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Chapter 27 -

Karen finished teaching the class to tremendous applause from the room. Genie and Samuel stepped into the room together. The students were all getting their things to leave and Karen looked happier than Samuel had seen her in days.

Why did this have to happen today?

Mari rushed over to Genie. "She was amazing! They said she normally doesn't teach. Why?"

Samuel grinned. "Maybe we'll have to talk her into it."

Peter Parker walked up behind Mari.

Genie smiled. "How did you like it, Mr. Parker?"

He nodded, "It was wonderful. Mrs. Bennett says she prefers history. I'd love to have her teach that. Wow."

"Well, we still need a history teacher." Genie smiled. "Did Legate show you to your dorm room, Mari?"

Mari laughed. "Yes. And Peter has told me that he'll show me around."

Genie nodded. "Thank you, Mr. Parker."

Peter smiled at Genie. "Yes, ma'am. Happy to."

Peter and Mari left the room with the other students who were filing out.

Genie looked up at her brother. "Do you want me to stay?"

He shook his head and Genie kissed his cheek.

Genie looked at him sadly, "I'm here when you need me."

He nodded. "I know. Thank you, Gene."

She rubbed his back and turned to leave the room.

Karen sat on the top of the desk. "Well, hello you."

He smiled and walked over to her slowly. "How did it go? It sounds like you have a fan club already."

"It was interesting. I've never been on this side of the classroom."

He took her hands in his. "It's a bit different, isn't it?"

She laughed. "It is. But, it was such fun. I may have to speak to Genie."

"Teaching while taking classes?" Samuel asked her.

She held up her finger. "Maybe one. Maybe later. Maybe, I've lost my mind."

Samuel nodded and took a deep breath. "Maybe."

"What's wrong? You look…..strange."

The room had emptied out. He took a few steps back and closed the door. "Umm. I need to talk to you about something."

She smiled. "What?"

He took both of her hands in his again and kissed them. "Karen. I don't know how to tell you this."

"Then just tell me."

"It's going to hurt. And I want to spare you from any hurt you'll ever feel."

She stood up in front of him and shook her head. "Is it the baby?"

He shook his head. "No. Halley is fine."

"Then what is it?"

"Karen, I'm so sorry. Your Dad…."

Karen's eyes flooded with tears before he even told her. "You were right?"

He began to cry, too. "How I wish I wasn't."

She wiped her eyes. "Mom knows?"

"Dad and Papa have gone to tell her."

She bit her lip and sniffed. "We should probably go to her, too."

Samuel wiped her tears. "I'm so sorry."

They embraced one another and he held her tightly as they both cried.

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It was afternoon and the Doctor popped back into his island home with a sigh.

Rose sat at the bar having a glass of the Damn Whiskey. "Come on, I'll pour you one."

He sat down beside of her. She poured him a glass and slid it over to him. "How are they?"

He sipped the drink. "As you would expect. Arles is staying there with Anne. Gosh. She's devastated."

"Karen?"

"She's trying to be strong for her Mum. That's only going to make it harder when she has to face it herself that he's really gone."

She shook her head. "That poor woman. Well, both of them. And Samuel?"

"He offered to stay with Anne, but she thought it would be better for him to take Karen back to their place. They left when I did. Lewis is still there at the house in Florida. Tidying up. Well, what's left."

"That's where it happened? What actually happened? You haven't said."

He drank the rest of the drink. "Do you really want to know?"

"Yes." Rose decided.

He poured himself another drink. "Lewis, Lance and I popped there and realized really quickly that we were outnumbered. Lewis alerted the Guard and everyone who could come, did. Legate was, frightening. I haven't seen him as a Praetor, yet. Wow. He picked up a chair and pushed the leg of it through this guy."

"He did?"

He sipped his drink. "I've been drinking over at Anne's, but this is helping, too."

"And the Lieutenant?"

"They had already killed John. He was in the kitchen. Looks like they had been there a while. Well, since he returned yesterday afternoon-"

"Please. Don't give me details about that." Rose sighed and shook her head. "So sad. Did anyone-"

"Lewis ordered no one left to run back to whoever sent them to do this. They wasn't going to take any of us for questioning, either."

"Then what did you do?"

He looked back at her and sighed. "What do you think?"

"Destroyed the house."

He sipped his drink. "Leave no evidence. It was actually Legate's idea. I'm just rather good at it."

