Previous part of To Err is Human.

***

They told the cab driver they'd be waiting downstairs just outside the lift. The ride down had been like torture- they needed to stop this nonsense and go back to the Hub before they were missed and they knew it. She pressed him against a post and ran her hands up his back. He laid a trail of nips along her jaw line and down her neck, brushing his lips along her collarbone. She let out an indulgent sigh as a shiver went down her spine. She didn't know how much more of that she could take. Finally she broke away from him. They stared at each other, bodies tensed.

"What are we doing?" She pleaded.

"We're waiting for a cab." He said with what he hoped sounded like finality. He was struggling to resist the temptation to touch her, standing a meter back for good measure. "We have to go back. I have to take you back. This was a very bad idea."

The cab pulled up and the both got in; they were silent all the way back to the Hub. He once again guided her through the false wall and down the corridor to the lift. She couldn't look him in the eye. They both leaned against the wall of the lift staring in opposite directions. When it finally came to rest and the doors slid open, he was the first to move.

Owen had only taken two steps before Reggie put her hand on his arm and pulled him back. She pulled him against her and kissed him.

He stormed out of the lift and down to the main floor. "This is insane! I was screwing your mother. You've turned me into a nut!" He was pacing. He mounted the stairs to his workstation in two steps. Reggie followed him.

"You turned me into a prisoner!" And it was out. That was the truth between them- everything that had happened, everything that had gone wrong, was because of him. "Owen! How do you think this is all going to end for me? I'm not going to be able to just go back to what I was doing. I'm going to lose everything in this." Tears began to flow from her eyes, streaking her makeup. Everything she'd kept inside her, all the crushing finality of her situation was pouring out of her like an open wound. "I can't ever go home! Ever! I just wanted to come here," a violent sob racked her body. "My whole life I wanted to come here and study. My life is over." She ripped the pins and clips from her hair and threw them at Owen. "You've known all along, all of you!" She chucked her shoes with all her might at the pillar of the monument. They landed with a hollow metallic sound followed by a splash. The sound mingled with the dying echoes of her tirade.

Owen stood speechless, caught off guard by her ferocious anger. He hadn't been able to look at her; she was too raw, too real like this. He felt guilty at what he was seeing- a breakdown so terrible and so absolute wasn't meant to have witnesses. She stood there, completely exposed with her hair a mess and her face swollen from the tears, and waited for him to react. He couldn't even begin, and at his silence she pushed past him and shut herself in the toilet in her room. Owen undid the top buttons of his shirt and collapsed in his chair. His stomach hitched violent and he leaned forward, cupping his head in his hands. No vomit came. He sat there, his body heaving with each convulsive breath.

Reggie sat on the floor of the cramped, sterile toilet drawing in deep, gasping breaths with each heavy sob. She was quivering from the sheer intensity of the emotions she'd just unleashed. Her will had been entirely sapped by the ordeal; she pulled her knees to her chest and lay down on the floor. She stayed like that, eventually starting to shiver from the cold tile against her skin, for over an hour. Slowly she pushed up to her knees and crawled to the sink. She looked nearly as bad as she had when she'd first woken up here. She climbed slowly to her feet and began to fill the sink with cold water. She pulled her dress over her head and put on her nightclothes. Once the basin was full she bent forward and broke the surface of the water with her face, feeling instant relief. She held her face under the water, willing herself to drown, but she just wasn't strong enough to kill herself like that. She patted her face dry on one of the immaculate towels, letting it slip to the floor, and stepped through the doorway to her room.
Owen was sitting on the edge of her bed, examining a spot on the floor between his shoes. Neither of them spoke or moved for five minutes. Without warning Owen sat up straight. He turned and offered her a sad smile as he rummaged in his jacket pocket. He pulled out a white silk scarf and stared at it intently as he ran it between his fingers. He held it out to Reggie, not looking at her.

"Diane gave this to me."

Reggie reached for it, gripping his hand underneath the scarf. "Owen…" She walked toward him and sat down on the edge of the bed, still holding his hand.

"I'm sorry Reggie." She laid her head on his shoulder. "Oh fuck, I'm sorry."

Owen wrapped his arms tightly around her, there were tears in her eyes, but the out of control sobs were long gone. She was broken by the circumstances, and he'd brought these awful things to bear. When she turned her sad eyes upward he found his own were moist with tears.

Reggie still had the scarf wrapped around her hand. She put her hand on his neck and pulled him in for a kiss. The soft fabric acted as a cool barrier between them. Owen resisted her pull with his lips hovering mere millimeters from hers.

"Reggie, this is a very bad idea."

"I don't care anymore." She kissed him passionately.

Their lips parted for a minute, "bollocks" Owen muttered under his breath has he lay back and pulled her down on top of him.

She slid off his jacket and unbuttoned his shirt, exposing deep scars on his shoulder and chest. She ran her hand over them before bending forward and kissing each ridge and blemish. Her hair grazed his stomach and sent shudders through his body. He eased into a sitting position and slid his hands under her nightshirt; running his fingers along her soft skin.

