This wasn't quite how I intended for this particular story to turn out. I think it started along the lines of 'why would Mrs Langer ask Luke about his dad if she knows Sarah Jane's not married?' and then it got a little out of hand. Like it always does.

Thanks to noellefray for beta reading!

Everything belongs to the BBC (I think, it certainly doesn't belong to me!) and I'm just borrowing everything to play with!

The blood of the covenant is thicker than the water of the womb.

It always surprised Sarah Jane, and it flattered her immensely at the same time, that people seemed to think Luke was her son. Which he was, of course, that he was adopted made him no less her child, but for some reason, no one seemed to be aware of that little detail.

Neither Sarah Jane nor Luke had ever made a secret of it and still, both of them were asked about his dad and she was told what a good job she had done raising him on her own and oh, however did she manage to hide him from the public eye back when the Planet 3 scandal hit?

The last one had Luke flustered and, for once, without an answer, while his mum was glaring at the woman who had asked in the first place. They had been at a cricket match from school and Luke had wanted to come cheer for his classmates on the team. Parents were welcome and with both Alan and Carla working that day, Sarah Jane had offered Maria and Clyde a lift.

Now, she found herself glaring at the woman in question, apparently the mother of Matthew Brown from Luke's class.

'I don't see why that would be any of your business,' she said coldly, in that voice she usually used to give aliens the last warning. But Ms Brown seemed oblivious that she was treading on thin ice, because her eyebrows shot up as her curiosity was peaked.

'Were you living with your dad back then?' she wanted to know, turning her attention back to Luke. He just stared at her with wide eyes and turned helplessly to Sarah Jane, who was furious already.

'Ms Brown, our family's arrangements while I'm working are not on public record for a reason,' she hissed and finally, Ms Brown realised that an angry Sarah Jane wasn't a particularly pleasant prospect to face. 'So if you would be so kind and stop pestering my son about these things, thank you.' And with that, she ushered Luke away and back towards the car, where Maria and Clyde were waiting.

Neither of them realised that while not agreeing with Ms Brown's implication, Sarah Jane hadn't exactly told her she was wrong either.

Luke waited until they were alone that evening before he broached the subject to his mum again. He had barely been on earth for half a year and well, this afternoon he had realised that while he loved his mum more than anyone else in the world, he didn't actually know very much about her.

'Mum?'

'Yes?' Sarah Jane smiled and patted the sofa next to herself. Smiling back, Luke sat down and turned to look at her.

'What's the Planet 3 scandal?' She froze, closed her eyes, a shadow settling on her face. Of course Luke would ask about that, damn that woman for bringing it up in front of him. Then again, wasn't it better he asked her about it rather than have him look into it on his own? She sighed deeply and rubbed her forehead, suddenly very tired.

'You know Planet 3, the news channel? Well, they had this show where we would go and investigate companies that seemed to be hiding something and brought it to light.' She shrugged. 'I was one of their primary reporters for what, oh, almost ten years? They're still running, of course, but the show I used to work for was cancelled a few years ago.''

'Is that why you left?' Bless Luke, still so very innocent. Sarah Jane couldn't bear looking at him as she shook her head.

'I didn't leave. I was fired, in 2001. No, hold your questions for a moment, please, I'll explain.' She smiled at her son, a thousand questions on his mind but he nodded and stayed silent. 'There was an organisation out there who...well, they had it in for me.' Better not mention the Orbus Postremo, the less anyone spoke of that, the better. 'I did a report on a company, they claimed it was based on false information and sued Planet 3. Got me fired, though I did get my credentials back when it turned out that it had all been a set up.'

'So you didn't actually do anything wrong?'

'No, I didn't. I was even offered to come back but...well, I had told them that I was right and that it was a set up, but no one had believed me back then. So I moved on, back to traditional journalism again.'

'Oh.' For a moment, Luke was silent and Sarah Jane gave him time to let what she just said sink in. It hadn't even scratched the surface of all that had happened back then but now, knowing it had all been planned by the crimson chapter and having survived the Dauntless, she wasn't sure she could ever talk about those things in more detail. Most certainly not to Luke. In the end, it was her son who pulled her out of her musings, and his question put a smile back on her face. 'So, if you were on TV, is that why Ms Brown knew you? Because you're famous?'

