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Chapter 39 – John's World of Normal

Rose woke up and rolled on her back. She rubbed her face and looked around. She heard the unmistakable hum of the engines of the ship. She looked up through the window that wrapped over the top of the bed and saw white streaks of stars zipping past.

"I'm on the ship?" She said quietly.

She looked next to her at Genie who held Goofy in her arms and slept peacefully. Between them was Sam. He lay on his back with his hands next to his head. He smiled in his sleep.

She slipped out of the bed, slipped on her robe and walked into the sitting room. Legate sat on the sofa reading a book. "Legate?"

He put down the book he read, "John asked me to wait for you to wake up. Tony is fine. Jake took him back to your father. Let me make you a cup of tea."

She sat on the sofa and watched him make a cup for her. "Where are we going?"

He shook his head. "I honestly don't know. I just know it was important to leave quickly."

He walked over and handed her the cup of tea. "Here you are."

"Thank you. This is very odd. Has something happened?"

"I don't know. I would tell you if I knew."

She sipped her tea. "Where is he?"

"In the Control Room, I believe."

She nodded her head. "Could you please stay here with the children?"

"I'd be happy to."

She took her tea and walked out of the room.

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The Control Room was all lit up. The screen showed strange characters on the side. Poltious sat at a station in the back. "The Andromedaens will send us the last known coordinates of the King's ship as soon as we're in range. It will be several hours."

"Why were they going to the Jafrualara System?" The Doctor asked Ashena.

She sat next to Logan at another station. She shook her head. "I don't know. There are many places there he visits."

The Doctor sighed as he clicked a few more buttons. "We're at 85%, Timon. Should we increase it?"

Timon shook his head. "That's up to you, but I wouldn't. The engines aren't completely run in and have sat for several days."

He nodded his head. "Right. Okay. That's all we can do for the moment. Ashena. Go ring your Mum and tell her we're on our way. Logan, stay with her."

Logan held her hand and escorted her out of the room.

The Doctor ran his hand through his hair as he looked back at the screen. He sighed as he put his hands on his hips. "This is not how I expected to spend Christmas."

Poltious chuckled. "Well, things could be worse. Lewis says the explosion was an isolated incident. They are questioning the guy now."

"Yeah, I'm getting that, too. If we were there, we'd be in the middle of that."

Timon nodded his head. "I'd rather be here. Plague scare or not."

He turned around and nodded his head at them. "You lot have this? I need to get back to Tony."

Timon nodded his head. "Yes. When do we need to have a talk about that?"

He looked confused at him. "What do we need to talk about?"

Timon rolled his eyes. "He's my charge and he's hurt this badly. That's my fault."

The Doctor looked back at Poltious and then at Timon. "Okay, tell me what happened."

"He was working in the shop in New York and told me that he was going to get ready to take Pepper someplace. Instead, he slipped out."

The Doctor smiled, "Tony Stark doesn't need a babysitter. That's not your job. He did this to himself."

"I should have reported his absence."

"When did you notice he wasn't with Pepper?"

He sighed, "I honestly didn't. He had me working on something, and I assumed he was with her. Or they were together within limits I couldn't disturb. You know the oaths. I thought he was in the damn flat."

The Doctor nodded his head. "Timon, this is not your fault. I've slipped away with Rose way more times than I would ever admit to anyone. If something had happened to one of us, it wouldn't have been the fault of a Quauhtin. This isn't on your shoulders. It's on his."

Timon nodded his head. "Ugh. I prefer working on machines."

"That sounds like Tony there. Don't worry. He's officially mine until we get back home. Alright?"

Timon nodded his head. "You can have him, mate!"

The Doctor laughed as he walked back into his office. Tony sat engrossed in the notebook he read.

"Need another ice pack for your head?"

"Yeah." He said without looking up as the Doctor walked over to the food replicator and asked for one. He walked over and handed it to Tony. He didn't look up from the notebook and put it on his head. He groaned. "I'm not going to lie, man. I'm sore as fuck at the moment."

The Doctor leaned down and clicked the device on Tony's shoulder. "It would be best to wait for 27 minutes more before I put you back in the box."

Tony sighed in relief. "That's really good shit. It stops the pain immediately. I love that thing."

He laughed as he sat down in the chair next to him. "Did you call Pepper?"

