A/N: First of, let me apologise for how long it has been since the last update. Work took over my life and everything has gotten out of control. To make matters worse, there was a death in my family last night. Due to that, and the emotional state I am in, I'm posting this chapter with a message. I do not know when I will next update. I am NOT giving up on the story, I just need some time and space to get over all of this that is happening. I hope you all understand.
Sarah Jane was standing there, stunned. Her mouth was hanging open while Kari just stood there and looked at her sadly. "Kari… what… what are you doing here?" The woman finally managed to say.
"I was visiting Jack, decided that I wanted to come and see you, to surprise you." Kari told her, the sadness still washing over her. Her friend was being brainwashed, and all she wanted to do was stop it. But this was a game, a game where the rules could change at any moment. "Been awhile since I last saw you."
She didn't know what kind of reaction she was going to get from Sarah Jane, she didn't know if the ring was going to interfere and alter her memories and thoughts. "You're here. You're actually here." She was definitely still stunned.
"Yeah, I'm here Sarah. This is real, I'm all flesh and blood and bones." Now Kari was starting to feel a little awkward. This wasn't exactly how she had seen it going in her head, she had seen Sarah Jane jump for joy at seeing her, at being happy. It wasn't turning out that way.
The next thing she knew, the woman had pounced on her. "Oh, it's so good to see you, Kari." Sarah Jane muttered in her ear as she hugged her tightly.
Kari couldn't help but chuckle a little. "It's good to see you as well, Sarah Jane Smith." She replied, glad that her friend hadn't shunned her or turned her away. "So, what's all this I hear about a wedding? And where's my invite?"
"You know about the wedding?" Kari could only nod at her, she was afraid that if she opened her mouth then she would say something stupid. "Well, I suppose, if you can hang around until the end of next week, you could always join Rani and be my bridesmaid."
Not what she was expecting, totally not what she was expecting. She had been maid of honour at someone else's wedding, at Amy's wedding, and that had been a massive drain on her. Yeah, sure, the circumstances were different, but she really needed to be on her guard now. "I suppose I could hang around for a while, but I swear, if you make me wear…"
"Pink. No pink, I remember." There was a huge smile on the woman's face once more now. "Oh, I'm so glad that you're here, Kari. You can help me, having Rani to help is great, but I need someone else, someone…"
Kari couldn't help but raise an eyebrow at her. "Older? I'd watch it if I were you, Sarah. I may be older than you, but I can still run like the wind when I need to." It actually felt good to show herself, to let Sarah Jane know that she was there, that she hadn't been forgotten. "And before you ask, no the Doctor isn't likely to be coming."
Sarah Jane's face fell. "Oh no, have you two had another fight? Has he left you on Earth again?"
"No, no it's nothing like that. He thinks I'm spending time with Jack, because I don't get to see him very often." She hated lying to her, but she had to, she couldn't tell her the truth. "Things have been really stressful recently, there has been so much going on. Also, I… uh, did something a little stupid that almost killed me." She had learnt that she always needed to throw some of the truth in there when she lied.
"Oh, Kari." Sarah Jane said, before hugging her tightly again. "Come on, I've got a nice bottle of wine that is just begging to be opened. I think this is a good enough reason to get it open. What do you say?" There was no way Kari could refuse.
Soon enough, the pair of them were sitting in the back garden. She had been introduced to Clyde and Rani, who were pretty good at acting like they had never met her before and knew absolutely nothing about her. They played their roles of acting surprised pretty well.
"Now, are you going to tell me what happened?" Sarah Jane asked her as they settled down with a glass of wine each.
Kari let out a sigh as she held onto the stem of the glass. "I was my normal, stupid self. I took on more than I could handle, if the Doctor hadn't stopped me when he did… well, I wouldn't be here now." It was difficult for her to talk about it, because it was still so raw for her, and she was still slightly suffering from it. "He told me I needed rest, I told him there was no such thing as rest when you were around him, so we made a compromise. I'd spend some time with Jack, get some rest and pull myself together."
