[Sarah Jane Adventures 09] - The Wedding of Sarah Jane Read online

  BBC CHILDREN’S BOOKS Published by the Penguin Group

  Penguin Books Ltd, 80 Strand, London WC2R ORL, England

  Penguin Group (USA) Inc., 375 Hudson Street, New York, New York 10014, USA

  Penguin Group (Australia) Ltd, 250 Camberwell Road, Camberwell,Victoria, 3124,Australia

  (a division of Pearson Australia Group Pty Ltd)

  Canada, India, New Zealand, South Africa

  Published by BBC Children’s Books, 2009

  Text and design © Children’s Character Books, 2009

  1098 76 5 4 3 2 I

  Sarah Jane Adventures © BBC 2007

  www.thesja.com

  BBC logo ™ & BBC 1996. Licensed by BBC Worldwide Limited All rights reserved.

  ISBN 978-1-40590-628-9

  The Wedding of

  Sarah Jane Smith

  Written by Gareth Roberts

  Based, on the script by Gareth Roberts

  For Barry Letts, who gave Doctor Who to me

  and gave Sarah Jane Smith to the world.

  And for Nicholas Courtney.

  Sorry the Brig couldn’t join us this time.

  Table of Contents

  Face

  Copyright

  Title Page

  Dedication

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter One

  Follow That Car!

  Number 13 was a tall, imposing house that stood on the corner of Bannerman Road in the suburbs of Ealing in West London. The people of Bannerman Road went about their daily business, washing their cars, paying their bills and tutting at the television news, never suspecting for one moment the secrets hidden behind Number 13’s attic windows.

  The house belonged to Sarah Jane Smith, a freelance journalist who kept herself to herself. Few of the neighbours even knew her name. Fewer still knew that she was far more than she seemed. And nobody but her son Luke and his school friends Clyde and Rani knew that Sarah Jane had once travelled in space and time in the TARDIS with the mysterious traveller known only as the Doctor. And that nowadays she continued to investigate alien creatures from the attic of her house, assisted by her talking computer, Mr Smith, and her robot dog, K-9.

  But today, Luke and the others had good reason to think that perhaps Sarah Jane had another secret — something she was hiding even from them…

  Sarah Jane checked herself in the mirror, perhaps for just a little longer than was usual. Then she picked up her bag and headed for the door of the attic. ‘See you later then,’ she called to Luke, who was at the desk, his head bent over some homework.

  ‘Yeah, mum, have a good evening,’ he replied absently, not looking up.

  ‘Bye, K-9,’ added Sarah Jane as she slipped out. The computer in the shape of a dog was in the corner.

  ‘Enjoy your evening, Mistress,’ K-9 replied in his high-pitched voice.

  For a moment there was silence in the attic.

  Then Luke snapped his schoolbook shut and stood up, turning to the brick wall of the attic. He felt guilty for doing this — spying on his own mum! — but it had to be done.

  ‘Mr Smith, I need you!’ he called, seemingly into thin air. ‘Quickly and quietly!’

  The brick chimney breast slid apart, and with less of his customary flashing and banging than normal, Mr Smith emerged.

  Luke wasn’t even looking. He took his mobile phone from his pocket and pressed the speed dial button.

  Rani answered as quickly. ‘Hello?’

  ‘She’s off again!’ said Luke.

  Sarah Jane’s neat green car left the drive of 13 Bannerman Road and sped off up the street.

  At the same moment, on the other side of the road, the door of number 21 — a far less impressive house — burst open and Rani and Clyde hurried out, Rani with her phone to her ear.

  ‘Right,’ Rani told Luke. ‘We’re coming over.’

  As they hurried across to number 13, Clyde looked up the road and saw Sarah Jane’s car disappearing around a far corner.

  ‘What is she up to?’ he wondered.

  Mr Smith’s lights blinked and flashed expectantly. ‘How can I help you, Luke?’ he asked in his smooth, measured tones.

  ‘Activate tracking device, Mr Smith,’ ordered Luke. ‘Aerial satellite scan!’

  A map of suburban Ealing appeared immediately on Mr Smith’s screen. A steadily pulsing light was moving along the streets. Blip-blip-blip…

  Sarah Jane waited at some traffic lights, and then moved forwards, heading towards Ealing Broadway.

