Well, well, well. We meet once again for another chapter. ;) Wanted to give another shout out to all you lovely readers, you all are amazing and thank you so much for the support for this story.
Enjoy the new chapter!
Chapter 30
Madison walked slowly through the TARDIS. It was early morning. Far earlier than she would normally be up. But she couldn't sleep any longer. So, she had dried herself off and got changed into her normal outfit with a jumper, denim trousers, and long, brown boots. Her hair was in its braid again, resting over her shoulder as she fiddled with it absently. Her thoughts were muddled as there was so much for her to contemplate at the moment. Things had been going rather well since the night with the wolf. Weeks of travelling and all sorts of places they had visited. Hardly anything had gone wrong. And that's what troubled her the most. Usually, in her life, when things were going right, it normally meant that there was creeping darkness approaching. Something wrong was going to happen, and soon. She just had that gut feeling, and her gut feelings were hardly ever wrong. How much she hated that.
It didn't help that the Doctor seemed to be rather subdued as of late. Something was troubling him. Not that she knew what exactly that is, though she had a notion of a particular subject that troubled him. That being she herself. Call it intuition, but she had the nagging sensation that he had been studying her behind her back for a few days now ever since she confessed the massive reading she had done back in the Torchwood Estate library. Something by the way she would catch him staring at her. As though there was this . . . uncertainty he had about her. But whenever she caught him staring, he would always put on such a lovely smile that she almost thought maybe she had been imagining the look from him. And it was only a few stares here and there. Nothing else seemed to be troubling him. He was still as affectionate as before, always finding the need to kiss her forehead, hold her hand, or hold her in some shape or form. It was as if he couldn't get enough of her around him. A part of her thought maybe it was just this new face of his, however, she knew it was more than that. He was still healing from the loss he experienced in that terrible Time War. She only hoped that she was still helping him in some way or another. Even if he didn't allow her to help him with the mind, still being present she hoped might be enough. For, at this point, she would do anything for him. Anything at all. Whatever he needed, she wanted to be there for him. Always and forever.
She wandered into the console room, seeing him standing there by the controls. He was doing his tinkering again it seems as he had a box of tools out beside the open spot on the grated floor. He was concentrating hard on the monitor, frowning thoughtfully as he stared at the Gallifreyan lettering. She glanced at the monitor, seeing the circled patterns in writing. Since that one day at the Doctor's door, she could almost understand most of what was written around many of the places on the TARDIS. Though not completely. It was almost as if her mind was translating it into broken English as it did not always make the most sense to her. She wondered if it was the TARDIS trying to help her learn, or if maybe it had something to do with the Time Vortex energy inside her still. Though this was something she did not tell the Doctor. Not yet. Something told her that it would upset him if he ever found out she could read some of his language. Or . . . maybe she was just worrying over nothing again.
"Good morning," she greeted quietly.
The Doctor turned in surprise, blinking for a moment before breaking out into a brilliant smile. "Good morning," he greeted in return. He held out a hand to her as she walked over to him. One which she took gratefully. "Did you sleep well? I didn't keep you up too late last night with rambling, did I?"
"No, no, you're fine. I always enjoy our nightly talks. I just couldn't sleep any longer. I'm feeling a bit restless," she told him, smiling pleasantly. She glanced towards the open flooring then. "What're you working on?"
"Just some minor repairs. Nothing new there," he explained, giving a shrug.
Madison nodded, understanding as he had once explained the TARDIS was rather old for her model. She needed a lot of work in repairs and maintenance. "Anything I can help with?" Madison asked politely.
"Nah. Well . . . maybe. But it can wait for later." He let go of her hand, went over to the grated flooring and placed it back into its section. Closing up the toolbox then, he turned around and smiled in excitement. "So, do you want to finally learn how to steer the TARDIS? Since we have time until Rose wakes up, that is."
"Oh." This took her aback as she hadn't been expecting it. At least, not so soon. Then again . . . it had been a month or two, hadn't it? So, it was not that soon, even if it felt as though it were to her. She knew he had mentioned teaching her how to guide the TARDIS the other day, but she had almost thought he was joking. She stared nervously towards the console, still not getting near it. She winced as she felt the encouraging presence from the TARDIS in her mind then. Like a mother trying to guide her child to learn something new that might seem scary. Damn right it was scary. It terrified her in having such a large connection with the infinite being. It felt . . . unreal and that it shouldn't ever have happened. As though it were taboo for her to be blessed with such a gift.
"I don't know," she mumbled, holding her arms nervously around her stomach.
"There's nothing to be scared of. I'm right here," the Doctor reassured her, walking over to stand beside her. He then gave her a thoughtful glance, frowning in confusion. "Are you scared of her now?"
"No, not her. I'm scared of me. What if . . . what if this new connection I have with her hurts her somehow? Or I ruin something completely if I tried? What if I, I dunno, punch a hole in time or something? I couldn't live with myself if I hurt anyone. Especially you or her." She heard a small hum from the TARDIS, the old girl trying to soothe her again against her fears.
"You're not going to hurt anyone. That's why I'm here to help you learn." He walked over to her, rubbing a hand up and down her arm as he held her other arm steady. "We'll start slow. You'll only do this with me around until you get the hang of it. How does that sound?"
Madison swallowed anxiously, eventually nodding. "Okay," she breathed. She allowed him to turn her towards the console, guiding her to walk over and place her hands down by the controls. She sucked in a breath, feeling her heart pick up in beat as he stood behind her. His hands snaked down her arms before eventually resting over her hands.
"Close your eyes," he breathed into her ear. His warm breath swept around her ear and neck. It sent pleasant sensations down her spine, but she concentrated on what he was teaching her instead. She did as he instructed, closing her eyes. "Feel that? The heartbeat of the TARDIS. The Time Vortex bursting inside and outside of her walls. The motion of time and space coming together to create a chasm of infinite possibilities. There's a line. Right there. For you and her to follow. Every twist and turn that you could ever make through that line. All you have to do is wish it and it can be yours. Forever," he whispered, his breath rolling across her skin in a cool touch.
"Yes," she gasped as his lips ghosted just by her neck. She shivered lightly, the pleasant sensations from before growing in number. Her heart began to race. Both the TARDIS and him were connecting with her. The TARDIS was trying to happily teach her how to fly, while the Doctor . . . "Doctor, th-this isn't exactly part of the lesson," she said, her breath hitching as he started to kiss along her neck. On instinct she tilted her head to the side, allowing him better access. She gasped quietly as he pressed into her harder, allowing her to feel his powerful desire for her at that moment.
"Sorry . . . It's just . . . It's been so long since I had another person connecting with me like this. And it's you. Oh, it's you. You're so stunning. You have no idea," he sighed as he continued to kiss her neck. His hands trailed up her arms briefly before moving to wrap around her middle. His grip tightened around the material of her jumper, slowly starting to lift it. "At any point, tell me to stop and I will."
