"Please," Clyde pleaded with Elaine. "She's supposed to be at home right now or out on a date with me, and how can you be sure that this Jaxton won't hurt her? How well do you know him?"
Elaine sighed as she pondered their words.
"Is all the money Jaxton gave you worth all the pain that it he has caused," Sarah Jane stated. "You're a mum so you must know the pain that Gita is experiencing right now. You're a parent so you must know that Haresh is going through the same pain. They don't know where their only child is; they don't know if she's okay or not. It's bad enough that Rani is missing her, Clyde, and Maria are like my own children. Now if it were Luke or Sky missing right now I'd go off the deep end. Elaine, please tell us where he's holding her."
Her words had struck a nerve with Elaine as she thought how she would feel if someone had taken Lisa from her. She then reasoned those feelings away. "If I tell you where Rani is then you'll have no reason to hold off on reporting me to the authorities here and then I'll go to jail, and if Lisa isn't tried as an adult she'll still be separated from me."
"With all due respect Mrs. Alston," The Brigadier spoke. "You should have thought of that before you set your plans into motion."
"I can't tell you," Elaine stressed and locked eyes with Eve.
Eve nodded in understanding and had begun to read Elaine's mind. Thus, she obtained Rani's location. "I know where they are," Eve told the rest of the rescue party.
Sarah Jane and Clyde sighed in relief while the authorities barged in and arrested Elaine and Lisa.
"Did they at least tell you lot where to find Rani and Jaxton?" one of the Xergon police officers inquired.
"I didn't tell them a thing," Elaine said. "I would never betray Jaxton like that."
The police had shaken their heads and taken Elaine and Lisa to jail.
"Elaine is right about one thing, Jaxton will not hurt her," Eve stated. "Rani has been safe all of this time."
"But he took her away from us without her consent. Granted, he wasn't the one who did the actual snatching but he was behind the whole thing," Clyde argued. "Therefore, he'll be lucky if I don't wind up punching his lights out."
"Clyde, you don't understand," Eve tried. "He meant no harm; he just misses his daughter terribly."
"And just what happened to his daughter?" the Doctor inquired.
"From what I heard from my travels a plague had hit Jaxton's planet a decade ago. His daughter had been struck and died two days later. Now Rani doesn't look exactly like she did but pretty close. They say that ever since he lost his daughter he searches the universe for her or anyone like her so he can take care of her and so he will never be alone again."
"We should continue this conversation later," Jack suggested. "Where's Rani?"
Eve told them and also suggested that they join her on her ship and once the Tardis, and the others were securely aboard her ship they headed for Jaxton's planet.
"But you must eat you'll make yourself sick if you don't, at least drink something," Jaxton urged.
"Never, not till I'm safely out of here," Rani refused since she still didn't trust Jaxton. I don't want to be poisoned today or any other day. She rose to her feet too quickly and was hit by a dizzy spell. She just as quickly sat down on the bed so she wouldn't pass out. "Er, exactly how long have I been here?"
"Lisa and Elaine brought you to me yesterday afternoon on your local Earth time and Lisa took you just before sunrise yesterday morning on your local Earth time. Rani, when did you eat last?" Jaxton worried.
"The night before," Rani answered. "And I'm not going to eat anything that you have brought in here."
"At least drink something, you'll die of dehydration way before starvation can kill you. I promise you that the food and drinks are safe. I would never harm you."
"Excuse me if I don't believe you," Rani argued. "You won't even walk in here and show me your face."
He sighed and moments later he entered the room she was in.
Ranis gazed up at him and had seen warmth in his eyes and also worry. "Why do you care so much?"
"Because I want you safe."
"Then let me out of here, so I can go home. At least let me call my mum," Rani pleaded with him.
"I'll let you call your mum if you eat something and also drink something," Jaxton promised.
Rani still refused.
"Would you stop being so stubborn, child, now what if your friends are never able to find you here you'll die if you keep this up," Jaxton fretted.
Eve walked in at that point and approached Jaxton. She also sent a thought to Rani. The food is safe and so is the beverage, go ahead, Rani, but drink it slowly and eat slowly or you will get sick.
Rani did so while Eve talked to Jaxton.
"Jaxton, I know you're lonely because I've been where you are at right now. I'm so sorry that you lost your daughter but what you're doing is very wrong," she then proceeded to tell him what Rani's loved ones have been going through.
Jaxton's face clouded over with guilt as she spoke and there were tears in his eyes once she had finished. "Oh no, what have I done?"
"So you'll let me take Rani out of here?" Eve inquired.
He nodded.
"And you'll come and stay with my family and I," Eve offered. "I promise you'll never be lonely again. Now I know it won't be the same as having your daughter back, and that no one can replace her. But I'm offering you a family for as long as you need it. However, if you ever try to have Rani or anyone else taken against their will all bets are off."
