Chapter 51 - You Just Know

The Doctor walked into the palace suite with Sam in his arm and suitcase in his hand. Logan walked behind him, carrying the elephant. "So, there are no carrots here. That's what you told the chef."

The Doctor sat down the suitcase. He looked around and handed Sam to Logan. "Here hold him. No, carrots are not here. But, there are things similar to it. And they put it in a lot of stuff."

"Hell, sounds like Earth."

"Yeah?" he asked as he unzipped the suitcase and pulled out the cot.

Logan was surprised to see the cot come out of the bigger than the inside bag. It took him a few minutes to rejoin the conversation. "Of course, drinks, mixes, all kinds of things. John, I didn't think about this."

He watched Logan toss the elephant into the cot, "What did she say about you staying?"

"Legate told me to wait until tonight to talk to her about it. That way I could see the place, meet the people, make sure it's something I wanted."

He nodded his head. "Makes sense. Legate wants to remain with you for a few weeks. Has he spoken to you about that?"

"Yes. He's a good friend. I'm glad he offered to do that. But…."

"But-?"

"His place is on Earth. Genie would not like him being gone that long. Even knowing he will return. He's saying a few weeks. I told him to stay a week, two tops. Genie has only started to be happy and feel like she belongs."

The Doctor nodded his head. "She still has her moments. She asked me only a week ago if I liked Sam more than her."

"Why?"

"Ah, children always think that. Even if they don't have a reason."

Logan looked down at Sam. "Well, that's true. She had asked Legate this, too. He told her it wasn't true. I'm happy she finally spoke to you about it."

The Doctor sighed, "I'm waiting for Tony Tyler to ask me similar things. I need to ring him. I always think about it after he's gone to bed."

Logan nodded his head as he walked over to the table. "There is a box of baby things over here, John."

"Oh, good. He's grown out of everything we have with us."

Logan walked back over and lay Sam in the cot. "I guess I'll go hang out with the children for a while. Keep an eye on Genie. Unless you need anything?"

The Doctor collapsed on the sofa. "I'm exhausted. I might take a nap with Sam. I don't know why I'm so tired." He rubbed his face.

Logan smiled, "Well, thank you for chatting with the chef about that, John. It's what? Kedrien and nablurn."

"And Zasmiunides. He will put them together so you can see them. But, he also told me that Ashena has already ruled they are to be eliminated from all meals served in the palace. So, it shouldn't be a worry. Just keep your injector with you."

Logan smiled, "Has she really?"

The Doctor smiled, "She has. I think she likes you, kid."

He laughed as he picked up his bag and walked out of the room.

The Doctor stood up and walked over to the cot. Sam yawned at him.

"Your Mum is having such a good time. She is laughing a lot."

Sam coo'ed.

"Need a feed?"

Sam coo'ed.

"Finally full. I didn't think that happened. Need a new nappy?"

Sam yawned again.

"That does sound good." He took Sam's sleeper off of him and undressed him to his nappy. He took off his oxford and t-shirt and tossed it on the sofa. He picked up the small baby and laid him on his chest. He sat down on the sofa and grit his teeth. "Lying down on this couch is going to be cold, Sam."

He lay down gently and groaned, "Oh man! This is cold!"

Sam laughed at him.

"You rotten children are all the same. You take delight in your father's pain." He grumbled at him.

Sam rubbed his face as he lay his head down on his Daddy's chest. They both fell into a peaceful sleep.

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The Doctor was woken up 48 minutes later to a knock on the door. He had pulled a blanket onto Sam who still slept peacefully.

"Come in." He called as quietly as he could and still be heard. Sam didn't move.

Tony walked in. "What is this shit? Sleeping?"

The Doctor groaned. "It was."

Tony laughed. "Sorry then. I just came to get my bag. Stay there, I'll dig in the canyon for it."

The Doctor chuckled, "In the canyon. It's over to the right."

Tony pulled out his bag and sat it on the floor. "So. What is this? You have to be half naked to sleep with your son?"

"What the hell are you talking about?"

