Author's Note: I think the story is going to start picking up a bit more from here on out. Getting through those initial chapters was tough! I have a good bit of the story written after this, so I'm excited to get these first few hours of Annie and the Doctor's time together out of the way so the real adventure can begin! Thanks for sticking with me through all of this! And, like all authors, I love getting reviews! Especially if they're critical - what am I doing wrong? What would you like to see more or less of? Let me know!
Annie and Sarah Jane spent a moment taking in their surroundings when they first arrived on the Mellanine warship. Luckily there were no guards in sight, but both women knew that their every movements were likely being caught on security cameras. They had to be quick.
"This was where we were when they took the Doctor, I think," Annie whispered. "They took him this way," she led Sarah Jane down the corridor. "Funny how things change and yet stay the same," Annie thought. "Just a few hours ago, it was the Doctor coming to save me."
Sarah Jane kept a close eye out for any suspicious activity. She had been on plenty of these missions before and knew that she and Annie had to be especially careful.
"Annie-" Sarah Jane hissed when she saw a guard round the corner. "In here," she pulled the younger woman into a closet to hide from the guard. As luck would have it, the TARDIS stood tall and proud in the corner.
"Oh, you beautiful, beautiful box," Annie gasped, hugging the TARDIS. Sarah Jane smiled at Annie, but knew they had no time to waste. There was no telling what the Mellanine were doing to the Doctor and the other passengers.
"Alright, old girl," Sarah Jane whispered, "we need your help. Will you open up for us?" At Sarah Jane's words, the door of the TARDIS flew open, letting the two women inside. Sarah Jane ran to the console with Annie at her heels. As the TARDIS shut the door behind them, they heard the Mellanine guard enter the closet. He started banging on the TARDIS door, shouting obscenities at them.
"Sarah Jane, what do we do? We have to do something before they get inside?"
"They can't get inside," Sarah Jane snapped at Annie. "Now calm down and help me here. We have to find the Doctor, and the only way to get to him is to fly the TARDIS to wherever he is on this ship, now that we're surrounded. I know she'll help us, but I don't quite know what to do first.
"Okay," Sarah Jane said to the TARDIS, "help us, please. We need to find out where the Doctor is on the ship and we need your help in getting there. I know you don't like those mean men banging on your doors, so the faster you can get us out of here, the faster they'll stop."
Annie saw the monitor at the control panel and called Sarah Jane to come and look. She had pulled up a map of the ship and there were two blinking lights: a blue one showing their current location and a red one showing the Doctor's location. He was deep in the belly of the ship, while they were on one of the upper decks on the opposite end from the Doctor.
"Good work, ladies," Sarah Jane complimented her travel partners. "Now, TARDIS, it's time to help us get there." She turned to Annie. "I take it he hasn't worked with you on flying the TARDIS?"
"No, I've only been with him for..." Annie check her watch, "six hours."
"The last time I did this, the Doctor was in charge and there were six of us. I'm hoping she'll give us some guidance, but the TARDIS is a fickle host sometimes." The TARDIS blasted Annie and Sarah Jane with cold air in response. "I'm sorry, old friend," Sarah Jane apologized, "but you have to admit you aren't always agreeable! Now, the Doctor's life may be in jeopardy, so we really need you to be precise, TARDIS."
The ship shone a spotlight on two sections of the console. Sarah Jane headed to one, and Annie stood at the other. The TARDIS got the coordinates set herself and then gently guided the two women as to how to get to the Doctor. The Mellanine soldiers were shooting at the box now, trying to get it open. She was none to pleased and did her best to get them out of there quickly. Annie and Sarah Jane pushed buttons, flipped switches, and pulled levers in the order the TARDIS indicated in what looked to be an intricate light show. Soon they heard the familiar "whooshing" sound and felt the ship begin to shake them around. The women cheered and thanked the TARDIS for her help, but they knew their work had only just begun.
Once they rematerialized in the part of the ship where the Doctor was held, Annie cracked the door open just a bit. She saw the Doctor sitting on a concrete floor with his arms chained above his head, looking out a huge window. He caught her eye and gave her a tiny nod, signaling that he was unharmed. When Annie began to open the door further, he shook his head, his eyes widening and eyebrows raising in a panic. She silently shut the door and turned to Sarah Jane.
"He's right outside," Annie whispered. Suddenly there was violent banging on the door again. "He nodded, like he was telling me it was okay, and then shook his head when I tried to open the door, and now the guards are right there. Should we just make a run for it and grab him? No, that wouldn't work, he was chained to the wall. We need the sonic...erm...the sonic..."
"Sonic screwdriver?"
"Yes, that's it, the sonic screwdriver."
"Well, it just so happens I have a sonic lipstick, works just the same. The Doctor gave it to me a couple of years ago. Brilliant disguise on his part," Sarah Jane smiled as she pulled the lipstick out of her pocket.
"That's beautiful!" Annie said, enthralled by Sarah Jane's tool. "I suppose...I suppose I could distract them while you unchain the Doctor?" she said nervously. Sarah Jane nodded and they made their way towards the door.
"Open it as quick and hard as you can," Sarah Jane instructed. "With any luck, one of them will be standing right there and you'll catch them off guard. Be careful. Keep your eyes open. And be ready to run."
"I do love the running," the women shared a knowing smile.
"Now, on my count," Sarah Jane said. "One, two, THREE!"