CHAPTER THREE

Lacond and Susan materialised in a dark cave. Susan could just barely see that the floor was made up of mostly sand and pebbles. The stagnant air quickly reminded her that they were no longer anywhere near Sarah's back yard. 'Woah! Where are we?'

'On Trivid, where I said we would be.' Lacond walked to the entrance of the cave and looked out. Seeing the Kithra valley, she smiled. 'We're not far from my camp's headquarters.' Her expression turned serious. 'Provided they're still there.'

Susan walked up to the damp cave wall and touched it, then absently wiped her hand on her trousers. She continued to look around in disbelief. 'This is real. I'm really not on Earth anymore?'

'No, you're not. We need to get moving and find out how much time has passed since I left.' Lacond headed out of the cave and looked up at the sky. 'Going by the positions of the suns, we have about two Earth hours of daylight left. Just enough time, if we hurry.'

'Suns, plural?' Susan followed her and gasped when she looked up and saw the two suns. 'Two of them?'

Lacond turned around and studied the teenager by her side. 'You've never left Earth before, have you?'

Susan laughed. 'No. I don't think most humans have.'

'Sarah didn't seem surprised by the mention of it.'

Susan frowned. 'Yeah, well, apparently Sarah isn't all she appears to be.' Suddenly she winced, reached up and grabbed her head. 'I just got the worst pain in my head.'

Lacond leaned in towards Susan and examined her eyes, then started walking. 'It's just an after-effect from the transmitter. It will soon pass. We have to get moving.'

Following Lacond, Susan shook her head to try and clear her transmitter-induced cobwebs. 'Right behind you,' she said softly.

~!~!~!~

Likaria stood up as the Mechguard leader entered the throne room. She watched in silence as his heavy, evenly paced steps quickly brought him across the room, each sound absorbed by the room's plush carpeting. As the Mechguard reached Likaria, he bowed reverently. 'You requested my presence, Leader?'

'Yes, Seven Leader. I have a task for your unit.'

The Mechguard didn't move from his bowed position. 'Anything you request, Leader.'

Likaria remained standing in front of the Mechguard and spoke without emotion. 'I want your unit to take TeArin Kendra into custody.'

The Mechguard raised only his head to look at Likaria questioningly. 'Is he not a member of the Chosen?'

Likaria shook her head. 'No longer. The Quadrant ordered the change in his status.' She regarded the emotionless creature in front of her. He once had the feelings and desires of any other Trividian, at least before his processing. She appreciated the unswerving loyalty the Mechguards gave her. They obeyed all orders with few questions.

'Does the Quadrant wish for him to be taken in for processing, Leader?'

'Not at this point in time. However, we are leaving that option open, so do not torture him beyond your ability to fix him.'

The Mechguard bowed again. 'As you wish, Leader, so it shall be.'

'Thank you, Seven Leader.' Likaria watched as the Mechguard left without another word. Her haughty smile dissolved into evil laughter as she crossed back to sit on her throne.

~!~!~!~

Harry finished putting away the last of the dishes and wiped down the countertop as the Doctor walked around to stand next to him. 'Civil war! Are you sure?'

Harry looked down at the Doctor. 'That's what she said. What that entails, I couldn't tell you. Everyone has a different idea of what makes up a civil war, Doctor. Needless to say, either way, it sounds dangerous for both Susan and Sarah.'

'Sounds dangerous for anybody.' The Doctor paced around the kitchen for a moment before stopping and turning back to Harry. 'All right, I'm going to head for Trivid. You stay here, in case either Sarah or Susan return.' He headed quickly out of the kitchen back towards the living room and the TARDIS.

Harry rushed around him, blocking his way into the TARDIS. 'Oh no you don't, Doctor. This is my daughter we're talking about. I'm not staying here, I'm going with you.'

'You admitted it was dangerous, Harry. Don't you think it best if you stay here, out of trouble?' the Doctor smiled nervously.

Harry got right in the Doctor's face. 'No I don't. At one time, I might have agreed with you, but not now. Susan and Sarah are too important. I will not be left behind. If you're so concerned about someone staying here, K9 will be here.'

The Doctor sighed and turned back as the robot dog rolled into the room. 'All right, all right. K9, you know how to contact me if either Sarah or Susan return.'

'Affirmative, Master.'

The Doctor looked at Harry. 'Let's go. You can fill me in on more of the details as we go.'

~!~!~!~

Mijaco hid around a corner outside Likaria's throne room and watched as the Mechguard exited. He took a deep breath before moving towards the door, feeling the stares of the guards as he approached, knowing they waited for only a signal from Likaria before grabbing him.