"You're cold."

Reggie smiled softly and leaned in to drink from his lips again. He worked her shirt over her head and marveled at her smooth, pale skin. He was lost in thought for a moment.

"I'm not her…"

His eyes rose to the scar at the base of her throat and paused there before he met her gaze. "I know…" He traced her collarbone up the side of her neck with his fingers. "She would be so proud." He kissed her again and rolled her under him, pressing against her.

Reggie had just begun fumbling with his belt when the Hub comm. buzzed, catching her breath in her throat. Owen fished the headset from his pocket and pressed the speaker command.

Jack's voice boomed from the speakers. "Owen? Owen, I know you can hear me. Whatever it is you think you're about to do- don't. You hear me? It's not fair to her; you know it's…" Owen shut off the comm. and threw the headset in the corner.

"But… What about Jack- he said…"

"I'm sick of Jack telling me what I can and can't do." Owen responded sharply.

"Will he come back?"

"Nah, wouldn't have called first. His plans must be going well. Where were we?"

He kissed her hungrily as Reggie resumed working on his belt. This was a bad idea.

Owen pulled the sheet back over the body he'd just been tearing into, pausing to tuck an arm back in before snapping of his latex gloves and tossing them in the bin. He rubbed his eyes with his hands, trying to call up what he should do next. Things were fuzzy, he knew something was wrong. He needed to find Jack.

Jack- he thought. A wave of anger passed over him. He ran up the stairs two at a time. He had to find Jack Harkness- he had to find Jack.

Owen was standing with his back to his workstation. There was shouting- everyone was staring. There was buzzing in his ears, so loud it was painful. He shook his head in vain to clear it. Jack was shouting at him. His temper flared again. Jack, fucking, Harkness. He was tired of being insulted by Jack. He was a fucking genius after all, he was a doctor. He wasn't one of Jack's good little soldiers. The buzzing in his head was growing louder; he couldn't hear what was being said anymore. Jack was still shouting- Ianto laughed. His whole body grew hot. Fucking Ianto had shot him. Everything flashed red again. He'd shot him in the back, like a fucking coward. Jack's nancy, pet tea-boy had shot him, was laughing at him. The buzzing was now so loud and frantic he was sure his eardrums were going to rupture.

Everything was tinged red, the color pulsing with his heartbeat. Jack was shouting and Ianto was laughing. He leapt at Ianto, slamming him against the wall. Ianto's head slammed against the masonry with a sickening thud. Owen bent forward and sunk his teeth into the flesh of his neck. The tea-boy screamed. Owen pulled back, tearing the flesh; ripping his throat out. Everything was red; blood dripped down the walls and stained his clothes. Gwen screamed.

Owen awoke with a start. It was dark. Of course it was dark, it was the Hub. From deep below he could hear a reverberating howl from one of the Weevils. He shook his head to clear it, unable to remember what he'd been dreaming about. The orange strobe from the main room came on- somebody was coming in. He pulled his trousers on, not bothering with his shirt. He slid quietly from Reggie's room, pulling the door closed behind him. He stepped into the Hub's main room just as the security door rolled open and Jack came through.

"You disobeyed an order Owen!" Jack did not look happy. He stormed up the stairs.

"I'm not your sodding pet, Jack. You can tell Ianto when to eat and when to piss, and who to shag." He directed a sneer at Jack, "but not me. And don't shout, I don't want you waking her up."

"This whole mess is on your head! She's Diane's daughter. Do you even care what you've done?"

"Yeah, well, she wasn't as good as Diane, but she's young…" He couldn't have wiped the smirk off his face if he'd wanted to. He was really enjoying sticking it to Jack like this.

"She's your goddamned daughter, Owen!" Owen's smirk collapsed.

"Shut your fucking mouth."

"What you want me to think you didn't notice? You have the same eyes, the same sense of humor. The same blood type!"

"You're a fucking liar. It's not possible."

"The thought didn't even cross your mind? You were having an affair with her mother, you asshole. You're a Doctor; you're supposed to know how these things work!"

This was too much, even for Owen, he had to sit down. "Oh Jesus."

"This is a problem Owen. She's…"

Owen cut him off. "We can't fucking tell her!" He was a pale, and nauseated.

"No, I agree. This isn't her problem, it's yours. She's a liability, and it's time we came to face the truth. Something has to be done."

"I think I know what happened with the amnesia pill."

"You think? How long have you known?"

"I figured it out Wednesday. It was one of the binding agents we used…"

"I want a full report on my desk Monday afternoon. Tosh'll need a copy too. I want the two of you to come up with a new pill- high dosage. Leave out the sedative if you have to. I want it in my hands before you go home Friday. Is that understood?"

"Fuck. This wasn't supposed to happen."

"You're right. It wasn't." Jack's demeanor was cold- he was tired of cleaning up after Owen. "Go home."

"But…"

"That's a direct order." He waited a protest from Owen. Receiving none he continued. "I'll tell her I sent you home for disobeying orders and taking her outside the Hub. That is all I will tell her. Go get the rest of your clothes from her room and secure the lock when you're done."

