Author's Notes: I do not own Doctor Who or the stuff I pilfered from the Sarah Jane Adventures. I had sort of a hard time coming up with this chapter and now I wonder why. I had to rethink some of the story in general. Thank you to everyone who has reviewed, followed and favorited. Don't worry, lurker readers, I like you, too, though I would like hearing from you. I hope you enjoy this chapter and let me know what you think. Happy reading!
Searching for a blue box inside UNIT was not a simple task. First, had been Sarah Jane. He had invited himself over to her house with Zoe and Jamie. They provided an excellent distraction while he tried to conduct a search of the house. Other than a super computer in the attic, he hadn't found anything. It had been a close call and he had to wipe the recent cache, but it had afforded him the chance to "borrow" Sarah Jane's UNIT access card while Jamie ran circles around the sitting room with an antique toy once belonging to Lavinia Smith. Jamie and Zoe were surprisingly useful companions without even getting instructions. Definitely more useful than some he could think of.
After he obtained possession of the card, it was a simple matter of altering the data encryption on the microchip and making his way to UNIT. That was a bit tricky, he didn't want to risk using his car so he borrowed one from the neighbor up the road who had been in a foul mood ever since Jamie had run through her rose bushes on the bicycle he'd gotten for Christmas. John had spent at least two hours tending the wounds from the thorns, then came downstairs to find Donna and the neighbor having a screaming match over the fact that the woman was more concerned with her roses than Jamie's health. John had tried to broker peace and offered to buy new rose bushes, an offer Donna quickly rescinded on his behalf. The Doctor shared Donna's views of such matters as women who screeched about their rose bushes before asking if a boy of five was alright. He decided the best thing to do was to take her car and leave it on a top secret installation.
Then it was off to UNIT.
The first step was to get inside, which wasn't too difficult. None of the UNIT front door men were all that clever. He was hopeful that his identity as John Smith was so top secret that no one would recognize him and this appeared to be the case as he chatted with the soldiers at the front desk.
"Pardon me, is Brigadier Lethbridge Stewart in today?," he asked.
"No, sir, the Brigadier is on assignment in Peru."
"Peru?," he squeaked. "What? Really?"
"Yes, sir."
The Doctor was surprised. He had supposed that all the times that his family friend Alistair told him he had business in Peru was some sort of lie. Donna had supposed that it had something to do with some comely Peruvian natives. Blimey if it hadn't been the truth!
The Doctor continued on down the hall where he ran into two of the Groske, a short, blue race with tri-pointed heads, that was apparently assisting UNIT.
"Say, don't suppose you've seen a blue box?," he inquired.
"No," said the more senior Groske.
"Hmm, that's funny, I can almost hear her."
"You smell like time," said the junior Groske.
"Really?," asked the Doctor. He licked his hand. "I can't taste it. Say, is there anything else around here that smells like time?"
The Groske pointed towards a door with a huge locking mechanism and lots of warning stickers on it. "There. In the restricted zone."
"Oh, brilliant. Thank you."
The Doctor swiped Sarah Jane's card, which he had modified a great deal. The locks popped open and the door slid open. The Doctor jumped inside before it shut.
He walked down the corridor past all sorts of alien artifacts: Slitheen weapons, some Krillitane knickknacks and pieces of the fallen Sycorax ship. At the very end of the corridor he found two rooms: one was some sort of observation post and the other was locked. From around the corner, he spied on just what they were observing in the room: a blue box. A beautiful, wonderful blue box.
There were two UNIT underlings observing. He had to get them out somehow.
He hurried back down the corridor and found a panel. He pulled it out and stripped the wiring, first causing the lights to flicker and then he managed to finally set off the emergency alarms. He saw the two flunkies hurry down the corridor to evacuate.
The Doctor rushed to the other room.
There she was. The Old Girl. He smiled as he heard her hum. He reached behind the letter "P" for the spare key and went inside.
He strode over to the console. His coat was hanging over the jumpseat. He picked up his sonic screwdriver and kissed it he was so happy to see it. The psychic paper was there as well.
"Oh, hello, you," he said running his fingers over the console. "Miss me?"
His answer was a slight jolt of electricity to his fingertips.
"Oi! Sorry! I ought to be the one complaining! Didn't you show Sarah Jane the instructions? I woke up with a mouthful of pear!"
The TARDIS grumbled.
"Oh, and a wife. And kids. Maybe you should have said something to Sarah Jane about opening the watch in three months!"
The ship hummed inquisitively.
"No, don't even think like that. They don't know anything about you. They don't know anything about me, really."
The TARDIS hummed insistently at him.
