A/N - I am so sorry for not updating in ages! I had storage problems on ALL my stories and lost over 30 prewritten chapters for both this and The Dream Lady (Which will be updated soon, sorry!) So here is School Reunion! Enjoy and PLEASE REVIEW! :)
Elora, dressed in a long sleeved black and pink floral dress, sat down at the table with a huff, slamming her book down on the table and lay her head down on the table.
"Having a good day dear?" The Doctor asked, sitting opposite her. He smirked at Elora, her glossy chocolate hair sprawling across the table.
"Teenagers in the 21st century." A muffled reply came. "It's a lot of work. I'm sorry Doctor, biology and archaeology are not the same."
The Doctor smiled, reaching under her hair and pulled out the book in her grasp. He smiled at the small book that resembled the TARDIS, carefully running a finger over the blue panels on the cover.
"Where did you get this?" The Doctor asked.
Elora looked up, rubbing her head slightly, "It was a birthday present."
"It's beautiful." He smiled at her, about to lean over and kiss her when Rose appeared, dishcloth at the ready.
"Two days." Rose grumbled, beginning to wipe the table.
"Sorry, could you just-" The Doctor began, nodding to a bit of gravy on the table. "There's a bit of gravy." He pointed over at it again with his fork and Rose quickly wiped it up. "No, no - just there."
Rose gave him a small glare, making Elora smile, and she wiped it up.
"Two days, we've been here."
"Blame your boyfriend, he's the one who put us onto this." Elora laughed, gently taking her diary out of The Doctor's grip.
"And he was right." The Doctor said in agreement. "Boy in class this morning - got a knowledge way beyond planet Earth."
"You eating those chips?" Rose asked.
"Yeah, they're a bit... different."
Rose reached over, taking a chip of The Doctor's plate, as Elora wriggled her nose in disgust, "I think they're gorgeous. Wish I had school dinners like this." She said, sitting down next to Elora.
"It's very well behaved, this place." The Doctor said, looking round the canteen.
"Mm." Rose said in agreement, popping another chip into her mouth.
"I thought there'd be happy-slapping hoodies. Happy-slapping hoodies with ASBOs. Happy-slapping hoodies with ASBOs and ringtones." He stared over at Rose and Elora impressively. "Yeah? Yeah? Oh, yeah! Don't tell me I don't fit in."
A dinner lady approached the three of them at the table, looking at Rose un impressively, "You are not permitted to leave your station during a sitting."
"I was just talking to these teachers." Rose said, standing up.
"Hello!" The Doctor said, giving the dinner lady a small wave.
"He doesn't like the chips."
The dinner lady looked at The Doctor, shocked, "The menu has been specifically designed by the headmaster to improve concentration and performance." She turned back to Rose. "Now, get back to work." She turned away sharply and walked away, Rose following.
Rose turned back to Elora and The Doctor, "See? This is me." She gestured down at her uniform. "The dinner lady."
"I'll have the crumble." The Doctor called over.
"I'm so gonna kill you." She muttered, returning to her station. The Doctor turned back to Elora and grinned at her.
"What's the diary for then?" The Doctor asked.
"It was a birthday present from my professor." Elora said simply, opening up the book, showing a picture of herself and Jack inside the small spaceship they used to own, taped to the inside cover. She looked over at The Doctor's confused look, "It was my birthday the day she took me to the Luna University."
Elora sat on a desk in the staff room, The Doctor standing next to her with his hand gently round one of her calves, talking to a fellow teacher.
"But yesterday, I had a twelve-year-old girl give me the exact height of the Walls of Troy..." Mr Parsons said. "In cubits."
"And, it's ever since the new headmaster arrived?" The Doctor asked.
"Finch arrived three months ago. Next day, half the staff got flu. Finch replaced them with that lot." He nodded over at a group of smart looking teachers on behind them. The Doctor and Elora looked over their shoulders, eyeing them. "Except for the teacher you two replaced, and that was just plain weird, them winning the lottery like that."
"How's that weird?" Elora asked, looking back over with a smile.
"Neither of them never played! Said the ticket was posted through their door at midnight."
"Hmm!" The Doctor said, popping a biscuit into his mouth. "The world is very strange."
"Excuse me, colleagues." A voice called over. The Doctor and Elora looked over at Mr Finch as he entered the room with an older, brunette woman. "A moment of your time." The Doctor stared over at them, eye wide and staring. "May I introduce Miss Sarah Jane Smith." He turned, gesturing to the woman next to him. "Miss Smith is a journalist, who's writing a profile about me for the Sunday Times."
"Sarah Jane Smith." Elora whispered to The Doctor, pulling on his arm. "Oh my god, it's her!" She grinned. Thing is, Elora had heard a lot about Sarah Jane Smith from The Doctor. After The Doctor had found out about Elora finding it hard to sleep without hearing Jack's screams, The Doctor had been staying up, telling Elora stories of all his old friends, and one of Elora's personal favourites was Sarah Jane Smith. Sarah Jane smiled around at all the people in the room and The Doctor slowly began to smile.
