Author's Notes: In this chapter, Sophia discovers more about the new Torchwood, Priscilla and Octavia compare notes, Jack discovers something that disturbs him greatly, and Carlyon puts his finger on something that has been bothering him for quite some time. Fair warning, from this point on, a very different spin on the resolution of 'Miracle Day' will be part of the 'Birthright' series. People who came of age in the United States during the seventies, eighties and nineties will probably remember Paul Harvey and 'The Rest of the Story;' well, the same idea applies here. We have one more chapter of the family drama, and then the major bombshell gets dropped.
Chapter Three
TWSAF
"So, Natalie's in love with Jack."
This announcement was made as the two oldest Tregarth daughters worked in the computer room. There was a sigh, and then Priscilla Tregarth said, "I'm not sure that she is, Tave. There's a helluva difference between being in love with someone and being attracted to that person. Is she in love with Jack? It's too soon to tell. Is she attracted to him? I've been thinking about this ever since Mama mentioned it, and I think she's right. What's more, I'm not sure if Natalie has admitted that to herself." She looked away from the computer screen to see her younger sister nodding thoughtfully.
A moment after that, Octavia asked, "Have you thought about what it'll be like, being Natalie's sister, rather than her mother? Because I haven't stopped thinking about that from the moment Jack came out to tell us that Mama is awake, and I realized something, 'Cilla. I don't know if I know how to be Natalie's big sister. I've been her aunt for the last thirty-four years. And Dad. . .I think he's the only one who will find this entire adjustment easy." Priscilla grimaced at that, because quite frankly, she really didn't think that any of them would find this easy, least of all their father.
"I have been thinking about that, about the transition from 'Mom' to 'Priscilla,' and I'm not sure if I'm ready for this. Not that it matters, because ready or not, this is where we are. I also have another bitter pill to swallow: I've been using Natalie, these last thirty years, to ease my own pain. Yes, I've taken care of her and I've loved her; God, I love her so much. But I've also used her. I never taught her how to get angry and channel that anger, and she's had to work that out on her own," Priscilla replied. She kept her observations about their father to herself, at least for the moment.
"Hey now, none of that," Octavia reprimanded, rolling her chair over to Priscilla's and squeezing the older sister's forearm gently. Priscilla blinked back tears, and Octavia continued, "You didn't use Natalie. You channeled that grief and heartbreak and thwarted love you never had the chance to give your own child, and gave it all to Natalie. And I'm willing to bet that Natalie will see it the same way, once she's had a chance to rest and process everything that's happened. Right now, she's exhausted and hurt and confused, but she's also very sensible most of the time."
"You mean aside from the times when she forgets to take care of herself, or just doesn't bother with it? That's the part that worries me, Tavia. That sensible part of her is what keeps the top on the volcano," Priscilla replied and Octavia nodded, unable to argue with those truths about their sister. The eldest Tregarth girl rubbed at her forehead, saying, "In a way, I'm glad she has feelings for Jack. It's the first time someone-read, a man-has gotten through her protective walls since Ethan scampered off. Our baby sister is not the most trusting of women when it comes to members of the opposite sex."
"Yeah, and Jack didn't just get past her shields, he blew past them as if they were paper. That's gotta scare her, too," Octavia observed. Priscilla couldn't help smiling at that, because it was so true and so very Jack. He didn't realize he was doing it (probably didn't mind that he did it, most of the time). Octavia asked slowly, "You know, I may have asked this before, but has Nat ever asked you about her father? She was always a curious little thing, and she picks up things."
"She asked once, when she was about eight or nine, what happened to her father, if he died in the war. I told her yes, using the 'truth from a certain point of view' concept. Because really, a part of Dad died when we put Mama into that cryo-unit, and Torchwood does fight a war, even though most people don't know about it. I don't know if she's going to forgive me for that lie. Or Dad, come to that, because he confirmed my story," Priscilla admitted. Octavia cringed. The trouble was, as they learned with Ethan, that even if Natalie never spoke about something that hurt her, or trash-talked the people who did it, it didn't mean that she forgave them. Even now, nearly fifteen years after Ethan left her life, Natalie still hadn't forgiven him. Priscilla had to hope that her sister would be more forgiving toward her family.
