'Till Death Do Us Part

“Tosh! I need you to contact a species of alien called, the Judes. They use electrical currents to communicate and I need to interrogate with them, regarding all the electricity they've been using. They're bringing several power losses to neighborhoods. I'm fine with them staying and residing in the power lines, keeping themselves hidden to humans. However, I am not okay when the electricity here starts to flicker.”

“Got it.” Tosh began typing away. From the corner of her eye, she saw a strange sight.

Owen Harper and Gwen Cooper were actually getting along.

Gwen Cooper, the current new member of Torchwood. Ianto was now considered a veteran, having worked at Torchwood for two years already. She was a former policewoman, who ended up investigating Torchwood as a side project. She discovered a vicious alien at the hospital and has been interested in them since. Due to her useful skills and remarkable persistence, the same as Ianto had shown, she got in.

She saw Gwen laughing away at something Owen had said. The two looked like they were best friends, although at first, they were constantly at each others throats. Owen had been pointing out every mistake she was making, while she shot insults at him. There was even a time where Gwen had Owen against the wall, her fists curled around the collar of his shirt. Tosh didn't exactly do anything, but she knew his comments sometimes made everyone go mad.

“What are you two laughing about?”

“Get this Tosh.” Gwen replied in her rich welsh accent, trying to hold back a laugh. “As a child, Owen thought the royal navy had to do with tanks.”

“Really?” Tosh gave a weak smile.

“Hey now! They always show those movies where everyone is always screaming for the navy. They're always on land! Who the hell calls the bloody navy while they're on the ground? And in those movies, there's always some big calamity and tanks are always brought out. Bollocks!”

“But tanks Owen. Really.” Gwen gave him a look and he rolled her eyes.

“Gwen! I need you here now!” Jack called from his office.

“Tanks.” She repeated and with a sneaky smile, ran off.

“Oi! Watch it!” He snarled.

Tosh watched as Gwen walked away, then slowly approached Owen's desk. “Hey Owen.”

“What do you want Tosh.” He didn't look up. She looked over his shoulder and saw he was looking over the medical files on a recent autopsy he had done.

“I was wondering, maybe if you'd like to play pool sometime?”

He finally looked up at her with an agitated, but slightly curious stare. “Play pool?”

“Yeah. I mean we've all been working too hard and we need a break every now and then.”

He seemed to think for a moment, tapping his pen lightly against his chin, before saying, “Sounds great.”

“R-Really?”

“Yeah. I'll go and tell the gang.

“The gang?” Her eyebrows furrowed, dumbfounded.

“You want to do a Torchwood annual pool day and wanted my advice. I'm flattered.”

Tosh's face fell. “Y-Yeah.”

“Gwen!” He waved her over just as she had walked out of Jack's office. “Tosh is suggesting that we do an annual pool day.”

“Pool day, huh?” She gave her a smile. “Good idea Tosh!”

“G-Glad you like it.” She walked away, eyes fixed on her feet, and feeling a bit frustrated. She let out an exasperated sigh as she stared at her computer. She couldn't even concentrate on her work anymore, not with Gwen and Owen's laughter ringing the air.

“I saw what you did over there. When did you gain the confidence?” Ianto walked up to her and handed her a cup of coffee.

“It was my New Year's resolution.”

“Glad to know a person is actually following their resolution.” He gave her a genuine smile. “If you want to gain Owen's attention, maybe you should get him something he likes.”

“Like what? A present?”

“It can be something as simple as a pizza.”

“Pizza?” She echoed.

“I don't know Ianto, if some girl randomly showed up with pizza at my door, I wouldn't know what to think.” Jack came into a view with eyebrows lifted. “Sorry. I couldn't help but eavesdrop.”

“It's not a random girl. It’s Tosh. He's worked with her for at least three years.”

“Food, Ianto?”

“Everyone likes food.”

“True. And you know what? If he invites you to come, then all is good.” said Jack. “But if this is Owen we're talking about...”

“Don't try to get her hopes down.” Ianto interrupted.

“The battle between man and alien can be won with the right technology and wit. The difference with love is that you can have all the wit and technology in the world, but in the end it all depends on the other person.”

–

Tosh soon found herself standing at Owen's flat, feeling like a deliverymen with only plywood separating herself and the man she loved. In her hands was a steaming box of pizza, pepperoni and sausage, his favorite.

What am I doing? She thought. Showing up at Owen's flat with pizza? She paced back and back forth, the box of pizza now feeling strangely heavier in her hands. Who am I even kidding?

Don't give up.

Tosh was already walking away from Owen's flat when those encouraging words from Ianto echoed in her head.

He's right. I won't know until I try.

Tosh walked back up to the door and sucked in a mouthful of air. With a quivering fist, she knocked on Owen's door and waited. After what seemed to be a while, she knocked again. “Owen?” She reached for the door knob and gave it a turn. Her heart jumped when the door cracked open. She peered inside and saw no one. Owen couldn't possibly be out, because his door wasn't locked. Tosh now started to feel immensely worried as she reached into her purse and pulled out a pistol. Usually each member of Torchwood was given a gun to defend themselves, she knew it was necessary. Tosh held the gun in the air while steadily holding the box of pizza. According to her training, she had to constantly check her surroundings, her eyes quickly darting back and forth.