"I thought it might be useful for her to get 'a view from the trenches', so to speak." Mr Finch continued. "Don't spare my blushes." He nodded to everyone before leaving the room as Sarah Jane caught The Doctor's eye and approached both him and Elora.
"Hello!" Sarah Jane said cheerfully.
"Oh, I should think so!" The Doctor grinned.
"And, you are... ?"
"Hm?" The Doctor asked, staring at her. "Uh, Smith. John Smith." He said, putting his hand on the small of Elora's back. "My girlfriend, Doctor Elora Johannson." Elora looked at The Doctor out of the corner of her eye, a little shocked at how forward The Doctor was about them, especially seeing as Rose didn't know about them either.
"John Smith?" Sarah Jane asked, smiling at the two of them. "I used to have a friend who sometimes went by that name."
"Well, it's a very common name!" Elora grinned, knowing that was The Doctor's alias, especially when with Sarah Jane.
"He was a very uncommon man." Sarah Jane said softly before holding out her hand to The Doctor. "Nice to meet you!"
"Nice to meet you! Yes! Very nice! More than nice - brilliant!" The Doctor grinned, shaking her hand before Sarah Jane shook Elora's.
"Um... so, um, have you worked here long?"
"No! Um, it's only our second day."
"Oh, you're new, then? 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?"
Elora laughed softly, "You don't sound like someone just doing a profile."
"Well, no harm in a little investigation while I'm here."
"No. Good for you." The Doctor said proudly as she began to walk away, to meet some of the other teachers. "Good for you. Oh, good for you, Sarah Jane Smith."
Elora stepped in front of The Doctor, gently lowering his face so he was looking at her, "She's done well for herself." Elora giggled, gently kissing him. "So," She placed another kiss on his lips. "Girlfriend?"
"Got a problem with that?" The Doctor asked, watching Sarah Jane who was watching the both of them with a smile.
"No." Elora laughed. "As long as you don't."
The Doctor rolled his eyes, smiling at her and placing a kiss on her forehead.
The Doctor opened the fire door and cautiously made his way through into a dark corridor, followed by Rose, Mickey and Elora.
"Oh, it's weird seeing school at night." Rose giggled. "It just feels wrong. When I was a kid, I used to think all the teachers slept in school."
"All right, team." The Doctor said, turning back to the three of them. "Oh, I hate people who say 'team'. Um... 'gang'. Um... 'comrades'. Uh... anyway, Rose, go to the kitchen and get a sample of that oil." He said to Rose, and turned to Mickey. "Mickey, the new staff are all Maths teachers, go and check out the Maths department. Elora and I are gonna look in Finch's office. Be back here in ten minutes." He took Elora's hand and the two of them took off up the stairs.
The Doctor and Elora headed down a dark corridor nervously listening to the screeches and flaps in the distance. The two of them paused for a moment before The Doctor began to stride off. Elora rolled her eyes, quickly following after him.
"Don't scare her." Elora whispered.
The Doctor and Elora stood by each other in the gym, watching as Sarah Jane backed out of the cupboard that was housing The TARDIS. She slowly turned round and looked at The Doctor and Elora, stunned.
"Hello, Sarah Jane." The Doctor said quietly.
"It's you." Sarah Jane whispered. "Oh... Doctor..." She began to smile as she edged towards him. "Oh, my God, it's you, it's... it's... you've regenerated."
"Half a dozen times since we last met."
"You look... incredible."
"So do you."
"I got old." Sarah Jane said sadly, edging around slightly.
"I just want to say." Elora laughed nervously, interrupting the reunion. "I can't believe I'm meeting you."
"Doctor Elora Johannson..." Sarah Jane said, looking between the two of them. "Is that an alias as well?"
"No." The Doctor said with a smile. "No that's all true."
"All of it?" Sarah Jane asked, raising an eyebrow at him, letting out a small chuckle.
"Yep." The Doctor nodded, scratching the back of his neck.
Sarah Jane breathed in sharply, turning back serious, "What're you doing here?"
"Well... UFO sightings, school gets record results." Elora shrugged, nudging The Doctor in the side. "He couldn't resist."
"What about you?" The Doctor asked.
"Same." Sarah Jane laughed before her smile suddenly dropped. "I thought you'd died." Sarah Jane said sadly, sounding close to tears. "I waited for you and you didn't come back, and I thought you must've died."
"I lived. Everyone else died."
"What do you mean?"
"Everyone died, Sarah."
Sarah Jane shook her head in disbelief, "I can't believe it's you." She whispered. Suddenly, Mickey's wail filled the air and Sarah Jane looked at The Doctor and Elora in amusement. "Okay! Now I can!" The three of them grinned and ran from the gym.
The three of them ran into the corridor, colliding with Rose as they went.
"Did you hear that?" Rose asked breathlessly, before noticing Sarah Jane. "Who's she?"
