Chapter seventeen: The quality of mercy

Everything was going way too smoothly for Jackie's taste. They'd managed to make it to where the poor creature was being kept. The scent of the blood had hit Jackie the moment they'd walked inside the building. The creature had finally stopped pleaded for mercy and was now moaning in agony.

She thought she'd been prepared for the whole thing but rounding the corner to see a huge whale, completely bound and chained. Drugs flowed through its system, enough to make the pain a sharp prickle, yet not enough to numb the pain. She could feel that it was slowly wearing off though. She inhaled sharply as disgust, pity and thousands of emotions

"Oh, my God." Gwen says in absolute amazement. "It's amazing. How did it get here?"

They stood there in shock as they observed the creature. The sound of someone approaching causes them to switch off their flashlights and back away to hide in the shadows. Jackie bit her lips as a worker walked up to the whale and hacked out another lump out. Jackie covered her mouth as the creature whimpered. Jack squeezed her hand before moving to go around the crate to get closer to the worker. The man wheeled a wheelbarrow full of the creatures flesh away. Jack waited until the man passed him before stunning him. Jackie felt nothing for that man as he slumped to the ground and Jack tugged him aside.

All of them switched on their flashlights again and approached the creature. Again, they stood there in silence. "Imprisoned, chained and drugged." The creature opened its wide, pale blue eye, at the sound of Jack's sympathetic voice. "Welcome to planet Earth."

It looked directly at Jack as it released a wail. "It heard you." Tosh said with a faint smile. "It's sentient."

Jackie stepped towards him and the creature held both of them in his gaze. She inhaled and said quietly in her mind. We're friends. We're here to help you. Can you understand me?

The creature let out a quiet wail that translated to 'yes' inside her head. "Jack." Gwen hissed and gestured to where she'd gone further down to see the whale. They all head towards Gwen, who covers her mouth and backs away as Jackie gazes at large, crude hole that's been carved in its side. "Oh, that's disgusting."

Jack blinked back tears as he approached the whale. "What have they done to you?" He ever so softly, touched part of the carved up flesh. He exhaled deeply before looking upwards at the damage done. "What have they done to you, my poor friend?"

Jackie reached out and touched part of whale, wanting to heal it, but her skills in that field weren't successful. She'd tried to heal people and had failed, but she could numb the pain a bit more. Everyone, they're armed. Owen's voice caused everyone to pause and shift immediately.

"Rhys." Gwen whispered in fear.

"Gwen," Jack said firmly. "stay here."

She glanced nervously around the room, shifting impatiently before asking. "Ianto, did Rhys get away?"

I don't know. Let me check.

They waited patiently and then Owen said the words that no one wanted to hear. They've got Rhys and Ianto.

Gwen immediately bolted into action and Jack went after her. "Gwen, Gwen, no. Listen." He caught her by the arm and firmly turned her around. "Hey. It will be okay." The sound of a clanging door caused all of them to jump into action. Everyone raced for a door, but groaned when they found it locked. Jack kicked his door in aggravation. "Locked."

"They must know we're here." Gwen surmised. "This way."

They all started towards the other entrance, only to be forced to hide when Rhys and Ianto are brought in with two other men holding them at gunpoint. They duck behind whatever they can find.

"What is it?" Ianto asks in incredulity at the sight before him.

"The lads call it the Cash Cow." She couldn't see the man's face, but his presence was revolting to her.

"Dale," one man questioned as he ran into the room. "what are you doing?" she sensed panic and guilt on his part, which was a relief to her.

"They couldn't bear to see us making money, Vic." Dale answered before questioning Rhys. "Fancied some for yourselves, eh? Thought we'd be a pushover?

"Mate," Rhys said to Dale. "you're so out of your depth."

"Funny," Dale sneered. "I was just thinking the same about you."

"Dale," Vic pleaded as Dale gave Rhys a shove. "don't be an idiot."

"Show yourselves," he demanded. "or I shoot the delivery boy."

Gwen immediately came out of hiding. "Okay!" she put her hands up in the air. Jackie could feel Jack's irritated fury rising inside him at how easily Gwen had cave in to Dale's demands. "There's no need to make any threats."

"It's just the two of you, is it?" dale asked before ordering. "Gun down. Kick it over."

"I don't have a gun." Gwen said, trying to play dumb.

However, dale wasn't that dumb. "He had one, so you must have!"