  Attached to the back of her car was a sugar cube-sized piece of alien technology; a tracking device planted there by Clyde the night before.

  It pulsed with the same steady light as the blip on Mr Smith’s map.

  ‘So what was her story this time?’ asked Rani as she and Clyde rushed into the attic. Luke was standing before the map, now joined by a curious K-9.

  ‘She said she’s going to a meeting at the town hall,’ said Luke, ‘about a motorway extension.’

  K-9, who liked things to be very precise, piped up. ‘Mistress’s exact words were “You never know, Luke, there could be a story in it.’”

  Clyde shook his head. ‘Her excuses are getting lamer and lamer.’

  ‘Affirmative,’ said K-9. ‘Veracity level of her statement was twelve per cent.’ His sensors could instantly assess the truth of anything a human said.

  ‘But why’s she lying to us?’ said Clyde.

  Rani’s attention was on the map, as the pulsing light started to head in a particular direction. ‘She’s heading into town.’

  Suddenly they heard Mr Smith’s voice, sounding a little ruffled. ‘Query,’ he said. ‘Am I to understand you are using my tracking system to spy on Sarah Jane?’

  ‘It’s the fifth time she’s done this in the last month,’ said Rani. ‘We’ve got to find out what she’s really doing.’

  Clyde nodded. ‘She keeps going off on her own, all mysterious. What if she gets into trouble?’

  Mr Smith didn’t sound too impressed. ‘This is highly irregular behaviour.’

  K-9’s eyescreen flashed red. He had little time for his fellow computer. ‘Silence, Mr Smith,’ he snapped. ‘You exceed your function. Your opinion has not been asked for.’

  ‘That told you!’ laughed Clyde. He leant down and tickled K-9 behind the ‘ears’ — ears that were in fact highly sensitive receptors. ‘Good dog!’

  K-9’s tail antenna wagged happily.

  Sarah Jane parked her car. Was there time for another check? She wanted to look her best.

  She took out her mirror from her bag and examined herself. Perhaps a bit more lipstick?

  She took out a lipstick and brought it up to her lips. Suddenly, it buzzed — and she realised she’d brought out the wrong one. That was her sonic lipstick, a device that came in very handy on her adventures — but it was completely wrong for a situation like this. She could have vibrated her teeth loose!

  ‘Got to stop doing that,’ she sighed, and quickly exchanged the sonic lipstick for a more ordinary one.

  When she was happy with how she looked, she took a deep breath and got out of the car. She stood for a moment breathing in the summer evening’s air. It was silly, but she still felt nervous about all of this.

  The pulsing light on the map had stopped.

  ‘Nowhere near the town hall,’ Luke pointed out.r />
  ‘Scan for alien activity in that area, K-9,’ ordered Clyde.

  K-9’s receptors twitched. ‘Negative alien activity, Master Clyde.’

  Mr Smith harrumphed. ‘I am perfectly able to complete that function, Clyde. There is no need to consult the dog.’

  K-9 growled at him.

  Rani wasn’t interested in this electronic bickering. As far as she was concerned, it was like an iPod having an argument with a toaster. ‘What now then?’ she wondered aloud. ‘Follow her down there?’

  Luke was already grabbing his jacket. ‘Two minutes to the next bus, let’s go.’

  Luke and Rani dashed out of the attic. Clyde stopped and turned back, addressing Mr Smith and K-9. ‘And you two — play nicely!’ he said, and hurried out after the others.

  K-9 scanned his data banks. ‘Play nicely: Instruction to human children. Conduct recreation in socially compatible mode.’

  ‘Oh, be quiet,’ said Mr Smith.

  Luke, Rani and Clyde stepped off the bus halfway down Ealing Broadway.

  ‘There’s the car,’ said Luke, nodding to where it was parked, just where Mr Smith’s screen had said. ‘But where’s Mum?’

  Rani looked around. ‘No sign of any aliens either.’

  Clyde sauntered down the street, trying to look casual, though he was tensed up, on the lookout for anything unusual or bizarre. He happened to glance through a window — and what he saw made him freeze in shock.

  Then he quickly darted back, out of sight of anybody on the other side of the window. ‘No,’ he said, disbelieving. ‘I did not just see that.’

