She thought the house was too big.
It was lonely, all by herself in a house where the rooms seemed crammed in to the available space like sardines in a tin. It made her feel old. Oh, she had things to do, articles to write, aliens to catch...life went on as normal. As normal as it ever was. But somewhere in the back of her mind was a constant whisper, cruel and demoralising. "What are you doing?" it would ask her as she tried to sleep. "What kind of a life is this?"
She had no answer.
She did the best she could, muddled through as well as could be expected, hated herself for every mistake, and every now and then sat down and thought of what she could have been.
A mother.
A wife.
A person.
Sometimes she was so fed up of being 'Sarah Jane Smith, Saviour of the World' that she was glad she lived alone: that way no-one could hear her crying at night.
And then he came back.
For the second time, or rather the first: it was like that with a time-traveller, because this time it was her Doctor, the one she knew best. The one she'd loved.
It was dark and cold, the familiar stars of the Milky Way blotted out here and there by clouds. Quiet for once. One of those nights when she wished there was someone to talk to - the latest trouble had been difficult, near-impossible, and all she wanted was for the nightmares to go away.
Then she heard it.
At first she thought she was dreaming, but as she stared, shivering, something began to materialise in the corner of her garden. A blue box, lights flashing, settled comfortably in to existence on her lawn.
The doors opened.
"Hello Sarah," came a voice - such a familiar, welcome voice that she almost cried - and he stepped out with a grin, scarf trailing on the ground just like it always had. "How long have I been?"
Stumbling in to his arms, she wondered if just this once the Universe had heard her prayers.
Twenty minutes later and he was still talking: "So after I left you I went to Gallifrey. A load of pompous bores, Timelords, you know. I was glad to get away...and then there were a few minor catastophes to sort out, a few worlds to save, and here I am!" He stopped for a second and looked directly at her before continuing. "Oh, and I ran in to the White Rabbit on my way here. Said he needed to see a man about a clock...never did understand rabbits. Or humans for that matter-Sarah, are you listening to a word I'm saying?"
"What?" She smiled faintly. "Oh, of course I am."
"And Planet Earth is a giant amoeba," he muttered to himself.
"Yes, well, that wouldn't surprise me, given the things that happen around here."
For the first time since he had arrived, the Doctor stopped and really looked at her. "Sarah..." he began gently.
She looked away. "Don't."
"No, Sarah, listen to me." His hand reached out and lifted her chin until she was looking at him. "Come with me."
"I- No, I can't. Doctor, I have work to do here! I can't just swan off around the universe again."
"Just one trip..." She had to smile, because he had always promised her that: just one more trip and then he'd take her home.
So she smiled again, this time with more conviction, and hugged him. "Where are we off to then?"