When Elisabeth Sladen (Sarah Jane Smith from Doctor Who and The Sarah Jane Adventures) passed away suddenly last year I was devastated. In Katy Manning’s own words, “Elisabeth was the Doctor Who Girl; I’ll give her that gladly”.

I wanted to pay tribute to the best, most popular companion that ever was, and so I wrote a small fanfic about her.

Title: The Night The Stars Cried

Character/s: Eleventh Doctor

Synopsis: The Doctor pays a late night visit to Bannerman Road, to honour his oldest and dearest friend, Sarah Jane Smith

The Night The Stars Cried

Bannerman Road was silent. Nothing moved under the pale glow of the street lights.

Hidden in the shadows stood an old blue police box, overlooking the quirky old manor house on the corner, number thirteen. Nothing stirred there; even the windows of the attic were dark and empty. Once upon a time the attic had been full of activity well into the night, the light blazing through the windows into the street. The lone figure who stood outside the old police box wondered what had happened to all the treasures that the old attic had contained. Had anybody found Mister Smith, or was the poor computer destined to collect dust within the walls? He supposed Luke would know what to do when he eventually came home.

Nobody could hold up the sky forever. Well, perhaps save for one man. One man who had already been eleven different men in his time. That would be himself of course. He had dedicated himself to protecting this one, tiny little planet but tonight the very fabric of time was askew and it could never be repaired.

He let his mind drift out into the night, where not a star shone. Were the stars mourning for her too?

Leaves rustled above his head and the emerald green Nissan Figaro crouched in the driveway, waiting for a mistress that would now never return. Nearby he felt Rani stir uneasily in her sleep.

The sky remained dark and silent. Nothing came, either to seek help nor to attack earth. Did They know? Did They genuinely seek out Earth specifically or were They as drawn to her as any human being, by her grace, beauty and caring nature? Since most of Them came seeking help he strongly suspected the latter.

Bannerman Road seemed bleak, empty. Wrong. There was no mystery here any more; no adventure or excitement. It was just another boring road in Ealing, West London.

He’d barely noticed the silent tears running slowly down his cheeks. Wiping them away on his sleeve he looked up into the night sky… and saw a single, bright, glowing star shimmering there.

For a moment he could have sworn that he heard her soft, sweet, caressing voice.

“Don’t forget me.”

He smiled through his tears.

“Oh I could never forget you,” he said, his voice wavering slightly. “Goodbye… MY Sarah Jane”.

He watched as the bright star took off into the very depths of space, and stepped into the police box.

In the silence of Bannerman Road, the only sound was that of the TARDIS quietly disappearing.

© G Wright, 2011