Instinct
This is the sequel to my 4th Doctor/Sarah Jane story, "Simply Stated". It's important to read that story first.
Prologue
There are some things in this universe that defy explanation, where logic simply is not enough to go on. Sometimes instinct is needed, a gut feeling or belief that one course of action is the right choice for a situation. As someone once said, 'Logic is the beginning of wisdom'.
No matter how much the Doctor tried to think about the situation logically, one emotion seemed to get in the way, making him second guess his instincts. He was a man of deep emotions to begin with, but this one emotion was one that he had not felt, with this much intensity, in a very long time. Of course, in times of crisis he liked to believe that he could fully suppress this emotion in order to deal with the bigger picture. But lately, it seemed his armor was weakening slightly.
The cause of this weakness was currently standing nearby, gazing at the magnificent stalagtites and stalagmites of the caverns they were touring. While Sarah and the other humans listened to the tour guide talk about how the caverns were discovered, (apparently two teenage boys had, by accident, found a small entrance to the cavern in the early 20th century), the Doctor was in the background, focusing inward instead of paying full attention.
He so despised guided tours, but unfortunately tourists couldn't go wandering through caverns on their own. The Doctor had tried to step beyond the path to more closely examine a stalagmite, but the tour guide had kindly reminded him that nothing outside of the carefully constructed pathway could be touched by tourists. Looking a bit annoyed, the Doctor had rejoined his place by Sarah's side.
"Oh, cheer up Doctor," she said, grinning. "There are plenty of rocks and things in the souvenir shop you can touch later on. This tour won't last too much longer." And with that, she stepped ahead with the group as the tour continued.
With the tour guide droning on in the background, the Doctor watched Sarah discreetly. Their last adventure on Rashua had been intense, even by his standards. He was secretly relieved that Sarah could not remember all that had happened there. He had told her basically what had transpired, but there were a few things he had left out intentionally. She had already seen more death than anyone should ever see. She had already been in too many life and death situations, and all because she traveled with him.
In the last few days, he had been seriously thinking of leaving her on Earth, but he found he could not let her go so easily. He knew he was thinking illogically and being selfish. It was all due to that one emotion. It was what had transpired on Rashua that had made him finally realize something that he had subconsciously known for quite a while. He was in love with Sarah Jane Smith.
(The following takes place right after the the part where Sarah lost consciousness in the story, Simply Stated)
"Doctor…something's wrong…" was all that Sarah Jane managed to get out before her eyes had closed and she had begun to fall to the floor. The Doctor was at her side in an instant and caught her in his arms before she fell.
"I've got you Sarah. Sarah, can you hear me?" he asked anxiously as he carried her and laid her down gently on the bed in their holding room or 'guest room' as the palace guards had called it. A quick examination told him that her pulse was way too fast and that she was burning up. Her temperature had increased by at least three degrees. Some type of odorless toxin must have been released into the air, he thought to himself as he looked around for any vents in the room. He found one on the floor near where she had been standing.
"Guards!" he yelled in a forceful, commanding tone. Immediately, the door was opened. One of the guards rushed in and looked at the Doctor questioningly. "Whatever type of toxin you've introduced into the air has caused my friend's pulse to increase as well as her body temperature. She also passed out from dizziness. Bring me the antidote now," he commanded in a low, dangerous tone.
The guard looked shocked by Sarah's condition. "Our humblest apologies, sir. We were given orders that you and the girl not be harmed. We were instructed to administer a sleeping agent into the room, but we had no idea it would affect her so badly. Lokeem!", he yelled for the other guard standing outside the door. "Bring in the syrum for this. It's caused a negative reaction in the girl."
As the other guard left, the Doctor asked the guard in the room, "What is your name, by the way?"
"My name's Drimen, sir", the guard answered nervously.
"Well, Drimen, I'm the Doctor and my friend is Sarah Jane Smith. Would you mind telling me why your dictator saw fit to bring us here and where my old friend Tresdan is?" the Doctor asked impatiently, a worried expression on his face as he kept glancing over at Sarah.
"I'm sorry, Doctor. All I know is that Dictator Rushalf ordered Lokeem and I to escort you and your friend here, 'for your protection', he had said. As for your friend Tresdan, I saw him being taken to an interrogation room the other day at the other side of the palace," Drimen replied quickly.
"You're being very informative for a guard, Drimen," the Doctor said, a bit surprised at the guard's willingness to supply information. "Why would you tell me anything at all?"
At this, Drimen whispered conspiratorially, "Because Doctor, there are a select few of us working here at the palace who, shall we say, would like to have a new employer, not to mention a different style of government."
Before the Doctor could ask Drimen any more questions, Lokeem came rushing in with the syrum for Sarah. "She needs to drink all of this," he informed the Doctor.
"Ah, good man Lokeem, thank you" he stated as Lokeem gave him the syrum and he rushed over to Sarah. He lifted her head, opened her mouth slightly, and said in a hypnotic voice, "Sarah, you need to drink all of this." He slowly poured the syrum into her mouth and she swallowed it all, coughing a bit as the last remnants went down her throat. He laid her head back down on the pillow and checked her pulse and forehead. In about a minute's time, her pulse became normal and her body temperature returned to normal. He leaned in close to her face and held her hands in his as he saw her eyelids begin to flutter open. "Sarah, can you hear me?", he asked softly.
Her eyes opened and she sighed in relief, giving him a smile as he gave her one of his heartwarming smiles. Realizing she was laying in a bed with the Doctor sitting next to her, his hands holding hers, she asked curiously, "Doctor, what happened. Last thing I remember is feeling terribly dizzy, I heard a ringing in my ears, and my vision had begun to blur." She then noticed the two guards in the background, looking at her curiously, but with growing concern.