Owen returned a moment later wearing the clothes from the previous night. He and Jack walked to the lift. Owen had never been quieter. He stepped inside and reached for the button.

"By the way, Congratulations."

He looked at Jack. "For what?"

Jack was not in a generous mood; he let Owen have it. "Even I wouldn't have sex with my own child."

He looked at Jack with disbelief as the door slid closed.

Monday morning dawned bright and clear. Or it would have. Reggie sighed heavily. When Ianto came and unlocked her room she'd been inside for about forty of the last fifty-two hours. When she had awoken Saturday morning neither her mild hangover nor Owen's absence surprised her. Even Jack's voice coming through the comm. made perfect sense. His behavior on Monday came as a shock.

"Reggie- when you're finished I need to see you." Jack's voice rang out over the intercom.

She finished the last swallow of her tea, shared a nervous look with Ianto, and wandered into Jack's office. He looked up when she entered and gestured for her to sit down.

"We have a very big problem." Jack set down the pen he'd just been using and looked her in the eye.

"Yes Jack."

"When I give you an order, I expect you to follow it."

"Bu…"

"No 'buts' Reggie. I know Torchwood wasn't part of your plans, but your actions Friday night were completely out of line. You not only put yourself in jeopardy by leaving, you put the entire team in jeopardy. You were not authorized to leave the Hub. I assume it was Owen's idea but you were both aware of your orders. You haven't been briefed properly- you could have accidentally released information vital to National security; you could have put thousands of lives in danger. Security and secrecy are paramount to our work here, and I won't have you putting members of my team at risk!" His voice was very firm, but still hardly any louder than his normal speaking voice.

Reggie wasn't sure what to say- she had remained in her room because she wanted to avoid Jack confronting her but she didn't expect his main issue to be their trip to dinner and the bar. "Bu…"

"As long as you are here you will accept and follow orders. Is that understood?"

"Yes Jack."

"I think that from now on it would be better if you spent more time in your room." He waited to see if she would protest before continuing. "You're dismissed."

Reggie slowly rose from the chair, expecting the other shoe to drop. When nothing else happened she turned and walked from the room, stopping quickly by the conference room where Ianto was cleaning up the remnants from breakfast.

"I think I've just been grounded." She chuckled nervously.

He simply offered her a polite smile before finishing his straightening.

"Ianto- game of chess later?"

"I'll have to check see what Jack says. I'll see you later Reggie."

Reggie returned to her room and grabbed a book off of the stack in the corner: Three Theban Plays.

Reggie flopped out on top of her bed and turned to the first story, "Oedipus Rex".

Owen had planned to spend as much time in the lab as possible and see Reggie as little as possible. He'd walked out of the tourist office Saturday morning and promptly thrown up over the side of the retaining wall. He then went straight home and drank a liter of cheap whiskey. He repeated the ritual Sunday and came to work Monday looking the worse for wear. He typed up the report on the chemical compound in the amnesia pill that had caused Reggie's allergic reaction and then got to work on the new and improved version.

When Tuesday afternoon rolled around Reggie had read six books and played countless hand of solitaire. Gwen had come in at about 1600 on Monday evening with a cup of tea, bus she didn't stay long. The only other visitor she had was Jack, who brought her something to eat around seven o'clock Monday evening and then locked the door.

Owen couldn't stop thinking about what Jack had told him. It was eating him alive. Tosh had gone to run some numbers and hypotheticals through one of her specialized programs, which left him alone in the lab. He knew they had Reggie's blood samples and DNA in storage, and he knew where he could get his own. He decided to run some tests. He drew a blood sample from his left arm. The sequencing would take a half hour, maybe a little longer- he went to the toilet to throw up again.

Fifty minutes later Owen stormed into the kitchen where Jack was flirting with Ianto.

"You lying fuck!" He picked up the large stainless waste bin and threw it.

Jack pushed Ianto aside and ducked. "Ianto, I think Owen and I need a minute alone."

Owen's nails were biting into the flesh of his palms again and he was breathing heavily. "You stupid, lying fuck! What sort of sick shit are you?!"

"I'll take it you've got good news?"

"She's not my fucking daughter Jack. And you knew that, didn't you?!"

"I knew that was a possibility, but I had to make you understand the severity of the situation. Even you couldn't ignore incest. The work we do is too important for me to have a member of my team babysitting. I want you back, working on cases, and the only way that's possible is if she's gone. I will do whatever it takes to ensure the integrity of this organization and I won't apologize for that."

Owen punched him, hard. Jack was caught slightly off guard but he recovered very quickly. His lip was split, and he was mad. He pinned Owen against the wall, using his forearm to cut off his oxygen. Owen struggled but Jack held firm, using his weight to squeeze the fight out of Owen.

"Owen, I've put up with incredible amounts of bullshit from you, and I think I've been a good sport about you shooting me." He released his hold on Owen before he continued. Owen doubled over gasping for breath. Jack wiped his mouth with the back of his hand. Jack was in the process of using a spoon to examine the damage to his lip when Owen regained his breath and charged him.

