School Reunion
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Me: Oh yeah, should probably warn you, the time scale for this episode is changed just a little bit just so it makes more sense to everyone.
Timmy: warning fluff ahead.
Tory: shut it dino! ROMANCE NOT FLUFF!
Timmy: *shrug* same thing.
Tory: no its not! Its
Me: *interrupting* at least go argue way from me if you have to argue about this.
Tory & Timmy: Fine! *leave room still arguing*
Me: *head hits desk* why do I put up with those two anyway? Right, I need to say something and I can't remember what it is…..
Tory: *yelling from other room* You need to tell The Final Shadow!
Me: Right! *yells back* thanks T!
Tory: welcome!
Me: right I was looking over the past reviews for my story, looking for inspiration and realised that you, The Final Shadow, was as close as Tivia100 when you suggested what you thought was up with Tory! I'm so sorry for missing that! So you and Tivia100 both get to ask 1 question from any of the characters, including myself, Jordan, Tory, Timmy and Legend-wait-for-it-Dary. Choose well! :D
Legend-wait-for-it-Dary: Tivia100 if you want to change your question you can if you don't just tell us and we'll answer it in the next chapter!
Me: and finally! We're getting on a plane to New Zealand today so we can't update for the next few days which is why this chapter is going up early okay?
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The guards dragged their unresisting prisoner down the corridor, the jeers of the other occupants of the dungeons where ignored. They threw her into an empty cell and slammed the door shut behind her. The prisoner shot to her feet and ran up to the bars.
"You can take my life but you will never take my freedom!" she snarled at them in a bad impression of a Scottish accent. The guards laughed.
"The king wants you alive pretty girl." The one on the left spoke up.
"Well you can tell the king to go fuc-" she was cut off as her phone rang, "You have got to be kiddin' me." She sighed and pulled it out, holding one finger up at the guards; telling them to hold that thought. "What?"
"Hey it's me." Jordan's voice came down the phone.
"I know," Tory sighed, "I have this amazing thing called caller ID!"
"Right," Jordan laughed, "You doing anything important?" Tory glanced at the guards.
"Nope."
"Good, get to headquarters, five seconds ago." Jordan hung up. Tory put the phone back in her pocket and grinned at her guards.
"Well it's been fun but I've gotta go. It's not you, it's me," she paused, "no it's definitely you." Then she was gone.
)0(
"We've got a mission for you," the major started the moment Tory entered the room, Jordan was already inside.
"Well hello to you to." Tory muttered as she sat down.
The Major was an unpleasant older man that was under the impression that Tory had undergone plastic surgery for a mission and chosen not to have the operation reversed afterwards due to preferring how she looked now; he thought she was conceited and a security risk. Tory thought he was a rather unpleasant individual that could do with having the long pointed instrument removed from his arse. But that was just her opinion.
"We need you to investigate a school," he gestured at the single file on the table, Tory let Jordan skim it before catching it out of the air as it was thrown at her from the other side of the table.
"School has record results and multiple sightings," Tory frowned at the file, "almost half the staff replaced overnight. It's worth the time."
"So glad to have your approval." The Major drawled, "We have covers for you. Lt. Mason you are going to be a substitute P.E. teacher and you Williams are the full time music teacher." The major left the room.
Tory glared at his back.
"I hate that man."
"Trust me," Jordan laughed, "the feeling is mutual."
)0(
Tory and Jordan were welcomed into the school by the headmaster himself; a Mr Finch. They were escorted to their classrooms and given a tour of the school and that was it for the first day.
The second day they both taught until lunch and met up in the staffroom where a surprise was waiting for them.
The Doctor.
He was sitting on a desk nibbling at a biscuit with another teacher pacing up and down in front of him. Tory and Jordan both blinked, shrugged and moved to the coffee machine.
"But yesterday, I had a twelve-year-old girl give me the exact height of the Walls of Troy... in cubits." Both women slowly made their way over, staying behind the Doctor.
"And, it's ever since the new headmaster arrived?" the Doctor asked.
"Finch arrived three months ago. Next day, half the staff got flu. Finch replaced them with that lot." The teacher gestured over the Doctor's shoulder, Tory and Jordan turned quickly so he wouldn't see their faces, at a bunch of smartly dressed teachers, "Except for the teacher you replaced and the teachers Miss Williams and Miss Mason took over for, and that was just plain weird, them winning the lottery like that." Tory grinned and Jordan rolled her eyes.
"How's that weird?" the Doctor asked innocently, "And who are Mason and Williams?"
"They never played!" the teacher exclaimed, "Said the ticket was posted through their doors at midnight."
"Hmm!" Tory chimed in stealing on the table beside the Doctor, "The world is rather odd."
"Mr Parson," Jordan greeted the teacher the Doctor had been talking to, "How are you today?" Jordan led the man off to continue their conversation while Tory spoke to the Doctor.
"U.N.I.T. got some strange readings," she explained in an undertone, "but we can't talk about it here." The Doctor nodded a grin on his face, "What?"
"Perfect chance for that dinner and date you promised me." He winked, jumped off the table and walked away, leaving Tory to gape after him.
)0(
"What are you doing?" Jordan asked incredulously as she hovered in the open doorway to Tory's room. The room itself was a disaster zone, clothes flung all over the place. Tory didn't answer more occupied wrestling a pair of shoes from under one of the mountainous piles of clothes. Jordan stepped into the room fully and pulled Tory away from the pile at the same time as freeing the shoes.
"Thanks." Tory hugged her before grabbing the shoes and darting away to the other side of the room.
"What are you doing?" Jordan asked again as she absentmindedly stepped over Tory's floor-drobe, following in the other woman's footsteps.
"I've got a date!" Tory paused long enough to grin madly before diving back into the plies of clothes, almost covering her shoes again before Jordan snatched them out of harm's way.
"Really?" Jordan frowned, the expression going unnoticed as Tory continued to dig for something, "I thought you had a thing for the Doctor." Tory straightened and turned to face her.
"Yeah….that's who I'm going out with." Jordan grinned and a matching one spread across Tory's face.
The two let out girlish squeals that if you asked them about later NEVER happened. The sound of the TARDIS materialising was covered by the noise.
The Doctor walked out of the TARDIS and straight into the kitchen to get a calming cup of tea while Rose followed, Mickey just behind her.
"Oh come on Doctor!" Rose playfully begged, "It'll be like a double date."
"Yeah Doc," Mickey agreed, ignoring the glare he got for shortening the Doctors name, "I want to get to know her too! Rose talks about you and her all the time." Mickey dodged the hit Rose sent his way for that comment and winked over his shoulder at her, earning a giggle.
"Why don't we see what Tory has to say then?" Rose suggested as the Doctor still looked hesitant. Rose gave the Doctor a careful once over, "Are you sure you want to wear that?"
"What's wrong with it?" the Doctor asked defensively, "It's what I always wear."
