Chapter 15
Living a Dream/School Reunion
By: Izzy
Rhee got a job as the English teacher, the Doctor as the Physics teacher, and Rose as a lunch lady. They spent two days trying to gather information on the weird happenings at the school. "Two days." Rose said as Rhee sat down for lunch with the Doctor.
"Sorry, could you just?" he said to Rose as he pointed his fork with fries on it at a spot on the table.
"There's a bit of gravy." Rhee added both clearly teasing the young woman. "No just, no right there." Pointing to gravy that they had dropped on the table.
"Two days, we've been here." Rose said annoyed at having to be a lunch lady.
"You two are the ones who put us onto this." he said. "And you were right. Boy in class this morning, got a knowledge way beyond planet Earth."
"You eating those chips?" Rose asked them.
"Yeah, they're a bit different." he said.
"I can't stand them." Rhee said which surprised him. "I know normally I love fries but these are just too weird."
"I think they're gorgeous." Rose said stealing a few from Rhee's tray. "Wish I had school dinners like this."
"It's very well behaved, this place." he said changing subject.
"Mmm." Rose said as she sat down and grabbed a few more fries from Rhee's tray.
"I thought there'd be happy slapping hoodies." he said. Rhee giggled at the look on his face. "Happy slapping hoodies with ASBOs. Happy slapping hoodies with ASBOs and ringtones. Huh? Huh? Oh, yeah. Don't tell me I don't fit in."
"You'd fit in at my old school," Rhee teased right before she stuffed a forkful of mashed potatoes into her mouth. The head lunch lady came up.
"You are not permitted to leave your station during a sitting." she said.
"I was just talking to these teachers." Rose said.
"Hello." he said waving his fork a bit. Rhee had a mouthful of Mac 'n' cheese so she just waved with her empty hand.
"They don't like the chips." Rose said shaking her head.
"The menu has been specifically designed by the headmaster to improve concentration and performance." the head lunch lady said. "Now, get back to work."
"See? This is me. Dinner lady." Rose said annoyed.
"I'll have the crumble." he teased. Rhee shallowed.
"Pizza for me," Rhee added in jest.
"I'm so going to kill you both." Rose said. Rhee and the Doctor watched a dark skinned deep voiced man walk into the lunch room and talk to a skinny girl with a pony tail.
"Melissa." the man addressed the girl. "You'll be joining my class for the next period. Milo's failed me, so it's time we moved you up to the top class." He turned to leave but noticed that the little boy at the same table was having a boxed lunch. "Kenny, not eating the chips?"
"I'm not allowed." Kenny replied. Rhee remembered that boy, he was going to go through so much.
"Luke. Extra class. Now." the man commanded. The two kids left with the man as Headmaster Finch watched on. Rhee and the Doctor shared a look of concern. She knew what it all meant and felt bad that this was one place that if she tried to change things he would ask her how she knew.
They had more class but the last period was a free period for them both. So they stole a moment for themselves. They hide in her classroom. They didn't say much they just sat and made out. She giggled quietly as they kissed. She felt like she did when she was in high school sneaking around to have a moment with her boyfriend. "Love," she said. "If we stay here we can't find out what's going on with the school." She hear him whimper.
"But Love," he whined as he kissed her in various places. "We haven't had a moment to just kiss since we got here." He kissed her neck then breathed in, instead of her cherry blossom perfume it was White Musk. "Did you change perfumes?"
"Yeah," she said nervously. "Do you like it?"
"Like it I love it!" he said as he kissed her neck making her shiver. "But I really love this suit on you. You should where suits more often." He kissed down her neck line. "Pinstripes look as good on you as they do me." She wore a black dress suit with tiny white pinstripes and a tight knee high skirt with a small slit in the right side for mobility but she didn't think it helped much. She also wore a pair of black flats.
"Seriously Love!" she yelled at him, a little louder than she had intended but she had to get him on task again.
"OK, OK," he said reluctantly. But he got one more kiss on her lips before he walked away and out the door.
"He drives me nuts when he does that!" she said in frustration. She straightened herself then followed him to the teacher's lounge.
"And, it's ever since the new headmaster arrived?" she heard him say as she entered the room.
"Finch arrived three months ago." the history teacher said. "Next day, half the staff got flu. Finch replaced them with that lot, except for the teacher you two replaced, and that was just plain weird, them winning the lottery like that." As he said you two the Doctor turned to see Rhee come in behind him. He grinned at her.
"How's that weird?" he said as he turned back to the other teacher and popped a cracker in his mouth.
"They never played." the other teacher said. "Said the ticket was posted through their door at midnight."
"Hmm. The world is very strange." the Doctor said.
"Very strange indeed," Rhee giggled. Finch came into the lounge.
"Excuse me, colleagues." Finch announced. Rhee and the Doctor both saw Sarah Jane Smith as they turned to see what Finch needed. Both of them smiled at Sarah. "A moment of your time. May I introduce Miss Sarah Jane Smith. Miss Smith is a journalist who's writing a profile about me for the Sunday Times. I thought it might be useful for her to get a view from the trenches, so to speak. Don't spare my blushes." Finch left and Sarah approached them.
