Author's Note: And now, we come to the end of 'To Whom Much is Given.' The next story is, as I mentioned, 'The Hidden Child,' and borrowing from 'Doctor Who,' we have the Gelfth showing up, but they aren't the only ones. Tosh has a few things to say to the ethereal beings who threaten those she loves … and it's a pretty good bet the Gelfth won't enjoy the confrontation, especially since Tosh has some fierce back-up. In this chapter, we have some surprises … some that were hinted at, others that were a bit more oblique, while still others may come from out of left field. But, as ever, there's a method to my madness. Bwahahaha! (sheepish look) Okay, so I don't do evil laughs that well. Onward and upward!
Epilogue
What Dead Girls See
Unknown Location
Three Weeks Later
It was a strange existence, what some could term an afterlife, especially after her second death. First there was nothing, but this was a comforting sort of nothing, almost a loving sort of nothingness, which made her wish so many things. After a time that could have been a few hours or a thousand years, she began to see and to accept that she became the monster that she hated so very much. Once she accepted this conclusion (and worse, that she hadn't cared if she was becoming a monster), a new voice whispered in the darkness. This voice asked if she wanted to return to those whom she loved before she began her downward spiral, to those who remained. She had two choices … remain in this loving nothingness or choose to atone for what she did. For her, the choice was clear … she chose atonement, and from that moment on, she never left Jack's side. She was there when that bomb tore him and the Hub apart, just as she was there when he sacrificed whatever hope of having a relationship with his daughter to save the world. She was there when he left Earth to seek healing among the stars (where she couldn't follow), and she was there when he returned.
She watched over him when the Colasantos spun their trap and could have wept for joy when Rex Matheson and Esther Drummond came to his rescue. If she had hands, she would have tried to catch him when that trigger-happy idiot shot Jack outside the Colasanto manor. As it was, she tried to soothe his agony during the desperate flight from Nevada. Tried and failed, but that was becoming a common feeling during her afterlife.
She was there through the two months followed, and she was there when Jack ended Miracle Day. What a pity she couldn't tell anyone what she knew, how much more to Miracle Day there was. Jack was at least aware that there was more to that abomination than what met the eye, just as he was aware that the dolts who called themselves the Families weren't the ones ultimately behind the Miracle. They were but pawns, they who sought to rule the world. They were pawns and once they fulfilled their use, they would have been slotted as Category One, or worse, Category Zero. Frankly, she didn't think it could happen to a more deserving set of people, after what they'd done. She was no angel, but they were far worse than her.
She was there as they mourned a girl who wasn't really dead, and longed to tell Jack that Esther was very much alive and needed him badly. But the Tregarths took care of that for her, and from that moment on, they were part of her family as well. She was also there when Rex Matheson pretended to die and come back, and if he hadn't helped Jack end Miracle Day (along with a third party), if he hadn't stayed true to Jack when certain others who would not be named fell on their faces, she would have been tempted to do something very ugly to him. One thing she learned from watching Jack since her awakening: immortality wasn't a laughing matter and more to the point, it sucked rocks.
She was there when the Tregarths allied themselves with Rex and Jack to rescue Esther, and she was there when Jack carried the young blonde analyst (lucky girl) from the abandoned hospital, looking every inch the hero he really was. She was there when the three harpies from the Families shot Jack, but paid for it with their own lives, and she tried to get Natalie Tregarth to put the gun down when Jack came back to life. Again, she was frustrated, but she kept trying. It was very hard to accomplish much of anything with no corporeal body, but she wasn't known for giving up, even when she should.
She was also there when the fledging Torchwood America came to be, and when Jack was given another chance to say 'good-bye' and 'I love you' to Ianto Jones, just as she was there when he learned the entire story of 1965, when he stood against a parasite in five bodies to protect customers inside a bar, and when Owen Harper found him unconscious and barely alive. She was there when Owen took a swing at Rex Matheson (good for you, Owen, she thought) and she was there when the doctor took Jack down into the new base to show him the room he'd never seen. She was there, too, when Jack fell to his knees in front of a lost teammate (a lost family member) and wept, and she watched as Owen knelt beside him, drawing him in a fierce embrace.
Suzie Costello was there for it all, and as she watched Jack weep for those who were lost and those who remained, she made a promise to herself that she would remain at his side. Funny. She was more faithful, more loyal to him in death than she was in life. Better late than never, she supposed, and it seemed likely that Owen agreed. The team doctor was staring at his lost friend, blinking back tears as he held Jack tightly. Ever so often, he would press a soft kiss to the dark hair, as Jack did for his people so many times. She had to admit that watching Owen making love to Jack was incredibly hot, in part because it was so unexpected and almost platonic, if sex could ever be called 'platonic.' It occurred to her then that this was a punishment of a kind, for her sins in life, and they were many. She was even there when Natalie and Jack drove Mickey and Martha to the airport, and last minute hugs were exchanged before the young couple made their way through airport security.
