Torchwood: Fanfic: Held up

[m_findlow]

Title: Held up
Fandom: Torchwood
Characters: Gwen, John Hart, Jack
Author: m_findlow
Rating: PG
Length: 2,101 words
Content notes: none
Author notes: Written for samuraiter's prompt "Any, any, Oh you. You never change." at fic_promptly
Summary: Gwen has a run in with an old foe.

Gwen paused over the countertop, admiring the display underneath the polished glass. So many options. How on earth was she to choose? She was glad Jack wasn't here to get in the way. He'd only get distracted by so many glittering gemstones.

Buying Ianto a gift for his birthday was surprisingly easier than she expected. These days she could rely on Jack to pass along suggestions, but this idea had been all her own. A nice set of cufflinks. Not something for everyday wear, since most of what got worn in the line of duty often got destroyed, but rather something that could be brought out for special occasions, nice dinners and the like. All she had to do now was choose.

The jeweller was one of the most reputable in town, which also made it very exclusive, and thus very quiet for a Wednesday morning. There were more staff than customers in the shop, but it was a classy enough place that they left her well alone until she was ready to start pointing and asking questions. There was nothing she hated more that pushy salespeople.

She carefully eyed the row of elegant cufflinks resting on their plush white leather pillows. Some were engraved and others encrusted with jewels that sparkled. Nothing too ostentatious, she thought, just a little bit of sparkle. She spotted a pair with small garnets in them, and knew that red was always a safe choice, but then she'd spied the ones with a long strip of amethyst running down one side. They were very smart indeed, and even though they weren't red, she knew they would go quite nicely with a good many outfits.

She kept perusing a few minutes longer, just in case anything else caught her eye. You never knew, in a place like this she might find something for herself while she was here. She caught her reflection in one of the mirrors dotted around the counters. They were round, clunky looking things, about a foot tall and freestanding, like a miniature pedestal. She frowned at the reflection. This place was probably too posh for her, in truth.

'Good morning, lovely people,' came a voice from the far end of the shop near the ornate entrance doors. 'It's your lucky day today. This is what we like to call a hold up.'

Gwen spun at the voice. She'd know it anywhere, and sure enough, as she turned she came face to face with that familiar red coat and filthy shirt, one very nasty looking gun held in each hand, covering the entirety of the shop floor. John Hart.

A scream went up from the only other customer in the store with her.

'No need to get too excited, yet,' John said. 'Everybody on the floor now, face down if you please. Show me those nice arses.'

Quick as a flash she had her gun pulled out from the back of her belt, holding it firmly in John's direction. 'What the hell are you doing in here?'

John noticed her for the first time and grinned. 'Mrs Cooper, what a lovely surprise to see you here.'

'Guns down on the ground. Now!'

'Oh you,' he smiled. 'You never change. I really have missed this place.'

'Don't move,' Gwen warned him, removing a hand from her two handed grip and reaching for the inside of her jacket.

'Oh, you're not thinking of calling Jack, are you? We don't need him here just yet. Let's have a little fun first.' He stepped closer until he had one gun pointed right at her and the other fixed on the four people in the shop who were now all on the floor nearby. 'How are you?' John asked. 'It's been ever so long. Still working for Torchwood, are you? I like a girl who carries a gun while she shops.'

'You don't scare me,' Gwen said, keeping her own gun trained on him despite their proximity.

'But that's because I'm such a lovable guy,' John replied. 'I'm hurt that you haven't even asked me how I am yet.'

'That's because no one cares.'

'I'm hurt to hear you say that. Didn't we have some good times?' John suddenly swung his gun around and a woman lying half on the floor screamed. She'd been just feet away from reaching to hit a hidden alarm. 'Please don't get up on our account,' John warned. 'Didn't anyone ever teach you it's rude to alert the police when two people are trying to have a conversation?' He clicked the safety off the gun in a menacing way.

'Please! I'm sorry!' She dropped to the ground, hands over her head and began sobbing into the floor.

'That's better. Now where were we? Oh, that's right. I'm fine, thank you. Thanks for asking. As for why I'm here, well, I would have though that's rather obvious. I felt like a bit of shopping and this planet has the nicest shops with the worst possible security.'

Gwen scowled. 'You couldn't just rob a bank like any other scum of the earth criminal?'

'Don't you know me at all Gwen? I just can't resist shiny things. They're so pretty. Keys please,' he said to a older woman, spotting them dangling from a clip on her belt.

Gwen watched as he bent to grab the keys held please him. In the split second she'd lowered her gun, John sprang back up, twisting it out of her hand, wrapping one arm firmly around her neck and pressing his other gun hard into her temple.

'Oh, sorry, was that your gun? Pity. Did you really think I was going to let you keep that?'

'Go to hell,' she hissed, cringing as he rubbed his nose along her neck.

'I suppose now that means I can do whatever I like.' He pushed her away and kept his gun trained on her. 'On the floor with the rest of them now, please.'

Gwen's look was one of fury at having let John give her the slip and having disarmed her so easily. She slowly sank to her knees but no further. She wouldn't give him the satisfaction of submitting completely.

He took the keys, deftly twisting one in the lock and sliding open the cabinet door. He reached in and grabbed a thick studded necklace, encrusted with more diamonds than Gwen had ever seen. He held it up to his neck and considered himself in the small mirror perched on the counter.

