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Chapter 35 - Chapter 35 - The Letter H

The Doctor and Rose returned to their island home that night. The Doctor walked straight to their bed and collapsed. "Wake me in about a week, Rose Tyler."

She rolled her eyes and playfully smacked his bum. "Move over, then."

He didn't open his eyes and rolled over. "Tomorrow is going to be better."

"Tomorrow is the funeral."

"Tomorrow is going to suck." He groaned.

"At least Mum is going to be better." Rose said as she undid her trainers.

"Yeah." He yawned.

"And you'll see your grown daughter tomorrow."

He groaned. "Really suck."

She looked back at him. "Are you going to tell me what happened?"

He laughed, "That was so odd. Hell, you were there!"

"I remember going, but I don't remember being there."

He laid his hand on his face and groaned. "And that's my fault. Oh, I was so angry."

"You were angry?"

"Yes."

"So, she showed up?"

The Doctor stopped rubbing his eyes and looked at Rose. "Ummm."

"She did! She was there! Pretending to be me?"

"And I was so cross and busy fighting that I didn't notice."

She threw her hands in the air. "That explains why I slept all day!"

"And she told me where to find Jackie."

"Well, that almost makes it alright."

He looked back up at her. "Does it?"

"NO!" Rose groaned and stood up.

He kicked off his shoes and rolled over so he could watch her walk to the closet. "Rose. I'll just show you what happened. Come here."

She stepped back out of the closet. She was in the middle of changing and had already taken off her shirt.

He suddenly came back to life and rose his head. "Come here a bit."

She pointed at him. "What is this about you wanting to kill Samuel?"

"He married them."

"Legate and Genie are married?"

He nodded. "Yes. And Lartius is as angry about it as I am."

Rose undid her bra and took it off as she walked back into the closet.

He sat up, "Rose!"

He could hear her voice from the closet. "You are going to have to show me what happened. I hate this. I have no idea! And Genie is going to think I do, because I was there!"

He nodded. "Come here. Just for a bit."

She slowly walked back to the doorway and held a shirt over her breasts. "Why?"

He grinned, "You know why."

She giggled and walked back into the closet.

He groaned and fell back on the pillow. "Rose Tyler. You delight in teasing your husband."

He heard her voice call from the closet. "Yes, I do."

He groaned, "And we're finally without our roommate!"

"Do you want your jammies?"

"No!" He insisted as he lay back on the bed and rubbed his eyes. "I want you to come here."

He felt her climb on the bed. He uncovered his eyes and looked up at her. She was wearing the silk nightgown that he loved so much.

He grinned. "Oh, this is what I wanted."

She lay down in front of him. "Show me what happened."

He kissed her lips quickly. "Now?"

"Yes, now!"

He lay his head on the pillow and put his fingers on the side of her head. They both closed their eyes and he replayed the entire visit with Genie and Legate.

Rose opened her eyes and saw him looking into hers. She could feel his exhaustion. "She's so much like you."

He closed his eyes and groaned. "That's what Lewis said, too."

"What is so bad? It's her and Legate? I mean, Legate? You were alright with this!"

He shook his head. "I lied."

"No, you didn't. She would have been able to tell."

"Oh, and that's the problem. To fix this, I can't lie to her."

"Then you are going to have to get over this and fall in love with your son-in-law."

"Oh, don't call him that. They aren't married."

"Sounds like they are." She rose up and propped her head on hand.

He rubbed his face. "I'm too old for this, Rose Tyler."

"Has she ever dated anyone else-"

He didn't take his hand from his face. "I don't know."

"I wonder how you reacted to that-"

"Don't know."

She sat up and looked at him. "Well, sweetheart, you are going to have to fix this."

"Ugh! But, why Legate? There are seven billion people here on this planet alone! She has to go find the one guy we tell her she can't marry!"

Rose grinned. "I think that just makes him more desirable."

He uncovered his eyes. "Oh gross. Don't say that about him."

"Well, think about it."

"I'm trying not to."

"There is a guy, who isn't from here. Exotic?"

He rose his eyebrows. "That Legate-"

"Oh, with that Legate-"

"He's not my type."