It also occurred to her, not for the first time, that Jack would have forgiven her, if she only gave him that chance. At the time, she wanted to hurt him and wanted to protect him from what she was becoming. And really, the contradiction didn't surprise her. Jack himself was full of contradictions, so why would it surprise her that her feelings toward him were contradictory? She loved and hated him, she couldn't forgive herself for what she'd done and she couldn't forgive him for not stopping her sooner (she hid herself away, just as Ianto Jones did, she didn't want him to know). But as she watched him deal with each crisis, more of his past was peeled away like layers of an onion, she began to realize that she wanted his forgiveness after all. She began to realize that she could accept his forgiveness, because it wasn't the false forgiveness she hated so much. It was the forgiveness of a man who made terrible choices, found a way to live with them, and eventually learned to forgive himself (or at least, live with himself).
So yes, this was her punishment (but she couldn't help wondering what it would have been like, to be with Owen and Jack, at the same time). There were worse punishments, really. There were punishments that were far crueler, and yet, far more merciful at the same time. Was there really anything crueler than to see someone you loved in pain, and being thoroughly helpless to ease that pain? She didn't think so. Especially when the two she watched over were not only people she loved, but people she wronged. It was but one of many reasons she was indebted to the Tregarth family. Despite their mistakes and their flaws, they were loyal and loving, and Jack was absorbed into their family, as was Owen. Suzie's former lover admitted to Jack that he sometimes wished Priscilla Tregarth was his mother. She understood the feeling.
In some ways, she envied both Natalie and Adriane Tregarth. There was no doubt in her mind that Priscilla would kill for both girls. She would annihilate anyone who dared to harm the girl she raised and the girl she gave birth to. But wasn't the same true of her younger sisters and her mother? Sophia sacrificed herself to save her child (choose between another thirty years in stasis or let her unborn daughter die, something Jack and Natalie didn't know about until early one morning when Sophia made an off-hand comment). Octavia had to choose between the quick fix and protecting her sons long term. And even quiet Natalie, who was raising a child neither of her blood or her body, demonstrated her determination to keep her child safe during the Miracle, when trigger-happy idiots fired shots into her daughter's bedroom.
Much more recently, she had to choose between her daughter and Jack … and she chose them both. Could anyone blame her for choosing the quiet young woman to help rescue Jack? Yes, part of it was because she was asleep and thus, more vulnerable to manipulation, but she knew that Natalie would be willing to protect Jack. And yes, she felt somewhat guilty for playing on the American woman's guilt over the near-betrayal, but she was the best person for the situation, and Suzie believed it was wiser in this case to ask forgiveness, rather than permission.
Oh yes. There were many times when she longed to be a part of the Tregarth family, as her spirit traveled back and forth between Oklahoma and Nevada with Jack and the ladies. There were many times when she wished for yet another chance. But that wasn't meant to be, and she feared even if she found sanctuary with this family while she was growing up, she still would have made the same mistakes. Perhaps she would, perhaps she wouldn't have. For now, she would return to her vigil, watching over those she loved. She ...wait, what was that? Suzie tried to cry out, but forgot she had no vocal cords as the familiar surroundings receded from her sight. She was being dragged away from Jack! NO! No, she had to stay here, she had to watch over him, she had to make things right!
But she struggled to no avail. There was only darkness, a malevolent darkness this time. Her respite was over and the Devil was coming to take her home to Hell! No! No, not like this, not now! Suzie was on the verge of panicking when there was a distinct 'thump,' like the slamming of a car door-or perhaps, the lid of a coffin. She froze, because for the first time in she didn't know how long, she could feel. She could actually feel! Not just emotions, but sensations! She felt cold steel against her skin. And an agonizing pain was pounding through her skull. Much like the brief pain she felt when she blew out her brains, she realized.
Just to see if she could, she reached her hand out in front of her, pressing her palm against its cold surface. To her astonishment, not only was her hand truly solid, but it actually gave! Not much, but enough. Suzie put one hand over the other and pushed with muscles that went unused for years. The lid (or door) gave way this time, and Suzie fell forward, drawing fresher air into her lungs. A pair of strong arms caught her, holding her tightly, and a voice asked, "You have expressed a wish for another chance. Do you still seek power, Suzie Costello: power to harm those who have injured you, the power of life and death?" She swallowed hard. It was the same voice which asked her if she wanted to return to those whom she loved. And, she realized for the first time, it was the voice she heard in the darkness after her first death, the voice which called out for Jack, the one she mocked him about.
