Maybe one day

He stood, with horror filling his heart.

He had snapped at Eric and Nell knowing that he..., that they were in danger and he couldn't do anything, he couldn't stop it.

Hetty had tried her best, but she had used up all her favors but not getting on the plane to Washington.

He called in every favor he could think of, he made his last call, and time was running out.

It was all he could do not to throw his cell phone the length of Ops and watch as it smashed into pieces. He looked at them as Eric, Nell and Hetty looked at him with a mixture of horror and disappointment.

It did nothing to quell the pain in his gut, he stood up and saw the explosion on the screen and all but ran from ops.

Outside, he wrapped his arms around his waist and tried breathing slowly, they were both dead….and he was a coward.

So many times he had come close, he should have told him and now it was too late.

He knew he had seen the cine-film and hadn't come and found him, or shot him, so it was obvious that as yet he hadn't made the connection.

His hand shook as he rubbed it down his face, all of them dead now and it was too late.

He looked around, no one could see him and he let a tear fall, "I'm so sorry." He said aloud. He walked away from the mission and headed downtown he needed a drink, just one.

He sat in the bar and ordered a scotch, looking in the glass he watched the ice float in the amber liquid.

The bartender looked over at him; he had never seen someone look so broken and decided to let the man have his privacy.

Owen took an old well worn photograph out of his pocket and stared at the image of the three people on there.

He finished his drink and sighed, he had to at least go and see Hetty, and there was no reason to keep the secret anymore. He had a family to tell of the loss of their loved one and a funeral to plan.

Pulling up to the mission he saw a lot of activity, more than he had expected.

Walking over to Hetty she gave him a small smile, "They are alive; both of them."

Granger sat heavily in the chair opposite, "Alive, he's….they're alive, are you sure?"

Hetty smiled in the way that only she could, "They are in the boatshed being treated by Nell as we speak, and they seem to be ok."

Granger took the drink she had sat on her desk, he wanted to cry in relief, but he couldn't not yet, not here. He was safe that was all that matter, he had another chance, another day.

He downed his drink, he just needed to finish up and go home.

He stood and placed his now empty glass on her desk and turned to go.

"You should tell him Owen, he needs to know."

He looked over at her shocked for a moment, but he smirked, he knew he couldn't really hide anything from her.

"Maybe one day Henrietta, one day." He wanted to ask how long had she known, but he knew it would be a moot point to ask.

She sat and watched him go, hurting for the two men who could know so much more peace, but fate would always it seemed intervene.

Maybe one day.

She sighed and stood up to go, Washington was still waiting.