"Rose, Sarah Jane!" The Doctor introduced cheerfully. "Sarah Jane, Rose."
Rose looked at Sarah Jane unpleasantly surprised, and shook her hand.
"Hi. Nice to meet you." Sarah Jane said with a fake smile, before turning back to The Doctor. "You can tell you're getting older - your assistants are getting younger."
Rose stared at her, outraged. "I'm not his assistant." She gasped.
"No?" Sarah Jane asked as The Doctor pouted at Elora as she smirked at him. "I get you, tiger." She turned to The Doctor, smiling at Elora. "I mean, your girlfriend is quite young but she trained to be a doctor, so..." She took Elora's hand and pulled her down the hallway with a laugh.
Rose stared at The Doctor in shock, "Girlfriend?" She asked. The Doctor scratched his ear awkwardly before the two of them followed after Sarah Jane and Elora.
"I'm actually a doctor of archaeology." Elora giggled.
"Where did you study?" Sarah Jane asked.
"The Luna University."
"You're a Luna girl?" Sarah Jane smiled. "51st century, good education."
"Guys?!" Rose called, pushing Elora slightly.
"Ssshii- Mickey!" Elora began, running down the hallway.
The four of them bolted into one of the classroom to find Mickey outside one of the classroom surrounded by a load of yellow, vacum-packed rats.
"Sorry!" Mickey gasped. "Sorry, it was only me. You told me to investigate, so I - I started looking through some of these cupboards and all of these fell out of them."
"It's ok." Elora breathed, putting her arm round Mickey's waist in comfort as The Doctor bent down and picked up a few of the rats, examining them.
"Oh, my God, they're rats." Rose gulped. "Dozens of rats. Vacuum packed rats."
"And you decided to scream." The Doctor said dryly, looking over at Mickey.
"It took me by surprise!" Mickey gasped.
"Like a little girl?"
"It was dark!" Mickey said indignantly. "I was covered in rats!"
"Nine, maybe ten years old. I'm seeing pigtails, frilly skirt."
"Doctor, leave him alone!" Elora scolded.
"Hello, can we focus?" Rose interrupted, watching The Doctor pout at Elora lovingly. "Does anyone notice anything strange about this? Rats in school?"
"Well, obviously they use them in Biology lessons." Sarah Jane said to Rose. "They dissect them. Or maybe you haven't reached that bit yet. How old are you?"
Elora, Mickey and The Doctor shared a shifty look.
"Excuse me, no one dissects rats in school anymore. They haven't done that for years. Where are you from, the dark ages?"
"Anyway, moving on." The Doctor said quickly as Sarah Jane and Rose shared a dirty look. "Everything started when Mr Finch arrived. We should go and check his office." He chucked the rat at Mickey, and grabbed Elora's hand, pulling her out of the room.
The Doctor, Elora and Mickey walked down the hallway, nervously watching Sarah Jane and Rose walking in front of them, arguing.,
"I don't mean to be rude or anything, but who exactly are you?" Rose asked.
"Sarah Jane Smith." Sarah Jane replied. "I used to travel with the Doctor."
"Oh! Well, he's never mentioned you."
"Oh, I must've done!" The Doctor squeaked. "Sarah Jane! Mention her all the time."
"Hold on... sorry... never."
"What, not even once?" Sarah Jane asked, offended. "He didn't mention me once?"
Rose walked off, and Sarah Jane followed after her as Mickey placed his hand on The Doctor's shoulder. "Ho ho! Mate! The missus and the ex. Welcome to every man's worst nightmare." He turned and looked at Elora. "Well, Rose isn't your missus anymore, is she?" He let out a small cackle and followed after them.
"See this is why it's easier to keep things quiet." Elora sighed. The Doctor reached to gently grab her arm, only for her to move away, walking off. The Doctor groaned, running a hand through his hair before following after her.
"Maybe those rats were food." The Doctor muttered, sonicing open Mr Finch's office door.
"Food for what?" Rose asked.
The Doctor opened the door and Elora peered inside, looking up at the ceiling.
"Rose... you know you used to think all the teachers slept in the school... ?" Elora whispered, looking up at 13 bat like creatures on the ceiling. "Well... they do." The rest of the group looked in, staring up at the creatures in shock.
"No way!" Mickey whispered, turning on his heel and bolting out, Sarah Jane and Rose quickly following him. The Doctor gently grabbed the hem of Elora's dress, pulling her back and shutting the door.
The five of them rushed out of the school, Mickey, Rose and Sarah Jane breathless and Elora and The Doctor more concerned than anything.
"I am not going back in there." Mickey said, doubling over breathlessly. "No way."
"Those were teachers!" Rose gasped.
"When Finch arrived, he brought with him seven new teachers, four dinner ladies and a nurse." The Doctor began.
"Thirteen." Elora finished. "Thirteen big bat people. Come on." She turned on her heel, beginning to walk back in, followed by The Doctor.
"Come on- you've got to be kidding!" Mickey exclaimed.
