"Yes, old girl, UNIT's actually holding an anniversary soiree. I was just as surprised as you." Harry grinned. "Of course you'll be coming given your incredible importance in our research and all."
Sarah returned the smile, a bit fascinated the stodgy bureau would even consider celebrating a thing. Harry bent to her level and spoke behind his hand. "I think the Brig is behind it," he whispered with a wink.
"Oh of course, the man's a complete party animal once the uniform's off," she chuckled.
The two continued bantering in the TARDIS console room while the Doctor lie on the floor hidden from them, expertly separating wires in a small compartment of the console, sonic screwdriver between his teeth. Harry's voice started grating against the Doctor's fine tuned attention to repairs, though til how he'd blocked out both their chattering. Then Sarah's giggling outbursts registered shrill as headache pangs. He growled to himself, sat up from the floor, and pulled himself into his chair to observe what all the commotion was about.
"Yep, tomorrow night at eight on the dot," Sarah agreed. "As long as the Doctor gets to join us too. But never know what his plans are, if you could call them that."
Harry shrugged. "Why make him come along, it's not likely he'd enjoy it. He's all about life threatening adventures and utter trouble seeking." The well groomed human doctor's eyes grew serious as he studied Sarah's face, carefully choosing his next words. "This party is more for our own folk. More… intimate. In fact, I've heard there will be a candle lit dinner, and then dancing."
Sarah nodded. "Oh, well that sounds lovely…"
"And," he continued, determined, "I was wondering if you'd accompany me as my date."
"Date? Like friendly sort of date?"
"Of course. Whatever you're comfortable with." He took her hand and twirled her in a mock dance with an incredibly silly expression on his face.
"Okay. That's fine by me," Sarah said, laughing. "I'll be anyone's date with those moves!"
"Dancing the night away with the lovely Sarah Jane Smith. A thrilling occasion, my dear lady."
The young woman curtsied and then steadied herself and considered his statements a moment. Was he hinting at something… romantic? Hopefully not. She thought tomorrow night sounded like a welcome reprieve either way but couldn't help considering her alien companion might want to join also. She remembered she hadn't seen the Doctor in an hour or two and wondered whether he'd heard any of their conversation. She checked over her shoulder and felt her heart drop.
The Doctor loomed like a gargoyle at the console, hands shoved deep in his coat pockets, eyes demonic looking slits. Oh, he'd heard all right. He'd heard. Something about that funny man Harry Sullivan had irked him particularly since yesterday after he'd rejoined them from UNIT. Traveling a while with Sarah Jane, the Doctor had adopted the habit of keeping a close eye on her interactions with others (usually due to her tendency to fall prey to possession), and naturally he paid closer attention to Harry (but not without many pronounced eye rolls). He'd noticed Harry's changed body language. He stood closer to Sarah. He watched her each time she turned away, usually with some lingering goofball grin. Harry'd never engaged much with the Doctor before, and now barely at all without his eyes darting back to the pretty girl for approval. And this. A date?
"Doctor?" Sarah said after some hesitation.
The Doctor raised his head a bit, eyebrows furrowed. "I believe a certain companion of mine promised to accompany me to Alpha Ention Twelve once I'd located the coordinates?" Though he addressed Sarah, his eyes burned deep into Harry's. Harry's face grew stern.
The young woman, still appearing quite shocked at the Time Lord's strange demeanor, clasped her hands behind her back and glanced at the floor. "Last I heard you'd not located them. How am I to know when you will?"
"Who says I haven't now? You must align your priorities… and honor agreements you've made, Sarah Jane."
Sarah smiled wide, her disarming brown eyes shining as she approached the time and space traveler. "Oh Doctor, it's just a bit of merriment. Why, you could come along with us if you'd like. Let loose a bit. What's an extra night before seeing Alpha Ent… Enti…"
"Ention Twelve."
