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Chapter 45 - The Search

Several days pasted as they continued the search for King Clagl's ship. The Doctor, Summus and Poltious felt they were so close to finding it so many times, only to be disappointed. The Doctor had taken the warning about controlling his temper seriously. He found himself nearly losing control of it on the fourth day of the search. He hadn't slept, had hardly eaten and was just generally in a terrible mood.

Tony had kept himself busy and seemed to be happier than he had ever been in the hanger. He worked on his three suits he had, and was able to use some parts from the suit he had destroyed in the missile strike. Legate had also educated him fully on the smaller ships and how they worked. It did nothing but inspire Tony with projects he couldn't wait to get to work on.

Because the ship was busy searching, it moved at impulse speed only. Legate was able to take Tony and Logan out and teach them how to pilot the different space craft.

Also during that time, the Doctor had managed to spend some time with Genie by putting together two bigger on the inside rooms near the suite him and Rose shared now. One would hold a copy of the flat from London once they returned. Tony, Logan and Legate moved and copied as much as they could into the new playroom. Everything that had been put into the playroom on the island was still in the computer, so the large room now contained treehouses, a small train, playground equipment, a large slide which Legate had copied to the lagoon earlier, and a huge ball pit that they had gotten rid of on Earth because Zeus kept stealing the balls out of it. Genie was thrilled with her playroom and was content to stay in there for hours entertaining herself.

Rose had decided to continue to feed Sam with a bottle. The computer was able to reproduce what she had pumped so closely that Sam continued to make a pig of himself. Summus laughed as he had held the small baby and told him how he had grown so quickly in the last few days since he had been gone.

Ashena kept in touch with her mother, Queen Oen. She sent out several ships to them to assist with the search. With each passing moment, hope seemed to fade.

That evening, Rose sat at the dining table in their suite. She had papers all over the tabletop and worked on the computer. Sam slept in a cot next to her, peacefully. She was completely engrossed in her work when Friday spoke. "Ma'am. There is a call for you."

She sat down her pen that she had been chewing on. "Put it on the screen in here please."

Jackie Tyler's face filled the screen. She smiled and whispered, "Is everyone there asleep?"

Rose smiled, "Hi, mum. No. Just Sam."

Jackie looked confused, "Not Genie? It's late."

Rose glanced over at the clock on the wall. It showed it was 11:48 p.m. She tossed her hand up. "I've completely lost track of time. I'll have to go get her to bed."

"John isn't there?"

"He's been back to put the children to bed around 9:00 each night of this search. It's alright. I'll take care of it."

Jackie rolled her eyes. "I'm not going to fuss since it's your birthday-"

Rose blushed as she put her hand to her face. "I had honestly forgotten about that. Wow. It is."

She shook her head. "Being in space is making you thick!"

"No, Mum. I've been busy working on this book." She pointed back at the table. "Tosh and Malcolm had me reviewing some stuff they are working on, too. It has been quiet and I just didn't realize-"

Jackie laughed, "I remember those days. You finally get a moment to yourself and you don't want to give it up."

Rose sat on the arm of the chair and smiled. "Exactly. That was it. Where have you been all day?"

She smiled proudly. "I've been on the telly. Three interviews today. Pete thinks I'm mad, but I'm rather enjoying it."

Rose laughed, "Are you serious?"

"Caroline was on one show with me. That's the reason I'm calling so late. I've never missed a birthday and I'm not about to start now. You might be a Mum now, but I'm still your Mum."

She smiled, "Thank you, Mum."

"Now. Any word on when you will be back? I'll order you a lovely cake. Chocolate, right?"

"With strawberries. Yes. That sounds wonderful. But, no party. Please."

She nodded her head. "I feel the same way about my birthday. Keep it under your hat come February 1st."

Rose laughed. "I can't promise that."

"So, what sweet thing has that husband of yours done? He always just goes over the top with everything."

Rose shook her head, "He hasn't done anything. He's so wrapped up looking for Clagl that he's probably not realized what day it is."

Jackie rolled her eyes.

Rose quickly pointed at her, "Do not ring and tell him. He will feel terrible, and he's in a state already. And it's really not that big of a deal."

Jackie's look of disapproval was clear on her face. "Rose."

"Mum. I'm serious. Don't you dare tell him. Promise me you won't."

She sighed. "If that's what you want."

"It is. See, you don't even have to give me a gift. Now, how's everyone?"

"Oh, they are fine. We have Jacob tonight here in London. Howie is looking to send him to a private school nearby. Pete is looking at it for Tony, too. They can both come here everyday, it's not a boarding school. I told Pete that I'd kill him if he sent him away. But, this is a good school, Rose. You might look at it for Genie."

She shook her head. "Thank you, but we're not home enough for her to be in a proper school."

