Lost in the Hum of Night

ann no aku

Author's Note: I apologize for the lack of updates. This is the final chapter with the possibility of an alternate ending. It's a bit rushed, sorry!

Chapter Fifteen: Home

A man in a pinstripe suit was cowering by a wall as a large form towered over him.

Something in Luke's mind registered—the bigger one was the enemy; he was going to kill the other. Dr. Bryson was going to—

Luke forced himself up, every muscle screamed in agony. He made his way carefully to the men, not making a sound. His fingers grabbed at the nearest wire he could reach, instantly releasing an alien child from the Program as the computer shut off.

His entire body trembled with trepidation, but something inside him seemed to propel his arm forward. He lunged, shoving the plug into the Mirayn. Electricity coursed through the wire; Luke could feel the power.

And it frightened him.

He killed.

No! NO!

With a jolt, Luke's eyes flashed open,, staring blankly at an unfamiliar ceiling. He felt heavy and his head sore, as though someone had hit him repeatedly with a hammer. Without meaning to, without even realizing until he felt them stream down his face, Luke cried, shaking with the weight of everything that had happened to him. He curled into a tight ball, wishing the memories away. Images of his imprisonment tore through him—his inability to speak and blink, the dull sensation of the plugs in his brain, and the Connection.

The Doctor watched silently from the doorway, praying he could offer comfort to the boy. But he had no idea how. All he could do was stand by and pity him. With both being so extraordinary, they were hunted. He knew it all too well.

His eyes found the Empress—unconscious and laying on a cot next to Luke. Her skin was its normal blue; she was the only one seemingly unaffected. The girl's protruding belly rose with each intake of breath as if she were tasting the air. How was it that the Empress, the one who killed all the remaining children, was able to rest? Was permitted to endure no suffering?

"Mum," sobbed Luke, his body convulsing with each hiccough. "Mum, please. Please." He didn't know why he was begging; all he knew was that he wanted to be home.

Somewhere deep in her sleep, the Empress reached out and searched for Luke's hand. Upon grabbing his, Luke instant relaxed, sharing in the comfort of the J'Pynllowian.

There was a small argument half a day later when the TARDIS materialized on J'Pynllow (after much needed repairs). Luke, who was still in quite a lot of pain (both physical and mental, the Doctor had noted), was upset when the Doctor told him-

"You're staying here."

"Here? But . .where are we?" He had donned some of Adric's old clothes, proffered by the Doctor. "Are we on an alien planet? Can I go, too?" Gingerly, he slid off the bed, wincing slightly. He needed a distraction, anything to not think.

"No, you're staying here."

But Luke gave a mutinous and stubborn look so reminiscent of Sarah Jane, that the Doctor grudgingly caved. "Fine, but if you get hurt-!"

"I think it's too late for that," he mumbled. "I'll be careful. I promise. I do this stuff with my mum all the time."

"You're still too-" What word did he want to use? Fragile?

"My mum would kill me if I didn't go out and see this planet when I got the chance!"

The Doctor grinned. "Strong woman, you're mother. Bit scary at times, but I kept her in line."

Luke stared at him in disbelief.

"Well, come on then, Lukey-boy!"

With the radiantly blue round Empress leading the way, they exited the ship, where they were immediately shot with the tranquilizer darts. When they came to hours later, the Empress no longer with them, the Emperor offered no apology or thanks—only bananas and Martha Jones.

"Thank God you're here," she blurted, punching the Doctor in the arm when he neared her. "I can't believe I'm saying this, but I'm sick of relaxing. My whole body feels like banana jelly!" She found Luke huddled in the corner of the small cell. "Who's he?"

"Martha Jones, meet Luke Smith. Luke Smith, Martha Jones," he introduced, nursing his rapidly forming bruise. "Now, Emperor, could you let us out? I returned your daughter. Was it really necessary to imprison me? Again, I might add."

