The Doctor held his hand out as Gwen went to run over to Owen's side. Jack grabbed her around the waist and held her tight. Kneeling down beside him, the Doctor pressed his fingers to the pulse point in Owen's neck. When he looked up at Gwen, she thought it was all over, until the Doctor's face broke into a smile.
"He's ok." He told her. "He's alive. He'll be unconscious for a while as his organs and bodily functions kick in again."
"But other than that, he's fine?" Gwen asked.
"Yes, he's fine." The Doctor smiled.
He nodded to Jack to let her go and she quickly ran to kneel beside them. She smiled down at Owen and took his hand in hers.
"This is the first time he's slept in weeks. It must be a relief." She smiled. "Could we move him somewhere more comfortable?"
"Ianto, help me carry him down to the medical bay." Jack said.
The rest of the team and the Doctor followed as Jack and Ianto carried Owen to the medical bay.
They placed him gently on a bed and went to leave the room. Gwen stayed by his side, just watching him sleep.
"Gwen, you coming?" Tosh asked.
"I'll be up in a minute." Gwen replied, never taking her eyes off Owen. Tosh followed the others out and Gwen was left alone with him. She ran her hand across his face and stroked a finger over his cheek. His face was flushed as the blood ran through his veins and his skin felt warm. She watched his chest rise and fall as he breathed. "I can't believe it." She whispered. "You're really back." Her hand fell on his chest over his heart and she felt it beating under her fingertips. She grew curious and unbuttoned his shirt. Gently pushing it aside, she looked down at where his wound had been. "Completely gone." After running her fingers over the soft, smooth skin there, she buttoned his shirt back up and leant down to place a gentle kiss on his lips. "I love you."
Taking one last look at Owen, she left the medical bay and joined the others by the workstations.
"Still sleeping?" Jack asked.
"Like a baby." Gwen answered. "Tosh, can you bring up the CCTV footage of Owen's room? I just want to be down there when he wakes up so he's not...freaked out or anything."
"Sure." Tosh nodded.
Gwen turned to the Doctor and pulled him into a tight hug. He blushed as she kissed his cheek and pulled away to smile at him.
"Thank you." She said.
"Yes. Thank you Doctor. This means a lot to us." Jack nodded. "And I know Owen will be grateful for what you've done."
The Doctor smiled at them all and put his hands in his pockets.
"I should go." He told them.
"Can't you stay a little longer? I know Owen would want to thank you for everything you've done for him." Gwen said.
"I wish I could stay." The Doctor replied. Jack noticed a sad, faraway look wash over him as if he meant something else. "But I have to leave."
The others said goodbye to him as he started to leave. Jack ran over to him and started to walk with him. They left through the huge rolling door and entered the lift.
"Doctor, why did you do this for us?" He asked quietly.
"I just...knew how much he meant to you." The Doctor shrugged.
"Come on, Doc. What's the real reason?" Jack insisted.
The Doctor stopped in the middle of the dark corridor and turned to face Jack. He noticed that sadness in those wise, old eyes of his once again.
"My time is coming Jack." He said quietly. "I don't know when and I don't know how, I was just told 'he will knock four times'. I came here today as a sort of...goodbye. I don't know when I'll see you again – well, when this version of me will see you – so I thought I'd better pay one last visit now while I have the chance. Owen...he's my thank you, for all the times you've helped me save planets, a parting gift. Look after him for me."
"We will Doctor." Jack promised. "But can't you stop it? You know it's coming, you can stop it from happening."
"I can't." The Doctor replied, shaking his head. "I told you, I don't know when it is, just that 'he will knock four times'. By that time, it could be too late to do anything."
"There must be something you can do." Jack protested.
The Doctor shook his head again.
"It's alright, I accept my fate. I'll just regenerate like always. It'll still be me just...a little different. Hey, maybe I'll be ginger next time." He said.
Jack chuckled and smiled sadly.
"I'll miss you." He told him.
"Yeah. Me too." The Doctor nodded.
Jack walked with the Doctor out to the TARDIS and pulled him into a hug.
