Even the thin line of blazing light that escaped around the edges of the fridge called to her as she fluttered her eyes open a moment.  It was an amazing light, really.  A world of possibilities, as if it might take her somewhere wonderful and new as the TARDIS always had.  Sarah Jane had actually taken two steps back toward the insidious large appliance when a cracking, thump of a sound snapped her out of it. 

"I'm here." the other woman said, sounding tight lipped.  It was then that Sarah Jane realized her own eyes were open was actually taking another step toward the possessed ice box.  With a little growl of effort, she made herself turn away.  It was too dangerous to stay anywhere near it another moment, and she let her eyes open a squint, looking for Ace.  Ace  had somehow manage to break her transfixation and had at least moved her hands a little and seemingly had broken her direct gaze from the inimical white monolith that was intended to be her doom.

That time they had met at UNIT, she hadn't really realized how small Ace was.  The young woman felt strong, but frankly she wasn't even as tall as Sarah Jane by a couple of inches. Their escape became as simple as getting one arm around the woman's waist, cupping a hand over her eyes, and then dragging her backwards a few feet until they were out the door.  Sarah Jane almost stumbled as she got them around the corner.

Sarah Jane let the woman go, then leaned on the wall herself, panting some from her effort.

"You alright?" She asked, trying to catch the young woman's eyes.  It was indeed Ace.  There was no way to forget a face that beautiful, especially when the owner of such had no idea how beautiful she was.

"Unit. Sarah Jane Smith." she answered curtly, not even looking at the girl. Sarah Jane was already on the move, heading back to the half open window, and gesturing for Ace to come along. 

"Whomever set this trap will come to check it," She was halfway through the window. "and I don't want to be here. Come on, spit spot!" she whispered harshly in a rush.  Through the window she went, and while she was tempted to yank Ace over the sill she was worried that the young woman might start thinking she was part of the trap if she manhandled her any more.  Her eyes were still adjusting from the light inside the house, and she blinked into the dark, hoping to see if the way was clear without turning on her torch.

There was a commotion behind her.  A thud and a scramble.  Sarah Jane had turned just in time to see the window go down.  She was on it instantly, short fingernails scrabbling at the wood trying to get purchase to pull it up.  Then Ace was there trying to do the same.  The girl motioned her back, and she was about to object, there was no way in hell she was leaving her, when she saw the chair in her hands.  Sarah Jane stepped well back and put a leather sleeve over her face.

There was quite a crash.  She flinched at how noisy it was, but she was very glad Ace was bold enough to break the glass.  The young woman did a bang up job of it, destroying the chair as well as the window.  She came back quick and knocked out a piece on top with her leather protected elbow.  Apparently Ace was just going to go through even with such a deadly thing hanging over her head.   Sarah Jane meant to help her over the sill, but it was instantly clear she needed no help.  The kid asked about her car.

"You're slightly crazy aren't you.  Yes, lets get up to my car, we'll watch from there.  Follow me."

She didn't want to use her torch, but had to shine it up the hill for just a moment to be able to pinpoint where she'd parked.  Then she was moving up the hill as quick as she dared without spraining an ankle.

There was a sound. A moan from the house. Not within the house, but the house itself.  She reached for Ace.

When she grabbed Ace, she found the girl facing the other way.

"No no, this way." Sarah Jane spun Ace around and pulled her in the right direction by her arm.  "We're too close." She said urgently.  The strange creaking sounds the house was starting to make alarmed her enough that she wanted to stop and look as well, but they were also enough to keep her going quickly ahead.  Not caring about the possibility of detection, she turned on her torch a head of them, no time to pick her way in the dark.

The house began to make a crushing, crunching sound.  There was also some sort of electrical energy or something giving a high hum.  She didn't look back or let go of Ace for the thirty seconds or so it took to reach her car.

"It's unlocked.  Get in quick." And it was from sitting in her car that she got the first look at what was happening back there.  The house was crumpling in on itself, a glow from the center eating what was above, and what was below it. 

"Hang on!" She insisted, then yanked her car into reverse and made a three point turn that dug a bit into the earth.  Sarah Jane hit the accelerator, jerking them back in their seats. 

"Can you see what's happening?"  She never wanted so much to have eyes in the back of her head.

"Good Heavens, Dorothy, what sort of movies have you been watching?"  Sarah Jane had not gone to see it, but she certainly remembered some very disturbing commercials for it. "As if traveling with the Doctor isn't-"

She broke off as she saw it in the rear view mirror.  There wasn't much more than a big, blazing, bright spot behind them.  Though that might have been floorboards and a door being sucked into it like a black hole gone all Christmasy.  She turned her attention back to the road ahead and drove faster.   She flashed a glance over at Ace.

"What in world brought you out here?"  Sarah Jane could have guessed, but she wanted to hear it from the girl without giving her any suggestions.

Ace's voice was so cold it could have cracked under it's own weight.  Two points for the kid.  Sarah Jane was testing her a little ruthlessly, but she had to figure out if she was going to keep Ace around while she figured this mess out, or buy her a ticket to somewhere very far away.  Well, she certainly had some iron in her spine, as Sarah had heard.  She slowed down her car a little as they cleared the area, not wanting to attract attention.

"You should pick up your cycle, but I think we should go somewhere and talk.  I'm here because I've been getting strange calls in the night, and some very odd things have happened that I can't explain.  I don't think he's causing this, but I worry the Doctor might be in some sort of trouble.  You?"

Sarah spotted the cycle and pulled over, turning off the car and looking to her passenger.

"Did the same thing happen to you? The calls? The candy?"

"Ace. Don't leave me. Don't go.  I think we need each other.  And I think the Doctor may need us, however convoluted a path it is to him.  I think we're being baited and used."

She leaned out her auto window, looking at the woman on her bike and seeing her urge to drive away and forget all this.

"Whomever it is has been using me as well.  And I think they want to use us against him.  I don't know about you, but I'll do just about anything to protect him. I want to find out who is doing this and make them stop.  I need you Ace.  I don't think I can do this alone." She actually slapped the side of her car. "Whomever is trying to trick them is about to bite off more than they can chew.  Will you please, Please meet me at Stump Town Coffee at 9:30 A.M. tomorrow?  I need to know answers, and i think you have some of them. Whomever is plotting against the Doctor has a big surprise coming if we can work together.  I'm sorry I called you Dorothy.  I won't ever again, Ace.  I was testing you.  It might have been rude, but I had to know.  Now I do.  I . . .I think I love him like you do.  So. .come work with me.  Please?"