The last thing Rani remembered was stepping outside her house to get the morning newspaper. While she had been doing this Lisa showed up and had taken out some device that Rani had never seen before, and before she had the chance to react Lisa had used it on her. That was all she could remember between then and waking up in a strange room. That bitch, just wait till I get my hands on her, Rani angered. "Lisa!" She started banging on the only door in that room. "Open up and let me out of here right now!"
"Relax," a voice came over a speaker system in the room. "You are safe here no one will hurt you."
"Who are you?" Rani demanded. "Let me out of here."
"Calm down everything is going to be fine," the voice said. "My name is Jaxton, and you're mine now which means nothing and no one will ever be able to harm you. I will provide you anything your heart desires just say the word."
"What?" Rani was more than a little stunned.
"You'll never have to experience fear ever again. I'll take care of you for as long as you live," Jaxton promised her.
Rani's suspicions increased. "Hey I'm only seventeen so if you're after what I think you're after…"
"Oh not at all, I'm not interested in you like that. I just want to protect you," he assured her.
Rani glanced around the room taking in her surroundings and had seen a comfortable looking bed in there, a stereo, a flat screen TV, a desk, and a computer.
"Why do you feel the need to protect me so much that you had Lisa bring me here against my will?" Rani demanded.
"Rani, you'll never want for anything again," he avoided answering her question.
"Jaxton, listen to me," Rani replied. "I have friends and family that are going to be worried about me and they won't stop looking for me. Things will go much better for you if you let me go."
"I'm sorry but I can't do that. Earth is far too dangerous," he answered.
"But everyone I love is there. I thought you said I could have anything my heart desires," she challenged.
"I did say that," Jaxton said.
"Then let me go home, because that's all I want right now," Rani told him.
"I'm sorry Rani, but I won't grant you something that can endanger you. Now you must be famished, what do you want to eat?"
"Nothing from you," Rani said not trusting Jaxton. He wants to protect me, yeah right. Then why the hell did he take me away from my parents, my boyfriend, and my friends? He's probably some kind of psycho, Rani thought as she began to plot her escape.
Once Sarah Jane was all cried out she and the Doctor had begun to brainstorm hoping to figure out a way to find Rani.
"Which aliens that you know of are able to escape detection by you?" Sarah Jane asked.
He thought it over and finally said. "The Xergons are the only alien race which is able to do that, and they're able to disguise themselves as humans. That must be what Lisa and her mum have done but it still makes no sense."
"Why doesn't it make sense?" Sarah Jane inquired.
"Because the Xergons are a peaceful race and would never do what we suspect that Lisa and her mum have done," the Doctor replied.
"Just because they're from a peaceful race that doesn't mean that they're peaceful," Sarah Jane argued. "History alone is proof of that. We need to track Lisa and her mum down and I say we start with their home planet."
"I'm going with you," Clyde said as he walked into the attic.
"No way," Sarah Jane refused to even entertain the idea. "For one it's much too dangerous. Also, you are grounded by the Judoon. You can stay here and look for Rani in case she's still on Earth."
"That wasn't a request," Clyde replied. "Sarah Jane, you can't stop me from coming along."
Sarah Jane opened her mouth to argue further but she closed it again when she got a better look at him. She sighed and chose her words carefully. "Clyde, I know you are worried and terrified for her right now. I am too, but the Judoon would execute you if they discovered that you had broken your grounding."
"They won't find out," Clyde insisted. "Rani needs me."
"Hey wasn't Rani grounded by the Judoon as well?" the Doctor interrupted.
"Yes she was," Sarah Jane answered. "Why do you ask?"
The Doctor smiled and approached Mr. Smith. "Mr. Smith, I need you to contact the Judoon. Can you do that for me?"
"But, Doctor," Mr. Smith protested. "Are you trying to get Rani in more trouble?"
"She won't get into trouble," K-9 scoffed. "I guess you need an explanation as usual. The Judoon will help capture Rani's abductor or abductors since they have taken their victim into space when she's forbidden to enter space. Do you get it now, Mr. Smith?" the robot dog chided.
"Whoa, easy, K-9," the Doctor lectured.
"Um they're always that way with each other," Clyde informed him.
"I knew that," Mr. Smith addressed K-9 in an uppity tone. He then attempted to contact the Judoon.
The Doctor spoke to the Judoon once contact had been made and brought them up to speed.
