Katy swivelled around on her chair, leaning back to stare at the ceiling, bored out of her mind. She knew becoming a school nurse wouldn't exactly be the most thrilling time of her life, but since she had started her new job the day prior, no students had walked through her door with so much as a paper cut. After seeing the wonders of the universe with the Doctor, getting a normal, drab job seemed so wrong. Still, if the UFO sightings around the school were anything to go by, she expected she could be eating her own words by the end of the week.
"Number Two, come in?" A muffled voice came from inside her drawer, as Katy pushed her chair back to reach out for the device inside.
"It's 2007, Mickey. Why the hell are we using walkie-talkies?" Katy complained, holding the transceiver close to her face.
"Can't risk using mobiles. Don't know who could be listening. And use the codenames!" Mickey retorted, as Katy rolled her eyes.
"You're paranoid, you know that, Doormat?" Katy huffed.
"That was not the agreed codename," Mickey's irritated voice hissed.
"Third wheel?" Katy suggested, with an amused smirk.
"You're the...the third wheel...third wheel," Micky replied, lamely.
"Well, that told me," Katy snorted.
As idiotic as Mickey could be, Katy reckoned he had a point. The TARDIS had found huge amounts of power being generated from inside the school, alongside traces of non-human DNA, but they hadn't found anything concrete to test. Yet. Footsteps approaching had Katy sitting up in her chair, and rushing over to hide the walkie-talkie.
"Talk later," Katy whispered, before shoving the transceiver back inside the drawer.
"You didn't say over and out—" Mickey's words were cut off as she slammed the drawer shut and twisted around just as the door opened.
A young girl stood in the doorway, around twelve years old, her face contorted in pain as she swayed a little on her feet. Katy was quick to usher her inside, noticing how pale the girl looked and grabbed a sick bowl just in case. She had too many shoes ruined by vomiting patients.
"You don't look so good, kid," Katy mumbled, sitting her down on top of her trolley and grabbing a thermometer.
"My head's banging, nurse. And my stomach's even worse," The girl muttered, as Katy gestured for her to open her mouth and placed the thermometer under her tongue.
She had heard that over twenty children had been hospitalised from the school in the last three months for some unknown illness, but there had been no cases for her to investigate. Until then. Katy frowned as she had a look at the thermometer reading and found instead of having a fever, the student's temperature was too low. Grabbing a blanket, she draped it over the girl's shoulders and reached for her wrist, feeling how her pulse was racing.
"How long have you felt this way?" Katy questioned.
"After lunch yesterday," The girl admitted.
"Why didn't you call in sick?" Katy asked, knowing most kids would have jumped at the chance to take a day off.
"I live at the children's home. Ambrose Hall. They couldn't get any staff to stay on to look after me, so they sent me in any way," The girl shrugged, as Katy's eyes softened a little.
"Assholes, huh?" Katy murmured, watching as the girl gave her a shy smile.
"Can you give me Calcium carbonate?" The girl requested as Katy tilted her head in confusion.
"Big words for a little kid. What do you know about that medication?" Katy queried.
"When hydrochloric acid comes into contact with calcium carbonate, the chemical reaction of CaCO3 + 2HCl produces CaCl2 + CO2 + H2O, which provides acid neutralization alongside the formation of byproducts," The girl explained, as Katy's eyes doubled in size.
"...I'll see what I can do," Katy exclaimed, with a slack mouth.
Katy leaned against the doorframe of the chemistry room, watching as the Doctor rubbed off an array of calculations written up on the whiteboard. He was wearing his usual pinstripe brown suit, joined with black glasses, looking the spitting image of who she would have wanted as a teacher when she was fifteen. She watched as a group of girls giggled as they passed her, gossiping to each other about their 'hot' new teacher. The Doctor remained as oblivious as ever, his brow furrowed, clearly lost in deep thought.
"So, did you manage to hold your own against a group of school kids?" Katy mocked, as the Doctor's eyes snapped up to hers.
The Doctor's lips parted to retort, but he was immediately tongue-tied once he saw her dressed up in her nurse's uniform. Truthfully, it wasn't the most flattering tunic, having belonged to the previous school nurse, meaning it was two sizes too big, but he reckoned she pulled it off pretty well. A teasing grin grew on his lips as his gaze drifted over her form, noticing the way she rolled her eyes.
"Don't start!" She exclaimed, pointing a warning finger toward him.
"I didn't say a word," The Doctor huffed, holding his hands up in mock defence.
"Yeah, yeah. I know. I look good in uniform," She smirked, strolling into the classroom and jumping up to sit on the wooden desk behind him, a bag from McDonald's in her hands.
"Feeling peckish?" He suggested, gesturing to the bag of chips.
"Spent most of the morning down A&E. One of the kids got sick, had to go in the ambulance with her. Thought I'd grab some chips on the way back. I've been traumatised enough by school dinners" She shivered, memories of mouldy food coming back to her.
"How sick?" The Doctor frowned.
"They think it's food poisoning," Katy told him.
"And what do you think?" The Doctor pushed, as she gave half a shrug.
"I think it's literally poisoning. There's definitely something wrong here, Doc..." Katy trailed off, when she saw the face the Time Lord made at the nickname.
"...tor," She finished, after a beat of silence.