"C'mon, ol' chap," Harry added, "What's the harm in a night of good fun eh? Yes, you could tag along, though I doubt it's much your-"
"Though there are far more pressing issues within the galaxy," the Doctor interrupted in a booming voice, "such as the oppression of Alpha Ention Twelve's inhabitants, this is an occasion I cannot miss if the both of you intend on going."
After the Doctor declared his intentions and exited the console room, Sarah and Harry looked at one another, puzzled. Sarah smiled and stifled laughter, infecting Harry so he brought a hand to his face to drown out his own loud snorts.
Later that evening, after playing cards with Harry in a common room and absently flipping through interesting looking books in an enormous library, Sarah decided to try on dresses for the UNIT party. The Doctor had granted her access to his previous companions' outfits abandoned in their hurried departures. These all hung neatly in a walk in closet within a dusty TARDIS room. She wished she had this closet space at home – it could easily fit her bedroom.
Sarah breathed in the scent wafting around her; aged, and cedar, and pleasant despite her sudden urge to sneeze. She closed the door to the room, undressed in front of an antique body length mirror beside the closet, and took in the array of clothes spread before her. She soon felt drawn to an emerald gown with a plunging neckline. She grinned, imagining the looks on Harry's and the Doctor's faces if she waltzed out in this number, so sexed up and unlike her, but the idea didn't keep her from throwing it over her head.
"Too big!" she hissed. The straps fell off her shoulders, and the teasing neckline nearly approached her stomach. "Wonder who wore this old atrocity." Sarah hung it back up carefully and reached for something more reasonable.
After modeling and deciding against a few gowns, the young woman honed in on a black and turquoise dress. It fit perfectly, like she could have forgotten it there herself. Sarah posed before the mirror, observing how the material hugged her curves. In a rare instance of vanity, smirk creeping across her face, she arched her back to display a flattering side view of her tush.
"Sarah?" came a quiet voice from the door.
She yelped and spun round to check behind her, chest heaving. "D-Doctor! You terrified me!"
The Doctor, silent and appearing just as surprised as Sarah, quietly cracked the door open further. "May I come in?"
"How long were you there? Ever heard of knocking before barging into a dressing room?" Sarah instinctively covered her chest with her forearms as though it were bare.
The wild haired man gave a toothy grimace and cocked his large head to one side. "Not long enough to witness anything embarrassing, if that's what you mean."
"Oh you! God, you can be a wonder sometimes!" Sarah looked away, shaking her head, but brightened internally as she tended to with the Doctor nearby.
"I thought you might be in here since your usual haunts were empty," he said, glancing sidelong into the closet and scratching his face.
"What do you want, anyway?" Sarah's tone calmed as she fell into her usual friendly demeanor. She drew closer to him and twirled a couple circles, stopping to gaze up into his wide eyes and bat her lashes for added effect. "Well, what do you think?" Of course she didn't expect much of an answer concerning her looks, but she'd been questioning all day what his earlier irritation with her and Harry involved and hoped he'd broach the subject.
"You maintain your balance beautifully, Sarah. I want to bring something important to your attention."
"Yes?"
"Harry has devices on you. It's become quite obvious."
"Doctor!?" If possible, Sarah's jaw might have hit the floor.
"We both know this can't progress," he continued. "He isn't good for you and you know it. I believe he may try something at this party tomorrow night. I simply can't allow it." The Time Lord fell silent and appeared focused, folding his arms before continuing. "The reason I'm going is to keep an eye on him, and on you."
"Where is all this coming from?" Sarah said with a laugh. "You look serious as if we were discussing life and death. And what do you care if Harry has some stupid crush on me?"
"Because you're my companion and we have tasks yet to accomplish. Places to go. Experiences I want you to have. Harry Sullivan's a potential threat to this." The Doctor turned away from her, hands gripping his hips and head lowered. He'd been struggling to maintain eye contact, and now it seemed he couldn't face Sarah at all.
"I've warned him already he has no business with you romantically, but he's a fool who will still do whatever he pleases, damn the consequences."
