Fffc Bingo Card - Telling all

[m_findlow]

Title: Telling all
Fandom: Torchwood
Characters: Gwen, Rhys
Author: m_findlow
Rating: PG
Length: 1,000 words
Content notes: none 
Author notes: Written for Bingo Card Prompt 50 - Truth at fffc
Summary: Gwen has a lot to tell Rhys to get him up to speed. 

‘What a day,’ Rhys exclaimed as he flopped down onto the sofa. 

Gwen let the house keys drop into a bowl on the sideboard, pausing to look at him before joining him. What a day indeed? Who knew this morning when she'd pecked him on the cheek and left that she'd be bringing him home with a gunshot wound and a stark new reality about the city they lived in and what she did that earned her that large paycheck every month. 

Perhaps she'd always known this day was coming. Perhaps she'd kept her secrets not because she wanted to, or because Jack had told her she had to, but to protect Rhys. She didn't want him worrying over her all the time. It had been the same when she'd joined the police force. All constables started out the same way. A few months at the station learning procedure, training in self defense and all that, but basically a desk job, sitting on the front counter and listening to people's complaints, their woes about lost pets or children, and watching the rabble being dragged in by colleagues for processing. It was exciting at times but mostly boring. Some recruits seemed to be happy to stay there, but all of them ended up on the beat eventually, just to see if they could hack it. 

All the cold rainy nights she could have done without, but overall she'd loved it. She'd loved feeling like what she did made a difference. Trying to convince Rhys was another matter. He'd been so supportive but there were always those little sideways remarks about was she staying safe out there, was she letting her partner take the lead against blokes twice her size. Andy was great, such a nice bloke and all too happy to show her the ropes, even if he did moan a lot about everything. It was better than having some emotionless drill sergeant or an embittered officer who'd never been promoted on account of their temperament and outlook on the job. Andy was police through and through and she'd hoped she'd be the same. 

Torchwood was different though. It really was dangerous, some of the time, anyway. She didn't want to imagine how Rhys might have reacted to some of the things she'd faced. He might never let her leave the house again, and take his chances facing down Jack to make that a reality. 

She looked at him sitting there on the sofa next to her, wondering if she should be the first to say something. She felt awful, seeing him there with his arm in a sling. He'd taken a bullet for her, literally. She couldn't have loved him more for that, even if she wholeheartedly agreed with Ianto that next time he should let her take the bullet. 

With his uninjured hand he rested it on her knee. ‘I've spent all afternoon thinking about this, Gwen,’ he began. 

‘And here I was thinking you were just concentrating on digesting that ice cream.’ And the curry they'd gone out for afterwards. It had been ages since they'd had anything like a date, but the afternoon, despite all the action that preceded it, had been nice. Just what she needed to remember why she did this job. She did it so that she and Rhys would still have something to come home to at night, even if there were plenty of nights she didn't come home at all on account of it. 

‘I want you to tell me all about it. Torchwood. What you do, what you've done. Everything.’ 

She cringed, reluctant to give in immediately, even if all she really wanted was to spill the beans to someone, especially now that she could no longer hide it from Rhys. He'd seen it for himself. 

‘Come on, Gwen. Who am I going to tell? Ruth? Bloody woman can’t even remember where she filed yesterday's dockets half the time. Banana Boat? Not that anyone would believe anything he said, anyway.’ 

‘It's meant to be top secret, Rhys.’ 

‘Aye, and look at how much bloody trouble that got us in. I want you to tell me everything Gwen. The whole truth of it, warts and all. I think after meeting a space whale, I can take it. And,’ he went on, ‘then at least I'll know that your boss is looking after you.’ 

‘He is, Rhys.’ 

‘So long as he's looking and not touching, mind. Handsome bloke like that could have any girl, but you're my girl, Gwen.’ 

She wrapped her arms around his neck trying to be ever so careful not to jostle his shoulder. ‘I know that, Rhys Williams. That's why I chose to marry you, you great idiot.’ 

‘Mind you, we don't have to invite him to the wedding now, do we?’ 

Gwen smirked. There was a lot she still had to tell him about the people she worked with, not least of which was that Jack appeared to be very spoken for already. She could already picture Rhys' reaction. What? Him and the bloke in the suit? Rubbish! ‘Don't you want to show him that nothing is coming between us? Not even Torchwood?’ 

Rhys gave her a knowing look. ‘Is this you trying to use some of that police reverse psychology on me?’ 

‘Just trying out some of that honesty you wanted.’ 

‘Oh?’ There was a playful smirk of Rhys' face. ‘Go on then. Tell me how sexy I am and how much you can't wait to marry me, your great idiot, bad guy, crime fighting, alien hunter fiancé.’ He leaned forward and tried to snaffle her in a kiss and a cuddle only to hiss and wince as he stretched his shoulder the wrong way, sending a soft of pain up and down his arm. 

‘How about you rest up that wound before I thank you properly for being my big hero of the hour?’ 

‘So long as I'm still your hero, that's good enough for me.’