If it's a bad day, you try to suffocate

[lasttimeilost]

Chicago's a rough city to be in any day of the week, but for some people it's rougher today than it has been in a while.

Leon Warner is laying on his side in a puddle from the rain yesterday, protecting his head from the poorly-aimed kicks of the group of larger boys around him. Oddly enough, he didn't ask for this fight, it just came to him, and

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[lasttimeilost]

On the ground, Leon winces. He's not entirely sure how well that's going to go over with this group of kids. It's not like they're fearless or anything, but a pregnant lady threatening to call the cops and her husband doesn't seem very threatening to him.

"Hey," he grunts under the boy. "Just fuck off, okay? Don't get her involved in this. You got what you wanted, right? Just go. I won't let her call the cops if you just leave."

The other boy looks at him oddly, and then he considers the twenty bucks of Leon's money that's currently in his back pocket. "Alright," he mutters, and he climbs off Leon. "Come on boys, we're leaving," he says before holding up his hands in a 'don't shoot' gesture to Gwen. Not that he knows she actually has a gun, but he figures it's a good gesture anyway. Or a really cheeky one, but either way.

"No harm done, lady," he says, even though his hands have Leon's blood on them. "We're out of here." And they are, the whole group of them. Leon sighs, relieved that now he doesn't have to think about getting the both of them out of this mess. He sits up slowly, wiping away the blood from a cut above his eyebrow.

"Could have been worse," he tells himself quietly.

[aliensurrogate]

Gwen's eyes narrow, but she keeps her mouth shut. If she hadn't been pregnant she would have marched right over there and punched that kid, just to teach him a lesson. She's always been popular, even in school, but she's been friends long enough with Ianto and Tosh to know that for some people school is hell. She always enjoyed herself, but there were distinct advantages to being pretty and gregarious.

As soon as the boys step away she hurries over to Leon as fast as her body will allow her. She hates how long it takes her to do a simple thing like walk, but soon she's at his side, setting the gun down on the pavement so she can check on him without crushing it on her stomach.

She wasn't bluffing. If she'd had to, she would have pointed it at them.

"Asking if you're all right is a little stupid, yeah?" she asks softly, taking a handkerchief out of her pocket and holding it out to him.

[lasttimeilost]

Leon shakes his head. "It's not stupid," he says, then spits a saliva-blood mixture. He glances up to see the hankerchief, and tries to wave her off.

"It'll just get messy, and I'm really okay." he says, and that's when he sees the gun. "Holy shit."

It could have gotten a lot worse. "Do you just carry that around?" he asks, a little shocked. He has to admit, it's not a bad idea, but the idea that a pregnant lady is packing is just... wild to him. But this is Chicago, so maybe he should be less surprised. He can't help himself, though--he is surprised, and more than a little impressed. This lady isn't as crazy as she looks. Or maybe she is.

[aliensurrogate]

That's rather the point; the handkerchief is supposed to get messy and clean off his face, but Gwen wisely doesn't push and slides it back into her pocket. Normally she wouldn't even carry them, but she's pregnant now and frequently sick. It's easier to hand something on hand than risk not being about to find a loo.

She glances down at the gun and nods, standing up slowly and putting it back in her pocket. "Back home in Wales I was a PC - a Police Constable." It's a little bit of a lie because the British PCs don't carry guns of any kind, but American ones do, and Gwen isn't going to try and explain Torchwood right now. She knows they're more open in this universe than her own, but she still reverts back to her old instincts.

"Here, it just seems like a good idea, given all the random danger popping out of doorways..."

[lasttimeilost]

Leon nods---he doesn't exactly know what a Police Constable, but it sounds sorta like a cop, so he's going to run with it. "Oh," he says, nodding. He knows some female cops--been caught fighting by a couple of them. "That's... cool," he admits, because he's not sure what else to say.

His split eyebrow is dribbling in his eyes, and he swipes at it with the back of his hand. "It's not a bad idea," he admits as he wipes his hand on his jeans without a second thought. "Probably really smart, actually." There's a pause as he fights with the question, then. "Ever had to use it? In Chicago, I mean."

[aliensurrogate]

"Not really," she replies, rocking back on her heels. She's wearing chucks instead of boots now, simply because its more comfortable. Her wardrobe had matured past running shoes, but she's not picky these days. Whatever doesn't make her feel like she's about to pass out from her swollen feet.

"I mostly stay in at the Tower... leaving it is apparently a bad idea." That's an understatement. Chicago isn't safe, and Gwen can barely run a few feet without feeling exhausted these days.

[lasttimeilost]

The Tower... Leon's putting all the pieces together. He knows about the Tower, though he hasn't been there. There hasn't really ever been a reason to. He tries to mostly stick to himself and study hard. Y'know. When he's not fighting.

"I mean. I guess. I spend a lot of my time at school and the library, and I don't see that much trouble." Cue more blood in Leon's eyes. Yeah. The boy doesn't see any trouble. Ever.

He pauses to wipe the blood away, looking pretty intently at the ground. "Thanks, by the way," he says. "For, you know. Being here and yelling and... saving me. And stuff." Not that he needed saving--he could have totally taken those guys all by himself if given the chance--but.

[aliensurrogate]

Gwen raises an eyebrow, obviously not impressed with Leon's attempts to downplay the situation. He's obviously a kid that finds trouble, and all Gwen's instincts want to protect him. Unfortunately she's not his mother, and he doesn't have any for her to talk to either.

"It's no big deal," she says with a wave of her hand. "I'm glad I just happened around." Her stomach suddenly growls and she glances down at it, a little red in the face. She's always hungry it seems, these days.

"You hungry? Because apparently I am."

[lasttimeilost]

Leon glances at her stomach too. He doens't know how to approach the subject of her pregnancy, even if it is an obvious thing to converse about. He... isn't a baby person. He's not a people person in general, but yeah.

"Uh, sure," he says, even though he's out twenty bucks. He doesn't have to actually eat anything, just go with her and watch her. Absolutely. "Is there a place you like, or... I mean. You're new around here, right?" He doesn't really know places to eat, except, like. McDonald's. Because he doesn't eat out, ever, but if she wants to eat somewhere, he's happy to go with her. He has to thank her some how.

He wipes the blood that is slowly drying from his face as he grips his bag and goes to stand, taking it slowly. He doesn't want to pass out, because then she'll have to call 911 or something. And he can't really have that.