Fic : Second Chance (PG) | Sarah Jane/Peter Dalton, Ten/Rose, OC (Nicole), Mickey | 14/?
Figured it was about time I updated the summary and characters!
Title : Second Chance
Author : Jen
Rating : PG at the moment, possibly higher in later parts.
Pairing/Characters Sarah Jane/Peter, Ten/Rose, OC (Nicole), Mickey
Summary : Sarah wished for one more chance with Peter; the Universe gave it to her. After changing the past she finds that living her life over again brings up problems she didn't see coming...
Spoilers : specifically "School Reunion", but reference to S3 of SJA
Notes : dedicated to self_preserving.
Prequel : Those Left Behind by the wonderful, talented, mothering self_preserving.
Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4 Part 5 Part 6 Part 7 Part 8
Part 9 Part 10 Part 11 Part 12 Part 13 Part 14Part 15Part 16
~~
She'd bought the house in Bannerman Road with her aunt's inheritance. A few years earlier than she'd done before, but the house had sat empty for years before she'd picked up the keys. Now she'd turned it into a family home for the three of them.
"One thing," Sarah said as they pulled up outside. "They don't know. About..."
"Me?" the Doctor finished.
"So what's the cover story?" Mickey asked.
"Distant relative?" the Doctor asked.
"That'd take some explaining," Sarah said. "Just..."
"Family friend?" Rose said. "Smith, but no relation."
"Best option. Nic's been planning this dinner, I said I'd try and get some friends over..."
"We'll manage," the Doctor said, clambering out of the car. "Always do."
Sarah got out of the car and sighed as the Doctor stared up at the house, shoving his hands into his pockets. This was going to be an interesting night.
~~
Nicole was in her element, and deftly served up a three course meal to her assembled guests. At first her eye had been caught by the tall, almost lanky one who grinned like an idiot when they were introduced, but since then he seemed to be keeping his distance. So she'd turned her attention to Mickey, who was happy enough to chat to her about her plans. Unlike her parents, who had high aspirations of University and degrees, she felt she could talk to him about her hospitality plans.
"You could so do this," Mickey said, gesturing to the remains of dinner.
"I mean, everyone loves a dinner party, right?" Nicole said. "But who can be fussed with the shopping and cooking and cleaning up? You want to be entertaining. So I go in, do everything for you, and people can get on with their party."
"Sounds like a winner."
"Tell that to Dad," she scowled.
"Not keen?"
"He thinks it's a nice enough idea, but he keeps going on about a 'back up plan'. Wish he'd just let me get on with my life and what I want to do."
"Well that's parents for ya. Rose's mum isn't too keen on her travelling about with... John, but it's what Rose wants so..."
"What does John do?" she asked.
"I guess you could call him an explorer. He travels, sees stuff."
"And he just invited Rose to go with him?" Nicole glanced over at 'John' and sighed. "Lucky girl."
Mickey laughed. "You like him."
"What's not to like? Only he doesn't seem to even want to talk to me."
"That would be your mum's influence," Mickey whispered conspiratorially. "She saw you were keen, she's put the fear into him."
"No way! Why would she do that?"
"Trust me, it's for the best."
"I can handle myself."
"I don't doubt that," Mickey laughed. "If you're anything like your mother I don't doubt that at all."
At the other end of the table, the Doctor and Rose were getting a potted history of Sarah's life to date. Peter had wondered how John could be an 'old family friend' when he was clearly not much older than their daughter, but he'd just shrugged and said he was older than he looked.
"Plus his family were more Lavinia's friends than mine," Sarah said.
"Right," Peter said, trying to get it straight in his head. "Your parents were the engineers at UNIT, right?"
"Hmm?" the Doctor asked.
"They built that... robot dog?"
"OH! Yes, yes that's them."
"Shame it stopped working. Nic loved that thing."
Sarah shot the Doctor an apologetic glance and poured herself and Rose another glass of wine each.
"And how long have you two been together?" Peter asked.
"Well it's been what? A year or so now?" the Doctor said, looking at Rose.
"And still no plans to settle down?"
"What?"
"You two are...?" Peter began.
"What? No!"
The protest came simultaneously from Rose and Sarah; Peter and the Doctor looked at their respective partners with confusion and slight bemusement.
"We're just mates," Rose said.
"Peter!" Sarah hissed.
"I'm trying to work it out!" he said. "I'm beginning to think your side of the family is very complicated indeed."
"You don't know the half of it," Sarah muttered into her wine glass.
~~
As soon as the Doctor had put down the plates he'd been carrying, Sarah hit him - with some force - on his arm.
"What was that for?" he protested, rubbing the sore point.
"You are making my life very difficult," she hissed, checking to see that they'd not been followed. Peter hadn't been fooled by her sudden insistence that John help her clear the table. "Peter is getting more questions than answers."
