Doctor. He answered with an equally put out sound. "Ouch."

"Sorry," Tegan grumbled. Her hands were restrained behind her back. He braced her shoulder so that she could right herself. "It isn't like I have experienced being arrested, you know."

"Well I have. But you never do get used to the handcuffs, visible or invisible, metal or glass or otherwise…they are all the same," he whispered to her as she pressed her face into his chest to wiggle herself into a seated position. When she sat up, she could see over the front seat, past the driver to the moving lanes of traffic.

Wiggling again, she glanced behind them. The transport was at a dizzying height, many hundreds of stories from the bleak ground. "Do you suppose we should jump…" she bit back. "I don't fancy being held by these people."

"They are the police, Tegan…the Galactic Senate policing force. They are not going to hold us. And no…we should not jump. To quote you from a time long ago, you are mad. No, our best bet is to remain here. These people want us somewhere; and I think we should go. It is quite possible that Grady…"

"If your chum is arresting us, Doc…I think you should rethink your friendship."

"Quiet, Tegan."

"Easy for you to say," she muttered. "You probably still have feeling in your hands."

**

The transport stopped outside the Section Headquarters and the Doctor climbed out, using his shoulder to brace Tegan as she was pushed to stand next to him. They were met by a tall man with red hair and a darker mustache. He frowned, holding his hands behind his back. As the two friends adjusted to their stance, he nodded to the guards. One man moved behind Tegan and the Doctor, releasing their hands.

Tegan moaned and began to rub her wrists. "Thanks…for nothing."

"Tegan, quiet," the Doctor reiterated.

"Welcome. You are Lord President of Gallifrey, Theta…"

"…of the House of Lungbarrow, Pyrodonian rank…yes, yes…and you are?" the Doctor bit out, clearly agitated.

"The Chief Investigator for the Congressional Committee of Terra. I do apologize for the way that you were escorted here…"

"Escorted?" Tegan spat.

"…your previous history precedes you, I'm afraid. You, of course, will be given complete diplomatic rights."

The Doctor nodded, rubbing his wrists as well. "Yes, thank you. I suppose that you have begun a complete investigation here?"

"Of course, Lord Theta."

"And you have brought me here…."

"To answer questions of Gallifrey's involvment in this crime, Lord Theta."

"I might exert my diplomatic rights and decline…"

"…as you know diplomatic rights extend only to non-criminal investigations."

"Of course," the Doctor nodded. "Of course. I suppose that you have other evidence other than my testimony?"

"Yes. If you would be so kind, Lord Theta…" the man held out his hand to usher the Doctor and Tegan into the building. Tegan picked up the hem of her dress and ran after her friend as he strode across the doorjam and into the interior. She found her heels slipping on the smooth marble of the Section Headquarters.

The Doctor jammed his hands into his pockets and strode to the elevators. As she slid to a stop next to him and ahead of their escort, he said, quietly: "Take your cue from me, Tegan. Don't. Say. Anything."

"Whatever you say, Doc," she answered, frowning. "What are you going to do?"

"Answer their questions and request legal defense rights for Gallifrey. I have most of the evidence and it will give me time to…" he fingered the key in his pocket with a rueful smile. "…investigate other avenues."

She began to answer him, but drew back as their escort drew alongside of her. She smiled a tight grin and waited next to the Doctor in front of the elevator doors. His eyes found and met hers in the reflective surface. The escort hummed quietly next to them. "Your friend, Lord Theta?"

"My traveling companion, Tegan Jovanka. She is from another time."

He nodded, clearly processing the information. "There is information about your relationship here on file."

"Relationship?" Tegan sputtered. The Doctor held up a hand and spun to face the investigator. "Relationship, sir? She is my companion…"

"It will all be revealed in time. Now please…" he said as the doors slid open. The Doctor stepped back to allow Tegan to precede him into the interior, his hand at her back. It was not done so much to be gentlemanly, but to hide the wary look he had from her.

**

"Doctor!" Turlough launched out of the chair to approach his friends. "Tegan!"

