Disclaimer: Not mine; never will be. I'm just borrowing it.

Life and Other Things That Never go as Planned.

Chapter Four — When all things are being said and done.

Owen put his hand on the railing, placing his body close to the wall. Careful not to touch Gwen, just blocking her in. keeping his head towards the wall, letting the others see the expression on Gwen's face; knowing what they would be thinking. Just Owen and Gwen having another tiff.

"Where do you think you're going?" Owen kept his tone even, his voice low.
"I'm doing my job Owen. Get out of the way."
"No" He glanced at her face "You haven't told anyone."
"My choice" Gwen tried to push past him.
"I told you one week, I gave you two."
"My life Owen, my decisions. Not yours. Not Rhy-"
"Owen, get back to work. Gwen, hurry up," Jack flung on his coat "If you two want to have a lover's tiff, wait til everyone else has gone home."
Tosh and Ianto watched, holding their breathes, waiting for Gwen to get that almost ashamed look on her face and for the pair to jump apart. Instead Owen stepped closer to Gwen and wrapped a hand around her wrist.
"Let me go" Gwen tried not to sound as desperate as she felt.
"No" There was a dangerous edge to Owen's voice.
"Owen" Jack's voice held the same edge "Let Gwen go"
Owen turned, the motion pulling Gwen behind him.
"She's off field duty Jack" he glanced towards the doors "I'm taking her to the tourist office"
Jack moved closer, signalling Ianto to do the same.
"Why?"
Owen took a few steps towards the doors, Gwen fighting him every inch.
"You bastard" she hissed in his ear.
"Jack, Torchwood Regulations Part 19. Torchwood 3/Cardiff Specific."
"Tosh? Ianto? What's Part 19 Cardiff specific?"
"You wrote it Jack"
"It was a while ago Tosh" he took a step closer to Owen "Refresh my memory"
"Torchwood Regulations Part 19. Torchwood 3/Cardiff Specific." Ianto cleared his throat "Any personnel; male or female, suspecting themselves to be pregnant, or experiencing any symptoms of or relating to pregnancy are to be suspended of their field agent status and report immediately to the base infirmary/medical officer, for the appropriate test(s)" Ianto took a breath. "Upon confirmation, said member of personnel is to place themselves in the outer office. Err, the tourist office and wait for further instructions."
All eyes focused on Gwen. Owen tightened his grip on her wrist.
"If you'll excuse us…"
Gwen planted her feet.
"Screw you Harper"
Owen caught her hand, before it hit his face.
"Been there, done that."
He seemed to forget that they weren't the only two people in the room. Owen bought their hands down to rest on her stomach, standing close enough to kiss and spoke in a voice that made Gwen wish they where the only two people in the room.
"And unless you prove otherwise, both of you are MY responsibility."

Gwen paced the length of the tourist office.
"I feel like I've been sent to see the Head Master"
"Gwen…"
"What Jack?' she glanced at him "You want me to say I'm sorry?"
"Is it Owen's?"
She shrugged.
"Is it Rhys'?"
Gwen stopped in front of a display case, pulling out a pamphlet.
"This is out of date"
"Don't change the subject. Have you told Rhys?"
"No" Gwen answered reluctantly.
"Why not?"
Gwen sounded tired, sad and she gripped the pamphlet so tight her knuckles turned white.
"You know why"

Jack snuck up behind Tosh and Ianto.
"What are you two doing?"
Tosh eeped, jumping in her chair. Ianto didn't react; he'd seen Jack's approach in the computer screen. Jack leaned in, placing a hand on each of their shoulders. Tosh twitched nervously.
"Good evening Sir." Ianto gave one of his rare smiles "Having trouble sleeping?"
"I was sleeping fine," Jack nodded at the computer "Til' you woke me"
"Ianto was just helping me with some paperwork" Tosh smiled, a little too brightly.
Jack raised an eyebrow in disbelief. Ianto suppressed the urge to sigh.
"We'll call it an inappropriate, but justified use of company facilities Sir"
"Inappropriate, but justified?"
"Yes Sir"
Jack glanced at the computer screen.
"Furries Monthly. How to Make Threesomes Work. I Dress in Women's Clothing and Hang Around in Bars; A guide to telling your friends and loved ones you're a cross dresser." Jack's eyebrow rose again "And who pissed you off?"
Tosh was blushing slightly, but there was a dangerous look in her eyes.
"Rhys"
"Gwen's Rhys?" Jack asked, reading further down the page.
"Yes sir"
"Isn't three weeks a little late to be getting some petty revenge?"
Ianto and Tosh glanced at each other. Tosh tapped at her keyboard, a new page appearing on the screen.
"Rhys' credit card statement" she tapped the screen "He took his new girlfriend out to dinner"
Jack glanced at the amount
"Expensive" he murmured.
"It was their two week anniversary" she told him.
Jack said nothing for a few minutes, and then stood.
"You're being careful?"
Tosh grinned, delighted with her own intelligence.
I'm working through his computer, using servers in Siberia, Las Vegas, Antarctica and Timbuktu."
"Keep up the good work"
Jack was almost at his office, when he paused and turned.
"Does Gwen know?"

"I want you to go home"
"And wait for you to bring the Ret-con?" Gwen asked bitterly.
"No" Jack sighed "I've never given it to a pregnant woman. Never have, never will."
Jack put an arm around Gwen's shoulder.
"Ianto will take you home, you'll get some rest and in the morning-"
"I'm not being fired?" she eyed him suspiciously.
"No"
"I'm not being Ret-conned?"
"Asks the woman who broke through the last lot based on a knife she saw, in the dark, for about 5 seconds" Jack sighed "You'll be confined to this office, as Public Liaison; no weevils, no unknown alien tech."
"Sounds boring"
"Five different types of radiation shielding, fully self contained; in case of emergencies, petty cash to pay for take-out and," Jack looked her up and down, "In a couple of months, as much paid maternity leave as you need."
He bought a chair out for Gwen to sit in.
"You need four people Jack, not three. Soon as I leave Ianto and Owen will be at each other's throats. You'll be lucky if they don't blow each others brains out"
Jack studied her more closely.
"How far along are you?"
"Now who's changing the subject?" She whacked Jack on the arm "Get me a list of people; I'll do the interviews myself."
"It's just temporary" Jack nodded "How long have you known?"
"The week after you got back" she smiled sadly "And at this point, I don't think it matters who the father is."

To be continued.