As soon as Alice parked in the driveway, Trinity hurried inside. Without paying any attention to anything or anyone in the room, she went to collapse on the couch with a loud groan. 'Mercy...if you ever make me do that again...I swear that I will find a way to murder you,' she thought.

Mercy laughed from the bed where Jack was showing her something from one of his bags.

"Fine... I'll take you shopping next time."

Trinity groaned, refusing to lift her head. "So long as you don't go overboard."

"I don't go overboard!" chimed Alice, bringing in all the shopping bags and a handful of wrapped presents.

Trinity glared at the pixie-like vampire. "My feet feel like Jell-O because of your crazy idea to drag me to the mall." 'Don't wake me unless its a life or death emergency,' she thought at Mercy. She closed her eyes and completely zoned out. Her dreamlike state was filled with horrid images of shopping endlessly and not being able to escape.

Mercy laughed as Trinity drifted off. She sat up with Carlisle's help. "Where's Alex?" She asked with a grin.

"Outside with Molly" Lynne responded.

"Alright. now, I know Alice is dying to show me something, and I know Ianto will want to hide all his stuff." She nodded to the Spencer's bags.

"I don't wanna go shopping," groaned Trinity. She began snoring quite loudly.

"Do you want me to get them?" asked Alice, literally bouncing around with excitement.

"No, let them finish up, we'll have plenty of time." Mercy said, sitting on her own.

"Undoubtedly Alex will want to meet Jackie-boy here."

Jack mock glared at Mercy at the name. "And why would that be?" he retorted, a little too loudly because Trinity shifted around at the noise.

"I wouldn't wake her Harkness," sang Alice. "From what I've seen, she can be pretty hard to control when she's upset."

Jack grunted. "The kid's just confused...and I can't blame her really. Too bad I can't get her in for Torchwood."

"Not confused, scared." Mercy said quietly. "She's so scared, and none of you can see it. The only person that has the remotest idea what she want through, is me." A single tear slipped down her cheek. Jack brushed it away with the tip of his finger.

"She'll be alright in the end." Alice chimed sadly.

"And so will you." Jack hugged Mercy tightly. "She's going to be ok."

"If you insist," Mercy sniffed.

"Who's Alex?" Jack asked, obviously trying to change the subject.

"Me." A voice from the doorway answered. Jack turned his head to see a woman standing there. And a damn fine looking one too. Her stature was mild, 5'6". Strong but curvy, and in all the right places.

"You're drooling Jack." Mercy told him. Alex strode in, grabbed a box off the floor in the corner, and left, merely waving.

"She looks familiar." Jack said as she left. Mercy laughed.

"Don't know why that would be." Mercy replied with a tinge of Irony.

Alice bounced off the balls on her feet, oblivious to Jasper trying to calm her down.

"Should we wake Trinity yet? The party is going to start soon!"

"Not yet." Mercy sighed. "Wait till the food is ready."

Alice made a pouting face. She sat on the couch, moving Trinity's head so that the small girl laid on her lap.

Trinity's eyebrows furrowed. "Its too cold outside," she groaned, her words slurred. Her dreams had changed to a blizzard trapping her in a mall.

Mercy stood up slowly, tottering her way to the bathroom. "I need a shower." She called.

"Mercy!" called Carlisle sternly. "I don't think that is such a good idea in your condition." He blocked her path and held her steady.

"I'm not in any danger of dying. If you'd like to supervise, be my guest, but I feel gross and am going to take a shower." She tried to push past Carlisle.

Carlisle did not relinquish his hold. He turned to Esme and motioned his wife to help Mercy. Esme stepped forward and supported Mercy to the bathroom. "You really shouldn't be doing this yet," she said gently. "How do you feel?" Her voice was laced with concern and sorrow.

"I've had worse." Mercy grimaced as she pulled the cotton nightdress off. "But I shouldn't lift my arms. Would you mind helping me wash my hair?" She turned the shower on and tested the warmth before stepping in.

Esme nodded. She waited for Mercy to need her help before aiding her. "You seem to be holding up fine with what happened to Trinity," she commented softly. "What's going to happen to her after everything is said and done?"

"that's up to her." Mercy piped over the water. "She has a place to go with Sanctuary, or Torchwood." She pulled the showerhead down and sat in the bottom of the tub. She opened the curtain and gestured for Esme to help.

Esme helped Mercy in rinsing her hair. She frowned thoughtfully. "Do you really think that's such a smart choice for her? The Sanctuary and Torchwood live very dangerous lifestyles." She gestured at Mercy's healing gunshot wound. "She's only a fragile human."

"But in either one she would be safer than she is anywhere but here. I suppose she could live here if she wanted." Mercy used Esme's offered arm to stand up. She grabbed a towel from the rack.

