![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
amulyFUUUUUUCKKKKKKK YEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!
(Oh dear. Now those of you who didn't know already now know I'm an American.)
Anyway. Onto Gwil.
Title: Gwil's Guide to Growing Up Torchwood: Year 3, Chapter 9
Pairing: Gwen/Rhys, +Gwil
Word Count: 2,681
Rating: PG-13
Summary: When a seven-year-old boy falls through the Rift, Ianto and Jack decide to adopt him. This is the story of his life at Torchwood.
Chapter Summary: A very pregnant Gwen and Rhys take Gwil out for a day at the zoo. Of course, Torchwood happens.
Warnings: mentions of infant death (past, OCs)
A/N: Thursday you'll get a double-dose of Gwil (if all goes as planned) to round out Year 3. Then we're on a 2 week hiatus before Year 4, which should end on Monday, the 14th. Again, if all goes as planned.
Previous Chapter: Year 3, Chapter 8
Gwil Masterlist
Gwen grimaced as she waddled through the zoo, one hand on her swollen belly. She really hated this. She felt like a space whale, she was so huge, and she couldn't even walk without waddling like a penguin. Rhys, the handsome Welshman currently holding her hand as they strolled along the stone pathways, insisted that she was still the beautiful woman he married – more beautiful now than ever, even. She fancied he was lying through his teeth, but it was sweet of him to say. She rubbed her stomach. Especially since her belly button had popped out. Hideous.
“Auntie Gwen!” Gwil was an exhibit ahead of her and Rhys, staring wide-eyed at something. “Look at the...” he paused as he read the sign. “Ost-rich. It's big!”
Rhys nodded sagely as they strolled up next to Gwil, coming to a stop in front of the exhibit. “It says you can pet 'im,” he read off the sign. “Want to give it a go?” Gwil's eyes widened and he nodded viciously. Removing his hand from Gwen's, Rhys bent down to pick Gwil up, groaning a little. “Oof. You're getting to big for this, little man.”
Gwen eyed Rhys amusedly. “Or someone needs to lay off the chips and hit the gym.”
“Oi!” Rhys laughed as he settled Gwil on his hip. “I've got a bad back, me. All those years in haulage!”
“Yeah, yeah,” Gwen teased. She continued smiling as she watched Rhys hold Gwil up high enough so he could pet the ostrich's neck with careful, even strokes. Her hand rubbed against her belly subconsciously. Rhys was going to make a good tad. Even if his back was already going.
Curiosity satisfied with the ostrich, Rhys set Gwil down and let him scamper off to the next exhibit. “Ponies!”
Rhys groaned, taking Gwen's hand in his own. “I don't suppose it's time for a rest, yet? I could use a breather. And you look like you could use some time off your feet.”
Gwen's feet were throbbing. Bloody useless things. How exactly did nomadic tribeswomen do this: walking around the whole time they were pregnant? She could hardly stand to be on them for more than an hour before they swelled up like a blowfish. “Well,” Gwen feigned reluctance, “after Gwil has had a turn on the ponies. Then we can grab a bite.”
“Brilliant.” Rhys rewarded Gwen with a kiss on her cheek, before hurrying over to Gwil. The little one had already queued up all on his own for the pony rides.
Gwen watched with a smile as Rhys went up with Gwil, walking with him around the dirt track the handler led the ponies around. Gwil was grinning madly, hands gripped tight around the reigns like he was the one steering the pony, rather than the handler leading the pony on his right. As the wind ruffled his hair and blue eyes sparkled in the sun, Gwen shivered. The look on his face was a bit much like Jack's when he saw a new species or spacecraft come through the Rift. Ianto would have to watch this one as he grew into a teenager; Gwen just knew it.
Five minutes later, Gwen was waddling over to the little bistro located in Cefn Mably Farm Park, one exhausted Welshman on her right and an exhilarated mini-Welshman on her left. “And cowboys rode horses, did you know that, Auntie Gwen? Like in America. And they had guns, and they'd rob trains and eat beans around campfires-”
Gwen nodded patiently as he lifted one hand to her temple and rubbed it. The fact that Gwil was slowly coming out of his shell was lovely and all, and he was certainly well-behaved for a boy his age... but Gwen wouldn't mind a little bit more peace and quiet than this.
Rhys ordered them all fish and chips as Gwen eased herself down at a table with Gwil. The little one scooted close to her, eyeing her belly. “Auntie Gwen? May I please touch the baby?”
