Author's Notes: Well, I was wrong … we'll get back to Toni and Tosh in the next chapter, rather than in this chapter. For now, Suzie learns a few new interesting facts from Rassilon and acknowledges some truths about herself; we hear from Jason and Lucas, who behave as brothers do; Esther slips into Wendy-mode (as in Wendy and the lost boys); while Natalie and Pilar discuss the past and the present before Jack makes a horrifying revelation regarding the accident.
Chapter Six
A Female Shaped Problem
Colasanto Compound, Nevada
There really weren't many people for him to talk to, to converse with. Oh, he had conversations with others at the compound, but those were more of him listening than talking. Being from an advanced race and a lost planet didn't do much for conversation pieces, and so Rassilon returned to his son's caravan, where he would tinker (particularly with an old radio that Suzie found) and mull over the most recent reports from the SHIELD helicarrier and his agent there … who was taking entirely too much pleasure in tormenting Olivia Colasanto. Not that Rassilon blamed him there. Although, he did have to laugh the last time his agent reminded him that Olivia wasn't alone in her bad behavior. Oh, he knew that. And, as he assured his agent on the helicarrier, the other individual would pay as well … once there was enough rope to hang her. Rassilon didn't take kindly to betrayal. Ever.
As he worked, he mulled over what his agent told him about Colonel Fury (aka Director of SHIELD) and about Agent Phil Coulson, who was in fact the grandson of Angelo Colasanto. That was a most interesting revelation, and Rassilon had to wonder if Angelo's quest for immortality influenced his behavior toward his children and grandchildren. Angelo himself looked far younger than the one hundred plus Rassilon knew him to be when he died … closer to seventy-five or so. Agent Coulson had an unnerving ability to come through a crisis with barely even ruffled hair … even if he should have been badly injured. (For instance, there was the confrontation with Obadiah Stane, and there weren't words in any language, English or Gallifreyan, that would describe his opinion of the late Obadiah Stane.)
"What are you doing?" Suzie asked, entering the caravan. It was her customary greeting to Rassilon … which stood to reason, since he was usually tinkering. Besides, it seemed his tinkering was far more interesting to Suzie than his relationship to her former boss. That suited Rassilon, because he was still sorting himself out and why he had so few memories of his son's childhood. When he realized that his son was fostered to a couple on the Boeshane Peninsula for his own safety, his rage could have destroyed every building on the compound. Emphasis on 'could have.' As it was, he was grateful that Suzie's questions were about what he was doing, rather than what Jack was like as a child. Probably not that different from how Jack was an adult, really: a hellion with a sweet nature and a big heart.
On this particularly, Rassilon answered somewhat absently, "Working on this radio. Unless I miss my guess, it was made right around the time Angelo Colasanto first met my son … which is little more than a set of heartbeats for a Time Lord, but is quite old for something made by humans. If I didn't know better, I'd think Jack started fixing it before he and the Tregarth ladies returned to Oklahoma, but it was too dusty for that. The intent is modifying it so that I can hear what's going on at the helicarrier. And what have you been doing, my dear, aside from terrorizing Liam Grady?"
"He hurt Jack," Suzie answered simply and Rassilon raised his head to look at her more fully. Oh … really? Would his current companion like to expound on that? Yes, she was atoning for what she had done, but the young woman did kill his son with a bullet to the head, and she did betray him. He was interested in hearing her clarification on this. Suzie flushed, muttering, "He hurt Jack because he was attracted to him. I've wanted to clout him a few times myself, but not because I was attracted to him. That's just stupid. Liam Grady is the stupidest smart man I've ever met, and I'm including both Jack and Owen in that." Rassilon nearly snorted at that, because both the now-alive doctor and his son could be quite foolish. However, he forgot one very pertinent thing about Suzie Costello. She had a terrifying ability to see things that she wasn't supposed to see. For the next words out of her mouth were, "Why did you bring Owen back from the dead? Why did you strand him in that other dimension?"
Rassilon nearly dropped the radio in shock. Suzie was leaning against the table, observing, "You told me that you brought me back … that one reason why you could bring me back was because I used that gauntlet … the twin of which was used to bring Owen back. You said that gauntlet was yours, which made me yours as well … that you were claiming me because of that gauntlet. That means that Owen is yours as well. Now, I've listened to you more than you realize and I know that you have some control of the Rift. Not enough to control the dreck we used to get in Cardiff, but enough that you were able to pull Owen into that other dimension. You forget what I heard in Natalie's head when I used her as a puppet. So the question is, why?"
