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Chapter 38 – The Tea Party

Rose sat at her make-up table in the closet. She didn't look up when the Doctor walked in. "Genie found you?"

"Yeah. I need to jump into my suit. We're having a tea party. Then, I need to get to Washington to see Howie and give him some more medicine."

Rose continued to work on her make-up. "And then you need to check on Tony."

"Nah, I just looked in on him. He's watching football with his leg propped up. He's fine."

Rose smiled, "And then you need to help Ashena with her head thing."

Rose heard his voice come from the back of the closet. "No. I just did that. She wanted to take off the headband. She'll be fine. If anything happens, just let me know and I'll pop to you. Genie called it her crown. I'm sure she's happy to be done with it. I believe she's fine now, though. I would like to keep an eye on her thought patterns for a few more days to make sure though. Do you think she's sleeping with Logan?"

Rose turned around and looked in the back of the closet to see him buttoning up his oxford. "So what if they are?"

"Rose! She is a Princess. Logan is not of noble birth. This is a big deal with Andromedaens. At least in the other dimension it was."

Rose shook her head. "Baby. It's not our business. They are both of age."

He stopped and smiled as he was putting on his tie. He mouthed the word, "baby" and laughed under his breath. Rose smiled at the oblivious moment when he relaxed a bit.

"They are baby adults. Barely of age." He put on his vest and buttoned it up. He was so frustrated he missed the first hole and buttoned it up wrong. "Ugh!"

Rose walked over to him and helped. "Calm down. You are winding me up you are in such a state."

Rose could feel him relax slightly as he watched her work. She finished and looked at him. He smiled at her. "Thank you, Rose."

Rose pulled his tie knot out and brushed off his vest with her hands. "Sam is with Mum. They are playing. Can you feel how happy he is?"

He smiled and seemed to relax a bit. "He's days away from laughing. If he's not laughing at her now. He's so happy. Damn, I need to sort that out. Who's watching these rotten children while we're out?"

Rose looked at him. "Let me sort that out. Don't worry about it. You've done this for months on your own. Your stress level seems to be in the red today. Are you alright?"

He reached over and took his jacket off of a hanger. He draped it on his arm. "You. Going out today. Promise me you will be careful."

She wrapped her arms around his neck. "Sweetheart. I'll be fine. I'll be with Jack, Jake and some of the Guard. Try to relax."

He looked at her for a long moment. He put on his jacket and pulled her into his arms. Rose could feel his fear and worry.

She told him softly. "I promise I'll be careful. We have a date tonight."

He relaxed a bit and kissed her hands. "Tux?"

"I checked and it's optional." Rose told him.

He rubbed his face. "That means there will be some there. This is not my best day. Already. And I can't drink. Damn."

Rose rubbed his chest. "Your daughter is waiting on you. Please try to relax." She kissed his lips quickly and sat back down at her table. She went back to putting on her make-up. He stood behind her and seemed to be consumed in his own thoughts.

After a few moments, he knelt down behind her. She looked at him in her mirror.

She smiled at him. "Your hair looks fine."

He smiled at her. "Your make-up looks lovely. I sometimes miss the way you used to do your eyes."

She turned around and looked at him. "You mean, with the heavy eyeliner? I looked like something out of a horror movie. I'm reserving that for Halloween."

He chuckled at her. "You're the boss. Rose. Umm…" He became serious.

Rose turned around and looked at him. "What is it?"

He bit his lip and thought. "Can I tell you a bit later? It will require a bit of explanation that I really don't have time for at the moment."

She smiled at him. "Certainly. I can feel you are excited about it. More than with the other news you gave me this morning."

He chuckled, "Nah. Not excited. I'm not sure. Relieved, I suppose. But, I'll tell you all about that later. Right now, I need you to take something for me."

"Take something? What is it?"

He handed her his silver flask. She looked surprised as she held it in her hands. "Mum and Dad gave this to you…."

He nodded, "Yes. At the beginning of our engagement. Keep up with it for me."

Rose looked at him. "It's just a break…. That's all I've asked for."

He shook his head. "I've thought a lot about it, Rose. And I see your point. I see how much I still want to run. It has nothing do to with you, and it's not your fault. It's just, a very old habit of mine. It's what I've always done. This is how I've managed to continue to run from my problems recently. If I have that in my pocket, I'm going to use it. I've told you that I won't, and I'm determined to keep my promise to you."

Rose looked down at the flask. "Sweetheart…... I don't know what to say."

