"Good morning, Tegan."

She leaned into the doorjam and yawned. Tegan was not a morning person, and as such, she rubbed at her eyes and yawned. She didn't trust herself to talk kindly at that moment, so she nodded.

"Ah…not a morning person, are you?" he asked, smiling. "I’m a morning, noon and night person myself," he confided. "Never mind, we have coffee and tea, toast and fruit here, Tegan…that should set you to rights."

"Do you have aspirin?" she croaked, holding her head.

The Doctor smiled knowingly. "Gallifreyan wine packs a particularly hard punch on Terrans. I should have warned you. Sit down, I'll see what I can find."

Tegan flopped in the chair with little finesse. She leaned forward, keeping her robe closed tightly and poured a cup of coffee, opting to drink it black. The toast was wonderfully warm…just right for melting butter and jam. By the time that her friend returned with some sort of pain killer, she was somewhat coherent and happily munching on toast. She peeled the mug away from her lips to swallow and to take the pills and thank him.

He sank into the chair across from her and poured himself a mug of coffee. She continued to eat, letting the coffee and aspirin do its job. "What do you have planned for us today, Doc?" she asked, rubbing at her brow. "More forays into the perverted side of Gallifrey?"

The Doctor got a pained look, but didn't rise to the bait. "Actually, we are going to spend part of the day apart. I am to understand that the women of the party last night are attending a… spa day, was it?"

Tegan nodded. "Gillian arranged for me to join her and the others. I dare say she is a bit talkative."

With a smile, the Doctor agreed. "You and she should get along famously, Tegan. She might be an excellent focus for information gathering."

Tegan nodded, swallowing another sip of coffee. "I thought so too. And that Time Lord…Psi? He gave me the willies, Doc. I'm telling you…he knows more than he is saying. Ouch…my head hurts."

"It will. Psi? Yes…" the Doctor leaned forward to take up a piece of toast. "Yes…I agree. He did appear rather…put out about the conversation last evening."

"Put out? Understatement, Doc," Tegan grimaced as she had a wonderfully bitter mouthful of coffee. "He was beside himself. I thought he was going to shake himself to pieces he was so nervous."

"Ah…well…I will rely on your input as to that, Tegan. You are the suspicious one and I am too close to the matter, so to speak, to clearly see the matter. I am to meet with most of the members of Lungbarrow this morning, to 'catch up on old times'. I will have to see about talking with him and Alpha if I can. Alpha and I never did get along, I'm afraid."

Tegan sighed, rubbing at her neck. "Just how many cousins do you have, Doctor?"

"Oh…in the neighborhood of 40. We are the current generation of Lungbarrow."

"Forty? Good grief!"

"Well…when one is loomed from a genetic mismatch of information, it is much easier to keep the core genetics the same for a period of time. Looming is quite time consuming and not very energy efficient…more so than human reproduction, but still…inefficient. If we can save time, we do. Forty was a good round number…so each generation contains 40 Time Tots. When we all reach our 8^th incarnation, the cycle is started again."

Tegan crossed her eyes and shook her head. "That made my head hurt worse."

He smiled. "It makes my head ache as well."

"So…I am to be pampered while you…."

"Engage in Gallifreyan sports. Don't ask, Tegan. It is too complicated to answer. Eat up and get dressed. I'll see you for mid-day meal at the retreat…"

Tegan gulped down her coffee and rose, turning around. "Righto, Doc." To herself, as she left the room, she muttered: "I have a feeling I am going to regret this. But thank god for good coffee…"

**

"This coffee is horrible…" Turlough answered, glancing in the throw away cup with a groan. He had tasted bad brews in his life, but this cup of substance had to take the badge for the absolute worst drink of his young life. He groaned and put it down as Grady entered the room. It took a moment for the older Grady to get his bearings in darkened room.

"Ah, Turlough…those are the tapes from the days in question, aren't they?" Grady asked, retreating to the back of the room to get himself a cup of coffee. As he fixed it, Turlough answered.

"Yes…I found the tapes for the first two nights that the Senator visited the Diamond…" Turlough leaned forward and put his cup secretly in the waste container while pointing at the monitor in front of him. "I have been able to locate the Undersecretary of the Galactic Interaction Counsel. From what I was able to piece together from the Senators dealings here, he was often seen with him….a Michael Jorel."

