Chapter 2

The Doctor sat at the bench in the lab, reading an older issue of one of his scientific journals. After all that had happened recently he'd fallen behind. The first article was quite interesting but the next he found rather dry and boring. He lifted his gaze and looked about the room, nearly hoping for a distraction.

It came in the form of an unexpected source: the colorful stone lying on the opposite end of the bench. About four inches long by three inches wide, it was smooth-shaped with rounded edges. One might even guess it was shaped by glacial processes. The most noteworthy thing about it was its color: a slate gray which seemed quite dull upon first inspection but when the light hit it, it shimmered in a stunning array of iridescent colors: violet, red, blue, green … He had never seen anything like it.

The source of the stone was also unexpected: Jamie and Kathryn's garden. The way the young Scot had told it, he had been out there one day weeks earlier and had discovered it. He had shown it to Kathryn who had found it beautiful, and so he'd given it to her as a gift. The Doctor felt his lips twitch into a smile upon that memory.

It faded however as he recalled that Jamie had had a funny feeling about it. He didn't seem to understand why but had brought it into HQ in the hopes that the Time Lord could shed some light on it. All he could think of at the time was in a purely structural sense: how its shape could clue him into the natural processes that had formed it. The dazzling array of colors when the light hit it had left him stumped. Of course, this was directly following his regeneration and everything had been one jumbled mess. Now, things had finally settled down and he had more time to devote it.

He studied it from afar, noting how its current dull luster belied the mystery of its mineralogical origin. After a moment, he merely shrugged and went back to his reading. The boring article notwithstanding, he found himself distracted once again. It was as if the stone were staring at him, daring him to look up and pay it some mind. His curiosity got the better of him and he returned his gaze to the object.

The more he stared at it, the more he realized something about it wasn't sitting right with him, as if some sort of energy were emanating from it. He could just feel it. It also seemed to be accompanied by a low frequency hum.

A grin slowly spread across his face. "What are you up to, my little treasure?" he muttered, his tone a mixture of amusement and curiosity. The hum seemed to grow a little louder as if in response. The Doctor's eyes narrowed as he studied it. Yes, this was quite interesting.

"Sarah?" he suddenly called out, briefly taking his attention off the stone.

He was met with no answer. Risking a glance at his watch, he frowned. It was already half past ten. Surely she would have been here by now.

"Ah, Doctor. What's going on?" Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart greeted as he stepped into the lab.

"Brigadier, have you seen Sarah yet this morning?"

The Brigadier furrowed his brow in thought. "No, she hasn't checked in yet." He then turned as Warrant Officer Benton and Doctor Harry Sullivan came walking past. "Have either of you seen Miss Smith?"

"No, Sir, I haven't."

"What's all this about Miss Smith?" Harry asked.

"She hasn't shown up yet, Harry," the Doctor said. "You haven't seen or heard from her, have you?"

"No, can't say that I have," he replied. "Haven't seen her since she left last night."

"I'll try phoning her," the Brigadier said. He headed for the telephone and dialed her number, but from the sound of it no one was picking up. "No answer," he said grimly as he hung up.

The Doctor frowned. "What's happened to her …?"

His eyes widened as a memory suddenly struck him. Sarah had seemed to have taken an interest in the stone not long after Jamie had brought it here. At the time, the Doctor hadn't given it much thought. Thanks to the energy frequency he'd just discovered emanating from it, he now wondered if there was any connection. Could she have touched it at any time before she'd left yesterday, causing her to vanish?

No, that was ridiculous. After all, he hadn't disappeared, and neither had anyone else at HQ who had seen it.

Unless the stone had some sort of particular interest in her ...

He turned to find the UNIT men regarding him curiously. "What are you thinking, Doc?" Benton asked.

"Sarah is missing," he replied, turning back to the stone and eyeing it grimly. "And I believe this stone may have something to do with it."

"I say, Doctor, do you realize how daft that sounds?" Harry scoffed. "How could a silly little stone be responsible for Miss Smith's disappearance?"

