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Chapter 9 – Temporary Insanity

Rose walked into the kitchen. She groaned. "And I need something stronger than tea."

Legate agreed as he saw Genie to a seat at the bar. She hadn't spoken since the TARDIS had disappeared. "Rose, I'll get that whiskey."

She leaned against the cabinet. "Thank you, Legate. It's just in there."

He rushed into the sitting room to get the bottle.

Genie found her voice. "Mum?"

"Yes, Baby."

"This means we're trapped here. Properly now, doesn't it?"

Rose reached across the bar and took both of her hands. "Sweetheart, I really don't know."

Tears rolled down her cheeks.

Legate returned. "And what Doctor Tyler has ordered."

He poured them all a glass each. They all drank it and coughed.

"Oh, that's revolting-" Rose insisted.

Genie covered her face and made an odd sound that caused Legate to laugh.

"Genie, it's not that bad." He smiled.

She sat up and shook her head with her tongue hanging out of her mouth. "If it's drink that, or be sad, I'll just be sad."

Legate rose his eyebrow to her to ask if she minded if he drank it.

"You do what you want." She insisted.

He poured her glass into his and drank it quickly as he turned to make her a cup of tea. Rose had already taken another long drink. "You know. This is the only thing we haven't done with this problem. Drink it away."

Genie shook her head. "That actually, doesn't work, Mum."

"Of course it works." She told her. "If only for five minutes, there isn't a problem."

Legate handed Genie a cup of tea and refilled his and Rose's glasses.

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The Doctor could feel little Genie's sadness. He left the shop and walked along the sandy path illuminated by the moonlight to find her. He knew Lance had taken her from Lewis and probably hadn't gotten too far.

He caught up with them as Lance held Genie in his arms and bounced on his feet. He wore a pair of shorts, a t-shirt and a ball cap. Jane, wearing a simple sundress, stood behind Lance and looked in Genie's eyes as she stroked her head. They had apparently been out for an evening walk on the beach. "Everything is alright, Genie."

"But, Daddy is cross." She insisted.

Lance kissed her cheek. "Daddy is not cross with you."

Genie held onto Lance's neck. "He was shouting. He hit the cupboard. It's all my fault-"

"Shhh…." Jane smiled at her. "None of this is your fault."

The Doctor stood in front of Lance, unseen by Genie.

Lance looked up at him. "She's alright."

The Doctor shook his head. "Genie, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to shout. Go….mental."

She rose her head and looked at him. "Why are you so sad?"

"Because you are you so sad. Genie, I was just….so sure that was going to work."

"And you would find Doctor Sam?" She asked.

He nodded and wiped his eyes. "Yeah. But…" He bit his lip and looked away. It was taking everything in him to control his emotions.

Lance kissed Genie's cheek and whispered, "Your Daddy really needs a hug."

He sat her down and she ran over to him. The Doctor knelt down and she wrapped her arms around him. He hid his face in her shoulder and held her tightly. He took several deep breathes to keep himself from completely breaking down in front of her.

Genie kissed his cheek. "Daddy. I love you. Everything is going to be alright."

Tears ran down his cheeks as she said that. "Thank you, Baby."

She whispered, "Don't be sad. You'll find Doctor Sam."

Jane knelt down behind Genie and rubbed her back. She let go of her Daddy and looked back at Jane. "Genie, sweetheart. Could you please come help me tonight with Arles? I need to go get him from Adriano."

"But, Daddy needs me." She told her.

The Doctor wiped his eyes. "Daddy will be alright. Can you help with the baby? Please?"

She nodded and took Jane's hand.

The Doctor exhaled and watched her walk away with his daughter.

Lance put his arm around his shoulder. "We're not giving up John. And it's completely alright to be upset by this."

"It's not going to help a damn thing."

"Sometimes, it does." Lance told him. "We'll keep an eye on this one tonight. Get some rest, and we'll get back on it first thing in the morning."

The Doctor sighed. "I don't want to admit it-"

"Then, don't. John, let this be the lowest place you reach with this. Scream, throw whatever you need to, come in and train with us in the morning and beat the hell out of someone."

