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Chapter 14 - Waking Up

Genie and Legate lay in the large, wooden, four poster bed sound asleep in each other's arms. The comfort and safety of being back at the school, where things were so familiar to them, had left them both relaxed more than they had been since the TARDIS had crashed there.

As promised, the red dress that Genie had worn lay on the floor next to the bed. Legate had teased that it picked up the reds in the rug, nicely.

They had celebrated for hours of her finally agreeing to make the Life Promise with Legate. Two empty bottles of wine sat on the table, next to their bed. Both had fallen into an exhausted, drunken, satisfied slumber.

Legate heard Lartius speaking in his head. He struggled to wake up.

'I'm sleeping, Lartius.' He told him.

Lartius huffed. 'Then wake your ass up, then. Your King needs to speak to you!'

Legate groaned and rubbed his face. 'Alright. Give me just a second.'

He turned and kissed Genie's sleeping face. She didn't move as he pulled the duvet up to cover her shoulder. Putting on his new dark purple dressing gown that had just been delivered that afternoon, he slowly walked out of the bedroom and into the kitchen.

He turned on the light and dimmed it. The stone and tile work was identical to the flat that Arles and Samuel shared. Legate pressed a button on the food replicator and a cup of tea immediately appeared. He sat down at the island bar and sipped it, trying to wake up.

'Alright. I believe I'm more awake, sir. What is it?'

'I've spoken to Lewis. You have been put on a Special Assignment?'

He nodded as he sipped his tea. 'Yes, sir. These primaries from the future need protection.'

'Protection that some other Quauhtin can give.'

Legate had worried about this. He sat down his tea and groaned. 'I'm sorry, Lartius. I don't trust it to anyone else.'

'You are putting the kingdom at risk, over a job that can be done by someone else. Probably more qualified.'

Legate grew angry. 'More qualified than me? Does anyone else, know these-"

'It does not matter if they know them! What matters is the stability of the Quauthin people! Have you forgotten your responsibilities, Legate?'

'This was not even a problem until you found yourself arrested. Do you want that life for me?'

'You know what I want for you.'

'Yes, sir. To be happy. You've told me that as long as I can remember. Well, Lartius. I'm very happy. But, I have to remain here.'

'With the one who makes you so happy-'

'Yes.' Legate insisted. Then realized what he had said. 'Damn it, you know don't you?'

'Poltious told me, dear boy.' He laughed. 'We've had a bet that could get it out of you. You lasted much longer than I thought you would.'

Legate groaned and rubbed his face. "Damn. Lartius sucks."

'And I also hear that Lewis doesn't know.'

'Oh, shit. You haven't told him-'

'Of course I haven't! That you have managed to keep it from Lewis the Primus, is very impressive. My family is the best of the Quauthin!'

Legate nodded in relief. 'I believe he is still recovering from his accident. It might have helped me more than I'd care to admit.'

'That you are as slippery in your explanations with him, reminds me of another Quauthin. One you know well. One who I recently changed his official title to: Honorable Praetor Poltious, Savior to a thousand worlds, the One of the Quauthin King, and the man who can talk his way out of anything.'

Legate chuckled. 'Yeah, that's him.'

'So, Genie Smith. I hear she's amazing.'

Legate smiled and sipped his tea again. 'She is. And, she's finally agreed to make the Life Promise with me. Just tonight.'

Lartius was beaming. Legate could tell it in his voice. 'My dearest Legate. I could not be more proud of you. A Rixalarian, too! She will always be honest with you. Even when you wish she wouldn't be. And completely beautiful. Such a wise choice.'

Legate smiled. 'We're very happy. She's asked me to keep it to ourselves a bit longer though.'

'Well, I'm certain you are aware of your position.'

'Yes. I believe that's the only reason she's finally agreed. She worries what will happen to me if our relationship is discovered.'

'Ah. Whatever it takes. I want you to know that no matter what, you don't need to worry about that.'

Legate chuckled, 'What?'

'I have declared protection over you and her.'

'Seriously?'

'Indeed! Your status as a Quauthin is quite safe. Now, I can't do anything about her father when he finds out.'

'Believe me. I've given it a lot of thought.'

'As well you should! I remember Martiea's father's reaction. He threw me through a window. I fell two stories out of the castle, and into a bush.'

He laughed, 'I never heard about this.'

'Well, the fact that she was pregnant with your mother, might have had a little to do with it.'

'That would do it.'

Lartius laughed. 'It all worked out. Maria would have been so proud of you.'

'I like to think so.'