She was stunned, to say the least. Her breath left her as her body trembled ever so slightly. With nervousness. With anticipation. With trepidation. With elation. The twists of these emotions snaked around her, choking her and locking her in place. She was overwhelmed by their sensations. Her mind rushed with a mixture, unable to grasp the right train of thought for this situation she found herself in. The main two thoughts were: what if this is too soon, and what if she waited too long? She wanted this to happen. She earned for this. Had been for some time now. But her fears kept her at bay. She didn't want to get hurt. She didn't want to hurt him. Yet hurting was a part of life, was it not? If they were hurt, at least they had experienced something wonderful in between the pain and sorrow. If she waited too long, gave into her fears and kept herself at bay, would they miss the opportunity to ever allow themselves the chance at happiness? She felt the Doctor begin to let go of her, moving back just a hair. She could hear him swallow heavily.
"I'm sorry, I . . . it's too soon, isn't it? I didn't . . . I don't want to push you, I . . . I-I-I'll stop. I'll . . ." he began to utter, breath shaking as she could feel his sudden uncertainty coming off of him in waves.
With this, she made her decision.
She grabbed his arms, pulling him toward her as she pressed her body back into him as tightly as she could. She could feel his hearts drumming away on her back as his breath hitched. She leaned her head back, resting it against the crook of his neck. His hands twitched, starting to creep around her waist again to grip the material of her jumper. Carefully she lifted a hand, trailing her fingers along his cheek, feeling the rough texture of his light stubble. "Doctor, I want this. So please . . . don't stop," she whispered.
That was all he needed to hear as he turned her around swiftly and pushed his lips to hers. He reached down, grabbing her and lifting her up to sit on the edge of the console. She feverishly threaded her fingers through his hair. She massaged his scalp as his lips worked against hers. She just couldn't get enough of his hair. It felt like silk between her fingers. Her skin was on fire as he started to run his hands slowly up her shirt and along her skin, his fingertips leaving hot trails behind in their wake. For the first time in her life she felt like she was drowning. Everything about him was ravishing. As she felt his mind entangle with hers, his mind burned like the fiery Sun, blazing so bright that she could barely stand to gaze at it. Then it encompassed something more gentle, wrapping around her in a tight embrace to pull her into infinity. She pulled away from his lips, gasping for air. She realised then that he had pulled her jumper off of her. Suddenly, she felt far too exposed. She covered herself, looking over to see him hurrying in taking his suit jacket off. He was just about to undo his tie when she grabbed his hand.
"Stop," she sighed, shaking her head. And, to his word, he did. He froze completely, nodding and trying to recompose himself. He wore a look of distress, making her feel guilt in allowing this to get so far. She didn't want to hurt him. Not ever.
"Did . . . Did I do something wrong?" he asked, seeming uncertain about himself again.
"No. No, never. I just . . . I don't want this to happen here," she explained. She glanced at the console where she sat, embarrassed suddenly. "I don't think it's very polite to be sitting on the TARDIS's console." She felt an appreciative sense from the TARDIS then. She could tell the TARDIS was feeling rather disapproving of them at the moment. The ship had really been looking forward to Madison learning how to fly her.
"Oh! Well, we could move to your room . . . or, even my room, if–if you want to, that is." The Doctor rubbed a hand behind his head, smiling both nervously and eagerly.
She blushed. Thinking of his room again gave her a pleasant chill. Pushing away from the console, she nodded and grabbed his hand, holding it tenderly. ". . . Your room. Please."
The warmth of his smile made everything blur at that moment as she saw him and him alone. Nothing else around them mattered. She felt as though she were walking on air as he guided her down the corridor. But as they rounded the corner and she saw the door to his room just ahead, the feeling left her and she felt fear settling in. She halted in place as they reached the door, just as he had been about to open it. He looked back at her curiously, raising a brow.
"Sorry. Is it too much? Did you want to stop?" he asked her quietly.
"No. I don't want to stop. But I . . . Doctor, I'm scared," she breathed, her voice wavering. "I'm about as scared as I am with flying the TARDIS. What if I hurt you?"
"Why would you hurt me?" He walked over, cupping the side of her face. He sighed quietly as he gazed deep into her eyes. "Oh, Madison, you could never hurt me. And don't be scared. I'm right here with you the entire time. If you ever want to stop, I won't question it. I promise."
She let out an anxious laugh. "Well . . . it's not just hurting you that I'm scared of. God, it's like I'm a young lass again. I'm so nervous about this. The butterflies in my stomach just won't stop."
He chuckled, his eyes shining in merriment as he smiled. "Mine, too." He stepped forward, wrapping her in a soft hug. He kissed the side of her head. "But I want to be with you. Completely. Is that what you want too?"
"Yes," she breathed, hugging him in return. "So much. Sometimes I can't even stand it."
"Me, too." He slowly pulled away from their hug, holding both of her hands. His gaze was steady, a swirling of all sorts seen within his eyes, making her see the truth of how nervous he too was feeling. "Ready?"
She nodded. "Yes."
And with that said, he pushed open his door.
XxXxXxXxXx
Madison held onto the Doctor's hand tightly as they strolled through the corridor at a slow pace. She couldn't keep the joyous smile from her face even if she tried. She kept glancing at him as they strolled about, seeing him staring at her warmly and beaming away as if he were seeing something magnificent. Then he would lift her hand up to kiss it tenderly, keeping his eyes locked to hers as that hungry look returned. She still felt flustered, though in a pleasant way as she knew he wanted to suggest they go back to his room again. But she was firm in not leaving Rose alone all day. It wasn't fair to her. Which the Doctor would pout but agree in the end. He knew it was the right thing to do.
"You sure you just don't want to call it in for today?" he asked her, voice as husky as it had been since the start of all of this. "We could always use another bath or two. Maybe three. And my bed is very comfortable."
Madison chuckled, shaking her head. "You're insatiable. What have I unleashed in you I wonder."
"Oh, you have no idea," he said, chortling quietly.
Madison rolled her eyes. "We can't stay in bed all day you know."
"Who says we have to be in bed?" He smirked as she blushed again.
"Stop it. You're going to cause my face to be permanently red at this point," she scoffed, hitting him lightly. He chuckled fondly, giving her hand a squeeze as she leaned against him. "Let's just get to Rose and have a fun day together."
"Oh, yes." His grin was contagious as he gripped her hand tighter and led her quickly towards the console room.
They entered the room grinning like fools. Rose was sitting in the captain's chair, raising a brow at them as they came over to the console. Madison could tell that Rose knew something was up with the two of them, but the girl was obviously not going to pressure them into telling her what. Instead, she told them that Mickey had called. Apparently, it had something to do with a school that he had caught wind of when reading an article about it.