Grady nodded. "I know of him. So you found him in the tapes."

"The man here…" Turlough pointed at the screen. "This man here…is him…if the description of him is accurate, that is."

Harry put down his cup and leaned forward to stare at the screen. "Oh that's him all right, lad. I would know that man anywhere. And I know the Senator…but I don't see him here…" Grady walked down the bank of monitors staring at each one in turn. He shook his head. "I don't see him on any of them," he said quietly.

Turlough shook his head. "But this is only from the main floor. I haven't gotten the tapes from the private rooms yet. I requested them-"

"The private rooms…" Grady turned to Turlough with a large frown. "John wouldn't have been back there, lad. He was married."

Turlough nodded gravely. "And that has stopped others?"

Grady groaned. "No…I suppose not, but… I know…er, knew him, lad…he wasn't like that."

"And I thought my father wasn't….but he was, Grady," Turlough answered, groaning. He hadn't meant to release that much information to anyone, particularly a stranger. But, he thought with a sigh, leaning on his arms to glance at the monitors, he supposed it was better to tell a stranger than say….Tegan.

Talking of those times brought back bad memories for him, something that his friend, Tegan, would have picked up on almost immediately. He had been fifteen when his father had joined the resistance; he had been seventeen when he had joined himself. By the time he was nineteen, his father was sleeping around with a young woman named Kassandra. She was not a good bedfellow to have and he was revealed to the government as were his family. His mother was separated, albeit gladly, from his father. While they were sent, his father and young brother, to Sarn, he was sent for reconditioning to Earth. With a sigh, he rubbed his neck. "I am going to check them…"

Grady appeared angry, shaking his head. "It will affect his reputation."

"Would you rather have his killer or keep his reputation intact?" Turlough asked with a small, offering smile.

The inspector growled but nodded slowly. "You sound like the Doctor, Turlough. All right…view whatever tapes you need. If you need additional confirmation of identities, give me a yell…I can help with John….knew him a good many years…were schoolboys together…" he let his voice drift off. Then with a gulp of his coffee and a frown, he moved back down the banks of monitors. "I am going to start on the current and pending legislation, Turlough."

The boy nodded, rubbing at his lip. "I'll stay here…the video of the rooms should be here any moment. I'll join you if I don't see anything."

Grady nodded gravely. "I don't think you will…"

"I hope that I do, Grady," Turlough answered, sitting back in the chair, his arms crossed. "It will make this situation a tad bit easier and the Doctor easier to live with. If Gallifrey is indeed indicted in this, he will be in a bad sort of way for a while."

Grady grunted and exited the door quickly. Turlough knew that he had sounded particularly insensitive, but he did have a reputation to upkeep. With a sigh, and a mind to get a glass of water or another caffeine laden concoction, he settled down to look at the screens again. He wanted to help the Doctor solve this, and to be, somewhat reliable for his friend the Time Lord and Tegan. He still stung from the rocky start he had with the both of them.

**

The room was dark, but the girl found her way around quickly and quietly. She fingered through the chips containing the video of the Diamond Jive Club. She was lightning quick as she found the day she was looking for, and pulled it out.

She looked over her shoulder, moving her raven hair out of the way, and when she was assured of her continued secrecy, she put the chip in her pocket and put another one in its place in the shelf. Then with one last glance at the door to the exterior, she retraced her steps to the vent and quietly let herself out.

**

Tegan all but collapsed in the offered chaise-lounge and hummed. She ran her hand over its surface as her friend sat in its twin. After a moment, she glanced at Gillian and June…her companions for the morning. "Incredible…" She stared about; all the chair were the same, as was the art.

"They are Terran," Gillian answered.

"They look like they could be in my Grandma's parlor, but that was…."

"Long ago and in another place," June answered, sitting forward in her seat. "Yes. Haven't you guessed, my dear? We are all from different times here…it all depends where our respective Gallifreyan's found us. I am from the 22^nd century…Liverpool."

"And I am from 23^rd century London," Gillian offered. "But I have been on Paradise Prime for about a year, I suppose."

Tegan glanced at her companions as their respective facial technicians approached. "But how is that possible…"

"Ah…I think the answer to that question is a little…hard to answer," June answered as Gillian giggled. "When are you from? You are Terran, aren't you?"

"Yes…" Tegan offered quietly. "And from the twentieth century."