"But, you see, Harry, it's not just a 'silly little stone.'" The Doctor's eyes narrowed as his gaze returned to the object. "This stone is giving off some sort of energy. Can't you hear it?"

The others took a few steps closer and their brows furrowed in concentration as they stood perfectly still, gazing at the stone. The Doctor felt his hearts sink and sighed as they merely shook their heads and shrugged. The Brigadier's patience appeared to be wearing thin.

"I'm telling you, there is something wrong with this stone," the Time Lord insisted.

"What's wrong, Doctor, is that you are paying needless attention to a … mere paperweight while Miss Smith could be in danger," The Brigadier retorted. "I'm going to have a look outside. Come along, Benton."

"Right, Sir."

As the two men left, the Doctor found that Harry hadn't budged. He appeared a bit skeptical, but perhaps he was coming around. "You really think this stone is responsible for Sarah having gone missing?" he asked.

"If not entirely responsible, then I believe it plays a large part. I'm going to need to study it further, figure out what's going on with this low frequency energy signal." The Doctor moved closer to the stone, his brow furrowing in concentration as he listened for the sound again. "It's like a low hum." Taking his eyes off it for a moment, he gestured for Harry to join him. "Come on. Get close to it and really listen," he prompted, his voice barely above a whisper.

Harry stepped closer and bent slightly, appearing as if trying to listen. After a moment his eyes widened. "Oh, my," he muttered. "You're right! It's very soft, but I can hear it."

"Yes, Harry," the Doctor confirmed with a wide grin. "This little thing isn't some mere, innocent paperweight as the Brigadier seems to think. We must study it further. I believe it could end up the key to finding out what happened to Sarah."

"I hope you're right," Harry said, his voice tinged with worry.

Silently, the Doctor agreed with him. All he could do now was give a slight nod as he directed his attention back on the object.


Jamie and Kathryn's first full day of their honeymoon began with a relaxing morning for breakfast and then taking in some sights. They had toured St. Ive's and the Cotswolds, both lovely areas, and then decided on a tour of the ruins at Tintagel Castle. Kathryn had always been intrigued by the King Arthur legends and was quite eager to explore them. Not surprisingly, Jamie hadn't been familiar with them but seemed interested enough as well once she had told him about it.

They were near the end of the tour when Kathryn briefly stopped to take a photo of the castle ruins and then turned to find Jamie gazing up at them, almost mesmerized. A fond smile quickly spread across her face as she walked up to him and laid a hand on his shoulder.

Jamie was apparently not expecting the touch and jumped slightly.

Kathryn offered an apologetic smile. "Sorry." She then looked up at the crumbling structure. "Fascinating, isn't it?"

"Aye," Jamie replied. "Visiting old places like this, 'specially in this century ..." He'd suddenly lowered his voice and leaned into her. "It almost makes me wonder what the castles which were a part of my life in the Highlands look like now. I think I'm glad we didnae go there fer our honeymoon." The corner of his mouth twitched into a rueful grin.

Kathryn laughed softly. "I can just imagine how awkward you would feel," she conceded.

Jamie nodded. "I'd almost feel as if I were walkin' over my own grave." He gave a little shudder, causing Kathryn to giggle sympathetically. He then grinned and gave her a little wink before his expression softened and he gazed at her fondly. "Ye're enjoyin' this, eh?"

"What do you mean?"

"I mean, this place, an' our time here taegether in general," he said. "Ye're havin' a splendid time, I hope?"

She smiled. "Of course I am, silly." She emphasized her point with a soft kiss to his cheek. Her smile widened as she watched Jamie beam in response.

"Come on. We'd best no' get separated from the rest of the group, eh?" he told her, a bit of a teasing grin on his face.

Kathryn felt a blush creep into her cheeks as she looked around, noticing their tour group had already moved on. Or, mostly moved on, as she found another tourist several yards away staring at them.

The woman appeared to be in her fifties with long, thick, black hair, deeply set green eyes, and a long, prominent nose. She wore a long, dark rose colored peasant-style dress and had a kerchief of similar color tied around her head. Her outfit combined with her physical appearance and the gaudy jewelry she wore made her seem a bit eccentric, like one of those ladies you'd find at a fortune teller's booth at a fair. She began to walk slowly in their direction, her gaze never leaving them. She seemed to take a particular interest in Kathryn especially.

