Our past is our future... [attn: Owen]

"Should I knock or just wait for you to get across the flat?"

"Hold on, I'm there," Owen said as he opened the door and smiled at Lynne, but didn't hang up the mobile. "Believe me, Jack would need one hell of a reason to drag me into work today." He hung up and kissed her, leading her in and locking the door behind her.

"Believe me, Jack would need one hell of a reason to drag me into work today."

Lynne smirked as he kissed her and led her inside, closing the door behind her. "That tired today, huh?" she asked gently. "I've gotten a bit of a second wind, but I'll lay with you and maybe I can doze off."

She paused and took Owen's hand before she stopped walking. "Owen, what you said before...staying up to take care of me?" she said quietly, her face growing hot and cheeks going pink. "Thank you," she said sincerely. "No one's ever done that before."

"Owen, what you said before...staying up to take care of me?" she said quietly, her face growing hot and cheeks going pink. "Thank you," she said sincerely. "No one's ever done that before."

Owen smiled sadly, maybe tiredly, and drew Lynne in for a hug. "I was... a bit worried. You're all right now, though, right?" He yawned, not bothering to suppress it this time. He blinked lazily at her and took her by the hand, leading her into the bedroom.

"I was... a bit worried. You're all right now, though, right?"

Lynne nodded against him as she hugged him back. "Yeah...I'm fine. I'm sorry I worried you...and I wish I could remember you taking care of me," she admitted.

"You didn't really have to...I mean there's nothing obligating you to it," she went on as he led her back to the bedroom. It was the truth though...she wasn't doing a very good job wording her thoughts, but she was trying to let him know just how much she appreciated him doing that for her when she was, so to speak, still nothing more than a friend with benefits.

"You didn't really have to...I mean there's nothing obligating you to it,"

Owen stopped and turned to look at Lynne. "Sure I did," he said, "First there's the whole 'I care about you' thing, and then there's the 'I'm a doctor' thing..." he trailed off into a yawn again. "I really need to lie down..."

He cared about her. She had a pretty good idea that he had already, but the fact that he'd come out and said it changed everything. For Lynne, anyway. "I care about you, too, Owen," she whispered as she climbed onto the bed and kicked off her shoes. "And thank you." She gave him a small, sheepish smile.

"And thank you."

Owen made a tired, affirmative noise as he wrapped his arms around Lynne and dozed back off to sleep.

Lynne laid in Owen's arms, reaching a hand up to stroke his hair as she sighed, unable to fall asleep again. Something felt off with Owen today and she wondered if she'd said something in her drunken stupor the previous night to upset him. She hoped not.

The whole situation troubled her. It wasn't like Lynne to get plastered. She'd given up the party scene a long time ago. Sure, she could get her drink on - and did, on occassion - but she couldn't remember the last time she'd drank enough to black out. She thought perhaps a few years before she'd moved to Wales. Before she'd met The Asshole. Back when she was too young to be allowed but pretty and curvy enough to get her way.

Letting out another sigh, Lynne closed her eyes and hoped sleep would come to her. She'd maybe bring it up with Owen later, if she got up the courage to ask him about her drunken escapades, but for now, it just felt good to lay in his arms and know that there was nothing that would be pulling them away from one another today.

Owen woke up, Lynne still in his arms, about two hours later. He kissed her forehead, then tried not to bother her as he got up to stretch.

Lynne woke almost immediately at the absense of Owen's body heat. She rolled onto her back and wiped the tears that sprang to her eyes in response to her yawn. Propping herself up on her elbows, she watched Owen stretch. Taking a deep breath, she decided to ask.

"Owen...are you okay? Did I say...or...do something last night that I should apologize for...?" she asked hesitantly, stomach fluttering with nervousness.

Owen was startled by the sound of Lynne's voice. "I hope I didn't wake you..."

"Owen...are you okay? Did I say...or...do something last night that I should apologize for...?"

He looked from Lynne, to the duvet, and back to Lynne. "You sort of... decided that you wanted us to be... official last night," he said, scratching his head. "But... you were pretty well gone by that point." He smiled weakly.

"You sort of... decided that you wanted us to be... official last night," he said, scratching his head. "But... you were pretty well gone by that point."

Lynne closed her eyes and felt her face grow hot with embarrassment. "Oh, Owen...I'm sorry. Oh, God, I totally freaked you out...no wonder you're acting strange..." she said miserably, taking her head in her hands. "I'm sorry..." she added lamely, voice muffled by her hands.