The conversation felt almost traumatic to Sarah. She very much fancied the Doctor. She had for some time as more than a friend, and the most he returned resembled the care for a child or a pet. "You warned him? Doctor, for someone who 'walks in eternity', you've become quite possessive." She tentatively placed a hand on his sleeve, but he continued staring off, now fixating on an ancient painting of flowers on the wall. "It isn't your place to tell me what I can and can't do. I'm not some thing like a plot of land you can claim. Even if I did like Harry, which I don't, it isn't your business."
"This is very true. And of course I wouldn't hold you here against your will − you're welcome to leave any time you want to. I've never stated otherwise."
She patted his shoulder. "But can't you see that I enjoy myself immensely on our adventures? Do you really think I'd just walk off with someone like Harry and leave you hanging?"
The Doctor sighed and met her eyes with a tight lipped, sad smile. "It's happened to me before. I worry you'll be gone before you've seen all you're… meant to, Sarah. And I've an idea you've still much to see."
"Come on now, I wouldn't back out on a trip with you," Sarah said, taking his hand and guiding him towards the door. "Now, let me change into my clothes and we'll all have dinner, okay? You're worried, but you've no reason to be. Not all humans are the same. Whether or not you go to this UNIT party I'll be back for another spin in the TARDIS."
Her friend planted himself in the doorway and shot her a dark expression. "Harry can't touch you, Sarah. I've made an exception in this case. He's an imbecile who I shouldn't have allowed back on the TARDIS to begin with."
Sarah brought a palm to her forehead, bewildered. Was he for real? "Okay, Doctor, that's good and well, now shove off!" She pushed him into the hallway and slammed the door. "And no peeking!"
The following evening arrived, and as the trio readied themselves for the celebration, tension weighted the atmosphere around the Doctor.
"Best if we visit work first," Harry said, straightening his tie. "There's a few documents I'd like to retrieve before we head over. And my nicer shoes."
The Doctor rolled his eyes. "As you wish."
"Oh lighten up, chum. How much does an extra stop anywhere cost you?"
"Were his final words spoken that day…"
The young man shook his head. "I'll drive you and Sarah to the shindig from there."
"I prefer to take my own vehicle, thank you."
A clicking echo announced her presence as Sarah rushed into the console room. "As ready as I'll ever be!" She'd discovered black heels and an elegant jacket to complete her outfit for the night. The lipstick she chose made her lips downright attractive, as Harry seemed to realize, gazing at them.
"It's like you walked out of a painting… You're gorgeous, dear girl!" Harry bent to kiss her powdered cheek.
"You aren't half bad yourself, Mr. Sullivan. With a little work you could pass for a proper gent!" They grinned at each other and Sarah glanced towards the Doctor, who ignored them, setting coordinates.
"What do you think of Ms. Smith, eh Doctor?" Harry called from a few feet away.
The Doctor studied them, brow furrowed. "You both resemble homo sapiens craving the attention of fellow homo sapiens. We'll arrive momentarily."
"You old deflated balloon!" Sarah approached him and yanked his scarf. "You're jealous because you're only creative enough to change outfits when you regenerate."
The TARDIS whirred as the Doctor, wide eyed, removed her hand from his clothing. "I never thought of it that way. But for me, it's practicality first, fashion second. Though you must agree I have impressive taste." He stepped back, allowing her to admire his full garb, and then tipped his hat. "Why would I change?"
After landing a quarter mile from UNIT's true coordinates (which all agreed refreshingly on target for the ship), Harry and Sarah tied up loose ends while the Doctor checked the building's security for any signs of tampering, alien or otherwise. Besides a pesky stray cat following him and batting at his scarf as he circled the perimeter, all seemed in order. Sarah agreed to Harry driving her, and the Doctor insisted he take the TARDIS, in case of emergency.
"I miss this, traveling by car. It's so normal," Sarah said with a hint of nostalgia, watching the hills and tiny farm houses pass as she and Harry wound their way to the party. "No creatures jumping out of the woodwork to imprison me." She'd forgotten the beauty of an autumn sunset on her cozy, crumb-sized corner of the galaxy. "Or torture me."
