A/N: Most chapters are not this long, and probably not many long ones coming. We have most every scene planned out now. And even a few sequel stand alones in mind. A prequel is in the making, but nothing will come of it for a while until we can see more defined character development and the revealing of stories from characters. Anyways, without further wait, here it is.
Trinity woke at the smell of the cooking. She opened her eyes just as Mercy left with Pearse. Her eyes narrowed at the retreating priest. She hardly understood why she didn't like the man, but the dislike was there enough to make her want to dispose of him. She sighed lightly and rolled over. Deciding that she couldn't sleep any longer, she sat up, regretting the movement almost immediately as Alice tackled her. "Geroffa me!" she snapped, trying aimlessly to push Alice off. 'Damned vampire!' she thought angrily. Without realizing it, she asked for Mercy to help her through her thoughts.
Mercy sighed as the doors closed behind her. Shepherding priests was not what she had in mind when she got out of bed. She stopped and leaned against a nearby tree as a bolt of pain echoed from her wound. Pearse would probably tell her off if he saw her. She shook her head. to Pearse, she was an irksome guardian angel, having saved his life on more than one bounded down the path, as if summoned."Wow! You look like a cream puff!" He exclaimed as he caught full sight of Mercy. She shot him a pained glare. He came and slung one of her arms around his shoulders, before asking. "Can you walk?" Mercy shook her head in affirmation
Jack sighed and steered her back to the house. "You really shouldn't be out walking on your own yet," he said gently. "Wait until your wound has had time to heal. You don't want to go and reopen it, now would you?" He cracked a grin at the sight of Alice pinning Trinity down to get her into a fancy outfit. 'I could get used to this,' he thought jokingly.
Mercy punched him in the side."What was that for?"
"I dunno... It felt good." Mercy shook her hand.
"And she still surprises me." Jack said to the sky
Alice stopped struggling with Trinity, jumping off the poor young girl. She grinned at Mercy and Jack innocently while Trinity glared. 'I hope that you're happy bringing an insane vampire around me,' she thought at Mercy.
"You wanna see insane, hang out with this one for a while." Mercy gestured to Jack.
Trinity sighed heavily. 'So could you explain to me in plain English what's going on? And why is she,' she nodded to Alice, 'so excited all the time? Does she get high on caffeine?'
"we're having a party, and she's trying to dress you up." Mercy shrugged. "Plain enough?"
Trinity grunted. "Fancy clothing...great," she sighed, looking at the nice brown, lacy blouse that Alice had managed to struggle her into wearing. 'In case you haven't noticed, a t-shirt and jeans will do nicely for me,' she thought.
Jasper chuckled at the sarcasm that was rolling off Trinity. 'What made her in such a good mood?' He could still feel the anger, regret, sadness, and fear, but there was a bright light surrounding Trinity now.
Memories of Trinity's past flashed through her mind. Her childhood had been mildly happy, but surrounded with sadness. Her father had walked out when she was six, leaving her mother to take care of her alone. Then her mother found another man when she was eight and that was when she learned to take care of herself. She lived out on the streets most of the time, making her a perfect target that no one would miss and go searching for. There were many years of darkness, pain, and fear. Then she finally managed to escape into the cold...that was when Mercy found her beaten nearly to death.
Trinity gasped at the flashbacks and pushed her way outside. She sprinted down the driveway and to the road to get away from it all.
Alice looked at Mercy worriedly. 'Should I go and get her?' she asked through her thoughts.
"Please." Mercy nodded for Alice to go after the young girl.
Alice nodded curtly. She raced out of the house and stopped Trinity just as the black haired girl reached the edge of the driveway. She grappled Trinity around the waste and stopped her from running any further.
"Let me go," whimpered Trinity. She could no longer handle living like this. She struggled against Alice's iron grip with no success.
Jasper turned to Mercy with a look of concern in his eyes. "Are you going to be alright?" he asked softly.
"I've had worse, believe me." Mercy smiled grimly. "World War Two."
Alice allowed for Trinity to struggle until the young girl was too tired to do so anymore. Her grip relaxed slightly. "What's wrong?" she asked softly.
"Nothing," growled Trinity hoarsely. She stiffened. "I just want to be alone for a while...and I bet that Mercy's getting tired of having me around."
"Trinity, all anyone wants to do is help you," murmured Alice.
"And I didn't ask for any of it," snapped Trinity.
