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Chapter 20 – Nursery Rhymes

The Doctor walked down the hallway of his home, still thinking about what Rose had said. He knew she hadn't meant it, but it still had hurt. He was certain that she was trying to say that he had always treated Genie as his very own, even though she adopted. Maybe he was just better at this entire parenting thing with daughters rather than sons.

He put his hands in his pockets and walked down the steps. Not really sure where he was headed. As he got to the bottom of the staircase, he heard a voice humming. He stopped and listened.

From up the stairs, he heard Genie's sweet voice whisper, "That's not it. It sounds like this." And she began to hum again.

He stood at the bottom of the steps and listened. He recognized the song Genie was humming as a nursery rhyme. She must be teaching it to the TARDIS in her room.

He smiled at her insistence to get it right.

"I don't remember the words. They were mad anyway, so that doesn't matter." She told the TARDIS. "But, it's funny, and you're supposed to be happy when you say it."

He smiled and quietly walked back up the stairs.

Genie sat, on her knees, in front of the huge tank that contained the TARDIS plant. The Doctor quietly walked in and put his hand on her back as he sat down next to her on the floor. She jumped. "I know I'm supposed to be sleeping, Daddy."

He smiled and shook his head. "It's alright."

She looked confused at him. "Are you sad?"

He shook his head. "No. Why, do I look sad?"

"You are sad. Why? Are you and Mum still cross with one another?"

He smiled at her, "No. We're fine. I had an argument with someone else. Someone I should be close to, but….it seems I'm not."

"Doctor Sam." She nodded.

"Now, how do you know that?"

She shrugged her shoulders. "I heard you argue. Tony doesn't like him, either."

He chuckled, "Why doesn't Tony Tyler like him?"

She shook her head. "I'm not sure."

He held out his arms for her to join him on his lap. She snuggled into his chest and he held her tightly. "You shouldn't sit on the floor in your jim jams. They are thin and you will get cold." He turned and pulled a blanket around her.

"Daddy. Why do you think you should be close to Doctor Sam?"

"He's…..well…someone I know."

"He's a good Doctor, Daddy."

"Well, it's hard to explain."

"You've only just met him. He's new. Where did he come from?"

"He, came a long way to be here."

"No, he didn't. But he did. Daddy, that's strange."

He rolled his eyes. "New plan. Let's talk about what you're in here teaching this TARDIS to sing."

She shook her head. "But, I'm curious about Sam."

"Daddy, doesn't want to talk about that."

She crossed her arms and looked up at him. "Yes, you do."

He looked down at her eyes looking up at him. "Genie-"

"You do what to talk about it. And you say that you don't. Why?"

There was no escaping the Master Interrogator. "I want to talk about Sam, but not with you."

"Then who?"

He shrugged his shoulders, "Myself. Does that make sense?"

She nodded, "Yes. I like to do that, too. Let's face it. Sometimes, I'm the only one that understands me."

He laughed at the small girl. "I'm the same way."

She giggled.

"What were you in here singing to the TARDIS?"

"Something. I don't remember the words to it."

"I know the words to it."

She looked confused at him, "How could you know the words to that?"

He grinned, "It's an old nursery rhyme. I've sang it myself."

"The words are strange. I don't remember them."

"Where did you hear it?"

She shook her head. "I don't want to talk about it."

"Why not?"

"Because, it will make me sad. And then that, will make you sad."

"Why will it make you sad?"

She kissed her Goofy doll and held it to her. "It just will."

He kissed the side of her head and held her tightly. "Genie. When people go away, you can still sing the same songs they sang. It's alright. You don't have to pretend it never happened. Your Mum loved you, so very much."

Genie looked at Goofy. "You're making Goofy sad."

He sighed and kissed the Goofy doll. "It's alright to be sad, Goofy."

Genie held her Goofy doll tightly in her arms.

"Now, you've squished him. I can't hear what Goofy is saying." He told her softly.

She held her Goofy doll out, "He says he wishes he knew the words."

"Goofy, I'll teach you the words. Will that be alright?"

Genie nodded, "He says it's alright."

He held her tightly in his arms.

"There was a crooked man,
Who walked a crooked mile.
He found a crooked sixpence
Upon a crooked stile.
He bought a crooked cat
Who caught a crooked mouse,
And they all lived together in a
Crooked little house."