"I know this isn't gonna be easy, but 'Cilla, I'm so glad we don't have to lie about this any more. We have Mama back, and even though Nat's probably furious with us, she won't blame Mama. That'll be a good starting place for them," Octavia pointed out. Priscilla nodded, re-focusing her eyes on her computer screen, even if her attention wasn't really on her task. She tried to ignore that with this revelation, while she would still have her baby sister, she would lose a child for the third time. She also forgot that Octavia was far more perceptive than people usually realized, as her sister looped her arm around Priscilla's waist and murmured, "But you will always be Natalie's mother, because you were the one who bandaged skinned knees and nursed her through illnesses and dried her tears when her heart was broken. Biologically, you're her sister, but in her heart, you're her mother and you always will be."
"In my mind," Priscilla murmured, leaning her head against Tavia's shoulder, "I know that. I do. But in my heart, I'm not so sure. I've lost two children already, Tavia, and I don't know if I could bear to lose another." Tavia tightened her grasp, and for a moment, Priscilla indulged herself by weeping against her sister's shoulder. But only for a moment because like her father, Priscilla was sure that the Families were still around and still determined to make trouble.
"I'd like to tell you that you won't. I do. But we both know it's a possibility, I can't lie to you. But, I can also tell you this. . .if you do lose Natalie, it will be for a short time. She's not a child any more. Yes, she's hurt, and yes, she's angry, but she will come to understand. She almost always does," Tavia replied, her voice very softly. She hugged Priscilla again, murmuring, "Besides, do you really think that Mama will allow her to truly turn against you? Even if Natalie tried, you should know Mama better than that." Priscilla laughed in spite of herself and Octavia hugged her again, murmuring, "We'll be fine, sissy. Ready to go back to work?"
"Yeah. Yeah, I think I am. Thanks, Tavie," Priscilla murmured and Octavia smirked, reaching across her to type, 'TWSAF.' That's what sisters are for. Priscilla rolled her eyes and ruffled her younger sister's hair, drawing a mock-indignant look. Priscilla's worries weren't gone, by any stretch of the imagination, but Octavia was right. Natalie would likely be furious with her, as well as Dad, once the shock and the hurt wore off. But she was still part of Priscilla's family, and that mattered more than anything else.
TWTWTWTWTWTW
Jack loved the ATVs. He loved the speed and the roughness of them, the sensation of the wind against his body, and the power of the engine thrumming through him. Besides, he always needed a shower after riding around, and that was always enjoyable. That was one thing that Alonso never considered, until he met Jack: the pleasure of showering together, to say nothing of what could come next. Jack smiled to himself as he parked the ATV and took off the helmet. He hoped his young companion was all right. They parted on good terms (really, really, REALLY good terms, in fact), Alonso excited about a new opportunity that came his way.
Inside the house, he deposited the readings he received from the Rift with Jason and Lucas, after checking in with the boys' mother and her older sister. Priscilla's eyes were red-rimmed, and she bore other tell-tale signs of crying, but Jack didn't comment on it. Instead, he explained that a friend of his, Martha Jones-Smith, was inquiring about a visit to the Tregarth homestead and the new base of operations for Torchwood. Priscilla seemed pleased at the prospect of a visit from Martha (interesting. It was almost as if she recognized Martha's name), and said that she saw nothing wrong with it. Things all depended on how quickly her mother regained her strength.
Octavia observed that she was already regaining her strength, far more quickly than anyone anticipated. When Jack looked at her inquiringly, she explained, "What I mean is, when Dad and Mr. Colasanto put Mama back into cryo after Nat was born, no one was entirely sure how she would be affected physically. It's nothing like what the TV shows and movies say. Her muscles are weak, yes, and she's exhausted, but it's more like she's been sick for several weeks. It's almost as if the cold prevented her muscles from atrophy. I won't ask how things like that played out in your time, Jack, but it seems more like what we called 'suspended animation' in the seventies."
Jack was on the verge of responding, when Octavia added as almost an afterthought, "Oh, and speaking of the seventies, Jack? I don't want to ever, and I do mean ever, see you with facial hair again. That was a serious ick." Wait, what? At his puzzled look, Octavia elaborated, "When we went to the Colasanto compound, Mr. Colasanto's pictures of you were still up." Oh. Yes. Now Jack remembered the picture in question. Octavia added, "You're far too pretty to mar your face like that, Jack. And have I mentioned just how creepy that was? I always liked Mr. Colasanto, he was always good to the three of us and I get that he wanted to make amends, but that was just creepy."