"Ah…well before Gallifreyans became known to us," Gillian said. "Your Time Lord must have either befriended you or truly finds you very attractive. It is unheard of for them to pull women from times unfamiliar to their culture."

"So they brought you here?" Tegan asked, incredulously. "In their TARDIS'?"

"They brought most of what you see here in their TARDIS'…a micro-culture if you will," June gave as she laid back on the lounge.

Gillian giggled and stretched. "Most of the women at the Main Light Inn are from other times. Unfortuneately, we mostly get left behind. Gallifreyans are not known for their ability to form lasting relationships…it is unheard of for them. We are the ultimate one-night stand…but if a gal likes adventure and new places…she'll sign on."

Tegan ignored her technician for a moment with a wave of her hand. "But don't they have some level of responsibility for you? For us?"

"Responsibility, Tegan? Oh…you mean do they worry about a tender woman's feelings? On the grand scheme of things, no, if you don't mind me being perfectly blunt."

Tegan grit her teeth. "I didn't mean it that way. I meant…don't they have some sort of responsibility to return you to your own times…to home? Rabbits…they can't just leave you here."

"Yours wouldn't, would he?" Gillian asked, slyly. "Yours has been around Terrans for some time, I would guess. He would take you back…"

"Possibly," June answered, moving the towel about her face away from the mouth and eyes. "You haven't slept with him yet?" She didn't wait for Tegan's answer. "No…he would take you back, Tegan, but keep you with him for travel? I would doubt it. I would doubt it greatly."

Tegan eyed the blond with contempt. "The Doctor is a friend…a good friend. He wouldn't just leave me somewhere…and if I didn't want to go home…"

"You underestimate the strength of Gallifreyan culture, my dear," June stated with a level of self-assurance that Tegan envied. "I would prepare yourself for the end of your friendship with him. That is, if you still wish to have a tryst with him."

Gillian grinned. "Have you take a good look at this 'Doctor', June? Tegan's Lord Theta is quite a looker. If I were her…"

Tegan narrowed her eyes at Gillian. The girl grinned at her all the more. "Oh, Tegan…I am not making the moves on him. I am quite satisfied with Beta, but if I were you, I would think about chancing it. You aren't second guessing yourself, are you, where he is concerned? If he has his mind set on a tryst, he will not take it kindly if you were to back out."

Her tone was not kind when she answered. "I have told him I would be here with him, I do not intend to back out," she answered strongly.

June nodded. "Good. Lay back, Tegan, dear. When we are done here, the shop across the way is awaiting us. "

Tegan tried to relax, swinging her legs up on the dais and laying back. She looked over at her companions with a frown. Well, she thought, I might as well try and get some useful knowledge here. She had asked about the men, so she tried for the women." Are there any Gallifreyan women here?"

June glanced at her as another towel was being placed on her face. "Blessed few. In fact, I have only met one other…a willowy brunette. She was at the Main Light but not accompanying a Lord per se."

Gillian's voice wafted out from underneath the towel. "In fact, she was very secretive. Was dressed to the nines, but would not mention who she was with. I ran into her in the ladies room there. She had me positively green with envy; she wore the most beautiful black gown."

June laughed, her first real laugh of the day. "Ah…there you have it. She was most definitely not with a Gallifreyan male…they do prefer their women clothed a little less…conservatively when they want to enter into a tryst. That gown, if she is the same woman you are talking of, Gil, was too fully covering. If I have the woman correctly, she was with the Terran men and women on the far side of the club. Strange…I would have thought that she would be with her own species."

Tegan scoffed quietly. "You seem very down on Time Lords and yet you are here…"

"I am with Lord Alpha, my dear, the first of the House of Lungbarrow. It is a privilege. I would not turn down a weekend or week with him for anything."

Gillian laughed. Tegan leaned back on the couch, alit with new information and a frown on her face.

**

The Doctor stuffed his hands in his pockets and glanced about the small room. Many of his co-House members, both his and other generations, were seated around low tables. On the tables, amidst the beautiful tapestries, were large boards existing in three dimensions. Occasionally, the boards would switch, twisting in on one another to present a completely different scenario. As they did so, he heard a variety of groans and sighs. It was a Tribalunt day, apparently, he thought ruefully. It reminded him a little too much of his Academy days.

"Thete!"

