AN: Second verse same as the first! Torchwood – don't own it, ain't making a red cent off it! Same with Neil Gaiman and 'Sandman'.

While I was working on Archangel, I began thinking of a Neil Gaiman story that he wrote in the Sandman graphic novel series – and this Plot Bunny was born. Now it's supposed to be three women…but I've taken a bit of a creative license here. That's what fan fiction is all about. Right?

Torchwood: The Maiden, The Mother and The Crone

The Maiden weaves the Cord

The Mother decides its' length

The Crone cuts it…

They are the Hecate… also known as The Kindly Ones…

The Maiden weaves the Cord….

Ianto ran in between the abandoned cars and rubbish tip bins as he released the safety on his weapon. The radiation suit he wore made his movements clumsy and heavy, but he moved silently nonetheless. His head-comm beeped and Gwen's voice sounded in his ear. 'Careful Ianto,' she said quietly but with authority. 'It is very close to you – thirty meters to your right - and the radiation is off the scale.'

Ianto pressed the comm to let it beep. He wanted Gwen to know he received the message, but he also wanted to let her know he was in silent running mode.

'Acknowledged,' Gwen answered. 'Silent running. Good luck. Sound out the minute you see anything; Jack will be at your location ETA three minutes. Twenty meters and closing from your left.'

Ianto beeped his comm again and continued his quiet walk towards the source of radiation. He turned the corner – and froze in horror. On the ground lay a human…or humanoid…disfigured in a way that could be described as melted…on the ground beside a rubbish tip bin. As he got close, it raised its' head and a single perfect hazel eye looked up at him….

The Mother decides its' length….

Gwen heard Ianto's report and shook her head. There was no way the humanoid could be brought back to the Hub. The radiation coming off it meant that Ianto would have to spend at least three weeks in radiation detox if he ran like Hell now…thank God she had contacted UNIT and Martha answered the call. UNIT had cordoned off the area and only Jack and Ianto were on the hunt for this…abomination. Gwen keyed her comm to Jack's. 'Jack,' she called.

'I'm here,' he answered.

'Get Ianto away ASAP. Whatever it is, it is deadly. The radiation suit Ianto is wearing isn't enough. Martha said you have to get Ianto away from it NOW. If it's still alive…you HAVE to put it out of its' misery now. It's radiation output right now is lethal. Ianto is looking at three weeks of UNIT's premium detox care.'

'Great,' Jack mumbled, cocking his Webley. 'Two months of no sex for me.'

And The Crone cuts it….

As Jack caught up with Ianto, he yanked him away from the humanoid. 'Get away from it,' he growled. 'The radiation that melted it is making you sick. Any more and you'll glow for the rest of your life – permanently.'

The mass on the ground reached out to Jack, a partially melted hand with too much skin and meat on the arm and not enough on its hand reached out to Jack. Jack raised his Webley towards it.

'Pleaff,' the creature spat out bloodily between gums with no teeth. 'Thak…pleaff.'

Without a second thought Jack fired his weapon, popping the creature's head open like an over-ripened watermelon. Immediately it began to fall apart, bones and cartilage dissolving into a super heated biological mess. As they walked away from the hissing mass, Ianto turned to Jack.

'It knew you Jack….it said your name.'

They are the Hecate….also known as The Kindly Ones….

Jack examined the pictures taken of the radiation creature and asked Martha to make sure under no circumstances was Gwen to see the photos. On the creatures' left hand…Jack was sure…it was Gwen's wedding ring.