A quick disclaimer - I'm using the names and appearance of characters from Miracle Day, but the situation is completely out of my own head and will no doubt be completely irrelevant once Miracle Day airs.

Still not being nice to anyone, but it has to get worse before it gets better.

"If there's nothing else, Jack, I'll be off," Gwen said pointedly.

The charismatic smile was obviously reserved for Esther today. When Jack turned to face her, Gwen only got the pout. It used to make her melt, that pout. It used to make her think Ianto was hardhearted when he answered the pout with an eyebrow raise. But Gwen understood now. She was becoming more resilient to the pout so she assumed the effects dimmed with overuse. Or maybe Ianto was stronger than she ever could be. Quite possible. Quite likely.

"I thought you might stay back tonight," Jack said smoothly. "Work to do, you know."

The trite phrase didn't fool anyone, but the rest of the team knew better than to react to Jack's blatant flirting. It only encouraged him, Rex said once, and Gwen had joined in the laughter, because it was true. If she'd blushed or protested against the innuendo, Jack would have come back with something worse. Gwen could hear muffled laughter right now, in fact, wafting across from the medical bay where Rex was assisting Arlene with the latest autopsy. They might be laughing at Jack's comment but Gwen knew neither of them would tease her about it, far less make the sort of remarks Owen used to torment Ianto with. At least she was spared that. And Esther merely batted her eyes and waited for Jack to notice her again, as deep in denial as Gwen used to be.

"I can't, Jack," Gwen said, wishing her resolve was as firm as her voice. Jack's eyes pinned hers, and the heat in his gaze scorched her to the soul, the way it always did, always had, and she might have failed herself, might have fallen again, if it was other night of the week.

Esther cut across the moment with a skill that became more practiced at every encounter. "Jack, it's Wednesday," she said, with petulance and a strategic toss of her hair. Jack's eyes switched back to the blonde and the pout disappeared. Karma again. Gwen remembered the many times she'd interrupted Jack and Ianto, just that way. Drawing the wandering eye back. Gwen told herself she didn't care. Not tonight. There were more important things in Gwen's life than Jack Harkness. At least one, anyway.

Jack turned back to Gwen. "Wednesday," he repeated. She could see the query in his eyes, along with annoyance that she wasn't meekly falling in with his wishes, and it hurt that he'd forgotten yet again.

Gwen saw the instant the dots connected. Wednesday. Gwen didn't work back on Wednesdays any more. Unless the world was quite literally going to end that very night.

"Of course," Jack said easily. "Off you go then. Have a good night."

Once upon a time, Gwen would have fooled herself that the abrupt dismissal meant she'd hurt him. Or that he'd turned away to hide his embarrassment at having forgotten. Once, Gwen would have hugged that belief to herself, made excuses for his forgetfulness. But she knew him better now. He wasn't hurt, he wasn't embarrassed, and he hadn't forgotten, not really. He just didn't consider it worth remembering.

There was nothing malicious in it. Jack wasn't trying to hurt her, would be surprised to find that she was hurt. What Gwen did when they weren't together wasn't part of Jack's world, so it didn't make the low numbers on the list of his priorities. Nor did Gwen, not any more. Prizes begin to lose their value as soon as they're won.

Gwen fetched her jacket and handbag, called her goodbyes to Arlene and Rex, and waved to Jack and Esther as she passed them on her way to the door. Her treacherous heart skipped a beat when Jack reached out and took her hand.

"Give Anwen a hug from me," he said warmly. Warm voice, warm eyes, warm hand squeezing hers. He kissed her cheek and turned away, back to Esther. Gwen's heartbeat returned to normal with a stutter. Part of her still hoped for an apology, she supposed. Maybe she was even foolish enough to believe that one day he'd want to come with her. But that squeeze, that peck, they were a gesture of understanding, at best. And at worst - he was giving his trophy a polish before turning back to the new prize.

Gwen lifted her chin and made her way to the door. She could still see them out of the corner of her eye but she wasn't watching on purpose. She wasn't. Jack's voice drifted behind her.

"So, Esther," he said brightly, "Maybe you could give me a hand with those reports instead?"

Once Gwen would have told herself he was using Esther to salve his pride at her rejection. She'd told herself that very same thing about Ianto.

She'd been deluded. She knew better now.

But it didn't change anything.

Thank you for reading. This will become less depressing in the next chapter.