Fic: Dream a Little Dream (PG, Gen, 4/4)
Title: Dream a Little Dream
Author: paranoidangel
Words: ~17,000 altogether
Rating: PG
Characters: Sarah Jane Smith, Harry Sullivan, Nat Redfern, Josh Townsend
Spoilers: SJS audios: Buried Secrets and Fatal Consequences, School Reunion and small ones for The Rise of the Cybermen and Age of Steel
Summary: Sarah Jane Smith often wished she believed in coincidences but so far her faith had been shown to be true every time.
Beta: by tellitslant - except this part for reasons of both speed and laziness (on my part, not hers)
Disclaimer: Not mine, guv
Previously:
Prologue
Part 1
Part 2
Sarah woke suddenly, breathing heavily with the shadow of her nightmare hanging over her. Somewhere in her dream her mind had got confused and images of Harry being tortured by Daleks still held sway in the darkness. Somehow it had not been so bad when it seemed like her life was in imminent danger; at least then she only had the energy to worry about herself. Now that she had time to process everything it meant that her imagination, which was pretty good at the best of times, had free reign. That she had slightly more information just helped her mind conjure up more awful things that had happened to Harry than what he went go through, in all probability.
The hospital had only released him on the condition that there was someone to look after him, so he was again staying at her flat. It meant she could keep an eye on him and she was glad about that. It was hard to do it without him noticing though. He kept trying to tell her he was fine but the expression on his face when he reached up into a high cupboard told her that was not true, physically at least.
While he was in hospital she had spent her time making friends with people at NATO who she hoped might be able to tell her something. Eventually she managed to contact a doctor there who she gave Harry's details to and in turn extracted a promise they would speak to him without mentioning her name - Harry would not forgive her for helping him, not yet anyway. She had to be satisfied with that because they were obviously not going to let her get any further.
In a funny way she was glad this had all happened. Beforehand the two of them had not seen much of each other, although they were no less friends because of it. Now, though, they were much closer. She had known Sir Donald's words were true when he spoke about her keeping everyone at arm's length. Fixing that after many years was difficult but Harry was the one person she had kept at less of a distance anyway, so it was easier with him, if not actually easy.
Even after she had got her breathing back under control the blackness of the room still seemed too oppressive. After lying on her back contemplating her invisible ceiling, she got out of bed and headed towards the kitchen. Shielding her eyes she flicked the switch in the hall, so there would be enough light to see but not so much that it woke her up completely. As she passed she saw the soft glow of K-9 asleep in the lounge but did not disturb him.
She considered drinking something stronger but she did want to go back to sleep at some point, so satisfied herself with a glass of water. She leant back against the sideboard and tried not to think about the upcoming trial because that was what usually kept her awake. It would not be for a while yet and she might not have to give evidence in the end but just in case, DC Taylor - she had not got used to calling him by his first name yet - had been talking to her about it. For which she was grateful but she did wish he had waited a while - in this case she felt ignorance was bliss, for now at least.
It would not be the first time she had been in court but it had never been for anything so personal. Not just because it involved Harry but also because one of the men they had arrested appeared to be a UNIT soldier with a grudge. To make it worse they had either not found out what he had been trying to achieve or they were not telling her. Although she suspected that they would not say anything to her either way.
Sarah sighed. The more she tried not to think about it the more she wound herself up about something that may never happen. She wondered if it was even worth going back to bed but she had not thought to look at the clock in her room before she got up and the microwave merely blinked 0:00 at her which was not helpful. She considered waking K-9 up but he would not have any more information for her. Although he would be able too listen for longer than anyone else without getting bored he was not quite so good at offering advice and she doubted he would be able to say anything to help her sleep.
Fortunately, as she finished her water and debated what to do next, Harry appeared in the doorway, blinking in the light.
"Sorry," she said, "I didn't mean to wake you." She should have left the lights off until she was in the kitchen with the door shut. She was not used to living with someone else.
Harry shook his head and leant against the cooker, opposite her. "I wasn't asleep."