Kathryn quickly turned to Jamie and found he'd noticed as well. He smiled awkwardly at the woman, giving her a little nod as she approached. Kathryn met her gaze and managed a shy smile.

"My dear, forgive me," the woman said, a bit of a Welsh accent to her voice, "but I sensed these strong vibrations coming from you."

Kathryn regarded her oddly, furrowing her brow. What on Earth was she talking about?

Jamie quirked an eyebrow at the woman. "Eh?" he uttered, sounding baffled.

She gave them a smile which seemed apologetic in nature. "I'm not sure you'll understand. I'm what is known as a sensitive. Earlier in the tour I had picked up on an unusual amount of energy coming from your direction."

"Is that … bad?" Kathryn asked, confused.

"I'm not sure," the woman replied, her tone a bit hesitant as she narrowed her eyes in concentration. She stepped even closer to Kathryn, getting a little too much in her personal space for comfort.

Fortunately, Jamie seemed to have noticed and stepped closer to her, trying to get in between her and the strange woman. "Look, I don' think my wife is verra comfortable at the moment. Would ye mind leavin' us be?"

The woman continued to stare at her, wide-eyed, almost as if she were staring into her soul. Kathryn tried hard to avoid her gaze, hoping the woman would take the hint but she didn't seem intent on budging. Kathryn instinctively took a step back and nearly fell backwards due to the lack of ample ground behind her. Turning her head quickly, she realized she was on the edge of a hill. Panic rising inside her, she began flailing her arms wildly.

Jamie quickly grabbed hold her of her and steadied her, guiding her away from the edge and causing the woman to move back at the same time. Catching her breath finally, Kathryn heaved a sigh of relief as she turned and eyed him gratefully.

After a quick smile of reassurance, Jamie turned back to the woman, his expression a bit impatient. "Ah said, would ye mind leavin' us be?" he repeated sternly.

The woman finally seemed to shake herself out of her trance. "Oh dear, I'm sorry," she said to him before regarding Kathryn once again. "I was just trying to make sense of this energy I'm picking up from ya."

Kathryn felt a nervous giggle bubble up from her stomach. "That's all right, but I'd be lying if I said you weren't making me a bit concerned now. I don't know much about these energies or vibrations and what they mean."

"Oh, it's nothin' bad, my dear," the woman said, shaking her head almost insistently. "I've interacted with people who were highly sensitive – empathic if you will – and those who weren't." She narrowed her eyes in thought once again. "But the energy coming off yourself is not something I've encountered before." She sighed and then shook her head. "I don't believe it's anything to worry about." She forced a smile as she turned back to Kathryn. "You've just got some unique energy there. Who knows. Could end up bein' a good thing."

Kathryn nodded, dumbfounded.

"Once again I apologize for the intrusion. My name is Enid, by the way." She offered her hand to them.

Kathryn managed a weak smile as she shook the woman's hand. "I'm Kathryn and this is my husband, Jamie," she said, gesturing towards Jamie who nodded and gave the woman an awkward smile.

"Lovely to meet you," she told them with a toothy grin.

"Nice tae meet you," Jamie returned. "Well, we'd best be on our way. We've got a few more places we'd like tae visit today. Ye see, we're on our honeymoon."

"Oh, many blessings and congratulations to you!" she told them warmly, shaking their hands once again.

"Thank you," they muttered in unison before heading off to find the rest of their tour group, who were probably long gone now.


The Doctor frowned in concentration as he closely studied Jamie's stone. He'd found a quite unique organic signature attached to it that left him utterly perplexed. His suspicions that it was emitting a signal had been confirmed. What was this signal all about? That was still going to take time. Time, however, might be something Sarah didn't have, especially depending on the circumstances of her disappearance. What he really needed was more information regarding the object's origin.

His train of thought was interrupted by Harry entering the lab. "Doctor?" he prompted.

