The three of them now sat in Sarah Jane's living room.

'This does explain a lot,' Sarah Jane said, inspecting Stuart's hand.

Clyde winced a little at the damage.

'Shouldn't your watch have detected him, Sarah Jane?'

Stuart looked at him.

'See this?' he said, touching his watch. 'Biodamper.

He looked back to Sarah Jane.

'No explanation needed, I'm guessing?'

'No.'

She leapt up.

'Just popping to the loo,' she said, exiting and heading up the stairs.

Waiting till she was out of earshot, he looked at Clyde.

'Where's she really going?'

'What?'

'I'm a police officer of twenty-three years, Clyde. There's no wool left to pull over my eyes.'

Clyde stared at him, conceding defeat.

In the attic, Sarah Jane looked at Mr Smith.

'...only one of his kind on earth. The Velvox are not malevolent in nature.'

'You couldn't have told me all of this before?' Sarah Jane said, sighing.

Mr Smith proceeded to continue, but-

'I wish I could say I'm surprised by all of this.'

Sarah Jane turned to see Stuart with Clyde at the door, arms folded.

'Clyde, how-'

'Oh, leave him out of it,' Stuart said, stepping forward. 'Honesty's never been too high on your agenda, then.'

Sarah Jane placed a hand on her hip.

'Nor yours, it seems. Just why have you pretended to be a police officer for all this time?'

Stuart scoffed.

'Ah. But nosiness is.'

'Look, Stuart. Arguing isn't going to benefit either of us. Just tell us why - we're not going to use it against you.'

Stuart looked between them for a minute. He unfolded his arms, and sighed.

'All right.'

Wormwood cleared her throat. For the part that Ruby had played, Stuart still didn't think she deserved such a fate.

'Well. Old habits die hard, eh?' he said, delivering the line with all the resentment it deserved.

Wormwood chuckled.

'I understand that impersonating figures of law and authority, are not exactly lauded around the Galaxy, are they, Stuart?'

Silence.

'Some, I believe, are eviscerated,' Wormwood continued. 'Or worse...skinned alive.'

Stuart and Sarah Jane stared at her, the horrific realisation dawning.

'How unfortunate that it was bitter cold that day.'

You bastard, Stuart thought.

'Why did you both want to involve Stuart?' Sarah Jane asked. 'I get why me, but...Stuart?'

Wormwood smiled an ice cold smile.

'Why, indeed.'

Sarah Jane turned to Stuart, who resembled a student moments before the headmaster snitched on them to their parents.

'The other Qetesh weren't so lucky after their exile,' continued Wormwood. 'Brought down and handed in to the Judoon, by a certain Velvox impersonating the Galactic police.'

Sarah Jane's eyes darted between the two, unsure how she felt about this revelation.

'I didn't know,' Stuart said, barely audible.

'No, you didn't,' Wormwood sniped. 'Mistook those Qetesh for shapeshifters, didn't you? So when you met Ruby, you had no idea, did you?'

Silence.

Sarah Jane looked at the man next to her. If shame was a person.

Wormwood looked down at herself.

'I think it's time I dispersed of this...clumsy human oxen of a disguise.'

Wormwood pressed her ring. The huge tentacled creature from before re-emerged.

'Maybe I'll give you food poisoning,' Stuart said flatly.

'Oh no, I'm not going to eat you.'

'What then?' asked Sarah Jane.

The creature before them growled.

'Oh, just a little-'

SPLAT!

Flesh and guts were everywhere. Their faces. Clothes. The walls.

Something dropped to the floor. It looked like-

'Ruby?'

Stuart began crawling towards the half-chewed remains, while Sarah Jane stayed rooted to the spot.

'She was alive,' whispered Stuart. It was a statement and question rolled into one.

Stuart glanced at the mess, then at Sarah Jane, and again the mess.

'Oh, God.'

The End