Disclaimer: I do not own anything Doctor Who except my OC's. I've tried abducted her and are trying to get her to sign herself over, but so far all we're getting is some custard biscuit and jelly babies.

A/N: The last chapter 36, I wasn't quite happy with it so I edited it and change a lot of it, with hope probably it's a bit better. It's an obvious reason how this chapter is a bit harder to write and I do hope the changes give a bit boost and not be bored because this is really a bit too much and too long. I still hated this chapter, because I gamble a lot in this one and I am honestly a bit scared on the whole change, so I hoped that it is fine. Seriously, I'm a bit scared for this chapter but I guess sometimes you gotta face your fear :)

Like the same on the last chapter.

There's some of the dialogue come from my favorite Doctor Who books.

I don't know about you guys, soo!

Onto the story!

Chapter 36

Then He is Right

Sam Piper walked out slowly with Sarah Jane trying and carefully putting back K-9 into her car, he tried not to think about whatever is the effect that weird chips he's been eating his entire school life going to do to him, he really tried. But the look the Doctor gave him, didn't give him any reassurance at all. He looked back towards the chips shop and saw the Doctor and Mickey strode out, those two close enough to be within earshot but also far enough to not be noticed. His looked didn't change, although it softens a bit but the familiar dangerous looked didn't change, which made him become more uneasy, feeling something dangerous was happening to him.

"You alright?" Sarah Jane asked.

He merely nodded, although Sarah Jane didn't look convinced.

"So how did you get K-9?" Sam asked as he helped Sarah Jane slide back K-9 back into the boot.

"He belongs to the Doctor, he loves to travel with an entourage," Sarah Jane explained. "Sometimes they're humans, sometimes they're aliens, and sometimes they're the tin dogs."

"Huh. Is that mean I could be the tin dog?" Sam asked her.

Sarah Jane patted him as she smiled with amusement. "You're not Sam, I like to think that man Mickey Smith is the tin dog. He's their man in Havana, technical support, so made him the tin dog."

"I guess so."

"What's the matter?"

"Nothing. It's just-" Sam sighed, and rubbed his temple. His head suddenly throbbing as the words that were told by the man still echoed to him. "It's nothing."

Sarah Jane looked at her completely not convince there's something the boy was not telling her, nor telling the Doctor in that matter. Of course he probably scared, whatever that Krillitane oil do, it's now going to affect him, and he's scared. She gave him a small smiled and brushed the boy back gently, trying to comfort him.

0o0

The Doctor pushed open the chip's shop door and stepped out into the night air, a sense of relief filling him at having managed to escape the chips shops and it surely followed with a dread filling him, all the problem going on towards him, filling his head was not helping him thinking of what to do next. It was helping at all when Mr. Rickey Smith pushed through the door next and moving after him with an obvious question he didn't want to even answer.

"How many of us have there been traveling with you?" Mickey demanded to know.

"Shouldn't UNIT has all the records?" the Doctor retorted still walking, carrying the hope that he could still escape the conversation Mickey evidently wanted to have.

"Yeah it does," Mickey insisted stubbornly, "How many did you leave like Sarah Jane? Or even died like Rose?"

The Doctor paused in his stride and spun to face him. "You're playing a dangerous game Mickey Smith."

"Dangerous? You're the one who are gambling on dangerous decision here," Mickey retorted. He had enough of this arrogant sod. "Sam would just be the latest in a long line of your latest companion, and you left him here. Is that what you're going to do to him? Oh, wait, you did. Probably that's why you accepted my help, you want to what? Apologize, trying to get him back travel with you?"

"No, that's not why I want to help you and you know this!" the Doctor denied instantly. "And the reason why I take him back is none of your business, meeting him today was just a little something that was unexpected."

"Oh that's rich comin' from you." Mickey sneered. "What's the reason then? Got a bit bored with him, just like Sarah Jane."

"Because if I kept on traveling with him, I will take away his innocent and childhood," the Doctor snapped in anger. "Is that the answer you're looking for Agent Smith?"