"No, I should be in jail right now I've turned into a monster," Jaxton berated himself.
"No you haven't," Rani said as she ate slowly and drank slowly. "Yes you were wrong to do this but you're not a monster, and I'm sorry that you lost your daughter."
Suddenly Clyde barged in having grown tired of waiting for word from Eve.
"You sonofa…" He lunged at Jaxton intending to punch his lights out.
"Clyde no!" Rani chided. "He didn't hurt me."
Clyde stopped and just gazed at the girl he loved. "Rani," he sighed in relief and hugged her refusing to let go for anything.
She hugged him back and also refused to let go.
"I love you," he kept repeating and also pulled back and kissed her.
She kissed him back. "I love you, and what took you so long to find me then?"
"Well we didn't have any clues to work with so that caused a major delay," Clyde pointed out and checked her over. "So you're okay he didn't hurt you?"
"He didn't hurt me and I'll be okay in a minute," she said and then told him about having refused to eat or drink anything.
"Good thinking, he might have tried to poison you," Clyde said and then glared at Jaxton. "Give me one good reason why I shouldn't beat you to a pulp."
"I can't," Jaxton sighed. "All I can say is how very sorry I am for putting you and the rest of Rani's loved ones through hell. I'm so sorry, and Rani I'm sorry for holding you here against your will."
Clyde just hugged Rani again and once she was able to walk without falling flat on her face he got her out of there while Eve stayed and continued to talk to Jaxton. The Doctor walked in and helped Eve with Jaxton.
"Rani!" Sarah Jane called out and was hugging her young friend seconds later.
Rani hugged her back
Sarah Jane pulled back a minute later and checked her over. "Are you all right?"
"I'm okay, Sarah Jane," Rani assured her.
"Oh thank God," Sarah Jane said as she hugged her again.
Rani hugged her again and smiled.
"Rani, I'd really like to examine you just to be on the safe side," Martha stated.
Rani pulled back this time and looked at Martha. "And who are you?"
"Dr. Martha Jones," Martha explained.
Sarah Jane then introduced her to Jack and Mickey. "You already know Sir Alistair."
"I do," Rani smiled again. "So the lot of you came all of this way to help with my rescue?"
"Of course we did, kid," Jack smiled back. "You're part of the family," he said about the Doctor's family of companions.
"Thank you," Rani said to them.
"Anytime," Mickey said.
Rani had finally let Martha examine her.
"Well?" the Brigadier inquired.
Martha smiled. "She'll be fine, nothing that food and drink won't take care of."
"Wait a minute, he didn't feed you?" Sarah Jane angered.
"He tried but I refused," Rani answered. "For all I knew he planned to poison me but he didn't. I just didn't want to take chances."
"Understood," Sarah Jane said and hugged her again. "It is so good to see you again."
Rani hugged her back. "It's good to see you again. I was starting to worry that you'd never find me. However you found me pretty quickly seeing that you had no leads to work with."
"Actually I had two leads, Lisa and Elaine Alston," Sarah Jane replied.
Rani's face clouded over. "We need to find them yesterday."
"Already taken care of," Clyde assured her. "They're in jail right now and will face justice for abducting you." He proceeded to tell her the rest and had finished by the time that the Doctor, Eve, and Jaxton had walked out of the room.
Sarah Jane stepped protectively in front of Rani and glared at Jaxton.
"Jaxton will never do anything like this again. Eve, Sam, and Harry will take care of him and make sure that he's never this lonely again," the Doctor assured his Sarah Jane.
"Doctor," Sarah Jane locked eyes with her oldest friend. "We didn't know if she was okay or not and he's responsible for that."
"And he'll never cause anyone that kind of pain again," the Doctor argued.
Sarah Jane sighed and turned to Rani. "It's up to you; you're the one that was held prisoner."
Rani gazed at Jaxton for a bit. "It's all right with me as long as he never causes harm to anyone ever again."
"I won't," Jaxton promised.
Eve smiled and then walked over to Rani and hugged her; Rani hugged her back.
"Eve, thank you for helping them find me," Rani said.
"That you never have to thank me for; I was scared too," Eve pointed out.
"Still you played a big part in helping us find her and for that we'll always be grateful," Sarah Jane said to Eve.
She and Eve hugged as well and so did Clyde and Eve before Eve boarded her ship with Jaxton. The others boarded as well and then entered the Tardis and materialized into space. The Doctor hugged Rani and checked her over.
"Are you sure you're okay?" he inquired. "And not just pretending to be okay for our benefit?"
Rani nodded. "It'll probably hit me later, but right now I'm all right."