Fantastic, now Owen was probably going to be all weird and uncomfortable around her...soon enough he'd decide she wasn't worth his while and she'd be left in the dust by yet another man she thought she had something special going with. Lynne always managed to find a way to screw things up for herself. Apparently, Owen was no exception.

"Oh, Owen...I'm sorry. Oh, God, I totally freaked you out...no wonder you're acting strange..." she said miserably, taking her head in her hands. "I'm sorry..."

"Actually," Owen said honestly, "I was a bit disappointed you didn't remember." He tried to smile sympathetically, but swore he'd forgotten the sym-.

"Actually," Owen said honestly, "I was a bit disappointed you didn't remember."

Lynne slowly drew her hands away from her face and looked up at Owen sheepishly. Then, after a short pause, she smirked slightly. "What did you say? Refresh my memory," she replied quietly, crawling to the end of Owen's bed and turning herself to sit, legs crossed beneath herself.

Owen smiled meekly, sitting down next to Lynne. "What I said last night was that I'd very much like to introduce you as my girlfriend from now on. Not in... so many words," he said, rubbing his neck nervously, "but, you know, essentially..." He gave Lynne an awkward smile. "But you know, you were pretty well gone... I shouldn't have... I guess I hoped you wouldn't regret it..."

"What I said last night was that I'd very much like to introduce you as my girlfriend from now on. Not in... so many words," he said, rubbing his neck nervously, "but, you know, essentially..."

He was so cute when he got flustered like that, Lynne thought. She blushed and looked down at her hands in her lap.

"But you know, you were pretty well gone... I shouldn't have... I guess I hoped you wouldn't regret it..."

Lynne's stomach fluttered pleasantly and she looked back up at him sheepishly. "You're ready for that...?" she asked carefully. "I've...been thinking it for a couple of days, but, I was afraid, you know, you were still...." her voice trailed off and she shrugged, wrinkling her nose. She didn't know how to word it. She was afraid he was still mourning Katie to a point where he wouldn't be ready to take that step with Lynne, yet. "I don't regret it...I just wish I could remember last night. Apparently, I missed an awful lot," she joked.

Owen smiled. "There wasn't really much more worth remembering," he smiled sincerely. "And...uh... I think I am ready for that." He took her hand and linked his fingers through hers, looking her in the eyes.

Lynne smiled and gave his hand a gentle squeeze. "Huh...I haven't had a boyfriend in a long time..." she said airly, grinning. She leaned over and kissed him, feeling as though she was in a dream. This wasn't the way Lynne's luck went...this was new and exciting. And good.

Owen smiled. He felt like he was about to burst with sheer joy, which was strange, because joy had always been a bittersweet feeling for him. "Well," he said, after a moment, "my big plans for the day are done. I hope you've got some ideas."

Lynne grinned and gave him a playful shove. "You're the resident, here. I don't know what there is to do. Don't get out much, remember?" she teased. "Only thing I can think to do is...relax," she added with a mischievous grin. "But we could always save that for tonight..."

Owen hugged Lynne close. "I think, before anything else, we should get lunch. I haven't had anything to eat all day. Then we can just relax... Or relax," he said, which a mischievous cock of they eyebrow. He kissed her before standing up and getting clothes to change in to.

Lynne smirked and sat back on the bed. "Sounds like a plan to me," she replied, grinning, as he got up to change his clothes. "...are you gonna take a shower?" she asked, her grin mischievous now. "Because, I was in a hurry this morning, but now I've got all day..." she added with a wink.

"...are you gonna take a shower?" she asked, her grin mischievous now. "Because, I was in a hurry this morning, but now I've got all day..."

"You know," Owen said as he put the clothes he'd been gathering on the bed and leaned into Lynne, "I think I might need a shower. I'm feeling a bit... dirty." He grinned mischievously at her and kissed her deeply.

Lynne smiled through the kiss and fisted Owen's hair. When she pulled away, she looked back at him. "You know, I'm feeling a bit dirty myself," she replied in a low voice. She stood and made her way to the bathroom without so much as another word, looking over her shoulder slyly at him before leaving the door slightly ajar and turning on the shower again.

Owen removed his shirt and threw it to the floor as he entered the bathroom. He smiled naughtily at Lynne as he removed his pants and boxers before he entered the shower, pinning her against the tiled wall and kissing her hard.