12
Spurred by Sarah's cries for help, the sounds of smashed furniture and more angry yelping they bolted through the corridor to the living room.
"Sarah!" the Doctor cried out. He skidded to a halt and peeked around the corner. What he saw made his blood run cold. A creature that would have remarkably resembled a blue-brown striped hyena hadn't it been for it's gigantic ears was snapping furiously at the two Shama who were circling above it's head. The familiar stench from the restaurant hung heavy in the air.
"I'm here, Doctor, I'm here," Sarah pleaded, her brittle voice coming from behind the now battered recliner.
The creature turned it's head, pricking it's ears and made a few soundless barking movements in the direction of the Doctor. It ducked with obvious recognition, ignoring the Shama, now it had found better prey
"Get back," he urged Jegor, realizing what the creature was doing. In a split second he whipped up the sonic screwdriver and frantically switched through the frequencies. The predator squeaked angrily and shook it's head. Powerful hindlegs propelled it forward like a black, furry shadow. Frantically the Doctor brandished the sonic with yet another setting. Time around him froze to slow motion, in the fraction of a second the Doctor realized that this might very well be the most shortlived of his incarnations, an inexplicable pang of regret flooded his mind as the creature crouched low, it's fangs bared. The Doctor tried the last setting, a sense of detachment set in, the whole universe reduced to him and the predator. Thecreature jumped and in mid jump it uttered an eardrum shattering cry. It landed next to the Doctor on the floor, the momentum sending it slithering over the tiles, writhing in pain. Time returned to normal and only now he realized that his heart's rate was up to 240 and his hand was shaking..
Jegor watched the Doctor, who was still brandishing the sonic at the staggering beast. Panic-stricken it fled, knocking over a lamp, running into a chair and then smashing into the wall in it's disorientationAn agonized howl escaped it's jaws and it began to paw it's ears and scratch the floor and wall with it's claws in utter despair.
Sarah crept out from behind the recliner. The Doctor hurried to her, the sonic still trained at the beast and bent down. He ran a shaking hand over her cheek, "are you okay?" he asked with husky voice, watching how Jegor, face white as ash, slipped to the kitchen.
"Sarah, sweetheart, come on, we have to get out of here," he muttered to Sarah. He pulled her to her feet and dragged her in the direction of the Tardis.
"Jegor? Sarah? Are you there?" he heard Teria's call out in alarm.
"Teria, stay outside, it's not safe, Jegor, what are you doing! Come here, help me!" the Doctor hurried to shout. Jegor returned to the living room, something metallic blinking in his hand.
"No," the Doctor shouted, but the engineer didn't listen. Moments later he hovered over the disoriented creature, evading the claws and fangs, waiting for the right moment, then he bent low. The beast gave a horrible wail, then gurgling, it's voice trailed off. It thrashed about a few more moments, then the pulsing blood stream out of it's slit throat turnedinto a steady little trickle and the only sound that was to be heard was Sarah's quiet sobs.
The sight made the Doctor sick in his stomach. He let the arm with the sonic screwdriver sink, it slipped out of his hand. Without thinking he pulled Sarah to himself, wrapping her into a tight embrace, felt her tremble against his body.
"Hush, dear. It's over. You are safe now," he crooned with barely veiled sorrow, cradling her head to his chest and rocked her, needing the contact to calm himself, to assuring himself that she was still there, alive.
"What are we going to do about these?" Jegor demanded to know, pointing at the Shama that had settled down next to the bundle with their injured comrade. Alarmed thy floated up under the ceiling when Jegor menacingly approached them.
The Doctor snapped out of his absorbtion. "No, no, Jegor, leave them alone, they are our friends," the Docto shouted and Jegor, the bloody knife still in his hand stopped in his tracks.
He held his gaze firmly fixed on the two aliens. "You're sure?"
"Jegor, please, they just bought us the time to save Sarah. You scare them, they are afraid of humans, put away the knife," the Doctor insisted.
Nobody noticed when Teria quietly slipped into the room. Taken aback, she took in the view of the dead beast. "I guess the pests are getting more vicious these days," she muttered with toneless voice.
