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Chapter 88 – Homecoming

Chinese food was delivered. Little Tony popped in with Jacob and Poltoius and a new Quauhtin that Rose had never met. They both excused themselves across the hall. Howie popped into the sitting room with Caroline. Harriet popped in soon afterwards. She had a large envelope for the Doctor.

"He went to get something." Rose explained. "I'm not sure what. He said he wouldn't be gone long."

Jake and Jack had set up the Karaoke machine and were letting Tony sing on it. Jacob sat on the floor watching him, smiling.

Howie poured himself a drink. He looked at the Chinese food she had ordered. "Ummm….I think I'll pass on that. Last time I ate that mess it gave me the backdoor trots. Call for me a burger."

Rose rolled her eyes. "I knew you would say that, Howie. Jack asked for a burger, too. Here."

"Much obliged, filly! Wow! You have always been a good egg!" Howie told her as he took the hamburger.

Zeus was running around with Tony. He was so excited to see his boy again. Tony hugged him and scratched his face.

Jacob climbed up at the bar and asked Rose, "Where is Doctor John?"

Rose smiled, "Doctor John will be back in just a bit."

Shakes popped into the room holding Genie. He looked around. "Yep! Everyone's here. Tell him to come on, John."

John popped into the room with Jackie Tyler. Then, the Doctor popped in with Pete.

The room erupted in cheers. The Doctor quickly helped Pete sit down on the sofa. He pointed at him. "Now, sit there and don't try to get up without help."

Pete waved his hand, "I'm fine, Doc'. Really!"

Everyone was surprised to see Pete. Rose met the Doctor who was walking up to her. He smiled as he asked her, "Like your surprise?"

Genie ran up and jumped in the Doctor's arms. He kissed her cheek. Rose's shocked face said it all.

"Sweetheart, I'm The Doctor. Not just a doctor. They released him to me. He's doing great. He's going to stay here tonight and probably go back to the mansion in the morning. I don't want him going up stairs, and he needs a few days before I'm comfortable with him going to Greece."

Rose smiled. "Wow! That's amazing! I didn't expect that!"

He smiled back at her. "Comrade! Where are you?"

Tony ran up to him. He knelt down, "Your Dad is on the sofa. Go say hi."

Tony and Zeus ran over to Pete. Tony climbed up on the sofa and hugged him. "Wow. Dad! You've lost weight! Have you been to working too much again?"

Pete laughed, "That's it! Working too much and forgetting to eat. You know that's a problem with me."

"Rose got Chinese food and hamburgers for all of these Americans. You need to eat them both!"

Pete laughed at Tony and hugged him.

Zeus licked Pete's hand. "Doctor, I don't remember you having a dog. Is he new?"

Tony looked confused. "Zeus is my dog, Daddy. You got him for me. What's wrong with you?"

The Doctor walked over and picked up Tony in his other arm. "Pete has been working way too hard, lately. Don't worry about it, Tony."

Genie shook her head. "Daddy, that's not true."

The Doctor gritted his teeth. "You two need to go get something to eat. Go on."

He sat them both down on the floor. Genie looked up at him with her hands on her hips. "Daddy."

He knelt down to look at her, "Yes, my Princess."

She looked around the room at everyone. She whispered to him. "That wasn't true. What's going on?"

"Nothing you need to worry about, sweetheart. I will tell you later. I promise." He told her.

She put her hands on her hips, "How much later?"

"Depends."

"On what?" she asked him.

Rose walked over and knelt beside of him. "Need some help?"

He laughed as he looked at Rose. "Oh, you know it."

Genie insisted, "Depends on what?"

Rose took Genie's hand. "Now isn't the right time to talk about this. Daddy said he would tell you, and you know he will. Alright? Tony and Jacob won't be here all night. Go play while you have them. We'll worry about this later."

Genie looked at them both. "Alright, Rose."

Genie ran down the hall with Tony and Zeus. The Doctor stood up and kissed Rose quickly. "Thank you for that."

Jacob ran over and nearly knocked the Doctor off his feet as he hugged his leg. "Jacob the Quiet!" He exclaimed as he picked up Jacob and kissed him on the forehead. "Where's your Dad?"

"Over there with Uncle Pete. Where have you been?" Jacob asked.

"Oh, I had to go help Pete. He broke his watch."

"I really want a watch, Doctor John. Could you get me one?" Jacob asked.

"Not until you are older, mate. But, I promise I'll make you one, personally. Alright?"

Jacob smiled. "Yes, sir! Thank you, Doctor John!"

Jack used the microphone to get everyone's attention. "And tonight for your entertainment pleasure….we regret to inform you that four gentlemen have lost a bet with a beautiful, young lady. Well, two. We have to settle the bet."

Rose laughed, "Yes you do!"

The Doctor laughed, "Oh geez. Now?"

