Doctor, I Need You!

Part 13: Back in The TARDIS

Sarah Jane turned around to see The Doctor standing behind her, tall, fierce and wonderful. Her heart instantly swelled with hope.

“Doctor!” She sighed happily. The Doctor bent down and wrapped his arms around her. In that moment Sarah Jane forgot how angry she had been at her friend, how much she had hated him for not telling her about Victoria, she just sank into his embrace and cried. The familiar scent comforted her, like cuddling into your own bed after a long trip.

“She’s g-g-gone Doctor.” Sarah Jane sobbed. The Doctor stroked her hair rhythmically, calming her.

“We’ll find her Sarah. I can find her.” The Doctor replied.

“You can? H-how?” Asked Sarah Jane, pulling away from The Doctor’s arms.

“There was a tracking device in the bracelet I gave Victoria when she was a few months old. I know she wears it, I saw it in the school.”

“Yes she does! I got it expanded slightly for her.” Sarah Jane said excitedly. The glimmer of hope she had felt when she saw The Doctor burst into a dazzling flame.

“It relays her heart rate, health and location to the tardis. I can even make it into a voice transmitter if need be.” He said with a smile.

“Oh Doctor!” Sarah Jane said happily, hugging him again. She quickly jumped to her feet, wiping away the remainder of her tears.

The Doctor led her to her front garden where he had parked the Tardis. Standing in front of it was a red headed woman.

“Sarah, this is Donna.” He said. The woman had a happy smile on her face and instantly held out her hand. Sarah Jane shook it hastily, not wanting to waste anymore time.

“I don’t know what we are doing here, this is the second time he has brought me to this street you know. He never tells me why. He just drags me along, expecting me to sit in here for hours on end while he disappears.” Donna rambled on as she followed The Doctor and Sarah Jane into the Tardis. Both headed straight for the console, but Donna hung back a little.

“No one going to tell me what’s going on then? I mean you turn up here with a woman who doesn’t bat an eye when she enters the Tardis and looks like she could burst into tears at any second.” Donna said, looking at The Doctor expectantly.

“It’s complicated.” The Doctor mumbled as he played about with a small screen attached to the console. Sarah Jane stuck close to The Doctor’s side, studying the screen even more intently than he was.

“Got it! Right there, her heart is beating fast but she isn’t hurt.” The Doctor said, a smile spreading across his face.

“Oh thank heavens.” Sarah Jane said, slapping her hand over her heart.

“Alright spaceman, who isn’t hurt?” Donna asked, a hint of frustration in her voice.

Before The Doctor had time to answer Sarah Jane turned around.

“My daughter isn’t hurt. She is 11 years old and probably terrified. She is all on her own with god only knows what creatures and you are going on and on about being left out of the loop? Well here is what you need to know. I am Sarah Jane Smith. I am the mother of The Doctor’s daughter. I traveled with him long before you came into the picture and right now the only thing I care about is protecting my little girl.” The anger Sarah Jane felt towards Victoria’s kidnappers was flaring up inside her, what was coming out at Donna barely scratched the surface of what she felt inside. Donna was dumbstruck. Very few people spoke to her like that; she was usually the one who acted like that. Luckily for Donna she realized that it was probably better to ask questions after Sarah Jane got her daughter back.

“Now Doctor, where is Victoria?” Sarah Jane asked, turning back towards the Tardis console. The Doctor looked slightly shocked at Sarah Jane’s outburst but quickly got over it.

“She appears to be in an abandoned warehouse only a few miles from here.” The Doctor replied. He instantly started moving around dials and flipping switches on the console. He instructed Sarah Jane to help out a little so that they could make a softer and steadier landing than they were used to. Sarah Jane didn’t need much help as her memories of the times the Doctor had tried teaching her how to fly it flooded back. Donna stood back and watched the pair, feeling useless and intrusive. She couldn’t wrap her head around the fact that The Doctor had an 11-year-old daughter with a woman she had never met before who could apparently fly the Tardis.

Moments later the trio had landed.

“I’ll go out first, wait until I wave for you to follow, we don’t know what is out there.” The Doctor said to the women.

“Can’t you just use the Tardis to find out?” Asked Donna.

“If aliens have my daughter they are using a cloaking device of some sort, Mr. Smith couldn’t detect them.” Sarah Jane replied. Her speech was fast with a hint of the aggression she had released earlier.

The Doctor gave Sarah Jane a reassuring smile before he edged open the Tardis door. He looked around him slowly. When he saw nothing he gestured for Sarah Jane and Donna to follow him.

“Be careful, walk slowly, and be on high alert.” The Doctor said, looking around the warehouse had he did so. Sarah Jane’s heart was in her mouth. She wanted nothing more than to see her daughter. She knew she was alive, but that could change at any moment.

The space they were in was wide and mostly empty, easy to look around. There were a few twists and turns, the first of which they were approaching. The Doctor kept an eye on their surrounding area and signaled for Sarah Jane and Donna to go around the corner. They tiptoed around it as quietly as they could, fear etched across both of their faces.

“Mummy!”