"Hello." she said.
"Oh, I should think so." the Doctor said with awe in his voice.
"And, you two are?" she asked.
"Hm? Er, Smith. John Smith." he said a little lost for words.
"I'm Rhiannon Hayden." Rhee said. "But you may call me Rhee."
"John Smith." Sarah said. "I used to have a friend who sometimes went by that name." Rhee knew Sarah would fixate on the Doctor after all they traveled together for a long time. She was happy that she got to meet Sarah. Both as a fan and as the Doctor's woman, but deep inside she could feel a twinge of jealously starting to brew. She fought it best she could.
"Well, it's a very common name." he said with a laugh.
"He was a very uncommon man." Sarah said as thought of her Doctor. "Nice to meet you."
"Nice to meet you." he said. "Yes, very nice. More than nice. Brilliant."
"It's nice to meet you Miss Smith," Rhee said as politely as possible, still fighting the jealous that was almost at a boil now.
"You sound American." Sarah said in surprise.
"That's 'cause I am American." Rhee said nonchalantly. "From Mid-central Indiana."
"So have you two worked here long?" Sarah asked trying to keep the interview going.
"No. Er, it's only our second day." he said still in shock that Sarah is there before him.
"Oh, you're new, then." she said with a mischievous smile on her face. Rhee knew that smile, it meant Sarah knew she was on to something. Rhee had watched the 'Sarah Jane Chronicles' of she knew most of Sarah's looks and cues. "So, what do you think of the school? I mean, this new curriculum? So many children getting ill. Doesn't that strike you as odd?" His face lit up like a Christmas tree on Christmas day.
"You don't sound like someone just doing a profile." he said smiling brightly. Rhee's jealously went nuclear, at seeing him give Sarah a similar smile that he gives Rhee.
"Well, no harm in a little investigation while I'm here." she said.
"No." he said still smiling at her. "Good for you." She must have found his smile slightly creepy since she didn't know he was the Doctor. So she moved away from the couple. "Good for you. Oh, good for you, Sarah Jane Smith." Rhee's jealously overpowered her control. She didn't want to say anything to either Sarah or the Doctor.
"I'm going outside," she said trying to keep her anger in check but failing horridly. She walked as quickly as she could in the tight skirt she wore.
He was lost in thought so much so he didn't even hear what she had said. When he finally noticed she was gone, he ran after her. Getting there just in time to hear her fall apart, leaning against the pillar that held the awing. "Love?" he said. She stiffened. "What's wrong?"
"I'm jealous," she said plainly. "I know I shouldn't be but I am!" He hugged her from behind and put his head on her shoulder.
"It's OK to be jealous." he said. She leaned more against him then the pillar. "It's only nature. Remember I was jealous of another version of myself."
"Yeah, but he kissed me and Sarah didn't kiss you or even know it was you," she said sniffing ever so often.
"It's OK," he said as he kissed her neck. She relaxed a bit. "Have I told you today that I love you?"
"I think you did this morning before we left for work," she said with a water smile.
"Well I don't think I say it often enough," he said. "I love you." He kissed her neck. "I think after we're done here I need to take you out on a proper date."
"I'd like that." she said as he let go and spun her around. "And I love you too." He moved to kiss her but she tried to stop him. "What if a kid-" She didn't get to finish her protest because he being the stronger being was able to kiss her without much effort. All protests went right out the window as they kissed she didn't even think about getting caught.
"Breath!" Rose teased. They broke the kiss and Rhee blushed. She was thankful that Rose was the one to catch them instead of a teacher or kid.
"Let's go get some real food I'm starved," Rhee said still blushing like mad. "You know since it's almost quiting time. I don't have any papers to grade."
"I couldn't agree more," he said with a cheeky smile on his face. He thought Rhee was so cute with she blushed, and it was even better if he was the cause of said blush. "Rose going to invite Mickey?"
"Yeah," Rose said. The Doctor grabbed Rhee and they all walked to a nearby chip shop.
Later that night the four of them were breaking into the school, Rhee changed into a t-shirt, jean shorts, and her converse. "Oh, it's weird seeing school at night." Rose said. "It just feels wrong. When I was a kid, I used to think all the teachers slept in school."
"Some of my teachers did," Rhee said. Rose gave her a look of disbelieve. "They did!"
"All right, team." the Doctor said. "Oh, I hate people who say team. Er, gang. Er, comrades. Anyway, Rose, go to the kitchen. Get a sample of that oil. Mickey, the new staff are all Maths teachers. Go and check out the Maths department. Rhee and I are going to look in Finch's office. Be back here in ten minutes." He and Rhee went upstairs. They almost made it to Finch's office when they both heard flapping of wings. They hid and saw Sarah run past them. He gave Rhee a squeeze to reassure her and to ask if he could follow. As always she knew what he was asking so she nodded. They followed Sarah, they watched as they found the TARDIS. Rhee stayed back but he approached Sarah. "Hello, Sarah Jane."
