Disclaimer: We own nothing... if we did, you think we'd let Jack and Ianto out of the closet?
Summary: When a missing girl is found in the middle of a snow storm, what does it mean for Sanctuary and Torchwood, let alone CIB's T-branch?
Westport Washington was in the middle of it's coldest winter on record when Mercy Messenger parked her car in front of The Chateau Hotel. It was getting late, almost 10 pm. She didn't even flinch when the biting wind hit her face.
"It's gonna snow tonight." The receptionist said amiably as he handed over her room key.
"I know." Mercy said with a smile. "It's not my first time here." She accepted the key and walked up the stairs to her room. It was everything she expected. Exactly as it had been 3 years ago. Her last visit had been briefer than this one was planned to be.
If it hadn't been for the vampires in forks, she would have been there hours earlier. With a sigh she threw herself on the bed, listening to the springs creak under the added weight. She pulled out her cell phone, dialing the remorsefully familiar number. The other end picked up after 3 rings.
"Hello?"
"Hello, Jack."
"Mercy, nice to hear from you. It's been what? 7 years?"
"Not long enough." She said tersely.
"What do you need?" Jack asked, suddenly serious.
"Someone's been taking kids from a small town in the US, do you know anything about that?" Jack rustled something around on the other end.
"Westport, right?" He asked
"Yes, I'm there now."
"It's nothing extra terrestrial as far as I know. I thought the Sanctuary was dealing with it."
"We are, that's why I'm here."
"Shouldn't you know what it is? You've been around longer than me."
"By 5 years, Jack. Is there anything I SHOULD know about?"
"Nothing Torchwood has anything to do with."
"Alright, call if anything changes."
"I will… Need any company tonight?"
Mercy rolled her eyes. "No, Harkness, When I do, I'll call."
She heard Jack laugh on the other end. "Alright, Messenger, Over and Out."
"Over and Out" She replied, hanging up. Westport in winter, just where she wanted to be.
A young girl of around 17 years of age ran through the dark and deserted streets of the small Washington town. She had tattered clothes that were torn into shreds, only a few areas of connected fabric keeping her clothing on. Her small brown eyes were wide with fear. She stumbled and fell in front of the Chateau Hotel. A desperate scream filled the air.
Mercy sat bolt upright. An anguished scream echoed through her slightly open window. Grabbing her gun from under her pillow, she threw the window open and leapt easily into the night. As soon as she hit the ground, she wished she'd put on something slightly more substantial than the lacy nightgown. Covering the area in front, she moved cautiously forward, looking for the source of the scream. A young woman, who didn't look much older than she did was laying on the ground.
Trinity Bones looked up with frightful eyes. She cowered away from Mercy. "Who are you?" she squeaked in a frightful tone. "Where'd you come from?"
"It's alright. My name's Mercy." She pointed her gun at the sky, away from Trinity. "What's yours?" She offered her hand.
Trinity looked at her with wide eyes. She felt dizzy. Her face was suddenly pale and sweaty. "T…Tr…Trinity. Trinity Bones." Her eyes began rolling in her head. "Shit," she gasped.
Mercy pointed her gun at front again, looking for whatever hurt this innocent. Finding nothing, she made to holster her gun. She cursed quietly, realizing there was no holster in her nightgown. Mercy bent down, singing one of the girls arms awkwardly around her shoulders and hauled up.
She maneuvered awkwardly through the door, seeing as the girl was about 7 inches taller than she was. She waved the door open, sidling through to her room and laying Trinity on the bed. The girl was badly beaten. Bruises covered every visible inch of her skin. Mercy shuddered. Whoever had hurt this girl needed to pay dearly. With light and a closer inspection She realized what exactly had come to pass for this poor young woman.
Trinity groaned in her unconscious state. She rolled over to her side and opened her eyes just enough to see a blurred shadow of Mercy's face. "Where am I?" she moaned, wincing as if she were in pain. She lost consciousness again before she could hear any form of an answer. When she woke again, it was midmorning. She had a sickening knot in her stomach. She blinked as if surprised at where she was at. 'They' must have moved her again. She was also surprised that she wasn't being promptly beaten like every other morning. She sat up, wincing as she did so.
"Trinity" Mercy said softly. "You're safe now… they won't get you." She stayed a safe distance from the young woman, not wanting her to be scared.
"How do you know my name?" demanded Trinity in a shaky voice. She got to her feet and made her way to the door, stumbling as she went.
"You told me last night. I'm Mercy." She caught Trinity as she almost fell. "You're welcome to leave, if you'd like, but I can offer you protection. I won't stop you."