"So you've said. Repeatedly and in several different languages, we get the idea!" Priscilla muttered, rolling her eyes. Octavia pouted at her, and Priscilla continued, "Anyhow, like we were saying, Mama has already started regaining her strength, and if you're worried about your friend getting caught in the crossfire of our family drama, I don't think that will be an issue. I think that will be put off until Mama is strong enough to deal with it. How do you know Dr. Jones?" Jack was on the verge of answering when it occurred to him that he hadn't mentioned that Martha was a doctor.
"We both once traveled with the same person, and how did you know that Martha is a doctor?" he asked. Priscilla's expression was remarkably similar to the same expression she wore as a young girl when she commented on something she wasn't supposed to know about. He would have laughed, but the implications worried him. It was possible that Priscilla saw Martha's name because of the uneasy relationship between Torchwood and UNIT, but there was another, far more disturbing possibility. The sisters exchanged a look, and Jack murmured, "Both of you?"
"All of us have had dreams. . .nightmares. . .about things that never happened. And yet, they did. The only one who hasn't been affected, and it's something that we thank God for, is Ailsa. She was too young when it happened. Dad thought at first that we were seeing this other reality because of our connection to the Rift in Cardiff and our affiliation with Torchwood, but Natalie's dreams were just as vivid as our own. She was conceived near the Rift, but that was only a few months as opposed to several years. We also learned that Mr. Colasanto didn't have those nightmares, though that may be because he had enough of his own already," Priscilla explained. Jack felt around for the third chair in the room and sat down heavily. The eldest Tregarth daughter whispered, "Oh God. It really happened? That evil man was really real? All those things happened?"
"His name was the Master," Jack replied numbly, "and he wasn't a human, but a Time Lord. Yes. It happened, but the paradox was shattered, and no one was supposed to remember except those on the Valiant." Octavia left her seat and knelt in front of him, taking his hands and holding them lightly against her chest. Jack swallowed hard, trying to convince himself that it didn't matter why the Tregarths remembered the Year, even in dreams. And yet, at the same time, it did. It mattered greatly. Octavia squeezed his hands, drawing his attention back to her, back to the warm hands encircling his own.
"Hey. We only take responsibility for ourselves, remember? So, if the next words out of your mouth are to blame yourself, save it, because so help me God, Jack, I. WILL. SMACK. YOU. And you know I'll do it, too," she warned. Jack closed his mouth with a snap. Yes, she would. Satisfied with his compliance, Octavia continued, "Now, I wrote down my dreams each night. It helped me to come to terms with what I saw. And before we came to meet you, I read over my notes. He tortured you, didn't he, this Master?" A cold note entered her voice as she spoke the last few words, her eyes narrowing.
"I didn't stay dead, so I kept his attention away from the others. Martha was walking the Earth, and I couldn't leave the Doctor alone with him. So I stayed. I stayed and I bought the Doctor time," Jack replied. He didn't say anything more about that Year. After a moment, he continued, "So, your family already knows about Martha. What do you remember about the Year in your dreams? I'm guessing that none of you took the Master's rule lying down?" Of course they didn't. Even if Carlyon wasn't inclined to get involved, neither Priscilla nor Octavia would have accepted that.
"We occasionally do have dreams about that. Natalie woke up the entire house once with her shrieks of terror. She had a nightmare about small silver balls cutting Dad to pieces while he was protecting others. I don't think she let him out of her sight for a solid month after that," Priscilla acknowledged. Jack shuddered and the woman continued after a moment, "I've had nightmares about leaving the fallout shelter in town to forage for food. I'm sure that Adriane has had nightmares as well, though she won't admit it. Octavia has had nightmares about the Master's voice."
Octavia added, "My boys have nightmares, too, but they won't talk about them. They seem to have this idea that 'it's just a dream, it didn't really happen.' If they know it's really real, maybe their pride will stop overwhelming their good sense." Jack couldn't make any promises, but he would do what he could. When he said as much, Octavia snorted, replying, "Please, Jack, I know better than to ask for miracles! And I think we've all had about enough of so-called Miracles, anyhow."
