Title: Not Just A Fairytale Romance
Chapter: Six
Pairing: Sarah Jane/(older)Maria
Rating: General
Chapter Summary: another flashback and the beginnings of a plan

Chapter Six

::FLASHBACK::

Two weeks into what was now being termed as 'the war' with the Nyladrones, Torchwood descended upon Ealing with every piece of equipment that could possibly fit in the SUV. Luke had journeyed home alone much earlier. He had an unbreakable bond with his Mum and everyone more than understood his need to be with her and his family. The entire team hadn't been there very long before Bannerman Road was shrouded in darkness and had become the focus of the Nyladrone leader's attention. An ultimatum was issued, which wasn't heeded and so the ship had sent down a neon blue beam of light. Everything that occurred after seemed to happen in slow motion. Sarah Jane was beamed out of sight and a minute later her broken body was returned to the spot from where she was taken. Maria let out a strangled sob and ran to her lover's side. She felt for a pulse, but found none. She started to do rescue breaths and chest compressions to revive her, tears trickling from her eyes as she did so. Everyone stood rooted to the spot as Maria tried in vain to breathe life back into Sarah Jane's body. Suddenly the younger woman felt a hand on her shoulder and looked up into the eyes of Jack Harkness.

"She's gone Maria, let her go." Maria stared at him in shock.

"No. No, no, no, no, no. She can't, she can't! Jack she can't! I need her, we need her!" Maria sobbed into Jack's chest as he discreetly signalled for Ianto and Gwen to pick up Sarah Jane's body. Jack passed Maria over to Luke and watched helplessly as they sobbed together on the pavement.

::END FLASHBACK::

Sarah Jane handed Maria a cup of tea and sat next to her on the settee in the living room.

"I'm so sorry that I died in your timeline Maria. And I know it's awful for the baby too, but I can't justify killing others just to save my own life."

"It's not as simple as that Sarah Jane. When you spoke to the Doctor about your condition, he wasn't surprised. He already knew you that you were going to live longer than you were supposed to. You and I Sarah Jane, this isn't just some fairytale romance, we're special. We're the key to something major that happens in the future, my future. It's far bigger than the threat with the Nyladrones."

"I've done so much already Maria. I can't imagine there's much more I can do. There are plenty of people younger than me..."

"You really don't understand how important you are do you?" Maria interrupted.

"Between you, me and our daughter the entire human race is depending on us for survival. The universe needs us." Sarah Jane sat dumbfounded.

"The Doctor told me about it once. He didn't go into details, couldn't, but be rest assured he knows what he's talking about."

"Why would he tell you that?"

"He wanted to ensure that we stayed safe, together. He was the one that indicated the possibilities that lay ahead for us, including the ability to have a child together. It's not just your life I'm trying to save; everyone's life is in danger if you're no longer around." So this was the real reason Maria had travelled back in time, to save Sarah Jane's life which in turn would one day save the lives of the entire planet. It was an enormous destiny for an orphaned girl from Croydon.

~*~ ~*~ ~*~

Maria paced the attic, picking up and fiddling with various mementoes Sarah Jane had collected from her travels and adventures over the years. Maria was taken back to the future for the briefest of moments where there were twice as many trinkets and gadgets dotted around and she knew the stories behind each and everyone of them.

"The Nyladrones are supposed to arrive sometime tomorrow afternoon. As far as I recall, Mr Smith is the one that comes up with a solution. I suggest we let that aspect take the course it was supposed to. Now we just need to find a way of killing them so they can never come back to Earth again."

"Maria, I really don't think that violence and bloodshed is the way to solve this."

"You haven't spent the last three months going through the literal hell that not killing them will bring about. I held your lifeless body in my arms, I'm slowly watching the rest of the world die and there is nothing I can do about it, apart from make sure this future cannot happen. We have to kill them Sarah Jane, it's the only way."

"We don't have to kill them." Luke spoke, surprising both Maria and Sarah Jane with his presence. They looked at him expectantly.

"I heard everything. What happened in twenty years for you to start talking about killing people?"

"Luke, you don't understand, it's not that simple." Luke ignored her and went over to Mr Smith.

"Mr Smith, is it possible for you to connect with the Nyladrones on board computer?"

"Yes Luke, their technology doesn't seem to be that far advanced from yours. They would have to be in range for me to be certain."

"Ok, now all we need to do is program a virus. All records, schematics and communications can then be wiped from their computer memory banks once we've sent them away. If they have no evidence of what happened, can't remember how they got here and where Earth is, how can they ever return?"

"Oh Luke, that's a brilliant idea! Mr Smith?" Sarah Jane beamed at her son, he really was a smart boy.

"It's certainly possible," the computer replied.

"Maria?" The younger woman looked uneasy.

"I don't know. It has to work and have no margin for error. There can be no way the Nyladrones can ever find a way back. Mr Smith, can you calculate the odds?"

"Probability of the Nyladrones not coming back to Earth, 65.29%."

"It's not high enough," exclaimed Maria.

"Mr Smith, what haven't we thought of? Why is the probability that low?" Sarah Jane's brow furrowed in thought.

"It doesn't take into account the Nyladrones themselves. The computers will have no record, but they will have memories of events that take place."

"I take it their brains are organic and not mechanical in any way?" asked Sarah Jane.

"You are correct." agreed Mr Smith. Maria subconsciously rubbed at her gently rounded stomach in thought.

"Okay, I think I have something that could work, something that I've brought with me from the future." Maria typed something into Mr Smith's calculation and asked for a result.

"Probability now stands at 98.32%."

"What did you do?" asked Sarah Jane.

"I can't tell you," Maria replied cryptically.