Title: Shiny Flowers
Author: Shen
Characters: Tosh, Owen, Ianto, Gwen, Jack
Rating: PG
Summary: Tosh's birthday makes her nostalgic. Her crappy day at work isn't helping.
Author's note: This is the fic that got me booted off Whoverse Last Author Standing several months ago. XD Round One, Challenge Seven. The prompt was: "Write about [character]'s birthday."
DING! Clap, clap.
The little girl squeezed her eyes closed as tightly as possible, concentration etched on every feature. A faint, constrained snickering interrupted the solemnity of the ritual, however, and she chanced a sidelong glare at its source.
"Sorry, Toshiko-chan," the girl's mother whispered conspiratorially. Appeased, the child closed her eyes again, thought a moment longer, and bowed. Then, she turned to smile at her mother.
"What did you wish, Toshiko-chan? It looked awful serious for a 7-year-old."
It was a scandalized tone that answered the query, "Mommy, I can't tell you a wish! It won't come true!"
"Haha, I can't fool you, can I?"
"Nope!"
"My smart girl." Toshiko beamed. "Do you want to go see the gardens now?"
"Yeah!"
~*~*~*~*~
"Tosh! Hello?" She snapped out of her memory as Ianto trotted up to her desk. It wasn't the first time he'd called her, judging by his slightly annoyed expression.
"Sorry, Ianto. I was... er, sorry."
"It's all right. The others are waiting, though. Best be going?"
"Going?" The last of her reverie slipped away.
"New case, remember?" Indeed Tosh did. Gwen had heard some rumors from Rhys about shady types selling a new drug on the outskirts of town. "Extra potent" ones. And for whatever reason, Jack wanted her along on this job. So, Tosh quickly nodded in understanding and grabbed her things, stealing a last glance at her calendar before leaving. It was 19 September: Her birthday.
~*~*~*~*~
Hours later, Tosh reflected that it had not been the best day. As it turned out, the secret ingredient in the drugs was indeed of alien origin (the secretion of a very peeved, fairy-like creature who flew off in a snit once freed), but the sellers were all real, normal gangsters. While Tosh hadn't technically been shot in the confrontation, she had been winged. As far as she could gather, her attacker had been aiming for the SUV under the assumption that it was a rival gang member's car. Tosh had been crouched in the alley next to it, ironically getting a ride back to work. On another day - one where she wasn't bleeding from a fiery, stinging flesh wound and burning overtime on her birthday - she would have found the thug's assumption amusing. Jack just had to have the track lighting, didn't he?
"There. All better, Tosh. I'll check on it for you tomorrow, when we get a chance," Owen explained, pleasantly enough.
"Then I can go home?" she asked wearily. Her mother had left several messages on her mobile, which probably progressed from cheery to nagging as her birthday wore on and eventually came to a close. She was almost too tired to listen to them tonight, but it would be best to call her mother as soon as possible.
"Not yet, actually."
"What?"
"Come on, doctor's orders." Owen grabbed her uninjured arm and led her into the break room, where Gwen, Ianto, and Jack were waiting with a cake. Tosh's jaw dropped.
"Happy Birthday!" they exclaimed, giddy in a way that made them look much younger than their years.
"Wha... huh?"
Jack explained, "It's all Owen's doing."
"Is not!" he argued loudly. Then, seemingly embarrassed, he grumbled, "Gwen ordered the cake, and Ianto picked it up while we were out today."
Gwen snickered at him and added, "Which I only knew to do because he told me to."
"Well, it's only fair, innit? You baked me a cake for my last birthday, so I asked Jack when yours was. Can't have me owing you anything. But I bake about as well as a pissed gorilla, so I had to arrange store-bought for you. It does have the shiny flowers, though." Tosh stopped grinning stupidly at him for a moment to look at the cake. Indeed, it had several waxy-looking flowers adorning the icing.
"She looks confused," stated Jack unnecessarily.
"But... you told me something about when you were a kid in Japan, all about a place you used to go on your birthday. With shiny flowers. And you could make a wish on them or something, and you missed it?" Now Owen looked uncertain, so Tosh felt a little bad when she threw her head back for a laugh.
"I can't believe you remembered that much!" She turned to the group to explain. "My family lived in Japan for part of my childhood, and on my birthdays, my mother would take me to Ootori Taisha... a Shinto shrine famous for its forest and gardens."
"Gardens..." Ianto muttered aloud.
"I've visited some gardens around here and London, but nothing's quite the same as that place. I must have rambled on about it to Owen on his birthday."
"You were pretty drunk; I couldn't be sure to get it right, could I?" She turned to Owen, who was swiftly looking more irritated - at least half at himself - and hugged him.
"Oi, I'm not... it wasn't that big a deal, yeah?" His pitch softened.
"Thank you, Owen." She let him go and smiled at everyone.
"Yeah... you're welcome. Can we eat your shiny flower cake now? I missed dinner because someone got shot in the arm."
"Oh, I get it!" interrupted Ianto. "Shrine flower gardens!"
END
*ducks thrown pies*