Chapter Thirty
"Do you think we should knock?" Sarah asked as she found herself suddenly nervous. These were her friends, she chided herself. The decision was taken out of their hands as the door opened and revealed Kate Lethbridge-Stewart. "Kate?" Sarah questioned. The last time she'd seen Kate was at her birthday party many years ago when she was a child. She could see both of her parents represented in Kate's good looks.
Kate was in a state of shock. The Doctor had told her that Sarah Jane had regenerated and looked younger but seeing that she looked barely twenty was shocking. She couldn't help herself as she reached forward and embraced Sarah. "It's so good to see you again Sarah Jane. I may call you Sarah Jane?"
"Of course." Sarah answered as Kate moved to the side and standing in front of Sarah were a row of men standing at attention. From left to right were the Brigadier, Harry, Benton and Mike Yates, each with a very non-soldier like smile on their faces. Sarah saluted the Brigadier before wrapping her arms around him. She could feel the frailty in his body which saddened her but she was determined not to show it.
Then she hugged Harry. He too had changed a good bit since they'd last been together, his hair was now mostly silver with a tiny bit of dark peppering in. "Oh Harry, I've missed you!"
"I've missed you too old thing." he answered with a smile.
"I've warned you about calling me old thing." she replied with a mock anger.
Sergeant Benton or is it," she looked over the medals on his chest before continuing, "Admiral Benton now?"
"Yes Miss Admiral Benton." He couldn't help but fall back to those early Unit days when he spoke to her.
She hugged him with all her strength. "I missed you Serge…Admiral." she said while smiling up at him.
"I missed you too Miss." He'd been warned that Sarah would look younger after her regeneration but this was almost unbelievable.
"And Captain, no not Captain but," she looked over Mike Yates chest and went on, "I don't recognize your insignias."
"Inspector General Miss." he said with pride. After Sarah Jane had slipped away from them, he'd gone back to his Unit roots and worked his way quickly up the ranks.
"Well Inspector General Mike Yates, I've missed you." She hugged him as well.
"We have all missed you Miss." he said blushing.
Sarah heard a champagne cork popping and turned to see Benton trying to catch the overflowing contents of the bottle in several glasses that Kate was holding. The Doctor took two glasses and gave one to Sarah. As soon as everyone had a glass the Brigadier held his up, prompting everyone to join him. "To Sarah Jane Smith, we welcome home one of our own." Sarah's eyes welled up with tears. "And to the Doctor for letting nothing stop him in his quest to bring Sarah Jane as well as the Alphans and Earth's Moon back home." As one everyone in the room said, "Here, here."
Harry was the first to comment. "I say old thi…sorry, Sarah Jane but you have gone rather native haven't you?" he said pointing to her Alphan uniform.
"Well Harry," she began in the cocky way she used to when he began to grate on her nerves, "the only clothes I had on the Tardis were from the seventies," she looked over at the Doctor and continued, "and while I know the Tardis has an extensive wardrobe room I would like to get some new things for myself, if that's all right with you Harry Sullivan." She turned her attention back to Harry again.
"Well of course I was just…" Harry started.
The Brigadier cleared his throat putting an end to the bickering. It was like the 1970's all over again with those two. The only thing missing was the Doctor's incredibly long scarf. "Miss. Smith I know you're probably wondering about your belongings." He stepped back with the assistance of his cane took a seat and with the wave of his hand indicated that everyone else should too. "The things from your original apartment are being kept in storage at a Unit facility till you wish to collect them. The house you had as Elisabeth Baker and all of its contents are exactly as you left them. We have someone checking the house every few days and cleaning it every two weeks. It will be ready for you to do whatever you wish with when you're ready."
"Thank you so much Brigadier. I can't believe you held onto everything for so long. But how did you know I'd be back?" she asked incredulously.
In reply the Brigadier simply stared at the Doctor. He knew that as long as breath were in his lungs, the Doctor would do whatever it took to get his Sarah back. He looked back at Sarah and asked, "How are you? I'm aware that the plan the Doctor and you had worked and you regenerated, but how are you?" True, he did think of Sarah as a member of Unit be also felt as if she were a long lost daughter and he worried about her.
