Title: The Cop, the Doctor and the Tea-boy

Summary: What if the rift couldn't be opened?

Rating: PG13/T

A/N: Set during episode 12 'Captain Jack Harkness'. Hints of Jack/Ianto and references to Owen/Gwen.

Owen raced to the central tower with the final part in his hand. He heard Ianto shouting for him to stop. Ignoring him he placed the last bit in its rightful place. Bang. Pain tore through his shoulder as a single bullet made a clean exit right through it. It was too late though, he slammed his hand down, pushing the key in place. He laughed like a mad man as he fell to the ground, watching the machine begin to clank and groan as it came to life. An aura of power could be felt within the room, engulfing the two men. Ianto stood warily with his gun watching as Owen gripped his shoulder. What had he done?

Jack had always told them not to mess with the rift. They were employed to keep it closed not tear it open and mess with the very fabric of time. He was tempted to shoot Owen again, just for being such a prat, but he kept his cool, as always, and waited for the inevitable. The return of a very pissed off Jack.

He arrived, but not in the way they expected. Every monitor in the hub sprang to life displaying the same image of Jack Harkness on each. He looked exactly the same and wore a shirt and braces as usual, it was impossible to tell when the recording had been made. "This is Captain Jack Harkness. I don't know who you are or why you've tried to activate the rift, but it won't work. I made sure of that a long time ago. If you're an enemy then I'm afraid you've failed. If your a friend, there is no reason on this earth that justifies you opening the rift. I'm sorry." He flashed off the screen, leaving the room in a deadly silence.

Owen sat slumped on the floor, his face white as a sheet, it had nothing to do with blood loss though. Ianto dropped to his knees, the gun falling freely from his hand. He opened his mouth, but no words came out. He closed it again and sat huddled on the ground, tears streaming down his face.

Gwen returned to the hub shortly after, having had no response from either man within the hub. "Either of you heard of answering your mobiles?" She scorned, her anger fuelled by the fear of finding the blood scrawled note. She took in the scene before her. Owen sat bent over his desk, his shirt off and a blood stained bandage over his shoulder. Ianto remained where he'd been earlier, huddled up on the floor. "Owen?" She rushed to his side, the site of blood making her anger disappear.

He looked up from his desk, tears staining his rosy cheeks. "They're gone." He mumbled. "The rift...Jack did something to stop it from ever being opened." For a few moments he remained silent. Then, as the first tears fell from Gwen's eyes, he broke down. Clinging to her legs, as though she'd disappear too if he let go, his floods of tears returned. Gwen tried to remain strong, silently crying as she stroked his hair, trying to soothe him. She glanced at Ianto. The poor boy had already experienced so much pain and loss in his short life. They all had.

Eventually they all left the hub, taking their own separate ways. Gwen returned home to Rhys. Her eyes were dry and a fake smile was plastered to her face. He kissed her and began to talk about his day at work. Droning on and on about some guy who was bugging him. What would she say if he asked about her day? Her boss and a colleague had travelled back to the forties and were never coming back. They'd be dead before the nineties even came around, that's if they survived the blitz. They weren't just people she worked with though. They were two of only four people who understood what her life had become. She, Ianto and Owen somehow had to live on without Jack and Toshiko. For some it was the loss of a friend, others a best friend, a lover, a boss, a mentor.

Rhys never asked how her day was. Maybe he was sick of her brushing the question off with 'fine'. She knew she was sick of saying it anyway. "I have to go see someone from work." She mumbled, pulling her coat back on. Rhys' brows furrowed as he stood up to block her path.

"It's always work, work, bloody work with you isn't it?" He scowled."You haven't even asked how Jimmy is!" Gwen searched her mind for who Jimmy was and why she should ask if he was okay. "The kid from work! He got ran over yesterday! I told you, but I guess your mind was somewhere else."

She didn't know if it was his words, the tone of his voice, or the look of superiority on his face, but something made her snap. "My boss and a girl I work with died today. So I'm sorry my mind is somewhere else!" She screamed. Rhys' angry expression changed to one of horror. He was no doubt about to apologise and try and comfort her. She didn't give him the chance. Storming out of the flat she slammed the door behind her. A loud and clear warning for him not to go after her.

"I'm not really in the mood for a shag Cooper." Owen grumbled as he answered the door. "Here's a crazy idea...go screw your boyfriend." She slapped him. His eyes widened in shock.

"I'm not here to fuck you Owen." There were fresh tears in her eyes. "I just...Rhys doesn't understand. I can't talk to him about this. So I thought I'd come get you and we could go see Ianto, to be there for each other."

"Kinky." Owen teased, his humour trying to cover his pain. "With you 'talk' and 'comfort' usually mean 'fuck me so hard I don't know where I am any more'. Not sure Ianto will be up for it, but it's worth a go-" He caught her hand as she went to slap him again. "I'll get my coat." He released her hand and returned inside his apartment to grab his leather jacket and car keys.

They took Owen's car and drove to the place they knew Ianto would be. They found him in Jack's room back at the hub. He sat holding one of Jack's shirts to his face, silently sobbing in to it. He looked up as Gwen sat down beside him and wrapped an arm around his shoulder. Releasing the shirt he wrapped his arms around the Welshwoman. Owen sat down behind Gwen, his own arms wrapping around her waist. He lay his head on her shoulder, his face buried in her hair. They sat their all night, crying and talking, comforting and consoling.

They were all that was left of Torchwood 3. The cop, the doctor and the tea-boy. Eventually Jack would return after taking the slow path back. He was immortal after all; but Tosh, poor sweet Toshiko, she would age, her good looks would wither, her sharp mind would be dulled by the passing of time. Even if she made it to the millennium she would be old and frail. Eventually, like all beautiful and fragile things, she would die. A curse of humanity that Jack was not blessed with.