Trinity gazed at her with wide, untrusting eyes. "Why are you helping me?" she asked. "You could be doing something much more worthwhile." She quickly turned away, realizing just how much of a mess she was. "I'm…I've got nothing to pay you back with."
"Saving an innocent is all I'm doing this for." Mercy said simply. "You screamed last night, I heard you and came." She gestured at the table, where she had set food and water. "Do you want to eat, or would you like a shower?"
"Rubbish," grumbled Trinity under her breath. She went for the food and stuffed her face. "Do you do this often?" she asked with a mouthful of food. "And where the hell are we? You don't look much older than I am." Her dark brown eyes narrowed.
"Do what often? Save innocents? Only when needed. We're still in Westport, at the Chateau Hotel. Why? Do you want to be somewhere else?" Mercy sighed, slowly sitting across from Trinity. "I'm older than you'd think"
"No…no reason," stuttered Trinity. She watched Mercy wearily. "How old are you?" She spoke calmer then she actually was. She drank a big glass of water. Her eyes narrowed suspiciously. "You're too kind."
"Should I be more harsh?" Mercy pondered. "You wouldn't believe me if I told you how old I was." She surveyed Trinity's face. "Where did you come from?"
Trinity frowned. "I…I can't remember. I just remember nothing but pain and darkness…I…it is probably for the best that I don't remember much." She squeezed her eyes shut. "Why wouldn't I believe you?" She opened her eyes, and winced. Flashes of being bound to a bed flashed through her mind. She pinched the bridge of her nose and squinted her eyes. She stood and staggered for the bathroom and splashed her face with cold water, gasping as she did so.
Mercy stood a few feet away from the doorway, watching Trinity. "It is probably for the best you don't remember." She looked away for a moment. "I have some clothes, if you want them. They're not the best fitting, but they should do." She offered a stack of neatly folded clothes.
Trinity nodded slowly. She took the stack of clothes. "Erm…thank you. Mind if I take a shower?" She blushed shyly.
"No. Go right on ahead." Mercy moved to shut the door to give Trinity some privacy.
Trinity allowed the hot water to massage her bruises. She emerged from the shower fifteen minutes later. The possibilities of the consequences of what happened still lingering in the back of her mind, but she wouldn't know for sure for a few more days anyways. The clothing did not fit the best, but it did cover her better than the rags. She walked out of the bathroom. "This is a nice place that you've got," she said in a sad attempt at a conversation and to get some answers from this mysterious woman who had so kindly helped her. "How expensive is it per night?"
"I don't know, Money's not something I have to worry about." Mercy looked Trinity over. She looked slightly less gaunt, but some of the bruises looked even angrier now that her blood flow was up. "You look better" she said kindly.
"Erm…thank you," murmured Trinity. She went to stand by the window and looked out at the snow that still continued to fall. "Its been a long time since its snowed here," she commented lightly. She smiled slightly. When she turned to face Mercy, she winced as if in pain. "And I feel better now that I've gotten most of that grime off of me."
"That's good." Mercy nodded. "I hate to be blunt, but I need to know if there's a way I can get in there. If you don't know, that's fine. There's some painkillers in the kitchen if you'd like."
Trinity frowned. She turned away and grunted. "You don't want to be where I was…you might end up like me…or worse." She walked to the kitchen and took the painkillers offered to her.
"That's why they sent me… when I told you, you wouldn't believe me when I told you how old I was, It's because I'm one hundred and forty two years old. I'm from the sanctuary, come to find out what's been happening to all of the disappearing teenagers."
Trinity gripped the countertop to stabilize herself. "That's--impossible!" she gasped. "There's no way you could be that old! No one can live that long! And what the hell is the sanctuary? What the hell have you been smoking?!" She shook her head. "You're full of shit! I might have been…God only knows what really happened to me!, but I am not stupid!" Her head spun. "It's not possible," she muttered to herself. "I've got to be dreaming."
"You're not dreaming. I haven't been smoking anything for years, though now that you mention it, I need to. And it should be impossible, you're right, but things happen. The sanctuary is a place for people, who have been hurt, or seen things no one else would believe." She sighed, turning towards the window. "I can offer you that, or I can offer you the ability to forget." She held up a little white pill. "Or I can let you go back to sleep and give you a while to decide."
"I…there's…a…something is possible that would make me useless," stuttered Trinity, completely stunned. Everything was just simply overwhelming for her. She shook her head. "It wouldn't be a good idea for me to forget…even though I wish that I could." Her hand made an unconscious move for her stomach. "What does the sanctuary do? And will I be able to at least make an attempt to finish school?"
"If that's what you want to do." Mercy said. "You'd just forget What happened, not everything." She gestured at Trinity's abdomen. "Do you have any family you can go to?"