"Well, that's true. Tony needs something though. He's so smart it is scary. The bit that you and John have taught him has just accelerated how much he wants to know. He reads all of the time. It's like having a mini-Pete!"

Rose laughed. "Mini-Pete, huh? There are worse things."

She nodded her head. "Yeah. You have a mini-John. Good luck with that one in the years ahead."

Rose smiled, "Oh, I'm certain I'll need it. I'm going to find Genie and get her to bed. Good night. Thank you for calling."

"Love you, sweetheart. Happiest of birthdays." Jackie said as she ended the call.

She walked over to Sam's cot to check on him. He lay on his side, hugging the leg of the elephant he had gotten for Christmas. He seemed to sleep so much better with it in his cot. She pulled on a jumper and walked out of the suite. Legate and Logan were walking down the hallway.

"Good evening, Rose." Legate smiled at her as he waved. She noticed his wrist was wrapped up in a bandage.

"Legate, what have you done to yourself?" she asked.

He looked embarrassed. "Umm… Nothing."

Logan laughed, "He refuses to see John about it. That was from the other morning. When you twisted his wrist."

She covered her mouth, "Legate. I'm so, incredibility sorry."

Legate rolled his eyes as he looked back at Logan. "I'm really fine. It's just a bit sore. John's busy. I'll talk to him about it after this search is sorted."

She took a deep breath. "Don't wait if it's really bad-"

"I'm not interrupting John with that search. No way!"

Rose smiled. "Then, I'll keep it to myself I know about your injury. Alright?"

He bowed his head. "Thank you, Rose."

"Legate. I need to go fetch Genie and get her to bed. Would you mind keeping an eye on Sam for me?"

Legate nodded, "I'd be happy to. Let Logan go fetch Genie for you though. Poltious asked us to come get you and see if you could come to the Control Room."

She nodded her head. "He's still being unreasonable?"

Legate smiled, "I'm not going to say anything."

"He is. I can feel it." Rose nodded.

Legate shook his head as he waved his hand, "I'm just glad I have other duties that keep me out of the Control Room. That's all I'll say. See what you can do with him."

She smiled. "I understand completely." She walked down the hallway and stepped onto the elevator. Within a few moments, she had arrived on the level with the Control Room. She walked inside.

Poltious stood in front of the main window. He pointed over at a nebula to the right. "That, just over there. The nebula itself could be preventing any transmission from reaching us."

The Doctor didn't turn around. "It's not safe to go into that. We should send a probe."

Summus nodded his head. "I'll help Lance prepare one. He's already down there." He started to walk out of the room. "Oh! Hello, Rose."

The other men turned and looked at her. Poltious smiled. "I'm glad to see you!"

She smiled. "Is he being difficult?"

The Doctor smiled as he shook his head. "I'm being fine. They are just being….weird."

She walked over to him. "Come to your office with me for a minute. While Summus gets the probe ready."

He thought for a moment and then nodded his head. "Alright. Poltious you have this?"

"Yep!" He said brightly.

They walked into the Doctor's office and Rose closed the door.

"Alright, you. It's been days. Have you slept at all?"

He groaned as he collapsed onto the sofa and rubbed his face. "No. And it's not been days."

"It's been four days!"

He looked surprised at her. "Has it? No. That's not right." He thought for a moment. "It has. Huh."

She sat down next to him. "Baby. I'm not going to be the nagging wife, but you need to rest. These Quauhtin can continue to look for Clagl-"

He was already shaking his head. "No. I feel like we're close. He's out there-"

"You're right, he is. But, you are exhausted. I can feel it. You are so cross-"

"I'm not cross!" he shouted.

She looked at him seriously.

"Sorry. Maybe I am. Rose, this shouldn't be taking this long. In the TARDIS, I could just pop right to some missing ship. This is….miserable. The search and just not knowing. I just…..hate this. I hate everything about it."

"This is how it's done in the regular world." She told him as she rubbed his leg.

He groaned as he propped his head up on his fist. "This is just, shit. And I know I'm missing something. It's….just…..right in front of me. Something simple."

"I know he's a friend of yours. You being so tired is making you emotional-"

"I'm not emotional!" he told her.

She raised her eyebrows at him.

He rubbed his face. "Maybe that's one of those words that mean something different to you than it does to me."

She nodded, "Maybe. I can feel your exhaustion. I've came up here to bring you back to our room so you will sleep-"

"I don't need to be handled, Rose-"

"Oh, yes you do. You're driving everyone mental. You are going to take your ass to bed and sleep!" she demanded.

"I don't need as much sleep as you think-"

"You need a hell of a lot more than you have had."

He propped his head up on his fist and looked at her. "So, it's like that then?"

She stood up and put her hands on her hips. "Yes. You're coming with me."

