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Note… Karen is Sammy's wife. Halley is their child together. Arles is Lewis's grown son who has been raised together with Sammy, the Doctor's son. 'Dad' that he refers to is in fact, the Doctor. Lewis is called, Papa.

In the future…

Chapter 24

Arles lay sleeping on the sofa. It was late, and the full moon hung over the ocean. The palm leaves are rubbing against the window as the wind made them dance. The sitting room was dark and quiet. Someone had just turned off the television.

It caused Arles to wake up. He groaned and rubbed his eyes.

Karen's soft voice whispered in the darkness. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to wake you."

"What time is it?" He asked his sister-in-law.

"It's only 10:30. You fell asleep with Halley."

He smiled proudly at the mention of his niece. He sat upright on the sofa and rubbed his face.

Karen sat next to him. "Arles. You haven't slept in days."

"I'm going to figure this out. Sam has already been gone so much longer than I ever imagined."

"Arles. Even Tony said that there was no way to know where they had popped away to."

"But, I've been over everything. Sammy wouldn't have stayed away like this. There has to be something I'm not doing right to get him back."

"Arles. Even your Dad says-"

"He doesn't know Sam. 'Ren, it's been months. Halley is already walking. He wouldn't have missed all of this on purpose. There is something I'm missing. I'm sure of it."

"Arles."

"Don't give up on him, Karen-"

His words make her smile. "I'll never give up on him. But you, Arles, are-"

"Grading on your nerves?"

"Need to stop thinking about this. If only for five minutes. Give your brain a rest."

"Oh, that's silly."

"No. It's important. What do you tell Halley when she's trying to speak?"

Arles grinned. "I speak a bit clearer than she does."

"Slow down. Let your mouth catch up with your brain. I'm telling you to slow down and let your brain catch up with all of this."

He sighed and dropped his head on the back of the sofa.

"Arles. You have to process what you have been through-"

"Oh, hell."

"You need to rest. You have to be tired."

"I'm exhausted, 'ren. I feel like I can't even think. With this….and Mum and Dad divorcing….my life has gone mad. At least we managed to stop a war. And Papa."

"He's with Soli, too."

"Ugh. Why has he done this? It doesn't make any sense."

She nodded, "Believe me. I have questions for this Soli, myself."

He glanced over at her and smiled. "It's alright if you need to tell me to take my Dad and get the hell out of your house-"

Karen laughed as if the thought is completely mad. "What in the world would I do without you two here?"

"No, you're just being nice-"

"No, I'm being real. I've had more sleep these past few months than any other mother with a small baby in the world. You and John being here and letting me sleep, is amazing."

"Dad never sleeps when he's worried. What happened with them? Do you know?"

"I'm not asking Rose anything about that."

"Genie doesn't know, either." He sighed, "I wonder what the hell he did? I've never seen Mum so pissed."

"Has she told you?"

"To mind my own business?" He smiles, "Twice. Then she threatened to tell Grand."

"Jackie Tyler?" Karen laughed, "That's just cruel."

"I think so, too." Arles then began to speak in a high-pitched voice that he used when mocking one, Rose Tyler. "If you want me to respect you as an adult then you have to start respecting me as an adult. It is between your father and -"

A man clearing his voice stopped Arles' words.

They looked over to see the Doctor standing in the doorway.

Arles ran his fingers through his hair. "Hi, Dad."

"Evening, son." He said as he stepped into the room with his hands in his pockets. His bearded face and wild hair seem to be scruffier than they have been in weeks. He's wearing a pair of football shorts with a dark long-sleeved shirt.

"Going for a run tonight, John?" Karen asked.

"Nah. I think I'll just take a walk. I made up some bottles and put them in the fridge in case she wakes up before I get back."

"I probably need to try to get her to drink out of a cup more-"

"Do you want me to put it in a cup?"

"No, John."

"I mean. It's no trouble."

"Well, John. You tell me what to do."

He chuckled as he stepped closer to his daughter-in-law, Karen. "Why would I do that?"

"You're a Doctor-"

He closes his eyes and mouths, "The."

"Sorry, The. Is this really that big of a deal?"

Arles gives her a look without answering.

"No." The Doctor says, "I'm sorry. I just….have some stuff on my mind. What were we talking about?"

"Do you think I should make Halley start drinking from-"

"Oh, yeah. Umm. You tell me."

"What? Which should I do? In your professional opinion?"

"Well, in my professional opinion, as the grandfather, I say…that's up to you. Mum."

She sighs. "John-"

"But, if that is your decision, I insist you be the one to have that talk with your daughter. I'm the grandfather, so I'm on her side. That's my job."