"Okay, okay." Gwen pulled her gun out from behind her back and dropped it on the ground.

"Any more of you? And before you answer, have a proper think, because if you lie," dale removed his gun from Rhys's head to point it at Gwen. "I will shoot you."

At this point, Jackie decided to get involved. She took her gun out of the holster and set it on the ground before taking a starburst from her pocket, hastily unwrapped it and stuffed it in her mouth. Going in. she signed, glad that they knew sign language, so they could communicate to each other. Jack shook his head as she stepped out to face the group of guns.

"Here I am." She stated, as she worked the starburst like gum. "There's just me."

"Who are you?" Dale demanded.

"Someone you really might want to talk to." She stated. "Now, stop pointing your gun at my crew's head."

Dale studied her for a moment before saying. "You two get against the drum."

"We can help you out," Gwen said. "Dale."

"Yeah, help yourselves, more like." He sneered before giving Rhys a shove. "Come on, stand next to her." He then started to give Ianto a shove. "You, too." The moment Ianto was with Rhys, her and Gwen, she was wrapping them in a protective bubble, so Jack and Tosh could take them out.

"Dale!" a man shouts from his position atop the catwalk. "Two more. Far corner. They can't get out. It's locked."

Dale grabbed a hold of Ianto's shoulder and tugged him back out of her safety range, the gun pointed at the back of Ianto's head. "Take out your weapons, stand where I can see you." dale shouted. Jack and Tosh came out with their hands up in the air. "Drop your weapons."

They did as he asked. Jack decided to take his approach, from here, stepping towards the others. "Do you know what you've got here, Dale?" Jack questioned.

"Shut up now." He bellowed, pressing the gun to Ianto's lung.

"It's an alien." Jack informed him. "A creature from another galaxy. It came through a Rift in time and space, and it was unlucky enough to find you."

"No." Vic began shaking his head, his sanity dangerously close to breaking. "No way."

"Did you really think it originated on this planet?" Tosh demanded. "Have you ever seen anything like it before?"

"It can't be." Vic questioned, as he began breathing hard. "Can it?" He asked dale.

"Look at it." Jack demanded before stating more softly. "Look at it."

"It's a whale," Jackie added on. "what whales do we have on earth that can live out of water? Use your brain!"

Dale stared at the creature, denial in his whole, rotten body. "It's just meat, that's all."

"You're carving up a sentient creature," Jack shouted. "and you've got to stop."

"And then what have I got?" Dale demanded. "I'm making money here. This is my business. For the first time in my life, I've actually got something for myself."

"Dale, stop." Gwen said firmly. "You can still walk away from this."

"No." dale said to Gwen before turning to Jackie. "You lied to me."

As Dale aims at Jackie, she stretches out her hand, and catching the bullet in a bubble. Dale's eyes widen in shock as he fires again and she catches that one too. "If I told you I was human," she dropped the bullets and arched her brow. "I was lying about that too! You're all, going down."

At that moment, Ianto breaks free from his bonds, grabs Dale's arm and points it upwards. More shots are fired and the whale starts to break the ropes holding it down, Jackie surmises that some of the bullets hit the whale. It screams out it's torture in pain. Jackie lets out a gasp at the pain that's flowing through her, almost knocking her to the ground. A rope breaks free, almost hitting Tosh, but Jack grabs her out of the way.

She looked up just as Dale knocks Ianto on the ground. "Die!" Jackie threw a protective bubble around Ianto just Dale pulled the trigger. Fortunately, he was out of bullets. He let out a curse and turned to run. Jackie threw the bubble around him, restraining him, as Ianto got up. Pain flowed through her as the creature thrashed. But she was determined to try to stay strong. Jackie released the bubble as Ianto stunned the man.

"Ianto, go, after them." Jack ordered. "Owen, the creature's coming loose. We need that sedative now."

Rhys stared at Jackie. "How did you-

She smiled. "I'm part alien. Forgot to mention that bit." She gasped and buckled forward again. Rhys reached out steadied her. "Thank you." Another pain grabbed her and she doubled over. "Oh, God! Make it stop! He's begging us!"

"She's also telepathic of sorts." Gwen explained as Jackie struggled to cast another protective bubble, but the creature's pain and joy in freedom was so strong that she could barely contain him. The fight forced her to sink down into a sitting position against some crates. "She can feel what the creature's going through."