"No shirt. No shoes. No sleep?" he teased him.

"That's how men take care of children. I'm a touch telepath, and Sam is telepathic, too. I'm not sure if it's touch or not. But, he also changes your emotions. That's the reason you relax so much when you hold him. The more skin to skin contact you give any infant, improves their overall health."

Tony looked surprised, "Really?"

"Yes. But, Rose thinks it's strange, too."

"Ugh. I don't think humans do this, Boob Man."

He chuckled, "They would benefit from it. How was the nebula?"

Tony sat down on the arm of the sofa. "That was amazing. I've only ever seen pictures of them and didn't realize they moved. It is, like a cloud. Beautiful."

"You haven't noticed the planets yet." He smiled.

Tony looked confused at him. "What about them?"

He held up both of his hands. "I was just telling Genie about this. Rose had never heard it either. Hmmm… for example. The Earth and the moon. They rotate around one another."

Tony nodded his head. "Right."

"They also have a slight wobble to them. All of the planets do. Some more than others."

Tony crossed his arms. "I've never heard of this. Why?"

"The gravitational pull on both of them. That along with the magnetic poles-"

Tony nodded his head. "That makes sense. I've never thought about that. Interesting."

"I don't know if it's the same here, but that's how they detect new planets using radio satellites on Earth in the Prime Dimension. They look for the wobble."

Tony ran his hand through his hair. "I have no idea. I've never really been into astronomy. I should probably get a book on it or something. It is interesting."

"Look into astrophysics. That's more your tastes."

Tony nodded his head and smiled. "You know me so well. Yes. I'll look into that."

The Doctor rose up, "Sit down and take off your shirt."

Tony raised an eyebrow. "Ugh. Why?"

"Because I have to go to the loo, and he needs to sleep."

Tony groaned as he took off his shirt. "Fine. New chest and all. Might as well use it." He looked back, put the fur blanket on the sofa and then lay down on it. The Doctor stood up and handed Sam to him. Sam fussed and then right back to sleep as he lay down on Tony's chest. Tony pulled the thin baby blanket back over him.

While the Doctor was gone to the loo, Tony relaxed and closed his eyes. "Sam, this isn't bad at all, man."

The Doctor came back out and picked up his t-shirt. "Want me to take him?"

"Nah, this is relaxing as hell. I used to smoke pot when I was in college, and when I was out of college. It sort of felt like this."

The Doctor pulled back on his shirt and laughed, "My son makes you feel like you're stoned?"

"Completely baked." Tony told him as he closed his eyes.

He rolled his eyes as he ran his hands through his hair.

Tony laughed.

"So, what do you think of Andromeda?" he asked as he sat down on the arm of the sofa.

"John, I fucking love this shit. Legate asked the Dock Master to show me around up there. She's working on getting us clearance to see it, but Legate, Logan and I are supposed to tour the city and see how they recycle water, produce electricity, all of that shit. You know, this palace is completely self-sustaining, as well as the city and out laying places?"

He smiled, "Yes. Clagl did a hell of a job with the rebuilding of the planet. It's known as the 'Jewel of the System'."

"I love looking at this stuff. Gives me ideas. In fact, yesterday. When that alien was cloaked and you couldn't tell where he was firing from."

"Yeah?"

"Why isn't there a program to detect the point of origin of the attacker?"

"It's scrambled."

"You haven't asked, but I think you damn aliens are over thinking some of this shit."

The Doctor rolled his eyes. "Such as?"

"Do you know how I found the ship yesterday? I wasn't just flying around hoping to run into it."

"I imagine when you got close enough to it, you could detect it on a radar. I've done that on a ship before."

"See, you're over thinking it."

He crossed his arms, "Simplify it."

"Thermography. Infrared radiation. Heat vision. Whatever you would call it. I could see it clearly in my suit. I didn't realize it wasn't a thing you had on your ship until I was talking to Legate about it today."

"Heat vision. Why do you have that on your suit?"

"So, I can see in the dark. It really helps to find the bad guys in the desert."

"Makes sense."