"And you let him go off gallivanting through the whole of time and space, on his own?" There was a hint of amusement in Sarah Jane's voice.
She shrugged her shoulders at the woman. "He's not too bad. I don't think he's going to do anything too stupid while I'm gone. I told him that while I was staying with Jack he needed to do a little bit of cleaning. He doesn't even know what half of the rooms in the TARDIS are, I have ordered that he find out and get rid of anything that he doesn't need."
Sarah Jane burst out laughing. "So you're on holiday and he's left to do all the cleaning?" A smile stretched across Kari's face. "I am so glad that you're here, Kari."
"Yeah, me too. You know, I wouldn't miss your wedding for anything in the universe. Are you sure about this? Are you certain about this man that you plan to marry?" She couldn't stop herself, she had to try and break the spell that her friend was under, she just had to try.
"He makes me happy, Kari. After everything with you and the Doctor, I never imagined I would find anyone. I always envied the pair of you, you had everything, you are perfect together. I wanted that, I want someone who would look at me the way he looks at you. And now I have that. Peter makes me feel like I'm the most important person in the universe."
"Oh, Sarah Jane, you've always been important to the universe." Kari told her, knowing how true it was. "Without you, and your little band of alien hunters, working from an attic in London, Earth would be in so much trouble. Just think about all those wonderful things you have done, Sarah Jane, with Luke, Clyde, and Rani. Just imagine what would have happened to Luke if you hadn't been there? Where would he be now? What would he be doing?" She had to make sure she remembered, she had to believe in her past, to know how important she was.
The two women carried on talking well into the early hours. Kari was constantly reminding Sarah Jane of how brilliant she was, while Sarah Jane was bombarding her with question after question. It was time for them to head inside when they noticed how chilly it was, and when it looked like Sarah Jane was about to fall asleep there and then.
She was so grateful when she was offered the spare bedroom, she was lucky that Sarah Jane Smith had a lovely, large house. Strangely enough, she hadn't actually slept the whole time she had been there. Kari had been spending her nights keeping watch, doing some investigating of her own, making sure that there was nothing else out of place. When her head hit the pillow, she was out like a light.
Unfortunately, there was a lot playing on Kari's mind. She knew who was behind everything, and because of that, she kept thinking back to what had happened to her, of what she had seen, how he had tried to trick her. She had been so vulnerable at the time, they had just dealt with the Master and her head was already messed up.
Kari dreamt of the things that the Trickster had shown her, the happy human life that he could offer her, the one where she has a husband and children. Sure the man had been handsome, but looks weren't everything, Kari knew that. But she had everything that she wanted, All her life she had dreamed of that, of finding someone who would love her and stand by her, someone to start a family with. All her life she dreamed of that, of finding someone who would love her and stand by her, someone to start a family with. But she didn't need that, and that image from the Trickster faded back into her dreams.
But the next one wasn't far behind, Kari's mind was still focused on what had next images was of her father, sitting beside the police, speaking to all the cameras about his missing daughter. He was so distraught, he couldn't contain his crying, and his body was just shaking.
However, there was one dream that hurt her the most, one image sent from the Trickster that will never leave her. She dreamt of it as clear as day, and it was even more painful.
She was comfy, snuggled up in bed with a warm body beside her. There was a familiar scent coming from the person next to her, and she let out a slight grumble as she felt a pair of arms wrap around her more tightly.
The sound of the door being slowly opened flittered to her ears, and the light noise of someone creeping over to the bed. Kari wanted to open her eyes a crack to see who it was, but she really didn't want to, she didn't want to move.
Suddenly something landed right on top of her and the other body. There was some soft giggling as the lump tried to worm its way in between the two. "If we ignore him, he'll give up and go somewhere else." A familiar voice called into Kari's head.