Arles said, "I vote, no."

The Doctor chuckled as he walked over to the door. "Whatever you want to do, just let me know. I'm going for a walk."

Just as he stepped through the door, he stopped and looked back at Arles. "How's your Mum?"

"She's good."

He nodded and closed the door.

Arles groaned. "Oh, great! Now I have that lecture to look forward to."

"You think?"

"Oh, I know. He's not going to let that one go. Brillant. More fun. I need to smoke." He began to pat the pockets of his jeans. "Where is that vape?"

Karen drew her legs under her on the sofa. "Arles."

He stood in front of the windows, clicking the button and taking a puff as Karen watched The Doctor's figure disappear down the path.

Arles began to cough.

"I'll never see why you smoke that stuff."

"It helps me think." He insisted. "Besides. You know you want some, too."

She smiled at him. "You know our deal."

He rolled his eyes as he inhaled again. "I am well below my 10 puff a day limit." Cough. "Mum." He coughed again and pointed his finger towards the dining room.

"Arles." She followed into the dining room. "We just talked about this."

The room told the tale of the past nine months since Samuel, Karen's husband, had popped away with Soli. Using his father's plans, (Tony Stark), Soli from the future has created a time vortex manipulator. By using his ability to generate energy within his own body to power it.

A month after Samuel had disappeared, Lewis disappeared in an attack on the homeworld's castle. Arles had to temporarily take control of the Quauthin Kingdom just as Lord Autor, formally known as Tony Tyler decided to attack their opponents. During the battle, Genie managed to escape with Poltious. She had been traveling with Legate since she had returned.

Arles returned to Earth to help Karen with his niece. One drunken evening, the Doctor finally got out of Arles that it wasn't just Sammy that had disappeared. Soli had returned from the future and had taken him using Stark's technology.

The conversation that took place between Tony and the Doctor afterward had now created tension in their friendship at a time when the Doctor needed him most. Putting their differences aside to help him find his son, Tony and "John" have agreed to have this fight when everyone has returned home safely.

The Doctor is left to grieve his failing marriage on his own. His walks on the beach had become more common occurrences in the past few months. It was the only thing he felt was keeping him halfway sane at the moment. The sand on his feet seemed to very slowly scratch away the pain in his heart. How could he ever make Rose understand what really happened?

He turned to look back at the home that sat at the top of the path. The light reflected out of the windows and against the palms. He turned and walked down the beach just a bit. Just so he could be out of view of the home.

The moon seemed huge at the present moment. It always did when it hung so low in the sky.

The ocean was calm tonight as he turned to stand in the surf.

Putting his hands on his hips, he slowly exhaled with his eyes closed. He hadn't tried to mentally connect to Rose in months. The last time he had, she had blocked him. The headache that resulted from the experience felt like she had taken his brain out of his head, and beaten it with a hammer.

"Nah." He decided against trying to talk to her through their connection.

Although they sometimes have appeared at the same functions and public appearances, it was all to keep up the illusion that nothing was wrong. With the way the current world economy was at the moment, the news would send shockwaves through Wall Street.

But, outside of those arrangements, the Doctor never saw Rose anymore. Since he was now living with Karen and Arles, Rose managed to pop over without running into him.

He spoke to the moon. "What are you looking at?"

Taking a few steps into the ocean, he kicked water at the moon in anger. He kicked again. Losing all control, he bent over and began to throw all of the sea at the moon's face. He didn't even realize he was shouting until he stopped.

He covered his face and began to cry.

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Back in the dining room of the home, Arles stood next to the table holding a tablet in his hands. "Tony is working on some different calculations."

"Yeah?" Karen asked.

He pointed at the papers as he spoke, "All of this needs to be gone through again with the new calculations. Dad thinks that it could be working at a lower setting than we originally thought. I don't know. I think these numbers wouldn't allow for more than one person to travel with-"

He stopped talking as he heard her sniff.

"Ren, I'm sorry." He said as she quickly walked over and hugged her tightly.

He kissed her forehead. "I'm your One. I'll return him to you. That's my job. That's what I agreed to."

She smiled through the tears. "I'm your One, Arles. And I'm telling you to rest."

"That's not how it works!" He threw his hands in the air.

"It is!" She laughed. Happy that she had gotten that big of a reaction over the custom of his people that she interpreted as she wished.

"It's not!"

"You forget. I'm in good with the King of the Quautin-"

"Don't bring him into this."

She laughed at his frustration just as she saw the unmistakable look of realization hit him, "I am an idiot."

"What?"

"What if they found Legate?"