She was early in the Doctor's timeline. Very early. He was on edge whenever she got too close, a distrustful look remaining in his eyes with every glance toward her. Certainly too early for nicknames, she figured. She felt a stab of sympathy for his eleventh regeneration, remembering their first few adventures together and how cold she had been toward him. Now, she was getting a taste of her own medicine.
"It looks like old Mickey-boy was right. This kid in class this morning, Milo, got knowledge way beyond planet Earth" The Doctor nodded, grabbing his satchel as the pair went to head out of the classroom.
"Speaking of humans, have you seen Rose yet?" Katy asked, noticing the way the Doctor's eyes instantly lit up, as he shook his head.
"Time for lunch, don't you think?" He grinned, as they headed toward the canteen.
If looks could kill, both Katy and the Doctor would have been dead. Rose glared angrily at the pair as she poured watery cauliflower cheese onto the Doctor's tray, looking ready to jump over the counter and slap him. This only made the Doctor's grin widen, eyes brimming with delight, as they turned to walk over to a nearby table. Katy caught him looking back at Rose once more, as usual barely able to keep his eyes off her. She pushed down any feelings she had about their stolen glances, locking it away inside her mind for a problem to worry about on another day.
"You know what's weird? No one's on their phones. Hell, back when I was in school, we were already starting to sneak our Nokias into classes," Katy pointed out, as the Doctor nodded.
"It's very well-behaved. I thought there'd be happy slapping hoodies. Happy slapping hoodies with ASBOs. Huh? Oh, yeah. Don't tell me I don't fit in" The Doctor beamed, as Katy shook her head, fondly.
"You sound about nine hundred years old...oh wait..." Katy trailed off, in a sarcastic tone.
"Two days!" A familiar voice hissed behind them, as a rag was thrusted against the table, and the owner began wiping the sticky surface.
"Sorry, could you just? There's a bit of gravy. No, no, just, just there," The Doctor goaded Rose, pointing to a questionable stain, as Katy nudged him with her elbow.
"You eating those chips?" Rose questioned, grabbing a handful of them before the Doctor could argue.
"Yeah, they're a bit different," The Doctor mumbled, as Rose sat down on the chair next to Katy, tucking into the chips.
"I think they're gorgeous. Wish I had school dinners like this," Rose exclaimed, having finished them in a matter of seconds.
Katy looked around the canteen, realising every child seemed to be doing exactly the same. Their trays were piled high with chips, gorging on the food before rushing back to the counter for seconds. Just how good were the chips?
"You are not permitted to leave your station during a sitting," One of the dinner ladies announced, in a haughty tone.
"I was just talking to this teacher. He doesn't like the chips," Rose stated, as the woman bristled.
"The menu has been specifically designed by the headmaster to improve concentration and performance. Now, get back to work," The dinner lady retorted, as Rose stood to her feet, with a sigh.
"See? This is me. Dinner lady," Rose grumbled, following after her colleague.
"I'll have the crumble!" The Doctor called after her, with a toothy grin.
"I'm so going to kill you," Rose muttered under her breath.
One of the teachers went storming past Rose, whom she vaguely remembered being called Mr Wagner, catching Katy's attention as he made a beeline for a group of students. His face was void of any emotion, as was the way he walked, appearing more like a soldier than a teacher.
"Melissa. 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. Kenny, not eating the chips?" Wagner inquired, glaring at the younger boy's lunchbox.
"I'm not allowed," Kenny retorted, but Wagner barely seemed to be listening now.
"Luke. Extra class. Now," Wagner insisted, placing his hand on one of the other boy's shoulders, who followed without protest.
The kids were quick to rush out of the canteen as Mr Wagner was about to do the same when his footsteps suddenly halted. He inhaled deeply, sniffing the air in the way an animal would, craning his neck from side to side until his gaze landed on Katy. She stared back at him for a few moments, her forehead wrinkled, not understanding why he appeared to have singled her out. Then, without a word, he was marching off after the students as if nothing had happened.
"Do I smell or something?" Katy huffed.
"Not to a human," The Doctor murmured, as she quirked an eyebrow.
Lunging forward, she went to grab a handful of chips, ready to throw them in his face for the comment, but as soon as her fingertips touched the oily food, pain was ripping through her hand. She jumped back in shock, clutching at her injured limb when she saw her fingertips had been burnt, turning red in a matter of seconds.
"What the fuck?" Katy cried, wincing at the burning grew worse and she saw the redness was spreading up her fingers.
The Doctor instantly reached out for her hand, taking a closer look at the burn, a frown growing on his face. It made no sense, he himself had just been eating the chips and it didn't appear to have harmed him at all.
"Must be a chemical burn—" The Doctor began, as Katy cut him off.
"Emphasis on the burning!" Katy complained, the pain beginning to grow unbearable.
In a panic, the Doctor looked around for something to help her, knowing his trusty sonic screwdriver would do little good in their current situation. Spotting a nearby bottle of water a nearby student had in their hands, he rushed over to grab the bottle, before twisting around and chucking the water in Katy's general direction. Whilst a good amount of the water did splash over her hand, giving her some relief, the rest of it hit her squarely in the face, drenching her tunic and hair. With a scowl on her face, Katy wiped at her eyes with her good hand, allowing her to muster the angry glare she wanted to send the Doctor's way.
