Revenge of the Slitheen, With Added Doctor (for his_sarah_jane)

[ladyoftime]

The Doctor had earlier randomised the coordinates for her TARDIS to spice things up a bit, give herself some adventure after a few strangely dull tries; the sort that ended in explaining to a slightly deaf, very old Barcelosian couple that she hadn't actually meant to land in their rock garden, it was a very lovely rock garden, she'd just be going now. No, she'd rather not stay for tea, if it's all the same to you. Eighty years, really? You don't look a day older than seventy, the pair of you.

At any rate, she was hoping for a bit of adventure this time, and when she poked her head out the door, she got it.

"...ovely." The Doctor spotted a Slitheen in its natural form, looming over someone she couldn't see. Adventure she wanted, adventure she got. Where was that vinegar when she needed it?

"Then sniff this!"

She stopped rifling through her pockets for something vinegary. Hold on, she recognised that. "Sarah-Jane?"

Comments

[his-sarah-jane.livejournal.com]

She threw the perfume bottle down hard on the ground. If it meant her life, and therefore that of Luke's and Maria's, wasting the rest of it wasn't much of a waste after all. The Slitheen roared in anger as it backed away from the liquid, giving Sarah Jane enough room to run.

The door wasn't too far and, as she dashed across the warehouse, she reached into her purse for her sonic lipstick. Movement from the corner of her eye caught her attention, and Sarah turned her head slightly to notice a woman standing there. She was far too skinny to be another Slitheen.

"Run if you want to live!" Sarah shouted at her as she pushed the door open.

[eleventh-doctor.livejournal.com]

Well, that was back to normal, if slightly flipped. The Doctor darted past the screaming Slitheen (she could always come back for the TARDIS later) and followed Sarah-Jane out, grinning slightly too much at her use of the sonic lipstick. Getting some use, seemed like.

"Do you do this often?" she asked when she came up even with Sarah-Jane.

[his-sarah-jane.livejournal.com]

"Often enough," Sarah replied shortly as she continued her dash back to her car. She didn't stop to turn around to properly address the woman. Now wasn't the time for pleasantries. She had to get to Luke and Maria before the Slitheen did.

[eleventh-doctor.livejournal.com]

The Doctor, naturally, followed Sarah-Jane to the car. There wasn't any question about going along on this, even if she was a bit out of the loop.

She had to have vinegar somewhere in her jacket. "So what have I missed?"

[his-sarah-jane.livejournal.com]

Sarah Jane frowned at the woman's question, eying her suspiciously. She really needed to get going. Wasn't saving her from an angry Slitheen enough?

"Oh, look. I'd love to sit down over a cuppa and explain this all, but I really need to go. My... my son and his friend are probably in a rather great deal of trouble right now and it's my fault for not noticing it sooner."

[eleventh-doctor.livejournal.com]

That was, officially, the second time since setting foot outside her TARDIS that she was practically stopped in her tracks. "Son? When-" Insert vaguely flail-y motions. "Since when do you have a son?" She can't have been that much older than the last time the Doctor saw her. "How old is he?" she demanded.

[his-sarah-jane.livejournal.com]

The curiosity to find out just exactly how this woman knew her was overpowering. But the fierce protectiveness she felt towards Luke was even more so.

"I really don't have time for this," she replied as she opened her car door.

[eleventh-doctor.livejournal.com]

"Talk while you drive, then." She let herself into the passenger's side of Sarah-Jane's car. And didn't buckle, for shame.

[his-sarah-jane.livejournal.com]

Sarah was in the car by this point and therefore unable to keep the woman out of it. As she buckled herself up and started the engine, she quickly glanced at the woman.

There was no getting rid of her, it seemed.

"First, you can start by telling me how you know me."

[eleventh-doctor.livejournal.com]

"You don't kn-" she started, then stopped. Ah. "A long time ago, you traveled with a gentleman who went by the name of 'Doctor'. He could change his face, and did, a few times that you knew him."

[his-sarah-jane.livejournal.com]

The car engine started as Sarah Jane frowned. "I fail to see your connection to all this."

Actually, she could see one. And it was one that bothered her more than a bit.

[eleventh-doctor.livejournal.com]

She'd have to spell it out, then.

"I'm the Doctor. I'd offer you a jelly baby, but you've got your hands full."

[his-sarah-jane.livejournal.com]

"No you're not. I've met the Doctor, met him multiple times, and you're not him."

Beat.

"You're not even male."

[eleventh-doctor.livejournal.com]

Oh, it was going to be like that, was it? "Ask me a question only the Doctor would know."

[his-sarah-jane.livejournal.com]

She wanted to say that she really didn't have time for this, but the drive back to the school would take a good ten minutes. And as fast as she went without speeding (too much), there was still time for a question.