"Legate is here."

"There are two here. What if they have another one? Or someone else? Or hang on? Even more? The power to transport maybe four to five would be…."

Karen dropped her shoulders. "Arles…."

He was busy looking around the table for something. Then he picked up a page, "Ah! No." Then he returned to searching.

Karen looks down at the littered floor and spots something odd. It is a drawing of the room they are standing in. She looked out the window to see the full moon higher in the sky than it presently appeared to be. The ocean was relatively calm that night, both in the drawing and in the present moment.

"Hey, Arles?"

"It's here someplace, 'ren."

"Arles," she showed him the piece of paper. "Who drew this?"

Karen became nervous as the color drained from his face. "Arles, what's wrong?"

He looked up at her. "This is Danny's."

"Who is Danny?"

"He drew this."

"What?"

Arles lowered the drawing as his mind began to race. "Sam is with Danny."

"Who is Danny?"

He sat and looked at the drawing closer. "He's with Danny. Danny and Mum."

"Arles?"

"Yeah! Don't you remember? Danny? He's tall. Has black hair. Looks like he's wearing make-up all the time. Dad teases that he has on more than Mum at everything-"

"Arles." Karen said, "I don't know a Danny."

"How can you not know him? Hang on. Oh, that's weird."

His icy blue eyes met her frightened ones.

"Danny! He draws all the time. He did this. He must have been in here. That's right. He was helping us. Don't you remember? He was here today. He plays a game with Halley called, 'Halley's Comet', where he runs all over the flat."

"JOHN!" Karen shouted.

"Shhhhhhh!" Arles immediately began to protest. "You are going to wake the baby."

"You have lost your mind! I need your Dad here. Arles, something is wrong-"

"Nothing is wrong-"

"JOHN!"

Arles stopped moving towards her and held up both of his hands. "Ren. I'm fine. I've not-"

A completely wet Doctor ran into the room. "What's the matter?"

Karen rushed to him, "Arles. Tell John what you just told-"

Halley began to cry upstairs.

All three of them dropped their heads and groaned.

"Oh, that's your fault, buddy." The Doctor pointed at Arles.

"Completely." He agreed.

Karen left the room to go tend to Halley.

"Alright, what are you waking up a sleeping baby over in here-"

"Why are you wet?"

"I went for a swim." Thinking quickly to avoid another question, he rubbed his eyes, "Saltwater hurts my eyes."

"Try closing them." He suggested as he picked up the tablet, "I had a thought. What if it isn't just Sam and Soli traveling with the device?"

The Doctor picked up his glasses and the drawing. He looked at it closely, "That's a good point. Who else would they be traveling with?"

"I have no idea."

The Doctor ran his tongue around his mouth. "Who drew this?"

Arles smiled, "Yeah, that's what had Karen shouting for you. She thinks I've gone mental."

"Arles."

"Yes, Dad?"

"Wrap this shit up in two words. Go. Who drew this?"

"Danny."

"Danny who?"

"Mum's husband."

The Doctor was sure he misheard, "What?"

He closed his eyes. "But, he's not."

"Your Mum has already gotten remarried?"

"No. Well, yea. That's three words-"

"What the actual hell, when were you going to tell me this!?" He slammed the drawing down on the table.

"Dad. It's a bit more complex than that-"

The Doctor didn't hear anything his son was saying, "Married. Already. Danny, huh?"

"Well, yeah but-"

He spoke through his gritted teeth, "Ah! Two words! Dad has reached his limit! Danny who?"

Arles sighed, "Dad."

"Ah!" He warned.

"What does he do?"

"Actor."

"TV or Movie?"

"Both."

"Danny who?"

"Danny Morgan."

The Doctor was clearly impressed. "Danny Morgan, the actual, for real, Danny Morgan?"

Arles nodded, "Yes, but Dad-"

The Doctor walked out of the room. "I need to change out of these wet clothes."

"What?"

He heard him mumble as he walked down the hall, "Married."

Arles looked at the drawing again and noticed that the moon hung higher in the sky than it did in the drawing. He walked over to the window and began to compare the drawing to the present scene laid out before him.

Karen walked back into the room holding Halley. "What did your Dad say about-"

A large blue light appeared in the corner, and then with a pop, Soli had appeared.

Karen's mouth gaped open as Halley pointed at him and laughed. "Peek-a-boo!"

Soli stood up and held his finger to show them to wait a minute. They watched as he raised his shirt and reset his life support system.

Looking back at Arles, he gave him a thumbs-up and promptly passed out.

Arles managed to catch him before he hit the floor. "Dad!"

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