"...You're welcome?" The Doctor exclaimed, with a nervous smile.
"I really hate you sometimes," Katy muttered.
Still muttering curses under her breath, Katy ran cold water over her fingers in the kitchens, relieved to see the redness was lessening. Rose was standing beside her, a look of concern on her young features, still as compassionate as Katy remembered her. After another few minutes of keeping her hand under the water, she pulled away, as Rose grabbed a towel and started to dab at her sore fingers.
"So, uh...how long has it been since we met for you?" Katy questioned.
"About two months I think" Rose answered, not noticing the way Katy's eyes widened.
"No wonder he doesn't trust me yet" Katy sighed.
"Who? The Doctor?" Rose frowned, as Katy slowly nodded.
"He just takes a while to warm up to people. Don't take it personally" Rose shrugged, pulling the towel away when she felt she had dried Katy's hand up enough.
"And you and him...?" Katy trailed off, raising her eyebrows.
She knew the Doctor loved Rose, and she felt the same but whether either of them ever acted on their feelings was still unknown to her. Her stomach twisted up in knots at the thought of them together, the feeling strange and unfamiliar to her. She had never been jealous of much in the past, but it seemed to be happening more and more in recent months. For the first time in her life, she had something to lose.
"It's...it's complicated" Rose answered, making Katy huff under her breath.
"Yeah. It always is with him" Katy stated, causing Rose's eyes to narrow.
Before she had time to question Katy, the other girl was grabbing her arm and pulling her behind a shelf of pots and pans. Rose twisted around to find four dinner ladies pushing a barrel of oil through the kitchens, donning aprons, masks and goggles. Katy doubted it was a coincidence they were dressed up in so much PPE when she had just been burnt by an unknown substance.
"Careful. Easy now" The dinner lady from earlier murmured, as they pushed the barrel toward the back room.
A second later, the barrel tipped slightly, and a glob of oil spilt out onto one of the other dinner ladies, who fell back in fright. Katy watched in horror as oil burnt through the woman's apron in seconds, and she let out a blood-curdling cry. The other three women picked her up quickly and tugged her into the backroom, as Rose pulled out her phone.
"What are you doing?" One of the dinner ladies shouted, as if she had heard Rose dialling on her phone.
"Calling an ambulance," Rose exclaimed, as the woman stepped out of the back room, pulling her mask down.
"No need. She's quite alright," The dinner lady stated.
Suddenly, there was a flash of fire, as the injured woman let out a wail which was cut off a second later. Smoke wafted out of the backroom, with the unmistakable smell of burning flesh.
"You sure about that?" Katy scoffed, as they heard a loud thump, as if a body was hitting the ground.
"It's fine. She does that," The dinner lady retorted, before going back into the smoke-filled room and slamming the door shut.
"What the hell is that stuff?" Rose muttered, looking as if she was about to reach out and touch it, as Katy slapped her hand.
"Don't even think about it, Tyler," Katy scolded, knowing the Doctor would kill her if anything happened to Rose.
"Finch arrived three months ago. Next day, half the staff got flu. Finch replaced them with that lot, except for the teacher you replaced, and that was just plain weird, her winning the lottery like that," Mr Parson's, one of the English teachers explained, nodding toward a group of teachers huddled at the back of the staff room.
Katy was hardly listening, too busy eating her way through the biscuit tin on her lap. She didn't dare eat anything from the cafeteria and after her latest run-in with chips, she had binned her McDonald's lunch. She glanced over at the teachers Mr Parson had gestured to, noticing one of them sniffing the air, just like Wagner had done earlier. Their strange animalistic traits were starting to put her on edge.
"How's that weird?" The Doctor questioned.
"She never played. Said the ticket was posted through her door at midnight. And then there was that business with poor Nurse Carla..." Mr Parson trailed off, with a shake of his head.
"The nurse I replaced?" Katy pushed.
"She slipped on an icy patch in the courtyard," Mr Parson stated, as Katy gave a slight shrug.
"That doesn't sound so strange."
"She was decapitated," Mr Parson's retorted, as Katy's eyebrows shot up.
"Excuse me, colleagues. A moment of your time!" The headmaster's voice announced as Katy whipped around to face him.
She had only seen Mr Finch a handful of times, usually from afar, but it was clear to her now that he wore a mask of normality. His eyes were cold, the smile he wore stretched too widely against his tight skin, and even his posture was too straight. It was all an act—
Katy was brought out of her musings as she felt the Doctor's hand reaching into the biscuit tin, grabbing a custard cream before she could stop him. He gave her a quick grin before popping the biscuit in his mouth, watching in amusement as she threw some biscuit crumbs his way. Neither was aware of the new presence in the room, their eyes lighting up in amusement as they watched the pair nudging each other.
"May I introduce Miss Sarah Jane Smith" Mr Finch continued, as the Doctor's head snapped up instantly.
A look of wonderment grew on his face, as his lips parted in shock, and he seemed to stop breathing altogether. Katy glanced in the direction of Miss Smith, finding it ironic that the woman shared the same surname both she and the Doctor had chosen. She was around her mid-fifties, her hair and makeup immaculate, oozing with elegance. Katy could see why the Doctor was so immediately taken with the older woman.
"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," Mr Finch continued, attempting a joke which fell flat.
