XXXXXXXXXXXXxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Chapter 31 - Chapter 31 - The Big Question

Tony Tyler sat at the controls of Tony Stark's ship. He heard someone walk in. "I think we're about ready to go, John. Everything is warm and the path is clear. Finally." He said as he clicked a few more buttons on the ceiling.

Pete Tyler sat down next to him. "John is giving Lewis some last minute instructions. He'll be onboard in a bit."

Tony looked back at his father in shock. "Ummm. Alright."

Pete loosened his tie to the suit he wore. "He had to transport Rose onboard. Can you believe she can sleep through that?"

Tony relaxed and grinned. "I believe most people can."

"I don't think I could. But, my daughter is a rare breed. She can sleep through anything." Pete chuckled.

Tony hadn't stopped looking at Pete.

Pete looked back at him. "I've not met you yet. Are you one of the new recruits that John and Lewis have taken on?"

"Umm…no, sir."

"Well, there are so many now. It's hard to remember anyone's names really." Pete said as he looked through the window at the hanger.

Tony didn't know what to say.

Pete looked back at him. "What was your name?"

"Tony."

Pete smiled proudly, "My son is named Tony. Great kid. A bit of a swearer, but hell, I was much worse."

Tony laughed under his breath. "Were you?"

"Oh yes. Of course, Howie Shepherd wasn't such a great influence. I can remember once when we were at summer camp in the states. He thought it would be a great idea to steal this car and go see this other camp. Girls' camp."

Tony laughed and pressed another button over his head.

"We told such lies! We were the most popular kids at camp that summer. Truth was, we found a wedding instead."

"So, you crashed the party?"

"We stole the cake." Pete grinned proudly.

"I might need to start taking notes." Tony laughed.

The Doctor popped his head in the door. "Oh, good. You found one another."

Pete laughed, "How about that, son? He's ginger just like my Tony."

The Doctor laughed under his breath. "Pete. That is your Tony. Tony Tyler."

Pete looked back at Tony. "No, you aren't."

Tony looked back at his Dad and grinned. "You stole the cake? You never told me that you and Uncle Howie-"

He pointed forcefully at his son. "You shit! You're as damn bad as your Mum to sneak up on someone!"

Tony laughed. "It's nice to see you too, Dad."

Pete laughed and glanced back at the Doctor, who was smiling ear to ear.

"I'm going to check on Rose. Soli is playing Mario Brothers with Chiron. Tony, do you have this?"

Tony laughed and clicked a few more buttons, "I've got it, John."

"Yell if you need me." He told him as he walked away.

Pete looked surprised back at Tony. "How the hell are you here?"

Tony pressed some buttons as he piloted the ship out of the hanger. "Sammy stole the TARDIS and brought us back."

Pete laughed and crossed his arms. "I can't believe this. And piloting a ship."

Tony nodded. "Well, sure. John insisted we all learn how. I've been able to do it since I was….eight?"

"That's brilliant. How old are you?"

"24."

"Wow. So, Sammy is with you, too?"

"And Arles and Genie. Oh and Legate. Jack brought him back when he went to tell John and Lewis where we all were."

"Just told John and Lewis, huh? Not Jackie and me?"

Tony clicked a button and the stars turned into streaks of light in the window. "No."

"Ah, Jackie is as terrifying in the future as she is now. That's comforting."

Tony smiled. "Yes, sir."

"Sir. Enough with this sir, shit. Come here."

Tony's eyes filled with tears as Pete pulled him over, and he embraced his father. They held one another tightly. Pete laughed and pat Tony's chest. "Man, you are so tall! Well, you look tall…even if you are sitting down. How did that happen?"

Tony wiped his eyes and shook his head as he went back to piloting the craft. "Mum says it's from her Dad."

"Well, I'm no dwarf myself." Pete insisted. "So, I'll only ask one thing about the future and I promise I'll never ask anything else."

"Well, Sammy has told me I can't tell you a lot." Tony told him as he clicked on a screen.

Pete sat back and crossed his arms. "I get that. It causes problems. But, this won't."

Tony looked back at his father. "What would you like to ask, Dad?"

