Title: Borrowed Hope
Summary: Gwen confides in Toshiko about how it felt to be slowly killed by Suzie.
Rating: PG-13.
A/N: Spoilers for 'They keep killing Suzie'.Femslash. Suzie/Toshiko Toshiko/Gwen.
"How are you?" It had been four days since Gwen had almost died. What did Toshiko expect her reply to be?
"Like I was shot in the head in slow motion and had the life sucked out of me...no idea why." The other girl smiled.
"Good to know your sense of humour wasn't sucked out."
"No, just my faith in humanity." Toshiko's smile vanished, to be replaced by serious look of concern.
"That's not true!" She objected firmly. Authoritatively. Not very Tosh like. "You've always seen the best in everyone Gwen. Even Suzie. You don't judge people and you're not as cynical as the rest of us. Suzie lost all hope in humanity...look where it got her."
"Not all hope." Gwen argued. Avoiding her colleague's gaze she added. "When I was dying. The connection between Suzie and me was so strong, it was like I was being absorbed inside her. It was terrifying. So dark and lonely." She watched as guilt spread over Toshiko's attractive features, giving her the appearance of being older beyond her years.
Driven by instinct, which wasn't her own, she cupped the other woman's cheek, closing the gap between them. "You saved me Tosh." The other woman shivered as Gwen's breath tickled lightly against her cheek.
"J-Jack told me to...the glove." Gwen was too close and it had been too long since anyone had been in such close proximity. She couldn't think straight.
"Not the glove." Gwen's fingers began to stroke her cheek. "It was so dark and lonely...my life was slipping away; being drained by her anger and spite...I would have just given up, but there was this little bit of hope left inside the darkness. In her. It was you. She loved you. It was the only thing good left inside of her. I clung to it t stay alive." She pulled away, letting her hand drop to her side as she slumped in to Tosh's chair. "I feel so empty, like she's infected me with all her hatred." Silent tears began to flow from her tired eyes. "I don't want to end up like her-"
She fell silent as Toshiko was suddenly in her lap, her lips pressed firmly against her colleague's. The smaller girl was straddling her and kissing her like there was no tomorrow. Something inside her came to life like a fire had been lit in her chest. It spread throughout her entire body, a warm, tingling sensation. Hope.
"I will never let you end up like Suzie."
A lazy smile spread over Gwen's lips as she rested her head against the other woman's shoulders. "That's twice you've saved my arse this week."
Toshiko grinned. "It's worth saving."
End.