"You don't have to say anything. Thank you for helping me through this, Rose. I'm done running. I mean it."

Rose laid her hand on his cheek and whispered. "You are my Nehyta."

He smiled at her, "And you are mine. I love you so much, Rose. I want to do this proper. You are that important to me."

Rose leaned down and kissed him. She could feel his worry. She looked into his eyes and continued to stroke his beard. "I'll be careful."

He told her quietly, "I might still be out when you return. Let me know when you get back."

She smiled, "Yes. Of course, I will. Please, try to relax. You have a tea party you are late for."

He stood up and buttoned his jacket. "Ugh. This day needs to be about a week long to get everything done I need to do. Damn, I miss my TARDIS."

Rose looked up at him. "You look so dapper."

He smiled at her. "Thank you, my dear. I'm late. Ugh!"

Rose giggled at him as he walked out of the closet mumbling. "She tells me to 'relax'. Spartacus and his camp on Mount Vesuvius lay under a siege, and she would probably say, 'relax'."

Rose heard his complaining and laughed under her breath.

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Genie's room was painted lavender and had a half bed built into the wall. The bed curtains were tucked back. A roll away bed that Jacob had slept on sat in the corner. Jacob had apparently gone downstairs for breakfast.

To have been a young lady's room, it was extremely elegant. A lovely chandelier hung in the middle of the room. A small, white, baby grand piano sat in the corner of the large room. A dollhouse sat next to a rocking chair. Genie's dresser and bookshelf were full of books and small dolls. A window stood open above the table where she sat, speaking to Tony and Pete. The breeze from the ocean could be felt in the room.

The Doctor knocked on the door. He held up a tray of colorful pastries. "My apologies for my tardiness, my dear. The food replicator has been programmed with your favorite pastry."

Genie smiled at him as she sat up very straight and smiled. She spoke in a very adult and proper way. "That's quite alright, sir. Please. Do come in."

He nodded his head. "Yes, ma'am. Thank you."

When the Doctor sat down, Genie spoke to him. She held her head very high. The effect was adorable. "Daddy. Do you know my other guests? This is Grandfather and My Tony."

The Doctor smiled as he looked at the other two men and said, "Nice to see you, gentlemen."

Pete grinned, "Likewise."

Tony sipped his tea and spoke in his terrible British accent. "This is lovely tea, Genie. Did you make it yourself, my dear?"

Genie smiled at him, and continued to speak in the posh way. "My Summus helped me. He even brought it up here so I wouldn't spill it. Wasn't that just charming?"

"Charming?" The Doctor laughed.

Genie nodded as she tossed her hand, "Yes. He is such a dear. Anyway. I agree with My Tony. Tea parties are a brilliant place to discuss business. I have things I need to chat with you lot about."

Pete was trying to keep from laughing at how cute this entire situation was. "You need to chat with all of us, young lady? What about?"

Genie waved her hand. "I am sorry, Grandfather. I need to make Daddy tea. How do you take it, Daddy?"

The Doctor looked at her and smiled, "You know how I take my tea."

Genie shook her head and sighed, "With too much sugar. I do hope one day you will stop that. It is terrible for your health."

He held out his hands and looked surprised at Pete and Tony. They both laughed quietly at him.

Pete chuckled, "Said the daughter of the Doctor."

"She told you." Tony mumbled. Then he spoke to Genie again in the British accent.

"Genevieve, my dear. Another thing you need to know about business is that you need to have someone on the inside. Someone to tell you when your competitor is doing something you need to know about. I could be that for you, since I know these two men jolly well."

Genie tapped her chin. "That could be useful, sir."

Tony continued as he held his tea, "These particular people, you should pay more than you normally would. That way they will remain loyal to you, and not let it be known that they are spying for your organization."

Genie nodded her head and handed him another plate with a pastry on it. "Your proposal is acceptable, sir."

He smiled at her. "Why, thank you, Genevieve."

Pete laughed under his breath. "Well, that's putting the mustard on it."

The Doctor's face said it all. "What the hell are you teaching my daughter?"

Tony smiled at him as he returned to his normal voice. "Business. Don't worry. I've got this. And I'm right. I've found out something you two goobers need to know."

Genie handed the Doctor his tea. "Your tea, Daddy."

He smiled at her. "Thank you, Sweetheart."

Tony looked at them. "You have a man named Malcolm who works for you. Some, egghead?"

Pete rubbed his face and groaned. "Oh God. What have you heard?"

