Title: The Collector

Characters: Gwen with mentions of Jack, Ianto, Owen, Rhys and Andy

Word Count: 745

Rating: pg-13

Summary: Gwen looks back on her actions and thinks of her collection.

Spoilers: General Spoilers for Torchwood

Disclaimer: Torchwood doesn't belong to me but the BBC, I'm just borrowing.

Author's notes: Written for the tw_lucky_7 challenge involving the prompt greed and the character Gwen.

She couldn't stop herself, she didn't know how, all she knew was that she had to have more, it was like a driving force for her. She needed it, she needed them, and she had yet to find out why she was like this. She supposed that it all stemmed from her parents, it had to be their fault, she had after all been like this since she had been a child. There was no other explanation in her mind, the way she acted was a product of her childhood, and it would be hard for her to change her ingrained actions now after so long.

Many would say that her actions and desires were greedy, but she didn't see it that way, to her they were necessity. She couldn't last without fulfilling her desires nowadays it had been so long, she was like an addict. At first it had just been small things, but they had built up over time and now she was addicted, spiralling down more and more with each fix. She knew this and she had tried to stop herself, she had even tried to limit herself, but the habit was too hard to break.

Her parents had done her a great injustice as a child, being an only child there were no limits to what she was given. Her parents always ensured that she had the best that they could supply her with, the best of everything, food, clothing, love and attention where just a few of the things. And now after being that way for so long, expecting the best of everything to be given to her she didn't know how to control herself. Ever since her childhood she had strived for the best things in life, what was best for her, not really for anyone else. It could be considered selfish or greedy, but to her it was just a way of life, she didn't know anything else.

She had always looked out for number one, she got her job in the police, not very high up, but good enough as a start. Then she found out about the special ops group that were always taking over their crime scenes. She knew that she had to get involved with them in some way, not just because of her insatiable curiosity, but because she knew that it could be the next step, that being noticed by special ops could help her get into a better position with the police.

Working the job with special ops had opened whole new world to her, whole new worlds of opportunity, of life and of greed. She saw that with the girl, Carys, the one possessed because of her, the girl or rather the alien entity inside her possessed the same need that Gwen did, but in a different way. The alien needed the men to survive, the energy of orgasm sustaining them, so much so that it had travelled across the universe to find the best. It was self-preservation at its finest with just a hint of selfishness thrown in, people would die, the alien needed their energy, so why not choose the best people for the job those with more energy, satiating the need for that little bit longer.

Gwen could see likenesses between her and the alien, but she knew that her reasons were not for survival, but rather that they were rather a reflex of such. She had learned from an early age at her parents knee how to manipulate people to get want she wanted, and she now did it almost unconsciously. She didn't want to do it, and she was trying everything to stop herself, and hopefully one day she would manage it, she didn't want to be this way. But until she managed it she knew would continue to collect men, all for different purposes. Rhys was sweet, gentle, dependable and a great househusband. Owen was crass, rude, but great in bed. Andy had been there for her ever since she had joined the police, he was a great friend and someone who would listen. Ianto was a great organiser and made orgasmic coffee. And Jack, well he was the rest, he was the big damn hero. They all made up part of the perfect man, in retrospect she realises that it is greed that makes her keep them close to her, if only she could merge them all into one man, life would be perfect.