'Maybe, though I'm glad very few people seem to actually know who I am. It happens, from time to time, but not very often. But I don't think I'm famous, no.'

'What do I tell people when they ask about things like that, mum?' It wasn't something she had ever put much thought into, but it was a valid question.

'What do you want to tell them?' She asked carefully, but Luke just shrugged. 'You could tell them it's none of their business - it isn't. Or you tell them you weren't living with me yet, and you would have been very young anyway, so even if you had been there, you wouldn't have been aware of what happened.'

'I think I'll tell them,' Luke said with a thoughtful smile, 'that my mum only ever did the right thing and what's good for me?'

'Oh Luke.' She couldn't help it and pulled her son into a tight hug that he was only happy to return. If after all that had happened over the years, her reward was having Luke, she would happily do it all over again and not change a single thing.

'Ah, Ms Smith, could I talk to you for a moment?'

'Of course.' Sarah Jane smiled at the teacher and waited for the other parents to filter out of the classroom, leaving only her and Luke's form teacher behind. Mr Gordon motioned for her to join him at the desk in front and waited until she had made herself comfortable before pulling a file from his bag.

'Ms Smith, I wanted to talk to you about Luke.'

'Is he doing alright?' She knew, rationally, that of course Luke was doing well, Clyde and Maria kept her up to date, but she still couldn't help worrying now. But Mr Gordon gave her a small smile and a nod.

'Academically, I must admit I don't think I've ever had a student as bright as your son.'

'Yeah, well, he is quite brilliant.'

'Yes, but I am a little concerned about his social skills. It's nothing too concerning,' Mr Gordon quickly amended when he saw the worry on Sarah Jane's face. 'I - and his other teachers - simply noted that compared to his classmates, he seems a little behind when it comes to social behaviour.'

'Oh.' For once, Sarah Jane didn't actually know what to say - a rather unusual feat for her. She couldn't very well tell Luke's teacher that really, it was a surprise that Luke had any social skills at all if you considered that technically, he was only a few months old. But in the end she didn't have to say anything, because Mr Gordon already continued, clearly wanting to ease her troubled thoughts.

'I didn't mean to worry you like that, Ms Smith,' he said with a calming smile. 'It's not unusual, actually, to have a child be a little socially awkward when they are as gifted as Luke. And he seems to be adapting well enough, making friends other than Miss Jackson and Mr Langer, so I do think he will catch up with the rest of his year soon. But we had similar cases before, where students needed time to adjust themselves when they changed school at his age. It often has to do with their home life, so I have to ask - and I don't want to intrude, Ms Smith, but have there been any changes recently?'

'What..kind of changes?' Better buy herself some time, Sarah Jane thought, to come up with a story for this one.

'Changes like...well, I noticed in Luke's file you are the only parent listed, has there perhaps been trouble with his father recently? He said he moved into the area only this summer, a falling out with a parent, coupled with a new environment often leads to such behavior in children.'

'Ah.' Once again, Sarah Jane found herself unable to answer, too many thoughts jumbling in her head. Luke's father? Had she not made it clear that she had adopted Luke? But then again, it would probably be better to just go with the assumptions Mr Gordon had already made, so after a long, reluctant moment, she nodded.

'Our family is...complicated,' she said carefully, unwilling to outright lie at her son's teacher. 'Luke hasn't always been living with me, you see, before he moved in this summer, he was...living elsewhere. You must understand, until recently, my lifestyle wasn't exactly suited to raise a child, but I'm thrilled that he is with me now.'

'I see.' Mr Gordon nodded. 'Not only a change in scenery but also a new attachment figure, that would explain his behavior. I assume he is doing well at home?'

'Very much so, Mr Gordon. Taking it all in a stride - getting used to London and the people and an organised life.' Now, Sarah Jane had to smile at him. 'I'm glad to know that the teachers here at Park Vale care so much about their students' well being.'

'Yes, well, thank you, Ms Smith, we do our best. That's all I wanted to talk to you about, really, and I'm glad to know we could resolve this so easily. You do have a wonderful son there, he'll be up to speed with his classmates in no time.'