"Bye big guy." He said.
"Goodbye Jack." The Doctor replied.
Jack took a step back and stood up straight as he saluted the Doctor. The Doctor rolled his eyes but smiled and repeated the gesture back to him. He turned and disappeared inside the TARDIS, Jack watching as it faded from view. He took a deep breath before returning back to the Hub.
"Thought for a second you'd run away with him again." Gwen joked as he stepped through the rolling door. She caught his sad smile and took a step closer. "Are you ok?"
"I'm fine." He answered. "I just wish there was something I could do – to thank him. After everything he's done..."
"Yeah, he's done so much for us – and for this planet and no one knows." She sighed. "Sounds like us."
"Sort of." Jack smiled. "But Torchwood was first set up to defend the Earth from the Doctor."
"What? Why?" Gwen frowned.
"It's a long story." He answered. Jack looked up at the lift where the Doctor's TARDIS had landed. "I'm going to miss him." After a few seconds, he shook himself out of his thoughts and walked over to watch Owen on Tosh's monitor. "How's the patient?"
"Still sleeping." Tosh told him. She looked over at Gwen and noticed she was watching the monitor anxiously. "He's ok, I saw him move a few seconds ago."
"I'm just...scared he'll...you know. I think I'll go and sit with him for a while." Gwen replied and walked off down to the medical bay.
"Maybe we should give them some privacy." Tosh said as they watched Gwen walk into the room.
She turned off the footage as Jack nodded and went into his office.
Gwen pulled up a chair and sat beside Owen's bed, watching him as he slept. She took his hand in hers and ran her thumb over the back of it. She was entranced by the sound of his soft breaths and the slow rise and fall of his chest.
It was strange for her as she'd just gotten used to the fact that Owen couldn't do simple things like breathing or eating any more. She couldn't imagine how it must feel for him. Had it hurt? Was he in pain now? He hadn't eaten in weeks. Would he be hungry?
She went to pull away to go and order a pizza and get him a drink but his grip on her hand tightened as she went to move. She watched his face anxiously. His eyes were moving behind his eyelids but they didn't open. She leant over him and ran her hand over his forehead. He was burning up and a thin sheet of sweat covered his face. He gripped her hand tighter and she could feel him shaking slightly. His other hand flew to his chest as he cried out in pain.
"Owen sweetheart, it's ok." She shouted. "Owen, open your eyes. I'm here darling, it's all ok."
"G...Gw...Gwen?" He mumbled.
"I'm here. You're ok sweetheart, I promise." She told him.
His eyes opened and he looked straight at her, his hand feeling his chest just over his heart.
"I'm...I'm alive." He whispered. Gwen smiled, happy tears glistening in her eyes as she nodded. "Oh my God, I'm alive."
He scrabbled at the buttons on his shirt to look at where his gunshot wound had been.
"It's gone." She smiled. "I...I hope you don't mind but...I looked while you were out."
He pulled her face down to his and kissed her hungrily. She giggled as they broke away.
"Where's the Doctor?" He asked.
"He had to leave." She told him.
"But I wanted to thank him." Owen said.
"I know, I asked him to stay but he said he had to go." She sighed. Owen sighed in disappointment and she took both his hands in hers. "How are you feeling?"
"Like I've got the worst hangover in history, hungry and very, very thirsty." He answered.
"I was going to get you something before you woke up." She told him. "I'll be right back." She turned to leave before stopping in the doorway and turning back. "Pizza and a coffee ok?"
"Sounds absolutely amazing." He grinned.
Gwen smiled at him and left. She walked up to where the coffee machine was situated in the hope of finding Ianto there.
Luckily, he was and he smiled as he saw Gwen approaching.
"What can I do for you?" He asked.
"A coffee in one of the largest mugs you've got for Owen and a regular one for me please Ianto." She replied.
"Ah, he's awake is he?" Ianto smiled as he made the coffees.
"Yeah." Gwen nodded. "Knew the quiet was too good to be true. You got the number for the pizza place?"
