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Chapter 18
Lewis's image filled up the screen that hung on Sammy's office wall.
He smiled and leaned back in the chair, "Oh, that's a big relief. So, Tony's going to be okay?"
"Yeah, Lewis." Sammy said, "I still need to keep him up here, though. I have to rebuild some of the muscles that I had to take out of his arm."
Lewis nodded in approval. "Understood. Just, keep him sedated."
Sammy looked up from the tablet that had his attention, "Sedated?"
"Yes." Lewis insisted. "He doesn't need to know anything more than he needs to."
"What the hell are we supposed to tell him?"
"I don't know. But, we need to let all of this happen as naturally as it is supposed to. Tony Stark and your Dad hated one another when they first met."
"Well, Dad has a high opinion of himself."
Lewis pointed at him forcefully. "Ah! That's your father."
Sammy started to say something, and then decided not to. He looked back down at his tablet and groaned. "We may need his help to get Dad here if Mum can't come around."
"I was thinking about that, and I think we need to talk to Pete about having you come to Torchwood to look over everything-"
"Why? I can look at the files from here."
"Oh, that's true. Well, have you?"
"No. Not yet."
"Well, give it a look. We may have to bring your Dad back before we planned if we keep screwing all of this up so much."
"What have we screwed up?"
Lewis shook his head. "Sammy,"
He knew what Lewis was worried about. "Arla being pregnant doesn't mean that Arles won't be born. There's still plenty of time. Alright?"
He closed this eyes and sighed.
"Lewis. Take some advice that someone told me a long time ago."
"What's that?"
"Trust what is right. What happens has to happen."
"Well." Lewis considered. "That doesn't make any damn sense."
"Good night, Lewis." Sammy insisted and ended the call. The screen turned black.
Sammy tossed the tablet on top of his desk. Closing his eyes, he sat back in the chair and groaned. "Ugh. Why does nobody believe I know what I'm doing? Lewis is nearly as bad as Dad!"
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Back in New York, Lewis rose the cup of coffee and inhaled it deeply. Closing his eyes, he savored the aroma and the peace of the morning.
Mickey walked into the kitchen and opened the refrigerator for some milk, "Morning."
"Morning." Lewis told him and sipped his coffee.
Mickey prepared himself a cup of tea. "Did you get any sleep?"
"Not really. The last of the guys just left."
Mickey turned around and nodded. "Danny still here?"
Just as if on queue, Danny also stepped into the kitchen. He was readjusting the jacket that he had just put on.
"I am." Danny said and walked over to the coffee maker. He took a mug out of the cabinet and began to make himself some coffee.
Lewis rose his eyebrow. "Where have you been?"
Danny didn't turn around. "Fell asleep on Rose's sofa."
"Oh." Lewis nodded.
Mickey sat on the stool and stirred his tea. "I'm glad you two are getting on together."
"Yeah." Danny smiled and sprinkled some salt into his coffee. "Although."
"Although, what?" Mickey asked.
Danny turned around and leaned against the cabinet. "Rose needs to get out of the apartment. Out of this damn building."
"Well…" Mickey began to explain-
Lewis was interested. "What has she said?"
"Nothing." Danny said, "This is just an observation from a third party. She is not going to overcome whatever she's been through by lying around and watching television all day."
"Well…" Mickey began again.
Lewis interrupted. "What would you suggest?"
"Well…" Mickey began again.
Danny had just taken a drink of his coffee. "Someplace. Someplace that no one knows her. Somewhere she wouldn't have to have bodyguards, and-"
"She has to have bodyguards-"
"Well.." Mickey began again.
Danny interjected, "Not around her at all times. Just in another room close by. Am I right?"
"Well, uh-" Mickey said before Lewis interrupted and agreed.
Danny grinned. "Thought so. I've got a great idea, but I'll need some help on it, Lewis."
"I'm right here-" Mickey threw his hands out.
Lewis smiled, "You've got it."
Danny nodded, "Thanks, Lewis. I'll bring the cup back later. I'll call you in an hour."
Mickey and Lewis watched him leave the apartment.
Mickey returned to drinking his tea.
"Did you know he stayed with Rose?" Lewis asked.
"Yeah." Mickey said, "I looked in on her before I went to bed. He was lying on the sofa."
"Asleep?"
"Yeah." Mickey suddenly realized what Lewis had to be thinking. "What? Do you think Rose and Danny…."
"Nah." Lewis insisted as if the idea was completely mad. "I'm seeing things. Nevermind."
Mickey sat his tea down and smiled. "Oh, I can rather see it now that you've said it."
"You think?"
"Danny is a good-looking guy!"
"Yeah, Arla says so, too."
"Poor Lewis." Mickey chuckled, "So jealous."
Lewis shook his head, "Phh. Whatever."
"What did you hear about Tony? Was Sammy able to help him?"
"Yeah, he's doing a lot better. Sammy said all of his vitals were returning to normal."
"Even with that hole in his chest?"
Lewis sipped his coffee. "Oh, that's not there anymore. Sammy was able to…sort all of that out."
"Oh." Mickey nodded in approval and sipped his tea. "I thought for a moment you were going to tell me that Tony had woke up and figured out where he is."
Lewis shared a laugh with Mickey, "Yeah, I told Sammy to keep him sedated while he's up there. I don't need another problem."
Mickey chuckled, "Oh man. Could you imagine? Stark loose on a spaceship?"
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Meanwhile, back in space….
Tony and Soli's bodies pressed deep into the cushioned seats of the small spacecraft as it spun in circles behind the moon.
Tony shouted in laughter.
"You're still going to feel G-Force here because of the moon and….. Tony!" Soli grabbed a handle to help keep himself in the seat.
"This is the shit!" Tony shouted and let go of the controls.
The spacecraft stopped spinning in circles and made a 180 to return to the hanger.
The moon far enough behind them, the computer spoke. "Artificial gravity enabled."
Soli exhaled. "Alright. I have it now." He typed in some numbers on the panel in front of them. "Oh, man. I forgot you fly like this."
Tony sat back and rubbed his shoulder that was still in a black sling. He looked back at Soli with a huge smile on his face. "That was amazing, kid. Thanks."
Soli smiled. "I told Sammy this is where we should start. Either that, or letting you take one of the suits out."
"I can't wait to do that." Tony smiled.
"You'll have to wait to do that." He insisted. "Sammy will never agree to it until you are well."
He nodded. "Makes sense. So, what else do I need to know?"
Soli was busy with the controls. "You are up to the minute with everything you need to know."
Tony looked at him, "How does Rose Tyler fit into this?"
"How do you know her?"
"I don't." He realized. "I've met Pete a few times." Tony sat back and lay his arm across his chest. "All of this centers around him, doesn't it?"
"Well, not really. The way it originally happened was you met Sam's Dad-"
"The alien."
"Yes, the alien. And over time, you two found a friendship."
Tony closed his eyes and laughed, "I'm on the best drugs ever."
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