"Why not?" Rassilon countered. Suzie blinked in astonishment, and Rassilon continued, "Why would I not save a young man who sacrificed himself so that others might live? Not happily, no. Not without complaining, but he did it nonetheless, because there was no one else to do it. It could be argued that I didn't save him at all, but damned him by placing him in another dimension where only he could save himself, where there was no one to, as you put it, 'watch his back,' much less any other part of him." He put his tools down and looked at her closely, adding, "But you don't see it that way, do you, Suzie Costello?"
"I don't. There are many ways to save someone, and I think you saved Owen by putting him in that other dimension, by forcing him to stand on his own, without help. Yes, Rassilon, you saved his life and you saved his soul. In truth, you forced him to grow, I think," Suzie replied. Rassilon inclined his head because, of course, that was part of his intention. The young woman continued, "And … you used some of the energy to widen the Rift? Or am I somewhat close?" Rassilon merely smiled and Suzie observed, "Ah, so I haven't earned that information yet. That's fine. I can wait."
"Perhaps it's not a matter of earning, but what your little ape mind can tolerate," Rassilon answered smartly and Suzie rolled her eyes. He almost laughed, once more understanding why the Doctor took human companions with him through his travels. If there was one thing he was growing to love about his own human companion(s), it was the joy he found in seeing things through their eyes. Suzie, especially … broken, damaged Suzie, who was far more whole than when his son first encountered her … she had a singular way of seeing things. She became a monster, and now sought redemption without becoming an angel. Rassilon liked that about her. He had little use for angels … Weeping or otherwise.
"I'll have to remind you of that the next time you find your son doing the horizontal mambo, as Natalie Tregarth puts it, in a semi-public place," Suzie retorted and it was Rassilon's turn to blush. Yes, Lord President Rassilon of Gallifrey actually blushed when he recalled the discovery of his son and Liam 'making out' in the garden. He blushed at the time as well, because just as there were some things no child wanted to know about his or her parents, there were things that no parent wanted to imagine about their child, and having intercourse was at the top of that list. Suzie continued, changing the subject (much to Rassilon's gratitude and relief), "Speaking of which, what did you think of the Tregarths?"
"I don't know them well enough to make a decision," was Rassilon's swift decision. Suzie just smirked and folded her arms over her chest with blatant amusement. Rassilon continued, "I did spend some time with Sophia Tregarth, having very enjoyable conversations, but I still don't know any of them well enough. What was your decision, after spending some time in Natalie Tregarth's mind? I'm particularly interested since she is technically my boss." Which she actually wasn't, but it pleased Rassilon to perpetrate that falsehood. You learned far more about people with falsehoods than with truth. It occurred to him that he was as much of a con artist as his son ever was, and that knowledge nearly made him laugh aloud.
"She's … strange. Oh, would you stop laughing at me! I'm just telling you what I saw before you helped me board up that barrier between our minds. She's sweet and bitter at the same time. There's darkness in her, a different sort of darkness than what I experienced, but darkness nonetheless. That's why I wouldn't let Liam Grady refer to her as pure or put her on a pedestal, because she isn't pure … unless you mean physically. And the guilt of what might have been is as strong as guilt for actual misdeeds," Suzie explained. Rassilon arched his brows at her and Suzie explained, "It's part of how I got her to check on Jack … a few weeks ago, an old enemy had Ailsa kidnapped. Evidently, the kidnappers didn't realize how resourceful Natalie was, because instead of betraying Jack and trading him for Ailsa, Natalie figured out a way to alert him to what was happening and they formed a plan to save Ailsa. She's been haunted by 'what might have been' nightmares ever since."
Sophia mentioned some of this to him, not realizing, of course, that he was Jack's father. And, of course, she didn't tell him the whole story because so far as she knew, it wasn't any of his business. Which, of course, it was. However, he wouldn't hold her misconception against her. Besides, her daughter did the right thing in the end. And that was the part that he found interesting. Not just that she did the right thing, but that she continued to be troubled by the situation, even after its successful resolution. Rassilon murmured, "Intriguing. Her conscious mind knows that things worked out in the end, that she came up with a way to save her child and protect my son, but her conscience continues to trouble her. Is that why you chose her? Or was it simply her vulnerability as she slept?"