Genie smiled up at him. "That's it."

He pointed at the TARDIS. "You hum, and I'll sing the words. We'll do it together. Okay?"

Genie and him sat on the floor and sang to the TARDIS until she was able to sing the words by herself.

Rose spoke in his head. 'I've drawn a lovely, warm bubble bath…..if you want to join me.'

He grinned, "Genie, you need to get to bed!"

She giggled as he stood up and carried her over to her bed. He tucked her in and sat beside of her.

She smiled up at him. "I had fun today. Thanks for taking me to your car show."

"Thank you for going. Umm….I'm going to have to go to see Lance for a few days."

She sat up and crossed her arms. "You just got back!"

"I know, my sweet Sara Gene. I'm sorry. But, it's not a long trip."

"Can I go?"

He sighed. "I promise you can go on the next trip I take. I need you to stay and help your Mum with the baby. Can you do that for me?"

"How many days?"

"Three?"

She shook her head. "No."

"Two."

She nodded. "Okay. Two days. But, then….ice cream date when you get back."

He bopped her on the end of the nose. "Ice cream date. Yes. You and me."

She lay back down and he tucked her in. "You aren't taking Legate, are you?"

He narrowed his eyes at her. "No. Why?"

"He is taking me for an ice cream date tomorrow."

"Is he?"

"Yes. He's so gross. He asked for ranch dressing on his ice cream last time. Daddy. He's mental."

The Doctor laughed. "Get some sleep."

As he walked out of Genie's bedroom, his head was full of what she had said. "Legate? Could Legate and Genie be together?"

He thought about it all the way back to his and Rose's bedroom. He walked in and found Samuel sleeping in his cot, close to the floor.

He walked into the bathroom and Rose was already in the tub. She smiled and pointed her leg out of the bubbles. "And he's here!"

He grinned and rubbed his chin. "Oh, yes. I'm here."

"Then get undressed and get in here." She told him.

"No wine?"

She pointed at two glasses that she had already filled.

He started to undress. "Right."

She sipped her wine. "Genie sleeping?"

"No. She was singing to the TARDIS."

Rose sipped her wine and watched as he finished undressing. He slipped in the bath in front of her. The bubbles surrounded him. "Did you use the entire box?"

She giggled, "Accidently, too much."

He laughed as he pushed some of the bubbles onto the floor.

"And you're just making a mess."

He coughed, "Nah. It's alright."

She rolled her eyes. "Like a child."

"Tell me. What do you know about Legate?"

"There are two of them." She smiled as she handed him glass of wine. "Which reminds me that I have a question about them."

"What?"

"They are Legate the Second and the Third. Who was the First?"

He smiled, "Lartius insisted on that. Legate was named after the great King Legate, who was Lartius' grandfather. I think that's right. I might be wrong."

"Okay. Now that makes sense."

"Do you think, him and Genie….?"

Rose looked over her glass at him. "Why are you so upset about who Genie is seeing?"

"She told me she was seeing someone."

"I hope she is-"

"But, Legate?"

"I would love that." Rose insisted.

He sipped his wine. "Well, that's strange."

"Why?"

"Well, he's….here with her….and here with her…."

"Here? In the tub?"

"No." He groaned. "I can feel that."

"Feel what?"

He coughed again and cleared his throat. "You are being cheeky. What is that about?"

"I'm just trying to get a clear picture of what you are talking about."

"He's here. In this time, came back with her-"

"Here? In the-"

"Damn it, Rose! I think it's him."

"I think you're mad. And what does it matter-"

"Legate is the prince of the Quauhtin. Genie would get roped into…that madness there. Not to mention there are serious rules that he would be breaking-"

"Like you've always been one to follow the rules."

"Phhh. Yeah, well. We're not talking about me."

"Explain that to me. The rules?"

"Well, dating a Primary. That's….just…..they trust them, more than anyone. That has…..ways that it can be, taken advantage of."

Rose sat down her empty glass. "Genie is much wiser than that."

"And that Legate-"

"Oh, now he's 'that Legate'?"

"He's been around. Probably has some sort of….space disease-"

Rose covered her mouth and laughed. "I can't believe you."

