Author's Note: I don't own Torchwood. BBC does.
Epilogue
The world didn't end that night. Owen didn't know if UNIT was able to blow 456 from the sky or if Jack stopped the 456 by killing Frobisher's elder daughter or some other child; however, the sun rose the next day while Owen was playing WOW (World of Warcraft).
Jack wasn't there when Owen went to see the ruins of the hub bright and early Monday morning. Owen phoned Ianto. "Jack isn't here."
"Frobisher killed his wife, his daughters then himself," explained Ianto. "Jack had to send the resonating frequency through Stephen. There wasn't time to find another child. Jack had to kill his grandson to save the world. He isn't in a good place right now. You can scour the ruin for alien artifacts without us."
"No way," said Owen. "If I get hurt, I don't heal."
"I can't talk now," said Ianto. "I need to be with him."
"Are Gwen and Lois free?" asked Owen.
"Lois was fired for insubordination and a bunch of other things, but she said she could get a new job - there is only one planet Earth," explained Ianto. "Gwen and Rhys are back home and talking about getting a bigger place."
They were talking bigger house and not talking divorce. Then Lois wasn't wearing the contact lenses. Gwen couldn't retcon her way out this time. If Rhys did overhear everything in the cell due to the lipreading software, then he might also understand that Gwen was wanting someone that no longer existed because blood no longer flowed to his penis or any other organ in Owen's body.
"The 456 are gone?" Owen needed to ask.
"All dead," said Ianto. "Stephen died saving all the Earth's children. The resonating frequency worked."
"Give Jack my love."
Owen pocketed the phone then took the bus to the hospital to start his shift. Gwen had his number if she wanted to get started on cleaning up the bomb site. Owen had worked at the hospital both Saturday and Sunday, so this was his third day back.
Martha phoned, "Ianto called me. Mickey and I have been combing the site for alien artifacts since returning from our honeymoon. We can go over our findings together."
"Tonight is good," said Owen. "Diane would love to have dinner with someone who can actually eat for a change."
"I shouldn't have said the energy keeping you animated would eventually stop," said Martha. "We don't know."
"My body is wearing out," said Owen. "My lack of pain means I'm unaware of the micro-tears and other damage my body receives. As I told Tosh before I saw a way out, I'm good. I really am OK with it."
"How long?" asked Martha.
"At the rate of decay, another year or two at best. Don't cry for me. I'm dead, so each day is a blessing. I'll see you tonight."
The End
xxxx
Author's Note: I wrote a sequel: A Little Knowledge.