"Something's going down at the school, he's really sure of it," Rose finished telling them.
"Hmm. Strange grades and sicknesses? Not sure if that's anything too out of the ordinary, but if Ricky, ah, I mean, Mickey, thinks something odd is going on, then, well, might as well check in on it," the Doctor said, rubbing at his ear as he stared up to the ceiling thoughtfully. He frowned somewhat in thought before shaking his head. "It's probably nothing though and I'll be the first one to tell off your boyfriend for getting us into a mess."
"He's not my boyfriend. I've told you this," Rose sighed, shaking her head.
The Doctor either ignored her or didn't hear her as he walked around the console and started them off toward their destination. He then grinned eagerly at them both. "So then, time to get started?"
XxXxXxXxXx
The clicks of her heels echoed around the halls, leaving a rhythmic noise wherever she moved. It didn't help that the school halls were currently empty, in almost an eerie way, leaving the place sinisterly silent. So the sound of heels on the tile floor seemed louder than normal, beating against her eardrums in an unpleasant way. Madison walked as steady as she could in her high-heeled shoes as she made her way through the school. It was hard as she was never good at wearing shoes like this. She tugged at her short skirt, muttering under her breath as she wished she hadn't listened to the Doctor about wearing the blue dress suit. It wasn't necessary. None of the other front desk secretaries wore such outfits. Only she looked out of place being so formally dressed. She had thought he wanted them to blend in, but so far she felt like she was sticking out like a sore thumb. It also didn't help matters as she hated showing off her legs so openly. What if water spilled on her by accident? There would be no hiding her scales if that were to happen. She only hoped that nothing of the sort happened while they were here. It has already been two days so far. How much longer could she hold out before a water accident happened? It was a school filled with children, after all. Accidents happen on a daily basis.
It was in between periods at the moment, so she had the hallways to herself for the time being. She carried a heavy stack of papers in the crook of her arm, hurrying to a particular classroom before she was caught. She glanced edgily around the school, feeling that dreaded sense that something was not right about this place. She had never liked schools all that much, but it felt different being around this place in particular. As if there was something ominous about these white walls. The walls were slowly closing in and she didn't think anyone could escape them. Especially when she felt the school was about to reach a point of no return. It didn't help this feeling of hers when meeting the different staff of this school. Some were typical school staff just trying to do their job. While the others . . . had more sinister looks to them. Nothing that set off her instincts to run just yet as she could tell these particular staff members had no intentions of harming her. But her gut feeling about them screamed 'danger' at her with every turn. It was simply the way they would look at the other staff members or students. As though they were hungry for a meal. And not metaphorically, either.
She picked up her pace when the bell rang and children started to come out of their classrooms. She went quickly towards the science department, looking for the classroom that taught physics. She spotted him walking out of his classroom then, hands in the pockets of his brown pinstripe suit and frowning thoughtfully as he gazed around the mass of children around him.
"Here are the papers you requested, Mister Smith," she whispered, nodding at him as she walked over and handed over the stacks of papers from her arms.
"Hm? Oh, right, thank you, Miss Baker," he responded, taking the papers from her. His fingers lingered a little too long on the skin of her hand, trailing along from her wrist to her knuckles. That look of hunger crossed his face as he stared at her through the lenses of his glasses. The spark of their newly formed connection within her mind flared dramatically, causing a pleasurable shiver down her body and making her lose focus for a second.
"Stop it. We're at school, in public, and there are children present. Behave," she scolded him in his mind, shaking her head at him.
"What? I wasn't doing anything," he responded within her own mind, being coy in his so-called 'innocent' gesture.
"Oh, yes, you were."
A subtle smirk formed on his face. "Yeah, I was," he finally admitted. He blinked, seeming to shake himself out of it. "Sorry," he muttered aloud. His expression was apologetic then as she felt him retreat from her mind. She caught a brief sense of shame in his behaviour. Shaking her head, she pushed forth a surge of her own passion for him. Though not to the same overwhelming degree that he had done. More gentle and showing him that she understood where he was coming from.
"It's fine. I know it's still new for you. It's new for me, too," she replied softly, giving him a warm smile. "Do not think that I'm not appreciative of it. It's merely that there is a time and place. Okay?"
He returned her smile, nodding in thanks for her understanding. He then turned with papers in hand and walked off. Though not before giving her instructions in her mind. "Meet me in the cafeteria for lunch. I want to discuss a few things with you and Rose."
"Understood. Hopefully I can get away from under my strict boss's nose."
"Oh? How is Debby anyway?"
"Terribly peevish as always." With that said, she turned and walked away, getting back to her new 'job'.
XxXxXxXxXx
Making her way into the cafeteria, she looked around for the Doctor. She had shown up as he had said, so she hoped that she hadn't arrived too early. The head secretary, Debby, had only given her a fifteen-minute break to eat after all. But, as luck would have it, she spotted the Doctor after a quick scan above the heads of all the students within the large space. He was just now walking away from the lunchline, going towards an empty table in the centre of the room. Looking over to the dinner ladies, she saw Rose, in white uniform for cooking, sending the Time Lord a rather irritated glare. Oh, dear. Seems Rose was having a rough time being a dinner lady. Madison had offered to take over that job when they had all agreed to sneak into the school and go undercover. But Rose had been persistent in Madison staying away from places with a lot of water. She was grateful that the girl had been looking out for her. Though she still did feel guilty about Rose getting the more hard-working job choice.
"Rose doesn't look too happy," she mentioned to the Doctor as she came over and sat across from the Doctor at the cafeteria table.
"Eh, she's fine. I think she's just bored," the Doctor answered dismissively, giving a shrug.
Nodding lightly, she leaned on the tabletop with her elbows as she asked, "So what do you wish to discuss? Did you find anything out of the ordinary?"
"A kid, Milo, told me exactly what was needed to go faster than the speed of light. Something no one in the 21st century should be anywhere near knowing yet," he answered, absently picking at the food on his tray.
"So, definitely out of the ordinary, then," Madison muttered, nodding. "I've been finding things too. I don't know if you read over the files I gave you, but none of the new staff records makes any sense. Now I may be out of touch when it comes to background checks for positions and whatnot, but I know a forgery when I see one."
"Fake records. Another thing to add to the list." Suddenly, he held out a chip from his tray towards her, gazing thoughtfully at her. "Here. Try this. See what you think."
Blinking in confusion, she reluctantly reached forward and took the chip from him. She bit into it and was met with a greasy, off-tasting fried treat that left a bitter aftertaste in her mouth. She made a face, pulling away the rest of the chip as she forced herself to swallow what was in her mouth. "Ugh. Has food at schools always been this revolting?"
