Anythingdrabble Challenge 216 - Tourist for a day

[m_findlow]

Title: Tourist for a day
Fandom: Torchwood
Characters/Pairings: Rhys, Gwen, Ianto
Author: m_findlow
Word Count: 500 words
Rating: PG
Notes: Written for Challenge 216 - Zoo at anythingdrabble
Summary: Rhys finally gets permission to visit Cwm Noddfa.


Rhys watched green hills speed by as Gwen made the winding turn in the road. 'Can't believe I'm finally getting to see it,' he said. 'Cwm Noddfa.'

Gwen smiled without her eyes leaving the road. 'One for your scrapbook, eh?'

'Bloody loads,' he replied, unsure just how many aliens were being kept at the secret Torchwood location. To be fair, it was just nice to be out in the Welsh countryside on a sunny day.

Gwen stopped the car just long enough to unlock a rusting gate, before hopping back in and driving them down the lane, finally pulling up by an old homestead. Ianto raised a hand in greeting, standing on the porch.

'Ianto, mate!' Rhys called out, raising a hand and waving. 'Good to see you. Gwen's told me all about the Torchwood zoo.'

Ianto frowned as he approached. Rhys had developed quite a good rapport over the years with the two Torchwood stalwarts Gwen worked with, but suddenly the old, slightly disappointed, slightly condescending Ianto was back.

'It's not a zoo,' he said rather bluntly, tinged with offense. 'We don't have exhibits and there's no feeding time presentations.'

'Right. So… no van where I can pick up an ice-cream then, eh?'

The comment forced a little smirk out of the young man, as if it wasn't the first time he'd been asked about it. 'We wouldn't be able to offer anyone particularly steady employment. Most of the residents here haven't developed a taste for it.'

Gwen clutched at Rhys' arm before he could put forth any other suggestions. 'Come on, you. Stop harassing Ianto and let me show you around.'

'Hot dogs,' Rhys said as Gwen tried dragging him away. 'Put them on the list as well.'

'You can have sausage rolls back at the homestead when you're done,' Ianto promised him. Rhys gave him a thumbs up.

Gwen's tour was exhaustive, which was to say, rather than thorough, it was physically exhausting as she dragged him up hill and down dale, between the mountains, up and over them and all the way down to the lake. At every part of their long hike, she pointed out tree dwelling Scarpas, burrowing Fidgles, a flock of Perpixtanaa that soared overhead making a deafening screeching call, and finally, the thing that Rhys had been looking forwards to seeing most: the Gaspinxa, a huge furry orange tentacled creature that lived in the lake, which took great joy in towing their little rowboat around like a bath toy.

'It's bloody genius, Gwen,' he said, meaning every word. A place where aliens could live peacefully, recuperate from injury, and be studied in a safe, non-invasive way. Rhys used to be worried about Torchwood and what Gwen did, but this was a nice demonstration that it wasn't all deadly danger and end of the world stuff. Just the idea of aliens living here was mad.

'You like the place?' Gwen asked.

'Way better than I expected. Just needs a few Barry Island roller-coasters.'