Suzie opened her mouth to reply, but then closed it as something occurred to her. Her dark head tilted to one side, and Rassilon watched with a bemused smile. He really did find it interesting to watch Suzie's mind work. As her mind cleared and she realized what a monster she became, Suzie's rage against the Families intensified, as if taking them down once and for all was a key to her redemption. Perhaps it was. At last, she replied, "I … some of it was her vulnerability as she slept. Her dreams were already haunted. Plus, I don't know if you've picked up on this, but she's a bit stubborn. I suppose … I was drawn by the idea of controlling someone as tenacious as she is when she's awake?"
Now she looked ashamed, just now realizing that she hadn't come as far as she thought she had, and Rassilon put his tools down quietly. Suzie was trembling, eyes darting about in terror, and the Time Lord rose to his feet, gently settling his hands on her shoulders. There was a tiny sob and Rassilon kissed the top of her head, murmuring, "And now you begin to realize, child. There's far more to redemption than an apology and a redirection of your energies. Power, and the trappings of power, are so very hard to leave behind … and even when we're trying to do good, that power can go awry. But not all is lost, little one." Suzie blinked back tears and looked up at him. Rassilon smiled at her tenderly and murmured, "You now see that for what it is … it has a name, and now you can fight it."
"I … I never thought of it like that. I'm taking back control, instead of thinking that I'm in control, when I'm really not," Suzie murmured, and Rassilon could see the cogs in her mind working. He smiled fondly, once more appreciating why the incarnations of the Doctor loved humanity so. In a way, it was like being a father again. He wondered what Suzie would say to that, and decided now was not the time for that. Instead, he pulled her into his arms for a comforting embrace, and much to his surprise (and pleasure), the young woman clung to him fiercely. Perhaps the time for him to tell her that he saw her as a daughter would be at hand sooner than he originally thought.
"Very good, my dear girl," he murmured into her dark hair, "you're learning." Suzie squeezed him again … the youngling had no respect for the dignity of Lord President of Gallifrey, no respect whatsoever, and Rassilon realized quite happily that he wouldn't want it any other way. He loved his son already, but he was quickly falling in love with humanity and thanked the stars that Theta-Ten found the backbone to choose humanity over the Time Lords. He had his doubts, especially after that horrific Year his poor son endured, but in the end, Theta-Ten did the right thing … for the entire universe. He would still be having a conversation with Theta-Eleven, who showed great promise.
After a moment, she pulled away, and Rassilon discovered that he missed her warmth, not that he would ever admit it. She wiped at her eyes, and asked thoughtfully, "Why do you think Natalie is fighting her attraction to Jack so much? While I was in her mind, that was the first thing I noticed … I don't know quite how to describe what I saw, but the best way I can think of is, her heart was a dark purple color, with quite a few scars on it, and there was a glass box around it. And her attraction to Jack was nearly as intense and as fierce as her love for Ailsa is. Why does that frighten her so? Why won't she act on it?"
"Terror. Sheer, unadulterated terror," Rassilon answered succinctly. Suzie frowned, and Rassilon elaborated, "She isn't just afraid of being rejected … she's afraid that Jack would welcome her attentions and what might come of that. In all of her life, she has never responded so fiercely to anyone, man or woman, and it terrifies her … just as it terrified Liam Grady. The only difference is, she would never deliberately hurt my son. I did qualify that with a 'deliberately,' dear child."
"Because she did hurt him while I was inside her mind, before I realized how to put a shield between us," Suzie murmured and Rassilon inclined his head. That was his understanding. His ability to reach his son was limited, but it was likely that Natalie did hurt him in some way. Suzie shook her head, muttering, "She needs to shag him and get it out of her system." Rassilon barely bit back a snort and Suzie exclaimed, "Well, she does … shag him, snog him … whatever it takes!" She still didn't understand.
"But what if a snog or a shag, as you put it, doesn't work? What if they do sleep together, and rather than satiating her, intensifies her desires? Few things are that simple when you speak of emotions, whether it's human emotions or Time Lords. The child's emotions and desires are a tangled mess, and you shouldn't assume that having her way with Jack would untangle those knots. Oh, they'd both quite enjoy it, but there's more to it than that. Besides. No matter how much she wants to … and I've seen it in her eyes … Natalie isn't ready to bed my son. She has too many trust issues, and can we please drop the subject? I really have no interest in discussing my youngest child's sex life."