Sarah was touched; she could read between the lines and not only hear but feel the sentiment in the Brigadier's question. "Really, I'm fine. I won't lie. I'm a little bit tired but with everything we've been through recently, who wouldn't be?" She looked over at the Doctor who was looking concerned at this revelation from her. "Don't look at me like that Doctor. I'm fine, just tired mainly because I'm starving. So do you have anything to eat around here at this fancy new Unit?" she laughed while rubbing her stomach.
"Let's go to the mess hall and see what we can find." Kate said mysteriously which elicited a big smile from everyone at the table.
As the group walked down the hallway, Sarah was looking out the window. The windows were located in the rear of the building and she could see the Valiant in the distance, her doors open and the steps empty. "The Valiant is already here and they've disembarked?" she asked.
"Yes, a trip to the Moon is now like a shuttle ride. Just a few minutes travel time. I believe everyone should be finishing up with the physicals very soon." The group entered the elevator and Kate pressed the button marked B2.
The Doctor squeezed Sarah's hand. He'd been mostly quiet so that Sarah could receive the attention he knew their friends wanted to give her and if he were to be honest with himself, he was watching her for any side effects from the regeneration. He decided that when all was said and done, he still wanted her to spend some time in the Zero Room on the Tardis.
"You're awfully quiet." she commented softly. This regeneration didn't seem to have the propensity for hearing himself talk as his other regenerations had. But she felt that something was on his mind. But after all they'd been through; she decided she wouldn't borrow trouble and just enjoy the day.
"Just enjoying being with you." he whispered in her ear. They exchanged a quick smile as the doors opened.
The multitude of smells coming from the room hit the group like a bomb. Sarah had never in her life been so overwhelmed with the scent of such delicious foods to say nothing of the variety of foods, in all her life. There were hundreds of tables set up in a massive room that was big enough to land the Valiant in. At the front of the tables, set up cafeteria style was every type of prepared food, bread, vegetable, dessert and fruit that you could imagine. Specialties from all over the world were featured. "This is incredible." Sarah commented, her mouth now watering.
"We brought in the best chefs from all over the world. They've been cooking all night to be ready for today. We wanted to make sure that everyone was happy when they sat down to eat with their friends and family." She looked at her watch and then checked her phone. "I was just notified that the reunions are beginning as the Alphans leave their physicals. That means that they'll start arriving here any moment now." She quickly typed into her phone. "Just making sure we have greeters at the doors." She placed the phone back in her jacket pocket and said, "Let's go get something to eat and sit down."
"I'm all for that." Sarah said as she walked away from the group leaving them all laughing.
Soon the room was filled with the Alphans, their families and friends. Laughing and nonstop conversations filled the room. It seemed that no matter how much food was being consumed, the endless varieties were quickly replaced. Kate looked around and was pleased with her efforts. It was impossible to keep the people of the Earth in the dark concerning the Alphans return, but she was careful to keep exactly where they were being kept a secret, though by now anyone watching the Valiant would have already figured out the Alphans location. She felt her phone vibrate and looked down. She had been right. According to her security force there was a multitude of reporters waiting outside the gate with the crowds getting larger by the minute.
"Problem?" the Doctor asked as he watched Kate tense up.
"No, not really, the reporters are gathering outside hoping to talk to the Alphans." She answered.
"And are they going to talk to the reporters?" he asked.
"It's kind of a touchy situation." Kate answered as she watched everyone at her table take interest in their conversation. "In the Alphans next meeting scheduled after lunch they're to be debriefed and reminded of the privacy agreement they signed before they were assigned to Moonbase Alpha. I'm sure a large number of them will be moving to the private sector for employment and I'm hoping that won't affect…"
"Their ability to keep their mouths shut." the Doctor finished for her as she struggled to find a nice way to put the sentiment.
"Exactly, we wouldn't want them creating panic among those that are…"
"Are playing with less than a full deck." the Doctor finished her sentence again with a smile.
"Doctor!" Sarah admonished him.
"What? Sometimes and granted not all, but there are times Sarah that your race tends to be a little dangerous with too much knowledge. Is that what you were trying to say Kate?"
