Rating: PG
Pairing: Sarah/Harry
Beta: hhertzof
Spoilers: None
Summary: Sarah’s pregnant, Harry’s the father, see the title for an idea of what happens next.

"I'm sorry, Sarah" Clorinda said, "but you've just been too unreliable recently. I simply can't afford to employ someone if I never know when they're going to hand anything in. And certainly not if it's liable to be a wild flight of fancy."

Sarah bit her lip and tried to remember what her argument to this was before she said anything. She had been to so many meetings today that it was all starting to sound like a script to her. Why did all the editors have to talk to each other anyway?

"That was just a...blip." She was running out of words to explain it without having to resort to the unbelievable truth. It was just as well this was her last meeting. "I was perfectly fine beforehand and I will be now. I promise. I just need a chance."

Clorinda looked at her, then deliberately lowered her eyes before bringing back them up to meet Sarah's. "How long before you'll need maternity leave? And then you'll be wanting a day off every month to look after the child when it's ill."

She was not going to tell Clorinda the latter was not going to be an issue because she did not really want to get into it. The first she could not get round, though, so she cut her losses. A job was not quite so much of a necessity if she could just sell something. "Okay, but that doesn't stop you from using me as a freelance. How about that article I sent you yesterday?"

"Yes, I've read that." She pulled a piece of paper out from under a stack of files on her desk and laid it in front of her. "Your writing was not up to its usual standard."

"I can--"

Clorinda did not let her defend herself. "And it's too similar to an article that's going to be in the next issue. Send me something better and more relevant and maybe I'll consider it. Until then, you're no use to me and I don't have the time to baby you."

Sarah had to concentrate very carefully in order to not move a muscle. The reason she had saved this meeting for last was that Clorinda had been her editor when she met the Doctor and would therefore be most likely to take her on again. After all, she knew best what Sarah could do. Unfortunately, she also had a better idea of how bad she had been at meeting her deadlines when she was too busy saving the world.

Clorinda stood up, so Sarah did the same and they shook hands over Clorinda's desk. She kept her head down as she left the editor's office but even so she heard a shout of "Sarah!".

"Not now, Jeremy," she said, without looking up, and hurried out, not looking behind her and blaming the tears that threatened on her hormones.

Outside, far enough away that she could not be seen from the office, she sat on a bench with a sigh. She had tried so hard to get her life back together after the Doctor left her in Aberdeen and now it was worse than ever. She was unemployed, pregnant and probably going to be homeless if she could not do something about the former.

The only thing that had brightened her day so far had been the post that morning. One of the letters had borne Harry's messy writing. That he had obviously thought of her only made her feel more guilty. She had convinced herself she had only lied for his own good and he was much better off staying away from her. The trouble was she knew he did not agree.

The piece of paper inside turned out to be a typed out list of all her appointments. Harry was not a particularly fast typer, so it must have taken him quite a while to do. Added to that, the only typewriter she knew of that he had access to was at UNIT, so he must have done it while he was not on duty. In the past if he needed anything typewritten he had bribed her to do it. She smiled to see that the bottom date was when the baby was due. As if she was going to forget that, it was etched onto her brain.

None of the other dates on there were any that she had thought to remember, so it was just as well she had this list. They had not seemed so important given that she was not planning on keeping the baby. All that really mattered was getting through the next few months so she could get her life back together again afterwards.

She wondered if the letter meant that Harry was not thinking about talking to her in the near future. The last thing she wanted was to lost his friendship over this, but any fence mending she tried would have to wait a while until there was no longer anything else between them.

It was only when she went to file the envelope for scrap paper that something else inside caught her eye. It was a cheque addressed to her, with a note from Harry on the back that said:

It's not fair that the baby costs you and not me. But if you need more, you'll have to ask for it.

She knew exactly what he was trying to do and she certainly had no intention of asking Harry, of all people, for a handout.

The money was a godsend. It meant she had enough to last another month, maybe two if she was careful, before she would have to try and bluff her rent again. In the meantime, she had been going through her wardrobe, working out what she could sell in order to buy some maternity clothes, since her lash-ups were not going to work for much longer. If she was desperate she still had her typewriter, but that she needed to keep in order to make money.

She stood up with a grimace and started on her walk home, her feet hurting and her legs aching from all the walking she had done already. The bus was too wasteful when there were better ways to spend money. Around her business men and women left their offices to race onto a packed tube to take them home at the end of another day. Sarah strolled along, letting them flow past her. She did not have anything to hurry for. Going home would only mean spending money on electricity and heating.

As she passed, she saw signs in shop windows already advertising for Christmas staff. If she had been sensible she could have got herself a temporary job until she could get another position somewhere. She had pinned all her hopes on journalism and it was only now that she realised what a bad idea that had been. She could not even get herself a Christmas job because by Christmas she would be too pregnant to be much use and it was too obvious to lie about it now.

Too busy looking around her at jobs she could not have, and items she could not buy, she tripped and nearly fell. She winced as she had skinned one hand against a nearby lamppost. No-one seemed to notice - they were all too busy with their own lives. As much as she loved London, sometimes she missed home. With a sigh she decided to get the bus back, otherwise she was liable not to make it in one piece.

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Fandom: Doctor Who | Type: Character: Sarah Jane Smith, Length: Long story, Pairing: Sarah/Harry, Series: Soap Opera, Type: Het | Link

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