Noticing her tense up, he said, "Oh, don't worry about the guards there. They've been quite helpful." The Doctor turned around and introduced them to Sarah, but noticed how they were looking at her. "Drimen? Lokeem? What's the matter? You look as if you've never seen a female before."
"It's not that, Doctor," Drimen said in a concerned voice. "It's just that we've never seen a female with brown hair and brown eyes. No one has on Rashua. You see, women on our planet have either blond or red hair and blue or green eyes."
"Your planet must have offworlders who visit. Surely my hair and eye color is nothing to be so concerned about," Sarah stated reasonably.
"You don't understand," Drimen said urgently. "Dictator Rushalf has never seen a woman with your hair or eye color before. He is not married and is in search of a wife. He is a man who relishes in possessing items that are unique and not of this world. And whatever Rushalf wants is what Rushalf gets." Drimen turned his attention from Sarah to the Doctor. "I fear that once Rushalf sees your friend, he will take her from you."
"Let him just try that and see what happens," the Doctor stated simply, but with an edge to his voice that would brook no further argument. "Sarah and I have other plans than to just wait around here for your dictator to show up. Help us to escape so we can find Tresdan."
Drimen and Lokeem both nodded their heads in agreement. As the Doctor was helping Sarah out of the bed, making sure she felt no residual dizziness, Drimen and Lokeem turned around to make their way out to the hallway. Then out of nowhere, two gunshots were heard.
As the Doctor spun around and Sarah looked up, they saw a man in his late 30's with a slight build, piercing green eyes and auburn hair, casually stroll into the room dressed in a gray military suit with a red sash containing many different types of pins and medals. Why does it seem all dictators dress the same, Sarah thought as she instantly got an uneasy feeling about this man. He had what looked to Sarah to be a type of pistol in his hands, which he placed back in his holster as he stared curiously at the Doctor. He then looked at Sarah with great interest, as his gaze swept slowly up and down her body. The Doctor noticed immediately how uncomfortable Sarah was feeling and placed a comforting hand on her forearm for support.
As Rushalf began to approach her, his avid gaze never leaving her eyes and hair, the Doctor blocked his way. Usually when faced with important people in government, the Doctor would turn on the charm and start talking his way out of a tight situation. In this instance, he knew without a doubt that would not work. How dare he look at my Sarah like that, he thought angrily to himself.
Rushalf then turned his eyes back to the Doctor and said in a completely fake, hospitable voice with a smirk on his face, "Pardon me for the delay in our meeting. I had some urgent business to attend to."
"Why did you shoot your own guards?" the Doctor asked, deciding on the direct and blunt approach, with subtle anger in his voice.
Rushalf only smirked and said, "Oh…them. They had betrayed me. On Rashua, we believe in an eye for an eye, swift justice. My people must be kept in line, like your good friend Tresdan, Doctor."
"What have you done to him?", the Doctor demanded, not even attempting to hide his anger.
"Oh, not to worry, Doctor. We've been taking good care of Tresdan. Now onto more important things, such as this enchanting woman you've arrived with. What is your name, my dear?"
What a slimeball, Sarah thought, as he did not even attempt to hide the way he was ogling her body. With as much authority in her voice as she could muster, she replied, "I'm Sarah Jane Smith, a top investigative journalist from Earth. And you are…?"
The Doctor chuckled to himself, proud at Sarah's assertiveness in standing up to this creep and not letting him intimidate her.
"I'm sure those former guards of mine let you know about me," he answered nonchalantly. "Now Doctor, I have one question for you. What is the nature of your relationship with this beautiful woman?"
The Doctor saw this one coming a mile away. If I say that she and I are best friends, no doubt Rushalf will do anything to make Sarah his own, the Doctor thought to himself quickly. So I need to change the rules. Hopefully Sarah will catch on.
Taking Sarah's hand and squeezing it affectionately, in his subtle way of telling her to follow his lead, he replied with a smile filled with total confidence, "Glad you asked Rushalf. You see, Sarah is my wife."
Sarah attempted to hide the shock from her eyes as she smiled confidently and nodded her head in agreement with the Doctor's statement. This had better work Doctor, Sarah thought to herself as she tried to gauge if Rushalf was buying their ploy.
Rushalf looked a bit disappointed, but seemed to quickly shrug it off as he said almost convincingly, "Ah well, you're a lucky man Doctor. I wish you both immeasurable happiness."
Is he trying to lull me into a false sense of security, the Doctor asked himself. Does he really think I'd take him at his word? "Thank you, but I do believe it's time you show us where Tresdan is. That is the reason Sarah and I came to this planet, as you're well aware," the Doctor stated as amiably as he could.
"Yes, quite right Doctor. I will take you to see your friend on one condition: that you grant me the privilege of having dinner with your enchanting wife while you are escorted to Tresdan's quarters," Rushalf said with a gleam of pleasure in his eyes toward Sarah.
As Sarah squeezed the Doctor's hand more tightly, in a subtle message that clearly stated, 'you better not agree to that!', the Doctor said, "I'll make you a counter offer. I promised Sarah that I would introduce her to Tresdan. Once she and I have seen him, both of us shall dine with you this evening. I think that's quite reasonable. Don't you think that's reasonable, Sarah?"
"Yes, quite reasonable, dear," Sarah said appreciatively as she relaxed her grip on the Doctor's hand.
Now let's just see him refuse that one, the Doctor thought to himself, convinced that it would be a piece of cake to deal with this cretin of a man.