Jasper flinched from the anger lashing out outside. "I swear, that girl's mood swings are getting really tiring. Why not just hand her over to Sanctuary? If there's a confrontation with the vampires, they'll go after her because she still may be valuable to them. What if the only reason that she's the only girl to have gotten out is because they let her out to lure you to them?"
"Major Whitlock, how nice of you to join us." Mercy sighed. "She's not a lure. Alice or I would have seen it. She's just a scared girl who's been through more than anyone should ever have to go through." She looked out the window to where Alice was gently walking Trinity back towards the house."
Jasper sighed heavily. "I just hope that you know what you're doing." 'The girl will age. I can already see the trust that she has...at least concerning you...she just doesn't know it yet. And she already views you like an older sister...or something like that.'
Trinity looked away from Mercy. "Shouldn't you be sitting down?"
for the first time Mercy looked annoyed."why does everyone insist on treating me like an invalid?" she asked.
"ooh I know this one!" Jack said enthusiastically. "because you got shot." he deadpanned
"yes Jack, I got shot. in the gut, and yet somehow, the following day, I'm able to walk. why do you think that is?"
"cause you're secretly a time lord?"
"no, because I'm very durable." she replied. "and nearly immortal." she said as an after thought.
Trinity's jaw tightened at Mercy's first comment. Her mood was even too sour to laugh at the sarcasm of the two. "Sorry...I just...you shouldn't even be up under normal circumstances," she grumbled. 'And technically I shouldn't be alive either,' she thought sadly.
Esme walked in. "I think everyone outside is nearly ready," she announced.
'Careful Mercy...Trinity's emotions are hanging by a thread,' thought Jasper.
"There's nothing to apologize for." Mercy said, smiling. "Just finish getting dressed and come out to the fire," She looked at Jasper, who had calmed the tension in the room.
Trinity sighed heavily. "Do you promise to tell me everything?" she asked seriously.
"Yes." Mercy nodded, gesturing for Trinity to go into the bathroom to finish getting dressed.
Trinity nodded curtly. She took the black pants that Alice handed her and went into the bathroom. She winced from the movement of getting dressed but ignored it. She came out feeling self conscious as she hardly knew anyone.
Jack handed her a coat after she came out. It was made of a heavy wool, much like the one he was wearing, but it was made for someone of her stature.
"Oh...erm...thanks," she murmured, blushing a deep crimson. Her thoughts were barely coherent, which made her a deeper shade of crimson as Mercy could hear her thoughts. "It is not what you think...it is not what you think...it is not what you think," she repeated to herself over and over again.
Mercy just shook her head. "Come on Trini-ko"
Trinity stiffened at the name. 'You are so dead!' she thought with mock fury. "So what exactly is this...party about?" she asked aloud. Her eyes narrowed at Mercy. 'And you'd better not do anything to reopen your wound,' she added in her thoughts.
"Bwrw Eira cymanfa" Mercy shrugged. "Festival of the snow"
"Oh, that's very specific," scoffed Trinity. Alice giggled, earning a pointed glare from the youngest one there.
'Are they all this intriguing, Mercy?' thought Jasper.
"Do we need to have a better reason to throw a party?" Mercy laughed airily.
Trinity sighed helplessly. 'If I survive this...I swear I'm going to go insane,' she thought as she followed everyone outside. She blinked at the people there that she did not know before glaring at Mercy. "I thought that there weren't going to be any more people!" she yelled suddenly, clenching her hands into tight fists and struggling to keep her anger in check, even with Jasper's help.
'Mercy...if you can...help me,' Jasper thought.
"They arrived this morning... I'm Sorry." Mercy looked to Jasper and helped with the influencing.
Trinity struggled with the calming affects that they had over her. She staggered slightly. "You could have warned me," she growled. "I'm not some freak on display." She pinched the bridge of her nose and took in several calming breaths. 'Who are these people?' she asked through her thoughts.
"They are here for me, not you... to them, you're about as normal as seeing a tree in a forest. I'm an anomaly... like finding a night blooming orchid." Mercy led the way over to a bench. "As to who they are, that's Michael Colefield, one of Pearse's team, and that's Gwen Cooper, one of Jacks." She indicated the people.
Trinity stiffened at the mention of Pearse. 'Is he a Priest too?' she asked with her thoughts, disgust evident. Her eyes narrowed at two other women that she had not been introduced to. "Who're they?" she asked aloud.
"No... Michael is not a priest, just an agent, like Jack. They are my family... just don't tell Jack, I want to see if he realizes..." She whispered in a slightly comical aside.