Tony closed the notebook. "No." He looked down and saw the tabloid. He looked curiously at it and then shook his head. "I really don't know what to tell her."

"You still haven't told her the truth about me?"

"No. I don't know what she would say about it."

He shrugged his shoulders. "I think she would be alright with it."

Tony closed his eyes and shook his head carefully. "I don't. She knew a lot of people who died in the Cyber Invasion. That's why I kept it quiet."

"I've never asked, did you have any dealings with Lumic?"

"I met him once. Some foreign, fancy, dinner. I don't remember what. Seemed like he was plague carrier himself, so I tried to avoid him. Creepy ass, smoker's voice." Tony mocked him with a rather good impression of Lumic. "Don't you see what I'm trying to do, Stark? We could be partners."

"That seems right up your alley. What he was trying to do."

"Phhh… hell no it doesn't! He was bat shit crazy. It's like you say, 'There is a time for everything.' No one should live forever. Besides, the way he wanted, that wasn't even living. That was….surviving."

The Doctor nodded his head. "I wouldn't even call it that. But, I agree with you."

"No. Pepper doesn't need to know. Not now."

He nodded his head. "Well, you know her better than me. Just keep me posted on our story."

Tony held the ice pack to his head. "Right."

"How's the head? Is the reading helping?"

Tony groaned. He opened back up the notebook and looked down at it. "I think my head is worse than I thought. I've probably read this one page twenty times."

"Yeah? What is it about?"

He repositioned his hand to hold the icepack on the side of his head. His black eye was very visible. "This shit makes no damn sense. And it's not often I'll say that. What the hell was Rose thinking doing this? This should have killed her! How did this bomb not go off?"

The Doctor looked at doorway to see Rose standing there. He smiled at her. "Oh! You're awake. Hey!"

Tony closed the notebook he held in his lap. "Hey, Rose!" He began with his terrible British accent. "Bring me a cuppa, did you?"

She pointed at him, "What are you two in here talking about?"

Tony shook his head and groaned. "Just killing time with the Time Lord."

The Doctor looked at her. "Yeah, we have to wait 24 more minutes until we can-"

Rose walked across the room and snatched the tabloid off of Tony's lap. She saw another one underneath it. She looked at it. "This is a story about me riding in a car with a bomb? What?"

The Doctor nodded his head. "Yes. Apparently, some reporter found out the car you used to have has a recall on it. The hydrogen generator can explode."

Tony smiled as he looked up at her. "That's the reason I won't have any of those hippie ass hydrogen cars. Although, I make several hydrogen based bombs. Nice explosions with less work."

The Doctor smiled proudly at him, "The only guy in California with a gasoline motor."

Tony held up four fingers. "Four of them. Yes. That's what I should do. Put an arc reactor in those. That way, I don't have to refuel."

The Doctor shook his head. "Nah. Then it won't have that sound."

Tony nodded his head. "Yeah. That's true. Damn it."

The Doctor stood up, "Rose. Sit here and finish your tea. Tony, tea?"

Tony closed his eyes and moved the ice pack on his head. "I need a Scotch. I'm starving."

Rose sat down in the chair and sipped her tea. When the Doctor walked back over and handed Tony a Scotch as he sat down carefully next to him on the sofa. He held a glass of Scotch himself. Tony groaned a bit as the Doctor sat down.

"Alright?" he asked.

"I'm alright. I need to call Pepper. Let me see your phone."

The Doctor took his phone out of his pocket. "Want us to leave?"

Tony closed his eyes and carefully shook his head. "If you move and shake this couch, I'll kick your ass. Plant your butt and do not move an inch."

He smiled as he dialed a number and handed it to Tony.

Tony took the ice pack from his head and held the phone to his ear.

"Hey. It's me." He said.

Pepper's voice said something on the other end.

"No, I'm calling from John's phone. I've put mine some damn where. I'm not sure. Just call him if you need to talk to me."

Pepper said something. Tony closed his eyes tightly. Rose could feel how uncomfortable he was.

"I'm sorry, you need to go where?" He asked.

Pepper spoke again.

"Oh. That makes sense. No, the watches are not online. I couldn't pop you there anyway. Just take the Bullet. John needs me to help him with something."

She said something. Tony smiled, "Yeah, I know it's Christmas, but we've had several together. It's not a big deal. When will you be back?"

Pepper spoke again.