"OK, I'll stick around for a couple of days then in case you need me." The Doctor began to steer the ship.
"But, Doctor, I thought you didn't do domestic," Jack teased him.
"It's not domestic, it's one friend being there for the other now everyone find a spot and steer so we can get Clyde and Rani home before the Judoon decides that we're not getting them home fast enough," the Doctor ordered. "Come on get a move on."
Everyone began to steer the Tardis to Sarah Jane's attic and moments later the Tardis materialized in the attic. Rani stepped out first and didn't get far as she was hugged by Luke and Sky. She hugged them back.
"I knew you'd be back," Sky said as she hugged her.
"Are you okay?" Luke asked and frantically checked on his mate.
"I'm okay, Luke," Rani assured him and hugged him and Sky again.
Sarah Jane walked over with Rani to the Chandra home. Haresh had been about to get into his car to do more searching when they showed up. He quickly stepped away from the car and hugged his daughter instead. "Oh thank God," he kept repeating as he held her tight and close. "Are you okay, love?"
"I'm okay, dad." Rani assured him.
He sighed in relief and then bellowed. "Gita, get out here!"
Gita walked out with Carla wondering what he was shouting about and then her eyes went wide.
"Rani!" Gita shouted in relief and hugged her daughter as tears of joy and relief fell from her eyes.
Rani hugged her back.
"I can explain everything," Sarah Jane said.
"Later," Gita said as she hugged her daughter. "That is if I ever let go of this one," she said about her daughter. "I love you, sweetheart."
"I love you, mum," Rani said as she hugged her.
"Does Clyde know that she's back safe and sound?" Carla whispered to Sarah Jane.
"He does," Sarah Jane smiled at the Chandra's. "Do you want me to send him home?"
"Just have him call me; I'm sure he'll want to stick around here for quite awhile today," Carla said and then headed for home.
Gita finally pulled back and checked on her daughter. "Did anyone hurt you?"
"No one hurt me, mum," Rani assured her.
"Thank God," Gita said and then asked. "Was it Lisa and Elaine who abducted you?"
"It was," Rani confirmed her parent's suspicions. "And they're in jail right now."
Haresh hugged her again. "So you're really here then?"
"I am, dad," Rani hugged him. "I'm sorry I scared you."
Sarah Jane walked back home not wanting to interfere with the family reunion.
"Don't be sorry for anything, Rani, none of this is your fault," he assured her.
"Are you hungry, Darling?" Gita asked.
Rani nodded. "What's for tea?"
"Anything you want," Gita said as they walked into the house.
Haresh followed them and approached the police. "Thank you for everything but as you can see she's safe and sound and everything will be all right now," he then told them that Lisa and Elaine had abducted her and were in jail."
"Which jail?" one of the officers inquired.
"I don't know," Rani replied. "I just know they're in jail and it's being taken care of. Do you know Gwen Cooper?"
The officer nodded. "I worked with her before I moved to Ealing."
"Call her and she can give you the details," Rani explained.
He nodded in understanding and once the phone monitoring equipment was packed up and ready to go he and the rest of the police officers left.
Once tea was over, Gita decided to broach the subject she had wanted to talk about.
"Rani, are Lisa and Elaine Alston aliens?"
"What?" Rani feigned surprise.
Haresh sighed and sat with his wife and daughter. "Rani, we know that aliens have been on this planet before and it's the only thing that makes sense," he then told her about the CCTV cameras not picking up a thing.
Rani nodded, "yes, they are aliens. Sarah Jane, Clyde, and some of our friends rescued me."
"They rescued you from which planet?" Gita asked next.
Rani observed both of them and sighed. "How long have you both known?"
"About all of you helping or fighting aliens we've known for a little over a year now," Haresh replied. "Mr. Dread didn't do a good job of erasing your mum's memory."
"And you continued to let me out of the house?" Rani quipped.
Gita laughed. "Of course we did, darling, you're safe with Sarah Jane both your father and I know that, and if she would've detected that the Alston's were dangerous they never would have had the chance to take you away from us."
Rani sighed in relief and then remembered something. "If you knew how come you didn't tell the whole world like you said you were going to do?"
"I told your father first and he talked me out of it," Gita answered. "He made me realize that if Mr. Dread had been willing to go as far as to erase my memory of the event that it wouldn't be good if the whole world found out."
"It wouldn't be good in more ways than you can imagine. There are others besides us that know about aliens and not all of them are good people," she said and then told her parents about what had happened to the Skullions.
They stayed up most of the night talking since her parents didn't want to let her out of their sight and she didn't want to let them out of her sight. They had feared that they would never see her again the whole time she had been missing, and she had feared that she would never see them again.
The End