The Doctor was under the TARDIS console doing some unnecessary repairs, (unnecessary cause Rose can feel the TARDIS grumbling in her mind.) Rose was curled up on the jump seat reading a magazine. They were resting after their last adventure when a ring sounds through the room.
It startles the Doctor into banging his head on the underside of the console. Rose giggles at him as he pouts, Rose looks to the caller ID to see Mickeys name showing. Frowning Rose answers, "ello, Mickey." Rose greets as she watches the Doctors pout turns into a scowl when he realises who's calling.
Unfortunately that means she missed half of what he's talking about, "sorry Mickey. What was that about a school?"
"I've been doing some research on alien things, Rose," Mickey repeats. The Doctor listens in on Roses conversation, thanks to his superior biology, and hears what their talking about. "And I've found a school that's been receiving marks way above the average percentage."
Rose frowns and looks over to see the Doctor has a thoughtful look on his face. "So what's unusual about that?"
"The percentage rose dramatically overnight," Mickey explained. "After about half the staff were replaced."
Rose could feel the interest that the Doctor was even though it didn't show on his face. She smiled slightly knowing he doesn't want to admit that Mickey might have something. She tells Mickey to send the date and place and they would met him there.
Once the text comes through she hands her phone off to the Doctor and he started inputting the coordinates into the TARDIS console. They grin at each other as the Doctor pulls up the lever to send them to their destination.
As they hurtle through the vortex Bad Wolf stirs. "Yes, you'll have to become a dinner lady again." She knows Rose is about to pout, "remember, you are the one that discovered the oil." Unfortunately Rose couldn't argue with that but it doesn't mean she was happy about it.
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Two days later saw the Doctor posing as a teacher while Rose was working as a dinner lady. He was surprised that Rose never complained about the job he gave her. He heard the bell ring and headed to class to start his lesson. He could feel that something was wrong but not sure what it was.
Walking into the classroom he placed his briefcase on the desk as he faced the students. "Good morning class. Are we sitting comfortably?" The Doctor turns to the whiteboard and writes out physics. "Physics, physics ok. Physics, physics," he repeats while looking around the room wondering who to pick out. "Physics, physics, physics, physics. I hope your all, getting this down? OK, let's see what you know, two identical strips of nylon are charged with static electricity, hung from a string so they can swing freely. What would happen if they were brought near each other?"
Only one child puts his hand up.
"Yes, aah what's your name?" The Doctor inquired.
"Milo," the child answered.
"Milo," the Doctor agreed.
"They'd repel each other," Milo answered. "Cause they have the same charge."
"Correctamondo," the Doctor agreed before realising what he said. "A word I have never used before and hopefully never will again. Question two, I've got a thin piece of micro wire and I place it in a glass of water then I turn on the electricity and measure to see if the water temperatures affected. My question is this, how do I measure the electrical power going into the coil?" Milo raises his hand again. "Someone else," the Doctor suggests before realising no one else is willing to put there hands up. In fact they all looked bored, "nope ok. Milo go for it."
"Measure the current ampED using an amp meter and volt meter," Milo answers.
"Two to Milo," the Doctor agrees. "Right then Milo tell me this, true or false. The greater the dampening of the system, the quicker it loses energy to its surroundings?"
"False," Milo answers straight away.
"What is non coding DNA," the Doctor tests while folding his arms.
"DNA that doesn't code for a protein," Milo answers immediately.
"Sixty five thousand nine hundred and eighty three times five," the Doctor rattles of fast.
"Three hundred and twenty nine thousand nine hundred and fifteen," Milo answers too quickly for a normal human child.
"How can you travel faster than light?" The Doctor continues to test.
"By honing a quantum tunnel with an N factor of 36.7 recurring," Milo answers.
Now the Doctor knows that somethings wrong cause no human in this time period could possibly know that especially a child. The Doctor sighs in disappointment. It seems Mickey the idiot was right and he's definitely not saying that to anyone especially Mickey. Pushing those thoughts to the back of his head he continues on with the rest of his lesson until the bell rings for lunch.
The Doctor walks into the cafeteria and grins slightly at seeing Roses unhappy look. Lining up for lunch he moves down the line gathering different items to eat until he reaches Roses station. Their eyes met and he grins cheekily at her while she gives him her not amused look before he turns around to find a place to sit. The Doctor tries one of the chips as he sees Rose approaching with a cloth.
Rose not liking the fact that she has to be a dinner lady again complains, "two days."
"Sorry, there's a bit of gravy," the Doctor points out but shuts his mouth when Rose gives him a look that says if you utter one more word I will take great pleasure in slapping you. He winced when he felt her annoyance spike in his head as well.
"Two days we've been here," Rose reminds him.
"Blame Mickey," the Doctor tells her. "He's the one that put us onto this. He was right," the Doctor grudgingly admitted. "Boy in class this morning, got knowledge way beyond planet earth."
Rose points to the chips as she sits down. "You eaten those chips?"
"Yeah," the Doctor makes a face. "There a bit different."
"I think there gorgeous," Rose replies. "Wish I had lunches like these."
"It's very behaved, this place," the Doctor comments looking around. As he's looking the other way he misses the flash of gold in Roses eyes and the slight wince as pain flares in her head.
"I think you better stop eating those chips," Bad Wolf warns her. "It's causing our power to fluctuate." Rose immediately stops eating them.
"I thought there would be happy slapping hoodies," the Doctor continues not noticing Roses reaction to the chips that she usually loves. "Happy slapping hoodies with asboes. Happy slapping hoodies with asboes and ring tones. Yeah, oh yeah, don't tell me I don't fit in." He grins at Rose as she shakes her head.
That's when they see the head dinner lady approaching them. "You are not permitted to leave your station during a sitting."
Rose sighs and stands back to her feet while pointing to the Doctor. "I was just talking to this teacher."
"Hello," the Doctor greets her with a smile.
"He doesn't like the chips," Rose explains.
