bk_forever | Ficlet: Maternity Leave

Title: Maternity Leave

Author: badly_knitted

Characters: Jack, Gwen

Rating: G

Spoilers: Not really.

Summary: Jack’s putting Gwen on maternity leave and she’s not happy about it.

Word Count: 384

Written For: juliet316’s prompt ‘Author's choice, author's choice, maternity leave,’ at fic_promptly.

Disclaimer: I don’t own Torchwood, or the characters. They belong to the BBC.

“You can’t put me on maternity leave, Jack!” Gwen looked stricken.

“You’re nearly eight months pregnant, Gwen, you can barely manage the stairs as it is, you can’t reach your keyboard without sitting sideways, which can’t be doing your back any good, and you have to pee every five minutes!”

“It’s not that bad! I’m pregnant, not dying.”

“You’re becoming a liability around the Hub. What if you fell while no one else was here? No, Gwen, I let you keep working longer than I should have as it is. As of now, you’re on maternity leave and that’s final.”

“But what will I do!” Gwen wailed. “I’ll be stuck at home alone all day, bored silly!”

“I don’t know. Make preparations for the little one, nest, that’s what you’re supposed to be doing, isn’t it?”

“The nursery’s ready, Dav and Banana Boat helped Rhys with that because I was working.”

”See? You’ve been so focussed on work that you haven’t even given yourself a chance to do anything for your baby except give her a place to grow. You’re missing out on all the best stuff, Gwen. You’ll be a mother in just over a month, and you’re not ready.”

“I just said the nursery’s done.”

“I’m not talking about the nursery, I’m talking about YOU not being ready, in here.” Jack tapped Gwen on the forehead. “It’s time for you to stop thinking like a Torchwood agent and start thinking like a mother. That little one needs you, she should be your top priority.”

“But I don’t know how to think like a mother!”

“Hence the maternity leave, you can focus all your attention on your bump for the next few weeks. Do baby stuff.”

“Such as?”

“Well, you could knit little baby things…”

“I don’t know how to knit!”

“So learn! Ask Ianto, he knits.”

“Ianto can knit?”

“Yep! I taught him. Now shoo, go home, relax, knit, shop for baby things online. Torchwood will be fine, I’m sure we can manage without you.”

Gwen sighed, giving in to the inevitable. “Fine, I guess this means I’m taking maternity leave.” Turning away, she waddled across to her desk to fetch her things. Oh well, maybe it wouldn’t be so bad. At least she’d be able to put her aching feet up.

The End