Sarah wondered if he'd had another nightmare but she knew better than to ask.
"Are you okay?" he asked softly and looked concerned, which seemed like the wrong way round at the moment.
On the one hand she wanted to tell him he did not need to worry about her and she could look after herself but that did not really seem quite like the truth. She wanted to tell him about her nightmare. Maybe if he told her what had actually happened they would go away, for them both, but she did not want to guilt him into talking about it before he was ready.
"I need to learn to relax," she told him. "I don't seem to be very good at doing nothing."
He grinned. "I noticed."
She closed her eyes for a moment, remembering the argument that would have caused him to think that, however much it was true. "Oh, Harry, I meant to apologise. When we argued the other day," or was it longer ago than that? "I never meant to hurt you."
"I know. Anyway, you rescued me twice, that was enough."
"If that's only enough, what do I have to do to apologise for something worse?" She smiled at him to show she was not serious and he followed suit.
Silence fell between them for a moment and she looked out the window at the stars outside - not that she could see that many where she lived. She had briefly thought about moving again but she did like living in London, and that her friends lived in the city as well made her decision for her. She heard Harry shift position and looked back to see him stand up straight.
"I had an appointment today," he said, not quite meeting her eyes, even in the half-light, "and I'm cleared to go back to work. So I'm going in on Monday. I'll go back to my flat this weekend, it probably needs cleaning."
"Oh." She did not know quite what else to say; she had not been expecting that. She had got used to having him around. "This is the job that nearly killed you. Are you sure it's safe?"
"What was the life expectancy of UNIT personnel again?"
"I know, I just worry. You can't blame me after you were missing for so long."
Harry took a step forward and enfolded her in a (careful) hug. "I'm not going anywhere."
Sarah rested her head against his shoulder and reminded herself he was not leaving the country this time and she could phone him whenever she liked. "Just be careful."
"You too."
With that it seemed like there was nothing more to say and they both went back to bed. It was not really a surprise to Sarah that she tossed and turned for what felt like hours before finally falling asleep.
cross posted to sarahjane_fic, worksonsailors and dwfiction
Author: paranoidangel
Words: ~17,000 altogether
Rating: PG
Characters: Sarah Jane Smith, Harry Sullivan, Nat Redfern, Josh Townsend
Spoilers: SJS audios: Buried Secrets and Fatal Consequences, School Reunion and small ones for The Rise of the Cybermen and Age of Steel
Summary: Sarah Jane Smith often wished she believed in coincidences but so far her faith had been shown to be true every time.
Beta: by tellitslant - except this part for reasons of both speed and laziness (on my part, not hers)
Disclaimer: Not mine, guv
Previously:
Prologue
Part 1
Part 2
Sarah woke suddenly, breathing heavily with the shadow of her nightmare hanging over her. Somewhere in her dream her mind had got confused and images of Harry being tortured by Daleks still held sway in the darkness. Somehow it had not been so bad when it seemed like her life was in imminent danger; at least then she only had the energy to worry about herself. Now that she had time to process everything it meant that her imagination, which was pretty good at the best of times, had free reign. That she had slightly more information just helped her mind conjure up more awful things that had happened to Harry than what he went go through, in all probability.
The hospital had only released him on the condition that there was someone to look after him, so he was again staying at her flat. It meant she could keep an eye on him and she was glad about that. It was hard to do it without him noticing though. He kept trying to tell her he was fine but the expression on his face when he reached up into a high cupboard told her that was not true, physically at least.
While he was in hospital she had spent her time making friends with people at NATO who she hoped might be able to tell her something. Eventually she managed to contact a doctor there who she gave Harry's details to and in turn extracted a promise they would speak to him without mentioning her name - Harry would not forgive her for helping him, not yet anyway. She had to be satisfied with that because they were obviously not going to let her get any further.
In a funny way she was glad this had all happened. Beforehand the two of them had not seen much of each other, although they were no less friends because of it. Now, though, they were much closer. She had known Sir Donald's words were true when he spoke about her keeping everyone at arm's length. Fixing that after many years was difficult but Harry was the one person she had kept at less of a distance anyway, so it was easier with him, if not actually easy.