The Timelord caught sight of the doctor's bag she was carrying. "You are a practical woman," he approved, releasing Sarah from the hug and eased her to the floor.
"If you have worked a 10 year contract in the mining colonies, grabbing the medical kit becomes your second nature," she explained with a dry little laugh and kneeled down next to Sarah. Her gaze lingered on a nasty scratch on Sarah's ankle. "Although back then, in most cases my patients wouldn't have been victims of animal attacks," the elderly physician explained, taking a closer look at her patient.
"Sarah, darling, how do you feel? Do you remember what happened?"
"I... I... that horrible thing," she stuttered, "and look, my dress, it's ruined!" she blubbered out.
The Doctor's gaze trapped hers, tenderly he stroked a strand of hair from out of her face and tugged it behind her ear. "Yes, I know. I'll find you another one." He gave Teria, who now ran a portable scanner over her patient a pointed look.
"A mild state of shock, and a few bruises and the grazes on her leg, that's all. You were really lucky, Sarah," she patted her arm and started digging in her bag for some more equipment.
"I wasn't lucky, I had two guardian angels," she croaked turning her head to see how the Shama were doing.
Jegor, who had washed off most the blood joined them. "How is she?"
"She'll be all right." The Doctor heaved a sigh of relief and gave the man a warm smile. "Can you stay with her for a moment?"
He went over to the carcass and gave it a closer inspection. Even in death it was formidable and the Doctor felt a pang of regret for the it's suffering and death. A predator, a night hunter using sonar and scent, he had no idea where it was from, but he couldn't help but sympathise with the poor creature that had been abducted and abused by those criminals. He turned to the Shama, who were busy over the bundle that lay discarded on the floor, he quietly knelt down next to them.
"Thank you for saving her," he whispered and sent them a warm wave of gratitude. The Shama looked up, it quivered when the Doctor gently touched the velvety skin of it's wing.
`Please help us, please help us, please help us!` The Doctor lowered his mental shields a bit and it's distraught thoughts flooded his mind.
`I will, don't worry," he gave his best to console them.` We have to get away from here. Just do as I say,` he directed at the Shama. He picked up the bundle and carried it over to the Tardis, where he unlocked and opened the door.
`Come on, in here, it's my ship, it's safe inside!` He coaxed them into the console room and laid the bundle down on a shelf. `Sit down here with your friend, and don't leave this place,` he instructed them and set his mental barriers back in place. He ran a quick scan of the environment and his brow furrowed when he found confirmed what he had already suspected.
He returned to the living room and joined Sarah and the others.
"Teria, Jegor, we can't stay here. They are surveilling the house," the Doctor urged, laying a hand on the other man's shoulder, "and I suggest, that you are coming with Sarah and me."
"And who would be `they`, Doctor?" the elderly engineer snapped at him, his husky voice giving away how rattled he was.
"Well, I'm afraid I've tread on the corns of the people who are behind the pests. And that's one of their pets. Now come, quickly!" the Timelord urged.
Teria finished the bandage around Sarah's leg. "And what's your plan to get out of here? If whoever is behind this is surveilling the house, how do you want to get us all out of here alive and without them noticing?"
"Ah, now fortunately I'm the owner of a Tardis." A loony grin spread on his face. "Sarah, they patched you up really nicely, ey?" He bent low, tenderly patting her head, then picked her upin his arms with one swoop and got to his feet. Sarah wrapped her arms around his neck, hanging onto him for comfort and protection.
"Now come on, just trust the Doctor," he encouraged them and then vanished in the large blue cabinet that sat in one corner of the living room. Dumbfounded, Jegor and Teria looked at each other, when moments later the Doctor's tousle-head re-emerged in the doorframe.
"Will you two come now? We don't have all the night, you know." With two, three long strides he was behind them and unceremoniously steered the perplexed couple into the Tardis, then slammed the doors shut. He turned, with his back leanign heavily against the doors and with a rattled breath exhaled the tension that lingered in his chest. His gaze wandered from hurt Sarah in his wing chair to their ex neighbours and his head sank. Wherever he went, he left a trail of chaos and blood and once more his friends had suffered.
"Doctor," Teria demanded with steely voice locking gaze with the Timelord. "I think, you owe us an explanation. For all this."