He rolled his eyes, but raised his hand in greeting to Beta. With several measured steps and a smile, he found himself standing at the table with Alpha, Beta and Psi. The board was moving and the other two Time Lords were grunting their disapproval. "Still playing logic games, I see," the Doctor said as he stood at the edge of the table.

"Sit, Thete…we've been waiting for the fourth man," Psi said. "Of course, if you are late because of that beauty you had with you last night, old man, I'll forgive you."

"Well…Tegan…" the Doctor emphasized her name and sat down in the chair. "Tegan did have a rather rough morning."

Beta smiled and leaned forward. "So did Gillian…although I must say that fairy of mine was looking forward to seeing Tegan again today. They are going clothes shopping or something other." He slapped the Doctor on his arm. "They will rejoin us for the mid-day meal and the afternoon outing, however. Tegan told you that?"

"I knew of it, yes," the Doctor answered, staring at the game board. "This…" he waved his hand over the board. "Brings back memories."

Alpha lowered his glass and glanced at the Doctor. "Something should bring back memories of the Academy, Theta, or rather your second trip through it. Something should bring back your memories of heritage. Very little else seems to."

The Doctor barely flinched. "And a good morning to you, Alpha. Is it my turn here?"

"It can be…do you see a move?" Psi asked.

"Not quite," the Doctor answered. "I have to get my mind on the game…Tegan was talking of that awful business at the Diamond Jive Club… it has my mind elsewhere I am afraid."

"Does it?" Alpha gave. "It would not be the first time. That business at the Diamond Jive Club is none of our business."

"Isn't it? I wonder. It is keeping Tegan and I here longer than we anticipated. We were there that night…"

"Were you? Interesting." Psi answered. "You were there as well, Alpha…and you Beta."

"True. It was a harsh night on our nerves," Beta answered, moving a piece along the board.

The Doctor watched the move of piece and sighed. It was going to be harsh on his nerves to sit through this day. "Where were you Psi? Since our Academy days you were as thick of thieves with Beta here; I would have thought that you would be there as well."

"Psi? He was busy that night with a beauty of a burnette," Beta offered, groaning as the board moved, burying his piece. "Blast. Rassilon…I thought that was a good move."

"Stick with temporal mechanics, Beta," Alpha offered.

"I was not there, Theta," Psi answered, groaning as his piece too was buried in the moving board. "I was at the Main Light that night."

"Hmmm…" the Doctor answered. He moved the purple piece to A3 by G7 by U98 and smiled. "That is Tribalunt, I believe," he said as the board changed again, to show his piece at the top of the board. He grinned widely at Alpha. "The Main Light? Good grief…do they have daliances there as well? I didn't know."

"To a certain extent, Theta, but it won't hold a candle to tonight," Beta answered, leaning close. "And congratulations on the Trebalunt."

"Thank you…" the Doctor answered, intercepting Alpha's frown with a grin. "I'll have to look into the Main Light. But do tell me…I was to understand that the Diamond Jive was more Terran and offworld than Gallfireyan."

Alpha nodded. "It was. We were there as an adventure."

"An adventure," the Doctor lifted an eyebrow. "Gallifreyans enjoying an adventure? Rassilon, maybe there is hope for the new generation. Humor me with an answer, Alpha, are you dabbling in Terran politics again? It was a passion of yours for a time if I remember correctly."

"You do. And no, I was not dabbling. Although I do know the Undersecretary and the dead Senator, I had not, as you so tritely put it, been dabbling in politics."

"Ah…interesting, I would have thought it would be a wonderful daliance for you," the Doctor bit his lip and rocked forward to watch his cousins move the pieces on the board.

"Unlike you, Theta, I would rather keep my reputation as an upstanding member of Gallifrey than to interfere," Alpha answered. "It is only delinquents that do such as you."

"Ah…are we back to that again?" the Doctor asked, raising his eyes to stare at his elder cousin. There was a spark of anger in their clear blue.

"We never left it," Alpha answered as Beta laid his hands noisily on the table.

"Come, you two…try for once to remain in a room without arguing," Beta pleaded.

"I will not argue, Beta," the Doctor answered. "There is no need. I wear the mantle of President of the High Council of Gallifrey. I believe there is no need to argue the point of deliquency. And, Alpha, my dear cousin, I believe it is your move."