Gwen smiled and ran her fingers through his curly dark brown hair. Jack still hadn't managed to override Ianto's influence and tease the politeness out of him, then. “Go ahead,” she lifted her arm and wrapped it around Gwil, letting him snuggle close to her belly with his wide eyes peering down at it. “Though I don't know if she's awake right now. I haven't felt her move in a while.”
Gwil's face took on a hushed tone as he pressed his ear to Gwen's belly, four-digit hand resting just under it as he listened patiently. Gwen's arm settled across Gwil's back, stroking slowly as he waited for the baby to do something. In the meantime, Rhys strolled back over to their table, arms laden down with baskets of fish and chips and soda.
Reluctantly Gwil pulled away as the smell of grease and batter drew his attention to the table. “The baby's asleep,” he informed Gwen mournfully.
Gwen nodded, plucking a chip from her basket. She stifled a positively lewd moan as its greasy goodness practically exploded on her tongue. Heaven. “She'll wake up after lunch,” she promised Gwil. “She always does.”
As Gwil dug into as fish and chips, napkin tucked under his chin much in the fashion of his fathers, he considered Gwen's belly with a curious eye. “When's the baby going to come? It's been forever.”
Gwen shared a look with Rhys, mentally agree with Gwil's impatience. “Just another month, according to Auntie Martha.”
Gwil's eyes lit up. “And then I'll get to hold it?”
Rhys' laugh was nervous. “If you're careful,” he cautioned. “And seated. And only when one of the grown-ups is around. Actually... only if Gwen, I, or your tad Ianto is.” Rhys puffed his cheeks out as he glanced apologetically at Gwen. “Not sure if I trust Jack around a baby.”
Stuffing a nice big chunk of fish into her mouth, Gwen rolled her eyes. “He's probably had more practice with babies than either of us!” she pointed out.
Rhys remained looking skeptical. “Still,” he grumbled. “One alien invasion later and he's dashing off, leaving our baby girl alone on a desk or something while he saves the world.”
In defense of Jack, Gwen threw a chip at Rhys. Rhys snatched it up from the table and ate it. Well played, Gwen thought.
Wincing, Gwen pressed a hand to her belly. The baby girl was certainly awake now. “Gwil,” she motioned for Gwil to snuggle up to her stomach. “The baby's awake.”
Gwil's mouth fell open as he gasped, little body shivering with excitement as he scooted over and pressed his head and hand to her belly. Moment's later the baby kicked again, causing Gwen to grumble and shift, while Gwil's eyes went wide and wondrous.
“Little football star, isn't she?” Rhys nodded at Gwil and Gwen's belly.
Gwil nodded much-too-seriously for such a question, eyes turned inward as he focused on Gwen's stomach. Another smile lit up his face as the baby kicked again.
After lunch Rhys bough Gwil and himself an ice cream. Gwen declined: she was in the mood for fish fingers and pickles right now, while the thought of ice cream made her nauseous. She rubbed her belly again. The baby couldn't come soon enough.
“I can help take care of the baby,” Gwil offered between licks of his ice cream cone. “I've seen people change nappies on the telly. I think I can do it.”
Rhys laughed, ruffling Gwil's hair as he popped the last bit of his ice cream into his mouth. “Maybe when you're a little older you can babysit,” he conceded. “Auntie Gwen and I'll even throw in a fiver for your time.” Rhys winked at Gwen, as if he was being quite clever. Gwen just smiled and shook her head, saying nothing. By the time Gwil was old enough to babysit he'd have figured out the going rate of babysitting and surely ask for more money. But she let Rhys think he was being clever, for now.
“Can I feed the baby when it comes? I'll be really careful.”
They were in front of the bunny exhibit now, so they came to a stop in the queue to go in and pet the bunnies. Gwen stroked Gwil's hair. “You don't have to worry about taking care of her, love,” she said. “Uncle Rhys and I will do all that boring stuff like feeding her and changing her nappies.”
Gwil shrugged one shoulder, eyes cast downward. He suddenly looked very sad, and Gwen hesitated. Sometimes Gwil got into these moods – more often than not, over something from his life back in 1848. “I know,” he murmured. “I just want to help take care of it.”
Sharing a hesitant look with Rhys, Gwen bent down – not very far, what with her belly in the way. “What is it, love?” She stroked a hand through Gwil's hair again. “Is it something from the mill?”
Gwil glanced around before focusing those big blue eyes on Gwen. “There was a baby,” he whispered, voice so sad and faint Gwen almost couldn't hear him. “We found it in a rubbish heap. I wanted to help it, to take it to the church, or give it food, or a blanket, or something. But it wasn't moving or breathing. And the rats were getting to it, already.”