Trinity gaped at her. She looked at Mercy's family. 'How old are they?' she wondered, hoping that it wasn't an invasion of privacy.
"Lynne's my mum, Alex is my oldest sister... Mum's about 205 this year... Alex just hit 182"
Trinity blinked dumbly. She felt so young compared to everyone else there, and yet at the same time she felt old and weary. She welcomed the thought of dying and not having to feel pain anymore. A wave of dizziness passed over her. She swayed slightly.
Mercy slipped an arm around Trinity's shoulders. "You alright?" She asked needlessly.
"Just...just a little dizzy," murmured Trinity.
"Let's sit" Mercy guided Trinity to a bench set up by the fire.
Trinity willingly sat down. 'Thank you,' she said through her thoughts. She turned to Mercy's family. "So you are all immortal, huh? Do you all work for this Sanctuary?"
"No... Just Drwgg Llarien." Lynne smiled, heading for the door to the house. Alex sat down on the other side of Mercy from Trinity.
"Do you guys always have to use fancy language?" grumbled Trinity. "Plain English would be nice. Last I checked, we were still in America."
"It all depends..." Alex began. "and it's not fancy... it's Welsh."
"We were also educated in old English, so it's still natural for us." Mercy added
"Alex Messenger." Alex said, extending her hand around Mercy to Trinity.
Trinity took her hand and shook it. "Erm...Trinity Bones. Its nice to know that Mercy isn't alone in the world." A small, shy smile crossed her lips.
"She may as well be, for all the time she spends at home..." Alex teased.
Mercy glared. "Pot...Kettle...Black... Ring any bells?"
Trinity sighed. She leaned against Mercy, careful not to put all her weight on the wounded woman as a wave of sickness washed over her again. 'Ugh! How much longer do I have to deal with this?' she thought.
Mercy looked up to the sky and prayed for the young woman leaning against her. She then looked around as Jack bounded towards them.
"Ianto's wondering where your father is..."
"He's in Australia right now, I believe... He'll be home next month. Why?"
"Just wondering..." He looked at Alex. She stuck her hand out.
"Alexandra Messenger, at your service." They shook hands.
"You!" Jack exclaimed. "I knew it was you!" Alex and Mercy shared a knowing look. "World War Two! 168th squadron, RAF. Lieutenant Alex Jones" Alex nodded.
"Congratulations Captain Harkness." She smiled.
"But!... You were a man!"
"Not last time I checked."
"How did I not know? I feel insulted." Jack looked confused.
"By the time you came 'round, I'd been hiding for years... no one 'cept mum and Mercy knew I was a woman."
"Wait... "Mum and Mercy?"... You mean... Mercy's your sister?"
"Penny for the smart lad!" Jack looked affronted. "I'm older than you, Jack, I can call you that.""How much older..?"
"Mercy's the youngest." Alex smiled. Jack sighed and rubbed his head.
A smile cracked Trinity's expression. She gazed up at Jack, understanding a little how he felt. She had thought that since Mercy was so...old that she had watched her entire family slip away. Now she knew that had not been the case. She wondered if they were born that way, or if it was something acquired. She also wondered if anyone would care once she died. "You aren't going to die." Edward appeared behind Trinity, Mercy, and Alex. Alice smiled smugly, showing both Mercy and Edward her vision of Trinity becoming a vampire. Trinity glanced back at Edward. "Most people die at some point,
"Remember... the future isn't set, Alice, things could change." Mercy chuckled. "Tell me, can you see Jack in all of this?"
Trinity frowned. She closed her eyes. Her stomach growled loudly, making her blush. "Erm...is Lynne going to be making any soup?" she asked shyly. Alice grinned. 'He will be around for as long as you need him' she thought. "Edward, before you leave play one of your compositions on the piano!" She jumped around excitedly.
"The food is being brought out momentarily... Molly's coming."
Trinity had an expression of pure hunger. "Good!" she groaned.
Mercy turned to Alex. "So... you and he?" Alex nodded"And he never...?"
"Nope"
"And I thought there was hope."
Trinity gazed at Alex. "Wait...did you two?" She could not finish her sentence out loud. She struggled even with her thoughts as disturbing images that she would rather not see went through her head of Alex and Jack...together.
"No!" Mercy and Alex said in unison. "That's the funny part... he NEVER realized she was a woman"
Trinity's eyes widened slightly. "How could that be possible?" she asked. "It is plain as day that you're a woman. Jack must not be a very smart man."