"Oh, what am I supposed to do? Walk in there and say 'By the way, I'm an alien?' That would wreck their lives." He paused. "Besides, we have bigger problems. Like how to get you out of here without this lot noticing. Don't suppose you've got some plan-"
A door to the side of the console room popped open revealing a slightly smaller blue police box. Not a big enough size difference for the average person to notice. He walked to the new storage room and knocked on the box. It was hollow! Completely hollow, a dummy TARDIS, the Old Girl was brilliant! He started shifting the box out, through the console room and up the ramp. The TARDIS temporarily expanded her doors to allow the other box to fit through.
Throughout this process, the Doctor failed to notice a shelf in the storage room with four small boxes on it.
"So," said the Doctor satisfied with completing the task, "nothing to do but wipe UNIT's computers for the last hour or so and head home."
The Doctor set the TARDIS inside the potting shed in the back garden. He and Donna hardly went out there and there was nothing in there worth the kids' attention. He decided to fix a lock on it, just in case someone wandered by or worse yet, Jack or Sarah Jane had a look. He changed out of the uniform and went into the house.
"John, where have you been?," asked Donna.
"Oh, hello, you're home."
Donna nodded. "It's ten o'clock on a school night. Yes, where else would I be? Where were you?"
He checked his watch. He was quite late. He would need to discuss that with the TARDIS. "At my office."
Donna shook her head. "I rang. No one picked up."
"Oh, sent them all home. No reason for everyone to be slaving away, nose to the grindstone-"
"Right," said Donna. "Are you hungry?"
"No. I had a banana earlier."
"Are you sure you're alright?," asked Donna.
"Course I am. Why wouldn't I be?"
"You haven't been eating much lately. Even the children have noticed."
"Oh, sorry," said the Doctor.
"Don't be sorry. I just don't want it to be anything serious." She looked at his choice of clothing. "Those pinstripes make you look even skinnier. When did you start wearing trainers with your suits?"
"Oh, I just wanted something a bit more comfortable. Don't you like it?"
"You look nice in that blue. Besides, no one will care if you show up wearing trainers and a suit. You're a bloody genius, you can wear whatever you want."
"Oh?"
"Yeah, why do you think Bill Gates has that haircut? Or Steve Jobs. He always turns up in a black turtleneck and jeans."
"Never thought of it like that," remarked the Doctor.
Donna motioned at the table. "Can you sit? I want to talk about something."
"Sure," said the Doctor pulling up a chair.
Donna sat across from him. "I've been thinking. Next week is the end of summer term."
"Yes."
"Then in September, Jamie and Zoe are off to school for the whole day. I'll have a lot of time on my hands."
"Okay..."
"I was thinking of going back to work."
"Work? What do you want to work for? You never wanted to go back before."
"The kids will all be at school. What am I supposed to do with myself?"
The Doctor looked around. "I don't know. I thought you always had stuff to do here."
"So what? I'm your slave? I'm only capable of toiling away in this house all day?"
"When were you toiling?" Donna had never mentioned toiling before. He was certain he would have remembered it.
"Oh, so it's not work?"
Oh! This was turning into one of those conversations that usually resulted in John Smith sleeping on the sofa with Greta. "I didn't say that. I just didn't realize you were toiling."
"You know, I might like talking to adults for a change, for my schedule to not revolve around when Spongebob comes on."
"What's with Spongebob anyway? Is he some sort of sponge that has been artificially animated or is he some sort of naturally occurring species of sea sponge?"
Donna pointed at him. "See, that's exactly the sort of question I don't want to ponder."
"So, you want to go in an office or something?"
"Yes. Why not? You do."
"Well..."
"I'm not as clever as you? I won't be able to survive in the real world? Oh, thank God you're here to save me."
"I never said that!" Blimey, he was as bad at these conversations as John had been. Maybe worse.
"I've been in this house for almost ten years, John. I need something different. Something important."
The Doctor sighed. "If you need something else, Donna, I understand that, but what you do is important."
Donna shook her head. "It's so not."
"Yes, it is. You gave life to four tiny and fragile creatures. You nurtured them, nursed them, taught them and you did it all... just to do it. We'd all be nothing without you. I know I would be."
"Now, I know that's not true," said Donna.
"It's more true than you know."
"Well," said Donna after a long silence, "I've contacted Denise at the old agency. I have to do a bit of updating on my CV and go in and have a chat with her. I'll probably need a new computer course or something. Then I'll probably have some other interviews. Hopefully, they can find a place for me."
This was leaving a bad taste in the Doctor's mouth.
Donna could tell.
"Look, John, I just need to do this for me," she said. "Let me try."
The Doctor nodded. "Alright."