"Anyone hurt?"

"None of our guys. Which is rather remarkable. Or they are lying. With Quauthin, that's probably the case."

"Stark wasn't there?"

"No. He doesn't know. Pete doesn't either. I should probably go tell him." He watched her sip her drink. "Where are the children?"

"The boys are sleeping. Just over there in the cot together." She pointed to the living room. "Genie is upstairs playing."

"Telling the TARDIS more stories about how I'm going to fed it to a monster."

Rose rolled her eyes. "And the older Genie?"

"I've not went to see her."

"Doctor!"

He smiled at her. "It's almost worth you being cross at me to hear you say that."

She pointed at him. "You have got to go see her!"

He groaned. "I know."

She leaned closer to him. "You are her father. You have got to explain this to her."

"She's clever. She's already sorted out why."

"She needs to hear it from you."

He groaned and propped his head up on his fist. "Must I?"

She kissed his lips and whispered. "Do it."

He sighed and drank the rest of his drink. He looked down at his bracelet. "And Pete is at Torchwood. Big surprise there."

He stood up and Rose noted how handsome he looked in that moment. Wearing his tan trousers and light blue oxford. His hair was sticking up in all of the right places. He also had the appearance of just have left a fight. That always made him happy, even if he didn't act like it.

He popped his knuckles and typed something in on his bracelet. "I'm going to inform Pete."

"And then to see Genie." Rose finished. "I'm serious."

He leaned over and kissed her. What started as a simple kiss, turned into a passionate snogging which made Rose go weak in the knees. Thank goodness she was sitting down. He had always been the best kisser.

He looked into her eyes. "Rose, you know I love you. Don't you?"

She caressed his face. She hadn't thought about it, but John's death probably had upset him, too. "I love you, too."

He kissed her again.

"But, you still have to go talk to Genie and Legate. Stop trying to talk me out of it."

He laughed and typed something in on his bracelet.

She felt his sadness as he disappeared. 'Baby, I love you.'

She felt his mood lighten a bit as he spoke to her in Gallifreyan.

She smiled. "No idea, what he just said."

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Pete Tyler sat on his sofa in his office at Torchwood looking through files. Young Tony Tyler lay on the sofa, sleeping. Pete had taken his jacket off of himself, and spread it across the small boy.

The familiar pop was heard.

Pete looked up from the files and smiled. "Hey, son! What brings you to see me?"

The Doctor walked over and sat on the chair next to them. "Oh, I bring bad news."

Pete sat back and pat Tony's leg as he slept. He took off the little boy's trainers to help him get more comfortable.

The Doctor smiled at him. "It's only the afternoon, what has him so tired?"

Pete smiled proudly. "My son here, has been down with the agents all day. They are shocked at his knowledge of self defense and how well he's able to defend himself."

The Doctor grinned, "Rose's self defense knowledge in his head."

"Yes. But, I didn't tell them that. If anyone asks, it's simply a 'Tyler trait'. Let's just hope I'm never called in to fight."

The Doctor smiled. "Sounds like a perfect explanation."

Pete pat Tony's leg. "I just got off the phone with Jacks. I sent her a photo and she accused me of drugging him."

The Doctor teased, "It was my…second thought."

Pete looked back at the small boy. "He has been busy all day down there with them. He had lunch, went back for more training, and then I brought him up here. Jacks told me to let him sleep as long as he will."

The Doctor agreed. "He's going to be up all night."

Pete sipped his tea. "Oh, I doubt it. I had to carry him up here. He went to sleep in the lift."

The Doctor laughed under his breath.

Pete looked back at him. "What has happened?"

The Doctor told him of John's death and the scene he had just left in Florida.

Pete sat back and sighed. "Samuel wasn't comfortable with him being on his own. I even contacted him to encourage him to have at least one Quauhtin. He thanked me, but insisted he didn't need them."

"The Commander that he spoke of, Anne says she would recognize him."

"He wasn't here?"

"We're not sure. Lewis counted twelve guys. They had John tied to a chair. They had taken their time with him."

Pete shook his head. "Poor bastard. What does Rose know about this?"

"Not much."

Pete nodded. "Rose doesn't need to know any specifics. She's been through enough."

The Doctor dropped his head as he felt a pang of guilt.

Pete quickly added. "I don't blame you son-"

"You don't have to. I blame myself enough for everyone for that."