"We need the TARDIS." Elora said, gesturing for the three of them to hurry up. "I've got to analyze that oil from the kitchen."
"I might be able to help you, there." Sarah Jane gasped suddenly. "I've got something to show you!" She grabbed one of The Doctor's arm and one of Elora's and yanked them over to the car park excitedly.
Sarah Jane pulled open the boot of her car and pulled a blanket out of the way to reveal a broken down K9.
"K9!" The Doctor and Elora cheered in unison.
"I've heard so much about this dog!" Elora said excitedly to Sarah Jane.
"Rose Tyler, Mickey Smith - allow me to introduce K9." The Doctor introduced. "Well, K9 Mark III to be precise."
Mickey and Rose shared a glance, "Why does he look so... disco?" Rose asked.
"Oi! Listen, in the year five thousand, this was cutting edge!" Elora said before looking back to Sarah Jane. "What's happened to him?"
"Oh, one day, he just... nothing!" Sarah Jane sighed.
"Well, didn't you try and get him repaired?" The Doctor asked.
"Well, it's not like getting parts for a mini-metro! Beside, the technology inside him could rewrite human science. I couldn't show him to anyone!"
"Ooh, what's the nasty lady done to you?" Elora cooed, stroking K9's head. "Eh?" Mickey stared at her and Rose rolled her eyes as Sarah Jane shot Rose a triumphant glance.
Rose pulled back from the boot, rolling her eyes, "Look, no offense but could you two just stop petting for a minute?" She asked. "Never mind the tin dog, we're busy!"
The Doctor grinned, shutting the boot.
The five of them sat in a chip shop, The Doctor, Elora and Sarah Jane sat at a table by the window, chatting and laughing as the Doctor tries to fix K9, who had been placed on the table-top.
"You see, 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'." Mickey said as he and Rose stood at the chip shop counter.
Rose looked away from the three of them, "I'm not listening to this." She muttered.
"Although, I have prepared a little 'I was right' dance that I can show you later." He sniggered.
The shopkeeper handed out her hand to Rose, "Two quid, love."
Rose took the money out of her pocket, handing it over and tucked into the chips straight away.
"All this time you've been giving it, 'he's different!' - when the truth is, he's just like any other bloke!" Mickey laughed as the two of them sat down at a table on the other side of the shop, watching The Doctor, Elora and Sarah Jane.
"You don't know what you're talking about." Rose muttered.
"Maybe not. But if I were you... I'd go easy on the chips." He said, watching Rose shovelling chips into her mouth. With a sigh, she finished her mouthful, putting down the container. Mickey looked at her expression, realising something, "Oh my god, it's not about Sarah Jane, is it?" Rose looked away, popping another chip in her mouth. "You're annoyed they didn't tell us, aren't you?"
"Elora and I are so close, I can't believe she didn't say anything!" Rose muttered. "I can't believe the both of them didn't say anything to either of us!"
"It's none of our business." Mickey said as Rose sat back with a sad look.
"I don't understand how she could of travelled with us all this time..." Rose began with a gulp. "And this has only just happened recently, why suddenly now? What has suddenly changed? Why her?"
"Maybe there's just something about her that's different?" Mickey shrugged.
"But she's human. I know she's from the 51st century but still..."
"Being human has nothing to do with it." Mickey muttered as Rose watched The Doctor and Elora with Sarah Jane.
"I thought of you on Christmas Day." Sarah Jane said as Elora slapped The Doctor's hand away from K9 and took over him, fiddling the wires on K9. "This Christmas just gone? Great big spaceship overhead - I thought, 'Oh, yeah. Bet he's up there'."
"Right on top of it, yeah." The Doctor nodded at Elora. "The both of us."
"And Rose?"
"She was there too."
Silence filled the three of them as Elora fiddled with the wires, trying to get K9 working again.
"Did I do something wrong?" Sarah Jane asked quietly. "Because you never came back for me. You just... dumped me."
"I told you. I was called back home and in those days humans weren't allowed."
"I waited for you. I missed you."
"Oh, you didn't need me!" The Doctor said, brushing her off. "You were getting on with your life."
"You were my life." She said sadly. The Doctor looked up at her as she continued, "You know what the most difficult thing was? Coping with what happens next, and with what doesn't happen next. You took me to the furthest reaches of the galaxy, you showed me supernovas, intergalactic battles and then you just dropped me back on Earth. How could anything compare to that?"
"All those things you saw - do you want me to apologize for that?"
"No, but we get a taste of that splendour... and then we have to go back."
The Doctor smiled at her, proud, "But look at you, you're investigating. You found that school - you're doing what we always did."
"You could've come back." Elora mumbled, glaring at him.
"I couldn't." The Doctor replied quietly, giving her a apologetic look.
"Why not?" Sarah Jane whispered, cutting off the look between the two of them. The Doctor didn't answer, just looking away as Elora put her hand into The Doctor's inside pocket, taking out the sonic and returned to repairing K9. "It wasn't Croydon - where you dropped me off, it wasn't Croydon!"
