Disclaimer: Doctor Who is owned by the BBC, Harry Potter is the  
creation of J.K. Rowling, no money is being made from this, and no  
such intent should be inferred.

Herbert cooked dinner (Janet was too emotional to cook) and they all  
gathered around the table, talking and enjoying themselves. By  
unspoken agreement, the Time Lords weren't mentioned.

The Doctor and Janet were seated next to her. Rose sat on the other  
side of the Doctor and Janet did not miss the slightly protective way  
she leaned towards him, or the hostile looks she sent her way,  
probably without really realizing it.

At the end of dinner, Janet stood. "I believe we still have some cake  
somewhere. Hermione, Rose, would you give me a hand?"

"Uh, sure," Rose said and followed Janet and Hermione into the  
kitchen, leaving Herbert and the Doctor alone.

"So . . ." The Doctor leaned back, "you're human."

"That's right," Herbert said. "I must say, its all a bit much to take  
in." He hesitated. "Jan said she was your companion. If you're--"

"What? No, no," the Doctor said hastily. "Nothing like that. Bit  
different for us, really." He leaned back in his chair, "I'm  
something of a wanderer, you see, moving around in time and space,  
helping where I can, that sort of thing. Romana and I traveled  
together briefly is all."

Herbert considered this. "She doesn't talk about Gallifrey much," he  
said, "but I got the impression that the Time Lords weren't that keen  
on helping."

"They weren't," the Doctor looked distinctly uncomfortable.  
"Occasionally, my efforts to help could be considered as meddling and  
Romana was sent by the Council to . . . keep an eye on me. Not the  
most likely beginnings of a friendship, but we were always there for  
each other."

Herbert nodded. "She is something else, isn't she?"

The Doctor smiled. "She is."

---------------------

"You love him," Janet said to Rose as she got the cake out.

"What?" Rose sputtered. "No! I . . . maybe . . ."

Janet studied Rose, who stared back defiantly. There was some steel  
in this one, and she could see why the Doctor had offered her the  
chance to travel with him. But there wasn't enough. Not yet.

"He is a complicated man," Janet said. "But I suppose he would have  
to be, given how many of our laws he's broken."

The statement was offhand, one of truth, but Rose stared at her for a  
moment and then blinked. "What laws?" she demanded coldly and Janet  
revised her earlier estimate upwards.

"So he hasn't told you much about himself then," Janet stated and  
Rose shook her head. "No, he wouldn't. Rose, the Doctor is, or was,  
one of Gallifrey's greatest criminals. Not murder or treason, though  
I would scarcely say his hands are clean. No, more like the gentlemen  
thief of old, a figure for stories and the like."

Rose looked at the cake as Janet set it on the counter. "He . . . he  
said once that he was a father?"

Janet looked at her for a long time and then sighed. "Her name was  
Koltantrelundvar, my mother's aunt, in fact, though we've never  
discussed the connection. Their daughter Dreanateysen is the child he  
spoke of. Dreana married a human from the nineteenth century and they  
had one daughter, Susan. Koltan and Dreana were both researchers, and  
Michael, Dreana's husband, died early in Susan's life."

"Then he's married," Rose groaned.

"A widower," Janet replied and Rose stared at her, eyes wide in  
shock. "Koltan and Dreana were researchers. On a routine trip to  
survey a race of primitives, they were attacked, bound, and thrown  
into a volcano. Even regeneration cannot cope with magma and they  
died. It turned out later that the primitives were being manipulated  
by an alien force and the Council had known it for years. The Doctor  
had always been something of a maverick, but after their deaths, he  
began to speak out openly against the policies of non-interference,  
criticizing the High Council, and demanding that they do something.  
They refused. So, one night, the Doctor set all his affairs in order,  
then he and Susan stole a TARDIS and fled. That was three hundred of  
your years ago." Janet smiled. "Unfortunately, the TARDIS they took  
was in for repairs. The chameleon circuit was broken and navigation  
needed calibration." She began to cut up the cake.

"I knew about the circut," Rose said, "but he never mentioned a wonky  
navigation system."

Janet nodded. "He could fix it if he really wanted to, but he told me  
once he likes it." She shrugged. "Susan found someone to love and  
left the TARDIS, he took on new companions and kept wandering. The  
High Council tried to rein him in several times, but he always  
managed to get out of it and usually averted a cosmic disaster in the  
process. When I came to the High Council, we worked out a compromise.  
We would pay the Doctor no official mind, and in return, he would  
help us out if we really needed it."

"Like a privateer," Rose said.

Janet nodded. "He's a most unique man and the universe is better for  
having him in it." Janet looked off into space. "The odd thing is,  
he's known by thousands of names on million different worlds, but no  
matter what, one of those names is always 'The Oncoming Storm' in the  
local tongue."

"I think it suits him," Rose said, and Janet smiled.

"Yes, it does."

-------------------------

It was much later. Rose had returned to her bed in the TARDIS,  
Hermione was reading and Herbert was in the kitchen.

In the backyard, Janet and the Doctor sat side by side.

"She reminds me of Ace," Janet said.