"I won't help you if you mean to hurt Jack or those with him. I did enough damage the first time around and the second time around as well," Suzie warned as she slowly gained strength in her legs. Or maybe not … muscles which hadn't been used in several years were protesting rather strenuously. She was rewarded for her threat with low, amused laughter. Suzie added, "And just who are you? I was dead! I'm not like Jack, am I?" The laughter grew more pronounced. Suzie realized that she didn't take any umbrage, because there was no scorn in the laughter, only true amusement. It sounded a bit rusty, but no less honest.
"No, you are not like your captain. Nor are you like your doctor and former lover, before he found himself in the other dimension. No, Suzie Costello, you used an artifact that belonged to me, repeatedly, and then that artifact was used on you. That makes you mine. And I say you are not dead," the voice replied. No, that wasn't a reply: that was an announcement, a pronouncement from on high. Suzie was getting steadily more nervous, because a disembodied voice didn't do a great deal for her nerves. Or her sanity, come to that. The voice continued thoughtfully, "Right now, I shall take you to that ramshackle caravan Jack has chosen. I think it amused him to keep the older female clothes in there. He also has food, courtesy of his former lover Liam Grady. And then you shall rest. I have a great deal of work ahead for you, child. A great deal of work, indeed." The odd thing was, she didn't find that at all sinister.
She was pushed back gently, so that she was more or less standing upright, and saw the owner of the voice for the first time. The first thing she noticed was that he looked a bit like Jack … dark hair, blue eyes, the same cleft in his chin. And then something occurred to her. While she was cradled against his chest, she heard two heart beats. Feeling as if she was feeling her way through a dark room, Suzie asked a bit weakly, "Are you a Time Lord? Are you the Doctor?" She knew about the Doctor, not just from the Torchwood Charter, but from Jack, and from the Sycorax invasion. And while she knew of Jack's regard for the Time Lord, she didn't share it. To her amusement, the man/Time Lord actually looked offended.
"Am I the Doctor? Not at all! Oh, he's done a great deal of good for the Earth, but he is far younger than I am. And before you ask me, Suzie Costello, there is a saying here, a saying that fits me very well indeed: I am older than dirt. Literally. Come, come, come!" the man said, tugging Suzie away from her former coffin. For the first time, she realized how cold she was, and the man repeated, "Come, child! You are in the cold storage building, which is doubling as the Torchwood morgue until Carlyon Tregarth's plans take form. When Angelo Colasanto left this house, this property, to Natalie Tregarth, she chose to turn this into an American version of Flat Holm. Since her father is still working out plans for the new morgue, it was decided that you would remain here, and Toshiko Sato's body would be transferred to this property, once Owen Harper and Jack can let go."
"And … what will I be doing?" Suzie asked. The man stopped at the threshold of the cold storage building (?), made a face, and scooped her into his arms as if she was his new bride. Suzie squeaked and clung to the Time Lord, which made him laugh. Suzie grumped at him, "You think it's so funny … oh, that's right, you carried Jack after I guided Natalie to him. You let me do that?" For the second time in as many minutes, the man made a face, and Suzie added, "But if that's the case, then why didn't you take action yourself?"
"In the first place, I'm not omnipotent. Close, but not quite there. For which I'm very grateful. That degree of omnipotence is enough to drive anyone insane. In the second place, I don't think there's ever been a chance of people 'letting' you do anything. Even if you've been forbidden, you go right ahead and do it. And finally, I'm not that omnipotent," he replied. Suzie frowned, and she was on the verge of pointing out that he already said that, when he frowned and shook his head, saying, "Omnipresent. That's the word I meant, not omnipotent."
Suzie wondered if he was entirely 'there,' and then realized, a bit ruefully, that she really had no room to talk … not when she became the monster she hated so much. He said more seriously, "There is something you need to understand. While your aim was noble, there are consequences for entering Natalie Tregarth's dreams and nightmares, and using her as a puppet." Suzie swallowed hard. Consequences? The man who called himself 'Ray' nodded and explained, "Because of your use of the Resurrection Gauntlet, and your intrusion into her subconscious mind, your life force is now tied to hers."
Oh. Hell. It was worth it, though. Jack came back to life, but that didn't mean he deserved to die and resurrect repeatedly, least of all like that. She said at last, "Well, it could be worse. My life could be tied to Gwen Cooper's." Unexpectedly, Ray roared with laughter and almost dropped her. It took all of Suzie's self-control to keep from squeaking a second time … but she managed it. That didn't stop her from glowering at the Time Lord now carrying her. He, of course, paid her no mind. Then again, given what she heard about Time Lords, it stood to reason. He was more than capable of wiping her out of existence. Given what she did, it was a wonder to her that he didn't.
