A/N - Don't forget to vote for the third SJA adventure in the next Me And You story! The poll is on my profile!
The five of us bolted across the industrial estate, inbetween a number of warehouses, chasing a rather fat man carrying a backpack and wearing a grey hoodie. Which was annoying really because as I grew, it was getting harder to catch up with things or people we were chasing. Even though I was wearing tracksuit bottoms, a long sleeved t shirt and a blue jumper, it was still uncomfortable and didn't help.
"There he is!" Clyde cried as we ran.
"Don't let him get away!" Mum shouted as the man ran round a corner, although hobbling seeming to be a lot faster than us. We chased him round the corner, following him further down inbetween warehouses.
"Come on Flo!" Luke said, grabbing my hand and pulling me as we ran round another corner to find a dead end, and no sign of the man. "That's impossible!" He gasped.
"No it isn't!" Mum said, pointing over at an open gap, covered by a cloth by one of the warehouses to our left.
...
"He's gotta be here somewhere." Mum said as we walked through the warehouse, looking round frantically.
"He's just a kid..." Rani began. "What does he want with a..." She looked to me and Luke. "What was it again?"
"A matter compressor." Luke and I said in unison.
"Maybe he wants matter compressed." Clyde suggested as we walked round a corner of boxes.
"Whatever is his reason the Pharos Institute need it back." Mum said as we stopped, at a row of boxes with a path either side. "Split up."
We all nodded and I walked off one way with Clyde and Luke and Rani went the other with Mum. We cautiously and quietly made our way down the path when a ripping sound filled the air.
"Did you hear that?" Clyde asked nervously.
"It can't be." Luke whispered.
"Oh for fuck sake." I whispered, rolling my eyes. Not again.
A green light came from behind a bunch of boxes before they all toppled to the ground.
"It is!" Clyde gulped. "The Slitheen!" We began to back away nervously. "They're back!" We stopped to a halt as a small child Slitheen stepped out, baring it's teeth at us. It suddenly bolted forward, pushing the three of us stumbling to the side and I ran past us.
"Are you ok?" Mum asked, running round with Rani as Clyde and Luke helped me stand still properly.
"Don't worry about us, where did it go?" Clyde asked, pointing off in the direction the Slitheen ran. We ran slightly in the direction to find an empty space.
"Brilliant." I whispered. "Lost them."
...
"If the Slitheen are back on Earth it means mayhem." I explained as we ran out of the warehouse. "On a global scale."
"What do they want this time?" Luke asked.
"Same as usual I expect." I shrugged. "Convert Earth into cash."
"Then how do we find them?" Rani asked.
"We'd need a blood hound." Clyde said.
"Ha." I smirked. "Or possibly a canine." We all stopped abruptly and the others looked at me, raising an eyebrow. "Canine?"
"Seriously?" Clyde asked dryly.
"Oh someone just go and call K9." I muttered.
Mum smiled, shaking her head before pulling a whistle out of her jacket, blowing into it.
Eventually, K9 came rolling up to us.
"Greeting Mistress." K9 said.
"We need you to follow a trail K9." Mum explained as Clyde kneeled down next to him.
Clyde looked up at me, shocked, "He can smell?" He asked, looking back at K9. "How?"
"All factory sensors." K9 said.
"Yeah, that clears that up." Clyde nodded, confused, standing back up.
"We're looking for a Slitheen." I said as K9's sensor stick extended out from his head.
"Alien pheremone detected, Mistress." K9 said, rolling past us in a forwards direction. "Trail leads in this direction." Rani smiled at me, impressed, as we followed after K9.
...
"Insufficient data." K9 said, circling round as we ran up to him.
"You lost them K9?" Mum gapsed. "No!"
"Affirmative, Mistress."
"We'll never find him now!" Clyde sighed.
Rani and I glanced up, wide eyed, to find a blue electrical field covering the sky.
"Well that might help." I said casually. "Ok then, off we go." I said, leading everyone off to the source of the blue field.
...
"Switch it off boys!" I called over patronizingly.
We stepped into the warehouse to find the child Slitheen and another man with blonde curly hair standing by a bunch of machinery, showing a compression wave being put round the Earth on the screen.
"Sarah Jane and Flo Smith," The blonde man replied menacingly. "How predictable."
