Okay, I know, I know ANOTHER story and I haven't worked on the others in forever. But I'm really stuck on those, and this one is fresh. So... the other two will be worked on, but it will take time as I haven't really looked at them in almost 2 years. So, let me know what you think of this in the meantime. I'll try to have a timely update of all my stories. -NCISBandGeek
Roaring through the destroyed streets of London, she effortlessly guides her Harley through the rubble. It's been 5 years now, 5 years since this whole shitty situation the world is in now started. 5 years since she's been here, 5 years since everything in her life went to hell.
This city took away everything she thought was normal and replaced it with the person she is now. She's one of the best zombie killers alive and one of the best scouts out there, so long as no one questions her methods. She hasn't been that naïve journalist in a long time, she doesn't even know how many people she's saved or zombies she's killed, she just does a job and moves on.
She doesn't want to know, because she has so much blood on her hands and no matter how many people tell her she's a hero, she doesn't believe them. She's so covered in blood she can't believe that people still want to look at her.
Early on in this craphole world she spent a lot of time with Harry and UNIT, finding survivors. Harry was her saving grace, he kept her from thinking about a lot of the bad things by just being, Harry. Then one day, about a year later, he just, vanished. No one knew what happened to him, so she spent a lot of time angry and alone. Even Mike, Benton and the Brig avoided her unless they needed her skills, which she'd honed in a lot of that alone time. Even now she's not sure how many zombies suffered her wrath all that time ago.
She also got pretty restless, never really staying in camp and sleeping only when necessary. The Brig must've had a sixth sense about something, because he was the one who'd encouraged her to travel around and help survivors. And to search for Harry. He'd given her a radio ("I expect you to radio us any time you're in the area") and the sword she now kept strapped to her back. Mike and Benton had found a Harley, and fixed up as well as added a few things to it, namely the rifle and sawed off shot gun and holsters. They'd wished her luck and told her the Doctor would be proud. And just before she'd ridden off the Brig had given her the title of "Captian" and saluted her, much to her surprise.
She'd never really stayed in one place after that, just wandered. Rescuing people and generally helping sort out issues that seemed to arise. And she radioed them any time she was in range, which wasn't often, but she'd learned they'd taken to calling her the Doctor of Earth. She doesn't deserve that title, not with what she's done. The things they haven't seen, the things they don't know about.
She'd had no idea what she was really looking for until she'd wound up in Harry's last known location and found his jacket. She was looking for her family, him and her aunt. She'd been searching for that since the last time she'd actually been in London. While she was fond of Mike, Benton and the Brig, Harry and her Aunt were the only family she had at all. Harry because he'd traveled with the Doctor, experienced some of the same things she had, good and bad. Her aunt, because well, she'd raised her, was the only connection she had to her parents. Parents who'd abandoned her on the side of the road and died in a car crash, but she still loved because they were her parents. The people she heard stories about her entire life from her aunt, and really, she needed that reassurance that they'd loved her right now. Because the Brig, Benton, and Mike… they didn't know about her being orphaned. Even the Doctor hadn't known, only Harry and her aunt. She needed them so desperately, she didn't care if it killed her she needed to find them.
It seems like eons ago now, but she still recalls that day vividly. Still has nightmares about it, not that she could ever forget that day no matter how hard she tried and boy has she tried. It was the worst day of her life… she wishes that the TARDIS still worked so that she could go back and fix it, fix everything.
She'd been one of the last out after they evacuated the whole city, the Brig let her stay and help because, technically she was with UNIT, if only because of the Doctor. That impossible mad man and her best friend in the universe.
She's still not clear on the details, but she remembers running towards the truck hauling the TARDIS, the Doctor behind her and pushing her forward. They were 20 yards away from the truck when she'd heard him scream and she'd turned around to see two zombies grab him. Somehow his scarf had come off and she'd only managed to pick that up before he screamed the last words he'd ever say "RUN SARAH!" and the zombies ripped his throat open. After that she had no memory until she'd woken up in the camp 3 days later still clutching the scarf.
She'd been told later, by Harry, Benton and Mike (the Brig had been out somewhere, overlooking something) that it had taken both Harry and the Brig to pull her away, kicking and screaming, from meeting the same fate as the Doctor. And then after they'd been riding for about an hour she'd calmed down and gone into something of a fugue. Hadn't talked to anybody and wouldn't acknowledge anyone's existence, just stared straight ahead and held the scarf like it was her life line. And even after she'd come out of the fugue she'd been depressed for weeks. She remembered how empty she'd felt, knowing that she'd witnessed the death of another friend in front of her and had no news on her aunt. The three of them had started taking her out on their rounds, even if it was just guard duty, to make sure she knew she had someone. Between the three of them she had a better knowledge of weapons, hand to hand combat and medicine than most, plus over the years she'd gotten her own expertise. She was also quite good at improvising things out of what was around, a skill learned through helping the Doctor and trial and error on her part.
She hated this world, she hated herself, but in the end she kept going for them. For Aunt Lavina and Harry, for the Doctor and Andrea, for the Brig, Mike and Benton. Because she owed them so much, and no matter how much she hated herself she was going to survive for them.
Spotting a small pack of zombies just up the street she turns left down the nearest side street and vaguely recalls that a council estate is down there. They're either a mecca for zombies, a safe haven in the cities, or abandoned, but perfect for crashing overnight and restocking without asking.
As she pulls up she notes that there's really no life around, but it's hard to tell from the outside. Residents of these complexes tend to be very clever about security, zombies and raiders are a major concern for them and until she establishes herself as trustworthy its best to be on guard.