"We'll find out that's the reason he eats all of those odd things. Some, mad disease he got from sleeping with a-"

"Just stop!" She held up her hand and insisted.

"What? I'm concerned for my daughter-"

"You are completely, mental." She insisted.

"Well, what have you heard?"

"She said she has a guy."

He drank all of the wine and sat the glass next to the tub. "Yes. She told me that, too."

"But, if he's here, she wouldn't have been so upset when you told them they were going to be here for so long."

He thought for a moment. "Yeah, you're right. It's not him. Who do you think it is?"

She laughed, "I haven't any idea. She's keeping it very quiet. I imagine she's trying not to think about him."

He put a wet wash cloth over his face and sighed as he relaxed in the tub. "My daughter with some….guy."

"You don't have to say it with such…distain."

"I thought I would have years to prepare myself for this."

"They grow up overnight!" Rose teased.

He pulled the wash cloth back off his face and pointed at her. "You know something. I can feel that. Are you playing games with me?"

She narrowed her eyes at him. "You would love that."

He pulled the wash cloth back on his face and coughed again. "I'm too old for this."

She stroked his leg under the warm water. "You said you spoke to her about this?"

His muffled voice spoke from under the wash cloth. "Yep." He popped.

"What did she say about him?"

"She said that he always brings her a flower." He took the wash cloth back off his face. "I've not seen Legate do that. It's not him."

"Well, if it was him….would he do that in front of you?"

He groaned, "I don't want to think about this."

Rose smiled, "Legate, wouldn't be a terrible choice."

He relaxed and put the warm cloth back on his face. "I'm not thinking about this anymore."

She rose her eyebrow at him and smiled as she felt his confusion.

He coughed again.

"Why are you coughing?"

He spoke from under the cloth, "The track was dusty were we were. It's all in my chest."

Rose refilled her glass and took a sip. "You know, talking about Genie. It could be…"

"Oh, don't do that." He groaned.

"A scientist-"

"I'm not thinking about this anymore-"

"A politician-"

"I've not drank enough for this-"

"Maybe-"

He swore in Gallifreyan.

Rose sipped her wine and whispered, "An archaeologist."

He snatched the wash cloth from his face. "Seriously?"

She laughed hysterically at him.

"Mocking my misery."

She smiled at him with her tongue in her teeth. He could feel she was absent minded. "You need to be mocked. I don't do it enough."

"Is this payback? For the entire…."

She sat down her wine glass and moved closer to him. She pressed her chest into his and he felt the bubbles pop between them. She sat on his waist and wrapped her arms around his. She whispered, "You feel, so unsettled."

He grinned. "Try again."

She thought, "It's changing. It feels…."

He watched her eyes. He could feel his erection, under the water and the millions of bubbles, growing as she sat on his waist. She shifted and felt it against her thigh.

"Now, that's more like it!" She laughed.

He cupped her face with his hands and kissed her. The bubbles stuck in her hair. He looked into her eyes and smiled. "How do I feel, now?"

She continued to look into his eyes. "Like I do. Completely randy."

He kissed his lips and she ran her fingertips across the back of his head.

She could feel how uneasy he became. She stopped their kiss and looked back at him. "Baby, what's wrong?"

He looked longingly in her eyes. "Please come with me to Caihiri. Please don't make me go alone."

"Baby. You feel so sad."

"I don't want to go on my own. I've missed you so much. This, entire, discussion we had. I just, don't want to leave now."

She continued to hold him. "Sweetheart, I need to stay. These children shouldn't be in the same place. And you need to talk to him."

He closed his eyes tightly. "What if he doesn't listen?"

She caressed his face. "You are really frightened about this-"

"I don't…..want to do the wrong thing here. I've already lost Tony."

She put her finger over his lips. "Husband training….lesson one."

"Alright."

"Rule one: No talking about children while nude."

He rose his eyebrows. "I like that rule."

"Be here. With me. Tomorrow will bring its own problems."

He nodded.

She caught his face in her hands. "You, need to pick out what lingerie you want me to wear."

"None." He grinned.

"None?" She smiled as she leaned back in to meet his lips.

He laughed as he kissed her and spoke, "None. Nothing. Just you. Me. Silk.

She giggled as she felt his hands on her hips under the bubbles.

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