"Huh. Sorry. It only tastes a little funny to me. I thought it wouldn't be that bad for you." He took the rest of the chip from her, placing it down on the tray. "But, still, something's off about the food."
Both of them looked over when seeing Rose coming over to them. The Doctor nibbled one another chip while Madison wished she had something to drink to wash away the taste. Rose finally joined them, pretending to wipe down the table as a cover. Madison then saw the mischievous look in the Doctor's eyes.
"Two days," Rose grumbled to them.
"Sorry, could you just . . . There's a bit of gravy," said the Doctor, pointing at a spot on the table with his chip. Rose sent him a disgruntled look before rubbing at the spot. "No, no, just there." Rose slapped the table with her cleaning cloth, glaring at him as he snickered.
"Two days we've been here," she reiterated.
"Blame your boyfriend. He's the one who put us on to this," retorted the Doctor, ignoring her disgruntled behaviour. "He was right. Boy in class this morning, got knowledge way beyond planet Earth."
"Have they been treating you that awful back in the kitchen?" Madison asked the girl.
"It's been the worst," Rose grumbled, sitting down now beside the Doctor. She glanced at the Doctor's almost full tray then. "You eating those chips?"
"Yeah, they're a bit . . . different," he replied, nodding for her to take some if she wanted.
"They're terrible," Madison muttered.
"I think they're gorgeous," Rose said, voice muffled as she popped a few of the chips into her mouth. "Wish I had school dinners like this."
The Doctor sat back in his chair, gazing around now at all the children around them. "It's very well behaved this place. I thought they'd all be happy-slapping hoodies. Happy-slapping hoodies with ASBOs. Happy-slapping hoodies with ASBOs and ringtones." He grinned in humour at the two then. "Eh? Eh? Don't tell me I don't fit in."
"I honestly have absolutely no idea what you were just saying," Madison admitted. "I do believe I am way too out of touch to be anywhere near a modern school. I barely understand what half of these children have been saying to me these last two days." Madison glanced over when hearing someone coming up to them. She could see a woman with a deadpan expression yet darkly foreboding eyes staring hard at Rose.
"You are not permitted to leave your station during a sitting," the woman spoke curtly at Rose in a warning.
"I was just talking to this teacher and staff member. They don't like the chips," Rose replied, quickly standing up from the table.
The dinner lady narrowed her eyes somewhat at them. "The menu has been specifically designed by the headmaster to improve concentration and performance," she told them both strictly. She then glared harshly at Rose. "Now get back to work." The woman turned away, marching back to the kitchen.
"See? This is me. Dinner lady," Rose said, grumbling as she stomped off.
"I'll have the crumble," responded the Doctor, smirking cheekily again.
"I'm so gonna kill you," they heard Rose retort back at him before leaving them altogether. Madison kicked the Doctor lightly under the table, giving him a shake of the head.
"Be nice," she scolded him, though only mildly as she couldn't help the smile of amusement from gracing her face.
"I am!" the Doctor whined, rubbing at his shin and pouting.
"And what sort of performance enhancement meal is this anyway? Everything is covered in grease." Madison stared at the food on the Doctor's tray, seeing small pools of grease surrounding all of his food. None of it looked appetizing to her, let alone what the children must think of it. Is this truly what passed as 'healthy' food these days?
When seeing the Doctor staring curiously over her shoulder, she glanced around to see what he was looking at. It was then that she spotted one of the new teachers telling a girl that she would be moving to the 'top class' as a boy Milo had 'failed' him. Madison didn't like this being said. It was almost as though the teacher were treating children like machines to be used. It was then strange how, when one student named Kenny was seen eating a lunch he had brought from home, the teacher questioned this and seemed displeased that the child was not eating food from the cafeteria. Why would that be seen as an issue? She frowned as she watched the new teacher walk away with a couple of students, taking them to extra classes. It was surprising to see the students did not appear all that displeased to be given extra courses to take. Wouldn't children normally be annoyed by this? She knew she would have if she were a student.
Seeing how the Doctor was now looking elsewhere, eyes growing hard as he stared upwards, Madison looked over to see he was now watching the headmaster of the school, Mister Finch. The headmaster was currently standing at the upper level of the dinner room, gazing down at everyone as though they were all a part of his domain which he ruled. That same look of wicked hunger in his eyes as the other new staff members could be seen. Though with this stare of his, it was much darker. Everything from the way he slicked back his hair, to the black suit he wore, just made her feel on edge. It didn't help any in how the two of them had been introduced on her first day at the school. He had come into the office where she had been stationed, coming to 'inspect the new hire' as he had put it. When she politely introduced herself, he had taken her hand and kissed the back of it, giving her this sly, haughty gaze while doing so before 'welcoming' her to the school. If it weren't for the fact that she knew she needed to be there to help the Doctor's investigation, she would have given Finch a piece of her mind right there and then.
"I really don't like that man. Everything about him just . . .," she muttered, unable to say what she wanted to about the man.
"You said you met him the other day?" the Doctor asked quietly, tearing his gaze away to look at her then.
"Yes. He kissed the back of my hand and not in a pleasant greeting sort of way, either." Madison sighed as she got up from the table then, knowing her time was close to being up. "I better get going. See you after class."
She barely missed the dark look the Doctor sent Finch as she walked away. Oh, dear. She may have started something there. She would have to assure the Doctor it was nothing to worry about later. For now . . . she would prefer not to be scolded at by Debby.
XxXxXxXxXx
It seemed as if Debby was in an especially foul mood today as when Madison returned she was immediately scolded for being a minute late and sent into the cramped filing office to work on organising the place up. Which was fine by her as she wanted to work on studying more of the files the school had. Specifically to do a comparison between what the school had been like before and after Finch had taken over. It might help the Doctor in his investigation if she found the right files. She was also doing some snooping of her own as she searched for specific children's charts. It was one particular child she was looking for. One that had gone missing a few days back before they had arrived. The little girl's name was Paige McVey, about fourteen years old, and had gotten sick like a lot of other children have been. Though this time, the girl seemed to have simply vanished from the school grounds. Never to be seen again. Paige's friend came to the front desk the other day, asking about Paige and if she had gotten to the children's home okay that day and if Paige could be contacted. Debby, of course, had shooed the friend away, saying it wasn't anything the front desk had to do with. This had gotten to Madison in the lack of care or concern over a lost child. So, after speaking with Paige's friend in private, she decided upon herself to see where Paige might have gone off to. Madison hoped it was a simple case of runway girl or sick child staying from school, but something told her that it was much more sinister than that. Something had happened to Paige and she was going to find out what.
