Disclaimer: I do not own Torchwood. If I had, the last episode of the second series would not exist.

Darkness

"Hello?"

Toshiko Sato died on a hellish evening at the malevolent hands of Gray. The last face she saw was Jack's, so kind and understanding. The last voice she heard, despite Gwen shouting at her to stay with them, was Owen's. Tosh played over their last conversation in her head, and listened his last words.

"Really Tosh, it's alright."

"Hello?" she repeated.

She was surrounded by blackness. For all she knew it could have gone on for miles and miles. Tosh didn't understand how desolate this place was when Owen explained it to her; now it was all she had...until she heard a sigh. From the left? Or was it right? She couldn't tell directions in the vast empty space.

"Hello?" Fear now came over her in this darkness.

"Who's there?" a voice so familiar responded. But her memories were becoming more and more obsolete as time wore on.

She waited a few false heartbeats. "Toshiko S-Sato."

A gasp. "Tosh?" The figure began walking towards her, then jogging, faster and faster. Tosh's stomach sunk and she bit her lip to keep it from quivering. She was terrified, not knowing what was coming at her.

In the soft glow, Tosh immediately recognized the mysterious figure. Owen Harper stood right in front of her, smiling wildly. Tosh's eyes widened at first, her jaw opening and closing as if to say something then change her mind. Once she realized that it was really Owen a smile grew on her face. She buried her face into his chest and he encompassed Tosh with his arms.

"How did you--what happened to you?" Owen asked, not sure of how exactly to word it.

"Gray shot me, right after I found out about the power spike," Tosh explained.

"Oh!" Owen was deeply surprised, "So even though you had been shot, you still held on and kept me calm through all...that?" Owen struggled with the last word, trying to forget what happened in the nuclear power plant.

Tosh looked down, slightly embarrassed. "Yes."

"Wow," he breathed. "That's very--well, I'm glad you're here--I mean, not that I'm glad that you're dead, but--er, well, I am also--oh Owen, shut up!"

She laughed. "Me too."

"Why is that?"

Tosh breathed deeply into his t-shirt. She was glad he still smelled the same, which brought another smile to her face. "Because I would have missed you too much."

Tosh crinkled her nose, waiting on his response. He broke off their embrace and stared out at the empty space behind Tosh.

"What is this place?" Tosh inquired after a few minutes, or at least what it seemed. "Is it..." she felt a bit silly, "heaven?"

Owen snorted. "Far from it. I suppose this is really what the after-life is, or at least a holding place so God can torture us some more."

Tosh rolled her eyes again, then looked up at Owen.

"What?"

"I--I'm sorry about the--"

"Tosh, it's alright. At least you're here too, so I'll be less insane in this darkness."

After a few more minutes, silence accompanied the shadowy isolation. They both looked about, trying to some sort of escape, if at all possible. But they never lost sight of each other.

"What do we do now?" Tosh wondered aloud.

Owen thought a bit. "Well, maybe--no. Never mind."

"What?"

He sighed. "Maybe we can have that date after all."

"Are you feeling charitable all of a sudden?" Tosh smirked. She fiddled with her shirt sleeve, feeling even more embarrassed about what she had said earlier.

"No, no. I--it's because," Owen lifted her chin with a single finger, "it's because I love you."