"Where was it?"
"Aberdeen." She replied irritably.
Elora looked at him, shaking her head before flicking him in the side of the head. "Right." He said, looking at Sarah Jane guiltily. "That's next to Croydon, isn't it?" Sarah Jane smiled and shook her head.
"Oh, hey!" Elora cheered, jumping up as K9 burst into life. "Now we're in business!" The Doctor leapt to his feet and everyone made their way round to the front of K9.
"Master!" K9 cried.
"He recognizes me!" The Doctor grinned, ecstatic.
"Affirmative."
"Rose, give us the oil."
Rose hurried over to them and took out a small jar, handing into to The Doctor. He took the lid off the jar, beginning to dip his finger in.
"I wouldn't touch it, though, that dinner lady got all scalged." Rose said quickly.
"I'm no dinner lady." The Doctor said, looking at her. "And I don't often say that." He dipped his finger in the oil and rubbed it onto K9's sensor. "Here we go. Come on, boy. Here we go."
"Oil. Ex- ex- ex- extract ana- an- analysing..." K9 stuttered.
"Listen to it, man!" Mickey grinned. "That's a voice!"
"Careful! That's my dog!" Sarah Jane scolded, making Mickey look back at her, sheepish.
"Confirmation of analysis - substance is Krillitane Oil." K9 announced.
Elora stared out of the window, shocked, "They're Krillitanes." She whispered, grabbing The Doctor's arm tightly.
"Is that bad?" Rose asked.
"Very." The Doctor nodded. "Think of how bad things could possibly be, and add another suitcase full of bad."
"And what are... Krillitanes?" Sarah Jane asked.
"They're a composite race." Elora began slowly. "Just like your culture is a mixture of traditions from all sorts of countries - people you've invaded or have been invaded by, you've got bits- 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." The Doctor continued. "They cherry-pick the best bits from the people they destroy. That's why I didn't recognize them. The last time I saw Krillitanes, they looked just like us except they had really long necks."
"What're they doing here?" Rose asked.
"It's the children." Elora gasped, throwing a hand to her mouth. "They're doing something to the children." She mumbled.
The Doctor stormed out of the chip shop, followed by Rose.
"How many of us have there been, travelling with you?" Rose asked.
"Does it matter?" The Doctor muttered.
"Yeah, it does, if I'm just the latest in a long line." Rose replied, voice trembling.
The Doctor stopped, spinning back round, looking at her, "As opposed to what?"
"I thought you and me were... but I obviously got it wrong. I've been to the year five billion, right, but this... now this is really seeing the future. You just leave us behind. Is that what you're going to do to me?"
"No. Not to you." The Doctor replied, abruptly.
"But Sarah Jane... you were that close to her once, and now... you never even mention her. Why not?"
"I don't age. I regenerate. But humans decay. You wither and you die-"
"And what about Elora?" Rose snapped, interrupting him. "She's human."
"It's different."
"How?!"
"It just is." The Doctor sighed. "I'm sorry I fell in love with her."
Rose stared at him, gobsmacked, "You love her?"
"Well, yeah." The Doctor replied awkwardly, scratching the back of his neck. "I do."
"It just doesn't make sense." Rose said, shaking her head.
"You can spend the rest of your life with me." The Doctor said sternly, making her look at him, eyes shining with unshed tears. "But I can't spend the rest of mine with you. I have to live on. Alone. That's the curse of the Time Lords."
Suddenly, Elora came bolting out of the chip shop, yanking Rose out of the way as a Krillitane came swooping towards them. As Elora pulled at Rose she kicked out, pushing The Doctor out of the way.
"Was that a Krillitane?" Sarah Jane called over from the car boot, cowering with Mickey.
"But it didn't even touch us, it just flew off!" Rose gasped, watching the Krillitane fly off into the night. "What did it do that for?"
The school bell rang and the children flocked towards the building as The Doctor, Mickey, Rose, Sarah Jane and Elora got out of Sarah Jane's car, striding towards the school. The Doctor paused for a moment, and the five of them stared at the school, knowing the Krillitanes were inside.
"Rose and Sarah, you go to the Maths room." The Doctor instructed. "Crack open those computers, I need to see the hardware inside. Here, you might need this." Rose held out her hand as he took out the sonic, only for her to give it to Sarah Jane. "Mickey - surveillance. I want you outside."
"Just stand outside?" Mickey asked.
Sarah Jane chucked him her car keys, "Here, take these - you can keep K9 company."
"Don't forget to leave the window open a crack." The Doctor said.
"But he's metal!" Mickey exclaimed.
"I didn't mean for him."
"What're you two gonna do?" Rose asked, looking over at The Doctor and Elora.
"It's time we had a word with Mr Finch." Elora muttered, walking off with The Doctor following.
The Doctor and Elora stood, leaning up the stairwell, looking up at Mr Finch. Mr Finch gave them a hard stare before going on his way.