Katy's eyes remained on the Doctor, as she realised she recognised the emotions on his handsome features. It was a mixture of awe, delight and maybe even a little love. She had only seen him look like that at River Song...and her once and twice. The Doctor was grinning from ear to ear as Sarah Jane appeared drawn to them, walking straight up to the pair.
"Hello," She greeted.
"Oh, I should think so," The Doctor replied, excitedly.
"And, you are?" Sarah Jane inquired.
"Hm? Er, Smith. John Smith." The Doctor answered, as Sarah Jane's eyes misted up for a moment.
"John Smith. I used to have a friend who sometimes went by that name," Sarah Jane admitted, as Katy slowly put two and two together.
Was it possible that Sarah Jane knew one of the Doctor's previous regenerations?
"Well, it's a very common name," The Doctor shrugged, as Sarah Jane appeared to become lost in a memory.
"He was a very uncommon man. Nice to meet you," Sarah Jane smiled, holding out her hand to the Doctor.
"Nice to meet you. Yes, very nice. More than nice. Brilliant!" The Doctor beamed, shaking her hand for a little too long.
"Please, excuse my friend, Miss Smith. I think he was dropped on his head as a baby" Katy scolded, elbowing the Doctor in the ribs to make him release Sarah Jane's hand.
"Ah, you must be the new nurse they employed. A little odd what happened to your predecessor, don't you think?" Sarah Jane theorised.
"Odd things seem to follow me around. I'm Katy, by the way," She smiled at the older woman.
"You don't sound like someone just doing a profile," The Doctor stated, in an almost teasing tone.
"Well, no harm in a little investigation while I'm here," Sarah Jane shrugged, before leaving to interview some of the other staff members.
"No. Good for you."
"Good for you. Oh, good for you, Sarah Jane Smith," The Doctor agreed, breathlessly.
"Okay, what was all that fanboying about? Do you know her?" Katy hissed, in a hushed tone.
"...I used to" The Doctor admitted, his eyes following Sarah Jane as she moved around the room.
"Well, unless you want her to put a restraining order out on you, I suggest you take it down a notch" She murmured, as the Doctor nodded, trying to hide his smile, but finding it impossible to do so.
"How long has it been?" Katy questioned.
"Over thirty years" The Doctor confessed, making Katy's brow furrow.
"And she's been here on Earth all this time. You never thought about finding her again?" Katy pushed.
"It was a lifetime ago. Six lifetimes ago" The Doctor shrugged, as Katy pursed her lips.
"Maybe for you" Katy muttered, her thoughts drifting to what the Master had said not too long ago.
This is what he does, you know? He leaves everyone behind in the end.
Hours later, once everyone had left the school grounds, Rose, Mickey, The Doctor and Katy exited the TARDIS which they had been waiting inside. Katy had cloaked the outer shell, something that appeared to put the Doctor on edge. He couldn't remember how to do it himself, so the fact that a girl he had only known for a couple of months appeared to know more about the TARDIS than he did, certainly didn't sit right with him. But he wasn't the only one feeling uneasy. Katy couldn't help but notice he hadn't mentioned Sarah Jane to Rose.
"Oh, it's weird seeing school at night. It just feels wrong. When I was a kid, I used to think all the teachers slept in school," Rose confessed, as they moved through the dark hallways.
It hit Katy then that it must have only been a couple of years since Rose had been in school. She wasn't even twenty yet. Just a teenager, really. And every day she put her life on the line without a thought. They all did.
"All right, team. 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. I'm going to look in Finch's office. Be back here in ten minutes," The Doctor ordered, as he turned to walk up a flight of stairs.
Katy let out a loud cough, crossing her arms, annoyance clear on her face. None of them were used to having her around yet. Least of all the Doctor.
"Katy...right. You just...try not to get in any trouble while we're gone," The Doctor suggested, before racing up the stairs before she could argue with him.
"Rose, bring one of the barrels to the TARDIS," Katy added, once the Doctor was out of earshot.
"Those things weigh a tone!" Rose complained, as Katy quirked an eyebrow.
"Get your boyfriend to help you then. Look, the oil wounded that dinner lady, even worse than it hurt me. We need it," Katy explained, as Rose's forehead wrinkled.
"Why?" Rose questioned.
"Insurance policy. I know the Doctor likes to give everyone a chance, see the best in people and all that...but that's why he needs me," Katy explained.
"To do what?" Mickey frowned.
"Make the hard choices," Katy shrugged, before turning on her heel to rush after the Time Lord.
She knew he wasn't going where he said he was. If Sarah Jane was half as good as he thought she was, she'd be investigating the building, and the Doctor was planning to find her. It didn't take Katy long to track the pair down in the gym, where the TARDIS was hidden, able to hear their hushed voices on the other side of the door.
"You look incredible," Sarah Jane gushed, as Katy rolled her eyes and threw the door open.
"Oh, don't start. His head barely fits through the TARDIS doors already," Katy teased, as the Doctor whipped around to face her.
"Thought I told you to stay out of trouble," The Doctor stated.
"As if I was ever gonna' do that," Katy scoffed, coming to stand by his side.
"And this is your...?" Sarah Jane trailed off, spotting the ring on Katy's finger, her eyes widening a fraction.
"Friend. Not that he realises it yet" Katy replied, as Sarah Jane regarded her closely.
"Human?"