"It's you." Sarah said in disbelieve. "Oh, Doctor Oh, my God, it's you, isn't it. You've regenerated." Rhee may have been insanely jealous of the older woman but Rhee still understood the importances of giving them their space.
"Yeah." he said. "Half a dozen times since we last met."
"You look incredible." Sarah said.
"So do you." he said.
"Huh. I got old." she said. "What are you doing here?"
"Well, UFO sighting, school gets record results." he replied simply with a big goofy grin on his face. "I couldn't resist. What about you?"
"The same." she said. Her voice cracked as she continued. "I thought you'd died. I waited for you and you didn't come back, and I thought you must have died."
"I lived. Everyone else died." he said. Rhee looked down at her converse sadly.
"What do you mean?" Sarah said.
"Everyone died, Sarah." he repeated.
"I can't believe it's you." she said. Mickey screamed like a girl. "Okay, now I can!" Rhee ran out first, followed by the Doctor then Sarah.
"Did you hear that?" Rose asked as she caught up with the Doctor. "Who's she?" She nodded to Sarah.
"Rose, Sarah Jane." he said proudly. "Sarah Jane, Rose."
"Hi. Nice to meet you." Sarah said. "You can tell you're getting older. Your assistants are getting younger."
"I'm not his assistant." Rose said annoyance and anger thick in her voice.
"No?" Sarah said. "Get you, tiger."
"It's not like that with Rose," he said softly. Rhee heard the whole thing even though she was already at the Math classroom. She sighed and entered to find Mickey trying to put the rats back.
"Sorry! Sorry, it was only me." he said as everyone else got into the room. "You told me to investigate, so I started looking through some of these cupboards and all of these fell on me."
"Oh, my God, they're rats. Dozens of rats. Vacuum packed rats." Rose said.
"So, you decided to scream," Rhee said very annoyed.
"It took me by surprise!" Mickey tried to defend himself against Rhee.
"Like a girl!" she continued before the Doctor could say anything.
"It was dark! I was covered in rats!" Mickey said still trying to defend himself.
"Nine, maybe ten years old." the Doctor finally got to say. "I'm seeing pigtails, frilly skirt."
"My two year old was braver than you!" Rhee said anger deep in her voice.
"Hello, can we focus?" Rose asked. Rhee huffed. "Does anyone notice anything strange about this? Rats in school?"
"Well, obviously they use them in Biology lessons." Sarah said. "They dissect them. Or maybe you haven't reached that bit yet. How old are you?"
"Excuse me, no one dissects rats in school anymore." Rose said. "They haven't done that for years. Where are you from, the dark ages?"
"Anyway, moving on." the Doctor said loudly. "Everything started when Mister Finch arrived. We should go and check his office." They all walked out into the hall and he thought Rhee was being a bit quiet. Too quiet for his taste. His girl was usually so full of life and singing. She hadn't sang to him in over a month. That was partly his own fault but he still missed it none the less.
"I don't mean to be rude or anything, but who exactly are you?" Rose asked rudely.
"Sarah Jane Smith." Sarah replied. "I used to travel with the Doctor."
"Oh. Well, he's never mentioned you." Rose said still being rude.
"Oh, I must've done. Sarah Jane. Mention her all the time." he said nervously rubbing the back of his neck. "Right Rhee?"
"Hold on." Rose said as she pretended to think. "Nope, sorry. Never. Rhee?" Rhee remained silent. Now Rose was starting to worry about her sister.
"What, not even once?" Sarah said as she stopped for a bit before hurrying to catch up with Rose. "He didn't mention me even once?"
"Ho, ho, mate. The missus and the ex." Mickey said as he nodded to the silent Rhee as they walked. "Welcome to every man's worst nightmare." Rhee knew it wasn't like that with Sarah but she couldn't help being jealous. Sarah knew almost as much as Rhee did about the Doctor. Sarah and him could talk about past adventures and things from his past. But Rhee had to hide her knowledge of him from him. She sighed.
"Maybe those rats were food." he said as they approached Finch's office.
"Food for what?" Rose asked as they looked into the room.
"Rose, you know you used to think all the teachers slept in the school?" he said. "Well, they do." They all saw the bat people hanging from the ceiling.
"No way!" Mickey said as he ran off. Rose and Sarah ran after him. Rhee walked at a slower pace. The Doctor closed the door and didn't know if he should say anything to Rhee as he followed her at the same rate of speed. "I am not going back in there. No way." They got out and Mickey was bent over panting.
"Those were teachers." Rose stated in shock.
"When Finch arrived, he brought with him seven new teachers, four dinner ladies and a nurse." the Doctor said. "Thirteen. Thirteen big bat people. Come on."
"Come on?" Mickey whined. "You've got to be kidding!"