"That must be a relief."
"Somehow I still love the thrill, but it's nice to get a break."
"I'm sure it gets tiring, being at the old bugger's whim," Harry said, sounding a trifle irritated. "How long are you planning to go along with him, putting yourself in danger?"
Sarah stayed quiet a moment. "I don't know. Honestly haven't thought much about it."
"You must realize the longer you're away in wonky stretches of the universe, the less you'll appreciate it back here. Anyone with even the slightest understanding of psychology could see that happening. You aren't a Time Lord in the slightest, old girl. Don't you want a normal life someday?"
Sarah frowned. "I happen to enjoy what I'm doing. So what if my life is abnormal by your standards? The Doctor shows me the most incredible things. I want to see as much as I can when I have the chance."
Silence fell for a beat. Harry glanced at Sarah, then watched the road.
"Like his bedroom? Has he shown you that?"
The young woman gasped. "Harry! How dare you imply that, you ass. We're friends and that's all."
"I imagine that's for the best. He'd probably be controlling and a touch sadistic in that respect, given his personality."
Sarah smacked his shoulder.
"Driving!," he interjected, trying not to swerve.
"Why are you talking like this? Unbelievable. You obviously don't know him. He isn't violent or hurtful. He can be very kind once he lets his guard drop a bit. He just doesn't like you, and I can't imagine why." Sarah huffed, then chuckled to herself. The conversation shocked her at first but now seemed amusing. "The Doctor's sexuality? Why are you even going there, you twit?"
"I don't know, because I sometimes fear for your safety when you're out where no one can reach you? Yes the Doctor's been around UNIT a while, but does anyone really know who he is? What he's capable of with humans? Why he favors young female companions?"
"Oh and I suppose Harry Sullivan wouldn't if he was a Time Lord!" Sarah held her head in her hand. "If you want to discuss his sexual prowess, we may as well start talking about rocks. He doesn't harm people, Harry. He's only saved our planet dozens of times. And I've yet to see him kill anything besides a monster or two, and that was a last resort."
Harry's knuckles whitened on the wheel. "Do you know he had the nerve to tell me to stay away from you? Tried to set boundaries, the old codger?"
Sarah sighed. "It's because he doesn't like you, simple as that." The Doctor's recent antics had apparently disturbed Harry quite a bit; she could understand that. But she couldn't keep from smirking internally at both men's childish rants about one another.
The Doctor's second touch down proved less accurate. He stepped out of the TARDIS and used his impeccable sense of direction (then a compass, and then a civilian walking their poodles) to locate the hotel where UNIT members would congregate.
"Ah!" he exclaimed, recognizing a couple of the organization's employees entering a side door of the three story architecture. Of course, armed recruits guarded the entranceways to the reception hall for the very private occasion.
"Name, please?" A military man asked the Doctor, holding a list. He appeared young enough to still attend high school with his thin stature and zit nearing an explosion on his chin.
"The Doctor."
"Doctor…?"
"Yes, just the Doctor in this case, my upstanding acquaintance. Not on the list?"
A few uniformed guards listening in watched the Doctor warily, and then a familiar face approached them from the entrance. "I see you've met my kid brother," said a tall man with striking features.
"Sergeant Benton!" The Doctor grinned, shaking hands with him. "Been a minute I should think. Looks like a chip off the old block we have here." He gestured to the younger brother. "Nice to meet you." The Time Lord shook the younger man's hand.
"It's James, Sir," the boy said with a nod.
"Ah." The Doctor reached into his pocket and fished around. He withdrew a crumpled white package and offered the contents. "Would you like a jelly baby?"
Doe eyed, James wordlessly consulted his older brother, who waved him the go ahead.
Benton smiled proudly. "Entire family's in the service," he said. "In some way or another. Although not all of them know about the Doctor just yet. Plan to keep it that way til a more opportune time."
"Whatever suits the cavalry, I suppose. Say, seen Ms. Smith or Harry come this way yet?"
