Tosh smiled as Mary served her a proper English breakfast. She had woken up to the smell of food cooking and Mary had insisted on pampering her that morning.

"So, what do you think?" Mary asked. Tosh took a bite and nearly dropped it. "That bad?"

Tosh shook her head. "Hot," she mumbled as she took a sip of her tea. She put that down quickly too. "Good but a bit too hot still." She said smiling. Mary smiled back before reaching to light a cigarette. She followed Tosh's gaze.

"Mind?"

"Not at all," Tosh looked as Mary used the eggcup again for the ashes. "Remind me to pick up an ash tray for you after work."

"I can bring one over,"

"No, I'll get you one for when on the way back." She said as she took another bite. "Much better," She said now that the food was cooler.

Mary smiled and looked out the window. A good part of her breakfast was spent in comfortable silence. "So I'm thinking tonight we go out, no necklace. Just you and me and a nice pub getting smashed." She gave Tosh a look. "Maybe something a bit more personal?" Tosh blushed and nodded. Mary looked delighted.

"I'll try to be out by six." She said.

"Good, now promise me something." Mary demanded. Tosh looked at her, food halfway in her mouth. "Stop asking about the transporter, I don't want Jack to become suspicious. I meant when I said I don't want anything to happen to you."

She paused as if weighing her words. "There are things I need to tell you." She refused to look at her. "I don't want to lose you but I don't want you to think I was lying to you." She said.

Tosh looked at her. Looking straight into her eyes and feeling like she could see into her very soul. It was something she knew was stupid to literally think about but she couldn't help but feel some connection with her.

"I was a criminal." Mary looked away from her, "That transporter carried a guard. I tried to kill him in order to protect myself. He would have killed me without a second thought." She said. "I was about to attack him when two humans stumbled on us." She ran her hands up her arm. "Mary wasn't my name but this woman's," She said running her hand up her arm. "We became one."

Mary grabbed Tosh's hand from across the table. "She was in danger, so was I. We had so much in common in escaping our kinds of soldiers." She took a drag from her cigarette. "My guard wasn't as understanding. He killed the soldier following the human Mary, tore out his heart. I ran. As far as I can tell he's been here ever since. He's not after me anymore but he's dangerous to humans." She said.

"That body we found was the soldier's," Tosh breathed in as she tried to understand what was said to her. Mary nodded. "But you still need the transporter," Mary nodded again.

"Tosh, I need the transporter." She waved around the room. "Humanity is sickening on some days and if it wasn't for people like you I don't know what I would have done by now." She looked back into her eyes. "Wouldn't you want to go back home in my position when you're certain things would have changed for the better?"

"But the guard…"

"He has no interest returning home, I've managed to gather that over the years."

"Mary, I don't know how I can get the transporter out of Torchwood. Jack's moved it."

"Then find it," Mary's grip tightened on her hands. "I'll make sure you're safe Toshiko. I promise. I won't use the transporter immediately. I'll wait until it's forgotten about and leave. It could be decades but I'll wait."

"What about me?" Tosh asked quietly.

"My beautiful Toshiko, you'll find someone else who can see just how beautiful you are." She smiled at her. "I won't leave without warning and I won't leave you right away."

Tosh looked at her and saw that the decision was something Mary really didn't want to do. But it was something she had to do. Tosh understood in that moment. Mary loved certain parts about humanity, she saw those in her but to be surrounded by them when you could see it all. Tosh had to help her. There was too much bad outweighing the good for someone like Mary.

Tosh was the light in an overwhelming sense of darkness. Mary was suffocating in it and staying with her because of it.

"I'll help you," Mary smiled at her. She stood up and walked over to her. Then she kissed her.

"Thank you, Toshiko. You have no idea how happy that makes me." She kissed her again. "I won't leave you to drown, I meant it when I said you were brilliant. That pendant will help both of us." She smiled. "We may even be able to forgo any real speaking," She said. "I've only met two humans who have been able to do that with me and I know you'll be the third."

Tosh blushed at the compliments. "I still need practice," Tosh interjected knowing she was nowhere near that level of ability.

"And you'll have it. Practice at work. A limited number of people is easier than hundreds." Tosh nodded. She had to for Mary. For her, she would lose Mary but until then she would take as much of her as she could. "Thank you, Toshiko. You have no idea what this means," Tosh looked up and frowned.

"I need to get to work!" She realized.

Mary laughed. "Finish your breakfast though. I want you at your best."

Tosh smiled and finished her now tepid breakfast.

Mary saw her off, waving and smoking at the door as she drove away.

0000

Mary smiled. Toshiko was so easily manipulated. Her emotions were the key issue. She was worn out from three years of Torchwood. If she played her right Mary could leave without anyone suspecting her or knowing about her except as Mary. She had the feeling eventually she would meet the rest of Torchwood Three if she was going to be sticking around for a while. She could play the part of girlfriend; she'd done it before.

Of course now she needed to wait a bit longer. She was feeling peckish but she couldn't pluck Toshiko's heart out without anyone getting suspicious. She had no idea what changes Jack was doing to her transporter. She smiled.

At least Tosh would think it was the guard. If they found her last few victims then they would wind up chasing a ghost.

Mary closed the door behind her and began to clean up. Some things weren't that different between various cultures, cleaning was one of them. She sighed and continued cleaning. If Tosh survived this maybe she would change for the better. The woman was too infatuated with the man Owen for her own good, even for a human.