"Let's go deal with this bastard." Elora muttered, heading up the stairs.
The Doctor opened the door to the school swimming pool and he and Elora stepped in, looking at Mr Finch standing, waiting on the opposite side of the water.
"Who are you?" Elora asked.
"My name is Brother Lassa." Finch replied. "And you?"
"The Doctor." The Doctor replied.
"Doctor Elora Johannson." Elora said. "Since when did Krillitanes have wings?"
"It's been our form for nearly ten generations, now." Finch said. "Our ancestors invaded Bessan. The people there had some rather lovely wings. They made a million widows in one day, just imagine."
"And now you're shaped human."
"A personal favourite, that's all."
"And the others?" The Doctor asked.
"My brothers remain bat form. What you see is a simple morphic illusion. Scratch the surface and the true Krillitane lies beneath." The three of them began to walk slowly towards the same side of the pool. "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. And of course - they're all but extinct. Only you. The last."
"This plan of yours - what is it?"
"You don't know."
"That's why we're asking." Elora smirked as she and The Doctor became face to face with Finch, tension rising in the room.
"Well, show me how clever you are. Work it out."
"If we don't like it... then it will stop." The Doctor said threatiningly.
"Fascinating." Finch nodded. "Your people were peaceful to the point of indolence. You seem to be something new." He smirked at Elora. "What have you changed him into?" He looked back at The Doctor. "Would you declare war on us, Doctor?"
"I'm so old, now." The Doctor said quietly. "I used to have so much mercy. You get one warning. That was it."
The Doctor and Elora turned, beginning to walk away.
"But we're not even enemies." Finch called after them. "Soon... you will embrace us." The two of them turned back, looking at Finch. "The next time we meet, you will join with me. I promise you." Finch walked past them, smiling, as Elora glared violently at him.
The Doctor and Elora rushed into the computer lab nervously, to find Sarah Jane and Rose laughing hysterically.
"How's it going?" The Doctor asked. Sarah Jane and Rose looked over, before laughing even harder. "What?"
"Listen, we need to find out what's programmed inside these." Elora begged. The two woman laughed even harder, looking at The Doctor.
"What?" The Doctor asked, confused. "Stop it!"
The Doctor and Elora sat by one of the computers as Sarah Jane watched behind them, looking anxious. The Doctor ripped a handful out of wires out of the computer, hanging him round his neck before running the sonic along the back of the computer.
"I can't shift it." The Doctor muttered.
"I thought the sonic screwdriver could open anything!" Sarah Jane frowned.
"Anything except a deadlock seal." Elora said, looking up at Sarah Jane with a smile.
"There's gotta be something inside here." The Doctor said. "What're they teaching those kids?"
"You wanted the program - there it is." Sarah Jane said suddenly. Elora and The Doctor got up and the three of them and Rose looked round to find every computer and the screen at the front of the room, covered in a green code, a cube flickering on the screen.
"Some sort of code..." The Doctor mumbled.
"No... no, they can't be..." Elora gasped, her eyes widening, realising what it was before The Doctor did. "The Skasis Paradigm." She said sternly, looking at the code on the screen as The Doctor's eyes widened, realising too. "They're trying to crack the Skasis Paradigm."
"The Skasis what?" Sarah Jane asked.
"The... God-maker. The universal theory." Elora explained. "Crack that equation and you've got control of the building blocks of the universe. Time and space and matter, yours to control."
"What, and the kids are like a giant computer?" Rose asked.
"Yes." She began to pace the room, working it out. "And their learning power is being accelerated by the oil! That oil from the kitchens, it works as a- as a... conducting agent. Makes the kids cleverer."
"But that oil's on the chips. I've been eating them."
The Doctor turned to Rose, "What's fifty-nine times thirty-five?" He asked.
"Two thousand and sixty five." Rose replied quickly. "Oh my God..."
"But why use children?" Sarah Jane asked. "Can't they use adults?"
"No, it's gotta be children." The Doctor said, shaking his head. "The God-maker needs imagination to crack it. They're not just using the children's brains to break the code... they're using their souls."
Behind them, Mr Finch walked into the room, smirking. "Let the lesson begin." He said, and everyone turned to face him as he approached them slowly. "Think of it, Doctor, Doctor Johannson - with the Paradigm solved, reality becomes clay in our hands. We can shape the universe and improve it."
"Oh yeah? 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, and 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?" Elora laughed bitterly.
"No... someone like you." Elora stared back at Finch, stunned. "The Paradigm gives us power, but you both could give us wisdom. Become Gods. At my side. Imagine what you could do - think of the civilizations you could save. Perganon, Assinta... your own people, Doctor. The Time Lord and his Doctor woman... bringing them back. Standing tall. The Time Lords... reborn."
The Doctor and Elora stood, staring back at Finch.
"Doctor, Elora, don't listen to him." Sarah Jane begged.
Mr Finch turned to Rose and Sarah Jane, "And you could be with him throughout eternity. Young... fresh... never wither, never age... never die. Their lives are so fleeting. So many goodbyes. How lonely you must be, Doctor. Join us."
