Jack sat in his office and stared at the file in front of him. He didn't want to do this but he had to, he owed them that much. Sighing he reached for the phone and dialed the number in the file. It was only a few rings later when a gruff female voice answered.
"Hello, Mrs. Harper?" Jack asked.
'Yes. Who is it?'
"My names Captain Jack Harkness ma'am and I'll calling in regards to your son."
'Great, what's that useless good for nothing son of mine done now?'
Jack swallowed his immediate response, he'd know about the relationship between Owen and his mum; he should have guessed how this was going to go.
'Well?' prompted the impatient voice on the other line.
"He..." Jack paused to clear the suddenly scratchiness from his throat, "He's passed away ma'am."
'What?' she asked her gruff voice instantly breaking in shock, no matter how rough their relationship might have been they'd still loved each other in some form, they were still and always would be mother and son.
"I'm sorry ma'am," Jack sighed not bothering to fight the tears that were forming in his eyes.
'How?' came a much softer voice full of pain.
"The nuclear facility outside of Cardiff, he saved the whole city from it melting down but he couldn't get out before the room he was in sealed and flooded," Jack explained quietly.
'You must have the wrong person, my son was a Doctor not a nuclear physicist,' she denied
"He went in to see if anyone needed medical assistance, he got everyone out and stayed behind. He knew some of what he was doing and the rest of the information he was fed through a phone line," Jack replied.
'No! He works at a crappy little medical centre you can't even find it in the phone book. He couldn't have been there,' she denied, stronger this time.
Trying to find any way to deny that it was her son who'd been lost, leaving Jack wishing that what she was saying was true, that Owen would walk through his door any minute.
But it wasn't so.
Owen was gone and they'd both lost family.
Her a son.
Him a younger brother.
Jack took a deep breath to steady his nerves.
"Mrs. Harper, what I'm going to tell you is highly classified, but I want you to know that your son died a Hero. I head an organization called Torchwood..."
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Jack weaved his way through a crowd of a busy market street. He felt like a giant whenever he came here looking over the sea of black hair he finally spotted his destination: A comfortable looking house tucked away to one side of the street, a street which was usually so peaceful, except for market days.
Jack stopped at the steps and stared at the front door. He didn't know if he could do this.
Ianto had offered to come with him, but with them being short staffed they couldn't leave Gwen behind on her own.
Mentally preparing himself he stepped up to the front door and knocked. A chatter of Japanese spewed forth from behind the door before a familiar smiling face opened it to greet him, the smile instantly dying on her face a moment later.
When he's first made the deal with Tosh to get her from UNIT's prison he'd told her she was allowed no contact with her family.
That had lasted a year before he'd dragged her himself to her mother's doorstep. He'd been here seven times, since that first visit over four years ago, but only ever with Tosh by his side. She knew what her daughter really did; she knew how dangerous it could be. Mrs. Sato stared at him standing on her doorstep, looking miserable, without her daughter and tears welled in her eyes.
"How?" she asked voice cracking as the tears began to flow.
"Saving the world," Jack replied stepping forward to pull the tiny woman into his arms and they both wept in their grief.
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Jack stood in full RAF dress uniform, at attention saluting as the caskets were lowered into the ground.
It didn't matter that there was nothing left of Owen to bury, the three remaining team members had chosen key possessions of his to place in his casket, the heart and soul of him.
Around them was a gathering of black outfits, some faces familiar, others completely unknown to him, but all brought together by the amazing souls of Owen Harper and Toshiko Sato.
Owen's mother stood crying to one side with his step father, along with various doctors, past patients and colleges from Owen's medical days. Toshiko's mother and family stood to the other side, all flown in from Japan. They were joined by old colleges from when Tosh worked at the government think tank, a few friends from University. Scattered around them were various members from UNIT, other government officials, even Det. Swanson, Andy and a few other of Cardiff's Police Force had come down to pay their respects.
Standing beside him on his left was Gwen dressed in a black dress and weeping into the shoulder of Rhys' suit. Martha was on his right dressed in a black pant suit she was crying softly into a handkerchief tucked securely under Ianto's arm. Ianto, tears seeping down his face, dressed in a black suit with a white tie stood between him and Martha.
His constant strength and support, his other hand was at Jack's side, their fingers laced together never letting each other go for fear of both breaking.
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After the graves had been covered and the funeral party had moved into the wake Jack still stood there, silently, with Ianto by his side.
Soft footsteps on the grass announced the arrival of another person, a quick glance to the side told Jack that it was Sgt. Baker, the man in charge of rebuilding Torchwood London.
A man he had a serious dislike for, but at least Jack was his superior so he could easily tell him to bugger off.
Jack didn't say anything just turned his eyes back to the tombstones, Tosh and Owen, side by side forever and on Owen's other side Katie Harper, his deceased fiancé, just as it should be.
"I'm sorry for your loss Captain. They were both amazing individuals."
Jack said nothing just nodded in reply.
"I know this is going to sound harsh but Torchwood policy..."
Sgt Baker broke off his sentence, Jack didn't have the energy to look at the man he was to drained to even be mad, though he knew it would hit with a vengeance at a later date and he'd take it out on the other man later.
Ianto on the other hand, was trembling with fury beside him and while he didn't say a word, Jack had no doubt that the fierce icy glare he was sending the Sgt. was what had stopped the older man mid sentence.
Jack gently squeezed Ianto's hand in reassurance before stepping forward and kneeling between the two graves, tracing each of their names with his fingers before he spoke.
"They may have been team members and that may require they be put into cold storage. But above that they were family, and this is what they deserve."
Fin