"He's your son, of course he isn't going to just give up and go somewhere else." She replied, wanting to just snuggled down deeper and go back to sleep.
"He's your son as well you know."
Kari tried her best not to smile as the lump of a child started jumping on the bed. "I told you he wouldn't give up so easily, Doctor." She told him, before the child jumped and landed on the man beside her, completely knocking the wind out of him.
"Are you awake now then, dad?" The little boy asked, sitting quite comfortably on his father's chest, making himself weigh as much as he possibly could.
The Doctor let out a groan. "You've been taking lessons from your mother, haven't you?" He asked, moving his arms from around Kari and reaching out of the boy. "Go back to bed, it's too early." He pulled the boy down and onto the bed, all three of them snuggling down together.
Kari woke up with such a start that she almost jumped out of the bed. Panic filled her eyes until she finally realised where she was. She was with Sarah Jane, the Doctor would come, and they would defeat him. "He is not going to win. He is not going to mess with my head again." She vowed to herself, doing her best to pull herself together.
A few minutes later, and there was a gentle knocking on the door. "Hey, Kari? Are you up yet?" Sarah Jane's voice called softly through the door.
"Yeah, come on in, Sarah." Kari called back, still collecting the pieces of herself that scattered when she woke up from that stupid dream.
The door lightly clicked, before it slow began to open. Sarah Jane was standing there with a mug of tea in her hand, and a smile still on her face. That smile faded when she saw the drained look of Kari. "Here, I know how you can't function without your tea in the morning." She said, before frowning a little. "Are you all right?"
Kari quickly rubbed her head slightly. "Yeah, just a bit of a bad night. Always the same when I'm away from the Doctor, I can never sleep as well when he isn't about." In part, that was true, she did sleep much better when the Doctor was around. The other part was because of her dreams. "Anyway, what's the plan for today?"
A look of excitement took over Sarah Jane's face. "I don't know! I don't even know where to start. I've never planned a wedding before, I have no idea what I'm doing."
Lucky for her, Kari was there to help. "Okay, first things first, flowers. We need to go and see Rani's mother and get them all sorted. You need to decide on what colours you want, and take into consideration the colour of the bridesmaids dresses when you're doing it. Then you need to send Peter and Luke out to get their suits." There was a whole list of things running through her head, and it was difficult to organise it all. "Obviously we need to get you a stunning dress, need to call someone in for hair and make-up. Has he already organised a photographer for the day?"
Sarah Jane was actually take back a little. "I never realise there was so much to do." Said said, fear and panic starting to settle now. "Oh, we're not going to have enough time."
"Of course we are, there is always enough time. Look, the truth is, I can get the perfect wedding dress for you in the space of a phone call. I've got a good team behind me, one that I can call in at the last minute. Trust me, they can do anything." Of course she was talking about Ianto and his amazing shopping skills. Every dress he had given her had been an absolute stunner, and she would trust him to get the perfect dress for anyone.
"You haven't even met him yet."
Good, they were approaching a subject that Kari had been thinking about. "Yeah, and I can't wait to meet him. The thing is, Sarah, if you want to cut off from the old life, then it would probably be best to give him my human name." If he knew her real name, then someone else might know it was her, and she really couldn't have that. "I'm not Kari, I'm Karianne Conner, and you're my godmother. If you want to keep him away from all of this, then it's probably best to bend the truth a little."
It was clear from the look on the woman's face that she was thinking about it. She did want to keep Peter out of that life, she wanted to put it all behind her and focus on something else, on herself for once. Kari had made a very good point. "Yes, you're right." She said, before letting out a small laugh. "You're older than me, and I'm your godmother?"
"Hey, we have to make it believable, don't we? We can't tell him my real age, and I can get away with being so young when I look like this." She knew that she could get away with that comment, Sarah Jane would understand that it was just a bit of a joke.
"You can meet him today, he'll be over later." It was easy to see that she was just bubbling with excitement, and Kari could feel her insides churning over it all. "Oh, I still can't believe all of this is happening."