"I could save everyone..." The Doctor whispered, looking into the distance.
"Yes."
"I could stop the war..."
"No." Sarah Jane said desperatley. "The universe has to move forward. Pain and loss - they define us as much as happiness or love. Whether it's a world, or a relationship... everything has its time. And everything ends."
As The Doctor stared into the distance, Elora snapped out of her thoughts, picking up a chair and hurling it at the screen at the front of the classroom and it smashed, shards flying everywhere.
"Out!" She screamed.
The four of them bolted down the stairs, running into Mickey and one of the students - Kenny.
"What is going on?" Mickey asked.
Suddenly, three Krillitanes half flew, half groped their way along the corridor towards them. The six of them turned on their heels and ran i nthe opposite direction, running into the canteen. They bolted to the other side of the room, trying the doors to find them locked. Elora pulled out the sonic from The Doctor's jacket as Finch burst through the door, followed by several Krillitanes.
"Are they my teachers?" Kenny asked.
"Yeah. Sorry." The Doctor nodded.
"Leave the Doctor and Doctor Johannson alive." Finch ordered to the Krillitanes. "As for the others... you can feast."
The Krillitanes began to swoop down at all of them and The Doctor picked up a chair, trying to beat them off as the others tried to duck out of the way, screaming, when suddenly, one of the Krillitanes got hit by a beam of red light, making it fall to the floor, dead. K9 rolled by and Elora laughed with glee as Finch roared with rage.
"K9!" Sarah Jane cheered.
"Suggest you engage running mode, mistress." K9 said.
"Come on!" The Doctor shouted, getting everyone to run off as K9 shot at the Krillitanes.
"K9, hold them back!" Elora called over her shoulder.
"Affirmative, mistress." K9 replied. "Maximum defense mode!"
The Doctor reached the door, pushing everyone through it. "Come on!" He shouted as he slammed the door shut and Elora soniced the door shut.
The six of them stood in the pyshics lab as they looked round, trying to find a solution.
"It's the oil." The Doctor said suddenly. "Krillitane life forms can't handle the oil! That's it! They've changed the physiology so often, even their own oil is toxic to them." He turned to Rose. "How much was there in the kitchens?"
"Barrels of it." Rose said.
They all jumped suddenly as the Krillitanes began to pound on the locked door, claws ripping holes in it.
"Okay, we need to get to the kitchens." The Doctor said. "Mickey-"
"What now, hold the coats?" Mickey asked.
"Get all the children unplugged and out of the school." Elora said, making Mickey smile that Elora was treating his normally.
"Now then, bats, bats, bats, how do we fight bats?" The Doctor asked.
Kenny strode over to a fire alarm, breaking the glass with his elbow and setting it off. The Doctor beamed, flinging open the door and looking at the Krillitanes in the hallway, wincing in pain from the alarm. The all began to run past, dodging the bat like aliens.
Kenny strides over to a fire alarm, breaks the glass with his elbow and sets it off. The Krillitanes immediately wince and quail at the shrill sound. The Doctor beams and flings open the door - the Krillitanes are in too much distress to hurt them. He and the others quickly run past. Finch, gritting his teeth, punches through a wall and rips out a bundle of wires which cuts off the alarm.
The group bolted down a corridor when K9 emerged from a doorway.
"Master!" K9 cried.
"Come on, boy!" The Doctor said, gesturing to K9 to follow them. "Good boy."
As they all reached the kitchens, The Doctor immediately ran over to one of the barrels, using the sonic on it.
"They've been deadlock sealed!" He groaned, running over to another and trying to open it. "Finch must've done that - I can't open them."
"The vats would not withstand a direct hit from my laser." K9 said. "But my batteries are failing."
"Right. Everyone out the back door." Elora ordered, running over to the backdoor, pulling everyone out.
"Is it safe to leave him in there?" Sarah Jane asked as she and Elora stood by the door, waiting for The Doctor.
"He's The Doctor, he'll be fine." Elora said nervously.
"Elora." Sarah Jane said softly, smiling at her. Elora looked round at her, staring. "You're so good for him." Elora stared back at her, stunned, not knowing what to say when The Doctor ran out, sonicing the door shut. "Where's K9?" She asked urgently.
"We need to run." The Doctor said, turning and running off.
"Where is he?!" Sarah Jane asked, staring at the door. "What've you done?" Elora grabbed her hand and gently pulled her off.
"Come on, it's ok." Elora said softly.
Elora, The Doctor and Sarah Jane ran into the car park, and up to Mickey and Rose, surrounded by the students, looking over at the school as it exploded and the students screamed with delights, cheering along with Rose and Mickey.
"I'm sorry." Elora said, putting her arm around Sarah Jane as she stared at the school, distraught.
"It's all right." Sarha Jane said quickly. "He was just a... daft metal dog. Fine, really." She suddenly burst into tears... and then Elora did too. The Doctor moved behind them, pulling them both into a hug.