"You finally come to your senses then. That's great." Mickey responded sarcastically. "Why didn't you realize that when you travel with Rose?"

"Mickey." the Doctor warned.

"What I don't understand is," Mickey continued, his arms over his chest as he continued to glare at him. "You were that close to Sarah Jane once, but you left her, and now you don't even mention her, as if she was just another person who travelled with you. Why did you never mention her?"

"I don't age." the Doctor explained, his lip quivering. "I regenerate. But humans decay." He swallowed, his eyes held prepressed tears of his own. "You wither and you died. Imagine watching that happen to someone who you-" He broke off abruptly, unable to finish his sentence.

"Love, Doctor?" Mickey asked.

He stilled, and glanced over at Sam and Sarah Jane who was talking amicably. He swallowed, tearing his gaze away, trying to signalled Mickey to stopped.

"She was always too good for me," Mickey said suddenly, "Didn't deserve her, I didn't know there was something better out there and she'd realize it in the end. I just had to make the most of every day I got. I mean, I was angry when she went off with you. Angry with you, but angry with her too, angry that she'd seen through me at last. Realized I was a loser and she was a winner. But I didn't mind, not in the end. Because she deserved more than me. She deserved someone who could giver he the whole universe." The sorrow in his voice turned anger. "But you got her killed.

"I know." the Doctor said, and it was as if hating himself wasn't enough.

"You got her killed and I'll never see her again! Jackie will never see her again! She thought she wanted danger and excitement-but you could have stopped her! She wasn't a-a Time Lord, she was just an ordinary girl and you got her killed."

"Rose wasn't ordinary," the Doctor said. He stopped sounding angry at himself, directed it at Mickey instead. "What was I supposed to do? Wrap her in cotton wool? Tell her 'Here, I could give you the universe, but I'm not going to in case you get hurt? There's all this stuff out there, all these planets, all these wonders, but I want you to stay at home and work in a shop?"

Mickey grabbed his shirt and yelled. "You should have taken better care of her!"

The Doctor shouted back. "I know! Do you really think there are no days where I wonder if I could do something about her? To save her life." He pushed him away clearly furious. "You think I never thought of her every single day of my life." His hands tightened to a fists, as his heart clenched in his chest. "Because this is what happens Agent Smith, I never forget about her, never forget those who I lost, as they all screaming in my head. If I could save them all I would but I can't, I wish I could but I can't. I just can't! Do you want to know why? Because that's my curse, my curse after I murdered them all, ruin them all. Curse of a lonely Time Lord!"

Before Mickey could respond, there was a loud shrill screech came from the roof top, distracting the two from their conversation and catching the attention of the two that were by Sarah Jane's car.

"Time Lord!" Mr. Finch hissed.

The Krillitane on the roof screeched and swooped through the air, diving towards them, and Sarah Jane gasped as the beast swooped down at them. She ducked as pulling Sam down, and they all ducked as it simply swept above them, flying off into the night with another angry screech. They all stared after it, relieved and curious on what's going on.

"Was that a Krillitane?" Sarah Jane asked as the two hurried over to Mickey and the Doctor.

"But it didn't even touch them?" Mickey said, confused. "It just flew off. What did it do that for?" He asked, clearly surprised that it hadn't made more of an effort to harm them as they all watched it fly off.

"Someone's sending a message," the Doctor said darkly.

0o0

Sarah Jane Smith attic was the largest room in the house, and served as her home office and clearly base of operations. Several photographs hung there; among were her pictures of her youth and adventure such as her picture with the cape Doctor, and the long scarf Doctor with Harry, the Brigadier, and Benton. There were many bookcases in the house, as Sarah was an avid reader and loved to collect books; it also contained a telescope and a chair for stargazing.