"I had to make sure, Doctor," he wheezed, "that the Mirayn haven't gotten to you." His tone was harsh, but the blue aura he was emitting gave way to his real feelings. "You and your companions are free to leave. We must work hard to reopen our planet."

A guard unlocked the cell, releasing the prisoners. The Doctor stuffed as many bananas he could in his transdimensional pockets (leaving only one behind that he vowed to collect later, for Martha was growing impatient) and tore out, running back to the TARDIS with an exhausted Luke in tow.

"Ready to go home, Luke?" the Doctor asked once in the ship.

Weakly, the boy nodded, still in awe over the vessel.

"Would you like to help?"

Martha lead him and showed Luke how to man the controls. "Just hold on tight and do the opposite of whatever he says."

"Oi!" he shouted. "What's the address?"

"13 Bannerman Road, Ealing."

The ship spun wildly through the time vortex. Luke picked himself up off the floor no less than three times, rubbing at his sore tailbone. "Is he always like this?" he groaned.

"Worse."

"Ah, made it safe and sound," announced the Doctor once they stopped. "It'll be like you never left! Beauty of a time machine, yeah? Eh?"

Luke thought he sounded overly pleased with himself, but it was Martha who vociferated his biggest fear. "If you traveled through time the way you pilot this thing, he's probably been gone for ages!"

"Now, Martha," he began, rubbing the back of his neck. "That only happened once . . .recently."

"What?" exclaimed Luke. He had told the Doctor the day he had disappeared, but now he wondered if he should have said an earlier date.

"It wasn't a big deal—so her boyfriend was called into questioning and her mother had put up missing posters then called the police on me (after slapping me, too—quite hard, actually)-"

"You probably deserved it!" Martha scoffed. "How long was she gone for?"

"-really only supposed to be twelve hours," he continued, not listening to Martha.

"Doctor, how long?"

"Oh, about . . .twelve months," he answered, looking as though he smelled Slitheen gas.

"A year?" the companions exclaimed together.

"Think about it! When it's her fortieth birthday, she'll really only be thirty-nine! Besides, Rose didn't mind. She still traveled with me, didn't she?"

Martha snorted and crossed her arms over her chest. "Let's just hope you got it right this time, or you can go back and do it again. Then keep doing it until you get it right!" She chose to ignore his mumble about crossing one's own timeline.

A loud banging at the doors snapped the group back to the present. "Doctor! Doctor, open up! It's me, Sarah Jane!"

"Mum! It's my mum!"

"You know-?" began Martha, her eyebrows raised.

"Doctor, please! My son, he's missing! I need your help!" She continued to pound on the ship, her sobs echoing through the halls.

"Luke?" the Doctor gestured to the exit.

Despite still being in pain and thoroughly exhausted, he ran. The TARDIS, sensing his desire to his mother, flew the doors open before he could even reach them. Bright sunlight poured into the ship, and Luke threw himself into his mother's arms.

"Luke! Oh, Luke!" She sobbed into his hair. "I thought I had lost you!"

"The Doctor found me, mum!"

"Hello again, Sarah Jane."

"Doctor, thank you." Tugging on his brown coat, she pulled him into the hug.

"H-He wasn't gone too long, was he?" came a muffled question from somewhere in the embrace.

"Only two weeks too long," she replied, choking on her words. She saw Martha standing apprehensively by the entrance. "Oh, come here. Any companion of the Doctor deserves thanks."

Smiling broadly, Martha joined the throng.

"You know, back when I had traveled with him, the Doctor had maybe two or three companions at once! Is it just one again, Miss-?"

"Martha Jones," she answered, pulling back. "So, with all those companions, did he still talk to himself and fly the TARDIS like a nutter?"

"Ladies-!"

"Well, I see nothing's changed! When he dropped me of, I was in Aberdeen!"

"I thought you lived in Crowden," Luke said, frowning.

"Exactly! Now come inside for some tea and tell me all about your adventures."

The End!