Title: Tears of the Weevil(working title)

Summary: Unknown to the rest of Torchwood Gwen has developed a strange bond with the resident weevil, but Owen's link to it is even stranger.

Rating: PG

A/N: AU after 'Combat', with no Billis or anything else from episodes 12 and 13. Possible Gwen/Owen.

It was past midnight when Owen finally noticed the time. The others had all gone out for a drink, which he had declined to go for, leaving him alone in the Hub. Or so he thought. Looking up at the monitor displaying the cells he noticed a figure sitting on the floor by the cell housing the Weevil. Pale arms wrapped around long legs as the woman sat talking to the Weevil. He made his way down to the cells and stood quietly by the open door, watching his co-worker. Upon closer inspection he found that she was fast asleep, head lying against the cage. It didn't seem odd to him though, she'd been working flat out for weeks, he suspected it was to avoid Rhys. Of course he had no proof of this due to Gwen's inability to remain in the same room as him for more than five minutes.

What was strange to him was that she had fallen asleep sitting on the cold floor, her head lying against the cage. The weevil sat on the other side, it's expression docile and intrigued as it stared at the sleeping woman. Owen had never seen it so calm before. Sighing he bent down to pick Gwen up off the hard floor and move her to the couch upstairs. He paused as the weevil bore it's teeth and growled at him, it's mood had changed from docile to defensive. Owen growled back at it, and scooped his co-worker up in to his arms. There was only room for one alpha male and Owen wasn't going to be intimidated by a weevil with a crush on Gwen Cooper.

He set her down gently on to the couch, careful not to wake her. She'd developed dark circles under her eyes from sleep deprivation, so sleeping in the hub for a bit wasn't going to hurt her. Removing his leather jacket her lay it over her and returned to his desk, occasionally glancing over to check on his sleeping colleague. Eventually the peaceful silence and fatigue overcame him and he began to drift off at his desk.

He was startled awake by screaming. Gwen's screaming. He scrambled to his feet, ran out the door and in to the dimly lit corridor. What was he doing down by the cells? He heard Gwen scream again and decided it didn't matter how he had got there, he had to get back to her.

He ran up the stairs to where he'd left her and found Jack holding his pistol and glaring over at the couch. Owen's gaze followed his and found Gwen Cooper still lying down, but it was not just his coat that was on top of her. The weevil, affectionately named Janet by Jack, sat astride her, pinning her down with its body. "I think Janet may need renaming." Jack quipped. Owen didn't laugh. He was in no mood for Jack's twisted humour, not when Gwen's life was at risk. "Maybe Houdini would be more fitting...how the hell did it get out of the cage?" Owen touched his hand to his throbbing forehead, his fingers becoming covered in dry blood. What had happened to him?

"Jack!" Gwen hissed, trying to remain as motionless and calm as was humanly possible while being straddled by a vicious weevil.

"It's OK babe." Owen answered before Jack had a chance. "Just stay VERY still. Don't move or talk-"

"Do you say that to all the girls?" Gwen teased, coaxing a weak smile from Owen. It also spurred him on to move quicker towards the weevil spray in Jack's hands. Gwen was terrified, and her light hearted teasing was a way of dealing with her fear. Jack scowled as Owen took the spray and edged over to the Weevil. It sat perfectly still, staring down at Gwen with an intensity that Owen himself could relate to.

"Owen." Jack's voice behind him was low yet authoritative. He knew what the younger man was planning.
"I've took it on before." Owen growled back at him, edging ever closer over to his pinned co-worker. He still had the bruises on his body to prove it. The weevil tore it's gaze away from the woman beneath it to glare at him. It emitted a low, feral growl. A warning for Owen to stay away from what it saw as its possession.

Owen took a tentative step forwards, only to be stopped by Gwen. "Don't!" She shouted, startling the alien on top of her. "Owen, just back off, you're annoying it." Jack yanked him back to a safer distance, leaving Gwen to deal with the weevil as she saw fit.

"Harper, let me up." She ordered, putting as much authority in her voice as she could. The weevil did as she asked and got to its feet, letting her up. Jack stared in amazement while Owen fumed.

"Harper?" He quizzed.

Gwen shrugged as she smoothed down her top. "It didn't seem to like Janet. I spent forty minutes going through names, and it wasn't until I said Harper it paid any attention. Maybe it just sounds like its real name?" Owen still sulked at her using his second name to address the beast that stood beside her.

"I don't suppose it'll be a good boy and get back in its cage?" Jack asked hopefully.

She turned to it and held out her hand cautiously. She'd spent a lot of time with it since they'd used it as bait, confiding in it with things she couldn't tell anyone about, like Torchwood and her feelings. It sat patiently in its cage and listened, like it was actually taking in her words and going to reply to her. If it ever did it was only in unintelligible grunts. They'd developed a bond, and a weird sort of trust that she couldn't explain.

She trusted it not to grab her and rip her throat out like she'd seen it do to a porter in the hospital, or bite her like it had Owen. It's leathery skin felt odd as it took her hand, deftly following her through the hub and down in to the cells. Jack and Owen stayed close with their weapons always trained on it. It simply walked back in to its cage and allowed Gwen to close the door. Owen laughed once the door was safely shut.

"If that's the best you can pull love it explains why you're with Rhys." He jumped as the weevil flung itself at the door of the cell, snarling as it stared at him.

Gwen smirked and her voice took on a teasing tone. "Careful Owen. I might just set him on you."

"Children." Jack interrupted their bickering, bringing their attention back to work. "We've got bigger things to worry about than Gwen's love life. How did Janet/Harper, whatever you want to call it, get out of a locked cell?"