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Chapter 16 - Chapter 16 - Tight Grip

The Observation Deck was impressive. The large dome overhead showed the long streaks of stars as the ship continued to travel at a high rate of speed through space. Sounds of the children's laughter was heard coming from the Zero Gravity room over to the side.

Pete Tyler sat next to Jackie at the small round table with Lewis and Pepper. Pepper held baby Arles in her arms. He was sleeping with his fingers in his mouth.

Karen walked into the room with Genie and Legate. Tony Tyler ran off to the Zero Gravity room. Legate glanced up to see him run. He put his arm around Genie's shoulder. She looked up at him and saw his smile. "This alright?"

She grinned. "Yes."

Pete, holding a container of chips, stood up as they got closer. "Oh, Karen. May I introduce Jacks?"

Jackie Tyler held her hand out to her. "Jackie. Not Jacks."

Karen smiled and shook her hand. "It is nice to meet you."

Jackie's attention immediately was on Legate and Genie. "So, I see you two are now putting your hands all over one another now that the secret is out."

Tony Stark laughed as he walked behind them and joined Pepper. "Busted by Jackie!"

Genie shook her head. "Grand, this is hardly our hands all over one another. Although, I do have a question. Papa called Arles' Sam's 'One.' What is that? Is that a proper 'One'?"

Karen closed her eyes tightly.

Pete shrugged his shoulders. "Well, yeah. Didn't you know that?"

Jackie shook her head. "I think that's supposed to have been a secret, Pete!"

"It was?" Pete asked.

Karen grinned, "It wasn't meant for everyone to really know. Samuel and I wanted to let Genie and Legate have their moment-"

"Oh my God!" Genie threw her hands up. "Why didn't anyone tell me?"

Karen laughed. "Well…."

Genie embraced Karen and laughed. "Oh wow!"

Tony and the older Arles walked into the room. Legate pat Arles' chest as he got up beside of him. "You didn't tell me you were 'One.' Who is Two? Stark?"

Tony Stark grinned. "No. You are."

"Well, I'm a shit, Two!" Legate insisted. He turned to Karen and took her hand. "I'm so sorry! I had no idea! Damn it, Arles! This is information I need! What the actual hell?"

Arles shrugged his shoulders. "She asked me to keep it quiet. Who told?"

Jackie pointed at Pete. "The vault of secrets here."

Arles groaned. "Grandfather. Really?"

He held his hands out. "Jacks tricked me! She's…" He looked back to see her raised eyebrow. "Ummm…lovely. Right?"

Genie and Karen laughed together.

Pepper shook her head. "Good save there, Pete."

Suddenly, Soli appeared next to Tony. "Hi!"

Tony nearly jumped out of his skin. He shook as he managed to compose himself, "Shit! Don't…. ah!"

Pepper laughed. "He's been practicing."

Pete chuckled and held out the chips. "And eating chips."

Soli took a chip from the container and ate it.

Tony ran his hand through his hair. "You scared the hell out of me, man."

Soli looked concerned. "Are you cross?"

"I'm not cross. Just…startled. Yes. Going with that. You keep practicing."

Soli smiled, "Sure thing, Tony. Watch this."

He disappeared in a ray of light, and then reappeared in front of Tony with his hands on his hips. "Record time!"

Tony grinned. "Where did you go?"

"Around the ship. All of the halls." Soli told him as if it should have been oblivious. "John told me it was alright."

Tony nodded. "Just be careful and look out for-"

"People walking. Yes, I know. Rose and John are on their way now."

Genie called to him from the Zero Gravity room. "Soli! Are you coming back?"

He grabbed a few more chips and zoomed away.

Tony held up his hands as the trail of light vanished. "Oh, that's going to take some getting used to."

Pete handed Tony the container of chips just as Soli reappeared and took them from his hand. Tony jumped again. "AH! Soli! Damn!"

Soli disappeared in a flash of light again.

Tony looked back at Pepper. "Your son."

She smiled. "Of whom I'm extremely proud. Anyone that can keep you on your toes."

He sat down next to her and rubbed her back. "That, he does."

Arles looked at the baby Arles and grinned. "Karen. Did you see me here?"

"That's you?"

He nodded.

Pepper rose baby Arles up to her lips to kiss his forehead.

Jackie smiled, "She's going to want one of those, Stark."

Tony grinned and rubbed Pepper's back. "I'd give her one." He looked back at her and said quietly. "Anything she ever wants."

Pepper smiled sadly at him.

Legate crossed his arms. "Arles, how can you be 'One' and sleep as much as you do?"

Arles laughed under his breath.

"Are you just telling me you're sleeping?" Legate realized. "You shit."

Arles grinned. "Love you, too."

Rose walked in with the Doctor. She was holding baby Samuel in her arms. He clapped in excitement as they got closer. "Feet! Feet!"

Pete held his hands out to take him. "Come to Grandfather 'Feet', young man."

Karen asked, "Feet?"

Genie laughed. "Samuel called Grandfather that until he was a teenager."

