All Good Things [Attn: Lynne]

Owen stood in front of the Millennium Centre at 12:25. It was a slow day as far as Rift activity was concerned, so Jack didn't mind letting him go for lunch. He stood nervously, looking left, then right, then at his watch, before looking straight forward.

God, he hoped she wasn't late.

"Fucking fuck!" Lynne snapped as she got to the corner of the street just in time to have to wait for the traffic to let her cross. She looked down at her watch. Five minutes. Lynne hated being late and to Lynne, ten minutes early was five minutes late. "Come on!" she yelled at no one in particular.

The lights changed and Lynne sprinted across the street, slowing down when she reached the bar. Catching her breath, Lynne regained her composure and started walking again. Her breath caught in her throat; Owen was already waiting. So he had meant it.

Lynne genuinely wanted to trust that Owen was actually interested in her, but she'd been burned too many times; it wasn't that easy for Lynne anymore.

"Hey, sorry...frigging traffic at every single crosswalk," she apologized as she approached Owen. "How's your day so far?" she asked a little awkwardly. It occurred to Lynne that while she was very much attracted to Owen, she knew very little about him. Maybe they had nothing in common. She seriously hoped that wasn't the case.

Owen finally caught sight of Lynne walking towards him and couldn't help but smile.

"Hey, sorry...frigging traffic at every single crosswalk," she apologized as she approached Owen. "How's your day so far?"

Unexpected to himself, even, he found himself kissing her on the cheek when they met up. "It's been... a bit slow, actually. My boss is a bit upset for, ya know, coming in late, but other than that, it hasn't been too exciting." He smiled at her. She was beautiful. Dressed a bit more modestly than the night before, Owen thought it made her look even more stunning.

He offered his arm out. "Shall we?"

Unexpected to himself, even, he found himself kissing her on the cheek when they met up.

Lynne was pleasantly surprised and found herself blushing against her will.

"It's been... a bit slow, actually. My boss is a bit upset for, ya know, coming in late, but other than that, it hasn't been too exciting."

Smiling a little, Lynne looked down at her feet. "Sorry I made you late..." she said sincerely, looking back up at him.

"Shall we?"

Owen held his arm out to her and she felt her stomach flutter pleasantly as she linked her arm with his. "Definitely. How long do you have?" she asked, hoping he'd have at least an hour. She hated the eat-and-run feeling a short lunch break gave and she was loving the fact that it seemed, in England, that one hour breaks were far more common than they were in America.

Walking so close beside Owen, she noted the scent of his cologne and grinned. To her, there was nothing better than the way men's cologne smelled. There was something sexy and, yet, safe about it.

"I've got about an hour," he said as they made their way to a restaurant across from the Centre. It was a nice, cozy restaurant, and Owen requested a table with a view of the bay. He pulled Lynne's seat out for her before taking his own. The waiter left menus for them as he departed.

"How has your day been?" He wasn't really in the mood for small talk, but realized he'd forgot to ask earlier, and honestly didn't know what to talk about.

How did Gwen do this for a year?

He did have an hour; that was good. Owen led her inside and she looked around, a little surprised by how nice it was. A bit uncomfortble, too, she thought, because she always wanted to be able to pay her own way if something came up or if things ended awkwardly, but this place looked pretty far out of her tiny spending budget.

She forgot about it, though, when Owen pulled out her chair for her. Lynne couldn't help the smile that crossed her lips; it had been so long since she'd been on a date with someone who acted so adult and gentlemanly that she could barely remember the last time it had happened. Ten points for Owen... she thought to herself.

"How has your day been?"

"Oh...I mean, all I did was make a quick stop on my way home and then veg until it was time to get ready to come meet you, so...uh, boring, honestly," she said. "I was looking forward to this so...time crawled," she admitted.

Somewhere along the way, Lynne had started to really like Owen. She didn't want to sound pathetic or childish, but she did want to subtly let him know it without coming out and saying, 'hey, I like you.'

"Did you have to see your coworker today? The one from last night?" Lynne asked more out of sheer curiosity than anything else. She didn't get the impression, from Owen's reactions the night previous, that the Tosh woman was any sort of competition for her. Lynne was glad for that.

"Did you have to see your coworker today? The one from last night?"

Owen had forgotten all about Torchwood, it seemed, so he looked at Lynne oddly for a moment when she asked this before it hit him. "Oh, right, Tosh. Yeah... she's, uh, not feeling too well. A bit hungover I think. We don't really work in the same... area, so I haven't seen her much today..."