"Keep that sense of humor, my dear Suzie, you will have need of it," Ray said, which didn't ease Suzie's mind at all. He added as they arrived at a caravan that was probably older than she was, "Once you're dressed properly, I'll take you up to the house, and introduce you as my niece. You'll work there, until it's time for me to move." He shooed her inside the caravan before she had the chance to ask where he was moving and what she would be doing. Working, yes, but doing what? She had the sense it wouldn't be anything like she did for Torchwood.
More to the point, she had the feeling that he wouldn't answer, even if she asked. Instead, she began sifting through the clothes within the caravan, and chose another question to ask. As he leaned against the wall, Suzie asked instead, "So, why are you doing this? Why did you react the way you did, when Jack was found? It seemed personal to me." It seemed as if the temperature in the caravan dropped significantly, and Suzie looked up from her sifting. Ray's expression was nothing short of icy, and she started to apologize.
"Because I love him. The same reason I have to visit a few people, once we have you set up in the compound," was the quiet, cool response. Looking at Ray, Suzie saw the quiet fury of someone who saw someone they loved in pain … and being absolutely unable to ease that pain. There were many times in the past when Suzie was jealous of her former boss … but this was the first time she was jealous of him because of love, and she wondered what it would be like, if someone loved her that way.
TWTWTWTWTWTWTWTW
Over the last few weeks, since the departure of the Tregarth contingent, Liam Grady and Artie Pagonis steadily worked together to figure out the new security needs of the compound, with the transition from private home to sanctuary. Liam was ensuring that they weren't breaking any laws, while Artie had a slow and quiet nervous breakdown at the thought of guarding people who weren't entirely emotionally stable. Liam heard him mumble, 'what's she doing to me, what's that girl doing to me,' several times. Lily, who came into the room with an armful of new notepads, merely observed sweetly, "It's not like you've never done this before, Artie. Remember Oswald Danes?"
Artie growled at the teen, "I've been doing my damnedest to forget him these last few months, brat!" Lily merely giggled, deposited her small burden, and flounced back out. Yes, flounced … for the first time since the end of the Miracle, she was behaving like a normal teenager. Some of it was due to Jack, who flirted with the girl outrageously, and Lily ate it up while the adult Tregarth ladies watched with amusement (in the case of Sophia) and bemusement (in the case of Natalie). According to Sophia, Natalie had never really seen this side of Jack, the irrepressible flirt. Oh, he flirted on a regular basis around the homestead and its environs, but nothing like he was capable of doing.
Liam also knew that being around Sophia Tregarth encouraged Lily to behave like a teenager once more. Almost as soon as she arrived, Sophia took Lily under her wing, treating her as a daughter. The red-head later admitted to Liam that Ailsa was a substitute for Sophia missing out on Natalie's formative years, while Lily was a substitute for her teen years. Liam promised not to say anything to his young assistant, but he was fairly certain Lily wouldn't mind, since Sophia was a substitute for her own mother. Even Natalie and Ailsa were involved in adopting Lily, since Natalie missed having a little sister, and Ailsa just liked being around happy people.
By the time Phil returned to his duties at SHIELD, Liam was nearly ready to submit the required paperwork … and it had been nearly a month since his first time with Jack. It was also a week since Ray's niece Suzie started work at the compound. Truthfully, Suzie made him very uncomfortable. It wasn't anything she did or said, but the way she looked at him. She looked at him as if she knew his secrets. He didn't have many, and up until four weeks earlier, he lived his life mostly free of regrets. That all changed in one day, when his emotions bubbled out of control, and he did something he knew was unforgiveable.
But still, there was no way Suzie could know that. No one knew what he did that day. Or so he thought. It was the middle of the day, and Liam was working alone in his office while Lily was out making the lunch run when Suzie quietly entered his office. Liam raised his eyebrows, because she didn't even bother to knock, but since she didn't blow the door off its hinges, he didn't object. Suzie said without preamble, "I need to take next weekend off … a family issue has come up, and I need to help settle it." Liam pulled up the calendar on his computer, and immediately began shaking his head.
"I'm sorry, Suzie, that's just not possible. We're going to be short-handed as it is, since Miss Sato's body is being transferred from Oklahoma," he replied, returning his attention to her face. That may have been his second mistake, and his blood ran cold as he looked at the newest employee. There was nothing demonic about her expression, nothing sinister, nothing evil. But she looked determined and implacable, and there was a glint in her eyes that warned him that she would do whatever she had to do to get what she wanted.