"I need the TARDIS." the Doctor said. "I've got to analyze that oil from the kitchen." He didn't even notice that Rhee had walked over to Sarah's car.
"I might be able to help you there." Sarah said. As she showed them to her car. "I've got something to show you." Everyone got to her car and she opened the hatch to reveal K9.
"K9!" the Doctor exclaimed. "Rhiannon Jane Riwitis, Rose Tyler, Mickey Smith, allow me to introduce K9. well, K9 Mark Three to be precise." Rhee noticed he used her full name not just her first and last as he had everyone else. She didn't know if that was good or bad. She also notice that he used the last name she used normally not the one she was using as cover. Even though she is still both. She looked at Sarah and noticed that she noticed the different last name too.
"Why does he look so disco?" Rose complained.
"Oi!" he said. "Listen, in the year five thousand, this was cutting edge. What's happened to him?"
"Oh, one day, he just, nothing." Sarah said sadly.
"Well, didn't you try and get him repaired?" he asked honestly. That question almost made Rhee laugh. How would Sarah get K9 fixed when the technology inside him could effect the human history?
"Well, it's not like getting parts for a Mini Metro," Sarah said. "Beside, the technology inside him could rewrite human science. I couldn't show him to anyone."
"Ooh, what's the nasty lady done to you, eh?" the Doctor cooed at K9 and petted him.
"Look, no offense, but could you two just stop petting it for a minute?" Rose said as Rhee slipped into the car. "Never mind the tin dog. We're busy." Everyone else got into the car and Sarah drove them to the chip shop they ate at earlier. The Doctor took K9 inside and sat at a nearby table, Sarah joined him. Rose ordered chips.
"What's wrong with Rhee?" Mickey asked Rose as he approached her. They watched Rhee sit at a table in the middle of the chip shop.
"I think she's jealous of Sarah Jane," Rose said. "But it's bugging me that she's not talking about it with me or the Doctor for that matter." She sighed. "She usually talks to one of us."
"Yeah," he said. "And earlier when she was teasing me it felt like she was mad."
"I know I felt the same," she said. "Rhee has always kinda wore her emotions out in the open."
"Two quid, love." the clerk said. Rose paid for the chips, taking them. Rose and Mickey sat down near Rhee but not too close.
"Rhee?" Rose asked but Rhee was listening to the Doctor and Sarah.
"I thought of you on Christmas Day." Sarah said. "This Christmas just gone? Great big spaceship overhead. I thought, oh yeah, bet he's up there."
"Right on top of it, yeah." the Doctor said.
"And Rose?" she asked. Rhee rolled her eyes.
"She was there too." he replied simply.
"Did I do something wrong, because you never came back for me." Sarah said sadly. "You just dumped me."
"I told you." he said simply. "I was called back home and in those days humans weren't allowed."
"I waited for you." she said desperately. "I missed you."
"Oh, you didn't need me." he said with a smile. "You were getting on with your life."
"You were my life." she said forcefully. "You know what the most difficult thing was? Coping with what happens next, or with what doesn't happen next. You took me to the furthest reaches of the galaxy, you showed me supernovas, intergalactic battles, and then you just dropped me back on Earth. How could anything compare to that?"
"All those things you saw, do you want me to apologize for that?" he asked getting really frustrated.
"No, but we get a taste of that splendor and then we have to go back." she said sadly.
"Look at you, you're investigating." he said proudly. "You found that school. You're doing what we always did."
"You could have come back." she said her eyes portraying the sadness her voice didn't.
"I couldn't." he said sadly.
"Why not?" she asked sadness still in her eyes. He continued to work on K9. "It wasn't Croydon. Where you dropped me off, that wasn't Croydon."
"Where was it?" he asked.
"Aberdeen." she said sadly.
"Right. That's next to Croydon, isn't it?" he said nervously. She laughed lightly. "Oh, hey. Now we're in business."
"Master." K9 said.
"He recognizes me." the Doctor said.
"Affirmative." K9 said. Everyone stood to gather around him aside from Rhee she stayed in her seat. Not only because she knew what was going to happen but because she was upset.
"Rose, give us the oil." the Doctor said without looking back just held out his hand. Rose put the container in his hand. He opened it and went stick his finger in.
"I wouldn't touch it, though." Rose said. "That dinner lady got all scorched."
"I'm no dinner lady." he said. "And I don't often say that." Using his finger he wiped oil onto K9's sensor. "Here we go. Come on, boy. Here we go."
"Oil. Ex ex ex extract. Ana ana analyzing." K9 said.
"Listen to him, man." Mickey laughed. "That's a voice." Rhee reached out and kicked him. "OW!"
"Careful. That's my dog." Sarah said as the same time Rhee kicked him.
"Confirmation of analysis." K9 said. "Substance is Krillitane Oil."
"They're Krillitanes." the Doctor said.
"Is that bad?" Rose asked.
"Very." he said. "Think of how bad things could possibly be, and add another suitcase full of bad."
