"We're all stories, in the end."

~ Steven Moffat

~~~~~~~~~~

When Blue's senses returned, the first thing she registered was the strong tang of metal and oil.

Weird, she thought groggily as her eyes slowly fluttered open. For a second, Blue was content to think that she was in her room, piled underneath her blankets. But the side of her face was cold. In fact, her entire body felt cold. And when she reached out to cuddle with Timmy, her hands only grasped air.

Realising something wasn't right, Blue snapped awake, shooting into a sitting position, blood rushing to her head and making her feel light-headed at the sudden jolting movement.

A shocked breath escaped her lips as she registered the metallic bars of a cage surrounding her. The floor was a greasy metal too and cold to the touch. Beyond the cage, everything was dark. Squinting, she could faintly make out the outline of a vast room but, other than that, Blue was clueless.

And, just like that, it all seemed to crash down on her in an instant: the trip to Finland, then to India, the horde of zombies, her father's ship, the Maritime forces and...Warren's treachery. Her heart beat faster, determined to keep pace with her increasing panic and fear, creating a wailing symphony she couldn't tune out.

Her breath came in short huffs, hitching and reluctant. And Blue was suddenly reminded of the nightmares she would have as a kid, the absolute surety of monsters that hid beneath her bed and behind her closet and wouldn't let her a moment's peace. She would burrow herself under Timmy' fur and even his familiar doggy smell wouldn't stop her from losing her bladder. And when she would startle awake, the shame would rush in, like a cold current. The feeling of helplessness and disgust would crawl over her as she would make her way downstairs, seeking the warmth of her Ma's arms, her face red with embarrassment.

That same feeling of helplessness consumed her now. But this time, she was left alone in the dark, the comfort of being near her Ma like a taunting echo.

What was going to happen to her? Where was she, even? Where was Warren? And what had happened to Miracle and Sherry? Did they even know where she was? What about--?

"Blue?" a soft unfamiliar voice called, timid but almost heavenly in the inky darkness. "Is that you?"

Blue whirled around in her cage, jumping to her feet and almost out of her skin too. Fortunately, the cage was a large one and with her magnificently intimidating height of five foot nothing, standing up didn't prove too challenging. Blue was almost affronted that she didn't even need to bend.

"W-Who is it?" Blue asked, her eyes darting around to locate the disembodied voice.

"I'm here, right beside you, in the next cage," the voice said again. It was the voice of a young girl and didn't seem at all threatening. But if Blue had learned one thing in these last few hours – or days, for that matter. She wasn't even sure how long it had been since Warren knocked her out in the ship – is that one must always be careful on who they choose to place their trust upon.

But curiosity and the need for company bested her wariness and she found herself walking to the edge of her cell. She slipped her thin hands past the bars and, for a second, they only grappled air before they came in contact with more bars of metal.

Beside her, the girl sucked in startled breath. But, then, abruptly, Blue felt thin reedy hands entwine with hers. Blue gripped them tightly, temporary relief flooding her. She thought she heard the other girl almost weep with respite.

"W-who are you?" Blue asked, still blind but, her eyes were slowly getting used to the blackness and she could faintly make out a silhouette.

"Oh, that's tricky. If you want a name, I have had many," the girl answered. "But you, perhaps, might know me as Love."

Blue gasped. "You're Love? We have been looking for you! And others like you! Warren and Sherry were supposed to go to Venice and look for clues. But, we never got to that part. And, of course, Warren turned out to be traitor--"

"Warren?" Love interrupted, puzzled. "Oh...do you mean Wrath? Why would you trust that rotten skunk?"

Blue's shoulder hunched. "We shouldn't have. But..." Blue trailed off, her words dying on her lips. What could she say? That, despite everything, Blue had chosen to trust him? Had opted to forget and forgive the bullying? "I suppose...I suppose, I hoped that he would be better than what people thought of him, better than what was expected of him and his supposed nature. But I was wrong to trust and hope. I know that now. It was all a sham. Hope and trust, itself, is a sham--"

Blue would have gladly vented on and poured out her rage in an uncontrollable gush of words but she left Love's fingers tighten around her, making her stop.

"Don't say that!" hissed Love, sounding almost frightened. "Yes, Wrath is scoundrel. But d-don't lose hope and trust. It's because of that damned bastard! He has them, Blue. I don't know what he's doing to them. And I'm...terrified. He's going to come for me next--"

"What?" Blue interrupted, baffled. "Who has who?"

For a second, Love was silent. Then, hesitantly, she asked, "You mean, you don't know?"

Blue's silence was answer enough.

"I..." Love seemed to hesitate. "It's a long story."

"Well, it's not like I'm going anywhere," Blue said.

Apparently satisfied with that answer, Love launched into her story, although her voice was still hushed and quiet, as if she were afraid speaking too loud would awaken some dangerous beast, "We were in Venice, Fair and I, for a much needed vacation. Just us girls hanging around, having fun. The first day was almost perfect. Shopping, carnivals, lazy gondola rides..." Venice trailed off, sighing dreamily. Blue wanted to urge her to get to the point already.

"But, later that night, when I went to retire to my room, a man was standing right behind the door, still as a statue, a large, scary silhouette with this curling tattoo, like a snake slithering over a skull or something, in his forearm. He towered over me and when he attacked, I was helpless. You see, my powers – or Fair's, for that matter – are meant to work with emotions. We delve into the human mind. If I make you feel loved, Fair righteous. We aren't meant for...brawling like thugs," she said, and the anger and disgust in her voice clearly confirmed that she detested fighting, especially ones that involved fists.

"It was only a matter of time before he had me bound, shackled and gagged. I couldn't even warn Fair or shout for help. He dosed me with something – a gas that made me faint. And the next thing I know, I open my eyes to find myself here, in a cage! Fair was beside me, knocked out cold, captured by those men too. Oh, Blue, it was horrible! There were others – Happy, Dreamy, Good Luck, all of them. The worst part was one when one of those men would come here and drag one of us out to god-knows-where. Every day, one was taken. They started with Happy. And now, after almost a fortnight, they will come for me. I know it--" Love broke off, sniffing.

Red flags and alarms started to ring over Blue as she regarded the place and her cage. She didn't know how to console Love, so she just awkwardly patted the girl's hand and plopped back down in the floor, her stomach knotted with foreboding. What was going to happen to them? Where were they? What would they to Blue? And Love?

And Miracle? Where was he?

Please let him be safe. Please, please, please.

"What are they going to do to us?" Blue asked, staring into nothing, her emotions turning numb.

"I don't know," Love answered, timidly.

A silence ensued as both the girls fell into a quiet contemplation, before Blue broke it by suddenly asking, "How did you know my name?"

Blue didn't need her vision to know that Love was startled. "Oh...um, he comes here and talks about you, once in a while."

A chill traveled through Blue's spine, as she sat up straighter. "Who are you talking about?"

Love hesitated. "You won't like it, Blue."

Blue almost snarled with frustration. She was tired of not knowing. "Just tell me!"

Just when it seemed like Love would finally answer, a door somewhere far away slid open, rumbling in reluctance. Light slithered inside, making both the girls gasp and squint.

And, then, a silhouette appeared in the threshold.