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Chapter 14 - The Grandmother

The dark room was only illuminated by the monitors that displayed readings that were coming from the wires that were ran into Arles' arm and shoulder. He slept peacefully in the bed in the med bay. A blue blanket lay across his form.

The adult Samuel, who had changed into a grey t-shirt with his jeans, walked into the med bay room and looked at all of the monitors. He nodded, apparently happy with their readings.

"So, it's good?"

Samuel jumped at her voice.

Jackie Tyler was sitting on a chair that was next to Arles' bed, holding his hand.

"Grand." He smiled.

She glanced up and him and smiled sadly. "I'm sorry I frightened you."

"I just didn't know you were in here." Samuel chuckled, "It's early."

"Oh. I….well….never mind about that." She stroked Arles' hair back.

Samuel crossed his arms and looked her. "He's fine, Grand-"

"John said we almost lost him."

"Dad's just being dramatic."

"This looks bad."

Samuel grinned. "Nah. He wasn't ever really in too much danger. Uncle Tony put a rescue pack inside his bracelet."

"What is that?"

"It administered some medicine to him. Gave us all the time we needed."

She looked up at Samuel. "I don't understand what happened."

Samuel ran his hand through his hair. He knew that Arles' didn't want anyone to know. Unfortunately, he couldn't keep the information from his Dad. As soon as he had seen Arles, he knew what had happened. And to make matters worse, he had even found a bottle of the drug that Arles had been taking.

That had lead to an integration that Samuel was keen to forget. His Dad was cross, and not at him for a change.

"Sam?"

Jackie's voice snapped Samuel back to the room. "He's fine."

"What's wrong with him?"

Samuel sighed. "He probably wouldn't want you to know."

Jackie grew cross. "Now listen here, Samuel…umm...grandson of mine-"

"I get it. The name is odd-"

"I just can't remember the bloody thing."

Samuel put his hands in his pockets and laughed at her confession.

Jackie smiled, "I know you changed it. But, we'll talk about that later. You need to tell me what is wrong with him-"

"He really wouldn't want you to know-"

"I'm his Grandmother-"

"He's a private person. I'm sorry."

Jackie took Arles' hand and sighed. "Well, that's something I'll have to work on more with you."

"With me? What do you mean, Grand?"

She held onto Arles' hand and looked devastated. "I want us to be close in the future-"

"Grand, we are close."

"Then, why wouldn't he want me to know-"

"You'll worry!"

"And by not knowing, I won't?"

He groaned. "Grand…"

Jackie pulled Arles' arm up and looked at the bruising on his forearm. "Gosh, this looks terrible."

"Yeah, that's where the medicine injected from his bracelet-"

"Is that in mine?"

"No, ma'am. I didn't know it was in his!" He pressed a button on one of the monitors.

"Well, how do you know it's not in mine?"

He looked back at her with a grin. "You don't have a reason for it. He does."

"Which, you won't tell me what it is?"

Samuel groaned. "Sorry."

Her attention returned to Arles' forearm.

"Arles has never had to heal things on his own. I've always accelerated it."

"Then, do it now."

Samuel looked over the monitors again, "And that's a problem. Even if I could, Dad and Papa have told me I'm not allowed to."

"What the hell? I'll talk to them-"

"No." He chuckled. "I can't anyway. They have a point. This isn't life threatening. Really, Grand. It's only a bruise."

"But, you said you can't?"

"No, ma'am. I can't."

"Stress." She told him. "I'm sure of it."

"No. It's just-"

"Bollocks. It's stress."

"Grand, it's not stress-"

"Bloody hell, it's not stress. You should have seen me when I first got here. A blooming mess, I was."

He laughed. "I can't imagine that."

"Now you listen to me, young man."

He turns and signs. "Yes, ma'am."

"Stress can have an effect on you in the oddest ways."

He chuckled, "Grand. I am a Doctor. I know this."

"Just like your father, you are! Mister, 'I know everything and-'"

"I'm sorry, Grand. I didn't mean it like that. Not at all."

Jackie grinned and took Arles' hand back in her own. "I just brought the baby Samuel back to Rose."

"Oh, that makes sense."

"I've been watching him while Rose has been working. You know, just during the day."

Samuel nodded his head. "Yeah. I stayed with you a lot. Arles, too."

She smiles proudly. "I'm glad to hear that. Am I different here than I am in there? I mean, in the future."

"No." He chuckles. "You haven't changed at all."

"But, we're not close here."

Samuel stopped looking at the monitors and gave her his full attention. "Ummm. Well, a lot of things happened back there."

"What? With me?"

"Well, with everyone. You know…"

"That you can't tell me." She complained.

"Right. It's really not a good idea for anyone to know what happens in the future."

"But, John said it won't be the same now."

"Then, what's the point?"

"Damn! You are just like your Dad-"

"There's no need to insult me!" He joking told her.

Jackie sighed and looked back at Arles. "Well, I would love to hear something that I've done that is actually good. I mean, my blooming son has turned into a maniac kidnapper and-"

"Grand! That's not Tony."

"It is my Tony. And I'll be damned if he thinks for one second that I'm going to just let this shit go."

Why hadn't Samuel thought of this? He had been so worried about his relationship with Tony, that he hadn't even stopped to think how this was affecting his grandparents. They only had the younger version of Tony, with stories of how screwed up the older one had become.

"Have they found Bassiano?"

"Bassiano did nothing wrong." She insisted. "I told him to put me in that safe."

"Yeah, but-"

"No. Bassiano has done a runner, and I completely think it's because of what happened in that Paneling."

"That could have been much worse-"

"Well, I think that at least I could have been consulted."

He nodded, "You're right."

"Of course, I am."

Samuel pulled a stool over and sat down next to Jackie. She smiled when he took her hand into his own. "Grand. We're all very close. Arles, Genie, and I have always known we can come to you about anything."

She smiled at him. "Really?"

"Of course. In fact, if we're being honest, you are the one who gave me and Arles… 'The Talk'."

"The talk? You mean about sex?"

He rolled his eyes as if the thought still embarrassed him. "Yes, Grand. You did."

She glanced back at Arles. "Well, it's important. Someone needed to."

Samuel nodded, "Yeah, that's true. But…well…."

She looked back at Samuel. "Well, what?"

He held onto both of her hands and took a deep breath, "I wasn't going to mention it, but I know you are anxious to…..umm….build a relationship with me, Arles, Gene-"

"Of course! What can I help with?"

Samuel cleared his throat. "Ummm. Honestly?"

"Yeah?"

"Arles…needs a bit of your help."

"I know he looks like hell with this-"

"No, not medically. Dad and I are handling that. He's ….ummm. Well, how can I put this?"

Jackie looked at Samuel in confusion.

"I have Karen. And Gene has Legate. And…."

"Oh!" Jackie realized what he was saying. "Arles could probably handle that. I mean, he is Lewis' son-"

"Yeah, but he didn't inherit that….whatever. He is so shy around girls. I think he could use some of your attention. Some help….you know….in that area."

"Say no more." Jackie smiled, "Grand will handle this."

"But, well….Grand. I really probably shouldn't have told you that. Arles wouldn't want you to know-"

"Oh, rubbish."

"That's what you say now, but he's going to be proper cross if he finds out I told you-"

"Then I won't tell him."

Samuel stood up and kissed Jackie on the cheek. "Thanks, Grand."

Jackie took Arles' hand again. "Well, you're going to rest, Arles. Then, Grand is going to help you when you wake up."

Samuel laughed under his breath, so satisfied with what he had managed to accomplish that was guaranteed to drive his brother completely mental. Jackie Tyler in Arles' love life? This could be the best idea he had ever had.

He closed the door and was so consumed in his thoughts that he nearly ran completely into Rose.

"Mum! Sorry!"

She laughed, "What are you so happy about?"

"Umm. Well, you know. Ummm. What did you need?"

Rose put her hand on her hip and rose her eyebrow at him, "What are you on about?"

"Me?"

"You."

"Nothing…" He replied slowly. "Why?"

Her glare told him that she wasn't convinced.