"Mr. Grady, I don't want to hurt you, or anyone else. I did enough of that with my first two lives. But I have to do this, and I have no qualms whatsoever about taking whatever steps are necessary. There are people who are depending on me, and I will not let them down. Do you understand? I am not asking you for the time off, I am telling you … and that is only as a courtesy," Suzie replied quietly, her words all the more terrifying for that quiet tone.
"I see. And, why would I let you do that?" Liam asked. That was most likely his final mistake. Suzie rose to her feet, planted both hands on the desk, and leaned over it to look into his eyes. It took every ounce of self-control to keep from pulling back, but if there was one thing he learned while growing up, it was how to stand up to bullies. He stood his ground and stared into her eyes; which, he was discomfited to realize, were somewhat mad. But he gave not an inch, and to his astonishment, a slight smile curved Suzie's lips. He really wasn't sure if that was a good sign or a bad one, and right now, he would put money on the latter.
"Because if you don't, I will tell the world that you're responsible for the multiple deaths of Captain Jack Harkness in the garage. It was you who knocked Jack unconscious, and it was you who released the gas that killed him, over and over again," she answered, barely above a whisper, but she might as well have shouted it. Liam actually reeled back, staring at the woman in horror. She knew. How could she knew, there was no one else in the garage when that happened! And to his ever-lasting embarrassment, he actually spoke those words aloud. Idiot, he raged at himself when the words were spoken, you know better! Suzie offered him an impossibly gentle smile, one that terrified him even more than her threat to tell the world of his shame. Compassion and gentleness from this woman, he sensed, were as much of a weapon as words, and people like that terrified him. But Suzie (whose last name probably wasn't 'Zilon') wasn't done terrifying him.
"I was there. I was there when my captain came into the garage and approached my coffin, I was there when you emerged from that hidey-hole … barefoot so Jack couldn't hear your boots on the cement … I was there when you approached him from behind and struck him with a tire iron. I was there when you kicked him repeatedly, and when you unleashed the gas. I was there, Liam Grady, and my testimony may not stand up in your American courts, but I really don't think it needs to, do you? You hurt my captain, Liam Grady, and because of that, my life force is tied to that sweet, innocent girl in Oklahoma. I entered her dreams and she saw through my eyes, all because you couldn't handle being attracted to a man!" Suzie hissed.
Liam slumped back in his chair, his heart racing. It was bad enough that she knew what he did to Jack, but there was something else there, that he simply couldn't … Suzie sighed quietly and he heard her sit back down. After a moment, she said softly, "Do you know the worst part? When I returned to life, and learned that my life force was tied to Natalie's, the first thing I thought was, 'well, there are worse people to be tied to.' Believe me, I know. But it wasn't until much later that I realized that I may have tainted her. I am not a good person, Liam. I have done terrible things. Not because something worse would have happened, and not because there were no other choices, but because I wanted to. I threw away the best thing that ever happened to me, for revenge. And now, I'm tied to someone who is my exact opposite, in the best way imaginable. Do you blame me for being afraid that I'll taint her? Oh, she isn't pure or any of that drivel. She's a human being, with flaws of her own, but she's a decent person at her core."
No pedestal for Natalie, Liam thought hysterically, before acknowledging that she would never want a pedestal. She wasn't comfortable with people commenting on her positive attributes, and said as much. Suzie smiled almost reluctantly and said, "Exactly. She deserves better than to be put on a pedestal. That's something she and Jack have in common, although I'm sure Jack would argue with that. Why did you do it? Really, why did you do that? I saw the rage and the hate in your eyes, along with the longing. Why would you do that?"
For all that she just confessed to, Liam found that question more than a little strange. However, he believed he owed her his honesty, although he was still uncomfortable with giving her his silence. Liam said slowly, "It's like you said. But … I'd never been attracted to any man. And to be attracted to that man, that intensely … it sounds like I'm making excuses, but I went a little crazy. It got into my head that if I hurt him, I'd get it out of my system. And then your uncle, or whoever he is really, carried Jack out of the garage … and I realized I hurt a man who'd never done anything to me, because I couldn't handle what was happening to me, and while your uncle and the Tregarth ladies were taking care of Jack, I went to another part of the house and was absolutely sick. And so, I went down the other route. Once I cleaned myself up and my breath smelled of mouthwash rather than vomit, I went to Jack."
She was nodding seriously, and for the first time since that awful day, Liam felt as though that terrible weight on his chest was gone. Suzie evidently realized this, for she said with a truly gentle smile, "There are times when the truth really will set you free. That's usually not the case in Torchwood, but sometimes it is. If I'd been honest with Jack about my father and what he did to me, if I'd talked to him about the delusions of grandeur I'd been having and controlling life and death … but I didn't. I suppose I could blame him for not telling me about his inability to stay dead, but …I know better. He kept those secrets for a reason. I heard a great deal from your grandfather while Jack was traveling the stars, the one place I couldn't follow to watch over him. And Angelo Colasanto was your grandfather, wasn't he?"