Jake laughed, "Might as well. Where the hell is Shakes?"

"Shakes!" the Doctor called.

Shakes walked in the door. "Need me?"

"Time to settle this bet." The Doctor laughed at him.

Pete laughed, "Oh, this is brilliant! I have missed this."

Howie sat next to Pete and patted him on the knee. "Damn good to have you back, partner!"

The Doctor, Jack, Jake and Shakes stood in front of the fireplace.

Rose walked in front of them. "Okay, the bet was…. First… four shots of the Damn Whiskey."

"Was it four?" the Doctor asked. "Rose, I'm not supposed to be drinking."

She smiled, "We agreed three days. Not three consecutive days. You have 24 hours, starting now. Go ahead."

The Doctor rubbed his hands together in excitement. "Yes!"

Howie brought over a tray with four shots apiece for each man.

Jack shook his head after he finished the last one of his. "Damn. I thought Cerro Tololo was bad stuff!"

The Doctor smiled, "Oh, give it a minute. You'll be able to understand Howie."

Jack laughed, "Oh fucking hell. This will be fun!"

Rose laughed at them all. "You lot also agreed to do fifty push-ups!"

"Yes, Agent Tyler!" Jake mocked her.

"No! I said one hundred. I want to see the Doctor sweat!" Jack demanded.

"You think I can't do one hundred push-ups?" he asked him as he took off his Oxford and untucked his t-shirt.

"No, I don't! Skinny guy." Jack teased him as he slapped him across the chest.

"Let's do this!" The Doctor said as they all got in the floor and started doing push-ups.

Harriet, Caroline, Jackie and Howie laughed.

Rose shook her head. "Men are really the same everywhere, aren't they?"

Howie laughed, "What the hell did they wager on that we are giving them so much hell?"

Rose explained about the eye color bet and how Genie had won. Jackie laughed, "That's hilarious, too. She only asked me about Rose's eye color earlier today. I had just told her that!"

The Doctor and Jack looked at one another.

"I think your daughter hustled us!" Jack laughed through push-ups.

"They learn so early. Women." The Doctor said in disbelief.

Rose sat down in front of the Doctor as he was finishing doing his push-ups. "I have to say. I am impressed. I knew Shakes and Jake wouldn't have any problem, but I didn't think you could do that many."

He smiled as he finished and jumped up energetically. "Not even breaking a sweat, either. How you like me now, Jack? Ha!"

Jack was sweating as he got up slower and pointed at the Doctor. "I call shit on that. You've been working out. You've had to. You could never do that before."

The Doctor laughed, "Ah, whatever."

Shakes laughed and held up his hand. "Sorry. We need to step outside a moment. Sam has a report."

The Doctor leaned in and kissed Rose quickly. "We'll continue this in just a moment. We'll be right back."

Shakes, Jake, Jack and the Doctor walked across the hall into the Quauhtin's suite. Sam stood there.

The Doctor patted him on the back. "Who's on Dorian?"

"Bassanio is. I just went off. Shakes told me to report as soon as I came back."

Shakes nodded his head. "Yes. Anything?"

Sam shook his head. "He's confused at how fast the Doctor, Rose and everyone else are traveling around. He suspects something."

The Doctor moaned, "Oh, I was afraid of that. He mentioned that."

Jake shook his head. "How is he getting all of this information about the Doctor? He knew he was injured at the football game?"

Sam shook his head. "I'm not sure. Two hundred people saw it though. He could have even been there, and we had no idea who he was. He spoke on the phone, yelling at someone who in on the bombing of Pete's hotel. He believes the wrong person was hurt, or that they took the job without completing it. He's demanding repayment, or their heads."

Shakes smiled, "Yes. Creating confusion within the organization. Great move, Doctor."

Sam put his hands on his hips and said, "He's staying at a hotel in London tonight, and leaves on the Bullet in the morning. Back to New York."

The Doctor smiled. "Good. Keep us posted. Come have dinner! You can watch us all embarrass ourselves."

Sam laughed, "Oh, I can't wait. Shakes told me all about it!"

They all returned to the flat. Howie was drinking whiskey while Pete watched him, laughing hysterically.

"What is going on?" The Doctor asked.

Howie grabbed the microphone, "All of these kooks think I'm preaching flak that I can sing up the devil."

The Doctor rubbed his face. "Oh geez, I hope that's an expression. We don't need anymore trouble tonight."

Jack laughed, "You're right! The whiskey helps!"

Rose pointed at the Doctor. "You are off the hook. You can have more whiskey if you need it because you are singing, Mister."

"Ugh. Where's that bottle? Wait, I didn't agree to that! No!" the Doctor complained.

"What are you singing Howie?" Jake asked.

Howie held his finger up as if to say, "One minute."

The Doctor, Shakes, Jake and Jack sat at the bar drinking shots as they watched Howie sing, 'Sold' by John Michael Montgomery.

