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Chapter 1 – Morning on the Island

Rose woke up in the silk sheets. She was still wearing the Doctor's light blue oxford shirt from the night before, and a pair of grey leggings. The sun was barely shining over the horizon. The warm sea breeze blew in through the open doors and windows on the end of the room. Young six year old, Genie continued to sleep peacefully in front of Rose. She rose up, looked around to realize that they were the only ones in the bed.

Rose sat up and looked around the room. Everything was still quiet and still. She got out of bed and walked over to the door to the balcony. That's where she found him. The Doctor was leaning on the rails, looking out at the ocean. He was lost in his own thoughts and didn't notice her until she walked out on the balcony and wrapped her arms around him. He jumped, then held her as he laughed.

"I'm sorry. I didn't wake you, did I?" He asked her.

"I don't believe you did. Although, you feel like….." Rose struggled to find the words.

He looked at her, curiously. "Feel like, what?"

"It's like when I go in a very crowded place. There are all of these minds thinking, lots of feelings. That's not right. That can't be you."

He sighed as he leaned against the railing with his back towards the ocean. "Oh, it is. I have a lot on my mind. I'm sorry, I should have been shielding that more than I was."

"Are you alright?" she asked.

He nodded his head. "I'm always alright. Just some stuff on my mind."

Rose rolled her eyes. "You are not always alright."

He sighed, "We have four guys in custody. Lewis and I are arguing about how to handle this. He wants me to pull the information from their head. I don't want to do it."

"You wouldn't do that. Why would Lewis even suggest it?"

"I've done it before. He's seen me do it. Several times." He admitted.

Rose shook her head in disbelief. "You hadn't told me that."

He looked down at his feet. "I was….ashamed. I didn't want you to know. I had even asked Lewis not to tell you. I had to know what they knew though, and felt that was the only way I could get the information. It never worked. The persons I did that to, never knew anything."

Rose shook her head. "Listen to me. I don't think less of you knowing this. I would have done the same thing."

He shook his head. "It still doesn't make it right. Now he wants me to do it to these four men."

"And you are beginning to agree with him. That's what scares you." Rose filled in.

He looked at her and nodded his head. "Yeah." He crossed his arms.

Rose stood next him. "Baby."

The word made him laugh under his breath. "I'm the oldest baby there ever was."

She smiled. "Don't make this decision right now. You are too close to this problem. You are still much too cross about it."

He ran his hand through his hair. "Rose. These people hurt you. They hurt me! They intend to do unspeakable things to us, and our family. This is my responsibility to protect you from these people. If they know something that will help, I need to know it!"

Rose looked at him and nodded her head. "So, you have decided what you are going to do. Interesting."

He threw his head back and sighed. "Damn it. I keep going back to this. Why aren't things more simple?"

"Why isn't this simple? Why are you having such a hard time with this?"

He rubbed his head, "Past experience."

"Care to elaborate?"

"No." he told her quickly.

She rolled her eyes at him. "Okay. Here's an idea. A compromise."

He looked curiously at her. "I'm listening."

She pointed at him. "You tell Lewis you will have a think about it. That will get him off your back for a bit. Question them, then decide what to do. You will have to make up your mind pretty fast. When are you planning to leave for Plentitude?"

"Ahh. That doesn't matter. They are on the ship."

"What? Why are they there?" Rose asked.

"Lance and Licis are keeping an eye on them for me. Every damn time we put them in the brig at Torchwood, they end up dead from their own doing or someone else's. I'm not letting that happen this time. They are there. Sedated. But there."

Rose held her hand to her face, "Sedated. I can't believe this. Really?"

The Doctor nodded his head. "Yeah. Sedated. I can look in their minds very easily that way."

Rose pointed at him, "Alright, you-" She stopped talking. "Damn. Sam is awake. We'll chat about this later."

He walked into the bedroom with her. "I need to go get Tony's car and return it. I believe I'll take Genie."

He lie down in the bed next to Genie and put her back on his chest. Him moving her caused her to wake up. Rose watched him and he kissed her forehead and smiled. "Well, good morning there, Little One!"

Rose smiled as she watched Genie wipe her eyes. "Good morning, Daddy."

He held her close and smiled at her. "It is morning and time to wake up. We have a big day planned."

Genie groaned and lay back down on his chest. "Daddy. I need 10 more minutes."

He sighed, "10 more minutes. Alright. I suppose I could sing to you for 10 minutes."

Genie didn't open her eyes. "That will put me back to sleep. Don't do that."

"I will tell you a story, then. Once upon a time, there was a man who was a poet. He wrote this wonderful story called the Aeneid. He decided he wanted to have a party, but the taxes of the land where he lived were very high for a party, and he didn't want to pay them. So, instead, he held a lavish funeral on his land. Senators and noblemen attended. Virgil himself read a long eulogy for the deceased. An orchestra played music as a tiny coffin was placed in its tomb. Do you know what he had a funeral for?"

Genie smiled and looked up at him. "What?"

"His beloved pet….a housefly." He laughed.

Genie laughed, "Daddy! Is that even true?"

"Of course it's true. I gave him the idea! He even put up a small mausoleum to keep from paying taxes to the Romans. It was all legal. Lovely little loophole in the law."

Rose stood by the bed and giggled. "That's not true."

He held his hands out and laughed. "It is true! I was there! Virgil buried a fly!"

Genie sat up and rolled her eyes. "Daddy. That's mad."

Rose asked her. "Genie. Is your Daddy telling the truth?"

Genie climbed out of bed and nodded her head. "He is."

The Doctor held his hands out and looked at Rose. "See? Why do you doubt me?"

"Why a fly?" Rose asked.

"Virgil said, 'All our sweetest hours fly fastest.' Get it? Fly?" He laughed.

Rose rolled her eyes. "You are mad. I'm going to get Sam from Mum. Tell Tony thank you."

He ran his hand through his hair, "Right. Genie. Go get dressed. We'll have breakfast when we go run our errand together."

Genie rubbed her face and walked slowly out of the room.

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