By now, he was growing numb to the shocks this woman provided. He sighed, "Yes. I'm still figuring out the ins and outs, but you're correct. What I told Jack was the truth … there was a time when my parents loved each other enough to let the world burn. But there was more to the story than that … because for one Colasanto wife, the world did burn. I was two when my birth mother was killed, and my birth father was too distraught to care for his children. I had an older sister, and I think our mother's death destroyed Olivia. Angelo 'suggested' that Sean and Janel Grady raise me. I'm fairly certain that it was Janel's actions that resulted in my birth mother's death, because Angelo loved my father, with not a trace of bitterness, but I can't be sure. All I know is that while I was growing up, my sanctuary was this house. I suppose that was why I was so pleased when Natalie chose to turn this house into a sanctuary for those returned by the Rift. This was my sanctuary … and it will be a sanctuary again. That makes me happy."
Suzie was looking thoughtful, as she said, "That may be why your grandfather left this compound to her. I have no business commenting on people's family, after what my father did to me and what I did to him, so I hope you can forgive me for saying so, but it seems to me that Phil is the most normal out of all of Angelo's grandchildren. I'm guessing that your grandmother acted as your sister's mother growing up?" When Liam nodded, she murmured, "I thought as much. That explains so much. I would feel sorry for your sister, but she didn't have to turn into a bitch. I don't think that's how your grandmother raised her."
"No. No, it isn't. And you're right … Phil is the only remotely normal one out of all of us. I've heard references to how broken Torchwood operatives are, but I think my family can give Torchwood a run for their money when it comes to being broken. I want to blame Jack, but I can't. He made it easier for my grandfather to succeed in this country, he allowed my grandfather to live and there were many times when Angelo told us that Jack had every right in the world to kill him," Liam replied. He rubbed at his eyes, sighing, "You know, Liam is the name I was given at birth. My birth mother was Irish, as it turns out." It had absolutely nothing to do with anything, but for some reason, it seemed important.
There was a long silence, and at first, Liam thought Suzie left. And then, she said softly, "Thank you for telling me that. Since you were kind enough to offer that piece of information, I will tell you something in return. The family issue I told you about is related to Torchwood. I can't say anything more than that, but I swear to you, on Angelo's memory, that what I'll be doing will help take down the Families once and for all. And when that happens, they'll pay for what they did to Angelo, to Lily, to Jack, to the entire world."
Liam smiled without much humor, answering, "Then I will find a way to make things work in your absence. But take those bastards down, Suzie, and take them down hard." His eyes met Suzie's and she nodded slowly, maintaining eye contact the whole time. And in that moment, he knew … Suzie would keep his secret. They were partners-in-shame, now, and somehow, he could live with that. There were worse things to be, after all. Far worse things.
TWTWTWTWTWTWTW
In the beginning, the CIA stuck her in a hospital because the idiots forgot that it was Miracle Day, and no one was dying. No one except for her grandfather. Her heart ached, realizing that it wasn't Miracle Day that extended his life, but his desire to see the man he wronged. She was told of that by a dark-haired man with a Scottish accent when she was transferred from the CIA hospital to this helicarrier. He made sure to tell her how her grandfather took his last breath when Jack Harkness kissed him, shared that tidbit with her with great delight. His name was something like 'Casey,' and he cheerfully shared his theory that Angelo would only let himself die when he knew his past lover had forgiven him. And then, he leaned down and whispered, "Then again, if he'd done that to me, I would have ensured that Angelo's family never existed. Maybe Jack has a point after all, with forgiving people."
It was that same dark-haired Scot who gleefully shared with her the news that her grandfather grew suspicious of her as his health declined, and told his lawyer Liam (her little brother) that if she took actions to harm Jack Harkness, she would be disinherited. The house that should have been hers, the stocks and investments … they now went to Natalie Tregarth, that little nothing in Oklahoma, and to Jack Harkness. Casey mocked, "Oh, I wonder what your dear grandfather would have thought, if he found out that your actions led to the abduction of Natalie Tregarth's little Ailsa? He would have been most displeased with you, being responsible for the abduction of two little girls. I can almost hear him now, 'you were raised by Talia Colasanto, not by Janel Grady!' Actually, that was probably the gentlest thing he would have to say to you. I almost wish you had died in that SUV, so you could have that conversation, but my Lord didn't wish it."
