XxxxxxxXxxxxxxxXxxxxxxx

Chapter 43 - Tony's Chat

Rose woke up lying on her back. She opened her eyes and ran her hand through her hair. She was in her bed in her suite. She saw the stars streaking by overhead which she knew meant they had returned to traveling at a high rate of speed. The bedroom of their suite was dimmed. The clock on the wall, which the Doctor kept on London time, read that it was 4:34 a.m.

She felt a weight on her stomach. She moved her hand to touch it and realized the Doctor had his arm lying across her. He lay next to her, asleep. She turned her head and kissed his forehead. He didn't move.

She felt the silk sheets against her legs. She was only wearing the oxford shirt, her bra and knickers that she had on before. He must have taken off her jeans, or maybe she did. She was confused and didn't remember going to bed that night.

She whispered, "Baby."

He continued to sleep.

She smiled, "Baby. Have you seen my knickers?"

He didn't open his eyes and exhaled, "I will help you find them."

She giggled at him.

He rose his hand and rubbed her cheek without opening his eyes. "Are you alright?"

She whispered, "I'm fine. Are you awake?"

He didn't open his eyes. "No." Then laughed under his breath.

She leaned in and kissed his lips. She whispered, "I'm going to go for a run. You stay and rest."

He mumbled as he rolled onto his back, "I'm not running."

She carefully got out of the bed and changed into her running clothes. She could feel he was in a deep sleep. She pulled up her hair and looked back at him. She couldn't figure out what it was, but he looked more handsome to her that morning than he ever had.

She quietly walked out of the suite and went to the exercise room on the other side of the ship. Legate, Lance and Licis were in there already in the boxing ring.

She smiled at them as she walked in, "Good morning, gentlemen."

They looked back at her and greeted her with welcoming smiles on their faces.

Rose watched the guys as they wrestled and fought with one another. She had been running for almost 20 minutes when Logan walked in with Tony and Legate. Logan stopped in his tracks as he saw her on the treadmill.

Tony patted him on the back, "She's not going to bite you. Now, get your ass in the ring."

Legate clapped his hands together. "Come on, Logan! Let's get a training in!"

Logan took off his shoes and climbed in the ring.

Rose's treadmill faced the ring. She smiled at the men as she ran. "Don't you lot ever sleep?"

Tony pointed at Logan. "We're working on something with the kid."

Legate put his hands on his hips and smiled, "They are taking All Nighters, Rose."

Tony nodded his head. "Yeah, that too."

She laughed, "Jack gave you a handful did he?"

Lance shook his head. "We don't need them."

Tony smiled, "I purchased some on my own last time we were on Plentitude." He pointed at Legate. "See what you can do with Junior. I need to speak to the lady." The men began to work with Logan and fight.

Tony walked over and stood in front of Rose. "Um. John told me to keep my mouth shut-"

She laughed as she ran, "John clearly doesn't know who he's talking to."

He smiled, "Apparently. Um. I wanted to say, you shouldn't feel weird about this."

She groaned, "I really don't want to talk about it."

He nodded his head. "Well, that's alright. You can just listen and I'll talk."

She turned off the treadmill and stopped running. She stepped off of the machine and he handed her a towel. He stared at her as she patted the sweat from her face. He continued quietly. "Rose. Everyone deals with something."

She shook her head, "No one has ever had to deal with something like this."

Tony pointed at himself. "Not that I'm disputing or lessening your situation, but…I was kidnapped, tortured and had to wear an Arc Reactor inside of my chest to stay alive for years. An Arc Reactor. If that had gone bad it wouldn't have only killed me, but would probably have taken out the entire Eastern Seaboard. I couldn't tell anyone because they would have thought I was a Cyberman -"

"What do you think they would think about me?" She asked him.

He held up his hand, "I'm not saying you need to go and announce this. I'm just saying that you shouldn't feel so ….. weirded out by it. You should talk to John. He's been able to help me, and let's face it. He likes you a lot more. A whole lot more."

She shook her head, "He wants to help me. I honestly don't think he can."

"You two are married. He says you are one in the same. That's sortof his job. He feels he can't talk to you about so much stuff, and now I see that's really a two-way street. How much shit are you keeping from him?"

"Well, that's interesting. How much shit is he keeping from me?"

"It's not my business-"

"Convenient answer."

He held up his hand, "But, I'm making it my business because I'm your friend. And I'm John's friend. Someone needs to say something. Rose, you need to know you have someone to talk to about stuff. How are you about what happened last night?"

"Well, you seem alright-"

He rolled his eyes, "Not me. The prisoner? Seeing him?"

Her mouth opened in shock. She brought her hand up to it. Tony immediately took her arm and led her to a bench to sit down. The Quauhtin and Logan never noticed. They were too wrapped up in their lessons.

He sat down next to her on a bench on the other side of the large room. "Look, I don't need to know what he did. I just know it was something that had really pissed off John. He told me some of the things he had thought about doing to him. He is a very violent individual."

Rose looked at Tony. "Did he do something?"

He looked surprised at her. "You don't remember?"

She bit her lip and asked him quietly. "Tony. Will you tell me what happened? I have no idea."