"Exactly mate," Mickey spoke up as he rooted around in the cupboards looking for a clean mug, "do you think she's gonna be wearing what she usually wears?"
"Why not? I think it looks brilliant on her." The Doctor continued to defend.
Jordan walked into the room, pausing on seeing the Doctor's pinstripe suit and tie.
"Oh no you don't." she growled, grabbing his arm and dragging him towards the TARDIS, "If I have to deal with Tory in what-the-hell-should-i-wear mode you have to look just as good!" she opened the door, shoved him inside and followed with a shout of: "Wardrobe! NOW!"
Mickey and Rose laughed. Mickey wrapped his arms around Rose's waist causing her to lean back against him.
"You really want to get to know her?" Rose asked.
"Yeah!" Mickey paused, "I didn't exactly make a good impression last time we met, calling her a 'thing' an' all, an' if she's your friend I thought; why not make an effort?" Rose smiled, turning in Mickey's arms and kissing him lightly on the lips.
"You're the best boyfriend ever."
"I know." Mickey replied, earning himself another slap on the arm.
Tory walked into the room.
"Rose! Mickey!" she smiled at them, "How do I look?" she twirled showing off her simple white dress; it fell to her knees it a simple yet extravagant style, with a black sash around her waist that ended in a small bow, the ends trailing down, it was strapless and matched with the high heels she was wearing on her feet, they had their own ribbons winding up to her shins to hold them in place.
"You look gorgeous." Rose grinned, "The Doctor will love it!"
"You think so?" Tory asked, wanting an honest opinion.
"Yeah," Mickey spoke up this time, "He'll fall on his knees and praise you as a goddess." Tory laughed as Mickey got hit again, "What did I do this time?"
Rose smiled sweetly and didn't answer.
"Whatever." Mickey muttered, "I err I got you this," he pulled a small box out of his jeans pocket, "to apologise for what I said the last time we met."
"You didn't have to." Tory reassured him, taking the box when he continued to hold it out, "but thank you."
"I thought you could wear it tonight." Mickey suggested, ignoring the slightly awkward feeling in his gut. Tory gave him another smile before opening the box.
"Ohh, it's beautiful!" Tory pulled a plain silver chain out of the box.
"It's an anklet," Rose explained, "we got it plain so you could add charms to it." Tory grinned at them.
"Thank you." She placed the box down on the kitchen counter before bending over and putting the anklet on.
"You're welcome." Rose answered, nudging Mickey in the side.
"Yeah." He agreed, rubbing his side.
Tory straightened.
"We wanted to ask you something," Rose spoke up, "what do you think about going on a double date?"
"I'd love to, but what about Jordan?"
"She can come to." Mickey put in, "I've got a mate she could take."
"Humm, might not work if we end up talking about classified things." Tory pointed out, Mickey and Rose both nodded, "I could invite someone for work," Tory mused, "but they'd fangirl over the Doctor."
"Girl?" Mickey asked.
"Yeah, girl." Tory stared at him a moment not realising what Mickey was asking, "Isn't that the expression?"
"Yeah," Rose smothered her laughter, "Yeah it is." Tory shrugged.
"Hey, speaking of, where is Jordan?"
"In the TARDIS, helping the Doctor get dressed." Rose explained.
"Ah," Tory grinned, "I pity him, wonder which one of them will come out alive." Tory chuckled.
"Probably Jordan." Rose laughed.
"Probably." Tory agreed.
Jordan walked out of the TARDIS; a smug grin on her face, Tory stared at her with wide eyes.
"Please tell me he's still alive!" she exclaimed.
"What?" Jordan stared, "Of course he is." Jordan walked passed her and into the kitchen, grabbing a glass and getting herself a drink from the tap.
"Thank god." Tory muttered.
"You look good, by the way." Jordan told her.
"Thanks." Tory smiled.
"Me, Mickey and Rose are staying here," Jordan continued, "the Doctor wants you to himself tonight." Tory blushed while Rose looked slightly disappointed.
The TARDIS doors opened and the Doctor stepped out, blushing slightly as he rubbed the back of his neck. He stopped and stared when he caught sight of Tory, Rose clearing her throat brought him back.
"You look amazing." He muttered, Tory blushed.
"Thank you." They stared at each other again, "So do you."
"Well," he dragged out the word, "Jordan got to me." The Doctor was wearing a black tux, white shirt and black tie, his hair stuck up in its normal gravity defying manner and he was still wearing converse trainers but Tory wouldn't have it any other way. "Ready to go?" he asked.
"Yeah." She walked over to him, taking his offered hand.
"Don't do anything I wouldn't do!" Jordan yelled over her shoulder as the two entered the TARDIS.
"Not much on that list!" Tory yelled back as the TARDIS door closed and the machine dematerialised.
"Good point." Jordan grinned.
"How long do you think it'll take?" Rose asked as she and Mickey sat down on the couch.
"How long will what take?" Mickey questioned, both women rolled their eyes.
"For the two of them to admit they're in love." Jordan explained, sitting down in the armchair next to the couch Rose and Mickey had claimed, "At least two dates." She answered Rose.
"I think it'll take longer."
"Hang on," Mickey interrupted, "how do you know they're in love?" Rose and Jordan rolled their eyes.
"Men." The two women sighed.
)0(
"Where are we going?" Tory asked as she and the Doctor dashed around the console.
"It's a surprise!" he told her as he slammed a hammer down on one of the buttons.
"Don't hit her!" Tory protested, the Doctor looked around the central column at her and winked, "Idiot." Tory complained playfully.
"But you like me anyway!"
"Yeah, I think I should get my head checked!"
"Hey!" the TARDIS landed and the Doctor walked towards her, "I like your head just the way it is, thank you." Tory smiled at him.
"So, go on, where and when are we?"
"See for yourself." He gestured towards the doors grandly.
"I know why your companions love this now." She muttered as she headed for the door, "Every step's an adventure."
"Always." He followed her down the ramp and smiled at her as she paused in front of the doors and took a deep breath before pulling the doors open.
"Oh!" outside was an alien planet, three moons in the sky and snow covering the landscape, "It's amazing." Tory turned back to him and he felt his hearts skip at the look on her face.
"All yours." He waved out at the planet, Tory grinned and placed one foot out of the TARDIS letting her shoe make an imprint in the snow.
"I'm really not dressed for this." She muttered before stepping out fully, "Oh its cold." She wrapped her arms around herself. The Doctor followed her out, dropping his trench coat over her shoulders.
"Here." He offered, staying behind her to try and see the world through her eyes.
"Thanks."
He stood behind her and they looked over the landscape together. After a moment Tory lent back against the Doctors chest, causing him to wrap his arms around her and hold her to him.
)0(
The next day Tory taught all the way through the morning so she couldn't go and track down the Doctor to talk about how much last night had meant to her; they had ended the night in Tory and Jordan's flat, Rose, Mickey and Jordan all fast asleep on different pieces of furniture around them, with a simple but meaningful kiss and a promise to go out again next time they got the chance. Neither of them could wait for it.
