Title: Torchwood Training: Addams Style
Author: Caz251
Summary: Gwen goes to Torchwood Two for training and meets the strange little man in Glasgow. Characters:
Spoilers: Spoilers for Torchwood and The Addams Family. Warnings:
Disclaimer: I don't own either the Addams Family or Torchwood, no matter how hard I wish it were so.
AN: This story starts just before Look What Is Coming To Dinner and follows on after it. It is 8 chapters long and I will post a chapter a day until complete.
Gwen stared at the envelope that Ianto had handed her, the crisp parchment heavier than any paper she had held before. The Torchwood insignia branded in place of a postage stamp and emblazoned across the front of the envelope in blood red ink were the words Torchwood Operative Gwen Cooper. She looked at the letter confused, she had never seen anything like it before, she looked around at the others to see if they had gotten one as well, but couldn't see any other letters around. She moved over to Toshiko's desk hoping that the other woman would know what it was; she didn't want to open it in case it was something dangerous, Ianto had been rather curt with her recently, and she wouldn't put it past him to sabotage her in some way.
"Tosh sweetheart, do you know what this is? Ianto just left it for me, but I don't know what it is." Gwen asked, being as sweet as she could be, hoping that Toshiko would be able to alleviate her worries about the letter.
"Internal mail," Tosh spoke quietly as she tried to focus back on her computer on whatever search she was running. "Mail between Torchwood branches, it will be from Torchwood Two, four is still missing."
Gwen went back to her desk after thanking Toshiko, curious about what Torchwood Two wanted from her, maybe just to tell her how great a job she was doing as second in command of Torchwood Cardiff. It was obvious after all that the place really didn't run that well without her, she was sure that the letter was just a complimentary note about her skills. With that in mind she tore open the envelope, eager to read what Torchwood Two had to say to her. She didn't really know much about Torchwood Two, other than mutters every now and again about a strange man in Glasgow, and was curious about the team up in Scotland. The letter was not what she had been expecting though; it wasn't so much a complimentary note as a summons.
She looked at the note in disgust, who was this Director of Torchwood Glasgow to think that he could just summon her from Cardiff to Glasgow for training. How dare he think that she needed to be trained, or that he was the one capable of carrying out that training.
Torchwood Operative Gwen Cooper,
Your presence is required at Torchwood Two on Monday the 19th May 2008 at 9am for training and certification in Alien Technologies as is required by the Institute. This training will be an intensive course that will last four days, with certification taking place on Thursday.
Director,
Torchwood Glasgow.
Gwen growled at the letter, standing up and storming up the stairs to Jack's office, ignoring Toshiko who asked what was wrong, intent on getting Jack to deal with the man who thought he could order her around. Entering Jack's office it was to find him on the phone, he indicated that she should sit in front of him and she took the seat, calming a bit. Jack would sort everything out for her, he wouldn't send her all the way to Glasgow when he could provide any training that she needed, not that she really needed any training.
She listened with half an ear to his conversation, she didn't know who he was talking to, but he seemed to get on well with them at least. "Of course Archie, it's no problem. I know the rules as well as you do, it will be settled, and you can get through the last of the requirements by the end of next week."
Gwen waited until Jack finished his phone call, but almost as soon as he placed the phone down she launched into a defence of her skills and her disbelief at the Director of Torchwood Two to think that he could order Jack's staff around, especially her.
Jack looked at her in amusement at her rant, but she could tell that he agreed with her, so was really shocked when instead of immediately going on the phone to the other director to complain and give him a piece of his mind that he just sighed and looked at her in disappointment. She didn't know why he was disappointed with her, maybe he was disappointed at the idea of her being away from him for a few days. She was really shocked when he started to speak though, as he was definitely not taking her side in matters, something that she had never expected.
"Gwen, you are going to Scotland for Monday morning. Everything has been arranged and Archie has seen to your transport already. You will leave Cardiff on Sunday night to get to Glasgow on time to start your training, and you will be put up for the duration of your stay by Torchwood." Jack spoke calmly.
Gwen just stared at him for a few moments before she began to complain, "I don't need this training Jack, I know how to deal with alien technology, and anything I don't know you can teach me." She batted her eyelashes at him, hoping that he would realise that he didn't want her to leave for four days to Scotland.
"Everyone needs this training Gwen, its protocol, and I can't do the training. This is one lot of training that is always handled by another branch. I've had it; Owen, Tosh and Ianto have all had this training as well. Owen, Tosh and I got it in London, and Ianto went to Torchwood Two for his training." Jack explained, "You should have had this training ages ago, we've just never had the time to send you to be trained, but it's been scheduled in and it has to be done."
Gwen glared at him a little, she couldn't believe that Jack was going to send her to Scotland to be trained by some strange little man. She knew from the set of his jaw though that there was no arguing with him about it though, as she really didn't want him to get Ianto to put her on decaff, not again anyway. She tried with her last ditch attempt at getting out of going, "What about Rhys? What do I tell him?"
"The truth." Jack stated calmly, "That you will be out of the country for a training exercise. He will understand that you have to go, that it is part of your job. Now if you are quite done, I have to finish these before Ianto comes back for them." Jack finished with a glare at the stack of papers on his desk awaiting his signature.
Realising that she wasn't going to change the situation she just nodded before flouncing out of Jack's office, hopefully he would come round before she left on Sunday. She sighed loudly as she sat back down at her desk, she didn't want to go to Glasgow, she wanted to stay in Cardiff with Jack. She continued on with her work for the rest of the day before leaving early to go home to Rhys and hopefully a calmer and simpler situation than her workday had been. She supposed that she should probably let her husband know that she would be going away for a few days, hopefully his family didn't do any more damage to him in the time she was away. She may be lucky and they may leave while she was gone and she wouldn't have to deal with them again.