Rushalf looked thoughtful for a moment, as if seriously weighing the Doctor's counter offer. Then Rushalf, with a smirk on his face, stated with smug superiority, "Oh Doctor, do you really believe you can outwit me? And here I thought you might have had more sense than Tresdan. Guards!" Three guards came into the room in an instant and two of them came up to the Doctor immediately and restrained him. "Take the Doctor to Tresdan's cell and also," Rushalf said to the third guard, "escort the Doctor's…'wife' to my private chambers."
"No!", Sarah yelled, attempting to fight off the guard. He was too strong for her, though. He secured her hands behind her back and began to escort her from the room. The Doctor, horrified out of his mind at what Rushalf was planning to do to her, shouted in a forceful, commanding tone filled with rage, "Enough, Rushalf! You've made your point! Get your guards to let go of Sarah and I. We will follow your original request. But I'm warning you. You lay one hand on her and you will regret it!" the Doctor stated in a low, dangerous growl as he glared at Rushalf with a stare that would have made most men cower in fear.
Rushalf, who looked only slightly shaken by the Doctor's glare, nevertheless still had a look of triumph on his face. He nodded to the guards, who unhanded Sarah and the Doctor. "I was merely illustrating a point, Doctor. If you and Sarah cooperate, then no harm will come to either of you. I am a merciful ruler, and would not willingly take a woman by force. But if you force my hand, Doctor, I will do what I must to exact my revenge. I say this now because once you see Tresdan, you may be tempted to help his supporters overthrow my regime. I can assure you that I have loyal servants here who will inform me the moment they hear of you doing anything to attempt an uprising. Do I make myself clear?"
"Perfectly," the Doctor said in a low, serious voice.
"Good. Now that that's settled, dinner will be served in half an hour. Two of my guards will return in that time. One will escort Sarah to the dining hall and the other will escort you to see Tresdan. Please feel free to join Sarah and I after you have visited with your friend, Doctor," Rushalf said cordially, as if nothing but a talk about the weather had occurred in the past few minutes. And with that, Rushalf and his guards left the room, locking the door behind them.
As soon as they left, Sarah, looking relieved at their departure but also frightened out of her wits by Rushalf, said in as brave a voice as she could muster, "What's the plan, Doctor?"
"First, we've got to get away from this palace. Rushalf is a sociopath and he's a fool if he thinks I'm about to leave you here with him while I'm 'escorted' to where Tresdan is being held," he replied adamantly.
"Look, I know how important it is for you to find out where your friend is and to find out what you can about his supporters. I can have dinner with Rushalf. I'll hate it, but I can handle myself," Sarah said resolutely, with only a slight shakiness to her voice. The Doctor was about to object, but Sarah placed a finger gently on his lips and then reached up to caress his cheek.
The Doctor, pleasantly surprised by her action, embraced her in a hug. "If anything were to happen to you…"he began in a slightly hoarse voice as he ran his hand through her hair. He then pulled back slightly and gazed adoringly into her eyes as he caressed her cheek, unable and unwilling to hide any longer his love for her. Sarah, pleasantly surprised by the extent of love she saw in his eyes for her, gazed lovingly at him in return, saying in a whisper, "I know."
He then did something he had subconsciously wanted to do for the longest time. He leaned in and began to gently kiss her. It was as if time were standing still for Sarah. This was something she had secretly wanted for so long and it was finally happening, perhaps not in the best of places, she thought. But as the kiss was deepened by him, all thought of where they were and of what dangers lay ahead were temporarily forgotten.
The Doctor knew there was a security camera somewhere in the room. He wasn't sure if there was a hidden microphone too, but he wouldn't have put it past someone like Rushalf. Earlier, before he had begun talking to Drimen, he had, just to be on the safe side, discreetly set the sonic screwdriver, in his pants pocket, to a setting that would distort the sound being recorded on the microphone. As he kissed Sarah, reveling in this new level to their relationship, he thought of how fortuitous this kiss was, especially given their current ploy in this situation. Knowing Rushalf was watching, he deepened the kiss and held Sarah a bit tighter, giving a clear message to the dictator. After a few more moments, he ended their kiss and leaned back from her, yet still held her hands. Rassilon, she's beautiful, he thought as he gazed into her eyes.
Sarah, likewise, had a gentle smile on her face as she gazed at him. "I want you to know that you can do that again anytime," she stated with a grin and a twinkle in her eyes.
"That's a promise, Sarah," he replied in that deep, rich voice of his, that at times made her melt, as he adjusted his hat. The length of time during their kiss had given him ample opportunity to think of how to escape the palace. "Sarah, I've used the sonic screwdriver to put the hidden microphone in the room out of commission. There's a security camera somewhere in here, but I'm betting the one place it's not, is in the bathroom. There's a window in there that we should be able to climb out of. The only bit of my plan I haven't figured out yet is how to have us both enter the bathroom casually without raising suspicion from whoever is monitoring the security camera."
"Hmm, well, I do have an idea, but, well…", she began, flushing with embarrassment.
"Go on, Sarah. I'm open to suggestions," the Doctor replied, wondering why she was blushing.
"Well, I suggest that we begin to take off a few of our things here as we stroll into the bathroom to pretend to take a shower together," she stated. "For starters, let's get you out of your coat and hat," as she took off his hat and shrugged the coat off his shoulders.
As soon as she had mentioned the idea, even he began to feel a bit warm around the collar, but he saw no other alternative. He smiled gently at her as she unbuttoned his vest and took it slowly off of him. She kept on his scarf, knowing that he wouldn't want to part with that. He could tell that she was a bit nervous, as she untied his burgundy cravat, took it off, and then began unbuttoning his shirt. She only got down to the third button before he gently took her hands in his and began to kiss her again. He took off her hooded robe,(that women on this planet wore), and began to kiss her neck as he maneuvered her into the bathroom.
