Chapter Thirty One
Sarah stretched, her body feeling fully rested. Even before she opened her eyes, the sounds and vibrations that were like second nature to her allowed her feel exactly where she was. She was home. She was in the Tardis. With a big smile on her face she opened her eyes expecting to be in her room. She took in the huge pure white room and frowned. Where was she? She caught a movement from the corner of her eye and looked to her left to find the Doctor watching her in an equally pure white chair.
The Doctor smiled. "Good morning! How did you sleep?"
"It feels like I've slept years." She stretched again and asked, "What time is it?"
"It's ten in the morning from your perspective." he smiled broadly.
"I did sleep late." Sarah looked around her.
"Actually it's ten in the morning, three days later."
"What?" Sarah struggled to get from under the blanket.
"Whoa! Don't panic Sarah. You were fresh off your regeneration and your body needed the rest." He stood and placed his hands in the air and slowly spun around. "This is the Zero Room. It helps your body and mind heal in the case of a difficult regeneration." he explained, hoping to put her mind at ease.
"But I didn't have a difficult regeneration." Sarah replied as she walked along the perimeter of the room.
"Sarah my love, the fact that you regenerated at all was the pure definition of a challenging regeneration to say the least." He watched her as she circled the room again reminding him of a caged tiger.
"How much longer will I have to stay in here?" she asked, sounding trapped and a little desperate.
"We can leave now." the Doctor said as he walked over to the door and opened it. He was surprised at how quickly Sarah was through the door. "You never used to be claustrophobic."
"I never was before." Sarah said as she walked ahead of him, attempting to find her way to her room.
The Doctor scrubbed at his head as he tried to figure out this new quirk to Sarah's personality. "Maybe it's the regeneration?" he offered.
"Maybe." Sarah answered and then stopped on a dime. "I promised some of my Alphan friends I'd call them the next day!"
"Don't worry." the Doctor said as he approached her holding up his hands.
"But…" Sarah tried, her face one of despair at the thought of letting her friends down.
The Doctor simply smiled and said, "We're in a time machine Sarah." He turned her to a hallway veering to the right. "First I want you to go to the wardrobe room and pick out something that's not from the nineteen seventies, go to your room and shower and change. Then I'll take us somewhere you can get a big breakfast and then, Rassilon help me, I'll take you shopping for all new clothes." he said as he looked up.
By this time they had reached the wardrobe room and Sarah had selected a blue long sleeve sweater and a pair of matching blue trousers. As Sarah passed him and began heading for her room, she said over her shoulder, "Oh no! The last time I went shopping with you, you made the poor merchant cry when you insulted him."
"All I said was, I thought he had some nerve to sell such shoddy craftsmanship at the price he was asking." the Doctor explained.
"It was a handmade sweater that he not only produced the wool himself but he carded the wool, spun it into yarn and knitted it himself by hand."
"I'm just saying…" the Doctor tried.
"Every time we've ever gone shopping together you have tried to talk down the price whether you had the money for it or not. Do you know how many different planets' markets we've been thrown out of? Besides, you hardly ever have money and I'll have to see someone about my old bank accounts."
The Doctor walked behind her and smiled. She always kept him on his toes, never letting him get away with anything. He looked up to see her standing by the door to her room staring at him. "On your bed you'll find a bag that has a cell phone, phone book for all your Alphan friends, financial stuff and other things. I didn't pay a lot of attention to all that Kate said was in it because I wanted to get you back to the Zero Room."
Sarah returned to his side and reached up and stroked his cheek. "Thank you for taking such good care of me and you know that I love you but there's absolutely no way I'm taking you shopping with me." She pulled him down and they kissed passionately.
Sarah walked back to her room and opened the door and after seeing the bag spilled its contents onto the bed. She picked up the phone and the words on the screen said she had one hundred sixty two texts. She looked at it confused. "What's a text?"
"From what I can gather, it's an abbreviated form of communication using mostly words. That's the way Kate explained it to me." the Doctor answered as he leaned against the door frame with his arms crossed. Kate said there was an advisor that you could meet with that will teach you how to use that."
"Yea, I see her number here. Maybe after breakfast and shopping I'll look into it." She looked up suddenly. "I'm sorry you're probably anxious to leave Earth. I can probably figure this out on my own." She looked down at all the things spread across her bed a bit overwhelmed.
"Nonsense." The Doctor walked over and turned her around. "Sarah Jane Smith, this is your home too. Your home and your travels, not just mine. I know you have things to do and I'm so grateful to be back with you that I don't care how long it takes you to shop, see your house, go through your things or attend your friends' weddings." He hugged her, completely enclosing her in his arms.
Sarah stuck her head up after a few minutes of enjoying being in the Doctor's embrace again. "Weddings? Who's getting married?"
"Well for one, the Commander and Dr. Russell and I imagine it won't be too long before Tony and Maya and then of course there's ours…" He knelt down on one knee and pulled out a majestic white diamond. It was a marquise cut, set in what appeared to be a platinum band. "Sarah Jane Smith will you marry me?"