Kari chuckled at her a little while taking a nice long sip of her tea. "Well you best believe it, Sarah. This is happening, no going back. Just… make sure this is what you want, okay? You need to be one hundred percent sure that this is what you want." She was trying, trying to get through to her, to see if there was any doubt there, but Kari knew there wouldn't be.
"Kari, I have never been so sure of anything in my life." There wasn't a hint of doubt in her voice. "Right, better start getting ready, like you said, busy day today." Sarah Jane told her, before exiting the room, that huge smile still on her face.
Once she was sure the coast was clear, she yanked her phone out of her pocket. "At least there is something I can do to soften the blow when this all comes crashing down." She muttered to herself, scrolling through the numbers before hitting 'call'.
It rang a total two times before it was picked up. "Hey, Princess. I was wondering when I was going to hear from you." Kari couldn't help but let out a sigh of relief at hearing a familiar voice.
"Hey, Jack. How's the team?" Of course, that wasn't the reason why she was calling him, but she wasn't going to jump straight into it. She hadn't spoken to him for a while, she just wanted to hear his voice.
"They're good. Now come on, what do you want?" She was taken back by that a little. "I know you, you need something, right?"
So much for having a nice chat with him first. "What, I can't just call you to speak with you? I can't call just because I want to?"
"Nope. Now out with it."
"Okay, I need some money. There's something going on with a friend, the Doctor isn't here yet, and it's all going to end in heartbreak. She'll lose so much, I want to make it at least a little less painful for her." Kari had no idea whether that was the right thing to say or not, but she really didn't want Sarah Jane wasting her money on a wedding that was just going to fall apart.
She heard Jack mumbling to someone, but she couldn't quite work out what he was saying. "How much do you need?"
That was a good question. "No idea, ask Ianto how much a wedding usually costs." She really had no clue as to how much it was all going to cost. Just because she had been planning her own wedding, didn't mean she knew anything about how much it would all come to.
"Okay, I'm not even going to ask what's going on. I'm going to trust you to tell me when this is all over. Deal?" Kari was grateful that he was so understanding, she didn't really want to explain it all to him, to tell him who was behind it all. If Jack knew, and it was in the past for him, he would be there in an instant and taking her out of the situation.
"Yeah, it's a deal. I probably should have called you before and told you what was going on, but I was only thinking about Sarah and what was going on." She told him, before realising that she had completely let slip who she was with.
Lucky for her, Jack seemed to ignore her little sip up. "Yeah, you probably should have. But hey, I know where you are, and I know you're safe, right?" He was asking for confirmation that she was actually safe.
"Yes, I'm safe, safe as can be." For now at least. Come the end of next week, not so much.
"That's not really very reassuring. Anyway, Ianto has just sent a courier with a package for you. Should be there on a few hours, just be careful, and don't go spending too much, I'm the one that has to pay the bills." That comment made her think about exactly what it was that he was sending her, but it didn't matter, what mattered was that he was helping her.
"Thanks, Jack. You are the best big brother ever, you know that, right?" A little bit of flattery would hopefully mean he wouldn't pester her too much. "And, because I love you so much, I promise to come and visit as soon as I can."
She heard him chuckling at the other end of the line. "I love you too, Princess. Tell Sarah Jane I said hello, and stay out of trouble. If the Doctor isn't there, that means I'll have to come and bail you out of something happens."
"I am perfectly capable of getting myself out of trouble, thank you very much. Look, everything is going to be fine, trust me. I know what I'm doing, so you go and do what you do best, flirt with anything that moves and keep the planet safe." Once again she heard him laughing, before he finally said goodbye and the call was ended. Kari was glad that she called him, even if it was just to ask for something, she really had missed him.