"Rose? I suppose she does. Of course, she doesn't have Ace's knack  
for weaponry." They both laughed and then the Doctor turned serious.  
"Romana . . ."

"Janet," Janet corrected, "My name is Janet now."

"Look at you," he teased, "upped and gone native."

Janet's lips quirked in a smile. "I suppose. I have a family I love  
dearly, a job I enjoy, and while not perfect, I'm content. I think  
its enough." She waved her hand as though to indicate the house, the  
garden and the whole of London. "This is my world now, Doctor . . .  
for now."

"For now?" he echoed, looking at her.

"You know the cycle, Doctor," Janet replied. "Regeneration every one  
hundred years or so unless triggered by outside forces." She pursed  
her lips. "Aside from One, Seven, and Eight, none of yours have  
lasted very long." She grinned at him. "Perhaps that explains Six."

The Doctor shuddered. "Don't remind me," he replied. "I still have  
his coat in my clothing room. Just as a reminder."

Janet laughed. "Doctor, after my first regeneration, you told me that  
the process was dodgy. You never knew what you'd end up with."

"I did, didn't I? Said the same thing to Rose, as well."

I'm . . . worried. Earth can be . . . hazardous. What if I regenerate  
and Five doesn't love Herbert?"

"What if he doesn't love her?" The Doctor responded. "Regeneration  
isn't about the differences between the previous and the next, its  
about seeing the universe through new eyes, new thoughts, new . . .  
everything."

"I don't think Herbert quite understands that," Janet admitted. "Does  
Rose?"

The Doctor suddenly found the tips of his trainers to be very  
interesting. "Um . . ."

"She loves you, you know," Janet pressed. "Do you?"

The Doctor's lips pressed into a thin line. "It's been . . .  
hard . . ." he admitted. "Koltan was . . . she would have left with  
me, you know." He shook his head. "There wasn't really anyone else  
after her for a long time, and Ace . . . I had other things on my  
mind." He shook his head. "Grace Halloway wouldn't have lasted, I  
think . . ." he trailed off again.

"And Rose?" Janet pressed.

"As young as Ace was, and far to attached to me to soon. There's  
steel in her, but its not tempered. Not yet. . ."

Janet knew that tone of voice and nodded. "Where did you land?"

"New Rome, twelve thousand fifty. The old girl was a mess, but I  
managed to patch her up. You?"

"Cardiff, nineteen seventy-five," Janet told him. "Most of my  
supplies were gone. I did what I could, but but I was never any good  
with TARDIS'." She made a face. "Hermione needs a TARDIS, and my  
place is here. But it has to be working first."

"Well that's no problem," the Doctor replied. "A quick trip to the  
Third or Fourth Human Empire should get what you need."

"The third please," Janet said. "After World War Ten, they were never  
the same."

"Aw, but the Fourth is the height of their civilization."

"The third," Janet repeated, "and I'd like it if we took Hermione  
with us."

He looked at her, startled. "I thought you said your place was here."

"It is. But Hermione's education as a Time Lord is my responsibility,  
and I will not shirk it" She gave him a sly look. "Or fob it off on  
eccentric wanderers."

He merely grinned at her.

----------------------

The next morning, they got stared early. The Doctor made his own  
survey of the damage, and by the time he was done, Herbert had  
already decided he didn't want to go. "Someone has to stay here," he  
said mildly. "Not much of a traveler anyway. Besides," he kissed his  
wife, "This is your business and you know it best. I'd just be in the  
way."

"Herbert," Janet protested, "you don't have to--"

He silenced her with a finger to her lips. "Marty Finnegan and I are  
going bowling anyway. We'll be fine."

"Oh, all right," Janet said and touched his cheek. "We might be a  
while, the Doctor's TARDIS can be a bit dodgy about going where its  
supposed to."

"Go on," Herbert said, "off with the both of you."

Janet gave a short laugh and then walked to the back door, where the  
Doctor, Rose, and Hermione were waiting. Together, they walked to the  
Doctor's TARDIS. With a flourish, he opened the door, and bowed them  
in. Janet let Hermione and Rose go first and then entered.

The room had shrunk slightly from the last time she'd been inside his  
TARDIS. Not the massive sectioned off room that reminded her more of  
a flat, but not the sterile workplace that he'd used until the latter  
half of his seventh life. The walls were a burnished brass color,  
with supporting columns ringing the raised dais that held the central  
console and Time Rotor. The console itself had a half-finished look,  
patch-worked and improvised. To the left of the door, the coat rack,  
empty. Still there after all this time.

Janet closed her eyes and lifted her face as she felt the TARDIS  
recognize her, welcome her. "Yes," she said softly, "reaching out to  
touch the railing in a sort of caress. "It's me."

"The old girl was pretty banged up," the Doctor said as he closed the  
door behind them. "Did what I could. I've grown to like it, though."  
He walked up the ramp and tossed his coat into the v shape of one of  
the collumns. "So . . ." he flipped a few switches and slammed a  
lever home.

The console lit up, and the Time Rotor began moving up and down with  
a soft wheeze and groan.

