Welcome back. Sorry very late update, I know. I'm doing my best.
Chapter 14
Sarah sat working on her article, the normality of the situation had sunk in and it felt wonderful. She of course, loved running about and chasing aliens but it had been a while since she had simply sat and worked on something normal and human. When she had been travelling with the Doctor, they had times when she could sit and simply enjoy the a few moments of peace. When she had got home, she had thought she would get more times of peace and quiet but that never seemed to work out. She had been so busy trying to get her flat back to rights. It was thanks to the Brigadier that she still had a flat. He had managed to scrape around and get a few extra pennies to keep paying for the rent. Once she had settled up with them, she had to get back to writing and earning. Then she had got K9 and had to start fighting aliens again. She had Maria, Luke, Rani, Clyde and now Harry had come back into her life. Now she had a moment of peace and it felt almost alien.
"Sarah Jane, I am detecting higher levels of serotonin than normal." Mr Smith interrupted her thoughts
"Really Mr Smith?" Sarah looked amused "Why would that be?"
"Something to do with Mr Sullivan?" he asked
"Maybe." She said but couldn't help the smile spreading across her face "I've missed him."
"He seems to have missed you as well."
"Hmm." She hummed in reply
"Luke seems fond of him."
"Really?" she looked curious "How do you know?"
"Conversations in the attic, rarely stay secret." The Xylok mentioned
"You listen to our conversations?" she looked shocked at this revelation
"Mr Smith always listens." K9 confirmed
"Oh do be quiet." The Xylok tried to stop the metal dog
"Good boy." She patted K9 on the head, with a smile "What did they say Mr Smith?"
"They were discussing Mr Sullivan's whereabouts, these past few years." He said neutrally
"Master Luke was not sure of him." K9 put in "He was suspicious about why you had not been contacted before."
"Probably because he didn't want to endanger us." Sarah guessed
"It would seem the logical answer." The dog confirmed
"That is what Mr Sullivan said." Mr Smith added
"Most likely because it's true." She said impatiently "What did Luke say about Harry?"
"He asked if he was fickle for now starting to like Master Harry." K9 gave the information
Sarah laughed at this "What did you say in reply, boy?"
"I replied with human emotions being complicated." Mr Smith answered
"Not entirely in tune with human emotions are you, Mr Smith?" she laughed
"That is not my function." The Xylok replied
"I think we would all be desired to know your function Mr Smith." K9 bit back
"My function is to protect the Earth." He replied impassively
"Alright, that's enough." Sarah broke up their impending argument "Some of us are trying to work."
"Apologies Mistress." K9 lowered his head
"Sorry Sarah Jane." Mr Smith sounded contrite
"Both highly intelligent alien technologies and your reduced to arguing." She huffed "You can't work together to protect the earth, perhaps."
"Trouble with technology, eh Old Girl?" Harry asked, leaning against the door frame with her tea in hand
"In a matter of speaking." She looked frustrated
"Here." He handed her the tea "This may calm you down."
"Thank you." she still sounded annoyed
"You sound it." he nearly laughed "Made any progress with your story?"
"Not really." she gave a half sigh "The rising house prices because of proximity to central London isn't exactly riveting."
"Write something about how students can't get accommodation because it's too expensive." He suggested, sitting on the arm of the sofa
"Not got a bad brain there." She replied, scribbling on her notepad
"I'm sure that's a compliment." He groused
"Of course it is." She didn't look up "My secondary writer. I might even put your name down."
"I never really saw myself as a journalist." He was surprised at this
"You're far too nice." She commented "You need to be nosy."
"Far too nice." He repeated "Definitely think that's a compliment."
"What took you so long?" she changed the subject
"I'm sorry," he gave a smirk "I found a local paper and was just having a look through."
"What for?" she sounded disgusted "It's all drivel."
"I was looking for any furniture shops or antique shops, where I can get some things to fill that little room."
"There's an antique shop about half a mile away." She told him "I'll take you tomo-"
"Sarah Jane I need to inform you that a Sontaran space pod has entered the atmosphere." Mr Smith interrupted with urgency
"That's torn it." Harry sighed
"Is it the same one Mr Smith?" she asked concerned "Is it Setkh?"
"No but it would appear he is from the same battle fleet." The Xylok replied
"Any landing co-ordinates?" she enquired
"It is heading for central London."
"Central London?" Harry looked concerned "We can't have a Sontaran landing in central London. They'll be mass panic."
"Is there any way we can divert it, put it down in an unpopulated area?" Sarah thought
"I shall do my best."
"Right." She swung her legs off the sofa "Let's go."