The head dinner lady wasn't impressed. "The menu has been specifically designed by the headmaster to improve concentration and performance, now get back to work." She demands before heading off.
Rose sighs as she obeys before turning back to the Doctor. "See, this is me. Dinner lady."
"I'll have the crumble," the Doctor yells to her with a smirk.
"I'm so gonna kill you," Rose tells him as she walks off knowing that he can hear her.
The Doctor then watches another teacher walk to a nearby table full with students. He uses his superior time lord hearing to listen in. "Melissa, you'll be joining my class for the next period. Milo's failed me so it's time we moved you up to the top of the class." The Doctors mind started whirling at the mention of Milo's name. "Kenny, not eating the chips?"
"I'm not allowed," a child, Kenny, the Doctor assumed answered.
The Doctor watches as the teacher leaves the cafeteria again. That's when he notices Mr Finch the headmaster standing on a balcony looking down on all the students.
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Rose was washing the dishes after lunch when she hears something. Looking around the corner she sees the cafeteria ladies pushing a barrel of Krillitane oil and treating it like poison which to them it is. Roses mobil rings then which startles her. She sees that it's Mickey so she answers. "What 'ave you got?"
"Confirmation," Mickey explains. "I've just got into army records. Three months ago, massive UFO activity, they logged over 40 sightings. Lights in the sky, all of that. Can't get any photos cause then it's all classified, secret, keeps locking me out."
"Tell you what though," Rose suggests. "Three months ago, turns out all the kitchen staff were replaced and this lot are weird."
"See, there's definitely something going on," Mickey gloats. "I was right to call you."
"Yeah," Rose agreed as she looked back to the dinner ladies when she hears them spill a barrel of the oil, some of it lands on one of them and she starts to smoke.
"I've got to go," Rose tells Mickey as she moves forward to help. Rose watches them hustling the dinner lady into a little office, closing the door and blinds.
The head dinner lady comes back out and addresses Rose. "What ya doing?"
"Do you need me to call an ambulance?" Rose queries though knows what she'll say.
"No need," she assures Rose. "She's quiet all right." A flash and more screaming comes through the doorway behind her before it quiets down once again. "It's fine, she does that."
The head dinner lady heads back into the office as Bad Wolf pipes up. "Yeah, cause that's really convincing." Rose grins and silently agrees.
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The Doctor was relaxing in the staff room as he was listening to another teacher when Mr Finch walked in. His grin grew wider when he saw who was walking in behind him. He'd recognise her anywhere.
"Excuse me, colleagues. A moment of your time," Finch interrupts. "May I introduce Miss Sarah Jane Smith. Miss Smith is a journalist who is writing a profile about me for the Sunday times. I thought it might be useful for her to get a view from the trenches, so to speak. Don't spare my blushes."
The Doctor watches Sarah Jane make her way towards him. "Hello," she greets.
"Oh, I should think so," the Doctor blurts out then has to mentally roll his eyes at himself. He hasn't seen her in thirty odd years (in her time) and that's all he has to say.
"And you are?" Sarah Jane questions.
"Aah, Smith. John Smith," the Doctor stumbles.
"What's up with you, Doctor?" Rose sends to his mind. She could feel his happiness leaking through their bond.
"Just met someone I haven't seen in awhile," he sent back. "Tell ya about it later." He felt Roses mind caress his as he felt her withdraw. He'll never get use to how easy she picked up telepathy and how right it feels to have her in his mind.
Sarah Jane broke him out of his thoughts. "John Smith," Sarah Jane reminisced. "I use to have a friend who sometimes went by that name."
The Doctor shrugged. "Well, it's a very common name."
"He was a very uncommon man," Sarah continued. "Nice to met you."
"Nice to met you, yes," the Doctor agreed enthusiastically while shaking her hand. "Very nice, more than nice, brilliant."
"Um so," Sarah Jane started as she looked around. "Have you worked here long?"
"No," the Doctor answered. "It's only my second day."
"Oh, your new then," Sarah Jane sounded disappointed. "So what do you think of the school? I mean this new curriculum? So many children getting ill, doesn't that strike you as odd?"
"You don't sound like someone just doing a profile?" The Doctor pointed out.
"Well no harm in a little investigation, while I'm here," Sarah Jane pointed out.
"No, good for you," the Doctor agreed. "Good for you," the Doctor finished as Sarah Jane moved off to introduced herself to other members of the staff.
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Later that day the Doctor, Rose and Mickey met up outside by the TARDIS. The Doctor grabbed Rose into a bear hug and kissed her before bounding into the TARDIS and up to the console.
Slightly dazed by the kiss Rose wanders in after him with Mickey trailing with an unhappy pout. "Someone's in a good mood?" Rose questions as she feels the TARDIS question his mood.
"I met Sarah Jane today," the Doctor answered as he moves around the console preparing to send the TARDIS inside a supply cupboard in the school so they can snoop around tonight.
Mickey scoffs at that answer. "Who's she? Another companion in a long line."
The Doctors smile falls as he realises that Rose might not be too happy with him. But Rose surprises him again by turning to Mickey and whacking him on the back of his head. "You, be nice. The Doctors lived a long time so of course he's had companions before me. The Doctor only takes the best so I'm sure she's charming." Turning to the Doctor she grabs his arm and drags him out of the console room to the library. "While we're waiting for dark how about you tell me more about her?"
The Doctor is snapped out of his dazed look by Roses question. He always knew Rose was special he just didn't know how much until now. The Doctor flops down onto the love seat and grins as Rose snuggles up to him while Mickey sits in an armchair pouting with his arms crossed. The Doctor proceeds to tell them all about Sarah Jane.
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That night the Doctor, Rose and Mickey start snooping around the school. "It's weird seeing school at night. It just feels wrong. When I was a kid I use to think all the teachers slept in school," Rose grins.