  Intrigued, Luke and Rani stepped forward. The window looked into a busy restaurant. And what they saw was far more surprising than a Slitheen or a Sontaran, which, given Sarah Jane’s past record, they might almost have expected.

  At a far table, away from the window, was Sarah Jane. She looked relaxed and happy in a way none of them had ever seen before. And she was holding hands across the table with a man of about her own age.

  Rani couldn’t work out what to say.

  ‘Oh. My. God!’

  Luke was speechless.

  Clyde couldn’t resist taking another look, if only to confirm the evidence in front of his eyes. He watched as Sarah Jane leant across the table towards the man.

  They’re not going to …’ he said. ‘Oh, people are eating!’

  Sarah Jane and the stranger kissed passionately.

  Rani and Luke were shocked, riveted to the spot. Sarah Jane just didn’t do that kind of thing. Did she?

  Clyde was still trying to comprehend the romantic scene — the last thing he would have expected — when very faintly and distantly he heard a strange wheezing, groaning sound. Just for a second; then it was gone, and he dismissed it, turning back to the window.

  If Sarah Jane had heard that sound she would have recognised it instantly. Because that unearthly bellowing and trumpeting was unique in the universe.

  It was the noise made by the ancient engines of the TARD1S.

  Chapter Two

  Sarah Jane In Love

  ‘Nobody over twenty-two should be doing that in public,’ said Clyde as he, Luke and Rani hurried away from the window, the astonishing sight of the kiss fresh in his mind. ‘Or, actually, at all.’

  ‘Shut up, Clyde,’ said Rani. ‘It’s brilliant. She’s got herself a man!’

  ‘But what are we going to say to her?’ asked Luke.

  ‘We’re not going to say anything,’ said Rani firmly. ‘Sarah Jane wants to keep it a secret, so we never saw that, and we don’t know.’ She looked between the two boys. ‘Agreed?’

  Luke and Clyde nodded.

  As they headed back to the bus stop, a thought occurred to Luke. ‘And we thought she was out hunting aliens!’

  A couple of hours later, back in the attic, Rani heard footsteps coming up the stairs and shot a warning look to the boys. ‘She’s coming. Remember, we know nothing!’

  Sarah Jane walked in and blinked in surprise. ‘What are you all doing up here?’

  ‘The exams are coming up,’ said Clyde, keeping his head down. ‘Gotta work.’

  ‘Luke’s been helping us,’ Rani added quickly, trying to sound casual. ‘Did you have a good evening?’

  ‘Nothing special.’ Sarah Jane felt a little suspicious. Rani sounded a little too casual. And there was something else. She nodded to the facing wall. ‘Why’s Mr Smith still out?’

  As if on cue, the display on Mr Smith’s screen switched from its normal screen saver mode — a spinning crystal — to the map screen, with the pulsing blip now located outside the house. Sarah Jane frowned. What was going on?

  ‘Information,’ announced Mr Smith, all innocence. ‘Sarah Jane’s car is now parked outside the house.’

  ‘What?’ snapped Sarah Jane. ‘Mr Smith, what do you mean?’

  ‘Oh — hello, Sarah Jane,’ said Mr Smith. ‘I have been tracking your position, as instructed by Luke.’

  ‘Big mouth!’ said Clyde. ‘You did that on purpose.’

  Sarah Jane turned to K-9. ‘K-9, what have they been doing?’

  K-9’s sensors twitched uncomfortably, his circuits conflicted. ‘I have been instructed to withhold that information.’

  Sarah Jane knew how to get round K-9. He had a notoriously literal mind when it came to a direct question. ‘What was your last instruction? Exactly’

  ‘Mistress Rani instructed me not to relay the information that you were followed to your assignation, Mistress,’ said K-9.

  Rani sighed at K-9. ‘The gob on you!’

  Sarah Jane couldn’t quite take all of this in. She looked around the three young faces. ‘You’ve been spying on me?’

  ‘We were worried,’ said Luke. ‘When you’ve kept something secret before, it’s always ended in disaster.’

  ‘And does that give you the right to poke into my private business?’ demanded Sarah Jane.

  For a moment there was silence.

  Then Sarah Jane burst out laughing.