"And what are Krillitanes?" Sarah asked.
"They're a composite race." he said. "Just like your culture is a mixture of traditions from all sorts of countries, people you've invaded or have been invaded by. You've got bits of Viking, bits of France, bits of whatever. The Krillitanes are the same. An amalgam of the races they've conquered. But they take physical aspects as well. They cherry pick the best bits from the people they destroy. That's why I didn't recognize them. The last time I saw Krillitanes, they looked just like us except they had really long necks."
"What're they doing here?" Rose asked.
"It's the children." he said with anger in his voice. "They're doing something to the children." Mickey, and Sarah went to put K9 away.
"Talk to her," Rose said to the Doctor as she joined Mickey and Sarah. He sighed knowing he needed to but he was trying to wait for her to come to him. Rhee slowly walked out of the chip shop.
"Love," he said tenderly as she exited. "What's the matter?"
"You know," she said.
"I think there's more to it," he said as he pulled her into a hug. She hugged him back. She pulled back so she could look him in the eyes.
"It's just," she started but stopped and shook her head. "Forget it, it don't matter. Let's just focus on the Krillitanes."
"Don't give me that!" he said forcefully. "Yes, the Krillitanes are important but you also know that I think you're important!"
"Oh, really?" she said, her anger seething. " But you haven't even told her that I'm your woman. She thinks you're with Rose." He felt like an ass when he realized he hadn't said anything to Sarah about Rhee. He needed to rectify this. "Will you just dump me when you have no use for me like you did her? Even if we go the next step in our relationship?"
"No. Not to you." he said honestly.
"You were close to Sarah Jane once," she started to cry, letting her jealously guide her words not her knowledge of what was about to happen. "And you just dumped her."
"I don't age. I regenerate." he said. "But humans decay. You wither and you die. Imagine watching that happen to someone who you love." He sighed and pulled her tight again. "You can spend the rest of your life with me, but I can't spend the rest of mine with you. I have to live on. Alone. That's the curse of the Time Lords."
"Time Lord." Finch said as he watched from a roof across the street. Then a Krillitane swooped down and almost hit Rhee.
"Was that a Krillitane?" Sarah asked.
"But it didn't even touch her." Rose said. "It just flew off. What did it do that for?"
"Sarah," the Doctor called to Sarah. She came over to him and Rhee. "I want you to formally meet Rhee."
"But I met her she is a teacher at the school," Sarah said.
"Sarah Jane Smith this is Rhiannon Jane Riwitis," he said proudly. "My girlfriend." He hated to use such a human word but there were no other words to describe her that Sarah would get.
"Oh," Sarah said. "I had assumed when Rose was-" She gasped. "I'm sorry."
"It's OK," Rhee said with tears still in her eyes. "We all make mistakes." Rhee smiled through the tears. The Doctor smiled as Sarah hugged Rhee.
"Let's go to my house to rest," Sarah said. They all packed back into Sarah's car, and she drove them to her house. Sarah got everyone settled in except Rhee and the Doctor. Sarah looked for them only to find them outside looking up at the stars together in her swing. She smiled at them, they were so good together. Even when Rhee was not happy with him she was still there to support him in anyway he needed. They were in love Sarah could see it. The Doctor, Mr. Almighty Time Lord himself fell for a human.
"Do you regret it?" Rhee asked tears in her eyes.
"Regret what?" he asked sadly, like he knew what she was asking.
"Being with me?" she asked. "Do you regret saving me from myself?"
"Do you?" he asked.
"I could never regret us," she said honestly.
"I feel the same," he said smiling.
"But I'm human," she said. "As you said I will wither and die."
"But with you, I would rather have our time together," he said smiling. "Than regret how amazing we could be. 'Cause we are brilliant, fantastic even!" They kiss briefly. "So where do you want that date to be?"
"I hadn't really thought about it," she said snuggling in as close as she could.
"Well, I want your answer before we leave Earth," he said. "Or I just may just take you to Raxacoricofallapatorius." He grinned at her.
"No please not there," she shuddered. "They are too graby for my taste."
"But you don't mind me grabbing you do you?" he said as she started to tickle her. She burst out laughing and squeaking. "Blimey I thought you were kidding when you said tickling you made you squeak." She squirmed to get away but he kept pulling her back.
"Please stop!" she pleaded through squeaks and laugher. "Doctor!" He stopped and she had to catch he breath. "You!" She hit him lightly as he laughed at her ruffled hair and red face. Sarah smiled happy that he was able to find someone to cure his loneliness, though she was just sad it wasn't her.
The next morning, Rhee got up from the sofa and walked to Sarah's kitchen. Everyone was already up and wide awake, taking tea and coffee in the kitchen. "Morn'" Rhee mumbled. Rhee's hair was a mess and she shuffled her feet.
"Blimey, Rhee," Rose said. "You weren't kidding when you said you're not a morning person."