He laughed under his breath at his words and tears ran down his cheeks again.

"But, then. Get back to work. You've not been operating at 100% because you've been ill-"

"What has that done to him? What are they doing to him?" He took deep breath.

Lance sighed. "Are you not joined with him?"

"No. The parental joining breaks when they become adolescences. The only children I feel are the baby and little Genie. This sucks more than I can express."

Lance embraced him. "We're not giving up. Continue to be hopeful."

The Doctor nodded and sighed as Lance let him go. "Cheers. I think I'll take a walk. Clear my head."

"Alright. I'll go…" He pointed back towards where Jane had disappeared with Genie with.

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Legate sat down the glass he had been drinking the Damn Whiskey in the sink, "I probably need to get you back to New York, Genie."

She sat up and nodded. "Yeah, I suppose so. It's getting late."

Rose walked over to hug her daughter. "We'll get through this. I love you."

Genie nodded. "Love you. Ugh. I wanted to talk to Daddy tonight about me and Legate."

"Oh. It's totally not the night for that." Rose insisted. "Let him cool off."

Genie agreed.

"Oh!" Legate realized. "I left my guitar in the library. We'll just leave from there."

Rose and Legate kissed one another's cheek. He took Genie's hand and walked through the sitting room, through the entryway, and to the library with her. He picked up his guitar and looked back at her. "And I've got it. Ready to go?"

She crossed her arms. "Legate."

He stood in front of her. "Yes, Genie."

"You are older than me."

"Yeah….? Where are you going with this?"

"Be honest with me."

"Am I anything else?"

"Are you ….alright with being stuck here? You don't seem to be upset at all by that."

He sat down his guitar and gently grabbed her shoulders. "Genie, I'm with you. I came back with Jack, to be with you. I don't care where I am, or how long I'll be there, as long as I'm with you."

She smiled at him. "Really?"

He groaned, "Why do you even ask me things like that? You know it's true. Even if you couldn't tell, you have to know how I feel about you. Genie, you're all that matters."

She wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him. Legate had drunk enough that he had forgotten where he was, and who might see what was going on. He sipped his hands down and grabbed her bum with both hands as she continued to snog him. She ran her hands through his hair and giggled.

He looked into her eyes. "Ready to go home?"

She bit her lip, "Oh yes."

"How to you think that dress will look against the rug?"

She told him quietly. "I think you liked the red one better."

He grinned and suddenly noticed someone leaning in the doorway. He threw his arms out just as he stepped into the light. "Oh shit. It's John."

The Doctor walked into the room slowly. "Yeah, it's John. How the hell long has this been going on?"

Genie immediately put her hands on his chest. "Daddy. This is not what you think-"

"Really?" He asked.

"Well, it depends on what he thinks." Legate told her as he backed up slowly and mumbled. "Oh, I'm a dead man."

The Doctor's face grew more fearsome with each step towards Legate. "Because what I think is, you have been taking advantage of your position-"

"No!" Legate insisted. "That's not at all what this is."

Genie groaned, "Really? Do you not think I have a brain in my head?"

The Doctor stood glaring at Legate with his hands on his hips. "You're the guy. Right under my damn nose this entire time."

"Uhh.." Was all Legate could muster. "John, I can explain-"

The Doctor delivered a perfect round house punch to Legate's face. His head hit the back of the shelf and he fell unconscious to the floor.

"Legate!" Genie cried and rushed to him.

The Doctor threw his hands up and stormed out of the room. "I can't even believe this! ROSE!"

Genie pulled Legate's head into her lap. "Legate. Answer me. Come on."

His lip began to bleed as he lay almost lifeless in the floor.

Genie started to cry. Had his skull been damaged again? She shouted, "Legate! Answer me."

He didn't open his eyes and groaned. "That wasn't as bad as I thought it would be."

Genie hugged his head in relief and cried.

He brought his hand up and pat her shoulder without opening his eyes. "I'm alright, Genie. Let's go home before he comes back for Round 2."

She popped them back to the school in New York.