They all laughed watching him.

The Doctor sat back and crossed his arms, "This might be the only song I've never heard."

Jack shook his head. "I've never heard it, either. I've never heard him speak this plain, either."

Rose laughed at Howie as he turned and kissed her cheek. All of them clapped and cheered. The children and Zeus had returned to watch.

"Okay, next up…. Shakes!" Rose demanded.

Shakes sighed, "Damn. I have to go first?"

Jack and the Doctor cheered him on. "Summus! You got this!"

Sam looked surprised, "You?"

Everyone clapped and encouraged him as he stood up and took the microphone.

The Doctor asked, "Do you know any songs from here?"

Shakes smiled and nodded. "Yeah. I just don't know which one to sing."

Zeus barked. The Doctor laughed, "Zeus suggests you sing Atomic Dog."

Shakes laughed at Zeus. "Okay, I'll sing one for Zeus!"

He whispered the song title in Rose's ear which made Rose laugh. "Oh, this will be great."

Everyone laughed and cheered as Shakes sang Elvis' song, "Hound Dog."

Jake nearly fell off his barstool laughing. "This is brilliant! I never thought I would see this in my life. Oh wow!"

Sam laughed hysterically, too. "Oh, the guard would have loved to have seen that! That was awesome!"

Everyone clapped and cheered as Shakes sat down.

Shakes pointed at them all. "This never happened."

The Doctor patted him on the back. "That was great, my friend!"

Rose laughed and pointed at Jake. "Next up. Jake."

Jack shook his head, "No, we're going to sing together. Right, Jake?"

Jake looked surprised, "Sure. What are we singing?"

Jack thought. "Oh, I don't know. Something by the Blue Lagoons."

Jake asked, "What?"

The Doctor shook his head. "54 years too early for them."

Jack snapped, "Damn. The Skyrocket Pimps?"

"42 years." The Doctor laughed.

"Torn Off Ceras?"

The Doctor looked shocked, "Never sing any of that in front of my daughter. Holy crap!"

Everyone else in the room laughed at the Doctor and Jack's exchange.

Jack tossed his hands up. "These old songs! I don't know. Who's someone in this time besides…. Oh! I have it!"

He leaned over and whispered something in Jake's ear.

Jake laughed and agreed. "Let's get this over with."

They walked over to Rose and whispered the song to in her ear. Rose looked confused.

She gave them both a microphone. Jake looked up the song up on his phone. Rose walked over to the Doctor and he pulled her into an embrace. He kissed her cheek.

"What are they singing?" he asked her quietly.

"Some song I've never heard of." Rose told him.

He held her as Jack spoke, "Alright! Jake and I are going to sing this and dedicate it to the love birds. I swear I'll never get used to this. Those two are just ….. so …. Disgusting."

The Doctor lifted up his hands, "What?"

Rose laughed.

Pete laughed, "Newlyweds. That's what they are."

The Doctor held Rose tightly and laughed.

Jack smiled. "You just have no idea. I traveled with them both for a while. They were never like this. I'm happy they are happy, it's just strange. Find it yet?"

Jake laughed, "Yes. Are you Lionel Richie or Diana Ross?"

The Doctor rubbed his face and laughed. "Oh, the gods. This song!"

Jack looked insulted. "Diana! Of course!"

Rose looked back to the Doctor. "What are they singing?"

He was laughing so hard he couldn't speak.

They started singing.

Jackie laughed, "Oh, God. Endless Love?!"

Jack sang the part of Diana Ross in a high pitched voice. They were both so animated everyone was laughing hysterically.

'This is hysterical. I wish I had taken a video. Oh wow.' The Doctor told Rose.

'I've never heard this song. How old is it?'

'Number one on the charts in the US and UK in 1981 for weeks.' The Doctor told her as he kissed her cheek.

Everyone clapped and cheered as they finished. They grabbed one another's hands and bowed. Jack laughed and pointed at The Doctor. "Okay, now you!"

The Doctor rubbed his face and shook his head. "I didn't agree to sing!"

Rose smiled back at him. "Sing whatever it was that you were singing this morning. What was that?"

He rubbed his face and smiled in embarrassment. "No…"

Jack laughed. "What were you singing?"

He shook his head, "I have no idea."

Shakes laughed as he told them that Lewis was singing to someone at a bar. Turns out, he was on a date with the German lady he had met that night the Doctor had sang to Rose.

The Doctor laughed, "Ha! Someone learned something! Brilliant!"

The Doctor's phone rang. It was Malcolm from Torchwood. The Doctor listened for a few minutes and then snapped to get Jack, Jake and Shakes' attention.

He took a drink as he explained, "We're needed at Torchwood."

Rose asked him, "Are any of you sober enough to deal with this?"

The Doctor laughed, "I can be. Let's see what we're dealing with first."

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