"Okay." Rose regrouped. "Imagine, that you are not from here."

"How hard to I have to imagine this?"

She laughed. "Okay, bad example."

"Okay, try again."

"There is this guy. Who has always kept you safe. Someone you can trust. Someone who was protecting you from things you never even knew about?"

He rose his eyebrows at her again. "I have a better imagination than this."

"Gosh, this does sound like you doesn't it?"

"It's not me! That's not it." He insisted and sat up. "Okay. Go back to him being from someplace else. Exotic. Let's pretend he's…. just simply not from the same place you are."

Rose nodded. "Yes."

"And well, let's pretend…he's….Lance!"

"Lance?"

"That would be….okay, what is that? I can feel that?"

"Feel what?"

"You're all tingly. Over Lance?!"

She pointed at him. "Hey! You told me to pretend. We're not from this same place. Me and Lance-"

"Whoa, stop. Lance is making you feel this way?"

"Have you seen Lance?"

He rose his eyebrows. "Apparently, I need to take a closer look-"

"Look, don't get upset. I'm just doing what you ask-"

"Lance is better looking than me?"

"What is your point to this? Let's skip to that."

He looked confused. "What was I talking about?"

Rose collapsed on her pillow. "I'm going to sleep. Friday, dim the lights to 5%."

He lay down in front of her and caressed her face. She looked at his dark eyes. "Sweetheart, she's going to love who she wants. You've always said that love was a rare thing. A fairy tale."

"I don't feel like it's love with them. It's lust. I don't want her to get hurt."

"You have to trust her."

"She's young. She doesn't know what she needs. Barely out of the cot."

She rolled her eyes. "Baby, she's 26-"

"A baby."

"She's a grown woman-"

"That's what she said-"

Rose groaned. "Get some rest. We'll argue tomorrow."

He sighed and closed his eyes. 'Not having a roommate called to mind another image in my head.'

She opened her eyes, rose up and kissed him. "Sleep. Wake me up like I like."

He smiled. 'Something to look forward to.'

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Legate walked into his and Genie's flat that night. He was wearing a pair of board shorts and a t-shirt. He stopped as soon as he closed the door to the flat and relaxed. He felt himself phase and suddenly he was in the bedroom, bathroom, office, down the hall, and in the kitchen.

That's where Genie was to be found. She was sitting at the kitchen table, looking over some files for the school.

He focused on that area and became solid behind her. She wore her hair in a braid that was presently hanging over her shoulder. He leaned down and kissed the back of her neck.

She grinned. "Smoking with Arles, huh?"

He chuckled as he walked over and sat in a chair next to her. "Smoking with Arles. Yes."

She leaned on her elbows and looked at him. "How stoned are you?"

He crossed his arms and laughed. "Completely baked. But, I have a solution to this problem. And Arles' problem."

She put the lid back on her pen. "Let's start with Arles' problem. What is his problem?"

"He wants to break up with this girl he's seeing." Legate grinned.

"Arles is actually dating a girl?"

"Shocked the hell out of me, too. He said they've been out maybe….five times?"

Genie looked away in shock. "Arles?"

"Yes. So, he is telling everyone that they are friends-"

"This is who he wants to tell her that it's just a fling? This Kelly?"

He pointed at her. "Yes. And while I was there, she rang him."

"What did he say?"

"Oh, the girlie giggling, Genie. It's embarrassing."

She grinned, "Because he's stoned?"

"He was rather sober. I was stoned."

"So, you are the one giggling?"

He laughed. "Yes."

Genie giggled. It was so good to see Legate smiling again.

He crossed his arms and grinned. "He's not going to break up with this girl. He's all talk."

"You think he's fallen for her?"

"I don't think that. But, I think that he…..ummm….."

"Wants one more good screw?"

Legate held his chest in mock surprise, "Why Genevieve! Such words from a Lady of the House of Smith."

Genie rolled her eyes and sighed. "I know my brother. He's going to break up with her. You're reading too much into this."

He ran his hand through his hair. "Maybe, I am. But, I had an idea about our problem."

"I'm keeping in mind that you are completely stoned."