As soon as the bathroom door was shut, he ended their kiss, smiled at her and said, "Very convincing, Sarah."
Still blushing, she laughed softly and replied with a grin, "You were quite convincing as well, Doctor. Good thing for you that you wear layers, or else I would've had to begin on your britches."
He chuckled and replied, "Well, that would have been unfortunate if those had been shed. Where would I have put my sonic screwdriver?"
She laughed out loud as she went over to turn on the water in the shower. At his curious look, she said, "Just in case any guards come into the room while we're in here."
"Now then, let's see if we can climb out of this window" he said, all business again as he opened the window and looked down the side of the palace. Luckily, there was a trellis they could use to climb down. Thankfully, this section of the palace was only three stories high. He looked left and right and noticed that this window faced what looked to be a side street used by servants in order to enter the palace. He saw some kind of laundry truck that was backed up to the loading area. The driver of the truck had kept it running as he had gone back inside the servants' entrance.
"Good news, Sarah. There's a sturdy looking trellis here. We only have three stories to climb down and there's a deserted laundry truck that we can borrow. Either this is just coincidence, which seems highly unlikely, or we've got some friends of Tresdan's who know we're here. Let's go," he said eagerly as he helped her out of the window, with him following close behind.
They easily made their way down to the street and swiftly made it to the truck, without anyone spotting them. The Doctor climbed into the driver's seat and as soon as Sarah closed the door on her side, he stepped on the gas and they were out of there.
Their escape from the palace had gone too smoothly for comfort. The Doctor took more twists and turns along the streets of Rashua's capital than were necessary to get to their destination. He kept glancing out of the side and rearview mirrors, of their borrowed truck, for any pursuit vehicles. He didn't want to assume anything. Sarah, who had donned on another hooded robe she had found in the truck, also kept looking out of the side mirror on the passenger side and vigilantly kept glancing around the streets they drove down, seeing if any strange vehicles suddenly appeared off of the side streets they passed. The Doctor cast a quick glance at Sarah, noticing how calm and brave she appeared to be, but he knew that beneath the surface she was just as nervous as he inwardly was. He took her hand, gave it a gentle squeeze and held it in his. She gave him an encouraging look and squeezed his hand in return.
He had been amazed, to say the least, by her choice of method of escape from the palace. Their relationship had gone from platonic, with just a hint of flirting, to all out passionate within an hour. Always one to analyze everything, he tried to remember the exact moment when he had fallen for her. Yes, he had always cared for her and had even told her a while back that he was extremely fond of her, but he never consciously knew the depth of his feelings for her until the moment Rushalf had threatened to harm her. It was then that he realized, in order for his plan to work, he would have to be totally honest about his feelings toward her. Refocusing his mind on the task at hand, driving them to the university, he then proceeded to tell her the next step in his plan. They would make a visit to the university, located on the outskirts of the capital, where Tresdan was a renowned professor of political science. They would talk to his supporters there, who included his students and the faculty, and determine how far along Tresdan's grassroots efforts to overthrow the dictatorship were progressing.
After about an hour, they drove into an empty parking lot at one of the many side entrances of the university. Sarah was impressed by the university's buildings and grounds. The architectural designs of the buildings reminded her of historical buildings in Spain steeped with Moorish influences. As she and the Doctor began walking around the campus, she found it odd that it appeared so deserted. Where are all the students, she asked herself, as they passed a few buildings and two more parking lots without running into a single person. The Doctor equally looked perplexed at the emptiness of the place.
Then after passing a few more buildings, they came upon an enormous library standing five stories tall. "Ah, this looks promising," he said, as he headed toward the front doors. "There are bound to be people in there," he said as confidently as he could, all the while thinking of alternate locations Tresdan's supporters might be hiding.
"I hope you're right, Doctor. This campus is a bit too eerily quiet for comfort," Sarah stated, secretly wondering if perhaps the Doctor's hunch about the university was wrong.
As soon as they entered the main floor of the library, Sarah got a feeling they were not alone. Although there was no one in sight, there were plenty of book shelves and desks for people to hide behind in order to launch an attack on unwelcome visitors. The Doctor, likewise, sensed they were being watched, so he did the one thing that usually seemed to work in these situations. He held his arms up slightly, indicating for Sarah to do the same, and then stated in a loud, authoritative voice, "I'm the Doctor and this is my companion Sarah Jane Smith. We're friends of Tresdan's."
At that statement, two familiar looking guards appeared from an upper level of the library and began making their way down the stairs eagerly, with smiles on their faces. "Drimen! Lokeem! We thought the both of you had been shot," the Doctor stated incredulously as he gave them a wide grin and walked up to them, shaking their hands. Sarah, as well, looked amazed at this fortunate turn of events and then noticed more people coming forth from the upper levels of the library. There was a mixture of students and professors, along with quite a number of other people. Everyone looked relieved and pleased to see the Doctor and her.
"We apologize for waiting to greet you, Doctor, but our lookout parties hidden throughout the campus were keeping an eye on the surrounding area waiting to see if any of Rushalf's people followed you here. We just got radioed the information that you had not been followed," Drimen replied eagerly. "Lokeem and I knew that Rushalf was not pleased with us. We had to sidetrack him into thinking we were nothing but some stupid thieves, so earlier today we stole one of his valuable little knick knacks. We both put on bullet proof vests under our uniforms, since we knew it would be a matter of time before Rushalf would try to kill us. That was the only way we could think of to escape the palace, without any of his men following us."