Jack couldn't argue with that. Priscilla asked after a moment, "So, is there a particular reason for the timing of her visit? It's only been a short time since Torchwood South opened its doors, metaphorically speaking. Has it been a long time since you saw each other and she wants to make sure that we're taking proper care of you?" Take care of him? Jack arched his brows at the sandy-haired woman, who added, "It's a fair question. You take care of just about everyone else, it's only fair that someone take care of you, and we're the best qualified for that particular job, aside from Esther."
"Uhm, no. No, she's expecting her first child and wanted to see me while she could still travel safely. I saw her when I returned to the UK after Esther's memorial service, so she would be in her sixth or seventh month now," Jack replied. After a moment, he added, "Why would you think that I need someone to take care of me, much less that Martha would be checking up on you?"
The sisters exchanged a look, and then Octavia rose to her feet, lightly slapping him in the back of his head. He yelped and grabbed her wrist, glaring at her. However, it was Priscilla who said, "Because you're absolutely awful at taking care of yourself, Jack. We love you dearly, but if you were left to your own devices after being hurt, you'd probably get yourself into even more trouble. When I was fourteen, you were the gorgeous, charming, dangerous best friend of my father and mother, and that was part of your mystique. Now that I'm sixty, you're the hot little brother who can't stay out of trouble."
"You do realize that I'm still at least three times your age, no matter how you count it?" Jack inquired. Priscilla merely smirked at him before reaching down. Jack barely kept from squeaking when she grabbed him through his trousers. When he could trust his voice not to squeak (or break), Jack informed her, "I would tell you to put your money where your mouth is, but I think that would be backward in this case. I will ask if you're absolutely sure if you want to go down this path."
Priscilla patted his cheek (the upper one) and replied, "You're cute, Jack, but I have someone in town. And that is all I'll tell you. Now, if you'll excuse me for saying so, you desperately need a shower, so shoo!" Jack thought (very briefly) about asking her if she'd join him, but chose not to. Instead, he swept her and her sister a mock-bow, backing out of the room. On his way to the loo, he passed Rex, who was cringing at the laughter coming from the sisters. Smart, Rex, he thought, those two are dangerous!
TWTWTWTWTWTWTWTW
When she awoke, Sophia Tregarth found her husband sitting opposite her, reading. She wasn't aware of making any noise, but Carlyon put down his papers and rose to his feet slowly. He straightened just as slowly, and for the first time, Sophia understood that her husband was in his late eighties. Technically speaking, she was in her eighties, but in her mind and heart (and body), she was still thirty-six. However, she said nothing, simply smiled as he joined her. He asked softly, "Did you sleep well, my love?"
"I did, even though I think I've slept a little too much. A thirty-five year nap should be enough for anyone, don't you think?" Sophia asked ruefully. Her husband merely smiled sadly, allowing his fingers to graze her cheek. She murmured, "So many things have changed. My teenage daughter is sixty, my toddler is fifty, my baby daughter is almost thirty-five, and all three have children of their own. Wait, when exactly is Natalie's birthday? I mean, I know when her birthday is, but how many more days?"
"Today is October 28th, so it's three days away. Why? Are you thinking about a party for her?" Carlyon asked, obviously intrigued. Sophia shook her head. No, she couldn't turn back time, no matter how much she wanted to. And treating her daughter like a child was unfair to Natalie. But she wanted to do something for her child, for all those birthdays she missed. No, it couldn't be helped and yes, she was grateful to Angelo Colasanto for his part in saving their lives, but Sophia wanted to do something to make sure her little girl knew just how happy Sophia was to be back in her life.
"Not a big birthday party, or a child's birthday party. Is there anything special she wants this year, Carlyon?" Sophia asked. Carlyon looked away, and Sophia bit back the question she wanted to ask. Why was he reacting this way, what was going on? When he didn't respond, Sophia continued, "Actually, if you still have the trunk from our honeymoon, I have a gift for her in there?" Carlyon raised his head, staring at her in astonishment, and Sophia continued, "Just something I made for her before I got so sick. Do we still have that trunk?"
