Torchwood First Born by Unknown Read Free Book Online Page A

their situation. Can give them a child of their own.'
    'Oh my god,' said Gwen.
    I remembered Nerys at the bus shelter, and groaned.
    'Yes,' Mrs Harries rested her hand on Gwen's, and this time she didn't flinch.
    We didn't talk on the walk back home. It was raining heavily, and Gwen was wrapped up like a squaw, as though she didn't want the world to see her.
    The whole world seemed awful. Even the stink thistles were drooping their heads glumly.
    Never before had that grim little caravan seemed like home. But it seemed safe, a refuge. Gwen flopped down in that horrible chair and started to feed Anwen, fussing over her socks, and changing her little baby T-shirt over and over again. She didn't seem to be listening to me.
    'Right.' I'd had enough. 'Come on, we're packing up and we're getting out of here. Right now.'
    'No.' Gwen didn't look up from the baby. In the old days, her voice would have been firm, loud and spoiling for a fight. Now it was just hollow and deeply tired.
    'Are you kidding?' I yelled.
    Gwen pressed a hand to her head. 'Just put the kettle on, love.'
    I boiled the kettle.
    We sat and had tea.
    After a while, Gwen broke the silence. 'I'd kill for something stronger.'
    'Yeah,' I agreed.
    We sipped our tea and watched the rain.
    I stood up, trotted over to the kitchen drawer and pulled out the sheaf of takeaway menus we'd miraculously acquired. 'I'm getting us a pizza and some beer,' I said.
    Gwen made that 'ooh' noise she used to make when she'd soak her feet after a day on the beat. I switched my mobile on. For once, the tiniest bit of signal. I rang one firm. Then another. Then I started to shout.
    'What is the point in giving us the bloody leaflets if you don't deliver?' A pause. 'I see. Well, yes, but I've had a really bad day and I don't feel like coming in to collect it. No. No. Thank you.' And I might have shouted some more. But I'm leaving that out.
    I slammed down the phone. Well, you can't really slam a mobile. I kind of tossed it across the counter.
    But not too hard. Didn't want to break it. Not when we were about an hour's drive from the nearest greasy-child-in-a-tie phone store.
    'Lovely,' said Gwen. 'I'm trapped in a caravan with two babies.'
    'Don't worry,' I told her. 'I'll pop to the petrol station and get us something.'

    'No.' Gwen grabbed my hand, needy. Gwen was never needy. 'Don't. Please don't leave me.'
    I looked at her.
    'Oh god, love.' I wrapped her in a hug. As much of a hug as was possible without squeezing our baby into jam.
    'This feels so good,' she laughed. 'Like old times.'
    'Yeah,' I breathed. 'You OK?'
    'No,' she said.
    'I won't ever let you go.'
    'Actually, you'd better,' sighed Gwen. 'Anwen's just sicked up something.'
    'Right.'
    Cleaned and tidied and with two tins of spaghetti on the go, we looked at each other.
    'I was nearly...' Gwen swallowed. 'No, not using the word.'
    'What are we going to do about it?'
    'We can hardly call the police, can we, now?'
    'Good point. I can go round there later and...'
    'No,' said Gwen.
    I shook my head. I felt so outraged. So furious and sick. Still. I checked my hand. It was shaking.
    God knew how Gwen was coping.
    'Right then,' I said. 'Well at least we know why Ianto had keys to this place. Is there any escape from your old life? From bloody Torchwood?'
    'No,' admitted Gwen. 'We just keep moving.'
    'Is that what we do, then? We move on? Pack up tonight, pick another key and pray?'
    'It could be worse.'
    'OK,' I sighed. Til pack after we've had hoops.'
    'No.' Gwen's eyes were wide. 'I meant the next place could be worse. Worse than this one. If Torchwood had keys to these places it means there's unfinished business in all of them. I think we should stay.'
    'But...' I protested, 'this place is so sad.'
    'Yeah,' sighed Gwen. 'Yes it is.' She brightened.
    'Let's find out why.'

    G w e n
    We talked what we were going to do about it for a bit, in between spooning hoops from the bowl and feeding and changing Anwen. We talked until I could