Gwen sucked in a sharp breath, clutching at her stomach as tears welled in her eyes. “Oh,” she whispered. “Oh, Gwil...” At a loss of what to do, Gwen settled for reaching down and scooping Gwil up in her arms, snuggling him to her bosom tight.
Gwil squirmed in her arms, trying to push away. “Auntie Gwen,” he grumbled. “It's okay. It was ages ago. I just...” Gwil paused as Gwen sat him down, face scrunched up as he tried to explain. “I never got to help the baby. But now you're going to have a new one. So I want to help it.” He paused again, as if realizing he wasn't making sense. He tried again. “I know it's not the same baby,” he stated. “But... um...”
Stroking a hand through Gwil's hair again, Gwen smiled, eyes a little watery. “It's okay, sweetheart. I understand.” She sniffed, blinking rapidly as she looked around. They were at the front of the queue. “Look!” she said, trying to wipe surreptitiously at her eyes. “Bunnies!”
Gwil – who probably needed the distraction less than Gwen – happily turned away from her and to the bunnies, which were hopping around the little enclosure. His eyes widened, face lighting up as he gazed upon the sea of fluffy love in front of him. Without another moment's delay, Gwil was off, scurrying around to pick up the little bundles of fluff and cuddle them mercilessly.
An arm wrapped around her shoulders and Gwen leaned into it, sniffing again. “It's alright, love,” Rhys murmured, pressing a kiss to her hair. “He's not there anymore. And Jack and Ianto look like they're not doing half-bad raising him.”
Gwen nodded, head resting on Rhys' shoulder. “I know,” she whispered. “It's just awful: how all those children lived. I can't even imagine...” she trailed off, something at the edge of the enclosure catching her eye. Was that... pink...?
Oblivious to her change in attention, Rhys continued to talk, stroking her arm gently. “But he's here now, yeah? And he doesn't seem too bothered by it all.” Gwen lifted her head from Rhys' shoulder, not really listening as she squinted across the enclosure. Yes, it was definitely pink. Hot pink. Did they dye one of the bunnies? Could you dye a bunny's fur? “And he does so well with all the Torchwood stuff, it was like he was born into it.”
“Auntie Gwen!” Gwil was over by the pink fuzz ball that had attracted Gwen's attention, both hands thrown up in the air. “I'm not touching it!” He was backing away slowly, eyes staying focused on the pink creature. “Auntie Gwen! I think it's a Janet sort of bunny! Auntie Gwen!”
Gwen groaned, pushing away from Rhys and waddling as fast she could over to Gwil. Okay, yes: that definitely wasn't just a bunny with a bad dye job. For one, its ears appeared to be more prehensile tentacles, twice as long as its body. For another, it had six legs. It was a small wonder it had managed to blend in with the other bunnies for any length of time at all.
“Bollocks,” Gwen muttered, digging through her purse for her mobile and Torchwood ID. “Rhys, love?”
Rhys was already at her side, spluttering as he pointed at the not-bunny. “What- what- what in the hell-”
“Yes, dear, I know: I see it. Could you get the children out, please? And find me the employee who runs the exhibit? I need to call Jack.”
With hardly a single splutter more, Rhys whirled away from Gwen and started herding people out of the exhibit, saying something about a sick or dead bunny or something. Gwen was listening to her mobile dialing, one eye on the not-bunny and one eye on Gwil, who had only just lowered his hands from above his head.
“I didn't touch it!” he said again, and then Gwen remembered why he'd be so wary of touching something alien. She patted his head absently as she waited for Ianto to pick up.
“Good job, sweetheart,” she cooed. “That's very good.”
“Gwen? Is something the matter?”
Gwen smiled reassuringly into the phone, even though she knew Ianto couldn't see her. “Nothing's wrong with Gwil,” she started with, winking at Gwil as she spoke. “But he did manage to find yet another pet-sized alien. Seems he's just a magnet for these things.”
Gwil tugged at Gwen's jeans, standing on tip-toe and saying loudly into the phone: “I didn't touch it!”
Ianto's sigh was loud on the other end of the line. “Right. Andy and I will be out there in thirty minutes. Should we bring anyone else?”
Rhys was heading over to her now, enclosure successfully cleared out and a rather confused employee trailing behind him. “No, no,” Gwen said. “It seems like it's just the one. And it doesn't seem harmful, but, you know:”
“You never know,” Ianto finished for her. “Right, well, on our way. Tell Gwil he's very good for not touching it.”