Suzie's lips rounded into a rather comical 'o' and her eyes were equally wide. Her mouth opened and closed repeatedly, and Rassilon smirked a bit at her obvious surprise. At last, she mumbled, "I forgot that Jack is your baby. So he has a lot of big brothers and sisters?" In past conversations, he acknowledged that he regarded the Time Lords and Ladies still in the Time Lock as his children … which did mean that he had many siblings, in a roundabout way. That would be something else he needed to bring up with Theta-Eleven when next they met. Rassilon smirked, because he couldn't wait to see Eleven's expression when he learned that for all intents and purposes, Jack was his little brother. He would, of course, remember being Nine … and Jack kissing him before he died the first time. The anticipation of seeing Eleven's reaction to his little brother kissing him would keep him laughing for days, no doubt.
"Many older brothers and sisters," Rassilon acknowledged placidly. Including the one who spent a year torturing him, and oh yes, he still needed to have a talk with Koschei about that. He knew that he was partly responsible for what Koschei did to Jack, but still. They needed to have a very long conversation about that. But that could wait. Instead, he continued in that placid tone, "He's only met two of them, and I suspect that would be enough."
Suzie bit her lip, and Rassilon could just see the girl wanting to ask a question. But in the end, she said only, "Well, family can be a pain in the arse." Rassilon nearly laughed outright … they could, indeed … but held his tongue. Suzie continued after a moment, "So. Show me what you're working on? Because if this involves the SHIELD helicarrier and tormenting Olivia Colasanto some more, I am SO there." Now Rassilon did laugh, because while Suzie was atoning, she hadn't lost her taste for causing mayhem … and that wasn't necessarily a bad thing.
TWTWTWTWTW
"Okay, who was that?"
Jason Tregarth looked up with a small smile as the sheriff's Jeep roared away. Ahh, so it was that time, was it? His younger brother glowered at him, repeating, "Who … was … that? And why did Grandfather, Mama Sophia, Jack and Natalie go with her?" Jason backed away from Jack's ATV, wiping his hands on the handiest rag. Jack could fix his own ATV, something Jason knew well, so when Jack asked the former soldier to check a few things, the young man took it for the compliment it was. It was as much a declaration of trust as a request.
"That was Sheriff Pilar Espinosa. You probably didn't recognize her in her uniform," Jason drawled as he circled the ATV to make sure there were no more spots he needed to clean. There was a distinct choking sound … kinda like the sound his younger brother made when he was trying to avoid swallowing his tongue. A quick glance toward Lucas told him that was, indeed, the case, and Jason rolled his eyes as he continued, "Don't be such a dumb-ass, Luc, I meant that you were probably used to seeing her in civilian clothes."
"Don't call me a dumbass, dumb-ass," Lucas replied automatically and Jason rolled his eyes. Lucas continued, "Have we seen her before?" Jason smirked a little … what kind of older brother would he be if he didn't tease his little brother? Besides, it had been a while since Lucas even looked at someone with interest. Jason nodded to himself in satisfaction. Jack would check it when he got back, but the young man was ninety-nine percent sure that it was as clean as it could be without a proper wash with soap and water.
"She was one of Natalie's classmates. I don't think we saw her while we were growing up, she and Nat weren't that close. She is pretty," Jason acknowledged. They were in the stone stable, the one that was used as a shelter during the messes with the children and the over-sized pepper shakers. It was used currently as a workshop … and sometimes their mother's love nest with Rex Matheson, and oh, didn't he need brain bleach after having that thought? However, with more of the new Hub being used, their mother had taken to leading Rex down into the new Torchwood base to … christen various parts of it. Oh yeah. Definitely needed brain bleach. Was it Rex Matheson only who stirred up his mother's libido or was Jack (Mr. Sex On Legs himself) stirring things up as well? Yech, brain bleach now, stop thinking about this now!
Lucas was either completely oblivious or simply ignoring him … and that could go either way … observing, "No. I've seen her somewhere before." Jason would have face-palmed, but he was busy wheeling the ATV out of the stables and into the yard. Besides, there was still grease on his hands, and not the kind of grease that tasted good. Lucas mused aloud, "Now, where could that have been?" Jason shook his head and let his little brother ramble. Besides, he'd get him back later, when Lucas was least expecting it.