"Do I ever win an argument against your Mum?"

Tony laughed and shook his head. "Not to my knowledge."

"Well, shit. That's what I figured." Pete insisted.

Tony laughed. "That's really all you want to know?"

Pete nodded his head. "That's it. Well, I am curious about this football club I just bought-"

"Oh, Dad! Let me tell you about those damn bums!"

Meanwhile, The Doctor walked down the narrow hallway of the ship. Soli and Chiron were sitting in the around the table playing Super Mario Brothers. From the sound of it, it wasn't going well for Chiron.

The Doctor opened the bedroom doorand saw Rose sitting up looking startled. "Where are we?"

He smiled and lay down on the bed with her. "Tony's ship."

She relaxed and lay back on the pillows. It was clear she just had woken up. "My head feels so strange."

He faced her and propped his head up on his fist. "How so?"

"I don't know. Like I slept too long, or something?"

He sat up, took out his screwdriver, and scanned her. She watched with a raised eyebrow. She could feel his concern. "Baby? What's wrong?"

He shook his head and put his screwdriver back in his pocket. "Nothing. You're fine."

"But, something isn't." Rose told him.

He lay back down and sighed. "Genie is recovering from something."

"What?" She asked and sat up. "Is she alright?"

"Yes, she's fine."

"Both of them?"

He smiled. "Both of them. Sam has assured me he is keeping a close eye on her. The older one. Did you know he is a Doctor?"

She smiled proudly, "Yes, with a big 'D' is what he told me."

"Surprised the hell out of me."

"Made complete sense to me." Rose lay back down and rubbed her face. "Our Genie. Our Tony. These poor children."

"They will be alright."

"Yeah, 'Doctor alright'." Rose closed her eyes and sighed. "I thought we would have years before we had to worry about some of this."

"Indeed. Let me talk to you about something else I'm worried about. Genie and Arles."

Rose turned and looked at him. "What about them?"

"What if they were …..dating?"

Rose laughed. "Oh gosh. I think I need tea before we have much more of a conversation."

He laid his arm across her stomach, "I'm serious. I think they have something going on."

"Well." Rose started. "Would that be so bad?"

"I think it's strange. I mean, that's her brother-"

"Sam is her brother. Well, and not really."

"Well, as much as Arles is her brother."

Rose turned and looked at him.

He groaned and lay down on his back. "Oh, these damn kids. Rose Tyler. I'm an old man. Just when I think I've got it sorted with this rotten lot, they gang up on me."

Rose laughed and sat up on the edge of the bed. "That's right. Instead of four, now we have eight."

He groaned. "And two of them are sleeping together."

Rose stood up and looked shocked at him. "No, they aren't."

"I think they are."

She shook her head. "I'm not going to think about this."

"It's Genie and Arles!"

"Out of everything we have to worry about? This is what you pick?"

He thought, "Yes."

"Why?"

"Rose. Oh, I can't get it out of my head. I think I'll have Sam scan her."

"To see if she's-"

"Oh, yes."

She pointed forcefully at him. "You are not doing that! That's private!"

He groaned.

"And what will you do if you found out this is true?"

He dropped his hands beside of himself. "I'm not sure yet. Whiskey, will be involved though."

She rolled her eyes. "Whiskey needs to get involved now. Is this what fathers worry about-"

"Every waking moment." He said as he rubbed his face.

She walked into the tiny loo. "I'm ringing Sam later to tell him to let our daughter have her privacy."

He mumbled, "I should ask Sam. He would probably know."

"What?" Rose called from the loo.

"Nothing." He called back. He closed his eyes and mumbled. "Arles and Genie. How could that even happen?"

Two minutes and 14 seconds later, Rose came back into the bedroom. "Hang on. You were going to leave me."

"No, I wasn't."

She climbed on the bed and sat on her knees. "Yes, you were! You said it wasn't safe and I had to stay home."

He rose his eyebrow and grinned. "And here you are."

She put her hands on her hips, "What the hell is going on? John?" She exaggerated his name.

He laughed under his breath at her. "Nothing. Rose."

"I feel that I should be really cross with you."

