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Chapter 66 - Dinner with Tony

The Doctor turned around and picked up Genie. "Okay. Let's show everyone to their rooms! Rose, you know where we are? Right?"

Rose smiled. "Yes. Children are with us, right?"

The Doctor nodded. "Yes. They are too small to be on their own. Everyone, see Legate for room assignments. He's probably already got you lot in your rooms, though. I think Tony was next to us. Then Lewis and Arla. Right?"

Gobbo laughed, "Wooo….. don't tell Summus you let them in the same room together."

The Doctor laughed in disbelief. "Really? Lewis is a grown man. Would Summus really flip out about that?"

All of the Quauhtin nodded their heads seriously.

The Doctor looked back at Rose. "Suggestion?"

Rose smiled, "Rule Two: What happens in space, stays in space. Everyone agree?"

The entire room said, "Agreed!"

Rose smiled as looked back at The Doctor. "Problem solved. Stop overthinking things, Time Lord."

The Doctor smiled. "Right, my dear."

They walked down the hall together. Genie wiggled to get down. She ran to catch up with Tony and Jacob.

Logan and Legate walked out behind them. Legate was busy talking about football with Logan. Legate called to the Doctor. "Hey Doc'. I'll take Logan to his room. He's between Lewis and me. Cool?"

The Doctor nodded. "That's fine. See you in a hour?"

Both of them smiled. Legate smacked Logan in the chest. "I know what he's on about. You'll love it."

Logan smiled nervously.

Rose and The Doctor showed the children to their suite. As they walked in, the large window in their room showed streaks of stars outside. The light was very bright in the sitting room. The Doctor shielded his eyes. "Geez. Friday, dim these lights a bit."

Friday responded, "Yes, Captain." The lights dimmed.

The Doctor looked at Rose in surprise. She was laughing under her breath. "That didn't take long."

The Doctor shook his head. "Damn that Stark."

Rose laughed as sat down on the sofa and started to feed Sam. The Doctor walked over to the left of the room with the children following him. He pressed a button and the door slid back. He turned on the light to reveal a room with two sets of bunk beds in the walls.

"Alright. All three of you are in this room, together. Rose and I are across the sitting room in that bedroom over there."

Genie pressed a button next to the doorway where the Doctor stood. She jumped as the door slid open. Another bedroom was behind the door. She pointed at it. "Daddy, who's in here? Sam?" She asked.

The Doctor shook his head. "No. Sweetheart. Sam needs to stay with mum still. I put some blocks and games in this room for you lot. I imagine you can play in here when you are in the suite if you want. Just save that other room for sleeping. We'll see some more of the ship in a bit. Sound good?"

Genie looked up at him and smiled. "That's good!"

Jacob and Tony ran into the playroom and busied themselves. The Doctor looked at them and smiled. "Can I close this door in case Sam goes to sleep?"

Tony looked at him. "Sure, John. That way we can be a bit louder."

He pressed the button and the door closed. He could hear laughing and the children playing behind the door.

He sat down next to Rose and sighed. He ran his hand through his hair. "I probably should make them eat dinner." He realized.

Rose smiled at him. "Give them about ten minutes. They will come ask for something in a bit."

"They are really being a lot more….okay with this than I imagined."

She smiled at him. "They are children. They roll with things a lot better than most adults do."

He nodded his head. "That's very true." He put his arm on the back of the sofa and looked at her. "Are you alright?"

She smiled at him. "Yes. Why?"

He rubbed his face. "Just wondering. This is strange. Being in space again, so soon. Like this. All of these…..people."

"Missing your TARDIS?" she asked.

He stared absentmindedly away. "Yeah. I guess so."

She looked down at Sam. She unbuttoned her shirt and pulled it further down so he could get to her breast easier. The Doctor sat closer to her and looked down at Sam. "He seems tired."

Rose looked at him. "How's your head?"

"I've had five cups of tea. I think it's helped. What happened last night? Anything, odd?"

Rose shook her head. "Like what?"

"I don't know. You said I talked in my sleep. I don't think I normally do that. Do I?"

Rose smiled and shook her head. "How would I know? You haven't been sleeping."

He smiled at her. "Good point. What did I say?"

Rose looked at him and he could feel she had grown uncomfortable. She smiled at him. "The children are all busy at the moment. We can chat about this, or you can kiss me. Which would you rather do?"

