Disoriented Cosmos {A Torchwood Story} [COMPLETED]

7. My First Paycheck

"You get your paycheck at the end of every month," Jack announces as he brings the three of us into his office from examining a broken warpstar to give us our wages, "it will be the same amount every month, unless you've been promoted - which I'm sure won't happen yet."
"Aw, thanks so much for believing in me," I say mockingly with a false modest expression, and he gives me a smile out the corner of his mouth.

After collecting our checks, Tosh asks me, "Do you know how much you get a month?"
I pause, looking at her with concern. "Why? Is it a lot?"
"Well, how much is 'a lot' to you?" Suzie calls from the other side of the Hub as she collects her things to leave and do whatever she does when she's not here.

I shrug and say to Tosh, "I dunno, like... a thousand? Two thousand?" with the echoes of laughter from each of the women - at least Tosh is trying to keep it in.
"What? How much is our wages?" I persist, and Tosh just tells me to look at my check, so I do.

And then I explode out, "What the fuck?!" and storm into Jack's office.

He finishes what he was writing and puts his fountain pen down, and asks calmly, "Yes?"

"How come we get this much money every month?" I demand, flabbergasted. Torchwood claims to be outside the government and beyond the police - but how do you get this kind of money from anywhere else but the government?!

"Not even the drugring had this much money, Jack!" I insist, eyes wide, and my boss chuckles.
"Evelina, this is how much you earn for helping save the world. Enjoy it: go for a pint, get on a train to somewhere; maybe even use it as rent for your own place."

I freeze, cocking my head and pondering what he just said. This amount of money probably equates to a lot of months of rent... and I can't keep sleeping on a camp bed in Jack's office, torn between being his friend and the burning intensity to know who he is. Yeah. Yeah, maybe I will get my own place.

I take my hands off of the desk and lean upright, holding the check in my hands and snaking it between my fingers. I look to Jack, who is smiling broadly.
I sigh and say sarcastically, "Well, if you really want me to move out, fine," and my boss laughs loudly.
"Go ahead, Evelina - you've earned it," he adds, and waves me out of his office so he can lean back on his chair and put his feet up on the desk.

I walk to Tosh, who has gotten her things together and is waiting for me. Grinning at finding a friend in such a short time, I link arms with her and we walk out. I still don't have any possessions except a paper rose, my watch, and some clothes to take anywhere, so I'm perfectly fine with leaving with nothing except the check and whatever is stored on my person.

"To the bank, to cash your check?" she asks companiably as we walk through the heavy door, and I suddenly realise I don't have an account anywhere.
"Uhh, can you first help me create an account?" I ask laughing, and she laughs with me and agrees to help.

We walk out of the 'shop' with arms linked, laughing about how unprepared I am, I look out at Mermaid Quay and thank Captain Jack Harkness and Toshiko Sato for saving me, in every which way I can think of.