Chapter Text
Side by side with the Doctor, Ralph stood at the TARDIS console. As the Doctor punched in the last digits of Daxas' anchor key, he let out a quiet sigh through his nose. Ralph leaned against him, and put his arm around his waist.
"It's strange, isn't it?" said Ralph, looking towards the doors. "For us to be the ones with everything figured out."
"Everything?" said the Doctor.
"Well, more than them." Ralph gestured with his head. Charlie and Daxas were standing at the doorway, one in one out, saying their goodbyes.
Ralph looked back to the Doctor, who nodded.
"After all this," said the Doctor. "All the work that you and Anne have put in. It feels wrong to be splitting people up." He took a sharp breath and patted Ralph's hand where it rested on his waist. "But still, all for the best."
Sarah-Jane approached at the other side of the console and gave them a slightly awkward smile. "Not how we wanted this adventure to go, eh?"
The Doctor stood up straight. "Sorry, Sarah. Ideally we'd have let you stay, but you'd have had to return home via the old-fashioned capsules."
"For which I very much do not have the training," said Sarah-Jane.
"Indeed," said Ralph. "By the way, Sarah-Jane, did you already know too?"
"About the two of you?"
"No, them." Ralph once again jerked his head toward the door. "The Doctor says he had a suspicion before we left, and I remember you were having that chat with John Benton about his 'daughter's ballet recital.' I thought maybe that was 'investigative journalist' for 'I have a scoop and I'm not telling you yet because you'll ruin it and we won't get to go to Mars at all.'"
Sarah-Jane laughed, possibly at his excessive air-quotes, then pursed her lips and said, "Well, no, I didn't know about them. I don't think Benton has much to do with your astronauts, outside of birthday parties and the like… But I see you didn't buy his story."
"So it was a cover," said Ralph. "But what for? Oh, you're not going to tell us, are you?"
Sarah-Jane sighed and ran her finger over various TARDIS controls.
"Oi, do be careful," said the Doctor. Charlie and Daxas had finally parted, so he pulled the lever to close the doors. "We'll be in flight in a moment, Sarah. No playing around, please."
Sarah-Jane shook her head. "Sorry. It's just… Well, he did tell me in confidence, but partly because I'm a reporter. He thought I'd be best placed to get to the bottom of it without involving the Brigadier."
"What's going on?" mumbled Charlie, running a hand over his tear-sodden face as he arrived at the console.
Sarah-Jane flicked her gaze around between each of them. "It's actually about Mike Yates."
"Who?" Charlie groaned.
Ralph reached out and patted him on the shoulder. "You've met him. My birthday. But honestly, just go have a lie down, pal."
Charlie nodded meekly and slumped off through the door at the back of the console room.
Ralph watched him go, then turned back to the others and said, "So, Mike Yates?"
The Doctor squeezed his waist as Sarah-Jane explained.
"Sergeant Benton came to me, as it happens. He said he was worried about Captain Yates, but couldn't quite put his finger on why. He thought that since I'm an investigative journalist perhaps I could get to the bottom of it."
"And then you were to report back to him?" said the Doctor.
"Like a private investigator?" added Ralph.
"Well, he wasn't paying me. I said I'd do it because I thought perhaps whatever the problem turned out to be, if it was something other than Yates being ill or falling in love with an alien or somesuch, then perhaps it would be worth writing about," Sarah-Jane explained.
"I doubt Benton would have been thrilled by that," said Ralph.
Sarah-Jane shrugged. "He'd have his information. That's what he asked for."
"True, can't argue with that," said Ralph. "Did you get anywhere?"
"No, I got to Mars," she said. "But trust me, it's first on the docket when we get home. All Benton had was that Yates seemed to be attending some meetings with a strange vibe, sort of hushed up sort of not. At the very least Yates seemed sketchy about whatever it was, when Benton tried to talk to him. So that's where I'm going to start, I suppose."
The Doctor nodded. "Alright, no rest for the inquisitive." He put his hands to the TARDIS controls. "Everybody ready?"
Ralph put his hand on the Doctor's shoulder and said, "Yeah, but I'm going to go sit with Charlie."
"Good plan." The Doctor was now too engaged with flying to take Ralph's hand, but he nuzzled his head vaguely in Ralph's direction.
Ralph chuckled and hurried through to the back room. Charlie was sitting on the edge of one of the wavy black futons, his head buried in his hands.
"Squish up," Ralph said quietly, nudging Charlie sideways. He settled himself in the space created and put his hand on Charlie's back. "I know, mate. I know."
"No you don't," Charlie muttered. "You get to be with your alien. And your girlfriend doesn't even care. You're a jammy git, Ralph Cornish."
Ralph was glad Charlie's hands were covering his eyes, because he couldn't help but smile. "I suppose I am now. But it took a hell of a long time to get here, and hard work. Maybe… Perhaps, someday, you and Melinda and Daxas could all work this out together."
"Yeah, right."
