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Chapter 52 - Drinking Game with the Doctor

The Doctor found Jake, Howie and Pete in the sitting room drinking. Everyone else had went to sleep already.

"Sorry, I'm not too late for the party am I?" the Doctor asked.

"Hell no!" Pete said. "Just in time! Kids all asleep?"

"Yeah, Rose is still rocking Genie. But, she's already asleep. It's good for both of them though. And Tony has decided he is too big to be rocked anymore." the Doctor said as Jake poured him a drink.

Pete shook his head. "Growing up too fast."

"They do that." He slapped the bar. "Jakey-boy. What was going on with this active shooter thing?"

Pete and Howie's mouths both dropped.

"What in tarnation?!" Howie demanded. "I was afeared someone would bellyache about stuff, but not do something beef-headed!"

"When did this happen?" Pete asked.

Jake told them both, "Tonight. When they took the Doc and me out into the hallway at dessert. Protocol is they have to tell the heads of security. The shooting was two miles away. If it had gotten closer, they were prepared to put all of us in the bunker."

Howie took a drink. "Well. If that don't biff. Here we are trying to make some betterments, and they want to run around all belly in the bush."

The Doctor grabbed the bottle of the damn whiskey and poured him a drink.

"I've gotta get caught up here. I can't understand, Howie." He had three shots in a row. Within a few moments, his head was swimming again. He had relaxed. He poured himself another drink.

Pete asked, "Well, did they catch who it was?"

Jake said, "The marines neutralized them."

The Doctor grew angry. "Well, that's just great! How are we ever supposed to get to the bottom of this if we don't have anyone we can question?"

He turned to Pete, "That's typical of the military mind, isn't it? Present them with a new problem, and they start shooting at it."

Jake poured the Doctor another drink. "Doc, I know how you feel about that. I know you can't stand guns and the military."

The Doctor raised his finger to make a point. "No. What people do with guns, irks me."

Howie laughed, "Hey! Doc is talking like me!"

Pete shook his head and put his palm on his face. "Oh god, he's converted an alien now."

The Doctor continued. "Military people usually do bother me, but I'd have you know Jake Simmonds, that one of the dearest friends I ever had in my life is a military man. Came from a very long line of soldiers. Over 400 years worth! We have known one another for years."

Pete took a drink, "Really? That seems like an unlikely pair. Like me and Howie."

"Your friendship" the Doctor told them pointing at Howie and Pete, "Reminds of Thomas Jefferson. He said, 'I never considered a difference of opinion in politics, in religion in philosophy, as cause for withdrawing from a friend'."

Pete looked impressed. "How about that, Howie. Another great American!"

Howie slapped the bar. "Hell, I'll drink to that!"

The Doctor took a drink and nodded his head. "Yeah, me and my friend. We are as opposite as they come. He always prefers to settle his problems by fighting rather than talking. And I'm completely the other way around. I'll talk my way out of anything. I have for centuries."

Howie was intrigued. "Is he from here?"

"No, not America. He's from Great Britain."

"What does he think of you being a foreigner?" Howie asked him.

The Doctor laughed. "Well, he didn't believe me for a very long time. But, as the years went on, he became less skeptical. And you know, that was me, too. When I first came here, I was terrified of humans. Now, look at me. Engaged to one! Granted, Brigadier wouldn't have taken it that far."

The men laughed.

Pete was impressed, "A Brigadier? Wow!"

The Doctor nodded as he took a drink. "Yes. We sometimes would to get together and drink Brandy. I saw him shortly before I came here in fact. I wonder what he would say about all of this?"

Jake laughed. "He would have probably encouraged you to punch out the playboy for sure."

The Doctor laughed, "Yeah, he probably would. Or just done it for me."

Howie was behind the bar, looking for something. They could hear him complaining.

"Ah!" he said as he brought a bottle of Brandy out and poured them each a glass.

The Doctor looked surprised. "What's this?"

"A toast to a big bug. Any friend of yours, is one of mine. Besides, I'm all about getting boosy tonight!" Howie told him.

All of the men lifted a glass. Howie said, "To the Doc's friend - "

The Doctor smiled and said, "General Sir Alistair Gordon Lethbridge-Stewart."

The Doctor drank, but the other three men looked on in shock.

Pete was the first one to speak. "Holy shit. You know him? I don't even know him! He's a legend!"

The Doctor laughed at them. "No, I knew him in the other dimension. I don't know him here."

Jake laughed in disbelief. "Yeah, but... damn. Hell, I need this drink now."

"Yeah, me too." Pete said.

Howie drank his and made a funny face. "Blah! Brandy."

Jake laughed. "Reminds me of a drinking game. Doc' have you ever played a drinking game?"

The Doctor rolled his eyes at Jake. "Everyone in the entire universe has played a drinking game. It happens everywhere. Believe me."

Pete laughed. "Great idea, Jake. This will be fun. What do you say, Howie?"

"I'm already slewed, do your worst!"

Jake explained. "Okay, we each take a turn and say, something we have or never have done. If you have done it, you drink. If you can agree that you have never done it, you don't drink. Ready?"

Pete smiled and said, "I can never come up with anything good. You be the game master, Jake."

Jake thought for a minute. "I have never ever, been to church and a gay bar on the same day."

Jake took a drink. So, did Howie.

"Howie?! What the hell? Did you really?" Pete asked him.

"What? I always need a drink after a preaching." Howie defended himself.

