FIC: Madam President [Doctor Who]
Title: Madam President
Author: atraphoenix
Fandom: Doctor Who
Characters: Leela/Romana II
Rating: PG
Summary: Romana led the way and Leela fell automatically into step beside her, as if that had always been her place.
Romana led the way and Leela fell automatically into step behind her, as if that had always been her place. She wasn’t sure where they were going, only that it was somewhere deep within the Citadel. A place she had never been permitted to go before.
As they walked, Leela found herself studying the woman in front of her with more care, taking note of details she’d never previously considered. She had always viewed Romana as a friend of the Doctor’s rather than a friend of hers. She had an inherent distrust of the Time Lord race, after all, even if Romana’s air of calm command seemed out of place in the cold, echoing halls of the Capitol. Romana was a rare light in the darkness of Gallifrey and Leela couldn’t understand how she hadn’t noticed it before.
She noted the way that Romana’s body moved beneath her heavy presidential robes as she walked; a rare mixture of grace and strength. The President was small and slight, yet managed to appear authoritative and, to Leela at least, extraordinarily feminine.
The experiences of the day had left her slightly in awe of the woman before her, as well as - although Leela would never admit as much - slightly unsure of what her new role would entail. She knew she was to watch Romana’s back, though what she was doing now probably wasn’t what the President had in mind.
“Romana …” she began, more nervous than she could ever remember being before.
“Madam President,” corrected Romana, cutting across her without even turning around, and Leela nodded, determined to remember; determined to fulfil her new role to the best of her abilities.
“Madam President,” she continued, “What, exactly, am I to do?”
They’d reached the end of a long corridor, and Romana paused to unlock a door and consider her answer. These were, Leela realised, Romana’s private chambers. The Presidential Suite. She was probably the first human to set foot inside them.
“Advise me,” Romana said, closing the door behind them. “Be honest with me in a way that most Time Lords wouldn’t dare. Be my eyes and my ears and, most importantly, my friend.”
Leela nodded, looking a little confused. That seemed to be a little outside a bodyguard’s jurisdiction.
“I will do my best, Madam President,” she said eventually, watching as Romana removed the ceremonial headdress with a sigh of relief. She looked smaller without it. Vulnerable.
“I don’t doubt it,” Romana smiled, patting her K-9 unit absently as she loosened her collar with her other hand. She looked younger now, too.
The warrior of the Sevateem watched Romana as she performed her actions perfectly naturally, without a trace of embarrassment. She was pleased that Romana was so at home around her, though she didn’t know why she would feel that way. Perhaps it was because Leela didn’t put on any of the airs that the other Time Lords used around her? Perhaps it was because she knew that Leela had no ulterior motives, other than finding Andred? She wasn’t after power.
Perhaps it was just that she was different? Romana had travelled with the Doctor too, after all. Maybe she liked different.
“Do you think there will be more days like today?” Leela asked. She’d just thought of Andred for the first time since she’d been alone with the President. It had unsettled her. She wanted to go back to the peaceful contemplation of Romana’s movements and actions.
“I think that today is only the beginning,” she answered, and Leela appreciated the honesty more than she could say.
“Then,” she said, “It is a good job I’ll be around to watch your back.”
Leela found that, to her surprise, the smile on Romana’s face made all the pain and hardship of the day worthwhile.
“I appreciate it,” she said, tilting her head slightly to watch her bodyguard with bright, unreadable eyes, “I have a feeling I’m going to need you to stand by my side, Leela.”
“Just stand by your side, Madam President?” Leela asked. Her mind seemed to be blank, oblivious to anything but Romana and the way her body moved. It was rather different to how she’d been moving before. It wasn’t more relaxed, as such, but Leela liked it all the same.
“Where else did you have in mind?” Romana enquired with a slight smirk.
“Many things, Madam President,” said Leela as she took another step forward to close the gap between them. “Perhaps I could lie beneath you?” she suggested, her lips brushing Romana’s hair, “Or above?”
“I suppose I’ll have to see, won’t I?” said Romana with a smile unlike anything Leela had ever expected to see. “And you can call me Romana, if you like.”