A little while later, she was lying on the grass out in the garden, staring up at the sky. She wondered where the Doctor was at that point in time, she wondered where the Doctor she just left was, if he had gone and seen Clara after she left. There was so much running through her head that she failed to notice that she was no longer alone in the garden.
"Karianne, I've got someone here for you to meet." Sarah Jane called, finally getting Kari's attention. She quickly opened her eyes and and pushed herself off the lush green grass. "This is Peter, my fiancé. Peter, this is my goddaughter, Karianne."
Kari gave the man her best smile. "It's a pleasure to finally meet you, Sarah Jane has told me so much about you. When she told me the news I couldn't get her quick enough." It wasn't his fault that he had been tricked, he didn't know what would happen. "I'm so glad that she has found someone who makes her happy."
"So, how did Sarah Jane become your godmother?" Peter asked, a hint of curiosity on his face.
"She a very close friend of my family. She's been my sister when I've needed someone to talk to, my mother when I've gotten myself into trouble, and my best friend whenever I have needed her." All of that was true. Almost. That was what Kari hoped their relationship was like, how they were going to be together, that was what she wanted her Sarah Jane to be to her. "Apart from my brother, she's the only other family I have left."
However, Peter was a little more perceptive than that. "And your fiancé?" He hadn't missed the ring that was on her finger.
"Unfortunately he is away at the moment and is unable to make it back in time for the wedding." Kari told him, giving Sarah Jane a quick glance. It seemed like she was okay, just a hint of sadness in her eyes. "But if he could, he would be here in a heartbeat, I know he would."
"Oh, I know he would." Sarah Jane suddenly said, before giving Kari a big hug. "We both know that if he could be here he would."
Kari was glad that she understood, and that she wasn't upset about it all. "You know, I could give him a call, threaten him and make him come." And she really did mean it, she could phone the Doctor, tell him to get there, even if he had to park the TARDIS in Cardiff and then hitch a lift from Jack.
Sarah Jane chuckled a little. "No, leave him alone. I've got you here, what more do I need?" She said, before Peter cleared his throat and they broke their embrace. "Right, we're off out for lunch. Luke is out with Clyde and Rani, so you get the whole house to yourself."
She rubbed her hands together with a grin on her face. "Lovely, party time. I'll try not to wreck the house too much, promise."
While Sarah Jane rolled her eyes, Peter looked a little more concerned. "Or you could always come with us. Sarah Jane said you only arrived last night, I'm sure you'd like to spend a little more time with her. Plus, I know she doesn't have much family, I'd love to get to know you a little more."
"Oh no, I would never interrupt my Sarah Jane's time with you. Besides, I get to have her all to myself when we go dress shopping on Saturday." And surprise her by paying for everything, the dresses were on the list of things that she was going to pay for, or rather, Jack was going to pay for.
"Are you sure? I mean, I really don't mind." Kari didn't like the way he seemed to be pushing it, she had already said no, he needed to accept that.
Kari quickly shook her head at him. "No, honestly, it's fine. I'm waiting for something to be delivered anyway, a wedding surprise." Technically, that was completely true. "You two go and enjoy yourselves, I promise not to burn the house down, and whatever anyone tells you, that was an accident." She said, a smirk on her face as she headed back into the house.
As she went, she heard Sarah Jane laughing rather loudly. Kari really was glad that the woman was happy, and she wished so badly that it could have been real, that he was real and none of it was a trap. If it was real, really real, then she would have made sure that the Doctor was there to give her away. She would make sure that Sarah Jane was honest with Peter about what she did, and know that he would be fine with it all.
A few hours later, and her little delivery had arrived. Kari had to give Ianto some credit, he really knows how to make things happen. She also had to thank Jack, as he had given her a credit card, with a note telling her that even though there was no limit for her, he would make her clean out Janet's room if she spent too much.
When Saturday finally rolled around, Kari was feeling even more anxious than she had before. "Morning you two." Rani called as she came bouncing across the road and over to where they were standing by Sarah Jane's car.