"Blow me," Rhee mumbled rudely as she grabbed a cup of coffee loaded with tons of sugar and a bit of milk, then returned to the sofa to sip it slowly.
"Don't think too much of it right now," the Doctor said. "This is Rhee without much sleep morning." He shuddered lightly remembering one morning he woke her up for an adventure when she hadn't had a full night's sleep, she threw her end table at him.
"What'd mean she didn't get much sleep?" Rose said implying that Rhee and him had sleep together in Sarah's house.
"She couldn't sleep," he said simply. "She has a hard time adjusting to new places. She said the only place she didn't have a hard time adjusting to was the TARDIS."
"Do you mind my asking how you met Rhee?" Sarah asked.
"Not at all," he replied with a smile. "She was at Platform One, in the year 5.5/apple/26, five billion years in your future. She was there with the Face of Boe. He had given her a part to the TARDIS to give to me in order to 'foster' a friendship." He laughed lightly at Rhee's wording. "Anyway things happened and she almost died. But what truly impressed me about her is that she barely knew Rose or I and she stood up for us."
"She was amazing," Rose said. "The Doctor fell for her fast and hard." Rose gave him a cheeky smile.
"Needless to say I asked her to join us and she did," he finished with a smile.
"And I wouldn't have missed any of it for the world," Rhee said as she came back in all straightened out and smiling.
"That was quick," Rose teased.
"Just needed some caffeine," Rhee grinned. "Sorry Sis for the 'blow me' comment."
"No problem," Rose said. "I remember a few time you tried to wake me and I did more than just say hurtful things."
"Yeah," Rhee laughed. "You chucked an alarm clock at my head. And hit your mark." Everyone got up and ready to leave shortly after Rhee was finished talking. They all piled back into Sarah's car. She drove them back to the school.
"Rose, Rhee, and Sarah, you go to the Maths room." the Doctor said. "Crack open those computers, I need to see the hardware inside. Here, you might need this." He hands Rhee the Sonic. She smiles at him. "Mickey, surveillance. I want you outside."
"Just stand outside?" Mickey asked sounding hurt.
"Here, take these you can keep K9 company." Sarah said as she threw Mickey the keys.
"Don't forget to leave the window open a crack." Rhee teased.
"But he's metal!" he shouted.
"She didn't mean for him." the Doctor said with a smile.
"What're you going to do?" Rose asked.
"It's time I had a word with Mister Finch." he said with anger.
"Be careful, Love," Rhee said. He leaned down and gave her a peck on the lips.
"Only if you do," he said back.
"I'm always careful," she teased him. Because they both knew that she has two left feet and butterfingers. They laughed. Rose, Rhee, and Sarah got into the math room. Rhee instantly got to work on trying to open the computer.
"If you weren't the one with the Doctor why'd you get so mad that I was here?" Sarah asked Rose.
"Rhee is like the big sister I never had," Rose explained. "I was only trying to look out for her." She looked down sadly. "She's been through enough."
"I understand," Sarah said. "They really make a great couple."
"Yeah," Rose said. "They do. I'm just glad they were able to come together after everything that's happened to them."
"What happened?" Sarah asked.
"Long story," Rose said. "All that matters it that they are together as they should be." Sarah nodded. "By the way I wanted to ask you, with you, did he do that thing where he'd explain something at like, ninety miles per hour, and you'd go, what? And he'd look at you like you'd just dribbled on your shirt?"
"All the time." Sarah said. "Does he still stroke bits of the TARDIS?
"Yeah! Yeah, he does." Rose laughed. "I'm like, do you two want to be alone? But what's worse is Rhee does that too."
"Really?" Sarah asked as she looked at Rhee.
"What?" Rhee said having not listened to them so she didn't know what they were talking about. They burst out into a full fit of laughter.
"How's it going?" the Doctor asked as he walked into the room, the two women's laughter got louder. "What? Listen, I need to find out what's programmed inside these." And it got worse again. So he moved to Rhee and rubbed her shoulder as she tried to use the Sonic to open it. "How's it going, Love?"
"It won't shift," Rhee said. "It's like it's deadlocked." Suddenly announcements told the children to go to the classroom. "Rose, if you can stop laughing for five minutes guard the doors!" He was surprised at Rhee's out burst but he had to admit that the laughter was getting to be a bit much. Rose stopped laughing and so did Sarah.
"No, no." Rose said as a child came to try and get in. "This classroom's out of bounds. You've all got to go to the South Hall. Off you go. South Hall!"
"I can't shift it." he complained.
"I thought the sonic screwdriver could open anything!" Sarah said. Rhee was under the table trying to use other means to get into the computer. Her mother being a computer tech, she knew a few things about getting in a 21st century computer.
"Anything except a deadlock seal." he said. "Rhee was right it's deadlocked. There's got to be something inside here. What're they teaching those kids?" Then he noticed Rhee was under the table. He bent down to see what she was doing. "Ahh, I get it you're trying to get in to the main computer through the others. Genius!" But right before he could get down to help her the screens turned in.