It was lunch before the two had a chance to talk and they were taking full advantage of it, standing together slightly away from all the other teachers in the staffroom. Jordan walked over to them carrying two teas and one coffee in one hand like it was the easiest thing in the world. She gave one tea to the Doctor and the coffee to Tory, keeping the last tea for herself.
"Excuse me," Mr Finch spoke up as he entered the room, a slightly older woman behind him, "colleagues, a moment of your time." All the teachers turned to him, the Doctor and Tory staring in surprise as they recognised the woman, "May I introduce Miss Sarah Jane Smith. Miss Smith is a journalist, who's writing a profile about me for the Sunday Times." Sarah Jane smiled around at them all, not recognising the Doctor in his new regeneration even as he stared, his mouth curling up in a slight smile. "I thought it might be useful for her to get 'a view from the trenches', so to speak. Don't spare my blushes." Mr Finch smiled at them, nodded to Sarah Jane and then left.
Sarah Jane glanced around the room as the teachers went back to their conversations and caught the Doctor's eye she walked over.
"Hello!" she greeted.
"Oh, I should think so!" the Doctor grinned, excitedly.
"And, you are...?" Sarah Jane asked. The Doctor couldn't take his eyes off her, Jordan smirked in the background as Tory explained just who Sarah Jane was before returning to the Doctor's side to save him from embarrassing herself.
"Hm?" he jerked as Tory elbowed him, "Uh, Smith. John Smith."
"John Smith?" Sarah Jane repeated a sad smile on her face, "I used to have a friend who sometimes went by that name."
"Well, it's a very common name!" he answered.
"He was a very uncommon man." She held out her hand, "Nice to meet you!" he took her hand and shook it in two of his. Tory hid a smile. Once the Doctor let go Tory offered her own hand.
"Tory Williams," she introduced herself, "music teacher."
"Sarah Jane Smith." She paused, "Um... so, um, have you two worked here long?"
"No!" the Doctor answered, "Um, it's only my second day."
"My third." Tory shrugged.
"Oh, you're new, then?" Sarah Jane smiled, "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?" Tory watched the Doctor hide a proud smile.
"You don't sound like someone just doing a profile." He told her.
"Well, no harm in a little investigation while I'm here." Sarah Jane told him.
"No." he agreed, "Good for you." She walked away and greeted the group with Jordan in it, "Good for you. Oh, good for you, Sarah Jane Smith."
Tory smiled up at him.
"She did well for herself."
"That she did," the Doctor agreed, "that she did."
)0(
That night Tory and Jordan grinned at each other as they opened the emergency exit into the school for the Doctor, Mickey and Rose to walk in.
"And what time do you call this?" Tory teased. The Doctor grinned at her. Jordan fell into step beside Rose as Tory walked on the Doctor's right, taking his hand.
"Oh, it's weird seeing school at night." Rose muttered, "It just feels wrong." They started walking down the corridor, "When I was a kid, I used to think all the teachers slept in school." She grinned at the memories.
"All right, team." The Doctor paused, "Oh, I hate people who say "team". Um... "gang". Um..."comrades". Uh... anyway, Rose, Jordan, go to the kitchen and get a sample of that oil. Mickey, the new staff are all Maths teachers, go and check out the Maths department. I'm gonna look in Finch's office, Tory you're with me. Be back here in ten minutes." He took off up the stairs, dragging Tory with him.
"Bets on whether we're gonna catch them kissing in a closet?" Jordan joked.
)0(
The Doctor and Tory walked towards the Headmasters office quickly but were distracted by the sound of shrieking and flapping. They paused before walking faster towards the source of the noise.
Instead they found Sarah Jane backing out of the store room where the Doctor had hidden the TARDIS. The human turned around slowly and saw the Doctor and Tory standing in the shadows, watching her.
"Hello, Sarah Jane." He greeted her quietly.
"It's you." Sarah Jane whispered, "Oh... Doctor..." she started to smile as she edged towards him. Tory stayed silent by his side, "Oh, my God, it's you, it's... it's..." she paused, "you've regenerated."
"Half a dozen times since we last met." The Doctor told her.
"You look... incredible."
"So do you."
"I got old." Sarah Jane dismissed him. She walked around the pair in a circle studying him, "What're you doing here?"
"Well... UFO sightings, school gets record results, I couldn't resist." He shrugged, "What about you?"
"Same." They laughed. Sarah Jane stared at him with a smile before it faltered and fell. "I thought you'd died." She sounded close to tears, "I waited for you and you didn't come back, and I thought you must've died."
"I lived." He answered, "Everyone else died."
"What do you mean?" Sarah Jane asked, noticing the way Tory took his hand to comfort him.
"Everyone died, Sarah." He repeated quiet pain in his voice.
"I'm here," Tory spoke up, "I'm here, I'm not gone." The Doctor squeezed her hand in thanks. Sarah Jane smiled at the pair of them.
"Are you a Time….Lady too?" she asked.
"Yeah."
"I can't believe it's you." Sarah Jane muttered in disbelief. The moment ended with the sound of a high pitched scream, "Okay! Now I can!" they all grinned at each other before running off down the hall in the direction of the scream. They almost crashed into Rose as she skidded down a converging corridor.
"Did you hear that?" she demanded, worried about Mickey, before noticing Sarah Jane, "Who's she?"
"Rose, Sarah Jane!" the Doctor introduced them with a happy grin, "Sarah Jane, Rose." Rose looked at Tory, a surprised and unhappy look on her face. Tory frowned.
"Where's Jordan?" she asked sharply. Rose looked behind her.
"She was behind me a second ago."
Tory started to walk passed Rose when the Doctor grabbed her hand, ignoring Rose and Sarah Jane interacting behind him.
"I have to find her." Tory told him.
"I know, just be careful, alright?"
"No promises." She grinned and winked before running off down the corridor.
"Hi." Sarah Jane spoke with a fake smile, "Nice to meet you." She turned to the Doctor, trying to distract him from worrying about Tory, "You can tell you're getting older, your assistants are getting younger."
"I'm not his assistant." Rose protested, outraged.
"No?" Sarah Jane frowned, confused, "But I thought…" whatever she was about to say next was cut off as the Doctor started running again, the opposite direction to Tory and towards the scream.
)0(
"What are you doing?" Tory asked as she walked up behind Jordan who was bent over one of the computers in one of the I.T. rooms. Jordan jumped at the sound of her voice.
"Don't sneak up on me like that!" Jordan scowled.
"You left Rose and wandered off, why?" Tory asked.
"I wanted to see if I could hack into one of the computers." Jordan explained.
"So you didn't hear the screaming then?"
"What screaming?" Jordan demanded dropping the computer part she was working on. Tory shrugged.
"The screaming."
"What are we standing around here for then?" Jordan demanded, "Lead the way."