"Nice to be known of." I shrugged, walking forward with my hands in my pockets. It's funny really, how a alien race trying to destroy the Earth just didn't bother me at all anymore. It was, a little boring now I suppose, but I kept going. Out of hope that a little blue box might brighten up the foggy sky one night. What's also funny is that I always say that I want nothing to do with The Doctor, that I don't want him in my life, that I don't want to see him... but I'd still do anything to see a blue box on the corner of the street. "Now come on," I continued, taking the sonic lipstick from Mum and half threateningly pointing it at them. "Turn it off, will you?"
"No chance." The blonde man snapped.
I rolled my eyes, switching on the lipstick and pointing it at the machinery, making the console spark, which didn't stop the clock ticking...
"Nice try, Miss Smith." The child Slitheen said sickly, making me frown at the lipstick. "It's sonic wave resistance."
"So what does that thing actually do?" Clyde asked angrily, pointing at the machinery.
"And why steal the matter compressor?" Luke snapped, stepping in front of me protectively. I glanced at Luke, grabbing his arm to get him to calm down. He was getting pretty angry. And then I noticed. What I'd turned my baby brother into. He'd revolved his whole life round waiting for me to come back, and protecting Mum, Clyde, Maria and Rani. He'd watched me spend all that time looking after them, he must have thought that was what he was meant to do too. And he'd become so protective. Out in the universe, out travelling, that would be perfect. He'd be brilliant, amazing. But on Earth, it was way too much. He didn't need to be the person he was.
"Thank to your compressor," The blonde man continued, snapping me from my thoughts. "The Earth, we can crush it."
"If you crush carbon enough, it turns into a diamond." Rani said.
"A gigantic diamond. Worth a fortune."
I had to laugh, "There's a whole bloody planet made completely of diamond." I smirked, stepping out of the way. "K9 now!"
As we all stepped away, K9 came rolling forward. "Maximum destruction mode!" K9 announced before shooting a laser at the control panel. But alas, nothing.
"It's not working!" Rani gasped.
"Grab the girl!" The blonde haired man ordered. The child Slitheen grabbed Rani's arm, grabbing hold of her neck and pulling her back.
"LET HER GO!" Clyde shouted, trying to rush forward only for Luke and I to pull him back.
"Try that again and you'll be sorry." The child Slitheen threatened.
"Don't move K9, hold fire!" Mum said nervously.
"Disable the dog or she gets it!" The blonde haired man ordered.
"Sorry K9, power down."
"UNIT deactivating." K9 said, reversing and powering off.
I glanced at the clock... 14... 13...
"Isn't there something we can do?" Luke asked.
"Mind you..." I began, glancing out into the empty space next to the Slitheen. "I quite like hope." I quoted The Doctor. A gold light flashed and we winced slightly as two Slitheen stood in the light, one with a green collar and another with a red, which quickly died down.
"Who are they?" Clyde asked.
I shrugged, surprised, "Well that usuall doesn't happen." I muttered.
"Stand back Miss Smith!" The Slitheen in the red collar called as it advanced, raising it's wrist and shooting a laser from a metal contraption on it's arm, hitting the matter compressor.
"Compression halted." The computer announced.
"Now release the child." The Slitheen in the green collar ordered. The child Slitheen let go of Rani and she came running towards me. "On order of the high council of Raxus prime you are charged with crimes against the state." It announced to the blonde haired man and the child Slitheen. "Fraud, theft, high treason. The penalty for each is death."
"He made me do it." The child Slitheen said nervously, pointing to the blonde haired man.
"Please, no, I'm innocent!" The blonde haired man cried.
The Slitheen in the green collar began to fiddle with an identical metal contraption on it's arm, containing the two criminals in a golden ball before it disappeared.
"What have you done with them?" Mum asked.
"We've teleported them to our ship." The Slitheen in the red collar said. "They will stand trial on our home planet."
"I guess we owe you our lives. Thank you."
"Yeah, thanks." Rani said. "I was nearly Slitheen lunch."
"Who are you?"
"We are Blathereen." The Slitheen... well Blathereen in the green collar said.
"Blathereen." Luke said, confused. "Never heard of you."
"Slitheen aren't the only family on Raxacoricofallapatorius." I said simply, squeezing Luke's hand.
"But they are the only criminals." The Blathereen in the red collar agreed. "We Blathereen respect the law."