Rose handed baby Samuel to her Dad.

The Doctor looked back at the Zero Gravity room. The sounds of the children's laughter continued. "They are all in there?"

Jackie nodded, "Genie, Tony, and Soli."

Tony sighed. "Soli is….zooming around at top speed. He can't go through the walls, can he?"

The Doctor shook his head. "No. All of the force fields are up. He's safe."

Tony nodded.

He put his hands on his hips and looked at the group that had gathered. "Alright. I've been talking to the doctors there on Licis' ship. And before we go much further, I'll admit that these are not really doctors, but rather scientists who have been trained in advanced First Aid."

"Like Jack." Lewis realized.

"Yes. Licis tells me he was….blinked to the other side of the galaxy and found Tony's ship. Well, the remains of the ship."

"Blinked?" Genie asked.

"Yeah." He scratched the back of his neck. "And there's a lot more to that, but….it's not important at the moment. What is important is the health of the three who were found. First, Poltious."

Legate nodded.

"He was found on Tony's ship, well, what was left of it. It was shot and lost power. They weren't able to savage it. Most of it was gone."

"Compression injuries? Frozen temperatures?"

"He seems to be recovering rather well from both, but he's rather certain that his legs are both broken, and they are keeping him still in fear of a broken back."

Legate crossed his arms and took a deep breath. "He's had worse."

Lewis nodded. "That's true."

The Doctor grinned, "He is conscious and insisted they remain in that part space until they found Tony. Which is odd, because that was before they jumped. Blinked. Whatever."

Pete asked. "But, Tony?"

"Tony says he's fine, and the initial examination that they have given him shows that he's alright. Overall. I'll look at him closer when we get there."

Genie took a deep breath and held Karen's hand tighter. "And Sam?"

He exhaled slowly. "Sam was kept unconscious the majority of the time they had him using drugs, an EMP tranquilizer gun, and appears to have been electrocuted several times. Probably trying to ensure he was actually a Khlere before he was handed over to the buyer."

Genie covered her mouth and closed her eyes tightly.

"They are giving him some medicine for pain, and other things. He is currently in a healing coma. Tony told the doctors there that he stopped breathing on their way to them, but…he's still him. I don't know what to expect. His levels are all over the place, but they do seem to be leveling out."

"So, he's going to be alright?" Pete asked.

"I'll know more when I see him. As for right now, things could be a lot worse. But, they could also be a lot better."

Karen wiped a tear from her eye. "How long until we reach them?"

He sighed. "We're traveling at 89%. Licis is at 92. We're flying directly towards one another, but it's still a long way. The computer estimates we'll meet one another in two days."

"Two days?" Pepper asked.

Arles nodded. "37 hours, actually."

Tony crossed his arms and sat back. "Damn. Could one of the smaller ships get there faster?"

The Doctor shook his head. "No. There are only two ships that I know of that can get there faster. And neither one of them are here."

Legate grinned. "Poltious' ship is down in the hanger now."

The Doctor looked surprised. "Is it?"

"Yeah." Legate laughed. "He put it there when he left with Tony. He asked the other Legate to keep an eye on it. He didn't trust it in Lartius' care. I'm surprised you haven't noticed it down there."

"It's a big hanger." The Doctor nodded. "Brilliant."

Legate rubbed his hands together in excitement. "Awesome. I'll go warm the engines. Go get whatever you need, John."

The Doctor grinned. "Perfect. Cheers, mate."

Legate looked back at Genie. "Could you go pack us a bag, then? Meet me in the hanger?"

She smiled. "Take Karen instead. I'll stay with Mum."

Legate pointed at Arles. "You are 'One'. You come, too."

Arles nodded. "Right."

Rose took a deep breath as Legate and Arles left with Karen and Genie. The Doctor turned back around to the remaining concerned faces. "Alright. Good meeting. I need to get to the med bay to get everything sorted. Lewis…."

"I've got it." He stood up and pat his shoulder as he left the room.

Rose stood up and took his hand. "And we need to have a chat."

"And we need to have a chat." He repeated as she took his hand and they walked away together.

Once they arrived in the hallway, she turned around and faced him. He didn't have to be joined to see she was not happy. She put her hands on her hips. "And….?"

"And what?" He asked her.

"You don't want me to go."

"No." He told her flatly.

She sighed. "I could help-"

He took her hand in his. "He's healing himself. He told me he heals fast, like you do. I really believe he's put himself in this healing coma. Just like I do. Remember when I regenerated and just needed a good rest and a cup of tea?"

She sighed. "I just don't want him to be hurt."

"From what I've already seen, he should have regenerated."

"God. He's so young. He doesn't need to do that."

"Rose, I won't lie to you about this. The Bad Wolf told me he would be alright. She's been appearing to Genie and to Jane, too. Telling them he will be alright."

"So, I'm to stay here. Behind again."

"I need you to remain here with Genie and Sam. They need you. They aren't going to understand why you are getting into a ship and leaving them when we rushed them up here so quickly. I'm going to help someone feel better. They know that's what I do."