"Not me, but I've been back and forth. May have missed them."
The Doctor excused himself and entered the hotel, searching for his companions. A classy scene awaited inside – live music, champagne, a buffet of exquisite food, UNIT folk dressed to the nines in sharp suits and colorful gowns, fancy decorated tables with black and beige balloons and candles. He spotted Sarah and Harry chatting with the Brigadier but he didn't join in, for he had one purpose here, and he intended to pursue it.
After successfully avoiding eye contact with most passing guests, the Time Lord discovered the best suited perch for watching that fool Harry Sullivan make an ass of himself this evening. A remote table in the darkest corner of the interior granted him an all encompassing view of events. He slipped into a chair unnoticed (a technique he'd mastered after a few centuries of travel), removed his trademark coat and hat, and snuffed out a lit candle. He fancied he resembled Aragorn in the shadows of the Prancing Pony inn, minus the hood, pipe, and beer guzzling Hobbits in his wake.
The Doctor spotted Sarah at the buffet chatting with her coworkers and acquaintances, and he sighed as a wave of boredom crashed at the fringes of his mind, making it wander. Maybe this paranoia was silly on his part. She seemed different tonight, but what was it? He rested the side of his face against his fist, leaning into the table. A grace about her – an ease. A smile, genuine and cheerful, at home on her face. That was the thing. Sarah was enjoying herself in the company of her own species, completely in her element. The stiffness in her extremities and concern in her eyes had vanished. Traveling with him often terrified her. He exposed her to danger time and time again, and he rarely glimpsed this smile of hers during their adventures anymore, although she told him she enjoyed the thrill and novelty.
He sometimes forgot how humans required rest in order to maintain their mental and physical wellbeing. Just as he had the urge to slip away to the TARDIS right now, she probably wished for nights like this during chaotic encounters on alien planets that served to rejuvenate him but drain her. Sarah needed a break from the Doctor and the TARDIS, and he'd only realized that tonight.
The Time Lord raised an eyebrow. Apparently, Sarah also enjoyed a great portion of alcohol. The young woman managed to spot him from across the room after he'd shrugged on his coat and hat, and she waved him over. She, Harry, and a few others had formed a circle and seemed to be playing a drinking game, tossing back their champagne flutes and cackling hysterically. The Doctor joined the circle for one round, chatted up a tipsy Brigadier (who began popping balloons with his bottom, causing uproarious laughter), and then he decided to head back to the TARDIS to find something more interesting to do.
Repairing circuitry ate up Earth hours and helped focus the alien man's ever drifting thoughts. He checked the clock on the console and did a double take when he read one thirty A.M. Time had gotten ahead of him. He didn't know whether his companions' planned to return for the night but knew they wouldn't find the TARDIS without him. He threw on his trench and boots and quickened his strides to the hotel through the dimly lit streets.
"Enough of you," Sarah Jane huffed. She staggered towards the hotel entrance and wobbled on one of her heels, feeling her ankle fold at an unnatural angle. "Agh! Shit!" She hunched over to assess the damage, removing the flimsy footwear.
"Well, that's too bad." An attractive man with bright ginger hair and a tux had followed her and now blocked her path. He cupped her chin firmly, turning her face upward towards his. She frowned as their glazed eyes met. His alcohol laden breath formed a cloud in the chill autumn air. "Guess that means you're staying right here." He tossed his lit cigarette to the damp pavement.
"You think you're gonna do something, don't you?" Sarah hissed, anger rising from a dark chasm deep within her. She shoved his hand off of her face and made to limp forward, but he pinned her back against the brick hotel wall beside them. His powerful forearm dug into her chest. The small woman struggled a moment, and then went limp, hanging her head.
"Aww, guess you're all talk, gorgeous," the man said in her ear. "Guess most journalists are. Now, just be a sweetheart and I'll let you go."
Sarah nodded, defeated.
"There we are," he said with a cruel chuckle. "You're starting to get fun after all."