Tory grinned and started running, throwing a casual:
"Yes boss!" over her shoulder.
They made it to the Headmaster's office at the same time as the others.
"Are you traveling with the Doctor too?" Sarah Jane asked once she recognised Jordan as another teacher.
"No." Jordan answered, "I'm with Tory. Who was screaming?" she asked looking over the group for damages.
"Sorry, it was only me." Mickey apologised, "I got covered in rats." Jordan and Tory nodded at him.
"Oooohh," Jordan muttered, "I hate it when that happens." Everyone except Tory sent her a questioning look.
"You don't want to know." Tory told them gravely.
The Doctor was using the sonic on the door but spoke as he worked.
"Maybe those rats were food." He suggested.
"Food for what?" Rose asked. The Doctor opened the door and peered inside, his eyes fixed on the celling.
"Rose... you know you used to think all the teachers slept in the school...?" the Doctor asked as he pushed the door open completely so everyone could see in, "Well... they do." Everyone stared up at the celling where 13 giant bat-like creatures hung upside down.
"No way!" Mickey muttered, turning and running for it, Sarah Jane, Rose and Jordan following.
Tory and the Doctor slipped out of the room quietly, closing the door before following the humans.
Outside they stopped running, Mickey lent over to catch his breath.
"I am not going back in there." He protested, "No way."
"Those were teachers!" Rose realised.
"When Finch arrived," the Doctor explained, "he brought with him seven new teachers, four dinner ladies and a nurse. Thirteen. Thirteen big bat people. Come on." He jerked his head and started walking back towards the school, Rose and Sarah Jane following him while Tory and Jordan moved over to Mickey, worried about him.
"Come on," Mickey protested, not moving, "you've got to be kidding!"
"I need the TARDIS." The Doctor explained in an annoyed tone as he realised that Tory, Jordan and Mickey were hanging back, "I've got to analyse that oil from the kitchen."
"I might be able to help you, there." Sarah Jane grinned as an idea came to her, "I've got something to show you!" she grabbed the Doctors arm excitedly and dragged him towards the car park.
Rose glared after the pair and once they were out of ear shot turned to Tory.
"Aren't you upset; she's hanging all over him!?"
Tory looked confused.
"Why would that upset me?"
"He's your boyfriend!"
Tory froze.
"He's not….we're not…" Tory trailed off, biting her lip, "and even if we were I would let him see her, she's an old friend, it would be wrong to stop him from seeing her."
"Come on." Jordan walked after the Doctor and Sarah Jane, "They're waiting for us."
In the car park Sarah Jane opened the boot of her car, while the others gathered round. Something was inside, covered by a blanket. Sarah Jane pulled the blanket off revealing a robot dog.
"K9!" the Doctor exclaimed, delighted, "Rose Tyler, Mickey Smith, Jordan Mason, Tory Williams allow me to introduce K9... Well, K9 Mark III to be precise." Mickey and Rose glanced at each other, Jordan rolled her eyes and Tory climbed into the boot beside the dog.
"Why does he look so... disco?" Rose asked.
"Oi! Listen, in the year five thousand, this was cutting edge!" the Doctor defended, "What's happened to him?"
"Oh, one day, he just... nothing!" Sarah Jane explained.
"Well, didn't you try and get him repaired?!" The Doctor asked. Rose and Mickey shared another look while Jordan shook her head.
"Stupid question Doctor." Jordan muttered.
"Well, it's not like getting parts for a mini-metro!" Sarah Jane exclaimed, "Besides, the technology inside him could rewrite human science. I couldn't show him to anyone!"
"Ooh, what's the nasty lady done to you?" the Doctor cooed, scratching K9 behind the 'ears', "Eh?"
Mickey stared, Jordan laughed, Tory fiddled with some wires inside of K9 as she tried to repair him, Sarah Jane shot Rose a triumphant glance and Rose scowled.
"Look, no offense but could you two just stop petting for a minute?" Rose snapped, "Never mind the tin dog, we're busy!" The Doctor helped Tory climb out of the boot, a massive grin on his face before letting Jordan close it and climbing into the car.
)0(
They all piled out of the car at the nearest chip shop, the Doctor and Mickey carrying K9 in and placing him onto a table. Tory sat in front of him and started fiddling again causing Jordan to roll her eyes and wander off to the counter, quickly followed by Rose and Mickey.
Sarah Jane sat on one side of Tory while the Doctor took the other.
"I can't believe him," Rose fumed as the three young humans sat down at a table out of ear shot of the two Time Lords and Sarah Jane, "all this time and he's never mentioned her!"
"Maybe he doesn't want to remember?" Jordan suggested as she stole one of Rose's chips.
Rose huffed.
"And what about Tory?" Rose continued.
"What about her?" Mickey asked.
"Is he just gonna replace her one day too?" Jordan froze.
"If he hurts her he loses his ability to reproduce, simple as." Jordan growled. Mickey flinched in shared pain at just what Jordan was suggesting.
"Remind me never to get on your bad side." he muttered, making Jordan smirk in a way that wasn't overly reassuring.
"I thought of you on Christmas Day." Sarah Jane spoke up suddenly making the Doctor glance over at her, rather than watch what Tory was doing to K9, "This Christmas just gone? Great big spaceship overhead, I thought, "Oh, yeah. Bet he's up there"."
"Right on top of it, yeah." He agreed.
"And Rose?" Sarah Jane asked cautiously.
"She was there too." The Doctor answered.
"And me," Tory spoke up, "and Jordan, Mickey, Harriet Jones and her assistant." She paused, "Give me the sonic." She held out her hand for it. When the Doctor didn't move fast enough she turned and started going through his jacket herself, making him blush. "Ah-ha!" she sat back, screwdriver in hand and went back to work.
"Did I do something wrong?" Sarah Jane asked suddenly, "Because you never came back for me. You just... dumped me."
"I told you." The Doctor explained, "I was called back home and in those days humans weren't allowed."
"I waited for you." Sarah Jane muttered sadly, "I missed you."
"Oh, you didn't need me!" he brushed her off, "You were getting on with your life."
"You were my life." She argued causing him to turn and look at her properly, "You know what the most difficult thing was? Coping with what happens next, and 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 with a frown.
"No, but we get a taste of that splendour... and then we have to go back."
"But look at you," he smiled, "you're investigating. You found that school; you're doing what we always did."
"You could've come back."
"I couldn't." he told her quietly.
"Why not?" she whispered. Tory reached out and grabbed the Doctors hand, doing the repairs one-handed as he refused to let go. "It wasn't Croydon," Sarah Jane continued, changing the subject, "where you dropped me off, it wasn't Croydon!"
"Where was it?"
"Aberdeen." She answered irritably.
"Right." He paused, "That's next to Croydon, isn't it?" Sarah Jane smiled and shook her head.
Tory lent back from the inner workings of K9 and rescued her hand from the Doctor to grab a napkin and wipe her face just as K9 turned on.