"I could design a radar based on the heat of the weapon, rather than the sound, or images from satellite. Any cloaking device could be seen through."

The Doctor nodded his head and looked impressed.

"Wouldn't that work? A heat detection sensor? You could see the engines and life support on the ship. Even heat from the bodies of the people on it."

The Doctor sat back with a smile on his face. "That's brilliant! Damn, Tony. You are clever."

Tony looked back at Sam, "Your Dad acts like that is such a surprise Sam. I am a weapons developer after all. With a crazy name."

The Doctor laughed, "Tony is a name unique to Earth. I've never thought about it, but I don't believe I'd heard it outside of there."

Tony smiled, "We should introduce me as Anthony and see if anyone can say that."

He smiled, "They wouldn't be able to. They can probably pronounce 'Stark' easier. What is your full name?"

Tony closed his eyes, "I'm not even going to start introducing myself as Edward. Fuck that."

"Edward? Really?"

"I told you my old man didn't like me. Anthony Edward Stark."

"Where did he come up with that name?"

He pointed at him, "You have no room to talk, Storm. Where the hell did that come from?"

The Doctor laughed, "Fair point."

"Edward was his brother's name. Dad's middle name was Anthony, but he told me that was also the name my biological mother gave me."

The Doctor nodded his head and chuckled, "No one would be able to say Edward. Tony is the best option for you out here. Edward. Sounds like 'ed wadiator'. Or ed wadiatoris."

He looked back at him, "What the hell does that mean?"

"It's the official person who reads someone's Last Wishes in a Royal House. A will?"

"Defiantly sticking with my weird ass 'Tony' name then."

"That's my recommendation."

Tony smiled, "So, Storm. It's Johnathon Storm Smith? Seems like there was something else."

"Alexander."

"After Alexander the Great, huh?"

He nodded his head. "A great Alex. Let's leave it that. I was called the Oncoming Storm by an enemy I fought for centuries. Rose always found it, interesting. So, she recommended it. I wouldn't have kept it. But, it was for her."

"You two are so disgusting."

He laughed quietly, "You and Pepper aren't like that?"

"Nah. I'm not like that with anyone. I mean, I don't know where this with Pepper is going."

He pat his foot. "Stay home longer than a week and then decide. Don't make decisions like that out here."

Tony rolled his eyes. "Tell me. How do you know?"

He stood up and stretched his back. "You just know."

"That's it? What sort of shitty advice is that?"

He chuckled, "I can't change the truth, you just know-"

"You just suck. That's worthless."

He continued to laugh under his breath. "I'm not kidding. It's just….something you know."

"So, you knew with Rose?"

He bit his lip. "That was complicated. I couldn't have had a relationship with her in the other Dimension."

"Want to explain that?"

He was already shaking his head. "Nope. Completely different situation than yours."

Tony groaned as he closed his eyes and relaxed. "Fine. I'll just accept that 'I'll know.' Right now, I don't know. I really, just don't know."

The Doctor nodded his head. "Something up?"

Tony didn't open his eyes. "I don't want to talk about it at the moment. I'm relaxing."

"Alright."

Tony rolled his eyes, "Thank you for bringing me out here, man. I love this shit. No one knows me. No one can even say my name. And the technology is amazing. I have more ideas from this trip than I've ever had in my life. Getting hit by that missile was the best thing that could have happened to me."

He smiled, "Yep, you're baked."

"Fucker."

"Pothead."

"Hey, I've not touched that stuff in…..a while." He decided.

The Doctor laughed.

"Pepper would kick my ass."

"Yeah, she probably would."

"Do you know they don't have cars here? Floating or just normal cars? What the hell?"

The Doctor laughed, "You're so American. Of course you spotted that."

"How the hell do they live without them?"

"I asked the same thing about your world when I first got there."

"Huh. I guess, you probably did." He relaxed and closed his eyes.

"Tony, are you going to sleep?"

"Call for me some chips. I have a feeling I'm going want to eat in about thirty minutes."

The Doctor shook his head as he smiled. "That's just sad, man."

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