In the attic, of course there were a lot of alien objects or knick-knacks of her adventure. Some of them were gifts, others Sarah Jane kept safe from aliens who wanted to use them to take over Earth, and the Doctor would recognize lots of them from their time together. On the desk, Sarah Jane document, papers are works stack there with her computer nearby. Those are the things the Doctor observed as he was waiting the result of Sam's blood check. He saw the boy curled up on the sofa fast asleep with the blanket that was given by Sarah; he walked over and brushed a hair of the boy softly, thinking it was a long night and he must be tired until he looked up and saw his former companion gave him a small knowing smile.

"What?" the Doctor asked.

"Never saw you behave this way before." Sarah Jane replied.

"Behave what way?"

Sarah Jane only shrugged.

Before the Doctor could responded even further, the machine beeped noticing Sam's blood sample are done being checked on. He walked over the machine and put on his glasses as he read over the computer for the result. His prediction was right; Sam's blood level has a strong amount of Krillitane's oil, he looked over the sleeping boy and the result as his jaw clenched. But there's something that bother him, if this the amount of oil were inside Sam's, then why would he didn't get sick such as the other student. He needed to wake the boy again.

"Doctor, what's wrong?" Sarah Jane asked, as she saw him walked over to the sofa.

"I need to wake him up, there's something not right," the Doctor told them. He walked over and shake the boy lightly. "Sam, wake up. I need to check something." He whispered to him.

"Huh?" the boy woke up groggily, clearly still tired.

"I'm sorry, but I need to check on something," the Doctor told him, as he tried to sat the boy up facing him while he grabbed the sonic from his pocket. He pointed it directly at the boy as Sam tried to bat it away, clearly bothered by the sound. "I know, you're tired. But I'll just be quick. There!" He stopped to see the result.

"Well?"

"Same with the result, his blood full of Krillitane's oil but I don't understand," the Doctor said. He glanced towards the boy. "He should've be sick. Really sick."

"Just like other children." Sarah Jane piped in. "But how was he not sick?"

"Extra class." Mickey Smith suddenly said, making the two of them turned their heads to him. He walked inside the attic. "Sam Piper weren't list in the special extra class Finch created when he became principal."

Sarah Jane grabbed over one of the paper files and looked at Mickey. "He's right. How do you know about this?"

"I've been a teacher there for a few months and the teacher would always have talked about him being one of the clever student who was not on the special class," Mickey told them. He folded his arms. "They also said the student who joined and being kicked the extra class would have looked tired and drowsy, the next day they would be sick."

"We need to get back inside that school tomorrow," the Doctor announced as he ruffled his hair and looked at them. "I need to see whatever that extra class doing, there's possibility it connected with the oil they feed in the children."

"What, you're gonna meet up with Mr. Finch or somethin'?" Mickey asked him.

"Well, we met his friends, why not them all?" the Doctor shrugged as he told them. He gave them a huge grin.

0o0

The Doctor stepped out into the cool evening. The night breeze carried the scent of roses from the next door, car exhaust from the street, the peculiar tang that precluded an English rain. Glancing over his shoulder, he watched lights in two of the upstairs rooms go out. Everyone safe and sound in bed. Mickey had nearly been dragged upstairs by Sarah Jane, as he insisted to go home in the middle of the night with works reasons related. A small smile flickered across the Doctor's lips, it had been good of Sarah Jane to offer him a room for the night, but he had slept for three hours the night before, and at the moment he wasn't remotely tired.

Hands in his trouser pockets, the Doctor strolled into his friend's small garden, glancing up at the sky. The bright moon hung above, tipping three branches and rooftops in silver. Orion was out, and if he squinted he could just make out the off blue colour of a nebulae in the old fellow's sword, twinkling just like another star from this vantage point. In just a bit, Andromeda was going to come into view. He'd have to find a decent seat to watch it from.

"Don't you ever get bored watching the stars?" Sarah Jane voice greeted him.

He turned around and smiled. "Never. Parts of the deal of travelling the universe, seeing the stars. Parts of the good thing too," he muttered the last one as he cast his head towards the sky again.

Sarah Jane looked at him and smiled. She sighed and stretched a bit. "Well, if you're planning to stay here, I'll better put on the kettle. It's a bit cold tonight, and I thought you'll enjoy a cuppa?"