"I'll sort it, you go back down to Owen. I'll order two Owen specials, two large meat feast pizzas." He told her.
"Thanks Ianto, you're an angel." She smiled.
"I do my best." He replied and handed her the coffees. "Now go, be with Owen, I know you're anxious to get back to him. Tell him it's good to have him back and I have missed ordering those pizzas of his."
Gwen giggled and hurried back down to Owen.
As Owen waited, he closed his eyes and took long, deep breaths. He smiled as he felt his lungs fill with air each time. He was starting to cool down now too. When he'd first woken up, he'd been so hot as his blood pumped through his veins once again.
He had one arm crossed across over his chest to feel his heart beating a steady rhythm. His other hand was stroking the sheets beneath him, his fingertips tingling. Before Gwen had left, he'd felt her warm, soft hands in his and when he'd kissed her, he could feel her lips against his.
He longed to feel those lips again and wondered how long she'd be.
Minutes later, he heard footsteps enter the room and he opened his eyes to see Gwen standing in the doorway.
"I didn't wake you did I?" She asked, an apologetic look on her face.
"No, no, I wasn't asleep." He answered and sat himself up.
"I've got the coffee and Ianto's ordering the pizza. He told me to tell you he's missed ordering the Owen special, he's getting two." Gwen smiled.
"Oh great." Owen grinned.
She walked over to his bed, smiling shyly as she put the coffees on the bedside table. He reached out and pulled her down onto his lap. Wrapping her arms around his neck, she giggled as he brought his lips to hers and slipped his arms around her waist.
"You're so warm." She said as they pulled away.
Their arms were still wrapped around each other as they gazed into each other's eyes.
"I'm not dead any more. My blood is rushing through my veins all around my body." He told her. He smirked and pulled her closer to his chest. Gwen gasped as she felt something very familiar. "All the way around."
Gwen felt the air around them change. It was filled with a strong electrical charge as their loving looks turned hungry and full of desire. Her eyes dropped to his lips as his grip on her tightened. Their breath started to shake as they leant in closer. Their lips were millimetres apart as Gwen's eyes slid shut. Owen let out a low growl as he closed the gap between them. Gwen gasped into the kiss and pressed herself against his chest.
A cough interrupted them as Owen's hand slipped up the back of Gwen's shirt. Gwen pulled away quickly and jumped out of Owen's lap. She blushed and hid her face in her hair as Ianto entered the room.
"Pizza's arrived." He announced, carrying two boxes of steaming pizzas.
"Cheers Ianto." Owen nodded. Ianto placed them beside the coffees and went to leave. As he did, he winked at Gwen causing her blush to deepen. "Oh look at that." Gwen looked at him and saw that he'd torn a slice off and was watching the cheese turn stringy then snap as he pulled it further away. He looked over at her and patted the bed beside him and gestured to the pizza. "Join me?"
"No you eat it, you must be starving." She answered.
"I am but I doubt even I'll be able to eat all this." He replied.
"Alright." She shrugged and sat beside him.
Owen bit into his slice and moaned.
"This is good." He said with a mouthful of pizza. "All we need now is a bottle of beer."
"Well you'll just have to make do with coffee." She smiled.
Owen watched her as they ate causing her to feel a little self-conscious. She fidgeted under his stare and kept glancing up at him.
"So why did you dump Rhys?" He asked.
"I did not 'dump' Rhys." She sighed. "I just...had to let him go."
"That's just a nicer way of saying dumped." Owen said. "So why did you 'let him go'?"
"Because I didn't love him any more, not like I used to. My life has changed so much since I started this job. It changed how I see things, how I feel about things. It changed how I felt about him." She explained.
"But why did it change that?" He frowned.
"Because I fell in love. I thought I was in love with Rhys but when I met you...I learned what real love felt like." She answered. They smiled sweetly at each other and ate in silence for a few moments. "So what about you? How come you're not going out and shagging every girl you can find now that you can?"
