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Chapter 21 - Camp David

Rose and the Doctor joined the others in the house. President Shepherd's wife met them at the door. She was a lovely, middle aged lady with her hair all done up in a tight bun on the back of her head. As soon as she saw Rose, she held out her hands and hugged her.

"Oh Rose. It is so good to see you again. I'm so glad you came!" she told Rose.

"Thank you for having us. This is my boyfriend, Doctor Johnathan Smith." Rose introduced him.

The Doctor held out a hand, and the lady pulled him into a full embrace and kissed him on the cheek. He couldn't help but be a bit startled. He was so out of his element with these people. He held onto Rose's hand, afraid of what might happen next.

"It's so nice to meet you, Doctor. My name is Caroline Shepherd. I'm Howie's wife. Make yourself at home. Pete is already here in the bar. Why don't you all go upstairs and get settled, then you can come on down. We'll catch up then. Rose, we have you in the same room you stayed in last time."

The Doctor felt like he had stepped into the Twilight Zone. Rose had been here before? He wondered briefly if he was still asleep on the helicopter.

He picked up the suitcase that Lewis had brought in for him, and Rose lead him upstairs to their room. It was a small room with a very rustic feel to it. The bed looked to be put together with logs. There was a dark green duvet on the bed and a quilt tossed on the chair in the corner. A stuffed deer head looked down at the bed. Attached to the bedroom, was a small bathroom. Rose took off her jacket and tossed it on the bed. Then she went straight into the bathroom and washed her hands. The Doctor sat their suitcase in the corner of the room.

"You're oddly quite. What's wrong?" she asked the Doctor.

He shook his head. "Nothing...well, no...something. It's just...just, very little gets by me. I had no idea you knew the President of the United States and his wife? That you have stayed at Camp David?"

Rose leaned against the door of the bathroom to look at him. She smiled with her tongue in her teeth. "You never asked."

"Phhht... geez. I have to ask? What the hell, Rose Tyler?" He tossed his hand in the air.

No doubt about it. Rose was laughing at him. "Yeah, he's a friend of Dad's. He knew him before he was elected. I believe they have known one another for years, although I have no idea how they met. He is Tony's godfather, if you can imagine that. Harriet drug me over here not too long after I first came to this dimension. She figured if she could get me away from everything, I would be better. Well, we didn't come here. We went to their house in Texas. Caroline at just had her son, Jacob, few years before."

"Did it help?" The Doctor stood on the other side of the room with his hands in his pockets listening to Rose.

Rose nodded her head. "I believe so. He doesn't know the full story. He just knows that I had lost you. He doesn't believe it was either one of our faults. It was just a big fight we had or something to that effect. I got a speech about 'bucking up' and 'pulling myself up by my bootstraps.' I don't know, I still don't really understand it."

"Yeah, I understand why. People in America don't talk like this! How can anyone understand him? Does he even understand himself? Is it English he is speaking?"

Rose laughed and tossed her hand in the air. "Who knows? The best thing in the world is to get him and Mum together. Her with her Cockney slang and him! Oh it's hysterical."

That was too much for the Doctor. He turned around to look out the window behind the bed and ran his hand through his hair. "My god. I think my brain would short out with the pair of them. Wow." He said as he shook his head.

"Mum told him that she 'parked his horse near the jam on the frog' last time she was here. I thought I might die. He never figured out what she was saying."

"What the hell was she saying?" the Doctor chuckled.

"She had parked his horse near the car on the road. Jam-jar-car. Frog-toad-road. You know."

The Doctor shook his head. "No, I don't. Crazy ape language! Your Mum doesn't speak like that when I'm around. Why?"

"She figures you can't understand her, I suppose. I've never noticed."

"So, then he became President..." the Doctor continued for her.

"Yeah, there was an alien...thing. Misunderstanding really. Dad sent me over to help the Pentagon sort it out. We came here after everything was done and relaxed for a couple of days. Rode horses. It was fun."

"What sort of alien was it? What happened?" he asked as he continued to hold her.

"They were the Peregrinus. They were looking for some plants they needed for medicine. They grow in the Midwest. I helped with the negotiations. It was really a simple affair. Not a big deal. At least they asked us for them, instead of just coming in and grabbing them. Causing a problem."

The Doctor beamed. "Rose Tyler, Defender of the Earth."

