MY SKIN

Owen stared at the computer screen with a frown.

Nothing. There was nothing there and it was starting to agitate him, of course he knew it would take a while which is why he handed his in early. He needed an answer and wanted it soon. Desperately wanted it to be quick and painless.

"Checking out your UCAS?" Jack asked from behind causing Owen to jump.

"Bloody hell Harkness, do I have to put a bell on you or something?" Owen snarled shutting the window close and logging off quickly.

"It's far too early to start checking your UCAS" Jack said casually as Owen stood up. "Deadlines to hand it in isn't till November"

"Not for Medicine" Owen muttered.

"Ah"

They walked out of the library in silence.

"You know despite your behaviour you'll get in especially with your high-ranking grades" Jack said in an attempt to comfort Owen. "Where did you apply to?"

"All over the place" Owen said vaguely. "Now what are we planning for Bonfire Night?"

"You know I don't understand the concept of that, what's the point in celebrating a day where your king hung a man?"

"What's the point in Fourth of July?" Owen shot back.

"Point taken, we'll think of something for both days now the reason I went looking for you-"

"Because you miss my company?"

"Ha, ha no. Gwen and I are going out on our first date tonight and I wanted the name of that restaurant. You know the new one that had opened up recently"

Owen frowned. "Hang on haven't you two been going out for the past three weeks?"

"Funny enough Owen I wouldn't count the times we've been together as a date"

"You make out in the corridors and yet don't go on a date? Jesus the pair of you are easy"

Jack lightly punched Owen's arm. "Oh shut up you wanker"

TWTWTWTWTWTWTWTWTWTWTWTW

"So then of course we ended up having a wrestling match right there in the corridor causing the teacher to send us to the Headmaster" Jack finished off telling the story of this afternoon's events to Gwen. "Didn't give us detention...well he can't anymore but he did threaten to take me off the football team"

Gwen scooped up the chocolate mouse that she had chosen for desert and blissfully ate it before speaking. "Be a bit pointless kicking you off the team. They would only lose every game"

"Yeah and we know how our school prides itself in football" Jack said grinning.

"So how does Owen know this place?" Gwen asked scanning the room quickly with wonder. It was cheap yet held the air of the most posh restaurant in those cheesy romance films. "It doesn't seem to be his type of thing"

"Owen has girlfriends, he knows how to impress when he wants to" Jack shrugged.

"I guess...to be honest I never really saw him more than an irritating troublemaker" Gwen confessed.

"Don't worry he is" Jack laughed. "But he's a good guy really"

"Yeah"

The pair grinned at each other and were content to remain silent. It had been a good evening, Jack arrived in time to have Gwen's father almost threaten him when Gwen's mother ran interference and declared Jack to be perfect for her daughter. Gwen herself looked gorgeous, her dark hair was curled as she chose an emerald green off-shoulder silk top and black jeans. The dinner went smoothly and desert was almost finished, Jack planned to walk her along the docks before going on and hopefully have a few goodnight kisses.

After paying the bill Jack helped Gwen put her coat on using it as a chance to kiss her neck tenderly. "I love being with you" he whispered causing her breath to hitch.

Her hand grabbed his, keeping it on her waist and she rested her head against his shoulder, her lips waiting for a kiss. "I love being with you too" she said softly.

He kissed her.

TWTWTWTWTWTWTWTWTW

The next morning Jack was cheerfully feeding Alice, his arm held high with the spoon filled with baby food as he made airplane noises. "Open up for the big airplane Alice" Jack said as the spoon swooped closer to her lips. She opened and sucked the food off the spoon. "That's my princess, ready for a train?"

"Yay!" Alice squealed, yellow food flying out of her mouth.

"Speak without food in your mouth darling" Jack chided as he tapped her nose.

"Hello son, good date?" Jack's father asked as he entered the room, immediately going for the coffee pot.

"Brilliant, everything went to plan and I think it's going somewhere" Jack said cheerfully.

His father smiled. "Nice to see you settling down somewhat. Does she know about Alice?"

Jack's smile faded slightly. "No...Not yet...i don't know how to tell her"

Jack's father frowned slightly. "Well tell her soon otherwise it might go all wrong" Jack nodded and went back to feeding Alice. "Oh Jack before I forget I found this on the doormat" his father placed an envelope with Jack's name done in cut-out letters from the newspaper. "Another admirer I think"

"These English girls are crazier than America" Jack said winking as he opened the envelope. "Let's see how charming this one thinks I am...ooh I wonder if they'll say my eyes are deeper and bluer than the ocean like last month"

His father rolled his eyes and left the room with coffee at hand. Several pictures fell out of the envelope all of Jack and Gwen on their date last night. However Jack's face had been scribbled out, a piece of paper also fell out with the typed words in angry bold black capitals saying:

STAY AWAY, SHE'S MINE NOT YOURS!

Jack gritted his teeth. He was tempted in scrunching the paper up and chucking it in the bin but decided otherwise. He slipped it into the envelope and decided to find out just where Gwen's ex Rhys Williams lived.

It was the only conclusion he could come up with.

Gwen and Rhys had been together for five years until over the summer. And while Jack is sure that Rhys is a nice bloke he was very aware of Rhys' possessiveness streak. Once when Jack did some casual flirting with Gwen last year Rhys went nuts and punched him. He had a black eye for a week.

He hoped he was wrong but no one else had loved Gwen to this extreme and Rhys might possibly have the answer to what happened to Cary because Jack knows for sure after that note it wasn't an accident.

It annoyed Jack that the only one with possible answers was Rhys Williams.

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