AN: So I haven't been writing much in the last month despite aiming to get back into it. A family medical emergency had been stealing all my energy and time. This particular Addams fic is dedicated to my wonderful mum who is my biggest Addams/Torchwood verse fan and who is now on the mend.
Rhys Aluka Addams Williams was in a pub watching the rugby when he first set eyes on the woman that he was going to marry. She was wearing a Welsh rugby top and screaming at the screen almost as loudly as he was at the injustices being played out on the field, the gap in her teeth making him smile at her. When the referee recovered his wits and sorted the issue that had incensed them both he made his way towards her and introduced himself offering to buy her a drink. They had watched the rest of the game together and by time they left the pub Rhys had a massive grin on his face, a phone number in his phone and the time and place of the date they were going to have later in the week.
Gwen Cooper was as plain as they came, there was nothing about her that stood out as extraordinary, but she had captivated him. He didn't know if it was her gap toothed smile, her big doe eyes or even her loud personality, but something about her was calling to him. After a few dates he could tell that she was as far from an acceptable Addams spouse as he could ever find, his mother was sure to hate her, but he found that he really didn't care. He kept his heritage to himself, only ever vaguely talking about his family, mostly focusing on the Williams, his fathers' family. His father, like Gwen was a rather simple person, had embraced the Addams way of life and thrived. If his father was able to adapt to their family he was sure that Gwen would be able to as well, as long as his mother didn't curse her first.
Their relationship grew and before Rhys knew it they were moving in together and nearly all their free time was spent together. He saw his family less and less, but that was fine in a way, they were all growing up and not so in each others' pockets like they had been as kids. Rhiannon and her husband Johnny had their hands full with two little kids and Ianto was staying in London with his girlfriend working for Torchwood. Andronenkos, who had been as close as a brother to him, wasn't speaking to any of them at all and they hadn't seen him in a few years, that changed though when Gwen finally got a position with the Cardiff Police. He had turned up to the pub to meet with her co-workers for the first time and meet this Andy that she had been partnered with only to come face to face with his cousin Andronenkos. He made it clear he didn't want to be known as such though, introducing himself to Rhys as Andy Davidson as if they hadn't grown up together and had never met before.
It had been a smack in the face to Rhys and he was standoffish as a result. Gwen didn't seem impressed that he wasn't becoming mates with her partner, but after a few weeks she seemed to calm about the subject. She had probably deluded herself that it was a dislike of the fact the man was working with her than anything else, as if he was jealous of the time the other man would be spending with her. He wasn't about to dissuade her of that thought, it meant he would have to explain his relationship with the other man and all about his family, not a conversation he was ready to have yet. Gwen didn't seem to mind the idea that they didn't get on because they both wanted her, if anything it made her giddy. She had certainly spent her first free weekend assuring him that nothing would ever happen between her and Andy, they hardly left the bedroom and Rhys was happy enough in allowing her to reassure him even though he knew Gwen would not be his cousins' preference.
Rhys had managed to successfully keep Gwen and his family way of life separate for their whole relationship. She had met his parents of course, but that had always been at restaurants or in public, never in an Addams property. He had even kept his practices from her, he still cooked meals with the proper ingredients but not always in the traditional Addams way as a cauldron on the stove would have made even Gwen ask questions. Of course he knew that he wouldn't be able to keep the different parts of his life separate forever, but he didn't think that Gwen getting a promotion would be what started the collision.
Gwen working for Torchwood was something that he couldn't have planned for, especially as she had basically just stumbled into the job. Ianto was back in Cardiff and Rhys found it ironic that Gwen was once more working alongside one of his cousins completely unaware of that relationship. He had spoken to Ianto and asked him not to mention their relationship to her or any of the team just yet. The other man had agreed to keep his silence on the matter but had questioned him about not telling Gwen, especially once they were engaged.
Rhys knew it was kind of petty, but Gwen had her secrets, or so she thought, her affair with Owen, her lusting over Jack and of course her work with Torchwood. Rhys was well aware of the affair, Gwen had told her himself before trying to retcon the information, unfortunately for her it didn't work, he still loved her even if she had made mistakes. Gwen didn't think he would be able to accept or cope with the reality of what she did at Torchwood, but his family had been tied up with the Institute since near the beginning and Rhys had more knowledge of Torchwood than Gwen probably did. He may not have her practical experience in the organisation, but he wasn't a complete idiot. Until Gwen thought he was worthy of the knowledge of what she really did for a living he intended to keep his family a well kept secret.
The amusing thing for both him and Ianto was when Gwen finally convinced Jack that he would be an asset to them because he had access that they didn't have. It was interesting to play dumb to a group of people, asking all the right questions as if this was his first knowledge of Torchwood and aliens. He also got a chance to spend some time with the man of Gwen's daydreams and fantasies and realised that he was right to think that was all they ever would be. Whether the man was aware of it or not he was enamoured with his cousin and Rhys could tell it was a mutual thing. That was especially obvious to him when they had danced together at his and Gwen's wedding reception, the look on Gwen's face had been priceless when Ianto had cut in.
Despite now 'knowing' about Torchwood it hadn't brought the collision of Gwen and his family together any quicker. Ianto had kept his silence, although he had urged him to tell Gwen on their wedding day when he found out that she had no idea whatsoever about any of the family. It was the family turning up that changed things, his oblivious wife was going to learn a few things about naive Rhys and his family that would no doubt shock her.