"I know it sounds far off-"
"No, Ralph," said Charlie. He finally sat up and wiped his bloodshot eyes. "You must have to have a hell of a lot of trust in each other to work all that out."
"You don't trust Melinda… or she wouldn't trust you?"
Charlie scoffed. "Ralph, I don't even love her."
"Oh," said Ralph. He leaned further over, reaching his arm around Charlie's shoulders. "Yeah, mate, that does change things."
"I love my little girls though, I swear I do."
"Oh, I didn't doubt that for a second," said Ralph, looking into Charlie's big, worried eyes. "Look, I know I gave you a bit of a telling off, but that was more for jeopardising the mission than anything else. If I could walk in on you, then so could anyone else. But I'm not judging you. I've never been married, and these days my life is bizarre. I don't think any less of you, I promise."
"You probably should."
"Yes, well, there's a lot of things I'm supposed to do that I don't have time for. Come on, I think we're landing."
The shaking of the room had just about stopped, so Ralph helped Charlie to his feet, then led him back through to the console room.
"London!" the Doctor announced. "And no time variation. That key really did work wonders."
Sarah-Jane raised an eyebrow at him. "I'm still going out to check."
"There's no need to-" The Doctor sighed. "Oh, probably might as well. Ralph?"
"We're right behind you, dear," said Ralph. Charlie was taking a moment, leaning against the wall, cringing every time his gaze drifted towards the doors.
The Doctor gave Ralph a tight-lipped smile, then nodded. "Alright. See you both soon."
Ralph nodded, then walked over to pat Charlie on the back as the Doctor and Sarah-Jane headed outside.
"Going to be a lot to face out there, eh?" said Ralph.
Charlie nodded. "Suppose I can't put it off forever though."
"Yeah," Ralph said quietly. "Come on, if you're ready, we shouldn't let the Doctor get too far away."
"Why?"
"Oh, you know, his general propensity for trouble."
Charlie laughed as he followed Ralph towards the open TARDIS doors. "You find that exciting, do you?"
"Oh yes."
The Doctor was indeed gone when they made their way outside. And, oddly, so was everybody else.
"This is London, isn’t it?" said Charlie, screwing up his eyes as he looked around the deserted streets.
"Yep, it is." Ralph pointed at a fish and chip shop across the road. "Doctor made a perfect landing, right at my favourite dinner spot."
"There's nobody in there either," said Charlie.
"Nope."
Suddenly there was a screech of tires and a jeep came careening around a corner, then bore down on them, only to come to a stop about five yards before it reached them. John Benton was driving, and the Brigadier jumped out from the passenger seat to approach them.
"Cornish! Van Leyden! What are you doing here?"
"We just got back from Mars," Ralph explained.
"Then where's the Doctor?"
"We don't know. He and Miss Smith left before us." Ralph put a hand on Charlie's shoulder. "Long story."
Brig let out a short, sharp sigh. "Right. Get in the car, both of you."
"Are we going to look for the Doctor?" said Ralph, shepherding Charlie around to the Jeep's doors.
"I'll be faster on foot," said Brig. "Where's your car, Cornish?"
"The space centre, but-"
"Hear that, Benton? The space centre. Go, now, then come straight back."
Ralph bundled Charlie into one of the back seats then stepped back out into the road. "Brig, what are you talking about? What's wrong?"
"London's been evacuated," said Brig. "And I need the Doctor's help. Ideally I'd send Miss Smith along with you, but if she's not to hand then I can at least get you two out of here."
"But why? Brigadier, what's the problem?"
"An invasion, Cornish. Look, just get yourself to Cambridge, I'm sure Drs Shaw and Travers will be able to explain."
Ralph frowned at him, but he could see the strain in his neck muscles. He nodded. "Alright, Brig. Can you tell the Doctor where we've gone, when you find him?"
"Of course. Now move it."
Ralph nodded and ducked inside the car with Charlie.
"What was all that about?" said Charlie, as Benton started to head back along the street.
"London's in trouble," Ralph mumbled, watching the deserted houses go by. "He didn't have time to explain."
Charlie stared at him. "But what about my family?"
Ralph's eyes widened. "You live in London. Right, yes, of course you do. Brig said it was all evacuated. That's right, isn't it, Sergeant Benton?"
"Yes, sir. Your family will be alright, Mr Van Leyden," said Benton. "The evacuation's been completed."
Ralph put his hand on Charlie's shoulder. "You'll come with me in my car to Cambridge, and we'll figure it out from there, okay? Unless you know where we could get their details now, Sergeant?"
"There is a directory," said Benton. "I'll give you the number for it before I leave you."
"Alright." Ralph nodded.
Charlie crossed his arms over his stomach and squeezed tight. "Okay." He let out a small breath through his nose. "Would you look at that, Ralph. Turns out I love Melinda too."
Ralph gave him a strained smile, running his hand in circles over his back.
Ralph knew perfectly well the two folks he loved, and soon he'd collapse into the arms of one of them. But the other he was leaving behind, here in evacuated London, to face God knew what trouble.