"Where have you seen who?" Esther inquired as she ambled out of the house, thumbs tugging at the loops of her jeans. She smiled at them both, observing, "Looks good, Jason … Jack and I will enjoy trying it out when he comes back." When he … oh. Oh crap, he really didn't need that image in his head. It was almost as bad as imagining his mother and Matheson doing things he really didn't want to be seeing. Evidently, that was visible on his face, because a pinch brought him back to the here and now, and Esther wore an expression that was somewhere between amused and exasperated as she added, "We'll be riding the ATV together, Jason … we won't be riding each other." Lucas burst into laughter and Jason felt his face burning with embarrassment.
"Hahaha, very funny. It's all your boyfriend's fault, you know. I never used to have this problem," Jason grumped as Esther patted his cheek gently. And it was true. He sighed and explained, "Sheriff Pilar Espinosa, who just left out of here with my grandparents, aunt, and your boyfriend. Lucas is trying to figure out where he's seen her before." Esther's brows arched, and a suppressed smile threatened to break free. Jason wondered if it was even remotely possible for him to embarrass himself even worse than he already did. And then he realized that was an incredibly stupid question, because why yes, of course it was. It was always possible for him to make a bigger idiot out of himself.
"Well, we can eliminate the recent dance … the one after Owen came through the Rift and after we got Ailsa got back … because Lucas wasn't there. Your grandmother said something about her coming back … is it possible that you saw her when the 456 showed up a few years ago, or even during the Miracle? Something was said about her helping out during both of those messes," Esther pointed out quite logically. As a general rule, they didn't talk about the 456 when Jack was around. Not because of his reaction, but because of their grandfather's. Even if Jack (and Mama Sophia) forgave him, Grandfather still had yet to forgive himself.
"Mmm. It could have been the Miracle or the 456. It's hard to say, but I know I've seen her somewhere, sometime," Lucas murmured, completely ignoring everything else Esther and Jason were saying. Esther was biting back a smile and Jason rolled his eyes. Their grandfather always said that Natalie was stubborn, but Lucas had a one-track mind. And every time he forgot that, his little brother was kind enough to remind him. On the other hand, with his obvious fascination with Pilar Espinosa, Lucas also gave him plenty of material for teasing and blackmail. A sidelong glance at Esther told him that she came to the same conclusion.
"Well, regardless, she's gone with your grandparents, Natalie and Jack to the site of a car accident. Something weird is going on, and since Torchwood in general deals with weird, the sheriff came here first. I'm pretty sure that whatever happened with this car accident, it involves the weird earthquake this morning," Esther replied. Jason shuddered. Yeah, that was more than a little weird. Lucas was hiding (lucky brat) before Jack and Natalie worked things out. Not that he really blamed his brother: their youngest aunt was terrifying when she got that quiet.
"Why didn't you go with them?" Jason questioned and Esther turned to him with a questioning look. The former soldier observed, "Well, you were here when Sheriff Espinosa showed up, so why didn't you go with the others?" Judging from the smile that teased her lips, Jason had a sinking feeling that he just walked right into a … well, not a trap, but he had the distinct feeling that he would regret asking that question. While Esther was a gentle person at heart, she developed a wicked sense of humor while she was caring for Jack after he was shot.
"Well, for one thing, I hadn't actually finished my breakfast. For another thing, there wasn't enough room for a fifth person …. although it may have been fun to squish up against Jack in the car. And finally, I promised him that I'd check with you when you were finished with his ATV," Esther answered. Jason's cheeks were burning by the end of her second sentence, and he had a terrifying feeling that if he pressed her for details, his entire face would be on fire at her answer. The blonde smirked a little, adding, "And now that I have, so I'll have to let Jack know that the next step is … testing it." Or even if he didn't press her details. Jason face-palmed, Lucas just laughed out right, and Esther grinned.
"You're a very bad girl, Esther Drummond … a very, very bad girl," Lucas snickered and Esther merely shrugged, looking supremely unconcerned. At least she wasn't turning into an incorrigible flirt like Jack. Jason knew that his grandmother was worried about her old friend, because he didn't flirt the way he used to. Mama Sophia observed more than once that his heart wasn't really in it. Grandfather admonished her, saying that Jack's natural personality would return when he was ready, when he was more healed. Mama Sophia simply shook her head, murmuring that there was more to this than the deaths of his lover and his grandson, more to this than the loss of his daughter. She was truly worried about Jack, but Grandfather wasn't. Well, at least no more than usual.