"Yeah why should we believe you?" Clyde asked angrily.
"As you can see, we do not disguise ourselves in human skin, like Slitheen. We could never kill a human."
"Not all visitors to your planet intend harm, Miss Smith." The Blathereen in the green collar said, glancing at Mum's concerned look. "Some come here out of pure interest, some are asylum seekers."
"And some actually want to help."
"Why are you here?" Luke asked threateningly.
"We've dedicated out lives to tracking down Slitheen, bringing them to justice."
"You mean you're... bounty hunters?" Clyde asked.
"It isn't something we do for profit, it is our duty."
"To be honest, we're pretty good at handling Slitheen by ourselves." Mum said.
"We do not doubt it." The Blathereen with the green collar said. "Your work is spoken of in great regard back home."
"Interstellar fame, eh Sarah Jane?" Rani grinned.
"It's rips your soul inside out." I said, looking over at Rani. "Interstellar fame, I mean."
"Blathereen are incustomed to offer thanks for such great deeds." The Blathereen in the red collar said. "By sitting down for dinner."
"And what's on the menu?" Clyde asked. "Clyde burgers with a side of Rani?"
"It's wrong to have come this far without showing our appreciation." The Blathereen in the green collar said.
"That might be a bit tricky." Mum said cautiously.
"Why?" Rani asked happily. "I think it's a great idea. A dinner party."
"Think about it, Rani." Mum whispered, turning back and looking at us. "They can't exactly come to our place."
"Mr Smith's there and loads of alien stuff." Luke mumbled.
"Then they can come to mine." Rani said.
"Oh yeah, your Mum and Dad will love that." Clyde said sarcastically.
"They're at a headteachers conference." I said, flicking Clyde in the side of the head. "That's why she's staying with us."
"Does nothing sink in with you?" Rani asked. "Come on, it's an amazing opportunity. Clyde will cook, he's a secret Jamie Oliver."
"I can't deny it." Clyde shrugged.
"I suppose so." Mum nodded. "After all, they did save our lives."
"Miss Smith." The Blathereen in the red collar called over. "What do you say?"
"Yes. Dinner would be lovely. You're very welcome, Mrs..."
"Please, my name's Leaf Apple Bing. Leaf for short. This is my husband," She gestured to the other Blathereen. "Tree Lawn Acre. I call him Tree."
"Sarah Jane." Mum introduced. "This is Clyde, Rani," She pulled me and Luke forward. "And my son and daughter, Flo and Luke."
"Pleased to meet you all." Tree said.
"Right." Apple said. "Let us have your teleport coordinates and we'll join you in an hour. We must freshen up first."
...
"I still don't think we can trust them." Mum said.
The five of us stood in Rani's kitchen with Clyde putting shepperds pie into a tray.
"Yeah, when have the Slitheen ever helped us?" Clyde asked.
"They're not Slitheen." Rani said, taking something out of a cupboard. "They're not even the same colour."
"Of course." I said sarcastically. "Let me get out my Dulux colour chart and find the exact shade of green they are."
"It doesn't matter what colour they are." Luke said. "They're from the same planet."
"All I know is we have to keep our guard up until we're certain." Mum said.
"Look at me," Clyde said dryly. "Head chef to the enemy."
"I didn't know you could cook Clyde."
"I'm a man of many talents. Anyway, it's only shepperds pie. Mum taught me."
"I hope they don't have any strange dietary requirements. Although it's hard to go wrong with soup." Mum muttered, peering over at the bowl of soup on the other side of the counter.
Suddenly, the same orange glow appeared on the other side of the room and Leaf and Tree appeared.
"Good evening Sarah Jane." Leaf said cheerily.
...
"Sorry it's such a squeeze." Mum said as we watched them cautiously. Clyde and Rani sat one side, with me and Luke on the other and Mum and the Blathereen at either end. We watched as they gulped the soup out of giant bowls noisily, not leaving a drop left.
"This delightful liquid is...?" Tree asked as they put their bowls down.
"Was tomato soup." Luke said.
"Though you'd prefer something more meaty." Clyde muttered.
"Shutup Clyde." Rani whispered.
"Delicious!" Leaf exclaimed. "We must take some home for the next time the Rackdeen come to dinner."
"They adore foreign food." Tree said in agreement.
"So, tell us about your home planet." Mum said.
