"Luke, Maria!" Sarah Jane exclaimed and pulled them both into a hug.
Luke and Maria hugged her back.
"What are you doing here?" Sarah Jane was curious. "Not that I'm not glad to see you both, but this is unexpected."
"It's a long story," Maria said and greeted Clyde next.
"It's good to see you, Maria," Clyde said as they both hugged. "Lukey Boy," he greeted Luke next.
Sky and Rani greeted Luke and Maria next.
So this is the girl that replaced me, Maria silently thought about Rani and felt a tinge of jealousy. Don't do that, Maria, she's always nice in video chat.
Rani fought back jealousy as well but for different reasons. Sometimes she still felt like Sarah Jane, Luke, and Clyde liked Maria better than her. She knew there wasn't any truth to that but she still felt a tinge of jealousy from time to time. She's always kind in video chat. It'll be all right," Rani thought to herself.
Sarah Jane and the children sat in the attic and had tea while Luke and Maria explained why they were there. Maria was the first to speak.
"Dad got another promotion, and he's going to be running the London office of the company he works for," Maria revealed. "We should be settled in our new house by the end of the week."
"Maria, that's wonderful." Sarah Jane smiled and drank some of her tea. "Will you still be going to Uni in the fall?"
Maria nodded. "Yes I'll be going to Oxford, they've already accepted me."
"And I wanted to be here on her first weekend back in Ealing," Luke added. "So here I am."
"I'm so happy you both are here," Sarah Jane said in her excitement. "Now where are you and your father staying until you're settled in your new house?"
"We're staying in our new house while we wait for the removal men to bring the furniture," Maria revealed.
"That sounds uncomfortable," Rani pointed out.
"Rani's right, why don't you two stay here, Maria," Sarah Jane offered. "I have plenty of room."
"We don't want to impose," Maria replied.
"You're not imposing," Luke assured her. Besides I want you close by this weekend. Luke gazed at her and hoped that by the time the weekend had ended he would muster up enough courage to let Maria know that he loved her, that he was in love with her.
Clyde noticed the way Luke had been looking at Maria, and he had also caught Maria looking at Luke when Luke hadn't of been watching. If those two don't get their act together and admit that they love each other by Sunday I'm going to have a talk with them both.
"So," Sky sipped her tea and once she was done she spoke. "Luke, is Maria your girlfriend yet?"
Luke had a mouth full of tea and it sprayed out of his mouth at the shock of Sky's question and wound up all over Rani.
"Oh no," Maria tried to keep from laughing.
"Sorry, Rani," Luke couldn't contain his laughter.
"Yuck," Rani reacted.
Sarah Jane got her a towel so Rani could dry herself off.
"Thank you, Sarah Jane, it's all right, Luke," Rani said as she dried herself off. "And it's all right to laugh, Maria, on one condition."
"Which is?" Maria still tried to keep from laughing.
"You and or Luke need to answer Sky's question because she is bursting with curiosity," Rani pointed out.
"And you're not curious?" Clyde chided.
"Don't even go there, Clyde, you're more curious than I am," Rani retorted.
Maria started laughing anyway.
Luke turned about 3 shades of red. "Thanks a lot, Sky, and, Clani," he said with sarcasm clearly in his tone.
"All right that's enough, you lot leave Luke and Maria alone," Sarah Jane tried to protect Luke and Maria from further embarrassment.
"But, mum…" Sky opened up her mouth to remind Sarah Jane that the two had them had been talking about the prospect of Luke and Maria becoming a couple just a few days ago.
Sarah Jane shot her a very stern look.
Sky sighed in defeat.
"Where are you moving to?" Rani changed the subject.
"Right next door to our old house, so right next door to your house," Maria answered.
The six of them talked for a bit longer until Rani and Clyde had to go home. Sky and Luke went to pick up dinner while Maria called her father to let him know that Sarah Jane had invited them to stay with her. Alan talked to Sarah Jane a bit on the phone and tried to decline but she wouldn't hear of it. Thus, Alan walked over with his suitcase and Maria's suitcase.
He was almost at Sarah Jane's house when Gita and Haresh approached him.