"Well, I've done all that haven't I." He shrugged. "It was good, don't get me wrong but...it wasn't...there was something missing. It stopped being fun after a while because this thing that was missing...that feeling of it missing just got stronger. Then Diane came along and I realised what it was. Love. I'd forced myself to stay emotionally detached from people because I'd loved and lost in the past and I didn't want that to happen again. But what happened with Diane, it opened my eyes. Yes I loved her but when she left, I realised there was someone right under my nose that I'd fallen head over heels for. I just hadn't realised it because I haven't let myself love anyone for so long. I was too scared to."
Gwen was speechless. They'd spoken to each other about personal feelings in the past but never had Owen opened up to her as much as he had then. There had always been a boundary with him, he'd tell her more than he did the others but there were still things he wouldn't say to her.
She couldn't think of anything to say so she leant across and captured his lips in a gentle kiss.
"You don't have to be afraid any more." She told him. "I love you."
"I love you too." He replied.
He smiled and squeezed her hand.
Gwen managed a few slices of pizza and Owen finished a whole one off and half of the other one.
He gulped down his coffee and sat back against the wall, his eyes closed in contentment. He felt around for her hand.
"Oi! Watch it you." She giggled as his hand grabbed at her. He laughed as he opened his eyes and pulled her to sit with him. She leant her head on his shoulder as he wrapped his arm around her. His fingers started running through her hair and she yawned. "Sorry, all the excitement from today...it's tired me out."
"Yeah, oddly, me too." He nodded. "Wow, tiredness, haven't felt that for a long time."
"Come on, you'd best go up and see the others before Jack complains that I'm hogging you." She sighed and pulled him with her off the bed. As he straightened himself out, she smirked at him. "How's that erm...blood flow of yours?"
Owen raised an eyebrow at her.
"It's...ok now." He shrugged. "Why?"
"Was wondering if you wanted to come back to mine tonight, that's all. Just thought we might be able to come up with a solution for your little problem." She said innocently.
"Actually, yeah it is still a problem." He replied quickly. "And I'll have you know, it's not a 'little' problem, it's a rather big one."
He put his hands on her waist as she smiled seductively at him.
"Oh I know." She nodded.
Owen growled as she turned and ran out the door, giggling as he gave chase.
Tosh and Ianto looked up as they both came running up to main area. They stopped and grinned like naughty school children caught setting a trap for their teacher. Jack walked out of his office, shaking his head and smiling fondly at the two. He pulled Owen into a hug and clapped him on the back.
"I knew that miracle would come along." Jack grinned.
"Yeah, it's a shame I never got to thank the Doctor." Owen sighed. "Is there any way of contacting him?"
"No, I don't – hey, he still didn't give me his number." Jack pouted.
"I don't understand it though. How did the Doctor know about me?" Owen asked.
"Martha. She told him about you and he came to put it right." Jack explained.
"So I owe Martha too." Owen said. "Remind me to thank her."
"What was it like?" Tosh asked curiously.
Jack and Owen glanced at each other. They'd both now experienced what it felt like to be dragged back from the dead and wondered whether they should tell the others. However, with both gloves gone, there was a slim chance it would happen to any of them.
Jack shrugged and nodded indicating he could tell them.
"It's hard to describe. It felt like...the darkness was pulling me one way and life the other. It was like I was being dragged over broken glass. My body felt like it was on fire and my chest...I thought it was going to explode and my lungs...it was like I was drowning or something. You know, when they're screaming at you for more oxygen. That first breath, it was such a relief." He explained.
Gwen took his hand in hers and squeezed it. The image of him screaming in agony was implanted in her brain. She looked down at his hand and noticed the bandage still around his fingers. She lifted it up to show him.
"Do you still need this?" She asked.
Owen experimented by wriggling his little finger. It moved as much as the bandage would allow and he felt no pain.
"Obviously not." He replied. She slowly and gently unravelled the bandages from around his fingers. He stretched out his hand and examined his fingers from every angle. "Wow. Those nano things really did heal everything."
"Yeah, and the Doctor has me to thank for those. I found them." Jack said. "Without me, he wouldn't have them in the first place."
"So you're saying I should thank you too. Is that right?" Owen asked.
