A bit behind the times but I've been watching this series for the first time recently. I really liked the dynamic between Sarah Jane and Alan Jackson and was sorry he left the series so early; I would have liked to have seen a bit more interaction between them. The scenes in here are set immediately after 'Whatever Happened to Sarah Jane' and before Alan and Maria leave in 'The Last Sontaren'. I though this might be an interesting arc to add to the story. Hopefully you'll agree!

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An Unseen Friendship

Alan Jackson regarded the three guilty looking teenagers and the equally guilty looking older woman in front of him and raised his eyebrows pointedly.

"Well?"

Sarah Jane glanced at the children and nodded her head towards the attic door.

"Go downstairs, you three. Order some pizza, there's money under the biscuit tin. Mr Jackson and I need to talk."

Luke, Clyde and Maria trooped past Alan and down the stairs, Maria sending Sarah Jane a sympathetic look as she passed.

Sarah followed them, shutting the door and turning to lean against it; pausing to gather her thoughts before looking up at Alan, who was surprisingly tall this close up.

He did not look impressed.

"I'm so sorry," she began. "I never wanted Maria to get mixed up in all this. I tried to put her off, but she's… tenacious."

To her surprise Alan barked out a laugh.

"That's one way of putting it, I suppose," he chuckled, remembering the most recent display of Maria's determination that had seen him following her to the library to research a woman he hadn't believed existed. He fixed his gaze back on Sarah Jane and became serious again.

"I really don't know what to make of this, you know. I mean, where do I begin?"

Sarah Jane gestured towards the sofa and moved past him to sit down.

"Why don't you ask whatever you like, and I'll do my best to answer?"

Alan contemplated her for a moment and eased himself down next to her. He gazed around the attic, at the artefacts and knick knacks scattered on the surfaces, at the wall where the supercomputer had appeared.

"Are you really a journalist?"

Sarah Jane smiled.

"Yes, I'm really a journalist."

"Local interest, you said."

"Local interest, I said. And… more unusual stories too."

"That seems to understating things slightly." Alan remarked rubbing his hand across his mouth and regarding her thoughtfully.

Sarah Jane laughed.

"Yes, it does, rather, doesn't it?"

Alan began to laugh as well and folded his arms, bumping her shoulder with his.

"Go on then," he said with a smile, "tell me all about it."

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"Dad's got a new job. In America."

"Hi," Sarah Jane began, shifting from foot to foot on the Jackson's doorstep, looking uncharacteristically uncomfortable.

Alan moved aside to let her in, closing the door behind her, watching her as she stood awkwardly in the hallway and threw a glance up the stairs.

"No Maria?"

Alan shook his head.

"She's at Chrissie's. I think she wants to spend a bit of time with her before, well, you know."

"Yes, I heard about the job. Congratulations." Sarah Jane smiled, although it didn't reach her eyes.

"She'll miss you, you know." Alan said softly. "In spite of the…unusual situations you two have ended up in, you've been a wonderful role model to her. I think she needed that after Chrissie and I separated."

Sarah Jane's eyes started to fill and she blinked back the tears that threatened to fall.

"I'll miss her too," she began, glancing down at her hands, "And – well, I'll miss you, Alan. It's been refreshing having another adult around to talk to about these things. I've done things on my own for so long-" her voice, which she'd tried desperately to keep matter of fact, cracked and Alan suddenly pulled her into a fierce hug. Sarah started as his arms tightened around her, it occurring to her that it had been a long time since an adult, human male had held her like this. Tentatively, she slipped her arms under his, wrapping them around his waist and pressing her fingers into his back. She heard him sigh and he shifted, sliding one of his arms under her coat and pressing his lips to the top of her hair.

"Luke's at Clyde's" Sarah Jane mumbled inconsequentially into his chest, turning her head to press her ear against him, closing her eyes and listening to the single heartbeat that was so ordinary and yet such a novelty to her.

"I suppose that means you can stay for a while then," Alan murmured back, reaching up with his free hand to gently stroke her hair away from her face, settling his palm against the back of her neck. He leaned down to duck his head and press a kiss against her forehead, lingering for far longer than he had intended.

Sarah Jane's eyes shot open and she looked up at him as he pulled away, sliding his hands down to her elbows. She instinctively started to back away but he tightened his hands and gave her the tiniest shake of his head, his look intense as he stepped back into her space again. She took another step back, mentally chiding herself for being so fearful; how could she, who had stood up to Sontarans and Daleks and all manner of other enemies, be so afraid of the interest of a young, handsome man? As Alan closed the gap between them again she felt her calf meet the bottom stair, and suddenly the situation seemed to take on an extra charge as she realised she had nowhere to go. Alan let go of her arms, placed his hands on her hips and she squeaked in surprise as he lifted her bodily and placed her on the stairs, her face level with his.

"Thought I'd give you a helping hand," he said giving her a devilish grin.

"Alan," she protested weakly, as he moved his hands to her shoulders and eased her coat off, sliding it down her arms and hanging it over the banister, "I really don't think this is a good idea."

He shrugged.

"Now that's interesting, because I think it's a very good idea." He countered, turning back to face her, his hands finding her hips again, fingers splaying across her back. Against her better judgement Sarah Jane felt her own hands travel up his chest, coming to rest on the front of his shoulders. As he lowered his lips to hers, for one of the very few times in her life she felt the urge to throw caution to the wind.

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"The taxi'll be here in a minute." Maria said, hugging Sarah Jane one last time and reluctantly backing away down the drive to go and wait with her mother who was sitting on the largest of the suitcases heaped by the front gate. Luke and Clyde followed her and stood on the side of the road; Luke looking melancholy, Clyde, true to form, trying to cover his sadness with a joke.

Alan watched them for a moment and turned back to Sarah Jane, holding out his arms, for once not caring what Chrissie would think if she saw. Sarah Jane willingly stepped into his embrace, closing her eyes and trying to memorise the feel of his warm chest pressed against her cheek.

"I could stay you know," he murmured into her hair. "For you, Sarah, I could stay."

Sarah Jane shook her head.

"No. Not for me, Alan. You know that really."

Alan gave her a final squeeze and dropped a kiss onto her cheek before turning away and heading towards the taxi that had pulled up over the road. Sarah Jane sighed and joined the boys to wave goodbye.

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Hmm. Not sure about this one really but it's been nagging to be written for a while. Let me know what you think!