"Raxacoricofallapatorius was once the most admired planet in the Raxus alliance. Clom, Clix, and Raxacoricofarlonpatorius all took their lead from us." Leaf said.
"And the Blathereen were one of the most respected families."
"Until the Slitheen bribed their way into power. They ruined our planet's good name!" Leaf raised her fist, smacking it against the table, making everyone flinch.
"That must have been terrible for you." Rani said nervously, collecting both their bowls and taking them over to the sink.
"What happened to the Slitheen?" Luke asked.
"They crashed." Tree said. "Then the rest of the population rose up against them and were deposed.
"Some faced justice," Leaf said as Rani sat back down. "Some fled to the furtherest corners of the galaxy."
"It was our duty to hunt them."
"We're deeply sorry for the trouble they've caused here. And as this seems an appropriate moment." She turned to Tree. "Tree?" Tree reached down beside him as Mum cautiously pulled out her sonic lipstick. "This is not just a gift for your hospitality." Tree pulled up a square chest with an orange bow around it. "But compensation for the Slitheen's behaviour on Earth." Tree opened up the chest, dry ice flowing out of it. He reached into it and pulled out a small green plant in a black pot. "This is Rackweed." Leaf explained as Tree held it out.
Rani reached out to touch it, only for Clyde to bat her hand away.
"It's just a present, Clyde." Rani reassured him.,
"His concern is understandable. Though this is something that will truly delight you."
"It's lovely." Mum nodded. "Thank you."
"It's a staple food back home. It can grow anywhere, even in the harshest conditions."
"Nutricious and delicious." Tree said in agreement.
"But this isn't just a gift for you, we want you to share it with your entire world."
"We know you suffer from famine on Earth. Rackweed could end it, forever."
"Of course if it came directly from outsiders such as ourselves, your people would be distrustful. That is why we want you, Sarah Jane, to be our ambassador."
"Imagine the fame and the glory."
"I'm not too bothered about the whole fame thing," Mum began. "We do what we do, to help the world."
"This little plant could save millions of lives." Leaf said.
Mum picked up the plant, looking at it, when the oven binged. "Ah, main course." She looked at Rani. "Give me a hand?" The two of them got up and quickly spoke it the kitchen as me and the boys stared at the Blathereen.
...
"So Sarah Jane," Tree began after he and Leaf ate up the whole tray of shepperds pie. "Will you be our ambassador?"
"It's our chance to finally put things right." Leaf said. "And it could mean a new friendship between our races."
"You realise I'll have to analyse the Rackweed?" Mum asked, picking up the plant. "Make sure it's safe?"
"Of course. Do that straight away."
"Thank you. In principle, I, we, Earth accepts."
...
"Mr Smith I need you!" Mum called, holding the Rackweed. She stood in front of Mr Smith with Luke next to her as Clyde, Rani and I sat down on the steps, in front of K9 who was perched on the edge of the step.
Mr Smith opened with his usual fanfare, "How may I assist you, Sarah Jane?"
"I need you to analyse something." She held out the Rackweed and Mr Smith shone a blue lighted scanner over it.
"Such an amazing opportunity." Rani mumbled as Mr Smith analysed the Rackweed.
"Yeah." Clyde said dryly. "Or it could all be a trap."
"They're Blathereen, not Slitheen." Rani argued as Luke sat down next to me, laying his head on my shoulder as Mum walked up to her desk, placing the Rackweed down.
"Slitheen, Blathereen whatever. They're all from Raxacorico-doo-dah, and that place has a seriously dodgy reputation."
"You can't condemn an entire race just because some of them are bad. There are bad people of Earth too."
"Rani's right." Luke said softly, putting his hand on my bump. "We're here to help aliens, not just fight them."
"Exactly." Rani agreed. "I mean come on, for instance, The Doctor's race, they can't all have been as heroic as The Doctor."
"They weren't." I laughed dryly, staring into space. "The high council were corrupt, evil, murderous. But there was one man who done it really." I mumbled.
"The Master's dead." Mum breathed behind me.
"Yeah... For now." I frowned, shaking my head. He was dead. Why was I saying that?
We looked up at Mum as she fiddled with the planet.
"Sarah Jane?" Rani asked.
"This is huge." Mum sighed, picking up the plant, holding it out to us. "If I make this public, it'll change everything. No more hiding in the shadows, saving the world in secret, I'll be front page news."
