Fandomweekly Challenge 209 - In too deep
Dec. 31st, 2024 09:00 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
m_findlowTitle: In too deep
Fandom: Torchwood
Characters:
Author: m_findlow
Rating: PG
Length: 1,000 words
Content notes: None
Author notes: Written for Challenge 209 - Outsider at![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png)
fandomweekly
Summary: : 1,000 words
Fandom: Torchwood
Characters:
Author: m_findlow
Rating: PG
Length: 1,000 words
Content notes: None
Author notes: Written for Challenge 209 - Outsider at
fandomweeklySummary: : 1,000 words
Summary: Rhys had no idea what his fiancé truly did for a living, but now that he’s in, he’s in too deep to back out.
Rhys had long ago accepted that Gwen's working life would be made up of odd hours and unexpected delays. Police constables were assigned a myriad of work shifts, sometimes patches of day shifts that almost resembled a normal nine to five job; other patches were a string of overnighters, or something in between. Even then, people got sick or had to deal with family emergencies and so vacancies in the roster would open up, and Gwen would happily fill in. Rhys didn't mind those last minute changes to their plans. Every little bit of extra money helped them save up for a nice holiday somewhere sunny and, if they counted their pennies, something to put towards a proper house. They couldn't raise a family in a one bedroom flat, no matter how comfortable it was.
The house fund had gotten a boost when Gwen got promoted into special ops. Rhys had been so proud of her, knowing that someone other than him saw her potential. Of course, if he'd thought special ops would result in more regular hours he'd been sadly mistaken. Gwen's work was more erratic than ever. Even when she came home, she often fidgeted for the lack of action, and sometimes made excuses to go back. Something was bugging her about a case she was working on, she had another idea she wanted to explore, she was no use to him in her current state when the only thing on her mind was work. He'd begrudgingly accepted that too, even if for a while he'd wondered if it wasn't work, but another bloke, that she was making excuses for. Could Gwen have been having an affair with someone at work? Rhys didn't think so. Not his Gwen.
Then she'd gone and lied to his face after he'd seen her and what he assumed were her team, prowling about at a vehicle accident, which had just so happened to have been a truck from the company he managed. Why would she lie to him like that? What was the big deal with admitting she'd been there? It was only a car crash, albeit resulting in the death of his driver, who he and Gwen both knew personally.
Of course, now it all made sense. Sort of. He still couldn't quite believe what he was seeing as he stood several storeys below Cardiff Bay, surrounded by steel gangways, Victorian tiled walls, concrete and glass. Even the extension of the silver mirrored water tower from up on the Plass overhead all the way down to where he stood boggled the mind. This was no ordinary special ops. It was MI-5 and the Batcave and Thunderbirds all rolled into one.
And it was an oddly staffed bureau. Only four people he'd been introduced to; five if he included Gwen. How did five people run anything this big? After what he'd seen at the warehouse, that giant creature they were cutting up and selling off as meat, they didn't need five people, they needed the army.
To make matters worse, Gwen's boss seemed to be a right twat. He was all smiles and welcoming when he was just showing off the place, but as soon as Rhys tried to explain that he hadn't cocked up their investigations, Gwen's boss didn't want to hear it. Rhys had stuffed things up for them by poking his nose where it didn't belong. Torchwood was meant to be some big secret that no one knew about, dealing with aliens. Even Rhys wasn't supposed to know, but he was expected to let his fiancé just carry on with it, even if it was dangerous.
What it all boiled down to was the fact that Rhys hadn't buggered things up. Through good luck more than good planning, he'd landed a job with the alien meat traders, picking up where his now deceased driver had left off. He was Torchwood's way back in, and as much as it rankled Gwen's boss, he too agreed.
Gwen was furious with him. Not her boss, but with Rhys. They'd already had a barney in their boardroom in front of the rest of Gwen's team, but now that they'd dispersed, resigned to the fact that Gwen's boyfriend was going to be their way in, she'd pulled him aside into the corridor and begged him to reconsider.
‘They're just a couple of blokes with guns,’ he replied. They'd probably never even used them. Mostly it was just for show. ‘I'm on the inside now, remember? One of the lads. They need a driver who won't talk or ask questions. I'm valuable to them. How much danger do you really think I'll be in?’
Gwen shook her head sadly. ‘You don't know what you're asking. What we do is dangerous, Rhys.’
‘Oh, so it's okay for you but not for me?’ He didn't like the idea of Gwen admitting she was often in dangerous situations. Being out on the beat on a Saturday night, at risk of being bottled, was bad enough.
‘I'm trained for this. I know what I'm doing. You're just–’
‘What? An outsider?’ he challenged. ‘Not smart enough to be in special ops?’
