It was well after midnight and the bitterly cold wind stung, even through the multiple layers of clothing Toshiko Sato wore. She was stood under the bridge at the Bay end of the Roald Dahl Plass, whilst Owen leant against the right hand side wall just behind her. He was shivering and complaining continuously now he could finally feel the biting cold upon his skin.
"Come on Tosh, lets go home. They're obviously not coming out tonight," he grumbled, rubbing is hands together hoping the friction would warm them. He'd forgotten just how cold Cardiff could get.
"Two more minutes…please. They're still in there, I know they are," Tosh pleaded.
"Fine, two more minutes. God I need a drink…"
As Owen continued to moan, Tosh kept her gaze fixed upon the stone step which had once allowed her access to a secret organisation - Torchwood.
Any second now…she'd waited in the darkness for so long hoping she'd see them again.
"…That's it, I'm going. They're not coming Tosh. We're wasting our time stood here."
Tosh gasped, the sound silencing Owen immediately.
"Look…" she breathed.
Three figures had appeared, apparently out of thin air, between the fountain and the Millennium Centre. Their images were slightly hazy but they instantly recognisable as the three remaining members of Torchwood; Jack, Gwen and Ianto.
"I can't believe its them," Tosh whispered. "How long do you think we've been gone?" she asked Owen.
"Days, months, years, who knows."
The three figures turned to look down the Plass towards the Bay beyond it. Though Tosh was stood plainly in sight, neither of the three saw her. She waved frantically at them.
"Tosh, they don't know we're here," Owen stated flatly.
For the first time, Tosh glanced back at Owen and he saw tears running freely down her cheeks.
"I know…but there's no harm in pretending," she murmured.
He moved to stand behind her and wrapped his arms protectively around her waist. She leaned back against him, her body shaking as she sobbed.
Together they watched a conversation they could not hear, between friends who could no longer see them, in a world they were no longer part of. They were just observers now.