A Match Made in Heaven
A Match Made in Heaven?
Owen had been wrong there had been a tunnel of light. It was just last time he wasn't ready so he never found it before he was called back. Toshiko and Owen walked along the tunnel towards the light. Even though Toshiko's death had shocked him when he found her by his side Owen was glad he wasn't making the journey alone, he held her hand tightly.
The light was blinding when the reached the end of the tunnel, but soon their sight adjusted.
"So this is it?" Toshiko said "This is heaven"
"It's what lies beyond, whatever it maybe"
They looked on in wonder at all the people milling about before them,.
The Owen saw someone he recognised "Katie!"
Toshiko didn't know the face but she knew the name. She knew she couldn't compete with Owen's lost fiancée, she let go of his hand, the look she gave him telling him it was alright. He stepped forward to greet Katie and Toshiko wondered off on her own.
Toshiko saw a familiar face, she smiled "Tommy"
"You knew" he said bitterly "You knew they would kill me the second I got back"
She was overcome with guilt "I'm sorry"
"How could you do that to me? I thought you loved me" His face showed the hurt
"I had to, everyone's lives were at risk"
"So you paid with mine"
"I didn't want to send you back to that believe me, but there was no other choice"
"They killed me for cowardice"
"They shouldn't have done that. If only they knew, you were so brave" she said putting a hand on his arm.
"And what good did it do me, it was nearly over and they killed me"
"I'm so sorry"
Tommy walked away again.
"Well I hadn't expected to be killed by an alien" Katie said
"There's more of them about than you'd think"
"Did you…"
"No mine was human, well if you could call him that"
"So did you find anyone else?"
"I well…I"
"Katie sweetheart are you coming" A man said approaching them.
"Can you give us a minute Steven" Katie said and he wandered off again
"Who was that?" Owen asked
"Oh Owen I'm sorry"
"You found someone else here"
"Ah yes well"
"What"
"I was going t o tell you. But then everything started happening"
"What? We were going to get married"
"I was going to stop it, but then that thing started fiddling with my brain"
"You're saying there was someone else… him"
"I'm sorry"
"You're sorry I loved you, with all my heart I loved you!"
"I loved you too and I didn't want to hurt you. That's why I never said anything, and then it was too late my brain wasn't my own"
"I don't believe this"
"Steve died two months after me, it was a car accident. I don't know how accidental it actually was though"
"So I didn't love you because I didn't kill myself?" Owen asked in disbelief
"No, that's not it. Things would have been different if it wasn't for that alien"
"You'd have left me?"
She didn't answer.
Owen wiped the tears away hoping she didn't notice.
Toshiko wandered aimlessly, she saw the other love of Owen's life. Diane, she was surrounded by adoring men, Toshiko was hardly surprised. There was one man in the group though who was getting all of her attention, she didn't have much time for the others, as she moved in to kiss him Toshiko saw the matching wedding rings and she knew Diane was no threat any more. It was just Katie, Toshiko sighed and sat down, there was no great love to greet her.
"I've been watching you, you know" Katie said breaking the silence. "You've saved so many people, I'm so proud"
Owen muttered
"I know you've found someone else" she said
"What?"
"It wasn't sudden, it was like a rolling snow ball, you couldn't see it coming until it was too late"
Owen looked at her
"She might have missed the signs but I didn't" Katie said with a smile "I know you tried to resist it. You thought she wasn't interested, god you can be thick sometimes"
"Thanks!"
"Then she confessed, but you didn't believe her, well not at first. You finally came round to the idea that she does actually had feelings for you. Then what happens, you die! God I was going to give you an ear full, but you never arrived, you got a second chance. So what did you do? Nothing"
"I was dead, unless to her"
"She didn't care, she still loved you. I saw it. She loves you more than I ever could, or ever did. She kept it quiet for so long"
The tears were leaking again from Owen's eyes.
"You know, you had a rose tinted view of me. Your real love is wandering lost and lonely" she put her hand on his arm "Go and find her, and for god sake tell her how you feel"
Owen knew Katie was right.
He searched for ages to find Toshiko. He even saw Diane who gave him a quick wave before giving her full attention back to the man she was talking to. But you know Owen didn't care, he had to find Toshiko. Eventually he found her sitting on her own. He sat next to her.
"Is Katie alright?" Toshiko asked dully
"Yeah" Owen said, he turned to look at Toshiko "She made me see something. I'd been an idiot"
"Well done her"
"Tosh" he said taking her hand and smiling "Out of all the people here, it's you I want"
"Really?"
"Yes, and that's the truth"
Toshiko smiled so did Owen before leaning in to kiss her "I love you Toshiko" he said moments before his lips met hers.