He lay back and rubbed his face. "I needed to talk to the Bad Wolf. I'm sorry you had to get involved."

She rolled her neck back in surprise. "Oh. Well, why didn't you just say so?"

He looked up at her, "Rose?"

She smiled, "Still Rose."

He chuckled, "Good."

"So, what did she say?"

"Oh, the usual riddles and shit. Can I make a request now?"

"Sure." She shrugged her shoulders.

"Rose. I'm an old man-"

She rolled her eyes. "And this again."

"I am-"

"Oh, I wish you would stop with this. You are so irritating."

"So, that makes you cross?"

"Absolutely."

He nodded. "Okay. I'll save that for when I need you to be cross."

"Add it to the list."

"Oh, geez. There's a list?" He stretched as he lay on the bed.

Rose watched him rub his face. "You feel tired. You should try to sleep-"

"Nah, I'll sleep later. This should be a fast trip out. I just have to sign some stuff. I brought you a dress."

"Why?" She smiled.

"We don't have the children, well, except Soli. I thought it would be nice to maybe have a date."

She rose her eyebrows. "A date?"

"If you want."

She sat next to him and rubbed high on his thigh. "What do you have in mind?"

"Several things. But, with you doing that, my plans can change."

She rolled her eyes. "Why do you have to sign papers?"

"Tuwo Wenck has died. According to the….person who handles his last wishes, I'm to take over his role."

"So, no more Princeps?"

He laid his head on his arm. "No more Princeps."

"Then what?"

"I now own, well, we own, hospitals in over one hundred places. All throughout the galaxy. He left them all to me. Property. I have no idea what all. We'll find out when we get there."

Rose looked confused. "Hang on. He had that many hospitals?"

"Yep." He popped. "Turns out he was sick for a while with….well….something bad. He kept buying these hospitals in hope that he could find a cure for himself."

"That's sad."

"Yes, it is. We spoke about it when I first met him. His was already progressed so much that nothing could have helped. The cure won't be found for ….. 400 years? But, his was too far along."

"Why did he leave it to you?"

He shook his head. "He wanted to make me a partner, from the very beginning. He knew he wasn't going to live long. But, I would have had to go out to more meetings. Do, the ….thing. I don't like that."

"So, just being an owner. That's better?"

"I don't have to oversee anything anymore. If someone gets really stumped, I can help, but I don't have to go over records everynight like I do now. Or did."

She smiled proudly, "Being the Doctor. Even here."

He chuckled, "I haven't thought about it, but I suppose so."

"Gosh. What will you do with yourself with all of this extra time?"

He grinned and rolled over to kiss her stomach. "I can think of a few things."

She giggled. "You would have time for that?"

He continued to kiss up her chest and her neck. "I need to make more time for that. I've been much too busy lately."

"It worked in my advantage. I got to surprise you."

He smiled at her as he looked in her eyes. "Not many people can say they have done that."

She whispered, "It's what I wanted more than anything."

He kissed her lips. "Now, what do you want more than anything?"

She smiled as he began to kiss her neck. "I don't even think I have to tell you."

He laughed as her lips met his and they started to kiss. She could feel that his mind was still racing about Genie and Arles. She sighed as she looked back at his face. "You're still on about this?"

He threw his hands up and groaned, "Ugh! I can't get it off of my mind!"

Rose rolled her eyes as he got up and stood next to the bed, "I mean, her own brother!?"

"Neither one of them are technically her brother-"

"That doesn't matter! It's…."

"What?"

"Disgusting." He decided.

She shook her head. "I can't believe we're even talking about this-"

"Rose!"

"Why do you think this? Did she say something?"

He crossed his arms, "Right before I left, he came into her bedroom and told her that he bought them tickets to a concert-"

"Totally doesn't mean anything-"

"She can describe his sleeping habits!"

"I can tell you Lewis', but I'm not sleeping with him!"

"And there have just been….several remarks….that you know, have been said in conversations with the kids. Older kids."

She rose her eyebrows, "Such as?"

"Genie and Arles wearing a jumper at the same time."

"Who said that-"

"Sam. Or Tony." He snapped his fingers. "Tony would know!"