"Oh, hey!" the Doctor celebrated, "Now we're in business!" he stood and walked around the table so he was in front of K9's head.
Master!
"He recognizes me!" the Doctor was ecstatic.
Affirmative.
"Rose, give us the oil." He held out his hand, Rose, Mickey and Jordan all walked over, Rose doing as she was told while Jordan threw a packet of Skittles at Tory, who caught them and grinned.
"Bribery will get you everywhere." Tory joked with a smirk.
The Doctor took the top off the oil and was about to put his finger in when Rose interrupted.
"I wouldn't touch it, though, that dinner lady got all scalded." The blonde warned.
"I'm no dinner lady." The Doctor answered her gravely, "And I don't often say that." he dipped his finger in the oil as K9 put out a sensor for the Doctor to smear it on, which he proceed to do, "Here we go. Come on, boy. Here we go."
Oil. Ex, ex, ex, extract ana, an... analysing...
"Listen to it, man!" Mickey, grinned, "That's a voice!"
"Careful! That's my dog!" Sarah Jane defended. Mickey looked sheepish.
"I want one!" Jordan whispered to Tory.
"Christmas." She promised.
Confirmation of analysis: substance is Krillitane Oil.
"They're Krillitanes." The Doctor realised.
"Is that bad?" Rose asked.
"Very." He answered, "Think of how bad things could possibly be, and add another suitcase full of bad."
"And what are... Krillitanes?" Sarah Jane added.
"They're a composite race. 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, 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." The Doctor realised, "They're doing something to the children."
"Then we're gonna stop it." Jordan growled, "One call and U.N.I.T. will be out here."
"U.N.I.T." Sarah Jane muttered, surprised, "I didn't know you were one of theirs."
"It's why I recognised you." Jordan shrugged.
"We both are." Tory added, "Though I'm more of a consultant."
"You're still on the pay-roll y'know?" Jordan told the Doctor suddenly, "Massive bank account."
"Really?" he asked distracted.
"Yeah." Tory confirmed, "Every year they donate some to Doctors Without Borders, some higher up thought you'd like the irony." Tory explained with a grin.
"We have to get back to the school," the Doctor interrupted, "We need more information."
"Let's go then." Tory stood and walked out the shop, Jordan following.
Mickey and Sarah Jane picked up K9 and carried him out to the car, placing him back in the boot.
"So, what's the deal with the tin dog?" Mickey asked as they settled down to wait for the Doctor and Rose, Tory and Jordan standing a short ways off.
"The Doctor likes travelling with an entourage. Sometimes they're humans, sometimes they're aliens, and sometimes... they're tin dogs." Mickey laughed, "What about you? Where do you fit in the picture?" Sarah Jane questioned.
"Me?" Mickey started enthusiastically, "I'm their Man in Havana. I'm the technical support, I'm..." he paused, "Oh, my God. I'm the tin dog." He sat down on the edge of the boot in shock, making Sarah laugh and pat him on the shoulder.
Tory and Jordan walked over.
"It could be worse," Tory tried to comfort him, "you could be Jar-jar Binks." Jordan rolled her eyes and slapped Tory across the back of her head. "Hey!" Jordan ignored her and spoke to Mickey.
"If you want field experience U.N.I.T. 'll take you." Jordan suggested, "I could use someone else around my department." Tory grinned suddenly.
"Or you could come with me." She suggested.
"Go with you." Mickey repeated.
"I travel, just like the Doctor; I just get to where I'm actually going more often than he does." Tory joked. Mickey frowned, considering both offers, "Take the U.N.I.T. job," Tory suggested, "If you work with Jordan I'll end up taking you places anyway so that way you get paid as well."
Mickey nodded but didn't any anything.
Sarah Jane shot the two females a smile.
Rose and the Doctor left the chip shop, talking angrily but too far away for human ears to hear, Tory ignored them out of respect.
Suddenly one of the Krillitane's swooped off one of the nearby buildings, screeching. They ducked but it just flew over them. Mickey and Sarah Jane jumped to their feet and ran towards the Doctor and Rose while Tory and Jordan started to run after the Krillitane.
"Tory! Don't!" the Doctor yelled after them.
Tory and Jordan ran in an easy, controlled manner, keeping pace with each other effortlessly.
"It's heading back towards the school." Tory realised, speaking out loud just in case Jordan didn't. Tory saw Jordan nod out of the corner of her eye. They skidded to a stop when Jordan signalled that she needed to rest.
"Why are we running?" Jordan panted, "When you can just poof us there?"
"Poof?" Tory repeated, sounding outranged, "Poof?"
"Yes," Jordan hissed, "POOF." Tory shrugged.
"It seemed like a good idea at the time?"
Jordan glared.
"I HATE you."
"Love you too dear." Tory responded casually, glancing around the street, "Do you know where we are?" she asked suddenly, not recognising where they were.
"I was following you." Jordan had her breath back and straightened, looking around in the same way as Tory, "But no, I have no idea where we are."
Silence.
"Well this is embarrassing."
)0(
The next morning, after 'poof-ing' home to find a rather frantic Doctor waiting for them and calming him down, Jordan and Tory climbed into the back of Sarah Jane's car. Tory wedged between the Doctor and Mickey while Jordan got in the back beside K9 and Rose sat up front with Sarah Jane.
"This is cosy." Tory grinned. The Doctor glanced down at her but didn't answer as he went back to staring out of the window. Tory frowned at him, "What's up?" she muttered, low enough that the humans couldn't catch what she was saying.
"Nothing." He answered distractedly. Tory sighed; if he didn't want to talk about it fine, but she would be here when he did. She reached out and took his hand, playing with his fingers, much the same way she had to his previous regeneration. He seemed to relax into the seat as she lent on his shoulder. He rested his chin on the top of her head; matching, unnoticed, grins grew on both their faces.
They pulled up to the school just as the bell was ringing for the start of the day, bad form for any teacher. The group climbed out, leaving K9 behind, and walked towards the school. The Doctor paused, holding Tory's hand, to give out instructions.
"Rose and Sarah, you go to the Maths room. Crack open those computers, I need to see the hardware inside. Here, you might need this." Rose held out her hand expecting the sonic to be placed in it but the Doctor handed it to Sarah Jane, Rose curled her hand into a fist and let it drop back to her side, "Tory, Jordan I want you inside the school; try and work out if the kids have any lasting damage. Mickey, surveillance. I want you outside."
"Just stand outside?" Mickey asked as the others started to walk forwards again.
"Here," Sarah Jane turned and threw him her car keys, "take these, you can keep K9 company."
"Don't forget to leave the window open a crack." The Doctor called over his shoulder.
"But he's metal!" Mickey protested.
"I didn't mean for him."
"So, boss man, what're you gonna be doing?" Jordan asked.
"It's time I had a word with Mr Finch." He announced darkly.
)0(
Jordan and Tory walked along the mostly empty school corridors silently, glancing in windows as they passed, the kids where in their normal lessons, no hint of anything odd or weird.
Tory shrugged when Jordan sent her a questioning glance.
"Go find Sarah Jane and Rose?" Tory suggested half-heartedly.
"Alright." The two turned and walked back in the opposite direction.
)0(
Sarah Jane was crouched down beside one of the computers while Rose sat in one of the chairs, her legs crossed, not even trying to help. Sarah Jane lifted her head out from under the table and pressed a few buttons on the key board.
"It's not working!" she exclaimed.
"Give it to me." Rose sighed, taking the screwdriver, rolling her eyes and ducked underneath the desk.
"Used to work first time in my day." Sarah Jane muttered.
"Well, things were a lot simpler back then." Rose replied, turning the sonic on and holding it to the back of the computer.
"Rose, can I give you a bit of advice?"
"I've got a feeling you're about to." Rose muttered as she stood up.
"I know how intense a relationship with the Doctor can be, and I don't want you to feel I'm intruding..."
"I don't feel threatened by you if that's what you mean." Rose interrupted.
"Right. Good. Because, I'm not interested in picking up where we left off."
"No?" Rose scoffed, "With the big sad eyes and the robot dog? What else were you doing last night?"
"I was just saying how hard it was adjusting to life back on Earth..."
"The thing is... when you two met... they'd only just got rid of rationing. No wonder all that space stuff was a bit too much for ya."
"I had no problem with space stuff." Sarah Jane argued, "I saw things you wouldn't believe."
"Try me." Rose challenged, coldly.
"Mummies."
"I've met ghosts."
"Robots. Lots of robots."
"Slitheen. In Downing Street."
"Daleks!"
Rose snorted.
"Met the Emperor."
"Anti-Matter monsters." Sarah Jane continued.
"Gas masked zombies."
"Real living dinosaurs!" Sarah Jane's voice getting louder.
"Real living werewolf!" Rose copied her tone.
"The Loch Ness Monster!" Sarah Jane yelled.
"Seriously?" Rose asked stunned. Sarah Jane put her hand to her mouth and shook her head. Rose smiled and laughed slightly, "Listen to us. It's like me and my mate Shireen. The only time we fell out was over a man, and...we're arguing over the Doctor, and the worst part is he's not even ours to argue over."
"So he and Tory….?" Sarah Jane asked.
"Yeah," Rose smiled, "they went on their first date day before yesterday." There was an awkward pause, "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!" the two laughed, "Does he still stroke bits of the TARDIS?" Sarah Jane asked.
"Yeah! Yeah! He does! I'm like, "do you two wanna be alone?"" they laughed madly.
The Doctor walked through the doors, looking around for Tory and Jordan.
"How's it going?" he asked. The sight of him just mad the two humans laugh harder, "What?" he asked oblivious, "Listen, I need to find out what's programmed inside these." They took no notice, Rose pointing the sonic at him as they continued to laugh, "What?" he asked again, confused, "Stop it!"
Jordan walked into the room a few moments later, the Doctor had just gotten Sarah Jane and Rose to calm down.
"Where's Tory?" Rose asked, making the Doctor glance up from where he was digging into the inner workings of a computer.
"Keeping the kids out." Jordan shrugged, "Mr Finch ended break early and the kids were told to go to their classrooms." Tory walked in the door.
"I hate teenagers." She muttered, glaring at the door.
"What did they do this time?" Jordan asked.
"Asked me out on a date." Tory muttered. The Doctor dropped the pieces of the computer he was holding.
"Erm….." he bent over and started gathering the dropped pieces, Tory moved towards him to help while Jordan walked over to Rose.
Tory pulled the sonic out from between the Doctors teeth, where he insisted on keeping it, and ran it along the back of the computer he had just ripped a handful of wires from.
"I can't shift it." The Doctor complained as Tory frowned down at the machine, attempting to use her TARDIS side to attempt to hack the thing.
"I thought the sonic screwdriver could open anything!" Sarah Jane protested.
"Anything except a deadlock seal." The Doctor explained, "There's gotta be something inside here. What're they teaching those kids?" Tory glared at the computer like it had personally insulted her as her hacking attempt failed and Jordan was sniggering at her expression.
"You wanted the program," Sarah Jane spoke up suddenly, "there it is."
"Holy Shi-"
"Jordan language!" Tory snapped. Every computer in the I.T. room was displaying a code, including the large glass screen at the front of the class.
"Some sort of code..." the Doctor muttered to himself, staring unblinkingly at the front screen.
"No," Tory's mouth hung open, "It can't be…" her voice was slightly fearful.
"The Skasis Paradigm." The Doctor realised, "They're trying to crack the Skasis Paradigm."
"The what now?" Jordan asked, unsettled by the frightened yet longing look on Tory's face.
"The..." he searched for the right word, "God-maker. 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 questioned.
"Yes." He started to pace, "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." Rose pointed out, "I've been eating them."
"What's fifty-nine times thirty-five?" he asked her quickly.
"Two thousand and sixty five." She answered without thinking, "Oh my God..."
"But why use children?" Sarah Jane asked, "Can't they use adults?"
"No, it's gotta be children. 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."
The doors of the classroom swung open and Mr Finch walked in.
"Let the lesson begin." The Doctor and Tory turned to face him slowly, "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 whole of creation with the face of Mr Finch. Call me old fashioned, but I like things as they are." The Doctor responded.
"You act like such a radical, and yet all you want to do is preserve the old order. Think of the changes that could be made if this power was used for good." Finch tried to convince him.
"What, by someone like you?" the Doctor scoffed.
"No... someone like you." The Doctor stayed silent, "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."
"Don't," Tory whispered, "don't fall to temptation."
"And you could be by his side forever," Mr Finch turned to her, "You and Miss Mason, together best friends, sisters, 'till the end of time. You could bring back your parents-"
"Those people were never my parents!" Tory spat.
"No," Mr Finch soothed, "Your birth parents, your family."
"Tory," Jordan spoke, "I'm your family."
"But you will die one day," Finch pointed out harshly, "imagine the pain Victoria will feel on that day, imagine it and claim that what I offer is not better."
"Doctor, Tory, don't listen to him." Sarah Jane protested as Jordan ran out of arguments. Mr Finch turned to her and Rose.
"And you could be with him throughout eternity." He tempted, "Young... fresh... never wither, never age... never die. Their lives are so fleeting. So many goodbyes. How lonely you must be, Doctor. Join us." The Doctor and Tory had matching faraway looks in their eyes.
"I could save everyone..." the Doctor muttered, so very tempted.
"Yes." Mr Finch agreed.
"All my sisters," Tory muttered, "the other TARDIS's."
"I could stop the war..." the Doctor whispered. A small smile crossed Finch's lips.
"No!" Sarah Jane cried, desperately, "The universe has to move forward. Pain and loss, they define us as much as happiness or love." Mr Finch closed his eyes, knowing he was losing the Doctor, "Whether it's a world, or a relationship... everything has its time. And everything ends." The Doctor stared for a few more seconds before reaching out and taking Tory's hand. She glanced back at him.