He narrowed his eyes at her. "Oh wow. Umm… I sortof want to talk about this. Are you avoiding this subject?"

Rose shook her head at him and smiled. "You've been gone all day. Can you just kiss me until these children discover they are hungry?"

He turned on the sofa to face her. He smiled like a loon, "It would be my pleasure. I'm not going to bother you, nursing?"

She smiled at him, "No."

He leaned closer to her and put his hand on her cheek. He kissed her slowly, licking her lips with the tip of his tongue. He could feel her pleasure at the attention. She could feel that in that moment, he was completely hers. The door beeped.

He dropped his head. "Damn it."

Rose giggled at him. "Hand me that small blanket over there so I can cover myself up."

He reached over for the blanket and helped her. "Good?" He asked.

She looked back at him. "Thank you."

He called, "Come in."

Tony came in. "Alright. I'm an idiot. How the hell do you work this food thing?"

The Doctor laughed. "We were just talking about that. Come in and let me show you, I need to get something for these rotten children anyway."

He stood up and walked over the indention in the wall. There was a table to the side of them. The Doctor looked back at Rose. "Sweetheart, what do you want for dinner?"

"Can that thing make me a chocolate milkshake?" Rose asked him.

He smiled, "Oh, that does sound good. See, watch Tony." The Doctor pressed a button. "A chocolate milkshake."

Just as if someone had transported it to the small platform, it appeared. He picked up the glass, complete with whip cream and a cherry on top and took it to Rose. She thanked him.

Tony smiled and rubbed his hands together in excitement. "Geez. I don't know what I want. What are you going to get, Doc'?"

He shrugged his shoulders. "Now that I'm not limited to food from Earth, I might get something else. Feeling adventurous?"

Tony laughed, "Sure. Thrill me."

The Doctor rubbed his beard and snapped his fingers. "Got it!" He pressed the button and said something strange. A plate appeared in front of them. It resembled sushi, made with blue and brown alien bits. The Doctor picked it up and handed it to Tony.

"For real?" He looked at him questionability.

The Doctor smiled. "Yeah."

Tony looked back at Rose. "Have you had this?"

Rose sipped her milkshake. "I can't see if from here. I have no idea. What does it look like?"

Tony laughed, "Like something Indiana Jones wouldn't eat in the Temple of Doom. Jesus. I think he's fucking with me. New plan. A burger?"

The Doctor smiled. "Hang on, man. Give me another try." The Doctor turned back, pressed the button and said something else. A plate appeared in front of him. It looked like a salad, with blue lettuce and multicolored bits all around it.

Tony looked at it. "A salad?"

The Doctor pointed at some bits Tony hadn't noticed. "It has meat in it. It's like a …ummm…. like seafood."

Tony picked up some of the bits and tasted it. "Okay, this will do. Thanks."

The Doctor smiled as he looked back at Rose. "Sweetheart, do you want anything besides the milkshake?"

Rose sipped the shake. "No. I'm alright."

He took the plate of sushi looking food and sat at the table with Tony. Tony looked back at Rose. "What is she doing? Nursing the baby?"

The Doctor nodded his head. "Yeah. Sam is having his dinner."

Tony took a fork and ate the salad. "This is odd. It's good, though."

"It's from about three different worlds. All together. You should see what happens to the hamburger after it gets introduced into the universe in about 200 years. You wouldn't recognize it." He told him as he used a small eating utensil that looked like a tiny pancake turner to eat.

Tony noticed and shook his head. "I didn't ask, and I realize it's probably too damn late. How does money work out here? If I want to buy something, what do I need to do?"

The Doctor wiped his mouth. "Money is something that is difficult to explain."

Rose heard their conversation. "Thank you for asking that Tony, because he hasn't explained it to me clearly either."

He leaned back and groaned. "Backed in a corner. I can't get out of it, now."

Rose smiled at him. "That's right. Explain."

He rubbed his beard and thought. "Imagine you agree to something. To do a job, or sell something to someone, or to be available for a job to help someone. In return, you would have an account set up."

Tony nodded his head, "You're talking like an expense account."

"Yeah, sortof. Well, yeah. You see, some of the things you would need would be needed because of this agreement. Like this ship to get me to the planet to perform services as a Doctor. It has been purchased by my agreement and the hospitals' agreement to help people. Does that make sense? I'm doing a terrible job explaining this. Every planet is a bit different. So, you have to translate it a bit."