"Of course we, and if I recall correctly, it's in the base. And once you can walk on your own, I'll give you a tour of Torchwood South," Carlyon replied. Sophia nodded. She knew from talking to her two older daughters that like the Hub, Torchwood South was located underground. For reasons known only to him, her husband chose not to put in an elevator/lift or a ramp. She already saw that he moved far more slowly than she remembered, and it couldn't be easy to go up and down that ladder (yes, her daughters made sure to tell her all about checking out Jack's butt as he descended the ladder).
"That would be greatly appreciated. For now, you can tell me about the missing Torchwood operative," Sophia replied. Carlyon dropped his eyes, and Sophia murmured, "Ahhh, you were hoping that I'd forget about that. No such luck, my love. Now, I'm guessing that his or her absence is your decision. You're the figurehead of this branch, the girls tell me, with the final word on personnel." Their older daughters had quite a lot to say in the time it took Carlyon to set up the wheelchair. In answer, Carlyon handed her a small item, about the size of her pinkie finger. Sophia frowned, asking, "What, exactly, is this?" She saw a number of things most people didn't, as the unofficial second in command to the Director of Torchwood Three. But this was odd.
"That, my wise one, is a flash drive. You can store many files on this tiny item," Carlyon replied. Oh, it was a storage device! Carlyon moved. . .was that a laptop computer? And it was in the main house? So laptops were common now? She always did like the ones they had in the Hub for conferences, though this one was considerably smaller. Sophia smiled, remembering a brief conversation with Mr. Colasanto just before she went under again. He told her that she wouldn't recognize the world when she woke up. She dryly reminded him that she worked for Torchwood. That made his smile dim, ever so slightly, though she didn't understand the why of it. Not at the time, at least. Now, however, she knew the truth: how he helped Jack on an op during the nineteen twenties, spent a year in prison, and the horrifying events that followed.
Carlyon didn't speak as he neatly slid the flash drive into a port on the laptop computer, and Sophia virtuously avoided mentioning how Jack probably would have come up with an innuendo for the action. She had the uneasy sense that Carlyon wouldn't want to hear it. A box appeared in the middle of the screen, with just one file: 'Jack.' Sophia swallowed hard, but bravely clicked on the file. To her surprise, another menu opened up. It seemed her choices were 'audio,' 'text' or 'both.' Her husband leaned forward, ever so slightly, and clicked on both.
"You'll need these as well," Carlyon told her, plugging a pair of headphones into the computer, "I don't want the girls to hear this just yet, especially Natalie. Especially considering she almost shot Jack the first time he came back from a death." Oooh dear. And then, she fell silent as the recording began. Carlyon stayed at her side, and she couldn't be sure if she was grateful for that or not. On the one hand, she didn't want to listen to this on her own. But on the other hand, she couldn't squeeze his hand, the way she would have before she got sick. Instead, she listened and listened, her mouth going dry and her heart racing. At the end of the recording, she numbly took off the headphones, and Carlyon whispered, "I am so sorry, Sophia. I never wanted you to hear that, or at least, to wait until you were much stronger."
Sophia blinked back tears and shook her head, her mouth too dry to speak at first. Carlyon left the room and returned after a few minutes, carrying a glass of water. She accepted the water gratefully, rasping out hoarsely when she could speak, "It's not your fault, Carlyon. I shouldn't have pushed. You were right. But I'm looking forward to getting to know the others. What can you tell me about Agent Matheson and Miss Drummond, aside from their obvious protectiveness of Natalie?" Unexpectedly, Carlyon snorted and Sophia raised her eyebrows at her husband.
"Esther is quite protective of her, and of Jack, but the first time Agent Matheson met her, he threatened to blow her brains out if she betrayed them. They didn't get along especially well at first, as you can imagine. At the time, Natalie was undercover with the Families, keeping an eye on Esther. She will tell you-Esther, that is-that our Natalie was her touchstone, reminded her of whom she really is. And they've been friends ever since. As to what she's like? I'll let you decide that for yourself. I'll let you decide that about them both. You've probably realized that Octavia has very special feelings for Agent Matheson," Carlyon observed. Yes, she realized that from the moment her middle daughter mentioned the man. Her husband went on, "What she may not have told you is that he is the first man she's had feelings for since David was murdered. For that reason alone, I was inclined to give him a chance."
