Rating: PG
Beta: hhertzof
Spoilers: The Lost Boy
Summary: Just when Sarah needs a friend, there he is.

Sarah heard the doorbell and ignored it. It was probably just someone selling something and she had far better things to do than to tell them to go away. Or she would have better things to do if she could muster up the enthusiasm to get up and do them. It didn't matter, though, because she was sure whoever was there would just assume she was out and would go away eventually. But she was wrong because although they did give up on the doorbell, it was only to shout through her letterbox instead.

"Sarah, are you in there?"

It wasn't a voice she had been expecting to hear, if she'd given any thought as to who might want to talk to her at the moment. She got up and went over to the lounge door, where she hesitated. Although she knew he wouldn't give up she wasn't really in the mood to talk to anyone.

"Sarah?" he called again.

She sighed and went out into the hallway, where she could see a hand lifting her letter box and an eye pressed to it to look inside. She crossed her arms. "I'm here, Harry. What do you want?" She hoped her tone would convey how much she just wanted him to go away.

"I just wanted to make sure you were all right."

"Of course I am. You know me." After all, she'd lost people she loved before and picked herself up and carried on. Tomorrow, she told herself. Today she was allowed to wallow.

"Yes, I do. I also know why you called UNIT from police custody."

She bit her lip. The last thing she wanted, even less than she wanted company, was to talk about this with anyone. That he was her oldest friend didn't make any difference.

"Look, old girl, it really is uncomfortable down here. Do you think we could have this conversation on the same side of the door?"

She sighed and gave in. She knew Harry wouldn't go away if she didn't.

He said nothing until he was inside, just kept giving her a concerned look that she couldn't quite face. Once she'd shut the door he put a hand on her shoulder. "Tell me what happened."

She shook her head, directing her gaze at his shoulder. He had said he knew and she wasn't in the mood to explain. "He's better off without me," she said instead.

"You don't believe that."

"It doesn't matter what I believe, he's not coming back." At that she put a shaking hand up to her mouth. Until she said it out loud it hadn't quite been real - that Luke had only lived for five months and she would never see him again. He would go back to being Ashley; the boy he had been before the Bane took him.

Harry put an arm round her shoulders and pulled her into a hug. That was enough to destroy her composure and she cried on his shoulder, while he rubbed her back all the while.

Once the tears had stopped falling she didn't move, wishing he could stay and make the decisions for her today so she didn't have to think. She didn't get that much chance at his comfort, though, because a mobile phone rang from Harry's pocket. It really went bring bring too, which almost made her smile.

She stepped back to look up at him. "Aren't you going to answer that?" She gave a sniff and wiped her eyes with her fingers.

He shook his head and pulled a handkerchief from his pocket, passing it to her.

She blew her nose on it. "You can't--" she started to say, but then it stopped ringing. And immediately started again. "Just answer it, Harry." At least then they would be rid of it.

He pulled it out and looked at the screen. It went silent when he pressed a button and he put it straight back in his pocket. "I have to go. I'm supposed to be... somewhere else."

She didn't ask where that somewhere else was or how far out of his way he'd come to be here. He probably wouldn't be able to tell her and she didn't want to hear that. So she just nodded and held his handkerchief out to him.

"Keep it, I have another." He smiled and leaned down to kiss her forehead. "If you need anything, call me."

She wondered if he always had a spare handkerchief on him, just in case. "Thank you," she said, and managed a small smile in return.

After he'd gone she leaned against the door, looking up the stairs. She still wished Luke would come bounding down them so she could tell him to go slower or he'd break his neck. But she felt a little better at least, which was all she could really ask at the moment.

Share this post

• 

Fandom: Sarah Jane Adventures | Type: Character: Harry Sullivan, Character: Sarah Jane Smith, Length: Vignette, Type: Gen | Link

Leave a Reply

If you haven't commented here before your review will be moderated and I have to approve it before it shows up. If you give your email address my reply will be emailed to you (check your spam folder if you're using hotmail or yahoo).