"All right team," the Doctor addresses them. "Oh, I hate when people say team. Um, gang, um comrades. Anyway, Rose go to the kitchen and get a sample of that oil. Mickey, the new staff are all maths teachers, go and check out the maths department. I'm going to look in Finch's office, met back here in 10 minutes." The Doctor takes the stairs to the second floor.
"You gonna be alright?" Rose questions Mickey.
Mickey huffs, "me, please. Infiltrate and investigation. I'm an expert at this," and he moves off as Rose watches him with a small smile. Mickey stops suddenly and heads back to Rose. "Where's the maths department?"
Rose points the way. "Down there, turn right then left, trough the fire doors and on the right."
"Thank you," Mickey acknowledges.
The Doctor was heading to Finch's office when he hears a noise that sounds like wings, turning around he sees a shadow moving. Following the shadow he notices Sarah Jane.
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Rose meanwhile had made it to the cafeteria and opened one of the barrels. Pulling out a container and spoon the Doctor gave her, she scooped some off the oil into the container and secured the lid.
Hearing a noise and seeing a shadow Rose decides that it's time to head back to the Doctor.
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The Doctor noticed Sarah Jane was heading towards where he parked the TARDIS. He watched her as she walked into the storage closet and waited for her to come back out again. When she did eventually come out she had a shocked look on her face only for her to turn around and come face to face with the Doctor.
"Hello, Sarah Jane," the Doctor greeted.
"It's you," Sarah Jane exclaimed. "Doctor, oh my god it's you. You've regenerated."
"Half a dozen times," the Doctor agreed. "Since we last met."
"You look incredible," Sarah Jane stammered.
"So do you," the Doctor agreed.
Sarah Jane shrugged it off, "I got old." A thoughtful look came over her. "What are you doing here?"
"Well," the Doctor hedged. "UFO sighting, school gets record results. I couldn't resist. What about you?"
"Same," Sarah Jane agreed. Her face changes suddenly and she looks upset. "I thought you'd died. I waited for you and when you didn't come back I thought you must've died."
"I lived," the Doctor deadpanned as he felt the pain raising yet again. "Everyone else died," The Doctor felt a golden presence envelop his mind and knew that Rose had sensed his pain and as always was trying to help.
Sarah Jane looked confused. "What do you mean?"
"Everyone died Sarah," the Doctor managed to get out, it helped feeling Rose in his mind along with the TARDIS.
"Can't believe it's you," Sarah Jane whispered before a piercing scream echoed down the corridor. "Ok, now I can," Sarah Jane exclaimed as they ran towards the sound.
On the way they ran into Rose. "Did you hear that?" Rose inquired before noticing Sarah Jane. "Oh, hello. You must be Sarah Jane?" Rose holds out her hand and Sarah Jane hesitantly shakes it. "I'm Rose Tyler."
"You can tell your getting older," Sarah Jane teases. "Your assistance are getting younger."
Rose raised her brow as the Doctor looked decidedly uncomfortable. "Is that what he called you, an assistant?" Rose asked before turning to the Doctor. "What ever happened to calling them friends?"
The Doctor decides that the best way to stop them from talking was to run towards the scream they heard. Taking off again he breaths a sigh when Rose and Sarah Jane follow.
They come upon Mickey in front of a cupboard with vacuum packed rats littering the floor around him. "Sorry, sorry it was only me." Mickey apologised. "You told me to investigate so I thought I would look into some of these cupboards and all these fell out on me."
The Doctor knelt down to get a better look at them as Rose comments. "Oh my god, there rats. Dozens of rats. Vacuum packed rats."
"And you decided to scream," the Doctor taunted Mickey.
"It took me by surprise," Mickey insisted.
"Like a little girl," the Doctor continued.
"It was dark," Mickey reasoned. "I was covered in rats."
The Doctor continued when he glimpsed Rose trying to hold back a smile. "9 maybe 10 years old. I'm seeing pig tails, frilly skirt."
Rose manages to hold in her laughter and directs them back to the situation at hand. "Hello, can we focus. Has anyone noticed something strange about this. Rats in school?"
"Well obviously they use them in biology lessons, they dissect them. Or maybe you haven't reached that bit yet?" Sarah Jane snarks.
The Doctor held his breathe, waiting for Rose to snap back but was surprised when she let it pass her by and instead stated very matter of factly. "No one dissects rats in school anymore, they haven't done that for years."
"Everything started when Mr Finch arrived," the Doctor thought out loud. "We should go and check his office." He throws a vacuum packed rat to Mickey who catches it before realising what it is and drops it in a hurry.
The Doctor moves off, back the way they came with everyone else scrambling to catch up. Rose and Sarah Jane end up in front while the Doctor trails behind with Mickey. The Doctor was starting to worry about Rose and Sarah Jane near each other.
"So I hear you use to travel with the Doctor?" Rose asks.
"Yes I did, in his third and forth form," Sarah Jane agrees.
"Oh," Rose exclaimed. "So you know about regeneration?"
Sarah Jane gave her an understanding look. "Yeah, it's hard on people closets to him."
The Doctor started thinking it was a bad idea introducing the two woman as they moved off.
Mickey comes up beside him and places a hand on his shoulder. "Oh, the misses and the ex. Welcome to every mans worst nightmare."
They make it to Finches office and the Doctor uses the sonic screwdriver to unlock the Door. "I wonder if those rats were food?"
"Food for what?" Mickey asks.
The Doctor pokes his head in to make sure it's safe. Hearing a noise he looks up to see bat shaped aliens hanging from the ceiling. "Rose, you know how you use to think the teachers slept in school." He moved out of the way so the others could see. "Well, they do."
All four of them stood there staring at the massive bat creatures.
"No way," Mickey freaked out and ran away. The others followed more slowly with the Doctor leaving last as he closes and locks the door behind them. They make it outside as Mickey exclaimed. "I am never going back in there. No way."
Rose watches as Sarah Jane and the Doctor wander out. "Those were the teachers?"