  ‘I was about to tell you anyway!’ she said.

  Relieved, Clyde asked, ‘Who’s the lucky feller then?’

  ‘His name’s Peter Dalton,’ said Sarah Jane, ‘and yes, he’s very lucky, and rather marvellous.’

  ‘Yay!’ said Rani. She’d never seen Sarah Jane look quite so happy and relaxed. ‘Where did you meet him?’

  Sarah Jane steered the three of them towards the door of the attic. ‘Oh no, that’s all, end of discussion,’ she said, still smiling. ‘Clyde and Rani, home. Luke, bed, it’s gone ten. I’ll be in to say goodnight.’

  They lingered at the door. ‘Go on, off, off!’ called Sarah Jane.

  When they were gone, she laughed to herself. ‘I should be angry. Why am I not angry?’

  K-9 whirred forward, taking her question — as he took every question — quite literally. His eye-sensor extended in her direction and he said, ‘Mistress. I detect you are experiencing a heightened emotional state. Alpha waves peaking, heartbeat fast, increased serotonin production.’

  ‘Oh, K-9,’ said Sarah Jane, leaning down to kiss him on the nose. ‘Always the romantic.’

  Luke sat up in bed, his mind reeling with questions. He was nearly sixteen, even though he’d only been ‘born’ three years ago — created by the monstrous alien Bane as part of their plan to conquer Earth. The only life he’d known was with Sarah Jane, who had taken him under her wing as his mum that same day. And though the last three years had been anything but ordinary, the stability of his home life was the one constant. So what did that kiss mean for him?

  Sarah Jane knocked and popped her head around the door. ‘Honestly, I was about to tell you about me and Peter,’ she said, coming in to sit on the bed. ‘I think,’ she added. ‘I’m not exactly an expert on matters of the heart.’

  ‘Neither am I,’ said Luke.

  ‘I thought something was bound to go wrong, with my track record,’ said Sarah Jane. ‘So what was the point in telling you? But in fa
ct, it keeps getting better.’

  ‘I didn’t know you had those kind of feelings,’ said Luke.

  ‘Men were interested before,’ said Sarah Jane, ‘but then I’d think, “How can a relationship go anywhere, with my bizarre life?”’

  ‘Where did you meet him?’

  ‘In the shoe shop. We just got talking, and he gave me his phone number.’

  Luke smiled. ‘So people of your age do that kind of thing?’

  ‘Cheeky,’ said Sarah Jane. ‘I wasn’t going to call him, but then I bumped into him again, and that got me thinking.’ She seemed to be staring back into the past. ‘I cut myself off from people for all those years after the Doctor left me back here on Earth. How could someone like me, with what I know, what I do, ever have proper friends?’ She smiled at him. ‘ But then I got you, and Maria, Clyde and Rani. Things changed. Perhaps they’re changing on this front too.’

  ‘You look really happy,’ said Luke.

  ‘But there’s still the big problem, isn’t there?’ said Sarah Jane. ‘I can’t suddenly spring it all on Peter. Can you imagine it? “By the way, I used to go travelling through space and time in a phone box, with a Time Lord.”

  Luke laughed, joining in. ‘“Here’s my son, who was created as part of an experiment by the Bane!’”

  “‘I’ve got a talking computer and a robot dog!”‘

  ‘“Oh and by the way my lipstick is deadly,”’ added Luke.

  His doubts cast aside for the moment at least, Luke found himself giving his mum a big hug. If she was happy, so was he.

  ‘But I do want you to meet Peter,’ said Sarah Jane, getting up to go. ‘We’ll just keep all the madness quiet for a bit longer, see how things go.’ At the door, she turned back and gave him a reassuring smile. ‘And whatever happens, we’re okay, you and me. Night.’

  After she’d gone, Luke sank back in the bed, making himself comfortable. He found he was still smiling.

  The Bane had made him as the ‘perfect’ human, though he often felt much less than perfect. One advantage of his unusual ancestry, though, was that he could fall asleep almost at will. He closed his eyes and slipped into dreams.

  And in those dreams he heard a strange noise. It was a harsh, wheezing, groaning sound, but there was something sweet about it too. It held a promise of adventure, made you want to reach out and grab it, follow it. It was beautiful and dangerous at the same time.