She walked over to him and wrapped her arms around her Doctor. He bent down to kiss her. "I'm so proud of you Rose. Peregrinus can be very violent when they get angry. Wow. You are amazing."

Rose smiled back. "I had a good teacher."

He smiled like a loon at her and made that happy noise in the back of his throat.

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They walked down the staircase, back down into the living room together. The Doctor had Rose's hand. He stopped as they got to the bottom of the staircase.

Rose noticed, "What's wrong?"

The Doctor took a deep breath, "Just preparing myself."

She laughed at him. "Oh for goodness sakes. Come on. You will never forget this. Just don't punch anybody."

"I'll be good." he reassured her.

They walked into the bar together. Pete and Howie were pouring something in some glasses.

Pete jumped up and met them both. He hugged Rose and kissed her on the cheek. "Rose my sweetheart. Have you had a good time on your cruise?"

"Oh, we have. Thank you so much." Rose beamed.

He shook the Doctor's hand. "How are you, Doctor? Great to see you!"

The Doctor had a smile on his face. "Just fine, Pete! Great to see you as well. What you drinking?"

"I honestly don't know. Howie, what is this?"

Howie was leaning down behind the bar. "Oh, whip your chin! I think that's Wild Mare's Milk."

Howie raised back up and looked at the Doctor as he poured Rose a glass of wine. He sat it on the bar and smiled at her.

"Here you go you darling trat." he told her softly.

He then turned to the Doctor. "What'd ya have, Doc? Are you a wolfer or do you just want to hang over here and yammer?"

Rose patted the Doctor on the back as she walked over to sit with Harriet and Caroline on the other side of the room. "Don't worry. He doesn't bite."

The Doctor was still in disbelief. He looked at Pete. "Help?"

Pete laughed, "He wants to know what you want to drink."

"Oh! Well, I don't know. What do you have?"

Howie looked around. "Well, are you a white-liner or sort-of whomper-jawed with your drinking?"

The Doctor looked at Pete, who was laughing under this breath. "I've never thought about it."

Howie slapped the bar. "Well, most men don't I reckon. I don't have any widow-makers, although she's not your widow right? Y'all are just cutting a rusty, right? Aren't thinking about getting hitched are you?"

The Doctor was so confused. "What?"

Pete was laughing into his drink.

Howie waved his hand as if to calm the Doctor down. "Sorry, I shouldn't have said that. I don't want you to feel worse than a cat in a roomful of rockers."

"Oh. Well, thank you, Howie." the Doctor said.

Pete took a drink of whatever he had as he continued to laugh under his breath. "Give him some of that whiskey you send me. He likes that."

Pete turned to the Doctor and said, "Once you have a few drinks, you'll be able to understand Howie a bit better."

The Doctor sat down at the bar apprehensively. Howie sat a glass in front of him and poured it full of the same whiskey that the Doctor had the day he had punched Thomas out.

"Here's you some of who-hit-John here."

"Actually we call that who-hit-Thomas." Pete told Howie.

"Thomas?" Howie grunted. "Hell, he probably needed it. Doc doesn't seem like a wrathy sort."

The Doctor leaned over at Pete and asked quietly, "Is that a good thing?"

"I think so." he said rubbing his face. "We've gotta get the Doctor caught up to us Howie."

"Sounds good. Then I'll scare up some notes so we can give the ladies a good stomp."

The Doctor looked back at Pete, "Is that a good thing?"

Pete looked at the Doctor and nodded to assure him it was as he chuckled under his breath.

Howie looked at Pete. "That will wrinkle his spine. I only have one other drink that's stronger. But, I don't keep any washy stuff here. That's for the White House."

The Doctor ran his hand through his hair and looked behind him at Rose. She was laughing quietly at him as she sat with Harriet and Caroline on the couch. He drank the entire glass and Howie poured him another one. He sat the bottle next to the Doctor's glass. "That's yours. It will get you up to the hub in no time."

The Doctor laughed under his breath and took another drink.

Just then a German Shephard ran through the room and jumped on the Doctor.

"What in tarnation?!" Howie exclaimed.

"Zeus!" the Doctor was surprised to see him. He looked behind him just in time to see Tony and another little boy come running through the door.

Tony saw Rose sitting with the ladies first. "Rose! I didn't know you were here! Is the Doctor here, too?" He asked as he wildly looked around.