Leela grinned. “Perhaps later, Madam President.”
Author: atraphoenix
Fandom: Doctor Who
Characters: Leela/Romana II
Rating: PG
Summary: Romana led the way and Leela fell automatically into step beside her, as if that had always been her place.
Romana led the way and Leela fell automatically into step behind her, as if that had always been her place. She wasn’t sure where they were going, only that it was somewhere deep within the Citadel. A place she had never been permitted to go before.
As they walked, Leela found herself studying the woman in front of her with more care, taking note of details she’d never previously considered. She had always viewed Romana as a friend of the Doctor’s rather than a friend of hers. She had an inherent distrust of the Time Lord race, after all, even if Romana’s air of calm command seemed out of place in the cold, echoing halls of the Capitol. Romana was a rare light in the darkness of Gallifrey and Leela couldn’t understand how she hadn’t noticed it before.
She noted the way that Romana’s body moved beneath her heavy presidential robes as she walked; a rare mixture of grace and strength. The President was small and slight, yet managed to appear authoritative and, to Leela at least, extraordinarily feminine.
The experiences of the day had left her slightly in awe of the woman before her, as well as - although Leela would never admit as much - slightly unsure of what her new role would entail. She knew she was to watch Romana’s back, though what she was doing now probably wasn’t what the President had in mind.
“Romana …” she began, more nervous than she could ever remember being before.
“Madam President,” corrected Romana, cutting across her without even turning around, and Leela nodded, determined to remember; determined to fulfil her new role to the best of her abilities.
“Madam President,” she continued, “What, exactly, am I to do?”
They’d reached the end of a long corridor, and Romana paused to unlock a door and consider her answer. These were, Leela realised, Romana’s private chambers. The Presidential Suite. She was probably the first human to set foot inside them.
“Advise me,” Romana said, closing the door behind them. “Be honest with me in a way that most Time Lords wouldn’t dare. Be my eyes and my ears and, most importantly, my friend.”
Leela nodded, looking a little confused. That seemed to be a little outside a bodyguard’s jurisdiction.
“I will do my best, Madam President,” she said eventually, watching as Romana removed the ceremonial headdress with a sigh of relief. She looked smaller without it. Vulnerable.
“I don’t doubt it,” Romana smiled, patting her K-9 unit absently as she loosened her collar with her other hand. She looked younger now, too.
The warrior of the Sevateem watched Romana as she performed her actions perfectly naturally, without a trace of embarrassment. She was pleased that Romana was so at home around her, though she didn’t know why she would feel that way. Perhaps it was because Leela didn’t put on any of the airs that the other Time Lords used around her? Perhaps it was because she knew that Leela had no ulterior motives, other than finding Andred? She wasn’t after power.
Perhaps it was just that she was different? Romana had travelled with the Doctor too, after all. Maybe she liked different.
“Do you think there will be more days like today?” Leela asked. She’d just thought of Andred for the first time since she’d been alone with the President. It had unsettled her. She wanted to go back to the peaceful contemplation of Romana’s movements and actions.
“I think that today is only the beginning,” she answered, and Leela appreciated the honesty more than she could say.
“Then,” she said, “It is a good job I’ll be around to watch your back.”
Leela found that, to her surprise, the smile on Romana’s face made all the pain and hardship of the day worthwhile.
“I appreciate it,” she said, tilting her head slightly to watch her bodyguard with bright, unreadable eyes, “I have a feeling I’m going to need you to stand by my side, Leela.”
“Just stand by your side, Madam President?” Leela asked. Her mind seemed to be blank, oblivious to anything but Romana and the way her body moved. It was rather different to how she’d been moving before. It wasn’t more relaxed, as such, but Leela liked it all the same.
“Where else did you have in mind?” Romana enquired with a slight smirk.
“Many things, Madam President,” said Leela as she took another step forward to close the gap between them. “Perhaps I could lie beneath you?” she suggested, her lips brushing Romana’s hair, “Or above?”
“I suppose I’ll have to see, won’t I?” said Romana with a smile unlike anything Leela had ever expected to see. “And you can call me Romana, if you like.”
Leela grinned. “Perhaps later, Madam President.”