"Morning, Rani. Are you ready to find Sarah Jane the most wonderful and beautiful wedding dress in the history of weddings?" Kari asked her, trying to sound as cheerful as she could. She was really struggling, Kari knew that today was going to be a bad day for her.
"Of course. Let's get going." Rani said, before bundling herself into the back of the car.
It took hours for them to find the right dress for Sarah Jane, and then they had to add on all the accessories. They were certain that the woman looked amazing, they kept on telling her. "Honestly, Sarah, you looked absolutely beautiful." Kari told her, a smile on her face as she looked at her in her wedding glory. "Amazing."
Instead of arguing, she quickly changed the subject. "Right, you two, dresses!" This was the part that Kari had been dreading, the bridesmaid dresses. Although Sarah Jane had promised her she would not have to wear pink, she still felt a little uncomfortable.
It was meant to be just Sarah Jane and Rani, the only bridesmaid in a little pink dress. Kari couldn't help but think that she had just come along and ruined it all, and she wondered if she should have just kept herself out of sight until the day of the wedding. No, she needed to show Sarah Jane that she was there for her, and that the Doctor hadn't forgotten her.
Eventually, Rani found a dress that she liked, which simply left Kari to pick something out. "How about this one?" Rani suggested, pulling one of the dresses off the rail and holding it out towards her. "I think you'd look lovely in it."
Without saying a word, Kari took the dress and went to try it on. She wasn't fussed what the dress looked like, she kept telling them that it didn't matter, it was Sarah Jane that everyone was going to be look at, it was her moment to shine. The other two insisted that she looked just as amazing, and kept on forcing different dresses at her.
"You know, it really doesn't matter what dress I wear, as long as it's the same colour as Rani's." Kari called as she stepped into the dress.
"Oh come on, Kari." Sarah Jane called back to her. "I want you to like your dress."
She let out a sigh, she wasn't trying to be awkward, that really wasn't her intention, Kari just wasn't as bothered about the dress as they were. Oh, if only she had Ianto there to help her, he'd pick out the most fabulous dress and she would love it in an instant. That then gave her an idea, and she grabbed her phone out of her bag.
After taking a quick picture and sending it to someone, she started fiddling with the dress. It was slightly longer than the one Rani was wearing, coming just past her knees, and it kind of swished around everytime she moved. It wasn't a horrible dress, there was just so many to choose from that she really didn't know what to look at. As far as she was concerned, the bride should pick and just be done with it.
"You can't hide in there all day you know." Rani called, still waiting for her to come out so that they could see the dress. "You're going to have to come out at some point, and we will see the dress."
"Yeah, hang on a minute." Kari called back, looking at her phone and muttering for it to hurry up. Finally she got her response and read it. She had sent a picture of the dress to Jack, and told him to get Ianto to look at it and give her his opinion. Apparently, he approved of it. "All right, I'm coming out."
She threw the curtain to the dressing room open and stepped out. The layers of the dress fluttered around as she moved, and both Sarah Jane and Rani were looking her with stunned expressions. "Oh, wow…" Rani managed to breathe, as Kari stood there, feeling a little like an idiot.
"Oh Kari, you look lovely." Sarah Jane added, taking a step over to her and getting Kari to twirl around a bit. "That's it, that is the perfect dress for you."
Kari wasn't so sure, it was a halterneck dress, she didn't like halterneck dresses, or strapless dresses. Sure, she loved the material that it was made of, the chiffon moved so freely and it made her smile. "I don't know. But it's your day Sarah, what you say goes."
Sarah Jane didn't just think that the dress looked lovely on her, she thought the colour was perfect for her as well. It was the perfect shade of pale violet, and it went so well with her hair and eyes. "Yes, and I say that you are wearing the perfect dress. It doesn't matter about the colour, they are both purple, so that will do."