"We've found out who is behind the pests. Accidently." Sarah's explained, her voice still shaky. "It's some bigwig named Paldevan."
"So senator Sem Tahun Paldevan is behind all this trouble? I'd never have thought that he..." Jegor mused and gave the Time Lord an uncomfortable glance.
"Yes. And, I don't believe you'll be safe if you stay on this planet. Not after those folks know that you've help us. I'm so very sorry." His large, soulful eyes met Teria's. She swallowed hard and nodded.
"Doctor, what is this place here?" Jegor queried, looking around, "is it an optical illusion?"
"Well, it's my Tardis, my ship" the Doctor replied, walking over to the console, "and no, it's not an illusion. Well, of course in the end every kind of material reality is in some ways or another an illusion and so is transdimensional engineering," he rambled, while checking a few settings of the scanner and initiated a continent-wide life form scan for Shama, "Let's say, it's a very solid illusion."
"It's a space ship? But how did you land a space ship in a living room?" Teria marveled.
"Well, I just let her materialize here. I can let her materialize anywhere." He explained with a smugly self satisfied grin.
She cautiously stretched out her hand and ran her fingers over the console."A ship that can just materialize anywhere? Where do they sell machines like this? Who are you that you own such a thing?"
"Well, I nicked her from a junk yard on Gallifrey. She was to be scrapped and I was on the run. Perfect match." Affectionately he laid his hand on the warm wood of the console, then he picked up his burgundry coat, put it on and dug in his pockets. "You care for a jelly baby?" He stretched out his hand with the little paper bag. Bewildered, Teria took one of the sweets.
"You know, Doctor, the political situation here has lately become more and more, erm,... unstable and hostile towards the offworlders who are living here," Jegor started cautiously after some moments, wearily he rubbed his temples. "The point is, we have already thought about leaving...," he added uncomfortably.
"Oh, no problem there, I can take you anywhere you want. Is there a particular place where I can drop you off?" their host cheerfuly replied.
"Well...," Teria started out, quite baffled, then let her head hang low, continuing much more subdued, "well, there is Nermela, our home world, isn't it, Jegor?" He gave her a court nod. "But we... we don't have any money. Everything we had we've invested here." she finished uncomfortably.
"Oh," the Doctor said softly. "But there I can help!" A grin spread on his face. "Wait a moment."
He rummaged through a drawer until he found what he was looking for. "Here. I think that will do." He handed Teria a little wooden box and expectantly folded his hands behind his back.
Sarah searched his eyes with her gaze. With a bright smile he moved to her side in the chair and lightly laid a hand on her shoulder. Grateful for the contact her searching fingers found his and he smiled a fond little smile down at her as Teria opened the box.
What she found was several hands full of small, rather unimpressive greyish stones. Jegor's jaw dropped. "That's... but that's Tyredion crystals, isn't it?" He picked up one of the little stones, "That must be fortune!"
"Weeell, in some places of the universe, in others not so much," the Timelord merrily replied. "You can have it, I have no need for them. And I can get more of it anyway. It's the least I can do for you."
"But we are old, it will take 20 years in a stasis chamber to get to Nermela," Teria interposed.
"But definitely not with a Tardis," Sarah consoled her with a little chuckle. "It's rather a matter of 10 minutes."
Jegor and Teria looked at each other, stunned and speechless, when the Doctor confirmed this bit of information with a cheery nod.
"But first erm... I take you to your house, to pack a few things?" he cautiously suggested,
"Ah,... Doctor... ah..," Jegor stuttered.
"Speechless, ey? Speechless is good," he replied with a big grin. "Right then, hold onto something," he stepped to the console, operated some switches and levers. A raptured little smile played on his lips when a shudder ran through the ship and then the engine started to groan and wheeze. Unsettled Teria clasped her husband's hand, who in turn wrapped his arm around her. A moment later the ship was steady again and the Doctor observed the readings of the scanner.
"No, they are not scanning your house. Pack up what's important to you."