“Will do,” Gwen chirped before snapping shut her phone. She smiled down at Gwil, sighing slightly as the little boy gazed up at her, waiting for her instructions. “Your tad's on his way. He says good job for not touching it.”
Gwil veritably beamed at the praise, before turning back to the pink not-bunny. It was nibbling at the grass, little nose twitching. It seemed to sense Gwil's attention, turning to look at him. Its ears (tentacles? feelers?) perked up, reaching out like a centipede's feelers toward Gwil, questing through the air as it tried to sense what was out there. Gwil's eyes widened. “Can I touch it now?” he breathed.
Springing into action, Gwen grabbed Gwil by the shoulders and passed him off to Rhys, swapping him for the employee standing next to Rhys. “Keep the little one away,” Gwen ordered with a smile. “At least until we know it's safe.”
Gwen ignored Gwil's pout as she turned to the employee, expression turning less warm-motherly and more scolding. “Now,” she started, pointing down at the pink not-bunny. “Care to explain what is that?”
Continue on to Chapter 10.
![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
no subject
Date: 2011-05-02 04:21 am (UTC)Ahem. Anyway. Gwen is adorable. Rhys is adorable. Gwil is adorable. Pink, fluffy alien bunny thing is adorable. TOO MUCH CUTE. And I have to say, you have done an excellent job of making Gwil a perfect combination of Jack, Ianto, and himself. It's wonderful. In the simplicity of him asking, with relative politeness (well, at least for a child) to touch the unidentified alien creature - gah! TOO MUCH OF AWESOME.
Okay. Flaily Saria needs to stop now. :)
no subject
Date: 2011-05-02 04:27 am (UTC)I keep trying to figure out if there's somewhere I can go and party, but, um... I live in central Florida. So not really :P But wooo!!!! INTERNET PARTY!!!!
Anyway ^.^ Glad you liked this chapter. I always fret when I have to write Gwen, because I just want to default to bashing her (bad, bad fangirl amuly), but I DO try and do her justice in normal fic. So yay for me apparently doing my job!
no subject
Date: 2011-05-02 04:33 am (UTC)And go team! I'm a military spouse (hubs is a retired Marine) and I've seen too many youngsters die because of that sick fucker. So yeah. Plenty of bouncing in this house tonight!
no subject
Date: 2011-05-02 04:40 am (UTC)Glad you liked the update, and HIGH FIVES FOR AMERICA! :D
no subject
Date: 2011-05-02 05:13 am (UTC)Tell your Mum I feel infinitely sorry for her! I'm sure that to this day she still remembers feeling bloody awful at the end in the heat and humidity. :D
no subject
Date: 2011-05-02 05:13 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-05-02 06:19 am (UTC)Glad you liked! ^.^
no subject
Date: 2011-05-02 08:10 am (UTC)I also loved the expression "fluffy love".
By the way diapers = nappies
no subject
Date: 2011-05-02 02:09 pm (UTC)Glad you liked the chappie!
no subject
Date: 2011-05-02 02:11 pm (UTC)*toes ground* Amuly, would you care to be friends? I pretty much love all the fandoms you're in.
no subject
Date: 2011-05-02 02:39 pm (UTC)And yeah, I've got an open-friending policy, so friend away.
no subject
Date: 2011-05-02 03:03 pm (UTC)Best part was Gwil repeating "I didn't touch it!" Lol, ah, I love Gwil so much.
no subject
Date: 2011-05-02 03:17 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-05-02 03:45 pm (UTC)Love this series more than you could imagine. It's the only unfinished thing that I read (I don't normally read WIPs). Love Gwil. And of course the pink fluffy bunny alien.
And yay for Bin Laden being dead!
no subject
Date: 2011-05-02 03:48 pm (UTC)I'm glad you're enjoying the series! I definitely don't plan on abandoning it, and I have the entierty of it planned out for an end-of summer finish, so hopefully all will go as planned and I won't disappoint my fabulous readers like you!
no subject
Date: 2011-05-02 04:00 pm (UTC)Me, fabulous? *blushes* Thanks hon! And it's good to hear that I have something to look forward to for the summer, meaning your awesome fics.
no subject
Date: 2011-05-03 10:48 pm (UTC)my heart broke for gwil remembering the past. so glad he has ianto/jack.
no subject
Date: 2011-05-03 10:58 pm (UTC)Glad you liked!
no subject
Date: 2011-05-29 06:19 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-05-29 07:03 pm (UTC)Glad you liked!