She wasn't sure which possibility was worse … fearing what he meant about his 'Lord' wishing for her survival or his absolute correct assumption of what her grandfather would have said about her actions. But Casey wasn't finished, hissing, "You know, I quite enjoy the irony … I remember how you laughed, listening to the conversation between that copper Cooper and Jack in the car, the ugly things she said to him, and how you encouraged her. But when all is said and done, it was Jack who gets the last laugh, along with a girl whom you despise for no other reason than her surname. Oh, I find that irony delicious indeed!" And if it happened to someone else, she would have found it equally enjoyable.
That conversation took place nearly six weeks earlier, as best as she could figure it, shortly after her cousin returned from leave. Some smart-ass figured out a way to pipe the conversations between her cousin Phil and Colonel Fury into her hospital room, and thus, she heard all about Natalie Tregarth's plans for her home. She also had to hear her cousin fawning over that entire family, as well as the colonel's quiet response that when the time was right, they would ally themselves with the new Torchwood, which included the entire Tregarth family, Jack, Rex Matheson and Esther Drummond. It did not, she was amused to learn, include Gwen Cooper. Evidently, Carlyon Tregarth was less than impressed with the recording she made of the conversation in the car, and refused to have anything to do with her. It wasn't quite her aim for the Welshwoman, but it would do. She actually meant to blackmail her eventually, when she needed something in Wales, but she couldn't fault the Tregarths for what they eventually did with the recording.
Really … just how stupid was she, supposedly? She listened to her grandfather's stories, she knew damn good and well how to get Jack's attention. He was incredibly curious, and all she had to do was send him a text with the words, 'Angelo wants to see you.' So why, if she wanted to get the captain's attention, would she have had a family abducted, in WALES, of all places? That was taking convoluted to a whole new level. It was also a great deal of work, and if there was one thing Olivia Colasanto learned from both of her grandparents, it was that it was just as important to work smart as it was to work hard.
Unfortunately, in this case, she did neither. She underestimated Esther Drummond and Rex Matheson, and that cost her dearly. A low chuckle made her shudder, which caused her pain twice over … the chill that swept over her body and the motion which set her nerve endings to screaming. A man's voice observed, "Oh, you made quite a few mistakes, little Olivia, beginning with your foolish resentment of Jack Harkness. Oh, I know that you loved your grandmother, that she became a mother to you after Janel Grady's heinous actions robbed you of your own mother. But one reason why your grandfather loved Talia Colasanto so much was because of her kindness. What a pity you learned none of that kindness."
A man moved into Olivia's line of sight, and he wasn't alone … there was a vaguely familiar young woman with him. There was something vaguely familiar about the man, but Olivia was sure she'd never seen him before. He smiled coolly and asked softly, "Tell me something, Mary Olivia Colasanto, have you never wondered why it is that you don't seem to be getting any better? It's been more than half a year since that SUV exploded, and while you are coherent and aware, your body has healed very little. Have you never wondered why that was?"
It crossed her mind more than once, but since her 'nurses' were members of SHIELD and not interested in talking to her unless it was to find out how she was feeling (none of this 'and how are we feeling today?' nonsense, for which she was immensely grateful). The woman chirped in a British accent, "That would be his doing. What? Isn't this why you brought me along, to intimidate her? I thought were playing good-cop, bad-cop … and once you finished with your spiel, I would get to tell her all about her baby brother covering Jack with kisses, and about the sounds Liam made while Jack was touching him."
"Now, now, Suzie, that was a very unkind thing to do. She is, however, quite right. While Jack and Natalie were in Nevada about their inheritances from Angelo, your brother Liam and Jack did become lovers. Something I found out the hard way … I really need to speak to that boy about where he chooses to make love," the man sighed. The woman named 'Suzie' laughed outright and the man added, a bit fretfully, "It's not funny, Suzie, what if it was Ailsa who walked in on them?"
Suzie abruptly stopped laughing, before she offered, "Probably, based on what I saw of her, she would have sighed and told Jack that he was silly, as she does with just about anything she doesn't fully understand. It wouldn't have been Ailsa whom we needed to worry about, but Natalie." The man (whose name Olivia still didn't know) grimaced as the two looked at each other, and then both shuddered, nearly in unison. If Olivia hadn't been in such agony, she would have actually found it amusing. As it was, she just wanted them to get to the damn point, before she found the strength to call for help.
"True. However, I believe we should inform dear Olivia why we're here … and why she will never heal. Why she will spend the rest of her life … which will be a very long time indeed … in this agony. Just as I tied your life force to Natalie's, Suzie, because of the way you used her, I have tied Miss Olivia's life force to that of Anwen Williams. And she will likely to live to be at least ninety or one hundred, which is all the more impressive, since she's just barely a year old now." Ninety or a hundred years like this? The man purred, "Oh yes. Yes, you used a helpless child to get what you want, and now, this is your punishment."