She waited, beginning to feel slack in his hold on her. Once her flesh abandoned the scraping bricks, one of her fists met the side of his jaw, hard. He stumbled backward but kept his footing.
"Idiot!" she yelled, retrieving her shoe and holding it heel side out to strike again if need be. "I told you to shove off!"
"Bitch!" he snarled, gaining on her again as she retreated. He lunged for her arm, but before she could swing her heel, the man thudded high against the brick wall with an interloper's fingers tight around his throat. His feet dangled.
"And who's this boy?" a deep voice rumbled. "Who are you, attacking my friend?"
Sarah immediately recognized the figure. "Doctor!"
"Why hang with this swine, Sarah?"
"I didn't know… he was at the party."
"Well, what's his name?"
"Tim."
"Well, Tim," the Doctor said, squeezing the man's air passages tighter, "I suggest you never show your face around UNIT or Ms. Smith again or you'll have me to contend with."
"And me," Sarah added. "There's more where that came from!"
The Doctor released his grip. Tim crumpled to his rear, caught a short ragged breath, and shook his head. "Good luck proving I did a thing. I'll be the one with the bruises, all said and done."
Thwunk! An object bounced off the side of the bewildered man's head. "Add that to your collection," Sarah said, glad the heel still managed to serve a purpose.
The Time Lord craned his neck to study her, grinning. "Good one."
"And no," he continued, crouching to Tim's level. "Once I contact the powers that be, I believe you're quite finished. Now, go." The man slowly rose to his feet, giving them both a disgusted look, and ran off into the dark.
"Sarah…" The Doctor approached the tattered-haired, one-shoed girl. Her red eyes and smeared makeup hitched his breath. She backed away from him.
"I could've handled him, you know," she said, adjusting a dress strap that had slipped out of place. "You didn't need to help me." Sarah's uneven gait betrayed her, and she tripped backwards. Her alien friend caught her by the wrist and pulled her before him, grabbing her shoulders to keep her upright.
"What happened here? And where's Harry?"
She avoided his eyes. "He went out with some mates. Asked if I wanted to go but I said no, I'd stay here in case you showed up, because I assumed you would. He's supposed to come back at some point." The girl rubbed the fist she'd used to clock her assailant and sighed. "I went up to a rental with a few of the girls for a bit, and then I came down to check if you were about. Met up with Tim from earlier, seemed a decent enough fellow. Had a couple drinks and he asked if I'd join him for a smoke and a stroll around town since the cleaners seemed to want us out of the reception hall. Didn't get far before he got… insistent."
"Did he hurt you?"
"He wanted to, but I gave him what for."
"That's my Sarah," the Doctor said, ruffling her hair. "We'll get you to the TARDIS and you can rest up. Come along." The Doctor placed a hand in the middle of her back to guide her. She cringed and resisted.
"It may be a wise idea to either retrieve your other shoe or take that one off. We've got a walk ahead of us, afterall."
"What about Harry?" Sarah said quietly.
The Doctor snorted. "We'll track him tomorrow. Haven't had your fill of this place yet?"
"Oh." Sarah slapped a hand over her mouth and hopped to a nearby patch of grass to empty her stomach. After a few loud and productive heaves, she crumpled to the ground, arms hugging her knees. The Doctor observed her slipping off her remaining heel, her fog like breath rising in the cold. She trembled.
Her friend removed his coat and draped it around her shoulders. "Oof. It seems part of the night was fun, anyway," he said. "A shame it ended badly. Now, come on." He lifted her to her feet.
"Why can't you leave me alone? Can't you see I'm upset?" Sarah gazed into his bright blue eyes, which started searching hers with puzzlement.
"Nonsense. You're seven sheets to the wind, and sick. You don't want to stay here."
"It's three. Three sheets."
"Does it matter? Listen to-"
"I'm no good, useless," Sarah choked, tears flowing. "Can't even escape the monsters on my own planet. Always need rescuing. Just leave me."
The Doctor rubbed his temples, growing frustrated. Humans. Always some existential crisis at the worst of times, he thought. "Sarah Jane. Let's discuss all this once you're feeling better. In the meantime, walk with me. Please."