He forgot about Torchwood? But that place was his life. God, he liked her. He could even love her. This thought terrified him. He loved Katie; she died. He loved Diane; she left.

The waiter came back and asked for drinks and orders.

"Oh, right, Tosh. Yeah... she's, uh, not feeling to well. A bit hungover I think. We don't really work in the same... area, so I haven't seen her much today..."

Lynne furrowed her brow slightly, confused, when he gave her an odd look before replying, but relaxed her expression once he spoke. He seemed a little distracted, but she didn't want to ask about it - maybe there was stress at work and she didn't want to put him in a bad mood. "Ahh, well...hangovers are a bitch. Wouldn't wish 'em on my worst enemy," she said. After a short pause, she smirked. "Okay, yeah I would, but I hope your friend feels better, in any case. Hangovers are the worst."

The waiter came asking for their drink orders and Lynne asked for water, reflexively. Many years of living on tight budgets had made Lynne accostomed to doing so and she'd actually started enjoying water over carbonated beverages. She hoped Owen wouldn't think that she was one of those girls who would order a salad and then poke at it with her fork, just because he was there. Lynne had found that it tended to pleasantly surprise men that she could and would eat an actual meal in front of them, but ordering water ahead of time was usually the main factor in their assumption that she'd order 'rabbit food' and then ignore it.

"I feel kind of...weird; I don't know what to talk about," she admitted to Owen, catching her bottom lip between her teeth and frowning slightly. "I don't really know much about you and I'd like to get to know you better, but small talk is irritating as hell, you know? It always seems so....I don't know, forced..."

"I feel kind of...weird; I don't know what to talk about," she admitted to Owen, catching her bottom lip between her teeth and frowning slightly. "I don't really know much about you and I'd like to get to know you better, but small talk is irritating as hell, you know? It always seems so....I don't know, forced..."

Owen smiled at her. God, when did this happen? When did he become so out of touch that he couldn't hold an actual conversation with someone outside of Torchwood. Chatting girls up at a bar was easy enough, but a real date? He was crazy, had to be.

"Yeah, I know what you mean," he said. "To be honest, this is the worst part of a relationship, the 'getting to know you' phase. I wish we could just skip it and know already." He smiled sheepishly at the thought.

...Did he just say relationship?

...did he just say relationship? Lynne felt her heart skip a beat. It took a little bit of effort on her part to focus in on the rest of what he'd said.

"To be honest, this is the worst part of a relationship, the 'getting to know you' phase. I wish we could just skip it and know already."

"Oh, I know, right? It's just plain awkward and...well, I'm a little rusty, if I'm honest," Lynne replied. "I mean, it's been..." she paused and looked up at nothing while she tried to remember. "God, something like four or five years since my last actual date." She looked back at Owen, blushed, and looked away. "Jesus, that sounds pathetic, doesn't it?" she looked back at him sheepishly.

Part of her was still stuck on the part where he'd said 'relationship' in one sentence and 'we' in the next.

"God, something like four or five years since my last actual date." She looked back at Owen, blushed, and looked away. "Jesus, that sounds pathetic, doesn't it?"

Owen smiled, but, despite all his efforts, it was a sad one. Four years ago he was engaged. Four years ago his fiancee died. He chased the thought out of his mind, but a new one cropped up in its place. Why did he keep thinking of Katie when he was around Lynne?

"Yeah," he said pathetically, "it's been a while for me, too."

She was beautiful, and he enjoyed spending time with her. It was about time, he felt, that he'd found something to help him forget Torchwood.

Lynne's heart sunk when she saw the look on Owen's face. She knew that look. She practically owned that look the whole first year after her split with The Asshole.

"Yeah," he said pathetically, "it's been a while for me, too."

A sympathetic smile tugged at the corners of her mouth and she reached across the table, placing her hand on Owen's, giving it a small squeeze before settling it in her lap again. "You know..." she said slowly, looking away, eyes focusing on nothing in particular. "I was supposed to be married, by now. I know it sounds stupid, but when he left, I didn't think I'd ever feel the way I did when I was with him again. Ever, you know?" she asked, looking back at Owen. "I don't know if I ever will, honestly. It sucks starting over because you've lost something like that..."