Likaria looked up, and shook her head to indicate to the guards to let Mijaco continue. She only stared as Mijaco first boldly crossed the room, then humbly knelt before her throne. 'I did not summon you, Mijaco,' she told him bluntly.

Mijaco kept his head bowed. 'I know my Leader, and I apologise, but I felt I needed to inform you of something.'

'What is it?' Likaria resolved herself to hearing what he had to say.

Full of self-assurance, he stood up and faced her. 'I fear, my Leader, that TeArin did not take his banishment well. He will probably need to be observed carefully.'

Mijaco could swear he saw a sneer cross Likaria's face as she turned away from him, but he wasn't certain. There were several moments of silence, as Likaria seemed to consider his words before she faced him again. 'Don't you worry, Mijaco. I have already been watching your son very closely. In fact, there are Mechguards on their way to watch him even more closely now.'

Fear instantly crossed Mijaco's face. 'Mechguards, my Leader? I was under the impression that TeArin was free, he just couldn't live as a member of the Chosen.'

'That was correct, until he spoke treason against the Quadrant. He will be punished for his sharp tongue.'

Mijaco dropped face down on the floor. 'My Leader, I, Mijaco, your humble servant, beg your forgiveness on my son's behalf. Please do not punish him any further.'

Likaria shook her head as a sad expression crossed her face. 'Mijaco, as much as I would like to allow your son to go free, he cannot. His crimes have crossed the line and I cannot argue your service for his life.'

'Are you going to have him processed?'

'That decision is up to the Electorate Body. It's out of my hands, Mijaco. Now, be gone from me.'

'Yes, my Leader.' Mijaco quickly scuttled out of the room, knowing his son had gone too far and he could not help him any further. Sadness wrapped around his heart and threatened to stop its beating, but he forced himself to not react until he was out of Likaria's sight.

~!~!~!~

It didn't take long for Susan and Lacond to reach where Taketo and Mirsaj had kept the camp. Everything was as she left it. Matter transmitters were unusual creatures, and Lacond knew it could have deposited her and Susan years after her original departure, but fortunately, in Trividian time, only two days had passed since her disappearance.

Lacond made up an explanation about Susan's presence, and quickly added that someone would soon be coming to help them break out of their current predicament. They were barely holding on against the Quadrant, and one more attack might prove to be the last. They desperately needed a solution, something to break the stranglehold. Lacond needed time to think, so she secluded herself away in her tent. Taketo had informed her of TeArin's banishment and subsequent disappearance. The conclusions all came out the same, he was now a Mechguard.

Lacond continued to weigh the advantages and disadvantages of her situation. Unfortunately, there seemed to be more disadvantages. All Lacond had now was an Earth teenager with a temper. She felt no better off than before she left. The only difference was her side wound was almost completely healed. She forced herself to think positively. Hopefully the Doctor would show up soon and have some sort of solution. She knew Susan could be trained and taught the ways of the resistance, and she planned on taking Susan under her wing and teaching her personally.

'Excuse me, General?' Mirsaj's voice announced from outside.

Lacond sighed, her reverie broken. 'Yes, come in Mirsaj.'

Mirsaj only stuck his head inside the tent. 'General, you may want to come out here. I think we have a small problem with our new arrival.'

Lacond grabbed her cane and headed outside, following Mirsaj towards the centre of the camp. Before she could see anything, she could hear the raised voices. She recognised them instantly. 'Oh no.'

~!~!~!~

In the TARDIS, the Doctor fiddled with the controls. Harry paced back and forth across the room. Finally, the Doctor looked up at him. 'Harry, stop pacing.'

'I'm sorry, Doctor. It's just that I'm worried about my daughter.'

The Doctor stopped playing with the console buttons. His eyes darkened as he glanced across the room at Harry, then went back to intently staring at the reading in front of him. 'I'm worried about this whole situation, Harry. We have no idea what we're getting into or what we're going to find once we get there.' He searched in his coat pocket, pulling out several objects and laying them on the edge of the console. 'Going off like this is exactly something I'd expect from Sarah, and it always gets her in trouble. I would've hoped you'd taught your daughter better, that maybe she could learn from the mistakes you saw Sarah make.' Finally, he found a small round tin. He passed it over to Harry, who seemed to be ignoring his advice. 'Here, open this and take one, Harry.'

Harry flipped the tin over and back and turned it around. 'What is it?'

'Anti-radiation pills.'

'Radiation?' Harry fumbled with the tin, trying to get it open and failing. 'What about Susan and Sarah? They don't have the benefit of these.'

