Just Imagine...

Bonding at the Skating Rink

It was one of those days that was so glorious there couldn't possibly be anything evil lurking. The sun was so bright it chased all the bad things away, and called on anyone still indoors to come outside and have fun.
The Rift was miraculously quiet, which was unusual even for a sunny day. It was best not to waste days like these, and oh, today was going to be so much fun. Or at least that's what Gwen had thought when she'd planned a trip to the roller skating rink that had just opened up a few blocks from her and Rhys' place. Little did she know Jack couldn't skate and was actually afraid of roller skating while Sam would be mysteriously elusive the whole time, slipping around the different games in the arcade room and standing nonchalantly by the vending machines, flipping a coin over and over again.
"C'mon Jack, just try?" Ianto asked kindly, gently taking Jack's hand.
"Ianto, I know I'm gonna fall on my ass and people are gonna laugh and I'll... have a sore ass!" Jack exclaimed, "I'll just watch, okay? Please, can I just watch?"
"I worry about you missing all the fun." Ianto said with a slight pout.
"You can hold your mommy's hand," Owen teased from his chair as he laced up, "SAM! GET OVER HERE! YOUR LITTLE BOY WANTS YOU TO SKATE WITH HIM!"
"I do not!" Jack hissed frantically.
"Sorry Jacksie, I pulled my hamstring yesterday." Sam muttered, still standing by the vending machine.
"No you didn't." Tosh said, frowning as Owen took her hand.
"But there's my knee thing," Sam went on, "one slip out there and I'll have to dig out the old cane."
"Sam, don't tell me you can't skate either." Gwen laughed. Sam's expression didn't change. "Oh my God, you can't!" Gwen exclaimed.
"Who said that?" Sam demanded, "I never said that!!"
"I don't believe this." Gwen giggled, taking far too much amusement in the situation for Sam's liking.
"Listen, I never had time to skate as a kid!" Sam snapped, "I was too busy fighting off giant predators in the rainforest! While you guys grew up with sunshine and lollipops, I was out there kickin' names and takin' butts!"
"I think you meant-" Ianto began.
"Shut up, Ianto." Sam hissed.
"Sam, did you even have a real childhood?" Tosh asked quietly.
"What?" Sam scoffed, "course I did. I was a child."
"But did you do child things?" Gwen pressed, "because it seems like the only stories you ever tell are about you fighting and learning to survive. Didn't you ever, like... I dunno, run through the sprinkler? Play football with a tin can in the streets? Show off hula hoop tricks?"
Sam laughed bitterly.
"As if I could!" She barked, "with my dad's parents always breathing down my neck! Going into the rainforest was my only escape, it was the only place they couldn't find me, because I became a part of it and it became a part of me, even though it was constantly trying to kill me! I still had a childhood! Just because it wasn't perfect like yours, Gwen Cooper, doesn't mean it was horrible! It would've been horrible if I hadn't ever left the house. I wouldn't have any friends, I wouldn't know a thing about survival in the wild. The way I grew up made me who I am, and I'm damn proud of who I am, so just save your gooey sentimental shit!"
Gwen flinched, realizing too late that she'd struck a nerve.
"You learned to survive because it was all you could do," she murmured softly, "because your dad's parents tried to take away your childhood." Sam folded her arms over her chest, subsiding.
"Yeah." She said quietly.
"Sam, I'm sorry," Gwen murmured, skating over to her and laying a hand on her shoulder, "I didn't mean to laugh at you, I didn't realize..." Sam looked at her out of the corner of her eye, then sighed.
"I'm sorry I snapped," she said, eyes closed, "it's... a sore spot with me. Old wounds like that never really heal." She gave a half-hearted laugh.
"Do you want us to teach you how to roller skate?" Tosh piped up suddenly.
"Yeah, we could teach you both, Jack!" Ianto added with a sparkle in his eye. Sam smiled, looking almost close to tears.
"Sure, guys," she croaked, "thanks. That's... really nice." Then she grinned wider. "But if my knee pops out-"
"Yes, don't worry, we'll drive you to the hospital." Owen sighed, rolling his eyes.
"I'm really nervous." Jack said to Ianto.
"Don't be, I'll hold your hand and I won't let go until you're ready." Ianto promised.
It turned out Sam was a natural, she soon picked up the technique as Tosh and Owen helped her, each holding one of her hands.