Pete groaned. "This is terrible. I feel, responsible in some way for this."

"Why?"

"I should have done something. Samuel has been very clear that he wasn't happy about this situation at all."

The Doctor nodded. "I'm sure he's blaming himself, too. I've not gotten a chance to really speak to him."

"Gosh. I can't even believe this."

There was a knock at the door.

Jake Simmons walked in holding a file in his hand. "Oh. Hey, Doc'."

The Doctor smiled at being called what he preferred. "Hey, Jake."

Jake handed the file to Pete. "And another attack. This time, with a photograph."

Pete opened the file. "About damn time."

The Doctor sat back. "Where this time?"

Jake pointed. "It's all in there. Vesal. They managed to get a piece of whoever it was."

Pete handed the photo to the Doctor. "I can't make this shit out."

The Doctor put on his glasses and looked at the image. It was black and white with a time stamp in the corner. Clearly taken from a security camera. "Vesal is about 30 years behind where this planet is technologically speaking. Well, maybe 60."

Jake nodded. "Yes. But, it looks rather like a small craft there."

The Doctor saw the image of a triangular bit of metal on the edge of something. It looked as if some fire was coming from the bottom of the craft.

Pete asked, "What do you think?"

"It's so fuzzy, I really can't tell. But, the shipyard that was attacked on Chandra."

Jake rose his eyebrows, "Yeah?"

"They would have video from the surveillance. Is there anyone from there we can contact?"

Jake shook his head and held his hands out. "None of us speak their language."

The Doctor groaned and stood up, "And I have to go earn my pay. Damn it."

"Good thing you aren't drinking. But, I'll have one ready for you when you return." Pete smiled.

"Cheers, Pete." The Doctor said as he left the room with Jake.

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Tony Stark sat in his workshop looking at a computer screen full of code. Sounds of small explosions could be heard behind him.

"That's it! Up a bit, though." He said without taking his eyes off of the screen.

He felt a small hand on his shoulder. "What are you looking at, Tony?"

Tony looked back at Soli and couldn't help but jump at his glowing, yellow eyes. "You have too much, Sparky. You're eyes are glowing."

"Everything looks, yellow."

Tony laughed at him and looked at the small boy's bracelet to check a reading. "Wow. You have absorbed a lot of electricity. Does it hurt? Anything?"

Soli shook his head and blinked. With his eyes glowing, it had a rather comical effect. "No. I feel like …. like I need to run."

"Do you want to do that? Run around the island really fast?"

"There's too much." Soli told him. "At least that's how it feels."

Tony took the little boy's hand and led him over to the side of the room with the large arc reactor that powered the house. "Want to feed it into that?"

Soli nodded. "I could try."

Tony grinned, "Alright. I'm right here. Put your hands just there on the posts, and….ummm. Do your thing."

Soli looked back at him and put his hands on the posts on the side of the side of the arc reactor. He closed his eyes and relaxed. Within a few seconds, Tony noticed the lights in the home blinked as the arc reactor's hum became higher pitched and changed color.

He rubbed his chin and just as he begin to think Soli may overloaded it, Soli stopped and looked back at him. His eyes had stopped glowing. "Oh, that's much better, Tony."

Tony held his hand out. He was as relieved as he was surprised that it had worked. "Brilliant! Great job!"

Soli laughed just as Pepper walked into the room. "The power blinked. What are you two doing?"

Tony ran his hand through his hair. "Nothing."

Soli ran over to pick up a basketball. "Has it stopped raining?"

"Not yet."

Soli groaned and went over to play basketball.

Pepper walked over to Tony. "Rainy days are never any fun."

"Especially when you are carrying extra volts around. Poor kid."

Pepper took his hand. "So, you."

He grinned, "Thinking of me?"

"You returned to find me in another man in our bed." She teased.

Tony nodded, "Yeah, about that. Did Soli drool all over my pillow?"

Pepper put her lips close to his ear and whispered something that made his mouth drop open.

He cleared his throat. "Yes! I'm all for that! I'll be up there in two minutes?"

Pepper smiled. "Two minutes."

He rubbed his hands together. "Go ahead and start without me. I'll finish it up."

Pepper laughed and walked out of the room.

Tony grinned as he turned back the computer and typed in some information. A program began to run. "Jarvis! You're on Soli duty, man."

Jarvis replied, "Wonderful! I have a new game for us to try."

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