"You wanted the program?" Sarah said. "There it is."
"Some sort of code." he said thinking a loud. Rhee got out from under the table. "No. No, that can't be. The Skasis Paradigm. They're trying to crack the Skasis Paradigm."
"The Skasis what?" Sarah asked.
"The God maker." he said. "The universal theory. Crack that equation and you've got control of the building blocks of the universe. Time and space and matter, yours to control."
"What, and the kids are like a giant computer?" Rose asked as she walked over to them.
"Yes." he said. "And their learning power is being accelerated by the oil. That oil from the kitchens, it works as a, as a conducting agent. Makes the kids cleverer."
"But that oil's on the chips. I've been eating them." Rose said in horror.
"What's fifty nine times thirty five?" he asked.
"Two thousand and sixty five." she answered quickly. "Oh, my God."
"But why use children?" Sarah asked. "Can't they use adults?"
"No, it's got to be children." he said. "The God maker needs imagination to crack it."
"They're not just using the children's brains to break the code, they're using their souls." Rhee said grimy. He looked over at her in shock that she would have figured it out.
"Let the lesson begin." Finch said as he entered the classroom. "Think of it, Doctor. With the Paradigm solved, reality becomes clay in our hands. We can shape the universe and improve it."
"Oh yeah?" the Doctor said with anger thick in his voice. "The whole of creation with the face of Mister Finch? Call me old fashioned, but I like things as they are."
"You act like such a radical, and yet all you want to do is preserve the old order?" Finch said. "Think of the changes that could be made if this power was used for good."
"What, by someone like you?" the Doctor said bitterly.
"No, someone like you." Finch said. "The Paradigm gives us power, but you could give us wisdom. Become a God at my side. Imagine what you could do. Think of the civilizations you could save. Perganon, Assinta. Your own people, Doctor, standing tall. The Time Lords reborn."
"Doctor, don't listen to him." Sarah said.
"And you could be with him throughout eternity." Finch said to Sarah. "Young, fresh, never wither, never age, never die. Their lives are so fleeting. So many goodbyes." He turned back to the Doctor. "How lonely you must be, Doctor. Join us."
"I could save everyone." he said mesmerized by the thought.
"Yes." Finch said.
"I could stop the war." the Doctor said.
"No." Sarah said. The universe has to move forward. Pain and loss, they define us as much as happiness or love. Whether it's a world, or a relationship, everything has its time. And everything ends."
"But I could save your family," he said looking at Rhee with sad eyes. She looked back with equally sad eyes.
"I've made a new family," Rhee said smiling through her sadness. "With you." That was all he needed to hear because he picked up a chair and threw it at the screen.
"Out!" he shouted. Everyone ran out, and down the hall to find Kenny and Mickey.
"What's going on?" Mickey asked. Suddenly the Krillitanes were in front of them so they ran back to the lunch room. The Doctor tried to open the door to the outside but it was deadlocked. She moved back and turned trying to come up with a plan.
"Are they my teachers?" Kenny asked.
"Yeah. Sorry." the Doctor said. He stood firm as did Rhee but she slid a hand in his for strength.
"We need the Doctor alive." Finch commanded. "As for the others? You can feast." The Krillitanes all attacked at once. Both the Doctor and Rhee picked up a chair and started to swing them at the Krillitanes. She threw one chair dead at one of their chest, she hit her mark and knocked it out. He made a mental note, to never make her mad again. Just as she's picking up a chair a Krillitane is about to hit her, but a laser fire stops it from ever reaching her.
"K9!" Sarah said.
"Thanks, K9," Rhee said.
"Suggest you engage running mode, mistresses," he said. Rhee wondered when he started to call her Mistress.
"Come on!" the Doctor shouted. Everyone followed him out the door while K9 fired at the Krillitanes. "K9, hold them back!"
"Affirmative, master." K9 said as everyone got out. "Maximum defense mode." They made it to the Physics lab. The Doctor locked the door behind them.
"We need a plan," Rose said.
"Yeah, thanks." he said.
"It's the oil." Rhee said trying her best to look as if she just thought of it.
"What do you mean?" Sarah said.
"They can't handle the oil." Rhee said.
"That's it!" he shouted. "They've changed their physiology so often, even their own oil is toxic to them. How much was there in the kitchens?" He looked at Rose.
"Barrels of it." she replied.
"Okay, we need to get to the kitchens." he said then turned to Mickey. "Mickey."
"What now, hold the coats?" Mickey said sarcastically.
"Get all the children unplugged and out of the school." the Doctor said. "Now then, bats, bats, bats. How do we fight bats?" Rhee nudged Kenny. He looked at her puzzled then she nodded to the fire alarm. He saw what she was implying, so he smiled and nodded to her. He hit the fire alarm. The Doctor smiled at both of them. They managed to slip past the Krillitanes.
"Master." K9 said.
"Come on, boy." the Doctor said. "Good boy." They reached the kitchen with limited resistance. He tried to open the barrels the moment he got to them.