"Oh. I'm sorry, I thought no one was in here," came a voice suddenly. Madison looked over, seeing that a woman had entered the room with the door snapping shut just behind her. It was a woman she did not recognise. The woman had chestnut hair that came just below her shoulders, wearing a buttoned-up brown peacoat over the top of what appeared to be business casual clothing. She held a black purse close to her side with the strap hanging over her left shoulder. As she smiled at Madison, her hazel-green eyes lit up with nothing but kindness. Though there was an inquisitive look about her as well. Something with how she smile just told Madison that this woman enjoyed finding and discovering things.
"I'm sorry, I think I'm a bit lost. I was just looking for the front desk," said the woman then, sounding genuinely apologetic. Though with what she said made Madison somewhat curious.
"Well, you'd find it's right across the hall," Madison answered her, shutting the file cabinet she had been looking through. "Though something tells me you already knew that." Seeing the look of surprise from the woman, she smiled politely. "Don't mind me. I'm doing a bit of snooping as well."
"How did you know I was snooping?" the woman asked her in interest.
"Finch had told us all to be 'at our best' earlier today. Said there was a journalist coming by," Madison explained. "I'm guessing that's you?"
"You've caught me." The woman walked over, holding out a hand and a smile. "Sara Jane Smith. Nice to meet you."
"Madison Baker. It's a pleasure." Madison shook her hand, nodding politely. As they stepped back from one another, Madison gave her a curious stare. "So, something tells me, with you being in here, that you're not just writing a piece for Finch. If that's the case, then, please, be my guest in looking about. I won't stop you." Madison gave the woman a wink, earning herself a pleased smile.
"Thank you. That's very kind." Sarah Jane glanced around the room, looking back at Madison with her own curious stare. "If I may ask, why are you searching around?"
"There's a missing child. I'm hoping to find her chart but . . . I'm a little lost in this mess. If I'm perfectly honest, I have no idea how modern, ah, I mean, this school organises their files. I thought it'd be alphabetical . . ." Madison gazed around the messy room, seeing all the cabinets around but having no idea in where to start.
"If I know my files and schools . . ." Sarah Jane walked around her, going towards the back. "It should be organised by grade and last name."
"Last name is McVey." Madison walked with her, surprised to see how easily Sarah Jane opened a cabinet and searched through all the files. "She was about fourteen."
"First name?"
"Paige."
Sarah Jane nodded, smiling as she pulled out the file. "Here we are. I think this is what you're looking for."
Madison smiled as she was handed over the file. There on the front of the picture of the young child smiling shyly for the camera. It warmed her heart to see such a sweet young one. "Thank you," she said as she collected the file from Sarah Jane.
"Is there a lot of children missing from here? I haven't heard anything about them," Sarah Jane asked then, seeming concerned.
"No. Just the one little girl I'm afraid," Madison explained.
"If I may ask, why are you searching for her?"
Madison thumbed at the file, feeling sad now as she continued to gaze at the picture. "Because . . . no one seems to care and someone should. Even if I'm being silly and she's fine . . . I just want to make certain she's taken care of. At the end of the day, every child should have someone looking out for them."
Sarah Jane's eyes stared at her warmly then, her smile turning soft. "Well said. You . . . remind me of a friend I knew once. He used to say things like that . . ." Her smile turned sad then as her eyes had a melancholy gaze.
Madison nodded, feeling as though Sarah Jane were remembering a long-lost friend now. Something that made her heart go out to the woman. She backed away then, heading for the door. "I'll keep a look out for you. Make sure no one comes in to disturb you while you have a look around."
"Thank you. I appreciate that." Sarah Jane's smile turned bright again, nodding in thanks.
Madison gave the woman a nod as well, heading out the door with the file in hand and a mission on her mind.
XxXxXxXxXx
Something about the Doctor's behaviour changed later that day. When they had met up again in the TARDIS that was parked within the school, she noticed it almost right away. Though he kept to a light mood and joked around with Rose as normal, something about how Madison could catch him staring off in space told her that it was nothing more than an act. The strange thing was it did not appear to be any sort of sorrowful change in him like what would happen sometimes when something reminded him of the war, his lost home, or even his family. Instead, this seemed to be a spark of utter delight and small rejoicing that he seemed to be repressing for some reason. It was the way she caught him smiling. It was a tentative nostalgic haze of some sort. As if he had seen something that brought forth nothing but joyous memories for him. She wanted to ask him about it, but . . . it was one of the few times he seemed so genuinely happy that she feared bringing it up would break the spell for him. She didn't even mention the missing child she was searching for. She did not wish to bring down the Doctor's mood in any way, so she decided to keep it to herself as she did her own research instead.
She went to her room in the TARDIS while the Doctor and Rose continued on guessing what was happening to the school. Neither one of them seemed to question what she was up to as she walked to her room after school had let out and they snuck to the back to get to the ship. Each seemed to be lost in their own world, so she took out the file from her briefcase and started making phone calls with her mobile after getting changed into her normal attire. She called the children's home first, seeing what they knew. But it seemed there was nothing to go from there as the orphanage did not care that Paige never showed up that night after school. They were labelling her as another runaway. Nothing more. Madison sighed as she hung up with the rather callous woman from the other line, holding her phone to her mouth as she thought over everything. The nurse's assistant had said the nurse had sent the child to Finch as protocol since Paige had been an orphan and had no parents to go home to. But from there . . . nothing. She feared what Finch could have possibly done to the child. Anger began bubbling away within, rising up as bile as she thought of all the possible ways Finch could have hurt the child. She swore if Finch had done something to Paige simply because she was an orphan and thought she wouldn't be missed . . . She had seen it happen before. Countless times orphans were used as nothing more than things to be thrown out in the bin. And it sickened her every time.
There came a knock at her door then, startling her.
"Maddie, come on, it's time. We're meeting up with Mickey and the Doctor says we're gonna start searching the place," Rose said, alerting Madison to the pressing matter at hand.
"Be right there," Madison replied, closing up the file and walking out of her room.
"What'cha up to?" Rose asked her, now back into her normal clothes as she joyfully walked alongside Madison while they headed for the console room.
"Doing some searching of my own. It's a little girl who's gone missing. I hope we can find her soon," Madison explained.
"Sure we will," Rose replied confidently. "Just after we get down to business. I'm so done with being a dinner lady."
Madison laughed, nodding in agreement. When they entered the console room, the Doctor was shifting from foot to foot, seeming ready to get going. He nodded at them before turning and going out of the doors, in a hurry apparently. Madison didn't blame him. She wanted to get this investigation over with as well. Though something told her that he was in a hurry for something else. Perhaps the same thing that had been bothering him earlier? She went over to him to take his hand, in hopes to communicate with him about it but was disappointed as he moved away from her. He marched right on forward, leaving Rose and her to try to keep up. Now she was worried. Was the happiness leaving him now to be replaced by sadness? She hoped not. If this were the case . . . she only hoped that maybe later she could help him feel happy again.
