She was so innocent, the Doctor thought, so blissfully unaware of what would become of her. The Daleks had had a profound impact on Romana in his past, her future, and the war even moreso. It was almost painful to see her as she was before everything fell apart, painful, but welcome. He had clung so desperately to an image of the Time Lords as they had been before the conflict, and here Romana was, reminding him of the days when that image had been the truth.
"A few weeks," he told her, tone bright and casual, as though he didn't mind at all being trapped in New York, and quite honestly, a part of him didn't. He had no desire to return to a world where he was meant to die. "My TARDIS is a bit stuck. She can change location within a limited area, but something's stopping her from traveling in time. I'd love it if you came to stay with me. A few of my friends already are. You'd get along splendidly, I'd wager."