'I know so. So, tell me. This John isn't going to have a reason to toss you through a window, will he?'

He grinned. 'She's not pregnant.'

'You are much wiser than your King.'

'I would say, more careful.' He insisted as he sipped his tea.

'Ah. It was meant to be. We never changed one thing that we did, and only have ever had our Maria.'

'This is bordering into subjects I really don't feel comfortable talking about.'

Lartius laughed. 'Indeed. Bring her and we'll give her a royal welcome into the family.'

Legate could see where this was going. 'Because you want me to come home and rule the kingdom.'

'My dear boy! I'm the King! Stay with your Rixalarian, and visit the kingdom as often as you can.'

Legate was completely confused. 'Hang on. You don't need me to come and take over?'

'Hell no! I have a lot of life left in me! I just wanted you to tell me why you really couldn't return right now.'

Legate laughed and rubbed his face. "Lartius really sucks."

'Beyond anything that ever happens, my dear boy. Know that I love you. And your Rixalarian. The kingdom is in good hands for now. Martiea wishes to express her congratulations, too.'

'This is a secret-'

'Indeed! Why do you think I tell her? Bring your Rixalarian to see us. We'll keep it to ourselves.'

'And I don't have to take over the kingdom. You're not on about that?'

'We'll discuss that when you arrive. Now, go back to sleep. I hope you can rest next that charming, young lady.'

Legate chuckled, not believing his luck. The weight and worry he had carried on his shoulders for months, had finally lifted. 'Yes, sir. Thank you, Lartius.'

'All of our love.'

'And mine, sir. We'll see you soon.'

He finished his tea and shook his head. "This night has been completely mad. I'm going to buy a lottery ticket in the morning."

He ran his hand through his hair and sat his tea mug in the sink.

The tile floor was cold on his bare feet. He looked through the arched window down several floors to the garden at the school. The night was lit by an old fashioned, electric lantern that hung near the frozen fountain. The snow had stopped for the moment.

Legate left the kitchen, turning off the light, and walked back down the hallway to Genie's bedroom.

He took off his dressing gown and climbed back under the duvet. He looked back at her lovely face to see her eyes moving rapidly under her eyelids. Her beautiful face looked pained. It was clear she was having a nightmare.

He put his fingers on the side of her head and held her fingers to the side of his own.

'Genie. What's wrong?'

'They have them!'

'Who? Let me hear it.'

He heard the horrifying screams of Pete and Jackie Tyler. She was having a nightmare of when they were captured and tortured.

'You're not there.'

'They are coming to take me next!'

'No, Genie. I'll keep you safe. You know I will.'

'You're not here!'

'Then how can you hear my voice?'

'Legate. I'm frightened.'

'Genie, you're safe.'

'They are going to hurt you.'

'They won't hurt me.'

'When they find out about us, they will.'

'No. Genie. Listen again. That's Jackie and Pete cheering, because they know about us. Listen.'

The blood curling shouts turned into laughter and celebration. Genie seemed to relax as she slept.

'Legate.'

'You're sleeping, Genie. You can wake up. I'm here.'

He let go of her hand and caressed her face. "Genie."

Genie's eyes blinked open. She looked confused. "You were in my dream."

He smiled at her. "I'll always keep you safe, Genie. Even in your dreams."

They wrapped their arms around one another. He kissed her head. "Go back to sleep. I'm here. Everything is alright."

She whispered as she fell back to sleep, "I love you, Legate."

"I love you, Genie."

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Samuel woke up warm and comfortable with a weight lying across his leg. He reached under the blanket found Karen's leg wrapped around his. He traced her smooth skin back up her to her bum, and ran his fingertips up her spine.

As he became more awake, he realized she lay in front of him, wrapped in his arms and him in hers. They had managed to sleep in the small, half bed in her dormitory.

He felt her kiss the end of his nose. His stomach began to tingle again. His fingertips seemed to pick up the electricity running through her body, and feed into his own. The familiar tingle that he found gave him so much pleasure that he couldn't even describe.

She whispered, "Are you awake?"

He kissed her lips without opening his eyes. He continued to run his fingertips up and down her spine, enjoying the tingle that it sent through his body.

"I love how I feel when you touch me." She told him quietly.

He smiled at her. "I've never felt like this. It's like a shiver, running through my body."

She smiled, "Goosebumps."

He opened his eyes. "Yes. What is it?"

"I don't know, Samuel. I feel it, too."

He relaxed and continued to stroke her spine with his fingertips. "I love how you say my name."

She whispered, "Samuel."