'What do you think? Too much? Nothing says "come hither, I'm a shameful slut" like too many diamonds. And I have a reputation to maintain. Maybe not, hey? Something a little more subtle and distinguished, perhaps.' He set it down and started slipping rings on each of his fingers.

'Put those down,' Gwen warned.

'Don't interrupt me, Gwen! I'm doing some very important shopping here.'

She watched cautiously as he wandered around the shop, picking up this thing or that, trying keys in other locks and opening up more cabinets.

'You could have picked any jeweler in any city, yet you came here,' Gwen said.

'I know,' he sighed. 'It's that rift of yours. Makes things a little twitchy when teleporting here. Like a magnet, really. Don't take it personally that I came here on account of you. You!' John snapped, pointing at a terrified young man in a neat cut suit. 'These and these. I'll be wanting a bag.' John watched with amusement as the man shook like a leaf, reaching for the bag and slipping the jewelry inside.

'You're pretty,' John leered, watching the man work. 'Maybe I'll take you, too.' Then he turned to Gwen. 'Still not as pretty as Eye Candy. How's he doing by the way? Still trying to play happy families with Jack?'

'They're married,' Gwen sneered back. 'Guess that means Jack's off your list.'

John chuckled. 'Oh, my dear, Jack is never off the list. If anything, he's just become that much more attractive. Threesomes with married couples. That's so hot!' Gwen just glared back.

'Now,' John said, tapping a finger to his lips, 'what am I forgetting? Oh, that's right,' he said swirling around with his gun again.

'Don't you dare hurt them,' Gwen said.

'I can't leave until I've killed someone,' John insisted. 'Where's the fun in that? It's been weeks since I last killed anyone. I'm well overdue.' He whirled the gun around the shop. 'Now who shall I choose? You? Or maybe you. Oh, you're nice, you'd look lovely.'

'Okay, okay,' Gwen said, sensing the situation slipping out of her grasp. 'Take whatever you want. Just don't hurt anyone and I'll let you walk out of here.'

'You're hardly in a position to make demands, Gwen.'

'Aren't I? What time is it?'

John frowned. 'Does it matter?'

'It does. Because at eleven thirty I was meant to be a block from here to meet Jack. When I don't turn up, he knows exactly where I'll be.' She slowly stood up and leaned against one of the counters. 'He's impatient if you recall, and he's just itching to see what I'm buying. Unless you want Jack here, you'll make yourself scarce.'

He set his gun down for a moment and laughed at her. 'You think Jack coming here will stop me?'

She shrugged. 'Probably not, but this might,' she said, grabbing one of the heavy mirrors in her hand and bringing it down hard on the counter. Predictably the glass casing, reinforced though it was, shattered and caved in from the weight and the force.

John froze. 'What did you just do?'

'Oh, figured a posh place like this probably has an alarm that goes off if anyone tries a smash and grab. I'd say you've got about five minutes until the police arrive, ten at most. So, you can either stay here and fill those bags full of lovely jewels and go to prison for the rest of your life, or you can take yourself and your guns right now and make your getaway.'

John just smiled at her, knowing he was caught, forced to make a choice. 'You drive a hard bargain, Mrs Cooper.' He grabbed what he could and stuffed it in his pockets, before heading for the doorway. 'Be seeing you,' he said, tossing her back her gun.

'Hopefully not,' she replied, tempted to shoot him right there and then.

'Give the team my love, then.' Like a flash he was gone in a swirl of orange light.

She could hear the sirens squealing down the road as she was helping up the four terrified hostages, trying to reassure them. Off duty police officer, she told them, explaining away why she too had a gun.

She stepped out through the door just as police were readying to swarm the entrance. 'He's gone,' she said.

'Which way?' they asked.

'I don't know,' she lied. Before they could accost her with more questions, she slipped past them and down the street. There was no chance they'd come after her, not once they'd interviewed the rest of the people inside. They'd spend weeks looking for a man who didn't exist, and in all likelihood, would be equally confused by the CCTV that showed him apparently just disappearing in a ball of light. She couldn't even explain why it was that she'd given him the option to escape. He certainly didn't deserve it. Perhaps she was getting soft in her old age.

As she walked briskly up the street and away from the scene, she saw Jack jogging down then street in her direction.

'What's going on?'

'There was a hold up at the jewellers,' she replied.

'As in a hold up with guns?'

'Yeah.'

Jack frowned, a look of concern crossing his face. 'You okay?'

'Of course. He got away mind, but no one was hurt.'

Jack gave her a curious look. 'So, we're leaving it to the police to sort out? They don't need to speak to you? Witness statements, sketch artists?'

'No,' she replied. 'I can picture him exactly, but they'll never find him.'

Jack waggled an eyebrow at her. 'Some slippery character from your past, PC Cooper?'

'You could say that.' She linked arms with him. 'Come on, let's go. I'm dying for a coffee and brunch.'

'Okay,' Jack said, confused by Gwen's lack of concern over what had just happened, but rarely ever arguing where food was involved. 'Did you get what you wanted at the jewellers, then? Can I have a sneak peek?'

Gwen hummed thoughtfully. 'No. I think I might settle on buying Ianto a nice book instead.'

Comments

[jo02]

Enjoyed this very much - this is a Gwen that I could really like.

[bk_forever]

Bloody John Hart! Both sets of cuff-links sounded lovely, I'm sure Ianto would have lied either one. =(

Gwen had to let him go though, he might have killed someone otherwise.