"Ah, Turlough…wonderful to see you again. I don't suppose," the Doctor lowered his hand to grab Turlough's elbow and pull him aside. "I don't suppose you have any more information of the non-damning kind?"

Carol stood and approached them as well, straightening her white coat as she did so. Tegan smiled in what she hoped was a friendly manner to greet the woman. Carol glanced down at the Australian's formal gown with a look of awe. It was lined in gold and was such a rich collection of colors that she thought Tegan was wearing a sunset. It suited her open face and dark hair perfectly, Carol thought kindly. When she was close enough, she squeezed Tegan's hand. "I found nanities under the nails of the Senator. And since he was in contact with that Gallifreyan woman…"

"Conjectoral at best," the Doctor said, not kindly. "Turlough, what did you find out about the design on her dress? It does not match the sample from my dress…or…" he nodded to Tegan. "…or match the pin she wears…the angles are wrong, aren't they?"

"Slightly, Doc…but it could be the camera and not the pin."

"Possibly. I don't think so, though. We will have to use film to test that hypothesis," the Doctor lifted his eyebrows. "Nanities, you say…hmmm… that only proves that the Senator was with a Gallifreyan, not that a Gallifreyan killed him. And…I have…"

The foursome turned as the door opened and the Doctor was summoned to the questionning room. He left a visibly agitated Tegan and two weary friends. As he passed Turlough, he stopped. "Turlough…you have been questioned…and are free to move around?"

"Yes, Doctor."

He pulled out the key and pressed it into the younger man's hand. "Take this…go and find out what is in that room."

"Yes, Doctor…" the words were said to a retreating back. Turlough swore he had never seen the Time Lord's back so straight or his shoulders so squared.

**

"Stay here and watch him," Turlough had warned Tegan and Carol as he went for the door and the outside world. The investigative team had no reason to keep him, so he walked through without hampering. Tegan watched him go with a frown.

"I don't much like that, you know. Only just started to trust him."

"Turlough is all right," Carol answered, leaning back against the wall to stare out at through the visitor's gallery at the Doctor. He had opted to remain standing, and did so with his hands locked behind his back. "But I wonder about this Time Lord friend of yours. Seems like he is having a hard time of it."

Tegan reached for the volume control and turned the feed up slightly to hear the Doctor's baritone voice answering another question about evidence. "Oh…he's all right. The Doctor is quite capable of confusing the best people in the galaxy. I've seen him do it first hand often enough."

"I do hope they don't get more in depth. Your Doctor friend is trying to get around answering straight without putting himself into contempt of Court or Congress." Carol leaned into the wall. "And Turlough has been trying very hard to help you and the Doctor…"

"He has, I suppose," Tegan agreed and rubbed at her chin.

Carol smiled, but stopped as she saw a tape begin to play in the questionning room. "Shhh, Tegan…listen…"

Tegan turned the lights down quickly to see the tape and felt her stomach drop and her heart leap into her throat. She couldn't watch the scene on the tape and watched the Doctor instead. His chin became more pronounced and his back tight, his shoulders tense as he was assaulted with the images and feed. When it ended, Tegan found she was leaning into the window, her hand against the glass.

The Doctor's voice was harsh in the silence that followed: "I was under the impression that what occurs at that retreat was private business; likewise, it has no bearing on the investigation."

The investigator leaned forward on the table. "Do you deny that you were with Miss Jovanka in that compromising position?"

"I cannot. But as I stated previously, it has no bearing on the investigation."

"But it does have bearing on your request, Lord Theta."

"It does? You don't say?" Tegan flinched as she heard the heated response from her friend. "Enlighten me, please."

"Flippancy is not your strong point." The investigator turned as a section of the wall slid up to reveal Lord Alpha dressed in full gown and head dress. The Doctor raised his chin even higher.

"Lord Alpha of Lungbarrow: would you be so kind as to interpret the words that Lord Theta used with his lover?"

Alpha stepped forward and lowered his eyes to meet the Doctor's as his younger cousin stood under the harsh lights and scrutiny of the investigators. He took a deep breath, bowed slightly to the investigator panel. "The interpretation of the poem that was said is as follows, esteemed investigators:

'By the ancient light of Gallifrey, in the loving bask of the first moon, I offer you the stars.'

