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Tosh glanced over at Owen, who was smirking childishly into his book. There was nothing Owen Harper loved more than a good prank. His face split into silent laughter, and he mouthed "Pizza!" almost gleefully. She was already smiling, and she chanced a glance back at the girl, PC Gwen Cooper, who was in fact carrying two large pizza boxes and whose face was drawn in palpable confusion. Despite feeling quite bad for her, Tosh couldn't help but snigger at that expression. At that moment, Owen broke out into joyful laughter and spun in his chair, clutching the book to his chest. “I can’t do this! I’m sorry! I’m rubbish! I give up!” he got out through his laughs. “He set me off!” Tosh laughed. “Well that lasted nought point two seconds!” Suzie called from the other side of the hub. Now turned around, Tosh got her first proper look at Gwen. She’d seen her police ID photo, but that did her no justice. The real Gwen was gorgeous; porcelain skin and pitch black hair and the greenest green eyes she’d ever seen. Her face was delicate but determined and strong, the confused expression making her all the more adorable. Wait- oh no. This was about to become a slightly trickier case. She wouldn't enjoy the part where Jack wiped her memory. Gwen Cooper was someone Tosh would like to see again.
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Tosh turned to face the autopsy bay where Owen stood with Gwen in front of him, sitting on the table with her shirt pushed up over her stomach. The wounds on her side were trickling pale red blood down her waist, carving grim patterns over her pale skin. Gwen's face was twisted in pain and Owen could be heard whispering comforting words as he jabbed at her with a needle, stitching the circular openings up. She had her arm draped around his neck, her finger tips playing with his hair. Tosh’s heart contracted at the thought of Gwen - so sweet and optimistic - in so much pain. A smile broke out on Gwen's pained face and Tosh heard a soft laugh. Owen must have said something funny. They looked far too comfortable. Tosh had been oddly jealous when she heard it was Owen and Jack who’d been there when Gwen was shot. She knew it was best, because Jack is the strongest and Owen is a doctor, but she still wished she'd been there; Tosh liked to think it would have been comforting for Gwen if she had been. In a weak moment, Tosh remembered the relief and warmth that had flooded through her when Gwen had found her in the woods. She remembered the panic coursing through her when she'd seen the policeman's gun to her head. 'Not Gwen.' She’d thought, 'Anyone but Gwen.' Even now she felt guilty for wishing the gun was on Owen instead.
She looked back over at the medbay and saw the doctor helping Gwen off the table. She cringed at her limp and the way she swayed into Owen's side. The way Owen wrapped his arms around her waist to walk her to the chair. It was bad enough hearing Gwen talk about Rhys and watching her stare longingly at Jack, but seeing her flirt with Owen was like salt in a wound.
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Tosh was sitting at her desk, an intense stare fixed on Gwen, who sat at her own workstation typing reports and emailing back and forth with Ianto about what seemed to be - from what she'd managed to read - the merits and downfalls of various local coffee shops. Her heart didn't seem to be in the work, though, nor the conversation with Ianto, despite the occasional chuckles. Gwen looked distracted. Tosh wondered what was bothering her, and for once she had a way of finding out. She reached for Mary’s necklace and fastened it around her neck. There was a sudden deafening sound, like the world was pulling into focus and it was all too much, too much, but then it settled down and Tosh could hear Gwen’s soft voice, always comforting. "He’s still ignoring me. He goes from not being able to keep his hands off me this morning to laughing and joking and now he won’t even look at me! What the hell is he thinking? Gwen’s eyes shifted over to Owen, who sat at the desk opposite, and then back to her screen. He’s acting like I’m not even here. Maybe it really doesn’t mean anything to him. But, how can it not mean anything after what he said the other night?" Tosh wondered what he’d said, and then, "You can now. You can talk to me. I’ll always be listening."
Tosh yanked the necklace off with one hand and reached for her earphones with the other. She didn't want to listen to that anymore. Was that really all Gwen thought about? Owen bloody Harper? What was so special about him that he took up that much of Gwen's thoughts? What the hell does she see in him? After the way he treated her? Arrogant selfish twat.
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Toshiko fixed her eyes on a point on the wall somewhere about Jack's head. She couldn't look at him when he had that expression on. Furrowed brow and set jaw. 'I'm not angry, I'm just disappointed.' How did so few people realise that that was worse? At that moment, Jack reminded her of her father. She wanted to disappear into the floor and never come back out. What had she been thinking? Spying on her coworkers and keeping such a big secret? Hiding dangerous alien tech and a dangerous alien from the people who could have helped her? She really had messed up this time. “It's not just a betrayal of your duty, it's a betrayal of my trust, Toshiko. Of all of our trust. We’re supposed to be your family. Honestly, I'm concerned that it was that easy for you to lie to us… Are you even listening to me?” Jack even sounded like her dad. Like a parent telling off a small child. “Leave, Toshiko. Come back in an hour. I have to contact some people about Mary’s victims. Families who need to know that the killer is caught. You come back when you’re ready to talk about what this means for you and for the team.” Tosh got up in silence and left.
“Owen, don't be selfish about this.” She heard out in the hallway. She stepped out and saw Owen and Gwen lurking just outside Jack's office. Gwen looked up at her and with a nervous twinge to her voice she asked “Tosh, how long exactly have you had this… ability?” God. She was asking if she'd heard her and Owen. Was that really what mattered to her more than the betrayal and the pain Tosh had been through? Gwen couldn't meet her gaze. “Just a couple days.” Tosh answered quickly. Owen turned to her with an accusatory glance, and with none of Gwen's tact, “What did you hear?” He spat. It was venomous. He wrapped his arms around his chest defensively. “It was mostly just noise. Emotions.” Tosh paused to glance at Gwen, who was looking out over the hub and avoiding her eyes. “References I wouldn't understand.” she kept her answer vague, hoping Harper would simply drop the subject. He did not. He gave a dismissive nod and then “Yeah. And the rest?” he sounded impatient. “The rest was none of my business”
“No. it wasn't.” Owen stormed off, leaving the two girls alone. Tosh couldn't help but stare at Gwen; she couldn’t help but think that it was her who caused that sad, nervous expression. 'Does she really think I'm going to tell anyone? Or maybe… if i told Rhys… no, what the hell am i thinking?' Tosh gave her head a small shake to dislodge the thoughts that floated just out of view. The last thing she needed right now was to betray her trust again. Gwen turned to look at her sheepishly and the expression almost broke her heart. She chanced a smile and a step forward. “I don't know where this leaves us.”
“Me neither” Gwen chewed at her lip nervously. “We can't really take the moral high ground on this. This thing between me and Owen, it-...”
“No, Gwen.” Tosh took a breath. “What i did was an invasion. I wasn't in control. I realise that now. Even so… i can't…. I have to live with this. What I heard. What I did to you.”
“And my betrayal? I’m living with mine. This should be my wake up call, I should stop… but I know I wont. What does that say about me, Tosh?” Gwen sounded like she already knew the answer.
“I'm not really in a position to make judgements.” Tosh said hastily. She didn't like listening to Gwen be so down on herself. She wasn't a bad person, she had just made a mistake. 'It was Owens' fault if anything. He was taking advantage of her.' She thought, even though she wasn't convinced. Gwen copper didn't do anything she didn't want to do.
“That's what I'm saying, tosh. Neither am I.” Gwen said sweetly.