Keep Dreaming

New Girl - Gwen's POV

I didn't know why Owen was being such a dickhead - well, he was always a bit of a dickhead, but he was being even more of one - to the new girl.
Erin seemed sweet: so scared and bewildered and new, as I had been when I first joined.
I had initially started talking to her just to be nice, but this girl turned out to be very interesting. I mean, Tosh seemed to be completely enamoured with her.
She told me about her days in the "Gardaí", the Irish police force. She talked with such passion and care about her culture and language, which I couldn't help but love about her. I was much the same with Welsh culture, and I knew exactly how she felt.
She turned her whole life around, moving to a different country and getting a new degree, which couldn't have been easy.
I found myself genuinely wanting to impress this girl and to be friends with her. She just oozed a certain chillness that I certainly needed more of in my life. Plus, I could probably do with a some advice from a therapist, considering my life was a bit of a shit show at the moment.

We usually went to the bar on Fridays anyway, so I thought it would be the perfect opportunity to invite Erin along, get to know her better. Judging by Owen's reaction, though, he wasn't the biggest fan of this idea. But since when did I listen to Owen? Plus, he'd have to get used to her now: Jack was stubborn as a mule, he wasn't going to let anyone persuade him she was wrong for the job if he thought otherwise.

Before we went out, I noticed Erin's eyebrows sag slightly as Owen made some snide remark to her. He could really be a little shit sometimes - he was lucky he was good in bed.
I gently squeezed Erin's arm, and her head snapped up, eyes wide. I looked right back at her.
"Don't mind him. He's a twat."
She smiled back at me - a smile just a tad too wide, that didn't reach her eyes. I knew it well.
"I don't mind, honestly."
She whispered back.
"I'm a therapist, remember? I have clients who try to get a reaction from me constantly. It's water off a duck's back at this point."
I nodded with a small smile, still not fully convinced.
"Right so. You go get your things and I'll get mine."
I turned to address the rest of the group, scattered at various parts of the building. I hoped that giving Erin a moment's peace from the chaos would calm her down.
"You guys go ahead, we'll be a few seconds."
Jack initially shot me a confused look, but I widened my eyes and nodded subtly to Erin, who had her back turned to me.  Jack smiled and nodded understandingly.
"Okay then, we'll see you there."
His voice echoed. I then heard the door shut, silencing the incomprehensible babble of chatter as Jack headed out with Owen and Tosh.
I fleetingly wondered where Ianto was before remembering Jack had ordered him to go home and rest - probably for the best.
I grabbed my purse and jacket while Erin pulled her jacket on. I always thought therapists were supposed to be boring and bland, but Erin looked fairly badass with her shock of curls pulled into a loose ponytail, her eyeliner, and her leather jacket. However confident her looks may have made her seem, though, I could see her nervously fidgeting, playing with her rings, as we headed towards the door.
"You'll be fine. They're grand once you get to know them."
She nodded and smiled politely, doing a shoddy job of acting convinced. An anxious therapist - how ironic.
I stopped in my tracks and turned to face her.
"You've already won me, Jack, and Tosh over. Three down, only two to go. Okay?"
I said more assertively. She paused as she processed what I said, then seemed to physically relax. She even giggled after a moment.
"You're right. I'm just in my own head-"
She absent-mindedly took her hair down from her ponytail and ran a hand through it, as though it was of second nature to her.
"It's been a long, confusing day. I just need to go and relax."
I smiled brightly in encouragement, relieved that she was feeling more confident in herself.
"Exactly. Now come on, I'm dying for a pint and a bag of chips."
I laughed as I held out my hand and she inhaled deeply before grabbing it. I gave it a quick, reassuring squeeze, after which exited the building together.