Author's note:

From what I could find online, while British people are not granted a phone call, they can have someone notified of their arrest. If any actual Brits are reading this, I'd appreciate confirmation or denial of this fact.

"Do you have someone you'd like to notify of your arrest?" The officer was a kindly gentlemen, with NHS glasses sliding down his nose and arthritic hands from filling out reports on missing cell phones and lost dogs.

Sarah looked at him with something between contempt and pity. How could he know what was going through her mind right now? Luke, I'm sorry about all this. I'm sorry for making you think you were someone special who was going to live an amazing, dangerous, exciting life.

"Miss Smith?"

There was a number Harry had given her after she got picked up from Aberdeen, "for emergencies only. And I mean ones you can't talk your way out of, old girl." She still kept the wrinkled scrap in her purse, next to the sonic lipstick. "Yes, you can call this number."

Major Richard Young picked up the phone. First call of the day and it's only noon. "You have reached the head offices of the Unified Intelligence Task Force. Who is speaking?"

"Sergeant Hilton of Ealing. This is to let you know that Sarah Jane Smith has been brought in for questioning regarding a missing boy, Ashley Stafford. She wanted this number to be notified."

"Sarah Jane Smith?" Major Young raised an eyebrow. He had heard of the Doctor's former companion before, but she didn't seem the type to get into trouble—unless it involved aliens. "Thank you for the notification. Someone will be in touch with you shortly." He set down the phone, thinking for a moment.

Although he didn't have Level One security clearance, he had read enough files to know of Miss Smith's ties to Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart, as well as Benton and Sullivan. Although she was technically a civilian, she—and other past assistants of the Doctor—were listed as allies, with access to limited support if requested. The higher-ups had been critical of this permission for years, but they soon learned that the Brigadier, accustomed to bullet-proof aliens, found politicians little more than an annoyance.

Posting bail seemed a bit anticlimactic.

The Inspector's gaze blazed through the paper, trying to find a way out. "Seems you've got powerful friends, Miss Smith."

"My friends have nothing to do with it; I've done nothing wrong." Nothing except letting myself get too close to a brilliant, sweet, naive boy because I thought he was an alien.

"I know a cover-up when I smell one." He stared at her, hoping to catch a whiff of guilt.

"Nevertheless, Chief Inspector, I assume your attitude means I'm free to go?" Despite her causal tone, that was the last thing on her mind. Go back home, to an empty house, without him leaving the air conditioning on or the fridge open…
" You can go, but don't go near that boy again."

Sarah stood up and walked out. Her eyes were strangely dry, even though she didn't need to be brave for Luke now, because he'd never see her again. Does he hate me now? No, he couldn't hate me-did I hate the Doctor after he left me in Aberdeen?

What was I thinking, bringing children into my life? The words hid the sound of her breaking heart.