"Why?" she forced out. It was something of a silly question, because she knew it had something to do with her kidnapping the Cooper-Williams family. That much was obvious. What she wanted to know was why this man was involved, whom he was, and … Olivia's brain shut down, because for the first time, she recognized the woman called 'Suzie.' Her grandfather had spent enough time talking to her coffin before he fell into his coma. There was a part of her which wanted to scream, 'that's impossible,' but it obviously wasn't. After everything that happened over the last few years, Olivia wasn't sure if 'impossible' even existed any more.
The man began pacing back and forth in front of Olivia's bed, saying, "You've heard, I'm sure, about a mother's love for her child. And it's true. Usually. There are some women who don't deserve to be mothers, don't deserve that joy and that honor. But most mothers would die for their child. What you may not know, dear Olivia, is that fathers love their children every bit as much. A father will die for his child … he will kill … and if he's powerful enough, he can make the world tremble before his rage. And he can certainly freeze a woman's recovery from life-threatening injuries indefinitely."
Olivia knew that, before her own father spun out of control. He would have done anything for both her and Liam. She tensed as the unknown man stopped, pinning her to the bed with a gaze that seemed to pierce her very soul. He advanced toward the headboard, where Olivia's own head and shoulders rested, and the woman wished she could pull away. He whispered, "I am very powerful indeed. I am powerful enough to tie a dead woman to someone she used as a puppet. I am powerful enough to go back in time and wipe out your family by killing your grandfather while he was in prison for a year."
"Ask. I know you're just dying to find out, so ask who he is. I can't wait to see the look on your face when he tells you, and you realize just how doomed you are," Suzie observed, wearing a gleeful grin. Olivia decided that she didn't like Suzie, whether she was living or dead. And judging from the other woman's expression, it seemed likely that Suzie was entirely aware of that fact … and that like Rhett Butler, she didn't give a damn.
"Oh, we won't require her to ask, Suzie … we'll tell her outright. My name, dear Olivia, is Rassilon, Lord High President of Gallifrey, and the young man whom you know as Captain Jack Harkness is my son," the man said, sounding just a little mad now. Olivia's breath caught in her throat as the man smiled down at her with a benign expression that she trusted not at all, especially not when he hissed, "You ask why I am doing this? Because … you … hurt … my … son. And for that, you will hurt for a very long time!"
The End
Extended Author's Notes: (takes deep breath) Okay, Rassilon first. I know him from two DW episodes: 'The Five Doctors,' in which he was a bad-ass, but a benevolent bad-ass, played by Richard Matthews; and 'End of Time,' in which he was a power-hungry monster played by Timothy Dalton. To put it bluntly, I found much of EOT a convoluted mess. Let me get this straight … the same being who punished those seeking immortality in 'The Five Doctors,' who was at peace with his version of immortality, decides to destroy the cosmos to become immortal? Really? Sorry, despite the editing in the version of 'The Five Doctors' I saw, it just doesn't work for me. I can buy that Rassilon went mad, I can buy that he was highly pissed off when he was awakened, I can even buy that he went down the wrong path. But for my stories, he regained most of his senses and now seeks to care for his son (thanks to Kate for putting that bug in my head). Also, while my Rassilon looks like Timothy Dalton (and tell me that he doesn't look like he could be John Barrowman's father), his mindset and behavior owes more to Richard Matthews. And finally, I'm working out the exact details of how he ended up on Earth, when he was supposedly in the Time Lock.
Second, with regard to the plot twists involving Olivia Colasanto, there are two items. First, as I said in the author notes for the previous chapter, the only person who died during Miracle Day was Angelo, and that was because of the null chip. So, it was very likely that the mole, Olivia, and the other CIA agent survived the SUV explosion, even if they wished they were dead. In the second place, with regard to everything else … the more I thought about it, the less sense she made. Regardless of why she wanted Jack (mind out of the gutter, if you please), all she had to do was send a text to him, invoking her grandfather's name. With the resources she had at her disposal, it shouldn't have been that hard. Instead, she has a family in Wales (?!) kidnapped to have Jack brought to her. WHY? That makes NO sense. Yeah, it's in the script, but it still makes no sense. And so, I started examining her true aims. I'll reveal that eventually, but in the meantime, if you want to express your own theories for what is otherwise weapon-grade stupidity, go for it. In the meantime, I hope to have 'The Hidden Child' up within the next few weeks (I plan on focusing on my TW/TF crossover for a while, since I've been neglecting it), and no, this isn't the last time we'll see Suzie. Nor was she lying to Liam (who, by the way, looks like Jeffrey Dean Morgan) when she said that her family issues would help to take down the Families. Yes, she accompanied Rassilon to the helicarrier, but that wasn't all they did.