Genie fussed at Pete. "Grandfather. Elbows do not go on the table, sir."

Pete quickly sat up straight and looked at her. "I'm so sorry, ma'am. What about him?"

Tony sat down his tea, "He has been talking to Justin Hammer, my competitor, about coming to work for him. Seems to think he will be allowed to continue working on a black hole project. Hammer sees it as a weapon and wants it. He's offered him a full relocation package, an apartment, lab, a woman, anything he wants."

The Doctor leaned back in the chair. "H.I. Hammer Industries. That's what he was on about last night. He thought we already knew."

Tony looked at him. "So, you've talked to him about this?"

The Doctor rubbed his beard. "I think we have it worked out, but it's still an extremely dangerous theory."

Pete asked, "How dangerous are we talking?"

"Imagine the Atomic bomb, times a billion-billion." The Doctor told him.

Tony nodded his head. "Thought you needed that bit of info."

Genie held her tea glass up and declared, "No doubt, from a spy."

Tony held back up his tea glass and smiled. In his terrible British accent he said, "Indeed, my dear. From a spy."

Pete leaned back and crossed his arms. "Is this is really a problem? Malcolm is the only one that really knows about it, right? I mean, we're not going to have a bunch of scientists recreating something like the Manhattan project, are we?"

The Doctor shook his head. "It lives in his head. Well, and Tosh's and Rose's. I probably need to talk to her and see for sure, but…. I think it's contained. I shorted out his computer he was working on after he closed the hole this morning. But, he still has all of his notes."

Tony asked, "So, he could recreate this. If he hasn't already given it to Hammer."

"Well, how clever is this Hammer?" Pete asked.

"Oh hell, he couldn't poke himself in the eye if someone didn't glide his hand. He's an idiot." Tony told him.

Genie smiled, "More cookies, gentlemen?"

The Doctor took another one from her and smiled, "Thank you, Genie."

Tony nodded his head. "Probably not a bad idea to have one of your ghosts to keep an eye on him for a bit. Make sure this thing doesn't blow up. He's determined to bring something to the Expo and show it off."

The Doctor nodded his head, "I agree. I'll get a guy on it."

Pete looked at Tony, "You were serious, you employ spies?"

Tony looked surprised at him. "You don't?"

Pete chuckled and rubbed his hair embarrassed, "Okay, yeah….. I have a few in my pocket."

The Doctor nodded his head. "Right. I've handled it. Gobbo is tracking him down now."

Tony's eyes got huge. "You don't waste any time do you, man?"

Genie sipped her tea and sat down her cup. "There is a matter of business that I need to discuss with you gentlemen."

Tony slapped the table, and returned to his British accent. "Yes, my dear Genevieve. Your business. What is it?"

Genie sat up straight and proper and looked at them seriously. "I have decided that I need a pet dragon."

The Doctor asked her, "A dragon. Is that what you said?"

Pete covered his face and turned in this seat. Overcome with how adorable the entire situation was, he laughed silently as he leaned his head on the Doctor's shoulder.

Tony looked seriously at her. "Are we talking about a real dragon, Genevieve?"

Genie said, "Of course, My Tony. You three men can probably get me one."

Tony sat back in the chair. He pointed at the Doctor. "That's all you, Daddy."

The Doctor smiled back at Tony. "Thanks." He looked at Genie. "Well, let's chat about this. Why do you need a dragon?"

"Okay, Daddy. I've really had a long think about this. A dragon is a great idea for a pet for many reasons. He can protect me from the bad guys. We also have this huge island where he can fly around and no one would see him."

The Doctor propped his head up on his fist and looked at her. "Alright. Those are good reasons. Except, what would keep him from flying away, and not coming back?"

"We would feed him ice cream. He would like us."

Pete wiped the tears from his eyes and continued to laugh silently. He sat back in the small chair with his arms crossed.

The Doctor continued to rest his head on his fist and look at Genie seriously. "Dragons can't eat ice cream, Genie. It upsets their stomachs. They can't eat coconuts, either. They get caught in their throats."

Genie sipped her tea and thought. "Alright. That's true. What do they eat?"

The Doctor thought. "Meat. Mostly. Cattle. Pigs. Small children."

Genie's eyes got huge. "Do they really?"

He looked at her seriously. "My Sara Gene, I would never lie to you."

She crossed her arms and stuck out her lip. "Well, that won't do at all! Rats! I wanted to ride a dragon."

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