Anton you wanted this… meanie … like me LOL
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Gwen was in a hurry. She was always in a hurry and she could not understand for the life of her why Rhys was being such a feckin arse. "Move!"
Rhys yelped as she shoved him out of the way and his coffee slopped over the edge of his mug "Gwennie, Jesus. I woke you over an hour ago… you always do this!"
"Forfucksake Rhys, I will be late again and Jack will have my hide this time! Ianto is doing the whole pocket watch thing latterly, the prick" she snarled as she threw her cup at the sink of suds and he now stood there with a look of annoyance as he was splashed with dirty water.
"Well of course Gwen… you go. After all… I live to fucking serve" he muttered, grimacing as he sighed, letting his head drop to his chest as he gripped the edge of the sink. He was so over this shit.
"We'll talk tonight, OK?" she threw over her shoulder as she slammed the door and Rhys shook his head.
Right.
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"Sorry I'm late" Gwen yelled as she entered the Hub while looking around for Ianto and that fucking pocket watch only to stop and turn slowly in a circle with confusion.
Empty.
Silent.
They had left without her.
"REALLY!"
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Rhys got to work and settled in his chair, looking over at the secretary as she fussed around with her photo frames on her desk. Cats. Lots of cats. For a weird moment he wondered if he needed a cat too. At least someone might love him back then. The baby thing was never gonna happen… was it.
Rhys snorted at himself and told himself to stop being a lame arse.
He needed more than a cat to feel loved in this mindless shithole of a life.
What was it all for anyway?
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"Glad you could join us" Jack called out and Ianto swing to regard her with a scanner loosely held in his hand, his eyes travelling down to her boots. Yeah. She knew he was hating on her boots again so she made a show of not caring as she stomped through the muck.
"Well done Gwen" Ianto finally spoke as she grinned at him, then he added "You just walked through the crime scene. Lovely… those boots are going to have to go in Ferdinand now."
"What?" she shrieked with horror as the furnace was used as a threat "Jack?"
"Yeah. Had you been at the briefing you would know they are hazardous. Sorry girlfriend, those might be popping but they are now… over!" Jack said in a silly voice as he did a back finger click at her then he noticed Ianto's' glare and he cleared this throat to say seriously "Sorry Gwen. They have to get bagged and tagged."
Could her day get any worse?
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Andy stood at the barricade and stepped forward to lift the crime scene tape, winking at Ianto as he bent to walk past, Gwen doing the same without acknowledging Andy at all.
"Aye, aye Jonesey."
"Hey Panda" Ianto stopped walking and turned back to smile at him, offering the second cup of coffee in his hand. Ah. That man never fails to impress.
"Another of your spooky-dos" Andy said with an eye roll "I told then it was a monkey, someone's pet they smuggled into the country that got loose and bit someone. Everyone is scared of rabies or some shit so… it's working."
"Actually you are not far off, they are a form of … sorry" Jack said as he grimaced and took the other cup Ianto was offering "I am waffling again?"
"Slightly, but we can allow it now and then… for the purposes of looking normal" Ianto said without blinking.
Jack grinned then looked over at Gwen who was on her phone "Gwen?"
"hmm?"
"Do that later please" Jack frowned and she glanced at Ianto to find his look also one of annoyance.
"Get your head out of the clouds lady" Jack said forcefully, and then headed off.
"Gwen? Everything OK?" Ianto asked softly.
"FINE!" she snarled heading of and Ianto watched her following Jack with a soft frown.
Whatever it was she was chewing on … he did not like it one bit.
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"RHYS!" Gwen yelled as she entered the flat and she stood there looking at the dishes still in the sink from the morning. Really? God. She looked at the fridge and the roster that clearly showed it was her turn. Fuck that.
She moved to the bedroom and changed her clothes, walking back to leave a note for Rhys, telling him she was going on a night mission and would be back in the morning, then walked out with a skip in her step.
She headed to the Gym downtown and met Owen who was staring up at it like it might eat him alive.
"Owen?"
"I am NOT touching anything. You know the germs in there?" Owen groused with annoyance "You know… only arseholes use the gym."
"I go to the gym… this one in fact!" Gwen frowned at him.
Case in point" Owen snorted to himself as he followed her in and watched her do the talking to the steroid fed arsehole behind the counter. Chad. Perfect. OF course he was a Chad. She seemed to know him and Owen was bored already.
He looked around and grimaced some more.
Ewwwwww. Germs.
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Rhys stood looking at the note and sighed as he dropped the pizza on the table. Prefect.
He slumped in the armchair and reached for the TV remote, turning on the telly to watch the match. After a while he hooked over the pizza and ate some of that while contemplating the life he had married into.
A Litany of lies.
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Jack was leaning over the railings as he watched Gwen and motioned Ianto out of the office "Tiger? Is she supposed to be here?"
"No her shift finished same time as mine" Ianto replied as he leaned back against the glass wall to watch Jack's face as he clenched his jaw "Maybe she is finishing up some of that paperwork you chewed her out for earlier today Cariad."
Jack grunted and turned to face Ianto "Yeah. You're right. Overtime… right. About time."
Both men headed down to the bunker and left Gwen to it as she sat clicking at her workstation.
Chad's drivers license photo was on her screen as she did a background check and hummed, taping her nails on the desk. Clean. Ooo… nice bank account too. A nice mum, a nice sister… he's the man of the house. Huh. Bet HIS mother isn't a bitch.
Gwen contemplated things.
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"Rhys?"
Rhys turned from the car he was about to get into to find Ianto behind him and he smiled "Ianto mate."
"Jack has business next door … I came in to check the names on the board for the pub quiz on Saturday" Ianto pointed at the poster on the pub's window and Rhys laughed as he admitted he did too. Ianto raised his eyebrows "Really? We should have a team. Tell ya what… you bring someone I will too... we will smash them all."
"Really?" Rhys perked up as he knew Ianto had a mind like a steel trap.
"Sure, why not. Our significant others are working... why can't we have some bloody down time and some lovely Brains" Ianto shrugged.
"Perfect."
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Gwen knew it was wrong but Chad was… so … well… interesting. She leaned on the desk as he explained to her the membership system and she knew Toshiko could have done this remotely but there is nothing like the human touch. After all, Jack hired her for her empathic ability to read people… right? She was the Heart of Torchwood… she felt people and she knew Chad was someone with a lovely kind heart too. He was … lovely really.
Chad could see it too, his smile so … warm.
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The local Common had kids running as they flew kites in the distance, the taped off area getting the once over by Toshiko and Jack as Ianto stepped back looking up at the clouds.
"See the answer to the meaning of life up there Jonesey?"
Ianto lowered his gaze to find Andy watching him and he grinned "I know the answer already mate. It's 42."
Andy starred at him then started to laugh "Got your towel?"
"Always" Ianto winked and then both looked at the clouds for a while "Say… Andy… busy Saturday night?"
"Why?"
"Pub quiz. I need to bring someone to the table" Ianto shrugged "I would ask Toshiko but she is banned from that pub after the argument over an answer last month. She was rabid. Right… but rabid."
"You know… I can see that." Andy snorted. "Sure."
Ianto smiled as he hummed softly to himself.
Aright then.
This could be fun.