"You're in no fit state." Harry pointed out
"Well we can't have a Sontaran raging through London and shooting people." she countered "Anyway, I feel a bit better now." She pushed up on the sofa to stand "See."
He put out an arm to help her but she rejected it and walked towards Mr Smith.
"Anything Mr Smith?"
"I have managed to redirect him to a disused council estate." He brought up a map of the council estate
"That will have to do." She clapped her hands in triumph, turning back to Harry "No time to get everyone together. It'll just have to be me and you this time."
"Just like old times, eh." He grinned
"Just with more experience."
"For you maybe." He pointed out
"I'll protect you." she patted his arm and grabbed her coat
"Play nice you two." Harry shouted back to K9 and Mr Smith, before following Sarah down the stairs
…
The car pulled up in a car park in front of the abandoned council estate. The building was already run down and parts of the walls were falling to pieces. The building had been earmarked for demolition months ago but the council seemed to have been putting it off. There was a small fire blazing at the heart of the falling down estate.
"That's where he'll be." Sarah guessed "Burnt up on entry."
"What are we going to do, then?"
"Same as this morning, hopefully." She replied, handing him the cricket bat
"Maybe with less risk to life." he suggested
"It wasn't my fault." She grumbled
"I've brought my medical bag just in case" He told her "and UNIT's number on me."
"We don't need UNIT." She insisted
"Just a precaution." He defended, opening the door "Let's go."
"Let's just be careful."
"Says the woman who was shot."
"Have you quiet finished?" she asked, annoyed at his attitude, he gave her a grin and received a slap in the arm, before dragging him further into the estate "Come on."
The crumbling walls were a danger in themselves but the fire that was gradually burning the buildings had made it even more dangerous. Pieces of wooden debris were falling from the ceiling which made searching for the Sontaran even harder.
"We should have called the fire brigade." Harry told her
"Don't want them poking there nose in." she retorted "They'll start asking questions about how the fire started. What are we going to tell them then?"
"Cigarette butt." He shrugged
"Neither of us smoke" She reminded him "and we can't explain to them a Sontaran has crashed and caused the fire."
"We could try."
"Let's just find our friend shall we." She suggested before turning and seeing the Sontaran's space pod
"I think we've found him."
They approached the pod carefully, seeing that the door was open and suspecting the Sontaran may still be nearby. Sarah looked inside the ship and was surprised at what she found.
"No indication that it's crashed." She spoke quietly
"Meaning?" Harry asked nervously as he kept watch for the Sontaran
"Meaning the Sontaran's didn't come here by accident." She said slowly
"So, we're in a little bit of trouble then if we're caught." He deduced
She didn't say anything for a moment as she connected the dots.
"This is a trap." She finally said "They've landed here deliberately for some purpose."
"They wanted us here." He grabbed her arm "We have to get back to the car. This is too big for us Sarah."
"Hang on." She brushed him off "If we can just sabotage a few pieces of equipment."
"Sarah!" he hissed
"Desist female." an unfamiliar voice commanded and the pair froze. They turned and saw the Sontaran "Step away from my ship."
They put their hands up and stepped away from the ship.
"What do you want from my ship?" he asked, keeping his gun trained on them
"We were just curious." She shrugged "We wanted to know why you were here."
"I crashed here." He said simply
"That's not what we've found." Harry replied
"Silence!" he fired a warning shot behind them and they both flinched "You have no business knowing my plans."
"I'm afraid it is." She disagreed "This is our world and if you have any intentions of war towards it then we have to stop you."
"You?" he sneered "Primitive planet and a primitive people."
"We know enough to know you're a Sontaran." Harry bit back
"The fact you know my species shows nothing." He dismissed "You have no means of weapons to defend yourself, so you are no threat." He waved his gun "Move!"
The pair turned and walked the way that the Sontaran had pointed.
"Now what?" Harry whispered quietly
"We keep walking." She said quietly in return "We might learn something."
"Like what he's doing here." Harry suggested
She simply nodded in reply. As they rounded a corner the Sontaran commanded them to stop.
"Sit." He commanded again "Against the wall."
They did as they were told, trying not to anger their newest enemy and give him any cause to shot them. He moved them as far apart as possible.
"What do you want with us?" Sarah enquired, having her hands wrenched from behind her head and attached to manacles on the wall, before giving Harry's wrists and ankles the same treatment with manacles that were chained lower on the wall
"You will make interesting specimens." He responded turning away from them and fiddling with one a set of panels on his wrist
"Specimens?" Harry didn't like the sound of that
"For experimentation." He answered, pressing a button on his wrist and a force field appeared around them "That should keep you out of my way for a while." He sniggered and walked away.
Thanks for reading and please review