Almost gliding, he moved to navigation, and spun a wheel, flipped a  
few more switches, worked an air pump, and pulled a lever. The  
wheezing began to increase, and more lights went on. With a final  
flair, he twisted a dial and the room began to shake and rattle.

"I see you never bothered to repair the stabilizers," Janet said as  
she and Hermione grabbed a railing.

"Why? It's more fun this way."

After a few moments, he pushed the lever, twisted the dial and rang a  
call bell.

"We're in the future?" Hermione gasped.

"Quite," the Doctor replied and grabbed his coat. "Shall we?"

He led the way out and they stepped into the cold.

The TARDIS had materialized on some sort of rooftop. The buildings  
were pyramid shaped, some with flat tops, some with towers, and more  
than a few of the flat-topped ones bore vehicles of a strange and  
alien design.

Walking to the edge, Hermione gazed down into a chasm. Bridges  
crossed it at regular intervals from one building to the other and as  
she watched, a flying craft of some sort whisked by, ducking under  
one of the bridges, skimming another, and vanishing out of sight into  
the distance. Turning away, she looked back at the TARDIS as the  
Doctor was locking the doors.

"New York the eighth," he announced, hands in his pockets. "Built on  
the remains of New York the seventh following World War Nine. It's a  
Tuesday in the year One hundred thousand eight hundred and fifty- 
nine, and this is the Third Great Human Empire, not to be confused  
with the Third Imperium from the sixty-fourth century and was  
responsible for World war Six. Constitutional Monarchy, all that fun  
stuff."

Janet, however, was already making for the rooftop access. "Come  
along,  Hermione," Janet called. "Let's not dawdle." Hermione hurried  
after, sidestepping what could only be described as a flying  
motorbike, and watching the Doctor and Rose stroll along, holding hands.

----------------

Hermione had thought aliens were the province of things like Star  
Trek and Star Wars, of books and movies. But they all paled to the  
sheer reality.

Aliens weren't just like the Time Lords. They were every color  
imaginable, big and small. They hopped, crawled, walked, slithered,  
flew, and one was doing it all at once.

Beside her, Janet spoke quietly, naming each new species as they  
walked past. Ahead of them, the Doctor and Rose strolled along, the  
Doctor's conversation more focused on the architecture, and fashion  
critique. Hermione thought that was more interesting, but she also  
recognized that  her mother's lecture was just as informative.

It was so weird to remember being one way, and yet knowing that you  
were someone else. To remember being two separate people and yet also  
being the same entity was the most confusing experience she'd ever had.

After an hour or so of walking, they reached a small stand and Janet  
and the Doctor went to talk to the four armed thing behind the  
counter, leaving Rose and Hermione to their own devices.

"What is that?" Hermione asked.

Rose had to think about that for a moment. "Mardukan, I think. The  
first Human Empire soaked them up." She looked around. "No bloody  
chips."

"You like chips?"

"Love 'em. You?"

"Mother says they're bad for me, but Dad and I eat them every so often."

Rose chuckled. "You know, this is so weird. I remember you being so  
much older than me and now--"

Rose was cut off by the sound of running feet and then someone  
slammed into them from behind. Hermione got a glimpse of blond hair  
and a black jacket before the stranger was gone around a corner.  
Moments later, two more creatures that looked like a cross between a  
gorilla and a cat loped by, wearing official looking uniforms and  
scowls.

"What happened?" the Doctor asked, helping Rose to her feet.

"Someone ran into us," Rose replied, turning to help Hermione. "Think  
she was human . . . think it was a she."

The Doctor smiled. "Well, looks like the Enforcers are taking care of  
it. I do wonder what happened, though."

"No, Doctor," Janet said, shifting the large bag in her hands. "We  
are not getting involved."

"Oh, but Roma--" he broke off as Janet glared at him. "Janet, why not?"

"It was most likely a case of petty thievery, Doctor. Not everything  
is a sign of something more . . . interesting."

"A brief look. Come on."

"Doctor . . ."

"Oh, fine." He turned to Rose. "You know, she used to be a lot more  
interesting."

"Oh?"

"Quite, I remember this one time, we were on Beta Earth in the Twenty- 
Ninth Century . . ."

They headed back to the TARDIS.

----------------

All the way back, the Doctor regaled them with stories of Janet's  
past exploits. Apparently, she'd been a bit of a rebel through most  
of her second life before settling down.

"Mother," Hermione asked, as the Doctor unlocked the TARDIS, "on Zeta  
three, did you really--"

Janet almost smiled. "Yes, and would do it again, too. The Warmaster  
was an unmitigated ass."

The Doctor pushed the doors open and froze. "Romana . . ." he said  
softly.

"Doctor, I told you my name is--" she broke off as she saw whatever  
it was the Doctor was looking at. Hermione and Rose exchanged looks  
and then pushed their way between the two adults.

Leaning on the TARDIS' console was a woman, a key on a chain dangling  
from one finger.

"Never did give you back m'key," she said and smiled. "So, Professor,  
room for one more?"

"Ace . . ." the Doctor said in a choked voice.

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