Rating: PG
Pairing: Sarah/Harry
Beta: hhertzof
Spoilers: Invasion of the Bane
Summary: Sarah attempts to get used to the relationships she has with her children.

Sarah didn't quite know what had woken her up, although it was probably having someone else in the bed with her, which she wasn't used to. When she opened her eyes and turned over, Harry looked as if he was still asleep. She could hear Luke moving about downstairs, though, so she got up, found her pyjamas and went down to the kitchen.

"Morning," she said, yawning.

"I made you tea." Luke put a steaming mug down on the table.

Sarah smiled at him and sat down to drink it.

"And there's toast too."

On cue, the toaster popped and shortly afterwards he slid over a plate, along with a knife and the margarine. Then he sat down opposite it, looking at her expectantly.

She sighed. "I know you're just trying to butter me up."

He shrugged.

Picking up the knife, she started buttering the bread. "I'd have told you anyway. But thank you for breakfast."

He smiled, but said nothing.

Luke was difficult to say no to, especially as he had not really grasped the idea of rebelling yet. So she gave in easily. "Harry is the same Harry whose funeral we went to a few months ago. He's just not as dead as they thought he was." She waved the knife at him. "But you heard all that, I know you did. And yes," she added, since this was what he really wanted to know, "he's Nat's father. Anything else?"

He shook his head. "No. I can just ask Nat later."

Sarah's eyes widened. "Shi-- sugar." She had forgotten Nat was coming over this morning. "Nat hasn't met him, so no saying anything to her until I have, all right?"

He nodded. "Can I watch BBC News 24?"

"Have you had your breakfast?"

"Yes."

She looked round and confirmed there was a bowl and a glass on the side - Luke was currently working his way through the cereal aisle, in order. If they moved it around she wondered what he would do. "Okay."

He went to the lounge and she listened to the news with half an ear as she finished her toast. When she put the kettle on to boil again she decided she might need another for herself. So she took two mugs up to her bedroom, where she found Harry awake but sleepy.

"Hey," she said, passing a mug over to him.

"Thanks. You're up early for a Saturday."

She sat on the bed, her back against the headboard. "Luke doesn't like to waste the daylight." She shrugged. "It's easier just to go with it."

He smiled.

She took a sip of tea to fortify herself before saying, "I forgot, but Nat is coming over in a bit. You can stay if you like."

"Get it over and done with."

She winced. "If you don't want to meet her..."

"No, I do." He turned over to lean on one arm and look up at her. "You just don't think she wants to meet me."

"I don't know." She sighed and stared into her mug. "I just don't want you to be disappointed if she doesn't. I don't think she ever had any intention of contacting me; it was only by chance that we met."

"Then I'll keep my expectations low." He finished off his tea. "Can I use your shower?"

Sarah nodded, distracted. She really had no idea how Nat would react to this news, it was hard to put herself in Nat's position.

She spent some of the morning up in the attic, sorting through all her notes on their most recent investigation, ready for her and Nat to go through. Assuming they got that far. It could wait for another day, if not.

By the time she made it downstairs, Luke was sprawled out on the floor on part of the newspaper, and Harry sat on the sofa reading one of the supplements. Sarah smiled at the picture of domesticity it painted. It didn't last, though, because when the doorbell rang Harry looked up sharply. She smiled at him and went to let Nat in, shutting the door behind her.

After they exchanged greetings Sarah stood in Nat's path. "There's something I need to tell you before you go any further."

"Your house has been taken over by a monster?"

Sarah bit her lip and shook her head. Nat raised her eyebrows.

"It's about Harry." She paused to take a deep breath. "I know we went to his funeral, but it turns out he's not really dead, they just thought he was."

Nat's only reaction was to say, "Oh."

Sarah could not blame her; it was a bit much to take in, so she carried on anyway. "And he's in my lounge."

"Oh." Nat's eyes flicked towards the door.

Sarah frowned. "Are you okay?"

"I... give me a minute?"

Sarah nodded and went back into the living room. Even though Harry still held the paper up, his position had not changed. He looked up at her when she came in. "Why don't you put the kettle on, Harry?"

He went into the kitchen without saying a word, and as he walked out of the door, Nat came in the other one.

"Nat!" Luke launched himself at her.

Nat smiled at his exuberance and hugged him back. "You're all dirty," she said, frowning at him, once she had managed to extricate herself from his grasp.

Sarah came around to have a look, and then it was easy to see: his arms had black splotches on where they had rested on the newspaper, and his white t-shirt could be better described as grey. "Go and wash before you get newspaper print everywhere," she told him, and he went off obediently.

By then time she turned back, Nat was looking at something over Sarah's shoulder. When Sarah looked round she saw Harry stood in the doorway.

"Hello, Nat."

Nat nodded and clasped her hands together in her lap. "Harry."

It seemed that neither of them had anything to say after that. Nat looked everywhere except at Harry or Sarah. Harry only had eyes for Nat, which probably explained her reaction. Just as Sarah was starting to despair and was unable to decide whether it would be better if she intervened or left them to it, Nat spoke again.

"Your father showed me baby photos of you."

"Ah, he said."

Sarah could hear Harry shuffling his feet from where she was, and she rolled her eyes at how badly they were doing.

"You were naked in some of them," Nat continued, off-handedly.

Harry choked and Sarah looked round at him, concerned. She had no need to be though because it was just a prelude to a laugh. Nat smiled back and just then the kettle whistled. Sarah decided it was probably safe to leave them alone while she made some drinks.

She took her time making the tea, and she smiled as she did so at the sound of voices coming from the other room. Occasionally there was a giggle from Nat. Sarah wondered what Harry was saying and whether it was stories about her, but she didn't mind, as long as the two of them were friends.

She found some fairy cakes in a box on the side and put them on a plate. Luke had insisted they make some together, and had then felt the need to try all the different colours of icing he could make on them. They tasted nice, though, so Sarah knew they would go down well for elevenses.

When she took the drinks and cakes into the lounge on a tray she had a sudden feeling that she had somehow turned into a housewife - a feeling she'd never had when providing Luke and Maria with sustenance. She forgot all about it, though, when she entered the room to find Harry showing Luke how to make a ransom note using his newspaper, and Nat suggesting what demands to make.

It was more than she had hoped for with Nat and Harry's first meeting. Perhaps having Luke there as an intermediary helped. She happily forgot all about the work she was supposed to be doing when her suggestion of cutting off a finger was met with eagerness by all concerned.

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Fandom: Sarah Jane Adventures | Type: Character: Harry Sullivan, Character: Luke Smith, Character: Nat Redfern, Character: Sarah Jane Smith, Length: Long story, Pairing: Sarah/Harry, Series: Soap Opera, Type: Het | Link

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