"I think I got it." She said eventually.
"You sure?" Tosh asked. Sam nodded.
"Yeah."
"Ready for us to let you go?" Owen added.
"Go for it." Sam answered. She held onto the feeling of their hands - Tosh's warm and small and soft, and Owen's firm and tense and calloused - before they let go, and she glided forwards with her head held high. "I'm doing it!" She laughed, "look at me, I'm doing it!"
"Way to go, Sam!" Gwen called from behind her.
"WOOHOO!" Owen added. Sam felt herself beaming ear to ear as she did a graceful turn and skated back towards Ianto, Jack, and Gwen.
"Ready to try without us?" Ianto asked.
"I don't know..." Jack said warily, "I... I'll give it a try."
"Atta boy!" Sam exclaimed, "you got this!"
But as soon as Gwen and Ianto let go, Jack lost his balance and fell onto his knees. He stayed there with his head in his hands.
"C'mon, son," Sam murmured, skating up next to him and crouching beside him so she could gently touch his shoulder, "try again, it's okay. You'll get the hang of it!"
Jack looked up at her, putting on a determined face, and nodded. Sam and Ianto helped him back up and they tried again. This time Jack managed to stay on his feet.
"THERE YA GO!" Sam cheered, "GO JACK! THAT'S MY BOY! EVERYONE LOOK AT MY SON! HE'S AMAZING!"
Jack laughed, blushing.
"Mom, stop!" He said shyly, "you're embarrassing me!"
"I'm so proud of you, Jack!" Ianto exclaimed, skating up to him and wrapping him up in a hug. Sam was shouting encouragements in Spanish, not paying attention to where she was going, and nearly tripped over her own feet. Gwen saved her at the last second by grabbing her around the waist. Sam smiled at her.
"I'm okay!" She chuckled, "gracias."
"De nada." Gwen replied, then wrinkled her nose, not sure if she liked how it sounded with her accent.
"You've been practicing Spanish!" Sam exclaimed, face lighting up.
"A little." Gwen admitted, smiling sweetly.
"I could teach a you a little more," Sam suggested, "if you want me to, that is."
"I'd love that." Gwen said, "maybe you could teach Rhys too."
"Uh, one step at a time, por favor." Sam said, and Gwen laughed loudly.
"So, you never actually told me why you never learned to roller skate." Ianto mused as he and Jack skated along at a slow pace, still holding hands even though Ianto was certain Jack was confident enough to skate on his own now.
"We didn't have roller skating in the fifty-fist century," Jack said with a shrug, "plus, I never really had the time. And I never had a good teacher, like you." He leaned in and kissed Ianto on the nose.
"OI!" Owen shouted from across the rink, "YOU'RE IN PUBLIC, LOVE BIRDS!"
"And you're holding hands with Tosh!" Ianto shot back as Jack laughed, "what's your point?"
"Owen's got a cru-ush, Owen's got a cru-ush!" Sam taunted in a sing songy voice.
"Don't listen to them," Tosh said gently as Owen's scowl deepened, "they're only teasing."
"But they're not wrong." Owen admitted, blushing slightly. Tosh blinked, taken aback and unsure if she'd really heard that, then laughed self consciously.
"Really?" She asked. Owen looked at her, face getting redder.
"That was the wrong way to say it, wasn't it?" He murmured.
"No!" Tosh protested, then smiled, "it was perfect."
"I probably could've done better."
"Okay, fine. What would you have said?"
"Probably something sappy, like, 'your eyes are the most beautiful thing I've ever seen'."
Tosh giggled.
"Owen!"
"Or 'won't you have dinner with me, lovely lady?'."
"Stop it!"
"'How I would love to lay in the shade of an apple tree and run my hands through your hair'-"
"Cut it out! You're gonna make me fall!"
Tosh was laughing so hard now she was pretty sure she couldn't keep her balance much longer. Owen wrapped his arm around her torso to steady her.
"Not on my watch, darling." He murmured close to her ear.
"Ew," Tosh snickered, "no pet names."
"Agreed." Owen said.
Gwen, Sam, Jack, and Ianto were all giggling and making faces behind their backs, but Tosh and Owen didn't care. They only had eyes for each other.
All in all, Gwen reflected when she got home that evening, a successful outing. No aliens, no rushing around, just a relaxing day with her friends. Days like today were always the best.