Jack looked thoughtful for a few seconds then nodded.
"I guess so, yeah." He replied.
"Right. Thank you. Now, is there anyone else?" He asked.
"There was a girl called Nancy. The nanogenes recognised her DNA as human and used it to heal all those people. I suppose you should thank her for showing them what humans are supposed to look like." Jack shrugged.
"Oh great. Well if we ever see her, point her out to me and I'll thank her." Owen said sarcastically.
Jack turned thoughtful.
"She'd be an old woman by now – if she's still alive. I hope so." He said quietly to himself. "Maybe I could find her and visit some time...I wonder if her son, Jamie, is still alive too..."
The rest of the team looked at each other, eyebrows raised.
"Ok..." Ianto breathed.
"Couldn't get us another coffee could you mate?" Owen asked. "I am so thirsty."
"It would be a pleasure." He smiled and walked away.
"Jack?" Gwen said, snapping him out of his thoughts. "The nanogenes...if they can put humans back to how they should be...could they fix you?"
He shook his head sadly.
"I doubt the nanogenes would even recognise me as human. I'm a fixed point in time and space, that's what the Doctor called me. What happened to me...it changed my DNA – ever so slightly. It slowed down my body clock, I age a lot slower than normal humans. I died but I was brought back. Back forever." He sighed.
"I knew you weren't human." Owen joked.
Tosh's computer beeped again and she sighed as checked the monitor.
"Weevils?" Jack asked.
"Nope. Looks a Hoix this time. We've got CCTV footage of it around the shopping area." She told them.
"We haven't had a Hoix for a long time." Owen commented. "Bloody vicious things."
"Well, you can stay here and relax. It's your first day back as a living person, we don't want to break you just after we got you back." Jack smiled. "Gwen can keep you company. Just try and keep your hands off each other until you go home." Gwen rolled her eyes at him as he turned to Tosh and Ianto who'd just appeared with Owen's coffee. "Tosh, Ianto, you're with me. Let's go."
As Tosh stood up, she gave Owen a quick hug and smiled.
"It's good to have you back to normal." She said and followed Jack and Ianto out of the rolling door.
Owen sat down at his desk and ran his hands over the keys of his computer. Gwen watched him, smiling fondly, as he closed his eyes and took a deep breath. When he looked back up at her, she blushed at being caught staring.
"Are you watching me?" He smirked.
"No." She lied.
"I think that's a lie." He replied. "Well, how about you stop watching and you come over here and sit with me."
"Boss of me, are you?" She said as she walked over to him.
"Jack's not here so that puts me in charge." He told her.
"Then how come you didn't take charge when Jack left?" She smirked.
"Well...you were doing a pretty good job...I...took charge by letting you take charge." He answered. "Anyway, hurry up and get over here."
"Yes sir." She giggled. Owen growled hungrily at her and when she went to sit in her chair, he pulled her onto his lap. She laughed as she brought her lips to his. "Jack said we had to keep our hands to ourselves."
"Jack's not here and who's in charge when Jack's not here?" He asked.
"You are...sir." She laughed.
"Good girl." He grinned. "Now, I order you to kiss me."
"Orders are orders." She shrugged and crushed her lips onto his.
A few minutes later, the Hub's warning sirens began to blare out. Gwen jumped away from Owen and saw that all the lights were flashing. She ran over to Tosh's computers as Owen stood up quickly.
"What is it?" He demanded.
"The Hub's been breached. There's someone here." She answered. She suddenly felt a slight breeze and a shiver ran down her back. Whipping around, Gwen's eyes widened as she spotted Bilis Manger standing just outside the autopsy bay. "You." Gwen shouted. "You've got a nerve coming in here."
As she stormed towards him, he disappeared and reappeared a few feet away. Owen grabbed his gun off the desk and pointed it towards him.
Bilis remained calm and said nothing as he stared at them both. His eyes fixed on Owen and swiftly and silently, he brought a leather-gloved hand out from behind his back, gripping a gun. He pointed it at Owen.
Gwen screamed as two shots rang out.