He smiled and closed his eyes again. "Karen."

"What time is it?" She whispered.

He could feel it was 5:12 am. "Early. When do you have class?"

"Not until 11:00."

He held her tighter and kissed her forehead. "Then you have plenty of time. Go back to sleep."

He inhaled her scent and continued to stroke her back. Her hair smelled so good.

He felt her fingertips began to tease the hair between his legs. His heart leapt knowing that she wanted more. "It really tingles there."

"Do you want me to stop?"

"Never." He opened his eyes.

He felt her take his staff in her hand and stroke it, encouraging it to become hard. "We'll have to be quiet. These walls are thin and I'm sure my roommates are all back."

He rolled onto his back and smiled up at her lying on top of him. "So, not like last night."

"No. Much quieter." She began to kiss him and they both laughed quietly. He found a hairy patch between her legs and began to dip his fingers inside of her. She kissed his chest.

He stretched out his arm towards her desk. "Need the box, again. Hand me one."

She lay down and kissed his neck. "Wait on that."

He tucked her hair behind her ear, "Why?"

She smiled at him, "I want to know how much this tingles."

She kissed down his chest and took him in her mouth. She sucked and rolled her tongue around the tip. The electricity seemed more than he could have imagined. He moaned, "Oh, that's amazing."

She looked back up at him, "You did this to me so much last night, let me do it to you."

"I love the way you taste." He told her.

She giggled and took him back in her mouth and began again. The electricity seemed to make sparks fire behind his eyelids. He began to moan. She quickly muffled his mouth with her own. "Shhh…..roommates!"

He threw his hands out to his sides. "Then turn around! Give me something to do."

She kissed him and turned around, positioning herself right above his mouth as she went back down on him. He held her close to him as he licked and sucked all around and inside of her. From her movements and moans, that only drove him more mad, she was enjoying his work as much as he was enjoying hers.

He couldn't think from the pleasure he felt. He even lost track of time. The voices in his head were completely silent. There was only her.

Before he was ready for it to stop, he quietly called her name. "I'm not going to last much longer."

She began to suck harder and massaged his balls in both of her hands.

He tried to keep it from happening. He didn't want it to end. But, she wasn't making it any easier. He tried to say her name and warn her again, but he couldn't speak. And before he knew it, he had finished in her mouth. He was so embarrassed. "I'm so sorry!"

She swallowed and kissed back up his chest. "It's alright."

He wrapped his arms around her tightly and she lay back on him. "I tried to tell you, but-"

She pushed herself up so she could look in his eyes. "It's really alright. I heard you."

He narrowed his eyes at her. Completely confused.

"Does that gross you out? You have the strangest look on your face."

He couldn't believe it. He quickly shook his head. "No. It's fine."

She lay back down on his shoulder. He realized they were both covered in sweat. Regardless of that, he grabbed the quilt and pulled it back over them.

She asked him quietly. "Tell me how many girls you've been with, Samuel. Honestly."

He continued to hold her tightly and stroke her back. "Counting you, two."

"She didn't do that?"

He held his lips to her forehead. "No."

She teased his chest hair with her fingertips. "It doesn't bother me. It's you. You said you love the taste of me-"

"Oh, I do." He moaned.

"I might like how you taste, too."

He kissed her forehead and held her tightly in his arms. "You're amazing."

She giggled and continued to tease his chest hair. "I've always heard the first few times two people do it, it's not all that great."

"Well, if that's the worst we'll ever do….I'm extremely excited for the next time."

She laughed and kissed his chest. "Me too. It was great."

He asked her quietly, "Can I ask how many you've been with?"

She smiled and sat up to look at him.

He propped his head on his arm. "I'm just curious. You don't have to answer."

She ran her hand through his curly, blond hair that stuck to his forehead from the sweat. "Only one other, and it wasn't anything like this."

"Not a whirlwind romance?" He teased.

"Not at all." She giggled.

"How long ago?"

She thought, "Ummm…. about a year ago. It was before I came to school here."

"The reason you left?"

She looked seriously at him. "Yes. A big reason I left. How about you?"

"About four months ago. She wanted to keep our relationship a secret. There was a lot of pressure around it and….it was….complex."

"Parents a nightmare?"

He sighed. "Among everyone else."

She giggled and lay back on his shoulder. He kissed her head. "No. I understand why she ended it."

"Doesn't make it any easier does it?"

"Well. It has its advantages. If she hadn't dumped me and I hadn't left, I wouldn't have met you."