His companion wiped her cheeks and seemed to comply. Then the Doctor noticed her limp.
"You are injured."
Sarah tried the oversized sleeves of the coat enveloping her. "My ankle. Twisted the stupid thing."
"Well, no use making it worse." The Doctor crouched, looped her arms around his neck, and lifted her off the ground.
"Whoa! You're kidding," Sarah gasped. "I can walk, just slow."
"Nonsense. Piggy back ride!"
"Doctor, you're mad."
"Only notice that now?"
Sarah rested her head on the Doctor's shoulder as they traveled, her hands secured on his chest beneath his scarf. She suppressed the sensation of the world spinning and churning her stomach. She wished he hadn't seen her like this, or returned to her squabbling with some demented man. She wanted to prove her worth as a companion and a human, not a weak girl needing protection.
The alien unlocked the TARDIS door and carried her straight to an infirmary room, where he set her on an examining table. "I'll have that back now," he said, gesturing for his coat.
"So you see, Harry wasn't a problem at all," Sarah said as the Doctor began scanning her with a small flashlight. "And here you'd been so worked up over him."
"Ha! He still managed to leave you in a vulnerable position, proving yet again how wonderfully dependable he is."
"Well, it's not like you were there either," Sarah said with a shrug. "We were all having a bit of fun, couldn't see any danger in it. And it's not like I needed a nanny to monitor me all night."
"And yet something happened."
"Yes. And I appreciate your help, Doctor, but I could have handled it fine on my own."
Sarah met his eyes, awaiting validation, but the Doctor's face was unreadable. He tilted her head and shined the light in her ear. "What are you doing?" she squawked.
"Would you have preferred I stood and watched?"
"Something's been bothering me all night, the more I think about it. Something Harry said earlier."
The Time Lord lifted her hand and studied her busted knuckles. "Is that so?" he said passively.
"He said 'you're not a Time Lord, Sarah, not even close'. That I can't do this forever. I hadn't really considered that, just went with your flow. Ignored the suggestion I'd ever have to leave. But I guess it's true."
The Doctor used a large cotton swab to spread ointment over the broken skin on her hand. "I… want you to be happy, Sarah," he said, eyes avoiding her emotive glances. "Humans tend to crave stability as they age. And I could never give you that. You'd never start a family, Sarah. You'd never find peace and contentment, only turmoil across galaxies with me."
He heard her sniffle and choke back a sob. "But what if my peace is being with you?"
The Doctor looked at her, shocked, and couldn't mask his intense rise of feeling. He blushed. No one had told him something as touching in ages. But he couldn't give her hope. "Just how much did you drink, girl?" he spat, turning to the cabinet to retrieve more supplies and smacking each to the counter below. "You're not in your right mind! Peace, with me? Fighting creatures and narrowly escaping certain demise? That's got to be the most ludicrous thing I've heard out of your mouth so far."
"But you do it to help set things right again. It's wonderful."
"I'm glad you see it that way," he said with a defeated smile. "But we Time Lords were built for this constant exploration and meddling. The more time you spend with me, the more likely you are to die. It's happened to me three times now."
"Then I'd go out with a bang."
"Hmph. And here earlier I thought you might go scampering off with some human. Apparently I was wrong." The Doctor put a finger to his lip. "Ice pack!"
Sarah watched him silently. He opened a small freezer, retrieved the cold pack, and secured it over her ankle with a towel. Then he wrapped her knuckles in a bandage. "You aren't as worse for wear as I expected. Well, not physically anyway."
She folded her arms, but her companion didn't seem to notice her disdain.
"I'll draw you a bath! How's that sound? And since you're feeling such anguish tonight… and I suspect you're still somewhat intoxicated, I can help you relax now." The Doctor placed his fingers on her temples and she recoiled, swatting him away.
"No! Don't tamper with my brain! I've had enough of that these past months." She brought her own fingertips to her scalp and massaged it, attempting to put a cap on her stress. "I'm allowed to feel what I like. You can't rob me of that."