Jack wasn't in the mood to play anymore. He slipped through Owen's grip and grabbed his arm. With a single fluid movement Jack swung the skinny man back around and slammed him against the table, forcing his left arm up his back near the point of breaking it. Owen let out a cry and struggled feebly for a moment. Jack leaned harder on the arm and after a louder yelp Owen quit resisting.

"For the last six months you have done nothing but rock the boat, causing trouble for everyone around you and putting the rest of us in danger!" At the sound of the commotion everyone, including Reggie, had come to the kitchen. Jack ignored the audience and continued to lecture Owen. "You're a good doctor, Owen, but I will replace you with a box of Elastoplasts if you don't get your shit together. You are too close to this one! I am putting you on leave until further notice. Better men than you have tried to get the jump on me. Next time you attack me, I'll break your skinny neck. Get the hell out of my Hub!"

Jack released Owen with a hard shove and he landed on the floor, panting and cradling his throbbing arm, with Jack looking down at him. "And don't you ever punch me in the face again."

The others stared silently as Owen climbed to his feet shaking and red in the face. A couple of the other's shuffled quietly as he steadied his breath. After a moment of awkward silence both Gwen and Tosh turned from the room and went back to their stations. Ianto moved further into the room and whispered with Jack. Owen regained his composure but he was still burning with shame over the way Jack had manhandled and belittled him. He brought his eyes up to meet Reggie's. She blinked once and then looked away guiltily. He slid past her and hurried to the lift.

Ianto handed Jack an icepack. Jack pressed it against his lip with a wince and smiled, patting Ianto on the shoulder. "Reggie?"

She shook her head solemnly and left the room.

Ianto spoke up softly, "You really should be more careful Sir."

He clapped him on the shoulder again. "Let me worry about Owen, Ianto, we've got…"

"Jack?" Tosh entered the room cautiously. "Do you have a moment? It's important."

"What is it Tosh?'

"I've figured it out- the redesigned amnesia pill." She handed him the papers she had brought. "I've only now finished running the tests but the results are good. This one shouldn't give Reggie any problems."

Jack examined Tosh's printouts intently. "You're certain you've removed all traces of the reactionary agent?"

"Yes Jack. The original pill had an organic protein bond…"

"When will it be ready?"

"Right." Tosh hated when he cut her off in the middle of science. She glanced at her watch. "We should have ten high concentration doses by 1800."

"1800, right. Well, I've got a couple of calls to make. I'll be in my office. Thanks for the ice." He handed the icepack back to Ianto and left the room.

Owen was accustomed to consuming large quantities of alcohol but he was always careful to maintain a strict level of control. Usually. He downed the last swallow of bourbon and tapped the empty glass on the bar.

"Y'sure mate? That's four since y'got 'ere."

"Just pour the fuckin' drink."

"Right mate, sorry. I 'ope she's worth it."

Owen narrowed his eyes and tossed this one back in one swallow. He tapped the glass on the bar again. "Make this one a double." The bartender nodded and did as he was told before moving on to the next customer.

Owen rolled the glass from side to side between his hands mesmerized by a gleam on the edge. He kept thinking about Diane: her laugh, the way she smelled, the touch of her skin. He closed his eyes and inhaled deeply while his vivid memories streamed through his mind. Diane climbing out of the plane, laughing, waiting for him to pull her out her chair. He smiled and opened his eyes. He took a long drink from his glass and tried to picture her in the red dress. Slowly his image cleared and he could see how gloriously the soft fabric draped over her curves, and how the color set off her pale skin.

Owen was marveling at the power of his memory when suddenly the image changed. It wasn't Diane in the red dress anymore; it was Gwen, her face contorted with a silent wail. Owen shook his head. Now it was Tosh, only she was covered in blood. Images were flying past his eyes. Weevils, corpses, the Sky Gypsy, Ianto, Suzie, plague victims, Jack's disappointed face. He felt a surge of anger and opened his eyes. He gulped down the remainders of his drink and tapped the glass on the bar again. The bartender came back down to where he was sitting but didn't bring the bottle.

"Y'alright there? Looked like you might be havin' a fit?" He eyed Owen suspiciously.

"I'm fine. Pour me another." His heart was racing and he had a buzzing in his ears.

"Don' think so mate. Why don'cha take it easy a moment, slow down?"

Owen felt another surge of anger. "And why don't you shut your bloody mouth and stop trying to tell me what to do?!" A low growl rose from deep within his gut.

"Hey! Take it easy friend…" He nodded to a burley man seated at the other end of the bar.

"I'll take it fucking easy when you pour the damn drink!" A hand clamped down on his shoulder and his vision flashed red again. He spun around.

"Right mate- you heard the man…"

Owen's lip curled in a snarl, and he growled again.

"What the fuck's wrong with you?" He eyed Owen warily.

The buzzing was growing louder. His sneer widened. "Oh, everything's just fine." He swung his good arm around slamming his glass against the side of the security guard's head. The glass exploded upon contact, the shards hitting other patrons and slicing his hand. The buzzing pulsed louder before fading back to a manageable level.