‘Yes, you are an outsider, Rhys Williams.’ She reached up and cupped his face, her eyes welling up with unshed tears. ‘I love you. I just want you safe. Let us find another way to handle this.’
He took her hand and kissed it. ‘I love you too. But I got you into this mess so it's my job to get us out of it. Maybe I'm not some kick arse special ops ninja whose arse looks great in those jeans,’ he said, earning himself a smile, ‘and maybe delivery dockets and purchase orders is all I'm good at most days, but let me help you.’
Gwen chewed her lip. ‘You promise you'll be careful?’
‘Swear it on a stack of a thousand bacon butties. I'll stay right there in my truck cabin whilst you go and be amazing.’
The house fund had gotten a boost when Gwen got promoted into special ops. Rhys had been so proud of her, knowing that someone other than him saw her potential. Of course, if he'd thought special ops would result in more regular hours he'd been sadly mistaken. Gwen's work was more erratic than ever. Even when she came home, she often fidgeted for the lack of action, and sometimes made excuses to go back. Something was bugging her about a case she was working on, she had another idea she wanted to explore, she was no use to him in her current state when the only thing on her mind was work. He'd begrudgingly accepted that too, even if for a while he'd wondered if it wasn't work, but another bloke, that she was making excuses for. Could Gwen have been having an affair with someone at work? Rhys didn't think so. Not his Gwen.
Then she'd gone and lied to his face after he'd seen her and what he assumed were her team, prowling about at a vehicle accident, which had just so happened to have been a truck from the company he managed. Why would she lie to him like that? What was the big deal with admitting she'd been there? It was only a car crash, albeit resulting in the death of his driver, who he and Gwen both knew personally.
Of course, now it all made sense. Sort of. He still couldn't quite believe what he was seeing as he stood several storeys below Cardiff Bay, surrounded by steel gangways, Victorian tiled walls, concrete and glass. Even the extension of the silver mirrored water tower from up on the Plass overhead all the way down to where he stood boggled the mind. This was no ordinary special ops. It was MI-5 and the Batcave and Thunderbirds all rolled into one.
And it was an oddly staffed bureau. Only four people he'd been introduced to; five if he included Gwen. How did five people run anything this big? After what he'd seen at the warehouse, that giant creature they were cutting up and selling off as meat, they didn't need five people, they needed the army.
To make matters worse, Gwen's boss seemed to be a right twat. He was all smiles and welcoming when he was just showing off the place, but as soon as Rhys tried to explain that he hadn't cocked up their investigations, Gwen's boss didn't want to hear it. Rhys had stuffed things up for them by poking his nose where it didn't belong. Torchwood was meant to be some big secret that no one knew about, dealing with aliens. Even Rhys wasn't supposed to know, but he was expected to let his fiancé just carry on with it, even if it was dangerous.
What it all boiled down to was the fact that Rhys hadn't buggered things up. Through good luck more than good planning, he'd landed a job with the alien meat traders, picking up where his now deceased driver had left off. He was Torchwood's way back in, and as much as it rankled Gwen's boss, he too agreed.
Gwen was furious with him. Not her boss, but with Rhys. They'd already had a barney in their boardroom in front of the rest of Gwen's team, but now that they'd dispersed, resigned to the fact that Gwen's boyfriend was going to be their way in, she'd pulled him aside into the corridor and begged him to reconsider.
‘They're just a couple of blokes with guns,’ he replied. They'd probably never even used them. Mostly it was just for show. ‘I'm on the inside now, remember? One of the lads. They need a driver who won't talk or ask questions. I'm valuable to them. How much danger do you really think I'll be in?’
Gwen shook her head sadly. ‘You don't know what you're asking. What we do is dangerous, Rhys.’
‘Oh, so it's okay for you but not for me?’ He didn't like the idea of Gwen admitting she was often in dangerous situations. Being out on the beat on a Saturday night, at risk of being bottled, was bad enough.
‘I'm trained for this. I know what I'm doing. You're just–’
‘What? An outsider?’ he challenged. ‘Not smart enough to be in special ops?’
‘Yes, you are an outsider, Rhys Williams.’ She reached up and cupped his face, her eyes welling up with unshed tears. ‘I love you. I just want you safe. Let us find another way to handle this.’
He took her hand and kissed it. ‘I love you too. But I got you into this mess so it's my job to get us out of it. Maybe I'm not some kick arse special ops ninja whose arse looks great in those jeans,’ he said, earning himself a smile, ‘and maybe delivery dockets and purchase orders is all I'm good at most days, but let me help you.’
Gwen chewed her lip. ‘You promise you'll be careful?’
‘Swear it on a stack of a thousand bacon butties. I'll stay right there in my truck cabin whilst you go and be amazing.’
