Through the Universe [2]

II. School Reunion

The Doctor, Sarah-Jane, Elijah, Adeline and I are sat around a table that K9's on in a chip shop and Rose and Mickey are getting chips for one another. Sarah-Jane, Adeline and Elijah are sat on one side of the table whilst the Doctor and I are sat on the other side. We're talking and laughing whilst the Doctor and I try to fix K9. "I thought of you on Christmas Day. This Christmas went? Great big spaceship overhead, I thought, "Oh, yeah. Bet he's up there"." Sarah tells us.

"Right on top of it, yeah," the Doctor tells her.

"And Rose and Galaxy?" Sarah-Jane asks cautiously.

"They were there too," he answers. The Doctor and I fiddle with K9's wires.

"Did I do something wrong? Because neither of you came back for me. You just... dumped me," Sarah-Jane tells him.

"We told you. We were called back home and in those days, humans weren't allowed," the Doctor answers her and I look at him confused for a second before turning back to K9. "I waited for both of you. I missed you too," she tells him.

"Oh, you didn't need me! You were getting on with your life," the Doctor brushes off.

"You both were my life."

The Doctor looks up at her. "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?" she asks him.

"All those things you saw, do you want me to apologize for that?" the Doctor asks.

"No, but we get a taste of that splendour... and then we have to go back," Sarah sighs.

"But look at you, you're investigating. You found that school, you're doing what we always did. And you've got kids," the Doctor points out.

"You could've come back."

"I couldn't," the Doctor whispers.

"Why not?" she asks to whisper. The Doctor doesn't answer and he switches his screwdriver back on and returns to repairing K9 with me. "It wasn't Croydon, where you dropped me off, it wasn't Croydon!"

"Where was it?" the Doctor asks and I hold two wires together whilst the Doctor uses the sonic to put them together. "Aberdeen," Sarah tells us slightly irritated.

"Right," the Doctor realises. "That's next to Croydon, isn't it?" he asks and Sarah shakes her head. At that moment, K9 springs to life. "Oh, hey! Now, we're in business!"

The Doctor springs to his feet and so do I before we stand in front of K9. "Master!" K9 beeps out.

"He recognises me!" the Doctor beams ecstatically.

"Affirmative. Mistress," he beeps out before turning to me.

"Mistress?" I ask him slightly confused.