She couldn't help but let out a groan as she was forced to find a pair of shoes to go with it as well. While Rani was given a lovely pair of purple flats, Kari was stuck with some high heels. She didn't wear heels, not unless she was forced to. Sarah Jane was forcing her to.
Eventually, everything was all packed up and ready for them to take, all that was left, was to pay for it all. Before Sarah Jane even had a chance, Kari had given the woman the card Jack had given her, and told her that she was paying for it, all of it.
"Kari, I can't let you pay for all of this, it isn't right. This is my wedding." Sarah Jane protested, while Kari simply started passing the bags out, making sure that Rani had all her things.
"You're too late, Sarah. I'm paying for it, and that is it. This is my wedding gift to you, okay? Keep your money to spend it in your new life with Peter." Paying for all the dresses, the shoes, jewelry, and other accessories, was the least that she could do considering what was going to happen. "You deserve to be happy."
Sarah Jane didn't really know what to say, and instead she threw her around around her, hugging her tightly as a few tears slipped down her cheek. "You are amazing, Kari, you really are."
"Nah, I'm just me. If anyone around here is amazing, it's you, Sarah. You put up with so much, you do so much, and you never complain." And she would get through so much more as well. It really did break Kari's hearts in two to know what was going to happen, and yes, she was trying to do anything to soften the blow. Everything except stop it from happening in the first place. "Now come on, I'm absolutely starving, I need food."
With the dress shopping done, and the flowers all decided and ordered, there really wasn't much left to do except wait, and Kari really hated the waiting. She spent most of her nights texting Jack, just to give her an excuse for not sleeping. She had tried to get a few hours of sleep, but every time she tried, she ended up remembering everything that he had done to her, the thoughts he had put in her head, the way he had tried to manipulate her friends. In the end it all became too much and she just avoided sleeping.
The week seemed to be dragging on, but finally the day arrived, the day when Sarah Jane Smith was due to become Sarah Jane Dalton. Kari did everything she could to keep a smile on her face, to be as happy and excited as she could, and to not worry over what was about to happen.
So many times she had found herself want to confront Sarah Jane, to tell her what was really going on, to put a stop to it all. She couldn't do it, for so many reasons. There was only one person who could stop it all, and that was Sarah Jane. Plus, she knew that the TARDIS needed to get there, Clyde needed that shot of energy.
The white Rolls Royce that Kari had paid for to take them to the wedding finally arrived at the country house, Luke standing outside waiting for him, looking very smart in his suit. When the driver got out of the car and opened the door, allowing Sarah Jane to step out.
She looked absolutely stunning in her rather classic, and very classy, white wedding dress. She really did look so beautiful, and it was hurting Kari even more to know how the day was going to turn out. "Mum." Luke breathed happily as she approached him, her bouquet of white roses firmly clutched in her hands.
"How amazing does she look, Luke?" Kari asked, sliding out of the car, her own, but slightly smaller, bouquet of roses in her hands. She actually felt rather silly, all dressed up, her hair curled and pinned into some ridiculous hairstyle with diamond style pins all over the place. "And how about the lovely, Rani." She added, just as the young lady stepped into view. She really did look lovely.
"Rani, you look good." Luke said, a smile still on his face. Even Sarah Jane was smiling at her two bridesmaids.
Except Rani wasn't entirely happy at that comment. "I look good?" Clearly she had expected something a little more flattering.
"You look amazing. All three of you." Luke said, saving himself, before turning to his mother. "I thought you might have wanted the Doctor to give you away."
Sarah Jane chuckled a little. Kari had said to her several times that she could get him there, that it wouldn't be a problem. However, she was insistent that she was happy that she was there, she didn't need the Doctor there. "I need somebody reliable, and I'm so very, very glad it's you. Besides, where would I send the invite? Metebelis Three?"
"Besides, the Doctor is rubbish at weddings, trust me." Kari told them all, knowing how many of the weddings he went to ended in disaster. "And you really do not want to see his drunk giraffe dance."