A second security guard had had come out of the office behind the bar at the sound of the commotion. When he grabbed Owen from behind the room flashed red again. Owen snarled again and turned on the man and landed a solid punch, breaking his nose. He could feel his heart beat in his temples, but before he could strike the man again he was set upon by one of the bar patrons. The man had the advantage of surprise. He bent Owen's injured left arm behind his back. Owen howled with pain. The security guard with the broken nose spat blood on the floor.

"I'll teach you, you scrawny shit!" He landed two punches to Owen's sternum, knocking the wind from him. Before he could catch his breath the two men herded him towards the door and pitched him into the street.

Owen landed with an unforgiving thud, scuffing his knees through is jeans and grinding road debris into the cuts on his hand. His whole body was on fire as adrenaline coursed through his veins. He was panting like an animal. The men in the bar had humiliated him, just like Jack. His head throbbed as the frequency of the buzzing rose and fell. His senses were overwhelmed with the sound of Jack's sarcastic belittling, the images of his Gwen and Tosh's disgusted faces, Ianto laughing, Reggie averting her eyes, ashamed. He tried to get to his feet but his left arm screamed when he applied his weight to it. His vision swam and the buzzing dialed up again as he finally managed to stand. Jack had done this to him, Jack Fucking Harkness, and he was going to make him pay for the humiliation. He tilted his head back and let loose a blood curdling wail.

At a quarter to six Tosh delivered a small pharmaceutical tray with ten jellybean sized white pills to Jack's office. There was a small metal attaché case on his desk, along with a couple of pairs of restraints and some medical supplies. After examining each pill, he placed two in a small plastic bag and put them in the case.

"What's all this for?" Tosh's eyes widened.

"No offence to you and Owen, but I figured I might need this in case she has another reaction." He held up an epinephrine syringe. "Better safe than sorry." He closed the lid on the case and let out a sigh.

"Right… Jack. Are you sure there isn't another solution?"

"No, I think it's safe to say we've exhausted our options at this point. Especially with what happened with Owen today." He rubbed his eyes. "It's damned pathetic solution, and it's the only one we've got." He took his gun and holster off and left them on his desk. "I won't be needing this."

Reggie was doing yoga when Jack stepped through the doorway carrying the metal case. She was concentrating hard on balancing and didn't realize he was there at first. He cleared his throat and she turned to face him.

"Sorry Jack…" She caught site of the metal case before meeting his eyes. "What's with the briefcase, Jack?" She chuckled lightly.

"I was worried a purse wouldn't look manly enough." A smiled graced his lips briefly and then it was gone. "Why don't you come with me, we need to have a conversation."

She glanced at the case again, her heartbeat quickening. "Alright Jack, let me just get my shoes."

Jack led her down to the interrogation room and gestured for her to take a seat on the far side of the table. He placed the metal case on the table facing him but didn't open it. Reggie's palms had begun to sweat.

"So Jack- I don't suppose this is another 'Come to Jesus!' talk about orders?" She forced a laugh.

"No Reggie." He took his seat, and opened the case, removing the small plastic bag containing the new and improved amnesia pills.

"I didn't think so. I know what that is, don't I?" Her voice quaked at the end of the sentence. She took a couple of deep breaths, while Jack watched her silently. "So… Yeah, I mean, I knew it was coming, sooner or later. I mean…" She inhaled sharply and steadied her voice again. "I mean, you are all so smart, I knew it couldn't take you long to figure it out."

Jack watched her silently for another minute. "I wish we'd never met, Regina Martelli."

"Yeah, same here." Her voice broke.

"These pills contain 20 times the dose we normally issue to our security breaches. At that level, you shouldn't be able to remember your name, or any personally identifying information from before you came here. Any electronic records of your existence have already been altered- your finger prints, and DNA will not yield any results in any National or International system. Regina Elaine Martelli, age 24, went missing while on a research trip to Saudi Arabia."

Regina took a breath and exhaled through pursed lips. Tears had begun to well in her eyes but she blinked them back. "I've always wanted to go there…" She couldn't fake a smile this time. "What happens to me then?"

"You arrive in hospital with no identification, and begin undergoing treatment for severe traumatic amnesia. They'll compare you against missing person's records from the area, but they won't find anything. You won't exist. You're photo will probably be on television- but we'll be monitoring for a while so that one of your former friends doesn't come forward to ID you."

"And you…" her voice failed; she swallowed before starting again. "And you're… uh… you're sure it's safe this time?"

"Tosh and her computer say so. I'm inclined to believe them, but…" He placed the restraints on the table and removed the epinephrine pen from the case. "I don't want to take any chances. If you show any signs of an allergic reaction I'll strap you down and jam this in your leg; it should stop the reaction."

"Should?"

"I'm afraid I can't make any promises beyond that." He reached into the case again. This time his hand brought back a semi-automatic handgun. "There's one more thing I want to talk to you about."

