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With the flick of a switch, the familiar sound of the TARDIS dematerializing began and the Doctor and Sarah departed from Karn. Sarah was still riding the high of the elixir working and bringing the Doctor back. It had been an emotional whirlwind on this strange planet, from being separated from the Doctor, to going to rescue him, to being blinded, to being kidnapped, and more. She was exhausted to say the least, but that felt small in comparison to the relief she was feeling.
She really thought the Doctor was gone this time. She'd had multiple times now where she'd thought she had lost him, but this one terrified her in a new way. She had held his head in her lap as she tried to revive him, and the sisterhood coming to the rescue gave her a sense of hope, but also a sense of dread at how serious this all meant it was. She'd sat next to him terrified that the elixir wouldn't be enough, and when he sat up and made one of his ridiculous quips, she couldn't help but grinning so wide that her cheeks hurt.
Sarah Jane walked over to where the Doctor was at the console, his scarf and coat draped on the coatrack nearby. She walked up behind him, and without warning, she wrapped her arms around his middle and pulled him close. Caught off guard, he gasped ever so slightly at the soft gesture of his best friend.
"You must've hit your head quite hard," he chuckled, alluding to her unfortunate fall down the stairs at Solon's castle.
"No I didn't," she countered with a soft smile, closing her eyes and leaning into him. He turned around, still in her embrace, and returned her gesture. He wasn't accustomed to showing physical affection, didn't quite know what to do with himself other than awkwardly put his arms around her. But the warmth he felt as she nestled into him made it suddenly feel so easy.
"Do you feel alright?" he asked after a moment, thinking still of how hard she had fallen earlier. Not to mention, she had only just recovered from blindness.
"I'm very sore," she admitted, her arms still around him. "But very relieved."
"Yes, I'm quite ready to get off Karn as well," he agreed, assuming what she was alluding to.
Arms still around him, she straightened up so that she could look at him, meeting his ice blue gaze.
"Not about that," she rolled her eyes playfully. "I mean I'm relieved about you."
The Doctor felt rather uncomfortable when it came to people showing emotions towards him in this way. Especially when it was someone who had come to be so incredibly special to him.
"Oh, don't worry about me," he scoffed, brushing it off like it was nothing.
"Doctor. I always worry about you," she admitted a bit self-consciously. "I've nearly lost you so many times, and this…this time felt somehow even more terrible. Solon wanted you dead and then so did the sisters…and then Morbius…Doctor, it was too much." By now her voice had faded to a whisper, and her eyes were glistening as she buried her face in his collar once more to hide the emotion from him. "I'm tired of being scared to lose you all the time."
He didn't know quite what to say. She was always open with him, but being this emotional toward him so directly was something he was not used to. He didn't understand why this wonderful human girl he'd grown so fond of would be so attached to him. Then again, he sure was attached to her too.
"I always make it out though, don't I? Don't we?" he tried to comfort her as best he could. She sniffled as she looked back at him again.
"Yes, I suppose so," she ceded, and the Doctor felt his hearts ache when he saw the tear on her cheek. "I just want you safe."
She gave him a small smile and he couldn't help but lean over to give her a gentle but long kiss on her forehead. A little gasp escaped from her lips at the soft feeling of his lips on her skin, and she felt her body go tingly and almost limp. He'd never done that before.
"I'm here," he murmured in reassurance, resting his cheek on her head and feeling both hearts swell as she hugged him even more deeply. Sarah felt her tears spill over, unable to stop them from overflowing when he was being so sweet with her. She knew how she felt about him- she had known for a long time, but she never expected anything from him at all. Any fondness from him made her feel like she could fly, and this much affection was completely unheard of from him, especially since he regenerated. He was so much more alien in this body, and it made Sarah think that his favor was even harder to earn now. But if anyone had it, it was his Sarah Jane.