Lynne paused and furrowed her brow. "It's bad ettiquette for me to bring it up, I know. It's just...that look on your face just then...I used to see it in the mirror every day. It gets better. It gets easier," she assured him. "It never goes away, but it gets easier." She looked back at Owen, locking her eyes on his.

"It never goes away, but it gets easier." She looked back at Owen, locking her eyes on his.

Owen broke the gaze, and stared out the window, blankly surveying the bay. Nobody had really helped him confront her death. He was put in the psych ward for a bit, and then he started with Torchwood, but he didn't really have anyone to talk to or help.

"I know..." he said, clenching and unclenching his jaw, "I know nobody ever wants to hear this, but..." he took a deep breath, "You remind me of her a bit." He caught eye contact with her before quickly losing it again to the bay. "Something about you, I don't know, just something." He hadn't talked about her for years. This was unexpected.

He looked back from the window and smiled weakly. "Some first date, I suppose." His gaze fell.

Owen looked away from her and Lynne's heart broke for him. He must've been hurt really badly.

"I know..." he said, clenching and unclenching his jaw, "I know nobody ever wants to hear this, but..." he took a deep breath, "You remind me of her a bit." He caught eye contact with her before quickly losing it again to the bay. "Something about you, I don't know, just something."

At first, Lynne wanted to reflexively bristle at that, because he was right. No one ever wanted to hear that. But something in the way he looked - the clenching and unclenching of his jaw; the way he couldn't look at her when he said it - struck Lynne suddenly. Maybe he hadn't been left. Maybe she'd died.

He looked back from the window and smiled weakly. "Some first date, I suppose." His gaze fell.

Licking her lips and taking a deep breath, Lynne reached back up and took his hand. She waited until he looked up at her again before speaking. "We're getting to know each other. 's what we both want, yeah? To know one another better?" she paused. "What was her name?"

Lynne wasn't sure why she wanted to know, but she did. The tone in his voice when he'd said she reminded him of her made Lynne worry that perhaps that was actually a bad thing, but maybe it really wasn't. Just difficult to handle, perhaps. Maybe getting him to talk about her would make it hurt less. It could make him hurt more, but at least he'd know Lynne cared...

God, he'd really bollocksed this up. Talking about exes on the first date. Or any, for that matter. And comparing them! Smart. Nice. Everyone's favorite. Shit, maybe he should just leave now and forget the whole thing.

But then she took his hand. He looked up, first at her hand, then her eyes.

"What was her name?"

"Katie," he said, voice cracking slightly. He glanced out the window again to recompose himself before looking back at her. "I'm sorry," he added, sincerely, "this isn't quite what I had in mind." He allowed himself a small, apologetic smile.

"Katie."

Owen's voice cracked a little when he'd said it and he looked away again. Lynne had the sudden urge to take him in her arms and just hug him, but she sat still. He looked back at her after a moment.

"I'm sorry," he added, sincerely, "but this isn't quite what I had in mind."

"Don't be sorry, Owen," she said with complete sincerity. "I mean...look, it's not what I had in mind, either, when I came here, but our pasts are part of who we are. We've got to get to know one another some time if we're going to be friends..." she said, letting her voice trail off. "Or anything else, for that matter," she added sheepishly. Maybe Owen wasn't ready for that. Lynne wasn't even sure that she was, but if he wanted to try, she was more than willing, too.

"It's okay to miss her. It doesn't make you a bad date, you know. It makes you human," Lynne went on. "I'm not a big fan of false pretenses, anyway, and truthfully, I'd take a date like this over a small talk and showing off date any day. Maybe that makes me weird..." she said, a small smile managing to make its way onto her face. "If you don't want to do dinner anymore, though, I won't hold you to it," she said. "But, I think I almost want to go to dinner with you more now than I did before...which is saying an awful lot," she admitted.

God, she was amazing. Anyone else would've been gone by this point. But, then again, Owen didn't think he would have let it get this far with anyone else.

"No, no, I... I still want to do dinner, I just don't know when I could, my boss is a bit in control of that right now," he frowned at this thought.

"And um.. Thank you," he stammered a bit, "for, you know. Being so... understanding." He smiled gratefully at her.

The waiter brought their food out, and Owen hoped the rest of the meal would move along better.

"No, no, I... I still want to do dinner, I just don't know when I could, my boss is a bit in control of that right now,"

Lynne sighed a little. "Yeah, I know that feeling," she muttered. "But, I mean, you've got my number...I'm off the rest of the night. Just call me when you're ready, or something," she suggested. "Unless you were thinking of another night entirely, in which case pretend I didn't just say that," she said, a small smile forming on her face.