"Sarah Jane Smith." Rani said fondly, grinning at Luke and Clyde. Because of course the teenagers thought this was great, brilliant, but me and Mum stared at each other regretfully. Because we knew what this meant. The world wouldn't just know about us and all the aliens, they'd know about me and the baby, even The Doctor. It just would never work. And we both knew we couldn't not give the world this plant, and if we did that, then I'd have to go again. And I promised them I'd never leave them again. "Ambassador for Earth, eh?"
Mum looked away, putting the Rackweed back on the desk.
"Analysis complete." Mr Smith announced, grabbing our attention back to him. "Although the Rackweed has a more complex cell structure than Earth flora," He began, showing a more detailed diagram of a leaf on the screen as Rani got up, walking towards him. "There is, as far as I can tell, no threat."
"It's harmless then?" Luke asked, letting go of me and getting up, standing next to Rani.
"See?" Rani said, looking back at me and Mum as Clyde also got up next to them. "Nothing to worry about."
"Yeah but I still don't like it." Clyde muttered, crossing his arms.
"Anyway, time you lot were in bed!" Mum sighed. "School tomorrow, and you've all got a test. Am I right?"
I got up, walking over to the teenagers and smirking at them as Clyde frowned. "A test?" He asked as we all turned back to look at Mum. "Sorry did someone say test? Don't really understand that word."
"Test, assessment of knowledge." K9 said.
"He knows what it means K9." Rani teased, pinching Clyde's cheek. "Just not how to pass it." She added in a baby voice as Clyde pulled away, pouting.
"Luke, Rani, bed." Mum said. Luke and Rani nodded, making their way towards the door. "I put a towel in your room." She told Rani as the two of them stepped out of the door. "Clyde, home!"
"I won't be a sec!" Clyde said as I made my way towards the door with a huff. "I just need to borrow a... book for revision."
I smiled, shaking my head as Mum and I stepped out of the attic.
...
Mum and I sat, cuddled up together under a blanket in the living room, some crappy late night film on the telly, illuminating the room.
"I can't let you leave them again." Mum mumbled.
"I know." I sighed. "We'll think of something, we always do."
"Maybe you should head out to Washington for a bit?" Mum suggested. "Go see Maria and Alan for a bit."
"Maybe."
"He's in my dreams."
I looked up at her softly as she stared straight ahead, "The Doctor?"
Mum gulped, "The Master."
"Right." I breathed, looking away.
"Sometimes in his old incarnations, how I knew him, sometimes as Harold Saxon, I..."
"He's dead Mum."
"That man's escaped death more times than you've had hot dinners Flo, you know that."
"I know, I know."
...
"Eugh." I frowned, walking into mine and Luke's room as he packed things into his rucksack, in his uniform minus his tie, music playing in the background. "JLS." I walked over to the cupboard, throwing his shoes at him. He sat down and put them on, doing up the last button on his shirt before making his way over to his mirror, fiddling with his hair. He turned back, pulling up his collar.
"Tie." He muttered to himself before turning to look at me. "Tie?
"Attic." I smiled, sitting down on the bed.
He grinned at me, jogging out of the attic.
A minute later he stumbled back in, carrying his tie, looking woozy and slightly green. I jumped up with a yelp, putting my arms under his to hold him up, leading him over to the bed and sitting him down.
"What's wrong?" I whispered, running my hands over his face, pushing his hair back.
"LUKE, FLO, RANI!" Mum shouted from downstairs. "TOAST IS GETTING COLD." She suddenly appeared in the doorway. "Hurry up or you'll be late!" She looked at Luke, her face dropping. "Hey, what's the matter?"
"I feel strange." Luke said as I stood up, sitting beside him. I quickly calmed down, knowing I couldn't worry Mum about how worried I was. Luke was the perfect human being made by the Bane, it was physically impossible for him to get ill.
Mum walked over at sat down on the other side of him, putting her hand on his back, "In what way?" She asked.
"Dunno. It's probably nothing."
"It's not nothing if you're feeling ill." Mum said, looking at his pale face. "The Bane gave you perfect health."
"Is this what being ill is like?" Luke asked.
"Well how do you feel exactly?"