Lokeem added, "We had been followed many times before and it was getting harder and harder for us to meet our former classmates and professors here at the university. There are quite a few guards and servants, who still work in the palace, who helped us escape today."
"They were also the ones to order the laundry truck to the side entrance right under your room there. We figured you would try to climb out of the window to escape," Drimen said, finishing with getting the Doctor and Sarah up to speed on events.
The Doctor, who had been nodding in approval of the guards' scheme, smiled and said, "Excellent work, you two. I just wish Sarah and I had been able to see Tresdan before we escaped."
At the mention of Tresdan, Drimen and Lokeem along with the others who had gathered around, immediately looked saddened. The momentary look of hope on all their faces, as soon as they had seen the Doctor and Sarah, had vanished in an instant. "What's wrong?" Sarah asked before the Doctor could ask the same.
Drimen stated, "As we were escaping the palace, one of our friends, a guard who was stationed by Tresdan's cell, told us what happened. Just two hours before you and Sarah arrived on Rashua, Tresdan was murdered by Rushalf.
Sarah, immensely saddened by this news, looked over at the Doctor and squeezed his hand in sympathy. The Doctor simply squeezed her hand back gently and looked down at the floor and closed his eyes for a moment, his expression one of sadness but not shock, almost as if he had thought something like this would have happened sooner or later. After a few moments, he looked at Drimen and Lokeem and then around the library at all the people gathered and stated in a voice that conveyed heartfelt sympathy, "I'm so sorry for your loss. Tresdan was a wonderful professor, colleague, and friend." His voice then took on a determined, steadfast tone, "Now, more than ever, all of you must help to fulfill Tresdan's dream of a democratic government. All of you must do the right thing and topple Rushalf's dictatorship. Sarah and I will help you in any way we can."
"Thank you, Doctor," Drimen replied with heartfelt gratitude as choruses of thank you's were heard throughout the room.
"Now then, let's begin by discussing some ideas for overthrowing Rushalf," the Doctor said as he sat down in one of the many plush chairs in the central conference area of the main floor. As Drimen, Lokeem, and many of the other key supporters sat down and began talking of different strategic plans for overthrowing the regime, Sarah decided she would slip away and take a short walk around the library. She got the Doctor's attention and whispered in his ear where she'd be. He nodded and smiled at her, then gave her a quick kiss on the lips, as he said, "Don't be too long." She smiled at him and nodded as she gave his hand a squeeze and walked toward the stairs.
She was relieved to get away from all those people. She needed a bit of a breather as well as some time to process all that had happened between the Doctor and her. She had been amazed at how boldly passionate she had been in their plan of escape. But she had to admit, that for the most part, she was doing more than just acting convincing. She, in those moments of kissing him and unbuttoning his shirt, had really wanted him. She had always deeply cared and loved the Doctor as a best friend. But something had changed along the way in their travels. She was more comfortable with him than with any man she had known. She trusted him with her life and knew that he would do anything possible to protect her. She couldn't exactly define the exact moment she had fallen for him, but she hadn't fully realized the extent of her feelings until the moment they were alone in that room after that cretin Rushalf had left.
She slowly made her way up to the fifth floor of the library, half lost in thoughts of the Doctor and half looking at the multitude of books on each floor. Once on the fifth floor, she saw a spacious outdoor balcony, with tables and chairs, looking out at the sunset over the mountains in the distance. She walked out onto the balcony and sat down in a chair, leaning back and just enjoying the slightly cooler evening air. She closed her eyes and just reveled in the peace and quiet.
She didn't know how long she had been sitting there. It must have been only ten minutes or so. The next thing she knew, there was something being covered over her mouth, a cloth with an odd chemical odor. She couldn't even turn to see who had snuck up behind her. The person was holding her down and was considerably stronger than she. It was then that this person, a man she figured from how large his hands were, took out a syringe. The chemicals in the cloth were beginning to make her feel weak and drowsy. The man then used the syringe to inject something into her arm. Before she lost consciousness, she used the last remaining remnants of her concentration to project a thought to the Doctor. She projected it in her mind to him as loud as she could, not knowing if she was even capable of projecting thoughts to him or even if he could somehow sense that she was in danger. She hoped it would be enough. It was at that moment that she slipped into unconsciousness.
&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&
It had been nearly twenty minutes since Sarah had wandered off on her own throughout the library. The Doctor had spent the time listening to Tresdan's supporters as they discussed various methods of infiltrating the palace. Using architectural plans of the palace, that Lokeem had managed to steal, Drimen pointed to various rooms on the plans, circling the areas that were likely to be guarded by Rushalf's loyal guards. "All of the housekeeping and cooking staff are on our side," Drimen reported, "along with about a third of the guards. The other guards have no fixed positions around the palace. With your escape, Doctor, you can be sure that Rushalf has heightened security."
"Not to mention our biggest problem. We have a limited number of guns," Lokeem stated.
"Guns are not the solution here, Lokeem," the Doctor stated adamantly. "I have a feeling that once Rushalf is out of the picture, then his loyal supporters will easily warm up to the idea of a democratic government." Addressing the group, he asked, "Has any one here ever heard the old Earth analogy about the snake with its head being chopped off?" At their puzzled looks, he explained, "If one chops off the head, of a snake that is intent on attacking, the rest of it cannot attack. Without its head, it is dead, useless. The analogy is applicable to this situation. If we take Rushalf out of the equation, his loyal guards will surrender to you," he stated, smiling as he saw the others catch on and nod in understanding. "Once that occurs, all of you can begin Tresdan's dream of forming a democratic government."