"And um.. Thank you," he stammered a bit, "for, you know. Being so... understanding." He smiled gratefully at her.

Nodding, Lynne made to reply when the food came out. Maybe it was time for a change of pace. She hadn't meant to make Owen sad, after all. "Yeah, well, I'm kind of amazing like that," she joked, hoping to lighten things. She was all for them getting to know one another, but she thought perhaps serious conversation like that would be more appropriate when they were at home - his or hers, didn't matter - where it'd be all right to show how they felt about what they were saying at the time.

The rest of the meal went by without a hitch. As Owen's hour drew to a close, he paid the check and he and Lynne walked back outside.

"I, uh... Thank you," he said. "I'll call you for dinner, then?"

He looked around a bit, not sure what he was looking for. He looked back at Lynne and kissed her on the lips and then on the forehead.

"Do you need a ride home or anything?" He really didn't want to let her go, but was pretty sure Jack wouldn't let him bring her in.

After their food had arrived, things had gotten lighter; smoother. Lynne was glad for it, as much as she had enjoyed seeing a piece of Owen that, from the looks of things, he hadn't shared with very many others or at least not very often.

He led her outside and she could already feel the sadness creeping into her. She didn't want him to go back to work.

"I'll call you for dinner, then?"

"Yeah," Lynne said with a soft smile. "I'd really like that, Owen."

He kissed her, then. First, on the lips and then on the forehead. Lynne felt like she was on top of the world. On second thought, maybe Lynne was ready to try a new relationship...if it was with Owen.

"Do you need a ride home or anything?"

Lynne paused for a moment. She could walk just as easily - it was only a couple of blocks. But, then she'd have to say goodbye to him right now and that didn't sound good to her at all. "Yeah, if you have time..." she said with a small smile.

"Yeah, if you have time..."

He smiled and walked her to his car. As he was pulling out of the parking lot, he asked, "Where do you live?"

Owen was pulling out of the parking lot when he asked, "Where do you live?"

All at once, it hit her. She'd said she lived on his side of town. Her mouth dropped open and her eyes went wide for a second as she tried to think. Should she just have him take her home and explain her white lie or should she have him take her back across town, in which case she'd have to waste money on another cab ride?

After a moment she looked over at him. "Um...okay, don't think I'm a jerk," she prefaced. "But I kind of only live a few blocks up that way," she said, pointing in the direction from which she'd come. Her face felt hot and she was sure her cheeks were pink with embarrassment. "I just...this morning, I really thought you'd been trying to send me on my way without being mean, so I said I lived over on your side of town just so I could go and not have the embarrassment of you calling me a cab or the awkward wait for it to show up," she admitted sheepishly. "I was just gonna walk a few blocks and then hail a cab, but I'd gone in for coffee and then my cash was gone...that's how come I was at the bank when you drove by. No wallet, no ATM card."

Her stomach twisted uncomfortably. Would he be mad or would he understand and laugh it off? She didn't know him well enough to take an educated guess, so she just hoped for the best.

Owen looked at Lynne as sternly as he could for a moment, before a mischievous grin took its place.

"This morning was a bit... odd," he admitted. "Day itself didn't turn out so bad though, eh? And it's not even over." He smiled at her and took her hand.

For a moment, Lynne froze in fear when Owen looked back at her sternly. Shit, he was pissed that she'd lied...

And then his face changed and he grinned at her. Lynne let out the breath she hadn't realized she was holding.

"This morning was a bit... odd," he admitted. "Day itself didn't turn out so bad though, eh? And it's not even over."

Lynne laughed a little. "Yeah, this morning was..." she paused. "Yeah," she finished for lack of better words. "But the rest of the day's been pretty fantastic, I think," she went on. "Can only get better from here, right?"

Owen took her hand and Lynne twined her fingers through his. It had been a very long time since Lynne had felt the way she felt right now and as happy as she was, she was scared. If he changed his mind about her, she'd be crushed, if she was honest, and the idea that he might or could scared the hell out of her.

Owen drove Lynne home with one hand. When he pulled in front of her flat, he couldn't help but feel a bit bitter about it, but he had to leave her here and go. They both got out of the car and he hugged her tightly. "I'll call you. I mean that." He's always hated that line, but it was honestly the best he could right now.