"Right, the principle brought with him seven new teachers, four dinner ladies and a nurse. Thirteen, thirteen big bat people. Come on," the Doctor finished as he moves to head back inside.
"Come on," Mickey repeated. "You've got to be kidding me."
The Doctor, Rose and Sarah Jane turned back to face him. "I need the TARDIS, I've got to analyse that oil from the kitchen."
"I might be able to help you with that," Sarah Jane interrupts. "I've got something to show you." She grabs his arm and pulled him over to her car.
Opening the boot, the Doctor removed a blanket from a tin dog. "K9," the Doctor exclaimed happily. "Rose Tyler, Mickey Smith allow me to introduce you too K9. Well, K9 mark 3 to be precise."
Rose could feel his happiness and smiled at him indulgently. "Why does he look so, disco." She teases.
"Oi," the Doctor acted offended, though he can see and feel her teasing him. "Listen, in the year 5 thousand this was cutting edge. What's happened to him?"
Sarah Jane sighed. "One day he just, nothing."
"Didn't you try to get him repaired?" The Doctor whined.
Both Rose and Sarah Jane rolled their eyes. "It's not like getting parts from metro. Besides, the technology inside him could rewrite human science. I couldn't show him to anyone."
"Oh, what's the nasty little lady done to you, aye," the Doctor asked K9 in a baby voice.
Rose rolled her eyes again as she felt the TARDIS and Bad Wolf snigger. "He's almost as bad with the dog as he is with the TARDIS. At least the TARDIS can answer back."
The Doctor closed the boot and hops into Sarah Janes car. Sarah Jane drives them to a little dinner where the Doctor pulls tools out off his trans-deminsonal pockets and sets about fixing K9.
Rose orders chips at the counter as she watches the Doctor and Sarah Jane reminisce.
Mickey decides then to remark. "What's impressive is that it's been nearly an hour since we met her and I still haven't said, I told you so."
Rose rolled her eyes. "The Doctor told me all about her and how much she helped him."
Mickey wasn't listening as he was on a roll. "Though I have prepared a little I was right dance that I could show you later."
"2 quid, love," the sales lady interrupted.
Rose hands over the money as she takes the chips from her and Mickey follows her to a window seat. "All this time you were given us, 'he's different' but the truth is, he's just like any other bloke."
"You don't know what your talking about," Rose sighs.
"Maybe not," Mickey concedes. "But if I were you, I'd go easy on the chips."
While Mickey was trying to get Rose to crack her friendly attitude and admit she was jealous. The Doctor and Sarah Jane were having their own conversation.
"I thought of you often," Sarah Jane admits. "On Christmas Day, this Christmas just gone. Great big spaceship overhead and I thought, oh yeah, bet he's up there."
"Right on top of it yeah," the Doctor agreed as flashes of that day flew past his mind. The most prominent of which was the whisper he heard and still hears in his sleep. His Rose whispering 'help me.'"
"And Rose," Sarah Jane suggested.
"She was there too," the Doctor agreed. Ignoring the slightly jealous note in Sarah Jane's voice.
He heard Sarah Jane sigh and knew an uncomfortable conversation was about to come his way. He felt Rose send him a burst of affection and it boosted his confidence enough.
"Did I do something wrong?" Sarah Jane asked sadly. "Cause you never came back for me, you just dumped me."
"I told you," the Doctor tried to explain. "I was called by the council, and in those days humans weren't allowed."
"I waited for you," Sarah Jane continued. "I missed you."
"Oh," the Doctor scoffed. "You didn't need me. You were getting on with your life."
"You were my life," Sarah Jane blurted out.
The Doctor stared at her shocked as he felt guilt enter his mind. Then he felt Rose enter his mind and push the guilt away again. "Don't you dare feel guilty, all you want to do is show people the wonders of the universe. You show them how to live, what they choose to do is up to them."
"Do you know what the most difficult thing was," Sarah Jane continued on, unaware of Rose talking to him through their bond. "Coping with what comes next. What doesn't happen next. You took me to the furthest reaches of the Galaxy. You showed me, supernovas and intergalactic battles. And then you just dropped me back on earth. How could anything compare to that."
With Roses confidence in him he asked. "All those things you saw, you want me to apologise for that?"
"No," Sarah Jane snapped back. "But, when you get a taste of that splendour and then we have to go back."
"But look at you," the Doctor comments. "Your investigating. You found that school, your doing what we always did."
Sarah Jane deflated a bit. "You could've come back."
"I couldn't," the Doctor insisted.
"Why not?" Sarah Jane inquired.
The Doctor felt the pain of the time war trying to smother his mind in darkness. And once again he felt Roses soothing golden presence smooth out that side of his mind as she pushed it back where it belonged.
"It wasn't Croydon," Sarah Jane spoke up. "Where you dropped me off, it wasn't Croydon."
The Doctor continued working on K9 as he asked, "where was it?"
"Aberdeen," Sarah Jane explained.
The Doctor felt Rose and the TARDIS both mentally roll their eyes at his bad driving habits. "Oh, right. That's next to Croydon, isn't it?" K9 starts working then. "Oh, hey now where in business."
"Master," K9 greets.
"He recognises me," the Doctor exclaimed happily.
"Affirmative," K9 agrees.
The Doctor beckons Rose over, "Rose give us the oil."
Rose and Mickey wander over and Rose hands him the oil. The Doctor opens the lid and dips his finger in the oil then smears it onto K9's analyser. (Which looks suspiciously like a sucker.)
"Here we go," the Doctor warns. "Come on boy, here we go."
"Ex-ex-expect an-an-analysing," K9 stutters.
"That is so bad," Mickey laughs. "That voice."
"Careful," Sarah Jane glares. "That's my dog."
Rose could feel the Doctors annoyance as he directs a glare at Mickey as well. Rose rests her hand on his arm while simultaneously soothing his mind and feels him relaxing a bit.