"Hello, new neighbor," Gita grinned at Alan. "Welcome to the neighborhood."
"Thank you," Alan put the suitcases down and held out his hand. "Alan Jackson."
"Hi, Al, I'm Gita and this is my husband Haresh," Gita made the introductions and shook his hand.
Haresh shook hands with him as well.
"It's nice to meet you, Haresh, and, Gi," Alan said.
"Please call me Gita," Gita pointed out.
"Of course, please call me Alan," Alan smiled at her.
Haresh stifled back a laugh; Gita elbowed him in the gut. "Umph, I'll help you with those bags," he offered Alan.
Haresh carried the suitcases inside Sarah Jane's house for him while Gita talked Alan's ear off.
Alan talked Gita's ear off as well, but was careful not to tell her about the aliens that Sarah Jane and the kids encountered on a regular basis.
Rani walked over after she had finished her dinner intent on doing her homework later and watched in awe as Alan and Gita spoke. I think mum has met her match. "Hi, Mr. Jackson," Rani greeted him.
"Hello, Rani, and call me Alan," he insisted.
He talked with Rani and Gita for a bit longer and then he ventured inside the Smith home while the Chandra's retreated to their own house for the night.
Sarah Jane and Alan hugged the moment they laid eyes on each other. Sky and Luke soon returned with the food, and the Smith and Jackson's ate dinner together. Once Sky had gone to bed, Sarah Jane and Alan stayed up most of the night talking. Luke and Maria went outside to talk since they didn't want to interrupt the conversation.
Luke and Maria talked small talk for a while. Luke still couldn't bring himself to confess his true feelings for Maria so he showed her instead by kissing her. To his surprise, Maria kissed him back.
"I love you," Luke said when they came up for air.
"I love you," Maria smiled as happy tears welled in her eyes.
They kissed again and took a break after a bit.
"You do realize that when Clyde and Rani find out they're going to get you back for that Clani thing," Maria quipped.
Luke chuckled. "More than likely, also I'm curious to see what they come up with."
"Are you?" Maria inquired and laughed as well.
They continued to joke around for a bit longer. They also talked and kissed some more.
"Chrissie told me that she knew about the Sontaran and what the children and I do when you and Maria drove away three years ago. She said that she would keep quiet since you and Maria were moving away. Now that you both are back, will she still keep quiet?" Sarah Jane worried.
Alan sighed. "I take it that Rani's parents and Clyde's parents still don't know what you do?"
Sarah Jane shook her head. "Haresh and Gita found out a few months ago. Carla found out last month. Both arguments were very bad, but they forgave me and didn't forbid Rani and Clyde from still helping with aliens."
"Then why are you concerned?" Alan asked.
"I don't think that most of the people on this planet are ready to hear that aliens visit our world on a regular basis," Sarah Jane pointed out. "And the last thing we need is some amateur trying to take on aliens by themselves." She went on explaining the other dangers to him.
"I'll have a talk with Chrissie don't worry," Alan assured her.
They talked about that for a bit longer and also talked about other things before they had both retired to separate bedrooms.
Luke had come home every weekend he could to see Maria, and when he couldn't come to Ealing to see her she went to Oxford to see him.
Clyde and Rani were secretly trying to come up with a name for Luke and Maria but hadn't narrowed down the choices yet. They were discussing the possibilities and also looking for an alien that had crash landed in the woods behind Park Vale Comprehensive.
Mr. Smith had detected the alien spacecraft entering the atmosphere and then crash landing moments ago. Thus, Sarah Jane, Luke, Maria, Sky, Clyde, Rani, and Alan were out looking for the alien. They intended to help if that was what the alien needed, and they were also prepared to protect the Earth from the alien if necessary.
Sarah Jane was paired up with Alan and Sky. They carefully checked the surrounding area for the alien.
"Clyde, Rani, lookout!" Sarah Jane heard Maria shout. Her fear increased when she then heard a laser blast. Sarah Jane took off running to where the sound of the blast and Maria's shout had come from.
Alan and Sky ran after her. Luke was already at the scene since he had been paired up with Maria.
-to be continued
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