"Wife's privilege, huh?" he smiled at her.

She smiled back at him, "Whatever it takes. Allonsy, Time Lord."

He groaned as he stood up. "Oh, alright. I give up."

She smiled as she took his hand and lead him back into the Control Room.

He spoke. "Poltious. I'm going to take a break for a few hours. See if I can come back at this refreshed. Legate can relieve you if you need him."

Poltious nodded his head. "Get some rest. I'll wake you if something is spotted."

He nodded his head as they left the Control Room and walked back to their suite. Logan and Legate greeted them as soon as they walked in.

Legate informed them, "Genie had fallen asleep in the tree house. She's resting in her bed, now."

The Doctor looked confused, "Why was she in her tree house?"

Rose turned around and pointed at him. "You. Bedroom." She turned to Logan and Legate. "You two. Thank you, and good night."

They both smiled as they excused themselves. The Doctor grumbled something under his breath as he went into the bedroom. Rose checked on Genie quickly and straightened up her paperwork on the table. Sam woke up long enough to get a new nappy and a bottle before he went back to sleep again. She carried him, and his huge elephant, into the bedroom. After Sam was settled in his cot there, she changed into her pink, silk night gown and climbed under the duvet next to the Doctor who was already in a deep sleep. The lights were already dimmed in the room.

He lay on his side, facing her. He had taken off his shoes and socks, but left on his jeans and shirts. As she watched him sleep, she noticed the dark rings under his eyes. She also saw a small cut on his chin where he had apparently cut himself shaving that morning when he had came down to shower and wake her.

She spoke quietly, "Friday. Dim the lights to 5%"

The lights dimmed. She laid her hand on his cheek. He raised his hand, put it on top of hers and kissed it as he continued to sleep. She smiled at his reaction to her touch. She looked again at the cut on his chin. She rubbed it with her thumb as she thought how much it probably had hurt when he had done it. She imagined the skin growing back together as she kept her thumb positioned on top of the wound.

He exhaled slowly as he relaxed.

She moved her thumb to look at his chin again. The cut was gone with no evidence that it had been there before. She smiled in spite of herself. She kissed him on the end of his nose and whispered, "I love you. Get your rest."

He put his hand on her hip and mumbled, "The baby is sleeping, Rose. Try to sleep."

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Meanwhile, the Doctor looked around frantically. "It was just here. How have I lost it?"

He was in the old barn with the sand floor that he visited often in his dreams. He pulled himself up to the second level and looked around the small bed that was there. He looked on the window ledge. He sighed as he put his hands on his hips. "This makes no sense. It was right here."

He heard her laugh.

He looked down and saw the Bad Wolf sitting on a bale of hay on the bottom floor of the barn. "What do you want?"

She giggled as she walked over and climbed the ladder. "That's no way to greet your lover."

He continued to search, "Rose is my lover-"

"We are the same." She smiled. "She's beginning to accept it. But in order for her to do it, you have to keep your temper under control."

He threw the pillow back down on the bed as he became angry. "What is this about? I do not have a bad temper!"

She laughed, "Oh, you do. And the more cross you get, the more she will get."

He nodded his head as he looked back at her hanging on the ladder. "That finally makes sense. She can't control it right now. The Bad Wolf appears when she becomes angry."

"You can help her by controlling your emotions. You are joined. She feels what you do."

He nodded his head. "That is the clearest advice you have ever given me. Cheers." He returned to searching.

She smiled, "What are you looking for, Time Lord?"

He looked around. "Something important. Something I have to find. Quickly."

She watched as he looked around, then began to laugh. "Men are all the same. No matter where they are from."

He put his hands on his hips and glared at her. "What the hell does that mean?"

"You all look for something as if it's going to be sitting in the floor, waving its hands about and shouting, 'Hey! Here I am!' Have you stopped to think it might be in something? Or it is purposely hiding from you?"

He looked confused, "It's not."

"How can you be certain?"

He looked confused as he picked up a wooden box. He opened it up and found it empty. He looked back at her.

She had disappeared.

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The Doctor woke up immediately and sat straight up in the bed. "I know where he is."

Rose groaned in her sleep. "Huh? What?"

He looked surprised back at her. "I know where he is, Rose." He threw the duvet off of himself and quickly ran across the bed and jumped onto the floor. He stopped and held his hand out as he looked at Sam. He grit his teeth and whispered, "Don't wake up. Oh shit."

She rose up and looked at him. He stood completely still.

'Are you even breathing?' She asked him.

He shook his head as he continued to look at Sam. 'Okay, he's going back to sleep. Rose. I know where he is!'

He ran out of the suite without putting on his shoes or socks. Rose giggled at his excitement as she lay back on the pillows. This was her Doctor. Hyper, mad and off to save someone.

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