'I'm glad to hear that.' And really, she was. With a last smile, Sarah Jane got up and shook Mr Gordon's hand. 'Thank you, Mr Gordon. Goodbye.'

By the time she got back from the parent's evening at school, she was so preoccupied with the thought of how brilliant her son was, that the talk about his alleged father had all but slipped her mind.

'So, Sarah, tell me,' Gita Chandra grinned and flopped herself down at the kitchen table next to Sarah Jane, 'is there someone special we haven't met yet?'

'I'm sorry?' Sarah Jane blankly stared at her, clearly at a loss as to what she was on about. Gita rolled her eyes.

'Men, Sarah, men,' she said, slightly exasperated. 'Is there anyone in your life? I'm just asking, you know, in case we see someone coming around and going into your house and we end up calling the police because we think it's a burglar when it's actually your husband or boyfriend - are you okay?'

Gita might be a gossip and not the most sensitive person to see when she said something hurtful, but even she couldn't possibly miss the expression on her neighbour's face. She had invited herself over, longing for company with both Rani and Haresh off on a school trip for the week, and figured Sarah Jane might feel the same without Luke. And she had only protested a little when Gita had barged in with scones and flowers, not even waiting for a response as she put on the kettle before even asking if she would stay for tea.

But now? Well, she had been fairly certain that Sarah Jane didn't even possess a facial expression of such raw emotion before she had seen it now, and for once, even Gita felt like an intruder.

'Sorry,' she said and carefully reached across the table for Sarah Jane's hand. 'I didn't mean to bring up painful memories.'

'Oh no, no, it's alright.' She almost sounded like the normal Sarah Jane again, smile back in place and all, but her eyes and words didn't fool Gita. 'You couldn't know.'

'But I should know better than to just assume there's someone - I just thought, you know, with Luke, his dad, that there must have been someone, at some point?'

'Oh.' For the first time in ages, Sarah Jane felt slightly flustered before she realised that perhaps, Gita didn't even know Luke was adopted. She had introduced him as 'her son' - which he was, no matter how - and she couldn't remember it ever coming up again. So instead of giving her an elaborated answer, she just shrugged.

'There was never a father in the picture for Luke,' she explained - without actually explaining anything. The perks of being a journalist. And being around the Doctor for so long. 'It's always been just him and me, ever since Luke was born.' Lying without lying. Maybe she had been around the Doctor too long, considering how easy it felt now.

'You did an amazing job on your own,' Gita smiled and Sarah Jane couldn't help but smile back, flattered. Before Luke, she had never thought she would make a good mum - had always said she didn't want children, but now she wouldn't miss or change anything about it, not for the universe.

'I've just done my best.'

'Don't we all?' They shared an exasperated look, the one only mums knew. 'So, Sarah...there must have been someone at some point?'

It was clear that Gita had taken bait and she wouldn't let go until Sarah Jane gave her something. The question was just...what? She couldn't exactly tell Gita the truth - that there had only ever been one man, and he had left her behind to go travel the stars with someone else - then again, why couldn't she? A wistful smile spread on her face.

'There was a man, a long time ago. I met him during research, for a story, and he...he was marvellous, you know? Whisked me away to see all kinds of wondrous things, everywhere. We travelled together for years, and then...well, he left me. Dropped me off in Aberdeen and disappeared…'

'And Luke? Oh Sarah, you weren't pregnant when he left you, were you?' Gita's eyes were wide and she was clearly captivated by the story. Even the horrified expression on Sarah's face at her question couldn't make her backpedal now.

'Goodness, no! No, we weren't, I mean, I wasn't -' Sarah Jane took a deep breath and started over. 'No, it was nothing like that. That was almost thirty years ago now, long before Luke.'

'Oh.' The answer seemed to disappoint Gita, but she caught herself again almost instantly, eyes wide. 'Did you ever see him again?'

'Oh yes, we met again, a few years ago - during another investigation,if you'd believe it.'

'A few years a- how old was Luke then?'

'Luke wasn't born then - in fact, he came around not long after that, actually.'

'Sarah! So your old travelling friend is Luke's dad!'

'What?!' Clearly, Sarah Jane hadn't realised the implications of what she'd just said, but there was no stopping Gita now.