"We will find them and if the earth girl is with them we'll bring her home instead of executing her since she didn't leave Earth on her own free will," the Judoon leader promised.
Clyde stepped into view of the Judoon. "May I please leave Earth and look for her. I'll return to Earth as soon as she's found I promise."
"No, that is completely forbidden. You are not allowed to go into space," the leader refused his request.
"But I love her," Clyde continued to plead his case. "Don't you have a wife or a girlfriend? If not, haven't you ever been in love before?"
The Judoon discussed his request amongst their selves for a little while and had come to a decision.
"Yes, you can leave Earth but once Rani Chandra is found you're to head back to Earth right away. Doctor, I trust you'll have enough people on your Tardis to help steer the ship correctly so that there's no delay in getting him back home."
The Doctor nodded and after he was done speaking with the Judoon he went to speak to Jack, Martha, Mickey, and the Brigadier. Luke and Sky returned from passing out and putting up fliers while he was talking to them. The Smith children entered their house and approached Sarah Jane and Clyde.
"Where are you going?" Luke asked.
"We're going to look for Rani," Sarah Jane said and brought her children up to speed. "I need you two to stay here in case she's still on this planet, so you can look for her here."
Sky nodded. "Of course, mum."
Luke hesitated.
"Luke?" Sarah Jane questioned.
"I'm going with you," Luke insisted.
Clyde approached him. "Please stay here instead. I mean what if we're wrong about Rani being taken to another planet? Please stay here, mate, if Rani is still on Earth I'll need you to find her, rescue her, and take care of her until I get back. She'll need you."
Luke pondered his words and finally nodded in agreement.
Clyde thanked him and hugged him; Luke hugged him back.
"Where ever she is right now she's okay and we're going to get her back, Clyde." Luke assured him.
"I know," Clyde managed a smile.
"You look after them, please." Sarah Jane said to Mr. Smith about Luke and Sky.
"I will, Sarah Jane," her super alien computer promised.
"As will I, mistress." K-9 said.
"No, K-9, I need you to come with me, so you can help us find her and rescue her," Sarah Jane replied.
"Yes, mistress," K-9 entered the Tardis and waited for everyone else to get in.
Clyde phoned Carla before he left and told her he might be gone for a little while but that he would contact her again as soon as he could. Not long after the Doctor returned with the others. Sarah Jane and Clyde hugged Luke and Sky before they boarded the Tardis and seconds later the Tardis disappeared from the attic.
Twenty minutes later Carla Langer knocked on the Chandra's front door and waited for someone to answer. They must be going through hell right now, she thought about Gita and Haresh. I really hope that this doesn't end badly. The door was finally opened by Gita. Carla looked her over and saddened when she had seen that Gita's eyes were red from crying and that she looked like she hadn't slept.
"I thought you might be hungry," Carla said. "I brought some sandwiches."
"Thank you, Carla, but I'm not hungry," Gita answered sounding like her heart was breaking.
"I'll leave it for later then?" Carla insisted. "You and Haresh will need your strength to find Rani and bring her home."
Gita managed a smile and let her into the house. She thanked her for the food and put it in the fridge for later. "I tried phoning her," Gita had begun to ramble. "I've must have left her over fifty voice-mails since this happened. Haresh is already out again this morning searching for her. I just don't understand why we haven't heard from her. Rani would never put us through this much worry," tears welled in her eyes again. "Her phone must be broken that's it, and she must have gotten lost that's why she's not home yet."
"Of course," Carla went along with that fantasy. She knew very well that Gita didn't believe that either and knew that someone had taken her daughter but she also knew that Rani's mum was looking for something to hold on to and was hoping that there was still a chance of Rani walking through the front door on her own.
Gita continued to ramble and Carla just stayed and listened intending to stay there for as long as the Chandras needed her.
Luke and Sky were about to head out to search, post fliers, and hand out fliers again when their mum's desktop had begun to beep at them. Luke walked over to the pc and moved the mouse around so the screen saver would go away. He then clicked accept on the video chat.
"Hi, Maria," he smiled at her. "Have you been able to find anything on your end?"
"Not yet, but I have friends inside UNIT that are keeping their eyes and ears open," Maria assured him. "She still hasn't turned up?"
"She hasn't," Luke confirmed. "Mum, Clyde, the Doctor, and some of our friends have left in the Tardis to check other planets for her. We're on Earth duty," Luke said about Sky and he.