"But, at a gay bar?" Pete asked him.

"Hell yeah. It was closer. I needed a drink. What's the problem?" Howie shrugged his shoulders.

Pete shook his head and laughed. "Oh god, Howie."

Jake and the Doctor laughed.

Jake asked another question. "Never have I ever felt like killing someone, in the past 24 hours."

"Try two hours." the Doctor grumbled and took a drink.

So, did Howie.

Pete noticed, "Howie! What the hell?"

"What? I work in Washington! I'm sure some politician pissed me off in the last 24 hours. I want to make sure I'm thorough." Howie told him.

The Doctor laughed, "The drink must be working because I understood all of that."

Jake was laughing, "Easy one. Never have I ever played this game."

Howie took another shot.

"What the hell, Howie? We played this last time we were here!" Pete fussed at his friend.

"Oh, I'm sorry. I thought he meant today."

The Doctor and Jake were laughing at Howie and Pete.

Jake had another one, "Never have I ever drank while underage."

Jake, Pete and Howie all drank to that.

Howie noticed the Doctor didn't drink anything.

"What is this? Are you a boy scout?" Howie ask the Doctor.

He laughed and shook his head. "No, there are no age restrictions in some places. I figured I'd be fair."

Jake continued, "Never ever have I cussed out someone in another language."

Howie and Pete drank. The Doctor had a question. "Do we have to take a drink for each language we have done that in?"

Jake laughed. "No, Doc'."

"Oh, good. I was about to be the winner here." he said as he took a drink.

Jake said, "Never have I ever stolen."

All four men looked at one another and all took a drink.

Pete laughed, "What the hell did you steal, Howie?"

He pointed at his friend and answered quickly, "The nomination to the White House! HA!"

"How about you Doc?" Pete asked.

He shook his head, "I'd rather not say. You?"

"Ah, I'd rather not say. You Jake?"

Jake smiled and said, "Some shit from Torchwood. Not even sorry."

They all laughed at him.

Jake continued. "Never have I ever streaked."

Howie and the Doctor drank.

"Doctor?! For real?" Jake exclaimed.

The Doctor ran his hands through his hair. "Well, sortof. It's not called that everywhere you go. Sometimes it's the norm to be naked."

Pete pointed at Howie. "He took a drink, too. Dare I ask?"

"What was the question?" Howie asked.

"If you have streaked. You know, ran naked." Pete explained.

"Oh! I thought he said 'screaked'." Howie said.

The Doctor decided that Howie was using any excuse to drink. His head was spinning.

Jake began again. "Never have I ever done something I could get a prison sentence for."

The Doctor and Jake drank a shot.

Pete looked surprised. He laughed, "Doctor? Should I be worried here?"

"Nah, Pete. Different planets. Some crazy rules. Don't worry about it." the Doctor said.

No one seemed surprised at Jake.

Jake was laughing, "Never have I ever ducked into a closet for a quick shag."

The men looked around at one another. Wondering who would be the one to admit it.

Finally, Howie and the Doctor took a drink.

The Doctor raised up his hand, "Don't ask."

"Howie? Who are you shagging in the closet?"

"Who? Doesn't that mean hanging up a coat or something? I can't understand what you are talking about."

They had all had too much. The were all hysterical with laughter.

Rose came into the room.

Pete held his glass up at her. "Hey! It's a pretty lady!"

The Doctor turned around. "Hey! It is!"

Rose stood next to the Doctor at looked at him closely. He rolled his neck back. "Rose, why are you staring at me?"

She took his hand in hers. She could feel his extreme absentmindedness. "Are you drinking the damn whiskey, again?"

He rubbed his hand in his hair and answered slowly. "Yeah."

"You told me to come rescue you. You said you didn't need to drink too much more tonight. I think I'm going to say you're close enough." she told him.

"How close?" he asked her smiling.

"One more. That's it." Rose told him.

"I think you're right." he agreed with her. His head was swimming worse than it had been that entire night.

Jake laughed. "Rose should pick the last question. We are playing Never have I ever..."

Rose was surprised. "With him?! He's done everything! Have you met him?"

The Doctor and Pete laughed at her.

Rose smiled and decided she would play along. She nodded as she put her hands on her hips. "Okay, I have one. But, just for the Doctor. No one else."

"Uh-oh. I'm on the hot seat!" he teased Rose as he turned around and faced her. "Go on then, dear."

Rose leaned in and whispered something in his ear.

He looked surprised and smiled. "Nah, I told you that already."

"No, I said more than one in the royal family." Rose clarified.

He laughed under his breath in disbelief. And ran his hand through his hair.

"Oh, Rose that's just mean." he told her. "Do you have to know that?"

Pete, Jake and Howie were all watching. Waiting in anticipation as to what he would do.

Rose stood there smiling at him. She knew she had him now.

He stood up and smiled. "Really? That's what you want to know?"

"I think Rose has a good hand here." Howie laughed.

Pete shook his head and laughed.

Rose stood there with a smile on her face waiting for the Doctor's answer.

He turned and picked up the drink. He pointed at Rose.

"Rose Tyler. I told you. I am a professional." And he took the drink.

He was blushing like mad. "Good night, guys." he told Howie, Pete and Jake.

Rose threw her hands up. "I can't believe you!"

He walked over to Rose. "You did that to yourself. You had to know."

He walked out of the room as he said over his shoulder, "And no, it wasn't at the same time."

Pete laughed. "Oh, I bet that is a good story."

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