"But how do we take Rushalf out of the equation without killing him, Doctor? You know he will not willingly give up his power," Lokeem stated.
"By rendering him unconscious and keeping him in confinement until the time that your new government can have a proper trial where Rushalf will answer for his crimes against your people in a court of law," replied the Doctor. "Once all of the evidence against Rushalf is brought forward in the trial, it will of course be up to the court to decide what type of punishment he deserves."
"He deserves to be executed for his crimes and we don't need to wait around for a trial in order to do that," a student, standing near the conference table, stated vehemently. There were many standing around the room who spoke up and nodded their heads eagerly in agreement at that statement.
"Then all of you would be no better than Rushalf" the Doctor stated solemnly. Everyone who had spoken up before now was quiet and looked taken aback at his statement, realizing the truth of his words. Good, that got their attention, he thought to himself as he looked around the room.
Drimen then spoke up, "The Doctor is right. That is not the path that Tresdan wanted us to follow. A democratic society functions by the rule of law. Rushalf must be tried and punished accordingly in a court of law, not dragged out into the street and shot. That would turn him into a martyr for his remaining followers."
The Doctor gave a smile of approval to Drimen and saw the looks of agreement that followed Drimen's words. Good man, Drimen. You would make an excellent democratically elected leader for these people, he thought to himself. The Doctor inwardly sighed in relief. The hardest part is over.
The next thing he knew, he heard Sarah's voice, but it sounded as if it was coming from a great distance away. At first he couldn't make it out, so stunned was his realization that he was hearing her in his mind. Then he heard her voice, this time much louder in his head, saying 'Doctor, help me!'.
"Sarah!", he exclaimed out loud as he quickly got up from his chair and ran out of the room. How in the name of Rassilon did she project that into my mind, he thought to himself as he searched for her. He sensed that she wouldn't be on the ground floor or on the main floor he and the others were currently on, so he ran up the stairs and checked the third and fourth floors.
As he stepped onto the fifth floor, he was immediately filled with a sense of dread. He saw the balcony doors open and ran over to them and out onto the balcony. A chair was overturned and a table had been pushed aside. On the floor, next to the chair, there was an empty syringe and a folded up note with his name written on it. His hearts felt as if they had skipped a beat as he bent down to retrieve both items.
On the note were the following words. 'Your actions have consequences, Doctor. I did warn you. Now you will have to pay the price. When I see something that I want, I do whatever it takes to acquire it. I wanted Sarah and now I have her. She has been given a drug that will erase her short term memory. In a short time, she will forget all that has occurred today. I also have in my possession another drug which will make her forget more than the events of today. The one thing I ask is that you and only you come to my palace, where I shall fight you in an ancient and honorable way: a duel of the swords to the death.'
The Doctor stood up, holding the syringe in one hand and angrily crumpling up the note in the other hand. "If a swordfight is what this cretin wants, then a swordfight he shall have," he stated to himself in a low, deadly calm voice. I knew those swordfighting tips I picked up from the captain of Cleopatra's bodyguard would come in handy one day, he thought to himself.
Just then Drimen and Lokeem came bursting out onto the balcony. "Doctor, what happened? Where's Sarah?"
The Doctor showed them the syringe and crumpled up note. Walking quickly off the balcony and down the stairs, he asked them, "Do you have a method of communicating secretly with our allies in the palace?"
Drimen responded, "Yes, we have radio communications with them."
"Good," the Doctor stated as they made it to the main floor. As he quickly walked to the front doors, he turned around and, looking at them both, he replied in an authoritative voice filled with confidence and an undercurrent of rage, "Inform them and everyone else here that I'm going to the palace to cut off the head of the snake."
&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&
Rushalf sat on his bed, admiring the unconscious form of Sarah. Ever since one of his guards had injected her with the drug, olvidar memorias, and brought her here to his private chambers, she had stayed unconscious and blissfully oblivious to his gaze of her body and the feather light touch of his fingers on her cheek and through her hair. His gaze was of a man enjoying the sight of a rare and beautiful gem. On a table, next to his bed, was the more potent, longer lasting drug, olvidar memorias todas, which would substantially affect Sarah's long term memory. He wondered just how much she would forget if he were to use that drug. Surely she would forget everything about the Doctor, but would forgetting about him make her more susceptible to Rushalf's charms?
He was shaken out of his musings by his chamber room door being kicked open with such force that it knocked the door off its hinges as it crashed to the floor. The Doctor walked slowly into the room, taking in his surroundings, with his gaze focusing first on Rushalf still sitting on the bed. Then his gaze went to Sarah lying unconscious on Rushalf's bed. At that point, Rushalf saw a glimmer of fear and concern for Sarah in the Doctor's eyes and immediately thereafter a palpable change in the room could be felt. Rushalf could literally feel the oncoming storm of the Timelord's rage focused solely on him. The Doctor hadn't even uttered a word yet, and already for a few seconds, Rushalf had some difficulty standing to his feet without his knees buckling in fear. He then realized that the Doctor had no sword. Clearing his throat, Rushalf asked, "Where is your sword, Doctor?"
The Doctor grinned widely at this, which totally threw Rushalf for a loop, and reached into his right pants pocket and began to draw out the most beautiful sword Rushalf had ever seen. "Transcendental pockets. I never leave the Tardis without them," the Doctor stated confidently as he held up the sword and then pointed it at Rushalf. The hilt of the sword was made out of gold, with lapis lazuli and cat's eye gemstones adorning it. The rest of the sword was gold plated and looked extremely well crafted.
Rushalf, unable to contain his curiosity about the origin of the sword even though it was pointed at him, asked, "Where did you obtain such a remarkable looking sword?"