"To quote that animated philosopher, Jessica Rabbit, 'I'm not bad, I'm just drawn that way,' Lucas," Esther retorted. Lucas blinked, mouthing, 'what?' He looked over at Jason, who felt nearly as lost as Lucas looked, and Esther sighed, "Seriously, guys, you never watched 'Who Framed Roger Rabbit' while you were growing up? I need to find a copy, your education has been badly neglected." The brothers exchanged a look, and then looked back at Esther once more, who succumbed to her desire to face-palm. After a moment, she raised her head, cleared her throat and said, "Okay. 'Who Framed Roger Rabbit?' was a movie that came out in 1988, a mixture of live action and animation. It was about this private detective investigating a murder in Toon Town, where all cartoon characters lived."
"Well, that explains a lot," Jason murmured. Esther looked at him questioningly and Jason explained, "Mom and Dad refused to watch anything that had to do with cops or private detectives or anything like that, even comedies. Said they got enough of that at work. And the few times they did try to watch those programs or movies, Mom would end up yelling at the tv for getting it wrong, and Dad had to calm her down." Esther frowned and Jason elaborated, "That was about the time we little kiddies were sent to bed, because otherwise, the X-rated stuff would have been happening right in front of us." Esther's mouth rounded into an 'o' as she nodded her understanding. Jason hoped that was the end of it, but he misjudged Esther. Again. She looked at the ATV, and then looked at Jason and Lucas with a speculative eye. Jason shivered, because as hot as Esther was, he liked his working bits where they were, and he didn't know how possessive Jack was.
However, he was worrying for nothing, as it turned out. Esther stated, "The test can wait until later, and will take maybe thirty seconds. We're going to see if either of your aunts or your cousin, or someone in this house, has a copy of 'Who Framed Roger Rabbit?' so we can watch it. VCR tape or DVD, doesn't matter. Jack and the others will be gone for a while, and poor Owen is still waiting for the results of those tests he ran. I can monitor the incoming leads from my laptop. We're going to watch a movie, boys!"
And that was that.
TWTWTWTWTWTWTW
"So … when was the last time you talked to Quinn?"
Natalie offered her former classmate a small smile as they walked side by side from the Cherokee to Pilar's clearly-nervous young deputy, answering, "Just this morning, actually. He called while I was working at the building we're turning into a shelter for veterans. Apparently, he's gotten sick of the big city and returning to his parents' old place. I reminded him of just how cold Oklahoma can get in the winter … even though we had a mild winter this year … and he agreed, but reminded me that here, his closest neighbor is a mile away, rather than literally right on top of him. Couldn't argue that point."
Pilar snorted in amusement, and just as Natalie suspected, her next question was, "Is he bringing anyone with him? I mean, is he involved with anyone right now?" Natalie couldn't tell if she was asking out of simple curiosity or if she was hopeful that she would have a chance with their friend. Quinn was one of the few things/people they had in common while they were growing up. Natalie didn't answer at first, her eyes drifting ahead to Jack who was listening intently to something her mother was saying. She wondered what he and Quinn would make of each other, and then shuddered. That would be an interesting meeting.
At last, she told Pilar, "He is involved with someone new, has been for about six months or so. From what Quinn told me, they met at the end of Miracle Day. I'm sorry, Pilar." The other woman was very careful about hiding her response, but Natalie was fairly certain that the new sheriff looked disappointed. After a moment, she continued, "Quinn didn't tell me what his name is, just that he would be following Quinn once things were settled in New York City. And weirdly enough, he didn't want to talk about this new guy. He was more interested in hearing about my family and how we survived the Miracle and all the other recent disasters."
"Well, you were his best friend in high school and college," Pilar pointed out. Natalie shrugged. That was true, but this was the first time Quinn ever held back from telling her about his current. Pilar added, "Natalie, he may not be ready to talk about the new guy. It may be too new. Besides, you get sick of living inside your own headspace after a while. He's lived with himself the last few months … he probably was sick of himself, and wanted to hear about you, how the town and the community handled the Atrocity."
Natalie offered her former classmate a smile at this far more appropriate name for the recent events. It was an Atrocity … not a Miracle, not a Blessing, but an Atrocity. She replied as they drew closer to Jack and her parents, the former of whom was putting Nathan at ease in his usual characteristic Jack way, "I hadn't thought of it that way, Lari, but I see your point." Pilar smiled at this reminder of their teenage years, when they were trying out nicknames. There were few ways that Pilar could be shortened, and 'Lari' was the only appealing nickname that anyone could come up with.