"I was right, Harry," the Doctor told him. "This little stone is emitting a signal of sorts. It's also got a curious organic signature."

"Meaning what?"

The Doctor sighed, frustrated. "I'm still not certain. I found traces of an interesting carbon enriched compound on the underside, but I'm still quite in the dark as to what this signal is about. I really need more information regarding its origin." An idea suddenly struck him and his eyes widened. "Harry, go get the Brigadier for me."

"Right-o," Harry snapped out and turned to leave.

The Doctor suddenly held out a hand to stop him. "Oh, and tell him to get Jamie."

Harry started to nod and then did a double take, stopping short. He met the Doctor's gaze, appearing baffled. "Isn't he on his honeymoon, Doctor?" he asked incredulously. "I very much doubt he wishes to be disturbed -"

"This is important, Harry," the Doctor interrupted impatiently. "We need to find Sarah and we may not have much time. We don't know how she disappeared or who has taken her. Depending on what exactly this stone is, they could be hostile. Jamie is the one who brought it here in the first place. He may be the one piece we need to solve the mystery." Taking a deep breath, he considered it some more. "All right. Perhaps we don't require his presence, but I do need to get in contact with him. Any information he can share about this object might be to our advantage."

"How are you even going to reach him?"

"The Brigadier gave him a communicator to take with him," the Doctor replied, grabbing his own communication device and holding it up.

"Oh. But, Doctor, I really don't think he'll be pleased about you interrupt -"

"Harry," the Doctor persisted in a warning tone.

"Righty-o," Harry muttered awkwardly before turning on his heel and leaving the room.

The Doctor leaned forward, scrubbing his hands over his face as he gazed in frustration upon the object. Perhaps it was rash of him to want to disturb Jamie during this special time in his life. But Sarah's life could very well be at stake. Any little bit of information could help, and time was of the essence.


Sitting back on the bed, Kathryn tried to read the small book in her hands but the glorious late-afternoon view from the bedroom window kept distracting her. Her mind had begun to wander, replaying the events of the day. She and Jamie had also spent some time at Newquay Zoo and taken in a show at an open-air amphitheater. Of course, the ruins at Tintagel had been quite spectacular.

That last thought brought her attention back to the object she was holding. While at the gift shop, she had purchased a small book about crystals and energies. She didn't really buy into stuff like this, but after their encounter with the strange woman she couldn't help being just a bit curious.

She was now midway through a chapter on auras and her brow furrowed as she considered the information presented within. What had Enid told her – she had some 'unique energy'? What on Earth did that mean? Sadly, this book didn't seem to be much help.

Finally she sighed and shook her head. Perhaps the woman was just a crackpot. She decided to put it out of her mind once and for all.

She tossed the book onto the edge of the bed and looked up at the sound of nearing footsteps. Jamie smiled at her and then seemed to notice the book. "Did ye find anything interesting in there?" he asked.

"No, not really," she replied with a shake of her head. "It's a bit frustrating after what that woman said."

Jamie looked at her thoughtfully as he sat down next to her. "Aye, she said ye got 'unique energy.' Mebbe that could mean somethin'." The corner of his mouth lifted into a rakish grin as he waggled his eyebrows at her.

Feigning annoyance, Kathryn rolled her eyes. "And how did I know you were going to go there?"

"Hey, I cannae help it," he replied, giving an innocent shrug. "You inspire me, lass."

Kathryn rolled her eyes again before swatting him playfully across the chest with the book. Her annoyed expression failed upon seeing the hurt pout he was giving her and she lowered her head to her chest, dissolving into giggles.

"Mebbe she's jus' a complete nutter," Jamie offered.

Kathryn froze mid-nod and regarded him curiously. "Wait, I thought you were something of a believer of the supernatural, hailing from the Scottish Highlands with all those legends and stuff."

Jamie blushed faintly and gave another tiny shrug. "Aye, but that doesnae mean I buy intae all of it."

"So, auras and energies are nonsense, but a Bean Nighe is real," she said with a smirk.

