Chapter 1
A flashing cursor blinked back rudely from the blank page on Sarah Jane Smith's pc. It was almost as if it was taunting her. Her editor expected 1000 words on his desk - well, emailed to his pc - within the next 24 hours, public holidays be damned! And it wasn't as if Sarah was short of a story or two. Oh no, she could tell him stories that would cause the rest of his greying hair to fall out. Most would win her awards for fiction, despite being true… Either that, or they'd get her locked as the rantings of a crazy lady. Best not to go there at all, really.
It was quite late on Christmas Eve. Clicking between websites, Sarah noticed that was reporting a severe electrical storm over London. Several forks of lightning hit the ground causing some structural damage, but no serious injuries. Switching on the television, BBC News 24 had eye witness reports from several bystanders and already the conspiracy theories were surfacing. How could there have been a lightning storm with clear skies? How could a storm cause the Thames to go dry for nearly an hour before the waters began to rise again? Why did it look like the lightning was coming from a large star-shaped object in the sky that either exploded, or was blown up, depending on which eye witness you spoke to. There was a metrological expert on hand to explain the phenomenon… and, of course, to blame it on the effects of global warming.
Sarah Jane rolled her eyes and switched the tv off again. It was probably UNIT, or Torchwood or the Doctor – maybe even all three – saving the world from another Christmas alien invasion. Tomorrow nobody would care. They'd be too busy settling down for a day of too much food, drink and Eastenders. The news outlets were curiously devoid of any mention of the anniversary of the giant spaceship that hovered over London and held a third of the population in a trance on the rooftops. People tend to forget what they can't comprehend or explain… it's easier that way. What wasn't getting any easier was the attempt to fill the still blank page in front of her! A glass of wine would help her minor case of writer's block. She went to the wine rack in her kitchen and chose a nice Burgundy, bought on a recent trip to the eponymous wine region in France and placed it by the hearth where she had a roaring log fire burning.
She loved Christmas Eve. The calm before the storm. Her day to kick back and relax before the chaos of Christmas day and dinner with friends. Thankfully, not at her house this year. The last time it was her turn, she was cleaning up until the 27th, but oh what fun it all was! The Rat Pack Christmas Album played quietly in the background. Seasonal easy listening, but without the Christmas cheese factor of Slade or Shakin' Stevens. Pouring her wine, Sarah decided that her blank page could stay blank. She could rustle something up tomorrow before her departure. Right now, she was going to curl up on her couch in front of a gorgeous fire, with a delicious wine to watch a classic film. A perfect end to the day.
And then the doorbell rang.
It was 10.30pm. A little late for carollers. She peered through the peephole just to make sure it wasn't some drunk passer by, or kids messing. She gasped at the familiar face and had the door opened in seconds.
"Hello, Sarah Jane." The Doctor, the new one she'd met at Deffry Vale a few months back, had a wide grin on his face. "Merry Christmas." He stepped over the threshold and embraced her in a tight hug (The Doctor always knew how to give a great hug!). "It's so good to see you again." He whispered in her ear, as he continued to hold her close for longer than she would have expected. Sarah suspected that something was wrong. He was alone, for a start. No Rose or Mickey – but it was Christmas so maybe they were with family. She hadn't heard from him since that day in Deffry Vale – hadn't expected to either. They said their goodbyes and she'd made her peace with never seeing him again.
When they broke from the hug, he kept his arm around her shoulders, still smiling at her, but for all the mirth in his smile, his brandy coloured eyes said differently. There was something not quite right and if she was to get to the bottom of what was troubling the Doctor, Sarah Jane would have to tread carefully. They entered her living room, warm and inviting with it's roaring fire and subtle lighting. The Doctor sat down on the couch.
"How are you?" Sarah Jane asked. "Are you hungry? Can I get you some food, or I've just opened some wine, how about a glass?" She barely gave him time to answer.
"A glass of wine would be great." The Doctor said quietly. There was a short silence while Sarah Jane left the room. "I… I suppose you're wondering why I'm here." he called after her, almost like he couldn't bear the quiet.
"Well yes, now that you mention it." Sarah smiled fetching another glass from the kitchen.
"I wanted to see if you were okay after the… " he paused for a moment. "The eh… Daleks and Cybermen."
"I'm fine." She sat down beside him and handed over a good sized glass of Burgundy. "At the time it was quite terrifying, but thankfully I made contact with the people important to me… Here on Earth anyway."
"Oh. That's right. It happened a few months ago. I just… I got sidetracked after I took care of things. Feels like it happened only yesterday." He scrunched his eyes, rubbing them vigorously with his thumb and forefinger and then took a long drink of his wine.
"Tell me." Sarah said, looking him in the eye and placing a gentle hand on his knee. She anticipated a brace of cheery denials 'Tell you what? Everything's peachy! Hunky Dory! Coming up Roses, even!' She never expected what happened next…
"She's gone." The Doctor said quietly, his voice thick with emotion, like it might break at any second. "Rose is gone and I'll never get her back."