He spotted the Doctor over at the bar. The Doctor got up off of the stool, kneeled down, and held both hands out for Tony. Tony smiled ear to ear as he ran and leap into the Doctor's arms. The Doctor picked him up, then tossed him into the air just enough for Rose to gasp. He caught him and held him in his arms.

"Doctor! Where's your cast? " Tony asked him. Pete heard his son and noticed it was missing, too.

The Doctor turned around and sat back down on the stool, sitting Tony on his lap.

"My hand is all better. I didn't need it anymore." He told Tony as he pulled his hand around to show the little boy his hand making a fist. "See. It's all better."

"That was fast." Pete remarked.

"It's a long story. I'll go into it sometime later." the Doctor told him.

Pete accepted his answer and took another drink.

"I don't have my cast anymore either!" Tony told the Doctor as he brought his hand down to show him a tiny splint. "I went swimming with my other one. Mum made them get me a splint instead."

As if he just noticed she was missing, "Where is Jackie?"

"Daddy brought me and Zeus. Mum is sick and he didn't want us to get it."

"Jackie is sick?" He asked Pete, not letting go of Tony.

"Yeah, damn flu. I've been promising that I'd bring him to play with Jacob for weeks. Jacks' will be fine."

"It's terrible when your woman is namby-pamby. Especially Jackie. She's a great sage hen."

The Doctor laughed as he wondered what Jackie would say to being called that. Then he wondered what it even meant.

Tony asked the Doctor. "Have you met my friend? This is Jacob! He's six. I'm teaching him to read."

"Mind you don't teach him to talk like you nippers from the Old Country." Howie playfully fussed at Tony.

Tony turned around and sat down on the Doctor's lap. Then he took his small hand and slapped the bar. "Well, the tarnation!" he yelled at Howie.

The entire room erupted in laughter.

"Skedaddle you yippers!" Howie called playfully after them as he laughed at Tony.

Tony climbed down off the Doctor's lap. "How long will you be here?"

"I don't know. You'll have to ask Rose. " the Doctor told him.

"Okay!" he said as he ran off.

Howie looked at Tony run off. "He ain't no saphead, that's for sure. Must take after Jack's."

The Doctor laughed at that.

Pete chuckled, too. "Nah, he's a good kid. Been reading all day. It's his new thing. I understand I have you to thank for that, Doctor."

"No, he already had it figured out. I just helped him a bit." the Doctor explained.

"No matter. I'm grateful. Thank you." Pete told him.

"Let's cut a rug with these fillies. Then we can get back to painting our noses." Howie declared as he turned on a radio that started playing some country music. The Doctor recognized the song as Garth Brooks' 'Two Pina Coladas'.

The Doctor and Pete watched as Howie walked across the room and bowed to each of the ladies in turn. Then he held out a hand to his wife, Caroline. She laughed and took it. He took her over to a open place in the room and began dancing with her.

Seeing that the other men were still at the bar, Howie yelled over at them. "Shoot Luke, or give up the gun, boys."

The Doctor looked back at Pete smiling. "He has to be the most interesting person I've ever met in all of my lives. And that is saying something!"

Pete was looking at Howie and Caroline. "Oh yes. Howie is one of a kind. Can you understand anything he's saying?"

"Not really." the Doctor confessed.

Pete chuckled. "Don't worry, I'll help you. I've known Howie a long time. Most stuff, you just catch the context." Pete told him as they both took a drink.

They both stood up. Pete rebuttoned his jacket. "Well, let's go ask these ladies for a dance."

The Doctor looked over at Pete, "I've got the blond!"

Pete laughed at him as they walked over and took the ladies over to the area where Howie was dancing with Caroline. Pete and Harriet danced together, while the Doctor danced with his Rose. They all danced for a long time together.

Pete cut in to dance with Rose for a while, so the Doctor danced with Harriet. When Caroline had to excuse herself for a bit, Howie cut in to dance with Harriet, but not without dancing with the Doctor for a few moments first. That caused everyone to laugh, and Howie declared that the Doctor wasn't a "shave tail dancer." The Doctor guessed that was a good thing.

The Doctor danced with Caroline once she came back into the room.

Without warning, Rose and the Doctor's song came on. He was feeling comfortable enough that he went back over to Pete and declared, "I'm sorry, Pete. But I need to dance with Rose. This is our song."

Pete kissed Rose on the cheek and put her hand back into the Doctor's. They had such a great time dancing together. Howie sang along to 'How Sweet it Is' while he danced with Caroline. It was probably the clearest he had spoken all night. The Doctor and Rose laughed hysterically listening to him while they continued to dance.

