Chapter Thirty Two
Two months had passed and between a few trips into space during which they stopped a Cyberman as well as a Sontaran invasion, the newly engaged pair had managed to get Sarah's affairs in order. They'd also attended ten Alphan weddings, the last two a double wedding between John and Helena and Tony and Maya. They'd even managed to get their own wedding on track. Sarah was at her last wedding gown fitting now, so the Doctor used the time to check in with his friends at Unit. 'Security is much different now than it used to be,' the Doctor thought as he shook his head. He could have landed the Tardis inside Unit but out of respect for Kate who mistakenly believed that he couldn't land inside the Tower of London due to their shields, he met the Brigadier, Harry and Benton outside. 'There may be a time in the future I need to sneak in there,' he thought as he remembered Kate's warning of his limitations. Still, what she didn't know couldn't hurt him.
"Doctor!" the Brigadier called as Benton went around the car and helped his superior out. "Been waiting long?"
"No just arrived myself." he answered. It was difficult seeing his friends getting older. He was grateful that with any luck Sarah's time of old age was far, far in the future.
Harry climbed out of the back of the car and asked, "Are you two ready for the big day?"
"I've been ready for centuries." the Doctor answered as he smiled at the guard who let them through the gate.
"I'm glad Miss. Smith understood why I wouldn't be able to walk her down the aisle." the Brigadier said with sorrow. He hated letting her down but his physician had said he needed to stay off his feet as much as possible, besides Harry could stand in for him. Harry had traveled with the pair and knew they were close as well, regardless of their bickering. He knew it was nothing more than a game between the pair.
"She understands Brigadier. We're both glad you'll be able to attend." the Doctor admitted.
"I still can't believe the two of you are getting married." commented Harry. He knew he was Sarah's second choice to walk her down the aisle but he didn't care. He as well as anyone at Unit that spent more than two minutes with her fell in love and wanted to marry her. But it was always the Doctor in her heart, always.
"How can you not Sullivan?" the Brigadier asked as they approached an office the Brigadier used when he was in the building. "I knew they were smitten with each other when the Doctor was in his third regeneration."
"I didn't pick up on it till he was in his fourth regeneration." Benton admitted.
"When was it Doctor? You can confide in us." Harry asked as they all sat down in the Brigadier's office.
"I think I lost any choice in the matter the second I saw her to be perfectly honest." the Doctor confessed. "That first time out when we were fighting a Sontaran in the Middle Ages and Sarah had convinced Sir Edward of Wessex that I was in league with Irongron…even then I knew I'd met my match." The group smiled and silently shook their heads.
"The reason we called you Doctor…well…have you…?"the Brigadier stammered.
Harry decided to take over after seeing the perplexed expression on the Doctor's face. "We were wondering if you were up for a bachelor party?"
A silence fell over the room. Sarah had been attempting to fill him in on all the pomp and circumstance and that went into a Earth wedding and everything surrounding it. Sarah herself had gone to several bachelorette parties for her Alphan friends. When he'd asked her what happened at a bachelor party it seemed more than he was interested in. The only woman he wanted to see undressing was Sarah. "I…uh…" he stammered.
"Don't worry Doctor. I'm sure Sarah has told you everything that normally goes on at one of those things. That won't be happening at yours." The Brigadier looked across the room to see Harry and Benton frowning. "What I'm suggesting is a few friends, some good food, some good drinks and good conversation. We could invite some of your new Alphan friends as well. What do you say Doctor?" the Brigadier leaned forward on his desk.
The Doctor had to admit, it would be good to have an evening with his male friends, old and new. He knew that Kate and Helena Koenig were hosting a bachelorette party for Sarah. He smiled at his old friends and decided he may as well experience a traditional Earth wedding as a human would. After all, he'd never have the opportunity from the standpoint of the groom again. "Sure, why not? When will this shindig take place?"
"Shindig?" Harry shook his head. "This 'shindig' will take place the night before wedding."
"I still have my house down the road from Sarah's house so we could do it there. It's private so no problem with the neighbors." Benton added.
"Yes, it's private but not very lively." Harry tried. "Why don't we go to a few select quiet bars and a nice restaurant?"
"Good, it's settled then." the Brigadier said. "Who do you want to invite?" he asked the Doctor.
He thought of the people he'd met on Alpha and smiled. These people would have lived and died for his Sarah and he liked them. "John Koenig, Victor Bergman, Tony Verdeschi and Alan Carter, oh and don't forget to ask Harry." He flashed a brilliant smile in Harry's direction.
"Are you sure about that last name?" the Benton teased.