"Yes please," the Doctor glanced at her. "Er… anything I can lend a hand with? Maybe? Possibly?" His eyes were large and hopeful.

"It's only a tea, I don't think I would need any help," Sarah Jane told him. She saw him fidgeted a bit. "But if you want, I'll be happy to have your help."

The Doctor's face brightened. "Right! Your wish is my command."

Sarah Jane stifled a chuckled. "You never would have said that in your other body. In fact, I don't think you would do any of this in your other body."

"Ah, well, I grew out of being pompous. No real point in it, is there?" the Doctor shrugged as he told her. He walked over and closed the door, not wanting to let the cold wind get inside the house as he continued, "I know how good I am, I don't need to go acting high and mighty about it."

They made their way inside the kitchen, Sarah Jane went straight to the kettle and setting it up. Pouring water inside as the Doctor helped her by looking around, scanning for tea from the upper cupboard and searching for the tea that would fit their mood this evening. He grabbed the Earl Grey, locking it as it final decision and placed it down table.

For a moment, they worked in companionable silence.

"Sarah?"

"Yes?"

"How'd you like your life so far?" the Doctor asked. "You know, after your days traveling with me."

She glanced back at him, eyebrows rising. "Why do you ask? Is it because what I said earlier, it's nothing Doctor, I'm just-"

"No!" the Doctor stopped her. "It's just me asking. I mean, how do you like your job? You doing well with it? Any bad college or annoying partner?"

She considered a moment, her adventure with the Doctor was brilliantly amazing but after that, her life so far was surprisingly still brilliantly amazing and quite challenging too for women her age. She's been investigating stories that other journalist would like to avoided, still sticking her nose where she wasn't suppose too, and of course saving people in the process. Her life was just fine, with or without the Doctor. Now she felt a bit rubbish after what she said to him earlier in the chip shop; but guess it would be natural to miss this daft man, especially with all the trouble magnet he is, and the worried thought of one day she would never see him again.

In the final moment, she gave him a genuine smile. "I've been doing great Doctor, just like you said I would. Still investigating, still being nosy me and pocking things where I shouldn't, and still having adventures." Sarah told him.

"That's brilliant, it's just you were great with the investigation and can even talk with Sam. What do you think of him? the Doctor asked. He shuffled awkwardly.

"He's brilliant, clever and quite curious. He knows I'm not here for just interviewing the principal the moment I talked to him." Sarah Jane told him. She frowned at him. "What brought this out?"

"Oh, it's just-"

"Are you worried about him?"

"Maybe. Possibly. Oh, who am I kidding. Yes, quite worried." the Doctor ran his fingers through his hair, sighing. "When I travel with him, every ruled I ever have and every experience I have had just got thrown out of the window." He turned away, talking as he grabbed some milk from the fridge. "He's quite bright, quick, so clever, yet he's just a child. He's just a child with such innocent that it scares me." He dropped the milk on the counter with an audible 'thunk'.

Sarah Jane smiled. "Sounds like every people you met then."

"Every companion I had can take care of themselves, they're a grown adult; some even warriors and aliens. In the first sign of trouble, I trust them to get out of trouble on themselves, and can well and care from themselves if they go sauntering off; they have had their shared of cruel reality." the Doctor told her. His voice sounded scared, quicken as he continued. "But he is untouched innocent child and, I tend to worried, it become even worse when every single place we go there's always trouble and he would always be in danger, and I want him safe, but I can't be sure to keep him that way." He sighed and ruffled his hair nervously. "Sometimes I think he's a bit of a burden, and it was a mistake to take him with me."

"Is that what you felt about us? We're all your regret." Sarah Jane pointed out. "Because I assured you Doctor, when we travel with you, it's based on our choices and if-"

"No, Sarah I know, it's I-" the Doctor glanced down, closing his eyes, his voiced grim. "The last person who travelled with me, it didn't end well. It never ends well and guess I was scared, that Sam would bare the same faith with-" He stopped, can't seem to finished that sentence, can't even said her name.