"What planet did you always say you'd take me to and never did?"

[eleventh-doctor.livejournal.com]

"Florena." Beat. "Sorry."

[his-sarah-jane.livejournal.com]

She shook a head, stealing another glance at the woman - Doctor - as she drove.

"I don't get it. I always assumed you stayed male when you regenerated, Doctor."

[eleventh-doctor.livejournal.com]

"So did I," she said ruefully. "And I thought you hadn't met anyone. How'd you get a son, then?"

[his-sarah-jane.livejournal.com]

"Adopted," she answered shortly.

The Doctor just had to bring that sore spot up, didn't she? It truly was him- her, then.

[eleventh-doctor.livejournal.com]

"Ah."

Well, that seemed to have exhausted that particular topic. On to business, then. "How'd you run into these Slitheen, and what have they been doing?"

[his-sarah-jane.livejournal.com]

"You know what they are?"

It was a pointless question. From the Doctor's tone, it was clear she does know of them. Something flickered to mind at that. Slitheen on Downing Street. Of course!

"Then you ought to know how to stop them. They're involved in some rather suspicious construction work world-wide at the moment, including the new wing of Luke's school. I'm afraid I sent him and Maria to investigate." Sarah bit on her lip, pressing down on the peddle harder. "I shouldn't have done that. They're just kids."

[eleventh-doctor.livejournal.com]

"Vinegar's quite useful for stopping them. So nothing much, yet." Beat. "Who's Maria, and how old are they?" She wasn't another child of Sarah-Jane's, was she? This could get ridiculous.

[his-sarah-jane.livejournal.com]

"A neighbor of mine that's recently moved here with her father," Sarah explained. She had forgotten just how many questions the Doctor was capable of asking. Right now, it was just the tiniest bit irksome.

"And they're fourteen. Well, Maria is at any rate."

[eleventh-doctor.livejournal.com]

"How old is Luke, then?" There wasn't really much else to do on the way, and gathering information was a very good way to spend the time.

[his-sarah-jane.livejournal.com]

There was a quick turn around Jones Drive. "A month."

[eleventh-doctor.livejournal.com]

"And he's investigating Slitheen already? Is he human?"

[his-sarah-jane.livejournal.com]

"Yes."

What? It wasn't a lie.

[eleventh-doctor.livejournal.com]

She gave Sarah-Jane a side look that said quite clearly, 'I don't believe that for a moment.'

[his-sarah-jane.livejournal.com]

She ignored it as realisation hit. While the Doctor knew what they were up against, Luke had no idea. She needed to contact him - now.

As Sarah Jane continued her frantic drive to the school, she hit the speed dial on her phone. The ring only lasted for a moment. "Luke?"

"Sarah Jane," came a boy's voice on the other end.

"I was wrong. It is aliens," she replied, giving the Doctor a glance. One of them was here with her, one who was typically a rather good sign that something disastrous was going on.

"Yeah, I know." The roar that followed frightened Sarah more than she cared to admit.

"Right. Listen, smell or vinegar, got it? They don't like vinegar, Luke. And be careful."

[eleventh-doctor.livejournal.com]

"How long 'til we get to the school?" she asked once Sarah-Jane was done.

[his-sarah-jane.livejournal.com]

"Only a few more minutes," Sarah answered as she pushed on the gas pedal. She was worried. So frightened that it hurt. "Do you think you could distract them while I find the kids?"

[eleventh-doctor.livejournal.com]

"Definitely. Absolutely. I'm sure I've got vinegar somewhere." She rifled through her pockets again, searching for anything vinegar-y.

"Mostly sure."

[his-sarah-jane.livejournal.com]

"Excellent."

The rest of the ride was silent. Soon enough, they pulled up in front of the school building and Sarah Jane quickly unbuckled herself and opened the car.

"Come on, Doctor," she yelled, already running towards the door.

[eleventh-doctor.livejournal.com]

The Doctor didn't manage to get out quite as fast as Sarah Jane, but she wasn't far behind. Likewise, she had the sonic screwdriver out fast, but not quite fast enough. The doors were already opening, and the Doctor didn't honestly have much to do but dig out a small bottle of vinegar, she knew she'd had some somewhere, and throw it at the advancing Slitheen while a trio of children- Maria and Luke? Who was the third?- made a break for it.

[his-sarah-jane.livejournal.com]

Sarah Jane pushed Luke and his friends forward, nodding towards the Doctor to get them back to the car. She needed to close the door and fast. The Slitheen was gaining.

She changed the setting on her sonic lipstick and held it out. Hah, just in time! She grinned in grim satisfaction as she stepped backwards to lock the outer doors as well. Just to make sure they had enough time to get away, she melted the interior of the lock with the lipstick.

Then, she rushed to join the others.