“Owen?” She turned the corner and screamed.

Although she couldn't see their faces, she knew who she was looking at. Bareback turned to her and jet black hair that fell past her shoulders. Gwen was on top of Owen, grinding against him. Cries of ecstasy, bed springs creaking, the headboard slamming against the wall in rhythm; they were all going on at once just before Tosh screamed in shock.

“Tosh! Oh my god!” Gwen was the first to look at her. She shrieked and scrambled off of Owen, jumping into the sheets.

“Shit Tosh! Put the gun down!” Owen bellowed, who didn't look embarrassed, but more terrified of the gun she held.

“I....I-I'm sorry.” She finally recovered and stuffed the gun back in her purse. “I'm sorry.”

“What are you even doing here!?”

“I just came to deliver pizza.” Her voice was barely a whisper as she placed the pizza box on the counter. “I-I'm sorry.”

“How did you get in?”

“The door. It was unlocked.”

Gwen turned to glare at him. “What kind of bloody idiot forgets to lock the door!?”

“You come in and start snogging me. How am I supposed to remember to lock the door!?”

“Oh! So you were thinking with your other head then!”

“I'm sorry.” Gwen and Owen turned to Tosh, who they suddenly remembered, was still there. She was looking at her feet, her bangs hiding her face. “I'm....I'm sorry I barged in. I-I didn't know.”

“Tosh...” Gwen pressed her lips together.

“S-Sorry. I'll just leave.”

Tosh quickly shuffled out of the flat and out the door, closing it slowly behind her. She brushed her bangs away from her face, exposing tear filled eyes. She jammed her hands in her coat pockets and walked all the way home, trying hard not to cry. She could barely hold her keys to open the door. And when she did, she fell on top of her bed. She knew it was none of her business, what Gwen and Owen did, but she couldn't help but feel an overwhelming wave of angst wash over her. She and Owen weren't dating, he didn't even know, but...

Tosh reached over and grabbed a card standing on her nightstand. It was a birthday card from a while ago. Lots of love, Owen read the card. Owen from work. Owen Harper, the doctor. Owen, the man from the photo on her fridge.

It was a picture of the two during her birthday party. He was drunk, the beer bottle visible in his hand, but he agreed to take a picture with her anyway.

Tosh's couldn't control it anymore. All the silent tears started streaming her face as she curled up into a ball. She felt so pathetic, so vulnerable, so weak. She was confident, she did work, she was an important member of Torchwood. But her biggest weakness was Owen, the man who didn't even know about her unrequited love. Owen, the one who distracted from her work and her thoughts. Owen, one of the biggest flirts besides Jack, who hasn't hit on her once.

Owen, the complete opposite of her.

It wasn't fair. Gwen has been working at Torchwood for about three months. Owen must have had interest in her, that's how they began a relationship. On the other hand, Tosh who's been working with Owen for at least three years, he doesn't even look twice in her direction.

Suddenly, there was a sharp knock on the door.

Tosh quickly wiped away her tears and regained her composure. She went over and opened the door, a slight gasp escaped her lips. Owen was standing at her door, hands in his pocket, looking uncomfortable.

“Owen?”

“Hey Tosh, I just came over to say thanks for the pizza.”

“Um, no problem.” She forced a smile. That's it?

“Why did you get me that pizza anyway?”

“Well um, Ianto decided to buy everyone pizza because he forgot to bring his lunch today.” She lied.

“Did he now? That's true, I was expecting something today. But really, a whole box?”

“Yeah.”

“Did he gave you a whole box too?”

“He gave it to everyone. I...I finished mine.”

“You ate an entire box of pizza by yourself?”

“I was really hungry.”

Owen looked at her suspiciously then shook it off. “I'm sorry.”

“For what?”

“That you had to see that.”

“No,” Tosh's voice grew quiet again. “It was my fault for walking in on you, uninvited, on you and your girlfriend.”

“Girlfriend?” He repeated, furrowing his eyebrows. “What?”

“Isn't Gwen your girlfriend?”

“Girlfriend!” Owen began laughing. “What a joke! No offense, but I wouldn't want her as a girlfriend any day.”

“If she's not your girlfriend, then -”

“We just have casual sex.”

“B-But Gwen has a boyfriend and - “

“I know that, but she agreed with it also. I know nothing about their personal life.” Tosh, still uncomfortable with Gwen and Owen's casual sex, nodded awkwardly. “Well I guess I'm gonna head back now. See you tomorrow Tosh.”

“Wait Owen!”

He turned around to face Tosh. He was unaware that her heart was racing and her palms were sweating. He was unaware of it all.

“What?”

“I....I.....” Tosh tried to swallow the lump in her throat, but it wasn't working. Her heart beat grew faster within every second. “I...I...” Owen continued to give her a perplexed stare. “Um, never mind. It's nothing.”

“You can be dead weird sometimes, you know that?” He gave her a small smile. “See you.”

As Tosh watched Owen leave, she wondered if she would and could ever tell him how much she loved him.