Sarah Jane sighed and shot the Time Lord a look. "For a brilliant man, Doctor, at times you can be uncommonly lacking in intelligence. Pull out a few teacups. That cupboard, on your left."

The Doctor frowned, opening the cupboard. "All right, what do you see from your point of view, then?"

"That something's bothering him. From what I see, Sam's hurt, and keeping it to himself. I don't know what happened between you two or how did it go when you dropped him off back home. He's confused, yet he's trying to covering it up." Sarah Jane told her. She pours a tea in one of the mug and glanced at him, "I'm surprised you haven't noticed. You'd pick that up better than I."

"In some ways," the Doctor said as he tugged his ears. "Sam hasn't been easy to read. I can't see anything from his expression, and he's a bloody good of an actor, unless I do a bit of prying which can either go brilliantly or worse."

"But don't you see it in the way he moves? The way he interacts with you?" Sarah Jane asked. "Did anything even slightly bothering you?"

The Doctor shrugged. "All he lets me see is how happy he is traveling with me. Even when I told him that it's time for him to go back home, he didn't even fuss." He set down two of the teacups, and glanced down studying the pattern of the china in his hands. "He didn't even put up a fight."

Sarah Jane took the cup, glancing up at him. His eyes, now that she got a good look at them, seemed so much older than she remembered.

"Then look closer Doctor. Because you're missing something."

0o0

Sam hit the ground with a solid thud. He sat up, sobbing and kicking at the heavy blankets that was restricting his movement. All he can felt was a pair of familiar feeling of hands grabbing his neck and that made him can't breathe. He closes his eyes as he felt tears sting his eyes, heart pounding so fast he feared they would burst through his chest. He tries to take a deep breath, trying to calm himself but it's stuck in his throat, and he can't help letting out a broken sob; clutching to his chest, he felt his air way tighten and quickly try to searched his jacket.

Looking around the room, he spotted his jacket near one of the chair in the room; trying to get up, he stumbles as his bare feet hits the floor. In one quick movement, he grabbed his jacket and searched for his inhaler inside his pocket and quickly pressed down the top button, breathing in the air that was released. Instantly, he felt quite better and sat up straight; feeling a shiver of the side effect from the inhaler progress through his body.

Sam swallowed the sobs threatening to spill over the surface, he tried to decide whether he should get back to bed but the fear of having the same nightmare made him not that eager going back. Silently, he crept across the rest of the room and pulled open the bedroom door, to reveal the darkness of the night outside. He began tiptoe downstairs, clutching the bannister and slowly made his way downstairs.

He then spotted the kitchen light were turned on and there was shadows inside while there's two familiar voice that belong to Sarah Jane and the Doctor, probably chatting for lost time and exchanging stories, he even heard the kettle of being boiled. For a moment he almost turned away not wanting to bothered them, until he heard words the he was familiar with that spoken by the figure he familiar with.

"Sometimes I think he's a bit of a burden, and it was a mistake to take him with me."

Oh.

Of course.

Clutching his left arm harshly, he carefully got back to his room and closed the door quietly as he made his way to the bed. Memories of people telling him the same words came back to him as he sat up and stared blankly at the ceiling. In all his time growing up, he would change houses quite often; there would either an issue where the family would think they can't take care of him anymore, or just plain reject him.

He tried of course, he tried so hard to be a good boy, to be not seen nor heard, having good grades, behave great, and never talk back to the adults who would take care of him. But the case would always the same, some of them would just plain harsh and treated him poorly, and others would treat him better but then reject him behind his back and think it's better to hide it from him and yet he ended up know about it. For some reasons, no matter how he would be treated, the result would be the same; he doesn't belong there, he's just an outsider who was bothering them in their peace.

Guess he could add an alien from out of space in his list of people who confirmed.

He's just a mistake.

So yeah!

I don't know about you guys, but I think this is a bit too long and too much.

I'm so sorry.

And thank you for your patients!

Please review.