Tony smiled. "I might be done by then, too. Hopefully the watches will be online then. I have no idea what's up with that. I'll talk to John about it."

Pepper spoke again.

Tony sighed, "No, I've not been drinking. Why?"

She said something else.

"I think I sound fine. Worry about something else. I'm a grown-ass person."

She said something else.

Tony groaned, "Because I don't want to. Pepper. Damn it."

Pepper said something loudly to him. He didn't open his eyes. "Hell, tell them what you want. You're not going to be there, so I'm not going to go. I don't care."

She said something else.

Tony replied simply with, "Oh, send him some chapstick and tell him to kiss my entire ass."

The Doctor looked at Rose, who covered her mouth and giggled. He smiled and rubbed his face. He must have moved the sofa a bit more than he thought because Tony pointed at him forcefully.

Tony spoke again. "I have no idea. Tell him I've been abducted by an alien. I'm on my way to another galaxy to rescue a King from a plague. It will be a few days."

The Doctor's eyes got huge as he looked back at Rose. Rose covered her mouth and bit her lip to keep herself from laughing out loud. She mouthed, "It's alright."

Tony sighed as he moved his hand in the sling. "Right, Pepper. Call me on John's phone. He won't mind. If I find my phone, I'll let you know." He ended the call and handed the phone back to the Doctor. "Thanks, John."

"Abducted by an alien?" he asked.

He looked at him. "Tell me that's not what's happened here. Fucker. It's Christmas Eve."

Rose asked, "Is she angry?"

"Nah, she has to go out of town herself. So, it worked out. Although, I'm not sure about her story. Do you have a ghost on her?"

The Doctor rolled his eyes as he seemed to be thinking about something. "Yeah. Exton is with her. Mortimer is on stand-by."

Tony nodded his head. "Good. That makes me feel better. She'll be fine. I know Exton. All of your guys are good."

Rose looked concerned as she saw him put the ice pack back on his head. "Are you alright? You look like you are in a lot of pain."

"I'm good. I'm not going to bitch about getting back in that box. This shit really wants to hurt."

The Doctor leaned over and clicked the device. "This isn't working the way it should. Hang on." He took it off of Tony's shoulder and took his screwdriver out of his pocket. The moment that Tony was without it, he began to turn very pale. He closed his eyes tightly and grit his teeth. Rose saw his reaction and quickly reached over and grabbed his hand. "Tony. Don't pass out. It's alright."

The Doctor glanced back over at him. "Tony. Are you alright?"

Tony bit his lip. "I'm good. Just hurry that shit up."

The Doctor shot the device with his screwdriver and then pressed the button on the side. The lights went out on the side of it. "Ah! This isn't the time." He sat the screwdriver in his lap and took the box apart. He put on his glasses and looked at it closer. "This should work." He put it back together, leaned up and smacked it on the table. It didn't work.

He groaned, "Tony. I'll hurry and go get another one. Don't try to move without it."

Tony opened his eyes and looked at Rose. "Rose?"

The Doctor looked as Rose sat holding Tony's hand. Her eyes were still closed and she seemed to be in a trance. Tony picked up his arm and took it out of the sling. He looked at the Doctor in surprise as he rolled his shoulder around. "What the hell, John?"

The Doctor looked surprised as he watched Rose open her eyes and look at Tony. "Are you alright? You don't feel like you are in pain anymore."

Tony looked shocked at her. "I'm fine. What happened?"

Rose bit her lip and looked back at the Doctor. He didn't know what to say.

Rose smiled, "Excuse me. I should go to Sam. He needs a feed."

Tony's mouth was open in surprise. He took the ice pack off of his head and tossed it on the table as she walked out of the room. He stood up and felt of his chest and his arm. He took off the sling and dropped it on the table. "John? What the hell, man?"

"Ummm. Wow. Okay, well. Where do I start? She's never done that to anyone but me. Ugh. Give me a bit."

Tony pointed at the doorway, "Is she an alien, too?!"

"No! She's from Earth. Geez. Idiot. Calm down. I've told you about this."

He sat back on the sofa in shock. "I'm not going to be surprised about this. This is normal. This is John's world of normal."

The Doctor nodded his head. "Yeah."

Tony nodded his head. "Normal. Right. Oh, fuck that! What the hell did she do? This isn't normal!"

He held his hands out. "I'll explain."

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