He nodded, "Yes. And that's the reason I haven't acted on it. But, tell me….what if, I became the heir?"

Genie's mouth dropped open. "You're serious."

"Dead serious. And stoned. So, I don't know how I'll feel about this in the morning-"

"Please tell me you haven't agreed to anything-"

"I haven't. I know I need to speak to you about it, first."

Genie sighed in relief. "Well, thank goodness for that. Lartius isn't going to permit this."

"Why not?"

"You've already defied him-"

"I'm good at that-"

"And the other Legate-"

"I need you to be careful of him." Legate told her and rubbed his face. "He's became rather, obsessed with you."

"What?"

Legate closed his eyes and sat in the chair with his arms crossed. "Poltious is staying with him and he's been telling me some of the things he has said. Genie. Just promise that before we ever make love, or anything, make sure it's me."

"You don't think he would-"

"I think he would. Some of the things he is saying. I don't want you anywhere around him. He's heir and they are giving him anything he wants. He only has to name it."

Genie shook her head. "Legate, he wouldn't do that."

"Don't underestimate him. I rather know, a bit about this."

"You wouldn't do that."

"I know I wouldn't. We're not talking about me."

Genie shook her head. "You're too stoned to discuss this."

"I actually feel we should talk about this."

"No. I don't believe it-"

He held his finger up to make a point. "And that's when something happens. That one moment, when you let your guard down. Nothing like that could happen. He's not capable of that-"

"Look. I can feel that you think this is true-"

"It is true."

She covered her face. "Oh, I don't want to think about that. Back to this heir thing."

"Well, that discussion is not over. And the heir thing. Yeah, what do you think?"

"You don't want to do that."

"I was almost talked into it right before Legate came to see me."

Genie looked at him in surprise. "Wow. You were. Why didn't you tell me?"

"He agreed to be heir, so I didn't have to. The ceremony has already taken place, and he has been crowned. If I stepped into his life, you could come with me. He would then be the outcast."

Genie shook her head. "Legate, I don't think anyone would agree to it. Most importantly, you!"

"I'm agreeing to it now-"

"You are in no state of mind to agree to anything of the sort."

He sighed and laid his head on the table. "You're right."

She smiled at him. "Legate."

He hummed without lifting his head.

"I love you."

He smiled as he rose his head to look up at her. "I feel better today than I've felt in a while. In fact! Tomorrow, we're taking a flight around the solar system! I'd like to fly my ship!"

She giggled at him. "That's true. You haven't flown her, yet."

He rubbed his face. "And I'm too baked to do it now. Two has done it to me. So, tomorrow. I'm flying my ship. You can help."

She smiled. "Of course."

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The Doctor woke that morning and felt eyes looking at him. He smiled when he realized it was probably just Rose. He felt her playful mood through their connection.

'And you're awake.' He heard her voice in his head.

He smiled. 'How did you sleep, Rose?'

She giggled next to him. 'With a foot on my neck.'

He opened his eyes. "What?"

Then he saw what she was talking about. Baby Samuel had came back into their room in the middle of the night. His small body lay between them, his head propped on his Dad's chest, and his feet across Rose's neck.

Rose looked back at the Doctor and pointed. "Today is brought to you by the letter H."

He gently rose up and moved Samuel into the bend of his arm. Samuel rubbed his eyes and went back to sleep.

Rose rolled over and kissed the baby. "And he's been talking about the dog."

The Doctor grinned. "Henry."

Rose shook her head and pointed at their feet. There, Tony Tyler's dog, Zeus lay.

"Why is the entire world in our bed?! Do you know what I had planned this morning?" He complained.

Zeus yawned and rolled over on his back, putting all four feet into the air as he slept.

Rose laughed. "Tony is with Genie on the sofa."

"Can you find some more children, Rose Tyler! Seriously!"

She got out of bed and put on her dressing gown. "Arles is still downstairs with Lewis."

He groaned and rubbed his face. "Wait until he starts walking. He'll be up here, too."

Baby Samuel's fist stretched out and smacked his Dad in the face.

Rose laughed. "Enjoy it. A roomful of children that you aren't cross with."

He kissed Samuel's fist and sighed.

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