"Oh! It's weird seeing school at night. It just feels wrong," Rose said excitedly as they walked around the different staircases and hallways. They had finally gotten Mickey inside of the school with them, now in full force for their search through the school. "When I was a kid, I used to think all the teachers slept at school," she told them after they stopped to gather up near where all the stairs branched off into different departments.
"All right, team . . . Oh, I hate people who say 'team'," the Doctor began, though made a face when he said 'team'. "Uh, gang. Erm . . . comrades. Uh, anyway, Rose, go to the kitchen, get a sample of that oil. Mickey, the new staff are all math teachers. Check out the maths department. Maddie, with me. I'll need help looking through Finch's office." He hurried off then, looking back over his shoulder as he headed up the stairs. "Meet back here in ten minutes."
Madison quickly went after him, trying her best to keep up. She swore the Doctor's legs were getting longer every time. She could barely keep up. She wasn't even that short, either. Or maybe it had nothing to do with his legs. Maybe he was just that quick.
"Are you ever going to learn to slow down for the rest of us?" she teased him as she tried to catch up. She kept her voice to a whisper, not wanting to be too loud within the quiet halls of the school. Though she felt silly to keep quiet. It was not as if anyone else was in here . . . But just as she thought this, there came a noise from down the hall. The Doctor paused in step and she finally came up beside him. There was a distant screeching noise. It echoed down the hallway, sounding as if it were coming far within the school itself.
"Hear that?" the Doctor muttered in the corner of his mouth.
"It sounds like it's coming from where we parked the TARDIS," she whispered in response. "You don't think someone's trying to break in, do you?"
The Doctor narrowed his eyes, walking briskly away now. She hurried after him, trying to keep herself from being too loud now. If there was something wandering around these halls, she'd hate to run into it. Especially unprepared. She was also worried about the TARDIS. Even though the ship was well defended against outside sources, it still didn't mean that someone couldn't be trying to take her. Madison knew, if it came to it, she would defend the ship at all costs. Keeping this in mind, she went to try and grab the Doctor's hand as she wanted to keep beside him as they faced whoever was trying to get the ship. But he only sped up his pace, getting ahead of her again as more screeches and noises were heard throughout the halls now.
They came up to the storeroom, seeing how someone had just gone through the door as it was moving slightly from being closed. The Doctor held out an arm, stopping her from taking any step closer to the room. Knowing that the TARDIS was parked within the storeroom, she worried about who could be inside. Could they be trying to break into the ship? Shouldn't they be stopping them? Who could it be? She received her answer as the door opened again and out came Sarah Jane Smith. Madison blinked in surprise to see the journalist backing out of the room, staring at it as though she had seen a ghost. She turned towards them then, eyes wide as she gazed at the Doctor.
"Hello, Sarah Jane," the Doctor said softly.
Madison glanced towards him then, surprised by how he spoke the woman's name. It was an old greeting, as though he had said this many times before, a long time ago. There was a forlorn tone to his voice. And the way he gazed at the woman . . . that sad nostalgia . . . She tensed as she realised with a start that he knew this woman. Not in passing, but in a much more intimate way. This was only confirmed as Madison saw the look of utter shock and the breathless gasp Sarah Jane gave as she gazed back at the Doctor. It was then that Madison felt her heart sigh sadly, knowing this was someone who the Doctor cared for. Far before they had ever met. Seeing a past friend . . . maybe even a past lover, she knew from experience just how painful that could be. For both parties. She took a step back, bowing her head as she wished to give them space. She did not want to interfere. This was the Doctor and Sarah Jane's moment of reunion. She wanted to give the two of them all the time in the world so that they could have their peace being together again. She only hoped that she did not cause any trouble for the two as they reconnected.
"It's you," Sarah Jane breathed, gazing at the Doctor as if she couldn't believe her eyes. As if she had never believed it to be possible. Maybe she hadn't. There was a shaky breath as a hesitant, enthralled smile graced the woman's face. "Doctor. Oh, my god. It's you, isn't it?" the woman spoke, stepping towards the Doctor then. But she kept her distance, seeming almost afraid to get any closer. She blinked then as her eyes began to grow misty, appearing ready to cry. Her lips trembled as she gave the Doctor a quick look over. "You've regenerated."
"Yeah. Half a dozen times since we last met," the Doctor told her, sounding as if he were trying to downplay all the changes he had gone through.
"You look . . . incredible." Sarah Jane trembled somewhat, still seeming to try and hold it together. The way she stared at the Doctor then. Eyes filled with wonder and love.
The Doctor smiled. So much warmth behind his smile. "So do you."
Sarah Jane shook her head and gave a small sound of disagreement. "I got old." She then frowned as she stared at him curiously. "What are you doing here?"
"Well, UFO sighting, school gets record results. I couldn't resist. What about you?"
"The same." They both smiled then, grinning away at each other. But Sarah Jane's smile wavered before falling as she started to cry. She just couldn't keep the tears away as she gazed at the Doctor. "I thought you'd died. I waited for you, you didn't come back and I thought you must have died."
The Doctor's smile fell, gazing at her sadly then. "I lived. Everyone else died."
Sarah Jane's tears halted as she seemed to pull herself back. She stared at him in confusion then, seeming in disbelief at this statement. "What do you mean?"
"Everyone died, Sarah," the Doctor spoke quietly, saying this so matter of factly that it broke Madison's heart.
Sarah Jane blinked as she seemed to take in this statement carefully. There was a slight breath she let out. It wavered and sounded as though Sarah Jane couldn't quite wrap her mind around this idea. Madison knew that Sarah Jane must have been with the Doctor before the war. That much was obvious. But seeing the look of dismay, she then realised that Sarah Jane must have known other Time Lords. Possibly even had been friends with some, or had gone to Gallifrey along with the Doctor for a visit. To learn of the loss of all that she had once known must have been horrible. Madison wanted to comfort the woman but stayed still as she did not wish to step out of line with boundaries and such. It was then that Sarah Jane seemed to suddenly notice her presence. The woman blinked in shock at her, appearing taken back.
"Oh. Hello, again," Sarah Jane greeted politely.
Madison gave her a smile, nodding in greetings. "Hello. Did you find the files you were looking for?"
"Some. But I think the headmaster has the real files," Sarah Jane answered, giving somewhat of a half smile now. Madison could see the uncertainty in the woman's eyes. Possibly even a tad bit of hurt in there, too. It was obvious that the woman was disappointed in seeing Madison there with the Doctor.
"You—You two have met?" the Doctor asked them both, apparently bewildered by their greeting.
"Yes, earlier today. I helped her find the file of a missing girl," Sarah Jane answered absently. She then looked at the Doctor with a tight smile. "You can tell you're getting older, your assistants are getting younger." Madison raised a brow, unsure of what to think of this statement. Did . . . did she look too young to be with the Doctor?