"Confirmation of analysis," K9 continues garnering everyone's attention again. "Substance is, Krillitane oil."
The Doctors mind races suddenly as his knowledge about the Krillitanes came forward. "Their Krilitanes."
Rose can see and feel the seriousness of the situation, "is that bad."
"Very," the Doctor agrees. "Think of how bad things could be and add another suitcase full of bad."
"And what are Krillitanes?" Sarah Jane questioned.
The Doctors demeanour changed into teacher mode. "Their a composite race. Just like your culture is a mixture of traditions from all sorts of countries. People you've invaded or been invaded by. You've got bits of Viking, bits of France, bits of whatever. The Krillitanes are the same, an amalgam of the races they've conquered, but they take physical aspects as well. They cherry pick the best bits from the people they destroy. That's why I didn't recognise them," the Doctor realised. "The last time I saw Krillitanes they looked just like us except they had really long necks."
"Could they be using the children," Rose points out.
The Doctor grins at her quickly before turning serious again. "Their doing something to the children."
Mickey helps Sarah Jane carry K9 out to her car while the Doctor and Rose talk.
"So you didn't just travel with humans," Rose teases, hoping to lighten the Doctor up. "I hope your not planning on leaving me behind." Rose still has a fear that he might just do that.
"No, not to you," the Doctor assured her as he sent her reassurance through their bond.
"I know," Rose tried to rid herself of the irrational fear. "You were close to Sarah Jane once, I just worry sometimes that you might do that to me. I know you won't but it's a fear that I need to overcome."
"I don't age," the Doctor tried to explain. "I regenerate. But humans decay, you wither and you die. Imagine that happening to someone you love. You can spend the rest of your life with me but I can't spend the rest of mine with you."
"You might be surprised," Rose mutters not realising she said it out loud.
This time the Doctor catches her slip up. "What was that?"
Rose, realising he heard her and tries to back track. "Nothing."
"You said, 'you might be surprised.' What aren't you telling me?" The Doctor demands. "Ever since I met you, strange things have been happening and I know you keep saying that you can't tell me but it's frustrating knowing that your hiding something."
Rose starts panicking, she was afraid this might happen. "I just," Rose paused as tears started to well in her eyes. "Maybe there's a way to stay with you longer."
The Doctor knows somethings not right, he can feel her starting to panic. "Believe me there's not, I should know cause that's the curse of the Time Lords." The Doctor turns and looks up suddenly as he hears a whisper to find Finch and a Krillitane watching them.
Mickey and Sarah Jane run up to them as the Krllitane shrieks and dives towards them. They all duck as the Krillitane flies over them and watch as it flies off into the sky.
"Was that a Krillitane?" Sarah Jane questions.
"Yeah," the Doctor agrees. "That's a Krillitane."
Sarah Jane offers for them to spend the night at her place while their waiting for the school to open in the morning.
Mickey went straight to bed while Rose stayed up with the Doctor while he did some jiggery-pokery on K9. Eventually she fell asleep on the sofa, seeing this the Doctor laid his coat over her and grinned softly as she snuggled up to his coat with a small grin on her face.
The next morning Sarah Jane walked into the lounge passed Rose who was still sleeping and into the dining room to find the Doctor still tinkering with K9. She notices, every few minutes he looks at Rose before turning back to K9.
"Mornin' Doctor," Sarah Jane greets.
"Good morning, Sarah Jane," the Doctor replies grinning at her before sneaking a peek at Rose again. All night he been distracted by thoughts as mundane as weather she's cold or not too the how gorgeous she looks while sleeping.
Noticing where he's looking, Sarah Jane can't help but ask, "what is it about her that's been able to capture your hearts so completely?" She holds up her hand when she sees him about to protest. "I know you love her, I can see it every time you look at her. I can also see that she loves you too."
Sighing the Doctor admits, "I don't know. I was so broken after the time war. I was still saving people but I would throw myself into more and more dangerous situations, I just wanted the pain to end." The Doctor looked back at Rose then and smiled, "then I met a simple shop girl and from the moment I grabbed her hand and told her to run. The pain stopped, she gave me a reason to live. I know theres something she's hiding but I can't bring myself to let her go."
Sarah Jane places a comforting hand on his shoulder as they both noticed Rose starting to stir. Sarah Jane moves to make breakfast as she hears Rose and the Doctor talking. She finally feels like she can move on with her life now she realises what she loved most about the doctor was the travelling. Now the Doctor finally has someone that loves him for who he is.
After Mickey wakes up and they have breakfast they all pile into Sarah Janes car and drive back to the school. Walking up to the front doors, they stop as the bell to start the school day rings.
"Rose and Sarah you go to the maths room. Crack open those computers, I need to see the hardware inside." The Doctor orders as he hands the sonic screwdriver to Sarah Jane. "Here you might need this."
Rose tries not to feel jealous that he gave Sarah Jane the sonic and not her. She knows what they both mean to him. She felt the Doctor give her a warm caress through their bond and she felt much better.
"Mickey, surveillance. I want you outside," the Doctor orders as the other three move towards the school.
"What so I'm suppose to stay out here," Mickey complains.
"You could keep K9 company," Sarah Jane replies as she throws him her keys.
"Don't forget to leave a window open a crack," the Doctor can't help but add.
"What, but he's metal," Mickey yells back confused.
"I didn't mean for him," the Doctor digs.
Rose sends the Doctor an admonishment through their bond before asking, "what you gonna do?"
"It's time I had a word with Mr Finch," the Doctor explains.
As Rose and Sarah Jane move off to the maths department the Doctor goes looking for Mr Finch. Stopping at the top of a stair case he looks down to find Mr Finch staring back at him. He follows him into the swimming pool area to see Mr Finch already on the other side.
"Who are you?" The Doctor questions.
"My name is brother Lassa," Mr Finch answers. "And you."
"The Doctor," he answers. "Since when do Krillitanes have wings?"
