He opened the door. "Sarah!"

"Doctor."

She was so beautiful, even in her confusion: the white blossom in her hair, the long dress that reminded him of Victoria's. "Can't stay long, TARDIS won't materialize. Clyde's keeping the Trickster busy for the moment—oh, those three are just brilliant!" Might be worth stopping by in a few years, seeing if any of them were interested in a trip or two.

"Doctor, what do I do? If I say no, then I'm stuck here forever. If I say yes, then I condemn the world to the Trickster. And either way, I lose." Her expression was lost, even more than the first time she stepped out of the TARDIS. "There's no way out."

"It doesn't rest with you, Sarah. Your greatest challenge. The greatest struggle you'll ever have to face."

"Tell me."

"You've fought the Trickster before. You know how he operates. How he can be defeated." He looked past her for a moment. At the man he had been avoiding.

Peter Anthony Dalton.

If things had been different, he would have been perfect for Sarah. "I know you're a good man, Peter. I'm so sorry"

"Aaaah!" Clyde screamed as he and the Trickster materialized in a flurry of Atron energy.

"I can't hold it." The TARDIS jerked away, unable to stabilize.

The TARDIS materialized in the lobby. The Doctor yanked open the door. "Come on, Luke and Rani." The three of them ran into the chapel.

Sarah Jane sat in front of the altar; Clyde's head on her lap, sobbing. Her face—he had never seen her so broken. No boldness, no cleverness—just lost, like a child.

"Doctor…oh, Doctor…" Or was it 'Dalton?'

"My Sarah Jane, you did it, the trap's broken." The room began to spin. "We're all going home."

He stood in the lobby outside the TARDIS.

"Speak now or forever hold your peace."

He couldn't go in, not now. He'd take the quick way. She wouldn't cry in public, anyway. The Doctor walked into the TARDIS and entered the coordinates for 13 Bannerman Road.

"What do you take me for, Sarah? I just thought I'd go the quick way." He looked around the attic. "Oh, I like it in here."

"Can we have a look?" Rani exclaimed.

"What, inside the TARDIS? My TARDIS?" He grinned and stepped aside. "Of course you can!"

The three ran inside, staring at the lofty ceiling and the pillar with calls of "Wow!" "Beautiful!" and "Transcendental dimensions!"

Sarah followed them inside. She had changed out of her dress into an old sweater and pants. "You came all that way for me?"

"You're so important. Not just to me." He wished she could see that. "The Trickster wanted to end your story, but it goes on. The things you've done, Sarah, they're pretty impressive, but, oh, the things you're gonna do."

"The future." Luke's eyes lit up. "How about we could go for a ride?"
"Or back to, to the dinosaurs, yeah?" Clyde suggested.

" Another planet?"

"No way!" Sarah Jane interrupted. "For one thing, you were grounded by the Judoon, and your parents would never forgive me."

Rani and the boys filed out, understanding the implicate dismissal.

Sarah Jane looked up at him. "Is this the last time I'm ever going to see you?"

He wished he could give her an answer. A firm, definitive answer. But all these hints were being dropped—and he wasn't sure what they meant. " I don't know. I hope not."

" Bye Doctor. Until next time."

"Don't forget me, Sarah Jane," His fourth self had told her that, before dropping her off on the wrong side of the country. And she hadn't.

"No one's ever going to forget you," she replied.

And I won't forget you either. he thought. My Sarah Jane.