"Hey!" Harry protested.
"We'll take care of everything Doctor. How is Sarah Jane doing?" Even though the Doctor had traveled back in time and arrived the morning after the Moon had returned to Earth, the Doctor had confided in him that Sarah had slept three days. The Doctor thought it was perfectly normal but he still worried about her new chemical makeup.
"She's fine. You should have seen her on Golnia Major, she was amazing when she led that rebellion." He looked around to see their shocked faces.
"You've been to space again?" Harry asked solemnly.
"Several times in between attending weddings and getting ready for ours." the Doctor admitted. "You know that's part of our life, that's what we do."
"We just thought that maybe you were taking a break from all that." the Brigadier said quietly.
"I'm not taking her against her will if that's what you mean." the Doctor defended their decision. "We came home from a wedding one day and Sarah said she wanted to go on a little trip and we were off." He looked over at Harry and said, "You remember what it was like Harry. Sarah loved to be on the go. She loved meeting new people and going to new places."
"She did, I remember that." Harry acknowledged. "She still does?" Harry had hoped that age and time would have slowed her a bit but apparently that wasn't the case.
"If there were ever a human being that was born to travel in space, it was Sarah Jane Smith. I left her here on Earth, she didn't know she'd ever been to space, she didn't know her real identity and yet she still managed to launch herself into space and see new worlds." the Doctor lamented making everyone in the room laugh.
"We just want you two to be happy. If that means traveling in space then so be it." the Brigadier commented as he rose from his chair with the assistance of his cane.
Everyone rose, seeing this as a sign the Brigadier had finished with them. The group returned the way they came and made their way back to a waiting car. Benton helped the Brigadier into the car before asking the Doctor, "Can I give you a lift?"
"No, the Tardis isn't far." he pulled his jacket closer around him.
"I'll call you with the final arrangements. Remember keep the Friday night before the wedding open." He climbed back in the car and the trio headed off.
The Doctor walked back around the corner and down a few blocks to the Tardis. Sarah had asked him if he wanted a party but he'd decided it wasn't necessary. Still, it was nice that they cared enough for the couple to make sure they experienced all the wedding traditions. He was especially grateful for Sarah's sake. He wanted this to be a wonderful day for her. He turned the key in the Tardis' lock and entered.
He was greeted by a multitude of colored boxes and shopping bags. Sarah had just rounded the corner and entered the console room. "What's all this?"
"It's just more wedding stuff. I never knew there would be so many things to get ready. Do your poor fiancé a favor and give me a hand with all this." she said as she picked up as many parcels and bags as she could.
"At your service." he said as he too loaded his arms down with packages. "Do you have any more room for this stuff in your room?" he asked. He'd watched her take countless things inside already.
"It's not so bad once you remove everything from its packaging." she explained as he was about to follow her into her room. "Where do you think you're going?" she asked as she set the packages down and held up her hands.
"I'm going to put these in your room." he answered innocently.
"Oh no you're not! Everything inside there is for the wedding and or honeymoon and will remain a secret until I walk down the aisle and then there are some things you won't see till much later that night." she said while smiling shyly.
"Really?" the Doctor said as he attempted to pass her.
Sarah had her hand on the door knob and closed the door when she smiled and said, "Okay, go on. Try and open the door." She had explained to the Tardis all about the wedding and everything it entailed and she knew the Tardis understood. She had asked the Tardis to guard her purchases from the Doctor's prying eyes and knew that she would. Sarah moved to the side and the Doctor put his hand over the door knob.
The Doctor smiled. What was she playing at? This was his Tardis. Of course he could open the door. But when he tried he found he couldn't. The knob held fast. "So once again you two are ganging up on me. Fine, I have secrets too." he smiled. "Fine, I'll go bring the rest of your packages, to the door and only the closed door." He hung his head and attempted making a sad face. "Nothing, nothing at all?"
Sarah shook her head back and forth. "Sorry no. If you go get the rest of the boxes…and leave them by the door, I'll go to your favorite pizza place and pick up your favorite pizza." she offered as a token apology.
"If that's the best I can get." he bemoaned.
"We can watch a movie afterward and snuggle." she offered.
"I guess. The wedding's only five days away. I guess I can keep hauling boxes for a few more days. Maybe I won't be too tired to get married." He hung his head again in mock despair.
"You poor baby, good thing you're a Time Lord or you'd be dead by now." she commented as they walked to the console room together.
"How do mere mortals do it?" he mockingly asked her.
"Somehow they survive." She headed out the door saying, "Be back in a few minutes with the pizza."
"Buy two!" he yelled at her retreating form.