"I'm so sorry." He whispered before letting go of her hand, grabbing a chair and flinging it through the screen, smashing it, "Out!" he shouted, running for the door, Sarah Jane and Rose hot on his heels. Jordan grabbed Tory's hand and pulled her from the room.
They ran blindly down a set of stairs almost running into Mickey and a young boy in the schools uniform.
"What is going on?" Mickey asked. Three of the Krillitanes half flew, half crawled their way along the corridor towards them. The group turned and ran in the opposite direction. They ran into the massive lunch room, across it and tried the doors; locked. The Doctor reached inside his coat for the sonic just as Mr Finch and the Krillitanes burst in the other doors.
"Are they my teachers?" the boy….Kenny? Asked.
"Yeah." The Doctor looked for an escape, "Sorry."
"Leave the Doctor alive." Finch ordered the other Krillitanes, "As for the others... you can feast." The Krillitanes swooped down on them. The Doctor grabbed a chair and tried to keep his companions safe, Rose and Sarah Jane screamed and ducked under nearby tables, Kenny following. Mickey was about to copy the Doctor's actions when Jordan pulled him down on to the floor.
"What the hell?!" Mickey yelled, Jordan just stared at where she had left Tory standing.
Tory was glowing; the soft eerie light of her Meridian Particles reflecting back at her from the walls and floor. She lifted a few centimetres off the ground. Her eyes were glowing even through her closed eyelids. The Krillitanes cried out and backed away to Finch's side.
"You will not touch what is mine." Her voice echoed around the room, making the bat-like creatures flinch in pain, "I have claimed this planet, and you dare to try and take it from me?!" Mr Finch stared at her.
"Such power." He whispered. Tory's eyes remained closed but her head tilted to the side as if she was looking for something. Jordan heard the door lock closest to her click open.
"Such…..illusions." Tory smirked opening her eyes to show them their normal TARDIS blue colour and dropped back to the floor with a thump, "K9! Keep them busy!"
Yes Mistress!
The robot dog responded as it rolled into the room through the door Tory had just opened.
"K9!" Sarah Jane cried out happily.
Suggest you engage running mode, mistress.
"Come on!" the Doctor shouted, tossing his chair to the side and running out of the room, followed by everyone else, Tory giggling madly.
The Doctor was waiting on the other side of the door, the second Tory passed through it he slammed it shut and locked it using the sonic.
"Just another day in the office." Tory winked, the Doctor rolled his eyes, grabbed her hand and ran off after the others.
)0(
They hid themselves in the Doctor's physics classroom, the Doctor paced up and down behind the teachers table, Tory sat herself on the desk, legs crossed while Kenny, Mickey and Rose all sat at the kids tables, Sarah Jane and Jordan preferred to stand.
"What was that?" Sarah Jane asked, "Back there." Tory looked up at her.
"I'm not exactly…..erm…pure Time Lord, I'm more part Time Lord, part human and part TARDIS." Sarah Jane just stared, "I call myself an HTL-TARDIS…..if that helps at all," her voice trailed off, "no?" Jordan shook her head and mouthed 'not helping'.
"So what did you do?" Sarah Jane dug.
"I er…in the simplest terms; I….erm used my TARDIS's half shields and created a force field around my body, it forced me off the ground and held me in the air, the silver light is called Meridian Particles and are my version of the power source that keeps the TARDIS running." The Doctor stopped pacing suddenly, bringing all attention back to him.
"It's the oil. Krillitane life forms can't handle the oil! That's it!" he cried, "They've changed the physiology so often, even their own oil is toxic to them. How much was there in the kitchens?"
"Barrels of it." Rose answered, jumping to her feet.
Everyone jerked to attention as the Krillitanes started to hammer on the door, their claws ripping holes in it.
"Okay," the Doctor started, "we need to get to the kitchens. Mickey..."
"What now," Mickey interrupted, holding his hands out to the sides in exasperation, "hold the coats?"
"Get all the children unplugged and out of the school." The Doctor ordered, "Now then, bats, bats, bats, how do we fight bats?"
Kenny walked towards the door, Tory was about to reach forward and grab him when he pulled the fire alarm. Outside the door the Krillitanes shrieked and screamed. The Doctor beamed, flung open the door and led the group past the writhing aliens and towards the kitchens.
"Why are we always running?" Jordan muttered as they all stopped in the kitchen, in front of five metal barrels all of them with corrosive warning stickers on the front.
"That is not safe to have in a school kitchen." Jordan muttered to Tory who snorted.
"Kenny, Rose, Sarah Jane," Tory grabbed their attention, "get out, use the back door!"
"Do it!" the Doctor ordered as they hesitated.
Master! K9 called as he drove into the room.
"Good boy." The Doctor praised.
"What are you planning?" Jordan demanded.
"If I can just…." The Doctor tried to sonic the barrels and growled in frustration, "They've been deadlock sealed!" he tried another and got the same result, "Finch must've done that. I can't open them."
The vats would not withstand a direct hit from my laser. But my batteries are failing. K9 commented.
"Right." He nodded, "Tory, Jordan out the same way as the others. K9 stay with me."
Jordan glanced at Tory who nodded. As Jordan left through the back door Tory walked up to the Doctor's side, he turned to face her.
"I thought I told you to-" he was cut off as Tory slammed her lips against his. She barely gave him time to respond before she was pulling away.
"Don't get dead!" she ordered before running out the door after Jordan.
The Doctor stared after her for a moment, his hands resting on empty air just above where her hips would have been.
Master?
The Doctor jumped, jolted out of his daze, before turning and going back to what he was doing.
)0(
"Did you kiss him?" Jordan asked the second the kitchen door closed behind Tory. Tory grinned before grabbing Jordan's hand, giving Sarah Jane, who was waiting for the Doctor and K9, a respectful nod and pulling Jordan away.
"We need to clear the blast zone." She explained.
"You so kissed hi….." a pause as Jordan registered Tory's words, "Blast zone?!" she repeated as a much louder and higher tone.
"Yes blast zone." Tory sighed.
"What are we walking for then?" Jordan started to jog towards the front of the school, "Hold the phone, what about Sarah Jane."
"The Doctor will get her." Tory noticed a crowd of kids leaving through the front door of the school and could hear the fire alarm in the distance.
"Come on, guys!" Mickey was yelling from the back of the crowd, "Let's go, let's go!" the kids cleared the school just as a running Sarah Jane and the Doctor cleared the side of the building. The school exploded. The kids cheered as did Mickey and Rose, Kenny moved into the crowd, probably looking for his friends. The Doctor comforted Sarah Jane at the loss of K9 while Jordan walked off a few steps and called U.N.I.T; they would handle clean up and making sure the kids were alright while Jordan was debriefed and Tory avoided the Major.