Mr Finch starts walking slowly around the pool. "It's been our form for nearly 10 generations now. Our ancestors invaded Bisan, the people there had some very lovely wings. They made a million feathers in one day, just imagine."
The Doctor moved with him to keep the pool between them. "And now your shapes human."
"Ooh, a personal favourite," he dismissed. "That's all."
"And the others?" The Doctor asked, trying to dig for information.
"My brothers remain in bat form," Mr Finch explained. "What you see is a simple morphic illusion. Scratch the surface and the true Krillitane lies beneath. And what of the time lords? I always thought of you as such a pompous race, ancient, dusty senators. So frightened of change and chaos. But of course their all extinct," Mr Finch tried to dig. "Only you, the last."
Every time the pain from the time war tries to overwhelm him a golden presence that is distinctly Rose smoothers it and instead he's filled with her love for him. "This plan of yours, what is it?"
"You don't know," Mr Finch exclaims.
"That's why I'm asking," the Doctor agrees.
"Well show me how cleaver you are," Mr Finch challenges. "Work it out."
They finally come face to face. "If I don't like it, then I will stop you."
"Fascinating," Mr Finch compliments. "Your people were peaceful to the point of insolence. You seem to be something new. Would you declare war on us, Doctor?"
"I'm so old now," the Doctor warns. "I use to have so much mercy. You get one warning. That was it." The Doctor turns to walk away.
"And we're not even enemies," Mr Finch comments. "Soon you will embrace us."
The Doctor turns back around trying to figure out what he means by that.
"The next time we met, you will join with me," Mr Finch comments confidently. "I promise you."
The Doctor watches him leave while his minds running through so many reasons why he feels confident that the Doctor would join him. Shaking the feeling off he heads to find Sarah Jane and Rose.
§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§
In the maths department Sarah Jane managed to get the back of the hard drive but she can't seem to get the sonic screwdriver to work. She pulls back in frustration, "it's not working."
"Here let me try," Rose offers. Sarah Jane reluctantly hands it over and Rose bends down to try.
"Use to work first time in my day," Sarah Jane comments, letting some off her jealousy leak through.
Rose feels Bad Wolf give a mental equivalent of an eye roll but Rose refused to comment.
"Rose," Sarah Jane continues. "Can I give you a bit of advice."
"Let me stop ya right there," Rose counters as she holds up her hand. "I know what ya gonna say but things are different." Rose pauses as she feels Bad Wolf wanting to explain, Rose agrees it would probably be better if Bad Wolf did explain.
Sarah Jane stares in shock as Roses eyes start to glow gold. "Sarah Jane," Bad Wolf greets. "I am an entity known as Bad Wolf or the Time Guardian. I look after all that is, all that was, all that ever could be. I choose the Doctor as my champion because he was willing to do what the rest of the Time Lords would not. To protect this universe and all those beings in her. I choose each and every companion of his based on what he needed at the time," walking up to Sarah Jane she placed a hand on her shoulder. "I choose you because of your heart just as I choose each of his other companions because of their hearts. Then I saw the time war and what would happen to my Doctor because of it. So I searched and I searched through all of time and space looking for that one person that could help him, pull him back from despair."
"And you choose her?" Sarah Jane asked sadly.
Bad Wolf nodded. "The Doctor has a great capacity for love. He cares for all his companions very deeply and he never forgets them but Rose. Rose is the one being I could see, who he could possibly fall in love with. He's never been in love so deeply, if it came down to the universe or Rose Tyler he doesn't know what he'll do. It's that love that saved him from the darkness, it's Rose Tyler's love for him that saves him even now."
Rose still with her hand on Sarah Janes shoulder starts swaying as she feels Bad Wolf recede.
Sarah Jane, realising that the golden glow has gone which means Rose is back to herself asks, "you have an entity inside you?"
"Yep," Rose agrees popping the p.
"How long for?" Sarah Jane pries.
"My whole life," Rose answers honestly. Seeing the shocked look on Sarah Janes face she quickly explains. "Bad Wolf was preparing me to hold the time vortex. Every year she would send a small burst of the vortex through me. Until last year, I took the entire time vortex into myself to save the Doctor and now my connection to Bad Wolf and the TARDIS is a lot stronger. But you can't tell the Doctor," Rose whispered urgently. "He can't know just yet."
"Why ever not?" Sarah Jane queries, confused.
"There's something coming, something that's trying to pull us apart. I don't want him to have a chance at us spending his forever together then having to lose it. It would destroy him." Rose explained.
Sarah Jane nods her head that she understands. She knows it's what the Doctor has always looked for and then to find it only to have it taken away would be too much for him.
Rose changes the subject to try and lighten the mood. "So go on, lets compare notes on the monsters we've met."
"Mummies," Sarah Jane grins.
Rose laughs, "I met ghosts."
"Robots, lots of robots," Sarah Jane ups the anti.
"Slitheen, in Downing Street," Rose counters.
Sarah Jane starts getting excited, "Daleks."
"Meet the Emperor," Rose counters again.
"Anti matter monsters," Sarah Jane tries again.
"Gas mask zombies," Rose grins back.
"Real living dinosaurs," Sarah returns her grin.
"Real living werewolf," Rose offers up.
"The Loch Ness monster," Sarah tries again.
Rose stops suddenly, "seriously."
They start laughing at the silly game they were playing.
"It's a mad life we lead with the Doctor," Rose comments.
"Yeah, he sure knows how to show someone the universe," Sarah Jane agrees.
"With you," Rose asks. "Did he do that thing where he would explain something at like 90 miles per hour and you'd go 'what' and he'd look at you like you'd just dribbled on your shirt?"
"All the time," Sarah Jane agreed laughing. "Does he still stroke bits of the TARDIS?"
"Yes," Rose exclaimed laughing. "I'm like do you two want to be alone."
Unfortunately it was at that moment that the Doctor entered the classroom. "How's it going?"