As soon as they arrived, she helped lay him down on the sofa in her sitting room. His lip had already begun to swell. "I'll get you some ice." She quickly sorted him out a bag of ice and brought it back to the sofa. Sitting next to him, she laid it on his lip. He took it from his lip and pulled it to the back of his head.

He groaned. "Awe."

"Are you alright? Your head?"

He opened her eyes and smiled at her. "Well, John knows."

She sighed. "You're fine."

He sat up and kept the bag of ice on his head. "Oh, I'm so glad that's over. Lartius is cheering."

She lay back on the sofa. "You damn Quauhtin and your weird head talking shit."

Legate chuckled. "Lewis is telling Arles."

"You didn't even put up a fight." She insisted.

He looked shocked back at her. "You wanted me to fight him? Are you mental?"

"What's the deal with that?"

"Genie. Make no mistake about it. I'll fight anyone for you, but not John. Nope! Especially, in this case."

She tapped her bracelet. "Well, I will."

"Genie!" He called as she popped away.

He groaned and lay back on the sofa. "Oh, this is not…" He passed out.

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The Doctor stormed back into the kitchen and leaned against the cabinet. He was furious.

'What is with you? Can you please calm down-' Rose asked him.

'No!' He insisted.

'Where are you?'

He poured himself a drink. 'In a bottle.'

'I'm on my way to the kitchen.'

'Oh, do I have something to tell you.' He groaned.

Genie popped back into the room. She pointed at him. "You are completely, outside of your mind!"

He drank the glass and looked up at her. "Ha! I could say the same about you!"

"Daddy! Do you think I'm an idiot!?" She shouted.

Lewis and Arles walked into the kitchen together.

Lewis held his hands out, "Oh shit-"

"Oh shit is right! Legate and Genie are fucking snogging in the library!"

Arles exhaled slowly and mumbled, "Oh, we're in time for this-"

"It would seem so." Lewis agreed. "John, maybe there's more to this than just snog-"

"Well he had his hands all over her ass! I'm sure there is! I should have thrown him through a window!"

Lewis closed his eyes. "Ummm. Okay, never mind I said anything."

"Daddy! Are you serious?" She shouted.

He pointed at himself. "Genie, I'm your father! He ….. probably had it coming!"

"Had it coming? Really? There was no need to hit him!"

Rose had gotten into the kitchen, "Stop! What is going on?"

They both looked up to see her.

The Doctor bit his lip. "Nothing. I've dealt with it."

Genie put her hands on her hips. "Mum. Deal with this nutter! She's gone completely mental!"

He pointed to himself, "Alright. Fine. If that makes me a mad, just…. Fine!"

Rose walked over to Genie and hugged her. Rose heard herself say, "You two stop shouting at one another. Tell me what's going on."

Genie pointed at him, "Him! He-"

He pointed at her. "I could have done…way worse-"

"He completely knocked him out!"

Rose was confused. "Who?"

The Doctor shouted, "He was kissing her! How the hell long has that been going on?"

Genie let go of Rose and walked back over to where he stood. "Long enough! Daddy, I'm not a six year old child, anymore!"

"That doesn't make me any less Dad!" He shouted. "Do I know about this? In the future?"

Lewis rose his eyebrows and crossed his arms.

"Of course you don't!" She shouted.

"And why not! Genie, he's…."

"He's Legate! You've known him forever! He's recovering from a broken skull and you go and hit in him the face? You could have really hurt him! For all we know, you did!"

He sighed and leaned on the cabinet. "Genie. You have to see this from my point of view-"

"No. Daddy. You have to see it from mine. I'm an adult. I'm 24 years old and completely stuck here with the lot of you. I don't know any of you! I only have him! Arles is with Karen now, Samuel may never come back-"

"He is coming back." The Doctor insisted and pointed at her.

"Daddy! Legate and I are in love-"

"Oh, please-"

"He's left the Quauhtin so we can make -"

The Doctor looked shocked. "He what?" He looked back at Lewis.

He nodded. "Yeah. I told him I wouldn't accept his resignation-"

"You knew about this?!" He shouted.

Lewis shrugged his shoulders. "Of course I did! And John, really. It's Legate? Who else do you trust her with more?"