She groaned, "See, it's already gone too far for me-"

"Well, what do you mean? Do you know? Can you tell with your….booga-"

"Would you please stop calling it that? That's not even a word."

He rose his eyebrow at her. "Could you, check?"

"No!"

"Please?"

"Absolutely not! It's not any of your business!"

He pointed at himself. "I'm her father! It is completely my business!"

"It's completely not!"

"Ugh! It is!"

She waved her hands, "Okay, stop. I've only just woke up and you are a lot to take when I've had caffeine-"

He looked the ceiling and shook his head as he bit his lip. He mumbled, "My business. Yes. I'm right."

She dropped her hands on the bed she still sat on, "Now that's what I'm sure of. It's not, your business."

He groaned.

"She's 24 years old! Shall I remind you how old I -"

"No!" He insisted as he waved his hand. "That has nothing to do with-"

"So, according to you, I should call Pete and tell him who I'm going to sleep with before I do it?"

"No! Oh, that's gross."

"Well, that's what you're saying-"

"No. No. No. I'm not your brother!"

"So, if she would have told you, that would make it alright?"

"NO!"

"He's not really her brother. And it's really not any of your business."

"This is getting me nowhere. Tony is flying the ship. I'm going to go ask him. HA!" He exclaimed as he left the room.

Rose closed her eyes and groaned, "Oh, God. I should have stayed home."

She was still wearing her silk nightgown. She looked around the room quickly, and found one of Tony Stark's oxford shirts. She pulled it on and rushed out of the door.

She caught up with the very determined Doctor just as he walked into the small control room. There were only two seats in there, which Tony Tyler and Pete were both occupying. They were laughing as Rose and the Doctor joined them.

"Oh! Hey! Rose, look at who it is. My Tony!" Pete said as he pointed at the ginger man who piloted the craft.

Tony pointed at the screen. "I'm glad you're here, John. There's this blimp on the screen here. Could someone be following us?"

The Doctor looked and shook his head. "Probably just someone else headed to Plentitude. A lot of people come this way."

"I had to loop us around on the opposite side of the usual track. Some, solar disturbance."

"That will add some more time."

"I've already rang Stark and told him."

The Doctor nodded, "Alright, good. So, I need to ask you about something."

Tony groaned, "Oh no. I know this tone of voice."

Pete stood up and gave Rose his seat. "Heard it before, huh?"

Tony grinned, "So many times."

The Doctor rolled his eyes. "Tell me about Genie and Arles."

"What about them?"

Rose closed her eyes and waved her hand. "No. What he meant to ask is, are any of you dating?"

"Really?" Tony asked in surprise.

The Doctor decided to go with Rose's more diplomatic approach. "Yes."

Tony rubbed his chin. "Well, Sam just broke up with this girl. They dated for about a year."

"She ended it, or he did?" Rose asked.

"She did." Tony told her. "I think."

Rose looked back at the Doctor. "I told you to teach that child to kiss-"

"This is not my fault!"

Rose groaned, "Arles?"

Tony shook his head. "Nah. No one I know of. Genie either."

Pete grinned, "You?"

Tony blushed. "Well, we wasn't talking about me-"

All three of them made a noise. Rose playfully punched him in the shoulder. "What? Who is she?"

Tony smiled, "No one. Nevermind."

Pete chuckled, "Sounds lovely. I want details, later."

Rose held her hand up to the Doctor. "Satisfied?"

"Just because he doesn't know about it, doesn't mean nothing is happening. I'm telling you, Rose. I know about these things!"

Tony looked confused, "What are you talking about, John?"

"You really don't want to know." Rose groaned and got up from the chair. "I'm going to get dressed."

The Doctor stood with his arms crossed, thinking. Rose could feel how upset he was about his 'discovery'.

She pointed at the Doctor. "You, are winding me up!"

"I didn't say anything!" He insisted.

She pointed forcefully at him, "You are headed for a smack. I'm telling you, let this go."

He groaned as she walked away.

Pete laughed, "Smacked for what you're thinking. Sorry. That's her Mum in her."

Tony nodded his head. "Yes, it is."

The Doctor groaned, "Smacked for what I'm thinking. Great!"

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX