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Chapter 29 – The After Party

The Doctor returned to the Top Observation Area just as a song was ending. He whistled loudly to get everyone's attention. "Everyone! An announcement. Part Two of the celebration begins in twelve minutes. Everyone go put on your football gear and meet me in the main cargo hold."

Jack handed Tony Tyler back to the Doctor with a smile. "Brilliant! I wondered if you were going to go through with this."

Lewis looked surprised. "What are you on about? There's not a pitch anywhere on this….." He trailed off.

The Doctor smiled, "We had planned to open with your bachelor party. I hope you'll enjoy a reception game instead."

Lewis laughed in disbelief. "That's awesome! Hell yeah! Arla, you should play with us."

Arla smiled, "I would love to!"

Everyone cheered as they ran out of the room.

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Rose walked into the bigger on the inside room that contained the football pitch, carrying Sam. The speakers were blasting the song, 'I Wanna Rock' by Twisted Sister. Everyone was on the field kicking a ball around. Lots of laughter could be heard, but none more than the childrens' who were all riding their floating horses around the pitch. Including Tony Tyler.

Rose stood and watched as the Doctor shot the ball towards the goal, only for it to be saved by Legate. Jack ran up next to him. "He's like his father. Good luck scoring on him!"

"I'm determined." He told Jack as he ran back.

Over the speakers came Stark's voice. "Rose Tyler. Please come to the Head Master's office."

Everyone on the pitch turned to her and said, "Wooooo."

Arla took advantage of the distraction and shot the ball into the goal past Legate.

"Yes!" She cheered as Lewis ran up and celebrated with her.

Legate pointed at her. "Dirty trick, Arla. Well, hell I would have done the same thing. It counts! Carry on!"

Rose walked into the glass booth. As she closed the door, the volume of the music decreased dramatically.

"There. I imagine that's better for Shorty." Stark said as he pulled back a chair for her to sit in. He was still wearing his suit, but had taken off the jacket and hung it on the back of the chair and had loosened his tie.

"You're not playing?" Rose asked as she sat down holding Sam.

"Nah. It's not my thing. I'm managing the music. If it was left up to the Good Doctor, we'd only be allowed to listen to The White Stripes."

"Or the Gorillaz. He likes those, too." Rose laughed.

Stark laughed as he nodded his head, "Yeah, they are pretty good. Great idea."

He looked down at his phone and picked out a song, then clicked the play button. 'DARE' started to play. Tony touched the microphone. "That's from Rose, boys."

Rose smiled at him as he looked back at her.

Stark asked, "Baby napped for a while?"

Rose smiled. "Yes. Gave me and his Dad time to talk."

"Talk? That's what you are calling it?" he teased.

Rose rolled her eyes. "Yes, talked. Geez. You know he doesn't like to talk about that stuff."

Stark thought about what the Doctor had said last night when he had been so drunk. "Yeah, you're right, Rose. He doesn't talk about that. Fort Knox, that man. Black Hole of information."

They watched the footballers for a few minutes. Rose asked him. "So, did you like Plentitude?"

He smiled as he looked back at her. "I really did. And I bet you can guess the best part."

She smiled, "Probably the same as my favorite part, no one knew who I was."

"Yes! Exactly! I could walk around and no one stopped me to ask, 'Hey, are you Tony Stark'? That was the best! Taking a vacation from being me."

Rose giggled, "Was it always that way for you?"

He shook his head, "I've never known a time they didn't know me. Even when I was a child, I was always recognized."

Rose nodded her head. "What do you say when people recognize you back home?"

He shrugged his shoulders, "Sometimes, I deny it. It makes them go away. Others want to argue with you that you are in fact that person. I suppose it could be worse. They could think I'm someone else."

"Well, that's true. Can I ask you something?" Rose said.

"Certainly!"

"Why didn't Pepper come?" Rose asked.

Tony looked surprised as he looked back out to the pitch and rubbed his beard. "Wow. John really is a Black Hole of information. I'm surprised he didn't at least tell you."

"Didn't tell me what?"

"She decided she needed a break from me. Can't blame the woman, really." He said as he smiled back her.

"I'm sorry, I didn't know."

"Ah, it's not a big deal. It was mostly my fault. Well, it was all my fault. I can admit it."

Rose nodded her head. "Still. It sucks."

"There's other women." Stark told her.

"So, you have talked to him about it?" Rose asked.

"Who, John? He told me to send her flowers, or something 'John-like.' Doesn't that sound like something he would do?" Stark asked.

Rose smiled, "Yes, it does. You know once, he filled up our entire bedroom with roses. You couldn't even walk."

Stark chuckled, "That does sound like him."

Rose could feel Stark's emotions as he looked out on the pitch at his new friends.

"What are you thinking about?" Rose asked him softly.

"Rhodey would have loved this. Being around all of these aliens would have wigged him out at first, but he would have loved it. He'd be right down there in the middle of all of that. And I'm pretty sure he would have already punched Jack out."

Rose laughed, "Probably so. How do you think he would have gotten along with the Doctor?"

Stark smiled, "Oh, I don't know. I imagine they would have argued a lot. Rhodey being a military man, quick to shoot something and let someone else sort it out. I don't think that would have gone over well at all with John."

"One of his best friends was a career soldier."

"Right, a Brigadier. He's talked about him. Hell, maybe they would have gotten along."

Rose giggled as they looked back on the pitch.

Stark asked, "Is John alright?"

Rose nodded, "Yeah, it turned out to be something simple. Thank you for helping him. He said you helped him draw some blood-"

"Oh, he was weird about it, too. We had to destroy everything. He said he would even incinerate the blood after the tests were done. No biological trace. Is there something to that? I didn't ask. He doesn't think I'm Howard Stark, does he?"

Rose smiled at him. "I don't even know what that means."

Stark looked back the pitch. "That's probably better. Here we need to pick another song. What should we play for them?"

Rose looked at his phone, "That one. That's Lewis' favorite." Rose pressed the song and 'Chelsea Dagger' by the Fratellis began to play. Lewis cheered.

They both laughed at them. Then a football hit the window where they were sitting. They looked out on the pitch. The Doctor was pointing at Stark. "I see you in there with my lady! She can handle herself, but don't make me come up there."

Rose rolled her eyes at him.

Stark touched the mic. "She's turned me down enough, man. Worry about your game, not mine."

Jack took advantage of the Doctor's distraction and kicked the ball really hard towards his back. His force field activated and it bounced off. He turned around and lifted his hands out. "Really?"

Jack was laughing hysterically. "I couldn't help myself. I knew you had that bracelet on."

Stark pointed at Jack. "He says you turned him down, too."

Rose smiled back at him. "I did dance with him."

"Well, that's more than you ever did with me." He smiled. "But, now that I've been able to spend some time with why, I can say I understand. He's…"

"Mad?"

"Interesting. Is even half of the shit he tells me, true?" Stark asked.

Rose laughed, "I have no idea what he tells you, but I have those same thoughts."

"Okay. For example. He told me he met the Queen Elizabeth the First. Is that true? Wasn't that one of the last Queens of England?"

Rose giggled. "Did he tell you that when he had been drinking?"

"So, it's not true. I didn't think it was."

"No, it is! As much as he has blushed about it. That's where that entire bet came from with Dad and Howie."

Stark realized there was a lot more to that conversation that he knew. He turned to her and smiled. "Did you put money against your beloved on that? What was your bet?"

Rose looked down at Sam. Distracted, she shook her head. "No. I've honestly forgot my number. He led us on for months about that though. He finally confessed to me that he had no idea how many he had slept with because of the way the time lines were, they were not part of the royal family at the time, and he wasn't sure if the bet was limited only to members of the British Royal Family."

Stark cleared his throat to stop himself from laughing in surprise. He was determined not to tell Rose that this was all new information to him. "Jesus. Wow. Well, I can see his point. Damn."

"I'm surprised he told you about that." Rose told him.

Stark shrugged his shoulders, "Ah. You know how it is. Sometimes, things just come out. See, this is my question. He's a Time Lord. Is that what they are called, or is he part of a Royal Family?"

"That's what they are called." Rose said, then realized. "Well, you know, I'm not certain. He's never said. He refuses to talk about that."

"Witness protection program, huh? Move to an alien planet, change your name, go on television and lie about it?" Stark teased.

Just then the door opened. Stark and Rose jumped at the sound. The Doctor stood in the doorway. "What? Are you two at tea? What happened to the music?"

Stark leaned back in the chair and laughed at him. Rose took the phone from his hands and turned on Van Halen's song, "Ain't Talking About Love."

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