Farce, by apiphile (PG)

[laughingacademy.livejournal.com]

Fandom: TORCHWOOD
Pairing: refs to Jack/Ianto and Gwen/Rhys, surprise punchline pairing
Length: 4,462 words
Author on LJ: apiphile
Author Website: http://delirium.org.uk/
Why this must be read:

This epilogue to “Meat” highlights the fact that Torchwood bears many hallmarks of the genre or mode named in the title: improbable situations, concealed or mistaken identities, plots that tend to accelerate to a climax (often involving a chase), absurdity, slapstick, and verbal humor of varying degrees of sophistication.

However, many of the laughs in this story are etched with acid, as in this scene between Ianto and Gwen on the latter’s doorstep:

He pulled the front door open just as Gwen, on the other side, was about to put her key in the lock. Her eyes widened as they faced each other, and before he could say anything she grabbed him by the lapels and hauled him out onto the doorstep.

"You BASTARD." She looked a lot like she wanted to hit him. "You were just in there giving him one of those bloody pills, weren't you?"

"Yes," Ianto said, straightening his suit, "because you didn't when you were meant to."

"Did it ever occur to you that it might not be right – " she snapped.

"There are rules, Gwen," Ianto said patiently. "Even for you. Even for him. He wouldn't have been safe."

"You sound just like Jack," Gwen hissed. She looked like a gorgon. A very pretty gorgon, but a gorgon all the same.

Ianto hadn't meant for it to come out of his mouth and was barely sure if it had touched his brain at all before it did, but it came out all the same: "No, if I was just like Jack I'd be trying to fuck you all the time, wouldn't I?"

That was when she hit him.

But don’t worry, there are lighter moments —

Ianto raised his eyebrows. "Your cunning plan is all backwards."

"My plan?"

"You're meant to make me think you took it and admit to Gwen that you didn't."

— and you could argue that it has a happy ending.

Farce