"Nope. Krillitane. But don't worry, I—" Katy began, when they heard a door creaking behind them.
Katy twisted around to watch as the door slowly closed, not a soul in sight. A bad feeling grew in her stomach, as she wondered whether someone had been watching them.
"I can't believe it's you" Sarah Jane sighed, in a dreamy tone.
A sudden high-pitched scream had the three jumping, sharing a knowing look before they were racing toward the sound.
"Okay, now I can!" Sarah Jane grinned, as the Doctor reached out to take her hand.
Katy fell into line behind them, a little put off, as it was usually her hand the Doctor would reach for. Still, she refused to dwell on it for long, realising the scream was likely from Rose or Mickey. Right on cue, the three almost collided with the blonde, whose eyes instantly landed on the Doctor and Sarah Jane's intertwined hands.
"Did you hear that? Who's she?" Rose questioned, as the Doctor was quick to pull his hand away from Sarah Jane's.
"Rose, Sarah Jane. Sarah Jane, Rose" The Doctor replied, as the two women all but squared up to each other.
Oh, this is not going to be good, Katy thought to herself.
"Hi. Nice to meet you. You can tell you're getting older. Your assistants are getting younger" Sarah Jane greeted, in an overly friendly tone, glancing between Rose and Katy.
"I'm not his assistant" Rose huffed.
"No? Get you, tiger" Sarah Jane mocked, as the Doctor rubbed the back of his head, awkwardly.
"Uh, where's Mickey?" Katy pointed out, as a look of fear dawned on Rose's face and the group set off toward the math block.
Mickey was picking himself off the floor as they arrived, surrounded by dozens of packs of yellow rodents. Katy strolled forward, grabbing his arm and hauling him upwards, glancing over him for a moment, relieved to see he wasn't hurt.
"Sorry! Sorry, it was only me. You told me to investigate, so I started looking through some of these cupboards and all of these fell on me" Mickey explained.
"Oh, my God, they're rats. Dozens of rats. Vacuum packed rats" Rose gaped, as the Doctor picked up one of the rats.
"And you decided to scream?" The Doctor retorted, in a mocking tone.
"It took me by surprise!"
"Like a little girl?"
"It was dark! I was covered in rats!" Mickey insisted, in a high-pitched voice.
"Nine, maybe ten years old. I'm seeing pigtails, frilly skirt" The Doctor teased, as Katy pushed herself between the pair.
Mickey gave her a grateful look, glad that someone was about to stand up for him, as it was clear his girlfriend didn't plan to. Katy slapped the Doctor's arm, who looked down at her expectantly.
"Doctor, come on...eleven years old at least" Katy smirked, as the Doctor broke out in a grin, and the pair shared a laugh.
"Hello, can we focus? Does anyone notice anything strange about this? Rats in school?" Rose interjected, in annoyance.
"Well, obviously they use them in Biology lessons. They dissect them. Or maybe you haven't reached that bit yet. How old are you?" Sarah Jane huffed.
The Doctor, Mickey and Katy looked on as the pair continued exchanging barbs with each other. The three's eyes snapped comically between the pair, none quick enough to interject.
"Excuse me, no one dissects rats in school anymore. They haven't done that for years. Where are you from, the Dark Ages?" Rose muttered.
"Anyway, moving on! Everything started when Mister Finch arrived. We should go and check his office" The Doctor suggested, as he led everyone out of the math's block.
"I don't mean to be rude or anything, but who exactly are you?" Rose questioned, both women taking their place on either side of the Doctor.
"Sarah Jane Smith. I used to travel with the Doctor."
"Oh. Well, he's never mentioned you" Rose stated, as Sarah Jane's smile faltered.
"Oh, I must've done. Sarah Jane. Mention her all the time" The Doctor insisted, rubbing at his ear, which he commonly did when he was put on the spot.
"Hold on...Sorry. Never" Rose retorted, as Sarah Jane twisted around to look at Katy.
She had been travelling with the Doctor for over a year now, maybe even longer than Rose had, but it was true. The Doctor had never once mentioned Sarah Jane. Nor, hardly any of his other friends. Once they were gone, it was like they never existed to him.
"Look, on the bright side, Sarah Jane. At least you both are meeting in the right order" Katy huffed.
It was then that she heard it. A voice, distorted and muffled, but their words were clear. And they sent a shiver down her spine. A word that she hadn't heard in almost twenty years.
Her name.
The name her parents had given her, that she hadn't spoken since she had been sent to Earth. No one could know it. Her footsteps came to an immediate halt, as she listened closely to her surroundings. The sound of a heartbeat wasn't far off, in the direction of the school hall.
"I'm gonna' take another look around the school. Check we haven't missed anything" Katy announced, as the Doctor turned to her, a hint of concern in his eyes for a split second.
"Watch your back" He warned, as she gave a curt nod, before disappearing into the shadows.
"She'll be fine, Doctor. She's not human, remember?" Rose pointed out, when she saw the Doctor still looked worried.
She hadn't realised Katy could still her and cringed at her words. Did Rose really think just because she wasn't human like the rest of them, she couldn't get hurt? With a shake of her head, she pushed the stupid thoughts away. She knew that wasn't what Rose meant. She was just on edge that night, they all were.
Come to me.