'Friend of my first heart, joy of my second, feel what it is that your beauty has wrought.'

'Share of what I am, Tegan; as we honor life in the witness of cosmos.'

'In this life, I will share with only you.'

The Doctor lowered his head to glance at the floor. Tegan felt a hand against her shoulder. Her hearing, her vision had tunnelled and her breathing quickened.

"Is that an accurate recounting, Lord Theta?"

"Perfectly," the Doctor lifted his head wearily to glance at his cousin and at the investigator. "That is a perfect recounting."

"And would you tell us what it means?"

The Doctor shifted his weight and held out his hand. "Why don't you, Alpha. You seem rather eloquent today."

"Lord Alpha?"

Alpha frowned and adjusted his gown to make his stature seem taller. "It is an Ancient poem that was said at ceremonies of bonding, pledging and tying. It is said as a sign of…" Alpha shook his head. "…as a sign of attachment, a sign of affection."

"It was applicable," the Doctor growled. "Tegan Jovanka is a friend, and a confidant."

"It is a forbidden act by our own laws, Lord President," Alpha leaned onto the railing and faced his cousin.

The Doctor lifted an eyebrow and stared at his friend/cousin. "It was outlawed through our own inability to remain constant through our regenerations. If you noticed, I did change the language to recount all life and just this incarnation. It is a law that should be reversed."

"But has not. You have been found to be against the law, Lord Theta," Alpha ground out. "And by such an act, you are unable to legally represent Gallifrey in this matter."

"Unable?" the Doctor started forward, grabbing the bar and leaning forward to put his face in Alpha's.

"And you will have to answer for your actions and recount the statement before a council of your peers before you are able to represent…"

"Recount?! That tape was illegally taken and used when I have not received legal council, it should be excused."

"Recount, Theta," Alpha leaned forward as well. "You will recount the statement to your lover and will stand before the council."

The Doctor narrowed his eyes. "Are you quite through?"

"I am and I do believe that your questioning is at an end as well," Alpha turned to the investigator and waited until he received a nod. "You may retire."

The Doctor straightened his back and stared harshly at the men around him before he turned and exited. Tegan stared at his fair head as he passed under the lights and approached their room. She took a deep breath and felt Carol's hand tighten on her shoulder in response. "What just happened?"

"I do believe the Doctor committed a criminal act."

Tegan tightened her hands into fists. "What right did they have to tape that! It was taken out of context!"

"Was it?" Carol asked lowly, reaching to turn Tegan towards her. "And for gods sake, Tegan, wipe those tears away. He won't need to see those. From what I saw, he gave you a compliment by saying that oath. Are you saying that was out of context?"

"It doesn't matter why he said it; it matters that they used it against him."

"Are you sure that it does not matter?"

"No," Tegan turned toward the door and wiped at her tears angrily. They were tears of anger and shock. "I will march out there and have him recount those words now if it will help this cause. Alpha is doing this deliberately…I know he is…he wants to get back at the Doctor…that is all this is. Political, that is all. He's probably the one at the heart of this murder and trying to cover his tracks. Bring down all of Gallifrey instead of himself…" the door opened and the Doctor stalked in, slamming the door behind him. She continued. "I know he is guilty."

The Doctor stopped and stared at Tegan and then the window beyond. He looked shocked for a moment and then lowered his head to rub his neck. "You saw all of that, I suppose. Heard it as well?"

Tegan swept forward and grabbed his arm. "We can just walk back out and you can recount. You need to head this investigation, Doc."

He sighed and lifted his eyes and then glanced at Carol. "You had better get Grady and contact Turlough. I need to call the retreat and find Beta or Psi, my other cousins. I might not be able to head this investigation…"

"Doctor!"

"Quiet, Tegan, just for a moment. I might not be able to head this investigation, but I can request someone specifically to replace me. And we must find somewhere quiet to sit and think and converse. " he nodded toward the door.