"You're right." She sighed. "And it's not like I can really do anything for him."

He kissed her hand. "You can help him, by remaining hopeful. Remember what I told you about that."

"That makes completely, no sense."

"The best stuff doesn't." He grinned back at her. "So, we're good then?"

She crossed her arms. "One more thing-"

"Yes, ma'am." He smiled at her.

"What's with you and Karen?"

His face spread into the huge, goofy grin again. "Oh, Karen! I get to fly to Sam with Karen! Brilliant!"

She put her hand on his chest and smiled. "I can feel that. What is it?"

He laughed.

"She is going to think you are proper mad."

He danced in front of her. "And I don't even care."

She sighed and laughed under her breath. His happiness was flooding into her. "You are proper mad."

He leaned back to look into the Observation Room and around the hallway to ensure they were alone. He kissed her hand. "You are going to be proper mad, along with me. Grandmother."

"Grand-" She looked shocked and then realized what he was on about. "No." She said in disbelief.

She danced in front of her. "I'm sure. I felt it. Really tiny. Smaller than a bean. Can't be but a few days."

Rose covered her mouth in shock. "Oh my God. Are you sure?"

"Yep." He popped as he pulled her arms to his shoulders and wrapped his arms around her waist. He told her quietly. "But, she doesn't know. I don't think. So, shhh…."

She laughed, "I'm so happy. Oh wow! What will Sam say?"

He kissed her lips quickly. "I have no idea. I hope they are both happy about it."

She pointed at him. "Keep it quiet-"

"Yes, Mum-"

"And stop acting like a lunatic-"

"Can't promise that-"

"And if she asks…."

He rose his eyebrow. "What? She won't ask me. She doesn't know me."

She sighed, "So, we have to keep this to ourselves."

He bit his tongue and smiled at her again. "Yep!" He popped.

She giggled at him. "And you are mad."

"And now you are, too!" He teased. "It's contagious!"

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The adult Tony Tyler sat in a chair next to Samuel's bedside.

Samuel, covered in a thin sheet, had wires coming from his bruised chest and hoses from his arms. Tony watched the levels on the monitor next to him dance from dangerous red levels, to the perfectly healthy green levels.

The Quauthin doctor in the room gave Samuel another injection in his arm, and the red levels seemed to lessen.

"Do you think he's cold?" Tony asked the doctor.

The doctor looked up at the monitor. "He may be. I'll fetch him a blanket."

"Thank you."

The doctor walked out of the room.

Tony looked back at Sam and rubbed his ginger beard. Samuel was clean from the transport scrubber, and Tony had given him a fresh shave. He lay still and appeared to be sleeping. The long streaks of bruising had appeared on both of his arms.

Tony shook his head. "Sammy, I'm sorry. I should have got us out of there so much sooner than I did. Maybe it would have prevented this from happening."

Samuel lay still in the bed. The monitor beeped as one of the green levels, went back into the red.

Tony shook his head as his eyes welled up in tears. "John has always told me it was my job to protect you. 'You're older, Tony. Keep an eye on him.' I didn't do that. He's on his way here now, and I just can't face him. I need to go find this buyer and-"

Samuel's levels all turned red and beeped in alarm. He let out a groan. Tony jumped out of the chair and grabbed his hand. "Sammy! I'm here."

Half of the levels returned to the green and normalized. The Quauhtin doctor rushed back in, with a blanket on his arm.

"The levels bombed out!" Tony told him as he held onto Sam's hand.

The Doctor looked up at the monitor. "Well, these are looking better than they have since he's been here."

"But, they all just….crashed!" Tony insisted.

The doctor looked up at him. "He's doing better."

Tony sighed. "Damn it, Sammy. You're winding me up."

Samuel grinned in his sleep.

The doctor spread the blanket over Samuel. "And that will help keep you warm."

Samuel continued to sleep.

The doctor looked up at the levels. "These look better. I'll report this to Primus John." He left the room.

Tony continued to hold Sam's hand. He shook his head and laughed under his breath. "Fucking hell, Sam. You scared the hell out of me."

The levels continued to stay in the green and red areas.

Tony looked back at Sam and became serious. "I need to finish this, Sam. I need to go get them back for what they did to you and Poltious."

Samuel continued to sleep.

"And I can't be here when John gets here."

He let go of Samuel's hand only for Samuel to grip it tighter.

"Sam." Tony insisted and tried to pull his hand away from his.

Sam held it tighter and refused to let go.

"Samuel! Let go of me." Tony exclaimed.

Samuel didn't.

Tony groaned. "Damn it, Sam."

Samuel still continued to sleep.

Tony looked around the room and thought. "Alright. Sam. I've decided to stay. You can let me go."

Samuel didn't loosen his grip.

Tony sighed. "Damn it. At least let me drag the damn chair over here."

Samuel held on tightly.

Tony shook his head. "Bloody hell. Great. Just, great Sam. When you get better, I'm going to kick your ass."

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