There might have been a time/ When I would let you slip away [Open]

[aliensurrogate]

Gwen Cooper is pregnant. Not just a little pregnant either. She's nearly five months along, and it's gotten to the point where she can't hide that any longer. She's gone to the gym regularly, started to wear baggy clothes, and hoped people would just think she'd gained a little stress-weight from missing home and her husband. No one has said

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[sophicsulphur]

Iris knows the signs of panic. And she also knows she probably shouldn't step in, but she's never been one to ignore distress for the simple sake of self-preservation. Really, she's never been one for self-preservation. So when she sees the woman staring at the frontage of the store-- notes the sign she's reading, notes her condition, and quickly figures out what's likely going on-- she decides to check in, just in case. Watching the flickers of fear creeping into her features makes her own heart beat faster, but she swallows it down, and, raising a timid hand, asks, "...Hey. You okay there?"

She doesn't know the first thing about being pregnant-- well, no, she knows the basic facts, but she's no idea how it feels-- but discomfort's discomfort, and maybe there's something she can do to help.

Oh, and she's also got a giant, steaming pitcher of coffee tucked under one arm. But ignore that fact. Unless coffee would help.

[aliensurrogate]

Gwen can't drink coffee. Coffee is on the list of forbidden foods, which is quite a problem by itself. After months of living off of Ianto's spectacular coffee, she can't drink it, and she's had to make excuses to the Welshman as to why she's turning him down.

She thinks she hurt his feelings.

So instead of staring at Iris, she stares at the coffee pitcher for a good minute, before glancing up at the girl, shaking her head as she tries to regain some dignity. Not easy, considering first she was staring gape-mouthed at a sign, and then at the girl's coffee.

"I'm fine," she mutters, running her fingers through her hair. "Bloody fine, really. Just a bit..." she pauses, her thick Welsh accent mangling the words as she stumbles through them. "Coming to terms."

[sophicsulphur]

Iris doesn't mind the lack of dignity. And, really, a small girl with a huge pot of coffee is something to gape at, she supposes. Or at least, that's the general impression she gets from people in Chicago. She simply smiles, in a way she hopes looks sympathetic.

"I see," she says gently. "I-- hope I didn't bother you. You--" Just looked like you were struggling. "--I just never wanna walk by someone without being sure, you know." And right now, she's really not sure, but she doesn't want to imply that. Best to go gentle

[aliensurrogate]

Gwen starts, and immediately her own problems drift away. Is this girl actually pregnant? She seems a bit young, but then Gwen remembers some odd fumblings and near-misses back when she was in Secondary School; she could have been pregnant back then, probably around this girl's age. She realises maybe she's just getting old.

Thirty-one isn't ancient, but she's nearing Jack's fake-age now.

"Oh you poor lamb," she says softly, glancing up at the sign. "When are you due?" Not soon, of course, because the girl isn't showing at all, but that doesn't mean anything. Gwen only has a small belly now; it's her face that's a dead give-away for her condition. Slightly puffed now, heavier than it normally is.

[smithnjones]

Martha Jones is not heading to the store that Gwen is standing outside of. She would obviously have no reason to go there at all, but Martha is observant. Before she knows what store it is, she knows that it is Gwen standing there... and then she notices the store and there are a few things that she has noticed that finally are adding up.

She likely had her suspicions before, but it is never an easy subject to broach. Martha stops there in front of the store, and there is only concern on her face. She can almost sense the panic.

"Gwen?"

[aliensurrogate]

Gwen starts, practically jumping. She might have, if her body was capable of upward momentum. As it is, she just flinches rather obviously and slowly turns around to face Martha, her expression guilty. Gwen has been caught, and she knows it.

"Hello, Martha," she says slowly, the words feeling funny on her lips. She's almost in shock, but out of everyone that could have caught her, at least it was Martha.

Martha probably won't judge her. Much. More for the lying and deceit than anything else. Obviously no one will blame her for the pregnancy, just for not telling anyone about it.

[smithnjones]

Martha reads that guilty expression immediately, but there is no judgment in Martha's gaze. After what she has done in Chicago, she honestly has no right to judge anyone else. She kept secret a plan to assassinate someone and an unhealthy habit for one night stands. Granted, it was after torture, but she has made decisions since then that others might judge her for.

"Hello," she says, and she stops in front of Gwen, hesitating. It isn't from uncertainty at all but a wondering at how to proceed.

She takes in a deep breath and decides against saying the utterly obvious. Instead when she speaks, it's softly, and her hand rests upon. "Does anyone else know?"

[aliensurrogate]

Out of all of the people that could have found her, Gwen knows Martha is the one that would immediately recognise her condition. She is a doctor, after all, and Gwen is carrying all the signs of a pregnant woman. She can't say that she's glowing or anything cliche like that, but she has a small stomach now, and her face is beginning to look puffy.

Men aren't likely to notice these things, especially men who have never had children. Gwen is fairly confident she could walk past Ianto naked and he wouldn't realise her condition.

"Owen," she replies with a deep sigh. "I had to have someone check up on me, and I figured he wouldn't tell Jack." Especially since in this world he and Jack seem to get along even worse than they did back home.

[trappedbyhate]

Mio'd been feeling too restless to sit in her office doing desk work this afternoon, so she'd made a whole big list of things they were running low on at the Tower and is out buying them all. When she first spotted Gwen, she hadn't been planning on doing much more than saying 'hi', but the amount of anxiety Gwen is giving off is hard to ignore. Besides, even if Mio didn't know her that well, Gwen was a close friend of Ianto's. There's no way she can walk by without at least making sure everything is all right.