Maria observed him more closely and could tell that he would break down if they didn't find Rani soon. "Hey, Luke, Rani will come home. She will be found and Lisa and her Mum will answer for everything that they put Rani and the rest of us through."
"I know you mean well but missing persons cases don't always end well," Luke feared. "I know there's a chance of us not finding Rani alive or never finding her at all."
Sky sighed and walked over to the computer. "Luke, that won't happen." She hugged him and kissed his right cheek. "I know you're scared, I am too, but we'll get her back."
Luke hugged her back as tears threatened to fall from his eyes.
"She's right," Maria stated. I wish I could be there to hold him right now; she thought since she knew how much Luke was hurting.
Her father walked in after she was done talking to Luke and Sky. Alan kissed the top of her head and then had poured himself something to drink. "Has Rani been found yet?" he inquired.
"No not yet," Maria answered. "And Luke's not doing so well. Also you saw Sarah Jane on the video chat last night she's going to break down if all of us don't find Rani soon."
"Of course she is," Alan stated. "And I'm sure Rani's parents are going through more pain. They must feel ten times worse than the rest of us do. I sure hope that you never have to go through anything like this with your future children."
"Yeah," she paused. "Dad, I'm sorry for anything I've ever done to scare you. I'll never break curfew again and I'll exercise more caution."
"Sure you'll break curfew again, and when you do just call me okay and let me know you're going to be late." Alan hugged her.
Maria hugged him back. "I will call I promise."
Two hours later, Jack Harkness walked into a bar on the planet Xergonia and sat down next to Elaine Alston who was still in her human form.
"Do you come here often?" Jack flashed her one of his most charming smiles.
She returned the smile. "Ever since I've returned home yes I do, handsome. How about you? I don't believe I've seen you here before."
"I just arrived here but I've always wanted to visit this planet. I hear the men and women are wonderful here," Jack continued to flirt and signaled to the Doctor and Sarah Jane once he had her relaxed enough to trust him.
They nodded and the Doctor signaled him to bring her to a private room in the bar. Moments later Jack had done this. Elaine tried to flee when she had seen the Doctor, Clyde, and Sarah Jane in the room but Jack locked the door behind him and blocked her way.
Elaine glared at him. "So you were just trying to trick me?"
"Well I wasn't lying about you being very hot," Jack smiled but the smile faded quickly. "However, I don't go out with women or men who have taken a child against their will, even if the child is almost an adult now. I have my standards. Now where's Rani?"
"Rani who?" Elaine tried.
Sarah Jane walked over and forced Elaine to turn around and look at her. "Don't give us that, now where's Rani? What did you do to her?"
"How did you find me here?" Elaine demanded.
"Never mind how we found you we just did, and we also know that you and your daughter are Xergons and that this planet is your home. We also know that your government doesn't tolerate abduction or any other crimes committed by its people whether it's on their home planet or not," the Doctor reminded her. "Now where is Rani?"
Elaine remained silent and seconds later the Brigadier, Martha, and Mickey walked in with Lisa.
"Don't worry, mum, I haven't told them anything," Lisa said and smirked at Jack, Clyde, the Doctor, and Sarah Jane.
"Little girl do you think this is some kind of game?" Martha chided. "Don't you realize what your putting Rani's loved ones through? Now where is she? What have you done to her?"
"I have no idea where Rani is," Lisa lied.
Eve walked in having landed on the planet around the same time that the others had. "Liar," Eve called her on it. "You and your mother know exactly where Rani is."
Elaine recognized the type of alien that Eve was right away and said to her daughter. "Make your mind go blank, honey, she can read minds."
Lisa sighed. "Too late, mum, I'm sorry."
"It's okay, baby," Elaine replied.
"Lisa, where is Jaxton holding her?" Eve inquired.
"I'm not sure," Lisa honestly replied.
Eve locked eyes with Elaine. "You know where."
"Look, we needed the money to return home okay and if we tell you where he has her we'll have to give the money back. Now Rani is safe with him. He won't hurt her," Elaine insisted.
"Whoever this Jaxton is Rani isn't safe with him," Mickey disagreed. "Not when he's keeping her from the people who love her."
"That's not my problem. Now if I even suspected that he would hurt her I never would have gone along with it in the first place," Elaine stood her ground.
"He is hurting her just by keeping her away from those of us who love her," Sarah Jane protested. "There are worse things than physical pain. Elaine, we both know that this isn't right. Now where is he holding Rani?"
-to be continued