Title: Follow the Leader

Summary: After End of Days Owen gives up; but Gwen and Torchwood need him.

Rating: PG

A/N: Spoilers for End of Days. Gwen/Owen implied.

A loud impatient knocking at his door had been annoying Owen for five hole minutes. Whoever was at the door wasn't buying that he wasn't in. "Alright!" He grumbled, pulling himself out of bed.

It wasn't until he opened the door, finding Gwen standing with a grin on her face, that he realised he was only wearing his boxers. From the way his co-worker was staring at him he doubted she minded much. "What do you want Cooper?"

"You haven't been in to work in three days. I called, but no one answered-"

"As touched as I am by your concern I'm fine. I don't need someone checking up on me darling."

"I didn't come here to check you were ok-" Owen grinned as he pulled her in to the apartment, slamming the door shut behind her and pinning her to the door.

"Why didn't you just say what you wanted?"

He scowled as she pushed him away. "If you can stop being an arrogant twat for five minutes I'll tell you why I'm here." She waited while he got dressed and made some coffee for them both.

Owen stood silently, watching as Gwen made them both coffee. She knew her way around his kitchen from the numerous times she'd ended up staying the night and they'd both needed a caffeine fix to restore their energy. "Nice arse." Gwen flushed as she bent down to pick up the spoon she'd dropped.

"So if you're not here for sex why are you here?" He asked as they took a seat on his sofa. That sentence pretty much summed up their entire relationship. It was always about sex, and when she'd realised she wanted more she'd called it off, trying to protect both Owen and Rhys; only to hurt them both.

"You should come back to work-"

"Jack's gone." Owen interrupted. Was he ever going to let her get a full sentence out?
"Yes he is. But the aliens and the rift aren't. They're still there and it's Torchwood's job to deal with them." He could see the passion in Gwen's eyes as she spoke. She really believed in making a difference and carrying on regardless of Jack's disappearance. "We need someone to lead us…and you're Jack's second in command. You've been doing this longer than any of us."

Owen was speechless. She actually trusted him to lead the team? Owen the-screw-up Harper. She sensed his apprehension and placed a reassuring hand over his. "I…We need you Owen. Tosh and Ianto agreed you should take the lead."

He mulled it over quietly while sipping the piping hot coffee; it was no where near as good as Ianto's. Casting a glance a Gwen he sighed. The coffee wasn't the only thing he'd missed from Torchwood. "Alright." He finally answered, earning a grin from his team mate. "But I'm not taking responsibility for you lot. From now on we do this as a democracy, everyone has a say." He was thankful he'd put his coffee down as she lunged for him on the sofa, hugging him tightly.

"You're a good man Owen Harper." She beamed. "Besides, it's only till Jack gets back." Owen forced himself to smile, ignoring the way his body was reacting to her close proximity, and the naivety of Gwen Cooper. She hadn't been in Torchwood for very long, hadn't encountered as much pain and grief as he had over the years. He'd seen colleagues come and go over the years. Once they were gone, they didn't come back. He prayed for Gwen's sake, and his own, that Jack would be different.