"That's hardly my fault."
"I remember when you were good at this," she muttered, scraping the plates and stacking them by the sink.
"Good at what?"
"Blending in, not being suspicious."
The Doctor's brow creased as he recalled a number of their trips. "I..."
"You know what I mean," she said. "You could walk in and out of a place and leave nothing but a breeze. And here you are, throwing... bombshells into my family."
"You invited us here," he pointed out. He leant back against the unit and folded his arms. "Why was that?"
"What?"
"Why did you invite us back here?"
"I told you," she said, feeling flustered. "Nicole was cooking..." She caught his eye and sighed. "I don't know," she admitted. "I guess I just..."
"I'm really pleased for you," he said - and he meant it. "So long as you're happy."
"I am."
"Then I'm happy for you. Peter seems like a nice guy. Bit surprised you married a lawyer..."
Sarah rolled her eyes. "Heard all the jokes."
"I'm sure I could think of a few new ones."
"I wouldn't bet on it," Peter said as he joined them. "After twenty five years, you hear a lot of them."
"Give me time," the Doctor said. "I do love a challenge." He glanced at Sarah. "I get that from my parents. They were always setting puzzles for Lavinia and vice versa. Better than a Christmas card."
"Oh, so your parents were friends of Sarah's aunt?" Peter said.
"Yeah," Sarah said.
"I did wonder how you and John..."
"Mum and Lavinia kept in touch," the Doctor lied effortlessly, "but when Lavinia died that was it. I had no idea where Sarah was, running in to her today was..."
"Fate?" Peter finished, sharing a glance with Sarah.
"Guess so," he said. "Look, I should..."
He walked off, leaving them in the kitchen.
"You OK?" Sarah asked.
"Just trying to work it all out," he said, slipping his arms around her waist. "Not sure what to make of John."
"That's pretty common," Sarah laughed. "Or so I hear," she covered.
"And he and Rose aren't...?"
"They're just friends."
"You're sure? Because I've seen how they look at each other."
"I'm sure," she said, kissing him gently. "Now, help me with coffee?"
"I was thinking I should go back in there..."
"Nic will be fine."
"I know, it's not..."
"Not you wanting to check up on your daughter?" she teased.
"Oh, she's my daughter?"
"When you're being like this, yes."
"Right, well then I can do what I want."
"Sure, if you want her to move out and never speak to you again. Now, coffee."
tbc...
Title : Second Chance
Author : Jen
Rating : PG at the moment, possibly higher in later parts.
Pairing/Characters Sarah Jane/Peter, Ten/Rose, OC (Nicole), Mickey
Summary : Sarah wished for one more chance with Peter; the Universe gave it to her. After changing the past she finds that living her life over again brings up problems she didn't see coming...
Spoilers : specifically "School Reunion", but reference to S3 of SJA
Notes : dedicated to self_preserving.
Prequel : Those Left Behind by the wonderful, talented, mothering self_preserving.
Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4 Part 5 Part 6 Part 7 Part 8
Part 9 Part 10 Part 11 Part 12 Part 13 Part 14Part 15Part 16
~~
She'd bought the house in Bannerman Road with her aunt's inheritance. A few years earlier than she'd done before, but the house had sat empty for years before she'd picked up the keys. Now she'd turned it into a family home for the three of them.
"One thing," Sarah said as they pulled up outside. "They don't know. About..."
"Me?" the Doctor finished.
"So what's the cover story?" Mickey asked.
"Distant relative?" the Doctor asked.
"That'd take some explaining," Sarah said. "Just..."
"Family friend?" Rose said. "Smith, but no relation."
"Best option. Nic's been planning this dinner, I said I'd try and get some friends over..."
"We'll manage," the Doctor said, clambering out of the car. "Always do."
Sarah got out of the car and sighed as the Doctor stared up at the house, shoving his hands into his pockets. This was going to be an interesting night.
~~
Nicole was in her element, and deftly served up a three course meal to her assembled guests. At first her eye had been caught by the tall, almost lanky one who grinned like an idiot when they were introduced, but since then he seemed to be keeping his distance. So she'd turned her attention to Mickey, who was happy enough to chat to her about her plans. Unlike her parents, who had high aspirations of University and degrees, she felt she could talk to him about her hospitality plans.
"You could so do this," Mickey said, gesturing to the remains of dinner.
"I mean, everyone loves a dinner party, right?" Nicole said. "But who can be fussed with the shopping and cooking and cleaning up? You want to be entertaining. So I go in, do everything for you, and people can get on with their party."
"Sounds like a winner."
"Tell that to Dad," she scowled.
"Not keen?"