Once Jack and Reggie had descended beyond hearing range to the interrogation room in a sublevel of the Hub, Tosh, Gwen, and Ianto had been forced to make do with the CCTV feed at Tosh's computer. Unfortunately the microphone in that room was one of the few damaged by the opening of the rift that they had not gotten around to repairing yet. They watched tensely as the two figures on the screen talked for a few minutes. Jack had just taken what looked like a magic wand from the case as Reggie nodded solemnly when Gwen gasped and backed away from the screen.

"No." Jack had just taken a gun out of the case.

"But…" Tosh was stunned. On the screen Jack continued to talk and Reggie sat perfectly still.

"No, no, no, no!" Gwen was shaking her head emphatically. "This isn't right! It's not supposed to happen like this."

Ianto tried to calm her down. "It's alright, we don't know what he's got planned. Maybe he's worried she'll struggle or try to escape. Wouldn't you?"

"But Ianto- I just saw him take his gun off and…" Tosh was cut off mid-protest as Jack dropped a clip into the gun, drew back the slide, and set in on the table in front of Reggie causing all three of them to inhale sharply.

"A Bersa Thunder. Brazilian made- 380." Jack held up the loaded clip for Reggie to see before inserting it. "Not as elegant as my antique piece," he smiled sadly without looking up. "But it'll get the job done. Have you ever fired a handgun before?" He slid the slide back chambering a round.

Reggie stuttered. "Y-y-yes. I mean yes, I went to a shooting range once." She didn't take her eyes off his hands or the gun.

"Good, then I don't have to explain any further." He placed the weapon on the table without setting the safety. Neither of them spoke or moved until Jack once again broke the silence. "This choice is yours, Reggie. Nobody can make it for you, and it can't be put off any longer- there is no good end to this situation."

"What would you do?" Her voice cracked again.

"I'd take the gun over the pills but…" his explanation was cut off by a loud crash and Gwen screaming from upstairs. The echo of the two was deafening. Jack jumped to his feet- "Stay here!" He ran from the room and ascended the stairs two at a time.

Owen's return to the Hub had been much earlier than anyone expected. Gwen, Ianto, and Tosh were all fixated on the CCTV monitor when he snuck up behind them. With Jack nowhere in site Owen decided he'd take out his rage on the next best thing: if he beat on the sodding tea-boy hard enough, Jack was certain to come to his rescue. Jack didn't like other's playing with his toys.

Owen, consumed by uncontrollable rage, jerked Ianto away from the other two, pulling him off balance so badly that he nearly ended up on the floor. It only took Tosh another second to react. As Owen was attacking Ianto, Tosh leapt on his back and tried pull him off. Owen let out another snarl and turned on her, slamming her body back against the workstation. With the impact two of the suspended computer monitors were knocked loose. They crashed to the floor next to Tosh's unconscious body along with various other desk debris. It all happened so fast- Gwen was staring into Owen's bloodshot eyes, frozen in place. She let out a scream as Owen dragged Ianto to his feet and pinned him against the wall.

Ianto struggled against Owen's hands at his throat but the two forceful kicks Owen had delivered, one to his groin and one to his stomach, had been very effective. Owen let out a chilling laugh.

"I'm going to make you squeal like Jack never has Ianto" he sneered again and dug his fingers into Ianto's neck.

Jack charged into the room just as Owen began pounding Ianto's head against the wall.

"Owen!" Jack sounded panicked. Gwen ran to his side terrified.

"What do we do?"

"Nice of you to join us Jack." Owen snarled cruelly and gave Ianto's head another slam as dribbles of blood started to appear on the tile. Jack started to approach but Owen cut him off.

"Bad idea Jack…" He had ceased trying to crush Ianto's skull against the wall but had resumed strangling him. "Unless you want to see if he's managed to absorb any of your special talent. Wanna give it a try, Jack?! See if Ianto springs back to life?" He leered at them, daring them to respond.

Jack reached for his gun but remembered he'd left it in his office. Owen tired of the strangulation and after punching Ianto in the face a couple of times he resumed beating his head against the wall. There was a sickening crunch as a couple of the tiles broke from the force. Owen really was going to kill him if Jack and Gwen didn't move quickly. Gwen had sensed it to- just as Jack was about to murmur a quick plan to her she sprung into action.

"GWEN! NO!" She ran at Owen, throwing her body against his and knocking him over. Ianto slumped to the floor, leaving a bloody smudge down the wall. Now Owen and Gwen were scuffling on the floor, Owen was growling. Jack had moved to in front of Tosh's wrecked computer station when Gwen made a mistake and Owen climbed on top of her and wrapped his hands around her throat. Owen was now facing Jack. He was panting, his eyes wide and terrifying.

"Captain Jack Harkness." Owen laughed. "Not so fucking smart now, are you?"

"Owen, let her go, you don't want to hurt Gwen."