She giggled and kissed his chest. "That's true. Samuel, I just want to stay here, all day with you."

He closed his eyes and inhaled her scent again. He wanted to fill every square inch of his lungs with it. It was the sweetest smell. He began to run his fingertips up and down her spine again.

"It's probably snowing again. It feels cold."

He looked at the drafty window. It appeared frozen on the other side. "You have a warm coat to go to class in."

She played with the hair on his chest. "Shh….I don't want to think about class. I just want to go back to sleep. Dream about you."

"Said the woman of my dreams." He whispered.

She giggled quietly. "The man of mine."

He kissed her again, reached over and picked up his phone from the desk.

Arles had sent him a message. "Mum is demanding a family meeting. Here, at our flat, this morning at 8. I'm going to sleep it off. Wake me before she gets here."

Karen didn't open her eyes. "Everything alright?"

"Yeah. My brother is probably going to be hung over as hell."

She quietly suggested. "Take him some Advil and some Vitex. There's some in the fridge out there. Scott swears by it."

"Yeah?"

"Or he can just start drinking again. Scott would recommend that, too."

Samuel laughed under his breath just as his phone dinged to notify him of another message. This time, it was Genie.

"Are you awake yet? I want to make sure you're alright."

He sighed.

Karen continued to tease the hairs on his chest. "Your brother? What is his name?"

"Arles." Sam told her. "No, it's my sister."

"What is her name?"

"Genie." He said as he replied back to her.

"That's a normal name."

He laughed, "So is Arles. You're just strange."

She giggled.

"Do you have any brothers or sisters?"

She relaxed in his arms. "No. There's only me."

Samuel texted Genie back, "I'm awake. But, I need to shower and do a few things. Breakfast at 7? My flat?"

He kissed Karen's forehead again. She held him closer to her.

Genie replied. "Perfect."

Just as he sent that message, he received another one from Friday.

"Your medical records are now complete and ready to view."

He grinned. He hadn't told anyone that Genie's question of her heritage had made him question his own. He didn't doubt he was the son of John and Rose, but he had no idea what they actually were. Rose refused to tell him anything except that she was human. Everyone had whispered and talked around him about an odd power she had, but it was common knowledge at home that was something Rose wasn't comfortable talking about at all. His Dad had told him he was part of a race that didn't exist any longer. He had also explained regeneration to him, and a few other things. But there was still so much that Samuel felt he didn't know. Maybe he would finally have answers.

He sat the phone back on the desk and held Karen tightly in his arms. He kissed her and whispered. "Karen. Are you awake?"

She moaned.

"I'm so sorry. I need to go."

She didn't open her eyes and held onto him tighter. "No. Do you have to?"

He smiled, "I don't want to go."

She kissed his chest and he slipped out of the bed. He sat on the side and rubbed his face. His clothes and hers, were all tossed on the floor of the tiny dorm room. He pulled on his boxers and jumper just as she sat up behind him.

"Are you busy tonight?" She asked him.

He pulled on his trousers. "I'm not sure."

She sighed.

He turned around and looked at her. "I really mean it. I'm not sure. I was planning on asking you to dinner."

She smiled at him and snuggled into the pillow. "Dinner sounds good. I was worried for a moment this was a one night thing."

He smiled and shook his head. "I'm not like that. No. What time do you get out of class?"

"6:00."

He put on his socks and trainers. "I can do that. I think. If I can't, I'll ring you."

"If I'm in class…I can't take a call."

He stood up and pulled on his blue, ski jacket. "Right. I'll text then. Is that better?"

"That's better."

He knelt in the floor beside of the bed and looked at her. "You are beautiful lying here. I hate to leave you."

"Have a good day, Samuel. It's going to be better than it was yesterday."

He sighed, "I hope you're right. Although, last night…."

"That was amazing."

He smiled with her. "You were amazing. I'll see you tonight."

He met her lips with his own. He became caught up in their snogging, and climbed back onto the bed, and lay down on top of her. She laughed under his kiss. "You need to go."

He groaned in disappointment and tucked her in. "There. Sleep. Do I need to set a clock, or anything?"

"My alarm is set for 10:00. I'll be fine."

He stood up and zipped his jacket. "10:00. No wonder you lot stay up all night around here."

She waved her hand. "Go away." She said playfully.

He leaned down and kissed her again.

She whispered, "Bye, Samuel."

He ran his hand across her cheek. "Bye, Karen."

She snuggled back into her bed, under the quilts, and watched as he quietly closed the door behind himself. Then, she was certain that she heard a pop on the other side of the door.

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