Even after she had got her breathing back under control the blackness of the room still seemed too oppressive. After lying on her back contemplating her invisible ceiling, she got out of bed and headed towards the kitchen. Shielding her eyes she flicked the switch in the hall, so there would be enough light to see but not so much that it woke her up completely. As she passed she saw the soft glow of K-9 asleep in the lounge but did not disturb him.
She considered drinking something stronger but she did want to go back to sleep at some point, so satisfied herself with a glass of water. She leant back against the sideboard and tried not to think about the upcoming trial because that was what usually kept her awake. It would not be for a while yet and she might not have to give evidence in the end but just in case, DC Taylor - she had not got used to calling him by his first name yet - had been talking to her about it. For which she was grateful but she did wish he had waited a while - in this case she felt ignorance was bliss, for now at least.
It would not be the first time she had been in court but it had never been for anything so personal. Not just because it involved Harry but also because one of the men they had arrested appeared to be a UNIT soldier with a grudge. To make it worse they had either not found out what he had been trying to achieve or they were not telling her. Although she suspected that they would not say anything to her either way.
Sarah sighed. The more she tried not to think about it the more she wound herself up about something that may never happen. She wondered if it was even worth going back to bed but she had not thought to look at the clock in her room before she got up and the microwave merely blinked 0:00 at her which was not helpful. She considered waking K-9 up but he would not have any more information for her. Although he would be able too listen for longer than anyone else without getting bored he was not quite so good at offering advice and she doubted he would be able to say anything to help her sleep.
Fortunately, as she finished her water and debated what to do next, Harry appeared in the doorway, blinking in the light.
"Sorry," she said, "I didn't mean to wake you." She should have left the lights off until she was in the kitchen with the door shut. She was not used to living with someone else.
Harry shook his head and leant against the cooker, opposite her. "I wasn't asleep."
Sarah wondered if he'd had another nightmare but she knew better than to ask.
"Are you okay?" he asked softly and looked concerned, which seemed like the wrong way round at the moment.
On the one hand she wanted to tell him he did not need to worry about her and she could look after herself but that did not really seem quite like the truth. She wanted to tell him about her nightmare. Maybe if he told her what had actually happened they would go away, for them both, but she did not want to guilt him into talking about it before he was ready.
"I need to learn to relax," she told him. "I don't seem to be very good at doing nothing."
He grinned. "I noticed."
She closed her eyes for a moment, remembering the argument that would have caused him to think that, however much it was true. "Oh, Harry, I meant to apologise. When we argued the other day," or was it longer ago than that? "I never meant to hurt you."
"I know. Anyway, you rescued me twice, that was enough."
"If that's only enough, what do I have to do to apologise for something worse?" She smiled at him to show she was not serious and he followed suit.
Silence fell between them for a moment and she looked out the window at the stars outside - not that she could see that many where she lived. She had briefly thought about moving again but she did like living in London, and that her friends lived in the city as well made her decision for her. She heard Harry shift position and looked back to see him stand up straight.
"I had an appointment today," he said, not quite meeting her eyes, even in the half-light, "and I'm cleared to go back to work. So I'm going in on Monday. I'll go back to my flat this weekend, it probably needs cleaning."
"Oh." She did not know quite what else to say; she had not been expecting that. She had got used to having him around. "This is the job that nearly killed you. Are you sure it's safe?"
"What was the life expectancy of UNIT personnel again?"
"I know, I just worry. You can't blame me after you were missing for so long."
Harry took a step forward and enfolded her in a (careful) hug. "I'm not going anywhere."
Sarah rested her head against his shoulder and reminded herself he was not leaving the country this time and she could phone him whenever she liked. "Just be careful."
"You too."
With that it seemed like there was nothing more to say and they both went back to bed. It was not really a surprise to Sarah that she tossed and turned for what felt like hours before finally falling asleep.
cross posted to sarahjane_fic, worksonsailors and dwfiction