"Sarah. We should change the subject for now. I'm not telling you to go tonight. Nor do I want you to any time soon. I don't want you to at all. This idea is rough for you due to amplified feelings – your drinking coupled with the fact you had a horrible experience with that man."
Sarah glanced at her bandaged hand and smiled. "For all your genius, you sometimes miss the simplest things."
"You're probably right about that," he said, watching her with a hint of sadness wrinkling his face. "But I think you should settle somewhere more comfortable while I get your bath ready."
Despite her protests, he lifted her again and walked her to a favorite living room setting, complete with a television and fireplace.
"I'll be back in a moment or three, just prop that foot on the table and try to rest in the meantime," he said and departed down a hall in the ship's labyrinthine interior.
Well, he was right. The wine definitely affected her feelings, but they weren't fabricated from a drunken stupor tonight. They'd been lurking somewhere inside, stuffed down and pushed away in their unwanted company. Sarah pondered her life before the Doctor. Boring, usual. Becoming a journalist granted her excitement enough to keep going, but after seeing distant worlds… what was left then?
The Doctor returned and freed her foot from its icy confine. "It's all ready," he said, grabbing her hands to bring her to stand.
"Alright." She nodded and followed him slowly down the hallway. He made an abrupt stop, observing her with an emotion she couldn't identify.
"I did a bit of research drawing your bath," he said, eyes trained on the floor, "and remembered something simple, much like you mentioned."
"Oh?"
Her companion threw his arms around her and squeezed her to him, resting his cheek forcefully against the top of her head. "A Humans for Dummies manual, if you will, in a chapter concerning human emotions and comforting. How could I forget this gesture?"
Sarah yelped and pushed away in order to breath. "Gesture for what? If I didn't know better I'd say you were trying to collapse my lungs!"
The Doctor bared his teeth in one of the scariest manic smiles she'd seen distort his face. "Oh hardly. Human beings love hugs! They trigger the release of the chemical oxytocin, which causes your brains to do some… melty thing."
"There's an art to it, Doctor," she said with a scowl.
"Isn't there to everything?" He relaxed a bit, removing his embrace in order to follow her lead. "Show me?"
Sarah sighed, exasperated, and lay her head against his chest. She lifted her arms to encircle his back, gently holding them in place. "It's like this. Your last self did this plenty. How could you forget?"
The Doctor pressed his nose to her hair, taking a long sniff. "I guess not everything carries over."
"What the hell? Did you just smell me?"
"Perhaps. The opportunity presented itself. "
"You get creepier every day I know you," she said with a laugh.
The two remained quiet for some time, Sarah listening to his double hearts rhythmically beating and the Doctor enjoying the feel of her small, warm presence pressed against him. "Thank you, Doctor," the young woman said, nestling her head closer and, without a clue, weakening his defenses. "For everything."
Swallowing hard, the Time Lord decided to back away before he appreciated this moment too much, though he wanted nothing more than to stay put as long as Sarah Jane allowed it. He booped her on the nose with a finger and took her hand in his. "I believe it's bath time for you, miss. You smell like a Dalek rolled in a pile of Zygons stinking of your friend Harry's morning breath."
Sarah's mouth dropped open, floored. "You ass! Are you saying I smell like vomit?"
"Basically. I don't think they'd approve on Alpha Ention 12."
"You found the coordinates?"
The alien pointed to his head. "After much deliberation, I decided which coordinates must be correct. They're no longer cataloged, you see, but still floating around in here. Just had to track them down."
The Doctor bid adieu at her bathroom door and sauntered off to some unknown task. Inside, she found the built in stone bathtub overflowing with bubbles and steam, a cup of hot tea stationed beside the faucet, a plush white robe folded on a small table and a second ice pack for her ankle, as well as a thick towel on which to rest it at the side of the tub.
She smiled, and, settling in to the soothing bath mixture, spotted the mound of jelly babies hidden behind her favorite Lady Grey tea.