"Aye, exactly," Jamie deadpanned for a moment before his face cracked open in a grin and he winked at her. "Look, don' think too deeply aboot it, eh?" He leaned over, kissing her lips softly.

"All right," she told him with a nod once he'd moved back. She decided it wasn't worth agonizing over. More than anything, she wanted to enjoy the rest of their time together in this beautiful place.

Smiling, Jamie neared her once again, taking her into his arms. He'd leaned his forehead up against hers and seemed about to kiss her when a faint, beeping sound suddenly pierced the room. He moved back in alarm and Kathryn looked around the room, wondering where it was coming from. She watched as Jamie's expression turned to one of consternation and he quickly rose from the bed.

"Jamie, what is that?"

He failed to answer her and sifted through his suitcase until he grabbed hold of a familiar object. Kathryn felt a sense of dread envelope her as she realized it was one of those communicators from UNIT. She hadn't even known Jamie had brought it. Her curiosity as to why they were contacting him was eclipsed by her growing discontent over the fact. She had really been hoping they could have some time to themselves. After all, it was their honeymoon, which was a very special time for the two of them.

She mentally tried to calm herself and let Jamie tell her what was going on. Perhaps it wasn't anything serious, although the length of time he was talking to them seemed to belie that assumption. He had moved into the bathroom and was speaking in tones too soft for her to make out.

Finally, he had turned off the device and returned to the bedroom, eyeing her apologetically for a moment before a sense of urgency seemed to overtake him.

"Jamie, what happened?"

Jamie sighed, raking a hand through his hair and tossing it back from his face. He put the communicator back in his suitcase and seemed to be searching the room for something.

"Jamie," she persisted.

Finally he stopped and gazed at her worriedly. "Sarah Jane has disappeared. The Doctor believes she was kidnapped."

"What?"

"Aye, she never showed up this mornin'." He then began rooting through the dresser drawers, grabbing his clothes and putting them away in his suitcase.

"What are you doing?"

"We've got tae go back tae London," he replied, not bothering to look back at her as he gathered more of his things.

Kathryn stared at him, completely baffled. "You're joking, aren't you?"

He finally stopped to look at her and shook his head. "No, I'm no', lass," he replied gravely

She uttered a sound of disbelief as he didn't wait for an answer and resumed his packing. "Jamie, this is our honeymoon."

He sighed. "I know. I tried tae tell them so, but the Doctor insisted he needed my help."

Kathryn couldn't help feeling as if she wanted to throttle the Doctor, even despite the fact she'd admired him over the past few years. She bit her lip and frowned at Jamie. "I was really enjoying myself here and enjoying being with you, alone."

Jamie finally paused and eyed her contritely. "I'll make it up to ye, I promise."

Her overwhelming emotions made his offer seem halfhearted at best. "We only get one honeymoon, Jamie, despite all that 'second honeymoon' nonsense." She approached him closer. "We hardly have any alone time. So much of your time is taken up with these … people," she said, spitting out the last word in disgust.

Jamie looked almost stricken. "That's no' true," he insisted.

"Isn't it? Why do you have to go back there, anyway? Why does the Doctor need your help so badly? Aren't the UNIT men enough?"

"The Doctor thinks that stone I found for ye might have somethin' tae do wi' Sarah having gone missing. I cannae help feelin' a wee bit responsible."

"What?!" Kathryn took a deep breath, trying to calm herself. She'd remembered the stone Jamie had found in their garden, the strange, grayish stone that turned all sorts of beautiful colors in the light. He had given it to her as a gift. Its strangeness began to concern him and he decided to show it to the Doctor, promising he'd bring it right back.

"Wait, what does the stone have to do with Sarah?" she asked, shaking her head as if to clear it.

"Once I'd brought it to the Doctor, Sarah had seen it an' kept talkin' aboot how pretty it was. She asked tae look at it a wee bit, an -"

"You gave it to her?" Kathryn interrupted, a bit surprised at the vehemence in her voice.