"She's . . . she's not really my assistant," the Doctor replied, seeming uncomfortable suddenly then as he rubbed at his neck.
"No? Get you, tiger," Sarah Jane responded, still holding that tight smile. Not out of anger, but rather of painful melancholy.
Madison winced, realising her presence truly was unwelcomed at the moment between the two. She didn't want to cause any sort of pain for Sarah Jane by seeing the Doctor with someone new. Madison also didn't want the Doctor to feel guilty about having her around. She wasn't certain how to make the situation any better for the two of them as she recalled how she had felt when she and David had met again. She could only imagine nothing she said or did would help the two of them. So, she decided on sticking to quiet politeness, trying her best to make the situation as comfortable as possible.
"It really is nice to meet you. Properly, this time," Madison said to the woman, nodding her head and smiling kindly.
Sarah Jane seemed to be surprised by such politeness. She nodded to Madison, still appearing wary. She then stared at the Doctor once again. "I can't believe it's really you," she said. There came a loud scream then that echoed throughout the halls, making the three of them jump slightly. Then Sarah Jane smiled in humour. "Okay. Now I can."
Sarah Jane and the Doctor took off running then. Madison was right behind them, doing her best to keep up and also give them space. Once they had a chance to get out of this school, maybe she should suggest they go somewhere more comfortable so the two could get some privacy. She was certain they needed a quiet moment together, like what she and David had done. She blinked as they ran into Rose who had been sprinting through the halls towards the scream. The blonde came to a quick halt to look at the Doctor.
"Did you hear that?" she asked him. She then blinked as she seemed to finally see Sarah Jane standing there. "Who's she?"
"Rose, Sarah Jane. Sarah Jane, Rose," the Doctor introduced quickly.
"Oh, and even younger still. How many assistants do you have this time around?" Sarah Jane commented lightly, shaking her head in amusement at the Doctor. She then smiled at Rose, holding out a hand. "Hi. Nice to meet you."
"I'm not his assistant," Rose mumbled, frowning now in annoyance and suspicion. She shook the woman's hand either way, though, seeming perplexed and uncertain about the woman's sudden appearance.
"Oh? Look at you, tiger," Sarah Jane said to the Doctor, smirking lightly. The Doctor, appearing flustered then, blushed.
"It's not—It's not like that," he said, rubbing at the back of his head. He ran off quickly then, seeming to want to avoid any more conversations between the lot of them. Madison followed along after Rose and Sarah Jane. It concerned her seeing the look of distrust on Rose's face as she kept glancing at Sarah Jane. Madison could only hope this wouldn't turn out to be anything serious.
Eventually, they came to the science department, hearing noises coming from within the biology classroom. As they entered the room, they could see there was a supply cupboard open wide and Mickey pulling himself up from the floor where he must have fallen. The light from the cupboard shone brightly through the dark room, illuminating the scattered packages that must have fallen on Mickey. At first glance, they seemed normal, but as she looked closer, Madison noticed that they were packaged dead rats. As per usual, she felt uncomfortable being around dead things. It didn't matter what it might be. Insects, rats, dogs, horses, or people. If it was dead, she was squeamish.
"Sorry. Sorry, it was only me," Mickey said, looking flustered and embarrassed as he got himself steady on his feet. "You told me to investigate so I started looking through these cupboards and all these fell out on me." He gestured to the rats. Madison stayed back as the others got closer. The Doctor picked up one of the packages, inspecting it.
"Oh, my god, they're rats," Rose said in disgust, making a face at the sight. "Dozens of rats. Vacuum-packed rats!"
"And you decided to scream?" the Doctor said then, dropping the dead rat from his hand as he looked at Mickey.
"It took me by surprise," Mickey responded, defending himself.
"Like a little girl," the Doctor said, teasing him now.
"It was dark! I was covered in rats!"
"Nine, maybe ten years old. I'm seeing pigtails, frilly skirt." The Doctor chuckled as Madison slapped him on the back.
"Be nice," she scolded him. He merely snickered while Mickey pouted.
"Hello, can we focus?" Rose said, earning all of their attention again. "Has anyone noticed anything strange about this? Rats in school?"
"Well, obviously, they use them in biology lessons, they dissect them," spoke up Sarah Jane, a voice of dismissal towards Rose's concern. "Or maybe you haven't reached that bit yet. How old are you?"
"Excuse me, no one dissects rats in school anymore," Rose retorted crossly. "They haven't done that for years. Where are you from, the Dark Ages?"
Madison was taken aback by this exchange between the two. Especially with how antagonistic the two appeared to be. Oh, dear. Seems the two had it out for one another over being with the Doctor. Sarah Jane was most likely upset in seeing herself replaced while Rose might be cross with seeing an old companion coming back around. Both seemed equally displeased with the situation unfolding. It also didn't help that Sarah Jane kept sending Madison side glances. She could tell the woman was not happy about her, either.
"Anyway! Moving on," the Doctor said, trying to break up the hostile stares the two were sending each other. "Everything started when Mister Finch arrived. We should go and check his office."
"He keeps it under lock and key at all times. Only the new staff are allowed in there," Madison agreed, also hoping to break up the tension in the room. "If there's anything we need, it'll surely be in there."
"My thoughts exactly. I had been trying to break in before running into you two," Sarah Jane told them as they all started walking down the hallway. "Though it doesn't take a genius to figure that one out. It's obvious Finch would be hiding something in there." Though this comment just seemed light in passing, Madison had the feeling it was meant to be directed at her and to be an insult. She frowned, feeling uncomfortable again.
"Excuse me, I don't mean to be rude or anything, but who exactly are you?" Rose blurted out, throwing Sarah Jane a sharp reproachful look now.
"Sarah Jane Smith. I used to travel with the Doctor," Sarah Jane answered her.
"Oh! Well, he's never mentioned you," Rose replied absently, smiling rather tightly at Sarah Jane. This comment seemed to have hurt Sarah Jane as she blinked in shock.
"Oh, I must've done. Sarah Jane. I mention her all the time," the Doctor tried countering, though there was the uncertainty and nervousness in his voice. He scratched at his earlobe anxiously as he glanced between the blonde and brunette.
It was clear this was a lie. Madison knew this for certain as not once had he ever mentioned past companions or lovers. She had always assumed that they had all died a long time ago for him. Either during the war or before that. But seeing one of his old companions here and now . . . that made it all the more real of just how little she knew of him and his past. Her stomach twisted uncomfortably then as an unsettled feeling went through her. She felt nauseous even.
"Hold on . . . Sorry. Never," Rose responded after a moment, pretending to think about it. She smirked as she marched onwards, leaving them behind as she walked briskly.
"What, not even once? He didn't mention me even once?" Sarah Jane asked, appearing hurt and confused as she walked quickly after Rose.