'Has Luke met his dad then? Does he even know he's got a son - Sarah, I'd have never thought you'd be the one with a story like that!'

'Well…'

Thankfully, Sarah Jane was spared coming up with an answer to that because right then, a loud beeping started up in the attic and she ushered Gita out, important work, video conference with colleagues from across the pond, time difference, you know. And though reluctantly, Gita left, determined to find out more about this mysterious travelling companion who was Luke's dad.

After the Berserker in form of Clyde's dad had been dealt with, Luke found himself pondering something Mrs Langer had said earlier that day.

'When your dad shows up, don't forget about your mum.' She'd actually asked if his dad was around - even though Luke knew Clyde had told her that Sarah Jane had adopted him.

No matter how he looked at it, it simply didn't make any sense at all, so again, Luke went looking for his mum to ask her - what else was he to do? This was a family matter, the one thing he couldn't - wouldn't talk to his friends about.

'Mum?'

'Yes, Luke?' Sarah Jane smiled as she looked up from her papers and pushed her glasses on top of her head. 'Is something wrong?'

'No, no, everything's fine, but...Clyde's mum said something earlier.' He sank down onto the sofa and pulled over one of the pillows, hugging it close. Sensing that whatever was troubling him was more than just a passing remark from Carla, Sarah Jane settled down next to him.

'Well, what did she say?' She probed gently and Luke shrugged before finally looking up at her with a frown.

'She asked me to not just run off with my dad if he ever came around?' It was half a question, half a statement and clearly, Luke could make neither heads nor tails of it. 'Why would she say something like that - I don't have a dad.'

'I have no idea where she got that notion - oh.'

'Mum?'

'Oh, this is all my fault,' Sarah Jane moaned and buried her face in her hands, not sure whether to be ashamed, horrified or amused.

'Mum, what's your fault?'

'What Mrs Langer said - I might have implied to Gita that I was travelling with someone years ago and that he's your father. Oh, this is embarrassing!' While Sarah Jane clearly knew what was going on, Luke was still rather lost as he looked at his mum.

'Why would you tell Mrs Chandra that the Doctor is my father?' he wanted to know and Sarah just shook her head, holding back a disbelieving laugh.

'I know, right? The Doctor and me, my best friend - he's a different species, I don't even know if that would even work - but no, Luke, I didn't actually tell her anything. Well,' she amended, 'I told her that I got you not long after I ran into him again and she drew her own conclusions from that.'

'So Mrs Chandra thinks the Doctor is my dad because she didn't listen when she was talking to you?'

'That's one way of putting it, I suppose,' Sarah Jane said with a nod, but Luke was still frowning.

'But if Mrs Chandra thought that, then why would Clyde's mum say something like that?'

'Oh, you know Gita. Her heart's in the right place but she's the biggest gossip on the street - she probably told Clyde's mum about my sordid lifestyle, maybe she thought she knew some more, having known me longer and all?'

Luke gave a shrewd look, head tilted slightly as he eyed his mum carefully.

'Adults are weird,' he said, finally grinning and Sarah Jane laughed.

'I guess we are. So...what was it you actually wanted to know?'

'Just why Mrs Langer would say something like that - what do you think they'll do if they ever meet the Doctor?'

'If that ever happens, I'm locking myself up here in the attic and not come out again until he's gone or I'd die of embarrassment.' Her voice was muffled from where she hid her face in the pillow and Luke grinned.

'Maybe I should greet him "Hi Dad" when he shows up!'

'Oh no you won't!'

'Yeah, I will - we could call him now and let him know the happy - MUM!'

They both ended up on the ground, gasping for air between laughter, pillows all over the attic floor, feathers from the pillow that burst on the table and in their hair and Sarah put an arm around her son. He smiled as he put his head on her shoulder and plucked a feather from her fringe, leftover from their impromptu pillow fight.

'You know, mum, they all think because you're my mum I must have a dad but I don't, and I don't need one. But I like that they think you're my real mum - you are, but you adopted me, and, well, you know, I think people think that makes you not really my mum, so...I kind of like letting people believe that?'

'Oh Luke,' Sarah smiled, tears in her eyes, and pressed a kiss on his hair. 'You're my son, no matter what, and I love you. And nothing and no one is ever going to change that.'