It's not like every devastating end brings a new beginning...

[torchwoodsheart]

A cab pulls up in front of the Main Gauche, rather slowly and reluctantly as it gets close enough to see the twisted wreckage of the gates, a few scorch marks on the buildings and grounds... Gwen hands the driver a few bills and slides out of the back seat, eying the gates uncertainly for a second before she starts inside. She can deal with this.

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[aint_a_shepherd]

Shepherd Book is on his way out of the Conrad, actually. It's long past time he settled in with Torchwood, but he caught some sickness or another -- maybe something he ate, maybe something in the air -- and has spent the past several days being far too ill for his liking.

But when he sees Grace, he stops, luggage and all, to peer down at her. He's aware of what's happened as far as the journal entries go, and this girl... Well, she may have been part of it, and even if she wasn't, he can't see someone so unhappy without wanting to help if he can.

"Something wrong, child?" he asks her, concern plain in his voice.

[2ndchanceacharm]

Grace looks up, chin still resting on her knee, and forces a little smile. It doesn't quite work, because Grace is the worst liar in the history of time. Well, close, at least.

"I'm fine. Just a little stressed." Because the woman who brought me here killed an innocent and died, and almost everyone I know with the exception of my ward is dead or injured or in a coma or just plain traumatized, but aside from that, yeah, I'm fine.

It's a miracle she actually managed to keep that an internal ramble.

[aint_a_shepherd]

"I've seen 'a little stressed'," Book says, slowly. "I don't think that's it." He gives her another concerned look, wanting to be of some help. But then, he's not sure his help's welcome here.

"But it's not my intent to pry," he continues. "Been a bad few days for a lot of folk around here, as far as I've seen."

It's a hint, a subtle one, that he knows some of what's happened . He's there if she wants to talk. Listening's one of the the things he does best.

[2ndchanceacharm]

Grace takes a breath, studying his face for a second, and then the smile slips a little. "I'm a doctor. Down in the basement." For the archangels. "And I just... it's a little much. These past couple days."

There's a reason you're not supposed to treat friends and family. And trying to keep Vincent from dying from a gunshot wound to the head the other night while they waited for the ambulance would have been quite enough without the aftermath of a war to clean up.

[aint_a_shepherd]

Book's been around long enough to know just what 'down in the basement' consists of, and his expression's pure sympathy.

"That explains a great deal," he says. "Treating friends of yours?"

He gives her a very small, gentle smile. "There's not a soul in this conflict that hasn't been in my prayers through all of this. I'm a preacher, if the outfit didn't give it away -- Shepherd's the title, but my order doesn't exist yet. Name's Book."

He looks her over a little more carefully. "Something I can do for you? I could get you some tea, or anything else this place'll offer. The Lord knows the healers need a bit of help more than most."

[2ndchanceacharm]

"I'm Grace. I'm, um, Des' guardian angel. You probably don't know him. Which is really for the best, because he's a little... um." Right. Shouldn't say insulting things about her ward to people who don't even know him. That's probably a rule of being a guardian angel, isn't it? (It's not, and there are several guardian angels who could tell her otherwise, but never mind that.) She's gonna stop talking now. "Tea sounds good."

[aint_a_shepherd]

Book just smiles, understanding completely. "Oh, I wouldn't worry too much about that. I've had to deal with plenty of people who were a little..." He very pointedly trails off, casting his eyes to the heavens in a somewhat exaggerated fashion. If it can coax a smile out of this girl, he'll be content. "And they're always the ones that need the most looking after. Any particular way you take your tea?"

[2ndchanceacharm]

Grace laughs a little, despite herself. At least she doesn't have to explain to Book just what she meant about Des. "Cream, lots of sugar. So... you're a wanderer, then?" She's getting better at sensing these things, and there's always a weird... feeling around wanderers. Or maybe he's a shapeshifter or something. Alright, she's not as good at this as she'd like to be.

[aint_a_shepherd]

"I am," Book says, smiling. "I've been wandering more or less all my life. I suppose it only makes sense I'd wind up here, where the word has a whole new meaning, and still applies." He shrugs.

"And just one moment..." He heads off to find her a cup of tea. At least the wanderers are being fed and housed here, and he appreciates the fact that little things like tea are available.

A few minutes later, he comes back, offering her a cup. "Think this'll do?"

[2ndchanceacharm]

She accepts the tea with a grin. "That's perfect; thank you." She pauses a moment, studying his face with her lips pressed together, and says finally, "Are you- I mean, most wanderers aren't exactly... comfortable around here. Because of the archangels and all. I kind of feel like I should apologize, except I'm not even an archangel, let alone someone important, so no one really cares if I apologize or not, but still... I mean..." She stops herself, pauses, and then smiles a little sheepishly, tilting her head to one side. "I, uh... There are reasons I shouldn't speak sometimes."

Mostly because usually when she starts, she doesn't shut up. At least, not very quickly.