"Everything's gone blurry." Mum and I shared a nervous look before glancing back at him. "My chest is aching, my head hurts." I placed a hand to Luke's forehead, frowning.
"Come on slow coach!" Rani grinned, appearing in the doorway. Her face dropped slightly as she looked at Luke. "What's up?"
"Luke's not feeling very well, but you get off to school." Mum said.
"Shouldn't we call a Doctor?"
"Rani, school, please." She nodded, turning and walking off. Mum turned back to Luke, "You should say home this morning."
"I don't want to miss the biology test." Luke said feebly.
"Test can wait." I shrugged. "We'll call the school, let them know."
...
And so I sat with Luke, and he just got worse.
"How you feeling?" Mum asked, sitting down next to us after saying goodbye to Rani on her way to school.
"Not great." Luke gulped as I pushed his hair back slightly, covered in a cold sweat.
"Worse?" Luke nodded. "Right. Let's be methodical about this. Go back to the beginning, what we're you doing when it started?"
"I was in the attic."
"The attic."
Mum and I shared a shocked look. The Rackweed. It was all my fault. I told him where his tie was. I should have been a good sister and gone and got it for him.
...
"Analysis complete." Mr Smith announced. Mum and I stood in front of him as he ran a second scan on the Rackweed. I glanced back at the desk where it sat, the bud now wide open with a red, vicious looking flower flourishing out. "The Rackweed is not harmless." I gulped, looking back to Mr Smith.
"I knew it!" Mum said tearily. "Blathereen!"
"Adaption to it's cell structure suggests a more deadly lifeform."
"Well couldn't you have seen this coming?" I yelled.
"I'm sorry Flo, Sarah Jane, the plant seems to have mutated since my last report."
"No way!" I shouted sarcastically, pointing back at the plant.
"It was probably in a state of deep hibernation, something must have triggered it's development cycle."
"What's going on?" We looked back to see Luke standing in the doorway, clutching onto the frame weakly.
"You should be in bed!" I said, trying to be as cheery as possible as I ran up to him, clutching his arms gently and leading him into the attic, where Mum pulled him into a hug.
"According to my analysis, Rackweed seeks out life forms that deems a threat to it's propergation and drains them of energy." Mr Smith reported. "It will send it's victims into a deep deep coma from which they will never return."
"Yeah, shutup now." I hissed as Mum lead Luke over to the second sofa by Mr Smith, laying him down.
"Emergency analysis continuing." Mum sat down next to Luke as I made my way over, kneeling down next to them.
"Luke, you two have all I've really got." Mum said, rubbing Luke's hand. "Everything else, makes no sense without you."
"Basically Mum is saying don't go dying on us." I laughed sadly. "Because every family needs a cool older sister but they can't function without a geeky little brother."
Luke gave me a small smile at that. And then it kind of hit me. If this is how nervous and upset I was now, with Luke, would it be like this when the baby was born? I wanted to scream and rip out the walls and chop the Blathereen into little pieces... and then I realised. This was what parenting would be like.
"I'm sorry to report, Sarah Jane, Flo." Mr Smith announced. "But my sensors confirm that the Rackweed are not merely confined to this house."
My eyes widened and I looked up at Mr Smith, "It's out there?!"
"It's already reproduced, most likely by releasing spores."
"It must have got out through the window." Luke croaked, nodding up to the open window by the desk.
"We've got to stop this." Mum said as Luke sunk lower into the sofa, his eyes drooping.
"Please, I'm so tired."
"Luke please." I begged, grabbing onto Luke's arm. "Luke can you hear me?"
"I'm ok." He nodded. I gently lifted up his shirt and Mum and I stared, shocked at little green and red blotches all over his skin. "What the hell is that?!" I gasped.
"He has been subjected to an incredibly high dose of Rackweed spores." Mr Smith reported.
Luke's head dropped, his eyes shutting. "Luke, you must stay awake!" I cried, shaking him.
His eyes opened again and he nodded as Mum smiled nervously, nodding with him.
...
"This is all my fault." Mum gulped, squeezing Luke's hand.
I glanced up at the Rackweed as it spat our some more spores. "Mum look!" I gasped as the Rackweed came towards us.
"Mr Smith I need you!" Mum exclaimed, pulling me up onto the sofa, moving in front of me and Luke. "Mr Smith, please!" She begged as it advanced further and further.
Oh shit.