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Sarah Jane watched the TARDIS disappear. Again. She mentally kicked herself. How many years had she spent alone, wishing for just such an offer? How many nights had she spent sitting on her roof watching the skies? Hell, the site of a phonebox could turn her brain to mush if she wasn't careful.

Sighing, she turned to walk away. The new K-9 unit began to follow, ever obedient to Sarah-Mistress. She grinned weakly at the robot dog. Well, she couldn't say he'd never given her anything.

Later that night, Sarah Jane came home to her empty house. It was always empty these days, since she and Harry didn't see each other very often anymore. He was happily buried in his medical practice and his children, and although he meant to go round to see his old friend Sarah, somehow or other it just never happened.

Tonight, however, it seemed much bigger than usual. The silence was heavy on Sarah Jane's tattered mind. She flopped down onto her sofa. The overwhelming urge to drink was making guest appearance in her brain tonight. It was more from anger at herself than anything that she felt this way.

"He was here." Her voice was oddly quiet in the emptiness. "I spoke to him. I..." She let the rest of the sentence hang. Really, what was the point of saying it out loud? Wouldn't that just make it worse? There was the only thing she had ever truly wanted right in front of her and she had turned it down.

But was it really what she wanted? The rational part of her mind was finally waking up, it seemed. Sure, she told herself, he's the Doctor. He's even got the all-round insanity...not a bit like Five...but is he really what you want?

"Yes, Sarah Jane. Is that what you want?" The sound of another voice in the room sent Sarah flying off the sofa. "Who's there?" she asked, keeping her voice steady.

A man dressed in black stepped out of the corner. "Well, who I am isn't really the point. The point is that I want to help you." He sat down on the sofa. "Come, Sarah, sit." Dazed slightly, she did. This was by no means the strangest thing that had ever happened to her, but it was still somewhat unsettling.

"Now," he said, clapping his hands together. "I couldn't help but notice that you were having a bit of a problem regarding what it is that you want...from..well, life I suppose."Sarah Jane nodded. "I guess you could say that, yes." The man smiled. "You were offered something which you believed–up until now that is—that you wanted more than anything in the universe. Correct so far?"

"Yes." "Well, obviously you turned this offer down, or we wouldn't be having this conversation." Sarah Jane laughed bitterly. "I turned it down alright." "There's no need to get angry about it. Obviously, that particular thing wasn't quite what you always had in your head, was it?"

Something in Sarah Jane's brain clicked into place. That was it exactly. "Well, thanks for helping me clear up that little matter, but what's the point?" She really didn't believe that this man could do anything to help her, but experience had taught her not to dismiss anything outright. She leaned back to listen to whatever it was this loon had to say.