Chapter 3: Girl Talk
Gwen looked up uncomfortably as Tosh came around the desk to her side.
"Gwen, I know it's probably none of my business, and feel free to tell me it's not, but I have to ask." Since Gwen and Tosh had been on uneven footing ever since the whole ordeal with Mary,Gwen was surprised to hear such a confidential tone coming from Tosh. She nodded her head for Tosh to continue.
"I've noticed over the past couple days you've seemed, well, not yourself. You're usually so quick to catch onto things, and your cleverness sometimes outstrips you by half. But this week, while I know it's been long for all of us, it has seemed to affect you a lot more."
"Tosh, I've never heard you say things like this before." Gwen was surprised to hear Tosh not only worried, but complimenting her as well. Tosh looked more than a little uncomfortable.
"It's just, you see…" Tosh trailed off for a moment, then recouped, "I was being selfish and silly over the whole Owen thing. I should have known better, and the situation with Mary taught me to see that. You and I were never overly close, but as we have to rely on one another quite a bit, especially out in the field, I hope that we can move beyond my pettiness and jealousy to become…" It seemed to Gwen that Tosh couldn't finish her sentence, and guessed at what the other woman had been trying to say.
"Friends?" Tosh's look of relief told Gwen she'd hit her mark. "Tosh, I would love to be your friend. Goodness knows it will be good to have someone to talk to! Someone who will understand what we go through, and without the prejudices or worries over watching what I say!" Tosh smiled at this.
"I felt the same way." Then she pulled out the chair next to Gwen's and sat down. Leaning a bit closer, she asked quietly, "How long have you known?"
Her question didn't make any sense to Gwen.
"Known about what?" Gwen asked with a small smile.
"Known you were pregnant." Tosh's succinct response had the ability to startle Gwen greatly.
"How did you know?" Gwen whispered, not trusting her voice completely. She glanced around and saw that Ianto was with Jack in his office, and that Owen had not come into work yet. Tosh gave a small shrug, sitting back a little.
"Part woman's intuition I guess. Plus, you sort of have a glow around you, and you've not eaten properly in about a week. I know that the guys put it down as being busy, but the rest of us found time to eat, and you never seemed inclined to join us." Tosh looked down for a moment.
"I thought at first that it might have something to do with me, but you never gave that implication during the rest of the time, so I discounted that idea. Then it occurred to me that you were a bit slower than normal, and you seemed to be getting tired a lot more easily of late." Tosh met her gaze keenly, and gave Gwen a tiny smile.
"It hit me when you came back with Jack and lied so terribly just now. You did tell him, didn't you?" Gwen nodded, at a loss for words. Tosh thought that she was clever? Gwen had a new found respect for her fellow woman Torchwood member. Toshiko was not only incredibly brilliant, she was clever and quick, and didn't let a single detail slip past her notice. Even when they were busy running around, talking a race of squirrel aliens out of global domination, and then diverting the attentions of said alien's refusal to take no for an answer, Tosh had realized that Gwen wasn't eating, and had not been up to her normal standards.
"I just found out yesterday afternoon for a fact." Gwen told Tosh, suddenly thrilled to have a real girl friend that she could tell all this to.
She only hesitated briefly over whether to discuss the questionable parentage of the baby, but when Tosh laid a hand over hers, much in the way Jack had done, Gwen told her everything. It seemed a lot easier to tell Tosh than it had been telling Jack, and Gwen wondered momentarily if it was because Tosh was female and could understand the subtle inflections of her voice better, or it was easier because now that she had said it all once, it became simpler to find the words. Figuring it was a mixture of both, Gwen confided all her fears and worries over the baby to her new best friend.
Tosh listened sympathetically, and then offered her advice on vitamins, proper nutrition and plenty of rest while she could find it. She also promised to look into what the internet would say about prenatal care.
"Gwen, if there's anything I can do to help you, please let me know. I'm sure Jack has already said much the same thing, but we're a team, and it's time we all started acting like one."
Tears stung Gwen's eyes at this declaration, and gave into the impulse to hug Tosh warmly. It was during this embrace that Owen decided to grace them with his presence.
"Good morning ladies… seems like you two are getting on well!" Owen teased as he passed them to put his things down. Gwen let Tosh go, and they exchanged a secret smile as Tosh returned to her work station. Owen looked between them, frowning in confusion.
"Is there something I missed?" He asked.
"You seem to do a lot of that, Owen. You're late." Jack said as he descended from his office. Ianto offered a cup of tea to Gwen with a little smile. As Gwen took it from him with her thanks, she glanced at Jack. Had he told Ianto of her predicament? Jack returned her gaze solemnly, and shook his head slightly. Gwen relaxed, and turned back to her computer. It was going to be a long morning.