"It was a gift from a famous queen of Egypt, Cleopatra," the Doctor stated as he noticed Rushalf edge toward his own sword that lay in its sheath on a nearby table.
Just then, what could only be described as the sound of pandemonium, erupted throughout the entire palace. Gunshots were heard as Rushalf's guards attempted to thwart the rebellion led by Tresdan's supporters, and secure all the entrances. In that instant, the Doctor knew what would happen even before it did, so he was ready when Rushalf quickly pulled his sword out of the sheath and went on the attack. Their swords clanged loudly as Rushalf put all his force behind his hits, with the Doctor's skills more than a match for Rushalf's expertise. The Doctor moved swiftly throughout the spacious chambers, away from Sarah's unconscious form, as Rushalf kept up his constant barrage against the Doctor's parries.
Rushalf commented, a bit out of breath, as their swordfight progressed out onto the extravagant balcony, "You move faster than I suspected, for a man of your stature, Doctor. But you cannot hope to beat me. Give up now!" And with that, Rushalf used every remaining ounce of his energy to move the Doctor against the balcony railing.
The Doctor, who had been enjoying this little swordfight immensely, decided that Rushalf had had enough fun. As Rushalf was leaning him against the railing, the Doctor said in a deadly calm voice, "As much as I've enjoyed this little game, it's time for it to come to an end, just like your regime. Give up now, Rushalf. You will be confined until the time in which you will stand trial for your crimes in a court of law under a democratic government."
Rushalf just smirked at the Doctor, as he leaned him closer to the balcony's edge. "And why would I do that, Doctor? As you can see, I have you at my mercy. I have the upper hand."
The Doctor, who had heard the railing begin to strain under the weight of Rushalf leaning him against it, stated in a voice that all of a sudden made Rushalf's blood run cold, "Are you so sure of that?" Then in the flash of an eye, the Doctor pushed Rushalf back with full force, driving his sword against Rushalf's own. Rushalf was so caught off guard by the suddenness of it all, that his grip was not enough to hold fully onto his sword as the Doctor's sword repeatedly clanged with Rushalf's with such immense force it made Rushalf's hand ache. Without Rushalf realizing it, the Doctor had battled Rushalf into a position where Rushalf was now the one who was one step away from leaning against the same part of the railing as the Doctor had been.
The Doctor's eyes were filled with barely controlled fury as his sword clanged a final time against Rushalf's. He then pushed Rushalf against the railing, their swords pushed against each other's in a battle of strength. Rushalf then heard the ominous creaking sound of the railing straining under his weight and for the second time in his life, Rushalf felt truly afraid.
The Doctor saw this in Rushalf's eyes and took a step back from him, his sword still at the ready in case Rushalf were to try anything. What happened next seemed to be in slow motion for the Doctor. He saw the balcony railing give way and Rushalf falling backwards, a dumbstruck look on his face, as if he couldn't believe he, a powerful dictator, could die in this manner. The Doctor tried to reach out for the man, but it was too late. Rushalf fell five stories to his death. The Doctor looked out and what was once a chaotic scene, of Rushalf's loyal guards and Tresdan's supporters fighting each other outside the palace below, was now completely silent.
Everyone looked at Rushalf's body on the ground and then looked up and saw the broken railing. The Doctor, who was peering over the side, had a look of remorse on his face. It wasn't supposed to happen this way, the Doctor thought to himself. I gave him a chance to surrender, but he just wouldn't stop.
Then an amazing thing happened. Rushalf's guards dropped their guns and held up their hands in surrender. An almighty cheer of relief and victory exploded from Tresdan's supporters as some of them went to secure the guards and others went inside the palace in search of any of Rushalf's remaining supporters. The Doctor then noticed Drimen and Lokeem in the crowd waving at him and cheering victoriously. The Doctor smiled and waved back, motioning he would be down to see them shortly. He was relieved that they were still alive, along with most of Tresdan's supporters. He put his sword back in his transdimensional pocket and quickly walked over to the bed that Sarah was still lying unconsciously on.
He then noticed the other syringe, filled with the other drug Rushalf had mentioned in his note, lying unused on the table. The Doctor breathed a sigh of relief, but it was short lived as he allowed himself to finally process the implications of what the drug Sarah had been given would do to her. When he had first read the note, he knew what it meant, but he had put those thoughts in the back of his mind, knowing it would distract him with what he had to do to defeat Rushalf. Now that the crisis was over, he sat on the bed and gently caressed Sarah's cheek, saying in a voice filled with emotion, "Oh Sarah, you won't be able to remember us today." Should I tell her, he asked himself as he felt such acute loss at the knowledge that Sarah wouldn't remember what they had shared, the enormous steps their relationship had taken in such a short time. He decided to think about this later, as he carefully lifted Sarah into his arms and began to make his way out of the palace.
The Doctor had passed many of Tresdan's supporters on his way out. Many were focusing on their task of searching the palace, making sure they had caught all of Rushalf's loyal guards. A few stopped and asked if Sarah needed any medical attention since they saw her lying limply in his arms. He smiled slightly, but it did not reach his eyes, as he simply told them no, that Sarah would be alright. As he reached the front doors of the palace, he finally saw Drimen and Lokeem. They asked him the same question about Sarah. "No, she'll be alright," he replied, "though I must get her back to the Tardis."
Though the Doctor knew there would be quite a few Rashuans who would suspect that he had, on purpose, shoved Rushalf off the balcony, he knew that all of Tresdan's supporters would never think that of him. They knew that he was a good friend of Tresdan's. Everyone knew that Tresdan had been a man of peaceful solutions and that he picked his friends carefully. They had heard stories about the Doctor, from Tresdan, and knew that the Doctor always did what was right and just.