Some rather nasty, deeply buried feelings of jealousy suddenly began rising like bile in her throat. She had been at UNIT HQ the day the Doctor had "changed," having arrived a bit early to meet Jamie for lunch and had found them in the lab. The Doctor was on the floor and Sarah was next to him, appearing grief-stricken. Although she'd stayed out of sight, Kathryn had seen Jamie take Sarah into his arms. She knew he was an affectionate bloke in general, but couldn't help feeling just a little jealous as she shuffled away down the corridor. When Jamie had finally met up with her to leave, he'd apparently picked up on her discontent. Kathryn merely brushed it off, shaking her head. Now those feelings had resurfaced with a vengeance.

Jamie turned to her, shocked. "What? No, of course not." Seeming to recover, he eyed her incredulously. "Ye're no' jealous, are ye?"

Kathryn felt an uncomfortable warmth rising into her cheeks but she held her ground. "I saw you holding her while the Doctor was changing. Have you got feelings for her, Jamie?"

She got some sick pleasure watching Jamie's jaw nearly fall to the floor. Some tiny part of her was appalled by her irrational behavior, but the disbelief and near anger over his forgoing their honeymoon over these people was more than she could handle.

"I cannae believe ye're even thinking this," Jamie told her, his voice filled with hurt and disbelief. "We jus' got married. Why would ye ever think so poorly of me tae expect me tae be unfaithful to ye?"

Kathryn merely stood, arms folded, fixing him with an icy glare. "You tell me, McCrimmon," she replied coldly.

Jamie stood frozen for a moment and then uttered a sound of disbelief before glaring back at her. "I'm no' like that ruddy bastard ye dated," he said angrily. "Do ye think all men are that way? Goin' outta their way tae hurt ye on purpose? Mebbe the problem is you, lass. Do ye hear me? It's you."

The stinging barb made Kathryn feel as if she were kicked in the chest. Eyes widened and teeth clenched, nothing could stop her as she quickly reached out to slap Jamie in the face.

Jamie's hand immediately went to his cheek and he stared at her, eyes colored with shock and pain, and his jaw set in anger. He didn't move for several moments and then finally turned on his heel, storming out of the room. She heard heavy footsteps down the corridor and then the front door to the cottage slamming heavily.

The full magnitude of what had just happened hit her and she'd burst into tears. In desperate need to talk to someone, she phoned Polly. Neither she nor Ben had picked up. Kathryn had nearly dialed Victoria's number but in the end decided not to bother. What would any of them think of her after what had just transpired between her and Jamie?

In futility she decided to leave the cottage as well, thinking some fresh air might help. As she traversed the path leading around the cottage and back down the side of the cliff, she breathed in the fresh, sea air. It did feel quite good, but didn't do much to lessen her distress.

She'd soon discovered a lovely, tree lined path and decided to walk it. There were various shrubs and other attractive flora along the way that she had stopped to appreciate. She hadn't seen any sign of Jamie and at the moment she didn't care; she was still upset with him. Perhaps they were both acting a bit rash with his insistence on going back to London to help the Doctor and her feelings of jealousy towards Sarah. She soon felt guilt begin eating away at her over that, especially regarding any assumptions about the way Jamie felt about the other woman.

She really did need to find him and talk about this. Would he even want to speak to her, though? The look on his face when she'd asked if he had feelings for Sarah haunted her. He seemed so hurt and she realized she had been unfair. Damn it, why couldn't she even give him a chance to explain himself? Her anger over their honeymoon being interrupted was eclipsing everything and making her act like an irrational, spoiled brat.

Taking a deep breath, she finally decided to head back to the cottage. Wherever Jamie had gone, hopefully he would cool off some and head back there as well. She turned around and began walking the way she'd come. After several yards, however, the scenery began to look unfamiliar. She had turned somewhere, hadn't she? If only she could remember …

Stopping next to a large, shady tree, she tried to get her bearings and figure out which direction she needed to take. Looking to the northeast, something clicked and her question was answered.

She was about to head in that direction when she suddenly felt someone reach out and grab her from behind. She struggled against the person's firm grip and tried to scream, but another hand covered her mouth. The last thing she felt was something hard striking the back of her head. Her scream died in her throat as her consciousness ebbed away.