Rose and Sarah Jane are laughing so much that they couldn't answer.
"What?" The Doctor looks at them confused. "Listen I need to find out what's programmed inside these."
Every time they looked at the Doctor to answer they would burst into laughter again.
Now the Doctors really confused. "What? Stop it." The Doctor couldn't seem to understand what was going on with them.
A buzzer suddenly sounds through out the school. "All pupils shall return to class. Will all members of staff please congregate in the staff room." Rose and Sarah Jane stopped laughing as they were bright back to why they were there.
Rose moves passed the Doctor while handing him his sonic screwdriver, to stop the pupils from entering. "Nope, no, no. This classrooms out of bounds. You all got to go to the south hall. Off you go," she closes the door behind her.
Rose moves back to where the Doctor is pulling apart the computer on the teachers desk. "I can't shift it," the Doctor complains.
"I thought the sonic screwdriver could open anything," Sarah Jane questions.
"Anything except a deadlock seal," the Doctor explained. "There's got to be something inside here. What are they teaching these kids?"
Suddenly all the computers in the maths department start up and a green box shows as well as symbols Rose has never seen before. She can feel the Doctors concern as well when he realises what it means.
"Well you wanted the program," Sarah Jane pointed out. "There it is."
"That's a code isn't it?" Rose asks.
"Yep," he agrees popping the p before turning grim. "No," he exclaimed. "No that can't be. The skasis paradigm."
Sarah Jane turns to him. "The skasis what?"
"The god maker," the Doctor explained. "The universe theory. Crack that equation and you've got control of the building blocks of the universe. Time and space and matter, yours to control."
"So there using the kids like a giant computer," Rose questioned.
"Yes," the Doctor agreed. Something clicks in the Doctors mind suddenly. "And their learning powers been accelerated by the oil. The oil from the kitchen works as a sort off, as a, conducting agent. Makes the kids cleverer."
"So that's why the oil on the chips taste funny," Rose guesses. "Oh my god."
Sarah Jane looks between them confused. "But why use the children. Can't they use us?"
"No," the Doctor continued. "It's gotta be children. The god maker needs imagination to crack it. Their not just using the children's brains to break the code. Their using their souls."
Mr Finch suddenly enters the classroom behind the Doctor. "Let the lesson begin."
The Doctor whirls to face him.
"Think of it, Doctor. With the paradigm solved, reality becomes clay in our hands. We could shape the universe and improve it." Finch insists.
"Oh yeah," the Doctor stats sarcastically. "The whole of creation with the face of Mr Finch. Call me old fashioned but I like things as they are."
"You act like such a radical," Mr Finch comments, confused. "Yet all you want to do is preserve the old order. Think of the changes that could be made if this power was used for good."
"What by someone like you," the Doctor scoffed.
"No," Mr Finch insisted. "Someone like you. The paradigm gives us power but you could give us wisdom. Become a god at my side. Imagine what you could do. Think of the civilisations you could save, perganon, asinta, your own people, Doctor. Standing tall, the Time Lords reborn."
Sarah Jane stepped forward. "Doctor, don't listen to him."
Mr Finch moves to her. "And you, you could be with him through out eternity. Young, fresh, never wither, never die. Their lives are so fleeting, so many goodbyes, how lonely you must be Doctor. Join us."
"I could save everyone," the Doctor stats. Rose starts panicking as she sees the faces of people he's lost over his lives through their bond. She tries to send him reassurance but she's not sure if it would work.
"Yes," Mr Finch continues to entice.
"I could stop the war," the Doctor continued.
"No," Sarah Jane tried to explain as Rose tried to get through to him, through their bond. "The universe has to move forward. Pain and loss define us as much as happiness or love. Whether it's a world or a relationship. Everything has its time and everything ends."
He can feel Roses desperation suddenly as he finally feels the emotions she's trying to portray to him. Then he replays Sarah Janes words over in his head and he snaps out of it. Grabbing a nearby chair he throws it at the big screen at the front of the classroom that's showing the paradigm. All the computers in that classroom shut off suddenly.
"Out," the Doctor yells as he grabs Roses hand and urges her and Sarah Jane to run. They hear Mr Finch calling for the other Krillitanes as they run down the stairs.
They meet Mickey and a student the Doctor remembers is named Kenny at the bottom. "What is going on?" Mickey asks as they notice the Krillitanes heading towards them.
Turning they dash down another hallway and into the cafeteria. They run to the doors that head outside but find them locked. The Doctor reaches into his jacket pocket to pull out the sonic screwdriver but before he can get it out Mr Finch walks in, along with the Krillitanes in their natural form.
"Are they the teachers?" Sarah Jane asks.
"Yep," the Doctor confirms. "Sorry."
"We need the Doctor alive," Mr Finch informs the others. "As for the others, you can feast."
Rose dives for cover under a table while the Doctor picks up a chair to defend himself.
"Sorry Rose," Bad Wolf apologises. "I can't help, if they knew I was here, they wouldn't need the paradigm."
A laser appears out of no where and shots one of the Krillitanes down. Looking over the Doctor feels a smile growing when he sees K9.
"Suggest you engage running mode, mistress," K9 suggests as he continues to shot at the Krillitanes.
"Come on," the Doctor urges as they use the distraction K9 presented them with and they run out of the nearest doors and back into a corridor.
They run down a hallway and into a classroom, the Doctor locking the door with the sonic screwdriver. "We could use the oil," the Doctor suggested. "Krillitane life forms can't handle the oil. That's it," the Doctor exclaims. "They've changed their physiology so often even their own oil is toxic to them. How much oil was in the kitchens?" He directs to Rose.
"Barrels of it," Rose answers.
They all turn towards the door as they hear the Krillitanes trying to get in.
"Ok," the Doctor gained everyone's attention. "We need to get into the kitchen. Mickey," the Doctor calls.
"What now," Mickey asks sarcastically. "Want me too . . ."