Lokeem then said in a bit of an overwhelmed voice, "There's so much to do here, Doctor. Can you not stay and help us?"
"I'm sorry, Lokeem, but all of you must do this for yourselves. I do believe that your people already have an excellent leader," he replied as he smiled at Drimen.
Drimen looked surprised for a moment, but then began to warm up to the idea as he smiled at the Doctor, and said, "Thank you for everything you've done for us, Doctor. We shall never forget you."
"You're more than welcome, Drimen. I was glad to be of assistance to friends of Tresdan's," the Doctor replied graciously as he looked at who he knew would be the future democratically elected leader of Rashua. As he began carrying Sarah back to the Tardis, he could sense that she was beginning to come around, though her eyes were still closed. She still felt limp in his arms and he could see the exhaustion on her face. As soon as he got her settled in her bed, he would analyze the syringe that had held the drug that was injected into Sarah. The drug's effects cannot be permanent, he kept telling himself. By the time he saw the Tardis in sight, he almost had himself convinced.
Epilogue
As Sarah and the Doctor were walking back to the Tardis from their tour of the caverns, she noticed how quiet he was being. She had asked after the tour if he wanted to stop by the souvenir shop to look around, but he had declined and said they should get back to the Tardis. She had acquiesced and decided to talk to him later about what was bothering him.
As they were walking down the road toward the Tardis, Sarah couldn't help but overhear one of the tourists who was passing by. A woman, who was with her boyfriend or husband, was talking about something from a romance novel or tv show. Sarah caught the following words of the conversation. "Yeah, and you won't believe how they escaped. They actually pretended like they were going to take a shower together! And it was so cool because as they were pretending, they realized how much they really wanted each other." As the woman walked out of earshot of Sarah and the Doctor, she noticed that the Doctor was holding her hand. She wondered why he had chosen that moment to do that.
By this time, they had made it to the Tardis. As the Doctor was opening the door, Sarah felt a sense of déjà vu as she kept replaying in her mind what that woman had said. Something about it felt so familiar. The memory felt as if it was on the tip of her mind.
The Doctor noticed Sarah's intense look of concentration and asked in a puzzled voice, "What is it, Sarah?"
"I'm not really sure," she began as they walked into the Tardis. As he stepped to one side of the console, she leaned against the other side and said, with a perplexed look on her face, "I overheard this tourist out there talking about something from a romance novel or a show and it just seemed very familiar to me." She was about to continue when she looked up and saw the look on the Doctor's face. He had a carefully neutral expression, but it was his eyes that gave him away. Sarah could've sworn that just for an instant, there was a look of desperate hope. But it became hidden behind a look of polite curiosity.
Dear Rassilon, could it be possible, he thought to himself, not even daring to hope too much. He didn't want to confuse her even more by having any look of hope on his face, nor did he want to distract her from trying to piece this all together in her mind. Yes, he could just come right out and say what all happened on Rashua, but he wasn't sure where to begin. Plus, he had no way of knowing if she would feel the same way now about him as she had on Rashua. The way she had felt on that planet could have just been due to the danger they were in and the heat of the moment as they were escaping the palace.
Sarah felt as if she was close to remembering something, something vitally important about what happened on Rashua. She felt as if she was only a step away from having all the puzzle pieces click into place. I'm trying too hard to remember, she thought suddenly. Maybe if I go do something else, it'll all come back to me. With her mind made up, she then said to the Doctor. "Well, I'm sure it'll come to me while I go take a shower," and with that she walked out of the console room.
The Doctor was relieved that she hadn't noticed his slightly flushed face at the mention of the word 'shower'. This is ridiculous, he thought sternly to himself. I should go to her room and tell her everything that happened on Rashua. I'm not sure how to begin, but I'm sure I'll figure it out once I get to her room. With his mind made up, he walked out of the console room.
Sarah had just taken off her shoes when she heard a knock on her door. Wondering why the Doctor would want to talk to her now, she answered, "Come in."
He walked into the room slowly, his hands in his pockets and a slightly nervous expression on his face. "Sarah, there's something I need to tell you about what happened on Rashua," he began as he sat down next to her and gently held her hand in his own. "This is very difficult for me to express in words and usually words come quite easily to me as you well know…".
Before he could continue rambling, Sarah gently cupped his cheek with her other hand and said in a soothingly calm voice, "Doctor, it's alright. Just take a deep breath and start from the beginning. I've told you all that I remember. Just tell me everything that happened after I felt dizzy and passed out in that palace holding room."
The Doctor was having a hard time concentrating on words due to Sarah's hand on his cheek. Then inspiration struck. Perhaps I don't have to explain this in words, he thought to himself. Cupping her cheek with his hand, he asked her, "Sarah, the only way I can completely explain what happened is if I show you, in my mind. Do you fully trust me?"
He saw that Sarah was about to respond, but then she got a faraway look in her eyes, as if she was reliving a memory. The Doctor dared not move as Sarah kept looking into the distance. Her face instantly held a look of surprise and then her cheeks became flushed as she smiled. "I remember. I finally remember everything!" she said in awe as she gazed into his strikingly blue eyes, which she realized were gazing back with as much love for her as she found herself feeling for him.
Breathing a sigh of relief, the Doctor smiled and replied in a sensually soothing deep voice that had a way of sending shivers of pleasure through her, "Oh, Sarah." He gently caressed her cheek as he leaned in and softly kissed her lips, realizing that although he must walk in eternity, in this brief span of time that she was here with him, he needn't walk it alone.
Fin