Sarah wanted to ask about the Time Lords and what they might think of all of this but at this point in time she didn't really care. They had waited an eternity for their happy ending and if the Doctor was asking, she trusted that he wasn't worried about the Time Lords so why should she? "Yes, of course."
The Doctor slid the ring on her hand. It sparkled like no other stone Sarah had ever seen. She fell into his arms and they kissed. "We're really going to get married?" she asked when they finally looked up.
"We really are. I had planned to ask you that day on the beach on Narbania Minor." he answered. "Do you like the ring?" he asked as he watched it sparkle.
"The stone is so brilliant. I've never seen one like it before." she commented as she held it up to the light,
"You wouldn't have. It's a white point star. It's a type of diamond only found on Gallifrey." Knowing her natural curiosity he knew questions about Gallifrey would soon follow. Questions he wasn't ready to answer yet so he attempted to dissuade her inquisitiveness. He helped her to stand and then stood himself. "Do you know when you want to get married?"
"I need to get a dress." Sarah said as lists began to form in her head, her mind now totally focused on the wedding.
"So this afternoon?" the Doctor asked.
"You have to be kidding. Getting a wedding dress isn't like buying a dress off the rack. First you have to pick it out and that can take time, then there are the fittings where adjustments to the dress have to be made. Then there's flowers, food, where we're going to have the wedding and we have to invite all of our friends."
The Doctor looked crestfallen. He looked down at his own clothes. "Does this mean I can't get married in this?"
"You can get married in whatever you like." Sarah answered knowing this could be a huge mistake considering the Doctor's past fashion choices.
"But the traditional thing on your planet is a tux?" He pulled at a collar that wasn't there, his mind already anticipating the tight shirt collar.
"It's whatever you want. I leave it completely up to you. Why don't you contact the Brig, Harry or Benton? I'm sure they would be glad to help you. In the meantime my new ring and I will be taking a shower while you set coordinates for something delicious." Sarah stood on her tiptoes and kissed him. "I love you and can't wait to be your wife. I promise to move this wedding along as quickly as possible." Sarah heard the phone ding half a dozen times more as more texts arrived. "I really have to figure out how to use that." she said as she walked to the shower.
The Doctor walked to the console room to set the coordinates and had a sudden thought. He pulled the cell phone from his pocket and called Kate. "Hello Doctor." Kate answered.
"Kate, I have a favor. I know you're in charge at Unit but I was wondering if you could get away for an afternoon. Sarah keeps getting these text things and she doesn't know how to answer them, then there's the shopping. She doesn't want me along because…well just because. So could you call her and ask to take her with you? I don't want her to know this was my idea. I'd ask one of her Alphan friends but I'm sure they're all busy with their families."
"Of course Doctor, I'd be happy to go with Sarah Jane. I can clear my calendar in a few minutes. As far as texting, it's simple. Children do it here on Earth. I can teach her to do it in just a few minutes. How is she?" Kate asked as she typed furiously on her computer to rearrange meetings and assign others to handle tasks she had planned for today.
"She slept for three days."
"Three days? Is that normal?" Kate asked with genuine concern.
"For a human and Gallifreyan mix that's never regenerated before, I think that's about right." he answered as he set coordinates. "Kate, I appreciate this. Just give her an hour to eat something and then call her."
"Glad to do it Doctor, I don't have many female friends myself so it will be nice to go shopping. I'll call in an hour. Goodbye Doctor." Kate ended the call and set a timer to remind herself. She hadn't lied. In her line of work and being in charge of Unit it was hard to have female friends. She found the few times she'd made an attempt at friendship, it had been exhausting. There was very little to talk about once you realized nearly everything in your life came with a security clearance. With Sarah that wouldn't be a problem. Thanks to all her involvement in Unit affairs over the years, she had one of the highest security clearances on record, whether she knew it or not.
Kate smiled to herself. Maybe Sarah Jane wasn't the only one that needed the hand of friendship extended. She picked up her phone and under contacts called her father. After a few rings he answered, "Hello Lethbridge-Stewart here."
"Hello Dad. I'm going to take Sarah Jane shopping and I thought maybe you and the others could entertain the Doctor. You know he'd never ask but I know he'd be happy to see all of you again."
"You're right. His number…"
"I'm texting it to you now." she answered.
"Got it, I'll call the others and make sure they're available. Good idea Kate. Everything running tip top at Unit?" he asked.
Kate smiled; he was always checking up on her and likely always would. It was to be expected, after all no matter how big Unit became it would always be his baby. "Everything is running smoothly Dad. From what I can gather from the Alphans' advisors, everyone is doing great reintegrating. We've retrieve Moonbase Alpha's computer data core and it's providing invaluable information. The more I read the reports, the more respect I have for all of them. The things they survived Dad are incredible." She looked up to see her personal assistant signaling her. "Have to go Dad. I love you!"
"I love you too Kate. Goodbye." The Brigadier ended the call and thought of all the Doctors of old. He smiled at the thought that most could drink him under the table and he imagined this one would be no different. He looked over at his cane and frowned. His days of drinking with his fellow soldiers were over. Still it would be nice to talk about the old days. He picked up the phone again; time to round up the troops.