The voice was clearer now, as Katy picked up her pace, heading straight toward the hall. She wasn't sure why she hadn't told the Doctor what she had heard. She didn't usually lie to him. But the need to follow the voice was instinctive, from something deep inside her. And she knew the Doctor wouldn't understand.
There was only silence as she finally stepped inside the hall, which was encompassed in darkness. But she could still hear the telltale sound of a heartbeat. Slowly, a face emerged from the shadows, their head cocked to one side, looking her over in interest.
"We could not be sure it was you. We have all had to change so much, after all," Mr Finch called out, keeping a respectful distance.
"You know me?" Katy questioned, as he shook his head slowly.
"No. But I have heard much about you," Mr Finch explained, as Katy's eyes narrowed.
Katia.
A new voice called out from behind her, but this one she recognised. This voice made her heart slow to halt, and her breath catch in her throat. She spun around, something akin to a gasp leaving her lips as she found familiar green eyes staring back at her. They were far older than she remembered, of course they were, it had been twenty years, after all. But she knew, she just knew who the woman standing on the other side of the hall was.
"Sister?" Katy cried; her jaw dropped open.
"I imagine I look a little different."
The words could not ring more true, as Katy's gaze fell on her sister's swollen stomach. It was impossible. Her sister was dead. Her race was gone. Still, her feet were moving forward without instruction, desperate to reach the last family she had left.
"You can't be here. You can't, Thea. Mother told me you were dead. It's...it's not possible," Katy insisted, as the sisters met in the middle of the hall.
"And mother never lied to you before?" Thea pointed out, as Katy's jaw tightened.
"How do I know this isn't a trick?" Katy retorted, as Thea let out a quiet sigh.
"You always were paranoid, Katia."
Katy couldn't hide the way she flinched as Thea reached out to touch her temple, pushing through any psychic barriers she could muster in a matter of seconds. Thea always had a talent, even when they were young children, far better than Katy could even try to match. Dozens of images flashed through Katy's mind, as she watched Thea appear to be on the run, hiding in ruins and abandoned cities.
"You weren't on Krilla that day," Katy realised, staggering back a step, as Thea shook her head.
"She had joined her brethren," Mr Finch announced, as confusion grew on Katy's face.
"The Chosen Few?" Katy gaped, twisting around to face her fellow Krillitane.
Thea had always revered the cult, only seeing their strength, completely disregarding the atrocities they committed. The Chosen Few had been banished from their home world years before the genocide, led by Brother Lassar. Her mother had thought him mad, but Thea hadn't agreed. She had always called him a necessary evil.
"Only eight of the Few survived the initial hunt. But we found others, and now...we have found you," Mr Finch explained.
"Initial hunt?" Katy frowned.
"The Shadow Proclamation. Once news of Krilla's destruction spread, they went to the colonies. They executed our people in the hundreds. Anyone who escaped their clutches was...dealt with by others," Thea spat out.
"We were turned on?"
"Without our numbers, those whose planets we had attacked, rose up against us. They had their vengeance. And now, we will have ours" Mr Finch continued, with a sinister smile.
"And how do the human children fit into your plan, Brother Lassar?" Katy retorted.
"All in good time, child. But first, we must know...who is the man you travel with?" Lassar inquired, as Katy's heart sped up.
She could barely conceal the panic she felt, thinking of what they would do if they found out who the Doctor was. There was no one a Krillitane should hate more than a Time Lord. They'd rip him apart.
"We heard two heartbeats" Lassar stated.
"He is a Kamishi" Katy replied, thinking quickly on her feet, trying to keep her voice steady.
The Kamishi were an ancient race who did not have a permanent form and could change their appearance at will, adapting it to their surroundings. Which meant they could certainly look like the Doctor and have two hearts. But they were warriors too, almost as bloodthirsty as Krillitane's. Something the Doctor wasn't. She had to keep him away from her sister if she wanted to maintain the ruse.
"Why would you travel with a Kamishi?" Thea scowled, as Katy pulled back her sleeve to reveal the vortex manipulator underneath.
"He's been very helpful. He gifted me this recently. And he has a ship. One which I plan to take shortly" Katy explained.
"And the woman you were speaking with? She smelt human" Lassar pointed out.
"He likes to keep pets. He's with a group of them now. And he'll be wondering where I got to" Katy exclaimed, as Lassar shrugged.
"It is of no consequence. Sister Thea, have you ever had a Kamishi before?" Lassar questioned, as a grin grew on the female Krillitane's lips.
"I don't believe I have."
"He's more useful to us alive. He...knows things" Katy insisted, as Thea tilted her head to one side.
"You don't care for him, do you?" Thea muttered, as Katy shook her head, quickly.
"Bring him to us in the morning. I will leave you both to become reacquainted" Lassar suggested, before reaching out to place his hand on Katy's shoulder, noticing how she tensed.
"Family is more important now than ever" Lassar insisted, giving her shoulder a squeeze, before turning to walk away.
Before she could think too much into his words, Thea had grabbed her hands, a pleased smile on her face. Katy did her best to smile back, but the expression didn't reach her eyes, something her sister surely noted.
"You're pregnant" Katy stated.
"And who says you're the slowest sibling?" Thea teased, her own smile faltering a moment later.
"No one else survived...did they?" Katy asked.
"I warned mother. I told her what would happen. That we needed to strike first" Thea sighed.