"What was he like? David, I mean? Tavie told me that he was her hero, and I'm guessing that her boys felt the same way, but what was he like?" Sophia asked, carefully putting the headphones aside. Her husband didn't answer immediately; he was too busy taking the steps necessary to remove the flash drive from the computer. There was, it seemed, particular steps required. Something else to learn, but that was fine. Sophia had time to learn; but her time with her husband, she feared, would be finite.
"He was a good man, a hero, like Octavia said. Where she is mouthy and sassy, he was quiet and soft-spoken. And this family was everything to him. His own parents were dead, and he had a twin brother, to whom he hadn't spoken in several years. David would never speak of him, but Octavia did glean that he was involved with something illegal, most likely dangerous. David would never turn on a relative for something to do with questionable legality or even illegal. However, if he believed this relative posed a threat to his wife and children? That, I can easily see," Carlyon replied.
Sophia inclined her head; she would ferret out more information about her late son-in-law later. For now, she said, "You've mentioned the Families several times. Who, exactly, are the Families and why are they a threat?" Her husband grimaced and explained what he knew of the Families. Most of the information came from Angelo Colasanto, she learned, although not all of it. Carlyon told her about Miracle Day, including the erroneous assumptions regarding its beginning and ending. Sophia listened intently, observing, "There's more to the story. If Jack's blood had anything to do with the Miracle, if it caused his immortality, then none of his children would have died over the years." Her husband flinched at that, and Sophia didn't ask. After what she just heard, she would trust Carlyon to tell her when the time was right.
"I agree. And I think Jack is allowing people to think that his blood began and ended the Miracle for his own purposes. He has always been far more cunning than most people realized, as well as being quite resourceful. I haven't called him on this deception, because I believe he's working on a plan of his own to take down the Families. They like to think themselves superior to everyone else, but they weren't smart enough to come up with that plan on their own. Oh, no. Someone else is calling the shots, and Jack wants them, in addition to the Families," Carlyon replied.
"Then we back him up," Sophia replied simply. Carlyon smiled and Sophia's next words were interrupted with a great yawn. She raised her hand to her mouth, blushing a little, and said, "I think I should probably get more sleep." Carlyon merely raised his eyebrows, trying very hard not to smirk. Sophia hesitated, and then covered his hand with her own, saying softly, "Can you do one thing for me? Can you make things right with Natalie? I don't want her to dwell on what could have gone wrong, and if she's anything like Priscilla, it won't stop haunting her."
"Just as soon as she wakes up, my love, I promise. I don't think Esther will allow me into Natalie's room until then," her husband observed dryly. Well, she didn't plan to say anything, but now that he mentioned it. . . Carlyon glowered at her, adding, "No more of that, Sophia! Rest, my wise one. We'll discuss more about our baby girl's birthday the next time you wake up." That sounded like a lovely idea. Sophia closed her eyes with a sleepy smile. They would talk about their daughter's birthday, and formulate plans to take care of Jack, because Sophia had a feeling he needed someone to do that. . .
TWTWTWTWTWTW
Until he spoke the words to his wife, Carlyon hadn't admitted to himself just what he was thinking. During the last few weeks, as he got to know Rex and Esther, Carlyon quietly learned what he could about the last few weeks of the Miracle. He didn't hold it against Esther, because she didn't know the entire story, but she wasn't correct. There was more to the Miracle than that Crack in the world and Jack's blood. And it would be just like Jack to bide his time, let the Families think they were free to rebuild. One thing that people often forgot: Jack was once a con artist.
Once he remembered that, Carlyon became absolutely certain that Jack was conning the Families now. He began conning the Families from the moment he returned to Earth, even if he didn't realize the source of the problem, and he was still conning the Families. Every move of his old friend that originally had Carlyon shaking his head in pure astonishment at what seemed to be utter stupidity (his initial confrontation with Oswald Danes, for instance, which Adriane outlined for him, her mother and her older aunt. Really, Jack? REALLY?), was now being re-examined with that notion in mind. And slowly, the pieces were starting to fall into place.
As his wife stated, they would back his hand. Carlyon hadn't figured out his friend's plan, exactly, but he trusted Jack implicitly. There was no doubt in Carlyon Tregarth's mind that the Families were even now rebuilding and making plans to create problems for the world at large. He was equally sure that even with the instability of the Rift, Torchwood would be there to stop them.
TBC