"Gwen, what's the matter?" she asks. Though, considering the store the other woman is standing outside of, it's really not all that hard to guess.

[aliensurrogate]

Of all the people Gwen didn't want to catch her, Mio was high on the list. Not because she dislikes her, because she doesn't. She rather likes the effect Mio has on Ianto. He seems happier than he was back home, and although she knows all of his history with Jack, more than he does, and she knows that they were nearly there. Almost a real couple, instead of just sleeping together.

She can't really make out their relationship here. According to Ianto they're in a poly relationship, but she's been on the net and still doesn't completely understand it.

Ianto is happy. That's what matters.

No, the reason she doesn't want to see Mio is because of Mio's relationship to her best friend and her boss. She doesn't want to have to ask her to hide this from the both of them.

"Nothing, Mio," she lies quickly, stepping back away. "Just admiring the clothes. They're quite cute."

[trappedbyhate]

It's funny that Gwen thinks she doesn't understand a poly relationship, considering the relationship she had with Jack and Ianto back in her world. Poly didn't always have to be about sex. But, Mio doesn't feel Gwen's confusion on the subject, or actually know the details of the relationships Gwen had before she came through the Rift, so she can't really make any comment on the matter.

She gives Gwen a Look. "Pardon my language, but that's bullshit and we both know it," she says bluntly. "You were practically on the verge of hyperventilating just a minute ago. That does not qualify as 'just admiring the clothes.'" She eyes Gwen's belly, catching the slightest bit of a bulge, further confirming her suspicions. Gwen has one more chance to come clean by herself. If she doesn't, Mio'll just charge right ahead into uncomfortable question territory whether Gwen wants to go there or not.

[aliensurrogate]

Gwen flinches, not expecting that out of the other woman. Then again, she has been spending plenty of time with Ianto, and Gwen knows her friend can call bullshit like no one else.

Except his own, of course.

Gwen follows Mio's gaze down and swallows nervous. She knows she's been caught, and now she has to figure out how to respond. She could keep on denying, but that would be insulting, both to her integrity and to Mio's intelligence.

"I'm pregnant," she admits, glancing away. She can feel those obnoxious tears swelling up. "Almost five months along. I found out back home before... it all went to shit."

[thehighestwing]

No need to pull out your gun, Ianto. At least, not that one.

The person watching you is Phoebe, and she waves at him with a bright smile as she approaches. It probably comes as a surprise to those that know her she's old enough to be in bars, but there you have it. She'd been club hopping for most of the night. It's been years since she was able to do that, years since she was able to see old and familiar faces.

She sits on the stool across from him. "Kind of addictive, isn't it?" she asks, motioning to the reality show unfolding on the screen. (She totally watched Flavor Flav back when it was on.)

[thehighestwing]

Oh, Ianto. Phoebe is a short fuse and her emotions are usually all over the place, but it would take a great deal for her to be pissed off at him. He's more than fairly pleasant to be around, she's come to find. And well, Phoebe doesn't know if anyone gets on with Owen aside from Matoi.

Such things are a mystery.

"Of course not! We frown upon such things. And stuff," she says, the latter part of her speech ruining the proper accent she'd been trying to pull off. Phoebe nudges his shoulder lightly in greeting, smile shifting into something closer to a grin.

"What's up, cutie? Decided to take the night off from Torchwood mania?"

[willnotbemine]

Lena is not pregnant. She is just walking past the store at the exact moment Gwen stops in front of it.

She loves kids, however, and she looks over at Gwen when she hears the panicking hilt to her voice. Lena smiles at her a little, before she peeks into the store. "I've always thought posh is a good word," she says conversationally, stepping back and sticking her hands into her pockets.

"No reason one can't look fabulous at the same time, right?"

[aliensurrogate]

"No, not at all," she agrees. For a moment she wonders if she's met Lena before; she's met so many people since arriving in Chicago, and they all seem to know of Torchwood. It's not a secret here, which is odd for her. She supposes that's all well and good though, because then she won't find herself retconned if Jack ever decides to cut ties completely.

Which he might, after he finds out she's been hiding a baby from him.

"Are you pregnant too?" she asks, because that's the only reason why this woman would be making conversation outside of a maternity store, right? Clearly Gwen hasn't been in Chicago long enough.

[willnotbemine]

Lena laughs the question off and shakes her head. "No, no I am not," she says, glancing back at the store thoughtfully. When Lena was with Rick, she decided early on she would never have kids. Part of it had to do with the volatile state of their relationship but most of all, it had to do with the fact she as a demon.

There is no way in this world she will ever have children and risk them growing up to have a Calling like hers. It's giving them madness and a demon in their heart.

"I was mostly stopping to make sure you were all right, weird as that may sound."

Being a demon, Lena could sense right off the bat Gwen was a Wanderer. Lena didn't know if the panic was due to pregnancy jitters or the fact she might have just been dropped off by the Rift. Nine times out of ten, it's the latter. She wanted to ensure it wasn't the case so she wouldn't ignore someone needing someone's help.

[aliensurrogate]

"Yeah, I suppose I do look a bit rattled," Gwen admits, running her fingers over the glass before stepping away. She glanced at Lena, and wonders what it is about Chicago that makes her so willing to admit things to strangers. She's always been an open person (until Torchwood forced her to hide everything), but here she's been even more so than normal.

She suspects it's the imminent danger, and the fact that everyone is in the same situation.

"Haven't told anyone yet, and I'm beginning to realise I can't hold off much longer."