"She wouldn't have listened to you. Not when she thought you were being influenced by Brother Lassar" Katy pointed out, as Thea dropped her hands.
"I would be dead without him. We all would" Thea mumbled, reaching down to place her hand against her belly.
"...Oh, God. Please tell me he's not the father. Because that is just...ugh," Katy grimaced, as Thea gave her an unimpressed look.
"Of course, he isn't. We needed a younger Krillitane to impregnate me. You'll meet him tomorrow. Raxon. He's strong, not the smartest, but he does have this lovely neck—" Thea began, but Katy was quick to cut her off.
"It's true then? All the rumours about the war crimes, the breeding...it's fucked up, Thea," Katy cried, as Thea's brow furrowed.
"That's a human curse word, isn't it? Oh, no...you've gone native, haven't you?" Thea winced, as Katy rolled her eyes.
"Why are you here? In the school? You're doing something to these kids, aren't you?" Katy stated.
"All in good time, sister. Remember to bring your Doctor to lunch tomorrow. I can't wait to meet him" Thea grinned.
Katy rushed through the streets, heading in the direction of the Doctor's double heartbeat, trying to quell the panic that raced through her veins. They had to leave. The Doctor especially. But...if she told him the truth, if he realised just how bad the threat was, he'd refuse. God, could she lie to him about that? To save him? She eventually found the group inside a nearby cafe, a strange metal robot hoisted up onto a table by the window. Katy's eyes widened as she watched the Doctor placing some of the oil Rose had grabbed on his finger and placing it onto the robot's sensor.
Fuck.
"Doctor, don't!" Katy shouted, as she burst through the cafe's door.
She half debated throwing the robot out of the window, which she now realised was in the form of a dog, but knew it wouldn't help the Doctor's suspicions. She was too late.
"Confirmation of analysis. Substance is Krillitane Oil," A robotic voice came from the dog, as everyone turned to Katy, who hung her head in response.
"You knew," The Doctor accused, with a cold look in his eyes.
"They're doing something to the children. Making them sick, planning to do—" The Doctor started, but she instantly cut him off.
"It's my sister!" She cried, as the Doctor's mouth went slack.
"My sister's here. She's alive and...and she's one of them," Katy blurted out, with a shake of her head.
"I'm sorry, but what exactly are Krillitanes?" Sarah Jane questioned.
"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 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. They butcher them," The Doctor explained, as Katy grit her teeth at his cold words.
"Yeah, and the Time Lord's are real fucking saints," Katy spat out, as she went to shove past him, walking over to slump down at a nearby table.
She dropped her head into her hands, letting out a shaky breath as she tried to figure out where her head was at. She should have been happy. Her sister was alive. She wasn't the last of her kind anymore...but maybe that wasn't such a good thing.
"I'm sorry. I shouldn't have said that," The Doctor's voice broke through her thoughts, as she glanced up at him.
With a sigh, he pulled out the chair opposite her and sat down, whilst the others in their group stayed by the metal dog, attempting to look busy. They knew the Doctor needed to talk to Katy alone. Without humans.
"Why not? I mean...you're right. Whatever my people are doing here, it's not gonna' be good, is it? We're gonna' have to stop them," Katy explained.
"You don't have to. You could...you could leave," The Doctor suggested, making her scoff.
"I can't leave y...I just can't, okay? She's my family. My responsibility," Katy insisted.
"Did they hurt you?" The Doctor questioned, as her eyes snapped up to his brown ones.
"Are you gonna' kill them?" Katy questioned, as he gave her an appalled look.
"No! No, you know that's not what we do," The Doctor retorted.
"It is sometimes though, isn't it? You've killed," Katy murmured, as the Doctor squirmed in his seat.
"They want me to bring you to them in the morning. They think you're Kamishi," Katy confessed, as the Doctor tensed under her gaze.
"And obviously I'm not actually going to do that, you idiot," Katy scoffed, as the Doctor crossed his arms over his chest.
"I wouldn't blame you if you did."
"Well, I would. And besides, as soon as they figure out, you're a Time Lord, they'll execute me anyway. I've been sleeping with the enemy. Figuratively," Katy emphasised, quickly.
"Even your sister?" The Doctor pushed, as Katy gave a half shrug.
"Krillitane's aren't like Time Lords, you know. Or humans, for that matter. We don't even name the children until they've made their first kill. Strength and loyalty. That's all that matters to them. And me travelling with you? That was weak and a betrayal. Hell, I'd kill me if I was them," Katy went on.
"Well, that's definitely not going to happen," The Doctor insisted, as her lips twitched into the ghost of a smile.
"She's pregnant, Doctor. My sister," Katy sighed.
"Oh. Right...that's...that's good, isn't it? Congratulations," The Doctor grinned.
"You don't get it. The life that kid is gonna' have...the one that I had...it's cruel. And it's awful. And no one should be brought up like that," Katy spat out, suddenly pushing herself to her feet and rushing toward the back room of the cafe, feeling tears welling in her eyes.
As soon as the door shut behind her, Katy hunched over, as a sob racked through her body. Horrible memories that she had spent years pushing down were flooding through her mind. She had never admitted it before. Could never admit it...but the words were right on the tip of her tongue.
The door creaked open a moment later, as she straightened her back, and tried to muffle her cries with the back of her hand. She shrugged off the hand that reached for her, knowing exactly who it would be.
