You never know how a person will react when you tell them everything they've ever believed, everything they've thought to be rational and sane, every comforting word they've told themselves in the dark, has been a lie. I've seen people run, scream, faint, cry, vomit, and freeze. A few have even laughed, although that tends to be a bad sigh. I was curious to see into which category Gwen Cooper would fall.
"It's alright. It's safe. It's sedated. It's called a Weevil. Or at least we call them Weevils. We don't know their real name because they're not too good at communicating. We've got a couple of hundred of them in the city, living in the sewers feeding off the, well sewers, you can guess. Every once in a while one goes rogue, comes to the surface, attacks. Actually it's been happening more and more. We have no idea why. But it's alien. Look into its eyes." She seemed to be holding up well so far. There was fear in her eyes, but there was awe as well. It's a lot to process. She probably should be sitting down for this. I reach behind me and grab the chair I always leave in the hallway for the nights I come down here to stare into the eyes of the abyss. A therapist would probably tell me it was an unhealthy past time. Whatever. I haven't put much stock in psychoanalysis since the day I met Sigmund Freud. Now that guy had serious issues.
"There you go." I let my hand linger on her shoulder, partly to reassure myself she wasn't go topple forward and partly because it felt right to offer comfort. Maybe I was right about her face, the urge to protect and all that.
"Take your time. It was born on a different world and it's real." I stood and watched as she sat in silence, staring at the creature that had almost taken her life. She looked so small and fragile compared to ballsy woman who'd waltzed into my headquarters with only a stack of pizza for protection. Enough showing off. I eased her out of the chair and led her back upstairs to the main Hub.
"Owen Harper, Gwen Cooper." Introductions seemed only fair, we all know her name she should have a chance to know ours.
"Doctor Owen Harper, thank you." Not really an important distinction for someone who won't remember any of us in an hour's time, but Owen will be Owen.
"Toshiko Sato, computer genius." Tosh looked uncomfortable, but she usually did around strangers.
"Susie Costello, she's second in command." I could tell Susie's smile was less at being labeled second in command and more at the pointlessness of the introduction.
"And this is Ianto Jones. Ianto cleans up after us and gets us everywhere on time." Ianto's smile was polite as always, betraying nothing about his thoughts on Cooper. He had come in to see her though. That had to mean something, although I had no idea what.
"I try my best." Humble and handsome as ever. Shame I made it a personal rule not to seduce any members of my team. This, of course, don't rule out flirting.
"And he looks good in a suit."
"Careful. That's harassment sir."
"Why are you telling me their names? I'm not supposed to know, this is classified isn't it?" It looks like Cooper got her voice back. Apparently the weevil didn't do any permanent damage.
"Way beyond classified."
"Then you shouldn't be telling me." Suddenly she isn't interested in knowing our secrets? "What are you going to do to me?" Oh right we were back to this conversation. Where's the trust?
"What do you imagine?" Honestly does she think we're going to whack her and dump her in the East River? It seems PC Cooper might be a little paranoid.
"Well I've seen too much, your names and everything and the weevil. You can dump a man in the water and lie about his death." Well when she's puts it like that maybe we do sounds a little sinister. She's actually got Tosh, Owen and Ianto avoiding her eyes. Only Susie looks like she couldn't care less. Time to get out of here before someone cracks, tells Cooper about the amnesia pill, and I'm left having to force feed a pissed off policewoman. Not how I want to remember my encounter with Gwen Cooper.
"Ok, Tosh: finish that calibration tomorrow morning. Owen: first thing, get a hold of Chancellor Mill, 'cause I think they're lying. Ianto: if he needs back up, then you'd better be on standby. Susie: I know it's a pain in the ass, but I need the cossing on the glove research. And as for you, you're coming with me, this way." It's almost the end of the tour, but at least I've got one more thing to dazzle her with before I send her on her way.
"I'm getting tired of following you." Again with the attitude. Cute, but patently untrue.
"No you're not. And you never will." What I could offer her, the adventure, the danger, the wonder would keep her by my side forever. Shame it's an offer I can't make. "Stand on here come on, next to me. You came in through the front door. Let's take the scenic route." The invisible lift, never fails to impress, and I was really enjoying impressing Gwen Cooper. I was enjoying how wide she opened her beautiful eyes twisting around trying to see in all directions at once. I was especially enjoying how it felt to have her back pressed up against my chest. Not that it changed anything. All part of the new Jack: duty before pleasure. Far too quickly we reached the sidewalk above.
"But they can see the lift why aren't they. I mean, we are right out in the open. They can see everything."
"Do they look like they can see us?"
"No but look at us! We couldn't be more public!"
"Hello! Hey you there! Hello! It's called a perception filter. He can sort of see us, but we don't quite register. Just like something in the corner of your eye. It only works on this exact spot step off. Hi. Nice night. And low we are perceived." The things I've done on that spot…Best not to think about when the goal is to send Gwen Cooper home, not take her home.
"How does it work?"
"No idea. We only know how to use it, not how it happened, but if I had to guess, I would say that it was a transcendental chameleon circuit place on this spot which welded its perception properties to a special temporal rift." Unless she has a background in interplanetary technology and temporal physics, she has no idea what I just said, but the cute face she's making makes it worth the long explanation. "Now that sounds kind of ridiculous. Invisible lift has got more of a ring to it, don't you think?"
"But hang on, if no one can see it when it's coming up, there is a bloody big hole in the ground. Don't people fall in?" I never thought of that. Serves right me for being so patronizing. She really was unbelievable.
"That is so Welsh!"
"What is?"
"I show you something fantastic. You find fault." Funny, I'd never considered the hole, despite the many times I'd use the lift. Revealing comment about the way Gwen thinks, cutting though the abstract to the practical and showing concern for the safety of others. I wonder how a mind like that- no point in finishing the thought. I'm getting my drink and conversation, just like I wanted. Now's not the time to get greedy.