"Owen, we need you, we're trapped. The creature's breaking free." Jack was trying to remain calm, but she could sense that he was worried. "If we try and get past, we'll be crushed. Jackie's trying to contain it, but it's really hard for her, especially when she's connected to the creature."

Please! Jackie begged. I know it hurts. Try to remain calm.

I'm free! Free! It hurts! So much! Make it stop!

We're trying! Jackie began crying as the protective bubble around the creature broke. "Oh dear God, we're trying."

And Owen finally came around the corner to see the whale. He stopped for a moment in awe. "Bloody hell." Owen then dashed to fill up the large 'hypodermic needle' to calm the beast.

Jackie's heart jumped when Owen stabbed the beast and filled it full of sedative. Then, a sensation as if someone had tied her insides in knots flowed over her. She let out a long cry of her own and grabbed a hold of Rhys's hand, causing him to yell in pain. Jack pulled Rhys's hand from hers and let her crush his.

"She's okay. " Gwen assured Rhys as she checked his hand. "She's just reacting."

"Owen," Jack shouted. "you're making it worse."

Owen gave the creature another does. It thrashed for a few minutes longer and then suddenly, as if someone had dropped a rope from her heart to the creature's heart, all connection ceased. At that moment, the whale dropped. Jackie let out a moan and sat up, clutching her stomach, her breathing heavy.

Jack looked at her, back to the whale, then to Owen. "What did you do?"

"Mercy killing." Owen said quietly, before slapping at a stream of sedative that was dribbling down his sleeve.

The whale began to sing a whale song as it began dying. Jack moved towards the whale and Jackie forced herself to her feet, stumbling forward towards the whale. She grabbed a hold of Jack's waist to balance herself as the eye slowly began to close. Everyone stepped towards the whale. Jack held his hand up in farewell.

"I'm so sorry." Owen said. "I'm so sorry."

Tosh reached for Owen and he actually took her hand and held it. As the eye closed, Jackie relayed the poor whale's final words. "He said…thank you…for stopping it Owen. He's in peace now."

Back at the base, everyone had a cup of coffee in silence. Every man involved had been retconned and life was practically back to normal. The whole wear house had been burned down and the whale had been given a respectful death.

Rhys had prepared to leave with Gwen until Jack called Gwen into his office. Jackie could sense that whatever he had to say, probably involved the retcon pill. When Gwen came out of his office, she was certain of it. The look on Gwen's face said it all.

Jackie headed straight towards Jack's office. Upon entering, she closed the door and leaned against it wither her arms crossed. Jack leaned back in his chair and studied her with an exhale. "So, how do you feel?

"Slight headache." She stepped towards him and perched on the edge of the desk. "But I'm fine." she exhaled deeply and allowed Jack to casually fondle her hand before saying. "For the moment."

He exhaled. "Let's hear it. You're upset because I gave her a pill for Rhys."

"I'm not upset Jack." She said quietly. "I'm disappointed in you."

Her words had the desired effect. Though her voice was soft, the words were still enough to cause Jack to jump as if they'd stung him. "You really know how to hit hard," he said quietly. "without even raise a hand, don't you?"

"She's my sister Jack. I love her, and I love Rhys too. I don't…want to see their marriage be ruined because of the thousands of lies she'll have to tell him."

Jack exhaled deeply. "This…really means that much to you?"

"Yes. It does." She cleared her throat and asked. "Jack…what if I didn't work with Torchwood? What if I was like Rhys? Do you really think, that our marriage would have stood a chance with all the lies and secrecy? You need trust in a marriage and it has to work both ways."

Jack swung his feet off the desk and walked over to her. His blue eyes boring deeply into hers as he reached up and brushed her mouth with his thumb, parting her lips slightly. She smiled softly at his touch, but her smile grew when Jack said. "Then call Gwen, and tell her to get rid of the retcon and I will see you back here for that game of chess."

She pouted slightly. "No naked hide and seek?" Jack's eyes flashed and she cleared her throat. "Never mind, we'll play chess and I will win!"

"You cheat!"

"It's not my fault I can sense which move is the correct one. Besides, you cheat at hide and seek!"

"Hey, it's not my fault you glow in the dark!"

"Oh yes it is!" She snapped as she pulled out her phone. "The moment you open your mouth and start talking…who wouldn't start blushing?"