He took her hand. "John had this prisoner from Torchwood. The guys said that you went in there with John last night, crumbled him up and he dissolved."

Rose looked horrified at him. "I didn't do that."

He held her hand tighter, "That's what the story is this morning. John told Lance and the Quauhtin you did your…. Howling Wolf thing."

She closed her eyes tightly. "Damn it. Does everyone know?"

Tony pointed at the ring. "And they do not care. They do not see you any differently than they did last night. Rose. These are your friends. They have your back when no one else does. And I don't have a clear idea what this asshat did to piss John off, but I'm sure it's something that would have pissed off everyone on this ship. You are a reasonable, just person. If you got angry enough to do that to him, he deserved it. I'm sure of it."

She shook her head. "I don't remember any of this."

"What do you remember?"

"We were going to bed. He talked to me about something he was so sure was going to make me cross. He told me who he thought the prisoner was. I remember I started to cry because I was so angry, and then….." She stopped and thought about it.

"You don't remember anything after that." He filled in.

She shook her head. "No."

Tony looked back at the men in the ring. "That's probably for the best."

She sighed, "How could that be for the best? Tony, I killed someone. In front of him."

Tony looked back at her and shrugged his shoulders. "So. Keeps him in check."

She rolled her eyes and looked seriously at him. "Damn it. Really?"

He patted her hand that he held. "Rose. John loves you so much that it is sickening. Do you think he's going to be ashamed of you or something?"

She looked at the floor. "I suppose I must be."

He pointed at her, "You need to get over that shit. This is the real world. More fucked up than anyone could imagine."

She shook her head as she looked at her shoes. "What must he think of me?"

Tony looked back at her. "John thinks you are the most wonderful, amazing woman that has ever walked the Earth, or any other weird ass Doctor Seuss planet. That's what we should call him. Friday!"

Friday spoke, "Yes, Tony."

"Reset the Doctor's nickname. Call him 'Doctor Seuss' until further notice. Voice lock code Anthony Stark 5-29 Maria."

Friday spoke. "Yes, sir. Database has been updated."

Tony smiled and looked back at Rose. "There. Life should never be taken too seriously."

Rose laughed quietly, "He's going to kill you. What is that number?"

He smiled, "My birthday. May 29th. Maria is my mother's name. But, keep that to yourself. I don't think he'll figure out my password." He tapped his finger on his own lips.

She looked away and sighed, "This is a lot to process."

He nodded his head. "Oh, I'm sure. Let me ask you this. What do you call John?"

She smiled, "Doctor. Why?"

"Like, to his face?"

She looked confused at him. "Yeah, why?"

"That's just weird. He told me that he was known by that. It just sounds, odd."

"You met him as 'John.' That's probably why that sounds so strange. When we first met, I thought it was odd, too. I even introduced him to Jack as Spock."

Tony laughed, "I'll change his nickname to that next."

Rose laughed.

Tony tasted the name, "Doctor. I don't like it. Sounds, incomplete. Formal. I prefer John. He's good with me calling him that, isn't he?"

She smiled, "You should really ask him. I don't think he cares. There was a time he would, but I know most the Quauhtin call him that. My family and the Shepherds call him John. I believe it's alright."

He nodded his head. "Right. John."

She smiled at him. "Thank you for talking to me about this, Tony. I think you are right."

He looked insulted, "Of course I'm right. I'm rarely wrong, Rose. And this advice will cost you."

She rolled her eyes. "What?"

"A dance. You've been telling me no for years. I want a dance the next time we're at some, bullshit where people are doing that."

She smiled. "Alright."

He smiled back at her. "See. That only took five years."

She looked back at the ring. "They are going to get hurt. They are doing that wrong."

He pointed at the men, "Go take them to school. They're a bunch of idiots anyway."

She stood up and walked over to the ring with Tony. He slapped the mat, "Hey! Morons. Rose says you are doing this wrong."

Rose pointed at Logan. "You need to step back and bend your knee. Otherwise, you're going to snap your neck."

He looked confused. "Like this?"

She took off her shoes and climbed in the ring. "Legate, come here and attack me from behind like you were doing him. Watch this, Logan."

Legate wrapped his arms around Rose's frame. She grabbed his arm, stepped back and threw him over her shoulder. She still had his hand in hers, wrapped around backwards.

Legate shouted, "Awe! Yes. Awe! Like this, Logan!"

Rose didn't let up, "See, Logan. I have his wrist twisted now. From this position, you can kick him in the eggs-"

"Oh, please don't do that!" Legate begged.

She smiled, "Or break his wrist-"

"Don't do that, either!" Legate said.

She nodded, "Or, sit on his throat and pin him." Which she did.

Legate struggled under her. He finally coughed, "I've had enough, ma'am."

She stood up. "Every situation is different. You have to be flexible with your technique."

Logan nodded his head. "I understand."

Rose climbed out of the ring.

Legate rolled over and coughed as he caught his breath.

Logan turned to Tony, "Can we copy her fighting skills for me?"

Tony smiled as he looked back at Logan. "One step ahead of you, kid."

XxxxxxxXxxxxxxxxx