"You're right Jack. What I really want to do is hurt you. Humiliate you, the way you humiliated me!" He squeezed Gwen's neck and she let out a squeak. "You can't die, so I'm going to take away the things you care about." He snarled again. "We all end up alone- death by Torch…"

Two loud reports rang through the Hub. The first bullet missed Owen and buried itself in the wall four feet from Ianto's slumped body. The second one entered Owen's right shoulder and exited through is back, ricocheting off the steel security door. Jack charged Owen, knocking him off of Gwen and zapped him with the stun gun he'd found on Tosh's desk. Gwen clamored to her feet as Jack rushed to Ianto's side- feeling for his pulse. It was thready, but there. They needed an ambulance. Gwen was helping Tosh to her feet.

"Gwen! We need an ambulance right away- make that two. Tell the dispatch it's Torchwood Emergency Protocol Seven!"

Gwen helped Tosh into a chair and immediately got on the phone. Jack rose to his feet, grudgingly left Ianto's side, and walked to where Reggie was standing at the top of stairs.

"Reggie?" She was still pointing the gun at where Owen had been; her arms were quivering. She didn't say anything; she just stared ahead, not seeing anything. She looked down and turned the gun over in her hands, and a surge of panic went through Jack.

"Reggie! Stop."

She gave Jack a puzzled look, and blinked, as she flicked the safety with her thumb. She let go of the handle of the gun and it swung down, hanging from her left index finger. Jack slowly moved towards her to take it from her. Reggie looked from his outstretched hand to the gun she'd just used to shoot Owen. Slowly she put her right hand in the pocket of her sweatshirt and removed it again. She placed the plastic bag holding the two Retcon pills in his open hand.

"I'll take the gun." She took a deep breath, and looked him in the eyes. "I'll take the gun." Jack pulled her in for a hug, wrapping his arms tightly around her. As Gwen opened the security door to allow the paramedics in, Reggie buried her face in Jack's shoulder and cried.

***

Aftermath:

The scene at the Hub was a nightmare. There were people with little-to-no security clearance everywhere. After one of the medical staff checked on Tosh they ordered a third ambulance. Ianto's head wound made him Priority one and he was rushed out on a gurney within seconds of the team arriving with Jack in tow. This time Owen's gunshot wound was more serious, plus he had a lot of other scrapes and bruises from earlier that needed cleaning or stitching. He was loaded up next.

Reggie, Tosh, and Gwen sat amongst the rubble and waited for the last ambulance crew to arrive. No one said a word and even the ambient noises of the Hub seemed hushed, the room was silent. Torchwood Emergency Protocol Seven dispatched the ambulances without sirens, and cancelled the dispatch of any police investigators.

When the final team arrived Tosh was examined and loaded up with a concussion, and a probable fracture of left wrist. Surprisingly, Gwen had emerged nearly unscathed. She had a split lip, and some minor bruising on her throat, but otherwise she was unharmed. She refused any medical assistance. Despite Reggie's protestations they refused to leave without checking her status. She was deemed in deep shock, despite the lack of wounds on her body; they insisted on taking her along with Tosh. Gwen watched as Reggie was helped into the lift. Then she was alone. She initialized the process of shutting down the Hub.

TEP7 established a secure area at Cardiff A and E. All other patients and unauthorized personnel were relocated to other parts of the hospital. All members of hospital staff interacting with people brought in under TEP7 were forbidden from asking any questions not absolutely critical to care. Each patient was assigned a number. Within 20 minutes of arrival, Patient one was in surgery- a CT scan indicated swelling in his brain and a ruptured spleen. The spleen was removed and a shunt was inserted into the head. Patient two had deep lacerations on his right hand, a partially dislocated elbow, and a gunshot wound requiring the removal of two bullet fragments. All objects removed from a patient brought in under TEP7 were to be immediately turned over to ranking Torchwood staff. Patient three had a concussion and a hairline fracture of the left wrist; the wrist was set in plaster and the patient would remain overnight for observation. Patient four had no visible external injuries. Further examination to search for internal injuries was not allowed by patient. Patient four exhibited signs of severe shock; patient received an intravenous saline drip to stabilize blood pressure and a sedative.

Gwen arrived just as they had finished sedating Reggie. She checked that she and Tosh were resting and went to find the others. She found Owen and Ianto at the opposite end of the hallway. Owen was bound to the bed using cross body restraints so as not to risk damage to either of his arms. He was pale and sickly looking, and covered in bruises. The staff had been instructed to keep him sedated.

She glanced over to where Jack had pulled a chair right up next to Ianto's bed and lowered the railing on one side. Jack's hand was entwined with Ianto's and he was resting his head on the edge of the bed. Ianto's head was heavily bandaged, and he looked much older than his 25 years. Gwen pulled a chair up next to Owen's bed. She kissed him on the forehead and settled in for the night- she held his hand.

Clean Up:

On Saturday morning Reggie stood on the roof of Cardiff A and E and watched the sun rise for the first time in almost two months. She was smoking a cigarette, which was unfortunate because it was a habit she certainly didn't have before she met Doctor Owen Harper.

"Your mother would kill you if she saw that."

"Hullo Jack." She put out the rest of the cigarette on the masonry.

