They ate breakfast quickly, Sarah watching the three of them carefully and the Doctor was trying to think of how to tell her the bad news. He suspected she was fond of her brain and that she wouldn't want it to fry.
The Doctor stood, and River and Jack followed suit. "Thank you for your hospitality, but we really must be going. We will wait outside for you Sarah?"
Maybe he should get River to tell her, she was better at that sort of thing.
"Sure, right behind you," Sarah agreed, and looked at her parents.
"You aren't going anywhere," her father protested. "Stay right there Doctor."
The Doctor stopped and waited, knowing that he needed Sarah and he hoped that listening would help calm her father.
"Dad," she started. "I'm going. Listen, I know why you didn't fight back, and I thank you for it, I really do. But this can't go on forever, Dad, and I'd rather die than have to keep living like this."
"But you're my child," he told her, his voice so soft the Doctor had no doubt about how badly those simple words had hurt Sam. He was just a father trying to do what he thought was best, and he wanted to keep her safe no matter what. But she was an adult, and she was doing what all kids did in the end. She was making her own way.
"I know," she agreed, and moved to hug him. "I love you, you know. But this needs to be done."
"I don't want you to go," he pulled her close to him. "Whatever you are doing, Doctor. Will she be safe, can you keep her safe?"
The Doctor knew that the answer was no, he could try, and would try, but he couldn't make that promise. "I will try."
Sam looked down, "Don't go, love."
She pulled away and smiled, "I'll see you soon, Dad."
He didn't fight her, though the Doctor had no doubt that he wanted to, and probably would have if he knew the full extent of what was going to happen. But he was too much of a coward to tell, and the others, as always, followed his lead.
Once they were outside, far enough away from the inn that he felt their words wouldn't be overheard, he stopped Sarah, "This process, retrieving these people from your mind…well it's not safe."
"I assumed," Sarah told him, with a sense of confidence. "Whatever the risk, Doctor, whatever the cost. I meant what I said back there, and I'm willing to try."
The Doctor nodded, "You could fry your brain."
So he wasn't helping his case, but he had to tell her. She had too much life ahead of her, which could be wiped away in the space of a breath.
Sarah shrugged, trying to brush away the seriousness. "Who needs a brain?"
She smiled, though it was fake, and started to walk away. He followed her, River and Jack talking quietly, trying to joke, though they all knew how badly things could go.
It was a long walk, up a large hill, before they arrived at what Sarah claimed was the headquarters for the Graphite. The Doctor nodded, pulling out his sonic screwdriver, but as soon as he started scanning they were surrounded.
The masses of black blocked out all directions except up and that was where he tried to focus, because looking at them was just wrong.
"You guys…or girls…or whatever you are, could really use a little color in your life. A nice red, or blue, something to brighten things up, don't you think?" Sarah told them.
"I would go with yellow," Jack agreed, his attempt half-hearted. He moved next to Sarah, taking her hand into his tightly, looking at her with a wink. The Doctor had already reached for River, and she was thinking of using her gun.
He knew her gun face and that was it. "Don't," he shook her head. "It won't work, they are energy based."
River frowned, and he knew that he should really have more of a problem with her desire to shoot things, but he liked it. He didn't want her to do it, but he didn't stop her. Same difference, he supposed.
Come with us, now.
His head was flooded with noise, harsh, like a howling wind. They were as unpleasant to hear as they were to see. Telepathic beings, he had heard the rumors, but he had hoped it was wrong. Sometimes, after all the silence that had filled his head since the Time War, noise like that made it hard to think. Of course, he was brilliant, so it wouldn't stop him, but it was a bother.
Sarah was reaching out to poke one, as they were herding them forward. "Don't Sarah," the Doctor told her softly. He wasn't sure what would happen, likely it would be a little like a static shock, but he didn't want to take any chances.
She dropped her hand, with a River pout, but kept on moving ahead. He didn't miss River raising her hand to try the same thing…he was certain that he had a face that said 'don't listen to me' and he was frustrated. Next regeneration…he hoped that it would be very far away, he was going to really concentrate. His next face would say 'I'm in charge'.
"Don't you dare," he whispered to her, and though she dropped her hand she winked at him.
He shook his head. His River, didn't matter what they were doing, she would be able to flirt. He liked to pretend he was above that, but really who was he kidding.
The sky was suddenly ceiling and he knew that they had moved into the building, and they were stopped once again, though it was sudden and both Sarah and Jack ran into the backs? Could be backs, there really wasn't features…but they both bounced back with the sound of electricity.
The both fell to their knees, and the Doctor moved to Sarah's side, it wasn't that he didn't care about Jack, but he had lives to spare, but it didn't matter because they were both ready to rise after few seconds.
"Okay?" He asked them both.
Sarah nodded. "Like rubbing your feet on the carpet and touching the door handle," she told him. "Except worse."
Jack nodded. "Yes, so really nothing like feet on a carpet."
Sarah gave him a glare, and he smiled.
The punishment for trespassing is death.
The Doctor shook his head, "I knew that was going to come out of your mouths…well…I guess not mouths, as I don't know that you have mouths, but your head mouths anyway."
"Rambling," River told him, fondly.
He grinned. "Sharing," he corrected. "I have a lot of thoughts, and people…black blobs, etc, need to know them."
"Not them all," she disagreed.
"Shh," he admonished with a wink. "Sharing, anyway, Graphite, the Lost Race of Timber Three! Quite a title, not as good as 'The Doctor', but a close…well…fiftieth."
River smirked. He was really just trying to buy time, because he couldn't see anything but the ceiling and it made it hard to work out a plan.
He could feel the frustration of the Graphite in his head, but he didn't stop for longer than a breath, that he didn't need but it made his words more dramatic.
"Anyway," he told them. "We aren't going to be put to death, are we? Would you like to know why?"
He waited, but there wasn't anything to indicate they were interested. But he knew they were still listening, though he suspected they were waiting on something other than him, to move ahead.
"Because, I am going to stop you, because that's what I do. It's like a hobby, except not really, no, nothing like a hobby."
Sarah turned her head, "You talk more than anyone I have ever met."
The Doctor frowned but Jack grinned. "You should have met his previous self," he told her.
The Doctor opened his mouth to protest, though it was true, and Sarah opened hers, presumably to ask what that meant but neither one got the chance because the world went black around them.