Jegor looked at his wife, who was barely able to gulp back her tears. "Oh Jegor...," she sniffed. He wrapped his arms around her and they clung to each other like for dear life, Teria sobbing into her husband's chest. After some moments she composed herself. "Okay," her voice was still constricted but she was determined. Amazed, she peeked through the door, out there was no longer the Doctor's and Sarah's living room. She stepped out into the house that had been her home for the last 5 years. She took a deep breath and together with her husband she started to dig through cupboeards and wardrobes. The Doctor found them a few large, empty boxes from one of the Tardis store rooms, then left them to their work and returned to the Tardis. The scan would still take some time, the Shama had made themselves comfortable too.
"Now that was a romantic dinner that will be etched in my memory forever!" Sarah mocked him softly.
He sniffed in awkward agreement, then lowered himself to the floor in front of her and took her hands in his. "Your ankle still hurts?"
With a little smile she shook her head. "No, it's fine." She lifted a hand, ran her fingers over his cheek and then stroked his soft curls, she just did it, without any second thoughts, like back in those days, when they had been the best of friends, nothing more and he didn't flinch back. She just looked into a pair of old and yet so young eyes filled with tender concern, eyes that were like doors to his unfathomable soul. "And by the way, did I hear you calling me sweetheart, Doctor," she gently teased him.
"I guess, you did, didn't you," his bashful little grin was just too sweet, she gave his hand a fond squeeze.
"I'll take you to your bedroom," he suggested, he wrapped an arm around her shoulders and slipped the other under her knees.
"No, please. I'm not half dead, I can walk!"
He paused, observing her with disapproval for a moment, then let go and held out his hand to help her get up. She was still a bit wobbly on her feet, not so much because of her ankle, but because of the shock so she gladly took his arm as they walked down the corridors that lead to her rooms.
"Can you help me to unzip my dress," she asked him when she had picked a leisure suit from her wardrobe, turning her back to him..
He was so busy worrying about her wellbeing that for a change his hormones didn't jump into actionwhen he pulled the zipper down over her bottom, revealing a little bit of her black lace lingerie.A tiny little blush crept on his face at the sight and he chastely turn his back on her when he had finished the task and she got changed.
"You finished?" he mumbled when he didn't hear more rustling of cloth.
"Yes, I am."
He closed the distance, stepped over that gorgeous dress that had turned his Sarah into a princess and that now lay ruined on the floor. Eagerly he walked her to the bathroom, where he sat down on the rim of the tub, watching her washing off the smudgy rests of her makeup, slightly worried that she was so taciturn.
"Sarah, you okay?" he tentatively asked.
A fresh wave of horrible memory of black fur, snapping teeth and ghostly howling became vivid in her mind. She wanted to be strong and as unaffected by dangers as he was, but she just couldn't. Her hands were shaking and the tears that welled up in her eyes mingled with the water. She wanted to reply with a cheerful `of course`, but all she got out was a little gasp and her emotions broke the dam. Sarah felt his arm wrap around her shoulder, he dried her face with a towel.
"Doctor, it was so horrible. I switched the light on and then... and then..."
He pulled her to himself until she stopped shivering. "It can't hurt you anymore, it's just the shock," he whispered into her hair. He lead her to the sofa, the same where not so long ago she had urged him to confess his feelings. So much had happened since then, what were his feelings now? He knew he would do anything to protect her, literally anything. And still, today he had nearly lost her again. He knew he couldn't confront Paldevan because a ball of the white hot rage that built up in his chest at the mere thought of him, and for the first time in his life he felt he could not guarantee for what he would do to that man.
He sat down and Sarah nestled up to his side, one hand flat on his chest. Soothingly he stroked her back until her breathing got deep and regular and her slender frame was limp as a noodle against his body.
"Sarah, dear, I have to return to the console room," the Doctor whispered after a while, softly and with some remorse.
Reluctantly, Sarah lifted her head, her gaze found his. A sweet smile grew on his face when he observed her dreamy eyes.
"You've sneaked into my head," she mulled loudly
"Oh no. No, I haven't, I would never... Hm, maybe there was a little emotional interference?" he admitted, eying her curiously.
"Hm, maybe," she agreed with a little grin. Then she wrapped her arms around his neck and and before he had a chance to do something about it she had planted a kiss on his cheek.