After they had a laugh, and composed themselves once more, the four of them knew that it was time to head inside. As they went, Kari heard that all too familiar sound, but so did Rani. "Did you hear that?" She asked, looking to Kari. She just shook her head, pretending that she heard nothing before following Sarah Jane and Luke.
All eyes turned to Sarah Jane as they entered the room, and the nerves were showing on the woman's face. It wasn't a long walk before Luke handed her over to Peter, and the three went to sit down in the front row to watch it all.
"K9, scan." Kari heard, noticing Clyde talking to something under the table out of the corner of her eye.
"All normal, Master Clyde." The robotic dog replied.
But Clyde really wasn't that convinced, there was still doubt in his mind, there was something still there telling him not to trust everything before him. "Yeah, so far."
"You brought the dog?" Anyone could see that Luke was unhappy that Clyde had brought K9 along to the wedding, and even more unhappy at the fact that he was scanning for anything that could be wrong.
"Well, what did you think was under there, the wedding cake? There's something wrong about this." Although Kari would love to agree with him, she instead just shushed him, but the look in her eyes let something slip that she wasn't happy with everything either.
Kari sat back as the woman at the front began to speak, the service had begun. "Good afternoon, everyone, I'm the Superintendent Registrar. We are here today to witness the marriage of Sarah Jane Smith and Peter Anthony Dalton. In each other's company they have found happiness, fulfilment and love, and they wish to affirm their relationship with this marriage. Now, I have to ask this question. If any person can show just cause or impediment why they may not be joined together, let them speak now or forever hold their peace."
While the registrar had been speaking, a sound had been getting louder all around them. Kari knew what it was, she didn't have to hear it, because she could feel it. Eventually the doors were thrown open, and Kari let out a sigh of relief. "Stop this wedding now!" The Doctor shouted, his brown coat flapping about a little as he charged in.
Sarah Jane turned around, completely stunned. "What?"
The whole room had turned to look at the person who had interrupted the wedding, the person who had demanded it be stopping. "Oh, you have such perfect timing!" Kari called to him, while everyone else argued over who he was.
The Doctor looked at her, slightly surprised to see her there, before turning his attention back to Sarah Jane and Peter. "I said, stop this wedding."
Before anything else could be said, or people could get over their shock, a strong wind picked up in the room, a wind that came from nowhere. "Alert! Alert! Danger, Mistress!" K9 called, rolling out from under the table.
Kari managed to push herself out of her chair, her dress blowing about everywhere as she rushed over to try and reach her friend. "Sarah! Get away from him!" Now it was the time for her to act, to play her nonexistent role in the wedding.
She did try to get away, but the man who was to be her husband was holding onto her hand tightly, not even thinking of letting go "No! Peter, no!"
"Don't be afraid, Sarah Jane. It's the Angel." As Peter told her that, a figure that Kari knew all too well appeared out of no where, all dressed in white and with no features on its face.
"I'll show you an angel!" Kari shouted, feeling her temper start to flare, knowing that the time vortex was trying to protect her.
The Doctor was trying to move closer, but something was holding him back, he couldn't get close enough. "Sarah! Trickster, let her go!"
"Too late, Time Lord. You're mine, Sarah Jane Smith. Mine forever." The Trickster told him, confident and arrogant as always.
"Sarah!" The Doctor and Kari called at the same time,
"Doctor! Kari!" Sarah Jane called, before she disappeared, along with the Trickster and Peter, and the wind picked up even more. Kari knew what would happen now, and she just hoped with everything she had that Sarah Jane was not going to blame her, that she wasn't going to hold anything against her when she realise that Kari had known about it all the whole time she had been there. That was what scared her the most now, how the woman was going to react when she knew the truth.
A/N: Yes, I've left it on a cliffhanger, like I always do. But most of you know what is going ot happen from here, you'll just have to wait a little while to see how Kari affects it all.
Until then,
Pippa.