)0(
"Yo, was up!" Tory greeted a tried looking Jordan a few hours after U.N.I.T had taken over at the school. Jordan turned to her slowly and glared.
"The sky." She answered in a completely dead tone of voice. Tory blinked.
"Ha ha, you crack me up." Tory told her sarcastically.
"What do you want?" Jordan sighed, "I've got your paper work and mine to do and I really don't have the time to do either." Tory frowned.
"Can I help?"
"No." a pause, "Sorry, T, it's just that I still have nightmares about the last time I let you do paper work." Tory nodded in agreement.
"I'll just go then." Tory watched as Jordan turned back to her desk and restarted her work, "I'll see you at home."
"Yeah." Jordan agreed distractedly.
Tory sighed and flashed out of the building.
)0(
Tory sat on the couch in the flat and sighed. She didn't do well with boredom; she needed to be out there! Exploring, discovering, running; she was never happy just sitting around and waiting. But she didn't like traveling alone, the same way the Doctor didn't; that was why he always had companions. Tory would have asked Mickey but he had turned down Jordan's job offer as Sarah Jane, Rose and the Doctor wondered off just before U.N.I.T arrived at the school; he wanted to travel with Rose and that meant going with the Doctor. Tory understood, she really did, she was just lonely. Maybe she should travel with the Doctor…. Hold the phone, now there's an idea. Why shouldn't she travel with him? They were….something to each other why would he say no?
Tory jumped to her feet, grinning and ran into her room to pack.
)0(
Sarah Jane walked into the park that was home to the address she had found attached to her door in a TARDIS blue envelope and smiled as she caught site of the police box that had given the colour its name. She stopped outside of it and the door opened, revealing the Doctor, he stepped out and opened his mouth.
"Cuppa tea?" both of them spun in surprise to face Tory who was walking up from the opposite direction to the one Sarah Jane had used.
"That….That's my line!" the Doctor protested weakly as Tory winked at him and walked through the TARDIS doors. Sarah Jane was laughing as she followed.
"You've redecorated!" Sarah Jane laughed as she took in the inside of the TARDIS. Tory hugged Rose and shook Mickey's hand. The Doctor closed the TARDIS door and followed Sarah Jane up the ramp.
"Do you like it?" he asked excitedly.
"Oh, I, I do." She looked around again, "Yeah. I preferred it as it was, but uh... yeah. It'll do!"
"I love it." Rose spoke up.
"So does the TARDIS." Tory added as she flipped a few switches as the TARDIS asked her to. The Doctor joined her.
"Hey, you, what's forty seven times three hundred and sixty nine?" Sarah Jane asked Rose.
"No idea." Rose shrugged, "It's gone now, the oil's faded."
"But you're still clever." Sarah Jane reassured her, "More than a match for him." Rose smiled.
Tory slapped at the Doctor's hand as he tried to change some of the settings.
"You and me both." Rose answered.
Sarah Jane nodded. Rose glanced over at the Doctor like she was trying to prompt him to say something he almost missed it as he caught Tory around her waist and moved her away from the controls he wanted to leave off, namely the blue stabilisers.
"Doctor...?" Rose grinned as he and Tory looked around somewhat guilty.
"Um..." he paused, "we're about to head off, but...you could come with us." He offered.
Everyone looked at Sarah Jane expectantly. She looked from happy face to happy face and then shook her head.
"No..." she spoke softly, "I can't do this anymore." Tory grabbed the Doctors hand as the smile on his face fell slightly, "Besides," she continued enthusiastically, "I've got a much bigger adventure ahead! Time I stopped waiting for you and found a life of my own."
"Can I come?" Mickey asked suddenly. Sarah Jane stared in surprise while Rose frowned, "No, not with you," he reassured Sarah Jane quickly, "I mean... with you." He gestured towards the Doctor and Tory, "'Cause I'm not the tin dog. And I wanna see what's out there."
Tory grinned up at the Doctor while he studied Mickey, thinking.
"Oh, go on, Doctor." Sarah Jane encouraged, "Sarah Jane Smith, a Mickey Smith. You need a Smith on board!"
"Okay then," he agreed, "I could do with a laugh." Tory elbowed him.
"Rude." She muttered as he rubbed his side.
Mickey grinned and turned to Rose, she looked unhappy with this turn of events.
"Rose, is that okay?" Mickey asked.
"No, great." She answered sarcastically, "Why not?"
There was an awkward silence.
"I like the idea," Tory reassured Mickey, "In fact I might even come along." She wasn't looking at the Doctors face as she spoke and missed the ear splitting grin her statement had caused.
"Well," Sarah Jane was smiling again, "I'd better go." She walked over and took Rose by the arm, leading her to the side. Tory moved away from the Doctor and to the other side of the console where she beckoned Mickey to join her.
"Thanks." He whispered.
"You're welcome." She gestured at the console, "Wanna learn some of the basics?"
"Really?!"
"Really."
"Hell yeah!"
Tory laughed.
"Okay then, this here, the blue switches are the stabilisers; they stop the TARDIS from bouncing around all the time."
"Are they on?" Mickey sounded slightly concerned.
"No; the Doctor likes to keep them off." Tory flicked the switches on.
"Then why are you turning them on?"
"It may be his ship but it's designed to be flown by six people, he does it on his own with the breaks on the whole time."
"Ah." Mickey grinned, "What does this do?" The Doctor coughed drawing their attention.
"Do you mind?" Tory teased, "I'm teaching here."
"I thought you might like to say goodbye." The Doctor explained. Tory looked past him and towards the doors. Sarah Jane was standing and waiting for them.
"Indeed." Tory agreed and walked down the ramp, the Doctor following.
They walked out of the TARDIS, the Doctor closing the doors behind them so they could have some privacy.
"It's daft." Sarah Jane spoke up, "But I haven't ever thanked you for that time, and like I said, I wouldn't have missed it for the world."
"Something to tell the grandkids." The Doctor joked.
"Oh, I think it'll be someone else's grandkids now." Sarah Jane answered slightly wistful.
"Right." He looked very awkward, "Yes, sorry, I didn't get a chance to ask. You haven't... there hasn't been anyone...? You know...?" he rubbed the back of his neck nervously.
"Well... there was this one guy. I travelled with him for a while. But he was a tough act to follow." She laughed and the Doctor smiled at her. Tory grinned at the two.
"You'll see him again Sarah Jane," Tory reassured her suddenly, "don't worry."
"But still," Sarah Jane paused, "Goodbye, Doctor."
"Oh, it's not goodbye..."
"Say it," she interrupted, "please. This time. Say it." He grinned at her and looked straight into her eyes as he spoke.
"Goodbye. My Sarah Jane." Tory stepped to the side as the Doctor threw his arms around Sarah Jane and lifted her into the air. He put her down before giving her one last smile and turning to the TARDIS door, he held out his hand to Tory and she took it, both of them making their way inside the TARDIS on their way to a brand new adventure.