"Hey, hey, what is it?" The Doctor asked, in a soothing tone.
"What your people did..." Katy trailed off, slowly turning to face the Doctor, as a tear slipped down her cheek.
"I know. I'm sorry. I'm so sorry, Katy," He exclaimed, reaching out for her shoulders with both hands.
"My people dying...it was the best thing that ever happened to me," Katy blurted out, not being able to keep it in anymore.
Even the Doctor seemed a little taken aback by her admission, but he still kept clutching onto her shoulders. Katy tried to blink away her tears and swallow down the lump in her throat.
"I didn't know any better. And I never would of. I'd...I'd rather have been dead than turn out like them," Katy explained, as the Doctor's eyes softened.
Before she could argue, he was pulling her against his chest, his arms circling around her shoulders. Katy didn't have the strength to pull away, or to do anything else but collapse into his arms. She was so tired of everything. Flying away in the TARDIS...she thought things would get easier, but it had been anything but recently. She felt one of the Doctor's hands come up to rest against her hair, pulling her a little closer as she closed her eyes, trying to drown everything out but the double beat of his heart. The comforting sound of his pulse drumming against her ear.
"Sorry. I just...I'm a bloody mess," Katy sighed, as she slowly pulled away from his embrace after a few minutes.
Just as the Doctor opened his mouth to reply, he spotted the ring on her finger, as she ran a hand over her face. He grabbed her wrist without thinking, inspecting the familiar ring closer, his jaw dropping open when he realised it was exactly what he thought it was.
"Who gave this to you?" The Doctor insisted, making her frown.
Rose had said they had been travelling together for two months now, and as far as she knew, this was the earliest in his timeline she had gone since they had first met...so, why didn't he know about her TARDIS key? Had she hidden it from him before? She had never even thought about doing that.
"You did," She replied, as the Doctor dropped her wrist, with a look of disbelief.
"No. No, I didn't. I wouldn't," The Doctor argued.
"Well, in a few years, you do. What's the big deal?"
"Who are you?" The Doctor questioned, in a firm tone.
"What, you got amnesia now or something? Pretty sure we've just been—" Katy began, but he cut her off.
"To me. Who are you to me?" The Doctor insisted, taking a step forward.
"I'm...I'm your friend," Katy answered, as the Doctor's eyes narrowed.
"You hesitated" He pointed out.
"No. No, it was more of a...pause," Katy shrugged, as she went to step past him, but he reached out for her arm to stop her.
"Is this a trap? Are you just trying to make me care for you, put my guard down and then..." The Doctor trailed off, with a clenched jaw.
"Wow, and I thought I had trust issues," Katy huffed, as the Doctor gave her a look.
"I used to trust everyone. To see the best in them...but I am so old now. I can't make those mistakes again," The Doctor went on, as she cocked her head to one side.
"Do you want the ring back then? Is that?" Katy scoffed, as she lifted her hand up to tug the ring off, but the Doctor took her hands in his own.
"Why did I give this to you?" The Doctor asked, in a pleading tone.
"I don't know," Katy replied, as the Doctor let out a sigh, and backed up a step.
He ran a hand through his messy hair, looking more conflicted than Katy had ever seen him. She tried to remember how the Doctor had earned her trust in the first place. It was never the things he had said, it was what he did. The way he did his best to save everyone. The hopeful look in his eyes. How much he truly cared about his friends.
"If we're going to do this...to save your people. I need to trust you," The Doctor exclaimed, as Katy bit her lip.
"Make me trust you, Katy," The Doctor pushed, as her lips parted, but no sound came out.
She thought back to the first time she trusted the Doctor without any doubts. It had been when they were fighting the Weeping Angels. She had put her life in his hands without question. Something had shifted in their relationship that day, for her at least. And she had a pretty good idea of what that was.
"The thing is, Doctor, I've never been very good with my words..." Katy trailed off, as she took a step forward, only inches away from him.
The Doctor watched as her eyes dropped to his lips for a moment before she was grabbing the collar of his suit, and their lips collided together. The Doctor's mind came to a grinding halt, as even his legs seemed to forget how to work, meaning they both staggered back until they hit the wall. Katy's lips were still pressed against his, one of her hands coming to rest against his left heart that was hammering wildly under her palm. Just as she went to pull away, noticing his lips never moved against her own, the Doctor suddenly brought his hands up to her waist. And then he had captured her lips in a gentle kiss, one that made Katy's heart swell, and her stomach flutter pleasantly. Their kisses were tentative, but full of emotion neither of them were used to experiencing. She was the first to pull away, as the Doctor instinctively leaned forward in the hopes of reigniting the kiss, a dreamy look in his eyes.
"So...does that clear things up for you?" Katy questioned, as the Doctor began blinking, coming out of his trance.
He could do nothing but nod, not trusting himself to speak. Never in a million years would he have expected Katy to kiss him, or for him to kiss her back. But if the way his hearts were pounding was anything to go by, it had definitely happened.
"Trust me?" She asked, with a slight smirk.
"...Yeah," He replied, his voice an octave too high.
"Alright, then. Let's go see if we can save some humans and my people," Katy announced, before turning around and opening the door, leaving the Doctor slumped against the wall.
He was more confused than ever.