Samuel cleared his throat. "Right. Well, I need to get back to Karen."

"Samuel-?"

"Yes, ma'am."

She pointed at his chest. "We'll continue this conversation later."

"Ummm. I've said everything I need to."

She glared at him. "No, you haven't. Don't even try that."

He smiled and put his hands in his pockets. "Great news about Dad, huh?"

"What news is that?"

"Umm. He should probably be the one to tell you. I should, really get back. Karen with the baby, you know."

He turned around quickly and rushed away.

Rose shook her head. She knew that wasn't over, even though she wasn't sure just what it was the beginning of.

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The Doctor sat on a stool inside of another examination room. He wore a cream colored oxford shirt which he had tucked neatly into his jeans. His Converse where propped on the bottom of the chair as all of his attention seemed to be on whatever he was looking at through a microscope. He appeared to not have had a shave in several days. His glasses hung on the end of his nose. His hair was all sticking up like mad. The speakers in that room were playing 'Heavy Soul' by The Black Keys.

Rose stopped and leaned against the doorway, smiling at the scene before her.

She crossed her arms and thought back to the first time they had met, when he wore another face. Another body. Then she found that she was curious as to what that body looked like. Did it have more hair on his chest than he did now? Were the muscles toned more or less than she was used to with this form? She imagined running her fingers down his bare chest and teasing the trail of hair under his naval. Continuing Southward to his waist-

"Well, that's interesting." The Doctor mumbled and pushed his glasses back up the bridge of his nose.

His voice snapped Rose out of her daydream.

He didn't look up from the microscope. He adjusted the knobs and studied the slide.

She smiled as she realized he was speaking to himself. That was something he had always done as long as she had known him.

"Very interesting." He mumbled.

"What's interesting?" She asked through a smile.

He didn't look up. "That's the quickest you've ever woken up, gotten dressed, and left our suite."

She realized he had known she was there the entire time. "You wasn't there."

He rubbed his eyes. "Yeah, something came up. I've been in here all night."

She stepped into the room, closing the door behind her. "Why? Is everyone alright?"

"Yeah." He sighed. "For now."

She sat on the chair next to the table he worked at.

He leaned against the wall and continued to rub his eyes.

"Samuel and I spoke."

He tossed his glasses onto the table. "These children of ours, Rose. Well, we…. Well."

"Have our hands full?" She teased. "That's the reason we each have two hands."

He chuckled, "Yeah. Remind Lewis of that, too."

"Lewis? Is he here?"

He groaned and shook his head. "I don't even want to get into at the ….."

He stopped talking and she realized someone was speaking to him in his head.

She grinned, "Quauhtin Police Scanner?"

He nodded, "Yep. Hey Friday."

The computer spoke. "Yes, Doctor Moreau."

The Doctor groaned, "And that may be the worst one ever."

Rose laughed.

He complained. "Anyway. Friday, inform everyone that we're leaving in an hour. Anyone that wants to go, needs to be onboard."

"Understood sir."

"Where are we going?" Rose asked.

He stood up and turned off the monitors in the room. "We'll talk about that."

"What are you working on?"

He ran both of his hands through his already mad hair. "Oh. Weirdness. Mega weirdness."

"Well, I'm starving." Rose admitted. "Have you ate?"

"Nah, I'm…." He stopped. For a moment, Rose thought he was going to tell her that he needed to stay there and look after someone. But to her surprise, he instead looked at her. "I could eat."

A smile spread across her face. "Where would you like to go? We only have an hour-"

He animatedly clapped his hands together and became excited. "An hour! That's a ton of time!"

This was the Doctor she remembered. She laughed. "What's gotten into you?"

He put his hands in his pockets and appeared to be forcing himself to calm down. "Nothing. Um. Eat."

She smiled, "Yes, eat. Where should we go?"

"You pick! Where do you want to go?"

"Why don't you?"

"I haven't been here as long as you have. Come on. Tell me of your favorite places."

"But, you-"

"You play the tourist for a change. Allons-y."

She laughed. "Alright. Fine."

He held the door open and watched her walk through it.

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