"God, I haven't been called that in years! That nickname never caught on while I was in the Marines. And just what is that man doing to my poor deputy?" Pilar added, sounding somewhere between indignant and amused. Natalie snickered a little as she watched Jack flirt outrageously with the young man. He was flustered now, because of the way Jack was smiling at him, but, she noticed, he was answering the questions Jack posed to him about what he saw. Natalie's own parents, she noticed, left them alone and were conducting the investigation with the others who were involved in the accident. There were just a few, really … a truck driver who was transporting a whole passel of cars, and a few others. However, as was almost always the case, in an endurance test between a little car and a semi, the semi won hands-down.
"He's distracting your deputy from the horror he saw by giving him something else to focus on. That's Jack. And it's working … yeah, Nathan's getting indignant, just as you are, but he's not shaking as badly and he's answering Jack's questions. Little piece of advice, though. Don't assume because he's a total flirt that he's an idiot. He's playful and he's mischievous … he's played some hilarious pranks on my two nephews … but don't piss him off. He's a lot more dangerous than he seems to be right now," Natalie answered. She realized that she was more right than she knew when Jack raised his head to look at her, his handsome face appearing very grim indeed. She asked, "What is it?"
"A problem. A female-shaped problem. Carlyon is running the tags now with a contact he has, but according to this handsome young man's description and the identification left in the car after the accident … well, what's left of the car, at least. Natalie, it seems likely that it was Sarah Drummond," Jack told her. Natalie blinked at him, first only concentrating on the name: Sarah? Esther's older sister Sarah? And then it hit her. Sarah was dead, and now Alys and Melanie were truly orphans. But that wasn't the worst part. Nathan told Pilar that the woman who was killed … oh hell.
"Sarah's the walking dead woman. Oh, God, Esther," she breathed and Jack nodded, his usual smile replaced with obvious worry. Natalie continued, ice filling her veins at the thought of what was now facing her best friend, "Do we know what Sarah was doing here? I mean, she didn't fight more than you would expect when she lost custody of the girls? Was she coming back here to get them?" Or was there something even more sinister at work?
"I don't know. Your dad knows something, though. I know nearly all of Carlyon's expressions, including ones you'd not care to hear about, and he knows something," Jack replied grimly. Natalie bit her lip, and Jack put his arm around her shoulder … a protective, comforting gesture, and for once, Natalie wouldn't deny herself that pleasure. Nathan was staring at them both with wide eyes, as if trying to figure out what just happened. His indignation over Jack's flirting gave way to confusion and the old nervousness.
Pilar, as ever, cut through the bull and observed, "So, the supposed dead woman is the sister of that young blonde girl … I'm guessing that she's also the mother of those two little girls who have been living with the Hallorans for the last several months?" Natalie bobbed her head, moving further into Jack's embrace, because there was something poking at the edges of her mind. A memory of something she read in the Torchwood files while she was putting things together, before Ailsa was kidnapped. This wasn't like the ghost shift that was a prelude to Torchwood One's fall. No, this was something else, and she couldn't quite put her finger on it.
"One and the same. There was the Rift quake … and now this. Nat, I think I know what's going on. It's happened before, about the same time I arrived in Cardiff the first time," Jack said quietly. Ohhhh, Natalie was afraid he was going to say that. He continued, all trace of playfulness now gone, "We need to get back to the house, and above all, our top priority is now keeping Esther safe. I think it's time we got that friend of Nicky's, too. We'll discuss how to deal with her parents along the way, but we'll need her."
"You let me worry about Toni Weber," Pilar interrupted. Both Natalie and Jack looked at her, and the young sheriff explained with a tiny smile, "After the two mean girls disappeared, I sort of became Toni's Big Sister. You tell me what's going on when the dead walk, and I'll make sure that Toni becomes part of this investigation. Deal?" Natalie nearly giggled when Pilar tried to swallow her tongue … Jack obviously used his most charming smile on her, because the other woman spent several minutes trying to get her mind to reboot. And then her smile died away. Sarah was dead and undead and walking. Esther might be in danger. There was a lot of work to do. A female-shaped problem, indeed … and one that would get much bigger!
TBC