"Not the guy grabbing her ass in the library-"

Arles nodded, "He has a point."

The Doctor pointed at Arles. "And you knew about this. Does Sam?!"

Genie held out her hands, "Of course he does! He's thrilled about it. You should have seen him and Arles when I told them I had agreed to make the Life Promise with him."

The Doctor threw his hands up. "Life Promise! Are you mental!? You're too young to do that!"

"Daddy! I'm 24! Not the six year old that you were just holding in your arms out there in the shop! This is the same reason the other Legate left!"

The Doctor looked confused. "What?"

Lewis scratched his head. "Yeah, Legate the Second went to Kaitos to take over the rule. He's agreed to be Lartius' heir."

"So, Lartius knows about this, too! Who the hell all knows?! Am I the last one?!"

Genie shook her head. "No. We wanted to tell you in person, but it hasn't been the best time this past week."

He rubbed his face. "I agree with that."

"Are you still ill?"

He groaned. "Legate left. Why? That part doesn't make sense."

Lewis chuckled, "Yes, it does. The same reason that you're so upset. If someone says, 'Genie', you think of the little girl. He said that after finding out that Legate the Third ended up with her, it felt awkward being around her."

"Well, he wouldn't have done anything-"

Rose insisted. "Of course he wouldn't! So, explain why you are so damn upset by this."

Genie put her hands on her hips. "Dad. Seriously. You have always told me, Sammy, Arles that we're to make up our own mind about who we pick. Sammy brings this Karen home and everyone loves her immediately. No one knows her. I decide to marry a man who has: kept me safe my entire life, wants to end a professional career because he says it will take too much time away from our life together, and has risk his life just to come back in time to be here with me. This is who I pick. I don't see where it is even something I have to think about. Who else would you recommend that would do that?"

The Doctor's face slowly spread into a smile. "You're right."

She crossed her arms. "I'm sorry. I can't hear you properly, Dad-"

He groaned and rolled his eyes. "I said you're right-"

She put her hand behind her ear. "Sorry?"

Rose, Lewis and Arles all laughed at her.

The Doctor laughed. "You're right! Damn. Ugh!" He ran both of his hands through his hair and laughed his relief. He leaned against the cabinet and shook his head in disbelief. "Genie and Legate." He swore in Gallifreyan.

Rose walked over and put her arm around Genie's shoulder. "Swearing in Gallifreyan is a good sign."

Lewis smiled, "Our little girl is getting married, Dad."

The Doctor grinned back at him. "Our little girl has grown up, Papa. And I'm too big of a moron to even see it."

Lewis looked back at Arles and smiled. "I wish Sammy could see this. Was he the holder?"

The Doctor threw his hands up again. "You guys bet on this?!"

Arles shrugged his shoulders. "Do you blame us, Dad? I'm the holder. I'll have to get the full story from Genie, before I determine the winner."

The Doctor rolled his eyes and laughed. "Oh, good grief."

Rose held her hands out. "Well?"

"Well what?" He asked.

"Your daughter just told you she's getting married. You probably want to congratulate her after an apology."

He shook his head. "You probably should write this stuff down, Rose. I can't be expected to-"

"Get your ass over here!" Rose demanded.

He smiled at her annoyance and joined them. He embraced Genie and laughed. "Oh wow. My Sara Gene is making the Life Promise."

He looked back at Rose and wrapped his arms around both of them, holding them tightly. He kissed them both and smiled at Genie. "I'm sorry I exploded."

She smiled. "Dad. You know he's the right choice."

He realized, "Holy shit! He asked you before he even knew you were completely a Rixalarian!"

Genie giggled. "Yes. He did."

He hugged her again. Rose felt his happiness shadowed with his sadness. She wished Samuel had been there, too.

The Doctor stood in front of Genie and ran his hands through his crazy looking hair. He still wore his jim jams and dressing gown. "Rose, I need to go check to make sure I haven't given my son in law a concussion."

Genie shook her head as she smiled. "One thing, Dad."

"What's that?"

"Put on some clothes." She insisted.

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