A/N: The summary pretty much explains it, this fic is meant to be a closer look at Torchwood Four. Now, I'm sure it's been done to death, but a new spin can always make it fun. Right? Right.
Pairings will be canon. Jack/Ianto because, come on. Sohawt. Gwen/Rhys because I love Rhys and Gwen shouldn't be off gallivanting with anyone else, in my opinion. Implied Gwen/Owen in the past, cos, um, that happened. Sort of Tosh/Owen because, well, it's awkward and adorable.
There's some Gwen-bashing in here. Sorry. Sometimes I just can't resist.
Rated T for anticipation of language and mild adult themes, I have the mouth of a sailor and think Jack is sexy.
Usual disclaimers apply, Torchwood is not mine, le sigh, original ideas and characters found within the fic are and, ahm, stuff like that.
Light spoilers for the series in general, nothing special ruined in this chapter.
"So. Did he give you the same story about Torchwood Four having gone missing?"
Toshiko, who hadn't been aware of Gwen's presence in the hub let alone at the corner of her desk, started and looked up from her screen, pushing her glasses back up the bridge of her nose to regard her colleague. "Pardon?" She asked apologetically, because she'd only half-heard the question and, well, because she wasn't used to Gwen popping up at her elbow to dish. It wasn't that she and Gwen didn't get on, but the Welsh woman seemed far more interested in the company of, say, Jack or Owen.
"Torchwood Four, darling" Gwen repeated slowly in a way Tosh had come to learn wasn't meant as an insult, but as an attempt of explanation or, even, a sign of affection - she hoped, anyway, because it sure as hell sounded condescending.
"Ah. Yes." Toshiko glanced at her computer screen, hoping to communicate, without being rude, that she had plenty of work to get back to. "What about it, then?"
"When I joined, Jack mentioned that this was Torchwood Three. I've gathered about Torchwood One in London, and Torchwood Two in Glasgow, who he corresponds with, but Torchwood Four... well, he just says it's gone missing."
Tosh gave a little nod of understanding, eyes eagerly flickering to her monitors again, this time trying to communicate, without being rude, that this was a bloody waste of her time and she didn't give half a damn about Torchwood Four or where it'd gone. "I remember something to that effect. Any reason for the sudden interest?"
Gwen gave a shrug that, to Toshiko, communicated she'd been bored of whatever task Jack had handed down to her and started digging around for trouble. "It's curious, don't you think? I mean, an entire institution, just gone missing. And for all we know, it could've been the size of Torchwood London. We could be talking about a lot more than five people here."
"Well, it IS Torchwood we're talking about," Tosh responded with a little smile that probably wasn't incredibly appropriate. "It could've been the size of Wales and gotten swallowed up in the rift by some accident and I wouldn't be terribly surprised."
Gwen didn't share the joke, didn't join in for a laugh and wander off, as Toshiko had been hoping she'd do. Instead, the Welsh woman gave her something of a disapproving frown. "I dunno, Tosh," she responded in her 'this is suddenly very important to me and I'm not going to drop it until I find some answers or something shiny comes along to distract me,' tone. "Jack said it'd turn up some day, but I don't think it's something to be so flippant about. Even that one man up in Glasgow, 'Torchwood Two,' helps us out from time to time. Imagine what another Torchwood could accomplish with us. And what about those poor people who've just 'gone missing?' It doesn't seem right to do nothing when we might well have the resources to bring them home."
"I suppose," Toshiko replied, this time sounding blatantly disinterested. "But we've got our hands a bit full without taking on a search for something we're not clear on with no idea where it went missing from let alone to." She pulled off her glasses and leaned back in her chair, supposing she ought to take a proper break while Gwen had dragged her away from her work, anyway. She gave the other woman a meaningful look. "And, besides, we know nothing about them, do we? We could be trying to retrieve another Battle of Canary Wharf. Maybe they went missing for a reason."
Gwen wasn't deterred, not that Tosh had really expected her to be. "Still, I think it deserves some looking into. I'll talk to Torchwood Two in Glasgow and I'll ask Ianto to see what he can dig up in the archives. Can you check and see if we have any records online? Ta."
Before Toshiko could say no, Gwen had gone off to corner Ianto. She was left debating pretending the task had slipped her mind amidst all of the other work she had to do. On deciding that she couldn't bear Gwen's disappointed pesterings, she huffed and put her glasses back on, wondering who had died and made Gwen boss.
"Toshiko! Good, you haven't gone home early, unlike a certain slacker doctor who apparently hasn't gotten the hang of drinking. Of course, that's giving him the benefit of the doubt because I'd LIKE to think that he's smarter than to work here and show up hungover. I mean, honestly, autopsies with a buzz on from last night? I don't think so. I'm not going to name names, though." Jack paused to smile at his own joke, then put a hand on Tosh's shoulder, scanning over her work (which drove her mad, by the way. She hated it when he read over her shoulder.) "Anyway, I need a favor."
Toshiko turned a sharp glare on her boss, instantly blaming him for Gwen annoying her because... well, because he'd walked up to annoy her, as well. The expression must have come across harsher and less playful than she'd intended, because he lifted an eyebrow, recoiled and held up his hands defensively.
"Of course, if you're busy, I can always drag Owen's sorry ass back to the Hub where it belongs."
She sighed and shook her head. "No, Jack, leave Owen be. I'm sorry. I've just got a lot on my plate right now. What did you need? I was thinking of taking a break, anyway."
He smiled warmly. "Nah. Get some lunch, grab a cup of tea, whatever you need to do. I'll just get Ianto on it."
"If he doesn't have his hands full," Tosh mumbled darkly, typing a few commands on her keyboard to exit out of some applications.
Again, Jack arched a brow. "Now, you're a woman and you're entitled to some moodiness, but is anything wrong? Something Gwen or Ianto did? Because it sounds like you've just implied that Ianto's down in the archives with a handful of Gwen and you're jealous of one or both of them. While that's some beautiful imagery, I don't think she's exactly his type." He smirked. "Believe me, I've given a few pitches that he just wouldn't have a thing to do with."
She shook her head. "Just tired and busy, honestly. Not quite an ideal day."
He smiled. "Okay. I can take a hint." He left her at that, presumably headed for the archives with the intention of joining in on whatever he thought was going on down there - or trying to force it to happen himself.
A few minutes later, Tosh resettled at her computer, armed with a fresh cup of tea. "Oh, why not," she sighed at herself. She set the mug down and typed a few letters, calling up a scan of the Hub's database for any sign of Torchwood Four. She'd picked up her tea again, leaning comfortably back in her chair to sip at it while the computers did their thing.
As the results flashed onto the screen, she hummed, officially interested. She scanned through the singular report that was retrieved, brows knitting.
'Torchwood Four, status changed from missing in action to never having existed. Rumors of a fourth branch of the Torchwood Institution have been floating around for decades. As no Torchwood employee is able to cite any specific member, location or action of the team and there are no internal records, the rumors have been decided to be just that. Rumors. Clearly, Torchwood Four never existed.'
And, of course, she had to wonder whether Jack was winding Gwen up or whether he really had reason to believe this supposedly fictional branch of Torchwood had actually existed. Forgetting her tea, Toshiko attempted to refine her search, curiousity getting the better of her.