Esme nodded. "I'm just worried for her welfare," she murmured as memories of her human life flashed in her mind. "Do you need help getting dressed?"

Alice was already up, grabbing the present that she had wrapped before bringing everything inside that was meant for Mercy from her and Trinity. She knocked on the bathroom door. Esme opened it and took the wrapped up box, chuckling mildly. 'You'll love it, Mercy!' thought Alice.

'Alice will be Alice,' Esme thought amusedly.

Mercy unwrapped the outfit Alice had bought for her. It was Snow boots, Flannel Pants and shirt and a heavy broadcloth duster trimmed with fur, and all of this was white. Mercy smiled as she got dressed. Searching through the pockets, she found a pair of matching fur trimmed earmuffs and muffler.

"Jesus Mary and Joseph Alice! Did you seriously spend that much money!?" Mercy yelled, picking up on her thoughts.

"Yep!" Alice called Happily back. Mercy pulled her boots on.

"Thank you though, it's very nice." She came out of the bathroom with Esme at her shoulder.

Alice and Trinity were the only two left in the room. Ianto had probably left to hide his bags, and Jack had probably followed him. "What do you think?" She turned slowly in a circle. Alice clapped her hand excitedly.

"Perfect!" She squeaked. Mercy smiled and turned to go to the kitchen. Esme grabbed her arm.

"You sure you can do this?"

"Yes, I'm not going to try any stunts here, I just need to move around a bit." Esme sighed and let Mercy use her for support as she and Molly were buzzing about cooking, while Alex was nowhere to be seen.

"Oh good, you're up" Lynne said happily. Molly hugged Mercy.

"That's a lovely outfit, dear, did Alice buy it for you?"

"Yeah." Mercy grinned as Pearse rounded the corner with his nose in a very old bible.

"Lynne? Have you seen Mer..?" He cut off as he looked up. "Oh..." He blinked, surprised to see Mercy up. Mercy blinked in surprise at the turn his thoughts took.

"Seriously?" She asked. "I'm about as far from angelic as you can get."Pearse looked at her again. "Even Lucifer was an angel."

"But he fell... I just sauntered vaguely downwards."

"Enough with the 'Good Omens' discussion." Lynne scolded. "If you're not helping, you're in the way."

Mercy threw her a perfect military salute before turning on her heel and walking out of the kitchen. Pearse followed her.

"World War Two." She answered his unasked question.

"Oh." Pearse said. "Where are we going?"

"The chapel." Mercy replied nonchalantly.

"This house has a chapel too?"

"Yep"

"Alright." He couldn't think of anything else to say. "Why are we going to the chapel?"

"I don't know." Mercy said with a shrug. "You're a priest, it seems the place to put you."

"Am I that much in the way, that you have to put me somewhere?"

She looked at him with dismay. "No...I never... What makes you think that?"

"Trinity" He responded simply. "As long as she's carrying that thing within her, the best thing I can do is stay out of the way until you recover enough we can dispatch this menace."

Mercy giggled. "You sound like B-movie vampire hunter" Pearse glared half-heartedly before his own countenance broke into a rueful grin.

"I sometimes forget how this life of ours must seem." he said.

"No new recruits recently, huh?" Mercy asked.

"Thankfully no, Michael was the last one we brought in, and he has long since become jaded to our work."

"That's sad, everyone could do to keep a fresh perspective. That's why I recommended you to the CIB in the first place." the snow crunched underfoot as they walked to the chapel. the top spire loomed into view above the treetops, gilded cross twinkling in the crisp air, before they rounded the corner in the path and beheld the entire structure. majestic stone masonry only partially obscured by ivy and morning glory that crept from the ground to embrace the building, several stunning stained glass windows sparkled like gems depicting the stages of the cross. massive iron bound oak doors creaked slowly open to allow them was awestruck.

"what manner of place is this?" he asked her.

"a very special place, a very old place...older than the town, older than me, older than the country." she said taking the bible he held and walking down the aisle, her footsteps echoing hauntingly in the cold air. she placed the book on the altar and opened it, before kneeling to kiss Christ's feet. she stood, beckoning Pearse forward. "this is a safe place, but not so safe as to be unassailable, and we cannot move against the leeches yet, not until I have healed and our forces are gathered. in the meantime we must expect attack and improve our defenses. having you here brings power to this church." she explained. she took his hand and placed it on the bible. Pearse's brow furrowed.

"how do I do that?" he asked.

"You're a priest, and a pure one at that, rare as that is. just do what priests do; pray to god, bless the place, and then come inside for some hot cocoa." she said as she walked back towards the doors.

"you really think I'm pure?" he mused.

"oh yes." she confirmed as the doors closed behind her.

(A/N) Sorry for the wait folks! We've been having a helluva summer so far (Meeting John Barrowman at Comic-con among other things) Here's the next bit!