The Doctor interrupts him. "I want you to get the children unplugged and out of the school. Now then bats, bats, bats. How do you deal with bats. He hears the fire alarm go off and looks over grinning when he sees Kenny standing next to the fire alarm. The Doctor unlocks the door and they make a dash for it, past the Krillitanes writhing on the floor.
They run into K9 on the way. "Come on boy," the Doctor encouraged as they ran towards the kitchen. "Good boy."
Mickey heads of to unplug the students while everyone else heads to the kitchen. Running in to the kitchen the Doctor pulls out the sonic screwdriver and tries to open the barrels. "They're deadlock sealed," the Doctor stats frustrated as he moves to the next one. "Finch must of done it, there all sealed."
"The barrels will not survive a direct hit from my laser, master," K9 speaks up. "But my batteries are fading."
"Right, everyone out," the Doctor urges. "K9, stay with me." He has a feeling he knows what's about to happen and he doesn't want them there, especially Sarah Jane.
Rose looks back as she follows the others outside and sees the Doctor talking to K9 as the door closes behind her.
The Doctor moved all the barrels together in the middle of the room.
"Master," K9 speaks up. "I only have enough power for one shot. For maximum impact I must be positioned directly next to the barrels."
The Doctor runs back over to him, shocked. "But you'll be trapped inside."
"That is correct," K9 confirmed.
"I can't let you do that," the Doctor disagreed.
"There's no alternative, master," K9 insists.
The Doctor heard the Krillitanes getting closer. Looking back at K9 he stares at him as he feels sadness rising but it's tempered by Roses presence in his mind. "Goodbye old friend."
"Goodbye master," K9 returns.
"You good dog," the Doctor compliments.
"Affirmative," K9 agrees.
With one last look at K9 the Doctor runs out the door and locks it behind him. Turning around he finds Sarah Jane waiting for him.
"Where's K9?" She demands.
"We have to run," the Doctor deflects.
"Where is he?" Sarah Jane demands again. "What have you done?" She starts crying.
The Doctor grabs her and drags her away from the door.
The Doctor and Sarah Jane follow the kids out and they all watch as the school blows up. The kids start celebrating as well as Mickey. The only ones not celebrating are the Doctor and Sarah Jane, who just lost their dog and Rose who knows what this victory cost them.
The Doctor moves over to comfort Sarah Jane. "I'm sorry."
"That's alright," Sarah Jane answered. "He was just a daft metal dog. It's fine, really," she tried to convince herself as she held back tears.
Both Rose and the Doctor hugged her as the tears finally fell.
They heard sirens in the distance so the Doctor took Rose aside. "I'm just gonna move the TARDIS to the park around the corner. I'll met all of you there."
Rose smirked at him. "Your gonna build Sarah Jane a new doggy, aren't ya."
The Doctor just grinned back at her as he headed back to the school to get the TARDIS. Rose puts her arm through Sarah Janes and they slowly start to walk towards the park as Mickey follows.
By the time they reach the middle of the park, the TARDIS is already there waiting for them. The Doctor standing outside waiting. As Rose walks up to him he surprises her by placing his arm around her waist and kissing the side of her head.
"Come inside and have a look," the Doctor urges.
They follow Sarah Jane in and grin as she exclaimed, "you've redecorated."
"Do you like it?" The Doctor asked.
"Oh," Sarah Jane hedged. "I do yeah. Though I preferred it as it was. It's darker."
Rose grins. "I love it." The lights flash in agreement. "And the TARDIS obviously agrees with me."
"You can understand her?" Sarah Jane wonders.
"You could say, she and I have a special bond," Rose hints.
"Then your more than a match for him," Sarah Jane points out.
Rose grins again. "You and me both." Rose agrees. "Doctor," Rose nudges.
The Doctor tunes back into their conversation. "Oh, um. We're about to head off but you could come with us."
That's when Sarah Jane comes back to what she realised this morning. "No, I can't do this any more besides I've got a much bigger adventure ahead. Time I stopped waiting for you and found a life of my own."
Rose and the Doctor could feel the others disappointment when Mickey spoke up. "Can I come. Not with you," Mickey points to Sarah Jane. "With you," he asks the Doctor. "Cause I'm not the tin dog and I want to see what's out there."
"Oh go on Doctor," Sarah Jane urges. "Sarah Jane Smith, Mickey Smith. You need a Smith on board."
The Doctor feels Roses amusement as he agrees, "OK, then I'll give you a try."
Mickey celebrates before turning to Rose. "Rose is that alright?"
Rose turns to look at him with a genuine smile. "Yeah, sure." Rose then glances at the Doctor and addresses him in his mind. "You do realise this means less snuggle time and privacy."
The Doctors grin turns into a pout as the implications of what he's agreed to finally set in.
"Well I'll be off," Sarah Jane started. She pulls Rose aside and hugs her. "Here's my number. You may be more than human but you still need someone to talk too. Someone who could understand this life."
The Doctor follows Sarah Jane out while Rose and Mickey stay behind.
"It's daft," Sarah Jane exclaimed. "But I never actually thanked you for that time and I wouldn't off missed it for the world."
"Something to tell the grandkids," the Doctor agreed.
"Oh, I think it would be someone else's grandkids now," Sarah Jane deflected.
"Right, yes," the Doctor realised. "Sorry I didn't get a chance to ask. There hasn't been anyone, you know?"
"Well," Sarah Jane hedged. "There was this one guy. I travelled with him for a while but he was a tough act to follow." Sarah Jane laughed. "Goodbye Doctor."
"Oh, that's not . . ." The Doctor started.
"Say it, please. This time, say it." Sarah Jane interrupted.
"Goodbye," the Doctor conceded. "Bye Sarah Jane." He hugs her and swings her around as she hugs him back.
The Doctor finally heads back into the TARDIS and starts the dematerialisation sequence then places an arm around Rose as they watch Sarah Janes reaction when she sees the new K9 model that the Doctor built for her.