"In a roundabout way Doctor, I…" Her phone vibrated again and she looked down. "I need to make a few announcements. Will you all please excuse me?" She rose and left the table heading for the podium that had been set up in the front of the room.
"You must be proud Brigadier." the Doctor commented.
"Very Doctor, I'd be proud if she weren't my daughter. Do you know she organized this whole thing by herself? I'm not sure I could have done as well." he said with great pride.
"I can't believe she's so grown up." Sarah commented. "It seems like just yesterday she was ten years old and playing games at her birthday party." As the waiter took her plate away Sarah blew out a little breath, she couldn't believe the amount of food she'd consumed. As she looked around her, she could see her fellow Alphans were eating as much if not more than she was.
"Sarah Jane would you like some more?" Harry asked her. He still couldn't believe how young she looked. It saddened him in a way. He was always secretly in love with her and wondered if he had a chance…someday. Now someday had arrived and not only was she back with the Doctor but she had a chance to live her youth over again. That advantage was one he would never experience.
Sarah felt and looked a little green. She realized she'd overindulged. "No thank you. I think I more than made up for my absence from real food. I think I probably won't eat again for…" It was then that a waiter arrived at the table with a large platter laden with several kinds of fudge that he placed in the center of the table. Without hesitation, Sarah reached forward and took a piece of the dark chocolate walnut fudge and took a bite. The look of pure contentment on her face made everyone at the table laugh.
As soon as she swallowed a bite she asked, "What?" Her face was a mask of pure innocence. They all laughed again and she shrugged her shoulders, rolled her eyes, leaned back in her chair and continued to enjoy eating the candy. She used to dream of chocolate on Alpha. She was never someone who sought it out but when it was gone, she missed it. She could hear the Doctor, the Brigadier, Harry and Benton chattering on about something but for this minute in time she just wanted to eat this piece of candy.
"Excuse me, if I could have everyone's attention please." Kate stated at the podium. "I hope everyone has had a good lunch." With that there were countless whoops and whistles. She put her hands up to attempt to regain control. "I'm glad you liked everything. I know everyone would like to go home with your friends and family but I'm afraid we have a few more things to take care of. In about twenty minutes I need all Alphans to report to their designated coordinators. As you leave the room, you will tell the soldier at the door your name and he will direct you to the room where your coordinator awaits. The reason for this is twofold. First you will be debriefed and I realize you have spent years in space and that a thorough debriefing could take days. This will be a…"
"Brief debriefing." Alan Carter shouted out, eliciting laughter all over the room.
"Exactly and then your coordinator will speak with you about monetary compensation and speak with you about your future plans if you have any. They will answer any questions you may have and if you think of something after you leave here, you will be given contact information. You will each be given a cell phone that has your advisor's phone number preinstalled in the contacts list on the phone. You can contact them day and night with any questions. If you need housing, your advisor can also help you with that. Your families and friends that are here with us are welcome to wait on you to finish with your meetings. There are reporters outside the gates but we hope for now you will ignore them and give yourself time to acclimate to being back on Earth. I know that each of your governments are waiting to give you a hero's welcome back. We at Unit are no different. We hope you have enjoyed your meal and we appreciate your indulgence while we help you with the practicalities of returning to Earth. We are grateful for each and every one of you. Welcome home Alphans!" she finished with a glowing smile. Cheers and applause could be heard from all the tables.
Back at the table, the Brigadier commented proudly to the Doctor as Kate approached the table, "She does me proud Doctor." When the Doctor didn't reply he followed the Doctor's gaze. Sarah Jane was leaning her head on her right arm. He'd noticed that she was listening to Kate's speech that way, and didn't think anything of it. But on closer examination it was clear to see that Sarah Jane was asleep, sound asleep.
Kate smiled as she approached the table seeing that Sarah was asleep. She motioned for a soldier who brought a bag over to her. She'd already decided that Sarah wouldn't need to attend the meeting the Alphans would attend. Sarah was family and knew how everything worked at Unit. She'd already arranged for a cell phone, contact information for an advisor, a bank book, credit cards, the location of the belongings from her apartment and two sets of keys, one for her house and one for her car to be placed in a bag for her to use whenever she wanted. She handed the bag to the Doctor. "This is basically what the Alphans are receiving and her keys for her house and car. Would you like some help?" When she said that, all the men rose from the table.
