DISCLAIMER: I don't own Torchwood – you have heard me say this before. But I own the words on this page. So there!
He had only known her for a brief few days, but those days had been the best he could remember since Katie. Lovely Katie – his reason for being here in the first place. How he had hated himself in those first few months since her death. Why, in all of the Earth, did an alien have to get her? Why couldn't it have been that old bitch that lived under them and thumped on the ceiling every time they were having a dance around the living room? But no, it was his beloved Katie. Sure, there had been others between her and Diane, but there was something about Diane that he just could not put his finger on, something that felt like home to Owen. For all his cold exterior, there was quite a warm man inside him – one that would do anything for the woman who stole his heart.
He was in the kitchen whistling as he made coffee when Diane came in, wearing little more than the under things she had flown in with. Damn, but that is hot! Owen laughed to himself – he had remembered seeing undies like that in his Gran's drawer when he was small, and they were never that sexy!
"Good morning, love," she said easily, her voice coated in sleep. "What're you doing?"
Owen crossed the room to kiss her and smiled as he did. "Thought I would make you a bit of breakfast before we had to go anywhere."
"And where would we be going?" Diane wrapped her arms around him, listening to the beating of his heart, knowing what she had planned for the day, not wanting to tell him.
"I thought I would call in and tell Jack and the Jack-lets that I was too busy to join them today and we could go out and get some of the things you'd need to get settled here…"
"Settled? Here?" She indicated the room, the apartment.
Owen frowned. "Unless you want to stay at the Hub. With Jack."
Diane let out a laugh. "Jack's not my type. But I wasn't sure that you would want me here, cramping your style."
"You wouldn't do that." Owen showed her the rare side of him. "I need someone like you around here." He kissed her again, and she pulled him toward the living room to sit on the couch.
"You don't know me, Owen. There are things about me that would make life hard for you. Besides, I can't promise that I can stay anywhere. If I did this time, it would be a first." She was being honest with him and the hurt that followed could easily be read on his face.
"Diane, I…I…I…"he started, but she cut him off. Tears sprang to his eyes; he couldn't loose anyone else.
"Don't, Owen. You don't know me. Don't say that." Diane begged, her hands on his shoulders to steady the both of them.
Owen shook his head and finished what he was saying. "I love you. God help me, it's true…"
She began to cry as she fell against him. She didn't want anyone to love her. She was so unlovable. Why did he have to fall for her now? Worse, why was she falling for him? She had had a long talk with Jack and found that there would be an opening for her to get back coming up tonight – she had planned to just let Owen have a good day and leave when he went to sleep. But now this. "No, take it back."
"I can't." He smoothed her hair and kissed the top of her head. "Once it is said, there is no taking it back. Sorry."
Diane beat on his chest and tried to pull away from him. "STOP IT! QUIT TELLING ME THAT YOU LOVE ME! I DON"T LOVE YOU…" Her protest was muffled, but he understood every word as it cut him.
"You can't mean that," Owen looked into her eyes for the truth, whatever it may be. "Diane, you just can't…"
Though it was hard, she held the look steady. "It's true." All lies. "I don't love you."
If she had slapped him, it would have hurt him less. Owen hung his head and went to the door. "I am going out. Be gone when I get back."
She watched as he closed the door behind him before falling, weak-kneed to the sofa behind her. Dammit, Diane, you always manage to louse everything up. Better get moving – lots of things to do before you leave the only man you would have stayed for.
Outside, Owen looked at the door. Behind it was everything he had wanted in a woman, everything he thought he would never find once he had lost Katie. And she wanted away from him. So, let her, screw them all! He took a box from his pocket and opened it. Inside was the ring that his mother had given him – his Great Gran's ring. Looking at it one last time, he took it from it storage place to watch the stone in it sparkle. It had been meant for the woman he loved above all others. That was never going to happen now, he was sure of that. Closing the box, he dropped it in the bin outside before throwing the ring as far as he could manage. He never saw it come down as he walked the other way, around the corner, to his favorite pub – maybe they would be open already and he could get a good start on forgetting.