'We have the transmitter data I downloaded from K9. I'm going to try to arrive before Lacond, Susan and Sarah.'

'Sounds good.' He continued to flounder with the tin. 'Doctor, I'm not having any luck with this.'

The Doctor grabbed the tin from Harry, pressed it gently in the centre so that the sides expanded and the lid easily came off. 'Here.'

Harry took the tin again. 'Thanks.' He reached in and took out a pill, quickly taking it. Then he stared at the tin for a moment.

The Doctor sighed. 'Squeeze the sides.'

The tin snapped shut with a sharp click as Harry obeyed the Doctor's orders. 'Amazing tin. I've never seen one that worked quite like that.'

'Apparently.'

'Tastes like very strong peppermint, eh, Doctor?'

'It has to be acceptable to the human palate; otherwise, you'd never take it. Now, keep those in your pocket and I've got another tin with me. Whichever one of us finds Sarah and Susan first can make sure they're OK.'

Harry stared at the TARDIS door. When they landed, beyond that door, would be his daughter and his best friend. They'd gotten themselves into heaven only knows what kind of trouble. Or worse. His thoughts instinctively went back to two definitive moments in his life as the whole scene again played out for him as real as the days they happened…memories tied together within his mind, even though they were over three years apart and thirteen years ago.

Harry sat next to the bed in the hospital's intensive care unit. His eyes were moist with tears that wouldn't fall. Couldn't fall. At least not now. Not yet, anyway. Sarah stood back towards the door, crying softly. The doctors had left them alone to say their final goodbyes and now there was nothing left to say. Harry knew the doctors and nurses would need to come in and take care of things, they were hovering outside, he could feel it. Standing up, he released the cooling hand of the figure in the bed. He leaned over and kissed her one last time. 'Goodbye, my sweet Elizabeth.'

After he and Sarah said their goodbyes, he somehow forced himself to make the drive home. He had Susan to think about now. He knew that at three, Susan wouldn't remember much about Elizabeth, but they'd always known this day was coming. 'I promise to love you and Susan with every breath I have, but I can't promise how long it'll be,' she had once told him. He'd known she was dying since before they got married, but it never mattered to him. He loved her like he'd loved no other woman. She was always understanding and accepting, even with their unusual situation. She even dealt with the haunting memories of the one woman that always managed to break his heart.

As he drove, he thought back to that one lazy Sunday afternoon he and Elizabeth strolled through Hyde Park. They walked hand in hand along the edge of the Serpentine, each lost in their own thoughts. After a while, Elizabeth stopped and looked at him. 'Harry, I have to tell you something.'

'Is something wrong, Elizabeth?'

'You could say that.' She sighed deeply. 'Harry, I talked to Sarah yesterday. She told me the truth.'

Harry sighed and gave a bit of a smile as he mentally prepared his defence. 'Well, my dear, there's a perfectly good explanation for…'

She cut him off. 'Harry, it's OK. Sarah and I had a long talk. I understand, really, I do. I don't have to like it, but I think I can understand it.'

'Really?'

Elizabeth smiled. 'Really.' She reached up and put her hands on Harry's chest, then leaned in like she was going to kiss him. But she didn't. Instead, she leaned in close to him and pushed. Hard.

Harry staggered back and fell backside first, into the river. He came up spluttering. 'There was no need for that!' he fussed as he pulled himself out of the river.

Elizabeth raised an eyebrow. 'No? I sometimes think both you and Sarah need your ears boxed, but she's my best friend and I'd never do that to her. Although it does get more tempting the longer I have to think about it.'

They continued to walk along in silence for a while. Well, as much silence as Harry could muster with his clothes dripping wet. They walked along into Kensington Gardens and towards the fountains. Harry turned and looked at Elizabeth. 'There was something I wanted to ask you, and I've wanted to ask for a while now.'

Elizabeth smiled. 'A while meaning before I pushed you into the water?'

Harry laughed. 'Yes. Although I'm not entirely sure this is the best time.' Elizabeth only looked at him. 'Oh well,' he said after a minute. 'Nothing ventured, nothing gained.' He reached into his pocket and pulled out a small box. As he opened it, he took Elizabeth's hand and got down on one knee. 'Elizabeth Deanna Hazelgrove, will you consent to being my wife?'

Elizabeth just laughed, then reached up and covered her mouth with her free hand. 'I'm sorry.' She pulled her hand away from her face. 'It's just that you look so silly kneeling down there, all sopping wet, with that wickedly boyish gleam in your eye.'

'So is that a yes?'