"He thinks it's a nice enough idea, but he keeps going on about a 'back up plan'. Wish he'd just let me get on with my life and what I want to do."
"Well that's parents for ya. Rose's mum isn't too keen on her travelling about with... John, but it's what Rose wants so..."
"What does John do?" she asked.
"I guess you could call him an explorer. He travels, sees stuff."
"And he just invited Rose to go with him?" Nicole glanced over at 'John' and sighed. "Lucky girl."
Mickey laughed. "You like him."
"What's not to like? Only he doesn't seem to even want to talk to me."
"That would be your mum's influence," Mickey whispered conspiratorially. "She saw you were keen, she's put the fear into him."
"No way! Why would she do that?"
"Trust me, it's for the best."
"I can handle myself."
"I don't doubt that," Mickey laughed. "If you're anything like your mother I don't doubt that at all."
At the other end of the table, the Doctor and Rose were getting a potted history of Sarah's life to date. Peter had wondered how John could be an 'old family friend' when he was clearly not much older than their daughter, but he'd just shrugged and said he was older than he looked.
"Plus his family were more Lavinia's friends than mine," Sarah said.
"Right," Peter said, trying to get it straight in his head. "Your parents were the engineers at UNIT, right?"
"Hmm?" the Doctor asked.
"They built that... robot dog?"
"OH! Yes, yes that's them."
"Shame it stopped working. Nic loved that thing."
Sarah shot the Doctor an apologetic glance and poured herself and Rose another glass of wine each.
"And how long have you two been together?" Peter asked.
"Well it's been what? A year or so now?" the Doctor said, looking at Rose.
"And still no plans to settle down?"
"What?"
"You two are...?" Peter began.
"What? No!"
The protest came simultaneously from Rose and Sarah; Peter and the Doctor looked at their respective partners with confusion and slight bemusement.
"We're just mates," Rose said.
"Peter!" Sarah hissed.
"I'm trying to work it out!" he said. "I'm beginning to think your side of the family is very complicated indeed."
"You don't know the half of it," Sarah muttered into her wine glass.
~~
As soon as the Doctor had put down the plates he'd been carrying, Sarah hit him - with some force - on his arm.
"What was that for?" he protested, rubbing the sore point.
"You are making my life very difficult," she hissed, checking to see that they'd not been followed. Peter hadn't been fooled by her sudden insistence that John help her clear the table. "Peter is getting more questions than answers."
"That's hardly my fault."
"I remember when you were good at this," she muttered, scraping the plates and stacking them by the sink.
"Good at what?"
"Blending in, not being suspicious."
The Doctor's brow creased as he recalled a number of their trips. "I..."
"You know what I mean," she said. "You could walk in and out of a place and leave nothing but a breeze. And here you are, throwing... bombshells into my family."
"You invited us here," he pointed out. He leant back against the unit and folded his arms. "Why was that?"
"What?"
"Why did you invite us back here?"
"I told you," she said, feeling flustered. "Nicole was cooking..." She caught his eye and sighed. "I don't know," she admitted. "I guess I just..."
"I'm really pleased for you," he said - and he meant it. "So long as you're happy."
"I am."
"Then I'm happy for you. Peter seems like a nice guy. Bit surprised you married a lawyer..."
Sarah rolled her eyes. "Heard all the jokes."
"I'm sure I could think of a few new ones."
"I wouldn't bet on it," Peter said as he joined them. "After twenty five years, you hear a lot of them."
"Give me time," the Doctor said. "I do love a challenge." He glanced at Sarah. "I get that from my parents. They were always setting puzzles for Lavinia and vice versa. Better than a Christmas card."
"Oh, so your parents were friends of Sarah's aunt?" Peter said.
"Yeah," Sarah said.
"I did wonder how you and John..."
"Mum and Lavinia kept in touch," the Doctor lied effortlessly, "but when Lavinia died that was it. I had no idea where Sarah was, running in to her today was..."
"Fate?" Peter finished, sharing a glance with Sarah.
"Guess so," he said. "Look, I should..."
He walked off, leaving them in the kitchen.
"You OK?" Sarah asked.
"Just trying to work it all out," he said, slipping his arms around her waist. "Not sure what to make of John."
"That's pretty common," Sarah laughed. "Or so I hear," she covered.
"And he and Rose aren't...?"
"They're just friends."
"You're sure? Because I've seen how they look at each other."
"I'm sure," she said, kissing him gently. "Now, help me with coffee?"
"I was thinking I should go back in there..."
"Nic will be fine."
"I know, it's not..."
"Not you wanting to check up on your daughter?" she teased.
"Oh, she's my daughter?"
"When you're being like this, yes."
"Right, well then I can do what I want."
"Sure, if you want her to move out and never speak to you again. Now, coffee."
tbc...