Work Text:
You didn't understand what was happening at first, sure you knew that you and Rani had fallen asleep but now, as the two of you stood together after somehow being sucked through the telly, you could not understand what was happening.
Rani seemed to be as confused and upset as you, looking around at the surroundings that felt strange, otherworldly in fact. The two of you stood together, wanting to hold hands but not finding the strength to do so. It was weird but still you stood together, looking around until the memory, and the person who had brought you in, suddenly came bursting back towards you and Rani.
The reporter, Louise Marlowe, was standing in front of the two of you, her face one that was pale and the most terrifying thing you had seen. Despite your many adventures, the face of Louise Marlowe was still putting a fear into your heart you hadn't felt in a while and even as your eyes tried to shift to Rani, that fear stayed inside both you and Rani all the same.
"Tell me about Sarah Jane." She demanded, her tone sweet but still sickening and grotesque. Her smile was like that of a shark and she seemed to smile wider at the idea of yours and Rani's fear.
Rani shook her head, ever so determined, she turned to you, staring to let you know to not break, to not give in.
Louise glared at you two, a fiery anger inside as she waved her hands towards you, shaking her head. Slowly, she began to smile.
"Oh well, I guess you'll have to do this story as a team then."
Then, as your fears bubbled deep inside, Louise did something to you two. It was not obvious at first, but there was a slight pain until you felt a small pop and your eyes met Rani's. You stared at her, looking at her outfit.
It seemed to be the mirror image of the reporter outfit Louise was wearing, a black blazer completely unbuttoned with a light pink button up shirt. The two of you were sitting next to Louise Marlowe, a scowl laying on Rani's face but as she turned towards you, your eyes meeting, a soft gasp escaped her, her hands flying to her face as she stared at you.
Your hands moved to your face, had something happened? You didn't feel any different, only a tiny pinch and pop but Rani's face, her eyes, there was something about you that frightened her.
Slowly your hands moved across your face, your nose, your lips, the empty space that your fingers could touch but something is different, you know it's different. You touch your nose one last time before your sight lands on your hands, these are not your hands. Then everything comes crashing, those touches of your face, it all makes sense now. This is not your nose, your lips, your skin. This is not your face, not your body, not at all, but you know who's body it is.
It's Rani's.
You are inside Rani's skin, you're wearing her skin, her body, you are an exact copy of her, even down to the same reporter outfit the three of you are now sitting and wearing together. You can understand Rani's fear, you imagine that if Rani had your body, your skin, you two would be frightened.
But as she continued to stare at you, the same eyes looking back at one another, you no longer think of the fear or even the words of Louise that seemed to spew out her mouth. You stared at Rani and she stared back at you, and as your sights met, Louise could not longer get to you, Underneath the table, your hands intertwined with one another and you smile, your heads turning towards Louise as you smiled sweetly, a look which appeared strange on Ranis face.
"You are so right, Louise, what do we know about Sarah Jane?"
Louise grinned widely, although she appeared a bit confused,
"Oh yes? And why don't you tell us?" She asked, smiling wider.
You squeeze Rani's hand and as the red light of the camera showed up brightly in your sight, you smirk at Louise and shrug.
"Well, we know her, that's all." And as the words come flowing out, you can hear the sound of Luke calling out to you and you stick your tongue out at Louise before running away, hand still tightly holding onto Rani as the two of you escaped the news station and ran towards the sound of Luke's voice.
You didn't know where exactly you were going, but you know that by holding Rani's hand as you moved, you felt a little bit more safe within the nightmare.
-----------------
It had been a couple hours since you and the others had stopped the nightmare man and had sent Luke off to Oxford. You lay in your bedroom, laying on a plush carpet as Rani lay next to you, a silence falling before Rani let out a soft huff.
"So, that was weird."
"Yep."
"You liked being a woman?" She asked you and you shrugged, slowly turning until you were laying on your side, your faces meeting.
"I liked being you."
Rani let out a chuckle.
"You're so weird."
You smile.
"I guess, but you like me anyways."
Rani nodded, her hand moving to touch your face gently, her hand laying motionless on your skin.
"Yeah, I guess I do."
So as the two of you laid on the floor together, a soft carpet separating the two of you from the cold wooden floor, your eyes stayed locked on one another and you smile. Time drags on, minutes and hours pass but neither of you moved.
By the time the sun rises and morning arrives, you and Rani still lay together on the floor, unable to sleep, not just because of that deep fear that still bubbled inside of nightmares, but you knew that no matter what, you just want to keep looking into Rani's eyes.
Her eyes that had once been yours for a short moment but were now just hers. And you loved staring into those eyes.
Always.