Rose shook her head. "What about when you and Dad went to that shopping area?"

He ran his hand through his hair. "It's the same thing. Um…. Like a credit. But, not because it's already been paid for. It's hard to explain."

Tony wiped his mouth. "I think I get it. Think of it as a credit for you doing a job. You get x amount for it, but for different planets have different amounts and denominations. Everyone has a conversion factor, and customs that has to be taken into account. Geez. You'd have to have a degree in rocket science to figure this shit out. What the hell did you agree to at this hospital to have such an account?"

Rose looked shocked, "You understand this?"

Tony looked back at her. "Yeah. It's hard to explain."

The Doctor laughed. "Yeah. And he got it. I ummm… made some odd machines, calibrated their equipment, gave them my research, agreed to come help if the need arose…ummm….they call if they have questions they think I can help with…."

Rose spoke up, "Hang on. You've been taking calls from there? Like an on-call Doctor?"

He sipped his water and nodded his head. "Yes."

Tony rolled his eyes. "Explain to me how you taking this credit from them is different than you accepting payment from me for the damn heart transplant."

The Doctor pointed at him. "That is different."

"How?"

"It just is!"

"That's just crap!" Tony insisted.

The Doctor laughed as he defended himself. "It's not! It's different. Help me out here, Rose. Isn't it different?"

Rose and Tony looked at one another. She narrowed her eyes. "No, I'm sorry. I don't see where it is."

Tony looked at The Doctor. "I had to pay the hospital. I had to pay the surgeon. You're the only one that didn't send me a bill. What the hell, man?"

The Doctor rubbed his face. "I won't do that. I'm not putting a price tag on your health."

"Fuck it. I am. I'm going to buy you a car. Sailboat. Or some shit. Rose. What does he like?" Tony insisted.

Rose laughed. "Let me think on that, Tony and get back to you."

He nodded his head. "Done! Thank you, Rose Tyler! Problem solved."

The Doctor looked back at Rose, then at Tony. "Whatever. I'm not going to fight about it. It's just strange."

Tony laughed, "Okay. On this same subject. When we're on this trip, how do I pay for something I want?"

The Doctor took a deep breath. "I thought you got this?"

Rose sat down her empty glass. "I'm glad he's still on about this because I still don't get it."

Tony patted the table. "For example. I take Rose to a shop and buy her a dress. How am I going to pay for it?"

The Doctor crossed his arms. "You tell them it is on my account."

"So, you pay for it?" Tony tried to understand.

"Sortof. Not really. It's not really money. It's like an agreement. Rose help me explain this."

Rose shook her head and laughed, "Baby, I have no idea how this works."

Tony pointed at him. "The way I'm understanding it is this. Correct me when I steer off track. Alright?"

The Doctor nodded. "Okay, go."

"You are working for the hospital there. Some, ritzy place the universe sends all of their royalty to. You have probably been offered a job there, and you wanted to take it, but couldn't because your family is living back on Earth and you have this thing with Pete and Torchwood. So, you instead agree to be on call and come back if and when you are needed. You leave behind equipment that you have made and research to train and aid other doctors in your absence. So, they can handle it usually, on their own without you. But when they get in over their heads, or someone demands to see you, you will drop everything and come out here. Therefore, you are a huge selling feature to this hospital, and thus, this planet and thus, the ruling family and economy there. So, in return, you…or anyone you approve….only has to mention your name and they can be given anything they want in return. No matter the price because of the clients, sorry, the patients' social standing in the universe and how important their health is. What part of that isn't correct?"

The Doctor sighed, "Didn't I say that?"

Rose threw a pillow at him. "No! Jackass. You didn't!"

He looked surprised. "Well, he got it! What the hell, Rose?"

Rose sighed. "Now, it makes sense! Thank you, Tony."

Tony laughed and shook his head. "Damn. I'm traveling with a legend. Doc. I'll reimburse you for whatever."

The Doctor rolled his eyes. "It's really not a big deal, Tony."

Tony groaned. "Ugh! Damn it. It's like talking to a brick wall." Tony turned to Rose. "Rose, dear. I'm getting the Doctor two things. Pick it out and let me know. Whatever you want. House in California, apartment in New York, small bag of plutonium, another island, a Zeppelin. What the hell ever. He's ridiculous."

Rose laughed, "Tell me about it."

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