The next day was beautiful, and The TARDIS was parked in a park. Sarah Jane walked up to The TARDIS when The Doctor stepped out, facing her.
"Cuppa tea?" He asked, stepping aside to let Sarah Jane walk in. She stepped in, looking at the interior of The TARDIS, wide eyed. The Doctor followed her through, shutting the door behind him.
"You've redecorated!" Sarah Jane gasped.
"It's great isn't it?" Elora laughed, sitting on the edge of the console next to Rose and Mickey. "Very different to the last console room you saw, yeah?" Sarah Jane nodded back at her, smiling.
"Do you like it?" The Doctor asked.
"Oh, I, I do." Sarah Jane nodded, looking around. "Yeah. I preferred it as it was, but uh... yeah. It'll do!"
"I love it." Rose grinned.
"Hey, you - what's forty seven times three hundred and sixty nine?"
"No idea. It's gone now - the oil's faded."
"But you're still clever. More than a match for him."
Rose smiled, "You and me both." She looked over to The Doctor, who was fiddling with the console. "Doctor... ?"
The Doctor looked up at Elora, "Um - we're about to head off, but... you could come with us."
Sarah Jane smiled, looking at everyone before shaking her head, "No... I can't do this anymore. Besides, I've got a much bigger adventure ahead! Time I stopped waiting for you and found a life of my own."
"Anyway." Elora interrupted, hopping off the console and heading round to The Doctor. "I think... someone else should come with us."
"Who?" The Doctor asked.
Elora span round, comically pointing at Mickey, "Mickey the idiot!"
Mickey rolled his eyes at Elora, knowing she was joking, before suddenly realising what she said, "Can I?" He asked. He turned to The Doctor as Rose mouthed 'no' to The Doctor and Elora. "'Cause I'm not the tin dog. And I wanna see what's out there."
"Oh, go on, Doctor." Sarah Jane laughed. "Sarah Jane Smith - a Mickey Smith. You need a Smith on board!"
"Yes we do." Elora nodded, punching The Doctor in the arm.
"Okay then, I could do with a laugh." The Doctor nodded. Rose rolled her eyes and Mickey laughed in delight, before suddenly noticing Rose's lack of response.
"Rose, is that okay?" Mickey asked.
"No, great." Rose replied awkwardly. "Why not?"
"Well, I'd better go." Sarah Jane said, before pulling Rose to one side.
"What do I do?" Rose asked quietly, glancing over at The Doctor, who'd returned his attention to the computer, then over at Elora who was hugging Mickey. "Do I stay with them? Because he loves her. And I love her, she's like my sister, she's my best friend, and she got the guy."
"Yes. Some things are worth getting your heart broken for." She nodded, and hugged Rose. "Find me..." She said, pulling away from Rose. "If you need to, one day. Find me." Rose gave her a small smile and The Doctor and Elora headed over to the door, and the three of them stepped out. "It's daft." She said as she looked back at the two of them. "But I haven't ever thanked you for that time, and like I said - I wouldn't have missed it for the world."
"Something to tell the grandkids." The Doctor said.
"Oh, I think it'll be someone else's grandkids now."
"Right. Yes, sorry - I didn't get a chance to ask. You haven't... there hasn't been anyone... ? You know... ?"
"Well... there was this one guy. I travelled with him for a while. But he was a tough act to follow." She laughed slightly and Elora smiled softly at her. "Doctor Elora Johannson." She smiled at her. "Look after him."
"I will." Elora grinned. "Sarah Jane Smith." Sarah Jane quickly hugged her.
Sarah Jane pulled away, looking between the two of them, "Goodbye, Doctors."
"Oh, it's not goodbye-" The Doctor began.
"Say it, please. This time. Say it."
"Goodbye." The Doctor said, looking straight in Sarah Jane in the eyes. "My Sarah Jane." He threw his arms around Sarah Jane, lifting her up in a tight hug before setting her down. The Doctor and Elora shared a smile with Sarah Jane before stepping back into The TARDIS, shutting the door behind them.
Elora stood later that night, wearing a small black pair of black shorts and an old jumper of The Doctor's from his previous incarnation, fiddling aimlessly with the scanner. The Doctor appeared quietly behind her, wrapping his arms around her waist, placing a delicate kiss on the back of her neck.
"I'm sorry." The Doctor mumbled. "For earlier."
"It's not your fault." Elora sighed, switching off the scanner. "You weren't to know Sarah Jane was going to say anything. It's just..." She breathed in sharply, "You knew Rose would react like that." She sighed, "I'm sorry, it's just... I've lost my adoptive mum, I never knew my real parents, I lost Jack. If I lost you, Rose and Mickey..."
The Doctor gently turned Elora round, pushing her gently against the console. "I love you." He mumbled, leaning his forehead against hers. Elora sighed, placing her hands on The Doctor's shirt, snuggling inside his jacket.
"Love you too." Elora mumbled.