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They had dinner, which was an extremely informal affair. The Doctor didn't even sit down the entire time. They had shrimp and small pieces of cut up steaks. Howie explained that it was easier to visit and chat if you could move around. He said that he got enough sitting down and being formal at the White House. Tony and Jacob sat in the floor and tossed small pieces of steak into one another's mouths. Zeus ate anything that hit the floor.

The atmosphere was so happy and welcoming. The Doctor didn't think he had stopped smiling since he had stepped off of the stairs earlier that evening with Rose. President Shepherd and his wife were extremely curious about him and asked him a lot of questions. Most of which, he was able to deflect. But, it did put his skills at redirecting a conversation to the test. Rose answered a lot of things for him, which he appreciated. He wasn't completely sure what all they had been told about him. The Doctor stood behind Rose as she sat at the table. He would rub her shoulder while they spoke. He sometimes would reach down and eat off of her plate.

He also noticed that Rose was laughing a lot. He hadn't witnessed a time that was not smiling since they gotten there. He was so thrilled that she was happy. He always wanted her to be happy.

They went back into the sitting room after dinner. The ladies remained in the kitchen around the table, chatting about this and that and drinking wine.

The men returned to the bar and continued drinking whiskey, or whatever Howie had over there. He confessed that some of it he wasn't sure of. After about an hour, he yelled across the room.

"Hey, Caroline! Can you please bring me those salt water vegetables!?"

Howie noticed the Doctor's glass was empty. He picked up the bottle and poured him another drink. "Here. Take a another drink of oh-be-joyful. No need it in going up the spout!"

The Doctor laughed at him. Pete had taken off his jacket and lay it on the back of a chair he was now sitting in, close to the bar.

"It takes less balance to sit in those chairs. I think ole London boy Pete, is a bit slewed." Howie told the Doctor quietly.

"No wonder. You've had me drinking since I got here this afternoon!" Pete fussed at his friend.

"I might have to cut him off." Howie declared.

Redirecting his attention to the Doctor, Howie asked, "So, you gave Thomas a slogging? I would have paid to see that. He has always been a slangander."

"I just punched him once. I was intoxicated." the Doctor explained.

Then he realized, that he had answered Howie. Was he drink really helping him understand him? This was the strangest thing he had ever experienced.

"So, you are a mean drunk? Good thing we are warned. Well, don't worry. Pete says you didn't skip a cog. "

Pete laughed and agreed. "Nope, he was in the right. He accused the Doctor of being in on this trouble we have been having with Rose."

Howie looked surprised. "Well, he's more beef headed than I thought. Those people are as savage as a meat axe. Clearly, Rose has herself a Belvidere man from the Old Country. What more do you foreigners want?"

Pete rubbed his face as he smiled. It was clear he was quiet intoxicated. The Doctor wondered if Howie was.

"You've both been drinking since this afternoon?" he asked Pete.

"Yeah, I got here about an hour before you did." Pete chuckled.

"Yeah, so bend your elbow Doc." Howie fussed at him.

The Doctor continued to drink the strong whiskey. His head was already swimming.

"One day, that Thomas will get nailed to the counter. You mark my words!" Howie demanded.

Pete waved his hand. "I don't think he's like that. I just think he's ..."

"A Nancy-boy." Howie filled in. "He's needed his plow cleaned for a while, if you ask me. I'm glad Doc took care of it."

The Doctor laughed. He didn't have to know what he was saying to appreciate it.

"This mess with Rose will sort itself out. We just have to wait to see how the cat jumps. Then we can we settle our hash with them." Howie told them.

Caroline brought them over a tray of oysters.

"Do you eat raw oysters, Doctor?" Pete asked him as he rubbed his cold glass of whiskey on the side of his face.

"Yeah! Haven't had them in years." the Doctor agreed.

" We had these flown in this morning. Hey sent us a slue of pokes full." Howie told them as he took another drink.

Pete interjected for the Doctor's understanding. "That means a lot."

"I wonder if those chickabiddy's want any of these? Caroline. Hollar at those boys!" Howie called across the room.

Howie then spoke to the men. "I figure we'll go out on the savanna tomorrow. Let the boys ride. Do you ride, Doc?"

"Ride what?" he asked Howie.

"Horses." Pete informed him.