"No." he smiled. I think the regeneration and the excitement of the day finally caught up with her.
John, Helena, Victor, Tony, Maya and Alan approached the table. They'd been sitting together and made the unanimous decision to come over and make arrangement to stay in touch with the Doctor and Sarah Jane. Helena leaned in and whispered, "Is she all right?"
"I think everything just caught up with her." the Doctor whispered back.
"We all wanted to say thank you again Doctor. Helena and I were wondering if there was a way we could keep in contact." John said as he slid his arm around Helena's waist and pulled her closer. "We were hoping you both would attend our wedding."
"Congratulations Commander," he said quietly as he reached forward and shook John's hand, "and you as well Dr. Russell." He also shook her hand. "I'm very happy for you."
"We were talking," Tony Verdeschi began, "and we'd all like to keep in touch."
"I know you'll probably be leaving soon," Maya began, "so how will we be able to keep in touch?" She knew the pair could be anywhere or anytime, literally so she wanted to find out before they disappeared from their lives. So far her time on Earth had been wonderful but it would be nice to have access to another alien who could understand the difficulties of being with someone who wasn't like herself. She imagined that the Doctor had to have dealt with this many times in the past.
The Doctor understood exactly what Maya was asking and he could understand. Besides, it would be good for Sarah to keep her friends. "Kate?" he asked.
"I just gave the Doctor a bag containing all the information you'll be given. One of the things in the bag is a phonebook of sorts. I've listed everyone's name and the phone number of the cell phone you'll be given. I know that all of you have shared a great deal and will want to stay in touch."
Sarah laid her arm down on the table and placed her head on it, sound asleep. "Kate, everyone this has been great." the Doctor said softly. "But I need to get sleeping beauty here back to the Tardis."
"Please thank her for me." Victor said as he looked at her. "I hope I have the opportunity to see both of you again.
The Doctor looked up to see that Sarah's Alphan friends were sincere in their wish to see them again. So many races had said that to him in his lifetime. But the cost of knowing him was usually too great. Most were grateful for his intervention in their lives but didn't want to remember what it had cost them. The Alphans were different. They understood that sometimes freedom came with rules, rules you had to follow for the greater good. He decided then and there that Sarah and he would definitely see them again. "You will Professor. I guarantee that, you will. I'll have her get in contact with you all as soon as she can. Goodnight."
They all replied with a quiet goodnight and the Doctor bent down and scooped Sarah up in his arms as he'd done countless times in the past. Sarah was so deeply asleep that she never stirred. He carried her through the halls, retracing his steps till he reached the Tardis. A soldier had been stationed across from his beloved box and the Doctor whispered to him, "Do me a favor and reach in my right jacket pocket and pull out that key." The guard did as he was instructed and held the key out. "Now put it in the lock and turn it then put it back in my pocket."
The guard followed his directions and stepped back at attention. He'd been told the Doctor was one of the higher ups, possibly the highest in command at Unit so he didn't want to take any chances.
The Doctor rolled his eyes. "Thank you all the same, but that's not necessary." he said as he carried Sarah through the doorway and used his foot once inside to close the door. He carried her up the metal ramp and unclenched his arm dropping the bag Kate had given him to give to Sarah on the seat. Then they traveled through the hallway opening before going the short distance to the Zero Room. The Tardis had placed an opulent white bed inside in preparation for Sarah as well as a comfortable white chair. "So you knew we'd end up in here." he stated quietly to the Tardis. He laid her on the bed and removed her Alphan issued boots before spreading the plush blanket over her that was at the foot of the bed. He bent over and kissed her forehead and whispered, "Welcome home my Sarah."
He quietly left the room and patted the door. As he returned to the console room he told the Tardis, "Just going to take you to Cardiff where you can absorb some rift energy. The lights in the room changed intensity going to soft before returning to their regular intensity. "I know that nuclear waste made you sick but that's all over now and we have our Sarah back." The lights flashed again. "I'm going to the library and grab a book then sit with Sarah, keep an eye on her till I get back." With that the Doctor disappeared into the depths of the Tardis.