"This normally happen when you come across an old ex?" Mickey wondered aloud after the two women had gone around the corner up ahead. He gave Madison a side glance then. "How come you aren't upset? I figured any missus would hate seeing their man's ex come hanging around."
"Mickey, not everything has to be like a soap opera," Madison replied, shaking her head at him. He seemed so eager to see a fight break out. "I'm happy to meet someone from the Doctor's past. It gives me a chance to get to know him a little better than before. Especially since he rarely talks about himself." She hadn't meant to say that last part out loud. She glanced toward the Doctor, worried she made him embarrassed. But that warm smile on his face told her that he felt touched that she wasn't going about this in a negative way. He then frowned as the sound of loud retorts were heard coming down the hallway. It seemed that Rose and Sarah Jane were truly giving each other a go at this point. He sped up his pace, heading for them.
After stepping between the two and telling them off, the Doctor had Rose and Sarah Jane follow him along with Mickey and Madison. It was then, by the headmaster's office, while the Doctor was unlocking the door with his sonic screwdriver, that he wondered aloud about the rats. He theorised they were food. Though food for what was not answered until they had the door open and revealed the many bodies within the office. There, hanging from the ceiling, was a swarm of humanoid bats. Or perhaps that of gargoyles. Madison stared in awe at the sight, shocked as she listened to the sounds of hisses and rattled breathing coming from the bats. They were all about as tall as herself, with leathery wings folded over and around themselves like blankets as they hung upside down from the metal pipes on the ceiling. Their long pointed ears twitched as they slept. Their elongated faces tucked to their chests as they breathed evenly. Mickey took off first after getting a good view of the bat creatures. Rose and Sarah Jane were not far behind. Only Madison remained in place, not wanting to leave the Doctor on his own as he slowly closed the door as he stepped back out of the room. He nodded to her then, just as a wailing screech was heard from within the room, before making them both walk quickly down the halls and out of the school with the others.
"I am not going back in there. No way!" Mickey said firmly as they all gathered outside the entrance of the school.
"Those were the teachers?" said Rose in disbelief.
"When Finch arrived, he brought with him seven new teachers, four dinner ladies and a nurse. Thirteen. Thirteen big bat people," the Doctor told them all rapidly. He turned to go back into the school. "Come on."
"You've got to be kidding," Mickey said quickly, shaking his head at the Time Lord. The Doctor turned, frowning when seeing none of them was moving to go with him.
"I need the TARDIS," he countered. "I've got to analyse that oil from the kitchen."
"Mickey's right. You can't go in there. You heard that scream from the office. They're awake now and know someone's in the school. They'll probably be searching for us," Madison said with a shake of her head.
"I might be able to help you there. I've got something to show you," Sarah Jane said suddenly, smiling brightly at the Doctor. She waved him to follow, grabbing his arm and pulling him excitedly alongside her. Curious, the Doctor made quick strides to keep up with Sarah Jane as she walked at a fast pace towards the parking lot. Madison trailed behind as the other two went after them. She came up just as Sarah Jane opened up the back of her vehicle and took a blanket off something bulky underneath.
Surprised by what she saw, Madison took in the sight of a large, strange-looking robotic form. At least, she thought it was a robot. It had to be as it had a head and body like one would imagine a robot to be. Though its design was more like a dog more than anything. It had a red visor for eyes, little disks on its head for ears, a pointed metal snout, a panel of a variety of buttons on its back, and a long black, rubber tail. Its main body was like a trapezoid, all bulky in shape and structure. The sides of it, where there obviously should have been metal covering it, were left bare and showed all sorts of wires and mainframes within. And as she looked more closely, she could see that the metal around the robot was rusty and worn in places on it. It was clear that this robot had seen better days. She saw the joyous smile on the Doctor's face when seeing the robot revealed.
"K9!" he exclaimed merrily. "Madison Baker, Rose Tyler, Mickey Smith, allow me to introduce K9. Well, K9 Mark 3 to be precise."
"Why does he look so . . . disco?" Rose asked carefully, blinking at the thing as if it were a bizarre thing.
"It looks sort of like the robots from Silent Running," Madison commented lightly, finding the robot before them interesting. She wondered if he talked like a person, or if he merely barked like the dog he was designed after.
"Oi! Listen, in the year 5,000 this was cutting edge. And K9 is a hundred times better than any robot from the movies," the Doctor said quickly, being defensive now as he glanced back towards them. He then looked to K9 once more, seeming concerned now. "What's happened to him?"
"One day, just . . . nothing," Sarah Jane told him.
The Doctor frowned at her. "Didn't you try and get him repaired?"
"It's not like getting parts for a Mini Metro," scoffed Sarah Jane. "Besides, the technology inside him could rewrite human science. I couldn't show him to anyone."
The Doctor seemed to be ignoring her as he crouched down and started to look over the robotic dog, fiddling with the wires sticking out. "Ooh, what's the nasty lady done to you, eh?" He started rubbing at the little disks as if scratching a dog's ears in affection.
Everyone, Madison including, looked at each other with raised brows and expressions of bemusement by his behaviour. Madison honestly found it enjoyable, even somewhat endearing to see the Doctor acting like this towards the robotic dog. If she would use any word, she might even call it 'cute'. Shaking her head in amusement, she glanced back towards the school, feeling nervous by still being so close to it.
"Should we get going? Maybe to somewhere more discreet? Just so we can discuss what we know and brainstorm?" she offered in a suggestion.
"Clever idea. I know just the place to go. There's a nearby cafe not too far away from here," Sarah Jane said, smiling as she covered up K9 once more and closed her trunk.
She offered them all a ride then. Her car was luckily big enough for all of them. Though it was a tight squeeze in the back for Madison, Mickey, and Rose. As the three of them sat in the back seat, scrunched up next to one another, the Doctor got into the passenger side of the car and Sarah Jane in the driver seat. The woman happily steered them off then, taking them to the cafe she had mentioned. While they drove through the wet streets away from the school, the Doctor began to chat away joyfully with Sarah Jane. The two of them began talking away, reminiscing together on different things and such. It began feeling as though it were just the two of them in the car, with Mickey, Rose, and her being all but forgotten. Gazing at the Doctor then, Madison saw that genuine happiness shining away in his eyes. The alighted gleam just would not go away from him when gazing at Sarah Jane. Madison turned her head away from the scene, feeling queasy as her stomach churned once more and that unsettled sensation returned. She gazed out the window towards the rather empty streets, watching the street lamps and shops passing by. Almost, in some way or another . . . it felt like she was passing on by as well. Just a fleeting thing, left to be forgotten.
Was it good? Have any thoughts you'd like to share? If so, please feel free to leave a review. It's always appreciated.
Be safe out there!