"Oh! Yeah, I know how to ride. I recently had a horse named Arthur."

"That's a good name for a horse! I like it!" Howie agreed. "Hey! A rider, too! Rose can pick them!" He scratched his chin. "I don't have any outlaws, but I wouldn't put you on one of those anyway. Don't want to make Rose a widow before she can make an honest man out of you."

The Doctor looked at Pete, "What?"

Pete was laughing under his breath. He waved his hand. "Really, don't worry about it."

"So, you are a sawbones, Doc?"

"I'm a what?" the Doctor asked and looked at Pete.

"A surgeon." Pete explained. "No, he's not that sort of Doctor, Howie."

"What sort, then?" Howie asked.

"Several. Mostly astrophysics, but I am a medical Doctor as well." the Doctor said as he poured himself another glass and drained it.

"Well, Rose doesn't have herself a scamp!" Howie declared.

"Is that a good thing?" the Doctor asked Pete.

Pete nodded his head to assure him it was.

"Hell yeah it is. As my Momma would say, 'Rose has found herself a brick shit house.'"

Pete spit his drink out at that laughing.

"Jesus, Howie. Really?" He was laughing hysterically. That made the Doctor start laughing.

"What? That's what she would have said. Don't be such a prude, Pete." Howie told him as he tossed Pete a towel to wipe himself up.

"Are you a soldier, Doctor?" Howie asked.

The Doctor drank and shook his head. "No, not anymore."

"Ah. That means he's seen the elephant then." Howie said.

"What? What elephant?" the Doctor asked, completely confused.

"Means you have been to war." Pete told him.

"Oh, yeah." The Doctor agreed quietly.

"Men who brag they were a soldier, never saw battle. Those who went to war, never want to think of it again. Served King and Country, huh?" Howie asked.

"Something like that." the Doctor agreed. Maybe the drink was affecting him. Howie not only was making sense, he actually seemed to be pretty clever.

"How are you doing over there Howie?" Pete asked him.

"I'm a bit slewed, but fine. Poor me some more of that neck oil!" he demanded of the Doctor.

The Doctor poured some more drink in Howie's glass.

"I want to make sure you know that I love that Rose darling like she was my own. She came here a few years ago with a tear squeezer. Remember, that I have Marines and Navy Seals. Don't break her heart, again." Howie told him forcefully.

"I don't ever want to. I can't imagine my life without her." the Doctor told him.

"Then don't let her get away from you. She's better than Texas butter on biscuits." Howie told him.

The Doctor heard Pete laughing behind him.

"I completely agree." the Doctor said, not really sure what he was agreeing to.

It was the craziest thing the Doctor had ever experienced. The men ate all of the oysters as much as the Doctor could tell. They drank and chatted all night long. As the night wore on, the Doctor started understanding more of what Howie was saying. That was fortunate, because Pete excused himself when the ladies went to bed. Tony and Jacob were having a camp out in the movie room with Zeus.

Howie and the Doctor where left alone at the bar. As far as the Doctor could tell, they had drank the entire bottle of that whiskey. Howie was no longer able to stand up anymore. He went to lay down on the couch.

"Well, I never thought a foreigner would drink me under the table." he declared. "You're alright, Doc."

Rose came downstairs just as Howie was laying down. It was late at night.

"Everyone has gone to bed except you guys." She told them.

"I'm shot in the neck, baby. I'm sleeping on this couch tonight." Howie declared. Rose laughed at him.

The Doctor laughed at his new friend. Rose walked over to him. "How are you?"

"I'm fine." He told her.

Rose didn't believe it and looked at him skeptically. "Right..."

"Really! I'm alright." the Doctor told her.

"That's the word we are probably looking for." Rose pointed out.

"Phhhhht..." the Doctor said as he turned his head.

Howie yelled across the room. "I really like your dandy fellow there. Don't tally about and just get hitched already. We'll throw you a shin-dig here at Camp David. The politicians will love that!"

"Easy cowboy." Rose laughed at him. She took the Doctor's hand and he got up off the stool. Rose stood there for a minute looking at him.

"What?" he exclaimed. "Why are you staring at me?"

She held his hand and lead him out of the room. "Night Howie." She called as she walked by him covering himself up in a quilt on the couch.

"Turn out of the light sweet thing." Howie asked her quietly.

Rose turned out the light on their way out. She was impressed that the Doctor walked without any problems up the stairs and to their bedroom.

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