"They've been deadlock sealed." he said in defeat. "Finch must've done that. I can't open them." He kicked a barrel in frustration.
"The vats would not withstand a direct hit from my laser, but my batteries are failing." K9 said.
"Right." the Doctor said. "Everyone out the back door. K9, stay with me." Everyone but the Doctor and K9 ran out. Once outside Rhee knew Sarah would want to make sure that the Doctor and K9 got out safely but she also knew what was going to happen so Rhee stayed with Sarah. Minutes later the Doctor came out and locked the door behind him.
"Where's K9?" Sarah asked. Rhee grabbed Sarah's hand.
"We need to run." he said.
"Where is he?" Sarah asked as Rhee pulled Sarah away. "What have you done!" The school exploded behind them.
"I'm sorry." he said.
"It's all right." Sarah said trying not to cry. "He was just a daft metal dog. It's fine, really." Rhee hugged Sarah tenderly. Sarah burst into tears. Rhee rubbed Sarah's back, trying to comfort her.
"You three can get the TARDIS without me," Rhee said to the Doctor as she held Sarah. "After she's done crying I want to talk to her." He nodded.
"The park nearby," he said. Rhee nodded. She didn't move so long as Sarah needed to cry.
"Thank you," Sarah said sniffing. "You didn't have to." Sarah pulled away.
"Yeah, I did," Rhee said. "I know I wasn't mean to you or anything but I was still jealous of you."
"You were?" Sarah asked in a bit of shock.
"You can share stories and things," Rhee said. "I haven't even known him a year." She sighed. "I love him don't get me wrong but sometimes I wish I could talk with him about more."
"I understand," Sarah said wiping her eyes.
"But what I really wanted to tell you is I'm sorry for being jealous," Rhee said. "It wasn't uncalled for."
"You're fine," Sarah said with a smile. "I'm just glad he's happy."
"You really think he's happy?" Rhee asked.
"Oh, I do," Sarah said. "Let's go meet him." Rhee nodded and they walked to the park swapping stories about the Doctor. Rhee liked hearing the stories from Sarah's point of view rather than a TV. They got to the park and looked around. The TARDIS was no where to be found. But right before it materialized Rhee felt it in her mind, which made her smile. The Doctor popped out the door once it had fully materialized.
"Cup of tea?" he asked Sarah. She nodded and so the three of them entered the console room.
"You've redecorated." she said.
"Do you like it?" he asked.
"Oh, I, I do." she said looking around. "Yeah. I preferred it as it was, but er, yeah. It'll do."
"I love it." Rhee said with a goofy smile on her face.
"Hey, you what's forty seven times three hundred and sixty nine?" Sarah asked Rose.
"No idea." Rose said sadly. "It's gone now. The oil's faded."
"But you both are still clever." Sarah said. "More than a match for him."
"All three of us." Rose said.
"Doctor?" Rhee said and nodded towards Sarah. He knew what Rhee was implying.
"Er, we're about to head off, but you could come with us." he said a big goofy grin on his face.
"No." Sarah said sadly. "I can't do this anymore. Besides, I've got a much bigger adventure ahead. Time I stopped waiting for you and found a life of my own."
"Can we come?" Mickey pipped up. Rose smiled at him. "No, not with you, I mean with you." First he pointed to Sarah then the the Doctor. "Because I'm not the tin dog, and I want to see what's out there. Plus Rose's been talking about going with you guys again nonstop."
"Oh, go on, Doctor." Sarah said. "Sarah Jane Smith, a Mickey Smith. You need a Smith on board."
"Okay then, I could do with a laugh." the Doctor said. "Plus I know Rhee's missed Rose."
"That I have!" Rhee said happily.
"I've missed you too," Rose said as she hugged Rhee.
"Well, I'd better go." Sarah said.
"Rhee," Sarah said. Rose let go of Rhee and Rhee looked at Sarah. "Find me, if you need to, one day. Find me." Rhee smiled and nodded. The Doctor and Sarah left the TARDIS.
"Come on, Mick!" Rose said grabbing Mickey's hand and dashing off to down the hall. Leaving Rhee alone in the console room. Rhee closed her eyes and leaned against the console. She was going to miss teaching. It was one of her childhood dreams. She was so lost in thought she didn't notice the Doctor had come back in.
He could tell she was lost in thought. He walked up behind her and grabbed her around the waist from behind. She jumped and squeaked, he loved her squeak. "You scared me," she said.
"So where do you want that date?" he asked as he pulled her closer.
"A picnic sounds wonderful," she said. "On any planet you choose, just not Raxacoricofallapatorius." He laughed a bit at that. "Any time period you want."
"A picnic it is then," he said.
Notes: Well another chapter done. Woot and guess what guys - I have another chapter to post but I'm not going to post it till tomorrow. Thanks again to my readers and reviewers. Though if you guys want it faster, then all you have to do is review. Give me 5 reviews and I'll post it before I go to bed.