Trinity stared out the window past Mercy.
"I cannot consciously let you go back in there." Mercy sighed. "I can handle myself, believe me."
"I did not ask that; did I?" retorted Trinity hotly. "They are going to be looking for me anyways. They'll just take you as a bonus.. Besides...I've got something that belongs to one of them...... I will join this Sanctuary of yours if it can guarantee me a future.. Otherwise I go back to having nothing."
"I never said you did, but you don't seem to think I can."
Trinity grunted and turned away. She pinched the bridge of her nose."You shouldn't go in there without gathering more information," She shuddered.
"I have all the information I need" Mercy sat primly on the edge of the counter.
Trinity's eyes narrowed at her... She crossed her arms over her chest. "I'm going with you," she stated firmly. "You honestly can't expect me to sit back and let you have all the fun.." She smirked sourly. "I want to get my fair bit of revenge on those bastards."
Do you know how to use this?" Mercy pulled a Webley from the inside pocket of her Jacket. "Or this?" She held up a stun gun. "I'll only let you come if you have training."
Trinity smirked bitterly.. "Fine," she grunted.. "When do I start?" She walked over to the couch and sat to keep herself from pacing the room anxiously.
(Keep in mind, Mercy is like 4'9") "As soon as I've cleared you for active" Mercy replied mildly. "I am a doctor, first and foremost. Weapons are only a last resort....." She fiddled absently with the cross around her neck. "Tell me... are you familiar with 'Code V's?" (V= the word five)
Trinity narrowed her eyes in suspicion. "What are you talking about?"
"Code V's are one of the most dangerous adversaries the sanctuary has. Not to mention Torchwood and CIB. They are the thorn in the side of every secret government organization since the inquisition. most people don't know they've been infected, or affected. most people don't even know they exist. 'cept people like you and me." Mercy slipped into her native accent.(British) "They're the people who took you. Though, you should know, there is a radical faction. They're known as Code VII's. They're on our side." Mercy leapt so she was fully seated on the counter
"But what are they?" exclaimed Trinity rather angrily. Her face reddened with sudden anger.. Her eyes flashed menacingly and her nose flared.
"Vampires" Mercy said quietly. "Though not quite the traditional ones from horror stories." A phone rang from somewhere inside Mercy's bag. She leapt gracefully down and strode across the room to answer it. "Mercy.........." She said. "Sir?... Yes, She's with me now...I don't think that would be a good idea, Sir. She's quite shaken... Sir?... Tell Harkness to shut it.." She snapped the phone shut and rubbed her temples. "I'm terrible sorry Trinity, but I need to sleep. Jetlag from Greenwich is a bitch."
Trinity nodded silently. She wondered who she had talked to. Whomever it was obviously knew about her. And she wondered who this Harkness was. She got up and glanced out the window at the snow. Her hand unconsciously covered her stomach. She pressed her forehead against the cool glass. The sensation soothed her. She went back to the couch and fell into a disturbed sleep, filled with dark nightmares of the time spent with those men who had done nothing but terrible things to her. Vampires...she had never once imagined that was what they were. She tossed and turned, but never once groaned or made a sound.
Mercy woke with a start. Eight hours was the maximum she could let herself sleep when those monsters were still on the loose. She made a few phone calls to provide some new clothes and a new identity for Trinity. The young girl was still asleep on the couch when Mercy moved out of the bed at 2 AM. She moved silently around the hotel room, straightening here, fidgeting there, until she made her mind up to call for back-up. She battened her heavy greatcoat around herself and went outside.
"Hello." A Cheery English voice answered.
"Pearse." Mercy said, gritting her teeth.
"Ah... Mercy. I was wondering when you'd make this call.........." The cheer faded from the man's voice.
"It's the leeches.. They're the ones doing this." She didn't bother to keep the venom out of her voice.
"I should have known. Does Torchwood know?"
"Yes. Jones and Harkness are on standby if need be."
"Very well... Good luck Mercy, Good luck." She flipped the phone shut and sighed.
Trinity woke in a cold sweat. She rolled over and stumbled into the bathroom where she vomited in the toilet. When she got up and looked in the mirror, she noted her pale, clammy face. She splashed water over her face before going back to lay on the couch.
Mercy sighed and found herself wishing she actually had a partner for this operation. A 17 year old girl was not her ideal backup. The phone vibrated in her hand.
"Mercy" She answered.
"CIB wants me to come over." Jack said, forgoing the pleasantries.
"Ah." Mercy sighed "When can I expect you?"
"About 10 hours. My flight leaves in about half an hour."
"Fine. Anyone with you?"
"Pearse. You may know him."
Mercy snorted "I might"