Jack handed her a folio with the Torchwood logo on the front and the word 'CLASSIFIED' in bold letters across the seal. "Inside you'll find security codes, protocols, and passwords, the location of the office. There should also be a key to your new flat, a driver's license, a passport, bank and credit cards, and a bus pass. Everything you need to start a whole new life." He also handed her the same pistol from days earlier.

Reggie took another cigarette out and went to light it. At the last minute she thought better and chucked the whole pack off the roof. "My mother survived sleeping with Owen Harper only to die from those things; I'll not suffer the same fate." She smiled at Jack, and ran her hands over the dark cold metal of the gun. "Gwen thought you brought this to shoot me. Tosh figured it was so I could shoot myself."

"What'd you tell them?" He looked at her curiously.

"Not a thing." She squinted against the quickly increasing daylight.

"That's my girl." He flashed her a proud smile. "Torchwood two has no idea what they're getting."

"No, no, I think he's expecting a nice little tea-girl/assistant, somebody like Ianto." She watched Jack out of the corner of her eye to see if he'd react. "How is he?"

"Doing well, felt spry enough this morning to smart off when I sexually harassed him. He'll be temporarily moving in to your old room. I guess I'll be taking over Owen's cot." He chuckled.

"How is Owen?"

"He was none too pleased to hear who'd shot him…"

"Yeah… I thought he'd be upset about that."

"I told him you owed it to him for all the trouble he caused you."

Reggie sighed. "Yeah."

"He's going to be ok. God knows I wanted to kill him, after what he did to Ianto…" Jack's voiced faded out. "But, Gwen and Tosh were convinced that something else was going on and wanted to run additional tests. Tosh thinks we're seeing the first ever evidence of long term side effects from a Weevil bite. She's very excited. I still think we're seeing the long term side effects of him being a narcissistic asshole."

"Can you give him something for me?" She asked tentatively.

"What is it?"

"Just a letter. Nothing important… Goodbye, stuff like that."

"I'll have to read it first."

"Knock yourself out." She withdrew a folded sheet of paper from her pocket and handed it to Jack. He opened it and read it in silence.

"You're sure you want me to give this to him? It's awfully nice."

"Yeah, I'm sure. What will you tell them?"

"A lie- Something about Central coming to get you and assigning you a new life without telling me… I haven't got it exactly thought out yet. All information regarding your new identity and location will be put in secure archives, along with anything left over from your previous life. Poof, you disappear. Harry Houdini would be jealous."

"Well, that's neat and tidy." She cleared her throat. "I guess this is the end, Jack. Please give my love and say goodbye to everyone." She wiped a couple of stray tears from her eyes. "I'm really going to miss you all; I hope we don't meet again."

"Good luck Reggie." He said without looking at her; she turned and left.

Loose Ends:

Jack had insisted on archiving Reggie's belongings himself, a prospect which worried Ianto for many reasons but he was really in no condition to argue. Gwen had kindly boxed and stored all of the books and notes, and random belongings that had been abandoned as they fled from the Hub three weeks ago.

What was left over was Jack's responsibility: a mobile phone, and wallet containing her driver's license, credit and bank cards, an expired gym membership, and a couple of student Ids, her passport and international documents- the entirety of her existence. To the container Jack added all the medical reports and analyses regarding her. The last remaining item on his desk was a faded and brittle envelope addressed to Doctor Owen Harper, at Torchwood's cover address, in neat even type. For the third time since his arrival at Torchwood three, Jack opened the envelope and removed the single sheet of paper within:

Jack skimmed to the bottom of the page.

Jack refolded the letter and gently slid it back into the envelope. He placed the envelope on top of the other documents in the archive box, secured the lid with the special padlock and slid it into the safe. The intercom buzzed.

"Jack?"

"Yes Ianto?"

"The clock is ticking, it's your move."

Jack smirked and stifled the urge to say something lewd; after all, Ianto was still recovering, and Jack would simply have to be satisfied with games of chess. "I'm on my way."

Divinity:

Owen sat on the couch in his flat, his right arm in a sling. In his left hand he held the piece of paper that Jack had given him that morning. It was a letter from Reggie. He had memorized what it said hours ago, but he couldn't stop reading it.

I have to apologize for shooting you. I didn't want to- probably why I missed the first time- but I had no choice. I hope you understand that when you go to work each day.
I'm sorry I left without saying goodbye. It simply was not allowed. I'm afraid this letter will have to do that job; it seems the women in my family are always leaving you like this. I would have loved for us to have more time together- I wish I could say I knew the man who my mother fell in love with, but the truth is, after all that's happened I hardly know you at all. Maybe that's what's best for both of us.
I hope that one day you'll stop feeling miserable when you think about my mother. Thank you for saving my life and for the lovely night out. Take care of the others for me, and be nice to them. I'd ask you to do it as a tribute to my mother, but truth is you owe them that courtesy. As long as I'm allowed to keep my memories, I'll never forget you.

Owen set the letter on the table and picked up the glass of whiskey he'd poured himself when he got home. He set it back down without taking a drink, rested his head on the back of the couch, and watched the sun rise.

***

Next story in series - Boxed Lives.