Elizabeth started nodding, her own silly grin spreading across her face. Harry jumped up and they quickly embraced. 'Of course I'll marry you, Harold Alexander Sullivan!' she mimicked his use of her full name.

The changing traffic signal brought Harry back to the present time. He was now a widower before he turned 30, plus he had a three-year-old daughter to take care of. There was really only one person he could go to now. Elizabeth's best friend and Susan's godmother. As he pulled into his own driveway, it started to rain.

Half an hour later, Harry pulled into a second driveway and turned off the car lights. He jumped out in the pouring rain and walked around to the rear door of the car, opening it. He unfastened the infant seat harness from around the sleeping form of Susan and wrapped her in his overcoat. Picking her up, he headed for the door, stumbling only once. He rang the doorbell and waited. After a moment, he rang it again, then shifted Susan so he could look at his watch. 3.00am. He rang the doorbell yet again as a light flicked on inside. He saw Sarah peer through the window as lightning illuminated everything around him.

Sarah flung the door open and without words, quickly ushered Harry inside. Sarah lifted the raincoat off the bundle that Harry was gently cradling and took Susan out of her father's arms. Harry absently shut the door as Sarah nodded towards the sofa. 'Sit down. I'll take Susan in the other room.' Harry was still in shock, his body walking itself across the room to practically fall onto the waiting sofa. The words of the doctors still echoed in his mind, the memories of those final moments seared into his brain. He doubted he could ever forget either. With his brain on autopilot, he'd bundled up his young daughter and headed to the only place he knew to go. The one place that wasn't an empty house filled with memories.

Sarah returned quickly, carrying a blanket. 'She's all tucked in.' Harry nodded blankly as Sarah began to help him out of his wet jacket. She wrapped the blanket around his shoulders, squeezing them gently for reassurance.

Harry reached out and grabbed Sarah's hands in his own. He couldn't quite place the look in her eyes as they met his. As Harry pulled Sarah down to sit next to him, the tears that he had been fighting all evening began to fall unchecked. 'I can't believe she's gone,' he said despairingly, his voice barely above a whisper.

Sarah pulled Harry to her, resting his head against her shoulder. Tears fell down Sarah's face as Harry began to sob bitterly. 'I'm so sorry, Harry.'

'What am I going to do without her?' Harry finally choked out. He pulled back and looked up into Sarah's eyes. 'Sarah, I always knew the cancer would take her, and I knew it wasn't much longer once she went back into the hospital, but I'm not ready. I didn't have enough time!'

'I know,' Sarah said soothingly. 'None of us had enough time with her.' Her arms tightened around Harry as the sobs overtook him once more.

When Harry woke up the next morning, he wanted, even needed the previous night to be a horrific nightmare. As soon as he woke up, however, he realized that he wasn't going to be that fortunate. He immediately recognised his surroundings and remembered that he had fallen asleep on Sarah's sofa. He sat up with a start, but relaxed as he noticed Sarah asleep in the armchair next to the sofa. He couldn't help but smile at the sight before him. Susan was sleeping all curled up in Sarah's lap with her head resting against Sarah's shoulder.

Sarah looked positively motherly, although Harry swore he'd never tell her that. He envisioned the life they could have had together, maybe should have had together. But life in general was always convoluted and Harry's in particular always took the strangest turns whenever Sarah was involved. He knew that this time would be no different.

Sarah's eyes opened and she looked up at Harry and smiled sadly. 'Morning,' she said softly.

'Morning,' he replied, just as softly so as not to wake Susan. 'I have to take care of finalising the arrangements. Would it be all right, I mean, do you mind…' Harry sighed to try and clear his thoughts. 'Could Susan possibly stay with you?'

Sarah nodded, 'Of course! You know I'll do anything, just let me know.'

'I couldn't be more grateful.' Harry reached out and took Sarah's hand. 'Sarah, I'm watching you sit there with Susan asleep in your lap and I can't help but think...'

Sarah cut him off. 'Shhhh. Don't Harry, please,' she begged. 'You're going through enough, don't dwell on things we can't go back and change.'

'But don't you sometimes regret it?'

'You know as well as I do that we did what was best for Susan,' Sarah said.

Harry noticed Sarah sounded much stronger than she looked, and saw the conviction in her eyes. 'You're right, of course.'

'Harry? Harry?' The Doctor continued to call out to him, shaking Harry from his reverie. 'Is something wrong?'

'No, sorry. I was just thinking about Susan. I'm worried about her.' He took a deep breath to help bring his thoughts into focus. 'Doctor, you do think they'll be all right, don't you?''

The Doctor didn't have time to answer before the time rotor in the centre of the console slowed to a halt. 'We'll soon find out.'